Wet noodles
As they flail about looking for an argument, the cheerleaders for $300 million of waterworks expansion have landed on the accusation that those worried about drowning under unbearable spending are “antigrowth” and “NIMBY’s” (not-in-my- back-yard). It is nonsense. And easily demonstrated as such. (Lacking real arguments—or history or context— some have resorted to throwing spaghetti […]
The job
It’s not about Wellington. Never was. It is about reckless spending, overly ambitious and poorly assembled plans, and the twitchy arrogance of one man who believes he can and will commit hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to his dream— because he is mayor. Because he can. His former campaign manager and other cheerleaders around […]
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 […]
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 […]
Another summer
A few weeks ago, The Times presented Jordan Yarrow’s story. He owns a building lot in Wellington but can’t build a house on it. He would like to build a house, but Shire Hall won’t let him. It has committed the remaining waterworks capacity in the village’s waterworks to a single developer who owns the […]