Bashing trash
Navigating the murky waters of municipal liability It was a bit awkward. A committee of council listened politely as staff from Belleville, Quinte West and Tyendinaga outlined the successful trash bash project in their communities. Becky McWhirter (Belleville) and Eldon Burchart (Quinte West) described the way volunteers and municipal staff work together to clean up […]
Flourishing
County wine sector fuelling economic vitality Around the world, demand for rural experiences is on the rise. From the tablelands of Maharashtra, India to the verdant hillsides of the Arno Valley of Tuscany or the Cape Winelands of South Africa, agri-tourism has taken root and is flourishing. Though not well-researched yet, some speculate that as urban […]
Community garden springs up
If you build it, they will grow The first phase of the Picton community garden got underway last weekend as enthusiastic volunteers gathered to break ground early Saturday morning. The community garden is an offshoot of the County Community Foundation’s Vital Signs report. The report identified three areas of concern in the County: transportation, education […]
Saving words
Finding hope amid the darkness It began with a violent crash. Roger Whittaker was cycling along The Donway West in Don Mills on a July day in 1973. He was struck by a car and thrown brutally to the pavement. Six long weeks would go by before he was well enough to leave St. Michael’s […]
Living streets
Learning to improve County’s main streets as attractive public spaces It is a cliché that one must plan on at least 30 minutes or more to walk 100 metres to retrieve the mail from any Post Office in Prince Edward County. Longer if it is a sunny day. This is surely true on Main Streets in Wellington, […]
Port investment
Picton Terminals eyes government support for expansion The Doornekamp family bets big. They saw the rusted skeleton of the longdormant docks in Picton Bay as an opportunity. Over the past couple of years, they have invested $10 million in the property, navigating regulatory waters and building a larger scale docking facility from the remnants of the […]
Selling Ontario wine
OMAFRA commits $2.25 million to marketing VQA Ontario wines Wine is serious business in Ontario. Since 2009, sales of Ontario’s world-class Vintner’s Quality Alliance wines have increased from $170 million to $230 million last year. But that is only part of the story. Ontario wines are also driving tourism and investment and creating jobs. Since […]
Port investment
Picton Terminals eyes government support for expansion The Doornekamp family bets big. They saw the rusted skeleton of the longdormant docks in Picton Bay as an opportunity. Over the past couple of years, they have invested $10 million in the property, navigating regulatory waters and building a larger scale docking facility from the remnants of the […]
Selling Ontario wine
OMAFRA commits $2.25 million to marketing VQA Ontario wines Wine is serious business in Ontario. Since 2009, sales of Ontario’s world-class Vintner’s Quality Alliance wines have increased from $170 million to $230 million last year. But that is only part of the story. Ontario wines are also driving tourism and investment and creating jobs. […]
Hitting the brakes
Councillor proposes across-the-board budget cut The numbers tell a grim story. The County’s tax levy has increased, on average, 11.5 per cent every year since it was amalgamated. (Remember that the chief selling point of amalgamation was that it would produce efficiencies and reduce costs.) User fees—the amount raised for municipal services such as garbage and […]