Back Forty Cheese will be open on Saturdays throughout the summer, and to mark the start of the summer season, they are holding an open house and party onn June 24 between 10am and 4pm. The converted drive shed that serves as a cheese factory and tasting room for Back Forty Cheese, and a loft studio for Jenna Rose, will be open and tours of the factory and studio will be offered at different times throughout the day. All of Back Forty’s sheep’s cheeses will be available, including Highland Blue, Madawaska, Bonnechere, Flower Station and Ompah, as well as fresh curd, ricotta and fried curd as well. Charcuterie boards and baguettes will be available as well. Meanwhile, outside in the yard that leads out to…

North Frontenac Township, in conjunction with the Ottawa Valley ATV Association,  hosted the Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicles (OFATV) Annual General Meeting last weekend, with great success. Dave Baker, the OFATV Association President, said that representatives from over 50 associations attended the meeting. “The venue, trails, accommodations, location, and volunteers were fantastic, and everyone enjoyed a great weekend. Many participants were excited to get more information about the area for future trail-side vacations!,” he said afterwards. Putting the event on was a community effort involving supporters from across North and Central Frontenac. Lodges, B&B’s and Inn’s from throughout the township held rooms for the guests, who arrived on Friday and gathered at the Ompah hall for a meet and greet, catered by Cota’s Mobile…

How North Frontenac disposes of waste and recycling is about to go through some major changes. At a special meeting of Council last Saturday at Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna, Public Works Manager Jim Phillips went through the proposed changes, not all of which were met with public, or Council, approval. Phillips said he expects to have a new bylaw ready for the June 30 Council meeting. He said that much of the impetus for changes stem from the cost to dispose of bulky waste, construction materials and white goods. “We budgeted $12,000 last year for this and our costs were double that,” Phillips said. “We’re not collecting enough to reflect the cost of disposal for these items.” Essentially, the proposals are two-fold. First, tipping fees…

Shawn Merriman, the new Chief Building Official (CBO), offered his opinion on how Council should proceed with penalizing North Frontenac residents who constructed a yurt in the Township without the proper permits in place. “This case should still proceed,” Merriman said. “Yurts depend on the usage as much as the actual thing.” “The previous CBO has agreed that it's a building, I have, from my previous experience at other townships, agreed too,” Merriman said. “If they can be used as a residence, and in this case it appears that it is being used as a residence, even if it's seasonal, it's a slippery slope to get into it.” Mayor Higgins was adamant about deferring the decision until they could sit down with the planning department,…

They had to break out the extra chairs as a capacity crowd filled Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna last Saturday to celebrate the rich history of lodges in North Frontenac. The afternoon began with guests invited to browse the various exhibits before CMCA coordinator Brenda Martin welcomed the crowd with her opening remarks. Martin pointed to the various exhibits spread around the hall showcasing all 63 lodges that have existed within the boundaries of the Township and a couple from without. “We’ve covered all 63 and even went slightly outside of the Township because of the connection with Plevna,” she said. “These lodges have provided economic benefits for years and many are over 100 years old. “Twenty-four of the lodges are historic but 39 are still…