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ARNPRIOR
Chronicle Guide Proudly serving Arnprior and surrounding area since 1879
132nd year , Issue 13
March 29, 2012 | 64 Pages
www.yourottawaregion.com
Arnprior at the Junos Sherry Haaima
Sherry.haaima@metroland.com
Could this man be Canada’s next prime minister? – Page 7
Arnprior District High School’s Red Velvet is having a banner season, recently qualifying for the Musicfest Nationals in May. – Page 13
EMC news - Arnprior is headed to the Junos. Veteran Canadian folk musician Craig Cardiff, who resides in Arnprior, earned a Juno nomination for his most recent album, Floods and Fires. Cardiff will be on hand at the awards ceremony at Ottawa’s Scotiabank Place this Sunday, April 1. “The thing I’m most excited about is the fact it’s happening at all and I get to go and watch this. I feel lucky to be able to do that,� said Cardiff. Floods and Fires is up against albums by Bruce Cockburn, Dave Gunning, David Francey and Lindi Ortega for best roots and traditional solo album of the year. Should he win, Cardiff says he will melt down the award to make five little junos to share with the other nominees. He’s impressed by all his fellow nominees. He’s also on a mission to get Juno host William Shatner
to agree to a duet, so the event is rife with possibility. The challenge was issued Monday with the help of former governor general Michaelle Jean in a televised Juno-related event. In practising for the event and working on the translation in her office, she urged him to translate more of his songs into French and offered to help. Flattered by the offer but realizing how busy Jean must be, he told her as much. He was surprised and grateful when she mentioned the offer on air. “When she sat down she said to me, ‘There, now I’ve publicly committed to translating some of your songs,’� said Cardiff. Floods and Fires has a strong tie to Arnprior, said Cardiff. “Except for a few parts, it was recorded entirely here in Arnprior,� Cardiff said Tuesday afternoon, having just arrived home from shows in Thunder Bay, Ont. See CARDIFF Page 4
Fire victim dies of injuries
It was a wild winter for Warrant Officer Stefan Hoerdt of 2360 Royal Canadian Army Cadets when he headed to Alberta. – Page 28
EMC news - A man injured in a White Lake house fire has succumbed to his injuries. Michael Sheppard, 57, passed away overnight Tuesday, says his brother Richard. “His kidneys and heart gave out,� said Richard, “and because of his injuries they couldn’t revive him.� Sheppard was burned in a March 16 fire at 2442 White Lake Rd. The cause of the blaze is still undetermined. “He was a very outdoorsy kind of guy,� said his brother. “That’s why he liked the area so much.� Sheppard, a quiet man who kept to himself, was originally from Newfoundland but had lived in the Arnprior area for a number of years now, said Richard. He enjoyed fishing and spending time outside. Along with Richard, Michael Sheppard is survived by his mother Joan Prudhomme, brothers Dave and Brian and a sister Marlene. Anyone wishing information about funeral and visitation is welcome to call Richard at 613-276-0095.
Photo by Theresa Fritz
TINY DANCERS These lovely little ladies strike their best pose Saturday at the Arnprior School of Dance. It was picture day at the school and the more than 175 dancers had their moment in front of the camera. Pictured are (sitting from left to right ) Sydney Dougherty, Prestin Barsoski, Adisson Budden, Kyleigh McManus and (standing) are Kaitlyn Barker, Molly Pieroway and Chloe Stuber. The girls are in Miss Alison’s creative dance for threeyear-olds class. All Arnprior School of Dance dancers are getting ready for the May 12 recital. For more information
Cabbies want out of hospital parking fee Derek Dunn derek.dunn@metroland.com
EMC news – Taxis should not have to pay the $2 fee when dropping patients off at the emergency room, say drivers. Every vehicle at Arnprior District Memorial Hospital (ADMH) pays the same amount, whether it is an employee’s who stays for the day or a taxi driver’s who is taking a minute to drop someone off. Most hospitals in the province have gone to the parking fee system as a way to generate revenue for badly needed services or equipment. But few in this region charge to access the emergency room section; Carleton Place’s is only other one that
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does for certain, at $3 upon departure. Grab-A-Cab owner Dwight Halpenny said it doesn’t cost him a lot of money, about $16 to $20 a month. But the additional cost hits working class people harder than doctors or administrators. “Why would we have to pay to get a drop-off at emergency? We’re not staying,� Halpenny said. “My response from the hospital up here has been really poor.� He argues, as do some experts in the healthcare field, that the fee is a service charge which contravenes the Canada Health Act. However, the view is not widespread and some even argue it is good to have such fees as a reminder
to Canadians that universal healthcare is costly. ADMH vice president of finance and support services Steve Hudson said it is the first he has heard of the problem, but didn’t comment on allowing taxis to opt out. He said they can pay $20 for a monthly pass. But the board of directors approved the introduction of parking fees a couple of years ago as a way to raise what amounts to a half a percentage of the total revenue. That could mean the difference between hiring another nurse or purchasing a piece of equipment, he said. “It’s a result of the state of healthcare dollars,� he said. See FEE Page 5