The Great Unwinding
Council agrees to look at the implications of a lower growth forecast Council took a significant step last week toward backing away from a massive and ultimately “unfinanceable” regional waterworks plan it began five years ago. Shire Hall has already spent $42 million on the plan so far—but it was just a fraction of the […]
What was said
Developers A mix of new and established entrants represented the development sector. Chris Marchese, representing Base31 and PEC Community Partners, told the council committee that he and his team remain confident in the prospects for new homebuilding in Prince Edward County, despite a dismal few years for the sector in Ontario and beyond. He encouraged […]
A passion for glass
Mark Armstrong demonstrates the art of glassmaking The “My Passion is….” speaker series organized by the Friends of Wellington Library invites County residents to share their passions in engaging and thought-provoking presentations at the Wellington Library. However, last Saturday’s presentation was a unique treat as it took place in Mark Armstrong’s glass studio where he […]
Square Foot Show
SSJI fundraiser at Arts on Main Gallery The South Shore Joint Initiative (SSJI) was founded in 2018 and has a vision of permanently protecting the south shore of Prince Edward County to be a place where people and biodiversity thrive together. The South Shore Key Biodiversity Area spans 26 kilometres and is the last undeveloped […]
Back to earth
Downward revision to population growth expectations reveals defects in infrastructure plan Shire Hall has, at long last, admitted that its population growth assumptions were wrong. Wildly wrong. Big time wrong. According to a report to be presented to a council committee meeting tomorrow (Thursday), Shire Hall staff no longer believe the County’s population will grow […]
Learning to walk
Board meeting reveals gaps in Shire Hall’s capacity? The Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation (Housing Corp) has undergone many iterations and board changes over the seven years since its formation. Many of the current public members are new. They appear optimistic and eager to help. Some are demonstrating the skills and experience that could […]
Imminent?
After seven years, will affordable housing plans bear fruit? It’s been seven years since the County formed an Affordable Housing Corporation— an organization that would be at arm’s length from the municipality. The idea was that an agile, quasi-independent unit might be nimble enough to access pools of capital (private, public, and institutional), navigate bureaucracy, […]
Depleted
County adopts 2026 budget after last-minute OPP cost hike Prince Edward County Council formally adopted its 2026 operating and capital budgets last week following a late change to provincial policing costs that added unexpected pressure to the municipality’s finances. Mayor Steve Ferguson officially signed the 2026 budget last Tuesday night, marking the end of a […]
Mayor’s Levee
Mayor Ferguson outlines Council priorities in final year of term Mayor Steve Ferguson welcomed members of the public and officials from neighbouring communities to the New Year’s Levee held at the Prince Edward Community Centre on Sunday, January 4, where he reflected on the accomplishments of the past three years and outlined the priorities for […]
Shovels down
County building in three charts In 2025, new homebuilding in Prince Edward County extended a downward trend that has persisted for several years. Sadly, the data provide no signal that this trend will end in 2026. NEW HOMEBUILDING Since 2022, new home starts have pulled back each year in Prince Edward County. Last year, just […]