Written by Jeff Green

When the K&P trail project was first being floated about 10 years ago, the fact that the section between Tichborne and Sharbot Lake is privately owned was discussed. The logic was to work from south to north, deal with all the complications along the way, and worry about that part… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

Mystery Train. Slow Train Coming. Long Black Train. Morning Train. Night Train. Train to Paradise. Waitin' on a Train. Trains of no Return. There is an endless string of song lyrics that come to mind about the idea of a return of passenger rail service to the Highway 7 corridor… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

Anyone who has been to the Frontenac County offices in what is known as “The Old House” will know that it is an apt name. The space still looks and feels like a house. There are large unused rooms, a round staircase reminiscent of Gone with the Wind, and small… READ MORE

Written by Gray Merriam

This August we are in the tenth consecutive month of above-record temperatures. Not only is it clear that global warming is real but it is also clear that climate change is characterized by vastly increased variability in resulting weather. Forest fires here, flooding rivers there and killing drought in unpredictable… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

It is no secret that North Frontenac's mayor, Ron Higgins, is convinced that installing wind turbines anywhere in North Frontenac would be a bad idea. Under his recommendation, North Frontenac Council declared itself a “unwilling host” at the first opportunity in the spring of 2015, before even hearing from proponents… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

At first glance, the branding exercise that residents of Frontenac County have bought and paid for has resulted in a dull, empty logo. It has three colours representing rocks, fields and lakes, a crumpled maple leaf, and some clipart trees that are supposed to represent Balsam Firs and the four… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers remain in a legal lockout/strike position. Either side is poised to give 72 hours notice of their intention to suspend the service indefinitely. Nonetheless, after playing a game of chicken for a couple of weeks earlier in the month, leading up… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

The recent Long Term Sustainability Plan (LTAP) presented to the board of directors of the Limestone District School Board in late May, recommended that Prince Charles Public School in Verona be closed and the students be sent to Loughborough Public School in Sydenham. What a difference a decade makes. Nine… READ MORE

Written by Wilma Kenny

Those of us who live here are well aware of some of Sydenham village’s traffic challenges: we have learned that most weekdays it’s advisable to avoid the corner of Wheatley and Rutledge for the fifteen minutes morning and afternoon when the school busses are arriving and leaving. But we do… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

Over the past few months I have been asked a couple of times to make sure that I let our readers know either that the average ratepayer will pay $34 more per $150,000 in assessment in one township; or that the tax rate increase is 0.03% in another township; or… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

There is a concept called “bureaucratic creep”, which describes the tendency of organizations to develop more and more levels of bureaucracy over time. The number of people doing the actual work of the organization, be they factory workers, front-line social workers or road crews, stays the same or goes down,… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

Municipal councils set policy; they set budgets; and they provide oversight to ensure that everything is running well. It is not their job to run the township; that is the job of township staff. There is indeed a grey area in all this. Councilors are elected, and the people who… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

As someone who owns a business that provides a service to other businesses, I have an interest in economic development in Frontenac County. What I've learned over the years is that business success is more about individual passion and drive than anything else. In recent months I have been working… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

Seven thousand and seven hundred Algonquin electors are eligible for a ratification vote on the Algonquin Land Claim Agreement in Principle between February 29 and March 7. Voting will take place in nine off-reserve communities, including Sharbot Lake, as well as at Pikwàkanagàn First Nation. The claim has been 25… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

The new Liberal government finds itself dealing with harsh realities even before they deliver their first budget, as promises that looked good when sketched out as headlines in campaign literature documents get bogged down in the endless details of being turned into viable long-term policies and programs. The bold promise… READ MORE

Written by Jeff Green

In 2008, politicians in Lennox and Addington (L&A) County were faced with the option of closing the Denbigh Ambulance Service and re-allocating resources to the south end of the county to satisfy an ever-increasing demand. At that time they resisted. In 2012 the same issue was before Council and that… READ MORE