Welcome to 2022, a year that we are kicking off with a step backward. Like many parts of the world, Ontario has been grappling with the alarming speed with which the Omicron variant is spreading, and on Monday Premier Doug Ford made a very unpopular announcement – we are moving back to 'Step 2' of Ontario's reopening plan.
Our Premier...
It has been a long year, a long two years in fact, and with 2021 winding down, it is time for this scribe, and our Meaford Independent team, to take a little break.
On Monday the final council meeting of the year was held at Meaford Hall, an important meeting to close out the year as the draft budgets for...
Words are important. The words we choose to use, how we choose to use them, and the context in which we choose to use them are all critical to clear and accurate communication. As someone who writes for a living, I have noticed that many words we use have lost their true meaning, they have lost their true value;...
From time to time, while taking in a council meeting from my spot at the media table I am reminded of just how frustrating and thankless the job of a municipal councillor can be.
During this Monday's council meeting, I was thinking just that – the job of a local councillor can certainly be an exercise in frustration, and that...
I don't know anyone that has anything overwhelmingly positive to say about the experience of the past two years, and I think it is safe to say that most of us have had enough of it all, particularly the ongoing friction between 'us' and 'them', whatever that means these days.
We all need a break from the news and issues...
Back in May, I penned an editorial entitled 'Proposed Development Would Overwhelm Existing Neighbourhood', and on Tuesday afternoon (November 9) during a nearly four hour public planning meeting, Meaford residents turned out en masse to express overwhelming opposition to the SkyDev proposal for the Boucher Street property, formerly the Knights flooring factory.
With Meaford Hall's opera house, the temporary location...
In recent weeks, the topic of the time of day when council meetings are held has been raised by a handful of residents. Some have raised the topic in email messages, while others have bumped into me on the street and have suggested that the timing of council meetings does not allow everyone to attend.
My simple answer is typically...
I appreciate history and heritage as much as anyone, but I must admit I have had it with heritage preservation initiatives. Though I would suggest that the heritage preservation movement began with the best of intentions, there are unintended consequences and downright silliness at times when heritage considerations come before local councils.
During Council's meeting on Monday, far too much...
Halloween is on our doorstep. This weekend youngsters will carry on the tradition of knocking on doors and collecting candy. As with everything else during the far too many months of this pandemic, many will be doing things a little differently this year.
Throughout this pandemic, one of the issues that can never be given too much attention is the...
Meaford's Council received a general update regarding the next municipal election, scheduled to be held on Monday, October 24, 2022.
“The current term of Council is set to expire on November 14, 2022. While the Clerk is responsible to conduct municipal elections, Council is the approval authority where decisions are authorized by by-law. Legislative Services has begun preparation for the...
