News
Good afternoon. From the heart of Prince Edward County, I'm Will Pearson with your County FM News.
Last night, County Council received a report on the Municipal Accommodation Tax. Brenda Little has more.
The finance and IT department gave a report regarding the Municipal Accommodation Tax for 2025. It was reported that just over $1.5 million was collected and of that 50% goes to the municipality and 50% is divided between StayPEC and Visit the county. Councillors had questions about tracking unlicensed providers and if they are paying. Council is looking for recommendations on how to spend the MAT tax and most suggest rural roads. A consultation is taking place with recommendations coming forward in July.
Also last night, council heard a presentation from Mark Londry and Lauralee Cowan of the Quinte Organ Transplant Support Group. Both have received organ transplants and formed the organization last November to provide guidance and support to donors and recipients. They said that only 35 per cent of eligible donors in Ontario have signed up. One donor can save eight lives, and age is not a factor. To see if you are a donor, check the reverse side of your health card. If you are not a donor, you can sign up at Service Ontario or go online at beadonor.ca
Council also received an update from the chair of the southeast public health unit. Nathan Townend said that primary health care and public health work together, with primary care helping people who are sick and public health working on projects and services to keep the public healthy, or to improve overall health. While health units were originally established with 75 per cent provincial funding and 25 per cent from local communities, the provincial contribution has not kept up with inflation, and more costs have fallen on municipalities. As a result, some communities have seen significant increases to their public health contributions under harmonization, with the new unit being effectively funded 30 per cent by municipalities to avoid program cuts.
In other local news, the Committee of the Whole will be meeting tomorrow. The County’s Programs and Initiatives Department will report on the guidelines for the Municipal Financial Relief Grant, and the County’s Operational Services Department will report on the update to the Millennium Trail By-Law. The agenda will also include a direction that staff apply to the Ontario Court of Justice for approval of fines for contraventions of that Millennium Trail By-
Law. If you’d like to comment, register with the County Clerk’s office by noon tomorrow. The meeting itself starts tomorrow afternoon at 1, and will be live streamed from Shire Hall.
And finally, the Planning and Development Committee will be meeting next Wednesday to consider an application at 1 Head Street for a temporary mobile restaurant. They will also decide on an application by Redtail Winery at 19538 Loyalist Parkway for a six-unit condo, resort, restaurant, wine-production facility, vineyard, and spa; and decide on another application by Watermark on the Bay on Navigation Drive to create 14 new lots. For more information, contact Development Services, or visit the County’s Planning Portal. You can provide comments on the County’s Planning Portal or to the County’s Planning Department. You can also participate in the meeting in-person or on Zoom by registering with the County Clerk’s office by noon next Wednesday. The committee will meet next Wednesday, April 15 th at 6 pm
in Shire Hall, with a live stream on the municipality's YouTube channel.
That’s your County FM News. Your Sports report is next.
Sports
In the PWHL last night, the Montreal Victoire defeated the Seattle Torrent 4 – 1, and the Vancouver Goldeneyes lost 5 – 1 to the Boston Fleet. Both Montreal and Boston have clinched playoff positions. With a win tonight over Seattle, Ottawa could move past the Toronto Sceptres into a playoff spot.
Five Canadian teams played last night in the NHL, with two games including Atlantic Division opponents: the Ottawa Senators defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6 – 2, to hold on to the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference; and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Florida Panthers 4 – 3 in a shoot-out, for the most come-back wins this season. In the Pacific Division, the Vancouver Canucks lost 2 – 1 to the Vegas Golden Knights. And in two inter-division matches,
both games needed over-time: the Calgary Flames lost 4 – 3 to the Dallas Stars, and the Edmonton Oilers lost 6 – 5 to Utah. Tonight, the Leafs host the Washington Capitals, and the Oilers visit the San Jose Sharks.
In the NBA last night, the Toronto Raptors routed the Miami Heat 121 to 95 to tighten their grip on the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
In MLB, the Toronto Blue Jays have just started a six-game homestand. In a rematch of last year’s World Series, the Champion LA Dodgers won the first two games on Monday and last night, extending the Jays’ losing streak to six games. Toronto looks to avoid a sweep this afternoon.
That’s your County FM sports.
