With 6-3 and 7-1 victories on Saturday and Sunday respectively, the Frontenac Novice (8 years old and under) Flyers need only one more win to take the Lou Jeffries Trophy, as champions of their respective EOMHL division.

The Flyers travel back to Wasaga Beach Friday (March 24, 6 p.m. game start, Game 4, if necessary, is March 19 at 2:30 p.m. in Piccadilly) to play the Stars in what could be their final game of the season. (In the finals, the first team to reach 6 points wins and the Flyers are up 4-0 after their wins in the first two games.)

In the Saturday game, the Flyers opened the scoring in the first and never looked back getting goals from Cole Rowat (2), Jack Craig (2), Kayson Antoine and Mason Norgaard.

In the Sunday game at Wasaga Beach, Craig (2), Shane Kennedy (2), Antoine, Norgaard and Zac Gardiner-Kay handled the scoring duties.

But scoring prowess aside, this Flyers team seems to be more opportunistic than offense-minded and their strong suit is playing a positional game with strong basics.

“That is our game,” said head coach Jamie Craig. “Passing, playing positional hockey and skating.

“We’ve (including asst. coach Don Rowat) had most of these players for three years and that’s what we’ve stressed.”

And there’s another vital cog in the Flyers machine — goalie Hayden Consack.

“He’s been our backbone,” said Craig, singling out Consack as instrumental in the Saturday win (all three Wasaga Beach goals were on the power play).

Consack was front and centre in the Sunday win as well, allowing only a single tally but once again it was strong positional play contributing to team success.

“It (Sunday) was our best all-round team game this season,” Craig said.

Just getting to the final is “a bit new for these guys” Craig said but it bodes well for the future of the Frontenac Minor Hockey system.

“I’m very happy and proud of these guys,” Craig said. “And there are a lot of people involved in their success.

“(FMH president) Al Pixley is doing a helluva job.”

While the sunny skies were welcome for much of the Frontenac Heritage Festival last weekend, the Tichborne venue might have preferred a slightly cooler temperature as the rink featured a bit of water across its surface.

Undaunted however, the Kingston & Area Ice Stock Club along with a few locals still threw a few rocks and got in a game or two.

“It’s OK,” said spokesperson Chris Hammer. “This game can be frustrating in the best of conditions but we’re always competitive.”

Ice stock is game very similar to curling. Indeed, practitioners throw stones towards a ‘house’ and the closer your stones are to the house (actually a rubber ring so it has similarities with bocce) than your opponents, the more points you score. The stones are quite similar to curling stones, except the handles are straight up. There is one big difference, however, the design of the 4.5 kilo stones allows for the exchanging of bases such that it can be played on asphalt during the summer.

“The summer game uses Teflon bases,” Hammer said. “That’s what we’ll be using when we start our summer season at the tennis courts in Sydenham.

“The winter bases are rubber.”

The sport likely has its origins in curling (although it is depicted in Peter Bruegel paintings from the 1500s) but it’s actually a German-Austrian variant established in 1934.

Locally, it began at Ernst Porhaska’s and Otto Egger’s properties just off Sydenham Road north of the 401 in the late ’50s.

It suffered a local decline in the ’90s but has been enjoying a resurgence with 45 regular members in the local club.

Thanks to a grant from the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport, lacrosse may be an up and coming sport activity for youth in Frontenac County. The grant was from the Ontario Sports and Recreation Community fund to promote aboriginal activities like lacrosse and snowshoeing for two years.

Northern Frontenac Community Services Corporation youth coordinator James Kelly has been running a six-week program at Land O’Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove for youths 10-13 after a similar program in Harrowsmith and so far, so good.

“We’ve really just got started with this,” Kelly said. “We had about 25 kids in Harrowsmith and about eight here in Mountain Grove.

“We’re planning another six-week run in Harrowsmith after spring break.”

Kelly himself, although an avid athlete, didn’t have much experience with lacrosse, but to a certain extent, that allows him to empathize with the students.

“I’m learning as well,” he said. “We teach fundamentals (passing, catching, shooting, face-offs) and then try to work in some scrimmages.”

For those unfamiliar with the sport, its origins date back a millennium or so, to the Iroquois Nations. It’s much like hockey without skates or ice and is played with a ball. The lacrosse stick has a basket at one end to catch the ball and goals are scored by shooting the ball past a goaltender into a net.

There are two versions, field and box lacrosse with the former being played outside on a larger playing surface with more players per team and the later being an indoor game, usually with six a side, much like hockey.

“I’d love to get a league going,” Kelly said. “It’s a great workout.”

The cost for the six-week program is $20 but since the Mountain Grove set has already been started, Kelly said they can work something out if there are more kids wanting to play. Equipment is provided so all kids need is proper athletic wear including sneakers.

Kelly believes this, and other aboriginal activities like snowshoeing, are important are important for kids in rural areas.

“In rural areas, you don’t find as many programs as you do in Kingston,” he said. “I know I would have jumped at the chance to do this when I was that age (and) the kids seem to like it.”
For more information on the program, contact Kelly at NFCS 613-279-2244 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Sydenham High School girls senior volleyball side continued its winning ways Monday night defeating the Granite Ridge Education Centre Gryphons 3-1.

The game was a make-up for the previous week’s Tuesday contest that was postponed due to inclement weather.

The win raises the Golden Eagles’ record to 9-0, and they are the only undefeated team in the loop.

The Gryphons fielded a depleted squad, with six regulars and one junior call-up, due to impending exams the following day.

Sydenham handily won the first set 25-6 but then GREC rallied to take the second 25-22. In the third set, GREC had a 12-8 lead at one point but fell 25-18.

The Golden Eagles finished up the win with a convincing 25-4 win.

“It’s been hard to carry on momentum with all the breaks in the season (Christmas, exams),” said Sydenham coach Katie May. “(But) we have skilled players who are committed.”

May cited the leadership and play of Robyn Melnyck and Brianna MacComish and overall team play as big reasons for the team’s success this season.

“We have a lot of experience at a high level on both defense and offense,” she said. “That gives us stability.”

As the defending KASSAA champions, there would naturally be high expectations this year and May did describe this team as “one of the highest potential” but didn’t want to go any further than that.

“Yes, we’d like to finish No. 1 in the league but we take it one game at a time,” she said. “We have good basics in terms of passing, serving, good all-around.

“(And) they are a lovely group of young ladies working together.”

November 15, 2016 – “An auto-parts heiress, married to a Russian yogi/ naturopathic doctor, is turning Kingston Penitentiary into a tourist attraction. Is this an investment opportunity to die for?” So goes the story line for the upcoming Murder Mystery Dinner happening on Saturday evening, December 3, at the Grace Centre, 4295 Stage Coach Road, in Sydenham.

Local charity Southern Frontenac Community Services is teaming up with Mr. Spot Mysteries to offer a fun-filled evening in Sydenham, where armchair sleuths can test their crime-solving skills in this hilarious production, while enjoying a lovely meal and the company of others.

Tickets for the Murder Mystery Dinner are $50 each, which includes not only the entertainment, but a sit-down, three course meal, with soup or salad, main course, one drink (beer/ wine/ soft drink), dessert, coffee/ tea, and dessert. A licensed cash bar will also be available.

“For less than the price of a dinner and a movie in Kingston, residents of South Frontenac – and beyond – can enjoy a fun evening out in the beautiful setting of the historic Grace Centre,” says Andy Mills, organizing the event on behalf of SFCSC. “Our meal will be prepared by our own cook, Josey Cadieux, and her team of volunteers,” he adds.

The Murder Mystery Dinner is intended to be a community event, and Mills states that SFCSC is involved for a few reasons: “We have this beautiful space, and we want to share it with our community quite simply by hosting events such as this. We also hope that we will meet some new guests who are not familiar with our charity, and will want to get to know us in the future.”

Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased online through the organization’s website: www.sfcsc.ca, as well as in person (cash or cheque) at their office at 4419 George Street in Sydenham.

For more information, visit: www.sfcsc.ca or contact Andy Mills at 613-376-6477, ext. 205.

At the Festival of Trees that’s held each year in early December, there is a lot of money collected, so where does it go? Who get’s it. What do they do with it? Who are they? And well you may ask.

The “they" are volunteers and the "Festival" is the event held each year to earn money to give back again to the community. What’s this? Yes the money goes back to the various villages in the area to buy flowers to make the villages beautiful each year, and the name of the group of volunteers who arrange all this is "Villages Beautifull". The group keeps only enough money over from year to year to fund the next Festival. All of the rest of the money is given out to the volunteers of the villages each year to buy flowers and containers and sometimes trees. The Festival is coming soon.

The Sydenham Golden Eagles Junior Football team got off to a great start in their game against the Frontenac Secondary School Falcons at Richardson Stadium in Kingston on Saturday afternoon (November 5). The two teams had been the class of the KASSAA (Kingston and Area Secondary School Athletics Association) League this year and were facing each other in the final.

The Golden Eagles got an early interception, and quickly scored a touchdown midway through the first quarter. They rode that momentum throughout the first half, and went to the locker room with a 12-2 lead at half time.

In the third quarter, however, the Frontenac Falcons began to establish their ground game, chewing up 5 or 6 yards a pop using effective mis-direction to keep the Sydenham Golden Eagles front line off balance. This in turn made their passing game more effective. Late in the third quarter they scored a touchdown, and after a successful conversion the score was Sydenham 12, Frontenac 9 as they headed into the 4^th quarter.

The Falcons defense kept shutting the Golden Eagles down, and while the Golden Eagles defence was able to keep them in the game, the Falcons marched down the field as time was running out. A final defensive stand by Sydenham prevented what would certainly have been a game winning touchdown, but the Falcons settled for a field goal with 2 minutes to go to tie the game at 12.

As the clock ran down, the Golden Eagles finally penetrated into the Falcons end. A punt at the buzzer made it into the Falcons end zone for a potential game winning safety but was easily run out to the 10 yard line by the returner.

In the overtime shootout both teams failed to score from the others 35 yard line on the first try.

Then on the second attempt, the Frontenac Falcons re-established their running game, earning two quick first downs. With the ball just outside of the ten yard line, a pass and run took them to the 2 yard line. That was all their front line needed, as they pushed the defensive line back on the next play and the ball was run into the end zone.

The Golden Eagles had one more chance but failed to get a first down, and it was over. They went down to a 19-12 season ending defeat.

With an undefeated season, and a close 2 point win in the semi-finals, it was successful season for Sydenham and will likely bring good results at the senior level over the next two years.

This year the Kennebec Recreation Committee hosted two Halloween events for children in Arden.

On October 29, the committee hosted its 16th annual children’s Halloween party at the Kennebec Recreation Centre in Arden. Eerie music filled the hall, while children moved from station to station around the hall enjoying a multitude of Halloween-themed crafts. Fifty-nine souls returned from their visit to the “Wicked Witch Inn”, located deep down in the bowels of the building, where children participated in a spooky scavenger hunt. After lunch, and the costume parade, children received a treat bag.

This year’s event attracted youth from Arden; Flinton; Kaladar; Kingston; Mountain Grove; Parham; Sharbot Lake; and Winchester.

Then, acting upon a suggestion from Lisa Matson, the committee hosted the inaugural Community Shell-Out on Halloween night itself, Oct. 31.

The concept was simple. Provide a safe; fun experience in a central location where the more rural members of the community, and “Trick and Treaters” could hook up. “Trick and Treaters” and community members met at the Kennebec Recreation Centre between the hours of 5 and 7 pm for the exchange of traditional Halloween goodies.

A total of nine families, with donations from an additional five families shelled-out to 39 youth, who were accompanied by 31 parents and family members. This year’s event attracted youth from Arden; Kaladar; Mountain Grove; and Sharbot Lake.

The Kennebec Recreation Committee is a committee of Central Frontenac Council, and enjoys their interaction with all residents. You can support the committee in many ways. You can join into one of the many sponsored programs, purchase a ticket to one of the fundraising events or make a donation, for which you will receive a tax receipt. You could also share some of your ideas with the committee by coming out and joining the group. We’d be happy to have you join in any way you wish! Thanks to all!

Join us on Facebook: “Kennebec Recreation Committee”

Thirty-two boys and girls aged six to 10 are taking part in a unique hockey development program to promote a love of hockey and physical activity. Hosted by the Frontenac Fury Girls' Hockey Association, the First Shift program allows students who have never played hockey before to share a positive first experience with seasoned coaching staff and players. The program also aims to remove barriers that might prevent children or families from trying hockey in the first place. For the Fury, this means making them feel at home within our hockey community and to stimulate a desire for continued participation. Thanks to funding from Hockey Canada, Bauer and local sponsors at Kingston's Canadian Tire, all participants are outfitted head-to-toe in equipment valued at more than $1,000. Participating families only pay $199. In addition to the equipment, volunteer Fury coaches, players and community volunteers provide six on-ice sessions. A grant to the Fury from South Frontenac Township has allowed the fury to extend the on-ice instruction by an additional six sessions. So far, with two on-ice sessions under their belt, both participants and mentors are having a great time getting to know one another and have fun! While the fall session is full, the Fury are accepting new participants for the winter session to begin in the new year. For more information, please visit http://frontenacfury.ca/news.php?news_id=1334080

Lynette Whan has always decorated the woods around her home for her family at Halloween and she has also always wanted to do something on a community scale.

This was the year, and with the help of some of her running friends and the Railway Heritage Society, the idea of a 2 and 5 km walk/run along the K&P trail between Sharbot Lake and Road 38 came to fruition. The set up took much of the afternoon on Sun. Oct. 30 when the run was held. There were coffins that moved; zombies wandering in front of runners; lost souls looking for their loved ones; all things that runners rarely see as they chug along the scenic trail that curls around the west basin of Sharbot Lake. Many of the walkers and runners were dressed for the occasion as well, including a woman in heels who somehow managed to make it most of the way up the trail, and back, with her daughter running on ahead and calling for her every time she got scared by a moving skeleton or a monkey in the trees.

The event attracted a good, younger crowd, who also enjoyed the haunted caboose put on by the heritage museum. At the end of the run, along with water, each participant received a bag of candy, certainly once of the best ever participation prizes in a local run.

Prizes were awarded for the fastest runners: Karl Kent (m) and Christine Patterson (f) in the 5 km category, and Riley Merrigan in the 2 km category. Prizes were also awarded for costumes.

At the end of the race, it was decided this would be the first annual haunted run.