Consider This Northumberland

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Cobourg Police annual report delivers stats as many are up and some others dropped

The show:

The full interview with bonus material:

Earlier this week, Cobourg Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf presented his annual report for the past year to town council. Many statistics were up. The number of calls, crime rate, reported crimes, mental health calls, drug poisonings, overdoses, break, and enters all increased. The number of complaints against police was down, as were the times when officers used force. But things have changed in other ways. Continue Reading →

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Fifth generation farm forges new path while it monitors future of agriculture in Northumberland

Mike and Ingrid Aird

The show:

The full interview with bonus material:

In the main hall in the Cobourg Best Western, Mike and Ingrid Aird are sitting at a table, taking notes. They listen intently to an expert panel talk about protecting farmland in Northumberland County. They care deeply. The future of agriculture is vital to the family’s farm located on Community Centre Road just east of Baltimore. They own what is called a farm-to-table operation. Continue Reading →

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International expert Cormac Russell talks to county leaders about building stronger communities

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A group of community leaders gathered one Saturday morning in Cobourg to hear a speaker from Ireland talk about creating a sustainable community. Cormac Russell is a highly regarded expert in helping organizations and citizens build stronger communities. Russell has given multiple TED Talks and is recognized worldwide within the ranks of bureaucracies, politics, and citizen groups. Representatives from Northumberland County, Northumberland Hills Hospital, churches, social agencies, and chambers of commerce, plus community groups, listened intently to his message. In this interview, Russell and his Canadian colleague Jon Massimi will share what they said at the event. Continue Reading →

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Local taxpayers footing majority the bill for affordable housing programs, says manager

Rebecca Carman,

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The full interview with bonus material:

County council accepted a report telling them local taxpayers are contributing up to 75 percent of the costs associated with housing programs. Ontario is the only province that has downloaded those costs. Some of the numbers are alarming. Rebecca Carman, housing services manager for Northumberland County, will explain what is going on and why. She will also outline the steps she and her fellow manager across Ontario to lobby the government to change things. Originally aired: July 28, 2023. Continue Reading →

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County plans to create affordable housing specifically for workers if they promise to stay

workforce housing

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The full interview with bonus material:

While affordable housing remains a priority for all levels of government, recently, two important steps were taken locally. County council is creating a municipal body to build workforce housing. In this interview, you will hear the details explaining plans to build workforce housing and why affordable housing efforts are not cutting it. Originally aired: July 28, 2023

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Cobourg mayor shares experiences, insights during India at U20 conference

COBOURG MAYOR LUCAS CLEVELAND INDIA TRIP

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The full interview with bonus material:

Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland and CAO Tracy Vaughan recently returned from a trip to India. The mayor participated in a panel at the U20 conference. It is a gathering of mayors from around the world. They set priorities about issues at the municipal level and pass them on to the G20 global leaders for action. It is pretty prestigious since only three mayors are chosen from across Canada. Continue Reading →

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Chambers of Commerce call on all three levels of government to address housing crisis

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The full interview with bonus material:

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce recently released a report calling on all three levels of government to tackle the Affordable Housing Crisis. Some people might wonder why a business organization is producing housing reports. Port Hope Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Brenda Whitehead will dive into that mystery in this interview. It has a lot to do with workers being unable to live in the communities where they work. This was not an issue in the past because people were expected to commute to jobs. Continue Reading →

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A family’s grief transforms into Tattoos4Trauma fundraiser for Northumberland Warming Hub

Sue Glover and Theresa Rickerby

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The full interview with bonus material:

For those who may be triggered, the following interview talks about suicide and sexual abuse. Please be aware. Sue Glover lost her son, David, to suicide. Theresa Rickerby lost a nephew. Out of the deep, heartfelt pain, the two joined together to create Tattos4Trauma. Continue Reading →

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An extended interview with MPP David Piccini on key local and provincial issues

Bigwind Provincial Park announcement David Piccini

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The full interview with bonus material:

It has been a while since I’ve spoken to Northumberland Peterborough South MPP David Piccini. It was last year after his re-election. With all his responsibilities as Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks, plus his local work, he is hard to pin down. But finally, we got a chance to chat. A lot has gone on. Continue Reading →

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Drug strategy group dealing with opioid crisis returns at public meeting in Port Hope

HKLN drug strategy public meeting

The show:

The full interview with bonus material:

The health unit says there were between one and four deaths in May. There were also close to 30 emergency room visits where a drug overdose was suspected. None of this counts for the police and ambulance calls. Those are some of the highest numbers we have seen since a year ago. As you will hear in this interview, Dane Record, the executive director of the Peterborough AIDs Resource Network, will tell you he is not surprised. Continue Reading →

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