At last Wednesday’s County Council meeting, Kerri Snoddy, Manager, Waste Management & Sustainability presented a report recommending comments be made in regards to the proposed changes to the Blue Box Regulations for producers.
The province recently made changes to the recycling regulations, moving it to a producer responsibility model. This means that the producers of recyclable materials are now responsible for the collections of these materials.
When the province made this new mandate, they also put in timelines and target goals for this new model.
However, recently, according to Snoddy’s report, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks posted a proposal to amend the Blue Box Regulation on the Environmental Registry of Ontario based on comments they have heard from producers that unanticipated cost increases are creating affordability concerns that could negatively impact businesses and consumers in Ontario.
Snoody’s report outlined the major changes along with comments she recommended forwarding to the province.
Major points included
• Delaying Recovery Targets by 5 yearsSnoody explained that the province had set enforceable targets for diverting materials from landfills to start in 2026. However they are now suggesting that be backed up until 2031.
Charlotte and Theo with dogs Evvee, Kingslee and Ziggy get ready for the big Peterborough Fly Ball Dogs show at the Buckhorn Community Centre for the Canada Day Celebrations. Both kids and dogs were dressed in their Best Canada Day Outfits!
Nearly three months after the March 30 Ice Storm that hit Peterborough County, effects of the major weather event are still being felt throughout much of the region.
An analysis of Peterborough County and lower tier township responses from the 2025 ice storm was presented to County Council last week.
Within the report it was stated that on March 30, the ice storm that caused widespread damage and disruptions across the region saw freezing rain which persisted for nearly 30 hours and resulted in about 20 millimeters of ice accumulation. This caused trees and hydro wires to fall, roads and trails to be closed due to potential danger and a state of emergency to be declared in the County and many individual townships.
The report, which was prepared by CAO Sheridan Graham, said that to date, costs incurred from the storm have total approximately $150,000 however there are still a number of unknown costs such as: up-staffing of ambulances and paramedics, chipping of brush at County depots, cost of use for County owned equipment, work completed on County Road 620 and County Road 6.
Because of these unknowns, the total financial impact of the ice storm will likely not be fully understood until the end of the year.
In addition to the report, the analysis of the county’s response to the ice storm was presented which was created from an Ice Storm Debrief Session with all eight townships hosted on May 21.
Last week, Peterborough County Council approved the purchase of four new ambulances at a cost of just over $1 million.
Ryan Moloney, Deputy Chief of Operations for Peterborough Paramedics, presented a report to council last Wednesday stating that the Peterborough County/City Paramedics (PCCP) are scheduled to have four of their Type III ambulances replaced next year.
However, they need approval to pre-purchase these vehicles as it takes anywhere from 15 to 18 months to build and deliver the ambulances from time of purchase. Moloney told the Herald that a Type III ambulance is the standard model used across North America and refers to the size and configuration of the vehicle.
He said, “It’s the style most people typically recognize as a traditional ambulance. In contrast, Type I and Type II ambulances are smaller and more van-like in design. These are primarily used for patient transport rather than for providing full patient care during transport.”
Moloney went on to explain that PCCP only uses Type III ambulances in tier fleet which is common for most ambulance services across the province.
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.
