Good afternoon. From the heart of Prince Edward County, I'm Will Pearson with your County FM News.
At the first meeting of 2026 last night, County Council had to deal with cemeteries.
Brenda Little has more. [Cemeteries were a topic of discussion last night when a motion was made and carried to transfer the operating license from the St. John’s Anglican Cemetery to the municipality. The County will take over the maintenance of the cemetery but this brought forward concerns regarding cost. The church is currently up for sale and there are limited funds that would be transferred. Councillors agreed this will not be the only one going forward so a forecast report will come from the Cemetery task team and the build and cultural heritage committee.]
A big item on last night’s Council agenda was the budget. In early December, the budget had
been set with a 5.32% increase or 3.59% with growth. However, just days later, the provincial government handed down an obligatory 11% raise for all OPP employees, translating to just over $390,000 to be added to the County budget. That addition would have increased the tax levy to 6.08%. Ward 2 Councillor Brad Neiman proposed that the extra funds would come from the climate reserve, the municipal accommodation tax reserve, and the waste diversion reserve.
Although most councillors disliked the idea of depleting the reserves, they agreed it was the best course of action under the circumstances. The motion passed, thereby not effecting the tax payer. The 2026 tax levy increase ends up at 3.56%.
In a deputation to Council last night, Moira Coull (Cool) from the Picton Food Bank asked
council to waive the $300 fee for a temporary noise permit for the New Year’s Eve fundraiser
event benefitting the Food Bank. Council agreed to waive the fee, and to have municipal staff look into the possibility of allowing staff to waive similar fees for community groups holding fundraiser events. Ms. Coull also pointed out that the application for a temporary noise permit requires that neighbours be asked for their permission and that their names, addresses, and phone numbers be recorded. Ms. Coull raised the issue of approaching seniors in their homes and the current history of scamming. Staff will review the bylaw.
The Committee of the Whole will be meeting tomorrow afternoon at 1 in Shire Hall. The Fire
Department’s Interim Fire Chief will provide the annual update to Council regarding the
municipality's compliance with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Tim
Kraemer’s report confirms that the municipality has fulfilled all required actions for annual compliance with the Act. The Committee will also move into closed session to consider the acquisition or disposition of a property in Ward 1. You can attend in-person, or watch the live stream or on the County’s website. To comment, you should register with the County Clerk’s office by noon tomorrow.

In personal finance news: According to the survey done by the National Institute of Aging, one in four Canadian adults has under $5,000 in retirement savings. That leaves many older adults with virtually no buffer for unexpected expenses, increased risk of material hardship, debt, and reliance on credit, which is especially severe when paired with fixed incomes. Those with lower savings tend to be women, renters, and those in poor health.

Sports

Now your County FM sports.
In AHL North Division action tonight, the sixth-place Belleville Senators are in Laval to face the first-place Rocket.
Last night in the PWHL, the Montreal Victoire defeated the Ottawa Charge 2 – 1, to move past
the Charge into a tie for second place. Tonight, the sixth-place Toronto Sceptres visit the first-place Boston Fleet.
All seven Canadian teams played last night outside of their NHL divisions. In Utah, the Leafs lost 6 – 1. The Ottawa Senators defeated the Vancouver Canucks 2 – 1. The Montreal Canadiens lost 3 – 2 in overtime to the Washington Capitals. The Winnipeg Jets beat the New York Islanders 5 – 4. The Calgary Flames lost 5 – 3 in Columbus. And the Edmonton Oilers lost 4 – 3 in overtime to the Nashville Predators. Tonight, the Senators are the only Canadian team in action, as they face the New York Rangers, the two cellar-dwellers in their respective divisions.
Tonight in the NBA, the Toronto Raptors visit the Indiana Pacers. The Raptors sit in fourth
place in the Eastern Conference, while the Pacers have the worst record in the Conference.
Canada's Victoria Mboko advanced to the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International tennis tournament with a victory yesterday. The 19-year-old from Toronto is seeded eighth at the event, and number 17 in the world, having won three of her four matches so far this year. Mboko will make her debut at the Australian Open later this month after a breakout 2025 season on the women’s tour.
That’s your County FM sports.