Mailbag Spring 2022

RCI STUDIOS

The editorial that Watershed magazine did for Research Casting International (RCI) and RCI Studios was awesome and really exposed us to the growing art community around the area. It was a turning point for our new division, RCI Studios. We also love advertising with the magazine.
Chris Hogarth, Marketing Manager,
Research Casting International & RCI Studios

A JEWEL OF A MAGAZINE

I have enjoyed your magazine since I moved to Cobourg nine years ago. I subscribe to several magazines monthly and yet Watershed is by far my favourite of all. When I see it in a store in town, I immediately pick up a copy for myself and several neighbours, as I know everyone just loves it. They do the same for me. I really enjoyed “Country Doctors” in your Winter issue, and not having been born in Canada, I found it fascinating to read about how difficult it was for doctors to travel in winter and of course I knew nothing about the Ford company snowmobile kit. It is amazing what you learn from this jewel of a magazine.
Teresa Glover, Cobourg

FRAME-WORTHY COVERS

I just received my Winter edition of Watershed, and I looked at the people involved with the publication of the magazine. Please let Art Director Meg Botha know that I love everything about the magazine, and the cover is frame-worthy in my humble opinion.

Gritt Koehl, via email

A BEAUTIFUL SCENE

It was wonderful to see the Northumberland County ad with Harwood and the Rice Lake dock waterfront photo on the back page of your Winter issue. What a great photo with Rice Lake frozen over, the skating rink, the fishing huts, the heritage sign, the bench and the picnic table under the Pavilion with the magnificent azure sky and the islands in the background. It is impressive. Our local group, Friends of the Harwood Waterfront, has been working to improve the waterfront for many years, so it was a delight to see this beautiful scene published in your magazine.

Pauline Browes, Chair,
Friends of the Harwood Waterfront

A FOUR-PILLAR APPROACH TO THE SECOND PANDEMIC

I’m writing in response to the recent article by Meghan Sheffield, “The Second Pandemic.” I want to commend you on clearly articulating the issue that is impacting our neighbours, friends, and families in our surrounding communities.

As the Chief of Police for the Town of Cobourg, I couldn’t agree more that the “shadow pandemic” is worsening at an alarming rate. In Cobourg alone, we’ve seen a 270% spike in opioid-related emergencies and seized over $100,000 of illicit drugs in the last year. When tied to homelessness, the opioid crisis is magnified, especially through the lens of a small community. It will come as no surprise that Northumberland County’s Community Safety & Wellbeing Plan identifies homelessness and addiction among the four key priorities for our area. Ms. Sheffield’s article highlights the tireless efforts from members of our community to support and rehabilitate. It’s about providing hope to envision a more stable and prosperous future; something that is difficult given the prices of food and housing and lack of funding for services. This public health crisis requires a coordinated and collaborative approach. In December 2020, The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police released a statement on the Decriminalization for Simple Possession of Illicit Drugs, recognizing that the traditional criminal justice response to substance use is no longer the only response. They called for Ontario to establish and invest in evidence-based treatment programs and support services to assist in the recovery of people faced with addiction. Like many others, I’ve seen firsthand how people in our community attempt to build a better life only to fall further into harm.

The Cobourg Police Service supports a four-pillar approach: prevention/education, harm reduction, treatment, and enforcement. We join our community partners to provide safe spaces for conversations, build resources to provide further support, and through tiered policing, provide education and enforcement to respond to community safety and wellbeing.

Moving forward, we must focus on maintaining compassion and reducing stigmatization through increased funding to provide shelter, mental health services, and addictions support. This will continue to reframe the issue, increase perceived treatment efficacy, and promote dialogue with all levels of government.

Paul VandeGraaf, Chief of Police,
Town of Cobourg