Back Kevin Hitchcock, Keighan Chadwick, Emma LeBlanc, Jamie Hitchcock, Erica Sortberg, Kelsey Player, Kayla Clinton, Brianna Blight, Buff Chadwick; Front Row: Lacey Henwood, Suzanne Allison, Nicole Hunter, Leah Quenneville

Congratulations to the Frontenac Fury Midget C Girls for taking home second place at the Pembroke Silver Stick, held in December. The girls played teams from South Dundas, Caster River and Kemptville, losing out to South Dundas in the final game of the tournament to take home 2nd place. The banner (seen in photo) will be raised at the North Frontenac Community Arena at a later date. The team will be competing in the Brockville Angels 41st Annual Freeze Tournament on February 19-21, and then preparing for Regional Playdowns for Provincial competition. “We are very proud of the team’s accomplishments this year”, says Kevin Hitchcock, head coach. “The girls enjoy playing together, and it shows through their success”.

On Sunday, January 24, the Frontenac Girl’s Hockey Association (Frontenac Fury) will be collecting a voluntary gate fee at all their games in support of the Haitian Relief Fund.

The puck drops at the North Frontenac Arena at 2:30 pm, when the Atom Fury hosts the Black Ice Wolves. The Bantam Fury will take on the White Ice Wolves beginning at 4:30 pm, followed by the Midget girls playing host to the Gananoque Royals, game time 5:30 pm. “We would like the public to come out and support our effort”, says Buff Chadwick, league president. “We need to look beyond our own borders when this type of devastation affects the lives of so many”. Join us at the North Frontenac Arena for some great girl’s hockey and help support the Haitian Relief Fund.

The Township of Addington Highlands and the Flinton Recreation Club have worked out an agreement that will lead to the construction of a coverall roof over the Flinton outdoor ice rink.

The $372,000 project received funding support for 2/3 of the cost from provincial-federal infrastructure funding, and the rec. club has half of the remaining third ($64,000) on hand. That still left a $64,000 shortfall. Even though the township made the application for the grant, they have no money available for it, and this left the recreation club wondering if the project would be able to proceed.

But an agreement has been worked out whereby the township will borrow $64,000 from an Infrastructure Ontario lending program, and the rec. club will pay it back through future fundraising. Carolyn Hasler of the Flinton Rec. Club said she was satisfied with the arrangement. “We'll get our roof, that's the main thing,” she said.

The club has ongoing fundraising events, including a New Year's Eve dance, several dinners, and the Flinton Jamboree, and are optimistic the money can be raised in a relatively short time.

The project is being planned now, and will go ahead this year. 

Sydenham Eagles won the final KASSAA senior girls volleyball match against KCVI at Queen’s on Feb. 21. Photo courtesy of Rob Kendrick.

Sydenham High School’s senior girls’ volleyball team gave it more than their all on Feb. 21 at the Queen’s University ARC court in Kingston.

A supportive crowd from Sydenham attended the game, and after having a pre-game moment of silence to remember Gavin Davis-Young the Sydenham High School student who passed away tragically in a car accident last week, the girls focused on the challenge that lay immediately ahead: meeting KCVI in the final match of the KASSAA (Kingston and Area Secondary School Athletic Association) playoffs.

The Sydenham team stands tall, with three players over six feet, and plays a totally different style than KCVI. “KCVI is a team that goes for the corners and likes to keep digging at the ball, which is not the kind of game that we play. We are a power team and our strength is in playing transition offence and what it all comes down to for us is communication between the players,” said Sydenham coach Brian Rombough.

Undefeated, the Sydenham Eagles Senior Girls Volley ball team take the KASSAA trophy at their final game against KCVI at Queen's

Though the two teams’ styles are different, both fought hard in a match that seemed to get closer set by set.

The Eagles came out strong in the first set taking an early lead and holding it for a 25-14 win.

In the second set KCVI battled back, returning some tough shots and leading for the first half of the set. But the Eagles clawed their way back, eventually tying it up and then taking the set 25-23.

In the third set the Eagles dove, rolled and skidded, trying to return some tough balls from KCVI. This seemed to frustrate the Sydenham squad, causing them to lose some of their focus. KCVI played hard, making some incredible returns and gaining points in the corners to capture the third set 25-21, forcing a fourth.

The fourth set was very close but in the end the Eagles came back bigger and harder than ever, regaining their focus and concentration. They clinched the last few points in some spectacular blocks, making hard returns and amazing volleys to win the match 3-1 and claim the KASSAA trophy.

Following the medals and trophy presentations I spoke to coach Rombough about the game.

“KCVI played a great game and is really well coached. They played great defense. We started losing focus after the first set and gave KCVI hope, which is a dangerous thing to give to an emotional team. I strongly believe that you have to take hope away from the opposing team somewhere between the 9 and 15 point mark. That’s a crucial part of the game.”

Jennie McNichols, the Eagles’ setter, said, “It definitely wasn’t my best game; I tend to get really nervous but the team fixed that. I’m very excited for the win and can’t wait to play at EOSSA.”

The Sydenham Eagles will play next at the EOSSAA (Eastern Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association) tournament in Pembroke on Feb. 23, where they will face Fellows High School in their first match.

Coach Rombough sounds confident.

“We have a big blocking team and are a power team that likes to play big. We play a lot better against hard-hitting power teams. We like matching power with power, which is what we will be coming up against at EOSSA. Our team just has to stay focused,” he said.

In other volleyball news: Before losing out to the Sydenham Eagles, KCVI ended the KASSAA season for the Sharbot Lake Panthers on February 18.

The Panthers took the first set of that match 25-19. In set 2 the Panthers ran into trouble serving and passing the ball and KCVI took it 25-20. According to Sharbot Lake coach Bryan English the team “seemed to lose their urgency in the third” and lost 13-25.

In the fourth the Panthers rallied together and tied it up 18-18 but ended up losing the match 3 sets to one. Nonetheless Sharbot Lake had an impressive season and will be heading into EOSSA, where they will compete in the small school division. They are confident that they will be able to advance to the provincial playdowns.

Achy and blue? Need a new perspective? Here's an idea for you - get on a horse. But not just any horse - one of the gentle, friendly, obliging horses at Meadowridge Farm on Willis Armstrong Road. I can't think of a better way to improve your view.

Perched on the back of "Doc", a semi-retired gelding, the world suddenly seems brighter. There I am, all alert and keen, and higher off the ground than I've been in years. Jennifer White, my patient and very kind riding instructor, refers to Doc as her "geriatric" horse, perfect for beginners who aren't sure how to steer. Doc is so well trained and wise, he takes my mistakes in his stride, so to speak. He turns when he's supposed to turn, goes when he's supposed to go, and stops when he's supposed to stop, or sooner if my directions aren't at all clear. He even stands perfectly still while I awkwardly dismount, placidly disregarding my oofs and grunts as I haul one leg over his back and slide ungracefully to the ground.

I approached my first lesson with a wary eye. My childhood riding experiences had been remarkably uninspiring. A neighbour's palomino pony took the bit in his teeth and galloped furiously round a thistly field until I fell off, landing squarely on my back and knocking all my wind out. A rent-a-pony spent the entire half hour and my entire allowance scraping my outside leg on fence rails and blatantly ignoring my desperate reinings and chuckings. Every horse I met tried to kick me or bite me or crush me against any available wall. But I was finally able to put those memories to rest at Meadowridge Farm. Here are horses who don't kick or bite, horses who seem to actually like people. I can walk all round Doc. even his backside, with no fear at all.

On my third lesson, following Jennifer's expert instructions, I am able to have an exhilarating trot and canter, well seated and feeling splendidly accomplished. Jennifer is an exceptionally good riding instructor. Her lessons are intellectually interesting as well, with fascinating facts thrown in about horses and their interactions with humans. I learned more about horses in a few hours with Jennifer than I've learned in my entire long life.

More importantly, I can enjoy being around horses at last. I blissfully breathe in their scent, satisfying some longed-for connectedness that must be a vestige of ancestral memory.

Jennifer and her family cleared land on their acreage, and built their own paddocks - a picturesque row of cedar-railed enclosures on either side of a lovely lane. Their heated tack room is tidy and well organized, and the indoor arena (also built by the Whites) is large and filled with natural light.

If you could imagine an idyllic horse farm, this would be it. Pretty cats cavort in the straw, friendly dogs follow you around, horses greet you at every paddock gate, and you have the feeling that you have happened upon a magical place, and are lucky to have found it.

Having harboured a love for horses all my life, I secretly believed in storybook horses, the ones who are gentle and kind. The horses at

Meadowridge Farm are storybook horses. Doc not only improved my view, he made me feel sort of like a trusting kid again. He also buffed up my balance, limbered my back, and awoke my aging brain to the details of real-life fairy tales. So if you're looking for good therapy, or just something to brighten your days, look no further. Ride a horse. You'll be glad you did.

You can reach Meadowridge Farms at (613) 268-2179.

Bret Colman, the honorable Monique Smith, Sally Colman and Beth Pointer, executive director of Camping Ontario. Photo courtesy of Bret and Sally Colman

This weekend on Saturday Feb.13 from 10am-2pm the Frontenac Stewardship Council and Frontenac Stewardship Foundation will be holding their first Family Panfish Fishing Derby at the Desert Lake Resort near Verona and the event is entirely free of charge. Prizes will be awarded; there will be a free BBQ, hot beverages, free skating and a bonfire with marshmallows for roasting. It’s an excellent opportunity for new anglers and there will be free fishing gear on hand for those without. Because the event coincides with the MNR’s “Family Fishing Weekend” no fishing licenses are required.

To ensure that enough food is prepared, interested participants are encouraged to pre-register by contacting Cam McCauley of the Frontenac Stewardship Council at (613) 531-5714 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or with Bret Colman of Desert Lake Resort at (613) 374-2196.

The event promises to be fun for the whole family and participants are encouraged to dress warmly and to bring something to sit on.

Cam McCauley, coordinator of the Frontenac Stewardship Council (FSC), is thrilled to be able to offer this free first time event, which was made possible through a grant from the Ontario Stewardship Fund. He says the purpose of the event is to “raise awareness and to promote fisheries and angling in Frontenac County.”

Bret Colman, co-owner and operator of the resort, is also a council member of the FSC and he and his wife Sally offered the resort as a location for the event. Bret explained, “We really want to show people that the fun on the lake does not have to end once the ice freezes. We are also hoping to get more youth involved in fishing and angling.”

Bret and Sally purchased the 36-year-old resort from Sally’s parents years ago. The resort was presented with the 2009 Ontario Campground of the Year Award by the Ontario Private Campground Association in November. The Colmans believe it is their diverse recreation program for children and teenagers in particular that helped them to win the award.

The senior girl Panthers at Sharbot Lake High School battled hard in what was a historic game even before it began. In fact it was the first ever KASSAA match to be held at the school since 1999 and the first time a Sharbot Lake team has seeded third in regular season play.

With a record of 9 wins and 3 losses the Panthers knew this match against the Bayridge Blazers, who seeded sixth in season play, would be a tough one.

Both teams have a similar style of play, with great passing and defence.

Panthers Coach Bryan English said pre-game, “We are definitely preparing for a battle and the team that wins today will be the team that swings at more balls and takes more risks.”

Though the Panthers took a quick 10-1 lead in the first set Bayridge turned it on and tied it up but lost the set in the end 27-25

The second was a nail biter and Bayridge came back winning 25-22.

In the third Bayridge came out strong with a 7 point lead early on but the Panthers kept their composure and fought hard, eventually tying it up and winning 25-21.

The fourth was tense from the get go but the Panthers came out winners in the end, taking 3 sets to 1. They will be heading to the semi-finals on Thursday.

I spoke to power hitter Rachel Neadow after the game and she said, “The win was the result of the team not getting down when things were not going our way. Our goal was to stay positive throughout and I think we did a pretty good job of that.”

The goals for Coach English? “We want to go as deep as we can into KASSAA. And we’ll see what happens after that. We’re not looking past that at this point.” That being said he later admitted, “This is a really special team.”

The girls are definitely hoping to make into EOSSAA in Deep River on Feb. 25 and then on to OFSSAA in Kenora, which will cost the team close to $10,000.

Two upcoming fundraisers are being held at Sharbot Lake High School. On Feb. 19, a roast beef dinner with all the fixings, musical entertainment and a live auction and the second, a volleyball-a-thon on Feb. 23 where supporters can make pledges. To purchase a ticket or make a pledge you can call the school at 613-279-2131. Go Panthers!

First time angler Thomas Richardson of Kingston

Over 200 anglers took part in the first-ever free family fishing derby at Desert Lake Resort near Verona on Feb. 13 and for many, young and old, it was their first time ice fishing.

The Norman family, who live on Desert Lake, were among the first-timers. Sara Norman said, “It was just great! The kids had a great time and we would definitely come out and do it again.”

Event organizer Cam McCauley, coordinator for the Frontenac Stewardship Council, and host Bret Coleman of Desert Lake Resort both anticipate making the event an annual occurrence due the overwhelming turnout.

McCauley said, “We even had couples out who were visiting from Korea and Israel who wanted to see what we Canadians do in the winter time. It’s been a great day; people had a great time and we got a lot of first timers out.”

Bret Coleman co-owner and operator of Desert Lake Resort said, “We would have been happy if 30-50 people showed up and close to 200 came out so we are very happy… A lot of them were young kids and that is exactly what we wanted. Our intent was to show people that it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to have fun in the winter. All they need is 30 feet of string and a hook, and some fish bait."

At 2pm McCauley handed out a plethora of prizes to the participants and Bret relit the barbeque to feed anglers who had worked up an appetite.

Sydenham Library

Architect Ray Zaback of Shoalts and Zaback presented a report to a meeting of South Frontenac Council on Tuesday night (February 9) on behalf of the Library Development Committee. He said that the cost estimates for construction of the Sydenham Library had been brought into line by deleting the formal LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The building will still be constructed to LEED specifications, but Zaback assured Council there was “no practical benefit to achieving the certification”.

Without the extra administration and consultation fees required to achieve LEED, the revised construction budget is $1,800,000, which includes radiant heating and a metal roof.

Following their scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting, Council convened a brief meeting toconsider the resolution that they recommend to Frontenac County Council that the library construction project should be put out to tender.

Included in the motion was the agreement that this project would be required to pay the full $18,000 (1% of total construction cost) building permit fee. Recent discussions led by Councilors Bill Robinson and Jim Hicks have led to Council agreeing that the township will pay for its own building permits from now on.

However, because last fall when the original funding was applied for, this cost had not been included, Council agreed, as part of the motion, to be prepared to cover the building permit fee from reserves, if it would otherwise run the project over budget. Councilor Robinson requested recorded vote, and voted against the resolution, which passed.

The Sydenham Library project will be 2/3 funded by a federal/provincial infrastructure grant

The tender for the library is now ready for release, having been approved by South Frontenac County. Formal approval from Frontenac County will come on February 17. The project will follow LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) guidelines but in order to cut costs it will not be subject to the expense of formal LEED certification.

South Frontenac Township will take out an $18,000 building permit for the project. If the permit costs do not fit within the project budget, the money will be taken from township reserve funds. Two-thirds of construction costs are being covered by federal/provincial grant money.

Recreation Master Plan: Michael Howe, Chair of the Recreation Committee, presented a five-year recreation plan for the township. He noted that the report came under three main headings: facilities and maintenance; swim and day camp programs, and communication and volunteerism. The plan's recommendations come from the needs identified by the community during an intensive series of meetings and consultations.

Howe said that communication and volunteer coordination were essential to developing and maintaining strong recreation programs. One key recommendation of the plan is that the township create a part-time position for a recreation coordinator, who could provide follow-through and communication between various township groups, as well as publicizing programs, collating data, and seeking out grant money. Mayor Gary Davison thanked Howe and Wes Garrod, another member of the committee, and their committee members for their work in producing such a comprehensive report.

SUBDIVISION ISSUES: A representative of FoTenn Consultants introduced two subdivision proposals that were in early stages. He asked whether one, near Inverary, could be allowed to have lots with reduced frontage, in order to accommodate a larger number of severances. The general consensus seemed to be that, unless there was a specific reason for a reduced frontage, this would not be encouraged. A second subdivision is proposed along Georgia Lane, off Rutledge Road, east of Sydenham. The development of half of an 83-acre lot is being planned, with 11 severances ranging from 2.6 to 5.7 acres.

Necessary studies are in process, and there were no questions raised at this time.

WASTE COLLECTION RFP: Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth reported that his staff was compiling the numbers of seasonal and permanent residents on private lanes. He said the task has proven much larger than anticipated, but is going well, and will provide much more accurate information to go in the solid waste collection RFP. He expects the RFP will be ready to go out by the end of March. There followed a brief flurry of bag tag talk.

BUDGET DISCUSSION: In introducing the budget discussion, CAO Wayne Orr said the preliminary 2010 budget, which is the township’s first amalgamated budget, reflects an overall increase over last year of 4.12%. Some of the smaller departments were discussed. The heavier areas such as roads, capital projects, environmental services, etc. will be reviewed next week at Council on Feb.16, beginning early, at 6pm.

Editorial by Jeff Green

As the winter Olympics start this weekend, the Canadian media machines will turn their attention to two weeks of flag waving as Canada tries to take its place as the greatest sporting nation that money can buy.

Much of the worldwide media, once it turns its attention away from the poverty and drug problems of Vancouver's lower east side, will then find itself puzzling over what all the fuss is about because the games that will be played don't seem to fire the global imagination.

Witness the following dismissive comment in a pre-Olympic primer about the hockey competition from the Guardian, a leading Liberal minded newspaper in the UK that has a global following.

“Hockey: Quite the most pointless sport to be televised as it is impossible to follow the puck unless the action is shown in slow motion. Possibly worth watching for the frequent fights but you'll have to take the score on trust. Not that you will care because Great Britain hasn't entered a team in either the men's or women's competitions.”

Curling does not fare much better.

“Curling: The winter equivalent of lawn bowls. Why anyone would want to watch someone throw a stone along the ice while their team-mates get to work with a few brushes to slow it down or speed it up is anyone's guess...”

This, mind you, is coming from a media market where darts, snooker, and even lawn bowling itself can regularly be found by channel surfers at any time of the day or night.

And to think there are still many Canadians who remain steadfastly proud of their UK heritage.

Martin Racine, Andrew Neale, Justin Tryon, Jamie Lavoie and Keilan Kelsey

For die-hard anglers,  a biting, raw wind is not enough to keep them from packing up their gear and heading onto the frozen lakes.

Over 100 participants took part in the annual Arden fishing derby that took place on Big Clear Lake on Feb. 6. Angie Deline of Arden was holding down the shore-side central hub, courtesy of the Arden Legion, and was serving up steaming coffee, hot chocolate, chili and soup to derby goers in need.

Funds raised from the $10 ticket sales go to the Legion and in turn are funneled through various avenues right back into the local community.

Out on the lake in the bright sunshine anglers had set up their make-shift huts and trailers, many equipped with stoves, beds and other comforts from home.

Lorne Hiltz of Arden was gracious enough to drive me out onto Big Clear Lake in his truck on Saturday to see what all the fuss about ice fishing is about and he shared a few key ice fishing facts with me. Lorne has been fishing since he was kid and doesn’t use a hut but just dresses for the weather. When the wind would howl he and his friends would haul a dead log onto the ice and using snow build a wall for a wind shield. “It’s a great sport if you like being outdoors and it’s great for the economy.”

Driving out in his truck he mentioned some well-advised safety precautions regarding the ice: “Stay clear of the channels that might be fed by running springs; be wary of skiffs of snow since they might be hiding thin ice underneath. And it’s always wise to steer clear of large bumps, and pressure cracks."

Those out for their first time on any lake would be wise to talk to locals about known unsafe spots on particular lakes.

The first group we came across were five friends from Flinton, Northbrook and Arden and they showed off their catches of a 5.3 lb northern pike that Andy caught at 9 a.m. that morning. The five had been fishing since 5 a.m. and pointed out that it is indeed mostly locals like themselves that you'll come across. They planned to fillet their catches and cook them the way they like best, in a bit of butter and lemon pepper.

Most anglers are after pickerel, which they agree is the best eating fish. Andy pulled out a hooked line from one of his holes with a live shiner, with which he was hoping to make his next catch. Ice fishing is also a chance to be creative and he proudly showed me his “boardinator“, a device he concocted wherein his line is attached to a stick hooked into a board that lies flat on the ice adjacent to his fishing hole, which keeps his line upright.

The guys inform me that two lines are the legal limit per person and that two extra lines will cost you about $1200 in fines at court in Sharbot Lake.

The next group of derby goers we came across were a large group of family and friends packed like sardines into Arden resident Donny Oliver’s wooden hut, a rather high-class affair equipped with 4 fold down beds, a radio, wood stove and two open fishing holes where you can peer down into the clear 12 foot depth of water below. The hut offers fishers a chance to relax and warm up. The combined group hadn’t caught any fish on that particular derby day but Don informed me that he had been set up in his hut for a few weeks and had caught over 14 pickerel. He said that winter fish taste better than summer fish since the cold kills bacteria and makes the fish fresher tasting and less slimy.

What keeps Don on the ice every year is the great outdoors, the peace and quiet and the chance it offers for bonding with friends and family.

For those who missed the Arden derby there are many others coming up, including one this weekend at Desert Lake Campground (see preview on page ?) and the Trapper's Council Fishing Derby on Sat. Feb. 27 held at Big Gull Lake on Newton's Bay, with top prizes awarded from all fish weighed in. For information on the latter call Wilf Deline at 613-336-8359