New mixing console ready to be installed. Photo Brian Godfrey

The Region of Queens is providing almost $2,800 in grant money to this station through the Community Investment Fund.

QCCR manager Brian Godfrey says the money will be used to upgrade equipment in the main broadcast studio.

The main mixing console and amplifiers have been in Studio A since the station was launched over 16 years ago.

Godfrey says the equipment still works but as with any technology, it breaks down over time and reliability has become a concern.

“Studio A was always our biggest headache because there’s about, literally, thousands of feet of wire going everywhere in there,” said Godfrey. “We don’t know where it goes so, we had to hire on a couple of broadcast engineers.

The grant will cover half the cost of the new equipment with the rest of the funding coming as a personal loan from several members of the station’s board of directors.

QCCR recently signed a 10-year lease extension at our location on the corner of Market and Main streets in Liverpool.

Upgrading the equipment is part of a larger renovation which will include new flooring, furniture and a fresh coat of paint.

Godfrey says QCCR is a place for residents of Liverpool to hear local voices talking about local issues.

The station is not just a resource for local news, events, and programming but also a destination to hear discussions about Liverpool’s past, present and future.

Godfrey says QCCR is important as it gives community members a voice.

“One thing about the community radio station it’s open to anyone out there that maybe thought, oh, I could be a DJ, I’ve got a voice, but I never thought I could be on the radio,” said Godfrey. “Well, here’s your chance. We’re always looking for volunteers.”

Godfrey says the station will be asking for more funding from the Region in the next budget season to help with the installation costs of the new equipment

If all goes to plan, he expects the renovations and studio equipment will be in place by the end of May.

Anyone interested in volunteering with QCCR can do so by e-mailing Brian Godfrey at: cjqcradio@gmail.com

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Region of Queens Administration Building. Photo Ed Halverson

The sale of municipal properties to create affordable housing highlighted the recent Region of Queens council meeting.

Following a public hearing ahead of the meeting, council agreed to sell four parcels of land off Lawrence and Amherst Streets in Liverpool to the Queens Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Ltd for one dollar.

Fair market value of the properties is estimated around $15,000 but council is permitted to dispose of properties to non-profit organizations for less if there is a community benefit.

Given the lack of affordable housing across the county, Mayor Darlene Norman says council was unanimous in their support of the sale.

“When they’ll break ground, that is uncertain. They’ll have to determine what exactly they want to build and then make a request to council because there may need to be some water/sewer work done in to site that land,” said Norman. “Council is excited about this.”

Council also voted to support the Queens County Track Society up to a quarter million dollars for the construction of new track facilities on the sports field adjacent to Liverpool Regional High School.

The project is eligible for 25 percent of the cost from the Region’s Community Investment Fund.

The final tally on the build is expected to be north of a million dollars and it’s expected the track will pursue funding from the provincial and federal governments.

Norman says the municipal funds won’t be released from the reserve until the society can show they have raised all the money needed to complete construction.

Council then moved into the discussion phase of the meeting.

After a couple of attempts, the committee working to realize the construction of a new pool in Queens now has terms of reference agreed upon by the majority of councillors.

The latest revision puts the committee members’ skills to work but doesn’t require municipal staff time.

The pool committee will also provide updates on their progress to council at regular intervals.

Several policy items were also up for discussion.

First, they reviewed a new policy to establish parameters around the selection, purchase, maintenance, and official removal of public art.

Second, council confirmed their meeting schedule would remain the same as the past year.

Lastly, an updated social media policy was presented and discussed.

All discussion items will return to council at future meetings to be voted upon before being adopted.

The next Region of Queens Council meeting will be in Chambers December 13 beginning at 9:00am.

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Washrooms under construction at Queens County Fairgrounds. Photo Carolyn Tufts

Aged washrooms* at the Queens County Fair Grounds in Caledonia are getting a facelift.

Construction has already started on the new building which will be larger, safer, and completely accessible.

Secretary/Manager of the Queens County Fairgrounds Doreen Holdright says the repairs are long overdue.

“They were basically condemned about 15 years ago and I don’t remember when they were actually built,” said Holdright.

The estimated $102,300 total cost of the project is being covered by a pair of contributions.

The Queens County fairgrounds received $77,073 in ACOA funding through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) in February 2022.

At their most recent council meeting, the Region of Queens approved a grant of $25,575 from their Community Investment Fund.

Mayor Darlene Norman says council was pleased to cover the balance and support the hard-working people of Caledonia who keep the fairgrounds going.

Norman says a conversation with a student highlighted the need to improve upon the previous building.

“One of the kids, I was at the high school the other day said, Mrs. Norman, are the walls going to go all the way to the roof? ‘Cause, you know, the guys could always stand up and look over. And I said, oh yes, the walls are going to the roof. So, it’s great. It’s a great improvement,” said Norman.

Holdright expects construction on the new washrooms will be complete ahead of the May 21 Spring Horse Pull.

She says now that COVID restrictions have been lifted, 2022 will see a full roster of events at the fairgrounds, culminating in the annual Queens County Fair Sep 20 through 24.

* A previous version of this story mis-identified the pavilion instead of the washrooms as the building under construction. Work on the pavilion was completed last fall. 

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