Barbecue bragging rights will be up for grabs on Aug
23 when the Great Bay of Quinte BBQ Competition comes to Napanee’s Market Square
Registration is now open for teams to sign up for the grilling challenge to show their prowess in grilling up burgers
Teams that register before July 30 pay a $150 registration fee
Each team must have one team member that is food handling certified within the province of Ontario
Barbecues will be lined up outside of town hall for the outdoor event which runs from 10 a.m
though teams will have to bring their own barbecue and tent
The first time event draws inspiration from a similar barbecue competition that was held in Hope
BC-except out west it was a salmon grilling contest
Donald Stokes tweaked the format a bit and made it a burger and chicken based competition and has now brought it to Greater Napanee
Members of the public can sample the food for $3 and cast a vote for their favourite chef
Official taste judges will also be on hand to crown an official winner in a whole host of categories
The event is all about bringing community together while supporting a worthy cause that benefits the town
“The money will go towards recreation whether its buying a bike rack for the downtown Market Square or fixing something at the boat ramps or something on the soccer field,” said event organizer Tamra Brown
Live music entertainment will also be on hand and the event will be run in conjunction with the town’s re-launched farmer’s market
Corporate sponsorship opportunities are available as well as roles for volunteers
To register a team or learn more about how to get involved
visit https://gboqbbqcomp.com/wp/?page_id=66 or email TGBOQComp@gmail.com
A goal that was scored with nearly 40 minutes still left to play was being called the game’s most important one as the Napanee Raiders and Hanover Barons clashed Thursday night in Game 7 of their Provincial Junior Hockey League semifinal
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Article contentComing only 40 seconds into the second period on a power play
the tally snapped a scoreless tie and gave the Barons just the boost they needed to down the home-ice Raiders — despite there being almost two full periods (39:20) remaining
The teams traded the next two goals of the middle frame
and then the visitors outscored the Raiders 3-1 in the third (including an empty-net goal) to capture the game
The Barons now advance to the Clarence Schmalz Cup final against the Essex 73s
who beat the New Hamburg Firebirds in the other semifinal
“I think they got a lot of momentum scoring that power-play goal early in the second period and we had to chase the game from there,” Napanee head coach Ben Hagerman said the morning after the defeat
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“They are a hard team to play against when you have to open up and let your guard down defensively to push for more offence. We tried to continue to come back with offensive pushes, but they continually answered, and that is what good teams do this time of year.”
Barons star forward Mark McIntosh, who chalked up four points (two goals, two assists) in the game for a series-high total of 15 points (seven goals, eight assists), netted the momentum-generating first marker and then drew an assist on Kyle Maloney’s goal at 13:02. Napanee’s Blake Aylesworth, at 16:27, narrowed the gap to 2-1.
To lead off the third period, McIntosh, a 21-year-old from Elora who paced the Barons in the regular season with a 28-44-72 scoring line and enters the PJHL final with a league-high post-season scoring line of 23-31-54, scored on a power play at 7:07. He was followed 53 seconds later by Napanee’s Trent Williams, making the score 3-2 in Hanover’s favour.
Ryan Colquhoun notched an insurance goal for the Barons at 13:05 to give them some breathing room, before Sam Barrett completed the game’s scoring with an empty-net marker at 18:36.
Hagerman was proud of the way his team played during the regular season and playoffs.
“Yeah, this was a close-knit group that came together after the Christmas break like I have never seen before,” he said. “They never let adversity get them down. They constantly just worked and put the team first day after day. This was a special group that I hope made the community proud.”
Napanee entered the break (Dec. 23 to Jan. 1) in third place in Tod Division standings, seven points back of the eventual pennant-winning Frankford Huskies. The Raiders went 13-1-1 the rest of the way to finish second, just two points behind Frankford and 10 ahead of the No. 3 Amherstview Jets.
In the post-season, the Raiders posted a 19-8 won-lost record. In order, they defeated the Trent Hills Thunder (4-0, Tod quarter-final), Amherstview (4-2, Tod semifinal), Frankford (4-2, Tod final) and Clarington Eagles (4-0, East Conference final) before losing to Hanover (4-3, PJHL semifinal).
Sunday, April 20: Napanee 2 Hanover 1 (OT)
Sunday, April 27: Napanee 5 Hanover 4 (OT)
transmission or republication strictly prohibited
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What was scheduled as a preliminary hearing turned into a trial on Friday as Andrew Thompson pleaded guilty to killing Walter Lasher by setting fire to a Napanee rooming house in the summer of 2024
Thompson was initially charged with several counts
and two new informations were entered into the record
charging him with manslaughter and arson concerning the Saturday
Justice Geoffrey Griffin presided over the Ontario Court of Justice at 41 Dundas Street West in Napanee
Thompson chose to plead guilty to the charges
Griffin first acknowledged that a number of high school students were in attendance at the court as part of a Law class from Napanee District Secondary School (NDSS)
and he cautioned them to be on their best behaviour
The judge then stated the grave nature of the case: “What’s taking place today is very serious
There has obviously been enormous upset and trauma as a result of the events that took place
Crown attorney Monica Heine told Griffin there were two new pieces of information before the court and that the original information could be withdrawn
Thompson is a strikingly young-looking 32-year-old man with a pale complexion
He wore a grey hoodie with a blue Adidas logo
The judge asked Thompson if he had discussed the new matters with his attorney
and whether he understood what pleading guilty meant
The new information was read aloud: that on August 3
Andrew Thompson did unlawfully kill Walter Lasher and thereby committed manslaughter contrary to section 236 of the Criminal Code of Canada (CC); and count two
that he did intentionally or recklessly cause damage by fire to the property of Matthew Raham
situated at 159 John Street in Greater Napanee
Thompson entered a guilty plea on both counts
Heine began by stating that the circumstances were “a bit unusual” but that with Zaduk’s “kind assistance and consent,” the Crown’s case would be presented in a PowerPoint presentation narrated by Detective Constable Aimee Neale of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)
Zaduk warned those present that some disturbing images would emerge as the presentation progressed
The Crown’s case relied heavily on extensive surveillance video from inside the residence and throughout the town of Napanee
which was provided to the court as part of Neale’s presentation
The presentation established that Thompson was in a romantic relationship with a woman who lived at the rooming house at 159 John Street in Napanee
Thompson’s partner’s bedroom was on the upper floor of the home
across the hall from victim Walter Lasher’s room
which consists of 14 rooms rented as “transitional housing” and shared kitchen and bathroom areas
The transitional housing is paid for by Prince Edward – Lennox & Addington Social Services (PELASS)
“Two of the rooms were paid accommodations by the occupant; one of them was Walter Lasher,” Neale explained
Neale noted that Lasher was “known as a kind and friendly
simple man” who had mobility issues and no criminal record
He also didn’t like some activities at the rooming house and was known to be scared while living there
the woman disclosed to Thompson that she had an affair with another man
the two can be seen arguing in the upper floor hallway of the rooming house
Justice Griffin inquired about a large black dog that interacts with the people on screen
Neal noted that this was “Scooby,” Thompson’s partner’s pet
Lasher can also be seen moving through the house with some difficulty
he engages Thompson in a short conversation
but otherwise the three have no interaction
it appears in the video that Thompson exchanges money with a male in return for “an object,” Neale pointed out
both Thompson and the woman can be observed smoking “a glass drug pipe” outside the rooming house
Then they both leave the house at around 4:23 p.m
they can both be seen on video captured outside an apartment complex at 369 Dundas Street West
Thompson takes a bicycle that is leaning against the wall of the building and rides southbound
Surveillance cameras pick him up at several other locations in the downtown core between 6 p.m
when he eventually returns to the John Street house
the video shows him entering the front door of the residence
where he removes a red fire extinguisher from the wall and walks into the south kitchen with it concealed behind his back
He can be observed to have a yellow lighter in his hand
Then he goes out of sight of the camera into what Neale described as “a little hallway where there are two bathrooms.”
flashes of orange firelight are reflected on the kitchen walls for several minutes
At 6:43 a butane canister “explodes and goes projectile” through the kitchen
a fire-damaged broom was located in the bathroom area
and the butane canister was swabbed for DNA at the Forensic Science Centre in Toronto
The DNA swab result showed that it was 110 times more likely that it originated from Andrew Thomson than anyone else
Thompson can be seen jumping the fence in the backyard of 159 John Street
he is observed attempting to use the yellow lighter to light the garage window frame on fire
and walks in black socks past the mailboxes attached to the wall of the house
and switches an object from one hand to the other
smoke can be seen billowing from the window
“At one point [the resident of that room] had a tea cloth hanging from the window there
Thompson then walks westbound into the Trinity United Church parking lot across from 159 John Street
Walter Lasher is last seen on camera at 6:46 p.m.
He is now “wearing large red pyjama pants and a maroon sweater.” At 7:47 pm.
he is seen at the Circle K convenience store on Centre Street
“He appears to make efforts to conceal his face with the turtleneck of his sweater,” Neal described
a female resident of the John Street rooming house lets Thompson in the front door
he can be seen going upstairs and directly into his partner’s room
He is off-camera in her room for 25 seconds
he conceals his head by holding the sweater over it
he is downstairs; he stops at a male resident’s room but “does not get access,” Neale said
so he walks to the north entry door and partly enters a bathroom
he holds the sweater with his right hand and appears to be lighting it on fire
where there is now black smoke billowing from his partner’s room
Other residents are seen reacting to the smoke and moving quickly toward the exit
Thompson can be seen going into another man’s room
and he comes back out wearing a different set of clothes
Thompson expels the fire extinguisher in the main entrance
Neale next showed the footage from outside the upper-floor bedroom that occurred simultaneously
“obviously alerted and focused on the room,” Neale observed
and heavy smoke is billowing from the room
there will be zero visibility in the hallway,” Neale noted
Neale paused to warn members of Lasher’s family that the next video would likely be upsetting
the video shows that the upper floor is engulfed in flames
“We believe somebody is trapped on the second floor.”
I don’t know if he made it out.” Other voices call Walter’s name
A body-worn camera video from a police officer then shows the crowd gathered across the street
Andrew Thompson is there watching the fire
“He never approaches anyone in uniform to speak about the incident.”
Walter Lasher was found unconscious in a common area on the second floor
Firefighters extracted him from the building and they began trying to save his life
He was pronounced dead at Lennox and Addington County Hospital at 9:22 p.m
A postmortem examination confirmed Lasher died of smoke inhalation
Ten per cent of his body surface had first and second degree burns
but it was unclear whether the burns occurred prior to or after death
Neale explained that it was easy to identify and arrest Thompson after the events of the day because he had a distinctive tattoo of a “Canadian mask with crossed baseball bats located on his right arm.” He was well known to police in town and had been arrested previously at 159 John Street in December 2023
His mugshot and distinctive tattoo were recorded then
and extensive videos were used to match the man to the crime
“It was the sole actions of Andrew Thompson which resulted in Walter Lasher’s death,” Neale concluded
saying that he made no effort to alert anyone
who had mobility issues and whom Thompson would have known was in the building earlier that day
Griffin indicated that Thompson would be convicted on both counts
saved the Lasher family and friends from having to endure a trial and the time and expense of the justice system
what you have done — and I hope it is true — is that you have indicated remorse for these actions… and feel sorry,” the judge said
Griffin finished by saying he would sentence Thompson at a hearing in July
at which time victim impact statements would be entered into the record
“I was unaware of the enormous amount of surveillance we have in our Town,” the judge observed before adjourning
Michelle Dorey Forestell is a Napanee based reporter with the Local Journalism Initiative
A two-goal surge in the final 67 seconds of the second period boosted the Hanover Barons into a 4-1 lead and they survived a two-goal assault in the last few minutes of the third to beat the visiting Napanee Raiders
and force a seventh and deciding game in their Provincial Junior Hockey League semifinal
Article contentWith the series now tied 3-3
and is expected to be played in front of a full house of 1,000-plus at Napanee’s Best and Bash Arena
The winner will advance to the Clarence Schmalz Cup final against the Essex 73s
Napanee and Hanover traded first-period goals
with Raiders defenceman Erik MacNiel opening the scoring at 7:57 on a power play and Barons forward Mark McIntosh replying 15 seconds later
Curtis Arnold put Hanover up 2-1 at 6:12 of the second period
setting the stage for a late-period offensive outburst that proved to provide the Barons with enough goals for the win
with his second goal of the game and league-leading 21st of the post-season
scored at 18:53 and was followed at 19:59 by Ryan Colquhoun
“We were playing a very solid game and creating lots of chances in the second period … and in the last two minutes we made two mistakes that led to two goals, simple as that,” Napanee head coach Ben Hagerman said.
“(Hanover) is so powerful offensively that they do not need many chances to score, and as soon as we gave them too much time and space and allowed them to skate through the neutral zone, they were able to capitalize, and that was truly the difference in the hockey game.”
The score remained 4-1 until the last two-plus minutes of the third period. Napanee’s Andrew Carr, at 17:13, notched his team-leading 17th marker of the post-season, and Michael Patrick, at 18:41, tallied to make it a 4-3 game and keep the Raiders alive. A head contact penalty to Christos Chronis 18 seconds later, however, ended the threat.
“I was proud of the way the guys continued to play hard and push to create scoring chances,” Hagerman said. “We actually had some really good opportunities to score before our second goal as well. After the third goal, we had lots of momentum, and puck possession … unfortunately we took a penalty and that made it really challenging to score.”
MacNiel drew an assist on both third-period goals, giving him a three-point night and keeping him as the league’s top point-gathering defenceman of the post-season, now with a 6-26-32 scoring line, and the seventh skater overall. Hanover’s McIntosh leads the league in playoff points (21-29-50).
Sunday, April 20: Napanee 2 Hanover 1 (OT)
Sunday, April 27: Napanee 5 Hanover 4 (OT)
Thursday, May 1: Hanover at Napanee, 8 p.m.
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Just in time for Mother’s Day, the inaugural Napanee Antiques and Collectibles Flea Market is slated for Sunday, May 11, at the Best and Bash Arena.
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This outdoor market will boast a medley of vendors with something for everyone, hopes organizer Glenn Major.
“If this is a success, we’d like to continue to host this type of market every other Sunday until October,” Major said.
Among the many vendors, visitors can expect vintage records, vintage snowmobile paraphernalia, vintage baseball cards, butter tarts, spring plants, and much more. Families are invited to stroll the market while enjoying a range of curiosities and, of course, the beautiful spring weather.
“When I was young, I used to go to a flea market in Stouffville, Ontario, where they auctioned off cattle and had live chickens, rabbits, fruits, vegetables and antiques,” Major recounted. “As a kid, I loved going. It influenced my life going to flea markets and yard sales. On Sundays especially… it’s a great family outing.”
Currently, there are 20 vendors participating, but Major noted there is room for at least 10 more. For those who want to get involved, $25 will buy a 15×15 space from which to sell some wares. Vendors are responsible for brining their own table and shelter (for example, a tent for shade).
While inclement weather is hard to predict, if it rains on May 11, the inaugural market will be pushed back two Sundays.
The Napanee Raiders hit the highway for Thursday’s first game of their Provincial Junior Hockey League semifinal against the Hanover Barons
Article contentThe opening faceoff is slated for 8 p.m
a town of about 8,000 located northwest of Toronto and approximately a 400-kilometre
Game 2 of the best-of-seven set is scheduled for Friday in Napanee at 7:30 p.m
The Barons (16-2 in the post-season) advanced to the Clarence Schmalz Cup final four by knocking off the Orillia Terriers
they captured the Pollock Division title over the Fergus Whalers
following 4-0 sweeps of the Kincardine Bulldogs and Goderich Flyers in the Pollock semifinals and quarter-finals
Napanee (16-4) silenced the Clarington Eagles in the East Conference final
the Frankford Huskies in the Tod Division final
the Amherstview Jets in the Tod semifinals
and the Trent Hills Thunder in the Tod quarter-finals
Playing in the other Schmalz Cup semifinal are the Essex 73s (16-3) and the New Hamburg Firebirds (16-8). Essex swept the Petrolia Flyers in the West Conference final while New Hamburg edged the Grimsby Peach Kings, 4-3, in the South Conference final.
Hanover is paced offensively by a six-pack of players who each boast an average of at least one point per game, including a pair with more than two points per contest over the team’s 18 post-season games.
Forwards Alex McGillivray (17-22-39), Mark McIntosh (16-23-39), Ryan Colquhoun (14-15-29), Kyle Maloney (4-25-29) and Aaron Dukeshire (14-8-22) and defenceman Danny Scott (2-16-18) have led the Barons in points production.
In goal, Derek Hartley has seen the most action for the Barons, starting 16 games and posting a 14-2 won-lost record with a goals-against average of 2.31 and save percentage of .928.
Napanee, meanwhile, has just two players — defenceman Erik MacNiel (5-22-27) and forward Ben White (11-10-21) — averaging slightly above a point per game. Next in line and just shy of the mark are Andrew Carr (15-4-19), Trent Williams (12-7-19), defenceman Alex Case (8-11-19) and Michael Patrick 8-11-19).
Workhorse netminder Logan Vale has started all but one of the Raiders’ 20 post-season games and has put up sparkling numbers (15-3 won-lost, 2.01 goals-against average and 9.25 save percentage).
Thursday, April 17: Napanee at Hanover, 8 p.m.
Friday, April 18: Hanover at Napanee, 7:30 p.m.
Ontario’s strong mayor powers will be extended to the heads of councils in 216 municipalities across the province
a situation that has raised many questions in municipalities like Greater Napanee
This expansion includes 169 additional municipalities
as announced by the Ontario government on April 9
At the meeting of the Council of the Town of Greater Napanee on April 22
Clerk Jessica Walters brought forth a report designed to introduce the concept
ranging from the mundane details of how the legislation would work to the more pressing concerns over whether it poses a threat to democracy
The initial rollout of strong mayor powers began in 2022 with Toronto and Ottawa
47 municipalities had been granted these powers
encompasses a mix of urban and rural communities across Ontario
The strong mayor powers are outlined in Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act 2001
specifically in the section “Special Powers and Duties of the Head of Council.” According to the legislation
these powers only apply to municipalities designated by the province by regulation
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Council heard a presentation on the new legislation based on a report by Walters, who explained the new powers and how their extension aims to expand housing in Ontario. A lengthy discussion then ensued about the changes.
Coun. Mike Schenk began by expressing concern.
“If a ’dough-head’ mayor is elected, and you give them that much power, and… by the whim, you know, and it’s happened already, they get rid of the CAO and staff…
“But we’re an elected, free democracy,” Schenk continued, worrying that staff could be negatively impacted, causing “turmoil” that could essentially “wreck the town.”
“I don’t want to see the work that we have done, and the staff that we have, lose it because of an election where, you know, somebody who doesn’t have a basic concept of business gets elected… It could destroy the municipality,” he said.
Walters acknowledged these concerns and noted that this was a very fresh discussion without much time for research, “but I believe the intent of the Greater Napanee mayor and staff is to, as quickly as possible after this May 1 deadline, establish what our normal is going to look like.” She said municipalities have received advice “to interpret this language to mean different things as best suits their own circumstances.”
“So our goal is to define as much of that quickly with this term of council — establish what normal looks like and bake as much of it into our laws and policies as we can,“ said Walters. ”Could a new mayor overturn all of that on day one on November 16, 2026? Maybe. We don’t know. Nobody’s been in that situation yet, but it would certainly be a large breach of precedent. They would have to believe that they had the will of the voters behind them to do that.”
Deputy Mayor Brian Calver, acknowledging that the legislation is from the provincial government, questioned whether the municipality could opt out of the strong mayor powers.
“We don’t know,” said Walters with a tone of irony. “The first round, when it was just Ottawa and Toronto, was not optional. The second round was optional because you had to sign the housing pledge to opt in to receive the powers, and some municipalities chose not to. We have not heard anything about a housing pledge or any opt-in or opt-out this time around, so we don’t know.”
She noted, “Some municipalities have passed a motion saying, ’we don’t want these powers.’ We don’t know if that is going to have any impact on the bill that gets introduced next week.”
Mayor Terry Richardson asked Michael Nobes, general manager of growth and infrastructure for the town, to clarify whether Greater Napanee is a large enough municipality to be included in the housing pledge. Nobes said that it is.
“Is that likely to happen?” she continued, adding, “I know I’m asking for somebody to look at a crystal ball.”
“I don’t anticipate it,” Nobes answered, “Planning decisions still need to meet the applicable provincial planning statement, county and town official plans, and all the existing regulations. And the policy framework that exists today isn’t changing. So, I would say decisions still need to be made that are consistent with those existing policies and regulations. So, I don’t foresee it.”
Councillors Bob Norrie and Dave Pinnell reminded council that it has been through some very trying situations before, due to people with power overstepping their boundaries. They both expressed their feeling that the town had just begun to overcome those challenges, as Pinnell put it, “with clarity and transparency to the residents.”
“I take this whole thing as a slap in the face,” Pinnell went on, stating his belief that “this town is now in a good place.” He wanted to know what would happen if a mayor decided to go against the will of council.
Walters explained that under the proposed powers, the mayor would have the authority to veto a bylaw; however, vetoing a bylaw does not compel action. The mayor would need at least one third of council on side to compel action, not a majority.
“I would prefer that the provincial government say the heck out of municipal affairs completely,” he declared. “This is way, way, way, gone too far.”
CAO Matthew Grant said his staff would collect as much information as possible to ease the learning curve for both staff and Council, while keeping the lines of communication open.
“I would commend the clerk,” Grant said, “for the work that she’s done to date on figuring these things out and making sure that the mayor and members of council understand, if and when this legislation is tabled, what it says and what our obligations are.”
Councillors expressed gratitude for the teamwork that has become a signature of this term.
Mayor Terry Richardson concurred, saying, “Tonight is a prime example of why we’re all here. I had asked the clerk and the CAO to bring this report forward so that everyone could be on the same page, understanding things the same way as we move ahead. And honestly, I think this is a pretty solid example of how things are working, or maybe even how they’re going to work moving forward.”
“I want to thank council for the candid, respectful conversations we’ve had tonight,” Richardson concluded. “This isn’t the easiest topic to talk about. But it’s made easier when you’ve got a group around the horseshoe who genuinely get along. And sure, we disagree sometimes — sometimes we even get a little mad — but by the end of the night, we can all still go grab something to eat together.”
A great walking trail, plenty of waterfront and historic Old Hay Bay Church are just some of the features that make Greater Napanee as an emerging real estate market.
At least that’s according to Lyn Sable, a freelance writer who included Napanee in the article ‘Fifteen small towns about to become real estate hot spots’, posted on the B.C. based website Mastermind Quotes.
Napanee was included among the likes of Duncan, BC, Yellowknife, NWT, Canmore, AB, Bradford, ON and Iqaluit, NU.
To gain reaction to the article, the Beaver reached out to Dave Pinnell Jr., who offers a unique perspective as both a local real estate agent with Century 21, and member of town council.
“I’m quite certain when they wrote the article they weren’t too far off the mark,” said Pinnell Jr. “It’s one of those hidden little gems that people are starting to figure out. We’re halfway between Toronto and Montreal, we hear that all the time. We’re only 20 minutes to Kingston and Belleville. If you’re working in one of these larger cities, living in Napanee is a benefit.”
Sable’s blurb about Napanee mentioned its ‘waterfront location and proximity to Prince Edward County’ as major draws for potential home buyers.
“They mentioned in the article Prince Edward County, Kingston, Belleville, the day trips are just phenomenal,” said Pinnell Jr. “When we get into the classifications of housing and what is here, we hit all different types of people. We have century old homes, we have wartime homes, we have new builds, waterfront homes. Soon we’re going to have condos. It seems that we have something for everybody, also with lower costs.”
Pinnell Jr. did caution however uncertainty over tariffs stemming from the U.S. and potential job losses have cooled the market across Canada, at least for now.
Using 2024 figures, Sable’s article included affordability as a huge point in Napanee’s favour, citing a median house price of $699,900.
“Nothing’s worse than being mortgage poor and you can’t afford date night or go out and enjoy what the town has to offer. Here we can,” said Pinnell Jr. “With all the different ranges in homes we have all the different ranges in pricing.”
Greater Napanee mayor Terry Richardson was also asked his thoughts on the article.
“As the article says, we have the rail line that runs through here, we’ve got the 401, we’re ideally positioned in the province if not the country for access to just about everything you want in the world,” said Richardson. “If you could hand pick a municipality and put the things into it, they’d pick Napanee because we’ve got it all.”
Reaction to the article on social among residents was decidedly mixed. Not everyone was thrilled about being included on a national list, with some expressing concern about losing Napanee’s small town feel if a steady increase of new residents were to flock to the area.
A higher population would mean a stronger tax base.
“It’s a fine line balancing act. You want to keep the nice small little town, best kept secret kind of thing, but then with the council hat on, you want it to grow so that we can offer different amenities, like a swimming pool, to the residents of Greater Napanee,” added Pinnell Jr.
Looking at the numbers, it would appear the article has merit as statistics show between 2016 and 2021, Greater Napanee experienced a 6.2 per cent population growth, slightly higher than the provincial average of 5.8 per cent. According to the town’s website, Greater Napanee has a population of 16,879.
“Young couples move here with their kids, they’ve got access to education, they’ve got access to health care, there’s going to be lots of jobs here,” said Richardson. “On the other end of it, you have the ability to retire here and it’s affordable. You can still afford to live here and retire here in this municipality.”
To view the full article of 15 communities named, visit https://mastermindquotes.com/15-canadian-small-towns-about-to-become-real-estate-hot-spots/.
In anticipation of the re-appearance of encampments in public spaces, the Town of Greater Napanee is preparing to put its recently minted by-law to use.
Responding to public concern over tents being set up near parks and public spaces last fall, Greater Napanee council enacted a parks and public spaces by-law last November. That included designating certain areas of the town as ‘sensitive use areas.’ These include schools, playgrounds, daycares, sports fields and walking trails that, under the ordinances of the by-law, carry a minimum distance from which an encampment can be established.
By the time the by-law was passed last fall, Morningstar Mission’s warming centre opened its doors for the winter season. Its presence, for the most part, made the by-law unnecessary as people had somewhere other than outdoors to spend the night. With the warming centre shutting now down for the season, those who were spending the night within the building are likely to move into outdoor tents.
That preparation included training for staff on how to deal with a variety of situations, whether it be an abandoned encampment or one still in use.
“That involves how to approach people who might be there,” said Grant. “Also sharps removal when we bump across those. We’re exploring other training to do with things like naloxone, should we come into contact with that. I’ve asked the team to be as safe as possible and as cautious as possible.”
Managing the by-law won’t be without cost to the community.
“We will continue to incur expense,” said Grant. “Last year I would say it was probably around $150,000 just in encampment works and removals and that sort of thing. We are fully committed to working with our partners at the county level who are responsible for housing and homelessness and we will be as supportive a partner as we can be.”
Mayor Terry Richardson says they’re going to work with upper tiers of government for longer term homeless solutions. In the meantime, they’re going to manage it with the tools they have in place.
Prior to enacting the parks and public spaces by-law, the town held a public consultation. Along with balancing the input of residents, staff had to be mindful of potential legal challenges that could strike down the by-law. They couldn’t simply designate the entire town as a ‘sensitive area’, nor could they limit the space for where tents would be allowed to just one compact part of the town.
Per provincial laws, in the absence of a shelter such as the warming centre, individuals are permitted to seek shelter on public lands within a municipality-within reason. Encampment sites must also be contained to a maximum size and must adhere to other safety requirements including following any fire bans that may be in place.
“Our officers will be patrolling the parks on a regular basis and any other public lands,” said Walters. “They will also respond to any concerns that are reported by residents. If residents want to report a concern we have a tool on our website that they can use. If they select the option for encampments under by-law enforcement, they will actually be able to drop right on a map exactly where the encampment is located.”
Richardson says given that this is the first summer with the new by-law it will take some adjustment for all residents. A report will be presented to council this fall that will identify areas for improvement to take into consideration for the following year.
“We’re fighting a little bit over our weight at this point but anybody that knows anybody that comes from the Town of Greater Napanee knows that we don’t give in very easily. We’ll get there,” said the mayor.
A contractor, homeowner and individual have been court ordered to pay a fine for discharging petroleum hydrocarbon laden water into a storm drain leading to the Napanee River.
The Province of Ontario announced the ruling this week, stemming from charges laid in 2022.
On Aug. 28, 2024, Jia Jun Xu was convicted of one violation under the Environmental Protection Act, fined $2,000 plus a victim fine surcharge (VFS) of $500, and given six months to pay.
On Nov. 13, 2024, the company 2840888 Ontario Inc. was convicted of one violation under the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA), fined $25,000 plus a VFS of $6,250, and given six months to pay.
On November 13, 2024, Gangjian (Michael) Li was convicted of one violation under the OWRA, fined $5,000 plus a VFS of $1,250 and given six months to pay.
The Ontario government issued the following court bulletin with background information:
2840888 Ontario Inc. owns a property on East Street in the Town of Greater Napanee. Gangjian (Michael) Li’s spouse is the sole director of the company.
At the time of purchase in May 2022, the building on the property was in disrepair and the basement was flooded with water. Mr. Li retained contractors on behalf of the company to conduct renovations to the structure and to clean up the building, which included removing water in the basement.
Town staff attended the site and observed a garden style hose that was exiting the back door of the on-site building and led to the front sidewalk. At the time, there was nothing flowing from the hose, however staining on the ground at the hose outlet was consistent with the staining observed near East Street.
Town staff determined that there was residual liquid remaining within the hose itself and collected a sample. The liquid had a smell consistent with diesel fuel.
When town staff attended the site, Mr. Xu was the only contractor on site at the time. He was responsible for turning off the generator when the basement was finished draining.
The town reported their findings to the ministry and attempted to remediate associated impacts to the municipal storm sewer infrastructure and the waters of the Napanee River. Abatement work ultimately cost approximately $13,000.
Water and soil samples were collected by ministry staff from the impacted area and processed for analysis. All samples were determined to contain petroleum hydrocarbons, consistent with biodegraded diesel and trace oil.
A ministry expert concluded that the water quality in the Napanee River was impacted by the spill, which likely presented a risk to multiple species of fish, invertebrates, waterfowl and other animals that may have come into contact with the sheen.
Of particular concern is the potential presence of multiple species at risk in the Napanee River. Further, the timing of the spill coincides with the expected presence of early life stages of fish and waterfowl, as well as the terrestrial emergence of some invertebrate species.
Neither the company nor Mr. Li or Mrs. Xu reported the discharge to the ministry.
The ministry’s Environmental Investigations and Enforcement Branch investigated and laid charges which resulted in the convictions.
A trip to the Schmalz Cup Finals will be on the line at the Best and Bash Arena Thursday night as the Napanee Raiders welcome the Hanover Barons for Game 7, starting at 8 p.m.
The Barons pushed the series to the distance with a 4-3 win in Game 6 of the semifinal series on home ice Tuesday night.
Erik MacNiel gave the Raiders an early 1-0 lead, scoring on the power-play just shy of the eight minute mark of the game.
No more than 15 seconds later, the Barons’ Mark McIntosh tied it up.
Logan Vale and the Napanee Raiders will have home ice advantage for Thursday’s Game 7 of the Schmalz Cup semifinals. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
That was the start of a 4-0 run for the Barons as Curtis Arnold, McIntosh and Ryan Colquhoun each scored in the second period.
Andrew Carr got one back for Napanee with under three minutes to play in the third period. Michael Patrick scored at the 18:41 mark to really stoke the flames of a potential comeback. Unfortunately for the visitors, the rally fizzled from there and the Raiders missed out on the chance to close out the series.
They’ll have another chance on home ice Thursday night. The winner of the game will advance to face the Essex 73’s with the Junior C provincial championship up for grabs.
Now that the Napanee Raiders have moved within a single victory of claiming the Provincial Junior Hockey League East Conference crown thanks to a thrilling 3-2 double-overtime home-ice win Tuesday night, one might think the team should be able to breathe a little easier for the remainder of the series.
Article contentRaiders head coach Ben Hagerman, however, is having none of that “breathe easier” talk.
“Certainly not,” Hagerman said Wednesday after the Tod Division champion Raiders went up 3-0 over the Orr Division’s Clarington Eagles in the best-of-seven set that resumes Thursday at 7:25 p.m. in Bowmanville.
“I won’t breathe easier until that three turns into a four. (Clarington) is a highly experienced team that will not give up. We know we need our best effort of the series to knock them off a fourth time.”
Forward Andrew Carr unquestionably gave the Raiders an outstanding effort, scoring a pair of power-play goals, including the overtime winner at 11:17 of the second sudden-death frame — his team-leading 13th goal in 19 post-season contests.
“We fortunately got a power play around the midway point of the second (overtime) period,” Hagerman said. “We were moving the puck around nicely until we got a shot through and it was half tipped, which fooled the goaltender, bounced to (Carr) and he was able to put it in.”
With nine of Carr’s 13 playoff tallies having been of the power-play variety, he could very easily be called a specialist in man-advantage situations.
“Yeah, a little bit,” Hagerman said. “But he is so sound in all three zones. I think he has good instincts and has the ability to anticipate where the puck is coming from to get to rebounds and (he) also has a quick release that can fool goalies from time to time.”
The only other period that saw the puck go into the net was the second, with both teams scoring twice. Carr opened the scoring at 1:05 on a power play before Clarington’s Brayden Hicks tied the score 4:08 later. Blake Aylesworth put the Raiders ahead again, 2-1, on a goal at 8:69, but Mitchell Davies knotted the score 2-2 at 16:25.
Napanee goaltender Logan Vale was again sharp, stopping 44 of the 46 shots he faced. Clarington goalie Braeden Derks saw 36 shots.
Tuesday, April 8: Napanee 3 Clarington 2 (2OT)
Thursday, April 10: 7:25 p.m., at Clarington
The quest for the Schmalz Cup came to an end for the Napanee Raiders on Thursday night, losing Game 7 of their semifinal series 5-2 to the visiting Hanover Barons.
Despite the final score, the game was tightly contested until the final two minutes when the Barons sealed the win with an empty net goal.
Napanee never led in this win-or-go-home showdown, but remained within striking distance all night, seemingly one fortunate bounce away from getting back in it.
Both teams came out blazing in the opening 20 minutes, launching a combined 26 shots on net-14 for the Barons, 12 for Napanee.
Despite the flurry of scoring chances, neither team made it onto the scoresheet. A slashing penalty assessed to Napanee’s Erik MacNiel on the final play of the period proved costly. Barons’ sniper Mark McIntosh used that opportunity to score just 40 seconds into the second period, his 22nd goal of the post season.
Napanee’s Reid Lambert battles for the puck. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
Kyle Maloney doubled the Barons lead at the 13:02 mark to really put the Raiders season in jeopardy.
Their backs against the wall, the home team found a bit of resiliency, plugging away and finally breaking through when Blake Aylesworth found the back of the net with help from Trent Williams and Christos Chronis.
Napanee entered the third period down a goal with just 20 minutes left on their season if they couldn’t find a way to respond.
With the Barons pressuring around the net, Chronis committed a holding infraction to put the Barons back on the power-play.
McIntosh once again made them pay, gathering up a turn over inside the Raider zone and converted on his second power-play goal of the night to push the lead to 3-1 with 13 minutes to play.
With precious seconds ticking away, Napanee wasted little time responding as Williams cashed in on a feed from Erik MacNiel to bring the Raiders back to within a goal.
With a full 12 minutes on the clock, the Raiders were still very much alive.
Unfortunately for them, that would go down as their final goal of the campaign.
Hanover goalie Derek Hartley makes a glove save, one of 24 made in the victory. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
Ryan Colquhoun picked up some insurance at the 13:05 mark to restore the two-goal cushion.
Sam Barrett all but locked it up with an empty-net goal with just a minute and a half left to play.
And with that, the Raiders’ playoff run ran out of steam as the buzzer sounded to signify a Barons victory.
Logan Vale, who had been counted on for just about every minute between the pipes of their 26 game playoff journey, finished with 24 saves. Hanover’s Derek Hartley earned the win with 24 saves.
When all was said and done Vale’s playoff season almost out paced the regular season. He suited up for 28 games in the regular season with a record of 20-7 and then saw another 26 playoff games going 18-7.
The game was played before 872 fans at the Best and Bash Arena. As the Raiders exited the ice for the final time, they hoisted their sticks to salute the fans.
Napanee wrapped up the regular season with a record of 32-8-1, finishing second in the East Tod Division. Their playoff run saw them defeat the Trent Hills Thunder, Amherstview Jets, Frankford Huskies and Clarington Eagles before going to the limit with Hanover.
Napanee goalie Logan Vale looks on as the Hanover Barons celebrate their Game 7 win. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
Only three times in their time as Raiders has the club reached the provincial finals, also taking home the trophy in 1993 while coming up short in 1996.
For the Barons, this trip to the finals marks their first trip to the big dance since ’93, when they were fell to the Raiders in six games. Their one and only title came in 1991 when they topped the Orangeville Crushers in seven games.
The Barons will match up against the Essex 73’s in this year’s final. This is familiar territory for the franchise which has now reached the provincial finals for 15 times in their history, stretching back as one might expect given their name, to 1973. This trip does snap a bit of a drought however as they hadn’t advanced to the finals in a decade back in 2015 when they defeated the Port Hope Panthers in Game 7.
A dangerous and potentially life-threatening scene unfolded in Napanee on Saturday night that has been drawing onlookers to the town’s river at Springside Park along Dundas St
after a dramatic rescue was performed by crews from the Napanee fire department that involved a vehicle with a driver inside teetering on the edge of the falls
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentAccording to Napanee fire chief Sean Armstrong
crews received the call from the dispatch team around 6:46 p.m
“We were notified of a vehicle that was in the Napanee River
just above the rapids at the top of Dundas Street,” Armstrong said
they were met by large crowds that had gathered
with the vehicle in the river with one individual within the vehicle.”
Firefighters stepped into gear and began implementing their water rescue skills
Two firefighters donned ice rescue suits and made their way onto the water with an inflatable ice rescue boat
during the rescue attempt the boat that they were using — it was a simple flotation device — became wedged between the car and the rapids,” Armstrong said
“Firefighters were tied off and then the whole unit went over the waterfall
at which point firefighters were accompanied by a third firefighter and we recovered the person in the vehicle with a rope and a life preserver with a harness on it.”
Armstrong said before the male became unconscious
they were able to pull him to shore with the use of the rope and ladder truck
the individual was transported to hospital by an ambulance under a police escort due to medical conditions and hypothermia from the cold water
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Meanwhile, the two firefighters in the water were left dangling beneath the waterfall, with fast-moving water hitting them in all directions, a dangerous scenario that Armstrong said was his biggest concern after rescuing the individual.
“They were caught between the rapids and the rope, and they were cut loose by one of the team members. Both firefighters were cut loose actually. One was a self-rescue by cutting themselves loose,” Armstrong said.
“They were both heroes in their attempt and their team did well together, but there is a lot to unpack from the call,” he said.
He said all of the firefighters on scene, including the ones in the water, were checked on for injuries. Only one firefighter who was in the water was taken to hospital, but was released the same evening with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Their heroism and the heroism of the team takes a toll on all firefighters and we’re certainly working with specifically the ones in the water and all of the other firefighters that were around in the area to debrief and unpack the situation,” Armstrong said.
It was a scenario that Armstrong said certainly highlights the dangerous work that firefighters can be faced with on any given day.
“Certainly, things can change whether it be a water rescue or a fire scene in a heartbeat and we’re certainly concerned about that aspect of it. In terms of this rescue, obviously, all the calls that we go on are debriefed, we learn from them, and we move forward.”
According to Const. Rob Martell with Frontenac OPP, what made this rescue challenging for firefighters was the driver of the vehicle.
“Due to a bit of resistance from the driver, who had deliberately put their car into the river, they were unable to approach and attempt to rescue and remove the driver from the vehicle.”
While crews were able to get the driver out safely, Martell said they can’t categorize why the driver ended up in the river, but they do know it was done on purpose.
“Based on the location, where it went in, it would take a driver to put it in there deliberately into the river, due to fences and other obstacles that are in the way,” Martell said.
According to the OPP, there are no charges against the driver at this time.
The Napanee Raiders employed a tried-and-true game plan as they captured Game 2 of the Provincial Junior Hockey League East Conference final Sunday night against the home-ice Clarington Eagles
Article contentWith a 3-1 win under their belts from the series-opening contest Friday night in Napanee
there was really no reason to do anything but stay the course
A 3-1 twin triumph and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven East final
Game 3 of the set is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m
while Game 4 is slated for Thursday at 7:25 p.m
the two games were almost spitting images of each other
Games 1 and 2 both saw the Raiders open a 3-0 lead through two periods
with the Eagles netting their lone goal in the third
The only scoring difference was that Napanee tallied once in the first period and twice in the second on Friday
as opposed to the opposite order on Sunday
the numbers could also be said to be pretty close
Clarington outshot Napanee 28-20 in Game 1
while the Eagles outshot the Raiders 33-25 in Game 2
“Yeah, I would say they were pretty similar games,” Napanee head coach Ben Hagerman said. “Everything is so tight this time of year with limited high-danger scoring chances both ways.
“We made the most of our chances and defended well, had to kill penalties at key times and got outstanding goaltending from Logan Vale.”
Vale has stopped 59 of the 61 shots he has faced.
“We are very aware that they have multiple players in their lineup that had well over a point a game in the season and playoffs, so being able to keep goals against down and play strong positional hockey is going to be key to any success we were going to have in this series,” Hagerman said. “However, when you get the goaltending like Logan Vale is providing, it makes the rest of us look pretty good.”
In Game 1, Alex Case scored in the first period and Michael Patrick and Ethan Boutilier followed in the second. Owen White replied for Clarington.
In Game 2, Christos Chronis and Case, in the first period, and Trent Williams, with his team-leading 11th post-season goal in the second, scored for Napanee. Mitchell Davies tallied for Clarington.
Despite the early series lead, Hagerman is still not expecting a short battle. In two recent East final clashes between the two teams, the Eagles have come out on top — 4-2 last year and 4-1 in the 2021-22 campaign. Clarington has lost in the Schmalz Cup final the past three seasons.
“I wouldn’t say there is any payback (for the two losses to Clarington),” Hagerman said. “We are just motivated to keep winning hockey games and the guys love playing for each other. We have a lot of respect for Clarington and know this is still a long way from being over.”
Tuesday, April 8, 8 p.m. at Napanee; Thursday, April 10, 7:25 p.m., at Clarington; x-Friday, April 11, 7:30 p.m., at Napanee; x-Sunday, April 13, 7 p.m., at Clarington; x-Wednesday, April 16, 8 p.m., at Napanee
Lennox and Addington OPP have charged one person with impaired driving after leaving a local business
L&A County OPP members stopped a vehicle from leaving a parking lot after it was learned the driver was believed to be intoxicated
a 37-year-old from Greater Napanee was charged with:
The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Greater Napanee on Feb
Their driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days
and their vehicle was impounded for 7 days
A fulsome discussion was had by the Town of Greater Napanee council during their April 22 regular meeting
From historical document preservation to support for the community gardens and the newly introduced strong mayor powers
Council waded through a wide array of topics
The meeting opened with a deputation by Heidi Linde of the Heritage Committee
who spoke passionately about preserving local history
She presented a case for the Town to take possession of a growing collection of historical newspapers
and other items currently being safeguarded by local historian Mr
These artifacts include original issues of the Napanee Beaver and the Napanee Express
Eadie inherited the newspapers from Adam Prudhomme
Editor of the Beaver upon his taking possession of that paper
Eadie has since taken it upon himself to organize and store this trove of local history
Linde emphasized that while the Lennox and Addington County Museum does a commendable job preserving historical items
space constraints are limiting their ability to take on more
She also noted that the Lennox and Addington Historical Society
its entire collection has since been turned over to the museum
The Heritage Committee is not requesting new spending or climate-controlled facilities but instead proposes that town staff explore which municipally owned buildings might be suitable to house the collection
They are also offering volunteer support to help organize the materials
Eadie has said he would be happy to occasional assist citizens to view newspapers if they were housed in a location where that would be possible,” noted Linde
“Those papers reflect a history you won’t see in any book or online.”
Councillors offered resounding support for Linde’s request
with many underscoring the importance of preserving local history for future generations
Staff have been directed to prepare a report on possible locations to house these historically significant documents
On behalf of the Napanee Community Gardens
Council received a deputation from Susan Withers requesting continued help supplying water to the gardens
this entirely volunteer led initiative donates their produce to the Salvation Army Food Bank
they have relied upon the local fire department to help with watering
“The local fire department has graciously been keeping our tanks filled to enable us to continue this invaluable work to feed those less fortunate,” stated Withers
“Without the continued help of the fire department
we would not be able to continue this work for the food bank.”
Withers stated that they might typically go through around 5,000 liters of water every two weeks during a dry summer
Councillor Mike Schenk noted that it’s “a joy to see what they’ve done” not only feeding the community with a wealth of produce
but also providing a good example for generations to come
CAO Matthew Grant noted that staff will prepare a report detailing what type of equipment the town has that could carry the required amount of water but that it “doesn’t necessarily need to be a fire truck.”
especially as it pertains to sourcing from local businesses
The discussion began with a staff report recommending that Council approve the purchase of the 5-ton AC unit and matching furnace for $17,215.00 + HST from Kyro Mechanical
Deputy Mayor Brian Calver expressed concern after a local contractor narrowly missed winning the bid despite a strong track record of good work and previously coming in under budget
“We have a local business very close to where it should have been for a quote and I know in the past they came in under their quote,” said Calver
“I know the high level of service we received from this company
and I find it appalling that we are taking taxpayers’ money out of Napanee when we have someone here who could do it for not much over budget.”
CAO Grant acknowledged the constraints of the current procurement policy but noted that it is due for review
He suggested the town explore ways to assign weighted value to local content
I would like to avoid leaving it (procurement) up to individual personal judgement,” stated Grant
“My expectation of staff when going through bids is to see how a bid matches against specified criteria.”
Another topic of note was the planned removal of the CN Spur Rail Line Bridge
Council received a report detailing the plans for the removal of this bridge
They also approved staff’s recommendation to install a barrier system to close access to the former CN Bridge that spans Hwy 401
Staff were also directed to begin discussions with the MTO to plan for future removal of the bridge
The bridge had been earmarked by the Ad Hoc Trail Committee in hopes of repurposing it for an updated trail network
noting that “wasn’t the recommended path for expansion for the trail network and
expansion of the 401 would not facilitate this.”
The effects of Doug Ford’s “strong mayor powers” on democracy was called into question by several councillors
The ward 1 councillor expressed dismay at the level of power granted to mayors
but was careful to note his concern lay with future leaders and not with the current mayor of Napanee
“We are a democracy and can agree to disagree,” said Schenk
“I have grave concerns for future implications.”
Town Clerk Jessica Walters noted that staff
intend to quickly define how these new powers will affect normal operations for the Town and create predictability where possible
While a new mayor could theoretically overturn that work
Walters noted that doing so would be a “large breach of precedent.”
the council of the Town of Greater Napanee scrutinized the infrastructure plan proposed for Springside Meadows
raising pointed questions about traffic flow
and the long-term impact on neighbourhood character
Council did eventually approve the Draft Plan of Subdivision for the development by Best Developments and Bash Developments at 415 and 427 Bridge Street West
The decision came after they heard a report from Michael Nobes
General Manager of Growth & Infrastructure
that answered questions raised by the public and provided an overview of the staff’s recommendations for the approval
Nobes reminded Council of the public meeting held on Tuesday
staff received additional comments from area residents expressing concerns
Nobes noted citizens had raised concerns about the proposed live-work units
Commenters had expressed no need for retail in the area
saying it might draw traffic from the downtown core and pointing to a potential negative impact on the streetscape
Nobes reminded Council that the proposed live-work units are small-scale
home-based businesses “that would really not result in a high level of traffic to each unit
and it would be very much a neighborhood convenience/commercial style.”
These businesses are not intended to draw large numbers of shoppers away from downtown
noting that the uses in the live-work units will be limited
“Staff are proposing that the uses within those units would be limited to a scoped range of uses that would not have noxious noise or odour or traffic that could potentially impact neighboring property owners.”
would be mitigated because parking would be provided behind the buildings
maintaining a clean streetscape along Bridge Street and Cherrywood Parkway
Community responses included some concerns regarding the difference in densities and built form along Bridge Street
which were predominantly related to the appearance of the streetscape
single detached dwellings on the south side compared to newer
Nobes pointed out that the proposed single detached dwellings on the north side of Bridge Street will have frontages consistent with those in newer subdivisions, and that the larger lots on the south side are not part of the typical range in newer developments within the province. Despite the difference in lot size, both sides will feature single detached homes, maintaining a consistent built form.
“From a policy perspective,” Nobes said, “staffers are supportive, as the ultimate use of those lands would be for low-density, single detached residential development… The frontages are consistent with what’s being built today and what the market is ultimately demanding.”
Broad concerns about traffic on Bridge Street in general were also received, particularly due to driveways fronting onto Bridge Street, east of Cherrywood Parkway.
Nobes reminded Council that “staff make recommendations to Council based on technical merit in alignment with policy.” As such, he pointed to the traffic studies that were furnished for both this subdivision and the Westbridge Estates Phase 12 subdivision to the west.
Both traffic studies were furnished by the same technical review team “in tandem,” Nobes explained, “so we fully understand what the ultimate traffic impacts would be on Bridge Street as a result of both projects moving forward.” Those studies were laid out in the draft plan, he said, noting that “the road locations and traffic volumes resulted in the functionality of the roads being determined suitable.”
“It is also important to note that traffic study updates are required as developments build out in phases,” meaning that today’s traffic study is current for the subdivision being proposed in this phase, and that updated studies would be provided in the future to see if further changes were needed. “It takes some time to build out the subdivision over time.”
“At this moment in time,” he said, “the traffic study yielded satisfactory results.”
“The County is also considering a future roundabout at the Bridge Street and Cherrywood Parkway intersection, so that would aid in traffic calming along Bridge Street West,” Nobes went on. “In light of that, driveway locations were considered by the county and our traffic review engineer, and it was determined that the roundabout would ultimately function adequately. The driveways would be able to be located near that roundabout.”
Artificial traffic calming methods are also being built into the plans as the subdivision grows.
Nobes noted that a meeting was held with Lennox and Addington County transportation staff to discuss rerouting access to avoid a direct connection to Bridge Street. Instead, the proposal was to connect it to Cherrywood Parkway at the northern end of the block. However, after reviewing the proposal, the County determined it would not accept this new approach and preferred the original plan, as presented at the February 25 public meeting.
Because of this, he said, “We’ve provided a condition that the developer converse with the property owners at 444 and 450 Bridge Street West” to determine some satisfactory privacy mitigation against headlights, tail lights, and noise. This would likely mean planting “a hedge or evergreen or some sort of deciduous tree, whatever it might be, within their road frontage.”
Councillors then had opportunity to respond. Councillor Dave Pinnell referred again to the live-work units, acknowledging his constituents’ “fear of the unknown” regarding what businesses might set up shop in these units.
Deputy Mayor Brian Calver seemed to concur, asking, “Is there any way we can limit what type of business 1/8could locate there3/8? The last thing you need is one of these cannabis stores in a beautiful area like that.”
Nobes replied that there was “some limitation on the types of uses that can go into those units.” He listed allowed businesses, including “professional or administrative office, medical clinic, small scale medical clinic, convenience store, craft shop, custom workshop, daycare, coffee shop, ice cream parlor, home occupation, personal service shop, or small scale retail.”
However, he could not specifically rule out “a cannabis retail outlet where it would be permitted as a retail establishment in a general sense.” Nobes pointed out that In Ontario, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is the regulatory agency responsible for administering legislation related to cannabis retail.
A vital point was raised by Pinnell, who clarified that this night’s decision did not preclude further opportunity for discussion: “Comments can still come in throughout this whole project, and they will be listened to as well.”
Nobes agreed that there is an opportunity for feedback due to the high level of public interest from neighbours. Residents can review submission materials for phase one of the development and provide comments to staff, which will be summarized for Council’s future recommendations as the development progresses. “There certainly is that opportunity, and we welcome feedback as the development progresses.”
After this discussion, Council voted to accept the staff recommendation, with Pinnell and Calver opposed.
Town of Greater Napanee Council appointed Shawn Armstrong from acting fire chief to fire chief
Armstrong will be assuming the roles and responsibilities as the appointed fire chief by council under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act
Armstrong will be contributing to the organization on a full-time bases for a non-defined term
Armstrong expressed dedication and commitment to his role
I am honoured to lead an organization of highly skilled and dedicated firefighters who are passionate about protecting our community from the risks of fire and other hazards
I look forward to working with the team at the Greater Napanee Fire Department in delivering council’s approved programs and services
I also look forward to working with the community
and Fire Team at the Town of Greater Napanee to incrementally improve our mandatory
and essential services based on the evolving needs and circumstances of our growing community,” said Armstrong
Mayor Terry Richardson expressed excitement that Armstrong accepted a permanent position if Fire Chief and noted Armstrong will be an asset to the Town’s Fire Department
“I am extremely excited that Chief Armstrong has decided to accept the permanent position of fire chief with the Town of Greater Napanee
Chief Armstrong is an extremely qualified and experienced fire professional who will undoubtedly be an asset to our Department and Corporation
to our Greater Napanee family,” stated Richardson
Armstrong joined the Greater Napanee Fire Department as the acting fire chief in April 2024 after serving as fire chief for the City of Guelph and
Armstrong has successfully led his fire service teams on a continuous quality improvement process which led to a prestigious international accreditation award for Kingston Fire & Rescue’s quality performance measures
and strategic planning for fire and life safety programs and services
Armstrong is a graduate of the Fanshawe College Law and Security Administration program
and Developing Program at the University of Virginia
In his post with the Greater Napanee Fire Department
• An assessment of all fees and charges that fall within the Fire Department to identify how the town’s fee structures compare with similar municipalities
• Delivery of a revised Fire First Response Agreement that prioritizes core life-saving support for the paramedic service in collaboration with the County of Lennox and Addington’s Paramedic Service
• Negotiating/reaching new agreements with unions representing full-time and paid-on-call firefighters
• Developing service standards for all programs and services within the Fire Department
• Establishing training and certification requirements and reporting on operational resourcing in accordance with standardized training as outlined in Ontario Regulation 343/22 under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act
• Participating in the development and implementation of enterprise-wide criteria and data systems to measure asset management (vehicles
• Researching and revising the by-law governing the Greater Napanee Fire Department to bring it in line with best practices
• Completing a Fire Master Plan for the Town of Greater Napanee
• Finalizing and reporting on a Community Risk Assessment for the Town of Greater Napanee
a team from Midwestern Ontario will compete in the Schmalz Cup final
The Hanover Barons punched their ticket to face off against Essex 73's with a 5-2 win over the Raiders in Napanee in Game 7 of the semi-final
Barons' forward Mark McIntosh scored the first goal of the game 40 seconds into the second period on the power play
McIntosh was able to punch the puck into the net on a rebound
Kyle Maloney expanded Hanover's lead at the 13:02 mark
Napanee would score their first goal just over three minutes later
Hanover regained their two goal lead on another McIntosh power play goal
But Napanee's Trent Williams cut into the lead
as Ryan Colquhoun fought off a stick check from the boards
cut through to the middle of the ice and snapped a shot blocker side high
That gave Hanover a 4-2 lead at 13:05 in the third period
and with just over a minute and a half left in the third
Sam Barrett scored on the empty net to seal the win
Hanover goalie Derek Hartley stopped 24 of 26 shots
The Barons now have the top four point leaders in the PJHL playoffs
Mark McIntosh leads the way with 54 points in 25 games
Game 1 of the Schmalz Cup Finals is set for this Saturday at 3:30 p.m
The rest of the schedule has yet to be set
The Hanover Barons won the Schmalz Cup in 1991 over the Orangeville Crushers
The Kincardine Bulldogs made the Schmalz Cup Final in 1998
CKNX will have the call for the entire Schmalz Cup Finals between Hanover and Essex with OHA Hockey with Steve Sabourin
A meeting was held in Dresden where officials with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent shared what's being done to fight back against the project
Chatham-Kent seniors and their families can gather information about all the services offered to them across the municipality
The Maple Leafs built a big lead early and Toronto hung on to defeat Florida 5-4 in game one of the second round NHL playoff series
A fatal crash on Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent has claimed the life a motorcycle rider
CK Public Health has reported four more measles exposure sites in Chatham and Dresden
Chatham-Kent police are asking for the public's help to find a missing 14-year-old girl
Members of the Lennox and Addington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Crime Unit have laid multiple fraud related charges against an individual from Napanee
Following a year-long investigation into allegations of missing money belonging to individuals in a vulnerable sector
The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Greater Napanee on Feb
Around 200 walkers departed from the Trinity United Church parking lot on Saturday evening
braving the elements as they took on the Coldest Night of the Year
the temperature wasn’t the lowest seen this year
The annual walk to remedy homelessness marked its seventh year in Napanee as participants strolled through town
Event organizer Lynda Carney addresses the crowd before they embark on the walk
organizers announced they had reached 95 per cent of their fundraising goal
The top fundraising teams included the Stonemills RC Parishes ($27,795)
and Evangel Temple Polar Disciples ($4,308)
All money raised goes to the Morningstar Mission to assist in their efforts to assist those experiencing homelessness or hunger
a few short speeches were made to help get everyone fired up to wander out into the winter evening
brings in about $75 million over the course of the whole country,” said Greater Napanee Mayor Terry Richardson
“It’s an event that takes place in about 140 municipalities and locally has raised over the past six years $430,000
all of which stays directly in this municipality
It’s exciting to see something so good happen.”
Each walk benefits an organization in their community helping those living with hurt
“We got folks not only across this country but in this municipality that have no place to live,” said Richardson
“We have folks that are suffering from mental health problems
There’s folks that just don’t know where their next meal is going to come from
I like to think that the worst has already happened or that we’ve seen the worst
I think we’ve still got some tough times ahead
but we’re going to get through it because we do have such a great team in the community
it reinforces the fact that no matter how tough things are going to get
we’re going to get through them because we do really have a great community.”
Morningstar Mission executive director Kevin Alkenbrack also said a few words
first making sure to thank volunteer organizer Lynda Carney who once again worked countless hours to make the event a success
the money that you’ve raised is going to make a big difference in our community,” said Alkenbrack
“We have seen Morningstar grow from just a Saturday supper that was happening in the basement of St
Mary Magdalene to today where we’re a warming centre
existing on money raised within the community
“We see 20 new households registered every month,” said Alkenbrack
“That’s 20 households we’ve never seen before
Last year we saw 135 unique individuals suffering homelessness
Among the services the Mission provides is the warming centre
which operates throughout the winter months
providing a safe place to spent the night for those in need of shelter
there is a homelessness crisis,” said Alkenbrack
people like you that come out and put the toque on and ask your relatives and ask your friends to raise this money
They go to other doors and the doors close because people aren’t able to provide services.”
Town of Greater Napanee council received and approved the draft plan for a new subdivision off Bridge Street West
This approval involved fulsome discussion surrounding several aspects of the subdivision
particularly concerns raised by the public
there was some concern regarding the potential for live-work units
the draft plan proposes 138 single detached dwelling units
one block for mixed-use to be developed with 10 live-work townhouse dwelling units
destined for the northwest corner of Bridge Street West and Cherrywood Parkway are intended to have a flexible ground floor for use as residential or commercial space
These units with have frontage on the aforementioned streets with parking at the rear of the proposed buildings that will serve both residential and commercial uses
General manager of growth and infrastructure, Michael Nobes, noted several citizens voiced concern that these live-work units might draw attention away from downtown businesses.
“There was concern around drawing patrons away from downtown and that having an impact on the downtown revitalization efforts,” said Nobes. “Staff are proposing uses within those units be limited and that they be limited to that which would not have a noxious odour or cause traffic that could cause an impact to neighbouring property owners.”
Concern regarding possible commercial uses for these units was also voiced by councillor Bill Martin, who specifically expressed concern about the potential for cannabis stores to pop up in the new subdivision.
“The last thing we need is a cannabis store in that beautiful area. Is there a way we could limit what is allowed?” Martin asked.
In response, staff itemized certain commercial uses that are permitted, including convenience stores, daycares, coffee shops, ice cream parlours, and small-scale retail, to name a few.
Nobes noted staff did not have the ability “to not allow a cannabis retail outlet where it would be permitted as a retail establishment”. The only restriction regarding the location of cannabis retail outlets pertains to their proximity to schools.
Staff noted they would have to ascertain whether that was relevant to the live-work units, given the proximity of Cornerstone Christian Academy.
Things didn’t look all that great for the Napanee Raiders at the end of the first period in Game 6 of their Provincial Junior Hockey League Tod Division final Tuesday night against the Frankford Huskies
Article contentThe second period wasn’t really a whole lot better
But it was nothing a little well-timed offensive outburst couldn’t cure
The Raiders — who trailed 2-0 after 20 minutes and 3-2 after 40 — scored four unanswered goals in the third period to secure both a 6-3 victory in the game and a 4-2 triumph in the best-of-seven division final for the Tod Trophy
It was Napanee’s second consecutive division title and its fourth (2025
2019) since the Provincial Junior Hockey League was formed in 2016-17
The Raiders have also won the Empire B Junior C Hockey League crown four times (2010
and the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League championship five times (1996
1990) in seven seasons at the beginning of the junior C hockey modern era
Napanee head coach Ben Hagerman admitted feeling a bit uneasy after Frankford’s Evan Erwin and Keenan Wiles scored and the Huskies outshot the Raiders 12-5 in the opening frame.
“Certainly not a good feeling spotting them two goals early,” Hagerman, in his seventh season as head coach of the Raiders, said. “But we knew if we got one goal it could shift the momentum, so we waited for our chance and eventually took advantage.”
Napanee finally got on the scoreboard at 11:37 of the second period when Andrew Carr netted his first of three goals in the game. Spencer Cranley, at 16:42, knotted the game, but Spencer Stanutz tallied with just 23 seconds remaining in the second to lift Frankford back in front, 3-2.
Carr replied 3:41 into the third period to make it a 3-3 game before Trent Williams scored goals at 11:04 and 17:33 — the second one into an empty net — to increase Napanee’s lead to 5-3. Carr completed the game’s scoring at 17:46.
The four-goal surge came as a bit of a surprise to Hagerman.
“The focus was definitely not on coming out and scoring four. It was to score one to tie and figure the rest out later,” Hagerman said. “Fortunately, we tied it early enough that winning in regulation was still feasible.”
Carr, Williams and Ben White paced the Raiders through Tod playoffs in goals with 11 apiece. Defenceman Erik MacNiel, who drew two assists, led the team with 23 points (five goals, 18 assists).
Napanee finished the regular season in second place with 66 points in 42 games, two fewer points than Frankford, which won the regular-season pennant for the second year in a row. The Amherstview Jets (56), Picton Pirates (55) and Lakefield Chiefs (41) also iced strong teams and were, according to Hagerman, serious championship contenders.
“I knew that all five teams had a chance to win the division, so there was no part of me thinking that this was going to happen,” he said. “But the fact that we were part of those five teams told me we had a chance.
“There have been lots of times throughout this run that it feels like nothing is going to work out, but the guys in the dressing room just keep believing even when it’s hard to do so.”
Napanee set up Tuesday’s Tod championship win by capturing Game 5 on Monday night in Frankford, 4-1. After a scoreless first period, Napanee outgunned Frankford 3-1 in the second and then 1-0 in the third as the Raiders opened a 3-2 lead in games. Carr scored twice, with Williams and Alex Case tallying the other pair. Ty McCambridge scored Frankford’s lone goal at 11:21 of the second, making it a 2-1 game at the time.
The Raiders will now play the Orr Division champion Clarington Eagles in the best-of-seven East Conference final. The Eagles have a 12-0 record in the post-season, sweeping all three of their division series. The first two games of the conference final are scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Napanee and Sunday at 3:25 p.m. at Clarington.
Wednesday, March 26: Frankford 6 Napanee 1
Two people were charged with drug trafficking this week after police seized close to 200 grams of cocaine in Greater Napanee.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said its east region community street crime unit, with help from the emergency response team and officers with the Lennox and Addington County detachment, executed a search warrant on Jan. 27 at a location on County Road 41.
Investigators seized more than 180 grams of suspected cocaine, they said, as well as items typically associated with drug trafficking.
Two people were arrested at the scene. A 30-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man have each been charged with possession of a Schedule One substance for the purpose of trafficking.
The names of the accused were not released “to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation,” police added.
Both were released from custody and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Greater Napanee.