News

We have a yellow warning of rainfall lasting through today. We can expect rainfall amounts of up to 40 mm., with higher amounts possible in areas that receive thunderstorms. We’ll have more details in our extended weather forecast following sports.

County Council has approved an option for the road improvement project in Bloomfield. Brenda Little has more. 

[At council last night, business owners from Bloomfield came out in full force raising their concerns regarding the upcoming road improvement work and the potential hardships to their businesses. Jade Leadbetter gave a comprehensive deputation sighting the many issues and asked council to consider deferring the work a year or splitting the work between spring and fall- their shoulder seasons. Option one is the April May and into June of this year but would go longer should there be significant inclement weather. Councillor Brany proposed a motion to defer the project but did not get a seconder. Project Manager Garrett Osborne stated that

the project is mostly funded by a provincial grant that can not be deferred and raised concerns for future requirements. Councillor Engelsdorfer proposed the split method but that did not carry. Mayor Ferguson was concerned if the project is deferred, work in the future would fall on the tax payers. Councillors voted 7 to 2 in favour of the April May option with councillors Engelsdorfer and Brany voting against.]

Also at council last night, Mayor Steve Ferguson announced that Adam Goheen is the new CAO for the County. Adam has served in various capacities in the municipality over the years and took over as Interim CAO last April with the departure of Marcia Wallace. 

Also last night, Interim Fire Chief Kraemer and Interim Deputy Chief Howe congratulated the 16 volunteer firefighter recruits who have successfully completed their 3,000 hours of training. They received their certificates from Deputy Chief Howe and were honoured with a standing ovation. It was the first in-house recruit training program, with more initiatives to come.

In other Council business last night, Anne Van Vlack, known for her work with County Vital Signs, gave a deputation regarding “Don’t call me dear,” a project initiated by Community Care for Seniors. As Project Manager, she coordinates initiatives challenging ageist language, attitudes, and stereotypes. The goal is to connect with people of all ages, to challenge stereotypes, share stories, and build understanding through everyday interactions. They have been working with students from the high school and will continue to engage youth and the public, raising awareness of ageism.

Finally, County Council is calling on the province to help shoulder the rising costs for police in rural communities, especially where costs have increased to comply with provincial laws. Councillor Bill Roberts also wants the province to reassess police grant programs to ensure municipalities receive fair and sustainable support. 

Sports

Last night, the Wellington Dukes lost 3 – 2 against the Pickering Panthers, putting them down three games to none in their playoff series.

The Picton Pirates also lost last night, 4 – 2 against the Lakefield Chiefs, dropping the Pirates to 2 and 0 in that series.

In the PWHL last night, the Boston Fleet beat the Vancouver Goldeneyes 2 – 1 in overtime, to pass the Montreal Victoire into first place. The Fleet move down the coast to face the Seattle Torrent tonight.

In the NHL last night, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3 – 1. The Calgary Flames were shut out 4 – 0 by the New York Rangers. The Winnipeg Jets lost 4 – 1 to Anaheim. And the Edmonton Oilers beat the Colorado Avalanche 4 – 3. Tonight, the Habs are in Ottawa to face the Senators in another Atlantic Division match. The Habs and the Oilers remain the only Canadian teams in a playoff spot.

In Pool A action at the World Baseball Classic last night, Canada beat Puerto Rico 3 – 2.
This afternoon, Canada faces Cuba to end the round-robin games. With a win, Canada moves on to the quarterfinals as the top seed in the pool.

Over the next week, the Canadian women’s basketball team will be playing five games in a qualification tournament for the Women’s World Cup in September. This afternoon, they face Turkey.