On amalgamation

David Daski | Nov 18, 2020

I am a somewhat recent arrival to the Central Frontenac area, having come just after amalgamation. My postal address includes RR2 of Arden. When my then wife and I arrived in 2003, we were encouraged by the fact that within a five minute drive of our residence were a good primary school, two gas stations, a restaurant, a general store and a post office. The road into Arden was a little bit rough and clearly needed repaving.  

Over the years, all but the school and the post office disappeared. The excellent local school at Mountain Grove was twice put on the chopping block, as it apparently had to go to allow first for the construction and then for the continued existence of the new school in Sharbot Lake. And, until the recent opening of the local C4 convenience store, one had to drive twenty minutes to Sharbot Lake for gas, food or groceries. And all these years, I’ve stewed in frustration as the lion’s share of every local tax dollar I’ve paid has ended up in that other town, a medical centre, a township office expansion and then another one, the reworking of Highway 38 through that town, a county trail, bridge work, a new fire hall, a new primary and secondary school, the purchase of the old school property, a railway museum on public lands and now the Sharbot Lake ‘downtown community revitalization’.  

My late friend Patrick Maloney, a fervent advocate for Arden, once wrote to council stating that Kennebec, the former township that included Arden, was, or had been at the time of amalgamation, the predominant tax contributor to the amalgamated township. It always amazed me that council went so far out of its way to show that it was now Oso, the former township that included Sharbot Lake, that contributed the most. All that was proven was that amalgamation destroyed one end of the township for the benefit of another. People, families, move to where there are services, and services establish themselves where they are supported by local and other governments. That is not Arden.  

On this issue of further amalgamation, I am in favour. I would also be in favour of de-amalgamation. I am in favour of anything that would upset the status quo, change and make more equitable the distribution of tax spending. Anything is better than what we have now. It is seventeen years since I arrived here. The road into Arden is now in very bad condition and, more than ever, in need of repaving.

Yours truly, 
David Daski