Another Memorial Added To Fossey Memorial Park

Craig Bakay | Feb 03, 2021

Despite the passage of 11 bylaws and a cheque distribution approval (ie paying the bills) of more than $2 million for the first time in a long time ($2,010,403.90), Tuesday’s regular (online) Central Frontenac Council meeting was a rather uneventful, takin’ care of business affair.

One item worthy of note that did come up was the decision to add a bench dedicated to naturalist Shirley Peruniak to Glen Fossey Memorial Park from a proposed location on a hill down by the government docks that overlooks Craig Island, which was a favourite place of Peruniak as her sister had a cottage there.

Council had approved the memorial bench at its Oct. 27 meeting last year but Peter Bell, who along with Sandra Moase had proposed the bench in the first place, felt very strongly Fossey Memorial Park would be a better location.

“Dr. Bell and a few others bought several little parcels of land and donated them to the Township especially for this,” said CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn.

Coun. Sherry Whan questioned the move pointing out that “we asked the Lions to move their monument from there, should we go ahead with this?”

MacMunn responded that the reasoning is that Fossey Memorial Park is intended for individuals rather than groups and further that she expected there would be plaques and such there as time progressed.

Peruniak, as well as writing the history of Oso Township, was well known in the worldwide naturalist community, much which was for her work in Quetico Provincial Park near Kenora, work that gained her membership in the Order of Ontario. She spent her early childhood in Sharbot Lake, attending Sharbot Lake Public School.

Support for petition

At Central’s last meeting, Mayor Frances Smith said Council wasn’t prepared to endorse Harrowsmith resident Robert Oatway’s petition for better internet services because he hadn’t officially contacted the Township. Well, he did and now they will, passing a resolution in support.

Smith, who is vice-chair of the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, said she would also bring his request to EORN’s next meeting.

ATV one pass

Responding to inquiries about the lack of a one-pass system for ATV trails, Mayor Frances Smith told Council that she and Wayne Robinson have formed a two-person committee to contact the various ATV organizations along with EOTA to see what the issues preventing this are and hopefully look at some solutions. Smith said they would bring a report back to Council.

Budget

Council set Feb. 26 and March 2 as tentative dates for 2021 budget discussions. Council would like to hold meetings in Oso Hall if it’s completed renovations by then but discussions may have to be held online if provincial lockdowns limiting gatherings to five people are still in place.

Hinchinbrooke School

Coun. Elwin Burke reiterated his concerns about what’s happening with the former Hinchinbrooke Public School and CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn said that they are prepared to address the matter at budget time. MacMunn also said that a film group from Kingston has contracted to use the use as a backdrop filming location. “They just wanted a generic school,” she said. “It won’t be identified as Hinchinbrooke in the film.”