Answering the call
A leader and an inspiration Betty Bongard grew up in Crofton, a mostly forgotten settlement overlooking Muscote Bay, where Highway 62 crosses Burr Road. Before it was a highway. Before the road was straightened to enable traffic to move more quickly through the County. Before it bypassed Crofton altogether. Growing up between the great wars, […]
Voter deaf
Tie vote kills council’s next-to-last chance at reducing size It was apparent early in the evening on Thursday that council was not going a change its size on this night. Despite years of meetings, research, hearings, a referendum, a Citizens’ Assembly and countless Shire Hall battles, at least nine of the 16 council members signalled they […]
Hypothetical carrots
The conundrum of affordable housing in a stagnant market Council wants to see more affordable housing developed in the County. Shire Hall has little resources to build such housing, so it has to be creative. Encourging developers to build affordable housing is a tough thing to do in a jurisdiction where thousands of homes are built […]
Rebound?
New home starts rise steadily since hitting bottom in 2012 Quietly, incrementally—but steadily— the market for new homes is on the rise in the County. It is welcome news for the builders, developers and trades, service and material providers who rely on this sector for their livelihood. It is good news, too, for the municipality, whose […]
Wooden logic
Lack of qualified staff may be endangering heritage treescapes To view a copy of the County’s Tree Replacement Policy, click here. In Wellington, magnificent maples line the main street, their canopy forming the atmosphere of the village, literally and figuratively. The old trees are as integral to the community as the heritage houses they hang over. […]
Principled plan
Council refuses to discuss proposal because it came too late Pierre Klein wasn’t happy with any of the options presented at a size-ofcouncil public meeting he attended in Cherry Valley last month. He believes each of them violates a fundamental principle of the law, history and equity that define electoral boundary making in this country. So […]
Majority
Ellis paints the Bay red Local Liberals had a pleasant surprise Monday night when, within minutes of the final polls closing, they could already be projected as the winners. Within an hour, a majority was in sight. Despite mounting indication in the polls, the party had remained cautiously optimistic. Not so for Neil Ellis, who […]
A better mousetrap
Pierre Klein hoped council would consider a plan that addressed the key legal and statutory issues. When they didn’t, he did. “If one of the options [council presented to the public} actually met the tests for such decisions I would not have come forward and would have had to support that option,” said Klein. His […]
Early mass
Restoration underway on historic place of worship It is likely the oldest church in the County. St. Francis of Rome Catholic Church can be made out in the earliest sketches and paintings of Wellington. Much of the early history has been lost, but according to Catholic records, the church was constructed in 1800. Situated on high […]
Chainsaw massacre
County won’t replace, or allow others to replace, trees being cut down on Wellington’s main street The tree-lined streets of Wellington give the village the feel of a place to come home to. Dense maples, over a century, provide shade and clean the air. Because of Wellington’s position on the lakeshore, the trees protect from heavy […]