The way
The promise is great. The prospect of transforming the former air force base into a collection of communities, shops and businesses is encouraging. Inspiring. The notion that this development will drive economic and cultural activity in Prince Edward County is already evident. And we need more homes. As the former provincial finance minister said last […]
Stand up
It was never going to be a fair fight. Developers are more motivated, more agile, and less morally restricted than regulators and municipalities. They wage battles in communities like ours every day. They have the tools, the expertise, and the incentive to win. So they play hard. However, even the most optimistic developer could not […]
The same day
It is an easy and sensible path forward. Council can end months of anger, frustration, and mistrust swirling around Wellington’s waterworks expansion on December 19, simply by tying the trunk line tender to the execution of a subdivision agreement and the receipt of $26.5 million payable by the developer as part of its upfront financing […]
Rudderless
The restraints are off. The guardrails are gone. We are adrift—at a crucial moment in the County’s story. What Shire Hall wants, Shire Hall gets. It is now openly challenging Council to say otherwise. It thinks it knows the answer. In March, Council asked senior leadership to conduct an exercise to see what a 10 […]
Listening
The Wellington Community Association has released the results of a fresh survey of residents this week. It asked residents about their hopes, aspirations, and worries for the village. The survey found that respondents enjoy living in a community with an array of amenities and surrounded by natural beauty. (See story page 4). It revealed, too, […]
How much?
Bit by bit, the foundation supporting the expansion of Wellington’s waterworks is falling apart. Two weeks ago, a Shire Hall advisor threw cold water on forecasts of the County’s rapid population and new homebuilding growth. Now, it seems few inside Shire Hall believe the massive infrastructure project can be contained at $100 million. Last week, […]
Crossroads
Council will soon be asked to approve a water and sewer pipeline construction project running the length of the village under the Millennium Trail. (It was scheduled to be decided at the November 14 council meeting, but was pulled over the weekend.) The cost, including an unplanned sewage pumping station, is already more than double […]
Pump the brakes
It is now just a pile of rubble. The platform upon which hundreds of millions of dollars was to be spent in Prince Edward County has collapsed. The County’s experts have debunked the assumptions driving massive investment in expanding waterworks infrastructure. It is time to stop. And to reconsider our next step. Estimates of a […]
Moment in time
Iwas early for a meeting on a grey November morning in 1992. Deposited in a meeting room of a brokerage firm overlooking Bay Street, I impatiently prowled the circumference. On the wall by the heavy oak door was a painting of the founder, an earnest gentleman leaning forward sternly from his ornate chair. Next to […]
The limit of hope
It was not the outcome water ratepayers were hoping for. By now, many had expected Council would have understood the outrageous risk they were taking on behalf of water users in Prince Edward County. They expected Council, senior leadership, or waterworks staff to see that their project was much too big. And that the result […]