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Central Frontenac Council came out of a closed session at its regular meeting Tuesday in Sharbot Lake and immediately introduced a motion to spend $207,509 “to mitigate legislative health and safety risks.”

It was an unusual outcome given the stated reason for the in camera meeting discuss two instances of “personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.”

In an interview, Fire Chief Greg Robinson said the $207,509 was mostly for personal protective gear — bunker suits, helmets, gloves and some training for supervisors. He said none of the funding was for breathing apparatus.

The resolution allows for the $207,509 to be taken from reserves suggesting that the equipment is needed immediately.

Mayor Frances Smith said after the meeting that the Township doesn’t have enough gear for its firefighters.

“The legislation says we have to have so many of this and so many of that and we don’t have it,” she said. “In some cases, there’s gear that needs to be replaced.”

She said that they expect there to be some funds left over in this year’s budget but whatever shortfall there is will be made up from reserves and discussed in the 2018 budget deliberations which are scheduled to begin Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. in the District 3 (Oso) Fire Hall.

$200 boot allowance for PW staff

Council agreed to raise the boot allowance for full-time Public Works staff to $200 per employee per year from the current $120 (which was approved in 2015).

“I work in much the same environment they do and $200 doesn’t meet the need for work boots today,” said Coun. Bill MacDonald.

Thake said the anticipated cost of the measure will be $4,400 (an increase of $1,760) and will be included in the 2018 budget.

Elm Tree road construction to begin

Thake also said he expects work on Elm Tree Road culvert to begin shortly. The holdup came when the conservation authority required a larger culvert than what was planned because “Arden is in a low-lying area.” However the larger culvert isn’t a stock size and has to be manufactured individually.

Thake said the asphalt on Elm Tree will be held off until next year to give the gravel bed time to settle.

He said there will likely be traffic disruptions once the actual work begins but school boards (for busing) and emergency services will be notified of such closures, which might be able to be scheduled over the Christmas break.

Accessibility report

Frontenac County Clerk Jannette Amini, who coordinates the County Accessibility Committee, gave Council a progress report.

Specifically in Central Frontenac, in 2017 a seniors housing task force was set up with the direction for allowing seniors who cannot function in their homes to have a place to move that would allow them to stay in Central Frontenac and a fully accessible library was built in Mountain Grove to replace the old inaccessible one.

In 2018, the committee is looking at a crossing on Road 38 at Elizabeth Street, a ramp for the barn at the Parham Fair Grounds, signage for crosswalks, work on the Eagle Lake Dock, designated parking areas at the Parham, Mountain Grove, Piccadilly and Sharbot Lake libraries and community centres and LED stree lights with wifi capability.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 22 November 2017 14:21

Frontenac catalyst up for the challenge

At the latest induction of new members into the Frontenac Catalyst Leo’s Club, District Governor Bill Zwier issued a challenge to the young Leo’s. Lion’s members were challenged back in 1925 by Helen Keller to be “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness” and now the torch for this crusade has been handed to the young club.

DG Bill has challenged the Leo’s to collect 100 pairs of gently used eye glasses to be redistributed to people in need. And the group has graciously accepted!! There is a donation box for glasses at the Central Frontenac Municipal office lobby and it will remain there until the end of November. The Sharbot Lake Lion’s breakfast in support of the Salvation Army Christmas basket programme is on November 25th at the Soldiers’ Memorial hall where you can drop them off as well. Please support our efforts and give the gift of sight! If you are a youth between the ages of 12 and 18 and are looking to get involve in your community you can contact any Lion’s club member or call Lion Lesley Merrigan at 613-279-3144 for more information.

Our next meeting is scheduled for December 7 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Sharbot Lake and folks are welcome to come and sit in and see us in action. Thanking the community in advance for your continued support of our youth programme.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Central Frontenac Council voted 8-1 to have staff prepare a plan for septic re-inspection at its regular meeting Tuesday.

A plan for septic re-inspection presented at the Oct. 24 Council meeting had been defeated.

This time, Councillor Tom Dewey presented a plan using a two-part, 10-year phase-in.

Under Dewey’s plan, all RW (waterfront) properties must be inspected by an approved inspector, authorized by the municipality, within five years of implementation. Phase 2 will include all other properties, which must be inspected within 10 years of the implementation date. All properties will require a 10-year cyclical inspection after that.

Furthermore, staff is directed to develop a list of referred agencies that are available to help with funding for failed systems, which is to be regularly maintained and updated. There will also be a municipal funding program. Staff have been directed to investigate and bring forward rules and procedures for municipal funding assistance for lower income residents.

Councillor Victor Heese, who chaired the committee that brought forth the previous plan, said: “With all due respect, I cannot support this program.

“If I were a cynic, I would say it’s designed to fail because there’s really not enough detail in it.”

Heese said it will cost homeowners $130 for an inspection.

“I can’t say citizens are well served nor will they like this.”

Councillor Bill MacDonald, who also supported the Oct. 24 proposal, said he didn’t agree with waterfront being the biggest issue, citing the hamlets instead and he didn’t like waiting 10 years for every system to be inspected. But he was prepared to support this proposal in order to get a process started.

“Whether or not a person can afford it (a new septic system), we cannot afford to close our eyes to failed systems,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Brent Cameron and Councilor Jamie Riddell, who were the staunchest critics of the previous proposal, both said they supported this one because it had some proposal to assist low-income homeowners.

Oso Hall insulation
The installation of spray-foam insulation at Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake is going well, said Developmental Services Manager Shawn Merriman.

He said when they removed the inside walls, there was very little damage evident.

“There were a couple of little stains from leaks that were quickly repaired,” he said. “I suspect the leaks were from 40 years ago.”

Merriman said he expects to see substantial savings on heating and cooling bills with the addition of the insulation, “due to the fact that there was no insulation before.

“When it’s all finished, the walls will be painted blue-gray and it should be all ready for your Christmas party (Nov. 25).

He said he expects the renovations should be within the budgeted amounts.

Playing well in the sand box

After considerable discussion, Council decided to put boxes of sand outside the gates its two public works yards for residents’ use.

“I haven’t spent this much time on sand since golf season,” said Dep. Mayor Brent Cameron.

Public Works Manager Brad Thake said not only would it be more accessible (“user-friendly”) for residents but would also be safer not having residents go into sand domes to get sand for their roads due to the proximity of heavy equipment, which could also potentially create a liability for the township.

RFCS youth funding approved
Following a presentation from Rural Frontenac Community Services Executive Director Louise Moody, Council approved $15,500 to be included in the 2018 budget for programs for rural youth (the same as last year) to be provided by RFCS.

“It’s good to see we’re doing things for our kids,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “We here around this table tend to think more about roads and waste so it’s good to see we’re looking after our politicians-to-be.”

Moody said her next stop was Plevna for a similar report. North Frontenac usually gives $5,400 to the program, she said.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 08 November 2017 17:31

John Showman and Tom Power at the Crossings

Tom Power has appeared at the Crossings Pub in Sharbot Lake as a member of the Dardanelles, an energetic young Newfoundland band that, among other things, is devoted to keeping traditional Newfoundland music fresh and modern.
One thing has led to another for Power, and last year he took on a high profile radio job as the host of the daily culture show Q, on CBC Radio 1. The Dardanelles went on hiatus after, although there are rumblings of a limited return, and Power found himself talking more on the radio and playing less music than he normally does.

He then took to sitting in with Toronto based bluegrass/old timey fiddler John Showman who has a standing gig at Queen Street’s Cameron House on Mondays. It turns out Showman has a background playing Irish Fiddle tunes from his days in Montreal, and enjoyed paying with Power, who provides a driving beat on guitar and foot stomp that gels well with Showman’s inventive and tuneful fiddle playing.

The duo has played around Toronto a bit as well as at the Cameron House, and when they wanted to book a show on the road it was easy enough to arrange by calling Frank and Sandra White in Sharbot Lake, who were more than willing to provide the venue.
Some of the crowd at the Crossings on Saturday Night were CBC fans looking so to see the face behind the radio voice, and others were John Showman fans, since he has played locally with a number of alt-country combos, including a show a few years back at Blue Skies Music Festival with New Country Rehab.
The show last Saturday was an excellent opportunity to hear the range and facility of John Showman. Power took the opportunity to sing two songs, a rarity for him. One was Ron Hynes’ No change in the Weather and the other a traditional Newfoundland tune he learned from his grandmother. He also provided support for Showman, who played tunes from the east coast as well as Appalachian and bluegrass tunes.

Showman not only demonstrated his great facility to inhabit tunes from different cultures, he has the inventiveness to make them his own. Power pushed the music on, sometimes adding pace and sometimes just keeping the music grounded, allowing Showman to stray into new territory within some of the old tunes and new tunes that sounded like they were from a bygone era.

All in all it was a dynamic show.

There are no shows currently scheduled at the Crossings Pub, but shows will be announced in the coming weeks. Look to their site sharbotlakeinn.com for details.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

It’s like speed dating for services, said organizer Maribeth Scott said in the GREC gym last week as 14 organizations gathered to inform families as to what services are available for children and youth in the northern Frontenac area.
Scott stood in the middle of the room, with a timer and a bell, letting visitors know when it was time to move to the next station.

The evening was billed as Fun at the Fair, ie a Children and Youth Services Fair. It began with a sausage/hot dog meal provided by Seed to Sausage and Weston’s Bakery and then continued with parents moving around the gym to various displays like early learning programs, healthy kids programs and even the more fun activities like theatre camp and karate lessons while the kids either played games in the cafeteria area or were looked after in a day care classroom.
Scott said part of the evening was to show people what the resurrected Northern Rural Youth Partnership was all about.

“We used to have this 10 years ago,” she said. “It’s a re-invented collective.

Organizer Victor Heese said the evening was made possible through a grant from the Ministry of Education through the Parents Reaching Out program and involved the Land O’Lakes Parents Council, the GREC Parents Council and Healthy Kids.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 01 November 2017 16:26

Sweet Alibi shows off sweet harmonies

Sometimes, it all just works.

Such is the case with Jess Rae Ayre, Amber Rose and Michelle Anderson, aka Sweet Alibi, who brought their brand of harmonies to The Crossing Pub in Sharbot Lake last Saturday night.
Ayre and Anderson met in high school in Winnepeg. Rose is originally from small town Ontario near Collingwood but has lived in Winnipeg for 20 years.

“I met Jess and Michelle through music,” Rose said.
Specifically, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, she said.
“We all just loved harmonies.”

And harmonies is what this band is all about. Older fans will probably hear a lot of America going on there, but Rose was at a loss as to who those guys were.

“I grew up listening to Carole King, Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell,” she said. “But I think we all like Feist.”
She said a lot of their original material comes from experimenting around campfires and such.
“One of us will do something and then another will say ‘what were you doing there, I liked that,’” she said.
Ayre, who grew up with Neil Young (“Harvest was a big influence), Tina Turner and The Beatles, said things have just naturally come together for the band.
“You can’t overthink it,” she said.

And so they don’t.

They’re back on the road after taking “42 days off after six years of touring” with a western swing coming up and then a trip to Germany in January.
This was their first time in Sharbot Lake and highlights included their original I’ll Wait, a cover of Bob Dylan’s Serve Somebody and the revelation that Ayre has three boyfriends and 278 pairs of earrings.

 

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Thursday, 12 October 2017 10:25

Canada 150 Coffee House at GREC

One of the final Canada 150 events in this sesquicentennial year will feature the music of Canada.
The Covering Canada 150 Coffee House is set to go this Friday night (Oct. 13) in the Granite Ridge Education Centre auditorium at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 and includes free coffee and snacks. Proceeds will go to a special fund being set up to pay for music lessons and/or music camp for deserving local students.
“There have been so many 150 celebrations this year,” said Jim MacPherson, who along with fellow musician Gary Giller organized the event. “We wanted to do something to show the Canadian music scene and the many avenues that entails. And we wanted to highlight the Canadian singer/songwriters and artists we’ve been influenced by.”

The two-set show was in the process of being finalized at press time but in addition to MacPherson and Giller, locals Pete MacPherson, Julia Schall, Martina Field-Green, Dave Limber, Dennis and Donna Larocque and others are scheduled to perform a variety of Canadian tunes, covering such artists as Neil Young, The Guess Who, Ron Hynes, The Barenaked Ladies and Fred Eaglesmith.

MacPherson said they also wanted to give back by raising funds to help kids who might not otherwise have access to music lessons and the musical experience.
“Essentially, we’re just folks who enjoy music,” he said.

Although not directly connected to the Canada 150 project whereby several local musicians met at Oso Beach on Wednesday nights to cover 150 Canadian songs, many of the same musicians are involved, and most of the material being presented Friday night was also part of that project.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Thursday, 12 October 2017 09:38

Fun at the F.A.I.R

In order to highlight youth services, programming and activities for rural youth, a community services fair is set for Wednesday October 25th at Granite Ridge Education Centre. The Northern Rural Youth Partnership, which is made up of representatives from groups who work with youth in Frontenac County, as well as municipal partners, is holding a Partners with Parents event called Fun at the F.A.I.R. (Families Accessing Information/Resources). 

Starting at 5pm there will be a community dinner, and at 6:15 youth will participated in a fun fair with face painting, clowns, and other activities organised by the Rural Frontenac Community Services Youth Program, while very young children will be able to access free day care. The adults will have access to different tables for information sharing. That portion of the evening will be from 6:30 to 8. There are 11 agencies or organizations particpating, from Recreation Leagues such as baseball and soccer to agencies the help with counseling, mental health services, educational services, and more. Adults will receive a number when they arrive and that will determine the order in which they visit the different service providors. It will be a bit like speed dating for services as each presentation has been honed down to 5 minutes. At each location adults will receive an information package and a ticket that they can enter into a draw for the door prize of their choice at 8pm.

Admission is free but families are encouraged to pre-register in order to make sure the correct amount of food is available, but no one will be turned away at the door. To pre-register call 613-279-2244 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Food is being provided without charge by Seed to Sausage, the Healthy Kids Community Challenge and Weston Bakeries.

 

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Matthew Byrne was not exactly a stranger to Sharbot Lake when he came to perform as a solo act at the Crossings Pub at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn last Sunday Night (October 1). He has appeared on several occasions, as a member of the Dardanelles, a group which is on hiatus this year but could be performing occasionally in 2018. He was also a member of the Sherman Downey and the Ambiguous Case, which played the Crossings a few times.

That makes him one of the Newfoundland wandering musicians offered refuge in Ontario by Frank and Sandra White of the Inn whenever he needs a bed and warm meal.
A good crowd of locals and fans from Perth and Kingston came out for an intimate concert on Sunday Night.

Matthew Byrne is fascinated by traditional songs and storytelling. In fact the songs he writes resemble traditional songs. During his performance on Sunday night he talked about his efforts to contact songwriters of songs that he intends to record in order to get a stronger sense of the meaning and feel of the song.
“It has not only helped me understand the songs that I am recording, I have also met some great people that way,” he said.

He is touring Ontario in support of his recently released 4th solo album, Horizon Lines. One of the original songs on the record is particularly poignant and is based on a family story. There was a small personal ad in the St. John’s newspaper in 1989. A man from New Zealand was looking for information about a woman named Adelaide, who he had last seen when he was a sailor on shore leave in St. John’s in 1947. The woman’s last name was Byrne so someone pointed the article out to Matthew’s father. It turned out that Adelaide was Matthew’s dad’s older sister, but she died in 1949 of tuberculosis before his dad was even born.
It turned out Adelaide and the sailor fell in love during his leave in 1947 and corresponded by mail for two years until the letters stopped. The man never knew what happened. The entire story of the romance was revealed in letters back and forth between Matthew’s Dad and his aunt’s love from 1947.
“I figured if I can’t make a song out of that story, I might as well take up another line of work,” he said before launching into Adelaide, one of the sweetest songs of the night.
He then said that before he released the album he thought he should contact the man behind the song, who would now be in his eighties.

“I found out that he died last November, right around the time I was recording Adelaide”.

The next scheduled musical event at the Crossing Pub is a dinner concert on October 28th with Sweet Alibi, a roots/pop trio, winners of a Western Canada Music Award. Tickets are $65 (dinner included) Call 613-279-2198.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 27 September 2017 18:43

A Good Saturday for music lovers in Sharbot Lake

It was one of the hottest days of the year down at Oso Beach on Saturday. But there was a Canada Day size crowd. About the only difference from our annual beach bash was that there wasn’t nearly as much red and white. Oh, and the age of the crowd was probably a little older too, because you see, they were there to see and hear a bunch of guys they’ve been listening to for 40 years or so — fellow Canadians and iconic band The Good Brothers.
Bruce, Brian and Larry are a little greyer than most probably remember them but they can still bring it. Yes, they played Fox on the Run and Alberta Bound and nobody walked away disappointed.
The Brothers made their first trip to Sharbot Lake courtesy of Seeds & Company’s Sam Arraj, a former president of the Canadian Country Music Association, who wanted to do a ‘thank you’ for the community of Sharbot Lake. So, he brought in some legends.
Actually, the Brothers don’t think of themselves as ‘legends,’ they’re just doing what they love to do.

“Maybe in our own minds (we’re legends),” joked Bruce Good, who tends to handle the group’s interviews. “I guess if you hang around long enough people say those things about you.
“We did join the (musicians) union in 1970.”
That was in Richmond Hill where they played coffee houses, high school dances, churches, wherever they could.
But it wasn’t long before they were on The Festival Express (“our very first tour”) with The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Ian and Sylvia.
Tours with the Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage and other SoCal bands followed as did eight Junos and numerous other albums and accolades.
And they’ve always had a huge following in Europe.

“Actually we just got back from a tour of Europe,” Bruce said. “And we’re going back next year for a 40th tour.”
They do it because they enjoy it, they always have and they still do.
“It never gets boring,” he said. “We change it up.”
But how about Fox on the Run?
“Well, I still love the song,” he said. “But another part of playing that one is the response it always gets from the audience.
“And that’s why you do it, to please the audience and pleasing and audience never gets old or boring.”
And Bruce doesn’t see it coming to an end anytime soon.

If he’s not playing with his brothers, he has a family band with wife Margaret and sons Dallas and Travis (aka The Sadies).
The Good Brothers even have a new album out, Wide Awake Dreamin’, in which Bruce and Brian wrote seven of the 10 songs. It’s been getting airplay and critical praise but even if it didn’t, the album has one fan that means the world to Bruce.
“I got a call from Gordon Lightfoot to tell me he liked the writing on the album,” he said. “That means more than anything to me.”
Sharbot Lake’s own Adam Lake and Ryan Anderson of Whiskey Saint opened the show followed by Amanda Sadler.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
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With the participation of the Government of Canada