IN THE NEWS

By Marianne Cole

• Caroline Area Structure Plan   Open House meetings held in Caroline on February 3, 2026 kicked off public engagement and the review of an Area Structure Plan for that hamlet.  As stated in the information handout, an ASP “is a statutory (legally binding) document that guides and informs the orderly development of a land area.”  It also stated, “For the Hamlet of Caroline, the ASP will establish a vision for the future of the community and will inform County decisions on future development.”

Following an informative presentation, along with a question/answer period, residents had the opportunity to personally speak with Planning staff at various tables.  Here the public could gather information as well as give opinions on residential, commercial, industrial, or recreation development.  One commonly noted concern continued to focus on the possible solar farm on the north side of Caroline.

The proposed timeline for the completion of this review is:

• January – February 2026.  Introduce the process and gather information from the community as well as through research.
• March – May 2026.  Complete a draft of the ASP, hold open house to gather feedback on the draft, and make necessary revisions to the draft.
• June 2026.  Present the draft to Council, hold a Public Hearing, and follow this with Council making a final decision on the document.

Special kudos to Council for their decision to do the work on this document “in house” with our county Planning Staff rather than hiring a consultant.

• Broadband   Work continues throughout the county on the installation of fibre optic cable with the ultimate goal to provide “Fibre to the Home” (FTTH) to a large portion of the county.  The fibre network is owned 100% by the county but interested Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) can lease the fibre network to offer their internet services to the residents.  This program allows a property to be connected from the fibre line at the municipal access point on the road to their home or business.

Information provided in the recent broadband newsletter on the initial hook up cost to residents states, “An early bird rate of $399 for the first 100m, plus $14/m beyond that, is currently available.  Once the overall network construction is completed, the standard rate of $1500 for the first 100m will apply.”

 Further information on broadband operations can be found in the first Broadband E-Newsletter that is available on the county’s website (clearwatercounty.ca/broadband).  This document provides excellent information on the history of the county’s actions on broadband as well as the current process.

Because there are still a lot of unanswered questions and concerns the Clearwater County Taxpayers’ Association is organizing a Broadband Workshop on February 21, 2026 at 1:00PM at the Dovercourt Hall.  There will be a presentation on fibre optics vs. satellite, along with an opportunity for information, questions, and discussion on county broadband operations.

• Special Guest Speaker in March    Our recently elected Member of Parliament Mr. William Stevenson will be the guest speaker at the CCTA’s March meeting.  To accommodate his schedule the regular meeting date is being delayed one week to March 18, 2026 at 7:00PM at the Arbutus Community Hall.  This will be a great opportunity to gather information and express your concerns on matters related to federal politics.

• UP-COMING EVENTS

• February 11, 2026, 7:30PM, Leslieville Elks’ Hall, Regular CCTA meeting
• February 21, 2026, 1:00PM, Dovercourt Hall, Broadband Workshop
• March 18, 2026, 7:00PM, Arbutus Community Hall, CCTA meeting with Guest Speaker, MP William Stevenson

“Friendship is love without conditions, laughter without limits, and memories without end.” Anonymous