Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on the Prime Minister’s talks with European leaders on trade.
Cornwall’s say in local conservation could shrink under merger
Cornwall may end up with fewer voices overseeing conservation programs once Ontario merges the Raisin Region Conservation Authority with three neighbouring authorities, Cornwall Seaway News reports. On February 1, 2027, the RRCA is scheduled to join South Nation Conservation, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority in a new St. Lawrence River Regional Conservation Authority, part of a provincial plan to fold 36 authorities into nine. Outgoing councillors Carilyne Hébert and Claude McIntosh, who each sat on the RRCA board for 12 years, attended its final official board meeting on October 8. The current board has eight representatives from five municipalities, but the number of local seats on the new board has not been confirmed; Hébert said the region may have two voices and hopes they stay strong. The province says the merger is meant to cut administrative duplication while keeping services, with local advisory councils planned but decisions resting with the regional board, which matters for residents who rely on the RRCA’s flood protection, conservation lands and recreation areas. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Centre 105 sees about 400 visits a week as grocery costs climb
Centre 105, which serves people facing poverty, homelessness and food insecurity, opened its doors at Trinity Anglican Church for an open house where visitors could share breakfast, meet staff and tour its laundry and shower areas, Cornwall Seaway News reports. The centre now sees about 400 visits a week, or close to 100 each day it is open. Rev. Canon Victoria Scott of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa said demand in 2026 appears higher than last year, and that rising grocery prices are straining both the people seeking help and the groups providing it. Centre 105 is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and offers free breakfasts, laundry and showers, referrals to community agencies and visiting health and harm-reduction services. Scott said the centre relies on staff, volunteers, donors and partner agencies, so community support directly affects how many neighbours it can help. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Lane closure planned at Pitt and Third streets on November 18
The City of Cornwall says a traffic signal pole is scheduled to be replaced at the intersection of Pitt Street and Third Street on Wednesday, November 18. The work will require a temporary lane closure, and police officers will be on site to direct traffic. The City’s notice is also addressed to Cornwall Transit riders, but it does not list start and end times, the lane affected or any route changes. Drivers and bus riders who use the Pitt Street corridor that day are asked to use caution and allow extra travel time. The City says questions can go to 613-930-2787, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Source: City of Cornwall.
OPP proposes $1.17 million increase in SDG policing costs
The OPP’s proposed 2027 budget for policing the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry is $12,584,037, up $1,168,784 or about 10 per cent from this year’s $11,415,253, Cornwall Seaway News reports. The figures were presented at a recent SDG Police Service Board meeting, where South Glengarry Mayor Martin Lang asked about future costs and SDG CAO Jamie Fawthrop said the OPP will present details at a future counties council meeting. OPP constables reported that the detachment logged more than 6,100 patrol hours and laid 1,204 charges during summer traffic safety campaigns from July to September, and that property and violent crime decreased. Arson rose this year, with seven incidents in the quarter, all before the courts. Because the OPP bill is paid through the counties, the increase is one that SDG taxpayers will feel as 2027 budgets are set. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Carney meets European leaders in Dublin ahead of Asia summits
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Dublin, Ireland, on Thursday for the European Political Community summit, an informal meeting of European leaders, The Canadian Press reports. He was scheduled to hold one-on-one talks with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus, two European Union members that have not ratified the decade-old trade deal between Canada and Europe. Since the last summit, Carney and EU leaders have floated the idea of Canada becoming an “associate member” of the bloc, though that title has not been defined. The Ireland stop is a single day, and Carney was due to fly to Manila that evening for a regional summit in the Philippines. For Cornwall and SDG businesses that sell to or buy from Europe, progress on ratifying the trade deal could affect market access over time. Source: The Canadian Press (via Medicine Hat News).
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