NFCS and Central Frontenac Township invite you to Supporting our Community – talking about our mental health. When our youth, families and individuals struggle with loss and mental health challenges, how can we as a community help? This forum will provide an opportunity for individuals, families and youth to hear from mental health counsellors and to discuss: What are the signs that someone may be struggling? What do we need to know to help? How, as a community, can we build our suicide prevention skills?

When:  Monday June 26 from 6 to 8 pm Where: Oso Hall, Sharbot Lake

Sharbot Lake Pharmasave has been serving Sharbot Lake and surrounding communities for more than 25 years. Pharmacist owner, Jocelyn Whalen graduated from the University of Toronto in 1983 and in March of 1991, Jocelyn and her husband Nick purchased the Tea Room-Gift Shop at the corner of Elizabeth and Garret Street. After renovations, Sharbot Lake Pharmacy opened in May of 1991. The Pharmacy has been renovated twice since then and has become a very recognizable cornerstone in Sharbot Lake.

In the fall of 2016, Jocelyn and Nick decided the time was right to sell the Pharmacy. Jocelyn isn’t quite ready to retire, but the Whalen’s are hoping to enjoy a little bit more freedom from the demands of full time work and running a Pharmacy business.
On May 1st, Jocelyn and Nick sold the Pharmacy to a small, independent Pharmacy group based in Guelph. Redtail Pharmacies group owns and operates Pharmacies primarily located in small centres in Ontario and Alberta. In addition to focusing on community Pharmacy, Redtail also provides services to nursing homes, retirement homes and group homes.

Jocelyn and Nick wanted someone who would maintain a high level of customer service and who would be committed to serving the community. “Redtail’s appreciation for the uniqueness of small communities and maintaining the established practices made them the right fit” said Jocelyn.

Paul Thomson, Director of Operations commented “We are pleased to be part of the community of Sharbot Lake and will continue to honour the legacy of Sharbot Lake Pharmasave in providing exemplary Pharmacy services to the community.“
Jocelyn and her staff will remain at the Pharmacy and will be joined by Pharmacist Matthew Dick. Matthew is a 2016 Doctor of Pharmacy graduate from the University of Waterloo. He has spent time working as a Pharmacist in Forensic and crisis units in Ottawa and Interned at the Royal Hospital in Ottawa. He has also gained valuable retail Pharmacy experience on his clinical and co-op rotations in several locations in Ontario.

Matthew said that although he has been working in Ottawa since January, he has roots in small town Ontario. He grew up in the town of Douglas, Ontario (the Home of the Leprechauns) near Renfrew, population 300, and he said that he finds working in a small town to his liking. One aspect of the job in Sharbot Lake that he really likes is “getting to talk to people and getting to know them, which is something that does not happen at the hospital in Ottawa,” he said.

“This is my 4th week here and the staff at the Pharmacy and Jocelyn have been very welcoming and good to work with. We are off to a good start,” he said.

The Pharmacy will continue to run the Pharmasave banner at Sharbot Lake and provide all of the programs and promotions available under the popular Pharmasave name.

Please feel free to drop by and say hello to Matt, Jocelyn and all of the staff at any time.

Students who organized the annual Jump Rope for Heart at Granite Ridge Education Centre, an event that now includes 7 different athletic events including shooting hoops and more, posed for a photo at the end of the frantic 90 minutes of activity among the elementary panel at Granite Ridge on Monday June 5th.  Catherine Reynolds, who has been running the fund raising event for the Heart and Stroke Foundation for four years at the new school at a nuber before that at the former Hinchinbrooke school in Parham, said she has learned that it is a lot easier to turn the organising over to a team of heroes than to do all the work herself. This year the event has raised $1400 for Heart and Stroke thus far, and money is still trickling in.

Commmunity Living North Frontenac Executive Director Dean Walsh presented a plaque to David Yerxa in recognition of his fundraising efforts. Yerxa recently swam laps at the Perth Pool to raise money for the association, one in a long string of fund raising campaigns that Yerxa has come up with over the years, in addition to participating in agency campaigns by selling raffle tickets and helping out in any way he can. The plaque ceremony took place at the annual Community Living BBQ to mark the end of May, Community Living Month. The free BBQ, which featured Beef on a Bun with fried onions, was well attended by Sharbot Lake office workers and others last Thursday (June 1).

Twenty-two seniors shared lunch with the United Senior Citizens of Ontario (U.S.C.O.) Zone representative, Peggy Graham on May 1st. Placemats and buttons were supplied by the Canada 150th committee.

Virgil Garrett showed slides of early members of the Sharbot Lake 39'ers plus his nine grandfather clocks in his home, which is open for anyone to visit. Memorabilia was also on display including the club's photo album and the Zealand Women's Institute album provided by June Kerr. Many of the same members were in both clubs in the early years. Both albums are on display at the library.

Virgil presented guests with honey. The seniors were invited to sign up for a bus trip into Ottawa on May 30th for the Tulip Festival which is showcasing the red and white 150th anniversary tulips from Holland.

Our next meeting is June 6th at noon at the telephone office and anyone aged 50 or over is welcome to attend.

For its 10th year, the Central Frontenac Relay For Life committee (Vicki Babcock, Christine Teal, Penny Cota, Margo McCullough and Liz Norton along with GREC students Sadie Clarke and Samantha Sproule) opted for an indoor venue at St. James Major in Sharbot Lake. Previous incarnations had been held at the Parham Fairgrounds.

“We really didn’t have the numbers to hold it outdoors this year,” said Babcock. “So we decided to hold it indoors — a 10th birthday party.”

So, with a sponsorship from W. A. Robinson Asset Management Ltd. they hired some musical performers and did just that.

Of course there was the traditional Survivors Lap, sponsors and a silent auction, as well as a number of speakers for the opening ceremonies.

“We’re a small community, Kingston is our suburbs,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “But the enthusiasm to get the job done here is amazing.

“We’ve raised a lot of money, helped many people we know and many we don’t know.”

The Central Frontenac Relay For Life has raised about $250,000 in its 10 years, said Babcock.

“Volunteer spirit is the lifeblood of this community,” said Coun. Brent Cameron. “So much is done because people take the initiative and step forward.

“You really do make this a place we can all be proud of.”

Brad Warner, representing the Canadian Cancer Society praised the work of GREC students this year and said Relay For Life has raised about $11 million in Ontario this year.

“Where does the money go?” he asked. “Well, $125 million has gone into the Clinical Trials Group in Kingston.

“For many people, clinical trials is a last resort and it’s some thing people from this area can use.

“It’s also one of the most recognized groups in North America.”

But perhaps the most poignant words came from young Kylie Babcock, who will be an eight-year survivor in September. Kylie was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer just before she turned two years old.

“They helped me,” she said. “Relay For Life helped me get to my appointments and they’ve helped a lot of people.”

Mike Mckenzie of Seed to Sausage took a risk when he decided to move the popular Day of the Pig event to the Sharbot Lake beach.

The event started back in 2012 as a party at the site of the Seed to Sausage factory and retail store on the May long weekend. Chefs from Ottawa and Kingston were invited, as were local and regional craft vendors and some musicians, and more people came than any one could have expected.

“What just happened?” Mike McKenzie posted on the Seed to Sausage twitter feed on the day of the first Day of the Pig event after the crowds had left and all the meat that had been prepared for sale was long gone.

Four years later, in 2016, it was more than clear that the Day of the Pig had outgrown the Seed to Sausage site.

McKenzie started talking with members of the District 3 Recreation Committee of Central Frontenac about moving the event to the beach at Sharbot Lake, which hosts the Farmers Market and Canada Day each year.

In early February, Central Frontenac Council came on board and the move was official.

Then came the tricky part. In order to turn The Day of the Pig into a real festival, a carnival atmosphere was the concept that was developed. And to make that happen, magician Eric Leclerc, the Blue Mushroom Psyshow circus act and musicians Tom Savage, Marc Charron and the Foley Mountain Playboys were brought in to supplement the restaurants, brewers and find food producers at the event. All of this cost money and instead of being a free event the Day of the Pig cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

That, combined with a forecast calling for rain all afternoon made things a bit dicey.

The weather held, and the people came. By noon the beach was full, the food was being eaten, the entertainment was getting underway and it was clear the move to the beach was a success.

“The beach is a good venue for all sorts of events, and once this event happens the site setup will be available to anyone who wants it”, he said

Tents were put  up to block the sun or rain while still leaving some open space in front of the bandshell. A second stage was set up facing in from the lake for musical acts and vendors were set up around the perimeter of the park, creating  a spacious, well defined space.

Local food vendors reported their sales were up or at least on par with previous years, and several sold out. Ten pigs, prepared by Seed to Sausage cooks, were served up, along with gallons of beans, cole slaw and roasted corn.

Members of the Rec Committee provided friendly security and the Day went off rather smoothly for a first time event at a new site.

The Seed to Sausage store is set to open in early June, and other local events are getting ready to ramp up for the Summer of 150 in Frontenac County. On June 3rd, it’s Anchors Aweigh Fish Fry Day at the Verona Lion’s Centre. On June 14 the Strawberry Moon Festival will be on at the Frontenac Arena, and two days later the focus will be on the Village of Arden’s weekend festival.  Up in Mississippi Station Back Forty Cheese is holding its second annual Open House and Food Festival on June 24th, and then its back to Sharbot Lake Beach for Canada Day.

For a complete slate of events in Frontenac County, Addington Highlands and Western Lanark, read your Northern Happenings or look to the events guide on our new website www.frontenac-live.ca, which includes maps and details about everything there is to see and do this summer.

The Sharbot Lake Farmers Market returned to the beach in Sharbot Lake last Saturday and despite some at times threatening weather, enjoyed one of its better openings ever.

“I think this was my best opening day and probably one of my best ever days,” said long-time market veteran Darlene Conboy of Conboy’s Maple Syrup.

“It’s a good market, a lovely venue,” said Isaac Hale of Learning Curve Gardens.

“Actually it was pretty good,” said Ken Howes. “I sold a number of chairs and some asparagus.”

“We’ll be here for the summer,” said Cari Tryon of Tryon Farm.

New market co-ordinator Dean Wedden said they have 15 full-time vendors this year, several of whom are new.

“I have no idea how many people we’ve had through here today, I’ve been too busy with a number of things to count people,” he said. “But it’s a beautiful day with no flies and most people seem to be happy about things.”

Conboy said she’d counted 167 visitors but “I probably missed quite a few when I was dealing with customers.”

As has been the custom, the Market will feature theme and special guest days throughout the summer until the last market of the year on Oct. 7.

Planned for this year are:

• June 3: Blue Skies Fiddle Orchestra
• June 10: Kingston-Frontenac Public Library puppet show
• June 24: Frontenac Blades tomahawk/knife throwing
• July 1: Canada Day Parade
• July 15: Burger Day showcasing local vendors meats
• August 3: Maple Day
• August 19: Frontenac Blades
• September 2: Butter Tart Challenge
• September 9: Five Woodwind Quintet and KFPL story walk

There’s also a craft day for kids in the works.

This Sunday, May 28th, marks the second installment in the Port William Concert Series taking place at Cardinal Cafe in Sharbot Lake with two performances by Bry Webb and Evening Hymns.

Guelph-based Songwriter Bry Webb, best known as the lead vocalist for the indie rock band The Constantines, will be playing songs from his two critically-acclaimed folk records with lapsteel and hurdy-gurdy accompaniment.

Sharing the stage will be Evening Hymns, from Mountain Grove. The 4-piece will be playing songs from their previous three albums as well as new songs from their upcoming record that is being recorded in Frontenac County later this summer.

There is a matinee show with doors opening at 3pm and the concert starting at 4pm. The evening show will have doors at 7:30 and the concert beginning at 8pm.

The evening show is now sold out and there are limited tickets left for the matinee show.

Both performances are being recorded by BBC Radio 3 who are flying over to capture the show for their Canada 150 episode to be broadcast at a later date in the U.K.

As well, ticket buyers for this show will receive access to the audio from the first installment in the Port William series, a sold-out baroque performance, which took place in January of 2016.

The recorded concert from this weekend will be available to attendees when they purchase a ticket for the next show in the series, tentatively planned for late-summer.

There are only a few tickets left for the 4 o’clock show at $20. Contact Cardinal Cafe at 613-279-27634

At times, you could almost feel like you were on a Caribbean beach sipping pina coladas.

Of course you were in The Crossing Pub in Sharbot Lake sipping beers but hey  . . .

At any rate, the combination of Mario Franco and Dennis Larocque (backed by drummer Leo Vervuurt) produced a unique soundscape that is unlikely to be reproduced in the local music scene for some time, if ever.

Franco, who grew up in Santiago, Cuba, has a personable approach to his native Cuban sound, a sound that carries an almost mystical reverence to it in many music circles.

“Syncopation is the key thing,” he said in an interview after the show. “With balance.

“But it’s not something you learn in school — you have to feel it.”

The audience certainly felt it as he swept through two sets full of originals and latin standards like Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va, Cielito Lindo (the Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay Song), Blue Moon (more the Ella Fitzgerald version as opposed to the Marcels’) and the Cuban classic Guantanamera (from the poem by Cuban independence hero Jose Marti).

Franco didn’t really grow up playing music however. He came to it in a rather roundabout way and perhaps that’s a key factor in his distinctiveness.

In the ’80s, Franco went to the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv to become a mechanical engineer. He also learned to play guitar there. After graduating, he went to Siberia to build houses.

“On the train going there, some heard me singing and said ‘we have to get you into this music festival,’” he said. “I won second place.”

He formed a little band which was invited to play another festival and before he knew it, he was working for the Canadian tourism industry.

In 2004, as Cuba began to relax its emigration policies, especially to Canada, Franco came here and began performing in several international festivals, as well as venues in and around Kingston.

“I used to play Fridays in Westport (at The Cove) for about five years,” he said.

Which is where he met Larocque, who would make the trek eastward to hear Franco play.

“We met at The Cove seven or eight years ago and our families became friends,” Larocque said. “He stopped playing professionally for awhile and we’d jam sometimes.”

When they decided to do The Crossing gig, Larocque had reservations.

“The music he plays and what I’ve done is night and day,” Larocque said. “I’ve been learning different rhythms, scales, patterns, chords — you name it.

“And I’m still just along for the ride.”

Well, the Crossing audience, which consisted of a considerable number of musicians curious about what this collaboration would produce, would probably disagree with Larocque, at it certainly appeared they were enjoying ‘the ride.’

As for future collaborations, Franco said he certainly enjoys playing with Larocque and their families are “good friends.”

Larocque too left open the possibility, saying “I look forward to feeling more comfortable (with this style of music) in the future.”