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CLARENCE-ROCKLAND NOT INTERESTED IN HOSTING FOOD HUB
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
The City of Clarence-Rockland will not make a bid for the regional food hub project. “I don’t think this is right for our munici- pality,” said Councillor Mario Zanth, during Clarence-Rockland council’s December 7 committee of the whole session. Several other members of council echoed Zanth’s comment. The main concern of the objectors was the slaugh- terhouse facility that would be part of the project. The two dominant worries were about the potential smell from a large- scale slaughter operation and also the psychological effect on people working in the facility and exposed to the daily killing and butchering of dozens and dozens of livestock. 5IF6OJUFE$PVOUJFTPG1SFTDPUU3VTTFMM 6$13 JTQVSTVJOHUIFFDPOPNJDEFWFMPQ - ment potential of a regional food hub. The goal is to create a facility to provide local farmers and livestock producers with a close-to-home facility to process their vegetables, fruits, and livestock for delivery to food wholesalers. 5IF6$13JTTFFLJOHBTVJUBCMFTJUFOPX GPSUIFGBDJMJUZ#PUI$BTTFMNBOBOE5IF /BUJPOFYQSFTTFEFBSMZ JOUFSFTU JOCFJOH the location for the project and for a while Clarence-Rockland had considered whether it might have a possible site that would be suitable. Councillor Sam Cardarelli thinks the city should dismiss altogether being a possible location for the food hub. “I think we need to do our due diligence,” he said, “and not pass it up until we have BMMUIFGBDUT*EPOUXBOUUPTBZA/PSJHIU away until I see the whole scope of it.” $PVODJMMPS%PO#PVDIBSEFYQSFTTFE objection to having the food hub operating in Clarence-Rockland but he did support the idea’s potential for regional employ- ment. “This doesn’t mean that people in Clarence-Rockland cannot work there,” he said. Councillor Michel Levert expressed con- cern about the impact the slaughterhouse part of the food hub would have on the local
La Cité de Clarence-Rockland ne fera pas de soumission pour le projet de carrefour alimentaire régional des Comtés unis de Prescott et Russell. Plusieurs membres du conseil ont exprimé leur inquiétude quant à l’impact olfactif et psychologique sur les travailleurs que pourrait avoir l’abattoir prévu dans le cadre de ce projet. —photo tirée d’une banque d’images
landfill. He noted that Clarence-Rockland’s rural sector has a strong agriculture profile and indicated the city’s future economic development needs to build on that.
“There are other ways that we can attract other types of food businesses here,” he said. Council voted at the end of the discussion
against the city making a bid for the regional food hub. The committee of the whole’s rec- ommendation will come up at the December 21 regular council session for confirmation.
RUSSELL: MORE BUSINESSES ELIGIBLE FOR IMPROVEMENT GRANTS STEPHEN JEFFERY stephen.jeffery@eap.on.ca
Businesses will be eligible to receive up to $20,000 to improve their properties in two Russell Township districts under a new “community improvement plan.” Councillors approved the plan for the 417 *OEVTUSJBM1BSLBOE&NCSVO#VTJOFTT1BSLBU a December 7 meeting . #VTJOFTTFTJOUIF two districts would be able to apply for grants or tax rebates to improve their properties as part of the project, which was intended to improve aesthetics and amenities in the areas and boost economic growth. Improvements encouraged under the plan included the addition of new facades, signs,
Le Canton de Russell a approuvé un plan visant à accorder des subventions aux entreprises pour améliorer leurs propriétés dans le parc industriel 417 et le parc d’affaires Embrun. — photo Stephen Jeffery
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The council approved $50,000 in grant incentive programs for the project in its 2021 budget, providing enough funding to assist two to three businesses per year. The funding amount was based on a range of factors, including the level of interest in the plan, limitations on available capital funds, and spending on similar projects in other nearby communities. #VUUIFSFQPSUTBJEUIFBMMPDBUJPOXBT a recommended minimum to ensure the program’s goals were met. Funding levels in future years could be re-evaluated. “As the private and public sectors in- crease their investment in the community, XJUIUIFBTTJTUBODFPGUIF$*1UIFPWFSBMM benefits will be significant,” the report said. “It is not possible to accurately predict the number and scale of applications in advance of implementing the plan.” The first applications for grants under the community improvement plan are expected to be evaluated in the new year.
and parking lots. Renovations, landscaping and accessibility plans were also eligible for the funding, which could include up to 50 percent rebates on building permits for the projects . 6OEFSUIFQMBO CMBOL CPYMJLFEFTJHOT would be discouraged, while “visual inter- est” in buildings, landscaping, vegetation and pedestrian pathways on the street fronts would be encouraged. Grants to introduce solar technology, greenrooms and environmental waste water systems to boost sustainability would be available as well. A similar program for the commercial cor- ridors and community cores of the villages of Russell and Embrun was approved in late 2015, which led to renovations and improve- ments of existing businesses. A report presented to the council said numerous CVTJOFTTFTJOUIF*OEVTUSJBM1BSLBOE &NCSVO#VTJOFTT1BSLIBETJODFSFRVFTUFE a similar program for their areas.
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