We went to a meeting last week and discussed the new Zoning By-Law (ZBL). In the small “Citizens’ Forum” easels held up many placards extolling the changes to the existing bylaw which were readily explained by members of the Consultant’s team. The new ZBL (read it here) is half the size of the old one – 125 pages compared to...
Just what is going on in Northumberland County, and is it due to Strong Mayor Powers (SMP)? Two high profile firings are hard to comprehend without an explanation. That is what is happening in Northumberland County government as well as in the Port Hope municipal office. In Jennifer Moore’s case the County Council went into a closed session meeting, on...
Now the ‘tick box’ on the Gantt chart of the 202 Second St planning application has been ‘ticked’ let’s look at the consequence of this part of the process. The Public Meeting has taken place and the application moves forward against a huge outcry from four former Mayors the local Heritage group and many Citizens. Fair to say this is...
This monstrosity of a building will not be the final product of a planning application by Dez Developments. Everybody in the system knows this and even the Developer knows that there is not a hope in hell that this building will get built in the form of the application submitted. Just remember folks this is a ‘blue-sky’ application designed to...
The budgeteers that is! A new ad-hoc committee previously announced was revealed to the Community on Wednesday 9th September, with the mandate of preparing budget recommendations to the Mayor and Council. The committee will report back in early October. In the presser this morning the Mayor made a speech – hyperbolic to the extreme – “Let me start by...
Since Cobourg has rejigged the Council/ Standing Committee meetings schedules Councillors and the Mayor only have to attend two Statutory meetings in September. It appears that may be too much for them. An announcement appeared today: “A Council committee meeting was cancelled today at the last minute due to a lack of quorum. Both Mayor Cleveland and Councillor Randy Barber...
The Planning and Development Department has been called to present an application to Council and have them make a decision on a proposed development at 202 Second St. This decision will be the most important planning decision in Decades. Not since the vote on the fate of Victoria Hall in 1972 has such an application, one that will change the...
“Live with it!” these words will echo in the minds of local Democracy Advocates for the next year and a bit – the time until a new Mayor is elected. The source of these to-become famous words was John Mascarin, the Town’s Solicitor, the guy in the pic. In a Town Council meeting on August 25th the Mayor appeared in front...
A Special Council Meeting has been called for the 25th of August at 6pm. The reason for the meeting, and we do not know who called for it, is to confirm the edict issued by the Mayor, under his Strong Mayor’s Powers (SMP). Here at the BurdReport we wonder why this was not done before the edict was issued but...
That is if he/she still works for the Town! Cobourg needs a sewage plant expansion and Mr Ford may yet give us one. David Peterson gave us one in the 80s and now Doug should give us one in the ought2wentyfives. The Mayor who excels in boasting about his connections and his ability to get money should be set free...
Another edict from the Mayor – makes you wonder why we have a Municipal Council if we have an autocrat in charge with Strong Mayor Powers (SMP)! The interesting thing about this is that in order to bring order to the non-existent Planning Department he had to combine four departments to do it. The person the Mayor selected is his...
A thirty year tragedy is being exposed once again. Local, and well renowned, naturalist Richard Pope and the Preservation Group – Preserve Our Heritage Harbour (POHP) is again advocating for supervision and accountability with regards to the West Headland of the Cobourg Harbour. The group’s (POHP) big beef is with Council over the activities of the Public Works Department’s dredging...
This story was one of my first for a local publication. Written in 2008.
This article was about the history of coffeeshops and the coffeeshops in Cobourg in 2008
There are 52 of them – Jackson Houses; a basic Canadian style of design that was built by Reuben Jackson...
In 2008 the ‘mancave’ craze was just getting to be a big thing as the price of electronics was getting...
After 83 years the Pontiac Auto Manufacturing section of General Motors, came to an end. This article tracked the Pontiac...
We are inveterate travellers. Accustomed to many travels not much fazes us these day. This pic taken in India shows how we blend in to the environment.
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