Cougars' sign and puck drop kick off a new season
By Cecilia Nasmith
The Cobourg Cougars kicked off the 2019-2020 Ontario Junior A Hockey League season with a puck drop by Mayor John Henderson on home ice – and a pre-game surprise as well.
The afternoon before the game, the team and mayor joined forces to unveil a six-ft. sign that offers them official congratulations on their 2017 National Championship win.
It will be a permanent fixture on the grounds of the Cobourg Community Centre (750 D'Arcy St.) just north of the front entrance that designates the facility “Home of 2017 National Champions Cobourg Cougars” and lists the team members.
Cougars governor Marc Mercier said in the town's press release that the commemoration of this achievement is gratifying, showing what is possible when an entire community rallies around a common goal.
“We wish to thank Mayor John Henderson, town council and staff for their collective support in recognizing the Cougars’ incredible accomplishment and wishing us well this season,” Mercier said.
In May 2017, the Cobourg Cougars hosted the 45th annual National Junior A Championship at the CCC. After eight days of competition, the team celebrated the championship win after an overtime goal against the Brooks Bandits from Brooks, Alberta.
Henderson acknowledged the spirit of the Cougars and the role it plays in the community, as does the spirit of all its amazing teams.
“When the Cobourg Cougars won the National Championship, the entire community celebrated with them,” he recalled.
“I am delighted to acknowledge this major accomplishment, and wish the team the best of luck this season.”
Consultation coming on contentious issues
By Cecilia Nasmith
Issues of consuming interest to Cobourg residents are coming up in terms of public meetings and consultation opportunities, and councillors shared the details at this week's council meeting.
Councillor Emily Chorley said that a Sept. 12 open house at the Cobourg Community Centre will invite members of the public to learn more about the east pier and campground project between 6 and 8 p.m.
Work stations will provide information on both projects, as well as the proposed Coast Guard building. There will be the opportunity to have questions answered, and communications staff will be present to offer some tutoring on how to provide input through the new Engage Cobourg computer platform.
On Sept. 16, Councillor Aaron Burchat added, this software will see a launch of consultation on the new taxi-service-ride-sharing-Uber-Lyft bylaw – a comprehensive process leading to a staff report in November.
The initial stage of consultation involves a detailed survey for all involved – passengers, drivers, people with accessibility issues – on such matters as fares and seniors' rates.
A public meeting is planned at the draft-bylaw stage, Burchat continued. As far as any changes to be made, they hope to have that in place in January, just in time for license renewals.
Cobourg council raise is still on the table
By Cecilia Nasmith
The question over raises for Cobourg councillors, voted down by a four-to-three vote in May, is alive and well, following a vote at this week's meeting.
Councillor Nicole Beatty, who previously voted against a raise, made a motion that the matter be reconsidered after new information had come to light – a point on which she did not elaborate.
The vote to get the matter on the floor required a two-thirds majority. As Mayor John Henderson was late, explained Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin, that motion required four yes votes as that constituted the requisite two-thirds majority – had Henderson been present, she added, five votes in favour would have been required.
Henderson did show up within minutes of the debate beginning, having dropped the first puck of the season for the Cobourg Cougars, but not in time to vote on whether to put the matter back on the floor. As he voted against the raise in May (and again this week), it is likely he would have joined Councillors Brian Darling and Aaron Burchat in voting against it again and denied Beatty's motion its two-thirds majority - whereupon it would promptly have been defeated and the matter dropped again.
The motion returned to life was essentially the one previously voted down. It provided for consideration during the 2020 budget process of new salaries - $48,100 for the mayor, $38,480 for the deputy mayor and $33,670 for each councillor, with annual CPI adjustments – and a review of this salary structure during the third year of each council term.
Councillor Emily Chorley made an amendment, which passed, that council members of the Police Services Board would have their remunerations reviewed during budget deliberations as well, and that they would no longer be calculated as a percentage of established council salaries.
Burchat argued that councillors were too close to the issue to vote on it without some kind of third-party review.
Darling said he'd been comfortable, in his former term on council, in voting a raise for a subsequent term of council. But he had trouble voting himself a raise as a sitting councillor.
Similarly, he would have no trouble considering a raise in the third year of this term, as it would apply to the incoming council.
“I do believe the salary is fair,” Darling stated.
Henderson confessed he still had trouble supporting a raise.
“We may deserve a raise, but it's how we will provide that raise,” the mayor said.
“I do believe, as I think back, that we have already had a raise which we were not expecting, and we are getting annual CPI throughout the year.
“We may deserve this new amount, but I would just like a new method of determining that.”
Councillor Adam Bureau reminded his colleagues that debate was still to come on the matter during 2020 budget deliberations. And Seguin added that it was not a done deal until that stage of the debate was over.
Darling asked for a recorded vote on Beatty's motion. It broke down exactly as the vote in May turned out, except for Beatty voting in favour last week and against in May.
PACE announces its fifth season
By Cecilia Nasmith
Now entering its fifth year, the Northumberland PACE speakers' series launches its 2019-2020 season of health and wellness talks Sept. 18.
Based on the popular TED talks, the PACE (which stands for Personalized Assessment and Change Education) program strives to share information and spark discussions around a broad range of health and wellness issues that are top-of-mind for local audiences.
The series was initiated in 2015 by IMCare internal-medicine specialist (and Northumberland Hills Hospital chief of staff) Dr. Mukesh Bhargava as a means of answering many of the questions his patients were bringing to him in a more comprehensive way. It was expanded in 2018 to involve a larger planning group of local health-care partners and patients with an interest in education and knowledge-building around health and wellness.
Along with the NHH, the Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation, Northumberland Family Health Team and Community Health Centres of Northumberland have joined Dr. Bhargava at the planning table to build and expand the series, together with patient and care-giver representatives from the hospital's Patient and Family Advisory Council.
Access to the talks was also expanded through a unique collaboration with Loyalist College students, who record most sessions for viewing at www.pacetalks.com. Now Richards Printing has joined the planning table to support printing costs.
The one-hour monthly sessions follow a simple format – a 30-minute talk, a 20-minute question-and-answer period with the guest speaker, and a 10-minute moderator summary. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance in order to manage room occupancy.
Sessions rotate monthly between the community-education rooms at the Community Health Centre of Northumberland in Port Hope (99 Toronto Rd,) and Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg (1000 DePalma Dr.), each beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Dr. Bhargava said the organizing team will collect topic and speaker ideas from those in attendance, and from the community at large, for future consideration – consistent with certain founding principles of the series – the presenters speak free of charge (no honourarium), sponsorships are not accepted (to avoid bias), no solicitations will be allowed, and presentations are offered as conversation starters and not as individualized medical advice.
The first 2019-2020 PACE talk will take place in Port Hope, with local resident and nurse-practitioner Karen Truter discussing the topic of memory loss and its prevention and treatment.
Looking ahead:
Oct. 16 – Taelor Dunn discusses the science and benefits of music therapy in Cobourg.
Nov. 20 – Paul Burnham looks at farm-to-table eating in Port Hope.
Dec. 18 – Dr. Daniel Ricciuto examines the issue of spreading infections (how to prevent them and how to prevent spreading them) in Cobourg.
Jan. 15 – Dr. Mark Essak tackles the issue of where we are at this point in time in relation to the issues surrounding Medical Assistance in Dying in Port Hope.
Feb. 19 – With a speaker in Cobourg to be announced, the topic is a panel discussion on integrative medicine.
March 18 – Dr. Rishi Handa offers tips for consumers to help separate fact from fiction in medical marketing in Port Hope.
April 15 – Dr. Bhargave discusses the science of habits in Cobourg.
May 20 – William Prawecki offers a care-giver's perspective on caring for loved ones at home in Port Hope.
Anyone interested is advised to register early to reserve a seat. Registration for the September session is now open at www.pacetalks.com and, as a rule, registration for future sessions begins about three weeks prior to the event.
Bring your questions, your suggestions and your experiences for what is expected to be another lively season of discussions. If you have a smart phone, you are invited to bring it to participate in real-time event feedback – though audience feedback is also gathered at each session without the help of technology.
Province lends large helping hand on King Street West culvert
By Cecilia Nasmith
Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini was accompanied by Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure Laurie Scott in the Victoria Hall foyer Monday, as he announced the province's investment of $1,244,096 in the replacement of the culvert at King Street West.
It's a project whose estimated cost is $1,492,975, Cobourg Mayor John Henderson noted.
“We could not be happier.”
Scott said that this is part of an infrastructure investment of some $144-billion made in April's budget to be rolled out over 10 years.
The millions of dollars worth of infrastructure announcements he has made around the riding has shored up an important resource, Piccini said.
“It helps us get to work, it helps agricultural goods get to market, it helps people get around,” he said.
“It helps you connect people, it helps you connect places, it helps you connect things as we go to market.”
In this case, however, it's importance is critical. More than 70 households form the growing community at the western terminus of King Street, living in a pocket of development that has no other access except on that one road.
Henderson said that area is known locally as the Pebble Beach Drive community. As you drive west on King Street West, you will cross a culvert under the road between Burnham Street and Tracey Road. It's a culvert the mayor noted that has not been replaced at least during his 38 years in Cobourg.
Should the culvert be compromised and the road collapse, Councillor Brian Darling pointed out, there is no way in or out for the west-end residents – and no access for emergency-response services called to that community.
The project will ensure a culvert up to current standards of safety and sustainability will be installed to ensure continued access into and out of that west-end neighbourhood on the only access road it has.
“We are committed to ensuring we have the modern infrastructure this community needs,” Piccini stated.
“I want to make sure we are competitive and we have the infrastructure we need to keep up with this rapidly growing economy.”
“It can only boost our local economy and improve our quality of life,” the mayor commented.
Grant will help county settlement services maximize reciprocal benefits
By Cecilia Nasmith
From left, photo shows Northumberland County director of economic development Dan Borowec and chief administrative officer Jennifer Moore, with Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Kim Rudd, Northumberland County Warden Bob Sanderson, Northumberland Settlement Services Co-ordinator Emilio Ojeda, Cobourg Mayor John Henderson and Northumberland Hispanic Cultural Club director Antonio Sarmiento.
