Councillor Brian Stewart and Beryl Stott with the North Sherbrooke Plaque

In Celebration of Ontario Heritage Week the North Sherbrooke Historical Society unveiled the North Sherbrooke plaque on Feb. 16 at the Elphin Church Hall. The plaque chronicles the history of that settlement, which began in 1821.Among other interesting facts the plaque names North Sherbrooke as the birth place of Jane Sym, the second wife of Canada’s second prime minister, Alexander Mackenzie; the place where John Wilson grew up and the centre for manufacturing the ”life saving” Gordon’s Salve.

The plaque was composed and funded by the North Sherbrooke Historical Society, which was formed in 2005.

Beryl Stott, one of the founding members of the society, spoke and introduced other speakers at the event, who included Frances Rathwell of Archives Lanark, Edith Beaulieu of the Snow Road Women’s Institute and Rev. Doctor Stan Errett, each of whom spoke of the importance of preserving history in the community. Beryl Stott explained the importance of the plaque as a “way of bringing local history to the wider community and reminding us of our settlement roots.”

The plaque will be situated at the junction of Lanark County Roads #36 and #12 in the proximity of the Elphin Presbyterian Church Hall.

 

Who knew the month of June was National Aboriginal History Month? Here in the environs of Sharbot Lake we were made aware of this designation because it was brought to our attention in a letter to the editor of the Frontenac News.

First Nations culture was brought to four elementary schools in our area in the form of an Aboriginal Play Day. Danka Brewer, the organizer for this event, met with the principals of Sharbot Lake, Clarendon Central, Hinchinbrooke and Land O' Lakes Public Schools. She discussed with them the plans for an Aboriginal Play Day to be held in each school in June. Then Danka met with the staff and students at each school to organize the games, do story telling and share drumming and songs. The development for the Play Days began in January in order to schedule it in for the busy month of June. During the Spring Danka travelled to each school to organise the students into animal clans, represented by such animals as deer, bear, loon and turtle, to name a few. Each clan was made up of students from kindergarten to grade eight which meant the older ones were there to help younger ones and thus promote a spirit of co-operation within the clan. In order to recognize clan members T-shirts were distributed to all the students for them to decorate with markers indicating their clan animal.

This was quite a creative process to take on in four different schools. Danka also enlisted the help of her cousin, AnneMarie Wilson and her daughter Marianne to make bannock for the children at a refreshment break during the day so that the children would also get a taste of native culture as well. The bannock came with a choice of strawberry jam or brown sugar--a delicious treat! The Sisters of the Drum were also called upon to participate in the opening ceremonies for the Play Day at each school. Danka takes care of public relations for the drum group so the "Sisters" were happy to oblige. The children learned some Native songs and especially enjoyed the Children's Medicine Song, Pa Pa Say. I went to each school for the Play Days and participated in the drumming and singing with the children and I observed how enthusiastically the students and teachers embraced this new experience. It took a great deal of planning on Danka's part but what a great reward looking at all those smiling faces. So that's how we celebrated National Aboriginal History Month here in this part of Ontario. The Sisters of the Drum are proud of you, Danka! 

Irwin Babcook with a cement marker made for the farms' centenary.

It was a matter of luck for Irwin and Jerry Babcook to be able to find a couple of hours in a late July morning to talk to me about their family farm. But all the June rain had given way to some hot sunny weather and the first cut of hay was in, which is pretty good for mid-July.

Last year there was more rain than sun in the early summer and there was even a 10-day stretch when no haying was done at all. “I think it was sometime in August last year before the first cut was done,” said Irwin Babcook, “so we're feeling pretty good this year.”

The Babcook farm is an average-sized dairy operation by Ontario standards, and is pretty large for a Frontenac County farm. There are about 140 head of cattle on the farm, of which 65 are of milking age. To keep those cattle going, the Babcooks have to fill one silo with the equivalent of 10,000 square bales of chopped hay (hayage). They also bale up 300 double-sized round bales, which are each the equivalent volume of about 20 square bales and do about 1,000 in squares for a total of about 17,000 bales in the first cut.

“With that all done we have a bit of a lull before we deal with peas, corn, and the second cut,” Irwin said.

Irwin and Jerry Babcook, their son Tom and his wife Karen, are a four-member team that run Crater Farm these days. Their son Vincent, who is a carpenter, also helps keep things going. The Babcooks, who should not be confused with the Babcocks - but that is another story - have been working the same land for over 150 years. Irwin and Jerry are the 4th generation and Tom and Karen are the 5th.

When George Babcook started up the farm in the 1860s, homesteading was a major industry throughout Frontenac County. Within 40 years there would be farms set up right to the top of the county, but ever since that time the farming community has been shrinking. Most of the farms are now clustered in the southern end of the county, and even in the south the farming community continues to shrink.

But for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being George Babcook's efforts at accumulating adjacent lands in the latter half of the 19th Century, the Babcooks have thrived and Crater Farm remains in good shape, physically as well as financially.

Photo right: The farm in 1908.

There have been many changes. Like all local farms, mixed farming was how the Babcooks made their living 60 or 70 years ago. There were chickens and sheep in addition to cattle, and tending a large garden and picking fruit from the farm orchard were as much a part of the daily routine as milking cows and cleaning barns.

Dairy became a larger and larger part of the operation in the 1950s. The Babooks went to all Holsteins in order to improve milk production in 1948, and when the dairy quota system came in the early 1960s, the economic necessity of focusing on a single major product led to other enterprises being dropped, one by one.

When Irwin Babcook was a teenager during the 1950s the milk had to be trucked into Kingston, to Wilmott's Dairy, which was located on Bath Road across from where the Canadian Tire store is now located.

“In the summertime, Wilmott's didn't need as much milk, but the Parham Dairy, which was owned by Jack York, would need milk and cream for the summer cottagers, so we would truck up there. I remember gathering milk at home and from neighbours and driving up to Parham. I would pick up a quart of chocolate milk at the dairy and drink it on the way home,” Irwin recalls.

In the early 1960s the dairy quota system was introduced and for Irwin's father Gerald and grandfather Ray, who were running the farm at the time, it meant that a single-minded focus on dairy production was the best way to make a good living on the farm.

This logic has continued to this day. “The quota system has worked well for us. It establishes a fair price for our product; it is not subsidized by the government. It really works for everyone,” Irwin said.

Over the years, improvements to the feed, the purchase of more quota, and a lot of hard work has allowed for a healthy herd to be maintained, and for the milk to keep flowing.

In order for the farm to keep generating enough profit to keep two families going, the Babcooks have had to manage their herd and their property with an eye to the bottom line. The family farm is also a small business and making the right investments at the right time are as crucial to a farm as they are to any other kind of business, including succession planning.

The barn at the Babcook farm is a graphic illustration of this. It was built in three stages. The old part of the barn, which is in the middle, has low ceilings and worn wood. To the left is a newer barn, put up in 1986 by Irwin Babcook. It is larger, airier and more modern, and to the right is a state of the art barn, set up to milk the 64 milking Holsteins cows on the farm. The windows on the new barn open and close automatically in the wintertime to maintain a consistent comfort level; the flooring is made of recycled rubber for comfort and all of the electrical outlets hang high from the ceiling to eliminate any chance of accidental exposure to the animals.

“I wouldn't have built the new barn,” said Irwin Babcook as he showed off the facility, “I didn't see the need for it myself. It was something that my son Tom wanted. He researched it, put the plans together and we went for it. Now I really see the value in it. It's better for everyone. Sometimes it takes a new set of eyes to see what improvements are needed.”

Tom and Karen have also taken an interest in showing cattle at the Kingston Fair and elsewhere. The addition of the new barn when Tom and Karen came into farming is consistent with the way the farm has been run since the beginning. “Each new generation adds something to the operation, but we also recognize that each preceding generation worked harder than the next one, if you know what I mean,” Irwin said.

The other thing that Irwin insisted upon was the extent to which the farm operation is a four-person job between Jerry, Tom, Karen and himself, with each of them making equivalent contributions.

The combination of appreciation for the history of Crater Farm and a drive to improve and adapt the operation to modern conditions is one of the secrets to the continuing success the Babcooks have enjoyed in their corner of Frontenac County.

Although four Babcooks work the farm, other family members have renovated old houses and built new ones on adjacent properties.

On a dairy farm there are times of the year that are busier than others, but bringing the cows in twice a day and milking them is a 365 day a year enterprise, and the cows can never be left un-milked.

If things go well, the 65 milking cows can be brought in, milked and fed, and turned back out to pasture in about 90 minutes, but that's on a good day.

Crater Farm has a couple of extra distinctions beyond being one of the few five-generation farms in the region. Crater refers to the Holleford crater, which is located near Irwin and Jerry's house, just off Holleford Road. The crater was discovered when aerial mapping of the region took place in 1955, and since then geologists and astronomers have made periodic pilgrimages to the farm to view and analyse the remnants of an event that scientists believe was a cataclysm beyond anything that has been seen on earth in human memory.

It took place between 55 and 60 million years ago. A massive meteor, estimated to have been 800 metres in diameter, penetrated the earth’s atmosphere and hit the ground where the Babcook farm now stands. It is estimated to have been travelling at 55,000 kilometres per hour, and it had an impact of a force that exceeded the impact of 10 Hiroshima-sized nuclear warheads. It left a 244 metre deep, 14.9 kilometre wide crater. The crater has filled in over the eons, but the land is still different from the surrounding countryside.

While the crater’s impact above ground is not that visible, geologists have found massive amounts of crushed rock deep underground, which have led them to conclude that the Holleford Crater was created by one of the largest meteor strikes in the history of the planet.

The other distinction of the Babcooks is more contemporary. Jack Babcock, who was the last surviving Canadian World War 1 veteran and who died recently, was born about a mile up the road from the farm, and was a cousin of Irwin Babcook's grandfather.

“I contacted him a few years ago,” Irwin said, “and I actually tried to get him to agree to a state funeral after he died, because I believe we need more heroes in this country, but he didn't go for it. I did ask him if he was a Babcock or a Babcook, however. He laughed at that, and said he used to insist on being called a Babcook but he eventually gave up on it because no one listened.”

Photo: Mr. Hulls grade 7/8 class and their gargoyle creations at LOLPS

No one was more surprised by the enthusiasm students had for a recent art project than their teacher, Mr. Lee Hull, who introduced a 3D gargoyle project to students in his grade 7/8 class at Land O' Lakes PS in Mountain Grove. “Two-dimensional art projects are common but I wanted to challenge students with a 3D project that focused more on sculpture than flat 2D design,” he said.

The gargoyle project had students researching these ancient architectural ornaments that first appeared in ancient Greece and Rome and later were common in Gothic architecture all over Europe. Who knew that these grotesque creatures, often hybrids of mythical, god-like and phantasmagorical creatures, also served a functional purpose; for example, as spouts to drain water away from rooftops?

Students spent two and half weeks on the project, first researching the topic, then designing on paper their own gargoyles, which they then set about modeling of clay around a Styrofoam insert mounted on a wooden dowel. “One of their goals was to make sure that their gargoyle was visually interesting from every angle, and to do so, they were encouraged to explore a number of clay techniques including bas relief and other textural surface applications,” Hull said. Like all great art projects, the resulting gargoyles are as individual as the students who created them. There were hybrids of pigs, elephants, birds, dragons, fish, foxes with intricate defining features that included tusks, horns, fins, wings, woven beards, buck teeth, antennae, tentacles, chains, plus a huge variety of horrid noses, mouths, ears and eyes, each caught in various expressions of ghoulish grotesqueness.

The students loved the project and not only learned how to create a three-dimensional work of art from modeling clay, but also about the history of these fascinating architectural ornaments. “While the project is an art project, we were also able to tie language and history into the mix,” Mr. Hull said. He has plans to further the project and will invite each student to write a fable about their creature later in the term. The 26 completed works have been mounted and are currently on display in the school library, just in time for Halloween for students, staff and visitors to the school to marvel at.

For Mr. Hull the project was hugely successful and one that he is sure that his students will remember and learn from. “For a teacher the fun happens in the classroom when students outdo your expectations. Instead of falling back on existing fads and trends, the students came up with their own original ideas and, in doing so, gained confidence in their own abilities. And when this kind of thing happens in the classroom, that is the best part of teaching.”

 

Photo: Reverend Nancy MacLeod, The Right Reverend John Chapman, Bishop of Ottawa and The Venerable James Roberts, Archdeacon of Lanark & Arnprior

Members of the congregation of St. Alban's Anglican church in Maberly filled the parish hall on the evening of September 25 for a special Evensong service celebrating the 125-year history of a very unique church.

One of the few A-frame churches in the Ottawa Diocese, the church was named after St. Alban, who was venerated as the first British martyr. During the persecution by the Emperor Diocletian in 300AD, Alban was scourged and beheaded after protecting a priest.

Formal worship in Maberly began with the Mission of Maberly, which first met at the Maberly school house in May 1883 with 80 worshipers in attendance. Shortly after that, members of the congregations decided they need a proper building of worship. In a memorabilia of the church compiled by Helen Strong in 1986 to celebrate its 100-year birthday, it is written: “The pioneers of Maberly and the surrounding district were in no way lacking in the initiative, determination, perseverance and prayer to produce a building which they believed was only fitting for their place of worship. Many were eking out a living on the hilly and rocky land, hence the Dominion Churchman mentions many contributions of one dollar or less when the appeal for a building fund was begun.”

John Acheson, one of the members of that first congregation, who was born in 1843 on the Acheson homestead on the Scotch Line near Perth, was delegated the task of designing and building a church. Timbers used in the frame were cut from his farm, now the Munro Farm on the Fall River Road and swamp ash was squared up at the local sawmill and used for the interior paneling. The building cost $1500 to construct and was built in the Gothic style and includes stain glass windows made by McCosland and Sons of Toronto.

In September 1886, the cornerstone was laid and the church was dedicated on December 6, 1886. Over the years the building has undergone numerous renovations. The foundation was repaired in 1938 and in 1941 hydro was installed. A new roof was put on it in 1952 and the building was totally rewired in 1969. At first heated with two wood burning boxes tended for years by Mr. John Gordon, it was switched to oil in the early 1960s. Structural work was done to the masonry work in 1978 and in 1979 the wood floor and furnishings were completely refinished. Records show that a Sunday school existed from early times and a number of other organizations have continued to meet there over the years, including the Ladies Guild, the Mothers Union, and the Junior Auxiliary.

The church has warmth and charm because of its impeccable design, its small scale and wooden interior and it holds countless memories for members of its congregation.

The Right Reverend John Chapman of Ottawa, who spoke at the celebration on Saturday, highlighted the special history and memories the church holds for so many. ”There have been prayers in this place through wars, through the depressions; there have been countless marriages, baptisms, parties, and when you think about the course of human history in the last 125 years and that there have been people praying in this place throughout all of those experiences, it’s almost overwhelming to think about.”

Reverend Nancy MacLeod has been at the church for the last four years and said, “We're celebrating a very historic and vibrant place, where the focus of the people here is very outward. The people are making use of the building for vibrant worship and are also reaching out into the world.” The church regularly puts on community lunches and euchres along with supporting the food bank, the Meals on Wheels program, and the Salvation Army. The congregation has been instrumental in rebuilding St. Jude’s Cathedral in Iqaluit, which burned down years ago. Following the celebration, guests enjoyed a plethora of desserts and had a chance to reminisce about a much beloved place of worship.

 

Photo: Bellrockers as they might have been 150 years ago

On September 17 the village of Bellrock was transformed and appeared closer to what it resembled 150 years ago as residents dressed in petticoated frocks, pocket watch-bearing vests and top hats mingled amongst horse drawn carriages and wagons to celebrate and share the village’s rich 150-year history.

Local dignitaries gathered for the opening ceremony, which began with Central Frontenac town crier Paddy O'Connor followed by addresses by various representatives from the township of South Frontenac including Deputy Mayor Mark Tinlin and Councillors Alan McPhail and John McDougall, as well as Central Frontenac mayor Janet Gutowski.

Event coordinator and longtime Bellrock resident Virginia Lavin organized the plethora of events, which included local artisans and vendors, and tractor wagon tours highlighting many of Bellrock’s historic sights.

Tour-goers learned about the old Bellrock Mill, built in the mid 1800s (the present building dates back to the 1920s), which is one of the few mills in Eastern Ontario that included a saw, plane, veneer, flour and grist mill, all under a single roof. Among the more famous items produced at the mill were Red River cereal and round veneer cheeses boxes; the latter were made until 1965 when cheese factories declined. Bellrock’s cheese factory burned down in 1943. The planing and saw mill were in operation until the 1970s. Visitors were also shown the old Gonu house, where an old Victorian woman’s leather boot and an oval charcoal portrait of an unknown young female were recently unearthed from within a wall.

Dolphine Dowker’s barn was pointed out as a rare example of the old log structures originally built in the village long ago. Tourists were also offered a 1 km drive down the road to one of Canada's first ever organic farms, Blue Roof Farm, where owner, award-winning artist Kim Ondaatje and Verona resident Louise Day held a photography show.

On an outdoor stage the Fred Brown Band played old time favorites, and later on excerpts of well-known literary works by one time Bellrock resident authors Michael Ondaatje, Karen Holmes, Stan Dragland and John Moss were read by local area wordsmiths.

Winners of the Bellrock story prize, chosen from over 50 entries by students at St. Charles Public School in Verona were also announced. First place was John McIlroy; 2nd Cailey Cotnam; and 3rd Destiny Ritchie; Honorable mentions were Jack Revell and an unknown author.

Not surprisingly local history buffs bee-lined to the Bellrock community hall where a rich display of village history was laid out, much of it by well known collector and private museum owner Lois Grant, who has been collecting village artifacts and lore since she moved to the area 41 years ago. Also on display was a written history of Bellrock edited by Lois and written by May Meeks who at 90 is one of, if not the oldest living historian in Bellrock. May spoke about her early years as a student at the old school and she recalled some of her fondest memories, which included swimming and skating the mill pond, and one particular snowless winter freeze that allowed her and friends to skate all the way from Moscow to Enterprise.

I later found out that event organizer Virginia Lavin was a long-time friend of famed author Matt Cohen and quite possibly the woman who inspired the main character of his famed 1999 Governor General award-winning novel “Elizabeth and After”.

For Lavin, Saturday was indeed a day to celebrate: “The opportunity comes around not very often and you can trust that we won’t be around to celebrate the next 150 years, so yes, today is a very special day and a great opportunity to celebrate the beauty and history of this very special place."

The event was part of an ongoing effort to raise funds to renovate the community hall. Residents and non-residents who are interested in assisting with fundraising events, making a donation and/or helping reach the final goal of establishing the Bellrock Schoolhouse Theatre can contact Virginia Lavin at 613-374-2344.

The next meeting at the hall will take place Tuesday October 4 at 7:30 PM and everyone is welcome to attend. Thanks to all of the students who entered their stories in the competition and below is a list of the winners:

 

Photo: New SLHS vice principal, Mr. David Russell

Students and staff at Sharbot Lake High School need no introduction to their newly appointed vice principal, Mr. David Russell. A long-time teacher at the school, Mr. Russell has taught many subjects during his seven-year stint there, including law, phys. ed., technology, social studies and media arts.

As a result of his experience, he brings to his new post an intimate knowledge of not only the school curriculum but also of the students and staff, which he says is a huge benefit. “I have a great rapport with both students and staff and have also over the years worked with numerous teachers who had a long history at the school, so I feel I have a real understanding of the school’s history and culture.”

Russell, who lives in Tamworth with his three children and his wife Wendy, who also teaches at SLHS, grew up in Scarborough and prior to beginning a second career as a teacher, worked as a technician and in management at Bell Canada for 12 years. In 1991 he graduated from McMaster University with a history degree and did his practical teacher training at Durham University in Durham, England.

Before joining the Limestone District School Board, Russell taught for eight years at Dunbarton High School in Pickering, a large school with close to 2000 students - 10 times the size of the student body at SLHS. “The nice thing about a smaller school like Sharbot Lake is that everyone knows everyone and every individual feels like an integral part of the bigger picture,” he said.

In the role of vice principal, Russell said he is looking forward to the challenge that comes with dealing with “something different everyday” as well as the opportunities that come with having a wider impact on a greater number of students and on the school as a whole. He mentioned a few goals he would like to achieve as vice principal: first, to provide a fun and positive atmosphere for both students and staff at the school; second, to ensure that all students pass their literacy tests; and third, to help students reach their highest academic potential.

Asked about possible drawbacks to coming to his post as an insider, he replied, “Managing the change in relationships might be an issue in that I am now in more of a disciplinary role with the students and in more of a critical role with the staff. But, that being said, so far that has not been a problem at all.” Instead Russell sees his history at the school as an overall advantage. He looks forward to working with Principal Heather Highet, with whom he says he shares a similar overall approach. “We see eye to eye on a number of things and tend to approach things with a similar outlook, which makes for a great working relationship.”

Russell looks comfortable in his new post and no doubt it must be equally comforting for students returning after the summer to recognize a well-known staff member who will now be assisting at the helm.

 

Theresa, Becki, and Katie Procter, sisters who were born and raised in Sharbot Lake are asking for your support in their efforts to make cancer history. The Canadian Cancer Society has given their approval for a swim event to help raise money to fight cancer.

On Saturday, August 6 at 2 pm, the sisters will enter the water at the Sharbot Lake Provincial Park docks and make the 3 km swim to the township beach. The three expect to complete the distance in about one and a half to two hours. Since elementary school, Theresa, Becki and Katie have been involved in various community and fundraising events, including Relay for Life, United Way, children’s charities, Heart and Stroke and since moving from the area to attend school, they regularly volunteer in numerous ways in their newly adopted communities.

Theresa is a graduate student in Guelph, Becki has finished a post-graduate program in Toronto and is now working, and Katie is working as a nurse in Toronto.

To pledge online go to http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/hopeswim2011 (note: no “www”) or you can donate locally at Northern Frontenac Community Services or contact Mike or Wendy Procter at 279-2572. Please help make cancer history.

 

 

 

 

A consultant who is working on the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for the hamlet of Verona said last week that it might take “more bold measures than simply upgrading street signs and awnings in front of existing businesses to make a real difference.

“One of the problems Verona has,” said Derek Crowley of the IBE consulting goup, “is that it does not have enough of a brand identity, and branding starts, I'm afraid, with the name of a place.”

Crowley was speaking to a small group that met at Mom's restaurant to prepare proposals for a larger meeting scheduled for this Friday, April 1st.”

Verona, he said, could be a good name if the connection to the famous northern Italian City, with its storied history and 48 towers, was more “palpable” Crowley said.

But based upon input from the public at last month's kickoff meeting for the CIP, Crowley said there were a number of compelling ideas that came forward, none of which had any thing to do with Italy.

“A name that connects to the real vibrant culture of Verona, Ontario perhaps one that has something to do with the history of the place or with the Verona Festival, would bring in a lot more traffic to main street,” Crowley said. “But only members of the community can decide on just the right name. A name should fit like a glove.”

South Frontenac Mayor Gary Davison said that he did not know what the process would be to change the name of Verona, and that it “would certainly involve council, but it is not something South Frontenac would take on without clear direction from the people in Verona. We're not going to get into another fight like we did over Sydenham water just for a name.”

Central Frontenac Mayor, Janety Gutowski, who said she was attending the meeting as an “interested observer”, noted “this kind of thing is best dealt with at the County level, where there are resources available to make name changes.”

Some at the meeting saw potential in the idea and some possible names were tossed out.

Names that were bandied about varied from “Reville”, in reference to the largest employer in Verona, to Verona Festival related names such as “Cattail City”, “Cameron” and “Lemmington”. On a more Loyalist note, “Prince Charles” was also mentioned, as well as “Middleton”, a reference to both the location of the hamlet in Frontenac County and the potential of drawing for visiting royalty this summer for a naming ceremony.

Portland District Councillor John Macdougall said that the whole idea made him rather nervous.

“We really should look up the history of the name Verona before we do anything here,” he said.

“Just don't touch the name Harrowsmith. There would be something to pay if that was even suggested,” said Councillor Bill Robinson.

1st Edition Editorial, It could be up to us, (March 1971 #1)

Community columnists: The Heart of the Paper, by Jeff Green

Dear, Dear Martha

A Cornerstone For Pine Meadow. (July 21, 1992  #718)

Important dates in the history of “The North Frontenac”  by Jeff Green

Joe the Porter (Oct 16, 1984 #329)

Marathon of Hope (July 11, 1980 #221

Oso Hall full to capacity for meeting of uranium mining (Sept. 5, 1980, #225)

Seniors' housing project rejected, July 1985

Editorial: It could be up to us? 

1st edition March 1971

Many citizens are concerned about the lack of development in the Northern Townships of Frontenac County. What have the ‘70s to offer the North Frontenac residents? Is it only game preserves, pockets of governmental privilege, few services and spotty seasonal employment? Why is it that Lanark County (directly to the east of us) and Hastings County (roughly parallel to the west) can persuade government, business and industry to stake resources in their northern areas? Do we have to wait, cap-in-hand, for regional governments to take over our townships, because the councils have not acted together in their own best interest?

A number of residents of Oso, Kennebec, Hinchinbrooke and Olden Townships say it is time to ask deeper questions and to find out what is happening to the whole area. A questionnaire was answered by these citizens and a class of local high school students. Issues mentioned frequently were – Recreation; Pollution; Schools; Roads; Lack of industry; Economic Opportunity.

There is a strong feeling that local citizens are not participating in any real way – in the decisions of councils and quasi-governmental boards. In fact, the average person of North Frontenac is not getting complete enough information to make a fair choice on anything.

As a first step, the group has decided to study this communications lag in the community – with the back-up resources from St. Lawrence College when needed.

We will begin with the issue of the community arena. What action has been taken on the $100,000 County grant promised to 5 northern townships who would work together on such a project? We feel that a public meeting is necessary, now, on this important issue. The Communication Group meeting will meet again at Sharbot Lake High School on Tuesday, March 30th, at 7:30 p.m. At this time a public meeting on the arena can be arranged.

Please send your comments to Don Morrow or Merv Rutherford, c/o Communications Course, Sharbot Lake District High School, Sharbot Lake, Ontario.

Watch for our next release on these important issues.

The first edition of the North Frontenac News was published in March, 1971 by the Communications Group. No actual day of issue is indicated. Circulation was 1000 copies. John Lee was one of the seven who bought ads at $2.00.

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Community Columnists: The Heart of the Paper By Jeff Green, March 2011

We like to say that the community columns are the heart of the newspaper.

They certainly are the longest lasting feature of the Frontenac News, and to this day they remain as the most direct way that the newspaper satisfies the core mission that was identified when it was founded.

The idea was to allow people from diverse communities to communicate with each other, in order to build connections between people. As a volunteer-based enterprise, the role of community columnist has always been one of the major volunteer roles with the Frontenac News. It always has, and still requires an extraordinary commitment to make all the necessary phone calls to community members each week to find out what is coming up; how events went; how much the baby weighs; etc.

In the years since 2000, when the paper was purchased by David Brison and went into private hands, we have continued to be buoyed up by the work done by the community reporters. It would be impossible for a small news gathering staff of one or two people to follow all the events that take place between Sydenham and Denbigh, which is a drive of 2 ½ hours.

Our community reporters continue on writing, week after week, out of a commitment to their neighbours, and we strive to support that commitment in the rest of the paper.

Vie McInnis knows all about being a columnist. She started submitting stories in the 1970s, and after leaving Plevna for a time in the 1980s, she came back to the column late in the decade, sharing it for a time. She carried on until a few years ago when she retired. Vie is now 90 and still lives just outside of Plevna.

“When I saw that the North Frontenac News was coming out, I thought it was a shame there wasn't something in it each week from Plevna because it is such an active place all year round. So I called over to Sharbot Lake and they called right back, inviting me to be a columnist.”

Vie’s time at the News spanned some major changes in technology. “I never wanted to phone the office too often because long distance charges were pretty high,” she said, “and I used to have to put my news in the mail on Tuesdays to get in the paper. It wouldn't get in that week; it would be in the week later.”

All that changed with email, and Vie was happy to jump into submitting her content electronically. When Mazinaw Online started up, Vie got an account straight away, and started using email.

Jean Campbell is the longest serving volunteer with the paper. She has been the Godfrey columnist since 1972.

In 1988, in the special edition of the News celebrating the 500th edition, Jean Campbell described some of the ins and outs of community reporting.

“Over the years I have learned that some people do not want to see their names or activities in the paper, while others condemn you for not printing something that is not a reporter's business to report,” she wrote.

Jean Campbell used to hand deliver her columns or have someone drive them to Sharbot Lake for her. About a dozen years ago her granddaughter set her up with a fax machine, which has made her job easier. But we shouldn’t expect to start getting emails from Jean Campbell.

“I don’t have any interest in those new fandangled machines,” she said when interviewed this week. Jean hasn’t written much lately, as she has been ill, but she said she is back on her feet and will be back at it shortly.

One thing about the columns, which continues to this day, is the fact they are open to news that you can't find in other newspapers. Sometimes it is births, illnesses and visits by long lost relatives or interesting friends that make the columns, and sometimes there are some pretty colourful reports.

Among the columnists who have written for the paper over the years there are a number that are remembered with special fondness, including Hilda Geddes, who wrote about Snow Road, Mississippi Station and Elphin over the years.

Hilda was an enthusiastic gatherer of historical information, and she published books about the history of what is now the eastern edge of North Frontenac Township and the Western edge of Lanark Highlands.

In the summer of 1989, one of the best issues in the history of the North Frontenac News was published. The 48-page supplement, written entirely by volunteer community columnists, included sections on each of the eight townships that made up North Frontenac, as well as a section on Lavant, Dalhousie and North Sherbrooke in Lanark County, and Kaladar, Anglesea and Effingham in L&A County.

The supplement is chock full of historical information about each and every small hamlet in the region. Here is a little taste from that supplement: “Burridge and Fermoy”, written by Sylena Greenslade, the long-serving Bedford columnist.

The exact year that Burridge and Fermoy were settled is not known for sure, but it is believed to be 1840 to 1850. No one really knows how Burridge got its name. Some say the original name was Barridge, as there were so many by the name of Barr settled here, and others say it was changed to Burridge, as there were so many burrs growing. It's still Burridge, with lots of burrs.

The first Council met in January 1850 at the home of Richard Lukins, Burridge, as he was made Reeve. One of the first bylaws that the Council passed was forbidding horses or vehicles from crossing township bridges faster than a walk.

The early Council meetings were held in Burridge school, later moved to the town hall in Fermoy about 1866. Much of the Council business was related to road construction. Other business was money for schools, reimbursing farmers for sheep killed by dogs as well as tavern licenses at $25 per annum and grocery licenses at $12 per annum.

After the Heritage issue was published, all the contributors got together for a meal and a party, a tradition that was rekindled last year when a luncheon for the newest generation of community columnists was held at St. Andrews Church in Sharbot Lake.

Of all the columnists who have written for the News, none can compete with Mississippi columnist and reporter Don St. Pierre in the 1990s. We didn't always know what he was trying to say, but only Don could say it the way he did. Don is now in a retirement home in Rideau Ferry and he receives the paper each week.

Here are a couple of items from those years.

“Might as well fold up this column right now because we're going to be in “Little Korea” for the next few hours. The helicopters come “flump, flump, flump” at treetop level and lower to have a glimpse of what we're doing. The one that just went by had a brown haired, brown eyed pilot and he didn't shave this morning. What could they possibly want in a village of 90% retired and 60% can't even hear them? My retired cousin is growing his first garden and was ecstatic when the helicopter came down and blew the potato bugs off. He wanted to know if it was part of their services. After cornering the driver of a police truck, he informed me he had only come to pick up a passenger from the helicopter – so when has Mississippi become a Pearson International? That answer didn't satisfy so I asked the question, ‘What is really going on?’ He replied, ‘I truly can't tell you’, and flashed a baseball cap with ‘I've travelled the #509’. Then I truly knew that this boy was off his flight path.”

Then there is Don’s take on romance for women over 40 years of age.

“Are you looking for a single male over 40? A report from Rochester University says your chances are almost nil. If the man is single after 40, he most likely is happy with his life, financially secure, independent and is not looking for ‘extra baggage’. However, all is not lost, states the report. Your best bet is to look for a recent widower. After the loss of the spouse he wanders ‘in a stupor similar to a sun stroke and will fall for anything’.”

And here is one more just for good measure.

“On a return trip home from Kingston last week, I watched as a huge yellow transport turned from the 401 onto #38 headed north. Coming a little closer the sign on the door said “Arliss-Hauling”. By the time it reached Verona, I thought, it will not go any further than this. However, following it closely, I could see it was not going to slow down until it reached its destination – and that being the restaurant at the junction of #7 and #38. Why all the fuss? This transport was carrying a load of rock to North Frontenac! Of all places! We have rocks here we would gladly give away. Ask any farmer. We've heard about taking ‘Coal to Newcastle’ or ‘Tea to China’ but this one beats all.”

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Dear, Dear Martha

One of the discoveries of looking over the old issues of the paper was Martha. We don’t know who Martha was, and whether the questions people asked her were legitimate or if Martha made them up. It makes us think we should bring an advice column back to the paper - but then again we might just reprint some of Martha's old articles now and again. Here are a couple. The first is pretty good; the second is much better.

Dear Martha (Published July 2, 1982, #270)

Boy, are parents dumb! My Mom and Dad went away for the weekend and left me in charge of the house with a few chores to do. While they were away I had a “few” of the kids over and we had a blast! I cleaned up afterwards and my parents never knew the difference. They were so pleased because I had done the chores. And they didn’t even ask if I had been good! Aren’t parents dumb?

Sweet Sixteen

Dear Sweet (or maybe not-so-sweet)

Now here’s a real “blast” for you! It would appear that you are too stupid to realize that YOU are the dumb one and not your parents!

What a lucky girl you are to have parents who totally trust you and don’t question what you do when they are away. And how have you responded to their trust? By doing things behind their back and deliberately deceiving them. And to make things worse, you even suggest that THEY are dumb! I would imagine that there are lots of my young readers who would dearly love to have parents who trust them. What are you going to do when your parents discover (and they will) that you cannot be trusted? I hope you will have the decency, when the day comes, to recognize that you have brought it on yourself! Change your ways before it is too late; respond to that trust in a responsible manner.

Martha

 

Dear Martha (Published July 16, 1982)

My mother is an 85-year-old widow and is planning to marry a 30-year-old man. I do not think this relationship will last. I am only 40 and deeply in love with this man. I just can't understand why he would pick my mother over me. Can you offer any suggestions on how I can win his affection? Signed, Frustrated.

Dear Frustrated,

I have re-read your letter several times over the past few weeks and only today have I been brave enough to try to answer it. I have to decide if you were serious or if you were "putting me on" as the saying goes. I've decided to give you the benefit of the doubt and treat your letter as seriously as I can.

Well might you be "frustrated"...... indeed, I find it frustrating just to read your letter. Why would you be interested in a man who is ten years your junior and who is interested in your 85-year-old mother? If, in fact, you are "deeply in love" with him, then bide your time, ..... an 85-year-old can't last much longer!

And that time will allow you, I hope, to come to the realization that the man is a cad, interested only in your mother's money or is so unbalanced that he needs mothering. For your mother's sake, I would recommend that you contact her doctor and her lawyer and see it they can convince her that she doesn't need another "grandson" at this point in her life. Is your mother in possession of all her faculties?

There are many stable and fine 40-year old men who would welcome your companionship. Don't settle for a scoundrel. Isn't it obvious to you why he has picked your mother? Then

let's be blunt.......he will be saddled with your mother for fewer years than he would be with you. And I'm sorry .... my conscience won't allow me to give you any suggestions on how you could win his affection!

Martha

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July 21, 1992,  #718

A Cornerstone For Pine Meadow.  by Leigh Winwood

“The unstable weather conditions subsided and the sun shone brightly as many local dignitaries as well as approximately 200 residents attended the Cornerstone Ceremony of the future Pine Meadow Nursing Home, in the Village of Northbrook. Chairperson for the occasion, Marg Axford, welcomed the crowd and invited all to celebrate “the vision and initiative of those who dared to dream, the determination of those who brought it thus far, and to celebrate the community spirit that made it all possible.”

Shirley Sedore, Co-ordinator of Pine Meadow, related a brief history of the project and deemed this the “happiest day in the whole process”, inviting all to gather again in the late winter for the official opening.

Monetary presentations were made by Rick Greenstreet and Veronica Airth on behalf of the Highway #7 Community Development Corporation, which is dedicated to housing programs, job creation and community development.

Arriving on horseback, the Lennox and Addington Riding Association, represented by Terry Myers and Chester Allen, also presented a contribution to the facility, which was gratefully accepted on behalf of Pine Meadow by Joyce Parks.

Sincere congratulations and best wishes for continued success were expressed by Frank Calver, Warden of Lennox and Addington County, as well as Isobel Turner, Warden of Frontenac County.

Fred Wilson, MPP for the area, offered his congratulations on behalf of the Government of Ontario, stating the community “has shown us how dreams can be accomplished.”

Bill Vankoughnet, MP, speaking on behalf of Elmer Mackay, Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing, extended his and Canada's best wishes for continued success and expressed his “congratulations to Land O'Lakes for their thoughtful planning and their ability to recognize the needs of the rural senior.”

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Important dates in the history of “The North Frontenac” By Jeff Green

It all started sometime in March in 1971, when about 1,000 copies of the first one page edition of the Frontenac News were distributed.

Among the features in the first few editions were announcements about plans for a medical centre in Sharbot Lake and calls for those interested in theatre to come forward, which eventually led to the formation of the North Frontenac Little Theatre.

Throughout the 1970s the News was cranked out every two weeks on a Gaestetner machine. It generally ranged from 24 to 36 8.5x11” pages, and as North Frontenac Community Services (known today as Northern Frontenac Community Services) developed, the paper became a part of that organization. The paper was sold at local outlets and by subscription. At the centre of the production were managing editors Audrey McWilliams and Mauveen (Moe) Bush, and the influence of NFCS' second executive director, Larry Leafloor, is evident. The front cover drawings, which were done by local artists, were an especially distinctive feature of the paper in that era.

In the 1980s the paper became a tabloid, eventually moving to free weekly distribution throughout the eight northern Frontenac townships, the Highway 41 corridor, and western Lanark County.

The founding of Land O'Lakes Community Services and the efforts at bringing Pine Meadow Nursing Home on stream, including the fact that the home was named through a contest that was won by a grade 6 student from North Addington Education Centre, were chronicled in its pages.

Unsuccessful efforts at bringing seniors' housing to North Frontenac were also documented, as was the role of the provincial government in local affairs. Announcements of even small grants to local groups such as ball teams were made by MPs and MPPs.

In the mid-1980s, the current events section of the paper was re-branded as Northern Happenings and was placed on the front page for a number of years. Now taking up most of a page, even on slow weeks, Northern Happenings remains a prime feature of the publication to this day.

In the 1990s Portland Township was added to the North Frontenac family and the paper was sent to Verona and Hartington each week.

Financial problems developed in the mid 1990s. The newspaper had always been able to pay its managing editor (Moe Bush had filled that role since the mid 1980s) and North Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) was able to cover any losses that may have occurred. However, as NFCS' own funding situation took a turn for the worse when it lost its base funding in 1995, the News became a potential drain on resources.

From 1998 on there were several articles in the paper about the financial difficulties. The managing editor position was eliminated, and in place of Moe Bush, Roxanne Beattie took on a part-time co-ordinator position.

In late October of 1999, the banner at the top of the paper changed from “North Frontenac News” to “The Frontenac News”. There was no reference to this change in the paper, but it was presumably made because of the changes in municipal structures that had taken place when the eight municipalities, which were collectively known as “North Frontenac”, were subsumed into the amalgamated municipalities of North, Central, and South Frontenac.

By the early part of 2000, NFCS could no longer keep the News on and a decision was made to sell or close down. Two offers came in, one from David Brison with Sara Carpenter, and one from Darryl Cembal, who was then the owner of the Heritage (based in Amherstvew) as well as a new paper, the South Frontenac Gazette.

The offer from Brison and Carpenter, who both lived in the area, was accepted and they took over on July 1, 2000. Immediately the South Frontenac Gazette expanded its range to Central Frontenac and a back-country newspaper war of attrition ensued.

The Cembal papers were eventually sold to Performance Printing and continue on today under the banner of the Kingston and Frontenac EMC.

Under Brison and Carpenter, the Frontenac News made many changes, but one that stood out from the start was the fact that Brison was a reporter as well as an owner.

The tradition of providing independent coverage of the activities of local municipalities, school boards, and other agencies, groups and individuals, which had been missing from earlier incarnations of the News, became a major part of the paper. Before purchasing the paper, David Brison had formed Newsweb.ca in partnership with the Land O'Lakes Communications Network and its director, Jim MacPherson.

Newsweb.ca became the website of the Frontenac News and was eventually subsumed under our present website Frontenacnews.ca, which includes an archive of articles going back to the year 2000.

An augmented website, Frontenacportal.ca, is now in the development stages. Plans are for it to include more interactive functions and individual sections for local village life, and also to hook into social network services such as Facebook.

At the end of 2001, Sara Carpenter left the News (we were very pleased to welcome Sara back last year as our weekly “Potluck” columnist). In 2002 David Brison became ill with cancer. His wife, Jule Koch Brison, who had been working for the paper, took on a more central role as managing editor. Earlier in 2002 Jeff Green had come on as associate editor/reporter, and Scott Cox had become the paper’s graphic designer.

In June 2002, the News began to be distributed in Harrowsmith and Sydenham and coverage in South Frontenac has been a major feature of the paper ever since. A total of 9,157 copies are now sent out by Canada Post each week.

When David died late in 2002, Jule became the publisher as well as managing editor. The staffing of the paper has remained the same to this day, with Koch as managing editor, Green as editor, Cox as designer and Suzanne Tanner at the front desk. In 2005 Garry Drew became the ad sales manager.

At the start of 2008 Jule Koch sold her interest in the paper to Jeff Green, who then became publisher, but aside from the change in ownership they both continued in their respective roles as editor and managing editor.

The News, or the “North Frontenac” as it is still called in many quarters, has undergone many changes, but the key focus on local news remains. Other outlets provide information from around the country and around the world, and while the News reflects that, we don't try to take that on. We tend to our own garden, as they say.

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(Oct 16, 1984 #329)

Joe the Porter 

By Harry Hinchley

Joe the Porter was the assistant front desk man at the Union Hotel in Sharbot Lake, or, to use his own classification, “the Porter”.

His duties were many and his hours were long and his pay was not large. Perhaps this has some bearing on cigarettes because Joe was always in short supply and often completely out of this commodity.

This brought about one of his failings – a propensity of habitually begging cigarettes from his friends. When Joe felt like a smoke, which was often, he was not at all backward in soliciting some, even though his friends did not always approve and often said so.

One cool October Saturday morning when the usual crowd had gathered in the lobby of the Union Hotel, someone took some exception to Joe's habit of “bumming” smokes. Joe admitted his shortcomings and even promised to make amends. So, to nail him down before he changed his mind, it was suggested that Joe sign an agreement to this effect. Joe was co-operative. He even produced a sheet of hotel note paper on which an agreement could be written out. A form of contract was hastily drawn up and presented to Joe for his signature.

Joe read it over and accepted it all except one final clause, which would have allowed him the privilege of accepting a cigarette offered to him only when he had none in his possession. Joe balked at this one, so in accordance with his expressed wishes, the clause was deleted by a stroke of the pen.

Then Joe signed the agreement, and promised to give up his habit of soliciting free cigarettes from all and sundry who might be “in or about the premises of the Union Hotel at Sharbot Lake”.

We have not heard of Joe for years and do not know if he is even still alive. But let us hope that he is still living and well. Joe was a good kid and he meant well. But, like so many others, at times he found it difficult not to give in to temptation.

A copy of the original agreement, written on the Union Hotel notepaper accompanies this article. As it is difficult to read, the original unedited text of Joe's contract is set out below:

“I, Joe the Porter, hereby agree that I will not bum, beg, endeavor to procure without compensating remuneration, steal, or illegally acquire any cigarette or cigarettes from any guest, customer, boarder, traveller or transient lady or gentleman who may or may not be at in or about the premises of Union Hotel in Sharbot Lake. I further agree that I will accept one if offered (provided I have none in my possession)

Signed Joe E. The Porter

Saturday, October 13, 1928

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July 11, 1980 #221

Marathon of Hope

by Doreen England and Audrey McWilliams

Terry Fox, the 21-year-old Marathon Runner, of British Columbia, whose right leg was amputated because of cancer, started running April 12th in Newfoundland with a goal of making it back to British Columbia by November, raising funds for Cancer Research

His aim is ONE MILLION DOLLARS and so far he has gone over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS in pledges.

He arrived in Sharbot Lake, July 3, had dinner and at his own request, a very restful and quiet night at the Sharbot Lake Motor Inn. Periodically, he needs these peaceful times since there have been and will continue to be large receptions for him at pre-arranged designations along his route.

The following morning, Friday, July 4th at 4:00 a.m. he was driven two miles on the other side of Silver Lake and started his run. At 8:00 a.m. he arrived at Black

Lake Motel, had his breakfast and a two hour rest. He continued after his rest to 14 miles this side of Kaladar, where he was met by a group of young people and had his dinner.

On Saturday, July 5th, there was a Bike-A-Thon called "The Ladies Great Ride For Cancer", to support him in his efforts of raising funds.

He has three artificial legs with him for the run and the War Amputees Association will repair or replace limbs damaged en route.

Anyone wishing to support Terry Fox in his fund-raising drive should contact the nearest unit of the Canadian Cancer Society.

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[Periodically the issue of nuclear energy crops in our region, usually when the price of uranium jumps and mining claims are made. Back in September of 1980, a forum on nuclear energy was held in Sharbot Lake.]

(September 5, 1980, #225)

Oso Township Community Hall full to capacity for meeting of uranium mining

It was standing room only on Wednesday evening, August 27th, at the meeting organized by the Lanark-Frontenac Conserver Society, a citizens’ group dedicated to conservation and a clean environment. Chairman for the meeting was Jim King, a member of the Conserver Society and after a brief introduction from him, there was a presentation of an audio-slide show.

This presentation, titled “Nuclear Energy in Ontario, Who Asked Us?”, was produced by a Peterborough based group, the Ontario Public Interest Research Group. These slides focussed on the installations of Ontario Hydro producing nuclear power and dwelt on the problems of disposing of spent fuel safely. We also saw the horrendous piles of dusty tailings which are left at uranium mining sites.

There are millions of tons, an estimated 110 million tons of these fine sandy tailings lying exposed at Elliot Lake. Dangerous materials emitting radiation lead down from these piles into the water table. In the Serpent River there are no fish for 55 miles down stream from the Elliot Lake site. The light sandy material is also spread by the wind.

After the slide show Mr. J. R. Simonett, a former Minister of Energy Resources Management in the Ontario Government, spoke. Mr. Simonett wished to clarify the relationship between the Ontario Government and Ontario Hydro. He emphasized that Hydro

is not a part of the Ontario Government but he said that it is owned by the municipalities. Mr. Simonett stated that the move to nuclear was a result of the people's demand for more power and also of the objections to the pollution of coal and oil generation.

Mr. Ralph Torry then spoke to the meeting. Mr. Torry has been working for several years in British Columbia, where the government has placed a moratorium for seven years on all uranium mining and explorations. This action of the British Columbia government came as a result of the presentation of some one hundred groups of British Columbia citizens, including such strong groups as the Teachers' Federations, Dairy Farmers and Fruit Farmers. The moratorium will stay until there are more answers to crucial questions about the possible wide ranging consequences of uranium mining and exploration.

Mr. Torry pointed out that there are no nuclear reactors in Canada except in Ontario. British Columbia has banned uranium mining and the Maritimes are moving to conservation. Present mining operations provide more than enough uranium for Hydro's requirements. Any further exploration and mining will be strictly for export. The mining companies will sell their product out of Canada with no obligation to clean up the wastes. We, the people, will be stuck with that horrendous problem and expense. Yet Sweden who has a reactor programme as large as Ontario's refuses to mine its own uranium because of the hazards.

Mr. Bill Harvey, who has an interest in the local uranium claims took the platform and assured the audience that before any mining could begin a number of public meetings must be held. It was pointed out, then, that to attend such meetings with……..

[The article seems to be accidentally cut off at the bottom of the page – an error that we still make today.]

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[The recently completed seniors' housing project on Clement Road near Sharbot Lake has faced its share of controversy.

Back in 1984-1985, a proposal for a larger seniors' housing complex in Sharbot Lake was working its way through the approvals process. The result in that case was not positive either for the North Frontenac Not-for-Profit Housing Corporation or seniors looking for housing.

The following report outlines the end game for the project.]

July 1985

Seniors' housing project rejected

“As you are aware the process of selecting a site in the Sharbot Lake area has been a lengthy one. The nature of the available land purchase have led us to some difficult choices.

The search for a site has, we believe, covered every conceivable site in the village. After much soul searching in May of 1984 we approved and decided to move forward with, the development of a lot in Village Woods. We did indeed begin work on the site. At this point a petition against the Village Woods site surfaced. A public meting was called in May 1985 and by a slim margin it was voted that we proceed with the Village Woods site.

Following this public meeting, however, in July 1985 the Ontario Housing Corporation (our project supervisor) ‘pulled the rug from under our feet,’ and decided to turn down this site due to: 1) quantity and quality of water, 2) location of the site, and 3) level of need and demand.

The current Board at this point was feeling rather frustrated in its efforts. The three above mentioned points we felt had been or could be resolved. We decided to correspond with Mr. Alvin Surling, the Minister of Housing. As a result of our letter to him he has decided to intervene.

His ministry is willing to hire an independent consultant to evaluate the site and its related problems. The minister had indicated that if the consultant's report recommends that the project should go ahead on the Village Woods site, he will endeavour to secure the funds in the spring of 1986 for construction to begin.

If, however, the consultant rejects this site then this decision shall be binding as well. The implications then are that the project will not proceed at all in the Sharbot Lake area.

A sub-committee of Marcel Giroux, Frances Smith and Sharman Howes are meeting with three members of the Ontario Housing Corporation to hire the consultant and review his or her report.

You can show your support for this project in a couple of ways. 1) write a letter of support to the North Frontenac Not for Profit Housing Corporation or 2) if you are interested in an apartment in the complex PLEASE make sure your name is on the current list.”

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