Porch Views, editorials and more
Opinion John and Beth Hildebrandt Ontario’s municipal elections will be held on October 22. Two things are essential to our democratic system at this time: that taxpayers (voters) prepare themselves by critically assessing the issues and the candidates, and that other taxpayers – those with the desire to serve their …
Photo: djmilic Opinion Mayor Kim Love went to great lengths in her remarks at the June 4 Council Meeting to paint a picture of her being powerless to play any role in bringing about possible disciplinary action against misbehaving councillors. Her comments were a response to criticism she received concerning …
Photo: Jim Haskins, Principal of MVDHS doing what he loved as Producer/Director of South Pacific. If you mentioned extracurricular activities and positive high school experiences to folks in, and from, the Madawaska Valley, many, – at least those who attended MVDHS from 1967-1981 – would think of one man: Jim Haskins …
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 …
Op-Ed Photo: Code of Conduct for Council Would you be surprised to learn that the statement in …
Photo: Mark Woermke For the first time this year, I am enjoying my morning coffee on the porch. It’s pretty quiet on my corner this Saturday morning, but the sun is shining and things look promising for Wilno’s Kashub Day. I have an excellent view of Bay Street and the …
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 …
The Township of Madawaska Valley will soon present its proposed 2018 budget. Many taxpayers do not understand how their tax dollars are being spent. If you have questions, this budget “primer” will help you begin to understand the municipal budget process. To start with, Madawaska Valley taxpayers are lucky to …
On March 8, I started a Facebook post recognizing International Women’s Day. Before clicking “share” I realized it had potential as a Porch Views column, so I deleted it and started creating a list of remarkable Madawaska Valley women. My list grew until it had far too many names for …
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 …
Photo: Sharon Gardiner Dr. Jason Malinowski is Chief of Staff at SFMH. This opinion has been endorsed by the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee. At St. Francis Memorial we have ten inpatient beds on the active care ward to treat serious illnesses requiring acute hospitalization. That’s a very small number of …
James Di Fiore is a freelance journalist focusing on politics and media. He is also a radio host at chcr.org in Killaloe. The opinions expressed in this op-ed are solely those of the author. Just when you thought the long shadow of controversy and unexpected plot twists had left …
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 …
Thank you to everyone who has reacted to Who is a Local? My intention — I don’t think anyone else ever has addressed this topic publicly — was to provoke a thoughtful dialogue on the issue of “localism” and how it affects the lives of our neighbours and the development …
