Feature article, March 3, 2005

Feature article March 3, 2005

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Strike fears abate, ratification vote set for March 7.Memorandum of Understanding reached in South Frontenac Labour disputeby Jeff Green

After a 7 hour meeting between senior township staff and the executive of CUPE local 4336, which represents 33 South Frontenac Township employees, a tentative agreement was reached, said local 4336 President Trevor Greene.

The tentative agreement came about one day before a strike deadline. It is subject to approval by the Council of South Frontenac, who discussed the issue at an in camera meeting early Tuesday evening, and a ratification vote by union members scheduled for Monday, March 7.

The main issue that separated the two sides as of last weekend was the status of part-time employees. Were pretty good on all the other issues, Trevor Greene told the News last weekend, but there are five workers who work full time, year round, and have been working for up to five years, that receive no benefits. For us its an issue of fairness.

Neither side was revealing any details of the agreement that was reached on Monday.

The Memorandum of Understanding was considered by South Frontenac Council in a closed session prior to their regular meeting on Tuesday night. After the closed session, Council agreed to refer the Memorandum of Understanding to the members of CUPE local 4336 for their ratification vote on March 7.

Earlier on Tuesday, South Frontenac CAO Gord Burns had said it was possible Council could request further information from the union, so the decision to refer the memorandum directly to a vote by the union means the agreement has cleared one of two major hurdles and a strike is thus less likely.

The major effect of a work stoppage would be on road maintenance throughout the township and on garbage pickup in Portland district. The operations of the township office in Sydenham would be affected as well.

In case of a strike, we have tried to make contingencies for the major roads, but in the event of a large snowfall or freezing rain we would have to look at some further action. But thats not our focus right now, Burns said, adding, We are very hopeful of an amicable resolution to the process.

Notes from SF Council meeting: Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Mitchell Creek Bridge: the Ottawa Solution

In a classic example of using a sledgehammer to crack an acorn, Transport Canadas Navigable Waters Protection Program has ruled that the disintegrating Mitchell Creek Bridge must be replaced by a higher structure with vertical navigation clearance of 1.5m from the average June water level, to facilitate boat traffic. In doing so, they seem to have ignored all concerns about environmental impact or increased traffic in a fragile waterway. (Mitchell Creek is a loon nesting area connecting Desert Lake to Birch and Devil Lakes. Both of these lakes border Frontenac Wilderness Park, which forbids any use of motors within its boundaries.) The present, much lower clearance of the bridge, allows canoes and small motorboats access to the creek and the lakes beyond. Council and local residents feel this is adequate, and presents the most affordable solution. They have agreed to pursue various routes of political appeal in the next few weeks.

Sydenham Water: New Tender Bids, Old Questions

David Waugh addressed Council on behalf of the Sydenham Safe Water Association. Using the March 1st low tender bid of $7,674,000, Waugh demonstrated a means of creating a projected total project budget based on the figures presently available. He offered his services free of charge to the township, if they wished help to draw up a similar, but official overall budget.

He asked for a household exemption policy to be established, which would take into consideration distance and elevation from the road, as well as soil and rock conditions.

The SSWA is also requesting a public information meeting (it has been two years since the last one) now that the new tender bids are in.

Councillor Davison contested Waughs use of the figure of $7,674,00, because it had included GST, which will not be charged. "If you start with skewed numbers," he said, "you will have problems at the end." Waugh replied that this was why he was offering to work with council: he needed their input to be able to draw up an accurate spreadsheet, which could be of benefit to both Council and villagers. Mayor Lake requested a written copy of Waughs presentation.

Councillor Robinson was present throughout: He later noted that he had come late to the last council meeting because of a personal commitment, not because he was avoiding the water issue.

Fireworks

A proposed by-law to regulate the sale and use of fireworks was tabled pending discussion with the fire chief, and some opportunity for public input.

Private Drainage into the Road System

Council adopted a new policy restricting the private use of the road system for property drainage. Details are available at the township hall.

New Member of the Order of Canada

Council agreed to extend their congratulations to Rod Fraser, retiring President of the University of Alberta, and long-time cottage owner on Clear Lake, Bedford. Dr Fraser has recently been awarded the Order of Canada.

Feature article,April 7, 2005

Feature article April 7, 2005

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"Rage Against the Municipal Machine" by W.Kenny

Thats the title of an article in the February 2005 magazine Municipal World. Its written by George Cuff, a Management Consultant in municipal matters, and Rick OConnor, Deputy Clerk and Legal Counsel of the City of Ottawa. Part of this article was included in South Frontenac Councils information package this week. Here are some quotes: "Regardless of any other good that a council might do in a term of office, if it does not pay attention to connecting with citizens, the tenure of elected officers will be short indeed. ..If avenues of discussion and debate are not kept open and accessible, it is highly likely that council will hear a public eruption...Ultimately a council and their administration must be mindful of their responsibility to serve the publics needs as expressed through the election, petitions, public hearings, council delegations and the like. Those serving the public must exhibit ...care for community concerns, (and) a desire to seek out the will of the majority...When these are not in evidence, the publics rage may well be expressed by angry outbursts or protests at council meetings, heated exchanges at the front counter, nasty letters to the editor..."

Sound familiar? Meeting after meeting, delegations from the Sydenham Safe Water Association have expressed frustration that their pleas, suggestions and offers of cooperation have been ignored or made fun of. Petitions and presentations asking for traffic calming measures in Sydenham were met by jokes about fast drivers all being local. Offers to help develop a system of trails and connecting roads as a compromise to opening all township roads to ATV use are brushed aside. Letters to council go unanswered. Angry and rude outbursts from the back of the hall are familiar to regular council observers, but have drawn a horrified "Does this sort of thing happen often?" from out-of-township visitors.

Sadly, the positive achievements of South Frontenac Council are being grimly overshadowed by the unfortunate perception that election to public office seems to mean one need never admit to being wrong, or that there just might be a better way of approaching some problems. Granted, a politician can never please everybody, and there come times when unpopular decisions have to be made. But when the same negative patterns repeat so often, it may be time to ask what could be done differently.

Feature article,April 7, 2005

Feature article April 7, 2005

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Bomb scare forces the evacuation of Sydenham High School

by Jeff Green

Just before 10:00 am on Monday morning, an officer with the Frontenac detachment of the OPP phoned Sydenham High School to say they had received a phone call that there was a bomb at the school and that they were sending a team of officers to investigate.

Even though everybody believed it was a crank call, we immediately emptied the building, recalls Sydenham High Principal Bruce Marchen.

The call, which did indeed turn out to be a crank call, originated from a pay phone within the school.

As the OPP investigated, Marchen soon realised the weather, it was cold and rainy, was not conducive to students standing around outside, especially since everyone had left the school in a hurry and many of them werent wearing jackets. Some were in their gym gear.

Our backup location is Loughborough Public School across the street, said Marchen. But after a short while the 1,000 plus school population (900 students plus over 100 faculty and staff) began to feel cramped in the gym and hallways of Loughborough PS.

At 11:10 the OPP informed me it would be another 2 hours before they would be finished in the school. They were still waiting for a sniffer dog to be brought in from Belleville at that point, and we realized we needed to send the kids home.

The board supervisor was called, as were bus drivers, and arrangements were made for the students to go home.

There were a few issues around students who didnt have keys to their homes on them, and there were a few inconveniences, but the kids got home, said Marchen.

The last bus left the school at 12:20 pm.

On Tuesday, there was an assembly in the school in the morning, and a letter was sent home to parents explaining what had happened.

I would like to point out how impressed I was with how the students all reacted to the situation. There was never any panic, and the students showed a lot of maturity. Our students are not happy about this. They come here to learn, and they lost a day, Marchen said.

The investigation into who made the phone call continues.

Were following up some leads, Principal Marchen said.

The News was unable to reach the investigating officer on Tuesday. We will attempt to do so in the next week.

Feature article, July 7, 2005

Feature article July 7, 2005

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South Frontenac Township Council meeting - July 5

by Wilma Kenny

Mitchell Creek area resident Barbara Heins asked Council what contingency plans they had, if they were unable to get the Mitchell Creek bridge reconstructed before winter. If the existing bridge was unfit for winter use, could it be declared an emergency, in which case the township might be able to return to one of their original options, a Bailey Bridge? Councillors made no response.

Council approved an official plan amendment that recognized the Sydenham Woods Frontenac Associations property on Sydenham Lake as a condominium development. This would make it easier for future buyers of the 12 homes on leased land to obtain mortgages on the houses. No new development is being proposed as part of this process.

Council approved the request by the North Frontenac Arena Expansion Committee to proceed with fundraising, on the understanding that it was not authorizing either tendering or contracting construction of the project. At Committee of the Whole, Councillor Smith had expressed concern that construction not be permitted to begin until Council was assured that adequate funds had been raised.

The Sydenham Water Committee had recommended that the costs of constructing the water line from the property line to the homeowners basement and of well abandonment (up to $1,200) should be part of the expenses eligible for capital construction loans from the township. However, since this work would be done on private property, a separate by-law is needed, which would establish this part of the loan as a collateral mortgage against the property, thus providing a means for the township to recover the loan, if payments are defaulted. There would also be an administration fee of $250 for each loan. This was passed without comment.

Feature article, July 7, 2005

Feature article July 7, 2005

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Sydenham Water Meeting: an Angry Evening with Few Answers

by Wilma Kenny

In the first public meeting on the Sydenham water issue in two years, over 100 angry residents confronted representatives of council, township staff, project engineering and construction. With the treatment plant under construction, heavy machinery in the streets, and the water tower rising above the village, many questions remain unanswered. Most of those in the hall said they felt they had been dragged into a poorly planned project they neither wanted nor needed, one they feared would cost them dearly.

Questions included: What are the criteria for exemptions? Not decided, yet. Mayor Lake said one possibility is that anyone for whom the total initial cost is more than $25,000 might be exempt from bringing the line from the street to their home, if they could prove they had potable water. But they would still have to pay their assessed portion of the capital costs (based on frontage), as well as an ongoing basic monthly fee toward upkeep and replacement reserve for the system.

Is hook-up mandatory? That is, if one brings the pipes from the street to the house, installs a meter, and pays the basic monthly fee, must they actually connect their household to the community system? Many residents, who have good wells, dont want to be forced to use chlorinated lake water. Although originally assured they wouldnt have to, this is apparently now undecided.

Will all residents be required to pay for a building permit, so the municipal inspector can review their installation? An affirmative answer brought a roar of amazement and anger from the crowd, causing the mayor to agree to look into it.

Questions were raised about the eventual cost of the project: the present budget has had all but 2% of the contingency funds removed. Mayor Lake said that if anyone knew where additional government funding might be found, he would go after it at once, and promised the municipality would not spend any more than they had to. Villagers learned that an annual replacement reserve of $63,000 would be added to the monthly costs of running the water system.

Residents finally received a work schedule giving the order in which the streets are being torn up for the water main installation. The rest of the questions will have to wait. They must be discussed by the water committee, then sent as recommendations to Council, before Council will vote on them. The next water committee meeting, which though not a public meeting is open to the public, will be at the township hall Monday, July 18, at 10 am.

On a more positive note: Water Aid!

Plan to be in Sydenham at the SHS auditorium on Saturday August 20, for Water Aid, a concert and dance to remember. Determined to make the best of a difficult situation, Sydenham residents are planning a community fundraiser to help the lower income people of Sydenham keep their homes. Headlined by Dan Aykroyd, the evening will feature the groups Colonel Angus and Donkey Punch. The latter band, from Ottawa, serves up a crowd-pleasing mixture of rock/funk with a strong beat and bluesy undertones. The committee welcomes volunteers: phone Cathy Waugh at 376-3474 if you can lend a hand.

Feature Article - August 25

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August 25, 2005

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Sydenhamites place at World Masters Games

The 2005 World Masters Games concluded in Edmonton recently with over 21,000 athletes from 75 countries competing in 30 different sports.

Bob Harding competing in the bike portion of the Triathlon

Bob Harding of Sydenham placed 5th in the Triathlon event in the 50-59 age group. The triathlon, which consists of swimming, cycling and running, was one of the largest at the games with nearly 1,000 competitors.

Harding , who paddles for the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club,also competed in the sprint kayakevents. In the k2 event, Harding and NickBohac (also of the Sydenham Lake Club) placed 4th overall, while in the singles k1 event, Bohac placed 6th and Harding placed 11th respectively. The kayaking events were dominated by paddlers from Denmark,Australia and Russia.

The next World Masters Games are scheduled for Sydney, Australia in 2009.

Nick Bohac and Bob Harding prepare for the k2 event.

Feature Article - October 27, 2005

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Letters to the Editor

Mitchell Creek BridgeWell, the environmental assessments are in and we are most certainly going to have a new, higher and much wider bridge spanning Mitchell Creek. The bridge is at the north end of Loughborough District, so it's probably safe to assume that most Loughborough residents Don't use the bridge on a regular basis.

Therefore, I want to thank my southern neighbours for their future tax dollars that will pay for the roughly One Hundred Thousand Dollars that their councillors, Ron Vandewal and Gary Davison (with the cheerful Leadership of Mayor Lake) are willing to spend, rather than fight for the original and less expensive bridge design. I particularly want to thank my neighbours in Sydenham whom Councillors Ron and Gary obviously thought could use a little more tax burden when they voted down a motion to have Council keep up the pressure on the Department of Transport.

The next election is more than a year away and it's kind of scary to think what the Mayor and his shadows might do to us over the course of the next twelve months or so!

- John Sherbino

Sharbot Lake High School commencementI must convey my disappointment at finding a photograph of school principal Tom Taylor as the center piece of the article. As the commencement is really about the graduating students, I believe that perhaps a photo of the valedictorian, Erika Benn, would have been more appropriate. And a big hurrah for the big cell phone give away!

Corporate Canada must be applauding Mr. Taylor for that grandstanding move. The final lesson for the grads from Sharbot Lake HS is to welcome with open arms society's expectation of "keeping in touch" along with the monthly user fees that I'm certain newly graduated students can so well afford.

"Scrounging?" That must have been a tough go, what with so many companies giving the phones away! They know that the real money is made from the usage, not the purchase. Good one, Mr. Taylor. Perhaps for your final commencement at Sharbot Lake HS, you could really make a splash, and present the graduates with new vehicles (monthly payments not included)! I hear that GM has a great student promotional deal.

- J. R. Miller

Re:Municipal funding for Sydenham WaterMs. Dombrowsky generalizes too much when she says “Sydenham is the community of interest for much of South Frontenac where children go to school, and people go to shop, worship and recreate.”

I doubt anybody from the Bedford District goes to Sydenham to do any of these things: We have schools, shops, churches and recreational facilities right here in Bedford, Verona, and Westport. What does Sydenham have that we don’t have? Why should we pay for a water system that half the people of Sydenham do not want?

I can’t recall that the township ever thought it necessary to help the farmers, who had a tough time last year, as, I imagine, even Sydenham knows. And now they are asked to pay for a water system they never will use.

If there was a place where one could donate to help the people in Sydenham, such as for a disaster, I would certainly contribute, but I resent being told that I must pay for it because it is for my benefit, when it is not.

And don’t tell me that everything the government does is worth emulating. There is our Mr. Martin taking a sightseeing trip to the Tsunami disaster area. He did nothing useful there, and the money he wasted there would have paid not only for the waterworks, but also for the sewage system in Sydenham.

- A. Thonigs

Corruption the story of Martin's LiberalsCorruption, cronyism, mismanagement, non-existent ethics, scandal... this is the story of the Paul Martin Liberals. They’ve been trying to persuade us that this is just a legacy of the previous Liberal regime (it is), and that all will be well when Paul Martin takes over. Well, Paul Martin took over (feebly) two years ago but the corruption, cronyism, mismanagement, non-existent ethics, and scandal continue unabated.

The latest example of the Liberals’ non-existent ethics and cynicism is the resignation of David Dingwall as president of the Canadian Mint after being exposed as a spendthrift and cheapskate (in 2004 almost $1 million in salary and expenses including a charge for a packet of chewing gum) - all on the taxpayer’s purse. This, after billing hundreds of thousands of dollars while working as an unregistered lobbyist (I think that’s illegal?).

If we’re not appalled yet, then how about the Liberal Government giving Mr. Dingthem, uh, Dingwall, a great big golden handshake (like $500,000) for resigning under a very heavy cloud!

And let’s not forget that Dingthem, Dingwall is now the fifth Crown Corporation President to resign under a cloud since Paul Martin came to power!

Wake up Canada - we’re being had.

- Michael Monk

Seniors in povertyFlora McDonald says that Canada has more than 600,000 seniors living in poverty.

Now it is a different world – oil, gas and food prices will certainly make things worse. It’s a safe bet that at least half of the poor seniors live alone and heat lots of space they don’t use, and eat badly because its hard to cook for one.

We all found out how hard it is to change whole groups of people, and I know that this group has very deep feelings about “What would people think” of two or three men lived together or two or three or four women in one house, or God forbid one guy and three women, etc. etc.!

Well, the most important thing we can give the young is a chance to travel – so why not swallow our pride and save the oil and gas, so that they will be able to afford to travel and learn as our generation did.

It is also likely that we could save a good many millions just by doubling up and taking care of each other’s diets and general health, and staying out of hospitals.

I have no idea how this could be done but maybe Flora could suggest something to the Government to encourage people to share their homes (whenever possible and pleasant.) Also, maybe the readers have ideas.

- Carmel Gowan

Feature Article - October 6, 2005

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October 6, 2005

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Letters to the Editor

Municipal funding for Sydenham Water

Dear Mr. Lake:

I am in receipt of a letter from Alastair Lamb, which was sent as a follow up to a meeting I had with representatives from the Sydenham Safe Water Association. During the meeting, they described the significant costs that would be borne by local residents to have the new water treatment system installed in their community.

They asked if there would be any possibility for additional provincial dollars to be directed towards this project. I indicated that with all such infrastructure projects, the costs are shared on a one third basis with the federal government, provincial government and the local municipality. With regard to the Sydenham Water System, I indicated that the people of Ontario would cover their third of the approved project costs.

You will note in their letter to me, and during our meeting, the Sydenham Safe Water Association has strongly advocated that the local costs of this project should be shared more equitably by the residents of South Frontenac. Such consideration would mean instead of a few hundred people bearing several thousands of dollars in costs, per household, that if the burden were spread across all of the residents of the municipality, the burden would be less than $200 in one time costs per household. An even more attractive scenario would be for the municipality to spread the capital cost over 20 years at a cost of approximately $13 per year/per household.

You know that I have strongly supported your council's decision to provide safe water to the residents of Sydenham by constructing a water treatment facility. I believe that safe water is essential to a community's health and well-being. Sydenham is the community of interest for much of South Frontenac where children go to school, and people go to shop, worship and recreate.

When funding is provided to municipalities from the Province of Ontario it is important to note that the province does not area rate the funding, as such initiatives are funded by all taxpayers of Ontario. If area rating was applied at the provincial level it would prove burdensome, and insufficient for many parts of the province, particularly for northern and rural communities.

Recognizing that amalgamation did provide an opportunity for a greater pooling of resources and the development of a greater assessment base for municipalities, sharing the costs of the water treatment plant among all of the residents of the township would be consistent with the way the other two levels of government provides funding.

I am sure you can recall my suggestions to you in the past, that council could consider spreading the costs of the project more equitably among all of the residents of the township. Now, that the Sydenham Safe Water Association has presented me with the same suggestion and some compelling numbers to support their position, I respectfully request that the Council of South Frontenac seriously reconsider this funding option.

Such consideration would provide for a more bearable and equitable payment plan for a very valuable part of your municipal infrastructure.

I thank you for your attention to this very important matter, and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Leona Dombrowsky, MPPHastings-Frontenac-Lennox &. Addington

Re: Hinge Lake Fire

To: Mayor Bill Lake and South Frontenac Council:

On August 8 smoke was seen above the tree line on the southeast shore of Buck Lake. Alert residents gave the Township Fire Department information to pinpoint the fire location on the south shore of Hinge Lake. Hinge Lake is only about 200 to 300 metres east of the Buck Lake shoreline, and the fire was not accessible to regular fire fighting equipment. Firefighters used pickup trucks and ATVs with trailers, and over a ten to twelve day period, the fire was finally extinguished after considerable heavy and dirty work by our volunteer firefighters.

On behalf of the Buck Lake Community I would like to express our gratitude to our volunteer firefighters for their great efforts. We are truly fortunate to have such citizens commit themselves to this often hazardous responsibility, and they deserve our utmost support and recognition.

- Crawford M. MacIntyre

Re:Sydenham Water - What can we do?

As a non-resident ofSydenham Village I wouldlike to commenton the letter to the editor from David Waugh (September 29, 2005).

I agree that it iscommon sense for all of thetaxpayers, who are participating in the "share costing" amalgamated township, to pay what is not more than the price of a daily cup of coffee for most of the water treatment project.Weshare costs forall other services!Who among us would even know, especially when we have so many other secret and public projects that benefit a host oftaxpayers and municipal employees.

Further on this theory of cost sharing,our councillors will, hire water plant treatment operators, buy chemicals,other materials and testing equipment, provide maintenance, probably purchase a vehicle or two, and as this operation grows, so will the ongoing costs escalate. Surely they are not going to expect the residents using the water to bear these back breaking expenses that they will have no control over. If they do, I hear there are two water plantoperators, formally from Walkerton Ont., who will work for beer.

As far as similar costs for other communities, common sense says that this fiasco will very likely not be repeated. When you look at recommended communitiy sizes, I even question why Sydenham village sudivisions are not included (was there even enough water in Sydenham lake to service them?)

I also agree with another responder that laws are easier to change than stubborn minds.

- Peter Svendsen

Re: The Importance of Local Foods

I am pleased to see the support that the Perth Farmers' Market has been garnering in their fight to continue selling locally produced eggs and "value added" home-made products like pickles or baked goods. In his letter of Sept. 29, MP Scott Reid presents solid arguments for amending what he rightly describes as the "poorly designed provincial regulations" which impose prohibitive bureaucratic requirements both on local farmers and on consumers. Food safety is important, and we should have no problem with government regulations that are actually needed to protect the public. But let's not be ridiculous!

Beyond the specifics of the Farmers' Market, the larger issue is the need for all of us to "eat close to home". Most of the food being sold in supermarkets has travelled hundreds, often thousands of miles before it gets to us. These "food miles" are extremely costly, in environmental, economic and human terms.

Buying lettuce from California or tomatoes from Mexico literally costs the earth in terms of fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, and most of what we are importing is water - water from irrigated fields in naturally arid areas. In many of those areas, salination and aquifer depletion are increasing problems, and the appropriate dryland crops which formerly fed the local population have been abandoned in favour of globalization's export market.

Meanwhile, here at home, prime Canadian farmland is being paved over or sold to big corporate interests because our own farmers don't get decent enough prices for their products to be able to stay in business. And has anyone detected any taste in those massive lumps of California fibre that the supermarkets still promote as "peaches", even at the height of the peach season in Ontario when our own sweet and juicy fruit is abundantly available?

So let's support the farmers markets whenever we can do the rest of our shopping locally where possible, and make sure we demand Canadian food products where ever they exist. With a little awareness we can kick the habit of food from afar, support our neighbours and our own economy, and enjoy quality food that's both tasty and nutritious and hasn't spent days in a truck.

- Helen Forsey

Feature Article - October 6, 2005

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Dombrowsky weighs in on Sydenham Water funding

by Jeff Green

MPP Leona Dombrowsky has sent a letter to South Frontenac Mayor Bill Lake requesting that South Frontenac Council consider an alternate funding arrangement for the Sydenham Water plan project.

The letter, reprinted in the letters to the editor, was mailed on September 13, and was copied to Alastair Lamb of the Sydenham Safe Water Association. It supports suggestions by the Safe Water Association that the project, which is being subsidised by the provincial and federal governments, be funded by ratepayers from throughout South Frontenac Township rather than the residents of Sydenham who will make use of the system.

While Sydenham residents are paying the lion’s share of municipal costs, the township as a whole is paying some background costs, according to Loughbourough District Councillor Ron Vandewal.

Vandewal contacted the News in response to an editorial on the same issue from 2 weeks ago entitled “Sydenham Water Will Leave a Political Legacy”. He pointed out that various background costs to the project, including but not limited to the cost of roadwork within Sydenham Village, are being funded out of the township budget.

Dombrowksy’s letter to Mayor Lake has not been brought before South Frontenac Council, at least in open session, thus far.

Letters to the Editor - September 22, 2005

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Letters

September 22, 2005

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Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright

Letters to the Editor

Re:Arden faces life with a high-risk sex offender

So, little Arden has it’s own child molester. But yeah, he didn’t learn that watching jugglers and rope spinners and acrobats and dancing bears.

Anyway, nothing is lower than a child molester, and equally bad if the victim is boy OR girl. Of course, the world would be a much nicer place without pimps and rapists too, but they don’t generally even make the papers.

Not likely, but wouldn’t it be nice if he was innocent or managed to reform?

Meantime, a Neighbourhood Watch in every town should be the rule, not the exception.

- Carmel Gowan

$1,242.00 per yr Tax increase for my old home in Sydenham (or, My Dream Home Has Nightmares)

For over 20 years, I have always liked and wanted the home I bought in the fall of 2004. It's just on the outskirts of Sydenham. While I have a RR#1 address, I am not past the fire hall, which will soon have running water and the pipe to them runs in front of my house.

I was very disappointed with the South Frontenac Council at the public meeting in July at the Loughborough Public school. Mayor Bill Lake as much as told us that we were going to be forced by new bylaws, if need be, to have to hook up to this water system and that we will also be forced to pay $48 per month or $576 per year added to my taxes, even if we don't use a drop. To me that means $5,300 for the pipe that passes in front of my house and about $4,000 to have it brought into my house.

At this public meeting over 100 local people signed in. The biggest objection was to have to hook up to the system. The Mayor said that the majority would rule but I think he forgot to tell us the majority of the councillors would rule. I was very disappointed with the whole fiasco.

I have since found out that because we have 1,400 students here between the public and high school who don't have safe drinking water, we the 272 households of Sydenham have to pay for the water. I have also learned that normally the cost would be split up amongst the South Frontenac Rate payers, but for some reason the Mayor has said that the water problem in Sydenham was a problem before amalgamation and we should therefore have to pay for it. 20 years ago the government offered to pay for water and sewer for Sydenham but the residents turned it down. Instead, the government paid for some new wells and in home water treatment equipment, noting that we were too small a community to force water on us, but not if you add the water safety for over 1,400 children attending the two local schools.

My personal cost for water for the school kids will exceed $9,000. If we were to do what's right and share it among the S.F. ratepayers, it would work out to about a $180 one time fee. Then my cost would drop to around $4,000. For some Sydenham residents, they will have to sell their house, and more will have a second mortgage they can never pay off until the end of the 15-year term at a cost of $74 per year per thousand borrowed ($666 per year to me as well as the $576 totals over $1,242 tax increase on top of the already inflated $1,900 that I already pay). If they tried to sell, the new owner would have to assume the debt.

We should do something about this now. What will happen when they want to make improvements in your area? We need a Rate Payers association from every area of SF and beyond to stand up for the individuals that have already been pushed aside for the interests of a few.

-Don Wiskin

Re: Walleye Stocking

I’ve read with great interest your article regarding Bob’s Lake Walleye. As a seasonal resident and avid Walleye fisherman, I know I am not alone in my concern regarding the present efforts to sustain the population.

Despite my greatest respect for all the efforts made by volunteers to rehabilitate creeks, I cannot abide by this as a long-term solution to supporting this particular fish population without additional intervention--particularly stocking. I support this with the following points:

1.) Creeks rehabilitated can and will improve spawning, but three small creeks on a water system as large as Bob’s Lake is not enough. Furthermore, creeks are habitat that is constantly transforming. Every year brings a new set of weather events that affect creek beds, temperatures, flows, and subsequent success rates. Additionally, one must remember eighteen vertical feet of the original creek mouths are now under water (due to the Bolingbroke dam) and the new elevated lake levels, along with the recovering beaver population, have created new warmer wetlands that feed these streams in spring. All of these points can affect a complete year class and for the most part cannot be controlled.

2.) Despite the efforts to protect nesting Bass and the sustained stocking of Lake Trout, the overwhelming majority of recreational fisherman on Bob’s Lake target Walleye. Walleye are not being put back into the lake because “they just taste too good”. Walleye are the one species consistently harvested from the lake.

Walleye have been stocked in Bob’s Lake since 1922. It was initiated then to offset the affects of the higher water levels on spawning areas. Historical photos and anecdotal stories suggest incomparable fishing success during those years, compared to today and more recent years. Contrary to your article, private stocking did take place via the Can-Am fishing club in 1997, 1998 and 1999 as well as 1,000,000 fry donated privately in the late 90’s. It is also my understanding that eggs and fry were put into the rehabilitated streams in 2004.

As a proponent of stocking Walleye, I also have to dispute the comment in the article pertaining to the MNR’s position. In Bob’s Lake stocking “over” existing population is a lost cause due to the past stocking history. The brood stock used in the past as well as what is left with the native fish are all linked genetically through the Tay River / Great Lakes Watershed. In fact, an argument could be made that the Bolingbroke dam broke that historical link, isolating and perhaps denigrating the genetic enrichment of Bob’s Lake Walleye. Further to this point, available knowledge indicates that the majority of Walleye sampled in 1992 by the provincial research station in Glenora were stocked fish put in from 1987 to 1991.

I offer three more points in response to this article:

1. Bob’s Lake is a different lake since human’s intervention. It is now eighteen feet deeper, fished more heavily, and most likely warmer.

2. The position of the Greater Bob’s Lake and Crow’s Lake association does not reflect a balanced view of its membership. Its own survey indicated that 79% of respondents consider fishing and the fishery a high priority. I dare say the vast majority of the 79% want Walleye stocked.

3. There are ways to properly prepare young Walleye to insure survivability and an appropriate degree of “wildness”, as well as the means to address any genetic issues.

Because I am not alone with this opinion a group of residents have joined together to apply for a stocking permit to address this issue. We certainly do not want to discourage any other efforts being made but at the end of the day all arguments against stocking become moot if the existing population sinks below critical levels for subsistence.

I invite anyone interested in our efforts to contact me, Donald Kohart at 1-800-955-4427 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..