Ontario gothic
Mary Shelley is said to have conceived the story of Frankenstein, a manmade monster let loose upon the countryside, while under the influence of opium in the cold summer of 1816. The gothic horror story, it turns out, was the work of a dark imagination fuelled by opioids. It begs the question: what was Kathleen […]
Judicious
Picton Town Hall is a beautiful old building. Or, at least the second floor is. I have never ventured into the first floor, into, what was until recently, the Picton Fire Hall. The exterior, too, has architectural value worth preserving. And protecting. The building has been thrust into the spotlight in recent months as the […]
Policy fail
Weariness is no excuse for bad decision- making. Sadly, too many issues, great and small, are decided around Shire Hall’s council table by fatigue. Not by insight. Not by argument. Not with a preponderance of evidence. But rather because council is tired. They just don’t want to talk about it anymore. What this means is […]
If not this, then what?
I will happily give Councillor Bill Roberts the last word in the debate about the best way to raise money for the County’s roads, bridges and waterworks. But not today. The good councillor acknowledges that the crisis faced by rural communities across this province is “serious” and “structural”. That means he knows there isn’t a […]
Inspiring
These words are long overdue. I suggest that for many, Prince Edward County would be unrecognizable were it not for the generosity and kindness of Lanny and Catharine Huff. There is scarcely a corner, a cultural activity or community gathering place that has not benefited from their grace. Their thoughtfulness. Their good-heartedness. The newly invigorated […]
Argument
A conversation. At last. Buried in the Sophiasburgh councillor’s desire to shape and civilize the dialogue, there is the kernel of an argument. A basis, perhaps, for debate. (See Letters page 7). It is surely one of the oldest democratic conundrums— how to tax and pay for the things government do—yet, it is as important […]
Muted
Kathleen Wynne said no. With an election looming in June, the Ontario premier shot down the proposal made by the gathered municipal leaders last week in Ottawa. They had come to ask her to increase the harmonized sales tax (HST) by one per cent to help fund the rehabilitation of crumbling municipal infrastructure from Kenora […]
Dots
Ontario is currently working toward another electricity import deal with Quebec. It is likely a good thing. Most of our neighbour’s electricity is generated by massive hydro dams on the James Bay and St. Lawrence watershed—so, by today’s convoluted meaning of the word, it is clean. It is also reliable and manageable—the opposite of the […]
Let’s talk
There are no easy solutions to the County’s financial woes. Those who say otherwise aren’t telling you the truth. Or don’t understand the numbers. Neither of which is an acceptable or tolerable situation when uttered by an elected County official. There are, however, practical, workable things we can do to alter the County’s fated financial […]
Unforgiven
Kathleen Wynne knows her policies will hurt places like Ostrander Point, Milford, Amherst Island, South Kent, Finch and dozens of other rural communities across this province. It’s possible her predecessor, Dalton McGuinty, so blinkered by his feverish quest for a green legacy, was unable to conceive the consequences of wiping away the safeguards that protect […]