During Monday's council meeting, members of Council received a report from Principles Integrity, Meaford's contracted Integrity Commissioner, regarding an investigation into complaints received after comments made by Councillor Tony Bell in open council on May 31.
In short, Bell's comments suggested that those employed by the municipality who feel they can't handle the pressure can find a job elsewhere.
“So I...
On Monday Canadians cast their ballots to elect our next government. Electors headed to the polls after a lacklustre 36-day campaign for an election that many felt was unnecessary, given the two years remaining in the term combined with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has exhausted many Canadians over the past 18 months.
During this election campaign I have found...
For the past nine months I have covered Meaford's council meetings through a computer screen,with each member of Council participating from their homes or businesses, and municipal staff standing by to answer questions or present reports virtually.
The many months of virtual council meetings have been both a crucial bandage solution that allowed Council to continue the business of the...
As parents proudly posted photos of their kids heading back to school on Tuesday, I recalled my own excitement heading back to school each year way back in the 1970s and '80s. While we all enjoy the summer break, typically with a week or two remaining, I would begin yearning to return to school.
For me, school was a safe...
And just like that, the summer of discontent has come to an end, a summer most of us will look back upon as a frustrating and uncertain time, a summer of increasing anger and conflict, but with any luck our final summer in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After more than a year and a half of enduring mask...
This month of August has brought with it some of the hottest days we've experienced this summer. For our members of council August has been the traditional month-long break, a time to re-energize and relax, a time to step away from regular council duties, if only for a little while. While August has been a hot and steamy month,...
Is now the right time for a federal election? A fair question, given the past 18 months we've endured with the COVID-19 pandemic, which it should be noted has yet to end, and in fact a fourth wave of the virus has been gaining momentum.
Whether we like it or not, a federal election has been called for September 20,...
When a neighbourhood or business is impacted by major infrastructure projects, it is often frustrating, if not infuriating. When a business has struggled to endure more than 18 months of a global pandemic forcing closures, reopenings, capacity restrictions, followed by more closures and partial reopenings, a major infrastructure project blocking access to your restaurant can be a crushing blow...
Few were surprised, but many were saddened upon hearing the news that TC Energy, the proponent of a hydroelectric pumped storage facility to be located on the Meaford military base, has reached an agreement with the Department of National Defence which allows TC Energy to move forward to the next steps in their quest to make the facility a...
When the pandemic is over will we be kind to each other once again, or will the nastiness that we have become accustomed to over the past 20 months become part of our new normal?
A question being asked by many, particularly those who deal with the public as part of their job, and who have become targets of rage-filled...
