News

Good afternoon. From the heart of Prince Edward County, I’m Will Pearson with your County FM News. 

The municipal campaign trail continues in the County. Last night, the three mayoral candidates were in Wellington. Brenda Little has more. 

It was meet and greet the three mayoral candidates in Wellington last night. The Highline room at the community centre was packed to capacity with predominantly senior residents eager to hear what the candidates had to say. The format included 2 minutes for the candidates to introduce themselves, followed by 4 main questions to be answered, and the evening

finished with a half hour for residents to speak individually with Ernie Margetson, Brad Neiman, and Terry Short. There was no open floor time allotted. The question of strong mayor powers was presented, to which all candidates stated they would not use the power. The Water and Wastewater issue was answered somewhat differently by the three, then there was a question about affordable housing and jobs for the retention of young people. Terry Short and Ernie Margetson promoted the idea of increased tourism to 3 seasons while Brad Neiman hopes to attract small industry. The final question addressed issues regarding responses to climate emergencies such as smoke, fire, and floods and how the residents and infrastructure would be protected. All three talked about plans already in place that are frequently modified.

In other local news: In court yesterday, Picton Terminals objected to an expert’s affidavit, arguing that the expert was in a conflict. An independent, arm’s-length expert will re-submit the affidavit at the next scheduled court date on November 3rd. In health news: The World Health Organization released today its first-ever international guidelines on managing childhood obesity. The new guidance recommends a broad range of interventions to manage diet, boost physical activity, and change behaviours for the sky-rocketing numbers of youth living with obesity. And in certain cases, for some older children and teenagers, that could also mean medication or bariatric surgery, but only when a supervised lifestyle program hasn’t achieved results, and under strict conditions for youth living with severe obesity. In Canada, physicians have recommended only using medications to manage obesity in children after the age of 12, two years above the WHO’s cutoff age, and don’t stipulate that medical intervention should only be tried after lifestyle changes.

Finally, the seventh annual Kids Can’t Wait Radiothon is live today, broadcasting for 12 hours across the county. The community event features stories of local children and youth to raise crucial funds for The Children’s Foundation. Every dollar raised helps to cover costs for sports programs, summer camps, and dance or art lessons. Donations also provide access to essential mental health counselling and help students pursue post-secondary education through scholarships. Local radio stations and community partners have joined forces to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive. You can make a difference right now by joining the effort during this 12-hour broadcast. To give, call 613-921-KIDS.

Sports

PECI’s senior boys’ soccer team beat Centennial 2 – 1 yesterday, putting them in third place, only three points off the league lead. They’ll play undefeated Bayside tomorrow.

Last night, the Wellington Dukes defeated the visiting Leamington Flyers 2 – 1 in a shoot-out. With the win, the Dukes have climbed into second place in the East Conference. Their only two losses this season have come in overtime. This evening, the Dukes visit the Burlington Cougars.

Also last night, the Picton Pirates lost 8 – 6 to the Lakefield Chiefs, to fall two points behind the Chiefs for fourth spot. The Pirates are back home tomorrow night to host the Frankford Huskies, who lead the division.

In NHL action last night, three Canadian teams were in action. The Toronto Maple Leafs edged 

the Nashville Predators 5 – 4 in overtime, the Montreal Canadiens lost 6 – 4 to the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, and the Ottawa Senators were defeated 5 – 3 by the Detroit Red Wings. Tonight, the Winnipeg Jets host the Colorado Avalanche, and the Edmonton Oilers visit Anaheim. 

In soccer last night, the Canadian men’s national team was shut out 1 – 0 by the U.S., Canada’s first loss in three friendlies during the international window.

Finally, in MLS last night, the Western-Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps lost 3 – 1 to the Chicago Fire.