Letter_June_30_2005

Jeff Green | Jun 30, 2005

Letters June 30, 2005

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Thank you for supporting the Sharbot Lake Public School 75th Anniversary Celebrations. Your timely articles helped to spread the word and helped to make the day very successful. We appreciate Jocelyne Steeves informative articles.

Sincerely,

Ann Walsh

This is my opinion based on my experience and research.

Canaries, Frogs and Other Creatures

Many of the products we use on a daily basis contain harmful chemicals. We accept this fact and circumstance. Scientists determine a level of each chemical that, they say, is safe for the average person under normal conditions of use. This is generally done with 50L tests on white rats and the results extrapolated to the human being. Testing is seldom done on humans. These tests are generally financed by the manufacturer of the said products.

It is the people suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) or Environmental Illness (EI) who react negatively to the small levels of toxins in products, usually a confusing array of different things from soaps to carpets to insecticides. The varied reactions are those reactions that anyone would get at a higher dosage because, remember, the chemicals in question are toxic or poisonous ones. This doesn't mean all chemicals.

EI is also called Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) because the reactions occur to more than one chemical. And here's the scary part: no one has studied the effects of how all these toxic chemicals interact in the "Environment" or in our bodies. It is as if each person has a personal limit to their "toxic load" before illnesses such as EI or even cancer strikes.

Do we really know the cause of cancer? Take lung cancer, for example. Based on my personal experience, I doubt that it is ONLY caused by cigarette smoke. For me, cigarette smoke rates about a 2 (on a scale of 10) in severity of reaction compared to some colognes that rate a 7 and one particular body deodorant used by young people (not mentioning brand names) that rates a 20!

The sensitive individuals who are affected and made very ill by toxic chemicals are like the proverbial canary in the mines. Coalminers used to take a caged canary down into the mines. They knew they were in danger when the canary stopped singing and that their own demise was imminent when the canary keeled over and died. There was no particular odor to detect but the quality of air was deadly. My friends, I am your canary.

I also feel like a caged bird because this illness confines me to my house a lot of the time. Shopping is a nightmare because of fumes like formaldehyde "gassing off" new things. I don't dare go to concerts or clubs for fear the toxic chemically-based perfumes, deodorants, soaps and shampoos will knock me out or give me an instantaneous blinding migraine. I am not able to go out to work because of workplace chemicals, anything from inks and glues to paints to chlorine bleach used in restaurants, etc.

It is important to note here that this is not about odours per se but about toxic chemical odours. Efforts to ban fragrances in public places miss the point. We must all stop using so many poisons on our bodies. Manufacturers must stop adding so many poisons to their products.

There is another story about frogs. Throw a frog into a pot of boiling water and he will try to leap out. Put a frog into a pot of cool water and he will stay there as you heat it up and cook him just the same. I fear we are like that frog sitting unaware as the atmosphere "heats" up with deadly pollution and we take no notice until it is too late.

Twenty years ago, people such as myself were dismissed as psychiatric cases. Today, the weight of evidence is growing and this view is disproven.

Unfortunately, many people still do not want to believe any of what I am saying here. Sometimes their stubborn denial is insurmountable, even dangerous, yet the problem is growing. If you are interested in learning more about this illness, try a search on the internet. Next time, given the opportunity, I will discuss the day-to-day struggles of a person living with mcs/ei.

Jennifer Tsun McDonalds Corners, ON

June 22,2005

Re: Tappins Bay Dock

With respect to your article in the Frontenac News on June 16, 2005 regarding council wanting out of the dock business, I as a Mazinaw Lake property owner have an opinion of my own on this matter. The Tappins Bay boat launch and dock is the only public access to the Mazinaw Lake.

If the statement made by Councillor Dave Smith is correct, that this launch is a money pit, then perhaps the North Frontenac council would be willing to make public the apparently extravagant amount of dollars it spends to maintain it.

Also, Mr. Smith's remarks with regards to cottage owners going back to the Ministry of Natural Resources: maybe he should consider who is the beneficiary of all of the tax revenues received from cottage owners. Is it the Ministry of Natural Resources? No, I don't think so.

Mr. Bud Clayton's remark, if they don't want it, I suggest we pull it down, sounds more like it was uttered by an angry child whose allowance had just been taken away, rather than by an elected official of North Frontenac.

Without a public boat launch, property values with water access only will decrease, and I have to wonder how much out taxes will decrease along with it. In the last year they have substantially increased. How Ironic!

It would be interesting to see North Frontenac's response if all Mazinaw cottage owners decided to withhold paying their tax bill for a two year period, then begin paying only one year at a time.

Lets assume for a second that the Mazinaw Property Owners Association purchased the launch, should a gate be installed and keys be issued only to cottage owners? How much police presence would be required to prevent almost certain vandalism?

Where is our police presence more relevant, on our highways or protecting a gate? Both I might add are at taxpayers expense.

Officer Cheryl Robinson believes it should be left up to the Insurance Company to decide the fate. I think she knows as well as every other person who pays insurance premiums that the Insurance Companies look after themselves and their profits, and have little interest in public opinions about Tappins Bay.

It maybe in the best interest of North Frontenac council to give some more thought to this issue before making any rash decisions. Just one more thought: I wonder if any members of North Frontenac council own a water access cottage on the Mazinaw Lake? Ritchie Arney Mazinaw Cottage Owner

Snow Road history

I am writing you in regard to an article written by David Brison on March 30, 1999, Down Memory Lane, A tribute to the life of Hilda Geddes. According to the article Hilda wrote five books in reference to Snow Road. Would anyone be able to tell me how to obtain copies of these books?

My father was born in the same area as Hilda Geddes, Snow Road, and I am currently researching the family history. My father is Michael Amell (born 1935 at Snow Road) one of 9 children to David Amell (born 1890 at Snow Road) and Mary Spotton. My father and his brothers and sisters attended the SS 8 Dalhousie School also known as the Gemmill Schoolhouse. The school was located on the farm (Amell farm which was purchased from the Gemmills). Some of the nearby farms were the Paul family, Wilson family, and the Shank family. I am looking for any pictures, articles and friends and stories of the Amell family to create a family tree / scrapbook full of great memories.

Any help or information would be greatly appreciated.

Kim Amell

4530 45 St., Sylvan Lake, AB, T4S 1L2

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 403-887-2063; Fax 403-887-2399

Re: Scott Reids Referendum

Three cheers for Scott Reid, MP for Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, who is giving a voice to his constituents.

Canada is supposed to be a representative democracy, yet most of our MPs are so cowed by the party line that we, the voters, are ignored. Thus it is incredibly refreshing and reassuring to hear that at least one MP is conducting his own constituency referendum on a critical national issue - the Same Sex Marriage Bill - and he is living up to one of his own

Election promises by so doing.Scott Reid is setting a high and admirable standard for electedrepresentatives, and he is demonstrating how representative democracy should function. Betty English Napanee

Letter to the Editor

Re: Response to mystery bugs/June 23, 2005 issue.

Re: Mystery bugs

In response to Marilyn Meeks' question of her mystery bugs, I am able to answer your question.

We have invested in a large number of fruit trees and perennials on our property and have suffered a lot of damage by these mystery bugs. In only a few short hours these bugs seemed to be eating everything in site. We tried every homemade recipe and organic recipe we could with no success in eliminating these pests. Because fruit trees are tender and there product is edible we wanted to be careful of what we were using. However we quickly acknowledged that the bugs were winning the battle.

My Nephew is a graduate of Kemptville Agricultural College and he suggested we take a bug sample of these pests to the College for identification. The college contacted Agriculture Canada and the bugs have been identified as a European Rose Chaffer. They have a three-week breeding cycle in June. As anyone that was hit by them this year knows, in three weeks they do an enormous amount of damage and will eliminate any fruit crop you have in that amount of time.

We were informed if you choose to eliminate this pest you will have to purchase products that have one of these three chemicals included in them: Methoxychor, permethrin, or carbaryl.

We have also been informed that the sample of Rose Chaffer's will be sent to a laboratory in Sault Ste. Marie for further examination and testing. We have been promised another return call if any more information is found at that time. - Angela Deline

Four seasons and still waiting

On April 9, I held a public tour of my property to show the damage done by Graphite Mountain Inc. What does it take to get some action from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines? Numerous phone calls, letters back and forth did result in something. Soon after the tour, an inspection of my property was made by three representatives of MNDM and the owner of Graphite Mountain Inc. I was promised that the trenches would be filled in as soon as the half load restrictions were removed. Then I was told that the contractor wouldnt be able to start the work for a couple of weeks. I realize that my concern for safety is being ignored. And Im still waiting for some action

It looks like I am going to spend another season without being able to enjoy the use of my property on Merkley Road off the Narrows Lock Road between Perth and Westport. As of June 26, nothing has been done to clean up the mess of deep trenches. I have decided to hold another tour on the afternoon of July 9 between 1:00 and 3:00. Mineral exploration has been going on in this area for over 20 years and shows no sign of ending. This is an excellent opportunity for you to see what types of damage is done in the name of mineral exploration and to see how rural landowners are treated in this province.

Ill be waiting

Marty Cadieux