Are you interested in getting more active? Did you know there is a group that meets downstairs at the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team every Thursday at 1:30pm and goes for a walk until 2:30pm? Did you know that a nurse and dietitian also go on this walk and discuss important health topics each week? It’s true! There’s also equipment to use free of charge including: snowshoes, walking poles, hand weights, and pedometers. Everyone is welcome, it’s free to anyone, and everyone can go his or her own pace.

The benefits of walking are incredible. It is a simple, safe, inexpensive way to improve blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, bone health, weight, energy, alertness, stress, tension, sleep, the list goes on. Walking also exercises multiple muscle groups including the arms, shoulders, abs, quadriceps, hip flexors, and hamstrings! In addition, walking reduces the risk of colon cancer, builds bone mass which reduces the risk of osteoporosis, improves balance, improves heart health by increasing heart rate and circulation, decreases your risk of catching a cold by 50%, reduces glaucoma risk, and halves Alzheimer’s disease over 5 years. Walking is also an exercise option for all ages!

It is recommended that most people complete at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise each week. When you are ready, resistance exercises such as lifting weights should be added into your routine three times each week. There’s never a bad time to start increasing your physical activity level. Things that can help to keep you on track are doing something enjoyable, have a buddy join you, set very small achievable goals and celebrate meeting these goals often!

Please call 613-279-2100 for more information or to register for the walking group out of the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team.

Members of the Frontenac Minor Hockey Association are making a gallant effort this year and are asking for local community support in the hopes that the Frontenac Community Arena will be one of the top 10 finalists for the $100,000 grand prize for this year’s 2016 Kraft Hockeyville competition. The winner of the competition will also be invited to host a pre-season NHL game at their own home arena.

The annual competition invites nominations for local community arenas from across the country and in order to become one of the top 10 finalists, the judges want to see that the nominated communities have the necessary spirit required.

The local community here in the Frontenacs is therefore invited to demonstrate their support and spirit for Frontenac Flyers Hockey by posting to Twitter and Instagram with the custom hashtag #khv_letsgoflyers and by tweeting their Flyers’ pics! No less than 30% of the criteria for a successful nomination depends on the FCA receiving at least 250 postings (and hopefully many more) online in support of the FCA nomination.

The deadline to meet this criteria is Sunday, February 7 which is fast approaching and the number of tweets and posts received, along with other criteria, will decide which of the nominees will be chosen as one of the finalists in the competition.

Al Pixley, president of the Frontenac Minor Hockey Association (FMHA), submitted the nomination for the Frontenac Community Arena on January 26, 2016 and he said that while the FCA has been nominated in past Kraft Hockeyville competitions, the FMHA are making an extra special effort this year. “We have applied for this before but this time around we are making an early start and are really going for it”, Pixley said when I interviewed him earlier this week. He said that he feels confident this time around and believes that the nomination has the support of the local community, the arena board and local township councils. “This year being the 40-year anniversary of the Frontenac Community Arena makes it a great year for giving it our all”, Pixley said “and a grand prize win would allow for a number of renovations to the arena to take place.” These would include a new indoor viewing area, new second floor washrooms, a new canteen and possibly an elevator to make the second floor accessible. Pixley also foresees the old viewing area at the arena being transformed into an indoor fitness facility in the future.

“The arena in the next five years is need of a lot of renovations and these renovations, in particular a new viewing area, would not only bring in more revenue but would also allow us to host a number of other year-round community functions and events including weddings, receptions, corporate gatherings and more”.

Everyone can make a difference! Don’t have a Twitter or Instagram account? It’s easy to create one; then you can post with the hashtag #khv_letsgoflyers before the fast approaching Sunday, February 7 deadline.

The Township of North Frontenac will be hosting a free skating event on Saturday, February 20, from 12 noon – 2pm at the Plevna Rink, 6598 Buckshot Lake Road.

The Township of North Frontenac has invited “Funtastical Costumes” and they are graciously volunteering to attend. There will be public skating, hot dogs, and hot chocolate. Come out & see us, come out for some fun with Olaf and Elsa. And no…we’re not done… the Ninja Turtles & Hello Kitty also can’t wait to see you. Oh wait, Minion & Mickey & Spiderman will be there too!! Plan to come out! Write down the date; it will be fun for the whole family. So lace up your skates and make sure you’re not late! For information contact Corey Klatt, Manager of Community Development at (613) 479-2231 ext. 233 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information

Let’s make some Funtastical Memories!!

To see more visit www.funtasticalcostumes.com

Over 60 people of all ages attended the dinner and Chinese auction fundraiser at the Snow Road Snowmobile Club on January 16. The event included a full course meal and as well, close to 20 items, most donated by club members, were auctioned off. By the end of the night over $500 was raised and the proceeds will go towards the cost of keeping the club operating.

Club organizers have also been busy preparing for the club’s second annual Ride For Dad fundraiser for Prostate Cancer, which will take place at the club on Saturday, February 27. Last year’s event attracted close to 100 riders and club president Ruth Wark says she hopes to see that number rise. “We're shooting for 150 riders this year and it looks as though the snow and cold will help the trails freeze down and make for a great day of riding for those who come out.” Local businesses are invited to sponsor the event.

Registration takes place the day of the ride from 8 –10 am. The $30 registration fee includes a trail lunch at the Civitan Club in Lanark, and riders who raise over $100 in pledges will get their registration fee returned, or, if they wish they can donate it to the cause. The club will be serving a full course spaghetti dinner the night of the ride for $8.

Riders will depart from Snow Road and follow the trail to Sharbot Lake, then head east to Perth and north to Lanark, where they will stop for lunch. They will then continue on to Middleville, Hopetown and meet back at the club. The 100km ride will take riders through some fabulous scenery and terrain. Participants can pre-register at www.ridefordad.ca and supporters can also make pledges on line there. For more information, contact Ruth Wark at 613-278-0477.

The winter weather has arrived, and just in time for the 6th Annual Frontenac Heritage Festival Polar Plunge, to be held on Valentine’s Day – February 14, 2016 at the Sharbot Lake Marina. Patrick O’Conner, our Town Crier, will open things up at 12 noon and the first plunger will hit the water shortly after. For the sake of the participants and the audience the action will be fast and furious and should wrap up within 30-45 minutes. Through the generosity of St. Lawrence College Employment Center, Karen McGregor will join Mayor Frances Smith to present the trophies for our award winners just before the plunge.

Last year was our best ever with about 40 plungers taking place.  We hope to beat that mark this year. Come!! Plunge with us - but if (for some reason) you can’t - why not sponsor a plunger? Funds raised this year will go to assisting

• Children’s and Youth programs at the Child Center (unfunded programs)
• Granite Ridge Educational Centre (Council of students, teachers and parents)
• Alzheimer Society
• Central Frontenac Volunteer Firefighters

Thank you in advance for all your generous donations.  When making cheques out to plungers, please make them payable to: Township of Central Frontenac with a notation of “Polar Plunge” at the bottom. If you want a receipt for your generous donation please include your postal address info on the pledge form so we can get the receipt to you!!  Our thanks again to Richard Struthers and his staff at the marina for hosting the event; Cox Bus Lines for making a “Warm Up” bus available; Bill Young and the firefighters for being in the water right there with us, the Emergency Services personnel for being on hand (just in case!); and the many volunteers that make this event possible.

For information or pledge forms, or for info on available plungers to fund, please contact Art Holloway at 613-985-2895 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Kingston and Area Ice Stock (or Eisstock) Club, which plays the Austrian game that is kind of a cross between Bocce Ball and Curling at Centennial Park in Verona, has grown in leaps and bounds over the last three years.

Now, three of the league's players, who are all South Frontenac residents, have been chosen to join Team Canada for the upcoming world championships to be held in the Italian Alp community of Ritten later this winter. Ritten was part of Austria before World War One and has remained a hotbed for Eisstock.

The three South Frontenac Eisstockers are Jamie Babcock. Paul Blais and Tasha Vankoughnett. They will be part of a Canadian team that will compete in the “B” division of the championships, where developing nations in the sport prepare themselves to take the final step to compete in the elite “A” division.

The event takes place between February 17 and 28.

The Frontenac Minor Hockey Association is sponsoring a fundraising event for the family of Travis Babcock, who tragically died in an accident recently at the age of 12. Join the FMHA all day at the Frontenac Community Arena on Saturday, Dec. 12; 10am-7:30pm and 8:30pm – 9:30pm of Frontenac Flyers hockey dedicated to the life & spirit of Travis. There will be a barbeque, 50/50 draw, face painting, and auction items all day long. From 7:30pm – 8:30pm there will be a Skate-a-thon fundraiser. 100% of the proceeds raised go directly to support the Babcock family as they come to terms with the new reality of their lives.

No less than five generations of the Halligan family gathered to enjoy Sydenham’s Santa Claus parade on November 28. Great great grandparents Bill and Edna Halligan had front row seats. Hundreds of parade goers lined the streets to take in the colorful floats and costumed participants, which also included a number of four-legged friends dressed up in celebration. More pictures from the parade will be included in our upcoming Christmas issue.

During the two week rifle deer season this November, 293 hunters and five apprentices were holders of tickets in the COFA Deer contest, hoping they would harvest a deer to weigh in for the grand draw prize of a Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag Deer/ Turkey Combo with Bushnell 3X9 Camo Scope. Over the two weeks 55 deer were weighed: 27 bucks, and 28 does. 

Winners: Heaviest buck (cash prize): (1st) Matt Lessard, at 229.0 lbs; (2nd) Steven Rosenblath at 215.1 lbs. Largest doe (cash prize): (1st) Gary Allen at 134.2 lbs; (2nd) Ed Clark at 133.3 lbs. Apprentice draw (Browning Russ Kommer Knife): Kale Yearwood. Grand Prize draw (Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag Deer/Turkey Combo): James Jefferies.

There were also many other draws of products from our generous sponsors awarded to ticket holders. The proceeds will be used for conservation activities of the Conservationists Of Frontenac and Addington.

Two back-to-back fundraising events in Sharbot Lake on November 21 were organized by members of the District 3 recreation committee and raised $3,000 for the Sharbot Lake rink project. The first event was an open mic fundraiser that took place at the Sharbot Lake Legion in the afternoon, and later that evening a dance was held at Oso hall featuring three bands, Franny and Beeb'z Breezeway Pickers, Greatest of Ease, and Plan B. The latter event was attended by over 100 people, who danced the night away to the sounds of old country, rock 'n roll and the blues. The Oso hall event included a silent auction with numerous items donated by individuals and businesses from the local community. The $10 ticket included a full buffet that was served at 10pm.

To date the Oso Recreation Committee has raised $10,000 for the rink project, which they estimate could cost $200,000. The project's organizers have secured a site for the rink that will be located at the Oliver Scott Memorial Park near the Granite Ridge Education Centre. A geo-technical survey has been done and that report is currently being reviewed by the project team.

Local surveyor Tom MacDonald will also be surveying the site sometime this week. The next steps for the project include hiring an engineer to draw up the design, after which time it will be determined which aspects of the project can be carried out by skilled local volunteers.

I spoke to Lesley Merrigan one of the organizers of the project who said that she is hoping that local skilled trades people who support the project and who plan to use the rink will help out by volunteering their time and know how to work on the project. Merrigan also said that there are plans to hold a town hall meeting sometime in the near future to inform the community about the project with the hopes of attracting local businesses who may want to sponsor it. Similarly, the team is looking at possible grant funding from various sources.

In the meantime the District 3 Recreation committee will be fundraising through the winter months. Merrigan said that she has been speaking with Paul Hogan of Wolfe Island, who was involved in a similar project there that has been successfully completed. Anyone wanting to get involved in any way with the District 3 Recreation Committee's Sharbot Lake Rink project can contact Lesley Merrigan at 613-483-1839 or Dave Willis at 613-279-2844.