CJRO News September 11 to September 17, 2023

Hello, bonjour, and welcome to CJRO News on CJRO Radio. I’m Candice Vetter, reporting from Embrun.

In Russell the annual Heritage Festival is this Saturday, September 16th starting at 10 a.m. and finishing with live music in the afternoon. For more information about the book launch and murals that will be part of the event listen to my earlier interviews with Harry Baker and Connie Johnston on Local First.

In Metcalfe Victoria Street is closed all this week for a culvert replacement between Glenwood Drive and Rowan Drive.

The agreement between Nubuild, a robotic home building company, and the Township of Russell may have less agreement than planned for by the township council. The sale of land to Nubuild was conditional upon complete servicing of the industrial park, including lands on the hillside toward Eadie Road, which was decided against at a special council meeting on May 16th. The land in question was purchased with public money by the township from a developer for over $6 million, for over 100 acres, and is some of the best farmland in the county, as it is both fertile and does not require tile draining. The developer purchased the large field from a farmer who later sold additional land to the township. Residents in the area which would be negatively impacted question whether municipalities should be speculating and whether or not prime farmland should be used for factories. Nubuild has requested loans of $150 million from the federal and provincial governments and asked that the township support their requests. When asked earlier this summer if they had purchased the land outright Nubuild CEO John Liptak said it had not, and he could not respond further because he had signed a non-disclosure agreement.

Russell Township has also introduced a controversial bylaw presented for final reading on Monday, September 11th. The proposed bylaw would restrict public gatherings in parks and municipally owned areas to 25 persons or less unless a permit is granted, and would not allow posting of signs or handing out of pamphlets on public property. Opponents to the proposed bylaw say it is essentially censorship and contravenes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Part 1 of the Constitution Act 1982). They cite freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; freedom of peaceful assembly; and freedom of association.

Last week Quaker Oats took part in the launch of the redesigned canteen at the Navan Memorial Centre and Arena which it will use as a commercial in the Quaker Hockey ’23-’24 advertising campaign. The video produced will also be featured on Hockey Night in Canada. Although information about the resulting video is embargoed until its release, we do know the casting featured an NHL all-star, several local hockey players, a parent or two and some long time fans of the Navan Grads. We should be able to report further in October.

Check our website for videos and photos. Send the News you want included in this weekly report to newscjro@gmail.com by Monday mornings. Don’t forget—Facebook may not allow Canadian News, but we’re all about it. Get the local news that matters to you anytime on cjroradio.com, or tune in to 107.7 or 107.9 FM, or the Tune-In and Radio Player Canada apps. I’m Candice Vetter for CJRO News. CJRO, last on the dial, first for local news.