Vision_2023_03_01

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UCPR HIRES CONSULTING FIRM TO FILL GAP LEFT BY BILL 23

RIOPEL ESPÈRE DES INVESTISSEMENTS ROUTIERS POUR LES CUPR

Pour combler le vide laissé par SNC à la suite de l’adoption de la loi 23, le conseil de l’UCPR a voté en faveur de l’embauche de GRI Inc. pour une durée de six mois, le temps de lancer un appel d’offres pour les sociétés de conseil. -photo d’archive

Normand Riopel, United-Counties of Prescott and Russell Warden, hopes for road investments in the 2023 provincial and federal budgets.- archive photo

ANTOINE MESSIER antoine.messier@eap.on.ca

term. The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) met February 21 to review the school year calendar for 2023- 2024 ahead of the March 1 submission deadline. Superintendent of School Effectiveness Dawn Finnegan presented the calendar, which was developed with to serve the best interests of students. “Once a draft calendar was developed, the board began the consultation process,” said Finnegan. “It is important to align the school year calendar with our co-terminus public board, as of shared transportation is a shared service. We have done a thorough consultation to ensure this calendar meets the needs of our community, our families, our students and our staff.” Schools, committees, staff, parents, and other stakeholders all provided feed- back during the consultation process. All comments were taken into consideration, and feedback was circulated through the CDSBEO website and social media. “I am pleased to see that the consultation process was very thorough, and that so many of our stakeholders and community partners had an opportunity to share their input,” said Chair Sue Wilson. The final 2023-2024 School Year Calen- dar was approved by the CDSBEO board. L’UCPR cherchera également des inves- tissements routiers près de Russell, car la ville en pleine expansion ajoutera des ronds- points à son réseau routier pour fluidifier le trafic, ce qui sera en partie financé par les comtés. M. Riopel espère également obtenir des fonds pour la résidence Prescott-Russell à Hawkesbury. Selon le directeur, la mai- son de retraite a été durement touchée par l’inflation au cours des deux dernières années. «Nous avons déjà essayé d’obtenir des financements et des suppléments pour nous aider à contrer l’inflation. Celle-ci a eu un impact majeur.»

CHRISTOPHER SMITH christopher.smith@eap.on.ca

The UCPR’s planning and forestry depart- ment must now fill this gap in managing the review of these studies and the approval of construction projects, as the department does not have the appropriate resources to do so itself. The department report recom- mends that the UCPR temporarily hire the same consulting firm that the SNC uses, to give its own planning department time to prepare a tender process in accordance with current procurement policy. The report recommended that council approve hiring the consulting firm GRI Inc. for a period of six months, authorize a new unidentified expenditure in the 2023 budget of $50,000 which will be fully recovered, and authorize staff to prepare a competitive bidding process for the hiring of qualified consulting firms to conduct reviews in future of any hydrogeological and terrain analysis studies. Council approved the recommendation.

Normand Riopel, député des Comtés unis de Prescott et Russell, espère voir des investissements routiers dans les budgets provincial et fédéral de 2023. Normand Riopel affirme que les CUPR chercheront à obtenir des fonds pour amé- liorer et rénover les routes du comté. «En ce moment, ce sont nos ponts qui ont besoin d’être rénovés», a déclaré Riopel. Les comtés vont commencer la rénovation d’un pont sur la route de comté 8, entre Casselman et Bourget, près de la ville fan- tôme de Lemieux, au début du printemps.

Due to the recently passed Bill 23, the SNC can no longer review studies or environmental impact assessments for the region. During the regular meeting on February 22, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) council received a report from the planning and forestry department regarding Bill 23. Following the Ontario government’s adoption of Bill 23, watershed agencies such as South Nation Conservation Authority (SNC) have a much-diminished role within municipalities. The legislation prevents the SNC from providing services related to the review of various studies, such as hydrogeological, terrain analysis studies, and environmental impact assessments. These studies are necessary when someone, whether a private landowner or a developer, wants to do any type of construction.

CDSBEO APPROVES NEXT YEAR’S CALENDAR

CHRISTOPHER SMITH christopher.smith@eap.on.ca

The CDSBEO met to discuss the school year calendar for the 2023-2024 school

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