At the Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference group of farmers, local food processors, and local food promoters met at the Agricultural College in Kemptville last Thursday (December 1).

The theme of the conference, which was sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs (OMAFA) was “scaling up our regional food system”.

Among the participants and panellists in the main morning session of the event, were representatives from groups and businesses from all across the region who have been slowing building up the variety and availability of small scale locally grown food over a number of years.

The next step is to determine how to increase production and distribution of local food to meet an ever-increasing demand.

Business oriented concerns about he logistics of warehousing and bringing food to market were front and centre at the conference, which stands in marked contrasts to gatherings in the past, including a large food summit in Kingston that took place a few years ago. At that time, discussions about fod sovereignty and the health and economic risks that come from mono-cultural agribusinesses were the main concerns expressed by presenters and participants alike.

While all of these concerns have not gone away, this conference, sponsored as it was by OMAFRA, had more of a focus on the near and mid-term future of Eastern Ontario and how it is that local food will be able to get onto more and more tables, and how it is that more people will be able to make a living producing food for the Eastern Ontario market.

The keynote speaker at the conference was Tom Stearns, the owner of High Mowing ‘organic Seeds of Hardwick Vermont.

He talked about the prevalence of locally produced, organic food in his pat of Vermont and in the State of Vermont in general. Co-operative ventures by small sample agri-businesses have brought local food into the main stream in Vermont, and have brought the formerly dying town of Hardwick into a state of growth and prosperity.

Other features of the Vermont local food scene are a preponderance of cheese producers, and local brewers and wine producers. In stark contrast to Ontario, not only are raw milk and raw milk cheeses legal in Vermont, but farmers markets are able to sell locally produced beer and wine to take home or consume on the spot.

“It makes for a more lively farmer’s market,” Stearns said.

Other features that Stearns stressed are a spirit of co-operation between food producers and the resulting ability not only to raise large amounts of money through grants, but to raise private capital for business expansion.

After Stearns address, a a five member panel took on some of the issues related to bringing local food to exponential growth in Ontario over the next few years. Panelists included Trissa McAllister, who works for the County of Northumberland. She was involved in the promotion of farmers market and farm gate sales in Northumberland and Hastings Counties, and is now completing a Business Retention and Expansion Study of local food producers in those two counties as well as Lennox and Addington, Frontenac and Lanark Counties.

Tom Manley from Cornwall is the principle of Homesead Organics, a grain producer. He is currently working on a project called Organic Central in 200,000 square foot building in on Sault Ontario. The project will include a new home for Homestead Organics, perhaps an Eastern Ontario warehouse for the Ontario Natural Food Co-op, and will have space for a number of other companies that would like to share in resources such as office and communications support, research kitchens, and perhaps a cheese-making centre.

“What we need to do in Ontario is tighten the supply chain between producers and consumers, share the cost of infrastructure and make a real difference in the price and quality of food that is available to people,” he said.

When an audience member asked what kinds of changes in provincial policy needed not change to foster local food, Manly did not talk about raw milk or restrictions on egg producers. Instead, he said changes to securities regulations to encourage small scale investment was the key to bringing his business plan to fruition.

Moe Richardson works in the not-for profit sector in Ottawa, with a community based organisation called Just Food. Just Food, which started out as a local food advocacy group in the Sandy Hill district of Ottawa, is now engaged in building what an “Agricultural Hub” on a piece of proerpty inrural Ottawa. It shares some of the goals, as a not-for-profit venture, with Tom Manley’s Organic Central.

Harris Ivens from Kingston/Frontenac based National Farmer Union Local 316 Path to Grow Research project, and Carole Lavigne from Eastern Ontario Agri-Food network, which is working to bring local meat to Eastern Ontario grocery stores, rounded out the panel.

The thrust of the panel discussion was that regional and provincial barriers need to be bridged to bring the local food industry in Eastern Ontario to a new level of sales and employment.

The fact that the conference was supported by OMAFRA, and 4 banks and 2 farm credit organisation were listed as sponsors as well, is in itself a demonstration that the local food, a concept that was looked at as he domain of young idealists and aging hippies, is now a vital and growing business sector in the region.

Hook's Rona was the winner of a major hardware association award last month, and this month it was named the small business of the year in Lennox and Addington County.

In presenting Sandy and Tracy Hook with their award at a ceremony at the Strathcona Centre in Napanee last week, attention was paid to the role Hook's Rona plays in their local community.

“The business is an economic force in the northern part of Lennox & Addington County, providing jobs and service for local residents,” said the citation that accompanied the award.

The award also made note of the ongoing upgrades that Hook's Rona has made to its business over the years and to the combination of retail and service that it provides.

The Flinton Country/Bluegrass Jamboree was nominated for an award in the tourist event category. That award was won by the North American Gaeltacht, a Celtic festival in Tamworth.

Other award winners included: Paulridge Berry Farm in Switzerville as Agricultural Operation Of The Year; Willy Dog Hot Dog Carts of Napanee as Manufacturer Of The Year; and Francis Savage, a long time store owner, volunteer firefighter and recreation activist from the Odessa area, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Editorial by Jeff Green

A couple of weeks ago, we ran an article called “Deputy Minister sees diminished role for MNR”. The article was based on the transcript of a video statement by David O’Toole, the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, that was viewed by staff throughout the ministry in the wake of the provincial budget, a budget that has now been approved by the Ontario legislature.

The statement raised a number of questions, and I attempted to get some clarity from the ministry. I waited seven days, but when I received the response last week from the communications department at the ministry, I’m afraid I found it less than forthcoming about the ministries real plans.

One of the key questions I asked was what kind of risk Mr. O’Toole was referring to in his statement “Resource monitoring programs will be re-designed to reduce delivery costs. These programs will be consistent with the ministry’s higher tolerance to risk and the move to landscape level planning.”

I received a five-part response to this one part question, the most definitive part being the following - “The MNR will not compromise on our mandate of ecosystem protection.”

This was followed by part 2, which was about how MNR service will be modernized: “Taking a risk-based approach would allow MNR to better prioritise decision-making and resource allocation within broader ecosystem considerations.”

That left me confused. Exactly how does a ‘risk-based approach’ relate to ‘higher tolerance to risk’?

This was followed by the standard spiel about holding public consultation before any changes are made. The answer concludes by saying that in the future the MNR will be focussing on “core business lines of fish and wildlife, endangered species protection, forestry, Crown land management, water, parks and protected areas, non-renewable resources, and public safety.

Aside from my own frustration at not being able to get a straight answer to my question – I still have no idea what risks will be more highly tolerated by the MNR - the last part of the ministry’s answer is simply not credible at all.

That list of core business lines is long, and there is strong evidence that those functions are already not being accomplished adequately, before the budget cuts take effect.

For example, there is only one conservation officer for Fisheries Zone 18, a massive region that encompasses most of Eastern Ontario and thousands of lakes and hunting lands. Fish and wildlife regulations can be flouted with impunity now.

When ministry officials came to talk to the local conservation community in Northbrook a few weeks ago the hall was full, and the talk in the hall was less about whether the regulations made sense and more about how the regulations were going to be enforced.

No statements about a new business plan and restructuring can mask the fact that the MNR is losing funding again and will be able to provide less rather than more protection to rural Ontario in the future.

Stewardship councils on the rocks

The MNR provides support for 46 stewardship councils in rural counties across the province. That funding is now under review

Stewardship councils, which are made up of volunteers with an interest in helping to maintain and learn about their local and regional ecosystems, have been in place for about 16 years. They were set up the last time the MNR underwent major cuts. The councils replaced some of the outreach functions of the MNR.

In Frontenac County, the council has about 20 members, including representatives from all of the four townships. Members bring their own interests to the council. With the help of Cam McCauley, an MNR employee who provides administrative support, and is adept at securing grant money from government and foundation sources, the council supports tree planting efforts, landowner efforts to prepare stewardship plans for their properties, fish spawning bed enhancement and more.

In recent years the council has forged a relationship with Frontenac County, producing the Naturally Rich Frontenacs booklet, and presented public talks on a host of species, including fishers, wolves, coyotes, bats, loons, and turtles.

While the council continues to meet each month, there is a feeling that it will soon face a fatal cut in support from the ministry.

An effort to save Stewardship Councils is being led by the Leeds Grenville Stewardship Council Chair Rhonda Elliott. She has started an online petition at the following url - www.gopetition.com/petitions/ontario-stewardship-councils-are-important-to-ontarians.html

When I contacted the ministry, I also asked them the following direct question about the future of Stewardship Councils. Will the stewardship councils be losing all ministry funding?

The answer could have been a yes or a no, but instead I received a three part answer.

Here it is:

- MNR will continue to have a presence in rural Ontario. Details regarding specific transfer payments still need to be worked out and finalized. MNR is committed to providing information as more details become available

- Our focus will be to engage in more strategic partnerships aligned to MNR’s core priorities and business needs, and establishing clear expectations and accountabilities for the funds provided.

- These changes are necessary to address the government’s financial realities so that the MNR can continue to better serve our clients and all Ontarians.

If anyone can make sense of the above please contact me. I think it implies that the stewardship councils are toast.

But what do I know?

Last week’s Business over Breakfast at the Verona Lions Hall on March 29 was a great success, with both the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) and local businesses having much to celebrate.

Anne Prichard, executive director of the FCFDC, said when I spoke to her by phone this week, “When we received the EODP funding back in October of this year, it was announced that for the first time the EODP funding would be ongoing until March 2014, which is a great thing for businesses and other recipients. With funding in place for two and half years recipients will be able to plan out long-term projects and have the time to carry them out properly.”

At the breakfast meeting, which was chaired by Jim Kelly, vice chair of the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario, it was announced that to date nine projects have been funded through the EODP totaling $115,000. In February the FCFDC also started receiving applications for EODP grants for the fiscal year that begins April 1, and to date 29 projects totaling $350,845 in funding have been approved. Those recipients will be announced in the near future. Also available through the FCFDC are access to capital loans for businesses or individuals looking to develop vacant or underutilized commercial properties or to make facade improvements. In the past six months five access to capital loans totaling $285,000 have been given out and those funds have leveraged an additional $2.4 million.

Carl Kelly, a senior manager of consulting at the Business Development Bank of Canada, was also at the meeting speaking about their Booster Program, which offers three consecutive ½ day workshops in marketing for businesses who are looking to boost sales. The FCFDC is supporting the program and is offering to fund 50% of the cost of the workshop for interested businesses. Anyone looking for more information about that program can contact Carl Kelly at 613-389-2897.

Also upcoming is the FCFDC workshop titled “Retail Makeover Workshop” aimed at retail businesses looking to help drive their sales in their retail locations. This is the first time the FCFDC has offered this kind of workshop. The annual FCFDC trade show, which takes place in the fall and where local businesses showcase their services and products, was also discussed. Organizers are currently looking for public input as to how to attract more visitors to the annual show. A few new ideas suggested at the meeting included the possibility of hiring a guest speaker on a topic that might attract more visitors.

With the April 1 EODP deadline just past, businesses should take note that the upcoming deadlines for EODP applications are May 1 and June 1, 2012.

Also to note: The Frontenac CFDC is now accepting applications for the 2012-15 board of directors. For more information call 613-372-1414, 1-888-372-9962, or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Photo: Queensborough/Arden Exchange at Kennebec Hall

Friends of Arden Chair, Terry Kennedy, said it best when he stated, “Often visitors to your home have the freshest eyes to determine both its assets and its flaws.”

It was with that in mind that members of the Friends of Arden group entered into the First Impressions Community Exchange (FICE), an economic development exchange program sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). FICE partners similar communities who are looking for input into reaching their economic development goals.

Arden was partnered with the community of Queensborough, which is located north of Highway 7 just west of Tweed, and on November 3, members of the Queensborough contingent, along with OMAFRA field staff Karen Fisher and Katie Nolan, presented their Arden findings at a well-attended community meeting at the Kennebec hall.

A six-member Queensborough team, led by

Elaine Kapusta and Paula Harding, had made an incognito visit to Arden on September 14. All in all they were impressed by the natural beauty and the quaintness of the village; its public beach and park and waterfront parkette; its extra friendly and very informative postmaster; the impressive artisans' shops (though they were closed on the day the team came); and its basic infrastructure, like the Kennebec hall and its bulletin board listing all of the events that take place there, the Legion, and library. That being said, the group also pointed out a number of areas that they felt could use some attention. They first mentioned the plethora of scattered tree-mounted business signs they passed when they entered the village from Highway 7 and suggested gathering the signs in one central location.

They loved the Arden sign in the village and would have liked to have seen it instead of the mundane one on Highway 7.They found the village's park entrance confusing and suggested more tourist signage to determine the locations of its public spaces. Redoing some of the public facilities like the park benches and picnic tables was suggested, along with sprucing up the public outhouse at the park. They commented on the lack of advertising for festivals and events in the village and also the general lack of information available on the Internet. While they loved the environmental Bucket List displayed at a private home in the village, they could not find any recycling bins nearby and also commented on the dead flowers in the planters at the south end of the village.

As far as business potential they listed a possible cafe, or store to serve visitors and also suggested a tourist information booth. They loved the old stone church which they understood would require a “very creative plan” to utilize to its full advantage.

Many times during the presentation Paula Harding spoke of the potential that the natural beauty of the village has to offer. “You really have it all here, the village is a gem, a gold mine. You have the potential here but we just need to know what is going on and when it's going on.”

Ludwik Kapusta weighed in a few times on the importance of not trying to do everything all at once. “Unity of purpose is the most important thing to have and I would suggest deciding long term what exactly you are trying to achieve here and focus on a few things to get things moving in that direction and use those as building blocks,” he said.

Katie Nolan of OMAFRA, who is working with the Arden group, said “The beauty of this exchange program is that whether you are looking for some quick, achievable solutions to spruce up the community or longer term, deeper economic goals, there is always something that will come out of this exchange.“ She added that the process can also be followed up with other programs that OMAFRA offers, like the Business Retention and Expansion Survey and other community economic analysis and downtown revitalization resources and tools.

“We're here to support communities in this process and help to facilitate any actions that might come out of this to attain your goals,” Nolan said.

Terry Kennedy thanked the Queensborough team and looked forward to addressing the issues raised at the meeting. The Friends of Arden were also looking forward to presenting their findings about their partner village at the second half of the exchange, which was to take place in Queensborough on Tuesday, November 8.

Photo: Tracy and Sandi Hook of Hook's Rona Store in Northbrook

Interviewing Tracy and Sandi Hook on the occasion of their Hook's Rona Store winning a national retail award of significant magnitude was not easy to do.

Instead of being ushered into their private offices, as befits the winners of the “Outstanding Hardware Store (any size)” Award at the 20th Outstanding Hardware Retailers Awards, which were presented last week at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel, I found Tracy and Sandi working with other staff at the front counter. We climbed down to the basement where we stood by a counter with a coffee machine and a blue screen computer terminal in the basement/loading zone/storage centre of Hook's Rona – the store’s nominal office, which is shared by four people.

As we talked about the last six years, ever since Hook's expanded and became Hook's Rona, the phone and intercom kept ringing, asking Sandi or Tracy where things were, what a price was, or when a service call was scheduled.

Hook's Rona is a hands-on operation.

Last year the Outstanding Hardware Store category was won by Gow's Home Hardware of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, a 34,000 square foot family-owned store that is itself dwarfed by a 90,000 square foot Walmart and Mark's Work Wearhouse store in the same town.

At 3,200 square feet of retail space, Hook's Rona is a different type of operation. It is a rural store located in cottage country, for one thing, and it also offers a unique tie-in between retail and in-home service.

“We first heard about this award when we were informed that we had been short-listed with two other Rona stores to be the Rona nominee. The things that Rona told us they were looking at were our customer service, expanded product lines, financial performance - a lot of different things,” said Tracy Hook. “We were pretty happy when we found out we had been chosen by Rona. We never thought about winning the nation-wide competition.”

It is a sign of the commitment that Tracy and Sandi Hook have made to their business that after they jumped in the car last Thursday afternoon to go to the award presentation in Toronto, when the ceremony was over they drove back home, not even staying overnight.

“It was a long way to go for a meal,” said Sandi, “but we really had to get back for work the next morning.”

Part of what distinguishes Hook's Rona from all of the hardware stores across Canada, of all sizes, comes from the history of the business.

Richard (Dick) Hook, Tracy's father, started a plumbing, heating and electrical business in 1970, and Tracy and Sandi took over the business in 1982. It was only in 1990, with a strong background in residential and commercial installations and maintenance, that the Hooks opened up a retail location out of the basement of their home.

They subsequently opened Hook's Home Improvement as a separate building with 2,000 square feet of retail space and 4400 square feet of warehouse and contractor sales space.

Then, in 2004, they took a leap of faith and signed on as a RONA franchisee, all the while keeping their contracting business going full tilt.

“It was a good decision,” said Tracy, “from the start our sales increased; our ability to source products increased; and we have kept building the business.”

The store was expanded to its current size in 2005, and more improvements have followed and are planned for 2012. Sandi and Tracy's daughter Erin now works with them on kitchen designs. Older daughters Stacie and Ellen are working part time in the store and son-in-law Brian Snider has joined the team along with Ken, Elizabeth, Lacey, Angie and Cathy.

“It has really helped us to be affiliated with a larger company like Rona. A lot of our customers are seasonal and even locals travel to larger centres. They can go into one of the larger Rona stores and look at all the product lines that are available there, and phone or email us. We order it and deliver for them. The large stores are a good showroom for us, and we don't have to pay the maintenance,” said Tracy Hook.

Hook's Rona will be featured in an upcoming issue of Hardware Merchandising magazine. In 2007 the business won the Land O'Lakes Vision award for Addington Highlands, and it has been nominated for one of the Lennox and Addington Economic Development awards (which are being handed out on November 17) in the Small Firm of the Year category.

Anne Prichard, the executive director of the Frontenac Community Development Corporation (FCFDC), has been walking on egg shells all summer. While the corporation has continued to offer its core services this year, including providing advice and help with business plans as well as financing for business ventures in Frontenac County, it has been waiting for the next phase of the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP) to come through to enable the FCFDC to have a direct impact on the Frontenac County business community.

While funding for the $10 million program, which is divvied up between the 15 Community Futures Corporations in Eastern Ontario, has been guaranteed on a multi-year basis, the 2011 allotment has been waiting while Industry Canada worked to re-design the criteria for the program.

As it turns out, Prichard was on vacation in Thailand when the EODP funding announcement came through early this week, but she is back now and her agency is raring to go to bring funding for community innovation, collaborative, and business development projects.

A series of meetings are scheduled throughout the county next week (Monday on Wolfe Island, Wednesday in Sharbot Lake, Plevna and Sydenham, and Thursday in Arden) for businesses, not-for-profit corporations and municipalities to learn the details of the program. (see ad on page 5)

The first application deadline for proposals will follow only a few days later, on Monday, Nov. 14, but there will be application deadlines in December and the following months as well.

Information has been released at frontenaccfdc.com under the Services banner about the first round of applications, which will include the Community Innovation and Business Development Programs.

Not-for-Profit corporations are eligible for up to 100% grants, totaling a maximum of $100,000 and private businesses are eligible for 50% of costs, also up to a total of $100,000. Under the Community Innovation program, funding is available for community-based economic development projects, research projects, marketing and promotional activities, tourism events, export and trade initiatives, facilitation or hosting of seminars/workshops and small scale construction or projects/physical works.

Under the Business Development Program, funding is available for business plans/expansion plans, marketing strategies, feasibility studies, strategic plans, research and development initiatives, internship/job placement (12 months max), trade show attendance, incremental on the job training, business and trade opportunity development, marketing projects, innovation projects, knowledge-based economy studies and plans, innovative web enhancements, creation of new websites, e-commerce, e-learning platforms, GIS applications, customized software, telecommunications improvements, broadband and internet access.

Application criteria will be released next Monday, Nov. 7.

For further information, contact the FCFDC at 613-372-1414.

Emergency repairs to be completed on Mississippi Bridge.

During a routine road patrol in August, North Frontenac Public Works foreman, Gregg Wise, noticed some erosion on the northeast corner of the Mississippi Bridge, which is located on Road 509 near Snow Road.

The bridge had received a clean bill of health in 2010 from AECOM, the engineering firm that completed a roads and bridges study for the township at that time.

AECOM was called in again to look at the bridge this September. This time their view was aided by the low water levels this year, and they found that erosion was undermining the buttress of the bridge.

As repairs were urgently required, AECOM recommended that the township approach Doornekamp Construction, who were already working in the township repairing the Ompah salt/sand storage dome. Doornekamp said they could do the work for $23,600, including paving the approaches to the bridge.

Council accepted the bid, and the repair will be done this month.

Since it is an unbudgeted item, money for the repair will be taken from the roads department’s reserve funds.

Economic Development Task Force Launched –

Councilor Betty Hunter has been involved in the establishment of a Business Development Association (BDA) in North Frontenac.

Township resident Ron Higgins, who is also a consultant with the Wren group, offered to do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis for the township for free. After the analysis was done, members of the BDA and others identified four themes that require focus and consideration. The themes are Accommodation, Services, Four Seasons, and Offerings (what the township has to attract people on a regular basis.)

In a report to Council, Chief Administrative Officer Cheryl Robson wrote that, “A Working Group/Task Force is needed in order to develop and implement a plan focused on economic development for North Frontenac Township.”

Robson said the task force should include one or more council and staff members and a Business Development Association member, as well as someone from the accommodation sector, the services sector, the Aboriginal community, a member from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation, the Land O’Lakes Tourist Association and the Manager for Economic Development from Frontenac County.

“What can this task force do that the BDA can’t do?” asked Councilor John Inglis.

“The association talks about issues and helps strengthen local businesses. It is membership-based, but the task force is all about bringing in new business. It is to look at what can be done to improve the business environment,” said Betty Hunter.

“As a business owner myself, I have never felt the township was hostile to business; I feel it just ignores business,” said Inglis.

“I’m in favour of anything that will bring business to the township,” said Mayor Bud Clayton.

The task force was approved on a one-year trial basis.

JEPP application – Under the Federal Joint Emergency Preparedness Program, the township is applying for 45% support for the purchase of a mobile lighting unit at a retail cost of $11,900. The township will find out sometime next year if the JEPP grant is coming their way.

Council says no to MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving asked for support in their efforts to prevent any change in the marketing of alcohol and beer in Ontario. MADD does not want alcohol to be available in corner stores as it is in Quebec and other provinces.

“I don’t agree with this. People have to drive too far to purchase something as simple as cold beer,” said Councilor Gerry Martin.

“From an economic development point of view, if they close the liquor store in Plevna for any reason, people will have to leave the township and go to Northbrook or Sharbot Lake for alcohol, and will take their money with them,” said Betty Hunter.

Council voted not to support the MADD position.

Photo:Frontenac CFDC staff, L-r, Krista Fazackerley, Sue Theriault, Paul Vickers, guest speaker Darin Madore of Shanti Yoga Retreat, Ann Prichard and Kevin Doyle

It was business as usual at the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) Annual General Meeting held at the Verona Lions hall on September 28.

Board Chair, Paul Vickers, led the event and following breakfast, Tyler Rider, a partner with Seckers, Ross and Perry, presented the audited financial statements and auditor’s report for 2011. His company was again appointed auditors for 2012. Nominated as directors to the board for a three-year term this year were Linda Thomas, Nick Whalen, Ed Bennett and Ron Higgins. Kevin Doyle, business development officer with the CFDC, then outlined this past year’s business activities.

In the past year a total of $930,000 was given out to new, existing and expanding businesses in Frontenac County. This is the highest amount the corporation has ever given out and Doyle thanked guests, saying a single late payment has yet to be received.

The funds were granted to 10 new businesses, four expanding businesses and seven existing businesses, and helped generate leverage of an additional $2.9 million to Frontenac County.

“Since our doors opened in 2004 we have lent over $5 million to local businesses. Last year alone 51 new jobs were created and 91 jobs were maintained,” he said.

The FCFDC took almost 500 calls and conducted over 300 interviews last year alone. Every month over 7600 web browsers visited the CFDC website. Last year’s free workshops included trade show exhibiting, social media, and energy connections. Paul Vickers spoke of the corporation’s activities last year, which focused on their ongoing efforts to fill the gaps in broadband in certain areas of the county. Much more broadband will be coming available this spring.

A strategic plan was undertaken in 2011, focusing on four main areas: animating vibrant communities; promoting local businesses; increasing the availability of office and light industrial space throughout the county; increasing the year-round accommodation side of the tourism industry; and lastly, increasing public awareness of the FCFDC. Successful projects this year included the designing of the newly opened Sydenham Library, the renovation of the Bellrock Community Hall, the launching of the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market, village beautification, and supporting student-run businesses. The company hosted their second annual Trade Show and have increased their online presence through various social networking tools.

Guest speaker, Darin Madore of Shanti Yoga retreat, which relocated to Wolfe Island from Picton this past year, said that the CFDC funding allowed for a successful transition to his businesses new location. “It was at this crucial time that we approached the CFDC, which allowed us to undertake a number of projects, like replacing windows, adding insulation, painting extensively, redoing plumbing, replacing carpets and constructing a new 850 square foot yurt where yoga and meditation is practiced. These renovations and additions were essential and as a result we have had more return guests and more referrals than ever before. We have also been able to expand the number of guests that we can accommodate.”

FCFDC Executive Director Ann Prichard had the last word and thanked the staff and encouraged businesses who may be unaware of the services and programs they offer to visit www.frontenaccfdc.com or call the office at 613-372-1414; toll free 1-888-372-9962.

It was a record year for nominees at this year’s fourth Annual Land o’ Lakes Vision Awards, which recognize leadership, innovation and the entrepreneurial vision of businesses in nine area townships and municipalities.

Over 140 members of the Land O'Lakes Tourist Association (LOLTA) and guests gathered for the awards dinner and ceremony, which took place this year at the Trudeau Resort and Banquet Centre in Tweed. It just so happened that Trudeau Resort took the Vision Award this year for the municipality of Tweed. Speaking at the event were LOLTA president Larry Pealow, Libby Smith of the Great Waterway, and Nicole Whiting of the Ontario Highlands Tourism Association.

Rachelle Hardesty, the new general manager at LOLTA, spoke of her aim of reaching out to business owners across the area. “It's a chance for businesses who have become accessible and who have expanded to become recognized. Just to be nominated is great, and to win is to show how well these businesses have stuck by their vision, how committed they are to their communities and how well they have succeeded. The award definitely comes with some bragging rights,” she said.

Businesses were nominated by their own communities and a selection panel consisting of LOLTA's board of directors and staff rated the nominees on five criteria, which included: innovation, accessibility, determination to succeed, expansion, and community involvement. This year a record-breaking 88 businesses were nominated.

Charlene and Kevin VanDusen of Northbrook Foodland in Addington Highlands. The store is known for its fresh food and friendly staff and is also the largest grocery store north of Napanee and south of Renfrew that offers service to cottagers, campers tourists and residents alike.

Photo: Deputy Mayor Bill Cox with Northbrook Foodland winners Kevin and Charlene VanDusen

The winner in South Frontenac was the Desert Lake Family Resort in South Frontenac, recognized as a long-time family business. Desert Lake was taken over six years ago by Sally and Bret Colman from Sally’s parents Marni and Bill Pedersen. The Colmans have made numerous updates to the business over the years, including making it wheelchair accessible and they have continued the family tradition of donating generously to the surrounding community.

Photo: SF Mayor Gary Davison with Desert Lake Family Resort winners l-r, Sally and Bret Colman and Marni and Bill Pedersen

The winners in Central Frontenac this year were Nick and Jocvelyn Whalen, owners of the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy, who have been operating the business since 1979. The pharmacy offers visitors and residents alike impeccable and friendly service, as well as a wide range of gift items celebrating the uniqueness of the township.

Photo: CF mayor Janet Gutowski with Sharbot Lake Pharmacy winners Jocelyn and Nick Whalen

In North Frontenac Bud Clayton presented the Vision Award to Pauline Smart of Smart’s Marina on Mazinaw Lake. Clayton said that Smart’s serves as a one-stop shop for all its customers’ marina needs and added that it will soon be appearing on an upcoming episode of the Power Boat TV.

Photo: NF mayor Bud Clayton with Smart's Marina winner Pauline Smart

Others winners included Napanee's Hampton Inn, Jubilee Bed & Breakfast in Loyalist, Spindle Tree Gardens in Stone Mills, and Wolfe Island River Tree Golf Course in Frontenac Islands