Stephen Vance, Editor
Horrifying and heartbreaking. Those were my immediate thoughts after the first news reports about yet another mass shooting in America, this time at a school in Parkland, Florida. A 19 year-old equipped with an assault rifle, smoke bombs, and a gas mask marched into his former school, and when he was done 17 innocent lives had been...
Stephen Vance, Editor
October 22 is municipal election day, and without doubt there are folks in this municipality who are considering running for a seat at Meaford's council table, but before making any decision there's lots to consider.
Municipal politicians are a special breed that combines a passion for local issues and governance with a thick skin and a bravery (insanity?)...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Many Meaford parents are rightly concerned about the future of school music programs after attending a public meeting during which the initial plans for Meaford's new combined elementary and high school were unveiled.
The plans put before the public included just one music room to be shared by the elementary and high school students. The music room included...
Stephen Vance, Editor
In the wake of the news late last week that Meaford CAO Denyse Morrissey had tendered her resignation, a few readers got in touch to remind me of an editorial I wrote in August of 2015 in which I suggested that the CAO was entering the three to five year window when we could very well expect...
Stephen Vance, Editor
When I was a kid we were often warned by parents and teachers in the winter months not to be digging tunnels into snowbanks lest they collapse and trap us inside. It was a warning that most of us took seriously, and some 40 years later we really don't hear of very many instances where children have...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Meaford's Rotary Club raised an important issue when they attended the mandatory public meeting on Monday night focused on the 2018 municipal budget – the rising cost for community groups to use facilities and services in Meaford Hall.The issue is a tough one. For several years, ratepayers have pressured council to get a better handle on costs,...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Have you enjoyed driving around this municipality over the past week or so? I didn't think so, neither have I – our roads have been a mess, navigating side streets has been an exercise in frustration, and the municipality should be embarrassed.As a rule I tend to not get overly worked up about things like this. In...
Stephen Vance, Editor
The end of 2017 is fast approaching, and what a year it has been in Meaford. As with any year, 2017 has had its ups and downs, its successes and failures, and as the year winds down I've been reflecting on some of the stories that we've reported over the past 12 months.The year began with council...
Stephen Vance, Editor
When I opened the agenda package last week for Monday's council meeting there were a number of important items on the agenda, and they were agenda items you'd expect to see – the 2018 municipal budget, a follow up to the concerns about RF water metres, an accessibility status report, and so on. But then my eyes...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Hey Santa,
I guess it's that time of year once again, and while there won't be any Christmas tree or decorations in my home, for many in the community, this is a special time of year, and it's the time of year that I ask you for a few favours on behalf of my community.In previous years I've...
