KAREN CHINNICK
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YOUR Independent Community Newspaper THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2022
Vol. 9 Edition 15
Gas from trash
www.excelrealty.ca 149 St. Clair St., Chatham
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The Trews entertain at Red Barn
By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com
There’s plenty of green to go around at the Ridge Landfill. Last week, parent company Waste Connections of Canada, announced the construction of a new $50-million plant to convert garbage-generated methane into low-carbon renewable natural gas. When completed, the state-of-the-art facility will generate enough energy to heat 18,000 homes in Chatham-Kent. Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks made a special trip to Chatham-Kent to take part in the announcement. Dave Piccini told the gathering the new RNG plant dovetails with Ontario’s plan to phase out landfill emissions by 2030. “Reducing the environmental impacts of waste has been a top priority for our government,” Piccini said, adding the new plant is expected to reduce upwards of 110,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually. “It doesn’t get any better than this,” Piccini said.
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Canadian rockers The Trews played an intimate show at Red Barn Brewing Co. just north of Blenheim Thursday evening to a crowd of 150 people. Ticket holders had no idea who was going to perform, as Red Barn officials had called it a mystery concert.
More affordable child care on the way
By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com
News that the provincial and federal governments have joined forces in a $13.2-billion childcare subsidy agreement is good news for Chatham-Kent, according to local officials, but there is
an issue. Kelly Emery, director of child care, early years and recreation services, said the funds will help drop the per-day cost of child care to just $10 by 2025. However, finding more early childhood educators (ECEs) could slow down the true impact of
the announcement. Emery said parents currently pay an average of $42 a day for licensed child care in Chatham-Kent. “It’s a bit more for infants and toddlers and a little less for preschoolers,” she said. For families with chil-
dren in licensed care locally, they will see relief to their costs almost immediately. Beginning in May, fees will be reduced by an average of 25 per cent retroactive to April 1, with an additional 25-percent reduction by the end of 2022. The provincial govern-
ment said the funding will include the creation of 86,000 new licensed child-care openings in the province in the coming years. Just how many of those ultimately arrive in Chatham-Kent will be based on the availability of ECEs, Emery said.
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