Last fall, Marcel Giroux of W.A. Robinson Asset Management got the idea to promote healthy food and stretch food budgets by introducing students to slow cookers.

“We raised four boys and they can all cook,” he said. “In our house, if you cooked, you didn’t have to wash dishes.”

So, after talking his W.A. Robinson cohorts into sponsoring it, he arranged with the local Home Hardware in Sharbot Lake to give him a deal (“they gave us a good deal”) on some slow cookers and Mike Dean’s to provide some food and the next thing you know, 38 Grade 7 students from GREC, Land O’Lakes Public School, Clarendon Central and St. James Major were learning how to use a slow cooker and taking one home with them when the class was over.

Giroux said he got the idea for using slow cookers from a similar program in Kingston which he thought was a good idea because he’s used slow cookers himself and is an advocate.

“It teaches kids to clean, cook, cut up vegetables and if you can afford meat, you throw that in there and you’ve got a stew,” he said. “When I was there, the kids were baking bread in them and you can also bake a cake in one.”

And at the end of the day, the kids got to take a slow cooker home with them.

“We got the St. Lawrence College food preparation course people to help with the instruction,” he said.

GREC principal James McDonald echoed Giroux’s sentiments.

“It’s a fabulous partnership, not only for the schools here in the north but it’s also a real community partnership,” McDonald said. “It involves Marcel’s group, the hardware store, St. Lawrence College and the schools.

“It takes a lot of organization to coordinate that many groups.”

But, the effort is worth it, McDonald said.

“It speaks to me about providing healthy solutions for students here in the north,” he said. “And they all got to take home a slow cooker.”

Giroux said they’d like to do the program on an annual basis for the next five years as long as the schools are prepared to organize the class.

“The kids were enthusiastic about it, even the boys,” he said. “I’d like to encourage other businesses if they’d like to participate.

“Just let me know.”

The coroners inquest into the death of Robert Srigley took place two weeks ago  in Sharbot Lake. It finally revealing some of the details around the sequence of events that led to his death. The jury that heard all the evidence will be submitting its report, with recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths in the future.

At the time, I wrote that there are some unanswered questions about the case that the public has a right to know. One was what happened when the police arrived, and the second was why only uniformed police responded to what was clearly a mental health crisis for a man who was known to hate the police.

On the whole, the inquest answered those questions. Essentially, when police called out his name, Mr. Srigley ran out of his trailer, picked up what looked like a hunting rifle and aimed it at them. And they shot him. Did they need to shoot him as often as they did? Why did so many of the bullets hit him in the back? These questions were not completely answered, but it was clear the officers who shot him did so to protect each other from a viable threat to their lives. Police are trained to shoot until there is no more threat to themselves or the public, and in an incident that unfolded in seconds it is hard to sit in judgement of the police officer who was in that situation after the fact. And the police testimony at the hearing was credible, and at times poignant.

Police also answered the question about mental health workers, by saying that when there is an incident like this where there is a potential for danger, only they are trained to handle the situation. A mental health worker or team could have been with them as backup but not at the scene. Given the description of events, this is also a credible answer to that question.

From the testimony of Srigley's brother and the one officer on the scene who had met and dealt with him before, it was clear Mr. Srigley was known to social services and mental health services in the region, and going back many years in other locations. Much can be said about the inadequacies of the system, in relation to him, but on that day in July it was too late to address those problems. Mr. Srigley's circumstances had deteriorated to a point of no return and he met a tragic end at the hands of police officers who were doing their job.

But that does not mean that the coroner's inquest was a wholly satisfactory airing of the issues. The first thing I noticed about the inquest was the role of the counsel to the coroner. Since I have never covered an inquest before I can't say if this one was conducted in the normal way, but to my view the counsel, Peter Blaine, was framing a narrative about what happened right from the start and no one challenged that narrative. He had gone through all the reports, knew much of what each witness was going to say, and asked leading questions on a number of occasions, and seemed to be trying to do the jury’s work for them at times, even suggesting wording for the jury to consider in their report and recommendations.

For example, during the testimony of  one of the paramadics who attended at the scene shooting and remained with Srigley until they reached the hospital in Napanee, Blaine asked a leading question. “Did Mr. Srigley say anything about wanting to die during that time. The paramedic said “no, I did not hear him say anything about that” and then Blaine went further. He said that sometimes people who are involved in an intense effort such as attending to  gunshot wounds “are so fixated on what they are doing they don't see or hear anything else.”

“I did not hear him say anything about wanting to die” the Paramedic repeated. When the other paramedic, who drove the ambulance, took the stand, Blaine asked him if he heard Srigley say anything about wanting to die. He said he did not hear much, except “you guys are lousy shots”.

Later in the hearing, at least two of the police officers who testified recalled Srigley saying “just shoot me now” and “I want to die”. As I said before they were very credible witnesses whose accounts were pretty consistent with each others. But why did Mr. Blaine, whose job is to present the facts of the case to the jury, repeatedly push this line. Indeed, he seemed to be pushing pretty hard on a “suicide by police” theory.

Although the OPP  and the OPP Officers Association were represented by lawyers at the hearing, the Srigley family was not. There was no one trying to tease out any details to challenge the dominant narrative, no one poking at any of the loose ends in the testimony

This was not a criminal trial, and was not intended to be a confrontational process, but the supporting witnesses who were called in to explain OPP initiatives as regards mental health and the general tone of the questioning by Mr. Blaine suggested an attempt to make sure that, in the end, the entire matter can be filed away neatly in some cabinet somewhere, never to be referred to again.

A group of about 30 walkers, along with two support vans, will be passing through Addington Highlands and Central Frontenac this weekend on their way to Ottawa where they will be going to Parliament to demonstrate in favour of the adoption of Bill C262, a Private members bill that was drafted by MP Romeo Saganash, which is aimed at ensuring “that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declarationon the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” (UNDRIP).

The walk itself, which is co-sponsored by the Mennonite Church of Canada and Christian Peacemaker Teams: Indigenous Peoples Solidarity was inspired by the report of the Commission on Truth and Reconciliation, in particular number 48 in the Calls to Action that accompanied the report.

Number 48 calls upon churches to formally “adopt and comply with the principles, norms, and standards of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a framework for reconciliation.” It also calls on churches and church groups to engage in “ongoing public dialogue and actions to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”

Chuck Wright of the Christian Peacemakers is one of the organisers of the trip. He said that by walking 600 kilometres over 21 days and stopping most nights in a host church along the way and holding a learning circle, participants in the trip are “attempting in their own way to honour Call to Action number 48”.

The walkers will be staying in Flinton at Through the Roof Ministry on Saturday Night (May 6) as guests of the congregation. On Sunday morning a father and daughter who are participating in the walk will be speaking to the congregation during Sunday services. They will be guests of the Shabot Obaadjiwan on Sunday Night, May 7, near White Lake, and then travelling to the Maberly hallthe next day. The day after that (May 9) they travel to Perth where they will participate in an event at St. Paul’s United Church at 7pm. That event will feature speakers including MP Saganash — who for more than 30 years has played a key role in the development and drafting of UNDRIP — and Leah Gazan, a member of Wood Mountain Lakota Nation who teaches at the faculty of education at the University of Winnipeg.

In addition to the scheduled events, Wright said that people are more than welcome to join the walkers on the road as they cross through the region to walk and talk about why they are walking and the role they see church communities playing in the future relationship between settler and indigenous communities.

Their website describes the initiative in this way: We have named this walk a pilgrimage to signal: our dependence upon the Creator; our desire to hold the spiritual and the political together, and; our attempt to connect this fragile initiative to the rich history of sacred walks seeking reparative change (e.g., the Native American Longest Walk, Chavez’ Pilgrimage to Sacramento, the Civil Rights March on Selma, Gandhi’s Salt March, and so on).

“We also welcome everyone who is interested to join us on May 13 at 2pm for the Walk the Talk rally at Parliament Hill, our rally in support of implementation of Bill C262.

Drug search warrant executed at residence in Central Frontenac

(Central Frontenac) On August 25, 2016 police executed a Controlled Drug and Substances Act search warrant at a residence in Central Frontenac Township. At the residential property officers located a marihuana grow operation. Additionally, an illegally possessed firearm and ammunition were seized. A 42 year-old male, a 39 year-old female and a 15 year-old young person face charges of unlawful possession of marihuana, production of marihuana and unlawful possession of a firearm. The male adult, who also faces an additional charge of uttering a threat to damage property, was held in custody pending the outcome a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Kingston on August 29. The 39-year-old female and 15 year-old young person were released from custody and will be summoned to court at a later date. The potential street value yield of the seized marihuana is estimated at $10,000. The identity of the accused adults will not be released to protect the identity of the accused young person. The name of the young person will not be released in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).

The OPP would like to remind the public to report any suspicious activities to their local police service. Anonymous information can also be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

OPP Locate Missing Woman

(Lanark) On August 25, Lanark County OPP, supported by members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), Canine Officers and the Aerial Support unit, located a missing woman in the Township of Lanark Highlands. The 25-year-old woman from the Toronto area was last seen at about 7am on August 25. Police were called to a location near McDonalds Corners Road at 11:45am and the woman was located in bush area at about 4.22pm. She was safely assisted from the area by the ERT members.

Frances Smith, Mayor of Central Frontenac was on hand at Pine Meadow Nursing Home in Northbrook on June 10 to present the home with a cheque for $12,500 towards the window project. Rev. Jean Brown and Brenda Martin, chair of Pine Meadow's Family Council, made a presentation to the Township of Central Frontenac earlier in the year and both were present on Friday to update the results of this campaign. Pine Meadow needs to replace 11 bay windows at a total cost of $136,000. With the donation from Central Frontenac, funds raised to date are over $60,000. We are grateful to the Township of North Frontenac, who earlier this year donated $25,000, as well as the Northbrook Lions who have donated $5,000 to this project. The balance has all come from private donations. Work begins soon to complete five of these windows this summer. Following the cheque presentation, the group enjoyed an educational session from Tricia Dominik, Psychogeriatric Resource Consultant. The event was sponsored by Pine Meadow Family Council in celebration of Family Council Week. Pictured here is Frances Smith, Margaret Palimaka, Administrator, Pine Meadow, and Bill Cox, Chairperson of Pine Meadow Management Committee. Pine Meadow is a program of Land O'Lakes Community Services.

Most of the property owners receiving notices of assessment this week from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) will be getting good news, at least as far as the impact of their assessment on the property taxes they will be paying over the next four years is concerned.

In South, Central, and North Frontenac, and Tay Valley, the average property will see less than a 1% increase in assessment each year between 2017 and 2020. As well, unlike in previous four-year assessment cycles, waterfront ratepayers are seeing about the same increase as the rest of the homeowners.

In some jurisdictions, waterfront values have even dropped between December of 2011 when the previous assessment was done and the end of 2015 when the new assessment was done.

In Central Frontenac, for example, the overall change that will be applied in 2017 is an increase of less than 1%. Waterfront assessments are flat, whereas the non-waterfront values have risen by 4%, meaning assessments for the average non-waterfront properties will rise by 1% each year for the next four years.

The net effect will be a flattening out or even a slight reversal of the trend of the last decade or more, which saw waterfront ratepayers assuming an ever-increasing share of the tax burden. Waterfront property values in Central Frontenac are, on average, about twice those of non-waterfront properties.

The average value of a waterfront residence in Central Frontenac is now $239,500, and the other residences have an average value of $141,000.

In South Frontenac, where the overall average increase is also less than 1% per year for four years, the assessment is about the same for waterfront and non-waterfront residences. The average value of a waterfront residence in South Frontenac is now $298,000 and the average value of off-water residences is about 10% less, $262,000.

In North Frontenac, where the overall average increase in assessment is also under 1% per year for four years, waterfront assessments seem to be up a little bit whereas non-waterfront residences have been dropping in value.

Decreases in assessment are treated differently by MPAC than increases are treated. While increases are phased in to flatten out their impact in the first year or two, decreases are applied in their entirety to bring all the tax savings to the ratepayer in the first year.

The average waterfront residence in North Frontenac is valued at $261,000 and the non-waterfront average is $118,000.

In Tay Valley, particularly in the Maberly/Brooke Valley region where the Frontenac News is distributed, the increase of 1% per year is shared more or less equally by waterfront and non-waterfront values. The average waterfront home in Tay Valley is assessed at $388,500 and the average non-waterfront home is assessed at $216,000, less than half.

In Lanark Highlands, while the overall average increase is 1.3% per year for four years, in the Elphin/McDonalds Corners region, where the News is distributed, values have dropped by about 5%, which will have a moderated effect on taxation in that region. The average waterfront residence in Lanark Highlands is valued at $325,000 and the average non-waterfront residence is assessed at $187,000.

Finally, in Addington Highlands, assessments are going up on average by 2.2% per year for four years. The increase, which seems to apply equally to water and non-waterfront properties, is driven by increases in values for properties located in the vicinity of Lake Mazinaw and points north. The average waterfront property in Addington Highlands is assessed at $226,000 and non-waterfront properties are worth just over half as much, $121,000, on average.

When townships come to budget time next year, these values will be supplemented by increases in assessment that come from new construction, and the tax rate that is applied at the end of the municipal budget process.

The assessments also demonstrate that the sale prices of properties in the region have been flat, even for waterfront properties, which came as a surprise to at least one realtor.

“Prices have not gone up as quickly as in the past,” said the realtor, on the condition of anonymity, “but they have gone up.”

It is disconcerting that Central Frontenac Council purchased Sharbot Lake Public School on November 24 for $110,000, and five weeks later had to hold an emergency meeting just four days before Christmas to decide to tear down the building.

The emergency meeting was needed because after a site visit the week before, politicians and staff saw that the building was not viable and felt they needed a council decision before putting any more oil into the fuel tank of a building that needs to be torn down.

The decision they made on December 21 seems prudent enough, but why did they not pay this kind of visit to the building before they bought it on November 24.

Before spending $110,000 they should have made this determination. They should have known that they were facing an extra $150,000 in costs to clear the building and create a lot with a septic system and a well in the middle of Sharbot Lake.

No sense harping on the past, however.

With a quarter of a million dollars now sunk into that property, the council will consult with the public and then must decide how to make good use of the publicly owned property. The easiest thing to do would be to put in a five-unit housing project. Anything larger would put the property in a different category under the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act, and will require an expensive water and waste water system to be installed and maintained over the long term.

However, given the amount of public money already sunk into the project, anything that is built should have a public use. Just building a five-unit townhouse to be sold on the open market would be difficult for the public to swallow.

It would perhaps be acceptable to Central Frontenac ratepayers to build seniors’ housing to add to the stock of low-income housing in the township. However it still seems that if the lot is worth $250,000 in public money to purchase, it needs to be turned into something that will serve the population of the township, not just five individuals or couples.

It behoves the township to look into the possibility of a larger, multi-use building on the property, one that incorporates a public use, perhaps even a commercial use, as well as seniors’ housing.

That would involve looking at the regulations for a large water system and determining how much it would cost to put one in. Before any of this can be decided the township needs to find out if it is even possible to put up a two or three-storey building in that location, given the size of the lot and its proximity to both basins of Sharbot Lake.

No matter what is built on the site, it will require money from at least one other level of government and/or the private sector, because the township doesn't have the money to build.

The township will also ultimately want to turn whatever is built over to an outside body, perhaps a for profit or not-for-profit corporation, to be responsible for maintenance.

Council does not want to saddle future generations with maintenance costs for a new facility.

All of this underlines the fact that the current council has made a leap into the unknown by buying the two public schools.

The same issues that apply to Sharbot Lake Public School apply to Hinchinbrooke Public School in Parham, although the details are different since the Hinchinbrooke School building is not being torn down, at least in the short term.

All of this is to say that this council will be defined by these purchases and what becomes of those two properties.

In general when townships build things; fire halls, municipal offices, garages, trails, municipal halls etc., they turn out to be community assets that are of value over the long run even if they are controversial at the time.

In 10 years will anyone remember that the township paid $250,000 for a lot?

Only if nothing of lasting value comes of it.

It started as a conversation about how to deliver services to Norcan Lake, a waterfront sub-division located in North Frontenac that is accessible only from the Township of Greater Madawaska. It has morphed into a new organisation called the Rural Mayors' Forum of Eastern Ontario.

North Frontenac mayor, Ron Higgins, and Municipality of Greater Madawaska mayor, Glenda McKay, talked in the spring about the Norcan Lake issues, which they were not able to resolve, but while they were talking they quickly saw that the two municipalities had other issues in common. They then talked in general about shared services. The two met at the Eastern Ontario Municipal Conference, and their conversations led to an informal meeting of politicians from a number of small municipalities located north of Highway 7 one evening at the conference.

“We realised that we had issues that were different from the larger, less isolated municipalities and decided it was an idea to hold a meeting,” said Higgins.

A meeting in October in Madawaska Highlands was followed by one in North Frontenac in November and a third meeting this past Sunday in Maynooth, Hastings County.

At this time, the group has decided there are enough common issues to be dealt with that it makes sense for them to establish the Rural Mayors' Forum of Eastern Ontario (RMFEO), which they have done this week.

A press release was released by Ron Higgins on behalf of RMFEO. It says that the 13 member municipalities “have crafted a mission, vision and objectives. Its specific mission is to identify opportunities for collaboration to improve operational effectiveness and long-term sustainability, with a vision to work closely with stakeholders to coordinate common goals. Over the coming months a strategy will be put in place to communicate and work with other organizations and government bodies.”

The first issue that will be addressed by the group is the billing model for policing services that are provided by the Ontario Provincial Police.

“We have found some flaws in the model and will be doing some more research into the model for our next meeting,” said Higgins.

Three of the mayors, all from municipalities in Renfrew County, will be working over the Christmas holidays to complete that research. Once a report is considered at the next RMFEO meeting, a decision will be made as to how to use the report to try and effect a change in the model so that it is less of a burden on municipalities that do not contain a larger population centre.

Other issues that are being looked at include broadband service in isolated locations and the approval process under the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund.

“One of our members was refused funding under that program on the grounds that they had a very robust asset management plan in place and could finance the project using loans. We all were told to put good asset management plans in order to be eligible for grants. We are going to look into the possibility that smaller municipalities are losing out in the way these grants are handed out,” said Higgins.

Over the coming months, RMFEO will be publicizing its strategy and seeking out other partners throughout Ontario to initiate collaborative discussions aimed at ensuring that small rural communities in Eastern Ontario and elsewhere have favourable and equitable representation.

The member municipalities of RMFEO include: Addington Highlands, Bruedenell, Lyndoch and Raglan, Central Frontenac, Greater Madawaska, Hastings Highlands, Horton, Lanark Highlands, Madawaska Valley, McNab/Braeside, Mississippi Mills, and North Frontenac.

After researching on the web and reading all the articles that have been published in Belleville newspapers and in the Frontenac News (Central Frontenac cuts ties with CAO/Works Manager Zimmerman, Frontenac News, Jun 18/15) as to why Jim Zimmerman was terminated, I am baffled. Belleville articles stated that Jim Zimmerman seriously wanted to get things done, and he was "stepping on toes doing it". Articles written in the Frontenac News stated that Zimmerman was enthusiastic and ready to settle into his new position at Central Frontenac Township. I'm sure that some people would agree with me that our Public Works Department could use some much needed restructuring measures effective immediately. Unfortunately we will not see any results from Jim Zimmerman as he was sent packing after only three months on the job.

Bill Glisky is a reporter from Belleville and takes on local politics, life, the universe and everything else. Bill Glisky's report on Zimmerman's termination is pretty much identical to his termination here in Central Frontenac Township. Bill Glisky reported that Jim Zimmerman was making some very big changes in the city of Belleville and until he arrived, Public Works was leading the way on inactivity, and in Glisky's opinion "that's why the big adios to Mr. Z. Simply put, he was making council look bad". That article gives you food for thought. As a taxpayer I would love to hear an explanation from our council as to why Mr. Zimmerman was dismissed from his position with such short notice here in Central Frontenac Township. I feel I am not alone in thinking that the public has a right to know. The future of funding in Central Frontenac Township is very precarious and we need action from the new council members to get some issues resolved before our property tax skyrockets to new limits. It is with great solace to know that effective January 2016 we will be able to send our complaints to Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin.

Isn’t it amazing how the Central Frontenac Council can now find $255,000 in savings. Yet just a few weeks past, when setting the budget, they looked high & low but could not find any reductions, or savings or any opportunities for consolidation of projects. Their supposed best effort, on behalf of the people, the same people who elected them, couldn’t find another penny of savings. It was the BEST they could do.

Guy MacLeod