Lost in the spreadsheet
She has lived her entire 82 years in Milford. She raised her family here. Watched them grow up, go off and have their own families. Her health has been failing in recent years but, other than general fatigue, she doesn’t feel that bad. She volunteers a couple of times a week at the hospital, she […]
A wider view needed
When the U.S. looks inward, the rest of the world invariably becomes a little less safe. Many allies and friends of the U.S. are fond of grumbling about that nation’s often heavy handed and oversimplified responses to a complex web of tensions percolating around the world. But when America looks away and instead focuses its […]
Assembly line medicine
There is one patient. Ageless. Without gender. The patient lives within a few kilometres of a large modern and complex hospital. Before the stretcher bearing this individual is pushed through the swinging door—his or her medical path has already been determined. The outcome has been predicted. Costs calculated. Everyone knows their role. They understand what […]
Serial killers
It was just before 10 a.m. this past Saturday morning when the work crew arrived with chainsaws and cranes to this quiet rural spot along Lake Erie, an hour south of Hamilton. They had come to remove a tree. The tree was in the path of a proposed roadway meant to give a large American […]
Unbounded conceit
I must admit to being shocked upon learning the decision to approve the industrial wind factory at Ostrander Point. I expected Ontario bureaucrats would shuffle this thorny file to the bottom of the pile and eventually right off the table. Too many groups were arrayed against it—environmentalists, health advocates, property owners and the municipal government. […]
Home in the County
My good friend John is having a tough go of it lately. His blood is letting him down—stealing his strength and energy. His wife’s health is fragile too. Their tidy bungalow is becoming too much for them to manage on their own. They tried to make do for a while with some help from friends, […]
Wasted water
Check your water meter regularly. That was the message that leaked out of Shire Hall last week. It is not likely the average homeowner on municipal water could spill as much as the Lavers did at their cottage resort over the summer, without some evidence of malfunction. But a running toilet, a leaky faucet or […]
Confusing lessons
Imust admit I still don’t get it. I don’t understand the logic of Ontario’s teacher’s job actions, or their version of history. Since I wrote about the elimination of school events at my daughter’s school, including track meets, clubs and other activities, I’ve had plenty of folks try to explain it to me. Some rather […]
Misdirection
MPAC statements have begun to arrive in County mailboxes. Overall, these seemingly arbitrary measures of home and property values appear to be rousing somewhat less anxiety among ratepayers this time around. MPAC remains a broken and flawed system, particularly for rural communities such as Prince Edward County; nevertheless, the arrival of the assessment notice appears […]
Undoing the mistake
Going backwards is not an option.” Mary Clare Egberts and Paul Huras are just the latest in a long line of healthcare administrators / consultants / bureaucrats who have come to Prince Edward County since 1998 to wag their finger at this community and scold us for what they see as an emotional attachment to […]