Consider This Northumberland

Immigration is a hot topic these days. Changes to the system were announced in the recent federal budget. The post Changes in immigration policy affect country and Northumberland County, says expert appeared first on Consider This . Related posts: Tories continue assault against new Canadians Help Centre prepares for possible repercussions of tariffs on Northumberland residents County CAO explains...

Earlier this week, the Alderville Band Council made a landmark decision. It may be one of the most The post Alderville band council takes historic step towards personhood for Rice Lake, says chief appeared first on Consider This . Related posts: Historic decision by Alderville band council major step in quest for Rice Lake personhood Alderville chief takes Rice Lake personhood efforts to United Na...

Nothing helps someone sick in the hospital more than having loved ones or friends giving the support they The post Northumberland Hills Hospital launches pilot program to include patient caregivers to support treatment appeared first on Consider This . Related posts: New pilot program at Campbellford hospital bridges patient care at home while waiting to meet ongoing needs In Their Words: Hamilton...

There are those in Cobourg who will tell you it is the epicentre for those living rough. Then, some people argue the other municipalities in Northumberland County are not stepping up to do their fair share. That may no longer be true. Brighton Council has a Homelessness Task Force, and on today’s show, you will hear about its efforts to help people living on the streets. The chair of the task forc...

Nationally, the picture is grim, and the numbers are crushing. More than two million Canadians used food banks in March this year alone. The final figures for 2025 are not in yet. Locally, the situation is mirrored. In this interview, with Meghan Flindall, Executive Director of the Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank, she will outline the increasing number of people using its services in Port Hope...

Cobourg Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf delivered his 2026 budget, which includes a whopping 20.5 percent increase. It is the largest police budget increase in living memory. The police services board approved it unanimously, although board member Sean Graham was absent. It was sent to the town for approval. This increase is five times the target set by Cobourg’s mayor, utilizing his strong mayor pow...

The Northumberland County ambulance service celebrated its 10th Survivor’s Night recently. It is a chance for patients to connect with paramedics who saved their lives. Yet, at a recent Northumberland County council meeting, questions were raised about ambulance response times. One key area slowing down paramedics is the time it takes to drop off patients at local hospitals. This is called off-loa...

Users of the municipal water system in Grafton could be on the hook for a $17.5 million upgrade, according to a study presented to Alnwick Haldimand Township council recently. About 30 years ago, the township created a water system for the village. In this interview, Mayor John Logel says the aging system and future development in and around the village are putting pressure on the council to take...

In the face of an ongoing debate over the fate of people living on the margins in Cobourg, a former activist and artist has created an interactive installation on display in the downtown in hopes of increasing awareness and humanizing some of these individuals. Former Greenwood Coalition Executive Director David Sheffield recently launched the I Belong Here project. It combines oral history, art,...

Rural taxpayers in Northumberland County could be facing an 11 percent increase in policing costs next year. When it comes to oversight, the Cobourg and Port Hope police services garner a lot of attention, but the Northumberland OPP receives much less. In this interview, John Davison, the chair of the Northumberland OPP Detachment Board, will defend this increase. As a councillor for Hamilton Town...

Hamilton Township residents using the municipal water system will see a possible 60 per cent increase in rates by 2035. That means the base rate will rise to more than $100 a month for the average user. About 600 people on the system will get hit. This does not cover the more than $11 million needed to pay for new equipment and systems over the same period. In this interview, Hamilton Township CAO...

Northumberland County Warden Brian Ostrander says there is a 50/50 chance no warming room will be offered by the county this winter. In this interview, Ostrander says this is an option on the table. It will be debated at an emergency meeting to be held just under a month from now, on November 10. County politicians ran out of time to have a debate over a possible location for a warming room. Howev...

The Port Hope Police Services Board and the Chief were asked to sharpen their pencils after the $8.4 million draft police budget was presented to council recently. In this interview, Port Hope Police Chief Tim Farquharson digs into the details of the budget. He explains why 80 percent of the budget is allocated to salaries and benefits, with another major chunk set aside for mandated provincial re...

Recently, temperatures in Northumberland County dropped into the single digits at night. A frost warning was issued earlier this week. For those living rough, it makes survival even tougher. Since August, the hub at 310 Division Street has been closed. It was one place where those living on the streets could find respite from the heat and cold. Since then, there is nowhere for them to go. Northumb...

The Rural Outreach Clinic in Colborne is open. That is a message the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland wants residents to understand clearly. It is booking appointments. But the hours are reduced as the health team settles some staffing issues. However, the future is less certain. Taryn Rennicks is executive director of Community Health Centres of Northumberland and co-chair of Ontario Health...

With everything going on in the world today, democracy can feel fragile. So, when Cramahe council recently discussed the voting process for the 2026 municipal election next fall, some residents became concerned. While the public is calling for in-person voting at polling stations on election day, the township will be using Internet and telephone voting. This is similar to the method used in the la...

Early in September, Ontario Liberal Party Leader Bonnie Crombie lost a critical leadership review with 57 percent support. She resigned and launched a leadership review. It is the third Liberal leadership race since 2020. Dorothy Noronha, the former Liberal candidate for Northumberland Peterborough South, was there. She ran for the party in the last election. In this interview, she will share her...

Since the amalgamation of the town of Port Hope and the former Hope Township in 2001, it has been a strained marriage. Taxes, services, and the urban versus rural tensions have fueled heated debates over the years. The ongoing battle over the handling of a low-level radioactive waste reserve fund used to compensate rural residents went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, only to be dismiss...

Labour Day has a long history in Canada. It was first declared in 1894 as a federal statutory holiday. But its roots can be traced back to multiple local demonstrations and celebrations decades earlier. Just under one-third of Canadian workers, or 5.3 million people, are represented by a union. Yet, this past Labour Day, the commemoration was concentrated in only a few cities like Toronto, Ottawa,...

Municipalities across Northumberland are already working hard to set budgets for 2026. For all the staff, it is a busy time. For residents, it is a time to keep an eye on what it all means for property taxes. With all the rising costs of groceries, gas, and other essentials, the pressure is on to keep any increases reasonable. Often, when cuts come, a favourite target are soft services like arts,...

Recently, the Ontario Bird Atlas completed a multi-year project counting all the various bird species that live and migrate through Northumberland County. The project is done by many volunteers who go to multiple pre-designated spots. Sometimes it is at the crack of dawn, and other times when birds are at their peak. The results are entered into a massive database, which is then compiled into a bo...

Every August, local politicians truck off to the annual conference for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario or AMO. It is a chance to learn and network. But most importantly, it is a chance to lobby. All the provincial cabinet ministers, associate ministers, and the like attend. It is a rare opportunity to speak directly to those in power to express concerns or make a case for funding. On...

Grab the kids, get out your bike, and don’t forget the leash for the dog. The annual Hike, Bike, and Bark for Hospice is taking place in Victoria Park on September 28. So, why talk to them now? Well, it is early bird registration, and there are prizes for those who enter early. This is a major fundraiser for Ed’s House. It is the hospice care centre providing compassionate end-of-life and palliati...

Two areas in Cobourg started a Neighbourhood Watch pilot program recently to boost safety. One is in the east end and the other is in the west end. It is the culmination of several months of work by residents in collaboration with the Cobourg Police. Neighbourhood Watch is a program in Canada dating back to the 1970s. Originally, it was a grassroots effort to reduce burglaries in residential homes...

When does a community grant to a local charitable organization become a strategic investment? Port Hope council is looking to overhaul its community grants. At a recent meeting, politicians sent a request to staff to revamp the funding to streamline its approach to allocating around $200,000 to various groups. The new system is called the Community Strategic Initiatives Funding program. It was int...