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Central Frontenac Council received and adopted a business case study for seniors housing on the site of the former Sharbot Lake Public School at its regular meeting Tuesday evening at Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake.

Ken Foulds of SHS Consulting and Re/ Fact Consulting presented Council with a report that would pave the way for 10 units of seniors housing, all on a single floor with larger halls and doorways, that would come in at a capital cost of about $2.8 million with annual operating costs of about $89,000 per year.

The 10 units would be set up as two fiveunit pods to take advantage of regulations that require additional septic and/or well requirements for buildings of six units or more.

Each unit would contain one two-bedroom unit and four one-bedroom units. Foulds said that reflects the feedback of 118 online surveys received.

“The concept is viable,” he said. “The site is obviously larger than what would be needed for those two pods and there is existing septic and well that may be useable.”

He said half of the one-bedroom units would be at Acceptable Market Rate (AMR, currently $832/month) and half at 80 per cent of AMR (currently $665/month). Two bedroom units would be at the AMR of $1,144).

Several assumptions were made in the study such as a property value of $250,000 (after the existing school building is demolished), funding from the Ontario Investment in Affordable Housing program at $150,000 per unit for 50 per cent of the units, a waiver of municipal development fees ($27,800) and a County equity infusion of $330,000 plus $100,000 from the Township.

“Operations would be managed by an experienced local housing provider (Central Frontenac Housing Corporation, which manages the existing senior’s housing units on Clement Road),” he said.

He said the next steps include making the actual decision to move forward, confirming governance/oversight/management, determining usability of existing site services, securing initial funding commitments and beginning pre-development project planning activities.

“We have our starting point,” said Mayor Frances Smith.

Report on Thomson’s Cut

Multi-Use Cultural Centre Steering Committee Chair Gary Giller gave Council a presentation on the completion of Thomson Cut improvements completed this summer including a pedestrian walkway and nine streetlights.

“It’s an important greenbelt between Railway Heritage Park and Oso Beach,” Giller said.

Giller said it’s also important to maintain the greenbelt in the event that an actual railway station come to Sharbot Lake in the future.

“That’s a discussion for another day,” said Mayor Frances Smith.

Elizabeth Street Project

Council authorized staff to undertake a review of Elizabeth Street titles before the anticipated renovations planned for 2020.

“The immediate concern is understanding the extent/location of our road allowance and confirming we have clear title to those sections where we need to undertake rehabilitation,” Public Works Manager Tyson Myers said in his report. “Part of Elizabeth Street is shown in the 1894 village plan, however the northern section has not been surveyed.

“We are in the process of reviewing existing R-plans of neighbouring properties so that boundaries can be located on the ground.

“Furthermore, it would appear that Elizabeth Street has been realigned over the last century and it is unclear if legal titles were updated to reflect what is now on the ground.”

Myers said that while there will be some surveying done as part of the consultant work, it won’t be for legal title. Any title surveying won’t be part of the grant program and therefore the Township will be responsible for costs.

“And it needs to be done sooner rather than later,” he said.

Alton Road

‘Alton Road,’ as the road allowance between Concession 5 and 6 in Hinchinbrooke is commonly known, has had the common law right of of passage restricted on it due to a bridge on it needing repair.

It is not a road within the Township’s current road network and is not recognized in the Township Road Naming Bylaw, Public Works Manager Tyson Myers told Council.

Coun. Victor Heese asked if the bridge should be removed to reduce Township liability but Myers replied: “In the short term, we’ve put up ‘use at your own risk’ but if somebody wants to go back there, they’ll find a way, even if it’s putting up their own bridge.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

On May 28, 2019 URCA Housing Corp marked the 25th anniversary of the first tenants moving into our 16 not for profit housing units. Eight families and six senior tenants moved into our row housing units. Four weeks later the last two seniors’ units were occupied. Members of the community had watched the construction of these homes over the previous year. Some community members may even have remembered the knock on their door from a volunteer six or seven years earlier. These volunteers blanketed the community conducting a survey to help establish a need for non-profit housing in Flinton and to receive individual opinions about the proposed housing units.

Although move in day was in the spring of 1994, it was in the winter of 1987 that the project began. A core group of community volunteers worked diligently to plan the project for Flinton. The planning was based on the perceived need, the survey results and the varied opinions of the community members. The harder job for them was in bringing the project to fruition. Meeting after meeting to arrange and attend; paperwork to end all paperwork to complete; steps forward and setbacks over the period from 1987 to 1994 finally resulted in the completion of the dream for an affordable living alternative for seniors and families in Flinton and area.

Step forward to 2019. One of the original volunteers and a couple who have been involved for upwards of 15 years make up the Board of Directors which is responsible for the administration, staffing and planning for organization. Funding for URCA comes from the Prince Edward Lennox Addington Social Services division of the County and from rent charged to the tenants. Some of the Board volunteers are now looking forward to a well-deserved retirement from their positons with URCA. As a result URCA Housing is actively involved in trying to recruit new Board members so that the organization can continue on as a community based not for profit housing provider. Without a community based board the administration and planning will fall to the County office in Napanee.

On November 20 at 7:00 pm URCA Housing will be hosting a Community meeting to celebrate our anniversary and our 25 years of accomplishments in Flinton. The meeting will be held at Through The Roof Church. There will also be a discussion around the future of URCA Housing. The most significant topic of discussion will be the recruitment of Board members to pick up the reins of the organization to carry us forward.

All interested Community members are welcome. Come out and be part of URCA’s next 25 years. Refreshments will be provided.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS

North Frontenac would like to get a handle on how many residents might be interested in renting one of a potential five units, should they access County money and build an “affordable seniors apartment complex” similar to the ones in Frontenac Islands and Central Frontenac.

To that end, at Friday’s regular North Frontenac Council meeting in Plevna, Mayor Ron Higgins asked councilors to decide on one councilor for each ward to become part of a proposed task force that would canvas residents for interest with the hopes of creating an unofficial waiting list.

“Could we fill it, if we build it?” said Higgins.

Higgins said there wouldn’t be any financial commitment like a deposit required from residents, just that they’d like to get an idea of how many potential residents there might be.

A survey on seniors housing conducted in March of 2018 garnered 69 responses, only 27 per cent indicated their preference would be to move to a low-maintenance housing unit. The other choices were to stay in their existing home and access available services (44 per cent) or stay in their existing home as-is (32 per cent).

Coun. Gerry Martin, who also serves as the Township’s second member on County Council suggested earlier projections on the cost to build such a facility might be cheaper than originally thought.

“If we decide to do it, there is a set of plans available from the one on Wolfe Island,” he said. “That would save us a lot of money.”

“Coun. (Dennis) Doyle did tell us we could have them,” said Higgins.

“Yes, and then he added ‘for a price,’” said Martin.

Martin questioned who potential residents for such a facility might be.

“I think people who’ve been here a long time won’t be the ones we get,” he said.

“I thought just the opposite,” said Coun. John Inglis. “I thought it would be affordable housing for our residents.”

“I think there’s a lot of people who would like to rent to stay in the area but still keep the cottage for the kids,” said Martin.

“There’s no reason to rush this,” said Coun. Vernon Hermer.

“It’s a 2020 building project at best,” said Inglis.

“And there’s no deadline on the County money,” said Higgins.

 

• • •

At the request of Central Frontenac Township, North Frontenac has given its support for Via Rail’s High Frequency Train Service (a direct line from Toronto to Ottawa with a stop in Sharbot Lake).

However Coun. John Inglis questioned what benefits there might be to North.

“I’m trying to imagine a rail system increasing tourism in North Frontenac,” Inglis said. “You’d need car rental agencies or buses at the station in Sharbot Lake for that.”

“But it would make it easier to work in Ottawa and live in North Frontenac if they could take the train every day,” said Coun. Gerry Martin.

 

• • •

North Frontenac is looking to replace Tanker 521 from the Snow Road Station with one from the Kingston Fire and Rescue’s training facility.

Tanker 521 has been out of service since July 15, when it drove onto a soft shoulder to avoid oncoming traffic and ended up in the ditch.

Few other details about the incident are known and Mayor Ron Higgins restricted Council debate to the matter of replacing the tanker as there are investigations by the insurance company, the OPP and a North Frontenac internal investigation pending.

Fire Chief Eric Korhonen said Kingston has offered to sell North Frontenac a single axle, 1,500 gallon (half the capacity of 521) for $2,850, which is the value of the old vehicle at scrap rates.

 

• • •

North Frontenac is considering installing video equipment at its waste sites following six incidents since March.

“The last recorded incident was in 2012, now we have this many since March,” said Public Works Manager Darwyn Sproule. “I don’t have an explanation.”

Five of the incidents involved accessing the sites at Plevna (4) and Road 506 (1) after hours to remove recyclables (expired propane tanks, batteries and/or scrap metal. The other incident (at Kashwakamak) involved dumping a large amount of spent fireworks. It is believed that led to a fire to which the Kaladar Barrie Fire Department had to respond.

The estimated cost to repair damage to Township property is estimated at $171 for materials plus seven hours of staff time. The value of the stolen recyclables is unknown.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC

Southern Frontenac Community Services has stopped providing services through a program that is designed to find housing for homeless residents of Frontenac County and help those who are precariously housed to stabilise or improve their situation.

“It was a regrettable decision that we had to make to stop offering this service,” said SFCS Executive Director David Townsend, “but we had no real choice because we could not maintain the proper staffing for the program. It is an important service to the community but we were no longer able to provide it. It was also a drain on our resources as an organisation.”

The Homelessness Prevention Program in Frontenac County was set up as part of the 10-year homelessness prevention strategy by the City of Kingston.

In 2014, SFCS took the lead, along with Rural Frontenac Community Services and Addictions and Mental Health KFLA, in answering a request for proposal to provide services in Frontenac County. The bid from the three agencies was successful and the program started up in 2015. It was tweaked a couple of years later, after being reviewed by City of Kingston staff.

Last year, The United Way of KFLA provided funding for a part-time youth homelessness prevention worker based in Sydenham and another part-time worker based in Sharbot Lake.

“The program was most successful when we had social workers who understood the needs in our rural area,” said Townsend, “but our ability to keep our workers was hampered by our own pay grid,” said Townsend.

Qualified workers can make more money doing similar jobs in the City of Kingston than they can working for Southern Frontenac Community Services.

“It would not be fair to the rest of our employees if we paid the homelessness prevention workers on a different scale,” he said.

The situation came to a head this spring, when 2 workers left for other jobs in the region and an attempt to recruit new workers proved unsuccessful.

Townsend said that Home Based Housing, the agency that runs the homelessness prevention program in Kingston, is providing some service in Frontenac County. People seeking service are encouraged to call them directly at 613-542-6672

“We are concerned about the impact in Central and North Frontenac,” said Louise Moody, Executive Director of Rural Frontenac Community Services, based in Sharbot Lake. ‘We are continuing to offer services for youth at risk of homelessness through the United Way program, but there is a fair bit of need in our communities for the kind of services that this program offered.”

A new request for proposal for the provision of the service in Frontenac County will be prepared in the coming weeks, Moody has been informed.

“For our agency, it would be best if the territory was split and we could prepare a proposal to serve the region from Verona north, but we understand that this will not happen. AS far as we know, it will be same territory as it was before, all of Frontenac County. We do serve all of the county with the EarlyOn program, so we know the territory, but it would be a stretch for us. Our board will decide if we can reasonably provide this service as well, and if we have the administrative capacity to take on another program.”

In the meantime, Frontenac County residents who are homeless, at risk of becoming so, or living in inadequate housing, do not have the kind of direct support in navigating the system or accessing resources, that has been available over the last five years.

The City of Kingston is undertaking a five-year review of the 10-year homelessness prevention program, which had the elimination of homelessness as its stated goal.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY

Based on preliminary cost estimates, anticipated revenues and assumed contributions, a five-unit seniors apartment building (four one-bedroom, one two-bedroom plus amenity space) would be viable, Ken Foulds of Re-Fact Consulting told North Frontenac Council at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna.

Under the suggested model, the total costs would be around $1.4 million, of which about $330,000 would come from Frontenac County, about $300,000 from the Province’s Affordable Housing Program and about $450,000 from the township, some of which presumably could be in the form of development fees.

“We looked at six municipally owned sites, three in Cloyne and three in Plevna and got it down to one in Cloyne and one in Plevna,” he said. “There’s certainly a viable business case.

He said rent on a one-bedroom would be around $660 per month, which he said was 80 per cent of the going market rate, based on landlord surveys.

“My biggest concern is fining seniors to fill them,” said Coun. John Inglis. “I know Central (Frontenac Township) has had some problems.

“Is there a case for say two units?”

“There would be less borrowing costs but there would still be upfront costs,” Foulds said. “You’re looking at $200/square foot construction costs.”

“When the survey was done, the highest number of respondents came from Cloyne,” said Coun. Vernon Hermer. “How would the rest of Wards 2 and 3 feel about living in Cloyne?”

“I find this quite doable but the big question is still going to be 5, 4, 3 units,” said Inglis.

Mayor Ron Higgins suggested Council digest the information before bringing it back for discussion.

“Do as much as you can when you can,” said Foulds. “It takes a lot to get a project built and if you build three and want to add on, you’ll have to go through the process again.”

“Another survey?” said Hermer.

“The survey suggested people wanted in-home services,” said Inglis. “The County said ‘no’ so it’s time to give up that fight and time to get the $300,000.”

Council also heard a presentation from JP Melville Non-profit Business & Project Management on the Abbeyfield Canada Seniors Housing Model.

 

 

Storage unit

Council approved a request from the Cloyne and District Historical Society to build storage shed at the Pioneer Museum.

“I can’t see any reason not to, we own the land,” said Coun. John Inglis. “Thanks for asking.”

 

Efficiency study

Council approved an “efficiency study” at the request of Mayor Ron Higgins.

“I don’t see that we’re going to see a lot of savings,” said Coun. John Inglis. “I don’t object to spending $5,000 on it but I don’t have very high expectations.”

“It’s something we’re going to have to document for the Province at some point,” said Higgins.

 

Planned outage

A planned power outage happened at the meeting right on schedule at 11:30 a.m..

Council continued on, something that wasn’t surprising given the extensive amount of experience they’ve had working in the dark.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS

Even though there are still a couple of outstanding issues with the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, manager of development services Forbes Symon recommended South Frontenac Council approve a condominium agreement for Cranberry Cove Condominium in Storrington District at its regular meeting meeting Tuesday night in Sydenham.

Symon said that because of flood watch conditions, the CRCA hadn’t had the manpower to devote to reviewing the agreement but he was confident all its conditions were being met and the Township could remove its conditions and send it on to County. (Frontenac County is the final approval authority on condominiums.)

“The developer has been working with the Health Unit, the CRCA and the Township to satisfy the conditions of draft approval,” he said. “It now appears that the conditions have been satisfied.

“It’s not as complete with a big red bow around it as we would like but it is to a point where we can recommend entering into the agreement with the understanding that there is still an ‘i’ and a ‘t’ to be dealt with.”

Holiday Manor
Council approved an encroachment agreement for Holiday Manor in Battersea to operate an outdoor licenced patio that encroaches on a municipal road allowance.

“From a roads perspective, the encroachment is not a significant matter,” said Forbes Symon, manager of development services.

1 more month for Percy
Council extended the lease agreement with Percy Snider on Stage Coach Road for an additional month to allow Snider to complete a move to his new facility.

“I would like to see it happen so we could celebrate Canada Day with it cleaned up but he is working on it,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal.

EORN
Council passed a motion to support the Eastern Ontario Regional Network’s submission of a business case to support improvement and expansion of cellular networks and mobile broadband services across Eastern Ontario. “The County has already supported this and will probably make some financial commitment to it,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “They’re just asking member municipalities to support it too, to strengthen the case.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 15 March 2017 12:51

South Frontenac seniors housing proposal

A report that explores options for a senior’s housing project in Sydenham came to Frontenac County council this week, and will soon go to South Frontenac Council.

The report, prepared by Re/Fact and SHS consulting makes a number of recommendation based on demographic research into South Frontenac which concludes that there is likely sufficient demand for self contained senior’s units on a single level at market or near market rental rates to fill 12 units in the Village of Sydenham. The consultants also looked at a number of potential building sites in the village, and talked to representatives from local agencies.

It concluded that a 12 unit complex, located on Stagecoach Road on a 1/7 acre parcel of land that is currently owned by Southern Frontenac Community Services would be the best location. It also proposes that Loughborough Not For Profit Housing, which manages two senior’s buildings in the core of the village, be approached to manage the new housing stock. Two options for the mix of housing are proposed. Under option 1, a grant from the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) capital funding progam would be sought to subsidise constructions for 6 one bedroom units in the complex. The rents in these units would therefore need to be set at 80% of market rent, in order to be eligible for $900,000 in grant money ($150,000 per unit). The other 6 units, which would have two bedrooms, would have their rent set at 90% of the average market value.

Option 2 differs from option 1 by not including any of the IAH funds. In this case, rent for the 6 one bedroom units would be set at the market rate, and the rent for the 6 two bedroom units would be set at 90% of the market rate.

Frontenac County has provide $350,000 in seed money for the project, and under each scenario the total estimated building costs are almost $3 million. Under option 1, the proponent of the project (ie the township) will need to invest $350,000 and under option 2 the estimated investment is about $1.1 million.

According to the business plans, once built the buildings should be self sufficient, generating enough money to cover mortgage, maintenance and upkeep cost in addition to a surplus of about $10,000 a year to go towards unexpected costs.

Four years ago, each of the Frontenac Townships made a commitment to work towards constructing a senior’s housing project within their boundaries, and $350,000 was set aside in a reserve fund managed by Frontenac County for each of the builds. For the South Frontenac project to come to fruition the Township of South Frontenac would have to take it on as a township project.

The consultant presentation to Frontenac County, which took place on Wednesday morning at the monthly Frontenac County meeting, was not expected to result in much debate. The rubber hits the road, however, when South Frontenac council looks at the report in early April as they will need to find the money to build it.

Because the proposed location for the housing project is within the boundaries of the Sydenham municipal water service, it can be a 12 unit project, and can even perhaps be added on to in the future. While it will require a large septic system, and the purchase of an additional 0.9 acre  of land adjacent to the 1.7 acres owned by Southern Frontenac Community Services will likely be necessary, it will not require its own water system.

Under provincial regulations, any building project over 5 units on a single parcel of land must be serviced by an expensive to build and maintain drinking water system. That is why the project being proposed for Marysville on Wolfe Islands and future projects in North and Central Frontenac will be limited to 5 units, a restriction that does not apply in Sydenham but would apply anywhere else in South Frontenac.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

David Craig is currently living in Perth and is building an earthship home just east of town, but what he really wants to do, and soon, is start building a community of earthship buildings in North Frontenac.

Earthships are a home design concept that uses recycled tires, concrete and the structure of the landscape to create homes that can heat themselves by drawing heat from the ground, and are so energy efficient they can be powered with two solar panels and a bank of batteries. All that is needed as a backup is a small wood stove or propane heater. They were pioneered in New Mexico by Michael Reynolds.

David Craig had been working in the traditional building trade when he decided to make a change. He took a course on how to build “Earthship” homes, and since then he has built two of them in Ontario as a contractor. Over the last six years he has developed a more elaborate vision, a community of earthships, a 300 to 400 acre property to be occupied by 300 to 400 people set up in a circle or some other arrangement. The property would include 144 buildings plus other property that would be owned by a community-owned corporation.  Families who purchase the homes will have the option of living in them as single family dwellings just like in any other subdivision, or they could contribute to the community, through 3 hours of labour per week towards a community benefit.

“Those who join in and work for 3 hours a week, and they don’t even have to live in the community to join in, will share in the benefits that come to the community. It’s up to the people what kinds of projects they want to pursue, but the idea is that a third of what is produced stays in the community, a third is sold for a profit, and a third is re-invested in the community.”

The Earthship is at the core of the concept because the homes are cheap to build, but more importantly they are off-grid and self heating, making them very inexpensive to live in. They are also greenhouses at the same time and families can grow their own food as well.

“The attraction of this contributional community concept is that once people are able to have shelter, heat, power, and food, their basic needs are met. That frees them up to live the kind of lives they want to live.”

Craig said that by promoting his concept in pubic seminars there are a growing number of people who are ready to invest in earthships and move to a new community.

“This is not a hippie thing, and it’s not about living in the past, or away from the world. The idea is not to be somewhere in the back woods where no one can find us, but as part of a broader community. There is also no rejection of technology. I still want to have high speed Internet and hot showers, and so does everyone else, but this offers people more control over their lives.”

The one thing standing in the way of getting an earthship community under way is a piece of land to build it on and a municipal jurisdiction that is responsive and is willing to develop the zoning and permitting process to allow it to happen.

“I found a perfect piece of property, 720 acres in Frontenac County,” Craig said. He looked up Frontenac County on the Internet and came up with Ron Higgins’ email.

“He responded positively to me, but it turned out the 720 acres is in Central Frontenac. But I have kept up correspondence with Ron Higgins and we had a meeting with the planner and they were very positive about the idea, but in order to do it in North Frontenac I need to find some land in that township.”

Craig said he is looking for at least 300 acres in North Frontenac and that he is ready to start up the project as soon as he finds suitable land.

“I need to find a property yesterday,” he said “because I am ready to start building right away. We have the people, we have the plans, we are ready.”

Anyone who is interested in the project or has a nice piece of land for sale in North Frontenac can check out talkingtreescommunity.com or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC

About 18 people showed to a public forum on November 16 to talk about the best option for a senior’s housing project in South Frontenac. A Committee made up of two representatives from Frontenac County Council (John McDougall and Tom Dewey), as well as Mayor Vandewal and South Frontenac Councilor Pat Barr are seeking proposals for a minimum 5 unit building that would be available for rent to senior’s.
The project is a county-wide initiative, with each township having $350,000 available to them to provide financial support for a public or private sector developer to build new housing. The township of Frontenac Islands was the first to take up the challenge, and the planning for a new 5 unit building on a lot that is located on the south edge of Marysville on Wolfe Islands is well under way. South Frontenac is the next to start working on it, and at the meeting on November 16 there were three groups represented who are thinking about putting a proposal forward. Of them, two are not-for profit corporations, Loughborough Housing and Southern Frontenac Community Services, and the third is Robert Morgan of RJM Classic Homes, a Sydenham based company.

“The meeting we held was very good, and with a number of ideas being floated it became clear afterwards that we needed to broaden the discussion before focusing on what kind of development we would like to support,” said John McDougall, who sits on both South Frontenac and Frontenac County Council.
To do that, the township has posted a 12 question survey on the Southfrontenac.net website. The survey asks residents if they think senior’s oriented housing is needed in the township, where that need is greatest, and what kind of project is best suited to the township. It also asks whether it should be a rental unit, unit sizes and amenities, what kinds of services should be in place, and what government support should be available to the developer.

Ken Foulds and Ed Starr from Re-Fact consulting of Ottawa are helping the committee select a project and they will also help with the business plan. Once a project is selected and arrangements made for financing, they will also help with a business plan. Eventually, it will be the group that is developing the project who will come to the fore. The consultants and the county committee will pull back and let the project proceed.
“That’s how it worked in Marysville,” said McDougall,” who added that one of the things that needs to be determined is what the $350,000 can be used for, particularly if the project goes to the private sector.
Location is one of the subjected being explored through the questionnaire. All three of the groups at the meeting on the 16th have property available in Sydenham, however, so there is some likelihood it would be built there.

South Frontenac Community Services has property available at the Grace Centre site. Robert Morgan has set aside some land in a subdivision he developed off of Rutlege Road, and Loughborough Housing has some space available on the same site as their two building are located, and has another piece of land available in Sydenham. A site in Sydenham that can be hooked up to water would fit with the township’s development plan for the village.

Another decision that needs to be made is whether the units should be available at market rent or as rent-geared to income properties. Market rent is what is being contemplated on Wolfe Island.
The Seniors Housing questionnaire will be available until the end of the year on the township website. Southfrontenac.net.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

URCA is an acronym that stands for United, Roman Catholic, Anglican in recognition of the three churches in the Village of Flinton that worked collectively to establish low cost housing for residents of Kaladar/ Barrie Township who needed it.

It's no coincidence that the project, which was needed in the North of 7 region back in the late 1980s as much as it is today because of economic and social conditions, ended up happening in Flinton. If it was left to bureaucrats to decide, the project would have undoubtedly been built on Hwy. 41 in Kaladar, Northbrook or Cloyne. Who would build social housing away from the transportation and economic corridor that is the lifeblood of the region?

It is partly the three churches in Flinton that made the difference, partly the close-knit nature of the community and partly the Freeburns, Rieta and Art. They ran the store in town, and got involved in the project in 1987. The first thing that needed to be done was to survey the need for housing, and Art spearheaded a door-to-door survey so everyone in town was contacted.

In the August 25, 1987 edition of the North Frontenac News, the headline announced “Flinton Housing Proposal Accepted” and the lead paragraph said, “On Monday, August 17, a housing corporation in Flinton received confirmation that its preliminary proposal had been accepted by the Ministry of Housing.”

8,700 proposals had been submitted by Ontario communities for funding, which only a small number received.

The optimistic committee, of which Art Freeburn was chair, expected to begin construction on 30 units of seniors' housing in short order, with the expectation that the project should be in its completion stages in 1988.

It did not happen like that. After dealing with government delays that put off the project time and time again, things came to a head about five years later. After spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in consultants, architects, well drilling, and lawyers, the government was on the verge of cutting loose from the project.

That was when Art Freeburn made his most important contribution. Furious that all his and the community's efforts were about to come to nothing, he demanded and received a meeting with government officials in Ottawa. He came home that evening with a promise that he could proceed with 16 units. But then he had more work to do convince a reluctant community that the units would be a mix of seniors' and family dwellings, when the community had all along been adamant that only seniors' housing be built.

Knowing that the government was not going to back down, Freeburn told the community that both kinds of housing were going to built, and that is what happened.

The project was completed in the mid 1990s, and Art Freeburn remained as Chair on the URCA Board of Directors until his death in 2007. A memorial to him is featured in the URCA office.

The current Board Chair of URCA, Linda Hume, took on the role at the urging of Art Freeburn.

“His greatest concern was that URCA continue to be governed by the people of Flinton,” said Linda Hume. She was interviewed at the URCA office as she was preparing for this year's AGM along with property manager Larry Pick and board member Christa Sheridan.

“He felt that if local interest waned the units would be taken over by the County of Lennox and Addington and they might start to deteriorate if that happens,” she said.

Larry Pick has been the property manager at URCA for a number of years.

“We have a very good relationship with the County staff who manage our waiting list and provide funding for us,” he said, “and they appreciate the need and value of local oversight.”

“We really need to make sure that we have a strong membership in our organisation,” said Linda Hume, “and we hope to get a good showing at our AGM this year to increase those numbers. The business end of the meeting takes 15 minutes and then there is a potluck. All people have to do is show up and register as members. It is not a big commitment but it will give us more to work with,” Linda Hume added.

With statistics showing that there are 20,000 low income people in Lennox and Addington according to the 2013 sector, agencies like URCA will be more and more important, especially north of 7, in the coming years.

“We hope for a good turnout on June 24,” said Linda Hume, “it should be a good night for a BBQ.”

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
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With the participation of the Government of Canada