Friday, March 29, 2024

Editorial

Winter Weather Has Arrived, and a New Municipal Policy Will Keep Residents Better Informed During Stormy Weather

With the first round of snow squalls to hit us this season, the Municipality of Meaford was able to test their recently implemented 'Significant Weather Event' policy. I saw some confusion, along with some scoffing on social media, with some making an assumption that such a declaration meant that the municipality had ceased road clearing operations until the squalls...

Here Comes Santa Claus

The holiday season is fast approaching, and in Meaford the season will officially kick off next week, as the second annual Christmas on the Bay event will be held over four days at Market Square beside Meaford Hall, beginning Thursday, November 30. The Christmas on the Bay event includes a traditional market that is a nod to the traditional holiday...

A Nervous Council Approves Temporary Zoning For Johnny B’s

At Monday's council meeting, members of council unanimously voted in favour of a temporary zoning bylaw request submitted by the owner of Johnny B's auto repair shop, which was destroyed by fire in late May and has been operating on a farm property ever since. Though council unanimously approved the temporary zoning bylaw, it was clear that they did so...

Will We Humans Ever Evolve Beyond War?

Six years ago in my Remembrance Day editorial, I noted that while we here in Canada remember our veterans, largely from the two World Wars, many parts of the world are mired in war, and little has changed since that 2017 editorial. Though we live a privileged life within the safe boundaries of Canadian borders, as we are set to...

After Four Long Years, We Might Know the Future for Contentious Pumped Storage Proposal Later This Month

It has been four years since the pumped storage plant proposal was first announced, four long, exhausting years. TC Energy's proposal to build a hydroelectric pumped storage plant on the grounds of the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford was immediately met with significant and vocal opposition within days of us learning of it in the late summer of...

Meaford’s Halloween Haunted Candy Route Map Was an Unexpected & Positive Product of the Pandemic

In just a few days, doorbells will ring and costumed children will be collecting candy, some in grocery bags, others in plastic Jack O'Lanterns, while some will take an old school approach by using a pillow case. We all remember our Halloween experiences from our own childhoods; it was a time for make-believe, a time for dressing up as our...

Council is Seeking Input on Short-Term Rentals – Get Involved!

Short-term rentals have been a hot topic over the past year, so hot that back in June council made it their top priority. They gave direction to municipal staff to lay the groundwork that would allow council to approve a licensing bylaw by the end of this year, an aggressive timeline, but one that council feels can be met. Council...

The Chilly Autumn Air Has Arrived, Time to Prepare For the Winter to Come

After an unseasonably warm start to autumn, frigid season-appropriate air moved in over the weekend, reminding us that summer is indeed over, and winter is on the way. The chilly temperatures over the Thanksgiving long weekend was cause for many of us to turn on our home heating for the first time since last winter came to an end. Cranking...

A Time to be Thankful

This year seems to have been flying by at a pace greater than the 60 seconds per minute that our watches display. As September came to an end, I glanced at a calendar and realized that another Thanksgiving long weekend is upon us, and while I'm not much for holidays or celebrations, Thanksgiving is my favourite of the holidays...

Rallies Against Schools Teaching Students About Gender & Sexual Diversity Met With Counter-Protests

Last week we saw rallies across the country expressing opposition to the teaching of gender and sexuality issues in public schools, and those rallies were met with counter-protests by those who are concerned about LGBTQ+ rights. Though such rallies are often limited to major urban centres, last week's rallies found their way to many cities and towns, big and...