Haliburton County Warden Liz Danielsen shares her thoughts after attending the 2021 virtual ROMA conference last week.
News3 February 2021
By Mike Baker
A need for further investment in broadband internet services, improvements to long-term care and issues surrounding blue-green algae in local lakes were some of Haliburton County warden Liz Danielsen’s key takeaways from last week’s virtual Rural Ontario Municipalities Association [ROMA] conference.
The event was very well attended, Danielsen claimed, with around 1,100 participants from across Ontario. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the event took place exclusively on Zoom from Jan. 24 to 26.
While the changed format drastically impacted Danielsen’s ability to network with representatives from other municipalities, she was a big fan of the way the different minister delegations were set up.
OPINION: Time to move-up from dial-up January 31, 2021 Reading time: 3 min 30 s
By Nick Seebruch
If we are to grow as a region, better internet is key. At their meeting last week, the United Counties of SD&G Council approved a motion to pen a letter of support for Xplornet’s application to the Canada’s Universal Broadband Fund.
The $1.75 billion fund supports projects aimed at expanding access to high speed internet across the country.
This is just the latest in a series of efforts to bring high speed internet to our largely rural region. I for one welcome the introduction of a private interest in building high speed internet infrastructure in SD&G, because while there have been promises from different levels of government over the years, their efforts have advanced less like broadband, and more like dial-up.
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Residents of a Hastings County long-term care home need air conditioning, county officials say, but the project is running out of time for provincial and federal approval.
The county has a plan to equip Hastings Centennial Manor in Bancroft with the service and to upgrade its humidification system at a total estimated cost of $925,000.
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Warden Rick Phillips said Thursday the timelines for provincial and federal funding processes and conditions may prevent the project from being ready to keep residents cool this summer.
More reliable cell service in the region has taken a step closer to reality.
At the inaugural 2021 Eastern Ontario Warden’s Caucus meeting, the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) says they will soon finalize details of their Cell Gap project and start construction in 2021. EORN Chair J. Murray Jones says that demand for cell service is growing, and the project will help get it to areas that need it. They say the public-private partnership is valued at $213 million. They have not provided an exact date as to when the construction will begin.
In addition, they have provided an update on their Gig Project, which aims to bring improved broadband to the region. They say that they and the Warden’s Caucus have been pursuing funding options to move forward with the project. In the meantime, EORN is urging counties around Eastern Ontario to support county-level projects that will achieve greater coverage.
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County of Renfrew Warden Debbie Robinson has been acclaimed as the 2021 chairwoman of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC).
The announcement comes out of the EOWC’s annual inaugural meeting held last week at which Liz Danielsen, Warden of the County of Haliburton and Deputy Mayor of the Township of Algonquin Highlands, was appointed as vice-chairwoman, also by acclamation. Robinson is also the reeve of the Township of Laurentian Valley.
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