Now in its seventh year, the Ompah Volunteer Fire Fighters annual Spring ATV Ride, which took place in Ompah on April 27, continues to grow as riders from as far away as Ottawa, Kingston, Prescott, Sudbury and Quebec make the special trip to participate in the event. “This year by far has been the biggest year yet,” said Lindy Hay, an executive committee member who assists in organizing the event. “We are up at least 100 riders from last year, which is great for us.”

The run’s popularity is partly due to the incredible trails and partly to the natural beauty of the area; but mostly it is the mud that keeps participants coming back year after year. “Of our two events the spring ride is always our biggest event and that is because people really love the mud and to get dirty,” Hay said.

Organizers also made a special effort this year to increase advertising and up the prizes. They advertised through the Ottawa radio station Y101 FM, which Hay said likely helped to swell the numbers. The prizes included a brand-new 2013 four track Honda ATV that was donated by Kanata Honda and raffled off to 2000 eager ticket holders. The $40 cost for the ATV run included the ride and a sumptuous home-made roast beef dinner courtesy of the Snow Road Flag Ladies, who served over 400 dinners. A wide range of desserts was made available courtesy of the local bakery in Plevna. The ticket price also included a chance at three prizes: a first place $500 prize, a second place new chainsaw and a $200 third prize, plus an additional four prizes of new helmets. No fewer than 100 door prizes were given out. Also new this year was a BBQ trail lunch served courtesy of the North and Central Frontenac Relay for Life volunteers, which was set up half way through the trail at Quackinbush.

Hay said the event is very popular with entire families since volunteers go out of their way to make sure it is friendly, fun and safe. “It's a really family-oriented event,” Hay said. “We definitely don't promote drinking on the trails and we also invite the local police to come out. That and the fact that our trails are unique and the volunteers very friendly and efficient also makes the event a favorite for riders.” Also new this year were a number of vendors on site, which included one local artisan, representatives promoting the upcoming 150 anniversary events in the area, and the Ottawa ATV Club.

The registration fees will go to the Ompah Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, which supports local causes in the area and Hay said that she expects that dollar amount to reach $1000. The Spring ATV Run is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Ompah firefighters and it is a great way to attract business to the area. I spoke to a number of riders who were overnighting at local cottage rentals in the area.

The event benefits multiple causes. Pledges collected by the riders went towards the Ride For Dad campaign and by the end of the day riders had raised over $5,500 for prostate cancer research and awareness.

Those who missed the spring ride, have no fear. The fall ride is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 21.

On April 6 a wide range of activities took place at an all-day fundraiser at the Arden Legion. The events were organized to help pay back the roof shares that the Legion sold to help pay for roof repairs to the hall in August last year. Legion member Malcolm Sampson headed up the fundraiser, which included a chili cook off, a 16 team dart tournament, silent auction, bake sale, dart supply sale, crafts sale plus a Legion buffet breakfast that saw some 70 hungry diners come out to give their support.

In total 80 shares of $100 each were sold to Legion supporters last year, which enabled the roof repair to be completed. Initially organizers hoped to pay back the shares at a rate of two shares a month over a total of 40 months. Sampson said that after the day’s fundraiser, only 18 shares were left to be paid. He said that that was a result, not only of the success of the day’s fundraiser but also on account of the generosity of many of the share holders. “The biggest surprise came when very often each time a name of one of the shareholders was pulled to be paid back, they turned right around and donated the money right back to the Legion,” Sampson explained. A total of 35 shareholders donated their shares back. As a result the shares have been repaid at a much faster rate than was initially planned, which Sampson said has saved the Legion a lot of money in interest.

Next Wednesday, April 17, the kick-off event for the 2013 Flinton Relay for Life will take place at the Flinton Recreation Centre. The Relay for Life Committee and other local organizers of the event will all be on hand to talk about plans for this year's relay, share some refreshments and show some video footage from the 2010 and 2011 Flinton relays.

The kick-off will also be a good opportunity for new teams or individuals to register for the relay.

Sue Tobia, the chairperson for Luminaria sales, will be there selling, and the cancer survivors' lap co-ordinator Sherry Tebo will be looking to register individuals for the lap, which included about 90 participants in 2011, the last year the Flinton Relay was held.

“We are looking for some more team support,” said Relay Chair Carolyn Hasler, “but we are off to a solid start with 18 – 20 teams already registered.”

A number of fundraising events are coming up to raise funds for the Relay, which will take place on the evening of June 7 on the Recreation Centre grounds.

On Saturday, April 20, one of the teams is putting on a bake sale and silent auction at the Clar/Mill Hall in Plevna, at Jack’s Jam.

On May 28, there will be a gigantic yard and bake sale at Lakelands Family Health Team in Flinton and other yard sales are being planned as well.

Raffles are also being organized, including one for an original oil painting by Don Wise. Tickets for the Don Wise raffle will be available at the kick-off evening.

“We have a number of things happening at the kick-off, and we are hoping for more,” said Carolyn Hasler. “The main thing is to get people fired up for the relay after we didn’t hold one in 2012."

They line up in three rows, taking up most of the room in the Oso Hall, to begin their 108-move set. Those who have been doing Tai Chi for five months, as well as the instructor, Dennis Dong from Kingston, who has been doing it for 27 years and has done it every day of many of them, do the same moves.

“A lot of Tai Chi is letting go,” said Dong during the tea break at the weekly Sharbot Lake class on Monday, as the class gathered to recount their experience with Taoist Tai Chi.

Some touted its health benefits, particularly in relation to back pain and other age-related ailments, while others talked about the mood-altering effects of the practice. “I always feel good after the classes,” said one woman, “no matter how I feel coming in.”

“I used to think Tai Chi was for wusses,” said one man, who started doing Tai Chi eight years ago to encourage his wife to exercise but hasn’t stopped, “and I still think that, but after eight years I realize that I must be a wuss myself."

Many others said that at this point they think they “are lifers”.

One of the attractive features of classes sponsored by the Tai Chi Society is that the moves are the same all around the world, so people who are travelling can join a group no matter where they are and will be able to fit right in.

Although there are enrolment fees for the classes, the money does not go to the instructors, who are all volunteers. “I volunteer to teach because I want to meet people, to help others, and because of what Tai Chi has done for me,” said Dennis Dong, who is now coming up from Kingston to teach in Sharbot Lake.

South Frontenac resident and acting president of the Frontenac Minor Hockey Association (FMHA), Allanah Walsh, usually tends to shun the limelight. Not these days though... and for good reason.

Walsh, who has served on the executive board with the FMHA since 2002, was one of over 1000 Canadians nominated by their local community hockey supporters and she is eligible to win one of the Kraft Hockey Goes On Program grand prizes of $100,000 for the FMHA. If she is successful, the funds will go towards supporting minor hockey at the Frontenac Community Arena in Piccadilly, near Verona.

The Kraft program, which both celebrates and recognizes local community hockey supporters, is making available a total of $1 million to Hockey Canada-affiliated minor hockey associations across the country. On March 16 it was announced that Walsh had made it to the second phase of the contest and she is currently one of the 20 nominees in Ontario, out of a total of 100 across Canada, who are in the running for one of five $100,000 grand prizes.

The top five grand prize winning nominees will be chosen by the public in a two-day online voting session that will begin at 9 am on Saturday, March 23 and continue until 11:59 pm the following day on Sunday, March 24. Voters can vote as many times as they like online and Walsh is hoping that voters will take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Walsh says that the FMHA is one of the lucky rural associations in that it is well attended compared to others, which have seen a decrease in registration due to players opting to play in larger centers. However, she also says that there are important needs that are not being met. “In order to keep the association's fees competitive, other important necessities have fallen short”, Walsh said when I interviewed her by phone earlier this week. “For example, we don't replace our jerseys as often as we would like, nor hold as many clinics and training sessions as our players and volunteers like and need. We could also really use about eight sets of goalie equipment and other equipment like nets. The funds would also help with bursaries that help to cover registration fees for players who otherwise could not afford to play.”

While no final decisions have been made as to how the $100,000 grand prize might be spent if the FMHA's bid is successful, Walsh did say that it would also go a long way in making slated improvements to the Frontenac Community Arena, which was built almost 40 years ago. “Replacing the time clock definitely ranks up there on the list, as does completing the second phase of the arena renovations, which include the addition of a new heated viewing area.”

Walsh is no stranger to the financial challenges her association has faced in the past. In 2003 when it was faced with the choice of either boosting revenue or dramatically increasing players' fees, she chose the former and launched a chocolate bar fundraising campaign that raised over $75,000. In her 11 years with the association she has acted as both president (for 5 years), and vice president. She started up the association's on line registration and also overhauled the fee structure. She has also worked closely with both players and parents.

Walsh, it appears, made a good decision by choosing to finally step into the limelight. “I was totally shocked to be nominated and though I hate the attention, I felt this time that I needed to put that aside because this is something that the FMHA really needs and really wants and it is also something that the kids who play really deserve."

For those who understand what hockey means to so many youngsters in the community, now is the time to make a difference. Voters can mark the voting days - Saturday March 23 and Sunday March 24 on their calendars and can visitwww.krafthockeygoeson.ca to vote for Allanah Walsh as many times as they like.

Students in Stephanie Leeder's grade 5/6 class at Sharbot Lake Public School fired multiple questions at one local hockey hero when he visited the school on March 8. And like the great goalie he is, Graeme Gemmill easily managed to catch and return every single one of them.

The 16-year-old goalie from Godfrey, who was named Midget Goalie of the Year last year for the Kingston Canadians and who currently plays goalie for the Greater Kingston Junior Frontenacs, has been playing in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association for eight years. During his visit to the school, Graeme not only gave students a chance to get up close and personal with his skates, goalie mask, pads and stick but also spoke of how he, an all around high achiever, manages to balance a serious hockey life with teenage student life. Graeme is a grade 11 student at Sydenham High School. He started playing hockey at age eight at the Frontenac Arena and started playing goal at 12, which is a later than usual start.

However he was able to use his story to stress to the students that any serious endeavor can begin at any age. “It doesn't matter how old you are when you start whatever it is that you want to pursue. I know that a lot of hockey players start playing at 4 and 5 years old, but I don't think the age at which you start something is what matters most. What does matter most is that you have the drive; that is what counts.” While the students were eagerly inspecting Graeme’s gear, his mother Sue told me that her son “is a humble player and most importantly has learned how to balance his time”. Graeme later shared that priority with the students. “No matter what else you want to include in your life, be it a sport or any other endeavor, I can't express how important it is that school comes first”, he said. Graeme fielded typical fan queries from his young audience. His favorite NHL team? Montreal. His favorite player? Price.

He also shared numerous personal stories – one was about one of the first NHL games he attended, when a sign that his mother had made for him attracted the attention of a young Jaroslav Halak, who ended up giving Graeme his goalie stick. “That was one thing that really set me off and made me really want to strive to get to that level of play myself.”

Asked about any unusual rituals he partakes in before games, Graeme said that he puts all of his gear on - left side first. He also loves to juggle pucks. “I'm one of the weird guys. Other guys like to warm up before games and get really hot and sweaty but I hate getting hot before a game and will only run for about five minutes as my pre-game warm up. I also prefer not to talk much before a game.”

He showed the students a number of videos, including one of a training session he participated in with Danny Taylor, who plays with Calgary in the NHL and with Abbotsford in the AHL, and a practice session he took part in at the Under 16 Program of Excellence in Oshawa. Lastly, he showed a warm up session that he was invited to attend with the Napanee Raiders.

Last year Graeme and his team, the Kingston Canadians, had numerous highlights and were the Cobourg Region Silver Stick Champions and OMHA finalists.

Students in the class came away inspired by his presentation. Megan Dunham, who started playing hockey at the age 10 for the Tay Valley Tornadoes, said that she hopes to play goalie one day. Eddie Brown, another student in the class who donned a Kingston Frontenacs toque, has seen Graeme play once before and was thrilled to have a chance to speak with him.

Following the presentation Graeme said that speaking in classrooms to young kids is something that he likes to do. “This is a way that I can give back to the community and also to let these kids know that if they set their heart on something that they truly want, they can achieve it. I have a strong work ethic and I want them to know that if you have that, anything is possible.”

As far as his future plans go, Graeme hopes to get a scholarship and play in the NCAA and has spoken with reps from various schools. And what about the NHL? Here Graeme demonstrated some of that realistic attitude and humbleness his mother mentioned earlier. “Of course it would be ideal to make the NHL but let's face it; there are thousands of guys who want those spots.”

The Land O’ Lakes Tourist Association has formed a new partnership in its efforts to promote fishing as a ‘hook’ in order to entice tourists to the region for all sorts of outdoor activities.

“Captured” is a new show that is being produced by Vantage Point Media of Belleville for airing on the World Fishing Network (WFN) throughout North America. “Captured” is the first TV hosting project for Ashley Rae, a Napanee-based fishing personality/promoter, and she is particularly excited about filming six episodes in the Land O’Lakes region. The first episode is an ice fishing show that was being filmed early this week on Schooner and North and South Quinn Lakes in North Frontenac. They were fishing for lake trout, speckled trout and splake.

“Not only do I love ice fishing, but the first time I ever fished, it was in North Frontenac, on Kashwakamak Lake,” said Ashley Rae.

When Ashley was a young girl, her parents, who did not fish, had the good sense to book a vacation at Twin Oaks Lodge on Kash Lake, and it was the lodge owners who introduced Ashley and her brother to fishing.

“I took to fishing right away and have never stopped. What I’ve been doing over the years and will now be bringing to my first TV hosting opportunity is a bit of a change for fishing shows, because I am not the stereotypical angler,” said Ashley Rae, who is 27.

Nick Pujic, from Vantage Point Media, has been filming outdoor shows, in particular fishing shows, all around the world, in places such as Iceland, Argentina, and New Zealand, but he said he is very excited to finally be able to work close to home in a region where he grew up.

One of the features of “Captured” is the use of helicopters to get in and out of locations, and for the opportunities that helicopters offer for video as well. Kouri's Kopters from Tamworth are used in the Land o'Lakes episodes

“One of the things we noticed in North Frontenac by flying over in a helicopter is how much water there is. When you drive around you think there is a lot more land, but when you fly over you can see that there are lakes and more lakes in every direction. We will be capturing that for our show,” Pujic said.

“What excites me about this show, from the point of view of the Land O’Lakes Tourist Association,” said LOLTA General Manager Rachelle Hardesty, “is that it is not just a fishing show. It is about the hike to the lake, the drive through the countryside, canoeing and kayaking and all sorts of other outdoor adventures that are available in the Land O’Lakes region.”

Three of the six shows that will feature the Land O’Lakes are ice fishing shows and the others will be filmed in other seasons.

Among the lakes that will be featured will be Sharbot Lake, Loughborough Lake and Sydenham Lake, as well as Black Lake, Hay Bay, the Napanee River and the Bay of Quinte.

The partnership between LOLTA and Vantage Point Media is the third major fishing-related enterprise the association has entered into in recent months, along with bringing Fish TV to the Land O’Lakes and sponsoring a major fishing derby this summer in Frontenac County.

“You could fish a different lake in the Land O’Lakes each day for 13 years,” said Rachelle Hardesty, “so we have a lot to offer for anglers and people who enjoy activities on and around the water.”

There was a Devil, an Angel, a Ballerina, Pirates, Panthers . . . and the weather was definitely Polar as spectators, EMS personnel and 40 Plungers braved the elements in the third annual Frontenac Heritage Festival Polar Bear Plunge. Over $8,500 was raised for three worthy organizations in the community: the Child Centre, Sharbot Lake HS/MS School Council and the Alzheimer's Society. Over the course of the last three years over $20,000 has been raised! Councilor Tom Dewey presented trophies to Mark Montagano for the most funds raised ($1,310) - narrowly edging out Art Holloway ($1,117) who did a terrific job of raising funds in the community and even had an Angel on his side. The youngest Plunger was Kayla Blenkhorn, 12 years old, closely followed in age by Amber Asselstine, who is still the youngest ever to plunge. The oldest Plunger was Karen Burke and the best costume was won by Perry Chafe (Habs Fan). While the best performance was definitely Jen Farnum and her ballet routine with a pirouette into the lake. HRH also made an appearance and wished the Plungers well.

Once again the Plungers were led in by Amber Asselstine and Niki Greenstreet, who was the first Plunger to sign up three years ago. We even had the five members of Sherman Downey and the Silver Lining join us after their performance at the Sharbot Lake Hotel the night before - the hat was passed to sponsor them. Thanks guys, we're looking forward to seeing you next year.

Thanks to Richard, Gill and Dawn of the Sharbot Lake Marina for staging the event. There is a lot of work to get the site ready and it's very much appreciated. Hats off to Bill Young, the firefighters and the EMS team, who were there to keep us safe - you could see the ice hanging off them. A welcome addition was a school bus provided by Cox Bus Lines to keep Plungers warm. The trophies were once again provided by the folks at St. Lawrence College. Last but not least, thanks to our intrepid Plungers and their enthusiastic supporters. Hats off to you all! When it's 20 below zero and the north wind is blowing it takes a lot of character to answer the bell.

Certificates of Appreciation were presented. Nice job, Johanna Jansen. The new Plungers received commemorative T-shirts courtesy of Bowes and Cocks Real Estate.

Feedback from both the spectators and Plungers is that they are keen to do this again. It's a great feeling to overcome your fear, step out of your comfort zone and, at the same time, do something good for the community - exhilarating and a lot of fun. So if you are considering taking the Plunge next year, don't forget we only go this way once and Life is not a Rehearsal. Have no Regrets. Just do it.

The Sharbot Lake Snow Drags continue to attract racers from all over Ontario as the number of racing events for riders in the province continues to dwindle. With only a handful of events currently offered to riders, many are grateful for the Sharbot Lake event, which was started up again three years ago after a long hiatus.

The Snow Drags were originally started in 2001 and ran annually up until 2004. Then, after it had been dormant for several years, in 2011 a handful of local students, who were enrolled in the YAK program run out of the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake, resurrected the event, which they remembered from their elementary or intermediate school years.

This year, Charlene Godfrey and the District 3 Oso Recreation Committee organized the event, along with a slew of community volunteers, including announcers Jim MacPherson and David Whan and track heads Jill and Dennis Scott and Spencer Robinson. Participants from as far away as Moira, Marmora, Belmont, Sault Ste. Marie, Quebec, and New York took part in numerous classes, which this year were expanded to include a vintage, four stroke, single cylinder and kitty cat 120cc modification class. An ice track was also a new feature added this year. The racing lanes were expanded and included wide snow banks that divided the lanes. Site safety was also increased, with more fencing and signage and riders were not permitted on the beach area.

This year the weather conditions were perfect for riders. With over 16 inches of ice on the lake, and one amply snow-covered track along with blue skies and sunshine, the conditions beat out last year’s race day when temperatures plummeted to below -25 degrees in a brisk wind.

By 9 a.m. on Saturday morning over 100 riders had already registered and Godfrey said she was very pleased with the turnout.

The event is definitely putting Sharbot Lake on the map for many who have never been to the area and local businesses are no doubt thankful for the increased business the drags bring.

I spoke with one rider, Rod Cavanagh of Clayton, Ontario, who was a newbie to the drags. He entered numerous classes and said he came out for the fun of it all. He said he was impressed both with the tracks and the area in general and said he definitely plans to come back next year.

Godfrey said that she was getting a lot of positive feedback from participants.

“This is a great family event that not only brings business to the area but also makes Sharbot Lake and the area in general a destination for people who have never been here before. We had phone calls prior to the event from people from Sault Ste. Marie, Quebec, and New York and some of the participants today have traveled over eight hours to be here.”

Following the event was a special trophy and awards ceremony that took place at Oso hall, which was followed by a catered roast beef dinner put on by Tim and Penny Cota. A number of local vendors, including members of Sharbot Lake and District Lions, also provided nourishment to participants through out the day.

Cia Myles-Gonzalas and Genevieve L’Abbe, both paddlers from Sydenham, have been selected to attend the Team Ontario 2013 Training Camp in Tampa, Florida in March. The camp is offered by the Ontario Canoe Kayak Sprint Racing Affiliation. This will be 19-year-old sprint canoeist, Cia Gonzalas’s second year attending the camp. For 15-year-old sprint kayaker, Genevieve L’Abbe, it will be her first year attending the camp.

“It was hard work, but I learned a lot”, says Gonzalas. “I am pleased that Genevieve will also have the chance to participate this year too”. Cia’s hard work last spring definitely paid off in medals in the summer paddling season as she received a gold medal in Women’s U18 Div. A & B- C2 1000m; a silver medal in the Women’s U18 Div. A & B C2 500m; and a 5th place in Women’s U 18 Div. A &B -C4 500m at the Ontario Provincials Trillium Championship Regatta in Welland. At the Ontario Team Trials in Ottawa, she came in 7th in the U18 C1 500 m A Finals. In the final event of the season, she achieved an impressive 6th place in the Women’s C1 1000m A Finals at the National Championship in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Gonzalas, who trains with the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club in the spring, has been training in Carleton Place for the last two summers to give her the opportunity to paddle in crew boats. Gonzalas says that her training goal this year is to make it on to the Ontario Team.

Midget Sprint Kayaker, Genevieve L’Abbe, trained solo with the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club in the spring, but decided to move to the Ottawa River Canoe Club in the summer, so that she would have the opportunity to paddle crew boats as well. L’Abbe had little previous experience paddling crew boats, so she had to learn quickly. Genevieve says, “The secret is just to ‘keep calm and paddle on’” as one of her t-shirts logos states. Genevieve’s ability to focus and synchronize her stroke with her new teammates proved to be the key to her success in 2012. At the Ontario Trillium Provincial Championship Regatta in Welland, her crew received a gold medal in the Midget K4 1000m. Her Div. B crew won a gold medal in K2 1000m. Her Division A & B Midget C4 crew won a silver medal in the 1000m. Her Div. B & C crew won a bronze medal in the K2 Midget 500m. At the Ontario Summer Games in Welland, she won a bronze medal in the Women’s K1 1000m and the 3000m and a bronze medal in the K4 1000m. At the Ontario Team Trials, she won a silver medal in the Women’s U 18 K1 1000m and a bronze medal in the U16 K1 200m. At the Nationals, she came in 5th in the Juvenile & Midget C4 1000m A Finals.

Both paddlers are looking forward to getting an early start on the season and renewing some of the new friendships that they made last summer.