Debbie Barkley knows a thing or two about transportation services and it is her decades-long experience in the business that has prepared her for her latest business venture. For 30 years Barkley worked in the taxi business and then she worked for Frontenac Transportation Service (formerly Rural Routes) for another 5 years.

On May 1 Barkley officially opened her new business called SASI Taxi. SASI (Simply Access Service Innovations) Taxi is a transportation service that will provide wheelchair-accessible personal transportation services to individuals in need. Based out of Parham, SASI Taxi will offer trips to customers in the townships of North, Central and South Frontenac as well as Lennox and Addington. Barkley is also offering an additional driver service for those who may be experiencing health issues that prevent them from driving their own vehicles. She will drive those clients in their own car to appointments, social engagements and for any daily errands. Barkley currently has one vehicle to serve her clients, a Chevy Venture van that is equipped with a Braun power lift ramp that can accommodate two wheel chairs and one regular passenger on any one trip. She uses Q-Straint, a retractable restraint system for wheelchairs.

Debbie is hoping in the near future to add a shuttle bus service to the business, which will enable her to pick up several clients in various villages in the area and travel to major centres like Kingston, Napanee and Perth on different week days. Fees for her service are based on mileage and her rates are $1.25 per kilometre for a door to door trip. She does not charge her clients for her personal travel time to their pick up location. For return trips, Barkley offers her customers one hour of free wait time at no charge and after that she charges $15.00 per hour. Barkley said her rates are less than half of what regular taxis charge, which is the only other option, though most taxis cannot accommodate wheelchairs. Barkley said the idea for the new business came about  while working for NFCS. “When I finished up working at NFCS I said to myself, 'Now is the time to do something. There are lots of people who require this service and who better than me to do it. I have the experience and the know how. It's what I have done all my life and it’s also important for me to offer something positive in the community. '”

Barkley’s services are also available to those in need of transportation but who do not require wheelchair accessibility. For more information call or text Debbie at 613-453-7506 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

It is thanks to the efforts of Frontenac Auxiliary OPP Constable Jeremy Saunders that many residents in South and Central Frontenac have become regular supporters of the local food banks. Saunders began the Frontenac OPP “Stuff the Cruiser” food drives in South Frontenac in 2010, and also took over the corresponding event in Central Frontenac that same year. Since then he has helped to raise over $26,500 in food donations for the Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS) and the North Frontenac food banks. When he is not working as an OPP auxiliary constable, Saunders works as a shunter/driver for Tim Horton's at their Kingston warehouse, and it was in recognition of his work for the food bank that he was nominated by one of his fellow employees at Tim Horton's for the company’s annual Humanitarian Award.

It was the second year that Saunders was nominated for the award. He and six other finalists were invited to Oakville, Ont., where the winner was announced in a special live broadcast in front of 500 guests at the Meeting Place Conference Center on February 21.

This year Saunders took home the award, which was presented to him by Tim Horton's CEO, Paul House. In his acceptance speech Saunders said that the food drives would not have been such a success without the help of the 12 other members of the Frontenac OPP Auxiliary Unit. When I spoke to him by phone earlier this week, Saunders highlighted what the recognition means to him. “It's really nice to be recognized and the best part of it all is that it will help to increase the awareness of the needs of local area food banks here in South and Central Frontenac.”

Along with the award came a cheque for $5,000, which the award winner is invited to donate to a charity of their choice. Jeremy has decided to share the cheque between the SFCS and North Frontenac food banks and he will be presenting it to them at a later date.

The next Stuff the Cruiser event will take place on Saturday March 23 at the Sydenham and Verona Foodlands from 10am-3pm. Congratulations, Jeremy.