Monthly Archives: June 2009

06.10.09
by

Ontario proposes tough new wind turbine rules

The Ontario government is proposing new regulations that would keep wind turbines at least 550 metres away from any house.

The province wants that minimum distance, or “setback,” to be mandatory for wind developers who install one to five turbines emitting the lowest allowable noise level.

Greater distances would be required for larger groups of turbines.

The setbacks are twice as big as what industry officials were expecting. For 15 turbines, for instance, the distance from the nearest house could be 1.5 km, depending on the noise level.
Full story

See also Ministry of the Environment

06.09.09
by

CERA president blasts Central Elgin council for out of control spending

Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, June 08, 2009 – At the Central Elgin Council Meeting tonight, Bruce Lemon, President of Central Elgin Ratepayers Association (CERA) blasted the Municipal Council for out of control spending, lack of transparency and one of the highest lower-tier property tax rates in Ontario.

“Reasons for incorporating the villages of Belmont, Port Stanley & the Township of Yarmouth into the Municipality of Central Elgin were to maximize operating efficiencies as well as minimize duplication with the goal of reducing costs. The results to date have been a total failure with property taxes having at least doubled, water rates have at least tripled and staffing levels have increased dramatically while the municipality has only realized a very small population growth rate.” , said Bruce Lemon.
Continue reading →

06.07.09
by

As jobs go, so do political fortunes

“St. Thomas, London, St Catharines, Oshawa – a lot of people who voted Conservative last time around are unemployed right now,” said Peter Woolstencroft, a political scientist at the University of Waterloo, which is located in one of the province’s key auto-making regions.Mr. Woolstencroft said the difficulties being experienced by those same voters may explain why Michael Ignatieff is pushing so hard for an extension of unemployment benefits.
He also sees the Liberals at least modestly bouncing back in the area.
Full story

06.07.09
by

Feds, Ontario ante up for city

Two long-awaited projects in St. Thomas got a green light Friday (June 5) with Infrastructure Stimulus dollars from the federal and provincial governments.
But a new home for the St. Thomas Police Service missed out, again.
Continue reading →

06.06.09
by

Canadian mayors pass resolution to shut out U.S. bidders from local contracts

FCM logo
Canadian municipalities hope they are helping the federal government make a case against the Obama Administration’s “Buy American” policy, passing a resolution Saturday that would potentially shut out U.S. bidders from city contracts.

Delegates at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference narrowly passed the resolution 189 -175.
Full story

06.06.09
by

Brian Hollywood shoots from the hip

city_scope_logo-cmyk
Brian Hollywood describes himself as a “shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy,” and in the past that has placed the president and CEO of St. Thomas Holdings Inc. squarely in the sites of City Scope.
“I’m passionate about what I do,” Hollywood stressed halfway through a frank conversation with this corner a week ago.
“After 40 years in the business I don’t have to be here. But we’re creating something here.”
Hollywood agreed to an invitation to sit across the table in his office to candidly discuss his tenure at the utility, his vision for the future and the strategic plan that has led to a couple of key acquisitions, including the most recent, Tal Trees Inc. in Belleville, Ont.
Continue reading →

06.04.09
by

Buy American retaliation will hurt everyone

Posted by Ian:
Earlier this year a trade unionist spokesman appeared before St. Thomas council urging them to support a Buy Canadian purchasing agenda. Our elected officials wisely declined and here is why such a protectionist stance is dangerous.

Retaliating against U.S. states and cities for adopting Buy American measures is like throwing a grenade in a confined space, says Trade Minister Stockwell Day.

“Everyone gets hurt,” Day told a Canadian Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday.

Day said he was concerned to hear a group of Canadian municipalities want to bar companies in protectionist countries from bidding on procurement contracts in Canada.
Full story

06.04.09
by

Towns should fight against province imposing itself

Some 2,500 years ago, fable author Aesop opined that, “Persuasion is often more effectual than force.” It is an idea the current provincial government has decided holds no place, at least when it comes to matters it feels are important.

The list of areas where the government has chosen to exert the force of law over the persuasion of education is becoming legion, including but not limited to smoking, cellphone usage and, most importantly, wind power.

Ontario Energy and Infrastructure Minister George Smitherman reinforced the position Monday.

“We passed a law, and the law does not create an opportunity for municipalities to resist these projects just because they may have a concern,” he said.

On the surface, Smitherman’s comment makes sense; after all we can’t have people just running around breaking laws they don’t agree with. Otherwise you will start having black people riding in the front of buses, women voting and native people asking for land back that our forefathers stole from them.
Full story

06.04.09
by

Municipalities voice concern over budget cuts

The organization representing Canada’s municipalities is trying to get out in front of the issue of potential budget cuts, insisting that a ballooning federal deficit must not be made up on the backs of cities and towns.

The concerns come as lobbying groups and organizations get accustomed to a deficit the government announced last week would hit $50-billion this year – $16-billion more than previously predicted.

Jean Perrault, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, told The Globe and Mail in an interview Wednesday that the shortfall was leading to increasing concerns that Ottawa would cut spending on municipalities.
Full story