Eganville Leader_December

Warden Robinson inaugurated for third successive term

By Debbi Christinck Staff Writer

Pembroke – It was an unusual inaugural session for Renfrew County council last Tuesday as Warden Debbie Robinson was inaugurated for her third consecutive term, this time in a hybrid session of council.

“The chain of office does not feel as heavy as it did the first year,” she noted to the assembled mayors and reeves, some present in chambers and others tuning in over ZOOM

Perhaps it was fitting for a warden who was first inaugurated in December 2019, just prior to the COVID pandemic when the thought of restrictions, virtual gatherings, ZOOM meetings, masks and plexiglass surrounding each member of council would have been unheard of. However, the effects of the pandemic would mark her third inaugural with a meeting with about two-thirds of the members of county council in chambers and the rest tuning in over ZOOM. Even the guests who normally bring greetings were all extending their best wishes over ZOOM

The warden pointed out this was the first hybrid inaugural meeting. She added there have been many firsts in the last two years.

Warden Robinson was nominated by Admaston/Bromley Mayor Michael Donohue.

“Though often a political trope, there are those whose leadership is precisely attuned to their time,” he said. “Over a tumultuous tenure, two years of absolutely unparalleled challenge, Debbie Robinson has been an exceptional warden.

“While the COVID-19 response has, appropriately, consumed much oxygen – and ink – in the health care sector,

the transformation of Ontario’s health system has continued apace. Debbie has staked out a position for the county at the forefront of this transformation,” he said. “Her indefatigable advocacy for

the Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre, or VTAC, has indelibly impressed upon Premier (Doug) Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott that this innovative program, created and developed right here in Renfrew

County, must become permanent,” Mayor Donohue noted. The seconder for the nomination, Renfrew Reeve Peter Emon, said it has been a privilege to work with the warden in the last two years.

“Our political will has never been stronger and Debbie exemplifies that,” he said.

“Having overserved her in action speaking with ministers I know she is very well respected,” he added.

Too often people in the political world ask what others can do to improve things.

“Debbie’s motto has been ‘what can we do?’,” he noted.

Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP

John Yakabuski expressed his congratulations to the three-term warden.

“It is even more special when you are unopposed,” he added.

He pointed out she has been the warden during a challenging time with COVID and has never wavered.

“The symbiotic relationship between the province and municipalities was strengthened in this time,” he added.

There have been historic investments in long-term care, Mr. Yakabuski said.

“COVID brought that focus to longterm care like never before,” he said.

Noting the recent provincial announcement of $12 million to Renfrew County for infrastructure will be very important, he said the province is investing in the county.

“This recognizes there is work that has been done and much to be done,” he said.

Mr. Yakabuski said by the province giving the county the flexibility to make changes as needed to the Official Plan gives “Renfrew County that additional tool in the toolbox to be successful.”

Noting a lot has been done in the last two years, he said he does not believe there is a warden he has had more interaction with because of the nature of the world today.

Warden Robinson pointed out Mr. Yakabuski has been involved in seven major projects recently. She said the County of Renfrew is the envy of the other counties in Eastern Ontario. See Page A5

BUPL announces appointment of new CEO/Chief Librarian

By Terry Fleurie Staff Writer

Eganville –Acting CEO/Chief

Librarian Susan Artymko has been appointed the new CEO/Chief Librarian for the Bonnechere Union Public Library (BUPL), Her appointment, which took effect December 10, was announced last week by the library board.

Mrs. Artymko joined the staff last April to fill the role of former CEO/ Chief Librarian Nikolina Likarevic, who left on maternity leave. She was originally scheduled to hold the position of Acting CEO/Chief Librarian until April 2022, however, Ms. Likarevic informed the board she would not be returning next spring because her husband, who is in the armed forces and posted at Garrison Petawawa, has been posted to Toronto.

Mrs. Artmyko applied for the position once the board posted the notice internally after receiving Ms. Likarevic’s resignation. It was an easy choice to make after being so impressed with the organization.

“I’ve learned that this library provides such a fabulous resource for this community,” she remarked. “People love coming here; they come for the public access computers.

“The staff here has been so amazing and welcoming to me and all the other patrons,” she added. “It’s a real community hub in this town, and all the things that we do. Especially in December, we had the Angel Tree up, we had a patron that decided to sell Christmas trees on our behalf, and just the feeling of love and support for this library has been really incredible.”

She said the board has been pleased with her work over the past sevenand-a-half months and they were hoping she would apply for the permanent position. She noted that during her original interview for the acting role, she was asked if she would be willing to stay longer if an extension came along.

“I said yes, because my temporary position was supposed to end in April when the former CEO was going to be coming back after her mat (maternity) leave. But just in case things changed or a new position opened up, they did ask if I was flexible enough to extend it.

“And obviously I said yes because I live in Renfrew County and it’s been great having work in my field in Renfrew County,” she added. “So the timing just happened to work out really well that I’m able to stay and I really want to stay.”

Mrs. Artymko previously worked in the library at Fellowes High School in Pembroke and she had eight years

experience, four as chair, on the board at the Barry’s Bay Public Library, so she was familiar with both sides of the operation. When she came on board, BUPL was preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary, but many of the hoped for activities had to be cancelled or delayed due to COVID.

“But we did have the 50th anniversary on-line auction, which was a great success, and we had another one in November, which was another success. We did forgive everyone’s fines and fees from the beginning of time up to our anniversary date in May.

“We were hoping to do more, but with the restrictions, we weren’t able to,” she added. Glad To Re-open

Mrs. Artymko said the library was not allowed to re-open until June 30, which seemed like forever for the staff and patrons.

“We couldn’t wait to re-open to the public. Some bigger libraries that have more infrastructure were waiting about a week because they had to figure out staffing and how they would actually re-open.

“But the staff was here in the building anyway and as soon as we were allowed to open our doors, I said we were opening our doors the first day the Ontario government let us open,” she added. “We were excited to welcome the public back. I think they really wanted to come back.”

She feels the numbers of patrons returning are comparable to the numbers 18 months ago and staff are back to their normal schedules.

“We’re not open full hours yet. We haven’t been open full hours since March of 2020. But I’m hoping January 2 we’re going to be open our full regular hours which are six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

“And we’re going to have a few evening hours too. We’re hoping to be open until 8 p.m. three nights a week.”

In-person programming resumed at that time and program co-ordinator Bee Stillar had the Youth Hang Out program going again once school resumed in September.

“The kids were so happy to get back in the library, just to be in person. And obviously, we’re following all the safety protocols. You can just see all the fun these kids were having just getting back to the library, which they had missed for about a year.”

BUPL is a partnership between Bonnechere Valley and North Algona Wilberforce townships. It is a good relationship but it can be a bit challenging at times, she said.

“Most libraries only have to deal with one municipality. But in the

last seven months I’ve been here, we’ve had really good support from both municipalities. We have a representative from each municipality on the board and they’re very active with providing us with ideas and feedback.” Going forward, she said it’s very important to keep the lines of communication open and to keep reinforcing the value of the library in Eganville with both municipalities.

Looking Ahead Mrs. Artymko said in her first few months on the job, she found herself looking at the long-term plan, then realizing she might not be here longer than the one year period.

“In this kind of position, you want to plan long term. I want to make sure we have the right technology as the computers start to get older. You want to think about replacing them. Right now, the photocopier is showing signs

of its age, so you want to replace that.

“And just continuing with partnerships with different places in Eganville and working with the staff, which is wonderful here, keeping up everyone’s morale and positivity,” she added. “And continuing to serve the public.”

She noted Renfrew County is not a big place, so having the opportunity to have the position close to her home in the Barry’s Bay area is great. She

said in small towns there are not a lot of community centres, so libraries tend to be the place where people come to gather.

“We do have patrons who are here every day. They like to come and sit at the public computers, and some of them like to have a little chat because there’s no where else to go really.”

Mrs. Artymko said being hired full time is good news any time of the year but it’s an added bonus in the Christmas season.

“It’s great to know I have a little bit more stability and that I’m not going to be looking for a job in the new year,” she said. “I love it here. I’m really happy that I can stay and the staff have been really good and welcoming, and the board are really easy to work with too.

“And even the community, it’s been really good, the reception that I’ve had.”

Easy Choice For Board Board Chair Judy Sauve said the board is delighted Mrs. Artymko sought the position, adding since taking over as interim CEO the transition was seamless.

“What she has accomplished in the few months she has been here is unbelievable,” she remarked. “She has handled COVID, two on-line auctions, a patron survey and a more general survey for residents, an outdoor book sale, and so many other special activities while getting the actual job of CEO done.

“The staff, the board and the patrons are all delighted to now have her permanently at BUPL,” she added. “It’s not an understatement to say we want her to stay forever.”

Ms. Sauve praised Ms. Likarevic for the great work she accomplished since joining the staff as Technical Officer in 2018, prior to her appointment as CEO in November 2019.

“The board members were always impressed with her accomplishment and skills while CEO and were glad to have her at the helm as BUPL adapted to the pandemic. It was a complex task for a new CEO, but she stayed on top of everything from acquiring PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), to adjusting work projects for the staff to be done at home, to moving to curbside delivery, finding new fundraising methods, and many other adjustments that occurred constantly.

“We were happy for her but sad to lose her on maternity leave, and now that has become a permanent loss with her husband’s new posting to Toronto,” she added. “We wish her well and thank her for all her contributions to BUPL in her time here.”

Susan Artymko of Barry’s Bay has been appointed the CEO/Chief Librarian of the Bonnechere Union Public Library effective December 10. She was named Acting CEO/Chief Librarian in April to fill the position of Nikolina Likarevic, who was on maternity leave. Ms. Likarevic has since resigned due to her military husband being posted to Toronto.

Renfrew County Warden Debbie Robinson was acclaimed to her third term last Tuesday. The Reeve of Laurentian Valley Township is flanked by her seconder, Renfrew Reeve Peter Emon, and her mover, Admaston/Bromley Township Mayor Michael Donohue.

120th Year - No. 26

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

The miracle of Christmas

By Terry Fleurie

Staff Writer

Round Lake – A Round Lake resident who was featured in the Leader’s special Christmas edition last week sharing her memories of Christmases past with her sister, is celebrating a significant turn in her ailing sister’s health.

Judy Martin shared her memories from the past growing up in the Killaloe area, knowing her older sister, Maureen Maveety, 82, was seriously ill in a Kingston hospital with kidney failure with a very dire prognosis. Mrs. Martin agreed to do the article, because it helped remind her of the wonderful relationship she had with her sister, and now she is happy to say her sister’s condition has made a dramatic improvement in recent weeks.

“There’s been a dramatic turnaround in her condition and nobody knows why,” Mrs. Martin said. “She had a kidney biopsy and they didn’t

By R. Bruce McIntyre Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Renfrew – Christmas came early for Gertrude Morrow of Richmond after her ticket was picked from among thousands and she is now $797,237 richer as the big winner in the Renfrew Victoria Hospital’s (RVH) Catch the Ace contest.

The draw took place on December 17 in the hospital’s cafeteria. Her selection of number 38 matched the number 38 envelope containing the most elusive Ace of Spades ever seen in the Ottawa Valley.

Just moments before Ms. Morrow’s winning ticket was chosen, Mussrat Shaheen of Barry’s Bay found out her ticket was drawn first which allowed her to claim the weekly winnings totalling $72,336. Her ticket was among the other 72,336 tickets sold in less than a week. Ironically, she purchased her ticket at Eganville Foodland, the same location where the 50th weekly winner purchased her $48,381 winning ticket.

Since the onslaught of the COVID pandemic, the weekly draw has taken place in a section of the hospital far away from regular hospital activity. However, the final Catch the Ace draw was held in the cafeteria with less than 20 people in the area and spaced six-feet apart.

Making the draw in front of an audience added a high level of excitement to the event and reminded those in attendance of the first Catch the Ace lottery when the weekly draws were held at Finnigan’s in Renfrew before sold-out crowds numbering around 200.

When RVH Foundation Executive Director Patti Dillabough gave the signal for the weekly draw to begin, Foundation members Patti Watters and Steven Lyons began spinning the big blue drum containing the tickets. Fellow Foundation member Melanie Clemmer reached deep into the drum and drew the name of Mussrat Shaheen and she was declared the weekly winner. However, the envelope she chose did not contain the Ace of Spades.

say the tissue was damaged or hurt, they said it was dead.

“They were giving her a bit of dialysis just to keep her alive while they were trying to find out what was wrong with her, and she had a violent reaction to the dialysis,” she added. “She convulsed and went temporarily blind, so they had to stop the treatments.”

Mrs. Martin said her sister, a retired Ontario Provincial Police officer, originally thought she had COVID after becoming very ill. She was hospitalized on October 30 after failing at home for about a week and was diagnosed with kidney failure. Ironically, only a few weeks earlier, her sister had a check-up with a family doctor and her kidney function was fine.

“That just proves it was an onset thing. It hadn’t been going on for a long time,” Mrs. Martin said. “This was completely out of control and when she couldn’t take the dialysis anymore, they told her she only had

a couple of weeks.”

Her sister asked to go home for awhile to get her affairs in order, and the doctors agreed. Mrs. Martin went to Kingston to assist her.

“We got rid of her apartment, her car, all of her personal belongings and clothes, everything. She was then taken to palliative care by ambulance. The doctors said it was moving very quickly, it was very aggressive.”

Mrs. Martin said they were told her sister likely would not make it to Christmas and after the first week, she wasn’t feeling worse. Mrs. Maveety asked them to check her and they explained their job was to keep her comfortable, that it was not a hospital equipped for that.

By the end of the second week, when her condition had still not worsened, the facility had some doctors come in to see her, and the first test for the toxins had improved to a point where it was better than the ones at the appointment before she took ill.

“There was no explanation, and they kept an eye on her for a few days and

said there was nothing wrong with her,” Mrs. Martin explained. “So they switched her to rehab in the facility in Kingston and she has been there for over a week to get her strength back.

“She’s now in rehab with nothing wrong with her kidneys,” she added. “They want her to go back to the hospital again to try and figure out if this could happen again or what caused the turn-around.”

While her sister is not necessarily a religious person, she does believe in the power of the universe, the Divine, the energy, whatever it is.

“She doesn’t care if you call it God or not, it’s just something a whole lot bigger than any of us.”

“She was quite content to die. She was thinking this was her time to get it over with in a hurry,”

Mrs. Martin made a recent trip to Kingston with some clothes for her sister, knowing her belongings were all gone.

“I packed a suitcase for the hospital

Ailing sister whose prognosis was bleak suddenly recovering from kidney ailment Woman

and a suitcase for when she gets out of the hospital. I don’t know if she’s going to come here when she gets out or go to a friend’s house because she doesn’t have anything.

“I packed a winter coat and a pair of boots, some underwear for the hospital,” she added. “Then for when she gets out, I packed a few outfits.”

Mrs. Martin had brought a lot of her sister’s clothes home with her after they cleaned out her apartment, noting she has really nice clothes.

“We know everything’s going to fit her, because it’s all hers.”

Mrs. Martin said initially her sister was still too weak to think about what was happening, but then she started to think about what she was going to do going forward.

“She thought it was a glitch, but apparently it’s not a glitch. It is miraculous, whatever it was.

“How can the kidneys be dead and now be alive again?”

members cheered together.

Catch the Ace Benefits Everyone

With $1.3 million raised through the second installment of Catch the Ace the RVH Catch the Ace not only went the distance of 52 cards, but it did so despite two extended periods of time when all ticket sales stopped due to the restrictions of the COVID pandemic. The lottery began in August 2020 and it took until December to finally close out the second version of Catch the Ace.

Ms. Dillabough explained the upgrades to the ER Department will commence early in the New Year and the construction will be phased in over a longer stretch of time because they don’t want to be intrusive as front-line health care workers deal with some complex cases and require private, uninterrupted service. The foundation’s first Catch the Ace had a run of 46 weeks before more than a million dollars was won by a resident from Ashton who won both the progressive and weekly prize. Unlike the lottery that just wrapped up, the first one had widespread support and the excitement was felt all through Eastern Ontario. The $2.5 million raised was used to purchase portable X-Ray units for various departments.

Ms. Dillabough said after a break, there will be a third lottery.

As the suspense began to build, Ms. Clemmer made her way to the locked glass case containing two envelopes with the numbers 38 and 41 on them. If the Ace of Spades was contained in envelope 41, then not only would Shaheen win the weekly prize, but the progressive jackpot as well which

means she could have won a total of $869,583. When Ms. Clemmer opened the envelope, it revealed the six of Clubs and not the Ace of Spades.

One envelope, number 38 remained the only one on the board and everyone knew the Ace of Spades was hid-

den inside. As Ms. Clemmer walked over to the drum, the volunteers stopped spinning it and Ms. Clemmer pulled out a ticket with the number 38 written on it.

Gertrude Morrow of Richmond was identified as the name on the ticket. In order to the make the lottery legal

and completed, Ms. Clemmer once again made her way to the board and drew the number 41 envelope. As she slowly opened the envelope, the small crowd of 14 people clapped in unison and as Ms. Clemmer slowly turned the card around to reveal the Ace of Spades, the crowd and foundation

“I want everyone to know we are going to take a little break and catch our breath and the third installment, or the trilogy, will be up and running in April 2022,” she said. “We are timing it so it fits in with our Cancer Awareness campaign. The funds we raise from the next Catch the Ace lottery will be used to purchase a new mammogram machine as the current one is 10 years old. In medical terms, it is past its due date and our goal will be to bring a new one to RVH.”

Ms. Dillabough said the winners have been contacted by foundation staff and they are trying to coordinate a time this week for the cheques to be awarded.

Killaloe native Maureen Maveety who now lives in Kingston has made a remarkable recovery from serious kidney failure.

Renfrew Victoria Hospital Foundation members Melanie Clemmer, Foundation Executive Director Patti Dillabough, Patti Waters and Steve Lyons all took one giant collective breath last Thursday as the final possible scenario to catch the Ace of Spades was played out. More than $1.3 million in proceeds will be used for much needed upgrades the town’s only ER Department.

Firefighters from Laurentian Valley Township were on scene to extricate the injured 86-year-old driver of the SUV involved in the crash. He was airlifted by ORNGE to an Ottawa hospital with serious but non-lifethreatening injuries.

Fire destroys Petawawa home

Petawawa – A home at 38 Bedard Blvd. in Petawawa was destroyed by fire last Tuesday night.

The Petawawa Town Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire at about 7:40 o’clock in the Laurentian Highlands subdivision. On scene within seven minutes, fire crews were faced with heavy fire exiting the roof from the south-west side of the home. At 7:52 p.m. all occupants of the home were accounted for and fire crews initiated an exterior defensive attack due to high winds and unsafe conditions.

It took approximately two hours, 16 firefighters, three pumpers, one utility truck and a heavy rescue pumper to bring the fire under control.

Garrison Petawawa Fire Department provided assistance with one pumper and crew. There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters. Fire crews remained on scene throughout the night and into Wednesday morning, checking for fire extension and overhaul operations. The structure was a total loss. The cause of THE fire is currently under investigation by the Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office and the Town of Petawawa Fire Department.

Charges laid following robbery investigation

Pembroke -- Members of the Upper Ottawa Valley (UOV) Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) crime unit arrested an adult female last Thursday in connection with a robbery at a restaurant in the 700 block of Pembroke Street East which occurred on December 13.

Charlotte Wachter, 38, of Pembroke, has been charged with robbery with theft, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and disguise with intent.

The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Pembroke on a later date.

Late Tuesday morning, police charged a second person with robbery withtheft and possession of methamphetamine.

Richard Dale Vanderbeck, 63, of no fixed address is scheduled to appear in court in Pembroke on February 15.

Charges laid following serious crash at Hwy. 17 and B-Line

Laurentia Valley – The driver of a tractor trailer who ran a red light on Highway 17 last Wednesday morning that resulted in an 86-year-old person being airlifted to hospital has been charged with failing to stop at a red light.

The collision occurred at about 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of B-Line Road. Upper Ottawa Valley Ontario Provincial Police reported the westbound tractor trailer collided with an SUV that was travelling southbound

on B-Line. The collision knocked the rear wheels off of the trailer which then slid into an eastbound SUV on Hwy. 17.

The elderly SUV driver, a resident of Laurentian Valley Township, was extricated by firefighters from Laurentian Valley Township Fire Department and airlifted from the scene by an ORNGE air ambulance with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. A 61-year-old passenger in the same vehicle from Kingston and

the 41-year-old driver of the SUV, from Deep River, that was travelling on 17 were both taken to hospital in Pembroke by land ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. A passenger in the tractor trailer was not injured. Highway 17 was closed for several hours due to the investigation and removal of the involved vehicles by North Algonquin Towing.

Names of those involved in the collision were not released.

Photos : Mike Yeas An 86-year-old resident of Laurentian Valley Township had to be extricated from the mangled wreckage of his SUV following the collision at Hwy. 17 and B-Line Road last Wednesday morning.

The force of the collision last Wednesday ripped the rear set of wheels off the tractor-trailer, sending them into the path of another oncoming vehicle.

First responders watch as the ORNGE Air chopper prepares to lift off from the accident scene with the 86-year-old male who was the driver of the SUV involved in the crash.

Warden acclaimed to third term

From Front Warden Robinson expressed her appreciation for the work of Mr. Yakabuski.

“The kind of relationship we have with our MPP and the kind of respect he has from his colleagues,” she said.

The warden received congratulations from several mayors in the county. Don Eady of Renfrew noted being unopposed for a third term is quite an accomplishment.

“COVID has changed our lives,” he said. “We are doing things differently. It takes real resilient people to keep things going.”

“We all strive to do the best for our constituents, but without the county’s help we would be hanging out to dry,” Whitewater Region Mayor Michael Moore said.

Pembroke Mayor Mike LeMay spoke of the success of the partnership with the County of Renfrew.

“We continue to share costs,” he noted. “Pembroke council is pleased we were able to complete a Memorandum of Understanding with county council for long-term care.”

Colonel John Vass of Garrison Petawawa offered his congratulations and reflected on the challenges of the last year.

“As an organization we have learned to navigate like the rest of you,” he said. While vaccine intake has been very high, it has been a difficult year in terms of the allegations of sexual misconduct in the military, he admitted.

“The Canadian Armed forces is in a bit of a crisis here,” he said, noting there have been harmful news reports regarding senior leaders.

“Culture change is needed across all ranks,” he said. “Culture change for me is one of my top priorities.”

He thanked all communities for allowing Petawawa soldiers to train throughout the county in realistic settings.

Warden Looks Forward Warden Robinson expressed her thanks for the support from council and staff.

“As we enter 2022, we do so as a united team,” she said.

Instead of dwelling on the challenges of 2021, it was important to highlight the successes of 2021, she said. The Renfrew County Virtual Triage Assessment Centre is still functioning and has served more than 51,000 people since its inception, which is outstanding, she said. Permanent funding is needed, she said.

“Our residents will accept nothing less,” she added.

Council interested itself in the healthcare issue to deal with the fracturing of healthcare applications.

“Fast forward to today where Network 24’s steering committee, its membership includes our CAO Paul Moreau, our director of long-term care and our chief of paramedic services,” she said.

Working in partnership with four original applicants it is a joint submis-

sion, she explained. The Official Plan Amendment 31 became a reality after lots of open meetings, closed meetings and consultation.

“The struggle to get there will be well worth the effort,” she said. “Growth will also be happening in our tourism sector.”

The Algonquin Trail, which she said is destined to be the pride and joy of area residents, is closer to completion.

Warden Robinson also expressed support for her senior leadership team at the county, noting they are “steadfast, bull-headed, innovative and battle-ready warriors.”

There have been major staffing changes in both Human Resources and Planning and the building has also been renovated, she pointed out. The need of help in community services continues, including the 456 people, including families who found themselves homeless.

“All but four now have a place to call home. The enormity of their situations cannot be understated, nor can the positive impact our staff continue to have on the health and wellbeing of our residents,” she noted.

Her address was heard by members of council both virtually and in person in the hybrid session.

“It’s an absolute pleasure to be in council chambers again. It is a rarity and hopefully we will be able to engage in council chambers more in 2022,” Warden Robinson said.

New visiting policies at hospitals

Renfrew – Local hospitals are revising their visitor policies and adapting new regional recommendations effective immediately since the Omicron variant has been deemed a variant of concern.

Each admitted patient may designate only two visitors for the duration of their stay. Only one designated visitor can visit the patient per day.

At Renfrew Victoria, visitors can only visit the Acute Care Unit between 1 and 5 p.m. and the Complex Continuing Care between 2 and 6 p.m.

All designated individuals must be fully vaccinated and pass entrance screening prior to entering the hospital.

Visitors must perform hand hygiene when entering and leaving the facility and the patient’s room. They should remain in the patient’s room to minimize movement in the facility, use the call bell if assistance is required, use public washrooms (by ER waiting room) and not visit the cafeteria.

Visitors cannot consume food or beverages in the hospital.

The current list of exceptions for essential caregivers/care partners and visitors will be maintained (such as in end-of-life circumstances).

Outpatients can only bring an essential caregiver/care partner if necessary and if safety can be maintained.

Recognizing the impact these changes will have on patients, especially at this time of the year, the hospital will deploy iPads to patients so they can connect with family and loved ones virtually.

Only the following gifts can be brought to patients: new or freshly laundered clothes in packages that can be wiped down, packaged food items such as chocolates or edibles from a commercial kitchen (these cannot be shared with designated visitors who must remain masked during their visit), plants or unscented flowers and other items that can be disinfected with hospital-grade disinfectant. Home baked or cooked food items cannot be brought to the hospital.

At Pembroke Regional , only es -

sential caregivers/care partners (only one at a time) may be present at the patient’s bedside at the same time as a visitor.

Unlike essential caregivers/care partners who can be with patients 24/7 as they are assisting in provision of care, visitors can only visit patients between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The current list of exceptions for essential caregivers/care partners and visitors will be maintained (such as in end-of-life circumstances). Outpatients can only bring an essential caregiver/care partner if necessary and if safety can be maintained.

The hospital will be accepting dropoffs of gifts for patients from friends or loved ones who are not designated visitors. These can be delivered to the screeners at the Tower B (Emergency Department) entrance and must be clearly labeled who they are for. Gifts such as plants or flowers should be unscented and home baked or cooked food items are not allowed.

Santa brings smiles and gifts to 300 children in Renfrew

By R. Bruce McIntyre Staff Writer

Renfrew -- For the second year in a row, the Christmas Spirit is alive and well in Renfrew thanks to a visit from Santa Claus who brought along enough turkey dinners to feed 150 families and 300 wrapped presents for local children.

It was all part of the second annual What Would Santa Do (WWSD) event held at Renfrew’s Ma-Te-Way Park Sunday night.

A total of 150 families pre-registered, an increase of 35 more than last year which could be a sign of the times that more people are having a tough time as the COVID pandemic has been in existence for 21 months. Looking around at all the smiling faces, there was little talk of COVID. Instead most people were focused on the brilliant display of 6,000 Christmas lights that welcomed Santa and he arrived to the delight of the group, a group brought together by a small 20-member volunteer team led by Katie Skerkowski.

“We were so lucky that Santa found the time to come to Renfrew tonight,” she said. “Last year we heard negative things about Christmas and how COVID has taken away the Christmas spirit and people were giving up on the true meaning of Christmas. Some may have forgotten just how good it feels to actually perform an act of kindness, even more when it is a complete stranger.”

With her bubbly smile and energetic personality, Ms. Skerkowski was able to point out the blessings of the season while she and many of the volunteers ran around having fun and helping others and finding time to keep warm themselves.

“Oh sure it’s a little chillier than last year, but it’s nothing our group can’t handle. We are helping Santa give about 300 wrapped gifts for all the kids coming out this year and that is what keeps our volunteers motivated. We are proud to be part of the What Would Santa Do network that provides this service.”

The long, slow lineup of vehicles and the sea of red tail lights looked like a scene out of the movie Field of Dreams as drivers waited patiently for the signal to enter the parking lot and meet the volunteers. Then they drove by a series of stations manned by volunteers who handed out Santa’s presents, provided hot chocolate,

received letters to Santa, and a bag containing a frozen turkey, a box of stuffing, vegetables, instant potatoes and gravy. The stations were very bright thanks to the 6,000 light bulbs strung in the trees the day before. All was made possible by the WWSD Foundation and the volunteers.

“There are more people registered this year over last year,” Ms. Skerkowski said. “I am glad we have such a generous community. All we are doing is letting people know that if they are in a spot where they could use a little help with Christmas dinner or getting a present for their kids we are here to help.”

She came up with the idea last year when she encouraged her friends to ask their neighbours, favourite business or anyone they knew, a simple question.

“Last year we asked them What Would Santa Do?”

Once again she called on her Uncle Bernie Skerkowski, a Valley native who has called Tampa Bay home the last 14 years. He has been involved

with the WWSD network and was a good resource to launch the event and organize a second one.

“This just shows how one little act of kindness will not only make the other person feel special, but for our group, the joy we all feel knowing we are making sure these families have something under the tree is indescribable.

“It may be cold tonight, but seeing all this happen, it just brings warmth,” is how Kathy Black described her volunteer experience. It was hard not to deny as her face was beaming with joy when she handed a present to Hailey Maxwell, who, with a quiet whisper, said thanks to the volunteer.

When the last vehicle drove by Santa, the cleanup began and everyone, including St. Nick himself, had smiles on their faces as they took down the lights, packed up the tables and took it all away for another year feeling good about having brought smiles to many this holiday season.

It was a very big climb for eight-year old Serenity Paras to ask Santa to get her a special present. Although not oficially allowed to sit on Santa’s knee or right beside him, close to 300 children got to see the Jolly ‘ol Man up close at Sunday evening’s second annual What Would Santa Do.

Snow welcomes Santa to Killaloe

The Santa Claus parade scheduled for Killaloe on Saturday, December 11 was cancelled due to high winds and heavy rains, but members of the Lions Club were determined to host a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus and that they did this past Saturday. And what a perfect day it was as light snow fell adding a Christmassy feeling to the event. Members of the club, some of them dressed as characters, assisted the guests in handing out treats to the children during the hour-long event at the Lions Park.

The Wagner boys Liam, Emmet, Logan and Zander were impressed with Santa’s sleigh which was filled with plenty of gifts he will be distributing to boys and girls on Christmas Eve. Willow Chapeskie and Asher Daly were accompanied on their visit to Santa by Asher’s dad, Pat.

Killaloe Hardware had a decorated float at the Lions Field for Santa’s visit. Joining some blow-up characters on the float were Cheyenne Felhaber, Samantha Petroskie and Daniel Felhaber.

Mitchell and Julia Jamieson made the trek from Jamieson Lane on the edge of Renfrew to Ma-Te-Way Park. They were determined that four-year old Mae Jamieson took in her first What Would Santa Do event on Sunday night.

The 150 families who will enjoy their turkey dinner and presents for their children was only made possible by the 20 volunteers who helped Santa on Sunday night. Candy Dombroskie, Don Hall and Vicki Hall were three of the volunteers helping out.

Lions Club members hosted a very special day with Santa and Mrs. Claus in Killaloe on Saturday.

Christmas 2021

As we prepare to celebrate another COVID Christmas and close the door on another year, I wish to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to our loyal advertisers and readers for their ongoing support of the Leader.

We keep hearing print media is dead or dying and has been replaced with digital platforms. Well, if that’s the case, then the Leader is bucking the trend. Our readership continues to grow across Renfrew County and while advertising has declined, it is not due to advertisers choosing another medium to sell their products, but rather a dire shortage of just about everything that is manufactured – both at home and abroad. Automobiles, furniture, recreational vehicles, building materials and accessories … you name it. The list goes on and on and it grows. You can’t sell what you can’t get.

The latest, believe it or not, is a predicted newsprint shortage. We were recently notified newspapers may have to downsize in the new year and possibly use a lower quality paper because of the looming shortage. And the problem lies not only with newsprint, but a wide range of all paper products.

Now that is hard to believe when you look at the forests and trees in this country, but the fact of the matter is several paper mills closed in the second quarter of 2020 when newspapers, feeling the effects of a reduction in advertising, began producing much smaller papers. The result was that a few of the older paper mills, some of them environmental nightmares, ended production for good while those still operating shifted their production line from newsprint and fine paper to the manufacture of corrugated boxes to fill the overwhelming demand for packaging from online shipping companies. A major daily newspaper in a large Canadian city allegedly was unable to print a Monday edition because the plant ran out of paper. The explanation to readers was quite different, but through inside circles a newsprint shortage was cited as the reason.

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. So just how bad this will impact newspapers in the next few years is anyone’s guess. Several printing plants have already closed their doors simply because of the paper situation, sending publishers of magazines, periodicals and even some newspapers to the plants still operating, literally begging for help. But the plants still operating are committed to their existing customers. As the Christmas story is told, there was no room in the inn. Well, there is no paper in stock neither.

All of this, of course, is due to COVID-19 which has taken control of our lives, the world economy and hijacked health care in every country.

At the same time there continues to be strong opposition and agitations from about 15 percent of the population (in Canada) that have different thoughts on COVID which I don’t intend to write about, other than to say, I don’t really give a hoot if you don’t want to be vaccinated, but for God’s sake, please respect the lives of people who are vaccinated.

I don’t appreciate it when people go into churches, stores, or any other venues where crowds gather without following the guidelines, one of which is wearing a mask. Most of them are looking for a confrontation and it’s not worth the time or the risk of where that confrontation could lead to.

The law is the law. The law says we must wear seatbelts or face a fine. The law says we can’t drive with more than 0.8 percent alcohol in our blood. The law says we need a building permit to erect a home.

So why, then, when the wearing of masks is mandated do some people believe they are above the law and have the right to break the law?

We know there was a time when our hospitals and front-line workers were overwhelmed with the number of COVID cases. We know that an estimated 4,000 people died in Canada in 2021 because they could not get the life-saving surgery they needed because our hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID patients.

We know that more than 750,000 surgeries in this country alone had to be cancelled in 2021 because our hospitals and front-line workers were overwhelmed with COVID cases.

We know the Omicron variant has the potential to cripple the healthcare system again if those who contract it end up ill because of its ability to spread easier and faster than the Delta variant.

Perhaps more people in their 30s and 40s with cancer died in 2021 than all the people who died from COVID. But cancer patients didn’t overwhelm our hospitals and require the vast amount of our health resources that COVID demands.

So whether or not you believe COVID is real or fake or whatever, hundreds of thousands of people are suffering and dying because they are being denied surgeries, hospitalization or visits to their doctor … all because people are going to hospitals with COVID symptoms. And that doesn’t take into account the mental health crisis and socioeconomic problems that have ballooned during COVID.

Let’s stop being selfish.

Suddenly there has been a huge surge in “experts”, most of them gaining their new-found knowledge from various internet sites.

I don’t know about you, but I have trusted my doctor(s) for 68 years.

I have had three near death experiences and each time I survived because of the skills and knowledge of medically-trained people. I’m not sure I would be here today had I gone to some rogue or rebel site to find a cure.

Christmas 2021 will be much the same as last year – smaller celebrations, smaller family and friends gatherings, or perhaps for some, no celebrations of any kind.

I don’t know if things will get worse before they get better, or if life as we knew it pre-COVID will ever return. No one can predict if we will overcome the virus or find ways to control it because the virus itself is still unfolding, changing, presenting new challenges to the medical and science community.

But I do know one thing: like it or not, I will rely on information from reliable sources and legitimate experts and will adhere to the law whether I like it or not. If not for myself, then for your safety.

Merry Christmas to all.

And just like that - Merry Christmas!

The greatest challenge in writing this column is finding 500 words every week on a topic that may be relevant to the readers of the Eganville Leader The past two years of this pandemic have thrown many philosophical issues into the mix. Should I try to be funny when people are suffering? What’s the difference between expressing my opinion and lecturing people who think differently? It’s tempting to ignore the difficult issues of our times and indulge in endless nostalgia about the ‘good old days’ (which for many weren’t all that good). Or I could just write about escapist entertainment like the remake of SATC (Sex and the City) which features Carrie who, like me, is a columnist, albeit with a much larger shoe budget than the Eganville Leader permits. But even Carrie in her exciting New York life is suddenly beset with tragic problems which I won’t reveal in case you haven’t seen or heard. Just Like that, her hard-won happiness is cruelly wrenched away!

And just like that for us, another Christmas rolls around and we’re all still annoyed, hostile, bored or affronted that the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t give a hoot about our personal plans or desires. There’s the inconvenience and the sheer weariness of it all -- the endless running back to the car to get a mask, the relentless sameness of the news briefings, the assurances

that if we only do our bit, we can flatten the curve, lower the numbers, bring this pandemic nonsense to an end and get on with our ‘normal’ lives as we so richly deserve. Only those fortunate enough to be untouched by unexpected difficulties will assume that we are guaranteed any sort of ‘normal’ life. Perhaps this is why we don’t see the elderly in the streets protesting health-related shutdowns or clamoring for their ‘civil rights’ around masking or vaccinations. Most older people have lived enough life to realize that nobody gets out of here without their share of difficulty.

Letters

Regulation 364-50?

It’s not that people can’t rally their best selves when dramatic situations demand it. Witness the reactions in the recent flooding in BC or the terrible tornadoes in Kentucky. Neighbours help neighbours and strangers alike. Shopkeepers donate supplies. People pitch in with food and shelter. A sudden crisis illustrates that humanity is capable of great compassion and sacrifice. What we find difficult is the long slow removal of a band aid which is how this pandemic feels since March of 2020. We want to rip it off, get it over with, move forward. There’s never a better time than the Christmas story of ‘peace on earth and goodwill toward all’ to give us a gentle reminder that our problems are nothing new. Then, as now, there was dissent, danger, uncertainty and conflicting information afoot. The mythology of Christ’s birth centres on a dramatic disruptive event which required Mary and Joseph to pack up and flee their home in the midst of a life-changing crisis which would make front page news in today’s terms. Whether we believe in that literal Biblical version or whether we see it as a universal tale of hope and light, it reminds us of the power of faith, of shared belief and of gratitude for whatever serves as our shelter in the storm.

Thank you for reading and may your Christmas and New Year’s celebrations be distanced, masked and bright!

Dear Editor: Re BV councillor worried about vax discrimination ” December 15, 2021. Councillor Tim Schison cited “provincial regulation 364-50” to support his opinion that “youth under 18 can play organized sport without proof of vaccination.”

I looked it up and saw no such regulation 364-50. Does it exist and if so where?

Frank Cosentino, Eganville

Bring back Merry and Mary

Dear Editor: I wish you and all your readers a Happy Solstice. By the time you read this, we will all have now lived through the darkest days of the year. Light will return. May it be so.

May light also return into our democracy, that it may become more representative of the voices of all Canadians. And that it may allow debate on all issues that affect everyone.

I know most people consider the challenges they are facing can never be due to the people in power, yet throughout history it has always been the pattern of those in power to direct blame onto others, so folks are not looking at the real source of their challenges.

Some wise one once said, “I am fine with knowing there are questions without answers, I simply cannot abide with answers that will not allow questions.”

I appreciate the BV council for being willing to consider that the “Vaccine policy discriminates against some”.

Let’s remember that many of our neighbours, through choosing to stay true to their own inner beliefs and convictions, are now unemployed and being shamed and blamed and limited to what local services they are welcome to enjoy, even when they have paid their fair share of taxes to support all these services.

This is a time when all the media and our neighbours are wishing us to be merry. At the best of times, this has also been a season when some of us are at our saddest, loneliest, most stressful and most heartbroken.

The best gifts we can give each other now are love, kindness, caring and patience.

Taking

That was the message we received from the two alcoholics who founded the AA Program, and that message made perfect sense.

Why should we spend the whole week worrying about next week when we don’t have a clue what next week might bring? If we can win the battle against the booze today, we build up a little stronger resistance for tomorrow. Making life more pleasant for ourselves makes it twice as pleasant for all who live with us. Seeing my wife wearing a morning smile instead of a sad look is something I feared was lost forever. Who says little things don’t matter?

I can’t remember what kind of New

Year’s resolution I made on January 1, 1969 but one of them must have been to never mistake Brylcream hair tonic for Colgate toothpaste. On the outside they were the same colour, but in your mouth the taste is one hell of a lot different, so different that the taste has stayed in my memory for 52 years. Memory can sometimes play little tricks. I can’t remember if I said my night prayers but I can remember the Hail Mary in Spanish that I learned in 1948, 71 years ago. Christmas 2020 was a sort of sad Christmas. Because of the virus it was almost impossible to adopt the usual joyful spirit. Normally our American family members were home, and Midnight Mass was always special, with the choir doing what they do best.

Gerald Tracey, Publisher

It was one of those special nights that a five year old boy walked over to the parish priest on his way out of church and handed him a five dollar bill. The pastor was amazed and asked him what prompted such great generosity. The young fellow told him he intended to buy himself a few chocolate bars, but on

the way to church he heard his mother tell his father that he was the poorest preacher we ever had. The moral of my story, dear faithful readers, if you want to have a laugh in God’s House you have to be there … The last time I was there I heard the story about the poor drunk person found lying across three seats in the front row in the cinema. When the manager asked him how he got there, he pointed up at the balcony. And the moral of that story is: If you are going to fall, you might as well make it worthwhile.

As they say in Donegal: If you’re going to be hanged for stealing a lamb you might as well steal a sheep.

After doing a couple of stories with a moral, maybe it is time to do one without, and this one happens to be true. Sixty years ago I knew an old fellow who began his December festivities in November and became severely intoxicated. When his oldest son told him he should be ashamed of himself

he became furious and started using his fists on the young fellow. Then the younger son appeared on the scene, and there was a sudden change in proceedings. The father ended up with two black eyes. The next morning, as he made his way to the coffee shop, he met an old friend who asked what the hell happened to his face. The answer was brief, and to the point: “Son struck.”

By the time this holy epistle reaches Paddy McHugh’s boys at the Leader office, the Feast of all Feasts will almost be upon us. It is that beautiful feast that 99 percent of humans have forgotten its true meaning. They call it the Feast of Santa Claus, with no mention of the birth of our saviour. With our world turned upside down, with global warming in danger of causing a fire that can’t be extinguished, I think, dear readers, it is time for an old fashioned Christmas, a time to feel blessed and truly thankful.

Alexa has just told me that from the beginning of time, about 2100 years ago, we have had more than 200 civil wars, 20 of them still raging in the Eastern world. Maybe our Christmas prayers could be for the return of sanity to all world leaders, our beloved Canada always setting the example.

While Christmas is mostly a happy time it can be a terribly sad time to be lonely. After celebrating 66 years together when there were sad times as well as happy ones, my heart goes out to those couples who have decided to part ways.

My Christmas prayer will be a fervent one that they find a way to overcome their differences. To them and to all our faithful readers, a holy, happy Christmas. In your travels if you happen to meet a stout gentleman wearing a red suit give him a hug for me.

I do wish for all who observe and celebrate Christmas to be willing to tune in to its deeper meanings. Even though Ontario’s Minister of Health spoke about banning singing and dancing unless it’s a performance, may I suggest envisioning a renewal in putting Merry and Mary back into Christmas. We need more singing and dancing, and socializing, in my opinion, and we need more honouring women, especially mothers. A woman’s womb is the only entrance into this world for humans.

I want to thank all your readers who have contacted me and thanked me for giving my Monday mornings over to writing to you about the research and news I have paid attention to over the preceding weeks. And I wish to thank all your readers who have written in and contacted me otherwise to express their contrary opinions. Free speech is still alive, thanks to the Leader

Now is a time of great change. May light and goodness prevail.

Robbie Anderman, Killaloe

Editor’s Note: One could argue all rules and regulations are discriminatory, Robbie. Rules that prohibit people from doing what they want – like drinking and driving, speeding, not wearing seat belts, smoking in public places. These are discriminatory to people who want to do all those things. But discriminatory for the good of society. Just like vaccines, wearing masks and social distancing are good for the majority of society.

No one is being forced to get vaccinated. However, when out in public they must adhere to the rules … which are pretty simple … wear a mask, distance and wash your hands frequently. Is that really too much to ask the minority to do?

Why should the rights of 10 percent of the population who don’t believe in science trump the rights of the lawabiding 90 percent and the 99 percent of hospital staff, patients and visitors?

100 Years Ago - December 30, 1921

Golden Lake

What might have been a fatal accident took place when Lloyd Lisk, of this place, was skating with others on the lake the other day. Without warning the ice broke and he went into the water to his shoulders. Miss Viola Sunstrum, through presence of mind, extended help and saved his life. Much credit reflects on the young lady for her quick and successful effort. * * * * * *

Young Man Killed Instantly at Perrault Railway Crossing Roderick Mulroy, of Sebastopol, The Victim

A most distressing fatality occurred at the Perrault road G.T.R. crossing –a mile east of Eganville – shortly after noon on Tuesday, when Roderick Mulroy, a respected young farmer of Sebastopol and a returned soldier, was struck and instantly killed by a G.T.R. freight train.

Mr. Mulroy, accompanied by Mr. Patrick Dwyer of Eganville, was driving to Perrault where his wife (nee Lena Lamarche), who had been in a delicate condition of health, had been sojourning at the family home. Approaching the crossing the oncoming freight was seen.

Mulroy pulled on the lines but one of the horses, which had the habit of speeding on a tight rein, could not be put under control. The danger was now imminent and Dwyer jumped, calling on his companion to do likewise. The unfortunate driver, with mind no doubt centered on his horses, heeded not. He was standing on the buggy right on the crossing when the freight struck. Mulroy was hit on the back of the head by the headlight with such force that he was killed instantly. He fell onto the pilot and in this position was conveyed to the station. Coroner Dr. Josephs of Pembroke was summoned and held an inquest. The verdict of the jury was that his death was accidental.

The remains were taken in charge by an Eganville undertaker and later conveyed to the home of Mr. Geo. Lamarche, where the sorrow-stricken and suddenly bereaved wife viewed the dead body of her husband. The funeral was held from the Mulroy home at Clontarf on Thursday morning to St. Joseph’s church and cemetery in Esmonde.

The unfortunate victim of the tragedy was about 30 years of age. Two years ago, he married Lena Lamarche of Perrault, whom he leaves with an

infant child. The deepest sympathy is felt for her in her sad and sudden loss.

* * * * * * Money Stolen Stolen from a home in Eganville on Friday, December 23 rd, a brown leather purse or handbag containing a sum of money, a ladies gold watch (small hands were missing). A black corded silk ribbon with a tiny gold keep set with pearls were attached, and on the face of the watch the dealer’s name was stamped, “G.W. Elliott, Eganville, Ont.” – a Mexican dollar bill, a railway ticket, and some receipts were in the purse. The purse had a lining of white and blue flowered material. Any information leading to the recovery of these articles will be gladly received at The Leader office.

* * * * * * Local News

Mrs. Parks of Eganville, who had been sojourning with her daughter, Mrs. P. McGrath of Schreiber, met with a most distressing accident recently. While visiting her niece, Mrs. Duggan, she fell down the cellar stairs and sustained a fracture of one of her limbs. She is receiving surgical attendance in Port Arthur hospital.

75 Years Ago - December 27, 1946

Many Ratepayers Attend Nomination Meeting

Election Assured; Ten Candidates

Seeking Voters’ Favour

The largest body of ratepayers to attend a local municipal nomination meeting in many years was present last Friday evening in the council chamber in Eganville to fill the offices of reeve, councillors and Public School Trustees, and to hear discussion on several contentious questions which next year’s council will be faced.

Two men were nominated for the office of reeve – the present holder, Mr. A.C. Wilcox, and the veteran municipal servant, Mr. J.J. Foran, longtime reeve of Sebastopol, former reeve of Eganville and past Warden of Renfrew County.

For the four council seats, eight persons are aspiring: Messrs. Harry O’Connor, I. Fagin, C.S. Moore, Roland Reinke, and the four members of the 1946 council, Messrs. Leo O’Reilly, Wilfred Popkie, I.R. Hoffman and H.J. Lortie.

Nominations closed at 8 o’clock, p.m., and a question of holding a meeting was then broached. On a motion of Mr. George R. Shane, Dr. M.J. Maloney was invited to occupy the chair and upon receiving an affirmative indication that the assembly desired to hear the various candidates, he declared the meeting open.

* * * * * * Another Election In Radcliffe

As a result of the nomination held in the township hall at Combermere on Monday, December 23rd to fill the vacant seat on the Council Board for 1947, three nominees qualified for the office of councillor. They are Messrs.

Tony Golka, Clinton Mayhew and Joseph Peplinskie. An election will be held on January 6, 1947, to fill the vacant seat.

* * * * * * Renfrew Wheat Yield Best In Province Toronto, December 20 – Renfrew County led the way in producing spring wheat with 78,496 bushels. The entire province yielded a spring wheat crop valued at $1,018,000 as compared with value of $777,000 in 1945.

* * * * * *

Heavy Fines Imposed On Pembroke Man Pembroke, December 23 – Pleading guilty to 47 charges of violating Prices Board regulations, D. Thomas Smyth, Pembroke automobile dealer, was today fined a total of $4,750 and costs with an alternative of 30 months imprisonment. Originally set for October 31 and adjourned several time since then, the hearing finally got underway before Magistrate W.K. MacGregor in police court this afternoon.

Prices Board Prosecutor Murray Chown of Pembroke withdrew 13 of the original 60 charges, and Smyth then pleaded guilty to the remaining 47.

Appearing for the defence, Roydon A. Hughes, K.C., of Ottawa, pleaded for a reasonable fine, and expressed a wish that the past sentences imposed in Prices Board cases be not used as criterions.

* * * * * * Nomination Meeting Held At Killaloe Station

The electors of Killaloe Station held their nomination meeting to fill mu-

50 Years Ago - December 22, 1971

Local Man Killed In Crash

An Eganville-area man, 36-yearold Lawrence Chusroskie, of R.R. 3, Eganville, died last Friday when he was involved in a two-car collision. The accident happened 10 miles east of North Bay about midnight. A companion, and the two occupants of the other car were also killed.

Mr. Chusroskie, a millwright on a Hydro project near Cobalt, was on his way home for the holiday season.

Married to the former Irene Wilkie, Mr. Chusroksie is survived by his wife and eight children, Karen, Kevin, Barry, Peter, Bonnie, Johnny, Brenda and Cheryl. The children range in age from 11 months to 17 years. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Chusroskie of Bulger’s Corners, also survive, as well as five brothers and six sisters.

* * * * * * Charcoal Plant Subject of Film

nicipal offices on Monday evening.

Mr. William McCarthy was reelected reeve by acclamation, and the following were named as candidates for the office of councillors: Michael S. Cybulskie, hotel manager; Basil Harrington, merchant; Ben Hokum, lumber dealer; Alphonse Mullin, merchant; Otto H. Nass, baker, and Harold Zummach, undertaker.

* * * * * *

Improvement Cause At Mink Lake

Greatly impressed by the good work carried on by the Boy Scots Clubs, at their camp at Mink Lake, T. Frank Ahern, of Ottawa, has presented a gift of $3,500 to the club, it was announced last night.

The donation was made up of two cheques. Early last summer, Mr. Ahern presented the club with a cheque for $1,000 which enabled the camp to carry on at full capacity during the season.

Just recently Mr. Ahern presented the club with a cheque for $2,500.

The second cheque is the result of a trip Mr. Ahern made to the camp last fall. At that time he realized the possibilities of the camp at Mink Lake and suggested that certain repairs and planning of the grounds should be made next spring.

It was decided that a workshop should be built, to be known as the Ahern Workshop; the driveways and roads levelled and the sleeping cabins jacked-up which would make them more comfortable and would provide better protection from dampness. Also a balcony to be built on the dining hall and lights will be installed in several buildings not yet wired for electricity.

Rotary grateful for parade support

Dear Editor: Re : 2 021 Eganville Christmas

Parade

It has been two years since Eganville has been able to welcome the Christmas season with a parade.

As new conveners of the parade, Eganville Rotary relied on the past experience of others.

Most will agree this year’s parade was a success. Being new at organizing a parade, Rotary was very thankful for all those who stepped in to help. Our gratitude is extended to

the roads department, firefighters and police who made this a safe event. We thank the village administration who took care of the permits, the participant registration and the necessary insurance. We thank the volunteers who were there with their past parade experience. We thank the float judges who had to make the hard decisions.

Thanks to the Legion for opening their doors to the children and Santa and Mrs. Claus and providing the ‘goodie bags’. And also, a big thank

you to the Leader for its excellent coverage of the parade. What is a parade without people to parade? Thanks to all who took the time to dress up, make floats and polish their tack.

Last, but not least, I thank my fellow Rotarians who accepted the challenge. Rotary motto is “Service above self.” We wish a very Merry Christmas to everyone!

Wayne Gorman, President Rotary Club of Eganville

The proposed charcoal plant at Wilno was the subject of a short film shown Monday evening on the CBC program, Something Else Arguments for and against the building of the plant were presented by opposing sides in the dispute.

A court hearing was scheduled for December 15 but had to be adjourned due to the illness of the judge. The hearing is into a charge laid by James Heineman against the company and officers of Adventure Charcoal Enterprises of Toronto and a Killaloe contractor. Charges were laid under provisions of the Environment Protection Act.

Mr. Heineman is one of a group of newcomers who say they moved to the Madawaska Valley to escape the polluted air of Toronto and Southern Ontario.

Alex Shulist, Reeve of HagartyRichards, where the plant is located, has said that long-time residents welcome the wood-burning plant which would employ about 30 men and provide work in the bush for many more.

* * * * * * Eganville’s B of M Has New Manager

New Manager at the Bank of Montreal’s Eganville Branch is Howard Townsend, who was formerly in charge of the bank’s Iroquois office. He succeeds Harry Cooper, who retires after a distinguished banking career of 48 years.

Mr. Cooper joined the B of M at Delhi in 1923 and then served extensively at branches in Ontario before being appointed Accountant at Ingersoll in 1950. In 1958, he was named manager at Athens, which he left to come to Eganville.

* * * * * * Cobden Man Killed

John Robert McIntyre, 22, of Cobden, was killed in a one-car accident on Hwy. 17 about 11 p.m Saturday.

Ontario Provincial Police said the McIntyre vehicle went out of control on the CPR overpass east of Pembroke and smashed into the railing. He was alone at the time.

Mr. McIntyre is the son of Mr. and

Mrs. Lloyd McIntyre of Cobden. He is also survived by two sisters.

* * * * * * A Fish With Glasses and An Extra Set Of Teeth Basil Hein, Chief Operator of the OWRC.facilities in Eganville, had a rather expensive day recently when his false teeth fell out of his mouth and into the sewage disposal plant.

Mr. Hein was checking the operation and when he coughed his teeth popped out. Previous to this, an electrician lost a pair of glasses, when he was working at the plant.

Anyone fishing in the Bonnechere below Eganville, who happens to catch a fish with a pair of glasses and extra set of teeth, please contact Basil.

* * * * * *

Santa Claus Parade Enjoyed By 1,500

Saturday’s Santa Claus parade was the best and biggest ever seen in Eganville. This was the opinion of all who saw it.

The 21 floats showed imagination and hours of preparation. They represented business people, service clubs and four were from Opeongo High School.

Santa waved to the youngsters from his chimney and a choir of young people sang Christmas carols. Clowns added a dash of fun.

A crowd estimated at 1,500 watched as the parade wound its way through the main streets of town.

A group of local young people, the Union, organized the parade. This is the third year they have done so.

25 Years Ago - December 23, 1996

Cobden Reeve Is Voted In As Warden of County Renfrew County’s new warden may be facing the toughest year in the history of provincial municipal politics.

Cobden Reeve Dave Stewart was acclaimed as the 1997 warden at Renfrew County council’s monthly meeting last Tuesday. He was nominated by Beachburg Reeve Art Jamieson and seconded by Horton Township Reeve John Doering.

Reeve Jamieson said Warden Stewart has made significant improvements to the Village of Cobden since his election as reeve in 1982.

Warden Stewart said in his inaugural address that 1997 will be a landmark year in local and provincial politics.

“The recommendation of the Who Does What panel headed by David Crombie and the resultant provincial laws and regulations – some of which are already in our hands – will clarify and change municipal government’s roles and responsibilities, finances, tax revenues, services delivered and delivery systems,” he noted.

The warden noted that the size, shape and names of municipalities may change through amalgamation.

* * * * * * Bank Robbery Suspects Make Pembroke Court Appearance

Handcuffed and chained together at the ankles, the two suspects in an Eganville bank robbery appeared in Pembroke court last Tuesday.

Nathan Parkins, 23, and Michel Hache, 23, both residents of Aylmer, Quebec, were charged with the armed

robbery of Valley Savings Credit Union on November 14.

The suspects were arrested by Ottawa Carleton Regional Police during a daylight house break-in on November 28.

On Tuesday, Parkins and Hache were remanded into custody until a January 7, 1997 court appearance in Killaloe.

“They waived their right to a bail hearing,” said Sr. Constable Dave Stott, of the Killaloe OPP, who, along with Det. Constable Bob Peck, are investigating the case.

Const. Stott said the suspects will be formally arraigned on a variety of charges at Killaloe court.

* * * * * *

Hec Will Run For Gits

The coming federal Liberal nomination in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke is getting more interesting by the week.

Pembroke businessman Hector Clouthier, who ran unsuccessfully for the nomination against MP Len Hopkins in 1988 and was then denied the opportunity by Liberal officials to toss his hat in the race in 1993, said Sunday he has been approved as a nominee to be the Grit candidate.

Mr. Clouthier ran as an independent in the last federal election and finished second in the six-way race.

* * * * * *

Nepean Propane Supplier Moves

A 58,000 pound bulk propane tank was put in place on property adjacent to Robison’s Auto Body shop on Hwy. 512 south of Eganville last

week.

ICG Propane Inc., a western Canada based propane supplier with a storage facility in Nepean, will now be able to supply its Renfrew County customers on a more convenient basis.

Jerry Redmond, territorial sales advisor for Eastern Ontario, said from his Perth office, “the whole motivation for putting it up there is that we have been growing our business in the valley and one of the detractions of dealing with ICG is the distance from the source of supply.”

He said customers have always voiced a concern that ICG was a two-hour drive away if they should run out of gas.

* * * * * *

Holly Is A Hot Rookie In NCAA College Hockey

One of the hottest rookies in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association is Cormac native Tyson Holly. Holly, 20, is a freshman with the Northern Michigan University (NMU) Wildcats, a Division 1 team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The 1995-96 captain of the Pembroke Junior A Lumber Kings received a four-year scholarship from NMU last February.

Halfway through the WCHA season, Holly is third in goals scored on the team with five and has two gamewinning goals.

He’s already been honoured with a WCHA Rookie of the Week award.

Tyson is a son of Tom and Shirley Holly of Cormac.

Natural beauty of area attracted new owner of WW resorts

By Marie Zettler

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Cobden -- The president of Summerhill Resorts, the new owner of Logos Land, the adjacent Oaks of Cobden golf course, and a portion of the formers Wilderness Tours property, says it was the natural beauty of the area plus its proximity to a major centre which motivated him to “take a closer look” when the properties came up for sale.

“Ottawa is only 90 minutes away,” said Bill McGill, president of the Toronto-based company. Waterfront, in the case of the former Wilderness Tours property, and Astrolabe Lake at Logos Land, also added to the attractiveness of the properties.

Since the sale of their church and property on Elgin Street in Renfrew last June, St. James Lutheran Church congregation has been worshipping in the chapel of Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church on Plaunt Street in Renfrew. Last week, the congregation donated $5,000 to Hospice Renfrew, one of several charitable organizations they have chosen to support. From left to right are Hospice Renfrew Treasurer Bill McMahon, Ruth Stiefelmeyer, a member of the congregation who also volunteers at Hospice; Hospice Executive Director Marjorie Joly, St. James Pastor Rev. Norine Gullons and Hospice Board Chair Gerald Tracey.

Development fees raised to $15,000 in Renfrew

By R. Bruce McIntyre Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Renfrew – At their last council meeting of 2021, Renfrew council introduced a five-year scheduled increase for new homebuilders and opted to use a much lower fee schedule with a cap of $15,000 rather than the $36,000 that was suggested last month.

The current cost to a homebuilder is $9,500 and that will remain in effect until July 1, 2022, when it increases to $10,600. After that, the cost will increase every January 1 until it reaches $15,000.

Sometime in late 2026, a new Development Fee by-law will be set by whoever occupies the seats around the council table as the current one passed this week will expire on December 31st

The recommendation for the increase was developed by town planner Eric Withers and it was based on a comprehensive report prepared by Gary Scandlan of Watson & Associates, a Mississauga consulting firm specializing in municipal finance and planning. The report was first issued at a public meeting on November 9 and provided both council and the public a chance to review the calculations.

Council held a special meeting on November 30 with a goal of setting the rate then, but after nearly 90 minutes of discussion it became evident there were two schools of thought emerging.

One view, strongly supported by Councillors Andrew Evans and Mike Coulas, called for the fee structure to begin at the current rate of $9,500 and gradually increase to the $15,000 range and a second view, suggested but not strongly endorsed by Reeve Peter Emon and Councillor Sandi Heins, called for a more aggressive schedule beginning in the $12,000 -$14,000 range and increasing from there. Coun. Heins said the $18,000 range was her preferred target since it was at least half-way to the suggested $36,000 maximum. Reeve Emon’s formula capped out at $21,000. He also recommended the July 1, 2022, start date to allow developers more than 14 days to adapt to a sudden increase.

At the November 30 meeting, Mayor Don Eady was in the middle of the two views and upon his suggestion, he recommended council return for last week’s meeting with two schedules to decide upon.

Reeve Emon started the discussion by supporting the second option which ended with a cap of $18,000.

Councillor Tom Sidney recommended the first option which had a cap of $15,000

“I prefer the lower option simply because we want to encourage development and don’t want to discourage development,” he said. “I would rather collect property taxes for the 40 years the house is there and not see the developer go to another town because our fees are too high.”

In the end, the more gradual lower increase schedule was adopted and although there were certainly differing views, Mayor Don Eady said there was a feeling of consensus around the council table.

“Going into the meeting, I had a feeling we might go on the low side for the fee increase and I would call it a fair compromise,” he said. “There has to be cost recovery for the town because when you build houses there is infrastructure and the costs to provide those services.

“There have been inquiries from some interested parties about future development but I can’t say anything further because the decision is up to them,” he added. “But it is good we have a schedule in place and it is good to see developers are looking at Renfrew as a place to build.”

Coun. Evans, who was firm on the $9,500 starting point rather than jumping to $12,000 or more as suggested at the November 30 meeting, was satisfied with the result.

“I respect the idea of development fees because there has to be some kind of cost-recovery and I am satisfied with the schedule of fees we introduced this week,” he said. “Like all towns, Renfrew needs a foundation to build on. The fees are much cheaper than you will find compared to Ottawa, but that city also has so many features and attractions and the price of land is through the roof so it is easy to understand such a difference.

“With a solid foundation in place,

Renfrew is now well placed for future development and home builders also have the option to pay the fees in installments and that can help in some cases.”

He said close to one-third of the overall development fees is to cover the costs of the Ma-Te-Way development. Coun. Coulas said it all comes down to economics and the fact that Renfrew is competing with other neighbouring towns and the town needed to stay competitive.

Both Councillors Jamieson and Heins also favoured the first option. Coun. Evans said when the town passes development fees on to a developer, they will just roll it into the cost of the house and it is covered by the actual homeowner.

Although he originally favoured the higher fee structure, Reeve Emon voted for the lower option.

“I’m encouraged by the commitment to seek out and promote for other developers to come to the community, so I’m interested to see what that plan will be and how aggressive it will be,” Reeve Emon said. “I think we’ve been talking about it for a few years so it’ll be nice to see it roll out.”

The following is a breakdown of increases over the next five years for single dwellings: Present to June 30, 2022 - $9,500; July 1 to Dec. 31, 2022 - $10,600; Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023 - $11,700; Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024 - $12,800, and Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025 - $13,900.

The portion of the White Water & Wild Land Tours Ltd. (Wilderness Tours) property acquired by Summerhill Resorts now accommodates 62 trailer sites, six chalets, two cottages/ beach houses, a pavilion building, and the Rafters building with accessory

recreation facilities and outdoor areas. The Logos Land resort has 236 units including a three-unit motel, condos and cabins, and RV sites.

“We are very excited about acquiring these properties,” said Mr. McGill. “They have very different attributes, each in its own way.”

The Logos Land resort is now up on the Summerhill Resorts website alongside the company’s other properties throughout Ontario.

“The former Wilderness Tours property is a relatively recent acquisition,” said Mr. McGill. “We’re still working to get the website up and running so that we can promote it to the public.”

He said his company plans to continue investing in amenities and infrastructure, subject to the necessary approvals.

“The folks at Renfrew County and Whitewater Region are very good to deal with, which makes it very attractive from an investor’s perspective,” he said.

Wilderness Tours will provide access to river

By Marie Zettler

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Whitewater Region -- Following six years of pay-per-use takeout access, Wilderness Tours is removing fees for private paddlers using the company’s property to launch and remove their boats from the water.

“The purpose of this is to provide a more equitable opportunity for all to experience the Ottawa River,” Katie Kowalski of Wilderness Tours told Whitewater Region council at its December 15 meeting. “The pay-per-use fee structure for paddler’s takeout access was to offset the costs associated with providing this service to the public, including road maintenance, snow removal, emergency response, waste collection, theft, vandalism clean-up, insurance and liability. Wilderness Tours recognizes the strain the paid model has had on the community and the barriers it placed for some paddlers. We’ve reflected on this and with our core value of sharing the magic of whitewater we are committed to access to the Ottawa River and to supporting the long-term growth and development of the whitewater community.”

Ms. Kowalski said starting in 2022 a simple check-in at the entrance reception office is all that will be required for takeout access.

“Complete 2022 park policies and access information will be published

soon,” she said. “This is a long-term commitment to access that we feel is in line with our renewed commitment to community, economic equity and to benefit our local tourism community who also depend on access to the world-class whitewater as part of their own destination marketing.”

Ms. Kowalski and her father, Joe, attended the virtual meeting of council via Zoom technology.

This past June, Whitewater Ontario, a provincially-recognized sport-governing body, proposed a partnership with the municipality to establish a land use agreement and develop public access on McCoy Road, a municipal right-of-way, to create public recreational access for paddlers, swimmers, anglers, hikers and mountain bikers.

At its July 7 meeting, council passed a recommendation to direct township staff to continue to pursue long-term public access to the whitewater portion of the river; to further examine opportunities for partnership with Whitewater Ontario with regards to access and programs, and to investigate with property owners if access can be provided using existing putin and take-out locations on private property to guarantee affordable public access, and that this be done before resorting to opening a now-unopened road allowance as recommended by Whitewater Ontario.

Renfrew – A group of 18 people from Renfrew and area are sharing $100,000 they won in Encore in the December 8 Lotto Max draw.

The group members are Jeannette Lingley, Angela McNulty, Catherine Robertson, Cheryl Laking, Denise Bowes, Grace Lavallee, Holly Vincent, Sandra Robinson, Sharon

Roesler, Stephanie Wright, Tammey Jessup and Tammy Stoppa, all of Renfrew; Catherine Stafford of Calabogie; Jessica McLaren of Cobden; Linda Dedo of Dacre, Marie Smith of Haley; Mary McLean of Arnprior and Sandra Robinson of Pembroke. The winning ticket was purchased at the CNIB Kiosk in Walmart in Renfrew.

Workers share $100,000

St. James. Lutheran congregation donates to Hospice

Renfrew and its industrial commission to go their separate ways

By R. Bruce McIntyre Local Journalism

Reporter

Initiative

Renfrew – All good things must come to an end and the 66-year relationship between the Town of Renfrew and the Renfrew Industrial Commission (RIC) is coming to an end in what Mayor Don Eady calls a friendly and amicable transition.

The decision to expedite the formal agreement came out of a 45-minute closed session following town council’s regular meeting on November 23. Last week at its final council meeting of the year, the elected authorized the Mayor and Clerk to execute a Mutual Full & Final Release with the Renfrew Industrial Commission as part of the transition of management of the Innovation Centre.

The agreement will have the town assume management of 1 Innovation Drive ending the RIC’s 20-year property management role of the 100,000+ sq. foot facility.

It is the goal of both parties to have the agreement finalized by December 31.

Industrial To Research & Technology

The building first opened as the Westinghouse plant in 1980. After the company’s closure in the 1990s, the vacant building was renamed 1 Innovation Drive and transformed into a multi-unit facility that now houses a mix of companies ranging from cutting edge technology to B.E.I Contracting, one of the area’s leading construction companies, with the occupancy translating into 100 jobs inside the building.

Mayor Eady said the RIC has done a good job of managing the building and it has proven to be a positive influence in terms of job creation within the town.

“I have to give credit to the RIC for helping to attract about 100 jobs with the companies that are in there now,” he said. “But council agrees the time has come for the town to manage the building, and that includes working with the tenants to make sure their needs are met.”

Mayor Eady said the RIC is currently working on the terms associated with the impending change and he is confident the terms will be of benefit to both parties. He noted the original mandate of the RIC has changed from when it was first formed more than six decades ago by a group of leading businessmen.

He said while the RIC is working on the terms of the separation, council put forth other conditions that needed to be incorporated into the final document. They acknowledged the receipt of a $52,836 dividend from the RIC which represents the profit from renting out the building and the town acknowledged the repayment of the $9,995 overage which has been in contention.

Council also requested the impending RIC exit strategy “be completed as expeditiously as possible to allow for a timely and successful transition.”

20-Year Management Agreement

Dave Lemkay, who has been the RIC’s executive director since 2010 (except for a brief period when he retired in 2018 but was lured back in 2020), has been the driving force for the RIC in that time and said the exit strategy is designed to make the transition a seamless one for all involved.

“We have notified the tenants and companies that service the site of the upcoming change in management and my role over the next few months is to help facilitate that change,” he said. “The bills, invoices and notifications will be transferred to the town as their responsibility and it will take effect December 31 of this year.”

When the RIC assumed the role of property manager in 2002, the organization was given a 20-year mandate with full authority in relation to financial investments into the property.

The RIC contributed one-third of investment and the town assumed the other two-thirds.

Prior to making the building available to tenants in 2002, there was extensive water damage inside the 150,000 square foot facility that needed to be repaired. Once completed, the building began attracting tenants, some of which use cutting edge technology.

Mr. Lemkay lobbied for major investments into modern security measures in order to attract tenants such as

Raytheon Technologies, a leading defence contractor with highly sensitive materials that require advanced security protocols. When it was incorporated in 1955, RIC directors set out to sustain existing industry and to attract new industry to Renfrew and area to create jobs and add to the tax base.

“Unfortunately, the word “industrial” itself seems dated because we have seen major industries bypass not just Renfrew, but much of Eastern Ontario,” Mayor Eady said.

“To their credit, the RIC adapted to this and concentrated on attracting leading research companies and were successful.”

The RIC is still a consortium of local business leaders, but their influence has decreased over the years as Ren-

frew has joined the majority of municipal governments by establishing their own internal economic development staff members. Their primary role is to attract outside investment and to assist local entrepreneurs create and develop strategies to help them flourish and remain in the area, which is essentially the same as the RIC.

The RIC currently has an office in the building and one of the decisions that needs to be made is whether or not they remain in the building, and what is the future of their non-profit entity.

As Mr. Lemkay, and the board of directors he represents, work towards a formal agreement outlining the RIC’s

exit strategy as property manager at 1 Innovation Drive, he said the RIC was a leader in partnering the business community with government.

“All local governments have come to recognize the importance of economic development and they have staff members and policies that are similiar to what the RIC started over 60 years ago,” he said. “If you look back over the decades of its existence, the RIC had a roster of local movers and shakers who wanted Renfrew to be competitive and a leader. The group did a lot of good work and can be proud of its legacy and our priority is to exit in a way that the town can pick up where we left off and continue to make Renfrew a place to do business and flourish.”

Pembroke -- The project focused on drug trafficking in the City of Pembroke. Suspected fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamines, and psilocybin were amongst the drugs seized and thousands of dollars in cash was also seized as proceeds of crime. Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW) and pepper spray was seized along with ammunition, rifles and replica pistols. A significant quantity of cellular phones were seized along with items associated to the sale and distribution of illegal drugs such as scales and debt lists.

Pembroke – Two more people have been charged in Project NIELD, an investigation focusing on drug trafficking in Pembroke.

On December 12, police arrested Zeth Robert Robinson, 25, of Pembroke, and charged him with trafficking crystal methamphetamine and cocaine, and two counts of possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5000.

Diane Margaret Moriarity, 58, of Pembroke, was arrested on December 14 and charged with two counts of trafficking – cocaine, two counts of possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000.

On the morning of December 2, OPP executed eight Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) search warrants at several locations in Pembroke, Renfrew and Arnprior. The search warrants were executed after a several month-long investigation by the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP’s Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU) dubbed Project NIELD.

So far police have arrested 24 individuals and laid approximately 200 charges as a result of Project NIELD. Further arrests and charges are expected. Cooperation from several entities within the OPP helped bring the investigation to a successful conclusion. Assisting with the investigation were members of OPP’s East Region CSCU teams, East Region and Northeast Region Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB), Northeast Region CSCU, Biker Enforcement Unit (BEU), Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit (PAFU), Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (ROPE) Team, Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU), Emergency Response Team (ERT), K9, Regional Support Team (RST), Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team (CTET), Offender Transport Unit (OTU), Renfrew County Crime Unit and members of the Upper Ottawa Valley and Renfrew OPP Detachments.

Two more individuals charged in drug sweep

Junior Farmers boost food bank accounts in Eganville and Cobden

Eganville – The Eganville and Cobden food banks will be going into the new year with a nice extra amount in their bank accounts, thanks to a recent donation from the Renfrew County Junior Farmers (RCJF).

On Monday, Alex Wytenburg, President of the RCJF, delivered cheques for $1,650 to both Bonnie Helferty at the Cobden and District Food Bank and Carol Boudreau at the Eganville and District Food Bank from the profits of the RCJF’s recent 2021 bottle drive.

Mr. Wytenburg said he would like to thank the many “thirsty” donors who gave their empties, noting these donations will help the food banks have a good start to 2022.

“The local Junior Farmers have been hosting bottle drives in December and late May for several years now, with all funds raised going back to local charities and resources across the county,” he explained.

“With COVID-19 restrictions, we transitioned into curbside pick-ups and have had increasing success with well over 22,000 cans counted and returned, along with several thousand bottles.”

Mr. Wytenburg said the club generally operates with about 25 members, aged 15 to 29, who hail from different parts of the county. Previous to bringing in the curbside pick-ups, the members’ residences were used as drop-off points for the collection. Mr. Wytenburg said it’s the members who select who the benefactors are, noting recipients in recent years have included the Bernadette McCann House and the Robbie Dean Family Counselling Centre, both in Pembroke.

He said the items they collect are

cans and bottles from sales at either the LCBO or Beer Stores. He explained while the cans simply have to be counted, the bottles must be sorted according to size and colour. While the program requires some

work, he said club members thoroughly enjoy the routine, knowing the work is helping others across the county.

The items collected are returned to the Beer Store in Renfrew for depos-

its, with Mr. Wytenburg expressing his thanks for the assistance they receive there.

“The Renfrew Beer Store staff is great, just as long was we give them enough notice,” he said.

Two face armed robbery charges

Killaloe -- A 33-year-old female from Golden Lake and a 39-yearold male from Renfrew have been charged by Ontario Provincial Police at Killaloe with several offences following a November 1 armed robbery at a residence in Augsburg in Bonnechere Valley Township.

Marissa Schoenfeldt and Cory Laing were charged with robbery using a firearm, theft under $5,000, forcible confinement, unlawfully in a dwelling and breach of probation.

Ms. Schoenfeldt was also charged with three counts of breach of release conditions while Mr. Laing was also charged with disguise with intent, using a firearm while committing an offence, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm or ammunition while prohibited and discharging a firearm with intent. Both accused attended a bail court hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice, Pembroke, and remain in custody.

Killaloe OPP officers responded to an armed robbery at a residence on November 1 at about 2:45 a.m. An unknown person entered the residence armed with a firearm and demanded cash. The victim was assaulted, and the suspect fled a short time later, taking items of value. The victim received minor injuries. The Renfrew County Crime Unit, assisted by the OPP Forensic Identification Unit (FIS), continued to investigate this occurrence.

COVID-19 cases increase as Ontario brings in restrictions

Pembroke – COVID cases are increasing, not only locally with 56 active cases in Renfrew County, but in Ontario and the rest of Canada with the province bringing in capacity limits the week of Christmas.

Renfrew County and District Health Unit reported the total number of infections topped the 1,000 mark on Monday, and as well as two people in hospital and one in the intensive care unit. By Tuesday, there were 1,033 total infections since the pandemic began with 56 active cases and 18 new cases reported that day in the county and district. There have been 11 deaths since the pandemic began.

The province brought in restrictions and capacity limits last week to stem the contagion from the Omicron variant which saw the province record 3,453 new cases on Tuesday, as well as 412 people in hospital and 106 in the ICU. Of those hospitalized, 303 are not fully vaccinated or have unknown vaccination status and 109 are fully vaccinated. As well, the Unity Health hospital network in Toronto has paused non-essential ambulatory care and surgical procedures, with the exception of urgent cases.

As of Sunday, December 19, the province introduced 50 percent capacity limits at restaurants, bars, personal care services, physical fit-

ness trainers, retailers – including grocery stores and pharmacies, shopping malls and indoor recreational facilities. As well, dancing is no longer allowed and food/drink services were prohibited at sporting events, concert venues, theatres and cinemas or bingo halls. The province also reduced gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. Cases in Ontario are higher than they were in December 2020, at a time when the province entered total lockdown. The difference in 2021 is the presence of vaccines and the demand has been increasing dramatically for vaccines and boosters in the province.

Carol Boudreau, co-chair of the Eganville District Food Bank, accepts a donation from, Alex Wytenburg, on behalf of the Renfrew County Junior Farmers. Photos submitted.

Mr. Wytenburg presents $1,650 to Bonnie Helferty, chair of the Cobden Food Bank.

Exchange student grateful for warm welcome to Opeongo

By Terry Fleurie Staff Writer

Douglas – A young student from France is returning home with many fond memories after her four-month experience in Renfrew County as part of an international exchange program.

Julia Ruders of Saint-Malo, France, arrived in Canada on August 31 and was greeted by representatives of Yes Canada, the organization co-ordinating the exchange. The 14-year-old arrived in the Valley on September 3 and met her host family, Sarah MacPhee and Zaha Iberahim, and their two children, Aliah and Dania, who live in the Lake Dore area. She was a Grade 9 student at Opeongo High School and the Leader caught up with her last Thursday as she prepared to spend her last day with friends at school on Friday before flying home on Sunday.

“Everybody was so nice with me,” she said of her first few days at the school. “Everybody came to talk to me because I was shy to go with other people.

“I came here with really bad English because I wanted to learn,” she added. “Now, I can speak and understand it okay.”

At first, she found it difficult in her classes but it all got better.

Julia was born and raised in SaintMalo where she lives with her mother, Sophie, an Operating Room nurse, her step-father, Yves, an orthopedic surgeon, and brothers, Karl, 16, and Roman, 10.

“Saint-Malo is in northwest France, four hours from Paris,” she said. “It’s right on the ocean. It’s not a big city, about the size of Pembroke.” She learned of the exchange program through a friend who had participated in an exchange, but she was in Florida for three months.

“I talked with her and I liked the idea to come here to learn English and meet new people and see Canada. I have never come here before.

“I wanted to try it. I felt it would be good for me,” she added. “And my mom and step-dad were very happy and encouraging.”

In Saint-Malo, the education system works differently. At the school she attends, Grade 9 would be the senior level and she would move to a different school for Grades 10 to 12. She has eight subjects each day back home while at Opeongo, students have two subjects a day and two different subjects a day on rotating weeks. And for the last week, they returned to a regular semester system with four classes per day, which they hope to carry on in the new year.

“With two classes, it’s long for one day. But now I like it.”

Although she has only had four days with the four classes, she enjoyed that

schedule too.

“I have science, music, tech and geography now. They’re good.”

She hopes to pursue career as a veterinarian or a doctor.

Although she had never played the sport before, she tried out for and was selected as a member of the junior girls’ basketball team.

“I did the games and practices,” she said. “I really liked it. I never played before. “I want to play back home in France.”

She also went deer hunting for the first time with Aliah and Mr. Iberahim and enjoyed the experience. She also enjoyed walks in the forest with the family dog. She liked the

snowfall and she went ice skating at the Eganville Community Centre with friends. She is an avid horsewoman and has two horses she competes with in equestrian competitions.

“I ride for pleasure and in competitions. I’ve been riding for about eight years.”

Her older brother, her mom and step-dad all ride too. She said the horses are stabled about 15 minutes from her home and she rides every weekend. The competitions are held on Sundays.

She attended a concert at the Rankin Community Centre featuring Eganville’s Jon Pilatzke and his wife, Cara Butler, performing some traditional

Ottawa Valley step-dancing and fiddling routines.

“I had never heard that music before and I liked it,” she said. “It was good.”

New Sites, New Foods

Julia said the Iberahims took her on lots of sightseeing and shopping trips and introduced her to some new foods she had never tried before.

“I tried some new foods because I don’t eat the same things in France. When they’d try something, I’d try it too.

“I tried poutine in Ottawa and Montreal and I liked it,” she added.

Mr. Iberahim is Malaysian, so she also tried some of the foods native to that country, including chicken and venison curry, which she also

enjoyed.

She visited Ottawa and the Parliament Buildings and had trips to Montreal and Kingston where she enjoyed sight-seeing and shopping.

“In September, we went to Canada’s Wonderland in Toronto and it was so good,” she noted. “It’s very big but I really liked it.”

She said it was nice to be in an area where there is lots of space as it is congested in the city where she resides.

Really Homesick At First

Julia admitted she found the first few weeks away from her family very difficult. “When I came here it was very, very hard. But by October, it was good.”

At first, she was making two calls home per week but only chatted with her family on a weekly basis after that.

She said the Iberahim family was very supportive when she was feeling homesick.

She said she had a friend from SaintMalo who was on another exchange here who left a few weeks ago and she spoke to her frequently too.

Julia will definitely recommend the exchange program to her friends and fellow students back home.

“I have other friends who want to come here,” she said Tough Week

Last week was very hard on her, knowing she would have to say goodbye to her new friends.

“I feel very sad because it was amazing,” she said of the experience. “Everybody shared with me to have to leave with just one more day at school is hard.

“I will have so many good memories,” she added. But thanks to technology she will be able to stay in contact with her new friends through text messaging, emails and Facetime. While she cannot take part in another school exchange, she said her family is anxious to visit Canada too. She thanked the Iberahim family for being great hosts, saying they were welcoming and supportive during her stay.

“All the people were very nice and I was scared about that. When I came here, I didn’t know people and everybody was so nice to me.”

Host Family Enjoyed Experience

Ms. MacPhee, who is the principal at Beachburg Public School, first saw something about the Yes Program exchange program on Facebook.

“I inquired and was provided with a few different ages and knew what countries they were from and then got to read a little profile on the students,” she explained. “I knew right away that Julia would be a wonderful fit for our family.”

Ms. MacPhee said she learned how

difficult it was for Julia to be away from home and what qualities make an exchange successful.

“She’s extremely independent, she’s positive, she’s resilient, she has a very good work ethic and she is just open and wonderful to interact with and integrate with.”

Knowing how homesick she was the first few days, Ms. MacPhee was able to converse with Julia in her native French language, which really seemed to comfort and support her.

“When the loneliness kind of kicked in, I did have some good conversations with her in French where she could kind of vent to me a little bit and I could explain to her that everything was normal.”

Ms. MacPhee said she certainly understood Julia’s feelings as she was an exchange student herself once. She said Julia was adventurous when trying new foods and seemed to really enjoy her deer hunting experience with Aliah and Mr. Iberahim.

“I don’t know if they were the quietest hunting companions, but they were certainly dressed to the nines for hunting and they were in the blind. It was a great experience.”

As her departure date drew close, she admitted it has been tough on their family.

“It’s been hard thinking about her leaving and thinking about one less person that’s a member of the household not being there. But I think that there’s a relationship and a connection there that’s going to be there for life with us.

“I’m hoping to welcome a visit back anytime and that we can visit them in France too.”

Ms. MacPhee said she would recommend being a host family.

“I think it was wonderful, especially for my children to be exposed to a different culture, a different language, and to open their eyes up to the world so much.”

OHS Will Miss Julia In New Year Angela McGregor-Stewart, principal at OHS, said Julia has been a wonderful addition to the school.

“She has participated in every event and extracurricular activity possible over the past four months and developed strong friendships that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. Staff and students have enjoyed having Julia with us as a Wildcat, and we know she is going home with many great memories and leaving us with great memories as well.

“Julia worked hard here to improve her English skills, and the improvement in her speaking abilities and confidence in the language is extremely evident,” she added. “It has been an absolute pleasure having Julia at Opeongo and she will be dearly missed.”

Julia Ruders, a 14-year-old exchange student from Ste.-Malo, France, said she will never forget the many friends she made and experiences she had during her four-month exchange at Opeongo High School.

Barry’s Bay Bulls hand Calver second straight loss

By Terry Fleurie Staff Writer

nor Moss of the Loggers in the slot.

Eganville

– After starting off the 2021/2022 Eganville Hockey League (EHL) schedule with six straight wins, the defending champion Calver Lumber team heads into the Christmas holiday break winless in their last two games.

On Friday night, the Barry’s Bay Bulls posted their third win of the season by edging Calver 3-2 in a fast-paced, tight-checking, physical contest. Things looked good for Calver in the early going as the Pembroke team jumped out to an early lead just 30 seconds into the game. They dumped the puck into the Bulls end off the opening face-off and created a turnover that left Scott Conroy alone in front to tuck the rubber past goaltender Richard Barr. It was Conroy’s first game with the team this year and he quickly made his presence known.

The Bulls evened the score midway through the period as Scott Bromley fed a perfect pass to Brandon Cashubec who tipped it by Calver goalie Josh Vandenbarr to knot the game. Then, with just 31 seconds remaining in the opening period, the Bulls took the lead as Bailey Hein forced a turnover in the Calver zone, feeding the loose puck to Bromley. The big forward waited for Vandenbarr to go down before firing a hard wrister into the top of the net for a 2-1 lead.

The teams traded chances in the early going in the second, with Barr and Vandenbarr rejecting everything that came their way. With 2:10 to go, Calver got the tying goal from veteran Steve Gilchrist who tipped a Nathan Anderson pass by Barr.

Early in the third, the Bulls lost Bromley with a separated shoulder as he got tangled up with a Calver player and fell to the ice. He struggled to get to his feet, obviously unable to

move his right arm. He went directly to the dressing room and was later transported via ambulance to hospital where doctors re-set the injured limb.

Despite losing one of their top offensive weapons, the Bulls persevered, retaking the lead with 3:22 to go in the third with newcomer Dylan Kuehl finding the top shelf behind Barr from the slot. Kuehl made his debut with the team on Friday, and also made an immediate impression. Calver lifted

their goalie with 1:26 to play and pressed for the tying goal, with Barr making a big save on Conroy with 30 seconds to play to seal the win. There were 18 penalties handed out in the chippiest affair of the season, with 11 penalties assessed to Calvers In other EHL action, the Whitewater Brewery team moved into sole pos-

session of third spot by doubling the W.M. Miller Loggers 4-2. It was Whitewater’s third win in the past four games and the Loggers’ fifth loss in their last six games.

The Loggers capitalized on some bad luck for the Brewery team early as a Braedon Yakabuskie pass bounced off a player and went directly to Con-

Moss wasted no time firing it by an unsuspecting Ryan Donohue for a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the contest.

Yakabuskie got that one back for his team midway through the frame as he buried the rebound of his initial shot past Randy Chafer in the Loggers’ net to tie the score.

The second period featured great end to end action with neither team able to beat the respective goalies.

Whitewater took its first lead of the night 3:19 into the third as Blake Borutski cut through the slot and fired a shot past Chafer as he slid across his net. Brendan Hennessy stretched the lead to 3-1 a minute later as he buried the rebound of a Yakabuskie shot into the twine. The Loggers drew within one of the lead with 4:43 to go as Bradley Borutski tipped a Moss feed past Donohue to make the count 3-2.

Whitewater sealed the win on a goal by Kaelan Parker who was awarded the goal after he was hauled down while heading in on the empty net by a Loggers player to make the final 4-2.

Whitewater had three of the five penalties handed out in the game.

The EHL is now entering its holiday break, with the schedule resuming on January 7, when Calver meets the Loggers at 7 and the Bulls battle Whitewater at 8.

Matthew Kennedy of the Loggers carries the puck into the Whitewater zone during Eganville Hockey League action Friday. Whitewater doubled the Loggers by a 4-2 score.

Virus puts damper on all Jr. B games

By Terry Fleurie

Staff Writer

Ottawa – The players and coaches of all Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL) teams started an extended Christmas break last week when league officials announced all scheduled games were being postponed until the new year due to the steadily increasing cases of COVID everywhere.

“As a result of the current health status and the new Omicron variant happening in Ontario, the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League has announced that the board of governors unanimously agreed to suspend EOJHL operations until the new

year,” a league released dated December 17 read.

The announcement came just days after many games were postponed through the previous and upcoming weekend.

“All games that were remaining in the month of December will be re-scheduled in 2022, the release explained. “The EOJHL will have an emergency board of governors meeting next week (this week) to discuss a possible date for return to play.”

The Valley Timberwolves team, based in Eganville, had their December 11 game against the Whitewater Kings postponed due to some Kings’ players testing positive. The team was

OHS senior Wildcats post two wins

to have played the Arnprior Packers and Brockville Tikkis this past weekend, but those games were also postponed. Timberwolves head coach Gord Goldberg said he was not surprised by the decision, saying the writing was on the wall. He said some of other teams reported positive cases or with close contacts to the squad, but thankfully that was not the case with the Timberwolves. He said he is waiting word from the board as to whether the teams are allowed to practice before play resumes. While he is hopeful play will resume in January, all signs point to a possibly longer stoppage.

Douglas – High school sports has transitioned from the fall to winter schedule with the Opeongo High School (OHS) girl’s senior volleyball team getting off to a great start to their season.

The Wildcats opened league play against the always strong Fellowes High School squad from Pembroke with OHS rebounding from a first set loss with three straight set wins to take the match 3-1. Fellowes took the first set 25-22 with OHS answering with wins of 25-17, 25-21 and 26-24.

In their next match, they made it two wins in a row with a straight set victory over the McKenzie Community School Mustangs from Deep

River. Opeongo won the opener 2522, followed by 25-21 and 25-23 wins in three very close games.

The junior girls are still searching for their first win, dropping straight set wins to both Fellowes and McKenzie. Fellowes won by scores of 25-8, 25-12 and 25-8. The McKenzie scores were closer at 25-19, 25-22 and 25-21.

The boy’s junior and senior basketball teams’ were in Arnprior on December 14, with the host Arnprior Rapids posting decisive wins in each game. The junior Wildcats were on the wrong end of a 76-22 score while the senior’s fared no better in their 80-25 loss.

The junior and senior boy’s basketball teams took to the hardcourt for their first action in over a year on December 13, falling 77-39 to the visiting Bishop Smith Catholic High School Crusaders from Pembroke.

The senior contest was decided in overtime with the Crusaders earning a 70-62 win. Bishop led 15-13 after the first quarter, with Opeongo rallying to lead by as many as 11 points at one point. However, the Wildcats saw the lead dwindle away with Jack Egan making a late basket in the dying seconds to draw the team into a tie and force overtime. Bishop carried the play in the extra four minutes, leading to the 70-62 win.

Bulls’ goalie Richard Barr makes a save on a shot from Calver forward Brent Clouthier during his team’s 3-2 win on Friday. Bulls’ defenceman, Dan Maidens, right, was ready to clear any rebound for his goalie.

Jevyn Davidson of the Opeongo senior boy’s basketball team brings the ball up-court during a recent game against Bishop Smith Catholic High of Pembroke. Bishop Smith won the game 70-62 in overtime.

Parade brings the Christmas spirit to Pikwakanagan

By Gerald Tracey News Editor

Pikwakanagan – The Algonquin community was filled with Christmas spirit and joy on Monday when the second annual Santa Claus parade brought smiles and feelings of goodwill to spectators who watched from their homes and driveways.

Kerry Andrews, manager of Sports and Recreation, was beaming with pride as she witnessed the smiling faces and joy among spectators.

“Honestly, I had a smile on my face all along the route,” she confessed. “It was just really nice to feel that and to be a part of it.”

Ms. Andrews felt the parade was something the community really needed, as the province and the entire world is dealing with surging COVID cases of the Omicron variant which has brought in new safety measures and restrictions for the second consecutive Christmas season.

“It (the parade) was really needed at this time heading into what this Christmas is going to look like.”

Ms. Andrews said the parade, which featured close to 20 entries, was double the size of the inaugural event last year. She urged community businesses, families and the various agencies that form the band to participate and her efforts paid off.

“There was amazing feedback on social media Monday night,” she said. “People were so happy that it happened.”

The parade was held Monday for a couple of reasons. First, there is less traffic in the community, although Monday was still a very busy day at the nearly 20 commercial enterprises at Pikwakanagan, and also because the schools were closed for the Christmas holidays and children could easily participate.

The theme of the parade was A Gingerbread Christmas and several floats were very well designed and decorated to support the subject.

Riding on this float were Isabella Baptiste, Addison Peters, Gracie Baptiste, Camira Peters and Corinna Aird to the right and Jordan Dick standing.

Ryan Peters was part of the Pikwakanagan Sports and Recreation float. Joining him were Emery and Ireland Andrews.

The Benoit family float. From the left are Councillor Barb Sarazin, Michelle Hume, holding baby, Daniel Benoit, Kellie Hisko Benoit, Crystal Benoit and Memphis Kohoko.

Members of the Meness family extended Christmas greetings from Meness Lake – (that’s the Bonnechere River in front of Cliff and Norma’s home!). Among those on the float were, from the left, Lisa Meness, Madden Benoit, Della Meness, Xannah Meness and Izobel Meness.

Isabel Commanda and Sandy McGuire rode along the route with Santa, handing out gifts to youngsters.

RIGHT: Zayla Kauffeldt leads a group of riders on her pony in Monday’s parade through the community of Pikwakanagan.

Riding on this Gingerbread float were Colby Nerlich, Trinity Commanda, Paige Nerlich, Sam Nerlich and Angelina Commanda.

$16 million Ma-Te-Way expansion gets underway

By R. Bruce McIntyre Local Journalism Initiatve Reporter Renfrew –

Ma-Te-Way Activity Centre is well under way and the timeline to complete the $16.1 million excpansion to the 32-year-old complex is on

schedule.

Kevin Hill, the town’s Director of Parks and Recreation, provided a verbal update for council last week

and he is pleased with the early developments.

“The excavation and site work has been done and things are going well,” Mr. Hill said. “Of course, as you dig underground there are existing issues with footings and there were some issues we had to address. I am also pleased to announce that the chalet has been moved for the construction of the new (tennis) courts. The existing light stands were moved and work will begin on the new tennis courts in the New Year.”

Mr. Hill said the site works are on schedule and the staff from Bonnechere Excavating Inc. have notified town staff of the progress. He said he is ready to release the next wave of tenders in early January.

He said town staff set a goal of trying to stay one step ahead of the construction schedule and that is why a contract should soon be coming to council for Renfrew Hydro and a refrigeration company in relation to all refrigeration areas that will be part of the construction.

Reeve Peter Emon asked if there were any safeguards for council in the event there are legal issues or insurance claims.

Construction is now underway on the $16.1 million expansion at Renfrew’s Ma-Te-Way Activity Centre. The project includes a second ice surface and an Indigenous Cultural Centre.

Mr. Hill explained the retention of the project management, Buttcon, was made due to the large scale of the project and they bring their expertise to all facets of the project. They prepare and release all tenders, prepare contracts with the sub-contractors

who they recommend to council, and manage all aspects of the project from start to finish.

He also pointed out the contracts and sub-contractors that are awarded contracts are based on criteria provided by the town including the provision that effort be made to award the contracts to as many local businesses as possible.

The sub-contractors and actual contracts are brought before council with the option to accept or reject any contractors selected by Buttcon.

Mr. Hill told the Leader that although it is an Ottawa based company, the senior staff member assigned to the Ma-te-Way expansion is Brent Gould, who grew up on the family farm near Cobden. He has been heavily involved in junior hockey in the Ottawa Valley for 15 years and is very familiar with the firms selected to work on site

“I am very pleased to report the working relationship with Buttcon has been going very well and it has been excellent,” he reported.

He said all tenders and contracts have been handled by Buttcon and council has a built-in safeguard in the event there is an issue down the road regarding disputes, legalities, and other standard practices of a construction project of this magnitude.

“All contracts have been signed (except for BEI who are signing independently) and we received comments from Buttcon for our legal counsel

and those contracts will be sent to council to sign. We have a motion by council and the agreement is in place to complete the work as presented. In fact, Buttcon made a small change for the betterment of Renfrew that is backed by Cunningham Swann (lawyers) and we’re just waiting to have that authorized from them to proceed.”

He said all bonding will be in place for all the contractors and all insurance and records that are required are in place to safeguard the town from any liability. The actual bonds will be transferred to the town once BEI has signed their individual contract.

Councillor Sandi Heins inquired as to the schedule and costing due to the national supply and demand issue.

Mr. Hill said he will bring forward a listing of all current costs to the next meeting, adding the greatest impact has been in acquiring steel.

“There have been some overages in this area and that will be contained in the report.”

The Ma-te-Way Activity Centre Expansion is a 76,500 square foot addition to the present arena situated in Ma-te-Way Park. The expansion includes an Indigenous Cultural Centre, an NHL sized ice surface, an elevated walking track, fitness centre, regulation sized gymnasium, multipurpose rooms, Parks, Recreation and Facilities administrative offices and lease space.

Whitewater council hears update on Business Retention project

By Marie Zettler

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Whitewater Region -- Businesses

in Whitewater Region will be invited to participate in the municipality’s new Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) project officially launched on December 16, 2021.

Scott Hamilton, Business Outreach Officer for the municipality, presented an update to Whitewater Council at its December 15 meeting.

Mr. Hamilton told council that February 1, 2022, has been set as the launch date for surveys to be provided to all business in Whitewater Region.

“The BR&E project includes a systemic interview process of businesses from all sectors of Whitewater

Region,” said Mr. Hamilton. “I will undertake this interview process with assistance from (township) staff, the project leadership team, and community volunteers. A survey will focus on identifying businesses looking to expand and areas in which the municipality can assist these businesses.”

The role of Business Outreach Officer is a contract position.

The Business Retention & Expansion project is a structured actionoriented and community-based approach to business and economic development. It is formatted by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and helps municipalities prioritize their efforts to support existing and

Police seek information on suspicious male who tried to lure female

Laurentian Valley -- The Upper Ottawa Valley (UOV)

Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is investigating a report of a suspicious male who invited a female pedestrian in her early teens to enter his vehicle.

The incident took place at about 3 p.m. on December 14 on Allen Street in Laurentian Valley Township.

As the pedestrian approached the male’s parked vehicle, he invited her to get in the vehicle. The pedestrian declined and continued walking only to observe the same vehicle driving toward her on Glen Street a short time later. The female became concerned and made her way to a place of safety and the vehicle left in an unknown direction.

The person of interest is described as an Englishspeaking white male with a goatee, wearing sunglasses with an orange tint to the lens, approximately 40 years old. He was driving a newer model white vehicle, possibly a small SUV.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP at 613-732-3332 or Pembroke/Renfrew County Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-TIPS (8477).

Parents are reminded to speak to their children about their personal safety including not accepting rides from unknown individuals.

Phoenix Centre starts search for a new ED

Pembroke -- The Board of the Phoenix Centre and Greg Lubimiv, its executive director (ED) are preparing for Mr. Lubimiv’s retirement after 41 years of service.

He has decided to work towards his retirement through a well-planned transition of his leadership role. Mr. Lubimiv has provided extraordinary leadership throughout his career using his skill, wisdom and creativity to constantly improve mental health services in the County of Renfrew, in the province as well as nationally.

The Phoenix Centre will begin its search for a new ED who will benefit from a transition period where Mr. Lubimiv will be able to provide mentorship and support.

“As a board we appreciate the many initiatives Greg has been and is involved in as a part of his passion and commitment to the transformation of services to children, youth and families,” said Dez Bair-Patel, President of the Phoenix Centre Board. “We are also very pleased there will be time for Greg to continue in many of these roles to ensure there is a continuation of work already started.”

Mr. Bair-Patel added the board will continue to make its commitment to the current partnerships, collaborations, initiatives and projects which are in progress and are essential to the continual improvements of the mental health system.

Mr. Lubimiv said he has mixed feelings as he thinks of retirement.

“I have had the privilege of being the executive director for over four decades and am one of the lucky people who has enjoyed going to work every day,” he said. “I have also had the honour of working with countless staff, board members, service leaders and community members who have worked with me to improve the lives of children, youth and families in Renfrew County and beyond. However, I also look forward to making different contributions for when I start my new journey.”

Mr. Bair-Patel said as the search for a new executive director gets underway the board knows Mr. Lubimiv leaves a powerful legacy and an organization known for its culture of caring, professionalism, creativity and competence.

new businesses. OMAFRA lists many different benefits of running an economic development project like the BR&E.

“In a rural community’s economy, anywhere from 76 to 90 per cent of all new jobs come from existing businesses,” said Mr. Hamilton. “It (the project) supports business growth and fosters communication between businesses and the council. It can lead to creating a direct business networking group and allows businesses to become involved in the greater community.”

The survey will close in April 2022.

In June 2022 an action plan will be presented to Council. According to analyst data provided by OMAFRA,

there are currently 402 businesses in Whitewater Region. These include self-employed professionals, agriculture farmers, and traditional businesses. This number is compared to the 428 total recorded businesses in June 2019. This shows a total of 26 businesses closed between 2019 and 2021. According to the data, from 2019 to 2021, there were 136 jobs lost in Whitewater, amounting to six per cent of total jobs in the municipality. Business statistics from the past 10 years show that 100 businesses have closed in Whitewater from 2011 till 2021, with 350 jobs lost in that same period. Several business leaders in the com-

munity have agreed to form a leadership team to advise and assist with the BR&E project. Team members are Dave McGonegal of Renfrew County Beef Farmers of Ontario; Bev Buchanan, Buchanan Sand and Gravel; Cindy Jamieson, Jamieson Travel & Whitewater Inn; Jeff Black, Glasshouse Botanics; Chris Thompson, Whitewater Brewery, and Bill McGill, Summerhill Resorts.

The project supports the strategies of the 2020 - 2030 Township Strategic Plan and the 2021 Community Development Workplan with respect to fostering economic development by encouraging the redevelopment and improvement of business and commercial corridors throughout the

township; supporting the retention and expansion of existing businesses and attracting new economic development; supporting continued growth and development, and fostering economic development and tourism.

Starting in 2022 businesses in Whitewater will be contacted to participate in a detailed survey. Volunteers are needed to assist with the survey delivery. The survey results will culminate with an action plan to help guide council’s focus in the future.

For more details or to be a part of the project, please visit www.whitewaterregion.ca or contact Scott Hamilton 613-646-2282 ext 143 shamilton@ whitewaterregion.ca.

The long-awaited construction project at Renfrew’s

Organizations benefit from Jason Blaine Classic

By Terry Fleurie and Gerald Tracey

Pembroke – Christmas came early for several local organizations last week, as Pembroke native and country music star, Jason Blaine returned to his hometown to distribute the proceeds from his 2021 charity golf classic and concert.

Mr. Blaine was joined by representatives of the different organizations at the announcement at the Best Western, Pembroke, last Friday where he continued his tradition of giving back to the community, he called home in

his formative years. He distributed a total of $80,000 to the various organizations, ranging in amounts from $2,500 to the maximum donation of $25,000. BGC Pembroke (formerly the Boys and Girls Club of Pembroke) received $25,000; the Robbie Dean Family Counselling Centre- $15,000; the Pembroke and Area Airport - $15,000; Algonquin College - $10,000; the Pembroke/ Petawawa District Community Foundation - $8,000; Pembroke Reginal Hospital $4,000; The Grind - $2,500; and the St. Vincent de Paul and St.

Joseph’s Food Banks - $2,500 each.

“It was just really wonderful to have everybody here in one spot today,” Mr. Blaine said following the formalities. “I’m grateful to be able to be here, in person in Pembroke with my amazing committee to get to do this.

“It’s really a group team effort to make this all happen,” he added.

“They mention my name, I’m able to bring the music, but let me tell you, I cannot do this without these amazing women on the committee.”

He noted this year was very challenging being able to operate at less

than half the capacity which they normally would have, but he was extremely pleased to raise the amount they did.

“I was really, really happy about that and we’re looking forward to next June and continuing to keep this going.”

Mr. Blaine said the 2021 event was the eighth annual, adding he hopes to continue it as long as possible.

“It’s a labour of love. I love to be able to give back to the area that has been so good to me, cheering me on my whole career,” he remarked.

“From all the great messages and support that I get on Facebook and social media from moving to Nashville 15 years ago.

“This town, this community, has always cheered me on and it’s just my way of using music to help give back to an area that will always be home to me.”

He said things are going really well in Nashville and his family is doing well. He was looking forward to flying home December 21 after his concert at Festival Hall on December 19 to spend Christmas with his wife,

Amy, and four children -- Grace, 15, Carter, 13, Sara, 9, and Kaden, 5.

Mr. Blaine said it’s been really tough, challenging and heartbreaking on a lot of levels in the music industry the past two years because of COVID.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty and I saw a lot of people lose their positions in the industry and have to take jobs outside of the industry, which is not their forte, their passion. And that’s really emotionally hard on people because it’s through no fault of their own.

“We’re not alone in this. A lot of other industries, small businesses were completely devastated by this,” he added. “It’s been a challenge. There’s no other way to put it.”

He said a lot of live music venues he played when he was starting his career have closed their doors forever and that is heartbreaking to see.

“And now they’re not going to be there for the next generation and that’s just unfortunate. Fortunately, some of them have hung on and thankfully, Festival Hall is one of them and I would encourage people the best thing they can do is support it when they feel comfortable and safe.”

He said it was wonderful to be able to come home to host his Christmas concert at the venue.

“I’m very thankful that we could hold a show at all. I was holding my breath all the way up, watching the news reports, hoping that we were still be able to do a show at all.

“Thankfully, we are and we’ll just be hoping and praying everything goes in the right direction so we can do this great event next year and maybe even more shows in the spring.”

He said things are very different in Tennessee, adding he’d love to bring his family to Pembroke soon, but he has no idea when he will be able to do that.

“It was hard not seeing our family here for two years. My parents weren’t able to come to the States to see their grandbabies and that was a very long two years.

“We’re a very close family and Facetime and video just don’t cut it,” he added.

He said regulations are much more relaxed in Tennessee so when he comes here, he obeys the rules and is respectful to the regulations.

Mr. Blaine said he has a new release out available digitally through Spotify, Amazon or Apple music. He also has a new music video and record coming in February.

“There’s lots of stuff in the works,” he said.

Jason Blaine was on hand to disperse $80,000 to community causes with funds raised from the 2021 Jason Blaine Charity Golf Classic & Concert event held in September at the Pembroke Golf Club. From left to right (standing) are Monique Yashinskie (Robbie Dean Centre) - $15,000; Jerry Novack (The Grind) - $2,500; Deacon Adrien Chaput and Muggsie Boland (St. Vincent de Paul)- $2,500; Jason Blaine, John Kilborn (St. Joseph’s Food Bank ) - $2,500; Allan Wren (Pembroke & Area Airport) - $10,000, and Leigh Costello (Pembroke Regional Hospital) - $4,000. Kneeling are Jamie Bramburger (Algonquin College) - $10,000, and Rhodina Turner (BGC Pembroke, formerly Boys and Girls Club of Pembroke) - $25,000.

The Pembroke Petawawa District Community Foundation also received $8,000.

Sisters of St. Joseph decided to amalgamate in 2012

By Associates Mary Josey and Grace McGuire

Throughout 2021 the Leader has shared the amazing story of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada/Pembroke site as they celebrated 100 years of service and witness in the Diocese of Pembroke and beyond. As they told their story, they expressed their gratitude, love and prayers to the many who have been with them on their journey. This is the 11th and final instalment in a series which can be found on our website: eganvilleleader.ca.

* * * * * *

Change always includes a period of transition marked by decisions to either move forward or hold on to what is. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Pembroke have been through significant changes leading up to and beyond their 2012 decision to amalgamate with three other communities in the federation to form the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada.

Two associates of the Pembroke sisters recently interviewed them to learn how they have made the transition forward, as they mark 100 years in the Diocese of Pembroke and beyond. We learned that although faced with challenges, the sisters have done this like they always do everything, trusting in the love of God guiding them every step of the way. In their humble and faith-filled way the sisters revealed that they didn’t know at the time how much this 2012 decision would aid them with the changes ahead. As the sisters reflected on thoughts and feelings about the sale of their Motherhouse they shared how the coming together of the four neighbourhoods effectively prepared them for the ‘letting go’ of their Motherhouse and the looming pandemic.

As a result their lifestyle and approach to being in community was drastically altered. The initial move of seeing some elder sisters being taken to various places such as Peterborough, London, Barry’s Bay and Ottawa was a difficult task. It was also a great difficulty for the sisters who were moving because the Motherhouse was where they entered and as one sister worded it, “To leave was a sore on my heart!” They were welcomed with open arms and excellent care in their new residences. Saying goodbye to these courageous women was experienced as a great loss. After these first sisters moved, there were only nine sisters living in the building. The sisters already living in their own apartments in Pembroke grieved the fact that they could no longer live

their practice of going regularly to the Motherhouse to work, attend mass, share meals, minister to sisters and others in need and gather with the associates for retreats and celebratory events. Others were preparing to make the move across town to Supples Landing, a private seniors’ residence, which has proved to be a positive experience in many ways. These sisters expressed joy in having a beautiful view of the Ottawa River, a walking path, a garden, a quiet space for a chapel, and one of the sisters indicated how reassuring it is to be living on Joseph Street. Most important to them is being able to continue to live their mission of helping the ‘dear neighbour.’ They all agreed there are many opportunities to minister to the other residents.

A significant part of the sisters’ transition was being fully able to participate in the letting go of the Motherhouse, a two year process, which was definitely marked by struggle in the beginning. Because, as one sister said, “It was the place we entered, got our training, made our vows, and had fun together. It was a place to come home to from far off and nearby mis-

sions.” They talked and prayed and said goodbye to each section of the structure that had been their home and held such fond memories.

As they ritualized the process, they were enabled to slowly but certainly let go. As one sister declared, when I was able to ask myself the following questions, “What is the essence of my life? Is the building the most important thing?” it became clear to her there was no poverty for nine sisters to be living in such a huge building. Another sister expressed it this way, “I’ll follow my God and God will do it for me!”

Shortly after the move to Supples the sisters were dealt ‘a hard blow’ with the sudden, tragic and accidental death of Sr. Betty Berrigan. Having retired as director of Stillpoint House of Prayer, Betty was looking forward to the next step on her journey as she contemplated continuing her work in ministering to the residents of Supples. Little did anyone know that journey would be home to her eternal reward. Betty was a best friend to everyone, widely known, respected and loved far beyond the Pembroke congregation and is fondly remembered

by the sisters, associates, family and all whose lives she touched.

Within days following this sudden shock the sisters were confronted with the Corona Virus pandemic and an immediate lockdown, which meant they were confined to their apartments for several weeks. This also meant the sisters living in town were prohibited from visiting those in residence and such restrictions compounded the grief all were dealing with and inhibited the transition they were going through.

This crisis added to the quandary about how the sisters would come together to experience community. All the sisters remained open to ‘the new’ and finding creative ways to carry on and so they decided to take the opportunity to meet by Zoom

This was a new experience for most. One sister remarked, “The virtual experience has been enriching.” And another sister thought it was a good way to get together but not personal. The pandemic changed them as it did most of us. The sisters had to depend on the goodness of family, friends and neighbours. As restrictions lessened, they found ways to

get together for celebrations such as jubilees, marking the years of their religious lives, and their 100th anniversary. They came to the realization they had to move on. They were being ‘stirred up’ to be open to what is present and live in the here and now.

For some of the sisters their mission and ways of ministering to others became telephone ministry as the way to reach out, because as one sister stated, “People still need to talk!” Some joined committees and one even got a kitten to relieve the isolation of being confined. With their new reality there was more time for reflection, prayer, reading and eventually renewed opportunity to visit shut-ins and bring them communion.

All the sisters expressed how grateful they are that they can still fulfill their mission and ministries. They feel fortunate for the richness of their spiritual lives, their good health and Eucharist. As a result of the amalgamation, administrative details are taken care of and the sisters appreciate they can still have the intimacy of being a small group within a larger community which supports them financially, prayerfully and morally.

As a closing ritual the sisters held a noteworthy ceremony. Each sister was asked to bring something that was dear to them, wrapped up, to be placed on a table. As part of this final act each sister was invited to pick one of the wrapped items to keep and take with them to treasure as a reminder of the love that went into the giving and receiving of the gift.

From our interview experience we have firsthand evidence of how much these sisters cherish each other. They have gone through many changes and losses over the past several years with remarkable humility, strength and abiding faith that continues to draw them together in ‘oneness.’ It is obvious they are indeed ordinary women living extraordinary lives!

The Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse in Pembroke was sold in recent years and the remaining sisters have relocated in Pembroke.

This is a photo of one of the Associate members of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Pembroke, interviewing the Sisters after their move from, and the closing of the Pembroke Motherhouse. From the left are Sister Jane Fischer, Sister Theresa Lepack, Sister Margaret Mary O’Gorman and Mary Josey (Associate Member).

Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards news briefs from the December 7 meeting of council

cost was “within reason”.

Approved Addition To Dock

Council unanimously approved a request from Rob Norris, president of the Round Lake Property Owners Association, to add two more sections to the public dock behind the Catholic Church in Round Lake Centre if the

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* * * * * Electric Charging Stations Installed Community Development Co-ordinator Chris Neff reported the two charging stations had been installed in

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an area at the Tourist Information Booth in Killaloe and Ottawa River Power advised an inspection was to be conducted on December 10.

“And then they’re expecting then to be hooked up, or energized, by mid next week (December 15),” he said.

He explained there are two stations at the location. Earlier this year, Mr. Neff advised council Ottawa River Power was proposing to install two stations in Killaloe, at no charge to the municipality, and council readily agreed. * * * * * *

Council Wants More Infmoration On Trail

Council deferred a request from the Friends of Bonnechere Park for a letter of support for a new project dubbed, Riverview Trail, which is a new installation of their successful Footprints in Time project and involves an extension of their existing trail.

Community Development Officer Chris Neff was directed to provide more information on the project to council before a decision would be made.

Ontario Provincial Police Liaison officers Jerry Novack, left, and Andrew Wierzbicki joined the Algonquin community of Pikwakanagan Monday for the annual Santa Claus Parade.