News

copy by Craig Foster

Belleville’s list of doctors has grown by one with the addition of new personnel. Dr. Mahesh Mendis has been signed to the city’s Physician Recruitment Program to work with the emergency medicine team at Quinte Health. Dr. Mendis stated in a media release that he is thrilled to become part of the community and looks forward to beginning his new life chapter in Belleville. Belleville’s Doctor Recruitment Program has signed on more than 50 doctors and eight nurse practitioners since its inception.

Higher-than-projected revenue will be used to help with a higher-than-expected budget from Hastings County. Belleville City Council voted to approve that the difference from Belleville’s allocation to the Hastings County budget of more than $760,000 be funded from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund. Council also approved that the revenue from the Provincial Offences Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) be increased by $620,000, ready to be transferred back into the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve fund in 2025.

Belleville City Council voted to receive the 2025 South East Health Unit budget. Back in February, council had the health unit budget presented to them as part of discussions on the 2025 Operating Budget. In a recorded vote, council voted against the health unit budget as proposed due to the City of Belleville’s portion for the health unit exceeding what the city had initially approved. Belleville approved $1,238,300 but the SEHU approved $1,307,500 for the city’s portion, a difference of $69,200. At its meeting Monday, council looked at a virtually unchanged budget.

The Conservative party’s promise to bypass a landmark Supreme Court of Canada ruling to impose consecutive life sentences on mass murderers would undermine Canada’s rule of law, two constitutional lawyers say. During a campaign announcement in Montreal on Monday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre announced another part of his tough-on-crime agenda that included a proposal to use the notwithstanding clause to reintroduce a 2011 law from the previous Stephen Harper government that allowed judges to impose consecutive periods of parole ineligibility in cases of mass murderers, rather than imposing them concurrently, because “someone who takes multiple lives should be held accountable for each one.” However, Canada’s highest court has already ruled that the previous law was unconstitutional and struck it down. In a unanimous decision in 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that stacking life sentences on top of each other “are intrinsically incompatible with human dignity

Sports

Ivan Demidov electrified the crowd with a goal and an assist in his highly anticipated NHL debut, but the Montreal Canadiens missed a third opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks

Jake DeBrusk scored with 17.6 seconds left in overtime and the Vancouver Canucks came back to down the struggling San Jose Sharks 2-1

Adrian Kempe had a goal and two assists and Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist as the Los Angeles Kings recorded a convincing 5-0 victory over the depleted Edmonton Oilers

Toronto starter Easton Lucas finally gave up his first earned run of the season on Monday night. The problem for the Blue Jays left-hander was once the Atlanta Braves started scoring, they didn’t let up. Austin Riley drove in five runs with a pair of homers and Sean Murphy hit a two-run blast to power the Braves to an 8-4 victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.