Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on next week’s Bank of Canada interest rate decision.
Investigator finds Cornwall broke open-meeting rules for March special session
Cornwall’s closed-meeting investigator, David G. Boghosian, has found the city breached the Municipal Act by giving no public notice of a special council meeting held March 16, Cornwall Seaway News reports. That closed session dealt with child-care services education costs and land requirements for bridge housing, and council’s motion to go behind closed doors also failed to state the general nature of those topics. Boghosian concluded the missed notice was inadvertent and not an attempt to mislead the public; interim clerk Denise Labelle-Gélinas said the meeting was set up the Friday before and she neglected to have the notice posted. The probe followed an April 3 complaint from Standard-Freeholder managing editor Hugo Rodrigues, and Boghosian apologized that it was overlooked until a September follow-up. He recommends amending the procedural bylaw so every council meeting, including fully closed special meetings, is publicly posted at least 24 hours ahead with the date, time, place and agenda. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Cornwall police board approves proposed 2027 budget up 10.53 per cent
The Cornwall Police Service Board has approved a proposed 2027 budget of about $29 million, a 10.53 per cent increase, according to Cornwall Seaway News. Chief Designate Hugh Stevenson said deferring some capital costs could bring the increase down to 8 per cent. The plan adds four full-time positions to cut reliance on overtime, which he said is needed on roughly one in two shifts and costs about $800,000 to $900,000 a year. Other pressures include a 3.75 per cent wage increase under collective agreements, higher benefit costs and lower revenues, while $940,860 in capital spending includes replacing officers’ duty firearms that can no longer be serviced. The service has also applied for $2.21 million in provincial grants, including $1.29 million for border security, which Stevenson said would only be counted once approved. The figures give Cornwall taxpayers an early look at one of the cost pressures facing next year’s budget. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
South Stormont’s Limestone Ridge Conservation Area gets its official sign
The Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) and the Township of South Stormont have unveiled the official sign for the Limestone Ridge Conservation Area, the RRCA’s first conservation area in the township, Cornwall Seaway News reports. The 105-acre site, which includes provincially significant wetland and forest habitat, was donated to the RRCA by the township in 2024. Its name, which reflects the area’s history of limestone extraction, was chosen by residents in a public vote and endorsed by the municipality and the RRCA board. The site is not yet open to the public while the RRCA removes invasive species and plants trees. Next steps include exploring a trail system, preparing a master plan and further public consultation, giving residents a say in how the new green space will be used. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Akwesasne wastewater testing shows elevated COVID-19 at one site
The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne’s Community Health Services says its latest wastewater monitoring found elevated levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, at the Block 97 Kawehno:ke sewage pump station. Levels were low at the Kana:takon water treatment plant, and no influenza A, influenza B or RSV was detected at either site. CHS is advising residents to wash their hands often, wear a well-fitting medical mask in crowded indoor spaces, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home when sick. It also encourages staying up to date on COVID-19, RSV and flu vaccines and says it will announce when vaccines are available. Questions can go to Community Health Services at 613-575-2341, ext. 3220. Source: Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.
Markets bet on a Bank of Canada rate hike next week as oil pushes up inflation
The Bank of Canada is scheduled to announce its next interest rate decision on October 28, and markets now see a strong chance of a hike. TD Economics says the odds of an increase jumped to over 80 per cent after Governor Tiff Macklem’s comments on inflation, though TD itself considers a hike premature. Macklem said on October 17 that the bank expects to raise its inflation forecast significantly because of persistently high oil prices, Reuters reported. Canada’s annual inflation rate was 3.1 per cent in September, with gasoline up 27.8 per cent from a year earlier, while Ontario’s rate was 2.5 per cent and Ottawa’s 3.0 per cent, according to The Canadian Press. The bank’s key rate has been held at 2.25 per cent for seven straight decisions, so a hike would mean higher costs for local households and businesses with variable-rate mortgages and loans. Sources: TD Economics, Reuters (via Investing.com), The Canadian Press (provinces), The Canadian Press (cities) and The Hub.
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