Ontario Winter Games Legacy Awards
The following students were selected to be the recipients of this year’s Ontario Winter Games Legacy Awards:
- Ava Bellefeuille, St. Lawrence Secondary School
- Lilah Mines, Char-Lan District High School
- Maxwell Hum, St. Joseph’s Secondary School
According to the report, prepared by Kat Rendek, “The Ontario Winter Games Legacy award [established in 1994] consists of a minimum of two bursaries … awarded annually to a male and a female student who are graduating from high school, who are pursuing post-secondary studies, and have demonstrated athletic excellence in the communities of Cornwall and Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Criteria used for selection are based on athletic achievements, leadership, citizenship, and financial need.”
Water Metering
A report presented to council on Water Metering suggests that the city is continuing to move forward on metered billing, starting with specifications development this month, a Request for Proposal put out in September, and installations beginning around January 2025.
Cornwall Night Market Street Closure
Council approved the Temporary Street Closure of Pitt Street, from First Street to 58 Pitt Street, on Friday, August 18, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Tender: LED Lighting Upgrades in Optimist Park
Tender for the Optimist Park lighting upgrades was awarded to Laurier Electric Limited, from Cornwall, Ontario, at the total bid price of $326.834.05 (net cost to the Corporation – $297,308.26). Out of 5 bids, theirs was the one that best met tender specifications.
The city budgeted $250,000 in the 2023 capital budget for this project, to be funded by the Recreation Facility Reserves. The remainder of the cost will also be funded by reserves. The new LED lights will save money by using less electricity and requiring less maintenance at a park where the lights are on nightly 11 out of 12 months of the year.
Encore Seniors Education Centre
The request for funding made by the Encore Seniors Education Centre came back from administration with a request for direction from Cornwall City Council. After a long debate, council decided to enter into a MOU with the seniors’ centre to fund them $30,000 per year for two years in order to bridge the gap while they find a new permanent location to operate from.
Habitat for Humanity Request for Land
Habitat for Humanity’s request for land came back from administration with the recommendation that council continue to support Habitat through “waived” planning and building fees. Council also agreed to donate four lots on Marion Avenue for future habitat builds.
Since 1999, 18 homes have been built locally by Habitat for Humanity for low-income working families.
Naturalization Areas in City Parklands
In response to many complaints about rats proliferating around naturalized (long) grass in local parks adjacent to homes, city council voted to act where the most complaints were taking place: Alguire Park, Menard Park, and Reg Campbell Park. There will be a budget increase of $3,500 to fully cut the grass at these parks.
Meanwhile, the city is committed to working towards naturalization in areas that are not frequented by citizens and where benefits outweigh drawbacks.
