Latest / North Shore News / January 5th, 2026

Transcript

January 5th, 2026 · North Shore News

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  Welcome to North Shore News and Interviews on
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  Amherst Island Radio. Each week we keep you updated
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  on newsworthy events, happenings and conversations
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  that we've had with people in the local community
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  and beyond. Loyalists Township has announced
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  that the Amherst Island ferry is moving toward
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  reloadable Smart Ferry transit cards. The Township
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  says it will make fare payment more convenient
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  and flexible for riders. This transit card will
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  replace the 25 -bulk ticket package. Passengers
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  will be able to choose between digital transit
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  cards, which can be stored directly in your Google
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  or Apple Wallet, or physical reloadable cards
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  for easy scan and go. Digital cards are now available
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  for purchase online, and physical cards are available
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  for purchase from ferry pursers. An increase
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  in the fares is now in effect as well. To help
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  transition to the new fare structure, white -colored
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  tickets purchased before January 5, 2026, will
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  continue to be accepted until February 15, 2026,
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  after which a 50 -cent fare difference will apply.
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  Now, in effect, a $1 fare difference will apply
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  to salmon -colored tickets. For more information,
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  visit Loyalist .ca. For Amherst Island Radio
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  and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted
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  Evans. This is North Shore News. Loyalist Township
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  has announced the launch of recycling depot services
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  at Violet Landfill in Odessa. The service will
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  be running Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
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  from 8am to 4 .30pm. This service change has
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  a response to the loss of access to recycling
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  drop -off services previously available at the
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  Kingston Area Recycling Centre. The change is
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  due to updates to provincial recycling regulations
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  and the absence of long -term funding through
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  circular materials. Violet Road Landfill is located
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  at 1346 Violet Road in Odessa. This service is
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  available to Loyalist Township residents only
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  and is intended for bulk recycling items. All
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  visitors must check in at the scale house upon
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  arrival. Valid identification is required. For
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  more information, visit Loyalist .ca. For Amherst
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  Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative,
• 2:20
  I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore News. Loyalist
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  Township is reminding residents as winter sets
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  in, stormwater ponds are not safe for any type
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  of winter recreation. These ponds have constant
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  water movement, incoming runoff and fluctuating
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  water levels that prevent ice from forming evenly
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  or safely. Ice may look solid but can be extremely
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  thin in hidden areas. Snow can cover weak or
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  unstable spots and winter salt applications entering
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  the ponds can weaken ice and speed up melting,
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  even during very cold temperatures. The township
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  reminds parents and guardians to take a moment
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  to speak with your children about the dangers
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  of walking, playing, or skating on stormwater
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  ponds. Loyalist Township does not permit recreational
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  activities on or near stormwater ponds at any
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  time of year. These facilities are designed for
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  water management, not recreation, and can be
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  hazardous, especially in winter. For Amherst
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  Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative,
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  I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore News. Lenox
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  and Addington County Council has elected their
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  warden and deputy warden for 2026. Council elected
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  Nathan Townend, deputy mayor of Loyalist Township,
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  as warden, and Jim Hagedorn, the mayor of Loyalist
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  Township, as deputy warden. Warden Townend and
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  Deputy Warden Hagedorn also served in these positions
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  in 2025. Townend has served on county council
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  since the spring of 2022. As a member of council,
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  he's been actively involved in public health
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  and was active in achieving the merger of three
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  public health units in eastern Ontario. Townend
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  now serves as a board member of the newly formed
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  Southeast Public Health. In addition, Townend
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  serves on the boards of Roma and AMO, having
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  been elected to rural caucus at AMO in 2024.
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  He is currently completing a master's in political
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  management at Carle University. Deputy Warden
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  Hagedorn has been a member of County Council
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  since 2018. During that time, he has served on
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  various committees including Seniors Outreach
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  Services, the Accessibility Advisory Committee,
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  and the Lafarge Community Liaison Committee.
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  Hagedorn currently works for the Ministry of
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  Transportation. For Amherst Island Radio and
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  the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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  This is North Shore News. Habitat for Humanity's
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  plan for bringing affordable units to Bath has
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  moved another step closer to becoming a reality.
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  Loyalist's Township Council approved an affordable
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  housing development agreement to donate a portion
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  of land on Church Street in Bath to Habitat for
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  Humanity. The Township will be donating approximately
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  half an acre of serviced and rezoned land to
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  the organization valued at an estimated $277
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  ,500 by using money the Township received through
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  the Housing Accelerator Fund. Staff looked to
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  propose mixed uses on the Church Street property,
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  including affordable rental units owned and operated
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  by Lennox and Addington County. The donated land
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  is expected to be enough to accommodate one block
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  of four town homes, which could be built before
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  the Housing Accelerator Fund's deadline in December
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  of 2027, with another block of four town homes
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  to be built by 2030. Based on Habitat for Humanity's
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  presentation at Council's November 25th meeting,
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  staff's report noted the proposed development
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  can be compatible and complementary to the other
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  potential uses. Staff will also be issuing a
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  preliminary expression of interest in January
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  2026 to gauge interest from other developers
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  for portions of the land to be sold on the open
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  market. According to staff's report, the potential
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  housing projects proposed by both the county
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  and Habitat for Humanity are in alignment with
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  the Township's Strategic Plan Balanced Growth
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  Objective to support more affordable housing.
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  affordable and attainable local housing. These
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  land donations towards the development of affordable
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  housing would also advance two of the Township's
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  Housing Accelerator Fund initiatives included
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  within their approved action plan. Councillor
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  Paul Proderick showed his support for the project.
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  I would just say that this is a small piece of
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  our strategic plan and it's good to see the Habitat
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  for Humanity project and that hopefully students
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  from our Local high school will be involved in
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  the building. We need not only homes, we need
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  builders too. For Amherst Island Radio and the
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  Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This
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  is North Shore News. A seasonal overnight parking
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  reminder for Loyalist's Township. From December
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  1st until March 31st, 2026, parking is prohibited
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  on any road or street in Loyalist Township between
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  1 a .m. and 7 a .m. This restriction is in effect
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  regardless of weather conditions. Vehicles in
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  violation of this bylaw will be ticketed. For
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  more information, visit Loyalist .ca. For Amherst
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  Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative,
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  I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore News. This
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  has been North Shore News and Interviews. If
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  you have an idea for a story, or want to create
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  stories for this show, consider joining our 100
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