Editorial

By Stephen Vance, Editor You have to hand it to bag tags – for a simple sticker, they can sure get people worked up. In 2009, when the $2 pay-as-you-throw bag tag program was implemented, there were many that were convinced that the move would result in our ditches and parking lots being used for waste disposal rather than pay...

By Stephen Vance, Editor The first draft of the 2015 municipal budget was presented to council on January 12 after councillors had been educated about asset management and budgeting by Treasurer Darcy Chapman during a special education session. For municipal staffers and members of council, budget the budgeting process requires a lot of time, patience, and the balancing skills of a...

By Stephen Vance, Editor On Monday, January 12, Meaford's council will be presented with a report concerning the challenges currently faced by the library with regard to accessibility and space. The 48-page report prepared by Lundholm Associates identifies the deficiencies in the current facility, and offers a range of proposed options for creating a fully accessible library with adequate space. Before...

By Stephen Vance, Editor What a year 2014 has been! The past 12 months have been an eclectic mix of the amusing and the less amusing, of politics and community events. There has certainly been a lot going on, and while we’ve highlighted a major story from each month of the past year in our print exclusive feature, there has...

By Stephen Vance, Editor For all that there is to despise about it, you have to love social media for at least one aspect – it gets people talking – err typing. I was blissfully and willingly late to the world of social media. I looked upon the likes of Myspace and Facebook with great suspicion in the early days, and...

By Stephen Vance, Editor Hey Santa, It's that time of year again. The time of year when some of my readers remind me that I'm due for sending you my annual wish list. I trust that everything is going well at the North Pole – which reminds me, given all of his recent sabre rattling, has Mr. Putin forced you to fly...

By Stephen Vance, Editor In previous years we at The Meaford Independent have made a point of thanking those who clear the snow from our roads, parking lots, and driveways in order to make living through an Ontario winter more bearable, and we had planned to do the same this year. Last year's thank you was published in February, however though...

By Stephen Vance, Editor It's hard to believe that it is already that time of year again. Time for the snow to fill our driveways, for wreaths and ribbons to be installed on downtown light standards, and time for the community to gather along Sykes Street for the 25th year in a row for the BIA holiday Window Unveiling event. That...

By Stephen Vance, Editor We can no longer run our towns, cities, provinces and our country as if there is no end to the funding for anything we might desire. New roads, new bridges, new pools, they all cost money, and many such items cost more than we've got whether we like to admit it or not. I think the...

By Stephen Vance, Editor The municipal election is over, and the air outside has suddenly chilled; perhaps the lack of political hot air has caused our temperatures to plummet. As much as I enjoy elections, I am always glad when they are over. Municipal elections can become somewhat all-consuming, occupying the minds of reporters and voters for weeks, so when those...