Radio Free Norfolk

No sitting on Santa's lap this year but don't worry kids, you can still send a letter! https://www.norfolktoday.ca//covid-19-holiday-safety-guid/

About Us: Dustin has always been a guy with style! Dustin Wakeford at 4 years old.

Leslyn Lewis shared this article a couple days ago: https://unherd.com//ideology-should-not-trump-childrens-h/ While we can agree that conversion therapy is outdated and wrong, and that medical decisions with permanent effects on a child should not be taken lightly, the claims in this article are not correct.... From the bill itself: "Definition of conversion therapy 320.101 In sections 320.102 to 320.106, conversion therapy means a practice, treatment or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender, or to repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviour. For greater certainty, this definition does not include a practice, treatment or service that relates (a) to a person’s gender transition; or (b) to a person’s exploration of their identity or to its development." Read more here: https://parl.ca/DocumentViewer//43-2/bill/C-6/first-reading ... So well-intentioned psychological treatment/assessment to help a child (or adult) EXPLORE their own gender identity before making decisions would NOT be considered conversion therapy. Instead of fighting Bill C-6, perhaps all parties should listen to the stories of transition regret and see what improvements can be made to the psychological assessment process to find the best balance.

From Steve Scheers (Concerned Citizens of Norfolk): We Are Not Orillia Norfolk County, ON; The past of Jason Burgess, Norfolk County’s CAO explains a tremendous amount regarding his present actions considering the string of privatization recommendations resulting within the Norfolk County 2020 budget. This was not his first time recommending the privatization, monetization, and outsourcing of municipal assets and sale of municipal property....Continue reading

About us: Kate van der Meer at 4! :)

As I always say: spend your political capital well. Instead of talking about the candidate, the EDA has forced Lewis' Team and the Federal Office into engaging in damage control. Politics is perception. Whatever the truth is, the EDA has damaged the narrative.

The Conservative Party's side of the story: https://www.norfolktoday.ca//conservative-party-of-canada/

If dipping into the Legacy Fund mitigates human suffering AND invests in the future, go for it. Just keep an eye on the big picture and proceed with caution. https://www.simcoereformer.ca//legacy-fund-last-bullet-in-

...Also includes Haldimand County!

A little light reading for taxpayers: https://www.norfolktoday.ca/2020/10/15/98291/

Finally, jobs will go to the teachers who deserve them!

Dear Friends and Supporters, The Conservative party has refused to accept my application to become a candidate in the coming nomination for Haldimand Norfolk. ...This leaves Leslyn Lewis to be handed the nomination and, likely, the seat. My application was not the only one refused by the Party; another potential candidate from Norfolk requested to be a candidate and was also denied the opportunity to run. The asserted reason for the refusal to accept my candidacy came at 11 minutes before the close of the nominations process; the Party alleged, wrongly, that potential candidates must open a campaign bank account and pay from that account the sum of $1000 to the Party. I did not have such an account because I was not yet in any campaign. My efforts in those 11 minutes, to pay the sum, were flatly refused. It was later confirmed - after the close of nominations - that this fee is regularly accepted by the Party from the personal funds of potential candidates. No special account is needed. This is a regrettable decision and tactic employed by the Party - one that does a disservice to the democratic process and undermines the opportunity of local members to make a choice between competing, motivated and qualified potential candidates. I have already heard from some of you that I should consider running as an independent in the upcoming election. I will reflect upon this option in the coming days and weeks. I would like to hear from you about this. It seems clear to me that our riding should be represented by someone who personally knows our families, towns and communities; a person who knows what it’s like to live and work here; a person who understands the needs of this riding's businesses and people. I want to say thank you to the many, many people that showed me support and worked on my behalf over the past days and weeks. This was the shortest nominations process in Canada - despite that, a herculean effort by so many demonstrated to me just what I want to fight for: You. Sincerely, Albert Marshall #conservativepartyofcanada #conservativepartyofontario #PCP #haldimandnorfolk #votelocal #albertmarshallhn

How is it that Leslyn Lewis has been chosen as Haldimand-Norfolk's Conservative candidate when we KNOW there was another applicant and no vote?

Council has started to focus on the issue of marijuana growers taking advantage of legal loopholes over the past few weeks. While many complaints have been heard in Norfolk County, there seems to be a huge disconnect with Health Canada. Watch the following Police Services Board meeting with 2 representatives from Health Canada for some background information on the discussion from Tuesday's council meeting: https://youtu.be/lf8Xwpz0Gy0 Mayor Chopp finally comes out publicly w...ith her personal background in the medical marijuana industry. However, she states she has not done anything with her marijuana business (based in Binbrook) since becoming mayor. Hopefully this understanding will help council find an effective approach to addressing issues with grow-ops in Norfolk, and stop the provincial and federal government from trying to pass the buck onto the backs of municipal taxpayers. If you have complaints about any marijuana grow-op (excessive odour, light, noise etc), you can report it here to make Health Canada aware: https://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca//re/reporting-form.html

Prime Day has become all about buying stuff. We hope people will stop and remember the real reason for the holiday!

Council changes their tune about Friday the 13th after Ontario COVID-19 cases rise and Ottawa, Toronto & Peel regions have stepped back into stage 2: https://www.norfolktoday.ca//council-votes-in-favour-of-d/

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Radio Free Norfolk! Thanksgiving may look a little different this year, but we have so much to be grateful for. Thank you to all of our listeners, followers & supporters. We have grown substantially this year, and a large part of that is thanks to YOU!... Thank you to all of our guests for taking time to speak with us & letting us share your stories. Thank you to our families & friends for your ongoing love and support. You are a vital part of our team! Thank you to our local health unit & frontline workers (including paramedics and PSWs) for keeping Norfolk such a safe place in the midst of a pandemic. Thank you to our essential workers including the OPP, firefighters, farmers, migrant workers, grocery store staff, transport drivers, hydro workers, gas station attendants etc. who kept our society running and cared for as much as possible during the COVID-19 shutdown. Thank you to the GEDSB staff & teachers (and bus drivers) for navigating such a difficult time and doing their best to keep our children safe & engaged in learning, and for going back to the classroom. We are so grateful for all of you, and to be living in the beautiful county of Norfolk

While it is true that there is inequity in the flat-rate inspection fee that warrants taking a look at, now is not the time, and the farming community is not the industry that we should be hanging upside-down and shaking for quarters. To be fair, we must look at inspection cost-recovery as a whole, across all industries. To drastically increase inspection costs for many farms in a time where our MOH has forced them to spread less employees over more accommodations during the ...quarantine period would be an ABUSE OF POWER. Full stop. Add in the fact that one farmer initially won an appeal of that Section 22 order and we have ourselves a big mess. If any private industry deserves support (financial or otherwise) from our Board of Health, Health Unit & Council, it is the farming community. They are the ones doing their best to help make sure Canadians are fed in the midst of this pandemic. Food security is a significant public health issue. Let's put more energy into protecting food security rather than finding ways to punish the farm community for standing up for themselves. https://www.simcoereformer.ca//bunkhouse-inspection-f/amp

Over 1200 people participated in the online budget survey. There are roughly 48,700 eligible voters in Norfolk County. So approximately 2.5% of eligible voters gave their input: