by Derek Spafford

The Dion Frontenac Snowshoe Race will be held this Sunday, January 18, 10am at the Frontenac Provincial Park. Race day registration is from 8:30 – 9:45am at the park office. This is the second race in the Dion Eastern Ontario Snowshoe Running Series.

The 6.6km course at Frontenac Park is flat with some rolling sections and suitable for all snowshoe runners of all ability level. Beginners welcome. Conditions in the park are currently ideal. Online registration is still available for the race, and race organizers still have a limited number of Dion running snowshoes available for rent.

Please contact to reserve. For more information visit www.HealthandAdventure.com .

Long-time Verona resident, Doug Lovegrove, recalled that when he first moved to Verona in 1980 he became interested in the history of WW1 and in particular, the 146th "Overseas” Battalion, a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces based in Kingston, Ontario.

The unit was made up of soldiers and officers from the counties of Frontenac and Lennox and Addington and recruiting began in Kingston in late 1915. Recruiting offices were also set up in Tamworth, Enterprise, Flinton and Napanee and recruiting teams also visited many of the hamlets in both counties.

Lovegrove, who served as an electronics technician in the Canadian Army in both the RCEME and the RC SIGS from 1967 until he retired in 1992, said that he became intrigued with the 146th Battalion because “simply put, there was not very much information out there about it.”

Lovegrove began his research five years ago and the results of his efforts are now accessible online in a project he has titled "The 146th Research Project". It is comprised of two parts: the first, a history of WW1 and the 146th battalion and the second a more in-depth look at the estimated 600 to 800 soldiers and officers who were part of it.

While most of Doug's findings have come from information he has gleaned from the internet, a number of local residents have also helped shed light on its individual members after he put an advertisement in this newspaper asking readers for any information they might have.

When interviewed earlier this week Lovegrove said that information about the 146th Battalion in general is scarce due to the fact that the unit was not formed until November 28, 1915 and further, that as soon as the unit arrived in England, its members were absorbed into the many other existing units. “Of the 260 battalions that fought in WW1, only one third are well documented”, he said. “The 146th Battalion was absorbed almost immediately upon its arrival in England. When I started my research only two units, the 95th Battalion and the 12th Reserve were listed as the ones who absorbed members from the 146th, but so far I have found 27 other units where members of the 146th ended up.”

Much of the information about individual soldiers and officers Lovegrove gleaned by searching individual regimental numbers, which offer up information about a soldier's place of birth, the names of his parents, his marital status, sometimes medical information, as well as the unit they were assigned to when they arrived in England, the medals they received, if they were killed in action and where they were buried in Europe or at home. The website includes a listing of memorable dates that outline the battalion's formation in Kingston and its travels from Kingston to Valcartier, Quebec and on to Halifax, where its members boarded the HMT Southland. The ship was part of a large convoy that departed for Liverpool, England on September 27, 1916 and arrived on October, 6, 1916. To date Lovegrove has found 66 pictures of individuals who served in the 146th and has also located 93 gravestone markers, most of them in Europe and some in Canada.

One of Lovegrove's most cherished finds occurred just this past week when he came across the 146th Battalion's colours, which were presented by a Mrs. J. B. Pense on behalf of the citizens of Kingston and deposited immediately after the battalion's departure for England at St. Andrew's Church in Kingston. The colours can now be viewed online and "are a very important historical artifact and represent the insignia of the unit.”

Others important finds are a photo of the entire battalion that he came across online as well as a photo of local soldiers from the unit gathered at the train station in Sharbot Lake, circa 1915. The latter photo hangs in the office of Sharbot Lake resident Marcel Giroux.

For Lovegrove the project remains incomplete and he is still hoping to find out more information that any local residents might possess or know of. The project includes an information request sheet that can filled out for those who either would like information or have information to relate.

Lovegrove's work, it seems, is never ending. Eventually he hopes to create a data base with information about each individual member of the battalion. “There are so many stories that have yet to be told, ” he said.

In wrapping up our interview Lovegrove stressed the importance of the Canadian contribution to WW1. “From a total population of 8 million, 600,000 Canadians served in WW1, which is a huge number and it should be noted that Canada's contribution was recognized by the fact that they were asked to sign the Peace Treaty, which demonstrated the recognition of their incredible efforts and their huge sacrifices.”

To learn more about The 146th Research Project visit www.146battalion.ca and those with any information can email him at “This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..” It should also be noted that Doug is the military historian for the Portland District and Area Heritage Society and he also welcomes any information and artifacts in that context as well.

Long-time Verona resident, Doug Lovegrove, recalled that when he first moved to Verona in 1980 he became interested in the history of WW1 and in particular, the 146th "Overseas” Battalion, a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces based in Kingston, Ontario.

The unit was made up of soldiers and officers from the counties of Frontenac and Lennox and Addington and recruiting began in Kingston in late 1915. Recruiting offices were also set up in Tamworth, Enterprise, Flinton and Napanee and recruiting teams also visited many of the hamlets in both counties.

Lovegrove, who served as an electronics technician in the Canadian Army in both the RCEME and the RC SIGS from 1967 until he retired in 1992, said that he became intrigued with the 146th Battalion because “simply put, there was not very much information out there about it.”

Lovegrove began his research five years ago and the results of his efforts are now accessible online in a project he has titled "The 146th Research Project". It is comprised of two parts: the first, a history of WW1 and the 146th battalion and the second a more in-depth look at the estimated 600 to 800 soldiers and officers who were part of it.

While most of Doug's findings have come from information he has gleaned from the internet, a number of local residents have also helped shed light on its individual members after he put an advertisement in this newspaper asking readers for any information they might have.

When interviewed earlier this week Lovegrove said that information about the 146th Battalion in general is scarce due to the fact that the unit was not formed until November 28, 1915 and further, that as soon as the unit arrived in England, its members were absorbed into the many other existing units. “Of the 260 battalions that fought in WW1, only one third are well documented”, he said. “The 146th Battalion was absorbed almost immediately upon its arrival in England. When I started my research only two units, the 95th Battalion and the 12th Reserve were listed as the ones who absorbed members from the 146th, but so far I have found 27 other units where members of the 146th ended up.”

Much of the information about individual soldiers and officers Lovegrove gleaned by searching individual regimental numbers, which offer up information about a soldier's place of birth, the names of his parents, his marital status, sometimes medical information, as well as the unit they were assigned to when they arrived in England, the medals they received, if they were killed in action and where they were buried in Europe or at home. The website includes a listing of memorable dates that outline the battalion's formation in Kingston and its travels from Kingston to Valcartier, Quebec and on to Halifax, where its members boarded the HMT Southland. The ship was part of a large convoy that departed for Liverpool, England on September 27, 1916 and arrived on October, 6, 1916. To date Lovegrove has found 66 pictures of individuals who served in the 146th and has also located 93 gravestone markers, most of them in Europe and some in Canada.

One of Lovegrove's most cherished finds occurred just this past week when he came across the 146th Battalion's colours, which were presented by a Mrs. J. B. Pense on behalf of the citizens of Kingston and deposited immediately after the battalion's departure for England at St. Andrew's Church in Kingston. The colours can now be viewed online and "are a very important historical artifact and represent the insignia of the unit.”

Others important finds are a photo of the entire battalion that he came across online as well as a photo of local soldiers from the unit gathered at the train station in Sharbot Lake, circa 1915. The latter photo hangs in the office of Sharbot Lake resident Marcel Giroux.

For Lovegrove the project remains incomplete and he is still hoping to find out more information that any local residents might possess or know of. The project includes an information request sheet that can filled out for those who either would like information or have information to relate.

Lovegrove's work, it seems, is never ending. Eventually he hopes to create a data base with information about each individual member of the battalion. “There are so many stories that have yet to be told, ” he said.

In wrapping up our interview Lovegrove stressed the importance of the Canadian contribution to WW1. “From a total population of 8 million, 600,000 Canadians served in WW1, which is a huge number and it should be noted that Canada's contribution was recognized by the fact that they were asked to sign the Peace Treaty, which demonstrated the recognition of their incredible efforts and their huge sacrifices.”

To learn more about The 146th Research Project visit www.146battalion.ca and those with any information can email him at “This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..” It should also be noted that Doug is the military historian for the Portland District and Area Heritage Society and he also welcomes any information and artifacts in that context as well.

The Frontenac Flyers Peesee Rep team held a very successful food drive at the Verona Foodland and Trousdale's stores in Sydenham on November 22nd. The team's coach,Brian Brown, came up with the idea of the Flyer's mounting a drive to give back to the community, and the public was happy to oblige. 327.25 pounds of food and $959.11 was donated to the South Frontenac Community Services Food Bank as the result of a real team effort.

Photos: The first picture

4581_1 is 

The second one is Owen Deyo, Jacob Snider, Jarod Brown 

At a special holiday Christmas market at the Verona Lions hall on December 13, many of the Frontenac Farmers' Market's regular vendors gave their loyal customers a chance to get ahead on their holiday merry making.

Twenty-two vendors took part, including new market vendors, Bear Root Gardens who were selling packets of their own seeds, and Long Road Ecological Farm near Harrowsmith, who were selling their home made edibles including their sumptuous Chinese buns.

Market manager Debbie Harris, who is also a regular vendor, said that putting on the special Christmas market is beneficial both to vendors and their loyal following, which has grown steadily over the market's 10-year run. “People called us wanting to know when the Christmas market would be and this event gives customers a chance to stock up for Christmas.”

One notable newcomer to the market this year was Allison Storring, who along with her husband Mark da Silva recently launched their new piano upcycling business called DoFaSo in Yarker. The two are in the business of moving turn of the century upright and player pianos that people no longer want, but these days can't even seem to give away.

The couple bring new hope to these formerly popular salon instruments. They will move them (for a fee) and also upcycle them into useable accessories for the home and person. They had a number of their sample pieces on display in Verona, including some music back boards from a number of turn of the century upright pianos. One wooden beauty had a mirror inset and all of them can be used as the perfect backdrop on a mantlepiece, or as a decorative head board in a bedroom or as a large display shelf.

Samples of the stand alone front upright legs of these same pianos, made of solid wood and some exquisitely hand carved and shaped into attractive columns, are used as elegant free standing candles holders and Storring said that she and her husband also plan to make the legs into shelving units, benches, cornices and more.

Husband Mark, who was not in attendance at the show, is a musician and also works at Renaissance Music in Kingston. He knows a lot about upcycling old musical instruments; for years he recycled electronic tube organs for use as tube amps. “Mark soon realized that there was a market for older pianos, not only to have them removed from people's homes but also to create something new from their parts, which are often comprised of beautifully decorated solid wood. Our business not only prevents these pianos from ending up in landfills but preserves much of the intrinsic beauty that these older instruments possess,” Storring said. According to Storring many older pianos contain up to three pounds of lead but also copper, glass and steel, all of which is unwanted in landfill sites. The couple also sell attractive key chains made from either the Makasar or African ebony keys and Storring said that she also plans to market the pre-ban ivory keys and will also use them to make other items like jewelry.

While these pianos will no longer be making music in the parlor, in the hands of the owners of DoFaSo they will bring a different kind of art into their buyers' homes. For more information, call 613-331-3031 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. DoFaSo items are available at Starlet in Napanee and at Renaissance Music in Kingston.

On November 29, four student volunteers collected copious amounts of empty liquor and beer bottles at the LCBO in Verona for the Verona Community Association's annual Christmas for Kids program. This year the program will offer Christmas gifts to 63 children in the local community. Each child will receive a gift of hand-made pajamas, socks, underwear, toques, and mittens plus art and crafts supplies, books, puzzles and new toys. Mary Jo Dowker, who is heading up the Christmas for Kids Committee, said that new unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the Asselstine Hardware and Verona Hardware stores in Verona until Sunday December 14. Any gifts dropped off after that date will be used for next year's drive. Volunteers will be wrapping the gifts, which will be delivered to local area schools where they will be picked up by parents in time to be handed out to the children on Christmas morning. For those who missed the bottle drive, a number of donation jars are also located throughout the community where cash donations can still be made. Thanks to these young volunteers and to the members of the VCA Christmas for Kids committee, many local youngsters will be receiving gifts that they otherwise may have gone without this holiday season.

For about 40 years, Trinity United Church in Verona has been giving a choral Advent concert as a “gift to the community” and this year’s concert proved yet again to be a delightful and memorable gift. The choir was made up of the combined choirs of St. Paul's/Trinity United in Verona, St. Paul's Anglican church in Sydenham and singers from the local community.

As listeners filled the beautiful church sanctuary, they were treated to music by the flute quartet Toute Ensemble, who set the mood for the evening.

The choir opened with a processional, singing “O Come O Come Emmanuel”, then invited the audience to join in “O Come All Ye Faithful”.

The choir was led by their long time conductor, Annabelle Twiddy with members of the choir also directing on a number of selections.

The program included a delightful dramatization of the festive carol “Good King Wenceslas”, featuring Ralph McInnes as the king and the talented young singer Ava Ludlow as the page, joined on stage by a young cast of characters.

The audience was invited to join in for a number of traditional carols including “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, “Once in Royal David’s City”, “Silent Night” and others. Brad Barbeau, organist at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Sydenham, accompanied the choir for one dramatic selection and choir member Tom Mawhinney conducted “One Day”, a song that he composed especially for the concert. The repertoire included songs from a number of musical genres and time periods, including an upbeat version of “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”, the dramatic Laudate Dominum by Honegger, the gorgeous Coventry Carol from the early 1500s, the Irish traditional Wexford Carol and the French folk song “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”.

As usual the soprano/alto/tenor bass choir dramatically expressed through song the diverse emotions that the festive season brings. The addition of a number of new singers to this year’s community choir also brought an added dimension to the sound. One of the most moving selections came at the concert’s finale when the singers lined the aisles of the sanctuary and performed a moving version of J. Purifoy's Christmas Blessing, enveloping the listeners in their sound and bringing the audience to their feet in a heart felt standing ovation. Following the concert the audience was invited to share in refreshments, and many congratulated the singers, accompanists and their fearless leader Annabelle for what has become one of most beloved concerts of the festive season.

The Verona Community Association’s 2nd annual “Christmas in the Village” is truly an event that has something for everyone. It is completely free and was put on at the Verona Lions hall on November 29 by members of the Verona Community Association (VCA) as a thank you to the local community.

Linda Bates, the chair of this year’s event, said that it is “the VCA's way of saying thank you to the local community for supporting us in our many events that have taken place throughout the year and is our way of welcoming local children into the beginning of this holiday season.”

Christmas in the Village included numerous indoor and outdoor activities for kids including rides on the Verona Express train, wagon rides courtesy of Wayne Garrison and his team Prince and Skittles, an outdoor marshmallow roasting pit, numerous holiday crafts, a tree lighting ceremony and judging contest, door prizes, games for adults and much more. Musical entertainment was provided by the Camp Fire Boys and a plethora of snacks including chili, burgers and hot dogs, plus numerous sweet treats including Phylis Harper's famous homemade donuts and Yvonne Guthro's holiday rice crispie squares were also in abundance and available free of charge.

Children also had a chance to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, who made a special appearance. Close to 300 people attend the event annually and families, especially those with young children, had a chance to relax and socialize thanks to the hard work of the members of the VCA.

A small but attentive group attended a seminar called “Depression Hurts”, which was held at Trinity United Church in Verona on November 26. The public meeting was aimed at highlighting the common symptoms of depression and anxiety and stressing the fact that help is available through a number of service providers in the area.

Dr. Joe Burley headed up the meeting, which included the participation of professional health care providers from the Sydenham and Verona medical clinics, Frontenac Community Mental Health and Addiction Services, L&A Addictions and Community Health Services, Southern Frontenac Community Services and Providence Care Mental Health Services.

Dr. Burley began by describing the symptoms of depression and anxiety. These symptoms can commonly overlap and can include a depressed or “slowed down” mood, appetite change and/or sudden weight gain or loss, feelings of worthlessness or tiredness, inappropriate or excessive guilt, thoughts of suicide, and difficulty sleeping or concentrating.

He stated the best way to address all mental health issues is to begin first with a visit to one’s general health care provider, who can access and refer patients to other health care professionals who offer counseling and other kinds of support.

Members of the panel demonstrated through a dramatization how depression can affect a person and also members of their family and much of the meeting included personal information being offered up by those in the audience who have experienced personal mental health issues.

Dr. Burley pointed out that in many cases anxiety and /or depression can often be successfully treated or at least managed by different kind of counseling, which include talk or behavior therapy and/or therapeutic drugs, and sometimes a combination of both.

This seminar was the first of what may become a series of similar public information sessions and meetings, and it was heartening to see that people are actively looking for help and information and that there are many professionals in the community available to offer their help and services to those in need.

For those in the community who may be in crisis but are currently suffering in silence, Frontenac Community Mental Health and Addiction Services has a 24-hour Crisis Line that can be called 24 hours a day at 613-544-4229. As well, those who missed the meeting and think that they might need help should make an appointment with their local health care provider.

by the Verona and Sydenham District Lions

For the past two weeks, Lions volunteers from Sydenham and Verona have conducted the annual vision and hearing screening for approximately 200 senior kindergarten and grade one students at Harrowsmith, Loughborough, and Prince Charles public schools as well as at St. Patrick Catholic School in Harrowsmith

For young learners, it is critical that any vision and hearing problems are detected early before a child's performance at school is affected and that is why for the past seven years, the local Lions have conducted the screening program for the youngest students at the start of every school year. It is estimated that one in six children has a vision problem. The vision screening section consists of three stations that help identify children who have trouble seeing things at a distance, up close or who may have difficulty making both eyes focus together. The hearing section of the screening program is comprised of a sound test. The child wears headphones and is asked, at increasingly lower audio levels, to point to various pictures.

The results from both screening tests are sent home to the child’s parents/caregivers that same day. If the child's results fall below the prescribed level, a recommendation is also sent home asking that the child have a complete examination by a vision or hearing specialist. The screening results also remind parents that annual eye examinations are recommended and important for school-aged children and are covered by OHIP.

The vision and hearing screening program for senior kindergarten and grade one students is provided free by the local Lions Clubs and the expensive equipment used in the testing was purchased through the fund raising efforts of many local Lions clubs. At the start of every school year, local Lions clubs quickly circulate the equipment through more than 50 schools in the local and surroundings community in order to screen as many children as possible in the hopes of identifying as early as possible any vision or hearing problems.

While most of the Lions screening volunteers are retired, the younger Lions volunteers work hard to juggle their work and personal schedules so that they can be available for the school day screenings. Many volunteers are grandparents who themselves wear glasses and/or hearing aids and who have personal stories of struggling in school as a result of their own vision and hearing issues. They therefore understand first hand the importance of correcting any vision and hearing problems early so that local students can enjoy maximum learning and have basic everyday life enjoyment.