Sep 17, 2014


Jeff Green started off his September 4th North Frontenac Council Report with the headline "Dark Skies and Helipad in conflict." Well, the conflict over Dark Skies extends much deeper than the 506 Helicopter pad. Voters throughout North Frontenac are lining up to tell incumbents and those vying for a seat on council what they think about Frontenac Township doling out cash to a few hobbyists and astronomers so they could have what has been described as a free place to play after dark. Tax payers have always felt this was a waste of money and land. Wasted on a project that nobody wanted, nobody needed and that gave the people of the township back nothing in return for more than $41,000 spent.

Imagine the reaction of these same tax payers when Jeff reported Councillor Hunter’s off-handed disregard for our basic right to emergency and air ambulance service. During council discussions when she complained landing lights at the helicopter pad on 506 interfered with events at the Dark Skies Astronomy pad, the Councillor suggested the 506 helicopter pad should be temporarily closed. Emergency airlifts could all be moved to the Ompah helipad which she said was only a few minutes away.

Now that’s a challenge many volunteers on the fire department would love to assist her with. To prove her point that a few minutes life saving time was of no consequence, she could have a volunteer strap her on a backboard with a neck brace and be made completely immobile. Then one of her moon and star gazing friends could actually clock the number of "few minutes" or "quarter hours" it takes to move her 25 kms by land ambulance from the 506 Helipad to Ompah.

As I said originally, for those who support any new tourist venture such as Dark Skies or Saturday Night Mud Wrestling, we’ve lots of space in North Frontenac. But please, build on your own land, not ours, build on your own dime, not ours, and don’t build on the health, welfare and backs of the full time long term residents of this township.

Leo Ladouceur

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