Part 2: Ice Policy Direction, Election Sign Changes, and Long-Term Care Progress – 03/12/2026

This meeting also made it clearer where individual council members stood on a few key issues. The biggest discussions were around ice access, election signs, and the ongoing work at H. J. McFarland Memorial Home. While committee decisions still needed to come back to council for final approval, the March 12 discussion showed who was pushing for what and where the main points of agreement and disagreement were.

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View the entire PEC Council Meeting; or view our recap.

Ice allocation and rink access

On the arena file, the motion to receive the report and approve the updated ice allocation policy was moved by Phil St-Jean (Picton) and seconded by David Harrison (North Marysburgh), and it carried with support from committee.

Most of the discussion, though, came from Phil St-Jean, who focused on what happens when ice is sitting empty while people are still trying to book time. He raised concerns about residents having to email or call, then wait too long for a response, only to miss the chance to use the ice. He also pushed on the practical side of things, asking why unused ice could not be opened up more easily if staff are already in the building and the rink is already operating.

Lisa Sverson, who presented the report, said the updated policy is meant to help fix that by creating a last-minute ice category, with discounted rates for ice booked within seven days. She also explained that staff are working on an online booking setup so people could book directly instead of waiting for staff to manually process requests. She did say there are still unanswered questions about what can happen if someone already paid for ice and then does not use it. In that case, she said she still needs to confirm whether the municipality can ethically or procedurally resell that same hour.

Albert Paschkowiak also stepped in on this item, mainly to question the wording in the policy. He said the language around booking “up to seven calendar days in advance” could be misunderstood and wanted it clarified so future users are not confused.

St-Jean went one step further and suggested the County look at whether its booking software can send push notifications to people who want to know when last-minute ice becomes available. He also said that same idea could work for town halls and other bookable municipal spaces, not just arenas. Sverson said she would look into it.

Election signs and the split over timing

The election sign discussion was where positions around the table became more distinct.

The main report on the 2026 municipal election sign framework came from the clerk’s office. During debate, Mayor Steve Ferguson argued that allowing signs too early could create too much visual clutter during the tourism season and compete with local businesses for attention. He floated an amendment to push back the start date for sign placement. After discussion, that date was revised to August 22, the day after nominations close.

That amendment passed at committee. In other words, the committee supported moving the sign start date later rather than allowing signs as soon as nominations open.

Not everyone arrived at that point from the same reasoning. Chris Braney (Hillier) said he would not want to limit sign timing too much because shorter timelines can favour incumbents and make it harder for new candidates to get noticed. Phil St-Jean said something similar. He noted that in his experience, most candidates do not rush out with signs the minute they are allowed anyway, and he did not seem especially worried about early sign placement in practice.

At the same time, members also raised a separate concern about the environmental impact of campaign signs. Bill Roberts (Sophiasburgh) was the clearest voice on that point. He repeatedly brought the discussion back to the County’s declared climate emergency, saying it felt contradictory to allow large amounts of sign waste while also claiming to take climate issues seriously. He mentioned other municipalities that limit the number of signs per candidate and questioned whether Prince Edward County should be doing more.

Albert Paschkowiak said he agreed with Roberts that signs are wasteful and supported looking at both a shorter sign season and a possible cap on sign numbers, though he also made clear that any limits should not unfairly hurt new candidates. David Harrison asked whether the signs are recyclable, while other members discussed reuse and repurposing.

In the end, the report was accepted as amended, meaning committee supported the later August 22 sign date but did not settle the wider issue of sign caps. That part was left for more staff review and future discussion.

H. J. McFarland and long-term care progress

The update on H. J. McFarland Memorial Home had a much different tone. There was no visible disagreement around the table. Instead, members largely responded with questions, praise, and support.

Google Street View

The report from staff outlined construction progress, staffing improvements, dementia care training, recruitment efforts, and planning for the move to the new long-term care home. Mayor Steve Ferguson thanked staff for the report and described it as thorough. Bill Roberts focused on workforce questions, asking how much the home still relies on agency staff and what the recruitment plan is for the larger new facility.

Staff responded that the home has almost eliminated agency use for PSWs, still faces some challenges with RPN staffing, and is working on long-term recruitment through partnerships and incentive programs.

Phil St-Jean spoke personally, saying he has a family member at the home and praising the atmosphere, the care staff, and the direction the home is taking, especially around dementia care. David Harrison also thanked staff and said residents often ask about the status of the build, showing how closely the project is being watched in the community.

The motion to receive that department update for information was moved by Steve Ferguson and seconded by David Harrison, and it carried.

What this means for the locals

For residents who use County arenas, the ice discussion matters because committee clearly heard that people want faster, easier access to open ice, especially when time is sitting unused. The policy moved forward, but the bigger test will be whether the booking process actually becomes easier on the ground.

For businesses, candidates, and voters, the election sign debate matters because committee supported a later start date of August 22 for campaign signs. That could mean a shorter visible campaign period on roadsides and in public-facing spaces, though the final word still had to come from council.

For families connected to long-term care, the H. J. McFarland update was mostly positive. The message from committee was that the new build is moving ahead, staffing stability is improving, and the home is actively preparing for the future rather than just waiting for the building to be finished.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:17:15. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.