Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Greater Napanee council was provided an update to the ongoing project that explores the link between Selby On. and Selby in Yorkshire, UK.
Podcasters Tim FitzHigham and John Hastings first appeared before council-virtually-during an April 13 meeting to explain their intent to create a series of podcasts that looked at the link between the two Selbys. The idea was born when someone in the UK had attempted to buy tickets for a theatre show in Yorkshire’s Selby but inadvertently ending up on the website for Greater Napanee’s Selby.
Fittingly when the podcasters made a deputation on Oct. 26 to update council on the project-again virtually from the UK and the U.S.-council was meeting at the Selby Community Hall.
“There’s been some significant progress with twinning or the pairing of the two Selbys,” said Higham. “We’ve had schools having lessons in Zoom classrooms, together, at the same time. I think John and I have been amazed by the enthusiasm of the schools in both Selby in Canada and in Selby in Yorkshire. The first lesson of the day in Canada and the last lesson of the day in Yorkshire have been taught at the same time, which is quite incredible and something I don’t think John and I thought was remotely possible.”
Their research has led them to find the missing link as it were between the two communities.
“We found the connection of who brought it over, the reasoning for all that and it was an amazing sort of moment because we thought it must just be a circumstance, it might just be a coincidence and to find out it was someone from one place going to the other and being part of the foundations of Canada and the history of Canada and connecting it back was an amazing moment,” said Hastings.
Among their findings is a diary of one of the original settlers of Selby, On. which details the very early life of the village.
Yorkshire council has expressed an interest in hosting a virtual meeting with their Greater Napanee counterparts.
“It’s not very often you get this sort of an opportunity,” noted mayor Marg Isbester. “It sounds like a team that’s very enthusiastic about it. Obviously if you’ve got the schools and the clergy involved in it.”
Greater Napanee staff will work with Yorkshire staff to schedule a meeting for sometime in December. Isbester added if possible she’d like to invite students from Selby Public School to take part in the meeting as well.
-Greater Napanee is working on scheduling a public meeting regarding Tomlinson’s proposed asphalt plant at 8205 County Road 2.
“We now have everything we need,” said Michael Nobes, Greater Napanee’s director of development services. “All the additional studies that were requested have been received and are currently under review. At the public meeting is where we would explain our results of our review of those studies and hear comments as well.”
Isbester said the meeting, which doesn’t have a date set just yet, would be a hybrid of in person and virtual.
-The town has selected the coaching firm that will conduct a session with Isbester following her code of conduct violation. The coaching session will cost $1,155, plus HST.
-At council’s next meeting, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 9, will look at a proposal to add painted crosswalks as an option to promote special events and celebrations within the community.