Preparations are well underway for an trade event being hosted this month by the County of Wellington, City of Guelph and University of Guelph.
A report from economic development officer Jana Burns to Wellington County council on Oct. 27 indicated 90 registrants and 22 exhibitors have signed up for the Ontario European Agri-Food Trade Forum, which runs from Nov. 12 to 13 at the university.
An additional speaker from the Canadian Embassy in the Netherlands has been added to the program.
A matchmaking program between delegates and local businesses is currently being coordinated and will be held at the Delta hotel. Burns indicated 29 participants have registered for the matchmaking sessions.
Palmerston library
Renovations at the Wellington County Library branch in Palmerston are on target for completion by the end of February.
A report from construction and property manager Ken Mulholland indicates work expected to be completed in the next month includes:
– exterior masonry restoration;
– re-parging of exposed foundation;
– work on the east entrance canopy;
– soffit and fascia;
– window installation;
– acoustic ceilings installation; and
– washroom partitions and library shelving will be installed.
Work on the elevator, paint and mill work and flooring and door installation will also get underway shortly, Mulholland reports.
Improvements to the cenotaph site on the property will also be completed.
Internet hotspots
Wellington County has applied to Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport for grant money that will allow county libraries to offer internet hotspots for borrowing.
The grant application asks for approximately $155,000 in funding over two years to provide the program and “help bridge the digital divide between rural residents and access to the internet,” states a report from chief librarian Murray McCabe.
“To the best of our knowledge, no other library in
Canada is currently offering this service,” stated McCabe, adding New York and Chicago public libraries are leading the way with a similar initiative but one aimed at low income families living in cities.
“Wellington’s application is unique in that the target audience is rural residents.”
McCabe said he hopes to hear by January if the grant application is successful.
Truck tenders
County council approved the awarding of a tender for the supply and delivery of four six-tonne trucks, tandem cab and chassis to Altruck International Truck Centres of Guelph, at the total tendered amount of $575,208, exclusive of HST. The Altruck bid was the lowest of four received.
Also at the Oct. 29 meeting, council awarded a tender for the supply and installation of four plow boxes and plow rigging to Viking-Cives Ltd. of Mount Forest at the total tendered amount of $529,357 exclusive of HST.
The Viking-Cives tender was the only tender to include hydraulics or an upgrade to stainless steel boxes in lieu of painted steel.
