Canada Day transit detours announced for Cobourg Transit

By Cecilia Nasmith

The Town of Cobourg has notified Cobourg Transit users of some detours and route adjustments that will be caused by the Waterfront Festival June 29 through July 1, as well as the Canada Day parade July 1 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

During the Waterfront Festival, terminal stops for Routes 1 and 3 change to Third Street by the Third Street parking lot. All other stops remain unchanged, but delays should be expected.

A Canada Day detour will take place on both routes due to the big parade.

Route 1 will be missing downtown stops from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. Route 1 will still be visiting the east end from University Avenue East and D'Arcy Street, but King Street will be closed to traffic between William and Church streets.

Route 2 will be missing stops south of University Ave. W. during the same time period, at which time King Street is closed to traffic between William and Church streets.

Bus times will vary during the parade period. Users are encouraged to check the Where's My Bus? web-mapping app that provides updates on the geographic location of the transit buses, featuring updates every 12 seconds in real time.

For more information, contact the engineering department at 905-372-4555.

Rudd announces Aboriginal species-at-risk funding

By Cecilia Nasmith

Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Kim Rudd this week announced $224,669 over three years for Alderville First Nation in support of the Black Oak Savanna stewardship of Pamaitaashkodeyong for Species At Risk.

This funding will use a collaborative approach to protect and improve important grassland and savanna habitat within the Rice Lake Plains.

The project pursues diversified restoration, stewardship and monitoring activities that target 28 Federally listed species including the Level 1-priority species Monarch (designated as Special Concern), Western Chorus Frog (Threatened) and the Endangered Little Brown Myotis, Northern Myotis and Tri-coloured Bat – as well as other avian, bat, herptile and pollinator species designated At Risk.

Additionally, up to 15 acres per year of tall-grass ecosystem will be restored through high-complexity prescribed burns by professional consultants, with refugia protected from fire.

The project will work collaboratively with the Rice Lake Plains Partnership and other stakeholders to undertake landscape and ecosystem-based planning focused on common species-at-risk habitat protection goals.

Plans call for outreach and volunteer events, workshops and other engagement opportunities, including hands-on workshops on applied restoration methods, as well as educational tours targeting schools, community members, naturalist groups and other parties.

“The Aboriginal Funds for Species At Risk provide critical funding to protect both flora and fauna within the Alderville Black Oak Savanna,” Rudd said in the press release - “itself a crucial, interconnected web of life that stands as a living, breathing example of the best of Canada's natural heritage.”

Northumberland announces new County Housing Corporation directors

By Cecilia Nasmith

Northumberland County has announced the names of new directors appointed to the Northumberland County Housing Corporation at its annual general meeting.

Northumberland County is the sole shareholder of this corporation, the county press release stated, which is a social-housing provider that owns and operates 344 social-housing units. The AGM marked the first time that community members have been appointed to the board

When the NCHC was incorporated in the year 2000, the elected officials of county council constituted the board, with direction provided to staff through standard council mechanisms. Following an open call to the community this past fall seeking applications to sit on the board, nine community members with diverse skill sets and backgrounds were selected to join county representatives - including Warden John Logel and chief administrative officer Jennifer Moore (previously appointed) as well as Councillor John Henderson (appointed at the AGM) to be part of the new board that will help guide the direction of the NHCH over the next three years

“As the county’s housing and homelessness plans and priorities continue to evolve to meet local needs, so too shall the governance of our social-housing units evolve in order to best respond to the complexities of our operating environment,” Acting Warden Bob Sanderson said in the press release.

“We are very pleased to be appointing to the board an exceptional group of leaders with remarkable skill-sets. The formation of a citizen-based board with housing-related expertise is an important next step in shaping long-term strategies that will ensure the strength and sustainability of this vital service.”

New directors include:

Doug Bates, co-owner of the Brown Bag Tour Company, founder of the Kaitlyn Bates initiative and co-founder of the Giving Foundation.

Gil Brocanier, former Cobourg mayor, Northumberland warden and county-council co-ordinator of the Community and Social Services Department, with more than 20 years of private-sector experience (including the development of five-year capital and strategic plans and management of an operating budget of $50-million).

Rev. Neil Ellis, minister of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and member of the Northumberland Affordable Housing Committee, who served on the Northumberland County 20,000 Homes Advisory Committee.

Victor Flume, former president of the Durham Region and Canadian Home Builders' Associations, and former director of Habitat For Humanity Durham Region, Tarion Home Warranty Program and Municipal Property Assessment Corporation boards.

John Hill, retired lawyer, past Northumberland 89.7 chair, and former director of the Northumberland Law Association, Migizi Foundation and People With A Purpose boards.

Daniel Quesada-Rebolledo, Horizons of Friendship community-outreach officer who holds a bachelor-of-arts degree in political studies with an emphasis on law and policy.

Lindsey Reed, APEX Property Management Inc. property-administrative supervisor and part-time facility manager at Northumberland Supportive Non-profit Housing.

Lou Rinaldi, former Brighton Mayor, Northumberland County Councillor and Northumberland-Quinte West MPP (holding the portfolio of Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing).

Anneke Russell, who practices law at SMM Law in Cobourg, and currently serves on the Northumberland United Way resource-development committee and the Town of Cobourg transportation advisory committee.

Board members are responsible for managing the budget, upholding corporate by-laws, agreements and reports, and for long-range strategic planning. They will meet monthly to help guide and oversee the NCHC in alignment with the shareholder direction from Northumberland County.

“Important work lies ahead for this Board as we seek to develop long-term strategies to ensure safe and affordable housing options for our community,” board chair Brocanier stated.

“On behalf of the NCHC board of directors, we look forward to working with Northumberland County council and staff in support of the county’s efforts to foster a thriving and inclusive community.”

Year-end surplus is stellar news for NHH

By Cecilia Nasmith

Any given year brings its share of triumphs for Northumberland Hills Hospital, but the report on the 2018-2019 fiscal year at this week's annual general meeting brought extraordinarily glad tidings – a year-end surplus.

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Northumberland Hills Hospital retiring board chair Elizabeth Selby (left) is seen at this week's annual general meeting with her successor Pam Went

Even though higher-than-planned patient volumes created financial pressures, the board's finance-and-audit committee chair Tom McLean said, they still managed to finish the fiscal year with a $730,000 surplus.

McLean credited cost-saving initiatives and a welcome base-funding adjustment that finally came through from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. As a result, the hospital reported $75,267,518 in expenses for the year set against $76,000,860 in operating revenues.

“Going into 2019-2020, NHH is in a stronger financial position than we have been for some time, and a balanced operating budget has been created for fiscal 2019-2020,” he said.

“We continue to work co-operatively with the Ministry of Health and community partners, not just to maintain but enhance vital services for the benefit of all patients we are honoured to serve.”

Retiring board chair Elizabeth Selby extended recognition to critical partners like the NHH Foundation, through whose creative efforts the hospital receives exceptional community support, and its retiring chair Tyler Hathway.

The foundation's board, volunteers and staff raised $3.15-million for the hospital last year, Selby said - even more than they had budgeted for. It helped fund the purchases of new surgical scopes, a neonatal warmer, new mammography and fluoroscopy unit, and a Sara Flex patient lift.

More and more vital equipment and the technology backbone on which it rests needs to be replaced, she added. Since the hospital opened its doors in 2003, the foundation has provided some $43-million for this purpose.

The NHH Auxiliary celebrated two milestones this past year – a 95th anniversary last fall and, in December, the 50th anniversary of their successful thrift shop, Petticoat Lane.

Not only did Selby praise the members' consistently outstanding fundraising through Petticoat Lane and the Little Treasure Shoppe, but also the small army of more than 350 volunteers who enhance patient care.

“We know it's the small gestures – a smile, help with directions, a friendly visit – that make the difference to patients and their loved ones.”

One outstanding achievement of the past year has been the successful introduction of real-time patient-satisfaction surveys.

“I do believe we have come through the challenges of recent years a stronger and more focused organization, better connected to our partners, our patients and each other,” Selby stated.

As Selby's term as board chair expires, her success Pam Went paid tribute to her service on the board since 2014.

Her background in education has been a treasure, Went said, with administrative positions locally, in New Brunswick and at Nipissing University. She is also a past president of the Rotary Club of Cobourg and, as of July 1, will be District 7070 governor.

Her time on the board included such challenges as their request to the Central East Local Health Integration Network for a third-party review in relation to their chronic financial challenges. This led to the Hospital Improvement Plan and implementing efficiencies that were identified.

The Patient and Family Advisory Committee was a major innovation, Went added.

The change of provincial government after 15 years brought its own challenges, with the restructuring of so many agencies – from the LHIN to Cancer Care Ontario - into one big super-agency called Health Care Ontario.

Through it all, Went said, Selby has worked tirelessly to ensure the continued viability of her community hospital.

President and chief executive officer Linda Davis referred to a new normal, as she shared some highlights of the past year and some thoughts on what may lie ahead.

Simply put, need and demand are growing at a time when the landscape is changing in so many ways.

“Patient volumes have grown and, at the same time, the shortage of long-term-care beds and home-care resources have resulted in patients requiring to remain in hospital though they no longer require acute care. These are averaging 25% of our beds,” Davis said.

These patients are known as ALC (for alternative level of care), and – though a few local retirement homes are assisting for certain cases - no real relief seems imminent.

NHH is seeing the highest in-patient volumes ever, to the point that space once occupied by offices is being called upon for patient care to relieve congestion in hallways and in the emergency department.

Figures for April show that the average occupancy was 121 patients, when they are funded for 96 patients with eight surge beds. The press continued in May, when the average occupacy was 118.

“We thank our staff and our volunteers for their ongoing commitment to the patients and their families. It's truly their effort that makes the difference between good care and great care.”

The uptick in their financial status has been one of the most significant changes, especially after the challenges of the Hospital Improvement Plan and the years of last-minute scrambling to achieve the balanced budget required by law at year's end.

Of that surplus, the board voted to reserve $500,000 toward the Clinical Informaton System, which Davis considers an exciting prospect - “a fantastic opportunity for us to increase information flow, enhance safety in patient care, standardize information and a vuture opportunity to connect with care providers locally as well as regionally.”

More good budget news – a combined heating-and-power system soon to be impemented should save $100,000 a year in utility costs.

Continuing areas of focus will aim to enhance quality and patient safety, and they had a recent win when mental-health counselling was extended to child and youth patients through the partnership of their Community Mental Health Service with Rebound Child and Youth Services and Cobourg Community Counselling Centre.

Originally an outgrowth of patient-education efforts by chief of staff Dr. Mukesh Bhargava, PACE talks are now offered 10 times year. Timely health and wellness topics are spotlighted monthly, with recent topics including mindfulness, how to prepare for an emergency-departent visit, cannabis and skin care. Many of them have been recorded and can be viewed at pacetalks.com.

As the community continues to be a desirable place to live – with its reasonably price housing and proximity to Toronto – the population will increase. And as a desirable place to retire, many of these new residents will be over the age of 75.

Undoubtedly, this will increase the demand on such ambulatory services as dialysis and cancer care, and one foundation project will be a study to explore the feasibility of building a health centre on hospital property.

Under the new provincial government, Ontario Health Teams are being created, and one is in the works for Northumberland. Three key projects have been identified under this initiative – outreach to those in rural areas, community paramedicine services and peer support for those wondering how to navigate the system and what services to access.

“Next year looks to be another active and engaging year, and I am excitied to be part of what lies ahead,” Davis said.

Cobourg takes one step closer to being a Blue Community

By Cecilia Nasmith

Cobourg is one step closer to being a Blue Community with the passage of a motion from Councillor Adam Bureau at this week's committee-of-the-whole meeting.

Council voted to recognize the right to water and sanitation as a human right, and to call on both the provincial and Federal governments (and their environment ministers) to enshrine the principal as a human right as well.

Bureau's motion had two other components, which he chose to deal with separately as each involved potential staff and council action (and possibly expense) that should be studied and implemented more methodically

The banning and phasing out of bottled water in municipal facilities and at municipal events was referred back to chief administrative officer Stephen Peacock for a report in order to see if this was feasible. Peacock said the report would be delivered Sept. 3.

The concept of water-bottle filling stations was referred back to the Sustainability and Climate Change Advisory Committee for more information, which should be brought back to council July 22.

New Horizons funding sought for adult outdoor fitness park

By Cecilia Nasmith

Deadline met and thanks extended, Keith Oliver reported at this week's committee-of-the-whole Cobourg council meeting.

Oliver had recently appeared before council to request staff assistance in applying for a New Horizons grant for a new adult outdoor fitness park in light of a looming application deadline.

In the end, he said, staffer Alison Greer worked with the Fitness Park Working Group to get all ducks in a row in time to push the “send” button five hours before deadline – whereupon, high-fives and hugs were exchanged.

The working group now consists of Bev Snyder (a physiotherapist with 20 years experience), Dave Avery (a local physical trainer), Bruce Bellaire (a senior active in many physical pursuits) and Hilda Bryan-Seet (a retired geriatric nurse whose son Bryan is the group's webmaster).

All three quotes for equipment indicate a $25,000 cost, and letters of support have been received from Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Kim Rudd, the co-ordinator of the local chapter of the Ontario Senior Games Association and the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit board.

“We couldn't be more pleased with the progress being made and the many individuals who became involved, often by pure chance,” Oliver said.

“We are especially pleased with the trust that council has put in us, and we've come here tonight to say a simple thank-you.”

Alnwick-Haldimand honourees announced

By Cecilia Nasmith

Among the celebrations and activities at the 28th annual Alnwick-Haldimand Township Canada Day celebration last weekend was the announcement of citizenship awards inside the Haldimand Memorial Arena.

Acting Mayor Gail Latchford made the awards, with a bit of background for each recipient

Ross Poole was named Citizen of the Year.

Poole worked in the former Alnwick Township (prior to its amalgamation with Haldimand) in the public-works department, but gave a lot of time to volunteer work as well as a member of St. Paul's United Church in Roseneath and on the Roseneath Agricultural Society fair board.

He was active in the establishment of the Alnwick Township Fire Department in 1966. He served as its chief for years, resigning from the department of the amalgamated township in 2011 and becoming district chief thereafter. He was also a member of the Northumberland County Chiefs Association.

He and his wife Blanche are still on the family farm, but they remain involved in the community.

“He is one of those ones who is forward-thinking for the municipality,” Latchford said - “a guy anybody could go to and get an answer.”

Genevieve O'Neill is Junior Citizen of the Year.

Genevieve is active with the Centreton Community Centre and its projects and fundraising (and with the library occasionally as well). She is a 4H leader, helps the Knights of Columbus with their breakfasts and, at school, was a Linked-In member whom Grade 9 students could e-mail when they needed help.

Community Service Awards were also given to several recipients.

Mary Catherine O'Neill (mother of this year's Junior Citizen of the Year) is an active fundraiser for the Centreton Community Hall and library, and has been quite active with Haldimand Court. She is a local 4H leader, and also volunteers in Cobourg with legal services.

Heather Brereton is co-chair of the Centreton Community Centre with O'Neill. She is very active in fundraising for the library and other community projects.

Donna Reeves was a long-time volunteer for the Centreton Community Centre and one of the founders of Friends of the Library. She continues to help with fundraisers for both and is a dedicated volunteer with seniors.

Sarah Holland is often seen in the company of a golden retriever as one of the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog volunteers. She visits schools, hospices and correctional services through this program. She also recently helped organize the largest single gathering in the Northumberland's Biggest Coffee Morning, raising the most money of all the various coffee parties for Northumberland Hills Hospital.

Olivia Gibbs is a member of the Grafton Horticultural Society an can often be seen tending the beautiful gardens in the community (and bringing in special greenery for Christmas). She is also a member (and past chair) of the board of Haldimand Court.

Gay Hoskin created a lot of stir on the hockey rink in his day, but he also was a long-serving member of the old Haldimand Arena board. He has also been a key player in building and maintaining the lovely Haldimand Court flower gardens.

Joan Kelly is a treasured Heritage Alnwick-Haldimand committee member whom Latchford considers a walking history encyclopedia. “If anyone wants any information, Joan will get it for them,” she said.

Mosaic master Anja Hertle won the Art Achievement of the Year award. Hertle's commissions are unique in that they can incorporate some family treasure – a button, a bit of your grandmother's broken china, an old piece of silverware or some other sentimental trifle – into a mosaic that will last for generations. Hertle also organizes an annual arts fair on her Grafton property called Art Salad.

The Grafton Jays Peewee baseball team (with Darryl Hall as coach) won the Sports Award. The team has only been around for three years, but recently won the Eastern Ontario B championships. Next year, they will play host to the Eastern Ontario B championships.

“Darryl said they were thrilled to be nominated, and he is very proud of that team getting the award,” Latchford said.

Parent continues safety plea

By Cecilia Nasmith

The public forum following this week's committee-of-the-whole meeting saw Scott Caister addressing Cobourg council to reiterate his plea from an earlier council meeting for more traffic-control measures at King Street East and Abbott Boulevard.

Caister pointed out that this the only school crossing that does not have pre-existing traffic signals or signage where traffic would expect to stop anyway regardless of the time of day.

“The majority of Cobourg schools are not on major thoroughfares, and those that do have proper stop lights or stop signs,” he said.

“Public awareness of the crossing is only part of the problem – people simply don't feel required to stop.”

The crossing guard now in place is not enough, he continued – an actual stop light is necessary.

Caister reminded council that 2,000 students, teachers, parents and support staff arrive and leave at the same time each day, a situation recognized as potentially dangerous even before an incident in 2017 where a student was hit by a car.

Mayor John Henderson said he would bring the situation up at the next Cobourg Police Services Board meeting.