By Cecilia Nasmith
At the last Northumberland County council meeting of this term, Warden Bob Crate gave his departing address – at the end of his term as warden and at the end of this complement of county council.
“I am so impressed by the teamwork displayed by council this term. You have dove in and bought into the concept of working together for the good of our common communities,” Crate said.
“Staff put the legwork in by bringing us all the facts, honest discussion and plans to help us debate.”
Unprecedented challenges have arisen, including the global pandemic, rising inflation, severe weather events, significant growth and rapidly changing provincial legislation. Through it all, “we have continued to deliver the essential services on which our community rely and progress on key priorities so they county is in a better position than when we started this term.”
Crate reviewed some significant achievements, such as the tourism department's partnership with more than 160 stakeholders to revive an industry damaged by COVID.
Over the past year, the Business and Entrepreneurship Centre has supported more than 3,000 small businesses and helped start more than 300 new ones.
Key infrastructure investments have resulted in the emergency-services bases in Roseneath and Campbellford, a Golden Plough Lodge-Northumberland Community Archives and Museum rebuild that is about 30% complete, and the availability of broadband throughout the county thanks to a $45-million Federal-provincial investment (“giving the public and private sector the confidence to invest in Northumberland,” Crate noted).
With the expansion of the waste-diversion measures (including the institution of the green bin for composting and the grey bin for paper), the waste-diversion rate has grown to 52% - up from 39% at the start of this term of council.
Northumberland's paramedics answer more than 2.500 911 calls a year, while – through the Community Paramedicine program – offers health care to more than 3,000 residents. This program has recently expanded to become the Community Paramedicine Long Term Care Program.
Crate complimented the county's response to COVID, with quick adjustments and responses that ensured services that were needed continued to be there. More recently, the county has become a partner in the Ontario Health Team-Northumberland, so it has a place at the table when health-care concerns are addressed.
Crate ended with “sincere gratitude to my fellow members of council for your hard work. We were an excellent team – worked well together and respected all views brought forward to council chambers.”
Along with Crate, that team includes Port Hope Mayor Bob Sanderson, who stepped in as Warden partway through 2019 when incumbent Warden John Logel resigned, then went on to serve an additional term as Warden. He will be replaced by Olena Hankivsky.
With Alnwick-Haldimand Township Mayor Logel resigning in 2019, then-Deputy Mayor Gail Latchford stepped up – both to the mayor's seat and to his spot on county council. She will be replaced by Logel, who has won back both seats.
Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander and Cramahe Township Mayor Mandy Martin will remain on county council, and Crate will continue to represent Trent Hills. But there will be two more new faces – Hamilton Township Deputy Mayor Scott Jibb will replace Mayor Bill Cane, and newcomer Lucas Cleveland will replace Cobourg Mayor John Henderson.
