News
Copy by Don Leslie
In local news, Prince Edward County Council has voted 12-2 in favour of adding a question on the 2026 municipal election ballot. In February 2025, Council passed a motion requesting staff to provide a report on the legislative framework and process for adding a question on the ballot for the 2026 municipal election. The question – ‘Are you in favour of a comprehensive governance review which would look at Council size, ward boundaries, structure and method of election?’ to the ballot. For the results of a question to be legally binding on the municipality, at least 50% of the eligible electors in the municipality vote on the question and more than 50% of the voters are in favour. Traditionally, voter turnout has been less than 50% in Prince Edward County. Should that be the case, the results would not be legally binding. Any changes which may result in size of Council or ward boundary configuration would be in effect for the 2030 municipal election.
Lower Trent Conservation is advising municipalities and the public that a Flood Warning for Rice Lake and the Trent River from Hastings to Trenton is still in effect. Current Water levels and flows are highly elevated and there is a heightened risk to public safety and property damages in flood prone areas. The flows down the Trent River are being maintained at a constant rate; however, water levels along the river have started to stabilize. Significant increases are not expected over the next few days, but there will be minor fluctuations in some areas. This Flood Warning Statement for the Trent River will be in effect until until noon Thursday, April 17, unless updated earlier.
128 Municipal politicians across Canada have written an open letter to the five main federal party leaders calling for climate-related actions they say would improve the country’s resilience to environmental calamities. The group including Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and former Toronto mayor David Miller, wrote In the letter published today, that their ideas would create jobs and use Canadian steel, aluminum and lumber — sectors of the economy threatened by American tariffs. The group appear to be taking aim at the Liberals’ and Conservatives’ focus on resource extraction projects to make the economy less dependent on the U.S.
The group wants the next federal government to build a national electric grid that includes the North, move ahead with a high-speed rail network, build two million non-market “green homes,” make homes and buildings more energy efficient and fund a “national resilience, response and recovery strategy. In a news release about the letter, Mayor Plante said the federal government needs “greater vision and action” rather than “entertaining ideas for more pipelines.”
And finally, millions of people have viewed the video of a Canada goose attacking a fox in downtown Toronto. This has spurred a flurry of TikTok videos showing goose attacks on humans, raising the question if something is wrong with these birds. Don’t worry or feel the need to armed yourself against killer geese attacks. It is just another example of Canadian territorial defence. Geese moreover are nesting in urban areas as their habitats shrink. The ganders are simply protecting their families from intruders and are not particular of the species invading their territory.
Sports
Round four of the F1 2025 season is in Bahrain this weekend. The first two practice sessions were held this morning and………
On Saturday, the final practice session begins with your early morning coffee at 8:30 am. Qualifying starts with your lunchtime coffee at noon. It will be brunch for the race on Sunday when the red lights go out at 11:00 AM county time.
Over in the NHL the regular season will have wrapped up by this time next week. We know that fthree Canadian (Toronto, Ottawa, and Winnipeg) teams have clinched playoff spots. Wins by Montreal and Edmonton tonight will lock in their spots in the post season.
The Calgary Flames need to win their last four games if they hope to catch either Minnesota or St. Louis for a wildcard spot. Calgary needs a key win tonight over the Wild to make that happen.
The Montreal Canadien are on the road against the Ottawa Senators, while the Edmonton Oilers are at home welcoming the San Jose Sharks.
If the standing remain as they are right now the Toronto Maple Leafs would face the Ottawa Senators in Round One. Montreal would go up against the conference leading Washington Capitals and the NHL’s all time goal scoring leader Alex Ovetchkin.
Should Calgary make it into the playoffs, they would have to get by the conference leading Winnipeg Jets. Looks like some Canadian teams will not be happy at the end of round one.
