Part 1: Economic Development, Healthcare Recruitment, and Picton Traffic Debate – 11/30/2023
- PECConnect
- Nov 30, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: May 25
The County held a Committee of the Whole meeting on November 30, 2023, bringing council members, senior staff, and community presenters together at Shire Hall in Picton for a wide-ranging afternoon discussion. The meeting began at 1:00 p.m. and was chaired by Councillor Sam Grosso (Ameliasburgh), who guided council through a full agenda of deputations, presentations, and reports that touched on economic development, health care, infrastructure, libraries, and emergency preparedness.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Chamber of Commerce Update: Business Conditions and Advocacy
The meeting opened with a deputation from Lesley Lavender, Chief Executive Officer of the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce. Lavender spoke about the Chamber’s expanding role in supporting businesses across all wards, noting growth in membership and increased advocacy work.
Discussion focused on how the Chamber supports local businesses through promotion, collaboration with BIAs and sector groups, and information sharing. Council members asked about the end of Canada Emergency Business Account loans, workforce housing pressures, and the mix of industries represented by Chamber members. The conversation underscored how business viability is increasingly tied to broader issues like housing availability and staffing.
County Docs: Physician Recruitment and Primary Care Pressures
Council next heard from Dr. James Burrows, Barinder Gill, Executive Director of the Prince Edward Family Health Team, and Adam Hambly, Physician Recruiter, speaking on behalf of County Docs.
The presenters outlined ongoing efforts to recruit physicians and stabilize primary care heading into 2024. Questions from council focused on recruitment strategies, funding tools such as the Healthcare Connect Premium Initiative, and how new doctors integrate into the community. The discussion reflected ongoing concern about access to family doctors in the County and the need to remain competitive with other municipalities.
Council agreed that the funding request tied to physician recruitment should be considered during 2024 budget deliberations, reinforcing that primary care access remains a core municipal priority.
Picton Town Hill Intersection: Rethinking Safety and Options
A significant portion of the meeting focused on the Picton Town Hill intersection, beginning with a deputation from Gary Mooney. Mooney raised concerns about traffic flow, pedestrian safety, and how previous studies have framed available options.
Council discussion emphasized the importance of examining a full range of alternatives, including lower-cost or less intrusive approaches. Reference was made to the ongoing Municipal Class Environmental Assessment, with staff confirming that public input forms part of the official record and that a Notice of Completion will eventually be issued for further comment.
Council directed staff and consultants to ensure future reporting includes multiple options, including “do something” and “do nothing” scenarios, and to evaluate them using consistent criteria.
This theme continued with a second deputation from Steve Sykes, who shared observations based on personal experience using the intersection as a driver, pedestrian, and cyclist. Sykes emphasized accessibility challenges, especially for pedestrians and wheelchair users, and suggested that any solution should clearly define the problem before locking in a preferred design. The conversation highlighted tension between long-term planning, cost, and immediate safety concerns.
Public Library: Budget, Growth, and Community Role
After a short recess, council heard from Barbara Sweet, Chief Executive Officer of the Prince Edward County Public Library, accompanied by Sandy Murray, Chair of the Library Board’s Finance Committee.
The presentation focused on the 2024 library budget, operational pressures, and the evolving role of libraries as community hubs. Sweet outlined how the expanded Picton branch has increased programming capacity and driven significant growth in usage, particularly among families and children.
Questions from council covered fundraising, unionization impacts on staffing costs, potential extended hours, and capital needs such as repairs and access points at the Picton branch. The discussion reinforced the library’s county-wide role, with six branches serving diverse communities and adapting through both pandemic disruption and construction.
Business Retention and Expansion Survey
Council then turned to the 2023 All Sector Business Retention and Expansion Survey, presented by Karen Palmer, Economic Development Officer. Palmer explained how the survey was used to gauge business confidence, challenges, and future plans across multiple sectors.
The discussion highlighted recurring issues including affordability, staffing shortages, limited commercial space, and transportation. Council members spoke about the importance of proactive outreach, clear information for businesses, and ensuring that zoning and land-use planning support economic growth rather than unintentionally restricting it.
Palmer outlined next steps, including deeper engagement with trades and construction businesses, improved online guides for municipal processes, and development of a future economic action plan. Council directed staff to return in 2024 with a plan focused on economic diversification, agribusiness and on-farm uses, and creating a more business-friendly municipal environment.
Emergency Management Program: Compliance and Readiness
The final major item was a report from Fire Chief Chad Brown, who also serves as the County’s Community Emergency Management Coordinator. Brown confirmed that the County had completed all required updates and exercises under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
Council was advised that emergency plans, committee meetings, training exercises, and public education initiatives had all been completed and reported to Emergency Management Ontario. With recent weather events and upcoming seasonal pressures, the update reinforced the importance of preparedness and compliance.
Key Takeaways
Economic pressures are touching nearly every discussion, from business retention to physician recruitment and library services, showing how interconnected housing, staffing, and affordability have become.
Major infrastructure decisions, like the Picton Town Hill intersection, are still very much in flux, with council pushing for broader option analysis before committing to a path forward.
Community services such as libraries and emergency management remain central, with council emphasizing their evolving role in supporting residents through growth, disruption, and change.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:00:39. 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.
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