Latest / North Shore News / May 01st, 2025

Transcript

May 01st, 2025 · North Shore News

0:07
Welcome to North Shore News and Interviews on
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Amherst Island Radio. Each week we keep you updated
0:14
on newsworthy events, happenings and conversations
0:17
that we've had with people in the local community
0:20
and beyond. At a special Committee of the Whole
0:26
meeting this week, Loyalist Township discussed
0:28
its council composition and ward boundary review.
0:31
Out of two options, it was a close four to three
0:33
vote in favour of option one. The committee will
0:36
be making their recommendation to council at
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their May 13th meeting. Option one states that
0:41
Amherst Island will remain a separate ward and
0:43
the rest of the township will be divided into
0:45
four single -member wards. The proposed Ward
0:48
2 is reshaped to include Bath, but also the area
0:51
south of Millhaven Road east of County Road 4
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and the area west of County Road 4 north to Highway
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401. The boundaries of the proposed Wards 3 and
0:59
4 are redrawn to more clearly reflect present
1:02
and future Amherstview neighborhoods and to improve
1:05
the boundary of the proposed Ward 3 in the Parrots
1:07
Bay and Nicholson's Point area by using natural
1:10
features. The entire northern part of the township
1:13
is a single ward covering about two -thirds of
1:15
the township with Odessa as the main settlement
1:18
area. Option 2, which was not chosen, considers
1:21
reducing the number of local councillors from
1:23
5 to 4 with one councillor per ward. It also
1:27
proposes joining Amherst Island in Bath in the
1:29
proposed Ward 1. This would also include the
1:32
area around the ferry terminal. The township's
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current ward design dates back to 1998, when
1:37
the municipality's population was approximately
1:39
14 ,500. Today, the population is more than 20
1:43
,000, with projected growth to over 21 ,600 within
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the next 10 years. Since beginning the review,
1:50
the project has included several phases of public
1:52
engagement. On October 22nd of 2024, Council
1:56
received an overview of the project, its legislative
1:58
context, and key timelines. The first phase of
2:01
public consultation was conducted in late 2024.
2:04
In February of this year, an interim report summarizing
2:07
Phase 1 consultation results and preliminary
2:10
and preliminary ward boundary options was presented
2:12
to council. Additional public consultation took
2:15
place from February 19th to March 16th, giving
2:18
community members an opportunity to voice their
2:20
input on the proposed options. With the feedback
2:23
obtained, consultants prepared the two final
2:25
options. Mayor Jim Hagedorn described the purpose
2:28
of the project. This is an exercise to ensure
2:31
that every area of the township has the opportunity
2:33
to vote and easily understand the ward they are
2:36
in. So it's been almost a year of compiling information,
2:40
interviews, presentations, surveys, calculations,
2:44
brainstorming, and finally presenting the two
2:47
options here this evening. This has been a very
2:49
educational process for me as well. The quality
2:52
in representation is a great goal, but not the
2:55
only one. The reason I say that is I was always
3:00
of the belief that when I was elected in Ward
3:02
3, that was my voting base. That is where I place
3:06
signs. That is where I typically talk to residents
3:09
during the election period. However, once elected,
3:14
my work area was Loyalist Township. Councillor
3:16
Jake Ennis noted the importance of the review.
3:19
While this is a ward boundary review, and much
3:21
of the focus is on maps and where to draw lines
3:25
on a map, let us remember that this is more fundamentally
3:28
about each individual's right to vote, regardless
3:31
of where the individual lives in Loyalist. And
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let us ensure that each individual living and
3:36
loyalist is treated with dignity and that each
3:39
individual's right to effective representation
3:42
is satisfied to the greatest extent possible.
3:46
Councillor Paul Proderick spoke about the importance
3:48
of representation for community members. My experience
3:51
as a councillor, the fact we got three councillors
3:54
in the one ward, that's not a workable option
3:58
in my mind. A person should be able to pick up
4:00
the phone or email and know that one of these
4:03
people is responsible for this geographical area.
4:07
I like the idea of a single -member ward. I do
4:11
support that. Old Amherstview has different needs
4:14
than New Amherstview, just as Odessa has different
4:17
needs than Wilton, et cetera. Part of, I guess,
4:20
being in this position is you also have to look
4:23
out for those who maybe don't have the... I don't
4:27
want this to come out the wrong way, but the
4:29
fact that Amherst Island is unique, we should
4:30
all celebrate that. not just the people that
4:33
Annis shared his views on as well. Amherst Island
4:37
I don't think anybody's a the idea in terms of
4:42
electo system that it is so isol distinct that
4:49
therefore re I have difficulty with Hag the scope
4:54
of township cou council member works for th So
5:00
representation is not for a number of voters,
5:03
it is for all voters despite the size of area
5:06
you are elected to. And I do believe that our
5:09
council does a good job at that of working for
5:12
the Township. So council is designed to be aware
5:15
of principles, policy, limitations of authority,
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data, and then determine the best fit for everyone
5:23
within Loyalist. There is more to our Township
5:25
than data. This is evident in the guiding principles.
5:29
This knowledge of the Township the Council has
5:31
is what sets us apart from everyone else that
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has worked on this project. We take the information
5:37
and options and make a decision of how best this
5:40
will work for Loyalist Township. Councillor Carol
5:43
Park shared her views on both options and explained
5:46
which one she was leaning towards. I'm not really
5:49
happy with either one of these options. You know
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from listening to discussions this evening I
5:53
see pros and cons for both options and I do acknowledge
5:57
my colleagues' comments and concerns and the
6:01
notes that they've raised on it. I'm leaning
6:04
towards option two and my rationing is that I
6:09
just think it's a better option than option one.
6:13
You know, we all acknowledge that Amherst Island
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does have some uniqueness to it and they do have
6:18
a community of interest in in their demographics.
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I also feel that Bath shares the same thing.
6:24
So based on that, the fact that the representation
6:28
is being combined into one, I think that uniqueness
6:30
could be managed by one representative. Anas
6:34
spoke about the discussions and why he was leaning
6:37
towards option two. We've had a robust discussion.
6:41
I think everyone has their ideas and thoughts
6:44
on the table. For me, it comes down to that the
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independent expert consultants rated option two
6:57
as yes and fully satisfied for representation
7:00
by population and yes and fully satisfied for
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effective representation. The top two principles
7:07
in any representative democracy. I agree with
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them. NS went on to detail his concerns with
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option number one, the extreme population disparity
7:18
between. Ward 1 and the rest of the wards. Some
7:23
limited variation is acceptable. The 25 % variation
7:29
established Supreme Court cases, OLT cases, is
7:34
fairly widely accepted. The variation here is
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in the 450 % to 550 % range. It's an incredibly
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large population disparity. The comparison used
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was to the federal riding of Labrador. That's
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a federal example. And so when you give over
7:52
-representation to one federal riding, that's
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one out of 343 seats. Right now, we're talking
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about one out of five. That's 20 % of seats.
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Proderick explained why he was voting for option
8:04
number one. When I ran for council the first
8:07
time I was defeated, I remember being at the
8:09
debate. And I remember vividly the sort of undercurrent
8:13
at the time was, well, you can't have a mayor
8:15
and a deputy and somebody else from Amherst Island
8:17
because that will give them more weight, I guess
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might've been the terminology. And it was fairly
8:23
obvious at the time. That's not the type of township
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I support. I got elected as a representative
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ward three, but I also have a duty to the whole
8:34
community. In that sense, I would support option
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one. I'll be right up front. That's the option
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I would choose. So much of what we do is prescribed
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by other levels of government, but this item
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is ours to make our own. In making a decision
8:53
for Loyalist, I'm going to put it out there.
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I believe option one is a preferred option. I
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believe option one takes into account all the
9:00
growth projections and population calculations.
9:03
all the surveys completed by residents throughout
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the study, determining identifiable boundaries
9:10
and communities of interest, and my historical
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knowledge into consideration as well as I make
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this decision. So with the ranking of representation
9:20
by population and communities of interest being
9:24
equal, this tells me that the residents prefer
9:27
option one. For Amherst Island Radio and the
9:30
Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This
9:33
is North Shore News. Lenox and Addington County
9:44
and Loyalist Township are taking the opportunity
9:47
to thank local volunteers and highlight some
9:49
of their work this week as it's Volunteer Appreciation
9:52
Week across Canada. Both the county and township
9:54
will be highlighting the work of volunteers on
9:56
their social media pages throughout the week.
9:59
Warden of Lenox and Addington County Nathan Townend
10:01
noted this year's theme and spoke about the positive
10:04
impact volunteering has on the community. During
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this week we would like to recognize and celebrate
10:09
all the ways that volunteers make waves across
10:12
our county, province, and country. The sharing
10:15
of time, skills, empathy, and creativity is vital
10:19
to the well -being of our communities. Through
10:22
these actions, volunteers contribute exponentially
10:25
to the quality of life we all strive for. I am
10:28
pleased to take this opportunity to highlight
10:30
the value of volunteers and thank them. for their
10:33
positive impact on our county community. Mayor
10:36
of Loyalist Township Jim Hagedorn spoke about
10:38
the dedication, passion and hard work the volunteers
10:41
have put forth. As part of National Volunteer
10:44
Appreciation Week, we want to recognize the incredible
10:47
individuals who helped make our community shine.
10:50
So many of the programs, events and initiatives
10:53
we enjoy simply would not be possible without
10:56
the dedication, passion and the hard work of
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our volunteers. Throughout this week, we'll be
11:04
highlighting some of the amazing contributions
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made by local community members on our social
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media. To all our volunteers, thank you. You
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truly make a difference. For Amherst Island Radio
11:16
and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted
11:19
Evans. This is North Shore News. The Sunday Market
11:31
in Bath is looking to kick off another season
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in Centennial Park with a new look this year.
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Market manager Tara Williamson has undertaken
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a market revitalization and says it's well underway.
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Williamson noted the focus of supporting and
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engaging with local farmers. I think something
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that's like different. for this market this year
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than from previous years as we have a big focus
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on farmers. So we have a lot more farm vendors
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so people can come and get their local produce,
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their local maple syrup, flowers. So lots of
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farmers at this market now. Williamson explains
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her background and experience running the Frontenac
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Farmers Market. My background is actually in
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business development. I scale up businesses,
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usually in the tech space, but just sort of anywhere
12:19
I can fit in. And then, so when Frontenac was
12:21
struggling, I volunteered my expertise to that
12:25
market and spearheaded a revitalization of that
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market in 2022. And that market's rocking now.
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So a lot of time that was spent on that market
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previously, I don't. need to spend on it, because
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it sort of does its own thing now. So I jumped
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on board with Bath, and I'm going to repeat the
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same process there that we did in Frontenac.
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Williamson highlighted different weekly events
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that will take place at the market. There'll
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be lots of weekly events. So live music will
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happen at least once a month, but maybe more
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frequently. We have kids craft days, which are
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really fun. Some workshops that the various vendors
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are putting on, we're going to have the local
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fire department come out 1 of the weeks and maybe
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do the touch the truck event there. So, yeah,
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we're working within the community to have special
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events as well as have our vendors. You know,
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host different things themselves. There will
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be over 35 different vendors with on -site food
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and drink every week. The Bath Sunday Market
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runs every Sunday from 10 a .m. to 2 p .m. in
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Centennial Park from May 11th to October 26th.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism
13:40
Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore
13:44
News. As one of the 169 Ontario municipalities
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to be receiving strong mayor powers, Greater
13:59
Napanee Council discussed what that will mean
14:01
for the town. The province announced April 9th
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that it intends to introduce legislation to expand
14:05
strong mayor powers to 169 municipalities. The
14:09
province originally introduced strong mayor powers
14:11
in 2022 for the cities of Ottawa and Toronto.
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Through 2023, 44 additional municipalities received
14:18
these powers. Effective May 1st, 216 of Ontario's
14:22
414 single and lower tier municipalities would
14:25
have this legislation apply to them. Manager
14:28
of Legislative Services and Municipal Clerk Jessica
14:30
Walters explains the intended goal of the legislation.
14:34
They have indicated this expansion is being made
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to single and lower tier municipalities with
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councils with seven or more members and that
14:43
this is being done with a goal to expand housing
14:45
in Ontario. This is a big thing for us and for
14:48
a lot of other municipalities. We assume to be
14:51
introduced next week in order to go into effect
14:53
on May 1st so there are still a few unknowns
14:55
and if anything changes once we see the text
14:58
of that bill we will let council know as soon
14:59
as possible. The discussions that I think we've
15:06
only had this for a couple weeks so it's a little
15:07
preliminary in our discussions but I believe
15:10
the intent of the mayor and of staff is to as
15:15
quickly as possible after this May 1 deadline
15:18
establish what our normal is going to look like,
15:21
create that predictability that we've been trying
15:23
to have as an organization to create routines
15:27
and establish processes of this is how we as
15:30
a municipality define how these powers are going
15:33
to be used. So our goal is to define as much
15:35
of that Quickly, with this term of council, establish
15:39
what normal looks like, bake as much of it into
15:42
bylaws and policies as we can. Could a new mayor
15:46
overturn all of that, day one, November 16th,
15:51
2026? Maybe. We don't know. Nobody's been in
15:54
that situation yet to know. The mayor has to
15:59
introduce the budget by February 1 after which
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council has 30 days to vote on amendments to
16:04
the budget. We do anticipate this to be our largest
16:07
operational change and we'll be working to update
16:09
our public consultation practices to account
16:11
for this new time frame. The mayor can give direction
16:16
to members of staff so this will require an amendment
16:19
to our council staff relations policy which currently
16:21
states that council direction is given by way
16:23
of resolution policy and bylaw. The mayor has
16:27
the sole authority to appoint and dismiss the
16:29
CAO unless the mayor chooses to delegate this
16:32
power back to council. The mayor has the sole
16:34
authority to appoint and dismiss department heads
16:36
that are non -statutory positions i .e. not your
16:39
clerk, treasurer, fire chief, chief building
16:41
official as the legislation says those must be
16:44
appointed by council. unless the mayor chooses
16:46
to delegate this back to council or to the CAO.
16:50
Currently our by -law states that council has
16:52
hiring and firing authority for general managers
16:54
and statutory positions and the CAO has authority
16:57
to manage staffing below that level. The mayor
17:04
can propose a bylaw to support a provincial priority.
17:07
Currently this is defined as building new homes
17:09
and infrastructure to support those homes. If
17:12
the mayor introduces the bylaw it only needs
17:14
three out of seven instead of four out of seven
17:16
votes to pass and the mayor counts as one of
17:18
those votes. The mayor can veto a bylaw if he
17:21
believes it interferes with the provincial priority.
17:23
This can either be announced in advance or up
17:26
to two business days after the bylaw is passed.
17:28
So we will need to amend our procedure bylaw
17:30
to account for how that's going to work in practice.
17:33
The mayor can introduce an item of business at
17:35
a council meeting and require council to vote
17:37
on the matter at that meeting i .e. can't be
17:39
deferred or request an additional staff report
17:42
if it advances a provincial priority so we'll
17:45
need to amend our procedure by a lot to define
17:47
how that's going to work. These powers are not
17:52
absolute. There are additional requirements and
17:54
limitations on how they're used. So as noted
17:57
some of these can be delegated back to council
17:59
or the CAO. If a power can't be delegated, council
18:02
can still override it with a two -third majority
18:04
within certain set time limits. Any use of these
18:08
powers must be made in writing and typically
18:11
a justification for how this relates to a provincial
18:14
priority needs to be attached. The mayor can't
18:17
use any of these powers if they have a conflict
18:19
of interest as defined in the Municipal Conflict
18:21
of Interest Act for the matter under consideration
18:25
and these powers can't be used to waive any public
18:27
notice and public consultation requirements so
18:30
for example your planning applications you would
18:32
still have to have your published notice your
18:35
public hearing your public meeting you would
18:37
you still have to go through all of those steps
18:39
this couldn't be used to skip any of those steps.
18:41
Mayor Terry Richardson weighed in on the situation
18:43
and noted the changes they'll have to make across
18:46
the different departments. This isn't a very
18:48
easy topic to talk about especially when you
18:51
have a group of people sitting around a horseshoe.
18:53
that get along as well as we do. But yes, we
18:56
do disagree with things. Sometimes we get mad
18:59
at each other, but by the end of the night, you
19:01
know what, we're all able to go for something
19:02
to eat and life is grand. It's going to be some
19:05
interesting times. There's going to be some work
19:10
from Madam Clerk because we now have to adjust
19:13
procedures, adjust policies, adjust bylaws, add
19:17
documents onto agendas that have to be signed
19:22
within two or three days. Bear with us. We'll
19:25
wait and see what comes out in the next week
19:27
or so and we'll move forward from that. Councillor
19:31
Mike Shank voiced his concerns with the strong
19:34
mayor powers. We're elected free democracy. We
19:38
can agree to disagree but I have grave concerns
19:42
not with this council but when we're gone that
19:46
if you have a mayor that comes in and he you
19:50
know and he doesn't believe in free speech of
19:53
every listen to every member of councils over
19:57
the time and the pressure he does on the staff
20:00
and the turmoil that he's done with the staff
20:03
it can wreck the whole municipality because any
20:07
of the good staffs is gonna say see you later
20:09
we're out of here. I don't want to see all the
20:11
work that we've done and the staff that we have
20:14
lose it. You get a real wrong council and it
20:18
can destroy municipality really quick. Walters
20:20
noted staff's uncertainty of whether or not they
20:23
could opt out of receiving the strong mayor powers.
20:26
The first round when it was just Ottawa and Toronto
20:28
was not optional. The second round was optional
20:32
because you had to sign a housing pledge to opt
20:34
in to receive the powers and some municipalities
20:37
chose not to. We have not heard anything about
20:41
a housing pledge or any opting in or out this
20:45
time around so we don't know. Some municipalities
20:50
have pass motions saying we don't want these
20:53
powers. We don't know if that is going to have
20:57
any impact on the bill that gets introduced next
20:59
week. For Amherst Island Radio and the Local
21:02
Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is
21:05
North Shore News. Loyalist Township Council granted
21:17
Hot -to -Trot Stables a noise exemption for a
21:19
total of 57 days between the months of April
21:22
and September. The company will be using some
21:25
of those days to run shows and events. Owner
21:27
of Hot -to -Trot Stables, Megan Desjardins, noted
21:30
their focus this year towards accommodating neighbors'
21:33
concerns. We kind of changed it this year to
21:36
accommodate our neighbors by going to a Wednesday
21:38
night jackpot, which would be two to three hours
21:41
and only having two weekends this year to accommodate
21:45
the Friday, Saturday or the Friday, Saturday
21:47
and Sunday for the barrel bash. So this is a
21:50
little bit more accommodating our neighbors for
21:53
the sound and allowing them to have our weekends.
21:56
Desjardin explained the need for including 57
21:58
days on their application for exemption. We did
22:01
put in a lot of dates and then we. narrowed it
22:04
down to the dates that we would like to go forward
22:07
with as a possibility. The dates are rain dates.
22:10
They're not every date was going to be a show.
22:13
A neighbor who shares a fence with the property,
22:15
Mary Jo Muir, shared her support for the event.
22:18
Last year, we had quite the argument about whether
22:21
this should happen or not. I can tell you that
22:23
Ms. Desjardins kept her promise. The noise was
22:27
kept to a reasonable level. It went from intolerable
22:31
to a little bit annoying. So a little bit annoying
22:34
is life in the country. And I'm very impressed
22:37
with the work she's done. So I looked at all
22:40
of the dates that she has in mind. Almost all
22:43
of them are Wednesday evenings from five till
22:45
nine p .m., which is well within reason. So I
22:50
can't say that I speak for all of the neighbors,
22:53
but I can say for myself, I share a fence line
22:56
with Megan. She's been a great neighbor this
22:59
year, and I'm very much in support of what she's
23:03
doing. Desjardins spoke about the progress they've
23:05
made towards hosting the event this year. I didn't
23:08
receive any complaints and everything's panned
23:12
out for our decimal readings and I think that
23:15
we showed that we were capable of accommodating
23:20
the show and neighbours at hand. Councillor Mike
23:23
Buderich noted the changes since last year and
23:25
showed his support for the event. It was a little
23:27
contentious last year and there was no pushback
23:31
and the fact that a neighbour came in and spoke
23:32
this evening to say things had improved is a
23:36
good move forward and the fact that the applicant
23:40
respected their neighbours and it sounds great
23:42
so I'm happy to see progress. Councillor Carol
23:44
Park showed her support for accommodating neighbours.
23:47
I think it's great that The owners have taken
23:50
the initiative to make sure that the neighbors
23:52
are taken care of and their concerns that they
23:55
have. Hot to Trot Stables hosts horse shows and
23:57
events at 1003 Lucas Road in Odessa. They've
24:01
specified that during these events, riders names
24:03
and orders will be announced over the speakers
24:05
along with playing music throughout the event.
24:08
Staff noted the events attract people from all
24:10
over Eastern Ontario and Quebec who also access
24:13
businesses within the township while attending.
24:16
For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism
24:18
Initiative. I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore
24:22
News. A number of loyalist firefighters were
24:32
recognized for their efforts in the water rescue
24:34
that took place in Napanee on March 22nd. They
24:37
received recognition certificates from MPP Rick
24:40
Brazee presented by one of his team members Mark
24:42
Handley in his absence. Loyalist firefighters
24:45
joined members of Napanee's Emergency Services
24:48
Network to help rescue a lone occupant of a vehicle
24:51
that entered the water and became lodged at the
24:53
top of the falls at Springside Park in Napanee.
24:56
Adam Irving, Mike Joyce, Jordan McLaughlin, John
24:59
Shea, Joe Rebacca, Nick DiMarco and Fire Chief
25:03
Kent Reedman attended the meeting to receive
25:05
the certificates. Hanley read the first certificate
25:08
from Brazil meant for the entire department.
25:11
Congratulations on behalf of the Government of
25:13
Ontario. I am pleased to extend my sincerest
25:16
congratulations to Loyalist Township Fire and
25:19
Emergency Services in recognition of the bravery
25:22
and dedication expressed during the water rescue
25:25
that took place at Springside Park on March 22nd,
25:29
2025. Through your skill, determination, and
25:33
quick response, you demonstrated the true spirit
25:36
of service, ensuring the safety of those in need.
25:39
Your efforts are deeply appreciated. and will
25:42
be remembered as a testament to the life saving
25:44
mission you afford. Staff noted the great risks
25:47
taken by all those involved in the rescue. Mayor
25:50
Jim Hagedorn commended the work of firefighters
25:52
and emergency services personnel. This is just
25:55
one example of what our firefighters do every
25:57
day for our communities. Not only do they do
26:00
it here, but they do it in other communities
26:02
as well when they need assistance. And I think
26:04
that speaks very highly of the firefighters that
26:08
we do have. and all of the EMS across the county
26:11
that work hard for everyone. And this is a great
26:15
example of what they do, putting themselves at
26:18
risk to be able to help out everyone else that
26:22
is in need. So kudos to all the firefighters,
26:26
specifically the ones that responded and took
26:28
it upon themselves to brave that situation as
26:32
well. Handley explained Brzee's absence and passed
26:35
on a personal message. Unfortunately, he can't
26:37
be here. He actually had a fall and damaged his
26:41
knee and it looks like he's not going to be walking
26:43
for about six weeks. But he did send this message.
26:47
We want to honor our firefighters in all they
26:50
do and most specifically express our appreciation
26:53
for their expertise in unusual situations and
26:56
thank them all as for being there for our community,
26:59
each other, and for supporting our neighboring
27:01
municipal fire services like this recent incident
27:05
with a car in the Napanee River. They say it
27:07
takes a village. But with fire services, we extend
27:10
those boundaries to lend a hand to our neighbouring
27:13
communities as well. Thank you. Great job in
27:16
the rescue. For Amherst Island Radio and the
27:19
Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This
27:22
is North Shore News. Loyalist Township will be
27:34
following strategies set in place by Lenox and
27:36
Addington County to mitigate the effects of U
27:38
.S. tariffs. Council's latest motion regarding
27:41
tariffs has set a standard for how they'll approach
27:43
procurement and economic development as the situation
27:46
continues to change. The report noted the effects
27:49
felt locally in Loyalist Township. Going forward,
27:52
staff will be investigating the implementation
27:54
of a bi -Canadian procurement policy, including
27:56
comparing approaches from other municipalities
27:59
and completing a solicitor review. Township staff
28:02
will be working with county staff, as well as
28:04
the other lower -tier municipalities, to share
28:06
information. A report will then be brought back
28:08
to Council at a future meeting. Director of Finance
28:11
and Treasurer Shelley Steadall noted the Township's
28:14
plan going forward. This item is fluid so the
28:17
report was written on April the 1st and of course
28:20
there's been changes since then you know going
28:23
forward the recommendation is to follow the strategies
28:26
that are outlined with the with Blandingston
28:30
-Addington County that we follow their lead and
28:32
work with them and also that we continue to investigate
28:37
the implementation of a bi -Canadian procurement
28:39
policy some of the different policies they've
28:42
been changing and we haven't really found one
28:44
that we've adopted and if we do find something,
28:46
then we will take it back to our solicitor to
28:49
make sure that it is valid because there's so
28:51
many tariffs and different trade agreements that
28:55
we have to make sure we're compliant. Currently,
28:57
the Township procures over 95 % of its goods
28:59
and services from Canada. However, items such
29:02
as software, water meters, and other utility
29:04
supplies such as UV bulbs come from the U .S.
29:07
The report states that U .S. software is the
29:10
largest ticket item in the Township. Staff noted
29:13
it is the most difficult to change suppliers
29:15
as well. Changing to other software can result
29:17
in large acquisition and implementation costs.
29:20
Most standard software charges are licensing
29:23
fees. Steadall noted how they'll be informing
29:25
the public of work that's being done. The other
29:28
item is the direction for staff to be directed
29:30
to send a mailer out to Loyalist Township for
29:34
the commercial and industrial customers, notifying
29:37
them of the work that's being done by the county.
29:39
So that's just to inform the public as to what...
29:43
we are doing. I know it's very fluid and you
29:50
know I think we just have to get it out there
29:52
that we're just a small cog but we we need to
29:56
push Canadian first. I think The fluidity of
30:06
the situation is is multiform. It's not simply
30:09
what's happening south of the border Obviously,
30:10
we're in the middle of a federal election. I
30:12
think what's important to most most citizens
30:15
is that there's a team approach. And obviously,
30:18
whoever happens to be elected on April 28th will
30:23
have a particular strategy. I think the strategy
30:26
that our municipal associations are taking in
30:28
Ontario is that whatever those strategies happen
30:31
to be, that municipalities need to be and want
30:34
to be a part of the team. And I think that's
30:36
the important message. Mayor Jim Hagedorn spoke
30:39
about the fluidity of the situation and the many
30:41
factors involved. the CAO and I had some discussions
30:44
and we thought this would be good for us to take
30:46
a good review of that's been done. And I agree
30:50
with the recommendation. There's still a lot
30:53
of factors in play as well. There are trade agreements
30:55
that have never been nullified. They've just
30:57
been walked on a little bit for lack of a better
31:01
term. There's so many factors. It's so fluid.
31:03
I mean, it's it'll be changed probably by dark
31:05
tomorrow. So we have to be prepared for anything.
31:08
So I think this is a good exercise. So we know
31:10
where we are to know where we could go. For Amherst
31:13
Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative,
31:16
I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore News. Napanee's
31:28
Arts Advisory Committee is taking over Music
31:30
by the River, a live music series in Napanee.
31:33
The committee noted they'll be scaling back to
31:34
just two performances throughout 2025. Councilor
31:38
and member of the Arts Advisory Committee, Bob
31:40
Norrie, explained the role the committee is taking
31:42
in running the event. He noted that through other
31:44
venues that wouldn't affect their budget, there
31:46
would be more than two performances. We scaled
31:49
it right back, or the thinking of it, to just
31:51
twice. Once in July, once in August. Two entertainers
31:54
each time. I've spoken to the sound person he's
31:57
charging the same as last year. He's been very
31:58
fair and we're looking for local talent. So we've
32:01
scaled it back to just what we think is good
32:03
and we're working closely with Michelle Hauser
32:05
for other venues. So there will be music done
32:07
there more than just twice but that's what the
32:09
group has come to. The committee has partnered
32:11
with a company called Harmony to look after sponsorship
32:14
for the event. Norrie noted the company is responsible
32:16
for lining up the sponsorships while the committee
32:18
pays the artists. Norrie mentioned the committee's
32:21
small budget and a study they did last year to
32:23
monitor attendance. We just have a small budget
32:26
with a limited budget for advertising as well.
32:29
We did a study of how many people came last year.
32:32
Appreciate those that come and the amount of
32:34
people it takes to set up and you need some of
32:36
us there. So we decided we're going to try it
32:38
twice this year and then piggyback with what
32:41
happens with Harmony. CAO Matthew Grant explained
32:44
how the committee's budget works. As part of
32:46
this effort, they are looking to expend a portion
32:49
of their budget as yet undisclosed towards that
32:52
effort. They do have $5 ,000 that has been budgeted
32:55
through the town's municipal budget process.
32:58
Should there be a desire for any further support
33:01
from the town that would come in the form of
33:04
a recommendation from the community to council
33:06
for approval such as staff time or other resources.
33:16
and sit and listen to the music. I just think
33:18
that anytime that we can promote anything around
33:22
our river, that natural beauty we have in this
33:24
town, we have to utilize that much more than
33:26
what we are and I think we're on the right way.
33:28
Come on in by boat, tie up and listen to it and
33:31
it's just great. So anytime that I can help promote
33:34
that, I'm all for it. Councillor Mike Schenck
33:36
was hopeful the event would be able to expand
33:38
again in the future, noting public input. I fully
33:41
support what Bob and the Arts Committee, our
33:44
advisory committee is doing. I live so close,
33:46
right on the water along Highway 33. In Loyalist,
33:49
they have a bath every weekend. They have, and
33:54
it's very well attended there. So if it's very
33:56
well attended here and it's a takeoff here, we
33:58
can increase those dates. You know what I mean?
34:00
Because I've had some phone calls where they're
34:02
saying, Jones, you know, why is there only two?
34:05
Why can't there be five? Well, the committee
34:07
is the one. I'm not part of that committee. I
34:09
let the committee go through its process. process
34:10
and go from there." For Amherst Island Radio
34:13
and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted
34:16
Evans. This is North Shore News. Greater Japanese
34:28
Arts Advisory Committee will be reintroducing
34:30
their arts awards after it had been shut down
34:33
by the pandemic. The awards will run every two
34:35
years with the possibility of moving to an annual
34:37
event. Staff's report noted the awards are to
34:39
recognize the efforts of local artists and those
34:42
that support the local arts and culture scene.
34:44
There will be several categories with submissions
34:46
made and vetted by volunteers. Winners will be
34:49
selected by the committee and awarded during
34:51
a ceremony at Town Hall. In the event the hall
34:54
is not available due to renovations, staff recommended
34:57
making the conference area at the Best in Bash
34:59
Arena available for the event. Town staff will
35:02
participate in promotion of the event and its
35:04
winners. The report noted the impact on staff
35:06
resources is anticipated to be four hours or
35:09
less. Consideration may also be given to broadening
35:12
the awards initiative in the future to include
35:14
recognition of other areas, including heritage.
35:17
CAO Matthew Grant explained how the town views
35:19
the event and noted staff's support. When I take
35:22
a look at this particular request and the mandate
35:25
of advisory committees, this would be a... corporate
35:29
endorsed events run by volunteers, but I would
35:33
see this in the vein as something that the municipality
35:36
both supports and encourages and would likely
35:42
have some of our branding on it as this is an
35:45
advisory committee that is advising the activities
35:47
of the town and staff is quite supportive of
35:50
the recommendation. Councillor Bob Norrie highlighted
35:52
the work of the committee. This has been discussed
35:55
since the start of this term. They're very passionate
35:57
about it. They started what they wanted, large
35:59
-scale ball and that, and they've realized that's
36:01
possible. So we're starting small. And they just
36:04
want to recognize local artists as best they
36:06
can. And they're coming up with some good ideas.
36:07
So I really appreciate this report. And I know
36:10
they'll be looking forward to working on that.
36:12
For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism
36:14
Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore
36:18
News. This has been North Shore News and Interviews.
36:24
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