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Q. What do grandfather clocks and bees have in common? A. Virgil Garrett This past summer there was a construction project on Road 38 at the northern edge of the village of Sharbot Lake. For a time there was a stoplight for southbound traffic in front of Virgil and Beryl Garret...
In 1973, Winston Cosgrove published a 60-page book on the history of Wolfe Island. Wolfe Island Past and Present outlines how the island came to be settled, how it remained in use by indigenous peoples as fall and winter fishing and hunting grounds until the middle of the 19th Century, and how the population peaked in the late 19th Century before beginning a long decline that has only recently been reversed. The book is written in a kind of discreet manner that suggests its focus was more in the past than on what was then the present, and of course 40 years have passed since it was published. It contains, however, much information about how the island community developed from the late 17th until the 20th centuries. In 1685, Robert Cavallier, Sieur de Lasalle, having been granted the Signeury of Fort Frontenac by King Louis the 14th ten years earlier, conferred ownership of what would become known as Wolfe Island on James Cauchois. It was the “first conveyance of any part of Ontario from one subject to another”. The land remained in the Cauchois family for over 100 years, until it was sold in the early 1800s to David Alexander Grant and Patrick Langan for one shilling an acre. Grant had married the Baroness of Longeuil in 1785, and although the sale of the island to Grant and Langan severed all ties to the French monarchy it did establish the Baron of Longeuil as a major force on Wolfe Island. In 1823, David Alexander's son, C.W. Grant, the 4th Baron of Longeuil, owned about 11,000 acres on the island. A similar amount was split among the three daughters of Patrick Langan. Two-sevenths of the land had been turned over to England's King George when the British overturned French rule in the entire region. Grant sold off 100 acre lots starting in 1823, and settlement began in earnest. He also had a large house constructed near Marysville. The house, which was called Ardath Chateau, was known locally as the “The Old Castle”. It had 25 rooms, a dungeon, a carriage house and servants' quarters and was the “focal point for many years of life on the island”. In 1929 the house, which had been unoccupied for at least 15 years, was razed in a fire. “Being a native born Islander, this writer recognises the staunch loyalty among the Islanders for one another and out of respect for this tradition, would prefer 'to let sleeping dogs lie' rather than delve further into the matter.” This suggests that Winston Cosgrove knew more about the fire than he was willing to say, and in all likelihood further information about what happened that dark night in 1929 is still carried by any number of Wolfe “Islanders”. Although “The Old Castle” was certainly grand, the housing situation for Wolfe Island settlers in the early to mid 19th Century was more modest. Fifteen settler families lived on the island in 1823, and this increased to 261 persons by 1826. The population grew steadily, peaking at 3,600 by 1861. When the island was being settled in the 1820s and 30s “the typical house was a log cabin, 20 feet long by 16 feet wide, 6 logs high, with a shanty or sloping roof. Some had glass but most often the windows were only holes in the wall, which could be covered in the winter.” During the 1850s, demand for lumber for D. D. Calvin's shipbuilding operation on nearby Garden Island led to a lumbering boom on Wolfe Island, and the boom ended when the trees were gone. The population began to dwindle at that point, and by the time Cosgrove's book was published in 1973, it was down to 1,200. It had dropped to 1142 by 2001, and the 2011 population survey lists Frontenac Islands (including Wolfe and Howe Island) at 1864. The current permanent resident population of Wolfe Islands, according to Wikipedia, is 1,400, although it is twice that or more in the summer (perhaps excluding this past summer due to the Ferry Fiasco of 2015). Wolfe Island Past and Present contains a wealth of information about landmarks and renowned island residents. It explains how Marysville was named after Mary Hitchcock, who lived all of her 92 years on the island and was its first postmistress between 1845 and her death in 1877. The General Wolfe Hotel, originally known as the Wolfe Island Hotel, was built in 1860. It was renamed the General Wolfe by the Greenwood brothers in 1955, and benefited from the results of a liquor referendum in 1957, which was won by “the wets”. The hotel remains an island landmark and a major part of the hospitality industry. It's 130-seat restaurant has won a number of provincial awards. The final chapter of the book deals with a crucial subject, one that has been top of mind on the island this summer and was also the subject of a discussion and slide show on Wednesday, December 2, “Ice Travel” with Kaye Fawcett and Ken White, which was organised by the Wolfe Island Historical Society. Throughout Frontenac County the history of road and railway construction is full of colour, hardship and a fair taint of corruption and scandal. On Wolfe Island there is an added dimension - the water that separates the island from the mainland and the City of Kingston. It was 50 years ago, in 1965, that a year-round ferry service financed by the Province of Ontario was established on Wolfe Island. Until then the ferry service ran only until freeze up, and during the winter an ice road was the way across. In 1954 the winter was so warm that the ferry was only inactive for 2 days, but between 1955 and the onset of the year-round ferry in 1965, the range was 60 to 110 days, with an average of about 80 inactive days each winter. Over the years, tragedies and near tragedies occurred on the ice on many occasions. One of the more famous events was the near drowning of entire families on Christmas Day in 1955. The ferry was out of commission because of an early winter, but a tug boat, the Salvage Prince, waited at the edge of the ice at Barrett's Bay for families who had come to the island for Christmas Day and were returning to Kingston late in the afternoon. They were being drawn across the ice in a sleigh, but just before reaching the boat, the sleigh went through a wet spot in the ice, forcing a hurried and dangerous rescue, as children, adults and seniors, were luckily all pulled out of the freezing water back to the tug and a boat ride to Kingston. Some were taken to the hospital for observation. An account of the trip by Brian Johnson is available at thousandislandslife.com. In the concluding pages of his book, Winston Cosgrove makes the argument that the economy of Wolfe Island will be doomed unless a bridge is built. “In the past the economy of the island has been purely an agricultural one, with hunting and fishing and summer residents as minor items. Under this system the population has dwindled. The key to the problem is transportation. There is much beautiful undeveloped shoreline and land that is is well-suited for permanent homes but better ways are needed to get to and from the mainland if the community is to develop and grow. A ferry service is not efficient enough ... Meanwhile the Islanders who want a bridge must be content to await future developments while acting as guardians of a great land developed by pioneers, to whom all are indebted.” Although Cosgrove's views may have had a lot of currency this past summer while the Wolfe Islander ferry was in dry dock, Wolfe Island has reversed the population slide over the past 10 years and a number of tourism-related businesses are thriving.
Rightly so, Frontenac Park is considered the hidden jewel of Frontenac County. It is located in the midst of an array of communities and cottage lakes within a stone's throw of Sydenham and is a short drive from Kingston; and yet it is a backwoods park in a unique geological and climactic location. It features the best canoeing, camping and hiking this side of Bon Echo Park, which is also a jewel but one that is less hidden and is also shared between Frontenac and Lennox and Addington. In his definitive book on the back story about the land where Frontenac Park is located, “Their Enduring Spirit: the History of Frontenac Park 1783-1990”, Christian Barber extensively researched all of the development that took place in and around the park before the idea of a park was floated and eventually acted upon in the 1960s. Their Enduring Spirit is not only a valuable resource in terms of how the park was developed; it is also an account of the difficulties posed by the Frontenac Spur of the Canadian Shield on those who were unlucky enough to attempt homesteading in its rocky terrain. The park is located in what were then Loughborough and Bedford Townships, now both part of the Municipality of South Frontenac. Many of the settlers who attempted to make a life in that region did so in the mid-to-late 1800s. There were some Loyalists among them, but there were also a number of Irish immigrants who made their way first to St. Patrick's Church in Railton, and then headed into the wilderness north of Sydenham in search of a new life. What greeted them was brutal and difficult. The history of a number of homesteading families forms the core of Their Enduring Spirit. Based on historic records, interviews with descendants who lived on or visited those who lived on the farms, and by walking the land and examining the remnants that are being reclaimed as wilderness lands, a picture of life in the back townships during the first 100 years of Frontenac County emerges. (An account of the life and times of the Kemp family can be found at Frontenacnews.ca under the “50 Stories/150 Years” tab) The level of poverty among late 19th Century settlers is reflected in some of the minutes of meetings of both Hinchinbrooke and Loughbrough Townships. In the minutes there are accounts of grants for as little as $1 for families in need after the death of a partner or a debilitating illness. Families who had settled on the worst pieces of land, who suffered from any kind of ill health, or for some reason were not able to keep up with the demands of clearing land, building shelter, keeping warm in winter and raising enough food, ended up in desperate straits. That is why settlers would take over abandoned fields and houses and only settle the ownership later on, if they decided to stay. Far from disputing this practice, as long as the property taxes were paid the local townships did not question the ownership of the properties. Mining was one of the few means of getting money for labour, and was also a major impetus for the establishment of the K&P Railroad. The village of Godfrey, to the west of Frontenac Park, was originally called Deniston after the name of the post office but it was known as Iron Ore Junction by the local population. The Glendower company mined 12,000 tons of iron ore between 1873 and 1880, and later the Zanesville company took over and a spur line was constructed between the mine and the Bedford Station (renamed Godfrey in 1901) of the K&P. A large deposit of Feldspar was found between Desert and Thirteen Island Lakes, and it was mined, on and off, between 1901 and 1951, producing a total of 230,000 tons in that time. In and right around the park, it was mica that was the most commonly mined mineral, in small mines as a kind of cottage industry and on an industrial scale as well. There is an account of how a mica mine operated in one of the issues of “The Frontenac News” (not this newspaper but the newsletter of the Friends of Frontenac Park) Below is an excerpt: 1905 - early in the morning Tom Gorsline, the foreman at the Tett mine, is checking the steam piping as a worker starts a wood fire in the boiler that will provide the steam that runs the drill and the water pumps. The miners had been following a vein of amber mica (phlogopite) since 1899 - the main pit now plunged close to 80 feet into the rocks and water sometimes was a problem. Fortunately, the price for mica is on the rise again and the main vein is still good. The hand drillers are already at work. Their job is to make holes in the rock to receive the explosives. The drillers are working in teams of two using a method called "double-jacking". One person, the holder, manually holds a steel drill against the rock. The other, the striker, swings an eight-pound sledgehammer hitting the end of the drill. In between the blow, the holder twists the drill to loosen the rock chips so it does not get stuck in the rock. Then the next blow comes with a sharp clank when steel meets steel. They are drilling at a rate of 1.5 to 2 feet per hour. After a half-hour, the holder and striker exchange places so the striker can have a rest. As you can imagine, accuracy is crucial. If the striker misses, the holder could be maimed for life. This is dangerous enough when they are drilling on the floor of the mine, but often the veins are at the roof of a drift or on the wall of the pit. As soon as the steam from the boiler reaches the right pressure, a miner starts the steam drill. It is faster and easier than hand drilling but the steam drill is enormous, unreliable and unwieldy because of connections with the steam pipes that come down from the surface. As a result, the steam driller is assigned fairly open spaces while the hand drillers work in tight quarters. Drilling is hard and dangerous - there are no hard hats, goggles, or electrical lights - but the dollar a day they are earning helps to feed their families. Now that the holes are in place, Tom calls the blasters. They make sure the holes are dry, otherwise the charges may not go off. They put the black powder in waterproof covers, attach a proper length fuse, and place it down in the hole. They pack the rest of the hole with clay. The length of the fuse is important or they could meet their maker faster than expected. After a few minutes, all charges are ready. The head blaster gives a signal to Tom Gorsline who orders all miners and equipment out of from the mine. When all is clear, the blaster lights up the fuse and moves quickly out of the way. The explosion rumbles and the ground shakes. After the smoke and dust settle, Tom sends in the muckers. They have a hazardous job. Everyone knew of George Amey, a mucker at the Birch Lake mine, who lost an eye when his pick hit a charge that did not fully explode. Some muckers sort the ore from the waste while others, with picks and shovels, load the waste rock in a large bucket until it is full. Then one of them yells: "BUCKET." Upon hearing the signal, a man at the surface gets the horse moving on a circular track so that the winch can hoist the bucket up to the top. The bucket is dumped on the tailings pile. As soon as the muckers are finished clearing the debris from the last blast, the drillers begin to make new holes. Cleaning the mica is the job of cobblers who work on the surface. Some cobblers "thumb trim" the mica by the pit while others are working at the cleaning shop attached to the main mine building, "knife trimming" the mica to remove all traces of unwanted material. They store the clean mica in barrels. The mica is shipped down the Hardwood Bay Road to Perth Road then north to Bedford Mills. There, the mica will be shipped to a buyer in Ottawa via the Rideau Canal. The Tett mine operated from 1899 till 1924. It produced 99 tons of mica for a value of $27,279.00. For a few months, it was the largest mica producer in Ontario. By the 1940s the mica mining boom had passed and most of the homesteads in the area had been abandoned or were on their last legs. It was then that the idea of establishing a wilderness park on the lands in Loughborough and Bedford township that had resisted settlement, and whose lakes (Devil, Big Clear, Otter, and Buck) were not already cut up into cottage lots, was first floated. In 1954 a Parks Division was created within the Department of Lands and Forests of Ontario (the precursor to the Ministry of Natural Resources. In 1957, the Kingston Rod and Gun Club submitted a proposal for a new park to serve the growing numbers of people in Kingston and southern Frontenac County wanting to experience the great outdoors, hiking, camping, fishing and the enjoyment of a sandy beach. The proposal included twenty-seven 200 acre lots in Bedford and twenty-five 200 acre lots in Lougborough, a total of 16.2 square miles, with an option to increase it to 23.7 square miles if the area below Otter Lake was added. That effort was not successful, and seemed to be dead when Murphy's Point Park on Big Rideau Lake near Perth was established instead. Five years later, in 1962, another group, the Kingston Nature Club, put forward a similar proposal. This time, even though the cost of purchasing private land for the park had ballooned to $200,000, the proposal was successful. It eventually cost over $1 million to create Frontenac Park, which opened in the late 1960s. The park's first superintendent, Bruce Page, was the great grandson of Jeremiah, one of the first settlers on the land in the vicinity of what became Frontenac Park. Among the features of the park, and on the nearby Gould Lake Conservation Area, are hiking trails that pass by and over mica mine sites. In the Park, the 10 km Tettsmine Loop passes by remnants of a log slide from the lumbering days, abandoned mica mines and the remains of McNally Homestead. At Gould Lake, the Mica Loop passes over several small mine sites and mica minerals can still be seen sparkling in the rock faces.
There were a number of distinguished Frontenac County wardens from the Township of Wolfe Island during the first 133 years of Frontenac County history, and since municipal amalgamation there have been two more from the Township of Frontenac Islands: Jim Vanden Hoek for two years, and the current warden, Denis Doyle. Although Tim O'Shea was only county warden for a single year, the centennial year in 1967, he was a member of the council for 33 consecutive years as the long-serving reeve of Wolfe Island. He retired from politics in 1991 and died in 1996 at the age of 78. His son, Terry, who served as the clerk of Wolfe Island and Frontenac Islands for over 20 years, starting in 1986, described his father as someone who enjoyed people and was able to remain calm in tense situations, which might explain why he was able to win election after election. He worked for most of his life as a hunting and a fishing guide on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, and in the evenings he tended to township matters. As well as presiding over Council, he was the welfare officer for the islands as well as the manager of the ferry, all part of the functions of the reeve. Perhaps his most lasting accomplishment was convincing the provincial government to take over the ferry service from Wolfe Island and make it a free service. He also presided over the construction of the first library, medical clinic, ambulance base and fire department on the island. Because of all his accomplishments and longevity, he is still considered to have been the dean of Frontenac County councilors. One hundred and two years before Tim O'Shea served as county warden, another Wolfe Island politician held the post. The first ever Frontenac County warden was Dileno (Dexter) Calvin, the proverbial self-made man. He was orphaned at the age of eight in Rutland, Vermont. When he was 20 he moved to the State of New York where he worked as a labourer until he entered into the lumbering business when he was in his mid-20s. He started in 1825, squaring some timber with a neighbour and transporting it by raft to Quebec City. Slowly, he built up the business, and in 1835 he moved to Clayton, NY, and established a lumber transport business. Soon after, he became involved in a company based on Garden Islands, the Kingston Stave Forwarding Company, which was later renamed Calvin, Cook and Counter, and then Calvin and Cook after the men who owned it. In 1844, Dexter Calvin moved to rented land on Garden Island and took control of the company, taking advantage of the island's location, its sheltered port, and the fact that it was within the British rather than the American trading system. Out of its base on Garden Island, the company maintained agencies in Sault St. Marie, Quebec City, Liverpool and Glasgow, operated 12 -15 ships and employed as many as 700 people in its peak years. It became a generalized shipping company, and also operated a large tugboat service. The move to Garden Island took place soon after the death of Calvin's first wife, Harriet Webb, in Clayton, New York, in 1843. the couple had been married for 12 years and had six children. He remarried Marion Breck in 1844. They also had six children between 1844 and her death in 1861. His third wife, Catherine Wilkinson, whom he married in 1861 when he was 63, had two children, and lived until 1911. Of his 14 children, only six lived to adulthood. During the last 40 years of his long life (he died in 1884 at the age of 86) Calvin was a sort of patriarch to the inhabitants of Garden Island. He bought 15 acres of land on the island in 1848 with his partner Hiram Cook, and by 1862 they owned the entire island. Calvin bought Cook’s share in 1880. Garden Island became a model company town, with its own school, library, and post office. Although it was made up of people from different national origins and religions, it was reportedly remarkably peaceful and well managed. It was also a dry community, under the express orders of Calvin himself, who became a prohibitionist at the same time as his conversion to the Baptist Faith about a year before the death of his first wife. Since most of the inhabitants of Garden Island worked for Calvin, he was able to shield them from economic turbulence in two ways. For one thing, since he was more involved in lumber transport than buying and selling, the fluctuations in the price of lumber did not affect the business in a substantial way. He also chose to use the company's reserves to shield his employees during serious downturns, such as one that took place in 1873. At that time he cut wages but did not lay any one off, which was as unusual then as it is now. He was strongly opposed to organized labour, however, and when sailors on his ships started a union drive, he hired replacement workers from Glasgow and eventually sold some of his schooners and bought great lake barges to cut down on the need for labour. His political life, which began when he was in his early 60s, was quite distinguished. He had become a naturalized Canadian within a year of moving to Garden Island. By the time Frontenac County was established in 1865 after the amalgamated County of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington had been disbanded, Calvin was already ensconced as reeve of Wolfe Island and the surrounding islands. He became the first warden of the County, a position he also held the following year and in 1868 as well. He then took a turn at provincial politics, as a Conservative MPP for the riding of Frontenac. He served from 1868 until 1883, with the exception of the years between 1875 and 1877, when he lost favour with the party. In those days, becoming the Conservative candidate in Frontenac was more difficult than winning the election against opposing party candidates. He was also one of the first directors of the K&P Railroad. He was a man who was known for his eccentricities, such as a dislike for short men “for no other reason than that they were short” according to his grandson, as well as men who bit their fingernails (author's note – I'm sure we would have gotten on famously) as well as dogs and people who own them. “When a man's poor,” he said, “he gets a dog. If he's very poor, he gets two.” Dileno Dexter Calvin died in 1884, and despite his great success in Canada, he was buried next to his mother and his first wife in Clayton, NY.
Rightly so, Frontenac Park is considered the hidden jewel of Frontenac County. It is located in the midst of an array of communities and cottage lakes, within a stone's throw of Sydenham and is a short drive from Kingston; and yet it is a backwoods park in a unique geological and climactic location. It features the best canoeing, camping and hiking this side of Bon Echo Park, which is also a jewel but one that is less hidden and is also shared between Frontenac and Lennox and Addington. In his definitive book on the back story about the land where Frontenac Park is located, “Their Enduring Spirit: the History of Frontenac Park 1783-1990”, Christian Barber extensively researched all of the development that took place in and around the park before the idea of a park was floated and eventually acted upon in the 1960s. In doing so, Their Enduring Spirit is not only a valuable resource in terms of how the park was developed; it is also an account of the difficulties posed by the Frontenac Spur of the Canadian Shield on those who were unlucky enough to attempt homesteading in its rocky terrain. The park is located in what were then Loughborough and Bedford Townships, now both part of the Municipality of South Frontenac. Many of the settlers who attempted to make a life in that region did so in the mid-to-late 1800s. There were some Loyalists among them, but there were also a number of Irish immigrants who made their way first to St. Patrick's Church in Railton, and then headed into the wilderness north of Sydenham in search of a new life. What greeted them was brutal and difficult. The history of a number of homesteading families forms the core of Their Enduring Spirit. Based on historic records, interviews with descendants who lived on or visited those who lived on the farms, and by walking the land and examining the remnants that are being reclaimed as wilderness lands, a picture of life in the back townships during the first 100 years of Frontenac County emerges. The first family to be profiled in the book is the Kemp family, who arrived at their farm at Otter Lake, near the west gate of the park, sometime in the 1860s. By the time of the 1871 census, William and Jane Kemp, both 47, had six children living with them. The land they laid claim to, in addition to other properties taken on by their son George, was very good by local standards. Over two decades of work, making use of the efforts of the entire family, 30 acres of the 95 acre property had been cleared. “That might not sound like much to show for 20 years of labour, but in that district most farms worked 15 or 20 cleared acres. In fact the clearing was usually completed in relatively short order. But it was back-breaking work, without mechanical means. It involved cutting down the trees and clearing the brush, then burning the stumps that could not be wrenched from the ground by a team of horses or oxen and hauled away to form a first fence row. In the meantime the job of raising a crop to feed the family over the winter had to go on, and the first seeds were usually sown among the stumps ... it was no wonder that among the first settlers it was axiomatic to hate trees,” wrote Christian Barber in Their Enduring Spirit. The Kemp family prospered, and by 1900 the original log cabin that was built in the early 1870s had disappeared beneath white, painted clapboard, and numerous outbuildings had been constructed as well. There was a root cellar below, and fields that extended right to the front doorway. Still, cash was not easy to come by. A ledger from M.A. Hogan's General Store in Sydenham illustrates this. In late 1912, Mary Shales Kemp, George's wife, who managed the family finances among numerous other tasks, purchased dishes, a pair of overalls for a dollar, and the indulgences of walnuts and a vase, for a total cost of $7.32. Her custom was to pay for her purchases with butter and eggs from the farm. However on this occasion, after the eggs and butter were factored in there was a shortfall of $1.45. Back went the overalls and the extra 45 cents was paid in cash. During the mica mining year in the first decade of the 20th century, George Kemp found a number of small deposits on his farm, and even took on investors to pay the $70 that was needed for drills and blasting powder at one site. However, enough mica was never found to make a profit on the venture. To the extent that there were roads in the area, they were built and maintained by all of the farmers living in there, sometimes as part of their taxation responsibilities, which, in the late 19th century, included putting in some time improving the local roads. While the Kemp family were able to establish a successful farm in what is now Frontenac Park, it was ultimately unsustainable. Mary Kemp lived on the farm after George died, but moved away in 1928 and sold the property in 1941. The last people to occupy it were a family from Wyoming in the late 1940s. By the time Mary Kemp died in Sydenham in 1952 at the age of 93, the property where she had made her life had been abandoned and the house and barns had burned down. When Christian Barber went to the property in the late 1980s as he was preparing his book, it was mostly overgrown with vegetation, and it required effort on his part to find the remnants of what had been a going concern for 60 or 70 years. He notes this at the end of his chapter on the Kemp family of Kemp Road : “... the fields, so painstakingly cleared and planted and harvested by generations of settlers, are overgrown with sumac and birch, locust and juniper. Rusted barbed wire – embedded by years in the centre of the trees that it was originally stapled to the bark of – is stretched to the breaking point by fallen trees, and there is no one to cut them away; no farmer in overalls, with strong, knuckly, barked, and sun-tanned hands to walk the line on a summer day between haying and harvest and maintain a fence.” The Kemp family's story is similar in outcome to others told in the book - struggle and some success followed by a move to better farmland elsewhere in the region or to work off the farm in Sydenham or beyond. Mining and logging were also prevalent in the park. Logging started in the early 19th century and mining later on, with the logging having the greatest impact on the land, as it did elsewhere in the region generally. In the interesting chapter on mining, Barber touches on the story of Antoine Point on Devil Lake. Francis Edward Antoine and his wife, Letitia Whiteduck, built a log cabin on the Point in the mid 19th century and they are buried there. One of their sons, John Antoine, is listed, along with the government, as the owner of Antoine Point in the 1883 Meacham map, one of the best source materials for information about land ownership in those years. John, with his wife Elizabeth Hollywood, had 11 children. According to Antoine family lore, it was John who found mica deposits at Antoine Point, although there are competing accounts about who found the ore at that location, and it seems that the Point became of interest to mining interests in the early 1890s. There is an entry in the land registry indicating that John Antoine sold his interest in the land to William Jones for $50 in 1897, and the Antoines moved to Godfrey, and eventually back to Sharbot Lake, where another branch of the family was already located. The idea of establishing a wilderness park on the lands in Loughborough and Bedford township that had resisted settlement, and whose lakes (Devil, Big Clear, Otter, and Buck) were not already cut up into cottage lots, was first floated in the 1940s. In 1954 a Parks Division was created within the Department of Lands and Forests of Ontario (the precursor to the Ministry of Natural Resources. In 1957, the Kingston Rod and Gun Club submitted a proposal for a new park to serve the growing numbers of people in Kingston and southern Frontenac County wanting to experience the great outdoors, hiking, camping, fishing and the enjoyment of a sandy beach. The proposal included twenty seven 200 acre lots in Bedford and twenty five 200 acre lots in Lougborough, a total of 16.2 square miles, with an option to increase it to 23.7 square miles if the area below Otter lake was added. That effort was not successful, and seemed to be dead when Murphy's Point Park on Big Rideau Lake near Perth was established instead. Five years later, in 1962, another group, the Kingston Nature Club, put forward a similar proposal. This time, even though the cost of purchasing private land for the park had ballooned to $200,000, the proposal was successful. It eventually cost over $1 million to create Frontenac Park, which opened in the late 1960s. The park's first superintendent, Bruce Page, was the great grandson of Jeremiah, one of the first settlers on the land in the vicinity of what became Frontenac Park.
It was standing room only at the former schoolhouse, now know as the Snow Road Community Centre on Saturday afternoon (June 17) Gerry Lichty, President of the Community Centre, was the Master of Ceremonies. The building was originally constructed in 1896. The local township, ...
North Frontenac will tackle invasive plants with a cut and spot-spraying approach following a recommendation by Public Works Manager Jim Phillips at Council’s regular meeting last week in Harlowe. In his report, Phillips said that in a series of meetings with his counterparts and CAOs in Frontenac County Townships, it was unlikely that there would be any joint tenders with other townships. He said the County’s only participation would be if invasive species affected the K & P Trail. “On May 10, (we) met with Central Frontenac staff and received a presentation from Steve Ford, who represents a company that specializes in roadside invasive weed management,” Phillips said in his report. “Steve advised that based on our anticipated needs he would recommend selective spot spraying for wild parsnip and giant hogweed. “We therefore recommend that any wild parsnip that is present along our roadsides that is impacting agricultural lands (as required under the Weeds Act) can be managed by cutting and selective spot spraying by a licensed weed management contractor. “For a small patch of phragmites (on Road 506/509), Steve advised to simply cut the plants, below the waterline if possible, before the new seed heads develop. There is no herbicide currently approved for spraying phragmites if water is present (and) phragmites are not identified as a noxious weed under the Act.” Coun. Vern Hermer suggested adding “cut and then unsuccessful, then as a last resort spray.” Mayor Ron Higgins and Coun. John Inglis voted against the measure.@NorthFrontenac - Facebook/North Frontenac. Socail media comes to the northCouncil agreed to establish a policy regarding social media along with corresponding training for both staff and Council. “Are we going to be trained then?” asked Coun. Gerry Martin. “We held one training session but the only one who showed up was the Mayor,” said CAO Cheryl Robson.No bus to CalabogieCouncil decided against hiring a bus to take Council and staff to its scheduled meeting June 30 in the Township of Greater Madawaska’s Council Chambers in Calabogie.A yes vote to county study after allCouncil decided to get on board with Frontenac County’s plans for waste diversion after having voted against the plan at a previous meeting.Coun. John Inglis said he had a change of heart and voted for the plan at County Council.“We’re getting $50,000 in grant money but (the County contribution) of $44,000 is a big part of the funds we’d put away for the post-landfill world,” Inglis said. “(But) this is an opportunity and we don’t want to be left behind.”“We’ve been told if it’s (the grant application) not regional it won’t looked at and it’s more regional if the North is part of it,” said CAO Cheryl Robson. North Frontenac to cut and spot-spray invasive plant species
Back Forty Cheese will be open on Saturdays throughout the summer, and to mark the start of the summer season, they are holding an open house and party onn June 24 between 10am and 4pm. The converted drive shed that serves as a cheese factory and tasting room for Back Forty Cheese, and a loft studio for Jenna Rose, will be open and tours of the factory and studio will be offered at different times throughout the day. All of Back Forty’s sheep’s cheeses will be available, including Highland Blue, Madawaska, Bonnechere, Flower Station and Ompah, as well as fresh curd, ricotta and fried curd as well. Charcuterie boards and baguettes will be available as well. Meanwhile, outside in the yard that leads out to the Mississippi River, Stalwart Breweries of Carleton Place will have a stand with at least 3 of their different beers, Luke Mercier and Chris Colgan will be playin Appalachian music, and there will be wine from Three Dog Winery from Prince Edward County, Kin Winery from Carp, and sparkling cider and wine from Scheurermann’s winery of Westport. A BBQ, presented by Seed to Sausage, will be running all day as well. Admission is free and all are welcome to enjoy great food and drink and the summer weather. For information, go to artisancheese.ca/news.htm
On Wednesday, May 31st, North Addington Education Centre’s Grade 11 and Grade 12 Recreation and Fitness Leadership class, travelled to Algonquin park to partake in a 4-day canoe trip. The students prepared for the trip during the month of May during their class. They had to prepare presentations to teach the rest of the class important information about the trip. They also had to go through various amounts of training to learn proper canoe strokes and safety practices, such as canoe-over-canoe rescue, as well as how to portage efficiently over long distances. Their trip consisted of canoeing multiple lakes throughout a day, as well as numerous portages, one being approximately 2.5 kilometres! The students successfully completed the portages in record times and kept a positive attitude during the entire trip, despite some rain and wind at times. Grade 12 student, Shaelynn Flagler commented on her experience, “The challenges were the weather, bugs and mud which made the portages and the days on the lake very difficult, but we as a group were able to conquer Algonquin Park and have a good trip.” Their teacher, Mrs. Sproule, commented on her students saying, “the growth that we saw in students, both individually and as a group, was phenomenal. Some students learned to camp and canoe for the first time on a trip while others had the opportunity to catch their first trout and eat it cooked over the campfire!” The students all agree that it was a great educational trip and a wonderful experience. They all grew closer to each other and bonded more than they ever would have in just a classroom environment. The school and teachers hope to continue in their outdoor educational trips and are very grateful to their local sponsors for making these trips possible. Without the sponsors, they would be unable to afford the supplies and transportation needed for the trip.
North Frontenac Township, in conjunction with the Ottawa Valley ATV Association, hosted the Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicles (OFATV) Annual General Meeting last weekend, with great success. Dave Baker, the OFATV Association President, said that representatives from over 50 associations attended the meeting. “The venue, trails, accommodations, location, and volunteers were fantastic, and everyone enjoyed a great weekend. Many participants were excited to get more information about the area for future trail-side vacations!,” he said afterwards. Putting the event on was a community effort involving supporters from across North and Central Frontenac. Lodges, B&B’s and Inn’s from throughout the township held rooms for the guests, who arrived on Friday and gathered at the Ompah hall for a meet and greet, catered by Cota’s Mobile Catering. On Saturday morning the Clar Mill Volunteers stepped up to provide breakfast for the delegates. The delegates dispensed with some business in the morning and then had snacks prepared by the Snow Road Snowmobile club, before getting down to the more important task of the day, riding the trail network in the vicinity of Ompah. In case they were getting peckish, the Sharbot Lake Raise a Rink Committee prepared a traill lunch for them. They finished their ride at the hall, another Cota prepared dinner was waiting for them, before they headed to Palmerston Lodge for a bonfire. On Sunday, after another breakfast, they held meetings until noon, and then wrapped things up with another lunch. “We absolutely had a great time. I don't want any of the other clubs to be jealous, but this is one of my favourite Annual General Meetings I have attended. Having the meeting hosted in the great outdoors, where we had to ride our ATV's from our cabin to the meeting hall is exactly what ATVing is all about -- now if only we could work on less mosquitos and black flies,” said Dave Baker. Rose and Denis Bedard of Double S Sports, who co-ordinated the event, said that all of the volunteer efforts made the event a success. “An event like this just doesn’t happen without the Community getting involved. We would like to thank the Volunteer Groups and Businesses for their help in making this event a success,” said Rose.
It’s taken about a year and a half, 40 pages of applications and a lot of research and learning, but this fall, the Granite Ridge Education Centre will be offering a unique class to its Grade 11 students — an introduction to GIS, which includes certification in the operation and ...
James Godin, 55, will be back in court on July 17 for an anticipated resolution of his case after his lawyer had a resolution meeting with crown counsel last week. He is facing the charges of driving while under suspension, a charge of driving a vehicle with improper plates, a charge of driving without insurance, a charge of operating a vehicle while disqualified and a charge of driving with blood alcohol over 80mg/100ml of blood. Chloe Lallemand-Lebrasseur, 21, needs to complete 10 hours of community service in Toronto, where she lives, in order for a charge of possession of an illegal substance to be withdrawn by the Crown, which will happen on July 17th once proof of the community service is provided. According to crown counsel, charitable donations are no longer being accepted as diversion for possession charges. Allison Potter, 40, charged with possession of an illegal substance, unauthorised possession of a firearm, and production of marijuana, will return on July 17 with her lawyer. Reinhold Zuther, 62, charged with assault, will undergo a diversion program and will return on October 16th. A judicial pre-trial for the case took place in the judge’s chambers. If the diversion is not successful and the matter ends up going to trial it will have to take place in Kingston, because, when he was a criminal lawyer, Judge Griffin once represented Mr. Zuther in a case. First AppearancesJeremy Pershaw, 33, charged with operating a vehicle while disqualified, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and failure to appear in court, will return on July 17. John Teixeira, 65, charged with theft under $5,000, has obtained legal counsel. His counsel will receive a disclosure package from the Crown and Teixeira will return on July 17.
Most sports season here at GREC run Fall, Winter or Spring, not the Special Olympics! We started preparing for competition way back in October, which just shows the commitment these athletes have to their sport - and boy did it pay off! Recently, a group of School to Community athletes traveled all the way to Brock University where they competed at the Special Olympic Provincial Championship. There were over 800 athletes at the event competing in Basketball, Soccer, Bocce Ball and Track and Field. GREC competed in the soccer competition against 11 other teams from across Ontario and Canada. During Day 1 of competition GREC tied two games and lost 1 game placing them into the B Division for the following day of competition. Day 2 the team really came together and played like superstars! Despite some jitters and a loss early in the day, our athletes overcame this and posted two 5-0 wins that involved incredible ball handling, constant passing, great communication and many shots on net. This put GREC in first place and on their way to the semi-final game where they beat NDSS 3-0, which secured their place in the gold medal game. In the end, GREC won the GOLD with a 1-0 win over Dennis Morris, a local favourite from St. Catherine's, Ontario. I hope the memories you made this week will last a lifetime and encourage you to try your best in every situation that life may throw at you! A special thank you to all the athletes, Ms. Steele and Mr. McCullough for the tremendous efforts over the last three days! We are so very proud of all you have accomplished. The Gryphons look forward to next years Special Olympic competition, which will be held in Peterborough, Ontario from May 29th - May 31st, 2018.
“Hoza” is an African word that can mean stop, start or change, Kevin Fell told the audience at GREC last week. “Our mission is to help put a stop to negative thinking and behaviours and facilitate change that is needed to start living in a more socially just world,” he said. To do that, Fell and Derek Thorne brought an energetic message told through drums and stories, with plenty of audience interaction and participation. In particular, they tell they story of Nelson Mandela, who was sent to jail in South Africa for defending opponents and victims of Apartheid, only to re-emerge as a leader of those victims and eventually become president of the country. They illustrated their point with several audience participation exercises designed to help students think differently about themselves and the world around them. (The ‘arrest’ of teacher Wade Leonard was a highlight for many in the audience.) “We give them (students) a template to think differently about themselves,” Fell said. “We do that through the leadership of Nelson Mandela and it also gives them permission to think differently about themselves, permission to not put themselves down.” Fell, who is originally from South Africa, has degrees in both performance and education. He believes strongly in the power of education through the arts. Thorne is a well-established Canadian drummer originally from Trinidad. “We’re performers who teach,” Fell said. “We teach through the arts “And we also give schools a chance to come together as a community.” One way they did that was to organize a drum lesson on the djembe, an east African drum known for its distinctive sound, with groups of students followed by a round for the teachers.
Central Frontenac has always been a great place to live, but those with a taste for international flavours in their food have always had to travel just to procure ingredients, and there are no ethnic restaurants to speak of. While an Indian Takeaway is still not in the cards, the next best thing has arrived. Amrit Kaillon grew up in Sharbot Lake, went to the University of Toronto and has since lived in far flung corners of the world working as a human rights lawyer and entrepreneur. She returned to Sharbot Lake last year to prepare for the birth of her daughter Arya. Her husband Sundeep Takhar, who works in investment banking, joined her here before Arya was born and they have been living with her parents, Jass and Suki Kaillon (of Sharbot Lake Home Hardware) This time spent with their young daughter has been precious to them, and it has also afforded Amrit the opportunity to fulfill one of her dreams, to open an Indian Food business in her home town. She has been encouraged by her friends at Fieldhouse in Perth to start up a business, and five weeks ago, with the opening of the Perth Farmer’s Market for the season, Amrit’s Rasoi (Rasoi refers to Kitchen) started up in the market. A number of snack foods and starters, such as Samosas, are available at the market, and Amrit Rasoi’s main product is prepared full meals, for one or two people to take home and heat up for their dinner. From the start she has asked people to go to her website amritsrasoi.ca to order from the weekly menu. Full dinners (Thali) include a meat and a vegetable dish, rice and an appetizer and dessert. Dinners are $15 for one and $30 for two. There is also a vegetarian meal available. Samosas and desserts can also be ordered online. More and more Perthites have been ordering online for pickup at the market. And now Frontenac County residents have the same opportunity. The pickup location in Sharbot Lake is at Seed to Sausage on Friday afternoons from 3-6 or on Saturday from 11-6, and there will be some meals and sides available for those who have not ordered in advance. In the future, Amrit may start preparing frozen meals that will be available whenever the store is open (7 days a week this summer, from 11-6 each day) For now, however, the best option is to order online for a guaranteed delivery. This week, for example, the menu is Chicken Tikka Masala. Shahi Paneer, served with rice and samosas. The dessert is Rasmali - Ricotta style dumpling soaked in a cardamom infused milk sauce garnished with pistachios. Amrit is putting a lot of energy into her business and said she has been helped out immensely by her husband, parents and sister to turn this dream into a reality. It is a dream that has its roots in Amrit’s childhood, when she would watch her grandmother prepare food in the kitchen. "As a child my Punjabi was limited and the way I connected and communicated with my grandmother, Pritam Guron, was through preparing and cooking food." she said, in an interview last weekend in Sharbot Lake. She does not have a long range plan for the business because she does not know where life will take her, Sundeep and Arya in the future, but that does not deter her. "The timing to start Amrit's Rasoi felt right. If I never tried now then I would always wonder whether I should have. I would much rather look back at my life and say I can't believe I did that! Instead of I wish I did that." she said. It is that attitude that has led her to do a number of things in her life, including writing a book, starting a marketing company and a baking company. She has also found time to pursue her passion for humanitarian and philanthropic causes, organizing charity events as well offering her time to provide legal advice and represent people suffering from human rights abuses. So far the food businesses has been a lot of work but has been rewarding with success and increases in orders each week. The cuisine is based on recipes from the Punjab region of India, a wealthy agricultural region known for rich, flavourful food that is not as hot as the cuisine from the south of the country. Amrit started off with more well known dishes for the Perth Market, such as butter chicken, which remains her most popular item, but in the short time the business has been running she has been able to expand the cuisine to include a broader range of offerings. “People are happy to try new things,” she saId, “and it keeps me busy preparing different dishes each week.” In addition to selling the items listed on her site through Seed to Sausage, Amrit’s Rasoi will be at Canada Day in Sharbot Lake with Samosas and Mango Lhassi. (PS – the food has been tested in our Frontenac News test dining room and we can attest to the flavour and freshness. We had Goat Curry, Khadhi Pakora, Jeera Rice, Samosas and Besan Barfi for dessert – all highly reccommended)
When Doug Angle looks closely at a steam engine train, the mechanical parts look like a work of art. Doug, appreciates, like his family before him, the design, construction and operation of a train. “My grandfather was a telegrapher for the Toronto, Hamilton, Buffalo Rail...
“This is the 18th year South Frontenac has had volunteers of the year,” said master of ceremonies Mike Howe preceding Tuesday night’s regular Council meeting in Sydenham. “The first time, in June of 1999, it was a way to do something together as a township after amalgamation. “Now there are 65 names on the wall.” Coun. John McDougall introduced Judy Conway as one of four honorees on the evening. “Retired from teaching and an educational assistant, Judy is very keen on the development and interest of students and due to her interaction with kids, they are always willing to help her out,” he said. And through the years, she’s needed that help after joining the Verona Community Association in 2002. She made numerous contributions to the yearly festivals in Verona, including managing the waste management system during the Cattail Festival and Verona Car Show, reducing waste going to the local dump and providing public education about the benefits of recycling. “That’s not a glamourous position,” McDougall said. She’s also a director of the Verona Lions Club and in charge of maintaining the Hall kitchen. “I share this (award) with every member of the community who has leant their hearts and hands to make our community a home,” Conway said. Besides being a wife and mother of two and a nurse practitioner in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Kingston General Hospital, Lynn Newton has found the time to be president of the Frontenac Fury Girls’ Hockey Association for the past 10 years, said Coun. Ross Sutherland. “She recently created a partnership with the Frontenac Flyers Minor Hockey Association to coordinate development opportunities for our entire hockey community, once again creating a support environment for young players to develop a love for hockey and embrace a healthy lifestyle,” he said. “My husband and I have had many opportunities to move to larger centres,” Newton said. “But we much prefer to live here and pay it forward.” Ruth Shannon has made numerous contributions to the agricultural community in South Frontenac, including fundraising for a fellow dairy farmer seriously injured in a farm accident and McKenna’s Dream, the project of a young cancer survivor aimed at helping families like her own through the difficulties of a life threatening disease, said Coun. Ron Sleeth. “But it has been her volunteer contributions to the 4H program for 40 years that have been a constant in her life,” he said. “I know, because she’s my sister-in-law and many’s the Saturday morning where I’ve been at her house listening as she’s not only taught children to cook and sew, but also how to be responsible, and to help others to realize that few mistakes that are made that cannot be corrected if you only try.” Shannon has filled many positions in 4h, including being on the executive at the regional and provincial levels and organizing the Annual Pork Barbecue. Roseanne Gandl Black has been involved with the Frontenac Soccer Association since 2009, becoming the club’s treasurer in 2011. “Her role as treasurer was only supposed to be two years but you know how these things can go in community organizations and she’s now in her 7th year as treasurer.” Her role involves all aspects of such an organization’s finances but in soccer it also means assisting with parents and coaches questions, handing out jerseys and collecting equipment .“Rosanne is one of the first to volunteer when there is a need such as offering a short-term camp to create a more competitive soccer opportunity and has been instrumental in assisting with changing how team rosters are developed,” he said. “I just want to encourage everyone that the next time someone asks for volunteers to raise their hand,” Gandl Black said. Mayor Ron Vandewal thanked the volunteers for their contributions pointing out the Township motto “Our Strength is our Community.” “Everywhere you look, somebody is making the community and workload easier for everybody,” “This is the 18th yearSouth Frontenac hashad volunteers of the year,”said master of ceremoniesMike Howe preceding Tuesdaynight’s regular Councilmeeting in Sydenham. “Thefirst time, in June of 1999, itwas a way to do somethingtogether as a township afteramalgamation.“Now there are 65 nameson the wall.”Coun. John McDougall introducedJudy Conway as one offour honorees on the evening.“Retired from teaching andan educational assistant,Judy is very keen on thedevelopment and interest ofstudents and due to her interactionwith kids, they arealways willing to help herout,” he said.And through the years,she’s needed that help afterjoining the Verona CommunityAssociation in 2002. Shemade numerous contributionsto the yearly festivals inVerona, including managingthe waste management systemduring the Cattail Festivaland Verona Car Show,reducing waste going to thelocal dump and providingpublic education about thebenefits of recycling.“That’s not a glamourousposition,” McDougall said.She’s also a director ofthe Verona Lions Club andin charge of maintaining theHall kitchen.“I share this (award) withevery member of the communitywho has leant theirhearts and hands to makeour community a home,”Conway said.Besides being a wife andmother of two and a nursepractitioner in the NeonatalIntensive Care Unit atKingston General Hospital,Lynn Newton has found thetime to be president of theFrontenac Fury Girls’ HockeyAssociation for the past10 years, said Coun. RossSutherland.“She recently createda partnership with theFrontenac Flyers MinorHockey Association to coordinatedevelopment opportunitiesfor our entire hockeycommunity, once again creatinga support environment foryoung players to develop alove for hockey and embracea healthy lifestyle,” he said.“My husband and I have hadmany opportunities to move tolarger centres,” Newton said.“But we much prefer to livehere and pay it forward.”Ruth Shannon has madenumerous contributions tothe agricultural community inSouth Frontenac, includingfundraising for a fellow dairyfarmer seriously injured in afarm accident and McKenna’sDream, the project of ayoung cancer survivor aimedat helping families like herown through the difficultiesof a life threatening disease,said Coun. Ron Sleeth.“But it has been her volunteercontributions to the 4Hprogram for 40 years thathave been a constant in herlife,” he said. “I know, becauseshe’s my sister-in-lawand many’s the Saturdaymorning where I’ve been ather house listening as she’snot only taught children tocook and sew, but also howto be responsible, and tohelp others to realize thatfew mistakes that are madethat cannot be corrected ifyou only try.”Shannon has filled manypositions in 4h, including beingon the executive at theregional and provincial levelsand organizing the AnnualPork Barbecue.Roseanne Gandl Blackhas been involved with theFrontenac Soccer Associationsince 2009, becomingthe club’s treasurer in 2011.“Her role as treasurer wasonly supposed to be twoyears but you know how thesethings can go in communityorganizations and she’s nowin her 7th year as treasurer.”Her role involves all aspectsof such an organization’sfinances but in soccerit also means assisting withparents and coaches questions,handing out jerseysand collecting equipment.“Rosanne is one of the firstto volunteer when there isa need such as offering ashort-term camp to createa more competitive socceropportunity and has been instrumentalin assisting withchanging how team rostersare developed,” he said.“I just want to encourageeveryone that the next timesomeone asks for volunteersto raise their hand,”Gandl Black said.Mayor Ron Vandewalthanked the volunteers fortheir contributions pointingout the Township motto “OurStrength is our Community.”“Everywhere you look,somebody is making thecommunity and workloadeasier for everybody,”
“Today’s question is, ‘where will we put the fax machine?’ says Dr Jeanette Dietrich with a smile, “ and this afternoon I have to measure all our current furniture so we can decide what we’re taking with us, and how it will fit into our new space.” Moving’s never easy, and Sydenham Medical Clinic’s move is particularly challenging for it’s essential to keep down-time to a minimum throughout the whole exercise. Sydenham’s clinic is a part of the Rural Kingston Family Health Organization (FHO); an administrative body made up of the physician-led clinics in Sydenham, Verona, Sharbot Lake, Newburgh, Tamworth and Northbrook. Dr Dietrich is the lead physician for the FHO. For many years the medical clinic has operated from a rented building on Campbell Road, south of Sydenham. Over the years as services have expanded, space has become increasingly tight, and staff is looking forward to moving into their new, much more spacious location on Rutledge Road, just past Silverbrook Garden Centre. (Darryl Silver, who purpose-built the new structure to accommodate the clinic, will be their new landlord.) Family practitioners Jeanette Dietrich, Steve Ingo and Jack Raleigh, nurses Meredith Prikker and Blaine Montroy and nurse practitioner Trisha Warren make up the core staff. As well, a counsellor comes weekly from the Kingston Community Counselling Centre to help women dealing with violence and domestic abuse, a nutritionist comes for a day every other week, and once a month an asthma nurse is in attendance. Two full-time receptionists, Tracy Semeniuk and Lorie Webb answer phones, coordinate appointments and help keep records organized; no small task in such a busy centre. They are assisted by Mary Day and Emma Stott who work part-time on reception, and Ms Stott also scans documents. Each physician has their own roster of patients, and they share weekend and holiday ‘on call’ duty, and they rotate doing Monday evening clinics. Nurse Meredith Prikker’s position was created in 2010 and is contract funded by a Ministry of Health (MOH) program called ‘500 Nurses’. Prikker works closely with the Rural Kingston Health Link, established to provide better coordination of care for people with complex medical/social needs. She often makes house calls, providing care for frail seniors and connecting them with resources and other agencies within the community. Prikker also teams with the nurse in Verona to provide courses to help people who are dealing with chronic pain or disease. The new larger building will be more comfortable and efficient with separate storage space for paper records*, more examination rooms, full accessibility (entries, halls, washrooms) and a large paved parking area on the same level as the main door. A separate exit door will provide easy access for ambulance pick-ups, but not ambulance drop-offs (as was stated in a previous article). Moving day’s this week: the office will be closed Thursday and Friday June 22, 23, and the morning of Monday June 26. * “Aren’t all records electronic these days?” The law requires that medical records must be kept for ten years after last contact, and Dietrich explained that in most cases, it’s inefficient to put hours into scanning piles of historical paper into an electronic system, if there’s minimal likelihood of their being needed again.
Even though there are still a couple of outstanding issues with the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, manager of development services Forbes Symon recommended South Frontenac Council approve a condominium agreement for Cranberry Cove Condominium in Storrington District at its regular meeting meeting Tuesday night in Sydenham. Symon said that because of flood watch conditions, the CRCA hadn’t had the manpower to devote to reviewing the agreement but he was confident all its conditions were being met and the Township could remove its conditions and send it on to County. (Frontenac County is the final approval authority on condominiums.) “The developer has been working with the Health Unit, the CRCA and the Township to satisfy the conditions of draft approval,” he said. “It now appears that the conditions have been satisfied. “It’s not as complete with a big red bow around it as we would like but it is to a point where we can recommend entering into the agreement with the understanding that there is still an ‘i’ and a ‘t’ to be dealt with.” Holiday ManorCouncil approved an encroachment agreement for Holiday Manor in Battersea to operate an outdoor licenced patio that encroaches on a municipal road allowance. “From a roads perspective, the encroachment is not a significant matter,” said Forbes Symon, manager of development services. 1 more month for PercyCouncil extended the lease agreement with Percy Snider on Stage Coach Road for an additional month to allow Snider to complete a move to his new facility. “I would like to see it happen so we could celebrate Canada Day with it cleaned up but he is working on it,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. EORNCouncil passed a motion to support the Eastern Ontario Regional Network’s submission of a business case to support improvement and expansion of cellular networks and mobile broadband services across Eastern Ontario. “The County has already supported this and will probably make some financial commitment to it,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “They’re just asking member municipalities to support it too, to strengthen the case.”
Craig Beattie, of Edgewater Stonemasons in Kingston, loves working on restoration projects involving heritage buildings. He took the Heritage Masonry course, along with his colleagues at Edgewater, at Algonquin College and has worked on projects on government and other heritage buildings over the years. These days, Beattie and his crew are at the Grace Centre in Sydenham, restoring the Grace Centre to the condition it was in when it was first constructed in 1861. He said he is pleased with the condition of the building. “You can see that the stone work is intact, nothing is really coming apart,” he said, pointing to the building. All we have to do is take out what is there and replace it with something that is as close to the original mortar as we can use nowadays. He explained that the idea behind the original limestone based mortar was that the mortar would absorb moisture in the wet and cold seasons, and would dry out in the hot summer weather, maintaining the stone cladding in good condition. Later on, the thinking was that the buildings would be better off if they were sealed against moisture completely, so a layer of Portland cement was applied over the original mortar. “The problem that resulted for these heritage building is that any moisture that got in, even through cracks in the rock, was trapped inside and can do damage over time,” he said. So in recent times many buildings, including the Parliament buildings in Ottawa and Queen’s Park, are having the Portland cement removed and replaced so the buildings can function the way they were first intended to, and can live on for another 150 or more years in good condition. The Grace Centre re-pointing project is being supported to the tune of $38,000 from the Ontario150 Community Capital grants program, with the funds being administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Last Wednesday, (June 7), at the Grace Centre, scaffolding was already covering the south wall of the building and a three member crew was hard at work when they took a break to allow for MPP Randy Hillier, Ontario Trillium Foundation Rep John Blake, and Southern Frontenac Community Services Executive Director David Townsend to conduct a ceremony announcing the grant. Hillier took the opportunity to don a hard hat and chip off the old mortar from the front of the building, under strict supervision from Craig Beattie. “These kinds of non-partisan projects, and the work of the Trillium Foundation, are what government is really about, beyond all the politics at Queen’s Park,” said Hillier. “The Centre is delighted to receive the funding to ensure it will continue to be a place where seniors and others in the community can gather to benefit from programs and events that reduce social isolation and contribute to their quality of life,” said David Townsend. The politicians, officials, SFCS Board members and the public then went into the building for coffee and treats at the Grace cafe. Soon after, all the officials drove off, the SFCS staff returned to work, and the masons climbed back up the scaffolding to continue working. The project is expected to be completed by the fall.
Daryl Kennedy said that he has nothing against the K&P Trail, but as a cattle farmer working land that the trail bisects, he wants a fence put up to block access to some of his pasture land. And since the trail is located on former railway lands and is a continuous stretch, h...
“We’re not here looking for money, we’re looking for ways we can help municipalities,” Susan Moore, president of the Friends of the Salmon River told North Frontenac and Central Frontenac Councils recently. Moore and FSR founder/environmental scientist Gray Merriam have been on a mini-tour of watershed municipalities spreading their gospel and offering their assistance in whatever capacity deemed necessary. “We got a $200,000 grant from Environment Canada for studies that looked at 11 variables,” Moore said. “We didn’t find any problems.” She then turned the mike over to Merriam. “From its headwaters in North Frontenac and area, the Salmon River dumps into the Bay of Quinte (at Shannonville),” Merriam said. “We did studies (and) there are places that need work (but) it turns out not many and those are all in the south in areas of intense agriculture.” And there’s the rub. “You can’t stir the public to fix something that doesn’t need fixing,” he said. “So we’re trying to encourage people to look after what’s there. “If you allow it, this could become another Muskoka, a string of time-shares. Lay claim to the riches you have here.” Merriam urged councils to engage in regional planning and to share information through public meetings, watershed tours, maps, reports, signage. To that end, the FSR has already published the Salmon River Habitat Strategy and a book, The Salmon River — Jewel of Eastern Ontario. “Talk to your taxpayers and offer us (FSR) as slaves to do some of the work,” he said. “This land is not ordinary, it’s special. “I can eat breakfast and watch mink or otter out my window. “Offer that to people from Western Europe and see what they’d pay for it.” Merriam also extended his advice to lake stewardship. “Lake capacity is a ’70s model that’s based on phosphorus,” he said. “That’s rapidly becoming outdated by improved septic systems that deal with phosphorus. “(But) human activity on a lake can’t be dealt with by shoreline management. “A lot of lakes have reached their capacity through the music of boom boxes, not phosphorus.” For their part, the councils were quite receptive to the FSR’s message. “We’ll never become another Muskoka,” vowed North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins. “We should do this (meet with FSR representatives) every year,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith. Merriam even had an answer to Coun. Tom Dewey’s question about how to handle “beaver problems.” “From the beavers’ point of view, they’re doing just fine,” Merriam said.
When words fail Chris Murphy, music speaks. Resting between shows in early June, the popular musician responds with self-deprecation when asked about himself. A resident of Frontenac County and rising star in Canada, his lack of ego is a refreshing change to the notoriously bad behaviour of other artists. Small talk doesn’t come as easily to him as the words of 1,000 songs he has memorized. “I consider myself an introvert,” admits the friendly singer/song writer from Sydenham. “Being on stage allows me to be a bit more gregarious and charismatic than in real life.” Tall and strong, Chris’ musical talent was recognized early. At 20 years old, he won the Country Singing Showdown in Kingston. Almost two decades later, his summer is booked solid by early spring and he’s touring across Canada with some of the biggest names in Canadian music in front of celebrities, dignitaries and world leaders. He has performed for the Governor General of Canada at the National Arts Centre and plays with Sean McCann, formerly of the Great Big Sea, and Abby Stewart, an up-and-coming country music singer from Kingston. At 39 years old, Chris seems happy with the numbers of his life. He plays in five bands, plays one-dozen instruments and expects to perform 150 shows this year. “Music is something that has come naturally to me,” he says. “I love listening to music. I love playing it. It’s a form of expression. I’ve written songs that are an intimate form of expression. Even playing other people’s songs gives me a good feeling, trying to make them sound as good as I can.” Armed with a love of music from his family and a degree in musical education from Queen’s University, Chris took a leap of faith and followed his dream to sing. It was a risk that paid off. An experienced performer of Celtic and East Coast music, he has bookings from British Columbia to Newfoundland this year. “I went to Newfoundland in 2000 and I just fell in love with the people, music, area, culture and food,” he says about his repeated performances there. This summer, he estimates he will only be home for five days in August due to bookings around the country. “I’ve always loved music. It’s sort of my passion,” he notes, when asked about his dreams. “Being able to do what you love is kind of the goal. One of the things I wanted to do was to travel the country and get paid to do so.” Married for 13 years with two young daughters, Chris smiles when he talks about the good, the bad and the ugly side of show business. “I often joke - I play for free, but I get paid for setting-up the sound equipment and lugging it around,” he said. “I think a lot of people don’t understand what is involved in what we do,” he said about performing late into the night at bars where a performer is part of the atmosphere, or in the comfort of a concert hall where a performer is the main attraction. Smiling as he recalls recent bar gigs, he notes, “There’s times you feel like a wall hanging or a fern. But often you know that going into a show.” “Concert halls are the best performances for the soul,” he adds. Often found playing sports when he’s not performing, Chris doesn’t stray far from his guitar in his spare time. “When I’m not playing or being a dad, I enjoy sports,” he says about his pastime. “I would also consider playing music my fun. I do a lot of playing at home. It’s something I don’t get sick of.” In recognition of Canada’s 150th birthday this year, Chris Murphy will be performing Canadian songs at Inverary United Church at 7 pm on June 25. This evening performance includes free parking, refreshments and freewill offering. Everyone welcome!
“It’s a fun day for the community — and showing community spirit,” said Heather Hasler, registrar for Frontenac Minor Hockey Association, which includes the organization’s ball hockey component. “Everything is free, except for the barbecue.” This was FMHA’s second Ball Hockey Day, held last Saturday at the Frontenac Arena. They’ve been holding similar events for many years but with the inclusion of the summer ball hockey leagues, it just made sense to feature the relatively new leagues. The ball hockey program has grown since its inaugural year, to 20 teams in five divisions and four adult teams (“I’m playing myself,” said Hasler). She said ball hockey is part of the Canadian Landscape and “It’s nice to see the arena in use during the off-season.” Hasler said she’s “been coming to this place since it’s opened.” One of the aspects of ball hockey she likes is that they’ve been getting “quite a few kids who don’t play hockey.” Of course the ball hockey season is winding down (this Sunday is the final day) and Hasler is already thinking about the upcoming ice hockey season. The registration deadline is Aug. 31. After that, a $100 late fee applies. The FMHA offers Learn-to-Skate, Initiation and Tyke programs as well as First Shift program for those who’ve never tried hockey before. Of course they also offer a full-range of house league and rep teams. “And our novice rep team won the OMHA East CC championship last year, which was a first for us,” she said. While Sunday’s get-together wasn’t a fundraiser, the FMHA does have financial needs just like any other sporting organization. To that end, they’ve scheduled the FMHA Rinks to Links Golf Tournament at the Rivendell Golf Club for Sept. 9. The Entry fee of $100 includes green fees, cart and a pork roast dinner as well as prizes. They’re also looking for sponsors at the $500 and $100 level which includes an ad that will be on display at the Arena for events during the 2017-2018 season. More information about registration and the golf tournament is available on their website www.frontenachockey.ca.
Most of them are there somewhere, behind their new #INFRONTENAC sunglasses. The Councils of all four Townships attended at a special Committee of the Whole meeting at Verona Lions’ Hall last Wednesday night (May 31), to hear two presentations from the County of Frontenac. Consultant Terry Gervais reported on behalf of the In-Field Communications Committee, established last November. Made up of the township Fire Chiefs and Public Works Managers, the group was tasked with first tracking and recording gaps in communications, incidents of equipment failure and dispatch problems, then developing a protocol to build a standard means of communication across all fire departments (e.g. radio use training, using consistent terminology). Secondly, they assessed the current radio system: both tower infrastructure and user gear, making recommendations re upgrading, replacement, and standardization and the associated costs and timelines. The current estimated costs (new simulcast system with three additional towers, fencing, backup generators and (eventually) updating (all) user gear, would run between $2,075,000 and $2,575,000. Other options being considered are leasing the tower infrastructure and user gear, or exploring partnerships with neighbouring municipalities. Gervais said that once final recommendations are made and approved, a new system could be implemented within a year, pending financing. The second presentation, given by Richard Allen, Manager of Economic Development and Alison Vandervelde, Community Development Officer, focused creating the conditions for economic development that will be appropriate to the resources and local interests of Frontenac County. The three main areas they are working in are: Trips and Trails, Local Food and Beverage, and Recreation Lifestyle. Some of the goals they are working toward are to provide local employment and better connections between communities, support food production, processing and sales, attract tourism and encourage the recreational lifestyle enjoyed by both local residents and visitors to the area. Noting that Frontenac County is working with a very small budget compared to neighbouring Counties, Allen and Vandervelde expressed confidence that much could be accomplished through collaboration and creative use of resources. Currently, they are supervising an accommodation study, working with Tourism Kingston on a ‘Ferry by Foot’ tourism initiative, with the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation CFDC on improving local food awareness, with Eastern Ontario Trails Association for maintenance and marketing of the K&P Trail, and with planning, township staff and other agencies to promote the INFrontenac brand, making sure all related information is accurate and relevant. Other collaborating partners include: Land O’ Lakes, Great Waterway, Ontario Highlands, the provincial cycling network and Visit Kingston. Regional signage will soon appear along Highway 401, with other ‘gateway’ highways to follow. Their ‘Brand Ambassador’ program currently has a network of over 80 participating businesses. They made sure everyone went home with a pair of the INFrontenac sunglasses pictured above.
As Addington Highlands continues to grapple with dwindling space left in its waste sites and the desire to keep costs reasonable for township residents, Chief Administrative Officer Christine Reed prepared a report outlining the various options for tipping fees that townships of ...
June is Senior’s Month, and Pine Meadow Nursing Home wanted to join in the celebration! This year’s theme is “Living your best life”. We thought a great day to show this was to have our residents get involved in our planned celebrations! We had ladies prepare the squares for the party the morning before, and during the social, we had our residents plant a cherry tree in their courtyard. A few years ago they planted an apple tree for Senior’s Month. We thought it was a great way to enhance our courtyard, and our resident’s will reap the benefit from the trees for years to come!
The Land O’ Lakes Garden Club (LOLGC), the Cloyne and District Historical Society (C&DHS), Mazinaw-Lanark Forest Inc.(MLFI) and North Frontenac Township have joined forces to regenerate the area between the Pioneer Museum and Barrie Community Hall in Cloyne that was devastated by a micro-burst in 2002, during which most of the trees were destroyed (some 200 years old). We will create a legacy parkland with educational signage for all to enjoy. The park will be named Benny’s Lake Heritage Park in honour of the family who originally owned the land. The Land O’Lakes Garden Club members have prepared a special project which will be unveiled at the Ribbon Cutting of the park. The Bon Echo Rocks choir will be performing, Martine Buissart will be singing in French, Tunes and Tea, a local Ukulele/singing group will be playing, Eileen Fleiler will be reciting a poem about Benny Lake. There will be a BBQ with The Pickled Chicken String Band entertaining us while we eat. Mike Bossio (MP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington), Scott Reid (MP for Lanark- Frontenac-Kingston), Ron Higgins (mayor of North Frontenac), several members of the North Frontenac Council, and Chief Doreen Davis (Chief of the Sharbot- Obaadjiwan First Nation) will be attending the celebration. Please mark Saturday June 24th on your calendars and join us to celebrate Canada’s 150th Anniversary.
Addington Highlands Council is considering a “partnership” with the Highland Waters Metis Community Council for things such as grant applications, following a presentation by Highland Waters representative Candace Lloyd at the regular Addington Highlands Council meeting Monday in Flinton. Lloyd gave an overview of her Council and the Highland Waters in general, which represents about 500 registered members and about another 200 Metis under the age of 14 in a geographical area beginning at Paudash in the northwest, Smith Falls in the northeast, the intersection of Highways 15 and 401 in the southeast and Wellers Bay in the southwest. “We partnered with the school board and you’re our closest municipal government,” said Lloyd (the Highland Waters Council offices are in North Point Square in Northbrook). “We are proposing a partnership with Addington Highlands for grants requiring an aboriginal component. “We’d like a letter of intent or memorandum of understanding to share information.” “We haven’t had much luck applying for grants either,” said Coun. Kirby Thompson. Coun. Bill Cox pointed out that Highland Waters does provide several services in the community such as paying for a support worker at Pine Meadows Nursing Home. Council agreed to look into the proposal and did agree to waive the $250 hall rental fee for Highland Waters’ annual general meeting June 17 at Flinton Township Hall (1-4 p.m.). The public is invited to the meeting. Staying put on insepctionsResponding to a letter requesting the Township to conduct septic inspections, Council accepted deputy clerk/planning secretary Patricia Gray’s report recommending continuation of the 2010 agreement with the KFLA Health Unit to conduct septic inspections. “I spoke with the chief building official from the Health Unit (and) he said that if Council is considering withdrawing from the program, the Health Unit would like the opportunity to discuss it with Council,” Gray said in her report. “If the service that is being provided needs improvement, they would like the opportunity to work on this.” She said the Health Unit is willing to arrange inspections (when possible) at the same time as building inspections so that contractors do not have to make multiple trips to the site. “I don’t see them getting out of septic inspections in the short term,” said Coun. Bill Cox. Mayor Henry Hogg noted that there could be policy changes at the Health Unit when Medical Officer of Health, Ian Gemmill retires at the end of June. Gemmill will be replaced by current associate medical officer of health, Kieran Moore. Fee waivedResponding to a request to waive zoning bylaw amendment fees, Council approved a waiver of the application fee, but not the costs involved in a zoning bylaw amendment. “Costs are costs but we can waive the application fee,” said Mayor Henry Hogg. Freeburn returning to lead hand roleCouncil has accepted the resignation of Road and Waste Management Supervisor Mark Freeburn. Freeburn, who replaced long-time supervisor Royce Rosenblath when he retired in February, will be returning to his former position as Lead Hand. The Township is accepting applications for the Supervisor position until June 16 at 4 p.m.
The High Land Waters Metis Community Council is settling in to their new home at North Point Square near Northbrook. They held their grand opening on May 10 and have office hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am to 2pm and by appointment. As one of their first projects in the new location, they have started a community vegetable Garden. On Saturday May 27th at North Point Square the Metis council and a few volunteers came out and planted the garden. Not only did they work hard all day in the sun, but Addington Highlands Township Councillor, Bill Cox stopped by and payed them a visit in support of their efforts. He stopped for a photo op with Chair Marlon Lloyd, Senator Robert Lloyd and Youth Representative Ashley Lloyd-Gomez. The Metis Council is still looking for volunteers to help take care of the new garden.
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