Warden responds to Cobourg mayor’s suggestion to separate from Northumberland County

At a recent committee meeting of Cobourg council, Mayor Lucas Cleveland said Cobourg’s efforts to deal with the encampment on King Street were only dealing with the symptoms, but not the sickness. The sickness the mayor was referring to was Northumberland County’s efforts to address the situation. The county is responsible for housing and homelessness. Cobourg is not. This limits what the town council can do to address the ongoing concerns raised by the public. He suggested it may be time for town council to consider leaving the county to become a separate municipality. His remarks were, in part, a response to resident and local businessperson James Bisson appearing as a delegation. Bisson expressed deep concerns and frustration about the encampment. He is not alone. In this interview, you will hear a response to the mayor’s remarks from Northumberland County Warden Brian Ostrander. You will also hear him respond to several concerns raised by Mr. Bisson’s presentation.