Sunday, October 19, 2025

Editorial

Remembering Vimy: Not About War, it’s About Peace

Stephen Vance, Editor I've always been a bit of a history buff, but not much of a war buff, and though a pacifist I might be, I think it important to recognize some of the battles of the past if only so we can avoid the horrors of war in the future. History buff or not, if you're Canadian, you're sure...

GBHS Funding Crisis Another Example of Neglect of Rural Communities

Stephen Vance, Editor In recent years rural municipalities in Ontario have been, well, let's just be blunt, they've been getting screwed by upper levels of government, particularly the province. It's no secret, we've all seen it happening before our eyes. Rural schools are being closed, long-term care beds are in jeopardy, and as we are all very well aware in this...

Distracted Driving is the Drunk Driving of Our Generation

Stephen Vance, Editor Distracted driving is a topic that you will no doubt hear in the media with greater frequency in the coming weeks, months, and I suspect, years, and for good reason. Distracted driving kills. Distracted driving is this generation's impaired driving, and we have to stop. Readers of this page are no strangers to my once (sometimes twice) every...

Mayor Right to Insist on Public Meeting on Hospital Issue

Stephen Vance, Editor Less than two months ago Grey Bruce Health Services pledged to host public engagement sessions this spring in order to allow residents to share their views and concerns about options being considered by the GBHS board, in their effort to find substantial cost savings in hopes of avoiding, or at least minimizing, projected deficits. In the weeks...

Sunshine List Season is on the Horizon – We Need to Adjust the Threshold, or Scrap it

Stephen Vance, Editor Sometime later this month articles about Ontario's 'Sunshine List' will once again be splashed across news outlets as the data for last year is published. I'm often asked my thoughts on the Sunshine List: my primary thought is that I wish people didn't get so worked up about it, and my secondary thought is that the Sunshine...

The Mystery of the Origins of Meaford’s Golden Nickname

Stephen Vance, Editor Meaford is frequently referred to as 'Golden Town', a nifty nickname that I've been aware of since I moved here in 2005, and though I've often wondered where the name came from, I'd never given it too much thought until recently, when I thought it might be fun to write a story about the origins of the...

Embrace the Extra Sand on Our Streets – it’s Part of What’s Saving Us a Bundle

Stephen Vance, Editor If Meaford's streets appear a little grittier than they have in the past as this week's warm temperatures have melted away all of that snow, well, they are. And while we might now lose points on aesthetics during spring melts in Meaford, it's a worthy trade-off for the more than $200,000 we're saving as a result of...

When it Comes to Municipal Finances, Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Stephen Vance, Editor Our current council, along with the council that served before it, deserve much credit for committing to taking on as little new debt as possible while chipping away at Meaford's long-term debt, which had grown to roughly $10 million at the start of this decade, and actually following through. As of the end of 2016, Meaford's long-term...

“Just Two Toonies” Is Just Too Much

Stephen Vance, Editor Meaford councillor Shirley Keaveney rightfully questioned the $4 fare for Meaford's municipal transit bus at council this week, and I hope that once council receives a report from staff and they have time to reflect on the fare, they will opt to lower it.Meaford's Treasurer has said on more than one occasion that the $4 fare was...

I Think I Need a News Vacation

Stephen Vance, Editor Some guys like fishing, others like watching sports, but me, I'm a news junkie. I watch and read news both local and international with the enthusiasm that many reserve for the Saturday night hockey game. But the events of the past few months have exhausted me and frazzled my brain, and I think I might need to...