Trent Lakes council narrowly passed a resolution this week asking that Bill 5, the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, be repealed by the provincial government,
In a Notice of Motion Deputy Mayor Carol Armstrong put forward “That Trent Lakes Council joins with our neighbour Curve Lake First Nation in requesting that Bill 5 be repealed and any new legislation to advance housing and infrastructure growth respect existing environmental protections, municipal planning authority and the rights of First Nations.”
Bill 5 became law last week. The bill creates special economic zones which will allow the provincial cabinet to exempt companies or projects from having to follow any municipal or provincial law.
The bill is receiving a lot of criticism from First Nations, environmental groups, farmers and the general public.
Armstrong said that council had received information from the Town of Orangeville opposing the bill at the June 3rd council meeting and now council may want to reconsider and support that letter because Bill 5 is continuing to be met with considerable opposition.
“Bill 5 introduces substantial changes to environmental planning legislation, including rolling back environmental assessments and protections and the repeal of the Endangered Species Act,” she wrote in her motion.
Lakefield District Public School hosted their annual Fun Fair on Thursday June 12 as a fundraiser for the school. Pictured here is Owen in front of the lambs at the petting zoo during the event.
Douro-Dummer had to make some decisions on Tuesday evening regarding the replacement of a council member.
The Dummer Ward Councillor seat was declared vacant as Councillor Adam Vervoort tendered his resignation from Council on May 30 of this year.
Vervoort appeared during the public comment period of the meeting and explained he had given up his seat to move back to Western Ontario for personal reasons and to be closer to family.
Vervoort gave his thanks to his fellow council members, staff and most importantly the community.
When a council seat becomes vacant it is up to council to choose the method in which that seat is filled.
Council must adhere to the following rules once a vacancy has been declared according to the report submitted by deputy CAO Martina Chait-Hartwig:
1. Within 60 days after the day a declaration of vacancy is made with respect to the vacancy, the municipality shall,
a. appoint a person to fill the vacancy
or
b. pass a by-law requiring a by-election be held to fill the vacancy.
Once again, this summer, commencing on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, Christ Church Community Museum (CCCM) will open our door to welcome visitors. Open hours are daily, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM until Monday, September 1, 2025.
We are pleased to present some new exhibits and some favourites from the past year this summer season:
Sons and Daughters: The Second Generation Traill family (new this year)
Catharine Parr Traill, one of Canada’s best known 19th century authors and an early settler in the Lakefield area, is prominently featured in our museum. We even have her actual writing desk on display as well as a laminated copy of an original page of her writing. Catharine Parr and her husband, Thomas Traill, had nine children, seven of whom survived infancy. The lives of these “second generation” Traills are generally not well known. Through photos, pictures and brief biographies, we will introduce them to you. In particular, the Hudson Bay Company adventures of William and Walter Traill will be documented, as will the tragic story of the murder of Harry Traill at Kingston Penitentiary.
This short documentary is a portrait of a tiny town, Lakefield, Ontario, and its independent weekly, the Herald. Across North America, newspapers are dying, but in Lakefield, Terry McQuitty, the town paper’s publisher, carries on a rich, 150-year-old tradition. Set to the pace of small-town life, Unheralded is a testament to the vital role newspapers can still play, and the close bond between reporter and reader.
