The Licensed Home Childcare program at Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS) provides appropriate childcare in a home environment. The program, which is supervised by Melissa Elliott, is looking for families that are interested in opening up their home for local children and starting up a home-based business.

“The ideal candidate is someone who loves working with children, would like to be able to work from their own home, has lots of energy and enjoys spending time outside,” said Melissa Elliott. “Most people believe you must have your Early Childhood Education diploma to become a licensed provider but that is not true. If you have a great attitude and a safe place to offer childcare, then it is SFCSC’s responsibility to help you meet all the requirements needed to offer quality licensed child care.”

There are currently eight licensed homecare locations in South Frontenac, serving 32 children, but there are 20 children who need care on a waiting list, so the agency is looking for some new providers.

SFCSC provides assistance with the initial start up, advertising and client matches, and is mandated to offer the best care possible to licensed families. SFCSC offers backup coverage for appointments and tries to secure coverage for kids in care if a licensed Provider or your kids become ill or during Provider holidays as needed. SFCSC supports the Licensed Providers in offering healthy menus based on Canada’s Food Guide and daily program plans based on Ministry Guidelines.

“I provided childcare in my home for many years and I know both how much work it is but also how rewarding and fulfilling of a career this is for the right person. Since I have been with SFCSC as their Children’s Services Coordinator, I have made many changes to encourage more quality individuals to want to join our team. If you would like to know more about this career opportunity contact me for an honest and realistic picture of life as a Licensed Home Child Care Provider,” said Melissa Elliott.

For more information on how to become a Licensed Home Child Care Provider, please contact Melissa Elliott, Children’s Services Coordinator/Home Visitor

613-376-6477 ext 25 or 1-800-763-9610

4419 George St. Sydenham, ON K0H 2T0

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

.

Though often a topic that we prefer not to discuss, the truth is that many rural women are currently living with domestic violence.

In an effort to serve and support them, a partnership has been set up between the Women’s Program at the Kingston Community Counseling Centres (K3C) and the Verona Medical Clinic. K3C provides one day a week of counseling to women at the Verona Medical Clinic.

Donna Forster, the program co-ordinator with K3C, said that the service is benefiting rural women who often face challenges that might make them unable to get the help and support that they need.

“My job is to make sure that there is awareness in the community of this important service that we offer,' she said. “The difficulty for women in rural areas is that they tend to be isolated geographically, and to lack funds and the necessary transportation. Our service strives to support and encourage these women as they understand their options and learn more about the resources that are available to help them”.

Manijeh Moghisi is the K3C counselor who is counseling women at the Verona Clinic weekly on Tuesday mornings. She is a registered social worker and has been working with K3C for 19 years. She acquired a BSW from McGill University in Montreal and is currently studying for her Masters in Social Work at Carleton University.

“The service is geared to women who have been in or who are currently in abusive relationships. These women can often have a tendency to become depressed and not understand why. Through counseling, they come to understand the reasons why. Whether they choose to leave or to continue in the relationship, my goal is always to support their choice,” said Manijeh, who has been providing this service in Verona for four years.

For women who are struggling right now and are not sure what to do, Manijeh had this to say: “You are not alone, help is available and you deserve to be healthy and happy”.

The free service is funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services and serves a catchment area that includes the Road 38 corridor between Murvale in the south through to and including Cole Lake just north of Godfrey.

Residents in this area can call the Verona Medical Clinic at 613-374-3311 to set up an appointment. Residents outside of this area can call the K3C office at 613-549-7850 in Kingston to inquire about the services at other locations.

By Susan Irwin, Executive Director / Lawyer, Rural Legal Services

It’s a complicated world and getting more complicated every day. Not a new or terribly profound statement, but it’s a reality that can have an enormous impact on the quality of life for many people.

Increasingly government institutions and businesses rely on automated message systems and web sites to provide information so that we can, in theory, handle our own questions or problems without further assistance. Such reliance presumes a degree of functional literacy that not everybody has. Not everyone has a telephone, can clearly hear what is being said over that telephone, has a computer and a web connection, can see the screen, or can comprehend the instructions set out on a web page or printed in “helpful” packages of detailed forms.

When the challenges presented by technology collide with a further lack of legal literacy, things can quickly go from bad to worse. Unfortunately, a lot of people simply do not know their rights or understand their responsibilities in many areas of the law, or do not have the ability to find, comprehend or use printed or electronic information to help them recognize and deal with legal problems. Even if they are able to obtain the information, some people do not know how to apply it to their situation. Having access to legal information but not knowing how to act on it is not really an effective solution to a problem.

As well, people who have not joined the technological revolution aren’t going to “Google” their legal problem; they seek assistance wherever they feel they can get it: friends, neighbours, family members, or caregivers. Unfortunately, the guidance received from these sources may not always be the best, especially as many people, even when seeking assistance, are not prepared to divulge all the personal information that would be necessary for a proper answer. They may also turn to the police for help and expect answers on all types of legal problems that are often well beyond the areas of usual police expertise.

Of course, even people who do “Google” their legal problems can find themselves with some interesting answers. It’s surprising how many people just keep going until they find the answer they want, and how hard it can be to explain that the law in Ontario may not be the same as the law in Utah, or even Alberta!

So if you are looking for help with a legal problem you might want to talk to a lawyer at Rural Legal Services. We can help you:

identify whether or not you have a “legal” problem,

identify the legal issues,

discuss whether you need a lawyer and how to go about finding one, and

identify whether there are other services, such as government ministries or agencies, that may be able to provide further assistance.

This personal information service is available without charge to all residents of northern Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Counties. However, as our services are funded by Legal Aid Ontario, we can only take the next step and accept your case if you meet Legal Aid Ontario’s financial eligibility criteria.

That being said, Legal Aid Ontario is also embracing technology as a more “cost effective” way of delivering services. We are not sure what this will mean for Rural Legal Services - it’s complicated! For now though, we are pleased to be able to offer a personal service to our community. You can still come to our offices and see a real person to talk to about your legal problem. We may even have an answer or two and we’ll try to keep them as uncomplicated as possible!

Legalese is a column of general information and opinion on legal topics by the lawyers of Rural Legal Services, Box 359, Sharbot Lake, ON, K0H2P0, 613-279-3252, or 1-888-777-8916. This column is not intended to provide legal advice. You should contact a lawyer to determine your legal rights and obligations.

If all goes well, the abandoned Grace United Church in Sydenham will have a new life as a community centre within the next year or two.

The Board of Directors of Southern Frontenac Community Services has decided to move forward with the project, and is now up to the United Church Presbytery to determine what kind of sale/lease arrangement would be most suitable for the building.

“The plan is for us to bring all of our services together under one roof,” said Southern Frontenac Community Services Executive Director David Townsend. “Currently we rent office space in Sydenham (The Rural Visions Centre) and the manse from the United Church in Harrowsmith where we run our adult day programs, and when I looked at the operating costs for the church, it comes out to less.”

But there will be substantial costs, about $300,000, involved in turning the church into office and program space for a community services agency. The pace and scale of the renovations will depend on the success the agency has in obtaining grants and doing fundraising for the project.

SFCS has made applications for funding to a couple of sources, including an AVIVA Community fund application, which required a show of community support. “We did pretty well with AVIVA,” Townsend said, “finishing 20 out of 199 applicants, but only the top ten move on to the next stage.”

An application went in last week for a $112,000 Trillium Foundation Grant, and other sources are being looked at as well.

It is not too difficult to see how the church can be turned into a viable headquarters for SFCS. The basement is already being used for playgroups by the Ontario Early Years Centre and could be easy to turned into a multi-use space for children's and seniors' programming. It could also serve as a dining room for a monthly diners' club and as a location where hot meals or frozen meals could be prepared for the Meals on Wheels program that Southern Frontenac Community Services offers, since there is already a fully equipped kitchen off the main room.

There is some existing office space on the main level, and the thinking is that the main sanctuary could be renovated into office space in addition to keeping space available for public gatherings, meetings, or even community-based theatrical productions.

“The structure of the building is sound,” said David Townsend, “that's the main thing.”

Embarking on the new project is a tall order for the agency, since as recently as this past June, Townsend reported to the agency’s Annual General Meeting that finances were a continuing issue that needs to be addressed.

One of those financial issues has been sorted out, since a commitment has been made by the City of Kingston to fund the case manager for several family services programs until the end of next year, a cost that the agency had been covering. The case manager administers a rent and utility bank, and supports the 21 identified homeless families in the township. “Thus far, seven of the families have found housing,” said David Townsend.

The other area of financial concern was the licensed home daycare program.

SFCS is hoping that a campaign to find up to seven new providers to increase the number of homes offering licensed childcare to 15 would not only mean that the 20 children on a waiting list would be able to access licensed care in their own communities, but that it would enable that program to break even as well.

All in all, it's a busy time at Southern Frontenac Community Service, and it promises to get even busier next year as the Grace United Church project ramps up.

Photo: Jeanne Jenner, Sue Clinton and Sandy Singers in Sharbot Lake.

The Lanark Frontenac Lennox and Addington NDP Riding Association held a timely forum on food banks in Sharbot Lake on December 5. Participants from Perth and Kingston were in attendance, as were Sue Clinton from the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Relief Committee and Brenda Piat from the North Frontenac Food Bank.

The divergent experiences of the operators brought a lot of different issues into play

Sandy Singers from the Partners in Mission food Bank in Kingston brought a more urban perspective since his agency is a full-time operation that distributes almost $1 million each year in food donations. The Partners in Mission also deal with unique issues, such as the impact on the food bank of family members of people incarcerated in Kingston's numerous prisons.

Jeanne Jenner is currently affiliated with the Salvation Army in Perth, which provides hot meal and Chrismas hamper programs, and was formerly with the Perth and District Food Bank. “We often face the opinion, when it comes to poverty and homelessness issues in Perth, that the solution is to ‘buy them a bus ticket’ to Ottawa. This kind of denial of the problems that the working poor face in our own community extends to Perth City Council, I’m afraid,” she said.

Sydenham-based Sue Clinton from the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Relief Committee, which prepares Christmas hampers for about 60 families and provides emergency food to 37 families throughout the year, talked about some of the issues that plague impoverished people in rural areas. A nutritionist herself, Clinton also talked about the need to teach people how to prepare and eat healthy meals. “Food has everything to do with health. If you teach people how to eat healthier you empower them. We see children of food bank recipients becoming recipients themselves, and we need to work to end this cycle. One thing we are doing is putting recipes in the food box, and encouraging people to use the Good Food Box as well as our services. Jamie Oliver, the famous chef, won an award for trying to help the Americans improve their health. Every child before they leave school should be able prepare 10 meals to save their life. Those are the kinds of solutions we need to foster,” Clinton said.

Brenda Piat, who introduced the panel on behalf of the North Frontenac Food Bank, which handles about 275 food requests annually, said that a major portion of the clientele who are served by the food bank are recipients of disability pensions, but she has been unable to convince the workers who administer the disability payments to refer their clients to the food bank. “To me those workers are in the social services and they should concern themselves with the food and other needs of their clients,” she said.

“In Kingston the Ontario Works and Disability supports program workers just send their clients over to us, which is another kind of problem. We are a charitable organisation, and receive no government funding, but the government is effectively asking us to subsidise their support programs,” said Sandy Singers of Partners in Mission.

All of the panellists confirmed that the Christmas season is their best time of year for fundraising. In some ways the smaller rural services expressed the most optimism about their ability to raise funds. “Over the years people have become more and more aware of our need,” said Brenda Piat. “Most community events accept food donations for admission; people ask for donations to the food bank when their loved ones pass away, and we have even received bequests.”

“We send a letter to our donors in the fall, and that is one of our best ways to raise cash, along with the food boxes in the local food stores, and fundraising events like Vision Soup and others” said Sue Clinton.

“We are dependent on the kindness of strangers” said Sandy Singers “and our budget is definitely made in November and December. But our donors don’t want to be overburdened by us. What I find is that people don’t want us to badger them.”

All of the participants realise that what they offer is a limited solution, at best. “All of the good work done by hot meal programs, soup kitchen and food banks is just a band aid, not the answer and certainly not even a solution at all,” said Sandy Singers. He also said that food banks and food programs are not really in a position to get overly political because of the rules for charitable organizations and the fact that they receive donations from people of all political stripes, but collecting information and providing statistics is something they can do.

“The Ontario Association of Food Banks calculated the cost of poverty in Ontario at billions of dollars a year,” Singers said.

From inter-generational poverty, lack of budgeting skills, social and employment problems, mental health issues and drug problems, the reasons that food banks remain busy are diverse and complicated. The panel members agreed that it would take political action to transform community concerns about food and poverty into a policy priority. Until then they all said they will muddle through as best they can.

The North Frontenac Food Bank can be reached through Northern Frontenac Community Services at 613-279-3151 and the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Relief Committee can be reached through voicemail at 613-572-6004.

By Susan Irwin, Executive Director / Lawyer, Rural Legal Services

I am often of two minds about the upcoming Holiday Season.The non-lawyer par t of me enjoy Christmas and New Years and all that this special time of year entails, especially getting together with family and friends. The lawyer part of me however,wants to scream "Bah, humbug"!

Why the lawyer as Scrooge or Grinch? It's simple really: over the next couple of weeks, with the season as a reason, or at least an excuse, people will do regrettable things, ranging from the remarkably thoughtless to the malicious,and lawyers who deal with people and their problems will get the calls.

The over indulgence in seasonal "spirits" will likely be a recurring theme for many calls received by lawyers at Rural Legal Services early in the New Year' as people begin to realize just how much fun they had over the holiday period. Not that I am a member of the Temperance League, but after a few years one wonders what it will take for people to finally get the message that they should not drink and drive: drive anything, including the snowmobile or the ATV.

Many of our columns have been devoted to the issues around impaired driving and the continuing legal changes being made in Ontario to tackle the problem including automatic driver's licence suspensions for impaired driving charges, the imposition of lower acceptable blood alcohol levels for drivers over 21 years and zero alcohol levels for drivers 21 years and under. As of December 1st, 2010, the province has again amended the Highway Traffic Act-this time to allow the immediate impoundment of the vehicle being used by the impaired driver for seven days. It doesn't matter who owns the vehicle; unless you can convince the police that it was stolen, it's off the road for a week if the driver has a blood alcohol level of .08 or greater.

If you lend your car to a friend or relative, or have a designated driver who hasn't taken the role seriously, your wheels will be off the road for a while,a nd the owner, of course, will be responsible for all the towing and impound fees that have to be paid before the vehicle is released. It is also agood idea to make sure the person you've given the keys to holds a valid driver's licence that is not under suspension or subject to special conditions, or undersome circumstances that too will now lead to impoundment. You can check to see if a driver's licence is valid, for a fee of $2.50, by calling1-900-565-6555.

Losing a driver's licence, let alone a vehicle, has caused more than a few people to endu p unemployed. It's the kind of holiday hangover most people can do without,especially as w eare all under such tremendous pressure tobuy things, needed or not, at this time of year.A little consumer overindulgence is pretty common at this time of year, but it would be wise to remember that an awfull ot of the low interest rate offers on credit cards, or consumer items such as furniture, have a time limit to them, after which the rates can increase to atmosphericl evels making payments difficult for many families. Every year Rural Legal Services receives many calls for help with debt problems that have started with a little too much holiday exuberance.

And then there are the truly heart breaking calls received from separated parents who were expecting to have their young children either for Christmas or for some part of the holidays. For some reason, either the custodial parent has decided not to live up to a Court Order or agreement to deliver the children in time for Santa, or the non-custodial parent has decided not to return them on time from a visit. In either case, the parent who was expecting to spend a special time with his or her children has just received at ruly Grinch-like gift.

It would be wonderful if we could all exercise some moderation and civility in our holiday indulgences that after the holidays, there would be fewer problems! Rural Legal Services will be closed from December 24 that noon until Tuesday, January 4, 2011. Until then, Seasons Greetings, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our readers!

Legalese is a column of general information and opinion on legal topics by the lawyers of Rural Legal Services, Box 359, Sharbot Lake, ON, K0H2P0, 613-279-3252, or 1-888-777-8916. This column is not intended to provide legal advice. You should contact a lawyer to determine your legal rights and obligations.

Photo right: Newly appointed members of South Frontenac Council

Berm to building accepted, in principle

A proposal by Scott Asselstine, who runs a car wash and solar installation on Road 38 just south of Hartington, to change the terms of a site plan agreement he has with the township, was brought forward by Planner Lindsay Mills. The existing site plan agreement calls for a berm to be built and trees to be planted at the south end of the property, and for other plantings as well. This agreement, which has been in place for four years, has not been fully complied with and the township has notified Scott Asselstine that the work must now be done.

Instead, Asselstine sent a proposal to the planning department to change the site plan agreement so that instead of a berm, an office and storage building could be constructed at the same location.

In his report to council, Lindsay Mills said that the building would provide at least as good a buffer as the berm would. “What the applicant is proposing here is to provide some visual screening. I think we can support this change and not require the berm,” he said.

The new plan also includes a planting of ten trees behind the building.

Noting that the original site plan agreement has not been adhered to, Mills recommended that if the new plan is acceptable to council, it should include a provision for an advance payment to the township by Asselstine, which they will hold as a surety until the building is substantially complete.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we need to have some kind of surety to make sure the office building is indeed completed,” said Councilor Del Stowe, “I think we need to take into account that he did not do what he said he would do the last time around. When someone makes a commitment to do something I’d like to see them come through. My concern lies with the credibility of council to enter into these kinds of agreements.”

“I think there needs to be some definite timelines” said Councilor Ron Vandewal.

Mayor Gary Davison then addressed Scott Asselstine directly. “What’s your time frame for building this?” he asked.

“The first step was to come here. There was no point designing and costing it until I knew if I could build it.” Scott Asselstine responded.

“Can you do it in one year?” Davison asked.

“The problem is going to be finding a contractor. I can get it designed and plans drawn up, but contractors are booked a long time in advance,” Asselstine said.

“I’m sure you can find a contractor to build it in 2011,” Davison said. He then asked if the councilors would give approval in principle to the change, which would then be brought back to council in detailed form for approval, and they agreed.

Southern Frontenac Community Services – David Townsend, Executive Director, and Joan Cameron, Board Chair, from Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCSC), brought an update to council.

David Townsend said that SFCSC has developed a strategic plan this year, and has decided to focus on helping seniors accomplish the goal of ‘aging at home’ as long as they can by providing a number of services. The second focus is on delivering family services for vulnerable families facing homelessness and other poverty-related issues.

“I would like to thank Mayor Davison and council for your support in getting the City of Kingston to take on the funding of our family services co-ordinator until the end of 2011,” Townsend said.

Until then some of the funding for those services had been coming from the agency itself, which ran substantial deficits in 2008 and 2009. SFCSC runs a food bank, a rent bank and a heat and utilities fund, and has a focus on housing the 22 identified homeless families in the township (of which seven have now been housed).

The other project that David Townsend talked about is the plan to consolidate the agency’s operations in the former Grace United Church in Sydenham. He also reported that as of March 31, the agency would no longer be operating its licensed home daycare program, which will be taken over by a Kingston-based daycare service.

“We are not asking for anything from council at this time. We may or may not come back for help with the Grace United Church building, but for now I just wanted to provide an update on our activities for council,” David Townsend said.

Budget process – CAO Wayne Orr apprised council of the budget deliberation schedule he has worked out. It called for a preliminary presentation on the finances from this year and a discussion of the status of the five-year roads plan on January 18, and for three working meetings for council to go over the budget, coinciding with scheduled Committee of the Whole meetings in March, with approval of the budget being scheduled for April 19.

Mayor Davison said he wanted the process speeded up, and Wayne Orr said he would try to get everything wrapped up by the beginning of April instead of late April.

Committees, committees, committees – Council spent well over an hour deliberating over the need for and makeup of a number of township committees.

Determining the appointments to conservation authorities was easy. Councilors Ron Vandewal and Allan McPhail will sit on the Cataraqui Conservation Authority; Bill Robinson will sit on Quinte Conservation, and Mayor Davison will sit on the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. Del Stowe and Larry York will sit on the Cataraqui Trail Committee.

A debate over the makeup of the Committee of Adjustment, which currently includes four members of council and four members of the public, centred on whether four councilors are necessary. In the end the advice of the Mayor, “It ain’t broke; we shouldn’t fix it”, carried the day. Councilors Robinson, York, Vandewal and Deputy Mayor Mark Tinlin will be the council appointees and they will choose the public representatives from the people who responded to the advertisements that have been placed.

Mark Tinlin will be the council rep to the Police Services Board.

Council spent time discussing amalgamating or eliminating a number of their committees and came up with a plan to establish a public works committee to look at waste management, roads and bridges and the Sydenham water plant. Councilors Cam Naish, John McDougall, and Allan McPhail were tentatively appointed to this committee.

The Central Recreation Committee will oversee all four district recreation committees and a number of specialized groups such as the Battersea Pumpkin Festival, the Verona Community Association and the Portland and Bedford Historical Societies. Del Stowe, Cam Naish, John McDougall and Ron Vandewal were appointed to the Central Recreation Committee.

Del Stowe was appointed to the Natural Environment Committee, and John McDougall to the Verona District Medical Services Committee.

McPhail made an impassioned plea for a planning committee to look at future growth issues and more. The proposal was sent to staff for comment.

All the appointments are tentative pending approval by resolution at a council meeting. Also, the opinion of staff will be sought before the public works committee is established.

Consumers facing financial difficulty who are unable to obtain credit from a bank or other conventional lender often resort to using the services of a pay day lender. Here is some information you should know when dealing with a pay day lender.

What is a Pay Day Loan?

In a pay day loan the borrower asks for money before their pay cheque, government cheque, or other funds become available. The pay day lender advances the funds, and when the borrower receives the anticipated cheque they use it to repay the loan. Pay day lenders often operate under names like “Cash 4 You” and “Cash Money”. While these loans may be quick and easy to obtain, interest rates can be very high and the repayment due date can be very short, causing you to look to other sources to repay the loan on time.

How Are Pay Day Loans Regulated?

The Criminal Code

If the amount of a pay day loan is greater than $1,500, the Criminal Code prevents a lender from charging more than 59% interest. If you are in this situation, you should call your local police department.

The Pay Day Loans Act

For pay day loans of $1,500 and under, lenders are regulated by Ontario’s Pay Day Loans Act (PDLA). Under the PDLA, pay day lenders must be licensed by the province. Pay day loan companies must provide information that is truthful and clear, and cannot make false, misleading, or deceptive statements. This applies to communications through advertising, posters, pamphlets and contracts. Posters must be displayed in all of the lender’s offices and be visible to all potential borrowers. The posters must state that the maximum amount the pay day lender may charge you for borrowing from them is $21 for every $100 you are loaned, and must display the amount that the lender is actually charging you. Written contracts are required for all loans. A signed copy of the written contract must be given to you at the time your loan is negotiated.

Under the PDLA, a lender cannot try to sell you other services (such as cheque cashing or currency exchange) when you are there to get a pay day loan. The lender cannot deduct any amount from the loan for administrative fees. You must receive the cash from the loan immediately upon signing the agreement, or within one hour if the agreement was made online. You have an automatic 2-day cooling offer period after you sign the loan agreement, during which you may cancel the agreement for any (or no) reason. If you cancel, you must return the funds you received, and the lender must return any post-dated cheques or debit forms you gave them. You have the right to repay a loan at any time before it is due without paying a prepayment charge or a penalty. Finally, lenders are not allowed to issue you another loan before your first loan is repaid.

Can a Pay Day Lender Contact Me to Collect a Loan?

If your loan is in default a lender may contact you, but only on weekdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. and on Sundays only between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. They may not contact you at all on statutory holidays, or more than 3 times during any 7-day period. They may not use threatening, profane, intimidating or coercive language, or communicate with you in a way that constitutes harassment.

What Can I do If I Have Problems With a Lender?

If you feel that a pay day lender has violated your rights, you have several options. First, you can complain to the Registrar of the Pay Day Loans Act. This can lead to mediation, the pay day lender being given a written warning, the lender’s license not being renewed, or the lender being fined up to $10,000. Second, you may be able to request a prosecution under the Pay Day Loans Act, which may result in the lender paying a fine or being imprisoned. If neither of these options resolves the matter to your satisfaction, you may be able to sue the lender in either the Small Claims Court or the Superior Court (depending on the amount of your claim).

For more information on consumer rights and complaints related to pay day lending services, please visit the Ministry of Consumer Services website at http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/Pages/default.aspx or call them at 1-800-889-9768. In addition, you can find more information about consumer protection topics at any time in a series of Community Law School webinars archived online at www.yourlegalrights.on.ca/training-topic/consumer-law. Be empowered, and stay tuned.

This column is brought to you by Community Law School (Sarnia-Lambton) Inc., and Community Legal Services and Pro Bono Students Canada at Western University, with funding support from the Law Foundation of Ontario. It provides legal information only. The information is accurate as of the date of publication. Laws change frequently so we caution readers from relying on this information if some time has passed since publication. If you need specific legal advice please contact a lawyer, your community legal clinic: Rural Legal Services at (613) 279-3252 or 1-888-777-8916, Justice Net at 1-866-919-3219, or the Law Society Referral Service at 1-800-268-8326.

It was business as usual at a meeting of North Frontenac Council on Monday afternoon, but earlier in the day the accounting firm of KPMG presented a report that put hard numbers to the cost of running the township.

In a presentation about an ongoing services review of township operations, Bruce Peever and Vickie Leakey from KPMG talked about the costs associated with maintaining a roads crew, a municipal office, four municipal halls, four fire halls, and six dump sites/transfer stations in a sparsely populated township.

In a comparison between North Frontenac and other similar sized townships, the expenditures per household on both road maintenance and fire services in North Frontenac are at or near the top.

As well, in canvassing members of council about winter road maintenance, paving programs, waste management and fire services, members of council either said the levels should stay the same or should be decreased. None of them foresee an increase in levels of service in any of the areas.

The services review will carry on in January when council will consider the tax implications of increasing service, maintaining the status quo, or reducing or privatizing services.

Ompah Fire Station Task Force – Councilor Gerry Martin presented the terms of reference for the task force.

The three items on the task force mandate, in chronological order, are: a) to review the needs of the Township of North Frontenac Fire Department and provide options for Council’s consideration, within budget; b) to determine the size of the fire hall with the dollars available; and c) to design and cost out a proposed new Ompah Fire Hall at 3,000 sq. ft.

Councilor Martin made the point that the mandate will proceed in order.

The task force will begin its work in earnest on December 20, when representatives from all the fire stations, as well as the Ontario Fire Marshall's Office will meet at the Ompah Community Centre to outline the functions provided at each station.

On January 17, the task force will meet “To discuss the data collected at the December 2012 meeting, on the present services and level of service provided by the existing North Frontenac Fire Department to determine the actual needs first” in the words of the report. On January 30, George Gorrie, the township's chief building official, will meet with the task force to clarify what a fire station requires under the building and fire codes.

Tentative meetings are scheduled for February 7 and 14 to finalize the report, which is due to be presented to Council on February 25. Task force members include: Councilors Martin (chair – ward 2), Councilor John Inglis (ward 1), and community representatives Russell Gray (ward 1), Carl Tooley (ward 2), Roger Lyons (ward 2), Steve Sunderland (ward 3), and Mike Cleland (ward 3).

Long-term service awards – Presentations were made to a number of staff and volunteer firefighters for long-term service. They included Ken Gould, Ellen Good, Jen Dunham and Cheryl Robson, who all have been with the township for 10 years. Randy Schonauer has been with the township for 20 years. Judy Tooley's service has spanned 3 decades. She started working for Clarendon and Miller Township in 1982 and is still working in the North Frontenac Township office today.

“She started here when she was seven years old,” said Mayor Clayton.

Meeting date change – A council meeting scheduled for February 25 has been changed to February 28, a Thursday, to accommodate councilors Perry and Good’s attendance at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA)/Ontario Good Roads Conference in Toronto.

Schlievert nominated – On the urging of Councilor Martin, Council has nominated Ward 2 resident Ed Schlievert for a provincial award for volunteers in recognition of his years of service to the township.

Council will meet next on January 14, 2013 at 9 am.

Photo: Primary health care provider and registered midwife Amelia Drydyn of Village Midwifery Care is now offering her services to expectant moms in a large catchment area.

Here is some good news for moms-to-be. Amelia Drydyn, a registered midwife with the College of Midwives of Ontario, is now offering her services to expectant moms in a catchment area that includes North and Central Frontenac, Addington Highlands and the Rideau Lakes area.

Amelia recently opened her business, called Village Midwifery Care, along with a colleague Genia Stephen who is also a registered midwife. Amelia is no stranger to the area. She recently made her permanent home at a long-time family cottage near Sharbot Lake and is thrilled to be able to bring her services to clients in the area.

Amelia, who grew up in Toronto and Ottawa, first graduated from the University of Toronto with a science degree in 2001. She then completed a four-year bachelor’s degree program in health science, specializing in Midwifery at Ryerson University in Toronto. She worked at Riverdale Midwives in Toronto while studying at Ryerson and completed her final placement at Seventh Generation Midwives in Toronto, after which time she was hired on as a full time midwife.

With over 100 births under her belt she and her colleague Genia will be providing clinical care to women during their pregnancy, the delivery, and for six weeks following. Their practice specializes in low risk pregnancies and Genia also offers her services as an IBCLC, an internationally certified lactation consultant. Their aims in a nutshell, according to Amelia, are: “To help women have the best birth experience possible. We focus on safety and have all of the necessary equipment and training to make that possible.”

Amelia pointed out the main difference between her services and those offered by other primary health providers like family doctors and obstetricians. Firstly, midwives are the only primary health care providers who can attend a home birth. The other main difference is their philosophy of care.

Amelia said, “While we offer the same tests and clinical care as family doctors and obstetricians, the main differences is that we as midwives offer continuity of care and are on call 24/7 for our clients. One of our primary goals is to form a strong relationship with the client. Our regular scheduled visits are anywhere between a half and one hour so that women are given the time they need to process all of the information and ask any questions that arise. Lastly we use a principle with all of our clients called ‘informed choice’ meaning that every single routine procedure and test is discussed in depth so that our clients can make an informed choice of how they wish to proceed. We discuss all of the options and the client then decides if she would rather deliver at home or in a hospital; the choice is theirs.”

Another service they offer is post-partum home visits. “We will come and check mom and baby in the comfort of their own home after the birth until the mom is comfortably back on her feet.”

Breastfeeding consultation is another area of expertise that their practice offers.

Amelia and Genia are in the process of finding a permanent location for their new clinic. They are also currently conducting home visits in their catchment area (and beyond if needed) and are also offering pre-natal classes that run for six weeks. Amelia is thrilled at being able to offer her services in this community, which she now calls home. She demonstrated her passion for the work she does and ended our interview with these words: “Birth is one of the most important experiences in a woman and her family’s lives and the importance of her receiving thorough and respectful care at that time can have a lasting impact for everyone involved.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the services offered at Village Midwifery Care can call 613-888-6623, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.villagemidwifery.ca