Absolute power
Beware of government in a hurry. When provincial politicos become impatient with the pace of their accomplishments, it is the small, the fragile and the outof- sight who tend to get whacked. When Queen’s Park is in a rush, it doesn’t often pause to consider the impact on rural communities like Prince Edward County. Think […]
Stuck
Jordan Yarrow wants to build a house in Wellington. Last week, the young man managed to sever a lot from his property on Belleville Road. Sadly, it could be decades before he is allowed to build. He might be an old man before he can start digging a hole for his new home in Wellington. […]
Eyes wide open
Rumeysa Ozturk was walking alone last Tuesday night on her street in a suburb of Boston. Ozturk is a PhD student at Tufts University. She was on her way to join friends for dinner—breaking her daily fast during Ramadan. She didn’t make it. According to CCTV footage, six men approached her on the street. They […]
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 […]
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 […]
Modern times
Perhaps the place is unmanageable. The geography is big. The place populated by too few people. Twenty-five souls per kilometre of road. Yet we receive/demand/ expect the services of suburbia†. In the wake of the departure of the County’s fifth manager in 15 years, maybe we should ask ourselves why it is so. We may […]