Part 1: Beach Water Testing, South Shore Footpath, and McFarland Milestones – 05/21/2024
- PECConnect
- May 21, 2024
- 4 min read
The County Council met for a Regular Council meeting at Shire Hall on May 21, 2024, with Mayor Steve Ferguson chairing and most of Council in the room, alongside senior staff including CAO Marcia Wallace and Clerk Catalina Blumenberg. After the land acknowledgement and procedural opening, Council confirmed the agenda and briefly moved into a closed session for solicitor client advice, then returned to open session with no motions coming out of closed.
Before diving into reports, the room shifted into community updates. Councillor Phil St-Jean signaled a coming notice of motion about a public code of conduct. Councillor Sam Grosso promoted local “community conversation” meetings in Ameliasburgh, while Councillor Brad Nieman and Councillor Roy Pennell shared upcoming community events and fundraisers. Ferguson then read several proclamations, including Seniors Month, Pride Month, and National Indigenous History Month, plus recognitions tied to 99.3 County FM’s radiothon, National Accessibility Week, and Stroke and Aphasia Awareness.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Beach sampling and a possible merger
Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Medical Officer of Health and CEO for Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, walked Council through changes to beach water sampling and gave a verbal update on work toward a proposed regional health unit merger.
On beach testing, Toumishey explained how E. coli sampling works, why results matter for public safety, and why the health unit is shifting from weekly sampling at most sites to a more risk based approach that uses historical data. Council’s questions focused on signage and how to keep warnings informative without scaring people away from generally safe water, including places like Roblin Lake.
Toumishey also clarified that provincial beaches are monitored through the Province, not municipal public health, and addressed questions about rural well testing following an Auditor General report.
On the merger, Councillors asked how municipalities would stay connected if governance becomes more regional. Toumishey emphasized that local representation and staff level links would remain part of the structure, even as details evolve. Council formally received the presentation.
South Shore walking vision
Two deputations followed. Johanne Strome and Roxanne Bird from Community Living Prince Edward marked Community Living Month, highlighted the range of services offered locally, and pointed to ongoing pressures like staffing recruitment and retention.
Next, Joe Dale and Geoff Craig presented the South Shore Joint Initiative’s south shore footpath project, describing a long term plan for a walking only route from Point Peter to Point Traverse. Council’s questions dug into what support the group needs now, how the trail would be maintained over time, coordination with existing uses (including motorized vehicles and hunting seasons), and how accessibility could be considered as the project develops.
McFarland and municipal policy decisions
In public comment, resident John Ambrose urged Council to push for net zero energy features in the H.J. McFarland Memorial Home rebuild, citing potential emissions reductions and operational savings. Councillor Kate MacNaughton (Picton) asked about feasibility and funding angles, including possible Federation of Canadian Municipalities support. Council then approved entering a long term care development agreement tied to provincial grant milestones for the 160 bed McFarland new build, and adopted a video surveillance policy for municipal properties, with discussion centered on privacy, necessity, and safeguards.
The meeting also included routine consent items and several by laws. One by law, authorizing the agreement of purchase and sale for the former Queen Elizabeth School property in Picton, was voted on separately and carried 8 to 5.
Key Takeaways
Council heard that beach water testing is shifting to a more data driven model, with signage and public risk communication still a live concern.
A new South Shore footpath proposal is moving into a public facing phase, with early land partner support and bigger questions still to come about shared use and long term stewardship.
The McFarland rebuild continues through key provincial funding milestones, while residents continue pushing Council to think bigger on sustainability and operating costs.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:08:03. 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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