While some people find math very difficult, Ms. Shepherd’s Grade 9 Applied Math class has been having fun. They used their math skills to design and construct some mini-putt holes. Each student designed a mini-putt hole, then the class voted on the five designs they wanted to make. Students worked as a classto construct their mini-putt holes. The whole process took five days, to the accompaniment of a lot of hammering, and by October 1, the students were ready to test their projects out. They laid them out on the playground, and took turns trying to sink a ball. The designs proved very challenging, and the chances of a hole-in-one seemed to be nil. Ms. Shepherd hopes to have the mini-putt course laid out for Parent’s Night on October 10, so that the students’ parents can admire the workmanship and try to sink a ball.

Over 250 young runners tested their mettle at the annual Timber Wolf Run at Land O'Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove on October 1. The event, which was founded by retired LOLPS French teacher Brian Robertson, was taken over by LOLPS grade one teacher Jen Meulenaar three years ago.

The run attracts students from grades 1 through 8 at other schools, including North Addington Education Centre, Clarendon Central, Granite Ridge and for their first year as participants, Prince Charles Public School. The students are invited to walk or run the race, which takes place through the woods around the school and the length of the race varies from 1-2.5km. The run is a fun event and gives the students in the northern schools a chance to get together outside for a bit of exercise and fun. The top three winners in each category received medals and ribbons were handed out to the fourth and fifth place finishers. The grade 7/8 top male and female finishers each received a trophy.

LOLPS principal Emily Yanch said her school looks forward to hosting the event every year. “It's a great opportunity to get all of our northern schools together, have a fun and healthy competition, and it's a great way to get outside and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.”

On Sat. Aug. 17, the 640 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps held a pre-registration/information session at the Northbrook Foodland parking lot. The army cadet program in Addington Highlands and North Frontenac was established in 1998. It was successful from the start and after a few years there were 36 cadets in the corps. The numbers have slipped since then but that is now changing.

“We were down to about six cadets a couple of years ago but we are now back up to 20,” said Corps Commander Tim Trickey, a paramedic with the L&A ambulance service and a resident of Henderson in North Frontenac.

“We are still on probation from the military for numbers but I hope we can get back up to 25 this year, which will take us off probation.”

Trickey was the commander of the cadet corps between 1998 and 2007 and he has just taken on the job again with a three-year commitment. The cadet corps is free to join and the Canadian military covers all cost for the cadets, even providing uniforms free of charge.

“All that we ask is for cadets who decide to leave the corps to return their uniform to us,” said Trickey.

The corps meets for training weekly, on alternative Monday and Wednesday nights during the school year at North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne from 6 to 9 pm. A number of topics are covered during the training sessions.

“Three main goals are: promoting leadership in communities where we live, promoting physical fitness, and trying to create an interest in the Canadian Armed Forces, land, sea and air,” Trickey said.

In addition to the weekly sessions, the corps participate in Remembrance Day Services, which is the one event where Trickey likes to see a 100% commitment from the membership. Aside from that there are a number of weekend activities available to corps members, which include a lot of adventure training, including mountain biking, canoeing, orientation, camping, and more. Summer camps, in Ottawa and the Barrie area for army cadets, and as far away as the Yukon, are also available. Not only are the camps free to attend, cadets receive a $60 a week stipend.

As in military organisations, cadets rise through the ranks, and the corps offers leadership opportunities for older, higher ranking members who can take officer training.

“I have run into numbers of our former cadets who have moved on to some outstanding jobs,” said Trickey. “Some have gone into the military; some are reservists, and there are professional firefighters and many others who have done well.”

Trickey himself took the air cadet program out of Belleville when he was a teenager. “It was the cadet program that taught me self-discipline. As cadets we learn that if we want something we have to work for it.”

The program is open to youth between 12 & 19 years of age, both males and females. For information on the new cadet session, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 613-336-2885 

No, it’s not the name of a tool or the revival of a heavy metal band.

It’s the name of a gruelling 1200 km bicycle ride that follows the same basic rules as the Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) Randonee, one of the oldest bicycle races in the world, which dates back to 1891. The PBP is still run today, although not as a race, but more as a rally. Riders have 90 hours to complete the race, and can only receive support at specified control points along the route.

Randonneurs Ontario is a bicycle club that is affiliated with the Audax Club Parisien, the organizing body of the PBP. Just like the Audax club, Randonneurs Ontario organises a series of qualifying races, Brevets, in distances of 200, 300, 400, and 600 km. In order to qualify for a 1200 km event riders must either complete a full Brevet series in the year of the 1200 km event, or a 1200 km in the preceding year.

Once every four years Randoneurs Ontario organize the Granite Anvil, which is named for the shape of the course, and the fact that the course features a long stretch of road within the southern portion of the Canadian Shield, a.k.a. the Frontenac Spur.

The course starts in Oshawa, then heads northwest through Newmarket, Vaughan, Caledon and Orangeville, before turning north-east to Georgian Bay and Collingwood, Wasaga beach, and Midland then heading towards Bancroft. The route then runs through Haliburton and the Madawaska Highlands before heading towards Denbigh. It hits Frontenac County at Vennachar, then follows Buckshot Lake Road to Road 506, and down Ardoch Road to 509, then onto Road 38 and into Sharbot Lake. It follows 38 to Harowsmith before turning off on the Wilton Road towards Napanee. It takes Highway 2 at that point on its return leg back to Oshawa.

One of the control points in the route is at the Sharbot Lake beach, where riders were expected on August 24. As the control point monitors explained, the riders take their own pace. Although they were scheduled to stay over in Bancroft on Friday night and reach Sharbot Lake on Saturday afternoon, the first couple of riders came through at 9:00 am on Saturday, having ridden through Bancroft to Plevna on Friday.

Just after 1 p.m., Ken Bonner, a cyclist from BC, came through the control point at Sharbot Lake. He said he had started his ride from Bancroft at midnight, after a four-hour sleep. Bonner, who is a veteran rider and is in his 70s, found the 220 km stretch from Bancroft to Sharbot Lake particularly difficult.

“You never seem to get away from the hills in the entire distance,” he said. When he was told that the next section, down 38 to Harrowsmith and across Wilton Road towards Napanee, was relatively flat and was downhill over all, he did not seem convinced.

“They said the elevation in Bancroft is 400 feet and Sharbot Lake is 200 feet, but I seem to have been climbing all night and day,” he said, as he sipped a half a can of coke that organizers gave him.

Although he needed help climbing up the short embankment by the bandstand at the beach back to his bike, Ken Bonner managed to get on his bike and whiz off onto the highway. He said he was going to ride straight through to Oshawa without stopping.

Sure enough, he arrived in Oshawa at about 8:45 am on Sunday morning, 76 hours and 45 minutes after starting the Granite Anvil. He averaged 15.76 kilometres per hour, including sleep and rest time.

There were 47 riders who attempted the course, and 44 of them completed it within the allotted time.

For those who are interested in taking on the next Granite Anvil, there is ample time to train. The event runs every four years. For further information, go to randonneursontario.ca

The Conservationists of Frontenac Addington (COFA) renewed one of their time-honoured traditions at Deer Rock Lake last week. Five children between the ages of 9 and 12, who might otherwise not have an opportunity to fish, were taken out by COFA members and Conservation Officers from the Ministry of Natural Resources for a morning of fishing.

Ed Yanch, former Principal at North Addington Education Centre, picked up the five youngsters from their homes early in the morning, and brought them to Deer Rock Lake near Flinton. There they were met by COFA members and the Conservation Officers and their boats and off they went fishing. COFA provided each child with a rod and a reel and line and lures, which they got to keep.

“We had a real good day,” said COFA President Ron Pethick, “everyone managed to catch at least one fish, some more than that, and they learned something about fishing and boating along the way.”

By noon the fishing was done and it was time for a shore lunch. COFA members prepared potatoes and bacon and showed the kids how to clean and filet the fish they’d caught for frying.

“We all had a taste of fresh fish,” said Pethick, “and there isn’t anything that tastes much better than that.”

But even with food on the table, the youngsters were more interested in fishing. They had to be called to the table from their perches on shoreline rocks where they were fishing for sunfish.

Ed Yanch brought the well-fed kids home as the COFA members and Conservation Officers dealt with the boats. COFA is an organization that is devoted to preserving wilderness and fish habitat in North Frontenac and Addington Highlands.

Ashley Rae has become the face of fishing in Eastern Ontario. She has a TV show that will be aired later on this year and she has been promoting fishing in other media as well. And this summer she has been working with the Land O’Lakes Tourist Association (LOLTA) to publicize the first annual Land O’Lakes Small and Largemouth Bass Fishing Tournament.

The tournament takes place on August 17 on five lakes in Frontenac County (Loughborough, Desert, Big Gull, Kashwakamak and Sharbot) Cash prizes will be paid out on each lake for the three largest bass caught in each lake: $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third. Fish can be weighed in at any time of the day at a station on each lake, so anglers can fish on two or more lakes if they want, and could win multiple cash prizes. It is a catch and release event with a limit of four fish for weigh-in per angler.

“The great thing about bass fishing is that there are so many ways you can do it,” said Napanee-based Ashley Rae, who got her start in fishing as a young girl when her grandparents took vacations at Twin Oaks lodge on Kashwakamak Lake. “It’s something that you can enjoy at any age. You can fish from shore, or in any kind of boat. You can fish for bass in a kayak if you like.”

While the tournament is focussing on lakes in Frontenac County this year, it will move around the Land O’Lakes in future years.

“We have so many lakes to choose from in the Land O’Lakes. By holding the tournament on multiple lakes each year we run an event that does not put pressure on the fish in any one lake,” said Rae. “Also since the weigh-ins can take place at any time, the fish can be released quickly back into the lake,” said Rae.

Rae said that while she has been working 9-5 for LOLTA this summer, she has been making an effort to fish on each of the lakes in the tournament in her off hours, but she would not share any tips about the best bass spots that she has found.

“I will say that the fishing has been really, really good this summer. The high water levels have been great for the fish populations. I’m sure the fishing will be just as good on the 17th as it has been all summer,” she said.

There are a large number of prize draws included for the entry fee of $50. These include the grand prize, a boat package including a LUD WC 14 boat, a 9.9 HP Mercury Motor and an EZ Load trailer from LD Power Sports, a package valued at $10,000. Other prizes include a one-week stay at Kirk Kove cottages and Marina on Big Gull Lake and a two-night stay at Pleasantview Lodge on Brule Lake.

The tournament runs from 7 am to 4 pm, and will be followed by an awards ceremony and Seed to Sausage Chicken BBQ at Sharbot Lake beach starting at 5 pm.

“The goal of the event is to promote awareness of the fishing opportunities in the Land O’Lakes and all proceeds from this year’s event will re-invested into next year’s,” said Rae.

Tickets are still available by email or at a number of participating businesses in Frontenac County. For further information, go to Travellandolakes.com and click on the Fishing Tournament link. By registering on the LOLTA website, entrants have a chance to win any of the draw prizes, even if they are unable to participate in the fishing.

Close to 110 youngsters put their pedals to the metal at the Kids of Steel Triathlon, which took place at Oso beach in Sharbot Lake on July 28. The event, which saw its fair share of blood, sweat and tears plus lots of smiles and friendly camaraderie, was brought back after an eight-year hiatus by Greg Kealey, founder of the Bytown Storm Triathlon Club based out of Ottawa. Kealey, whose organization runs other similar events in and around the Ottawa area, decided to bring the Kids of Steel back to Sharbot Lake by establishing it as a new series for his club in Eastern Ontario. He was a volunteer at the Kids of Steel in its earlier inception eight years ago.

“Sharbot Lake is a classic venue and a great location”' Kealey said when I spoke to him at the beach on Sunday morning. “There's clean water, a great trail, a great park and the community is behind the event 100%.”

Kealey initially approached well known local triathlete, Rudy Hollywood, and his wife Joan about holding the event here again. The couple had helped run the triathlon years ago, and they encouraged Kealey and put him in touch with staff at the township office to get the approval and cooperation he needed. Both Rudy and Joan said that they were thrilled to see the event back, and Joan was the official Triathlon Ontario referee on Sunday.

Kealey and his team of 30 volunteers were bowled over by the over 110 participants who took part in this, a first-year event. “We were hoping to see 70 registrants but close to 110 signed up, so we are really pleased with the turn out,” he said. Participants traveled from as far away as Ottawa, Toronto, Whitby and Peterborough, and a handful of local youngsters from Sharbot Lake, Maberly and Harrowsmith also took part. For youngsters it was a better than average day of fun in the sun and a chance to compete in a friendly environment. Kealey said the event, especially for the younger participants, is designed to instill a “passion for an active lifestyle and to encourage them to take up swimming, running and biking.”

The day’s races ranged in length from the longest - a 400 metre swim, 10 km bike ride and 4 km run for the older 15 and 16-year-old athletes, to the shortest race - a 50 metre swim, 1.5 km bike ride and 500 metre run for the 6 and 7-year-olds, the youngest participants.

For the older athletes, aged 14 and 15, it was a more serious day due to the fact that the event is a qualifying race for the Ontario Summer Games, which will take place in 2014 in Welland, Ontario. Kealey estimated that by the end of the day, six athletes from the Frontenac and Ottawa regions would have qualified for those games.

I had a chance to speak to local participants, 11-year-old Oliver Bell and 13-year-old Tilda Bron of the Sharbot Lake area. Their father is Dr. Peter Bell of the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team, and he helped prepare them for the triathlon. Both were first-time participants, though Tilda vaguely remembered participating eight years ago when she was just four years old.

Another enthusiastic participant was 10-year-old Gabe Ferron-Bouius of Ottawa, a para-athlete and member of the Bytown Storm Troopers Triathlon team, who train with Kealey. Gabe has participated in three Kids of Steel races since he began training with Kealey's club in February this year. He has a half prosthetic leg below his right knee and swims the water portion of the race without his prosthetic leg. His dad will then carry him from the water to a chair, where he puts on his leg and runs to the transition zone to complete the biking and running portion of the event. Gabe was all smiles as he waited for his event to start and, asked if feels he is more challenged than most, he replied that swimming with one leg gives him an added advantage. He said that training for and running triathlons puts him in great shape for his favorite sport - hockey.

Over 30 volunteers assisted at the Sunday triathlon. The local OPP helped man the highway and stopped traffic for the bike portion of the race, the sole portion of the triathlon that took place on Road 38.

With such a good turnout for the reborn Kids of Steel Triathlon, Kealey said that he sees it continuing annually from now on and sees it growing as long as the community responds favorably. Judging by how the day unfolded, the community’s reaction was very positive indeed.

From epic to whimsical, the 2013 Bon Echo Art Show and Sale had something for everyone - especially for those who enjoy landscape painting. The annual show, which takes place under the towering pines of Bon Echo Provincial Park, continues to draw an eclectic mix of landscape artists, each of whom have their very own personal take on the nature that inspires their work. This year many newbies joined the ranks of the veterans in a show that continues to attract art lovers and connoisseurs from near and far.

Margi McInnis Laurin was one such newbie and she had on display numerous acrylic works, each of which has as their focal point a bright red canoe or parts thereof. The inspiration for Margi's pictures are two canoes, both her own. The first, an old red Huron Canoe made by Eaton's, is the same model canoe that her father purchased for her mother years ago. The second is one that she built herself at a 10-day workshop in Huntsville, a cedar strip canoe modeled after an EH Gerrish. After getting the second canoe home, Margi decided to paint it red and it was then that inspiration struck. “I hadn't painted pictures for years and the canoe brought me right back to painting.” Margo works from several photos that she takes of her boats. “I'm trying to get the boats from different angles because although a canoe seems a simple shape, it is quite complex and there is a lot of math involved.” Her paintings are in no way subtle; are all very bright and very direct. In a leaflet she hands out at her booth she states, “A red canoe is such a Canadian icon and I am not the first to paint it and without a doubt, will not be the last.”

For those who prefer nature on a grander, more epic scale Leonard Carlyle Skinner, another newbie to the show, had large oil canvases that viewers could easily lose themselves in on display. Skinner, who lives in Odessa, was trained at Sheridan College in Oakville and has been painting professionally for 22 years. His all-Canadian landscapes, though graphically realistic, also have a touch of post-impressionism as demonstrated by his choice of colours. In his work titled “Maples”, an unworldly and impossible yellow sky is the backdrop for a stand of bright red and orange maples that line an azure blue waterfront. It is Skinner’s unique use of colour that make his paintings stand out. “I like to paint epics and though I paint Canadian landscapes, if something is missing I have no trouble romanticizing things.”

Further on at the show I came across A.J. Van Drie, an abstract landscape artist whom I visited with years back when he was just starting out as a new painter on the local scene. Van Drie, who is Chippewa by birth and who was adopted, graduated from the Haliburton School of Fine Arts and began painting as a way to identify more with his birth parents after their deaths. He continues to create landscapes reminiscent of native artists like Norval Morriseau and it was interesting to see how his style has matured over the years. While much of his highly stylized, abstract, colourful imagery remains similar to his first creations years ago, certain subtle stylistic changes in colour and form demonstrate a young artist who is continuing to come into his own.

Visitors to this year’s show were also treated to a BBQ lunch courtesy of the friends of Bon Echo, a Sciensational Sssnakes presentation and live music. Also, as usual, visitors had a chance to enter a raffle for a number of impressive prizes to take home.

For those who have yet to visit the park this summer here is a list of other upcoming events:

Sat. Aug. 3, 7pm: Group of Seven Painter A.J. Casson's daughter Margaret Hall and Chris Jackson will be speaking about the famed Canadian painter. Sat. Aug. 10, 8pm: Dr. Robert McLeman on climate change. Thurs Aug. 15, 1pm: “Speaking of Wildlife”. Thurs. Aug. 22, 7pm: Margaret Axford on Bon Echo - The Early Years; and Sat. Aug. 24 at 4:30pm: Bill White and White Pine will be performing. For more information and to confirm times and dates of these upcoming events visitwww.bonechofriends.ca or call the park office at 613-336-2228.

The Relay for Life events are held each year in the month of June. Although they were originally held in urban centres, they have migrated to rural locations, and normally that means from about 8:30 until 10:30 many of the participants find themselves grabbing more clothes in order to cover up against swarming mosquitoes.

This year in Finton, however, the participants were covering up against the cold and wet, and they kept cover up through an unseasonable chilly night. Fortunately the rink at the Flinton Recreation Centre has a roof over it, so the relay could get in out of the rain, but the cold was something no one was expecting.

“I never thought it could be so cold in June,” said event organiser Carolyn Hasler.

Nonetheless the relay raised a total of $52,876 or cancer research and services.

Among over 20 teams and 220 plus participants, there were a few who went all out raising money. Sharon Lyon’s raised the most money by an individual and was part of the gold level ($5,000 +) North Frontenac Retirees team. The Silver level ($3,000 +) was reched by two teams; Marties Smarties and Roy’s Wrecking Crew. Bronze ($2,000 +) was attained by 4 teams; Debbie’s D-Cups, Knuckle Punks, Pink Ladies and Northern Lights.

The weather was so cold on the night that a number f people left at around 2:30 n the morning and breakfast was put on a 4:45 instead of 5:45. When it was time for the fight back ceremony to take place at 6:30, which is normally the finale of the relay, there were very few people left and the ceremony didn’t happen.

Nonethelss the camaraderie of all the people at the relay made it come off successfully I spite of the weather.

“It’s always hard work organizing a relay, said Carolyn Hasler, “and we did really well on the night of the event.”

Volunteers in the run up to the event were harder to find, stretching the core organizers who have been with the event for several years

“Many of us had to take on two or three jobs in the advance period, which was taxing,” said Carolyn Hasler.

This will be one part of the discussion when a meeting take place later in August, where a decision about the future of the Flnton Relay will be at the top of peoples minds.

For now, the volunteers are enjoying the summer sun, with $50 grand in the bank from their collective efforts.

2013 marks a significant anniversary for the Friends of Bon Echo Provincial Park. 25 years ago a small group of volunteers initiated an organization that has impacted Park visitors ever since. Their commitment to preserve the natural heritage and cultural history of the Park has resulted in innovative programs which hundreds of thousands of Park visitors have enjoyed.

Impetus for the Friends group came from Park Superintendent Ed Buck who approached the Pioneer Club of Cloyne asking them to consider the formation of a support group. The challenge was accepted. The signing of the official agreement between the Friends and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources took place in a ceremony in September 1988 at the Dollywood Visitor Centre.

The Friends recognized the many assets of this beautiful Park. The diversity of its flora and fauna, its pristine beaches and waterfronts, the majestic eastern white pines and the grandeur of Mazinaw Rock with its geological history, 900 year old cedars and the pictographs left by earlier inhabitants attract over 180,000 visitors annually.

Various approaches aimed at increasing appreciation of the Park and the preservation of its heritage have been utilized by the Friends. Their financial support has enabled the Natural Heritage Education (NHE) program to double its staff each summer. NHE staff offer daily children’s programs, guided hikes, interpretive boat tours of Mazinaw Lake and Rock on the Wanderer, amphitheatre programs including unique presentations and the publication of trail guides. Together all programs attract and contribute to making Bon Echo Provincial Park one of Ontario’s best.

Many enterprising projects have been initiated and carried out by the Friends. Operation of two tour boats has provided an educational and picturesque experience to Park visitors. The Friends took over the Mugwump ferry service in 1989 allowing visitors access to the Cliff Top Trail where the breathtaking panoramic overview beckons. A year later the Friends commenced operation of the Wanderer, providing an interpretive boat tour highlighting the area history, the geology, flora, fauna, and fungi of Mazinaw Rock and a close-up view of the native pictographs. The Wanderer and the Mugwump currently provide interpretive excursions for over 16,000 visitors each summer. For 18 years the rewarding tour boat service was provided by dedicated volunteers serving as captains, deckhands and later as interpreters. The Friends have continued to provide the trained staff to fill these positions as required by government regulations.

In the early 1990s the Friends operated the canoe concession partnering with two local business partners to provide another manner to allow visitors to enjoy the lake and approach Mazinaw Rock. This is currently operated by Bon Echo Canoe, owned by Bruce White. For the last ten years Bruce has donated canoes to the Friends for their annual raffle.

The Greystones Gift and Book Shop opened in Dollywood Visitor Centre in 1989 and moved to its present location in 1993. The shop specializes in merchandise chosen to enhance the appreciation of nature.

An Art Gallery was added in 1996 to display original art of Canadian nature and wildlife. In 2006 the Friends financed major renovations in Greystones. The structure was strengthened and expanded while maintaining the historic ambiance of this classic century cottage. In 2007 the Friends named the gallery the Colin Edwards Memorial Art Gallery in recognition of Colin’s long-time service as Director, volunteer and artist.

The Friends engaged their first Executive Director in 1995. The organization was growing and there was a need for structure, coordination and liaison between the Park, the volunteers and the public. The numerous programs and volunteers required a focal person to provide leadership and carry out the decisions of the Board of Directors.

The highlight for many is the annual Bon Echo Art Exhibition and Sale. Initiated in 1995, an active committee meets regularly to orchestrate this event. The art show continues the rich heritage of original art left to us by the aboriginals in the Mazinaw pictographs, the Group of Seven who painted in the 1920 - 30s and the many artists who continue to capture the beauty of the creation through their handiwork. Over 100 volunteers orchestrate this three day event featuring food, live musical entertainment, Sciensational Sssnakes!! and children’s activities. The quality of the juried original art continues to bring more and more of the public to the show.

A strong component of the Friends’ work is composed of education relating to the Park’s heritage. The Friends have published two books: Massanoga:The Art of Bon Echo (1999) and The Rock: Bon Echo Provincial Park’s Silent Sentinel (2006). The former captures the rich history of the many artists who have painted Bon Echo and the latter serves to alert readers to the importance of this micro geographical area.

In the 1990s researchers discovered that Mazinaw Rock was home to bonsai-like ancient cedars some of which are over 900 years old. With the aim of providing protection for the cliff and its rare species the Friends launched the “Adopt-an-Ancient Cedar” project. Numerous small plaques were installed in Dollywood Visitor Centre in recognition of the gifts, often in memory of a loved one. In excess of $10,000 was raised over ten years. This enabled the Friends to produce the full-colour edition of The Rock: Bon Echo Provincial Park’s Silent Sentinel.

Funds have gone into a number of other projects that include producing trail guides and educational resources, the Peregrine Falcon release, the restoration of the Cliff Top Trail, Amphitheatre programming, most displays in the Visitor Centre, new trail head signs, interpretive cairns and kiosks, the restoration of the Greystones Cottage and the provision of educational bursaries for local high school graduates and Park student staff.

Eight years ago the Friends initiated twice-weekly barbecues at Main Beach. As this operation grew it was moved to the Lagoon shelter and is now providing a much anticipated service every Saturday and Sunday. The annual raffle has featured attractive donated prizes, all of which relate to Park activities. The Friends have applied for selective government grants and corporate assistance to increase their activities and projects.

Recent initiatives include a drive to increase corporate membership. This has seen local business support grow from two members to over thirty. Increased cooperation with corporate partners has enabled us to serve visitors better. Our Trail Ambassadors program has encouraged enjoyment of Park trails through improved facilities and signage. A major project this anniversary summer is the renovation of the amphitheatre seating and building/stage.

The greatest asset of the Friends of Bon Echo is its people. The indispensible resource of faithful volunteers and members is continuing to be fundamental to the many facets of Friends initiatives and accomplishments. New members, both young and older are sought, needed and welcome. Please come and join us! www.BonEchoFriends.ca