Part 1: Homelessness, Healthcare Gaps, and Livestock Safety Concerns - 3/28/2023

The County Council met on the evening of March 28, 2023, at Highline Hall in Wellington, with Mayor Steve Ferguson presiding over the meeting. The session brought together council members, staff, presenters, and a large public audience for a wide-ranging discussion that touched on homelessness, rural healthcare access, livestock safety, emergency services, and municipal operations.

After opening the meeting and delivering the traditional land acknowledgement, Mayor Ferguson welcomed residents attending in person and online. Council first dealt with procedural business, including amending the agenda to allow an urgent item related to livestock running at large to be added later in the meeting. This early decision set the tone for a night that would be shaped heavily by public concern and time sensitive issues emerging across the County.

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Announcements and community recognition

Council announcements highlighted both upcoming policy discussions and community milestones. Councillor Brad Nieman, gave notice of a future motion to review the Millennium Trail bylaw, focusing on commercial use. Mayor Ferguson also announced his intent to bring forward a motion on homelessness at a future council meeting.

The Mayor took time to recognize Annie and James Kim, longtime owners of Thorne’s Convenience in Picton, noting their decades of community support and significant donations to local causes. Two formal proclamations followed. Council proclaimed Owen Jones Memorial Cleanup Day for April 22, 2023, aligning it with Earth Day, and also proclaimed April as Daffodil Month in support of cancer awareness and the Canadian Cancer Society.

Voices from the Shadows and rural homelessness

The first deputation came from Craig Mills, General Manager of 99.3 County FM, who presented an eight part radio series exploring homelessness in a rural context. Mills explained that the project aimed to give voice to people experiencing homelessness and to build understanding and empathy rather than propose policy solutions. Council members asked questions about food insecurity, poverty, rural service gaps, and the lack of public awareness around available supports.

Throughout the discussion, councillors acknowledged that homelessness in the County often looks different than in urban centres, with people couch surfing, living in temporary arrangements, or leaving the County seasonally to access services elsewhere. Council formally received the deputation, commending the station for its community focused work.

Primary care pressures and a nurse practitioner proposal

Council then heard from David MacKinnon, representing the Rotary Club of Wellington, along with Dawn Cutler, past club president. Their presentation focused on the growing number of residents without a primary care provider and a proposal to address this gap through a satellite nurse practitioner clinic in Wellington. MacKinnon described the scale of the issue, pointing to thousands of residents without consistent access to primary care, and framed the situation as a system level challenge rather than a short term shortage.

Discussion centered on the role of nurse practitioners, funding models, and how such a clinic could complement existing physician services. Councillors raised questions about recruitment, provincial funding, and whether the model could expand to other parts of the County. Council ultimately directed staff to prepare a report outlining how the municipality could support the initiative, including advocacy and communications, with urgency noted given the pressure on healthcare services.

Public concern over livestock running at large

Public participation dominated the middle portion of the meeting, with multiple residents and agricultural representatives speaking about cattle running at large in Sophiasburgh. Speakers described crop damage, safety concerns, livestock appearing on roadways, and the emotional and financial toll on neighbouring properties. Lynn Levitt, Chair of the Prince Edward Cattlemen’s Association, explained that the situation had persisted for months and was becoming more difficult to resolve as time passed.

Residents shared firsthand experiences of cattle damaging hay fields, roaming near homes, and creating hazardous conditions. The recurring theme was urgency and the need for the municipality to have a clear mechanism to intervene when livestock owners are unable or unwilling to act.

Municipal action on animals at large

Following the public comments, Council formally reconsidered an earlier motion related to managing large domestic animals. Based on the discussion and evidence presented, Council directed staff to research and prepare a draft bylaw that would provide a feasible and cost effective way to manage livestock running at large. The direction emphasized cost recovery and limited use of a pound keeper only in rare circumstances where other options have failed.

Ambulance service funding and operational updates

Council also considered a report from the Finance and IT Department regarding funding for enhanced evening land ambulance service in the County. The discussion focused on response times, service coverage, and the balance between local needs and regional service demands.

Council approved the use of reserve funds to support enhanced service for 2023 and required future reporting to confirm how ambulance resources are being utilized ahead of the 2024 budget.

Later in the meeting, Council received a presentation from Dan Miller, General Manager of Quinte Waste Solutions, outlining changes to waste diversion programs and the upcoming transition to a producer responsibility model. Councillors asked about rising recycling costs, market pressures, and what the future may look like for municipal waste services.

Closing business

The remainder of the meeting addressed consent items, advisory committee reports, bylaw approvals, and procedural matters. Council approved multiple zoning and planning related bylaws and concluded the meeting just before 10 pm.

Key takeaways for PEC residents

1. Council heard strong and consistent concern about homelessness, healthcare access, and rural service gaps, signalling that social infrastructure remains a pressing local issue.

   
   

2. The livestock at large situation prompted clear direction for new municipal tools, with Council moving toward a bylaw based solution rather than ad hoc responses.

   
   

3. Rising costs and operational pressures, from ambulance services to recycling programs, continue to shape budget decisions and highlight the need for ongoing monitoring and reporting as conditions change.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:49:08. 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.