Stephen Vance, Editor
Well, summer is winding down, and while we still have two or three months before we'll see the first flakes of snow fall from the sky, the bulk of the summertime fun will soon come to an end.Each year when I look at my calendar and see the Meaford International Film Festival and the Meaford & St....
Stephen Vance, Editor
Construction on Meaford's new library has begun, the Sykes Street bridge rehabilitation is more than half complete, and the construction of the new school is about to get underway – the urban core of Meaford is a busy place these days.Aside from being held up at the Sykes and Trowbridge intersection a little longer than usual due...
Stephen Vance, Editor
In this week's print edition of The Meaford Independent we are kicking off a seven-part series of articles called 'Coffee With a Councillor' (yes, it's true, our print paper often includes special features that do not appear online – support local media and buy a paper, dang it), and I am hoping that our readers get as...
Stephen Vance, Editor
I've heard a lot of people discussing and speculating about the tragedy that took place on the 7th Line last weekend. Issues such as this can be complex and emotions can drive conversations.There is much we don't know as yet about what took place sometime after 1 a.m. on Saturday, July 28. What we do know is...
Stephen Vance, Editor
If my 'in-box' over the week leading up to council's July 22 meeting is any indication, our members of council were no doubt bombarded with email messages and phone calls from residents on one side of the library issue or the other, likely making a tough decision even tougher.A week ago members of council absorbed the shock...
Stephen Vance, Editor
I have often written that the job of a councillor is a tough, often thankless job that requires those elected to make some difficult decisions, and the awarding of tender for the library project that will push the cost of the project to $7.1 million, $1.6 million more than council had previously approved, is indeed a tough...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Sitting in the council chamber on Monday afternoon was a little bit like sitting in Grade 11 history class in mid-June with the summer break teasing me from a distance.Don't get me wrong, I loved history class, it was one of my favourite subjects, but there comes a time when you just need a break, and while...
Stephen Vance, Editor
In recent months I have seen and heard many complaints by residents directed at council or staff that really should be directed elsewhere, and liability concerns and the insurance industry is a good place to start.Whether it is frustration about stepped up enforcement of Meaford's sign bylaw, anger over an attempt to surround park equipment with orange...
Stephen Vance, Editor
I confess, in spite of the complaints that I have heard from some folks, the Sykes Street bridge rehabilitation hasn't inconvenienced me one bit.I have made a point of crossing the bridge at least once or twice each day even if I haven't needed to. In part because I am nosy, and I like to see how...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Above all else I am a father to two fine boys, and with Father's Day upon us, and with one of my boys coming to Meaford for the weekend, I have been thinking about all of the things that being a father has brought to my life.Long-time readers of this paper will know that I don't celebrate...
