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Revelation about Walmart tax break sends Cobourg budget chief scrambling
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The municipal budget is boring. That is until you get your tax bill. Then, suddenly, it hits home. No matter if you are a senior on a fixed income trying to stay in your home or a recent addition to the community who just bought a house, seeing those property taxes is a sober lesson in how vital it is to pay attention to the local municipal budget.
Cramahe citizen activist talks about zoning for cannabis, grow ops, muslim cemeteries and more
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The Cramahe Community Association is not exactly a high profile citizen’s group. Yet for many years, Gritt Koehl and her husband, Ernie, have attended council meetings, written letters, organized residents and lobbied hard in an effort to hold politicians in her area to account. But don’t let the name of the group fool you. Gritt is not just active in Crahame Township, but also does her activist work in Alnwick-Haldimand and Brighton, as her website attests.
MPP Piccini shares views on teachers strike, plant closure, and upcoming budget
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Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini speaks candidly about his position on the ongoing labour dispute between teachers and the government. He addresses the union’s concerns, giving his stance on class sizes, e-learning, and compensation. He shares his conversations with parents and those on the picket lines. But, this is not all.
Wearing two hats, Sanderson addresses Port Hope concerns and county issues head on
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It does not take Port Hope Mayor Bob Sanderson to make his mark. At the first meeting of the Northumberland County council as warden recently, he and the rest of the council put the brakes on the 2020 budget, saying there was insufficient time to review all the items in order to make a good decision. But he also comes to the job at a time when there are many pressing issues. He addresses the concerns from neighbours of Transition House, along with talking about the opioid epidemic.
Town doing everything it can to respond to closing plant, says mayor
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From Hometown Hockey rocking the harbour to finalizing budgets, it was a busy few weeks as 2020 began. However, the past year has been filled with successes and challenges. New developments, passing a cultural master plan to deciding the future of the east pier are only some of the accomplishments for Cobourg council in the past year. It was also when the opioid epidemic reached new heights, homelessness became more apparent, a controversy emerged in the neighbourhood surrounding the county’s only emergency shelter located in the downtown.
Getting ready to announce support for party leadership; Conservative rookie MP Lawrence busy guy
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Local Rookie MP Philip Lawrence busy guy during first weeks in House, at home, and in riding. Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Philip Lawrence is on the cusp of announcing who he will support in the upcoming leadership race for the Conservative Party of Canada. While he speaks well of each candidate, he has two with whom he has a special relationship: Erin O’Toole, the MP from Durham, and former MP Peter McKay. MacKay inspired Lawrence as a kid to become involved in politics. In this interview, Lawrence shares his own views on what he is looking for in the next leader of his party. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Consider This Northumberland, Politics
Cramahe mayor vows to take on illegal cannabis grow-ops in township
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Cramahe Township is a busy place. With its first major subdivision underway, new additions to municipal staff, and some tensions surrounding cannabis operations, the council has plenty on its plate. That does not include, its 2020 budget, a new strategic plan for the Chamber of Commerce and who knows what else is on the horizons. Mayor Mandy Martin provides a candid assessment of the proposed Sharpshooter cannabis operation, along with her hardened resolve to deal with illegal marijuana grow-ops scattered across the township. The interview is not only about issues. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Consider This Northumberland, Politics
Cobourg police chief calls for all hands on deck to fight drug epidemic
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So, for our first show of 2020, it seemed like a good idea to revisit one of the more significant stories in Northumberland: the ongoing battle with drugs across the county. Following a number of key arrests over the past few months, plus a shocking announcement regarding a more deadly form of drug suspected to be in our region, it is appropriate to talk once more about the state of the opioid situation and some of the developing issues that have come forward since July when we began examining what was going on. Certainly, a lot has happened and there is a more vocal public debate taking place since then. Back in July, then Deputy Chief Paul Vandegraff sat in this same chair across from me and we talked about opioids. It was the first of a series of interviews done by Consider This around the emerging situation. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Consider This Northumberland, Community, Opioids, Police
Members of the new Ontario Health Team explain impact on health care in Northumberland
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Our local health care system is about to go through a seismic transformation. Two weeks ago, the provincial government announced Northumberland was chosen to be one of 24 pilot programs to completely overhaul the way health care is delivered to us. The new model is called an Ontario Health Team. The phrases that keep coming up in all the announcements focus on several keys: collaboration, patient care, and better navigate the system. All of it with the goal of improving the outcomes and addressing wait times and hallway medicine – the two clichés often associated with the issues facing the overstressed health care system. Continue Reading →