The Pine Meadow Nursing Home Special Needs Committee is gearing up for the 14th Annual Pine Meadow Classic at Hunter's Creek Golf Course, which will take place on Saturday, June 25.

The tournament has been responsible for bringing amenities and functions to Pine Meadow that are not covered by the limited funding the home receives from the provincial government. Over the years these have included the garden, gates and pavilion near the entrance to the home; specialised beds and lift equipment; and chairs for the activity room. The fund has also paid for trips to Wheeler's Pancake House, Woodland Park, Sand Lake, Farm Town Park and many other locations.

The special needs committee, which is community-based, is headed by Laury Hitchcock, Eleanor Nowell, Fern Sedore and Alison Yearwood.

There are two main ways for community members to support the tournament. One is to purchase tickets to play at the event. They sell for $55 and include 18 holes of golf, coffee and muffins before the shotgun tournament start and a lunch as well. There are also door prizes and contests throughout the round.

Individuals and businesses can also sponsor the tournament. Individual sponsorships from $150 to $499 are available, as are major corporate sponsorships at $500 or more.

Over the years the tournament has always been marked by competition among some of the strong teams with a healthy dose of good humour as other teams vie for the coveted “most honest team”. Players can enter as individuals, partners, or teams of four.

The funds raised at this year's event will be directed towards monthly excursions for residents; an Arjo Maxi Lift; raised garden beds and paved pathways for the back courtyard; patio furniture, and tablecloths and matching curtains for the activity room.

While the tournament is six weeks away, committee members are filling up the tournament roster and sponsorship slots early this year, and in order to reserve a spot, it is best to contact them as soon as possible. To book a spot, call Eleanor at 613-336-2547 (days) or 613-336-8226 (evenings) or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For sponsorship enquiries contact Laury Hitchcock at 613-336-2394 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On April 30, two accidents took place at almost the same time at different locations about a quarter of the way along the route of the North Frontenac Spring Volunteers ATV Ride for Dad. Both accidents were in areas without cell service, and one of them resulted in a serious injury.

Three women suffered injuries and one of them, the driver of a two-seater ATV carrying one of the other women, was seriously injured. In responding to the accidents, all the preparation and training that the North Frontenac and neighbouring fire crews have undertaken over the years came into play.

At Saturday’s run, George Ross, the deputy fire chief for the Ompah crew of the North Frontenac department, was overseeing emergency operations at the Ompah fire station.

“We had three outfitted emergency ATVs rolling on the day,” said Ross, “and it was one of them that came upon the rollover that involved two riders.” When they called the accident in to the Ompah station at about 11:30 am, the call also went straight to the emergency dispatch centre in Kingston. Paramedics from the nearby Robertsville station in North Frontenac were the first on the scene, and were followed by two Lennox and Addington crews.

“The location of the accident was not accessible to the ambulance trucks,” said Ross, “so they went to the closest spot, at Arcol Road and Hydro Lane. The emergency ATV crews had to bring the women out to them in what we call a basket.”

Because of the nature of the injuries, progress along the 2½ to 3 kilometre stretch was slow, at walking pace, to make the ride as smooth as possible. Over 850 riders were participating in the run, which is one of the premier tourist events in North Frontenac each spring, so other fire crew members dealt with traffic flow to ensure a clear passage.

Once the women were delivered to the ambulance, the paramedics took over.

The victim in the second accident was ferried out to the same location by one of the riders she was travelling with.

By the time the paramedic services took over, the decision had already been made to engage ORNGEs, the Ontario Air Ambulance Service, because of the nature of the injuries and the distance to hospital. The seriously injured victim was transported by ambulance to the Ompah helipad, where the air ambulance was waiting. After a few minutes were taken to ready the patient for the transfer, she was loaded onto the helicopter and whisked away to hospital.

Although the name of the woman has not been released, she is known to be an experienced rider who has participated in most, if not all, of the previous ATV runs, and is a seasonal resident of the township. She is recovering in hospital, the News has learned.

The logistics of the rescue, which involved the run’s organizers, fire services, dispatch, and air and ground ambulance in a remote location with no cell phone coverage, and in a circumstance where time and careful treatment were of the essence, is something that could well have been imagined as an emergency preparedness or first response exercise. Coincidentally, the accidents took place on April 30, the day before First Responders Day, May 1, and the kickoff day for Emergency Preparedness Week, which is May 1 to May 7.

As for the ATV run itself, according to one of the organizers, Denis Bedard, the 850 riders was a record number. The run raised $15,000 for the Ompah Community Volunteer Association; $7,500 for the Ride for Dad program, which combats prostate cancer; $2,000 for the North Frontenac Food Bank; and $500 for programs at Clarendon Central Public School in Plevna.

“All in all, the weather co-operated, the participants enjoyed themselves, and the volunteers out-did themselves,” said Bedard.

Tim Laprade, Arena and Recreation Supervisor for the Township of South Frontenac, had a vision about making the Frontenac Community Arena a continuing destination for youngsters and their families after the ice hockey season is over.

Back in December he put a call out to see if anyone wanted to run a ball hockey league. Laprade got an overwhelming response both from local individuals and the Frontenac Minor Hockey Association, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now just two weeks into its opening season, the Frontenac Ball Hockey League has eager players and their families flocking to Piccadilly. The sheer number of cars that filled the parking lot and spilled over onto the grass on May 1, the league's second Sunday, was nothing compared to the hive of energy and activity that was taking place inside. The music was loud and clear thanks to a new sound system; the lighting brighter and the stands were packed with onlookers as three separate games took place simultaneously.

Over 265 youngsters of all ages were playing, each with new jerseys, and Laprade was thrilled to see the sport take off. “The response was overwhelming right from the start and it's great to see the place just rocking,” he said on Sunday afternoon.

The league quickly registered with the Ontario Ball Hockey Association, and the FMHA also applied for a Trillium grant, and received funds to train coaches and referees.

Laprade who took over the arena management in September 2015, said, “One of my goals as arena manager has been to find ways to increase programming during the off season. From March until September it has been sitting empty and I knew there was an opportunity here.”

Laprade said that a number of initiatives have been fulfilled since the new league began, including the installation of the new sound system. The arena's capital fund also paid for new overhead lighting, which replaced the old metal halide lights with new LED lights that are not just brighter but also more efficient. Laprade said that new spectator heating has also been installed thanks to the Turn Up the Heat campaign, which will keep spectators more comfortable when the ice is back come September. Laprade said the next project that will be completed before the start of the next ice hockey season will be the replacement of the 40-year-old ice compressors with two new ones that are more energy efficient.

Many events are also being planned for the arena's upcoming 40th anniversary in August and a new website (www.frontenacarena.com) has been launched, which has information about all the current programs, activities as well as many of the upcoming special events.

The arena also has a new twitter account, which Laprade said will help to keep members of the community up to date and in touch with the day-to-day goings on. Laprade said his goal is to look at new opportunities and he wants “people to walk in and see, hear and feel a difference.”

Judging by the atmosphere in the place on Sunday, it seems that Laprade is someone who not only has a vision but can make that vision a reality.

FMHA president Al Pixley is equally pleased to be able to offer a new form of hockey to local youngsters at a price that most families can afford. For more information about how to register for the upcoming ice hockey season, visit frontenachockey.ca or email Rob Edmunds (registrar for both the FMHA's ball and ice hockey) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Edmunds encourages parents to register early.

Students at the Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake have been staying late after school to have fun and get fit thanks to the Granite Ridge Fit Club.

The club, which is new at the school this year, was initiated by Grade 8 teacher Ms. Schall. She said the impetus to start the club was initially personal. “I have a tendency to put work ahead of my physical well-being. So as a New Year’s resolution back in January, I decided that a few days a week, before I start doing the end of the day classroom work, I would get a bit of cardio-vascular exercise and strength training in before sitting back down at my desk. The students noticed what I was doing and wanted to join in so I decided to start this after-school fitness club,” she said.

The club, which is open to students from Grades six through eight, is proving that getting fit can be a lot of fun. “It's great for me,” Schall said, “because the students are a huge motivator and they themselves have become unstoppable. If they could, they would probably be here every day working out.”

The group usually starts out with a 20-minute cardio-vascular work out. In the winter they ran laps of the school stairs but recently have taken to running outdoors. They then meet back in the school’s power fit room, which is equipped with numerous weights and bars, and the workout continues with the students choosing from a number of exercises that strengthen their arms, legs, shoulders, backs, core and more. They alternate weeks doing light, medium and heavy workouts and Fit Club member Liam brings the music.

The students’ flushed faces speak to their dedication and enthusiasm – clearly for them, getting fit need not be a chore. Many of them say they have noticed a big change in their fitness levels since January.

Ryleigh, who is a Grade 8 student said, “When I first started in January I could only squat the bar, which is 45 pounds, and now I can squat 100 pounds.” Desiree said that formerly she could run just 200 metres and thought she may have had asthma; however she is now running over two kilometres. Liam said, “What's the point of going home and watching TV when you can come and hang out with your friends and get fit at the same time?”

Grade 7 student Icen agreed.

Schall said there is a core group of between 7 to 10 students currently in the club, which runs three times a week, with one girls only session, one boys only session, and a third co-ed session. Schall said the students came up with the idea of getting special shirts made for members who have participated in at least 10 sessions. The shirts name the club and member and are emblazoned with the logo, “We do it for the six pack”, a mantra the group chanted while trying to hold a very long eight-minute plank pose.

“It's not just about the six pack”, Schall said. “It's more about becoming fit and stronger, and more confident and the biggest motivator for the students is seeing the progress they are making.”

Schall said the club is something she plans to keep up and said it is not only a great way for her and the students to bond but is also a great social and athletic opportunity for the students at the school.

Students interested in joining the club can speak to Ms. Schall.

It's not that easy to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which is a bucket list event for many long-distance runners. Patricia Humphrey, a 66-year-old marathoner who has lived on Long Lake between Parham and Mountain Grove for the past three years, qualified for this year’s event based on her time at the Philadelphia Marathon in November of 2014.

She had already run the Boston Marathon before, five years ago, and when she qualified for this year's race, which took place on April 18, she thought it might be her last marathon and she wanted to go out in a good time.

She ran the 42-kilometre course, complete with the four Newton's Hills that culminate with the aptly named Heartbreak Hill, in 4:39.05.

The time is significant because it is 55 seconds faster than the qualifying time for her age group for next year's race, and that might prove to be a temptation.

Humphrey’s running career began 16 years ago, when she was only 50. Her mother had recently died of cancer, and Patricia decided to take up running in order to complete a 5 km cancer run later that year. She took to the sport and began increasing the length of her runs over time, finally building up to the marathon distance.

According to her husband and chief supporter, Colin, Patricia plans to stick to the half marathon distance from here on mainly because the preparation for a marathon is so onerous and time consuming.

She was a common sight this winter on Long Lake Road and Road 38 training for this year's event.

“She wanted to make a good time in case it was her last marathon, that's for sure,” said Colin, when contacted by phone early this week. “She was pushing her speed at the end to make sure she beat the 4:40 qualification time.”

Patricia has retired from working at FW Black's Appliances in Kingston, where Colin is a co-owner. They intend to remain in the area for years to come, as they enjoy living on Long Lake.

“We love it here. We never plan on moving again,” said Colin.

Attention young artists! Are you 18 years old or younger and love to be creative and draw? The Frontenac Community Arena is sponsoring a logo design contest for their 40th Anniversary, which is coming up this year. We will have some cool prizes for the top three finalists. Best of all, the winning logo design will receive recognition and will be displayed at centre ice for the 2016/2017 season. To enter the contest, please email a copy of your drawing (one submission per person) by May 27, 2016 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or mail it to: Frontenac Community Arena, 4299 Arena Boundary Rd. Godfrey, ON K0H 1T0.

Please include your name, address, phone number and email address on your entry.

Contestants must be residents of the Frontenacs (North, South, Central, Islands).

The finalists will be contacted in early June and the winner will be announced at a later date. www.frontenacarena.com

The Central Frontenac Soccer Association desperately needs volunteers to help run the 2016 soccer season for the young soccer players of our area. We only need six to eight volunteers to commit a few hours of work to run a successful soccer season for the kids this summer.

No experience is necessary to volunteer and the tasks vary from supervising games, helping with schedules and coaching teams among other jobs. Many hands make light work, and the work is fun and rewarding. The association is more than happy to train and assist all newcomers, so if you (and a friend?) are able to contribute a bit of time to keep the sport of soccer alive for the children of Central Frontenac, please call Lynette Whan (613) 279-2366 or Jen Saunders (613) 305-3214 by May 8. The future of the Central Frontenac Soccer Association is counting on you!

Bicycle enthusiasts from across the Township of South Frontenac put their heads together to brainstorm what changes might be made in the township to create a more bicycle-friendly environment. The efforts began at two meetings, both of which took place on March 30 and included representatives from KLF&A Public Health, the Township of South Frontenac and South Frontenac Rides. The latter is a committee of South Frontenac Council made up almost entirely of community members interested in improving active transportation in South Frontenac.

At their first meeting on Wednesday, the three groups met privately to discuss the possibilities of coming up with a work plan to improve cycling infrastructure in the township. Guests spoke about what is currently in place in the community to support cycling and also the gaps that exist and how to best address them.

The groups developed five and two-year plans and also an immediate one-year action plan. A report is currently being created and will be presented to council in the near future. The plan will map out the suggestions identified by the stakeholders and gleaned through the lens of the Bicycle-Friendly Ontario program and will include some of the high-impact actions that the group and township can take, especially those that will have an immediate, visible impact.

The second part of the day included a public meeting where representatives from the three groups along with interested members of the community met for a presentation by Justin Jones, who is the manager of Bicycle-Friendly Ontario and is also with Share The Road Cycling Coalition.

Jones began by outlining his personal background, first as a car-dependent teenager in his hometown of Carstairs, Alberta and later, after moving to Toronto, as a cycling enthusiast. Jones cited numerous statistics in the presentation, like the fact that 54% of 18 to 34-year-olds would consider moving to another community that had better transportation options and further, that 66% of this age group said that “access to high quality transportation options” is one of their top three priorities when considering a new community to settle in.

Jones also noted that children these days are far less likely to walk or bike to school. Today only 24% (and dropping) of children do, whereas 58% of people over 30 years old used to walk or bike to school when they were children. He said, “It is very important to start reversing these trends.”

Jones went on to point to a pilot project done in the US where $25 million was invested in active transportation infrastructure (i.e. bicycle paths, trails etc.) in each of four various-sized communities. Results showed that the number of people walking went up by 22%; cyclists increased by 46-115%; and the number of collisions decreased by 18-55%.

Jones also spoke of the City of Thunder Bay, which has been increasing its active transportation infrastructure since 2010. Statistics have shown that cycling increased by 147%, and that the number of collisions involving cyclists decreased by 88%.

Jones stressed that bicycle-friendly communities involve much more than just lines on the road, but also the engineering of bike lanes, trails and bicycle parking, education, encouragements and incentives, and by-law enforcement. He spoke of the small town of Bemidji, Minnesota, which in 2012 earned bronze medal status as a bike-friendly community. The town engaged cyclists through a number of incentives and activities, which in time encouraged residents to support new cycling infrastructure policies.

In Ontario, Jones cited the town of Mississippi Mills, with a population of 12,000, which has instituted numerous cycling incentives including a small bike share program; a “Tweed Ride” where cyclists dress up in their finest for an afternoon ride; a women’s-only mountain biking event and more. Council there has passed an active transportation plan for 2016 that should see more incentives undertaken to promote cycling.

Jones also used Verona as an example. Most residents live within a 3 km radius of the town services and improved infrastructure there could see more cyclists taking to the roads to commute to their work places, schools and local services.

Following Jones’ presentation, guests were split into groups to determine what plans can be taken and put into place to increase cycling. Topics included short-term projects leading to longer-term investments; what the ideal infrastructure in South Frontenac might look like; what activities can encourage residents and children to ride; and what barriers are preventing them from doing so.

Mayor Ron Vandewal, who attended both meetings, said that he looks forward to seeing what happens with all the information gleaned from the two meetings. “There was lot of good information that came forward at both meetings and it will be interesting to see what we can do moving forward. I think that if we want taxpayers to buy into this, we also need to include other modes of active transportation like walking trails, sidewalks and more.”

The Frontenac Fury Atom, Pewee 1 and 2, and Bantam 1 and 2 teams all traveled to Kanata to play in a season ending tournament last weekend, the 32nd annual Kanata House League tournament. The Atoms almost made it to the semi-finals of the tournament after a tough final round-robin game. The same fate befell the Pewee 2 team, but the Pewee 1 team advanced to the semi-finals, losing in a shootout that prevented them from playing for gold. Both Bantam teams not only advanced to the finals but they came away with the gold, which might be the first time in Fury history that two teams in the same division have won the same tournament. The girls will have a rest now and will celebrate the season at the League banquet in the coming weeks.  

Close to 30 youngsters enjoyed a festive Easter celebration at Arden's Kennebec hall thanks to the Kennebec Rec committee, who put on their 16th annual Easter party for kids on March 26. There were crafts and games, an Easter egg hunt, a hot lunch, home-made cookies and more. Numerous committee members, volunteers and parents assisted in helping the community's youngsters at the party and every child also received a take home goodie bag.

Wanda Harrison, chair of the Kennebec Rec. Committee, was pleased with the turn out and would like to thank all the volunteers, parents and local businesses who assisted in making the Easter party another very enjoyable and memorable day for so many youngsters in the Arden and district community.