It promises to be an exciting year in Quinte West.
Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison gave his annual State of the City Address Friday at the Ramada Inn in Trenton, an event hosted by the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce.
He expressed the City’s excitement at hosting two major special events this year – the Quinte International Air Show that is part of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100th anniversary celebrations and the 2024 Canada Soccer Toyota National Championships U15 Cup.
The air show is coming up on June 29 and 30 while the soccer championships are being held October 9-14 at Centennial Park, both promising to showcase the city to thousands of people.
When it comes to issues affecting Quinte West residents, health and housing remain at the top of the list.
While the Docs by the Bay Physician Recruitment and Retention program attracted three new doctors to the city in 2023, recent reports indicate that two others recruited previously recruited through the program are leaving.
There are five prospective physicians currently in discussions with Docs by the Bay.
Harrison says communities are competing with each other making it harder for smaller municipalities who can’t offer some of the incentives of larger centres.
He says provincial health ministry officials were receptive to requests for provincial assistance to offset the downloading of physician recruitment at the recent Rural Ontario Municipalities Association Conference.
Mayor Jim Harrison makes his Quinte West State of the City address, January 26, 2024, Ramada Inn Trenton. (Photo: Alana Cameron/Quinte News)
Mayor Harrison commended the $145.8 million in construction that took place in Quinte West in 2023 netting the city almost $2.3 million in development charges.
And with the need for housing remaining extremely important, Harrison says they will advance affordable housing efforts by reviewing building incentives and potential partnerships.
The city continues to work with Hastings County on an affordable housing project for the College Street School property.
There are also housing plans for the Batawa area and elsewhere.
He notes industrial land is an issue.
“One of our problems in the city is industrial land – if you’re looking at large tracts of land is what they’re looking for. We don’t have any real large tracts.”
The Industrial Lands Sub-Committee is looking at solutions and is expected to bring recommendations to council this spring.
Key construction projects for the city this year include the work on Wallbridge-Loyalist Road between Foxboro-Stirling Road and Frankford Road and a portion of March Street in Frankford.
And work on two other major multi-year projects is anticipated to start this fall – the $30 million sanitary sewer project in the west end of Trenton from Fraser Park Drive to County Road 40 which will allow for more growth, and the bridge rehabilitation on County Road 40 which will cost about $15 million.
A Parks and Recreation Master Plan will also be developed to provide a long-term future plan for the city’s parks, recreation facilities and community services.
More than once during his address, Mayor Harrison thanked the city’s first responders.
“And I’ll tell you, I’m so proud each and every one of our first responders whether it be the OPP, the fire or paramedics. Because they respond to so many situations.”
He also noted that OPP Inspector Christina Reive received a 2023 OPP Accolade Award as Detachment Commander of the Year.
