They may not have cycled to the town hall on a cold February night, but the 18 South Frontenac residents who came out to talk about cycling in the township on Monday, February 16, certainly had less snowy roads on their minds.

Rookie Loughborough District Councilor, Ross Sutherland, called the meeting, and he was surprised by the numbers.

“I didn't have expectations of more than 10 people coming out, so I was really pleased with the turn out and with the discussion,” he said.

The cyclists talked about their favourite routes in the township, and a wide range of ideas were discussed on ways to promote bicycling in the township. They decided to form a group, which they are calling South Frontenac Rides.

Three co-chairs came forward to get things underway quickly. They are Leslie Kirby-Olcet from Perth Road Village, and Scott Gordon and Alastair Lamb from Sydenham.

Among those at the meeting was a representative from Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington Public Health, who said that the group's goals tie in nicely with Public Health's priority on active transportation, and that money was available to help promote activities.

Cycling also fits in to Frontenac County's trail initiative, which is slated for completion next year, and the Cataraqui Trail is another option for cyclists.

Three particular routes will be featured at South Frontenac Rides' first bike promotion day, which will take place in early June. Maps of the routes are already in the planning stages and other information for the novice cyclists will be available as well on that day. The group hopes to be able to create maps of numerous bike routes as they roll into the summer and fall biking season.

“The South Frontenac roads department has been widening roads by 2 feet whenever they have been doing repaving, which is a benefit for cyclists,” said Ross Sutherland, who cycled many of the roads in his own Loughborough District last summer during the municipal election campaign.

The next meeting of South Frontenac Bikes is set for March 9 at the township office/hall. For more information call 613-532-7846

By Lesley Merrigan

There has been a low rumble throughout North and Central Frontenac around the changes with Relay For Life, the largest fundraiser in our area for the Canadian Cancer Society. The first change is at the unit office, with a new manager, Doug Kane and fundraising coordinator, Barb Revelle. These two leaders have helped the current leadership team in the Frontenacs transition to the new policies and procedures that will increase the success of this fundraiser.

The greatest change is with the Survivors’ Reception. Survivors will be treated to a very posh Relay Reunion to be held sometime in April. It will be open to all unit survivors at a location to be announced soon. They will have their very own event at which they will be celebrated and given the opportunity to network with other survivors in the area. More details on this unique event will be available early in February. If you are a survivor or know someone that is, please call 613-384-2316 and get your name on the guest list.

The most exciting event change is the timing. The 2015 event will be held Sat. June 20 beginning at 12 noon instead of Friday night at 7pm. It will run until midnight. This change will enable more participation as everyone will be rested and able to be active during the 12 hour fundraiser. Registration for the event is open now and the cost to register is as follows: Until January 31- $10; Feb 1 until April 30 - $25; May 1 – June 20, $35. You can register online at www.relayforlife.ca as well as by contacting Christine Teal at 613-375-6525.

Please join us at our Relay Kick Off on Friday January 23 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Sharbot Lake in the lower area for information and registration. We will begin at 7pm and all are welcome.

The changes have not been easy but the reason behind them is to make registration universal across the Province of Ontario and to allow leaders to do more accurate forecasting for needs at their events. Teams are still made up of 7 to 10 folks with a minimum individual fundraising goal of $150 each.

The day’s event will still include numerous entertainers and great music as well as team events and challenges and some other ideas that the committee is throwing around. We are still working out the details but one thing will always remain the same: this is the largest fundraiser to make the largest difference in the fight against cancer, and there is no doubt about it….Relay For Life creates more and more cancer survivors each year! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Lesley Merrigan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 613-279-3144, or call the unit office at 613-384-2316.

A senior's exercise program is offered free of charge through the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team, and on December 8 participants attended the final week of classes for the fall session. Judging by the 65 seniors who just wrapped up the program, local seniors know well that one of the best ways to stave off the negative effects of aging and to stay healthy is to be active.

“Exercise at any age is beneficial,” said Ashley Williams, the new occupational therapist at the SLFHT, who sparked off the eight-session program, which began in October 2014. The one-hour classes were held at the community room at the Sharbot Lake Medical Centre and included a cardio component with walking and other aerobic exercises; upper and lower body strength training; exercises for the core and also balance and coordination exercises. The program includes an educational component and every few weeks a health care professional spoke to participants about a specific health-related topic. The fall session included a visit by the SLFHT's registered dietician, who spoke about appropriate sizes of meal portions, protein shakes and more.

Williams outlined the benefits to seniors of regular exercise and how the fitness classes help improve cardio-vascular performance, over-all strength, balance and coordination, which together can help minimize falls. The social benefits are also worth mentioning and the classes offer seniors the chance to meet regularly with friends, form new relationships and have fun while exercising.

Williams said that participants have spoken about having increased strength and overall health as a result of the classes, with some being able to perform tasks around their homes that they had been unable to perform prior to the classes.

The 2015 winter session will begin on January 19. Classes take place on Mondays and Thursdays. Participants should wear rubber-soled shoes and loose clothing. For more information, contact Ashley Williams at 6132-279-2100 ext 128.

A small but attentive group attended a seminar called “Depression Hurts”, which was held at Trinity United Church in Verona on November 26. The public meeting was aimed at highlighting the common symptoms of depression and anxiety and stressing the fact that help is available through a number of service providers in the area.

Dr. Joe Burley headed up the meeting, which included the participation of professional health care providers from the Sydenham and Verona medical clinics, Frontenac Community Mental Health and Addiction Services, L&A Addictions and Community Health Services, Southern Frontenac Community Services and Providence Care Mental Health Services.

Dr. Burley began by describing the symptoms of depression and anxiety. These symptoms can commonly overlap and can include a depressed or “slowed down” mood, appetite change and/or sudden weight gain or loss, feelings of worthlessness or tiredness, inappropriate or excessive guilt, thoughts of suicide, and difficulty sleeping or concentrating.

He stated the best way to address all mental health issues is to begin first with a visit to one’s general health care provider, who can access and refer patients to other health care professionals who offer counseling and other kinds of support.

Members of the panel demonstrated through a dramatization how depression can affect a person and also members of their family and much of the meeting included personal information being offered up by those in the audience who have experienced personal mental health issues.

Dr. Burley pointed out that in many cases anxiety and /or depression can often be successfully treated or at least managed by different kind of counseling, which include talk or behavior therapy and/or therapeutic drugs, and sometimes a combination of both.

This seminar was the first of what may become a series of similar public information sessions and meetings, and it was heartening to see that people are actively looking for help and information and that there are many professionals in the community available to offer their help and services to those in need.

For those in the community who may be in crisis but are currently suffering in silence, Frontenac Community Mental Health and Addiction Services has a 24-hour Crisis Line that can be called 24 hours a day at 613-544-4229. As well, those who missed the meeting and think that they might need help should make an appointment with their local health care provider.

November is good a month as any to talk about anxiety and depression.

While many experience the blues at this time of the year, for a number of people the problems are more severe, and the population suffering from clinical anxiety and depression is higher in rural than urban areas.

Patients who suffer from depression sometimes are not aware that this is their problem. They suffer in silence; their families and loved ones are also affected. The ongoing challenge in rural areas is accessing help when it is really needed for both the patient and those around that patient

Psychiatrist Dr. Joe Burley has been serving clients in Frontenac County for a number of years through his association with family health practices, and next week he will bring his expertise to the public in a unique event.

As part of the roll out of a new co-ordinated approach to providing mental health services in Frontenac and Lennox and Addington, the Health Links initiative is presenting a public meeting to talk about anxiety and depression at Trinity United Church on November 26 starting at 7 pm.

Dr. Burley will host the evening, and will be joined by Dr. Laurel Dempsey of Verona, Dr. Jeanette Dietrich of Sydenham and practitioners from Providence Care Mental Health Services and Frontenac Community Mental Health Services.

People who suffer from anxiety and depression and people who live with them are invited to talk and learn more about their situation.

This is the first of a series of public meetings being planned to talk about specific mental health issues in a number of communities.

Allen Prowse, who has just retired from Providence Care, has been hired to help bring all the providers of mental health services together to bring service to Frontenac County. He said that the initial focus on depression and anxiety is deliberate.

“These issues are very common, and people who suffer from them can be helped, so we decided to start by engaging the public to not only provide information but also to hear directly from people about the problems they are facing. This meeting is as much about hearing from people as anything else.”

Prowse added that over several years an integrated approach to mental health services has been developed in Sharbot Lake, through the co-operative efforts of the local Family Health Team, Northern Frontenac Community Services and service providers from Kingston who have been sending resources into the community.

“It was recognised that people from North and Central Frontenac were not in a position to travel to Kingston for some of these services, and that it was more efficient in any event to deliver them in the community. This is the model we are developing for Sydenham and Verona, and that we plan to enhance in Northbrook as well,” said Prowse.

Prowse is hoping that not only will people suffering from these issues and those who support them be able to find a voice at the meeting next week, but also that service providers will learn more about the local community and its needs.

“People are not interested in the way the Family Health Link works and which agencies are involved; they are interested in getting help and that is our focus,” he said.

For details, see the advertisement on page 2.

It was an all-ages event as staff from Bubba's Restaurant and The Junction clothing store in Sharbot Lake decided that Labour Day was as good a day as any to do a good thing. Together they challenged other members of the larger community to get cold and wet while raising some money for the ALS Association through their popular ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is a disease that was first discovered in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. It is a neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and causing the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, which affects the ability of the brain to initiate voluntary muscle movement in the body and eventually leads to total paralysis. The famous baseball great Lou Gehrig brought world attention to the disease in 1939.

A total of 10 brave souls, most of them staff at Bubba's and The Junction plus a few of their brave relatives received the chilly dousing just outside of Bubba's restaurant on September 1, where Bubba’s employee Sidney Teal happily unloaded bucket loads of ice cold water onto the heads of fellow staff and their relatives as they answered the call, which was put out by Anne Marie Schonauer, the Junction employee who was nominated to hold the event.

Teal, while doling out the dousings, proved she was as willing as the others to take the challenge and invited guests to empty the remaining ice water in the giant aluminum bowl over her own head. Nine of those who took the challenge were women, including the youngest, Alley Teal.

Anne Marie Schonauer’s husband helped set up the event and thought he was going to walk away high and dry but that was not the case. As the only male present, he agreed on the spot to accept the challenge and happily stepped forward to take the final dumping of the day.

The event was an entertaining and refreshing hour to say the least. Thank you from Anne Marie to Bob Basra and Sharon DesRoche, who donated the ice for the event. Hats to the staff at Bubba's and The Junction and their brave family members and friends: Sidney and Alley Teal, Karen Steele, Anne Marie and Phil Schonauer, Sharon Ruckstuhl, Erin McConnell, Sherry Gorr, Chrissy Watson and Mona Perry. By the end of the day $140.50 was raised for the ALS Association.

Students from the Granite Ridge Education Centre, assisted staff member Shelley Bertrim with the two-day Returns For Leukemia bottle drive that took place on May 24 and 25 at the Beer Store in Sharbot Lake to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. The annual event, which takes place every May, was organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 12R24 in partnership with the Beer Store.

The drive invited shoppers to donate their empties, with 100% of the funds going directly to the society. The society is also looking for donors for bone marrow transplants. The test involves a simple cheek swab and potential donors are initially asked to give a transfusion that is similar to making a blood donation.

For more information on the steps involved in being a donor or to register online go to www.onematch.ca. For those who missed the drive you can still make a monetary donation by visiting bottledrive.ca

Close to 30 participants, including many newcomers, attended the Taoist Tai Chi open house that was held at the Grace Centre in Sydenham on April 17. Regular classes take place at the centre on Thursdays from 1-3pm and are led by long time Tai Chi practitioner Terry Kirkham of Kingston.

Kirkham, who is a very youthful 76 years of age, has been practicing Taoist Tai Chi for 17 years, and she explained how it has benefited her overall health. “I think that if I hadn't begun the practice I would not have the flexibility and balance that I have today,” she said. Kirkham teaches classes in Sydenham and in Belleville and is also a student herself, taking classes three days per week.

At the open house, Kirkham led the group and demonstrated some of the movements, which she explained are “based on variations and repetitions of 35 different movements, which comprise 108 movements in total that are carried out in one continuous flow called a set. A set on average takes 15 minutes to complete. The practice can be thought of as one continuous movement and is in a sense a form of silent mediation," Kirkham explained. “It's done very quietly and is great for stress because when you are practicing, you really can't think about anything else.”

Kirkham said that the main aim of Tai Chi is to maintain one’s overall health, and many who take up the practice do so for health reasons. “Many who have various health issues find that the practice relieves those issues and I personally have found it improves balance, strength and flexibility and overall concentration.” She said that certain practitioners in Kingston, who started off attending classes in wheelchairs, no longer use them.

While the class is open to all ages, seniors make up a largest portion of participants, which Kirkham said is likely because they have on average more free time.

The Taoist Tai Chi organization was started by Master Moy, who came to Canada in 1970 from Hong Kong He started classes first in Toronto and then in Montreal and today there are Taoist Tai Chi locations in 27 countries, with 7000 members in eastern Ontario alone. Members can participate in classes at any of the organization’s locations. The beginners’ class lasts for four months and Kirkham teaches students each movement with the idea that the student eventually will learn the movements well enough to be able to continue the entire set in class. 'It's important that people realize that it can take a while to learn the movements well enough to be able to complete one entire set on their own. Personally it took me about two years to be able to do a set by myself without having to watch someone else. You have to be patient and eventually your body will remember and tell you which way to move.”

Kirkham stressed that the practice is in no way competitive. “You learn and improve at your own rate. No one is ever perfect and as soon as you get to the point where you think that you are, someone will come along and help you improve the movements further.”

Lorraine Creighton, who is the service coordinator with Southern Frontenac Community Services, said her organization is pleased to be able to offer a space for the Tai Chi classes. “Many seniors find it very beneficial and it is another way that we are able to continue to reach out to the community and offer services that help them to maintain their health and independence.”

There will be two more Taoist Tai Chi Open Houses in the area. The first will take place on Friday April 25 from 11:15am-12:45pm at the North Crosby Community Centre in Westport. The second will take place on Wednesday April 30 from 10-11:30am at the Oso hall in Sharbot lake. For more information contact John Pariselli at 613-279-2662 or visit www.taoist.org. Regular classes also take place in Perth, Portland, and Smiths Falls as well as in Kingston, Belleville, Westport, Sydenham and Sharbot Lake.

To celebrate spring, Earth Day and the completion of the second round of eight-week seniors’ fitness classes at the medical center in Sharbot Lake, organizers held a special fitness and potluck event there on April 22. The event was attended by close to 50 local seniors and it included Zumba classes led by guest instructor Tim White, pole walking, and a celebratory potluck lunch in the center’s common room.

Charlene Feakins, who is one of the occupational therapists at the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team (SLFHT) began gentle, intermediate, and vigorous fitness classes for seniors shortly after she began working with the SLFHT staff in December 2013. Feakins and occupational therapist Stephanie Lackey teach the classes, which take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays and include cardio, balance and strength training exercises. The classes have proved very popular and are ideal for seniors at all fitness levels as well as for those who might have specific health or mobility issues.

The Spring Fling included fundraising that will help staff purchase exercise bands for their ongoing programming, and local businesses also contributed. The Treasure Trunk made special gift donations that were handed out at the event and the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy also made a cash donation to help organizers purchase equipment for the classes. Available to guests were complimentary DVDs of one of Charlene and Stephanie’s 45-minute fitness classes that was filmed by Edie Cairns.

Feakins and Lackey will be kicking off their new four-week Spring Fit Bit seniors classes beginning on May 6 and running through until May 29. Also to be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the classes will focus on summer fitness activities that participants can do at their homes. Activities will include aqua fitness, meditation and more.

Tuesday's event was the second special event put on by staff at the SLFHT, proving that the classes are continuing to grow in popularity with local seniors. Feakins said that was due to a number of factors. “For one, seniors feel very safe here at the medical center and enjoy being affiliated with the staff at the SLFHT. They know that when they are here they have direct access to the doctors and nurses upstairs. We are also able to offer a lot of health education as part of our programming. We have held talks on nutrition, flu shots, Lyme disease, and more, which is something that not everyone can offer. Stephanie and I have also aimed to modify the classes so that we can include those who may have specific health issues.”

What Feakins did not mention is the fun and camaraderie that are a big part of what makes these classes and events so popular and well attended. Anyone interested in signing up for the Spring Fit Bit classes can contact the medical center at 613-279-2100.

Latif Khoja is the physiotherapist and owner of the Sydenham Rehabwell Clinic, which is operated out of the Drugsmart Pharmacy in Sydenham. In addition to physiotherapy the clinic offers foot care, massage therapy and custom orthotics.

After practising physiotherapy in Sydenham for a year, Latif received notification that he is now able to offer his services under the auspices of the OHIP program for patients under 19 and over 65. “Residents of South Frontenac in those age groups will no longer have to travel to Kingston to get OHIP-funded physiotherapy service thanks to this new designation, which will make it easier for them to recover from injuries,” said Khoja, who came to Canada from Pakistan in 2005, and opened his practice in Sydenham at the start of 2012. He is also an adjunct professor at Queen's

“I came to Canada after receiving a degree in Physiotherapy at the University of Karachi, in order to take a Masters from Queen's in Rehab Science. When I got my degree I stayed here and got a job instead of returning to Pakistan because I really enjoy the area,” he said.

After working in clinics for a few years, he decided to open his own clinic, and the opportunity presented itself to take over the Sydenham clinic, which had been dormant for a few months. “I find that the patients I see in Sydenham are very active people, active in the outdoors, and the injuries they have reflect that,” he said.

He tries to move patients through physiotherapy in 4-6 weeks, and in many cases the costs are covered for working people by extended health care plans, but for younger and older patients that is not normally the case, so he is particularly pleased to be registered for OHIP now.

Physiotherapy is offered at the Sydenham Rehabwell clinic five days a week between 9 am and 6 pm. Samantha Thompson is the massage therapist at the clinic and she is available by appointment, as is Candace Bertrim, a foot care nurse. For information call 613-372-1986