Thursday, November 6, 2025

Editorial

Does Meaford Hall’s Opera House Really Need to be Licenced?

By Stephen Vance, Editor Meaford Hall's Opera House is now licenced for alcohol consumption, but was it really necessary, and is it really a good idea? Don't get me wrong, I'm the first to admit I enjoy a good, stiff drink, but in the seats of the opera house? I've been to many plays, movies, and concerts at Meaford Hall, and...

Close Call at Meaford Hall Should Serve as a Reminder to All to Inspect our Homes and Workplaces For Potential Fire Hazards

By Stephen Vance, Editor Over the last decade I have often heard from anti-Meaford Hall folks that the building should have been torn down. The more dramatic type of anti-Meaford Hall folks have gone so far as to suggest that the building should be burned to the ground. So there must have been a momentary rush of excitement followed by a...

Why We Don’t Need a CAO

By Stephen Vance, Editor If history is any indication, we have just entered the window of time when Meaford's CAO is likely to say goodbye and head off to greener pastures. To be clear, there are no rumours that our CAO is planning to leave, there have been no rumblings, no whispers, I'm just talking about history – and not...

Making the Most of the Dog Days of Summer

By Stephen Vance, Editor The dog days of summer are here. Warm temperatures, at times working their way to stifling, oppressive temperatures have wrapped their arms around our area, and they've been squeezing tight. The month of August - my least favourite time of year. Hot, sticky, and often unpredictable, I've long thought that the best thing about August is that...

Meaford’s Unanimous Group of Seven

By Stephen Vance, Editor What would happen if you put seven people in a room, and you asked them to agree on an order of one large pizza? Would you have a unanimous agreement on what toppings to order? Or would you have some of the seven people lobbying for mushrooms on half, while others debated which type of cheese...

Idling Control Bylaw Just Makes ‘Cents’

By Stephen Vance, Editor At their next meeting, Meaford's council will be presented with a request to establish an automobile idling control bylaw. Possibly the only surprise in the previous sentence is that Meaford doesn't already have such a bylaw. After some highly unscientific polling of people I talked to over the past week, most of the people I raised the...

Failed Mayoral Candidate Wasting Municipal Time and Resources For a Process Lesson

By Stephen Vance, Editor On, Tuesday July 14, a special meeting will be held in Meaford's council chamber, when a Joint Compliance Audit Committee (JCAC) will meet in order to determine if a request for the audits of campaign expenses of two mayoral candidates who sought election in the October 2014 municipal election should move ahead.Failed mayoral candidate Ray McHugh...

Why Are We Suckers For Big Numbers?

By Stephen Vance, Editor Big numbers – they have the ability to anger some while at the same time providing comfort to others. Big numbers – they can be transparent, they can be confusing, and often they are wildly deceptive. Whenever I see people getting worked up over a big number, or whenever I receive a press release from any level...

Another Canada Day is Upon Us

By Stephen Vance, Editor Exams are over, school is out, and the warm weather has arrived – sort of. It's time for summer to really begin, and what better way to kick off summer than with a huge Canada Day bash? And where better to have said bash than in the Municipality of Meaford? I've lived in Meaford for a decade...

Sidewalk Patios a Great Idea, But Benefits Need to be Seen Beyond Downtown

By Stephen Vance, Editor Council's approval of a pilot project that will allow licenced sidewalk patios in the downtown core could be a giant step forward for all businesses in the municipality. One of the comments often heard about Meaford is that it is a 'drive-through town', with little to catch the attention of a passing motorist, not enough to prompt...