A fundraising BBQ was held by the Bon Echo Area Residents Against Turbines (BEARAT) at the Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna on Sept. 4. The event, which was attended by over 100 people and featured live music from the Pickled Chicken String Band and Roger Hermer, was organized to generate more interest and to raise money for BEARAT's expected upcoming battle against wind turbines being built in the North Frontenac and Addington Highlands areas.

Last year BEARAT was very active in fighting against two companies, Nextera and ResCanada, which had proposed building large wind turbine farms in both North Frontenac and Addington Highlands. The contracts eventually were awarded to projects elsewhere in the province, but they caused great debate and discussion in the area, drawing hundreds of people out to local council meetings, including the Ontario Provincial Police, who were brought in to keep the peace.

North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins, John Laforet from Broadview Strategy Group, and Dan Carruthers, a cottager from Ashby Lake, spoke to the attendees on Sunday about the current situation and fielded questions from the crowd.

“What we're doing right now is amping up our game,” Laforet said. “Individual actions are going to be extremely important as we begin to see what the timelines and benchmarks actually are for the IESO.”

The IESO is the Independent Electricity Systems Operators, an organization that oversees the supply and demand of the province's electricity and are responsible for choosing which companies receive contracts to build turbines in Ontario.

“We're basing this year's target funding on what we spent last year, which was $75,000,” Carruthers said. “We have about $30,000 raised (so far this year).”

Mayor Higgins and North Frontenac's Council, in a vote last year, declared their township “not a willing host” to industrial wind turbine projects and have since had it included in their Official Plan.

Addington Highlands voted last year to be a “willing host” to the proposed projects and so, during Sunday's BEARAT fundraiser, multiple people in the crowd were curious as to what could be done to sway that Council to vote against the projects this time around.

“Once we have a sense of what the ground looks like in Addington Highlands, who we're up against, where they're going, then there is a list of concepts that we're going to put forth,” Laforet said. “There is a real, or apparent, potential conflict of interest that would, or could, result in ties. Ties are interesting and helpful to us.”

Laforet also explained that they would offer “opportunities to oppose the project, in addition to opportunities to continue their support for the project, but in a way that is going to really upset the proponent and if they don't do it they look really bad to their constituents.”

“The plan is to wait until it's real, then put opportunities in front of them to oppose the project based on the community's sentiment, based on other real concerns about what could happen, and then (to offer them) other opportunities to be world class in protecting members of the community while supporting the project going forward,” Laforet continued.

One of BEARAT's tactics right now is to have landowners sign non-consent forms if they feel that their property could be impacted by a possible turbine in the future. The forms and more information are available on the BEARAT website at www.bearat.org.

(Editors note - a previous version of this article said, erroneously, that John Laforet is associated with Wind Concerns Ontario. In an email to the News Laforet said that he was the President of Wind Concerns Ontario over fiove years ago, but is now a private consultant.)

County makes branding presentation to North Frontenac

Anne Marie Young, manager of Economic Development for the County of Frontenac, and Alison Vandervelde, the Community Development officer, made a presentation to Council on September 2 to explain their process of implementing new branding for the County.

“We started this from the ground up,” Young told Council. She said that she hopes the new logo will attract “adventure seekers, potential investors, and business owners.”

“It looks like a girl guide badge or a boy scout badge,” Vandervelde said in explaining how the concept came together. “The crest inspires that kind of adventure.”

Along with the logo, the branding company RedTrain came up with the tagline “In Frontenac” to be used with promotional material and online.

“The tagline is really the beautiful part as it is what we make it,” Vandervelde said.

They explained to Council how people have started implementing the “In Frontenac” tagline on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and how it starts to build a story of what Frontenac is.

“It's a good measurement for us too to see how many people are using it,” Vandervelde told Council. She said that people have been tagging photos of themselves paddling, camping and eating in the area with the hashtag #infrontenac.

“Is there funding available for us to implement this new branding in our township?” North Frontenac CAO Cheryl Robson asked.

Young said that the County has received funding for rolling out the new brand but she couldn't elaborate yet on what that funding is or how much.

“I'm excited about it because it's a whole new exercise,” Councilor John Inglis said. “It [the County] has been more or less invisible.”

Malcolm and Ardoch lake plans presented to Council

Brenda Martin, chair of the Malcolm & Ardoch Lake Stewardship Committee (MALSC), Glen Fowler, president of the Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes Landowners' Association (MALLA), and Mary Gessner from MALSC, presented the summary of their lake stewardship plan for both Malcolm and Ardoch lakes to council.

They explained to Council that their priorities on the lakes are water quality and water levels, land use development, and fisheries and fish habitat.

Martin said that the water quality and water levels are presently in a “good state” and that MALLA has done additional sampling on the lakes to recognize any changes. She said they continue to educate their members on water issues.

Martin also told Council that the Ardoch condominium proposal is what prompted MALLA and MALSC to develop the thorough report on their lakes, and that their approach was more reactive than proactive.

“This Council is a safety net for North Frontenac,” Fowler said. “It's the most rural and undisturbed part of Frontenac County. If you're promoting economic development through that [new] logo then North Frontenac needs to be very protective of what goes on here. Our lake plan tries to be that reference document just for our views and we hope it's consulted when changes are about to take place.”

“We've seen the mistakes made in the past and we don't want to see them in the future,” Deputy mayor Fred Perry said. “I have ownership here. I live here.”

Another priority for MALLA and MALSC is the fishing habitat; in particular they are concerned about over-fishing of the lakes.

“Is there anything that Council can do to put a word into the ministry to have some presence periodically up here?” Gessner asked. “Ours are pretty small lakes and the public access can lead to some issues we're seeing now, like some abuse.”

MALLA told Council they had reached out to both the OPP and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in regards to one individual that they claimed has been over-fishing “for a couple of seasons.”

“He fishes from 4am till 10am in the morning...” Mayor Ron Higgins told Council. “...dumping fish in his livewell. Whether he is transporting or keeping them for his own use we don't know. I called the TIPS hotline and they said they'd be out there in three days. By then the perpetrator is already gone.”

“Every morning I make my coffee and there he is in front of my house,” Councilor Gerry Martin said.

“It's very stressful and very upsetting,” Martin said. “All the good you do for your shoal enhancement and fish habitats can be ruined in one fell swoop.”

Softened Official Plan amendment on large-scale renewable energy projects approved by Council

The approval of an amendment to North Frontenac Township's official plan has enhanced the township's continuing efforts to ensure that plans to expand Ontario's wind turbine sector do not result in wind projects within its boundaries.

Reid Shepherd, a planner with Frontenac County, the contract planner for North Frontenac, presented the amendment, which is designed to discourage the development of industrial wind turbines and other large-scale industrial development.

The amendment includes the following final sentence: “In order to maintain this place, it is a policy of Council to not support any large-scale renewable energy project, along with mining and large-scale manufacturing plants that will have a negative impact on the overall landscape of the township.”

Deputy Mayor Fred Perry asked how the words “large scale” are defined, and Councilor John Inglis said, “That is the big question isn't it?

Mayor Ron Higgins said the OP amendment gives the township the ability to evaluate projects, be they wind turbines, solar installations, “or any other kind of proposal for industry of mining, and evaluate them in terms of environmental and landscape factors that are relevant to our long-term plans.”

There were no comments from the public on the amendment, and a bylaw approving it was later passed by Council. It will now go to Frontenac County for approval.

Everyone's a critic – council nixes plans for new sign at Snow Road Community Centre

A proposal from the South Palmerston Community Centre (SPCC) to put up a new sign at the Snow Road Community Centre prompted Mayor Higgins to say that he thinks all signage projects should be put on hold until representatives from the Economic Development Department of Frontenac County present their plans for the roll-out of the new Frontenac County branding project.

In their proposal, the community centre committee is offering to raise half of the estimated $2,500 cost of the sign, and is asking the township to come up with the rest of the money.

“I don't know what the county is planning on the township level, but we should wait on this sign. The county may have ideas about how all signage is integrated with the brand,” said Higgins.

“I agree,” said Councilor John Inglis, “and besides, I don't really like the sign they are proposing and I think it is too expensive. But then I don't want to discourage a community group.”

Councilor Denis Bedard said that the township need not worry about the South Palmerston Community Centre's feelings on the matter.

“It's our building. We should decide what the signage should look like. And if they don't want to do what we want, they can go jump in a river.”

“We do own the halls, but the local committees do a lot of work to run them, and the township benefits,” said Inglis.

“I think it's enough to say we want to wait until we hear about the branding,” said Higgins.

The proposed sign features a bell, and one of the councilors asked why there was a bell in the sign.

“The hall used to be a schoolhouse,” said Councilor Gerry Martin. “Maybe that's the reason.”

Recycling rates steady

A report on the rate of recycling at township dumps over the three spring months (April to June) in 2016 shows that all the township sites received about the same amount of waste as they did during the same period last year.

The recycling rates vary from site to site, from a low of 54% at the Road 506 site, to a high of 64% at the Kashwakamak Lake site. Overall, the rate of recycling, measured on a bag-to-bag ratio, was 59.99% for the quarter, down slightly from 60.61% for the same period last year.

The provincial target for recycling is 60%, but measured on a weight-to-weight basis, not bag to bag, as North Frontenac calculates. Since bags of garbage tend to be heavier than those of recyclables, it would take an increase in rates of recycling in North Frontenac to reach the target.

New boots for Clar-Mill firefighters

The eight members of the Clar-Mill fire crew will each be receiving new $485 Globe Supreme Structural Foot Gear 14 inch Leather Pull On boots, thanks to a $4,000 donation by the Clarendon Miller Volunteer Firefighter Association. The boots will go to existing firefighters and not to new recruits. The regular fire boots that are supplied by the department cost just less than $200.

Good news is bad news in township fight to prevent possibility of industrial wind turbines being installed within its borders.

In its quest to rid itself of the potential for industrial wind turbine development, North Frontenac Council has enlisted the efforts of Joe Gallivan, the Frontenac County manager of Planning and Development Services, to draft an Official Plan amendment to state that large-scale industrial development is contrary to the township's long-term plan.

Gallivan responded with the following paragraph, to be added at the end of Appendix 4.18 - Energy, Air Quality and Sustainability: “The landscape character of North Frontenac is unique and unspoiled. The large tracts of Crown land, hundreds of lakes, wetlands, and the hills of the Madawaska Highlands all combine to create a sense of place. This character is a key foundation for the future economic development opportunities including accommodations, high tech remote offices, recreational outfitters, small businesses, and specialty businesses such as craft breweries and artisan foods. In order to maintain this place, it is a policy of Council to not support any large-scale renewable energy project, along with mining and large-scale manufacturing plants that will have a negative impact on the overall landscape of the township.”

After Joe Gallivan read out the new paragraph, Deputy Mayor Fred Perry asked Gallivan if the provincial government will react when, as is likely, Frontenac County Council approves the change.

“It is within our jurisdiction to do this. But the Green Energy Act over-rides the Planning Act so no matter what the Official Plan says it will not limit the government's ability to approve a renewable energy project in North Frontenac if it wants to,” said Gallivan.

“What this language does do, however,” he continued, “is make a pro-active statement about the kinds of development that the township is trying to attract and how heavy industry is not compatible with that vision. It puts the township on the leading edge of municipalities and makes the kind of statement of intent that cannot be ignored.”

Seniors' housing task force

Janette Amini, from Frontenac County, outlined how North Frontenac can work on developing a small seniors' housing complex in the township in order to fulfill its part of a county-wide goal to establish a new seniors' housing project in each of the Frontenac townships.

Mayor Higgins and Councilor Vernon (Micky) Hermer will join with county representatives Tom Dewey and John McDougall on a task force that will consult with North Frontenac Council and the public with a view towards coming up with a made-in-North Frontenac solution.

“Frontenac Islands was the first to get started and they are building a five-unit complex that will be a market rent facility,” said Amini.

South Frontenac began looking at a project in February and are focusing on a location within Sydenham, which has a public water supply. They are also looking at a market rent project.

“North Frontenac is starting just now, and I presented to Central Frontenac last week,” she said.

Joe Gallivan, who accompanied Amini, said that one of the first things that the task force will need to decide is if it wants to develop a market rent facility, or a rent-subsidized facility.

“There is more grant money available for a rent-subsidized facility,” said Gallivan. “Jeanette has all the information about the grants that are available.

Frontenac County also has seed money put aside to help each of the townships fulfill the pledge to develop a new facility. The township would not likely find a not-for-profit corporation to take ownership over any housing complex that it helped build.

A public meeting will be set up to gauge interest in a North Frontenac housing project.

Canada 150 funding application

Council authorized Cory Klatt, the manager of Community Development, to apply for an grant under the Canada 150 Infrastructure granting program to help fund the $1.375 million upgrade/renovation to the township office complex.

The grant can provide for up to 50% of the cost of a so-called shovel-ready construction project, up to $500,000. North Frontenac is seeking the maximum grant.

Letter from the Publisher

The summer season is a crucial part of the year for all the businesses that are the lifeblood of our communities. This week, I've been calling many of the business owners that we deal with on a regular basis to ask them for help.

There is a good possibility that this will be the last Frontenac News that readers will receive in their mailboxes for a while, as Canada Post and two of the bargaining units with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are at an impasse in negotiating a contract.

As of this coming Saturday, July 2, the union will be in a legal strike position. What will result is anyone's guess. It could be a contract; the union may launch a strike; or Canada Post might lock them out.

We distribute 9214 copies of the Frontenac News through Canada Post each week, to the far corners of Frontenac County, Addington Highlands and western Lanark County. On some weeks, we distribute an extra 2920 papers to the Inverary and Perth Road regions. While this is an expensive way to distribute newspapers, in our experience it is the only way to reach all the hamlets and back roads properties in the region. For us to set up our own distribution system would be [prohibitively?] expensive and would also be difficult to monitor effectively.

So, as we face a shut down at Canada Post, we’ve been on the phone to ask for help.

Thankfully, all the businesses we approached have been understanding, and below is a list of locations that have been lined up as of early this week. We will expand our distribution further as we contact more businesses but you can count on the ones listed here to have the Frontenac News available for free every Thursday until Canada Post is back up and running.

DISTRIBUTION POINTS:

• KINGSTON FRONTENAC PUBLIC LIBRARY branches during open hours – Sydenham, Hartington, Sharbot Lake, Parham, Arden, Mountain Grove, Plevna, and Cloyne.

• TOWNSHIP OFFICES for Addington Highlands (Flinton Recreation Centre – basement), North Frontenac (Road 506 between Ardoch and Plevna), Central Frontenac (Sharbot Lake), and South Frontenac (Sydenham)

• RETAIL OUTLETS -

• Denbigh – Glaeser's General Store

• Cloyne/Northbrook – Nowell Motors, Grand's Store, Bishop Lake Outdoor Centre, Hook's, Yourway, Northbrook Gas and Variety, Northbrook Foodland, Addison's Restaurant

• Kaladar – Kaladar Shell

• Plevna – North of 7

• Ompah – Palmerston Lake Marina

• Arden – Arden Batik?

• Sharbot Lake – Petrocan, Ram's Esso, Mike Dean's Superstore, Pharmasave, St. Lawrence College Employment Centre, Cardinal Cafe, Maples?, Sharbot Lake Country Inn, and our own office at 1095 Garrett St., rear building.

• Parham – Parham General Store

• Godfrey – Godfrey General Store

• Verona – Asselstine Hardware, Verona Hardware, Food Less Traveled, Nicole's Gifts, Verona Foodland

• Hartington - Leonard Fuels

• Harrowsmith – Gilmour's on 38, The Pizza Place

• Sydenham – Sydenham One Stop, Trousdale's Foodland ?

We are also constructing some special temporary boxes, which will be located at roadside postal locations, such as the Snow Road Community Centre, the Mountain Grove Library (outside), the Arden Post Office, etc.

Also, readers can always read the articles online at frontenacnews.ca and at that site can also access a flash version of our paper that is a .pdf copy of the newsprint version that comes to your door each week under normal circumstances.

If there is a strike, this distribution system will remain in place for at least the July 7 and 14 editions. If there is a stoppage that extends beyond mid-July, we will take stock of the success of our system and may consider changes.

We thank our readers in advance for their patience, and hope that those who enjoy the Frontenac News each week will be able to continue to do so next week.

Clarendon and Miller Community Archives have begun a new phase of research. You will recall the Memories of General Stores that was presented in May for their 10th Anniversary. By May 2017 the committee hopes to have research completed on local lodges and housekeeping cottages of North Frontenac (present and historical). Some lakes with only two or three have already been noted. CMCA needs help to identify those on Big Gull Lake and Kashawakamak Lake. We are confident that readers will recall many. If you have photos, names of lodges/housekeeping cottages or the names of people to contact, CMCA would sure appreciate a call or e-mail. Phone Brenda (613) 479-2837 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Heather at Plevna library (613) 479-2542 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The CMCA will be holding a fundraiser BBQ on Sat. June 25 at Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna from 9:30am-1:30pm.  

Did you know that every 56 days you can donate blood? Every 56 days you can help save a life!

Recently, someone my husband and I love needed to get a blood transfusion. Lonnie and I could do nothing to help this person with their ordeal, so we decided that the next best thing was to donate blood ourselves.

Being no stranger to donating blood, as I used to do it occasionally in the past, I kind of remembered what was involved. It is such an easy and rewarding decision that can change someone's life forever!

We phoned 1-888-2-donate and scheduled our appointment for the closest location to us that fit our schedule.

We made sure to drink lots of water the day of the donation and eat iron-enriched foods. I chose an extra can of tuna for lunch. Lonnie had left-over spaghetti. But extra raisins or even a granola bar that day probably would have worked as well.

We loaded our kids in the car the afternoon of the appointment and headed in to make a difference.

After getting the kids comfortable at the refreshment table, loaded with lots of complimentary juices, cookies and granola bars, my hubby and I got down to business.

We checked in with a piece of ID and the nurse then sent us to the station to have our finger pricked to test for anemia and make sure we would be able to donate.

The next step is getting your blood pressure and temperature checked and assessing your health. We were then ready to get things done.

Unfortunately, our donation chairs were not beside each other, so for the eight minutes of the actual donating of the blood, I had a TV in front of me to watch and Lonnie had to settle for trying to distract me with his funny faces and making me laugh.

After we provided our 488 ml. of blood unit, we waited our four minutes of rest time and then were free to go to the refreshment table to reload on snacks, coffee and juice!

Both kids were waiting for us with smiles and stickers that said future blood donors. I think they were both nervous for us at first, but once they saw for their own eyes what a difference we are making, they proudly said that they were going to donate too when they came of age. You are allowed to donate at 18, but can at 17 with parental consent.

O negative is the only blood type that is compatible with all other blood types and so it is in the highest demand, but it represents the smallest percentage of the population. Only 7% of Canadians share this blood type. This small percentage of people are also the unluckiest because they can only receive this blood type.

It is used in the most critical emergency situations: like for newborn babies and people with compromised immune systems or trauma victims.

Lonnie and I are not O negative, but we still donated because all blood is welcomed and needed by Canadian Blood Services.

The donations that are not used on treating patients may be stored for future testing or teaching and research; in short, it allows you to touch the lives of other fellow Canadians without opening your wallet.

Your blood type can save a life! It's safe and easy and giving blood takes less than an hour out of your day! Please call 1-888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

Heated discussion over fire chief's review

In a recorded decision during Friday's meeting, North Frontenac Council voted 4-3 in favor of the changes suggested by Fire Chief Eric Korhonen in his operational review of the township's volunteer fire department.

The vote was deferred twice before this meeting, as the report has been controversial amongst the councilors.

Fire Chief Korhonen's report recommended creating an assistant fire chief position, reducing station captain positions, and scheduling on-call volunteers for weekends.

Councillor Dennis Bedard was, again, quick to express his concerns with the report.

“There are some deep, deep, deep concerns over eliminating the deputy fire chiefs and losing that contact with the stations,” Bedard explained.

“There are some deep concerns about losing the captains,” Bedard continued. “I don't think we're ready to accept this. At least not all of this. I think we're ready to accept some of the pay changes. The volunteers deserve this.”

“I don't see any evidence with our position and population density that supports the position of an assistant chief,” Councillor Vernon Hermer said. “Other [larger] townships have one chief.”

“My understanding was, when we hired you, that we needed a chief,” Councillor John Inglis said. “There was a job description for it and I certainly didn't have it in mind that in six months down the road we'd have to hire a half-time person to do this extra job.”

“I don't see the connection between this [new] person and the stations,” Councillor Bedard added. “I don't see that improving.”

“I think the deputy fire chiefs live in those communities and they are the direct link from the station to the fire chief,” Councillor Bedard continued. “That's always worked well. I think where it has failed is that the deputies have not been trained on what to prepare for the chief and I think they can be a big asset to the chief if they're properly trained, and we already have them living in our community.”

“In Kaladar-Barrie, for over 10 years, we have had a deputy fire chief training officer as a part-time paid employee for 15 hours a week,” CAO Cheryl Robson pointed out.

Fire Chief Korhonen explained that this new position of assistant chief would incorporate that training officer position.

“If we jump the gun on this and we make a mistake...it can affect these volunteers quite nastily,” Councillor Bedard said. “Would it hurt us to eliminate the recommendations with respect to this assistant chief and the on-call and maybe a couple of councillors could sit down with Eric and the deputies to see if there is something long-term to work on? Why make that decision now? Lets make sure everybody is on board with it.

“There's a mix in any major decision we make,” Mayor Ron Higgins said.

“Agreed,” Councillor Bedard said. “But this is a major one. This affects our fire department.”

Councillors Bedard, Hermer, and Inglis voted against the motion and Councillors Good, Perry, Martin, and Mayor Higgins voted in favour.

“From my side he justified the rationale for having an assistant,” Mayor Higgins said.

The financial implications of Chief Korhonen's report is an increase of $18,612.26 to the 2017 budget.

911 sign fees waived for original property owners

During Friday's meeting, Council voted to waive the fee for installing a 911 civic number on properties in the township that were missed when the numbers were originally installed during amalgamation.

Councillor Gerry Martin brought the issue to the table, suggesting to Council that the fee was unfair for residents whose properties were missed originally when the addressing system was put in place.

In the past, the township has been charging $100 to residents who need the 911 sign installed on their property.

If a resident never received a sign when they were originally installed, and can prove they owned the property during that time, and still do, than they can request a sign from the township at no expense.

The Frontenac Stewardship Council brought a number of local and regional organizations together at the Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna last Saturday to present information of cultural and environmental/ecological interest.

“This area is blessed with unbelievable natural riches, and on that land, many generations of people have added other riches,” said event organizer Gray Merriam.

The event was designed to build on a similar event that was held two years ago at North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne, but the focus was different this time around. At Cloyne, forestry and alternative energy proposals were a focus, and there were a number of formal presentations, as well as involvement from the school community

It was a drop-in event, with booths set up by a dozen different organizations.

They included booths by local artisans, who are putting the finishing touches on the Back Country Studio Tour this September, and the Clarendon-Millar Archives.

Glenn Tunnock, who is a land use planner and has written a thesis on the Algonquin Land Claim, provided information about the Algonquin Land Claim and its implications for landowners.

Members of Mazinaw Lanark Forestry, a corporation owned by local foresters who have the contracts for forestry on Crown Lands in the region, were on hand to talk about sustainable forestry practices.

The Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust was also there, with information about the 358-acre Rose Hill Nature Reserve, which is located at the northwest junction of North Frontenac and Addington Highlands.

One group that has an interest in North Frontenac but has a lower profile in the region is The Land Between.

Leora Berman is the founder and chief executive officer of the group, which is a Haliburton-based organization dedicated to developing an understanding, appreciation, and ultimately the preservation of a large swath of land in Central and Eastern Ontario.

The Land Between (TLB) refers to an “eco-tone”, a region located between two major geological regions, in this case the region between the St. Lawrence Lowlands to the south and the Canadian Shield to the north.

It is described on the TLB website as being “characterized by low relief exposed granite to the north side and 'stepping stones' of limestone plain along the south side. Small and connected lakes and wetlands between these dry open ridges and patches of cool shaded forest are the patterns of this unique natural system. “The physical character of The Land Between, as an eco-tone, is shaped by fundamental transitions in: geology; physiography; climate; and elevation.

The Land Between is the outer reach for species from both sides, in addition to being the home base for other species, making it the region with the highest biodiversity in the province. It is also set to play a major role in maintaining species in the face of the effects of climate change, as some species retreat to the north because of climate change and others retreat to the south.

The Land Between is at the northern limit for species in Ontario such as White Oak, Woodchuck, Yellow-throated Vireo, Cottontail, Green Heron, Chorus Frog, Common Crow and others.

It is at the southern limit for Shield species such as Grey Wolf, Moose, American Raven, Jack Pine, River Otter and others, and other rare and unique species are found in TLB that rely on the region for survival, such as Ontario’s only lizard, the Five-lined Skink, the Golden Winged Warbler, Whippoorwill, Common Nighthawk, snakes, turtles, etc.

While The Land Between generally follows a line parallel to but slightly above Highway 7, in Frontenac County the rock outcrops, thin soil, mixture of limestone and granite, and marshes and fens, extend south to the Godfrey area, and include most of Central and North Frontenac. Certainly, as bleary-eyed residents can attest, there are Whippoorwills throughout that area.

The Land Between is a charitable organization with a board made up of a majority of First Nation members. Its goal is to provide research and to foster public awareness of the land and the culture of the region.

The preponderance of undeveloped Crown Land in North Frontenac makes the township important for TLB, because many of the larger and some of the smaller lakes in Muskoka and Haliburton counties have been developed to the point where they are no longer a suitable habitat for all of the species that were supported in the past.

“In order for a lake to continue to provide for the habitat in its vicinity it needs to remain at least 75% untouched,” said Leora Berman.

“As lakes are developed, there are ways to do it so that condominium and resort developments allow for the shoreline to be shared, keeping most of the lakefront intact.”

TLB has a number of projects on the go, including some major habitat research projects; education campaigns, The Land Between Book an educational video about the role hunting plays culturally and ecologically in the region; and the Turtle Guardian Campaign, which is aimed at youth.

“No other species can replace the role that turtles play in cleaning the water in our lakes,” said Berman, “so with the turtle population down by 50% all over Ontario, and most turtles now on the endangered list, we are all at risk.”

For further information on TLB, go to thelandbetween.ca

Come and see Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, asteroids and several deep sky objects such as star clusters, galaxies and nebulae

On Saturday June 4, join members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and other star gazing enthusiasts at the observation pad at the North Frontenac Dark Sky Preserve near the village of Plevna, Ontario.

"June 4 should be a great star gazing party because the moon won't be visible which is great for observing the night sky," said Betty Hunter, event organizer of the North Frontenac Dark Sky Preserve. "Saturn, Mars and Jupiter will all be visible right after sunset and we should also be able to pick out some asteroids and deep sky objects.”

The general public is encouraged to bring binoculars or their own telescope.

The next event at the North Frontenac Dark Sky Preserve is scheduled for July 1 and 2. For a full list of events and other details visit: http://www.northfrontenac.com/dark-sky-preserve.html. At each organized event there will be members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in attendance to assist. All events are weather dependent.

The Dark Sky Preserve in North Frontenac is located near Plevna at 5816 Road 506. The observation pad is one of the best places for stargazing in the province. It is a public space with amenities, including parking, accessible washroom and electrical service. Anyone can setup their telescope and enjoy the darkest skies in southern Ontario. Visit http://www.northfrontenac.com/dark-sky-preserve.html for more details.