Consider This Northumberland

Going from writing songs and recording albums to creating a musical is a giant step for any musician. Cale Crowe made the leap. As a result, the world premiere of Rez Gas is taking place on August 22 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope.

This story is about Destin, who moves away from his reserve to chase a music career. Then, after experiencing car trouble while filling up for gas, he encounters old friends, lovers, and family. It leaves him reflecting on his past and his place in the community.

In this interview, Cale Crowe will talk about his artistic journey towards creating Rez Gas, sharing his thoughts and personal reflections on the process, the final product, and his own growth.

From the outset, Trent Hills Mayor Bob Crate and his council refused to buy into strong mayor powers.

Back in April, the provincial government extended strong mayor powers to 169 municipalities. This included Port Hope, Cobourg, Brighton, and Trent Hills. These came into effect in May.

Crate rejected these powers almost immediately. And recently, council passed all the bylaws to turn those powers back over to council and staff, keeping with the past.

Then, in early July, the council wrote a letter to Premier Doug Ford, calling the strong mayor powers undemocratic, unnecessary, and flawed.

In this interview, you will hear from Bob Crate on why he and his council took this approach.

Doctor recruitment in Northumberland County has become increasingly politicized recently. County council voted in June to spend nearly a quarter of a million dollars each of the next two years to take over doctor recruitment.  Earlier this month, it issued a call for businesspeople to join a recruitment advisory committee.

Currently, 8,000 people are without primary care, and the number could hit over 20,000 by next year as people move here and doctors retire. It is a crisis, say the experts.

This flies in the face of efforts by the Ontario Health Team Northumberland. It is responsible for coordinating health services in the region. It advocated for a single doctor recruitment committee for the county under its umbrella. Politicians accused the health team of creating more studies and not taking enough action.

In 2024, a study conducted by Toronto Metropolitan University recommended a single body, arguing that the current system of three was ineffective and inefficient. The three bodies doing doctor recruitment are West Northumberland, Campbellford Memorial Hospital, and Brighton. It is unclear under the county system if there will be a single body or three. This means some taxpayers may be paying twice for doctor recruitment.

Have a listen and you decide who should be doing doctor recruitment.

Brighton just went live with its new Automated Speed camera on Monday. This was after a three-month trial. It is the first in Northumberland County.

In places like Toronto and Vaughan, these cameras are a source of controversy. Some call them speed traps, while others say it is a cost-effective, efficient way to reduce speed in the community.

In this interview, you will hear Mayor Brian Ostrander make his case on behalf of council. You decide whether it is a good thing both in Brighton and possibly elsewhere in the county. Have a listen.

The Friends of Wesleyville Village are gearing up for a major push as they aim to garner more attention and undertake significant fundraising efforts.

In this interview, Wendy Schroder, Community Programming Coordinator for the Friends of Wesleyville Village, will discuss plans to establish a fundraising committee to undertake a major campaign. She will also provide the history of Wesleyville, background information on the Friends, and details about some of the upcoming programming.

The operation at 310 Division Street is undergoing a major change. Northumberland County council decided to close the warming/cooling hub on July 4 at its last regular meeting. It is also looking to go from a low-barrier facility to a higher barrier, meaning it will continue to offer shelter and housing, but under a different set of standards. Also, a report will be done by the end of the month to look at the details related to these changes.

This extensive interview was done the same morning as the hub closed on July 4. The conversation with Executive Director Ike Nwibe focuses on the impacts of county council’s decision on the clients, the staff, the operation, and the community. The answers were so compelling you will hear the full interview without any edits, taking up the entire show.

The new Northumberland County Archives and Museum received a significant boost last week with its first private donation towards its operations.

Stewart Richardson, a local businessman, historian, and philanthropist, gave $85,000 towards the main exhibition gallery. It will be named in his honour.

In this interview, you will hear from Richardson about his donation. You will also learn about his passion for local history and the many projects – big and small – he has worked on over the years. A lifelong resident of the village of Hastings, he will share memories and stories from the past and present.

The Cobourg police service launched a Safer Streets program. At the same time, the Ontario government passed Bill 6, the Safer Municipalities Act. This act gives local governments additional powers to deal with people living rough.

In this interview, Cobourg Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf will explain how the new Safer Streets program and Bill 6 are related. He will also lay out what is being done to address ongoing concerns with people living rough, public illegal drug use, trespassing, and other issues. He will also talk about the impact of all of this on property taxes. Finally, the chief will react to an open letter from the mayor regarding a private meeting the two had recently.

Indigenous leaders met with Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently over concerns with Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act. Alderville First Nations Chief Taynar Simpson was one of 15 chiefs from across the province invited to participate. Listen to his story as he takes us inside the meeting and see what you think about what was achieved, and whether it was worth it.

Once more, 310 Division Street was front and centre in a debate over its services. Cobourg council hosted a town hall on Tuesday night at the Cobourg Community Centre. It was a chance for residents to express their thoughts.

This was followed the next day by a decision from Northumberland County council to change the operation's mandate from a low-barrier shelter to a lower to moderate operation, closing the 24-hour warming and cooling drop-in centre temporarily, as it considered other locations.

In this interview, Diana Chan McNally will give her professional perspective. She is a Toronto-based front-line community worker and advocate for the unhoused and homeless. She is also the coordinator of the Ontario Coalition for the Rights of Homeless People. While she does not live in Northumberland County, she is aware of what has taken place here and elsewhere. She will speak to Bill 6, the Safer Municipalities Act, a recently passed piece of legislation aimed at municipalities dealing with encampments and people living rough.