CENTRE WELLINGTON – Geranium Homes has put a pause on its approved development near Belwood.

Theyonas Manoharan, senior project manager for Geranium Homes, states in a June 27 email the decision “follows careful consideration of current market conditions and feedback from prospective buyers.”

He goes on to state, “We are re-envisioning the development to better meet market conditions and look forward to showcasing a new program in the near future.”

Geranium Homes had planned to build 118 private homes on half-acre lots in an estate community on land immediately south of the former Fergus Golf Club, south of Wellington Road 19 and west of 3rd Line.

The homes were to be single detached three-bedroom homes, ranging in size from 2,800 to 3,500 square feet.

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The site was to operate under a condominium agreement, with private roads and communal water and wastewater treatment systems proposed on the north edge of the golf course.

Homes were expected to sell in the $2-million range.

Geranium applied for zoning and official plan changes in 2022, which were approved by Centre Wellington and Wellington County respectively in 2023. Since then, the land has been cleared and grading has commenced.

Mayor Shawn Watters said in a phone interview the township has heard from Geranium Homes and is in the process of setting up a meeting with them.

“It has nothing to do with the township,” Watters said.

He noted that while the province has been trying to streamline municipal planning processes to make it easier for developers to build homes, it’s not red tape that’s causing this pause.

“From our end, we are willing to work with them. We spent a lot of time on this proposal and want them to get going,” said Watters.

“So this pause has nothing to do with us. As far as we knew they were ready to go.”

Watters added the company might come to the municipality with a different proposal, but he won’t know until they meet.

The Advertiser was not able to reach Manoharan by press time.

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ERIN – An Erin man has been charged with impaired and dangerous driving in an off-road vehicle crash early on Saturday that left a Burlington man dead.

Emergency crews responded to the scene, at the intersection of Sideroad 10 and 8th Line in Erin, on June 28 at about 12:15am.

Wellington County OPP officials say a utility task vehicle carrying four people had overturned and one passenger died.

“The deceased has been identified as a 19-year-old male from Burlington,” police stated in a press release.

“The three other passengers did not suffer any injuries.”

Julian Connell, 20, of Erin, faces four charges, including dangerous driving causing death, driving with more than 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system and being a young driver with a blood-alcohol level above zero.

He is to appear in Guelph court on July 29.

Police are asking anyone with information or dashcam footage of the incident to call 1-888-310-1122.

To remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip at ontariocrimesoppers.ca.

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GUELPH – The Support after Suicide program has been terminated after losing provincial funding, but local officials say they are determined to keep the conversation going and to seek funding elsewhere.

Created in 2020 to support individuals and families bereaved by suicide, the program is a partnership between the county, Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW) and the Wellington County OPP.

It was a part of CMHA WW’s Here4Hope framework, a community-based life promotion and suicide prevention project.

“The grant was a community in policing grant … and it was funded through the Minister of the Solicitor General,” county manager of strategic wellness initiatives Cecilia Marie Roberts told the Advertiser.

In the last three years the total grant was $224,800 each year. 

“We were quite lucky and I think it’s not common for the grant to be able to be used for two cycles for the same program,” she explained.

Roberts noted the funding was not cut off or stopped by the OPP, just discontinued by the province. 

“This is the sad nature of this work,” she said.

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Here4Hope was launched in 2019 with the focus of increasing the public’s ability to speak about suicide, bring it out of the shadows and make it a mainstream topic. 

Officials wanted the chance to normalize the discussion and increase the capacity of people reaching out for help. 

“We particularly wanted to focus on supporting those individuals that had been impacted by loss via suicide,” Roberts said.

“When you’re talking about a rural community where people are so interconnected, the impact was huge, and the very specialized support that we needed to address that pain was just not there.”

In 2022 the province confirmed $647,500 would be provided to Here4Hope’s Support after Suicide program for 2022 to 2025.

Around 85 per cent of the overall funds went to wages for a CMHA WW mental health clinician, peer navigator and an OPP officer.

The rest (around $97,125) paid for consultants, engagement, education and training.

The program offered bereavement counselling, grief groups, resources and referrals to other community supports. 

“We knew (when we were) applying for the grant that it was time-limited,” CMHA WW chief executive officer Helen Fishburn said. 

Roberts and Fishburn delegated to county council on June 26 to reassure councillors they will continue the ongoing work, despite the lack of funding. 

According to Fishburn, the next steps include applying for more grants, fundraising and keeping the conversation open and active. 

“We do ongoing training, social media, podcasts … whatever role you have in the community there is training available,” she said.

“We’re going to continue to do our best to find other grants that might be able to support the Support after Suicide program.”

Fishburn added, “We’re still in the middle of a mental health crisis in our community.

“We’re still unpacking from the [COVID-19] pandemic.”

Communities in the county are also “very unsettled” by a housing and affordability crisis, international wars and tariffs, she continued. 

“It really has created a tremendous change in our baseline of anxiety, stress [and] worry that really creeps into every corner of our community,” Fishburn told council. 

Although the Support after Suicide program has been halted, the Here4Hope program will continue to offer resources through existing staff. 

“We’re going to continue to specifically focus our efforts on two groups: youth who present at risk … and on men, who we know are particularly at [a] higher risk of suicide,” she said.

Those interested in getting involved in suicide prevention can visit the Here4Hope website at here4hope.ca.

Here4Hope is a partner with the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline.

Those needing immediate assistance can call Here 24/7 at 1-844-437-3247.

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MINTO – Council here has formally adopted its 2025 asset management plan, which calls for annual capital tax levy increases of 3% over 20 years to ensure town infrastructure remains in good condition.

However, approval of the plan does not tie the municipality to tax increases for the next two decades.

“The 3% capital levy is recommended … but nothing is approved until after the budget process is completed,” Minto treasurer Gordon Duff stated in an email to the Advertiser.

At a June 17 meeting, Sarah Craig of London-based software company PSD Citywide presented the plan, which notes Minto’s infrastructure is worth $525.7 million.

The total was determined based on a combination of user-defined costs and historical cost inflation.

According to Craig, 76 per cent of the assets in Minto are in fair or better condition.

“The asset management plan includes core assets which are roads, bridges and culverts, storm and sanitary systems as well as the water network,” she told council.

Non-core assets include vehicles, buildings, machinery and equipment, and land improvements (parks, general landscape items).

Roads and roadside assets make up the largest portion at $183 million, while the smallest is land improvements at $4.7 million.

Craig noted her analysis includes only existing assets, but it does consider “what the impact of growth would be in terms of maintaining your current levels of service as well as your proposed level of service.”

Of the nine asset categories, six are showing an overall downward trend, reflecting current funding levels and a decline in asset condition, compared to last year.

Craig presented three scenarios to council regarding what the next 30 years can look like.

“The approach is very focused on the condition of your infrastructure,” Craig said.

Scenario one would maintain an average condition rating of 72%, which is in the middle range of the “good” rating band.

Scenario two shows what the average condition rating will be at the current level of capital spending.

“Unfortunately, the forecast shows that we are on track to have a poor or 35% condition rating in 20 years,” states the financial report.

It notes this condition rating will fail to support the delivery of adequate services to the community.

Scenario three adopts a goal of a long-term condition rating of 60%, which is at the low end of the good condition rating band.

“It is a balanced approach that maintains infrastructure in a state of good repair at a lower financial burden than that of scenario one,” the report continues.

It suggests scenario one is not affordable and scenario two will reduce the levels of service provided to residents.

That leaves scenario three, which provides the “best balance of adequate condition ratings over the next 20 years with consistent funding levels.”

 Scenario three will ultimately maintain the good condition at 61% with the funding required for a $10.3 million average annual investment, Craig said.

“To reach that average annual requirement in five years [it] would be 12.7% per year for five years,” she explained.

“We are recommending … 20 years with a 3% annual tax levy increase completely allocated to capital funding.”

Councillor Geoff Gunson said he is concerned about replacement costs rising each year.

“Three per cent for 20 years might not cover a whole lot, it might not cover playground equipment,” he said.

Duff replied, “Unfortunately the municipal inflation rate seem to be much higher than the CPI (Consumer Price Index), so that 3% builds.”

He added, “It partly will offset, but let’s be honest, even in 2024 dollars … the figures we have here are probably still even a bit low.”

Mayor Dave Turton said town officials “thought we were doing a pretty good job of managing our infrastructure in Minto.

“When you hear stuff like 61% of our infrastructure is good, I mean it’s hardly a passing grade.”

Duff responded, “I know and we had to spend this much money just to stay where we are … it is a bit sobering.

“For the last 20 years we’ve been doing what we can.

“We’ve been purchasing [and] our debt-to-reserve ratio, we try to keep it at a certain level and that’s not good enough.”

“It’s pretty scary,” Turton said.

Duff added, “It’s a tough balance … we don’t want huge tax increases. but yet our taxpayers are looking for a [certain] level of service.”

Craig explained she hasn’t come across a municipality that is fully funded or can pull off full funding in five years.

“Everybody is struggling to find the right balance,” she said.

Deputy Mayor Jean Anderson stated it is a real challenge and a “pretty grim picture.”

“We need our provincial and federal governments to come with their purses and open up,” said councillor Paul Zimmerman.

“We absolutely cannot do this on our own.”

After a lengthy discussion, council unanimously passed a resolution to receive the report for information and to formally adopt the 2025 asset management plan.

Actual changes to Minto’s tax levy will be approved each year in town budgets.

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