Consider This Northumberland

Consider This Northumberland

By Robert WashburnNewsPolitics
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Consider This Northumberland episodes

  • Cobourg police board chair and chief provide context to upcoming debate on future of force
    At an upcoming Cobourg council meeting, politicians will debate whether it will start negotiations towards a possible merger of the Cobourg and Port Hope Police. Council is also considering contacting Hamilton Township, which the OPP currently serves.
    In this interview, you will hear what the Cobourg Police Services Board chair, Ron Kerr, thinks about all of this. Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf joins him.
    Cobourg already works with multiple police forces. A recent drug bust involved Port Hope police and Belleville’s K-9 unit, demonstrating the collaborative nature of the current system.
    Together, they will outline the options, challenges, and pitfalls for the future. It is not as black and white as many think.
    39 min
  • Cobourg chief gives context to debate over possible police mergers
    On April 1, the new Community Safety and Policing Act came into effect. It was a long time coming.
    The changes in the rules and regulations related to policing underwent a major restructuring. It sent shockwaves through the province, motivating the need for rethink local policing.
    Cobourg and Port Hope are in the midst of adjusting to the new system. A significant aspect is the ability to collaborate between forces to meet the demands of the new Act.
    Port Hope is currently talking with Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough about working together. Nothing is final.
    Cobourg council wants to look at a merger involving Port Hope and, possibly, Hamilton Township.
    These collaborations already take place, but they are less formal.
    Under the new rules and regulations, these must become official service agreements or, if you like, contracts.
    This interview with Cobourg Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf was conducted in April, just after the new Act was released. It will give you some context to better understand what is happening now.
    26 min
  • Seeking solutions for people without doctors, Ontario Health Team weighs in
    Your toddler has a fever that does not seem to break. You are a senior who needs a prescription renewal to treat a chronic condition. Your cold is getting worse, not better.
    For some in Northumberland, it is a call to your physician or, in the lingo of the healthcare sector, primary caregiver. But for those without a doctor, it is a real problem. Where do you go? The maze of services can be confusing.
    Do you use a virtual visit via a local pharmacy or grocery store? What about a walk-in clinic? Then there is the emergency room in Campbellford or Cobourg?
    If you go online, you can't even find a single list of options for the county. However, if you browse social media on any given day, you will find at least one person appealing for advice on finding help nearby.
    There are no simple answers. It is one of the complex questions the Ontario Health Team Northumberland is trying to resolve.
    Today's show is entirely dedicated to figuring out a path through this maze. You will hear from three key people tackling the crisis: Susan Walsh, CEO of Northumberland Hills Hospital. Taryn Renick, Executive Director for Community Health Centers Northumberland and Andrea Groth, executive lead for the Ontario Health Team Northumberland will be talking to me.
    An estimated 8,000 people living in Northumberland do not have a doctor or a nurse practitioner. Within the next two years, the number is expected to rise to 25,000
    The first part of this in-depth interview looks at the role of walk-in clinics in telemedicine. Port Hope's walk-in clinic recently reopened. A new walk-in clinic is opening shortly in Cobourg, and another telemedicine service is opening in a pharmacy in Port Hope. It is joining several others in Grafton, Cobourg, Brighton, and Campbellford.
    Listen carefully to decide if what is being done is enough to address the need for access to care in Northumberland.
    52 min
  • In Their Words: Cobourg council debates first step to single police force with Port Hope and Hamilton Townshp
    Cobourg council debated the future of the Cobourg Police force at a special meeting called by Mayor Lucas Cleveland Thursday.
    Its purpose was to discuss a motion to contact the Port Hope and Hamilton Township councils to see if they were interested in creating a single police service for the three municipalities.
    This is the debate that took place at that meeting. The discussion by politicians has three parts. It begins with a prepared statement read by the mayor. It is followed by debate. The end of the meeting deserves special attention with an exchange between Councillor Miriam Mutton and the mayor.
    While there was a closed session prior to the debate, the council's actions took place in open session. The council cannot make a decision in closed session.
    The podcast is part of a new series called In Their Words. The segment aims to give people who would not usually attend a council meeting a chance to hear their political representatives at work. No spin. No opinions. No one is telling you what to think. Just what was said.
    You decide how the council performs.
    41 min
  • In Their Words: Alnwick-Halidmand council debates cancelling 2024-2025 hockey season
    On September 30, the Alnwick-Haldimand Township council met to discuss the state of the Memorial Arena in Grafton. The ice rink's pipes were failing, and the situation was grim.
    The council debated what to do. The choice was stark: either pay $50,000 for repairs on the system that may or may not fix the problem or cancel the hockey season.
    Children were already registering. The Grafton Minor Hockey League was gearing up to start shortly.
    After a discussion, the council canceled the 2024-2025 hockey season and shut down the arena.
    Within 24 hours, the entire situation changed. An anonymous donor stepped forward with $25,000 for the repairs, and the Grafton Minor Hockey League put a further $60,000 on the table to help pay. This relieved a lot of pressure on the township's budget.
    The next day, there was a second meeting. The council barely discussed anything. The necessary bylaws and motions were carried unanimously. The council moved forward with the repairs. The hope is that the repairs will work and the ice can be salvaged. If not, the leftover donations will be returned.
    Everyone involved knows there are no guarantees. But it could salvage the kid's hockey season.
    You will listen to another edition of In Their Words on today's show. You will hear Alnwick-Haldimand council debate the closure of the arena.
    The segment aims to give people who would not normally attend a council meeting a chance to hear their political representatives at work. No spin. No opinions. No one is telling you what to think. Just what was said.
    You decide how council performed.
    24 min
  • Alnwick-Halidmand John Logel on the state of Memorial Arena and its future
    The state of the Memorial Arena in Grafton has been an issue for a long time. Over decades, many councils have dealt with the more than 75-year-old building and its infrastructure.
    The current Alnwick-Haldimand council inherited this legacy. In January, Mayor John Logel appeared on the show to discuss a survey to determine the arena’s future.
    Since then, multiple reports have been written or are underway. Much public debate has taken place. The Grafton Legion has come forward with a plan to work with the council to create a new facility for its activities to be added to any future plans for the arena.
    The interview gives the mayor’s aspirations and some predictions that are currently playing out. It also provides some context for the debates held at council earlier this week and how the community finds itself in the current situation.
    27 min
  • Seeking solutions for people without doctors, Ontario Health Team Northumberland weighs in

    The show: Part one: Finding help – Walk-in clinic and telemedicine The show: Part two: Getting help – Doctor recruitment The full interview: Parts one and two com Your toddler has a fever that does not seem to break. You are a senior who needs a prescription renewal to treat a chronic condition. Your cold […]

    The post Seeking solutions for people without doctors, Ontario Health Team Northumberland weighs in appeared first on Consider This.

    Related posts:
    1. Port Hope mayor gives an update as the walk-in clinic is in the final stages, preparing to open in July
    2. Walk-in clinic re-opens following year of challenges to serve patients who don’t have a doctor
    3. Ontario Health Team Northumberland wants to know what you think about local healthcare
      4. 52 min
    4. In Their Words: Cobourg council debates first step to single police force with Port Hope and Hamilton Township

      The Podcast: Cobourg council debated the future of the Cobourg Police force at a special meeting called by Mayor Lucas Cleveland Thursday. Its purpose was to discuss a motion to contact the Port Hope and Hamilton Township councils to see if they were interested in creating a single police service for the three municipalities. This […]

      The post In Their Words: Cobourg council debates first step to single police force with Port Hope and Hamilton Township appeared first on Consider This.

      Related posts:
      1. In Their Words: Northumberland County councillors debate the future of the encampment in Cobourg
      2. Police officers not only ones hurt by township council decision
      3. Police associations herald single force for West Northumberland
        4. 41 min
      4. In Their Words: Alnwick-Haldimand council debates decision to cancel 2024-2025 hockey season

        The show: On September 30, the Alnwick-Haldimand Township council met to discuss the state of the Memorial Arena in Grafton. The ice rink’s pipes were failing, and the situation was grim. The council debated what to do. The choice was stark: either pay $50,000 for repairs on the system that may or may not fix […]

        The post In Their Words: Alnwick-Haldimand council debates decision to cancel 2024-2025 hockey season appeared first on Consider This.

        Related posts:
        1. Alnwick-Halidmand Mayor John Logel on the state of the Memorial Arena and its future
        2. All options open as council seeks public input on future of Alnwick-Haldimand Memorial Arena
        3. In Their Words: Northumberland County councillors debate the future of the encampment in Cobourg
          4. 24 min
        4. Alnwick-Halidmand Mayor John Logel on the state of the Memorial Arena and its future

          The show: The state of the Memorial Arena in Grafton has been an issue for a long time. Over decades, many councils have dealt with the more than 75-year-old building and its infrastructure. The current Alnwick-Haldimand council inherited this legacy. In January, Mayor John Logel appeared on the show to discuss a survey to determine […]

          The post Alnwick-Halidmand Mayor John Logel on the state of the Memorial Arena and its future appeared first on Consider This.

          Related posts:
          1. All options open as council seeks public input on future of Alnwick-Haldimand Memorial Arena
          2. Everything from Grafton arena to housing considered in strategic planning, says mayor
          3. AH council to seek a report at next meeting into the feasibility of Legion partnership to save aging arena
            4. 27 min

          About Consider This Northumberland

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          Politics, Life and Journalism in Northumberland County: Local journalist Robert Washburn hosts a current affairs program dedicated to the issues facing our community. He talks to people on the…

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