The Community Support Foundation of Ontario joins with other organisations around North America to help promote the Meals on Wheels, which provides hot meals and a friendly face for seniors all year r...
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In a strongly-worded letter to his “constituents and the people of Ontario”, Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MPP, Randy Hillier, made a series of accusations against the 9 month-old Doug Ford go...
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When you’re a young fiddler from Tichborne, you never know where you’re going to be playing. Take 16-year-old Jessica Wedden for instance. Last Thursday night, she was playing in her hom...
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The Frontenac Flyers Pee Wee rep team is in the driver’s seat in their Ontario Hockey League final series against the Ilderton Jets following identical 4-1 victories at the Frontenac Community A...
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Don’t miss a rare opportunity to enjoy award-winning nature photography and environmental stewardship on March 30 at 7 pm in Sharbot Lake. Michelle Valberg (www.michellevalberg.com), a globally...
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What do Jody-Wilson Raybold and Randy Hillier have in common? They are both Canadians and they are ...
When the dust cleared at the end of a long day in Plevna, North Frontenac Council did what they came...
For the past few months, Wagarville Road resident Peter de Bassecourt has been making a monthly trek...
It is a case where the fact that something was secret ended up being more interesting than the secre...
South Frontenac Council will likely have two of its members sit on the board of Southern Frontenac C...
The Natural Edge Program for shorelines is coming to Quinte Conservation’s Watershed with help...
Just in case the return of rail service from Toronto to Ottawa via Peterborough is indeed a go, Fron...
The Atom Frontenac Flyers certainly have a flair for the dramatic, notching the winner for a 5-4 win...
“They don’t always have a tree where you want to put the line,” says Gary Gorr, ma...
The idea of South Frontenac Township, Frontenac County and the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authori...
When the dust cleared at the end of a long day in Plevna, North Frontenac Council did what they came to do last Friday — hammer out a budget that came in at a 2.8 per cent increase (consumer price index) over the amount to be raised by taxation over 2018. They started out t...
North Frontenac’s recommendations to the Frontenac County strategic plan were remarkably similar to Central’s, following Kathleen Vollebregt’s visit to Council’s regular meeting last Friday in Plevna. The County has been asking its member townships what they’d like to see in its strategic plan and so far, with the two northernmost municipalities weighing in, broadband and cell phone gaps and what to do about waste seem to be priorities. And, a County road system, but in name only so that provincial money can be accessed, would be nice too. “Broadband gaps and cell phone services — everything hinges on that — bringing people into the community, economic development,” said Coun. Gerry Martin. “A County road system,” said Coun. Vernon Hermer. “And possibly the County could consider a localized incinerator.” “I’m still impatient on the post-landfill world,” said Coun. John Inglis. “That was a priority last time around and very little was done. “(And) I don’t think the County should get any more involved with transportation than funding.” “Cell phones,” said Coun. Fred Fowler. “We live in an abyss in Snow Road. “It’s a big concern for a lot of people.” “The last one on my list is Fairmount Home,” said Dep. Mayor Fred Perry, who was chairing the meeting while Mayor Ron Higgins is in Cuba. “Not many people from here go there.” Council also had comments on the perceived risks question. “Losing our identity is a concern,” said Martin. “The more shared services there are, the more their budget will grow,” said Inglis. “We’ll have to watch that.” 13 systems inspected in 2018 re-inspection program In North Frontenac’s 2018 septic re-inspection, there were 13 participants resulting in five no concerns, seven systems needing some remedial work, one with more information required and zero system replacements required, Eric Kohlsmith of the Mississippi Rideau Septic System Office told Council. Public Works Manager Darwyn Sproule said the 2019 program will focus on Mazinaw, Hills, Kring, Mackie, Shaw, Turtle, and Cards Lakes, which contain a total of 378 properties with cottages/residences. The 2018 program focused on Big Ohlmann, Brule, Crotch, Fortune, Minktrack, Mud, Norcan, Redhorse, Shawenegog, Story, Sunday, Malcolm and Sand Lakes, which contain a total of 355 properties with cottages/residences Not for profits to get discount on permits Council passed a resolution to provide a 30 per cent discount to all not-for-profit user groups and/or for the purpose of fundraising and/or organized events in regards to purchasing Daily Road Access Permits for future events on the Crown Roads within the Crown Land Stewardship Program. “It’s the right thing to do,” said Coun. Gerry Martin.
The four-year old Land O’Lakes Traditional Music Hall of Fame got its start when Northbrook based entrepreneur Bob Taylor had a conversation with Bill White of White Pine. They wanted to figure our how to celebrate Reg Weber, who was on the mend at the time, and of that conversations led to the idea of a traditional music hall of fame. “There is an Ottawa Valley Hall of Fame, which overlaps with is a bit, but we decided to do something for Frontenac, Lennox and Addington and Hastings, and the Land O’Lakes Hall of Fame came from that,” said Taylor Each year, new inductees enter the hall, which is virtually housed at lolmusichof.ca, in categories such as promoter, songwriter, musician-entertainer, as well as a posthumous category. The hall has a board of directors, with regional representation, as well as a nominating committee. Anyone is invited to nominate their favourite artist through the website, and for a membership fee of $5, people can earn the right to vote and participate in the process. The Hall of Fame welcomed its classes of 2016-2018 at the main stage of the Flinton Jamboree. This year, however, the hall will start rotating its ceremony around the region. “The Jamboree was good to us. Many of the people who attend the jamboree are there, understandably, for the music, and we decided it was time we put our own event together,” said Taylor. Devoting an entire event to the Hall of Fame will allow for more performances by the new inductees, and a further chance to show off the depth of talent that has been developed over they years in each of the three counties. In line with that, the entertainer category of the hall has been expanded to include one new member from each of Frontenac, L&A and Hastings County, and there will be a fourth entertainer inducted each year, the President’s choice who will be chosen by Taylor himself. Part of the reason for the change is that larger number of Frontenac County musicians have been chosen and only one or two from Hastings County, partly due to the strong Frontenac County membership base. “I will try to choose people who are deserving but would likely be overlooked otherwise” said Taylor. His first choice, for 2019, is John Foreman, a legendary performer in the Bancroft Area who is lesser known in southern Hastings, Frontenac, and L&A. For all the other categories, nominations remain open until the end of February, and memberships are available at lolmusichof.ca. Ballots will be available in electronic and hard copy format, and voting will take place in March. The winners will be announced in April, and details about the induction ceremony/celebration at the Lions Hall will be publicised over the next few months.
Whether or not the Palmerston Lake Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) is included on the North Frontenac Township Land Use Schedule (of its Zoning Bylaw) is still up in the air somewhat, but the topic drew a crowd to last Friday’s regular Council meeting in Plevna. And the gallery included one of the larger gatherings of the public at a North Frontenac Council meeting. Megan Rueckwald, manager of community planning, County of Frontenac, told the meeting that planning staff have reached out to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) “for clarification of the Palmerston Lake ANSI (and) once this information is provided, should Council direct, planning staff will prepare an updated report with a recommendation.” “We don’t have the answers today but we will have a public meeting when we get the information,” said Mayor Ron Higgins. “It’s a priority for us. “We’ve been working on the Zoning Bylaw for five years.” On Jan. 8, 2019, MNRF provided correspondence to the Township identifying the Palmerston Lake ANSI as “provincially significant” in response to Council’s motion at the Nov. 23, 2018 meeting. It is shown as provincially significant on the ministry’s Natural Heritage Mapping system. However, it was not designated on the 2003 Official Plan. It is so designated on the Township Official Plan approved in 2017 and the Frontenac County Official Plan approved in 2016. The Palmerston Lake ANSI, on the west and south end of the lake, was identified in January of 1989 (MNRF) as a provincially significant marble-based wetland, upland and rock barren complex. Rare flora and fauna identified include the Calypso orchid (amerorchis rotundifloria) and moss (tomenthypnum falcifolium) as well as nesting ravens, a great blue heron colony and adult Cooper’s hawk, Rueckwald said in her report. The landform itself is seated on marble, with calcareous-based hardwoods and mixed forest dominating uplands and a variety of calcareous wetlands occupying bedrock depressions, she said. Assuming the land is designated as a natural heritage feature in the Zoning Bylaw, any development and/or site alteration would require an environmental impact assessment. “That doesn’t mean no development but it does mean developing in a cautious manner because there is something worth preserving,” said Rueckwald. Higgins said that during the public feedback part of the Zoning Bylaw process they received “about 50 emails” on the ANSI. “We’re in this situation because in 1989 there was no public input,” said Higgins. “I think as a township, we did really screw up in the ’80s,” said Coun. John Inglis. • • • Rural Frontenac Community Services represented by youth program coordinator Martha Johnston made a presentation to Council asking for $5,400 to provide services this year, the same amount that Council granted in last years budget. • • • North Frontenac Community Living, represented by executive director Dean Walsh, made a presentation to Council for information, not asking for a donation. Walsh said the agency is a transfer payment agency, meaning it gets funding from clients through the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for 40 adults, 10 children and three transitional aged youths in the amount of $1.5 million. He said they have 35 employees, 15 of whom are full-time. Anyone wanting to be notified of the public meeting should contact Clerk Tara Mieske in writing. Your correspondence should include your contact information and can be a letter, email or note dropped off to the Township office. “The sooner, the better,” said CAO Cheryl Robeson. “Everyone who sends in their contact information will be notified of the public meeting.”
When GREC science teacher Wade Leonard talked his principal into offering a course in drones (and drone mapping) a couple of years ago, he did see a lot of potential. But he wasn’t all that sure what that potential would be. “We’re now solving problems we didn’t even know were problems,” he said. “And we’re seeing all sorts of new tendrils of potential.” Leonard’s program, which teaches students how to fly a drone and what to do with it once they get it up in the air, has already blazed new trails. For example, they’ve done studies in Alderville for the Black Oak Savanna and Tall Grass Prairie, tracked last summer’s storm damage for Central Frontenac and the Office of Emergency Preparedness Ontario, done a study of a maple sugar bush, tracked milfoil in North Frontenac lakes, several projects for Central Frontenac included a 3D model of the Caboose in Sharbot Lake, trail mapping and volume of the Olden dump (which even shows trails where bears have dragged off bags of garbage) and are scheduled to create a database of headstones in North Frontenac. “Our first field trip was to the Black Oak Savanna for the Alderville First Nation,” he said. “We got looking at it and learned that the grass is in colonies — you could see individual plants and colony density became the basis for an ecological study. “You can’t get that from a satellite because not only does the image have to go through the entire atmosphere, it’s always at an angle and you’ll never see individual plants.” Each job brings something new. “When we did a project for Wheeler’s Maple Products to see what might be the best route for the sap lines, we discovered that we could do elevation data,” he said. “We didn’t know we could do elevation data until we got there.” That’s become useful for other projects as well. For example, they’ve discovered they can see the bottom of a lake in 15 feet of water. They have images of how effective the Malcolm/Ardoch Lakes burlap methodology has been. “And the Tryon Road severe weather research . . . lots of people were interested in that,” he said. “We saw the extent of the damage. “We’ve filled a gap.” And they’ve even attracted the attention of some professors at Carleton University. “Professor Jesse Vermaire told us ‘we don’t do this on the scale you can,’” Leonard said. “He said ‘we’re doing it on scales of metres and you’re doing it in hectares.’ “We’re going to Carleton to talk to him and some other professors.” Leonard said his program fits in well with the “Authentic Learning” program at GREC, which also includes their forestry program. “It’s solving real world problems,” he said. “Through inception, planning, execution, analysis and communication.” To that extent, he’s changed up his program slightly, making students responsible for setting up dates, looking at weather forecasts for the proposed flight, where to fly and even consulting and communicating with the partner for the mission. “We’ve got it set up now so everything is hyperlinked for the students such as permission forms, pre-flight, and the students do it all themselves,” he said. And, with changes in regulations coming in June, students 14 and older will be able fly the drones themselves. “My read on the new regulations is that not only will the students be licensed but potentially will be able to conduct missions.” Where this program will lead is anybody’s guess but they’re already breaking new ground continuously. “Context is everything,” Leonard said. “This is such a new area and we’re the only program in Ontario schools that does mapping. “We’ve just been out there poking around and stumbled on some techniques that haven’t been done before.” Sounds like their techniques will be used quite a bit in days to come. If you’d like to see some of the videos Leonard and his charges have made, have a look at his YouTube channel Wade W Leonard.
When you’re a young fiddler from Tichborne, you never know where you’re going to be playing. Take 16-year-old Jessica Wedden for instance. Last Thursday night, she was playing in her home-town pub, The Crossing, with Turpin’s Trail, a group of guys she’s...
Don’t miss a rare opportunity to enjoy award-winning nature photography and environmental stewardship on March 30 at 7 pm in Sharbot Lake. Michelle Valberg (www.michellevalberg.com), a globally recognized wildlife and adventure photographer will present her images: “In the Presence of Nature.” Michelle finds art in all of nature's most intimate moments and she will share the meaning of her images with you. A Canadian Nikon Ambassador, Michelle has exhibited her photography internationally. A Fellow of the Canadian Geographic Society, Michelle was named their first Photographer in Residence. She is also a Fellow of the New York Explorer's Club. Her photo of a polar bear graces the cover of the Geographic Atlas of Canada and her iconic image of a Nunavut drum dancer appears on a coin as part of a special series by the Royal Canadian Mint. In 2009, Michelle founded Project North. This not-for-profit, dedicated to northern education and sports opportunities, has delivered $1,000,000 to more than 30 Inuit communities. Join us on Saturday, March 30 at 7pm in the Granite Ridge Education Centre, 14432 County Road 38, Sharbot Lake; the event is free of charge. For more information, contact 613-335-3589 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Just in case the return of rail service from Toronto to Ottawa via Peterborough is indeed a go, Frontenac County and Central Frontenac Council are both looking at making sure the case for a stop in Sharbot Lake is made to VIA rail, the builder, and the government of Canada, the funder. As well, the Sharbot Lake Business Group, which was formed over the last year, to promote the interests of the business community in the vicinity of the hamlet, is looking at what needs to be done to ensure Sharbot Lake, and Central Frontenac, are enhanced by the return of passenger rail to the region. (See article by Bill Bowick) According to reporting from the CBC, VIA Rail is expecting a decision from Transport Canada on the $4 billion project in 2019, and if the go ahead is coming, it will likely be referred to in the Federal Budget, which will be tabled next week. Paul Langan, who lives in Cambridge, is a long-time advocate for High Speed Rail, and runs the website Highspeedrailcanada.com. He is not, however, a supporter, nor a believer, in the Shining Waters Rail line. “I question how VIA rail is making a proposal for $4 billion in federal dollars for a project that does not have a business plan attached to it. VIA has not even talked to the planning department of the City of Ottawa about the impact on the rail station from this new service,” he said. VIA is promoting the line as a “high frequency train” rather than a high speed train, and Langan argues that the speeds that VIA is proposing will not make the train any more successful than it was when passenger service ceased, along the corridor, over 50 years ago. “This 4 billion dollar debacle has VIA trains travelling at 1975 era speeds through sparsely-populated areas on an abandoned Ontario-Quebec Railway line. (Toronto-Peterborough-Ottawa). Then the line travels on to Montreal-Trois-Rivières-Québec City.” He also points out that the proposal to run trains along the old line would result in level crossings at dozens of locations along the line, which would pose a safety risk. Langan says that railways around the world have implemented a standard of “Positive Train Controls” (PTC) on their passenger lines, to prevent accidents, but VIA has not adopted them. “There is no information in what VIA Rail has released in their $4 billion plan that suggests PTC will be implemented on the track they will be building. Track that VIA Rail currently runs on, mostly CN Rail, is not slated to implement PTC systems. The plan should never be approved, but if it is approved, the federal government must demand PTC along the line,” he wrote. In particular for Sharbot Lake, Langan points to a presentation made by VIA in Quebec last year, which presents a map that does not include Sharbot Lake or Tweed. This contradicts a map that includes both stops that was sent earlier to Central Frontenac and Frontenac County. This, he claims, shows that stops in Sharbot Lake and Tweed are not really planned for the proposed line, but that VIA is saying they will work out those details later. However, the map that Langan included in his article only came from a presentation, and may only have been included to give a more general impression of the proposed rail system, skipping smaller stations that are still part of the plan. The map he points to also misses several stops in Quebec, including Dorion, Dorval and Laval near Montreal, and Ancienne Lorette and Sainte Foy near Quebec City. In a phone interview this week with the News, Langan said that if people living in Sharbot Lake end up with a station and a service that helps the community, “I would be happy for them. I don’t oppose anyone in Sharbot Lake. I just think that there is a reason why passenger service was canceled many years ago and the same economic logic is still the same. VIA is using deception to get communities along the line to buy into their plan.” While VIA has communicated with officials from Frontenac County and Central Frontenac Township over the last year or so, no details about the plan have been released other than the station map that came out a year ago. According to Langan, “the facts are clear, VIA rail does not want the public to know the details of their plan. If they were a private corporation that would be fine, but they are a public corporation and they are seeking government money for their plans, so the public should be informed.”
Acting Public Works manager David Armstrong submitted a report on the waste amnesty program, a free trailer load of waste that applies to occupied properties in the township. After consulting with the waste site attendants, Armstrong recommended that instead of allowing the load to be brought to the waste site at any time between mid - May 24 and mid- September, as has been the case for several years, two weeks be designated instead. He recommended May 20-26 and August 26 – September 1st. “The site attendants said that not knowing when the loads were coming sometimes resulted in several loads coming in while the sites were already very busy, leaving them unable to keep up. By choosing two weeks during the season we can put extra staffing on during those weeks to make things run more smoothly,” Armstrong said. Councillor Tom Dewey said he did not agree with Armstrong’s analysis, and thought the system should remain as it has been. Councillor Nicki Gowdy agreed, saying that it is better for residents to be able to make use of their free load when it suits them, not the township. Councillor Bill McDonald proposed an amendment. He said that a third week should be added in the early summer for the summer residents. A vote on MacDonald’s amendment was approved as was the motion to restrict free loads to specific weeks. Dewey and Gowdy both voted against the motion. The dates for the third week will be determined by staff. Hall Projects Alan Revill, Acting Manager of Development Services, reported that the Piccadilly Hall renovation will be complete by the end of March, and after a clean up the building will re-open for community use. “The building will be much brighter inside with the painted walls instead of the dark panelling so it will be a very bright space to enjoy,” he said. The Piccadilly Hall project will be completed within the revised budget that was approved several weeks ago. The next facility that will be addressed in the township will be the stairs in front of the Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake. Revill said that some excavating work will need to be done before the exact scope of the project is determined and can be put to tender. “The entrance will be closed when the project is underway and we will try to minimise the time that it takes to complete because the hall is used very often. The kitchen door will be used as the entrance while the stairs are being done,” he said. The project was budgeted and the money will go over to the 2019 budget. Calcium Chloride A joint tender with Frontenac Islands resulted in the bid from Morris Chemical being selected to deliver and apply Calcium chloride on gravel roads in both townships this summer. The projected cost of calcium chloride will be within budget expectations. Pavement Marking A joint tender with all three of the other Frontenac townships resulted in a winning bid by Trillium Pavement Marking for just under $54,000 to Central Frontenac. This a marginal savings of $41 dollars as compared to the bid by the only other bidder, Provincial Pavement Marking. New plows ordered in 2019 and 2020. David Armstrong made a request that Council approve the purchase of new snowploughs in each of the next two years. Armstrong explained that the company that has been contracting to make the truck will not be able to deliver a tandem truck until March of 2020, after the end of the winter season next year. But the company has a truck available now that does not meet the specifications in the tender, but would serve the township in the 2019/2020 season and be useful in the future as well. When it was explained that staff already had intended to seek funds for new trucks in subsequent years anyway, to bring the fleet up to standard, Council approved purchasing both trucks. No love for train whistle opponent. Donald LaFleur, a resident of Crow Lake, brought two familiar issues before Council, speed limits and the trains that whistle when they pass over the Crow Lake road. His proposal regarding speed limits was for a 50 km an hour zone to be put in for one kilometre to the east and one kilometre to the west of the 40km/hr zone that is in place within the hamlet area of Crow Lake. That proposal was referred to the public works staff for comment. On the issue of the train whistle, which he has been brought to Council in the past without success, LaFleur prepared a comprehensive submission. He pointed out, for example, that even in cases where there have been fatalities at rail crossings where the whistle does not blow, the missing whistle is not cited as the reason and trains still pass over the crossing without whistling. He also pointed out, as he had when he came to Council two years ago, that the township would not create any liability if it asked Transport Canada to consider causing CP Railway to cease the trains from whistling at Crow Lake. “The township only makes the request, it is Transport Canada who then considers whether it is safe, and if any changes are necessary. They make the decision and take responsibility,” he said. Council did not see it that way. “We look at it as a safety issue,” said Mayor Frances Smith. CP trains cross over road 38 at two locations where there are clusters of households nearby, in Parham and Tichborne. The train whistles at those crossings. Council decided not to act on Mr. LaFleur’s request.
The Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) was founded in 1894 as an offshoot of the “Good Roads Train” that pulled into Eastern Ontario Rail stations with the latest in road building equipment for local farmers who were in need of better roads for horses and buggies. One of its goals was to prepare municipalities for the transition from horse drawn to horse-less carriages (ie motor vehicles). The Association remains in place today as a body representing municipal interests in road construction and maintenance to higher levels of government and industry. The annual conference of OGRA and the Rural Ontario Municipal Association in February, known as the Good Roads Conference, has long been the most prestigious gathering place for rural municipalities each year. In recent years it may have been supplanted by the annual Association of Municipal Organizations (AMO) meeting in late August, but it still draws a large number of municipal council members to the venerable Royal York Hotel in Toronto. OGRA now has its eyes firmly set on the future, and that means autonomous vehicles, also known by the more descriptive ‘driverless cars’. In the summer of 2016, OGRA members from some of the technology driven communities in Ontario, most of them in Southwestern Ontario, with the notable addition of Elliott Lake, held a meeting to establish a group called the MACAVO (pronounced Muh-Kay-Vo) which is an acronym for ‘Municipal Alliance for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles in Ontario’. The alliance has been meeting ever since with a view towards paving the way for the next wave of transportation technology, which is coming at a faster rate than had been anticipated, even a few years ago. “We openly invite all Ontario municipalities who are prepared to start researching, testing and integrating these technologies in some capacity, to join MACAVO”, said Thomas MacPherson, York Region Manager of Transportation Asset Management and Chair of MACAVO, in November of 2017. “Efforts across the province need to be co-ordinated to maximize the long-term benefits that CVs [Connected Vehicles] and AVs [Autonomous Vehicles] can provide our communities. At MACAVO, we are ready to work with all CV and AV stakeholders, including: the automobile industry; young entrepreneurs; the education sector; and local, provincial, and federal governments.” Robert Burlie, then President of OGRA said, “… It is estimated that 50% of all vehicles on our roads will be fully autonomous in the next 15 years and will assist all municipalities who are making substantial efforts to improve road safety and ease traffic congestion. This technology is improving so rapidly that there will certainly be other benefits to all our communities and municipalities in Ontario, and will allow our roadways to be completely transformed for better use by pedestrians, cyclists, public transit, vulnerable users and vehicles." Municipalities that have joined with MACAVO have been able to designate which of their roads they would like to see become part of a test corridor for CAV’s (Connected Autonomous Vehicles), naming them as “preferred” roads, and to choose which roads they would like to list as “avoid” roads for CAV. Eastern Ontario is now becoming much more oriented to the issues that MACAVO is working on, ever since the “Windsor to Ottawa CAV (Connected Autonomous Vehicle) Test Corridor” at the most recent Good Roads Conference on February 24. “Through the municipal and provincial collaboration on this project, we have now identified over 5,500 kilometres of specific municipal roadways across thirty-three municipalities in the area of Windsor to Ottawa”, said current OGRA President Rick Kester. OGRA Executive Director Rick Tiernay said “based on our findings, this is by far the longest AV test corridor in the world today. Combining this with the fact that the province already has a solid AV Pilot Regulation in place, there is no better place in the world to grow and establish communities and businesses, than in Ontario.” The test route in Eastern Ontario includes Highway 7, making Central Frontenac, Addington Highlands, and Tay Valley three of the municipalities who are included in the corridor. In a report to Central Frontenac Council on the preferred route, Deputy Clerk Cindy Deachman pointed out that Central Frontenac has not been involved with MACAVO thus far, but since the test corridor is coming through the township, the township may want to change that. The township has the option of remaining on the periphery of the project, seeking the status of a “friend of MACAVO” which would enable to the township to stay informed about the test corridor and have access to the mapping that MACAVO has developed, or to take a more active role. “In order to have optimal information from, and representation to MACAVO, it is recommended that we request to have a staff member appointed. This appointee would have access to the mapping of the preferred/avoid routes, and if Council wanted to include other local roads on that route (either as a preferred or avoid route) we would then have the ability to add those routes to the map,” she wrote in her report. Central Frontenac Council decided to join MACAVO and appointed Acting Public Works Manager David Armstrong as the township representative to the Alliance.
The Community Support Foundation of Ontario joins with other organisations around North America to help promote the Meals on Wheels, which provides hot meals and a friendly face for seniors all year round in this region and across Ontario. Each year during March on Meals week (Ma...
It is a case where the fact that something was secret ended up being more interesting than the secret itself. Earlier this year a report from the township of South Frontenac’s closed meeting investigator urged South Frontenac to reveal details about a matter regarding the Sydenham Water plant. After consulting with the township lawyer, the township is now revealing that it was “a party to litigation on the water plant” and has released a 400 word statement about the case, The statement outlines how, in 2010, the township “undertook upgrades to the Sydenham Water plan to address deficiencies in the plant’s original design that were necessary to address environmental regulations.” The upgrades including the introduction of UV equipment, a Granular Activated Carbon Filter, and a change to chloramination from chorination as the primary disinfection process. The Chloramination process is where a new problem surfaced. It requires a serpentine piping system which acts as a wall mounted storage system as part of the chloramination process. A few months after the upgrades were finished, water plant operators noticed what appeared to be several pin-holes leaks in the serpentine piping. The problem did not result in a safety concern regarding water quality or safety, but it had to be addressed. A temporary fix, involving the use of rubber gaskets, was put in place, and are still in place today. A permanent solution will not be attempted until the system is ready for another upgrade in the coming years. There were warranty issues that resulted from the leaks and those issues could not be resolved, and the township launched legal action, which is why the matter came to council in an in camera session. In 2018, the entire matter was resolved without going to trial in 2018, and the township received a lump sum payment, for an undisclosed amount, which has been applied to the Sydenham Water Plant reserve fund. With the release of this report the township considers that the matter is closed.
South Frontenac Council will likely have two of its members sit on the board of Southern Frontenac Community Services following a one-hour meeting between the two bodies that preceded the regular Council meeting Tuesday night in Sydenham. During the regular Council meeting, Coun. Norm Roberts gave a notice of motion to make the recommendation for councilors to join the SFCS board part of Council’s next regular meeting. “This meeting (before Council) was more about having the dialogue as to how Council and SFCS can come together more to meet the needs of South Frontenac citizens,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “We’d both like to determine what services are needed and how best to provide them,” said Dep. Mayor Ron Sleeth. “I’d also like to point out that they were only asking for input. “They didn’t ask us for any money.” • • • Council amended the Township Trailer Licence bylaw, as it pertains to single trailers on private lots, increasing the fee $35 per month from $35 effective Jan. 1, 2020. The bylaw changes also further extend the compliance date for prohibition of the use licensed trailers on private residential property to Dec. 31, 2023. Bylaw services will inspect each property to ensure that the trailer currently on site matches the one licensed at the time the bylaw was established (and) continue to enforce the removal of unlicensed trailers, should complaints be filed about new trailers or if they are discovered during Bylaw Service’s inspection. “I wanted to enquire from the CAO if there is any assurance that the number of trailers is dropping,” said Coun. Alan Revill. “I know the number of licensed trailers is dropping.” “When reported, we do act on it but I can’t tell you how many appear under the cover of darkness,” said CAO Wayne Orr. “We don’t go down every lane seeking them out.” Revill wondered if raising fees might act as a deterrent to people actually licensing trailers. “One of the reasons for raising costs is to be able to enforce the bylaw proactively,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. • • • Council voted to support a request from South Stormont Township asking the provincial government to heed its concerns about the potential reduction and/or loss of Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding. “I think this is still worth supporting, although we heard from the government that we’d be getting $40,000 more than we got last year,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “And that they will be consulting with us in the future.” “By ‘consulting,’ does that mean ‘telling’?” said Coun. Doug Morey.
“They don’t always have a tree where you want to put the line,” says Gary Gorr, maple syrup producer and philosopher who’s been tapping 45 acres (“pretty much all hardwood”) on the family farm since 1985. He says “the weather is unpredictable” so he focuses on what he can control, keeping his lines “straight, tight and downhill. (His operation is all gravity fed.) “Besides, the summer before is when the sugar is made for next spring.” His dad started tapping the trees in 1972. “I just watched then,” he said. “But in 1985, his knees were bothering him. “He said ‘everything is there’ and it was time for me to take it over.” He’s 75 now and it’s still a one-man operation. “When I started out, I was still doing some renovation-construction work but in 1986, it was a slack time,” he said. “Then more and more people started wanting our syrup, so we gradually started adding more and more.” For example, in 1991, the County and Township paid to send 58 four-litre cans of syrup to Canadian Forces fighting in the Gulf War. He’s seen a lot of changes, mostly to equipment as regulations change. “In 1995, we had to get rid of all the old lead stuff,” he said. “All the metal, milk tins, sap buckets.” But, of course, the biggest changes tend to be in the weather. “Twenty-five years ago, I had syrup made in April,” he said. “Any more, you have to be tapped by the second week in February.” He said he started looking through his records and in 1988, he started boiling March 19 and that ran through til April. In 1995, he started March 8 and that ran to March 22. “In 2001, we started later, March 19 and through to April 8,” he said. “But it ran everyday. “In 2002 and 2004, it was March 2 to April 8.” Regardless, he soldiers on, and still enjoys when people come to the house at 3596 Quinn Road E. to buy syrup in bottles featuring the logo his daughter designed. “I added a few trees around it,” he said. His syrup is also available at the Foodlands in Verona and Sydenham, Wilton Cheese and the Limestone Creamery as well as Pan Chancho Bakery and Cafe in Kingston. (Call 613-329-4252 or 613-372-2601 for information.) He has no ideas about giving it up, enjoying the exercise and being out in the bush. “You have to become a woodlot manager, doing this,” he said. “Some of the old trees are dying but I don’t cut green trees. “The other day, a couple of wolves came through and there are lots of squirrels, chipmunks and red squirrels. “We have a red-breasted woodpecker and a pair of cardinals.” As for predictions for this season, Gorr is pretty non-committal. But when pressed, he grinned and said: “I thought it was going to open up there. But I think it’s going to be a long season.”
March break or not, it is always busy at the Rural Frontenac Community Services Child Centre. The EarlyON Centre for young children has programs in Sharbot Lake four days a week, Mondays and Thursdays from 8:30am -2:30pm, Wednesdays from 8:30am – noon, and Saturdays from 10am – 1pm. Programs are offered on Tuesdays in Mountain Grove at the Olden Hall and Fridays in Arden at the Kennebec Hall, both from 9am-2:30pm. Clarendon Central School in Plevna hosts the program on Mondays from 9:30am – 2pm. EarlyOn is in Harrowsmith at the Free Methodist Church from 9:30am - noon on Wednesdays, at the Bedford Hall on Fridays from 9:30-noon, at the Storrington Fire Hall from 9:30am - 3pm on Mondays, and at Trinity United Church in Verona on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30am – 3pm. In Sydenham at the EarlyOn Centre at 4635 Mill Street, the program runs 6 days a week: 9am – 3pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, 9am-noon on Wednesdays, noon-6:30 on Thursdays, and 10am -1pm on Saturdays “About 95 per cent of my 35 hours a week are spent front line with families and their kids,” said Marcie Webster, who runs a lot of the northern programs. “We try to accommodate parents wishes for programming in the five learning domains of physical, emotional, cognitive, social and language. “We have more kids over March break, but we have more parents who also bring older siblings and we welcome them too.” For Youth Program Coordinator Martha Johnston, things do tend to change during March break as many of her programs tend to be of the after-school variety. “We have set up a one-day, day camp and we’ve got 10 kids signed up for that,” she said. “And we’re also running the baby-sitting course on Thursday. “But we also get to do some extra little things that we don’t normally get to do and we do have ongoing programs like snow-shoeing.” “It’s mostly business as usual with extra little fun things that they’re not normally getting.”
For the past few months, Wagarville Road resident Peter de Bassecourt has been making a monthly trek to Kingston to fix things. Not things like what’s-wrong-with-the-world things; lamps and chairs and toasters type things. He’s become part of a growing movement, cal...
The Natural Edge Program for shorelines is coming to Quinte Conservation’s Watershed with help from Watersheds Canada. Maya Navrot, Education and Stewardship Coordinator for Quinte Conservation says, “Natural Edge is a well-established program that makes the process of restoring a shoreline easy and engaging for the landowner. We are excited to see this program come to our area.” Residents living along waterways such as creeks, rivers, and lakefronts can beautify their properties with the help of Natural Edge. Areas of open shoreline will benefit from plantings of native wildflowers, shrubs and trees. Susan Moore, from the Friends of Salmon River says, “There is a misperception that a planted shoreline will deter views. A well-planned shoreline planting offers open access to the water, with low growing wildflowers and small shrubs for maintaining views, and larger trees and shrubs to the edges at property boundaries.” Naturalizing your shoreline has many benefits, including enhancing your property value and improving lake health and habitat. Navrot adds, “Naturalizing your shoreline provides important habitat for over 70% of land-based wildlife, 90% of aquatic life, and it improves water quality by filtering water runoff and controlling erosion.” Eligible landowners will get a full-service restoration program, which includes the creation of a shoreline restoration plan with descriptions of native wildflowers, trees and shrubs suitable to the site. Watersheds Canada will provide the plants and implement the planting. Moore adds, “Past participants have enjoyed the simplicity of this program and the beauty of their planted waterfront. Funding is provided by an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant, so landowners pay only 25% of the total cost of the project, and the cost per property will depend on the individual site.” If you are interested in learning more or connecting with project staff for a confidential free site visit, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 613-264-1244. Quinte Conservation is a community-based environmental protection agency. It serves 18 municipalities in the watersheds of the Moira, Napanee and Salmon Rivers and Prince Edward County. It provides cost-effective environmental expertise and leadership. Quinte Conservation’s main goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem where people and nature live in harmony. More information about Quinte Conservation is available at www.quinteconservation.ca. Watersheds Canada is a federally incorporated non-profit organization and registered Canadian charity committed to providing programs in communities across the country to engage and help shoreline owners enhance and protect the health of lakes and rivers. More information about Watersheds Canada is available at www.watersheds.ca For more info: Susan Moore, Friends of Salmon River This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 613-379-5958 Photo of a natural shoreline through the natural edge program
The idea of South Frontenac Township, Frontenac County and the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority sharing an administration building isn’t looking too likely, at least in the short term, following a discussion at South Frontenac’s Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday night in Sydenham. “It’s been pointed out that we really haven’t had that discussion here at this table,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. Well, Tuesday night they had that discussion and while there was general consensus that a new facility would be nice from several angles, South really doesn’t need it and there isn’t much of an appetite for it. “There’s a need to be cautious,” Vandewal said. “I don’t see this building as being at its breaking point yet.” Vandewal said he needed some pretty clear direction soon as he and CAO Wayne Orr were to meet with the other two stakeholders this month. He said he didn’t want to string them on only to “send a terse email later on saying ‘we’re out.’” Virtually no one on Council argued for a new joint facility and some, like Coun. Ray Leonard, said: “I’m not really in agreement with this new building.” “How would we repurpose this facility were we to be in on this?” said Dep. Mayor Ron Sleeth. Coun. Ross Sutherland said: “I do think we’re overcrowded here but I don’t think we need 130 per cent more office space (as suggested in some of the architectural drawings. “I think we need to look at other options (such as a new building for South or expansion of the existing facility).” “Is there room where we could add on to this building?” asked Coun. Norm Roberts. “There is land but I just don’t know if we could build on it,” said Orr. There were suggestions that space now used for records storage might be used for expected staff increases as the demand for services increases (Orr cited projections that staff could grow by as many as eight people in the long term) but Coun. Alan Revill pointed out that proximity to records is important to the planning, building and financial departments. “We should look at getting those records digitized,” said Sutherland. Vandewal suggested some staff (for example public works and fire) could be accommodated in other facilities the Township owns but in any event, that’s way in the future. “There are a lot of challenges to spending $5 million on a new building right now,” he said. “For example somebody might want a new firehall and Road 38 is always going to be there.” Frontenac County Strategic Plan Geography certainly plays a big roll when it comes to what townships’ expectations for Frontenac County’s priorities should be. Consultant Rob Wood was at Committee of the Whole Tuesday night to complete a process where each of the four member townships of Frontenac County were asked for their thoughts. For example, in the two northern townships, wifi and cell phone coverage are high on the list, as is waste disposal. In South Frontenac, the No. 1 priority seems to be planning. Of the four, South is the only Township that has its own planning department while the other three use County planners. “We’ve talked about South Frontenac being the planning authority for South Frontenac rather than have a separate body do it,” said Dep. Mayor Ron Sleeth. “Those individuals at County who vote on the decisions are so far removed from what we think is important — both positively and negatively.” “The devolution of planning powers to South Frontenac,” said Coun. Ross Sutherland. “The goal should be for them to work with us.” And like all municipalities, economic development is something the politicians like to trumpet. And tourism is a huge component of that. However, things are a little different in South Frontenac as pointed out by Sleeth. “There is a market of 140,000 people just to the south of us that likes to make day trips,” he said. “In the north, it’s about coming to a lodge or renting a cabin but here, we need to create ways to entice people to drive out of the city for the day to spend $100 on things.” One thing all of the townships seem to agree on is the need for the County to create a roads department — not to fix potholes and remove snow but to access upper tier roads money from the Province in much the same manner that Lennox & Addington County operates. Mayor Ron Vandewal had an additional priority of his own. “Do we need five CAOs?” he said. “The County CAO is very good outside of the County with the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus and regional groups, but what is provided for the County I don’t know. “The paramedic service has a manager; Fairmount Home has a manager. Do we need an extra layer of management over them?” “I agree with the mayor,” said Coun. Norm Roberts. “What do we get for our money.”
Recently, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, sent a letter to Ontario municipalities concerning the supply of housing in the province. The letter also addressed the related matter of land use planning. The letter said that the government is “reviewing the Planning Act and Provincial Policy Statement to ensure they are calibrated to achieve our streamlining and housing supply objectives.” He then said that municipalities may want to wait until those changes are in place before embarking on any major local planning initiatives. “I encourage you to consider the context of this streamlining work and its focus on the Planning Act and the Provincial Policy Statement, as it may help to inform your local actions. You may consider an interim pause on some planning decisions or reviews of major planning documents such as official plans or comprehensive zoning bylaw updates until this work is completed.” Frontenac County Manager of Development Services, Joe Gallivan, said that two major initiatives in Frontenac County, the Central Frontenac Township Official Plan process, which is well underway, and the effort to improve the planning process across the county, should not be halted. I think that, for a municipality such as Ottawa, which is starting to look at a new Official Plan, it pays to wait before spending large amounts of money on studies that will be necessary for that plan. But for Central Frontenac, I don’t think changes to the Provincial Policy Statement or the Planning Act will change things for them.” He added that there is a lot of interest in Central Frontenac in developing Sharbot Lake as a regional hub in light of what might happen with Hwy. 7 and with VIA rail. “The official plan renewal process has been going on for two years and, in my view, it should continue,” he said. Frontenac County has made planning services the subject of a major internal review, under the direction of the County Manager of Continuous Improvement, Kevin Farrell. The county provides planning services to three of the four Frontenac municipalities, and has developed close ties with the planning department in South Frontenac, in recent months. The long-anticipated initiative aims at developing a clear planning process that is consistent throughout the county, for the benefit of residents who may only deal with planning matters once, and developers as well. “I don’t see why we should stop doing this work. We are off to a great start,” said Gallivan. “Megan Rueckwald [Manager of Community Planning] from our office and Claire Dodds [Manager of Development Services] from South Frontenac led a meeting with all of the planning staff from the entire county recently and everyone was extremely positive about making improvements to the way planning is done in Frontenac County,” he said. He indicated that any changes that do come from the provincial review can be incorporated into the local planning process.
There are some big changes coming to the Frontenac Community Arena, beginning with a new ice resurfacer, says Arena Manager Tim Laprade. “Our old one (a 2000 Olympia Millennium Propane model purchased used in 2002) is 19 years old and definitely past its ‘best before’ date,” Laprade said. “The new one, an Engo Red Wolf, is electric and we expect to have it in place for September when the season starts.” Laprade said they are also looking at upgrading the benches and boards in 2020 and replacing the ammonia refrigeration system and outdoor condenser unit in 2021. He said the new resurfacer has two major advantages. “Being electric, there are no carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide emissions, which means not only will players and people in the stands not be breathing them, but it means we won’t have to run the ceiling fans while the unit is running,” Laprade said. “That leads to savings from the energy costs of running the fans and the fact that the fans are removing cooler, drier air, meaning the refrigeration unit won’t have to work as hard. “The second advantage is much lower life-cycle costs.” Laprade estimates that going electric will save about $80,000 over the life cycle of the resurfacer (about 16 years). “There are some other advantages also in that this machine is significantly quieter than a propane unit,” he said. “The noise of the resurfacer running isn’t something people usually think about but it will be quite different in here in between periods.” He said the new unit also features “click-blade” technology, allowing blades to be swapped out in minutes rather than the hour and a half the job used to take. “Arena staff will be pleased that they don’t have to come in two hours early to do that job,” he said. “I tried it out myself on a demo unit and blades can easily be swapped out between periods. “It’s a question of safety and time and I’m extremely pleased that we’ll have advanced ice-making capabilities and improved ice quality. “We’ll be one of the few smaller arenas with an electric resurfacer and already I’ve had inquiries from people wanting to come see it.” The cost of the new unit is $165,000 but Ontario Hydro has confirmed a grant of $2,813 for switching to electric. Also, the minor hockey organization has committed to a contribution of an estimated $3,000 for advertising rights to put their logos on the machine. He said they’ve submitted a grant application to the Trillium Foundation for a grant to cover up to 75 per cent of the remaining $159,187 costs. In any event, there are reserve funds slated to cover these costs. As far as the other renovations go, Laprade said those replacements are scheduled under the asset management plan. “We’re looking at a new floor and there are hundreds of kilometres of refrigeration lines under the ice,” he said. “If one of those go, we could potentially lose the entire system. “It’s one of those things that keeps me up at nights. “But once 2021 is done, we’re good for another 20 years.”
A small group has been meeting for over a year to talk about establishing a single agency, in line with a recent call from the provincial government, to serve about 500,000 people in Southeastern Ontario. Duncan Sinclair, who lives on Buck Lake, is the former Dean of the Faculty...
Officers of the Napanee Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), responded to a traffic complaint on March 5, 2019, around 7pm that resulted in a local driver being arrested. A complaint was received in the area of Clark Line road in Addington Highlands about a suspicious driver. Garnet SIDLE - 39 years, of Addington Highlands faces a charge of "Operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)" Contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada, and Operation while Impaired - Contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. Additionally, SIDLE was charged with "Fail to comply with a Probation Order"- Contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. The accused will appear in Napanee Provincial court on March 26, 2019, at 0930am.
Addington Highlands Council voted to replace two failed oil furnaces at the Northbrook Medical Centre with propane furnaces at its regular meeting Tuesday afternoon in Flinton. During an inspection, Bosley Heating & Cooling reported that both oil furnaces have failed heat exchangers (these units were installed in 1995); the fuel oil supply tank is not approved to be used as a heating fuel tank and is installed too close to the building; and the existing propane furnaces are in good working order. The cost to supply and install 1300 000 BTU propane furnace with duct adaptors, including removal and disposal of existing oil-fired equipment is $13,560 including GST on sales. Replacing the existing oil furnace and tank would cost $20,114. “It has to be done and we have a month to do it,” said Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch, taking the chair for vacationing Reeve Henry Hogg. “We’ll have to look at the budget to see if we want to sacrifice something else.” There was a concern raised over sole sourcing but Fritsch said they didn’t have time to send the work out to tender. “They gave us four weeks to fix this,” he said. “If we had six months, we’d be going in a different direction.” Fire Chief Casey Cuddy said the Township has a contract with a propane supplier from whom they get better rates “and they supply tanks.” Fee waivedCouncil approved a request to waive the rental fee for a free concert by The Tri-Ensemble at the Denbigh Hall July 20. The concert is in support of the Denbigh Food Bank. Weight restrictionCouncil passed a bylaw restricting the gross weight of vehicles on Trepanier’s Bridge on Clark Line Road to 10 tonnes in the case of a single vehicle (empty or loaded), 18 tonnes for a combination of two vehicles and 25 tonnes for a combination of three vehicles. Council remunerationCouncil members pay for 2018 was: Reeve Henry Hogg - $25,860.07 including travel and per diems, Dep. Reeve Helen Yanch - $20,760.31 including travel, Councilor Tony Fritsch - $15,543.20 including travel, Councilor Kirby Thompson - $15,267.52 including travel, Councillor Bill Cox - $14,337.58 including travel, per diems and expenses, and Councilor David Mile - $1,255.44 including travel. Also Thompson was paid $2,144.06 by the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority and Hogg $991.50 by Quinte Conservation for travel and per diems.
On Friday, February 15, 2019 at approximately 5:25pm, officers with the Napanee Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a report of a break and enter at a residence on Myers Cave Rd., in Addington Highlands Township that occurred sometime between February 3 and 15, 2019. The owner reported arriving home to find that unknown suspect(s) had been broken into the garage. Several items were stolen including: a 2017 Green Artic Cat with an Ontario plate attached, 9JE38 and plow attached ; a homemade trailer described as homemade 1998 black plated P7361R ; two helmets. Anyone with information relating to this break and enter is asked to contact the Napanee OPP 613-354-3369 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or anonymously online at Tipsubmit.com
We know that family and friends of people living with a diagnosis of dementia call themselves members of the club “no one wants to belong to”. “The Caregivers” film follows three families on a devastating but ultimately inspiring journey that many of us will be forced to take. The private lives of dementia caregivers teach us about love, loss and letting go. Their stories go far beyond the practical challenges of navigating the healthcare system, and delve into the psychological challenges of coping with the illness. The stories unfold over the course of a year, as they navigate the stages of an unpredictable and relentless disease. The Alzheimer’s Society and Pine Meadow Nursing Home would like to invite you to the viewing of The Caregivers’ Club, February 28th, 2019 from 1:00-4:00 at Pine Meadow Nursing Home, 124 Lloyd Street, Northbrook, Ontario. Refreshments will follow. For more information, please call Pam Lemke 1-800-266-7516 ext 701 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Pamala Lemke, Education and Family Support Coordinator Société Alzheimer Society KFL&A Land O’Lakes Lions Hall 12328, Highway 41 Northbrook Ontario, K0H 2G0 Rural Frontenac Community Services, 1020 Elizabeth St. Sharbot Lake Ontario, K0H 2P0
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