By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
As Cobourg council neared adjournment Monday, councillors felt obliged to look ahead to the next meeting being Jan. 6, 2020 – and to get out some ’til-we-meet-again news for the busy holiday season.
Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin thanked everyone for their diligence during the long, hard budget process, and reminded the community that a draft budget should be ready for review and comments December 13.
“We will have some difficult choices to make to achieve this,” Seguin said.
“And we have to remember we have many residents of Cobourg – as we heard this evening – who are living on low incomes, and we have to serve these people.”
Councillor Adam Bureau said that the Saturday-morning Farmers’ Markets will continue until Dec. 21, a wonderful opportunity to support your local community’s growers and vendors.
Mayor John Henderson is on deck for two Mayor’s Skating Parties this year – Dec. 28 at noon and Jan. 3 at 2 p.m. Then there’s that long-standing tradition of the Mayor’s Levee on New Year’s Day, starting at 2 p.m. at the Victoria Hall Concert Hall.
Henderson urged everyone to dress warmly when Hometown Hockey comes to town Jan. 4 and 5, as activities for this popular TV series on its Cobourg stop will be at the waterfront.
“It should be an awesome time,” he said.
The new year brings new life to the Cobourg Community Centre’s gym, Councillor Emily Chorley said, following its closure between Dec. 29 and Jan. 10 for maintenance and repairs. And anyone looking for waterfront-administration staff should go to the CCC, where they are now working while their harbourfront building is closed for the season.
And of course, Christmas Magic lights will be up all the while in the Rotary Waterfront Park and Victoria Park.
“They really do look spectacular,” Chorley said.
“It’s great to see those lights back in Victoria Park, and that was based on the recommendations of the Christmas Magic ad hoc committee.”
It’s a team effort, Bureau pointed out, involving both staff and community volunteers – one of whom has been volunteering at the annual event for 18 years.