Of geese and eggs
Is the housing market fixed in Prince Edward County? Has new homebuilding rebounded sufficiently to push already eyewatering development and building charges markedly higher? That’s the proposition being promoted by some on council, and some staff, eager to derive more one-time fees from new homebuilding. But do they risk chasing prospective builders away? Again? And […]
Straight up, please
Andrew Grunda is on spongy ground. The consulting economist advises County staff and council on how to set waterwork rates and development charges. He has done so for about a decade. To be abundantly clear, Grunda provides an important service—pushing the municipality to consider its future needs—pumps, pipes, libraries, roads etc.—and then formulating these costs […]
Understanding ag
Dodie Ellenbogen grows vegetables on her small farm on Elmbrook Road, north of Picton. She sells “green leafy things” such as arugula, kale and bok choy at her farm stand and various occasional markets around the County. The young mother of a little girl, she grows an unusually wide array of vegetables—some, admittedly, have never […]
From the porch
When Chris Bowles sank his teeth into a challenge he could not, would not, leave it alone until it lay in tatters in weary defeat. Fearless and tireless, he pursued his objective with the same tenacity whether it was through anonymous federal bureaucrats or equally narrow-focused rodents. Chris was harbourmaster in Wellington for much of […]
Good is bad
John Thompson wants you to pay his property tax increase. John’s property taxes are higher this year because his land is worth more. He doesn’t want to cash in his windfall just yet—so he wants you to pick up the resulting increase in his property taxes. Forever. On Thursday, John will ask council to do […]
Staying home
Imiss Mary Darlington. Mary lived just around the corner on East Street—the house where a pair of trees were coaxed decades past to join a few feet off the ground— forming a distinct arboreal X symbol on her front yard. Mary wrote a column in this newspaper for a time—a gentle and hopeful contemplation of […]
Vulnerable
It turns out, no one is standing on guard for thee. Wind and rain have been blowing across Prince Edward County all weekend long. Meanwhile, massive mounds of road salt lie uncovered and exposed to the blowing rain, stockpiled on a patch of ground next to Picton Bay—plumes of sodium chloride crystals are often picked […]
Uncommonly generous
Among the rewards of doing this job over the past 14 years has been the opportunity to meet and get to know some of the many interesting, talented and able folks who live in this community—some of whom have lived here all their lives, others who grew up here and came back, and still others […]
Wrong way
Council members will have a tough time explaining this one. Last week, a majority overruled its own planning department, instead approving a bylaw written by the development team seeking to build a new supermarket and three free-standing retail stores on the western edge of Picton. At issue is the potential impact of adding retail space […]
Good things done well
In this, the final column of 2017, permit me to cast an approving nod to some of the good bits about Shire Hall. There are many, and I won’t touch on every one, nor will I make this a regular habit. Most weeks, I tend to pull apart the broken bits, the dysfunction and massive […]