Anne Marie Langan has taken an unusual path to the legal profession.

Her first career was in social work, where she worked with the chronically homeless, mostly in the far north. “This gave me an understanding of how poverty is connected to all sorts of family stress,” she said from her new office on Elizabeth Street in Sharbot Lake just before Christmas, as she was setting up her practice.

Anne Marie Langan returned from The North, and did her legal studies at Queen's. While she was practising in Barrie she took her Master's degree in Family Law at Osgoode Hall in Toronto.

She moved to a property near Sharbot Lake just recently with her husband Rick and daughters Sarah and Grace. “We were visiting during the summer and fell in love with the landscape,” she said in describing her family's decision to buy a house on the Frontenac Road, and her decision to set up a new practice.

She says the primary goal of her practice is to “make family law as understandable, affordable and accessible as possible to as many people as possible… Many people who are getting separated or divorced do not want to go to the expense of hiring a lawyer because they feel they cannot afford it. I understand that, but there are some very good reasons why people should at the very least consult a lawyer if they are separating and/or divorcing. Not doing so could potentially cost a lot more.”

In an article that Anne Marie Langan wrote, she described some of the misconceptions or myths that people have about divorce and separation. These include the belief that:

If parents have joint custody of children then neither parent pays child support;

If a spouse leaves the matrimonial home he/she will lose all of their rights to the home;

If a parent is an “access parent” they do not have the right to information about a child from schools, doctors, etc…

Common law partners share property in the same way as married people;

People are considered “common law” for family law purposes after only one year of living together;

All people have to do to “equalize” their property is to share their assets equally when they separate.

“All of the above statements are inaccurate and misleading,” she said. “And following them could lead to problems down the road.”

Langan does not, however, think that settling matters through the courts is a good option in most cases. She encourages people to “try negotiating an agreement 'in principle' with their spouse either directly, or through mediation and getting a lawyer to draft up an agreement based on the agreement in principle.”

Another option for more complicated or difficult cases, where lawyers need to be more directly involved, is a collaborative practice model. “This is a fairly new method where all negotiations take place in four-way meetings, involving both parties and their lawyers. The parties and their lawyers agree at the outset that they will not proceed to court, and that if they do, their lawyers will no longer be able to represent them. They sign a contract that states that they will treat each other with dignity and respect during the negotiation and disclose all pertinent information,” Langan said.

Collaborative practice could also involve other professionals such as financial planners, mental health professionals and others.

Anne Marie Langan is acutely aware of the pain that families go through when there is a split. “Separation and/or divorce is very stressful for all who are involved. However, the methods people choose to resolve their issues arising from separation can make a big difference in the time and the ease with which their family begins to heal.”

She has set up a website for her practice, Langanfamilylaw.com and will be holding an Open House next week to introduce herself to the community. Langan also works with various referral services to make her services more affordable for eligible clients.

Is there a prescription painkiller addiction problem in our rural community? The use or illegal abuse of opiate prescription drugs, specifically pain drugs like Percocet, Oxycontin and Hydro Morphone has become a real problem in our community. These drugs can cause your organs to physically become addicted and so the withdrawal in some people is horrendous - like heroin withdrawal. When the drugs have been legally prescribed for pain, the doctor stops prescribing them when the initial reason, the pain, has stopped. But if the patient becomes addicted, they may fake pain to get more or go to several doctors to increase their dose. Doctors and pharmacists are only starting to realize the magnitude of the problem, yet often don’t know what to do except stop the prescription. Some of those patients, desperate, then go to the streets to find their daily dose.

Drug dealers have taken advantage of this quick addiction and now such pain killers are readily available for sale on the street. Although this is not isolated to any age or societal group, our youth have discovered them and initially think of these pills as innocent leisure drugs, only to find that after only a few doses they too are addicted. It begins to consume them, affect their health, school, work, social and family life, their ambitions, and finding the drug every day becomes ALL they care about. Several young people in our community over the last few years have become so desperate that even after telling their parents and asking for help, and in some cases even going for addiction counseling, they have lost hope and have taken their own lives.

The Children’s Aid Society of Lanark County has been taking many more children into care because of addiction issues of young parents.

It is a tragedy and a crisis that is not well known in our rural community but it needs to be. Addicts need help and there is help. There are options and alternatives, one being the harm reduction programs that are offered by Methadone clinics in Ottawa, Kingston and Brockville. But what about rural areas? The problem here in Perth, Lanark County and in rural areas in general is isolation, a lack of information, education and access. It will take a community of supportive experts, advocates, and volunteers to help solve these issues.

Join us on January 17at 6:30PM at the Perth Royal Canadian Legion, 26 Beckwith E Street, when the Perth chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women will host a video screening of ‘Prescription to Addiction’, with an open forum and panel of experts including Jennifer Barr from Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Dr. Elaine Riddick, David North from TRICAS, Dr. Paula Stewart, Medical Officer of Health as well as pharmacist Rebecca Bellamy to address and discuss Addiction to Prescription Pain Killers in a Rural Area and to answer questions. Since the whole community is affected, every member is invited. The hope is that local councilors, affected family members, other health professionals, and the general public will attend. All are welcome.

For more information please contact Elisabeth Kuiper CFUW Advocacy Committee chair at 613-268-2114 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On Saturday, October 27, Bonita Lawrence, whose research into Algonquin communities led her to the publication of “Fractured Homelands”, the most comprehensive account of contemporary Algonquin communities in Frontenac County and the surrounding region, will deliver the keynote address at a free, all-day symposium being hosted by the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation at St. James Catholic Church in Sharbot Lake.

Bob Lovelace, one of the organizers of the symposium, said that bringing acadamic researchers and thinkers to a public forum to talk about topical Algonquin issues that are of interest to the entire community is something he has wanted to do for a while.

“Ardoch has always been involved with university and college people who have worked with us to do research. Way back in the early ’80s, during the Rice Wars, we asked researchers from Carleton in Ottawa and Queens in Kingston to help us with biology, sociology, and legal issues. Over the years we have been studied and we have conducted our own studies. Most of this has been directed at helping us preserve Algonquin jurisdiction. Recently we decided that it was time to make this a community discussion, to bring it into our community and share the experience of knowledge gathering with our neighbors and friends,” said Lovelace.

A couple of months ago, the Ardoch Algonquins put a call out for presenters, both from the academic and local communities. What has resulted is a mixed program that will begin with a panel discussion at 9:30 am featuring Marci Webster, Susan Delisle and Regina Hartwick, all of whom have local connections. The discussion they will contribute to will deal with community well-being and education.

After a break, writer Tom Pawlick will talk about food security and modern rural life, the subject matter of his most recent book: "The War in the Country – How the Fight to Save Rural Life Will Shape our Future".

After lunch, Bonita Lawrence will deliver her address, followed by a discussion. The final panel of the day is called Certain Futures. It includes David Welch from the University of Ottawa, who will talk about uranium exploration in Frontenac County; Paul McCarney from Trent who will talk about another topical subject, resource management decisions on indigenous territories as an issue of original jurisdiction; and Bob Lovelace from Canoe Lake and Queen’s, whose subject is re-indigenizing the Commons.

Mireille Lapointe, who teaches the Aboriginal studies course at St. John’s High School in Perth, will moderate the event.

Bob Lovelace has some specific goals for the symposium.

“I am hoping that we foster a better understanding between people. In the community, I am hoping that Algonquin and Settler folks will get to know each other better. I am hoping that the academic folks get to know us rural and indigenous people better. I really hope that when people from here walk on a university campus they don’t feel strange or out-of-place. I am hoping that young people in the community come to the symposium to learn what people are doing at university and decide they might want to join the action. I guess I just want to have a really good day,” he said.

There is no fee for the symposium. The doors of St. James Church Hall will open at 9 am on October 27, and the symposiums runs until 4 pm.

Photo: Laura Schwager, great-great-granddaughter of Johnny Bay

After much research into her family tree, and in particular her Mohawk ancestry, Laura Schwager presented her findings in a presentation she gave at Barrie Hall in Cloyne on Sept.17 as a special guest of the Cloyne & District Historical Society.

Schwager, who has numerous relatives in the Mazinaw Lake area and who is the great-great-granddaughter of Johnny Bay, currently lives and teaches at the Quinte Mohawk School in the Tyendinaga Mohawk territory. She became interested in her Mohawk ancestry after hearing stories from her grandparents, Earl and Cora Davison. “My interest in my Mohawk ancestry comes first from a photograph of my great grandmother, Matilda Bay Schwager...and what would stand out perhaps most for me...was an image described for me of the day Matilda was buried...how a huge flock of geese in their V formation flew down low and loudly above everyone, as if to carry away her spirit.”

Schwager’s research with family members, local historians and genealogists has brought to light the lives of Johnny Bay and his wife Anne Laforce, who eventually settled on the shores of Mazinaw Lake on Levere Road (Indian Point). During his time there, Bay helped build numerous cottages including the Obornes', Blatchfords' and Pearsons' cottages, and also Skootamatta Lake Lodge. Schwager's research uncovered Bay’s earliest roots, which originated with the Hotinonshonni People of the Longhouse, also known as the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy who lived on land in Upper New York State and southern Ontario. Each longhouse was comprised of a married couple, the wife’s extended family, and was led by a clan mother.

Johnny Bay was born in 1850 and died around 1924. He is buried in the Flinton Catholic cemetery along with his wife Anne, his daughter Matilda and his son John. Laura said that she is not sure how he died. There are two canoes in existence that he made, one at the museum at Bon Echo Provincial Park, and one that was used in the Tyendinaga landing ceremony for many years and that is now stored at a private residence on the Tyendinaga Mowhawk Reserve.

Schwager was able to trace Bay to the Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve, which “consisted mostly of Mohawk people wary of warfare between the French and the English, the British and the Americans, and Canada and the United States and that was formed to ‘identify, categorize and control the people that lived off the land through the area that would become 'Akwesasne'’”. Schwager was able to find records of Johnny Bay’s grandparents on both sides of his family from the late 1700s and records of his parents from the early 1800s. Bay’s parents, Peter Bay and Mary Cook had 11 children, all born on the reserve. One of the questions that Schwager was most interested in was why Johnny Bay eventually left the reserve, where she believes he lived from 1850-1876, to end up on Mazinaw Lake. Part of the answer she said was based on her academic findings. In her presentation she highlighted the plight of Aboriginal peoples throughout the country as “new diseases swept through the reserve and the Canadian government worked to build a nation without ‘Indian interference’, a time when rapid change-making procedures were run to guarantee types of culture extinction”, which she said likely played a large role in Bay’s move off the reserve.

“By the time Johnny Bay was married he was faced with definitions foreign to his ancestors; he was forced, though he might not have known to the extent that I am aware of today, to fall from a place he knew, and into categories of ‘identity’, ‘community’ and ‘ownership’ as defined by Euro-Canadian society.” Schwager also cited unrest within the reserve as a motivating factor for the Bays to leave it. “I am told by the genealogist at Akwesasne that the Mohawk people had asked the Canadian government to assist them in having the families who were of mixed nations leave the reserve in order to keep the Mohawk blood line pure.”

She also referred to the book, The Oxen and The Axe, and said, “It is around the same time that the Bay family was known to have considered an offer made to them by the Canadian government to move to a large area of land around Effingham and Weslemkoon Lakes - if 24 families would agree to settle there. The project was dropped because only five families wanted to go. But apparently the Bays liked the area and decided to stay.”

Schwager also pointed to how the move likely led to Bay and his family losing their native status. “The Bay family, having left Akwesasne, were now enfranchised, which legally or by government definition means – to lose one’s identity, breaking up a so-called community (reserve) to ‘own’ land. There would be no distinction between an enfranchised non-status Indian and other non-Native citizens. The Bays would be protected from alienation and would supposedly escape the ‘baggage’ of having ‘Indian status’ or being of the ‘Indian problem’. There are records of information that suggest to me that Johnny Bay may not have even been aware that he had lost his status ‘identity’ and that the land he had acquired would never really be ‘owned’ by him or his family.”

Schwager, who is also a poet, brought her own creativity and imagination into the presentation, which made it powerful and extremely moving.

“There is a second voice that speaks to me and I feel it is one that weaves together all the pieces, known and unknown. I feel, as I still do sitting with my grandmother Cora, who shares with me her stories of another time, that I am sitting with Johnny Bay himself. After all, it is your memory or our fascination with his existence that allows for all the spirits of all the Bays to continue and for their descendants to have an opportunity to reclaim any lost or unknown part of ourselves.”

I have included here a short section of the extensive poetic section of Schwager’s presentation - a creative and imaginary dialogue she had with her great-great-grandfather which she said came to her from a place of deep knowing.

I am Johnny Bay I was a good Indian I was civilized, hardworking No status, off reserve, built a house Worked for the white settlers Shared my medicines I wore their clothes, lived in their world Hard labour for a bit of tea A pair of shoes for my children who would not go to residential schools But whose minds would be residents in their school of thought We worked as a family We built our canoes And they danced to the sounds of our fiddles I was away from my family for seasons at a time I travelled to find work, traded Walked the roads in my bare feet Some remember the creaking wagon and the team of horses My wife’s beautiful baskets She would speak only Mohawk Her body would be lost to the housefire You would know only very little of her There are no longhouses here No clan mothers.

A good supply of fish A good many people I knew Sharing stories and laughter I would take a drink of ginger in a dipper of water I was the guide, the prospector My name beside the Ore Chimney Mine I moved into another world The pioneer-Indian The priest would baptize us all Our language would rest on the great rocks along the shore Our music can be still heard on the breeze And

I remain legendary

Thanks to Schwager, many have now come to know the history of a man who means so much not only to Laura Schwager and her family but to countless residents of the Mazinaw Lake area. Her extensive work and research, coupled with her poetic soul, have helped to keep both the legend and the life of her great-great-grandfather Johnny Bay alive.

Photo: Marlene Wheeler of Sharbot Lake and OPP Aux. Const. Mike Scott “stuff the cruiser” in Sharbot Lake

Members of the OPP stuffed their cruisers at three separate locations in South and Central Frontenac in support of local area food banks. In Sharbot Lake, Auxiliary Constables Andrew Mouck and Mike Scott received cash and food donations for the North Frontenac Food Bank, which is run out of Northern Frontenac Community Services. In Verona and Sydenham, donations were taken for the food bank run by Southern Frontenac Community Services. I spoke with North Frontenac Food Bank coordinator Kim Cucoch at the Sharbot Lake location about the importance of the event, which is now in its fourth year. “At this time of year the food banks are in need of absolutely everything. Cash donations are very handy because with them we can buy food in bulk and can get it at really good prices.” That being said, of course all donations of food are also much appreciated and Kim said all of the basic essentials like cereals, soups, and especially protein-rich foods like peanut butter and tuna fish are always welcome.

Kim stressed the fact that the increasing cost of food has put more and more families in need of the local food banks especially with winter coming. “In this area in particular, where many people are seasonally employed, and with the added cost of heating with winter coming, a lot of people and families are put into a tough position that leaves them turning to the food banks to help get them through.”

Anyone who missed the event can call and make a cash or food donation to either local food bank by calling NFCS in Sharbot Lake at 613-279-3151 and SFCSC in Sydenham at 613-376-6477 (toll free at 1-800-763-9610).

Editorial by Jeff Green

In one sense it makes very little difference when riding boundaries change. Much of what both the federal and provincial governments do these days is done on a regional basis that transcend both municipal and riding boundaries. The federal and provincial governments both have Eastern Ontario Development Plans in place and health care in Ontario is increasingly being managed by 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINS), which also transcend political jurisdictions.

For many readers, riding redistribution will only be noticed on polling day in October 2015, when instead of choosing from the candidates in Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, they will either be voting in Lanark-Frontenac-Hastings or Belleville-Napanee-Frontenac if they live in South Frontenac.

The Hastings-Frontenac-Lanark seat will be as safe a Tory seat as there is in all of Ontario, while the Belleville-Napanee-Frontenac riding will be more of a swing riding, so it might attract a bit more attention during elections. Does that mean Stephen Harper, Thomas Mulcair, or (dare we say it) Justin Trudeau might be sighted at Sydenham High School during the election campaign? No, but one or all of them may indeed show up in Belleville or Napanee. With a population of 18,000, South Frontenac will be the second largest jurisdiction in the new riding, but Belleville, with a population of 50,000, will be the population centre of the riding. With a combined population of over 30,000, Napanee/Loyalist/Stone Mills will also over-shadow South Frontenac.

Lanark County, with 65,000 people, will dominate the Hastings-Frontenac-Lanark riding. The vast territory from the Lanark/Frontenac border to Bancroft is sparsely populated, and does not include a single population centre of note, save Tweed and Bancroft, but even they have a combined population of only 10,000.

At least residents of Central and North Frontenac are acknowledged in the riding’s name. The same cannot be said for Addington Highlands residents, who may rightly feel totally ignored.

Aside from being orphaned in provincial and federal elections, the fact that Frontenac is split into three ridings, (Frontenac Islands remain part of the Kingston and the Islands riding) underlines a great problem for Frontenac County in general: its lack of identity.

It has been difficult to promote Frontenac County as a destination, as a place to live, raise a family, and work, because people do not identify themselves as Frontenac County residents. When people say they live in Smiths Falls, Perth, or even Maberly, they generally then say their town is “in Lanark County”.

When people say they live in Sydenham, or Verona, or Sharbot Lake, they generally say their town is “north of Kingston”.

There is a difference. People do not talk about Frontenac County as a place. That is one of the challenges faced by the 150th anniversary celebrations the County is planning, and one of the opportunities as well, to finally bring some sort of cohesion to a disparate group of people who sometimes have very little in common. It’s a very long drive from the dark skies of Vennachar at the top of the county to Big Sandy Bay on Wolfe Island, but on the other hand it is a beautiful, varied drive as well - from the Canadian Shield landscape, through pastoral farmland, then crossing the Limestone City to the shores of Lake Ontario, onto the ferry and around Wolfe or Howe Island to view the north edge of the US.

When those 150th anniversary celebrations come along, will there be three MPs and 3 MPPs in attendance? Will all three help find funding for the celebration? When Frontenac County needs a voice at Queen’s Park, is it ok that our representative will come from Belleville, Carleton Place or Kingston?

Will this hurt our chances of being noticed?

Maybe not, but it certainly won’t help.

Scott Reid made a commitment to the people of Lanark to try to unify Lanark into one riding. He did so because he knew it would be in their best interests. The converse is also true. Splitting Frontenac County into three ridings is not in the best interests of Frontenac County residents.

This is something Frontenac County Council may want to address, and may want to bring forward to public meetings on riding redistribution that are scheduled for next month. 

By Steve Blight

A couple of weeks ago there was an article in the Ottawa Citizen about the increasing number of ticks being seen in the Ottawa area. This will come as no surprise to many people who spent time outdoors in the Land O’Lakes area, who have been seeing this unpleasant little creepy crawly for a few years. As our climate warms and winters become less severe, the deer tick (also known as the blacklegged tick) has been gradually moving north from its principal range in the United States and has now become a permanent resident in our area.

Ticks are arachnids, members of the same family as spiders, mites and scorpions. They have eight legs – a feature that helps to quickly distinguish them from six-legged insects. Deer ticks have a complex 2 year life cycle during which time it passes through three stages: larva, nymph, and adult. The tick must take a blood meal at each stage before maturing to the next. Adult deer ticks latch onto a host and drink its blood for four to five days. The following spring, the female lays several hundred to a few thousand eggs in clusters. In our area the adult ticks are more numerous in early to mid spring and then again in the fall.

About 3 years ago we had our first experience with ticks when we found a funny little bump on our dog’s neck. It was October, and she had spent the previous weekend chasing chipmunks at our cottage on Bobs Lake. By mid-week the “bump” had become the size of a small pea. We looked closely at it and realized that it was no ordinary bump – it was a partially engorged tick. I found some tweezers and pulled it off, being careful to grasp the tick right by the dog’s skin to ensure I didn’t leave the tick’s mouthparts attached to the dog. Legs wiggling in protest, I disposed of the tick in such a way that that this particular individual was not going to bother anything ever again. Period.

The same fall I found a tick on my neck after spending a few hours in the bush, and since then every spring and fall my wife and I find a few of the little beggars crawling around on either our clothes or on our skin. We regularly remove three or four ticks from our dog after a spring or fall romp in the woods. Immature ticks, known as nymphs, are much smaller and also actively search for a blood meal in May through July so one needs to be on the lookout for them as well.

If being bitten was the only nasty thing about this critter, it wouldn’t be so bad. After all, there are gazillions of biting flies in this area. Unfortunately deer ticks are the principal way that a bacterial infection called Lyme disease is transmitted to people. Known as a “vector” in the bug business, ticks often have the species of bacteria that causes Lyme disease living in their gut. They pass on the bacteria to mice and deer that they normally feed on, giving ticks that come along later the opportunity to pick up the bacteria when they feed on the infected mammal. And so on.

Lyme disease is named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut, where a number of cases were identified in 1975. Early symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression and a characteristic circular skin rash, described by some as looking like a target. Left untreated, later symptoms may involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system. The good news about Lyme disease is that in the large majority of cases the infection and its symptoms are eliminated by antibiotics, especially if the illness is treated early.

Two other facts about Lyme disease and ticks are worth noting. First, recent research suggests that it takes a few years for Lyme disease to build up in a population of ticks. The Citizen article supports this, noting very few cases of Lyme disease in the city this year. However, it’s a safe bet to assume that it is coming, and the delay will give the medical community time to learn about prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. Second, the probability is very low that a tick passes on the bacteria to a person if the tick is found and removed before 24 hours.

Fortunately the internet is jam-packed with sites dedicated to helping people deal with ticks and Lyme disease. The best advice I have found can be summarized as follows:

Wear light coloured, long sleeved shirts and pants when working in the woods or brushy areas. The light colour makes the ticks more visible and thus easier to find and remove.

Tuck pants into socks. I know it looks goofy, but it prevents the ticks from getting underneath your clothing. Some people wear rubber boots, but they can get hot.

Use insect repellent on sleeves and cuffs and socks. Repellents containing DEET are known to be effective.

Do full body checks after spending time outside, using mirrors and if you so desire, the help of a willing partner. Remember, removing ticks before 24 hours is key.

Use tweezers to carefully pull off any embedded ticks, being careful to grasp the tick very close to the skin and pull it out, mouth parts and all. There are also special tick removers of different designs available but I haven’t tried them out.

If you plan to contact your local public health agency about testing the tick for Lyme disease, place the tick in a baggie. Wash the bite site thoroughly and treat it with alcohol.

If you do find an embedded tick on your skin, watch the site carefully for any signs of an expanding red rash. A small reddish bump at the bit site is normal, but a large spreading rash is not.

If you have any doubts at all, contact your local public health authority. The tick I removed from my neck was tested for Lyme disease, and fortunately it came back negative.

For people who are interested in reading more, by far the best reference I have found is available at the following link. It’s very thorough and covers more than just deer ticks, but it’s relatively easy to read and understand.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/resources/handbook.pdf

Ticks are here for good, so the best defense is a good offence. By learning to recognize them, taking a few steps to avoid them, and knowing what to do when you find one, we can minimize the risks. I know that I’m not letting ticks spoil my time in the woods!

Please feel free to report any observations to Lorraine Julien at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Photo: autism spectrum consultant Annie Hussey spoke at Community Living North Frontenac’s AGM on August 27.

The Maples restaurant in Sharbot Lake was full to capacity as Bob Miller, co-president of Community Living-North Frontenac, opened the association’s AGM there on August 27. The special speaker was Annie Hussey, a 24-year-old autism spectrum consultant who made an engaging presentation based on her personal journey after being diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of seven. She spoke about living with Asperger’s and gave a number of tips on how to work with those diagnosed in the autism spectrum. “From an early age I knew that I was different and if you could see pictures of me at that time you could see it for yourself. As a kid in kindergarten I did not have the focus and attention skills that I have now. I was awkward, had trouble making eye contact, was extremely ego- centric, had a vivid imaginary world and would often become obsessed by things like bathing suit backs, logos and certain songs. I was difficult to talk to, would not engage in conversations, and often would raise my finger in the air and speak only about the subjects that I alone liked. I had no idea what other people wanted, no concept of how to build a friendship, was heavily guarded, and did not like to be physically close to people.”

It was later on that Annie began to suffer from very low self-confidence and would retreat from other people. At that time there was little if any treatment for those with the disorder, but with very supportive parents Annie was encouraged to pursue what inspired her. It was not until Annie was 14 and accidentally came across her written diagnosis that she became aware of why she was different. She decided to find out more about Asperger’s. “That was a good thing because I researched everything I could find out about the syndrome and it was that knowledge that empowered me, helped me to figure out who I was, and exactly what my strengths and limitations were. I began to work on myself; it is that work and that knowledge that has helped me to develop into who I am today.”

In 2003 after much work and research she began to make presentations with Dr. Temple Grandin, a noted autistic who is a professor, speaker and author, and with other autism organizations. She began to come into her own as a professional consultant in the field.

Annie also had a lot of important messages for those who work, know and interact with those on the spectrum. She spoke of the term “neuro-diversity”, a term that has been around since the 1980s. Neuro-diversity stresses the importance of respecting people with all types of different minds and understanding that the world needs minds of all kinds. “The idea here is that people with these syndromes don’t need to be cured, they don’t need to be fixed; they need to be accepted. The syndromes are an integral part of who they are.”

Hussey’s tips for those working with people on the spectrum are: 1) get to know the individual and know that there are different strategies for different people and that everyone progresses differently; 2) teach and reward with the individual’s special interests in mind; 3) teach self-rewarding, wherein the person is making decisions and working towards achieving their own personal goals; 4) recognize the need for individuals to speak to people about their special interests; 5) be aware of sensory issues that affect the individual; 6) recognize the need for downtime and respect difficulties with applied socialization processes; 7) help the individual to develop self awareness by pointing out issues that affect others; and 8) never take behaviors personally.

Annie Hussey gave an eye-opening presentation that allowed listeners a rare insider’s look into the need for better understanding and respect for those on the autism spectrum.

Photo: Logan and Cameron Walters of Alderville with head veteran Willy Bruce and Sharpe Dopler at the 18th Annual Silver Lake Pow Wow.

Along with special teachings, ceremonial dancing and other celebrations, the 18th annual Silver Lake Pow Wow again offered up food for all the senses, as it usually does.

Everyone is welcome to attend the event and while there I met one Ottawa camper, Sarah Somner, who was delighted that she and her family happened upon it. “This is the first Pow Wow we have ever attended and we loved it“, she said. “We were all mesmerized by the dancing, my young daughter so much so that she asked if we could come back today to dance.”

Each year it seems there is something new to learn at the Silver Lake Pow Wow. I had a chance to watch a special drum awakening ceremony. Drum carrier and dancer Sharpe Dolpler of Ottawa, whose people are Cherokee and Sauk/Fox and who also acts as helper to the event’s head veteran Willy Bruce, performed a drum awakening ceremony for Nicole Soucy of Ottawa. Sharpe explained the significance of the ceremony, which she said she was honored to be asked to perform. “For some a drum is a musical instrument, but for us the drum and particularly this kind of hand drum is a spirit and is made of things that are spirit and that come from spirit. We perform this ceremony to wake up the spirit of this new thing that has been created from other things and also to begin a relationship. When you carry a drum in the traditional way, it gives you an opportunity to learn from the drum. One’s responsibility as a drum carrier is to take care of the drum, keep it safe, to use it regularly through ceremony and to learn the songs, understand where they came from and to keep with our teaching of generosity by singing when you are asked to by the community.”

Nicole Soucy, whose drum was awakened, further explained the ceremony. “A pebble is placed on my drum and it vibrates as a result from the other drum. Where it vibrates on the drum determines what the purpose of the drum will be,” she said.

Soucy said that prior to the ceremony she felt she had an idea what the drum would be used for and that the ceremony confirmed it since the pebble jumped all over the drum’s surface rather than in one specific spot. “That means that this drum can be used for all teachings.”

Danka Brewer, who is one of the coordinators of the Pow Wow and the arena manager, also happened to be celebrating her birthday on Saturday and said that every year the event is special. “The event brings people in our community together who don’t normally have the chance to meet at other times of the year. Many of the people here, the volunteers, coordinators and helpers, are able to be here through a common resource, the Katarokwi Native Friendship Centre in Kingston, which serves a vast area from the south end of Algonquin Park to Lake Ontario and east/ west from Ottawa to Peterborough.”

Danka’s birthday wish is for friends to make a donation to the Katarokwi Centre to support the volunteers who help out at the Pow Wow and also to help support the building of a new alternative Aboriginal school there, which will be used for Aboriginal teachings. “The school will be a valuable and important resource that will serve a lot of people in this community.”

The Katarokwi Native Friendship Centre is located at 50 Hickson Ave. in Kingston. Anyone wanting to make a donation can call the centre at 613-548-1500 or Pow Wow coordinator Trudy Knapp at 613-375-6356. Danka also spoke of the difficulty the Silver Lake Pow Wow organizers have in obtaining government funding for the annual event, because most of the members of the Pow Wow committee live in Central Frontenac but the event takes place at Silver Lake, which is located in Lanark County.

“This is the land that our ancestors have been gathering at for a millennium and it’s unfortunate that an invisible government boundary line forbids us from receiving any of the government funding available to help support the event,” she said.

Photo: Brian Basterfield and Councilor Frances Smith unveil the proposed plan for a multi-use centre in Sharbot Lake

Over 60 people attended a public meeting at Oso hall on August 8 for the unveiling of a study and plans for a multi-use center that is proposed to be built adjacent to the Heritage Railway Park, where the K & P and Trans-Canada trails meet in front of the township offices on Elizabeth Street.

Brian Basterfield, of Basterfield and Associates Landscape Architects of Peterborough, made the power point presentation for the study team, which included his company, Lett Architects, and the Tourism Company. The goal of the public meeting was to gain community input. Basterfield said the three key pillars of the project were: recreation, the environment, and history.

He opened the presentation by defining the scope of the team's plan, which was two-fold. The first is to prepare a conceptual design for the multi-use facility, which would consist of a year-round trail center with accessible public washrooms and a public display/meeting area. The overall design, either in whole or in parts, would reflect a historical railroad theme. The second goal they set was to develop a business case that would identify how the proposed project could be initially financed and sustained in the future.

The goals for the proposed building plan were: 1) to create a commercial area to cater to year-round trail users, visitors and the community; 2) to increase the use and attractiveness of the two trails; 3) to help connect the lake and boat launch areas to the village; 4) to create a unique facility that can be utilized for other related uses and events; and 5) to create more parking for trail users and visitors. Other goals include creating a facility that will be energy efficient and that relies on innovative green energy technology.

The building appears as two stories from the outside but in fact is just one single floor. It boasts numerous windows, with a large covered area that surrounds it. Plans also include ample new parking, extensive landscaping and the realignment of the two trails so that they meet in a circular roundabout at the western end of the site. The trail section of the building would include a retail/lounge section measuring 17x43 feet and the larger section of the building, a multi-use room measuring 40x60 feet. “We see it as a large canopied space that provides shade and space for indoor and activities to occur, ” Basterfield explained.

He added that the proposed building could be broken down into two separate building phases. The first would be the completion of the trail head section, which would include public washrooms and a possible retail area. The second building phase would see the completion of the larger section of the building, the mutli-use area.

Judging by the reaction to the presentation, those in attendance seemed overwhelmingly in favor of such a building. The majority of questions that arose following the presentation were about financing. Councilor Frances Smith, who chairs the steering committee for the project, explained that the cost of the study was paid for by grants from the County of Frontenac and the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) and that the actual building would be paid for by federal and/or provincial grants along with fundraising.

One member of the audience asked about the viability of a business plan and how this building might negatively affect other struggling businesses in the community; also whether this plan really represents the community moving forward, citing how work still needs doing in the community, like upgrading the washrooms at the beach.

At this point in the discussion Gary Giller, a member of the steering committee for the project and a board member with the Central Frontenac Railway Heritage Society, responded. “We've been exploring various uses for the building and have asked for the public's input as to what the building might house. I'm excited with what Brian and his team have come up with and personally I see this project taking a phased approach, beginning first with the trail centre section. At this point we are still looking to see what the rest of the building might house. And it could just be possible that we end up partnering with another group or groups in the community to move forward with the second phase.”

Sharbot Lake resident Ken Fisher, who uses the trail extensively for skiing in the winter, seemed pleased with the proposed plan.“I have met hundreds of people who are using these trails and right now there is absolutely nothing going on here for these people. I think the phase one stage of this proposal is a small investment and is the obvious next step.”

Councilor Frances Smith was pleased with the turn out at the meeting and said she felt that the plan was supported overall. “We are here looking for input, with the understanding that nothing has been written in stone. Yes, the financial question is indeed one very big question. But whatever happens we are hoping that partnerships with money, grants and fundraising will start us off. This is not a project for taxpayers and I think that is what people are worried about and is another reason why we are looking at phasing it in.”

As far as next steps go - the feedback will be gathered, the consultants will be consulted again, another public meeting will take place, and council will be briefed on the presentation.