At the regular meeting of the Edwardsburgh Cardinal Township Council held in Spencerville on May 24, a Resolution was moved by Councillor Michael Barrett and seconded by Councillor Gerry Morell regarding the planned closure of the Service Ontario centre in Kemptville. The Resolution called on the Ontario Government to “reconsider the decision to close Kemptville’s Service Ontario centre and ensure residents of this fast-growing community, and the surrounding area, can access government services where they live”.
The Resolution noted that “North Grenville is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Eastern Ontario with hundreds of housing starts, millions of dollars in investment in recent years and a population forecasted to grow by 40% to more than 22,500 by 2024″, and that the community has several businesses, including automobile dealerships, that face increased costs and inconvenience to their customers if they lose direct access to a local Service Ontario centre.
Council pointed out that the closure would seriously and negatively affect, not only the people of North Grenville, but all of the surrounding communities. The failure of the Government to present sufficient reasons for the threatened closure is another element in the Resolution.
This Resolution of support shows how important it is that municipalities indicate their solidarity with other communities when asked. Copies of Edwardsburgh Cardinal’s Resolution have been sent to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Government and Consumer Services, the Leader of the Official Opposition, the Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, and local MPP Steve Clark. A letter of thanks was sent to the Council by Councillor Jim Bertram.