CJRO News: December 16, 2024 to January 5, 2025

Hello bonjour and welcome to CJRO News on CJRO Radio. I'm Candice Vetter reporting from Russell.

MPP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Stephane Sarrazin announced that Russell Township will be receiving $1.5 million from the provincial government for infrastructure. The funds come from the Eastern Ontario Development Fund. Sarrazin made the announcement with Russell Mayor Mike Tarnowski on December 16 at Russell Township Hall. The funds are to be directed to road expansion in the Highway 417 Industrial Park and the installation of natural gas, fiber optic, electricity and street lighting there. The media release passed out at the announcement said the expansion of the industrial park, which is contested by nearby residents, will allow a dozen businesses and will create 1,500 more jobs. Outside the township hall about two dozen residents stood holding signs saying “Stand Our Ground – Save Russell Township from mega-sprawl.” Listen to Local First for interviews with Sarrazin, Tarnowski and some of the protestors.

MP Stephane Sarrazin, Russell Township Mayor Mike Tarnowski and CAO Richard Godin at Russell Township Hall at the December 16 funding announcement. Photo Candice Vetter

Some of about two dozen protestors outside Russell Township Hall before the funding announcement. Photo Candice Vetter

The Nation Municipality’s Council has decided to close all three of its library branches from January 1 to March 31. La Nation announced the Council decision on December 9, citing “governance challenges at the library board level.” The news release said the resignation of the Library Board Chair and other members, along with the upcoming retirement of the Library CEO, means the library will not have the “necessary leadership required under the Public Libraries Act”. However, the outgoing CEO of the library, Jeanne Leroux, told CJRO the library had functioned in 2008 without a full board, as staffing was not affected. She said last year’s budget was $600,000 and she asked for a budget of $650,000 this year. The municipality’s new CAO, Pierre Leroux, brought a report to the November 7 Council meeting suggesting slashing the library’s operating budget to $100,000, which is the reason she resigned. The three branches are in Limoges, St. Albert and St. Isidore, which are open 23 hours per week, 22 hours per week and 28 hours per week, respectively. La Nation said it is launching a recruitment campaign for the library board and is exploring partnerships with neighbouring boards. It will reimburse membership fees for libraries in neighbouring municipalities. Library membership is free to residents of the municipalities but fees apply to non-residents. New CAO of La Nation Pierre Leroux brought forward the suggestion to close the libraries at the December 9 Council meeting (available online). The bylaw to appoint him as CAO came up at the same meeting.

The Tim S. Dool is in the process of being lightered so it can be refloated. The bulk carrier ship has been grounded from bow to stern on the Crysler Shoal on the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence River across from Morrisburg since November 23. On December 12 barges arrived to assist in lightering the 222-metre vessel. It is not blocking the Seaway but the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation said it may have to close the Seaway for several hours when enough of the wheat cargo has been removed to refloat the laker. The cause of the grounding has not been determined. Last year the NACC Argonaut, a cement carrier en route to Oshawa, ran aground between the Cornwall Islands and St. Regis, impeding traffic on the Seaway for two days. The St. Lawrence Seaway links the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes allowing shipping to and from distant ports like Chicago, Detroit and Thunder Bay. In 2018 the American Association of Port Authorities released a report stating the Seaway system supported $35 billion in revenue in Canada and the U.S.

The Community Radio Fund of Canada, which provides part of the funding for CJRO, is asking community radio listeners to encourage their MPs to put the Community Radio Initiative into the 2025 federal budget. Of the $24.5 million needed, $6 million will come from digital broadcasters by 2026. The fund hopes to secure the remaining $18.5 million in next year’s federal budget. The media release said letter writing is the most effective way to get the message directly into the hands of politicians in Ottawa. The website for the campaign is MyCRI.ca in English and MonIRC.ca in French.

CJRO reports on the local news that matters, so send news ideas, issues and comments to newscjro@gmail.com by Monday mornings. Listen to the news and Local First on cjroradio.com anytime or on the Tune In or Radio Player Canada apps, the Radio App, Apple Music, the Unison Radio app, or at FrequencyNews.ca. And now CJRO is also part of the iHeart Radio group. I'm Candice Vetter for CJRO News and the Local Journalism Initiative. CJRO, 107.7 FM, last on the dial and first for local news.

This is my last news broadcast for this year. I'll be back in January. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our listeners and supporters.