For the past six years Southern Frontenac Community Services Corporation (SFCSC) has hosted an Annual Golf Tournament in support of their Senior Services programs. The Annual 50+ Classic Family & Friends Golf Tournament fundraiser is one of the largest events of the year for SFCS and is supported by over 30 sponsors and 132 expected golfers. This year’s tournament is scheduled for Friday July 17, at Rivendell Golf Course in Verona. It is organized by long-time volunteers, Dave Linton and Bill Hartwick, with support from other volunteers and SFCSC staff members.

SFCSC is looking for additional golfers and sponsors to help make this the biggest and best tournament ever.

In 2014-15, SFCSC continued to provide programs and services for well over 800 seniors, all residents of our community of South Frontenac. As demand for additional supports grows, the agency will continue to meet the needs of our community. We have all heard through media channels that our governments have no more money to support health care and health supports. South Frontenac is the fastest growing township in all of South East Ontario for seniors and if SFCSC is to continue to meet the needs of these seniors and our community, we must now rely on our community helping out. This golf tournament is one such avenue to support seniors in our own community.

Come out and join us on Friday, July 17, at Rivendell Golf Course, 7359 Highway 38, Verona. Time – 4 Person Scramble – Shotgun Start 1:30pm; cost is $80 per person; $65 for Rivendell members (includes dinner, prizes, cart). All attendees will receive a gift bag and prizing at the tournament. Deadline for registration is Friday, July 10. Please call 613-376-6477 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

This years' recipients of Volunteer of the Year honours were handed out at a ceremony and reception at the Township Hall in Sydenham. This year;s deserving recipients are Joan Cameron, Debbie Lingen, and Barb Stewart.

Joan Cameron is, among other things, the women behind the Grace Centre, which has filled a niche in Sydenham ever since it opended 4 years ago.

She joined the Board of Southern Frontenac Community Services in 2009, quickly became chair, and soon after started pushing for the agency to take over Grace United Church and turn into program space as well as an Arts Centre.

While there was initial reluctance the board and staff soon caught the bug of her enthusiasm and the project got underway.

Joan cleaned every nook and cranny of the building’ cleaning out cupboards, painting, working with contractors to complete tasks on schedule. She also coordinated getting the old bell from the church refinished in order to preserve the heritage of the building.

In addition to the building she has helped increase SFCS' footprint in the community, both with the senior and low income populations that they serve.

Debbie Lingen moved to Verona with her husband Roy in 2006, and quickly became an active member of the Verona Community Association, and is now the Association's President. She is also the Chair of the annual Cattail Festival in August.

Debbie spear-headed and chairs the newly created “Christmas in the Village”, a celebration that replaced the Christmas Tree Lighting. It is held at the Verona Lions Centre and this event continues to be a tremendous success. Activities such as decorating a Christmas tree in the pavilion, family games, chili and hot dog supper and live entertainment are all free for the patrons.

As our readers know well, Debbie also writes the Verona column for the News. She spends hours tracking down newsworthy items and events in the hamlet of Verona and writes interesting articles to keep our community residents informed.

Barbara Stewart has been the driving force of the Portland District and Area Heritage Society as preparations are underway for the opening of the Township’s new museum in Hartington on August 15.

Barb Stewart, the President of the Society, has coordinated the planning for the opening exhibition as well as the design and construction of the interior museum space. All this has been managed over and above her leadership role in the Society’s ongoing fund raising and community outreach activities and responsibilities.

Barb is a twenty-year volunteer and leading member of the Verona Cattail Festival, a volunteer with the Society at the Verona Lions Garlic Festival, the Harrowsmith Canada Day celebrations and a cherished member of the Verona Trinity United Church Session and congregation.

Barb and her late husband Charlie were part of everything that made South Frontenac an amazing place to live.

(Many readers of the Frontenac News will know that for 13 years Wilma Kenny has been covering South Frontenac Council just about each week for us at the Frontenac News. Each week she attends the Tuesday night meetings and then crosses the street to her house and writes them up, often working until after midnight. Wilma has a lifelong history in Sydenham and Loughborough Township and we sat down to talk about the village and some of her experiences)

Wilma Kenny grew up in Sydenham, on a 50-acre farm just outside the village.

“I guess you would call it a subsistence farm. We grew all our own food, anyway. Dad was a beekeeper and he always worked out because the farm couldn't support us. He worked in the mines and then in the mill, until it burned down and after that he did shift work,” she said when interviewed earlier this year in the home that she shares with her husband Cam.

The home, which is attached to the former Mill property, was owned by the Anglin family until the 1970s.

The mill had been used as a grist mill, a sawmill and a veneer mill. The veneer was used to make cheese boxes for Sydenham and surrounding communities which all had cheese factories at one time, serving the small dairy farms that dotted the landscape.

Wilma's grandfather was a cheese maker. She tells one family story about a day when her mother fell into a tank of milk. “Grandfather pulled her out, boots and all, and marched her home to grandmother to dry her off. Then he went right back and turned the milk into cheese. He wasn't going to throw away all that milk.”

She remembers the sight of the mill burning, which she saw from outside the farmhouse where she lived. Someone from down the lake told her later that it completely lit up the sky.

“The wind must have been blowing the other way because this house is right next door to it,” she said.

In the 1950s she attended Sydenham Public School (later renamed Loughborough Public School) and then Sydenham High School. She recalls, in retrospect, that the 1950s and 60s were not kind to the village of Sydenham.

“I think with the changes to the economy, the proximity to Kingston, the end of the mills and cheese industries, Sydenham was hurting in those years. Everyone who had any money was living outside of town and the town suffered.”

In the mid-1960s, Wilma left for Queen's University, and eventually met her future husband, Cam. They made their way to Toronto and Vancouver and back to Kingston and both became trained social workers.

Cam took a job in Inuvik as a manager of social services, and, now a family of four, the Kennys lived up north for four years. When they came back to Sydenham, the old mill house was up for sale and they bought it.

“It had been neglected but it was not in bad shape,” she recalls.

As they restored it, Cam and Wilma took great care to maintain the character of the building and that is evident in the feel of the house to this day. They found it had certain unique properties. There were taps that were no longer attached to anything, which they determined had been attached to a holding tank on the roof. Rather than a cistern, the tank was fed by water that came from the intake to the dam that powered the mill, and then was gravity-fed through the house.

There was also electrical equipment in the basement of the house, because the water also powered a turbine to produce power, which Frank Anglin sold to village residents.

“They used to run it in the evenings and Monday morning to power washing machines, but I think they did not run it during the day. I'm not sure why they did it that way, but that's what I've been told,” said Wilma.

One of the reasons they came back to Sydenham was because a job was available that suited Wilma's skill set and interests. In the late 1970s, St. Lawrence College was hiring someone to do community development in Sydenham.

Wilma took on the job, which included, in part, helping and working at The Triangle, a community newspaper that was already up and running, and served Storrington, Loughborough and Portland Townships. She also worked with groups in Perth Road and in other parts of the township to organize and establish services.

By the time the funding for the job dried up she had taken an interest in seniors' housing.

“I felt very strongly that seniors needed housing in Sydenham. So we did a survey through the township to gauge interest and need. We showed enormous need and we got the funding. Using the township as a flow through, we set up a not-for profit corporation and got one building built, and then a second.

“The first building was called Meadowbrook, and had 25 units. We had property for the second one but could not find the funding. At that time I was back at the School of Urban Planning at Queen's and Chaviva Hosek, who was the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for Ontario, came to speak at the school. I knew the professors and got myself invited to the reception afterwards. I brought our administrator with me, and we talked to her and presented her a letter. Twenty-four hours later we had the funding for Maple Ridge, which has 30 units.”

There are a certain number of low market rent units and a certain number of subsidized units in the two buildings, which have been a great success over the years.

“There are two things about them that are important for the community. One is they are located within the village so people can walk to anything, and the second is that a lot of the people who moved into them came from large houses in the village, which they did not need anymore. Young families moved in to the houses and instead of making the village older, it made the village younger.”

Council Disagrees with Planner on Rezoning

Township Planner Lindsay Mills brought a recommendation to Council that they approve a rezoning application which would enlarge an existing urban industrial lot on the southern edge of Harrowsmith. He stated that this zoning was within the intent of the Official Plan, and that a site plan could include “extensive extensive buffers and mitigating measures.”

Two adjacent landowners objected, saying that this is primarily a residential area and any expansion of the present industrial uses could make the area much less pleasant for residents, both current and future. Deputy Mayor McDougall and Councillor Sutherland both spoke strongly against the rezoning, agreeing that this is a residential area and the change of zone would permit too wide a range of options other than the current storage facility.

The motion to rezone was soundly defeated, with only Councillor Barr in favour.

Penalty ended for non-users of Sydenham Water

Speaking to his motion to remove the penalty (‘incentive’) fee for non-users of Sydenham water, Councillor Sutherland compared the additional fee to penalizing taxpayers for not driving on the roads or using the library. He said that if the Township could be held accountable for providing a supply of clean drinking water to all village residents, then perhaps they should require regular testing of the household water source of all those not using municipal water. Sutherland added that according to his calculations, even if all village residences and businesses were using the water system, the Sydenham water plant would still be operating far below capacity. He suggested that perhaps Council needed to look at ways of operating the plant more efficiently.

The motion passed, supported by Revill, Roberts, Schjerning, Sutherland and Sleeth.

Earlier community engagement possible

Councillor Sutherland brought a notice of motion that Council ask the Corporate Services Committee to look into the possibility of informing and engaging the public earlier in the process when subdivision and condominium developments first come to Committee of the Whole.

A Level Playing Field by 2016

Council authorized the Township to enter into an agreement with the Limestone Board, to cooperate in the upgrading and future use of the football field at the Point. The School Board will use their project management skills in working with Morven Construction to rehabilitate the field. Morven’s bid, lowest of five, is $296,000. The Township will lead in the ongoing management of the playing field. Both parties will share costs equally, with the Board carrying the costs until next year, to allow the Township time to budget an additional $98,000 to add to the $50,000 in this year’s budget. Once construction begins, the field will be closed until September 2016.

Rideau Lakes Cycle Rally concerns

Council agreed to send a letter to the Ottawa Bicycle Club asking that participants in any future rally down the Perth/Westport Road be reminded of their obligation to yield, stop and obey emergency responders.

Approved names for new public roads and lanes

The list can be located under section 11c (By-law 2015-310) of this week’s agenda. Council was assured that if landowners wanted a name other than one of the ones listed, they still would have the option to request it. This pre-approved list is intended to streamline the usual naming process.

FIT Solar projects

Council withheld support of only one of the 25 solar projects which are being proposed for installation in South Frontenac. They are waiting for a reply concerning the access route to one project, at 2496 Rutledge Road.

Coming soon to a road near you…

With agreement from the OPP, Council approved speed reductions on 20 segments of Township Roads: watch for the new signs!

Cyclists will be happy to know that the committee known as South Frontenac Rides is doing their best to promote scenic and safe cycling in the township of South Frontenac. The group, which is supported by the County of Frontenac, the local OPP, the Township of South Frontenac, KFL&A Public Health, and Yellow Bikes held their first “Tour de South Frontenac Cycle Fest” in and around Sydenham and at Loughborough Public School on June 7. The event attracted over 100 cyclists of all ages to the day’s activities, which included a kids’ bike rodeo plus a number of safe cycling demonstrations and workshops. Demonstrations included proper braking and stopping, correct hand signals, proper helmet fitting, a bike safety check and more.

Twelve guided tours of the four South Frontenac scenic cycling routes were given by committee members. The routes combine a network of paved roads and sections of the Cataraqui and K&P trails and the group has highlighted them in a Cycle Fest brochure. They include a 13 km route through the village of Sydenham; a 18 or 32 km route with stellar views of the Millhaven Creek valley; a 20km route along Little Long Lake and a 33km route along Desert Lake Road towards Frontenac Provincial Park.

The routes have been designed to highlight both the scenic beauty of the township, its gorgeous lakes, forests, rivers and creeks, as well as a number of historic sites and other points of interest along the way.

Staff from KFL & A Public Health were also on site promoting the health benefits of cycling. Stephanie Sciberras, a physical activity specialist with the organization, said she and her staff are huge supporters of active transport and the idea of getting people out of their cars and physically active. “The momentum and support for this group is exciting and we are looking forward to the group advocating for safer cycling infrastructure, which will go along way in supporting community safety, health and well being”, Sciberras said.

Organizers said they were pleased with the turn out. Gordon Scott, who chairs the South Frontenac Rides Committee, said that teaching kids cycling safety was a big focus of the day’s events. “Bike safety is something that children are not taught in school and it is important for them to know how to safely handle their bicycles, especially when they are in and around traffic.”

For those who missed Cycle Fest, the brochure with maps can be found at the township’s offices in Sydenham and at a various local businesses in the area. It is also available on line at www.frontenacmaps.ca

Ginny Trousdale of Sydenham began making art as a photographer 20 years ago and recalls one particular painterly photograph that first inspired her to pick up a paint brush 12 years ago. “I never felt I could draw realistically,” she said, “ though I always knew that I was creative.”

Years later and after much learning and practice, she has come to realize that she is, at heart, an abstract painter. After completing an intensive three-month course at the Haliburton School of Fine Arts in July, 2014 where she had the time and space to explore the roots of what inspires that abstractionist bent, she finally took up Kim Ondaatje's offer to have a show of her work at Blueroof Farm in Bellrock.

The show titled “So Far” showcases Trousdale's work in a variety of mediums that demonstrates both her love of line and her impressive and intuitive sense of colour. The photographic works in the show hearken back to her first love, photography and she uses her pictures of real things and places, like the pictures she took of a mural at the Children's Library in Oaxaca, Mexico to use as a spring board to create abstract compositions that demonstrate her fascination with line. She has cropped the photos, making their origins unrecognizable and she layers them to create abstract and highly graphic compositions - in effect using known worlds to create her own new imagined ones.

Her “War Series” works, inspired by old letters and maps from World War 2, continue her fascination with line, but with the addition of abstract symbols inspired by cartography of that time, as well as “hobo symbols”, a kind of symbol language used by street travelers in the Depression era to communicate to one another.

This work and these ideas inspired Trousdale's most recent abstract paintings, large colourful works that have a Paul Klee-ish and Wassily Kandinsky-ish kind of feel to them, where graphic lines and broad swaths of colour together with abstract symbols large and small create worlds that can be sometimes calm and soothing, and at other times jarring and complex. Her term “creative cartography” can be aptly applied to these works, large paintings on paper and one titled "Backroads", which by name and appearances looks like a map but you can bet that no such place exists. In this work, coloured lines of all shapes and sizes curl, twist and turn back and forth through the expanse of the paper space, with large and small unknown symbols popping out and hinting at other worlds, places and meanings, perhaps forever unknown or maybe long forgotten.

These works capture and hold one’s attention and invite the viewer’s eye to move freely through a space unknown, yet somehow familiar in an inexplicable way. In her own words, Trousdale describes her fascination with these unknown worlds. “Painting pushes me to find ways to visually express and explore my world and I am fascinated by what I don't see. Searching for meaning involves digging and looking because the surface rarely reveals what is actually beneath.”

In her personal journey to artistic expression, Trousdale shows that she has dug hard and deep and the results are an impressive show in abstraction that demonstrates exactly how far she has come on that long and hard-earned road. The final viewing of “So Far” will take place Sunday, June 14 from 2 – 6 p.m. at Blueroof Farm, 6313 First Lake Road in Bellrock, just west of Verona.

Sprint Kayaker, Genevieve L’Abbe is training hard these days to compete in the National Team Trials in Montreal June 18-20. This 17-year-old former Sydenham Lake Canoe Club paddler will be up against kayakers from across Canada, battling for the opportunity to compete in the ICF Canoe Sprint Junior & U23 World Championships Regatta in Montemor-O-Velho, Portugal on July 24-26.

A Sydenham resident, L’Abbe now paddles in the national capital region for Ottawa River Canoe Club. “When my Sydenham coach realized three years ago that there weren’t any female paddlers in the Sydenham Club in my division, she told me that I would have to go elsewhere to find the team boat training crew that I needed”, says L’Abbe. That summer, Genevieve was invited to paddle for the larger Ottawa River Canoe Club. They offered her a place to stay and three team mates, so she has been paddling with the club ever since.

Now a member of the Ontario and National Junior Team, only her family and coach (and perhaps her neglected friends!) know how hard she has worked to improve her power and stroke rate to make it to this level of competition.

Though L’Abbe was used to training twice a day, for the past two months, she has been training more intensively. As a Gr. 12 student, the additional training on top of her busy school schedule is difficult. “I fall asleep at every opportunity even in class sometimes” says L’Abbe. Her teachers have sometimes been known to let her sleep. School will soon be over for Genevieve with the Montreal National Team Trials 200 and 500m regatta looming just close ahead. She says, “I know who my competitors are, and I know that I will have to have a good start and maintain my maximum stroke rate throughout in order to gain one of the four coveted spots on the Junior World Team. It is a goal that I would like to achieve as I have never competed at an international regatta overseas, but I know if I don’t make it, I will still have a bit of a rest and a whole summer of paddling on the lake to look forward to.”

Solar (FIT) Projects: Five Delegations

The first delegate, Wolfe Erlichman, represented the Wintergreen Renewable Energy Coop, a five year old program in South Frontenac with over 150 members. He spoke briefly in general support of the development and use of solar power.

Then Bob McKean and Christina MacDonald, residents of Railton Road, close to two of the proposed solar sites near Mervale and Stagecoach Roads, said they were opposed to such an industrial development in what they described as a residential and farming area. They pointed out that the Township would get no income from a solar project, whereas the same land, turned into residential development, could be a continuing source of income. They feared a solar project would lower existing property values and stagnate growth. They asked a number of questions about ongoing maintenance and possible adverse effects of a solar project.

The next three presentations were from representatives of projects being proposed in the Township by SunEdison, Sol Force and Compass Renewable Energy Consulting Inc. The latter speaker, Dave Fowler, represented the Limestone District School Board which hopes to install rooftop panels on Perth Road Public School, Harrowsmith Public School and Sydenham High. All three spoke in general terms of their projects and showed location maps.

Part of the project development process as outlined by the Province requires the developer to hold a public meeting to provide information and answer questions. SunEdison’s meeting will be at Harrowsmith Public School Wed June 17, from 7-9 pm. Although CAO Orr will attend, none of the members of Council are required to go. The other two developers have not scheduled their meetings yet.

New Design Criteria and Standards for Development

Planner Lindsay Mills presented a 33-page document establishing minimum technical standards and the process to help guide large developments in The Township. It addresses technical requirements for infrastructure such as roads, storm sewer systems, etc for plans of subdivision or condominiums, and lists the technical studies or reports that may be necessary to support proposed development. A one-page flowchart illustrates the general process for approval of such applications.

Councillors McDougall and Sutherland both said the public should be informed as early in the process as possible: Mills said one problem was that developers wanted to have all necessary hydrogeological etc studies completed before a public meeting, so they would be better able to answer individuals’ concerns. McDougall said that when residents see surveying being done, test wells being drilled, etc, they become anxious long before an application even comes to Council. He added that poor communication between County and Township sometimes meant residents were better informed than Council about pending development projects. He also said people needed to know approximate timelines and costs for various stages of the development process.

Councillors Schjerning and Sutherland both asked that any new initiatives or additions to existing policies should be highlighted before the document comes to Council for final approval.

Revill said that from his experience as a township building official, this document should contribute to greater openness and transparency between public and council. He acknowledged the amount of work the planning department has put into developing the document.

Sydenham Water

Treasurer Fragnito presented an information report which showed, as Mayor Vandewal pointed out, that the penalty/incentive charges recently levied against non-users have succeeded in bringing 34 more water users online.

The report refers to the new water rates put into effect this month, the first increase since the plant opened. This increase is intended to help fund the upkeep and eventual replacement of the water plant, thus meeting the Provincial requirements for townships to demonstrate the long-term sustainability of their water plants. Further details are available in the agenda notes on the Township website.

Cycling

Deputy Mayor McDougall congratulated Councillor Sutherland on the success of Saturday’s bike rodeo and tours. Sutherland in turn thanked the Public Works staff and OPP for their help in making the event go smoothly and safely.

On another note, Sutherland said there was a lot of local concern about the recent Ottawa - Kingston cycle event, which had made the Perth Road dangerous for both bikes and cars as a result of cyclists riding several abreast. He and several others have talked to the Ottawa organizers about ways of ensuring future rides are better managed.

May 31st was a bittersweet day for Betty Wagner, the longtime leader of the 28 member Frontenac Women's Chorus (FWC). She was conducting the chorus at a concert titled “Thank You for the Music” her final concert with the group. Over 100 listeners attended the concert a the Grace Centre in Sydenham. It was a lively and heartfelt celebration marking the groups 20 year anniversary.

The FWC was founded by Jennifer Bennett in 1995 and led by her until 2001 when she passed the reins over to Wagner. Wagner recently announced that she will be stepping down after her 14-year run with the group who have performed regularly in and around Frontenac County. Wagner, who has a bachelor's degree in music from Queen's University, has been singing and playing since she was five years old and has taught voice and piano for 35 years in and around Kingston. She has sung with many world renowned conductors and is now stepping down to be able to spend more time with her family.

She said that her role as conductor has been to help the choir to successfully “convey the messages in the songs they perform. I encourage the singers to listen to what the music says because it tells them exactly what the composer and the lyricist had in mind.”

The Grace Centre was a fitting location for the finale because is also where she conducted her first concert with the choir 14 years ago and its high ceilings make it the perfect acoustic venue for the 28 accomplished singers. Wagner praised the hall for its unique acoustics and called it “one of the best in Canada”.

She said prior to the concert that when South Frontenac Community Services took over the building and were considering installing baffles in the hall during renovations, she encouraged them to preserve its acoustic integrity. Sunday's concert proved that their decision to keep it as is was the right one.

The singers performed a lively programme that included classical, pop, jazz and blue grass tunes. They opened with a song titled “To the Goddess”, an original piece composed by Jennifer Bennett with text by local flautist Anne Archer. The group sang a gorgeous rendition of Irving Berlin's “Blue Skies” proving that these ladies can swing with the best of them and choir member Suzanne Regan's impressive scat solo was a highlight. Choir member Patty Smith sang the solo in “Song for the Mira” proving that she has impressive vocal chops. More importantly for the choir, she also possesses musicality, liveliness, and openness, which will stand her in good stead as she takes over the baton from Wagner.

A trained singer and voice teacher, Smith graduated from Humber College's jazz vocal program many years ago and later received her bachelors of music and teaching degree from Queen's University. Currently she is teaching voice at St. Lawrence College in their music and digital media program which she said she loves.

She jumped at the chance to take over the reigns when Wagner offered her the position last year and has been singing with the FWC since January as their new conductor in training.

Smith praised the group of singers and said she has been warmly welcomed. “It's been like landing in a group of ready-made friends,” she said. She said that she has some new ideas for the group and suggested the possibility of performing Simon and Garfunkel's "Baby Driver" and John Denver's "Starry Starry Night". While the group is no doubt sad to see Wagner depart, they are also looking forward to exploring the new musical horizons that Smith has to offer.

Patty Smith will be conducting her first concert with the group at their annual 2015 Christmas concert that will take place at the Bellrock hall on Saturday, November 28.

The gardens and greenhouse at Sydenham's Grace Centre are doing well, with leafy greens covering much of the greenhouse floor, and volunteers in a flurry of planting in the outdoor beds as the summer approaches.

Coordinated by Janette Haase, the project has been supplying produce to food bank users over the past two years, filling a much-needed gap in the Sydenham-area’s nutrition picture. But its effect on the community, and on food security matters, has gone beyond the immediate task of feeding people in need.

One such success is the opportunity that grade 7 and 8 students in Sydenham have had to learn about food production and contribute to better food security.

The students, who attend Loughborough Public School, have been active in a number of ongoing projects, including an inter-generational exchange of knowledge and mentorship with seniors who volunteer, sharing their experience and wisdom.

Haase sees a new generation gaining an understanding of the merits of self-sufficiency, as well as a hobby that is healthy and productive. She notes, “More and more of the kids go home and have a garden with their families.”

With many of the start-up projects out of the way, such as establishing beds, building compost spaces, and setting up irrigation lines, Haase anticipates a greater focus on education going forward.

The north section of the greenhouse, which is less exposed to direct sunlight, and so is suitable as a work area for seedling preparations, and also a potential field classroom setting. A whiteboard is already up and there is floor space for an audience.

Students have already taken in volunteer-led discussions on topics such as beekeeping, seed saving, and gardening knowledge, and, as Haase sees it, these talks could be expanded upon and formalized into a curriculum, giving students further opportunity to learn about the many facets of food.

All of this is a big change from the way thing

Loughborough teacher Alan MacDonald has been introducing concepts around food to the students currently involved in the greenhouse activities. He leads them in a challenge curriculum, designed to foster curiosity on concepts like the complex web of environmental, technological, historical and social factors that create our food system.

MacDonald's interest in these issues has aligned with Haase's vision for the Grace Centre's garden space.

He notes that the learning that happens at the gardens complements core subjects such as the natural sciences and plant physiology, physics and design as they pertain to a greenhouse's structure, and socio-economic forces that create the commercial food system and the inequalities that create a need for food banks.

Students also have opportunities back at school to learn from guests about cooking and budgeting for nutritious, balanced meals, and as well, for site visits to local farms to better understand farming as a livelihood.

MacDonald recognizes the importance of educating students on the realities of their generation: rising obesity; declining food security; and the overall social and environmental impacts of our choices.

There are many daunting challenges ahead, yet MacDonald notes that there is much around food that remains fundamentally positive. “I want to share the simple joy of growing and harvesting and cooking food with my students,” he says.