Latest / North Shore News / November 20th, 2024

Transcript

November 20th, 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 is moving ahead with its 2025 budget with the Finance Department presenting
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the draft at the first of three special committees of the whole meetings this week.
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The proposed budget includes a $23.57 million levy requirement, a 9.9% increase over last
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year.
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This increase will result in a 6.9% rise in residential property taxes.
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A large portion of the budget will be directed toward key services.
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Amherst View Transit will receive $1.4 million, the Amherst Island Ferry will receive $7.9
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million, and $17.7 million will be allocated for utilities.
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The capital budget totals $9.46 million, which will focus on infrastructure renewal as part
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of the township's asset management plan.
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However, some new project and services have been deferred to keep costs manageable and
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reduce debt.
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Additionally, the township is applying for 80% funding from the Green Municipal Fund
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to support a $150,000 community energy finance feasibility study, which will help explore
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sustainable energy options for the community.
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But the township isn't solely responsible for the increase, according to Councillor
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Shelley Steadall.
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It needs to be very clear in this year in 2025 is that the residential rate has really
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got two components, and that's the township rate, and that's the services that we can
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actually influence and adjust, and that is a 4.6% increase year over year.
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On top of that, we've been hit this year with the 2.3% OPP increase, and that is an
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amount that has happened because of changes that were implemented with wages and also
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with levels of service.
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The final budget is expected to be adopted on December 10th, following more discussions
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on November 21st and 25th.
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Loyalist Township encourages residents to provide feedback and stay informed by visiting
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engage.loyalist.ca slash 2025 dash budget for updates throughout the process.
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For Amherst Island Radio, I'm Jordan Webster.
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This is North Shore News.
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Loyalist Township is standing up against the new alcohol laws in Ontario.
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They'll be requesting the province reverse its decision on allowing alcohol sales in
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more locations.
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The resolution calls for the province to develop and implement a provincial alcohol
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strategy that prioritizes health and safety and considers the costs of alcohol consumption.
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Staff are also requesting the province dedicate a portion of its alcohol revenue to addressing
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alcohol related issues.
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Deputy Mayor Nathan Townend describes why he supports a change to the new laws.
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I guess there's no way of avoiding the political nature of this topic, but the government's
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current policy around alcohol and the sale of alcohol in independent grocery stores and
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corner stores is counter to all the available and substantial public health evidence about
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the adverse health impacts to society of alcohol.
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I think the government needs to rethink it.
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Their own Chief Medical Officer of Health, our own Dr. Kieran Moore in his annual report,
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balancing act details it far better than I can articulate it, but I think where this
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motion is going is in the right direction and in fairness to the government, they have
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shown ability to listen when the public has pushed back and I think this is something
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to push back on.
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Mayor Jim Hagedorn explains why he supports the changes and mentions the new billboards
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at service centers along the 401.
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Typically as a chair, I try to stay fairly neutral.
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When I am going to speak on this one, I fully support it, the effects of alcohol on our
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healthcare system alone is astronomical, not to mention in some social aspects as well.
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I try not to bring my day job into this position either, but when I drove past an on-route and
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on the big billboard out front, it said, be here.
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That's not local traffic.
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That's long distance travel.
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Typically, there is some commuter where people work a distance from home, but for the most
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part, that's not the local traffic.
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It's going home from work and they just want to pick up some spirits to have with their
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meal once they're home.
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I think they need to rethink where's appropriate, where it's not appropriate, and how much can
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society actually endure.
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Next time you're getting onto the 400 series highway, check the outside of the shoulders,
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the roundings, when you're getting on and look at the number of bottles that are there
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because they're on the freeway as well, you just don't see them at 110 or 130.
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Councillor Paul Proderick notes the local impact and details a personal experience while
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driving.
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I was driving home from a hockey game the other night along the 401 and stopped to get
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gas wherever one of the on-routes and they were selling alcohol.
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And I thought, I was thinking of our township and how many times our emergency services
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go to the 401, our OPP goes out to the 401 and in our general area of the 401, how much
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trouble that causes for the residents of Odessa who for hours will watch transport trucks
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go up and down.
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That is something I can't equate that, raising the speed limit and let's sell some boos on
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the side, whatever, it doesn't make any sense to me.
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House recommendations include a requirement for health warning labels on all alcohol containers
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and the ability for municipalities to opt out if they want.
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Staff noted local businesses that are already selling alcohol and made sure they wouldn't
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be affected by the recommendations they're sending to the province.
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Councillor Mike Proderick noted the potential impact.
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I do know as much as it is a health thing, don't want to hurt local businesses.
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I do know that Foodland is selling about $10,000 a month of spirits and they're seeing
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three to five times uptick in business associated with the person that is actually buying the
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alcohol.
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Councillor Lorna Willis notes how responsible local businesses have been.
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We do have two established businesses in the township that have been doing this for
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a long time but they've been doing it as LCBO licensees, which means they have skin in the
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game, they have something to lose, they take great care in making sure that they're following
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the rules.
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Willis made a friendly amendment at the meeting regarding the sale of alcohol at gas stations.
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I would make a friendly amendment that a number four says prohibit the sale of alcohol at
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gas stations except as provided by LCBO licensees.
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Proderick also added a friendly amendment regarding the proximity of alcohol sales to
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schools, daycares or substance use facilities.
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I'd like to see if I could throw another friendly amendment out on number three that no alcohol
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pre-permitted within 300 meters of the school daycare or substance use facility.
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Just that 150 meters is less than 500 feet, that's too easy.
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I think it should be set a little further.
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Both friendly amendments were accepted and council unanimously backed the resolution.
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Along with a list of recommendations for improvements to the laws, the township will
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be sending the resolution to Premier Doug Ford, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health,
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the Honourable Sylvia Jones, Attorney General, the Honourable Doug Downey, Minister of Transportation,
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the Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria, Rick Brezee MPP, the Association of Municipalities of
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Ontario, the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association and Kingston Frontenac Lenox and Addington
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Public Health.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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This is North Shore News.
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Over the next five years, residents of Loyalist Township will see a 5% average annual increase
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for water and sewer rates.
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Council approved an updated financial plan presented by Hemsson Consulting.
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The company also completed a wastewater financial plan.
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Drinking water licenses for the bath and fairfield water systems are set to expire in 2025, with
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the renewal deadline falling on November 15.
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The newly approved plan has now been submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
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for the township's license renewal.
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Staff noted that proceeding with a lower increase in rates would strain reserve funds in the
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future, which could impact the township's ability to respond to critical asset repair
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needs, unforeseen operating cost increases or change in consumption patterns.
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Former Mike Bouderec noted the need for the increase.
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Former Carol Parks notes the township's responsibility in providing safe drinking water for residents.
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It is a very hot topic when we talk about water and sewer rates, and it is very hard
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when you compare your rates to other municipalities, but you're not comparing apples to apples,
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unfortunately, and it would be nice to be able to have those rates that those other
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communities have.
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And I was going to vote against it, but I have been swayed with the support of staff
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in their report, and again, be reminded of our responsibilities to ensure that we have
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safe drinking water.
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Deputy Mayor Nathan Townend notes the funds received in Greater Napa-nee.
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One thing to keep in mind about Greater Napa-nee that our staff wouldn't be at liberty to refer
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to, but I'm happy to, is the town of Greater Napa-nee got $34.8 million from the provincial
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government this year to upgrade their systems.
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We're not as lucky and loyalist presently, and our users are having to pay for us being
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responsible stewards of our system, and that just is what it is.
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Engineering and Environment Manager Luke McDonald describes some of the costs associated.
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One of the items that we frequently talk about is the fact that as a small municipality, we
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have four treatment plants to operate and run for our various systems, and so that can
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add costs quite quickly when you're looking at economies of scale and having to manage
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a small number of connections with that many plants.
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McDonald talks about a potential way the township could cut costs.
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The connection feasibility study that we are proposing was identified through the Infrastructure
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Master Plan, which Council adopted back in the summer, and it would look at the potential
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for eliminating the bath sewage treatment plant and installing a sewage pumping station
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to send those flows to the Amherstview wastewater treatment plant.
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And so by doing that, we'd eliminate some of those operating costs and hopefully be
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able to realize those cost savings to bring us, bring the rates down ultimately over time.
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McDonald outlines another cost-cutting possibility.
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We can also reduce the water consumption per household, which we've seen over the municipality
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so that means we can sort of extend out the plants' available capacity over more and more
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households based on as households are coming in and we're using less water per household,
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which is more cost-effective for everyone.
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The township adopted an updated reserve fund policy in 2021 to stabilize rate changes from
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year to year and reduce potential debt from capital projects.
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The rate study notes that the increase is to meet capital and operating requirements
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while still accounting for the reserve fund policy.
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The study focuses on existing users and infrastructure maintenance.
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It does not consider system expansion costs, which are covered by new developments through
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impulse fees and connection charges under the growth pays for growth principle.
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An update to the impulse fee study is scheduled for next year.
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McDonald talks about the possibility of expanding.
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At some point, we're going to have to expand our plants to accommodate new developments
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and that's all funded by the impulse fees and the connection fees, but we don't want
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to do that too early so that way we're operating a plant that has way more capacity and it's
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very inefficient.
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It's not a great situation to be in.
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Another piece of that is we are bringing forward the capacity allocation policy to council.
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I'm hoping to bring that forward at actually next council meeting.
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You'll see that as well, which will give us more tools in the toolbox to manage that
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capacity that's available and allow us to sort of, I'll say, stack up more and more
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connections into the capacity we have before we have to expand a plant, which is still
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regulated by the MECP.
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McDonald notes what a potential timeline might look like.
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In terms of a timeframe, I won't sugarcoat it.
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It will be a very long process because obviously it would involve plant expansion, construction
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of a pumping station, force mains, everything.
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So it would be on the order of magnitude 10 plus years to sort of work our way through
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that.
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It would start with that feasibility study as we've mentioned and then we would go into
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preliminary and detailed design and so on and make our way through the regulatory process.
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McDonald breaks down potential costs.
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In terms of costing, we have done some very preliminary high level estimates when it was
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related to industrial servicing in the business park and trying to make sure to the way out
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there.
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Again, it's not a cheap option either.
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I don't have those numbers on hand, so I don't want to throw out anything that's not accurate
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at this time.
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But yeah, it's certainly not a cheap option.
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But the benefit is this infrastructure would last 50 plus years and we would obviously
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with maintenance and upkeep and all the operating and we would be able to make those long term
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improvements and realize those gains over time.
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Councilor Paul Broderick talks about the importance of having safe drinking water for residents.
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Council's responsibility is that our residents have safe drinking water and I'm old enough
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to remember Waukerton and I've been through in my brief, I guess two years now, I've been
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through all the water plants and through the sewage plants, they're scoring 100% on their
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testing and their evaluations in the ministry.
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And although the, I guess the 5-10 year plan says 5%, I think that's been answered that
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that'll come back annually.
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And I would say this and I'm not trying to cast aspersions on any previous council, but
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we need to prepare for infrastructure failure and to put money aside.
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And in this plan, it does say that the capital, the capital things are the prices we really
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can't change.
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And I was in Calgary with the deputy there in June when they had a major failure of their
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system.
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So we've got to keep our system at standard up to grade and continuously investing in
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the capital side of it.
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An overview of the rate study results were shared on the township's engagement platform
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on October 15th.
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The rate study results were also presented at the October 22nd committee of the whole
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meeting.
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Any approved rate changes will be communicated by a utility bill inserts.
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The rate study and financial plans will be posted to the township's website.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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This is North Shore News.
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Loyalist Township is calling on the provincial and federal government to redistribute land
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transfer tax and GST to municipalities for sustainable infrastructure funding.
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Staff's report mentioned current sources of municipal revenue, including property taxes
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and user fees, are not enough to meet increasing demands for infrastructure investment.
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Land transfer tax is currently collected by Ontario on property transactions in municipalities
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all across the province.
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The revenue generated is not directly shared with the municipalities.
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The federal government collects GST on property transactions and does not share that revenue
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with municipalities.
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The township will be forwarding the resolution to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier
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Doug Ford, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, MP Shelby
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Kramp-Neumann, MPP Rick Brezee, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Association
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of Municipalities of Ontario.
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Council is looking for their endorsement and advocacy.
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Staff noted the importance of infrastructure funding, citing needs including roads, bridges,
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public transit and water systems.
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Councilor Lorna Willis spoke about the challenges and expenses behind infrastructure.
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We hear about the challenges with establishing new housing in our communities and infrastructure
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is that biggest challenge and it's also one of the most expensive things that any township
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does and we need help from the province to make that happen.
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The request notes that this funding would allow municipalities to better plan for and
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invest in long-term infrastructure initiatives that support local economic growth and improve
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the quality of life for residents.
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It mentions the distribution should be structured to provide predictable and sustainable funding.
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Council unanimously agreed and passed the motion at their meeting this week.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Tat Evans.
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This is North Shore News.
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Loyalist Township Council received a request from Lenox and Attington County asking them
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to consider donating a portion of land to construct mixed market affordable housing.
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The agreement would include an exemption for all development charges.
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The county council agreed to explore a partnership with one of its lower tier municipalities at
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their September 18th meeting.
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Attended Loyalist Township Council to formally make the request.
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Shenye notes the working group that was formed.
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A working group was established with members of Prince Edward Lenox, Attington Social Services,
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our Infrastructure Services and Property Services Departments, Finance as well as Economic Development.
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And from there we were able to identify potential, the estimate as to what a high density building
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would cost.
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And in our example, we used 42 units.
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And then we looked at what could that mix of units look like?
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So affordable, rankiered to income housing or market.
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Shenye described some of staff's analysis.
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We reviewed existing county properties to see if there were any suitable properties and
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there really are none.
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We identified potential funding options and the estimate of not only the capital cost,
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but also the ongoing operational costs as well.
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Shenye explains the specific housing needs of families and individuals in the area.
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We also looked at the types of units that were needed within the county.
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One bedrooms are definitely the most sought after and according to the housing needs assessment.
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So that's what we based the building on is 42 one bedroom units.
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And the estimated cost of this type of building is 15.7 million.
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And that's just to build it.
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And then it has an annual operating cost of approximately 1.1 million.
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Shenye describes eligibility requirements for those looking for affordable housing.
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The eligibility for rankiered to income housing really is based on the application date and
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the size of the unit.
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So if you're a single person applying for subsidized housing, then it would be a one
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bedroom.
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They don't really do seniors dedicated buildings any longer.
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So there could be some seniors in there.
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There's it could be some younger people.
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So there would be a max.
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Shenye details some of the local statistics.
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We administer a total of 300 rankier to income units in Lenox and Addington County, plus
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another 115 in Prince Edward County.
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We maintain the centralized waitlist.
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And right now there are a total of 558 households on that waiting list for subsidized housing.
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I'll speak just to Loyalist Township.
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Right now there are zero rankier to income housing units managed by Pellis.
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So there's no local housing corporation visibility within the township.
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Most of the units were built back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, and there just hasn't
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been anything built since then.
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And there's definitely a need in Loyalist Township.
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Staff noted that if the project were to move forward, all funding opportunities would be
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applied for.
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Shenye described some of the options they've looked at.
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The staff report also outlined some funding options that are available to the county to
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apply to if this project is to move forward.
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One of them being the Affordable Housing Fund new construction, and the second being
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apartment construction loan program.
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Both programs are CMHC programs, which means they're Canada-wide.
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So the competition for those programs are very, very fierce.
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I will say that not a lot of smaller municipalities have been all of that successful in achieving
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or being awarded funding.
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However, there's certainly programs that we would apply to, and if we were successful,
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it would then reduce the capital costs.
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It would not, though, reduce any operational costs moving forward.
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Staff noted there are a number of funding opportunities available through the Canada
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Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
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To apply for these funding opportunities, projects must be shovel-ready.
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These funding programs are Canada-wide and cannot be relied on to offset any of the capital
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costs due to funding limits and the competitive nature of the programs.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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This is North Shore News.
22:39
Lenox and Addington will see its first ever holiday pantomime event this year in Odessa,
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Torrent Productions, a production company formerly based in Toronto that has recently
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relocated to Lenox and Addington are preparing to host the event.
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Cinderella, a merry magical pantomime, will be running from December 19th to 24th at a
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manual United Church in Odessa.
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Tickets are now on sale.
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Torrent Productions is run by husband and wife team Rob Torr and award-winning choreographer
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Stephanie Graham.
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They're hoping to make this an annual tradition for the community in Lenox and Addington.
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Co-artistic producer Rob Torr explains what pantomime is.
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Pantomime is a wonderful medium because we have music, we hope, that satisfies all the
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different generations.
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Like there's, and there's vaudeville comedy, there's silly comedy, there's classic music,
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there's up-to-date music.
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Wordplay.
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Wordplay.
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It's all the things.
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Like there really is something for everybody.
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Torr describes the company's history and his own personal connection to pantomime.
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We're from Toronto.
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We moved out here about three and a half years ago.
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And we've done four successful pantos downtown Toronto in a very sort of small-town feel.
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We were doing it at the local Legion.
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And Panto is my passion.
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And it was before we started them, but after producing them and seeing the magic that they
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created, is why I want to continue doing it.
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We saw memories being formed.
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And that's what I want to do.
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I want families to be able to come to this and have memories and remember having a good
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time together.
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And silliness.
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Like I always say, Panto's not going to, it's not going to change the world, but it might
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make it a better place.
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Director and producer Stephanie Graham explains what they do at Torrent Productions.
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We have three core mandate things about Torrent production.
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Like we want to bring affordable professional theatre to Southern Ontario.
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We are interested in developing new shows and then encouraging and nurturing bridges
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between generations and the diverse demographics in our community.
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So those are our sort of three pillars.
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For right now, we're focusing on the Panto and building that, but who's to say what
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might happen more in the future?
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A couple notes how the show could expand and what they may be working on in the future.
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I've got three more shows written and ready to go.
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And our hope, like this year, we're only, at the moment we're scheduled to do eight shows,
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but we are able to extend.
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If possible.
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If we have enough, and again, that's all based on ticket sales.
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But I mean, I'd like to make this in the future.
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I'd like a six week run.
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I'd like people coming from all up and down the sea way to come to Odessa, come to Lenox
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and Addington, come to our little part of the world and enjoy all the things we have
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to offer here.
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The couple note how the show is currently run and how they'd like to foster more local
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talent in the future.
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We're asking Toronto based actors to come out here for four weeks at the holidays.
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And we have to pay them and we have to house them.
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But what I really would love to do is to be able to attract Kingston actors who've gone
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abroad and bring them back home so that they can be with their families during the holidays.
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But also so that we as a community can celebrate the talent that this community has helped
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create.
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We live in the area too, like we get it.
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And we would like to foster something, you know, something so that, and not just truly,
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not just the talent that's on the stage, but also stage managers and technical and also
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teaching audiences how to enjoy life theater.
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Because that's something that we don't do in this country.
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And pantomime is it's like an entry level form of life theater.
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And because it's not children's theater, it's family entertainment.
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The couple spoke about the long standing tradition of pantomime in the UK.
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My ultimate goal is to have a child that comes to see our show when they're seven or eight.
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And then we probably don't see them when they're 15 or 16.
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But then they go away to university and they come back and they go, you know, let's go
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to the Panto and then they come back with their kids.
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Like that's that's the tradition in the UK.
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Like we didn't invent this format.
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It's it's it's it comes from well, a long long tradition in the UK.
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And it's on it's that thing that you do during the holidays.
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You go to a Panto and you have you have some silliness.
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Tor describes why he's so passionate about pantomime and is excited to bring it to Lennox
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and Addington.
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There's a magic that happens between the actors and the audience.
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And that's something that, you know, as the director, writer, producer, that relationship
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is something that, you know, I nurture.
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But what we find with this style of theater is a magic that I don't have control over.
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And that's the moment when a parent and a child laughed at something together and then
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look at each other and notice that they're sharing that moment together.
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And that's the magic I'm interested in creating.
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I think those are the special moments that we hope and we saw them every show.
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And it was it really was.
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It sort of become my raison d'etre to nurture an opportunity for that to happen.
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For Amherst Island Radio 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 Bridge with Kingsness News and here are your top headlines today, November 20th,
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2024.
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Most of the now demolished Bascule Lift Bridge on the Thal causeway are finding a new home
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this holiday season.
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A Kingston entrepreneur has started selling handmade Christmas ornaments made with pieces
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from the iconic 170 year old steel bridge.
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Prices for the handcrafted ornaments range from $15 to $100, but the $40 heart shaped
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ornament is the most popular.
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In the week since Kingston is first reported, Dr. Elaine Ma was facing a health services
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appeal and review board hearing and stiff penalties from OHIP.
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The story has caused concern both locally and provincially.
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Kingston is confirmed with Ma that she had spoken to Premier Doug Ford weeks before her
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hearing, but so far he has failed to deliver.
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Two months after nominations open, the City of Kingston and the Municipal Accessibility
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Advisory Committee will celebrate this year's winners of the Celebrating Accessibility Awards.
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The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 3rd from 1 to 3pm at the Donald Gordon Hotel
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and Conference Center at 421 Union Street.
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There is good news if the younger people in your life have been worried about mailing
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a letter to Santa this year.
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Letters to Santa can be dropped off Monday to Friday from 8am to 3pm at a decorated mailbox
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at 124 Center Street North in Napa Nii.
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Santa's helpers will also be collecting letters to Santa along the route of the Greater Napa
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Nii Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 7th.
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For more on these stories and other local news, visit kincsonist.com and subscribe.
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Use my code CERB2024 for 10% off.
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This has been North Shore News and Interviews.
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our 100% volunteer team.
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Contact Amherst Island Radio for more details.