Photo: athan and Reed Whalen of Odessa and Riley Lyons of Yarker (centre) checked out an ambulance

Northern Frontenac Community Services and Community Living North Frontenac joined forces and attracted a big crowd at their “Roaring Reptiles and Mighty Machines” Day at St. James Major Catholic Church on September 14. Everyone enjoyed a free BBQ lunch and children had a chance to meet representatives of various service groups in the community and to get up close and personal with a number of their emergency vehicles. Little Ray’s Reptiles of Ottawa also put on a great show, educating children about a wide array of creatures. Don Amos, executive director of NFCS, took a break from manning the grill and said that this year the partnering of the two organizations helped to put on a bigger and better event for the community. “This is a great opportunity for both organizations to come together and do something on a bigger scale. Together we have been able to put on a bigger and better event, which is really great.”

NFCS will also be putting out a booklet with a full listing of all of the programs and services they offer at their three locations in Sharbot Lake, which include the Child Centre, Adult Services, and Frontenac Transportation Services. “We've done some research, and comments from the community show us that people in the community are unaware of the services that we offer. So this is just one more avenue of reaching out to the public to let them know of all the programs and services we have available,” Amos said.

Dean Walsh, executive director of CLNF, said the day’s event was “a great way for our organization to give back to the community.”

SF Council completed its September 18 meeting in a mere 28 minutes. The evening’s main event, the annual auditor’s report, was postponed.

Councillor Ron Vandewal questioned the township’s new format for reporting the month’s financial accounts, noting a loss of information as processes are becoming more streamlined.

“I don’t want to micro-manage, but I need to be informed,” said Vandewal, noting that he felt responsible for reviewing each month’s accounts prior to approving them. Mayor Davison suggested that perhaps the Corporate Services committee should look into the issue.

Treasurer Louise Fragnito presented the new reserves policy, an insurance option to cover bridges and a tax sale extension agreement, all of which Council approved. Councillor Del Stowe thanked Fragnito and the Corporate Services committee for their work, saying, “We’ve needed this reserves policy for a long time.”

Councillor Mark Tinlin asked about the status of Bedford Hall: Stowe said that neither the structure nor the mould problems were as bad as originally thought, and that a new air system was in the later stages of being designed.

Reminder: Public Works Department Open House 

Saturday September 29, from 10am-2pm, the Township’s Public Works Department is holding an open house, and officially opening the Hazardous Waste Depot at 2490 Keeley Road, just off Sydenham Road. The public works employees will be hosting a BBQ with proceeds going to the United Way. The Hazardous Waste facility will be open to receive household hazardous waste & electronics. Donated non-perishable food items will be accepted for Southern Frontenac Community Services Corporation. The Keeley Road garage will be open for public tours: Children of all ages will have the opportunity to sit on the heavy equipment.

Heated words regarding decision on  planning services

Things heated up at the regular council meeting at Oso hall following CAO Shawn Trepanier's delivery of his Planning Services Review. Currently the township retains the professional services of Tunnock Consulting (at a cost of $1500 per year) and their senior planner Glenn Tunnock assists the Township and council by developing and reviewing planning documents and also acts on behalf of the Township to provide services to individual applications for planning. He works alongside one full time township employee\, the planing coordinator who performs various duties including planning and cemetery coordinator, and also acts as deputy clerk. In his report the CAO reported that the current practice of using a consultant has “minimal financial impact on the township since most costs are born by individual applicants” but the report also noted that “when the consultant is asked for an opinion related to Township issues related to zoning or planning- that the Township may pay for his services. The report also outlines the current planning practices of the Frontenac Islands township who uses the services of two county planners on staff there but who also have their own in house planning coordinator. The report cites an increase in planning issues over the past five years and the purpose of the review was to make the necessary changes so that township staff is better able to meet the increased planning service demands in Central Frontenac.

In the report the CAO recommended that council choose one of two options-1), maintain the current level of service or 2) retain the services of a professional planner on a part time basis (one day per week) which would allow the planning coordinator to dedicate more time to application reviews and other job related duties. Off the bat Mayor Gutowski was surprised to not find a third option in the report- namely to use the in house planning services offered by the County planning staff. “I’m in favour of engaging a planner at Frontenac County because they would be able to provide that one day per week service that we need, ” she said. Councilor Guntensberger concurred with the Mayor. “I agree. W definitely need a professional planner at the committee of adjustment meetings so that we can make decisions confidently and move things along in a more timely fashion.”

Councilor Frances Smith strongly disagreed. “Having someone from the county is not having someone from this area who knows the area and who has written the bylaws and knows where the properties are. Instead what we need to do is look at the planning coordinators position and to look at shifting some of her other duties elsewhere. Councilor Fox agreed with Smith. “I've worked with Glenn (Tunnock) for many years and he knows the area. Regarding the county they do not know the area and I just don't think its the way to go.”

Councilor Purdon refused to takes sides but said he needed more time to make a final decision. Smith asked for more concrete numbers from staff to see exactly how many applications for severances and minor variances have taken place over the last five years. Cathy McMunn said she could do that. Councilor Jeff Matson weighed in and agreed with the Mayor saying, “Going with a county planner one day a week would make sense.” Frances Smith had the last word and recalled the old saying-" Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't". In the end a motion was passed directing staff to make more information available to staff preceding the next council meeting that will take place September 25 at Piccadilly hall where they plan to come to a final decision.

Audit RFP

Following an RFP for auditors for 2012, the firm KPMG was appointed. The firm has been working with the township for five years. CAO Shawn Trepanier said at the meeting, “Though their price was not the lowest, it was competitive and it is our recommendation to go with KPMG for another three year term which could be extended.

Central Frontenac 2012 Swim Program

Kristen Hawley and Holly Dickinson were commended for the report they handed in outlining the 2012 swim program in Central Frontenac. Regarding recommendations for next year they asked that the township consider posting signs where poison ivy is most prevalent. Township agreed to look into the current By-law that addresses noxious weeds and would look into how to go about cleaning the docks and making sure that they are moved when necessary into deeper water to assure safe diving.

Central Frontenac rejects Fish TV request

by Jeff Green

Rachelle Hardesty, the general manager of the Land O’Lakes Tourist Association (LOLTA), was a no-show as a delegate to Central Frontenac Council on Tuesday Night.

It might have been just as well, as Council was not in a very generous mood in response to a request for funding support from LOLTA for a series of eight episodes of Fish TV to be filmed in the Land O’Lakes region over five years.

In her written request, Hardesty included some tourist impact data that was generated using a software model provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, which estimated that the programs will bring in 9,000 tourists to the region, and up to $3,000,000 in spending per year for several years.

The request was for a commitment of $5,000, to be paid either out of the 2013 budget, or over two years between 2013 and 2014.

Mayor Janet Gutowski said that at least three other jurisdictions, North and South Frontenac and Addington Highlands, have made the $5,000 commitment, and that all 9 jurisdictions in the Land O’Lakes region have being approached. The Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDC) in Frontenac and Lennox and Addington are also being approached for a matching commitment, meaning that up to $90,000 will be put towards a partnership between the Land O’Lakes and Fish TV.

“We’ve heard all this before,” said Councilor Norm Guntensperger, “from another outfit.”

“I think you are referring to the Dimestore Fisherman, which did end up receiving funding from the CFDC, and were in the region in July, I believe,” said Mayor Gutowski.

“I’m not sure why these people need our money to film a show that they will then sell to networks and advertisers,” said Guntensperger. “It all smells rather fishy to me. I don’t think we have a budget for this. I can’t support it.”

With no other members of Council speaking in favour of the expenditure, Mayor Gutowski did a bit of bait cutting herself, and read in a motion to receive the proposal from the Land O’Lakes Tourism Association “for information” and take no further action on the request for funding.

Have you been greeted at your door by a sales agent and a promise: energy savings in exchange for your signature? These individuals represent “energy re-billers”—companies that sell you energy, often using deceptive high-pressure tactics and almost always locking you into a contract for energy at a higher price. Be warned: once you sign, you could find yourself paying up to three times your current gas or hydro rates. This article will explain what you should know when dealing with an energy re-biller, and how you can protect yourself.

What is an energy re-biller?

An energy re-biller is a retail company, licensed by the Ontario Energy Board to purchase energy from power wholesalers and sell it to consumers at a profit. Energy re-billers are not representatives of your local hydro or gas company.

How do I know if I’m dealing with an energy re-biller?

An energy re-biller sales agent will likely approach you at your home, carrying a clipboard with an Ontario Hydro, Union Gas, or other local utility invoice attached to it. The invoice they have might have your name on it. The agent may say that he or she is “from the hydro or gas company”, but this is not true. Again, while the agent represents an energy retailer, he or she does not work for your local utility company.

The agent will often say that they are checking your invoice to make sure you’re paying the “proper rate”, to ensure you are on the “new plan”, or to offer you a “free quote”. The agent will then ask to see one of your recent energy bills. He or she will then say “the government” or “the news” reported that the rate you are currently paying for gas or hydro is likely to increase.

The agent will then ask you to sign up for a “trial” of the new program or a free estimate. Within 10 days, the energy re-biller will give you a follow-up call and ask whether you signed up for the service, and agreed to the estimate. Some energy re-billers have even asked people to “just say yes” on the telephone. The effect of this is to lock people into long-term, fixed price contracts.

Remember—you don’t have to let a re-biller in, or give them any information! One tip for apartment dwellers: if you tell the re-biller agent that your rent is “all-inclusive” (meaning that it includes utilities), he or she will almost always leave immediately.

What’s so bad about energy re-billers?

When energy re-billers approach you, they are not ensuring you have the proper rate or that you are on the new plan—they are actually selling you a new plan, with new terms and prices. Energy re-billers have no way of knowing how hydro prices will change over the next 5 years and there is no guarantee of savings if you sign a contract.

What legal protections are in place?

On January 1, 2011, the Energy Consumer Protection Act, 2010 (ECPA) became law. The ECPA provides protections for consumers against energy re-billers. By law, a re-biller agent that approaches you must provide a business card with his or her name, the name and address of the company, and the company’s license number, telephone number, and website address before he or she tells you about the re-biller’s services or asks you for any information. Furthermore, any agent must be wearing an identification badge with his or her photo, the name of the company, and the name and title of the salesperson.

The ECPA prohibits a re-biller from making false or misleading statements about its contracts, the benefits you will receive under the contract, the difference in price between its services and your hydro or gas company, or the amount of money you can save by switching to its services.

If you have already signed up with an energy re-biller, you can still say “no” when they make their follow-up call to you. Once you say no, the contract you signed will become invalid and you will not have to pay a cancellation fee. Your current electricity service will continue without interruption.

The ECPA also requires the contract to contain specific information, such as the method of calculating the contract price, or else you may cancel the contract at any time. You may also cancel the contract up to 30 days after you receive your first bill, if the re-biller fails to provide you with a copy of a voice recording of a telephone discussion within 10 days after you request it, or if you permanently move from the premises, or any time without cause, although you may have to pay a cancellation fee in some cases.

If none of these options works for you, you may complain to the Ontario Energy Board or file a claim against an energy re-biller in Small Claims Court.

For more information, we encourage you to visit the Ontario Energy Board at http://www.oeb.gov.on.ca/. 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

 There was no confirming vote at the end of a two-hour meeting between the councils of Addington Highlands and North Frontenac in Cloyne this week, but the meeting did yield a broad consensus about the future of fire and emergency services in both townships.

As much as anything, the meeting location, which was the Barrie Hall, illustrated how the two townships are joined at the hip so to speak, as the hall is located in North Frontenac, on the east side of Hwy. 41, just the width of a two-lane road from Grand General Store and North Addington Education Centre, which are located in Addington Highlands. The highway marks the boundary not only between two townships, but two counties as well. Ever since municipal amalgamation in 1998, the two townships have continued to operate a joint fire service for North Frontenac ward 1 (Barrie) and Addington Highlands ward 2 (Kaladar) in addition to stand-alone services in the rest of each of the townships.

The major item that was being considered at the joint meeting was a “Bylaw to establish and regulate the Barrie-Kaladar Fire Department”, a large, detailed document that includes a number of appendices. Among those is a core services declaration. Once both councils approve all of these documents, which is anticipated within the next two or three months, the future direction of not only the Kaladar/Barrie service, but levels of training and service throughout the two large rural townships will be fixed and defined.

Addington Highlands Fire Chief Casey Cuddy, as well as North Frontenac Fire Chief Steve Riddell, were in attendance at the meeting, as were a number of members of the Kaladar-Barrie service. As well, Dan Koroscil, Fire Protection Advisor from the Ontario Fire Marshall's Office, was on hand to provide direction and advice.

Dan Koroscil pointed out how important it is for an agreement to be reached, and soon.

“As it stands now, the Kaladar-Barrie department is operating in a legal limbo,” he said. “You really need to give your firefighters the legal authority to do what they are doing.”

An agreement between the townships setting up a joint fire board was signed into effect in 2001, but Koroscil was indicating that the 2001 agreement was insufficient.

The Joint Fire Board, which is made up of members of both councils, has been a source of frustration for both its members and the fire service it oversees, because all decisions that it makes must be ratified by both councils.

North Frontenac Deputy Mayor Fred Perry expressed frustration at how the fire board operates currently.

“I’ve been on the board for 6 years, and every time we made a decision it would have to go back and get discussed again at both councils. Then one or both councils want changes and the committee meets and agrees on something, and then it goes back to the councils again. It’s pretty frustrating,” Perry said.

Bill Cox, Addington Highlands deputy reeve and chair of the Joint Fire Board, expressed the same frustration.

“I was on the board eight years ago, and then joined again after the 2010 election, and I found we were dealing with the same issues. It goes really slow,” he said.

“Once the bylaw is ratified by both councils, it will give the fire board clear terms of reference, and the ability to operate the fire service. Budgeting will go back to the councils each year, of course, but we won’t be stuck anymore,” said Fred Perry.

The core services stipulated in the bylaw will likely be adopted by both townships for all their fire services, and Dan Koroscil indicated that the Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office is recommending core service agreements for all Ontario fire services, professional and volunteer.

“What core services does for fire services is tell the firefighters, the township, and the public, what business the fire department is in. It says this is what we do, and this is what it will cost in equipment and training to maintain these kinds of services,” said Koroscil.

In order for the core services provisions to work for both townships they will have to be adopted for the entire service, not just Kaladar-Barrie, which raises concerns because not all of the six fire halls operated in the two townships are equipped in the same way and not all crews have the same training.

“There is wording that can account for that, as well as shared service agreements between your different services,” Koroscil said.

Steve Smart, a member of the Kaladar-Barrie department, took Koroscil’s point.

“The key thing for us on the department, is that we don’t want to move backwards. We don’t want to stop providing service we have trained for and provided in the past because it is no longer a core service,” he said.

Koroscil took his point, particularly as regards cold water and wilderness rescue.

“You market your townships as wilderness playgrounds; you have ATV runs on your trails. You need to provide service that backs that up,” he said.

The new bylaw will come to Addington Highlands Council either on August 7 or in early September, and could be approved by North Frontenac at their August 13 meeting.

Editorial by Jeff Green

There was a time when Denbigh was a pilot project for volunteer ambulance service in Eastern Ontario and the province as a whole.

The distances were as great then as they are now, and it was recognised by the Ministry of Health that just like fire service, people in rural regions need an ambulance to arrive within a reasonable amount of time.

So, Ministry of Health officials trained community volunteers in a variety of First Response techniques, and then gave them a vehicle and off they went.

There have been many changes over the last 30 years in ambulance service.

Over time, the volunteers who ran the volunteer services became more like lower paid professional paramedics and the volunteer model fell into disrepute. The Denbigh service is now on the verge of being operated just like all the other professional services in Lennox and Addington County.

Another major change took place when land ambulance service became a municipal operation, after having previously been a core provincial service. The province still pays almost half the costs, but municipalities run the service and it is a major budget item in rural municipal budgets.

Just as it would not be viable for the model of urban fire departments to be imposed on rural reality - the cost would be just too high - running rural and urban ambulance service on the identical financial model is proving to be too expensive.

The Denbigh service that originally cost $12,000 per year to the Ontario Ministry of Health, now is projected to cost over $1 million per year, half of that coming from municipal taxes in Lennox and Addington.

It was all that Addinton Highlands politicians could do to salvage a half-time service in Denbigh when a county staff-driven initiative to move the resources from rural Denbigh to suburban Loyalist County took hold at L&A County Council earlier this year.

It is hard to imagine that the original Denbigh service, which involved a massive volunteer commitment, could have persisted in its original form into the modern world of paramedic services. Yet, it is also proving to be impossible to imagine a viable ambulance service providing timely service throughout a vast rural province on the population-based, municipally-funded model that is now in place in Ontario.

The current fiscal arrangement does not foster co-operation among municipal partners, as was evidenced when a plan to turn Denbigh into a new model for the future, that of a regional service serving four counties, failed to receive support from two of those counties.

Appeals to the province to re-engage in rural ambulance service have so far fallen on deaf ears.

So, in the end, a rural community that took a giant leap forward in 1982 by setting up a 24-hour ambulance, has now faced a steep fall backward.

There is a solution.

The Local Health Integration Network is responsible for ambulance service. Only a provincial body can step in and pull the county ambulance services together, and find some provincial dollars to augment municipal commitments to rural service.

Somebody, and it likely has to be somebody from the South East LHIN's office in Belleville or the Ministry of Health itself, needs to call a meeting.

At the 30th Anniversary celebration of the founding of the Denbigh service, there were a number of retired bureaucrats on hand, They were proud of the work they did, and the connections they forged with the local population, when the Denbigh service was set up.

If the bureaucrats at the new-look LHINs would like to be more than a layer of bureaucracy concerned with saving money and ensuring that everyone they fund has filled out the correct forms, they need to jump into this major public health issue, get their hands dirty, and make a difference.

Ever since Southern Frontenac Community Services took the plunge and began to build the former Grace United Church in Sydenham into the Grace Centre, the agencies’ staff and board have been working diligently.

They have been building a home for their services, which focus on services for senior’s and for families in need, as well as a public space for community groups and events.

The project was budgeted at $180,000, and thanks to a Trillium grant and other fund raising efforts, most of the renovations have now been or will soon be completed.

“We now have a commercial kitchen, the flooring is all done on the lower level, a new furnace and air conditioner, the community garden is up and running, we are really getting there,” said David Townsend, the agencies’ Executive Director.

“As the co-chair of the Grace Centre project and a volunteer, countless hours have been spent to ensure that the Grace Centre meets the needs of the agency and the community for many years to come,” said Joan Cameron, the Chair of he SFCS Board.

Now that the Grace Centre renovation is about done, the agency is getting really ambitious. Later this summer h agency will approach the Local Health Integration Network with the proposal that a two storey 4,400 square foot extension be built onto the Grace Centre for administrative offices for the agency, enhancements to its programming for senior’s, and office space for community partners such as Ontario Works, Frontenac Community Mental Health Services, the Ontario Early Years Centre, and others.

“It is a big project, we have costed it at $800,000 but that is preliminary,” said David Townsend. “Right now it is really in the concept stage. We need to hear from the LHIN and others before we launch it formally.”

The proposal will not be a complete surprise to the Southeast Local Health Integration Network. It’s Board Chair, Wynn Turner, was the keynote speaker at the SFCS Annual General Meeting last week.

While she did not promise any money for the expansion of the Grace Centre, she did say that the LHIN’s continue to be supportive of the work that is being done by community agencies.

She said that the LHIN is looking to Community Support Service Agencies such as Southern Frontenac Community to help deliver the new aging at home strategy that is being developed by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

Representatives of Queen’s University’s biological station and the Nature Conservancy of Canada came to Council requesting closure of a section of road allowance crossing the developed portion of the former Hewlett-Packard property in Storrington Township. Presently, Queen’s is leasing the Elbow Lake facility, a recreational complex contained in the 1200 acre property, for “use as an education and outreach centre specifically targeted towards community extension.” The lease agreement includes an option to purchase “a 20% undivided share of the property.” Presently the land in question could not be severed for sale, as it is divided by the unopened road allowance.

Council discussed the options of closing and selling the road allowance, which is described as running across a swamp, or possibly accepting an alternate road allowance in trade. Councillor McPhail expressed concern that the proposed summer programs for children would compete with similar programs offered by the Cataraqui Conservation authority, though the Queen’s representative said he had already met with the CRCA, and felt this would not be a problem. However, Deputy Mayor McPhail noted that there has been no meeting with the Limestone School Board,which runs summer outdoor education camps from their Gould Lake facility.

Later in the meeting, Council requested more policy information and time for a viewing of the road allowance in question, before making any decision.

Township Reserves

Treasurer Louise Fragnito reported that the Corporate Services Committee is in the process of reviewing the Township’s reserve structure, with the goal of drafting a reserve policy for Council’s consideration in the fall. Presently, the Township has a projected 2012 year-end balance of almost $14 million, to be held in 45 separate reserve funds.

Cemeteries in South Frontenac

Angela Maddox, Recreation Coordinator, reported on comments received from the district cemetery boards in regard to the existing structure of cemetery boards, the fee schedules and the respective by-laws. Council’s goal is to develop common fees and by-laws. Maddox included information from the Ministry of Consumer Services, which administers the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act (FBCSA). This act, which comes into force July 1, combines two previous acts and addresses issues such as the resale of unused plots and establishments of crematoriums.

Council directed this report to the Corporate Services Committee for further direction. CAO Orr noted that as well as municipal cemeteries, the Township also contains church-owned, community-managed, private family and abandoned cemeteries which may also be affected by the new act.

FYI: The FBCSA states that “cremated human remains cannot be interred in a pet cemetery.” But it does not seem to address the reverse possibility….

Photo: Junior Hartwick (centre) and a group of golfers at tee-off time at the SFCS's 4th annual 50 Plus Golf tourney at Rivendell Golf Club in Verona

At a time when some annual fundraising golf tournaments have been losing ground, the Southern Frontenac Community Services Annual  50+ Family and Friends Tourney has gained considerable momentum. Now in its fourth year, the event was begun by its co-chair and longtime SFCS volunteer, David Linton, and it has doubled both in field and  sponsorship, which is something that Linton is more than pleased about. In a recent email Linton sent to me, he wrote,  “I am ecstatic and very emotional on this evening before the tournament. To have so many businesses in the community come forward to sponsor this event is heart rending. To have so many golfers, and non-golfers sign up to support this endeavor....well, I can't describe what I am feeling. This is such an enormous example of support for SFCS, and all that they do for our community.” Linton says this year’s exceptional turn out and community support is a direct result of the efforts of the tourney’s co-chair, Junior Hartwick of Harrowsmith, who has been volunteering as a driver for the SFCS for the last eight years. Junior has lived in the community for 69 years and is a long-time member of the Rivendell Golf Club.

He spoke to me at hole #1 about his involvement as he was just finalizing some last-minute details prior to Saturday's tee off.  “I know a lot of people in the area and I was more than willing to help out and do some fundraising to help support this year’s event,” he said.

The tournament rallied over 35 groups of golfers, 140 participants in total, who teed off at Rivendell at the scramble shotgun start. They raised close to $8000 to help fund the various services that Southern Frontenac Community Services offers to residents in the community. Over 20 volunteers from the SFCS were also on hand to help out for the event.

This year was the first time the event has been held at Rivendell Golf Club in Verona. Jim Lansdell, the club’s general manager, said he and his team were more than happy to offer their services to this important community organization. “The work that the SFCS does in the community is just fantastic. The fact that they are able to reach so many different people in the community - seniors, adults and children is just amazing. This is just one way that we as a club can help them out.” 

Anyone who missed the tournament but who would still like to donate to the SFCS can do so by visiting their website at www.sfcsc.ca or by calling 1-800-763-9610 or 1-613-376-6477. 

Photo: Daylia and Ayden Peterson, and Natalie and Hailey Coutts at the petting zoo at the Sharbot Lake Great Outdoor Adventure

A steady stream of outdoor adventure seekers gathered for the fourth annual Sharbot Lake Outdoor Adventure at the Sharbot Lake High School on June 2 .

The event is put on by the Child Centre of Northern Frontenac Community Services NFCS, as an opportunity for the community to get out and enjoy some outdoor fun together at a limited cost.

Organizers offered up numerous activities, including: crafts, games, horse-drawn wagon rides, mini golf, a karate demonstration by members of Sharbot Lake Karate, a BBQ, vehicle displays by the OPP and the Central Frontenac Fire Department, and an obstacle course. Back again this year was the always popular petting zoo by Kim and Victor Peterson of Mountain Grove who were helped by their two children Daylia (12) and Ayden (4). The Petersons had on display a number of their rescued charges, just a few of the over 100 animals at their farm that they have rescued.

All of the activities were free, with the only cost being a $1 charge for food items.

Rain all day and night on Friday threatened to turn the event into an indoor adventure, but the rain stopped in time for the pavement to dry. At one point about half way through the two-hour event, the skies darkened, but just then drummers Donna Hollywood, Pam Giroux, and Marcie and Amber Asselstine came outside and started to sing and drum, and the sun peeked out through the clouds.

As an added feature, a yard sale was held in conjunction with the event, raising $272 for the United Way. Northern Frontenac Community Services is a United Way agency. The United Way helps to fund the NFCS family counseling program as well as other services.

The Child Centre will be offering a number of events and programs for youth this summer, including a summer camp on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for children aged 6-10.