Editorial

Stephen Vance, Editor I've written before about the importance of volunteers in our community, but with our multi-part series on volunteering opportunities in the Municipality of Meaford concluding in this week's print paper, and with the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner coming up next week, it's a good time to touch on the topic of volunteers again.Not all volunteers are highly...

Stephen Vance, Editor It seems as if everyone I talk to these days is outraged about something. Gone are the good old days of simply being frustrated, or even a little angry. In these modern times apparently frustration is not enough – we need to be outraged by whatever bee is in our bonnet. Well, I refuse to be part...

Stephen Vance, Editor Just as it was looking as if we might not have enough council candidates to even fill the chamber, a flurry of candidate nomination filings in the final days before the July 27 deadline has given Meaford voters much to choose from.In the days and weeks to come we will learn more about all of the candidates....

Stephen Vance, Editor A proposed 'boutique hotel' in a blended residential and commercial neighbourhood on Boucher Street has put council in a difficult spot. Residents are concerned that the proposed six unit 'hotel' with no restaurant, and more importantly to residents, no staff on site could cause issues in their neighbourhood. According to the proponent, all bookings would be made online,...

With just a week remaining in the nomination period for October's municipal election, many are wondering where the candidates are. In the 2014 municipal election Meaford voters had five mayoral candidates, two deputy mayor candidates, and 13 council candidates to choose from, but so far this time around with the candidates that have filed their nomination paperwork thus far,...

Stephen Vance, Editor There's something in the water in Meaford that produces fantastic volunteers. I began suspecting so not long after I moved to Meaford more than a dozen years ago.In fact, there is so much volunteer activity in this town that it's here that I developed a true appreciation for the value of volunteers. Prior to moving here, I...

Stephen Vance, Editor As I was bouncing around town on Canada Day I ran into a number of folks who wanted to talk not of fireworks and maple leaves, but rather the upcoming municipal election. “Where are all the candidates?” was a common question asked of me by residents as they dabbed at beads of sweat on their foreheads.I understand people's...

Stephen Vance, Editor This weekend we Meafordites will join our fellow countrymen and women in celebrating this fine nation of ours during Canada Day festivities. While I've never considered myself to be an overly patriotic person, I have bounced around this beautiful blue ball we call home, and I can say with certainty that there's nowhere else I would rather live....

Stephen Vance, Editor As frustrating as it was, the recent breakwall repair funding ordeal gave us a glimpse of how a democracy and elected representatives should work, and Meaford owes thanks to our local MP Larry Miller, who went to bat for the municipality when the federal government was refusing to honour their harbour lease agreement with the Municipality of...

Stephen Vance, Editor We learn a lot of lessons throughout life, and for many of us some of the most important life lessons take place once we've become parents. With Father's Day arriving this weekend, I took some time to reflect upon the lessons I have learned since becoming a father nearly 20 years ago.Responsibility It's easy to feel like...