Latest / North Shore News / May 26th, 2026

Transcript

May 26th, 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. Loyalist Township welcomes visitors
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  to Doors Open Ontario on June 20th. Residents
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  and visitors are invited to explore the stories,
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  places and people that helped shape the community.
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  Doors Open Ontario takes place Saturday, June
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  20th from 10 a .m. to 4 p .m. As part of the
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  province -wide celebration, this free community
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  event offers a unique opportunity to discover
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  historic landmarks, cultural spaces, museums,
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  churches, farms, galleries, and community hubs
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  throughout Loyalist Township. This year's event
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  features 20 participating sites across Bath,
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  Odessa, Wilton, Amherstview, and Amherst Island,
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  each offering visitors a chance to connect with
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  the township's heritage through guided tours,
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  exhibits, demonstrations, family -friendly activities,
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  and behind -the -scenes experiences. Visitors
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  can experience everything from heritage architecture
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  and local history to art studios, agricultural
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  traditions, dry stone walls, and live demonstrations.
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  Featured activities include meeting rescue animals
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  at Second Chance Ranch, exploring hiking trails
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  from farm experiences at Topsy Farms, learning
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  about basket making at Babcock Mill, and tasting
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  locally made cheese at the Wilton Cheese Factory.
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  Admission is free at all participating sites.
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  This year there is also a chance to win one of
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  two $100 prizes for anyone who visits five or
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  more sites. For event details, maps, and participating
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  locations, visit loyalist .ca slash doors open.
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  For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism
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  Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore
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  News. The County of Lenox and Addington has started
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  a Schedule C municipal class environmental assessment
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  to review and improve key intersections along
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  County Road 2. The study will look at options
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  to enhance safety traffic flow, and long -term
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  design at the intersections of County Road 1
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  and County Road 2, as well as County Road 5 and
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  County Road 2. Public information centers where
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  residents can learn more and share feedback are
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  planned for June and another in late fall. Dates
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  and venues will be provided as part of a formal
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  notice from the county. Attendees will be invited
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  to review the information presented and provide
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  feedback, questions, and comments that will be
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  considered as the study progresses. Once the
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  study is complete, an environmental study report
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  will be prepared and made available for comment.
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  For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism
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  Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore
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  News. Community members in Loyalist Township
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  have come forward with a petition for council
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  to reconsider the closing of the Leisure and
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  Activity Center in Amersfield. In April, staff
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  met with a working committee made up of residents
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  who were looking to preserve services at the
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  center. During this meeting, staff received the
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  petition consisting of over 1 ,500 signatures.
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  After receiving the petition, staff received
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  a request from a member of council to add the
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  petition to their latest agenda. Council originally
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  approved a staff recommendation to formally close
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  the center as a direct programming space on August
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  1, 2026. This came after a close three to two
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  vote. Residents who use the space regularly have
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  brought concerns to council including the size
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  of the new space, privacy and the costs associated.
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  The matter will come before council again at
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  their June 9th meeting. Loyalist Township resident
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  Lorna Thorne explained the petition and noted
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  the response from the community. We have collected
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  over 1 ,500 signatures for residents in Amherstview,
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  Odessa and Bath and the rural areas. Our petition
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  states that we would like Council to take the
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  necessary steps to make a reversal of the 3 -2
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  vote taken on March 10th regarding the decision
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  to close the lack and move existing programs
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  to the Henderson Community Centre. Going door
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  -to -door was a new experience and daunting for
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  many of us. We were overwhelmed with the positive
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  response we received from the constituents of
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  Loyalist Township. Resident of Loyalist Township
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  and former Recreation Director Cindy Lawson speaks
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  about the need for the Centre. Following my retirement
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  in 2013, the space was renovated and since then
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  people of all ages have been enjoying a great
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  variety of programs. Disappointment is an understatement.
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  When I learned on March 10th, a staff report
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  recommended the closure of the Leisure and Activity
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  Centre and Council approved it. I cannot understand
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  how a facility that took over 25 years to acquire
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  is no longer needed. This community is growing.
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  We currently have a space that serves us well.
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  Now is not the time to give it up, as we all
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  know to replace it is not in the foreseeable
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  future. Loyalist Township resident Barbara Usman
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  Goldhar notes the importance of spaces like the
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  Leisure and Activity Center within a community.
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  As a widow recovering from illness, I looked
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  to find a center where I could begin my healing
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  process. Being a retired physiotherapist with
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  35 years experience in rehabilitation, I knew
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  the benefits of exercise. I looked for an exercise
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  center and found the lack just five minutes from
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  my home. I realized quickly that this was the
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  place that I needed. As I joined the exercise
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  classes, I found an energetic group of like -minded
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  people who were exercising to keep fit. For example,
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  to maintain diabetic control, blood pressure,
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  and weight gain, prevent aging complications
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  such as osteoporosis and dementia, and recover
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  from serious health issues. Morning classes with
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  instructors who educate and model are particularly
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  helpful as they establish routines, prevent stiffness,
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  and improve energy and mental clarity. The LAC
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  offers a cohesive center where participants get
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  to know each other, find support, and have fun.
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  Large, safe, and well -designed exercise centers
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  like the LAAC are essential to accommodate group
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  classes effectively. It is vital to create a
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  community where people can live healthier, longer,
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  and more connected lives. Another resident, Carla
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  Rogers, explains the concerns residents have
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  brought to Council. We have provided Council
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  and staff with the petition, several documents,
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  foot and photos explaining the opposition to
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  the concept of moving the fitness programs to
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  a room that is half the size with low ceilings,
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  epoxy flooring, and as well as the downfalls
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  of reducing class sizes and spreading them throughout
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  the day. We have explained the shortcomings of
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  the proposed room for the purpose of the children's
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  programs due to the lack of cooking facilities
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  and the reduced space. Community recreation facilities
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  are not just line items. They are infrastructure
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  that support health, connection, and equality
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  of life in our township. Councillor Jake Ennis
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  spoke about the potential reconsideration at
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  their June 9th meeting. I think residents have
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  been very clear about their concerns. I think
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  they've been very clear that they don't want
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  to see a reduction in service. I'm sympathetic
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  to those concerns. I think it's a... positive
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  step that staff are looking at alternatives and
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  I think it's important for us to consider those
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  alternatives and for the public to consider those
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  alternatives in addition to a potential reconsideration
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  in June. Councillor Carol Park spoke about the
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  original decision and coming back to council
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  in June. I believe that council made the wrong
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  decision. That's my personal opinion and as a
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  swing vote that was part of that meeting, I do
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  take responsibility for that. So I do support
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  this motion and I look forward to this coming
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  back before council in June so that we can revisit
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  this. Deputy Mayor Nathan Townhoun spoke about
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  council's role in decision making and the importance
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  of municipal politics. We're elected to be decision
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  makers that make decisions based on... all of
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  the available information and have that be transparent
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  to the public. And so, you know, from that point
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  of principle, we're principally hamstrung until
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  June 9th. And maybe Council's decision will be
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  to reconsider and to maintain status quo. I won't
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  comment on what that will be. That could be.
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  But the point is Council needs all the information
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  available and the public needs that information.
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  Municipal politics is incredibly important. It's
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  the level of government closest to the public
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  and that's never more evident than a chambers
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  full of people concerned about what's happening
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  in their community and regardless of where anybody
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  stands on an individual issue, that's incredibly
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  important. For Amherst Island Radio and the Local
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  Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is
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  North Shore News. Construction of the new pump
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  track at Loyalist Park in Amherstview has begun.
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  The expected completion date is July 30th. Thanks
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  to a confidential donation of $500 ,000, the
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  construction of the pump track will not impact
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  the Township's budget. It will be developed at
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  no cost to Loyalist Township other than staff
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  time to oversee it. The entire project, including
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  the skate park, is estimated to cost approximately
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  $1 million and is being completed in two phases.
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  Phase 1 is the construction of the pump track,
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  including a skate bowl, while Phase 2 will include
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  the completion of the remaining skate park features,
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  subject to securing additional funding. Council
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  heard a presentation in June of 2025 from New
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  Line Skateparks, an engineering firm with expertise
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  in skate park construction. Now with approval,
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  the company is beginning construction. A public
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  consultation process is currently taking place
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  on the Township's website. Vice President and
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  Director of Business Development with New Line
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  Skateparks, Trevor Morgan, spoke about the benefits
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  of the skateparks and pump tracks they build
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  and the one they're looking to build in Loyalist
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  Township. Very integrated green space, connections
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  to pathways, colour, texture, art installations
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  that can be very exciting to... Put a signature,
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  I guess, of the community within the architecture
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  of the park, even through different lighting
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  schemes, if that's something that's desired,
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  and then accessibility. You're likely to have
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  folks from the adaptive community who would like
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  to ride this park. So yeah, every park has its
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  story and we hope there's a story to be told
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  here for the Township. Morgan noted the potential
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  boost in tourism the facility could bring. A
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  network of these parks are being created in communities
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  across Canada and across Ontario and there's
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  a large population that will want to experience
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  each different unique park and communities and
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  they'll... purposely travel around, stop in these
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  communities, visit, spend money at local businesses,
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  maybe even spend a night. I know when I was 12
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  years old on the family trip and I was avid skateboarder,
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  I could be very influential to spend an extra
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  night in the community if they had that one skate
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  park. Morgan spoke about the potential of events
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  at the facility as well. You're likely to have
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  user groups and community groups that will say,
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  hey, we would love to have some level of organized
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  events there that could be lessons nights, some
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  community -based contests and so forth and so
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  we really try to design a modern park with that
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  in mind. Councillor Paul Prodrick spoke about
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  neighbouring communities and their skate parks
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  as well as what a new one in Amherstview could
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  do for the community. I think the closest one
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  to us is Napanee and then you go to Picton's
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  got a great site but again it's probably 20 years
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  old now. I think it becomes a hub. for gathering
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  and it fits into the master recreation plan also
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  an opportunity to add something to the community
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  and I think we haven't had a recreational facility
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  addition in well over I'm going to say 40 years
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  and again it's just through the the leadership
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  of a community member who wishes to help out
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  in times where we don't have a lot of money to
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  do a lot of things that we'd like to do. Councillor
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  Jake Ennis spoke about the donation and choice
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  of the donor. It's a very generous donation.
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  They're very appreciative for the donation and
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  I think the donor is chosen well. It's an amenity
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  that focuses on youth and one that I think will
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  be very well used. Deputy Mayor Nathan Townand
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  showed his appreciation towards the donor as
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  well as what the project will do for youth in
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  the area. It's incredibly generous and provides
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  an amazing opportunity for us and to appreciate
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  the particular kinds of youth that something
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  like this can engage based on the whole lifestyle
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  and culture that goes with it. Not one I claim
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  to understand. I think it's not just youth engagement
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  writ large in some sort of big, broad context.
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  This is something quite specific that I think
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  will cater to members in our community that otherwise
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  don't have a facility like this. I do go by the
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  one in Napanee quite regularly and it is a gathering
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  place. You see all sorts of demographics and
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  ages and different usage of it so I fully support
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  this. Mayor Jim Hagedorn spoke about the progress
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  in access to skateboarding facilities and shared
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  a story from his youth. I was in my teens on
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  probably a $10 skateboard trying to go down the
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  largest hill where I lived at the time called
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  Big Hill and with blind corners. It's come a
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  long way. from when I was young. I've actually
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  seen some of the like may dock they have a nice
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  one there. I remember when they were building
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  the first phase. And I was kind of like what
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  is going on in there. And now to see it now.
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  It's been developed into the whole park is basically
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  devoted to this now. And it's packed all the
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  time. It is something that is what I believe
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  will be well used. And this is a Great opportunity,
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  I think, for Lilas Township to be able to provide
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  another amenity new to the community that will
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  be used, very well used, I believe, for an extended
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  period of time. 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. Loyalist Township Council
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  pre -approved $900 ,000 in the 2027 capital budget
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  for the purchase of a new tanker for the Amherstview
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  Fire Station. They will also use nearly $85 ,000
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  from the 2026 capital budget for the down payment.
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  Council had already approved the purchase of
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  a new tanker for the Amherst Island Fire Station
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  in the 2026 capital budget and were informed
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  the tanker in Amherstview has reached the end
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  of its useful life. With fire apparatus costs
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  continuing to rise each year, staff noted that
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  delaying the purchase would see an of at least
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  $125 ,000 for Chief Kent Reedman spoke of getting
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  pre approval. incurred this year. No ad this
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  year by the townsh $125 ,000 plus in next year's
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  budget if we can do it this spring, as opposed
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  to waiting eight months. There's some significant
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  price increases coming down the pipe here, and
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  we're just trying to get ahead of it. Councillor
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  Mike Bodereck noted the importance of trying
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  to save money. I just appreciate that the chief's
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  trying to get ahead of this and save us a little
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  money, so it's always appreciated with how tight
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  times are these days. Councilor Paul Proderick
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  showed his support for the pre -approval. A hundred
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  thousand is a good savings and given the experiences
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  of the last few months. The value of our emergency
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  services cannot be measured in dollars and move
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  ahead with this as soon as possible. The emergency
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  services department looks to order the same tanker
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  that was ordered for Amherst Island and remain
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  consistent with their fleet for the next 20 to
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  25 years. The two old tankers will be sold and
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  are expected to generate nearly $75 ,000. This
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  will be applied to the fleet reserve for future
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  apparatus purchases. 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 one remaining community town hall meeting
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  for the spring season. On Wednesday, May 27th
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  at 6 .30 p .m., a meeting will take place on
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  Amherst Island at the Amherst Island Fire Hall
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  at 955 Stella 40 -foot Road. The meetings will
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  provide updates on municipal programs and projects.
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  There will be opportunities to share ideas, ask
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  questions, and engage on projects that are currently
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  open for community consultation. For more information,
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  visit Loyalist .ca. For Amherst Island Radio
• 17:08
  and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted
• 17:11
  Evans. This is North Shore News. The Bath Museum
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  and Visitor Center are welcoming the community
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  back this spring for another season of Culture
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  Talks, a speaker series celebrating history,
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  heritage and storytelling hosted at the museum.
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  The series brings together local historians,
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  musicians and researchers who share unique perspectives
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  on the region's history. Held on the third Monday
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  of the month from 6 to 7 p .m., culture talks
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  offer an opportunity to explore fascinating cultural
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  topics in an intimate setting. Tickets are $5
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  per person and seating is limited. June 22nd,
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  local historian Lloyd Tarian will deliver an
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  illustrated talk examining the opening years
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  of the War of 1812. Tarian explores the Alliance's
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  personalities and decisions that shaped the conflict's
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  early course. His presentation provides insight
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  into how British, Canadian militia and First
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  Nations forces defended Upper Canada during a
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  pivotal period. Culture Talks take place at the
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  Bath Museum located at 434 Main Street in Bath.
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  Tickets for each talk can be purchased online.
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  For more information about Culture Talks and
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  other upcoming programs, visit Loyalist .ca slash
• 18:20
  events. For Amherst Island Radio and the Local
• 18:23
  Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is
• 18:26
  North Shore News. This has been North Shore News
• 18:31
  and Interviews. If you have an idea for a story
• 18:34
  or want to create stories for the show, consider
• 18:38
  joining our volunteer team. Contact Amherst Island
• 18:42
  Radio for more details.