Barry's Bay, The Valley Gazette - December 15, 2021

MV looks into installing a pebble mosaic to

honour women of intimate partner violence

SARAH CROOKALL Staff Reporter

The Township of Madawaska Valley started talks about installing a pebble stone memorial at Heritage Park in Wilno to honour women who died from intimate partner violence.

During the Dec. 7 council in committee meeting, JoAnne Brooks from the Women's Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County and artist Andy Trull presented stone mosaic examples for installation at Wilno Heritage Park.

To support Ontario’s inquest into the murders of three Renfrew County women in June 2022, the Women's Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County is constructing the memorials with help of local residents. Bancroft, Killaloe, Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, Eganville, and Pembroke already have memorials–several are dedicated to survivors of sexual violence.

Talks about the memorial follow a specific case of intimate partner violence that occured six years ago.

In 2015, three women, Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam, were murdered by Basil Borutski. It is considered one of the worst intimate partner crimes in Canada.

Wilno is where Anastasia Kuzyk was shot and killed. Kuzyk was a naturalist and a real estate agent who previously worked at the Wilno Tavern. She was known for her love of animals and horses.

Even before the murders, Borutski’s history was checked with domestic violence. The crime has led legislators and communities to ask how the women’s deaths could have been prevented.

The stone installation will be a 6-foot pebble stone mosaic by the Toronto-based arts non-profit, Red Dress Productions. The structure is designed by Anna Camilleri and Andy Trull.

Artists and community members will work together to create the art installation.

“We like to use materials and a process that’s something everyone can enter into whatever their skill level or experience,” says Trull. “It’s something people can work with without having to speak but also it really connects them to the earth.”

Trull says that he hopes the installation of and the memorial itself will be a healing process.

He adds that the mosaic will be flush to the ground with a concrete slab beneath it. The township will excavate, provide the concrete slab, and plaque.

In addition to the Wilno location, the company is looking to install structures in Maynooth and Smith Falls.

As partners, the Women's Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County and Ending Violence Against Women Committee in Renfrew are coordinating the inquest in Pembroke. Art installations help raise community awareness.

“Our purpose, at the Women's Sexual Assault Centre, is to support the inquest process by—we applied for a bit of funding to have a community engagement process to be able to speak with people privately or in small groups—perhaps online—for thoughts and feelings about the inquest itself,” says Brooks. She says the groups hope to “take forward messages maybe that would be helpful in another situation about violence against women in another community.”

A community engagement specialist with expertise in violence against women will also be part of the inquest.

Brooks said previous sculptures, like in Eganville, “allowed residents to participate in a way that they didn’t have to speak.”

“We felt that if we are going to be opening up wounds and ripping off bandaids in terms of how folks are feeling about the murders and the inquest, that an art piece would be so important to the community not only to honour the women, but to have as an experiential process.”

Mayor Kim Love says the art installation is a great initiative. Love adds that the township will have to find the proper location for the piece while preserving the cultural heritage component of the park.

“The (installations) you’ve sent us pictures of would be a really nice spot to go and, sort of, contemplate the incident that occurred and how we move forward and how we address this very difficult issue in out communities of violence against women.”

Councillor Ernie Peplinski says he

does not want to see a repeat of violence and that he will be paying close attention to the inquest.

“Sometimes we have to look at an issue like this in great detail and see if there is any way of preventing any future occurrences.”

Council says that the mosaic’s location will require further discussion.

“I think it’s important that we think about where we’d like to see it and where would be most meaningful to the community,” says councillor Mark Willmer.

Councillor Carl Bromwich proposed Lakeshore Park walkway meditation garden for veterans. And mayor Love recommended that a plaque be installed to inform residents about what the structure is for.

“Personally, I am very touched because I think when we come together as a community because we care that’s what makes a difference and that’s what interrupts violence against women ,” says Brooks.

If approved, the stone art structure will be installed in spring 2022, ahead of the inquest in June.

Council says staff will come back with site location, size, and cost of proposed sculpture for approval prior to the 2022 budget presentation.

Property crime rises by eight per cent in MV, most include telephone frauds

SARAH CROOKALL Staff Reporter

Property crime rises 8.9 percent over the last year in the Township of Madawaska Valley (MV).

Following a Dec. 7 report from Pat Disaverio, Killaloe OPP staff sergeant, MV learned that property crimes, such as theft and break-and-enter, have risen in 2021.

In total, MV saw 49 instances of property crimes.

Property crime ranges from arson, break-and-enter, fraud, theft, stolen goods, and mischief. That number went up by four incidents. In 2020, there were 45 instances of property crimes.

But Disaverio says the increase in incidents this year are all fraud, typically telephone fraud.

“But when they’re staying at home they’re answering the phone more often, right,” says Disaverio. Disaverio says most of those frauds are romance frauds, frauds targeting older adults with grandchildren, and calls asking people to pay with Google Play cards.

“I think we need more education,” he says. “The OPP is doing its best.”

Mayor Kim Love agreed. “I noticed in our statistics that, the ones we got with our most recent bill, that our property crime is actually down but that’s from a couple of years ago,” says Love. “So, the public does need to be very conscious of the fact that property crime may be slowly rising in the area.

Disaverio says the COVID-19 pandemic could have played a role in the numbers.

“More people stayed at home in 2020,” he says. “You

had visitors to your seasonal cottages that stayed longer—I think that comes in to play there because people went back to work in 2021.

“A pet-peeve of mine, and I tell my officers to get on it, is when people leave their vehicles running and go inside,” says Disaverio. “I get that we’re a small community, but urban sprawl.”

Council recommends that residents lock up their cars, homes and cottages. They further recommend taking valuables home and having people check-in on property.

The warnings come after a recent break-and-enter in Barry’s Bay.

Two people have been charged with break-and entry at Welk Electric on Highway 60.

In the early morning of Nov. 24, Killaloe OPP took two individuals into custody after carrying out a traffic stop.

“We apprehend arrest and charge the persons involved in the Welk Electric break-and-enter a year ago and the one where they recently tried to enter there,” says Disaverio.

Disaverio says OPP already had a primary suspect for the first theft, but it wasn’t who many community members thought the suspect was.

“That’s where rumour and innuendo start to fly and they say, ‘how come the cops haven’t caught the person we know it’s so and so,’ it’s one thing to say that,”

Disaverio says its one thing to believe someone did something but getting a conviction in court requires more than rumour and innuendo .

“When that second call came in in the wee hours of the morning, instead of going to the scene my on-duty officers actually went to a roadway other than the most

obvious road to cut-off the person to prevent them from getting back to their home,” says Disaverio.

OPP consulted with the OPP Community Street Crime Unit on the investigation.

Disaverio says the team is fortunate to have officers from the community who talk to residents, which allows for great work intelligence.

The OPP continues to investigate additional breakand-entry cases. Because there is sometimes a challenge identifying stolen property, the OPP also recommends recording serial numbers.

“You should have the serial numbers of the products of what you’re selling,” says Disaverio. “Because even when we pull over a car for a stolen vehicle we can’t connect them with your break-and-entry if we can’t associate that exact piece of property to that exact business.”

Over the past year, the OPP has made 25 criminal theft and drug charges.

But violent crime in Madawaska Valley is down compared to 2020.

Sexual assaults decreased from six incidents to two. Violent assaults stayed the same at eight incidents.

There were no abductions this year compared to two in 2020. Robberies went down from one to none. Harassment and threats, or crimes against persons, stayed the same at 10 incidents for both years.

There were no drug convictions in 2020 and three this year.

In the coming year, Disaverio will continue to provide OPP reports to council on a quarterly or yearly basis.

Photo submitted by ReDefine Arts Artistic Director Anna Camilleri

SARAH CROOKALL Staff Reporter

Over the weekend, 90-kilometre an hour winds and heavy freezing rain left around 200,000 homes in Eastern Ontario without power.

The storm, coming from the U.S., was a strong low-pressure system, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Some residents in Renfrew County had no power until late Monday evening.

Several stores closed due to being without electricity, road closures, and poor driving conditions.

East Region OPP say they received nearly 800 service calls on Saturday alone—a 47 per cent increase for this time of the year. Residents’ called about traffic hazards,

dangerous conditions, collisions, and fallen wires.

Rain and ice caused dangerous driving conditions. From 8-11 a.m., over 50 vehicle collisions were reported on Saturday alone.

On Monday morning, the Township of Madawaska Valley said hundreds were still without power.

The Paul J. Yakabuski Community Centre opened for residents without power in Madawaska Valley from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. to access power, water, and heat.

On Tuesday morning, The Township of Madawaska Valley said some areas of the township were still without power. It advised residents to emergency planning. “Please ensure that you are prepared for any winter emergency,” said the township in a Facebook post. “Build an emergency

kit and add enough supplies to meet your basic needs for at least three days, including water, food, medications, personal hygiene, and baby needs.”

Environment Canada says freezing rain is expected until Wednesday afternoon.

Residents without power and requiring assistance are encouraged to call Madawaska Valley’s community emergency management coordinators at 613-756-2747. Cory Quade at extension 235, or Gwen Dombroski at extension 212.

Storm knocks down trees.

Photos by Michel Lavigne

Court decides against filling Budarick’s seat while waiting for appeal

KATRINA BOGUSKI

Freelance

Justice Ryan Bell heard the motion for stay proceedings on Dec. 3 related to the case of BLR councillor Andrea Budarick. An appeal was filed by Budarick’s lawyer after justice Martin James ordered that her seat be declared vacant as a penalty for breaching regulations related to a conflict of interest.

James’s decision ordered that Budarick’s seat be vacant as of Nov. 28, but since her appeal of that decision will not be heard until Jan. 18, the motion to stay the decision was put forward in an attempt to allow Budarick to hold onto her seat until the outcome of the appeal is decided.

Justice Bell’s job during the stay proceedings was not to decide on the appeal itself, but only on whether the grounds for that appeal were legitimate and therefore whether Budarick could remain on council pending the outcome of that appeal.

Raivo Uukkivi was present as counsel for the integrity commissioner, the party which initially brought the case against Budarick.

Angela Chaisson, lawyer for Budarick, began her opening comments just after 10 a.m. saying that she expected only half an hour would be needed for the proceedings, not the full two hours originally set aside by Justice Bell. The proceedings, which included two short recesses, ended shortly after 12 noon.

Chaisson argued that the only thing that needed to be determined by justice Bell was whether or not Budarick’s appeal was frivolous or vexatious. Chaisson of course argued that it was neither frivolous or vexatious, and that there were serious issues to be heard during the appeal.

Chaisson argued that the municipality is a third party, and that the issue is between the integrity commissioner and the appellant (Budarick).

When Chaisson said, council should not have any say in conflict (of interest) allegations and argued that council’s involvement was politicalizing the issue, justice Bell asked how fulfilling a court order was being political.

Bell also noted that council had indicated that it was prepared to abide by the court’s decision. Council had passed a resolution on Dec. 2 to that effect, and were accepting of a compromise solution that would fulfill justice James’s decision and would keep Budarick’s seat vacant until the appeal was decided. In other words, council was willing declare the seat vacant as per justice James’ order, but would withhold filling the seat, keeping it vacant for Budarick in the event that her appeal is successful.

In an unexpected line of argument, Chaisson posed the question, what would happen if the politician is popular instead

of unpopular? This line of argument was unexpected because what is at issue is not the popularity of the councillor in question, but whether or not that individual violated the Municipal Act, and whether or not council has the right, indeed the obligation, to carry out a court order that has already been issued.

Budarick’s lawyer argued that the hybrid solution proposed by counsel for the integrity commissioner, and which was acceptable to the BLR council, was a legal test and was equivalent to splitting the baby in half; a reference to King’s Solomon’s decision in the Biblical case involving two women who both claimed to be the mother of a child (1 Kings 3:16-28). The analogy might not have withstood the argument put forth by the counsel for integrity commissioner.

Uukkivi argued that if Budarick was allowed to return to council, while the outcome of the appeal is being decided, and if that appeal eventually is unsuccessful, any decisions made by council could be called into question since the court had already ordered that Budarick’s seat be vacated as of Nov. 28.

Budarick’s appeal is scheduled to be heard on Jan. 18 and Uukkivi argued that the decision from the appeal may not be made known until July. He noted that this would not only potentially compromise the authority of council and their decisions during this time, it would also lessen the penalty imposed by the court against Budarick in justice James’s original decision.

Chaisson argued that waiting for the Jan. 18 appeal date should not be considered an issue since the integrity commissioner did not do anything with the allegations against Budarick for over a year.

In response to this argument, justice Bell said she was not prepared to draw any inference based on the timeline of events, noting that there might have been some time required for the integrity commissioner to complete their investigation.

Bell asked Chaisson how it was not appropriate to vacate the seat but not fill it. Chaisson said, “This is a legal test.” She went on to argue that what is at issue is the democratic interest of the constituents. Noting that there would still be a period of time when Budarick cannot represent her constituents.

Around this time, the court registrar interrupted the proceeding saying that they were having trouble with the recording. Justice Bell replied, “Let us know when the problem has been remedied.” All talking stopped at this point.

After a few minutes of waiting, justice Bell asked the court registrar if a recess would be appropriate while the recording issue was being addressed. She replied that it would be and then Bell called for a 10-minute recess.

When the proceedings resumed, it was

noted that the last few sentences of the Chaisson argument were not picked up by the recording, and justice Bell asked for her to repeat her comments. Chaisson did so.

When it was Uukkivi’s turn to speak, he presented detailed arguments that walked through the grounds for justice James’s decision against Budarick; he posted on screen the text of the decision with various sections of it highlighted.

Uukkivi questioned how Chaisson had characterized the decision of justice James and argued that she had not identified any error in it. He argued that it is not enough to disagree with the decision, but that for the appeal to overturn the decision, Chaisson needed to show how justice James fell into error.

Uukkivi’s detailed explanation of justice James’ decision referred to specific paragraphs which included the scope of information used by James to make his decision. He argued that there was nothing in the notice of appeal that would overturn James’ decision and that the appeal was therefor frivolous.

Among the paragraphs of James’ decision cited by Uukkivi was paragraph 70 which states:

“These factors lead me to conclude that the Respondent’s contravention of the MCIA was not mere inadvertence or an error in judgment. To the contrary, I find that the Respondent intentionally used her position as a member of Council in an effort to obtain a financial advantage for her son. The manner in which the Respondent conducted herself is precisely the mischief that the MCIA is aimed at preventing. When justice Bell asked Uukkivi about the issue of the penalty, another point the Budarick’s appeal sought to lessen, Uukkivi suggested the appeal on the issue of penalty is doomed to fail.”

In his arguments, Uukkivi referred to a case that had been released but not reported, and which took place on Dec. 2. Bell asked for Uukkivi to send the decision to the registrar and then asked if it was appropriate for another recess. It was unclear, but it appeared that there may have been additional issues with recording at this point since she apologized for the interruptions related to the recording problems. They recessed until 11:30 a.m. and when they returned, the registrar confirmed the recording was working again.

Uukkivi argued that the attack must be on the error in principle upon which justice James’ decision was made and since no such attack had been made by Budarick’s side, the appeal must be considered frivolous.

Additionally, Uukkivi argued that the Municipality agreed to be bound by court order.

Bell asked Uukkivi about Chaisson’s argument that the council’s involvement was politicalized. Uukkivi responded saying that the whole process is political by nature. He argued that the integrity commissioner was inserted into the process so that more councillors would be brought to court, and that therefore the process would see more municipal matters prosecuted.

This statement refers to the increased powers that were given to Integrity commissioners a few years ago. Justice James referred to this change in his decision against Budarick saying, “In 2019 the provincial government enacted Bill 68, entitled Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act. Bill 68 expanded the powers of the Integrity Commissioner in relation to the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act (“MCIA”). Effective March 1, 2019 the Integrity Commissioner for each municipality was authorized to investigate a complaint from an elector or other qualified person alleging that a member of a Council or local board contravened the MCIA rules respecting conflicts of interest.”

Uukkivi argued, that the removal from office of an elected official is an inherently “political animal.” He said that he did not think that there was anything wrong with the municipality coming forward and that they were taking a middle ground.

He argued that the municipality is a key player in this situation. He further added that Budarick’s coming back to council would have just as much as impact on the municipality as it did on her. He argued that any decision regarding the stay is political.

Bell did not explicitly hear arguments from Wishart Law, counsel for the township, but did acknowledge that they are an affected party, and did hear some comments from the lawyer present.

On Dec. 6 justice Bell issued her conclusion stating, “Ms. Budarick has not shown that it is in the interests of justice to grant a stay of the judgment of the application judge. Her motion for a stay pending her appeal is dismissed. I order that the Township is prohibited from taking steps under the Municipal Act to fill the vacancy in Ms. Budarick’s position on Council pending the determination of her appeal in this court.”

What is still unclear is what costs BLR taxpayers will have to bear in relation to these proceedings and the events that led up to them.

ROADS DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY CONTACT

Hilary Kutchkoskie - cell 613-633-6164 or hkutchkoskie@madawaskavalley.ca (e-mail)

Mike Phillips - cell 613-639-5313 or mphillips@madawaskavalley.ca (e-mail)

PAUL J. YAKABUSKI COMMUNITY CENTRE CONTACT

Raymond Mask - cell 613-639-5343 or rmask@madawaskavalley.ca (email) (PJYCC)

MUNICIPAL LANDFILL & TRANSFER STATION SITES

BARK LAKE

2021,2022

WILNO

COMBERMERE

Wednesday, December 22, 2021 CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED

Thursday, December 23, 2021 12.00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. CLOSED CLOSED

Friday, December 24, 2021 CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Monday, December 27, 2021

CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED

7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 7.30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 28, 2021 7:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CLOSED CLOSED Wednesday, December 29, 2021 CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED

Thursday, December 30, 2021 12.00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. CLOSED CLOSED

Friday, December 31, 2021 CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED

Saturday, January 1, 2022 CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED

Sunday, January 2 ,2022 CLOSED 11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

TOWNSHIP OFFICE

The municipal office (85 Bay Street) will be closed Friday, December 24 at noon, 2021 through January 3, 2022 inclusive, and will reopen for regular business on Monday, January 3, 2022 at 8:00 a.m.

CURBSIDE PICKUP SERVICES AS PER Regular CURBSIDE CALENDAR

Date

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Service

Container Pickup

Organics

Garbage Pickup

Paper Pickup

Note: The New 2022 Curbside Pick Up Calendars have been mailed with your recent water/wastewater billing.

If you are not a water/wastewater customer your 2022 Curbside calendar will be mailed to you or can be picked up at the Municipal office counter.

PUBLIC SKATING

Masks are Mandatory – Please Maintain Physical Distance

Date Time

Sunday December 5

Sunday December 12

Sunday December 19

Sunday December 26

1:30 – 3:00 pm FREE Thanks to… McDougall Insurance

1:30 – 3:00 pm FREE Thanks to… Madawaska Valley Association for Community Living

1:30 – 3:00 pm FREE Thanks to… Barry’s Bay Metro

1:30 – 3:00 pm FREE Thanks to… Spectacle Lake Lodge 2022

Sunday January 2

Sunday January 9

1:30 – 3:00 pm FREE Thanks to… Spectacle Lake Lodge

1:30 – 3:00 pm FREE Thanks to… Burchat Homes

Sunday January 16 1:30 – 3:00 pm FREE Thanks to… Afelskie Shoes

NOTICE TO RESIDENTS

Curbside Collection for Organics in Winter Months

Please note that plastic bags, including compostable plastic bags, are NOT allowed in the Organics Stream and will be rejected during curbside pickup.

To ensure that the contents of your bin do not freeze and stick to the sides during the winter months, we are requesting that you line your bin with newspaper, light cardboard material or a paper bag (no plastic). To also avoid frozen solid bins, crumple newspaper and place it in between the layers of organics to ensure the materials don’t freeze in a solid block (making it difficult to empty the bin during collection). Other options may include:

• Line your bin with Bag to Earth’s (available locally) food waste paper bags, newspaper, cereal boxes or other paper bags. Alternatively, duct-tape a plastic bag into the green bin (so that the bag does not come out when the contents are dumped into the collection truck)

• To help avoid odours, sprinkle baking soda into the green bin, and wrap any meats or dairy products in newspaper

• To safely clean, use vinegar, baking soda or regular dishwashing soap

• To deter pests, such as raccoons, wipe the outside of the bin with a strong disinfectant (e.g. Pine Sol, Lysol, Mr. Clean). It may take several treatments to permeate the plastic

• Be sure to remove any packaging from food or other organics before placing them in the bin

• Use a cardboard box in lieu of your green bin at the curb. This way the collectors can throw the box along with the Organics into the truck. Note: Do this only in the winter as the summer could lead to animal problems.

Thank You

Mr. Hilary Kutchkoskie, Operations Manager

Supporting the community

Over the past few months, I have been keeping a close eye on online newspapers throughout Northern and Central Ontario and looking at how they operate. I have also kept a close eye on how radio stations take press releases and turn them into a 15-second news spots and usually on a number of the stations they own, making it look like they are part of the community.

A large number of the online papers are owned by some big time publishers and many of them are owned by a hand full of companies. What I have noticed is they share their articles amongst the different online outlets that they own. It’s rare to see that they only use local content. I am very proud to say that the Valley Gazette is about 95 per cent local content. You know those home grown articles about local people, local politics. With that being said, I’d like to share a little story with you.

A few weeks ago on a chilly Saturday night, I was flicking the channels on the tube and came across a Christmas Movie called The Christmas Edition. The movie was about a local small town printed newspaper called Lantern Grove Press. The newspaper had hired an up coming editor to try and keep it running. The new editor was doing a great job and had just put out their annual Christmas issue which was very much valued by its local readers. A few days before Christmas along came a big time publisher who was after the editor to take on the role of Chief managing editor for its many online newspapers. The job offer was very tempting and the editor of the small town paper thought perhaps she was ready to move on. After more discussion as to what her new role would be with the big online publishing firm, she learnt that the big publishing company planned to buy the small town print newspaper and turn it into an online news outlet that would use

content from its other online newspapers and depend a lot on press releases to fill their online presence. That did not sit well with the news editor of the small town paper and she decided at the eleventh hour that she could not allow a big publishing firm to take over the Lantern Grove Press Needless to say, that movie reassured me that our community would be lost without a printed paper, that covers many of the events, many hardships, many community minded stories, remembers the dearly departed and the like. So with that in mind, and I would like to thank everyone who purchases the newspaper each week and would like to encourage those that do not purchase the paper every week to please do so. I am faced with yet another printing increase come January which will no doubt impact the way we have to try and keep the newspaper going. I know for me to turn the Valley Gazette into an online newspaper will be very hard to employ the people I employ now. There is no revenue in online newspapers for small town papers. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, all of us at the Valley Gazette remain committed to doing our very best to keep the newspaper locally owned and running. If you have some story ideas that you would like to share with the Valley Gazette we’d love to hear them and share your stories with the communities we serve.

Our 12th annual Christmas Wishes feature will be in next week’s paper, the Dec. 22 issue. Please be sure to purchase and encourage everyone to purchase it. The staff have put a lot of time into it and many businesses have supported it through their season greetings advertisements.

Bouquets

Let’s have some fun with our community newspaper. I have been thinking of this idea for some time now and I am hoping you people will jump on board with it. If you know someone who deserves a little recognition or someone who has made someone smile, write us a little blurb and send it our way.

Thank You

Things may not be back to normal, but we are getting closer.

Holiday planters sell out in support of Hospice

Submitted by the SFVHF

BARRY'S BAY- Jenna Stamplicoski donated an amazing $3,024 to Madawaska Valley Hospice Palliative Care (MVHPC) from her Holiday Planter sale! Jenna has been making planters since early November and the planter sale on Nov. 28 sold out in under two hours. Jenna created over 100 planters for local businesses and individuals with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to Hospice Palliative Care Services. The greenery was collected on her family farm, and other items, such as sand and containers, were given by others that

wanted to help Jenna with her creations. A couple of years Jenna broke her ankle and discovered that she could borrow a walker from the Hospice’s loan cupboard. Since then she has learned more about the many other free services that MVHPC offers including residential services, home visits, caregiver support, volunteer training and grief and bereavement programs. Jenna was inspired to give back to help with program costs and to promote awareness regarding the importance of having access to these services close to home.

acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

Gayle

Katrina Boguski

God Bless Michel Lavigne

The Madawaska Valley Lions Club wishes to thank the Madawaska Valley Township, the Fire Department, the Valley Gazette, Moose FM, business sponsors, Daly Contracting, all the groups that entered floats, and the hundreds of smiling residents lining the streets of Barry’s Bay during the Santa Claus Parade on December 5, 2021.

Pictured, left to right: Erin Gienow, Executive Director, SFVH Foundation; Jenna Stamplicoski ; and Dylaina Wood, Clinical Director, MVHPC.

DAVID GOULET

As someone who dusts off his Bible now and then, I find there are many mysteries of theology that still captivate me. One that I’ve oft mused on is the idea that man is made in God’s image. What in the heck does that mean? As a kid, I took that literally and assumed God had two eyes, two ears and a nose just like me. God was that guy in classical artworks: a powerful looking grandpa sitting on a throne ready to thump you on the head for stealing his Werther’s caramels.

The older I got, the less I envisaged God that way. I learned that “in God’s image” referred more to God’s characteristics: the ability to reason, to choose, to love and to judge. My atheist friends would counter that I was merely projecting human attributes onto a figment of my imagination, no different than the Greek, Romans, Egyptians or Norse had done. There’s a logic to that

observation.

But the one attribute that stands out to me these days, and thus would be paralleled in “God’s image”, is our paradoxical nature. If you look at any other creature, you will find a rather linear behaviour pattern. Whether it’s a virus, a frog, a cat or a horse, the animal will act within defined parameters. Some animals, with high intelligence, can surprise us with their abilities: primates, whales, dogs and even octopus. But as smart as they may be, none of those animals has been to the moon or invented a better mousetrap. However, none of those animals has created a death camp or a nuclear bomb either.

Human beings are so paradoxical that way, it does make you wonder how it can be a result of random chance. How can a being that can figure out how to fly, to rocket into space, or traverse the ocean depths in submarines, still not have figured out how to provide food and shelter for every human on the planet?

How can a being that values sacrifice and working collectively, attributes that gave us a survival advantage over many other species, ignore those same attributes and behave so very selfishly? How can a being whose competitive advantage is intelligence and tool making, refuse to use those advantages? We have a swath of people in this current pandemic who are do not accept the science nor the tools (vaccines, masks, policies).

We are a species that seems almost hell bent on destroying itself. We forge weapons of mass destruction. We spend more on armaments than we do on battling hunger and disease. We pollute our planet, the only one we’ve currently got to call home, to the point where it’s starting to pollute us back. We develop biotechnologies that we aren’t sure are even safe and which, if they get loose from the lab, could devastate us (looking at you Wuhan).

Our pop culture praises celebrities, many of whom are simply famous for being famous. They’ve done nothing to earn our admiration, other than being born rich or being blessed with beauty. We celebrate them yet ignore people who have saved human lives or bettered our world through their service or invention.

We are a species that, compared to other animals, has little to fear these days. We’re the dominant life form on this planet. So, we fear each other, mostly irrationally. That fear then is exploited by our weakest, most selfish members. How else do you explain the rise of a Donald Trump? Even now, after seeing with their own eyes his megalomania, there are millions of Americans who will vote for him again if he runs. Everything about Trump screams that he is the last person you’d want running a superpower, yet all that is ignored.

Paradox, after paradox, after paradox. If we are being watched from some far-off

planet by aliens they must be coming to the same conclusion: “What is wrong with these Earthlings? They could own the stars, but they fight over the mud. How can something so intelligent be so counter-intuitive?”

We’re at least self aware of this. It’s reflected in our spiritual musings. We speak in terms of the fight between good and evil, of the yin and yang, of bringing balance to the Force. This sense of paradox is so intrinsic to our human nature, that, if you believe we are made in God’s image, it must also be intrinsic to God. Another word for ‘paradox’ is ‘mystery’. That’s a word that’s very common in theology. You’ll often hear, “Ours is a God of mysteries.” So, to my point, ours is a God of paradoxes.

And where does this little insight leave us? Maybe, just maybe, it means we don’t have to always see ourselves as total screw ups, that God isn’t that grandfather waiting to whack us – but is a similar being that also acts in a paradoxical way. Mystery begets mystery.

I find if you read the Gospels and reflect on Jesus’s life this all rather dovetails. There you have, as claimed by those who believed it when they recorded it, God incarnating as a human being and telling us, “Yeah, this life we live is a paradox at times. Sorry about that, but I promise it’s all going to make sense in the end.”

Maybe I’m projecting again? Or maybe God is? Hmmm.

CHRISTINE HUDDER Staff Reporter

BARRY’S BAY – The staff at Madawaska Valley District High School are hoping a recent solar panel installation will help promote a greener future and help students learn about renewable energy at the same time.

This month, a six kilowatt system was installed between the school and the football field. The panels face east, and are flush with the trees on the west side of the property.

The system collects enough energy to power two larger homes. While the panels are not going to provide power for the school directly, the energy will feed into the hydro system, and generate revenue for the public

school board.

Principal at the school and co-chair of the Renfrew County District School Board Conservation Committee, Lauren Wilson, said the project has been on the books for several years. The committee has had alternative energy installations on the top of its goals, and she was excited that the board approved the project.

The high school is the only public school in Renfrew County to have solar panels under the Microfit program. MVDHS’s new system is expected to get 64.2 cents per kilowatt hour. Revenue will continue to be collected over the duration of the 20-year contract with the provincial government. The panels are expected to pay for themselves in less than 10 years.

PALMER RAPIDS AND AREA LIONS

DABBER BINGO

Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Combermere Community Centre

Representatives from Madawaska Valley District High School unveiled the new panels. Pictured, left to right, back row: construction SHSM student Trevor Quade, lead of the construction SHSM Al Bennetto, and science teacher Paul Thompson. Front row: Lead of the environment SHSM Margaret Cruchet, Principal and co-chair of the Renfrew County District School Board Conservation Committee Lauren Wilson, Co-op teacher Rose Miller and lead of the energy SHSM Pam McCallum.

O.P.P. Beat

RENFREW OPP WEEKLY NEWS

December 6 - December 12, 2021

(RENFREW, ON) - The Renfrew Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigated 294 calls for service.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

If you or someone you know is living in or involved in an abusive relationship help is available. Contact Bernadette McCann House 24/7 for support, advice or the safety of a shelter at 1-800-267-4930. The Women’s Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County is also available 24/7 for information and support at 1-800-6633060. You could also attend the emergency department of any hospital in Renfrew County and ask to speak to a member of the Assault Response Team. Victim Services of Renfrew County is also available to provide emotional and practical assistance to people who have experienced domestic violence. They can be reached at 613-649-2852 or toll free at 1-877-568-5730. In emergencies call 9-1-1.

RIDE

During the last week, Renfrew OPP conducted 22 Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) programs throughout Renfrew County. Officers approached multiple drivers during the RIDE programs and as a result:

• Two drivers received a three day suspension as a result of a blood alcohol concentration in the warning range

• Three drivers were charged with driving while under suspension contrary to the Highway Traffic Act

• One charge was issued under the Liquor Licence Act

• One driver was charged for disobey officer directing traffic contrary to the Highway Traffic Act

SUMMERS BROS

Killaloe, Ontario P: 613-757-2171 or TF: 866-733-2833 www.summersbros.com

• One charge was issued under the Cannabis Act

• One charge was issued under the Tobacco Tax Act

• Two drivers were charged for no insurance contrary to the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act

CRIME STOPPERS

Crime Stoppers Pembroke/Renfrew County believes that someone may have information that could assist police in solving these crimes. If you have information that results in charges being laid, you qualify for an award of up to $2,000. Call Pembroke/Renfrew County Crime Stoppers at 613-735-8477 or toll free at 1-800-222-8477. You could help solve a crime. All tips remain anonymous and you will not have to attend court. Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to call display. The telephones are answered 24 hours a day. Please visit the website www.valleytips.ca.

KILLALOE OPP INVESTIGATE TWO COLLISIONS IN NORTH ALGONA WILBERFORCE TOWNSHIP

(KILLALOE, ON) - On Sunday, December 12, 2021, members of the Killaloe Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) attended two separate collisions in the Township of North Algona Wilberforce.

At approximately 10: 55 a.m. police received a single vehicle collision involving a pick-up truck on Highway 60, near Bulger Road, in the Township of North Algona Wilberforce. The 57 year old driver from Cobden received minor injuries after a chunk of ice flew off of a passing motorist vehicle, striking the windshield of the pickup truck. No tow was required.

At approximately 8:40 p.m., police received a single vehicle collision involving a passenger car on Grist Mill Road, in the Township of North Algona Wilberforce. The 29 year old driver from Eganville sustained minor injuries after swerving to avoid a deer. The vehicle was towed.

Police remind drivers to clear snow and ice from their vehicles. This will ensure the driver has an unobstructed

view and prevents ice and snow from flying off into the pathway of another vehicle. Drive safely and reduce speeds relative to road and weather conditions.

In the event you are reporting an occurrence that does not require immediate police assistance, please call 1-888310-1122. Should you wish to speak to someone at the Killaloe Detachment, contact 613-757-2600.

KILLALOE OPP INVESTIGATE ROLLOVER COLLISION ON BERNDT ROAD

(KILLALOE, ON) - On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, at approximately 9:45 p.m. members of the Killaloe Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), assisted by the North Algona Wilberforce Fire Department, attended a single vehicle rollover collision involving a passenger car on Berndt Road, near Panke Road, in the Township of North Algona Wilberforce.

The 18 year old driver, and the 22 year old passenger, both from Golden Lake, were travelling on Berndt Road, and lost control due to icy road conditions resulting in a rollover over collision. Both persons were treated by Renfrew County Ambulance on scene and released. The vehicle was towed. No charges laid.

In the event you are reporting an occurrence that does not require immediate police assistance, please call 1-888310-1122. Should you wish to speak to someone at the Killaloe Detachment, contact 613-757-2600.

OPP AND CITIZENS CAN KEEP ROADS SAFE OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Festive R.I.D.E. Campaign (Nov. 18- Jan. 3, 2022) (KILLALOE, ON) - The Killaloe Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is participating in the OPP 2021 Festive R.I.D.E. (Reduce Impaired Diving Everywhere) campaign which began on November 18, 2021.

From the commencement of the campaign, the Killaloe OPP Detachment has conducted 54 RIDE checks throughout the detachment area. So far, Killaloe OPP report drivers have been in compliance, with no impaired operation or over 80 mgs charges laid.

By working together, we can help make this Christmas season safe for everyone.

Hope and mental health recourses break through the holiday blues

SARAH CROOKALL Staff Reporter

Holiday blues are a reality that accompany the latter part of each year.

In 2014, research from the National Alliance on Mental Health found that 64 per cent of people with mental health conditions experienced worsened symptoms during the holidays.

Most participants, 40 per cent, said holidays made their condition somewhat worse, and 24 per cent said they made it a lot worse.

Of the people who said their mental health declined during the holidays, 66 per cent said they were lonely, 63 per sent said they felt too much pressure, 57 present held unrealistic expectations, 55 per cent compared happier holiday times to their present situation, and 50 per cent were unable to be with loved ones.

But, a lot has changed in six years.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians reporting very good mental health has declined from 68 per cent in 2019 to 55 per cent in 2020. A crowdsourcing survey, from Statistics Canada, also found youth aged 1524 have had the steepest decline in positive mental health with a 20 per cent reduction since 2019.

Seventy per cent of people identifying as LGBTQ+ reported poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. And twenty-eight per cent of people from visible minorities reported poor mental health, compared to 23 per cent of Caucasians.

Additionally, those reporting poor mental health are up to four times more likely to report increased substance use since the beginning of the pandemic.

Given physical distancing requirements of the pandemic, feelings of loneliness and not being around loved ones may be more amplified. And often, mental health services are overcapacitated during the holidays.

But, regardless of someone’s circumstances, there is always hope. Without challenges, situations can change in a day.

There are resources to help guide people through crises, vent their sorrows, and to connect to services like social workers, counsellors, and legal aid. There are compassionate people who want to listen. Many local services are designed to guide people through difficult times and are free of cost. Through mobile crisis teams, mental health professionals can also make visits to residents' homes, which can limit fear around stigma.

In addition to reaching out for

professional help, experts recommend enhancing self-care and coping strategies during stressful times like the holidays. A list of some coping strategies are listen below.

COPING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS

• Manage time carefully, and set time aside for yourself

• Call loved ones you can’t see in person

• Eat and drink well

• Exercise, walk, or maintain some sort of physical activity or movement

• Set boundaries. For example, limit time spent on certain activities or around certain people. Decide which gatherings you will attend based on COVID-19 regulations and your own comfort level

• Set time aside for relaxation, however that looks like for you

• Do something you enjoy

• Reach out to a professional (there’s no shame, mental health is part of overall health)

LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES:

• Pembroke Regional Hospital: 24/7 1-866-996-0991

• Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region (serving Renfrew County): 24/7613-238-3311

• Canada Suicide Prevention Helpline: 1-833-456-4566

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: 1-800-463-2338

• Crisis Services Canada: 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868

• Mental Health Crisis Line (Ages 16 or older): https://www.crisisline.ca/ 1-866-996-0991

• Child, Youth and Family Crisis Line (Ages 18 and under): www.icrs.ca 1-877-377-7775

• eMentalHealth.ca: 24/7

• ConnexOntario , 24/7, Addiction, Mental Health, and Problem Gambling Treatment Services 1-866-531-2600

• BounceBackOntario: Free skillbuilding program 1-866-345-0224, bb-referral@cmhayr.on.ca.

• Parents’ Lifelines of Eastern Ontario: For parents whose children to age 25 are facing mental health challenges 1-855-775-7005

Two electric vehicle charging stations open in KHR

SARAH CROOKALL Staff Reporter

The Township of Killaloe Hagarty and Richards (KHR) gets a little more energized this month.

Two electric vehicle charging stations have been installed in KHR at Killaloe Visitors’ Information. The service will be pay-as-you-go and run through a phone app.

Money for the installation comes from Ottawa River Power.

During the Dec. 7 council meeting,

council announced that the Electrical Safety Authority completed a safety inspection on Dec. 10, allowing the stations to be energized and linked to power this week.

“So, there’s two stations so that someone can park on each side,” said community development coordinator Chris Neff.

Once power is connected to the stations, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

In other business KHR council passed its asset management plan along with a planning service agreement with the County of Renfrew.

New charging station in KHR.

Photo submitted

The cultural symbolism of parades

Why the Palmer Rapids Santa parade is something to cherish

KATRINA BOGUSKI Freelance

This past Sunday was the Santa Claus parade in Palmer Rapids; it occurred after the town had been without electricity for some 12 hours. A power outage is a good time to recall old memories and to reflect on what is important. Memories of other parades I had attended came back to me in those darkened hours.

Parades are significant cultural symbols that tell a lot about a community and parades of different places indicate what those cultures value.

In 2000, I took a month-long solo train trip that went from Vancouver, across the northern United States, down to Florida, up through Montreal and back across Canada. There were other stops in places like Chicago and Washington D.C..

On Sept. 30, I arrived in New York City and discovered many businesses were closed. I asked someone why so many shops were shuttered. He replied with a harsh tone, yelling through his nose as only a New Yorker can, “It’s a holiday!” “What’s the holiday?” I asked feeling like person from another planet. “Rosh Hashanah!” He belted back. It was the first day of the Jewish New Year. If you ever want to know the influence the Jewish community has on New York’s economy, walk through the streets of Manhattan on a High Holiday.

I managed to stay on 23rd Street.; how a budget traveler ended up in downtown Manhattan is the subject of another story that starts with a fight between two Washington cabbies where one of them pulled a gun, but this is an article Sunday’s Santa Claus parade, and on the eve of that parade, I remembered another one I had seen on that trip to New York.

On my second day there, I walked around New York and straight into the Pulaski Day Parade. This massive parade has been held annually since 1936, missing only the years 1942 and 2020. It celebrates the Polish nobleman Kazimierz Pulaski, who is celebrated as a military hero in both Poland and the United States.

The parade, which travels from 35th to 54th Street and passes by St. Patrick’s Cathedral, consists of Polish marching bands, Polish dancers, Polish scouts, Polish sports teams, and many other people wearing various uniforms and ethnic costumes. Marveling at the spectacle of the parade, I stopped someone and asked him what it was, and he briefly explained the parade’s significance.

I told the guy how incredible it was that my path should intersect with this parade, but he was less impressed by the situation. He said, “Look lady, this is New York. There’s a parade here every day. Any day you want to show up in New York, you’ll find a parade.” I explained that I was Polish and

Irish, and it was that peculiar to run into a Polish Parade on my way to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He chuckled a bit and told me to enjoy the parade. He didn’t stop to watch long; for him it was just another parade in a city with a lot of parades.

Not so in Palmer Rapids. There is one day when the town holds its parade. For me, the day of the Santa Claus Parade is my favourite day in Palmer Rapids. It is a sign that Christmas is around the corner and it coincides with Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent.

Ironically, before moving to Palmer Rapids, Gaudete Sunday was rarely joyful for me. That day coincides roughly with the anniversary of the death of one of my siblings; since childhood, that was a terrible weekend to get through.

When I moved to Palmer Rapids, I realized how far away I was from that event in both time and space and that I could finely let go of the decades of pain associated with this time of year. My first Santa Claus parade here was the day I decided to do that, realizing I was in a different place both metaphorically and geographically.

You can tell a lot about a place by its parades.

In places run by dictators, parades show displays of military might. Threat of violence is what keeps those places together. In places given over to excess, the parades of Carnival and other festivals consist of people in scanty costumes not fit to be viewed by young eyes. In Palmer Rapids, young eyes are the ones most riveted by the parade. Why? because it shows to them all of the symbols of their world that make it safe and wonderful.

A police car led the way as a symbol we have law and order. A school bus was a symbol we have access to education. Members of the Lions’ Club were a symbol that we have people who care in this community. Fire trucks and firefighters were a symbol that we are well protected from the danger of fire and other emergencies. Floats from small businesses were a symbol that there is work available for those who want to do it. Kids throwing candy canes were a symbol that we have food enough to celebrate and thriving children. Santa was a symbol of many things including generosity and the gentle strength of wisdom that comes with age for those who are willing to slow down enough to cultivate it.

You might have been too busy to pause and think about all those symbols last Sunday. You might have been too busy to understand just how amazing our little town and its tiny parade are in the grand scheme of things. Many millions of people are currently risking their lives and the lives of their children fueled only by hunger and the hope that they might one day live in a community one-tenth as secure and as wonderful as Palmer Rapids.

I am immensely grateful for all of the participants in the parade, and especially to Jordan Genrick and the township staff and volunteers who had their priorities right this weekend; your good example was seen by many young eyes.

You can have young eyes at any age. It is not the age of the eyes that makes them young or old, it is what you choose to focus on. You can focus on how busy and stressed you are or how sad you are about your life; or you can focus on the fact that this Christmas will be some young child’s first Santa Claus parade. There were still people of all ages in our community whose eyes got to bear witness to the joy on children’s faces as they saw Santa, who by the way is the busiest guy this time of year, and who still was tenderhearted enough to show up for those who wanted to see him.

If you are too busy to attend in your community’s annual parade, either as a participant or as a spectator, you are too busy. Life is like a parade; it passes by before you know it. Being busy isn’t a virtue; humility is.

Palmer Rapids has a very humble Santa Claus parade, but to my eyes, for all that it symbolizes, and all that it doesn’t, it rivals all of the parades ever held in New York City.

A child attends Palmer Rapids Santa Claus parade.

Photos by Katrina Boguski

The Cook and the Wine Expert - Holiday Edition

The count down is officially on! Christmas is coming to town whether we like it or not in a little more than a week. Nothing brings people together like the big spread at the holidays. But let’s face it. It’s not always as perfect as it was on the Brady Bunch! In fact, with everyone a wee bit tired from late nights. early mornings and more people in the house than usual, families can have their fair share of squabbles and drama on Christmas day. But by the time dinner rolls around, everyone eventually gathers around the table remembering the love we have in our hearts for one another. And if the cook doesn’t collapse from exhaustion, (that’s usually me in our house) she or he can finally sit and relax, grateful to have gotten everything done and on the table on time!

Turkey is always the star on our holiday table, and over the years, I’ve experimented with quite a few different ways to make the bird. The recipe I’m sharing here is a winner all around, takes no brining and is very moist. I first tried this recipe by Canadian chef Rodney Bowers years ago and now, it’s my go to for a turkey I know will be perfect every time.

*Note- if you have some vegetarians in the house, try the Tofurkey, available at our local grocery stores. It comes stuffed and with gravy so it’s easy to make to include as part of the meal.

The Cook suggests… The Perfect Holiday Turkey

Ingredients

½ cup butter

1 lemon, zested and juiced, plus 1 whole lemon

1 small orange, zested and juiced

1 tsp chopped thyme, plus 1 bunch of fresh thyme

I sweet onion, quartered 1 head of garlic, halved 1 fresh or frozen turkey (thawed) – about 10-12 pounds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon AND orange, and one teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.

Prep the turkey by removing any giblets and washing inside and out with cold water. Pat completely dry. Place the turkey into a large roasting pan. Very liberally season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper.

Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the halved garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the

and pepper.

The Wine Expert Suggests…

Depending on what time your Christmas Dinner is being served you could start the day off with a Christmas Morning Mimosa. A mimosa is really quite simple but none the less tasty. Add champagne to a flute and top off with orange juice. You can pretty much just eyeball it, there’s no real measuring involved. You have options when it comes to the best wines to pair with your Christmas dinner. Lighter-bodied red wines are the best way to go, like a Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais. They won’t feel heavy and weigh you down before you slip into a turkey coma! Of course, red wines aren’t your only option. I highly recommend a dry rosé wine and for our white wine drinkers, a Pinot Grigio or a Riesling would be a good choice.

Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the

Roast the turkey about two and half hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Internal temperature at thickest part of the turkey should reach 170 degrees Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

When ready to serve, slice one (if just for two) of the tenderloins into slices, plate on a plater and drizzle gravy on top.

The Cook suggests… Lavigne Family Stuffing

No turkey dinner is complete with out the stuffing. I’ve only ever made this recipe. It’s been in our family forever, and my older brother Maurice taught me how to make it. (Fun fact: all my brothers are pretty good cooks!) I hope I do it justice because I’ve never really measured any of ingredients since I’ve made it so often.

Ingredients

1 loaf of bread of choice, dried (I usually layout on a cookie tray and leave out the night before)

1 pound of bacon, cut into 1-inch strips

1 whole onion, chopped

About 3-4 stalks of celery cut into one inch pieces

Melted butter (about ¼ cup)

Have some milk on hand

Salt and pepper

2-4 tbsp of ground sage (adjust to your taste)

Directions

Cut dried bread, including the crusts, into one inch cubes; place in large bowl

In a large skillet over med high heat, cook bacon, celery, and onion. Fry until bacon is cooked but soft, and celery and onions are softened Drain any fat from the skillet and let the mixture cool a bit before adding to the bread cubes.

Add sage, salt and pepper and incorporate Add melted butter and then enough milk so that it sticks together and is somewhat damp but not wet.

Place in a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 45 min-1 hours. We like it a little dry but also moist inside as well as slightly browned at the top. Adjust cooking time to suit the way your tastes.

The Wine Expert Suggests…

A special occasion calls for a special drink. Brew up some strong coffee or your favorite hot chocolate. In a large mug, add an ounce of a any cream liqueur (like RumChata or an Irish Cream and an ounce of Irish whiskey or I love to add amaretto instead of the Irish whisky.) Pour in the hot coffee and top with some whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

butter thyme citrus mixture and sprinkle with a little more salt

turkey.

While Toni enjoys cooking, baking and being in the kitchen, Dan provides his expertise and suggestions for refreshments.

Toni & Dan Conway

What you aim at matters

Lessons on archery and conservation

KATRINA BOGUSKI Freelance

When assigned the story on the new Combermere Archery and Conservation club set up by Ray Pastway, it had been my intention to stop by for 20 minutes and grab a few photos of some arrows. The sign at the entrance of the newly constructed building at 39273 Combermere Road told me there was something more going on here. Three hours after reading it, the insightful conversation with Pastway was still well underway.

It is not hard to figure out that Pastway has had some significant success in business; he was the founder of Pastway Planing in Combermere and also was a former owner of Watertower Lodge in Barry’s Bay. It is also quite evident that his attitude toward conservation, and his skill developed through archery, would have been a significant asset in business and in life generally. Pastway’s current passion seeks to hand his expertise on to the next generation so that kids also may have access to these valuable skills, and the important lessons that come with them.

The focus of the club not only teaches kids about archery, it also teaches them the importance of animal conservation. It is with this aim in mind that the lessons are provided at no cost to local families. The teachers include James Cannon, John Artymko and Aaron Parcher. Even kids just beginning their lessons will immediately get a sense of the wide world that archery can open for them. The animals on display in Combermere represent some outstanding specimens of species found throughout North America, and even a few from Africa.

The quality of the taxidermy is world-class and was done by one of the leading taxidermy companies that serves expert clients from around North America. The artistic work done by Advanced Taxidermy of Caledon Ontario presents the animals in an incredibly lifelike fashion. The revolving display in the upper room of the building allows animals to be seen from all angles.

There is a story behind every animal and Pastway can recount them in detail. He hopes eventually to have the specifics of the stories summarized and documented so

that visitors to the showroom can read up on the animals and the places they came from. Lessons in geography, sociology and world cultures seem inexorably linked to every display.

Business coaches, as much as athletic coaches, have long known that what you focus on matters and your aim can be a significant factor in determining the outcomes you achieve. Now, a host of scientific research from disciplines like physics to the neuropsychology are supporting this long held belief. The attention we pay to specific things actually alters our behavior and even the molecules of our brains.

As many modern parents struggle to get their kids’ eyes away from devices, lessons from some of our ancient human ancestors might be the trick needed. Our brains have not kept pace with the advances in technology, but our eyes, bodies and brains have adapted to archery over thousands of years.

Humans have relied on the skill of archery since we survived as hunter gathers; some cultures still depend on archery today. Both as a means of gaining food and as a means of defense, archery has played a central role in human cultures across the continents.

Greek and Roman myths, Biblical narratives, Indigenous teachings, as well as metaphors of world literature all contain many references to archery. However, for most students today, this practice is far removed from their life experience. Placing a bow in their hands and letting them experience the thrill of hitting a target will help them appreciate many stories and will boost their self-confidence.

But archery is not about instant success, and learning to deal with the frustration of failure is also a valuable lesson that comes with it.

Although Pastway had grown up rifle hunting, he got hooked on archery in the early 1980s. The sport requires more skill and patience than rifle hunting, and consequently it alters one’s outlook on animals and the natural habitats in which they are found.

The sport has taken him to some of Canada’s most northern communities and has introduced him to many people whose very existence is dependent on hunting and

the animal conservation practices which hunters support. The groups forging the way in the conservation of animals and their habitats are led by hunters. Backed by science and a sincere desire to see thriving populations of game animals, hunters around the world contribute large sums of money to conservation efforts.

Indigenous communities are among those who benefit significantly from the presence of hunters. Animals in these areas would be killed to feed the community, and often also to protect the people from their threat. If the local people kill the animals themselves, a practice that is part of their culture and heritage, they will get only the meat and possibly a tiny sum of money for the hide, which they must prepare themselves.

Conversely, if the animal is taken by a hunter, many thousands of dollars pour into the community. Jobs are provided for guides, for pilots, for lodge workers and for those who prepare the hides. The meat of the animal is left in the community and only the hides, antlers and hooves are removed. Knowing the important economic and cultural benefits hunting provides their communities, the remote villages work to help conserve the animal populations and provide ongoing assurance that this natural resource will be available for generations to come.

These communities also receive funding from hunting associations which aid in their conservation efforts.

Archery is an Olympic sport, so even it you never plan to go hunting, this skill is recognized for its athletic value.

The lessons are free and available for kids ages seven to 14. One parent must attend the lessons, and COVID-19 protocols are in place. To enroll their kids in the next round of archery lessons, parents can send the name and age of their son or daughter to Pastway via email at combermere_archery@hotmail.com . The next round of lessons will begin in early January and space is limited.

The Tuesday night archery class at the Combermere Archery and Conservation Club.

A few of the many animals on display at the Combermere Archery and Conservation Club. Photos Katrina Boguski

Get in the game!

Views from the armchair athlete

Dan Conway, Sports Columnist gazettesports@hotmail.com

 The Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-25 to win the 108th Grey Cup in overtime. The Blue Bombers, who went 29 years without winning the Grey Cup before their 2019 championship, are the first repeat champions since the Montreal alouettes in 2009-10.  Canada unveiled its final roster for 2022 World Junior championships that begin Dec. 26 in Edmonton and to no one’s surprise, Peterborough Petes’ forward Mason McTavish is on the team.

 Nearly two months into the NHL season, there is only one unvaccinated player, the Red Wings’ Tyler Bertuzzi, who is currently on NHL’s COVID-19 protocols list. But players continue to test positive for the coronavirus, as dozens across the league have landed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols list.

And with one player already opting out of the 2022 Winter Olympics over COVID-19 concerns, the pandemic’s effect on the sport isn’t going away anytime soon. The league issued a memorandum on Nov. 29 encouraging all 32 teams to cancel upcoming club-organized holiday parties and to refrain from participating in public autograph sessions, charity events and speaking engagements. Shortly after New Years, we shall see if the NHL players are still planning to go to the Olympics.  Not saying I live in a rough area, but I just bought an advent calendar and half the

Athlete Profile of the Week

Brought to you by

29513

(613)

Charles ‘Uncle

Charlie’ Rodway

Favourite sports team and player?

Toronto Maple Leafs – Mitch Marner

Three athletes you would like to sit down to dinner with: (alive or deceased) –Andy Bathgate, Mats Sundin and Tim Horton

If you were not doing what you do/did, what other profession would you like to have done? Pro baseball player

If you had a time machine, where would you travel? Back to the 1950’s where times were much simpler Hobbies: Golf, watching sports on TV, carpentry and tinkering in my workshop

If you could play for any Pro team, who would you play for? Toronto Maple Leafs or the Blue Jays

Would you rather go to: Stanley Cup final, Super Bowl, World Series, the NBA finals (or other) and where? Stanley Cup Final in Toronto

What are three things still left on your bucket list? 1) Go to Europe. 2) Take another Alaska vacation (cruise). 3) A Vegas trip for at least 10 days

If you were reincarnated, who or what would you come back as? Me…only younger and taller

Who was one of the best teammates you ever played with? All my buddies and

friends at Homestead Golf course. Bruce, Ross, Mike, Kym, Eugene etc. etc. etc.

If you were marooned on a desert Island, had all the food and water you need, and could have any other two items (things), what two would you choose to have? A lighter and a strong tent (and unlimited supply of Forty Creek Whisky) What celebrity do you have a secret crush on? Kate Beckinsale

If you had the money, what would be your dream vehicle? Ford F-150 Lariat

If you were stuck in an elevator for hours and had to listen to the same song over and over, what song would you pick?

‘Wake Up’ by Merle Haggard

Name your favourite sports moment you witnessed on TV: Tiger Wood winning the Masters in 2019

What sports broadcaster would you like to never hear speak again? Can’t pick just one, but here are my top three: Greg Millen, Rob Faulds and Dean Brown

Name a favourite local sports moment: My hole-in-one on the 8th hole at the Homestead at Wolf Ridge Golf Course, this past summer

Who will win the Stanley Cup this year? Hopefully the Leafs… but probably not

windows are boarded up!  Over in Finland, Owen McDade had a hat-trick and added a pair of assists for a five-point night as Muik Hockey beat RaaheK 7-4. Two nights later McDade scored once and had two helpers as Muik beat Titaanit 5-4. Muik is now 13 and five on the season, and sits in 4th place in the 14-team league. McDade now has 13 goals and 24 points in 12 games.  In Germany, Robbie Lepine scored a pair as ESC Kempten beat ERV Schweinfurt 6-4. Lepine now has 7-7-14 in 10 games.  In the CCHL, Tyson Tomasini had a goal and an assist as the Renfrew Wolves doubled up the Rockland Nationals 6-3.  Alex Ovechkin and Leon Draisaitl have been putting pucks in the net at will these days. Draisaitl currently leads the league in scoring with 23 goals while Ovechkin sits behind him at 20 goals. Both are on a pace that could see them threaten the 60goal barrier, while the discussion of Draisaitl being the first player since 1991-92 to score 50 goals in his team’s first 50 games has begun. I never thought we would be discussing this, but here we are. Long season yet!  Marc-Andre Fleury recorded his second shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens last week. In doing so, the Chicago Blackhawks goaltender earned his 500th career win and got to accomplish the feat in his hometown of Montreal. How cool is that, and the Montreal fans gave him a standing ovation. Habs fans are the classiest fans in all of sports. Fleury is just the third goalie in NHL history to reach 500 career wins and joins Martin Brodeur (691) and Patrick Roy (551) Just in case you were wondering, after Fleury, what active goalie has the most career wins, it is LA Kings Jonathon Quick with 342.  Check out a breakdown of Max Scherzer’s new three-year $130 million deal with the New York Mets. $3,600,000 per month, $58,000 per batter faced, $235,000 per inning, $5,000 per hour and $82 per minute.  Thirty-three years ago today, Mario Lemieux recorded four assists (and a goal) in Pittsburgh’s 8-2 win over the Islanders to become the Penguins all-time leader in career assists, breaking the old mark of 349 set by Syl Apps. Oh, it was Mario’s 321st game, meaning he averaged more than an assist per game to start his career. Not bad.  Bob McKenzie, who has been given the nickname ‘Bobby Margarita’ announced that he, and his son Shawn, have launched the ‘Bobby Margarita’ drink, one which is now available in Alberta. It won’t be available in Ontario until the new year.  The iron man challenge! For over 30 years, Doug Jarvis has been the reigning iron man of the NHL with his amazing mark of 964 consecutive games played, unmatched since he set the mark in 1987-88. Keith Yandle’s longevity and durability have put the mark into serious jeopardy of being surpassed. The Philadelphia Flyers blueliner is sitting at 948 consecutive games played and is on pace to break the mark by Philadelphia’s January 22nd, 2022 game against the Detroit Red Wings. If Yandle isn’t the man to break the mark, then the task falls on the Arizona Coyotes Phil Kessel who currently has played in 927 consecutive games.  Two guys sitting at the bar. One guy yells at the other, “I slept with your mom.” People at the bar grow silent. After a while, the guy yells again, “I slept with your mom.” The other guy responds, “Let’s go home dad, you are drunk.”  The race to 1,700 games… Zdeno Chara and Joe Thornton are the NHL’s last active players from the 1990s and they’re both on the verge of entering a club that only five other players have entered before them. The closest right now is Thornton sitting at 1,695 games played, while Chara is at 1,628 games. The other five guys are: Patrick Marleau-1,779, Gordie Howe-1,767, Mark Messier-1,756, Jaromir Jagr-1,773 and Ron Francis-1,731.  Last week’s “Who am I?” was Mike Fisher.  The Year was 1997… Roger Clemens became the 1st pitcher to win four American Cy Young awards with the 1st Triple Crown season since 1945. The Rocket went 21-7 with a 2.05 ERA, racking up 294 punch outs in a major league-leading 264 innings thrown. Clemens became the only the third player in MLB history to win at least four Cy Young awards; joining Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux, who both did so in the Senior Circuit.  Teacher: I need a volunteer to answer my question? Johnny: I can do that.

Teacher: Ok, Johnny can you name 10 different animals in Africa?

Johnny: Piece of Cake!! 9 Elephant and 1 Zebra  In 1956, Frank Robinson became the 1st unanimous NL Rookie of the Year  Sidney Crosby is the only NHL player to record 100 points and 100 penalty minutes in his rookie season.  Who am I? I played in the NHL from 1967 to 1976. I played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1967-1971, winning Stanley Cups with them in 1968 and 1969. Halfway through the 1970-71 NHL season I was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in a deal that sent superstar Frank Mahovlich to Montreal. In 1972-1973, I became the seventh player in NHL history and the first Red Wing player to score fifty goals in a season. The following season I again scored 50 goals. In the 1974–1975 season I sustained a back injury and played only 29 games. My back woes continued the following year, and after 37 games I retired early at the age of 28. My younger brother was an NHL defenseman, who played thirteen seasons, primarily with the Chicago Black Hawks and the Boston Bruins. I am currently a color analyst for Detroit Red Wings games on television for Bally Sports Detroit. Who am I?

U18 Bears extend their unbeaten streak to nine games

BARRY’S BAY – It is approaching 4:00 p.m. on a dark and rainy Saturday afternoon, and inside the Paul J. Yakabuski Community Centre the Deep River Knights are taking the ice against the hometown Barry’s Bay Bears in U18 action.

The first period was back and forth with few good scoring opportunities until Bear’s David Gonzalez was stopped from in close on a hard wrist shot. At the other end of the ice, Jamison Sullivan made three big saves to keep the game scoreless. Then at 7:33, Knight’s defenseman Carter Boulanger fired one from the point that found the back of the net on a screened Sullivan. Andrew Phanenhour came close to tying the game but was robbed by the Knight’s goalie. 1-0 Knights after one period.

Just over two minutes into the second, the Bears tied the game up when Abbey Recoskie fed a pass to William Malinowski who was flying up the wing at full speed, blew by the defenseman, cut in front of the net and tucked

it in 5-hole. Prettiest goal of the game. Emma Foy also drew an assist. The Bears took their first lead of the game at 7:25 p.m., when Andrew Phanenhour took a pass from River Marleau and buried it top shelve, glove side. Abbey Recoskie also picked up a helper on the goal. Fifty-one seconds later, the Bears extended their lead when a David Gonzalez wrist shot trickled through the Knight’s goalie’s pads and rolled in. River Marleau and Jordan Summers had assists. With less than a minute remaining in the period, off a turnover, Knight’s McLaren turned and fired a wrist shot that found the back of the net behind Sullivan, who had little to no chance to make the stop. 3-2 Bears after two periods of play.

Early in the third, the Bears went on the powerplay, but couldn’t put one passed Knight’s goalie Menard. The period remained scoreless, and then with only 42 seconds remaining, the Knights pulled their goalie, and had several good scoring chances, buy couldn’t get the equalizer passed Sullivan. Bears hold on and win 3-2 in an exciting game.

The Bears are in first place with a record 9-1-3.

DAN CONWAY

Armchair Athlete

River Marleau (40) gets robbed from in close by a great glove save. Photos Dan Conway

Abbey Recoskie (6) tries to jam in the rebound from an Andrew Phanenhour (7) shot.

Bears goalie Jamison Sullivan (30) makes one of his many saves, this one from in the slot.

The importance of vaccinating children aged five to 11

Press release submitted by Renfrew County and District Health Unit

36 cases in the 5 to11 year old age group, almost 1 in 5 of all cases reported across RCD. “These children are by far our most susceptible age group,” says Dr. Cushman.

at this time of year,” continues Dr. Malinowski.

Over 1,500 children across Renfrew County and District (RCD), aged 5 to 11 have received the COVID-19 vaccine. “While this is great news, only an additional 1,000 of the remaining 6,000 children who are eligible have been registered for vaccination in December,” states Dr. Robert Cushman,

Acting Medical Officer of Health, Renfrew County and District Health Unit. “Many spots are available, and we encourage families to sign up,” continues Dr. Cushman.

There has been a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases among children in RCD. Since September, RCDHU has reported

While COVID-19 symptoms tend to be mild in most children, in Canada, there have been over 300 hospitalizations, 50 ICU admissions and 2 deaths. “Parents need to be reminded that any child requiring hospitalization for COVID-19 will be transferred to CHEO, says Dr. Jason Malinowski. “On top of all the worries, travel would be a major inconvenience especially

Over the past few weeks RCDHU has reported a growing number of COVID-19 cases in settings such as schools, sports teams, and workplaces. This then leads to rapid spread amongst household members, both vaccinated and unvaccinated. The impact that the isolation period can then have on families while having to stay home is significant. Isolating in the home means time away from work, schooling, recreational and social activities, not only affecting families mentally and

INSPECTION

Inspection of 2021-2022 Annual Work Schedule for Ottawa Valley Forest

The December 31, 2021 – March 31, 2022 Annual Work Schedule (AWS) for the Ottawa Valley Forest is available electronically for public viewing by contacting the Ottawa Valley Forest Inc. during normal business hours and on the Natural Resources Information Portal at https://nrip.mnr.gov.on.ca/s/fmp-online beginning December 15, 2021 and for the duration of the AWS. This AWS coincides with the approved 2021-2031 Forest Management Plan.

physically, but also financially. These are strong reasons to have all eligible children vaccinated.

“With people gathering indoors due to colder weather, Christmas, and the holiday season fast approaching, vaccination is our best defence to allow families to get together and celebrate safely,” finishes Dr. Cushman.

For more information, visit RCDHU’s website at https:// www.rcdhu.com/novelcoronavirus- covid-19-2/

Scheduled Forest Management Operations

The AWS describes forest operations such as road construction, maintenance and decommissioning, forestry aggregate pits, harvest, site preparation, tree planting and tending that are scheduled to occur during the year.

Tree Planting and Fuelwood

Ottawa Valley Forest Inc. is responsible for tree planting on the Ottawa Valley Forest. Please contact Ottawa Valley Forest Inc. at 613-735-1888 for information regarding tree planting job opportunities.

For information on the locations and license requirements for obtaining fuelwood for personal use, please contact NDMNRF Pembroke District Office at 613-732-5505 or MNRF.PEM@ontario.ca. For commercial fuelwood opportunities, please contact Ottawa Valley Forest Inc. at 613-735-1888.

More Information

For more information on the AWS, to arrange a remote meeting with NDMNRF staff to discuss the AWS or to request AWS summary information, please contact: Krista Watters, R.P.F.

Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry Pembroke District Office e-mail: krista.watters@ontario.ca

Stay Involved

Further information on how to get involved in forest management planning and to better understand the stages of public consultation please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/document/participate-forest-management-ontario/how-get-involved-forest-management

Renseignements en français : Elizabeth Holmes au tél: 613 302-3768 ou courriel : elizabeth.holmes@ontario.ca.

Bruce Summerby Operations Forester Ottawa Valley Forest Inc. e-mail: bsummerby@ovfi.ca

MV discusses new cannabis production regulations as current laws expire

SARAH CROOKALL Staff Reporter

The Township of Madawaska Valley began talks about new cannabis zoning by-law to replace its former interim control by-law for cannabis.

MV is hoping to extend the interim by-law, but in the meantime, the county recommends passing a specific cannabis zoning by-law to address new cannabis development. The new by-law would set out regulations on location requirements and performance standards.

“It makes sense that the county would do this because all 17 municipalities will find themselves needing this information,” said mayor Kim Love.

During the Dec. 7 council in committee meeting, Lindsay Bennett, Renfrew County planner, gave a presentation from the county’s cannabis operations study. The final report, issued through WSP, details several recommendations for cannabis operations in Renfrew County.

Odor, lighting, noise, and fencing are just

some of the requirements licensed facilities would have to follow.

The study follows several County of Renfrew municipalities passing by-laws to temporarily prohibit land development for cannabis-related purposes. The county carried out the study, analyzing 12 municipalities, to determine landuse policies for the substance.

About 20 zoning by-laws exist in Renfrew County, which have not addressed cannabis since its legalization.

Many municipalities in Renfrew County said that the current by-laws lack clarify, leading to confusion in implementing cannabis-related policies.

The proposed by-law would also ensure land setbacks, lot areas, and separation distance. For agricultural use, a licensed cannabis facility would need a front yard setback of 30 metres and a rear yard setback of 30 metres.

Lot areas would also need to be at least 8-10 hectares.

In industrial areas, most municipalities have performance standards so the county recommends reviewing lot area sizes to be

determined on a case-by-case basis.

But for indoor facilities with 2,000 metres, the county recommends a separation distance of 500 metres. Separation distances are used to limit the effect of noxious substances, noise, light and odor.

One reason for the by-law, county staff say, is to distinguish and regulate agricultural from industrial cannabis use. The county’s official plan doesn’t currently set apart agricultural use from industrial use.

Since cannabis is a crop, it is considered an agricultural use. The county recommends that cannabis be considered as-of-right for agricultural use. Meanwhile, each municipality will be able to review their own needs in industrial zone, which already have higher zoning requirements. Municipalities may also further regulate performance standards in agricultural areas.

The report recommends that large-scale operations that involve cannabis processing have a zoning by-law amendment. And that outdoor storage is prohibited unless setbacks and screenings are applied.

Existing parking by-laws would govern parking and nuisance bylaws would further regulate odor, lights, and noise allows for inspections

But cannabis can still be grown for personal use, with up to four plants per home.

“People who are allowed to just grow for their personal use, which is permitted–it’s legal, there’s not much a municipality can do to stop or prohibit that process,” said Bruce Horwath, Renfrew County planning services manager.

Councillor Ernie Peplinski said he says worries about contamination and chemicals used in grow-ops.

“This issue was raised at the last (Rural Ontario Municipal Association) conference in our meeting with the authorities at the time where they had discovered that the perpetrators had left the site totally contaminated–and who cleans up?", asked Peplinski.

Will it be our responsibility? Is there a fund?”

Horwath said that the by-law doesn’t apply to illegal cannabis users.

“So, if there was an illegal operation that occurs in the township it is the responsibility of the OPP to enforce the laws and shut down that use. So, if there is an illegal one that the township is aware is the appropriate action is to contact the OPP.”

He added that contamination fall under the Environmental Protection Act and that the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks would handle any contamination. But approved facilities that fall under the by-law would be approved by Health Canada, thereby limiting risk.

Council also clarified that rural areas can also have agricultural use, since MV has more rural land than agricultural land.

“Just so council understands when we talk about agricultural that would include land that is zoned agricultural but that would also include land that is zoned rural,” said mayor Kim Love.

“So, a rural designation also permits a farm. So, wherever a farm is permitted use you’re allowed to grow crops,” said Horwath.

Public Notice

Draft Bylaw 2022-004 (General Provisions)

Zoning Bylaw Amendment to Conform with the Official Plan

Public input is being requested for an amendment to the Municipality’s Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw.

A Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw is a tool of the Ontario Planning Act to regulate the use of land, buildings and structures.

Draft Bylaw 2022-004 is a Zoning Bylaw Amendment that will amend the existing Bylaw 2004-035 Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw for the Municipality of Hastings Highlands.

The goal of Bylaw 2022-004 (General Provisions) is to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw to conform with the County of Hastings Official Plan. The Municipality of Hastings Highlands is a part of the County of Hastings. The County of Hastings updated their Official Plan for the County in August 2018. The Municipality is required by the Ontario Planning Act to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw to conform with the County of Hastings Official Plan.

The first reading of the proposed Bylaw 2022-004 was held at the Council meeting on December 1, 2021. The second reading of the proposed Zoning Bylaw Amendment will be held at the Council meeting on March 2, 2022. The third and final reading of the Zoning Bylaw Amendment will be held at the Council meeting on May 4, 2022.

Public Input can be submitted as of the December 1, 2021 Regular Meeting of Council until Third Reading and can be submitted in any of the following ways:

• Provide Public Input at the Public Meetings at the Regular Meeting of Council for the two remaining Readings. Register to speak by contacting Cathy Bujas, Building/Planning Clerk by email to cbujas@ hastingshighlands.ca or (613) 338-2811 Ext. 222 by 4:00 p.m. on the Monday before the scheduled Meeting.

• Ask questions at a virtual Open House Session on April 8, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• Review and ask questions at an in-person Open House Session on April 14, 2022 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Emond Hall at the Hastings Highlands Centre at 33011 Highway 62, Maynooth.

• Review information and submit your input through Have Your Say Hastings Highlands webpage at https://hastingshighlands.ca/have-yoursay-hastings-highlands/

• By calling, writing, or emailing the Municipality.

You may request a copy of the proposed Zoning Bylaw Amendment at the Municipality’s office.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Municipality of Hastings Highlands 33011 Hwy 62N, PO Box 130 Maynooth, ON K0L 2S0 Phone (613) 338-2811 Fax (613) 338-3292 www.hastingshighlands.ca

“The report indicates that personal growth of cannabis should not be regulated by the zoning by-law as it is beyond the scope of the zoning and given that it is permitted under federal legislation,” said Bennett.

Bennett adds the reports recommends that retail sales should be handled by existing retail sections of the by-law.

Council brought up concern about the cost to enforcement the by-law, like the cost of olfactometers and other tools.

Residents with medical license can have up to 300 plants, said Horwath. Sometimes, he said, it can cause problems with enforcement.

Before the by-law is reviewed, MV is seeking to extend its interim control bylaw that expired Dec. 1 for another year. Horwarth recommends that MV’s new cannabis by-law includes specific zoning requirements.

CAO, Suzanne Klatt, says that MV has the Ontario Cannabis Legalization Implementation Fund, which allocates at least $5,000 of funding to each municipality, to offset enforcement costs.

Notice of Passing

Bylaw 2021-064 to Revoke Bylaw 2021-021 Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw A Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw is a tool of the Ontario Planning Act to regulate the use of land, buildings and structures.

Bylaw 2021-021 Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw replaced Bylaw 2004-035 Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw for all the lands in the Municipality of Hastings Highlands.

The primary goal of the Bylaw 2021-021 Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw was to conform with the County of Hastings Official Plan. The Municipality of Hastings Highlands is a part of the County of Hastings. The County of Hastings updated their Official Plan for the County in August 2018. The Municipality is required by the Ontario Planning Act to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw to conform with the Official Plan. The Municipality of Hastings Highlands also took the opportunity in Bylaw 2021-021 Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw to provide clarity to other provisions within the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw.

Council passed Bylaw 2021-021 Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw at the Regular Meeting of Council on July 21, 2021.

It was identified by municipal staff that there was an oversight in providing proper notice requirements under the Planning Act

Council passed Bylaw 2021-064 Being a Bylaw to Revoke Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw No. 2021-021 at the Regular Meeting of Council on September 1, 2021.

Bylaw 2004-035 Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw, as amended, remains in full force and effect.

The proposed Bylaw 2022-004 and Bylaw 2022-005 are proposing to amend the current Bylaw 2004-025 Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw to conform with the County of Hastings Official Plan as required by the Planning Act

Municipality of Hastings Highlands 33011 Hwy 62N, PO Box 130 Maynooth, ON K0L 2S0 Phone (613) 338-2811 Fax (613) 338-3292 www.hastingshighlands.ca

NOTICE OF ROAD CLOSING BY-LAW

Being part of the original Allowance for Road along the shore of Paugh Lake, in front of Broken Lot 21 Concession 1 designated as Part 1 on Reference Plan 49R-19899 in the geographic Township of Burns, now in the Township of Madawaska Valley, in the County of Renfrew, in the Province of Ontario, being located at 1420 Yandreski Road, Barry’s Bay, Ontario.

The Municipal Council of The Corporation of the Township of Madawaska Valley, p ropose to pass a By-Law permanently closing part of the original Allowance for Road along the shore of Paugh Lake, in front of Broken Lot 21, Concession 1, designated as Part 1, on Reference Plan 49R-19899, in the geographic Township of Burns, now in the Township of Madawaska Valley, in the County of Renfrew, in the Province of Ontario, being part of P.I.N. 57548-0180 (LT) and intend to sell/convey it to the abutting landowner (s)

TAKE NOTICE as a result of the COVID-19 PANDEMIC The Corporation of the Township of Madawaska Valley will conduct an ELECTRONIC Council Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, February 1st, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

PLEASE NOTE: As this will be an ELECTRONIC Meeting where there will be no physical in person attendance due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, you are strongly encouraged to contact the Township Offices, if you have any questions, or input regarding the proposed Road Allowance closures, prior to the Council Meeting. Furthermore, comments/concerns must be submitted in writing prior to the Council Meeting, and by no later than (noon) on Thursday, January 27th, 2022, to allow Council the ability to fully review any submission(s) prior to the ELECTRONIC Council Meeting.

PARTICIPATION: A participant-attendee may request to be placed on the Agenda as a Delegation/Attendee at the Council Meeting, by contacting the Township Offices to provide an e-mail address prior to (noon) on Friday, January 28th, 2022

A copy of the said By-Law and/or the said Reference Plan may be examined at the office of the CAO/Clerk of the Municipality during normal working hours.

THE said disposition and sale thereof, is in accordance with the policies and procedures as established by By-Law 2013-38 and said portion of Shore Road Allowance, having been declared surplus to the needs of the municipality.

NOTICE is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of By-Law 2013-38 pursuant to Section 23

UPON the By-Law being finally enacted, that portion of the said Shoreline Road Allowance, having been permanently closed will be conveyed to the adjoining landowner, being the person(s) in possession thereof

AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that the Municipal Council of The Corporation of the Township of Madawaska Valley at the above-described meeting shall hear any person(s), or by

his/her counsel, solicitor or agent, who claims that his/her land will be prejudicially affected by the By -Law and who applies to be heard.

NOTE: That all written submissions, documents, correspondence, e-mails or other communications (including your name and address) form part of the public record and will be disclosed/made available by the Municipality to such persons as the Municipality sees fit, including anyone requesting such information. Accordingly, in provid ing such information, you shall be deemed to have consented to its use and disclosure as part of this closure process.

DATED at the Township of Madawaska Valley, this 8th day of December, 2021

Silas Lorbetski, MLEO Manager of Planning, Development & Licencing Township of Madawaska Valley 85 Bay Street, P.O. Box 1000 Barry's Bay, Ontario K0J 1B0 Email: slorbetski@madawaskavalley.ca

NOTICE OF ROAD CLOSING BY-LAW

The Municipal Council of The Corporation of the Township of Madawaska Valley, p ropose to pass a By-Law permanently closing parts of the original Allowance for Road along the shore of Trout Lake in front of Lot 35 Concession 6 designated as Parts 1 and 2 on Reference Plan 49R-19864 in the geographic Township of Sherwood, now in the Township of Madawaska Valley, in the County of Renfrew, in the Province of Ontario, being part of P.I.N. 57565-0315 (LT) and intend to sell/convey it to the abutting landowner(s)

TAKE NOTICE as a result of the COVID-19 PANDEMIC The Corporation of the Township of Madawaska Valley will conduct an ELECTRONIC Council Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, February 1st, 2022, at 10:00 a.m.

PLEASE NOTE: As this will be an ELECTRONIC Meeting where there will be no physical in person attendance due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, you are strongly encouraged to contact the Township Offices, if you have any questions, or input regarding the proposed Road Allowance closures, prior to the Council Meeting. Furthermore, comments/concerns must be submitted in writing prior to the Council Meeting, and by no later than (noon) on Thursday, January 27th, 2022, to allow Council the ability to fully review any submission(s) prior to the ELECTRONIC Council Meeting.

PARTICIPATION: A participant-attendee may request to be placed on the Agenda as a Delegation/Attendee at the Council Meeting, by contacting the Township Offices to provide an e-mail address prior to (noon) on Friday, January 28th, 2022

A copy of the said By-Law and/or the said Reference Plan may be examined at the office of the CAO/Clerk of the Municipality during normal working hours.

THE said disposition and sale thereof is in accordance with the policies and procedures as established by By-Law 2013-38 and said portion of Shore Road Allowance, having been declared surplus to the needs of the municipality.

NOTICE is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of By-Law 2013-38 pursuant to Section 23 UPON the By-Law being finally enacted, that portion of the said Shoreline Road Allowance, having been permanently closed will be conveyed to the adjoining landowner, being the person(s) in possession thereof

AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that the Municipal Council of The Corporation of the Township of Madawaska Valley at the abovedescribed meeting shall hear any person(s), or by his/her counsel, solicitor or agent, who claims that

his/her land will be prejudicially affected by the By-Law and who applies to be heard.

NOTE: That all written submissions, documents, correspondence, e-mails or other communications (including your name and address) form part of the public record and will be disclosed/made available by the Municipality to such persons as the Municipality sees fit, including anyone requesting such information. Accordingly, in provid ing such information, you shall be deemed to have consented to its use and disclosure as part of this closure process. DATED at the Township of Madawaska Valley, this 8th day of December, 2021

Township of Madawaska Valley KEY MAP

Being parts of the original Allowance for Road along the shore of Trout Lake, in front of Lot 35, Concession 6, designated as Parts 1 and 2, on Reference Plan 49R-19864, in the geographic Township of Sherwood, now in the Township of Madawaska Valley, in the County of Renfrew, in the Province of Ontario, being located at 46A Wiltom Drive and 28 Wiltom Drive Barry’s Bay Ontario.

Bob

It is with sorrow that the family of Evelyn Vlasic announce her passing on December 13, 2021 at the age of 91. Predeceased in 2008 by Walter, her beloved husband of 58 years, her parents Otto and Elizabeth Miller and her sister Doreen. Loving mother of Michael (Anne), Thomas (Wendy) and doting grandmother of Graeme, David and Karen. Originally from Haliburton, Evelyn lived most of her early life in Welland. In 1987, Evelyn and Walter retired to their cottage on Blackfish Bay, near Combermere, and were long-standing members of the Opeongo Seniors’ Centre. She enjoyed reading, jigsaw puzzles, feeding her chipmunks and blue jays and the many visits by friends and family. She and Doreen were especially close.

Due to the pandemic, a private interment will be held in the spring, with immediate family only. In lieu of flowers, donation to the St. Francis Memorial Hospital Foundation would be appreciated.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a great husband, father and papa, Glen Schutt at the age of 66 years. He leaves behind his wife of 44 years Eileen, his daughter Ashley (Mark), daughter Kayla (Justin) and his two beautiful grandchildren Jackson and Alexis. He also leaves behind brothers Mervin, Ivan, sisters Donna, Helen, June and Bonnie as well as nieces and nephews. Glen was predeceased by his father Earl, his mother Luella, his sisters Mildred and Dorothy, his brother-in-law Frank and his fatherin-law and mother-in-law Tony and Florence. He was a very kind and caring man and his family meant everything to him. He will be greatly missed. Gone but never forgotten. Always in our thoughts and hearts. So long until we meet again.