Latest / North Shore News / August 27, 2024

Transcript

August 27, 2024 · North Shore News

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  Welcome to North Shore News and Interviews on Amherst Island Radio.
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  Each week we keep you updated on newsworthy events, happenings, and conversations that
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  we've had with people in the local community and beyond.
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  Loyalist Township announced this week that Deputy Mayor Nathan Townend was elected to
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  the Association of Municipalities Ontario Board in the rural caucus.
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  There were nine candidates vying for four spots during the 2024-2026 term.
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  Townend will be representing Loyalist Township and Lenox and Addington County.
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  Townend describes the work that the association does.
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  The Association of Municipalities of Ontario, so AMAL, is basically the association that
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  represents and advocates for the over 400 municipalities in the province.
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  Advocacy work, issues that are across the board that municipalities face and advocates
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  to the province, because we are creatures of the province as municipalities, advocates
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  to the province on municipalities behalf, and also develops policy to advise the government
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  on policy that the government themselves is implementing.
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  It's kind of a commentary on government policy, but then also suggesting policy that positively
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  addresses the challenges that municipalities face.
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  Townend explains the type of work he'll be doing as a member of the board.
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  When you're a member of the board in whatever caucus you're elected to, I'm elected to the
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  rural caucus, so I'm particularly representing rural issues.
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  When you're on the board, you are essentially working to develop policy and also advocate
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  for municipalities to the province.
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  Townend describes the benefits of the county and township having a member on the board.
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  The benefit to Loyalist Township and to Lenox and Addington County is obviously having someone
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  you trust and someone you know understands your issues being at that table, essentially.
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  It's good to have someone from Eastern Ontario there, so between myself, Robin Jones, the
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  president-elect, is from Westport.
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  Brian Patterson is on the large urban caucus.
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  He's the mayor of Kingston.
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  Krista Lowry is the chair of rural caucus.
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  She's from Mississippi Mills, so that's a couple of people right there that are from
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  Eastern Ontario, and I'm obviously one of those two.
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  For CJAI and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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  This is North Shore News.
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  Staff at Loyalist Township found out that Martin's bus service is ending negotiations
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  between the two regarding a rural transit service pilot project.
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  The township is now looking for another bus service.
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  Director of Community and Customer Services, Laurie McFarland, explains the current situation.
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  Staff have contacted two additional service providers within the Ontario Education Collaborative
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  Marketplace.
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  They're looking for an OECM to see if either of these companies could deliver this service.
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  At this time, one of the providers has responded, and we're waiting for further information
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  and discussion based on initial interest and the pricing that's included in the OECM agreement
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  and early calculations.
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  They indicate that fare collection combined with the county funding would be sufficient
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  to cover expenditures associated with one bus providing at a minimum a 12-hour, a day
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  five-day week service.
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  The routing would still provide dedicated service to the industrial lands during peak
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  periods and a fixed route service between Bath, Odessa and Amherstview at off-peak times.
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  McFarland breaks down how the costs and funding would work.
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  Final costs and routes would be pending negotiations with that service provider.
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  It is still anticipated that if council wishes to extend the pilot service from April 1 to
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  December 31 of 25, then the requirement of the $275,000 funding from the Provincial
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  Gas Tax Reserve would still be required if we're able to negotiate with that service
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  provider.
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  If the OECM path doesn't come to fruition and council still wishes to move ahead with
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  the pilot in 2025, provisions for this could be included in the 2025 budget recognizing
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  that the funding opportunity currently available would be lost.
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  Therefore, the full cost of the pilot would need to be funded via fares and the Provincial
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  Gas Tax Reserve is estimated that this funding requirement could be up to $400,000 pending
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  procurement results and fair revenues.
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  Staff will be asking Lennox and Addington County for an extension until October 1 to
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  allow for more time for negotiations.
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  McFarland explains how this extra time will help staff.
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  It really wouldn't impact the timing of the service if we're able to put it through the
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  OECM provider.
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  What it would do is give us a little bit more time to negotiate with them.
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  We're hopeful that we could have something by September 1, but given, you know, we just
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  found out about this yesterday and we haven't actually had the, you know, very much time
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  to speak with an alternate provider, that would give us a little bit of breathing room
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  to actually get that agreement in place if it's possible.
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  Senator Paul Proderick hopes the project lasts more than just one year.
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  As this plays through, I hope that residents see the value of it and use whatever we come
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  up with because we don't want it to be a one-year one-off that, you know, we can't make decisions
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  five years down the road if there's not a need for it or at least a use of it.
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  Mayor Jim Hagridorn noted staff's quick response to the unexpected change.
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  It's kind of like nailing Jell-O to the wall, but they have worked very hard and looked
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  at every avenue to be able to try and make this come to fruition and I appreciate that.
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  And it's unfortunate with the last minute changes and withdrawals, but staff are working
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  hard to try and come up with options that will make it work.
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  For CJAI and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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  This is North Shore News.
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  Loyalist Township Council approved over $250,000 for a structural renovation of the Layer
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  Cake Hall Edition.
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  The Economic Growth and Community Development Services Department was authorized to transfer
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  of $35,000 from the Township's Capital Reserve Fund as well as pre-budget approval for 2025
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  in the amount of $220,000.
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  According to staff's report, Township Facilities Maintenance staff entered the crawl space
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  earlier this year and found that the floor joists and sill plates have been compromised
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  by moisture, shifting, and concrete deterioration.
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  The Township is now faced with several options to fix the issue.
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  A structural engineer that the Township hired has offered three options, the first being
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  to demolish the addition entirely and rebuild beginning with a new foundation.
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  The second option is to shore the foundation and reframe the joists.
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  And finally, option three, the engineer's recommendation, which is to fill the existing
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  crawl space area with granular and poor concrete to achieve a slab-on-grade foundation.
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  Staff noted their support for the third option in their report and council agreed as well
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  at the meeting.
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  The report noted that the walls and roof of the addition are structurally sound and staff
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  found it would be unnecessary to tear them down.
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  Filling the existing crawl space with concrete is not only the most cost-effective but also
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  the most time-effective option.
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  This solution will also eliminate the possibility of the same problem happening again.
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  Engineering and environment manager Luke McDonald explains why the third option isn't officially
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  a part of the recommendation at this time.
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  Staff intend to proceed with option three.
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  It's not in the recommendations in case during the design process, you know, things change
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  and we want to make sure we still have that flexibility to take the advice of our engineers.
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  But that is the intent at this time and that's how the budget has been structured.
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  McDonald explains why they leaned away from option number one, demolishing the addition
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  entirely.
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  The primary function of it is the stairwell.
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  There's other additional spaces, the music room and things like that and some mechanical
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  spaces, but that is the only interior access to the second floor.
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  So to allow for programming and whatnot to occur upstairs, that space needs to continue
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  to exist.
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  Mayor Jim Hagedorn notes the importance of completing this project.
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  I support the doing this as was mentioned.
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  The open space upstairs on the second floor is pretty significant and it's also where
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  the computers are.
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  The students use a lot.
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  So it's very valuable to be able to continue to use that and have interior stairs.
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  Councillor Paul Proderick shows his support for the renovation project.
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  Reading the report and looking at some of the pictures, it's something that badly needs
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  to be done and with a lot of our older buildings, later we leave something, the more damage
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  or maybe the more cost would be involved.
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  For CJAI and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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  This is North Shore News.
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  Ontario Culinary along with the Culinary Tourism Alliance are hosting a feast on event featuring
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  six chefs from the area happening this fall at McKinnon Brothers Brewing Company.
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  Feast on the Farm, a taste of southeastern Ontario, takes place Saturday, September 28th from
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  5 to 8pm.
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  Feast on is a certification program for restaurants and purveyors in Ontario.
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  Ontario Culinary says the program recognizes businesses committed to sourcing Ontario-grown
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  food and drink.
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  The other part of their aim is to make it easier for food lovers to find local food.
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  Each chef will be showcasing their creations using seasonal produce and ingredients from
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  the region.
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  The array of different dishes will also be paired with local craft beverages.
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  Marketing manager for the Culinary Tourism Alliance, Gabrielle Mueller, explains the
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  goals behind their feast on events.
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  The goal really is to celebrate the unique taste of place of southeastern Ontario.
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  All the chefs that are featured at the Feast on the Farm event are Feast on certified.
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  So really we're celebrating chefs that are going the extra mile to source seasonal and
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  Ontario-based produce, meats, and other ingredients.
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  And really we just want to take this time to celebrate that.
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  It's harvest season.
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  It's all you can eat.
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  So inviting folks to come on out and eat and taste how much better things taste when they're
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  in season.
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  Mueller notes the range of local beverages that will be on hand as well.
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  I do want to shout out our local drink producers.
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  Of course McKinnon Brothers Brewing, they're hosting us.
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  So we will be serving up their craft beverages as well as craft wine from Carlow Estates Winery
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  in Prince Edward County, Hardway Cider, and Mohawk Soda.
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  So it should be a real all around great time.
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  For CJAI and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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  This is North Shore News.
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  I'm Sarah Birch with Kinksness News and here are the top headlines that you need to know.
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  The Special Investigations Unit has concluded its investigation into an April 2024 incident
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  in which a man fell from the balcony of an apartment building in the area of Days and
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  Bath Road.
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  The SIU determined that while the 29-year-old male involved in the case was significantly
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  injured, there are no reasonable grounds to believe a Kinks and Police officer committed
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  a criminal offense.
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  BGC Southeast has announced an expansion of services in Loyalist Township with the delivery
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  of a new after-school program in Amherst View starting on the first day of school.
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  Do you know of a business in Frontenac County that goes above and beyond for the community?
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  Now is your chance to give them the recognition they deserve because the Frontenac Business
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  Award 2024 nominations are now open.
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  At its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 27, the Greater Napa Nitaown Council will
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  consider a quest to celebrate the career and achievements of Greater Napa Nita Olympian
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  Britt Ben.
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  According to the CSE, Wilson Stair is passed away on Saturday, August 24 at Bath Institution.
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  At the time of his death, the inmate, 77, had been serving an indeterminate sentence
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  which began in 1968.
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  For more on these stories and other local news, visit kinksandis.com and subscribe.
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