News
Copy by Lawrence Zwer
We’ll open with provincial politics, ahead of this Thursday’s election. Provincial NDP candidate Amanda Robertson paid a visit to Picton Main Street yesterday, holding a meet and greet at Beacon Bike and Brew before heading out to discuss issues and build support with local voters. Incumbent Conservative MPP Tyler Alsopp spent the day canvassing in Belleville, as did Liberal candidate David O’Neil.
In international news, Germany’s conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz won a lackluster victory in the country’s national election yesterday, while Alternative for Germany doubled its support in the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II. Chancellor Olaf Scholz conceded defeat for his center-left Social Democrats after what he called “a bitter election result.” Projections showed his party finishing in third place with its worst postwar result in a national parliamentary election. Merz said he hopes to put a coalition government together by Easter. But that’s likely to be challenging.
A contentious Trump administration proposal to give the U.S. $500 billion worth of profits from Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as compensation for its wartime assistance to Kyiv has been taken off the table – this according to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy had earlier declined a U.S. draft agreement on exploitation of his country’s valuable minerals such as lithium used in the aerospace, defense and nuclear industries because it did not contain security guarantees and came with the $500 billion price tag. “The question of $500 billion is no longer there,” Zelenskyy told a news conference at a forum of government officials in Kyiv marking the three-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sticking with Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call Saturday to ensure that any peace deal for Ukraine offers security guarantees and prevents Russia from using military force to further expand its territorial reach. Mr. Trudeau also discussed Canada’s efforts to bolster its border measures to stop the flow of illegal migrants and fentanyl to the United States, according to a source with direct knowledge of the two leaders’ talks.
And just a reminder that the provincial election is this Thursday, February 27th. If you missed voting in the advance polls and are unable to vote on Thursday, you can vote at the riding office at 71 Adam Street in Belleville. The office is open 10-8 today and tomorrow and 10-6 on Wednesday.
Sports
Game three of the PJHL East Tod division playoffs featuring the Picton Pirates against the Lakefield Chiefs went last night, with the Pirates down 2 games to none. Gerrit Kempers opened the scoring for the Pirates at 2.37 of the first, but Lakefield got two in the second and one in the third to seal the victory 3-1 and take a commanding 3-nothing lead in the best of 7 series.
Turning to curling, Rachel Homan’s Team Canada defeated Kerri Einarson’s Team Manitoba 6-1 in nine ends to claim the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts yesterday in Thunder Bay. Homan’s team has won the tournament in back-to-back years and have won 22 consecutive matches in the tournament going back to last year. This is Homan’s fifth Scotties victory and her team will represent Canada at the Women’s World Championship in South Korea in March.
Back to hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs were in action last night, travelling to Chicago to face the Blackhawks. Chicago opened the scoring late in the first period, but the Buds got three in the second, including 2 by Nick Robertson, and another two in the third to take a 5-2 victory.
The PWHL Toronto Sceptres travelled to Minneapolis yesterday to face off against the Minnesota Frost. Michela Cava opened the scoring for the Frost in the 1st, before Emma Maltais scored in the second and Jesse Compher scored in the third to give Toronto a 2-1 victory.
