This week, Canada Post is delivering a brochure from the Town to all 8664 households in Cobourg.  The idea is to educate the public on the merits of the recent waterfront study and of the financial viability of the harbour and marina.  This could be called a new level of transparency but it’s also selling the results of the study.  Some of the issues described are not particularly contentious (e.g. about the East Pier) while others are likely to be election issues (e.g. harbour expansion).  There are in fact two “Guides” available – the four page version that was mailed and the 16 page version available on line.  Both have much the same information but the larger one has more… Read complete articleWaterfront “Guide” Mailed to all Cobourg Households

The vote was delayed a month to give time for further public input and as a result, there were four delegations on the subject at Tuesday’s Council Meeting.  Each project would have to come to Council for approval at the time it was intended to go ahead so most councillors felt that approving the plan did not mean they were approving each project.  But the wording was contentious; Suzanne Séguin wanted to include words that specifically barred expanding the West Harbour even though such wording could later be over-ruled.  Both public presenters and Councillors felt that the study was generally deemed to make good recommendations with the exception of expansion of boat slips into the West Harbour and buying a… Read complete articleWaterfront Study Finally Accepted by Council

In May 2017, the Blue Dot Northumberland Organization lobbied Cobourg Council to pass a “declaration” that we all have a right to “breathe fresh air, drink clean water and eat healthy food”.  The Council did eventually pass that motion and subsequently, Port Hope, Trent Hills and Alderville First Nation passed similar motions.  Blue Dot is a national organization and so far 168 municipalities across Canada have made the declaration.  But on Thursday , they were taking photos in response to a contest sponsored by Ontario Nature to bring awareness to natural places that need protection.  And given the recent publicity, the obvious location was the West Harbour.  Supporting their effort were “Sustainable Cobourg”, “Preserve our Heritage Harbour” and several individuals… Read complete articleBlue Dot Supporting Preservation of West Harbour

In February, the Town closed the East Pier to vehicles because of “the appearance of voids in the asphalt surface. These voids are indicative of water infiltrating the underside of the pier and removing the supporting fill material. Without conducting an engineering inspection we cannot confirm that the pier is capable of supporting vehicles and our first priority is safety.”  Three Engineering consultants were asked to provide quotes to assess the condition but staff said that “it was not possible to compare the prices as each company was proposing a different approach.”  They were then asked to respond to a clarified scope of work but only Shoreplan responded.  Their quote was $48,793 and Council will be asked on Monday to approve awarding them the… Read complete articleEast Pier Engineering Assessment

It was intended  to happen last year but with the high water it was postponed.  But now, the fifteen year old icons of the Cobourg Beach will be replaced with new units with improved portability, ergonomics and safety. They will also include storage for items like paddle boards and volleyball nets. Sa.wat.ski Concept Reality (SCR) was contracted to design the stations for $3,200 and at their meeting on Monday, Council was informed that two units would be built by SCR at a cost of $24,200 plus HST. The other two will hopefully be replaced in 2019.  As part of the design process, YMCA (they provide the lifeguards), the Chief Building Official and the Cobourg Heritage Committee reviewed the design.  The… Read complete articleLifeguard Stations to be Upgraded