Public Meeting over Condo Application

Over 60 people attended a lengthy public meeting to review an application for a plan of condominium development on the northeast shore of Loughborough Lake. One primary concern was the short two-week notice residents had in which to study the related documents and prepare a response: several asked for a second public meeting.

Mat Rennie pointed out that at least three of the lots had wetland as their waterfront, asking, “Won’t these people expect to get access to the lake from their property, through these wetlands that are supposed to be protected?”

Ed Koen said the monitoring test on his well was done in April, at a time when the well was not connected to his cottage, yet the report referred to fluctuations due to personal consumption: “Why weren’t these tests done in midsummer, when the water levels are at their lowest?” Another speaker begged the Township to stick to their stated goals and Official Plan: “There seems to be a lot of bending and variances to accommodate this development.”

Mike Keene, planner for the developer, corrected some issues: ie, the developer will be fully responsible for any alterations to Township roads which are needed to accommodate entrance requirements. He said he would need only two weeks to prepare responses to all other concerns raised in the meeting.

In the end, the present Council decided to defer any decision for three months so the incoming Council could deal with it, and recommended a second public meeting so all the residents’ concerns could be fully addressed.

Compensation Refused

Gail Dickenson, co-owner of Hillside Cafe came a second time to Council requesting compensation for loss of more than $12,000 revenue over the summer months due to construction on Rutledge Road. Council refused on the advice of their lawyer, who said that the Municipal Act forbids granting this form of assistance to commercial enterprise. The chief reason seemed to be fear of setting a precedent for both future and past projects.

Naish Resigns

Mayor Davison expressed regret over the resignation of Councillor Naish, Storrington district. Naish notified Council that he had moved outside the Township, so was no longer eligible to sit on Council. He will not be replaced, due to the short time left before elections.

Long Swamp Bridge

The Long Swamp Bridge has been deemed safe enough to be seasonally reopened for the next two years with a 5-Tonne single load limit. Segsworth said a full assessment is planned, to fully evaluate options for rehabilitation, replacement of removal of the bridge.

Reduced Speed Limits

On the recommendation of the roads department and the Public Services Committee, Council approved a by-law establishing speed restrictions on several roads in the Eastern part of the Township.

Museum Support

Council gave their approval to the establishment of the “Township of South Frontenac Old Stone School Museum” in Hartington, so the Historical Society can pursue further funding opportunities and partnerships. This approval is subject to being successful with the accessibility grant application.

Bubba Bowl this Thursday, Oct 9th.

Entry to The Point by foot traffic only.  

There is nothing better to get one into the spirit of fall with the vibrant colours and the cool temperatures it brings than a show of finely made, hand-crafted textiles. That was the case at the Southern Frontenac Community Services Grace Centre for a one-day show titled Textile Adventure. Sponsored by the Grace Centre Arts Committee, the show included displays and demonstrations by the Trinity Quilters, the Frontenac Rug Hookers, the Cataraqui Guild of Needlework Arts, weaver Beth Abbott and knitter Michelle Zigman.

I spoke with long-time painter turned rug hooker, Linda Hetherington, whose 3 by 9 foot hall floor runner was front and center at the show. Titled "Fantasy Creatures" the piece demonstrates how craft can quickly become art in the right hands. Hetherington worked for years as a professional painter and said the piece was not planned but rather just seemed to grow of its own accord. She said that she looked at mythological drawings and old tapestries to inspire the fantasy animals that appear in the piece. The colors of the piece are both rich and subtle and were hand dyed by the maker. The piece took Hetherington a full year and over 1000 hours to complete. “It is repetitive and methodical work and is really meditative.”

Hetherington makes her pieces for herself and, disappointingly for fans of her work, does not sell them.

The show included various kinds of block quilts both in traditional and modern designs, a historic name quilt and a barjello, different types of needle work and embroidery including Swedish weaving, felting, black work, long and short stitch, Elizabethan style needle work and examples of gold thread work. Master weaver Beth Abbott was on hand to give spinning demonstrations and Michelle Zigman demonstrated various knitting and weaving techniques. Many of the Trinity quilters were also busy working on projects that they had on the go. For those with a passion for the textile arts, the show was a delight and an inspiration for those looking for new ways to get their hands busy this coming fall and winter season.

As part of their programming titled "Home Town Home Front: Kingston Frontenac in World War 1", the Kingston Frontenac Public Library's Sydenham branch invited Laura Robinson (photo left), head of the English department at the Royal Military College in Kingston, to present a talk on the life of famed Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery and her reflections of World War 1.

Robinson's talk coincides with a multi-media exhibit she put together that will be up in the Delahaye Room at the Kingston Library's Central Branch until Saturday, September 27.

Robinson focused her Sydenham talk on Montgomery's 1921 novel titled "Rilla of Ingleside", the eighth novel in her Anne of Green Gables series. Robinson said that while Montgomery drew on the raw material from factual war time realities, she used this material to create her own style of fiction and in doing so “highlighted the heroism that took place in rural Canada during those times.”

Robinson also said that Montgomery demonstrates in the "Rilla" characters some of her own ambiguities about the war by presenting many female characters doing their best to serve the war efforts, some happily, but others not so much. Similarly some of her male characters are presented with some opposing emotional feelings about the war itself.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Robinson's talk was when she spoke of Montgomery's more private self as gleaned from the author's journals, which when published beginning in the 1980s, caused a huge resurgence of interest in the Canadian author. The journals laid bare a side of Montgomery not formerly known, a more caustic, biting side, less charming and up beat than how she presented herself in public.

Robinson is the perfect choice to speak about Montgomery, having focused on her as a PhD student while at Queen's University in Kingston. Robinson included Montgomery's Anne series in her PhD thesis, which focused on girls' stories.

In her talk Robinson was careful to present Montgomery as a complex character, one who experienced her own personal woes throughout her life and who was a far more complicated individual than her books infer. For Robinson it has always been Montgomery's mastery of irony that attracted her to her work. “On the surface she always managed to toe the party line and behave properly and yet she still managed to get away with a lot. I think that is why so many people continue to love her and read her. It's because she writes things that are not as straight forward as they appear. Her characters and their feistiness show that although everything seems to work out in the end, in the middle parts of her books, her characters are always getting away with lots of stuff.”

Judging by the wealth of questions and comments from the audience at Robinson's talk in Sydenham, Lucy Maud Montgomery continues to inhabit the hearts and minds of many Canadians.

On September 22, in an effort to make their fundraising efforts visible and accessible to the local community, members of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Sydenham hauled out tables, chairs and all of the extension cords necessary to keep 17 pots of home-made chili warm for hungry passers-by. Music played from speakers set up outside the doors of the church on Mill Street as guests sampled the enormous variety of chilis, each donated by members of the church and the local community.

The event was a fundraiser for the church and was organized by Katt Bulch, a church member involved with the church's weekly Saturday night Crossing event. Katt was pleased with the turn out and said it was not just the delicious smelling chili but also the affordable prices of $5 for adults, $2 for teens and free for children under 12 years of age that attracted over 150 people to the event. The funds raised will be used to keep the church doors open.

Prizes were awarded for the best mild, medium and hot chilis as well as a prize for the best overall chili. Ginny Trousdale's entry won the best overall award and she said her secret ingredients are, surprisingly, a bit of strong coffee and cocoa powder, which she said “helps give the chili its rich, meaty flavour”.

The prizes were special commemorative Sydenham Chili Fest t-shirts that were donated by Paula MacDonald, who owns a print shop called Nothing But A Tees. Those who missed the Chilifest but who would like to donate by purchasing a T-shirt, please contact Katt Bulch at 613-876-9712.

This was St. Paul’s first Chili Fest but it was such a success that it will not be the last.

Over 90 paddlers from across the province endured the less than ideal weather conditions at the Ontario Canoe Kayak Sprint Racing Affiliation’s (OCSRA) O Cup Fall Classic event, which took place at the Point in Sydenham on an unseasonably cold and rainy September 13. The classic was hosted by the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club (SLCC) and 92 paddlers competed in a number of 200 metre canoe and kayak races as well as open and masters events. The event also included a 6000 metre team pursuit race open to paddlers of all ages.

The fall classic was the fourth race in the OCSRA's Ontario Cup series and it was a chance for paddlers to gain points that could lead to their joining the Ontario paddling team. The SLCC to date has 60 members, and thanks to a grant from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation that the club received in November 2013, it also now has a nationally sanctioned regatta course, which menas that major paddling events can now take place on Sydenham Lake.

Five paddlers from the SLCC competed on Saturday. Sebastien L’Abbe placed fourth in his heat in the 200metre K1 under 14 event. In the same event Ian Ramzy tipped his kayak and unfortunately was disqualified. Twin brothers Nicholas and Mathieu Symons, who competed in the under 12-200metre K1 event, placed fifth and sixth in their heats respectively. George Willes placed 2nd in his heat in the Boys K1 200m

Helen Parfitt, SLCC vice-commodore, explained that for the SLCC paddlers the event is not really about winning or even placing since the majority of the paddlers are quite a bit younger than many of their competitors. “The benefit of this event for our younger paddlers was to have the opportunity to compete on “home turf” and to have one additional opportunity to compete with paddlers from all across Ontario. Our young paddlers have had only one All-Ontario competition to date so our aim was to see how they fare ‘racing up’ with older paddlers in the U15 events”.

That being said, one Sydenham paddler, Genevieve L'Abbe, who is currently a member of the Ontario Team and who competed on Saturday as a member of the Ottawa River Canoe Club, placed first in the U 17 women's K200 event and her result will go towards her Ontario team's ranking status. Genevieve also raced in the 6000m team pursuit event and though her team did not place in the top three, it looks as though L'Abbe as a solo paddler is poised to make waves.

The seven clubs who participated on Saturday were Balmy Beach, Richmond Hill, Cobourg, Gananoque, Carleton Place, Ottawa River, and Sydenham.

One of the primary concerns of those competing, coaching, officiating and observing on Saturday was trying to stay warm. Prior to their races the Symons brothers chose to paddle around in their boats in an effort to keep their muscles from tensing up. One coach told me that wearing the right clothing is key. “It's all about layers and choosing the right kinds of fabrics. Wool is good, cotton is a no-no,” one coach said.

This year’s Ontario Cup was won by the Balmy Beach Canoe Club of Toronto, who took home the highest number of points overall. Saturday’s event attracted over 160 visitors to Sydenham and organizers wish to thank the many generous local sponsors and volunteers. For more information visit www.sydenhamlakecanoeclub.com

It's one of those classic underdog stories, but in this case it was a horse, her rider and their trainer who beat the odds recently in Fort Worth, Texas.

Brittany Doyle of Sydenham, her eight-year-old mare Pearl, and their coach Cindy Steele of the North Fork Equine Center in Piccadilly, traveled to Fort Worth, Texas to compete in the 2014 Appaloosa Youth World Show on July 3, 4 and 5. Brittany and Pearl placed 8th in the Hunt Seat Equitation Over Fences, 10th in the Hunter Hack event, and 5th in the National Snaffle Bit Association competition.

Brittany is a graduate of Sydenham High School and is currently studying for a bachelor’s degree in science and nursing at St. Lawrence College in Brockville. She has owned Pearl and has been riding her since she was seven years old and Pearl was six months old. The two have been training with Cindy Steele for the last two years.

The Appaloosa Youth World Show was Brittany's first time competing at an international level at a world class event, one that attracts thousands of riders and horses from all over the world. Brittany and Pearl have been competing nationally for the last five years and currently they are leading the nation in the Hunter Under Saddle and Western Pleasure. Internationally Brittany currently stands in first place in the Hunter Under Saddle and third in the Western Pleasure, and with one more show to go this year, which takes place in Bethany, Ont. on September 13 & 14, she is hoping for first place finishes in both events.

Brittany first came in contact with Steele and the North Fork Equine Center when she did a co-op placement there as a grade 11 student at Sydenham HS. “I really enjoyed the experience and saw that it was a really well run facility so I decided to board Pearl here and also receive training and coaching from Cindy”, Brittany said when I interviewed the two at North Fork earlier this week.

Cindy Steele has over 30 years experience in the industry and opened the centre 20 years ago. She boards, trains and coaches and also sells horses. She trains and coaches in both English and Western styles and boards close to 30 animals, some of which are champions. She said it is the “small farm-type atmosphere here and the one-on-one coaching” that she has become well known for.

The underdog part of this story came out later in our interview when Brittany informed me that her standings in Fort Worth came quite unexpectedly. Pearl had been in a car accident in August of 2013 when a driver side-swiped the trailer she was riding in, causing the horse serious injuries to her back right leg and hip. As a result the vet said the horse would never jump again. “We talked about how to proceed and in mid-December 2013 we started Pearl back and with the help of a chiropractor and veterinarian we slowly and carefully brought her along'”, Brittany explained.

Cindy spoke of the special bond between the horse and her rider. “This mare has a lot of heart and I really believe that she would jump to the moon for Brittany”. Both Cindy and Brittany are thankful to their many sponsors, Brittany's parents and everyone involved who made it possible and helped raise $10,000 to cover some of the costs associated with their trip to Texas. Brittany dedicated her world-class win to Cindy Steele's sister, Lisa MacDonald, who passed away in August 2013 and who loved to watch Pearl jump.

Rutledge Road Project

According to Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth, the Rutledge Road reconstruction through Sydenham is proceeding on schedule.

Gail Dickenson is co-proprietor with her husband Gary of Hillside Coffee Company, the only street front business on a road that has been reduced to rocks, dirt and dust by the project. Ms Dickenson came as a delegation to Council to ask for some compensation for loss of business this summer, due to the roadwork past their small restaurant/coffee shop, “to help us get through the winter.” She said that most commuters now choose to leave the village via Stagecoach Road, greatly reducing passing trade. Ice cream sales have dropped 70%, “because families won’t come sit out front to eat their ice cream in a dustbowl”, and now that school has begun, neither students nor teachers are likely to be coming up the road for lunch.

Dickenson presented records showing that revenues had dropped by $8,000 over July and August, and they expect to lose much of the $4,000 or $5,000 they usually make in September. Normally, these are their three strongest business months.They have had to cut back staff shifts, causing hardship to employees, as well.

Mayor Davison said this issue will have to be discussed in camera, so Council could not offer a quick answer.

Lottery Licensing

The Municipal Council is delegated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) as the licensing authority for small lottery-related events such as Bingos, 50/50 draws, raffles with prizes under $50,000, and Bazaar gaming events. Presently, the township charges 1.5% of the prizes, to cover administration costs. The Corporate Services Committee has recommended that this be raised to 3%. After some discussion, Council voted to hold the charge at 1.5%, except in the case of out-of-township lotteries, which will now be charged 3%.

Charging of Services related to Motor Vehicle Accidents

Insurance companies will be billed quarterly for all motor vehicle insurable accidents in the township requiring services from fire or public works. Billing amounts will be based on the incurred costs.

Development Charges Increase

Council agreed with Planner Mills’ recommendation that the new development charge increase be phased in over a five-year period. By January 1,1918, the development charge for an average residential permit will have risen from the current $4,551 to $6,758.

Request to Open a Portion of Goodrich St, Bellrock

Kurt Dehnert has asked Council to consider opening a portion of road allowance in Bellrock (the easternmost portion of Goodrich St), to allow access to a large waterfront lot within the original village plan, ‘for possible future development”. Council has asked for further information before making a decision.

Accessible Parking

Council has agreed to designate an accessible parking space directly in front of the township hall.

LED Street Light Conversion

Council agreed with staff’s recommendation to engage RealTerm Energy Corporation to replace all high pressure sodium street lamps in the Township (estimated by Hydro to be 448 lamps) with LED lights. Although the initial cost will be approximately $260,000, the average annual energy and maintenance cost per fixture is projected to be reduced from $177 to $50. Thus, the cost of conversion should be covered in the first 4.4 years of operation.

County’s Official Plan: Draft Three

Township Planner Lindsay Mills spoke briefly but strongly about the current draft of the County’s Official Plan. In Mills’ opinion it is still much too detailed for a high level document; “a power grab.” Mayor Davison concurred, saying, “They (the County staff who prepared the draft plan, and the Provincial government which has directed much of it) have no understanding of the rural situation.”

“This document has huge implications,” said Davison, reminding Council that there is to be a public meeting about the proposed plan on Monday September 22, in the Verona Lions’ Hall.

Next Meeting

Because of Council’s ‘lame duck’ status from now until the elections, their next meeting will be Monday October 7.

Aided by a donation of over $5,000 from a group called Groupies.com Community, Drew Cumpson's Indiegogo campaign now stands at $37,638, enough so he will make the $35,000 he was seeking even after he pays the debit and website fees to Indiegogo.

In a post marking the success of his campaign, Cumpson not only talked about the operation he is now working to organize, but also about making sure others who need a diaphragmatic pacemaker to help them breathe on their own can get one through the Ontario Health Insurance Program and not by having to launch fund-raising campaigns.

“I have reached my goal of $35,000 and am now working towards trying to get things organized for the surgery. As someone who is setting out to improve the lives of others as well I plan to work towards getting this surgery covered by the government as it has been said to be available through them. One of the major things that I feel needs to come out of this is set all Canadian patients that meet the requirements for this surgery do not have to pay the large amount of costs associated with this.

“Many ventilator dependent people are unable to speak as there are certain aspects of the ventilator that prevents you from speaking in some cases.”

The Indiegogo campaign ended yesterday.

Two artists, both photographers, presently have their work on display at the Southern Frontenac Community Services Grace Centre in Sydenham. One half of the main hall showcases the works of Ryan Wilkinson, who unfortunately due to a family emergency, was unable to attend the artists' talk there on August 16. In his absence Wilma Kenny, a member of the Grace Centre Arts Committee, read an artist's statement by him in which he spoke about the importance of art and why he makes it. In the statement he said,” Art is something of beauty and it is something needed more and more in this world. It is a way to celebrate our successes; it's a way to showcase who we are individually though our eyes, our stories and our emotions. Art for me is a way to bring peace into the world. It is an opportunity to collectively see into the souls and hearts of our friends, loved ones and strangers.”

Wilkinson's pictures include portraits, landscapes and urban scenes that are as wonder-inducing as they are carefully composed and their varied subject matter inspires viewers to look more carefully at the world and the people that inhabit it. One piece titled “Surf”, a black and white image of a couple in full stride heading to the water's edge, one carrying a surf board, captures a determination and eerie intensity perhaps not understood by those who do not surf. Similarly a portrait titled “Pondering”, of a smoker gazing upwards in what looks like a foreign land, speaks to the beauty, mystery and inspiration that can be found on a stranger's face, in a strange land. In closing his statement Wilkinson said, “Continue to make art in any form and, do it for you.”

Photographer Louise Day was present for the talk and spoke about what inspires her work. Taught by renowned artist Kim Ondaatje, Day's best works tend to be more abstract and many of her best pieces take as their subject matter the beauty and intricacies of the marks of mother nature. Frost patterns are front and centre in Louise's half of the hall. Her large photographs of these intricate and colorful designs often captured on window panes are a sight to behold. Their lacy, sometimes symmetrical, but more often asymmetrical patterns look like abstract paintings, the colors subtle and dewy as though applied with an airbrush, the patterns wild and wonderful and encouraging the viewer to examine the work ever closer in the hopes of better understanding the mystery of these amazing natural formations. One newer work of melted frost bubbles is especially sharp and the bubbles seem to cling as if by magic to the background surface, looking as if they might just bounce right out of the frame at any moment.

The Grace Centre continues to bring a wide variety of local artists' work to the general public and there is no better space for art lovers to behold fine art than at the main hall. The photography show will be on display until September 22. The Grace Centre is located at 4295 Stagecoach Road in Sydenham and since the hall is often used for regular daily programming it is best to call 613-376-6477 to find out the best times to visit.

The Drew Cumpson Indiegogo fundraising campaign is set to end in 5 days, and the goal of $35,000 is within reach. As of Tuesday evening, August 19, the total raised was $28,370, only $6,830 short of the goal.

That's quite a jump from the $7,500 that had been raised back in July when the first story about the campaign ran in the Frontenac News. Since then the campaign has been embraced in Kingston, where Drew lives, in Guelph, where he is enrolled in university, as well as in Frontenac County, where he is from.

The original plan was to spend the money raised on the operation to implant a diaphragmatic pacemaker into Drew so that he would not need to be on a respirator. This would enable him to leave St. Mary's Hospital, move in with his family and continue his education at Guelph University. While the campaign has been going, he has heard that the cost of the operation may be covered by OHIP so some of the money raised may be diverted to other needs he has, which are many. He is still working on the fundraising campaign, but is also working to find a location and make further arrangements for his operation.

The campaign is receiving a boost in its final days through the efforts of the Leaders in Training at the Sydenham Canoe Club summer camp. They ran barbeques at the camp and each camper paid $5 for the lunch. The $300 proceeds will be given to Drew. “Some parents even sent along some extra money when they heard that the proceeds were going to a good cause”, said one of the fund-raising team members Ian Ramzy. “It isn’t much, but every little bit counts”

Some of the older campers, LIT and coaches remember Drew from when he used to work at the Township of South Frontenac Day Camp held at Sydenham Point.

“He was very athletic. and  he was always smiling and singing”, said Kayleen Lambert of the Canoe Cub. “He was really good to the kids. The younger campers had never met him, but were intrigued by the description of the lung pacemaker, and were saddened to hear that he would be unable to go home until he has this device.”