Theodore Too, the 65-foot replica tugboat named after a years-long TV series, has been refloated in St. Catharines, Ont., after partially sinking this week, according to the boat's owner.

Thefts from people's doors steps are becoming more common around the holidays, but one Etobicoke woman says she didn't expect that even her doormat would be stolen.

Every Hamilton homeowner, whether they own rental properties or not, will be cordially invited to participate in the City’s Vacant Unit Tax process starting next month. If they fail to fill in a form declaring that they do not own a vacant unit they will pay a $250 late fee and if they still don’t file the declaration they will be taxed in June at a rate of 1 percent of the assessed value of their property. For a property with an assessed value of $385,000 that works out to a bill of $3,850. The tax applies to any residential unit that is vacant for more than 183 days in a year. The revenue generated from this tax will be reinvested into City programs to strengthen housing initiatives.

The declaration form will be available starting on January 2025. The declaration form will be submitted online, but a printable form will also be available upon request. Options to fill the declaration over the phone and in person will also be available.

Declarations can be submitted starting January 2025 and must be completed by March 31, 2025.  Late declarations will be accepted until April 30, 2025 and are subject to a $250 late fee.

All owners of residential units must submit an annual mandatory declaration on the status of their property. If a mandatory declaration is not submitted, the residential unit will be considered vacant and the VUT will be charged.

The frequently asked questions page describing the VUT says it is not a form of negative option billing, but only because it is allowed under the Municipal Act. In every other way it is a negative option—if a person fails to declare they get billed.

An annual declaration will be required each year to ensure that the VUT is applied accurately and reflects any changes in how the property was used. The City does not have any reliable method to ensure all property occupancy changes are captured.

A principal residence will not be subject to the VUT, but it is still required to submit a mandatory declaration every year. The plan involves hiring 16 full time staff to oversee the program

Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for Toronto and some surrounding communities due to heavy snowfall in the forecast. 

Environment Canada issued a weather advisory for Hamilton and Burlington on Thursday.

Education Minister Jill Dunlop calls the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board's use of public money "appalling."

Three men who face charges related to a killing in Canada remain in custody in the U.K. as their extradition case winds its way through the justice system.

Ottawa's police chief says rebuilding the service's "fractured" relationship with the city's Somali community is a top priority following the conclusion of a coroner's inquest into the death of Abdirahman Abdi.

The city says opening date has been pushed back because of microshelter production delays and the need for additional health and safety measures on the contaminated Barton-Tiffany lands.

Detectives from the 6 District (Port Colborne/Wainfleet) office of the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) are searching for missing person Derek Gibbs (31 years) of Port Colborne.

Derek was reported missing to the NRPS on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, by family members.

Derek was last seen on Monday, December 16, 2024, in the city of Port Colborne.

Derek is described as:

–          White male

–          5’10 feet tall

–          Approximately 160 lbs

–          31 years of age

Derek was last seen wearing the following:

–          Budweiser toque

–          Dark camouflage puffy coat

–          Green hoodie

–          Dark pants

–          Running shoes

–          Carrying a red gym bag

The police and Derek’s family are concerned for his welfare. Anyone in the community who may have information as to his location are asked to contact detectives at 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1009487.

Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477.  Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information which leads to an arrest.

When the next Ticat and  Forge season rolls around it looks like the Tim Hortons monicker on the football stadium will be replace by an as-yet unnamed new sponsor. Talks are underway to identify a new naming rights sponsor and the Hamilton Sports Group, which owns the Tiger-Cats, Forge FC, and the long-term stadium lease, will announce a new naming rights partner and a new name for the building in due course.

Since it opened, the stadium has played host to over 250 premium sports and entertainment events, which attracted three million live attendees. It has also seen over 10,000 hours of community activity and has been used to raise more than $3 million for charity.

In a release Hamilton Sports Group notes, “in the last four years alone, Tim Hortons Field has hosted 100 ticketed events including two Grey Cups, the NHL Heritage Classic, an outdoor OHL game, the memorable FIFA Men’s World Cup Qualifier won by Canada over the U.S., over 40 Ticats games and more than 70 Forge FC matches.

“We’re proud of our 10-year partnership that helped launch a beautiful new multi-purpose stadium for the city of Hamilton,” said Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons. “We, along with Tims restaurant owners, look forward to continuing to be a sponsor of the Tiger-Cats and other Canadian Football League teams across the country.”

“Similar to how the stadium grounds have evolved over time, our partnership with Tim Hortons has evolved throughout the last 60-plus years,” said Matt Afinec, President and Chief Operating Officer of Business Operations for Hamilton Sports Group. “Since the first Tim Hortons store opened in 1964 on Ottawa Street North, our two brands have been connected as proud Hamilton partners. They’ll continue to be linked through this latest evolution, just in a different way.”

Hamilton Housing staff a reporting that “unexpected setbacks due to additional health and safety measures, along with production delays have pushed the opening date of the Barton-Tiffany tiny shelter site back to the middle of January. The site was originally set to open this week. When open, the site will offer up to 80 spaces for residents, including couples and those with pets, with 24/7 wraparound services, such as mental health support, housing resources, essential services and security. Other aspects of the site are underway or complete including:

• Site plans have been approved.

• Good Shepherd has been confirmed as the operator of the site.

• Asphalt paving has started in key areas for the buildings and washrooms.

• Temporary fencing has been installed, and work continues on the permanent fencing around the full perimeter of the temporary outdoor shelter site.

• Hamilton Water is currently installing the water line.

Not all tiny shelters will be in place by the mid-January opening date. Staff say it will be a phased opening with the remaining outdoor shelter spaces opening soon after.

Staff ordered the units from a Brantford firm, Microshelters, which describes itself as  an Indigenous-owned company. The shelters are actually manufactured in China and staff reported the delivery is taking longer than expected. In all there will be 40 units, each housing two individuals at a cost of $35,000 per shelter unit.

At the time of his arrest Thursday, the 52-year-old man was working a school bus driver and involved in the martial arts community.

A Hamilton-area scientist who works with Environment and Climate Change Canada is receiving recognition from the Governor General as “a word-leading authority in environmental chemistry.”

A Toronto police officer died while on the job early Thursday, the service says. The officer was reportedly executing a search warrant at a highrise on Steeles Avenue W. in North York at the time.

Para Transpo users are being warned to expect continuing delays over the holidays as the transit service grapples with a rash of breakdowns in its minibus fleet.

NOTICE OF COMPLETE APPLICATION AND PUBLIC MEETING

Official Plan Amendment – File Number OPA-07

810 Mersea Road 4, Municipality of Leamington

Take Notice

Essex County Council will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 5 p.m., in Council Chambers in the County of Essex Administrative Building, located at 360 Fairview Avenue West, in Essex, to consider a proposed Official Plan Amendment to the County of Essex Official Plan, under the provisions of Sections 17 & 22 of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990.

The Purpose

The County has received an application which seeks to amend Schedule “A1” and “A2” of the County’s Official Plan to redesignate the property addressed as 810 Mersea Road 4, Municipality of Leamington, from “Secondary Settlement Area” to “Agricultural.” This amendment has been requested in order to support the conversion of the existing dwelling on the property to worker housing for the neighbouring greenhouse operation.

Members of the public who wish to participate during the public meeting and provide their comments directly to Council on the Official Plan Amendment must register with the Clerk’s Office to be a delegate no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, January 10, 2025. Delegations will be limited to five minutes.

To register as a delegate, please complete the online form at the following link:

https://countyofessex.ca/opa7delegation

Your application to participate as a delegate will be reviewed and you will be notified by the Clerk if your request has been approved. Only registered and confirmed delegates may bring forward presentations or information to be considered as part of the public meeting.

Members of the public who wish to attend the meeting in person, but not present to Council are still required to register. One registration per person is required.

To register as an attendee, but not speak before Council, please complete the online form at the following link:

https://countyofessex.ca/meetingregistration

Members of the public who want to watch the meeting can view the livestream on the County of Essex website: https://video.isilive.ca/countyofessex/live.html

Your Input is Important

Any person may participate in the public meeting and/or provide written or verbal representation. If you are unable to participate in the meeting, you may provide written comments by submitting them to the address or email below. Please include your mailing address with your written comments.

By Mail: Rebecca Belanger, MCIP, RPP, Manager, Planning Services, County of Essex, 360 Fairview Avenue West, Essex, ON, N8M 1Y6

By Email: [email protected]

If you wish to be notified of County of Essex Council’s decision regarding the proposed Official Plan Amendment, you must make a written request to Rebecca Belanger, MCIP, RPP, Manager, Planning Services, at the address or email shown above and the request must include the name and mailing address to which the notice should be sent.

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the County of Essex Council to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the County of Essex Council before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the County of Essex before the proposed Official Plan Amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

A copy of the report, including the proposed Official Plan Amendment and supporting material, will be available on the County of Essex Council Calendar on Thursday, January 9, 2025 at https://events.countyofessex.ca/meetings.

Notice of Collection

Personal information collected as a result of this public meeting is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act, the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), the Planning Act, and all other relevant legislation, and will be used to assist in making a decision on this matter.

All personal information (as defined by MFIPPA), including (but not limited to) names, addresses, opinions and comments collected will be made available for public disclosure to members of the public, at the meeting, through requests and through the County of Essex website.

Questions regarding the collection, use and disclosure of this personal information may be directed to the Clerk, Essex County Administrative Building; 360 Fairview Avenue West, Essex, ON, N8M 1Y6.

The post Public Meeting Notice: Official Plan Amendment Affecting Leamington appeared first on Kingsville Times.

An Evening with Birdy O’Day

by (author) Greg Kearney

A funny, boisterous, and deeply moving novel about aging hairstylist Roland’s childhood friendship with Birdy O’Day, whose fevered quest for pop music glory drives them apart

Roland Keener is an aging hairstylist who’s lived and worked in Winnipeg all his life. He’s more or less content with the quiet and predictable days he shares with his partner of twenty-five years, Tony.

That is, until he hears that Birdy O’Day – washed-up music icon and Roland’s childhood best friend and first love – is playing his first concert in Winnipeg since fleeing decades earlier.

Holing up with a scrapbook of news clippings about Birdy, Roland recalls his childhood in the ’60s: Growing up poor with a single mother, he meets a boy at school who calls himself Birdy and is unlike anyone he’s ever known.

The two become inseparable, with Roland an eager sidekick to Birdy and his dreams of stardom.

But when Birdy gets his big break, Roland is left behind, bereft. They become estranged over the years; one tours the world as a pop music sensation while the other struggles to chart a new path forward. But now, Birdy’s imminent return to town is a chance for both of them to finally come to terms with their glorious yet troubled past.

A funny and poignant novel about hero worship, heartbreak, and queer survival, An Evening with Birdy O’Day will remind you that you can never go home again – even if you never left it in the first place.

About the author

Greg Kearney’s profile page

To purchase An Evening With Birdy O’Day

Amazon – Click here to buy 
Indigo – Click here to buy

The post 49th Shelf: An Evening With Birdy O’Day appeared first on Kingsville Times.