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With 25 years experience working on roads crews, new Central Frontenac Public Works Manager Brad Thake hopes to be a “voice of reason” and provide the same sort of stability in the position that his predecessor, Mike Richardson brought.

“Mike was a heavy roads guy and a big bridge guy,” Thake said after his first solo Council meeting and a couple of weeks on the job. “He left the Township in good shape infrastructure-wise.”

Thake is originally from Brockville but he’s no stranger to area as much of his family is from Westport. That village’s legendary Reeve Bill Thake was his great uncle.

“I’m glad I’m here,” he said. “It’s close to friends and family and there are real people here.”

Thake started his career with a private firm contracted to MTO that covered roads in the 401 corridor from Kingston to Brockville. From there he moved on to Port Dover and started to move into management as an area supervisor before settling into Chatsworth Township (south of Owen Sound) where he was roads supervisor.

“I was even part of a declared state of emergency when Williamsford flooded,” he said. “I’ve done lots of things regarding roads from accident investigation to rebuilding and contracts.

“This is a great opportunity to make an impact on taxpayers’ lives.”

By that, he means keeping a tight lid on budgets.

“My focus is certainly going to be on roads,” he said. “(But) people can’t afford tax increases.

“Luckily, we have a fantastic staff, a great mayor with a lot of integrity and I think (Clerk) Cathy MacMunn and I have the same vision moving forward.”

He said he’s looking at a new grading program and is on board with his counterparts in the other Frontenac County Townships on landfill and waste diversion programs aiming at zero waste one day.

Thake and his wife Dana (“I wouldn’t be where I am without her”) live in Salem with a great dane, a bull mastiff and a bulldog. He has two sons from a previous marriage.

He hasn’t decided how he’ll spend his free time in the north country but after seeing all the lakes around here he said: “I may have to take up fishing.”

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 12 April 2017 11:36

Brad Barbeau joins SF Council

In January, South Frontenac Council invited Harrowsmith resident Brad Barbeau to fill the vacancy on Council created by Councillor Bill Robinson’s death late last year. Barbeau had been a candidate in Portland district in the last municipal election, and was a close runner-up.

“There’s a lot of ‘catchup’ to do,” said Barbeau, in reference to having been dropped into Council halfway through its term; “and I’ve been told I’m a perfectionist.” He added that his fellow councillors have been helpful, both in bringing him up to speed on current issues, and occasionally adjusting what would usually be daytime committee meetings to accommodate his work schedule. In his mid-thirties, Barbeau is the youngest member of Council, and only he and Schjerning have full-time jobs and young families.

Barbeau grew up in Madoc, moving to South Frontenac just before entering his final year of high school in Sydenham. He went on to Queen’s, and now works there as senior management in the technology section of the School of Business. He left his “spare time” position as organist and interim choral director at St George’s when his first son was born, and is currently organist at St Paul’s in Sydenham, and teaches two computer courses at St Lawrence.

Barbeau’s interest in local politics has been with him for much of his life: he married his high school sweetheart, whose father was Reeve, and remembers growing up listening to community issues being discussed at the dinner table. He’s particularly committed to the importance of farming and preservation of farmland, and feels this does not preclude well-planned residential development. He spoke of the ‘interesting mix’ of South Frontenac residents with people who have been born and grown up here living beside recently-arrived “city folk”, and the challenges this presents in fostering a sense of community. He’s intrigued with the concept of a Heritage Committee, which might be a way of helping owners of older homes to access funds for upkeep and maintenance.

And he wonders if anyone out there even knows he’s on Council, for almost no one has contacted him yet about local concerns or issues: he can be reached at: 613-376-6644, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Thursday, 06 April 2017 13:05

Life after politics

Ken Hook has been a pheasant farmer, the Reeve of Addington Highlands, Executive Director of Land O’Lakes Community Services, and he currently runs a videography company with his wife Kathy. He is also an athlete, and a pretty good one, it turns out. Recently, he had an unexpected win in the Hamilton Around the Bay 5K running race on March 26th where he placed 1st in the age 60-64 division in a field of 51 runners. Overall, Ken placed 172 in a field of 2385 runners.
Last summer, Ken qualified in Ottawa at the 2016 Canadian Triathlon Championships as one of the top 10 athletes in his age category which enables him to compete as part of Team Canada at the ITU World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, September 14-17, 2017.

Ken's event is the "Sprint Triathlon" which is a 750m swim, 20K bike and 5K run which takes under 2 hours to complete. Ken trains in the Cloyne area and swims in Skootamatta Lake. He will be competing in several running races and triathlons in Ontario prior to the Rotterdam event. (Information provided by Tracy Hook, a proud brother)

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Thursday, 06 April 2017 11:10

Pumper/hauler questions inspection plan

Central Frontenac Township’s plan, which is now under review, to licence pumper/haulers to do inspections on septic systems “won’t work,” says a long-time area pumper who does 30 per cent of his business in Central Frontenac.

“They’ve opened up a hornets’ nest,” said Dave Orser, who began helping his father with the family business in 1963 and took it over when his father retired. “South Frontenac tried this a few years ago and I was quite involved in it. It won’t work.”

Orser said he has two main concerns.

First, he’s concerned he’ll lose business if he’s put in the position of having to ‘fail’ a system.

“If I come to an area and turn down a system, I’ll never pump another system in that area again,” Orser said. “People will say ‘don’t get Dave, he’ll turn you in. Is the Township going to accept the liability for the pumper losing business?”

His second point is that the $20 fee the Township will pay for the inspection just isn’t enough.

“I’m not going to do inspections for $20, especially when you get $100 for a real estate inspection,” he said. “Inspections take time and that cuts into the number of pumpings I can do in a day.

“A good day now is about 10 tanks but depending on the distance I have to travel and the complexity of the inspection (like for example if a filter at the weeping bed has to be dug out and checked) that could be down to five.”

It’s not that Orser is being critical or that he doesn’t care about he environment. He considers all the lakes in this area as ‘my lakes’ and he’s been known to ‘recommend’ that a system owner take steps to correct problems.

“If I see something suspicious, I’ll say ‘you gotta do something’ and most people do,” he said. “If I see it a second time, then I’ll tell the Health Unit.

“They’re all my lakes.”

Orser also sees plenty of problems on the horizon if people are forced to replace aging systems.

“I’ve had a lot of calls and there are a lot of older people in a panic about this,” he said. “Just because a system is 40 years old, it doesn’t mean it’s not still working.

“I’m still pumping systems my dad put in.”

But he worries what will happen to seniors on fixed incomes, given that most new systems are in the $15,000-$20,000 range and newer technologies can cost even more if they use electricity to operate such as the Waterloo Biofilter.

“I know I’d be in trouble financially if I had to replace my system,” he said. “And what if you’re on an older 100 x 100 lot? There might not be room for one of the newer systems.”

He doesn’t think Township subsidies or 80-20 type loans will work either.

“You could have 600 people coming for help replacing their systems,” he said. “How is the Township going to pay 80 per cent of that? And let’s face it, for single seniors who only have their pension and a few dollars put away, they’re never going get $20,000 paid off.”

Orser said he thinks the best solution is for municipalities to hold off on making plans until the Province actually passes the legislation and then to lobby them for inspectors. “It is my one hundred per cent hope the township will hold off,” he said. “Then, if the province decides to pass this, the Province can hire the inspectors who will accompany the pumpers and to the inspections.”

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Thursday, 06 April 2017 11:04

Addington Highlands Council, April 3

Something you don’t see at a municipal council meeting very often is a resident making a delegation and going to bat for a neighbour.

But at Addington Highlands regular Council meeting this week in Flinton, Amos Shiner did just that.

Shiner took exception to the way Larry Knox has been treated with respect to the enforcement of the yard clean-up bylaw.

Knox has been instructed to clean up his Hwy. 41 property. Shiner said a bylaw enforcement officer visited Knox March 1 and gave him until April 17 to comply.

“Larry has been in the hospital for lung surgery and I’m here asking for an extension,” Shiner said.

Shiner said allegations that nothing had been done were untrue as Knox had “taken a pickup load to the dump.”

Shiner also said there were extenuating circumstances in that some of the metal to be removed was still frozen in the ground.

“I’ve talked to many people who are not happy with the way this was done,” Shiner said.

Shiner said the incident has raised other concerns for him and he plans to do something about them.

“Our bylaw does not comply with the Charter of Rights (and Freedoms),” he said. “One person (the bylaw enforcement officer) has the authority to enter anyone’s property and act as judge without appeal.

“We feel bullied by this bylaw so we’re taking petitions (and) you’re going to see a lot of me until this bylaw is changed.”

Shiner also said he has issues with other municipal statutes including the Official Plan.

Council thanked Shiner for his presentation.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Wednesday, 29 March 2017 14:43

Notes from Central Frontenac Council

Council cost taxpayers a total of $82,691.07 in 2016 including mileage, professional development and per diem.

Mayor Frances Smith was paid $13,462.10 including $1,058.32 in mileage. Dep. Mayor (for 2016) Bill MacDonald received $10,638.82 including $543.68 in per diem and $588.50 in mileage. Coun. Victor Heese received $10,720.94 including $332.99 for professional development and conferences, $630 for per diem and $1,144.12 for mileage. Coun. Tom Dewey received $9,725.37 including $923.21 for mileage and $119.21 for ‘other.’ Coun. Cindy Kelsey received $9,116.85 including $433.90 for professional development and conferences. Coun. Phillip Smith received $8,988.95 including $90 per diem and $216 for mileage. Coun. Sherry Whan, Brent Cameron and Jamie Riddell each received $8,682.95.

MacDonald suggested that compared with other Councils in the area, Central is on the lower end of the pay scale and Council instructed the treasurer to look at adding increases into this year’s budget, which will come to Council in two weeks.

Council canceled
As Oso Hall is scheduled for a coroner’s inquest during the week of April 25 and unavailable for the Council meeting, Council opted to cancel its meeting rather than move it to one of the other Township Halls.

Goat meat with hazelnuts
During County economic development officer Richard Allen’s presentation, Coun. Bill MacDonald noted that the possibility of a hazelnut industry in the future, quipping that “I’m encouraged to find you’re going to increase the number of nuts in Frontenac County.”

MacDonald also asked what become of male goats and female goats after their milking lives were done.

Allen replied that there is a growing goat meat market in Canada given immigration from countries where goat meat is a staple.

Dep. Mayor Brent Cameron had an alternative possibility.

“Old goats might have an opportunity in municipal politics,” Cameron said.

New hires
Council announced they will be extending offers of employment to Shawn Merriman as manager of development services/chief building official and Greg Robinson as manager of emergency services/fire chief.Clerk Cathy MacMunn said no further details could be released until contracts were signed, but both officials are expected to take office May 1.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Mayor Ron Vandewal made $31,144.34 for running South Frontenac Township in 2016, says an information item presented at the regular Council meeting Tuesday night. Of that, $26,315.79 was the honorarium for being Mayor, $2,497.55 was for mileage, $1,700 for conference per diem and $631 for ‘other’ (primarily communication and travel expenses) Vandewal received no remuneration under the “meetings” heading.

Deputy Mayor Ross Sutherland received $21,593 of which $14,061.42 was his honorarium, $3,150 was for meetings, $1,836.22 was for ‘other,’ $1,796 was mileage and $750 was conference per diem.

Coun. Alan Revill actually took home more than the Deputy Mayor at $24,381.05. Of that, $12,128.94 was the regular councillors honorarium, $5,450 was for meetings, $4,307.60 for mileage, 1,494 for ‘other’ and 1,000 in conference per diem.

As for the rest of Council, Pat Barr received $19,521.74, John McDougall $18,759.79, Norman Roberts $18,674 (which includes one month as Deputy Mayor), Ron Sleeth $18,022.79, Mark Schjerning $17,132.72 and the late Bill Robinson $10,045.28.
In total, Council remuneration cost the Township $179,275.71

No ban on parking on Walker Street
A motion to ban overnight parking at the Walker Street parking lot in Sydenham was defeated with only the mover, Coun. Ross Sutherland voting in favour.

“It’s sort of a small, very limited purpose lot for accessing the (K & P) Trail,” Sutherland said. “But there was an RV parked there for five days and it took up all the space so there was no place for anyone else to park.

“And I notice now that it’s getting even more use now.”

However Mayor Ron Vandewal didn’t like the idea of a total overnight ban.

“We should allow at least one night’s parking,” Vandewal said. “If somebody makes an effort to drive here and use the trail we shouldn’t tell them after a day of using it ‘you can’t stay here.’”

Vandewal also noted that “other than your RV, there’s only been one complaint about the parking lot.”

Vandewal also suggested that more than one year of data would be useful in making decisions about the lot.

Hockey heroes
The OMHA Ontario Novice East CC-C champion Frontenac Flyers were honoured for their victory this past weekend with a plaque presented by Mayor Ron Vandewal on behalf of the Township. Grinning almost as much as the team, Vandewal congratulated both coaches and players while noting “this is the first ‘Frontenac’ championship team since the arena’s name was changed from North Frontenac Arena.”

Quinte grant
Council supported Quinte Conservation’s bid for a grant to study to “prepare for the ever changing climate and the impacts that it has on everything that municipalities are involved in.”

Coun. Alan Revill said that while he supported the grant application, he’d like to see some plans as to how the three conservation authorities operating in the Township might “mesh together” for things like drought strategy.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

“Do no harm.”

That’s how Craig Bakay started his article in opposition to the Central Frontenac Septic System Maintenance and Assessment Program passed by Council.

Do no harm.

That is exactly what a septic system is supposed to do. It takes potentially dangerous waste, neutralizes it and returns it back into the environment. But it needs help in the form of regular maintenance. Encouraging regular maintenance is the focus of the Septic System Maintenance and Assessment Program. The benefits of regular maintenance are well documented: system performance is improved, system life span is lengthened, the likelihood of expensive repairs is reduced, property value is protected.

The risks of a failed system are also well documented. People’s health is at risk either by direct contact or by bacteria being introduced into the food stream. Untreated effluent can make its way into the groundwater system and contaminate well water. Nutrients remaining in effluent increase weed and algal growth in lakes, which draws oxygen out of the water, affecting the habitats of fish and other wildlife.

The Septic Re-Inspection Committee spent over three years looking into how to best protect human health, the environment and the economy. We believe the program that we recommended to Council is the most cost-effective and efficient way to accomplish these goals.

Pumpers and haulers will be licensed and trained by the township to perform a simple assessment at the time of pump-out. The assessments, forwarded to the township, will rate a number of items by a colour code: green means OK, yellow means minor repair or maintenance is suggested, red means that the system has failed or is failing.

Green and yellow assessments will be handled by the township. Only red assessments will be forwarded to Public Health. A red assessment is a serious matter. It means that human health or the environment are at risk. Remedial actions will be required. And, yes, these repairs or replacement can be expensive.

However, according to a Public Health Inspector working in Central Frontenac, in his more than 30 years experience, no one has ever lost their home because of a malfunctioning septic system. NEVER! Public Health will work with the homeowner to find a solution.

No program is free. There will be some cost, but this innovative program will provide the information that the township needs at a low cost with a minimum of inconvenience to the homeowner. Licensing, training and assessment forms will be provided to the pumpers and haulers at no charge, so there will be no cost that they will transfer to their customers. Tank lids will already be exposed for the pump-out, so the homeowner will not be inconvenienced. The assessment should only take an extra few minutes, so the added charge to the homeowner should be low.

The cost for failing to implement this program, however, could be high. For years, owners of lakefront properties have been reporting that water quality is deteriorating. There are more weeds, more algae, bad smells. If this continues, the value of waterfront properties will decrease. With a decrease in the value of waterfront property, the portion of taxes paid by these homeowners also decreases, which means that everyone else will have to make up the shortfall. We have a problem with water quality in Central Frontenac. We can use lofty rhetoric to justify sticking our heads in the sand and ignore the problem. Or we can try to do something about the problem. The Septic System Maintenance and Assessment Program is an attempt to do just that.

Published in Editorials

In his verbal report to Council about this year’s Good Roads convention in Toronto, South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal touched on two aspects that caught his attention — waste management information and the idea of incorporating ride-sharing apps such as Uber into the county transportation system.

“There have been 4,000 studies on waste and recycling and they say they don’t have any hard data,” Vandewal said.

But he was more optimistic about the potential part ride-sharing might play in rural transportation systems.

After attending a seminar featuring Uber Canada’s public policy manager Chris Schafer, Vandewal came out with a feeling there may be a part for ride-sharing apps to play in rural Ontario.

“It could be huge for rural,” Vandewal said. “How simple it could be.

“I don’t know that it would work but I thought maybe it made sense and it could broaden our transportation system.”

Uber already operates in Ottawa and Kingston. There is also a system in place in Summit New Jersey whereby the municipality subsidizes from its transit hub in a ‘first-mile/last-mile’ concept that frees up parking spots.

Uber also has public transit agreements with San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Alamonte Springs, Florida, has “totally replaced its public transportation with subsidized Uber rides” according to The Verge website.
“I’m not in favour of a county-wide transportation system - yet,” said Vandewal. “But we looked at Ottawa and systems where people ride the bus to the end of the line and have Uber meet them there to take them the rest of the way.

“We do have some land north of Kingston that could be a potential hub if Kingston would be open to sending a bus out there.

“There could be municipal opportunities in the sharing economy.”

One issue though, as always, is cost.

For example, from Uber’s Kingston website puts the price of a ride from Glenburnie to KGH at “$21-$27.”

Frontenac Transportation Service (FTS) has been providing rides to medical appointments and other services for residents of Frontenac County for a number of years. The not-for-profit service, which is operated by Northern and Southern Frontenac Community Services to serve their own clients and others, has recently been looking at expanding its services using a ride sharing model.

Frontenac County provides $90,000 in annual funding support to FTS to help cover administrative costs and to subsidize medical rides for residents in need.

Gail Young, who manages FTS, said a recent ride from the Perth Road area to a chiropractor on Princess Street cost $11, which was further reduced with a subsidy from South Frontenac Community Services. Young said that using services like Uber may be something for the future, but for now, FTS is looking at increasing ride-sharing and continuing with volunteer drivers.

“It’s important for us to look at different models, and the professional driver option may work better in the south,” she said. “(But) we use volunteer drivers which means much different insurance rates and with ride-sharing, that is marrying up people who are going to the same place, the costs can be further reduced.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Former Frontenac County Warden Frances Smith took received $26,641 in 2016, including $4,391 in mileage and over $22,226 in pay. As Warden, Smith received the highest base pay and the most pay for attending board and committee meetings. She submitted only $23.77 in claims for conference, training and other travel.

Deputy Warden Ron Vandewal received $14,053, including $13,480 in pay for serving as Deputy Warden and sitting on committees and task forces and $573 for mileage. Vandewal made no claims under the conference/training line. Former Warden Denis Doyle received more than Vandewal did,  a total of $15,575. Doyle received  $10,887 in pay, $3,750  conference, training and other travel expenses and $936 in mileage. It should be noted, however, that the Warden and Deputy Warden attend some events and meetings as designated county representatives, and those expenses are paid from other county budgets.

Among other members of council, Ron Higgins received a total of $13,702, John McDougall $12,994, Tom Dewey $11986, John Inglis $11,857, and Natalie Nossal $10,407.

All told, remuneration for governance in Frontenac County for 2016 came to a shade under $117,000. By comparison, the 9 member Lennox and Addington Council took home $220,000 all told.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY
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