Latest news with #Provincial
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Ballymoney exit Irish Cup after narrow loss to Bangor despite Ireland call-up's inspirational display
Ballymoney's Aaron Tennant celebrated his Ireland call-up on Saturday with a thumping performance against Bangor at Ward Park, but it wasn't enough to keep his team in the IBA Irish Cup. The Provincial side may have squeezed home – by only three shots – against their Premier League rivals Limavady in the First Round, but this time, they agonisingly bowed out of the sport's top knock-out tournament, beaten by two shots in a gripping tie.
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Stouffville Council Votes In Favour of Greater Housing Flexibility in Oak Ridges Moraine, Greenbelt
● In a 4-3 Council vote, Stouffville will ask the Province to permit up to two Additional Residential Units (ARUs) on all rural properties within the Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) and Greenbelt. ● The Town will also push for broader local planning authority and flexibility for minor amendments to the Provincial conservation plans. ● A formal process for settlement area expansion into the ORM Countryside areas is also being requested. ● The recommendations were put forward in a report from Town Staff covered in an article last week. ● While some residents support ARUs as a multi-generational housing and affordability solution, critics fear 'green sprawl' and increased speculation. ● The Greenbelt Foundation and York Region Federation of Agriculture warned the broader planning changes could erode conservation efforts ● Save the Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition emphasized the importance of not rushing such decisions, saying they should be left to a formal 10-year review anticipated in 2027. Following a narrow 4-3 Council vote on June 4, Stouffville will formally ask the Ontario government to permit up to two Additional Residential Units (ARUs) on rural properties within the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt, including areas where they are currently prohibited. The recommendations aim to bring conservation plans in line with Ontario's 2024 Provincial Planning Statement, which permits up to two ARUs on agricultural lands outside the ORM and Greenbelt areas. The Town is also seeking broader decision-making authority over land-use matters within the protected zones. Councillors Sue Sherban, Keith Acton, and Rick Upton voted against submitting the recommendations to the Province, while Mayor Iain Lovatt and Councillors Hugo Kroon, Richard Bartley, and Maurice Smith supported it. The Push for Rural ARUs Town Staff argue that expanded ARU permissions would support multi-generational living, create secondary income opportunities, boost housing supply, and improve affordability. They have also asked the Province to issue guidance that ensures any resulting development maintains rural character and environmental protections. Mayor Lovatt referenced the Town's efforts to expand ARU permissions throughout the municipality's serviced settlement areas during the meeting, but he noted many rural residents have been denied ARU approvals due to conservation policies. 'We're trying to address real-life issues that our residents bring to us,' he said. Those frustrations were echoed in several presentations to Council from rural property owners. 'Our family purchased land in this area in 1997, prior to the implementation of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP),' said deputant Michelle Johnson. 'The restrictions imposed…have significantly limited our ability to utilize our property in a way that would allow us to live affordably.' Johnson said ARUs could also help families like hers support adult children struggling with housing costs while offering aging parents the ability to remain on their land and connected to their communities. 'An ARU could generate income through rental opportunities, which would be beneficial in our retirement years,' she said. 'ARUs are not a form of major development and do not have a significant impact on the environment or community…They offer a practical solution for families like ours to utilize their properties in ways that are both sustainable and responsible.' Councillor Sherban expressed empathy but warned of long-term consequences. She argued that further small-scale permissions could open the door to broader land fragmentation and speculative development. 'It seems so minuscule what you're asking,' she said. 'But if this keeps on—one more ARU, one more ARU—it's opening that door. And where do we stop?' Sherban added that she did not want to be remembered as someone who helped launch unchecked rural development rather than someone who tried to prevent it. ' Sometimes somebody has to say no,' she said. Expanding Local Planning Powers In addition to the ARU request, Staff recommended Council ask the Province to grant municipalities more authority over local planning within the conservation areas, including a process for minor amendments to ORMCP and Greenbelt Plan policies. They also suggested procedures for redesignating prime agricultural land as rural, broader permissions for small-scale commercial, industrial, and institutional uses, and the ability to build public service facilities such as parks, fire stations, and community centres within protected areas. Staff further requested guidance for expanding settlement areas into the Oak Ridges Moraine Countryside Area. 'The Provincial plans are overly restrictive and do not provide sufficient flexibility to address local circumstances as well as the Town's planning objectives,' said Randall Roth, a Senior Policy Planner with the Town. The York Region Federation of Agriculture (YRFA), a nonprofit representing more than 600 farm operations, supported the ARU recommendations but opposed the broader planning changes. In their view, such changes would have a 'detrimental effect' on agriculture within the municipality. 'The Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt are significant agricultural and environmental resources. They must remain intact and protected in their entirety for future generations,' said YRFA Secretary and Treasurer Kim Empringham. 'Allowing local municipal amendments, redesignation of prime agricultural areas, small scale commercial, industrial, and institutional uses, public service facilities, and parks will result in the death of the ORM by a thousand cuts.' 'Settlement area expansions will speed up this demise,' she added. 'YRFA would support ARUs on the ORM and the Greenbelt, but not the list of requests found in Part 3 of the motion.' Greenbelt Foundation CEO Edward McDonnell submitted a letter opposing all recommendations. The Foundation cited the 2022 Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force report , which stated Ontario has ample developable land and does not require ORM or Greenbelt lands to meet housing targets. A recent Foundation report also highlights rural housing case studies from Durham, Niagara, and Huron as examples of how complete rural communities can be built without compromising protected conservation areas. Council ultimately deferred the request for expanded commercial and institutional permissions but approved the remainder for submission to the Province. Town Looks to Expedite Implementation While facing a barrage of criticism for a contentious and contested social media campaign opposing the report and its recommendations, Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) Coalition Chair Robert Brown also addressed Council. He later told Bullet Point News that he was 'deeply disappointed' by the decision. Brown expressed concern over the potential consequences of fast-tracking the proposed changes through the upcoming Bill 17 legislative process, a path the Town has recommended to the Province. He believes the move would risk bypassing critical data collection and public consultation and suggested Stouffville should wait for the mandated 10-year review expected in 2027. 'That 10-year review process is the point where we collect new data, find out what has changed within the conservation areas over the last decade, and learn what impacts development patterns have had on the plan areas' ecology and hydrology,' Brown told us. He emphasized the importance of input from scientific and engineering communities, calling it 'reckless' for politicians to make such decisions in the absence of that data. 'That process also provides opportunity for public consultation, including with stakeholders like STORM, to be able to voice their opinions and have their say over the directions of the plan, identify pain points, and work them out mutually,' he added. Councillor Acton expressed a similar position during Council deliberations, saying he believes Stouffville is already doing its 'fair share' in delivering needed housing. In his view, there is no justification to rush implementation of the recommendations. ' In the next 18 months or less, the Province will do their review. At that point, all parties, the public, the municipality, whoever, will have an opportunity to make comments,' Acton said. ' I think it would be wise…to let the Province do their work and review on their timetable, and they will own that decision.' Brown also mentioned the importance of maintaining a top-down structure for Ontario's conservation plans, arguing that the approach is essential to achieving 'harmonized, ecological, and hydrological protections' across southern Ontario. 'That is how we protect vital agricultural and freshwater resources, mitigate climate change impacts, and maintain flood protections for communities like Stouffville,' he said. Councillor Kroon offered a contrasting perspective during the Council meeting, expressing a preference for local decision making over Provincial control. 'We know our municipality, and we know what is needed and what works much better than having the Province making… one-size-fits-all decisions,' he said. 'Stouffville is a unique town. We have unique solutions to our requirements, and we should be allowed to make those decisions,' Kroon added. The Threat of 'Green Sprawl' Brown characterized the ARU proposal as part of a growing wave of 'green sprawl,' where development creeps into environmentally sensitive areas under the guise of gentle density. While acknowledging a real need for more housing options, he pointed to the increasing number of 'palatial homes' across the Moraine and warned that the proposed changes would largely benefit wealthy landowners. 'They are the ones who have the money and resources to build ARUs. Furthermore, as we saw in the delegations, people are already talking about building ARUs as rental properties,' he said. 'We will have a whole new speculative rental market that will be highly desirable given its location on the ORM and Greenbelt. And when market speculation gets involved, we know there will be no affordable housing.' Brown acknowledged that STORM's social media messaging could have deployed a bit more nuance, but said he hopes the conversation will remain focused on the underlying policy implications. 'It is the narrow-sighted, 'no for the sake of no' responses to residents' actual, lived needs that is so frustrating,' Lovatt later told Bullet Point News. 'The ORMCP needs responsible reform, and the councillors who supported Staff's recommendations recognize that.' 'I can't look a resident in the eyes and tell them we're not going to review the policy because I'm worried about what might happen in another town,' he added. Lovatt also argued it's unreasonable to deny an ARU for aging parents when more damaging uses, such as large-scale aggregate extraction operation, are permitted under existing rules. 'I will never shy away from difficult files with the Province out of fear or 'what ifs,'' he said. 'I will advocate for fairness and generational equity, and let the Province make the final decision.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Westfield Off to War 1775′ at the Old Burying Grounds on June 14
WESTFIELD — The Historical Commission is sponsoring an event on the Old Burying Grounds on June 14 at 1 p.m. as part of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. 'Westfield Off to War 1775' will be a demonstration by trained reenactors of the drilling and muster of the Westfield militia men who left Westfield in April and June of 1775 after the Lexington Concord Battle. Westfield reenactor Samuel MacMunn, who is creating the event and will be portraying Second Lt. Richard Falley, Jr., said reenactors from around Massachusetts will be participating. Named roles local to Westfield include Lt. Col. William Shepard played by Mike Knapik, Capt. Warham Parks played by Dick Baldwin and the Reverend John Ballantine, played by John West of Northampton. Other reenactors will be filling the roles of militiamen of the period. MacMunn said an interesting fact is that when the company marched, William Shepard and Warham Parks were not yet generals and Richard Falley Jr. was not yet a lieutenant. At the time, William Shepard was a lieutenant colonel, Warham Parks was a captain and Richard Falley Jr. was a second lieutenant. MacMunn referenced information on the muster from the book, 'Westfield and its Historic Influences 1669-1919: The life of an early town with a survey of events in New England and bordering regions to which it was related in colonial and revolutionary times: Volume 1' by Reverend John Hoyt Lockwood, 1922: 'According to the roster of Mr. Bartlett, taken from the Provincial records, the company which then started from Westfield consisted of fifty-two men, including the following officers: first lieutenant, John Shepard; second lieutenant, Zechariah Bush; sergeants, Benjamin Dewey, Moses Dewey, Gideon Shepard, Asa Noble; corporals, Israel Sackett, Roger Noble, Benjamin Winchell, James Nimocks. The drummer was Ruggles Winchell, and the fifer was Jedediah Taylor. 'There were a few Westfield men, Russel Dewey, David Shepard, Richard Falley and his son Frederick, but could not have been many besides, in the famous battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775, when for the first time the raw Provincial militia, faint of body from hours of arduous toil and fasting, under a broiling summer sun, stood to their breastwork and twice repulsed the trained veterans of European campaigns. The Hampshire regiment, on duty on the other side of Boston, was not called into action on that day.' 'Westfield Off to War 1775' is free and open to the public, and will be held rain or shine. Read the original article on MassLive.
Associated Press
29-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Seabridge Files Responses to Petitions Challenging KSM's Substantially Started Designation
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 29, 2025) - Seabridge Gold Inc. (TSX: SEA) (NYSE: SA) ('Seabridge' or the 'Company') reported today it has filed its responses in BC Supreme Court to petitions challenging the Environmental Assessment Office's ('EAO') decision granting Seabridge Gold's KSM project Substantially Started ('SS') Designation. On July 29, 2024, the EAO determined that Seabridge's KSM project had been substantially started, ensuring that the project's Environmental Assessment Certificate is no longer subject to expiry. Our submissions further strengthen and broaden the Responses that had been filed by the BC Government in late April 2025, detailing the extent of our engagement with the petitioners in support of our SS application and the previously granted Provincial, Federal, and Nisga'a environmental approvals. Seabridge's extensive engagement with the TSKLH and the funding support we have provided to the TSKLH (one of the petitioners) was initiated in 2007 and has continued to be available ever since, including during the period of review of our application for an SS determination. The TSKLH have been included in all reviews of Seabridge's regulatory applications and participated to the extent they decided warranted, with funding support, contrary to their assertions. Our responses also support BC's position on why granting the SS Designation was not unreasonable. The Petitions, the Responses from Seabridge and the BC Government and our related news releases can be found here. The parties have scheduled the period from September 22 to September 29, 2025 for the court hearing. Seabridge CEO Rudi Fronk stated 'our team's engagement and work in support of advancing KSM has been exemplary, especially while striving to achieve the SS determination. I am confident that our Responses, and those of the BC Government, provide strong support that the EAO's decision to grant the SS Designation was indeed procedurally fair and not unreasonable. Resolving this issue will facilitate the next steps in project development beyond this year's extensive work schedule. While this legal process continues, the SS Designation remains in effect.' About Seabridge Gold Seabridge holds a 100% interest in several North American gold projects. Seabridge's principal asset, the KSM project, and its Iskut project, are located in Northwest British Columbia, Canada's 'Golden Triangle', the Courageous Lake project is located in Canada's Northwest Territories, the Snowstorm project in the Getchell Gold Belt of Northern Nevada and the 3 Aces project in the Yukon Territory. For a full breakdown of Seabridge's Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources by category please visit the Company's website at ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD 'Rudi Fronk' Chairman & C.E.O. For further information please contact: Rudi P. Fronk, Chairman and C.E.O. Tel: (416) 367-9292 • Fax: (416) 367-2711 Email: [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
The Headwinds Facing Regional Airlines
Article – RNZ The small plane routes that keep our country connected are becoming increasingly fragile links. Sharon Brettkelly, for The Detail Regional airlines say they're one bird strike away from deep trouble, and cries for support are falling on deaf ears Passenger numbers on regional airlines have never been better, but the costs of running them have never been higher. 'Passenger numbers are through the roof,' says Sounds Air boss Andrew Crawford. But it has had to 'kill off' Taupō and Westport routes and sell an aircraft, and the company is still losing money. 'I wouldn't know one airline that isn't,' he says, citing fuel, labour and maintenance as the three big costs of flying. Add in landing fees, Airways fees and the Civil Aviation Authority more than doubling the passenger service levy. 'This is a critical issue for New Zealand,' says Crawford. 'Between us we're flying around 600 flights a week around regional New Zealand. We don't do that for fun, that's essential services, and I can tell you that a big part of it is healthcare.' Unless something drastic happens Crawford says he can't guarantee the security of other Sounds Air routes. He's not the only one. Air Chathams has dropped Norfolk Island and its Auckland – Whakatāne service is up in the air. Chief operating officer Duane Emeny tells The Detail that flying is a high risk business and conditions are the toughest they've been in his airline's 41 year history. 'You're one bad day from maybe having to pull an engine off an aircraft and send it away because you had a bird strike.' He says his father Craig Emeny, founder and chief executive, has taken the airline through the global financial crisis in the early 2000s, intense competition and even a grounding by the CAA and survived. 'He's had some real challenges in his life and this seems to be trumping a lot of them at the moment,' he says. Both airline bosses say they have had meetings with government ministers about support for the sector but Crawford says after six years he's given up. 'For six years we've been fighting to try and get support, try and get regional aviation in this country recognised and it just falls on deaf ears,' Crawford says. His airline is 'hanging off shareholders' mortgages' but no one is listening. Taupō mayor David Trewavas has a brand new $9 million airport terminal built with a Provincial Growth Fund grant but he can't find another airline willing to take over the Wellington – Taupō route after Sounds Air then Origin Air pulled out. Origin Air lasted no more than six weeks before deciding the service wasn't viable. Trewavas says his council could not have done any more to keep either airline. 'They were looking for a direct investment in the company and I don't think it's the council's business to be a part owner of an aviation company,' he says. But finding a replacement is not easy. Air New Zealand had looked at the route but doesn't have an aircraft available and Air Chathams is only a 'possibility'. 'There's not too many second tier airlines in New Zealand,' he says. Air Chathams' Duane Emeny says the most important step for the government would be to give airlines access to low or no-interest government concessionary loans. 'To be really clear, it is a loan, so it is money that those airlines would absolutely be paying back,' he says. But there's no definite response from the government. In an email to The Detail the Associate Transport Minister James Meager says the government is currently considering a range of options to support regional connectivity and improve competition in the sector but is yet to make any decisions, including on whether access to concessionary loans would be the right thing to do. 'We are committed to supporting existing measures to improve consumer experience flying, such as improving airline on-time performance through regular reporting, technology investments to speed up security queues, and infrastructure investments in our regional airports. 'The Commerce Commission is looking at competition in airports, and I am considering whether there is any benefit in further moves around airfare transparency and further scrutiny on how to reduce the wider costs facing the aviation sector.'
