(with a file from Jeff Green)

MPP Randy Hillier met with North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins on Sunday morning in Cloyne to discuss future economic development possibilities for North Frontenac and Addington-Highlands townships. They were joined by a small group of local entrepreneurs and business owners to start sketching out ideas on how both municipalities could benefit from, and grow, with some new investments in the area. The group had a two-hour discussion regarding options for stimulating the local economy and these ideas included an 80-room wilderness lodge and conference centre, a wood-pellet manufacturing facility, and a craft brewery.

Ashby Lake cottage-neighbours and Ottawa entrepreneurs Scott Annan and Dan Carruthers were two of those in attendance at Sunday's meeting. They're hopeful that they can capitalize on the recent community engagement they've seen since Nextera, an American-owned company, made a proposal to build over 100 turbines in North Frontenac and Addington-Highlands.

“One of the positives to come from this crisis is that it has people really talking with each other; engaging in real issues and taking a genuine interest in their community,” Carruthers said. “Let's turn this crucible moment into a catalyst for real, long-term development for the region by engaging connected representatives from the provincial, municipal, entrepreneurial and investment communities.”

Part of the goal last Sunday was to present an alternative option to the Addington-Highlands council to “replace the allure of wind turbines.”

“Your decision on this topic will be your legacy and residents of Addington-Highlands will bear the consequences of your decision for the next 20 years...and likely for many generations beyond,” Annan said in a note to the Council.

“It is time for you to make the right, albeit difficult, decision,” Annan said. “It is time for you to stand up and oppose clandestine partnerships. It is time for you to stop the division of residents, and instead to unite them through a common goal.”

Annan wrote to Council and local MPs hoping they could “work together to create a plan that will include a new lakefront resort and conference centre to generate dozens of long-term permanent jobs.”

The group feels that Bon Echo being open all year around would be an important ingredient to their success. They picture a four-season environment with a trail network that could be used for cross-country skiing and hiking. They envision huts built along the trails for snowmobilers, hikers, and skiers to use, like the popular ones that exist in Gatineau Park. They also suggested BBQ competitions, small concerts, wine and food events, and mountain bike races as possible events to attract people to the lodge and area.

“We could be the next Kawarthas,” Carruthers said. “There's an alignment happening right now.”

He imagines local organic gardening and livestock incorporated into cooking workshops with guest chefs, local craft beers, and outdoor activities in both summer and winter.

Carruthers is in the process of procuring investors for the project and currently had around $5-million committed to the project when this paper went to press.

“Let us define our own 'vibrancy fund'...one that is inclusive and homemade,” Annan suggested.

The Group suggested that green energy could be incorporated into their approach to the lodge but are against the use of wind turbines there as they are detrimental to their idea of promoting the area as being naturally beautiful.

Addington Highlands Reeve Henry Hogg and the rest of Addington Council were invited to the information session on Sunday but only Tony Fritsch replied, but wasn't able to attend.

When contacted, Reeve Hogg said that he did not know about the meeting until he checked his email on Monday morning. He thinks the email must have come in late on Friday afternoon.

“I'm not sure I would have attended if I had known, because I would need to canvass council if I was attending as a representative of Council. I don't know what was discussed at the meeting,” he said, “but I do feel whoever did attend would be well served by bringing their proposals to a meeting of AHEAD, our economic development committee. They have been meeting on a monthly basis for many years and are always looking for new proposals, and new members.”

Matthew Robinson of W.A. Robinson has been named in Wealth Professional magazine’s Hot List for 2015. This annual ranking honors 45 advisors and executives who have made waves in the wealth management industry over the last year and continue to shape its agenda.

“The volatility and change in the industry is unrelenting and greater than ever before. As the next phase of CRM2 comes into play, the Canadian wealth management industry will work through even more of that kind of upheaval. The Wealth Professional’s Hot List provides clues on who is going to come out on top,” says Wealth Professional editorial director Vernon Clement Jones. “Each has won a place on the list by capturing headlines in 2014/15 and leading their organizations to greater heights. As a group, they embody the excellence that characterizes Canadian wealth management.”

Many area students and graduates looking for summer employment opportunities attended the first ever Student Job Fair at the St. Lawrence College Employment Service Centre in Sharbot Lake on March 19.

Staff at the center, who organized the event, were well prepared in advance and pointed students in the direction of a number of local opportunities currently available to them. These included positions at a number of local summer camps, private campgrounds, grocery stores, restaurants, provincial parks as well as a number of maintenance and marketing positions.

Two local employers attended the event in person. Donna Longmire of the Township of Central Frontenac was advertising a number of student employment opportunities, which included four public works and three waste management positions and was accepting applications and resumes for both.

Similarly, Rachel Hosseini, owner and manager of the Subway restaurant in Sharbot Lake was looking to fill seven full and part time positions. She carried out a number of initial interviews with students at the center and said she will be following up with secondary interviews at the restaurant, which she described as a fast-paced, friendly and professional environment.

Ashley Barrie, resource specialist at the employment center, said that summer employment early in a student’s working life is invaluable to them. “Summer employment is very beneficial and can not only help students acquire a number of new skills, but also encourages networking for future job opportunities while they learn the various responsibilities that come with paid work. Summer employment also provides students with pocket money when they return to school in the fall.”

Barrie stressed how early summer work experiences teaches students the qualities they need to be employable. “Learning how to be reliable, punctual and about customer service is very important. Summer jobs can also help long term by giving students something concrete on their resumes after having worked for credible employers, which is also something that can set them apart and give them a leg up.”

Karen McGregor, coordinator at the center, said that early work opportunities also help students “narrow down their career path” and that a summer job can help them pin point what kind of job or career they are looking for long term. “A summer work experience helps make students more successful at their future job interviews as well as helping them to define their strengths and interests for future employment. In rural communities like this, where often there is not a lot of other regular activities for students in the summer months, working is something that can occupy their time productively”. McGregor also made mention of a number of the programs available to employers that can help subsidize the pay for student workers.

For students and employers who missed the job fair, Ashley Barrie is continuing to take employer/ participant information and registrations at the Sharbot Lake location. Staff’s advice to students? “Don't wait. Employers are already hiring for summer positions.” There is also a job board up at the centre that is regularly updated. For more information contact Ashley Barrie at 613-545-3949 ext. 1891or visit www.employmentservice.sl.on.ca

Crowded into a tiny office tacked onto the north end of the Barrie hall in Cloyne are the small offices of the six staff members who make up Mazinaw-Lanark Forest Inc. (MLFI), a private company that works year round managing the Crown land forest in Lanark and Mazinaw.

The land they manage covers a huge swath totaling 305,000 hectares in an area that stretches west to Marmora, east to Carleton Place, north to the Madawaska River and south to Tamworth.

The company, which started up in 1998, is owned and funded by local shareholders including 13 independent logging companies, seven sawmills and one pulp mill. The company operates under a sustainable forest license and its primary role is to prepare forest management plans, site-specific prescriptions and annual work schedules, while simultaneously meeting forest renewal obligations, plus all government reporting requirements, and ensuring that all operations comply with the Crown Forest Sustainability Act. The act aims to “manage Crown forests to meet the social, economic and environmental needs of future and present generations”.

Prior to the late 1990s the management of Crown land forests was performed by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), after which time and under the Harris government that management was transferred to the private sector. The MNR still retains the overall responsibility of making sure companies operating in the Crown forests comply with current legislation, which the MNR achieves by requiring management companies (like MLFI) to provide them with regular audits, inspections and reviews. They also are required to seek MNR approval for forest management plans.

Because these local forests have for generations been logged by small family businesses, it was deemed in their best interest to hire a small team of professionals to carry out the management side of their businesses. Trying to manage the boots on the ground and the blades to the bark is enough to keep these small companies busy year round, so the shareholders hired MLFI to do the management side of their business.

A big part of that management deals with in-depth immediate, short and long-term planning. Jan Smigielski has been working as a silvicultural forester with MFLI since 2000 and his job is to develop site-specific forest operation prescriptions showing exactly how particular blocks are to be prepared for harvesting. Smigielski said that the most challenging part of his work is also what makes it the most exciting: dealing with the natural complexity of the area. “The natural bio-diversity of this area challenges you in such a way that you can not do anything uniformly. You have to develop prescriptions on a very small scale. First you have to identify the different patches of eco-systems and address them accordingly,” he said.

The companies working with the MLFI supply mostly maple, oak and poplar to a variety of local buyers within a 100-150 km radius and they primarily sell pulpwood, firewood, and saw logs.

Matthew Mertins, who is planning and operations forester with MLFI, said that he is currently working on a forest plan for April 1, 2016 through to March 31, 2021, a plan that will detail all of the operations that will happen during that period including the locations of the harvesting blocks and renewal areas, and that will also include the various types of protections put in place for wildlife and other natural features, which the public want to see protected. “The whole idea behind the planning is to make sure that we know where we are doing the forestry operations while having the appropriate safeguards in place to make sure that the operations have no negative impacts on human activity and enjoyment and wildlife. The whole idea behind forest management is that you can run sustainable forestry operations while other things are going on around it. Cottaging and wild life can occur simultaneously as long as you strike the right balance,” Mertins said.

According to recent statistics put out by the MNR, 450 people are directly employed by forest operations on the MLFI's management area, proving that the industry is a large employer in the area.

Staff said that in an effort to keep the public informed about the current MLFI plans and operations, they are in the process of launching a new website that should be up and running by the end of this week. The site will include information about the business, its staff, its operations, along with profiles about the shareholders, and information about the local businesses working with MLFI with links to their websites as well as links to the MNR's forest management plans for the area. You can find the new website by googling Mazinaw Lanark Forest Inc.

Exploring Value Added Opportunities: a one day workshop for farm and rural entrepreneurs

Are you looking for or have a value-added business idea for your farm? Not sure how to make your idea a reality? Don't miss this one-day workshop for farm and rural entrepreneurs in which we cover three modules: selecting your best idea; assessing your idea’s business potential: and next steps. Benefits of participating in this workshop include:

• new ideas, inspiration and best practices for successful value added businesses;

• understanding motivations and risk tolerance;

• an assessment of what it takes to turn an idea into reality by considering production, marketing, finance and human resources; and • resources for developing a comprehensive business plan. The workshop will be held Thurs, February 5, 9 am to 4 pm at the Sydenham Public Library; cost: $25 per person includes lunch and HST. Sponsored by the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation. Space is limited to 25. For content details and registration please visit: http://bit.ly/1z1qLrA

A wide variety of local business owners on the lookout for grant money to grow their businesses attended the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation's grants workshop at the Verona Lions hall on July 16. Numerous presentations were made, including two by the FCFDC's executive director, Anne Prichard, who spoke about the new Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP)and their collaborative projects grants.

Presentations were also made by several other organizations who give out grants. Stephanie Attwood of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) outlined the various Trillium grants available to groups and organizations, and Chris Gleeson, a senior business advisor with the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment, spoke about their special programs. Amy McFadden from FEDDEV (Federal Economic Development Agency) Ontario spoke about the Southern Ontario Prosperity Initiatives that her organization runs. Karen McGregor of the St. Lawrence Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake outlined the employee subsidies and grants her organization offers.

The workshop attracted over 60 business owners from a diverse group. Among them was Tom Richardson, general manager of Lanark/Mazinaw Forest Inc., who has worked in the past with the FCFDC on various training projects. He said he is looking again to the FCFDC for training and capacity building grants for forest workers specifically from the Algonquin First Nations community in the area.

Rena Upitis, executive director of Wintergreen Studios, the eco lodge and education centre located on Canoe Lake Road, was in attendance to find out more about the changes to funding opportunities and possible new funding opportunities. As a not-for-profit business Wintergreen has received funding from the FCFDC in the past and most recently from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which enabled them over the last year to prepare and bring workshops on sustainability, renewable energy and sustainable building off site to over 400 individuals. With that funding now running out, Upitis said she is looking at other funding opportunities to expand their workshops and specifically to bring similar workshops to local youth and seniors in the area. Upitis was also looking for funding to develop a local festival for Geo-caching.

Sven Schlegel and Willa Murray of Mari Cla Ro, from Toronto, design and make bags and accessories from recycled materials. They moved their studio/workshop to Snow Road in January 2013 and are looking for funding so that they can further develop their product lines as well as bring their products to Europe and the US. Schlegel said that in the past the company has received funding from the FCFDC.

Michael Tkautz of Green City Initiatives is hoping to develop an urban farm either in rural or downtown Kingston. He is currently looking for partnerships and funding opportunities to build “an organic farm for inner city dwellers with zero emissions and transportation and with year round crop production that uses 70% less water, no chemicals and zero fossil fuels.”

Laura Carter, manager of branch operations for the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, was looking specifically at Trillium grants but also at other grant opportunities that could be accessed in partnership with other businesses. The KFPL has in the past received OTF grants, one of which helped to renovate the library in Hartington. Carter said she is also looking at other collaborative projects to help expand technology in the region.

Ian Brumell, treasurer of the Cloyne and District Historical Society, said the society is ”always looking for grant and employment opportunities” and that the organization has in the past successfully received OTF grants for their Pioneer Museum renovations. Laura Bradley, Jim Pine and Lisa Severson, all staff of the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, the company that brought high speed internet to Eastern Ontario, were looking for “economic development opportunities to assist with digital strategies for their ten-year program” as it relates to economic development and specifically to “a study of cell gap analysis for eastern Ontario”. They hope to create a project similar to their broadband improvements. Farmers were also well represented at the meeting. Dianne Dowling was in attendance wearing numerous hats. As president of the National Farmers Union, Local 316 she was looking for EODP funding for possible new projects “helpful to the local food and farm system”' as well as exploring funding opportunities for “larger collaborative food hub/food cluster projects.” She was also on the lookout for funding to update the Local 316's local food directory, Food Down The Road. As a member of the board of the Kingston and Area Seed Initiative (KASSI), she was looking for funding for possible individual or co-op projects designed to “increase the amount of locally adapted and used seed in order to grow a more resilient, sustainable and self-reliant food system in the area.” Lastly, as a member of the recently formed Food Policy Council of Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington, Dowling was exploring funding opportunities for upcoming concrete food policy projects.

These were just some of the business people who attended the grant workshop and they represent a diverse group of local business owners and operators hoping to grow their business with the help of the FCFDC and other organizations offering up grant money.

There are two focus points for funding from the Eastern Ontario Development Plan, a federal granting program that is administered locally by the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC), which is based in Harrowsmith.

The first is job creation and the second is enhanced sales and profitability for businesses that receive funding support.

Anne Prichard, executive director of the FCFDC, has been waiting for several months for detailed information about how the program is going to work over the next four and a half years. Some of the changes were known to her but some have come as a surprise.

“One thing that we knew was that from now on businesses and not-for-profit corporations will be on a level playing field. The program will only pay 50% of the costs of a project. Previously not-for-profits could receive 80% or even 100% funding but that is no longer happening,” she said.

It is acceptable for recipients to stack funds, that is to say, to use other grants as their share of the 50% they need for EODP-funded projects, but those other grants cannot come from a federal program.

“For not-for-profits in Frontenac County, the 50% rule can be a barrier, because the funding they receive is generally tied directly to their core mission,” said Prichard.

Another aspect of the new program is that a single entity, be it a business, not-for-profit, municipal government or post-secondary institution, can only apply for $100,000 in funding over the life of the plan, when in the past they could apply for up to $100,000 per project.

“This has affected at least two larger long-term projects we were working on,” said Prichard.

Also, whereas the EODP funded internships in the past, it will no longer do so.

“We can fund skills training in specific cases, either a course or a specified training period, in some cases, but internships will now need to be funded from other sources, such as employment services agencies,” said Prichard.

EODP dollars were also used to fund basic websites for local businesses in the past, but now only website upgrades, such as bringing online payment on stream, for example, will be eligible.

Payments will also be results-based, more so than in the past.

“We will be looking favourably at projects that can demonstrate they will either be creating new jobs, saving jobs that would be at risk of being lost if the project did not happen, or creating new sales or new profits for the business undertaking them.” she said.

All of the details about the new version of the program, as well as application forms, are now available at the Frontenac CFDC website.

The agency staff is also available to provide detailed answers to questions about the funding program, and other programs that are available.

Three of the four generations of the Revell family were on hand in Verona on May 28 celebrating the recent facelift and expansion at the Ford Lincoln dealership that has called Verona home for 78 years.

Harry Revell, his sons Larry and Al and their sons Nathan, Josh and Brad, were all present greeting customers and members of the community who came out to enjoy snacks, live music and the official ribbon cutting ceremony at the dealership. The business recently underwent an impressive expansion and facelift that was headed up by local contractor Steve Tarasick. It includes a brand-new two-car-length service drive through with a new upstairs area that includes a meeting/lunchroom for employees and four new office spaces. A new Lincoln Ford tower was built out front and the entire main showroom downstairs was also renovated. The parts and service areas switched locations from north to south respectively and Larry Revell said that he hopes the new 16,000 square foot space, which now includes 12 service bays and nine additional bays in the body shop “will give our loyal customers a new and improved experience”.

Four generations of the Revell family have been involved in the business for its close to eight decades of operation in the community. Larry and Al's grandfather, Wesley Revell, originally opened the business in 1936 and his son Harry and his brother Glen soon took over the dealership side of the business. Al came into the business in 1975 and Larry in 1977. Their sons, Josh, Brad and Nate now work in the business as well.

Larry Revell spoke at the event first, thanking many of the special guests who attended, including South Frontenac mayor, Gary Davison, and councilors Ron Vandewal, John McDougall, Allan McPhail, and Bill Robinson. Representatives from Ford were also on hand, including Ford Motor Credit's Eastern Canada regional manager Kevin Taylor, business development manager Warren Russell, and Ford Motor Company sales managers Steve Semenak and Jennifer Strang, who each had a chance to speak.

Harry Revell was given the scissors to perform the ribbon cutting, which was preceded by a celebratory playing of the bagpipes by OPP Constable Mark Wellwood. Musicians Tom Thompson and John Kott also performed throughout the event. Close to 100 members of the community attended the opening and Kim Sproule offered up tours of the newly renovated facility.

Asked what has made this family business, which is one of Ford's oldest family-owned dealerships, such an ongoing success, Larry said it is the employees and the family tradition of treating customers with honesty and respect.

Harry Revell is now 86 years old. He entered the business out of high school, first working in the grocery store and then selling cars shortly after that. Harry said he always wanted to get into the car business for the simple fact that he loved cars. Harry, who has always driven Fords, said that he never imagined the business looking as it does today. Harry's father Wesley originally knocked down two houses to put in the two-bay dealership, which had two gas pumps out front. Harry recalled selling a lot of cars back in those days. Asked how the business has changed over the years. Harry said, “Today the Ford company is building better products which is what has kept customers coming back year after year.”

Harry credited his dad Wesley with passing along his values to the family business, which he said are based on church going values that put hard work and honesty first. Larry Revell also credited the patience, loyalty and hard work of his many long-time employees, some of whom have been working with the Revell family for over four decades.

In conjunction with the new Subway Restaurant in Sharbot Lake, which will be opening in late June in the building on Hwy. 7 that used to house the Rising Bun Bakery, the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake is hosting a job fair at their office on Thursday June 12, between 6 and 8 pm.

The manager of the new store will be on hand to look at resumes and talk to prospective employees. The new restaurant plans to hire 7-10 people to start off with. Positions that are available include that of sandwich artist, senior sandwich artist, and others.

“We helped them find people to work on the construction phase in the early winter,” said Employment Centre co-ordinator Karen McGregor, “and since we have the space we are happy to offer our space for the job fair now that the restaurant is opening up.”

Anyone interested in one of the jobs can contact the Employment Centre at 613-545-3949, press 3. See also the ad on page 11.

5 years ago when Barry and Donna Smith opened the Land O'Lakes petting zoo on Road 506 near Cloyne, they were hoping they would bring in enough revenue through admissions to pay for feed and vet bills for the rescue animals that had come to live with them over time.

Rescuing animals, and taking them in when others were no longer able to care for them is an extension of the foster parenting that Barry and Donna have done, and the animals have been helpful in some of the healing processes for their foster children.

The zoo is a menagerie of 40 animals, including a 2,800 pound tame Holstein bull named McMoo, lambs, goats, sheep, peacocks, llamas, donkeys, miniature horses and a full size horse, ponies, ducks, rabbits, turkeys etc., each with a story attached to their acquisition.

Although the Smiths had hoped to bring in the $30,000 it costs each year to keep the not-for-profit zoo up and running, there has historically been a shortfall, up to $20,000, and the Smiths have had to cover that from their other income.

That is not longer a viable option, and they are now looking to the public for support, either through cash donations or in-kind support in the form of animal feed or discounted veterinary services.

They did open a snack bar, and Donna has been baking treats for sale at the snack bar and at some of the local campgrounds to bring extra money in, but the costs are not being covered.

“Even if more people would like to come to visit and put a little extra in the jar it would be helpful,” she said.

Her fear is that if they cannot keep the zoo open, it will be very difficult to find suitable homes for the animals.

“We are getting into a serious problem, and I don't quite know what the solution is,” she said.

The hope is ha the summer will be a good one, with lots of visitors and an unflux of community support.

Otherwise, the Smiths will be forced to consider disbanding their operation come the fall.

Anyone interested in providing support is invited to call Donna or Barry at 613-336-0330 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.