Concerning the Wild Parsnip

Ken Gilpin, who is the weed control officer as well as the bylaw control officer for North Frontenac, came to council to talk about options for dealing with the problem of Wild Parsnip, a noxious roadside weed that has been gaining ascendancy throughout southern Ontario and can be found in North Frontenac.

Gilpin said that Lanark County has introduced a herbicide spraying program to deal with wild parsnip, and that South Frontenac has put money in their 2016 budget to deal with noxious roadside weeds, although they have not yet decided whether or not to go the route of spraying.

As far as the obligations of property owners who have the weed on their land is concerned, Gilpin said that there is an Ontario Weed Act that requires him to order weed removal when an infestation on one property threatens to impact the functioning of a farm, “but aside from agricultural uses, the Weed Act does not prescribe anything else” he said.

“The township does not deal with the poison ivy problem. We just ignore it. I'm wondering why we seem to want to deal with just wild parsnip,” said Councilor John Inglis.

“There are numerous noxious weeds, and they don't stay in one township. Unless every other municipality does, I don't think we should touch it,” said Councilor Wayne Good.

Council received Gilpin's presentation for information, and Mayor Higgins said he will see what other townships of Frontenac County is doing before bringing the matter back to Council.

Rural mayors to look at OPP funding model

Mayor Higgins said that the new Rural Mayors' Forum of Eastern Ontario (RMFEO)) will be addressing OPP funding at their January meeting. Based on a report prepared by three of the mayors in the 13-member organization, the intention is to point out a number of errors in the funding formula to the provincial government.

“We recognize that the funding model is here to stay, but there are flaws that we can address. For instance if someone puts in an apartment above a small store, it is considered two residences, but an urban shopping mall is only considered one, and cell towers are also counted as residences,” said Higgins.

Higgins also said that since municipalities pay 40% of the cost of running the OPP, “We should have a say in the OPP budgeting.”

He said that once a decision is made at the January meeting of RMFEO, a presentation will be made at the Ontario Good Roads Association/Royal Ontario Municipal Association meeting in Toronto in late February.

No refuge in NF

Council decided to receive, but not act on, a request from a group based in Addington Highlands that is trying to bring Syrian refugee families to Cloyne, to be housed for a time at the Bon Echo Hotel. The request was for the use of the Barrie Hall, which is located across the road in North Frontenac, as an administrative center.

“I don't think there is a chance that the government will send refugees here,” said Councilor Vernon Hermer.

“It is probably the worst place for them. No work; no one from their community; no resources,” said John Inglis.

“They also want us to let them know if there are any empty houses for rent in the township. I'll tell them to contact a realtor because we don't keep that information at the township,” said Ron Higgins.

Speed limits changed

Based on a report by Public Works Manager Jim Phillips, a proposed schedule of road speeds on gravel roads in the township was tabled. Phillips recommended the limit be set at 60 km per hour on some roads, 50 on others, and 40 on some smaller, more treacherous roads and sections of roads.

“I suggest that, based on what I've been hearing from residents, we amend the schedule by putting a 40 km sign on Sunday Lake Drive, because the residents there have been clear that it is what they want for their children,” said Councilor Denis Bedard.

“I did this on a technical basis for all the roads, not on the basis of requests,” said Phillips.

When it became clear that an amendment to the schedule was not going to get the support of Council, Bedard asked for a recorded vote on the main motion. It passed 7-2, with Bedard and John Inglis, the two representatives from Ward 3, where Sunday Lake is located, both voting against it.

Mileage rates to stay at 48 cents; pay increase at 2.4%

Council decided to maintain the mileage paid to council members driving on township business to meetings and events other than council meetings at 48 cents per kilometre.

As well, staff and council will receive a cost of living increase of 2.4% in their pay next year. The increase will be calculated based on a 2.4% increase to the average township staff salary, which works out to a 33 cent per hour increase for all staff members.

“Just so everyone knows, what we do is different from what the county does, and the County CAO is dead set against it. What we do is give the same increase to all employees, not matter how much they make, instead of a percentage increase. So an employee making $15 an hour would go to $15.33 and an employee making $60 an hour goes to $60.33. [Former mayor] Bud Clayton said that if the cost of a loaf of bread goes up the same amount no matter how much an employee makes, a cost of living increase should result in the same increase,” said Councilor John Inglis.

The concern expressed by County CAO Pender when Bud Clayton proposed this kind if increase was that it would tend to compact the salaries from the top to the bottom of the scale, and in time could lead to senior managers leaving for greener pastures in other locations.

“There are other ways to deal with that,” said Deputy Mayor Fred Perry, “perhaps through changes to the salary grid or merit increases.”

“This is something we should think about,” said Mayor Higgins, “but we can leave it for this year.”

North Frontenac set to invest $900,000 into existing office/township garage

At a meeting to lay the groundwork for their 2016 budget last Friday, November 20, members of North Frontenac Council came to a decision about the future of their township office.

They decided to spend about $500,000 improving the cladding, insulation and air flow in the office section of the existing building. They are also planning to build a 1,500 square foot extension to the front of the building at an estimated cost of $400,000.

Earlier this year, Councilor Denis Bedard prepared a report that outlined six options for Council to consider.

Option 1, to do nothing, was not considered a viable option because “from a health and safety point of view the building as it is now is inadequate” said Bedard.

When the report was tabled in the late summer, Council responded favourably to option 3, to build a new office at a township-owned property in Plevna and keep the existing building as a garage. The estimated cost of this option was $1.63 million.

In September, Council received a flood of letters and emails from residents expressing dismay over the plan for a new building, many citing the cost as more than taxpayers can handle after years of tax increases and the impact of a jump in OPP costs that will be felt in the coming budget years.

When the issue came back to Council last week, Mayor Ron Higgins said, “There are some issues that need to be addressed. From staff I see that heating issues are a priority and a public washroom is also a priority. We can address these things one at a time.”

“The consultant has provided an estimate of $500,000 for insulation and siding and windows. You can't piecemeal that; you have to do it all at once,” said Councilor Bedard.”

At this point Councilor Wayne Good said, “To put money in the existing building is like putting a motor in a 50-year-old car and thinking that you have something. $500,000 is total waste of money. I don't agree with it at all.”

At this point in the meeting, the idea of dealing with the problems in the existing building and putting in a new section, which will include washrooms, a foyer, and proper office space, was proposed.

“We should use a new addition for offices, not a council chamber as the consultant said. That would eat up all the space,” said Councilor John Inglis.

“I agree with John,” said Wayne Good, “if we get the staff into the new part, put in washrooms, and then gut the old section and think about renovating it later, I could see doing this.”

Ron Higgins said that a cost of $900,000 can only be taken on as a loan, because of immediate budget pressures.

Jeremy Nevens, the township's chief building official, was asked if he could seek verbal quotes from architectural firms that could put together preliminary drawings, based on information about the space needs for staff, showing how a new addition could be built and organised.

“We can use verbal quotes rather than a formal process as long as the cost is under $20,000, according to our procurement bylaw,” said CAO Cheryl Robson.

“I think I can make those calls. There are a number of good firms available to do this, as long as I can get the specifications about what is there now and what the needs are,” said Nevens.

“This will take us a year to set up, and we will start building in 2017,” said Higgins.

Manager of Community Development Cory Klatt was then asked if he can find updated information about the water at the site, which has been an ongoing problem for years.

Fire chief, treasurer positions filled

At their meeting this week, council announced that Eric Korhonen, who has been the interim fire chief, has been hired as the permanent fire chief. Kelly Watkins has also been promoted to the position of treasurer.

Over 120 members of the local community gathered for the first Remembrance Day ceremony in Plevna, which took place at the new war memorial on November 11. The memorial was erected in front of the Clar-Mill Community Centre earlier this year. Led by Northbrook Legion Branch #328 president, Mike Powley Jr., the ceremony included words by North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins, who focused on Canada's involvement in the First World War, specifically the high points of Canadian military achievement that became known as “Canada's Hundred Days”. The “Hundred Days” involved a series of attacks made along the Western Front by the Canadian Corps in a 96-day offensive that ended the war. Councilor Gerry Martin read the names of many of Plevna's veterans who fought and died for the country since World War 1, and Northbrook Legion Padre, Harry Adringa, read a series of prayers.

Students from Clarendon Central Public School in Plevna under the guidance of teacher Katie McDonald also participated at the service. Grade six student, Madison Gunsinger, read the poem “In Flanders Fields”, after which the students joined together to sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth”. Ron Lemke also played and sang “Amazing Grace”. Numerous wreaths were laid by local dignitaries and other members of the community and to close the service, The Act of Remembrance was read out. The new war memorial has created a place where residents of Plevna and the surrounding community can now gather for their very own Remembrance Day service.

NFCS Requests Continued Support

Louise Moody, the executive director of Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS), and Maribeth Scott, the Child Centre program manager, made a presentation to Council on Friday regarding the services that NFCS provides in North Frontenac. They also made a request for funding from Council to help them continue their programming.

“It gives an opportunity for the kids to experience guiding each other and being part of a group,” Moody explained. “They learn self-efficiency, self-determination, communication skills, and problem solving. Each of the skills is linked to higher school achievement, lower dropout rates, and/or better post-secondary outcome.”

The free youth program from NFCS has recently been successful in securing a two-year grant from the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund. Under this grant, the youth will be given the opportunity to learn about First Nations' sports. This year's program includes an introduction to lacrosse and snowshoeing, and cultural teachings will accompany these activities. NFCS will partner with Clarendon Central Public School and the First Nations community to offer a cultural teaching event for all the northern families.

In 2014, Clarendon Central Public School had 20 students enrolled in the program.

Scott explained that NFCS relies on its relationships with the municipalities as they receive no subsistence funding from the provincial government.

“If we didn't fund this, this would not happen?” Councilor John Inglis asked.

“Absolutely,” Scott replied. “There is no ongoing Evergreen funding for youth programs so we ask the townships to support us and we always have grants on the go.”

Last year, North Frontenac gave NFCS $5400 and they are requesting the same amount of funding for 2016.

The request has been deferred to the 2016 budget deliberations, which are currently in progress.

Sunday Drivers

Residents on Sunday Lake Road are complaining that new speed limit signage is actually increasing traffic speeds on their road. Sunday Lake Road, which was previously unposted, now has signage posting a maximum speed limit of 60km/hr. Residents have complained to Council saying that although it's always been 60km/hr, now that it's posted people feel the need to do the limit, which they suggest is too fast for some parts of their road.

Based upon recommendations the township received while doing a study on the state of their gravel roads, they recently installed new speed limit signs on roads that previously didn't have any signage.

“You had better not take down the signs because you have a study that says you better have signs up,” Jim Phillips, the public works manager, was told after asking their lawyers whether they could just simply remove the signs.

“If they want a lower speed limit because there are children living in the area...” Councilor Dennis Bedard said “You justify it based on what the residents want.”

“We're supposed to represent the people,” Councilor Inglis said. “Our job is to fix it. We can't leave it the way it is. It does not make sense. I would suggest changing all the 60s to 50s.”

Council asked Phillips to look at the gravel roads study again and make recommendations on which roads might need to be changed to a lower speed limit. Council will then make decisions based on the information Phillips presents later this year.

3-Season Maintenance of Norcan Lake Lane

Council agreed to begin 3-season maintenance of Norcan Lake Lane and to incorporate those new expenses into their 2016 budget. The one-time costs associated with bringing the road up to the standards required for 3-season use in the municipality are $7,745 which is $5,000 for brushing the side of the roads and $2,745 for adding new signage. Additionally, Jim Phillips, the public works manager, estimated that resurfacing the road with gravel will need to happen with a cost of $46,620 but he still needs to complete a study to figure out how soon this resurfacing will need to take place.

As well, $13,120 in future maintenance costs will be added to the 2016 budget.

Accessibility in North Frontenac

Jannette Amini, the Manager of Legislative Services for the County of Frontenac, made a presentation to Council on Tuesday morning regarding the accomplishments of the Frontenac Accessibility Advisory Committee (FAAC) and suggested keeping accessibility in mind while working out their 2016 budget.

The FAAC was set up to promote accessibility and awareness of accessibility issues throughout the townships in the County. They have helped guide projects in Frontenac County like the redevelopment of the Sydenham Library, the new school in Sharbot Lake, and the accessibility upgrades to Centennial Park. They are also in talks with Elections Canada regarding the accessibility of polling stations.

Amini suggested that North Frontenac could start by having a page on their website showing all accessible locations in the municipality and hoped that moving forward Council would make sure that all new public spaces consider accessibility issues during the design phase.

The FAAC is still looking for a community representative from North Frontenac to fill a vacant seat on the committee. It's the only township in Frontenac County not currently represented. Anyone interested in this position can seek more information from Jannette Amini at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Summit of rural mayors

Mayor Ron Higgins took part in a meeting recently with 14 mayors and reeves from five local counties to discuss issues they have in their own rural townships in hopes that, collectively, they could operate more efficiently. The meeting was initiated by Higgins and Greater Madawaska mayor, Glenda McKay.

It's “focused on rural and how we can work together to help each other,” Higgins said.

Mayors and reeves from Hastings, Renfrew, Frontenac, Lennox-Addington, and Lanark Counties gathered in Madawaska Highlands on October 6 and shared the experiences they've had. Each mayor submitted their five most important issues and those were then whittled down to two priorities that the collective could focus on. Higgins explained to Council on Tuesday that they aren't alone with the issues they are facing in North Frontenac, such as economic development, cash flow, and amalgamation. It was decided that joint tendering for purchases of items such as sand and gravel was one of the most important issues they could work together on.

The second priority was policing and Mayor McKay proposed a new approach to breaking out the cost of reporting to their residents so the actual cost per resident, as opposed to the levy cost, is shown. She hopes this could alleviate some of the confusion around the new increased policing costs.

Their next meeting is November 6 in North Frontenac.

Out fer a rip

Council agreed at Tuesday's meeting that a discussion is overdue regarding the role of ATVs in the future of North Frontenac tourism, and the need to define ownership and responsibilities for different sections of trails in the township. There is concern regarding the destruction ATVs can cause on local trails and council agreed there is a need to create rules to govern usage in the township.

An in-depth discussion was postponed until Councilor Denis Bedard could be present as he helps organize an annual ATV trail run in the township and could offer some insight.

Fred Fowler has worn multiple hats over the years: one as police officer, another as a plater, another as a para-legal fighting traffic tickets, and more; but the one hat that has always remained is that of artist and painter.

Fowler has been painting since he was a kid in kindergarten. His home and studio, nestled on the shores of the Mississippi River near Snow Road, is an ideal spot for an artist inspired by nature, and those who popped in for a visit on this year’s North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour on September 26 & 27, likely noticed that landscapes loom large in his repertoire.

As a native of Nipigon, Ontario on the north shore of Lake Superior, Fowler said he has always been enchanted by landscapes. Some of his works are huge, with canvases stretching from four to five feet long. They have a commanding presence while transporting the viewer to a place they may have never been before.

As a youngster Fowler studied drafting in high school and won many awards, which likely landed him a spot at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. He also attended the New School of Art in Toronto and said that his training has allowed him to appreciate and paint in a number of different styles. Fowler is a multi-media artist and paints mostly in oils and acrylics but has also painted in watercolours in the past.

He is also a printmaker and in this medium he explores more intimate subject matter. In his monotype print titled “Frantic Pursuit”, two dogs are caught mid-stride chasing a ball. The work is mysterious and possesses a mythical quality. Fowler admits though that because of where he is from and where he now resides, landscapes have become his primary focus. He and his wife Sarah, who is also a painter, make regular trips to the north shore of Lake Superior. They take numerous photographs there and use them as the basis for their paintings.

Equally inspired by his local surrounds, Fowler also paints what is close by. One work titled “On the Beaver Pond” was inspired from a scene he found on Brooke Road just south of Highway 7. It shows a winter beaver pond and a stand of cedars on drowned land, and the work is painted from a very low angle with the cedars showing up in dark silhouettes against the snow and the expanse of the late afternoon sky shimmering above in pinks, greys and purples. Fowler recalled being “attracted to the strong shadows that the sunlight was casting through the trees.” With camera in hand he laid down in the snow to capture the low angle he needed to get the shadows he wanted to depict. Other works, like one titled “Mazinaw Reflections”, shows Bon Echo's majestic Mazinaw Rock. Fowler is donating the work to the Friends of Bon Echo upon their request, and it will be raffled off next year at their annual exhibition and sale.

Another large piece titled “Calabogie Bridge” is a work that demonstrates Fowler’s love of winter scenery. “This is one of my favorite locations and my goal here was to capture the various planes in the landscape including water, ice, rocks, horizon line and the sky and to try to draw the viewer’s eye into the scene”. Fowler says that winter scenes are what inspire him most.

For those who did not make it to Fred’s studio you can see his work on display at the Fall River Restaurant in Maberly, on line at www.fredfowler.ca or you can also make an appointment by calling 613- 699-3686. If you happen to be traveling the back roads near Snow Road you can also drop in by chance. His studio is located at 4005 Elphin-Maberly Road.

North Frontenac to go slow on new office project

North Frontenac Council has deferred consideration of a report prepared by Councilor Denis Bedard, which presented a number of options to deal with the working conditions in the township office complex on Road 506 between Ardoch and Plevna.

The report was the subject of a public meeting on August 31 as well as numerous written responses from constituents that were included in the agenda package for the regular meeting of Council on Monday, September 21.

Of five options mentioned in the report, only three are being considered by Council. They range in price from just over $500,000 to renovate the existing building, to $900,000 to renovate and build an addition to the existing building, to $1.63 million to build a new 5,000 square foot office at another site and renovate the existing building for use by the Public Works department. Half of the current building is already used by Public Works as a garage.

Although it is the most expensive option, the plan to build at a new site is favoured by the fact that there are water problems at the existing site. A report that was prepared eight years ago indicates that treating the water at the existing site would be an expensive option in the long term. Of four companies contacted, only one was willing to quote on the job.

“The water is basically untreatable and there would be no guarantee with any of our systems” said one of the companies.

The township has received 50 written comments from members of the public over the past two weeks, most of them expressing opposition to building a new office because of the cost and resulting impact on property taxes.

“I was surprised at the very strong opposition to spending $1.5 million. In view of those comments, I am certainly not willing to make a recommendation to go ahead at this meeting,” said Councilor John Inglis.

Mayor Ron Higgins said he had not expected Council to move quickly on the project.

“At this point all we are looking for is to defer this to the budget,” he said. “The message we need to get to the public is that we are not making a decision at this time.”

Deputy Mayor Fred Perry said it might be an idea to look again at treating the water at the existing site.

“We did that study eight years ago. Maybe the technology for treating water has improved in that time?” he said.

Corey Klatt, the manager of Community Development, prepared the water report eight years ago. He said that he could contact the same companies again to see if there have been any changes.

The matter was then deferred to the budget process of 2016, which will get underway sometime this fall.

SunEdison comes calling

Utilia Amaral, Managing Director, Strategic Affairs, and Jonathan Frank, Director, Business Development, from SunEdison Canada, spoke to Council at the invitation of Mayor Higgins about the potential for a large scale solar farm in the township.

SunEdison Canada is a division of SunEdison, which Amala described as the largest solar energy company in the world, with $5 billion in market capitalization, 5,000 employees, and 1 gigawatt of energy in operation at 800 sites worldwide.

She said that now that the deadline has passed for the first phase of the Independent Energy Service Operator of Ontario (IESO) Large Renewable Projects procurement, there is time to start looking at projects for the second procurement, which will likely be initiated in the middle of next year.

Although Sun Edison has been involved in some of the smaller rooftop or ground mounted solar projects that are common in the region under the Feed in Tariff (FIT) program, Jonathan Frank said, “Our main interest is in the larger projects. We have built one 90 megawatt project and several in the 40 megawatt range. The economies of scale make those projects more viable for us.”

Utilia Amali said that one of the advantages she sees in North Frontenac is the access to the electrical grid that has been offered by Hydro One.

The hydro corridor, which runs though North Frontenac practically in sight of the township office, has been allotted 170 megawatts in capacity from projects along its path, which has piqued the company's interest. She also said that the amount of sun in the region, although it is less than in the Napanee to Brockville strip just north of the 401 where many solar projects have been built in recent years, is still viable for solar power production.

“The problem I see that we need to overcome is the amount of trees on the land and the terrain,” she said.

“We were thinking about using some land that was cleared for farming and is no long being used for that purpose,” said Mayor Higgins.

“If you could gather some information for us about potential locations, that would be helpful,” said Amali.

In terms of the amount of land that is required, Jonathan Frank said it takes about seven acres of solar panels for every megawatt of solar production.

Community Hall Governance

Based on a change coming from the township's insurance company, council is no longer required to approve the membership of the local committees that handle booking and maintenance of the five community halls, although staff will still keep a list.

“If we don't need to be involved, we shouldn't be involved,” said Councilor John Inglis.

Since it will be the next meeting before a change can be made, Council was still required to deal with a request from the Snow Road Hall committee.

On September 2, at a special meeting at the hall, “it was acknowledged that the president and the board term of office ended” said a letter from Fred Fowler to the township. The letter goes on to say that at the meeting, which was moderated by Alice Gilchrist, the following people were nominated to form an interim board: Fred Fowler and Robert Quigley, Laurie Ryder, and Connie Halliday. A new board will be elected at a meeting of the hall membership on October 21.

Council approved the new list of names to manage the operations of the Snow Road Community Centre. By the time the new board is elected in October, they may not have to.  

While it may be warm today, we’re heading towards October and you may be interested in taking an autumn journey through the back roads of North Frontenac to discover a few hidden treasures.

Not only will the scenery be fantastic but also the weekend of Saturday & Sunday, September 26 and 27 from 10am until 4pm every day, local artists will be opening their studios to exhibit their handmade wares in the gardens and studios in which they were made.

There are a variety of mediums represented this year in 12 locations across an expanse of roadway weaving in and around a multitude of lakes and vistas. There will be oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, jewelry, woodcarvings of all shapes and sizes and even award winning embellished and carved gourds by Plevna artist Marlene Leeson.

There will be stained glass, paintings and painted floor cloths at Red Dragon studios near Malcolm Lake. Down the road a little while you will find concrete furniture on display and for sale at Tuscany Concrete on the shores of Little Mink Lake.

On the way to Buckshot Lake there will be hollowed log forest frames, quilts, dish cloths and other sewn treasures at one studio and acrylic paintings and hand carved lawn ornaments at another.

In Ompah you will find the meticulously detailed paintings of Linda Rush.

Silent Valley Alpaca between Snow Road Station and Ompah will be interesting over the weekend as the studio tour coincides with National Alpaca Farm Day across Canada and the US.

Robert and Hanne Quigley will be hosting a look at Alpaca farming and processing the fleece. There will be a raw fleece dying demonstrations. Someone else will be carding the fleece into roving for spinning. A weaver will be on hand to show her work process on the loom.

Visitors will have the opportunity to check out the barn and see the new baby alpacas as well as their friends and family. Baby alpacas are roughly 16 lb. when born and grow up to weigh as much as 190 lb. for a male and 160 lb. for a female. There are 35 alpacas in all at Silent Valley. You’ll also get a chance to see the finished product at the old granary that’s been converted into the farm store, which will be selling dyed yarn as well as items of knitwear.

Johnston Lake Organic Food and Good Stuff Bakery will prove to be a tasty place to stop along the route.

“This area is littered with artists and artisans back here,” said Marlene Leeson, “We’re trying to pique people’s interests. I’m trying to beautify Plevna”.

Leeson has already put Plevna on the map, when one of her pieces won 3rd place in an international gourd art competition. She uses everything from clay, textile mediums to wire and acrylics.

You can find more information in the brochures that are distributed at businesses in the area as well as at each stop on the tour. There’s also a helpful website northfrontenacbackroadsstudiotour.com

Township to assume maintenance of Norcan Lake Lanejon

Council approved, in principle, a request made to Council to assume three-season maintenance on Norcan Lake Lane

Norcan Lake Lane is a municipally-owned, privately maintained three-season road and the residents submitted a petition to request that North Frontenac assume the maintenance.

“It's being used by more than the residents,” Councilor Dennis Bedard said. “It's being used by a large number of the public who access our services. Why should we be asking the residents to pay the cost of maintenance when it's our public people using the facilities?”

Councilors Hermer, Inglis, and Bedard argued in support of the idea of assuming the maintenance.

“The landowners have been very co-operative,” Councilor Inglis said. “They've answered all the detailed requirements about why we would assume a road. One thing I don't know and I think we should find out is what the cost to the township will be. We should support this and begin maintenance on a 3-season basis.”

“I disagree. I won't back it,” Councilor Good said. “We've got too many rough roads to maintain and we're having a hard enough time doing that as it is with our budget…I think the previous council made a mistake doing one; I disagreed with that and that was on a sneaky basis that the previous council did that.”

Council debated whether or not the road needed to have a new engineering study before they could assume the responsibility on it.

“If they're going to do an engineering study they might as well start with a lot of the roads we have now that we do maintain,” Councilor Bedard joked.

In this case a new study was not ordered as the township already recognizes Norcan Lake Lane as a 3-season road.

Councilor Wayne Good requested a recorded vote on the motion. Councilor Good and Deputy Mayor Perry both voted against assuming the maintenance on the road but were defeated 5-2. The 3-season maintenance would be assumed at the beginning of 2016 if the road meets all the requirements of the public works manager.

A request was also made to assume the road maintenance on Norcan Lake Lane for four seasons. The residents that made the proposal would need to do an independent engineering study, paid for by the residents and approved by the public works manager, before the township could look at approving the request.

NF Council says no to paying for Big Gull Lake boat ramp upgrades

Council voted against supporting the new construction of two boat ramps on Big Gull Lake. The Township of Central Frontenac asked that North Frontenac cover 50% of the expenses associated with the construction of two new pre-cast concrete boat launches on Big Gull Lake to be located in the Township of Central Frontenac.

Council denied the request for their 2016 budget deliberations on the basis that they already have boat launches on the lake and that they should be investing in infrastructure upgrades in North Frontenac and not Central Frontenac.

“I'd rather see us put money into our own boat launches than into somebody else's,” Councilor Wayne Good said.

“I'm in favour of what Councilor Good says,” Mayor Ron Higgins said. “We're going to have our own fiscal challenges this budget...”

Township looking at purchasing speed spy

Council discussed the idea of purchasing a Speed Spy to use in the Township. A Speed Spy is a portable, data-collecting box that can monitor traffic speeds and times of traffic peaks.

“The OPP suggested we buy one of these to prove we have a speeding problem in our hamlets,” Councilor Martin said.

“I don't believe we should spend taxpayers’ money buying equipment to aid police enforcement,” Councilor Hermer said. “We already pay them enough money now. We contract them to make sure people are safe.”

Councilor Martin asked Jim Phillips if the Speed Spy could be of use to the public works manager.

“It gives you the speed, the number of cars, and the time they went through,” Councilor Martin said.

“It is for traffic volumes,” Phillips said. “That would be useful.”

“We can monitor the number of visitors in the seasons,” Mayor Higgins said. “There's a bunch of different things we can use this for.”

Public Works Manager Jim Phillips is going to do some research into the device and report back to Council.

North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins paid tribute to members of the previous North Frontenac Council at the unveiling of a long-awaited cenotaph for the Township of North Frontenac at the Clarendon-Miller Hall Park on Saturday morning (August 22).

The unveiling of the cenotaph was followed immediately by the dedication of a plaque and a red maple tree in honour of former mayor, Bud Clayton. Before Clayton died suddenly almost exactly a year ago, he had presided over the council that funded and planned the construction of the cenotaph.

The project was spearheaded by Councilor Gerry Martin, who brought the idea forward early in the term of the last council. With the help of a committee made up of Eileen Fleiler, Cor Bakelaar, Bob Kenny, Wayne Good and Gerry Martin, and the grant writing efforts of township staffer Cory Klatt, the project was approved last fall and was constructed this spring and summer.

In a telephone interview on Monday (August 24) Gerry Martin reflected on how the project developed.

“Wayne [Councilor Wayne Good] and I talked about how North Frontenac needed a Cenotaph, and when we approached Bud Clayton about it he said he would do whatever he could. So we went to Council and started working on it.”

A committee was formed, and Council committed $30,000 towards the project, over two years, which turned out not to be enough money for the project. The township applied and received notice of approval for a federal grant that would have covered the cost.

“Then we got a letter from them saying that the program had been cancelled, which was pretty disappointing, to say the least. Fortunately, Cory Klatt determined that we could use Federal Gas Tax money for this kind of infrastructure, and Frontenac County was able to help us out,” he said.

The cenotaph, which was constructed with the help of Derek Maschke, was designed by Martin. It includes elements going as far back as the Boer War, with a focus on the two World Wars and the Korean War as well.

“Not many people know this but there was even a training ground in North Frontenac during World War 1. A local regiment trained in Plevna all one winter and went overseas after that,” Martin said.

The dedication ceremony was conducted by the president of the Northbrook Legion, Branch 328, Mike Powley Jr., aided by Padre Harry Adringa.

“Let us pause to think reverently of those of our comrades who by sea, by land and in the air, laid down their lives for their sovereign and country. Their sacrifice will ever inspire us to labour on, to the end that those who survive and need our aid may be assured of assistance, and that the country in which we live, and for which they died may ever be worthy of the sacrifice they made. During the silence, we will remember our fallen comrades and those who have passed on since we last gathered together,” Powley said at the start of the ceremony.

After the dedication of the cenotaph, attention turned to a spot close to the cenotaph where a young red maple has been planted.

Ron Higgins and his wife Wendy introduced Jackie Clayton, Bud Clayton's widow, and dedicated a plaque at the base of the tree, which reads “In Loving Memory of Our Dedicated and Community Oriented Former Mayor Bud Clayton – who touched so many hearts and brought laughter to those who knew him.

North Frontenac Mayor 2010 – 2014 – 'We shall forever cherish his memory'”

Clayton was the sitting warden of Frontenac County in 2014, and was attending a conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in London on August 17, 2014 when he collapsed suddenly. He died two weeks later, on September 1.

In his final year on Frontenac County Council, he made use of the political skills he honed over the years in North Frontenac and his personal relationships with other councilors to bring stability to the county. When he first entered municipal politics in 2004 he was known for speaking his mind and proposing ideas as they came to him. While he never lost that spontaneity, it became tempered by the realities of serving as mayor and warden, and he employed his new-found diplomatic skills to great effect during his tenure as county deputy warden in 2013, and warden in 2014.

For Jackie and his friends and family, Bud is remembered as a man who was as quick with a helping hand as he was with a joke.

Earlier this year, Kingston Frontenac Public Health also honoured him for his service on their board with a bench outside their offices on Portsmouth Avenue.

There was a third ceremony at the Clar-Mill Park on Saturday, a ribbon cutting at the new play structure, which was built using monies raised locally, along with a $10,000 grant from Hydro One, as well as some money from the township. Before cutting the ribbon, Cory Klatt invited all the kids in the audience to use the structure while the ribbon was being cut, and after a bit of prodding a few kids came forward, followed soon by all the rest. Even some adults thought they would step forward, but stopped themselves.

“There's still a swing available” said Cory Klatt. The adults laughed, but stayed put.

Jocelyn Lemke was among the ribbon cutters. She was the parent who brought a petition to Council a couple of years ago complaining about the lack of recreational facilities for children and asking for a play structure.

“She did not just show up with a petition,” said Gerry Martin, “she had already talked to the businesses in Plevna and had them on board to support it financially. She had done her homework.”

Reflecting on all of the projects that came together at the Clar-Mil Hall on Saturday, Martin said he was pleased with the turnout, and also pleased that all of the effort over a number of years has resulted in a park that will be a community asset for years.

There is a 250 metre walking path that defines the new Clar-Mill Park, which encompasses the play structure, the cenotaph and the memorial to Bud Clayton. The land it is located on had been scrub/marshland, but with some drainage and reclamation work it has been reclaimed for recreational and ceremonial use.