Family Day in the Frontenacs

Julie Druker | Feb 17, 2016

The annual Family Day in the Frontenacs event, which was held at the Frontenac Community Arena in Piccadilly on February 15, had added support this year thanks in part to a $1,125,000 grant to the City of Kingston. The grant will support 45 area municipalities as part of the Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) Region's Healthy Kids Community Challenge.

The program, which is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and part of Ontario's three-year Healthy Kids Strategy, aims to support local communities in the KFL&A region by promoting physical activity and healthy eating for children 12 years of age and younger and their families.

It was launched most recently in the Township of South Frontenac as part of Monday's Family Day event, which in past years has been funded and organized by the South Frontenac Recreation Committee.

Monday’s activities included free public skating indoors at the arena, while outdoors there was snow shoeing, an obstacle course, horse-drawn wagon rides, numerous games, a free BBQ lunch and more.

Mayor of South Frontenac, Ron Vandewal, was present as was County Warden and Mayor of Central Frontenac, Frances Smith, who attended the event as the acting champion of the program for Frontenac County. Warden Smith said she is thrilled with the program, which “helps to get young kids away from their electronic gadgets and screens and outside playing in the snow and getting physically active.”

She said that hosting the event at the local community arena also makes youngsters and their families “aware of the arena and the various activities that happen here on a regular basis.”

Tim Laprade, the arena and recreation supervisor with the Township of South Frontenac, said that he is also very pleased with the program and that the funding for the program is “very timely and gives kids from across the county an opportunity to enjoy healthy outdoor activities.”

The first stage of the program, titled “Run. Jump. Play. Every Day.”, focuses on exercise and physical activity. Its next stage will focus more on healthy eating.

Numerous volunteers, including those from Northern Frontenac Community Services, the South Frontenac Recreation Committee, Kingston Gets Active and the Frontenac Minor Hockey Association, were also in attendance to help run the events. By 11am the parking lot at the arena was quickly filling up and organizers were expecting to see at least 1500 people at the event.