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One of the more popular programs the Kingston Frontenac Public Library has been bringing to area events in the past few years has been its StoryWalk program. And last Saturday, they brought the most recent installment to the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market.
“The story is Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett,” said KFPL programmer Margi McKay. “Like all our StoryWalks, you follow the signs and each sign has a page of the book and an activity for kids and their parents to do.
“This story has 13 pages/signs.”

For example, at one sign, participants are invited to measure themselves to see if they are as tall as an emperor penguin. At another, they are asked to hop to the next sign like a kangaroo.
“By the time you’re done, you’ve read a book and you get a button,” she said. “Then kids are invited to sit on the blanket and read other books.”
It’s designed to be fun, of course, but there’s a method in this madness.

“Any time we can get books in the minds and heads of kids, we like to take that opportunity,” McKay said. “If parents aren’t buying books, we like to put them in the kids’ minds.
“We like to add elements of fun — as a way to engage young minds.”

And it also gives them a chance to talk about the various programs and services the library offers.
“We’re always expanding our programs and have a wide variety for both kids and adults,” she said.

For example, she said, they have a labs program for the sciences and one aimed at the younger crowd called STEM Punks (STEM standing for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) as well as Books for Babies, Rhythm and Rhyme and Play and Learn.
More information on the KFPL programs is available on their website.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Sam Arraj was working as a senior manager at the accounting firm of G&G in Toronto, where he had built up a clientele over the years. Since he is a country music fan, he had been drafted onto the board of the Ontario County Music Association since “not-for-profit boards are always looking for people with financial experience” and in that role he continued to pick up more and more clients in the entertainment industry.

In 2016 he saw a for sale listing for an accounting business based in Sharbot Lake, Seeds and Company, and he thought about leaving Toronto behind and maybe starting a family with his wife in a less hectic location.
“I had seen the way many firms in Toronto were outsourcing their work to places like India and the Philippines and thought that it could be possible to outsource work to Sharbot Lake instead.”
When he looked into Seeds and Company, he found it was a very solid second generation business, started by David Seeds and carried on by his son Ryan, with a good local and regional clientele.

Since taking over the business in November of 2016, Arraj has been pleased not only with the reception in Sharbot Lake, but also with the opportunities to carry on with his existing clients and expand the reach of Seeds and Company in Kingston and Toronto.
“We have been investing in staffing and technology to make Sharbot Lake a strong head office where the work gets done, with satellite offices elsewhere.”

A new computer server is coming online to increase the capacity of the four member staff in the Sharbot Lake office, and Arraj is seeking to hire a fifth full time and two seasonal people in the near future, as well as a staff accountant at some point.
Some of his plans mirror the trajectory of the Robinson Group, a Sharbot Lake based mortgage and financial business with clientele from around the world, whose dedicated long-term staff work out of the Simonett building on Road 38.
“There are benefits to working with staff in Sharbot Lake because they are more likely to stay on once they are trained up. We want to have a well paid staff, with benefits and all that, and we are only starting on a growth path.”

Since taking over the business, Arraj has been dedicated to maintaining the existing Seeds clientele, and upgrading the capacity of the office. He said that he has found the local clientele to be generally friendlier and more easy going than his Toronto clients, and conservative in terms of the way they manage their businesses, which he says makes sense given the local economy as compared to that of larger centres.
In the coming months Seeds will begin to do more marketing to seek out new clients, both locally and on a regional and provincial level.
The company offers a full range of accounting and auditing services, as well as book-keeping.

This month, as part of a coming out of sorts for the new Seeds and Company, Sam Arraj has arranged for a free community concert on Saturday, September 23rd from 2pm to 4:30pm featuring the Good Brothers, Amanda Sadler, and Whiskey Saint.
The Good Brothers are a country music institution in Ontario. They have been touring and recording since they released their first record, the Good Brothers in 1971. They received the Country Group of the year Juno award for 8 consecutive years at one point in their career. Among their best known songs is Fox on the Run. They just completed a European Tour late last month and will be performing at the Glenn Gould Studio at CBC headquarters in Toronto next month. The show, set for Sharbot Lake Beach, rain or shine, will be a fitting finale for a summer of events at the beach.
The Sharbot Lake and District Lions will be running a BBQ during the afternoon as well. The company has donated the food and all profits will go to support local Lion’s programming.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 13 September 2017 21:32

Park washrooms nixed for now

Central Frontenac Director of Planning Services Shawn Merriman recommended that Council accept the proposal from McAdoo Construction of Perth for the construction of a building containing a canteen, accessible washrooms, a warming area, and storage areas at Oliver Scott Park in Sharbot Lake. Merriman said that McAdoo’s proposal was the best of four bids on the job when all factors, including price and experience in this kind of project, were accounted for. The estimated cost of the project, including a new well and an septic bed that is already in place, is between $100,000 and $125,000, according to a written report by Merriman. In his report, Merriman said that Council had requested on July 11 that he prepare the way for the project to proceed this fall so the canteen will be in place this winter, and he apologised for bringing a report directly to the meeting instead of giving Council time to look at it with the agenda package earlier in the week, but the matter was not finalised until the day of the meeting (Tuesday, September 12).

While there were some questions posed to Merriman about his report and the parameters of the project from members of council, they were mostly information gathering type questions, and none of the councillors indicated they were planning to vote against the proposal. As the vote was about to be called, Councilllor Riddell pointed out something that seemed to indicate he liked the idea of moving ahead and completing a project quickly. He said “I feel I need to point out that the ball field in Mountain Grove, which should have been completed eight years ago, is still not done and we are still waiting for a fence to be installed by the contractor who was hired, so I think it is important to complete projects once they are started.”

When the vote was then taken on the Oliver Scott Park build in Sharbot Lake, it was 5-4 against. “What do we do now?” asked Mayor Frances Smith, who had supported the motion. Councillor Tom Dewey suggested the matter be brought back to the 2018 budget discussion for a possible build next year. Grader comes in under expected cost Central Frontenac Council accepted the only bid they received on a new grader, which was about as close to $300,000 as possible without using the number 3 in the price ($299,944) plus tax. The township had allocated $325,000 for the purchase back in August, when they decided to heed the advice of Public Works Manager Brad Thake and rush the purchase through in 2017. At budget time last year, the decision was made to repair a 21 year old Champion Grader, but when he came on Thake said the old grader was not worth repairing. The money for the purchase is coming from reserve funds, which will need to be replenished in the 2018 budget. Changes to Municipal Act Peter Sisov from the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs made a presentation regarding Bill 68, a pending new version of the Ontario Municipal Act. Among the changes he outlined were a new requirement for codes of conduct for members of municipal council, the requirement that municipal councils engage an integrity commissioner, expanded opportunities for local councils to invest excess funds, and more liberal spending limits for politicians seeking election.

Once enacted, Bill 68 will permit candidates to spend up to $25,000 of their own family income on their campaigns, easily more than the combined expenditures of all nine members of Central Frontenac Council during the 2014 election. Intellivote to return – In a joint tender, all four Frontenac Townships will be engaging Intellivote to conduct a phone/internet based vote in 2018 for a total price of $75,000, to be split among them based on the number of electors in each jurisdiction. Intellivote conducted all four elections in 2014 as well. $2,000 for Hinchinbrooke school project – Council approved a grant of $2,000 to the committee looking into converting the former Hinchinbrooke school to community use. The money is intended to match a grant being sought from the Community Foundation of Kingston and Area, which will be used for feasibility and the development of a business plan for the project. Food truck bylaw folded into Official Plan development Township Planner Joe Gallivan proposed, and Council accepted, that instead of preparing a stand alone Official Plan and Zoning bylaw amendment for food trucks in the township, the issue be dealt with as part of the revamped Township Official Plan (OP) he is already working on. A draft of the OP will be presented to special meeting of Council in November. The final plan should be ready in the spring for adoption by next summer.

Gallivan said the provisions for food trucks will be ready in time for the 2018 season. Bob Wilkinson on septic re-inspection Bob Wilkinson read a prepared text that worked through his objections to the mandatory septic inspection bylaw that will be coming to Council this fall. He said the assertion that septic systems pollute freshwater lakes has not been proven. “The science does not support this claim” he said. He said the majority of lakes in the township have low levels of phosphorous, and quoted local ecologist Gray Merriam, who said “you can’t stir the public too fix something that doesn’t need fixing”. Mayor Smith then said, I should read a note to Council from Gray Merriam at this point. Smith then read a document submitted by Merriam, which said Wilkinson has misinterpreted what he has said about lake quality, arguing that making sure septic systems are functioning properly is important to lake water quality, although it is not all that needs to be done. Wilkinson also quoted David Orser, a septic pumper/ hauler based in Verona, who opposes the new system, saying that Orser already checks systems when he pumps them out and advises customers when they need fixing, and reports failed systems to the Health Unit for follow up. “If we are only going on somebody’s version of imaginary pollutants emitting from our septics, then what we have here is simply a solution looking for a problem,” Wilkinson said.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

The action was fast and furious at the third annual Sharbot Lake Farmers Market Butter Tart Challenge but when the smoke cleared, former Parham and now Sydenham resident Shelley Brooks took home the top prize of $50 for her Almost Famous Tart.

Kim Perry of Food Less Travelled won second (a big jug of Conboy maple syrup) for her Salt of the Earth and third place (a rolling pin) went to Pat Jamison for her Mom’s Tart.
“I like trying new recipes,” said Brooks, a 40-veteran of baking contests including the Kingston Fair. “This year, I used a convection oven and had only two tasters.
“It was lard over shortening for this recipe.”

Brooks said she honed her baking skills by trying to beat her mother at the Parham Fair. The family baking rivalry continues with her sisters and daughter, Haley Rose.
“I did not expect to win this year because there are so many good bakers here,” she said.

Brooks said she’ll be back to defend her title and will probably have more time since she has just retired as a counsellor at Sydenham High School.
“I was all prepared for a lovely bottle of wine on the deck for the first day of school this year,” she said. “But they called me back so it will have to wait.”
This year’s judges were Erik Zierer, Martha Merrill, Thade Maklin, Sean Dineen and Marion Ratzinger.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 30 August 2017 16:39

K&P Trail grand opening

It was a rare occasion for the summer of 2017, a sunny Saturday, and participants in a ceremony and parade marking Trans Canada Trail day at the Sharbot Lake Railway Park and Trailhead were pretty happy about the good weather. The event was originally intended to mark the completion of the K&P trail between Lake Ontario and Sharbot Lake, and the opening of the final piece of the Trans Canada Trail in Eastern Ontario. Delays in completing the Sharbot Lake to Tichborne section, slated for completion by the spring of 2018 now that all the necessary land agreements are in place, meant that the it was the anticipated completion of the trail that was being celebrated. That did not put a damper on the celebrations, which were jointly organized by Frontenac County and the Central Frontenac Canada 150 Committee. A number of people who have been integral to the development of the trail were acknowledged during the 20 minute ceremony. They included Anne Marie Young, who spearheaded the project for Frontenac County for several years, and Wayne Robinson and Marcel Giroux who helped secure passage of the trail through private lands between Tichborne and Sharbot Lake. Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith and Frontenac County Warden Ron Vandewal spoke about the role the trail is already playing for residents and visitors alike along the Hwy. 38 corridor. As if to reinforce that point, there were bicycles, a horse drawn wagon (courtesy of the unstoppable Bill Lee) walkers and runners, horseback riders, a convoy of ATV’s and a wagon carrying vintage snowmobiles, all lined up waiting for the ceremony to end. Then, after a ribbon cutting, the motley parade from the park to the Oso beach began, as befits the opening of a multiuse trail. A free BBQ and music by Jim Macpherson, Craig Bakay and John Grindrod greeted them when they got there.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 30 August 2017 16:14

Crazy Anvil riders at it again

Four years ago, in 2013, on a cool August day a couple showed up at the Sharbot Lake beach and put up a folding table and covered it with drinks and food. They were the support team for the Granite Anvil riders that year, a group of avid cyclists recreating a famous ride in France that goes from Paris to Brest and back to Paris.

In the Ontario version, the riders go from Oshawa to Parry Sound, then to Bancroft, Barry’s Bay, and Denbigh, before they reach Sharbot Lake for one of their pit stops, where they stopped to eat and drink and rest for 15  minutes or so. They then travel to Napanee before heading back to Oshawa. The total distance covered is 1200 kilometres. The riders have the opportunity to sleep in Parry Sound, Bancroft and Napanee, and they have 90 hours (3 and half days) to complete the race. The vast majority of the riders only stop to sleep twice, in Parry Sound and Napanee. The support team arrives in time for the first rider, and waits around for the last, a shift of  up to ten hours.
Last Saturday afternoon, during the K&P Trail celebration events, the support team showed up again. Four years had passed and the Anvil was back. There had been one rider through at noon who may have beat the support team, but the next four riders all arrived at the same time, at 4.11pm. They looked pretty chipper for a group that had been on the road for 60 hours, with only a 4 to 6 hour rest stop in Parry Sound. The rider on the right in the photo is Maegan Hackinen from Saskatchewan. She would go on to finish the race it 78.24, the second fastest of the 57 riders who set out in Oshawa (45 of them finished the race) and one of only two who beat the 80 hour mark.

The earlier rider, Marcel Marion, finished in 76.17. The race list does not indicate gender, but judging from the first names or the riders, (with the exception of a Kelly and a Toshihisa all of the names on the list are standard male names)  so Maeghan may have been the only woman in the race this time around.
We’ll be looking for them again in August, 2021.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Attendance at Central Frontenac’s initial open house on revisions to its Official Plan weren’t quite what organizers hoped for but then, these things rarely attract large crowds unless there is something quite controversial in the revisions. The closest things to controversy in this revision (the last revision was in 2008) were probably chip trucks (the wording of regulations has yet to be finalized) or a decrease in the minimum lot size (which nobody in attendance mentioned).

“This was my first Official Plan open house and I was kind of hoping for more attendance to share ideas,” said Coun. Sherry Whan. “But I think things went well.”
“There were lots of good comments and suggestions, mostly from lake association members,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “The County did a good job organizing and there will be two or three more open houses.”
Smith said the Township is working on re-vamping its website and they’re hoping there will be more comments once that is completed.

“We raised the bigger issues, like affordable housing, food trucks, secondary suites and tiny houses,” said County and Township Planner Joe Gallivan. “The actual first draft of the Official Plan should be done by November.”

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

There’s a buzz in town and it’s at the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. There are yummy treats, local produce of all kinds, fascinating products, Shiatsu massage, and the best part, you can meet up with our local providers and friends. If you didn’t get a chance to see or take part in this demonstration, be sure to check them out the next time they come to the market. Here’s what’s coming up soon..... September 2 – The 3rd Annual Butter Tart Challenge On Saturday, September 2, judging for the 3rd Annual Butter Tart Challenge takes place 10:30 am at the Bandshell, Sharbot Lake Beach.

You won’t want to miss this event. Andrea Duggan, a well-known local cooking instructor and former restaurant owner, joins the market again as coordinator and host of this entertaining and colourful event. Do you have a cherished family recipe for butter tarts? See the following details to enter the contest. You may prefer to taste the samples that will be passed around to see if you agree with the judges’ decisions. If you are lucky, you may even be able to buy a dozen to take home if they last long enough. The judges are community members of different ages and positions and their main qualification is that they really love butter tarts. Andrea Duggan and Mary de Bassecourt were inspired to start this annual contest in 2015 when reading about other butter tart festivals in Ontario.

This year, we are encouraging bakers in the community to feel free to come to the market on September 2nd to try their hand at not only competing but also to bring some of their tarts to sell as our market customers are eager to buy them! Contact the market at the email below for more info if you are interested. The winner will be awarded a prize of $50 and the title of “Best Butter Tart in Frontenac County”. Deadline for entry is September 1st. Think of a creative title for your tart. You can leave your 6 tarts for judging between 9:00 am -10:15 am at the bandshell. Winners will be announced at 11:30 am. Register your entry with “Butter Tart” as the subject line in an email to slfminformation@ gmail.com. See contest rules at sharbotlakefarmersmarket. ca or at facebook. com/sharbotlakefarmersmarket. Also on September 2, a Market gift certificate will be awarded to the winner of the draw for liking the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market on Facebook and sharing it on their page.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

For the ninth consecutive year, the Procter sisters, Theresa, Becki and Katie (Ansley) braved the waters of Sharbot Lake to raise funds for the fight against cancer last Saturday morning.
As always, they began at the docks in Sharbot Lake Provincial Park and swam the 3 kilometres to Oso Beach, this year in just about one hour and 35 minutes.
“It was rough this year, except between the islands, but we made good time, about average for us,” said Theresa. “This was a bit of a different year for us because Uncle Keith just passed away from cancer.

“That was more motivation.”
“It was quite a shock jumping in,” said Katie, who was a bit under the weather earlier that morning but trooped on nonetheless. “But once we got in we never thought about it again.”
Abbie, Katie’s daughter jumped in and joined them for the part between the islands where the water was calmer.

“The weather was threatening but luckily it held off long enough for us to get it in,” said Theresa. “The rain held off but there weren’t many boats on the lake and not much wildlife except for a few seagulls.”
The total raised this year was about $1,500 when they jumped in with another $200 at least yet to come. In the nine years, the girls have raised more than $13,500.
“This was one of our best years yet,” said Theresa.

You can still donate at convio.cancer.ca.

The girls plan to continue next year, especially because sister Katie is moving back home to Ontario.
“Next year is the big one, 10 years,” she said. “Maybe we’ll mix things up a bit.
“Maybe we’ll make it extra hard like by wearing clothes.”
“I don’t think so,” said Theresa.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

If it were up to the majority of those who attended an open house on a proposed mandatory septic maintenance program for the township, the program would be instituted immediately and the timelines would be much tighter than the township is proposing.
It was more or less a case of preaching to the converted, as the panel at the front of the hall included Victor Heese, the chair of the committee proposing the new program, Chief Building Inspector Shawn Merriman, Eric Kohlsmith of the Rideau Mississippi septic office, and a rep from the Kingston Frontenac Health Unit inspection office. The meeting was moderated by Terry Kennedy, another member of the committee.

Audience members introduced themselves using Sharbot Lake Property Owner’s shorthand, saying the were from the “East Basin” or “West Basin”. The tenor of most of the comments was that the water quality in Sharbot Lake, the east basin in particular, is not acceptable. Water quality issues are complex and cannot be easily pinned on the outflow of nutrients from faulty septic systems, of which phosphorous is the major concern. However in comment after comment, the argument was made that mitigating the impact of lakefront homes on the lake is something that can be done now.

One audience member, Bob Wilkinson, took a contrary view. He said that research shows the quality of water on lakes in Central Frontenac is very good, and that an onerous system requiring inspections and pump outs at a maximum of five year intervals on all property owners in the township, those on water, in hamlets, or on rural properties far from the water, will add an unnecessary burden.

“We should be sending a message to the world that we have clean water in our lakes and rivers, because we do, not talking about how bad the water is. That will only make the township less attractive,” he said. “I have the studies that show this, you can look at them”.

Wilkinson’s point was contrasted by a Sharbot Lake property owner who said that when he was asked by an acquaintance if it would be a good idea to buy a property on Sharbot Lake, “I had to say no, the water is not clean.”
Ken Waller, the President of the Sharbot Lake Property Owners’ Association, pointed to the results reported by the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority in their State of the Lake Environment Reports, the last of which was done in 2011. It measured phosphorous levels near the surface and near the bottom of each of the basins of Sharbot Lake in 2001, 2006 and 2011.

“In the East basin, the reading near the surface was 6 [micrograms per litre] in 2001, 6.4 in 2006 and 12 in 2011. 15 is the safe level, and they tested the lake this summer so we will see where we are at pretty soon.”
In their report, Mississppi Valley Conservations says that under 10 mcg/litre is considered an un-enriched lake, between 10 and 20 is a moderately enriched, and 20 or over is highly enriched. The report also lists 9 measures waterfront property owners can take to mitigate phosphorous levels, one of them being pumping septic systems out every 3-5 years.

In a hand-out at the meeting, the proposed septic maintenance and assessment program was outlined. The first phase of the program will involve licensing and training pumpers and haulers to do assessments on septic systems whenever they are engaged to pump out a system. Systems will be assessed as green (no issues) yellow (some issues to be addressed) and red (system failed or failing and Health Unit to be notified).
The report said that engaging the pumper/haulers to do the assessments is the cheapest method because it can be done when pump-outs are already occurring and will add only $25 to $100 to the cost of a pump-out according to information gathered by the committee from septic contractors working in the township.

Phase two of the program will begin in five years. Homeowners who have not had an assessment done on their system by then, “will be contacted by the township and encouraged to have their tanks pumped and/or an assessment made. Failure to do so within a reasonable time will result in a mandatory inspection authorised under the Ontario Building Code Act.”
It was the five-year delay that caused consternation among members of the audience.

“We have already been talking about this for five years. That would make ten years if it was passed today and you are no where near passing it, are you,” said one audience member.
Mayor Frances Smith, who was at the meeting as were most of the members of council, said that a proposal will come back to council from the committee, and if it is approved by a vote of council, then staff will get to work designing the program and they will bring back a bylaw for council to consider.
“Is that going to take years,” one person asked.

Shawn Merriman, the Chief Building Official, said that “if this is approved in principle, we will put the program together as quickly as possible. I don’t see it taking a year.”
The proposal, as it stands, makes no distinction between different types of properties.
Shawn Merriman said that while all the attention has been on waterfront properties, “properties within hamlets with undersized lots are as much of a concern as waterfront properties.”

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
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