Too many questions
An aircraft lifts off from New York bound for Paris. Passengers settle in for an uneventful flight—despite the likelihood that none knows how much fuel is onboard. Whether it is enough? Or what condition is the plane? When was it last serviced? And by whom? Were they distracted by troubles at home or an irritating […]
A more realistic plan
Too many roads. Too few people. It was true 22 years ago when the province walked away from its duty to maintain municipal roads and bridges in rural communities. It remains true today. Worse, actually. For a few years after the split, our deadbeat province paid support to the municipalities it abandoned. But soon enough, […]
Revival
About 200 folks fanned out across the County on Saturday to pick up other people’s trash. Under blue skies and embraced by warmer-than-usual springtime temperatures, an army of volunteers mustered to prowl the ditches of the countryside roadways and lanes. They were hunting for coffee cups, paper bags, pop cans and the like thoughtlessly discarded […]
How did this happen?
Correction: Two young girls made allegations of abuse against their foster parent in 2005, not two boys. They were horrific crimes. Children. Sexually abused. Over many years. By people, we entrusted to care for them. In our community. Sadly, we may never know the full extent of these crimes or the toll exacted upon […]
Dambusting
It is a pretty drive into downtown from the Vancouver airport. Crossing the Arthur Laing bridge over the Fraser River, you catch a glimpse of dozens of tanker ships gathering in the shelter of Burrard Inlet. Then you dip back onto city streets through the cherrytree- lined streets of Shaughnessy and Granville. The sweet fragrance […]
Crossing
For the first decade or so, it seemed just another expensive blunder by the newly amalgamated municipality. In 1997 it had acquired a 46-kilometre-long rope of liability stretched across the landscape from Carrying Place to Picton. Despite paying $100,000 for the former railway line, Shire Hall had no more money and little ambition for its […]
Larger than life
He was a formidable character. Ready to pounce at the whiff of an insult. Just as quick with a kind word or gesture of thoughtfulness. Keith MacDonald passed away on the weekend, leaving behind stories and memories much bigger than one man. A competitor all his life, Keith’s success in hockey was earned mainly in […]
Judgement
The Wellington Times was thrust awkwardly into the culture wars last week, not from its reporting or commentary, but by way of an advertisement presented in its pages. Some have perceived the message of the notice as promoting hate toward an identifiable group. This newspaper believes that while the ad’s content is offensive and misguided, […]
Neighbours
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A stranger pulls a tanker truck up to the Belleville plant at the bottom of Sidney Street. They fill their massive container, paying $2.42 for each cubic metre of water they take. The water may be destined to lubricate Donald Trump’s personal water slide at Mar-a-Lago. It […]
Hardball
When the village gathered in the basement of CML Snider school 11 years ago to consider how Wellington might grow, no one imagined this. No one raised their hand in favour of doubling or tripling the village population in two short decades. Neighbours talked about what they love about Wellington, about the values and character […]