Editorial, March 24, 2005

Editorial March 24, 2005

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A modest Proposal for Mitchell Creek

There has been much debate on what kind of bridge should be built of Mitchell Creek, a tiny body of water that intersects with Canoe Lake road near Algonquin Park. As everybody knows by now, the meters long bridge needs replacing and there is a debate over what mind of bridge should be built.

But whatever is built, the question I wonder about it who is going to pay for it. The bridge is located in Loughbourough district, and under the wise amalgamation agreement in South Frontenac, that means Loughbourough rate payers will pay for the repairs, which will likely exceed $200,000. Thats a good deal for the people who live on Canoe Lake road just over the border in Bedford, they will get a free bridge.

But I wonder, why should people from throughout Loughborough pay for the bridge, many of them have never and will never use the bridge. The good folks in Railton or Sydenham might never venture in that northern direction. It would better if the folks who live near the bridge, perhaps only those who live on the far side of the bridge, pay to rebuild it. User pay is a strong principle in South Frontenac, in fact it is the guiding principal in Loughborough, and if its good enough for the southern part of the district, why not the north?

There are also people who live near the bridge, but never have to drive over it, they shouldnt have to pay either.

Perhaps this will mean very few households, maybe a half dozen, will be left with the burden of paying for the bridge.

They wont really mind, though, because a new bridge will be good for property values and will make them happy in he long run. In a few years, they will laugh at the tens of thousands they have to shell out for a nice new, safe bridge.

If they feel unfairly burdened, perhaps they should be allowed to collect a toll from those Bedford residents who will be using their bridge. They can hire a troll, Then Mitchell Bridge Troll, to collect he Mitchell Bridge toll. If the fols from Vedford dont like , they can always go up to Westport and double back. The bridge might even become a tourist attraction itself, bringing more people in to use the bridge, and pay a toll to the troll.

So Council shouldnt delay, they should hire Tottenham Syms/Hubicki today to design a nice bridge, say a half million dollar bridge, let those lucky few Loughborough ratepayers from over the bridge pay for it right away. That way they can start recouping their losses sooner and will be thanking their lucky stars, and their wise councillors, in no time.

Feature article,April 14, 2005

Feature article April 14, 2005

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South Frontenac ATV club working to make ATV bylaw stick

by Jeff Green

Now that South Frontenac has passed its ATV bylaw for a one-year probationary period, the South Frontenac ATV club intends to be more active than ever.

Driving ATVs on public roads is not a desirable pastime for recreational ATV riders, and it was not the goal of the South Frontenac ATV club to promote ATV use of public roads when the group became politically active several years ago. They initially wanted to see the development of an ATV trail system within South Frontenac, hoping to link up with the Eastern Ontario Trail and the K&P trail to the north.

We didnt want necessarily to see ATVs on the roads; we wanted to develop trails, but that has been impossible so far, said Pat Dawson, of the South Frontenac ATV club.

The club was instrumental in pushing the ATV bylaw proposal forward to Council. At a public meeting last fall, club members and ATV enthusiasts came out in force, and in the end Council approved the bylaw last week for one year, after which time an evaluation will take place.

Dawson said the ATV club is in close contact with Police Sergeant Fowler of the Frontenac Detachment and South Frontenac Mayor Bill Lake to provide whatever assistance is possible in informing people about the rules or the road for ATVs.

We have printed up copies of the bylaw and have made them available throughout the township, and we encourage people who are aware of others who are not driving ATVs in a safe manner to contact us so we can approach the people and explain what is at stake for all ATVers, Dawson said.

The club is also promoting the development of common trails within the township to minimise the need for ATVs to use public roadways.

The club intends to approach Central Frontenac at some point to see if the township is interested in passing their own ATV bylaw, which would provide passage for club members to existing ATV trails to the north. North Frontenac and Addington Highlands have both passed ATV bylaws of their own in the past year.

We need to make sure the bylaw is successful in South Frontenac, however, before we approach Central Frontenac, so that is our focus now, Dawson said.

Constable Randy Haddrall of the OPP SAVE team made a presentation on ATV safety at Sydenham High School this week, and other initiatives are planned.

South Frontenac Council will be monitoring all police reports regarding ATVs on public roads for the next year, after which time they will decide whether to make their ATV bylaw permanent.

Feature article,April 21, 2005

Feature article April 21, 2005

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Trailer bylaw comes under further fire in South Frontenacand notes from Council

by Jeff Green

A decision by South Frontenac Council to enforce a prohibition on trailers is still not sitting well with many of the 200 seasonal trailer owners in the township. Three of them addressed council on Tuesday night in Harrowsmith, in front of a capacity crowd of supporters.

Judy Reynolds, who has led the fight, addressed Council first. She claimed that the trailer prohibition bylaws that were passed in each of the four townships that have become South Frontenac, were for mobile homes and not for seasonal trailers. If they were meant for trailers, we would have been asked to move our trailer 27 years ago.

Her major point was that trailer owners have not been treated fairly and equally.

One of the main reasons cited in the decision by Council to enforce the prohibition against trailers is that trailers on lots only pay vacant lot taxes, whereas cottages pay residential taxes.

Judy Reynolds said people who have trailers on their properties would be willing to pay an extra fee.

We are not causing trouble, and we are not against paying some extra fees to cover for garbage pickup and road maintenance, if its reasonable, she said.

Jim Porter, who has spent summers at his trailer on Buck Lake since 1988, said, A $220 fee should cover the townships needs, and the township could enforce rules about the disposal of grey water, which is another concern that has been mentioned.

We are law abiding taxpayers, Porter concluded. We hurt no one. We want to be left alone to enjoy our trailers, the lake, and our summer.

Finally, Doug Griffin spoke. He was the angriest of the three people who addressed council. He explained that he and some friends purchased 275 acres with waterfront 17 years ago, and have placed trailers out of sight of the lake We have not touched a single tree in all that time; we have left the land as it was, and our plan is to turn the land into a park when we are no longer around. I have seven grandkids that have been raised out there. I dont think its right to tell us to leave.

Griffin vowed to carry the fight to the courts if he has to.

We are not going to let you get rid of our trailers.

Mayor Bill Lake, who has been receptive to the plight of trailer owners and voted against the decision to enforce the prohibition, told the assembled people to be patient, vowing to bring the matter to council later in he meeting. This left puzzled councillors looking to see if the trailer situation was listed in the evenings agenda.

I know its not on the agenda, Lake said, but Im going to put a question to Council later on, and depending on how it is answered we may be able to go half way with these people.

Bill Lakes question was brought up during the in camera session of the meeting. Township Chief Administrative Officer Gord Burns said it had to be discussed in camera because it was a matter of possible litigation. You saw those people tonight, he explained, there is every possibility they will start up law suits over this.

Other items from SF Council:

ATV complaints protocol

A report by township CAO Gord Burns outlined the protocol he intends to follow in monitoring complaints about the townships ATV bylaw during its probationary year.

Burns has written to Police Chief Glen Fowler, and asked the police to log complaints they receive by district, and include the nature of the complaint and any action they take in response to the log. Burns also recommends that complaints that are submitted to the township in writing be kept in a file for presentation to Council at an appropriate time.

I thought we agreed that we werent going to hear complaints, said Councillor Bill Robinson. Ive had people come to me and say Ive heard ATVs squeal their tires. Now how can an ATV squeal their tires? I thought we only wanted to know when a law has been broken.

I agree with Bill, said Councillor Gary Davison, if you accept every complaint, every phone call or email, youll get a build up of nuisance complaints.

Councillor Dave Hahn couldnt believe his ears.

Im hearing the township doesnt want to hear complaints. People have a right to lodge a complaint, he said.

Everyone has a right to complain, said Councillor Del Stowe. We should accept them all, so long as they are in writing, and we can look at them and decide if they are legitimate.

There was no motion attached to the protocol, which had only been presented to Council for information purposes, so the discussion ended.

Badour Estates A bylaw was approved to establish zoning for the lots in the Badour Estates project on Crow and Bobs Lake. Councillor Don Smith expressed concern about provisions for drawing water for fire crews in the proposed development, a matter which will be considered in the next two weeks, and then the project will move to the plan of subdivision stage which will eventually be brought before County Council.

Fire Services grant Council approved the expenditure of $22,500 for a provincially mandated incident management course, and $16,800 ($4,200 per district) for new bunker gear, thus allocating over half of the $70,000 provincial grant the township has recently received.

Letters,April 21, 2005

Letters April 21, 2005

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Re: On Death and Dying

The April 7 piece by Jule Koch Brison on the Terry Schiavo case (Days of Infamy and Horror) prompts me to write.

There is another perspective, I think, on the question of how we can treat those who are dying with compassion. Many of us would want our spouse to have the final say about our medical care when we could no longer speak for ourselves. Chances are Terri Schiavo wanted her husband to have that responsibility. The tragedy in her case appears to be the way in which his efforts to carry out such responsibility were thwarted for such a long time.

It sounds as though there is no circumstance in which the author believes a person should be allowed to die, but many would disagree and say that when a person suffers an injury from which they cant recover and in which only their body is being kept alive, that it is only their dying that is being prolonged, and that out of human kindness one would stop any artificial life support and allow the person to die.

There are worse things than dying.

- John Glassco

No confidence in South Frontenac council

It would serve Mayor Lake and South Frontenac councillors well to remind themselves of the system of government in place in Canada. Recent actions point to the fact that they are blissfully ignorant of it. The following meaning, taken from Merriam-Webster Online, clearly outlines what I understand to be that system.

democracy a: government by the people; especially rule of the majority b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people

Only in South Frontenac does a level of government move ahead in the face of 90% opposition from parties directly affected by their actions. I refer, of course, to the communal water system planned for the village of Sydenham.

On April 5, Mayor Lake and council awarded various contracts for the installation of this system, planned to start May 2005, at a cost of $7.7 million, $1.8 million of which will be borne by the 240 affected ratepayers. This cost does not include individual property hook-up costs. Taking this into consideration, the cost per ratepayer will range from $8,000 to over $25,000.

It is astonishing that in the face of such overwhelming opposition, council went ahead and approved a project that encumbers individual ratepayers with costs of this magnitude.

I appreciate that there are a handful of wells in the village with poor quality water. However, at no time in the two years since the introduction of the water system by-law has council been willing to explore alternative means to address this problem. Instead, they have repeatedly pointed to the recommendations of an aged and flawed report prepared by Totten Sims and Hubicki, consulting engineers. It is of interest that the same firm is now retained as project managers for system installation.

It is my view that Mayor Lake and members of South Frontenac council are simply out of their depth. Instead of conveying the rationale behind moving forward under such opposition, or engaging in any dialogue with the affected residents, they have simply stonewalled, or stated empty platitudes; any alternatives would require that they know, at least in part, what they are talking about.

It is shameful that this council has ignored the petitions of the people it purports to represent. It is shameful that such behavior is allowed to go unchecked. It is shameful that the residents of Sydenham will be encumbered with significant personal debt, as a result of a decision into which their input was ignored.

The way in which this council has ridden rough-shod over the residents of the village of Sydenham should be of concern to all residents of the Township. Today it is water in Sydenham; tomorrow it could be an issue that may affect each of you more directly.

The behaviour of this council is an embarrassment to the democratic process, but embarrassing behaviour at every level of government seems to be the order of the day. From Gomery to gormless, the state of all levels of government in Canada leaves much to be desired.

- A. Lamb

Thoughts on farming today

Eventually the current farm crisis will pass and with it perhaps many of this generations family farms. There is a major crisis happening in Canadian agriculture today and the mad cow epidemic is only a symptom of that event.

Canada long ago embraced a cheap food policy, choosing to depend upon low priced foreign imports for many of its needs, instead of encouraging a strong and diversified domestic industry. When was the last time anyone bought Canadian lamb, and can one even find potato salad that is made from Canadian produce?

As our food imports rose, our farm machinery and processing industries headed for the border and overseas. Proud Canadian companies, like Cockshutt and Massey Ferguson were either swallowed up by conglomerates or simply disappeared altogether. Most of our meat processing capacity is foreign owned or dependent upon cross border plants.

Will Canadian agriculture survive? Definitely in some form, be it large commercial factory farms with enough depth to deal with todays stringent regulations and guidelines, or perhaps small farms serving a distinctive and unique niche of a market unmet by commercial agriculture. Many of todays generation will simply quit and seek employment elsewhere, or given that the average age of todays farmer is in the mid 50s, perhaps move into semi- retirement before all their equity is used up in a sadly declining marketplace.

The real loser in all this is the consumer, with todays rock bottom beef prices everywhere except in the freezer section of your local grocery store. Packing plants are enjoying untold profits on the backs of both the farmer and the consumer. Farm gate prices are low both in the beef industry and the field crops industries. Give the consumer a break; so what if they buy more? Were not going to run out, Canada is a net exporter of both beef and cereal grains.

Yet, for farmers facing an uncertain spring, input costs remain high for diesel fuel, fertilizer and seed. Not to mention the cost of replacement parts and equipment. And dont look at those hydro bills. No wonder off-farm incomes look very attractive, as everything that we need keeps going up and what we get paid is at an all-time low.

In closing , two comments: The only thing worse than a nation that cannot defend itself, is one that cannot feed itself.

And to the farmers, the next time you launch a protest, leave the fancy equipment at home. You and I both know that it is needed and necessary for what you do, and we know that it is usually leased or heavily financed, but the guy on the street does not know that and he is the one we need the most help from right now.

Bill MacPherson

Think before you toss

As we approach Earth Day on April 22, I want to encourage people in every municipality to "pitch in" for the earth.

On Saturday afternoon, my five-year-old son and I walked a 1.5 km. stretch of our road collecting garbage. It took us three hours to walk the ditches and we collected SIX green garbage bags full of garbage, fifteen beer cans (most of them recent additions) and eight beer bottles.

Only two weeks ago my husband and son walked about 1 km in the other direction and collected a garbage bag full of garbage and numerous beer cans and bottles. Last night we went for walk on that same stretch of road and found more garbage in the ditch, amounting to about half a garbage bag.

My son was disturbed by the amount of garbage he found and kept asking me why people litter. I had no good answer for him and all I could mutter was that some people "don't think". Although I never articulated this to him, I was also disturbed by the number of "empties" I collected. Clearly drinking and driving occurs on my road more often than I would like to believe.

What makes this all more disturbing is that we do our part to "pitch in" throughout the spring/summer/fall, so all of this trash accumulates on a regular basis.

So, I ask people to "think". THINK about your actions because there are consequences. THINK before you toss your trash out of your vehicle's window. THINK before you drink while driving. THINK before you toss your garbage into the back of your pickup truck. Don't you ever notice that it isn't there when you get home?

THINK about taking a garbage bag and gloves with you next time you go for a walk. THINK about doing your part, every day, to take care of this precious earth.

- Nicole Kasserra

Feature article,April 21, 2005

Feature article April 21, 2005

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Sharbot Lake Medical Centre becomes Family Health Team

by Jeff Green

When Dr. Peter Bell and Nurse Practitioner Mary Woodman heard that the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care was setting up about 45 pilot sites for Family Health Teams last November, they knew they wanted to make the Sharbot Lake Medical Centre into one of those pilot sites.

Peter Bell had even presaged MPP Leona Dombrowskys visit to Sharbot Lake to make the announcement.

At a meeting of our local inter-agency group in early December, we outlined the application process and timelines, ending with a tongue-in-cheek prediction that Minister Dombrowsky would be coming on April 1 to announce a Family Health Team for Sharbot Lake.

In the end it didnt happen until April 15, but last Friday Leona Dombrowsky was at the Medical Centre with the good news that it is one of 52 sites chosen, out of 230 applicants, to become a Family Health Team.

Family Health Teams include doctors, nurse practitioners and other health care professionals working together to provide comprehensive care day and night, seven days a week. The Sharbot Lake team will also provide mental health services, rehabilitative care and internal medicine, Dombrowsky said.

Just about all of the other 51 other Family Health Teams are located in larger centres, and most include large numbers of doctors and other medical service providers.

The Sharbot Lake Medical Centre is the kind of practice that dovetails nicely with the goals set out for Family Health Teams by the Ministry of Health.

Family Health Teams are the next generation of primary health care, says a government press release. Most notably, Family Health Teams differ from other models because they include a wide range of health professionals working together to serve the unique needs of the people in their community.

In many ways, these kinds of relationships have already been established in Sharbot Lake, as Dr. Bell pointed out in his remarks last Friday, making reference to the Medical Centres team approach involving on-site psychiatry and community mental health workers. He expressed the belief that the Family Health Team Initiative should provide the necessary resources, including infrastructure, to develop an even more comprehensive community-based team.

Another initiative that Mary Woodman has been developing is the establishment of an outreach clinic at the Sharbot Lake High School, in the hope that this will help overcome barriers that prevent adolescents from seeking the appropriate care for both physical and mental health problems. While similar programs have been set up in other jurisdictions, this will be the first in the Limestone District School Board.

As a Family Health Team, the Sharbot Lake Medical Centre will also be looking to address the needs of the diverse population it serves, a population that Dr. Bell describes as having a disproportionate incidence of chronic illness, including diabetes, heart disease, smoking and other smoking-related diseases.

Both Peter Bell and Leona Dombrosky took pains to point out that Family Health Teams will be set up to respond to local needs.

The Ministry of Health will be looking to the new Family Health Teams to provide the direction for this initiative. It will not be a top-down process, said Leona Dombrowsky.

This point was emphasised by Peter Bell. I want to thank the government for taking this approach. It is the best way to respond to local needs, he said.

In thanking the people and agencies that helped bring this announcement about, Peter Bell again demonstrated the community approach to health care that has developed in Sharbot Lake. He thanked Mayor Bill MacDonald and Councillor Frances Smith, who helped to write the proposal to the Ministry of Health, and Northern Frontenac Community Services, our ally for over 30 years. He also thanked the Queens University Department of Family Medicine, for which the Medical Centre is a teaching site; the Providence Continuing Care Centre, a partner in the delivery of Mental Health Services; and the University of Ottawa. Finally, Peter Bell thanked all the members of the inter-agency group who work with us daily and who share our goals and commitment to serving the people of this community.

As far as what comes next, the staff of the Medical Centre are waiting to hear from the Ministry of Health. But they are already envisioning how to improve their overcrowded facility, develop new services, and improve existing services that they know their patients are in need of.

Kathy Martin, a nurse who was working with Peter Bell when the Medical Centre opened in a house trailer on the parking lot of what is now the Sharbot Lake Motor Inn, recalled last Friday how, Sandra Moase [also on hand for the announcement] and I carried buckets of water from the hotel to the trailer so we could open up the clinic. Youve come a long way to get to this day.

Indeed.

Feature article,April 28, 2005

Feature articleApril 28, 2005

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Two percent decrease in tax rate in Central Frontenac to be approved on May 9

by Jeff Green

Central Frontenac Council took a short last look at the township budget at their Council meeting this Tuesday, receiving some updated data from township treasurer Judy Gray, and then they approved the budget in principle.

Among the new information Judy Gray brought to Council was the net increase in funding for 2005 that results from the new funding formula from the Province of Ontario, a one-time increase of $357,000. Since the provincial transfers for 2006 are still unclear, and there is a prospect of significant policing cost increases, Gray recommended the township follow the path suggested by Mayor MacDonald and put the extra money into reserves. She also pointed out that the townships reserves have been shrinking in recent years, and could use some replenishing.

Policing costs are increasing by $100,000 this year, Gray reported, but Council will be saving $70,000 from earlier budget projections because their application to the Canada Ontario Municipal Infrastructure Renewal (COMRIF) Project was rejected and they had allocated $70,000 to the proposed COMRIF project in 2005.

A one-time $50,000 grant that has been received by the townships fire department has simply been added to the fire department training budget for the year.

All in all, Judy Gray suggested all of the new figures need not affect the overall budget outlook, and the 2% decrease in the tax rate that was accepted at the last budget meeting should be maintained. A motion to accept the budget projections and prepare a budget bylaw was approved unanimously, although Councilor Logan Murray pointed out that doesnt mean the final budget will be approved unanimously.

Dump Amnesty retained

In the past three years taxpayers have received a card with their June tax bill that entitled them to one free dump load, excluding tires. Council considered its dump amnesty program, and a report from staff said that the program has increased in popularity in the three years it has been in existence. In 2002, 29% of the passes were used, in 2003, 32%, and in 2004, 37%.

A suggestion was made that the passes not be accepted at the Elbow Lake and Arden sites, which are near to capacity and that the program be put in place for 2005, with the passes expiring on Thanksgiving weekend.

Councillor Logan Murray was opposed. Im against amnesty days. I think they are not sound environmentally. We need to give the people the idea that they need to conserve, and this sends the wrong kind of message.

Every other Councillor contradicted Murray.

Councillor Bob Harvey said amnesty days help to educate people that garbage should go in the dump and not at the side of road. Its also a good gesture on our part. It shows the people we are willing to meet them half way. The free load pass will be included with the June tax bill once again this year.

Voice Mail hotline IT technologist Chris Matheson responded to a request from Council to investigate he feasibility of a single point of contact for the public to communicate service requests. He presented two options: a 24/7 call centre outsourcing option, at a cost of $500 to $1000 per month; or a voice mail hotline, which would involve leaving a voice mail message, which would then be emailed to an address. This option would cost $42 per month. Council was clearly attracted to option 2 for reasons of cost, and the system will be implemented and studied to determine how best to route the messages so the appropriate person can receive them as quickly as possible.

Murray concerned about new hiring

Councillor Murray expressed his distaste for the new positions that have been created in the roads department, and for which the candidates were to be confirmed at the meeting. The three positions are that of roads superintendent, a road viewer, and a mechanic.

Councillor Murray made a motion to impose a hiring freeze which would have circumvented the hiring, but other Councillors argued that the process was too far along.

We decided as a Council to create these positions, and have advertised the positions and conducted interviews. We cant turn back now, said Councillor Frances Smith.

Murray said My motion came out of the fact that the interviewing process was flawed, also part of the information that we were given was untrue. Some of us were told that a road viewer was mandatory, and it turns out it wasnt. If we knew that, we might not have created that position I think we should conduct a review, Murray said.

Murray also mentioned that he had been confined, as a Councillor, to only one of the three hiring committees, whereas other Councillors sat on more than one of the committees.

I canvassed other wardens at the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus, and the vast majority said Councillors should never sit on hiring committees. Councils decide to create a position, and staff takes care of the hiring, said Mayor MacDonald.

Before we create a position, we should know if it is required, and that didnt happen in this case, said Murray.

In the end the hiring was approved in a 7-2 vote, with Councillors Murray and Snider voting against the hiring.

Letters,April 28, 2005

Letters April 28, 2005

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Re: North Frontenac Little Theatre

Two weeks ago I attended the production of Guys and Dolls put on by the North Frontenac Little Theatre at the Sharbot Lake High School. It is the first time I have attended one of these plays and I didn't know what to expect. I was born and raised in New York City and attended many Broadway plays over the years. I enjoyed the play so much and couldn't believe what a fantastic job they all did. I may not have been sitting in a big fancy Broadway theatre with fancy velvet seats, but the performance was first class in my eyes. The music, the scenery and the actors were all great. Matter of fact, the actor who played Nathan Detroit (Brian Robertson) had the New York City accent down pat, as they say. After the show I saw the cast members come out in the audience and I sought him out and told him the accent was perfect. I am looking forward to future productions and wish it hadn't taken me so long to go to one. I am sure I missed out on many good plays but won't in the future.

- Lillian Lemke

There are still Good Samaritans around

Last night I was returning my foster daughter from singing practice in Kingston, when my car stopped dead, shortly after turning into Tryon Road. I tried unsuccessfully to start it again. I put the car in gear and pulled the emergency brake and went to find a phone to call a tow truck. I returned to find that the car had rolled down Tryon Road out onto Road 38 and over to a ditch on the other side only four feet from a rock cliff.

The road was very busy but no one came close to hitting it, and the rock did no damage. Two cars stopped right away, and offered me a cell phone. I did not call the CAA at first when I went to the house. I still thought the car could be started. But now I needed a tow just to get out of the ditch. A very nice couple loaned me their phone in order to phone CAA for a tow home, and it took a long time. I had to hang up, and the man of the couple phoned the number and got right in, and got transferred right away, so the tow was

on its way, supposedly in a half an hour.

In the next 30 minutes 17 cars stopped to help me, and five were waved away because help was on the way. After 45 minutes, my neighbour Ken Trafford stopped by, and offered to take Kyle home to supper (it was 6:15 PM), but before he left, he took a look at the engine. A green wire was wrapped around one of the spark plug wires, and Ken said it was power from the modulator. We took it off and he rolled it up and put electrical tape around the end. The car started right away. After Ken left, a court employee stopped to help me drive out. It did not work.

Fifty-five minutes after the tow was called, a van pulled up with six or seven big men who offered to push me out. Unbelievably, it worked and I drove home and to work in Kingston and back the next day.

I want to thank very much all who helped, and say that my faith in humanity is restored. God bless all of you for your generosity and thoughtfulness, as well as the real contributions you made to the whole experience of what could have been a disaster.

Chris Hallgren

ATVs would help firefighters

On April 14, I was standing in my backyard when I saw smoke coming up from the valley behind us. I remembered that we had a fire ban in place and realized the fire was likely unattended.

I went over to the fire station, but no one was there, so I called 911 at 11:24 a.m. I went back and kept an eye on the fire. I started to see our volunteer fire people racing to the station so I walked over to watch them get ready. I then followed them on foot to the fire.

I saw the people in the house next to the fire just coming out and getting their garden hose ready to save their house. The firefighters dragged fire hoses down into the valley and also across the top of the hill to keep the fire from going up the hill toward the houses.

One of the volunteers was trying to drag his hose closer and he was on his own. I went to help him and let me tell you, those hoses are heavy and very hard to pull alone. I would hate to be dressed in fire fighter clothing and be pulling that hose way out into a field. Trees and rocks and rough terrain make their job very difficult.

By 12:05 p.m. the fire was out and the fire fighters were checking out any potential hot spots. I went back home with a new respect for the work these brave souls do behind the scenes; we really don't know how hard it is to fight a brush fire, and this year, those hard-working fire fighters have had their share of them. I was told at that time that there were over 15 in the last couple of weeks.

We need to help these volunteers who seldom get recognized for the hard work and sacrifices they make to keep our property and belongings safe. I believe that they should have the tools necessary to do their job, and from what I've seen first hand, an ATV would have helped them get their hoses into the fire site more quickly and allowed them to save their energy to fight the fires. The backpacks were heavy and if they had an ATV, they could pile them on the rack and take them and heavier tools to the fire fighters.

I went on the Internet to see if ATV's are being used in fire fighting. I was amazed at the John Deere; they have fire ATVs and EMT ATV's. The use of ATV's in fire fighting has already proven invaluable to the men and women who put their lives and time on the line for us every day.

As a homeowner right here Sydenham, I believe that we need to do what we can to help our brave volunteers have any tools that can help them keep our homes safe from unexpected disasters. It is up to us to show we care and support the underdogs that work behind the scenes, keeping us safe and secure.

- Don Wiskin

Our Chance to Speak about CF Roads

The Central Frontenac Roads Committee, as one of its first tasks, is having two public meetings this week: Wednesday in Mountain Grove and Thursday in Sharbot Lake. This is our chance as taxpayers to say what we think about road conditions, improvement needs, and costs. I hope lots of people will come to share their ideas.

Im interested in finding out who supports two ideas that Ive heard several times in the parking lot after Council meetings and after the first Roads Committee meeting on April 6.

The first idea is about reducing the obstacles for taxpayers who want to contribute to discussions about our future. Public meetings are great, but dont come along very often. Members of the public who want to speak at Council/Committee meetings must follow the rules set in the Procedural By-Law, created I think in 2001 and now on the CF web site at http://www.centralfrontenac.com (go to the Council page and scroll to the bottom). The By-Law says, Individuals or groups wishing to appear before Council at a regular meeting shall advise the Clerk-Administrator not later than noon on the Thursday prior to the meeting This notice must be given before anyone even knows what the meeting agenda will be! The public does not have the right to comment directly about topics as they come up at the meetings. At the first Roads Committee meeting, about 10 people turned up and some wanted to speak. However, Mayor MacDonald said the By-Law procedure must be followed.

The By-Law isnt carved in stone and could be amended by Council. In a township with a small population, surely a meeting agenda could allow, for example, 20 or 30 minutes for public comments, each speaker restricted to 5 minutes. Some meetings no one would want to speak, and at others the names might need to be drawn from a hat to decide who could participate. I believe the end result would be more people would come to meetings and become more informed about Township business. Council members would benefit from getting more timely feedback about their decisions.

The second idea is about the Roads Committee taking a hard look at what is the best way to maintain and develop our roads. At the first Committee meeting, it appeared that the initial focus would be to document our present practices, which is necessary, but just a start. Taxpayers want to know our money is being spent as wisely as possible to get the best results we can, and that doesnt just mean following recommended practices about how culverts are put in, for example. One hard question: Do we need a full-service roads department or is the Committee going to look at the relative return on investment of hiring contractors for some services? I hope such questions will be discussed at the public meetings.

Gail Burgess

Feature article,April 28, 2005

Feature articleApril 28, 2005

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Elections intended to rejuvinate land claim process

by Jeff Green

The Algonquin land claim, which has been on hold for years now, might start moving forward again, and Algonquin Chief Negotiator Robert Potts is hoping to set up a preliminary meeting with Canadian and Ontario Officials in May, to set up a full resumption of negotiations this September.

Early this month, four of nine Algonquin communities have acclaimed what are being called Algonquin Negoritation Representatives (ANR) and five others will be holding elections in the next two weeks. An election was held for the Sharbot Lake representative this Monday.

The nine Algonquin Negotiation Representatives will then join with members of the newly elected Council of the Pikwakanagan First Nation of Golden Lake, representing Algonquins of status under the Canadian Indian Act, in forming a negotiating group in order to resume Land Claims negotiations with the Federal and Provincial governments. Negotiations have been on hold for several years now, awaiting negotiators from the Algonquin side.

The process has not been without controversy, however, with critics charging that the timing of all- candidates meetings and mail-in ballots were set up in an unfair manner.

The process was organized and administered out of the Toronto office of Algonquin Chief Negotiator Robert Potts, and critics charge that the time frames and practices established did not allow for enough information to flow to electors, ultimately providing an unfair advantage to candidates who were already well known in their communities.

One such critic is Melinda Turcotte, a candidate for the ANR role in the community of Sharbot Lake.

In Melinda Turcottes case, her opponent Doreen Davis is well known by the Sharbot Lake electors since she is the Chief of the Sharbot Lake Algonquin First Nation under the Algonquin National Tribal Council.

The all-candidates meetings were scheduled two months prior to the date they were to take place, Turcotte told the News, but I was only notified ten days prior to the date they were set for. This to me is unfair. In my case I had a prior commitment on the date of the candidate meeting that could not be changed.

Turcotte sent her husband to the meeting, which took place on April 14 at St. James Church in Sharbot Lake. The election ballots were also sent out before I had a chance to send out my biographical information, and before the candidates meetings, Turcote said. This is a serious problem because the ballots included an encouragement to fill them in and send them back as soon as possible. How was I supposed to get my message out to people who had already voted?

And finally, Turcotte adds, if I decide to appeal the result, the appeal process gives me 24 hours after the results are announced to file an appeal and pay $200 to do so. Why only 24 hours, and why $200?

For her part, Chief Doreen Davis said she found the election had been professionally organized, and she had no problems with the way it was run. I will say that I also had a conflict with the date of the all-candidates meeting, but I rescheduled in order to be available for it.

Doreen Davis also made it very clear that the Algonquin Negotiation Representative election process was run completely independently of the Algonquin National Tribal Council.

We signed a protocol last July with the Pikwakanagan First Nation establishing the independent process, and have been hands off ever since. I received the same notification as my opponent did, Davis said.

As recently as last spring, Chief Negotiator Robert Potts was saying that the Algonquin National Tribal Council elections, which were to take place in the fall of 2004, would result in democratically elected chiefs that could then represent their communities to the land claims process. After several divisive meetings, Mr. Potts had a change of heart and decided an independent process was necessary.

When contacted this week, Robert Potts said the process that was set up has been successfully carried out. Our first objective was to establish a list of electors that was not suspect in any way. To do that we engaged Joan Holmes, who has impeccable credentials as a genealogical researcher, and she has done a thorough and complete job.

Our second objective was to have an election that wouldnt preclude anyone from voting, or running in it. We have done that as well, with the hard work of Robert Johnson, who has acted as the electoral officer, Potts said.

While he acknowledged some of the timelines were tight, Potts said the process was fair.

We did have a problem with the time it takes for mail to be delivered, which is why we sent everything out from Ottawa instead of Toronto, and it is true the ballots arrived before the candidates biographical material. But very few ballots came back before the biographical material went out, we had a very good all-candidates meeting in Sharbot Lake, and a good turnout on April 25 at the polling station that was set up. I think we made an honest effort to ensure that the ballots reached the right people in time, he said.

As to the short time for an appeal, and charging a $200 fee, which pales against the high cost of the process as a whole, Robert Potts said, We want to get on with negotiations, and I think anyone who is seriously thinking about an appeal will be considering that long before the ballots are counted on May 7. The $200 fee is an attempt to recover some of the costs of the appeal.

Ardoch Algonquins

One of the reasons the Algonquin Negotiation Representative process was undertaken was to deal with the competing claims to the name of Ardoch Algonquin by two groups. This precipitated a dispute over membership lists. By setting up a new enrolment process, Robert Potts attempted to bypass the whole problem. People could affiliate themselves with Ardoch and vote for whomever they pleased without regard to who they considered to be the chief of the Ardoch Alghonquins.

In the end, the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA), under honorary Chief Harold Perry, the original Algonquin first Nation in Frontenac County and one of three off reserve groups that were involved in the land claims process when it started back in 1992, decided to opt out of the Algonquin Negotiation Representative process.

Their decision was explained in an ad that ran in this newspaper last week on page 6. In that ad they charge that the The group known as the Algonquin National Tribal Council is the only non-status group to have political access to the Algonquin Negotiation Representation Process. Through their lawyer they have constructed a process that ensures their leaders will be the elected representatives.

As well, AAFNA argues that they have been excluded by the Algonquin National Tribal Council, the Pikwakanagan reserve, and Ontario because AAFNA maintains a traditional governance structure.

The preference AAFNA chooses is to hold off on negotiating a treaty until the Algonquin people are in a stronger position. Their ad concluded, Although there are serious problems among Algonquin people, at no time in the past hundred years have so many people taken pride in their heritage and recognised their sacred responsibility to the Algonquin homeland. Algonquins are on a healing path. Just think what kind of treaty will be made when we are whole again.

The boycott of the Algonquin Negotiation Representative process by the Harold Perry group left Randy Malcolm, the Chief of the Ardoch Algonquin first Nation that is recognised by the Algonquin National Tribal Council, as the sole candidate for Negotiation Representative from Ardoch, and he was acclaimed to the position.

The position taken by Harold Perry and AAFNA is echoed throughout the Algonquin Nation, but others have decided to stay in the process rather than stand aside.

Heather Majaury, who is affiliated with the Sharbot Lake Algonquins, and was involved in the establishment of the Algonquin National Tribal Council but has become a sharp critic of the organization, said I publicly do not endorse the [Algonquin Negotiation Representative Process] and feel the way it was carried out was really problematic, but still I voted. I didnt walk away.

Lynn Gehl, a doctoral candidate in the Native Studies Department of Trent University, and an affiliate of the Greater Golden Lake Algonquins is a contestant in the election that is being held in her home community, greater Golden Lake against two other candidates, one of whom is her own brother.

She has similar concerns about how he election has ben run as Melinda Turcotte of Sharbot Lake does., The election process has undermined the efforts of new people coming in, she said, but she still feels her chances of being elected are excellent, even though her brother, Patrick Glassford, is the Algonuin National Tribal Council chief in greater Golden Lake.

If we have good, qualified leaders, were probably going to get a better deal, she said.

If you could create a place of worship that you would attend, what would it look like?

Over the last few years Bruce Kellar has been putting this question to anyone who would answer. Bruce is the pastor of Pineview Free Methodist Church in Cloyne, and for years he has been frustrated because he saw a large number of people who needed a sense of community, but who just didnt fit the church scene.

Never one to stay inside a box, Bruce went out and surveyed 100 people to find out what kept them away from churches. He found that unworthiness was the most common answer. He then asked 100 more people, some of whom had been in the first survey, what sort of church they would feel comfortable attending.

The answer to that question birthed Through the Roof, a coffeehouse type Ministry Centre, which opened on April 17 in an abandoned grocery store in Flinton.

Through the Roof is completely separate from any church organization. The only thing it has in common with Pineview Free Methodist Church is Bruce, who emphasizes that there is no dress code or higher structure at the centre; everyone is equal and there are no hoops they have to jump through.

It took three years of hard work to turn the vision of a place where people could come as they are and enjoy a friendly and relaxed, but nonetheless spiritual atmosphere, into a reality. The old store, which had been empty since 1999, had to be gutted, cleaned and painted; drywall had to be replaced, and a kitchen and nursery put in. The result is an airy, inviting space decorated with handmade quilts, and sporting exercise machines and coffee tables.

The core values of the centre are: Body, Spirit, Family and Community.

Meeting the physical needs of individuals, a ladies' exercise program will start this week, and a mens aerobic health group is in the works.

The Family and Community aspects of Through the Roof Ministry will be addressed in a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) program with a making a meal out of nothing component that starts next week, as well as a program for youth and a drop-in centre.

And the Spirit aspect comes from a story in the Bible in which four friends, trying to bring a paralyzed man to Jesus for healing, were confronted by a huge crowd blocking their way. Undaunted, they tore up the roof and lowered their friend down through it; hence the name of the centre.

Last Sunday nights service started and ended with a variety of lively music, ranging from Four Strong Winds to When the Saints Go Marching In to contemporary worship songs, played by Rick and Anja Cameron of A&R Heartcafts, and Jonathan and Alexandra Rasenberg. Bruce also gave a short, parable-style message, stressing the intimacy and forgiveness of a relationship with God. If you dont agree with me, he urges people, just say, Hey, wait a minute, Bruce, what are you talking about?

The Centre is supported by donations, and Bruce and the volunteers are totally open to suggestions as to its use and the format of the services. In addition to Sunday night get-togethers, which start at 6:30 PM, Bruce is considering a Saturday Night Live Christian Karaoke event.

Our motto is 'Friends helping Friends, says Bruce, and he and all the volunteers who have worked hard to create Through the Roof Ministry Centre hope that it will offer a variety of options to meet the spiritual, social and physical needs of their growing community.

Feature article,April 14, 2005

Feature article April 14, 2005

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Central Frontenac rejects Sunday gun huntingand other news from Council

by Jeff Green

People might be able to shop till they drop on Sundays throughout Ontario, but Central Frontenac is committed to maintaining a day of rest from gun hunting.

This, despite an attempt by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to encourage municipalities to reverse the practice and allow gun hunting on private land on Sundays during hunting seasons.

Currently, Sunday hunting is the practice in parts of Ontario to the north of the French and Mattawa rivers, throughout most of Renfrew County, and in small pockets of Eastern and Central Ontario.

According to John Brisbane of the Fish and Wildlife Branch of the MNR, The initiative was initially considered in response to a report the government received in 2004 from a special advisory committee from the agricultural community. They expressed concerns about wildlife crop damage, which costs farmers about $40 million annually in Ontario. We see Sunday gun hunting as not the answer, but as one measure to alleviate the problem of wildlife crop damage.

The MNR has sent information about the proposal to municipalities throughout Southern Ontario, requesting a resolution of support, which was put on the table at a meeting of Central Frontenac on Monday night.

Central Frontenac Council had several problems with the resolution. Councillor Frances Smith said she supported keeping Sunday as a family-oriented day, and added If we make a decision on this without consulting the public, we will be making a mistake. She also asked Why would they say just on private land, not on Crown land? That would be confusing.

Mayor Bill MacDonald took up Smiths point, saying, Keep in mind this not only concerns the two Sundays during deer hunting season; it deals with all hunting seasons, but I can see a basic problem with this. Think about North Frontenac, which is 80% Crown land.

Councillors Bill Guigue and Bob Harvey both supported Sunday gun hunting (bow hunting is legal in Ontario as is target shooting).

I support it fully, said Bill Guigue, It is my belief that it would be a positive thing in terms of economic development in our township. It would bring more people to the grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants.

Councillor Logan Murray said, I dont hunt, but people hunt on my land. I use the Sundays during hunting season for other uses of the bush, to cut wood, and I sometimes have people come out for bird watching, which is not something I would recommend doing when there is hunting going on. I dont think we should make a change.

Several Councillors questioned whether the stated goal of limiting wildlife crop damage, which is caused by high populations of deer in Eastern Ontario, and geese elsewhere, would be alleviated by Sunday gun hunting.

I think increasing the number of doe tags or extending the season one week will have a much greater impact on the deer population, said Councillor Frances Smith.

In a 7-2 vote, Council rejected the proposed resolution.

John Brisbane of the MNR said he expects he will be receiving responses from municipalities throughout southern Ontario, and will then prepare a report for the Minister.

While the MNR does have the authority to declare Sunday gun hunting legal, John Brisbane said it is unlikely that will happen for political reasons. It is possible, however, that a jigsaw puzzle approach could develop, with municipalities that favour Sunday hunting going ahead, even as those opposed maintain the prohibition on the practice.

This issue will come up at other councils in the next week or so.

Other items from Council Council accepts Roads Committee recommendations Public meetings set for April 27, 28

The newly formulated Central Frontenac Roads Committee made three recommendations to Council at their inaugural meeting, and since all members of Council are on the committee, it was no surprise when the recommendations were approved at a regular Council meeting this week.

The first recommendation concerned the terms of reference of the committee, which will include conducting reviews of current practices, with a view towards: achieving efficiencies, improving maintenance and deployment of staff, creating a policy manual, and creating a long term plan. The terms of reference also include the creation of a road tour and the promoting of a phone system for messages and complaints.

The second recommendation is to hold two public meetings to give the public the opportunity to provide comments and suggestions. A meeting is set for the Community Hall, Mountain Grove on Wednesday, April 27, at 7 pm, and a second meeting will take place on Thursday, April 28 at the Community Hall, Sharbot Lake, also at 7 pm.

The final recommendation of the committee calls for the preparation and posting on the municipal website of a questionnaire inviting comments, positive and negative, on all services, including roads, provided by the municipality. There is a stipulation that those filling out the questionnaire must include their name, address, and phone number.

Commercial Property Study

A contract has been granted to S. Rayner and Associates of Kingston to conduct a Commercial Property Study for Central and South Frontenac, in the amount of $17,000, plus disbursements, not to exceed $750, plus GST.

S. Rayner was one of two respondents, along with a company from Ottawa, to a request for proposal from the township. The study is being funded through a grant from the Eastern Ontario Development Fund, an initiative of Industry Canada.

Before the contract was approved, Councillor Bill Guigue, a vocal critic of the study, which he had earlier A waste of taxpayers money, pointed out that, We will not even be giving the money to someone from Central Frontenac.

People from Central Frontenac were free to respond to the Request for Proposal, countered Mayor Bill MacDonald, its just that no one from the township chose to do so.

Fire department grant received: A cheque for $50,000 has been received from the Ontario Fire Marshals Office along with a guide, outlining how they recommend the funds be used in order to advance a strategic training plan for municipal fire departments.

Councillor remuneration The amount of money paid to Councillors in 2004 was outlined in a report to Council. Mayor MacDonald received the most money, $15,943 (the Mayors salary of $14,999 plus $943 in seminar/convention costs). Second was Councillor Jack Nicolson, who received $12,014 (his Councillors salary of $10,500, $1514 for seminars/conventions, $394 for per diems, and $473 for mileage). All the other councillors received between $11,000 and $12,000 except Councillor Bill Snyder, who received only the $10,500 Councillors salary since he did not attend any seminars/conventions.

Councillors are limited in the amount of seminars/conventions they may attend at public expense.