Editorial For readers who may not have seen it, the editorial in this week’s Eganville Leader makes some salient points under the title Voter frustration. It says, Whether it is the ever-testy North Algona Wilberforce or equally testy Madawaska Valley or the municipalities surrounding them, ratepayers are looking for transparency, …
Opinion Last Wednesday’s edition of the Valley Gazette carried an opinion piece (although it is not described as such) by its publisher, Michel Lavigne. It contained a rant against community online “blogs” in general, but left little doubt that its main purpose was to attack The Current. It is worth …
Photo Evan Dennis Opinion As reported exclusively by The Current, Madawaska Valley’s former Integrity Commissioner Jack Rosien earlier this year commenced a claim for damages against the Township in the Superior Court at Pembroke. A municipality being sued by its own Integrity Commissioner is not an everyday occurrence so The …
Editorial In the 2014 municipal election, 62.76 percent of Madawaska Valley voters participated. This compares to the provincial average which, according to Wikipedia, was 43.12 percent. This demonstrated a commendable commitment to the electoral process on the part of this community but it begs the question, will there be a …
Elser Lee Faith Archer outside her office in Barry’s Bay If elected mayor, Elser Lee Faith Archer says she will call upon her governmental and council experience to provide leadership aimed at improving efficiency and harmony at the council table. She says the solution begins with strict compliance with Roberts Rules …
Chrystia Freeland (Photo: Chris Young, Canadian Press) Editorial I suspect I was not alone on Canada’s birthday in spending a little time mulling over its future. This year, given recent events, the exercise has left me feeling somewhat apprehensive. This is because it seems, the way I look at it, …
Message from the Publisher: With the announcement on Wednesday by Councillor Carl Bromwich, followed minutes later by that of Mayor Kim Love, that both are seeking re-election, it is true to say that the campaign season for the October municipal elections has now begun. The Current has today published an …
Photo: Shane Rounce on unsplash.com Opinion While Ontarians were preoccupied with electing a new government yesterday, Bill C-45 went before the Senate. The Bill, which contains the Government’s proposal to legalize the use of recreational cannabis, was passed by the Senate but with numerous amendments. Perhaps the most controversial of …
Image credits: Madawaska Valley Falcons (L) and Grey Highlands Hawks (R) On November 9 last year Valley hockey fans were shocked to learn that MV Falcons Hockey Club had ceased operations with immediate effect. At the time Gary Medwid, its owner, announced that this was the result of Head Coach …
In a recent article, the Current disclosed how some municipalities give guidance to residents about making complaints including those to an Integrity Commissioner (IC). Some also provide information about the role of their ICs with reference to their Codes of Conduct for members of Council. At the present time Madawaska …
Opinion On Tuesday of this week, at the age of 112, the Ontario Municipal Board passed into history, to be replaced by the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (“LPAT”). Whether or not this amounts to one cumbersome bureaucracy being replaced by another remains to be seen. In theory, however, some of …
Opinion As reported by The Current, at the Council meeting on March 21 2018 the Mayor took umbrage at my opinion piece entitled “MV is not a CAO-friendly environment!” (Click HERE to read it.) She took particular offence, and indeed described as “defamatory”, the following passage in that opinion piece: “Yet …
Renfrew County Legal Clinic, which provides free legal services to county residents who face economic limitations, is accessible by Valley clients one day a month in Barry’s Bay. The Clinic, which is funded by Legal Aid Ontario, is an independent non-profit corporation run by a Board of Directors made up …
Opinion Last week I attended the Finance & Administration Committee meeting. After I sat down, I was presented with the stark evidence that the Township was once again headless, this being the empty chair usually occupied by the CAO. As the front page story in last week’s Eganville Leader reminded …
On Jan. 10 the Current sent the following email to Madawaska Valley Township’s th CAO, Doug Robertson. Wed, Jan 10, 2018 Dear Mr. Robertson With immediate effect a new, online newspaper is being introduced to the community, namely The Madawaska Valley Current. It is published by MadValley Media, a company of which …
