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Wednesday, 04 March 2020 12:30

Peewees looking good, Bantams season done

When the Peewee Flyers return to Frontenac Community Arena Friday night (7:30 game time), it will be with a 4-0 lead over the Shelburne Wolves in their 6-point total semi final match.

In the first game of the semis, the Flyers came out strong, taking a 4-0 lead just four minutes into the game.

“But they (the Wolves) fought back and tied things up 4-4 heading into the third,” said coach Al Pixley. “There were no goals in the third but we got a quick break in overtime to get the 5-4 win.

“The teams were very evenly matched.”

Leading the scoring for the Flyers was Jack Pixley with two goals, Mason Norgaard, Wesley Jackson and Justin Doak each notched singles. Tyson Young was in the nets for the win.

After a scoreless first period, the Flyers opened the scoring in the second but the Wolves answered right back to make it 1-1.

“We added a goal late in the second to make it 2-1 going into the third,” Pixley said. “We made it 3-1 midway through the third and added an empty netter for a 4-1 final.

Scoring for the Flyers were Jack Pixley, Drake Thomas, Ryder Mallet and Braden Dillon.

On the bantam side, however, things didn’t go so well for the Flyers in Dundalk.

After promising start Feb. 22 and a 4-0 win at Frontenac Community Arena, the bantam Flyers dropped three in a row, one at Frontenac Community Arena and two in Dundalk 7-3 and 4-1.

“Disappointing weekend, we are out,” said coach Chris Nicholson. “Lost the Saturday game 7-3 with questionable officials again – another two suspensions.

“Aiden Foulds and Vann Thomas played their hearts out.”

He said for Sunday’s game, the Flyers were down four players in total with suspensions.

“However, the whole team played with everything they had,” he said. “I was very proud of the way they played.”

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY

The Frontenac Bantam Flyers find themselves all tied up with the Dundalk Storm at a win apiece heading to Dundalk next weekend for the third and fourth games of their six-point total series OMHA Playdowns semi-final.

On Saturday at Frontenac Arena, it was all Flyers, as they downed the visiting Storm 4-0 on goals by Aaron Doak Anorae Hugheson, Andy Campbell and Carter Street.

Sunday was a different story, with Dundalk coming out on top 2-1.

But the story of Sunday’s game was penalties, as in the Flyers playing much of the game short-handed.

The first period was scoreless and went quite quickly. The Flyers took an interference penalty midway through the period and then were assessed another as the period was about to end. The crowd didn’t seem to agree with either call but then home crowds seldom do.

In the second, just as the interference penalty expired, the Flyers were penalized for too many men on the ice — a questionable call where the replacement stepped on the ice just as the penalized player was returning to the bench. Technically a penalty perhaps, but not something you see called very often at any level. Just as that penalty was expiring, the Flyers were called for boarding and the crowd was howling.

That was followed a bit later with offsetting penalties and shortly after that, the Flyers finally got their first power play of the game.

But one rush later, that got evened up with Carter Street being assessed a major for tripping on what certainly appeared to be a legitimate hip check that sent the Dundalk player to the ice, where he lay for a minute or two, which brought a visit from the trainer.

With the Flyers suffering a rare moment of disarray, Dundalk opened the scoring.

But with 1:22 left in the second, the Flyers actually got another power play, which Anorae Hugheson capitalized on to tie the score at 1-1.

In the third, Frontenac was again short-handed but goalie Lucas Steele stood on his head to keep his net clear, stopping two point-bland breakaways and adding a couple of beauty saves until, at 4:11 with the teams playing four skaters a side, Dundalk scored on a wicked shot and it was 2-1.

With 1:28 left, the Flyers pulled Steele and despite two excellent chances, couldn’t put one in.

The game ended with a bit of a scuffle in front of the Dundalk net.

“It’s tough to score goals when you play three-quarters of the game with somebody in the penalty box,” said coach Chris Nicholson. “But I thought the boys played well and played hard despite spending too much time in the penalty box.

“Our goalie, Lucas Steele kept us in this one though.”

That he did and it could very well be argued that the officiating was questionable most of the time.

But, Nicholson is optimistic they can put this behind them and perhaps win it in Dundalk.

“We were extremely confident going into this weekend,” Nicholson said. “And we’re still confident going into next weekend.

“We can totally play with this team.”

The next bantam game (if necessary) at Frontenac Arena is scheduled for March 7 at 4:30 p.m.

The winners of this semi will go on to face the winners of the BCH Ice Dogs-South Huron Sabres in the final.

The other Frontenac team still alive in the playdowns, the Peewee Flyers, open up their semi-final series against the Shelburne Wolves this coming Friday in Shelburne and return to Frontenac Arena March 6 at 3 p.m.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY
Wednesday, 12 February 2020 12:40

Family Day in Frontenac

Family Day at the Frontenac Community Arena grounds has become the largest gathering of people from across South Frontenac each year. Unlike Canada Day, which is a local community celebration.

“One of the things I love most about Family Day is that it is a township wide event,” said Amanda Pantrey, one of the organisers of this year’s celebration of the winter season.

This year’s event features all of the activities that have made Family Day popular, including horse drawn wagon rides, a winter obstacle course, Scandinavian kick sledding, snowshoe races, free skating in the arena, games, a free BBQ courtesy of the township, and free milk courtesy of the Frontenac Dairy Producers.

As an added bonus this year, many local businesses have donated items for a prize basket that will be raffled off at the end of the day. There is no charge to enter the raffle, entrants just need to sign in to get a ticket.

And at 3pm, the South Frontenac Stocksport club will be doing an Ice-stock demonstration in the arena. It will be both a demonstration and an opportunity to try out the sport (bring ice grippers if you can).

It all kicks off at 11am on Monday, the 17th. Come early or be prepared to park along the road as the parking lot fills up early.

The Frontenac Arena is located in Piccadilly, at 4299 Arena Boundary Road, halfway between Verona and Godfrey.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

It’s early on a Tuesday evening. The call comes in that there has been smoke spotted coming from the change rooms at the Frontenac Community Arena.

It’s a realistic scenario that South Frontenac Fire and rescue want to be ready for. And so, last Tuesday night, they were out in full force to practise just such an eventuality.

 “A fire alarm has been pulled, occupants have left the building and there’s smoke coming from the locker rooms,” said Capt. Shane Peters, who organized the scenario. “This is a search and rescue training goal.”

Peters said they were “lucky” that arena staff was down with the concept.

“We’ve never had the chance to do something like this before,” he said. “We had excellent communication with the arena board and staff to let us do this.”

Firefighters did do some pre-event planning a week before, visiting the facility and getting the layout.

But, they didn’t know there would still be some people still in the building. (The people still in the building were played by 10 new recruits from the recent class.)

“It’s as real as we can get it,” Peters said. “If we hit a bump along the road, we’ll react.

“The firefighters don’t know there are still people in there, some of whom are unconscious (played by dummies).”

One of the first ‘victims’ to be rescued is a young woman screaming “my baby, my baby.”

Inside, it’s dark. The lights are all out. There is smoke. Alarm bells are ringing.

Firefighters go room to room screaming “Fire Rescue, Call Out, Is Anyone in here.”

“In this scenario, we do a primary search,” Peters said. “We’re looking for where the fire is located.

“Once we find it, we try to control it and then we do a secondary search to get all the victims out.

“Then, we’ll do a full suppression of the fire.”

In all, five stations responded, Verona first, Hartington second, Sydenham third and then two more. About 25 firefighters were involved. This exercise was strictly a South Frontenac training exercise.

“The firefighters responded to pages on their phones,” Peters said. “They came here without lights and sirens but got here pretty quick once the page went out.”

There was also an area set aside to help victims and a “rehabilitation area” set up for firefighters who had been in the building to get their blood pressure, heart rate and other vitals checked before being cleared to go back into the building.

The benefits of conducting such an exercise are pretty self evident but there are a couple of other benefits that might not be quite as obvious, Peters said.

“We want our residents to see the kind of training we get,” he said. “And, it’s a good chance for new Asst. Fire Chief Alex Bennett to work with the staff.”

“We were here last week to do some pre-planning,” Bennett said. “All of this makes a big difference at 2am.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

It’s February in the Frontenacs.

Like most of Canada, there’s a lot of hockey going on. Down at the Frontenac Community Arena, there are of course the Frontenac Flyers and Frontenac Fury organizations for boys and girls organized hockey respectively.

But what about when you leave your teens?

Well, on Sundays at noon, the Frontenac Arena is the home of the Frontenac Fly Girls, a ladies team that boasts 18 members on its roster — and they’ve been doing it for 17 years.

“It’s a bunch of ladies having social fun time,” says Glenna Asselstine, Fly Girls captain, player/coach, organizer (“all of the above”). “We play some tournaments but essentially it’s just for fun.”

The Sunday games are played against two other ladies teams, one from Kingston and another essentially based in Tamworth that includes players from all over.

They play real games, with referees and timekeepers. And they keep score but they don’t have standings or playoffs.

“Our officials are kids of some of the players who are looking to get some refereeing experience,” Asselstine said. “We had one penalty called today (in a 3-3 tie with Tamworth).

“But we like to have some structure to the game, you know, some stoppages for line changes and such.”

And perhaps the odd break for aging legs?

“Yeah, that too,” she said, chuckling.

Their oldest player is 67 and their youngest “28, I think,” Asselstine said.

“Some players leave and we recruit new ones,” she said. “We’ve had a core of six or seven players for quite some time now.”

One of the newer recruits is self-confessed ‘rink rat’ Julia Schall.

“It’s great, lots of fun,” Schall said. “If it were up to me, I’d be on the ice the whole time.”

And fun is kinda the point with this bunch.

Asselstine’s been playing hockey since she was 11. She took some time off to have a son, but was soon back into it.

And it’s still fun for her.

“Well, there’s a tournament in Tamworth next weekend and at the end of April, we’ll be going down to Lake Placid for a four-day tournament with men’s and women’s division, but essentially that’s for fun too.”

Lisa Myles, a Napanee fitness trainer who plays with the Tamworth group said they do have a tournament team (The Bucketlisters) who placed second in the 55+ provincials last year and will be heading to St. John NB in August for a national tournament agreed that the fun aspect was the big attraction.

“You know, some young girls came into our dressing room after the game and said ‘there’s a bunch of old ladies in there,’” Myles said.

For hockey players, age is just a state of mind.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

The theme for last week’s Strawberry Moon Festival, the 12th annual, was beavers, ‘amik’ in Algonquin and indeed it was a busy place.

The official attendance tally was 193, the vast majority of whom were children, said organizer Marcie Asselstine.

That represents a considerable increase over last year. And they saw it coming which initiated the move to the Frontenac Arena grounds from the St. James Major schoolgrounds.

Asselstine said the festival is a “wrap up” for her program in which she visits area classrooms to teach students about Algonquin culture and traditions. Since her schedule has increased, attendance at the festival was no surprise.

“I started with two classrooms,” she said. “Now I visit nine.”

The festival draws its name from the fact that June is “strawberry month,” Asselstine said. “I start planning in May, calling my traditional volunteers and putting everything together.

“We chose amik (literally translated ‘builds with wood’) this year because the beaver represents wisdom and one of my classes built beaver lodges. It’s also the 150th anniversary of Canada and the beaver is Canada’s official animal.”

To that end, they set up six stations and the visitors travelled clockwise to each one.

The first station featured headband making, complete with beaver tails. Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation and Chief Doreen Davis provided the materials (as well as other financial support).

The second station was a traditional snack of corn bread and strawberries. Healthy Kids Community Challenge provided the strawberries.

The third station was drumming, with Red Sun men’s drum and a gathering of local women’s hand drums.

The fourth station featured local storyteller Danka Brewer telling how beaver got his distinctive teeth. She was assisted by a host of dragonflies, which she explained are the “keepers of children’s dreams.”

The fifth station featured early literacy teacher Susan Ramsey telling how beaver got his flat tail in a teepee arranged by Shawn MacDonald of the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board.

The sixth station featured lacrosse, a traditional First Nations game and Canada’s national summer sport.

“A lot of us here are First Nations families,” Asselstine said. “One of my students said ‘I’m Algonquin and is it ever fun.

“This is about making it OK to share our culture and bringing people together.”

Asselstine had special praise for all of her colleagues at North Frontenac Community Services, who helped organize the event.

Use of the arena grounds was arranged by South Frontenac arena and recreation supervisor Tim Laprade.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

“It’s a fun day for the community — and showing community spirit,” said Heather Hasler, registrar for Frontenac Minor Hockey Association, which includes the organization’s ball hockey component. “Everything is free, except for the barbecue.”

This was FMHA’s second Ball Hockey Day, held last Saturday at the Frontenac Arena. They’ve been holding similar events for many years but with the inclusion of the summer ball hockey leagues, it just made sense to feature the relatively new leagues.

The ball hockey program has grown since its inaugural year, to 20 teams in five divisions and four adult teams (“I’m playing myself,” said Hasler).

She said ball hockey is part of the Canadian Landscape and “It’s nice to see the arena in use during the off-season.”

Hasler said she’s “been coming to this place since it’s opened.”

One of the aspects of ball hockey she likes is that they’ve been getting “quite a few kids who don’t play hockey.”

Of course the ball hockey season is winding down (this Sunday is the final day) and Hasler is already thinking about the upcoming ice hockey season. The registration deadline is Aug. 31. After that, a $100 late fee applies.

The FMHA offers Learn-to-Skate, Initiation and Tyke programs as well as First Shift program for those who’ve never tried hockey before. Of course they also offer a full-range of house league and rep teams.

“And our novice rep team won the OMHA East CC championship last year, which was a first for us,” she said.

While Sunday’s get-together wasn’t a fundraiser, the FMHA does have financial needs just like any other sporting organization. To that end, they’ve scheduled the FMHA Rinks to Links Golf Tournament at the Rivendell Golf Club for Sept. 9. The Entry fee of $100 includes green fees, cart and a pork roast dinner as well as prizes.

They’re also looking for sponsors at the $500 and $100 level which includes an ad that will be on display at the Arena for events during the 2017-2018 season.

More information about registration and the golf tournament is available on their website www.frontenachockey.ca.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY
Wednesday, 31 May 2017 13:31

Ball Hockey is growing in year 2

Over 250 players between 3 and 18 are playing ball in the youth division of the Frontenac Ball hockey Assopciation in its second season. There are many returning players and ice hockey players but lots of new faces as well. Kids play on Sunday afternoons from noon to 8:00pm. The arena is packed with kids, families and fun. There is music playing, canteen and BBQ available with all proceeds going back into our Minor Hockey Programs.

Adults are getting in on the action this year as there is a 4 team league of for the 18 and older set that play on Tuesday evenings We hope to expand on this next year.

Although operational costs continue to increase, the Frontenac Minor Hockey Association has once again decided not to increase Ball Hockey and Ice Hockey registration fees. This is made possible by community contributions and fundraising events such as our Annual Rinks to Links Golf Tournament which will be held on Saturday September 9th at Rivendale Golf Club and is open to everyone.

The League is hosting a Fun Day at the Rink on Sunday, June 11. See Northern Happenings for details, or visit www.frontenachockey.ca or Facebook/Twitter.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY

The Frontenac Community Arena (FCA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a $30,000 Ontario150 Community Capital Program grant. These funds will help fund the capital costs of replacing the Arena’s 30-year-old dehumidification system with a new, more energy-efficient Desiccant system.

“Our community arenas act as a hub where people come together to share and grow; the Ontario150 Community Capital Program grant is providing for improvements at Frontenac Community Arena will help secure the continued enjoyment and enhance the benefits of this much-loved facility,” said Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.

Administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, these grants will help non-profit organizations, municipalities and Indigenous communities to renovate, repair and retrofit existing community and cultural infrastructure. The one-time, Ontario150 Community Capital Program has been designed to help honour Ontario’s past, showcase the present and inspire future generations.

“We are very pleased to be a recipient of a Ontario150 Community Capital Program grant. It will support the replacement of aging equipment vital to ice making process,” said Sherry Whan, Central Frontenac Township Councillor and Arena Board Chair.

“This important Capital project along with work completed over the past two years is vital to the Frontenac Community Arena operations,” said Tim Laprade, Arena Manager. “This work reflects the Arena Boards continued commitment to investing in infrastructure that will reduce our energy consumption and support ice activities,” added Laprade.

The Ontario150 Community Capital Program is administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s largest granting foundations.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY
Wednesday, 02 November 2016 23:28

First Shift program scores with area children

Thirty-two boys and girls aged six to 10 are taking part in a unique hockey development program to promote a love of hockey and physical activity. Hosted by the Frontenac Fury Girls' Hockey Association, the First Shift program allows students who have never played hockey before to share a positive first experience with seasoned coaching staff and players. The program also aims to remove barriers that might prevent children or families from trying hockey in the first place. For the Fury, this means making them feel at home within our hockey community and to stimulate a desire for continued participation. Thanks to funding from Hockey Canada, Bauer and local sponsors at Kingston's Canadian Tire, all participants are outfitted head-to-toe in equipment valued at more than $1,000. Participating families only pay $199. In addition to the equipment, volunteer Fury coaches, players and community volunteers provide six on-ice sessions. A grant to the Fury from South Frontenac Township has allowed the fury to extend the on-ice instruction by an additional six sessions. So far, with two on-ice sessions under their belt, both participants and mentors are having a great time getting to know one another and have fun! While the fall session is full, the Fury are accepting new participants for the winter session to begin in the new year. For more information, please visit http://frontenacfury.ca/news.php?news_id=1334080

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
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With the participation of the Government of Canada