Jule Koch – Brison 1951-2016
Last Thursday (December 15) Jule Koch died peacefully in her sleep at St. Mary’s by the Lake hospital in Kingston, two months after her 65th birthday. She took ill in late October with what she thought was Lyme’s disease, but found out on November 2nd that she had Leukemia. Treatments… READ MORE
And the survey says ... (Part 2)
Last week, the governing Liberal Party of Canada received a comprehensive, detailed all party report on electoral reform which presents them with a set of options that they are not willing to undertake, including holding a referendum on electoral reform. In response, their representative to the special committee on electoral… READ MORE
Randy Says He’s Sorry
Randy Hillier has said and done a lot since he stopped working as an electrician for the federal government, donned red suspenders and formed the Lanark Landowners Association (LLA). With the LLA he learned how to get attention, whether by driving tractors through the streets of Toronto or Ottawa, by… READ MORE
The survey says ...
I always love that line from the tv show where a family stands in order in front of a goofy host and tries to fill in a statement such as “Pasta is to spaghetti as pie is to ___? They give their answer and the hosts says, ... “and the… READ MORE
About that Elephant
I was a bit distracted when putting the paper together last Tuesday. As the evening wore on the unease I had already been feeling due to matters close to home, began to mount and mount as the results of the US election rolled in. By 11:00 when layout was fully… READ MORE
Why Canada needs to be wary of President Hillary Clinton
The noise from down south is deafening these days as Donald Trump is sinking in his own bloated ship of fools. That might all change, of course, but at this point it is unlikely and that is a good thing. I was surprised when the tape of Trump being Trump… READ MORE
A matter of Trust
When the K&P trail project was first being floated about 10 years ago, the fact that the section between Tichborne and Sharbot Lake is privately owned was discussed. The logic was to work from south to north, deal with all the complications along the way, and worry about that part… READ MORE
All Aboard!
Mystery Train. Slow Train Coming. Long Black Train. Morning Train. Night Train. Train to Paradise. Waitin' on a Train. Trains of no Return. There is an endless string of song lyrics that come to mind about the idea of a return of passenger rail service to the Highway 7 corridor… READ MORE
Time for some bold action from a county committee
Anyone who has been to the Frontenac County offices in what is known as “The Old House” will know that it is an apt name. The space still looks and feels like a house. There are large unused rooms, a round staircase reminiscent of Gone with the Wind, and small… READ MORE
Adapting to a changing world
This August we are in the tenth consecutive month of above-record temperatures. Not only is it clear that global warming is real but it is also clear that climate change is characterized by vastly increased variability in resulting weather. Forest fires here, flooding rivers there and killing drought in unpredictable… READ MORE
The limits of municipal jurisdiction
It is no secret that North Frontenac's mayor, Ron Higgins, is convinced that installing wind turbines anywhere in North Frontenac would be a bad idea. Under his recommendation, North Frontenac Council declared itself a “unwilling host” at the first opportunity in the spring of 2015, before even hearing from proponents… READ MORE
It may be more bland than brand, but the whole InFrontenac thing is worthy of a try;
At first glance, the branding exercise that residents of Frontenac County have bought and paid for has resulted in a dull, empty logo. It has three colours representing rocks, fields and lakes, a crumpled maple leaf, and some clipart trees that are supposed to represent Balsam Firs and the four… READ MORE
No, the postal dispute is not over
Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers remain in a legal lockout/strike position. Either side is poised to give 72 hours notice of their intention to suspend the service indefinitely. Nonetheless, after playing a game of chicken for a couple of weeks earlier in the month, leading up… READ MORE
Verona is being betrayed, once again
The recent Long Term Sustainability Plan (LTAP) presented to the board of directors of the Limestone District School Board in late May, recommended that Prince Charles Public School in Verona be closed and the students be sent to Loughborough Public School in Sydenham. What a difference a decade makes. Nine… READ MORE
Parking changes coming soon to Sydenham
Those of us who live here are well aware of some of Sydenham village’s traffic challenges: we have learned that most weekdays it’s advisable to avoid the corner of Wheatley and Rutledge for the fifteen minutes morning and afternoon when the school busses are arriving and leaving. But we do… READ MORE
Budget reporting for dummies
Over the past few months I have been asked a couple of times to make sure that I let our readers know either that the average ratepayer will pay $34 more per $150,000 in assessment in one township; or that the tax rate increase is 0.03% in another township; or… READ MORE