Patrick Raftis

GUELPH – Wellington County councillors are still looking for clarity on exactly what the province’s decision to reverse its unilateral expansion of some urban boundaries, both here and across the province, means to local municipalities.

MAPLETON – Council here is considering a three-year operating budget with an average annual levy increase of 4.03 per cent.

GUELPH – Residents of the Guelph/Wellington and Waterloo regions are looking for community support and leadership as they face mental health issues born out of challenges such as food insecurity and housing shortages, a new survey reveals.

WELLINGTON COUNTY – Two local hospital foundations have received over $220,000 thus far from donors to the 22nd Annual CKNX Health Care Heroes Radiothon.

WELLINGTON COUNTY – A controversial provincial decision to unilaterally move rural properties into urban boundaries, both here and across the province, will be reversed. At an Oct. 23 press conference, provincial officials announced legislation to that effect will soon be introduced.

MINTO – Town council has approved a minor variance application to facilitate a planned commercial/residential development on the King Hotel property in Palmerston.

MINTO – A letter from a local resident critical of a recent town council decision to install Pride banners on light standards leading into urban centres from the beginning of May until the end of September each year was discussed at the Oct. 18 meeting.

GUELPH – A new report on growth priorities for licensed child care shows Wellington County has not yet reached access targets under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system.

MAPLETON – Township council has declined to approve a zoning application aimed at facilitating expansion of a drainage business near Wallenstein.

MINTO – The Town of Minto will implement “best practice” recommendations from Ontario’s Ombudsman Paul Dube regarding procurement policies and citizen complaints after receiving a letter from the government watchdog in response to a complaint to his office.

GUELPH – With Ontario losing 318 acres of farmland per day to development, the province is on pace to lose half its prime agricultural land by 2051.

GUELPH – Data showing Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service response time targets were seldom met in Wellington County over the past four years, while targets in the city were rarely missed, has some county councillors calling for change.

GUELPH – With the province reversing course on removal of lands from the Greenbelt Wellington County councillors pondered the possibility of advocating for changes to the government’s arbitrary addition of farmland to urban boundaries within the county.

MAPLETON – A timeline that would see the township’s 2024 to 26 budget process completed by Nov. 28 was presented to council at the Sept. 26 meeting.