Cheers &Jeers

JEERS: To the department of transportation for being woefully unprepared for last Tuesday’s storm. It’s true that the first snowfall always seems to catch motorists unprepared, leaving them scrambling to get their snow tires installed, but what is the excuse for our department? There was not a plow to be seen in the Hunter River area and the traffic on the major highway came to a standstill at rush hour because vehicles could not get up the hills heading east or west — thanks to 6-8 cms on slush on the road. One pass through by a plow would have solved the problem. Even the road report was largely out of date. It was November 13 — and highway crews should have been much better prepared for winter weather.

CHEERS: To the two soldiers who helped motorists get home Tuesday after traffic came to a standstill in Hunter River. Snow turned to slush on the road making it impossible for some motorists to make it up a long, steep hill on Route 2. The soldiers went from car to car offering to help push anyone who was stuck. Their efforts helped clear the road at one of the busiest times of the day and must have left both men a bit worn out by the end of it.

CHEERS: To the Cavendish Beach Music Festival for its uncanny timing announcing some of the major country acts coming to P.E.I. early next July. On Tuesday, the CBMF announced Carrie Underwood and Eric Church as two of its headline acts in 2019. The next night, the Country Music Association held its star-studded awards show before 20,000 fans in Nashville where Underwood was in the spotlight — as co-host and winner of the female vocalist of the year. As a bonus, the expectant mother announced the sex of her baby (a boy) to the live TV and Bridgestone Arena audience. Church was also front and centre, performing in the last half hour of the show where the A-list performers and award winners were on stage. Keith Urban was the surprise winner of the CMA’s entertainer of the year, warmly received in Canada, as he was one of few U.S. stars to come north and support the Canadian Country Music Association awards earlier this fall, helping with Terri Clark’s induction into the CCMA’s hall of fame.

CHEERS: To the Town of Borden-Carleton, selected as the 2018 recipient of the Murray Pinchuk Community Builder Award for the town’s work on its Destination Borden-Carleton plan. The award was presented Nov. 9th to celebrate World Town Planning Day as planners in 30 countries mark this day by highlighting the importance of planning in their community. The Borden-Carleton submission was recognized for positively creating a tourism, spatial master plan for the town. This plan was presented to the public in December of 2017 and completed in January of 2018. Funding for the development of this plan was sourced through the McCain Fund to increase the town’s destination potential.