Back to HomeFeature Article - July 2, 2009 Local “Canada World Youth” volunteer faces daunting task

Luke Maloney is the first youth from Arden to be selected to participate in one of Canada World Youth's international educational programs.

Canada World Youth (CWY) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. Since its creation 37 years ago, 31,000 young people between the ages of17 and 24 have had the opportunity to live and work as volunteers in overseas communities as well as in Canada. Youth from all regions of Canada and more than 65 countries have participated in CWY programs.

Luke's exchange will run for a period of six months starting in September, 2009. The first three months will take place in Somoto, Nicaragua, Central America, where he and other CWY volunteers will team up with local youth, live with local families and work on community-based projects.  Then he and his Canadian and Nicaraguan partners will travel to Prince AlbertSaskatchewan for a further three months where they will be involved as volunteers in a community-oriented work project.

Luke is 19-years-old. He was born and raised in Arden, graduated with honours from Sharbot Lake High School in 2007 and has just finished his 2nd year at the University of Ottawa. He says he applied to Canada World Youth "so that he could participate as a volunteer in this organization's international educational program." He chose this program for its community-based projects and because he is "interested in sharing this enriching experience with other young people from Canada and abroad."

Luke will be returning to Ottawa in March 2010 to continue with his studies when he will also give a slide show and a talk about his experiences.

Like other CWY volunteers, Luke Maloney needs to raise $2,500 so that the organization can give more young people the chance to participate in itsprograms in future years. Luke has been given the deadline of July 30 to raise the entire sum, a daunting task for a small community like Arden.

He is in the process of contacting a number of organizations and individuals in his community, informing them of his participation in the Canada World Youth program, and is looking to the public for support as well. (Donations should be made out to Canada World Youth and sent to Luke Maloney c/o P.O. Box 76, Arden, ON K0H 1B0)

For more information, please contact Luke Maloney at 613-335-2763 in Arden (weekends) or 613-782-6100, ext 6197, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Back to HomeFeature Article - March 12, 2009 MEND program finds a home at Sharbot Lake High SchoolBy Jeff Green

Shawn Quigley and Judy Tetlow of the Kingston-based Youth Diversion program, have been conducting an experiment at Sharbot Lake High School this winter.

It doesn’t involve any lab rats, however; it’s more of a social science experiment and it involves all the staff and students at the school, as well as members of the surrounding community.

Quigley and Tetlow have been working with the Limestone School Board for the past three years on something called the MEND program. “We’re really big on acronyms,” said Quigley, and “MEND stands for Mediating by Empowering with Nurturing Dialogue.”

The goal of MEND in the schools is to “increase the ability of schools to manage conflict using in-school restorative principles and to link youth to services such as mental health, addictions counselling, or recreational programming” (Guideline for restorative practices for the Limestone District School Board). It is a partnership between Youth Diversion and the board and over the past three years selected students and staff at two high schools and two public schools in Kingston and Napanee have participated in pilot MEND projects.

While the program has had an impact, “We felt that something was missing. We wondered if it was possible to engage an entire school, including all students and staff in a single MEND project, so it would truly be a restorative school,” said Quigley.

One of the reasons that Sharbot Lake High School was chosen for the project was its reputation as a school that considers all of its students and staff to be members of an extended school family. “We are family” has been the unofficial school motto for several years.

As well, SLHS Principal Janet Sanderson has taken an interest in some of the same concepts that MEND is all about. “The idea of dialogue, of respect, is something we have been working on at the school, particularly in work we’ve done over bullying, and when Superintendent Beth Woodley put Shawn and Judy in touch with us, it seemed like this would be a good fit,” said Sanderson.

The concepts behind MEND are similar to restorative processes that have become familiar as an alternative to criminal court hearings; alternate dispute resolution, healing circles, etc. “The community programs we develop are designed to keep youth from offending in the first place,” said Quigley.

In the high school setting, disputes don’t often end up in the courts, but there are consequences and sanctions within the school, including suspensions and expulsion, in some cases

“For me, it’s all about conversations. Behaviours and issues that arise are opportunities for learning,” said Janet Sanderson.

Early this year, about 40 grade 10 students joined with teachers and staff in undergoing MEND training sessions. This, in itself was an innovation.

“We’ve never trained students and staff at the same time. It created a different kind of relation between them,” said Shawn Quigley.

MEND training includes role playing and a discussion about restorative justice, among other activities. The idea is that anyone who undergoes the training can act as a facilitator for MEND circles in order to address conflicts. The circles deal with some basic questions: Has someone been harmed? Is there a need to repair the harm? Have those who have caused the harm admitted responsibility? Would no further harm result from a circle? Do those who have been harmed want this process?

“We all want our schools to be places where students feel accepted, where people are treated with respect. The MEND program fits in with the kinds of goals we already have at SLHS,” said Sanderson, “whether it is a matter of the language students use or other elements of respect.”

Shawn Quigley said that in other jurisdictions, such as New Zealand and Great Britain, where restorative justice has been in the schools for many years, there aren’t even codes of conduct in place anymore.

That is not the case at SLHS though, nor will it be any time soon. “Where it comes to health and safety, there are rules that we enforce without question. But in terms of how we treat each other on a day-to-day basis, in terms of dealing with conflicts before they get out of hand, that’s where MEND comes in,” said Sanderson.

For the rest of this school year, the MEND project will be worked on at SLHS, with Tetlow and Quigley acting as resource people. After that, it is hoped that the program will become part of the culture of the school, that it will be part and parcel of Sharbot Lake Panther Pride. 

Northern Frontenac CommunityServices (NFCS) and the Rebekahs and Odd Fellows of Harrowsmith are working together to offer a county-wide video dance, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Frontenac Arena, 4299 Arena Boundary Road in Piccadilly just north of Verona.

The D.J., Sound on Sound Productions will be bringing two 9' x 12' screens along with special effects, lasers and lights, and a canteen will be on site to enhance the evening for the youth. 

Both organizations are very excited to be offering this dance to the youth of the region. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $6.00 per person and the dance is open to youth aged 9 to 15. 

Proceeds from this event will be split 50/50 between the two organizations to continue to offer programs and services in the County of Frontenac. 

The Rebekahs and Odd Fellows of Harrowsmith host youth dances every two weeks at the Golden Links Hall in Harrowsmith, and NFCS has been offering dances to youth in the Northern part of the County out of Sharbot Lake every 2 months. 

Both organizations came together in the winter to discuss the possibility of offering a county wide dance for the youth of the region.  With much enthusiasm, and willingness to partner, the end result is an opportunity for youth to come together and enjoy the evening in a safe and fun location.

A venue had to be picked that was big enough to hold the anticipated number of youth coming, and it was decided that the Frontenac Arena was large enough to host.  Rink Manager, Jim Stinson, was very willing to assist in this venture and made sure that the rink was available the night that was needed. 

Northern Frontenac Community Services delivers a wide array of programs and services for children, youth, adults and seniors.  It operates an Ontario Early Years Centre for children and families and it has a licensed child care centre for infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and school aged children.  At our Adult Services building, there are programs and services for seniors, family and individual counseling, and support for at risk adults.  The organization also operates Frontenac Transportation System to assist families and individuals who require support with transportation needs.

Photo: Jack Fenlong (Boat No.1) of SLCC competes in the 2010 Eastern Ontario Divisional (EOD) Championships at the Rideau Canoe Club (Mooney’s Bay) in Ottawa

Summer fun and fitness starts here! The Sydenham Lake Canoe Club will be hosting two Open Houses on May 14 and May 21 between 10AM and 1PM at the club located behind Foodland in Sydenham. Adults, parents and their children will have a chance to try out a recreational or competitive canoe or kayak, register and enquire about the programs. Afterwards, they can relax and enjoy a BBQ lunch at the club.

The Sydenham Lake Canoe Club, now in its 14th year, is a non-profit club founded by local Olympic paddler George Jones. George, the club’s commodore, wanted youth, including his own children, to also have the opportunity to “Go for the Gold”. George continues to be involved in the club because he believes that not all youth thrive in the team sport environment. He believes that paddling provides youth with an alternative. Paddling is a non-contact, low-carbon footprint, individual sport that allows youth to achieve their personal best.

With the support of the local community, the club strives to offer programs that suit all members of the family. The Youth Sprint Paddling Program is a half-day program for paddlers from ages 7-18. Here the youth will receive on-water instruction in competitive sprint paddling from an experienced sprint coach. This year the youth may have the opportunity to compete in regattas in Ottawa and Welland Ontario.

Roger L’Abbe, father of Genevieve L’Abbe, a youth sprint paddler who competed in the provincial Trillium Regatta in Sudbury last year, says, “I’ll never forget the surprise in the announcer’s voice when they realized that a paddler from the small town of Sydenham, Ontario, was in the running for a medal. I felt really proud and appreciative that this opportunity was available to us.”

The club also has a Master’s program in the evenings for adults who may wish to paddle recreationally or compete at the Master’s events. Regardless of personal goals, adult paddlers will enjoy the opportunity to improve their fitness level and make new friends.

The club offers a Canoe Kids Day Camp for youth ages 7-14. The day camps run for seven weeks from July 4 –August 19. This year, the camps will be divided into two types of programs. Those in July, along with emphasizing just plain fun and friendship, will give youth the opportunity to develop skills in the area of sprint paddling if they wish to try competing in regattas. The camps in August will be theme-based, allowing youth to paddle recreationally and explore their interests. With an emphasis on social, natural history and art, youth will be given the opportunity to get creative and discover their local community.

For more information please contact Helen Parfitt at 613-376-6613, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.sydenhamlakecanoeclub.webs.com.

 

Photo: Finn enjoys a ride on Sailor at Circle Square Ranch in ArdenChildren’s camps are fast gearing up for another season of summer fun and are opening their doors to children and their parents looking for summer camp options.

Staff at Circle Square Ranch in Arden, which has been existence since 1979, held an open house on May 1 for visitors to peruse their facilities and the programs they will be offering to campers. Visitors had a chance to ride “Sailor” the pony, play on the trampoline, skate at the park and check out the awesome tree forts nestled in the forest.

The non-profit camp, which is located on Big Clear Lake in Arden, is part of a Christian-based organization called the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and the camp welcomes children of any faith and race. Staff aim to “encourage young lives to grow spiritually, mentally, socially and physically in a fun-filled Western environment”.

The camp’s central area consists of a main hub styled after a mock Western town, which includes a large rec. hall used for indoor activities, a dining room that can accommodate 180 diners, and 11 heated cabins that each can sleep 10 campers and two staff members. There are two large teepees on the property as well as two impressive tree forts located in a hemlock forest, where children can camp out over night.

Located on 300 acres of land, the facilities include a sandy waterfront beach area, an extensive horseback riding stable, natural forested areas with multiple trails, plus a skateboard park, rock climbing wall, a very impressive high ropes course, as well as basketball and volleyball courts. Other land activities include bike riding, soccer and archery. Waterfront activities include fishing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, tubing, wake boarding, water trampoline, and perhaps most appealing of all, the two-storey inflatable iceberg climbing wall. The camp also offers countless instructional programs for campers looking to obtain specialized skills.

Dwayne Matson will be directing the camp this year and is looking forward to another action-packed summer. “The camp offers a safe, fun environment for kids and the staff are trained and highly qualified in the activities that they are running. Our aim is to offer kids a chance to experience Christianity in an environment other than church.” The camp offers an affordable option for parents looking to provide a summer camping experience for their children. The staff were all friendly and helpful, including waterfront director Dan Wesson, who will be returning on staff for his fifth consecutive summer.

Along with campers, the camp is always looking for new volunteers and financial partners due to its ever-rising operating costs. Anyone looking for more information about the camp, or wishing to volunteer or donate, can call 613-335-5403 or visit www.csranch.ca/arden

 

There are six schools in the Limestone District School Board that participate in a program called the Youth Philanthropy Initiative, which is sponsored by the Toskan-Casale Foundation. Sharbot Lake High School (SLHS) is one of those schools, and last fall in the grade 10 Civics class, 16 two-member teams were formed to research and promote a charity with a local reach.

The teams prepared presentations on the charities, and after the presentations were made, the four top presentations were selected. Four finalists then did their presentations again at the beginning of January, and the winning team was presented with a cheque for $5,000, which was made out to the charity they had been promoting.

“This is the third year we have been participating in this program,” said Civics teacher Randy McVety, “and one of the things I like about it is, it shows the students how charities work and helps to encourage them to volunteer themselves. And the fact that there is real money at the end of it for one of the charities, adds something very real to it.”

The teams that made the finals spoke on behalf of Martha's Table, Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, the Kingston Youth Shelter, and the St. John’s Ambulance Therapy Dog Service.

Kelsea Babcock and David Riddell chose Martha's Table for their presentation. They had never heard of Martha's Table before (like most of the teams they found the organization after doing a google search) but “We really liked the fact that they were such a grassroots organisation,” said Kelsea Babcock. “They charge something like $1 a meal for people in Kingston who need one, and they are open 5 days a week,” said David Riddell. The students also mentioned that Martha's Table has a clothing program.

Cody Pichie and Jessica Cadieux chose the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. “We wanted to do something with animals,” said Jessica Cadieux, “and the guide dogs provide a great service for people who really need them.”

“It costs several hundred dollars to train a dog,” said Cody Pichie, “and it all starts with fostering them.”

Pichie explained that guide dogs are raised by volunteer foster families for the first six months, where they receive basic training before being sent for more advanced training. Jessica Cadieux said that it is a goal of hers to foster guide dogs in the future.

Leah Woodcox and Jessica Nedow looked into the Kingston Youth Shelter. “We wanted to look at something that was for young people,” said Jessica Nedow.

“There are many people at our school that have had troubles, and the shelter is something they might need to know about,” said Leah Woodcox.

Woodcox and Nedow learned about the shelter via emails with people who work there. “Confidentiality is important to them. They shelter about 250 - 300 youth a year,” said Leah Woodcox, “it's an important service for Kingston and the region.”

Emma Maloney and Erica Goodberry made the winning presentation on behalf of the St. John's Ambulance Dog therapy program. “We wanted to find a charity that used animals,” said Erica Goodberry. “The dogs go to hospitals for people who are dying, to Alzheimer's patients, and children's centres. They provide psychological stability for people,” said Emma Maloney.

“There is a certification service,” added Erica Goodberry. “The dogs need to be calm, not aggressive.”

There are about 40 dogs and 35 volunteers that are active with the program in Kingston. The $5,000 will go to the program to help cover ongoing costs, such as training and mileage for volunteers.

Sara Porisky, a program co-ordinator with the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative, was on hand when the presentations were made to present the cheque to the winners.

Lynne Young, a co-op teacher at SLHS, said that it was a great experience working on the program this year. “I am also looking forward to going to Toronto in the spring. There is a day planned for all of the winning teams from across the province, and I am looking forward to going with the girls and perhaps their families as well.”

“The program gave out over $1 million last year. That’s a lot of money for students to control,” said Randy McVety. 

 

Thanks to an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant, LOLCS, along with other community partners, is developing a Child and Youth Transportation program.

The goal of the program is: “To improve the quality of life and provide community inclusion for children and youth (up to age 21 and still in school) in Addington Highlands Township and part of North Frontenac Township by providing transportation to those who otherwise would not have access to medical appointments, community and school events.”

Some examples of the community and school events that more youth will be able to participate in are: the Teen Zone, in Kaladar; After School program at North Addington Education Centre; the CO-OP Education program at North Addington Education Centre; Lennox & Addington Resources for Children – day programs, just to name a few.

The community partners who make up the transportation committee are: North Addington Education Centre, The Teen Zone, Healthy Initiatives (after school program), as well as Pathways for Children and Youth, Lennox & Addington Family and Children’s Services, Prince Edward, Lennox & Addington Social Services, Land O’ Lakes Community Services and members from the community.

The committee has hired two part-time, program co-ordinators, Natalie Tryon and Cheryl Hartwick, to develop policies and procedures, fundraise, recruit, and train volunteer drivers. We have almost completed the policies and procedures and have begun some fund-raising efforts – we will be running a volleyball tournament on March 5 from 3pm to 11pm (if interested in putting a team in call Natalie at 613-336-1520).

If you have some spare time, or you already drive your own children to some of these community programs, maybe you would be interested in volunteering to drive other children. Helping others to participate more in the community, helping to build better and brighter futures and building better community programs are just a few of the many rewards you can gain from volunteering.

We have received our first donation to the program (to help fund the drives). Hayley Lamont, a student from North Addington Education Centre, raised some money as part of her Civics class and chose to donate it to the Child and Youth Transportation Program. Youth helping youth – there is nothing better than that.

If you are interested in becoming a driver or donating to the program please contact Natalie or Cheryl at Land O’ Lakes Community Services – 613-336-8934.

 

Anne Prichard, and Harrowsmith Oddfellow and Rebekah members Brenda Taylor, Debbie Green, Howard Warner and Howard Fellows

Anne Prichard, executive director of the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation, presented a $10,000 cheque to the Oddfellows and Rebekkahs of Harrowsmith to use towards the installation of a ductless air conditioning system in the Golden Links Hall in Harrowsmith. The funding was provided by the FCFDC through their Local Initiative Program which is funded by the Eastern Ontario Development Program, and will allow the youth and other programs to run comfortably at the hall in the hot summer months.Rebekkah Brenda Taylor was thrilled to finally be able to put the system in and said that it will go along way in encouraging youth to continue to attend the regular bi-weekly dances that are held at the hall. Regular weekly lodge meetings and monthly dinners are also held at the Hall and Brenda is hoping that more people will rent the hall knowing that there is now air conditioning.At the presentation Anne Prichard said, “We’re always very happy to be able assist with these small capital projects and part of our strategic plan is to help with the vitality of the communities and this will certainly allow youth and others to continue to be engaged in their community through the summer months.”Anyone interested in renting the hall can contact Barb Garrison at 613-372-2315 Photo: Debbie Green

The YAK Youth Centre from Perth has been running Skills Link programs in Perth and Smiths Falls for a number of years, and next month the program will be starting up in Sharbot Lake as a pilot program.

There is room for 10 participants between the ages of 15 and 30 from the surrounding area in the six-month program, which will be based at the meeting room at the North Frontenac Telephone building in Sharbot Lake (see ad on page 6).

Tara Cameron, a program coordinator with YAK, said, “We are very excited to be able to work with the community in Frontenac County. Skills Link will involve the community in many ways.”

Skills Link is a program that assists youth in developing skills that will provide a foundation to build upon in the work place and in life. “It all depends on the needs of the participants, and the youth always have a lot of input because only they can identify their own needs,” said Cameron.

Training will be offered in positive self image, managing interpersonal relationships, turning obstacles into opportunities, career planning, developing financial plans, conflict resolution, and leadership training.

In addition to curriculum work, the youth will be available to the community to help out, and local groups and businesses will be approached to provide leadership and to make use of some of the skills offered by Skills Link participants.

David Hitchcock, who will be running the Sharbot Lake program, is a recent graduate from Algonquin College himself. He returned to school later in life to get a social worker degree after working as an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) technician for a number of years.

“My attitude is that we will be the pioneers for this program. Since it is new, we will be able to experiment and have some fun with it. There are a number of youth who have strayed, for a variety of reasons, and this will be a chance for them to get back into the mainstream,” he said.

Tara Cameron said the program in Perth and Smiths Falls has had an 85% success rate. “That could mean a youth finds a career objective, a job, a high school certificate or enrolls in college. Success is defined by the needs and goals of each participant.”

Skills Link is a 9-5 program, and is available to youth with barriers to employment, who are not in school and are currently unemployed. An allowance equal to the minimum wage will be available to participants.

 

The GAO's Mary Ann Hayward presents Augusta James of Bath, ON with the Ontario Junior Girls championship trophy

When the final round of the GAO's Investors Group Juvenile and Junior Girls Ontario Championships wound up on July 8 at Rivendell Golf Club in Verona, seventeen-year-old Augusta James of Bath, ON remained true to the words she had spoken two days earlier after round one: “Winning the event would be a realistic goal for me.”

And win she did, becoming the new Ontario Junior Girls Champion.

Her final score after three rounds played in three consecutive days of blazing heat, was even par, four shots ahead of Brittany Marchand of Brampton.

James actually birdied her final hole to bring her score to 1 under par, but the three members of the final groups were assessed a one stroke penalty for slow play.

James and Marchand were battling for first place from the start of the tournament. Marchand carded the best round of the tournament with a two under par 69 on the first day, followed by a three over par 74 on day 2 for a 1 over score going into the final round showdown with James. James had been the picture of consistency, with identical even par 71s on each of the first two rounds, giving her a one shot lead going into round 3.

James extended her lead with a birdie on the par 3 second hole, but then fell one shot behind on the very next hole. She had a double bogie 6 while Marchand made birdie.

By the end of nine holes the girls were tied at two over for the tournament, but then James birdied both 10 and 11 while Marchand went par-bogie over the same stretch, giving James a three shot lead that was never really challenged.

James spoke to the press about winning the Ontario championship so close to home. “It means a lot that the win was close to home but I really wanted this win no matter what and I played out there shot by shot, really trying not to think about that– I'm just really excited to have this win at all, especially knowing that I'm competing against Ontario's best.”

Asked about her shaky first nine on day 3 and how she regrouped mentally, James replied, “I knew I had the shots so I had to just let them show. I wasn't too concerned cause I did the same on the first day as well.”

Her mindset coming into the third day was positive.

“I've been in this position before so I could draw on that and I felt confident. I was 'good nervous' starting out this morning which is something that I am always trying to work on.”

She said she could feel the energy in the crowd at the final hole but, “You have to use that energy in a positive way and not let it make you nervous.”

She said what she was happiest about in her game was that ”everything was decent-nothing was spectacular but also nothing fell apart.” James and Marchand have been playing against each other since they were 9 and 10 years old. Both are signed up to play at North Carolina State University. Marchand will attend this fall and James next year in the fall of 2011.

James is playing this week at a CN Canadian Women’s tour event in Gatineau, Quebec and is the first alternate for the US Junior Girls Championship in two weeks

Another local golfer, Rivendell member Sydney Asselstine placed in a tie for 36th, after a final round 89, to go with scores of 84 and 85 in the first two rounds. On the final day she ran into trouble at the bell hole, number 5 where she had a bad shot off the tee and ended up with a 9. Though she admitted that she was “never really in contention”, overall she was pleased with her play. “I just went out and played my game and tried to put a little competition out there and played as well as I could.”

Members of the club who lined the sidelines were treated to some exciting golf over the three-day event. Long-time Rivendell Club member Roger Dixie of Kingston said, “These girls are sensational golfers. I'm really impressed. I knew they'd be good but I didn't know that they'd be this good.”

The club's owner Ken Harper was thrilled to be hosting the event for the first time in the history of the 32-year-old course.” The girls really seem to be enjoying the course and we've been a long time in making Rivendell into the course that it is. I feel that hosting this event is definitely like a seal of approval, and something we've all been working long and hard towards.”

Club officials believe that the tournament has opened the doors to the possibility of hosting similar high calibre events at Rivendell in the future.