Help Dress A Kid For Hockey 2018

Northumberland 89.7 was live at Sommerville's at noon Saturday with the two recipients of the Help Dress A Kid For Hockey 2018 campaign: Olan England and Kohen Yates. On hand with the families was Todd Gimblett  (President of the Northumberland Minor Hockey Association), Adam McFarland (Communications Specialist from Cameco in Port Hope), and the two 89.7 volunteers who spearheaded the campaign Dave Clark and Jim Glover.

Dave Sommerville took the time to properly fit the kids, offering advice on equipment, and making sure he took the time to involve each of the boys in the selection process. The parents couldn't say enough nice things about Dave and the entire concept of this venture - both kids found out only hours before going to the store and they were both "over the moon" about this. Jennifer, Olan's mom, spoke about when she got the call from Todd: Olan has been outgrowing some of his equipment and she was quite concerned how they were going to get him proper fitting replacements. When she got the call about Olan being selected, she said she burst into tears of joy and couldn't believe this was happening.

Northumberland 89.7 would like to thank Dave Sommerville, Cameco, the Northumberland Minor Hockey Association and the generous support of the Northumberland community for helping dress 2 kids for hockey.

Local families benefit from one-time child-care break

By Cecilia Nasmith

In partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Education, the County of Northumberland is supporting parents hit by the high cost of licensed child care by providing a one-time benefit of up to $4,000.

This month, the county will distribute funding from the provincial government to local families in the form of a one-time subsidy of child-care fees paid between Jan. 1, 2018, and Oct. 31, 2018, for children aged four and under (before-school eligibility).

In order to be eligible for this subsidy, families must have used licensed care in Northumberland – centre-based or home-based.

This funding will be provided to qualifying licensed child-care operators in the community, who will distribute the funds to their clients - $20 per day for full-day infant care (and $10 per day for half-day care); $15 per day for full-day toddler care (and $7.50 per day for half-day care); and $10 per day for full-day pre-school care (and $5 per day for half-day care). Families are encouraged to contact their licensed child-care providers for more information.

Northumberland community and social services director Lisa Horne stated in the press release that this benefit supports families at a time of increasing financial need.

“Northumberland County continues to examine opportunities to further ensure quality child care, and early-years programming is accessible to local families.”

Port Hope First Regular Council Meeting December 18th

By Brian Coggins

New Portfolios Announced

One of the first resolutions to come forward to the new Council was the allocation of the portfolios:

Les Andrews is the new Deputy Mayor - he was elected to the position by Council at their December 4th Inaugural meeting - and will fill the new portfolio of Community Development (Planning, Marketing and Tourism and Community Development)

John Bickle will chair the Fire and Emergency Services portfolio

Laurie Carr will chair the Finance portfolio

Jeff Lees will chair the Corporate Services portfolio

Wendy Meadows will chair the Parks, Recreation, and Culture portfolio

Vicki Mink will chair the Works and Engineering portfolio

Council Approves the Rural LLRW Fund Distribution

Council approved that the annual net increase in the value of the Rural LLRW Fund will be applied as follows:

• 80% will be applied to reduce the annual Rural Area tax levy

• 20% will be left in the fund to generate future additional earnings.

Other Items of Interest

Council approved an updated Camera/Video Surveillance Policy which makes the written meeting minutes the official record and that any video recordings of Council, Committee of the Whole, and Budget Committee will only be retained for six months.

Council approved the new Council Remuneration Policy previously brought forward by staff at the Budget Committee Review of the 2019 Budget. Effective January 1, 2019 the Mayor will receive $55,100 annually, the Deputy Mayor $28,900, and Councillors $22,250.

Council authorized Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. to prepare the 2019 Development Charge Background Study and to prepare a Water and Wastewater Rate Study to be completed in 2019. This was discussed at length during the Budget deliberations and the review schedule is set by the province.

Council officially endorsed the Municipality's commitment to the Community Care Northumberland Hospice in the amount of $200,00 to be paid out over four years.

Council approved a change to the allocation of the Parking Surplus. The previous allocation was split between the Accessibility Reserve, the Beautificaton Reserve if it had fallen below the $50,000 threshold, and the Parking Reserve. The new allocation approved by Council is that the total net parking surplus beginning in 2019 is to be transferred to the Parking Reserve to assist with the maintenance and replacement of parking lot infrastructure.

Council approved the Police Services 2019 Budget of $5,397,714 - which includes Capital and Operating. The policing budget is set by the Police Services Boards under the Police Services Act-Section 39 which establishes that Council has only minimal control of what is included in the Operating and Capital Budget of the Service. This is now added to the annual Municipal Budget to arrive at the final Levy amount.

Council adopted the 2019 Operating and Capital Budget with a tax levy of $19, 573,711 an increase of 1.97% over the approved 2018 Budgets. Council's approval will be finalized at the January, 15th Council Meeting.

N1M gets a million-dollar boost

By Cecilia Nasmith

Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP Kim Rudd represented the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development in Cobourg Tuesday to announce an additional FedDev Ontario investment of $1.1-million in the Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation's N1M initiative.

This announcement builds on a previous FedDev Ontario contribution of $1.1-million to launch N1M, a program that has supported more than 30 start-ups and helped to create more than 70 new full-time job. The newly announced boost should support another 25 innovative start-ups and create perhaps 17 additional jobs.

“I think our riding is pretty well at the epicentre, if you will, of Ground Zero of the Rural Renaissance. We coined that phrase a little while ago, and it has been gaining steam throughout Eastern Ontario,” Rudd said.

She cited the site of the announcement – Cobourg's innovation-and-entrepreneurship centre, Venture 13 – as a leader in this movement.

“It's not just that we are changing how business is done, but how it's being created. The Maker Lab and other uses in this building really speak to that.

“We know that these innovations and these businesses are really the businesses of tomorrow, and that's what's happening here,” Rudd said.

“FedDev, as we lovingly call it, is really about creating opportunity, creating business, creating innovation within our rural community, We know that it's doable.”

CFDC executive director Wendy Curtis said her agency takes pride in the work it does here, and with colleagues in Southeastern Ontario.

“We are looking forward to seeing the momentum of N1M – it stands for Northumberland One Million. It began in 2013 as a FedDev pilot project to provide seed funding and support STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] projects across southern Ontario. It gave rise to many, many start-ups.”

Curtis said she had been amazed at the variety of initiatives that resulted locally – from green building materials and cryocooling technology for manufacturing to a personal aerial vehicle that has become the first approved by Transport Canada (and that has been acquired by a Google cofounder).

“All this work is being done here in Canada, here in Ontario, here in Southern Ontario, here in rural Ontario – and a lot of it is close to home.”

Brighton entrepreneur Spencer Selhi appeared as one of the entrepreneurs who benefited from N1M. Chief executive officer and founder of RueBel Ltd., which is developing innovative luggage systems, he wanted to expand upon efficiencies he found to make a dent in the travel market. However, he found that his Royal Canadian Air Force career offered little preparation for the skills and entrepreneur needs – design, engineering, law, logistics, negotiation, sales and marketing, he listed.

“Wendy and her team immediately grasped where I was in my journey and connected me with the resources I needed,” Selhi said.

“Now I'm at the final steps of preparation before launching my new business. I am confident in the direction we are going, thanks to the funding and strategy support from N1M and my contacts through Venture 13.”

Curtis took a moment to share some thoughts on how the Venture 13 innovation-and-entrepreneurship centre has taken off since its launch in May. It has hosted 130 events and activities, seen 3,500 people come through the door, is home to 21 businesses (and 62 individuals work there every day), has hosted six competitions and untold demonstrations and meetings.

“I can barely keep up,” she said.

As for the success of N1M, she added, “N1M start-ups have already won multiple awards, raised considerable funding and established solid business momentum in early commercialization. Building on this track record, with the support of FedDev Ontario, we look forward to launching the next N1M cohort on a comparable trajectory of success.”

Take your pick from the Mitten Tree at the Cobourg library

By Cecilia Nasmith

Part of the holiday atmosphere at the Cobourg Public Library has been the Mitten Tree the Teen Advisory Group set up in the youth-services department.

This initiative will continue through January, with donations of winter hats and mittens for all ages gratefully accepted. However, January also is the time when members of the public who need this kind of warmth are invited to step inside and pick something out.

January programming is soon to begin at the library, and that starts with an opportunity for young people who would like to be part of the Teen Advisory Group. Their January meeting will take place on Jan. 8 from 4 to 5 p.m. Come hang out, enjoy some snacks and share your ideas (and participants may also be eligible for Community Service hours).

For the younger library patrons – those up to age 24 months – a new Mother Goose series begins Thursday mornings starting Jan. 7. This is a weekly time for the little ones (and their care givers) to enjoy an hour of bounces, tickles, songs and rhymes. Registration is now being taken.

If you are interested in learning more about Cannabis in the Community, you are invited to the panel discussion of the same name planned for Jan. 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. Adults are welcome to come get a look at expert opinion on the impact of this legislation.

The Bewdley Book Club has a meeting at the Bewdley branch Jan. 30 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. You can call the branch to register,

And the Cobourg Cougars have declared their Jan. 28 home game (at the Cobourg Community Centre) to be Literacy Night. Starting at 6:30 p.m., show your library card to spin the wheel, enter a draw, make a poster for the game or play air hockey (or apply for a card on the spot to join the fun).

Ongoing programs continue each week, such as the Needle Nuts Yarn Circle Mondays from 10:30 am. to noon, open to all knitters, crocheters and other needle nuts.

On Mondays and Fridays, movie time is 2 to 4 p.m. A complete listing of films is available at the library.

Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. is Family Story Time, with stories, activities, rhymes and a craft for preschoolers. January themes include Happy Birthday, Counting, Hats, Moonlight and Midnight, and Groundhog Day.

Thursdays feature the Needle Nuts Yarn Circle in Bewdley from 7 to 9 p.m. Bring your supplies and ideas – refreshments will be provided.

Also in Bewdley, Fridays are Family Story Time from 10 to 11 a.m., a time for preschoolers to enjoy stories, songs, rhymes and crafts that enhance preliteracy skills

Back in Cobourg, enjoy Tinker Table Fridays during library hours, with different hands-on activities each week.

To register for programming, call 905-372-9271 or visit https://calendar.cobourg.ca./library/.

Cobourg announces holiday scheduling

By Cecilia Nasmith

The Town of Cobourg has announced its holiday scheduling – for office hours and for transit services.

The municipal offices at Victoria Hall (55 King St. W.) will be closed five out of the 10 weekdays that span the Christmas-New Year's weeks – Monday, Dec. 24, Tuesday, Dec. 25, Wednesday, Dec. 26, Monday, Dec. 31, and Tuesday, Jan. 1.

Regular office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will apply Thursday, Dec. 27, and Friday, Dec. 28, as well as Wednesday, Jan. 2, and thereafter.

Should the need arise to report an urgent matter (such as adverse road conditions) during a seasonal closure, please call the public-works division at 905-372-6821.

Cobourg Transit buses, meanwhile, will operate on a reduced schedule during the holidays, and will be completely out of service Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Hours on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve will begin at 6:15 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. at Northumberland Mall.

Boxing Day hours will be 6:15 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.

Other than the dates specified, Cobourg Transit will run on its regular schedule. If you have questions, you can contact the engineering department at 905-372-4555.

Cobourg examines information on opt-in-opt-out cannabis question

By Cecilia Nasmith

Information on opting in or out of allowing a cannabis retail store in Cobourg was shared at Monday's special public meeting – from town staff, a health-unit staffer and Cobourg citizens – but Mayor John Henderson said it was all to work toward an answer to one question.

“We have to do a submission by Jan. 22 to the provincial government,” Henderson said.

“If we do not make it, the strong assumption is, we are opting in. Our decision is, do we opt out?

“If we do, we have the opportunity after Jan. 22 at any time by council resolution to opt in at a future date. If we choose to opt in – once you are in, you are in. You are not allowed to opt out. That is where we are,” Henderson explained.

About 50 people showed up at the Victoria Hall Concert Hall for the meeting. Manager of communications Ashley Purdy said the on-line survey now being conducted – and which as of the meeting date had seen more than 3,400 responses - has been consistently in favour of opting in by about 80%. Similarly, citizens speaking in person at the meeting were five in favour of opting in and one against (plus one undecided).

Municipal clerk Brent Larmer led off the presentations with highlights from the staff report he had prepared.

The meeting was taking place two months to the day following federal legislation legalizing recreational cannabis use, Larmer noted, and implementation in Ontario falls under the provincial Alcohol and Gaming Commission. Through the licensing process, municipalities and citizens may comment upon any application for a license within a 15-day window of application being made.

Larmer pointed out that any objections made must demonstrate that such a license would be contrary to the public interest – a term the commission identifies as protecting health and safety, protecting youth and limiting access to cannabis, and preventing illicit activity in relation to cannabis. Otherwise, the commission's decision trumps local land-use and zoning bylaws.

The province is making municipal grants available through the Ontario Cannabis Legalization Implementation Fund, to offset such related costs as increased law enforcement and paramedic calls. There is a formula based on the number of households, Larmer said, but the minimum amount of $5,000 – the amount to be split 50-50 between the municipality and any applicable upper-tier municipality.

Because of the cannabis shortage, the province has announced only 25 licenses will be awarded initially. These will be awarded on a lottery basis.

“Regulations are coming down every week, so I try to stay on top of it,” Larmer said.

Cobourg Police Service Deputy Chief Paul VandeGraaf and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Substances and Harm Reduction Co-ordinator Catherine MacDonald gave presentations on the law-enforcement and health aspects of legalized cannabis.

VandeGraaf said the impact on law enforcement was in four areas – road safety and impaired operation, access by such vulnerable people as children, training of officers, and enforcement.

Possession (legal for those aged 19 or older) is limited to 30 grams of dried cannabis, or its equivalent in fresh, solid or non-solid product, concentrates or seeds. A household that contains at least one person aged 19 or older can grow up to four plants.

As for driving, cannabis cannot be contained within a car or boat unless it is in original unopened packaging or otherwise in a closed and sealed container kept out of reach – and only then if the operator or at least one passenger is at least 19 years of age.

VandeGraaf outlined how enforcement would work in terms of traffic stops, but said there had been very little impact in the two months since legalization – certainly not the sharp upswing of incidents that some had expected.

Should the town opt in and a retail store open, he said, the Cobourg Police Service would work with the company operating it to ensure public health and safety concerns are respected.

MacDonald explained that cannabis can have both psychoactive and therapeutic effects. It's the THC cannabinoid substance that provides a high that lasts a few hours, but it also is expelled from the body only very gradually – over days or possibly weeks.

She pointed out that the concentration of THC in the product has increased over the years, from 2% to 3% in the 1980s to 14% to 20% today.

One benefit of legalization is to provide a safe product and allow for better research.

MacDonald shared study statistics that show that about 12% of the population were users in 2015 (roughly 3.6-million Canadians), up from 11% two years earlier. It is estimated that 33% of this group are daily or almost-daily consumers, and 24% say they use it for medical purposes. She gave the average age of initiation as 14 years. Nationwide, about half of Canadians admit to ever having been users (the figure for Ontario is about 40%).

Effects on users ranges from giggly-and-lively to anxious-fearful-confused. Symptoms of use can include red eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite and heart rate, and lowered blood pressure. Therapeutic effects include relief for those with nausea, pain, depression, insomnia and even such chronic conditions as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease.

Harmful effects can include mental-health problems, difficulties with memory and thinking, injury from impairment, mental-health issues, breathing or lung problems and dependency.

The health unit is addressing the risks with health-promotion and -protection measures, evidence-based programming and evidence-informed policies and practices, as well as promotion of lower-risk cannabis-use guidelines (choose products with lower THC, for example, and limit and reduce use).

“We recognize people are using this substance. We provide recommendations and suggestions for reducing the harms,” MacDonald said.

She also supports the suggestion that has come forward to prepare a Municipal Cannabis Policy Statement to address local concerns.

Audience comments in favour included remarks by a young woman who has owned a vaping emporium with her husband for five years and also spoke in favour of such that suggestion – and perhaps an advisory committee as well.

She shared her belief that opt-out proponents don't realize how heavily regulated this industry is going to be.

“As someone in a heavily regulated industry, I can tell you business professionals do take regulations seriously, and the fines imposed to break those regulations will keep those businesses in check,” she said.

“Our police department and our health unit are properly equipped for enforcement,” she added.

“Opting out is not a solution. Opting in and being committed to a balance of education and fair and swift enforcement is the best choice for all of us.”

A retired Toronto paramedic recalled accompanying his father to the LCBO decades ago, when you wrote out your order at a counter and your choice of spirits was fetched from the big storeroom for you.

“The government of that day matured and decided citizens of Ontario were responsible enough to set our own legal intake,” he said.

“There comes a time when society has to look after themselves. We can't expect people to come and make rules for everything.

“The last I heard, we have the largest world-wide grow op there will eventually be here in Cobourg. They are going to have their dispensary. It's weird to accept their money, to accept their taxes, and yet say no to citizens of Cobourg and no to other people who come into our town who wish to be entrepreneurs.”

A young man who'd had experience working in a Peterborough dispensary allowed that there is much to learn about cannabis – and, he stated, what better place than in such a store.

“Seventy-six per cent of users want to buy from a legal market, and they want safe access,” he said.

“If we don't have a store in Cobourg, we are denying safe access, where they can walk into a store, get education on that product, and walk out with something that's 5% THC instead of 28% THC.”

The speaker who hoped to influence the town to opt out admitted to being a user, but does not want to see a store in Cobourg.

“We can go up to Roseneath,” he said.

“I don't think we need that. I don't think it's going to attract people – not the people we want.

“Anybody who needs it can find it. I don't think we need it in town.”

The undecided speaker said he was having trouble making up his own mind and would be interested to hear each councillor's thoughts.

“That's not part of the agenda, but it will be debated at our Jan. 7 committee-of-the-whole meeting,” Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin said.

Henderson added that it would also be on the agenda for their Jan. 14 regular council meeting, starting at 4 p.m.

“I will be asking each member of council to make a decision – and please remember, the decision truly is do we opt out.

“Regardless of our decision, I will ask council to make a resolution or motion so we have a record going forward.”

The survey can be accessed at www.cobourg.ca until Jan. 2 to allow for a full report to come to council at the Jan. 7 meeting, which will offer time for presentation and discussion as well as the opportunity for citizen delegations.

PACE tackles chronic pain and the symptom cycle

By Cecilia Nasmith

A PACE session devoted to Chronic Pain and the Symptom Cycle will take place Dec. 19 at the Community Centres of Northumberland in Port Hope, with Dr. Francesco Mule sharing his expertise on the topic.

Dr. Mule, palliative-care and chronic pain-management head of service and medical quality advisor at Northumberland Hills Hospital, finds he discusses this matter with patients and their family members every day. The broad-ranging presentation he has prepared includes the challenges pain can bring on, coping mechanism and a concept he refers to as “catastrophizing.” It will be of interest not only to those suffering from chronic pain but also to those who support friends and family members who cope with it.

The monthly PACE talks (the acronym stands for Personalized Assessment and Change Education) are free public-education sessions that cover a broad range of health and wellness topics. They continue to draw large groups of community members with a range of questions and perspectives. And for those who cannot easily attend, a partnership with Loyalist College means students are making and posting videos of the presentations.

Each session is an hour in length – a 30-minute talk, a 20-minute question-and-answer period with the guest speaker, and a 10-minute moderator summary. They begin at 5:30 p.m., and alternate between the Port Hope location (at 99 Toronto Rd.) and Northumberland Hills Hospital (located at 1000 DePalma Dr,, Cobourg). Bring your questions and suggestions, and be part of a lively and informative discussion.

There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required to manage room capacity. Register for Dr, Mule's presentation atwww.pacetalks.com, a site where you'll also find listings of upcoming speakers and topics as well as video highlights from recent talks.

The Jan. 16 talk features the series's founder Dr. Mukesh Bhargava at NHH, Registration for this session will begin next week.