Photo: Dennis Burr

On October 29, about 15 people undertook a hike to the Arden Canyon, a unique geologic feature that extends for several kilometres southeast of Arden. The hike was organized by the Friends of Arden and was led by Don Scott, a born and bred Ardenite who knows the area like the back of his hand. Don has visited the gorge many times since he was young, for hunting or just to have some quiet times.

Retired Queen’s geology professor, Dugald Carmichael, came on the hike and was able to explain some of the gorge’s unique features to the group. He explained that the high ground surrounding the canyon is granite, while the bedrock underneath the marshy valley of the canyon is marble, and so the canyon was formed by the erosion of the marble.

The idea for the hike originally came from Glen Matson, one of the Friends of Arden, who told the group about a beautiful canyon that a lot of people haven’t seen. In preparation for the trek, Friends members David Daski and Guenter Nitsche went ahead and did some trimming and clearing to make the path easier to follow.

The hike was about a 4 kilometre round trip, so while it was not especially long or steep, there were a number of challenging points where the group had to negotiate their way across beaver dams. No one fell in.

From the route’s wooded departure point off Pitt Road, the terrain changed quickly to beaver ponds and rocks, followed by a wide expanse of open rock over which there were few landmarks. No one strayed too far from the leader.

Wintergreen with its bright red berries, among many other plants, and numerous species of mosses and lichens captured the hikers’ interests, with the latter providing a soft place to rest for lunch on the edge of the canyon. Well – a few discreet feet from the edge, anyway.

The gorge is partly on Crown land and partly on township land, and the eventual goal of the Friends is to do some signing and grooming of the trail so that others can enjoy this beautiful feature of the area.

In the meantime, they will be planning more hikes for next year.

(Dugald Carmichael was one of the contributors to the book, “Lennox and Addington”, and for those who have the book, there is an aerial photo that includes the canyon on page 17, though it is a bit hard to pick it out in the photo)

Photo: Glen Matson of Matson Contruction and other Friends of Ardern clear a roadway to the lookout.

Two weeks ago, two special events took place that are intended to benefit residents and visitors to the hamlet of Arden for years to come.

In addition to a location in the midst of several beautiful lakes, Arden's topography has provided a scenic lookout, which unfortunately has been accessible only to those fit and hardy enough to manage a lengthy hike through bush and up a series of steep rock faces.

With the approval of Central Frontenac Council as the property owner, Glen Matson, along with family members, Councillor Jeff Matson, Chad Matson and Donnie Scott, mobilized their construction equipment and undertook to provide access to the site. With a crew of volunteers, including Councillor Tom Dewey, ninety-two year-old Dorothy Proctor and 15 others working ahead clearing trees and brush, they built a road through the bush and up the hillside.

Approximately three-quarters of the way to the top, they constructed a small parking area that could accommodate four or five vehicles. The remainder of the trail to the top was then trimmed and raked. The result was the provision of accessibility for almost anyone, to a site that provides a scenic view for miles over the forest and surrounding lakes.

In addition, at the same time four of the local young people including Kaitlyn Scobie, Bailey and Michaela Paddick, and Cameron Scott, were tackling the staining of picnic tables at the community centre, beside the Millpond and in the Recreation Park, coordinated by Diane Nicolson and Wanda Harrison.

The two groups took a break together at noon to enjoy a lunch prepared by Betty Matson.

These two projects were part of the ongoing efforts of the Friends of Arden and represent two more significant steps toward the revitalization of the hamlet.

Next to be undertaken will be the blazing and clearing of a trail to the gorge south of Arden and the painting/staining of the canteen and facilities in the Recreation Park.

Residents in the Arden area are encouraged to watch for further information and are invited to join in the efforts to improve the hamlet and life in it.

By Jeff Green and Julie Druker

Friends of Arden approach FCFDC, with support from township

A couple of weeks ago the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) put out a call for community groups seeking to “improve the vitality of their village.”

It was as if the FCFDC was describing the Friends of Arden.

“If you are an association, group of engaged citizens or a municipality interested in improving the vibrancy of your community the Frontenac CFDC would like to hear from you,” they wrote.

In their letter to the FCFDC asking that Arden be chosen for the FCFDC initiative, the Friends of Arden described the series of meetings and initiatives they have conducted over the last year or so.

Central Frontenac Council has thrown their support behind the Friends of Arden. At their meeting this week, Council directed staff to send a supporting letter to the FCFDC, urging them to choose the village of Arden.

“I think the amount of activity that has already been undertaken in Arden, by the Rec. Committee, the Legion, two active lake associations, and the Friends of Arden, make this an excellent opportunity for Arden and for the FCFDC. I whole-heartedly support sending a letter of support for this,” said Mayor Janet Gutowski.

In their own letter to the FCFDC, the Friends of Arden describe their ultimate goal as that of turning Arden into a tourism hub in Frontenac County.

Garrison Shores condominium agreement finalized

Central Frontenac Township has signed off on a land condominium agreement for the ill-fated Garrison Shores housing development.

This means that after almost 30 years of legal limbo, the property owners on Garrison Lake will be able to get deeds to their property, which will give them, for the first time, the opportunity to sell if they wish to.

The process was held up for years because the lots were undersized, among other factors, and there were disagreements between some of the Garrison Shores property owners. One bone of contention was the fact that under the condominium agreement, much of the shoreline has been allocated to specific landowners, when it had previously been held in common.

The condominium agreement has been through numerous processes involving Frontenac County, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Ontario Municipal Board.

When it came to Central Frontenac Council this week, Councilor John Purdon said, “There are a number of minor errors in the text which need to be fixed before this is registered, but I agree we should finally move ahead with this.”

“Hallelujah,” said Mayor Janet Gutowski, “it's about time this was settled. I can't imagine the stress this has caused over the years in households where investments had been made and there were no legal deeds and people’s money was left in limbo.”

1000 Islands Concrete – Another long-standing issue in the Arden area has been resolved. Councilor Jeff Matson reported that he has been in contact with Bob Castle, the owner of 1000 Islands Concrete in Brockville, about the depot they have been working on setting up at the former site of the Arden Station garage and restaurant.

“He told me that the settlement ponds have been dug on the site, the berms are built and cement is being poured for two ramps. They are hoping to have trucks in for spring, after half loads are out, and are talking about a building going up next summer to house trucks and materials,” said Matson

“We are fortunate they didn't walk away from this,” said Mayor Gutowski, referring to delays that added costs to the new business venture and kept it from starting up for four long years.

When 1000 Islands Concrete mixes their first batch of ready-mix concrete sometime next spring, it will have been five years since they first applied for a zoning bylaw amendment in March of 2007.

Construction on pace for a good year -

While August was not a banner month for building permits, 2011 is still in pace to be the strongest construction year in at least three years. Values to date this year are $5.76 million, up from $5.37 million last year, but last year’s total included a $665,000 public housing project. In 2009, during the heart of the recession, the January to August total was only $3.28 million. Permit fees are also up, at $72,000, up from $63,000 in 2010 and $40,000 in 2009. To date 10 new residential units have received permits this year, down from 12 in 2010 but up from 6 in 2009.

Public works issues

Beaver baffle attempt to get underway -

(Don't talk about this to any of the local beavers you know, especially the beavers living near the Long Lake Road)

Public Works Manager Mike Richardson said that after council gave leave for the department to look at building a beaver baffle somewhere in the township, a landowner on Opeongo Road, off of Long Lake Road, came forward to work with the township on his property.

“Some of the circumstances at that location are working in favour of the beaver so some patience will be required there, but we are going to give it a try,” said Richardson.

Arden bridge project delayed – A project to rehabilitate the Arden Bridge, which was budgeted at $60,000 this year, has turned into a larger project than the department expected.

“It will cost about $120,000 to do the project and it is not the kind of project than can be done in phases so I recommend we wait and do it next year,” said Richardson. “The Arden Road itself needs to be re-done, which is a major project, and we need to make sure this project fits with that rebuild.”

Jeff Matson and Tom Dewey, both councillors from the Arden area, asked that if the project is not done this year at least some clean up of the site be done.

Tendering for winter road maintenance -

Three-year contracts for winter maintenance on a number of gravel roads were up last year, and were extended for one year. Mike Richardson recommended putting those contacts up for tender for a two-year contract, during which time his department will look closely at some of the roads that may no longer have year-round residents living on them.

He also recommended putting the Road 38 winter maintenance contract out to tender for one year, because the contract for the South Frontenac portion of the road runs out next year and it might be possible to work together with South Frontenac to streamline the administration of contracts for the maintenance of the entire road, from the edge of the City of Kingston all the way to Highway 7.

Some members of Council wanted to simply extend the existing contracts for the gravel roads and Road 38 for one year, but a motion to that effect was defeated in a 5-3 vote. Councilor Matson declared a conflict of interest and excused himself during the vote.

The township will proceed with the tenders.

Clear bags muddy the waters

Council discussed what would become of bag tags now that the township is selling clear bags for garbage disposal.

“As of April 1, 2012, bag tags on garbage bags will no longer be acceptable at the dumps and only the clear bags that are sold by the township will be suitable for dumping. Clear bags are being sold now, and bag tags are no longer being sold. People have six months to use up their tags,” said Councilor Norm Guntensperger, who sits on the township's waste management committee. “That was approved by Council when we brought in the new waste management bylaw.

“We put this information out in the tax bills, it has been brought to the attention of lake associations, and it is on our website,” said Mayor Gutowski. “We will have to continue to let people know about this, but on April 1, bag tags will no longer be acceptable so people need to use them up before then.”

New Recreational baseball hits

In a delegation made to council Cory Thompson, Chair of the District 2 recreation Committee, was pleased to report that his plans to start a new recreational baseball league in Central Frontenac, which originally met with some opposition, proved to be a very successful in its first season. A total of 89 children, ages 4 and up, participated and Thompson reported that 67 of those children had never played baseball before. “The kids loved it and their parents did too and it really worked out very well.” The league received an outpouring of support and donations from the community including a donation of $3000 in used equipment, which was distributed to the participants. Cory reported that many of the children are now continuing to play the game at school and at home. Owen Tryon made logos for t-shirts that were given out to the players at the end of season party that took place in Arden. Players’ parents were generous and donated their time and Cory said their feedback was incredibly positive “We'll see where it goes next year but this year shows that there are lots of kids and their parents who are very enthusiastic about it.”

Mayor Gutowski thanked Cory for all of his work and said she is pleased to support non-competitive participation in this recreational league, which gives all kids a chance to play the game. “Encouraging kids to get outside, get active and have some fun with family and friends is definitely something that I support.”

Bear spotted at the Mountain Grove ball field

Before he left, Cory Thompson also mentioned that it had been reported to him that a large bear was spotted at the Mountain Grove ball field. Reportedly, the bear seemed overly interested in the ball game being played. Anyone playing in the park should take appropriate caution.

Motion passed supporting OFIT

Council passed a motion supporting a letter sent to council by Glen Morrow, President of the Carleton Automotive Towing and Recovery on behalf of the Ontario Federation of Independent Towers. The letter said that a Request for Proposal by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional services would effectively “transfer the authority of vehicle impoundments from the Ministry of Transportation to the OPP.”

It stated that the RFP would “have a negative effect on the overall capacity of your local towing industry to serve the community” and further, that the RFP had been “tendered without consultation with you, our municipal representatives and without us, your local tow service providers.”

Councilor Frances Smith agreed with the independent towers, and said “I'm not sure if this is a big issue for us but we need to use common sense here and support our local towing companies.”

Friends of Arden receive unanimous support from council

Terry Kennedy, of the Friends of Arden (FOA) group, updated council on the progress of the Arden revitalization program, outlining over 24 projects they hope to achieve over a five-year period.

To date the volunteer group has removed the metal guard rail along the Arden millpond, replacing it with rocks, and have removed and disposed of two full truck loads of debris from the Arden stream with the aid of the township.

Other upcoming FOA projects include improved signage, improvement to public areas like parking lots, picnic area, trails and the playground as well as larger projects like exploring the re-opening of a store/tearoom in the hamlet.

Terry Kennedy said that the group hopes to explore various options that would enable the township and the group to work together in these upcoming projects.

The next major project on the group’s agenda is the major clean up of the hamlet planned for July 28 (with a July 29 rain date) where FOA volunteers will be assisting members of the community to transport and dispose of refuse from their properties, which some owners have been unable to dispose of themselves. Kennedy asked that council consider supporting the clean up by providing equipment for refuse collection from a central location and for councils consideration in terms of tipping fees.

The FOA plans to ask participants having material collected to be prepared to sign a form agreeing that their “waste amnesty” load applies to the items removed. The FOA will also make a request to local residents who do not anticipate using their “amnesty load” to consider donating it to the clean up project.

Council unanimously passed several motions in connection with the FOA presentation, which included: directing staff to come up with a formal communications plan with the FOA; to make township equipment available for the upcoming clean up project on July 28 and recognize the amnesty loads by eligible property owners and donors; that council support the development of a proposed FOA signage program for Arden and assist in its implementation subject to the availability of township funding; and lastly that council direct staff to finalize plans for street improvements in the vicinity of the Arden mill pond based on input from public works and the availability of funding.

Council discussions re - RFP for septic approvals and inspections

CBO Jeremy Neven reviewed the proposed Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide both septic approvals and re-inspections on behalf of the township. It was decided that keeping the service in house would go above and beyond the capabilities and expertise of the municipality.

Council decided to explore and compare the competitive services and rates offered by the KLF&A Public Health, who now provide the service and who recently announced an increased cost for the services they provide, to similar services offered by the Mississippi Rideau Septic System Office (MRSSO).

Councilor Frances Smith wondered if there was any private industry that might be considered for the job. Neven answered. “None that I am aware of right now; its a large task to take on for a private company.” Councilor John Purdon wondered if there were any other potential organizations that might take it on, such as the Quinte or Catarqui Conservation Authorities. Neven said he did not believe so.

John Duchene said these providers, such as Quinte Conservation, are usually not interested in serving areas outside of their regions.

Mayor Gutowski summed up the reason for creating the RFP in the first place. “Tax payers are concerned with these issues and costs, so if there is any way that we can help protect our water and also help tax payers get a better deal and good service then we need to make sure we look into it.”

Private Roads Draft Policy: Cathy MacMunn reviewed a draft policy that was prepared by the township’s planning consultant Glenn Tunnock, who will be attending the council meeting on August 9 to address his proposal and make any other changes that need addressing.

Councilor Purdon said he was pleased to see the draft proposing new private roads as a possibility as well as new lots on private roads.

Until now, the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH), the body that has jurisdiction over the township, has insisted that no new construction on private roads be permitted in the township’s amended Official Plan.

Tunnock’s proposal is an attempt to come up with wording to go into the Official Plan, which will convince MMAH to permit a limited number of new building lots to be created on existing private roads or through extensions to those roads.

In his report, Tunnock made use of some information the township has gathered to demonstrate the necessity of permitting limited development on private lanes for the township’s continued viability.

Given the limited number of locations where building can take place on public roadways in Central Frontenac, and the number of new houses that have been built each year since 2001, Tunnock’s report shows that without allowing 1-3 lots to be created on private lanes per year the township will run out of building lots in short order and the rate of new construction will begin to drop.

The proposed policy also includes measures designed to ensure that private lanes are kept up to a minimum road standard, since the ministry has expressed a concern over the ability of fire and emergency vehicles to access properties on private lanes.

The private lane policy is the only section of the amended Official Plan that has not yet been approved by Municipal Affairs.

Public Works: Councilor Bill Snyder brought to council’s attention the rough shape of the Wilkinson railway crossing. CAO John Duchene said he will contact the railroad to make them aware of the condition of the tracks at that location and at the Tichborne crossing.

Event Remuneration: A resolution directing staff to prepare a draft by-law regarding event remuneration for members of council was defeated. The majority of councilors agreed that opening up the budget to remuneration regarding per diems and mileage to cover councilors attending out of county meetings would be opening up a can of worms that would be difficult to keep track of.

By Jeff Green and Julie Druker

Council cautious on Arden revitalization

The Aden Revitalization Project has been building up a head of steam in recent months, and Terry Kennedy submitted a report to Central Frontenac Council at their June 28 meeting on the revitalization steering committee’s goals for the next few months.

While the committee is proposing to do some work cleaning up Arden and sprucing up the park and recreation trails this summer, they were looking for council approval before getting underway because the property they are planning to work on is owned by the township.

Proposed projects include painting and staining facilities in the Kennebec Recreation Park, upgrading trails and parking adjacent to the park, cleaning up the stream bed from the Mill Pond to the Post Office bridge, and cleaning up and disposing of materials on private properties in the hamlet.

In terms of cost to the township for these efforts, the steering committee asked for some gravel for trail reclamation, and for waiving of dumping fees and some help in transporting refuse that is collected through the clean up exercises.

Council did not have much problem with the painting and cleaning up proposals, and accepted the request to waive fees and provide a truck to collect refuse. But even though the work that is proposed to be done on parking lots and trails will be done with volunteer equipment and labour, there were concerns over the scope of the work and potential liability,

“I would like to see some more detail about what is being proposed; who will be doing the work; insurance, etc., before approving that part of the proposal,” said Mayor Janet Gutowski (newly returned from a trip to Australia where she was on hand for the birth of her first grandchild.)

Council approved the painting and clean up proposals and will consider the trail and road construction projects at their meeting on July 12.

Funding application – Council is submitting a grant application for $25,000 for playground equipment for the Arden Park. With $20,000 already in the 2011 budget for equipment, if the grant from the Hydro One “Power Play” initiative comes through, there will be $45,000 available for a playground structure that would be comparable to the one that was put in at the Sharbot Lake Beach a couple of years ago.

Farmers’ market committee - Council appointed a committee to oversee the Sharbot Lake Farmers’ Market and report back to council in October. Councilor Wayne Millar will be the council representative and chair of the committee.

Lake associations - On July 9 from 10 am to noon at Oso Hall, executive members of six area lake associations will be meeting informally with members of council to bring forth any issues or items that are of concern

Approval of Road Closure - Council members agreed unanimously to close a short section of Road 38 for 15 minutes to accommodate a traditional wedding procession that will take place on Friday August 26

District 4 Recreation Issues addressed - Council passed a motion authorizing the facilities management coordinator (working cooperatively with the manager of public works) to arrange for and supervise all township dock installations and removals in the spring and fall. A previous letter to council had complained of unnecessary damage to docks in the past due to lack of communication between the recreation committees and the township.

On the same topic, council also agreed to form an Ad Hoc working committee consisting of chairs of the four recreation committees along with CAO, mayor and deputy mayor to review the roles of the township and recreation committees in the planning, providing and maintaining of public recreation facilities

Council schedule - Council agreed to reduce summer council meetings to one on July 12 and one on August 9. The meetings scheduled on July 26 and August 23 have been cancelled.

Close vote approves new public works coordinator in Central Frontenac

Following a timely pre-budget presentation by Public Works Manager Mike Richardson, council narrowly passed a motion in a 5-4 vote to replace the position of supervisor of operations with a public works coordinator and a waste management supervisor, essentially creating one new full time position at an estimated salary of $57,000 - $63,000.

Richardson said, “Senior positions without the support of council are not of much value in the long run. We need to buy in in the worst times and I am here today to defend this new position. This position will benefit the municipality in a number of ways by lending support to the finance and recreation departments, and the CAO, and offering improved accuracy in reports - more in-depth information. The report spells out that we are behind in our regulatory management of pits and quarries and health and safety and this position will be assigned to manage these positions and by managing them will not only bring the municipality into compliance but also make us a leader in this field while also smoothing out all of the operations involved.”

Adjustments to Proposed 2011 Cultural/Recreation Budget

Council made some minor adjustments to the proposed 2011cultural/recreation budget by cutting roughly $7,000 from maintenance, repair and supply costs at various sites. Topping the list of expenses at $67,000 is the Parham fairgrounds with $46,000 estimated for the building of a new canteen and washrooms. The proposed budget of $23,000 for a new Arden playground will be covered mostly by a $20,000 transfer from the parkland reserve fund. The preliminary site work to be done at the Mountain Grove ball park is proposed at $32,000 which includes $15,000 deferred from 2010.

Arden Revitalization

Glen Matson and Terry Kennedy made a presentation to council highlighting their plans to revitalize the Arden community. Matson presented a number of photos of the areas they intend to upgrade and asked council’s permission to go ahead with improvements that included upgrading the walking trails around the pit and ball field; constructing a road from behind the ball field to the picnic area; and removing a lengthy flex beam on a section of the Arden Road and replacing it with large rocks to make the parkland more attractive and accessible. Kennedy ended the presentation stating, “We would like to work with council in these efforts to improve the community.”

Council accepted the presentation for information.

Meisel Woods Conservation Area Trail Expansion

Joe Slater made a delegation to council outlining the last major project needed to complete the 4 km hiking trail located near Crow Lake. The project involves the construction of a 600-foot-long floating walkway situated at the north end of Bass Lake. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has prepared construction drawings and will be submitting grant applications to several groups in the hopes of acquiring funds to complete the project by August 2012, at an estimated cost of $170,000. Slater requested a letter of support from council to the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, which would accompany the project’s grant applications. Council agreed to provide the letter.

A few months ago, enthused by some improvements to the sidewalks and roadways in the middle of the village, Arden resident Dorothy Proctor issued a challenge to her fellow Ardenites to come together and try to revitalize the village.

That led to a public meeting in November, which drew over 70 people to share ideas and plans for the future.

A follow-up meeting last week, on Thursday, February 17, drew 60 people according to Adrian O’Connell, one of the organizers.

“The turnout for the second meeting is encouraging,” O’Connell said, “and there is a bit of a concern that these meetings not become talking shops or that people go off and start doing things that overlap with things that others are doing, or that the township should be doing.”

To counter that possibility, a set of small committees has been formed to move different initiatives forward. The committees include: maps and signage (chaired by Art Dunham); clean up and property standards (Jim Duthie); coffee shop/store (Janina Fisher); and public works (Glen Matson).

A couple of projects that are aimed at enhancing the tourism potential of Arden were discussed at the meeting, including constructing a covered walking bridge and the possibility of development of a 400 + acre site off the Arden Pit Road as a recreational area. The property, which is known as the Arden Canyon, was purchased by Kennebec Township years ago, and Glen Matson has kept the idea of doing something with it ever since he was the Reeve of Kennebec. Pictures of the property were shown to those attending the meeting. It includes a picturesque gorge, hence the moniker, Arden Canyon.

Expansion of the role of the Arden and the Arts concept is also being looked at.

Terry Kennedy, the chairperson of the Kennebec Lake Association, is another of the members of what he calls “the start up group”.

“Each of the committees has picked something they will be trying to accomplish right away, to keep up the momentum,” Kennedy said.

A delegation will be going to a meeting of Central Frontenac Council next month to keep council apprised of what is being planned in the short and medium term.

The two Kenebec ward councilors, Jeff Matson and Tom Dewey, attended the meeting, as did Mayor Janet Gutowski.

Another public meeting will likely be called in June, at which time Kennedy said it might be time to form a formal steering committee for what has this far been an informal process. 

submitted by the Friends of Arden

A covered bridge plus a proposed recreational area centred on the 600-acre Arden "Canyon" are just two of the many possibilities that will be put to area residents at a public meeting called for Thursday, February 17 at Kennebec Hall.

The meeting, which kicks off at 7 p.m., is a follow up to an earlier meeting organized by the Friends of Arden last November, which drew over 70 people interested in the revitalization of the village.

 The February meeting will hear about progress in plans discussed at the November meeting and about the recent meeting between Central Frontenac township officials and a delegation from the Friends of Arden. A large portion of the upcoming two-hour meeting, however, will be devoted to public discussion aimed at implementing priorities as quickly as possible.

The meeting will include a photographic presentation by longtime resident, Glen Matson and a display of artwork depicting village scenes by local artists, Judy Versavel and Sarah Hale, who have volunteered to print publicity material for the village renewal.

Mr. Matson, one of the delegates who met with township officials, told a Friends of Arden committee meeting held on January 20, that the response from the township had been "very favourable" and that clearing of brush along approach roads to the village was already underway in an effort to improve the appearance of the hamlet.

The Friends of Arden committee heard that action was imperative in order to maintain the momentum that had resulted from the new village roads and sidewalks construction completed last fall.

Other ideas being touted for the village include sidewalks on both sides of the bridge at Arden Road and an illuminated ornamental fountain in the middle of Arden Millpond. For more information call Terry at 613-335-3606 or Adrian, 613-335-4474.

Friends of Arden Art Posters for sale by Julie Druker

Photo: Arden painter Judith Versavel with two of the Friends of Arden posters.

In an effort to raise funds for the recently formed Friends of Arden, a group of local citizens who are aiming to rejuvenate Arden Village, two Arden artists, batik artist Sarah Hale and painter Judith Versavel, are selling posters of their original art works. They will be donating 40% of the profits to the Friends and there will be a series of four posters altogether, with each artist contributing two works. So far each artist has completed one poster and both expect to have another finished by the spring. Judith's contribution is a watercolour of the old Arden bakery on Elm Tree Road and Sarah's is a batik work of downtown Arden circa 1972. Each 12” x18” poster is sold in a plastic sleeve and comes with write up about the history of the particular building depicted. They cost $20 each, are tax-free and are available at the artists’ studios, Arden Batik (613-335-2073) and Gallery on the Bay (335-2032).

Photo: members of Arden's Line Dancing groupA group of ladies in Arden start their week by kicking up their heels every Monday morning at the Kennebec Hall - and it’s nothing new. The Arden Line Dancers have been stepping together in unison for the last 17 years.

The group was started by three transplants to the Arden community, Audrée Tompkins, Shirley Menyes and Diane Nicolson, who were looking for a bit of regular fun and fitness. The three began by first attending Beryl and Brenda Garrett’s line dancing group in Sharbot Lake. They soon tired of making the trip and decided to start their own Arden group. The Garrets came out to Arden to help the ladies get started and taught them a number of routines. The three took turns leading the Arden group until the late Rosie Wadham, who had been teaching line dancing in Florida for a number of years, took the helm and brought to the group a number of different dance routines that she perfected while down south. After Rosie passed away in 2010, Diane and Wanda Harrison, who joined the group back in 2006, have taken the lead.

When I attended the class on Feb. 7 Wanda took the group through a number of different routines. The routines are made up of about 20 different dance steps that include shuffles, vines, step digs, locks, cha-chas and polkas, the more tricky steps I am told are the jazz boxes, the lindys, fish tails and the scissors. Wanda begins each class by reviewing the individual steps and preceding each routine runs through all of the steps. Doreen Millar mans the boom box, which belts out and eclectic mix of big band oldies like the Bossa Nova, Puttin' on the Ritz, and Up a lazy River; classic pop like the Locomotion and Layla; and of course good old country tunes like Achy Breaky Heart plus a Scottish reel thrown in for good measure.

“The ladies seem to really enjoy the fitness and fun of it,” Wanda said. “It's good exercise and a really great way to start the week off. There is also a certain amount of fellowship and afterwards we usually will enjoy coffee and snacks and linger to catch up on all the local news - we usually spend as much time together after the class as we do during.”

Dancers range in age from 50 to 90 years old and each is encouraged to step at their own pace. While there is only one lone fellow in the group the ladies are in no way averse to male members and in its earlier years the group included a number of couples.

The groups welcomes new members, young and old, and each participant pays 25 cents per class to help pay costs. For those coming out for the first time Wanda recommends loose pants, rubber-soled shoes, and a loose fitting top. “Bringing water is also a good idea,” she said.

Sheila Duthie who has been attending the classes for years said, “I like the fact that the routines make you think as well as move. And if we happen to get mixed up we all have a good laugh about it.”

The Arden Line dancers meet every Monday at 9:30 am in Arden at the Kennebec hall.

For two years, the Friends of Arden have been tackling everything from major clean ups, to park improvements, sign installations and trail building. All of the initiatives have been undertaken with volunteer labour and the only funding the group has received has been from private donations, although they have successfully petitioned Central Frontenac Council for road and infrastructure improvements.

Now, Frontenac County has awarded the grass roots community group a grant of $10,000, through the County's Support for Smaller Scale Sustainability Initiatives, which allocates $50,000 each from federal gas tax rebate revenue.

“The group is thrilled that our application was successful and that everyone's efforts are being recognized. We were getting worried about how long we could keep going without any significant resources,” said Dorothy Procter, the 92-year-old founder of the group.

“This grant will help with the design and installation of signs that will include maps, promote local businesses and provide other related information for visitors,” said Terry Kennedy, the chair of the Friends of Arden. “The grant represents a much-needed boost for the whole community. This is still just the beginning and hopefully there will be much more to come over the next two or three years,” he added.

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