News
An investigative report by the Globe and Mail has identified the City of Belleville as a main hub for human and sex trafficking. The report looked at the connection between trafficking and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Belleville to Edmonton is identified as one of several transportation corridors that traffickers use. Anyone with information about suspected trafficking should contact Belleville police.
In health news: An American study has found a 70% drop in hospital admissions and days off work or school when people with poorly controlled asthma had their gas stove replaced with electric. The improvements in asthma symptoms following the change were at least the same as those reported in clinical trials of commonly-used asthma medications. The study also found less wheezing, less use of reliever inhalers, and fewer people saying that their asthma had woken them during the night. The study adds to the growing evidence that reducing indoor air pollution can have meaningful health benefits, particularly for people with asthma.
We have three announcements for County residents: The Glenora Ferry will be operating every 30 minutes instead of 15 minutes today, due to required maintenance.
The County is seeking input from residents and the business community on how future revenue from the Municipal Accommodation Tax or MAT should be used. The MAT is a tax on short‑term accommodations, like hotels, motels, B&Bs, and vacation rentals. It is paid by visitors, not residents. Under provincial rules, the MAT revenue is collected by accommodation providers and sent to the municipality. Half of the revenue goes to eligible tourism organizations, like Visit the County and StayPEC Accommodation Association, for tourism marketing and development. The other half remains with the municipality to support local services, projects, or infrastructure. After administrative costs and the revenue split, the local municipal portion of MAT funding is roughly $600,000 per year, though the amount fluctuates depending on the number of visitors each year. Share your thoughts on how the municipality can use its portion by filling out a short survey online or on paper copy available from the County. The deadline to complete the survey is next Friday, August 14, at 4 pm.
The County wants to recognize champions who have made outstanding contributions toward the preservation and promotion of heritage in the community. Nominations for the County Heritage Awards are open now until August 31st at 4:30 pm in four categories: Conservation of Built Heritage, Heritage Awareness and Advocacy, Preservation of Cultural Heritage Landscapes, and Lifetime Achievement. You can download the nomination form and send it to the County clerk’s office, or pick up a paper copy at Shire Hall. The recipients will be announced next February.
Finally, veteran Canadian broadcaster Lloyd Robertson died last night at the age of 92. Before retiring in 2011, he delivered the news to Canadians for more than 40 years as anchor for the flagship news programs of CTV and CBC. In addition to a number of industry awards during his career, he was inducted as an officer into the Order of Canada in 1997 and into the Canadian News Hall of Fame for the Canadian Journalism Foundation in 2016.
Sports
In MLB, the Toronto Blue Jays have just started a seven-game road trip in Houston. The Jays won on Monday night, but lost again last night, 7 – 2. The rubber match goes this afternoon.
Toronto remains in last place in the AL East, now eight games below .500, and four games out of a wild card spot.
In the WNBA, the Toronto Tempo are on a five-game road trip which started last Sunday with a loss to the Golden State Valkyries. They played the Valkyries again last night, and the Tempo dropped another one, 92 – 81. Toronto has lost seven in a row, and has fallen into sixth spot in the Eastern Conference.
In tennis, Canada’s hopes of crowning a first homegrown champion of the ATP’s Open Era rest solely with Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime at the National Bank Open in Montreal. Denis Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo were forced to concede first-round matches with injuries. Auger-Aliassime ranks fourth in the world and is seeded second at the NBO. After receiving a first-round bye, Auger-Aliassime will play his first match tonight.
The Vancouver Whitecaps are the only Canadian team of the 18 MLS teams in the 2026 Leagues Cup. The Whitecaps lost 1 – nil yesterday to Mexico’s Atlante.
