Organizers of the first ever Ride For Dad snowmobile event in the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs' (OFSC) District 1, which took place at the Snow Road Snowmobile Club on February 28, were thrilled with the turn out. The event is a fundraiser for the fight against prostate cancer and attracted 93 registered riders of all ages from Kemptville, Kingston, Brockville, Smith Falls, and Perth. A large number of local riders participated as well. Among them were five-year-old Cooper and his dad, Philip, of Snow Road, who were participating in their first ever Ride For Dad.

It was also the first Ride for Dad for Dave Burns, a member of the Kemptville Snowmobile Club, who himself is a survivor of prostate cancer. He was diagnosed six years ago and has been cancer free since undergoing surgery and treatment. He attended the event with his wife Heather and three other couples from Kemptville.

The trail ride was a145 km loop (with an optional short cut) that stretched east to Perth, and north to Hopetown, with a lunch stop at the Civitan Club in Lanark. The $30 registration included lunch and registrants were automatically entered into a draw for close to 80 prizes donated by local individuals and businesses. These included a wide range of snazzy riding gear, original stained glass art, a number of gift baskets and more.

The event was sponsored by Crain's Construction, W.A. Robinson Asset Management and the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy. Members of the club put on a spaghetti dinner following the ride for the riders and the community at large.

Junior Snow Road club member Brandon Crain and Shelby Knight initiated and organized the event, which by the end of the day had raised over $5,000 in pledges.

Alice Gilchrist, a member of the club, who also participated in the ride, said that it was a huge success. “Frontenac and Lanark counties have gorgeous scenery and great trails with lots of hills and turns and riders always comment on how great the trails are here.”

Scott Buckley, governor of the OFSC District 1 and also its current president, said that District 1, which is home to 26 clubs and stretches from Napanee to Calabogie and east to the Quebec border, offers up 4000 kilometres of trails and is the largest of the 16 districts in Ontario. Buckley was pleased to see the event take place in the district, which he said is home to over 10,000 permit holders and hundreds of volunteers. "It's nice to see the event taking off here and we're very happy to be able to offer organized snowmobiling in the area,” he said.

Buckley cited the dedication of the hundreds of volunteers who put in thousands of hours to sign and groom the trails and said he is also very grateful to the many private landowners whose generosity allows for the amazing network of trails in the area.

“There is no way that the OFSC could afford to pay for all of the free help that we get through volunteerism,” Buckley said.

More than 400 tickets were sold at the Frontenac-Addington Trappers Council's annual fishing derby on February 28. The weather cooperated for this year’s event, which since its inception over a decade ago has been taking place on Big Gull Lake near Henderson. The derby is perhaps more about getting together with family and friends than about strictly fishing. Everyone who bought a $10 ticket, whether they caught a fish or not, had a chance to win over 70 prizes donated by local individuals and businesses, which were given out in random draws throughout the day. The grand prize of a Hummingbird Ice 35 Sonar Flasher, which was donated by the council, was up for grabs to all ticket holders.

For those who came to fish, landing a pickerel in the 40-50 centimetre slot size won them a chance at a number of other big ticket items also donated by the council, including a Poulan chain saw, an 8 inch power auger, an air compressor, a portable ice shack, a two door gas smoker, an 8 gun cabinet, a 500 pound capacity sleigh and more.

Wilf Deline, who has been president of the council for close to a decade and on the executive for close to 30 years, organized the event with the help of his wife Debbie and numerous volunteers. An on site canteen offered up hot meals, and for the kids, who fished for free, there was an endless supply of free hot chocolate, snacks, special prizes and trophies.

Wilf Deline said that the derby takes place on Big Gull Lake because it is central and is also a great lake for fishing. Proceeds from the derby go towards supporting a number of the council’s projects and programs, which include local school scholarships, and their many ongoing conservation projects that include supporting and maintaining local spawning beds, winter deer feeding and more. Anyone interested in trapping, hunting and fishing and who might want to learn something new is welcome to attend the council’s meetings, which take place usually at the Henderson hall.

Deline, a fourth generation trapper who has been hunting, fishing and trapping for decades in the area, said that he has become “the go-to guy” for those with questions and when I visited he was fielding numerous questions about the local lakes, the price of fur and the thickness of the ice. Wilf said it comes with the territory and he is more than happy to oblige.

For more information about becoming a member, upcoming meetings and more visit www.trap.org and visit them on Facebook.

By Jonathan Davies

Around 70 people turned out to the Kingston Christian Fellowship Church on February 20 for an evening of songs and the stories - both poignant bits of history and humourous trivia - behind them. With 18 singers from Verona and Harrowsmith United Churches and 40 string musicians with Kingston Community Strings in addition to the audience, the event made for a cozy refuge on a cold evening.

Repertoire included a range of styles, from lively string instrumentals by contemporary English composer John Rutter, to sombre medieval French sacred music, to African-American spirituals, some rousing, others wistful.

Wayne Tindale, musical director for Kingston Community Strings and conductor for Friday's concert noted that while his ensemble has done joint concerts before with other choirs, it can be a challenge achieving a balance between choir and orchestra, especially when singers are outnumbered by their instrument-playing counterparts. Another issue with bringing these particular groups together was finding time to rehearse together prior to the event, given the distance of their respective rehearsal venues.

A dress rehearsal Thursday and pre-concert run-through gave them an opportunity to iron out rough spots and helped mesh the efforts of weeks of separate practices.

The results were well received. As choir director Annabelle Twiddy noted, “everyone in the audience was very animated and lots of people had big smiles on their faces,” as the concert finished with “Bridge over Troubled Water,” which showcased the orchestra and choir, with Twiddy on Piano.

Choir member Deborah Spaar-Mueller presented the song, offering a bit of lesser-known trivia (the line in verse three “Sail on silver girl” was inspired by Paul Simon's then wife Peggy Harper's first grey hairs.)

A mid-concert highlight was a mellow, soulful rendition of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” which, along with spirituals like “Goin' Home” and “Amen,” served to commemorate Black History Month . Gail

Robertson presented the piece, describing the symbolism of the lyrics. The line “swing low, sweet chariot” is said to be a reference to the underground railroad swinging low to the south, “coming for to carry me home,” with home being the refuge that Canada promised Black slaves.

It remains to be seen whether another joint concert between the two groups will come together, but both Twiddy and Tindale hope one does.

In the meantime, the Trinity-St.Paul's choir is gearing up for another collaboration with several local church choirs for Easter performances of John Stainer's “The Crucifixion,” while Kingston Community Strings will be performing with Orchestra Kingston on May 8 at the Isabel Bader Centre for Performing Arts at Queen's University.

Close to 100 history buffs attended the annual Bedford District Historical Research Centre's open house at the Glendower hall near Godfrey on February 21.

The event included numerous displays of archival information, historical photos, maps and more. In addition, 10 local vendors and collectors set up booths advertising their wares and services. The open house offered local residents the chance to delve into not just their own family histories but also the rich local history of the area.

The Bedford Historical Committee has been actively preserving that history for roughly 15 years, when the center's former chair and founder, June Quinn (who since passed away), began collecting, preserving and cataloging local artifacts.

Gerald Stinson, who has been chairing the committee for the last four years, said that the aim of the annual open house is to promote the center and the local artisans and service providers in the area. The historical displays included in depth histories of close to 40 local families, beginning in 1861, such as the Babcooks, the Corcorans of Godfrey, the Kellys of Fish Creek Road and others

One display included a history of the various cheese factories in the area, along with numerous photos and information about the 11 former schools located in Bedford district. None of them are still operating today but four are still standing.

Other displays included a large historical map of the area pinpointing the families that first settled each individual lot and concession in the Township of Bedford beginning in the early 1800's. Another postal map circa 1879 defines the stagecoach mail routes from that time.

Stinson said that many visitors came to look into their family histories and that the center's archives have a wealth of that kind of information. “Basically anyone looking for information about a resident of Bedford at any time, from the district's first settlers to the present, will likely find that name here somewhere.”

One local family, the Maddens, who were on hand advertising their Eco Tree Care Service, used part of their day to do a bit of family tree digging of their own. The Madden family has roots that go back to the district's first settlers; their great, great, great, grandfather, John Madden of Ireland, settled in Burridge in 1823. Jimmy Madden said he believes that John Madden first arrived in Nova Scotia from Ireland then traveled through northern New York before finally settling in Frontenac County. At that time, 50-100 acre parcels of land were being granted to civilians. That first John Madden settled 50 acres that were located on Burridge Road and Firehall roads. Though the original farm burned down in the late 1800s, at that time John's son, also John, moved into an adjacent property, formerly the Edward Leary property. He built the home that Jimmy's father, Jim Madden, grew up in and where Jimmy currently lives with his family.

The Maddens also took time to peruse a copy of the Bedford Township Census from 1861-1911 and came upon some new information about a previously unknown member of their family. “We just found out today about Mary, a sister of our great, great grandfather, who was born in 1841 in Burridge and who lived there until her early 20s. However, then she disappeared from the census for what could be any number of reasons."

Jimmy Madden mused about the fact that he and his family members continue to this day to live and work off the land where his ancestors also did the same. “We (the Maddens) are very much the products not only of our ancestors but also our environment and it's amazing to think that our livelihoods are still to this day sourced by the local environment.”

The Maddens' findings on Saturday demonstrated how the Bedford Historical Research Centre contains countless hidden treasures that are just waiting to be uncovered by local residents who take the time to dig into the rich history of Bedford District. For more information about the society email Gerald Stinson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At their monthly meeting at Cloyne's Barrie hall on February 16, Shirley Sedore presented a talk on the roots of the Sedore family in the Flinton.

Shirley' s husband, Ronald Sedore who passed away in 2002, hailed from a family whose roots go back multiple generations in Flinton. Shirley began with the founder of Ronald's family, one Coonradt Sedore who was born in Germany in 1734. It is believed that Coonradt arrived in the United States sometime either in 1754 or 1755 and documents show that he enlisted in the New York militia in 1758. Other records dating from 1755 from the Old Dutch church of Sleepy Hollow, (now known as the First Reform Church of Tarrytown, New York), show that Coonradt Sedore married Antje Boeckhout, the latter, a native of Philipsburgh, N.Y. who was baptized in Tarrytown, N.Y. in 1733. Both Coonradt and Antje are thought to have lived until about 1810. In her presentation Shirley noted that there exist various spellings of both names, Coonradt and Sedore but that the family founder used the original spellings (used here) until the end of his life. The 1758 enlistment records show that Coonradt's occupation had been as a “taylor” and it is believed that he likely learned the tailoring trade prior to leaving Europe.

The couple had eight children, 6 boys and 2 girls, all born in New York State. It is believed that the family moved to Canada sometime in the early 1800's. One of their sons, John, who was born in 1784, married Margaret Thompson in Richmond Township in 1807. One of that couple’s sons named Issac lll moved from Richmond township to Kaladar, Ontario and married Hannah Yorke in Lennox and Addington. Shirley noted that Issac lll died at the age of 91 in Kaladar Township and Hannah died there also at the age of 80.

Isaac lll and Hannah's youngest son, Jonas, was born July 10, 1839 and he was the great, grand father of the present days Sedores. He was Ronald (Shirley’s husband) Sedore’s great grandfather. Jonas married Jane Clark in 1862 and they had 11 children. Their son Herbert married Isabel Robinson and together they had 8 children. Joseph was that couple’s eldest son born in 1903, one of 3 boys and 5 sisters and Joseph was Shirley's father-in-law and her husband Ronald's father.

Shirley herself grew up in Mountain Grove and met Ronald Sedore in 1953. She noted that at that time only one brother and two sisters of her father-in-law Joseph were still living. Shirley and Ronald had seven children of their own, six of whom are living. Researching a family history never comes easy or without its own special mysteries. One that Shirley uncovered was the question of one Abraham Sedore, who is definitely a relative though it is yet to be determined exactly how he is related. Whatever the case, it is known that Abraham Sedore was nicknamed “Bromie” and it is thought that he had no less than 31 children with three different wives.

It is amazing that some people are able to trace their family ancestors back so many generations and it was generous of Shirley Sedore to share what she has found with members of the Cloyne and District Historical Society and guests.

At the kick off event for this year's 2015 North and Central Frontenac Relay for Life, which took place at the Sharbot Lake Legion on January 23, long-time chair Lesley Merrigan announced that it would be her final year heading up the event.

Merrigan, who has been part of the relay for eight years and chair for the last four, said that it is time for a change in leadership. “Every good thing needs to be refreshed and people in the community here need an opportunity to take the event to a new height. For that reason I think that it's time for a new leader to step in.”

Merrigan credited her long-time leadership team for making the event such a success, which over its eight-year history has raised close to half a million dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society. “As chair you get all of the glory but it is the leadership team, which has changed very little over my four years as chair, that have made the event such a success.” Merrigan stressed that her stepping down is no way a sad thing and she looks forward to seeing a new, fresh face take up the cause.

Nine new teams signed up at the kick off on Friday night, making a total of 13 committed teams for this year's relay. Organizers are hoping for 20 teams to participate. Merrigan admitted that that will be a challenge since a number of survivors who have relayed for years unfortunately lost their battles with cancer this past year.

With that in mind Merrigan added that the event is the perfect place to be for those who have lost loved ones to the disease. “Cancer and the loss of loved ones is often not an easy thing to come to terms with but it is often the sadness, the anger and the frustration that that drives us and so many others to take part.” Merrigan is putting out the call to past relayers, especially in the north, to join up this year and said that she may be able to arrange transportation for them.

Though this will be Merrigan's last year as chair, she is putting as much into this relay as she has in the past and has already announced some interesting changes for the 2015. Instead of commencing on Friday night and running straight through until Saturday morning, the relay will begin in Parham on Saturday, June 20 at noon and run until midnight that same day. A lot of participants have found that relaying overnight is difficult, can interfere with work and can be exhausting, and Merigan said, "The hope is that more relayers will take part and we believe that the time change will make it easier for youngsters and older participants.”

Merrigan said that more daylight hours at the event will also allow for more activities to take place that otherwise might not have been possible. The luminary ceremony, which is one of the most emotional and visually beautiful happenings at the Relay will continue, and as one of the final events of the evening will make for a very emotional ending. Also new this year will be a great line up of local bands, and new activities, which will be announced as plans unfold.

Merrigan said that she is stepping down as chair with no regrets at all and she plans to continue volunteering in the community.

As far as her advice to a new leader, she said that they should have no fear. “When you are doing something community based in this community you cannot fail. This is an important cause and because of that there will always be people who want to support you.”

Merrigan will be available to mentor the incoming chair and she stressed that the role presents a great opportunity to fulfill the need to give back to the community. “I have seen so many people come to Relay as a way to express all of the mixed feelings that go along with experiencing cancer. The event gives permission to people to demonstrate and experience their emotions in ways that normally they would not and to do so with people who are experiencing the same feelings. I feel very privileged to have been a part of that over the years.”

For more information about the relay or if you are interested in chairing next year's event contact Lesley Merrigan at 613-279-3144 or Christine Teal at 613-375-6525. You can also visit www.relayforlife.ca

Volunteers and staff at the Snow Road Snowmobile Club (SRSC) seem to know the best way to attract riders and non-riders alike to their club. The club's regular bi-weekly Saturday breakfasts have long been popular with both snowmobilers and non-snowmobilers, and on January 24 volunteers served up no less than 170 breakfasts to early morning diners. Some came from the local area and some from as far away as Kingston, Smiths falls, Clayton, Perth, Westport, Carleton Place and Almonte. The breakfasts consists of a hot and hearty serving of eggs (as you like them), bacon AND sausages, beans, home fries (with or without onions), toast, juice, coffee or tea plus a wide selection of homemade dessert treats to boot. At a cost of $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 8-13 and free of charge for kids ages 7and under, the breakfasts are a real deal and they run on alternate Saturdays from 8-11am. The next one takes place on Sat. February 7.

Club president Ruth Wark said that the club, which formed in 1976, depends on the regular breakfasts for its regular upkeep and to help support ongoing renovations. The clubhouse has undergone numerous changes over the years. In 1979 a new addition was built. In 1992 a new kitchen and new bathrooms were added and in 2011 the club received a $60,000 Trillium grant, which together with the $24,000 that the club fundraised themselves, allowed them to expand the building and put in in-floor heating as well.

Club members are currently raising funds to put in automatic doors in the washrooms and entrance ways, change tables in the washrooms and a new dishwasher in the kitchen. The club not only serves snowmobilers from all over Ontario but also acts as a gathering place for locals.

Upcoming on Sat. Feb. 28 will be the SRSC's first ever Ride For Dad event. The event, which is a fundraiser for prostate cancer, invites riders from near and far to take part. Registration costs $30 but is free for participants who have raised upwards of $100 in pledges. Riders can either register online or on the day of the run at the club from 8-10am.

The 160km ride begins in Snow Road and runs through Hopetown, Middleville with a lunch stop in Lanark (location to be announced). The scenic four to five-hour ride continues on through Perth and Silver Lake and ends back in Snow Road. Riders can enjoy free coffee and donuts at the start of the run and the club is offering up free prizes plus a spaghetti dinner afterwards, with proceeds going to the club. Riders are reminded to stay on the trails at all times. The Snow Road Snowmobile Club is located at 1106 Gemmills Road in Snow Road.

The Central Frontenac Volunteer Fire Department often provides bartending services for public events at the Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake. They provide a selection of two or three brands of beer, rum, vodka, rye whiskey and mixes, soft drinks, water, etc and the profits all go to the department.

Last Saturday night, Jan. 24 it was the same story, except this time there was a number of large bottles of single Malt Scotch Whiskey on the front counter; smooth, sweet Highland Glenmorangie and Singleton, and smokey, peaty Islay Laphroig Quarter Cask among them.

That, along with the preponderance of kilts and tuxedos, as well as the odd bit of Scottish brogue flowing off the tongue in some cases but clearly put on in others, testified to the fact that the celebration of Burns night was on.

The local Masonic Lodge were the hosts for the evening, which was dedicated to Keith Hawley, who became both a Freemason and a volunteer fireman in 1951, and has served both organizations with distinction for almost 64 years.

A number of Masons from further afield also attended. If everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day it seems, even those of Irish descent, as is common in Frontenac County, declared themselves Scottish for the evening.

The ceremonial start came with the arrival of the Haggis, which was piped in by Jeff Donnelly. Bill Robertson delivered Burns' “Address to a Haggis” with considerable flourish. I can't say I caught much of the meaning of the invocation, but the spectacle of the steam rising from the Haggis after it was sliced open, which was then followed by a toast and a sip of whiskey from a silver chalice, struck the chord of tradition in much the way ceremonies do in ancient cultures.

While the meal was being finalised, Ross Morton performed the famous Burns poem Tam O'Shanter, with much aplomb. Again, I cannot say what the plot was all about, nor its resolution, but I could say with some confidence that Tam O'Shanter drank a bit too much and paid the price. In fact he ends up being chased home by witches and only escapes because the witches cannot cross the River Doon - at least that’s what the Wikipedia entry on the poem says. The joy of Burns poetry comes from the rhythm and the rhyme and the sense that his poems invoke, that there is always a battle or a party - or both - around the corner.

Tam O'Shanter was followed by a roast pork dinner, served with the usual fixings as well as the haggis, of course, and then the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra performed a set of mostly Celtic tunes as an after-dinner treat.

The toast to the Lassies was delivered by Ian Reid and the toast to the Laddies by Janet Gutowski, who delivered a poem herself in her best brogue, which sounded a bit like her imitation of Queen Elizabeth and was well received by the audience, some of whom were by then a bit into their cups of single malt.

It was all good fun for the Masons and all their guests, and with care everyone was returned home safely through a clear and cold winter's night.

by Marcella Neely

As I start to write this, I realize that as this is being read, we are contributing to history.

One day our descendants will be searching archives and museums for hints of how we live and work and think. To make it easy for them, let's keep photos, write names and descriptions on them, save letters, documents, diaries, mementos - all those things we wish our parents and grandparents had saved.

In the Cloyne Pioneer Museum and Archives, volunteers have managed to collect and preserve a good amount of local history. Families continue to donate artifacts, photos and documents. We want to share this information and these collections and invite everyone to take advantage of the work of the Cloyne and District Historical Society. Even now, in the off season, archival information is available and historical photos can be enjoyed on our website.

Our meetings are held on the third Monday of Jan., Feb., March, April, May, and Sept., Oct., Nov., at 1 pm in the Cloyne hall. We have history-related outings and informative talks with long-time residents and descendants of pioneer families. There is no obligation for anyone who wishes to join us. Our web site is www.cloynepioneermuseum.ca and is regularly updated with our activities. We continue to build our historic photo gallery on Flickr, accessed from the web site.

Our January meeting is on Monday, Jan. 19. We will discover what lurks in a box of memories that was donated to us. Come visit with us. All are welcome.  

By Lesley Merrigan

There has been a low rumble throughout North and Central Frontenac around the changes with Relay For Life, the largest fundraiser in our area for the Canadian Cancer Society. The first change is at the unit office, with a new manager, Doug Kane and fundraising coordinator, Barb Revelle. These two leaders have helped the current leadership team in the Frontenacs transition to the new policies and procedures that will increase the success of this fundraiser.

The greatest change is with the Survivors’ Reception. Survivors will be treated to a very posh Relay Reunion to be held sometime in April. It will be open to all unit survivors at a location to be announced soon. They will have their very own event at which they will be celebrated and given the opportunity to network with other survivors in the area. More details on this unique event will be available early in February. If you are a survivor or know someone that is, please call 613-384-2316 and get your name on the guest list.

The most exciting event change is the timing. The 2015 event will be held Sat. June 20 beginning at 12 noon instead of Friday night at 7pm. It will run until midnight. This change will enable more participation as everyone will be rested and able to be active during the 12 hour fundraiser. Registration for the event is open now and the cost to register is as follows: Until January 31- $10; Feb 1 until April 30 - $25; May 1 – June 20, $35. You can register online at www.relayforlife.ca as well as by contacting Christine Teal at 613-375-6525.

Please join us at our Relay Kick Off on Friday January 23 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Sharbot Lake in the lower area for information and registration. We will begin at 7pm and all are welcome.

The changes have not been easy but the reason behind them is to make registration universal across the Province of Ontario and to allow leaders to do more accurate forecasting for needs at their events. Teams are still made up of 7 to 10 folks with a minimum individual fundraising goal of $150 each.

The day’s event will still include numerous entertainers and great music as well as team events and challenges and some other ideas that the committee is throwing around. We are still working out the details but one thing will always remain the same: this is the largest fundraiser to make the largest difference in the fight against cancer, and there is no doubt about it….Relay For Life creates more and more cancer survivors each year! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Lesley Merrigan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 613-279-3144, or call the unit office at 613-384-2316.