Letters - July 10, 2008

Back toHome

Letters - July 10, 2008 Letters: July 10

Re: We Won't See the Fireworks, Shasti Abalk

Re: We Won't See the Fireworks, Diane Thomson

Oh Henry!, Carmen Gowan

Strokes Fore Hopes, Cathy Goodfellow

Re: We Won't See the Fireworks

This really is not worth a response, but I can't help but do so. Just imagine: Canada Day must be changed in order to accommodate the Aspins/Grnaks/Barretts’ desire to take their boats to the bay. The audacity!

How ridiculously absurd that is! Perhaps I misunderstood something; or am I being taken in by a late April Fool’s thing? HELLOOO! What planet are you from?

Sorry you were disappointed that your (and our) "favourite outstanding pyrotechnic display" took place on its appointed day. To use more of your words,Aspins, Grnaks & Barretts, “logically"...."this arrangement" is a "time honoured tradition" decreed by the GOVERNMENT of CANADA,thank you. And we, as CANADIANS, and this community, accept whatever inconvenience that may cause so that we may honour and celebrate themagnanimity of our country.

Finally, I do believe your children and grandchildren will understand that CANADA DAY IS JULY 1, whatever day of theweek that happens to be.

Do I sound angry? You bet I am!

Shastri Ablack

Re: We Won't See the Fireworks

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the letter from the Aspins, Grnaks and Barretts complaining about holding the Canada Day fireworks on Canada Day! As I read the letter,I was expecting to see the signatories listed as non-Canadians who didn't understand the importance to Canadians of celebrating Canada Day on July 1 - that is our nation's birthday and we are given a day's holiday to celebrate it and to reflect on how lucky we are to live in Canada!If the fireworks display is important to people, they will make the necessary arrangements to be at their cottages - the first week of July is a perfect time for a week's holiday and heck you only have to take 4 of your precious vacation days!

We don't change Christmas from December 25 to another day that might be more suitable to some and I for one really like to celebrate my birthday on its actual date.

Sorry you missed a great show this year but plan ahead for 2009 to be at Sharbot Lake on Wednesday July 1!

Diane Thomson

Oh Henry!

Dr. Morgenthaler shouldn’t get the Order of Canada. He should get the Nobel Prize.

Carmel Gowan

Strokes fore Hopes

What does it mean to live in a small community? It means “together everyone achieves more”. As many of you have read in the past Frontenac News, from Thursday, June 19 through to Friday, June 20 the number of people that live in an area has no bearing on the size of their hearts.

When Edward first told me about his idea for Strokes Fore Hopes, his 24-hour walk while golfing to benefit the Southeastern Ontario Cancer Clinic, we had no idea that the community, which we are proud to call home, would be so supportive. I would challenge any community in Canada to do a better job of rallying around two young men for a fabulous cause. There was absolutely nothing that we asked that wasn't given. Then there were the things that we never asked of people and they did anyway. There are no words to describe our gratitude to Jim Lansdell for believing, one very cold March evening, in a crazy dream and then going out on a limb and agreeing to let Edward and Andrew take over the course. To Sandra Reynolds and her fabulous kitchen staff for doing what they do best, and that is creating a delicious breakfast buffet for over 100 people when they really had no idea how many supporters would show up - thank you. To Brent Hamilton and his maintenance crew for ensuring Rivendell Golf Course was in great shape and doing everything we asked out on the course - thank you. To Les Cliff and Ken Harper for donating breakfast and for having such a great staff - thank you. To the mayor of South Frontenac Gary Davison for being brave enough to participate in the ceremonial opening tee off - thank you. To the Limestone District School Board schools of Clarendon P.S. for the inspiration banner 'Helping Hands' with all of the staff and students' hand prints and the two intermediate classes from Prince Charles P.S. for arriving just as Edward and Andrew were finishing - thank you.

Because an unbelievable amount of people showed up to assist Edward and Andrew on their journey, it would be impossible to name everyone and the last thing that I would want to do is forget to thank anyone. I am convinced beyond a doubt that Andrew and Edward would not have been able to complete their journey without the support of our special marshalls (one that only went home for a couple of hours sleep), a cart driver who could have been the only one that would convince them to put their golf bags on a cart, our member who suggested that we let caddies assist the guys by carrying their bags, and people that came out in the middle of the night to walk with them. Our longtime NHL friend who, without trying to draw any attention to himself, with his real estate buddy, came out at 12:30 a.m. and played alongside Edward and Andrew, getting them through the most difficult time in their journey, right through to the finish, then quietly stepping to the side after the final putt on the 18th green.

This community event has gotten nation-wide, and we just recently found out, world-wide coverage. Because of our golf course family, the communities of North, South and Central Frontenac, Strokes Fore Hopes was a huge success. The journey that Edward and Andrew took is nothing compared to the journey that our special friends that battled cancer and lost took, that our special friends that are cancer survivors took, that our special friends who are currently battling cancer are taking and that the hundreds of unknown people affected by cancer took. They and their families are the strongest people and I am proud to know them.

It just goes to show you that through strength, courage, faith and hope and an amazing community behind you, never underestimate the impossible.

Cathy Goodfellow.

Oct 30/08 - Inside North Sherbrooke

Back toHome

Feature Article - October 30, 2008 "Inside North Sherbrooke" Book Launch in ElphinBy Jeff Green

Isobel Graham, Barbara Howell, Beryl Stott

The North Sherbrooke Historical Society was formed three years ago, and last weekend at the Elphin Presbyterian Church, the society marked the occasion of its greatest accomplishment thus far, the publication of a book, “Inside North Sherbrooke, Volume 1”.

To celebrate the book launch and foster further research, the descendants of the families referenced in the book were asked to bring a story or an artifact for a show and tell event.

Inside North Sherbrooke is organized into 14 chapters. Some of them are about specific buildings, such as the McConnochie and Weir houses, and the Elphin Presbyterian Church itself, while others are about families and individuals, such as the Love family, and Elizabeth “Granny” Miller, who was born in Scotland in 1818, emigrated to North Sherbrooke in 1822, and lived a long and productive life, eventually having 43 grandchildren. She died in 1903.

Many of the settlers who built homesteads in the McDonalds Corners and Elphin areas, and towards what became Snow Road and Mississippi Station, arrived in Canada in 1821 on a ship called “The Commerce”.

They were given land grants, and although they were expected to pay the government for the land, the amount of effort required to clear land, build homes and survive in the harsh climate, left little extra money. In 1836 all of the settlers were granted the lands they had been working for 15 years.

Using old photographs, scraps of family history, and genealogical records, “Inside North Sherbrooke” paints a picture of how local, national, and international events shaped the way communities developed over the first 150 years of settlement in the former North Sherbrooke and Palmerston townships. North Sherbrooke is now part of Lanark Highlands and Palmerston is now in North Frontenac.

A gathering of the Wilson clan of Elphin, circa 1900.

At the book launch/show and tell, there were people connected to most of the 14 chapters in the book, and their stories added an additional context.

One of these people was Heather Gordon, whose great grandfather Samuel Gordon obtained the recipe for what is reportedly an old native salve from a local doctor. Samuel Gordon refined the salve and began producing it, and he eventually got a patent for it in the 1930s.

Although Gordon's Salve is no longer a commercial product, the secret family recipe for it remains intact, and Heather Gordon brought with her a small jar that the family made this past summer.

Mona Winterburn is descended from Solomon Benedict, an Abenaki from the Trois Rivies region of Quebec who moved to Robertsville Road partly because of the abundance of ash trees there. Making ash splint baskets was the family vocation. Mona, who lives between Elphin and Snow Road, brought examples of family-made baskets that were sold for many years in the Muskoka region.

Barbara Griffith brought a thick volume that is all about the Love family, who are the subject of a chapter in Inside North Sherbrooke, and Jim Brownlee had a family bible that was brought over from Scotland.

Other stories, such as the relationship between the McDougall and McDougalds, including the existence of Dougall McDougald, brought to the fore the strong Scottish Presbyterian roots of North Sherbrooke that persist to this day.

After the show and tell, the host of the book launch, Beryl Stott, introduced Barbara Howell and Isabel Graham, two other key members of the historical society who have played key roles in the publication of the book.

Inside North Sherbrooke is available at Wheeler's Pancake House. Through the photographic work of photographer and book designer Mary Ferguson, it includes many contemporary photos of log and stone farmhouses and barns that have survived to this day or been refurbished.

In researching the book, Beryl Stott came up with many historical photos that are reproduced in its covers, and the text includes a lot of detail that paints its own picture of how people lived their lives in the pioneering days of North Sherbrooke and Palmerston townships.

The book has been purchased by the Kingston Frontenac Public Library and will be available from the Sharbot Lake branch.

Oct 30/08 - Letters

Back toHome

Letters -October 30,2008 Letters: October 30

MPAC Where Is Your Credibility? Edie Cairns

MPAC Where Is Your Credibility?

After a three-year break MPAC has returned after “changes to the ... system ... to provide an additional level of property tax stability...”. We now have access to a modern, detailed website, AboutMyProperty, that will allow you information of up to 24 additional properties of your choice to which you can compare your assessment to determine its accuracy. Wonderful — But wait, who determined the accuracy of those other property assessments? Do I sound suspicious?

MPAC points out the five major factors that have the most impact (85%) on the value of the property: location; lot dimensions; living area; age of structure; and major renovations. It cites the valuation date as January 1, 2008. You can imagine my dismay that, although none of these factors changed in my circumstance, the value of our property has increased 33%. I am sure MPAC will be quick to point out that I moved closer to Kingston in the last three years, of course, but other than that --- THIRTY-THREE PERCENT?

As to location, in the 30 years I have lived in the west end suburbs of Parham, exactly one new house has been built in “my neighbourhood”. It was a manse for the local church. No, people are not exactly busting to move here. That is not a complaint. It is a fact.

Nonetheless, I gamely ventured into the MPAC site to look for helpful data to support or refute the new assessment figures. For the examples to which I could gain access, I found factual errors of such a proportion as to be dumbfounding.

The neighbouring property of just more than one acre that contains a building for which there is NO WATER, NO HYDRO, NO INTERIOR WALLS, is described as recreational/seasonal, “the first tier on water”. I am not sure if “the water” refers to the roadside drainage ditch or the sump hole in the dirt basement floor. At the time of the valuation date (Jan 1/08) this building had been without heat, hydro or inhabitants for close to two years.

Upon what could this assessment have been based? Even a simple drive by would have revealed an unattended building left to fall to ruin. The property has since sold, in a fair and open market, for a little more than one-third of MPAC’s assessment figure.

Supposing one didn’t know the facts in this case and used this data as a measure to validate their assessment? If this was the only glaring error that I had found on my browsing of the site one could be forgiving. It is not, of course.

So, have you looked at the site yet? Have you checked the accuracy of your neighbouring properties? Out there are people using this data in good faith. ... MPAC says it’s so. ... Yes I sound suspicious.

Edie Cairns

Legalese - Trespassing and Hunters

Back toHome

Legalese - October 30, 2008 Trespassing and Hunters

By Susan Irwin, Lawyer/Executive Director, Rural Legal Services

With the firearm season for deer almost upon us, it’s probably a good time to look at a few of the rules about trespassing. During this period, one of the most frequent sources of complaint by property owners is the sighting of an uninvited hunter or hunters on their land.

The act of going onto property owned by another person when you have no right or authority to do so, or refusing to leave such property when asked to go by the owner constitutes trespass.

Every hunter should be aware that it is an offence under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act to ignore notices prohibiting hunting, or to otherwise contravene the Trespass to Property Act. The notices can be written, as in the case of signs, or simply oral if given by the owner or a person authorized by the owner (such as a tenant).

If asked to leave by the owner, or any person who might reasonably be authorized by the owner, you must do so immediately. It doesn’t matter that the property wasn’t fenced or posted with “No Trespassing” signs.

The law doesn’t always require that the owner of property take action, such as posting signs, to stop trespassers. The law assumes that whether or not there are any signs, simple common sense and courtesy must apply.

A fence, for instance, is a pretty good indication that a landowner intends to keep strangers off the property. Where property is enclosed, or where the land is a garden, an orchard, a woodlot on lands used primarily for agriculture, a reforestation area where the trees are under about 2 metres in height, or just generally an area that appears to be under cultivation, you cannot enter without permission whether or not any signs or notices have been posted.

The Trespass to Property Act provides landowners with several ways to let people know that they are not to enter onto their property. An oral notice, by simply telling somebody, is good notice, as is a letter or note.

The more common sort of notice against trespassing is a sign. The signs must clearly prohibit entry, with something as simple as “Keep Out” being satisfactory. The signs must be clearly visible in daylight and people should be able to see them as they approach the usual places of entry to the land, such as laneways or gates.

A red marking, at least four inches in diameter, has the same meaning as a “No Trespassing” sign. The markings don’t have to be round and can really be any shape, providing they are red and a four inch circle could fit in the middle. The markings can be on trees, rocks, fence posts or anything else which allows them to be seen, and they can be painted or made out of other materials.

Again, if you are asked to leave, it is an offence under the Trespass to Property Act to refuse to go immediately, whether or not the property was posted. Don’t argue, just leave.

If you are a property owner and find trespassers, you may ask them to leave. If they refuse to go, don’t get into an argument, simply return to your home and call the police or, if they are hunters, you may also call the Ministry of Natural Resources. If you cannot identify the trespassers, you may be able to obtain a licence number from their ATV or other vehicle.

Under no circumstances should you threaten or use force to attempt to convince people who are trespassing to leave. Pointing a weapon at a person is a criminal offence and is far more serious than a charge of trespassing.

If convicted of trespassing you may be fined up to $2,000.00 under the Trespass to Property Act and ordered to pay for any damage to the property. A trespassing hunter may also be fined up to $25,000.00 under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and may be prohibited from hunting for a period of time.

Landowners should consider posting or marking their property if they don’t wish to have hunters on their land, but hunters should take seriously their responsibility to make certain that they have permission to hunt on land that is not their own.

Legalese is a column of general information and opinion on legal topics by the lawyers of Rural Legal Services, Box 359, Sharbot Lake, ON, K0H2P0, 613-279-3252, or 1-888-777-8916. This column is not intended to provide legal advice. You should contact a lawyer to determine your legal rights and obligations.

Oct 30/08 - First Impressions: Verona

Back toHome

Feature Article - October 30, 2008 First Impressions of VeronaGreat restaurants, they love Local Family Farms, but where is McMullen Park?By Jeff Green

“I think we scared a lot of people when we came. They might have thought we were from MPAC,” said one of the First Impressions team from Havelock about the visit they paid to Verona back on July 29.

The 10-member team had nice things to say about their visit to Verona when they presented their findings to a meeting at the Verona Lions Hall last week, but they did have some concerns. Among the concerns were some that can’t be dealt with by the members of the Verona Community Association, who were on hand to hear the results.

The visitors found that many of the homes on Main Street are located close to the street, that the businesses in the hamlet are a bit too spread out, and that Verona does not have public water and sewer systems. The location of houses on Main Street cannot exactly be changed, and the township politicians in the room visibly cringed when water and sewer were mentioned.

But there were other suggestions that could be adopted. The Havelock visitors found that Verona is blessed by having a picturesque lakefront park in McMullen Park, but they did not notice any signage on the main street directing people to it. “The beach is a hidden jewel,” said one of the Havelock visitors, “There are not many communities that have that kind of asset, and you should let people know where it is.”

In a related vein, the Havelock people mentioned that a public boat launch might be an asset. There are in fact two boat launches in Verona. “I guess that points out that we need signage for boat launches as well,” said association member Inie Platenius.

Among businesses that the Havelock people particularly appreciated were Jitterbugs, Local Family Farms, Verona Computer and Satellite, Bravo and Mom’s Restaurants. “These innovative stores are a great asset. They are attractions that can draw people back. They make Verona a good tourist destination,” said Shirley Patterson, one of the Havelock people.

Patterson also noted that there is a lack of parking in Verona.

Havelock, which will be receiving their report from the Verona First Impressions crew on November 5, is a village that is familiar with the advantages and challenges of having a major highway running through its centre. It is located on Highway 7 about 40 km east of Peterborough, and is larger than Verona; however, it has faced some similar issues.

With all those cars and trucks flowing though - bound, in Havelock's case, either for Peterborough, Ottawa, or cottage country - how can they be enticed to stop? Businesses located off Highway 7 have a particular problem attracting customers from this traffic.

By establishing a chamber of commerce and working with OMAFRA (the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs) Havelock has seen some improvement in its business prospects.

“We don't really have the same goals as they do in Havelock,” said Debbie Lingen, who coordinated the First Impressions project for the Verona Community Association. “Some of the things they were worried about there, such as the availability of natural gas and sewer and water, are not really priorities for us.”

But the Havelock crew did confirm some concerns that Lingen said the Verona Community Association was already aware of, particularly the signage.

Lingen said when her family moved to Verona two years ago they did not know that there was a waterfront park in the village, until “one day a couple of months after we moved, when we stumbled upon McMullen Park.”

Since OMAFRA and the Community Futures Development Corporation were the sponsors for the project, Lingen thinks the VCA might be able to go to them for help paying for improved signage.

VCA members were particularly happy about the number of local people who attended the meeting, and the ideas that they brought forward to help improve the community.

Oct 30/08 - New Farm Project

Back toHome

Feature Article - October 30, 2008 NFU Local 316’s New Farm ProjectBy Julie Druker

Supporters of the NFU's New Farm Project, l to r: Andrea Cumpson, Ron Vandewal, Diane Dowling, Ian Stutt, Grant Robertson and Ian Dowling.

The NFU’s "New Farm Project" was officially announced to the press at the National Farm Union’s Region 3 (Ontario) Convention that took place this past Saturday in Sunbury.

The “New Farm Project”, initiated by the NFU, is an internship program designed to “build a more sustainable local food system in Kingston and its countryside”, explained Andrea Cumpson, the president of NFU Local 316.

The project’s goal is to enable more people to get involved in farming through education, training and support, thereby strengthening the region’s farm community and the local food system.

The project will establish a new chapter of the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) which is made up of roughly 12 Ontario farms, each offering internships that provide training for the farmers of tomorrow.

The New Farm Project will help set up the first eight host farms for 2009 and will eventually include a total of 14 farms. The project anticipates that by 2012, 44 interns will have passed through the project and many will go on to future farming ventures.

A total of $250,000 over a four-year period will be made available for the project from Heifer International, a not-for-profit, donor organization that promotes self sustenance and reliability in communities around the world and whose goal is to end world hunger and poverty.

Ron Vandewal, a farmer himself and a councilor in South Frontenac, welcomed the new project and said, “The township is currently working on a new official plan review to designate some large tracts of agricultural land in South Frontenac to be used specifically for agricultural purposes. These lands include a large tract on Sunbury Road and some land in Portland as well.” He added, “If a program like this will encourage someone to take up the challenge of farming, that’s great.”

Grant Robertson, NFU’s Ontario Region 3 co-coordinator, spoke about the practicality of the new program especially in regard to the recent research that the NFU has accumulated. Robertson explained, “Over the last 15 years Ontario has lost 62% of our farmers under the age of 32 which is a demographic crisis we are heading for. So this program is very important to ensure that we have people farming in the community to feed the community.”

He explained that the project offers future farmers an inroad into farming without them having to invest considerable amounts of money from the start but, rather, to get involved and have a positive chance to succeed.

Ian Stutt, the New Farm Project’s co-coordinator, described the details of the project and its incentive to encourage both new and established farmers to gain practical experience and education in order to increase the amount of local food available to the local community. He said, “It’s a project with lots of moving parts, a 4-year project that will include workshops and conferences that will evolve gradually with the focus of supporting farms, new and established, and creating a greater supply of food grown and raised here for the local market.”

It’s also a project that is open to people of all ages who might be considering a future in farming but may have little or no experience. Interns can work over an extended period of time, probably from early spring until November. They will likely be paid a stipend and given room and board, but each host farm and intern will have the flexibility to set up their own terms.

There will be an opportunity for anyone curious or who wants to get involved in the project either as a host or hosted farmer at a fall gathering event on Saturday, November 29, location to be announced at a later date. More information about the new project can be found at www.newfarmproject.ca of by calling Ian Stutt at 613 767-6037

The viability of local farming was demonstrated in the lunch that was offered to the convention participants by local farmers Pat and Rick Dawson of Desert Lake Gardens of Sydenham, who served sandwiches, soups, cookies and muffins all made from local meat and produce, a practical and delicious reminder of the benefits that this new program has to offer.

Oct 23/08 - Frontenac Ventures Plans for '09

Back toHome

Feature Article - October 23, 2008 Frontenac Ventures planning of ’09 – George WhiteBy Jeff Green

A gathering is being planned for Saturday and Sunday at the Robertsville mine gate, as rumours that Frontenac Ventures Corporation has vacated the Robertsville site for good have been denied by Frontenac Ventures President George White.

“Our basic program for 2008 has been completed, and we’re starting to line up ’09,” said White, when interviewed earlier this week.

When asked specifically about the company’s diamond drilling program on their uranium exploration site, White was not so forthcoming. “That is proprietary information,” he said. “There was a program scheduled for this summer and every aspect of it was carried out. We got our final consultant’s report in late September and it is being analyzed right now.”

White said he is not pleased by the current market price of uranium, which has dropped to $45 a pound this week. It peaked at $140 a pound in May of 2007.

“The number of new nuclear power plants is still increasing and the price will go to $75 - $90 a pound in the short run,” he said.

Of more concern to White is the fact that it will cost $1 million for the exploration program the company has planned for 2009, and up to $10 million to bring the project forward if the ongoing results show it is warranted.

Last summer, in the midst of an occupation of the exploration site by members of the Ardoch and Shabot Obadjiwaan First Nations, a planned $5 million financing deal fell through, leaving Frontenac Ventures having to look elsewhere for funds.

“We’ll have a crew back there in the spring,” said George White.

Peter Jorgenson, one of the co-owners of the Robertsville mine, which has been leased by Frontenac Ventures, said he does not know much about the company’s plans, but “they pay the rent on time.”

Members of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation are organizing a loosely defined gathering at the gate of the Robertsville mine this weekend, October 25 and 26.

Under the umbrella title “Pray for the land” the event will begin with a sunrise ceremony at the gate of the mine site on Saturday morning, Different church and religious groups have been invited to attend at any time throughout the weekend.

Bob Lovelace, who came up with the idea for the event, sent an invitation to George White to attend, and also asked that the gate be opened for the occasion, but White declined on both counts, although he said “I’m sure some of our people will be there to observe”.

A court injunction came into effect on September 19, 2007, prohibiting protesters from encroaching within 200 metres of any workers at site, and George White said that as far as he knows the injunction is in place until the end of this year.

Bob Lovelace served over 100 days in the federal penitentiary at Lindsay for defying the injunction and refusing to enter into an undertaking not to defy it. He was released on appeal in late May, and has conducted teachings at the gate on several occasions since then without incident

People have received summonses for attending at the site, but none have been prosecuted thus far.

Lovelace himself will not likely be attending this weekend, as he is undergoing surgery.

Information about “Pray for the Land” is available at http://www.uraniumdefense.ca

Oct 23/08 - Letters

Back toHome

Letters -October 23,2008 Letters: October 23

Re: Rogers Plan for New Tower, Rick Brown

Funding Cut to Kinship Families, Ina Turner

Electoral Reform?, Hannes Friedli

Policy Needs Change, Jerry Ackerman

Re: Rogers Plan for New Tower

I hope you and your readers will join with me in expressing our dismay at the news that a new com.- tower is planned for the intersection ofHarold Burke Road and Hwy 7. At present we have nine towers from just west of Kaladar, north of Kaladar, east to Sharbot Lake, Mountain Grove, and Parham. It is now possible to multi-task these towers, and I certainly think that Central Frontenac should be looking into this, before accepting another metal-mass along Hwy 7, which was once known as the scenic route between Peterborough and Ottawa, and is now known as Cell-Tel Alley. I am sure Rogers would be happy to hear our concerns!

Rick Brown, Arden

Funding Cut to Kinship Families

In writing this letter I hope to make people aware of what is going on with our Social Services.

Madeleine Meilleur who is the MPP, Minister of Community and Social Services is planning to cut off funding for all Ontario kinship families (children being raised by their grandparents or other family members). Now thousands of kinship families will no longer receive Ontario Works...Temp Care Dependant child allowance! The allowance is approximately $231 per child plus limited drug, dental and eyeglass coverage.

Could you raise a child (you did not plan on) on that?

Now approximately 15,000 children in Ontario as well as their caregivers who are already struggling are going to be affected.

Somehow I find it hard to follow the reasoning behind this brilliant plan of Mme. Meilleur as we are well aware of how much more foster parents who are not related to the child are being paid and if you have a special needs child the pay might be as much as $50 per day, plus travel expenses, plus recreation (i.e. hockey or baseball) paid for. These are all expenses that we as kinship parents somehow manage to pay out of our already overburdened pockets.

If this plan goes through there will be more children going into foster care at more expense to the government, which of course the taxpayers will pay for.

The children will be living with non-relatives instead of with their own families who love them and are willing to carry the burden instead of enjoying a well-deserved retirement.

There will be a rally at our nearest MPP office on November 20 and I will certainly be part of that protest.

Ina Turner

Electoral reform? The sooner the better

In a democracy, elections are undoubtedly the most basic and at the same time the most important political events. Voting is a far-reaching act; it should not be taken lightly, neither by our elected representatives nor by us, the voters.

Elections should result in a true representation of voters’ choices. Unfortunately, our elections do not deliver what they seem to promise. After this recent election, again, what we see is a shameful distortion of the voting reality.

After October 15, the media were busy uttering and reporting complaints about the poor voter turnout. All kinds of reasons were considered and there is no shortage of suggestions towards improving participation in elections. Some commentators even suggested making voting compulsory. Personally, I find such a measure undemocratic.

Elections have different meanings for different people. For some citizens they mean nothing at all, because someone else will take care of the political business for them, so why bother. For some, elections mean an exercise in futility as they feel utterly powerless opposite an anonymous and crushing political machinery. Then for some, voting in a federal or provincial election, against all odds of success, means an honest and thoughtful effort to help shape the country for the sake of the well being of its citizenry.

Whereas the first two categories of voters mostly abstain, the latter care to vote. The trouble is, for millions of them their effort ended in minimal reward or none at all. Of all the votes cast nationally, less than half actually elected someone. Orphaning more than half of the active voters is a dismal failure of our electoral system. The present first-past-the-post system does not just fail the smaller parties, as is often thought, but it wreaks havoc right across the whole party landscape.

A publication of Fair Vote Canada of October 17 says about this recent election: “In terms of party support, more than 2.1 million Orphan Voters cast votes for the Liberal Party, 1.8 million for the NDP, 1.7 million for the Conservatives and just under 1 million for the Green Party.” But millions of wasted votes are just one aspect in this electoral calamity. An article in the Calgary Herald of October 16 quotes another figure illustrating the catastrophic voting distortions resulting from our out-dated electoral system. Deploring the ineffectiveness of 940,000 Green votes nationwide, the Herald continues: “...813,000 votes concentrated in Alberta were enough to send 27 Conservative MPs to Ottawa....In Toronto, 225,000 people voted Conservative, but no Tories won seats. The system is sick and it is undemocratic.”

Canada is one of the very last democracies using the first-past-the-post system, and change is absolutely urgent. If change does not happen soon, cynicism towards politics, politicians, and the government will increase, and so will voter abstinence. To give an effective voice to every vote cast in this country, we need a form of proportional representation. This change will result in a positive change in Canada’s political landscape, in a change of how the different political parties and organizations operate and co-operate, and, most importantly, in a change of how Canadians see themselves as active and effective participants in the democratic processes of their country.

Fair Vote Canada is a group committed to electoral reform. Readers who think that electoral reform is a cause worth fighting for can become members of Fair Vote Canada. Call H. Friedli at 613-374-5254 or visit www.fairvote.ca

Hannes Friedli

Policy Needs Change

Thanks for publishing some of my thoughts about our federal government. I note that no improvement is in prospect. Same old, same old. And only a third of the citizenry made this happen; one third voted for some one else and one third didn't see any use in voting. Until we can force a preferential voting system, a majority of Canadian voices will not be represented in our government. (Jack Layton COULD have forced this by keeping the Paul Martin Liberals in power with THIS condition.)

Your choice of headline for my letter, "Jerry hates Harper", distorts my intended meaning. My "hatred" is not directed against any one person, ever. Only against wrong-headed policies and programs that are advocated and implemented without consultation with the people affected. Stephen Harper's government practices are the result of direct consultation with only one segment of the people affected, namely, the bankers and the major business corporations. He is precisely "in their pocket".

The consequence is that Canada's fundamental rights to make decisions in our own best interest are swept away by preventing the majority of voices being heard. I am only one voice but I echo what is on the minds of a goodly number of thoughtful citizens.

Conserving our resource base - oil, gas, minerals, timber, water - is of the highest priority in the minds of everyday Canadians. Serving by conserving is an old and well-tested political philosophy. It does not intend a selling off of our resources and sacrificing the country's future just because a foreign market exists.

The unfair trade agreements requiring this (FTA and NAFTA) ensure that 70% of our oil and 60% of our natural gas MUST go South (even if we freeze in the dark).

The giveaway royalties and the instant capital write-offs bring only a temporary boom to a few Albertans. All will have to live with a permanently destroyed environment.

In effect, Harper is cutting taxes for the already-rich American companies. The rightful owners of these resources are left with the opportunity of loading the pirates' gold. Our rights to our own resources get lost in the deal and our official representatives pad their pockets and excuse the sellout as inevitable.

Same with the value of our money. Canadians have our own central bank. We all own it. It served us well during the war and provided interest-free postwar improvements in our infrastructure, our health, our pensions. Inflation was manageable. So was our nation's debt.

Now our leadership takes direction only from the chartered banks, the foreign controlled businesses, Wall Street and Washington.

Tens of billions of dollars are being dumped into the system in exchange for bad debts created by the chartered banks. The consequence? Deflation of the value of all our assets…to be followed by a sharply receding economy, huge unemployment and a dismal future.

Am I really "hating Harper"? No, I'm not. I am protesting the cutback and removal of our fundamental rights, rights to choose our own future well-being as a sovereign nation. I do not expect foreign-based interests to accommodate these rights.

Jerry Ackerman

Oct 16/08 - Little Theatre Breaks New Ground

Back toHome

Feature Article - October 16, 2008 Little Theatre breaks new groundBy Jeff Greenr

Just like any other 30-year-old not-for-profit institution, the North Frontenac Little Theatre has seen some ups and downs, but the group has always managed to put on a couple of productions each year, and a musical just about every second year.

The last few years have been good ones as new people have come in to take on major roles. Last spring’s production of The Wizard of Oz was well attended and well received, and featured one of the largest casts in the troupe’s history.

The coming fall and winter shows will break new ground for the Little Theatre.

Later this month, on October 29, 30, and November 2 (Sunday Matinee) the first ever Little Theatre Youth Production, Peter Pan, will be presented at Sharbot Lake High School.

Later in November (27, 28 and 29) a production of “Opening Night” by Norm Foster will go up.

Next spring, the Little Theatre will take on Shakespeare for the first time, presenting “A Midsummer Night's Dream” in late April.

Right now it is Peter Pan that is attracting all the attention.

A cast of 60 young actors, who attend all of the local schools in the area, along with a crew of volunteers and supportive parents, led by Producer Sally Angle, and Director Danielle Harding, have been working diligently together since the beginning of September.

“In this version of the play, which was adapted by Kathryn Shultz-Miller, the language is scaled down and most of the lines are a lot shorter. It is ideal for a children’s production,” said Danielle Harding.

Harding has been bringing theatre to the Sharbot Lake Public School for the past few years, with a spring production, and it hadn’t been her plan to add directing a community theatre production, particularly a youth production, to her busy schedule.

“During the production of the Wizard of Oz last spring there was so much interest from the youth in the play and their families that John Pariselli [the Little Theatre President] wanted to do the first ever youth production, and he asked me to direct. I’ll admit I was reluctant, partly because I was doing a play at my school at the time. But I am enjoying it,” Danielle Harding said.

When auditions were held in September there was a tremendous response, leading to a large cast that has been working in an intensive way to get the production ready for the end of October.

Among the changes that have been made to the play were some revisions to the characters of the “Indians” in the original production. Marcie Webster from the Child Centre wrote the changes and people viewing the play will notice some Algonquin language and traditions in place of the stereotypical 1940s American Indian language and dancing from the original Peter Pan production.

Oct 2/08 - Denbigh crime meeting

Back toHome

Feature Article - October 2, 2008 Denbigh Crime MeetingBy Angela Bright

Two members of the Ontario Provincial Police came to Denbigh Tuesday afternoon for an open public meetingto discuss concerns about recent thefts and public disturbances. Sergeant MacLellan and Constable Lamont were pleased to be on hand to address a number of questions from a group of 32 people.

Paul Isaacs extended the invitation to the OPP on behalf of the community, which is something Mr. Isaacs took on at the suggestion of an OPP inspector he met a few weeks ago.

The first thing people were looking for was a contact number to reach the police in non-emergency situations and/or for information. Stickers were given out with the number, 1-888-310-1122, the number of he communications centre.

Another concern was the issue of reporting a crime. Sergeant MacLellan said these types of reports are certainly welcomed, and remarked later, "Bury the police with phone calls…over and over and over."

He also pointed out that people calling in to report an incident are not required to give their name to police. One resident asked, "How do you suggest we protect ourselves while we are waiting for police to arrive?"

Sergeant MacLellan urged people not to put themselves at risk in any way.He then talked about how other communities have organized and banded together to support one another. All present seemed generally pleased with the police presence in the area.

As stressed by Sergeant MacLellan, the officers who patrol this jurisdiction take it very seriously and recognize previous concerns that were raised in regard to attending to calls.

Mr. Isaacs commended the OPP for their willingness and co-operation and wrapped up the meeting with thanks to the officers attending.

Later in the evening, a follow up meeting was held without police presence, to talk about what kind of community involvement could work in our rural experience. Twenty people attended and suggestions on the table included setting up a committee style body, and a more informal approach, which would involve a few designated individuals taking on the role as community contact persons.

At the moment there is no firm plan in place, and people can direct their ideas to Paul Isaacs at 613-333-2776.