Mixed signals
It was mostly thumbs up, as a committee of council reacted to a new economic development proposal unveiled last week. Broadened to embrace environmental and social nurturing alongside the County economy, the proposed new approach is being rechristened as Community Development. Both CAO Merlin Dewing and his appointed steward of the file, Deb Williams, stressed […]
If it works, break it
For more than a decade Prince Edward County was, and largely continues to be, a model for spurring and nurturing a rural economy. Certainly the County began with some key advantages: stunning natural beauty; surrounded by water both rugged and inviting; a rich storied tradition and history; as well as proximity to about 12 million […]
Pig in a poke
Jamie Forrester is becoming impatient waiting for massive wind turbines to begin sprouting on County horizons, powering his toaster and humming in the breeze. The councillor from Athol insists those who object to the transformation of this community, environment and economy must get out of the way. For Forrester and others, the industrialization of the […]
Don’t give up
It is all a bit disheartening. Resignation is beginning to creep into the voices of some council members after just their second kick at the budget. Some, though not all, seem ready to concede that a double-digit wallop of a tax increase is now unavoidable. Those with the sagging shoulders seem to be calculating that, […]
Dark ages
A couple of Sundays ago, Ontario paid $1.46 million to Michigan to take excess electricity off our grid. The wind was blowing, temperatures were unseasonably warm and hydro turbines were spinning vigorously, pushed by the snow runoff in the northern reaches of the province. In one hour we spent $214,582 to our American neighbours to […]
Steve’s way
I didn’t know Steve Koning well—but the part I knew I admired, immensely. Steve was a collector of stamps and for years we had set aside incoming envelopes to feed his pastime. He would tell me about folks with whom he traded. Some aspired simply to acquire a stamp and post mark from every postal […]
Beyond repair
Closing all our libraries, museums, arenas, parks and town halls will not fix the financial problems this community and 114 others in eastern Ontario are facing. Erasing the history, the traditions and treasure trove of stories and records that tell us who we are and where we came from, will, in even the most optimistic […]
Up is down
There was an audible shudder of disbelief when Bev Campbell put up a graphic on the screen in the hall at Bloomfield purporting to show property taxes declining over the past four years. It couldn’t be true. Everyone in that room knew their property taxes had risen—and risen sharply over the past four years. So […]
Who’s listening?
Generally speaking we want to believe our government is trying to do the right thing. We want to believe they are listening. We may not always agree with their politics or choices, and we may wish they spent our tax dollars with a bit more regard, but most folks don’t expect their government to actively […]
Global adjustment
Electricity rates are going up in May—between five and eight per cent depending on usage. Small potatoes really. Rates for electricity have been rising sharply since Dalton McGuinty came to office. Most household hydro bills are more than double those of 2002. There is no letup in sight—a couple of years ago McGuinty predicted electricity […]