ND Times Issue 11 2022 June 1

Significant progress made on new childcare centre

by Brandon Mayer

Construction work has progressed quickly on the new childcare centre currently being built as an addition to Winchester Public School. The childcare centre has been much anticipated by local residents for many years. It is being built through provincial funding, and will be operated by a third party agency that has served the area for decades – Happyface Nursery School. The centre will serve children not yet old enough to attend school, which includes infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Children attending Winchester Public School will continue to have before and after school care available through GIAG’s The Learning Centre program.

In North Dundas, Happy-

face currently operates childcare centres in Chesterville and South Mountain, both within schools in those towns. The agency has had operations in Winchester as well, including in the basement of the Southgate Church, as well as in the Community Care Building. However, new childcare licensing rules have made it very restrictive to operate licensed childcare centres anywhere except school premises. When the childcare centre on the Winchester Public School grounds was first proposed, one major issue that needed to be addressed was parking for parent pick ups and drop offs.

Council was asked to consider closing York Street, which is a public road providing access to the hospital that divides the school property in two. Students are guided

between schoolyards by a school staff member acting as a crossing guard during recess times. The infrastructure debates delayed the build, and, ultimately, York Street will remain open but has been converted to a one-way street.

In early 2020, there were talks of the project breaking ground later that year. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic set in, construction activities were restricted, delaying the project once again. Construction activities finally commenced in April of 2021, when the early closure of the schools for the remainder of the school year provided a perfect, student-free environment.

Construction crews completed significant landscaping of the school grounds last summer in anticipation of Happyface’s opening. Rou-

tine renovations and repairs were made inside the existing school building as part of the contract as well. Parent pick up and drop off spaces were added to York Street and Louise Street, with the angle parking on Clarence Street converted into a bus lane. Part of the larger schoolyard south of York Street was also paved into a new staff parking lot.

Construction on the childcare centre itself progressed through the summer and fall, and paused through the winter. After resuming earlier this year, progress moved quickly. All windows, and one out of two doors are installed, and the insulation and outer brick layer are complete on all except for one of the sides.

Though an exact date is not certain, the new centre is anticipated to open later this year.

The partially completed Happyface centre on Winchester Public School grounds.

Mountain Township & District Lions Club - News

It is with the greatest honour that one of our own, Lion Bill Vermilyea, was presented with the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award at this year's District A-4 Convention, April 23-24, in Ottawa. The Melvin Jones Fellowship was established by Lions Clubs International Foundations (LCIF) to acknowledge an individual’s dedication to humanitarian service.

Lion Bill is a very active member of our Club and District and always eager to serve in any way he can. Currently, he holds the positions of Club LCIF Coordinator, Club Service Chairperson, and District A-4 Reporter for our Lion's Magazine. Lion Bill shared his experience of receiving the Award at our last meeting and likened it to working towards and winning the Stanley Cup. Recognition well deserved and congratulations from us all!

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Quack! Quack! Knights of Columbus Duck Race raises $1,000 for WDMH

It was a tough race, but nobody’s feathers got ruffled. Except maybe for the first-place duck. Duck #1 was taking on water by the end of the 20-minute race and was only visible from the neck up at the finish line!

It was all good fun as part of the St. Daniel’s Knights of Columbus (Council 11725) Duck Race on the South Nation River on May 7. Eight hundred bright yellow ducks were released from the County Road 1 bridge in South Mountain. And when it was all over, $2,600 had been raised for local charities – including $1,000 for the WDMH Foundation’s General Equipment Fund.

“The WDMH Foundation is proud to be one of the beneficiaries of this fun event,” notes Justine Plummer, Manager of Direct Mail & Events at the WDMH Foundation. “It was a great day! Thank you to the Knights of Columbus and everyone who purchased a ticket.”

Local charities who benefited included the WDMH Foundation, Naomi’s Family Resource Centre, House of Lazarus Food Bank, Dundas County Hospice, and Community Food Share in Winchester.

from left to right: Governor Renee Devenney, Jim Devenney, Lion Bill Vermilyea, Past International Director Tom Gordon

At the cheque presentation are (l-r) Robert Orme, Wayne Moore, Bob Sisson, and Dennis Molloy

Local resident urges support for PSW Champions

compensation for the work they are doing,” said Tina, referring to PSWs. “They're driving their vehicles all over the county. They're going into unpredictable homes, sometimes privately, caring for people who need so much more than a sponge bath and hot meal, but dignity and dire assistance for their serious medical needs.”

by Brandon Mayer

May 19 marked Personal Support Worker Day, a day to shed light on the important but often unsung work of PSWs, both locally and across the province. Several stakeholders in the PSW field have begun a PSW Champions campaign to spread the word on just how important PSWs are in the healthcare community. The campaign is complete with its own YouTube channel, with several videos posted which aim to shed light on healthcare’s unsung heroes.

Local resident, Tina Ouellette, wants to make sure that PSWs in our region get a fair

share of the recognition.

“We all know what nurses do, DSWs, Social Workers,” said Tina. “We know they have forces behind them fighting for fair compensation for their time, skill, experience, and dedication. The PSW workers in our lives are less understood, less formally organized, and this puts them at a disadvantage.”

Tina argues, as do many others on social media, that many tasks commonly performed by PSWs are the same, or similar, to those performed by nurses and nurse’s aids, which are positions that receive far greater recognition, and come with more equitable pay and benefits.

“They deserve to have fair

Tina also talked about current well-known issues with the long term care situation. “If your folks are anything like mine, they want to grow old and spend their final few months of life comfortably in their own homes,” she said. “In order to make that happen, as opposed to being destined for an overburdened long-term care facility, the answer is PSWs. People are opting for long waitlists to get into long term care, because there aren’t enough PSWs to go around.”

PSWs provide assistance with life tasks for those with limited ability to perform such tasks on their own. These tasks can include preparing meals and feeding, bathing, dressing, helping with exer-

cise, and much more. Many PSWs work in hospitals and long term care homes, while others are employed with agencies that provide home visits. Having a PSW available is often a necessary condition if a medical patient or elderly individual is going to be able to remain in their own home. Compared to those in related professions, such as nursing, many argue that PSW’s are not wellcompensated.

Tina is calling on members of the public to contact their government representatives and ask some tough questions.

“Ask them what they are doing to make sure we have enough PSWs to meet our present and future needs,” she said. “What is being done to ensure they aren't finding their way to careers with better incentives? We desperately need to care for our caregivers now, so we can all thrive later.”

The PSW Champions YouTube channel can be found at www.youtube.com/ channel/UCjQvjBo2P80HG5hpQCFKxLA.

The Times they are a-changin’

by

I’ve been waiting a long time to use that title... Yes, things are changing, but the Times will be staying around for a while yet. A couple of weeks ago, we reported on the troubles facing newspapers recently because of a shortage of newsprint on which to actually print them. In addition, the printing company we’ve been using for many years has been forced to close because of that and other issues. It is, in many ways, a further effect of Covid, as businesses who managed to survive lockdowns and restrictions, and hoped that things would improve with the end of those limitations on business, faced up to serious problems when they reopened.

David Shanahan of the Times were seriously delayed last week because of yet another problem that has been affecting almost everyone - a shortage of drivers. We do apologise for that.

It has been depressing, in some cases devastating, for many small and large businesses alike to find that surviving Covid lockdowns may not have been the achievement they thought it would be. Staff shortages throughout the many sectors of the economy have meant that restaurants and retail operations, among others, have been unable to take advantage of the opportunities that milder weather and the eagerness of people to get out of the house again.

Canada and Europe. The UK defines people suffering from “energy poverty” when more than 10% of their disposable income is spent on energy for heating, cooking, travel, etc.

It has been calculated that, by the end of this year, fully half of all UK households will be in that situation.

Both of our newspapers, in North Grenville and North Dundas, have been recovering really well from the pandemic restrictions, but faced genuine existential threats when our printer went under. But we have found a new printing company, and things look to be moving on quite well from here. But delivery of copies

Nor is this confined to our area, or even the country as a whole. I am writing this in Ireland (I’m back at work, just not back in the office), and this country has been dealing with the same issues, though it is not nearly as bad here as in Britain, where the rising cost of living has led to dramatic increases in energy and food costs even greater than those experienced in

The series of dramatic, almost unprecedented, crises we’ve all experienced over the past three years - from Covid to war in Ukrainehave been added to in the UK by the absolute folly that was Brexit. But the overall impact of these various crises has been to seemingly perpetuate the changes in how we live. There seems to be no going back to the lives we had pre2020. As Yeats said: “All is changed, changed utterly”, though we can’t continue with his line: “a terrible beauty is born”. There is nothing beautiful, albeit terrible, about the state of affairs facing us today.

The world is dealing with the greatest population shifts since the end of World War II, as literally millions of people, from Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, and other countries, are on

Severe storm rattles the region

by Brandon Mayer

A severe thunderstorm struck Ottawa and surrounding areas hard on May 21, causing significant damage and power outages, and leading to at least 10 reported deaths. The derecho was initially predicted to be a routine severe thunderstorm, but quickly turned into a significant weather event with many lasting consequences.

Researchers reportedly measured the strongest wind gusts from the storm at an incredible speed of 190 km/h, which just enters the threshold of wind speeds produced by an EF2 tornado. At the Ottawa airport, the strongest reported gust was measured at 120 km/h, which is the strongest at the airport in 60 years.

An estimated 180,000 hydro customers in Ottawa lost power as a result of the storm, with a significant number still without power days later, and still more days of

work anticipated as of the time of writing. An update posted by Hydro Ottawa reported that the majority of customers sould be restored a week after the storm. The hardest hit areas of Ottawa were Hunt Club, Merivale, Navan, and Stittsville, according to the city’s website.

Other areas, including those served by Hydro One and Hydro Quebec, were affected as well. Countless schools and businesses in Ottawa had to remain closed after the long weekend, as did many outside of Ottawa. The Upper Canada District School Board reported on social media that 12 of its schools had lost power as a result of the storm, nine of which still did not have power upon the anticipated return to school on May 23, and therefore had to remain closed to staff and students.

Bryce Conrad, who is the CEO of Hydro Ottawa, is quoted as saying that the

the move, looking for peace and safety and a future for their children. Their movement, coinciding with the decreasing standard of living in the nations to which they are fleeing, is only adding to an upsurge in racism and intolerance, something that had already been extremely worrying even before the pandemic, as social media sites encouraged the dissemination of hatred and xenophobia.

On the face of it, then, things are looking rather bleak, aren’t they? But we have to deal with the situations we face, and not look longingly back at how things used to be. Because the reality is that we also grumbled and moaned about the things that used to be before they were “used to be”. In football (soccer for the uninitiated), there is a saying: “you can only beat the team in front of you”, and that is the case for us today. Instead of gnashing our teeth and giving in to the conspiracy crazies (of which there are many, some in governments), we have to rethink the way we do things in a new world. If even British Conservatives

find themselves having to tax energy companies to the tune of £5 billion in order to keep their people warm and businesses functioning, then we know the world is facing new realities.

Which brings me to the provincial election. Elections are always important because they decide the men and women, and more importantly, the ideology, that will decide much of how we live together. This is particularly important this time around. Old ways of doing things are having to give way to new, especially new ideas, new visions of how society should or can work for the good of its citizens. This is certainly not the time to fall back on old habits and family traditions. It is more certainly not the time to vote without thought, or, much, much worse, not to vote at all.

The pandemic showed us how suddenly things can change, and how vital it is that we have leaders at all levels who are capable of reacting to those crises effectively, efficiently, and humanely. Millions of people around

Letter to the Editor

the world died unnecessarily because people in government moved too slowly. There was a singular lack of vision on the part of many individuals in places of power around the world, and so people died. The images that have been emerging in the UK of Boris Johnson and his cohorts having drinks parties and celebrations in groups at the very time ordinary people were refused access to dying family members, or had to miss out on funerals, has underlined how divorced politicians can be from those who elected them and made the very rules they flouted.

So, as you think about the upcoming election, it is important that we put our vote in context. It is not so much a matter of which political party you vote for, but much more who the person is that you can trust to remain true to their word, act on behalf of all where possible, and have the vision to guide us into the new world we’re facing. Time for a revolution, I think.

storm on May 21 was “as bad as it gets”, even worse than the Ice Storm which hit the region in 1998, and the tornadoes that shook the region in 2018. Photos quickly flooded the internet after the derecho, showing toppled hydro transmission towers, trees lying in tangled disarray, farm buildings flattened, and cars dented beyond repair by falling trees and debris.

Residents and businesses in North Dundas and the surrounding area experienced some bad weather, but were spared the severe impact of the storm felt in some other regions. However, a clear sign of the chaos in Ottawa on Saturday and for several days after was the influx of people in Winchester. With so many Ottawa residents without power, Winchester became a nearby hub for all basic necessities, including groceries, fuel, and restaurant meals.

Stories surfaced on social

media of local workers handling the unexpected influx of customers in an efficient, friendly, and professional manner. Many people shared open offers to have those affected by the storm use their kitchens, bathrooms, and showers as needed. Others set up charging stations for phones and tablets to be charged.

Despite the devastation of the storm, the damage caused, and the lost lives, the tragedy showed how those in different communities come together to help their neighbours in times of need.

Dear editor,

We join residents across the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry in closely following the ongoing provincial election and look forward to meeting candidates from all parties. Specifically, members of our County Council hope to learn more about each candidate’s approach to long-term care in their ridings – and get firm commitments of financial support for our local facilities.

As covered by reporting in our local newspapers, our council is committed to supporting long-term care homes in the region and making sure that they can continue to provide excellent care to members of our community. Throughout the pandemic, our region’s long term care homes protected our relatives, friends, and neighbours – and they deserve our support.

Currently, Maxville Manor in the Glengarry—Prescott— Russell riding and Dundas Manor in Stormont—Dundas— South Glengarry, two non-profit homes in our community, require funding to complete upgrades to their facilities. We’re asking candidates from all parties to provide a commitment to the home in their riding.

Our County has contributed to the projects and residents have graciously donated money to support the projects, but we can’t do it alone. We need the provincial government to step up to the plate, and we’re asking candidates to make it a promise to our community.

Long-term care is a leading issue in this election and critically important to voters throughout the region. Our constituents regularly ask about our support for the not-for-profit homes, and the provincial candidates should expect the same. Voters want to know that their MPPs will fight for long-term care funding, no matter which party forms government.

We look forward to meeting all of the candidates and await their commitments to long-term care in our community.

Sincerely,

Mayor Tony Fraser, Township of North Dundas

Mayor Jamie MacDonald, North Glengarry

North Dundas Chamber of Commerce President’s Report

by Nanda Wubs Huizenga

Strength in numbers, pride in membership. The North Dundas Chamber of Commerce has been working hard towards this goal. We recognize the needs of our business community, and strive to bring more awareness, resources, and support to our members.

2021 was a challenging time for business owners, as well as the Chamber. And yet, we saw people and businesses pull together and, most importantly, the community recognized the importance of shopping local. In spite of the challenges of reduced membership, board members and staff departing, and the inability to host in-person events, the Chamber finished strong.

We held various virtual free events, such as “Marketing Plan Made Easy” with Dan Gasser, and “Make Your Website Stand Out” with Sandy Burns. We introduced our first “Chamber Chat” in December as an in-person event. Chamber Chat provides an opportunity for both members and non-members to connect. This informal meeting gives us a chance to hear from our business community, and has brought about real

change, workable goals, and lasting business connections.

Membership has gradually been increasing to pre-pandemic levels. We continue to attract new businesses which see the value of joining. Currently, our greatest industry representation consists of: Agriculture, Financial Services, Construction and Trades, Manufacturing, Non-Profit, Automotive, Health/Wellness, and Retail.

Our member dues (the lowest cost member dues in the region), support the goal of collaborating with business owners to strengthen our community. The Chamber takes an active role in local economic development through leadership, creativity, and collaboration. Some of our accomplishments and initiatives include surveying our members on important issues, supporting local tourism through the establishment of the Chamber Tourism Grant, hiring a professional Social Media developer, incorporating community resources such as a Job Board and Community Events to our website, providing a members-only section with resources, grants, funding, local tenders, and promotional opportunities, establishing a weekly news-

letter, and creating advertising opportunities to promote members online and at events. We also offer the community a way to support new or struggling businesses by sponsoring a membership on their behalf.

As a member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, we have access to a number of discount programs that benefit our members. These organizations also help our chamber to gain access to a wealth of research and knowledge on policy issues that matter to Ontario businesses. We are proud of our strong relationship with the Township and see the benefit of collaborating to support our members.

Lastly, we are excited to have this opportunity to launch our latest initiative – ShopNorthDundas.ca. Created by Board Members Jen Feeny and Nanda Wubs Huizenga in 2020, to support local businesses during COVID-19, the online directory has grown to list over 400 businesses and service providers in North Dundas.

Shop North Dundas is a free service for all local businesses to help them reach more prospective clients and

Governments must act when it comes to fuel prices

by Brandon Mayer and that hurts individuals and families; but food banks are open and ready to serve. Not having enough money for food does not automatically mean that one must starve. When hydro and gas customers fall on hard times and can’t pay their bills, Ontario has a ban in place preventing these services from being cut off in the winter months, so that those experiencing financial hardship won’t freeze.

It should come as no surprise that as gas prices continue to skyrocket across the country, instances of fuel theft are increasing as well. A local social media user posted last week that fuel had been siphoned directly from the tank of his truck. Nearby gas stations have been posting an increased number of surveillance tapes showing fuel thefts, hoping for help from the public in catching the thieves. One CTV News report confirms anecdotally through gas station owner reports that fuel theft is indeed on the rise in Ontario. Prices crept over the $2.00 per litre mark, on average, this month.

Can we blame these thieves? Well, yes. Theft is theft. But high gas and diesel prices affect people much differently than other cost increases, especially in rural areas. Food costs are rising,

Fuel is different. For a person living outside city limits, not having enough money to put gas in the car simply has no solution and no alternative, and it means not getting to work, which hits hard. Being short $100 (yes, $100) for a tank of gas can quickly turn into an entire week of lost wages, or job loss. That kind of pressure can make people do otherwise unimaginable things.

It is also important to remember the sheer size of the fuel price increase. Many

grow their sales. For some, it is their only avenue of online advertising. Recently, the Chamber took on the management of Shop North Dundas to be able to grow its reach and exposure – and offer another promotional opportunity to members, who receive a featured listing, highlighted on the website.

As a non-profit, the Chamber receives no funding and relies solely on membership and event sales. If you would like to support local business and chamber initiatives, please join the Chamber, or consider our advertising opportunities listed on the website. We also invite the business community to our next Chamber Chat on Thursday, June 16 at 9:00am at the North Dundas Business Centre. These are free events.

I would like to personally thank our Board of Directors who have dedicated their talent and time serving on the Chamber. Just a reminder that these positions are voluntary and require a personal commitment to serving our business community. Most importantly, I want to thank our members, who have given us their support and confidence. We look forward to continuing to support you.

The Food Corner

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville

In March of 2020, I shared my mother’s Pouding Chômeur recipe with you as a simple but delicious dessert. Then, in November 2021, we took a crack at Bread Pudding, which I like with a warm rum sauce. Today, let’s work together on another simple but tasty recipe: Butterscotch Pie. This one benefits from a scoop of the most popular flavour of ice cream in the world (according to the experts who have the time to study these things), that is: vanilla.

Ingredients:

- 1 pie crust (either pick one up at your favourite store or follow an online recipe)

½ cup evaporated milk; ¾ cup warm water;

2 cups of brown sugar;

2 eggs;

½ cup all-purpose flour;

3 tablespoons of softened butter;

1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 375F degrees

4. Add the brown sugar and melt it while stirring constantly

5. In a separate bowl, use a beater to whip the eggs until stiff

6. Fold in the flour, soft butter and vanilla a bit at a time

7. Add the milk, water and sugar mixture to the egg, flour, vanilla and butter mixture

8. Pour into your pie crust

9. Pop in the oven and cook for about 35-40 minutes or until firm

10. Take out and let cool (you can refrigerate it if you wish)

local residents are surely feeling the impact of an inflationdriven rise in food prices, which has seen the cost of groceries rise by 3-10% since last year. In comparison, fuel prices have risen about 60% in the same time period. For a person driving a compact car with a 50 litre tank, needing to fill up just once per week to get to work, the increase in cost since last year amounts to a difference of about $160 per month.

Imagine having a larger, less fuel efficient vehicle, and a longer commute, with two commuters in one household. The increase in cost could run several hundred dollars per month. Fuel cost inflation has, quite literally, become the equivalent of an extra bill for anyone who commutes.

When it comes to fuel cost inflation, the federal and provincial governments need to act. This is not a political issue, it’s an emergency. Carbon taxes need to be re-

moved from the cost of fuel, and regular HST needs to be removed as well, even if just temporarily, to provide relief until the situation improves.

As much as many Ontarians may be wishing they could afford an electric car right now, the reality is that most can’t. Oh, the irony, that one must first be well-off to purchase a car the fuel source of which won’t cause financial ruin! It is time for governments to wake up and realize that in this chicken or egg story, an affordable economy must precede the purchasing of cars that run more affordably.

2. If working from scratch, roll out your pie crust and place on a pie plate

3. Heat the evaporated milk with the water in a saucepan

As for the Bread Pudding recipe, you can serve Butterscotch Pie with a warm rum sauce. Just cook up another cup of brown sugar, ¾ cup of water, ¼ cup of white or dark rum and 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. You simply pour a bit of the warm sauce over your individual servings of the pie (and the Vanilla ice cream, of course). As always, kindly let me know how this worked for you at pcormier@ ranaprocess.com.

Blades of Glory 4-H Dairy Club

by Felicity Porteous

The first meeting of the Blades of Glory Dairy club was held on May 3 at Ayrporte farms. Our leaders for this year’s club include Andreas Jampen, Ian and Tracy Porteous, and Lee Brien. We started our meeting with the 4-H pledge and roll call. Next, we played a game where we got to know each other. With many new members in our club this year it was great to get to know everyone.

After the game, we judged a class of men’s hockey gloves and our leader, Lee, gave the officials. Next up, we had our youth leader, Cassidy Porteous, teach us things to look for when choosing our 4-H calf. Then, we held elections for our club executives.

The results were, Cassidy Porteous as our President, Bruce Porteous as our Vice President, Alexandra Bloderer as our Secretary, and Felicity Porteous as our Press reporter. Cassidy Porteous is our Youth Leader. After our election of executives, we went over some business for the club. Then, our new President, Cassidy Porteous, adjourned the meeting, and everyone got to enjoy cookies and drinks. Our next meeting will be held at the end of May.

Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry CANDIDATES ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS

by Brandon Mayer

As part of our coverage of this year’s provincial election, the Times asked the candidates to meet for an online interview to discuss their policies and platforms. All six registered candidates for the riding of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry agreed to an interview. The candidates comprise a mix of the traditional right-left divide, as well as those who challenge traditional political notions in a push for change. These extracts from the six interviews we conducted deal with various issues, including healthcare, housing, education, the COVID-19 pandemic, and rural issues. While the excerpts can only cover a part of what was discussed, each interview can be viewed in full on our website at www.ndtimes.ca.

Wendy Stephen –Ontario New Democratic Party

Brandon: How would your party support rural education, and what is your stance on the closure and amalgamation of rural schools?

Wendy: I am actually a public education person. I'm a teacher, and I've been doing this for ten years. I have lived through the cuts of the Conservatives. I have lived through the cuts of the Liberals. And it's no mistake that I'm running for the NDP. The online learning that the Ford government is proposing rurally, that makes absolutely no sense. You know, it’s just inequitable for people who can't access proper Internet. The only party which actually backs public [education] is the NDP, and they back education workers as well, so that's why I'm hanging my hat here as an education worker. One of the major things that really needs to happen is to update the education funding formula, because it really is based on population, not on what people actually need. And so, again, that disproportionately impacts rural communities. I know there have been a lot of small school closures, and that's the heart of a small community. We really need those places to stay up and running. It's the heart, it's the hub. It's where clubs meet and teams play, and we should be doing that. I think it has

to come back to what the residents and parents actually want, and looking at maybe outside-the-box creative solutions instead of closing a school. So perhaps an EarlyON centre would be in the building as well as the public school. We're smart people.

Why can't we figure this out?

Sometimes we need to change what we already have in order to make it continue working.

I went to Queen's Park to protest Bill 115, and again to protest Doug Ford's online learning and his cuts.

Brandon: What would your party do to support small businesses and local commerce?

Wendy: One thing that I have certainly noticed is that the Liberals and Conservatives have been very Toronto focused. Everything is about the GTA, and it's as though Eastern Ontario doesn't exist – Cornwall and all the surrounding small towns. We're not even on the map for them, and that's just not okay. We saw again during the pandemic, Doug Ford's all about “I'm for business”, which on one hand is true because the Costcos and Walmarts of the world got to stay open, and they did just fine. But small businesses who sold the exact same things had to close because of these arbitrary rules that he set.

And so I think that there's this misperception that Conservative governments are supporting business, but they're not here for small businesses and small towns at all. They're focused on big developers and big dollars. That's where they focus their energy and attention. When it comes to actually supporting downtowns and small businesses and rural communities, what we really need to see is a shift in the way the government is working with municipalities. What's happened up to this point is that the provincial government has downloaded that responsibility on to municipalities. And so, when they're paying for all these things, they don't have the money that is needed in order to revitalize downtowns and parks, and all of these other projects that make a town livable and beautiful and a place where people want to live and be.

What we want to do is actually provide, by paying our fair share, stable, reliable funding to municipalities so they can actually plan long term, not wondering what's coming their way. If we're paying our fair share for things like schools and health care and infrastructure and all of these things, then that will free up municipal funds to do other things. Like rebuilding these downtowns. These places are amazing, and our communities are better for them. We want to bring broadband as well across rural Ontario by 2025 at the latest, because that's an equity and access thing and businesses need it too.

Brandon: North Dundas is a growing community, are there any projects that would be investment priorities for the province locally?

Wendy: Municipalities and the province need to work together. First of all, that relationship seems to be broken, and I think we can do

that much better. Some of the things that the province needs to work with, obviously broadband is one of those things. Affordable housing, transportation links to Ottawa, because I know it's a big commuter place as well. And we need our public schools and our public health systems, and these services that make these communities places that people actually want to live and stay and play and work. The decisions for all of these local projects, they have to come from councils and from the people. I'm in absolutely no position to tell people what they want, or what they should have. So I, as MPP, would have absolutely an open door policy.

Brandon: Are there any issues that locals have touched base with you about which you intend to bring forward if elected as MPP?

Wendy: People are concerned about public health care and long term care, after seeing what happened in the pandemic. People are concerned about public education. And we've been seeing this chronic underfunding, especially in rural areas, and people want that to stop. The Conservative representation we've had to this point hasn't really done a lot, Eastern Ontario is completely ignored. It's like we don't even exist, and the government doesn't even have us on their radar. It's like everything stops at Brockville, and then you go east from there and they're like, “wait, who?” So I think that part of it is we need someone like me who will actually advocate for the needs of the communities.

Brandon: What is your take on the affordable housing crisis locally, and what is the solution?

Wendy: It's a complex issue, isn't it? Fundamentally, though, housing is a human right. And I think that sometimes people forget that it's

one of the most important social determinants of health, and we know that it is critically important for everyone to have a safe and affordable place to live. The NDP are going to build 100,000 new, affordable homes that are geared to income. We're building 150,000 non-market homes that are charging below market rents. Provincially, we're repairing 260,000 social housing units and building 60,000 new supportive housing units. We're going to bring back rent control and we're going to be starting a program where, for first time homebuyers, we invest 10% in their down payment. Rural municipalities have been chronically underfunded. What we really need to take a look at, and what we will take a look at, is what's needed in areas like North Dundas and the rest of the riding too, so that we can actually focus on needs and get the housing that meets the needs of the people who live here.

Brandon: How would you support the largely rural population of this riding in being heard at Queen's Park?

Wendy: Just as we talked about, SDSG has been completely ignored. The province doesn't know we exist, and we have to change that if we're going to grow and improve here. So again, working really closely with municipalities is going to be key. Ongoing communication. And it doesn't mean everything's going to be easy and we'll agree on everything. But we have to be able to have that respectful dialogue back and forth and see what we can actually accomplish together. There's been a lot of divisiveness, and I think we need to have a little more cohesion here in order to move forward and make a beautiful place for all of us to be. I'll have, of course, an open door policy. I'm not hiding from anyone. And also,

this riding is huge, and I think it's really important for, hopefully me, but whoever is the MPP, to remember that it is not just an urban area, there is a significant rural space here and those people matter too.

Brandon: Do you believe the COVID-19 pandemic is still of concern locally?

Wendy: What I have to say is, pandemics know no boundaries. They are not just an urban issue. The new variants are highly transmissible, and COVID is here, it's everywhere. It's really important that we're vigilant in order to protect the vulnerable people like our seniors and small children and the immuno-compromised. I do respect masking choices. It is a choice. There's no one telling you, you have to wear a mask. That's up to you. But I really do think that we still need to be ready in case another wave comes, or when another wave comes. And I can say for certain that an NDP government will be ready, unlike the Conservatives before us.

Brandon: That's it for my questions. Is there anything you want to add?

Wendy: My main message to people has been: if you want something different, you need to vote for something different. We can't keep electing the same political parties just because it's always been that way. If you want change and you want progress, vote for something else. Take a look at the platforms and decide who best actually represents your values and who has the integrity to actually follow through with what they say they're going to do. I think that if we could elect a party that actually represents people, instead of corporations and very, very wealthy donors, I think that we could lift people up and have a way more beautiful and satisfying community.

Brandon: How would your party support rural education, and what is your stance on the closure and amalgamation of rural schools?

Nolan: Rural education is extremely important to our party. We did stop the closures of the schools. The last Liberal government did close hundreds of schools under their watch, and there's a memorandum on stopping that. So knowing that rural schools are a vibrant part of our communities – I've heard that loud and clear throughout the area. Our stance on the closures: we weren't super happy with what was going on under the previous Liberal government. I think there were a couple of hundred schools that were closed across the province, specifically being the rural schools, so we have halted that completely, because schools are extremely important to the communities that they're in.

Brandon: What would your party do to support small businesses and local commerce?

Nolan: Well, that's one thing that's extremely important with the Doug Ford government, “getting it done” is our slogan this time around for this election. They do have, you know, a red tape committee that's trying to remove red tape for all businesses across the province. One of the components, though, is getting businesses online. That's something that the province has helped out with, is to try to get an online presence. Obviously, that's come about because of COVID and the pandemic. So that's one thing that I believe is extremely important.

Nolan Quinn –Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario

have been up in the area. I've been up in Mountain for a couple of events, and door-knocking in Chrysler and Chesterville, and that one hasn't necessarily been expressed at this point. Duly noted on that one.

Brandon: What is your take on the affordable housing crisis locally, and what is the solution?

to be able to develop those homes.

Brandon: How would you support the largely rural population of this riding in being heard at Queen's Park?

Obviously, with my business, an online presence isn't as important as a small retailer and to be able to start selling online. But the Ford government is pretty big on buying locally and buying from Ontario. And I believe that's extremely important for local businesses to be able to thrive, especially the small businesses.

Brandon: One of the biggest things that comes up is the size of the riding. North Dundas is a growing community. Are there any projects that would be investment priorities for the province locally?

Nolan: If I do get elected, I'm going to be meeting with council. I don't know if you follow my page at all, but I was up in North Dundas, Winchester, meeting with Tony Fraser, and about six or eight other locals in that regard, just to hear what their priorities are. But you know, it's not necessarily for the province to tell what the priorities are for the local riding, but for the riding to tell me that. Tony Fraser and I have spoken a few times. What I'm hearing from North Dundas and Tony in that regard is the need for water for the infrastructure. So again, it's a priority of the municipality, and I need to have my marching orders to be able to do my job properly.

Brandon: Specifically in Chesterville, we've had quite a few residents complaining just about the aesthetic quality of their water as well. It's always rusty or brown coloured, it ruins laundry, that sort of thing. So I don't know if anyone expressed concern about that to you.

Nolan: I haven't when I was door knocking, because I

Nolan: Well, obviously, it's not just a local problem. It's obviously right across Canada. But, locally, with the pandemic, we've had a lot of people move out of the big cities. You know, in all the door-knocking I've done, thousands of doors, I would say one out of six doors are new to this area in the last 2 to 3 years, whether it was right before the pandemic, or during the pandemic.

I'm amazed at how many people are new to our riding, whether it's in Iroquois, Morrisburg, Crysler as well. We just seem to have a lot of people that have come from Toronto, or come from Quebec, or come from the bigger cities, out to the rural areas. I believe that's where we've gotten into a little bit of a crisis in this area, because of the fact that we have a lot of new people to our region. As for what the solution is to get it done. You know, Doug Ford wants to build 100,000 houses over the next few years. But personally, I believe we have a shortage on the trades. I personally believe it's been decades in the making for the fact that we weren't necessarily guiding high school students 20 years ago to choose the trades or to choose agriculture. But that's our way out of this, is to really ramp up investment into the skilled trades, so that we can actually have the bodies to be able to build the homes.

Brandon: So more of a systemic approach?

Nolan: Yes, 100%, because sometimes, when the federal government does throw that money towards the problem, it actually creates even more inflation. We need actual homes to be able to buy without making them more expensive. If [the federal government] helps people get their first home, it could actually create even more of a shortage on homes if we don't have the skilled trades

Nolan: Toronto is a huge hub for our province, and there are a lot of needs that are coming out of Toronto, but the east end of the province needs to be heard, and we have needs as well. Ever since the migration of a lot of people out of the bigger cities, it's put more pressure on our resources and infrastructure in Eastern Ontario. I guess the big thing is knowing that if I get elected, or whoever gets elected, it's going to be all about relationships we build in Queen's Park in Toronto to be able to be heard properly. I've been trying to do my homework and make sure that I know who the other MPPs are going to be, because I need to have that strong relationship to be heard around the table.

Brandon: Do you believe the COVID 19 pandemic is still of concern locally?

Nolan: I guess it depends on who you're talking to. I believe we are still in the endemic [phase] now. You know, COVID’s going to be around for a while, if it will ever go away. But, because we have a majority of the population that is either double or triple vaxxed, that is helping relieve the pressure on the system, whether it's the health care system, or systems in general, about the severity of sickness. But saying that, you know, I obviously have been travelling the riding quite extensively over the last couple of months. And, you know, there's still a fair amount of people wearing masks, and it's their choice to, and I don't

see anyone being aggressive towards anyone that wants to wear the mask in that regard. There's going to be a ripple effect of the pandemic for years to come. And that's where I want to be part of the decision-making process moving forward.

Brandon: Are there any issues that locals have touched base with you about which you intend to bring forward if elected as MPP?

Nolan: I think the number one is health care, and the PC government has a plan to put 30,000 long term care beds, whether they’re refurbished or new beds. So obviously, our health care system has been tested over the last two years. I know the PC government is investing in hospitals and infrastructure of our health care. With the ageing population that we do have in our riding, I have been hearing pretty consistently, just to make sure that the facilities are there so that people can go into long term care. And that's something that we're

very committed to do. Again, meeting up in North Dundas, at the Dundas Manor – getting that to be finalized is a pretty important one in that area, and I know Bill Smirle and others have been working on that one, and it seems like it's fairly good progress making some headway towards that. Another one would be internet quality in our area. That's one that I have heard fairly loud and clear, specifically in the rural areas, and I know there's constant investment into that. And the Ford government is very committed to – not to quote our slogan – but to get that done.

Brandon: We’ve covered all the questions. Is there anything else you want to add?

Nolan: I think the only thing I would add is I'm pretty excited for the challenge that lies ahead. There’s not going to be a day off, or too much time off, from the focus of the role of being our local MPP. And that's something I do take seriously.

Brandon: How would your party support rural education and what is your stance on the closure and amalgamation of rural schools?

Kirsten: One of the things that I was most excited about with our platform is we are cancelling the highway in Toronto… but we're taking that $10 billion investment and investing it in schools. Rural schools are included in that, and capping class sizes will assist. I mean, anyone that knows me knows that I've been an advocate for rural education for over 20 years. So I think that rural schools are central to rural communities. They oftentimes act as community hubs. I mean you can have a closure with a reinvestment and a new build. But when a school is taken away from the community, it can have a devastating impact. So I'm on the record for the last 20 years saying that rural schools are incredibly important to the communities that they serve. But getting a piece of that $10 billion investment to make our rural schools even better is absolutely essential. My foray, if you will, into the political scene was actually working to save my daughter's school and we were successful. And of course, at the county level, I pushed the education file to make sure that Dundas was included in the conversation. And we actually ended up having a rural school symposium of which I was the co-chair and I'm chair of the Rural Schools Committee, so I'm heavily invested in rural schools.

Brandon: What would your party do to support small businesses and local com-

Kirsten Gardner Ontario Liberal Party

if it's Eastern Ontario, Eastern Ontario is not that big. Why would you not include Highway 31 in that? So that needs to be on the radar of the government, because as you grow there, you know, that's a commuter highway. It's definitely something that needs to be included in any conversation when we talk about transportation for Eastern Ontario in North Dundas.

grow with ageing infrastructure. And I will say that for me, as MPP if given the opportunity, I will fight to make sure SDSG gets a fair share. Brandon: What is your take on the affordable housing crisis locally and what is the solution?

merce?

Kirsten: When I look at the platform and see that different things are being supported, they will all come back and support small businesses. But when you're talking about small businesses directly on the platform, they talk about eliminating the corporate taxes for small businesses for two years as the businesses recover from the last two years that we just had. I really feel that the pandemic really favoured the big box stores, and there was a real shift away from protecting the small, small businesses. You know, a lot of times they were shuttered when the big box stores were allowed to be open and that type of thing. When you incorporate a business, eliminating those fees, we're going to be investing $300 million in small businesses, looking at things like capping credit card fees. Often I've asked a small business owner, you don't take debit or credit? And they'll say, no, the fees are too much to justify having that service.

Brandon: North Dundas is a growing community. Are there any projects that would be investment priorities for the province locally as in here?

Kirsten: Absolutely. There's lots of talk about the 138, which obviously is not in North Dundas, but one of the omissions was Highway 31. So pretty hard at the rate that North Dundas is growing. And one of the major arteries that leads us to the nation's capital is not actually included in that plan, and it is in the Eastern Ontario plan. So I've been fairly critical of the fact

I know that there's infrastructure needed to increase water and sewer capacity, so infrastructure dollars will be something that I would definitely fight for so that you can grow because you cannot be having one hand tied behind your back when you're trying to grow. People want to invest in your community, and yet you don't have the capacity to hook up is very, very difficult. And then the third one that has been on my radar for quite some time is Dundas Manor. The fact that the expansion has been on there and the amount of money that the campaign has committed to raising locally is phenomenal. They've got the plan. They've got donor commitments. It's time to rebuild the Dundas Manor. Brandon: Going back to the water issue, a lot of residents in Chesterville have been complaining about the quality of the water, issues of brown water more often than you would expect just because of things like firefighting, so I wonder if that would be something your party would look at?

Kirsten: If it's an infrastructure breakdown that's causing it, then yeah, if it requires assistance to increase the quality, then absolutely. These communities can't

Kirsten: There is not one solution. It's a very, very complicated issue. You look at housing here and the housing inventory. There's very few houses available. They're very expensive. Most of the houses just for a family house, they've doubled, sometimes tripled in price. I think that our platform actually speaks to it when we're talking about empowering the local municipalities to accelerate housing projects, because that that whole process that I've sat at the table for many times, it can be a long, drawn out process. The Liberals have proposed a corporation that will offer up loans to first time homeowners to make it affordable. Building up, not out, is a priority, so using existing land within municipalities that are residential to their fullest capacity before you take over farmland.

Brandon: H ow would you support the largely rural population of this riding in being heard at Queen's Park?

Kirsten: Well, I'll be honest with you. The reason why I'm running is all about representation. So I have felt as a municipal leader that this area has been ignored. I publicly stated that North Glengarry has gotten more support with our current MPP than Dundas has. I don't agree that a one size fits all approach works every time and it is my duty

and responsibility if elected, to support our riding first, but we need someobody who is going to champion this area. It’s having the partnerships with municipal leaders to know what the priorities are for the residents, and then taking that to Queen's Park instead of having it where it is now, where the Toronto information just kind of goes one way; the information should be taken to Queen's Park, not the reverse.

Brandon: Are there any issues that locals haved touched base with you about that you intend to bring forward if elected as MPP?

Kirsten: Yeah, you know, the housing thing, the employment. I know a lot of small business owners are having a really hard time getting staff. That is becoming quite tricky. The health care thing, you know, the health care support and support for seniors. We also do have a large population of seniors. A lot of the seniors I talk to are worried about health care. They're worried about how long they can stay in their home, especially North Dundas. With the Manor being in the situation it's in, they're wondering where they're going to go. Folks need support. Education is key too. I’ve been somebody who's a mental health champion. I fought to get the OPP the support they needed to have a mental health nurse. And people are knowing that their neighbours or members of their family might not be okay.

Brandon: There's also been mental health concerns related to the pandemic itself. Do you believe the COVID 19 pandemic is still of con-

cern locally?

Kirsten: Well, you know, I'll be honest. The COVID 19 pandemic hasn't gone away. We’re dealing with it differently than we did last year, but it's still there. And one of the things that has come out of that is the mental health. I mean, I will argue though, there are some people that think that the mental health just sprung up during the pandemic. As a mental health first aid instructor, I will tell you, mental health has always been there. And actually we have in Dundas County quite a high rate of suicide that nobody wants to talk about. There needs to be work still around the stigma. And I've noticed in conversations that there still is a huge stigma around folks reaching out for mental health support. We need to have that conversation and we need to have the conversation about how the two years impacted our children's mental health. There are arguably some kids that did really well online, but there's a lot of kids that didn't. And there's that catch up. I mean, one of the things I do like about the Liberal platform is the fact that they're going to bring back grade 13 for at least two years to allow the kids to catch up. And mental health actually would be part of the curriculum... I was a victim services responder for years, including in North Dundas, so I've been in the mental health game for a long time and it's incredibly dangerous if we do not utilize this opportunity that the pandemic has highlighted to even further the discussion.

Brandon: How would your party support rural education, and what is your stance on the closure and amalgamation of rural schools?

Remi: First of all, we think the rural schools should remain open, and the Ontario Party is a firm believer in charter schools. And if we go see their platform, they don’t like the private schools, the charter schools receive government funding. I read something about it and they receive something like, I think, $12,500 per kid at school. And it may be that that money can be used for a family who wants to use it for a different way to teach their kids. I think, let's say a teacher wants to start his own school: it can be like self-employed and create at the same time different jobs and all that stuff, and maybe they would be more passionate in their job. In a corporation or whatever, they just have one way to go. I think it's not good. You know, the difference. It's amazing.

Brandon: So in terms of the rural schools, you're saying that you would take that path with rural schools as well.

Remi: Yes, exactly. I think in the rural schools, it would be nice to have smaller schools, like one from grade 1 to 6, for example. You know, the older can teach the younger at the same time. Today, they don't even learn how to write, you know, how to write their alphabet and things like this, because we always have tablets and computers. I'm a fan of technology, but I think there's too much in the schools. They should learn their history, they should learn how to work, and what you can do in life for your future.

Brandon: What would your party do to support small businesses and local commerce?

Remi: The Ontario party believes that it is the right of every private citizen to own and enjoy private properties. And that includes their own business. Government inter-

Remi Tremblay Ontario Party

ference with private properties has become increasingly noticeable in Ontario. Business owners were told to shut down their business, then upon reopening, they were told how many customers they can let in, and to wear a mask. That's not really good for small business. We promise that they’re never going to close again, that's for sure. There's some businesses that just ride on grants, some businesses that should be shut down, because they were not well managed. There's a way to grow small businesses, and it's to never close them again. When your slogan is, “open for business”, you're not supposed to shut it down, and just open for big, big business, or for essential services like a pot store. Now the thing is, those small businesses, they have to reimburse what they received during COVID, and it's going to be a pain. I can tell you, it was easy to get the money, but it's going to be hard to give it back, because they have to make back the money that they lost already with the past customers.

Brandon: Do you believe the COVID 19 pandemic is still a concern locally?

Remi: For me, no, I don’t think it’s at all a concern. I think the media and government created a sense of panic in our population which has led to much mental distress. And after receiving a double dose of vaccine after that, they were not even sure. And after that, put your mask on, remove your mask. They say the mask is good for you, but why do we have six figures? I think they divided the people with that a lot, because there's some people that believe in it. And I understand that, because I listen to radio like everybody. And I, at the beginning, the first two weeks, I said, “oh my God, what kind of virus is coming? We’re all going to die”. But that didn't happen.

I'm in the essential services, so I stayed open for the two

years, and we barely wore a mask and we never got sick. I got my two shots, my two flu shots, just because I wanted to be with the people. But then we get to the third and the fourth and the sixth one. And I think the government tasted all the power it gave to them. And they became really bossy. You're not going to get in my home, that's for sure. This is your choice, I think, to decide if it's a danger for yourself or not. It’s not the government going to decide.

Brandon: North Dundas is a growing community. Are there any projects that would be investment priorities for the province locally, as in here?

Remi: It is not for the provincial government to set priorities on behalf of the counties. If I'm elected as an MPP in SDSG, one of my first actions will be to sit down with members of our community, to listen to their specific needs, and see how the provincial government can help with it. We do not want to continue with the spread of unlimited government spending either, and each project would be assessed carefully to ensure that the money of our hardworking constituents is spent adequately. I'm living in Bainsville. You're living in North Dundas. I think it doesn't grow fast enough. I think we need to bring more people in, because people are getting out of Ontario, and we

have a beautiful place where we live. Even yours. There's missing a lot of businesses like grocery stores, things like that, houses. And also, there's space because there's a lot of agriculture. But sometimes some people want to sell just a portion. And the zoning, it's a big problem. It's always a fight. So to give the advantage to farmers to say we're going to de-zone and we're going to do nice condos. There's some people in North Dundas that are too old to take care of their lot because it's too big, so we can build maybe some condos, things like that, so they can stick with their family. The other projects that you have in North Dundas I'm not aware of because we are almost 45 minutes [apart].

Brandon: Are there any issues that locals have touched base with you about, which you intend to bring forward if elected as MPP?

Remi: Just for example, the ever-increasing noise caused by the 401 is a major concern. And there are some people living near there, like my place in Bainsville. The water issues for rural communities, including mine, are providing terrible water at an unreasonable cost. The municipal taxes are very high. I live in a county where I don't have a lot of services, but the price: it's almost near Kingston, or even Toronto. So I would sit

down with the city and with the council and all that stuff to calculate that. Not only that, because the price of our houses are going to boom like crazy, what's going to happen right now being $4,000 of tax, just for example, I'm going to pay, what, $8,000 of tax per year? You know, because my house just doubled in price.

Brandon: What is your take on the affordable housing crisis locally, and what is the solution?

Remi: The solution is to build more and to remove all of the gates, because it's too complicated. First of all, there's not a lot of employees now, and we know that. But there are some entrepreneurs that we can bring with a credit of tax for, let's say, five years. And you ask them, okay, build some condos, build things like that. Because, even if we build small businesses, if you don't have employees because there's nobody, it doesn't make any sense. I don't think the cost of the houses they’re going to reduce so much. We have to reduce the demand and increase the offer. So that's the way it is. And then we have to manipulate the taxation for houses gently to make sure they won’t want to move.

Brandon: How would you support the largely rural population of this riding in being heard at Queen's Park?

Remi: To be heard, one must

first speak out. This is something that's been lacking for a long time. Jim McDonnell, I never heard from him, and I tried to communicate with him. And I didn't like it. Rural [communities] are the backbone of this province, and yet we are ignored by Queen's Park. I intend to be loud, perhaps even annoying. I want to attract attention to our county. And the only way to do so, is to challenge the government constantly. Rest assured that under my direction, SDSG will be heard. You need somebody that is going to help a lot of people in the state. I improved the life here. We didn't have any high speed Internet. Now we have some. I reduced the tax for the water tax. I fought with the city and I found a solution. I don't know why I'm doing that, because it doesn't give me any money, but in the end it helps people and people like that.

Brandon: How would your party support rural education, and what is your stance on the closure and amalgamation of rural schools?

Jacqueline: Well one of the key issues that the Greens and Mike Schreiner support is the 15-minute community – communities where all basic needs of the individual are close by, you know, by a quick walk or bike ride. Rural schools, of course, are the hub of all communities. In fact, this is one of the issues that attract families to relocate and stay in a community. With some creative thinking, the Greens intend to provide solutions that will keep our rural students close to home with the people they love. For example, we're on board for incorporating perhaps a branch of the community library opening in the evening at the school location, or a youth meeting place, or a seniors’ gathering place, and perhaps even a health clinic.

Brandon: What would your party do to support small businesses and local commerce?

Jacqueline: Of course, this is really important to everybody in the community, as well as the Greens. Small business and local

Jacqueline Milner –Green Party of Ontario Candidate

Party platform includes a plan to tackle the housing crisis, which I'm sure is affecting everybody all over the diff erent counties, address climate change, and improve our health care system. The Green Party is committed to finding new solutions to old problems, and the complete platform can be found at GPO.ca/ platform.

Brandon: You mentioned housing. What is your take on the aff ordable housing crisis locally and what is the solution?

we have and ensure tenants are not unfairly evicted. Ending chronic homelessness - this requires a housing first approach before connecting people to other supports they need, and to provide stability and security for renters; revised regulations to adequately protect tenants and landlords, and strengthen rental regulations to protect renters from crazy rent hikes and building maintenance. It's a huge challenge.

commerce are vital for the local community in that they have, close at hand, what people need when they need it. Furthermore, it supports lightening our carbon footprint. Also, very importantly, on average, two thirds of every dollar spent in the community with local businesses stays in the community with local businesses and supports that economy. The Greens would support also, with green retrofit programs, to reduce home comfort costs and business comfort costs, and are lobbying to increase the amount of staycation tax credits to expand those credits to include dining in restaurants. And the Green Party supports Ontario entrepreneurs to build world-leading clean businesses in energy storage and smart transit.

Brandon: North Dundas is a growing community. Are there any projects that would be investment priorities for the province locally?

Jacqueline: With North Dundas’ proximity to Ottawa, I would imagine there's been exponential growth in North Dundas over the past few years. I cannot say what the investment priorities for the province are locally. However, I know the Green

Jacqueline: Crisis. That's my take. There's a desperate need for affordable housing, transitional housing, and emergency housing throughout the counties. The Greens have an ambitious plan to build livable, affordable communities where everyone has a place to live. The plan is based on three pillars. Connected – like supporting the 15-minute community neighbourhood. Affordable – their plan is building 100,000 new affordable units to support renters and pathways to new home ownership, and reducing speculation to put homes for people first. Sustainable – a $5 billion plan to be invested over ten years for a green building program, which will create hundreds and thousands of Ontario jobs, which will save energy and money and will address the climate crisis by reducing emissions.

The Greens have many strategies to address Ontario's housing crisis, building inclusive neighbourhoods where we can live, work and play, and building and maintaining an affordable housing supply. We need to build, immediately. a more affordable housing supply, including rental units. We need to protect the supply

Brandon: How would you support the largely rural population of this riding in being heard at Queen’s Park?

Jacqueline: Well, one of my responsibilities as MPP of Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry is to meet with constituents, listen to their concerns, and help to resolve matters related to provincial government services. As a new MPP, you can imagine I would be on this steep learning curve, which I'm prepared to do. I am making the commitment to assist the people in this riding. I might not be experienced as an MPP, but I am experienced helping people in my community.

Brandon: Are there any issues that locals have touched base with you about that you intend to bring forward if elected as MPP?

Jacqueline: Yes, I shared some correspondence with a farmer from Inkerman. She shared with me the unprecedented levels of risk and uncertainty that farms like her’s face day in and day out. This leaves her very concerned about the

future of her farm and farming, and food production in Ontario, and the security of Ontario's food supply. And, of course, this is so, so important. Food security and healthy local food supply is very important to all Ontarians. We must do what we can to support the health of our farmers with such things as mental health supports, which this one farmer specified. It was a particular specific issue that she mentioned, with all the risks and uncertainty they deal with on a seasonal basis, and support them with the tools and policies to ensure a healthy future for them and for all Ontarians.

Brandon: Have you heard from a lot of different people or just a few so far?

Jacqueline: That is one example. I also heard from a number of people very concerned about access to medical services, such as the people either afflicted with, or familiar with someone dealing with, lung cancer. And, apparently, they have to go quite far afield to get the testing they require. I have made a commitment, should I be elected as MPP,

to bring this up, to make those services more easily accessible to the people dealing with this matter.

Brandon: Do you believe the COVID 19 pandemic is still of concern locally?

Jacqueline: Well, some people are concerned and others are not. I know of more people who have had COVID recently, rather than any other time during this pandemic. I think it's important for us to follow some of the basic routines that we've been given, such as hand-washing, congregating outdoors, and maintaining a healthy exchange of air indoors. Most importantly, I think it's really important to heed the advice of our medical and scientific experts. Personally, I wear a mask in crowded areas to protect you and the people I'm around, and to protect myself. I don't think it's the time to let our guard down, shall I say.

Brandon: Is there anything else you want to say?

Jacqueline: Well, I would like to say that I think a vote for the Green Party of Ontario is a vote for the future of our community, and for our children.

Brandon: How would your party support rural education, and what is your stance on the closure and amalgamation of rural schools?

Claude: I grew up in northern Quebec in a farming community, rural. So I've been exposed to what kids have to go through in rural areas, and my opinion as a candidate, and hopefully MPP, for SDSG is to support our rural schools. The school is the heart of a village or small town. And once it goes, then the town goes down. So you need that school to keep the young people in your town, or to attract new young couples to live in the villages or the farming communities around there. And I read in a report they did last year, that students travelled an hour and a half morning and afternoon to go to school. That's long, so my goal is to reduce the amount of travelling, and support as much as we can to keep the schools close to the communities where it's required, even if there's less students. You can do combined classes and stuff like that. And as far as the boards, in my opinion, I would keep the four school boards in place, because when you have an organization and you make it bigger, people that are affected lose control. The bigger the board, it's a lot harder for parents to have a say in what's going on in their children's education. New Blue has in our blueprint, education credits. So you can use that money to place your child in public or private school. Your choice. And that follows your child. Brandon: What would your party do to support small businesses and local commerce?

Claude: New Blue, in our blueprint, is lowering the HST. So from 13% down to 10%, and by leaving the money in people's pockets…you know a lot more what to do with your money than the government. Governments tend to be less capable of managing money than when it's in the people's pocket. So we leave it in people's pockets and then they spend in their local economy and local stores. And that's why we estimate that we would grow the economy by 5% a year. And by stopping the wind turbines, which produce less than 5% of electricity, but increase your power bill by 25%, so that amount of money that would be left in people's pockets and would support the local economy as well. And another pet peeve for me is to identify Ontario

Claude Tardif –

New Blue Party of Ontario

products. That was a program before. I want one to identify Ontario produce and products so people know, this is made in China… so to help the local area.

Brandon: North Dundas is a growing community. Are there any projects that would be investment priorities for the province locally?

Claude: The government has different programs to help the local economy. I moved from Alexandria down to Cornwall five years ago, so I'm not that familiar with Dundas itself, and I can only say that our program to lower the HST would help local businesses.

I've seen in Maxville, they have units. And they converted the old police station as well into four apartments. So this is the type of thing that I would support for each small town or village so people can, if they decide to sell their house, have affordable housing to go to. And that would prop up the economy in all of the riding.

Brandon: North Dundas readers might want to know if you would take an interest in learning more about the Dundas side of the riding.

Claude: Well, I would certainly, as MPP. What I plan to do is these social events, there’s breakfasts, there’s dinners… where non-profit organizations try to raise money.

To attend those throughout the riding and find out more of what's going on in the riding and be available for everybody to get to know the MPP. I just don't want to go in Toronto and the office in Cornwall. No, I want to be throughout the riding. I grew up on a farm and I loved the country. I was in Alexandria for five years, just outside, I had 25 acres. And I want to support our farming community.

Brandon: What is your take on the affordable housing crisis locally, and what is the solution?

Claude: Begin by promoting the economy and leaving more money in people's pockets and making sure the COVID stuff is behind us so we have more people working. And be able to build more housing by having more housing built, then the price gets back down. And that's about it.

Brandon: So, like a supply and demand type thing?

Claude: Yeah. I heard the provincial debate and the Liberals and NDP talking about rent control. Well, if you go rent control, then the owners stop

repairs on their units. Housing goes down the toilet, and then you as an investor would not be interested in building a new home, a new rental unit, if you cannot adjust your prices. So it would restrict the amount of new affordable housing being built. And I think, in the past, that was a big problem, because if you're not going to make money at it… you have a project that's $10 million to build affordable housing. I'm sure they get provincial money for that, too. But I'm a great supporter of affordable housing. I saw one and it was in Morrisburg. And that was not government owned, that was privately owned. But the ladies were all out there enjoying the sun in the company of each other. And so I think that's the type of project we could get behind and help build them in the local communities.

Brandon: How would you support the largely rural population of this riding in being heard at Queen's Park?

Claude: As I said before, my main objective would be to participate in the local events, get to know people, and to be available to talk about their concerns. And not only in the office, and not only me. I've never been in politics. I don't know how many people an MPP has working with them, so I would imagine they would have a staff. And I know McDonnell has an office in Cornwall and one in Winchester…a satellite office. The way I see it is to participate in social events, and people get to know me and get access to me and my office. So they get an answer. And if we don't know, then we go get the answer, and do my best to represent my constituents in Queen’s Park.

Brandon: Are there any issues that locals have touched base with you about which you intend to bring forward if elected as MPP?

Claude: Well, one of our volunteers, Ruby Meeker, she has three wind turbines around her house. And so that's the main point… the wind turbines. There’s three aquifers that have been polluted by the wind turbines. That's something I didn't know. But it's not only like the noise and the vibration, it’s because it breaks the shale when they pile drive to build those things or just the vibration itself, it breaks the shale and pollutes the water underneath the water table. So you can imagine, you can't use your well, and you

have a dairy farm with 500 cows. Not very good. So the wind turbine is not only very expensive, but it's damaging for health and water. So that's one of the things.

Brandon: Do you believe the COVID 19 pandemic is still a concern locally?

Claude: Well, if you look at the data worldwide, it’s endemic phase, everybody is reopening, even the federal government as well. Well, I had COVID. I had the three shots and I had COVID at Easter…so during the last wave. One week of throat, sniffle and stuff. My wife's 75, and she went through it better than me. But yeah, I think it's

basically over. It is one of the reasons I became a New Blue member and a candidate was the response by the Ford government. He said he would not do the vaccine passport and he did. And now they're setting up digital ID. So New Blue is against all of that. If we get power, we will repeal Bill 195 and compensate people that lost their jobs due to the mandates. Of course, the Ford government didn't force the nurses to get the vaccine, but they left it to the hospitals. So all the health care employees who lost their job, not by Ford, but with hospitals…this is one of the main reasons I said, well, I can't vote for him.

I was not involved in politics until about five years ago. I became a member of provincial PC, and then come this COVID response by the PC, I sent many, many emails to McDonnell and Ford and said, you guys are letting the doctors run the province. You're going to lose your election because the doctors are running the province. That's why I became a New Blue. And basically, the COVID is gone hopefully. So back to normal.

EOHU on Food and Water Safety Practices

6 hours, if the door is kept closed;

- Food in a full freezer will remain frozen for about 48 hours;

- Food in a half full freezer will remain frozen for about 24 hours.

“Given the rising cost of groceries, I know throwing food out is especially painful now, but it’s not worth consuming food that may have spoiled and risking food poisoning.,” says Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health.

Check out the My Health section at EOHU.ca for more information about food safety.

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If you suspect your well water is contaminated, it’s best to use bottled water for drinking, brushing your teeth, cooking, cleaning dishes, bathing, and making infant formula. You may also use ready-to-serve infant formula if you’re concerned about water safety.

Once power is restored, flush all lines by letting the water run for 5 minutes and have your well water tested. Visit your nearest EOHU office to pick up and drop off a well water sample bottle.

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Canadian Club of Morrisburg and District report

by Clara Edwardson

On May 18, the Canadian Club of Morrisburg and District met at the Royal Canadian Legion in Morrisburg for the final meeting of the 2021/2022 season. Attendees were welcomed by Celeste and Bob Weagant. At 7 pm, the Head Table was piped in by local piper Hugh Metcalfe.

President Steve Caza opened the meeting. After Grace was offered by Muriel Carruthers, those present enjoyed a wonderful roast beef dinner, catered by the Ladies of the Morrisburg Legion.

The guest entertainer Marleen Fawcett was introduced by Vice president Anne Caza. Marleen is an amazing entertainer/ singer/songwriter, and interacts with her audience during the evening. Her resemblance to Anne Murray, plus their similar voices, certainly highlighted those songs. She is recognized internationally, and is an audience pleaser. Her choice of the "Twist", and oldie "The Tennessee Waltz", brought strong applause by the audience. Marleen also acknowledged herself as an avid tennis fan.

Clara Edwardson thanked Marleen, and mentioned how fortunate we are to have such amazing talent in our county.

Doug Grenkie made the two draws - the large Canadian Flag, won by Dr. Gerry Rosenquist, and the jewelry gifted by Pommier Jewellers, was won by Muriel Carruthers, who had had a recent winning ticket and so offered it back for redraw. It was then won by Huguette Burns.

Eleanor Allison then accompanied the singing of "O Canada". President Steve Caza thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting.

The list of speakers for the 2022/2023 season:

September 21, 2022: Dr Garry Willard - Surgeon, Canadian Doctor, served in Vietnam War, has written a book, "Into the Jaws of the Dragon".

October 19, 2022: Maggie Wheeler;

November 16,2022: David Ross, CEO of Ross Video;

March 15, 2023: Senator Bernadette Clement;

April 19, 2023: Cholly Boland, CEO of WDMH;

May 17, 2023: John Foster, Canada, Oil, and World Politics.

Dr. Darrell Lewis joins WDMH Ophthalmology Team

graduate medical training at the University of Ottawa. He completed an Ophthalmology residency at Dalhousie University where he was awarded first prize for surgical skills. He also completed fellowship training at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne Australia.

Annual Fill-a-Bag Food Drive resounding success

Twenty thousand pounds of non-perishable food was collected from Dundas and Stormont Counties. The generosity of the people in the communities served by Community Food Share will ensure that none of our neighbours will go hungry this summer.

Thanks go to the many volunteers and student volunteers, members of the Board, and Food Share staff for preparing the bags, distributing them on May 7, picking them up on the 14th, and then helping with the weighing and sorting at both our food banks and warehouse.

Special thanks to Upper Canada Creamery and the Biemond family, and to Peter VanKessel for the loan of trailers, and to BroadGrain Commodities, Vanden Bosch Elevators, and Winchester Grain Elevator for weighing our loads.

And thanks to you -- the residents of Dundas and Stormont Counties, who generously supported our food drive.

Tid Bit Musings

By Elva Patterson Rutters RSSW

Life is busy and gets busier as each season approaches. We need to take time to enjoy the colors that surround us as they pass ever so quickly. Even the pristine white snow glistens when ice on trees, and the seasonal progression of spring/summer flowers change colors before our eyes soon metamorphose into the next season.

Sometimes we need to provide opportunities for others just because we have the capabilities. This is beyond someone with visual impairments but folks who have not had opportunities. My 80-some brother had the recent opportunity to fish on Lake Ontario compliments of a neighbour who learned he had never gone fishing. You should have seen his eyes light up as he related the experience!

You can do similar kind acts for others on your own accord. Together we, you and I can make this a happier world by just thinking outside the box! Go for it!

Catch the Ace is back in Russell

by the Kin Club of Russell

After another $120,000.00 was recently donated to local charities, our Kin Club of Russell’s “Catch the Ace” lottery is back! This popular local charity has been approved for its 5th licence (RAF1246067)! Online ticket sales are open now, paper tickets are also on sale, with the first draw to be held Sunday, June 26 at 3:15 PM. We are so excited to be back!

Bend so you don’t break

Getting older takes a toll. Weakening bones, increasing aches and pains, and failing balance, flexibility and strength can make the body feel like worn-out baggage. But there’s a curious truth in an ancient Hindu text that states, “Everyone else is conquered by the body, but the body is conquered by yogis.”

For centuries, yoga has been practiced by people all over the world for religious, spiritual rehabilitation, or fitness reasons. The older set may see the neighbourhood yoga studio as a place for the young and nimble, but there is ample evidence that aging seniors benefit physically and mentally from instruction in the “sun salutation”, “tree pose”, or amusingly named positions like the “chair pigeon”, or “cat-cow pose”.

Yoga combines movement (asana) and breathwork (pranayama). The beneficial effects of yoga include relief from back pain, eased arthritis symptoms, better sleep, and improved mood. Regular yoga practice also promotes social connectivity and improved self-care.

Yoga stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system – the “rest and digest” mechanism of the body – reducing heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. Studies show decreases in blood glucose, cholesterol and sodium and increases in oxytocin. Yoga is effective in building strength, mobility and flexibility and aids in weight management and posture. Improved balance and functional movement are major benefits for seniors at risk of falling.

These physiological benefits have led to the incorporation of yoga into the treatment of many chronic health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and chronic pain.

While many people initially look to yoga for physical health benefits, there are important psycho-spiritual perks as well. As a mindful practice, yoga increases concentration, memory, and attention. Hostility, anxiety, and depression are reduced. Instead, improvements in outlook and general self-acceptance arise. Breathwork patterns common to yoga practice are energizing and often used to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

Dr. Kirsten Blokland, a developmental psychologist and certified yoga teacher, states, “Synchronizing movement with breath can impart a feeling of coherence and integration – something that is so needed in our society, where many people report feeling fragmented and unsettled because of the hectic pace of our lives.”

Welcome to Dr. Darrell Lewis who has joined the Ophthalmology team at Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH).

Ophthalmologists are specialists who handle all the medical aspects of eye care, including treatment and surgery. Dr. Lewis specializes in Cornea, Anterior Segment, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery.

Dr. Lewis has a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo and did his under-

Dr. Lewis say Winchester feels like home to him: “I'm from Collingwood Ontario and Winchester reminds me of home. I like the community atmosphere and knowing that I'm helping to make a difference for the community.”

Dr. Lewis sees patients in Winchester in the Ambulatory Care (Outpatient) Unit. A referral is required from a patient’s family doctor or another specialist.

Welcome Dr. Lewis!

Our six worthy charities approved for this lottery are: Good Neighbours Food Bank (Township of Russell), Kin Club of Russell’s Storage Centre For Local Service Clubs and Charities, Osgoode Care Centre, Valoris Foundation, Victoria’s Quilts Canada and WDMH Foundation. Please select a charity when you are purchasing your tickets online; the individual charity you select will receive a portion of the sale (this does not impact your winnings, prizes or jackpot).

Please make sure you thank these retailers as they are assisting us raise important funds for the community… free of charge!

For further details, please visit our updated website: kinclubofrussell.ca, or the Kin Club of Russell’s Facebook page. The website and Facebook page are updated on a regular basis.

For technical assistance in purchasing tickets, please contact us via email at russellkinhelpdesk@gmail.com.

For all other inquiries, please contact us via email at kinclubofrussell@gmail.com.

Thank you everyone for your very generous support of this project!

Dr. Blokland is part of a growing community of yoga specialists focusing on restorative yoga to assist with the healing process in response to significant medical challenges. Where do you start if you can’t touch your toes? It’s unfortunate if yoga conjures ideas of pretzel-like contortions. To the contrary, yoga can be enjoyed by even those with limited mobility. Chair yoga, a style of yoga performed in a seated position is a suitable starting point for people having difficulties getting from standing to seated on the floor repeatedly. Sitting down lowers the centre of gravity, protects hip and knee joints from weight-bearing and eliminates the need to rely on the shoulders and wrists for support. With the added stability of a chair, participants can concentrate more deeply on breathing and poses.

There is also added accessibility of seated yoga. Everybody has access to a chair. Chair yoga can be done in the kitchen, in the office, or anywhere there is a place to sit. Chair yoga can be just as beneficial as other forms of practice, such as on a traditional yoga mat.

“Chair/modified poses are in many ways just as beneficial as traditional asana poses – particularly when we consider that the benefits exist not just in the physical domain, but also in the psychological and spiritual domains,” says Dr. Blokland.

As the body ages, take this advice to “bend so you don’t break.” Give it a try under the guidance of a trained instructor.

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For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones

Fertilizer - Seed - Crop Protection

OFA identifies opportunities for economic growth

munities:

by Paul Maurice, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

We’re now into the final weeks of the provincial election, and Election Day will soon be upon us. Many Ontarians have already had a chance to engage with candidates to talk about the key issues and how their parties would address them.

That’s what the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has been actively doing. Even before the election began, we’d been taking time to meet with candidates from all the major parties to talk about the election priorities of Ontario’s farmers and rural communities. It provided us with an opportunity to voice our concerns and thoughts on agriculture and create increased awareness about the economic benefits that we bring to the province.

We made a particular effort to connect with candidates in urban ridings because it’s our belief that building prosperity in rural Ontario brings prosperity to all regions of the province. That’s the perspective I brought to the table when I, along with some of my fellow farmers, was able to sit down with candidates from various urban ridings in the months leading up to the election and have valuable conversations about the issues that matter most.

Investing in rural com-

Those of us who live in rural Ontario have long known about the disparities in infrastructure and services across the province, and the pandemic has only served to magnify those differences. From farmers to our diverse food processing industry, the agri-food sector is a vital contributor to the provincial economy, supporting over 860,400 jobs and more than $47 billion in GDP annually. And throughout the pandemic, this sector worked tirelessly to ensure our domestic food supply chain remained viable with fully stocked shelves in grocery stores, at farmers’ markets and with wholesale providers.

We know that agriculture will be a leading driver of Ontario’s economic recovery, but to keep the sector profitable and productive, we need strong and vibrant communities with the infrastructure to support growth.

Ontario’s rural economy relies on properly constructed and maintained roads, bridges, and proper drainage to support the growth and transportation of goods and services. That’s why we need investments into the critical infrastructure that will attract new families and businesses to rural communities: roads, bridges, affordable energy, high-speed internet, schools, hospitals, and community supports like childcare.

Many rural regions of the province don’t have access to natural gas, a service most urban Ontarians take for granted. This translates into energy costs that are from 30 to 100% higher in rural, remote and northern communities – and if natural gas were available across

the province, farmers, local businesses, and rural residents would save over $1 billion a year in energy costs.

It took a pandemic to bring deficiencies in highspeed internet coverage into the spotlight. High prices and unreliable service put everyone at a disadvantage when schools, offices, services and even a lot of our regular shopping were forced to move online. Fast, reliable broadband is a necessity in today’s world, and without it, rural Ontario can’t keep up with the rest of the province.

Two other key elements in attracting people to rural communities – and keeping them there – are schools and hospitals. Quality education and health care as part of community hubs provide

reasons for families and businesses to look to rural Ontario as an affordable, ideal place to work, live and invest.

Creating opportunities for youth:

A topic that we heard about a lot in our meetings with candidates was creating opportunities for youth so they can build lives and careers in their communities. We know there are employment opportunities in the agriculture sector and in rural Ontario – in fact, there is currently a shortage of 29,000 workers and growing – so more needs to be done to promote agricultural programs and careers to our young people.

That means prioritizing skills development and training throughout the value

chain to help make it easier for employers to find, train and retain the workers they need, as well as improved policies and strategies to draw attention to the opportunities in the agri-food sector. Labour is a key part of what we call supply chain resilience – the ability of the agri-food industry to keep Ontarians fed even during challenging circumstances. Without enough workers, that resilience becomes increasingly precarious and leaves us dependent on others to produce our food.

So, it’s critical that Ontario’s policies and regulations ensure stability and prosperity in all aspects of the agri-food supply chain, from field-to-fork.

SNC, RRCA supporting National Nurses Week at Winchester District Memorial Hospital

cally from the Ferguson Forest Centre in Kemptville and were purchased by SNC through funds raised from 2021 fundraising campaigns and with support from the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation.

This year South Nation Conservation (SNC) is once again on path to plant a record number of native trees and shrubs across its 4,441km2 jurisdiction this spring. In support of National Nurses Week, SNC said thank you by

donating over 1,200 seedlings to frontline healthcare staff at the Glengarry Memorial Hospital, Winchester District Memorial Hospital, and the Cornwall Community Hospital. Donated White Spruce seedlings were sourced lo-

“We want to show our appreciation and support for the frontline healthcare workers in our communities who have been working tirelessly throughout this Pandemic,” said John Mesman, SNC’s Community Lands and Outreach Lead. “Trees are resilient, like us. And we hope that newly planted trees will inspire others and provide some hope for the future.”

2022 Discover Guide includes fresh, new look

Toronto. The balance of the guides will be provided to local businesses and attractions as we market SDG to visitors and staycationers alike.

The cover of the guide features the massed bands of the Glengarry Highland Games – one of the hallmark summertime events in our region which makes its return this summer following two years of COVID-related closures.

New equipment will support greater care at WDMH

semble and clean, supporting staff and saving time. The total cost of this project was $97,652.

Taylor’d Safety Services Inc.

The first of 40,000 2022 SDG Discover Guides are being delivered to select businesses and tourism attractions in our region and beyond.

The new-look guide, featuring updated imagery of breathtaking local scenes and amenities, as well as smiling SDG residents, will flood the regional market with an array of events, attractions and businesses that make the United Counties an attractive place to visit.

Half of the guides will be delivered to hotels, campgrounds, En Routes and other locales along the 401 corridor, between our region and

“We are forecasting a busy tourism season in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry,” said SDG Tourism Coordinator Karina Belanger. “Our newlook guide is a one-stop shop for visitors and staycationers looking to enjoy everything from local fairs, cycling trails and fishing holes to bed and breakfasts and beaches.”

To secure a copy of the Discover Guide, visit any of a number of tourist attractions in our region, or reach out to us directly at whereontariobegan.ca.

by

Jane Adams Surgeons at Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH) were among the first in our region to perform laparoscopic surgery. And now they have brand-new equipment to support their work.

Because of our generous donors, the WDMH Foundation was able to fund the purchase of ten new Laparoscopic Trays. Each tray holds between 8 and 10 instruments for surgery, such as scissors, graspers, and suctions. A second tray holds the trocars, or tubes, that the instruments travel through. The newer instruments are easier to as-

Laparoscopic surgery is now considered a ‘standard of care’ for many medical conditions. It is minimally invasive and has been shown to reduce blood loss, decrease pain after surgery, and lead to faster recovery. Operating Team Leader, Joanne Pollock, says the new trays will support compassionate excellence at WDMH.

“We have been thrilled to have been able to update our Laparoscopic General Surgery Trays. Some of our laparoscopic instruments were quite dated, and this money could not have come at a better time – thank you. We were having to send our instruments out for repair, and in a lot of cases, the instruments were unrepairable.”

“WDMH surgeons tell us that these trays are used almost every day in the Operating Rooms, and without them, some surgeries couldn’t happen,”, adds WDMH Foundation Managing Director,

Kristen Casselman.

A picture is worth a thousand words: or how about $363,648.85! Because of our generous donors, the WDMH Foundation was able to purchase new X-ray equipment. This remarkable tool allows us to see inside the body, without the need for surgery. Having an X-ray machine is the standard of care for every hospital, including here at WDMH.

The new technology produces clear, concise, top-quality images, helping doctors

make a diagnosis and exposing patients to a lower dose of radiation. The advanced design is also more flexible, making it more comfortable for patients and less staining for staff.

“Every year, about 17,000 X-rays are taken at WDMH – with over 10,000 patients having one done in the last three years alone!” notes Kristen. “We are incredibly grateful to all of our donors who have helped to bring the latest x-ray technology to WDMH.”

Serving North Grenville, North Dundas and surrounding areas

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James Taylor, General Manager 613•797•3032

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Docksteader, Carl Wilson

December 12, 1929 - May 24, 2022

Longtime resident of Winchester Township, Carl passed peacefully at the Orchardview Residence in Almonte.

Respected as an entrepreneur, Carl was known far and wide for his kindness and good humour. With a reputation for fairness in business, he was always ready to make a deal or lend a hand. His multiple business successes included the 31 Inn Motel and Restaurant, Docksteader Brothers Limited (school buses and auto sales), construction, and multiple rental properties.

Predeceased by the love of his life, Joy Relyea Docksteader, dear sisters Lillis Patterson and Audrey Last, and brother and business partner, Glenn Docksteader.

Carl was known for his deep faith in God and his love for his Lord Jesus, a faith that he lived out every day in his family, his work, and his community.

The other morning, still clad in my PJ's, and sitting out on a very sunny warm deck, I was able to get some pictures of Bluebirds checking out my nesting boxes, and a new comer, singing its heart out at the top of a neighbor's tree, a Warbling Vireo. What a lovely bird, but quite hard to see without a zoom lens, or binoculars. It was the song that first drew my attention to it, or them, as it appeared that there were at least two or three initially.

At first I thought it was the House Wren, who sings away at the top of the garden trying to attract a mate to one of my nesting boxes, but there was a different tone to the song this time and it had a different body shape and a whitish blip of coloring to it, as it flew. Once sighted on its tree top perch, my camera lens did the rest for me, and a look into my bird guide books allowed me to identify who this new visitor was. A new one for me, and a very satisfying spot, as was the one of an overflying Heron this morning too.

The Cardinals and Robins are singing away, as the days start to warm up and the familiar whirring of the Hummingbirds wings can be heard as they compete with each other for their right to get a drink from the feeder. Of course, now that the flowers are starting to bloom, they have more choice as to where and when they can feed without interruption! They do seem to like a last evening drink at the feeder before calling it quits and retiring for the night, which is probably something you like to do too!

Stay safe and well, Cheers,

Dundas County Hospice has been providing end of life support to families in Dundas County for 30 years. If you live in Dundas County and have an interest in end of life support, then we need you to join our Board to help guide our future.

If you are in-terested in becoming a Board Member, please contact the Dundas County Hospice by phone at 613-5352215, email: info@dundascountyhospice.ca, or by mail at: Dundas County Hospice 4353 County Rd 31, PO Box 278, Williamsburg, ON K0C 2H0 Attn: Board of Directors. Those indicating an interest will be provided with an application form for submission and review.

Survived by his children Linda MacIntosh (Malcolm), Karen Bowley (Norm), Robyn English (Paul), Ron Docksteader (Paula), Dawn Doyle (Colin), and Randy Docksteader (Lorie), he was a proud grandfather to 21 grandchildren and great-grandfather to 32 great-grandchildren.

The family is grateful for the kindnesses of sta at the Orchardview, as well as the friendship of dear Isabel Smith, of Winchester.

Friends and family may visit at the Winchester Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, 472 Main Street East, Winchester on Friday, June 3, 2022 from 6pm to 8pm and on Saturday June 4, 2022 at Harmony Community Church,12010 Ormond Road, Winchester from 10am until time of service at 11am. Donations in lieu of owers to a charity of your choice.

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Psalm 1:3

A Warbling Vireo, seen on a neighbour’s tree