Welcome to 2024 and the first edition of volume 155 of the Napanee Beaver.
Along with ringing in the new year we also celebrated a birthday, as the Beaver was first published on Jan. 1, 1870. We don’t take for granted that we wouldn’t have lasted this long without tremendous community support.
Things were far from quiet while we took a two week break from publishing a print edition, as two rather significant events took place. One was great-that being the launch of a fixed bus route between Napanee and Belleville, and the other not so much-that being the Ontario Land Tribunal ruling Tomlinson can go ahead with a permanent asphalt plant just a stone’s throw from the Napanee River.
Starting with the bus route, that’s great news for residents who have been calling for some sort of bus service within the town for decades. The bus, operated by Deseronto Transit, will make getting to LACGH for appointments much easier for those with mobility issues while also connecting to neighbouring Deseronto, the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and Belleville. Based on the buzz generated over social media following the announcement, this is by in large a welcome addition to the town. The real litmus test will be to see just how many riders board the bus and use it on a regular basis. There may be some bugs to work out and some tweaks here and there after a few months, but as it stands right now there’s good reason to believe this new bus system will be a success.
Perhaps the success of this program will eventually gain momentum toward venturing east to Kingston.
Not so welcome by a lot of residents was the news the OLT had sided with Tomlinson in their bid to establish a permanent asphalt plant at 8205 County Rd 2.
The much maligned plant has been a contentious issue for over two years now as residents have objected to its proposed location. The town had sought to block the application but when brought before a neutral third party, the OLT ruled the application was within the guidelines set out in the town’s official plan.
At the very least, the ruling brings closure to the issue. Though far from the outcome a lot of residents wanted, a resolution is at least better than uncertainty. As noted in the OLT’s ruling, there are standards and regulations in place that Tomlinson will have to follow to ensure the safety of the environment. Though that’s probably little comfort to those who live right next door.
Overall we say there’s reason for optimism heading into 2024 with several exciting projects on the go, such as the Gibbard District, proposed Goodyear expansion and the continued growth of the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital, including a new MRI machine scheduled to be up and running within the next two months.
Of course when looking ahead to January it’s always important to remember there’s bound to be some surprises along the way. Let’s just hope there’s more good than bad.
-Adam Prudhomme