Consider This Northumberland

Tensions over the accountability, transparency, and responsiveness of the Cramahe Township council and staff were hotly debated once again at a meeting on Dec. 3. The procedural bylaw was discussed, which sets the rules and regulations regarding a wide range of council activities and their interactions with the public. Councillor Joel Schriver started by suggesting how to handle public questions,...

Currently, we are in the midst of 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. It started on November 25, the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women. It will end next Tuesday, December 10. On Dec. 6, Canada marked the 35th anniversary of the commemoration of the death of 14 women at École Polytechnique. It was National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Wom...

It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. In this case, the cliché rings true. The Northumberland Chapter of Amnesty International is holding a special event this coming Sunday, December 8, at the Ganaraska Hotel in Port Hope. The event's purpose is to raise money and draw attention to the suppression of activists around the world. It is all part of the Write for Rights campaign. Togethe...

The warming room at 310 Division Street opened on Nov. 13. After a lengthy battle, Northumberland County and the town of Cobourg reached an agreement. So, what does this mean for Transition House? More importantly, what does it mean for unsheltered people and the community? On today’s show, I am talking to Ike Newbe, the executive director of Transition House. He will walk us through the early day...

Port Hope council passed its $29.5 million budget earlier this week. For the average taxpayer, it will mean an extra $178 per year, according to a presentation made to council. There was lots of debate. Besides politicians, nearly 1,450 people filled out a survey to give input. In this interview, Councillor Les Andrews gives insight into some of the factors he and the council were considering as t...

About 140 people gathered at the Lion’s Centre on Nov. 7 for a town hall organized by the Cobourg Police. For nearly two hours, residents listened and fired questions to Chief Paul VandeGraaf. The concern in people’s voices was evident as the exchanges took place. On today’s show, the chief will face another volley of questions following up on the themes raised at the public meeting. The encampmen...

Murray Sinclair was a well-known lawyer, judge, member of the Senate, and dedicated advocate for Indigenous people and Canadians. He is best recognized as the chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was dedicated to the legacy of residential schools. The 94 calls to action continue to be a centrepiece in healing the divide between Indigenous people and the rest of Canadians. This i...

Alnwick-Haldimand Township council took another step in its journey to keep an aging arena open for residents at a special council meeting on Nov. 15. The Ontario government requested updated information regarding an old grant application the township staff made two years ago for upgrades and repairs to the current facility. It wanted to know if the council still wanted to keep the application ali...

The Canadian Severity Crime Index measures changes in the level of crime within communities across Canada. All crimes are assigned a weight based on their seriousness. Statistics Canada releases these figures every year. Port Hope had the second-lowest score, according to the most recent report. This makes it one of the safest communities in the country. On today’s show, Port Hope Police Chief Tim...

The Canadian Labour International Film Festival will be held in Northumberland in December at the Cobourg Library. Admission is free. Organizer Derek Blackadder says the festival is an opportunity for the public to watch films from around the world that speak to the issues facing working people. He is quick to emphasize these movies are not necessarily about unions. Instead, they represent the str...

Northumberland County and the town of Cobourg reached a deal earlier this week that will allow the county to open its warming room at 310 Division Street. This In Their Words shares the open session where council finalized its direction. Most of the meeting was in closed session due to the legal nature of the information. The open session was short, only five minutes. County council dropped its pl...

Bonus Mid-week Episode The Port Hope council discussed a letter from the Town of Cobourg proposing a potential merger or collaboration with their police services. Councillor Adam Pearson emphasized the community's support for the local police and concerns about adding turmoil during significant municipal changes. Port Hope council made it clear it is not interested in amalgamating police services...

Last week, 19 people got to meet someone special. It is not what you think. Those 19 people experienced a heart attack somewhere in Northumberland County. But thanks to the paramedics, they were able to attend a ceremony bringing together the lifesavers and the patients. The ninth annual Survivors Night ceremony was held at the Cobourg Lion’s Centre. The first responders and those they saved were...

Two years ago, nearly to the exact same date, I did an interview with Northumberland Paramedics Chief Susan Brown and County Paramedic Matthew Rollwagen. Matthew has won multiple Lightning Bolt awards over the years. In fact, he was honoured several times last week. A lot has happened over those two years. Have a listen to this interview from October 2022. The pandemic was easing and there were a...

Almost two years into its mandate, Alnwick-Haldimand council approved its strategic plan at a recent meeting. Most municipal councils in Northumberland County already have a strategic plan in place. A strategic plan is a guiding document. As you will hear in this debate, the CAO will explain how it will accompany every report and legislation the council passes until the end of its mandate. In Thei...

The emergency shelter’s warming room at 310 Division Street was supposed to open on October 18. Instead, politicians are grappling with what to do. The county wants four exemptions to the town’s Emergency Care Establishment bylaw. When no one could agree at last week’s county council meeting, it was decided to go to a hearing to resolve the outstanding issues. In the meantime, people are living un...

Driving along Strathy Road or Elgin Street in Cobourg, it is hard to miss the construction. The four-storey building that will house the new Golden Plough Lodge, county museum, and archives is taking shape. With three-quarters of the construction complete, the exterior is getting the final touches, and the interior is quickly filling in. In this interview, you will hear from Denise Marshall, Direc...

At an upcoming Cobourg council meeting, politicians will debate whether it will start negotiations towards a possible merger of the Cobourg and Port Hope Police. Council is also considering contacting Hamilton Township, which the OPP currently serves. In this interview, you will hear what the Cobourg Police Services Board chair, Ron Kerr, thinks about all of this. Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf join...

On April 1, the new Community Safety and Policing Act came into effect. It was a long time coming. The changes in the rules and regulations related to policing underwent a major restructuring. It sent shockwaves through the province, motivating the need for rethink local policing. Cobourg and Port Hope are in the midst of adjusting to the new system. A significant aspect is the ability to collabor...

Your toddler has a fever that does not seem to break. You are a senior who needs a prescription renewal to treat a chronic condition. Your cold is getting worse, not better. For some in Northumberland, it is a call to your physician or, in the lingo of the healthcare sector, primary caregiver. But for those without a doctor, it is a real problem. Where do you go? The maze of services can be confus...

Cobourg council debated the future of the Cobourg Police force at a special meeting called by Mayor Lucas Cleveland Thursday. Its purpose was to discuss a motion to contact the Port Hope and Hamilton Township councils to see if they were interested in creating a single police service for the three municipalities. This is the debate that took place at that meeting. The discussion by politicians has...

On September 30, the Alnwick-Haldimand Township council met to discuss the state of the Memorial Arena in Grafton. The ice rink's pipes were failing, and the situation was grim. The council debated what to do. The choice was stark: either pay $50,000 for repairs on the system that may or may not fix the problem or cancel the hockey season. Children were already registering. The Grafton Minor Hocke...

The state of the Memorial Arena in Grafton has been an issue for a long time. Over decades, many councils have dealt with the more than 75-year-old building and its infrastructure. The current Alnwick-Haldimand council inherited this legacy. In January, Mayor John Logel appeared on the show to discuss a survey to determine the arena’s future. Since then, multiple reports have been written or are u...

On September 4, at a town committee meeting, Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland floated the idea of separating from the county. Warden Brian Ostrander came on this show two weeks ago to respond to his idea. A lot has happened since then. In this interview, Cleveland will elaborate. He will talk about his original motivation to propose a separation. Cleveland will also share his new vision for a restruc...

This is an experiment. Most people listening to this show live busy lives. So much goes on that it is difficult to stay on top of what is going on at the various councils within Northumberland. In this podcast, you will hear the actual debate from the September 18 county council meeting. It is straight out of the public meeting. You will hear an item raised by Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland. It is...