Tag: County

Transition House – an Update

John Draper

After a few turbulent years (see links below), Transition House now has a new Executive director, Anne Newman – Anne started work just before the Covid-19 crisis started.  With social distancing required, and schools closed, residents were moved to a dormitory style arrangement at CCI. Since then, Transition House has been fully operational there and their 10 Chapel Street location has been closed.  On Thursday, June 25, Transition House held their Annual General Meeting and together with additional input from Anne, I can now provide an update. But first, let’s spell out what Transition House does.  First and foremost they provide short term emergency housing for adults.  Then they help clients move into affordable housing.  They are primarily funded by… Read complete articleTransition House – an Update

Recycling to transfer from County to Producers

John Draper

Last August, the Province announced a new recycling program that will improve its effectiveness and will transfer responsibility from municipalities to the “Producers”, that is to the companies that design, create and market packaging, paper and paper products.  The program should reduce the amount of plastic finding its way into waterways and oceans and will be phased in between Jan 2023 and December 2025.  When operational, the cost of all recycling will transfer away from the County and save almost $3M per year.  At their next Council meeting on 17 June, County Council will be asked to approve a staff recommendation to begin the transition on 1 January 2023 and to adopt Option 2 of three alternative scenarios.  More detail… Read complete articleRecycling to transfer from County to Producers

Update on Golden Plough Lodge

John Draper

The biggest current County project is the rebuild of the Golden Plough Long Term Care Home with a budget of $80 million.  Approval was initiated in 2016 with design starting in 2018.  Completion is expected in the summer of 2022 with demolition of the old building to happen in 2023.  Construction should start this summer.  At 200,000 sq. ft., the new building will be double the size of the current lodge and will include 6000 sq. ft. devoted to an archive/museum facility which will relocate from their current space at the Library.  As well as all this, there will be changes to Courthouse road – ownership of the road will transfer from the Town to the County and this will… Read complete articleUpdate on Golden Plough Lodge

Now we have a Dumping Problem

John Draper

The County’s Dumps (now called Community Recycling Centres or CRC’s) have been closed for a while and selfish residents have taken to dumping their garbage in Parks, streets and alleys. The good news is that effective next week, the CRCs will reopen although they will have restrictions.  The Town of Cobourg issued a notice yesterday reminding residents that “Northumberland County and Town of Cobourg Bylaw Enforcement Officers and the Cobourg Police Service will be fining anyone caught illegally dumping. Common areas for dumping will be monitored on a regular basis. Illegal dumpers can face a minimum fine of $105 or a maximum fine of $5,000.”  Downtown store owners complained during their recent meeting that there was a lot of illegal… Read complete articleNow we have a Dumping Problem

Hefty fines possible for failing to self-isolate

John Draper

Most of us will have ventured out into the new world of social distancing and staying home but most of us are not infected nor mandated to self-isolate.  But Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, Medical Officer of Health for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit says they have “heard from many people that there are others who have returned from travel or been confirmed to have COVID-19 and are seen outside of their home, shopping or visiting friends”.  Since this is a serious risk to the community, the HKPR District Health Unit today (April 14) issued a Class Section 22 Order with a penalty of up to $5,000 a day.  The order requires that anyone who has been diagnosed with… Read complete articleHefty fines possible for failing to self-isolate

Cobourg in Partial Lockdown

John Draper

With most stores closed, all entertainment closed, most restaurants doing takeout only, many businesses sending their workers to work from home and others encouraged to stay at home, Cobourg is in virtual lockdown.  I ventured out today (it was a glorious day!) and looked at what’s happening Downtown, at the Mall and at No-Frills.  The first thing you notice is that there’s no problem getting parking anywhere – although it’s free on municipal meters and parking lots.  The next thing is that since stores and banks are limiting the number who can be inside at one time, there are orderly queues outside. One example was a bit strange: Staples looked closed but on closer inspection they had a sign that… Read complete articleCobourg in Partial Lockdown

First Confirmed Case of Covid-19 at NHH

John Draper

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit today confirmed the first positive case of COVID-19 in the region. The affected individual is a woman in her 60s who is a resident of Northumberland County. The individual was seen at the Northumberland Hills Hospital on Wednesday, March 11 after presenting with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection and travel to Spain and Portugal. The woman had travelled on Air Transat flight 337 from Lisbon, Portugal to Toronto on March 6, 2020. The patient was discharged home and remains in self-isolation with follow up from the HKPR District Health Unit. Health Unit nurses have been in contact with the woman and are working with her to identify anyone she may have… Read complete articleFirst Confirmed Case of Covid-19 at NHH

Review of Fire Department Efficiencies

John Draper

In 2015, all seven municipalities in Northumberland consolidated their dispatching and contracted with Peterborough Fire Services to provide dispatching of all calls for Fire Department services.  This raised the subject of whether there are other efficiencies to be found although the obvious idea of a single department is unlikely since several Towns are primarily Volunteer operated.  But the Province has now provided $95K in funding to look into “service delivery efficiencies” and the County and Municipalities will now be doing this review.  A steering committee led by Hamilton Township has issued an RFP for a consultant to see what can be done.  All municipalities are represented, including Mike Vilneff, Cobourg’s Fire Chief.  The intent is to create efficiencies and reduce… Read complete articleReview of Fire Department Efficiencies