April 3rd 2013

the north grenville

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TIMES Vol. 1, No.18

The Voice of North Grenville

April 3rd, 2013

Easter Egg Hunt in Maplewood Park LAURIER

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Fire Destroys Family Home in Kemptville

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The Merrickville ladder truck was used to douse the flames at the two-storey residence and the roadway was closed between Abbott and Somerville due to numerous trucks and portable water reservoirs set up in the street. A spokesperson from North Grenville Fire on the scene said that no one was home at the time of the incident.

A family has been displaced as a result of the disaster. (photo: North Grenville Fire Services)

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Violet Rogers Gathering eggs The Oxford Mills Community Association held their fourth Annual Easter Hunt at Maplewood Park. It was a fun event and the best part was watching the kids run around searching for eggs and their squeals of excitement on finding them. I think the parents had just as much fun watching them!

Eggs were strewn all over the park and some cleverly hidden in the bark of trees. Afterwards, each child gathered around a table and received a Chocolate Easter Bunny compliments of Jim and Nora Devette.

Once again a great event put on by members of the Oxford Mills Community Association.

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The North Grenville Times

Editorial Page

Does Bland Still Work?

By David Shanahan You remember that great comment of Bill Davis’s, when he was asked about being so bland? He said: “Bland works”. It was a great line and a very interesting insight into Ontario politics at the time. Bland certainly worked for Davis: he was Premier of Ontario for fifteen years. He plugged in to a natural conservatism in Ontario politics, a resistance to anything other than gradual change and an instinctive dislike of blunt talk. That same instinct is still to be found in our political and social life today, but I wonder how strong it is now?

Over the years, politicians and business leaders have depended on that conservatism to carry on in traditional formats.

Low turn-out at elections, Council meetings, public meetings of any kind, in fact, have allowed politicians and others to take

the people for granted.

They are not used to being scrutinised or criticised by the public, simply because they have not experienced that kind of involvement by the public in the past.

The public have tended to concentrate on belonging to service groups or church organisations and left the governing to the people they elected.

But the fact is that more and more of us “regular” people are getting involved, albeit in a fairly passive way. To this point, we tend to only get interested in issues that affect us directly. Once that issue is settled, we return to our cosy world. But that, too, may be changing. And what has brought about this revolution? It has stemmed from our growing realisation that the people we have elected, or hired, or allowed to take leadership in our community, may not be all that good at their job. Experiences like the Oxford Mills landfill fiasco, or the sale of Ac-

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor: I’m currently listening to CBC’s Ontario Today, the topic being ‘Dog Dazed: Does your dog control your life?’ and the topic spurred me to write this letter. I’m a dog owner living in Old Town and have often complained (to myslef) about the lack of a FENCED off-leash dog area within walking distance of my home. I imagined, however, that in this semi-rural setting, my complaint was perhaps not shared by too many of my neighbours. But with the population of North Grenville set to increase significantly with a condo development on its way for Old Town, I think now might be the time to start (or re-start?) a conversation on this subject. An increase in condo-dwellers is sure to mean an increase in dogs without backyards to call their own. I think that a FENCED off-leash dog park, with accompanying responsible dog-waste management, should be considered for North Grenville. Perhaps it might be located at the river end of Riverside Park behind the tennis courts, since new fences seem to be going up near there anyApri 3, 2013

way. Neighbours, what do you think? I wonder too if the NGTimes would be willing to devote an upcoming weekly poll to this discussion?

With thanks Amanda Gould Mr. Editor: At the risk of sounding repetitive as well, I too would like to reiterate the point you have made in your last editorial, and that which I have stated in a previous submission: There is no good reason to support the idea that the present structure of Council, with only 4 councillors and a mayor is the best option for the composition of our Municipal Government. Convincing some of the too-long-entrenched councillors may be a futile effort. So I propose that they either: a) put the issue of adding more councillors or maintaining the status quo to a plebiscite, or b) put forth their views in this paper, in response to the editorials and letters from the readers so that the electorate can decide for whom they will vote.

ton’s Corners school, have created serious doubts about whether our business is being carried on as efficiently as it could, or in the best interests of regular folk, the taxpayers.

We need to get past the bland: the place where we don’t ask certain questions or say certain things.

We need to say that the Emperor has no clothes, if he has none. We need to say that our leaders are not listening to us, not responding to our concerns.

We are tired of being told to mind our manners and keep our place by people who work for us. We want to know why some of the people who make decisions affecting us don’t even live in North Grenville. We want to know what the relationship is between the small group of business people in NG and the Council and staff they deal with. In short, we want open government. We were promised transparent government at the last election: but then

again, we always are at every election. We never get it: nothing has changed in the way Municipal government works for years now.

Sorry, one thing has changed. Now the meetings where planning applications are dealt with

by Council have been moved to Committee of the Whole, where there are no cameras to record what’s said and done.

Is that progress towards transparent government?

I don’t think so. For too long, we have been spoon fed bland by the press in NG. That is no longer the case, at least in this newspaper. One day, it may be so for all media here.

Growth is a tricky thing; it requires patience, humility and application.

Patience, because it takes time to bring people on board, to convince them that change is not only necessary, it can also be good. Humility, because we tend to get defensive when we’re told things have to change. It can seem like we’re being ac-

Dear Editor This is not their govAnother facet of ernment. It is ours. They H u g h ’s v o l u n t e e r i s m must be made to do what was his involvement with we want. One way or the the Friends of the North other, the voters will de- Grenville Public Library. cide. Either vote for those How proud he was this candidates who have stated past summer when our their views clearly, or fill Friends group received out the plebiscite ballot on the prestigious Gabriele Election Day. Schrieber Award pre For too long there sented by the Friends of have been voices call- Canadian Libraries. ing for this, and Council As a founding memhas been mute--hoping ber of Friends, Hugh these pestering pushers- served on our Execuof-change would just go tive Committee for seven away. Well, “The time has years. In recognition of come’, the Walrus said, “to his support and arduous speak of many things...” involvement, he was pre Speaking of being sented an honourary life mute: Democracy is a par- membership. ticipatory form of governLiterary Follies bement. Listening to others’ came his favourite event. views and reading other We are celebrating our peoples’ thoughts concern- twelfth anniversary in ing the various issues is not 2014, thanks, in large being a participant in the part, to Hugh’s active process. Voting whenever participation. Another the opportunity presents of his projects was the itself is a good start, but in annual book fair. Many between, going to Council of us remember his job meetings, contacting your as cashier at Gunstone, representatives and letting the location of two of our them know how you feel- book fairs.

--now that’s participation.

As a Youngster of If that’s just too much Yore, Hugh was in regfor you--well then, you’ll ular contact with that just have to settle for the group and participated in government you deserve. some of their programs (including those with Peter Johnson Cathie Raina).

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The Voice of North Grenville cused of not being good enough the way we are.

Otherwise, why do we need to change? And application is very definitely needed, because we can lose focus and concentration, and that allows things to happen that perhaps we don’t want. We have a responsibility as citizens to be part of the solution, to apply ourselves and inform ourselves and not only when things affect us directly. Our future is not a spectator sport.

We have seen how issues are being handled on an ad hoc basis, without a coherent overall vision.

There is a need to stand back and see the big picture, rather than running around dealing with each separate issue. That vision is lacking right now; that willingness to consider new ideas and processes.

If I thought our future was bleak, I wouldn’t bother trying. But I really think the future can be great, if we get the foundations laid now.

We will have an election at the end of next year.

Have you thought about running for Council? Have you thought about what you want from a Councillor, what questions you want to ask? It is very hard to change things: the past six years have shown that.

Over time, what I call The Bubble comes down over elected representatives: they become prisoners of the system and find it hard to see things with the perspective they had before they were elected.

This Council is certainly in the Bubble: it is almost inevitable. They are gradually drawing the Mayor in too. At the next election, it is likely that there will be three vacant seats, at least, that will be available to new candidates. This current Council could leave a precious legacy of their time in office by bringing about the kind of changes we need: like a larger Council, a ward system, more public consultation, etc. Will they do so? Time is running out.

Your whimsical smile and wise counsel are already leaving a void.

There is an empty chair in the Program Room of the Norenberg Building.

Sincerely, Patrick Babin, Chair Executive Committee Friends of the North Grenville Public Library

ing home space but why does it have to be built in the middle of a commercial strip and in an area where it will overpower its neighbours? There are a lot of other spaces for sale that would me more than adequate and would not have any of the issues that have been raised.

We are not ‘Senior Citizen’ bashers. In fact, we think the demographics of Forest Creek SD would indicate that a high percentage (50?) of the residents here are retired, are Seniors, and could be future residents at the Home, wherever it is built. For the record I am 65 and my wife is over 60 (not allowed to say her age).

We are opposed to this change as it has not been well thought out by NG and it makes absolutely no sense to put a Retirement (or Nursing Home) in the middle of all the commercial developments along 43. The 43 corridor from 416 to Rona is for the most part either already being used commercially or will be eventually. The few homes left will most likely be redeveloped as this corridor unfolds. We need to grow and are growing. Let’s do the right thing now to ensure this spot fits into Kemptville over time.

Again, thanks.

Rick and Rose Hawley Kemptville

Dear Editor: First, we would like to express our appreciation re: the coverage on this issue by the NG Times. We live in Forest Creek and although we do not back onto the subject land we will be able to see it based on the current plan. Just a few other points...Yes we know it was zoned commercial when we purchased here. If someone builds a three story commercial building 20 feet from the lot line we might be against that also. However, this is unlikely as most commercial properties want their store front close to the highway, not as far away from the highway as possible.

We are sure that there have been quite a few well meaning comments and letters about this issue. All we can say is that it is easy to criticize our position when the issue is not in your backyard. We agree that Kemptville can use more retirement space and even nurs-

The North Grenville Times Dear Editor, We have recently returned from our southern winter home to discover “The North Grenville Times”! What a pleasant surprise! The articles are very informative and for the first time in a long time gives one a feeling of really being in touch with our community. So good to know that so many people really care about the present moment living of others, the future for all of us and to be remembered from the past, as in the admirable writings and musings mentioned by Jim Dolan, in the history section.

Pat Babin’s teaching methods are fun and bring to mind how much we can and do forget learnings of so many years ago.

Spring has sprung and we look forward to the vendor’s fresh produce, wherever the venue may

be held, as we admire and appreciate those who toil and bring their wares to us.

To say “build it and they will come” may be a cliché, yet lends to the very obvious shortage of homes for Seniors. The article from Rob Thompson, regarding the town of Brockville’s downtown core, showed some merit regarding the future of downtown old Kemptville.

Seems the number 13 is not a superstition, rather a contentious issue of height for the proposed site by Riverside Park. Being seniors about to downsize from the 2 storey family home we would welcome accommodations in the downtown core, where we could walk to most needs.

Now something to look forward to with the great job in the formation of this paper. With many thanks, Dick & Deanna Loewen

Joining the Kemptville Youth Centre Team

Send in your letters to the editor to editor@ ngtimes.ca

Food production system is broken

By Woody Armour Consider the price of food products in general, they are one of the fastest rising price levels individuals encounter.

General inflation is about 2%, North Grenville taxes rose by 5.2% and food prices increased an average of 6 to 10% depending on your source of information. Have you noticed this rise? The general reasons for this increase are droughts in the southern states and smaller crops in Florida, which resulted in upward pricing pressures for these products. Now add to this, on a cumulative basis, the increased price of diesel fuel and trucking; then, add to this sum the cumulative effect of a sliding Canadian dollar on the produce itself and you are just at the Canadian border. Most produce passes through a warehouse of some sort which adds to costs and, finally, Kemptville receives a product at least 4 days old and at an increased cost due to these cumulative pricing increases.

Each of these incremental price increases are small by themselves; however, added together they are noticeable.

This analysis applies to products from Mexico and Peru as well. Now approximately 80% of that price increase is caused

by forces outside our border and local consumers must pay up, and they do. As a practical illustration of this I would ask you to stand on an overpass over the 416, exit 24 will do; now look upon the right two lanes (west side) and you see large grey transport trucks hauling agricultural product worth about $400 per acre south. Now, look over to the left two lanes and you see large grey transport trucks carrying agricultural product worth about $5000 per acre heading towards our box stores carrying 4 day old product.

What then is the solution?

Well, the answer is, “GROW YOUR OWN”, locally. Farmers markets can have many beneficial effects upon their community. So if you feel inclined to do this, the role of the local farmers market is to provide an outlet for smaller/ medium size operators to sell their product. By doing things this way, growing locally, prices are determined locally.

If you do not like the price, you just walk up to the vendor, and you are speaking to someone who can do something about it. Try that with a box store.

When you, the purchaser and vendor trade in this manner, the dollars stay in the community a few days longer and do not go

The North Grenville Times is published weekly by North Grenville Times Inc.

Sales Representative Gord Logan gord@ngtimes.ca 613-258-6402 April 3, 2013

off to fund some multi-national far from Kemptville.

This analysis sounds logical etc., however there is a flaw; we do not have enough farmers to staff and produce the food the local supply chain needs. This last statement brings us right back to my first observation, we must import food. This is a sad state of affairs in this part of the country given the agricultural land surrounding us. Farmers markets are one small method of encouraging people to get into this business and replace imports for the benefit of us all. The province and the federal government have recognized this problem and have released a program “growing forward 2” with the specific goal of dealing with this problem. More on this later if you are interested. If any of you reading this are producers, please consider setting up at the Saturday market, you are needed and welcome.

I am going to leave you with something to ponder. Given that most of our food is supplied via supermarkets importing their food inventory, “what happens if the price of diesel fuel goes to E.U. prices, say $2 per liter and our dollar slides further, and there is another drought in the U.S.?” Farmers markets do matter.

Kemptville Youth Centre would like to ask you for your time during National Volunteer Week April 21st to 27th. The Kemptville Youth Centre Team would like to invite you to their Open House April 25th to thank you for your part. New volunteers and donors are invited to visit that day as well.

In 2012, Kemptville Youth Centre had 81 volunteers investing their time on the board, on committees, at fundraisers and volunteering with youth activities. Forty of these volunteers were youth.

These volunteers along with three staff members worked tirelessly to put together everything that was needed to serve almost 400 North Grenville youth with quality programming, activities and role models.

These activities and role models are necessary to make the difference in the potential of local youth.

“The main goal of youth centres is to give youth many hours of activities and programming with safe and screened volunteers. With programs such as ours at Kemptville Youth Centre, we are giving our youth the gift of better self-esteem, improved body image and resilience building as well as strengthening our community. Our volunteers are the biggest part in helping us make this happen.” stated Robin Heald, Executive Director of Kemptville Youth Centre.

The Kemptville Youth Centre Team is planning their 2013 activities and is in need of more volunteers to create all of the magic that is needed in and around the Kemptville Youth Centre.

If you have an ability to connect with youth, to get them smiling when they're down, to just hang out with them and have them easily accept you; if you're approachable and easy to talk to, youth could use your support. They may see you

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TIMES Editor

David Shanahan editor@ngtimes.ca 613-258-5083

The Voice of North Grenville

Copy Editor

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www.ngtimes.ca The Boss

Pat Jessop editor@ngtimes.ca 613-258-5083

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as a role model to emulate, inspiration for their passions or encouragement to define and seek their life goals. If this is you, then Kemptville Youth Centre would love to pair you up with one of their youth volunteers.

Drop-in Volunteers assist in different afternoon and evening drop-in programs offered for youth aged 12-18. Offsite, Overnight and Special Activity Volunteers engage with youth but have limited time.

Check out the Kemptville Youth Centre program calendar on their website to see which activities would suit your schedule.

Accompany youth on a field trip, share some popcorn during an overnight movie marathon, participate and moderate a role playing game night...It's all great fun and it would be even better with you there.

The biggest obstacle in running a rural youth centre is accessibility for youth. If you have your own vehicle and a clean driving record, we'd love to hear from you. You could work with our staff to coordinate your driving schedule, transporting youth to and from Kemptville Youth Centre events.

Some of you believe in our mission but prefer to make an impact behind the scene, not working directly with teens? The Kemptville Youth Centre Team gets that. They have great opportunities that will allow you to have a big impact on our operations and on our bottom line.

If you have strong organizational skills and a great phone manner, why not assist our staff with filing, mailing, data entry, answering phones and clerical duties as an Administrative Volunteer?

The Kemptville Youth Centre raises money and community awareness through a variety of special events. Special Event Volunteers help at activities,

which are often held on evenings and weekends.

Do you enjoy networking and have strong public speaking and communication skills? We could use your talents to raise awareness about our organization and secure the funding required for our operations. If you would enjoy assisting in the creation and implementation of fundraising strategy, securing sponsorship and funding opportunities with Kemptville and surrounding area businesses and from private citizens and community groups, then give us a shout.

How about putting your writing and research skills and excellent command of the English language to good use? Kemptville Youth Centre needs a special volunteer to locate and pursue grant applications to secure funds for the continuing operations of our facility and its programs.

Are you handy? Good with tools? Why not call for a tour of The Kemptville Youth Centre. There may be an odd job or two that you have some unique skills to help us create a space that youth can be proud of.

Many volunteer opportunities can be seen on The Kemptville Youth Centre website http://www.kemptvilleyc.com.

If you have your own ideas of how you could make a difference on our team, call The Kemptville Youth Centre at 613-2585212. Robin would be happy to discuss your involvement.

The Kemptville Youth Centre Team is looking forward to meeting you!

Mailing Address P.O. Box 35, Oxford Mills, ON, K0G 1S0

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Rob Lunan cfo@ngtimes.ca 613-797-3800

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The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

The Amazing Race: Leeds Grenville It’s Mind Bending, It’s Exhilarating, It’s Challenging Registration now open for this exciting event!

online

fit (pole dancing), pulling a truck, brain teasers, fire fighter challenges, target shooting, obstacle courses and of course some food challenges.

A number of prizes are available, including $1,500 for the first-place team.

“If you want to test your inner strengths and abilities both mentally and physically, then this is the event for you! You need to register today before we’re full, as spaces are limited.” says Sled.

Teams collect pledges to enter the race and again this year we are giving better game advantage prizes away for those who raise

over a certain amount of money in addition to one major game advantage prize to the team who raises the highest amount of money. To be eligible to race, you must be 18 years of age or older and teams must raise a minimum of $500. A $100 deposit is required to secure your spot.

Ferguson Forest Centre Saved

The Province now had to dispose of the property, and under Ontario law, the right of first refusal went to the Oxford Township. In July, MNR asked Oxford if they were interested. Oxford Reeve, Don Cameron and Councillor Owen Fitz’gerald argued in favour of Oxford expressing an interest in the purchase and Council agreed unanimously with this approach. Don Cameron informed MNR of Council’s decision and added a very significant statement. Oxford would not be changing the zoning on the land, no matter who bought it. It would remain agricultural land. This would obviously make the property harder to dispose of and limit MNR’s choices in the matter.

This stand may well have saved the Station.

Weeding and irrigation continued to be provided by volunteers, organised by the Consortium. Local people came to help, as did people from Ottawa and surrounding areas. Buses of Mohawks arrived from Akwesasne to help in the work, and the extent of the voluntary effort must have come as a great source of encouragement to those

The organizers of Leeds & Grenville’s Amazing Race are pumped about this year’s race, and are now accepting competitors. Following the lead of the popular TV series The Amazing Race, race organizers Crystal Sled & Tanya Noyes are saying the 2013 race is completely anyone’s to win…the teams are already starting to fill up, the events are going to be more challenging than ever, the competition is heating up and the previous competitors think they have this race all figured out…EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED it’s the unknown that will get you every time! The race will

take place on Saturday, June 22, 2013. “ We a l r e a d y h a v e some real keeners signed up,” says Noyes, “If you have never experienced this race, you need to this year”. Proceeds from the event go to fund programs and services within United Way’s 28 member agencies.

“This is the 11th year for this event and we are really changing things up”, adds Sled. The day consists of teams of two racing all over Leeds and Grenville while competing in a number of different challenges on their fun but intense adventure. Last year’s events included pole

Year of Anniversaries

By David Shanahan The announcement, when it came, was like a bolt from the blue, bringing shock and dismay to the residents of North Grenville. Of course, North Grenville didn’t yet exist, for this was October, 1995, and the Ontario Government had released their first targets for closures and cuts under the Mike Harris “Common Sense Revolution”. The G. Howard Ferguson Forest Station, covering 1,100 acres in Oxford on Rideau Township, immediately north of the Town of Kemptville, was scheduled for closure by June of the next year.

The Forest Centre had been opened in 1945, when the Province bought the old Moore farm to establish both a mixed forest for lumber and other specialist work, and, most centrally, a tree seedling nursery to produce stock for reforestation efforts in Eastern Ontario. It had been found that much of the land in the region was susceptible to devastating loss of top soil once trees were removed by farmers. Areas such as the one now covered

by Limerick Forest, soon became unable to sustain farms and settlement. Other places actually became sandy deserts, as the tree cover was removed.

The role of the Forest Station in Kemptville was vital in reforestation, because, as one expert put it: “Indigenous species must be grown in the proper time zone and soil conditions. Seedlings from other areas are not satisfactory and do not grow well. The differApri 3, 2013

ence from one area to another is highly significant.”

In addition, the closure of the Ferguson Station would mean loss of jobs and a precious asset to the Oxford-onRideau Township area. It all seemed so unnecessary to local residents, workers and staff at the Station, local politicians and the forestry industry. Why shut down such a valuable resource. The Ministry of Natural Resources [MNR], who operated the Station, pointed to the one million dollars they lost every year at the Station.

There were serious questions in the community about the efficiency of MNR operations, however. The Government were charging ten cents per tree to buyers, when it was calculated that the market would easily pay three times that amount.

The community mobilised and a Community Consortium was formed, representing the Eastern Ontario Model Forest, Oxford Township politicians, forestry companies and the local residents, to draw up a business plan to present to the Province. But meetings with the Minister in charge, and correspondence with the Premier’s office seemed to produce no response. No matter how viable the Consortium’s business plan was, the Province seemed determined to push through with the closure of the Station. Only strong representations from MPP’s and Oxford Council delayed the removal of equipment from the Station. But the MNR’s plan was to sell off all the two and three-year old trees and

plough the rest of the twelve million seedlings into the ground. As it takes three years for seedlings to become available for harvesting, this would leave any potential buyer of the Station with no crop for three years after purchase.

Clearly, the Province was not interested in maintaining the Station as a tree nursery, regardless of the essential role it played in reforestation of eastern Ontario.

Once again, the community mobilised. Urgent representations were being made to Oxford-on-Rideau politicians, and, in March, 1996, the Oxford Council wrote to the MNR about buying the Station at a minimal cost. The Station closed, as planned, in June, 1996, and the MNR started the process of selling the property. A public meeting was called at the North Grenville District High School to put pressure on the Government and inform the public. But, although more than seven hundred people had signed a petition supporting the Consortium’s efforts, only about seventy turned up for the meeting. What was worse, of the nine guest speakers booked to appear, five dropped out and another one arrived but refused to speak to the meeting. It seemed that the commercial sector was losing interest in the issue.

Fortunately, it was decided at the meeting that night that volunteers would be asked to come to the Station and weed and irrigate the three million seedlings in order to save the crop for at least another year.

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POLL

www.ngtimes.ca/poll

What effect would a Ward system have on North Grenville?

Result’s From Last Weeks Poll

For more information, or to register, call (613) 342-8889 or email amazingrace@uwlg.org.

Contact: Crystal Sled or Tanya Noyes * (613)342-8889 * amazingrace@uwlg.org

working to save the Station.

Ontario now decided it only wanted to sell about 360 acres of the Station, the part that was cultivated.

1997 arrived without any resolution to the issue. Ontario was asking Oxford Township to pay $1.2 million for the 360 acre package (including equipment, buildings and crops). Oxford still wanted all 1,100 acres but

by May, the Township had accepted that only the 360 acres were available. They made an offer of $525,000 for the land, buildings, equipment and crops, and repeated the veiled threat that the land would never be rezoned by the township.

By August, 1997, an agreement was reached between Oxford Township and the MNR, and the Township set up an Advisory Board, a group of volunteers who would oversee the newlyacquired Station and try and build a solid economic foundation for future growth. Previous customers of the Forest Station committed to buying trees from the new facility and by January, 1998, half a million trees had already been sold, about half of the available stock for that year. The Township of North Grenville, in one of its first acts, agreed to hire a Manager to take over the day-to-day operation of the facility, and with the arrival of Ed Patchell, still working there today, a new era had arrived for the Station and a tremendous asset had been acquired by the new municipality. It would take a long time to get things on a secure footing. But as the headline said in March, 1998: the “Forest Station was Back in Business Again”.

April 2013 at Kemptville Youth Centre

Mondays Karoake and Tea Lounge sponsored

by Butler’s Victorian Pantry 3 - 6 PM Leaders in Training 4:30 – 6 PM Tuesdays Role Playing Game Night 3 – 6 PM Sports Night at Kemptville Public School 6 – 7:30 PM Wednesdays Rock Band 4 – 6 PM Hip-hop class 5 – 6 PM Girls Nights 6 – 8 PM April 3rd and 17th Guys Nights 6 – 8 PM April 10th and 24th Thursdays Wii Sports Night 3 – 6 PM Cook Night 4 – 8 PM Fridays Just Dance 3 – 5 PM Zumba 4 – 5 PM Spring Fling Dance April 19th 6 – 9 PM L.A. Comes to Kemptville Movie Marathons April 5th and 26th 9 PM to 7 AM Saturday Fun Haven field Trip 9 – 5 PM Every school day we have an RBC After School Drop-In with Homework in the Lab 2 – 6 PM Come on out and join the fun!

The North Grenville Times

Un tsunami inonde la bibliothèque publique de North Grenville Anouk Tremblay

Lorsque les organisateurs du « Easter Bunny Hop » dans le vieux Kemptville planifiaient leur événement du 23 mars, ils ne pouvaient pas imaginer le succès qu’ils auraient. Dès que les portes de la bibliothèque publique de North Grenville furent ouvertes samedi à 10h00, les familles se sont entassées dans la salle de programmation.

Une employée au comptoir de circulation a expliqué que les gens sont rentrés comme un tsunami dans l’espace de quelques minutes. Dans la salle, on y comptait au moins 75 enfants et plus de 60 adultes. Dans la bibliothèque, il y avait une foule incroyable, déçue d’avoir manqué l’heure du conte avec Library Sue. Ce qui était magnifique à voir était que tous les enfants, petits et grands, écoutaient avec entrain les histoires de Library Sue! Ce succès suggère-t-il peut-être que la municipalité devrait augmenter les services offerts aux jeunes familles?

L’arrivée surprise du Lapin de Pâques a ravi les enfants. Après avoir distribué des petits cadeaux, le Lapin s’est promené dans le vieux Kemptville. Les commerces qui avaient affiché des œufs de Pâques dans leurs vitrines participaient au « Easter Bunny Hop ». Les enfants pouvaient faire peinturer leur visage, compléter une activité ou déguster une traite tout en

visitant les magasins. En général, les gens ont apprécié la journée thème et se sont amusés.

La propriétaire de To Be Continued et organisatrice de l’événement, Shelley Mitchell, était satisfaite du résultat. Elle compte refaire l’événement l’année prochaine et rêve déjà du beau temps qui leur permettrait d’organiser des activités extérieurs en plus.

Le gouvernement de l’Ontario offre un service en français pour nos jeunes Le Centre de la petite enfance (« Ontario Early Years Center ») offrira une série d’heure du conte en français à la bibliothèque publique de North Grenville.

L’animatrice, Angèle Charron, débutera la première session le 13 avril 2013 de 11h00 à 11h45 (ensuite le 20 et 27 avril à la même heure).

Les familles avec des enfants de 0 à 6 ans sont invitées à participer gratuitement. Des études démontrent que les enfants aussi jeunes que 8 mois apprennent la grammaire des langues auxquelles ils sont exposés. Une fois à la bibliothèque, prenez le temps de découvrir les collections de livres en français pour les enfants, adolescents et adults.

If you would like to expose your child to the French language, you are invited to join Angèle from the Ontario Early Years Center on April 13, 20 and 27 from 11:00 to 11:45 at the North Grenville Public Library.

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editor@ngtimes.ca April 3, 2013

The Voice of North Grenville

Chamber Welcomes newest Member North Grenville Chamber of Commerce welcomes new member to the chamber, Welcome Wagon. If you are a new resident to the community, Heather Westendorp, Welcome Wagon Representative would love to welcome you to the area. She brings a basket containing a municipal package with a map of the area, recycling schedules and a welcome letter from the mayor along with many gifts from local business! This is a free service. We want you to feel at home in North Grenville.

Welcome Wagon is here

to answer questions and help you settle in as a new resident. Call Heather at 613-258-5674 or welcomewagonhw@gmail.com The North Grenville Chamber of Commerce will be happy to provide community information and business services as well. The Chamber celebrates over 30 years providing services and benefits to local area businesses. North Grenville is a wonderful Community!

We are pleased that you have chosen this area for your new home!

Pribbles & Nibbles Marc Meyer’s Food and Folklore Ramble Tuesday, July 9th the Company of Fools will present The Merry Wives of Windsor at Maplewood Park in Oxford Mills. It is a play rife with references to food and culture of the time. This column will have some fun with these topics, and hopefully provide some background that will help you to better enjoy the play.

14 WEEKS REMAINING Up until now there has been a holiday theme of sorts running just beneath the surface of the Pribbles and Nibbles weekly selections. The breakdown looks something like this: At 21 weeks remaining, Robbie Burns Day (Scottish poet), at 20 weeks, Saint Valentine’s Day (English holiday), at 19 weeks, Saint Piran’s Day (Cornish saint revered by tin miners), at 18 weeks, Saint David’s Day (Welsh saint) and Bartholomew Fair, at 17 weeks, Saint Patrick’s Day (Irish saint) and All Hallows’ Eve, at 16 weeks, Lent and Carnival, and at 15 weeks, Easter.

At 14 Weeks remaining we return to Easter. In part one, we caught and ate the hare. Now in part two we turn to find there are just as many as before.

In the last few weeks there has also been a Jack theme. At 17 weeks remaining, Drunk Jack and Jack’o’Lantern, at 16 weeks, Jack-a-Lent, and at 15 weeks, Jackrabbit.

At 14 weeks remaining we visit an honorary Jack ... a Jack who could have

6

been, but who ended up with a likewise common name instead. I speak of that hard-suffering lad who proves it’s hard to keep a good man down. I speak of John Barleycorn.

A SOLEMN VOW Back at Lent and Carnival we alluded obliquely to John. The title sections BRANDY IN THE GLASS and CRAB-TREE STICKS both come from a popular song about his growth, death, and transcendence.

Returned to their proper places, the snippets read (in the Fairport Convention version) : “There were three men come out of the west, their fortunes for to try and these three men made a solemn vow, John Barleycorn would die...There’s beer all in the barrel and brandy in the glass, but little Sir John, with his nut-brown bowl, proved the strongest man at last ... They’ve hired men with the crab-tree sticks to split him skin from bone, and the miller has served him worse than that for he’s ground him between two stones”.

Now you may rightly ask what precisely a crabtree stick might be, and I would answer by quoting the parallel verses of Robbie Burns version of the song: “There was three kings into the east, three kings both great and high, and they hae sworn a solemn oath John Barleycorn should die ...

They laid him down upon

Wendy Chapman (North Grenville Chamber of Commerce) greets Heather Westendorp (Welcome Wagon Representative)

For Advertising rates please contact Gord at gord@ngtimes.ca or call 613 258 6402 his back, and cudgell’d him full sore; they hung him up before the storm, and turned him o’er and o’er. ... (the Miller verse comes later, and still rhymes with bone, but this time it has to do with scorched marrow) ... then let us toast John Barleycorn, each man a glass in hand; and may his great posterity ne’er fail in old Scotland!”

If you were keeping up, you will see that a crab-tree stick is a kind of cudgel; one made from the wood of the crab apple tree. The wood is quite dense and does not easily splinter, making it a good choice for a whackingstick. Crab-tree sticks were used as flails or threshing sticks to separate the grain from its chaff. A poem from 1730 called The Thresher’s Labour confirms this sort of wood was used for this purpose: “Divested of our clothes, with flail in hand ... from the strong planks our crab-tree staves rebound.”

Shakespeare also makes use of the term in Henry VIII: “Belong to the gallows, and be hanged, ye rogue! ...

Fetch me a dozen crab-tree staves, and strong ones.”

So all this ties into Merry Wives how? John in his role as Jack-a-Lent is sore abused. He is not only pinched and singed in the scene at the oak, but also thrown in the river (alongside the laundry basket he was hiding in), and soundly cudgelled while dressed as a witch. So the final score is as follows:

J. BARLEYCORN Robbie Burns’s version of John Barleycorn is remarkable in two respects.

One, it more accurately portrays the process of converting barley from the field into beer in the mug (or whiskey), and two, it echoes closely the life story of Jesus (another famous J name to add to our Jack and John collection).

Let us consider the similarities: There are three wise men from the east present as the tale begins; the protagonist is severely beaten (in the case of Jesus as a scapegoat for mankind’s sins, in the case of Jack-a-Lent as a scapegoat for sins denied); there is a crown of ‘thorns’ of sorts (“And he grew thick and strong; his head well-armed with pointed spears”), and ultimately John Jesus Barleycorn is resurrected in new form, and in his transcendent form hangs around to infuse mankind with renewed vigour and purpose.

And that is Easter in a nutshell or perhaps in a nut-brown bowl. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ, celebrates the miracle of the chased hare sacrificed in our stew-pot and reborn in the fields the next day.

John (Falstaff), who drinks beer ... soundly cudgelled. John (Barleycorn), who becomes beer... cudgell’d full sore. www.ngtimes.ca

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BRANCH Music | THEBRANCHRESTAURANT.com

Pat Moore entertained all with many of her original compositions

CLASSIFIEDS:

A Candlelit Musical Evening

By Robert Day

Great music and community spirit was the goal at the March 23 Bishop’s Mills Community Association Annual Music Night. A sell out standing room only crowd of 60 encouraged seven musicians through an evening of entertainment. This event coincided with earth hour and the attendees contributed to the province wide 2.7% reduction in power consumption by turning off the lights and going with candle power for the second half of the evening. The event was held in the historic “Temperance Hall”, now converted to a community hall and the scene of many community events.

The evening opened

with The Elegant Solution comprised of Doug Hendry on guitar, Jeanne Lambert vocals and Tom Graham on keyboard. They played a range of popular favourites. They were followed

by Bella Borealis which is made up of Lisa Poushinski, Jeanne Lambert, Amanda Giles and Leahbeth Harding. This writer is a non-singer and found their acapella renditions amazing.

After the lights had gone out, the evening moved on to the headline act of Pat Moore who sang a range of her compositions including many with historical significance. If you missed her at this concert, you can see her in the bluegrass band Maple Hill at the Branch on the third Thursday of the month (May 9 in May as a change up). They will also be

playing at the Oxford Mills Canada Day event. You can also hear her as part of the Vinyl Frontier at this year’s Ottawa Opry on June 8.

The evening closed with a jamboree when all seven musicians ran through a couple of final songs that raised the roof.

This energy was fed by a close out meal provided by the Bishop’s Mills Women’s Institute. The only remains were crumbs and smiles.

Many thanks to the musicians, the appreciative audience, Victor and Linda Desroches and Tom Graham who organized the event.

Our next event is the annual Pitch-in-Canada clean up week. If you live in the Bishop’s Mills area and want to support by cleaning a section of ditch, please call 258-2115.

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Extra word 50 cents, photo $10, border $2, shading $5.

Submit to classifieds@ngtimes.ca.

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| 9pm Ruth Moody (Wailin' Jennies)

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A Part of Your Community Since 1963 301 Rideau Street, Kemptville

Regular Store Hours

Mon. - Fri. 8 to 8

Sat. - 8 to 6 Sun. 9 to 6

613.258.3014

April 3, 2013

Prices effective: Friday, April 5 to 8 Thursday, April 11, 2013

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Share Your Story

The Salvation Army is Celebrating 125 Years of Service in Kemptville Do you remember the first time you volunteered for The Salvation Army? Do you have a favorite memory of shopping at the Thrift Store? Did you go to Sunday school at the Kemptville Corps? Have you ever received help from The Salvation Army just when you needed it most?

No matter what it is, share your most memorable Salvation Army story here and email it to Allison_downey@can.salvationarmy.org. You can even add a picture to go with it.

If it’s full of wonder, charity or fun, we’ll submit it to the papers for everyone to see and include it in our anniversary book. You can be a part of rewriting The Salvation Army’s history as we celebrate 125 years of service in Kemptville.

Apri 3, 2013

9

Going back to the Second World War, it introduced me to the SallyAnn. I was quite young, old enough to remember but still a child. Two Salvation Army officers came to the door, a man and a woman.

I know that they brought supplies of some kind. I remember spotting a special pair of running shoes. “If you really like them, you can have them,” they said.

I put them on and I felt like I could run like a deer.

I ran down the street. After a few days of running with those on, my mother said to me, “you can’t continue wearing these because they’re ballerina slippers.”

You know with the big flat toe. I felt so bad.

After the war ended, I remember sitting around with the family. My dad was one of seven brothers, they all went to war together but they didn’t return together. They would talk about how much they appreciated the Sally Ann on the front lines. To them that meant where the bullets flew. The Sally Ann was always there right behind them. When I was a teenager, working, I made a promise if I could repay the Sally Ann on their behalf I would.

Once we were in Kemptville, the opportunity became obvious through friends of ours who were involved. I jumped in and did what I could, when I could. I volunteer wherever I can, driving people home with supplies, carrying stuff in from the sorting shed… I’ve even served on the Advisory Council.

In the end, it’s a personal reward I get from service. Tillie and I both enjoy it a lot. It’s very rewarding to do anything you can. It’s a personal thing, my character and my personality coming forward.

I still work in alcohol addiction support. I’m a… it’s a vulgar term, a peein’ post. They could talk to me about whatever they want and if they ask me I’ll give my opinion. And one out of five people succeed. Simon has referred people to me

who want to deal with their alcohol addiction. I always say, “If you wanna get to AA, you go right to hell and make a U-turn and we’ll be waiting!”

Charlie McGaw Years ago, my good friend Maureen McCleery grabbed me and said The Salvation Army was looking for help. I remembered what my dad said about his experience in the First World War. He was wounded in Russia; he walked with a limp till the day he died. He always said how great the Sally Ann was to all the wounded soldiers. They helped the guys so much. That’s why I decided to volunteer for The Salvation Army, because of what they had done for my dad so many years ago.

I made a promise to myself that I would try to get 10 years in and it will be 10 years in October. Anything beyond that is bonus!

I’ve always enjoyed working with the people.

What I give in my time I get back two-fold. And one of these days, when I go to church it will be at

The Salvation Army. And when I die, Simon’s going to have to bury me!

An outstanding day that I remember, I answered the phone at the cash and a woman was asking for help for her and her mother. It would’ve been in the morning. Simon wasn’t in that day and there was no one in the office. It bothered me so much that at lunch time I went out with Maureen, Terry and Charlie and told them about her.

After work, Maureen, Terry, Charlie and I went to see these people ourselves.

We asked what we could do to help. And when Simon came back the next day it was handled. He helped them get a new apartment.

I’ve seen them again, they’ve come into the store and she said they’re doing really well.

It’s that type of thing that I really get a lot from.

We have a son out west and he’s having a lot of problems. I like to believe that someone would help him if he’s having trouble.

Tillie McGaw

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North Grenville Photography Club Photographer Kevin Kerr

Kevin Kerr states, “These photos were taken along HWY 43 at the Lilly Farm. Mother Molly provided twins this year (triplets last year) and this little girl, even at one hour old, was very happy to have her picture taken. The “friendliest barn cat ever” did not want to miss out on the photo op and managed to get a few shots in while visiting the barn.”

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The North Grenville Times

Focus on Nutrition Spring is in the Air! Eat Breakfast!

coffee for quick energy, rush off to begin my day and then suddenly by 10:30 a.m. I would be absolutely famished. I would become a food missile; looking for the fattiest and sweetest treat I could get my hands on to fill my churning belly. I would often consume far too many empty calories. This was likely the only time in the day I was hungry, but it was a ravenous hunger that did not allow me time to think about what I was fueling my body with. I just wanted a quick fix! I needed sugar and fat! This was in fact the most dangerous time for me to overeat. At 10:30 in the morning, the day is just pushing into full swing and you don’t have time to think about nutritious choices.

Bad situation to be in when you are consuming the very first food of the day!

The Solution: EAT BREAKFAST! Putting nutrients into your body first thing in the morning is a great opportunity. Look at your diet and Breakfast is a wonderful time to consume the things that you are short

by Heather Westendorp Harold and I actually got to sit out on the front porch last evening! We both enjoyed the sunshine and listening to the birds as we discussed all the millions of things that we would have to do to clean up the yard for spring. It was actually renewing, but we realized how busy spring can be! As we all swing into the motions of spring and summer, it is easy to get out of routine.

One of the most important things to remember is fueling our bodies. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day!

One of the greatest changes I have made to help lose weight is to eat breakfast. I used to get up in the morning, fill up on

on. Fibre is one area that definitely needed improvement for me. Therefore, I eat ½ cup of Original All Bran, I sprinkle 2 tsp. ground flax or Chia seed on top, then add ½ cup greek yogurt and then pile a banana, blueberries and strawberries. This breakfast for me has been a lifesaver. It gives my body milk, fruit, a little protein and whole grains. Even on my busiest days, I know I have a great fibre start and a good start on getting fruits and milk products.

Coffee will just fill you up with sugar, caffeine and milk. None of it lasts and overdoing it can actually have a negative effect on your performance as the day goes forward. Some people need a little protein and prefer an egg, with bread and some fruit. Mom even likes to add a little bit of

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Enjoy the pleasant warmth of the showering waters in an enclosure that is the focal point of a room that most of us spend a lot of time in. Notice the reaction you get when others see the investment you have made in your home.

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vegetables to her breakfast with a quick omelet filled with assorted peppers and a little onion. This gives you an excellent start to the day.

The key to a great Breakfast is to establish what nutrients you lack throughout the day and integrate them into the very first meal you have! Then it is easy to build on that base throughout the day to follow Canada’s Food Guide recommendations. Many of us look at 8-10 servings of Fruit and Vegetables and gasp, thinking… that is a lot, but really if you consume 3-4 of them first thing in the morning, it is easy to complete your requirements at lunch and dinner.

Routine is very important in the morning. Make breakfast a priority. It can be as simple as oatmeal with fruit or it can be a full sit down and relaxing meal with an egg, bread, veggies and fruit. The choice and taste preference is yours,

The Voice of North Grenville but look at the amount of fibre and actual nutrients your body is getting. A quick breakfast bar will give you some nutrients, but lacks in giving you the fresh, unprocessed ingestion of foods that will feed your nutritional needs first thing in the morning.

Eating breakfast has been key to my success in losing weight, lowering my blood pressure and getting healthy! Make it a priority!

Integrate the food groups you lack into the very first meal of the day and you will notice the difference very quickly. Make it part of your everyday routine.

Avoid the starvation rush mid-morning!

Heather Westendorp is a graduate of the University of Guelph: Food, Nutrition and Risk Management Diploma. She has also lost over 50 lbs. and is now a healthy weight, improving her health status!

Heather’s Easy Daily Breakfast High in Fibre!

Preparation Time: 5 minutes Number of Servings: 1 Ingredients 0.5 cup(s) Cereal, ready to eat, All Bran, Kellogg's 2 tsp(s) Seeds, flaxseeds (linseeds), whole & ground 0.5 cup serving(s) Greek yogurt 0 fat 1 medium (18cm to 20cm long) Banana, raw 5 medium (3.2cm dia) Strawberry, raw 0.5 cup(s) Blueberry, raw Instructions 1. Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Food Groups per serving Vegetables and Fruit 2.6 Grain Products 1.1 Meat and Alternatives 0.2 Milk and Alternatives 0.6

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COMMUNITY EVENTS Send in your community events to editor @ngtimes.ca April 3-7th

Canadian Cancer Society Daffodil Campaign

Many of us have lost a loved one or know people living with cancer so help fight cancer by buying a daffodil pin. This year’s campaign will be held at B&H, Food Basics and the Independant Grocer from April 3-7. We are still looking for volunteers so consider giving 2 hours of your time. To volunteer, contact Julie at vignale@ripnet.com or 613.258.0381 April 5-21

Creekside Centre 2878 County Road 43 Kemptville, ON 613-258-0222

COME IN and Celebrate Spring with us !!

The Wizard of Oz Musical. On for three weeks at the Municipal Center. Weekend showings

www.kymtc.com for details April 6th

Mental Health Fundraiser Dance. North Grenville Municipal Centre.

Charity Trivia Night Enter a team of 6 people who will play against other charities. The winning team will receive a cheque made out to their favourite charity equalling 50% of the cover charge from participants. Cover charge: $10/per person There is no limit to the number of teams per charity.

Beverages, Snacks, Silent Auction in support of the North Grenville Community Church Basement Restoration Fund. 7pm North Grenville Community Church, debpersonal@live.ca 613 258 4815 April 7th April 10th

Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Toys

Dine and dance to live music under the stars beginning at 6 pm. Dinner will be provided by The Branch Restaurant and the Kinsmen Club of Kemptville will support our bartending. Activities will include a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, t-shirts, and CDs of some of our favourite music

Dance to the Music of the Country Seven A Fundraiser for the Alzheimer Society of Leeds and Grenville from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the North Grenville Municipal Centre

Online Marketing and Social Media Presentation. Hear from local business owners

about how they are using online marketing to improve sales, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Purvis Hall, University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus FREE! Coffee and snacks provided.

www.louiseandcompany.com

Constant

PAIN?

Enjoy life again

The Bowen Approach - Restoring your health 215 Van Buren St., Kemptville | 613-799-3315 www.TheBowenApproach.ca

The History of First Nations in North Grenville The North Grenville Historical So-

ciety’s Dr. David Shanahan will speak about the pre 1784 and the 2013 draft treaty agreement on the Algonquin Land Claim Transfer west of Burritt’s Rapids. 7:00 p.m. 15 Water Street, Kemptville

April 16th

Bedtime Story Hour at the Library

Come to our bedtime story hour – the whole family is welcome! Children may come in their pyjamas and bring a snugly toy. Juice and cookies are served. from 6:30 to 7:30 pm April 17th

The Kemptville Horticultural Society meeting @ the Kemptville Pentecostal Church, 1964 County Rd 43, 7:30pm Add Bling to your Garden with Colour. New Members & Guests Welcome

April 22nd

KPS Parent Council: Parent Session.

Free event, open to the public. No registration is required. Mental Health & Wellness in our Schools Strategies and Solutions. Session will run from 7-8 p.m. at the North Grenville District High School, 2605 Concession Road

WEEKLY + MONTHLY EVENTS WED

The North Grenville Photography Club – Meeting first Wednesday of every month, at the Old Fire Hall, 25 Reuben Crescent. For more information, see ngphotoclub.ca

THURS

Bridge –

6:30 pm and 6:45 pm at St. John’s United Church, Kemptville. Cost $5, partner preferred but not necessary. For more information, contact Elaine Pratt at 613-258-3783

North Grenville Toastmasters – Meeting first and third Thursday of the month, 7 pm at O’Farrell’s Financial Services, County Road 44, 613-258-7665

Youngsters of Yore This week we have John Groskoph who will be taking aout stories of

Kemptville.

FRI

Friendship Lunch – Every Friday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm at Leslie Hall.

Seniors’ Foot Care Clinic Every Friday at the Cheryl J. Brown Centre

TUES

BNI Networking Group: Grow your business in North Grenville every week! 7-8:30 am.

All welcome

We have breakfast at the Alumni Building at the University. Call 613-258-0553 for more info.

Mixed Adult Pickup Basketball Game – Every Tuesday night at Holy Cross School

gym from 7-9 pm. Cost is $5 per night or $50 for the season. All skill ranges welcome. For more information, please contact Jeff or Samantha at 613-258-1847 or Samantha.rivet-stevenson@rbc/. com

Bridge – 12:15 pm at St. John’s United Church, Kemptville.

necessary. For more information, contact Ellen at 613-258-7778

Cost $3, partner preferred but not

Employment Readiness Workshop: Information and Decision Making Tuesdays from 1-2:30pm and Fridays

Mothers of Preschoolers - Support group for mother’s with Preschoolers. Whether you’re a

townie, rural, stay-at-home, working, teen, adoptive, special-needs, single or married, MOPS is for you!

6:30-8:00pm St. John’s United Church 400 Prescott Street, Kemptville. Angie Brown at 613-223-3979

The Branch Artisans Guild Every Third Tuesday, Members meet at North Grenville Community Church, 2659 Concession Street Kemptville at 7:00 pm. (Except July & August). New members welcomed! For more information please contact Sharon Billings at 258-4382 April 3, 2013

12

Kemptville Computers IN-HOME SERVICE 613-218-5322

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NO HIDDEN FEES - SERVICE PRICES INCLUDE TAX WE FIX IT OR YOU DON’T PAY!

PRINTING & COPY CENTRE Call The North Grenville Times 613-258-5083 www.ngtimes.ca

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CLASSIFIEDS

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First 15 words are FREE for North Grenville Residents.

Extra Words: 50 cents a word

SEND to CLASSIFIED@NGTIMES.CA WANTED Mature man seeking affordable accommodation in Kemptville. Has Small Dog (613)7917131 Retired senior needs old car batteries - making canon balls 613-258-6254

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FOR SALE (613) 258-7297 Coin laundry. $725 + heat Requirements: and hydro. 613-656-5626 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Valid driver’s licence FOR SALE Solid pine bench- Jesrae Pottery 830 Law Road, Able to work long hours and Saturdays es, 1 3/4” by 9” by 60” long. Oxford Station. Please call Old Town Kemptville – 113 Attention: Local Carpenters, Available until end of November $100. 613-258-3152 after 613-258-4671 for an Prescott St. - commercial/ Handymen/women and con6pm appointment. office space – 2000 sq. ft., struction companies. Our 613.258.6805 Property Maintenance Inc. available immediately. 613- goal is to make Maplewood www.moexinc.com FOR SALE Computer desk I Can Sew It: Rhonda 295-0552 Hall the premiere musical with recess keyboard and Cybulskie-613-258-5248 performance space in North diskette trays $35 Brass & Rhonda@ICanSewIt.ca Storage Units for Rent - 413 Grenville. Give us your best Glass display unit 8 shelves James Street 10 x 10 - $80/ price on the installation of $25.00 613 258 4582 Al’s Cleanup Services Dump month 613-258-9374 curtains, sound insulation runs, Grass, Landscaping panels, bass traps and ceiling Al Scott R R #1 Oxford Sta- Kemptville - 2 bdrm - $900 baffles in Maplewood Hall.

SERVICES tion(613) 258-3847 + utilities, hardwood floors, We have a detailed plan from gas heat, a/c, no smoking our sound engineer (Norie Kemptville - Shop AVON at House Cleaning - Kemptville and pets, available immedi- Kingsbury) who is contracthome Personal service and area. For quote call 613-294- ately. 613- 295-0552 ed to supervise the instalHelp Wanted: Shipping / Receiving Part Time. Some Heavier Lifting. Kemptville Windows and Kitchens 613258-7464

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Rates starting at $45 per month.

613-222-0100 4048 Hwy 43 Kemptville Apri 3, 2013

13

The North Grenville Times

CROSSWORD

The Voice of North Grenville

Grammar Minute EASY

Patrick Babin

Primary Schooling Back in 1918 While browsing in the Rare Book section at the October North Grenville Book Fair, I came across a real gem, a book on primary grade teaching entitled, Primary Seat Work, Sense Training, and Games. What caught my eye was the copyright date---1919!

What were the children learning back then?

“The most important thing in the education of the young child is sense training. His mind is like a fallow field, waiting for any seed that may be sown therein---good, bad, or indifferent. The harvest is always sure.” (p. 5) The author, Laura Rountree Smith, was definitely influenced by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss educator, philosopher, and composer. Remember Emile? Rousseau advocated a workshop approach to learning as opposed to “chaining a child to his books.”

Author Smith stated that the teacher should be

MEDIUM

HARD ACROSS 1. Lukewarm 6. God of love 10. Matured 14. Small African antelope 15. Pervert 16. A ball of yarn 17. Frighten 19. Center 20. Decrease 21. Lay turf 22. Train track 23. Meddle 25. Tropical nut

26. Catholic church service 30. New 32. An abusive word or phrase 35. Pixies 39. High regard 40. Clothing 41. Hopelessness 43. Receive from a predecessor 44. Brook 46. Sleep in a convenient place

47. Foundation 50. Of the highest quality 53. Flows 54. Soviet space station 55. Financial 60. Modify 61. Dental medicine 63. Assistant 64. Certain 65. Carcinoid 66. One who accomplishes 67. Nipple 68. Platform

DOWN 1. Hard work 2. Sea eagle 3. Quarries 4. Nile bird 5. 10 cent coins 6. A late time of life 7. A rational motive 8. Devilfish 9. Outbuilding 10. Recognized 11. Boast 12. Creepy 13. Inhabit

18. Hotel 24. Not in 25. A bed on a ship 26. A fitting reward (archaic) 27. Church alcove 28. Seats oneself 29. Daughter of a step-parent 31. Extent 33. Warms 34. Arab chieftain 36. Novice 37. Twin sister of Ares 38. Collections 42. Ash 43. Evil spirit

45. Dawn goddess 47. Slang for money 48. Sound 49. Malicious 51. Eastern newt 52. Violent disturbances 54. The bulk 56. A promiscuous woman 57. Unwakable state 58. All excited 59. Stringed instrument 62. Mesh

generous in her commendations and helpful in her criticism of the children’s efforts. Corporal punishment is never mentioned.

I was particularly attracted to the language, reading, phonics, and spelling sections of this intriguing book.

“The aim of this work is to enable the children to recognize written symbols which express thought, and to become independent readers. Their vocabulary will become enlarged and their language improved.” (p. 81) That was 94 years ago!!

I became very curious.

What about grammar?

Were teachers encouraged to delve into that domain?

Here’s a sampling of what they studied: vowels, prefixes, phonograms, syllabication, synonyms, antonyms, lower and upper cases, the parts of speech, and creative writing….all in the primary grades. As an aside, they studied the Roman numerals.

Rhyming was very

much a part of the curriculum. It was a teaching tool utilized in all subjects.

They were also adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing; telling time and making change are also listed. Games were integrated into all aspects of the course of study.

Each child was expected to have a portfolio in which to keep her papers, cards, drawings, etc. These portfolios were made by the child using a piece of construction paper.

The hectograph was an indispensable teaching tool. Do you remember the word? Today, it is not even in the dictionary.

The hectograph was the precursor to the copier, mimeograph, and printer.

As you peruse the contents of this book, you never come across the following phrases: individual differences, ability grouping, or standardized testing.

IMITATION is a word that frequently appears.

“Children cannot be expected to imitate…until they have learned to observe carefully. Their imagination must be stimulated, and their hands trained.

They must be shown how to handle material, and their work should be carefully explained to them.” (p. 13) Enjoyable visit to the primary schools of 1918 in post-war Canada!

SUDOKU

MEDIUM

EASY

MEDIUM

April 3, 2013

HARD

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The North Grenville Times

Dance to the Music of the Country Seven

First Principles II

by David Shanahan

A Fundraiser for the Alzeimer Society Sunday, April 7, 2013 1 - 5 pm North Grenville Municipal Centre Hall This event is in support of the programs and services the Alzheimer Society of Leeds and Grenville. We are hoping we can count on the support of our community to make this event a resounding success.

Tickets are only $10 per person [limited number available] Includes fabulous silent auctions, penny jar, door prizes, entertainment and dancing by the Country Seven and a light lunch. This is a non-alcoholic event. The Alzheimer Society will give a short presentation and have brochures and other resources available.

The Alzheimer Society

is addressing a critical need in the community offering support groups, education and other programs for individuals coping with this devastating disease and their families.

They pride themselves on offering a variety of services and programs. Currently over 1776 residents living in Leeds and Grenville over the age of 65 are coping with Alzheimer disease or a related dementia and the numbers are increasing.

The Alzheimer Society of Leeds Grenville receives some funding from the South East LHIN but must raise approximately 60% of their operating budget annually through fundraising ac-

s ’ y arl

Ch

tivities. The Society is a notfor-profit organization and a registered charity. Donna and I, as the organizers of this fund raising dance, are counting on the generosity of local organizations, communities and individuals to make this event a success !

Thank you for your support, compassion and community spirit All net proceeds donated to the Alzheimer Society Leeds Grenville For more information please contact Marlyn Scharf at 613258-6538 or Donna St. Louis 613-652-1723 For Advertising rates please contact Gord at gord@ngtimes.ca or call 613 258 6402

RESTAURANT

Daily Specials

April Specials

Leave the cooking to us!

Come on in and enjoy our good home cooked meals.

MONDAY: Steak sizzler - 5:00 till closing - New York Strip Loin served with side starter salad - $9.99

The Best Fish n’ Chips in Town!

TOONIE TUESDAY: 5:00 till closing 1 oz of rye, rum, vodka, or gin in a highball glass (Requires purchase of a meal $13.00) - $2.00 WEDNESDAY: Chicken Wings - 5:00 till closing - The best wings in town served with sauce of your choice - ( Min 10 wings per order) - $.35/per THIRSTY THURSDAY: 5:00 till closing - Budweiser Tall Boys - $4.99 FRIDAY: Fish n’ Chips 5:00 till closing Single serving of the best fish and chips in town served with a complimentary Heritage salad - $12.99 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: 11:00 AM till Closing 1.5 oz Vodka Caesars - $4.99

613.258.0202 Apri 3, 2013

The Voice of North Grenville

7780 Merlyn Wilson Rd. County Road 44 Hwy #44 ( just across the Rideau Bridge)

15

There are those who accept that God is an allpowerful Creator but deny that he is actively interested or involved in his creation.

They use the concept of the Great Watchmaker to explain their idea of God. He has crafted a wondrous and complex piece of work, wound it up, and has left it to carry on as a mechanical device ticks away without further interference from its maker.

No-one can deny the complexity and “mechanical” nature of creation. The seasons come and go, year after year. People are born, grow old and die in an ongoing cycle. The laws of Nature are so clear and dependable that even those who deny God’s existence have used those laws to calculate requirements that send men to the Moon and back, and to chart the far reaches of the universe and the tiniest particles of matter. They find nothing aimless or without design in what they study. The laws of science and nature were not created by mankind: they simply reflect the way creation actually works.

This may imply a “Great Watchmaker” kind of God; but there is so much more to creation than laws and mechanistic structures.

As John Calvin pointed out: “God made the apple to be a nutritious source of food for humans”. But he did not have to make it taste so good, look so beautiful, or smell so wonderful. Everything in nature appeals to the senses of mankind.

Look, taste, smell, texture; all are pleasures which have no “mechanical” function.

Believers in evolution claim that such sensory attributes can be explained as ways in which nature ensured that the right nutrition would be received by creatures (is Nature a person, that it ensures, directs, designs, etc.?). But some extremely poisonous and dangerous plants and fruits also appear attractive to our senses, so that explanation doesn’t actually explain anything.

It seems, instead, that God included taste, feel and sight as what can only be called gifts, added luxuries for our pleasure. And that, in turn, reflects something about God’s personality and his attitude to his creation, and to us as thinking, feeling

people. “And he saw that it was good”.

In contrast, consider mankind’s contributions to our environment: cities, cars, planes, concrete, plastic, steel and pollution of all kinds. Of course, many of us prefer cities to country, but it is a fact that nothing we have invented or developed has added in any way to the beauty or health of the planet. It is needless to add that mankind has never actually created anything. We have simply used materials already here to produce new variations and products.

From first principles, therefore, we have learned that there can only ever be one God, and that all we can ever know about him depends on what he tells us about himself. The first way in which he has revealed himself to us is through what he has created, including ourselves. And creation tells us of a God who prizes personality, individuality, beauty, sensuous awareness and harmony. Throughout human history, people have been aware somehow of the need to respond to the creation that surrounds them, which moves them to joy and tears, awe and terror.

What’s more, we are aware of something within ourselves which seems to reach out for God, for purpose and meaning in our lives.

We find ourselves agreeing in the depths of our hearts, therefore, when we hear that we have been “created in the image of God”.

At the same time, however, we are also aware of a certain resistance to that call in our hearts. We find ourselves resisting the idea of a supreme God who has a claim on us as creatures.

Although something in us seems to have a clear idea of what kind of behaviour is “good”, or “bad”, we find ourselves constantly leaning towards the “bad”. Anger, irritation, hatred, jealousy, greed, etc., are things we find come naturally too

often, especially when our guard is down and we can’t act as we feel we should.

This causes deep feelings of guilt and shame, which we further resist by becoming angry and defiant. Rather than acknowledge the irrational nature of our acts, we rationalise them by denying that “right” and “wrong” exist as absolute values. We place our personal pleasures and “fulfilment” above what our nature tells us is right and good, and wonder why we feel like rebels. So we decide that rebellion is actually “liberation” for outdated, primitive rules that are limiting us and preventing us from being “fully realised” human beings.

We use words to excuse our behaviour. We call what we are doing “modern” or “progressive” and call what our hearts tell us “old fashioned” and “outdated, reactionary and unenlightened”.

And, as we continue on this path of liberation and self-realisation, we and the world we are sub-creating, are becoming ever less human and less hospitable.

The strangest thing of all is that we don’t seem to see the cause-and-effect. What is happening? The Bible calls it The Fall. And so we come to the other wonderful way God has revealed himself to us: revelation: Human hearts and minds being opened to see and understand what could only be seen and understood if it were shown from the outside, as it were.

And the Bible, in which this revelation is collected, provides answers to the questions we have. Why do we believe the Bible? Because the answers it gives make sense, from beginning to end, and explain the universe to us in a way that nothing else can. It is intellectually sound, of course, but it goes deeper than that because we are deeper than that. It speaks to the heart and the spirit. And it tells us things that at first seem too wonderful to be believed.

The North Grenville Times

Can you Imagine?

By Marguerite Boyer I watched both my parents decline over the years; one from alzheimer’s and the other from dementia.

It’s a very painful road, both for family members and the people affected. At first I was in denial, refusing to read up on the disease or to think about what was in store for all of us in caring for our loved ones with this disease. I have five siblings; each of us coped in our own way. It was hard, especially agreeing to such things as when was the right time to move them into a nurs-

ing home, having to split them up when they could no longer be together. It’s a hard road to go down. My youngest sister managed the best and was able to make the right decision. I look back on all this now that my parents are gone and admire her strength in dealing with the disease, with each new level of decline.

There are six siblings alive right now. I am proud of each of them. Mom would be proud to see how well we have all done. She raised six of us on her own; my step father only came into the picture in my teens. Anyone

of us could come down with this disease, there’s no way of knowing. I look ahead at my life and think about it, wondering if I or any one of my siblings will be its victim. I don’t know if I could deal with the thought of it being one of them. At the time of my step father’s last days, I did not think I would recover. It’s still painful to think about it now but yet we go on. For some reason it was easier with mom. Her last few days, I was there with her. The nurses were there keeping an eye on us, ensuring mom was comfortable and during the last few minutes, praying with us.

They were amazing. My mother died on my birthday,

a special kind of gift from her to me considering the many differences we had over the years.

I now do volunteer art classes at the Bayfield Retirement Home and at the Day Away Program in Brockville. It’s not a lot of time but it’s quality time, especially for me. It’s been five years of spending time with them. They are like family. Most of them had never painted before and now it’s amazing what they are doing. On the nursing side, it’s different. They are at different stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s. It’s always a challenge to come up with creative new ways to paint with them. The

The Voice of North Grenville

lack of volunteers is also a problem. Sometimes it’s just a matter of sitting with them and creating a sense of life around them. Many times we do the work while chatting away with them, keeping them company. If you have some free time and want to learn how to paint, why not come and join us every Tuesday or Wednesday at Bayfield. I would love your help or any talent you would like to share. I do run out of ideas, especially after five years. Brockville’s Day Away Arts program was a wonderful experience. I was able to help and also learn new creative ideas to bring back to our own area. One of my dreams is to help set up a program like the one in Brockville here in North Grenville.

I am not just talking about an art program, but also music and all the other programs that make our lives more entertaining.

Down the road many of us will need to think about nursing homes either for ourselves or for our parents. Think about it. Think about how you see yourself in such a place? With the plans for a new retirement

home in our area and the increase in seniors needing this service, we also need to think of how to care for them. It’s not just a matter of moving in there, it’s a matter of how we can keep our seniors involved in the many activities that surround us. I would love to see a place like that right in our downtown, where we can walk or sit, being part of the hub around us.

This weekend there is a fundraiser going on for Alzheimer’s. The program in Brockville relies on fundraisers such as this to ensure the Day Away program can exist; so if you have no plans this weekend, please take the time to participate in this cause, or even send in a donation. Come down to Bayfield and see what we are doing. Become a volunteer, there is so much you can help with. An hour of your time to take a senior for a walk, play some music, read to them or whatever else is needed.

One hour. One hour in your already busy lives; one hour from evevryone in North Grenville would make a huge impact on the lives of our seniors.

Creekside Centre 2878 County Road 43 Kemptville, ON 613-258-0222

COME IN and Celebrate Spring with us !!

Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Toys www.louiseandcompany.com

April 3, 2013

16

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