News

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Last night, Council approved the summer transportation plan. Brenda Little has more:
Summer transportation was on the docket with Program Supervisor Julianne Snepsts asking council to approve an amendment to the Fees and Charges By Law to accommodate fares for the summer transportation program and for the CAO to approve
sponsorship agreements. The two routes will run Friday evening through the weekend with Bloomfield connecting to Belleville and the other Wellington, Bloomfield, Picton, and Base 31. Council approved the amendment unanimously – Brenda Little

Also at council last night were two artistic items for review. Members of the Wellington Community Association Peta Hall and Lisa Reddick have been responsible for the beautification of Wellington. They asked council to declare their projects “of community interest”, so the municipality could issue tax receipts to donors. Council passed a motion unanimously. And Andrea Dawes from County Arts outlined the components of the Public Art
Policy, which governs the review, acquisition, and management of public art in municipally-owned spaces, along with the exterior of buildings in heritage conservation districts. The policy also outlines the process for proposing new art, establishes guidelines on what art is appropriate for public display, and provides a $30,000 fund for new public art in the municipality. Chris Palmer, supervisor of museums and cultural services, presented the final draft of the Policy, which Council unanimously accepted, after brief debate.

An effort to address the state of rural roads in the County has failed. At last night’s Council meeting, Ameliasburgh Councillor Roy Pennell sought to establish a working group of citizens and rural councillors to develop both short- and long-term solutions to road maintenance in the less-developed areas of the county. South Marysburgh Councillor John Hirsch said that the county already has roadwork plans in place. The motion was narrowly defeated, 8 votes to 6. Councillors Pennell, Brad Nieman, David Harrison, Sam Grosso, Corey Englesdorfer, and Chris Braney voted in favour.

Sophiasburgh Councillor Bill Roberts put forward a motion at Council calling on the Government of Canada to exempt the Canada Disability Benefit from income tax and to work towards supporting Canadians with a disability to live without poverty. The new federal benefit would provide up to $200 per month for people with disabilities. All Council members voted in favour of the resolution.

Finally, the County is hosting a meeting about improvements to the Wilkinson Memorial Park, one of ten parkland projects across the County being supported by funds from the Parkland Reserve. The initial consultation for the park identified a desire for an outdoor rink. However, given the challenges of making ice during recent unpredictable winters, Council directed staff during the 2025 budget deliberations to use the $80,000 for park improvements instead. The Park currently has a number of athletic facilities, as well as a band shelter, a canteen, and a shaded picnic area. The meeting will take place tomorrow morning from 9 to 10 at the park, which is on County Road 8 in Waupoos.

Sports

Game four of the NHL Stanley Cup finals goes tomorrow night in Florida, with the Panthers up two games to one over the Oilers.

The NBA finals are tied at one game apiece, with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Indiana Pacers tonight.

In MLB, the Toronto Blue Jays are in the middle of a nine-game road trip. Last weekend, the Jays won their three-game series against the Minnesota Twins. With wins against the St. Louis Cardinals Monday night and last night, the Jays have won that series and go for the sweep against the Cardinals this afternoon. The Jays are currently in second place in the AL East, having won thirteen of their last sixteen games. The Jays move on to Philadelphia for a three-game series this weekend against the Phillies.

Canadians Gabriel Diallo and Bianca Andreescu have opened their grass-court seasons with wins in singles tennis to move on to the second round at an open event in the Netherlands.

In women’s soccer, Canada’s Northern Super League saw the Halifax Tides defeat the Ottawa Rapid 2 – 1 last night for their first win in seven games. Tonight, AFC Toronto visits the Vancouver Rise.

Number 30-ranked Canada won the inaugural Canadian Shield men’s international soccer tournament last night, despite a 5 – 4 penalty shoot-out loss to number 41 Cote D’Ivoire