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County’s Faster Forward Summit Program aims to assist larger local businesses to grow

The show:

The full interview with bonus material:

Millions of dollars are being spent by the provincial and federal governments to keep small and medium-sized businesses afloat during the pandemic. For larger enterprises, support to sustain them or even help them grow has not always been available. The people behind economic development for Northumberland County launched a new imitative recently to address this gap. It is called the Faster Forward Summit Program. As you will hear, it is aimed at bigger businesses – those with more than $250,000 in revenue annually. Continue Reading →

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Burnham Family Market transitions during pandemic, as legacy farm moves to next generation

 

The show:

Take a drive out into rural Northumberland. You will see all kinds of farms. It is easy to assume most of those are family farms. Yet, the family farm is on the decline in Canada. Well over 90 percent of farms are family-owned and operated. Barely half the farms are sole proprietorships. The rest are either partnerships or corporations, according to Statistics Canada in 2016. Continue Reading →

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Farmers face new struggles and mental health pressures as spring planting underway

Farm near Campbellford

The show:

The full interview with bonus material:

Farmers are busy preparing to put crops into the grounds. This time around, they have a year of the pandemic under their belts. A lot has changed. Then again, not a lot has changed. The supply chain issues have settled. Continue Reading →

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Northumberland labour leader addresses impact of pandemic on local workers

The show:

There are lots of people and politicians who are quick to express their gratitude to essential workers. The nurses, doctors, grocery store staff, truckers, and some others quickly come to mind. But the cleaning staff, the line workers, those in distribution centres or the roofers, electricians, plumbers, daycare staff, and other workers don’t seem to get the same spotlight. In this interview with Dan Tobin, president of the Northumberland and District Labour Council, you will hear the concerns of those who represent working people. It is not just a debate about paid sick days. Continue Reading →

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Union leader shares hardships facing workers during pandemic on Day of Mourning

The show:

The full interview with bonus material:

Going to work can be deadly. Earlier this week, Canadians took a moment of silence to remember people who died or were injured on the job. It is called the Day of Mourning. What makes this year’s commemoration more significant is the number of workers who have died or become sick from COVID-19. As these deaths appear to most of us as figures in daily reports, the stories behind them are chilling. Continue Reading →

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Tipping point and case surge on horizon for Northumberland if stay-at-home orders not followed

The show:

Northumberland County is quickly reaching a tipping point when it comes to the pandemic. The new Medical Officer of Health for the region, Dr. Natalie Bocking, predicts a surge in the next few weeks. Hospitals in the county are preparing to deal with a spike in cases. Emergency plans are well underway, she said. Intensive care units across the province are filling up quickly as the third wave takes its toll. Continue Reading →

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Balancing rights critical as Cobourg Police charge protesters as they violate emergency orders

The show:

For the past few weeks, Cobourg Police officers have charged protesters in front of Victoria Hall as they gather to defy provincial stay-at-home orders and other regulations to deliver their anti-pandemic message. For some in the community, there is a sigh of relief as concerns over the spread of COVID-19 and its variants have escalated in Northumberland. There are those who ask why this was not done sooner. Yet, there are others who raise concerns about the rights of people to express their views and gather peacefully. The laying of charges was such a major change in the approach by the police, a press conference was held last week to explain what was going on. Continue Reading →

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Northumberland group nominates Cuban medical team for Nobel Peace Prize, plus help with Canada’s pandemic response

Henry Reeve Brigade

The show:

The full interview with bonus material:

Fifteen years ago, after Hurricane Michelle devastated Cuba, the government realized it needed to train emergency medical teams to deal with natural disasters. It figured this was not the last time severe weather or natural disasters would strike the island nation. Known and the Henry Reeve Brigade, it is a team of 8,000 medical professionals who are specially trained in dealing with disasters and epidemics. It has been deployed in 22 countries around the world since it began. It responded to hurricanes in Guatemala, floods in Bolivia, and an earthquake in China, among countless others catastrophes. Continue Reading →

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