News
The Planning & Development Committee will be meeting tonight at 6:00 in Shire Hall. They will hear rezoning applications from Josh Doxtator Holdings and Dustin Daniel Alexander at 3157 County Road 3, from Jennifer Staveley, Keith Watson, Christine Kormos, and Eleanor Phillips at 82 Eatonville Road, and from Willowlee Holdings at 46 Eatonville Road, all in Ameliasburgh, then from the estate of Cyril Patrick Mowbray at 9 Mowbray Road in Hallowell, and finally from Maarten and Saskia Koning at 15983 and 15987 Loyalist Parkway and from a numbered company at 2188 County Road 1, both in Ward 2. The meeting will also be live streamed. If you want to comment, contact the County Clerk’s office.
The municipality plans to share more details about the construction on Bloomfield Main Street. The work between Corey Street and County Road 33 will include replacement of the road surface, storm sewer sections, curb sections, and sidewalks, as well as line painting. The work will take place between April and June of this year. Main Street will remain open with one lane of traffic, and the work will be done in sections to help minimize disruption. The meeting to share details will happen next Monday, March 23rd, from 6 – 8 pm in the Bloomfield Town Hall, with a presentation from staff starting at 6:30. There will also be a virtual event next Thursday, March 26th at 6 pm. If you have any questions, contact Garrett Osborne, Project Manager at the County.
As was widely expected, the Bank of Canada held its key interest rate at 2.25 per cent today for the third consecutive time. The bank’s governing council said that higher oil and gas prices from the Middle East war are likely to boost global inflation but that it’s too soon to assess the conflict’s impact on the Canadian economy. They continue to expect the Canadian economy to grow modestly as it adjusts to U.S. tariffs and trade policy uncertainty, but recent data suggest that near-term economic growth will be weaker than anticipated in January. The decision also comes on the heels of an inflation report that saw the bank’s preferred core measures moderating, but also after a weak labour force survey that saw the economy lose 84,000 jobs in February.
In related news, the price of a barrel of crude oil has risen more than 40 per cent over the past two weeks, as the war in the Middle East has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil supplies typically travel. That’s pushed up gasoline prices in Canada and could increase the price of airfares, food, and other products. As of yesterday afternoon, the average price of gas across Canada hovered around $1.68 a litre. While Canada is a major oil producer in its own right, and there is no shortage in what’s being pumped domestically, Canada still feels the fluctuation of oil prices because the global crude market is so interconnected. Gas prices are expected to continue to go up as the conflict in the Middle East drags on and production there remains stalled.
Sports
In the PWHL last night, the Toronto Sceptres defeated the Boston Fleet 2 – 0 to climb into the fourth and final playoff spot, behind the Montreal Victoire. Tonight, the Vancouver Goldeneyes host the New York Sirens, and the Ottawa Charge are in Minnesota to face the Frost.
The WNBA and its players’ union reached an agreement in principle on a transformational new collective bargaining agreement early this morning. The deal is expected to lead to large increases in player salaries and million-dollar contracts, a first for the league entering its 30th season. The deal comes 17 months after the players opted out of their previous agreement and five months after the previous deal was set to expire, with talks often becoming contentious. Opening day of the season is May 8th, and an expansion draft for new teams in Toronto and Portland needs to take place. Also, teams will need to negotiate with the more than 80 per cent of players who are free agents this offseason.
In the final game of the World Baseball Classic last night, Venezuela defeated the US 3 – 2 for their first title. The U.S. lost its second straight final in baseball’s premier international event and remains without a title since 2017.
