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Belleville, Quinte West marked for casino
Belleville and Quinte West were marked by the OLG on Thursday as a zone with potential for a casino. Image copyright 123rf.com.
A new nickname for the cities of Belleville and Quinte West could have great implications for the local economy.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation announced today the two cities make up a region they call Zone E2, and the region is marked for a new casino.
The zones across Ontario are part of the OLG’s efforts to modernize gaming, efforts that began earlier this spring with a cancellation of the Slots-at-Racetracks programme, thus canning the proposed Belleville Racetrack and Slots Parlour on Bell Blvd.
Zone E2 is marked for one casino with up to 300 slot machines and an as-yet undetermined number of gaming tables.
Belleville’s current bingo hall would also be revitalized under the OLG’s proposal.
Construction on Belleville pool slow
More hold-ups for the new swimming pool at the Belleville Sports and Wellness Centre.
Belleville’s Director of Recreation, Culture and Community Services, Mark Fluhrer, told the Lorne Brooker show this morning the city doesn’t want to rush into taking control.
A spokesperson has said the public will find the new 8-lane pool “amazing” when it’s complete.
Kramp approves of copyright changes
Canada’s new Copyright Act is looking good to Daryl Kramp.
The Prince Edward Hastings MP says the latest round of voting on bill c-11 leaves him with a positive feeling about the coming changes.
When the Copyright Modernization Act is finally made into law, it will affect how all of us share and use digital files and other works, such as music and photos.
Smith aims to change electronic commerce
A local MPP is working to change the way real estate agents do business.
Prince Edward Hastings MPP, Todd Smith, says he and a Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament from Ottawa introduced a bill today called the Electronic Commerce Amendment Act.
The bill’s aim is to make it easier for real estate agents to sign legal documents electronically.
Smith adds the bill is directed specifically at the real estate industry.
Smith says he hopes the government sees this as a good example of bi-partisan support for a bill and therefore brings the bill to a vote.
Changes coming to Belleville fairgrounds
Changes are coming to the Belleville Fairgrounds this summer.
President of the Quinte Exhibition and Raceway, Marilynne Cotten, says City of Belleville building and fire officials have toured through the site recently pointing out upgrades that need to be done for safety reasons.
Cotten says they’ll be done, adding that people can expect to see the old horse stalls and outbuildings on the racetracks backstretch torn down this summer as well.
The Quinte Exhibition runs on the Labour Day weekend.
Foster home sex trial
A jury in Picton heard disturbing sexual testimony during the trial of a 72 former Prince Edward County foster parent yesterday.
A report in the Intelligencer says 3 girls, now in their late teens, made complaints against the man, starting in 2003.
The foster home was in Wellington, and then relocated to Bloomfield.
2 of the unidentified girls complained to the Prince Edward County Children’s Aid Society and OPP back in 2005, but nothing was done until 2010.
The CAS and police believed surgery done on the accused would make him unable to perform sexually as the girls alleged he’d done.
The accused man cannot be identified at this time.
The defence is pointing to hazy recollections and inconsistent statements by the girls.
Update Norampac
Quinte News has learned the over 100 members of Local 1470 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union working at the Norampac paper mill in Trenton have accepted the company’s contract offer.
Details to follow. This was the union’s third vote, as they rejected the offer twice before.
New call centre to begin hiring
A new company opening in Belleville is slated to hire about 400-people by the end of this year.
At a city hall news conference today the call centre, Online Support or OLS, announced that it has located on Dundas Street east, and will begin hiring.
President Ross Beattie says the Belleville site was chosen because the Quinte area has the labour skills. Beattie says 70 people will be hired in about a month, 200 by September, and nearly 500 by the end of the year.
Mayor Neil Ellis calls it an economic boost to the city and Quinte region, with an economic spinoff of $20m.
The starting wage is $11 an hour. Anyone interested can apply at 610 Dundas Street East or go on line at www.joinols.com
Apples lose, pears win in 2012 harvest
There’s been a fair bit of damage, but it won’t be a terrible year for local orchard owners.
Colin Campbell of Campbell Orchards in the County says he guesses about half of the apple crop is gone due to the early, hot spring, and subsequent frosts.
Campbell says the McIntosh crop is hurting badly, but that other apple varieties did quite well.
Apparently, it’s going to be a boom season for pears locally.
$50,000 donation for Picton hospital
The Picton hospital is a big step closer to getting its new digital mammography machine.
The hospital auxilliary today donated $50,000 toward the campaign.
Auxilliary president, Fran Donaldson, says the money comes from volunteer work done throughout town.
The hospital auxilliary runs Picton’s popular thrift shop as well as other endeavours like a coffee shop in the hospital.
The $750,000 campaign is being run by the hospital foundation and executive director Anna Marie Ferguson says today’s donation brings the campaign to the $500,000 mark.
MPP campaigns for landowners
An MPP just east of the Quinte region is heading a drive to have property rights for Ontario residents embedded in Canada’s constitution.
Lanark-Frontenac-Lenox and Addington Tory MPP Randy Hillier says the constitution doesn’t protect citizens against “financially ruinous and uncompensated restrictions on the use of their property.”
He says this leaves Ontario residents with no constitutional protection from unjust treatment.
Hillier has introduced a private bill in the legislature to amend Canada’s constitution. It would have to pass the Ontario legislature and the House of Commons in Ottawa, before it would become law.
S.P. Data Trenton soon to hire
The SP Data vice-president of Canadian operations has told the city of Quinte West the company will be in touch soon about collaborating with the city on the hiring process.
SP Data has signed a deal to operate out of a location at 400 Sidney St. in Trenton.
The company is aiming to hire about 100 employees to start.
OLS to open in Belleville
A good news announcement in Belleville today – a new company bringing up to nearly 400 jobs to the city by the end of the year.
Negotiations had been ongoing for months, resulting in the announcement that the call centre, Online Support, or OLS, will locate in Belleville’s east end.
Company President Ross Beattie told a news conference the company chose Belleville for its eleventh site because there is a good block of skilled workers in the city and area.
Hiring begins over the next month. Anyone interested can apply at 610 Dundas St. E. or go online at www.joinols.com
Man arrested for violent incident
Centre Hastings OPP have arrested a wanted man.
42-year-old Rory Douglas Vader of Peterborough was yesterday arrested without incident.
Vader is charged in relation to a violent home invasion in Marmora last October.
He was held for a bail hearing in Belleville Provincial Court this afternoon and will remain in custody to appear again in court next Tuesday, May 22.
