August 9, 2026
215
So, about a month ago, I had dental surgery in Port Elgin in the afternoon, followed by a Kincardine council meeting in the evening, and I'm trying to decide which was less painful!
Sounds like a good joke, if it weren't so painfully true.
There's something to be said for a little Lidocaine to smother the pain of having a tooth extracted, but unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the mind-numbing prattle of a council that should be able to do its business quickly and effectively based on informed decisions and efficient procedure.
The problem the Municipality of Kincardine faces is that its meetings are televised which means members of the public can watch them live-streamed, in real time, as they happen - and a good number actually do, including yours truly. There's nothing quite like sitting in the comfort of your own home and watching the drama unfold, much like a soap opera.
Many will recall the unfortunate live-microphone episode of a member of the previous council which went out on the live-stream for everyone to hear and made the municipality famous, or infamous, as the case may be, for 15 minutes!
Ddepending on which side of the council table you happen to be on, televised council meetings can be an asset or a liability. Either nobody wants to say anything or too many people want to blather on just to hear their voices heard by the masses in TV land.
It can make for cumbersome council meetings, resulting in a lot being said and nothing achieved, or nothing said and still nothing accomplished. It can make council members second-guess what they want to say because, sure enough, on the next social media post, they'll hear it all over again.
Another major problem for Kincardine, is that the meetings have been televised for decades - they used to be videotaped and then broadcast on Kincardine Cable - and later Rogers Cable. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings were live-streamed on Zoom with council looking much like the photos in the opening clip of "The Brady Bunch."
So, there's an expectation that they will continue to be live-streamed and broadcast on TV.
Meanwhile, in Huron-Kinloss, the township is grappling with the idea of public participation in virtual council meetings. First, there is the cost to outfit the council chamber for video and audio. Then there's the consideration of how open and forthright council members and staff will be when everything they say can, and will, be used against them in the court of public opinion.
Back in December, I made that pitch to Huron-Kinloss council, asking it to allow the media to cover the council meetings, virtually - mainly because the weather and/or other commitments could preclude me from attending the meetings.
Council is considering it, with the costs expected to come forward in the 2027 budget. However, while I would appreciate the opportunity to watch the meetings virtually, I hope the township doesn't switch to recording and televising the meetings. For all intents and purposes, that means if you want to see what's going on at council, you have to travel to the council chamber in Ripley and watch it.
At present, the township meetings are quick and efficient - and painless - and we really don't want that to change.
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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