Relax
In January, The Times told the story of folks living on Sandy Hook and Ridge Roads who had received a letter over the Christmas holidays describing municipal plans to run a road through their homes and across their property. Anxiety and much stress ensued. Understandably so. The road was intended to connect the town to […]
Or else
Mayor Steve Ferguson has found himself in quite a box. While he acknowledges Council still holds the final say over whether to proceed with massive waterworks projects, he worries that failing to push forward with $300 million in waterworks spending could trigger “lawsuits in the hundreds of millions of dollars”. He suggests that developers and […]
A hole too deep
County roads are in brutal shape. Venturing off main routes can be an adventure at the best of times (often enjoyable), but in March, it means risking severe damage to the more fragile Kinder Surprise-built cars that prowl County roads. Potholes have become wheel-swallowing caverns. Washboard roads test even the sturdiest bladders. Only the loud […]
Canada wants you
In chaos, pools of opportunities can arise. In turbulence, pockets of possibility can bubble to the surface. For a moment. Before disappearing again. Will Canada be ready to seize the opportunity? Many smart, talented and innovative folks in the US are deeply dismayed with their nation’s leadership and what lies ahead for the next four […]
President’s day
It’s a local paper. And my weekly column is decidedly parochial in focus. But I cannot in good conscience mill the grist of Shire Hall’s adventures without occasionally pausing to note the threat of a malign America growing daily. Bear with me. If a tinpot dictator was preparing to set the world on fire to […]
Do you believe?
Do you believe 8,000 new homes will be built in Prince Edward County over the next 10 years? Do you believe 800 will be built this year? Next year? And every year for the next decade? If so, Shire Hall has a brand-new Economic Development Action Plan (EDAP) for you. If, however, you are unsure—and […]
Bloody his nose
Donald Trump blinked. He attacked our country. He thought it would be profitable for him. Global equity markets swatted him down on Monday morning—signalling that the cost of his foreign adventures would be high. So, he blinked. But we will be here again in 30 days. And perhaps every month after that for four years. […]
Push back
Doug Ford says we need an election in Ontario. Sixteen months early. He says we must go to the polls in just four weeks. He says he needs a strong expression of voter support to fight back against Donald Trump. He is wrong. He is likely to win a majority government anyway. This comment is […]
Hyperspace express route
There is a scene early in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in which Arthur Dent awakes to find his home in the West Country of England about to be demolished. Just then a Vogon bureaucrat announces over a global PA system that a new Hyperspace Express Route is being built through his star system […]
Ugly questions
Good arguments on both sides. Neighbours worry, understandably, about the impact of a high-density, low-cost housing development displacing the expanse of greenspace that once served as Queen Elizabeth Elementary School’s playground. Others welcomed, understandably, the prospect of homes and apartments that might be affordable for their children, their parents, and perhaps themselves. Sitting quietly in […]