Rob Moyse started playing high school football as a student at Smiths Falls High School in the 1970s and he hasn't stopped.

This year he marked his 25^th season playing touch football in the Kingston League and he has been playing on Sunday mornings in Brockville off and on since the mid-80s.

“I got back into football when I moved back to Kingston and I have never stopped. In the early 90s the Kingston Touch Football League was very competitive and we competed in regional and provincial championships. In those years I was a rusher; my job was basically to chase the quarterback,” he said when interviewed last week from his home.

In 1992 his team took the national championship, a highlight of his career.

These days he gets to play with his three sons, Nathan, Oliver and Samuel who have all played high school football for Sydenham High School, where Rob and his wife Patti moved to in 1993. Rob works as an intensive care nurse at KGH, a job he has held since moving back to Kingston from Moose Factory in 1988.

After playing at SHS, Nathan went on to play at Bishops University for two years and has been coaching summer football in Sydenham for the past two years. Oliver played on the now legendary 2010 SHS squad, which won KASAAA and went to the OFSAA finals, and Samuel is playing one more year with SHS this fall.

This summer, all four of the Moyse boys headed to Kingston each week to play on the same team, which ended its season with a semi-final loss last week. Their favourite games are in Brockville on Sundays, and there are a couple more Sundays this summer before the older boys head back to school, and Samuel rejoins the Golden Eagles.

As to how he has managed to keep playing for all these years, Rob said that his wife Patti is responsible for him being able to continue playing when they had a young family. Since then he continues to enjoy the game and playing with his sons is an added bonus.

by Maddie Field-Green

On August 15 at the Sydenham Library, a spectacular Puppet Show Extravaganza hit the stage! The show was fox-themed and featured KFPL puppeteers Brenda Macdonald and Margi Mckay. There were over 30 kids and over 20 parents in the audience. It was a rainy day but that didn’t deter the crowd as they sang, “If all of the rain drops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh! What a rain it would be.”

The first performance was one of Aesop’s Fables, "Lousy Rotten Stinkin’ Grapes", retold and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. The story follows a fox as he attempts to retrieve a bunch of grapes while dismissing his friend’s suggestions. Eventually, he gives up and leaves. Meanwhile, his friends discuss each other’s plans and decide that the mouse’s idea was the best. They retrieve the grapes while working together and attempt to cheer up their old friend, the fox. During the intermission, Margi read "Hattie and the Fox" by Mem Fox. Clearly, they were intent on sticking to the “Fox” theme.

The final show of the day was an adaptation of the pop hit, "What does the Fox Say?" by Norwegian comedy duo, Ylves. The show was completely hilarious. The audience was enthralled and credit must go to the puppeteers, as the song goes very quickly!

by Helen Parfitt

Sydenham Lake Canoe Club’s Coach’s Junior Sprint Canoeist, Cia Myles-Gonzalez, who trains in Sydenham and paddles for Balmy Beach Canoe Club, and Midget Sprint Kayaker, Genevieve L’Abbe, who now paddles for Ottawa River Canoe Club (ORCC), both qualified to paddle at the National Championships in Regina, Saskatchewan next week. Both paddlers had a very good season leading up to the Ontario Championships. At the Ontario Championship Regatta in Ottawa, both girls proved that Sydenham produces strong women. A very versatile Myles Gonzalez won a gold medal in both the C2 200m and 500m, and the C4 500m. She won a silver in the K2 200m and a bronze in the C1 500m. L’Abbe won a gold in the K1 200m and 500m and K2 500m, and a silver in the U19 K4 500m.

Nestled in a forgotten corner of the back parking lot at Sydenham High School a few temporary lines have been drawn on the pavement at either end of a pavement. For mostg of the week that is the only outward sign that a forgotten Austrian tradition from Kingston's past has been reborn. On Thursday evenings, the space comes to life.

Members of the Austrian community from Kingston and Frontenac County, and others who have become hooked on Eisstock, arrive at 6:00. They pull their Eisstock's from their cars and head over to the makeshift rink.

The sport of Eisstock was popular in Kingston in the 1960's and 70's, around the time when the cities' Austrian club was in its heyday. The club has faded as has the sport, but it is making a comeback.

Eisstock is the name of the sport, and of the apparatus that is at its core. Eisstocks are similar to curling stones, but they are manufactured. They have a heavfy metal base, on which both a handle and a surface pad can be affixed. There are different pads available, and because they have a smoother or rougher finish they are switched to react either to whatever shot is requited or to the conditions.

While in curling the point is to get the stones as close to the button as possible, in Eisstock there is a Daube, a small rubber disk that is set in the middle of the house at the start but can be pushed further back by a well aimed Eisstock.

In that way Eisstock is a cross between curling and bocce or lawn bowling.

Each player on a team throws one Eisstock in each end, and the team with an Eisstock closest to the daube wins the points.

Eisstock can be played on ashphalt and ice as well. Although there are references to Eisstock as far backa s the 13th century, in a 1565 painting by Peiter Breghel the Elder called Hunters in the Snow there are people on the ice in the background playing Eisstock.

All of this has been brought back to life int he SHS parking lot, with the addition of some good natured trash talking, very occsaional profanity, in English or a number of other languages, and even the throw to the Daube or a spectacular takeout o change the character of an end entirely.

The game can be played by all ages and skill levels. The pick game in Sydenham was first organized by Karl Hammer. His father Karl and a number his friends from the Austrian Club days are among the most enthusiastic participants, along with some younger men, women, and children who are learning the ins and outs of the sport.

This weekend, however, there is a more serious game afoot. On Sunday, August 17, at Centennial Park in Harrowsmith, an Eisstock tournament is being staged. A number of four member teams from the Sydenham weekly game have been established and they will compete against teams from far flung communities, including Woodstock and Cambridge. The tournament is the revival of a tournament that was held annually by the Kingston Austrian Club for many years until it fizzled in the 1980's.

For Karl Hammer, it is an opportunity to bring a sport that is dear to his father back to his own son's generation.

“You hate to see something that was so vital and so much fun be lost forever,” he said.

“It's also a lot of fun to see my father get excited, and even more fun to beat him at his own game.”

For more information about the Thursday Eisstock games, email Karl at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fishers in a competitive derby are never apt to give away too much information about where they landed their catches. That was the case for two fishers who weighed in at the Sydenham Legion's Bass Derby, which took place on July 26 and attracted over 150 participants.

Legion members Garnett Van Luven and Bob Stinson weighed the catches of fishers Tik Ostopovitch and Scott Bowes, whose fish each weighed in just a smidge under four pounds. Both men, not surprisingly, refused to name the lakes where their fish were hooked but Tik did offer up the fact that his fish were caught “with a worm”.

The Sydenham Legion Fishing Derby was organized by Legion members Scott Morrison and Brent VanLuven and was brought back again this year after running on and off for many years previously. Kate Lett, the newly elected Sydenham Legion Branch 496 president, said the stops and starts of the derby were because it takes a substantial number of volunteers to organize it, and that it was possible to bring it back this year because “a number of eager members were willing to take on the responsibility of gathering the prizes, doing the advertising, selling the tickets and finding all of the other necessary volunteers to perform all of the other jobs that it takes to run a derby.” Participants could fish on any of the area back lakes and the winners were based on the weight of their single largest catch. Prizes were donated by local area businesses and individuals and the first place prize was a Glider 55 pound thrust Shakespeare trolling motor. Other prizes included a number of coolers, life jackets, fishing gear, sport clothing and numerous gift certificates from area businesses.

The Sydenham Ladies Auxiliary put on the lunch at the derby. Lett said she was pleased with the turn out and hopes that the event will become an annual one again, which is good news for bass fishers everywhere.

Funds raised from the derby will help pay for the upkeep of the Legion hall as well as help support a number of programs in the community including the lunch program at Loughborough Public School and Southern Frontenac Community Services.

Photo 2056- 

Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS) and the Grace Arts Committee are pleased to announce a photography exhibit featuring work from local photographers, Louise Day and Ryan R.F. Wilkinson at the Grace Centre from August 1 - September 22. A free reception and artist talks will take place on Saturday August 16 from 1-2:30pm.

Louise Day grew up in Ridgetown, Ont. Her mother, an artist, worked in graphite portraits, landscape paintings in oil, acrylic and water colour. Louise graduated as an R.N., married Dr. Gordon Day and moved to Verona in 1963. She worked in Family Practice with her husband for 37 years. Day became interested in photography and took lessons from Kim Ondaatje of Blueroof Farm, who taught her “how to see”. Many of her images were taken in the gardens and woods at Blueroof. Day entered won first prize in the category of “In Praise of Plants” in Equinox magazine’s photo contest. She has had a number of solo exhibitions.

Ryan R. F. Wilkinson is virtually new to the photography world, coming from a background of oil painting and pencil drawing influenced by his grandfather, Alfred Karu out of Estonia.

A graduate of Sheridan College arts program, Ryan has blended his abstract eye for the world with peaceful and simple photography using various sources of natural light, and timeless moments. Ryan is always looking to learn, grow, and develop as an artist with an open mind, and open eyes through various subject matter including landscapes, people, and street photography.  

The Somersault Events race series continues to draw a wide range of athletes of all ages and skill levels to its annual Sydenham Triathlon/Duathlon event, which took place this year on July 13. For many, it is the calm waters and the scenic trail around the shores of Sydenham Lake, but also the friendly atmosphere of the small Kingston bedroom community that keep participants coming back year after year.

Over 400 participants took part in the Tri/Du, which began at 8:30 am. Sunday was rainy and windy, which made for slippery and more difficult than normal conditions, especially during the bike portions of some of the events. However the mild rain also offered respite for runners, making for cooler and less taxing runs.

Todd Morin manned the microphone at the finish line, announcing the names of the racers as they crossed it. One of the day’s highlights was when he announced the male and female first place finishers of the Olympic Triathlon event.

This year 31-year-old Jeff McCue of Kingston crossed the finish line first with a time of 2.20.48. The Olympic Tri event is comprised of a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike ride and a 10km run. McCue, who works as nurse in Kingston, is currently training for the Subaru Half Ironman race in Muskoka, a longer race comprised of a 2km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21 km run. He will also be entering the K-Town Triathlon in Kingston in August. McCue, who has participated in 15 triathlon events to date, said it was his first time participating in the Sydenham Tri. He said he enjoyed the course, particularly the running portion, which takes place in a forest-covered trail lining the lake. He said, “The location is awesome. The course is well laid out, well organized with great transition points and is a very scenic venue.”

This year’s first place female finisher of the Olympic Triathlon was 20-year-old Brittany McEachern of Kingston, who crossed the line with a time of 2.30.59. It was her first time finishing first in an Olympic triathlon event. Brittany has been training for tri events for just two years and this was her third Olympic Tri race to date and her best time ever. She was pleased with her race and said that her mother and other participants cheered her on throughout the race. “I love triathlons and I'm definitely going to stick with it.” She will be running in the K-Town Triathlon at the beginning of August. She said that the bike portion was the most difficult for her. “There was a hard downpour during the first loop of the bike portion, which made for a very cold and windy ride.”

Christine McKinty, the event’s race director, said that events like the Try-a-Tri and other relay events are especially fun for family groups, and that this year she saw many family groups of all ages take part. Leslie Reade of Sydenham and her 10-year-old son Eli both took part in the races; Leslie in the Olympic Tri and Eli as a member of a sprint tri relay team. It was Leslie's fourth time participating and Eli's first and both were pleased with their performances.

The Sydenham Tri/Du relies on over 50 volunteers and this year’s “club of the event” was the Sydenham Legion.

Marianne Takala of Sydenham was the assistant race director. I caught up with her son, former triathlete Scott Takala, who was instrumental in designing the Sydenham race along with its founder Richard Cadman. Takala did not participate this year after having placed first in the Olympic Tri for a number of consecutive years. He said he is focusing his sights solely on running events and currently is training for a half marathon this fall. Organizers were pleased with the turnout this year and Christine McKinty is hoping to see more families come out next year. For more information visit somersault.ca

Residents of South Frontenac are lucky in that they are able to drop off hazardous waste materials at no charge and no limit on a weekly basis at a designated site in the township. Residents in Central Frontenac on the other hand are given one free opportunity a year to drop off hazardous waste, which if missed means they have to hang onto the stuff for another long year.

Recognizing a rising demand for such a service, South Frontenac Township staff opened the hazardous waste site, which is located at 2491 Keeley Road, in June 2011. Built using federal gas tax money, numbers from a 2013 report show that the site was well utilized by residents. In 2013 alone a total of 1683 residents used the service. Staff at the township decided to contract out the collection of the hazardous materials to a company called Drain All Ltd., which runs out of Ottawa and Napanee. Drain All staff man the site, which is open to South Frontenac residents every Thursday from April 1 to October 31, 3 to 8pm and every second and fourth Thursday from November 1 to March 31, 3 - 7pm.

Materials that can be dropped off include dry and wet batteries, antifreeze, aerosols, paints and paint-related materials, adhesives and other corrosive liquids, oil, oil filters, fluorescent tubes, fire extinguishers, flammable liquids, pharmaceutical waste, non-refillable propane containers, pesticides and fertilizers, empty oil and antifreeze containers, electronic waste like televisions, fax machines, cell phones and computers, boat and hay bale wrap, small white appliances like toasters, microwaves and bread makers, and also non-recyclable plastic items like lawn furniture and other large plastic items. The site does not accept any metal.

South Frontenac Public Works Manager, Mark Segsworth, seems pleased with the numbers reported in 2013 and said that the service “helps to mitigate the impact of hazardous waste on the environment and on the township's landfills by minimizing the hazardous materials entering the environment through landfill sites.”

Canada Day celebrations took place through out the Frontenacs both on the weekend leading up to and on the day of the July 1 holiday.

While the communities of Denigh, Arden, Long Lake and Kennebec Lake, Bedford, Ompah, Snow Road and Verona held their celebrations on the weekend before the holiday, the villages of Sydenham, Storrington, Sharbot Lake and Harrowsmith chose to hold their celebrations on the holiday Tuesday and despite a rather grim weather forecast, the celebrations (so far, as of mid afternoon Tuesday when this article was submitted) went off without a hitch though the day was a hot and humid one.

Some volunteers did plan changes of venue in case of inclement weather and in Sharbot Lake the festivities planned to move indoors to Oso Hall if need be with talk of delaying the fireworks until the following weekend if necessary.

In Harrowsmith the plethora of colourful classic vintage cars were a hit and in Sharbot Lake it was the parade fairies and the gathering of hundreds of holiday goers at Oso Beach following the parade that made for a fun and relaxing day. Thanks to the all of the service clubs, community groups, organizations and individual volunteers who continue to make the Canada Day Holiday in the Frontenacs one to remember each and every summer, rain or shine.

Southern Frontenac Community Services’ 2014 Enhancement Campaign closed last Friday, having gone almost $8,000 above their original goal of $50,000. This was the agency’s first fundraising campaign in their 25-year history. It will help reduce the current waiting list for seniors services programs and provide food and financial security assistance to more low income households in the South Frontenac and rural Kingston areas. This spectacular success was due in part to a $25,000 grant from the William J. Henderson Foundation. This foundation was established by the late Judge Henderson, a politician, war veteran and philanthropist, “to support worthy causes.” Other cash donors included Susan Creasy Financial, Cunningham Swan Carty & Bonham, South Frontenac Township, Branch 496 Royal Canadian Legion, Sydenham Lions Club, Trousdale stores, several local groups and a long list of individuals.