The Intelligencer (Belleville)
Maple sap slow to flow at Walt's Sugar Shack due to quirky spring
Inconsistent spring weather has slowed maple tree sap flows by roughly two thirds likely pushing the full syrup harvest back a few more weeks until at least midApril, says Brian Walt, veteran proprietor of Walt's Sugar Shack in Prince Edward...
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ONTARIO APPROVES $45M TO UPGRADE COUNTY ROAD 49 IN PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY
After decades of decay and neglect, a vital main roadway linking Prince Edward County to the mainland is finally in line for a major multi-million-dollar overhaul. Ontario has committed to foot the lion's share of needed road work on County Road 49...
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HIGH-SPEED RAIL LINE DOMINATES DISCUSSION
It was pretty evident at a special Belleville city council meeting on Monday that not everyone is in favour of a proposed high-speed rail project by Crown corporation Alto, especially with a potential second southern route under consideration through...
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OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS THRONG QUINTE SPORTSMAN SHOW
Inclement snowy weather on the weekend did little to dissuade outdoor enthusiasts from flocking to the 26th Annual Quinte Sportsman Boat and RV Show in Belleville, say organizers. Held over three days at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre ending...
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HART HUB'S SUPPORTIVE HOUSING EFFORT COMING SOON
The first tenant of new supportive transitional housing in Belleville may be housed as early as April, The Intelligencer has learned. The local Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hub, or HART Hub, project includes 22 supportive-housing...
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NICHOLSON STUDENTS PROTEST CHANGES TO OSAP
Students of Belleville's Nicholson Catholic College walked out of Tuesday's classes to protest against changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program's grants and loans. “I don't find it fair that now students are being forced into more debt just...
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BELLEVILLE-BORN OLYMPIAN TRENNT MICHAUD FETED AT HOMECOMING CELEBRATION
For accomplished Olympic skater and Belleville-born son Trennt Michaud, the adage `there's no place like home' took on new meaning on the weekend following his personal best performance at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 last month in...
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Hastings County residents' concerns remain after Alto rail meeting
The discussion was civil and interest keen, but the first public meetings in Hastings County on the Alto high-speed rail project did little to dispel Hastings County residents' concern and skepticism. Alto is the Crown corporation overseeing the...
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Southeast Public Health deputy says services maintained amid redeployments
Southeast Public Health is maintaining services while redeploying various staff, a senior official says, and satellite offices remain open. The move is part of the health unit's ongoing “harmonization” of operations, Deputy Medical Officer of Health...
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Coldest Night of the Year breaks fundraising goal with nearly $71K for Grace Inn Shelter
This year's Coldest Night of the Year walk saw 49 teams raising funds across the region. Together, nearly 300 participants braved the cold, raising $70,670 for The Grace Inn Shelter in Belleville — surpassing the organization's $65,000 fundraising...
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HERITAGE WEEK AT GLANMORE
Glanmore National Historic Site education and marketing coordinator Melissa Wakeling pulls a portrait of Thomas Willis from artifact storage in the museum's attic Friday, February 27 in Belleville. Heritage Week tours of the building, including the...
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BELLEVILLE COUNCIL OPPOSES ALTO HIGH-SPEED RAIL; PUBLIC INPUT DUE MARCH 29
Belleville council is opposing the proposed southern route of Canada's Alto high-speed rail line. Councillors on Feb. 23 endorsed a resolution made by Thurlow Ward Coun. Kathryn Brown. It states council's opposition based upon “the limited...
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NDP LEADER MARIT STILES SAYS LOCAL HEALTH WORKERS EXHAUSTED, SYSTEM FLAWED
Ontario Official Opposition Leader Marit Stiles says the Ontario government must rethink health care spending while also investing more in preventative care. NDP leader Stiles on Feb. 20 held a meeting in Belleville to talk with local health care...
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UNITED WAY RAISES RECORD $2.256 MILLION IN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN
With another record campaign complete and a difficult goal still to meet, United Way Hastings and Prince Edward staff are already planning for another year of hard work. The charity's 2025 campaign raised $2,256,387, organizers announced Thursday in...
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ONTARIO FUNDING NOT KEEPING PACE WITH COSTS LUKE HENDRY
Ontario municipalities continue to fall behind as revenue fails to keep pace with rising costs, a point underscored in Hastings County's latest operating and capital budget. County councillors on Tuesday endorsed the budget while calling for...
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HOW OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATERS DESIGN THE PROGRAMS YOU SEE AT THE MILAN-CORTINA
Olympic figure skaters Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud began searching for the right music a year ago Belleville-born Michaud grew up Trenton; Pereira is from Milton. The pair is based in Brantford. They would listen in their car and through their...
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Trenton's National Air Force Museum has new exhibits, Family Day fun
Many new exhibits have landed at the National Air Force Museum of Canada. Visitors of all ages can have fun learning about aviation and military history during special activities planned for Family Day, Feb. 16, and March Break. Family Day is “Be an...
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OLYMPIC DAREDEVIL
Brighton's Hallie Clarke takes part in the skeleton women's training session at Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Wednesday, Feb. 11. The heats were scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
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QUINTE'S TRENNT MICHAUD, PARTNER LIA PEREIRA FIFTH IN OLYMPIC PAIRS FIGURE SKATING
Quinte native Trennt Michaud and his pairs skating partner, Lia Pereira, on Sunday shattered their personal-best score in their Olympic debut in Italy, finishing fifth in the team event. Michaud was born in Belleville, grew up in Trenton, and...
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`ANDY' ANDERSON WAS BELLEVILLE LEGION PRESIDENT, VOLUNTEER, RCAF
Harry “Andy” Anderson, a past president of Belleville's Royal Canadian Legion branch and a veteran of peacekeeping service, has died. The Prince Edward County resident, who was 96, died peacefully Jan. 22 at Trenton Memorial Hospital, his death notice...
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REPATRIATION CEREMONY HELD IN TRENTON FOR SOLDIER WHO DIED IN LATVIA
Family members, military personnel, and other dignitaries on Tuesday stood quietly on a snow-swept tarmac as the body of a Canadian soldier returned to Canada. Gunner Sebastian Christian Halmagean, 24, died Jan. 29 at Camp Labrie on Ceri military base...
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34TH ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE RAISES OVER $40K FOR HOSPITAL
A large gathering of community supporters filled Lion's Community Park in Campbellford on Saturday afternoon for the 34th annual Polar Plunge, raising an impressive $40,000 for Campbellford Memorial Hospital. Cool ambient air temperatures didn't deter...
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MISSISSAUGA MAN PRAISED FOR SELFLESS HEROISM IN HIGHWAY 401 PILEUP
A man being hailed as a Good Samaritan for leading stranded motorists to safety in a burning 17-vehicle pileup on Highway 401 Tuesday near Trenton is downplaying bystander accounts of his bravery and heroism. The Mississauga owner of a trucking firm...
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WOMAN RESCUED FROM FIERY HIGHWAY 401 PILEUPS INVOLVING 21 VEHICLES
Quinte West Fire Chief John Whelan said it is extremely fortunate there were no fatalities in multiple-vehicle pileups in whiteout conditions on Highway 401 around 8 a.m. Tuesday. An initial collision between four vehicles in westbound lanes about a...
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POLAR VORTEX STORM DUMPS LARGEST SNOWFALL ON BELLEVILLE IN 53 YEARS
Record snowfall overnight Sunday dumped 37 centimetres of snow on Belleville and area, the largest single snow event to hit the city for the same date of Jan. 25 since 1973, according to the CFB Trenton weather station. City residents awoke early...
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Belleville chiefs: Fund homelessness intervention and new approaches
Belleville-area emergency services chiefs are calling for new approaches and government funding for interventions to curb the rising human and financial costs of homelessness-related issues. Police Chief Murray Rodd said some form of mandatory...
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More people linked to primary health care in Hastings-Prince Edward
Ontario government efforts to attach residents without a family physician to primary health care appear to be making progress to fill a doctor shortage in the Quinte region and beyond. Ontario's Primary Action Plan efforts in Hastings and Prince...
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SWORN IN
Newly elected members of Bay of Quinte Mohawk council were sworn into their roles as leaders in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory January 12. Council will be led by Chief R. Donald Maracle (standing) and Coun(s). Chris `Hockey' Brant, Kurtis `Chip' Brant,...
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FAIRGROUNDS ON SCHEDULE
Workers continue their structural steel construction of the new Belleville Agricultural Society facility Wednesday, Jan. 14 on Black Diamond Road off of Highway 37 in Belleville. The project is on schedule for completion this summer, city staff...
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CHARLES STREET CORDONED OFF
Belleville firefighters, Elexicon workers and Belleville Police closed off Charles Street Wed., Jan. 14 to keep the public clear of a damaged hydro pole leaning into the street. No word on the cause as of press time.
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Loyalist College students to get expanded health, dental coverage
Loyalist College students – and possibly their families – this fall will see a major improvement in health care benefits after a student-led effort to increase coverage. “This was mostly a student government-run initiative,” said Mustafa Alali, who is...
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HOMELESSNESS: ADVOCATES SAY FUNDING FOR EARLY INTERVENTIONS WOULD HELP
Ontario and Canada could help ease the impact of homelessness-related issues in Belleville by funding more early-intervention programs, local advocates say. Mayor Neil Ellis' Understanding Homelessness Task Force met Jan. 7 online. Guest speakers...
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BELLEVILLE FIREFIGHTERS EXTINGUISH HOUSE FIRE IN FREEZING DRIZZLE CONDITIONS
Belleville Fire and Emergency Services responded to a house fire in a punishing, constant drizzle of freezing rain that coated everything in its path Tuesday evening. Firefighters quickly went to work on scene to extinguish a blaze in a single-family...
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Batawa Ski Hill enjoying `good start to the season'
Ski enthusiasts big and small are flocking to Batawa Ski Hill to take advantage of excellent snow conditions as the popular downhill ski and snowboarding venue enjoys a strong start to the winter season. For weeks, thousands of visitors have filled...
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MAYOR NEIL ELLIS SHARES OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK FOR BELLEVILLE'S PROSPECTS IN 2026
Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis and city councillors rang in the new year Thursday with optimism for 2026 as an ambitious time ahead to build for the future. In his New Year's Levee address at Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre before a large crowd, Ellis...
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ICY FORECAST SUNDAY PROMPTS QUINTE MUNICIPALITIES TO DECLARE `SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT'
Weather forecasters advised Quinte residents Sunday morning to brace for a wet and messy wintry onslaught packing high winds, ice and rain late in the day and into Monday morning. The storm front was described by some as a “bomb cyclone” which can...
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Brenda Snider retires: 20 years of working with volunteers
Brenda Snider has volunteered for a new role: that of retiree. After 20 years with what is now the Volunteer and Information Centre of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, or Volunteer and Information HPE, she will finish work Dec. 31. “Honestly, I'm...
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all from Santa Claus and The Intelligencer. Peace and goodwill to our readers this Yuletide season and in the New Year.
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FESTIVE REFLECTIONS
Melting ice floating on the Moira River in warming 4C temperatures on Wed., Dec. 17 made for some festive holiday reflections beneath the Bridge Street bridge in Downtown Belleville. Temperatures were forecast to remain relatively warm for the season...
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SALVATION ARMY BELLEVILLE MAKES URGENT APPEAL FOR CHRISTMAS KETTLE DONATION
Uncertain economic times, higher costs of living and a shortage of volunteers are exacting a big toll on this year's Christmas Kettle Campaign hosted by the Salvation Army Belleville. Richard Smith, Kettle campaign coordinator, said on Tuesday in an...
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City managers in three cities share homelessness challenges with Mayor's Task Force
If there is a way to untangle the complex web of unhoused, mental health and addictions challenges facing municipalities across Ontario, Belleville's new Understanding Homelessness Task Force may just be the path forward to make it happen, suggests...
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BRIDGE HUB SEEING GAINS; NEW SITE OPENING IN SPRING
The Bridge Integrated Care Hub's new permanent site in Belleville is nearing completion as its leadership reports making progress helping clients – some of whom have found housing. Hub officials on Friday gave news media a tour of The Bridge's future...
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ALBERTA CLIPPER CLOBBERS QUINTE
An Alberta clipper not normally seen before the official start of winter in the region walloped Quinte late Tuesday and into Wednesday creating havoc on roadways. In a Yellow weather advisory, Environment Canada said “heavy snow and blowing” snow...
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CLEARING THE DRIVEWAY
Residents across Belleville were busy Sunday digging out from under seven centimetres of snow forecast by Environment Canada throughout the day. Harley Hill used his four-wheeler with a snowplow attachment to clear the large driveway at his Queen...
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ONTARIO MUST DECLARE INTIMATE-PARTNER VIOLENCE AN EPIDEMIC: AGENCIES
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government must declare intimate-partner violence to be an epidemic, a Belleville audience heard Friday. Dec. 6 marks the anniversary of the so-called Montreal massacre, the killing of 14 women by an anti-feminist...
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SOUTHEAST PUBLIC HEALTH: OFFICIALS STAND BY PLANS AMID UNCERTAIN TIMES
Southeast Public Health leaders are standing by their vows to maintain or improve services in cost-effective ways, though they acknowledge uncertainty amid their ongoing merger changes in Ontario's public health sector. “There's a lot of changes...
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CHRISTMAS CELEBRANTS STAY REAL WITH FRESH CONIFERS FROM BELLEVILLE TREE STAND
Pining for a real, freshly cut Christmas tree to spruce up the homestead this holiday? Yuletide shoppers weren't disappointed on the weekend as they walked the perennial Switzer's Christmas Trees stand at the northeast corner of College and Street and...
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Southeast Public Health closure plan prompts criticism, concerns
The Southeast Public Health plan to close satellite offices is facing opposition by some elected officials in those areas. Some area leaders have, however, reserved comment beyond saying they are watching the situation and hoping to continue to...
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BANCROFT FIRE LEAVES CANADIAN ARMY VETERAN HOMELESS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
A Canadian army veteran is homeless as Christmas approaches after an aggressive fire razed his home to the ground east of Bancroft Monday night. William Hodson lost everything in the fire including two of his three dogs. He attempted to save his pets...
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BELLEVILLE POLICE BOARD INSISTS 15% BUDGET HIKE IN 2026 CRITICAL FOR OFFICE
A standoff may be in the offing between Belleville Police Services Board and city council following a 2026 city police operating budget increase of 15 per cent proposed in the new year. While the double-digit increase is nothing new given a raft of...
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Amalgamation revisited: Hastings County to press Ontario for funding
Some Hastings County municipalities are again considering amalgamation but saying they need provincial funding to evaluate the potential pros and cons. County council's finance committee – comprised of all councillors – voted Nov. 18 to request a...
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PRE-WINTER BLAST DUMPS RECORD SNOWFALL ACROSS QUINTE REGION
A pre-winter blast gnarled traffic and set a new daily snowfall record in Quinte on Sunday. Long lines of traffic were bumper to bumper on stretches of Highway 401 from Grafton to Belleville late Sunday as a storm moving through the region dumped...
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OPERATION RED NOSE REVS UP TO GET DRIVERS HOME SAFELY DURING HOLIDAYS
Operation Red Nose Quinte based in Belleville is shrinking its coverage area this year for a more streamlined volunteer operation to ensure Yuletide revelers make it home safely without drinking and driving. It's also reducing its hours from 8 a.m to...
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BUDGET 2025 MET WITH MIXED REACTIONS BY MPS MALETTE, KRAMP-NEUMAN
Political reactions were mixed in and around Quinte after Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne presented his first federal government budget on Tuesday in Ottawa. `Budget 2025: Canada Strong' delivered in the House of Commons calls for $141...
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WEAR A POPPY, SUPPORT A VETERAN, DURING LOCAL POPPY CAMPAIGN
The 2025 Belleville Poppy Campaign is under way until Remembrance Day ceremonies across the region on November 11. And organizers are asking for the public's donations to support veterans who have served their country and community. The flower is a...
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High-speed rail gets supportive reception from Hastings County
Hastings County councillors had more questions than concerns after council's first briefing on a proposed high-speed railway between Toronto and Quebec City. The federal proposal was announced Feb. 19. A new Montreal-based Crown corporation, Alto,...
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CN YARDMEN MONUMENT HONOURS RAILWAY WORKERS
The Yardmen's name has long been taken down from the exterior cladding atop Belleville's storied hockey arena. But not forgotten are the unstoppable 50-50-draw fundraising efforts in the 1970s by former Belleville Yardmen workers who raised the $3...
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`TRUNK OR TREAT' EVENT DRAWS THOUSANDS
Halloween came a little early to Belleville with thousands of parents and their children garbed in festive costumes hunting for candy on Saturday afternoon. But they weren't scouring city neighbourhoods and banging on doors on the perennial nighttime...
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BELLEVILLE POLICE RELEASE FOUR-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
Belleville Police unveiled a new four-year strategic plan to create a more visible, responsive and engaging police service to meet increasing needs by city officers and the public for safer streets amid the trials and tribulations of a city facing...
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FLAMES ENGULF WORKSHOP NORTH OF FOXBORO
After putting out a tractor trailer fire early Tuesday, Belleville firefighters were dispatched hours later to a structure fire north of Foxboro. Firefighters arrived shortly after noon and were met with a fully involved fire in a workshop. The fire...
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BAY OF QUINTE YACHT CLUB LIFT-OUT
It was a busy Saturday, Oct. 18th for members of the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club in Belleville as Hastings Crane Rental operators were on hand at Victoria Park to lift dozens of sailboats from marina waters for storage before the cold weather flies....
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DEADNERSVILLE BECKONS PATRONS SEEKING A FAMILY FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN OUTING
If you love the spine-tingling experience of being frightened out of your wits during the Halloween season, Lorne Holditch may just have the up-close and personal experience you won't soon forget. The retired Air Canada worker is inviting all to...
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ROSSMORE-AREA HOUSE FIRE'S CAUSE DEEMED NOT SUSPICIOUS
Prince Edward County officials say the cause of the Oct. 14 fire that destroyed a Rossmore-area home could not be determined but is not considered suspicious. Fire tore through the large home on Davidson Road, off Massassauga Road, during the noon...
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Quinte's Trevor Norris named Ontario's Tourism Champion of the Year 2025
Trevor Norris, Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board's senior manager of Destination Development, has been named 2025 Tourism Champion of the Year by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. Norris will be feted at the Ontario Tourism Awards of...
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Trenton fire displaces nine people, kills two dogs, razes home
Nine people are without a home after a fire Thursday morning tore through a 19th-Century house on Trenton's Queen Street. Quinte West Fire Chief John Whelan said no serious injuries to people were reported, but the fire in the two-storey,...
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Ford rejects mayors' appeals to keep municipal speed cameras
Premier Doug Ford is doubling down on his pledge to ban automated speed enforcement cameras when his majority government resumes sitting Oct. 20 at Queen's Park. In a rebuttal to a letter signed by 22 mayors and municipal leaders asking for the...
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MAYOR ELLIS SUPPORTS MAYORS' LETTER URGING PREMIER FORD KEEP ONTARIO SPEED CAMERAS
Some members of Belleville city council are joining a chorus of mayors and municipal leaders across Ontario urging Premier Doug Ford to compromise on a planned bill to nix automated speed enforcement speed (ASE) cameras. Twenty-two leaders across...
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FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS SEEKS DONATIONS AMID UPGRADES
City caretakers of the city's annual Festival of Lights display are making a public appeal for donations to help support one of the highlights of the year-end holiday season in Belleville. The illuminated attraction at Jane Forester Park fronting...
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NATIONAL DAY OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION IN BELLEVILLE AWASH IN ORANGE SHIRTS
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation supporters donned orange shirts and buttons in Belleville on Tuesday to observe the continued struggle by Canada's Indigenous people for parity on historical lands. Coun. Sean Kelly, chair of Belleville's...
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Prince Edward County wineries grapple with `severe drought'
Prince Edward County's 29 wineries are facing “severe drought” conditions experienced only once every 10 years on average, according to Agriculture Canada's latest report. Jutting out from the north shore of Lake Ontario, it's estimated the county has...
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Debut of Beautiful View Music Festival packs downtown venues
For the second consecutive weekend, downtown Belleville amped up with another Saturday spectacular event, where Beautiful View Music Festival made its sounds-tothe-ear debut, bringing a showcase of live entertainment, rocking five establishments in the...
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United Way campaign launches with goal of $2.4M this year, $3M in 2028
United Way Hastings and Prince Edward campaigners have launched their annual funding drive with a big goal and an even bigger plan to help residents in need. Not only are they hoping to raise $2.4 million by January: they've set a goal of raising $3...
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HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BEGINS DEMOLITION OF OLD BELLEVILLE POLICE STATION
Habitat for Humanity's historic housing project on the site of Belleville's former police station is now underway. The charity is about to demolish the building at 93 Dundas St. E. to make room for Habitat Village, a tower of 66 affordable,...
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BLUES FESTIVAL AMPS UP SOULFUL RHYTHMS DOWNTOWN
Belleville's annual Downtown Blues Festival returned with grooves, kicking off on Friday night with a headline performance of '60s and '70s classic upbeat blues hits by Shawn Dore Big Blues Band from Kingston. According to organizers, Dore and his band...
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Some OPSEU claims at Loyalist College `false,' ministry spokesperson says
A spokesperson for Ontario's minister of colleges and universities is disputing union claims made at a Belleville rally against cuts at Loyalist College and other institutions. In an e-mail to The Intelligencer, Bianca Giacoboni, the press secretary...
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