The Oso Recreation Committee has started the ball - or in this case “the puck” - rolling to establish an outdoor ice rink in Sharbot Lake.

In 2011, the Sharbot Lake Snow Rider’s Club presented the Oso Recreation Committee with a $10,000 donation earmarked for an outdoor ice rink in Sharbot Lake. From that time the Oso Recreation Committee, in working with the township, searched many viable locations for a suitable ice rink location - one that was easily accessible and centrally located to be used by the most people. A multi-use location was the best option for this project and viability of the rink. The location selected and approved by town council was the Oliver Scott Memorial Park in Sharbot Lake. The park now houses a ball field with existing lighting, a washroom facility that is slated for replacement this year and a canteen. This location is also in close proximity to the Granite Ridge Education Centre. Most children in Central and North Frontenac will attend this school and have access to this rink. The rink is also located in the village of Sharbot Lake, making this easily accessible as most people in the area come to Sharbot Lake to shop, bank, seek medical attention, and so much more.

At a meeting held last week, the group discussed at length the “next steps” for the rink project and also listened to some great direction on the area in question from Jeremy Neven, the township’s chief building official. Dave Willis, Oso recreation committee chair, has done a lot of the initial leg work with the support of his committee to get this project in motion. The committee is now focusing on geotechnical studies, rink design and, most importantly, fund raising.

On September 12, there will be the first in a series of OPEN MIC afternoons held at Oso Hall. All proceeds will be going to the construction of the ice rink. Admission to the hall will be by donation and light refreshments will be available for purchase. Our house band will consist of local musicians Adam Lake, Kevin Merrigan, Justin Riddell and Jim MacPherson, better known as “The Ice Rink Pickers”. These lads will open the afternoon and supply the base music for our local musicians to showcase their talents. The open mic will be run by sign up, with each performer having the opportunity to sing two or three songs. We encourage everyone, young and not so young, to come and enjoy an afternoon of music and friendship and help us make this project a success. If you have any questions, contact Lesley Merrigan at 613-279-3144.

As part of its commitment to preserve and promote the railway history of our area, the Central Frontenac Railway Heritage Society has been working diligently on the development of the Railway Heritage Park in Sharbot Lake. Visitors to the park will have noticed that a patio has recently been constructed behind the caboose to showcase artifacts with a fence that will eventually support informative signage. In hosting visitors to the caboose, one of the things that has become evident is the excitement that the railroad creates in the minds of young children. Adult visitors, whether they be parents or grandparents, are often accompanied by children anxious to climb aboard.

As a result, the CFRHS decided to build a train-based play structure as an additional attraction for our young visitors. The play structure will also allow their adult supervisors more time to further investigate the exhibits. With due diligence to the safety regulations that need to be followed in constructing a public play structure, the project became a more daunting task both financially and physically than we first imagined. But, just like The Little Train That Could, the Board of Directors forged ahead. Gratefully, with substantial funding support ($12,220) from The Community Foundation for Kingston and Area, we have been able to purchase the actual structure. As a result, we are well on our way to completing our goal; however, we need help.

We are now in the construction stage, and are soliciting additional funds and donations “in kind” to move the project forward. We are in need of financial donations, materials (i.e. 3/4” washed stone for the base, concrete for the footings), backhoe time, and construction expertise. If you as an individual or business see merit in this train-based play structure and wish to help, please call Gary Giller at 613-279-2723. Also consider joining us for our annual fundraiser this fall, to be advertised soon. We look forward to seeing visiting children further enjoying the captivation of our railway heritage.

Close to 50 guests gathered at the Northbrook's Jimmie Clarke Legion Branch # 328 to celebrate the 90-year anniversary of the Canadian Legion. Padre Harry Adringa opened up the ceremony with a prayer that was followed by a welcome by Legion president, Mike Powley Jr.

Past president Cecil Hawley then introduced vice president and poppy chairman, Steve Michaud, and vice president, Bill March.

Comrade and veteran Doug Wood spoke about veterans, who he said represent all kinds of family relations, all ethnic groups, and that are made up of rich and poor. Some veterans may be “strong, broken, sick, remembered, and some forgotten”. He called veterans “peace keepers, peace makers and warriors', and “simple, ordinary people who were honoured to wear Canada on their shoulders”.

Past zone commander Dan Bush made two certificate presentations, the first to past president Cecil Hawley, who served for 18 years as president at Branch 328, and the second to Cecily Matacheskie, who sold tickets at the branch for years before moving to Belleville.

The band Big Clear Sound performed for guests, after which lunch was served.

I have included below a history of the Canadian Legion that was part of the anniversary celebrations at the special celebrations in Northbrook.

The Royal Canadian Legion was formed in 1926 following the unity of various World War 1 veteran organizations and is Canada's largest veteran support and community service organization with over 300,00 members in more than 1400 branches across the country. The Legion advocates on behalf of veterans, including serving military and RCMP members and their families and provides essential supports to communities across Canada. Prior to WW1, the Armed Forces in Canada were represented by regimental associations, scattered units of various types with one dominion organization that was called the Army and Navy Veterans Association of Canada. Membership in these groups was limited to former military members and the majority of these groups only existed in urban areas where military armories were located. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ill and injured veterans following WW1, in which 61,000 Canadians were killed, 172,000 were wounded and another 130,000 were medically discharged as result of their military service, governments needed advice on how best to deal with the overwhelming number of veterans issues and needs. From 1917 to 1925 several veterans' organizations sprang up in Canada but had no unified voice. In November 1925, 12 veterans' organizations met in Winnipeg for a special “Unity Conference” and it was from this conference that the Canadian Legion was born. By July 1926 the Canadian Legion became self supporting.

Over 250 young paddlers from six different paddling clubs across Ontario competed at the Eastern Ontario Division Championships, which took place at Sydenham's Point park on August 8 and 9. The small but mighty Sydenham Lake Canoe Club hosted the event, which included competitors from the Rideau, Ottawa River, Carleton Place, North Bay and Gananoque Canoe Clubs. Most of the paddlers competing were aged 11-15 but paddlers as young as eight years old also took part.

It was thanks to a grant from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation in the summer of 2014 that the Sydenham club was able to restore their course, making it once again a nationally certified one where these kinds of provincial qualifying events can take place. The event was the first of this summer’s qualifying events for the Ontario Championships, which will take place August 15 at the Rideau Canoe Club in Ottawa.

While the Sydenham Club is a considerably smaller club than most, with just six competitors ages 8-16, its members did amazingly well in their events. On Saturday George Willes and Sebastien L'Abbe placed second of 11 in their final K2-500M race. Matt Symons placed first in his K1-1000M race and his twin brother Nic placed third in the same event. Both will move on as direct entries as two of the top seeds in the division. On Sunday the Symons brothers placed first in their K2-500M race, crossing the line well ahead of the pack, which made for a very exciting race. Also of note was Ian Ramzy, who placed second in the K1-100M sprint and he will also move on to the Ontario Championships. Eight-year-old Parker Friendship, the club’s youngest competitor, competed for her very first time and did her personal best in her U11 event.

One of the reasons that this small but talented club does so well is because of the dedication and talent of their coaching staff. Head coach Cia Myles-Gonzalez, a former member of the club for nine years, has been coaching the team for two years now and currently competes as a paddler with the Balmy Beach Canoe Club in Toronto. She has recently qualified to race in two C1 events and two C2 events and in four war canoes at the upcoming Ontario Cup Three Championships in Ottawa on August 16. Gonzalez credited her team for being “dedicated and working very hard towards the event despite the challenges that come with being a small club”. Gonzales also spoke of the home club advantage, saying, “It really helps to know the lake and the course. Sydenham Lake can get really windy and our team has had experience with those conditions, which is an advantage”.

Assistant coach, 16-year-old Rhiannon Murphy is also a long time member of the club and a talented paddler in her own right. Rhiannon will be competing in three events including the K1-100, K1-200 and C1-6K at the national level at the upcoming Canadian Nationals, which will take place in Ottawa at the Rideau Canoe Club from August 25 - 29. Should she place in the top three, she will move on to compete internationally.

Helen Parfitt, vice-commodore of the club, credited Roger L'Abbe and the club’s sprint paddlers for working tirelessly setting up the course prior to the weekend’s championships and she thanked the 30 officials and the 30 community volunteers who helped to make the event run so smoothly. The event is not only an exciting day of racing for competitors, their families and supporters but also attracts between 500-600 people to the area, which is a great thing for economic development in the Sydenham area. Anyone interested in joining or learning more about the SLCC can visit www.sydenhlakecanoeclub.com or call Helen Parfitt at 613-376-6613. 

CARE duck drop and race in Arden

by Julie Druker

The local community organization known as Community Angels for Rescue and Emergency (CARE) is a community care program in Arden that began with the local ladies auxiliary and members of the Arden Legion Branch #334. The six-member organization serves local families in the community by assisting them with emergency relief needs. The financial relief provided comes in many forms, and in the past the organization has provided local families with financial relief related to home fires, family burials, and the costs associated with hospital stays for sick children.

On Saturday August 1, Judy McClure, chair of CARE along with CARE member Doug Scott dumped close to 200 yellow rubber ducks off the Bridge Street bridge in Arden as part of their annual duck race fundraiser. The ducks, which are numbered, are purchased for $5 each or 3 for $10 by members of the community. The ducks were carried by the current a few 100 metres downstream to the Arden dam. The purchasers of the first three ducks that cross the finish line win cash prizes. The cash prizes given out this year were to Elaine Flieler, 1st; John McArthur 2nd; and A. Squibb 3rd. A number of onlookers watched as the ducks were dumped over the bridge, after which the organizers quickly made their way to the dam where they awaited the three first finishers. This year due to low water levels on the Arden Creek, the drop site was moved from its former site at the Arden mill pond to the bridge on Bridge Street.

CARE was established in 1996 and continues to support members of the community, and though the funds raised at this year's duck race have yet to be directed to a particular cause, the group will, as usual meet to decide how to spend the funds once a need presents itself. Those wanting to make a donation to CARE can do so at the Arden Legion Branch # 334 or by calling Judy McClure at 613-335-2540.

Over four hundred supporters of the Bobs and Crow Lakes Foundation attended the organization's annual fundraising event, the Frontenac Frolic, which was held at the Bedford hall near Godfrey on August 1. The foundation was established in 2005 and works in association with the Greater Bobs and Crow Lakes Association to “preserve and enhance the quality of the environment around both lakes for present and future generations” . It holds the annual event as a means of raising funds for various lake-related projects, either initiated by the association or by individual groups. These projects include aiding in the protection, restoration and maintenance of water quality, protecting fish and wildlife populations, encouraging the prevention of forest fires and water pollution, and encouraging water and water craft safety, as well as educating the public about issues affecting the quality of lake environments.

The Frolic as always included a cow flop bingo event in which Kim the cow, a five-year-old Holstein from Barr Farms, roamed a fenced off area on site. She took her time to do her business, which eventually landed a number of large cash prizes to three winners. Over 1600 tickets were sold for the bingo event. The event also included a bake and yard sale, an on site fishing pond and a petting zoo courtesy of West Winds Ranch plus a lunch of back bacon on a bun. There was also a stellar silent auction that included 20 items donated by members of the foundation and local area businesses. Up for grabs were original art works, a Stihl chain saw, two red Muskoka chairs, a telescope, gift certificates and more. For those who missed the Frolic, donations can be made out to the The Bobs & Crow Lakes Foundation and addressed to the same, care of Alexander Cameron, PO Box 482, Verona, ON, K0H 2W0.

July 18 was a fine day. At 10am my husband, Carl Conboy, and I attended the annual general meeting of the Sharbot Lake Property Owners Association (SLPOA) at St. James Church. Everyone had lots of table space; there was tea and coffee and lots of chatter and buzz. For those who stayed until the end of the meeting there was a free lunch of delicious sub sandwiches provided by the Sharbot Lake Country Inn. How generous was that?!

The meeting was very worthwhile. The mayor was there, as was a pollinator (think bees) biologist and two enthusiastic women from the “Love Your Lake” program (LoveYourLake.ca), which is sponsored by the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Watersheds Canada. These women have been examining all our shoreline with the assistance of volunteers from SLPOA. The program is offering FREE reports to individual owners on their specific properties and FREE plants to protect and sustain our lake.

We learned about everything from the bridge work on Hwy. 38 in the village to septic systems on the lake to what attracts the many pollinators so essential to our local agriculture. The meeting lasted about two hours and held everyone's attention to the very end.

Congratulations to those who have shown leadership in the community by providing us with an opportunity to help keep our lake healthy and beautiful.

The meeting was well attended, but not well enough. Those of us who live beyond the shores of the lake, both in the village and throughout our network of local roads, benefit from a healthy, beautiful lake and can help. The lake association needs more members. A $20 membership fee enables our volunteers to carry on their labour of love monitoring the lake and environment. I invite everyone in the area who has not yet joined - business owners, villagers, farmers, professionals and shore-dwellers - to invest $20 in the future of Sharbot Lake.

There was more to the day. From 5 to 7pm we attended an exceptionally good barbecued chicken dinner, which included a silent auction with a variety of offerings from local businesses and other generous citizens. Barb Wilson's beautiful custom-tailored tote bag drew several bids, as did Ken Waller's meticulously-turned beech wood bowl and a three-dimensional puzzle. Senators’ hockey fans also had an opportunity to get a bargain.

Clark Lawlor's “Kingmakers” group (Clark is the lead singer and an east basin cottager) provided swinging music from Nashville (where they have recorded), Elvis to Blues, all of which had us prancing around the dance floor.

The SLPOA offered this truly fun event as an opportunity for those of us who are committed to the future well-being of Sharbot Lake to have a really good time together. The whole community was encouraged to come. Again, while it was a great crowd, it wasn't a large crowd.

Sharbot Lake is vulnerable to pollution, weather and neglect. The lake association needs us to support it in its monitoring work. I encourage everyone in our area to show support for our volunteer “lake-minders” by becoming members of the association - and when there is an SLPOA event, whether a meeting, a dinner or another event, I encourage you to attend. You'll be glad you did and you'll be helping our lake.

At the Sharbot Lake Property Association’s annual general meeting, which took place on July 18 at St. James Church hall in Sharbot Lake, pollination expert Susan Chan spoke about the importance of bees as pollinators. Chan is also project manager with Farms at Work.

Her talk was titled “Introduction to Pollinators for Cottagers” and offered up a plethora of information about bees as well as ways to encourage their presence and ongoing health.

When we think of bees we think mostly of honey bees, which are the only non-native bees in Ontario, but Chan explained that there are over 400 other native species of bees. Bees are a vital part of what makes our plants, flowers and veggies grow. Wind and insects are two key pollinators and native bees are the predominant insect pollinators that carry pollen from the male part of a plant (anther) to the female part (stigma), resulting in pollination. Pollination is needed to set seed in plants and is what allows fruits and seeds to grow, which is the main source of food for humans and for wildlife.

Bees also pollinate the plants whose seeds are used to produce most of our edible oil products. Meat and dairy products are heavily dependent on the alfalfa plant, pollinated by native bees. “If you like your steaks on the barbeque, you are dependent not on honey bees but on native bees who pollinate alfalfa plants which are used to feed meat and dairy cattle.”

She spoke about common myths about bees and the surprising fact that it is the non-native honey bee that usually stings, whereas most of the native species can sting but generally do not. They live in much smaller colonies; most live solitary lives and possess very low defense mechanisms, which makes them very unlikely to sting aggressively. Swarms are only associated with honey bees; other solitary bees do not live in colonies and therefore do not swarm. In fact, 70% of the bees in Ontario live in solitary nests in the ground and the other 30% live solitary lives in hollow stems.

Chan explained how to encourage native bee pollinators by constructing bee-friendly dwellings (pictured here) using the stems of an invasive plant called Phragmites Australianus. “You can make use of these plant's stems as long as you do not transport the seeds from one place to another.” These condo-like dwellings will encourage solitary native bee guests. Chan spoke of various species of bees including leaf cutter bees, wool carder bees and bumble bees, the latter of which she called “the work horses” of the native pollinators since they are around from April to October. This makes them particularly susceptible to lack of food. Chan said that all bee populations in North America are currently declining. The two main reasons she gave are lack of habitat and toxins in the environment.

She said that neonicotinoids are a problem since the chemical is transferred to all parts of the plant it is applied to, can take three years to break down, and is highly water soluble. Bees are much more susceptible to insecticides, more so than the insects they were designed for, because bees do not have a strong resistance system and they can come into contact with the insecticides when collecting nectar from affected plants and side crops nearby.

Chan also said that butterflies and birds are being affected by neonicotinoids.

On a more positive note, Chan suggested ways that property owners can help the plight of all species of native bees by planting flowering native plants, which provide habitat and food. She advised them to reconsider when weeding and to understand that all weeds are not bad. “If you can tolerate dandelions simply for the sake of the bees, do it since they (dandelions) are a great source of food come early spring.” She advised landowners to encourage wild blueberries and raspberries for similar reasons and to leave natural spaces to grow and thrive because if left alone they will become healthy pollinator habitats.

If you know of pickerel weed growing, encourage it, because there exists one pickerel weed bee, a specialist bee that eats only the nectar and pollen from that plant.

For those who love plants and food, bees are key and Chan's talk went a long way in encouraging homeowners to create environments that will encourage their health and abundance.

photo 22552-

At their annual general meeting on July 18 at St. James Major Catholic Church, which over 60 members attended, the executive of the Sharbot Lake Property Owners Association updated members on lake news and held their regular elections.

The current positions of president, vice president and secretary treasurer were all acclaimed respectively by Kevin Browne, and Ken and Joyce Waller. Rem Westland, environmental issues coordinator, announced that he will be stepping down after many years in the role, so the position remains vacant for now. Westland let interested members know that it does not require an expert to fill his shoes, just someone who has an interest in lake health.

The meeting included an update of the many projects that have been completed to date, some of which included the association’s expanded newsletter; participation in the Shoreline Naturalization Project through Watersheds Canada and the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority; participation in the Love Your Lake program; ongoing invasive species testing; and involvement with the mandatory septic inspection program at the county and township levels.

Members are also continuing discussions with the township regarding access to the east basin.

The association has also begun to implement the use of EDD MapS Ontario, a web-based mapping system where invasive species and other lake issues can be mapped by members for early detection and rapid response. A new smart phone app allows property owners to submit their observations directly from the field to EDD MapS Ontario, which are then verified by experts in the field.

The association is currently looking into a number of new projects starting this year, one of which is a fish habitat project to enhance walleye spawning beds. Volunteers will be needed to identify areas for consideration; to accompany Watershed Canada staff to these areas for validation; and to work with staff to implement and complete the project. Saturday's meeting included three presentations. The first was by Emily Bacon, who outlined the Love Your Lake program, a free assessment and reporting program that encourages lake level action for healthier shore lines. The free program provides participants with shoreline assessments, individualized property reports and a lake level summary report as well as a list of voluntary actions and local resources that property owners can use to improve the health of their property.

Kendra Button of Watersheds Canada gave a presentation on The Natural Edge program, which strives to achieve a “ribbon of life” for shoreline properties. The program works with landowners to restore and naturalize shorelines with erosion problems and/or little shoreline vegetation. Staff assist property owners in designing and implementing shoreline planting of native shrubs and trees, which help provide shoreline stabilization, run off infiltration and a natural habitat for wildlife. The programs funds up to 75% of the costs involved. The final agenda item of the day was a presentation titled “Introduction to Pollinators for Cottagers” by Susan Chan, a pollination expert and project manager with Farms at Work, who spoke about the importance of bees, not just honey bees, but the 400 other species that pollinate so many seeds for our flowers and food.

Kevin Browne also announced winners of the SLPOA's annual photo contest who were 1st: Guy Mcleod; 2nd Gwen Dacosta, and 3rd Barb Wilson. Browne also thanked all of the volunteers members who help all year long measuring and tracking various types of lake information that help inform the association of the state of the lake.

Mayor Frances Smith, who also attended the meeting, thanked the association for their efforts in maintaining the health of one of Central Frontenac’s jewels, just one of the many lakes that are an integral part of what generates economic development and tourism in the region. For more information about joining the association or how to get involved, visit www.SLPOA.ca

nning photograph for the SLPOA's annual photo contest of 2015 

On August 15 the Procter sisters will once again swim across Sharbot Lake to help in the fight against cancer. Over the past six years the girls have raised over $10,000 and they need your help to make this year’s swim another success.

The girls will jump into the water at the Sharbot Lake Provincial Park at 10am and swim the 3kms to the Oso Township Beach, arriving at about 11:30am. Having grown up in Sharbot Lake, the sisters enjoy the challenge of swimming across the lake they know so well. In past years, loons have joined in as swimming companions and high waves have tested their perseverance.

Donations can be made online at http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/hopeswim2015 or at Northern Frontenac Community Services. Mark August 15 on your calendar and plan to be at the Sharbot Lake beach at 11:30am to cheer on the girls.