A hot July night proved to be a less than ideal time for most people to attend a public meeting on the draft design of the new Kindergarten to Grade 12 school in Sharbot Lake, which at this point is planned for completion in just over two years.

Terry White from the Ventin group in Toronto presented the design to school administrators and school board officials and a few members of the public in the cafetorium of the existing Sharbot Lake High School on Tuesday evening.

The three-storey L-shaped design with a cafetorium and double gym located on the second and third floors is similar to one that was agreed to in June by a design committee that included members of parent councils as well as board employees.

Terry White, who has been designing schools for over two decades, said that he normally would put the gym and cafetorium on the ground floor, “but the layout of the site and the demands of this school made that unworkable in this case, so we settled on a second floor gym.”

The way the building is planned however, there will be direct access to the second floor from the exterior of the building at three locations, “so there will be a lot of access nonetheless,” White added.

The plan is for the school to be located in the parking lot, as far towards the north as possible before it hits the flood plain towards the existing playing field, which will remain.

The wood and auto shops will be located on the ground floor at the north end of the building, with the cafetorium and double gym above, stretching out past where there is currently a basketball court and into where there are now rocks and trees to the west.

Part of the plan is to excavate into that rock to fit the gym in, allowing direct access to the gym from behind the building as the landscape rises.

The rest of the building will extend to the south, towards where the existing school is now located.

The kindergarten rooms will be located on the ground floor, at the south end of the building, adjacent to the elementary playing field. The elementary classrooms will be located on the second floor and the high school classes on the third floor.

The administration office and the library will be located on the first floor, where the two parts of the L-shaped building meet. Across from the administration offices there will be a library and a computer lab, which will open up onto a courtyard behind the building.

The cladding of the building could include brick, concrete and perhaps wood, and there will be a number of full-length glass windows employed to bring natural lighting to the library, the entranceway, and other parts of the building.

Among the community-focussed features of the design are plans to orient the cafetorium to optimise theatrical performances by North Frontenac Little Theatre and the school drama department. Not only will there be seating for 200 – 225 people in the cafetorium, the wall to the gym will be removable, creating the option of a 600 plus seat theatre.

The temporary wall in the middle of the double gym can also be removed, creating a space that could potentially hold as many 1000 people.

Dianne Lake, who attended the meeting as a member of the public but pointed out she not only attended Sharbot Lake High School, but spend 28 years running the cafeteria, made the point that during the 1998 ice storm the school spent 22 days as an emergency shelter and relief centre.

“That extra capacity for a public space might become a huge community asset some day,” she said.

Terry White said that the final design should be ready for public viewing in the early fall, and he hopes the project can go to tender in late October. Preliminary construction could begin before freeze up.

Ann Goodfellow, the school board trustee for the region, pointed out that the Ministry of Education will require that a complete costing be done for every aspect of the project before they approve it.

“Maybe we can break ground next spring,” she said.

The municipal building permitting process will also need to be undertaken, and will likely include environmental assessments.

There were no representatives from the municipality at the public meeting.

Photo:  Lloyd Arnold and Carol Belanger

Every Thursday evening between 7 and 9PM the gym at Sharbot Lake high school comes alive with the sound of squeaking rubber-soled shoes and the whoosh of high-speed birdies.

That is the time that anyone seeking a bit of good, clean, social fun and fitness can meet on the badminton courts in the gym and enjoy two hours of non-stop play.

Ron Abbott of Godfrey is almost always there. He mans “the box” and will happily supply racquets and birdies (a.k.a. shuttlecocks) to those in need. Ron has been heading up the weekly sessions ever since retired SLHS teacher Gary Giller started the tradition close to 30 years ago. When Ron is not manning the box he is on the court enjoying a game. “It's such a great way to keep in shape and they say that in badminton you actually use more muscles than in any other kind of sport.” That being said, Ron adds that it is also not a particularly strenuous sport. He can count the number of injuries he's witnessed in his decades of play on one hand. He stressed the fact that it is also a relatively easy game that almost anyone can play and quickly become good at.

The two courts in the gym can hold eight players at a time and usually anywhere from 8-15 players will show up on any given Thursday night. Many of the regulars have been coming for years and to keep games interesting it is pretty common to see teams regularly switch up partners. Ron informed me that a good team is one where “the two players can anticipate their teammates’ moves and who cover each other on the court.” Because the game tends to be one of strategy, two partners who work together will tend to go a long way.”

The more competitive players will tend to seek each other out but competitive play on the whole tends to be a secondary consideration for most. Instead it is a friendly feeling of camaraderie that prevails in the gym.

Ann Temple is the newest player to the sessions and she travels 25 minutes to come every Thursday night to play. “I heard about it from a friend and started coming and found the environment very welcoming, helpful and easy going. Though I wasn't very good when I started I feel I've come along way.”

Lloyd Arnold of Crow Lake, who will be turning 80 in June, has been attending the sessions since moving to the area. He is an experienced player and played in an industrial league in Montreal back in the 1950s. “I have always loved the game and when I moved out this way thought I should get back at it. I have always enjoyed playing the game and it definitely helps keep me nimble.”

The sessions are held throughout the regular school year with breaks for Christmas and in March.

Anyone is welcome to play and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Normally the fee is $5 per semester, though this year the fees were waived due to a surplus in the coffers.

Ron encourages anyone interested to come and try it out. “It’s a lot of fun and usually after a few tries people tend to pick it up pretty quick.”

Players just need to wear rubber-soled shoes and Ron will be happy to get them every thing else they need.

Photo: SLHS students were given the opportunity to safely demonstrate proper techniques for rappelling trees.

On March 4, students in the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) – Forestry program at Sharbot Lake High School experienced this old adage first hand. Two representatives from Hydro One, Marty Little and Bob Burke, volunteered their time to speak with the students and to demonstrate proper techniques for rappelling trees. After the Hydro One demonstration, each student was then given the opportunity to safely demonstrate that he/she did indeed “learn the ropes”.

Students in the Northern Forester program, the only Forestry SHSM in the Limestone District School Board, work closely with one another and with lead teacher, Lyle Young as they take the classroom outdoors. At the present time, students have earned their first of seven certifications, chainsaw safety, and enjoy the weekly outings to the woodlot to perfect their skills. Plans are in progress for students to earn other certifications this semester, including First Aid, WHMIS, GPS navigation and Project Wild.

The SHSM Forestry Program is available to students beginning in grade 11 and provides unique opportunities for students. By completing a Specialist High Skills Major, a student earns a red seal on his/her diploma which recognizes that a student has achieved the necessary credits, skills, knowledge and sector certifications associated with a specific industry. More information is available in Student Services.

Special thanks to teacher candidate Eric Weese who organized the experience for the students.

Organizers of this year’s Frontenac Heritage Festival have been busy planning some new and exciting activities for the festival, which will take place Friday February 25 to Sunday February 27 in various locations around Central and North Frontenac. Now in its 5th year, the festival attracts over 1000 visitors to the area every year and is continuing to grow.

New this year will be a combined community walk/run organized by Joan and Rudy Hollywood, which will take place on Sunday Feb 27 at 2pm. Distances will vary from 2-10 kilometres and the run will loop around the village of Sharbot Lake. Participants will pay $2 per km with a maximum cost of $20 per family and all proceeds will benefit the local food bank. For more information contact Rudy Hollywood at 279-2761 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Also new this year will be the first ever Polar Bear Plunge organized by Mark Montagano, Richard Struthers and Bill Young, which will also take place on Sunday, Feb. 27 at the docks of the Sharbot Lake Marina. Registration begins at 8:45 AM and the plunge is scheduled to take place at 10:00AM. Plungers are needed! Anyone interested can get a pledge sheet and plungers are required to amass a minimum of $40 in pledges, with all funds going to the Central Frontenac Volunteer Fire Department to purchase a Thermal Imaging Device, which is used, among other things, to locate people in burning buildings. Prizes will be awarded for the oldest and youngest plungers and also for the one who receives the most pledges. “Chicken Plungers” - i.e. those who have no interest in braving the winter waves but who still want to support the cause - can still collect pledges.

For more information contact Mark Montagano at 279-2886, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This year’s festival will open with keynote speaker Dr. Peter Frise, a leading Canadian research scientist who has roots in Mountain Grove, and who will likely share some interesting anecdotes about his grandfather, who was employed by CP Rail there.

This year’s festival will include all of the usual favorites, including various heritage displays at Oso hall, and a Saturday night variety show followed by fireworks. Other favorite venues like the indoor and outdoor displays and demonstrations at the Crow Lake Schoolhouse will be expanding. Also returning is the amateur photo contest, which last year attracted over 70 entries.

Any individual or organization who would like in any way to contribute, participate or volunteer can contact Janet Gutowski at 374-1355, Mike Procter at 279-2572, Tom Dewey at 335-2834 and/or attend the next festival meeting, which will be held at Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake on Monday January 10 at 6:30pm.

One day, several years ago, I was attending an event at Sharbot Lake High School.

“McVety,” I heard a girl yell out in the hallway at the top of her voice, sounding for all the world as if she was calling out to a reluctant friend to come over and help her with something.

But she wasn’t calling to a friend, she was calling out to a teacher. Sure enough Randy McVety came bounding over, not at all concerned about the lack of formality, some might say decorum, of one of his students.

All of the students at SLHS are Randy McVety’s students, whether they take a Social Studies course with him or not. The citation that came with the announcement this week that he is being honoured with the J.C. McLeod Excellence in Teaching Award, which is also known in the Limestone Board as the teacher of the year award, includes a paragraph about his central role at SLHS: “Randy is committed to the whole school community, enthusiastically participating in all school events, and often serving as organizer. He is always someone you could count on to do whatever it took to make things happen at the school and within the community. Randy McVety is the heart and soul of Sharbot Lake High School, so much so that he has been named ‘Mr. Sharbot Lake’.”

He is also being honoured for his knowledge of social studies and for the courses he has developed at SLHS.

Again, from the citation: “He is an expert in his field of teaching history, geography, native studies and senior social sciences. As the department head he shares his knowledge, expertise and resources with colleagues and works to support teachers in their own professional and personal growth … He is a long time mentor with Queen's University, helping future teachers develop. He has served with his federation for many years, and various school communities.”

The McLeod awards committee must know something about dealing with sibling rivalry, because they made sure there will be no resentment when members of the McVety family get together over the summer holidays.

While Randy McVety won the McLeod for secondary school teachers, his sister Kathy McVety-Kavanagh is the winner of the award for elementary students. She has been working as a special education co-ordinator with the board and is returning to classroom teaching next fall.

When the premier’s office decided to include the completion of the Ontario section of the Trans-Canada Trail as a legacy initiative in conjunction with the 2015 Pan Am games, they didn’t bother to check with anyone in Frontenac County.

The initiative includes a funding commitment of $3.5 million to complete the remaining 250 kilometres of the 2,000 kilometre trail, but no details as to how much of that will be earmarked for the remaining piece in Frontenac County. The section of the K&P trail that is earmarked for the funding starts at Craig Road just north of Verona, and extends through farm and swampland, and a number of pieces of private property near Tichborne, before it meets the already completed east-west portion of the trail in the railroad park in Sharbot Lake.

The Frontenac section of the trail is about 45 kilometres long, almost 1/5 of the remaining 250 kilometres, and if the money is doled out on a percentage basis it could mean that almost $700,000 will go to that section of trail.

The announcement came just as Frontenac County has finalized the necessary arrangements in order to complete the section of trail that runs from the trailhead in Harrowsmith through Hartington and Verona to the Craig Road. No time frame has been set for the completion of that section, but it could be completed by the spring of next year.

Even with a large infusion of provincial money, past experience with private landowners makes it less than certain that the new section of trail can possibly be completed by the time the Pam Am games take place in 2015.

Frontenac County, which has been taking on the job of building the K&P trail, has not received any details about the funding, other than receiving a press release from Kingston MPP John Gerretson.

“I know the people of Kingston and the surrounding areas will use these trails to get outside and stay active for years to come. The trail expansions will ensure our communities are connected like never before, giving people in the area hiking and recreational opportunities year-round,” Gerretson said in his release.

The septic system for the Granite Ridge Education Centre, currently under construction in Sharbot Lake, has been the subject of consultation between the Limestone District School Board and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for a year.

Because the school is located within 300 metres of the west basin of Shabot Lake, which has been identified as a Trout Sensitive Lake by the province, an environmental compliance approval from the ministry was needed before the septic system could be constructed.

On August 23, that approval was granted.

Sarah Dick, Senior Environmental Officer at the Kingston MoE office, said in an email: “On August 23, 2013, the Environmental Compliance Approval for the Granite Ridge Education Centre was issued. 
The approval permits the establishment of sewage works for the collection, transmission, treatment and subsurface disposal of domestic sewage, with a rated capacity of 17,000 litres per day. The new system is equipped with phosphorus treatment, which is a significant improvement to the previous system.”

The septic system will need to be constructed and approved before the new school will be able to receive an occupancy permit from the Central Frontenac building department.

The Limestone Board is aiming to have the building ready for students in early November.

Young job seekers looking to get involved in the construction industry will have a great opportunity to hone their construction skills in an upcoming eight-week program that is being offered by St. Lawrence College in Sharbot Lake.

The program, which will run from August 12 through to October 4, is open to 20 participants aged 15-30. It will offer participants knowledge in the field, practical skills and pertinent certifications including WHMIS, 1st Aid/CPR, Traffic Control, Fall Arrest and Tag out Lock Out. Participants will be equipped with work boots, safety equipment, and tool belts.

The program includes 10 days of in-class instruction and six weeks of practical hands on-construction experience through a number of local projects. Eligible participants must be aged 15-30 and be out of school, out of work and currently not receiving Employment Insurance. Eligible participants can apply for funding for the program under the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy. Additional funding is available to cover transportation, income support and dependent care.

For more information about the program contact St. Lawrence Employment Services at 613-545-3949 or drop in the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake, located at 1099 Garrett Street before July 24, 2013. The program is a great way for youth and students to acquire the proper skills, knowledge and certifications necessary to work in the construction field.

For the 5th year Theresa, Becki and Katie Procter will swim 3km across Sharbot Lake to raise money and awareness for cancer prevention and research. The three sisters, who were born and raised in Sharbot Lake, began the annual swim after they moved away and were no longer able to participate in local cancer events due to work or school schedules. After losing close family members to cancer, the three try to do whatever they can to help others.

Two years ago Katie swam 3 weeks after giving birth to her first child. This year, Katie will be almost 6 months pregnant but is still planning to swim if her doctor gives her the all clear. She will be cheered on by her two-year-old daughter, Abigail. Becki’s employer, Cooperators Insurance in Mississauga, gives her a paid day off to recognize her efforts to help others. Theresa is the instigator and looks after all the organizational work and liaising with the Cancer Society.

The girls will be swimming on Saturday, July 27 , entering the water near the Sharbot Lake Provincial Park at 10am and plan to arrive at the Oso beach at about 11:30 am. Plan to attend the beach on the morning of the 27th and help cheer them on. Donations can be made at the Farmers Market or call Mike Procter 613-279-2572 or on line at http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/hopeswim2013

As another way of promoting health and fitness in the community, staff at the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team (SLFHT) held an urban pole-walking workshop on June 27 at Oso beach. Ten people participated and learned the art of urban pole walking. Staff at the Family Health Team are hoping to see more people take up the activity.

Nicole Bobbette, occupational therapist with the SLFHT, said the health benefits of urban poling are many and that it is an exercise for all ages and all fitness levels. She also said it is a "great option that is easy, affordable and fun for those with mobility issues."

The activity was developed by an occupational therapist in Vancouver and it involves walking with two poles, one in each hand. The poles offer additional health benefits to an otherwise ordinary walk by integrating core upper body strength. The exercise is good for everyone but especially those who have issues with balance and or pain, who may have arthritis, or for those recovering from a stroke or hip or knee replacement surgery since the poles add extra stability. It is also an option for those in overall good health and who might want to up their daily workout but for whom running is not an option. The workshop was headed up by Nancy Hayes of Motion Specialties, a health care vendor, and long time master trainer of urban pole walking, Kari Galasso, who runs her Fit to the Core business in Kingston. Galasso, who has been teaching the exercise in the Kingston area for six years, began the workshop first by demonstrating how to adjust, hold and use the poles, which are not just ordinary ski poles but ones that have been specially designed for walking. The poles have a carbon tip and an optional rubber booty attachment that give the walker added stability. The handles of the poles are contoured for a comfortable grip and neutralize all of the joints in the hand, making the grip comfortable for those who may have arthritis. They are marked with a unique measuring system so that they can be adjusted according to the walker's height.

“The poles address so many health and mobility issues and I can't begin to tell you how many people have told me how they have changed their lives,” Kari explained. For those just looking for a new way to exercise the whole body, urban pole walking is a great option. It activates 90% of all the muscles in the body compared to regular walking, which only activates 50%. As a result it promotes core strengthening The exercise also promotes upright posture training and is a great cardio-vascular workout.

Following her talk Galasso invited the group outside onto the grassy lawn, where she demonstrated the activity and answered questions before setting out on a walk down the trail.

Staff at the SLFHT were pleased with the turnout for the workshop and are hoping to hold a second one in the near future. Nicole will have a set of urban poles available at the medical centre for anyone interested in having a try at the exercise. The poles, which cost $100, can be purchased by those interested in making the activity a regular part of their daily or weekly fitness program. For more information contact Nicole Bobbette at the SLFHT, 613-279-2100