Author: John Draper

Sidbrook, Brookside and 93 Albert

John Draper

There are now at least three Heritage buildings in Cobourg which their owners may be trying to demolish by neglect although hopefully the owners of Brookside (the Province) will move quickly to dispel this possibility.  In a letter to Council, Keith Oliver raises the issue – details below.  Separately, at Monday’s Council meeting, Councillor Adam Bureau gives notice of a motion to ask the Province to use Brookside as a winter homeless shelter.  If that happened, then at least minimum maintenance would be done on Brookside.  If the Province is slow to act and heat is not provided, then it could quickly get to a similar state as Sidbrook – see video below. But it seems to me that the… Read complete articleSidbrook, Brookside and 93 Albert

What’s Happening Downtown Cobourg – Jan 2022

John Draper

Not all properties for sale or rent in Cobourg’s Downtown are listed on MLS but after searching the Internet and looking at information on the Town’s Economic Development page, I have a list.  Listings on the Internet may be misleading since some properties are now off the market (sold or withdrawn) and if a building is for sale, it does not mean the tenant is moving or changing.  However from the available information we can get an indication of what’s happening Downtown.  Real Estate is sold through Real Estate Agents but Cobourg’s Economic Development Department actively helps – the list below indicates which ones they help with.  Also shown is which Agent should be contacted.  Where available, I’ve also provided… Read complete articleWhat’s Happening Downtown Cobourg – Jan 2022

Council Divided on Demolition of 93 Albert

John Draper

At the Committee of the Whole (CoW) Council meeting on December 6, Council were asked to support a Cobourg Heritage Advisory Committee (CHAC) recommendation to deny permission to approve demolition of the building at 93 Albert Street (see report in Links below).  But before a vote was taken, Councillor Darling moved to refer the decision to the CoW meeting on January 3 so that there would be more time to study the issue.  At that meeting (Monday night), the Chair of the CHAC (Graham Andrews) and Vice Chair (Ken Bagshaw) spoke out strongly as to why they wanted to deny permission contrary to a Staff recommendation and then Council debated if they should accept the recommendation of Heritage /Planning Staff… Read complete articleCouncil Divided on Demolition of 93 Albert

Major Council Plans for 2022

John Draper

It used to be that at the New Year’s Levee on January first each year, the Mayor would review not only achievements by Council in the year past but also talk about what was expected in the coming year. The current Mayor, John Henderson, stopped that tradition and never talked about what’s coming – but we’ll never know what John would have said at this year’s Levee since it was cancelled and no virtual version was offered. To fill that gap, I will list what the Town is planning for 2022 based on what’s already been said and committed to. The Capital Budget has been approved, tenders have been issued, a new organization is coming and the hiring process has… Read complete articleMajor Council Plans for 2022

Predictions for 2022 – opinion

John Draper

Last year at around this time, I gave my opinion on what might happen in 2021 – I got more than half right – see report in Resources below.  With both a Provincial and Council election scheduled, one major issue for 2022 will be politics.  The other big issue will be the economy: with inflation getting significant, interest rates will go up and therefore the housing market will cool or possibly tank.  Covid-19 will not go away but will become just one of the things we cope with – it’s unlikely that there will be any lockdown or major restrictions although people will remain cautious.  All this means that local issues will get most of our attention.  Here are my… Read complete articlePredictions for 2022 – opinion

What was Most Popular Topic in 2021

John Draper

A lot of what’s happening in the world now happens on-line – not just buying stuff (e-commerce) but also news and community interaction.  Most of us have got used to the idea that we can find out facts with an Internet search but the water gets muddied when we search for political or health “facts”.  A lot of this is opinion but it’s often hard to separate opinions from facts. News sites like Cobourg News Blog try to present facts but comments (opinions) are also allowed.  Although I don’t collect personal information like Google does, I can rank which articles got the most attention (hits) and which generated the most comments.  Like all polls/surveys, some interpretation may be required. For example,… Read complete articleWhat was Most Popular Topic in 2021

Merry Christmas from Cobourg News Blog

John Draper

Well it’s been a tumultuous year with many peaks and valleys but here we are again at another “Holiday” season. Note that I prefer “Christmas” to “Holiday” since that’s what started the celebrating although I don’t follow any religion.  But it’s a time when we put any animosities behind us, any differences are not important – what’s important is that we are all special and deserve happiness despite any problems we might have.   Everyone is unique yet everyone, underneath, is the same – we are all deserving of tolerance and understanding and it’s good that there is at least one time of the year when most of us feel goodwill to everyone else.  As you can see, Christmas time is… Read complete articleMerry Christmas from Cobourg News Blog

Liquor and Cannabis in Cobourg

John Draper

It seems that many people do not understand the rules about alcoholic beverages and Cannabis and how they affect Cobourg.  The two are grouped because the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario manages both (as well as gambling).  Their web site has a lot of information but it requires work to sort it all out so in this festive season, let me summarize what people might like to know.  If you are a vendor, or want a special occasion permit, then you should visit the site.  I’ll cover bringing your own wine, buying wine at a Grocery store, what Cannabis stores are allowed to open or planned, the rules for commenting, where you can make your own wine and more…. Read complete articleLiquor and Cannabis in Cobourg