News
In local news, Brenda Little has a report on the proposed ballot question for the County’s next local election.
[Last night, at the Wellington Community Centre, it was the second of four information sessions to take place helping the public to understand the proposed question on the 2026 ballot regarding a third-party review of council and boundary changes. The question will require a yes or no answer and the outcome will be based on the percentage of voter responses. The Mayor and most of the councillors were present while the Municipal Clerk gave an overview of the question, the implications, and the potential outcome of the proposed querie. As with the previous public meeting, the attendance was sparse but one question arose regarding how
the information will get out to the public. It was made clear that numerous methods will be used to ensure the public is aware of the proposed question. Two more sessions will take place at Athol town hall Nov. 3 and Shire Hall Nov. 18.] (57 sec.)
The municipality hosted the Bridges out of Poverty workshop yesterday that attracted over one hundred people, including residents, social services, churches, and municipal staff. The goal was to gain an understanding of the levels of poverty and to learn strategies to alleviate poverty in the County.
And don’t forget to have your say on the 2026 municipal budget. You can share your thoughts with a County representative from 10 AM to 1 PM tomorrow at the Milford Branch Library. You can also visit the County’s Have Your Say page, or phone the County. Council will begin considering the 2026 municipal budget on Monday, December 1st.
In health news, Canada is poised to lose its international status as a measles-free country. An outbreak that began in New Brunswick and spread to other provinces has hit the one-year mark. Canada eliminated measles in 1998 and maintained its status for more than 25 years, meaning there was no ongoing community transmission and new cases were travel-related. However, since Oct. 27, 2024, the virus has spread to more than 5,000 people in Canada, including two infants in Ontario and Alberta who were infected with measles in the womb and died after they were born. Public health and infectious disease experts attribute the return of measles to declining vaccination rates, stemming from misinformation-fuelled vaccine hesitancy and distrust of science, as well as the disruption of routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of vaccination in eliminating the disease meant only older generations had seen its effects first-hand in Canada.
In economic news: In one of the largest studies ever conducted on tax cuts, the London School of Economics looked at 50 years of tax cuts across 18 wealthy countries. They found that tax cuts for the rich didn’t expand the economy. Instead, inequality grew. And research by Canadians for Tax Fairness last year revealed the same results: Canada’s post-pandemic profit boom clearly helped big corporations, and didn’t help workers or spur investment.
Finally, the Bank of Canada lowered its trend-setting interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25 per cent this morning. The central bank said it made the cut with weakness in the Canadian economy, trade conflict, and inflation expected to stay close to the bank’s two per cent target.
Sports
With their 6 – 2 win over the L.A. Dodgers last night, the Toronto Blue Jays have tied the World Series at two wins apiece. Which means the Jays are definitely coming home for at least one game, and the series is now a best of three. Game five goes tonight in L.A. Weather permitting, local Jays fans can catch World Series action at the Picton Fairgrounds baseball diamonds at 8 tonight. The free watch party is brought to you by the County and The Regent Theatre, funded in part by the Municipal Accommodations Tax.
In the AHL, the Belleville Senators host the Rochester Americans tonight, with both teams on three-game winning streaks.
In the NHL, all seven Canadian teams were in action last night. Winners were Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, and Edmonton, with losers including Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver. Only one Canadian team is playing tonight: the Leafs face the Blue Jackets in Columbus, with Toronto winless on the road so far this season.
In the NBA, the Toronto Raptors host the Houston Rockets tonight on a three-game losing streak.
Yesterday, in first-round action at the Paris Masters tennis tournament, Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriel Diallo were winners, while Leylah Fernandez and Victoria Mboko each earned wins in the Round of 32 at the Hong Kong Open.
Finally, the Canadian women’s national soccer team, ranked No. 9 in the world, lost 1 – 0 to No. 11 Netherlands in a friendly yesterday, for their third straight loss.
That’s your County FM sports. I’ll have your County FM extended weather forecast next.
Now, your County FM extended weather forecast from Environment Canada.
After today, the highs for the rest of the week are forecast to be below seasonal norms.
Today, we can expect a mix of sun and cloud, with a high of 12.
Skies should be clear tonight, but with increasing cloudiness after midnight, and a low of 2.
Tomorrow, we can expect cloudy skies, a chance of showers in the morning, and a high of only 8.
Tomorrow night, the forecast calls for showers, and a low of 4.
On Friday, we can expect the showers to continue, with a high of 8.
And Friday night should be cloudy with a good chance of showers and a low of 3.
On the weekend, we can expect cloudy skies with a chance of showers on Saturday, changing to a mix of sun and cloud on Sunday, with highs of 7 to 9.
