A small but enthusiastic group of star gazers gathered at the North Frontenac Star Gazing Pad near Plevna on May 10 to learn about how Aboriginal Canadians interpret the dark skies. Avid astronomer Frank Dempsey made a special trip from Pickering to inform star gazers on the subject. Dempsey, who is a professional meteorologist and has a master’s degree in astronomy, focused his talk on constellation mythology and sky lore as seen by different First Nations across Canada.

Dempsey is Ojibway and a member of the Dokis First Nation, which is located near the French River. He has been researching a First Nations perspective on astronomy and has written numerous articles on the subject. Main line astronomy is normally based on Greek origins with many constellations named for Greek gods and goddesses, but Dempsey said that the Greek mythological sky lore often involves myths based around emotional violence and jealousy. “Native mythology tends to be more oriented towards geographical and climatological perspectives with many different regional variations depending on if you are looking at native people living on the west coast, the great plains, the great lakes or the south western desert of the United States. Each group will have slight variations on similar constellation mythology based on their local climate, the animals they rely on for sustenance and their specific agricultural practices,” he said.

Citing for example the different Aboriginal interpretations of the constellation known as the Great Bear or the Big Dipper, Dempsey explained four different variations on the legends relating to it. The first tells of the spring bear hunt; a second is the legend of the fisher in the Ojibway culture and tells of the birds of summer being locked up as a result. A third interpretation is the Navajo legend that tells of the male and female figures that revolve around the fixed fire star represented by the star Polaris. Similarly in Alabama and other areas of the Southern US, the Big Dipper or Great Bear constellation is thought of as the great canoe and by others as a caribou or elk being pursued by three hunters.

Dempsey cited the constellation Corona Borealis, “a very interesting little ring of stars” that he said is “well named by the Greeks since its formation resembles a corona, which in Greek means crown.” Dempsey explained that in certain North American Aboriginal mythologies the constellation represents a sweat lodge; in others a hole in the sky; and in still others it is the spider man or spider woman’s lodge since the grouping can be likened to a web. He cited the constellation Scorpius in the southern sky, also well named by the Greeks but for the Navajo it represents the first big man and how the scorpion’s tail is interpreted as the tracks of a rabbit. Similarly the constellation Sagittarius, named in Greek for the archer, is named a bear in the Navajo and Pawnee mythologies.

Dempsey explained that some native cultures have well-documented sky mythologies due to the fact that either priests or archeologists from as long as 200 years ago recorded these mythologies. Dempsey said that for him personally an Aboriginal interpretation of the skies offers a more natural way to see the sky. “It can be much more relevant to the people that live here as compared to a Greek interpretation.”

At the star pad Dempsey set up his Schmidt-Cassegraine telescope, a compact and light weight telescope that is powerful but easy to transport. As the night sky began to darken he first focused his lens on Jupiter, one of the first lights to appear in the north-western sky and guests had a chance to get a close up look at the huge planet, its two dark bands and its four moons. Dempsey said the weather for the event was ideal. “We're in the east side now of a high pressure ridge, which means the clouds are disappearing and though there is a bit of a wind, which is not ideal, it helps keep dew from forming on the lenses.”

Dempsey was invited to the star pad to speak by Guy Nason, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and an avid astronomer who was consulted on the building of the pad and who owns his own observatory on Kashwakamak Lake. Dempsey is an old friend of Nason's and when the latter was asked by Betty Hunter to suggest someone to give an Aboriginal interpretation of the skies above Plevna, Dempsey came to mind first.

For those who missed the event and who would like to learn more, Dempsey has written a number of articles on topics of Aboriginal sky lore including the Big Dipper sky group, the constellation Orion and more. Some articles can be found online and in the Journal of the Royal Astrological Society. Dempsey said he plans to write more about the Milky Way and other constellations. He said that the easiest way to find out information about Aboriginal sky lore is to Google Aboriginal astronomy.

The North Frontenac Star Gazing Pad opened in August, 2013 and came about through efforts of the North Frontenac Economic Development Task Force under the direction of Chair Betty Hunter. It was developed with federal gas tax money from the County of Frontenac, who stipulated it be used for Eco-tourism projects. Chair Betty Hunter was in attendance at the event and said she is pleased with the turn out at a number of events that have taken place so far.

The Star Gazing Pad is located at 5816 Road 506. Upcoming events are:

June 21 - Summer Solstice; July 5th - Asteroids; Ceres and Vesta close together (10 arc minutes - Interesting lunar feature the Straight Wall is visible).

August 3 - Saturn/Mars/ Moon in straight line. Lunar Straight Wall visible; September 13 - Watch moon rise at 10pm; October 18 - Uranus challenge: Seventh planet theoretically visible with the unaided eye.

For more information, check the North and Central Frontenac Recreation Guide or the Township of North Frontenac's website.

Feature article, May 26, 2005

Feature article May 26, 2005

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Its decision time, folks

The Council of North Frontenac township has showed they are willing to work hard. They have met for hours and hours on many occasions to work on the structure of the township hierarchy and on their budget. Sometimes they meet day and night. They have also demonstrated a willingness to consider varying currents of information and opinion about issues.

Now its time for them to make some decisions and put some issues to rest. The most obvious is the Fire Hall in Clarendon and Miller Ward. The questions of whether a Hall should be built, and where it should be built if indeed it should be built, and what type of Hall should be built, as well as where the money will come from if a Hall will actually be built, has been going back and forth from Council to the Fire Hall Task Force like a ping pong ball for nine months now.

Its clear what the advocates of the MNR site on Buckshot road want - a pre-fabricated building attached to a renovated former MNR building. An estimated cost for this can be quickly determined. The Ladies Auxiliary of the Fire Department have $100,000 in a kitty set aside for a Fire Hall building Project, and its also clear what want - they want the Plevna Fire Hall, as it has been dubbed, to go ahead.

There is also a vocal opposition to this plan. It is not that clear what these people want, but it is crystal clear what they dont want - a new Fire Hall in Plevna.

Council has decided to meet with the Fire department directly, and with the Ladies Auxiliary, which is fine. After that they have to bite the bullet and do something they probably could have done a couple of months ago: decide to either go ahead with the Fire Hall in Plevna, or to reject the idea completely.

In a way Council is in a bind, because they only have a positive and a negative option. There is no fully developed alternative plan to the Plevna Fire Hall plan. If Council says yes to it, they will anger many people but the issue will be put to rest. If they say no, they will anger a different group of people, but the issue will not be resolved whatsoever.

It would mean that all the work that has been done has been wasted, and a entirely new process must be undertaken. It would be questionable if this Council, who are now at the halfway point in their mandate, would be able to resolve the Fire Hall issue before the next election. There is a risk that this will be left to the next Council to resolve, and what everyone considers an inadequate Fire Hall could remain in place for several years.

However uncomfortable Council feels about being boxed in over the Fire Hall issue, it is a situation they created for themselves. It could have been avoided if the Fire Hall Task Force had been made up entirely of Council members, and other people were brought in only to provide expertise and opinion. This would have left Council driving the issue from the start. If the Plevna Fire Hall had quickly developed as the preferred option, at least Council would have been behind that momentum. Instead, they seem to have been dragged along.

This is not to say that the Plevna Fire Hall plan is a bad one. But its not up to me or anyone else in the peanut gallery to decide; its up to Council.

Thats why they get the big bucks.

Feature Article - April 20, 2006

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Feature Article - April 20, 2006

Clar-Mill HistoricalArchives a reality:North Frontenac Council,April 13, 2006

byJuleKoch Brison

OPENING OF CLAR-MILL HISTORICAL ARCHIVES: A grand opening of the new Clar-Mill historical archives is scheduled for May 9 at 6:30 pm. at the Plevna library. The collection is the work of Bethany Armstrong, whose historian father Charlie was the author of the book “Away back in Clarendon and Miller”. The archives have been funded by the sales of the book, and the public library has donated space for the collection.

COUNCIL OPEN HOUSE: Council agreed to hold an Open House on June 17 from 9 am to noon at the Clar-Mill hall in Plevna. Local business owners, community groups and lake associations are all invited to attend. Councilors will give short presentations on issues such as waste management and the Crown Land Stewardship program, and listen to ratepayers’ concerns and ideas. Councilor Clayton expressed hope that, as North Frontenac does not have a chamber of commerce or a businessmen’s association, the meeting would foster co-operation among local businesses.

NEW FIRE HALL: Council passed a bylaw to sign a contract with Millenium Construction for building a new fire hall.

COMPOSTING PROGRAM: The township has started a program to sell backyard composters to NF ratepayers for $20, and to provide free under the counter compost buckets.

HARLOWE CLUB: The Harlowe Community Rec. Club has raised the funds to install central air conditioning in the Harlowe hall at no cost to the municipality. Councilor Fred Perry expressed concern that although the club has invested an enormous amount of work and money in the hall, still, in the near future when the township hires a new staff person to manage the community halls, they would have to pay to rent the hall. He suggested that the club receive some kind of credit for the $5,000 - $7,000 they will be spending on the air conditioning unit.

Clerk Brenda DeFosse asked how that would be monitored, and other councilors pointed out that many groups have invested much work and money in the halls.

Council denied the request for permission to install the unit, asking instead that the club obtain three quotes for the work from a licensed contractor with liability insurance, and work with the building inspector.

CONTAMINATED SOIL GOES TO LANDFILL: About 100 tonnes of gasoline-contaminated soil from a business in Plevna that has closed down, will be accepted at the Plevna Waste Site for a fee of $20/tonne. The Ministry of the Environment does not deem the soil to be hazardous waste; Councilor Clayton said that the gasoline simply evaporates when the soil is spread thin. Dale Gemmill, the contractor who removed the underground gas tanks, said that the tanks were not leaking; the gas was just from spills at the pumps over the years. The MoE was present when the tanks were taken out. Soil samples were taken and only one in six came back contaminated.

RURAL ROUTES TRANSPORTATION SERVICE: Mayor Maguire gave council an update on the newly formed Rural Routes Transportation Service. “It’s going to be a very, very good service,” he said after attending the inaugural meeting last week of Rural Routes’ advisory board, on which he sits. Maguire said that the service will provide rides to anyone in its catchment area that needs a ride for any reason. Volunteer drivers will pick up people from outlying areas and transport them to Sharbot Lake to link up with Rural Routes’ vans. Fees will be charged for the trips, but if anyone can’t pay, Ontario Works will cover the cost to a certain maximum.

“The program is in very good hands with organizer Jane Drew,” Maguire said.

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Feature Article - March 8, 2007

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Feature Article - March 8, 2007

Hartsel White, Plevna WWIIVeteran and Nature LoverInterview by Katie Ohlke

“I was born on the White homestead, where my sister-in-law Alma still lives - soon to be 90 years ago. I went to the Plevna school up on the hill by the church. It was a two-room school house; it went up to the tenth grade and there was a wood stove in the school. As a young man I helped when we won the contract bid for cutting wood for the school stove. It was for $1.25 a cord delivered and split in two foot lengths. We had to unload half of the load at the bottom of the hill so the horses could get up the hill. Then we would come back down and get the rest of the load and finish the delivery.

In 1942 I joined the Canadian Army with the Reinforcements Head of Mechanics Force based in Hamilton. I went over to France in 1943, two weeks behind the invasion. I was transferred to the Field Hygiene Reinforcements, an outfit based out of Winnipeg. I was their driver for dispatch; it was a small outfit of 29 men. The corporal left shortly after I arrived and then I was made the corporal in charge of transport. We would pick up a lot of shrapnel in the tires, so when they found out I had gone to trade school in Canada,

I became their mechanic. I stayed for the duration of the war, and was stationed for six months after the end of the war in Holland for peace keeping duty.

I decided to come back to Plevna because this is where I was born and where my family was. I wrote to Esther while I was overseas, and we were married in 1949 after I returned home. She had been working for Gilbert Osler in the Plevna General Store. After we were married, we set up the Tea Room in the home I built for us. We sold coffee, sandwiches

and groceries. We also sold hunting and fishing licenses.

When I first got home in 1946, I started driving the snow plough and the grader for the township. The trucks were old army trucks rented from Amp James. They were pretty good outfits but the steering was on the opposite side of the truck cab. That took some getting used to, although in France we did the same thing. I once sat in the plough for 20 hours straight to get the roads clear on Christmas Eve.

I also worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources; we planted trees and worked in the bush in the winter time. We used horses to skid out the logs; skidders make an awful mess of the bush. Later on I also worked for the Department of Highways.

There have been many changes in the area. A lot of people my age are gone now and new houses are going up. Hydro wasn’t in here when I built the house--it came in 1949 or ’50. It looks okay for Plevna, with the big store and the skidoo trails, though there are not as many fish as there used to be. When I was young, the fish were not wasted. We took what we needed. Now everything is commercialized and we have nuisance fish in our waters. The trout lakes are also going down. Deer licenses used to be $2, and now they are $35. Times are different now.

Some of my favorite memories of Plevna: I went to a lot of dances. I used to call the square dances and Neil Perry used to play the violin!”

Hartzel has two living children and four grandchildren. He also has two very musical nephews. He takes an active interest in his community and the local wild animal

population. He turns 90 years young on March 16.

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Feature Article - March 1, 2007

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Feature Article - March 1, 2007

BellSports fund puts Plevna rink back in business

Skaters were all smiles at the Clar/Mill rink last week.

After two years without ice, the rink is back in business this winter, thanks in part to a $5,000 grant for maintenance from the Bell Sports Fund. A presentation was made by a Bell official at a family fun day on February 17th.

The rink has been very popular this winter, as it was on the 17th, when there was a free skate followed by a pick up game for local adults. The Plevna Hockey Mums are back in business as well. They have organised a league for local kids that is running two days a week and there is a free skate on Saturdays.

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Feature Article - March 1, 2007

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Feature Article - March 1, 2007

Plevna gets a new grow-op, and it's legal

by Jeff Green

Sherry Gorr loves the gardening business, and Don and Sandy Raycroft love starting up new businesses. Sherry has been running a major greenhouse business north of Pickering for the past 10 years, but she has always wanted to live near her husband’s family in Plevna. When it became clear that the Gorrs’ Pickering home needed too many repairs, they decided to look into moving. Don and Sandy took over the North of Seven Restaurant about two years ago, and in that time they have rebuilt the restaurant, opened a modern Freshmart store, a post office, a gas station, and more.This winter, they put up a greenhouse on an adjacent property, and Sherry Gorr has leased it and has been busily planting cuttings, seedlings, and seeds in preparation for the 2007 gardening season.“People might be wondering what I’ve been doing here for 12 hours a day over the past couple of weeks, and why I’ve been coming over at night to fill the outdoor wood furnace, but it’s taken a lot of heat to warm this place up,” Sherry Gorr said from her toasty warm greenhouse earlier this week.Although it has only been running for a short while, there are already row after row of plants growing, and Sherry is seeding and transplanting constantly. The greenhouse business has been a passion for her since she started her own business in 1994. At her old location, Sherry ended up putting up five greenhouses, and she developed outdoor showcase gardens as well. Although she is starting from scratch in Plevna, she plans to landscape the area around her existing greenhouse, and will probably be building a cold frame within the next month or so to transition the seedlings she is now growing for outdoor planting. Sherry specialises in perennials, annuals and hanging baskets that contain different varieties. Although temporary greenhouses spring up each year at grocery and hardware stores, they tend to sell plants that were grown by large wholesalers. Since Sherry grows the vast majority of her plants, they will not have to undergo being shipped to the greenhouse. Some added advantages of buying bedding plants from the grower are: assurance of quality; more variety to choose from; and plants that stand a better chance of thriving in the particular gardening conditions north of 7 in Lanark, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Counties . Considering how quickly a vacant lot in Plevna has been transformed into a greenhouse operation that is well underway, there can be no doubt that Sherry Gorr will have splendid bedding plants for sale come the beginning of May. Not only will there be annual and perennial flowers and hanging baskets, but vegetable gardeners will not be disappointed either. Later this month, Sherry Gorr will begin seeding several varieties of tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, squash, lettuce and many other vegetables At her former business, Sherry tended towards retail sales, which is what she plans to do in Plevna as well. She also ran plant sales as fundraisers for local schools“I will have to find out what works here in Plevna,” she said. Sherry Gorr is confident, based on her former business experience, that once gardeners see the quality of her plants, they will come back again. Curious gardeners don’t need to wait until spring to see what Sherry has been up to. On March 10th, the Greenhouse will open to the public for a sneak peak. So, anybody with the winter blahs who would like to experience the warmth and the aroma of spring, and get a head start on garden planning for this year, go to North of 7 in Plevna on March 10th, and head over to the new grow op.

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Feature Article - December 13, 2007 Back toHome Feature Article - December 13, 2007 Santa visits the Plevna volunteer dinner by Katie Ohlke

Photo: Santa visits the Plevna Volunteer appreciation dinner at Clar-Mill Hall last Saturday. Lea White, 92 years young, shares her wish list with Santa.

Last Saturday a group of very special people gathered at Clar-Mill Hall. They are the community volunteers who help put on events and keep the hall running smoothly for all sorts of events. At the beginning of the evening there were a few special presentations; the first from Ed Schlievert and Gertie MacDonald to the Deputy Fire Chief Norm Mills. The community raised $500 for the North Frontenac Fire Department. The second was from Pat Cavanagh, president of the Golden Friendship club, who presented a $100 cheque to Ed and Gertie on behalf of the Volunteer Group. The Seniors Group also donated two dollies to help move chairs at Clar-Mill Hall and Ompah Hall.

After the presentations, a delicious potluck dinner was eaten by the group of almost 80 volunteers gathered to enjoy the evening. Followed by a delicious dessert, the games began! Karen Hermer drew 25 names for nine prizes, allowing people to "steal" other people's winnings. After several competitive moves for the beautiful Christmas wreath, Herb Tooley won it. The tables and the hall were beautifully decorated by Lynnie Barre and Betty McKittrick, which added to the festive spirit. After the games, the group received a special visitor - Santa! Both young and old were happy to see the jolly old elf, and many kids and kids-at-heart took a turn on Santa's knee.

To round out the wonderful evening, the Over the Hill Gang entertained the crowd with some great old-time country and holiday music! Thank you to all the local volunteers and to those who put on this fabulous party!

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Feature Article - November 15, 2007

North Frontenac Council - Nov. 8by Jeff Green

Mouldy Books to Be Removed from Plevna Library

North Frontenac Council thought they could read between the lines when they received a letter from Claudette Richardson, Chair of Board of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, informing them that the library would temporarily removing its collection from the Plevna site.

“Once they take all the books out, I doubt if they plan on ever bringing them back,” said Councilor Wayne Good.

The decision to remove the materials comes after the branch has been closed for 10 months because of a mould problem in the Clarendon and Miller Hall, where the branch is located.

“The Plevna branch has been closed since January 2007 and it appears the required building maintenance has not occurred. Exposure to mould and dampness continues to undermine the condition of this portion of the library collection as well as pose a significant health risk to our staff,” Richardson's letter goes on to say.

“I just saw that letter, saying we have not done any remedial work. We have an engineering study saying the library is safe, and yet the library board says we have not taken any remedial measures,” said North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire at council. “Quite frankly when I looked at the letter I was shocked.”

“Perhaps [NF Recreation Manager] Cory Klatt and I should have a meeting with the library staff, where we can sit down with all of the reports and go over them,” suggested Township Chief Administrative Officer Cheryl Robson.

Mould problems at the Clar/Mill Hall surfaced at the beginning of this year, leading the township to do some remediation in the basement of the hall. However, the library board has not re-opened the Plevna branch, because of lingering mould problems in the branch itself. Since July the township and library staff have not been able to communicate about what must be done before the branch can re-open.

When contacted by the News this week, Library CEO Deborah Defoe confirmed that, “The mould problem in the Plevna branch persists. Library staff did a site visit within the last two weeks, and observed mould growing up the walls. Some of the books in the children’s section are certainly beyond repair. We’ve contracted Service Master to remove the books, dispose of the ones that are beyond repair, and treat the others. We wanted to inform the township that this was happening so people would not be surprised when they see a van coming up and taking the books.”

Rural Librarian Pam Harris has taken pains to reassure the township that the library board remains interested in re-opening a branch in Plevna.

In an email to the township, she wrote “Once, [the Plevna branch] is certified as clear and safe, we would be delighted to move back in and have staff and public in the building. Meanwhile, in the interests of protecting our collections and resources, all of our library materials will be moved out, some of it will be ‘deep cleaned’ and relocated or returned to Plevna, with the remainder of the materials being disposed of … we want to hear the options andlearn what the plans and future are for this building.”

The future of the Clar/Mill Hall itself will be dealt with as part of a review of township facilities that is currently underway, but at last week’s meeting, councilors were saying that it could take six months or a year for a comprehensive strategy to emerge.

The Ompah branch will continue to have extended hours until the Plevna branch can find a new home.

COMRIF 4 – Mississippi bridge again?

A fourth round of the COMRIF (Canada Ontario Rural Infrastructure Investment Fund) has been announced and was discussed briefly at North Frontenac Council. The township is one of the few in the region to have not received funding in any of the first three rounds, when they applied for help to expand the Mississippi Bridge to two lanes.

One of the suspected reasons that the bridge has not received funding the past is the fact that the bridge is in good repair and traffic counts may not be sufficient in the minds of funders to justify an expansion.

“We should have a higher count now, with all the OPP cars passing back and forth,” said Councilor Fred Perry, referring to the police presence since late June on Highway 509 in response to the occupation of the Robertsville mine.

Robertsville – Councilor Lonnie Watkins asked if there has been any response to the notices that were sent out to the leadership of the Ardoch Algonqiun First Nation concerning the buildings and trailer that are located on the road allowance on the side of Road 509.

“I have received nothing and [bylaw officer] Ken Gilpin has received nothing,” said CAO Cheryl Robson.

“There aren't many people there, just a mess. It looks like hell. We should get them out of there,” said Councilor Bob Olmstead.

“We have received a letter from our lawyers. It says we've done due diligence,” said Councilor Wayne Good.

“I don't see that we have anything to gain by forcing the issue, especially since we've covered ourselves. There's nothing to be gained by forcing the issue. If they've got a mediation process going, it doesn't make any sense for us to jump into that,” said Mayor Ron Maguire.

Feature Article - April 10, 2008

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Feature Article -April 10, 2008 Service Still Key for Lookout Home Hardwareby Jeff Green

Rick Kellar was born and raised in Plevna, but when he was a young man he went away to college and ended up getting a job with the Ministry of Natural Resources in Forest Management. After five years he decided “Government wasn’t the place for me.”

He asked for a leave from the ministry and when he couldn’t get one, he left his job and “spent a couple of years traveling around the world with a back pack.”

Eventually he decided it was time to establish some roots so he headed back to Plevna with no real idea about his future plans.

He put his forestry training into practice and started a logging business in Plevna.

In 1986, a business opportunity presented itself. Stan Mika owned Mika hardware in Sharbot Lake and had satellite stores in Arden and Plevna. Rick Kellar took over the Plevna store, which was located in a two-room schoolhouse on a hill overlooking the hamlet.

He immediately did two things with the store.

“It had been called Lookout Hardware before Stan Mika owned it, so we re-named it, and we immediately turned it into a year-round business. In the first winter we opened three days a week, but after one year it became a six day a week business,” Rick Kellar recalls.

By the time he opened Lookout Hardware, Rick Kellar had married his wife Gina, who was from Plevna originally, but had been working in Toronto and visiting home on weekends and holidays.

To find work for Gina back home, the Kellars opened another business, the “Crooked Nook” lunch bar. After a couple of years running the logging business, the lumber store, and the restaurant, something had to give, and the company sold the Crooked Nook, whichich now exists as the North of 7 Restaurant, Freshmart and gas bar.

In 1988, Lookout moved to its current location on the junction of Hwy 506 and Mountain Road.

“There was a two-storey home on the property, which we renovated and turned into a store. Early in 1992 we built a 1700 square foot addition, and in 2002 we did a 3200 square foot addition.”

Also in 2002, Lookout switched from the TimbrMart buying group to Home Hardware, and a store manager was hired, freeing up some of Rick Kellar’s time.

“We wanted the Home Hardware line, and it has worked out. It provides the same price on hardware that people receive at the larger Home Hardware stores, which is a big plus for us, because it gives the customer comfort over the pricing.”

Kellar says that each year he has been in business he has seen a steady growth.

“We don’t see huge peaks and valleys, just continual progression,” he said. He attributes the businesses success to the increasing demand for building supplies in the surrounding region as people seek to upgrade old family cottages and build new homes, and to the staff complement that has been built up over the years.

Aside from selling lumber, which is delivered within a 30 mile radius free of charge, and hardware, Lookout also carries cottage and home packages.

But it is service that has been the real backbone of the business.

“The first step is to recognize that someone has come into the store, and we need to appreciate that opportunity,” Rick Kellar says, and that is something the staff at Lookout always keep in mind.

“Most of our staff, with one exception, have been trained on the job. Most arrived with little experience, and one of them has been here for 20 years; most of the rest have been here five years or more. I think that it’s a good thing that they’ve been trained on the job.”

A business like Lookout Hardware can only survive with the support of both the permanent residents and the seasonal residents.

“Our business has been built on customer service, a good location, great staff, and a little bit of luck,” Kellar said.

Back to HomeFeature Article - May 21, 2009 A Plevna power houseby Julie Druker

Bernice Gunsinger at her home in Plevna

Bernice Gunsinger is many things, but idle is not one of them. At 89 years old, soon to be 90 on November 1, Bernice continues to be an active member of her community and still likes to keep a lot on her plate.

When I visited her at her home in Plevna, the home where she was born and continues to live, she had just hung out a long row of dish towels belonging to the Clar-Mill Community Centre, just one of the many jobs that she performs as a community volunteer there.

On her kitchen table lies a phone list of 30 people, who are, along with her, members of the Clar-Mill Community Volunteers and are involved with LINUS, a group of quilters and knitters that makes blankets for cancer patients at CHEO in Ottawa. Before the day is done, Bernice needs to get an important message to all of them regarding an upcoming potluck and blanket pick up.

Born in 1919 and married in 1941 to Andrew Gunsinger, Bernice, now a widow, has three children, seven grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

She has worked all of her life both inside and outside her home. She was the caretaker at Clarendon Central School for 25 years and has also worked at a number of lodges in and around Plevna.

The on-going volunteer work she has done for the fire hall in Plevna is well known and came about after a fire in the early 1950s destroyed the parsonage, a number of homes, and the sawmill - long before there was ever a fire hall in town.

Bernice recalls, “There were no fire fighters or a fire hall at that time and it was the bucket brigade and volunteers that finally got the fire stopped.”

After that fire she and a group of volunteers got together and performed a popular minstrel show that toured various towns in North Frontenac, raising money for the affected families as well as a desperately needed water pumper and thousands of feet of hose.

She remembers those shows with fondness, “I played the banjo and I did a waltz on the stage and darn near fell off. Mrs. Sallans played music using bottles of water and we also had the bull and matador skit. I was in the bull costume with Florence Kellar. There were 15-20 people in the show and we had a good time putting it on.”

Later as president of the Young Circle Club, Bernice helped to organize the annual Santa Claus parade and celebrations that entertained families in the community at Christmas time.

For 15 years Bernice was president of the Volunteer Ladies Fire Auxiliary, a group that held dances and various seasonal festivals to raise money for the new fire hall.

Bernice is also a member of the Plevna Crafts Group, which is instrumental in the annual Christmas tree lighting festival there.

She has been a long-time member of the seniors group in Plevna and it is no wonder that she won the Senior of the Year award in 2006.

Bernice has no intention of slowing down any time soon. She showed me various quilts that she has on the go and admits, “I can never really ever sit still. Even when I am watching TV I have to keep my hands busy.”

The awards that have recognized her community work hang on her living room wall but one comes to realize after getting to know Bernice that it is not recognition that she seeks. Instead she remains humble and is grateful for her continued health and her ability to keep living independently at her home and to keep on doing what she loves to do.

Her community is lucky to have her; clearly all the work and energy she has put into her community comes directly from her hands and her heart. Most would agree that Bernice Gunsinger is definitely a giver.