Frontenac County rebuffs L&A ambulance request

Frontenac County will not be supporting the continued existence of the Denbigh ambulance base beyond paying the agreed-upon cross-border fee when an ambulance from the base answers a call in Frontenac County.

Back in 2008 Lennox and Addington Council requested financial support from neighbouring counties to keep the Denbigh ambulance base open. At that time they received no reply.

Flash forward to three years later, and once again L&A County has sent a letter of request to neighbouring counties, asking for help in keeping the Denbigh base open.

The letter of request that was sent to Frontenac outlines the recommendation from a consultant’s report that ambulance service in L&A be reconfigured by closing the base in Denbigh and building a new base in Loyalist Township. It also points out that “the ambulance service in Denbigh is a unique regional service for a large, sparsely populated geographic area which extends well beyond the County of Lennox and Addington. County Council's question to you: Is Frontenac County prepared to assume a greater financial responsibility for the Denbigh ambulance service in order to maintain the service for your citizens?”

L&A will not receive any official response from Frontenac County to this request, as the letter of request was merely “received for information purposes only”.

Frontenac County Chief of Paramedic Services, Paul Charbonneau, told Frontenac County Council that he had attended the L&A County meeting where the request was discussed. He said L&A was hoping to receive a $125,000 annual commitment from Frontenac, Hastings, and Renfrew Counties to help cover the $500,000 annual municipal cost of running a 24-hour service (the province pays about $500,000 as well).

“When ambulance service was downloaded to municipalities it became a local responsibility to fund the service. We have a cross-border agreement in place for the calls that the Denbigh base answers in Frontenac and that agreement recognizes the higher cost of those calls,” Charbonneau said. “We pay more for the Denbigh calls than L&A pays for the calls we answer for their residents in Loyalist County ... If Council wants to spend an added $125,000 I can find ways to put it to good use for our own residents.”

The motion to receive the L&A County request 'for information purposes only' was unanimously passed without comment from members of council.

The response from Frontenac pours cold water on an initiative that has been contemplated by Mayor Peter Emon of the township of Madawaska. Emon has said publicly that the County of Renfrew might consider supporting the Denbigh base financially, and that he supported the idea.

North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton is appearing before L&A Council this week. He will be urging L&A to maintain the Denbigh base in order to fulfill their responsibility to their northern residents, but will also make it clear he does not support any transfer of municipal funds from Frontenac County for the service.

Fairmount auditorium rebuild back on the agenda

In September of 2010, a proposal from Fairmount Home administrator Julie Shillington to start up a fundraising campaign for renovations to the auditorium of Fairmount Home, the county-run long term care facility, was deferred.

The proposal was for a $250,000 fundraising campaign towards a $1.5 million renovation to the auditorium.

Shillington's report outlined the problems with the auditorium, including a loud, inefficient heating and cooling system, inadequate electrical service, and a leaking roof.

At the time, Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek spoke out against starting up the fundraising campaign, expressing the concern that it would eventually force county council to approve the entire project.

“Even though they are not asking us to commit to doing the upgrade, once a fundraising campaign is underway and the public has committed money, how can council say no to the project? This is not the right way to do this. Council needs to debate the project itself first, and if we decide to go ahead, then a fundraising campaign is appropriate,” he said, and concluded, “I would like to see this deferred to the new council.”

With that new council now in place, with Vanden Hoek being replaced on it by Dennis Doyle who defeated him in last year’s election for mayor of Frontenac Islands, the proposal has re-surfaced.

The estimated cost of the project, which was $1.5 million in 2009, will have to be upgraded, according to Shillington's updated report to the new council, and the proposed fundraising campaign is for “no less than $200,000”. She added, “We have already received $32,473 towards the project without any formal fundraising,” and that other grants and subsidies would be investigated should the project go ahead.

Frontenac County Treasurer Marion Van Bruinessen said that when Fairmount Home was redeveloped several years ago, a $2.5 million capital reserve was established, which she indicated might be used for the auditorium since it is part of the home, although it was left out of the re-build.

“We did not bring this to the new council right away,” said County Chief Administrative Officer Liz Savill, “because we wanted to allow new members a period of time to get acclimated to the county.”

Shillington hopes that the project can be brought to fruition within two years.

“With the 150th anniversary of the County of Frontenac approaching in 2015, we would like to see the auditorium renovations completed by the end of 2014 and include activities in the auditorium as part of the anniversary celebrations. This would be a prime opportunity to highlight it as a community resource. With this in mind, I would like to advise county that the auditorium project will be brought forward with the 2013 budget as a capital building project,” she said in her report.

North Frontenac Township Mayor Bud Clayton said that no decision on fundraising should be made until county council makes a decision about the project itself.

“It is fraud to fundraise for a specific purpose and then use the money for anything else. We need to consider this project before we talk about this fundraising campaign,” he said.

Council member John Purdon from Central Frontenac said, “It looks like a lot of cost for a gymnasium which is structurally sound.”

County Warden Gary Davison said, “The redevelopment isn't just for a gymnasium, it is quite extensive, not just painting the walls and changing the air conditioner.”

“I think this particular institution is very beloved,” added Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski.

Shillington's report was received.

By Jeff Green & Julie Druker

CF Council unanimously passes Comprehensive Zoning By-Law

by Julie Druker

“It was an onerous task,” Mayor Gutowski said about the work that went into preparing the second version of a Comprehensive Zoning By-Law for Central Frontenac.

“I'd say it took about three years. It was an interesting process with a few hiccups along the way but a lot of consultations and public meetings took place and I hope the public feels that we have done a good job”, she said.

Prior to the bylaw’s passing, Councilor Purdon was presented with a complete consolidated version of both the Official Plan and the new bylaw by Glenn Tunnock, the township’s planning consultant.

“This is for all of your effort,” Tunnock said.

Purdon thanked Tunnock and agreed to withhold any further suggestions he might have, “for the moment.”

“Planning is the key and it is certainly important in a community - and it also never ends as we evolve and change,” said Mayor Gutowski just before the vote on the bylaw was called.

Two public meetings offer no objections to zoning amendments

Glenn Tunnock and his assistant David Welwood made back-to-back presentations regarding two separate zoning amendments. Both received no objections or questions either from council or members of the public who were in attendance. The amendments concerned lands at Kirk Kove on Big Gull Lake in Kennebec and the MacDonald property on Kellar Lake in Olden. Both reports were accepted by council for information and in both cases staff was directed to prepare the amended by-laws for the next council meeting on Nov. 8.

Novatech rep addresses council re drive-thrus

Prior to the passing of the Comprehensive Zoning By-Law, Adam Thompson of Novatech Engineering of Ottawa, representing members of the Ontario Restaurant and Hotel Association, which include Tim Hortons, Wendys, A&W and McDonalds, invited council to consider their Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw to ensure that the proper zoning be in place to accommodate drive-thru restaurant facilities. Thompson asked that drive-thru lanes be permitted anywhere there is a restaurant in the township.

Councilor Guntensperger said, “Frankly my response to your statement 'anywhere a restaurant is’, is that it is not appropriate in certain circumstances, like at Oso beach for example. That would just not work.”

Glenn Tunnock addressed the issue later and said that the new bylaw allows for that kind of development but common sense says it would most likely occur along the Highway 7 corridor, where those kinds of places would fit it. He added that site controls would determine where those developments might be located and that each one would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Communications problem solved

by Jeff Green

Members of the Central Frontenac Fire Department have been using satellite radios that were managed and controlled by an outside company. Now, after five years of effort and delays, the township has full control over its own communications, using a tower that is located just off Highway 7 near Mountain Grove.

“We now have four ways to get hold of our members, including through their cell phones, which is much easier for members to carry than the radio pager when they are out working,” said Fire Chief Mark MacDonald.

Then new system, which is integrated with the fire dispatch service out of Kingston, also enables independent internal communication among fire department members, as well as the township roads department and even members of Council.

“Having control of our own communications was very important to us,” said MacDonald, “and the system is working really well. We have already seen our numbers growing during calls because of the cell phone application.”

Councilor Jeff Matson, who was chairing the Council meeting on Tuesday, October 25 when MacDonald made his announcement, and who is also a volunteer firefighter, said that he finds it much easier to carry his cell phone, “particularly when I am out working on a loader.”

“That reminds me of another advantage. We won’t have to replace as many radios because they have been run over by loaders,” said Mark MacDonald.

No tax break for seniors’ housing project

On the recommendation of the Finance Department, Council rejected a request for five years of tax relief from the Central Frontenac Housing Corporation, which built and manages a five-unit seniors’ complex off Clement Road near Sharbot Lake.

The not-for-profit housing corporation faced cost overruns when building the complex, some of which came about due to complications in the planning process overseen by the township. A gap in the township’s Official Plan forced an Official Plan amendment in addition to a zoning bylaw amendment before construction could begin. The situation was further exacerbated when a group of residents took the township to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) over their decision to allow the project to proceed. Although the township covered the housing corporation’s legal costs at the OMB hearing, which went the township’s way, construction delays pushed the price of the building up.

In reviewing the request for tax relief, township Deputy Treasurer Christine Beaushaw said, “We calculate that this rebate would amount to over $23,000 over five years and it would have to be calculated into each year’s budget as an added expense to other tax payers. This will increase the burden of taxes on other taxpayers within the same property class, and we do not recommend that Council do this.”

Mayor Janet Gutowski, a long-time supporter of the project, said she has “mixed emotions about this report. On the one hand I am proud that we have stepped in and supported this project by helping out with development fees, and I would like to see us continue to support it because it is in the interest of our township to improve the stock of affordable seniors’ housing. However, this is an unbudgeted ask that we were not counting on and we have to be concerned about how other not-for-profits might see this. I will reluctantly be supporting this staff recommendation, but I do feel we need to some more thinking about how we address this property.”

Councilor Bill Snyder said that he has visited the property, and noted that the driveway and the area in front of the building have not been completed.

“Maybe we could have our public works department at least grade the driveway,” he said.

Council rejected the request for tax relief, and passed a further motion asking the staff and board of Central Frontenac Housing to meet with staff and council to consider further assistance from the township.

Mayor Gutowski thanked Christine Beaushaw for her service to the township, as she will be leaving her position in the finance department before the next council meeting.

Township all a-twitter: Among upgrades outlined in report by Charlene Godfrey, were a subscription email service that will enable subscribers to keep up to date with township new bulletins, and a Twitter account for the township, which is now up and running.

“I was disappointed that I couldn’t be the first ‘follower’ of the Central Frontenac twitter feed,” said Mayor Gutowski, “when I went to register I found that Alan McPhail, a township councilor in South Frontenac, was already listed as a ‘follower’.”

The Outdoor Learning Centre Project at North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne, which received funding commitments from North Frontenac and Addington Highlands Council during the summer, has continued to gather financial support. COFA (Conservationists of Frontenac Addington) has donated $2,000, and an application has gone in for a four-year commitment from the Limestone Learning Foundation. The Frontenac Trapper’s Council has been approached as well, as have local businesses.

Meanwhile at the school, Grade 9 students were taken for a two-day canoeing trip to Bon Echo in September and attended a session at RKY camp in late September as well. Both trips were related to the kinds of programming that will be offered at the Learning Centre, which will be located in the forested acreage behind NAEC.

Anyone seeking more information about the Learning Centre is invited to contact Darryl Sissons or Sarah Sproule at NAEC (613-336-8991)

For 16 years, a group of the 46 stewardship councils in Ontario (one per rural county) have been quietly going about their business, but that business is changing.

The councils were set up by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) as a way of fostering environmental stewardship in rural Ontario.

In the case of the Frontenac Stewardship Council (FSC), efforts have been made to keep a representative council with membership from throughout the geographically diverse county, which has meant accommodating hour-long drives to and from North Frontenac as well as the ferry schedule to Wolfe Island.

“I think that at this point we have a very good council in terms of geographical representation and the different interests and backgrounds of its members,” said current Frontenac Stewardship Council Chair, Gord Rodgers (photo right), a resident of 14 Island Lake in South Frontenac.

The councils have access to a full time co-ordinator, who is an MNR employee, as well as $10,000 in seed money. The co-ordinator provides administrative support, some environmental expertise, and a lot of information about funding sources that the stewardship council can tap into to fund projects.

The council is at arm’s length from the government and has no regulatory function in the county.

“On the contrary, all we do is give money away to people who are interested in doing stewardship projects on their own properties. We only come to see people when they want us to come,” said Rodgers.

Some ongoing projects the Frontenac Stewardship Council has been involved with include tree planting on various properties, helping landowners develop stewardship plans for their properties, and the Big Sandy Bay restoration project on Wolfe Island.

The council also sponsors workshops and talks, such as popular fisher and wolf/coyote talks, as well as a loon day in Sharbot Lake a few summers ago.

Working with neighbouring councils, particularly the Lennox and Addington Council, FSC has been involved with projects such as the Butternut Recovery Project.

About a year ago, it started to become clear that the MNR, prompted at least in part by events such as the E-Health scandal, was uncomfortable with the way the stewardship councils are structured.

At the Eastern Zone conference (an annual meeting where council representatives from Peterborough to the west and the Quebec border to the east meet with each other, their co-ordinators and MNR staff) in the fall of 2010, the MNR’s concerns were first broached.

“They made it clear that they had decided the rules need to change about how funding was allocated to organisations that are outside of government,” recalls Gord Rodgers. “They wanted to see agencies such as ours, which are outside of government, become incorporated”.

As incorporated bodies, stewardship council members, who currently have no legal responsibility for the money that councils allocate, would become directors of not-for-profit corporations. As directors, they would take on legal and financial liability for their decisions, which would make the government happy.

“One thing that arises from this is that a council such as ours will need to purchase our own insurance, which will eat into the $10,000 we receive each year from the ministry,” said Rodgers.

Late in the spring of this year, another shoe dropped. The councils found out that as MNR employees, stewardship council co-ordinators will be limited in the kinds of work they can do for the independently incorporated stewardship councils.

“We are not entirely sure what this means, but for one thing, I gather that if a council such as ours wants to hire someone to work on a project, as we did when we produced the ‘Naturally Rich Frontenacs’ booklet last year, the co-ordinator will not be able to supervise that person. Bookkeeping and other functions that the co-ordinator offers might be cut as well. With the limited resources we have, we will be looking at increasing costs or asking our own members to do volunteer labour on a day-to-day basis, which is not what any of us signed up for, ” said Gord Rodgers.

There is also an underlying concern that once co-ordinators are freed up from some of their stewardship council responsibilities, their time will be taken up more and more by different responsibilities in a ministry that has been facing funding cuts in recent years.

“We are also concerned that the way this has been dealt with has been far less than completely open,” said Rodgers.

But that is about to change, he is hoping.

When he expressed concerns to the ministry about what was going on, Gord Rodgers, along with the council chair from Wellington County, was invited to meet with an MNR Assistant Deputy Minister in Toronto.

“He listened very well to our concerns,” said Rodgers. “Even though I have no idea what will come of it, I felt it was useful that we had a chance to put our issues on the table.”

Rodgers is hoping for some real indication of how the stewardship councils will be structured when the 2011 Eastern Zone conference takes place in Kingston at the end of November, when a chunk of time has been set aside for the ‘new business model’ to be discussed. A number of senior officials from the ministry have been invited to that meeting.

“We hope we can come up with something that works so we can carry on working with property owners in Frontenac County on voluntary stewardship projects,” said Rodgers.

No news is not necessarily bad news on ambulance base front

By Jeff Green

When the agenda came out for the Frontenac County Council meeting this week, it did not include any reference to the proposed joint ambulance base/fire station in Ompah.

A motion proposed by North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton at a county meeting in August was deferred until September for county staff to consider its implications after meeting with North Frontenac township staff.

That meeting did not take place before the September County Council meeting. Since the matter was still not on the October agenda, the News contacted North Frontenac Township Chief Administrative Officer Cheryl Robson to find out whether the meeting had taken place.

Robson said that a tele-conference took place last week, and progress was made.

Paul Charbonneau, the Chief of Paramedic Services for Frontenac County, will prepare an administrative report based on what was discussed at the meeting.

The report will go to the North Frontenac Council meeting on November 14 and the Frontenac County Council meeting on November 17.

“If everything works out, there is plenty of time to hire a project manager and put everything in place for construction next spring,” said Robson.

A motion was passed by Frontenac County Council in February of 2009, directing staff to develop plans for a joint fire-hall ambulance base in Ompah.

The project has been delayed ever since, as the county and the township have not been able to agree on a cost-sharing agreement for the construction and ongoing maintenance of a jointly owned, dual-purpose building.

(Frontenac County Council met on Wednesday, October 19, too late for a report to be included in this week’s Frontenac News.)

Verona’s Community Medical Clinic Becomes Reality

A year ago, Council agreed to purchase the Verona Medical Clinic with finds from the township’s capital reserve: The transaction will close October 31. Intent of the purchase was to facilitate recruitment of a physician for the community. On the recommendation of the Township’s lawyer, Council has agreed to lease the property directly to the physicians and delegate the Verona and District Health Service Committee (VDHSC) to manage the property, as a committee of Council. Rent will recover the operating costs of the property plus $5,000/year for a capital reserve to go toward maintenance of the property. Councillor McDougall said he appreciates Council’s “vision and leap of faith” in undertaking this project. He added that Verona is now beginning to get more queries from young doctors who are interested in becoming GPs in a rural setting, and who are attracted by being able to rent, rather than purchase a clinic.

Busy Season for Building Department

The Building Department’s third quarter report shows that the value of construction projects in the Township (over $27 million) is already close to last year’s record total, with one more quarter yet to go.

Emergency repairs to be completed on Mississippi Bridge.

During a routine road patrol in August, North Frontenac Public Works foreman, Gregg Wise, noticed some erosion on the northeast corner of the Mississippi Bridge, which is located on Road 509 near Snow Road.

The bridge had received a clean bill of health in 2010 from AECOM, the engineering firm that completed a roads and bridges study for the township at that time.

AECOM was called in again to look at the bridge this September. This time their view was aided by the low water levels this year, and they found that erosion was undermining the buttress of the bridge.

As repairs were urgently required, AECOM recommended that the township approach Doornekamp Construction, who were already working in the township repairing the Ompah salt/sand storage dome. Doornekamp said they could do the work for $23,600, including paving the approaches to the bridge.

Council accepted the bid, and the repair will be done this month.

Since it is an unbudgeted item, money for the repair will be taken from the roads department’s reserve funds.

Economic Development Task Force Launched –

Councilor Betty Hunter has been involved in the establishment of a Business Development Association (BDA) in North Frontenac.

Township resident Ron Higgins, who is also a consultant with the Wren group, offered to do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis for the township for free. After the analysis was done, members of the BDA and others identified four themes that require focus and consideration. The themes are Accommodation, Services, Four Seasons, and Offerings (what the township has to attract people on a regular basis.)

In a report to Council, Chief Administrative Officer Cheryl Robson wrote that, “A Working Group/Task Force is needed in order to develop and implement a plan focused on economic development for North Frontenac Township.”

Robson said the task force should include one or more council and staff members and a Business Development Association member, as well as someone from the accommodation sector, the services sector, the Aboriginal community, a member from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation, the Land O’Lakes Tourist Association and the Manager for Economic Development from Frontenac County.

“What can this task force do that the BDA can’t do?” asked Councilor John Inglis.

“The association talks about issues and helps strengthen local businesses. It is membership-based, but the task force is all about bringing in new business. It is to look at what can be done to improve the business environment,” said Betty Hunter.

“As a business owner myself, I have never felt the township was hostile to business; I feel it just ignores business,” said Inglis.

“I’m in favour of anything that will bring business to the township,” said Mayor Bud Clayton.

The task force was approved on a one-year trial basis.

JEPP application – Under the Federal Joint Emergency Preparedness Program, the township is applying for 45% support for the purchase of a mobile lighting unit at a retail cost of $11,900. The township will find out sometime next year if the JEPP grant is coming their way.

Council says no to MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving asked for support in their efforts to prevent any change in the marketing of alcohol and beer in Ontario. MADD does not want alcohol to be available in corner stores as it is in Quebec and other provinces.

“I don’t agree with this. People have to drive too far to purchase something as simple as cold beer,” said Councilor Gerry Martin.

“From an economic development point of view, if they close the liquor store in Plevna for any reason, people will have to leave the township and go to Northbrook or Sharbot Lake for alcohol, and will take their money with them,” said Betty Hunter.

Council voted not to support the MADD position.

Deputy Mayor Tinlin chaired the meeting

Fire Chief Rick Chesebrough presented the Fire Department’s annual report: South Frontenac Fire & Rescue has, as of October 6, responded to 331 emergency calls, done 91 inspections (includes schools, day cares, chip trucks, investigations of property fires, etc), and carried out a wide variety of prevention and communications activities in the community. The department has 134 volunteers and 27 new recruits in training, serving in nine fire halls throughout the township. Chief Chesebrough emphasized the great importance of all residences being equipped with functioning, properly located smoke alarms. Councilor Ron Vandewal expressed strong concern about the need for the township to do more repair and maintenance on the fire halls.

A delegation representing ‘over 60 South Frontenac residents’ presented their concerns about a proposed amendment to an aggregate license on a property on County Road 11, in Storrington district. They want to protect quality and quantity of well water, and maintain property values. Planner Mills assured them that the present zoning does not match the proposed licensing application (which has not yet come to Council,) so a public meeting would be held prior to any decision re the application, which will then require final approval by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Councilor Del Stowe thanked the delegates for a balanced presentation, which acknowledged the importance of the aggregate industry.

Taro Alps, of the Lake Links Planning Committee urged council members and anyone else who is interested in sustainable development of Eastern Ontario lakes to attend a day-long workshop on October 29, in Perth. Admission of $12 includes a full day’s program, lunch and snacks. Further information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Photo: Shawn Trépanier, Central Frontenac’s new CAO

Shawn Trépanier attended his first council meeting on September 27 at Piccadilly hall in his new role as Chief Administrative Officer for Central Frontenac. Trépanier, who resided in Ottawa for 15 years prior to completing a two-year stint as a CAO in a community in Nunavut, said he is looking forward to working with the township’s staff and council, and with the public. “I really enjoy working with the public and helping to bridge the gap between council and the public. Working at the municipal level is very rewarding because you get to see more of an impact on a smaller scale and to see the outcomes.”

He hopes to also improve the economic development of the area. “Up north, economic development was always a huge issue and priority for both the regional and municipal governments and it’s a similar situation here, so I'm hoping to work with council and the various organizations involved to promote economic development in a sustainable way that meets both the economic and environmental goals of the municipality.”

Shawn graduated from Carleton University with a bio-chemistry degree and is currently studying for his Master’s in Business Administration at Athabasca University based in Alberta.

Engaged to be married next May, he is also a recreational pilot, and one of his goals is to eventually purchase his own Cessna. His other hobbies include music; he is a multi-instrumentalist who plays flute, piano, saxophone, and trumpet and loves to teach music. He hopes to be able to share those skills with others in the community.

Shawn was first in the community when he worked with the Canadian Blood Services and attended a clinic in Sharbot Lake. “I like the small community atmosphere and the outdoor lifestyle that this community has to offer,” he said.

Shawn has traveled extensively and grew up all over Canada and Europe. He is looking forward to settling into the community.

In the absence of both Mayor Gary Davison and Deputy Mayor Mark Tinlin, Council chose Councillor Vandewal to chair what turned out to be one of the shortest meetings on record.

Raise for Crossing Guards

By tradition, the township has provided crossing guards on Wheatley Street in Sydenham between the public and high schools, and at Prince Charles, Verona, across Road 38. For the past five years these guards, who have to be on duty three times a day, all school days, have been paid $11 an hour. Council agreed to raise the pay to $15 per hour, and have directed the CAO to begin discussions with the schools and the board about alternatives and the ongoing future of this job. At present, there is no guard for Prince Charles: the principal and vice principal have been carrying out the crossing duties.

Bale Wrap Soon to be Recycled

Council accepted Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth’s recommendation that the township enter into an agreement with Target Recycling Services (TRC) for them to accept bale wrap, which will be collected at the Keeley Road hazardous waste site. TRC will provide the baling machine, transport the baled material (both boat shrink wrap and hay bale wrap), and pay the township 10 cents a pound. One of the company’s chief products is paving ‘stones’ made from the plastic. Segsworth said he needs to get clear information about the amount of contaminating material that will be permitted under the definition of ‘clean’. For several years Councillor York has been encouraging the township to find a way of recycling bale wrap: this is the first company in Ontario to offer the service.

Council also formally accepted their new strategic plan.