News August 27 to September 3, 2023
CJRO News August 28 to September 2, 2023
Hello, bonjour, and welcome to CJRO News on CJRO Radio. I’m Candice Vetter, reporting from Embrun.
A barn fire on Route 900 West near St. Albert destroyed a dairy barn on Sunday, August 27th. Unconfirmed reports said no persons were hurt, but about 100 cows may have perished, over two-thirds of the herd, and about 45 cattle were saved.
Photos courtesy Raymond Lavigne
It’s hard to believe but back-to-school starts this week and next week for students. The OPP reminds motorists and parents to be alert as students return to class. The news release says to obey speed limits and stay alert especially in school and playground zones, to avoid using cell phones and other distractions, to stop IN BOTH DIRECTIONS for school buses’ flashing red lights, to come to a complete stop for pedestrians, not to block the crosswalk, to follow the directions of crossing guards, to watch for children, and to unload children away from traffic and congestion or in a designated drop-off area.
On the subject of school transportation Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario is warning that failure to come to an agreement with school bus transportation companies may cause disruptions in service. Bus companies are saying STEO’s latest offer does not cover the increased costs of buses, fuel and labour, and that bus drivers are not paid sufficiently and are therefore hard to retain. A Facebook group called STEO Strike Carpool and Care has been set up to help parents and students. STEO organizes busing for the Upper Canada District School Board and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario.
The controversy regarding Taggart Realty’s proposal to build two residential towers which will shade fields on the Experimental Farm in Ottawa continues. Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, as well as the National Capital Commission were not consulted prior to Ottawa City Council approving the development, so the decision has to go back to Committee. A management company hired by Taggart stated that shadows cast wouldn’t exceed the standards for open spaces. Opponents to the development, including Ag Canada, say the Experimental Farm is no ordinary open space and those standards do not apply.
Speaking of consultation, anyone wanting information about Russell Township’s upcoming environmental assessment for the entire township must ask to be put on the stakeholders’ list. A valid mailing address or email address must be provided to the project team members at
francoislandry@russell.ca or bradley.young@cima.ca. Otherwise watch Le Reflet for updates. The information put out has already changed, with one map being swapped out for a different one after local residents pointed out the inconsistency of maps provided for this EA and for all recent EAs in the Township.
The United Counties of Prescott and Russell invites the public to submit nominations for the J.P. St. Pierre prize. Nominations close October 27th. The award is in memory of late Russell Mayor Jean Paul St. Pierre and is to honour individuals’ exceptional contributions in arts and culture, business and professions, charitable work, health, education, public service, media and communications, sports and recreation, agriculture, the environment, or anything that contributes to the well-being of UCPR’s residents. A nomination form must be submitted electronically. For information visit the UCPR’s website.
Check our website for videos and photos. We have video of the tractor parade in Embrun on Saturday, August 19th, courtesy of Anne Tyo-Lavictoire, and drone video of the Russell Fair the same weekend, courtesy of Cloudy Media.
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.
Tractor parade in front of Le Pavillon in Embrun. Photo courtesy Anne Tyo-Lavictoire