The CP Holiday Train is due to arrive in Belleville on November 30! Bring the family to this annual Christmas event with a donation of food or cash to support the Land O’Lakes Food Bank.

The train will arrive at Mile 91 Belleville Sub, west of storage facility, on Keegan Way adjacent to CP Tracks at 10am, and Devin Cuddy and Kelly Prescott will present a Christmas concert from 10:15 - 10:45 a.m.

The Canadian Pacific’s annual Holiday Train program is a rolling fundraising event that travels across Canada and the United States raising money, food, and awareness for food banks and hunger issues, hosting free holiday concerts along the way. Since 1999 the program has raised over C$10.6 million and 3.6 million pounds of food. Each Holiday Train is about 1000 feet in length with 14 rail cars decorated with hundreds of thousands of technology-leading LED lights and a modified box car that has been turned into a traveling stage for performers.

Land O’Lakes Food Bank is a member of the Quinte Regional Food Share Shelter (QRFSS), which is a collective of nine area food banks. The CP Holiday Train is one of the main fundraisers for the QRFSS and each member food bank gets a portion of the funds raised based on its use. Your support of the CP Holiday Train is support for the Land O’Lakes Food Bank operating out of Cloyne.

In 2001 the Quinte Region Food Share Shelter (QRFSS) was formed; it is a registered charity.

Food Bank Canada introduced this initiative to ensure that rural food banks could access food at a central warehouse and reduce shipping cost. The QRFSS is a collective of 9 area food banks that address the needs of many families and individuals in need throughout the Tri-County Region. This region includes food banks, meal programs and non-profit agencies in the following counties: Hastings, Prince Edward and Northumberland. The QRFSS is also a member of the Canadian & Ontario Association of Food Banks. Food banks are located in Brighton, Belleville, Cloyne, Loyalist College, Madoc, Mamora, Picton, Stirling and Wellington.

The QRFSS member food banks meet quarterly to discuss daily operations, fundraising and for fellowship. The largest food bank in this collective is Gleaners Food Bank of Belleville. Gleaners set up the Tri-County Food Network Warehouse to ensure donated food could be delivered to this region. This warehouse serves the QRFSS members, community meal program, school snack programs, and 150 non-profit agencies. (gleanersfoodbank.ca)

Each year, nearly a million seniors and people with disabilities use the services offered by Ontario's community support service (CSS) providers - and that demand is growing, Even If you've never heard of these unsung heroes of the health care system, you've benefited from their work.

October was Community Support month, but any time is a good opportunity for Ontarians to get to know, donate, volunteer and raise their voices in support of the not-for-profit CSS providers in their local areas. They offer a wide variety of services which help people live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. These services include attendant care, adult day programs, Meals on Wheels, respite for family caregivers, personal care and home support, transportation to medical appointments, and supportive housing programs (to name just a few).

In Northbrook, Land O' Lakes Community Services (LOLCS) offers five different services to seniors in our catchment area. We provide Transportation, Meals on Wheels, Homemaking and Congregate Dining. These four programs are all fee for service. We do have subsidies available for individuals who have limited income. The fifth service is our Care Givers support services. This service provides education on various health-related issues and one-on-one support to seniors and their care givers.

Individuals prefer to receive support in the comfort of their own homes and communities, not in hospitals and institutions. By meeting this need, CSS providers improve the quality of life of clients and their families - and they also create significant cost-savings to Ontario's health system, freeing up desperately needed funds and hospital beds. They are a crucial part of building the strong, sustainable health care system we will all need In the future.

"I encourage all Ontarians to learn about the home and community support services available In their communities," says Deborah Simon, CEO of the Ontario Community Support Association.

''These organizations support a vast range of individuals In our communities - including some of our most vulnerable citizens. This month is an excellent opportunity to give them a little extra support in return."

Land O' Lakes Community Services is a community based· multi-services organization located in the Township of Addington Highlands. We provide three distinct programs, one of which is the Community Support Services for seniors. Last year we provided services for 654 different individuals. It is our goal to keep seniors healthy and in their own homes for as long as possible.

Betty Hunter and Ernest Lapchinski, members of Northbrook-based Pine Meadow Nursing Home's management board, appeared before Frontenac County Council on October 21, seeking financial support for new windows at the home.

Pine Meadow Nursing Home, a 60-bed long term care facility, is located in Addington Highlands Township, County of Lennox and Addington, but up to 50% of its residents at any given time come to the home from North and Central Frontenac, Ernest Lapchinski pointed out.

Over the years representatives from the home have made numerous presentations to Frontenac County seeking funding, mostly for the major renovation and upgrade to Pine Meadow that was completed in 2014.

“L&A County put in $250,000 over 10 years, and Addington Highlands waived the building fees for the project, but Frontenac County declined several requests for support,” said Betty Hunter.

Frontenac County operates the municipally owned Fairmount Home. In rejecting annual requests for funding, successive Frontenac County Councils argued that maintaining Fairmount is already a burden for county ratepayers, and satisfies the legislative requirement that the county pay into the long term care system in Ontario.

There is a precedent for the county to support capital projects for health care institutions outside of its jurisdiction, however. The budget includes a 10-year commitment of $25,000 per year towards capital upgrades to Kingston General Hospital.

“What we are looking for today is funding support for the replacement of 11 bay windows in the original Pine Meadow building, which was built in 1993 to standards that are not what they are today. The new section of the building is up to those standards, but there are still challenges in the original building. The repair is extensive since it includes the supports, and the cost is $13,530 per window plus HST, about $165,000, which would be about $25,000 per year for seven years from Frontenac County,” said Betty Hunter. “It is a matter of some urgency.”

“The home operates within the funding envelope provided by the Ministry of Health,” said Ernest Lapchinski, “and we manage our operations within budget and have always done so, but since the home is owned by the Land O'Lakes Community Services, which has its own funding challenges, there is nowhere to turn except fund raising and grants for capital projects such as this one.”

“For years Pine Meadow has been coming to us looking for money. Council needs to find some niche to allocate money to this building, which is important to our residents in the North. We have to find an envelope to pull that money from; that is our challenge,” said North Frontenac councilor, John Inglis.

“May I point out there is no long-term facility in Frontenac County,” said Betty Hunter, referring to the fact that Fairmount Home, although county-owned, is located within the City of Kingston,

“I would try to see us do something; when it comes to budget time, I will be supporting this,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith.

While Pine Meadow (60 beds) and Fairmount Home (128 beds) receive money from the Ministry of Long Term Care according to the same funding formula, and also charge resident fees, as a municipally owned home, Fairmount receives an additional $2.6 million from municipal sources. Of that money, $1.7 million comes from the City of Kingston and $900,000 from Frontenac County. The total operating budget for Fairmount Home in 2015 is $11.6 million.

The discrepancy in funding has been brought up at Frontenac County Council in the past, particularly under the late warden Bud Clayton, who coincidentally also chaired the Pine Meadow Management Committee.

Steve Silver, the interim administrator of Fairmount Home, said recently that care staff tend to be paid more at municipal homes as compared to the not-for-profit sector, based on how arbitration hearings tend to settle contract disputes between unions and management in the municipal sector.

Silver, along with Chef Administrative Officer Kelly Pender and Councilor John Inglis, are visiting Pine Meadow this week to get a first hand look at the operation and its finances. They will also be paying a similar visit to Rideaucrest Home, which is another municipally owned home in the City of Kingston.

Frontenac County will be entering budget deliberations for 2016 on November 12, when the draft budget will be tabled by staff.

Land O' Lakes Seniors rocked on at Pine Meadow Nursing Home just prior to Thanksgiving when they visited our friends and group members there, were welcomed by Barb Ellsworth, activity director and pastoral leader, and also shared some snacks and stories. Our Pine Meadow folks have been busy of late- enjoying Tai Chi, a visit to Miles Farm for a tractor and wagon ride, and of course their annual fall fair was over the top in fun. It featured balloon darts, bobbing for apples, judging of the staff's homemade pickles, snacks of popcorn, and apple slices dipped in caramel sauce. The Pine Meadow fantastic Kitchen Club have their baking supply cupboard all stocked up and ready to go thanks to generous donors, so the club will continue to bake their wonderful homemade treats based on their recipes and memories of years past.

The residents travelled down Memory Lane when they visited the homestead of Andy Armstrong in Plevna where Andy's niece and nephew offered tours and sharing of history. They also enjoyed a picnic lunch at Armstrong Lake where folks had a fun time. As well the residents went to Wheelers Pancake House for a super yummy treat and visit there. So, that's just a partial sharing of one month's activities, but other monthly happenings include weekly worship services, musical groups, exercises, singing, baking and so much more. We are so fortunate to have such a fantastic facility right in our area.

Close to 100 guests gathered under the outdoor pavilion at the Pine Meadow Nursing Home in Northbrook on September 11 to officially celebrate its long-awaited refurbishing and upgrading from a class B facility into a “new home” rated facility, which is one step above its initial goal of becoming a category A nursing home.

Carl Gray, on behalf of the board of directors of the Land O'Lakes Community Services (LOLCS), emceed the event, which included greetings and speeches by various dignitaries, including the Warden of Lennox Addington, Gordon Schermerhorn; Addington Highlands Councilor Bill Cox; North Frontenac Councilor Vernon Hermer; Pine Meadow's current administrator Margaret Palimka and its chair of family council Brenda Martin; and representatives from Extendicare, Sharon Gilmour and Tracey Mulcahey.

The road to the facility's redevelopment has indeed been a long one. It began 14 years ago when Kim Harvey, Pine Meadow's then administrator, initiated the process, which was approved by the LOLCS and set in motion with the appointment of a planning committee.

Ernest Lapchinski, chair of Pine Meadow’s planning and building committee, has been involved in the project from the start. He also spoke at the ceremony, thanking all of the individuals and parties involved in seeing the project through to completion. These included the LOLCS; the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care and Infrastructure Ontario; Georgina Thompson, first chair of the South East LHIN (Local Health Integration Network); the County of Lennox and Addington; Extendicare Canada; project manager Peter McConnachie and architect Gail Lamb; and Brian McMullen and Jamie Broeders of Frecon Construction of Kingston. Also thanked were the various local organizations and groups who supported the project, including the Northbrook Lions and Legion, as well as the staff and residents at Pine Meadow and the local and surrounding communities. Lapchinski ended his thanks by saying that, “Rural communities such as ours without significant political clout have learned that they must work together to get what is needed for our citizens and that takes persistence and passion, both of which have brought us to success”.

Other presentations included a plaque in memory of former mayor of North Frontenac, Bud Clayton, which was presented to Bill Cox. Clayton was very involved with the project and Cox said he would have been “very proud.”

A presentation was also made by Margaret Anderson on behalf of her partner Brian Lorimer, who gifted a large work he painted, titled “The Weathered Pine” to the facility. The painting depicts a tree located near the facility, one that residents often walk by on their hikes. Anderson said it demonstrates how an old, weathered tree is still beautiful and can still offer an important role in the ongoing circle of life it inhabits.

Betty Meeks, president of the residents’ council, also spoke on behalf of the residents and said that despite the refurbishing process, during which residents and staff endured “..lots of dirt, noise and confusion, ongoing changes in routine, we now have a much nicer building - brighter, bigger, and more pleasant with more areas to visit with friends and family.”

The upgrades, which cost approximately $5.5 million, were completed at the end of July, 2015. They include two extensions made to each of the two wings of the facility, which each now have 32 beds and an increased number of square footage per resident. There were also upgrades and renovations to the dining room, visiting areas, washroom facilities and outdoor facilities.

Emcee Carl Gray especially thanked the staff at Pine Meadow, who he said always, throughout the construction process “maintained a 'residents first' approach”. He also thanked the members of the Pine Meadow Management Committee, past and present, who he said “have worked tirelessly to see this redevelopment become a reality.”

Following the ceremony, staff, residents and guests enjoyed cake and refreshments, and staff gave tours of the new upgrades.

Close to 50 guests gathered at the Northbrook's Jimmie Clarke Legion Branch # 328 to celebrate the 90-year anniversary of the Canadian Legion. Padre Harry Adringa opened up the ceremony with a prayer that was followed by a welcome by Legion president, Mike Powley Jr.

Past president Cecil Hawley then introduced vice president and poppy chairman, Steve Michaud, and vice president, Bill March.

Comrade and veteran Doug Wood spoke about veterans, who he said represent all kinds of family relations, all ethnic groups, and that are made up of rich and poor. Some veterans may be “strong, broken, sick, remembered, and some forgotten”. He called veterans “peace keepers, peace makers and warriors', and “simple, ordinary people who were honoured to wear Canada on their shoulders”.

Past zone commander Dan Bush made two certificate presentations, the first to past president Cecil Hawley, who served for 18 years as president at Branch 328, and the second to Cecily Matacheskie, who sold tickets at the branch for years before moving to Belleville.

The band Big Clear Sound performed for guests, after which lunch was served.

I have included below a history of the Canadian Legion that was part of the anniversary celebrations at the special celebrations in Northbrook.

The Royal Canadian Legion was formed in 1926 following the unity of various World War 1 veteran organizations and is Canada's largest veteran support and community service organization with over 300,00 members in more than 1400 branches across the country. The Legion advocates on behalf of veterans, including serving military and RCMP members and their families and provides essential supports to communities across Canada. Prior to WW1, the Armed Forces in Canada were represented by regimental associations, scattered units of various types with one dominion organization that was called the Army and Navy Veterans Association of Canada. Membership in these groups was limited to former military members and the majority of these groups only existed in urban areas where military armories were located. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ill and injured veterans following WW1, in which 61,000 Canadians were killed, 172,000 were wounded and another 130,000 were medically discharged as result of their military service, governments needed advice on how best to deal with the overwhelming number of veterans issues and needs. From 1917 to 1925 several veterans' organizations sprang up in Canada but had no unified voice. In November 1925, 12 veterans' organizations met in Winnipeg for a special “Unity Conference” and it was from this conference that the Canadian Legion was born. By July 1926 the Canadian Legion became self supporting.

Marilyn Bolender is happier these days. After suffering for five years from a condition that can only be described as a maddening, she has found an experimental treatment that is working.

The disorder she suffers from is not well known, and that is one of the reasons that she has come forward to talk about it after only letting family and close friends know about it for five years.

The condition is called Chronic Ideopathic Urticaria (CIU). It is described by the website e-medicine as “not a single disease but a reaction pattern” that persists for longer than six months.

In lay terms, it is hives or welts that can be as large as three to four inches across. They do not last longer than two hours before receding, but new ones occur regularly.

Like many other skin lesions they are skin irritations and they tend to be itchy.

“It is hard to describe the sensation,” said Bolender, who has now been hive-free since March. She said that she had hives or welts all over her body, except on her face, on an ongoing basis for five years.

“Nothing worked at all. I went to allergists and skin doctors, and tried all kinds of antihistamines and other medications, but nothing touched it,” she said.

Finally last year, she began to see a skin specialist in Peterborough, Dr. Melinda Gooderham, who concluded that in Marilyn's case there was no allergy involved.

A trial for a drug called Xolair, originally developed as an asthma drug but later approved for use on skin disorders in the United States, was undergoing a trial in Ontario and Dr. Gooderham enrolled Bolender in the trial.

“They started me on 150 units, which did not work, then upped me to 300, and that did not work either. When I was told that I was going to be dropped from the trial at that point, I just lost it. I didn't know what to do. Dr. Gooderham said to give her a bit of time, and eventually she convinced the company to put me on a larger dose, 450 units, and after a couple of injections it started to work.”

The drug is expensive, but fortunately Bolender is covered under a drug plan that covers 80% of the cost, and the company that produces Xolair is covering 92% of the extra cost, leaving Bolender with a cost of $42 per month.

“I'm very grateful to have found relief” she said, “and that is why I am coming forward now, since many people who suffer from CIU are unwilling to talk about it because they are embarrassed. But whether they receive the treatment that works for me or another form of treatment, it is important to be diagnosed and to start finding a way forward,” she said.

The company that produces Xolair, Novalis, have put up a website about CIU, called “Itchingforanswers.ca”

The website provides information about CIU and does not talk about Xolair. Instead it promotes the use of a new generation of oral antihistamines (Ni-AH) as a first treatment option.

Xolair, which is expensive and carries a degree of risk, is prescribed only for those for whom anti-histamines are ineffective.

“Our main message is that people who suffer from CIU identify the disorder and seek effective treatment,” said Nick Williams, a communications consultant with Argyle Public Relations in Toronto, a company that has a healthcare and pharmaceuticals division.

It was Williams who contacted the News about Marilyn Bolender's story.

The 14th annual Pine Meadow Charity Golf Tournament took place on June 20 at Hunter's Creek Golf Course on Hwy. 506 near Cloyne. As in previous years, this year's tournament was generously sponsored by numerous businesses and community members, raising over $15 000. These funds are used for a variety of items at Pine Meadow, which cannot be included in their regular budget and which enhance the lives of the residents at the nursing home.

A special thank you goes to Brad Douglas of Yourway Home Building Centre, who has been our major corporate sponsor for 13 years. Brad intends to continue to support the charity as a community sponsor.

Funds raised this year will be used to subsidize the monthly excursions planned for the residents and to repair the screened gazebo in the courtyard area. Several other items will be purchased as well, including slings, a specialty mattress, chairs for the activity room, a sofa for the entrance area, serving carts for the new dining areas and casino games and ipads for the residents to enjoy.

This year, 59 golfers participated in the tournament on a bright, sunny day at Hunter's Creek. Raffle prizes included a beautiful quilt made by the Treadle Quilters and valued at $1100, which was won by Glenn McFadden and an ipad mini, which was won by Joan McPhee. There was also a 50/50 draw with a prize of $105, won by Sue White, who donated the money back to the fund. The microwave, donated by Smitty's Appliances, was the prize for the chipping contest and was won by Cory Andrew. A compressor donated by Kaladar Auto Parts was purchased in a silent auction by Everett English for $170 and this money will also be added into the Special Needs fund.

The members of the first place team at the tournament (pictured) were Jeff South, John South, Miller Hodgins and Dave Anthony. There was a three-way tie for second place and the members of the three teams donated their winnings back to the charity. Many thanks to Fern Sedore, Barb Dion, Mary Locke, Michelle Walters, Lawrence Flynn, T.J. Flynn, Everett English, Richard Rashotte, Ab Meeks, Herb Clark, Phil Brown and Ron Fobert.

The men's closest to the pin was won by Ron Nowell and the women's closest to the pin was won by Dawn Reiser. The men's longest drive was won by Miller Hodgins and the women's longest drive was won by Barb Dion, who donated the funds back to the charity.

The raffle sales brought in over $5600 and we are very grateful to the many ticket sellers, who gave of their time and enthusiasm.

Jen Baker, branch manager at BMO's Northbrook branch, headed up a special event and invited her staff, various representatives from BMO's regional divisions, local dignitaries, clients and the community at large to help celebrate the Northbrook branch's 50 years of service in the community. The event that took place on May 20 at the branch, located at 12265 Highway 41, included a free barbeque lunch with birthday cake, a raffle for a free gas barbecue and a visit by the branch's mascot, BMO the bear. Also in attendance were a number of representatives from BMO: Chris Langevin, BMO bank manager in Tweed; Sandra Henderson, BMO senior vice president Eastern Ontario Division, and Danielle Williams, BMO regional vice president Quinte Ottawa Valley.

Deputy mayor of North Frontenac Fred Perry spoke at the event congratulating the staff at the bank for their “expertise and valued service to the community” and for “assisting the township in meeting our fiscal responsibilities to our residents while also meeting our strategic objectives”. Danielle Williams, BMO's regional vice president for Quinte Ottawa Valley, also spoke and thanked all present for embracing the branch over the last half century. She thanked and congratulated Northbrook's bank manager, Jen Baker, and her staff, for the valuable work and services they offer to the local community. Other local dignitaries in attendance at the celebration included Henry Hogg, reeve of North Addington Highlands and councilor Bill Cox. Jen Baker also introduced her staff who were present at the event and who included Esther Demczak, and Cynthia Surette.

Congratulations to Allan Campbell of Cloyne who won the barbeque.

In 1965 a new business opened up at the corner of Glastonbury Rd. and Hwy. 41 in downtown Northbrook. It was located in an unassuming trailer, but it had a marquee name, Bank of Montreal, one of the oldest and most established companies in Canada, dating back to 1817.

The branch was established after Robert Bell, the manager at the Tweed branch, noticed that a lot of customers at their location came from the Northbrook area, and would likely be better served with a local branch.

Pretty much from the start, customers took to having a local bank, and BMO (as it is now known) certainly took hold with the local community. American-based cottagers opened accounts in order to change money and pay their taxes; it appeared that local municipalities were happy to be able to deal with a branch manager locally; and the permanent residents and local businesses jumped on board from the start

A second portable building was put up in the 1970s and, finally, in 1991, a new stand-alone branch was constructed, all at the same location.

An ATM machine, the first one north of Hwy. 7 between Perth and Marmora, followed in the mid-90s. Over the last 15 years or so, the necessity for office space to talk about the range of banking needs of customers has outstripped the need for tellers, so the number of offices in the branch has increased as the number of teller stations has been reduced. This was done to better serve the clientele, by bringing a personal and more private atmosphere to the banking experience.

The current branch manager, Jennifer Baker, moved to the branch five years ago this week. Baker, who has local roots and lives in Tweed, says working at the branch is a dream job for her.

“We are able to offer such a full range of banking services, and meet with people directly in their own community to talk about investing, commercial accounts, lending, financial planning and daily banking,” she said.

Next week, on Wednesday, May 20, the staff will mark the 50th anniversary of the branch, which opened on May 17 in 1965.

The BMO senior Vice-President, Sandra Henderson and the regional Vice-president, Danielle Williams will be on hand with branch personnel for the festivities, as well as a number of former branch managers. A BBQ celebration is open to all and starts at 11 a.m. and, yes indeed, there will also be cake.

For further information, call the branch at 613-336-2696.