Consider This Northumberland Robert Washburn

Port Hope Council is spearheading an effort to create a walk-in clinic. It announced the plans last fall. The clinic was supposed to open before the end of 2023, but several challenges arose. It is still not open, but officials say the goal is sometime in July.



Mayor Olena Hankivsky is a key figure in the walk-in clinic's development. She will provide an update on the project. She will shine a light on some of the unexpected hurdles. These will include things like technical issues with software and securing Northumberland County Council's support. All have been instrumental in the clinic's progress.



The clinic is meant to serve those who do not have a family doctor. But it is more complicated. You will want to listen carefully to the interview to fully understand who can use the services and some potential problems that occur if you use it but already have a family physician.

For most of us, the pandemic is a memory. People have moved on. For the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, the pandemic continued to influence services and programs in 2023 up until today.



In this interview with Dr. Natalie Bocking, the chief medical officer of health, she will explain what has happened in the past year. It is all included in the health unit's annual report. She will shine a light on the health unit's activities to address various activities. Most importantly, she will highlight the relaunching of services and programs put on hold during COVID-19. The school vaccination program is one of the most high-profile of these. You judge if the health unit was successful in 2023.

In 2018, a group of young people played Dungeons & Dragons in a space behind a downtown ice cream shop. It was an informal, safe place for some LGBTQ2 youth to hang out. The pandemic hit, and the group was unable to gather. But the idea of a gathering place for young people in Brighton has fermented for the past year. A group of dedicated volunteers and the support of Brighton council, an organization from Peterborough, and a local church have taken the concept to a new level. The space is being formally launched this month as the Home Rainbow Youth Centre.



In this interview, you will hear the story behind the project, plus a host of events taking place in Brighton during Pride Month.

Pride Month is in full swing. Following a major event in downtown Cobourg with a parade, music, booths, and a sidewalk sale, Northumberland County is bursting at the seams with local Pride events.



On today’s show, two organizations are featured. First, you will hear from the Port Hope Rainbow Network. You will learn about the work this group does in the community during Pride Month. But it aspires to do more. It hopes to become a hub for information for the LGBTQ2 community in the county. It also runs several programs connecting people, including allies, in promoting acceptance and understanding for all ages.

It's a startling fact. Nearly one in 10 people living in Northumberland County struggle to survive on a low income. According to officials, this isn't just a statistic; it's a pressing issue that demands our attention. These individuals, including seniors, those on employment insurance, disability payments, and others, face daily hardships. The situation is so severe that the number of people relying on food banks in Northumberland has surged by 50 percent.



Today's show reveals the deeper, more complex side of poverty and food insecurity. The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit recently released its annual report. You will hear just how serious this issue is within Northumberland and the factors increasingly making it difficult for many to live.

People move to Cobourg and Port Hope because they feel like they're in the past when they drive around. The old town halls, grand mansions, and Victorian houses along the tree-lined streets are an attraction to many.



However, many of these old buildings are being left empty, some to the point of irreparable neglect. The urgency to save our heritage is real and immediate.



In this interview, you will hear about the upcoming house tour in Cobourg on June 1. The local chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario organizes it. While walking around in these historic buildings is nice, their future could be less than certain. Rob Mikel is one of Ontario's most respected architectural historians. He grew up in Cobourg and recently moved back. He will talk about heritage preservation. You decide if these structures should be saved and at what cost.