Searching for purpose
Shire Hall has a property problem. It has too much. Way too much. Worse, when the municipality acquires a property— or finds one it didn’t know it had—it is nigh impossible to dispose of it. So the portfolio of obscure and decaying assets grows. Unchecked. It’s been more than a decade since there was a […]
Thickets and trade-offs
One of the more pernicious phrases in public policy formation is “For the price of a cup of coffee…” The benign opening is often followed by a frighteningly expensive proposal—framed as a necessity. If we don’t agree to fund this plan, the sun may fail to rise again. But don’t worry, the cost, when compared […]
Man of letters
Ian Inrig said the quiet bits out loud. He was unapologetically direct. He preferred that others spoke the same way. But even as I write this, I sense Ian about to interject sharply in a deep, rich baritone, “Let me say this about that,” before embarking on a wellenunciated and forceful rebuttal. Few ideas or […]
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 […]
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, […]
Remembering Darryl
Darryl Kramp was the consummate retail politician. He was good at it. He enjoyed serving his community. He enjoyed meeting his neighbours and was genuinely curious to know how he could help. In return, this community rewarded him with four consecutive terms as their federal representative, each plurality larger than the last. His winning streak […]