Manotick Messenger March 10, 2023

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Minister tells local farmers Ontario agriculture has bright future

By Manotick

Messenger staff

Not only is farming the backbone of Rideau-Jock and Osgoode, but it is also a big part of the engine that drives Ontario.

Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Lisa Thompson was a guest at MPP Goldie Ghamari’s Farmers Appreciation Breakfast at the Richmond Memorial Community Centre Sat., Feb. 25. The free breakfast was attended by well over 200 people, with many from the farming communities in and around Manotick, Richmond, North Gower and Osgoode.

It was the first Farmers Appreciation Breakfast hosted by Ghamari since the COVID-19 pandemic began three years ago.

Minister Thompson had an event in her riding the previous night and left Bruce County at 9 p.m. to make

the long drive to rural Ottawa to join Ghamari at the event.

“We rolled into here at 2:51 a.m. so we made it!”

Minister Thompson told the large crowd. “If you have to head east, it’s a good time to roll because the 401 is not very busy.”

The Minister and MPP greeted and engaged with most of the people who attended the breakfast. Minister Thompson took particular in meeting local farmers and members of agricultural families. She grew up in the 4H program and showed her first calf at the age of 11.

“It’s an honour to be here as your Ontario Minister of Agriculture,” she said as she addressed the crowd.

“I have to tell you our Government at Queen’s Park truly values and gets small towns, rural areas and our agricultural sector. Agriculture always has been and al-

ways will be a cornerstone of the economy. One in 10 jobs in the province of Ontario is directly connected to the agri-sector. People around the world are looking to Ontario to produce good quality food that they can trust, and they want to build relationships with our province.”

Minister Thompson commented that she was still suffering from jet leg as she had just returned from a trade mission to Japan and VietNam. She was with an entourage that represented five of Ontario’s commodities – beef, pork, wine, ginseng and grains and oil seeds.

“It was more than just building relationships,” she said of the trip. “At the end of the day, after 10 days of non-stop meetings and events – we actually had over 100 business meetings – we signed four memorandums of understanding, and

we have a number of return visits already in the hopper.”

One of those visits will be made by representatives from Costco in Japan, who will be coming to Ottawa to talk about Ontario food products.

“On the other side of the

world, people want to know where their food comes from,” Minister Thompson said. “I think in Ontario sometimes we take it for granted. I was awestruck by the stories of the grocery stores in Japan and VietNam. You go in, and you visit the fish counter.

There are loud speakers and there is a voice explaining each and every type of fish. There are signs in the meat counters and displays that show this cut of beef is from this part of the animal. It’s similar for pork as well.”

Carleton MPP and Ontario Minister of Agriculture Lisa Thompson spoke to approximately 200 local residents at Ghamari’s Carleton Farmers Appreciation Breakfast held at the Richmond Memorial Community Centre Sat., Feb. 25.

agriculture continues on page 16

2023 International Women’s Day is a day to embrace equity

For the first time in three years, I have been able to plan and host an International Women’s Day breakfast for the Carleton riding.

For most of you who are reading this on or before Wed., March 8, this year’s breakfast is taking place at Danby’s Roadhouse on Perth Street in Richmond from 7:30-9:30 a.m.

International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world. This year’s campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity.

According to International Women’s Day organizers, equality and equity are similar, but have two different meanings. While we have strived for equality, equity provides a better principal to progress society. Equity acknowledges that people don’t begin life in the same place, and that circumstances can make it more difficult for people to achieve the same goals.

Inequity affects many people, but most commonly historically it has marginalized communities such as women, people of color, disabled people, the economically disadvantaged, and those from the LGBTQ+ community.

The goal of equity is to change systemic and structural barriers that get in the way of people’s ability to thrive.

Whether you are a professional, an executive, a tradesperson, a teacher, an entrepreneur, a bus driver or crossing guard, a mom or a grandmother, an aunt, a daycare worker, or a stayat-home mom, International Women’s Day is a day for

all women to celebrated for their contributions to their families, their communities and to society in general.

This breakfast is an opportunity for us to celebrate all women in our riding, regardless of their race, colour, religion or their work status.

Thank You Farmers!

It has been a while since I have been able to host an event, but I want to say thank you to everyone who came out to our Carleton Farmers Appreciation Breakfast Sat., Feb. 25 at the Richmond Memorial Community Centre.

The event was well attended by the local agricultural community in rural Carleton, members and representatives from the 4H Club, and residents from all over the riding who just wanted to get together, enjoy breakfast, and show our ap-

preciation for the hard work of our farm and agriculture workers.

A special heartfelt thanks goes out to the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for making the long trip to Richmond to attend the event. She spent a lot of time at the event going from table to table, meeting our local residents and farmers. She shared stories and anecdotes of being in 4H as a youth and growing up on a farm. She took special interest in listening to our local farm families as they discussed their operations, their challenges, their successes, and most of all, their love of farming.

March Break is coming!

March Break is always a busy time for families in South Carleton. While some decide to get a head start on spring by heading down south for a week,

other families in the area are doing things like visiting sugarbushes in the area, spending time at the arena for hockey and ringette tournaments, heading to the hills to ski or snowboard, ice fishing on the Jock or Rideau, or one of the countless other things to do in our beautiful area of the province.

And of course, March Break wraps up with St. Patrick’s Day. Many of the generational families in Manotick, Osgoode, Richmond, Kars and North Gower have Irish heritage. With all of the COVID restrictions finally lifted, there will be a lot of reason’s to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day! While it will be a day and evening of fun, let’s remember to keep things safe and responsible.

Ontario Protecting the Health and Safety of Paramedics

The Ontario government

is working for workers by establishing a Paramedic Services Committee under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to develop resources that address the unique health and safety risks these frontline heroes face.

Paramedics respond to over 1.6 million calls every year. They face risks that are separate and distinct from those of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who typically don’t engage with their patients outside of their hospital, facility or office.

With support from CUPE, Unifor and labour leaders across the province, our government is protecting workers and working across the health and safety system to support and foster safe workplaces.

goldie continues from page 2

Quick Facts

- Examples of risks paramedics face while transporting and caring for patients includes violence, exposure to harmful chemicals and traumatic events. Paramedics are on the frontlines and sometimes respond to calls in place of firefighters or police.

- Section 21 committees include equal membership from both labour and management, which allows stakeholders with competing interests to exchange information and build consensus.

Governments Reach Landmark Agri-Food Sector Agreement

Farmers and the province’s wider agri-food sector will benefit from an upcoming new, five-year agreement between the governments of Canada and Ontario. The agreement will provide a range of investments that will help improve productivity, competitiveness and resilience in this key area of the economy and enable the province

to meet goals outlined in Ontario’s Grow Ontario Strategy.

The governments have negotiated a Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) for Ontario that will see upwards of $1.77 billion in support for the agrifood sector over the life of the agreement. Through Sustainable CAP, $569 million will be invested in strategic initiatives, which is a 25 percent increase over the previous funding agreement. There will also be roughly $1.2 billion for continued, demand-driven, business risk management supports for farmers.

Sustainable CAP will also boost investments in research and innovation and other strategic areas to strengthen the sector. The agreement will include the launch of the new Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP), a funding initiative to mitigate climate change and support the agricultural sector in better addressing sustainability outcomes.

The Sustainable CAP starts

on April 1, 2023 and replaces the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership). The programs will support the vision and priorities the federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers agreed to in 2021 in The Guelph Statement.

The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal-provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and $2.5 billion in cost-shared programs and activities by federal, provincial and territorial governments.

Details about Sustainable CAP funding opportunities and programming will be posted online as they become available.

Quick Facts

- Producers have access to

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a suite of business risk management (BRM) programs to help them manage significant risks that threaten the viability of their farms and are beyond their capacity to manage.

- This agreement will be finalized this month and come into force on April 1, 2023.

- In 2021, Ontario’s agrifood industry contributed $47.6 billion in GDP to the

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provincial economy.

- One in every 10 jobs in Ontario was related to the agrifood sector in 2021.

Priorities in the Sustainable CAP were set out by federalprovincial-territorial agriculture ministers in The Guelph Statement.

Office Notice:

My office is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm. If you require assistance on any matter, please contact me at any time. My staff and I will be happy to assist. Even if it’s not a provincial issue, I’ll make sure to connect you with the proper office.

- Goldie Your voice at Queen’s Park

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More than 200 people attended the Carleton Farmer’s appreciation breakfast Sat., Feb. 24.

Simon vows Canada will continue to stand alongside Ukrainian people

Longtime Manotick resident joins Ukrainian ambassador at Family Day flashmob

By Manotick Messenger staff

It has been an emotional week for Khrystyna. She lives in fear, looking over her shoulder. Her heart is at home, in the Ukraine, where her husband and brothers are fighting. She prays every day, asking God that they can stay alive.

She is afraid. She was hesitant to talk to the Manotick Messenger. She doesn’t want her name on social media, fearing that it might put a target on the backs of her husband and brothers. She agreed to talk but only on the condition that we not publish her last name.

“I can’t help but think that there are Russians supporting Putin in the area sending information home about Ukrainians that are here,” she said. “I don’t want to put targets on their backs. I don’t want to put targets on the backs of my children, myself, and my cousins in Canada that I am staying with.”

Khrystyna and her family are from the city of Kharkiv, a city of about 1.5 million people located about 40 kilometres from the Russian border. Khar-

kiv was one of the first cities attacked by Russia a year ago. She was able to escape the city with her children. They made it to the capital city of Kyiv, and from there went to Poland. Their final destination was Canada, which has the second largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world after Russia.

They flew to Montreal, where their cousins drove to pick them up. Although Khrystyna is thankful for being safe with relatives south of Ottawa, she has not had a chance to enjoy it.

“Sure, it’s nice here and I am very thankful to be here, and everyone here has been very nice and have given us clothing and toys for the children, but all I can think about is home,” she said. “Our city is gone. It was flattened by bombs and missiles. It feels like all of my beautiful memories of home have been replaced by my last memories of destroyed buildings and of friends who were killed and by the smell of the bombs and the dust. I don’t know if that will ever go away.”

On March 6 of last year, Ukrainian President Volody-

myr Zelenskyy made a declaration to give Kharkiv the status of Hero City for its strength and resilience during the war. The Russians advanced to Kharkiv Feb. 24, 2022. The Battle of Kharkiv, as it is now known, last until mid-May, when all Russians forces withdrew and retreated toward the Russian border. The battle has been referred to by the Ukrainian government as the “Stalingrad of the 21st Century.”

Khrystyna said she is proud of the people of her city and her country for standing up to the invasion, but worries about the heroes who will survive.

“I have PTSD,” she said. “All of us who lived through the invasion, in every Ukrainian city, have PTSD. I want the fighting to end and I want my husband and my brothers to come here and start a new life. I miss our home, but our home is gone. I want my children to know their father and uncles as brave Ukrainian heroes. But I worry that they will come here as different people with their lives destroyed. I am mentally broken. I can’t imagine how

mentally broken they will be if we are lucky enough to be reunited with them.”

Supporting Ukraine

Several hundred Ukrainian Canadians and Ukrainians who escaped to Canada within the past year were part of the crowd that packed the Flora footbridge over the Rideau Canal Feb. 20 to mark the one-year anniver-

sary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Governor General Mary Simon, a former Manotick resident, was there with Canada’s Ukrainian Ambassador Yuliya Kovaliv for what was called a Stand for Ukraine flashmob.

“We are gathered here today to mark a day we hoped would never happen,” said the Governor General as she addressed

the gathering. “We have also seen the strength of humanity. Brave and resilient Ukrainians willing to fight for their freedom, and the freedom of our world. Citizens standing firm and pushing back against their aggressors. People from many nations offering help in the name of democracy.”

ukrainian continues on page 5

Governor General Mary Simon, a longtime Manotick resident, spoke at the downtown flashmob in support of Ukraine Monday, Feb. 20. Twi T T e r phoTo/@GGCanada

ukrainian continues from page 4

Simon acknowledged the large Ukrainian population in Canada and emphasized the support that Canada has had and will continue to have for the war-torn nation.

“The Ukrainian community of Canada, one of

the largest Ukrainian diaspora populations in the world, has been steadfast in raising support for their families and friends in the heart of great danger,” she said. “As the attacks continue, the humanitarian crisis deepens. We need to

take every opportunity to support Ukraine. We need to help people find safety, and moments of normalcy amidst the chaos. We need to support Ukrainians as they rebuild their country, even as they fight for their country’s future.

“We must face this crisis together across borders. My thoughts go out to the Ukrainian people, to the child whose only wish is to go back to school, to the soldiers who only want to be reunited with their families, to the teachers, nurses

and community leaders who are trying to maintain a sense of normalcy when everything is all but normal.

“From the first day and all the devastating days since, Canada has stood firmly alongside the Ukrainian people, and we

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will keep doing so. As we approach one year of Russia’s continued attacks, let us all hope for lasting peace, for families brought back together, for the rebuilding of homes and livelihoods.

Let us hope that this first year of war is the last.”

Braid disagrees with column, says ‘Just Transition’ is a win-win

The Editor, So the right-wing Canadian Taxpayers Federation is warning us that the “Just Transition comes with big costs.” Like so many pro-oil voices on Canada’s right-wing fringe, our friends at the CTF seem to have the unfortunate habit of staring into the wrong end of the telescope. They’re expressing concern over the costs associated with the Just Transition, but those pale in comparison

to the costs of not addressing Climate Change, which remains an existential threat. In the words of Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s Minister of Climate and the Environment, “think whatever you like, but this is going to change. Because the world is not going to commit collective suicide. And if we don’t decarbonize, that’s what we’re doing.” (Globe and Mail, February 17, 2023.)

Listening to the CTF and

some of Canada’s Luddite Premiers, one could easily get the impression that continuing with the status quo is actually an option, when clearly it is not. In fact, the transition to a low-carbon economy is already underway. Sadly for this country, years of foot-dragging by useless politicians has left Canada scrambling to catch up. Like the Globe and Mail article states, “Norway already has the lowest per-barrel car-

bon emissions in the world among major producers,” whereas “Canada is highest.”

With investors increasingly reluctant to fund carbon-intensive projects, Canada needs to start decarbonizing--and quickly.

What is profoundly ironic about this entire so-called “debate” is that the major players in the Oil industry are already onside with decarbonization. The six companies forming

the Pathways Alliance organization represent 95% of Canada’s Oil Sands production and they say they have a “plan to achieve our goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.” The feds are completely onside, as indicated by their recent introduction of a 50 percent investment tax credit. That move earned rare praise from the Alberta-based Pembina Institute’s Jan Gorski, who recently stated, “this is an

important signal from the federal government that, far from unfairly targeting the industry for punishment, it is willing to work with the sector to achieve decarbonization in a way producers themselves have identified as workable and non-damaging to their operations.”

Despite what the CTF might think, that sounds like a win-win!

Andy Braid Kars

Fixing Dave Bartlett Park issues needs to be on Councillor Brown’s to-do list

The Editor, Dave Bartlett Dog Park was closed for two years to accommodate City water being installed, basically for the residents of Braver and surrounding area.

When that was completed, we were promised twice the parking space. It was a necessary and much needed

requirement.

The Cecile Rowat Roadway/ lane leading into the park was, we presumed, to be reconstructed to accommodate ever increasing traffic.

The road had become more precarious, with some vehicles even sliding over the edge.

When the two years was completed, we ventured back to see the results.

What a shock!

The only difference was a wooden fence erected the full length of the park, severing off about one third of precious land.

The vehicle parking space had been noticeably

diminished and was now encased by huge boulders. Quite an extra challenge for our great snow clearing crew!

The lane remains untouched!

Sorry, Councillor Brown. I am not sure if you are yet aware of the situation, but if this letter is published in the

Messenger, you will be, and can hopefully add to your growing list of requests and requirements.

E.B. Spraggs, Manotick

Local residents say the laneway near Dave Bartlett Park in Manotick cannot accommodate the traffic,

Saint Patrick’s Day’s Irish origins date back more than 1,000 years

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the Saint’s religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal

THis week, THIS MONTH

by Larry Ellis

of Irish bacon and cabbage. Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave

at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became more in the Irish culture: Since around the ninth or 10th century, people in Ireland have been observing the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Patrick on March 17. Interestingly, however, the first pa-

rade held to honor St. Patrick’s Day took place not in Ireland but in the United States. On March 17, 1762, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots.

Today, people of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. In modern-day

Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use interest in St. Patrick’s Day to drive tourism and showcase Ireland and Irish culture to the rest of the world. Today, approximately 1 million people annually take part in Ireland ‘s St. Patrick’s Festival in Dub-

lin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts and fireworks shows.

A few Irish “Toasts”“May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door”.

- “May you die in bed at 95 years, shot by a jealous wife”. “May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live”.

Erin Go Bragh (Ireland Forever)

City must address lagging infrastructure, basic services in rural villages

Some may have read an article I recently wrote which appeared in the Ottawa Citizen. In it, I discussed the need for a program review to determine the value for money of the programs and services that the City currently is engaged in and the need to get back to basics. A program review can make sure that, with the limited resources available, our City is being responsible to the needs of residents and respectful of the resources of tax payers.

The other side of this story though is the fact that, in communities throughout our Ward and other rural areas of the City, services are woefully inadequate. Our roads are falling apart; our villages are exploding with new residents as necessary infrastructure lags behind; snowplows come too infrequently to meet the needs of residents. These are but a few of the challenges that residents endure.

If we are to get back to these basic issues and improve service standards in rural areas, we must accept that the status quo is a problem. We must also accept that the best way forward won’t come to us out of thin air; we must engage in an effort to find problems and inefficien-

Rideau-Jock

Report

David Brown, Councillor , Ward 21

cies and tackle them fairly and responsibly. This is why a program review is necessary.

Some might express concern that a program review could worsen these issues, increasing the divide between urban and rural Ottawa and resulting in our communities further subsidizing the excesses of urban priorities while getting little in return. The concern, according to some, is that a program review will lead to further cuts to rural Ottawa’s already subpar services. However, I would argue that a program review is that it is likely to do the opposite.

Effectively, a program review is just an opportunity to assess what is and what is not working. It is in fact the best means to identify the gaps in service standards that rural Ottawa must endure. A program review would highlight just how short-changed rural Ottawa is and would help identify solutions.

Moreover, many of the kinds of programs that are

most in need of review are those which we can describe as “nice to have.” In a time of inflation, budgetary pressure, municipal debt, infrastructure deficit, and other issues, is now the right time for the City to splurge on spending areas that are not absolutely necessary? A program review helps ensure that every dollar is spent as responsibly as pos-

sible on the things that matter most.

A program review is an acknowledgement that better is possible. It is not about cutting but rather finding the most efficient and effective way to spend scarce resources in service of over a million residents in the largest municipality in North America by land area.

For myself, I see this effort as a significant opportunity to make sure that money is directed toward those things that will make a difference in the lives of residents in each community of our Ward. I will work to ensure that rural priorities are represented, that the reasonableness of our communities’ interests are clearly understood around the Coun-

cil table, and that the City embrace a ‘back to basics’ mentality that is sorely needed. It is my hope that the City’s planned program review will be an opportunity to improve both the quality and kinds of services that are prioritized in our ward and elsewhere. I look forward to ensuring that we take advantage of this opportunity.

*All

Pastor: Rev. GeRaRd Plant Mass tiMes

Saturday 4:30p.m., Sunday 9a.m. 11a.m

Weekdays Wed., Thu. 9a.m., Fri. 9:30a.m.

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EMAIL: office@stleonardsparish.ca

Manotick Art Association to announce that its annual spring show and sale in April

The Manotick Art Association is thrilled to announce that its annual spring show and sale, “Inspirations”, will be back again this April 21-23.

The show will take place at the Curling Club in Manotick, 5519 South River Drive, and will feature the works of 41 area artists. The show runs Friday, 6-9 PM; Saturday, 10-4:00; and Sunday, 10-4:00. Entry is free and there is plenty of parking, as well as an accessible entrance.

The show brings a breath of fresh air into the community after a long winter through a feast of vibrant colours and images. Visitors can enjoy viewing landscapes, abstracts, florals, and wildlife painted in oils, watercolours, acrylics, pastel, batik, and wood. There are also several photographers showing their art.

Many of the artists will be familiar to long-time patrons of Inspirations, but we are excited to welcome sev-

eral new and exciting artists to the line-up this year. We are also pleased that the new layout adopted in 2022 was much appreciated by both patrons and artists, and so we will keep to what worked well for everyone.

“The show will also feature live music on each of the three days,” said Giedre Abromaitis, President of the Manotick Art Association.

“Scott Voelzing will entertain our guests on Friday evening. Saturday 1-3, will feature Chad Wolfe on fiddle and Patric Hamelin on piano, and on Sunday, Velvet Touch will be playing light jazz from 1-3:00. Try your luck at winning a gift card to some of Manotick’s favourite establishments. Just fill out a ballot with name, phone number, and email so that we can contact you when you win!”

This year the Manotick Art Association is also introducing a People’s Choice award on each of the show’s three days. Each vis-

itor will be able to complete a form indicating which painting they liked the best. Each day, these ballots will be tallied and the artist acknowledged.

The show also has a philanthropic element as it continues to support local

and area charitable organizations.

“The Manotick Art Association has always taken pride in supporting charities through the proceeds of our spring show,” said Abramaitis. “This year we will be supporting The Ottawa

Mission.; their need is great and never-ending.”

Abramaitis added that the show is not just for art lovers, but it is for everyone.

“Come out to the spring show! We would love to see you and your family have

an enjoyable time viewing artworks that are beautiful, inspiring, and family friendly. Art, in any of its forms, beautifies and enriches our world. The painting that you fall in love with can bring you peace and joy for many, many years.”

The Manotick Art Association’s Inspirations Art Show returns to the Manotick Curling Club in April.

Log Farm sugarbush season runs from March 4 to April 2

It’s the sweetest time of the year at the Log Farm, as their annual sugarbush season began Sat., March 4. This once a year Canadian tradition doesn’t last long as winter gently eases

into spring. Take a wagon ride out to the sugarbush to see how maple syrup is made. Then take a walk through the trails of the sugar maples and taste some sweet taffy on the

snow. Taffy can be purchased in the sugarbush.

At the log farm, they only use pails on their trees, all their sap is collected by hand. They offer a special hands-on experience

for guests. You and your family can help gather the sap around the sugarbush. The kids love running from tree to tree looking for a pail with some sap in it! Please remember that the sap flow is completely weather dependent, five degrees and sunny are the best days to collect. If it is too cold the sap will not be running.

The Richmond Legacy Community Association is pleased to announce another partner in its fundraising for the construction of a multi functional community pavilion for both public and private events in the Village of Richmond. Tubman Funeral Homes is pleased to partner with other businesses to see this exciting project completed. For more information on the Richmond Community Pavilion and on how you may contribute please click on richmondlegacy.ca.

When you visit during the sugarbush season you will also have access to the main farmyard, where you can visit with all the farm animals. The Log Farm has lots of friendly animals to see, feed and touch around the farm. Along with play areas for the kid’s, including hay structures and sensory tables. The pioneer farmhouse will be open for self-guided tours, where you will step back in time and see what family life would have been like in the 1860s. Make sure to dress for the weather and plan to be there for a few hours, giving you the time you need to enjoy it all.

Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop, it’s the log building at entrance to the

farm. They have delicious maple syrup, treats and hot chocolate for sale inside.

The Log Farm’s sugarbush season is the sweetest time of the year.

Province tops up gas tax fund to provide more money for Ottawa transit

The Ontario government is providing more money to support the expansion and improvement of public transit services in Ottawa. The funding is part of the province’s gas tax program which will allocate more than $379.5 million to help 107 municipalities operate and improve local transit. The funding for Ottawa is $37,804,511.

Funding for the gas tax program is determined by the number of litres of gasoline sold in the province during the previous year. Municipalities that support public transit services in their community receive two cents per litre of provincial gas tax revenue collected.

To make up for reduced gas sales due to ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s gas tax program includes supplemental funding of $80 million to help ensure municipalities can

continue to support their transit systems.

“Public transit is a key driver of economic growth in Ontario, helping people get to where they need to go, whether it is to work, school, or run errands,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation.

“As more people return to public transit, our government is providing municipalities with the funding they need to accommodate growing ridership, while ensuring they can continue to deliver safe and reliable transit service for people in their communities.”

Gas tax funding can be used to extend service hours, buy transit vehicles, add routes, improve accessibility or upgrade local infrastructure.

“Our government is supporting the City of Ottawa with nearly $38 million of funding to improve bus transit by adding more routes or extending ser-

vices,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, MPP for Kanata-Carleton. “Given the tremendous growth in the west end of our City, I will be connecting with our local city councillors to draw their attention to this significant financial support and to ask that they do what they can to improve bus transit services to Kanata residents and businesses.”

For Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari, transit is a big issue. Her riding borders Barrhaven and includes Riverside South, a community built on the blueprint of public transit. While Riverside South residents have access to public transit, many commuters in Manotick, Richmond and surrounding villages and rural areas drive to Barrhaven, Nepean or Kanata or other suburban park and ride locations to access transit to their workplaces or schools.

“Many of our suburban and rural residents in Ottawa are returning to their workplaces in person after nearly three years of working from home,” MPP Ghamari said. “This investment in public transit made by our government will help ensure that workers, students and all residents have access to an improved system serving

all parts of Ottawa.”

The 2022-23 gas tax program will support public transit in 144 communities in 107 municipalities across the province, representing more than 92 per cent of all Ontarians.

The provincial and federal governments are providing up to $2.65 billion through the Safe Restart Agreement to support mu-

nicipal transit systems in response to COVID-19. Ontario is developing regional plans that will help build a better transportation system across the province. The province has released four draft regional transportation plans for Northern Ontario, southwestern Ontario, the Greater Golden Horseshoe and eastern Ontario.

Province tops up gas tax fund to provide more money for Ottawa transit

Feds grant $429,000 for accessibility projects at RVCA properties

Baxter and Chapman Mills conservation areas are fast becoming some of Ottawa’s most inclusive natural parks thanks to more than $429,000 in recent funding from the federal government.

Nepean MP Chandra Arya announced the funding through FedDev Ontario’s Canada Community Revitalization Fund at the Manotick headquarters of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA), which it shares with its charitable foundation, the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF).

Baxter Conservation Area in Kars will receive a total of $279,900 from the fund to

help replace its decommissioned marshland bridge with a state-of-the-art accessible span over the Baxter marsh.

The funding also supports wheelchair-accessible learning platforms attached to the bridge to make the site’s outdoor education programs more inclusive.

Chapman Mills Conservation Area in Barrhaven will receive $150,000 from the same fund to replace its north-end pedestrian bridge with a safer, more accessible span.

“These projects would not have been possible without this incredible federal support,” said RVCA Chair Pieter Leenhouts. “We are excited to

reopen both bridges to so we can properly welcome people of all ages and abilities to our beautiful sites.”

Work has already begun on both projects.

Nature For All

A dedicated volunteer committee has spearheaded the Nature For All project at Baxter Conservation Area, pursuing their goal to create Eastern Ontario’s most accessible nature destination.

Those efforts have included liaising and advocating within the community to increase support for the project. We thank our valued community and corporate

sponsors for their support, including generous financial contributions from:

- 100 Women Who Care

- 1st Greely Cubs

- City of Ottawa (Rural Community-Building Grant)

- Fjällräven

- Fedex Canada

- Girl Gone Good

- The Gosling Foundation

Being in nature is good for body and soul, but people with disabilities are disproportionately excluded from outdoor spaces because they’re inaccessible, unsafe or both. The RVCA has worked with renowned accessibility consultant Marnie Peters to create a matrix of the world’s best

and apply them to their infrastructure projects where possible going forward.

“Nature and wilderness should be for everybody,” said Mike Nemesvary, founder of the Nature For All committee and long-time accessibility advocate. He has been visiting Baxter in his power wheelchair for 20 years, after a training accident in his 20s left him paralyzed on his path to becoming a world champion freestyle skier.

His motivation to transform Baxter began with “a sincere desire to share with everyone of all ages and abilities this underutilized gem of a local park with its 80 hectares of interpretive edu-

trails, sandy beach, camp site, wilderness and multi-layered ecosystems - all within Ottawa’s city limits,” Nemesvary said at the funding announcement on Dec. 15.

“Every idea starts with a dream, and that dream must be manifested by bringing together the right group at the right time who share attainable objectives,” said Nemesvary. “We fundamentally knew it would be a challenge, but we plowed ahead methodically with our planning and research. Slowly but surely, others started to see how much more we could do.”

To learn more or donate to the Nature For All project, visit https://www.rvcf.ca/waysto-give/nature-for-all-project.

and Chapman Mills conservation areas received more than $429,000 in recent funding from the federal government. Nepean MP Chandra Arya announced the funding through FedDev Ontario’s Canada Community Revitalization Fund at the Manotick headquarters of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA), which it shares with its charitable foundation, the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF).

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Thompson was surprised to see displays for beef from Conestoga, Ontario, and from Brussels, Ontario, in her own riding.

“People appreciate what we do here,” she said. “It’s our job as elected officials to remind people that Ontario’s a pretty special place in our nation. We produce 200 commodities.”

MPP Ghamari added that the diversity in commodities was particularly evident in the Carleton riding.

“We have a wide variety,” she said. “We have greenhouses, we have a vineyard, we have beer, cash crops, soy, beef, pork, cattle, dairy, chicken, eggs, produce, berries, tomatoes, apple orchards, horses –anything you can think of we have.”

Minister Thompson added that 70 per cent of Ontario produce is exported to the United States.

“We have a strong export presence and we

are going to grow that as well,” she said. “I learned something today in terms of the diversity of agriculture in Carleton, and it will certainly help us showcase everything you have here.”

Ford Supports Agriculture Industry

According to Minister Thompson, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is support and appreciative of the agriculture industry and its direction.

“We are going to lead by example,” Minister Thompson said. “We created a strategy over the last 14-16 months and made it an action item called Grow Ontario. It was formed by hundreds of people through consultations and submissions. We are going to be sure that we have a secure and stable supply chain. We learned a lot through the pandemic. We need to take care of ourselves first.”

Another element of the Grow Ontario plan is to

increase research and innovation.

“We’ve got strong research stations here in Eastern Ontario,” she said. “We’re going to keep pushing the envelope because the world is looking for good protein. Not only animal protein, but animal protein as well. I’ve met with the ambassador from the Netherlands and Denmark recently, and they are looking for oats. They are looking for soy. They are looking to our grains for alternate proteins.”

Retaining talent is also a key element of the plan.

“We are going to make sure people know that agriculture can provide good careers, and I would respectfully suggest careers for life for men and women,” the Minister said.

Councillors Support Agriculture

Osgoode Councillor George Darouze and Rideau-Jock Councillor David Brown were also

on hand for the breakfast. Both are involved with the local agricultural community. Darouze is the Chair of Ottawa’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and has supported numerous farm and produce operations in the Osgoode Ward. Brown, who grew up as a member of the 4H Club, was a fixture with the Richmond Agricultural Society and Richmond Fair boards before running for council. He also sits on the Ottawa Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.

“Farmers work hard every day to put food on our tables,” Darouze said, who added that Ontario was very lucky to have Minister Thompson looking after the agriculture portfolio because she grew up in the industry and understands the history of agriculture in the province.

“As the Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, I will be, as usual, fighting for our farmers day in and day

out.”

Rideau-Jock Councillor David Brown told the crowd that Ottawa was, geographically, the largest municipality in North America.

“With 80 per cent of our land mass being rural, that really puts us in a unique position,” he said. “Fighting for the resources to make sure we are recognized as a unique community is a big struggle that Goerge and I and the rest of our rural colleagues will be pushing for in this term at council. We want to make sure we are recognized out here as being unique as having a different way of life. It’s okay to be different, and one size doesn’t fit all.”

4H Represented

The 4H Club and its programs were referenced frequently by all politicians and many of the breakfast’s attendees. MPP Ghamari introduced the local 4H Ambassador

Rhianna Gallagher, who is also this year’s Ottawa Carleton Plowman’s Association Queen of the Furrow.

Minister Thompson was happy to see a strong contingent of 4h members, supports and alumni.

“I grew up in that program and I attribute a lot of what I do to what I learned in that program, and the friends that I made,” she said. “One thing about being Minister of Agriculture and having grown up in 4H and the Junior Farmer Program, you can pretty much go to any county in the province and know somebody, or be connected to somebody.”

Ghamari thanked Thompson and the Councillors, the attendees, and the volunteers and workers who helped make the breakfast possible.

“Agriculture is one of our backbones, and farmers support us and our government is here to support farmers,” she said.