News
Despite the rain the Quinte area has received recently, the region is still in a drought. Officials with Quinte Conservation say more rain is needed to recover from 4 months of well below average amounts of rainfall, so a Level 3 condition will remain in effect until November 27.
Level 3 means officials are requesting at least a 30% reduction in water consumption.
In local development news, New View Holdings is the private partner in the redevelopment of the former Queen Elizabeth School site in Picton. They are hosting a public information meeting tomorrow night from 6 to 8 at the Rotary Hall in the Prince Edward Community Centre. Attendees can speak with presenters and technical specialists about the proposed design, which includes affordable housing units and a community hub for local organizations. A formal presentation with a Q&A session will begin at 6:15. After the presentation, attendees will break into smaller groups for discussion of the project. Feedback from the meeting will be used to adjust the proposed design. Design material will also be posted on the municipality’s Have Your Say website for review and comment.
County Council will consider adopting the final Comprehensive Zoning By-law at its meeting next Monday, November 10. Based on feedback from Council and members of the public at the October 15 meeting, staff made a number of changes to the final document. Questions and further comments can be submitted to Scott Pordham, the County’s Policy Coordinator.
Yesterday’s Federal Budget contained around $20 billion in new spending and an estimated deficit of over $78 billion for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Of interest locally, the budget includes an increase of $73 billion in new defence spending, with about $30 billion going to capital investments. There are also cuts: an overall decrease in the size of the public service of up to 40,000 positions over the next three years; almost $3 billion worth of cuts to foreign aid spending over four years; and a continuing reduction in the number of student visas. In addition, immigration will be capped with the number of permanent residents coming into Canada to be held at 380,000 annually until 2028.
In other employment news, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives recently examined labour force data from Statistics Canada and hourly living wage rates from the Ontario Living Wage Network. The analysis shows that a quarter of workers and 30 per cent of female workers in the Belleville – Quinte West area earn less than a living wage, the highest proportions in the province.
A report from Toronto Metropolitan University and Environics Institute found persons with disabilities are underemployed and underpaid, and face persistent barriers to career advancement, with rates highest among younger workers and those with cognitive differences, and in the non-profit and public sectors. Almost half of Canadian workers say their employer’s equity, diversity, and inclusion approach improved their own job opportunities. The report also showed more than half of Canadian workers view EDI favourably. Support was stronger among racialized workers and LGBTQ+ individuals. However, only about a third of older, white, straight men supported EDI. Economic insecurity, coupled with an unsatisfactory job market, were identified as factors driving opposition to EDI.
In business news, Tesla’s shareholders will vote tomorrow on whether to approve the board’s proposition to grant Elon Musk the 2025 CEO Performance Award. The compensation could be worth as much as $100 billion a year for ten years, or $1 trillion. His annual pay would be close to a million times Tesla’s median employee pay. The board argues that the compensation is crucial to retain and provide incentives for Musk, even though EV sales are falling, the success of Tesla depends on its entire workforce, and Musk already owns about fourteen per cent of Tesla, worth about $200 billion. Tesla’s board is composed of directors who have personal and professional ties with him – four of the nine are friends and family. And the board is regularly criticized for poor corporate governance.
Sports
In the NHL last night, three Canadian teams were in action, and all lost. The Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers both lost in shootouts, while the Winnipeg Jets were shut out 3 – 0 by the L.A. Kings. Tonight, three more Canadian teams will be playing, all at home. The Leafs play Utah in Toronto. The Calgary Flames host the Columbus Blue Jackets. And the Canucks face Chicago in Vancouver.
In women’s hockey, the Team Canada vs. Team USA Rivalry Series is back, with the sixth edition of the annual exhibition matchup beginning tomorrow night before the PWHL season starts on November 21st. The series also marks the final time the two powerhouses will meet before the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. The U.S. will host the first two meetings: tomorrow in Cleveland, and Saturday in Buffalo. The series then resumes in Canada, with games in Edmonton on December 10th and 13th.
In the NBA last night, the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 128 to 100, for their third win in a row to climb back to a .500 record.
Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand partner Erin Routliffe lost to Czechia’s Katerina Siniakova and American Taylor Townsend at the Women’s Tennis Association Finals yesterday.
And in the first leg of semi-final action in Canadian women’s Northern Super League soccer last night, the Vancouver Rise defeated the Ottawa Rapid 2 – 1.
