One of the things I am most concerned about with the upcoming municipal election has nothing to do with the candidates who will register over the next few months, nor the many issues those candidates will grapple with during the campaign period. My major concern is whether voters will actually cast ballots on October 26.
Voter participation in the last...
Last week the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) posted an update on its website providing a summary of issues raised related to the proposed hydro-electric pumped storage facility that TC Energy hopes to build on our local military base.
More than 400 comments were received by the agency during the 30-day public commenting period which ended on April 6.
The...
The nomination period for October's municipal election has begun, and Meaford has its first candidate for mayor, current Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney.
Keaveney filed her nomination paperwork with the municipal clerk, kicking off her campaign on the opening day of the nomination period, Friday, May 1. Those considering adding their name to the ballot for the October 26 municipal election...
TC Energy's proposed hydro-electric pumped storage facility, which they hope to build on the grounds of our local military base, is a massive, multi-billion dollar project, the likes of which this, and most communities, have never seen.
If the project ultimately receives a green light after the five phase, three year IAAC (Impact Assessment Agency of Canada) impact assessment that...
Spring might have officially arrived more than a month ago, but it sure hasn't felt like it thus far. Heck, we even saw flakes of snow falling on Sunday afternoon, three weeks into the month of April.
We have experienced chilly springs in the past, of course, so this spring has not been overly abnormal, but after a chilly, snowy...
If you are considering launching a campaign for a seat at Meaford's council table for the 2026 to 2030 term, the nomination period opens in just two weeks.
Beginning May 1, candidates will be able to file their nomination paperwork with the municipal Clerk, and anyone wanting to be on the ballot will need to submit their nomination paperwork by...
Around this time each year in Ontario we see news articles about the release of the latest 'Sunshine List', a list of public sector employees from municipal to provincial that earned more than $100,000 last year.
But, as I have written in previous years, $100,000 is not what it used to be.
In 2025, 13 employees of the Municipality of Meaford...
April has arrived, and at this time of year, we recognize volunteers. Later this month is National Volunteer Week (April 19 – 25), and on April 28 Meaford's Community Builder award will be presented during the annual volunteer appreciation event, to be held this year in the Galleries at Meaford Hall.
Where would we be without volunteers? It is a...
On Sunday I received a media release from local advocacy group Save Georgian Bay, who are asking why 4CDTC Meaford is suitable for pumped storage, when it had been deemed unsuitable as a site for the military's Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar.
“Save Georgian Bay is calling on the Department of National Defence (DND) and federal decision-makers to explain why the Meaford...
After a long, and at times harsh, winter, at 10:46 a.m., on Friday, March 20, spring officially arrives.
While spring arrives on Friday, as I write this column on Tuesday morning, the temperature outside my window is -14C, though the weather forecast is showing temperatures rising above zero toward the end of the week, and through the weekend.
Early spring is...
The impact assessment process for the hydro-electric pumped storage facility proposed by TC Energy is now underway, and if you have comments to share, now is the time to do it.
Though the pumped storage proposal has been a hot topic in this community for the past six years, it might surprise some to know that those six years have...
Last week's Committee of Adjustment meeting, which included a public hearing for a minor variance request submitted by SkyDev for their waterfront 'Aspen Shores' development on Boucher Street provided a near textbook example of how the general public can effectively engage in the process of municipal governance.
As someone who has reported on Meaford's council for the past 17 years,...
On Monday, Meaford council voted to disband the Pumped Storage Advisory Committee (PSAC). It was a narrow 4-3 vote that came after a roughly hour-long discussion in the council chamber, and I think council has made a mistake.
Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney brought the motion forward for council's consideration. In her motion, Keaveney called for PSAC to be “immediately dissolved...
The annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraising event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 28, beginning at 4 p.m., with participants gathering at the Rotary thrift shop on Trowbridge Street.
The walk aims to raise funds and awareness to help support people experiencing homelessness in our community.
First launched in 2011 in Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo, the initiative caught...
