One thing many people who attended Remembrance Day ceremonies in our area may not be aware of is just how busy a time it is for local Legion branches. In addition to officiating at the actual service...
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A few short years ago, the Remembrance Day ceremony in Verona was almost shifted to Prince Charles Public School from the Cenotaph at Mcmullen Park, but the insistence and the efforts of a small group...
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Did you hear them? Songs from the "Second World War Era" played softly, while the bells tolled out in the clear night sky...well 69 times, unfortunately the rope broke, we had to improvise...
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Michelle Allen didn’t expect to follow in her father’s footsteps, but here she is, working in wood (albeit with a different twist). Her dad, George, is a local woodworker, creating cabine...
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Paul Pospisil, Susan Munro, Gordon Patterson & Walter Downs allturned 80 this year and are still extremely active on the Maberly Fair Board. Maberly Fair has had a banner year all things consider...
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Last week was the final meeting of the 2015-18 South Frontenac Council. December 4th will be the ina...
Even though the quote for renovations to Piccadilly Hall came in about $1,900 over the budgeted amou...
At 430pm on Sunday, November 11, the Bells of Peace were rung at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in...
On Remembrance Day in Harrowsmith at the new parkette at 10:45am over a dozen people came together t...
For the past nine years, Nicole Van Camp has had a Christmas tradition of her own. She opens her sto...
(November is Diabetes Awareness Month and November 14 is World Diabetes Day. To raise awareness of d...
New Leaf Link is a grassroots organization that serves developmentally disabled adults in South Fron...
Art Dunham is a committed environmentalist and volunteer on Big Clear Lake, which borders the hamlet...
After 30 years in the meat department at the Trousdale’s Foodland store in Sydenham, Laurie Ro...
Flipping through the pages of the recent publication, “Lest We Forget, a book of short biograp...
The Clar-Mill Community Archives’ latest project is cataloguing North Frontenac’s cemeteries and as such coordinator Brenda Martin was at North Frontenac’s regular Council meeting last Friday in Plevna to outline how they plan to go about it. “One of the ...
In North Frontenac, there are a few (public) buildings that don’t meet code, Brian MacDonald of McIntosh Perry, told Council at its regular meeting last week in Plevna. CAO Cheryl Robson said McIntosh Perry was contracted to do the Township’s first ever facilities assessment after a successful grant application for just this purpose. “I’ve been around eight years and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this,” said Coun. Gerry Martin. MacDonald said they looked at 20 municipal facilities with an estimated total replacement value of about $10,000,000, including four fire halls and six public works facilities. While the ‘portfolio’ is currently in generally good condition, if no work were to be done on them in the next 10 years, the portfolio would be in generally “poor” condition, he said. “Approximately $2,171,000 would be required to maintain the facilities in a ‘state of good repair,’” he said. Of the 20 facilities, short term repairs and replacements of about $350,000 would be required on five of them. The Harlowe Community Hall needs $70,000 to repair basement leakage. The Snow Road Fire Hall needs $32,000 for staff washrooms. The Ompah Fish Hatchery needs $30,000 for general repairs. The Ward 1 Public Works Garage needs $40,000 cladding and water supply. The Cloyne Washroom and Change House needs $35,000 for roofing and mechanical work. Just about all of the facilities need some work, mostly related to accessibility. Council praised and accepted the report, but any decisions were relegated to 2019 budget deliberations. However, there were indications that some of the facilities might not survive the budgetary process. “The opportunity for the Fish Hatchery to come back into useful operation is nil to none,” said Dep. Mayor Fred Perry, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of Mayor Ron Higgins. The Cloyne washroom isn’t likely to get much love either. Even though one audience member pointed out that the ball diamond there is used for seniors slow-pitch, manager of community development Corey Klatt said: “This is my 11th year and it was out of service when I came.” Councillors to be compensated for loss of tax exempt incomeCouncil accepted Treasurer Kelly Watkins’ report on the impact of losing the 1/3 tax-free status for municipal councilors remuneration but put off any decisions until the first meeting of the new Council on Dec. 5. Options range from doing nothing to a new pay structure for meeting attendance, mileage and per diem to outright compensation for the tax-free loss, which Watkins estimated would cost the Township about $17,000. Coun. Vern Hermer was in favour of some sort of compensation. “I don’t think it’s fair that we should take a hit because the federal of provincial governments want a bit more in their coffers,” Hermer said. However, Coun. John Inglis seemed OK with the potential loss in salary. “We’re above the median (in pay) and we’re above Central Frontenac,” Inglis said. “I feel we’re well compensated. “Leave the status quo; for our population, we have a very large staff.” “We won’t attract many young Council members with this pay,” said Coun. Gerry Martin. “Whether John (Inglis) thinks he’s overpaid — which he probably is.” Watkins’ said “across the province, the majority of municipalities are compensating councilors for the 1/3 loss.” Palmerston BeachWhile the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority is open to sell the Palmerston Beach property to North Frontenac Township (MVCA passed a resolution Aug. 3 granting an “option to purchase for a nominal sum”), just what the Township plans to do regarding the property is undecided. “We did sell property on Malcolm Lake years back that went to a developer,” said Coun. Gerry Martin. “That’s the reason for the buy-back clause.” “I don’t agree that $128,000 should be spent to create a park that would only be used by a few people,” said Coun. Wayne Good. Good burlap after bad?Coun. Gerry Martin reported that $1,500 worth of burlap has been put down in Ardoch Lake in an effort to combat Eurasian Milfoil. However, Martin was less than enthusiastic about the chances for success in the project. “We have it in so many of our lakes, I think it’s a lost cause,” he said. NAEC visitWhile applauding the North Addington Education Centre’s interest in municipal government, North Frontenac Council won’t be showing up to an assembly in any kind of numbers, on the advice of Clerk Tara Mieske. “I would recommend only three or fewer go so that no business of Council will be advanced,” she said. Coun. John Inglis volunteered to attend.
On Sunday evening (Sept. 30) a fire swept through a residential building that at one time was the schoolhouse for the Village of Ompah. The building had been converted into a single family dwelling in the years following the school’s close in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s. It was occupied by a family of 4 until this week. The family is reportedly living in Perth and a number of local people are attempting to reach out to support them. “The good news was that no one was injured in the fire. I believe the family pets made it out unscathed as well,” said North Frontenac Fire Chief Eric Korhonen. Korhonen said that North Frontenac Firefighters and the Kaladar Barrie department responded to the fire. By the time they arrived, the building was beyond saving and the efforts were focussed on preventing the fire from spreading and making sure it was completely out. The department still needs to complete an investigation, but Korhonen said it looks like the fire will be classed as “cause undetermined” because the building had burned completely and all evidence about what may have caused it has been destroyed The Ompah Schoolhouse was built around 1870, roughly at the same time as the Anglican Church in Ompah. It closed about 100 years later, when Clarendon Central Public School opened in Plevna. Barbara Sproule was the teacher in the one room school between 1958 and the school’s closing. She remembers that the building was rather basic; the school was heated by a wood stove, and did not have running water, although it did have a well and hand pump. “We had a caretaker who came in early to start up the stove, but there were winter days when we started the day with the children sitting around the woodstove until the building warmed up.” She said, “but we made do and everyone co-operated. Those were good years. Sproule was only 16 when she started teaching at the Canonto school, and 17 when she started teaching in Ompah, not much older than some of her students. “I never told them my age, but I think they knew,” she said. Not only did she teach in the Ompah school, Sproule also attended the school, as did both her mother and her son. When the school closed it was purchased by members of the Thomas family as a cottage, and it was later renovated into a family home. The current owners have lived there for several years.
While Council did approve $1,500 to help the Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes Association get started with its battle against Eurasian milfoil and seems amenable to a further $10,000 to hire a grad student for the project at some time in the future, one of the potential weapons for the battle didn’t get approved. Council decided that boat wash stations represented more potential issues than they might solve, not the least of which is cost. “Didn’t we already decide this (boat wash stations) is too expensive?” said Coun. John Ingles at Friday’s meeting. “To me, it would be too expensive,” said Mayor Ron Higgins. “And how would you police it? “Would we have to have an attendant?” “The concern was that it would become a car wash,” said community development manager Corey Klatt. “I don’t think it would be as easy as putting up a building and having a pressure washer in there.” Higgins suggested they would approve the province for assistance. Coun. Wayne Good didn’t see much point in that. “From what I’ve seen in presentations, there’s absolutely no way you can stop it,” Good said. “It’s in about 10 areas of the (Ardoch) lake and in other lakes as well,” said Higgins. Property standards bylaw doesn't fly in North FrontenacIt doesn’t look like there will be anything resembling a property standards bylaw in North Frontenac in the near future following last Friday’s regular Council meeting in Plevna. Keeping in mind that Council will be the same with the exception of Fred Fowler replacing Denis Bedard for the next four years, it is unlikely Council would entertain something it appears to be against. Mayor Ron Higgins served a notice of motion at the previous Council meeting to discuss the issue after the Township received a complaint from a resident that a neighbouring property was in disrepair. “I’d like to see us come up with a bylaw to deal with properties in disrepair,” Higgins said. “Neighbours are concerned about property values.” “Tough titty,” said Coun. John Inglis. “In most cases, people knew about the neighbouring properties before they moved in. “In this case, it’s not dangerous, there aren’t health issues, the opposition is purely esthetic. “Generally, with these complaints, it’s about low income people who can’t afford to make esthetic repairs although sometimes it’s a personal choice. “It’s all part of the process of living with people who don’t have the same means as you do.” “I’m against too much Big Brother being involved,” said Coun. Wayne Good. “What are you going to do — tell them they have to go into debt? “We already have a safe properties bylaw.” Some councilors noted how divisive an attempt to institute a property standards bylaw in Central Frontenac was. “Some municipalities have a property standards bylaw but we don’t have the staff to administer one,” said CAO Cheryl Robson. “And you would have to set up an appeals body. “You’d have to involve the fire chief, the bylaw officer and the chief building official.” “Some guy builds a million dollar house next to a shack,” said Good. Council instructed staff to look at a policy of sending a letter to ‘offending’ homeowners. “I would just caution about a ‘letter from the Township,’” said Inglis. “That can be pretty scary stuff.” Lamenting the loss of Firefighter AssociationsCouncil approved the Clarendon-Miller Volunteer Firefighters Association’s plan to purchase chairs for the training room at the Clarendon-Miller Station and thanked them for the donation. Coun. John Inglis noted that as of right now, the Clarendon-Miller association is the only one in the Township except for the ladies auxiliary in Snow Road. Inglis asked fire chief Eric Korhonen if he saw a need for more firefighter associations. “That is entirely up to the firefighters,” Korhonen said.
The end of September, one of the loveliest times in the Northern Part of Frontenac County, brings with it the North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour. As with many such successful tours, the participating artists are a loyal crowd and most of them can be visited again this year. Since artists are always changing what they do and getting better at it, it is interesting to see how they have progressed and what is on their creative minds at present. As always there will be a few new artists joining the event. New visitors and old will enjoy the chance to explore this unique part of the province and find the many studios tucked away in its corners. And while it has proved impossible to predict what each Autumn will be like when it comes to fall colours, the last weekend in September has the best chance of providing the peak of the annual Fall Colour Extravaganza. Set off against the hills and many lakes of North Frontenac Township, the trip is worthwhile for that aspect alone. The tour covers a wide geographic area centred around the villages of Myers Cave, Fernleigh, Ardoch, Plevna, Ompah and Snow Road. It would be hard to do the whole tour in one day, and give the studios you are interested in the time and attention you would like. Non local visitors are encouraged to stay overnight at one of the accommodations recommended in the brochure, and to snack or have a meal at one of the establishments on the tour or in the brochure. Washrooms which are available thoughout the area are also indicated. For those who have not picked up a Tour Brochure already, a printable brochure can be downloaded from the website NorthFrontenacBackRoadsStudioTour.com. This, and the website itself, provide the information you need to have a fabulous weekend on September 29th and 30th.
One thing many people who attended Remembrance Day ceremonies in our area may not be aware of is just how busy a time it is for local Legion branches. In addition to officiating at the actual service (which they refer to as protocol), which entails things like arranging for a co...
Did you hear them? Songs from the "Second World War Era" played softly, while the bells tolled out in the clear night sky...well 69 times, unfortunately the rope broke, we had to improvise by borrowing Will & Melody Cooke's "Hand held Hug" Bell. These bell chimes were rung to remind all of the 100th Anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the fighting of the First World War... the Great One, Royal Canadian Legion in partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada, hoped that bells all across Canada as well as in Mons, Belgium, the final town liberated by the Canadian Corps in 1918, would ring out loud and clear on the night of Nov. 11. The joy and relief that must have been felt when the war ended, after a war that was so bloody and destructive with so many lives lost. Many of the dead were so very young. Chris Bertrim started the service with prayers as Doris Campsall lit candles, symbolizing the lives lost and the hope for peace evermore. Each of the 5 bellringers rang the bell for 20 times, for a total of 100....one chime for every year. Gordon Bertrim, rang the bell in memory of his Father Private James (Jim) Bertrim of the 146 battalion. Donna Fox rang the bell in memory of her grandfather Private John (Jack) Campsall of the 20th Canada Infantry. Bernie Quinn pulled the bell for the Volunteer fire fighters Keith Steele had the honour of ringing it for the Parham United as did May Walton for the Parham Free Methodist Church. The service ended in prayer led by Pastor Ken Walton. He prayed for all those who had served in the Canadian Forces and for all those who continue to defend the peace and freedom we enjoy today and asked that the bodies, minds and souls of those who have been wounded in their efforts be healed. There were some interesting conversations before and after the service. Gordon Bertrim is the last survivor of the list of veterans on the Tichborne United Church's roster (there is no roster in the Parham United Church) Mary Howes’ inlaws (Earl & Eva Howes) had donated the bell to the church. Donna Fox and Chris Bertrim called their Grandfather "Poppy". Keith remembered hearing of his uncle Clifford Steele being made Sargeant just days before he was killed. Will & Melody Cooke reminisced about Mel's father, Art Goodfellow, going to the Remembrance Day services with his comrade Ken Hollywood. Dan Hayes, grandson of Ed Hayes who was a veteran, volunteered to fix the bell. Don Ball, son of Gordon Ball, also a veteran who recently passed away, rode his bike to the service, from Ball Point. Also in attendance as well as those mentioned above were John & Michael Morrow. A big thank you to Mary Howes who organized this service. Coffee and sweets ended the evening. "May we Always Remember"
Michelle Allen didn’t expect to follow in her father’s footsteps, but here she is, working in wood (albeit with a different twist). Her dad, George, is a local woodworker, creating cabinets and furniture and such. “Dad is my woodcutter and he does the staining,” she said. “So, I guess I am keeping up a family tradition although it was never intended, it just happened.” Allen makes signs and things through her company, Backyard Country Creations. She holds sign making classes and does custom decor work. She’s been doing it for about three years now although she could never have predicted this would become her vocation. “Never in a million years,” she said laughing. “My artistic background is photography.” Be that as it may, she’s become pretty handy at painting signs on stained wooden boards and more importantly, guiding others through the process with her classes. The process is relatively simple. She has “about 100 to 150” sign stencils to choose from depending on the season. Once the stencil is chosen, it’s attached to a wooden board and the letters/symbols removed. Then acrylic paint is applied and a variety of techniques used depending on the desired finished product. “It’s like applying nail polish,” she said. “Multiple thin coats.” But there’s another aspect to the classes. “I feel it’s a really good opportunity to meet lots of people,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of people from working at Cardinal Cafe. “I started holding classes as a ‘night out’ for people but the fundraising aspect of it has really skyrocketed.” Which brings us to last Friday night’s class at Oso Hall. “Rural Frontenac Community Services (RFCS) contacted me,” she said. “I’ve done some other fundraisers, like for St. Andrews.” In fact, one of her students on this night was Louise Moody, RFCS executive director. “RFCS is raising funds toward the United Way Kingston, Frontenac Lennox & Addington Campaign,” she said. “It’s very fun and I’m making a gift for my new grandchild.” Allen does a variety of items, including mugs and such. This past summer Smart’s Marina contacted her about putting some merchandise in their store and she said that worked out quite well. But it’s clear she enjoys the classes and fundraisers. There was a wide range of ages in the Friday night class. Allen recommends that kids be at least around 11 years old and/or be supervised by an adult because of “I did one for a gymnastics club in Perth and had about 10 kids,” she said. “I haven’t done a birthday party yet, but I’ll consider it.” The class on this night was predominantly female but Allen had an explanation for that. “It’s hunting season,” she joked. “All the guys around here are gone.” But she’s just fine with a girls night out class. “Get your girlfriends together, a bottle of wine and we’ll do it,” she said. You can contact Allen through her Backwoods Country Creations Facebook page.
Even though the quote for renovations to Piccadilly Hall came in about $1,900 over the budgeted amount of $34,000, Central Frontenac Council voted to go ahead with the project at its regular meeting Tuesday night at Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake. And it also agreed to kick in an additional $1,600 to have the heaters rewired so they can be operated from a wall-mounted control at the recommendation of acting Chief Building Official Alan Revill. Revill told Council that the lowest bid came from Wemp & Smith at $35,898 to strip out lathe & plaster, replace windows, replace deteriorated framing, reinsulate walls and apply new drywall and trim. The other bid, from Men in White Designed Interiors, was $46,095.40. Revill said he has worked with Wemp & Smith many times in the past. Revill said that, during the tender process, it was noted that an electrician would be required to disconnect the electric baseboard heaters prior to removing the wall surfaces and as such, he recommended that this would be a good opportunity to improve the heating system as well. “Those heaters are currently controlled by individual unit thermostats located on the baseboard at the floor level,” Revill said. “So there is often uneven heating and there are risks that a unit may be accidentally left on. “The CBO is recommending to have an electrician from our vendor of record list rewire the heating units to be controlled by wall-mounted thermostats (which will be) much easier to control heating of the building and more convenient for users.” Used truck on orderCouncil approved purchasing a used single-axle 5-ton plow truck along with two additional sanding units and other miscellaneous items to take on the 40 additional kilometers of roads the Public Works department will be responsible for clearing this winter after the Township decided not to tender out two areas. Works garage renovation ‘fell through the3 cracks” In 2018, $80,000 was budgeted to renovate two public works garages but the work was not begun this year. Dep. Mayor Tom Dewey said he’d support the move but was disappointed and surprised that the renovations “fell through the cracks. “I feel it’s important for employee moral to have a decent lunchroom and kitchen,” he said. “That will be in the budget for next year,” said Mayor Frances Smith. Selling tankerCouncil approved declaring a tanker from the Arden station surplus and being sold. Dep. Fire Chief Jamie Riddell said Arden still has one large tanker and a smaller one which should be sufficient. “The big thing is cost,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “It’s reached the point do I fix it or not.” New shed for Mountain Grove rinkCouncil approved $6,000 for the purchase of an 8’ X 14’ storage shed (with insulation, lights and heat) for the District 2 (Olden) rink in Mountain Grove. The District 2 rec committee had been using the old fire building to store equipment but the fire department has said it also needs the building for storage. Dep. Mayor Tom Dewey said he’d received an email from the treasurer saying that the money would likely come out of the year-end budget surplus. “It’s always been understood that it would be part of the rec committee’s budget but at any rate, they won’t be asked to fundraise for it,” said Mayor Frances Smith. Road 38 to close for paradeCouncil approved closing Road 38 from Elizabeth Street north to Elizabeth Street South Dec. 1 for its annual Santa Claus Parade. Fire Chief Greg Robinson expressed some concern over liability in the case of an emergency with respect to response time. “I’ve been doing these parades for 30 years and there’s never been an emergency,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “Although I’m not saying it couldn’t happen.” Coun. Bill MacDonald expressed similar sentiments. Smith said the annual Tichborne to Parham Santa Claus Parade will be replaced this year by a children’s party at the fire hall, likely Dec. 2. Road 38 will be closed through Sharbot Lake from about 1 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. Construction value to flirt with $10 million mark With construction value for the year to date at $9,020,226, acting CBO Alan Revill described as a “robust” year in building activity. This compares with $7,991,860 through the first ten months of 2017 and $7,386,759 through the first ten months of 2016. “This includes single family units and things like garages and decks,” Revill said. Permit fees are also up to $126,857, bringing the building department closer to breaking even. “This shows good growth over three years and is a positive thing for the community,” said Dep. Mayor Tom Dewey.
(November is Diabetes Awareness Month and November 14 is World Diabetes Day. To raise awareness of diabetes and to provide information on best management, the Sharbot Family Health Team Diabetes Education Team (Cathy Fox, Certified Diabetes Educator, Registered Nurse and Saman Shaikh, Certified Diabetes Educator, Registered Dietitian) will be contributing weekly articles during the month of November.) Did you know that a little preparation before your diabetes visit will help you get the most out of the appointment? According the Diabetes Canada, preparation for your diabetes-focused visit ensures you are prepared and know what to expect. Diabetes Canada and your Certified Diabetes educator have a few suggestions that will help you get the most out of your visit. Try to have your blood work done before the appointment. This helps the doctor and the Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) focus on the next steps in the organization of your diabetes care- including medication addition or change in dose. Bring along your blood sugar log book or the actual meter. Your CDE likes to review your numbers to see if there are any adjustments that can be made. You can also bring along your updated list of medications to ensure the medical records are the same. Identify your goals. What do you want to get out of this visit? What are you trying to achieve? You most likely have good diabetes management at the top of the list, but there may be other topics you want to discuss, such as weight loss, becoming more active, learning to cook healthy meals or even becoming more involved with your community. Bringing a list of written questions to your visit ensures all your concerns are addressed. Your concerns are important! Bring along a family member or friend for support. Sometimes two sets of ears are better then one! Maybe the family member or friend can take brief notes for you to review after the visit is over. And finally, to achieve the most from your diabetes appointment, be honest with yourself and the CDE. We are here to help, not pass judgement. Discuss any possible barriers in your life, such as limited finances, or fears about diabetes. Your CDE can work with you to find a solution that is beneficial to you. Over time, the small changes that you have incorporated into your lifestyle will lead to sustainable diabetes control. Remember, diabetes management is a lifelong process with ups and downs. A good working relationship with your CDE will help you in your journey through this process to achieve your goals. The Sharbot Lake Family Health Team has hosted a Diabetes Education Program since 2006. Two on site full time Certified Diabetes Educators work closely with the other health care professionals to provide care to approximately 500 patients with diabetes or prediabetes in the community. (Cathy Fox, Registered Nurse and Saman Shaikh, Registered Dietitian are both Certified Diabetes Educators and can help you learn how to best manage your diabetes or pre-diabetes. Please call the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team at 613-279-2100 to book an appointment to discuss your diabetes.)
A few short years ago, the Remembrance Day ceremony in Verona was almost shifted to Prince Charles Public School from the Cenotaph at Mcmullen Park, but the insistence and the efforts of a small group of people kept the ceremony in the Park. There was a meeting at the cenotaph ar...
Last week was the final meeting of the 2015-18 South Frontenac Council. December 4th will be the inaugural meeting of the new Council when the Councillors will be sworn in, and begin carrying out their duties. However, this particular group will be better prepared for the challenges of the next four years than any previous one. Lured by a light supper, they met this last Tuesday at 5:30 for an intensive orientation to their new roles and responsibilities. The agenda began with iPad training, contact information, roles and responsibilities, township organizational chart and other such useful information, winding up with a primer on taxation and budget. In the middle of the agenda, under ‘Initial Decisions’ is a list of some of the items to be addressed at the first December meeting. The next-to-last item, just above Cannabis, is the bombshell: “Retirement of Chief Administrative Officer and Recruitment Process: It is anticipated that Wayne Orr, CAO will be submitting a notice of his plan to retire at the end of July. Council will need to determine a process for recruitment.” As stated earlier in the meeting, the CAO is responsible for the effective administration of all township operations by acting as a liaison between Council and staff and by coordinating activities between departments. During his time with South Frontenac, Orr has been instrumental in assisting Council to: achieve full amalgamation of the four districts; develop a budget process that is thorough and timely; make Council meetings more businesslike and accessible, and build a prosperous Township with a reasonable taxation rate. Residents who come to meetings are able to hear what the individual councillors are saying, and are provided with specific information on a screen about each issue being discussed. Council no longer wastes meeting time reviewing the various cattle losses to predators, approving the provincial remunerations one at a time… Orr is responsible for initiating this orientation process, and the one planned for November 27, an introduction to the various Township departments. He will be difficult to replace. Note: The material provided for this orientation session may prove valuable to anyone curious about the budgeting process, how taxation is calculated, the Township’s strategic plan, etc. It is available on the South Frontenac Township’s website, under meeting agendas: Nov 13 COW.
At 430pm on Sunday, November 11, the Bells of Peace were rung at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Sydenham; over 70 people were in attendance to witness this historic event. The Bells of Peace was a national initiative by the Royal Canadian Legion, and St. Paul’s Anglican Church and Branch 469 RCL teamed up to make this happen in Sydenham. The purpose of this event was to commemorate the one hundred years from the end of World War I in 1918 until 2018, and, therefore, the Bells were rung one hundred times in honour of this occasion. The bells were rung by a group of local children and youth including Lillie Marshall, Sophia Antoine, Meghan McKinstry, Addy Schjerning, Mason Schjerning, and the entire group of Tucker children: Benjamin, Mary, Anna, and William, Charlotte and Katherine. Following the bell ringing, Last Post and Reveille were played and everyone present entered the Church for a service of Remembrance, followed by fellowship and refreshments. Thanks to all who helped organize this wonderful event!
On Remembrance Day in Harrowsmith at the new parkette at 10:45am over a dozen people came together to remember our veterans and war heroes. The Harrowsmith Beautification Committee took possession of two wreaths from Sydenham Branch Legion, one from Canada and one from the province, and held a small ceremony. I spoke about how we were actually standing on the spot where the parade of soldiers from WWII marched to the railway station to board the train on the first lag of their long journey. I held letters from my father Harold Snider sent from Italy, France, and England while he served his country. James Barbeau, sitting in his stroller, held a row of medals earned by Norman Mahood who was a boy soldier from British Columbia. Rod Crawford told of his father Campbell Crawford enlisting as a boy soldier as well. Adele Hamelin read In Flanders Fields and after our moment of silence and remembrance we placed our poppies on the wreaths placed by Rod and Greg. Just as we were dispersing a plane flew overhead. It was a good omen. We are hoping this is just the first of many services held at this site with both the schools participating. Thank you to Merrill for your guidance and kind words sent from the Montreal Street Legion Office. We will never forget.
For the past nine years, Nicole Van Camp has had a Christmas tradition of her own. She opens her store, Nicole’s Gifts in Verona on a Friday evening, which she calls an Open House, and a portion of the profits goes to the Verona Community Association’s Christmas For Kids campaign. “Because I’m on the committee, I have a pretty good idea of what’s needed,” she said. “We make sure every kid gets new clothing, socks, underwear, pajamas, a toy, a book and toiletries.” She said the open house “usually raises enough to shop for two to three children.” And she’ll keep taking donations until Christmas. “There’s a donation bin at the hardware store but I’m happy to take new toys, clothing, books, and toiletries here,” she said. “It frees up funds for last-minute emergencies.” The weather wasn’t the greatest Friday night, but there were plenty of customers in the store. “It’s been a pretty good turnout, especially considering the weather,” she said. And she intends to keep doing it every year. “I’ll keep doing it until the need’s not there,” she said.
The Frontenac County trustees are set to become part of the old guard on the board of trustees for the Limestone District School Board come December 12th. Suzanne Ruttan easily held off the challenge from Roger Curtis, receiving 3659 votes to 1672 for Curtis, to return to the bo...
Three of the four Frontenac County Mayors were acclaimed back into office for a new term (Dennis Doyle – Frontenac Islands – 3rd term, Frances Smith, Central Frontenac – 2nd term, and Ron Higgins – North Frontenac – 2nd term) and the fourth, South Frontenac’s Ron Vandewal won re-election for a second term. They will form the bedrock of the council, but in all likelihood they will be joined by four new members. Natalie Nossal, the 2nd Frontenac Islands rep on the council, did not seek re-election. She will most likely be replaced on county council by Bruce Higgs. Higgs received the most votes in ward 1 (Howe Island) this time around. In Frontenac Islands, the top vote getting councillor from the ward where the mayor does not reside is offered the 2nd county position. Since Dennis Doyle is from Wolfe Islands, it is Higgs position if he wants it. After the 2014 election, newcomer Nossal finished first ahead of David Jones, who had been at the county table for four years. Jones promptly resigned from Frontenac Island Council and rode into the political sunset. Bruce Higgs was appointed to Frontenac Islands Council to take his place. In South Frontenac John McDougall did not seek re-election. Tom Dewey was re-elected in Central Frontenac but he told the News he will not be seeking the second Central Frontenac position when the matter comes to the new Central Frontenac Council in early December. In North Frontenac John Inglis has also indicated he is unlikely to be seeking the county role again after spending 8 years on Frontenac County Council. In terms of gender balance, there will be 7 women among the 30 members of Council (23%) in the 4 Frontenac Townships. Two of the four are approaching gender parity, Frontenac Islands (2 of 5 – 40%) and Central Frontenac (4 of 9 – 44%), while South Frontenac (1 of 9 -11%) and North Frontenac (0 of 7) drag the overall percentage down. The 7 women are an increase over the 2014-2018 councils, however. There are only 6 women (20%) of the 30 council members in Frontenac County during the current four-year term. While the political side of the council tables remains predominantly male, on the administrative side the situation is different. 3 of the 5 Chief Administrators in Frontenac County are women, and 3 of the 4 Treasurers (Frontenac Islands contracts out its financial services to Frontenac County) are women as well. In terms of age, people in their 60’s and 70’s predominate on most councils. In Central Frontenac, however, there are at least four members of council who are not of retirement age, which is an exception when you look county wide. It is more than likely, however, that once the makeup of Frontenac County Council is determined, that it will be entirely made up from the over 60 crowd. This is partly due to the overall demographics of the local councils, but also because it is very difficult for a full time worker to manage both township and county responsibilities.
Voting is now complete and the results are in for South and Central Frontenac, Addington Highlands and Tay Valley See below South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal -- 3237 Mark Schjerning - 2164 Phil Archambault 1274 Portland District Doug Morey - 579 Brad Barbeau - 495 Bruno Albano - 222 Tom Bruce - 528 Ray Leonard - 1156 Loughborough District Fran Willes - 1,075 Ross Sutherland -1,647 Farrah Soaft - 275 Randy Ruttan - 1,075 Limestone DSB Suzanne Ruttan - 3,659 Roger Curtis - 1672 Central Frontenac Hinchinbrooke Nicki Gowdy - 362 Philip Smith - 315 Brent Cameron 328 Olden Victor Heese 267 Dan Cunningham 175 Bill Everett 171 Elwyn Burke 190 Kennebec Tom Dewey 410 Cindy Kelsey 404 Isaac Hale 289 Addington Highlands Reeve Henry Hogg - 769 Alice Madigan - 653 Ward 1 Royce Rosemnblath - 343 Tony Fritsch - 531 Kirby Thompson - 378 Ward 2 Helen Yanch - 405 Bill Cox - 388 David Myles - 450 Tay Valley Reeve Brian Campbell 1581 Susan Freeman 1234 Kieth Kerr 597 Deputy Reeve Barrie Crampton 2021 Judy Farrell 1344 Sherbrooke Ward Mark Burnham 327 RoxAnne Darling - 483 Rob Rainer - 455 Lanark Highlands Mayor Peter Mclaren - 1472 Terry Lee Donaldson - 1067 Brian Stewart - 406 Deputy Mayor John Wilson Hall - 1008 Bob Mingie - 954 Bill Nelson - 962 Ward 5 (Elphin McDonalds Corners) Jeannie Kelso - 242 Mary Kirkham - 178
We know you’re probably all wondering just how many eligible voters there are in Frontenac County municipal elections this year. One quirk of living in cottage country is that often there are a lot more eligible voters than there are permanent residents and Frontenac County is no exception to this rule. For example, in North Frontenac Township, the population according to the 2016 census is 1,898. However, because there are an awful lot of seasonal residents, there are actually 5,984 eligible voters. This twist here is that all of the Council positions and all but one school board position were filled by acclamation. So, no matter how many eligible voters there are, unless you’re an Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board or a French Language Separate board supporter, you have nothing to vote on. The concept of more voters than population holds true for Frontenac Islands and Central Frontenac townships as well. On the Islands, there is a population of 1,760 people and 2,201 eligible voters. In Central Frontenac, there are twice as many eligible voters as there are residents. The Central Frontenac 2016 census showed a population of 4,373 people with 9,067 eligible voters. In South Frontenac, the trend falters however. South has a population of 18,646 but on 17,689 eligible voters. Now just because there are all these eligible voters doesn’t mean they’ll all cast ballots. For example, in 2014, there were 17,413 eligible voters but only 6,447 of them participated for a participation rate of 37.02 per cent.
Frontenac County Warden Ron Higgins probably wouldn’t be offended if somebody said he tends to go about things a little differently from most politicians. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Higgins decided to hold his first Warden’s Reception outdoors, at Fernleigh Lodge on Kashwakamak Lake Saturday. Also new to Wardens’ receptions was the inclusion of area business offering everything from local maple syrup to chocolates and boat tours of the lake. Of course what wasn’t new was the Warden’s speech and Higgins used the opportunity to point out some of the highlights of his tenure in the position. After thanking everyone involved including his wife, Wendy, Higgins said: “Recently our Council confirmed continuation of our strategic priorities which were initially set by the previous Council which focused on • Seniors and the aging tsunami• the future of waste management• long range financial planning and economic development.” Higgins said the County was able to secure rides to medical appointments for seniors and that each township would have affordable seniors housing in their township. “In terms of seniors housing, the Islands have completed their project, South Frontenac has an approved business plan in place and North and Central are well underway in terms of developing a business plan to meet seniors needs.” He said the County continues to “support the public works managers and their work with Cambium to assist Council with progress towards the Frontenac County Waste Strategic Goal” which resulted in a grant to fund a study looking for ways to optimize waste diversion. On economic development, he said: “Economic development continues to thrive as the County moves into its final year of Rural Economic Development funding including the Ferry by Foot Promotion Plan, Local Food Awareness Campaign and the Uniform Trail and Wayfinding signage program.”
Addington Highlands Council approved the creation of a working group to determine the fate of the Kaladar Waste Disposal site at its regular meeting Tuesday afternoon in Flinton. The site must close next year as a landfill and Roads/Waste Supervisor Brett Reavie told Council tha...
The students of North Addington Education Centre suited up on October 31st in their Campbell’s Soup Costumes, to collect items for the food bank. About ten secondary students were spread out between Flinton, Northbrook, and Cloyne to collect non-perishable food items, instead of tricking or treating for candy. The students are not strangers to supporting the community who supports them. This is the eighth year for the very successful event. We visited as many households as possible, but we know that some houses were missed- especially those on back roads, or not in a very central area. If you have food that you would like for us to pick up, please call Candice Bovard throughout the week at 613-336-8991. On behalf of students and staff, the principal, James Bonham-Carter, would like to thank the community for their contributions to our food drive efforts over the years: “It’s so great to see how everyone takes care of each other. Teaching children academics is only one part of the bigger picture; we need to teach them how to be good people too. A big thank you to the community for investing in our children”. Items can also be dropped off at North Addington, in the main office.
Henry Hogg was not that surprised that his election margin was narrow this time around, or even that he lost one of the two wards to Alice Madigan, who has never held public office but has been active politically in Denbigh, and was a vocal opponent of a wind turbine proposal that was unpopular with many in the community. Hogg led the debate on council, which resulted in the township supporting the project, based partly on the promise of the establishment of a community fund should wind turbines ever be erected in the township. Hogg received 769 (54%) votes to Madigan’s 653 (46%). In ward 1, Madigan received over 100 more votes that Hogg, but he took ward 2 by a margin of over 200, leading to the overall victory and a 6th term as Reeve. In 2014 Hogg received 71% of the vote against Gerald Bray and in 2010 he was acclaimed. “I was not surprised by the margin,” said Hogg, “I knew it would be close because of the wind turbines and other factors. But a win is a win, no matter what the margin is, and I am happy to keep serving the municipality. I once lost an election by 12 votes, so I know anything can happen. Hogg said that the township will have to do what it can, with its limited resources, “to deal with the inevitable changes that are coming our way.” He said that in this term of council, it will be necessary to at least start looking at new township office space. “When we started out, there were only two people working out of the little office space we have in the basement of the Flinton Recreation Centre. We need something better for the staff we have working out of that office now,” he said. Incumbents ruled the day in Ward 1. Tony Fritsch was comfortably returned for a third time with 531 votes and Kirby Thompson (378 votes) narrowly outpolled former road and waste superintendent Royce Rosenblath (343 votes). Newcomer David Miles was the most popular candidate in Ward 2, receiving 450 votes. Helen Yanch finished second with a 405 and will also return to council. Bill Cox, who has served three terms on council, went down to defeat with 388 votes, 17 less than Yanch. Because Reeve Hogg now lives in Ward 2, the councillor who receives the most votes in Ward 1, will become the Deputy Reeve and second AH rep to Lennox and Addington (L&A) County Council. Tony Fritsch will thus have the opportunity to become Deputy Reeve.
The students of North Addington Education Centre will be suiting up in their Campbell’s Soup costumes on October 31st and knocking on your door! They will be asking for non-perishable food items which will be donated to the local food bank, which is experiencing a shortage of food. About ten secondary students will be spreading out between Flinton, Northbrook, and Cloyne to collect non-perishable food items, instead of tricking or treating for candy. The students are not strangers to supporting the community who supports them. This is the eighth year for the very successful event. We’re asking community members to contribute what they can. We will have three to four students canvassing each community between approximately 4:00 and 8:00pm. Most will be wearing soup costumes and a very large smile. If we have more students participating than costumes, some students will be in other costumes, but will identify themselves at the door. We are going to visit as many households as possible, but if you have contributions and the food is not picked up, please call Candice Bovard throughout the week at 613-336-8991 and we will pick it up, or items can be dropped off at the school. On behalf of students and staff, the principal, James Bonham-Carter, would like to recognize how special this event is. “I’m quickly seeing how much this community cares for one another.. Thank you for helping our children give back; for helping teach them that we have a responsibility to take care of one another”. If you see students in the community and they are ‘trick or eating’, feel free to ask them to sing or dance for your donation; they are prepared to work for your generosity!
The Cloyne and District Historical Society’s Flickr account recently topped a thousand photos, Ken Hook told the Society’s monthly meeting in Cloyne this week. For the handful of folks unfamiliar with Flickr, it’s an image and video hosting service that’s free to use but uploading content or commenting on a photo requires a registering an account. The Society has had a presence there since 2013. “We have 323 followers, from all around the world,” Hook said. “Like Brazil, France, Austria, Guatemala, Switzerland and the U.S. “Even the State Library from Queensland Australia is a follower — we’re not really sure why.” The Society began the page as part of their commitment to preserve local history and the material can be downloaded for research or presentations. “We do say that commercial use is prohibited because the intent was not for someone to make a profit from,” Hook said. “Although it’s unlikely anyone would be able to.” So far, the site has had 2.1 million views and some of them had led to some interesting comments and connections. For example, one of the most popular photos, with 35,357 views, is of a group of Girl Guides in the back of a Fargo truck in front of Wannamaker’s Store taken 1950. “The Girl Guides International linked to it from their website and one guy commented that it had to be Canadian because that’s the only place you could get Fargo trucks,” Hook said. “I didn’t know that.” Another interesting connection came from a photo in the ‘Carol Lessard collection’ of Quintland, the collection of souvenir shops and attractions that sprung up around Callander Bay in the late ’30s and early ’40s as a result of the popularity of the Dionne Quintuplets. The curator of the Callander Bay Heritage Museum sent an email to the Society saying that this was the only photograph evidence they’ve ever seen of a teepee in front of the clock tower. Apparently, a first nations chief would pose for photographs for tourists but they weren’t sure of the authenticity of the story until seeing the photo on Flickr. Hook was pleased to point out that at 1,081 photos, the Society has a larger presence than the Halifax Municipal Archives, which has 989. “The Deseronto Archives, from whom we got the idea, has 2,024 but they joined in 2008,” he said. But that may change as the Society acquires more images. Perhaps they may catch the Smithsonian Institution (3,486 images) or even the British Museum (1,700,014).
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