Planning for the future of Sharbot Lake
(Bill Bowick is a community activist who lives in Sharbot Lake. A member of the Sharbot Lake Business Group, he has been comtemplating the future prospects for the local community in the face of changes that may come as the result of a train or a major upgrade to Hwy.… READ MORE
What does turfing Hillier say to Conservative voters in LFK
We’ve been covering Randy Hillier at the News ever since he was the leader of the Lanark Landowners. It’s fair to say he has always been an energetic, but divisive figure. His history with the Progressive Conservative Party, which we have covered from the outside looking in, has clearly also… READ MORE
Frontenac Paramedic Services – Charbonneau retires after a transformative era
When Paul Charboneau announced he was going to retire from Frontenac Paramedic Services last week, he made sure to reference his commitment to continuity, saying that identifying and training the next generation of leaders is one of the primary ways that he measures his success as Chief Paramedic. “The team… READ MORE
School made a difference
As I sit and reflect about my oldest child graduating from elementary school, I thought I would share may family's story and our experience at St. James Major Catholic School. A school full of children should be surrounded by positivity and love, and that's what St. James Major has done… READ MORE
They can slice it however they want to, but we still have to pay for the whole pie
When Frontenac County Council completed their budget meetings last week, the Councillors seemed to be happy about the result. They wanted to keep the tax increase to the cost of living index, which was 3.1%, and county staff presented them with that number. The only problem is that 3.1% is… READ MORE
Pender recommends a King Solomon solution to competing transportation requests
Frontenac Transportation Services (FTS), which is operated by Rural Frontenac Community Services (RFCS), has been funded by Frontenac County under the heading of “grants to others” since FTS was established in May of 2011. County support for rural transportation goes further back however, to 2003 or even earlier. The agencies… READ MORE
Open for business bylaws pulled from Bill 66
Among the broad implications of Bill 66, the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, which was released in December and will be debated in the legislature, were changes to the Municipal Act which would have allowed municipalities to pass “Open for Business” bylaws. These bylaws, according to Schedule 10 of Bill 66,… READ MORE
Request for 24-hour ambulance by North Frontenac Council reflects short term memory loss
Four and a half years ago, the Robertsville ambulance base opened its doors. That was a few months before the 2014 municipal election when the current Mayor and County Warden, Ron Higgins, was elected. Three other members of North Frontenac Council, Deputy Mayor Fred Perry, and Councillors Wayne Good and… READ MORE
Seeds have feelings too
What is it that gets people so excited about seeds. Is it gardening. Some people like to garden. It's peaceful, meditative, back to the earth. If it were gardening alone, then it wouldn't really matter which seeds we had, as long as they grow good food. There is something more.… READ MORE
A Deeply-Rooted Canada-China Tension in the Eyes of a Chinese Immigrant
What comes up when you hear China these days? Dictatorship, authoritarianism, human rights violations, censorship? On a CBC radio episode of the Current in December, host Anna Maria Tremonti interviewed 3 people during a half-hour segment on the recent escalating tension following the Huawei CFO's arrest. The first guest was… READ MORE
Have we all been had by Canada Post?
In October and November, in response to the rotating strikes by members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), Canada Post continually updated the public about the impact of the strikes on the service. They suspended delivery time guarantees, announced that there were 500 tractor trailers full of mail… READ MORE
Remember when ... pot became legal
It has now been two weeks since marijuana became legal in Canada, and it is also about 10 days, for most Canadians, since the novelty will have worn off. The tv cameras are all gone from the new legal dispensaries, as are the line ups, but apparently not the product… READ MORE
The misguided fear surrounding Proportional Representation
A recent opinion piece, titled “What history can teach us about proportional representation,” published on September 9 in The Toronto Star, concludes that Proportional Representation (PR) was to blame for the 15 European democracies that fell into dictatorship in history. The basis of this argument was “governments often lacked effectiveness,… READ MORE
What is this municipal election all about – part 1 (South Frontenac)
I spent the better part of the last week talking to candidates for mayor and council in South Frontenac. The profiles that resulted from those conversations start on page 6 of this edition. I woud first like to thank all of the people I talked to. They were honest and… READ MORE
'Cannabis free' is not a viable option for townships
The Ontario government has given a bit more time for the incoming municipal councils to think about whether they will permit cannabis retailers to set up shop within their jurisdiction. At first, they were faced with a decision in December, at their first or second meeting, but that has been… READ MORE
Tay Valley debacle colours election
Disagreements and personality conflicts among members of municipal councils tend to remain in the background, coming out more often through innuendo and off the cuff remarks, delivered under people’s breaths or away from public view at all. The same is true for disagreements or personality conflicts between members of municipal… READ MORE