A little over a week ago, Amrit Kaillon was watching tv and saw an item about Caremongering Facebook sites, a Canadian idea that is taking hold across the world.

The idea is simple, instead of promoting fear, caremongering is a Facebook page devoted to people coming together to support one another in a troubled time.

She decided to start a Sharbot Lake site. Within a day it had 80 members and has been growing ever since.

Out of that effort, a Sharbot Lake and Rural Frontenac COVID-10 support group is being formed. It is teaming up with Rural Frontenac Community Services and its transportation wing, Frontenac Transportation Services, to help people access what they need.

“The support group is to act as a centralized system for deliveries. By doing so, we're giving businesses the chance to use their resources for the more important things, like stocking shelves, refilling prescriptions and helping those in need,” Amrit said.

Ken Fisher and Greg Rodgers from the Rockhill B&B have been working on behalf of the Sharbot Lake Business Group to help turn this initiative into reality. A number of businesses are already on board and more are interested in joining.  And Louise Moody from Rural Frontenac Community Services has brought all her resources to the effort.

Frontenac Transportation Services is helping with deliveries, but more volunteers are needed.

Anyone who is interested can contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to the Caremongering Sharbot Lake Facebook page to access an online form.

“These are unprecedented times where many are worried and fearful of the future.  We are here to help, in any way we can, even if it’s for a friendly phone call or to boost morale.  Thank you to all the volunteers for your dedication to helping those in trying times,” said Amrit.

The group is also planning a social-distancing friendly Easter event. Look for details over the next two weeks.

Even before the announcement of a state of emergency and the forced closure of bars and restaurants, as well as gatherings over 50 people, Frontenac County municipalities, community services organisations, restaurants and other businesses had already taken steps.

As of now, all municipal recreational facilities in Frontenac County, Addington Highlands and Tay Valley township are closed. Municipal offices are closed to the public, but are still operating and staff can be contacted vis phone or email.

(Statements from all four townships are reprinted at the end of this article)

Branches of both the L&A and Kingston Frontenac Public Libraries are also closed until further notice.

Southern Frontenac Community Services has suspended Grace Centre Social Activity’s Diners Club and SALT events, foot care, and volunteer hospice and bereavement services.

Access to the Grace Centre is restricted to the side entrance and portables, with screening. Adult Day Services are still being offered. Transportation services are restricted to essential drives only. Frozen meals on wheels remain available as well as hot meals on wheels. Extra precautions are in place at the Meals on Wheels program. The Food bank will be open only on Wednesdays – food bank clients will receive pre-packaged hampers only and will be met at the door. Home-making and in-home respite services are also reduced to essential needs only. For further information, call 613-376-6477.

Rural Frontenac Community Services (RFCS) has shut down its daycare in Sharbot Lake and EarlyOn programming throughout Frontenac County, and The Child Centre is closed.

As far as services for adults and seniors are concerned RFCS Diners have been suspended, but meals on wheels continues, and may have its days increase as more senior’s are staying home. Senior’s respite, adult day and home help services are all continuing. The Adult Services building on Elizabeth Street in Sharbot Lake remains open and reception is being staffed. Many of the affiliate agencies that offer service at the Sharbot Lake office are now offering those services remotely, with workers working at home.  

Patient visits are being restricted at Pine Meadow Nursing Home (Northbrook) and Fairmount Home (Glenburnie) Only “essential visitors” are permitted to enter the home at this time, essential being defined as those who have a resident who is dying or very ill”. These visitors are being actively screened.

A scheduled meeting of Frontenac County Council on March 18 has been postponed until further notice.

All events scheduled at Frontenac Park are canceled and the Visitors Centre is closed. Day use of the park is still permitted so the trails are available.

Medical facilities have special restrictions in place as well (see article – call first .. on page …. Or look to “Coronavirus update” on page 7, which includes information about services at the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team and important information for the general public as well)

The vast majority, if not all, public events such as concerts, breakfasts, Lenten lunches and community dinners, have been canceled. Not only have the town halls been closed, but as of Tuesday morning church halls were closed as well. Church services are also canceled.

Conservation Authorities are closing their offices to the public and events such as Maple Madness at the Little Cat Conservation area and Maple Weekend in Lanark, Frontenac and Leeds and a Thousand Islands has also been canceled.

Trails and Conservation areas, on the other hand, remain open, and where fees are normally charged (such as the Rideau Valley Conservation areas) they have been suspended.

As of Tuesday, as well, restaurant service has been curtailed by provincial edict. Local restaurants are endeavoring to stay open by offering take-out. Best to call first to confirm hours and menu options. Pharmacies and grocery stores remain open, and some grocers have stepped up to offer home delivery for senior’s and those who are self-isolating. Check with your local store to see if they are offering the service. Hardware/building supply stores also remain open, and delivery services are also being bumped up by some. Convenience stores remain open and are operating as normal.

The best source of information about how to stay safe in the face of Covid-19 is KFLA Public Health. Go to https://www.kflaph.ca/en/healthy-living/novel-coronavirus.aspx

Statement from Central Frontenac Township

On March 16, 2020 at 10:30am the Township of Central Frontenac has closed ALL municipal buildings to the public including the municipal office. This includes all council meetings and municipal hall rentals. Waste sites will still be open as normal however, safety precautions are in place at each site. These measures are being put into place to put the health and safety of everyone at the forefront. Municipal staff will still be reporting to work and available by telephone 613-279-2935. This closure will stay in effect indefinitely and reviewed on a regular basis.

For more information please go to our website www.centralfrontenac.com.

In addition, a council meeting scheduled for April 24 has been canceled

Statement from Addington Highlands Township

Effective Monday March 16, 2020 As the Coronavirus/COVID-19 situation evolves, protecting the health and well-being of our residents and our workforce is our top priority. As a precautionary measure, the Township of Addington Highlands has closed both branches of the Addington Highlands Public Library. In addition, all Recreation Facilities are closed. All programming, rentals and events have been cancelled. Residents are still able to access the Lakelands Family Health Team at the Addington Highlands Community Centre – Denbigh during regular operating hours. Please check the Lakelands Family Health Team Facebook page and/or Web-page for updates on hours of operation. The Township Office is now closed to the public. We encourage residents to contact the Township by calling 613-336-2286 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. At this time, these closures are in effect until April 6, 2020. A council meeting scheduled for March 17 went ahead as scheduled. A budget meeting, scheduled for March 19, has been deferred the morning of the next scheduled council meeting, April 7.

Statement from North Frontenac Township

As a result of the COVID-19 virus and per the Township’s Emergency Plan, the Emergency Operations Centres was activated today and in concert with Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) Public Health and other municipalities, Mayor Ron Higgins advises the Township of North Frontenac will be closing facilities to the public until further notice. This includes the following facilities: ( Municipal Office ( Community Halls ( Public Libraries All Waste Disposal Sites remain open, regularly scheduled hours at this time. Emergency Services remain in effect and in the event of an emergency, dial 9-1-1. Staff will be working regular scheduled hours and are here to serve you via the telephone or email. Also, the Municipal Office has a mail slot available. A council meeting, scheduled for Friday March 20, is going ahead as scheduled. The Municipal Office entrance door will open at 8:30 a.m. for the purpose of attending

the Council Meeting only. Access will only be permitted into the Council Chambers, after each individual has been screened by the North Frontenac Fire Department.

Statement from South Frontenac Township

The Township of South Frontenac has decided to enact the following heightened procedures and closures, effective immediately. The Administrative offices at the town hall on George St., our public services facility on Keeley Rd, and all municipally owned facilities that are used for recreational purposes will be closed to the public effective immediately.

These facilities include, but are not limited to;Glendower Hall, Sydenham Library Community Room, Princess Anne Community Centre, Harris Park Hall, Storrington Centre, South Frontenac Museum, All Parks & Fields for the purpose of scheduled events and gatherings.

All fire stations in the township will be closed to the public, only essential staff and fire department personnel are permitted to access these buildings.

Township staff can be contacted via phone or email. Planning and building services remain operational.

The deadline for payment of the Interim Tax bill (originally March 31, 2020) has been extended to April 30, 2020. We are encouraging payments to be made through online banking, by mail or via credit card.

A Council meeting, scheduled for March 17, went ahead as scheduled.

(Editors note – updates from the townships regarding the ‘new normal’ for municipal operations kept coming in to our office until late in the day on Tuesday, March 17. We have endeavored to capture everything but readers can confirm for themselves by checking township websites.)

The Clar-Miller Community Archives is “well on its way to becoming a historical society,” Brenda Miller told a large audience on a rainy Saturday morning last week.

“We’re here to preserve local history for future generations.”

To that end, they’ve been busily working on their current project, Unravelling History: One Tombstone at a Time.

“We’re cataloguing our cemeteries,” Martin said. “It’s a multi-year project, including drone maps of our cemeteries and a list of those in them with tombstone photos and genealogical information.”

Martin acknowledged the help North Frontenac Township has given them in their endeavours.

She said the entire project will cost around $14,660, with much of that being in-kind work from the CMCA.

Special guests for the event included Joe Wilson, chair of the Ontario Cemetery Board and Steve Fulton, president of the Ontario Genealogical Society. They conducted a demonstration of dousing to determine if a grave is occupied following the proceedings.

Wilson also spoke on the importance of preserving tombstones and, in particular, methods of cleaning and preserving tombstones, which although made of rock in most cases, can be quite fragile.

“Water is number 1,” he said. “You don’t want to use anything acidic or alkaline.

“And a soft bristle brush is important, especially with old shale and/or limestone tombstones.

“Don’t use power tools or metal brushes and the rule is ‘if it won’t scratch your car, it won’t scratch the stone.’”

He also said “it’s not the stone that’s important, it’s the little dash that’s between the numbers; that was the person’s life.”

He said it’s important to note that when you buy a plot, be it in the ground, in a mausoleum, or any other area set aside for the interment of human remains, it doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want to there.

“When you ‘buy’ a plot in a cemetery, you don’t own the property,” he said. “You’ve only bought the right to put something in there.”

He said it’s also important to make sure the cemetery is registered under the funeral, burial and Cremation Services Act.

“If it’s not registered, it can be bulldozed over tomorrow if a developer so decides,” he said.

There were lots of smiling faces, full bellies and nimble fingers last Saturday at the Crow Lake School House for the Ardoch Algonquins holiday gathering. The event was co-sponsored by Apagadiwag Omamawi'ininiwag (Algonquin) Community development circle. This group is a cultural arm of the Ardoch Algonquin first nation that works with both heads of family and on multi-community initiatives such as this gathering which included a shared meal, turkey and ham raffles, song sharing, pouch-making for Tobacco and an explanation of the Apagadiwag Needs assessment project.

“Our focus isn’t on divisive political entities, we had people from Ardoch Algonquin, from Shabot Obadjewan, from Smiths Falls here today. Our focus is how to recover culture, language, ways of being. These things are needed in order to heal.” Said Paula Sherman, who will be spearheading the research part of the needs assessment. The group received a Trilium grant for the next year do this project.

They are looking to hear from people about their knowledge and also their needs. Figuring out what needs can be met within the community, and in what ways could social programming and medical care be more culturally sensitive to indigenous experiences, trauma and ways of being.

“We want to get a sense of who all the indigenous people are, where they are? Are their needs being met? We want the needs assessment to be less formal, more holistic we want to gather together and build relationships in a community way. We want to create a safe space for any first nations to come”. Said Rosa Barker, director/member of Apagadiwag Omamawi'ininiwag.

The room was anything but formal, it was warm from the fire and folks were visiting and nibbling around the tables. Kids ran around, finishing the pouches they had just made and stuffing them with dried tobacco.

“To me its a very special medicine, its good for you and good for the earth” 8 year old Sadie Barker-Badour shared.

“Asemaa is how you say tobacco in Anishnaabemowin” (the language spoken by the Anishinaabe people) her mother, Rosa, explained.

If you would like to participate in the Apagadiwag Omamawi'ininiwag needs assesment contact Paula Sherman This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 705-930-6226.

Who cares for the caregiver? That question and more will be answered this November in a presentation by a committee designed to improve the quality of life for seniors in Frontenac County. “Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) is a community initiative the OPP brought forward,” explains Roop Sandhu, Community Safety Officer for Frontenac OPP. “The committee meets every month. Every second month, we hold a seniors safety event.”

According to Const. Sandhu, SALT picks the topic & speaker and provides a free lunch and short presentation on senior’s safety. The presentations range in topics and are held in different locations across the region. They are purposefully kept to a manageable 20-30 minutes. “We float around,” confirms the Community Safety Officer. “A lot of people like to stay in their area.”

Reflecting on the program’s success, Const. Sandhu notes, “It has gone very well. We now have a base and we’re trying to expand it.” The topic this November is Care & Compassion and Caregiver Burnout with a focus on understanding the needs of taking care of seniors and coping techniques to avoid caregiver burnout. The first will be held at the Verona Lions Centre on Nov. 3. The second is at Battersea United Church on Nov. 24.

Funded by a New Horizons Grant, the presentations are organized by a committee composed of the OPP, Southern Frontenac Community Services Corporation (SFCSC), KFL&A Public Health Unit, Rural Kingston Nurses, Sydenham Women’s Institute, Verona Lions Club, Verona Community Association, South Frontenac Township and a handful of volunteers.

Residents interested in attending this event are asked to pre-register by calling the SFCSC office at 613-376-6477 by Nov. 1 (for the Verona Lion’s Centre) and Nov. 22 (for Battersea United Church). For residents who require a ride, transportation can be arranged through Frontenac Transportaion Services. These lunch & learn events begin at 11:30 am and end at 1:30 pm.

The next session features Falls Prevention & Seniors Exercise Opportunities at Grace Hall in Sydenham on Jan. 12 and Glendower on Jan 26.

During the economic boom times of the 1960's and 70's our "resource-based economy" put a pulp mill at full capacity in Dryden in Northwest Ontario. Income from forest harvest was welcome. So were day-jobs in the woods and in the pulp mill. Dryden welcomed them and so did Queens Park. The interactions of the economy, the social structure and the environment were not realized. There were no safeguards.

For almost ten years, the pulp mill processed the fibre from our provincial resource base. In the 1960's mercury was used as a fungicide in pulp processing. To any costs of treating their wastes and thus increase their profits, the mill dumped about 9 tonnes of mercury into the English and Wabigoon River system. Now pulp processing has largely eliminated use of mercury but the mercury used back then entered the English and Wabigoon Rivers, pooled in deep spots and was methylated by exposure to natural organic compounds. Methylated mercury can be taken up by living systems.

Not until 2017 was a firm promise made to clean up that mercury from the river system. Premier Wynne has now promised $85 million for a clean up program. Those who profited from processing the pulp from our provincial resource base are long gone. Now, taxpayers, the owners of that provincial resource base are going to pay a supplement to those profit-makers. We are going to pay a cost that should have been a cost of their business operation.

Our costs are minor compared to the costs to the economy, the social structure and the health of the Grassy Narrows people. The methylated mercury that got into the fish then passed into the people eating the fish and if that person was pregnant, passed through the placenta into the unborn child. Ontario denied any compensation. People were diagnosed with mercury poisoning. It affects the nervous system. Fingers become unable to do many things. But mercury poisoning also affects other parts of the nervous system and the effects on behaviour wreak havoc on the social structure. The fishery was closed in1970 ending the local fishing economy and the flow of mercury into the people.