The 14th annual Frontenac Heritage Festival was well represented Saturday in Kennebec District.

First of all, there was the annual display from the Kennebec Historical Society at Kennebec Hall featuring the unique tool collection of Martin Hoogstein as well as a recently acquired wooden model of the Nonsuch (explorer Henry Hudson’s ship) built by Nick Zeldenrust and a couple of old baseball scoreboards found in the basement of Kennebec Hall.

Once again the Arden Potters held the Empty Bowls project where buying a bowl of soup or chilli also got you a handcrafted bowl with proceeds going to the Food Bank and the Arden Rink Restoration project.

And speaking of the Rink Restoration project, the Recreation Committee held a bake sale fundraiser. They’ll still take donations too. Call Wanda Harrison at 613-335-3186 for information.

There was also a quilting display and outside, Mike Proctor, Bob Miller and the Frontenac Blades put on a demonstration of pioneer living and tomahawk throwing.

Over on Kennebec Lake, the lake association’s annual event got off to a bit of a rough start when Terry Kennedy took a spill on the ice while, ironically, spreading sand on the plowed walkway. Then, it was announced that a planned ice rescue demonstration under the bridge had to be cancelled as district fire chief Jeff Matson, who was organizing the demonstration, was called away to be present at the birth of his grandson.

But, as more and more people started showing up, things worked out just fine.

“This was our best one ever,” said one of the organizers, Judy Kennedy. “There were about 110 people and many of them were new faces.

“We’re getting a turnover on the lake and it was good to see a lot of kids and dogs.

“And all the food was gone.”

Matson family patriarch Glen loves preserving history and so, for the third straight year, he opened up the farm in Arden for a Family Fun Day, with all sorts of demonstrations, wilderness skill games, and horse-drawn wagon rides.

“We’ve got a lot of old stuff here,” he said Sunday, after sawing through a log with an old two-man saw. “You see that wagon made out of logs? We got that 40 years ago and it was old then.”

But preservation of history isn’t the only motivation for the clan.

“I just cook,” said Betty Matson. “Isn’t it a beautiful day?”

When asked why she does it, she was quick to respond however.

“It’s so good to see all the kids running around having a good time,” she said. “It’s great to have all the families together having fun.”

She said she expects they’ll do it all again next year, probably doing all the same things they did this year and the year before that.

“It depends on the weather,” she said. “We’ll just go with the flow.

One display that drew a crowd was the Frontenac-Addington Trappers Association, who will be celebrating their 40th anniversary April 15 at the community centre in Flinton.

“We’re here for the heritage aspect of things — pure and simple,” said association president Wilf Deline. “Trapping is the oldest land based business in North America and we’re still here.”

Deline said they’re constantly trying to “educate the public” not only on trapping but primarily on environmental issues.

“We’re the real conservationists here,” he said. “We keep an eye on deer and everything else.

“Who spends more time in the bush than trappers?”

A couple of other things worthy of note at the Farm Fun Day: the skating trail through the bush was really cool, something the economic development people maybe should take a look at and . . . Moose Tongues. t

Derek Matson was serving up the deep-fried, cinnamon and sugar covered dough treats most people would know as beaver tails.

But he explained: “Beaver Tails is a copyrighted franchise, so we can’t call them that.

“These are Moose Tongues.”

Whatever you call them, they sure were tasty.

On December 10, 2019 shortly before 9 p.m. officers from Frontenac Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to break and enter in the area of Henderson Road and Graham road in Central Frontenac Township.

Upon police arrival, one person surrendered to officers and a second person, who was hiding in the bush, was located by OPP Canine Officer and Emergency Response Team members.

On December 12, 2019 the OPP Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU), in partnership w ith the Canadian Border Security Agency, executed a search warrant on a property located on Veley Road in the Arden area. 

Over 25 long guns were seized that included modified firearms, silencers and homemade guns. Combined, hundreds of rounds of shotgun, rifle and pistol ammunition were located. Prohibited weapons such as brass knuckles, switch blades, throwing stars and homemade nun chucks were also seized.

As a result of the search warrant, Freddy SHORTS, age 41 and Chantell DESCHAMPS, age 38 of Arden have both been charged with additional offences of:

Unauthorized importing of a prohibited weapon

Unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon

Possession of methamphetamine and cocaine under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act

Both accused were remanded in custody.

Other items seized that are believed to be stolen are hands tools, generators, chainsaws, All Terrain Vehicle winch, post hole drill and numerous other items.

Frontenac OPP is asking that anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a theft of similar type items are to contact the Frontenac Detachment at 613-372-1932 during regular business hours. You will have to provide your name, telephone number and what items were stolen. Supporting documentation of purchase receipts, pictures and / or serial numbers will assist in the process.

Any person with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

The investigation is still on-going.

As 2019 draws to a close, the Kennebec Recreation Committee though that this would be the appropriate time to give all of Arden and update on the fundraising for the Arden Rink Rebuild.

As most of you are aware, the first Fundraising event of the year took place February 2019, at the outdoor rink. Cory Lynn and Cody Matson approached their aunt and uncle with this ridiculous idea of inviting folks to an All-Night Skate-A-Thon. Through the magic of social media and word of mouth, dozens of people showed up to skate and join into the spur of the moment Silent Auction. When the 24+ hour ended, and the cash was counted the money collected totalled $3182.00. This fabulous start fired up the Committee, and future events were planned for the year.

The Summer Trivia night brought in another $1124.00, and by now there were other donations, from private citizens totalling $906.65 plus a generous donation by the Arden Seniors for $500.00.

Not wanting to lose the momentum, plans for the Recreation Committee’s Annual Italian Night took wings. When all was said and done the Italian Night raised an additional $2535.00, and donations continued with the addition of $140.00 from the Family Fun Day event and individual donations totaling $3100.00.

In order to begin the rebuild, it was determined that the initial amount needed was approximately $17,000.00. To help you with the math, our total came in, slightly under, at $11,500.00. Unfortunately, the funds needed for the entire project will exceed $30,000.00.

So, how does the Township of Central Frontenac fit in. In a perfect world, it would step up and do the rebuild, but this is not a perfect world, so other action is required to provide a great place for youth and their families to spend winter months. A grant through Hydro was been applied for and some funding has been asked of the township.

The one thing that everyone must understand, is the funds necessary and the work to be done, is not determined by the Recreation Committee or any members of the same. The grant requested was done on behalf of the Committee but by the Township, as will the Companies that will eventually do the work required. Those companies are required to answer a tender posted and the Township grants that tender, according to the bid.

Will there be another Skate-a-thon in 2020? That has not been determined as yet, but plans are already being made for new fundraising events next year. If you have any ideas regarding fundraising, let us know or just join in, we’d be delighted!! Please remember, if you would like to donate to this worthy cause a cheque or cash, designated for the rink repair, can be made to the Township Office or to any member of the Committee. With every donation a tax receipt will be issued, upon request.

Stay tuned and look forward to 2020 as much as we do. Happy winter everyone.

“A common definition of community is when a group of people with diverse characteristics, who are linked by social ties, who share common perspectives, engage in joint activities making our communities a better place to live. This is what we have going on here today, and we are proud and thankful for those who donate their time and ideas to add to the spirit of Arden.”

Those are the words of Central Frontenac Town Crier Paddy O’Connor in his dedication for the opening of the second annual Arden Family Field Day Saturday at the Ball Park in Arden.

And, O’Connor’s words seemed to sum up what organizer Jordan Chatwin wanted to do with this event.

“Compared to last year, we wanted to expand,” Chatwin said. “We added vendors, a parade, live music (Derek and daughter Cayleigh Matson).

“I think we hit all our markers.”

This year, the parade marked a return of something Arden hasn’t seen in quite awhile.

While nobody could remember exactly when the last parade in Arden was, Glen Matson offered this: “Not sure when it was but Dorothy Gaylord was reeve and (Bill) Vankoughnet was the member.

“They sat in this very same wagon.”

“This (field day) is just for community spirit,” Chatwin said. “It’s a beautiful place, beautiful people (and) when we get together, we can do beautiful things.

“No one’s getting paid and the scope of it is — the sky’s the limit.”

The 12 Annual Arden Artisans Garden Party and Open Studio Event last Saturday in Arden was a homecoming of sorts for Arden Batik’s Sarah Hale.

In May, Hale moved her studio from its Elm Tree Road location to her home, essentially across the street.

“This was the old hotel in Arden and where we’re sitting was the dining room,” she said. “The man who sold it to us took his television and left everything else.

“It was a rural hotel that had been furnished in Eaton’s cheapest in 1914 (when the original hotel burnt down and this one was rebuilt).”

Hale said there were many reasons to move back here, including more and higher wall space for showing her work and access to a full-size studio on a year-round basis.

“The old cafe (on Elm Tree Road) was really only a six-month place and it needed work,” she said. “Now I can have a respectable shop in winter and not have to move things twice a year.

“Not that we get that much walk-in traffic in winter.”

But not the least of her reasoning was the fact that “I get to show off the old hotel, a lot of people are stopping by because they want to see what’s inside.”

And, she gets to tell stories.

“The story is that the town went dry because people got sick of the drunks out there on the porch,” she said.

She said the move also “makes semi-retirement easier and more productive” as she begins doing more and more custom work. Her son Isaac and his partner Sue are fixing up the old shop for use as a “garden shed” Hale said.

The open studio event also showcases the work at Judith Versavel’s Gallery on the Bay, Joanne Picket’s Arden Pottery and Gordon Wright Fine Art.

As well, the Friends of Arden opened up Kennebec Hall for the Blueberry Dessert Tea, a fundraiser for the old footbridge project which had reached 50 per cent of its $15,000 goal going in to the event.

The tea featured a variety of blueberry-based treats as well as the artwork o local artisans John DuChene, James Hanley, Arlene Uens, Carol Burbridge, Daphne & Mike and Aileen Merriam.

Old friends Sarah Hale (Arden Batik), Judith Versavel (Gallery on the Bay) and Joanne Pickett (Arden Pottery) spend a lot of time each summer greeting visitors at their respective studios. Between the cottagers who can’t let a season go by without picking up some pottery or art, passing tourists, and other visitors, they divide their time between creating work for sale and staffing their respective shops.

For many years they participated in the Inroads Tour with other artists and artisans from Central Frontenac, and for the last dozen, the July Arden Garden Party has been a great opportunity to work together on an event and invite other local artists to join them.

Now, in addition to the three studios in downtown Arden, Gordon Wright, on Blue Heron Ridge, just north of Hwy. 7 is showing his unique landscape painting at his studio, Gordon Wright Fine Art. In conjunction with the 4 open studios, six other local artists (John Duchene, James Hanley, Arlene Uens, Carol Burbidge, Daphne and Mike, and Aileen Merriam) will be showing at the Kennebec Hall.

The Friends of Arden will also be presenting a Blueberry Dessert Tea at the hall, and memorabilia from the area will also be on display, courtesy of the Kennebec Heritage Society.

It all runs from 10am-5pm on Saturday, July 20. Admission to the studios is free and their will be door prizes available as well.

Central Frontenac Council awarded the tender to fix Crow Lake Road from Road 38 up to the rail approach just before the hamlet to Gemmill’s Sand & Gravel for $1,021,681.48 excluding HST, further to a recommendation and report from acting Public Works Manager David Armstrong.

The Council meeting was held in Arden, as per Township policy to rotate meeting locations through the summer.

Armstrong said the project is set to begin “late July, early August” and should be completed by “Oct. 15.”

One potential speed bump in the road project could potentially be the fact there is a 1.5 km portion of the road that the Township does not have title to, as well as one portion over Crown Land and another which is a “registry PIN so ownership cannot be verified without further searching.”

In his report, Armstrong said “In the course of researching a location for a dry hydrant, it has come to the attention of staff that there is approximately 1.5 kilometres of Crow Lake Road that is not in the Township’s title.

“It appears to be a trespass road owned by the property owner of the concession lot,” Armstrong’s report said. “The Deputy Clerk recommends that we approach the land owner to negotiate a transfer of title so that there are no liability or other legal issues relating to the reconstruction.

‘A reference plan would be required to convey the road to the municipality, however, we can also incorporate the land needed for the dry hydrant at the same time, so we can either obtain an easement of transfer of that land as well.”

Gemmill’s was also the successful bidder on a tender for the supply and placement of gravel in the amount of $295,400 excluding HST.

Rock removal

Roadwork was the predominant item on this week’s agenda, with Armstrong outlaying plans for rock removal on Bell Line Road West (complete), Oak Flats Road (complete) and Echo Lake Road (expected to start shortly).

There was an emergency culvert replacement at Westport Road, grind-in-place work planned for the entire length of Price Road, and Henderson Road from Baker Valley Road to the Henderson/Bordenwood intersection.

He said paving repair of Road 509 is in the process of being scheduled.

“We’re also waiting for additional prices to micro-surface Arden Road (from the hamlet limits to southwest of Pit Road),” he said.

Coun. Tom Dewey thanked Armstrong for “getting to Arden Road” and asked for an explanation of what micro-surfacing is.

“Micro-surfacing is the laying down of an asphalt compound to about 2/3 of an inch,” Armstrong said. “It does act to stop water from penetrating potholes similar to crack sealant.

“It’s a bit of a band-aide solution but hopefully it’ll give us two seasons. If it gets us through next season I’ll be happy.”

He said Arden Road should be done by the end of the summer.

Roadside mowing

Armstrong said that road-side mowing is “ongoing.”

He said they only have two tractors and “limited staff” so they’re considering contracting out some of the work if they can find somebody to do it.

Obligatory Raptors reference

This was Armstrong’s last Council meeting. Much like Kawhi Leonard, he has accepted a job in his home town. Only Armstrong will be replacing Mississippi Mill’s outgoing operations manager rather than becoming small forward/shooting guard for the LA Clippers.

Stop light on Road 38?

Council passed a resolution in support of the Sharbot Lake Business Group’s request to the Minister of Transportation asking for a traffic light at the corner of Hwy 7 and Road 38. Council plans letters to both the Minister and MPP Randy Hillier.

“David (Armstrong) has had conversations with the ministry so they know we’re supportive of this,” said Mayor Frances Smith.”

“Randy won’t have much clout,” said Coun. Tom Dewey.

Regional Roads plan clears a hurdle

Township staff has expressed concern about the legal implications of transferring minimal ownership (1%) of arterial roads in the township to Frontenac County. A proposal to undertake the transfer is being considered by all four Frontenac Townships in order to facilitate the establishment of a virtual county roads system to help secure more infrastructure grant money.

The townships lawyer, Tony Fleming, did not answer all of the detailed questions staff had about the implications of shared jurisdiction over roads, but on the key question of liability, he said that as long as the agreement between the parties is clear, liability will not be a concern. Given that, and some verbal assurances by Fleming on other issues, a staff report recommended that council consider a motion to approve the proposed virtual roads system, with one proviso, that any agreement that is reached be vetted by the township’s lawyer.

“Given the importance of the agreement between the municipalities, staff recommend the municipality seek independent legal review of that document, once we are at that stage in the process,” said the staff report on the matter.

The proposal will return in August for a vote.

Most Ardenites are aware that the outdoor rink, here in Arden, at the Community Centre is slated to be demolished this fall. In order to replace our outdoor facility, fundraising efforts have been underway since March of this year, beginning with a Skate-a-thon.

This month, in co ordination with some volunteer Firefighters, the Kennebec Recreation Committee will be hosting a Trivia Night, Friday June 21, at the Community Centre.

Teams of 8 to 10 will compete for bragging rights and the title of the team with “The Most Trivia Knowledge”. The first-place team will also be reimbursed their $10.00 entrance fee.

Helping out with their contribution to the cause will be Jossy’s Chill and Grill, east of Arden in Sharbot Lake, and Gala Pit Stop, west of Arden in Kaladar.

Rachael Scott is in her 3rd year of operation, keeping the original name and a lot of the well-established favourites. She has added her own special flair to the menu, selling gluten-free products as well as the popular “Frontenac Burger” which is almost as big as the County.

New to Arden is Gala Pit Stop’s owners Sylvain Bertrand and his partner Lynn (along with the kids participating as well). Purchasing a home in Arden in 2017 and working tirelessly on the renovations, they decided this spring to put all of their past experience in the hospitality industry to work. They bought a Chip truck in Kaladar, on Highway 7, renovated it and renamed it the Gala Pit Stop. Holding true to the regular menu, they also offer gluten-free products. Sylvain’s passion, though, is poutine - and they offer various sizes and different flavours of cheese. But get the Basic Poutine and you will be very pleased, because it is the most popular.

The Kennebec Rec Committee and the volunteer Fighters would like to thank both Rachael and Sylvain for their support and generous donations.

Talk to your friends and neighbours and form a team. Call me at 335-3186 or talk to any member of the Rec. Committee for tickets. There are lots of door prizes and a canteen with beer, pop, coffee and tea. Come on out, have a lot of fun and support an extremely important fundraising project in our village. We thank you in advance for all of your continued support and stay tuned for our next fundraising adventure.

It isn’t as if too many people will get lost if they go to the former Arden Batik location on Elm Tree Road in Arden. The new location will be in sight and only a few steps away in the converted hotel where Sarah Hale has lived for over 45 years. But for Sarah Hale, the change of location will bring her batik business back to where it started.

It will also allow her access to a full-size studio on a year-round basis, and more wall space to show the larger, framed batiks that she is most interested in creating.

Sarah dates her career as a professional batik artist to the first larger craft show that she attended in 1977. She remembers the day well, because after packing up for the day she drove to Perth hospital to give birth to her daughter Julia. For the next 20 years she travelled to craft shows, large and small, across the province, selling larger and smaller framed and unframed pieces, famous Arden Batik name cards, and more.

Gradually, first at a shop located next to the Arden post office, and since 2001 from the former café at the bottom of the hill, Arden Batik has been open throughout the summer and by chance or appointment in the shoulder seasons.

Now, the same basic selling hours will be maintained in the hotel, with half of the bottom floor setup as a shop and a studio. Sarah will not be attending any shows or studio tours this year “in order to focus on the store,” she said.

She said that at this point she is not really interested in “growing my business just maturing it, and having the freedom to explore some more challenging work.”

After over 40 years using the wax resist batik method to capture the feel of the Canadian shield landscape in her work, it will be interesting for her fans and admirers from near and far to see where her work goes in this new/old space.

Arden batik will be open on Saturday and Sunday afternoon this weekend, and by chance or appointment until mid-June when it will be open for regular summer hours.