Consider This Northumberland

As one of the largest daycare providers in Northumberland County, the YMCA offers a unique perspective on the pressures operators face. As we heard last week, the transition to providing $10/day spaces has left many providers wondering if they can stay open.

Eunice Kirkpatrick, CEO of the YMCA Northumberland, gives a candid assessment of the situation from the frontlines. Operating 22 programs in the county, it is the largest non-profit supplier of daycare and before- and after-school programs for kids. If you are a parent, grandparent, or caregiver, you will want to hear what she says in this interview.

Note: For transparency, I am a member of the YMCA in Cobourg. I do not use daycare services.

Ontario’s healthcare crisis disproportionately impacts rural hospitals. That is a key message the Rural Ontario Municipal Association delivered in a recently released report.

In this interview, Campbellford Memorial Hospital CEO Jeff Hohenkerk can tell you first-hand how difficult it is to run a rural hospital. Keeping the emergency room open, recruiting doctors, addressing the concerns of nurses and mental health services, and an annual budget shortfall, the picture is not pretty. Still, not everything is doom and gloom. He will also describe the hospital's ambitious plans to develop a Campus of Care that may go a long way to solve these issues.

Northumberland County spends nearly $1.5 million supporting local daycare. This is on top of fees paid by parents. Despite the county’s contribution, daycare operators are struggling to stay open.

In this interview, Lesley Patterson, manager of Early Year service programs for Northumberland County, will talk about the funding crisis in daycare. Recently, operators across Ontario expressed concerns about possible closures of daycares due to a lack of funding from the province. It froze fees two years ago. This was all part of a federal/provincial plan to provide affordable daycare. The goal is to provide $10 per day daycare by 2025.

Patterson will explain what is going on in Northumberland. With the frozen fee structure, parents are paying a lot less. In some cases, it is now about half of what parents were paying before the freeze. But none of this pays for additional operational support, some capital projects, and other parental assistance. That is where the county comes in to help.

The lack of spaces compounds the situation. Nearly 1,500 families are currently on the waiting list.

Port Hope resident Angela Grogan recently discovered former municipal councillor and journalist Larry Hall. Hall died in 2014.

Hall grew up in Garden Hill and explored his personal history during his lifetime. His great-grandparents were fugitive slaves who fled the United States for Canada along the Underground Railroad.

Hall was regularly seen at the Port Hope Public Library each year, giving presentations on the history of black people in Northumberland County.

This inspired Grogan. She is scheduled to make a presentation to the Port Hope council on Feb. 13 as part of Black History Month. There, she hopes to raise the profile of Black people, both past and present. She is also taking part in raising a Pan-African flag on Feb. 1.

In this interview, she will share her passion for Black History and her experiences as a Black woman in Port Hope.

The move of Transition House to 310 Division Street is controversial. Supporters view it as a chance to modernize the system to help those who are homeless and need services. Then, some are concerned about the new location. These people are worried about community safety, their homes, and their businesses.

These interviews are a deep dive into the new facility. Public meetings are taking place. A new executive director is at the helm of Transition House. Meanwhile, members of the public, politicians, and the police are among those voicing their thoughts. Cobourg council will begin exploring options towards an agreement between the municipality, the county, and the Transition House at its next meeting.

In the first part, you will meet Ike Nwibe, the new executive director at Transition House. You will get to know him. He will talk about his background, experience, philosophy, and aspirations for the new shelter.

In the second segment, Nwibe and Neil Ellis, the board chair, discuss the public meetings. More about that in a moment.

Last week on the show, you heard Police Chief Paul Vandegraaf express his concerns about 310 Division Street. Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty also acknowledges community safety as a significant issue for politicians, especially during the 2024 budget public input.

Community safety is a critical issue. With the east-end encampment, rising calls for police service, property crimes, and other indicators, it is front and centre. On social media, there are discussions about whether Cobourg is no longer “a feel-good town” – as the slogan goes.

In the second part, two key people, Ike Nwibe and Neil Ellis, are meeting with the public. In the interview, they will address concerns, issues, and specifics about 310 Division Street. These public meetings are incredibly significant. It is a chance to be heard. You can decide if they are listening.

A record number of people participated in a recent survey about the 2024 Cobourg draft budget. Two hundred and eighty residents went online and filled out a survey. It was four times greater than last year.

Inflation, high interest rates, grocery prices, and the cost of gas are hammering everyone’s wallet.

Last fall, Cobourg councillors told staff to aim for a five percent increase. Staff returned with an eight percent increase in its draft budget earlier this month.

Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty will talk about closing the gap. She discusses the police budget and its request for officers. She also addresses the priorities identified by all the participants in the budget survey. This includes Centennial Pool, lifeguards at Victoria Beach, and capital expenditures. Beatty also takes on the controversy over stormwater management charges and its move from tax levy to water bills, a switch that upsets some residents.

There is still time to have a say about the 2024 Cobourg budget, so have a listen.

At a recent Cobourg council meeting, a debate ignited over hiring additional police officers. This led to a tense discussion about public safety and the 2024 budget. With community safety a hot topic in the council chambers and on the street, it is creating a lot of strong emotions in and outside Victoria Hall.

In this interview, you will hear from Cobourg Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf. Since he arrived in 2014, the number of officers has not changed. He asked for six new officers in his 2024 budget submission. But, the Police Services Board approved only four. The Chief will shed light on his request and the resulting debates. He will also review the rest of the police budget and his thoughts on the new home for Transition House at 310 Division Street.

Before that, he will talk about repeat offenders. A new provincial grant program was announced last week. Since this is one of his pet peeves, the Chief has lots to say about bail reform.

Farmers rarely get a break. Operating a farm is a 24/7/365 job. Besides running their operation, the men and women who provide us with our food daily also spend time lobbying politicians at all levels of government.

In this interview, Northumberland Federation of Agriculture President Allan Carruthers outlines some of the challenges local farmers face. He will talk about the carbon tax, legislation stalled in the Senate, and local efforts to keep good agricultural lands in Northumberland County out of the hands of developers. If you ate today, then you will want to hear this interview.

Last month, a major change to the local recycling program took place. And while residents may not notice any difference right away, it is a huge shift with serious implications.

Northumberland County is no longer in charge of its recycling program. You will still see the same trucks coming around to pick up your recycling. That will not change. And the green bins are still going. Garbage remains the same. Adam McCue, associate director of operations at Northumberland County, says nothing is different.

But behind the scenes, a provincial body called Circular Materials Ontario has taken over. It is made up of producers of items that use recyclable materials. The county is contracted to run the recycling program for the next two years. It is all part of a master plan from the provincial government to transfer the responsibilities and cost of recycling back to the companies that produce the materials.

Locally, it means taxpayers will not pay for recycling programs. That is a $3 million savings. If you want to hear the details, have a listen.

For decades, Alnwick Haldimand Township council has wrestled with the future of the nearly 75-year-old Memorial Arena. The stacks of reports sitting on shelves are a testament to the debates over the years. Various councils have edged along with repairs and replacements as time has taken its toll.

Now, with accelerated development near Grafton and a council struggling to keep the facility open, politicians are seeking public input on the future of the ice pad. As the mayor said in the interview, all options are on the table. These range from a new facility to closing everything down. See what you think should be done.