Pineview Free Methodist Church is doing it again - 24 years to be exact - of giving away clothing! It all started with people dropping off bags of clothing at Shirley Wise's house and at the Cloyne General Store, owned by the Clelands back then. They had so much clothing that they decided to bring it to the church basement and had those who attended the church go through it to see what we needed. It was a godsend to us young mothers to be able to clothe our families for nothing. The event was so productive that eventually it grew...and our little church at the time couldn't host the event anymore, so we moved it to Barrie Township Hall and called it the Free-Clothes Give-Away. The first time we opened our doors, over 358 people came into the hall over the two-day event to get clothing for their families. Pineview was the first to see this need and it spread like wildfire. Instead of doing it once a year in the fall, we were given so much clothing that we had to host two a year - spring and fall.

Then the Barrie Hall had to be shut down for renovations and we decided to move the Give-Away back to the church, which by then had built a new addition with a fellowship hall to accommodate large crowds. We had people as far as Sydenham, Ottawa, Oshawa, Renfrew, and Pembroke come to provide clothing for their families. It often surprised us to see new people who had never heard of the Give-Away leave the building almost in tears because of how blessed they were by being able to save money in such hard times.

As time went on, our volunteers running the event have grown older.....and we also noted that other places in the area were hosting their own events.....Flinton Rummage Sale, and the United Church Northbrook Clothing Boutique opened. Then Value Village hit the market. Clothing was not coming in in abundance, as it once had. We didn't want to be in competition with those who were trying to raise money for worthy causes. Our event doesn't raise much money at all. So we thought of shutting down the Give-Away, but calls from concerned citizens made us change our minds. However, we did decide to go back to hosting only one event annually – in the fall.

Now we work hand-in-hand with the Rummage Sale in Flinton. Whatever clothing they cannot sell, they donate to the Free Clothes Give-Away.

Either way the community gets the benefit from both events, clothing their families for the winter months. And whatever clothing is left over from the Give-Away is packed up. Some is sent to communities in the far north, and the rest is sent to March of Dimes, or Salvation Army. Over the years we used to get “garbage clothing” until I wrote an article about what the event is all about, and now we hardly get any garbage anymore.

We do get items we can use as rags, which benefits the local garages and school shops. Last year we had only two bags of garbage to throw out.

This year's Free Clothes Give-Away will be held Friday, October 21 from 9AM till 5PM, and Saturday, October 22, from 9AM till 2PM at Pineview Free Methodist Church, 14397 Highway #41, just south of Cloyne in the basement of the church.

Donations of clean, gently used clothing and linens may be dropped off at the church on Thursday, October 20 and Friday, October 21. Thanks, everyone.

 By Devin Gagne-Baldacchin, Grade 8

The students and staff of North Addington Education Centre have been busy bringing in non-perishable food items. The local food bank has been low on food and financial resources are limited, so the elementary students responded with a school-wide food drive during the last week of school.

In total, over 1300 items were brought in and $180.00 was raised. Classroom teachers used various incentives to encourage students to bring in items. The homeroom who brought in the most items (per student) was awarded with a ‘Make Your Own Sundae’ party. Ms. Buck’s class was the winner, bringing in a record-breaking 386 items (14 items per student). The response was so incredible that second and third place also received a sundae party (Mrs. Beeg and Mrs. Hackett’s classes). In addition, many teachers also matched the number of items brought in by students and/or offered to have an ice cream party for the class even if they did not have the most items.

A special thank you goes to Mrs. Hackett’s grade eight class. Taylor Salmond and Cayley Wilson went around to homerooms each morning, collecting, tallying, and unloading the food. Robyn Cornish was responsible for posters. The class helped box the items up, load them in the van, and unload them at the food bank. The class also used 1/3 of their graduating funds (over $100) to purchase non-perishable items. They played an enormous leadership role in the undertaking of this event.

Students were excited to participate and give back to the community. Angela Salmond, the principal, would like to thank the students, their families, and staff for their generosity: "We have shown what wonderful results can come about when we pull together. This is such a good opportunity for students and the fact that we have gathered so much is almost unbelievable".

This time of year is especially low for the food bank, as children are home for the summer. Those wishing to donate items can call 613-391-1408 (leave a message if no answer), and to receive help from the food bank, call Land O’ Lakes Community Services at 613-336-8934.

Photo: Jim and Kahoru Noonan at their home in Cloyne

For many Canadian residents the effects of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and 4 metre tsunami that hit Japan on March 11 are far from over as they continue to search for news of loved ones.

Cloyne resident Kahoru Noonan, who was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, is riding the emotional roller coaster of not knowing the whereabouts of a number of her relatives and good friends.

Kahoru was awoken at 4:30 AM on Friday, March 11 just two hours after the earthquake struck, by a phone call from her father. She immediately surmised upon hearing her father’s voice that something very serious had happened. Her father, who resides in Tokyo along with Kahoru's mother and brother, made sure his wife and son were okay (the two had been shopping in downtown Tokyo when the earthquake hit) before calling Kahoru.

“As soon as he knew for sure that they were all okay he called me. He knew that if he had waited to call, he might never have gotten through.” Kahoru's husband Jim added, “He was really worried that we would have woken up, heard about the earthquake and then would not have be able to get through to them.”

Since then Kahoru and her family have been desperately trying to get information about other members of Kahoru's father’s family: an aunt, an uncle and two cousins who live in Fukushima prefecture close to the troubled Fukushima nuclear plant. “Right now they are still missing but we are pretty sure that they are being evacuated but because there has been no power there, we have been unable to contact them.”

Good news arrived a day after we interviewed the Noonans and Kahoru emailed me to say that she had found her aunt and uncle’s names on a list of evacuees. Still, the waiting game is far from over. Now Kahoru's biggest concern is for her friends, many of whom live in the Miyagi Prefecture, near the coast that was hardest hit by the tsunami. Visibly shaken, Kahoru pointed to a map and the north-eastern coast of Japan where many of her friend reside. “That is where the tsunami hit and all along that area there is nothing left.” For days she has been trying to call, and continues to scan posted internet lists of evacuees, survivors and the deceased. While she has successfully found the names of most of her friends, who were lucky enough to survive the devastation, many remain unaccounted for.

The hardest thing for Kahoru is the feeling of helplessness. “There is nothing I can do to help from here which is the hardest thing.” For a long time she felt a strong need to go to Japan but Kahoru’s husband Jim, who cut short a business trip to British Columbia after the quake struck, talked her out of it. “Of course I didn't want her to go and Kahoru's family said they would be more at ease knowing she was safe in Canada, especially with the threats posed by the nuclear power plants,” Jim said.

Kahoru has come to realize that she has no choice but to stay put in Cloyne where she continues searching for news of her friends.

More news came in subsequent days. Kahoru said she had found the name of one friend on the list of the survivors from the tsunami but it might be a different person because the lady on the list was much older than her friend.

Kahoru will continue her search for as long as it takes. Exhausted but still hopeful, she expressed her determination in standing by the people in Japan who are experiencing what she describes as "unimaginable.”

“I really want to say to all of the Japanese people - Don't Give Up! We, people from all over the world are thinking about you, even us here in this small town in Canada called Cloyne.”

Kahoru is definitely not alone in that.

Anyone interested in donating to the relief effort in Japan can do so through the Canadian Red Cross online at www.redcross.ca and going to World/ Japan Earthquake/Tsunami or by calling 1-800-418-1111. Also, cheques can be made payable to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked “Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami” and mailed to the Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, ON, K2P 2P2

Photo: A bin for wood pellets to be installed at North Addington Education Centre,

Here we are with spring in sight and a good portion of the home heating season behind us, or so we hope. Within the next few weeks, 800 households, 400 each from Addington Highlands and North Frontenac, will have the opportunity to participate in an energy use study headed up by Stewart Fast, a PhD candidate from the University of Ottawa.  "In this study we hope to provide a good overall picture of energy use and learn from residents what types of energy technologies might be acceptable to people in the future", explains Fast.  The first portion of the study residents can play a part in is in the form of a mail-in questionnaire; it takes little time to complete and will come with an addressed-stamped envelope for easy return. You answer the survey anonymously. If you so choose, you can include your name and contact info to be part of the next phase of the project, discussions and focus groups. Once the results have been collated, evening sessions will be set up to present the findings, likely one each in Denbigh, Cloyne, and Ompah. 

"The area seems to be experiencing new types of energy use and production" says Fast, pointing to a rise in the popularity of wood pellet stoves, the installation of solar panels for electricity and the history of test wind turbines near Denbigh. "With many existing hydro dams, windy hilltops and wood from logging, it is certainly possible to imagine more renewable energy production.” 

If your household is in Addington Highlands or North Frontenac and does not receive a questionnaire but you would still like to participate in the study, check out the community research portal by visiting www.addington.uottawa.ca for an on-line version of the survey and more information on the project.

Photo: Ron Brown gives a presentation at the Cloyne & District Historical Society’s meeting on April 18.

Many who enjoy the sights and stories of Ontario’s ghost towns were treated to a presentation courtesy of the Cloyne and District Historical Society by renowned ghost town author Ron Brown at the Barrie hall in Cloyne on April 18. Brown has published 22 books to date, his most recent being “From Queenston to Kingston: The Hidden Heritage of the Lake Ontario Shoreline”, and he engaged the audience with a multimedia presentation. The hall was packed with enthusiasts who got a glimpse at many of Ontario’s ghost towns, how they were born and why they inevitably died, often leaving behind some shell of their former glory, some more intact than others.

Brown trained as a geographer at the University of Toronto and worked for 27 years as a planner with the Ontario government, which he said, “Got me up to all of the ghost towns in northern Ontario.” As a student he recalled how he “learned to love the stories of the landscapes and towns”.

It was an exchange visit with an Aboriginal community on Parry Island and a visit to Depot Harbour that got him hooked many years ago. “It was at that point that I started documenting ghost towns whenever I learned of them,“ he said. His first book, “The First Ghost Towns of Ontario” came out in 1978.

Brown’s presentation covered a myriad of ghost towns in chronological order, beginning with the old Mission villages like those on Manitoulin Island, the Moravian town near Chatham and others like Sainte Marie among the Hurons, which has been recreated.

Next, Brown spoke of the more than 200 old trading posts or “ghost posts” of Ontario, which sprouted up during the fur trade in places like Thunder Bay, and Moosonee and Moose Factory. Brown included interesting facts and photos like the Floating Church in Moose Factory, where holes were drilled into its wooden floor to prevent it from floating away when the river flooded.

Next were the old forts like those of Fort Erie and Fort George, both of which have been recreated. Others like Fort Mississauga and Fort Joseph on the shores of Lake Huron have not fared as well as did Michael’s Bay on Manitoulin Island.

Brown also spoke of the old mill towns, fishing villages, mining towns like Jackfish on Lake Superior, Cobalt, Eldorado and Silver Centre, along with the old colonization road towns many of which include those still in existence in these parts.

For those interested in their own local ghost town adventure, Brown mentioned that Massanoga is the closest ghost town to this area. When Brown visited it a few years ago he found that it was pretty much intact, including the old foundations of the sawmill, and he felt it would be worth looking into to see how it is faring. It is located on the Massanoga Road near Bob Echo.

Brown strongly believes that more should be done to save Ontario’s ghost towns. “Things definitely have to be done at the local, municipal level and that begins first off by recognizing the heritage value of these places. Municipal councils have the power to designate them as heritage sites.” Brown said that conservation groups are doing a fair bit of work in this area in particular where a lot of old mill towns used to be. “Often people need to have an economic incentive to save these buildings, which unfortunately is not an easy thing to do.”

Brown has his sights set next on the railway heritage of the prairie provinces and can’t wait to get there to look at its old railway bridges, train stations, prairie ghost towns and old railway hotels.

For more information visit www.ronbrown.ca

Late this summer, when members of North Frontenac Township staff found out that they were not in a position to issue licenses for contests where there is any element of skill involved in determining a winner, it caused the Conservationists of Frontenac Addington (COFA) to wonder if their popular Big Buck Deer hunting contest was legal.

Since the tickets are generally sold in September and October in the run-up to the deer hunting season in November, COFA ended up cancelling this year’s contest. They are still holding their raffle, and it has been licensed by the township.

However, behind the scenes the emails have been flying between municipal officials, Dave Shostal of MPP Randy Hillier’s office, and provincial ministries.

The conclusion that was drawn by Dave Shostal, which is being adopted by North Frontenac Township as well, is that skill contests such as fishing derbies, the Big Buck contest, and others, do not require licensing at all.

In a report to Council on the issue, Deputy Clerk Tara Mieske, whose duties include the issuing of lottery licenses, outlined research she has done into the matter and made reference to the research done by Dave Shostal, Randy Hillier’s executive assistant.

“He [Shostal] advised me that it has been difficult to determine the requirements for a hunting contest because there is no legislation for same. The Attorney General’s Office, being the provincial authority, has advised David this is not regulated by them or the Ministry of Natural Resources; however a municipality may choose to require a license for hunting contests. At this time, North Frontenac does not require hunting contests to be licensed.”

The upshot is that municipalities, as a licensing authority for the province, cannot issue a provincial license for skilled contests such as fishing derbies, hunting contests, and poker runs. However, since there is no legislation on the books that talks about these kinds of contests, they do not seem to require licensing at all.

This news comes too late for COFA’s 2013 Big Buck contest. COFA President Ron Pethick said the Big Buck contest, which is 14 years old and has become a tradition in the region, generally raises about $1,500 to $1,800 each year.

“The shame of it all is that it will effect our ability to donate money for youth activities this year,” Pethick said.

Barring any further interventions from any level of government, the Big Buck contest will be a go in 2014.

In a talk at the amphitheater in Bon Echo Provincial park on August 10, Dr. Robert McLeman, Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo and partner at the Environmental Research Laboratory at Ottawa University, spoke on the subject of climate change in the Bon Echo Region.

McLeman has been doing research in the Bon Echo area on the subject since 2007, and his talk was surprisingly upbeat given the tendency of discussions on the topic to quickly descend into divisive arguments, accusations and doom and gloom scenarios. While McLeman did cite the statistics that demonstrate how in the last 150 years the average global temperature has increased by one degree Celsius and how that poses both positive and negative affects to various local industries in the area, he tended to focus more on the research that he been carrying out in the Bon Echo region, specifically on “the relationship between humans and the natural environment and how changes in human systems can cause reactionary changes in the natural environment and vice-versa”.

McLeman said he was drawn to study the Bon Echo region due to its rich diversity of ecosystems, which he said have been intact on and off since the time of European contact. McLeman was also attracted to the area by its unique typography and because many bigger urban areas are directly affected by what happens in the region, since so many river systems in the area travel downstream - in the west to the Bay of Quinte and in the east to the Ottawa River.

He outlined the demographics of the area, which has a population that tends be older and relies primarily on seasonal economies, mostly based on construction, retail, tourism and small scale forestry. He explained how climate trends for the region will affect these industries. One graph showed how the current global climate is currently in a relatively warmer phase compared to phases over the last 450,000 years. Another graph showed that the average global temperature during the last 150 years has risen by one degree Celsius. To show how dramatic a change that one degree can make, he explained that outdoor ice rinks require an average daily temperature of -5 degrees Celsius to exist.

What's causing the increase? “A lot of scientists believe it is a result of increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which dramatically increased in the mid 1800's when we began burning fossil fuels.” McLeman said that the climate of the Bon Echo region today is more similar to what it was like 1000 years ago compared to 150 years ago. He explained how this information was obtained through his recent research, which involved taking sediment core samples from numerous lakes and ponds in the area.

He also explained how reading the pollen levels in the samples shows what kinds of trees were growing in the area at different times, which in turn can tell scientists about temperatures over time. “One thousand years ago it was relatively warm here, so trees like hemlock and beech were very common. In the 1850s the forest was more like that of northern Ontario; white pine was plentiful and it was harvested and shipped to Europe. If the Europeans had been looking for white pine here 1000 years ago they would not have found it.” He continued, “If we continue to see the temperatures change as they have been, we'll probably see better conditions for trees species like hemlock, beech and other warmer tree species that you see in places like Guelph, Ontario."

This led McLeman to wonder just what kind of trees should be replanted in the forest in this area given the climate trends that we now see taking place. “Now as it stands under Ontario law the companies that cut down the trees here do so under a sustainable forest management basis and one of the things they are told to do after harvesting is to try to 'return the forest to what it was like before Europeans came to this part of the world'"

The problem is how far back in time should they go? “With the way things are going now, we should be trying to plant forests the way it was here 1000 years ago, when temperatures were warmer compared to how it was 150 years ago when it was colder.” McLeman also explained shorter term climate changes which are trending towards shorter winters, earlier springs and less snow. Local maple syrup producers, particularly one outfit near Flinton, have been keeping sap running records since the 1950s and they show this particular trend. Summers on the other hand are becoming hotter and dryer and McLeman explained that these trends, depending on the particular industry, can pose both positive and negative aspects.

McLeman then highlighted the fact that climate change has both good and bad aspects and said the reason it matters here in Bon Echo is because people's lives and livelihoods here depend greatly on the climate, “much more so than the lives of city folk.” Some changes are good for some industries. Longer, warmer summers and shorter winters would allow contractors and real estate agents to work longer in the year and the older population would have less snow to remove. Negative effects like lake ice dangers, bad snowmobiling conditions, more expensive road maintenance due to increased thaws and freezes in the winter months and a shorter wood harvesting season for foresters are some of the negatives.

Hotter, longer summers are great for summer tourism but stronger winds and bigger storms can also be negatives. He spoke of the opportunities for adaptation that climate change poses in the area. “In general, climate change may seem bad overall but when you get bad news you have two options- you can cry, grumble complain and argue endlessly about it or else you can be prepared and look for new opportunities. This is what we researchers do. We work with the local communities and tell them what is going on in the hopes that can find new opportunities and so that they can continue to be successful and make the necessary changes they need to adapt to it.”

It is not every day that you can hear first-hand stories about iconic Canadian artists, especially members of the Group of Seven. On Saturday, August 3, two very special guest lecturers, Margaret Hall, daughter of A.J. Casson, the youngest member of the famous painting movement “The Group of Seven” and Chris Jackson, an art curator, formerly of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, spoke at Bon Echo Provincial Park.

Mrs. Hall spoke about spending time with her father on Mazinaw Lake, and related several anecdotes about holding the row boat steady as he sketched the famous rock.

Mr. Jackson gave an in depth talk about Casson’s life, work and passion for art. He spoke about Casson’s work with Commercial and Industrial Art and how he met several members of the Group of Seven while working at Rous & Mann. Being younger by several years, he was eager to learn from the older, more established artists, in particular, Franklin Carmichael. From this friendship he began painting in oils and honing his craft. He later became the eighth and youngest member of the famous (and sometimes infamous) Group of Seven. He also spoke about his artistic life after the group disbanded in 1933.

“It is wonderful to be back here,” said Mrs. Hall with a warm smile, “I have such vivid memories of climbing to the top of the cliff watching him sketch in water colour.”

The lecture was presented by the Friends of Bon Echo Park.

Residents in the north had a chance to learn more about the essential services offered by various service groups in the area at a special fair held at the Barrie hall in Cloyne on July 12 

Represented at the fair were paramedics from Frontenac County, who were showing off Simulation Man - also known as “Sim Man”. Sim Man is part of their mobile Simulation Lab and is used to help train and educate paramedics. Sim Man is able to breath and talk, shows various pulses and respiratory sounds, can be hooked up to a monitor and shocked back to life.

“Basically any scenario that you can think of, he can simulate,“ said Rena Cooke, a part time primary care paramedic with Frontenac County. “We use Sim Man for out of the ordinary scenarios like very traumatic car accidents, severe burns and patients with no vital signs. Fortunately we don't run into those situations very often but we still train using Sim Man so that we know how to respond in that kind of situation.”

Cooke and the other paramedics demonstrated to attendees how Sim Man is used and also answered other questions from the public. One couple wondered, if they were traveling away from home and used their cell phone to call 911 how they could be located. “I told them that the call would go to the nearest communications centre and that if they could provide a building name or street location, they could be found.”

Also present at the fair were members of the Frontenac and Lanark OPP detachments, who gave tours of their Mobile Support Unit, which is used for calls for missing persons, drug eradication and hostage taking. It is also used as a main command post in rural areas when cutting edge technology is needed. T

he unit is equipped with computers, cameras, lighting, and touch screen TVs that allow for quick briefings on situations that unfold in rural areas. The truck is 30 feet long, diesel powered with generators and it is sometimes used during OPP RIDE programs.

Members of the North Frontenac and Kaladar/Barrie Fire and Rescue service were also on hand. They invited guests to learn how to properly put out a fire with an extinguisher using the PASS method, which stands for Pin, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep. They also demonstrated other equipment, including a rescue van equipped with a jaws of life, a front line pumper truck, and fire prevention goodies for the kids.

Inside the Barrie hall members of the OPP presented their Safeguard Ontario program, which teaches residents how to better design their homes, cottages, and businesses to prevent break and enters. The demonstration covered how to install proper security features on doors and windows and the placement and shaping of landscaping to improve the visibility of entrance points. The term “target hardening” is central to the program and it encourages residents to make their property harder to break into.

Also present at the fair were representatives from a Haliburton fire crew from the Ministry of Natural Resources. The KLF&A Public Health highlighted the various family health services they provide and the County of Frontenac’s 150th Anniversary committee was also there.

North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton hosted the event.

Prior to it a brief meeting of the emergency services teams was held at the hall. The major concern touched on at the meeting was speeding in the Plevna area and Clayton reported that members of the OPP will be addressing that issue.

Mayor Clayton said that the day’s event helps residents get to know staff from the various emergency services in the area and the resources they have to offer and to see first hand how their tax dollars are being spent. Along with the numerous tours and demonstrations, attendees at the Essential Services Fair were treated to free popcorn and a BBQ.

In a grand opening celebration on June 22, history buffs from near and far packed the recent addition to Cloyne's Pioneer Museum to help celebrate the official ribbon cutting ceremony there. Guests were invited into the museum's recently completed 1400 square foot addition, which now houses its extensive tool collection along with a number of other recent acquisitions. They include a late 1800s blacksmith’s forge that came from the Vennachar area; a small 100-year-old Findlay stove; and an old safe that belonged to Barrie Township council years ago and was used by Ralph Thompson, a long-time clerk/treasurer there.

Guests leisurely perused the displays in the new space, which boasts overhead track lighting, new pine floors and an extensive photo/art picture gallery. The numerous archival prints and photos in the gallery will be regularly changed on an ongoing basis. The space also contains a new display from the Denbigh area.

Marg Axford, curator and archivist of the museum, said that the addition will help to properly display its wealth of treasures. “The space has really enhanced our existing collection by providing the additional space needed to show it properly. People have been commenting on how they are now noticing items that have been here but that they have never noticed before.” she said. Axford said that the new space will also be used to hold different types of programming at the museum in the form of presentations, workshops and seminars, and she believes that the historical society's board meetings will also be held there in the future.

On hand to bring the authentic sounds of the past to visitors’ ears and hearts were members of the Pickled Chicken String Band, whose repertoire of old-time northern area string tunes added the perfect aural dimension to the celebrations. The event was emceed by young, enthusiastic historian Mike Duchane.

Red Emond, the newly appointed president of the Cloyne and District Historical Society, spoke at the event and thanked the Ontario Trillium Foundation, whose $39,000 grant assisted with the cost of the expansion. He also read two letters of congratulations, one from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and a second from Michael Chan, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Emond also thanked Carolyn McCulloch, who was president of the historical society for six years. Emond said that he hopes that the new space will encourage young folks to “come out and delve into their historic past and see what pioneers and settlers of the past contributed to the area.”

The expansion project was in the works for a year, and Ian Brummel, who headed up the project, also spoke, thanking all who were involved in making it come to fruition.

Following the addresses, long-time member of the historical society, Georgina Hughes, was invited to do the official ribbon cutting, and following that guests were invited to explore and enjoy the new addition, its displays, the music and a BBQ.