News
Copy by Don Leslie
In local news, Prince Edward County is considering a new partnership with the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce in an effort to combat the effects of tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Duarte Da Silva, CEO of the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce gave a deputation to council members during Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting. His deputation focused on the dangers the tariffs present and efforts by the chamber to help mitigate the effects of the tariffs on vulnerable county businesses.
Some of the businesses Da Silva says are most at risk are farms, as the agriculture industry is tightly connected across the border. Small to medium businesses in the area are also in danger due to expected supply chain disruptions and rising costs.
Da Silva asked council for a $50,000 yearly contribution over three years, replacing the existing community builder agreement, to fund programs that support local business in an attempt to reduce the impact on the community.
Councillor Chris Braney put forward a motion directing municipal staff to prepare an official report to council about providing extra funding to the chamber, and prepare a draft agreement with the chamber.
Council voted to approve the new motion. Council will decide whether or not to provide additional funding after the report is put before council at a later meeting.
COLLISON
A fiery collision involving two transports has closed both eastbound lanes of Highway 401 at County Road 6 in Odessa.
Emergency responders were called to the crash on the 401 between the Odessa On Route and Gardiners Road in Kingston just before 6 a.m. this morning.
The collision ignited a fire in one of the transports said to be carrying electronics.
Police said there were minor injuries. The highway remains closed for cleanup.
One westbound lane was closed but it has since reopened.
Traffic is being rerouted off the 401 south to County Road 6 and east on Highway 2 and Princess Street and north onto Gardiners Road and back onto the 401
LIBERALS
The Federal Liberal Party leadership race is down one candidate to a total of six for the March 9th voting. Ottawa-Nepean Candidate Chandra Arya failed to meet yesterday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline to submit a nomination package including the signatures of 300 registered Liberals, including at least 100 from three different provinces or territories and a $50,000 refundable deposit.
Arya was the first person to declare his nomination to head the party.
ECONOMY
Stats Canada reported today that the country’s economy contracted by 0.2 per cent in November, more than expected and the largest monthly contraction since December 2023.
This shrinkage follows a 0.3 per cent increase in October, and was led by a drop in output in mining, quarrying, oil sands extraction and transportation, among others.
According to its initial estimate, the annualized fourth quarter GDP is likely to be 1.8 per cent, or similar to what the Bank of Canada had forecast in its latest projections published this week.
The central bank has been concerned about the pick-up in economic activity despite several rounds of interest rate cuts. It has cut rates by a cumulative 200 basis points since June, to three per cent.
The bank revised its 2025 GDP growth forecast downward to 1.8 per cent from 2.1 per cent earlier, especially led by a decline in population this year.
The growth forecast figures could be further dented if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to slap 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports.
And finally, a reminder from the Prince Edward OPP that you never have to pay to collect winnings from a legitimate lottery. This week officers began a fraud investigation after it was reported an elderly person was potentially being duped into believing they had won the lottery.
As a result, a 56-year-old of Sutton West, Ontario man has been charged with Fraud over $5000 and other offenses..
Sports
DUKES
The Wellington Dukes have a home game this Sunday. The Lindsay Muskies come to Lehigh Arena for a 2:30 start. The Dukes have won all three previous meetings between the teams this season.
PIRATES
The Picton Pirates are on the road tonight as they head East on the 401 tonight to Napanee to challenge the Raiders. The Raiders are in the top spot in the Easy Tod Division with the Pirates just three points behind in third. Game starts at 7:30.
NHL
There are four games on tap for the NHL tonight. The Nashville Predators are in Buffalo to face the Sabres. The Dallas Stars will host the Vancouver Canucks.
The other games will take place in the Rockies. The Columbus Blue Jackets travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Hockey Club. Elsewhere, the St Louis Blues are in Denver to skate against the Colorado Avalanche.
NBA
In the NBA, the Toronto Raptors host the Chicago Bulls tonight at 7:30. The Raptors have heated things up from a dismal first half of the season. They are riding a five game winning steak and and have 7 wins in their last 10 starts.
