Reality means it’s time to prioritize

Woolwich council’s recent discussions about Maple Street in Elmira raised a central question: why, with all the necessary expenses, would a municipality think about squandering money on secondary, perhaps altogether unimportant, projects? …Read more

Expect stimulated debate over the budget

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is sending out mixed signals in advance of next week’s federal budget: deficit-fighting restraint, and pre-election spending, aka stimulus spending (stimulus spending if necessary, but not necessarily stimulus spending) …Read more

Cuts are coming in battle to tame deficits

The gravy train that delivered boxcars loaded with infrastructure money from Ottawa is about to be retired from service. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has been signaling his intent to begin tackling the massive deficit, most recently taking aim at overly generous public service pensions …Read more

Onus on township to explain policies

Wedged into this week’s budget discussion at Woolwich council were comments defending the township’s recreation operations, particularly staffing decisions at the Woolwich Memorial Centre. Both chief administrative officer David Brenneman and director of recreation and facilities Larry Devitt took …Read more

Arena fees to become a real hot potato

There’s a certain element of “we warned you” in the debate over another round of increases in recreational fees, including ice rentals in Woolwich arenas.

When user groups pushed for the township to move up the timeline for replacing the old arena and pool in Elmira, councillors stressed the fact that …Read more

Paying for past neglect, future use

Once upon a time, we drove large cars fueled by cheap and plentiful gasoline. In that time we also built poorly insulated homes, simply cranking the heat provided by cheap heating oil, natural gas and, yes, even electricity. It was also then that we ran sprinklers all day, flushed with abundance …Read more

CHL part of battle over gravel pits

Confusion abounds over Woolwich’s plan to look at a cultural heritage landscape (CHL) designation for an area surrounding the historic covered bridge in West Montrose.

From the numbers in the audience at Tuesday’s council meeting and the push-back from opponents, you would think councillors were making a final decision rather than simply starting the formal …Read more

Grant not in keeping with restraint

The $5,000 grant request from the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival seems a small thing, and it is. But Woolwich council made the right choice in turning it down.

The township will find itself in a more difficult financial position this year. Much of that is of its own making: this week’s wage settlements do not mesh with …Read more

Harper’s ambition trumps all else

If Stephen Harper hoped proroguing Parliament – again – would make some of his problems go away, he may have miscalculated – again – the mood of the Canadian public.

Reaction to his announcement was immediate, even though it was made in the midst of the Christmas holidays in an attempt to minimize the fallout: we were supposed to be too stuffed …Read more

Politicians need to resolve to change

Here we are on the brink of a new year. And a new decade (the 10s?), to boot. Do you have any resolutions?

What is it about a new calendar year that makes us eager to reinvent ourselves, if only a little bit? The coming of a new year is seen as a fresh start and a time for deciding what needs to be changed and where to go next. It’s for these reasons that so many people make New Year’s resolutions to accomplish …Read more