Photo: Life memberships were presented to Tom and Eileen Christenson to mark their 15-year long commitment to delivering Meals on Wheels

When Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) decided to hold their 37th Annual General Meeting at the Ompah hall, there were concerns that the turnout would suffer, as the Ompah hall is on the northern edge of the agency's foot print. (NFCS shares responsibility for North Frontenac Township with Land O’Lakes Community Services, which covers most of Barrie ward).

But when Pam Giroux got up to deliver her keynote address to the meeting it was to packed hall. Representatives from other agencies, officials from funding agencies and governments, board members and local supporters alike had made their way to Ompah for the meeting.

Pam Giroux’s comments touched on one of the unique aspects of the NFCS basket of services, the Aboriginal education program for preschoolers and primary grade students that is run by Marcie Asselstine.

The program grew out of Marcie’s interest in exploring her own roots in Algonquin culture. As a childhood educator at the Child Centre at NFCS, Marcie has been encouraged, first by former Executive Director Sue Leslie, and now by current Executive Director Don Amos, to develop an Aboriginal theme to the programming that is delivered to playgroups that the Child Centre runs in communities across Frontenac County.

At first Marcie was given one day a week to run an Aboriginal playgroup, but over the years bits of money have been found to expand the program, and now she is working almost full time on the Aboriginal program, which is now delivered in the school system as well.

When Pam Giroux moved to Sharbot Lake from Toronto in the 1960s to teach at Sharbot Lake High School, she knew little about Aboriginal culture. Over the years as a teacher and mother of four in the local area, she became exposed to Algonquin culture through some of the efforts of the Manomin Keesis group in the 1980s and early 1990s. About 10 years ago she went to a workshop where she was re-acquainted with some of the people from Manomin Keesis and was introduced to drumming. Out of that workshop a group of women drummers and singers started up, eventually becoming known as “Sisters of the Drum”. The Sisters have been performing ever since, locally and regionally, at gatherings of all kinds, from Pow Wows to Remembrance Day Ceremonies and the Strawberry Moon festivals that are held each year to mark the end of the NFCS Aboriginal program. All of these experiences have exposed Pam Giroux, who does not have any blood connection to the Algonquin community, to a raft of Algonquin cultural practices and traditions.

“My journey on the red road has certainly been an enriching experience,” she told the audience at the NFCS AGM.

She also recounted an experience that she remembers from her parenting days, when one of her sons asked why other students in his class had called him a frog, because his last name was Giroux.

“I told him that he was of French Canadian descent, that he was not a frog, and he never mentioned it again. It does show what can be said in schoolyards, however, and I remember that in those years very few of the kids in the local schools talked about their native heritage.

“But now, thanks to Marcie’s Aboriginal program, kids come forward and say ‘I have native blood’, my family is Algonquin’ – it develops a pride in heritage and brings an end to prejudice. This makes me more optimistic about the future,” said Pam Giroux.

The NFCS Aboriginal Program is one of the smallest that is run by the agency, which spends about $2 million each year on programming for all ages. It delivers children and youth programming throughout Frontenac, and Adult and Senior Programming in Central and North Frontenac.

As part of the AGM, Executive Director Don Amos presented staff recognition awards to Charity Garey (Youth Co-ordinator), to mark 5 years of service; Megan Hughes (Data Analysis Co-ordinator), Lisa Hamilton and Jennifer Morin (Early Childhood Educators), 10 years; and Kevin Raison (Family Counsellor) 15 years.

Life memberships were presented to Tom and Eileen Christenson to mark their 15-year long commitment to delivering Meals on Wheels.

Tom and Eileen have moved to Perth in recent years, but they still travel to Sharbot Lake to deliver meals each and every week.

North Frontenac participates in “First Impressions Community Exchange”Residents of areas of North Frontenac will soon have a chance to see their community through the eyes of first-time visitors as part of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) “First Impressions Community Exchange.”  

In May, a group of community representatives from the village of Lyndhurst, Ontario paid an unannounced visit to Ompah and Plevna to get an outsider’s perspective of those communities.

The exchange helps communities to see themselves the way tourists, prospective businesses, relocating families, and non-local shoppers might see them.  Their first impressions of a community have a strong influence on visitors’ decisions to relocate to or shop in the community.

“After you’ve lived in one place for a while, you sometimes take for granted the things that attract people to your community,” said project co-ordinator Wendy Higgins, a consultant who lives near Ardoch.  “Or you may be unaware of aspects of your community that may be unappealing in the eyes of outsiders. The exchange gives a community an objective assessment of its strengths and weaknesses and gives participants a chance to gather ideas from other areas dealing with similar community development issues.”

Results of the First Impressions Community Exchange will be presented at a public meeting on June 21 at the Clar-Mill Hall, 6598 Buckshot Road.

The evening will begin with a meet and greet at 6:30 pm. The presentation by the Lyndhurst residents is scheduled to begin around 7:00 pm, followed by refreshments and an opportunity to talk to them about what was presented.

“We want to invite as many people as possible to come and see what Lyndhurst business owners, entrepreneurs, and interested citizens think about our area,” said Higgins.

She hopes for a good turnout, especially since 52 people attended a presentation in Lyndhurst last week by community representatives from Ompah/Plevna, who had paid a similar secret visit to Lyndhurst in early May.

The North Frontenac team; Betty Hunter, Ron Higgins, Paul Thiel, Corey Klatt, Lana Gunsinger, and Wendy Higgins gave their presentation to the packed Lyndhurst church hall on June 6.  

“I think they knew what we were going to say regarding some areas, but we had some surprises in store for them too,” said Higgins.

When the North Frontenac representatives initially visited Lyndhurst to get their ‘First Impression’, they each had a cover story. Some said they were looking to retire in the community, some hoping to open a business, some looking to raise a family, etc.

Lana Gunsinger certainly enjoyed her visit to Lyndhurst.

“I love this town. I think it has great potential.  I could really feel that the people of Lyndhurst are proud of their town and their people. So welcoming and friendly!  Very impressed. I will be back for the renowned September Turkey Fair with my children,” she said in her notes.

On June 21, North Frontenac residents will find out what the Lyndhurst team experienced when they paid their own secret visit to Ompah and Plevna.

The program won’t end there, however.

“There will be work to do afterwards,” said Wendy Higgins. “We will look at what we can do in 72 hours, 3 months, and 2 years to better receive our visitors; to make their First Impression perfect; to bring them back again and to share with others. The team will continue to participate, but so will the population at large, the municipality and business owners; to set objectives and then to reach the goals.”

For further information about the exchange, contact Wendy Higgins 613-479-5509.

The 2013 Cancer Canvassers Dinner was held at the Ompah Community Hall on Tuesday, June 11. Norma Granlund thanked everyone for coming and also thanked the Golden Friendship Seniors for providing supper.

Mary Howes, co-ordinator for North and Central Frontenac introduced Craig Faucette, office manager for our area and Liz, fundraiser volunteer co-ordinator.

The captains for North and Central Frontenac are the people who make sure the kits get out to the volunteers, collect the funds and turn them in to Mary Howes. They are Betty Kelford, Pat Barr, Sylvia Gray, Norma Granlund, Sheila Deline, and Dorothy Fraser.

Claire Macfarlane is the volunteer driver co-ordinator for our area and her report stated 311 trips to appointments for ten people and 177,000 km. traveled.

The total raised for our area this year is $14,353.50, down over $3,000 from last year.

The volunteer service awards are as follows: Five years of volunteer service recognized Carol Raymo, Linda Clow, Glenda Young, Nelda Whan, Edith Beaulieu. Ten years - Joanne Knox, Betty Kelford, Chris Teal, Virginia Norris. Fifteen years - Laurie Ann Sproule, Pat Chase. Twenty years - Norma Cox. Twenty five years - Lois Webster. Forty years - Colleen Steele, Muriel Wagar, Sylvia Gray, Norma Granlund, Mary Howes, and Doris Campsall.

Nine people from our area will be honoured in Kingston for years of volunteer service.

The guest speaker was Gleva Lemke and she spoke about her journey with breast cancer.

Mary sincerely thanked all volunteers that she has worked with over her forty years as co-ordinator and she reported that she is resigning this year. Charlotte Brown thanked Mary for her many years of dedication and service.

The Cancer Society is making headway with leukemia but, unfortunately, every three minutes cancer picks another enemy in someone. Mary reminded everyone to eat healthy foods, as fifty percent of cancers can be prevented by lifestyle.

Three years ago, Kathy Wolsey, our treasurer, gave Mary a Stella’d’ora lily and Mary gave each person a portion of this to plant as a reminder of our years together.

The little United Churches in Ompah and Plevna were filled with song and stories on Sunday afternoon, May 19, as members and friends of the former congregations commemorated the long history of their beloved churches.

In December, after the painful decision to close the pastoral charge at the end of 2012, the church buildings were officially deconsecrated, but timing and weather did not allow for a full commemoration at that time. People in the church and in the broader community wanted an opportunity to come together again to remember and honour the many people and events that make up the rich heritage of the United Church in this area.

The May long weekend provided that opportunity, and close to a hundred people came – past and present residents, both year-round and seasonal, family members, former ministers and student ministers who had served the charge, and United Church representatives from nearby and farther away.

Before each service, people gathered to exchange greetings and view the photo displays posted on the walls. Then everyone settled into the pews to hear two pieces of choral music sung by the Ompah Community Choir, which regularly practised in the church after being started in early 1997 by then-student minister Kathy Walton.

The music continued with hymns throughout each service – traditional favourites chosen in advance by members of the congregations. They were accompanied by Don Timmins in Plevna and John Inglis in Ompah, where Richard Emery followed in his father's footsteps by leading the singing.

Brief histories of the churches were read, dating back to the 1880s, when the Plevna church was built. Its 75-dollar cost was offset by members purchasing seats for $4 apiece! A few years later, the Ompah church was built using working bees and donated lumber. In 1896, the minister for the combined "mission" earned a yearly salary of $145. Not much money, but lots of people – the combined congregation numbered 441 in 1925 when the United Church was formed.

Shared memories formed the heart of the commemoration events, as people recalled sad times and happy ones, childhood experiences, special occasions and wonderful people, bringing forth laughter and tears. Rev. David Spivey, who retired (again) in 2011 after five years serving the charge, offered a moving reflection, reminding us that although the buildings will no longer be there for us to gather in, the church itself is the people, "the Body of Christ", and we continue on in the Spirit. There were also messages of hope and affection from a number of former ministers, and from representatives of the United Church Presbytery and Conference to which the pastoral charge belonged.

The afternoon concluded with a lovely lunch prepared by the neighbouring congregation of Emmanuel Pastoral Charge (Cloyne, Flinton and Northbrook) – a heartwarming example of the caring and solidarity that are at the core of the church.

Afterwards, the organizers – Betty Kelford, Helen Forsey and Betty Hunter, named as a planning committee in December and later joined by Ellie Leakey and Ed Rohr – were very pleased with the dual event. They said it was "a lovely way to say a faith-full goodbye to our little churches as we move into the future."

It is the wooly-headed mop tops of the 35-member alpaca herd that first attract the attention of visitors at the 5th annual Natural Fibre Festival, which took place this Labour Day weekend at Robert and Hanne Quigley' s farm near Ompah. Robert and Hanne Quigley of Silent Valley Alpaca have been breeding, raising and selling alpacas for over a decade now and both are happy to explain why they relocated from Toronto and ended up on a farm near Ompah raising what has become an award winning herd of animals. “It's rewarding and a totally stress-free life style and we love having animals that are not only unique but also beautiful too,” Robert Quigley said.

Hanne Quigley, who is also a wood turner, used to be a part of the Inroads Studio Tour until she realized that tour visitors paid far more attention to the alpacas then to her demonstrations of wood turning. “So we decided to hold a Natural Fibre Festival here,” she said.

The annual event included numerous workshops featuring many locals involved with natural fibres, who Hanne said are an extremely tight knit community. Mara Harrison of Perth gave a dyeing workshop. Shannon Cassidy Rouleau of Ballintotas Alpacas in Braeside demonstrated how to felt fibre around a bar of soap that is used as an exfoliating face cloth. Colleen Brouwer of Willhaven Ridge Alpacas in Orleans was demonstrating how to prepare raw alpaca fleece into a useable state and Susan Berlin, a spinner from Hood, demonstrated how to spin dog fur into a yarn that she uses to knit her dog figurines. Karen Moore, a weaver from Smiths Falls, demonstrated how to weave a scarf on a table loom and Laurie Ryder from Snow Road had her home made sweet and savory goods for sale on site.

Many of the visitors gathered by the gated pasture and watched as the alpacas roamed the land and nibbled at hay set up in a wheelbarrow nearby. In general the herd behaved as they normally do -curious, quiet and gently demonstrating their special connection to young children. The animals grow an incredibly soft fleece that is shorn just once a year in the early spring. It sells for $40 a pound (compared to sheep wool, which fetches just 12 cents per pound). After it is cleaned and spun into yarns, alpaca wool can be used to create a wide range of woven, knit, and felted products. Hanne highlighted the unique selling points of alpaca fleece. “It's warmer than sheep’s wool, softer, and stronger and it has insulating properties, which mean that it can be worn both in the summer and winter months depending on the garment.” it can also be worn by those who are allergic to wool since it does not contain lanolin. The Quigleys sell the fleece, yarns and other alpaca-related products at their home-based ranch store, which include hats, mitts scarves, duvets, blankets and more.

The Quigleys’ herd have established quite a reputation in the alpaca community. One of their males, a nine-year-old named Archemides, won grand champion in Orangeville in 2006 at the Alpaca Ontario show, placing first of 320 animals. Archemides is used as a herd sire and is bred with females from other herds all over the province. The Quigleys continue to show and breed their animals and they show them regularly at the annual fair in Maberly. Their business is stable and although the price of the animals dropped significantly after the bottom fell out of the American market in 2008, the annual festival continues to draw visitors and goes a long way in promoting the unique beauty of both the animals and their fleece.

The lack of cell phone service in parts of North Frontenac has long been cited as a major obstacle to the economic viability of the region. But now that Bell Canada has decided to put up cell towers in compliance with a complex arrangement with the CRTC, concerns are being raised by the neighboring residents to at least one of the towers.

Chris Lemke lives on the property near the junction of Lake and Canonto Roads in Ompah. His property abuts the Roberts property, where one of the towers is slated to go.

“The towers will be 300 feet high, and the flashing light will shine right down on us; there are some concerns about this in my house and among some of my neighbors. I think the tower is right in our town. It's going to be an eyesore,” said Lemke.

Lemke did not receive notification about the pending construction, even though the tower will be on his neighbor's property. Notification is sent to property owners within a distance that is twice the height of proposed towers, a realtor working on the tower project for Bell Canada told North Frontenac Council last week.

“We only read about it in the paper on Friday,” said Lemke, and I think we should have heard directly because our property values will probably go down because of this. One of the reasons we live here is the peace and quiet.”

Lemke says he recognises the desire on the part of North Frontenac Council for cell phone service, but thinks a less public location would be preferable for all concerned.

“There has to be a plan B for this tower,” he said.

Lemke said that he has contacted members of North Frontenac Council about his concerns, but said they told him they have no authority over the placement of towers.

“They claim it is out of their hands” Lemke said.

The cell tower approval process is overseen by Industry Canada, a division of the federal government.

The volunteers at the Ompah library had satellite internet service reinstalled last week, to replace the federal government’s CAP program, which ended last year. It has now been reopened in memory of John Conrad, who was a great help and friend to many people in their computer frustrations. The library group made the financial commitment to a two-year contract, believing that internet access is an essential service, especially for low income residents, summer residents, and tourists, many of whom were thankful for the site when CAP was funding it. The termination of the CAP program was a huge loss to small sites in rural areas like ours.

The Kingston Frontenac Public Library was also using CAP, but, being funded by Kingston and Frontenac County tax dollars, has reallocated resources to continue internet service. In addition, North Frontenac Township covers the salary cost of the public internet student assistants in Plevna and Cloyne branches. The Ompah library has enjoyed a lot of support, from the township for the use of the building, from Mazinaw-on-Line for much technical and financial support, and from donations by patrons and friends. Based on that support, and with the funds generated for full-time wireless access, the Ompah library group has made a big commitment for internet service for the next two years. As ‘The Little Library that Could’ – we think we can, we think we can- make it work.

The volunteers invite the community to come in, meet their neighbours, enjoy a fine book and DVD collection, and use the internet for free during winter hours - Wed. 10-12, and Sat 12-2. For a nominal fee, wireless access by password can be purchased. That access can be used anytime outside the library and lasts for 3 months from its first use or until the time limit is reached, a worthwhile investment for regular users.