Jobs lost in ecoENERGY cancellation

Natural Resources Canada minister, Joe Oliver, announced the cancellation of the ecoENERGY Retrofit programme on Sunday. Photo via Natural Resources Canada.

“Prudent management” of money is being cited as the reason for the federal government’s sudden scrapping of a major programme.

The Ministry of Natural Resources quietly announced on Sunday the premature end of the ecoENERGY Retrofit programme.

As a result, local building contractors like Tyler Blower – who runs a geothermal energy business – have found themselves suddenly out of work.

Blower says contracts that have already been signed with customers who have not yet had a home energy audit done are now void and layoffs will result.

The government says all renovations now underway must be complete by March 31st.

Related links

Natural Resources Canada ecoENERGY Retrofit Homes Program

Federal government pulls plug on ecoENERGY Retrofit program

Hastings considers CPR training

Hastings County is throwing its weight behind a campaign  to encourage Canadians to use CPR when confronted by someone experiencing a cardiac arrest.

The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians says more than 40% of heart attacks are witnessed by bystanders.

The Association wants the province to increase the rate of bystander participation  by requiring all grade 12 students to complete a  CPR course before graduation,   give tax rebates for such courses, and corporate tax rebates for businesses that train employees.

The province says it won’t make it mandatory in school but will increase the curriculum, and does assist with cost of enrolling children in such courses.  County council is supporting the stronger Physicians Association recommendations.

Hastings extends Act to public servants

There’s a new move to get more women in politics and Hastings County is endorsing it.

An eastern Ontario township is calling on the province to change the Municipal Act allowing municipalities to pay maternity leave and parental leave to mayors and councillors.

Right now they are exempt from the Employment Standards Act that provides a 17-week pregnancy break and 35-week parental leave.

The Township of Chisholm is calling on the province to change the Act, providing the appropriate time-off for the mayors and councillors.   Members of Hastings County Council agree and recently gave their support to the Chisholm resolution.

Stirling woman to appear on “Dragon’s Den”

An entrepreneur from Stirling-Rawdon has made her way onto the CBC TV show, “Dragon’s Den”.

Edith Sinclair of Stirling appears on tomorrow night’s episode to pitch the Dragons her line of “Squito Wear”.

Sinclair says the jacket and other clothing items have been in high demand ever since friends and neighbours saw the mosquito-resistant apparel she made for her son 16 years ago.

Sinclair’s pitch for Squito Wear will air on CBC tomorrow night at 8:00.

Pirates edging closer to top spot

The Picton Pirates didn’t play last night, but they moved closer to clinching first in the Empire Junior “C” Hockey League.

The second place Campbellford Rebels dropped a 4-3 decision in Napanee. Donny Emmons’ second of the game midway in the third won it for the Raiders.

The Rebels are 7 points out of first with 4 games left.

Campbellford is at Picton Thursday.

Dukes struggle toward first place

Wellington’s hopes for a first place finish in the OJHL East suffered a serious blow as they lost 3-0 in Cobourg last night.

The loss drops the Dukes into 3rd place, one point behind the Cougars and 5 behind first place Trenton with 5 games left.

Wellington is in Kingston tomorrow.

National teams converge in Napanee

The best Junior curlers in Canada converge on Napanee this week for the M & M Meat Shops National Championships.

The 9-day event will be held at the Strathcona Paper Centre and Napanee & District Curling Club.

Napanee has hosted 3 major events in the last 3 years, including the Ontario Mens Curling Championships;  however spokesman Stephen Paul says this is the biggest by far.

The National Junior Curling championships begin Saturday.

The winners advance to the World Championships in Oestersund, Sweden, in March.

Wait times to improve at BGH

Wait times for patients in hospital emergency departments have been an issue for a long time.

However, the CEO of the Southeast Local Health Integration Network, Paul Huras, says things will be getting better at BGH in “the latter half of this year”.

The Southeast Local Health Integration Network is responsible for funding hospital and community health services in this part of Ontario.

Progress on new schools

It won’t be long, and the construction work for 2 new schools in the Quinte region will go out to tender.

The Hastings Prince Edward School Board is building 2 new schools, one in Stirling, and the other in Tweed.

It’s hoped construction will begin this spring, with students using the new schools in September of next year.

School closure possible in Trenton

There’s likely to be changes coming to public elementary schools in Trenton over the next couple of years.

The Hastings Prince Edward School Board will have an accomodation review committee look at surplus classroom space at 3 Trenton schools.

They are College Street, Breadner, and Queen Elizabeth schools.

Options include renovation, new buildings, and school closure.

The accomodation review committee begins it’s study in September.