ACTUALITÉ / NEWS
Hawkesbury slips to 153
richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
Hawkesbury’s high concentration of
seniors living on modest pensions. Salaries
H AWKESBURY
aren’t keeping residents from treating
themselveshowever.Thecitymakesthetop
The town of Hawkesbury dropped
50 in the new car category,” says the
several notches in the annual “Best Places
magazine.
to Live In Canada” evaluation conducted
In 2010, Hawkesbury was also described
by MoneySense magazine.
as the “worst” place in Canada based on
Placing 72 nd
out of 180 towns last year,
household incomes. The town retained that
Hawkesbury has slipped to 153 out of 190
dubious distinction in 2011, placing 180
in the most recent rankings.
out of 180 when it comes to income.
Meanwhile, Lachute moved from 154 to
The rankings put Ottawa-Gatineau on
134.
top; Montréal is 149th. Cornwall is ranked
Hawkesburyiscitedashavingthelowest
167; the lowest overall score was given to
household income among the communities
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, for the second
evaluated.
consecutive year.
“Household incomes in this town are
The assessment is based on several
the lowest in the country averaging just
factors.
$50,783. That’s less than a third of what
Here are the numbers for Hawkesbury:
residents inWood Buffalo, Alta. (the richest
Affordable housing 108; household income
Photo Richard Mahoney
Canadians) are averaging at $186,979. But
190; new cars on the road 48; jobless rate
ElpaofL’OrignalwasamongtheemployersparticipatingintherecentJobFair.
according to the town’s Chief
102; population growth 164; low crime,
Administrative Officer Normand Beaulieu,
147; doctors per 100,000, 30; culture 176;
Working on an encore
the numbers are skewed lower by
walk or bike to work 23; weather, 55.
newsroom@eap.on.ca
H AWKESBURY
Garbage taxes up
Over 600 job seekers, 23 local businesses, over 125 jobs.
newsroom@eap.on.ca
The numbers add up to a “phenomenal success” for the job fair in Prescott County.
H AWKESBURY
Organizers are so pleased they will likely do it again next year.
The first major job fair organized by the Employment Services Centre surpassed
After being frozen in 2011, fees for garbage collection and recycling services in
expectations – the number of job hunters doubled the 300 officials had expected would
Hawkesbury will rise by 3.3 per cent this year.
attend. The participating businesses each received between 30 and 200 resumes. Cindy
Under rates approved by town council, the residential levies for garbage collection
Fish, Human Resources Manager at Tulmar Safety Systems, was very pleased to have
and recycling will increase from $169 to $172 per household while the non-residential
had the chance to meet “a good pool of potential candidates for positions ranging from
rate will go from $130 to $133 per unit.
production to top management.” Nathalie Vink, from Herb’s Travel Plaza, even filled
The garbage surplus of $28,137 from 2011 is expected to be absorbed as a result
her cashier position on-site and identified good candidates for her other openings,
of $943,473 in expenditures and $915,336 in revenues. In 2010, expenses totalled
including cook positions. Similarly, Richard Allard, from Golden Anchor Marina, was
$874,044 while revenues were $887,745.
able to find promising candidates for his maritime mechanic and customer service
The cost of the garbage collection service is to rise from $675,148 to $694,823 while
positions. Meanwhile, job seekers and employers are invited to contact the Employment
recycling costs are expected to drop from $176,204 to $174,450. Special collections are
Services Centre office at 134 Main St.East, Suite 201, telephone 613-632-0179.
to cost $50,000, compared to $42,121 in 2011.
Water rate protests
to $252.
Richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
Council had earlier voted 6-1 in favour of
H AWKESBURY
the new rates after a long debate over how
the total $3,663,130 bill for 2012 would be
The average Hawkesbury household
shared among residential and commercial
will pay $36 more for water and sewage
users. The sole dissenter was Councillor
services after town council approved a
Michel Thibodeau, who had supported a
new fee schedule Monday night.
scenario that would have increased
Theannualbillforahousethatconsumes
everyone’s bills by 5.5 per cent.
an average of 15 cubic metres monthly will
“For years, residents have been
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rise from $506.28 to $542.28, according to
subsidizing commercial consumers,” he
estimates presented to town council during
argued. While his colleagues contended
a budget debate last week.
that businesses deserved a break, business
The minimum cost increases from $216
community representatives said the town
did nothing to relieve their burden.
Some businesses have seen their water
$20,000 for
and sewage bills shoot up by 3,000 per cent
since new bills based on meter readings
went into effect in 2011.
generators
“This is a question of survival,” Johanne
Séguin cautioned recently. “If there is no
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newsroom@eap.on.ca
change, people do not know how they are
L’O RIGNAL
going to survive,” said Séguin, owner of
Buanderie Cayen Laundry. TheMain Street
The Prescott-Russell emergency
operation is among the about 20 businesses
services department has received $20,000
that have been equipped with water meters
from the Joint Emergency Preparedness
for the past 25 years. Séguin saw her water
Program to purchase and install two
and sewage bills shoot up by 65 per cent last
generators at Hawkesbury and
year.
Plantagenet emergency operations
A member of the Hawkesbury Chamber
centres.
ofCommerceboardofdirectors,Séguinhad
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The generators will allow the centers to
presented a new rate proposal that would
be fully functional during a major
have increased residential and industrial
emergencyinthecourseofapoweroutage.
bills and decreased commercial levies.
“It is because of program like JEPP that we
“For the sake of a fewmore dollars on the
can improve our infrastructure and
residential bill, the town could have helped
guarantee our ability to respond to an
businesses, but the council decided not to
emergency and ensure the safety of our
do so,” Séguin said last week.
community,” said department director
Some businesses can apply for a break if
Michel Chrétien.
they had a 100 per cent increase in 2011.
JEPP is administered by Public Safety
Successful applicants can have three years
Canada in consultation and co-operation
topayoffthosebillsiftheyalsodemonstrate
with provincial and territorial
they have implementedwater conservation
governments.
measures.
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