Latest / North Shore News / September 17th, 2025

Transcript

September 17th, 2025 · North Shore News

0:07
Welcome to North Shore News and Interviews on
0:10
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. I am Eric Trombley and this is North
0:29
Shore News. Hockey fever is returning to Kingston.
0:33
The Kingston Frontbacks are set to drop the puck
0:35
on what promises to be one of the most exciting
0:37
seasons. In recent memories, they face off against
0:40
the Ottawa 67s this Friday, September 19th. 7
0:44
-0 -5 start at the slush puppy place for their
0:47
highly anticipated home opener. After an electrifying
0:50
playoff run last season that saw the Black and
0:53
Gold reach the second round and generate the
0:56
best playoff crowds in years. The Frontenacs
0:59
are ready to build on that momentum with a fresh
1:01
roster that blends veteran leadership with some
1:04
of the most promising young talent in the Ontario
1:07
Hockey League. The excitement starts early with
1:09
the fourth annual home opener tailgate party
1:12
proudly presented by Scotiabank and taking place
1:15
from five o 'clock to six thirty right there.
1:18
On the tragically hip way in front of the slush
1:20
puppy place, families can enjoy food, drinks,
1:22
live entertainment before heading inside for
1:25
what the team is calling an electric. Night of
1:28
Action. What makes this season special, you might
1:30
ask? Well, the Frontex have assembled an intriguing
1:33
mix of returning stars and exciting newcomers.
1:37
Veterans like Jacob Battaglia, Tyler Hopkins,
1:40
Kieran Durbin, Van Williamson anchor the roster,
1:43
providing that leadership and experience that
1:45
drove last season's success. But all eyes will
1:48
be on the team's impressive rookie class. The
1:51
crown jewel of Kingston's future is 16 -year
1:54
-old Alex Kuhlman, selected 9th overall in the
1:57
2025 OHL Priority Selection Draft. The 6 foot
2:01
370 pound son of former Toronto Maple Leaf and
2:05
New York Islanders forward Nikolai Kuhlman brings
2:08
size, skill, and of course proper bloodline to
2:13
the frond nacks. General Manager Corey Cooper
2:15
calls him a modern day, two way forward with
2:18
a high ceiling. Who has the framework to be a
2:22
pro? in the future. Joining Kuhlman in his fellow
2:25
first -round pick, Matthew Henderson, selected
2:27
17th overall, described as a smooth skating defender
2:30
that is calm under pressure and plays tons of
2:34
big minutes. Between the pipes, 17 -year -old
2:37
goaltender Gavin Betts takes over as the team's
2:40
number one netminder, fresh off a bronze medal
2:42
at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Betts is poised for
2:45
stardom. and could be the difference maker in
2:48
Kingston's quest for playoff success this year.
2:51
And the rivalry element adds even more spice
2:53
to Friday's opener, the Ottawa 67s. Of course,
2:56
they're coming to Kingston to visit the slush
2:58
puppy place, bringing with them the natural intensity
3:01
of a regional matchup that promises to showcase
3:04
the best of OHL hockey right from game one. Head
3:08
coach Troy Mann returns behind the bench after
3:10
guiding the team to a 40 -20 -5 -3 regular season
3:14
record. and of course that memorable playoff
3:17
run from last year. With significant roster turnover
3:20
following the graduation of key veterans, Mann
3:22
faces the exciting challenge of integrating this
3:25
fresh new talent while maintaining the competitive
3:27
standard that energized the community last spring.
3:31
For Frontenac fans like you, This represents
3:34
more than just a hockey game. It's a continuation
3:36
of a special relationship between you and the
3:39
team and the community all around it. And the
3:42
buzz that reached new heights during last season's
3:44
playoff runs. We want to keep it going. There
3:46
was certainly an excitement in the air and a
3:48
buzz all around the city and the region. I'm
3:50
talking about Napanee, Loyalist Township, Stone
3:52
Mills. And it came to a fever pitch in the second
3:55
round with the best playoff crowds. in years.
3:59
So mark your calendar. That's Friday, September
4:00
19th, 7 .05 start at Slush Puppy Place. Come
4:03
early for a tailgate party. Stay late to celebrate
4:06
what could be the start of something truly special
4:09
for Kingston Frontenac's hockey. Tickets are
4:12
available now and the team encourages fans to
4:14
secure their season membership even to be part
4:17
of what promises to be a memorable campaign in
4:20
the black and gold. I am Eric Tremblay and this
4:24
is North Shore News. The Lenox and Addington
4:33
County OPP Detachment presented their annual
4:35
report, including data about crime, traffic enforcement,
4:39
and community well -being. The report noted an
4:41
increase in violent crimes through 2024 and the
4:44
creation of a crime prevention and community
4:46
support bureau. The report also highlights the
4:48
detachment's initiatives and successes from the
4:51
past year. Inspector David Toville noted where
4:54
the department is at and what they're looking
4:55
forward to in the future. highlights our crime,
4:58
roadway, waterway and trail safety and our community
5:01
well -being data and highlights successes from
5:03
the past year. This 2024 report also is a midway
5:07
report for the Lennington Addington OPP 2023
5:11
to 2025 action plan and provides updates on our
5:14
current progress. and our action plan commitments.
5:19
So at the end of 2025, we will be going into
5:22
our next action report. And what's going to be
5:23
exciting about this one is this time with having
5:26
our detachment board in place, we're going to
5:27
be working with the board who represents our
5:30
communities to understand what our priorities
5:33
are in each of the communities. And that will
5:35
form our action plan for our officers moving
5:38
forward over the next few years. We'll be able
5:40
to have those little milestone markers throughout
5:44
that term. to evaluate how we're doing and pivot
5:49
as needed to ensure we're meeting the needs of
5:52
our community. Along with the creation of the
5:54
Crime Prevention and Community Support Bureau,
5:56
the detachment's response to an increase in violent
5:58
crimes includes more training for officers. Tovel
6:01
explains the training they've implemented. We've
6:03
increased the number of officers trained in major
6:06
case investigations, including human trafficking,
6:09
intimate partner violence investigations, and
6:12
investigative interviewing techniques. In courses
6:15
like the Human Traffic Investigations, these
6:17
are new courses over the last few years. Again,
6:19
it's a new concern in policing that we never
6:23
really... had to worry about a number of years
6:26
ago but it's just the reality of society now
6:28
and you know we've learned that human trafficking
6:31
goes through all of our communities and often
6:34
it's within all of our communities is important
6:36
for our officers to to understand and recognize
6:39
those signs for those types of crimes. Toville
6:41
details the importance of training and notes
6:44
the amount of new young officers on their front
6:46
line. During the 2023 to 25 action plan period
6:50
our detachment lending static no pp have increased
6:53
our capacity for investigative excellence in
6:55
a number of ways. Training has been key for us
6:59
in training our people. Our detachment frontline
7:03
in particular is made up of a lot of new young
7:07
officers. Probably most of our shifts have less
7:11
than four years policing experience. Probably
7:13
80 % of that is less than three years. We have
7:15
officers who have been on a year and a half coaching
7:17
new recruits. And that's just the reality of
7:20
policing across, I think, across the country.
7:22
So it's not unique to the OPP. It's just a reality.
7:25
And with that then comes a high demand for training.
7:29
And so that's a big burden to put on our Ontario
7:31
Police College and our provincial police academy
7:33
out of OPP headquarters. Toville spoke about
7:35
road safety in the area. Our officers remain
7:38
steadfast in their commitment to keeping our
7:40
roads safe. We're pretty proud to say that our
7:42
impaired driving enforcement has increased 20
7:44
% over where it was in 2023. Our speed enforcement's
7:48
increased 32 % over 2023. Our steep belt enforcement
7:53
has doubled since 2023 and our distracting driving
7:57
enforcement is near tripled since 2023. Fatal
8:01
motor vehicle collisions were reduced and I'm
8:03
pleased to report that year to date there have
8:07
been no fatalities. Personal injury collisions
8:10
and property damage collisions have reduced an
8:12
additional 14 % year -to -date right now from
8:15
where they were in 2024 through the efforts of
8:18
our officers. Total went on to speak about waterways
8:20
and trails in the area as well. We've engaged
8:23
with community stakeholders and regional traffic
8:25
teams to address a number of specific issues
8:28
on our roads, waterways and trails. And during
8:32
this action plan period, We've committed to a
8:34
full -time marine program. We've done this for
8:36
a few years now. In between May to September,
8:39
the OPP has full -time operators on our waterways
8:43
throughout Lennox and Addington. In 2024, our
8:46
operators alone engaged more than 1 ,300 operators
8:50
on our waterways promoting recreational safety
8:53
with a focus on preventing unnecessary injury
8:56
or death. Toville noted the amount of mental
8:58
health calls they received over the last year.
9:00
We are down in our mental health calls this year.
9:02
Last year we had 338 calls year to date. We're
9:04
at 300 right now, so we are down a bit, but still
9:08
300 calls with regards to mental health. When
9:11
we didn't at one time have that social services
9:14
available and it was police responding who weren't
9:17
trained to deal with providing the assistance
9:19
to these people, that's in place now. Toville
9:22
detailed some of the new technologies officers
9:24
are using. The OPP has invested heavily on our
9:27
frontline mobile digital technology. Over the
9:31
last year, year and a half, all of our cruisers
9:33
now have in -car cameras. They have car cameras
9:37
not only recording the exterior of the car, but
9:39
we also have cameras inside the front seat, back
9:42
seat for when we do have prisoners. All officers
9:45
now have body worn cameras that are... activated
9:50
through self -activation or when we activate
9:53
our emergency lights in the cruisers, not only
9:55
do our in -car cameras come on, but our body
9:57
-worn cameras also. And all that video evidence
9:59
is captured in cloud base. Each cruiser has mobile
10:03
workstations. Each officer has now initiated
10:07
a mobile cell phone and the purpose of the cell
10:10
phone is all the video evidence that's coming
10:12
from our in -car camera, body -worn camera, and
10:16
taking audio statements. That's all tethered
10:18
through the mobile phone and our officers do
10:20
a lot of the work in uploading that through that
10:23
device. Toville explained the use of closed circuit
10:25
television for officers. We've also trained our
10:28
officers in the community, the new community
10:30
safety outreach system, commonly referred to
10:31
as a CCTV. So Greater Napanee area, through grant
10:35
funding and working with Leningston Addington
10:37
OPP have enhanced their CCTV system in the downtown
10:43
and the main intersection areas. There was a
10:46
couple of years ago when I first started as a
10:47
Dutch commander, there were a few cameras in
10:49
place and they were looking to tear down a building.
10:51
So they called me just to give me a heads up
10:54
that infrastructure was going to be torn down
10:56
and we were able to stop that and actually take
10:59
advantage of a grant. a substantial grant from
11:02
the Ontario government and the CCTV network we
11:05
now have in the Greater Napanee area has got
11:08
AI technology, it's got a capacity for automated
11:11
license plate recognition and those sorts of
11:14
things. We've used it for locating missing persons,
11:17
solving crimes. And we have representatives from
11:24
all of our communities. I'm very, very pleased
11:26
with the relationship that we've established
11:29
within the board already. So great communication.
11:33
and a lot of great stuff ahead. Chairman Norrie
11:37
and I attended Ontario Association of Police
11:40
Service Board meeting in London a couple months
11:43
ago together and we're able to talk about a lot
11:46
of policing issues and community safety issues
11:49
that we share and the work that we're looking
11:51
forward to doing in the coming year. So things
11:54
are working really well there. For Amherst Island
11:57
Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm
12:00
Ted Evans. This is North Shore News. According
12:11
to their 2024 annual report, Loyalist Township
12:14
Emergency Services responded to a total of 542
12:17
calls for service in 2024. This included a total
12:21
of 65 fires, resulting in just over $2 million
12:24
of loss. Fire Chief Kent Reedman noted an approximate
12:27
percentage of accident calls that come from the
12:30
401. When I look at the stats from last year,
12:35
it's about around 100 calls. where car accidents
12:40
or motor vehicle collisions, exactly 100 out
12:43
of our calls. So that accounts for about 18 and
12:46
a half percent of our calls are car accidents.
12:49
Out of that, I don't have the specifics on the
12:51
401, which I can get, and it's probably a good
12:54
number to actually keep track of, but I would.
12:58
Just a rough guess we're gonna look at probably
13:00
at least 75 % give or take of our calls of our
13:04
motor vehicle collisions would be on the 401
13:06
so a significant amount so you're probably looking
13:08
at last year give or take 75 calls on the 401.
13:13
Councillor Paul Prodrick spoke about the time
13:14
spent on the 401. The chief and I talked last
13:17
night and I was really intrigued by how much
13:19
time is spent on 401 calls because I think people
13:22
need to realize how much of you know our time
13:25
is spent on the major highway. Reedman provided
13:28
counsel with statistics and general information
13:31
on a variety of operational and division -specific
13:33
aspects of their team in 2024. They welcomed
13:36
Reedman as their new Fire Chief last year, along
13:39
with two Deputy Fire Chiefs. Just under 6 ,500
13:42
hours of training were delivered to staff in
13:44
2024. They counted a total of 29 more service
13:47
calls in 2024 than in 2023, representing a 5
13:51
.35 % increase. The Amherst View station responded
13:55
to the most calls in 2024, being the primary
13:57
response area for 225 calls. Reedman spoke about
14:01
the breakdown of their annual report. It's based
14:05
on just the average of the municipality. We could
14:07
separate the more urban areas out. It does create
14:12
some significant differences within that reporting
14:16
structure. It definitely can be done. It was
14:18
just done as an average over the entire township.
14:23
For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism
14:25
Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore
14:29
News. Greater Napanee Council decided to defer
14:39
a decision about selling a piece of land with
14:41
a former CN rail line on it. Staff will wait
14:44
to hear from the Town's Ad Hoc Committee on Trails.
14:46
In May of 2023, Council held a meeting regarding
14:49
the land in question and created the Ad Hoc Committee
14:52
on Trails. The trail, previously used by the
14:54
community for recreation, was recently closed
14:57
following an increase in use of private property
14:59
by individuals and motorized vehicles. The public
15:02
portion of the trail ends soon after crossing
15:04
Highway 401 and leaves no other option but for
15:07
users to access non -public land if they wish
15:09
to continue. The town has since blocked access
15:12
over the bridge on advice of the ad hoc committee.
15:15
Working on crossing the 401 is underway, but
15:17
plans cannot be finalized until the MTO finishes
15:19
widening the highway. The town is also waiting
15:22
for clarity from the MTO on exactly how in -town
15:25
trails will be able to cross Highway 401. Mayor
15:28
Terry Richardson explained why they decided to
15:30
defer to the ad hoc committee. We've employed
15:32
an ad hoc committee to do this work. They've
15:36
done a marvelous bunch of work. We have a direction
15:39
to go in. We should bring them back and have
15:41
a conversation with them. because they're the
15:43
ones that did all the work on this. And so maybe
15:45
what we should do is before we change direction,
15:48
because we did have a direction with the resolution,
15:50
before we change direction, maybe we should have
15:52
a chat with them and see what their thoughts
15:55
are. And then, because let's face it, none of
15:58
us had worked on this and we had six very able,
16:01
competent people that worked on this thing. And
16:04
I'll tell you, they came up with some solutions
16:06
that I didn't think were possible. And I just
16:08
don't think it's fair that the ad hoc committee
16:10
for us to make a decision this evening without
16:13
actually consulting with them. I just think we
16:15
owe it to these six people to come and have a
16:18
chat with us because I got to admit they have
16:21
done an absolutely marvelous bunch of work on
16:23
this thing. The town's CAO Matthew Grant originally
16:26
recommended removing the resolution from the
16:28
town's resolution tracker, but staff did not
16:31
agree. Grant explains. Since this report's been
16:34
published, a number of council members have been
16:38
kind enough to come forward and let me know that
16:40
the initial report as written really missed the
16:43
mark. And they explain the reasons why, and I
16:47
have to agree with them. And what specifically
16:49
members of council said to me was by removing
16:53
this from the resolution tracker, it doesn't
16:56
sufficiently remind us of our obligation to the
16:59
stakeholders that we made. And so for clarity,
17:02
it was a good deed that was not necessarily well
17:05
thought out. And council who did not have any
17:10
desire to change what we were doing was kind
17:13
enough to point that out. So it is my intention
17:17
to, with some of the background information and
17:21
alternatives to consider, to sort of put us back
17:26
on track there. Councillor Michael Schenck explained
17:28
why listening to the ad hoc committee's recommendation
17:30
made the most sense. We all agreed the ad hoc
17:33
committee said we're going to close the the railway
17:35
line and the town went ahead and we put up barriers
17:38
but closed no trespassing on the railway bridge
17:40
itself and it's proven in the in how many reports
17:44
that we've seen that saying that that railway
17:48
line ends and doesn't go anywhere it's just going
17:52
across behind somebody's property. I always try
17:54
to put yourself in the other person's position,
17:56
all right, or the other farmer's position, or
17:58
the other thing, what would you feel? Now, we've
18:01
already gone through all these public meetings
18:03
and discussions and everything else, and then
18:06
we're gonna leave it to a new council, and you
18:09
never know who you're gonna get, and they're
18:12
gonna say, oh, by the way, we're gonna make this
18:14
into a walking trail. Now, you've got the county
18:17
arguing about homelessness. You know you're gonna
18:20
leave public property behind a multi -million
18:23
dollar farm and they're not supposed to be upset.
18:26
I would lose my mind. Councillor Angela Hicks
18:29
explained why deferring to the ad hoc committee
18:31
was council's best option. I don't have a crystal
18:34
ball but I do not foresee in 50 years any way
18:37
possible for that rail line and again that's
18:39
already been determined by the ad hoc committee
18:42
and council has accepted their recommendations.
18:46
I don't agree necessarily with putting it up
18:49
for sale right now, but I think it should be.
18:53
We can remove the resolution. I like the resolution
18:55
because it's there and it's a glaring reminder
18:57
to everyone. on this council and future councils
19:01
that it needs to be dealt with, that there is
19:03
a project underway. It's just sitting there,
19:06
it's not doing anything. I don't know what the
19:09
amount of money would be that we would get for
19:11
it, but I think good faith to the ratepayers
19:13
of the town and the ad hoc committee is to just
19:16
leave it, not sell it right now until we've made
19:19
further headway with the MTO on getting over
19:23
or under. the 401. Shank noted potential plans
19:26
he's seen and the importance of the recommendation
19:29
of the ad hoc committee. If the trail was going
19:32
somewhere and it was not in a dead end, you would
19:36
have an argument by leaving it open and not having
19:38
it in a surplus list. Camden Road, when they
19:42
expand the 401, they will be doing redevelopment
19:45
on that bridge in a walking or whatever. A couple
19:48
of designs that I saw was one going north with
19:51
the Old Skidoo Trail. One going possibly over
19:54
the Camden Road over that bridge there. But at
19:57
no time do I believe MTO will go underground
20:00
right where the railway bridge is at this current
20:04
time. So therefore, we got a dead -end trail,
20:07
and we've had some very intelligent people sitting
20:10
on those committees. And if we say, well, by
20:12
the way, for the last three years that you've
20:14
been doing this committee, and we're, you know
20:16
what, we don't agree with you. and you've already
20:19
gone to our public meetings and you gave our
20:21
presentation and we didn't question you there,
20:24
and now we're going to go ahead and say, ah,
20:25
we don't want to sell it. When they're saying,
20:27
hey guys, we don't need it, well I don't want
20:31
to be down that road. I'm confident that they
20:38
would be very receptive to sharing their perspectives
20:41
that they've already given and to hearing that
20:44
we're open to making on the ground progress.
20:48
on trails within the town. I think in some of
20:53
the conversations that I've had is talk is great,
20:58
but investing in some of the trail stuff that
21:00
we have on the ground is even better. Staff confirmed
21:03
that any discussion on the sale of the lands
21:05
cannot occur until it has been deemed surplus
21:07
by council. This procedure would need to be accompanied
21:10
by public consultation. For Amherst Island Radio
21:13
and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted
21:16
Evans. This is North Shore News. Landowners in
21:27
Loyalist Township have already showed interest
21:29
in a proposal brought forth by Westbridge Renewable
21:32
Energy for a large -scale solar farm. The proposed
21:34
project would be located on approximately 800
21:37
acres of private land near Switzerville. With
21:39
a target operation date in May of 2030, the project
21:43
would be capable of supplying energy to 20 ,000
21:46
homes. According to the Township's zoning and
21:48
official plan policies, Loyalist is recognized
21:50
as having some of the highest photovoltaic potential
21:53
in the province. Westbridge Renewable Energy
21:55
is a Canadian -based developer focused on utility
21:58
-scale solar photovoltaic projects. They currently
22:01
have operations in Canada, USA, the UK and Europe.
22:05
Director and Executive Chair of Westbridge Renewable
22:07
Energy, Scott Kelly, explains the components
22:09
of the project and what the site would look like.
22:12
Components would really be the solar PV photovoltaic
22:16
panels in a rural environment. quiet, generating
22:21
solar energy and clean electricity to connect
22:25
to the grid and supply to the local community
22:27
and industry. In terms of what it would look
22:30
like, typically rows of 10 meter solar panels,
22:34
some very small substations and inverters, and
22:38
gravel access roads and perimeter fencing. We
22:40
try to keep a fairly low as much of a low impact
22:45
as possible and protect the local environment
22:48
as much as possible and it's very key in our
22:50
site criteria and our development. Kelly speaks
22:53
about the proposed site south of the 401 near
22:56
Switzerville. This is subject to change. We're
22:58
going through quite a bit of environmental and
23:02
other consultation work, working with the local
23:05
municipalities and trying to refine and fine
23:08
-tune this. Kelly explains how the company chooses
23:11
an ideal site. The way we look at projects and
23:14
the way we would select an ideal site is obviously
23:18
is there availability on the local transmission
23:21
line to add new power and can we connect to it
23:25
in an economic way and transfer and transmit
23:28
the clean energy in an economical and efficient
23:31
way. We look for non -prime agricultural land
23:35
where there's very good solar. radiance meaning
23:38
the ability to generate an excellent amount of
23:42
energy that makes the project economical. Where
23:45
there's definite landowner interest we see the
23:48
landowners as very much as our partners and where
23:51
there is municipal and community support and
23:54
very much where we're working within the guidelines
23:57
and the policies of the municipalities and the
23:59
communities that we are partnering with. Kelly
24:02
notes how the company collaborates with the communities
24:04
they work within. All of our projects are very
24:08
much elaboration with communities in which we
24:11
are working with. We spend a lot of time with
24:14
the municipalities, with the local landowners,
24:18
working within the regulations and the environment
24:20
that we're working in. Every project is unique
24:24
and we look at ourselves as long -term partners
24:28
with the community and do our very best to benefit
24:31
the community in every way we can. Kelly explains
24:34
how the company establishes a community benefit
24:36
fund for communities they work with. In terms
24:39
of adding back to the community, it's something
24:42
we very much take as part of our project. Every
24:48
project that we build and plan and bring to market
24:54
includes a small fund that would uh essentially
25:01
share some of the revenue and some of the benefit
25:03
and some of the funding and money that comes
25:05
from this project with the local municipality.
25:08
COO and director with Westbridge Renewable Energy
25:10
Margaret McKenna speaks about the lifespan of
25:13
the project. The typical lifespan can be kind
25:16
of anywhere between 35 and 50 years depending
25:20
on whether the panels are replaced and how many
25:26
times they are replaced during the life of the
25:28
project. There will be a decommissioning plan.
25:31
It's required as part of the renewable energy
25:36
approval process and we anticipate that there
25:39
would be coordination and consultation with the
25:44
Loyalist Planning Department in terms of what
25:46
that looks like. Kelly explains the timeline
25:48
of their proposal and their steps going forward.
25:51
We did have a pre -consultation meeting at the
25:54
end of July. We have met with several landowners.
25:57
I've met with several of them personally in the
25:58
last few weeks myself and we're planning an open
26:01
house just around the corner. on the 25th of
26:06
August at the Odessa Agricultural Society Fairground
26:09
to discuss face -to -face with anyone in the
26:12
community who would like to attend. And we'll
26:14
be back in September with much more finalized
26:19
plans and be coming to the council for some support.
26:25
And the final submission is October 16th. For
26:31
Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism
26:33
Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore
26:37
News. The county is given the town seven days
27:01
as of August 25th before legal action will be
27:04
taken. Following negative interactions between
27:07
housed and unhoused individuals, the town looked
27:09
into several legal opinions on an encampment
27:11
protocol designed to provide a greater level
27:13
of predictability in the community. Staff developed
27:16
the encampment protocol map and it has since
27:18
been used regularly. Staff noted that in the
27:20
absence of any formal guidance from housing authorities
27:23
on how to deal with the increasing level of encampments,
27:25
they would be reluctant to remove this form of
27:28
guidance. CAO with the town of Greater Napanee,
27:30
Matthew Grant, explains the legal action and
27:33
what started it off for the county. The legal
27:35
action is about the town's use of the map, which
27:38
identifies those public spaces. And the issue
27:42
of litigation arose after a tent appeared on
27:48
county property at 97 Thomas Street. The argument
27:50
is that by identifying public lands on a map
27:53
that case law has deemed accessible to homeless
27:56
individuals, we are encouraging people to go
27:58
there. Grant explained what happened on the day
28:00
of the complaint. We hadn't received any complaints
28:02
about the map until August 13th of this year.
28:05
That was the same day homeless individuals set
28:07
up a tent on county lands at 97 Thomas Street.
28:11
Bylaw was notified of this issue by a community
28:14
partner in writing. Bylaw was later called to
28:16
that site after an employee at the county of
28:19
Lennox and Addington reportedly told the homeless
28:21
individual and some outreach workers that they
28:25
had to leave the property or law enforcement
28:27
would be contacted. On late, you know, in the
28:29
day, on August 13th, I was contacted by the Chief
28:32
Administrative Officer of the County of Lenison
28:34
-Addington telling me they had concerns about
28:36
the individual on their property. They were also
28:37
concerned that by -law services at the Town of
28:40
Greater Napanee was directing people to that
28:42
property. I know that is not true and I did convey
28:45
that and I have seen the documentation that proves
28:49
that. Staff's report noted that in 2024, Greater
28:52
Napanee experienced a surge in encampments, with
28:54
the majority located on property owned by the
28:57
town. Case law in other municipalities around
28:59
the province has established that unhoused individuals
29:02
have a constitutional right to shelter themselves
29:04
on public property if there is an insufficient
29:06
supply of shelter and public housing in the community.
29:09
Grant speaks about the current housing situations
29:11
in Napanee. In Greater Napanee, affordable housing
29:15
and homelessness programming is the responsibility
29:19
of the County of Lennox and Addington and Prince
29:22
Edward and Lennox and Addington Social Services.
29:26
Case law, provincially and federally, has deemed
29:30
that people have the constitutional right to
29:33
shelter themselves on public property if there
29:36
is not enough shelter or affordable housing within
29:39
a community. That case law has been tried and
29:42
tested in Waterloo, in Kingston and in Hamilton
29:45
and is applicable to all public lands. And in
29:49
the town of Greater Napanee, we do not have any
29:52
shelters and we do not have enough affordable
29:55
housing. Grant spoke about the reasoning behind
29:57
creating the Encampment Protocol map. as well
30:23
as providing spaces in awareness where individuals
30:28
could exercise their constitutional rights and
30:30
minimize negative interaction that we experienced
30:32
in 2024. We developed Parks bylaw and an encampment
30:38
protocol. Bylaw officer with the town of Greater
30:41
Napanee, Arthur Cook, explained how they use
30:43
the map in the town. The map is one of our main
30:46
communication tools when we are interacting with
30:49
both the public and members of our in -house
30:51
community in Greater Nepany. It's a main tool
30:54
that we include in educational handouts. It exists
30:57
on the backs of orders that we issue and we have
31:02
circulated it to the partner agencies that are
31:04
also working on this issue alongside the town.
31:08
It is a tool that is easy to understand that
31:14
allows us to be able to show people where in
31:17
a space and time they actually are. For example,
31:19
if we were interacting with an individual, the
31:22
public in Conservation Park, we're actually able
31:24
to show on the map where we are for that interaction.
31:27
It's a relatively clear, simple, straightforward
31:29
way that anybody with any level or degree of
31:34
education or understanding of NAPANEE can understand.
31:37
Cook went on to explain the map doesn't direct
31:39
people to certain areas nor do members of staff.
31:42
We use the map as a tool to show what areas are
31:45
sensitive use areas. So per the bylaw, the red
31:48
spaces on the map where individuals cannot encamp.
31:53
And we do not direct anybody to any one particular
31:57
specific location. Grant spoke about the feedback
31:59
they received while creating the map. We included
32:02
public property on that particular communications
32:05
instrument. And we did a series of consultations
32:09
with stakeholders. In terms of feedback we received
32:12
specifically from partners. the county of London
32:16
-Signatington and Pellis. The feedback we received
32:19
from a member of their management team was to
32:23
remove their phone number from the map that we
32:25
were using. The rest of the phone numbers from
32:28
different partner organizations, including our
32:30
own, remains. Grant went on to detail the timeline
32:33
of communications they received from the county.
32:35
On the 15th of August, it was indicated to me
32:39
that the county was engaging legal counsel. Later
32:42
that day, I received correspondence from a solicitor
32:45
representing the County of London -Singleton
32:46
asking us to stop distributing the map while
32:49
they conducted a legal review. On August 25th,
32:51
our solicitors received a cease and desist order
32:53
demanding that we no longer distribute the encampment
32:55
protocol map and stop doing that within seven
32:58
calendar days or face litigation. We have been
33:01
asked to cease and desist using that map. We've
33:04
also been asked to remove certain lands from
33:05
that map. Grant spoke about the usefulness of
33:08
the map for town staff. It's important to know,
33:11
I think, that the map in and of itself, there's
33:14
nothing illegal about it. It is a lawful document
33:17
and a useful document. I would suggest. We did
33:21
go above and beyond to consult the public and
33:23
our stakeholders on the issue including the map.
33:25
We did reach out to all stakeholders including
33:27
leadership of the county and Pellis on the map
33:29
specifically a year ago. We created the protocol
33:32
to deal with encampments and to bring predictability
33:34
in the absence of a clear and coherent strategy
33:36
around this issue by housing authorities and
33:38
it's working. You know nobody wants this but
33:41
I would suggest we're able to manage this better
33:44
than in 2024 and we're learning. In response
33:47
to the legal action, staff will be sending formal
33:49
correspondence to the county, encouraging them
33:52
to create their own by -law governing encampments
33:54
on their property. They will also be asking the
33:56
county to develop, publicly consult on, and deploy
33:59
a strategy for how encampments can be managed.
34:02
For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism
34:04
Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore
34:08
News. Loyalist Township Council approved the
34:17
continuation of the community tree initiative
34:19
with consideration for expansion. Staff are now
34:22
looking to bring back a funding proposal for
34:24
the 2026 operating budget. The program supports
34:27
climate goals, including the planting of 20 ,000
34:30
trees in Loyalist Township by 2034. The program
34:33
was originally made possible through a $15 ,000
34:36
community grant. In its first year, grant funding
34:39
supported the purchase of 125 trees by residents.
34:42
Trees were valued between $165 and $175, reflecting
34:46
a discounted rate the township received through
34:48
bulk purchase. Residents paid $25 per tree, and
34:52
the grant subsidized the remaining cost of the
34:54
trees. The follow -up survey showed 100 % of
34:57
respondents recognized the benefits to the community.
35:00
Most participants expressed interest in participating
35:02
again, and over 75 residents signed up to be
35:05
notified of future tree programs. With hopes
35:07
of expanding the program, staff has recommended
35:10
increasing the number of trees available each
35:12
year, dependent on program uptake and success.
35:15
The recommendation would be 250 trees in 2026.
35:19
Deputy Mayor Nathan Townand showed his support
35:21
for continuing the program. The program is great,
35:23
I do think it should be expanded. I think it
35:27
conforms to our strategic plan, that's obvious,
35:30
particularly with respect to our climate action
35:32
plan and I think we should find the means to
35:35
continue to fund it through our usual budget
35:38
process which we do for all of our other items
35:40
that come under our strategic plan. Councillor
35:42
Paul Broderick explained why he thinks the program
35:44
should go through the budget process rather than
35:46
a community grant. By putting it through the
35:49
budget process we sort of have a better opportunity
35:52
to look at our needs and what we can afford at
35:54
that time. Councillor Jake Ennis disagreed and
35:56
explained why he wouldn't be supporting the motion.
35:59
I'm not going to support the motion. I think
36:00
it's the type of thing that should be supported
36:02
by the community grants policy and I would like
36:04
to see what staff would come back with as an
36:07
option there. Ultimately the motion was passed
36:09
and the program will be funded through the 2026
36:12
operating budget. For Amherst Island Radio and
36:15
the Local Journalism Initiative. I'm Ted Evans.
36:18
This is North Shore News. A new transportation
36:28
subsidy program could be coming to Lenox and
36:31
Addington County. County Council voted in favor
36:33
of supporting a local not -for -profit corporation
36:36
as they apply for grants to assist low -income
36:38
individuals and families with greater access
36:41
to transportation. The corporation's founder
36:43
Ronald Yeomans approached the county looking
36:45
for a letter of support to accompany grant proposals
36:48
for a transportation subsidy program. The program
36:51
would subsidize cab fares with a subsidy of $6
36:54
per ride. According to staff's report, the advantage
36:57
of using a cab is the door -to -door service,
36:59
which benefits people with disabilities and parents
37:02
of young children. It would also provide the
37:04
ability to pre -book rides. The service would
37:06
be available from 5 a .m. to midnight on weekdays
37:09
and 5 a .m. to 1 a .m. on weekends. Director
37:12
of Social Services with Lenox and Addington County,
37:14
Lynn Chenier, spoke about the need for better
37:17
transportation options in the area. Transportation
37:20
in small rural municipalities is always a challenge.
37:23
We're quite a large geographic area with a smaller
37:27
population, so public transportation is always
37:29
a challenge in terms of ridership and affordability.
37:33
So a non -profit corporation is requesting a
37:35
letter of support from the county. They've previously
37:38
been to Tepelus and it was supported as well.
37:42
Chenier noted the program would start in Greater
37:44
Napanee with hopes of growing. Initially they're
37:47
looking at Greater Napanee just because they're
37:50
not sure how successful they're going to be with
37:52
grants. They're starting small and hopefully
37:55
they hope to be able to expand in the future
37:57
to be the whole county. But at this time what
38:00
they're looking at is Napanee. They want to look
38:02
at what the ridership is, the true cost once
38:05
it's implemented and those kinds of things. On
38:08
January 9th, 2024, the Desirano Transit Service
38:11
implemented transit routes serving the Belleville
38:13
to Greater Napanee Corridor with a number of
38:15
stops within Greater Napanee. The funding for
38:18
this service expired on March 31st of this year.
38:21
At that time, Greater Napanee Council decided
38:23
there would be no extension made to the Desirano
38:25
Transit Agreement. They decided at that time
38:28
as well to explore alternate transit options,
38:30
giving consideration to Greater Napanee's population
38:32
and geography. For Amherst Island Radio and the
38:35
Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Cat Evans. This
38:39
is North Shore News. This has been North Shore
38:47
News and Interviews. If you have an idea for
38:50
a story or want to create stories for the show,
38:54
consider joining our 100 % volunteer team. Contact
38:58
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