Economy

Recent Posts

Workers should get more than $20 an hour to afford living in Northumberland, says group

Living Wage

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The full interview with bonus material:

Currently, the minimum wage in Ontario is $16.55 per hour. But if you live in Northumberland County, that amount should be $20.60. That is what the Living Wage Network Ontario says. Recently, the Living Wage Network released its figures for 2023. It calculates how much it takes to live and work in one of 10 areas within Ontario. Continue Reading →

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Protecting Farmland in Northumberland: Legislative agenda facing farmers

Northumberland County farm

Eric Gillespie, EKG Corporation

Lawyer Eric Gillespie reviews new regulations, policies, and legislation introduced by the Ontario government impacting farmland in this episode. There are 840 farms in Northumberland County. The vast majority are prime agricultural land. That designation ranks these areas as the best for growing the crops that feed us. Yet, these lands are under threat. 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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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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Chambers of Commerce call on all three levels of government to address housing crisis

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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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Municipality, neighbours, and Community Care respond after Colborne grocery store fire

Foodland fire Colborne

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A fire was called in on May 24, just before 5 a.m. The Foodland in Colborne was burning down. It would be devastating to the community as it was the only grocery store. Within no time, the residents responded. Offers for rides or to pick up groceries filled social media. Municipal staff jumped in to provide coordination. Continue Reading →

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Chair of ad hoc committee provides another perspective on short-term rentals in township

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Earlier this week, the report from the ad hoc committee on short-term rentals in Alnwick-Haldimand Township was officially brought before the planning committee of council. Many delegates and council members spoke about the divisive nature of the issue and the need to get it right. Councillors deferred any action to give politicians and the public a chance to provide more input and consider the numerous delegations at the meeting. Have a listen and see what you think. Originally aired: May 26, 2023 Continue Reading →

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A-H Township short term rental operators, businesses seek changes to proposed bylaw

Short term rentals

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The full interview with bonus material:

Municipalities across Northumberland County struggle to deal with short-term rentals. Those are the rental properties often associated with AirBnB or Verbo online platforms.

For some, renting a space, either a room or a house, is an excellent source of income. It can be a stimulant for the local economy. Others see it as a significant boost for tourism. Then, there are others who see it differently. Continue Reading →

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Proposed changes to short-term rentals in Alnwick-Haldimand coming to council

AIRBNB

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The future of short-term rentals in Alnwick-Haldimand Township is about to come to a head over the next few weeks. A coalition of short-term rental operators and the local business association have teamed up to fight proposed changes to a bylaw controlling short-term rentals. They argue the changes will further limit short-term rentals and continue to burden operators. Meanwhile, supporters of the bylaw welcome the restrictions limiting the places where short-term rentals can be located, plus other tweaks. The township has received complaints from neighbours of some short-term rentals regarding noise and parking violations. Continue Reading →

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Group seeks to create $25 million accelerator fund for region to increase film and TV production

Murdoch Mysteries TV show in Cobourg

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The full interview with bonus material:

Northumberland County is no stranger to Hollywood. Movies like It were filmed in Port Hope. Cobourg is a favourite backdrop for the TV series Murdoch Mysteries. These make up a growing list of productions coming to the region. Local efforts to attract more productions exist in Port Hope and Cobourg, and other municipalities along the lakeshore from here to the Quebec border. Continue Reading →

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Northumberland CDFC helping businesses in tough economic times with new grant

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The full interview with bonus material:

Inflation in Canada is at more than 8 percent. The Bank of Canada raised interest rates at record levels earlier last week. How does the federal government help businesses and keep jobs without pushing the economy into a recession? It is a tricky question. One way is to help entrepreneurs with their startups, and another is to help small and medium-sized businesses invest in innovation. Continue Reading →

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