South Frontenac Council met last week in committee of the whole to pour over the draft 2020 township budget.

The base budget that they received from the treasury department called for an increase in local taxation of just over $500,000, 2.54%.

That increase is not arbitrary. South Frontenac Council set a target of a 2% increase in what the township treasurer Louise Fragnito calls the “taxpayer impact” of the budget.

Fragnito looks at the total value of property assessment in the township when setting her budget target.

She considers two kinds of assessment growth, one that is based on inflationary increases in property and an another that is due to new construction (new homes and renovations to existing homes). The added revenue that the township receives as the result of new construction is considered an increase due to growth and it is used to help calculate the “taxpayer impact” of the budget.

When the increase due to growth is taken into account, the impact of the 2020 budget is a 2% increase in taxation on the average valued house in the township.

The average valued house in South Frontenac will have an assessed value of $272,538 in 2020. Township taxes on the average property will increase by $40 if the draft budget were accepted by council with nothing was added to it.

Before looking in detail at the budget, council heard brief outlines from Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Neil Carbone and the department heads overseeing four services areas (Corporate, Public Works, Development, and Fire and Emergency) about their plans for the coming year or two.

It is the first budget since Carbone came to the township this past summer.

He described the budget process as the most important strategic planning tool and policy document for the township. He said that the 2020 budget process has been focused on maintaining “council’s tax target rate and long-term financial plan while addressing emerging challenges and opportunities”.

Starting next year, the strategic plan the township is working on as well as a recreation master plan, a fire station location study, a service delivery review and a climate change adaption and mitigation plan, will all have an impact on the budgeting exercise.

Manager for Public Works, Mark Segsworth said that the township continues to grow and there are increased expectations on the part of the public, which, “for the most part, we have managed to keep up with.”

Councilor Ray Leonard said that the “expectations of people who move into the township are sometimes out of line with what we can, or should be, providing. We need to be wary of that.”

Recreation facilities and programming are also a growth area for the township, Segsworth added.

Fire Chief Darcy Knott said that the “cultural shift” in the fire department, from four semi-autonomous fire crews into a single service, is a work in progress that is proceeding well. The department completed a successful recruitment drive this year and 25 new recruits have been trained and are ready to join the department.

He also said, in terms of capital expenses, the department is looking at acquiring first response vehicles, 4-wheel drive pickup trucks, to respond to medical calls, which are the most common call-outs for the department.

“Pumper trucks are expensive and can remain in service for 25 years but the cost of maintenance to keep them that long increases over time,” he said. I myself if we need to use a $750,000 pumper for a medical call. We could purchase a whole fleet of heavy-duty pickup trucks for the cost of a single pumper.”

Director of Planning Services Claire Dodds talked about the challenge her department is facing to respond to new tighter timelines for planning approvals that the provincial government has mandated in an effort to bring more housing on stram more quickly. She said that better use of technology could free up planning staff to make better use of their skills, and also talked about more integration between the planning and building departments. She will also be working on a comprehensive growth plan for the township with a 20-year window.

In discussing the budget, a number of items caught the attention of council.

There was concern expressed about the unanswered questions regarding a proposal to build a Stock-sport court/multi use pad at Harrowsmith Centennial Park, but since funding for the project would come from reserves the money was left in the budget. The project was not approved by Council by at this time, but neither was it halted in its tracks.

New hires in the planning, public works and recreation departments are included as add-ons to the budget, and will require further discussion before getting final approval.

One member of council questioned the necessity of developing a South Frontenac brand, when there is already a county brand.

“The branding initiative is fundamental to all of the other initiatives we are undertaking. Staff feel strongly about this,” said Carbone.

The budget allocates $45,000, taken from reserve funds for the branding initative.

A number of alterations were made to some of the budget numbers as well as clarifications about how some spending will roll out.

In the end, Treasurer Fragnito said she will act on council’s direction, and will also wait to receive some further information about funding from provincial sources before bringing a final budget forward in December, at which time council will have a final opportunity to make changes.

The township budget makes up only part of the municipal tax bill that ratepayers receive. Education taxes and Frontenac County taxes are also included. The education rate for 2020 is still pending as is the county rate, although the Frontenac County Council is slated to include a 5% tax increase after discussions in October. Like South Frontenac, the county budget will not be finalized until December.

Among its assets, The Point Park in Sydenham has a fenced in court, which has fallen on hard times.

“Right now it is not being used at all,” said recreation Supervisor Tim Laprade this week.

In the 2019 township budget, $8,000 was set aside to paint lines, do some surface work, and install tennis nets to turn it into a functioning tennis court.

All that changed when an anonymous donor offered the township $25,000 on the condition that the scope of work on the court includes a more premium resurfacing process, extra coats of paint on the surface and the lines, and crucially, the creation of two Pickleball courts in addition to a tennis court.

Laprade said that Pickleball has become very popular in South Frontenac, and the courts at Centennial Park in Harrowsmith and Gerald Ball Park in Sunbury are very well used.

It is a case of if you build it they will come, as far Sydenham is concerned, Laprade thinks

“This donation will likely result in a lot more use for the court,” he said, “a lot of Pickleballers from South Frontenac are playing in Kingston and would prefer to play closer to home.”

Although this will give the township three locations in the warm weather seasons, it does not solve the problem of late fall to early spring, when indoor courts are required.

Southern Frontenac Community Services organises Pickleball in the gym at the Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church, but the gym is not available all the time, and there is a demand for an alternative somewhere in the township.

The possibility of putting courts in at the Frontenac Arena has also been discussed, but that would only be in the summer season and there is a heat factor as well since the arena is not air conditioned.

A proposal regarding an expedited process to sole source contracting out the $32,000 project on the Point Court went to Council on Tuesday night.

While Councl rejected that proposal on procedural grounds, it is still the township's hope that the project can be completed this fall.

“I think we have a legitimate shot at first or second,” said Karl Hammer Monday at the Stock Sports demonstration in Harrowsmith’s Centennial Park as part of the Canada Day celebrations. “Brazil is a powerhouse but we’ve put in a lot of time.”

Many will know Hammer as coach of Sydenham High School’s football team, but in this particular case, he’s talking about Stock Sports, a curling variant that can be played on tennis courts or any other smooth surface. The granite rocks of curling are replaced by stocks (which can be and are played on ice) with plastic or Teflon bases. The game is very similar to curling with some differences.

“There’s a perfect Venn Diagram of similarities,” Hammer said.

There is a world championship organization for the sport, which will be holding its championship in Asuncion, Paraguay July 9-11 and Hammer, along with teammates Mike Osborne, Tyler McComish and Karl Hammer Sr. will be representing Canada in the four-nation event, which is called the America Cup of Stock Sport. Tammy Lambert will also be going as a member of the women’s team.

Worldwide, South America is a perhaps the most enthusiastic about this sport, Hammer said.

“The origins of the sport are Austrian-Bavarian,” he said. “There was a large emigration to South America from those areas and they brought the sport with them.”

Canada hosted the championship in Angus, ON in 2015 but this will be Hammer’s first championship.

“Our other members were there,” he said. “Including Tyler, who came seventh out of 15 in the target competition.

“He was the first person to ever compete in the world championships who has an exceptionality.”

He said McComish has become something of a celebrity in the sport.

“Some people were worried about him competing but it’s turned out he’s bolstered the sport’s reputation,” Hammer said.

Obviously, Hammer and squad want to do well but there’s also an underlying reason they’d like to put in a good showing.

“We’d like to host the 2021 championships in Sydenham,” he said. “We’re making a push for a playing area specific to the sport.

“It would be nice to have level asphalt without any pressure cracks.”

Under what was likely the first ideal day of the season, keen Pickleballers from the Frontenac Pickleball Assocation were out in full force for the 9am – 12pm session at Centennial Park in Harrowsmith last Friday morning (June 7)

They took a short break to pose in a photo-op to mark a $1,000 donation that they, and the affiliated Kingston Pickeball Association, has made to South Frontenac Township to help cover the cost of defibrillators for Centennial Park and Gerald Ball Park in Sunbury, the other outdoor Pickleball location in South Frontenac. But they were soon back on the courts.

Even it is a relatively low-key recreational session at the park three mornings a week, the level of competition on each point is pretty high. Pickleball is popular with seniors partly because it requires less running than tennis or badminton, two of the sports that it is loosely based upon. But that does not mean that the players aren’t competitive, or that hand eye-coordination, court positioning, and killer instinct aren’t keys to success.

Kelli McRobert is an Inverary resident who handles promotions for the Kingston Pickleball Association and is a passionate advocate for the sport, and she sees a massive potential for the sport in South Frontenac.

“Pickleball is a sport that anyone can play, and it has become very popular with the young senior population, and with South Frontenac’s growth and its demographics, that’s a lot of people. We tell the township that if they provide us with the facilities to play, we will fill them with players, both from Kingston and South Frontenac,” she said.

She explained as well that Pickleball really has nothing to do with pickles.

“The man who invented the game, Joel Pritchard, had dog named Pickles who would take the ball whenever it came his way, thinking it was ‘Pickles ball’ – hence the name of the game.”

As the game has developed as an organised sport, there are levels of play, which Pickleballers call Ladders, and that allows players to start at a more gentle level and progress in the sport.

Pickleball is also inexpensive. It costs $5 to drop in and only $20 a year to join either the Kingston of Frontenac associations and play all year.

Kingston Pickleball will be hosting the national championships later this month at the Invista Centre, which will raise the profile of Pickleball in the region.

Ashley Bates, the recreation co-ordinator for Southern Frontenac Community Services, has organised Pickleball at the Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church and worked with the township to get the Gerald Ball Park tennis courts marked up for Pickleball as well.

The township is paying attention to the potential to offer more opportunities to local residents to enjoy the sport.

Recreation Co-ordinator Tim Laprade said that the township is looking at improvements to the surface at Gerald ball Park and at fence coverings for both parks to keep high winds from hindering play. As well, the possibility of developing a multi-use court at the Point Park in Sydenham for Pickleball, tennis and basketball is being looked. And then there is the arena.

“They are also interested using the Frontenac Arena for Pickleball in the off-season, and any way we can get more use from the arena would be a good thing,” said Laprade.

For more information about Pickleball, contact Lesley Inglis as 613-449-1757

The South Frontenac Time Capsule Committee is still accepting submissions to be included in a time capsule that will be buried at Centennial Park in Harrowsmith and will be unearthed in 50 years, to mark Canada 200.

Submissions have been open for some time, but the committee has not received the number of items for consideration that they had been hoping for. They are therefore asking the community one more time for submissions to the project

They are looking to community clubs and organisations for submissions, which could include: posters, brochures, lake association AGM agendas, photos, deck of cards from card groups, autographed sheet music from jam sessions, art from the kids at play groups, and more.

Other ideas for submissions include letters from long time/ multi-generational residents of the township, letters to future family members, magazines/ books, sports memorabilia, t-shirts, or photos. Another idea is aerial photos of properties, villages, schools, stores, churches, etc. (think of how different it may look in 50 years!)

These are just a few ideas of some possible submissions! Limitations include batteries, organic material, and some size requirements. If submitted items are not suitable, all attempts will be made to return them to the sender.

Submissions can be dropped off at the township office in Sydenham (4432 George St.), or if you are unable to get to the office please get in touch with Amanda Pantrey and pick-up can be arranged.

If there are any questions regarding this project, please do not hesitate to contact Amanda via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone or text at 613-483-1176.

Thank you for supporting this community project.

Fifty years from now, on Canada Day, South Frontenac residents will gather at Centennial Park in Harrowsmith to dig up a piece of their past.

Actually, what they’ll be digging up is a squat metal cylinder. And in that cylinder will be messages and memorabilia from 50 years in the past, ie 2017.

Yes, the cylinder is a time capsule, the brainchild of Amanda Pantrey, a summer student the South Frontenac Rec department.

“This is just my little idea to celebrate Canada 150,” she said. “It will be buried in Centennial Park, which was built for Canada’s 100th birthday.

“The capsule is being buried for Canada’s 150th birthday and it will be opened on Canada’s 200th birthday.”

The capsule itself was constructed by D. M. Welding in Inverary. The official deadline for submissions is Dec. 21 but it won’t be sealed until after something from the New Year’s Eve celebration is added.

And while they haven’t quite finished inventorying everything that’s going into the capsule, Pantrey said the idea is to show “what life was like in South Frontenac in 2017 and how much pride we have in our community.”

For example, she said, the rec committees have each submitted something, as did the 150 Road Rally and other events such as the Battersea Pumpkin Festival (of which Pantrey is the chair). Mayor Ron Vandewal is writing a letter to his counterpart in 2067 and each of the schools combined to send a special greeting.

“Students at each of the six elementary schools formed a letter in the word ‘Canada,’” she said. “Then we got an aerial drone to photograph it.

“Then, the high school spelled out ‘150.’

“It’s really cool.”

Even South Frontenac Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth is getting in on the act.

“What we have here is a map of the various districts showing the first curbside garbage pickup routes,” Segsworth said. “And we have plastic bag tags, which were the first ones we used.

“Each district had a different coloured plastic tag and we had to change the colours every year because the tags were only good for the year they were issued.

“Who knows what they’ll be doing with their waste in 2067?”

Pantrey said her job was relatively easy because the community rallied around the project.

“People are in good spirits about it,” she said.

She said she really hasn’t had time to think about when the capsule is opened or even what she might personally put in it.

“I think I may put in my turkey (hunting) tag from this year,” she said. “The one I didn’t fill.”

Emily Allan has two dogs, a six-year-old beagle and a new puppy. She also has a petition with about 350 signatures on it and a strong desire for South Frontenac Township to build a dog park. Allan was at South Frontenac’s Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday night with a proposal. She’s done some homework and found a place — in Harrowsmith’s Centennial Park between the small ball diamond and the Cataraqui Trail. The Township would have to buy some land for the park but she’s even begun planning for fundraisers to pay for the fencing. About the only thing she hasn’t figured out is how big the park should be, but that can come later. “Centennial Park has the space and the parking,” she said. “Most of the activities at the park — ball, soccer, tennis — are summer activities. “A dog park can be used all year long and it could be accessed from the Cat Trail.” Council seemed quite supportive of the idea.

“I’d be happy to have staff look into how we would go about this,” said Coun. Ross Sutherland. “There are lots of dog parks around the country so we’d have plenty of models to look at. “We do have leash laws but people often let their dogs loose on the trails so maybe that might stop some of that.” Coun. Mark Schjerning said he was against the idea at first but has since changed his mind. “Originally I thought it was a ridiculous idea but I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “People do go to Kingston just to take their dogs to a park so I would support this just to keep people in the Township.” “I’m thinking about costs but I know my son takes his dog to one in Red Deer,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “We’ll direct staff to bring back a report. “But there are no guarantees.” Symon moving on After less than half a year on the job, Manager of Development Services Forbes Symon is moving on to a similar position for the Town of Perth (Director of development and emergency services). When asked if the move represented a bigger job and raise, Symon said no, the move is more for personal reasons. “I’ve had a 45-minute to an hour commute to work ever since 1990 and this new job represents a five-minute drive,” he said. “It’s a quality of life thing.” He said he wasn’t looking for a new job and this opportunity came up as “a bit of a surprise” but seemed right for him.

“I’ve been very happy here and with my short experience there are very good people here and plenty of opportunity but Perth is my community.” CAO Wayne Orr said Symon’s position has been advertised this week and the candidate search will close in October. “We’re hopeful we will have a strong selection,” Orr said. Caring for Carrying Place Coun. Ron Sleeth took exception to Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth’s proposed plan for roads and bridges saying vehemently that he would not support any five-year plan that didn’t have upgrades for Carrying Place Road on it. Mayor Ron Vandewal countered that the plan would obviously come up for discussion at budget time but went on at length about how Council had to consider the township as a whole and while he had no problem with individual councilors advocating for their district, each councilor only had one vote of nine. “This report is here to begin the discussion, not end it,” said Segsworth. “(But) the needs out there are significantly greater than the funds available.”

COW endangered species? As South Frontenac has been looking at its procedural bylaw, the future of Committee of the Whole (COW) meetings has become quite the topic for debate. One proposal has COW meetings to be abolished entirely but if the vote had been held at Tuesday night’s meeting, it likely wouldn’t have passed. Coun. Mark Schjerning has been the strongest advocate of doing away with COW meetings, arguing that it would save about $10,000 in councilors’ remuneration and that often there is very little on the agenda. He said issues previously discussed at COW meetings could be addressed at one of the three standing committees of Council (Public Services, Corporate Services and Development Services). “It would also allow staff more time to prepare reports for Council meetings,” Schjerning said. Coun. John McDougall had several objections though, ranging from less compensation for council members making it harder to find good candidates, to reduced delays for public concerns to be discussed. “I’m looking at the status quo,” McDougall said. “In other words, you don’t like anything about the proposal,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “I like lunch,” said McDougall. For his part, Vandewal said he mistakenly thought the proposal was to reduce the number of COW meetings to one a month from the current two.

“We could still schedule two meetings a month but be stricter about canceling meetings with small agendas,” he said. Coun. Ross Sutherland said he saw “two fatal flaws” with the proposal — reduced public input and it would give councilors on the standing committees more power over what actually comes to Council. Coun. Brad Barbeau said the proposal “might slow the wheels of government.” Coun. Pat Barr and Ron Sleeth didn’t seem keen on the idea but were willing to give it a try for a couple of months. Frontenac Park A proposal by Frontenac Provincial Park staff to acquire a number of Townshipowned, unopened road allowances that abut the park boundaries met with lukewarm reception. Planner Lindsay Mills said that the Township should only sell road allowances that aren’t in the Township’s future plans and that if the Park still wants the land, they would have to expropriate those lands. In either event, Mills said the Township should receive fair market value for the land. However, Mills said that if the Park wants lands that aren’t within the Park’s boundaries, then they may not be able to expropriate them. “What do they want the lands for?” said Coun. Ross Sutherland. “Maybe it’s been a burr under their saddle for some time,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “This came up before in 2013 but went nowhere.”