The Intelligencer (Belleville)
Belleville chiefs: Fund homelessness intervention and new approaches
Belleville-area emergency services chiefs are calling for new approaches and government funding for interventions to curb the rising human and financial costs of homelessness-related issues. Police Chief Murray Rodd said some form of mandatory...
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More people linked to primary health care in Hastings-Prince Edward
Ontario government efforts to attach residents without a family physician to primary health care appear to be making progress to fill a doctor shortage in the Quinte region and beyond. Ontario's Primary Action Plan efforts in Hastings and Prince...
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SWORN IN
Newly elected members of Bay of Quinte Mohawk council were sworn into their roles as leaders in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory January 12. Council will be led by Chief R. Donald Maracle (standing) and Coun(s). Chris `Hockey' Brant, Kurtis `Chip' Brant,...
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FAIRGROUNDS ON SCHEDULE
Workers continue their structural steel construction of the new Belleville Agricultural Society facility Wednesday, Jan. 14 on Black Diamond Road off of Highway 37 in Belleville. The project is on schedule for completion this summer, city staff...
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CHARLES STREET CORDONED OFF
Belleville firefighters, Elexicon workers and Belleville Police closed off Charles Street Wed., Jan. 14 to keep the public clear of a damaged hydro pole leaning into the street. No word on the cause as of press time.
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Loyalist College students to get expanded health, dental coverage
Loyalist College students – and possibly their families – this fall will see a major improvement in health care benefits after a student-led effort to increase coverage. “This was mostly a student government-run initiative,” said Mustafa Alali, who is...
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HOMELESSNESS: ADVOCATES SAY FUNDING FOR EARLY INTERVENTIONS WOULD HELP
Ontario and Canada could help ease the impact of homelessness-related issues in Belleville by funding more early-intervention programs, local advocates say. Mayor Neil Ellis' Understanding Homelessness Task Force met Jan. 7 online. Guest speakers...
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BELLEVILLE FIREFIGHTERS EXTINGUISH HOUSE FIRE IN FREEZING DRIZZLE CONDITIONS
Belleville Fire and Emergency Services responded to a house fire in a punishing, constant drizzle of freezing rain that coated everything in its path Tuesday evening. Firefighters quickly went to work on scene to extinguish a blaze in a single-family...
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Batawa Ski Hill enjoying `good start to the season'
Ski enthusiasts big and small are flocking to Batawa Ski Hill to take advantage of excellent snow conditions as the popular downhill ski and snowboarding venue enjoys a strong start to the winter season. For weeks, thousands of visitors have filled...
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MAYOR NEIL ELLIS SHARES OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK FOR BELLEVILLE'S PROSPECTS IN 2026
Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis and city councillors rang in the new year Thursday with optimism for 2026 as an ambitious time ahead to build for the future. In his New Year's Levee address at Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre before a large crowd, Ellis...
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ICY FORECAST SUNDAY PROMPTS QUINTE MUNICIPALITIES TO DECLARE `SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT'
Weather forecasters advised Quinte residents Sunday morning to brace for a wet and messy wintry onslaught packing high winds, ice and rain late in the day and into Monday morning. The storm front was described by some as a “bomb cyclone” which can...
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Brenda Snider retires: 20 years of working with volunteers
Brenda Snider has volunteered for a new role: that of retiree. After 20 years with what is now the Volunteer and Information Centre of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, or Volunteer and Information HPE, she will finish work Dec. 31. “Honestly, I'm...
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all from Santa Claus and The Intelligencer. Peace and goodwill to our readers this Yuletide season and in the New Year.
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FESTIVE REFLECTIONS
Melting ice floating on the Moira River in warming 4C temperatures on Wed., Dec. 17 made for some festive holiday reflections beneath the Bridge Street bridge in Downtown Belleville. Temperatures were forecast to remain relatively warm for the season...
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SALVATION ARMY BELLEVILLE MAKES URGENT APPEAL FOR CHRISTMAS KETTLE DONATION
Uncertain economic times, higher costs of living and a shortage of volunteers are exacting a big toll on this year's Christmas Kettle Campaign hosted by the Salvation Army Belleville. Richard Smith, Kettle campaign coordinator, said on Tuesday in an...
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City managers in three cities share homelessness challenges with Mayor's Task Force
If there is a way to untangle the complex web of unhoused, mental health and addictions challenges facing municipalities across Ontario, Belleville's new Understanding Homelessness Task Force may just be the path forward to make it happen, suggests...
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BRIDGE HUB SEEING GAINS; NEW SITE OPENING IN SPRING
The Bridge Integrated Care Hub's new permanent site in Belleville is nearing completion as its leadership reports making progress helping clients – some of whom have found housing. Hub officials on Friday gave news media a tour of The Bridge's future...
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ALBERTA CLIPPER CLOBBERS QUINTE
An Alberta clipper not normally seen before the official start of winter in the region walloped Quinte late Tuesday and into Wednesday creating havoc on roadways. In a Yellow weather advisory, Environment Canada said “heavy snow and blowing” snow...
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CLEARING THE DRIVEWAY
Residents across Belleville were busy Sunday digging out from under seven centimetres of snow forecast by Environment Canada throughout the day. Harley Hill used his four-wheeler with a snowplow attachment to clear the large driveway at his Queen...
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ONTARIO MUST DECLARE INTIMATE-PARTNER VIOLENCE AN EPIDEMIC: AGENCIES
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government must declare intimate-partner violence to be an epidemic, a Belleville audience heard Friday. Dec. 6 marks the anniversary of the so-called Montreal massacre, the killing of 14 women by an anti-feminist...
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SOUTHEAST PUBLIC HEALTH: OFFICIALS STAND BY PLANS AMID UNCERTAIN TIMES
Southeast Public Health leaders are standing by their vows to maintain or improve services in cost-effective ways, though they acknowledge uncertainty amid their ongoing merger changes in Ontario's public health sector. “There's a lot of changes...
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CHRISTMAS CELEBRANTS STAY REAL WITH FRESH CONIFERS FROM BELLEVILLE TREE STAND
Pining for a real, freshly cut Christmas tree to spruce up the homestead this holiday? Yuletide shoppers weren't disappointed on the weekend as they walked the perennial Switzer's Christmas Trees stand at the northeast corner of College and Street and...
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Southeast Public Health closure plan prompts criticism, concerns
The Southeast Public Health plan to close satellite offices is facing opposition by some elected officials in those areas. Some area leaders have, however, reserved comment beyond saying they are watching the situation and hoping to continue to...
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BANCROFT FIRE LEAVES CANADIAN ARMY VETERAN HOMELESS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
A Canadian army veteran is homeless as Christmas approaches after an aggressive fire razed his home to the ground east of Bancroft Monday night. William Hodson lost everything in the fire including two of his three dogs. He attempted to save his pets...
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BELLEVILLE POLICE BOARD INSISTS 15% BUDGET HIKE IN 2026 CRITICAL FOR OFFICE
A standoff may be in the offing between Belleville Police Services Board and city council following a 2026 city police operating budget increase of 15 per cent proposed in the new year. While the double-digit increase is nothing new given a raft of...
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Amalgamation revisited: Hastings County to press Ontario for funding
Some Hastings County municipalities are again considering amalgamation but saying they need provincial funding to evaluate the potential pros and cons. County council's finance committee – comprised of all councillors – voted Nov. 18 to request a...
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PRE-WINTER BLAST DUMPS RECORD SNOWFALL ACROSS QUINTE REGION
A pre-winter blast gnarled traffic and set a new daily snowfall record in Quinte on Sunday. Long lines of traffic were bumper to bumper on stretches of Highway 401 from Grafton to Belleville late Sunday as a storm moving through the region dumped...
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OPERATION RED NOSE REVS UP TO GET DRIVERS HOME SAFELY DURING HOLIDAYS
Operation Red Nose Quinte based in Belleville is shrinking its coverage area this year for a more streamlined volunteer operation to ensure Yuletide revelers make it home safely without drinking and driving. It's also reducing its hours from 8 a.m to...
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BUDGET 2025 MET WITH MIXED REACTIONS BY MPS MALETTE, KRAMP-NEUMAN
Political reactions were mixed in and around Quinte after Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne presented his first federal government budget on Tuesday in Ottawa. `Budget 2025: Canada Strong' delivered in the House of Commons calls for $141...
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WEAR A POPPY, SUPPORT A VETERAN, DURING LOCAL POPPY CAMPAIGN
The 2025 Belleville Poppy Campaign is under way until Remembrance Day ceremonies across the region on November 11. And organizers are asking for the public's donations to support veterans who have served their country and community. The flower is a...
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High-speed rail gets supportive reception from Hastings County
Hastings County councillors had more questions than concerns after council's first briefing on a proposed high-speed railway between Toronto and Quebec City. The federal proposal was announced Feb. 19. A new Montreal-based Crown corporation, Alto,...
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CN YARDMEN MONUMENT HONOURS RAILWAY WORKERS
The Yardmen's name has long been taken down from the exterior cladding atop Belleville's storied hockey arena. But not forgotten are the unstoppable 50-50-draw fundraising efforts in the 1970s by former Belleville Yardmen workers who raised the $3...
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`TRUNK OR TREAT' EVENT DRAWS THOUSANDS
Halloween came a little early to Belleville with thousands of parents and their children garbed in festive costumes hunting for candy on Saturday afternoon. But they weren't scouring city neighbourhoods and banging on doors on the perennial nighttime...
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BELLEVILLE POLICE RELEASE FOUR-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
Belleville Police unveiled a new four-year strategic plan to create a more visible, responsive and engaging police service to meet increasing needs by city officers and the public for safer streets amid the trials and tribulations of a city facing...
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FLAMES ENGULF WORKSHOP NORTH OF FOXBORO
After putting out a tractor trailer fire early Tuesday, Belleville firefighters were dispatched hours later to a structure fire north of Foxboro. Firefighters arrived shortly after noon and were met with a fully involved fire in a workshop. The fire...
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BAY OF QUINTE YACHT CLUB LIFT-OUT
It was a busy Saturday, Oct. 18th for members of the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club in Belleville as Hastings Crane Rental operators were on hand at Victoria Park to lift dozens of sailboats from marina waters for storage before the cold weather flies....
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DEADNERSVILLE BECKONS PATRONS SEEKING A FAMILY FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN OUTING
If you love the spine-tingling experience of being frightened out of your wits during the Halloween season, Lorne Holditch may just have the up-close and personal experience you won't soon forget. The retired Air Canada worker is inviting all to...
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ROSSMORE-AREA HOUSE FIRE'S CAUSE DEEMED NOT SUSPICIOUS
Prince Edward County officials say the cause of the Oct. 14 fire that destroyed a Rossmore-area home could not be determined but is not considered suspicious. Fire tore through the large home on Davidson Road, off Massassauga Road, during the noon...
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Quinte's Trevor Norris named Ontario's Tourism Champion of the Year 2025
Trevor Norris, Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board's senior manager of Destination Development, has been named 2025 Tourism Champion of the Year by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. Norris will be feted at the Ontario Tourism Awards of...
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Trenton fire displaces nine people, kills two dogs, razes home
Nine people are without a home after a fire Thursday morning tore through a 19th-Century house on Trenton's Queen Street. Quinte West Fire Chief John Whelan said no serious injuries to people were reported, but the fire in the two-storey,...
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Ford rejects mayors' appeals to keep municipal speed cameras
Premier Doug Ford is doubling down on his pledge to ban automated speed enforcement cameras when his majority government resumes sitting Oct. 20 at Queen's Park. In a rebuttal to a letter signed by 22 mayors and municipal leaders asking for the...
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MAYOR ELLIS SUPPORTS MAYORS' LETTER URGING PREMIER FORD KEEP ONTARIO SPEED CAMERAS
Some members of Belleville city council are joining a chorus of mayors and municipal leaders across Ontario urging Premier Doug Ford to compromise on a planned bill to nix automated speed enforcement speed (ASE) cameras. Twenty-two leaders across...
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FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS SEEKS DONATIONS AMID UPGRADES
City caretakers of the city's annual Festival of Lights display are making a public appeal for donations to help support one of the highlights of the year-end holiday season in Belleville. The illuminated attraction at Jane Forester Park fronting...
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NATIONAL DAY OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION IN BELLEVILLE AWASH IN ORANGE SHIRTS
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation supporters donned orange shirts and buttons in Belleville on Tuesday to observe the continued struggle by Canada's Indigenous people for parity on historical lands. Coun. Sean Kelly, chair of Belleville's...
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Prince Edward County wineries grapple with `severe drought'
Prince Edward County's 29 wineries are facing “severe drought” conditions experienced only once every 10 years on average, according to Agriculture Canada's latest report. Jutting out from the north shore of Lake Ontario, it's estimated the county has...
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Debut of Beautiful View Music Festival packs downtown venues
For the second consecutive weekend, downtown Belleville amped up with another Saturday spectacular event, where Beautiful View Music Festival made its sounds-tothe-ear debut, bringing a showcase of live entertainment, rocking five establishments in the...
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United Way campaign launches with goal of $2.4M this year, $3M in 2028
United Way Hastings and Prince Edward campaigners have launched their annual funding drive with a big goal and an even bigger plan to help residents in need. Not only are they hoping to raise $2.4 million by January: they've set a goal of raising $3...
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HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BEGINS DEMOLITION OF OLD BELLEVILLE POLICE STATION
Habitat for Humanity's historic housing project on the site of Belleville's former police station is now underway. The charity is about to demolish the building at 93 Dundas St. E. to make room for Habitat Village, a tower of 66 affordable,...
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BLUES FESTIVAL AMPS UP SOULFUL RHYTHMS DOWNTOWN
Belleville's annual Downtown Blues Festival returned with grooves, kicking off on Friday night with a headline performance of '60s and '70s classic upbeat blues hits by Shawn Dore Big Blues Band from Kingston. According to organizers, Dore and his band...
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Some OPSEU claims at Loyalist College `false,' ministry spokesperson says
A spokesperson for Ontario's minister of colleges and universities is disputing union claims made at a Belleville rally against cuts at Loyalist College and other institutions. In an e-mail to The Intelligencer, Bianca Giacoboni, the press secretary...
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HUNDREDS AT LOYALIST COLLEGE RALLY IN SUPPORT OF ONTARIO COLLEGES
A crowd of several hundred people at Belleville's Loyalist College on Wednesday vowed to fight cuts there and at other Ontario colleges. Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union, or OPSEU, rallied outside the campus' main...
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`WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT IS COMING NEXT YEAR'
The year-long hard work, dedication, and planning by the Belleville Agricultural Society committee members and volunteers came to an end on Sunday evening as the 202nd Quinte Exhibition's gates shut for the last time at the old Belleville...
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Ontario Fire College trains firefighters
For a moment, it almost appeared as if the rear of Belleville Fire Station 2 was on fire Thursday afternoon as plumes of smoke could be seen rising above the roof by passersby on Moira Street. The thick smoke, however, was part of a fire-training...
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FOUR DAYS OF FALL-FAIR FUN BEGINS THURSDAY
The second oldest fall country fair in Ontario gets under way Thursday as Belleville Agricultural Society organizers usher in the event's 202nd year. Set for the old city fairgrounds in Belleville's west end, all manner of midway amusement rides,...
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DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL DRAWS NINE TEAMS FROM ACROSS ONTARIO
Bursts from an air horn rang out across the water on Saturday to signal the start of races by nine teams competing in the 17th annual Belleville Dragon Boat Festival at Victoria Park. Nearly 200 participants paddled for all they were worth in teams of...
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Forest fire risk and burning bans continue
Recent rainfall has yet to end forest fire risk in much of Ontario, authorities warn, and local bans on all open-air burning remain in effect across Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. Belleville, Quinte West, and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte...
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INDUSTRIAL PARK EXPANSION CRITICAL FOR BELLEVILLE'S PROSPERITY
Anchored centrally in the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal geographic triangle on Highway 401 and the CN railway corridor, Belleville has long enjoyed its hard-earned success convincing world-class commerce and industry to sink roots locally despite its...
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CARIBBEAN FESTIVAL'S CROWDS SOAK IN THE SUMMER `VIBE'
On Saturday, the Caribbean Festival parade wended its way from Zwick's Park into Belleville's Downtown District with thousands of festival goers welcoming revelers garbed in elaborate costumes, colourful floats and hypnotic music and beats into the...
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BELLEVILLE SENATORS INK NEW CONTRACT WITH CITY TO EXTEND CAA ARENA LEASE
It looks like the Belleville Sens are here to stay. With two years left in their existing contract with the City of Belleville, Michael Andlauer, the owner of American Hockey League team Belleville Senators, has agreed to ink a new CAA Arena lease for...
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In-kind boost by city helps Belleville Caribbean Festival move ahead
The fourth annual Belleville Caribbean Festival has been granted a last-minute reprieve by the city to stave off a small, but notable, financial shortfall only days before the event this weekend. City council voted 6-2 in favour of approving a request...
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CARIBBEAN FESTIVAL RETURNS AUGUST 15-17
Belleville Caribbean Festival is returning for its fourth year, promising a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture, music, food, and community from Friday, August 15 to Sunday, August 17, 2025, held at three different venues. Kicking off on Friday,...
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BELLEVILLE RESTAURANT TO BE REINSPECTED IN WAKE OF DUMPSTER VIDEO
Belleville's North China Buffet restaurant on Wednesday remained closed after local health unit officials ordered the disposal of food deemed unsafe – and said restaurant staff then retrieved that food from a dumpster. The South East Health Unit's...
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ROCKFEST ROCKS
Empire Theatre owner and Rockfest promoter Mark Rashotte and Jake Clemons perform on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at Rockfest. For more photos, please see
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A&W SHOW AND SHINE DRAWS CROWDS
A&W parking lot on Bell Boulevard Parking lot was packed with 145 classic cars Tuesday as part of Belleville Cruise Night. The car owners gather every Tuesday from May to October from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and invite the public to check out some truly...
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EXPERIENTIAL `STAYCATIONS' IN QUINTE MAY OFFSET SOME IMPACTS OF U.S. TARIFFS
Bay of Quinte's tourism operators may be in for an unexpected windfall as a surge of Canadians boycott travel to the United States and spend their holiday savings closer to home instead. The writing is already on the wall say those in travel and...
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SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS
The fireworks and drone show lit up the night in Trenton on Friday at the annual Mystical Distributing display at the Festival on the Bay, astonishing large crowds with an impressive showcase.
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SUMMER SERENITY
Visitors to Belleville's Turtle Pond gazebo on the Bay of Quinte relax while taking in the serenity of a sailboat effortlessly cutting a small wake across the flat water. Residents across Quinte are exploring quiet hideaways during holidays often taken...
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City begins $10.5M construction of Belleville Agricultural Society building
It's all systems go for a new permanent home for the Belleville Agricultural Society, the oldest-surviving organization in the city's history. Shovels are in the ground to begin construction of a new $10.5 million exhibition building for the ag...
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Muggy heat wave expected to grip Quinte until at least Thursday
An extended heat wave will persist through the week with high temperatures and humidity finally easing on Thursday across Quinte, says Environment Canada. The muggy weather was forecast to lessen somewhat on Sunday and Monday but the heat and humidity...
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KEEP DOWNTOWN BEAUTIFUL
City of Belleville casual labourer Elayna Reid ensures the city flowers and plants are kept watered and thriving to maintain a beautiful city. Reid is pictured watering one of dozens of large flower containers in the city core.
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UNITED WAY'S BRANDI HODGE A UNIFYING COMMUNITY CHAMPION
Brandi Hodge believes in teamwork. Her ability to unify people in both her workplace and the community shouldn't come as a surprise: she's the executive director of United Way Hastings and Prince Edward. While she is often the one representing the...
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ONTARIO PROVIDES $4.45M TO LINK 10,675 RESIDENTS TO PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Health and government officials gathered Monday for a $4.45-million rollout of Ontario funding set to bring primary care to 10,675 residents who do not have a family doctor in Hastings and Prince Edward counties. The funds are part of Ontario's $2.1...
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QUINTE HEALTH'S PACEMAKER SIMULATOR IMPROVES TRAINING FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES
A new medical simulator in Belleville General Hospital is helping doctors and nurses train to perform a life-saving heart procedure. Some patients whose hearts can't beat properly may need the emergency insertion of a temporary pacemaker to help the...
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TRUE-NORTH SOVEREIGNTY ALIVE AND WELL AT CANADA DAY EVENT IN BELLEVILLE
One of the largest crowds in recent memory spilled Tuesday into West Zwick's Park in Belleville for Canada Day to celebrate a renewed sense of Canadian unity following continued pledges by American President Donald J. Trump to annex its northern...
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Ontario breaks ground on long-term care home in Prince Edward County
Construction is underway to build a new 160-bed long-term care home on the grounds of Prince Edward County's H.J. McFarland Memorial Home. This project is a recipient of the Construction Funding Subsidy top-up and is part of the government's plan to...
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Park Dale students soak up heat wave on last day of school
Talk about a last day of middle school to always remember. Smack in the middle of a sweltering heat wave Tuesday afternoon with humidity levels topping 41 degrees Celsius, a group of Grade 8 students celebrated their last day of school frolicking...
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