County council lends support to call for paid sick days

Return of Musicfest all depends on public health guidelines

Peterborough County council is going to lobby the provincial government for paid sick days as Ontario deals with a fierce third wave of illnesses in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Councillors voted at a virtual meeting Wednesday to ask the government for a program ensuring people are paid to stay home when sick — particularly essential workers, many of whom may not be able to afford to forego a day’s pay for illness.

This came as the province began taking steps to implement paid sick days Wednesday.

The motion was put forward by Coun. Janet Clarkson, the mayor of Trent Lakes, who said she’s been volunteering at vaccination clinics.

Sick pay would help curb the spread of COVID-19, the motion states, and it also calls for the government to take “immediate action” to pay people to stay home when ill.

“It’s been talked about, it’s been turned down … But I think the mood has changed,” Clarkson said.

The motion was adopted with no discussion.

“Let’s hope some upper levels of government — besides us — can deal with it,” said County Warden (and Douro-Dummer mayor) J. Murray Jones.

A letter will be forwarded from the county to Premier Doug Ford, Health Minister Christine Elliott and other Ontario municipalities.

Musicfest

Musicfest may or may not return this summer to its free outdoor concert series in Del Crary Park — it all depends on what public health guidelines recommend.

“It will continue, once we’re allowed all back together,” said Tracy Condon, vice-chair of the festival, to county councillors.

“It’s a moving target, waiting to hear from public health what’s allowed, and how we can stay safe,” Condon added. “We cannot wait to get back in the park, once it’s safe.”

County staff

Elizabeth King is the new executive assistant helping managers in the planning and public works department for the County of Peterborough. The job has been vacant for a year, following a retirement.

King was previously the assistant manager of Lang Pioneer Village. She was introduced to county council at the virtual meeting on Wednesday.

Bill Linen was also welcomed back to the county’s staff. Linen is the new manager of operations (planning and public works). He was a manager in the county’s public works department; he then worked for the City of Kingston as a manager and a director before making his recent return.