Consider This (https://consider-this.ca/tag/community/)
Community affairs
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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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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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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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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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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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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The full interview with bonus material:
The decision sent teachers, children, and parents scrambling just before the Spring Break as the Ontario government announced it would be returning to remote learning for all students across the province. Since Easter, the spread of COVID-19 is setting records across Ontario and here in Northumberland. The break was meant to be a time for everyone in the school system to catch their breath. Now, it means teachers must spend their time preparing to deliver lessons online. For parents, it can mean big changes at home and disruption. Continue Reading →
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The show:
The full interview with bonus material:
On April 5, 2021, the new rural outreach clinic in Colborne was open for business. A month before, officials gathered to mark the completion of the new facility. Through a collaboration between the municipality and the Ontario Health Team, the clinic will be offering mental health services, foot care, diabetes education, and a host of other programs aimed at improving access to health care. In this interview with Consider This Northumberland, Cramahe Township Mayor Mandy Martin talks about the unique opportunity and the efforts by all parties to make this clinic a reality. It is the county’s first rural outreach clinic and was a major promise of the Northumberland Ontario Health Team when it was created. Continue Reading →
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Sometimes news stories are complex. There is a need for many voices, and interviewing just one person doesn’t capture everything going on. This week, Consider This Northumberland is doing something different. Rather than its usual interview format, a short documentary feature is being used to tell an important story impacting kids in the county and beyond. In February, county council passed a motion to end a lease agreement with Scouts Canada for the Cobourg Scout Reserve on Highway 45. Continue Reading →
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The show:
The full interview with bonus material:
It is easy to say there is a climate crisis. It is much harder to fix it. Rising lake levels closed beaches and caused property damage along the shores of Lake Ontario across the county. Flooding along rivers and creeks is more evidence. Then, there are the sweltering, dry summers. Continue Reading →
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