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If you’re a senior in Frontenac County, chances are you’ve gotten one of those phone calls. You know the ones — somebody’s going to make you rich or the “bank” needs some information or heaven forbid, if you don’t tell the caller what they want to know, you’re going to jail.

North Frontenac Coun. Fred Perry’s gotten them too, as well as questionable emails asking for his banking information and such.

Perry’s concerned, because although you don’t have to be a senior to get scammed, Frontenac County’s on track to be more than 50 per cent seniors before too long, and seniors are a huge target.

“I found it at the car dealership,” Perry said. “I thought it would be good information for seniors.”

So, he asked Clerk Tara Mieske to see if she could get some to have in the Township office.

“We couldn’t really get hard copies for here but we can print out a couple of PDFs to put out,” she said. “And everything that’s in the book is on the website.”

So, you can get all the information at www.competitionbureau.gc.ca or call 1-800-348-5358 to find out about local scams; financial and investment scams; banking and credit card scams; spam emails and text messages; identity theft and where to report them (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 1-888-495-8501).

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC

Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) is about trying to keep our seniors living independently in their own homes, SSgt. Sharon Brown told North Frontenac Council at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna.

“We (police) don’t get calls when you’re having a good day,” she said. “Seniors are a vulnerable demographic when it comes to personal, financial and property safety.

“In North and Central Frontenac, 32 per cent of the population is 65 years and older (according to the 2016 Census),” she said. “The SALT committee is truly a community initiative and includes the OPP, Rural Frontenac Community Services, Frontenac Community Services, Central Frontenac Township, North Frontenac Township, the Sharbot Lake Royal Canadian Legion, Legal Services and Connections-Adult Learning.”

She said the project provides a series of educational presentations to rural and often isolated seniors where they will be informed on safety concerns that are specific to them.

“Crime prevention and community safety topics may include frauds and scams, personal safety, home security, identity theft, fire safety, emergency preparedness, wills and powers of attorney, and elder abuse, to name a few,” Brown said. “The sessions will include a nutritious meals, with opportunities to socialize and network with one another.

“Where transportation is a barrier, a ride can be arranged.”

As such transportation and the cost of lunch are included in the program “to address the need of some senior who are on limited incomes and/or do not drive,” she said.

Brown told North Frontenac Council CNF SALT has made an application for funding under the New Horizons Grant, which has funded SALT in South Frontenac since 2016.

Funding secured by South Frontenac was also used to launch the CNF SALT program and give four presentations in 2019.

However, any new grants will not be available until the spring of 2020. Therefore, Brown was at Council looking for $1,000 to hold three SALT events during the winter of 2020.

“We’re in a bit of a holding pattern,” Brown said.

Coun. Fred Fowler told Council that the Snow Road Community Association has committed $500 to the program, leaving $500 to come from the Township.

Brown said that when they started the program, there would be about 15-20 show up but now the numbers are in the 40-50 range.

“I was at the one in Plevna Hall and I think there were about 70 people, there,” said Dep. Mayor Gerry Martin. “It was the talk of the town for awhile.”

CAO Cheryl Robson said: “We can do the $500 as a grant and revisit it at budget time.”

Brown said they’d also be approaching Central Frontenac for funding to which Mayor Ron Higgins said: “I’ll talk to (Central Mayor Smith) Frances.”

The next area SALT talk is Jan. 24 at South Frontenac Community Services on Stage Coach Road in Sydenham from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 04 December 2019 10:16

Yes, you do need a will, SALT audience told

The purpose of a will is to allow your assets to be handled the way you wish, lawyer Michelle Foxton told the Seniors And Law Enforcement Together (SALT) gathering last week at Golden Links Hall in Harrowsmith.

“If you die intestate (ie no will), it’s not the end of the road, but . . .” she said.

Foxton was the featured speaker at the last SALT presentation for this year. The popular series will resume in January with sessions on frauds and scams.

“The reason I’m here today is to tell you the benefits of having a will and the downsides of not having a will,” she said. “Lawyers, because they’ve seen so many scenarios can properly advise you but they need your input so that they know where your assets are.”

While you can write your own will from a kit or website, it probably won’t do everything you might want it to.

“Sometimes, you want to keep assets out of a will to avoid probate,” she said. “Probate is contesting a will in court.

“Financial institutions want to know that the executor is the executor and that there isn’t another will floating around somewhere.”

And, she said, if one aspect of a will triggers probate, probate tax will be applied to the entire will.

She said the executor(s) of your will is entitled to compensation but some will opt to only take expenses because said compensation is subject to income tax.

In the case of joint ownership of property or bank accounts, the right of survivorship takes effect, she said.

“(But) I really caution people from adding people (such as children) as joint owners because as survivors, it goes to them, shutting out other kids for example.

“And if you want to do anything with the property, you need permission of the joint owner.”

And, there are special provisions for passing on farm properties so you have to talk to a tax preparer before you go to a lawyer for a will, she said.

And, just because you have a small estate, doesn’t mean you don’t need a will.

“Small estates are often the hardest to deal with because there usually isn’t enough money to hire professionals to deal with certain aspects,” she said.

Wills deal with your assets after you die. Powers of Attorney govern your affairs while you’re still alive.

“Powers of Attorney can allow you to deal with bank accounts without adding joint ownership,” she said.

There are actually two types of Power of Attorney — for assets and for care.

Foxton encourages clients to discuss these with your lawyer and your doctor.

“These are tough decisions but you’d be surprised at how many matters can be resolved,” she said.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Author Jean Rae Baxter introduced participants from the fall sessions of Telling Your Story: the Seniors’ Writing Workshop Series Tuesday afternoon at St. Andrews Church Hall in Sharbot Lake.

The series is part of an ongoing program put on by the Kingston Frontenac Public Library that consisted of five sessions as well as a polishing session in which the aspiring writers wrote memoirs.

“A memoir is not the story of a life,” said instructor Jean Rae Baxter, who has written several historical fiction pieces for young readers as well as murder mysteries. “It is a story from a life.

“It’s usually a significant story from that life and can be anywhere from four to 4,000 pages. It’s usually around 400 pages.”

Tuesday’s stories weren’t that long but were, in Baxter’s words “something you yourself have lived.”

First up was Bhawani Nadarajah, who is originally from Sri Lanka but has lived in many places as her father worked for the UN.

She told her story of going to school in Somalia with her siblings for six years in the ’70s.

“My brother was very protective of his little sisters,” she said. “If anybody tried to bully us, they usually went home with a bloody nose.”

Mary de Bassecourt wrote about growing up on a farm in Upstate New York during the ’50s and ’60s with several entertaining anecdotes including how she would disappear in tears to her room whenever the family sold a puppy. Baxter praised her story for being not only a personal recollection but also an account of days gone by and how a way of life is probably gone forever.

Peter de Bassecourt’s story was also entertaining. It was about being one of the younger guys who was allowed to join the older 16- and 17-year-olds on a trip to Mount Loupgarou north of Montreal. That in itself wasn’t all that special but the fact that they went in a beat-up old pickup truck with no brakes was quite humourous.

The final story was probably the most poignant.

Karen Bryson was a flight attendant in 2001 when the 9/11 attacks happened.

She began by talking about how airport security was quite lax when she began in the business, even to the point of managing to sneak about the Concorde while it was parked on the tarmac in Barbados.

Things changed though and her account of what it was like being in the air when the attacks on the World Trade Centre happened and what happened when her crew was forced to land in Winnipeg for three days might make a good movie of the week.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Prior to Tuesday’s regular Central Frontenac Council meeting at Oso Hall, the Township held an annual tradition — naming its Seniors of the Year, complete with an opening by Township Crier Paddy O’Connor and four tunes from the Arden Glee Club.

Mayor Frances Smith welcomed a rather large crowd by praising all the work that volunteers in the community do, and noting that seniors tend to be a big part of that.

“I read a story recently that said seniors who volunteer live longer — and we’re all proof of that,” she said.

Ward One’s award recipient this year is Gord Brown, who was introduced by Coun. Tom Dewey.

“It turns out that Gord and I grew up in the same area and both went to high school in Napanee,” Dewey said. “But Gord went on to Royal Military College and after being an engineer in the military, he worked for CHEO for 13 years.

“He’s been married to his wife Karen for 43 years and is active in the Kennebec Rec Committee, the Kennebec Lake Association and Friends of Arden.

“He’s been the driving force behind the Kennebec Trail and the Blue Jays farm team, aka The Arden Seniors.”

“I’m obviously more confident on the Kennebec Trails with a weed whacker than talking in front of a large crowd,” Brown said. “The Arden community is blessed with so many wonderful people that it’s humbling to be singled out among them.”

Ward Two’s recipient is Dave Willis, who was introduced by Coun. Elwin Burke.

“I’ve known Dave for 25 years,” Burke said. “I can’t remember ever meeting a better guy.”

“Sue and I have lived across the province from Eastern to Northwestern Ontario,” Willis said. “But this is home.

“I was a policeman here for the last 17 years of my career (and) I’m so proud of the youth in this area.

“There were one or two who caused some trouble but the vast majority of them were good kids and that says a lot about their parents.”

Ward Three’s recipient is Ken Fisher. He was introduced by Coun. Bill MacDonald.

“Ken’s a relatively new member of this community, so I had to call his wife to get some information on him,” MacDonald said. “Most of it, I can’t say here. But he grew up in Ottawa and graduated from Queen’s.

“He’s been very involved in the business community and I think he lives on the internet. He’s constantly reminding people of events coming up in their email.”

“I’ve been here 11 years,” Fisher said. “I’ve lived all over the world and this is the happiest period of my life.”

Ward Four’s recipient is Heather Fox. She was introduced by Coun. Nicki Gowdy.

“Heather grew up and still lives here,” Gowdy said. “She’s been instrumental in the Godfrey Women’s Institute and helped with the Lions Club and Fire Department, among other things.”

“She’s been such a presence on both sides of the Council table,” said Coun. Brent Cameron, alluding to the fact that served as clerk in Hinchinbrooke Township before becoming Central Frontenac’s first clerk. She later spent a term as councilor for District Four.

“I just got out of hospital so I can’t talk,” Fox said. “Thanks everybody.”

Fire stats?

After the presentations and some refreshments, the regular Council meeting got underway.

Coun. Brent Cameron asked Fire Chief Greg Robinson for an update on statistics given the problem the department has had with software recently.

“From my standpoint, I have to rely on data to make decisions,” Cameron said. “It may not be entered into a computer but we should have a record of calls and training.”

“Unfortunately that’s one of the most frustrating things I’ve had to deal with,” Robinson said. “I don’t have a clear answer.”

Robinson said he would endeavor to have some statistics for Council soon.

Coun Sherry Whan asked about recruitment.

“It’s not been as successful as we’d hoped,” Robinson said.

Direction needed for OP revision

Council got an update on its Official Plan revision from County planner Megan Reuckwald. Reuckwald said she needed some direction on things like settlement areas, community wells and septic systems, garden suites, trailers and backyard chickens.

She said they’re looking at July 17 to put revisions up on the Township website and they scheduled Open Houses for July 31 (waterfront lots), Aug. 7 (settlement areas), and Aug. 14 (rural areas in general).

The open houses are scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. at Oso Hall.

The current Central Frontenac Official Plan was approved 11 years ago, before there even was a County Official Plan and has to be updated to mesh with the County plan.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Based on preliminary cost estimates, anticipated revenues and assumed contributions, a five-unit seniors apartment building (four one-bedroom, one two-bedroom plus amenity space) would be viable, Ken Foulds of Re-Fact Consulting told North Frontenac Council at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna.

Under the suggested model, the total costs would be around $1.4 million, of which about $330,000 would come from Frontenac County, about $300,000 from the Province’s Affordable Housing Program and about $450,000 from the township, some of which presumably could be in the form of development fees.

“We looked at six municipally owned sites, three in Cloyne and three in Plevna and got it down to one in Cloyne and one in Plevna,” he said. “There’s certainly a viable business case.

He said rent on a one-bedroom would be around $660 per month, which he said was 80 per cent of the going market rate, based on landlord surveys.

“My biggest concern is fining seniors to fill them,” said Coun. John Inglis. “I know Central (Frontenac Township) has had some problems.

“Is there a case for say two units?”

“There would be less borrowing costs but there would still be upfront costs,” Foulds said. “You’re looking at $200/square foot construction costs.”

“When the survey was done, the highest number of respondents came from Cloyne,” said Coun. Vernon Hermer. “How would the rest of Wards 2 and 3 feel about living in Cloyne?”

“I find this quite doable but the big question is still going to be 5, 4, 3 units,” said Inglis.

Mayor Ron Higgins suggested Council digest the information before bringing it back for discussion.

“Do as much as you can when you can,” said Foulds. “It takes a lot to get a project built and if you build three and want to add on, you’ll have to go through the process again.”

“Another survey?” said Hermer.

“The survey suggested people wanted in-home services,” said Inglis. “The County said ‘no’ so it’s time to give up that fight and time to get the $300,000.”

Council also heard a presentation from JP Melville Non-profit Business & Project Management on the Abbeyfield Canada Seniors Housing Model.

 

 

Storage unit

Council approved a request from the Cloyne and District Historical Society to build storage shed at the Pioneer Museum.

“I can’t see any reason not to, we own the land,” said Coun. John Inglis. “Thanks for asking.”

 

Efficiency study

Council approved an “efficiency study” at the request of Mayor Ron Higgins.

“I don’t see that we’re going to see a lot of savings,” said Coun. John Inglis. “I don’t object to spending $5,000 on it but I don’t have very high expectations.”

“It’s something we’re going to have to document for the Province at some point,” said Higgins.

 

Planned outage

A planned power outage happened at the meeting right on schedule at 11:30 a.m..

Council continued on, something that wasn’t surprising given the extensive amount of experience they’ve had working in the dark.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS

Ihor Gawdan likes to “keep busy.”

To that end, the former Nortel employee has built his own home, which is heavily influenced by the works of J.R.R. Tolkein.

He loves working with wood and has taken several course in things like joinery and other construction techniques.

A few years ago, he decided to take up quilting with his wife and took courses.

The two of them made a quilt together and he made another “for my daughter”.

But somewhere along the line, he discovered that he “didn’t like sewing in straight lines.”

After a trip to Africa, he came back with some new fabrics and things started to change. He started to incorporate non-traditional quilting squares within the traditional quilting format.

“I saw a quilt hanging on a parapet and started collecting African fabrics,” he said. “I was attracted by the vibrancy of the colours.”

After a trip to Australia, which included a trek across the Outback, the ‘straight lines’ totally disappeared.

“I came back with about $500 worth of aboriginal fabrics and decided I’d better do something with them,” he said.

The result was an 8’x8’ masterpiece depicting his experiences Down Under, that ended up winning a Viewer’s Choice nod.

“Australia Sonoline” is a collage of images ranging from the Sydney Opera House to Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) and all sorts of modern and traditional inclusions that just sort of flow together in an organic flux that moves the viewer’s eye all around his textured canvas. You literally have to keep reminding yourself that this is a quilt.

His latest work promises to be his masterpiece, a 4’x8’ exploration of evolution inspired by one of his son’s songs — Beneficial Symbiosis. The lyrics are stitched into bottom of the piece.

It’s a visual journey that begins with the creation of the Earth, through periods of volcanism, the beginnings of life, the advent of mammals and finally including the colonization of Mars, with a myriad of images and concepts in between.

He’s entered it in the Colour with a U show put on by the Studio Art Quilt Associates in March and April of 2020 in Kitchener.

The piece itself may be a metaphor for Gawdan’s philosophy and is certainly a product of his methodology and the way he likes to work.

“I don’t spend hours on a computer designing a quilt,” he said. “This one started out as a little sketch on paper.

“As I go on, I look at the colours, the flow of the material.

“At some point, I may say to myself, ‘I have to go out and buy some more green.’”

He said these last two quilts have taken about “five or six months, working four or five hours in the morning.

“I usually go to bed early and get up around 3 a.m.”

Gawdan refers to his quilting as a hobby, and says that’s what it will stay.

“I’ve never wanted my hobbies to become a job,” he said. “But as we get older, we need to keep the brain moving.

“Quilting is like woodworking without the splinters.”

Published in General Interest

Not so long ago KFL&A Alzheimer Society only operated out of Kingston.  Wisely we were recognized as remotely located and in need of access to service within our own area. 

Magic sometimes happens.  The Land of Lakes Lions Club quickly gathered and converted an abandoned basement room in their hall into a modern functioning office for us. All accomplished voluntarily.  We can't thank you enough. Little more than a year later, we have some achievements to brag about. 

During volunteer week in April, a volunteer appreciation event was attended by folks who care. There were 42 of the 66 volunteers in attendance, Lions Club, the Forget Me Nots, the Golden Girls, the Old Pharts Club, Knitters/Crocheters, Roger Hermer representing his band of musicians and some individual people who help out.

The Cloggers entertained us with lively music and dance and a lovely lunch was set out. The program included brain exercises, a short video of the year's Alzheimers related volunteering and an emotional discussion with current caregivers of loved ones.

One feels so helpless in a situation where the caregiver desperately needs support yet it is not a realistic option.

In most cases the patient rejects unfamiliar persons and becomes agitated by the mere suggestion of a visit. The caregiver needs a break but daren't step away lest needed. The patient tends to be frightened and confused knowing that changes are happening, that control is slipping away. This is as much of a challenge to the Alzheimer Society as the disease itself.

Some progress in diagnosis has been made over the years but a cure is illusive. Treatment, medication and stimulation help minimally and only in the early stages. The volunteer groups are wonderful at providing stimulation.

Giving freely of their time to visit Pine Meadow Nursing Home and the Sharbot Lake Seniors Residence with music, dance, singing, crafts and conversation. It's uplifting to watch foot tapping, hand clapping and even singing along from patients. When guided through crafts, proud smiles of accomplishment are all the thanks needed.

At Christmas, twiddle muffs made by volunteers were distributed to elderly folks in the area. These provide idle fingers with fidget soothing shapes and textures as well as warmth. The afternoon wrapped up with a ball of yarn, a very large circle of volunteers, symbolizing a web of support, demonstrating how we are all connected and needed to keep our Community healthy. We said our good-byes to the song “ I think you’re wonderful.”

Our branch of the Alzheimer Society is capably operated by Pam Lemke, who organized and directed the volunteer groups and who hosted and planned the Volunteer Appreciation Event.

You can contact Pam and join her amazing volunteer family or for support on your journey. 1-800-266-7516 ext 701 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 28 February 2018 12:32

Fairmount Home Strategic Plan

Lisa Hirvi, the Administrator of Fairmount Home, presented the broad outline of the strategic planning exercise that Fairmount staff has undertaken to a meeting of Frontenac County Council last week.

Fairmount Home, a 128 bed long term care facility, is located on the same property as the Frontenac County Offices in Glenburnie, in rural Kingston. The Home is owned and operated by Frontenac County. It is not only the largest and most valuable physical asset of Frontenac County, it is also one of the two largest services that the county offers. Upper tier municipalities in Ontario, such as Frontenac County, are required to operate or participate in funding a long term care facility and Fairmount satisfies that requirement for Frontenac County. Although access to long term care facilities is not effected by municipal borders, residents of the southeastern portion of Frontenac County have made Fairmount their home of choice, as it is for many residents of Kingston and other municipalities in the region.

Over ten years ago, Fairmount made a commitment to the Gentlecare philosophy, which the Home defines in the following way on their web page: “resident-focused care which empowers residents to make as many choices as possible. Staff knows each resident and responds to their social as well as psychological and physical needs. They put the resident first before the task at hand and acknowledge that risk is a normal part of life. Most importantly, they treat the residents as they would wish to be treated.”

The new Strategic Plan reasserts the commitment to Gentlecare, listing it as the key means of accomplishing the #1 goal identified in the Strat Plan: “to provide quality care and meet the diverse and unique needs of our residents”.

The other goals that were identified in the plan include: being the preferred place to work and volunteer in the local health care sector; expanding engagement with broader community and system partners, and; ensuring Fairmount operates efficiently while striving for continuous improvement.

Among the key goals identified in the plan is to identify the generational needs of staff and incorporate flexibility.

“This is something we have had to do recently,” Hirvi pointed out, “as the Administrator and Director of Care positions have turned over. We will deal with other challenges as we move forward, and making sure we are a good place to work is important in enabling us to recruit people.”

In receiving the report, one of the members of Frontenac County Council asked about the necessity to promote and market Fairmount, given that the home already has a long waiting list and has had one for years.

“We need to maintain and enhance our contacts with the community and with our funders, in the interest of patients. Fairmount is a community asset, we need to have a public profile,” Hirvi said.

After Hirvi’s presentation was received and the plan was adopted, Frontenac County Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Pender informed Council that the Province of Ontario had just put out a “Request for Expression of Interest” in creating new long term care beds.

Although Councilors expressed concern over potential increases in costs, Pender pointed out that if Fairmount were 50% larger, certain administration costs would not go up, leading to efficiencies and relative cost savings. “With 172 beds there is still only one Administrator, one Director of Care, one food service,” Pender said.

By responding to the call, the county would not be making any commitment.

“It will be up to council to decide whether to go ahead with anything, Pender said, also pointing out that the debenture for the most recent expansion of Fairmount will be paid off in 2022.

“We could build without having to make any change in our budget if it only meant continuing with a new debenture after 2022,” Pender said.

Council instructed Pender to prepare a submission to the Request for Expressions of Interest.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY

The cost of providing rides to seniors and others (for medical appointments, other appointments and shopping/entertainment) is very expensive, Frontenac Transportation Services administrator Gail Young told North Frontenac Council at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna.

Young, along with Rural Frontenac Community Services director Louise Moody were there at Council’s request, which came at a previous Council meeting in Harlowe.

“Being raised in Henderson, I know the challenges,” Young said. “One of the big issues in this area is that the LHIN (Local Health Integration Network) will only pay for the time the client is in the car so we have to pay for getting drivers to the client.
“We’re working on keeping those costs down.”

“Our problem is geography,” said Moody. “It’s a long way to anywhere and we don’t have a hub like say Bancroft does.

“We’re trying a number of different programs (a Trillium application in 2016 was unsuccessful).”

The average ride in South Frontenac costs $30. The average ride in Central Frontenac costs $55 but the average ride in North Frontenac costs $91.

With 301 rides from April 1 to Dec. 31, North Frontenac accounted for 7 per cent of the ridership. However, at a cost of $41,033, it also accounted for 16 per cent of the total costs. Central Frontenac had 2,511 rides or 56 per cent and 56 per cent of the costs at $140,144. South Frontenac had 1,709 rides or 37 per cent for $68,918 or 28 per cent of the costs.

“It is expensive but I know at least two elderly ladies who are too proud to ask for a subsidy,” said Coun. Gerry Martin.

“We don’t like to call it a subsidy, we say ‘you pay half,’” said Young.

“If the LHIN’s goal is for seniors to age at home, then these programs have to be free,” said Moody.

Mayor Ron Higgins made a friendly amendment to a resolution to publicize the service and call for volunteer drivers.

He also suggested the County could become involved but “if we’re going to ask the County for money then we have to include all four Townships.”

 

• • •

North Frontenac formally passed its 2018 budget which is now available on the Township website. North Frontenac is asking its ratepayers for 1.42 per cent more than it did in 2017 or $5,765,957. Property assessment increased by 2.48 per cent and while the education portion of the tax bill decreased by 2.82 per cent, the County portion increased by 4.19 per cent.

 

• • •

This was the first meeting in the new Council Chambers. It’s certainly larger than the room over the fire garage with more room for spectators, a larger municipality style horseshoe arrangement for Council and surprisingly good acoustics.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC
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