Issue 11 2021 March 24 NG Times by The North Grenville & North Dundas Times

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Vol. 9 No. 11

The Voice of North Grenville

March 24, 2021

Local BIA graced with early visit from the Easter Bunny

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Now that Van-Turken has had her day, there’s a new kid in town. She was at the Rotary Park this past weekend up to her old tricks. None other than the Easter Bunny was spotted by the North Grenville Times who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this elusive icon giving Fran Thompson a hug! Better get the kids ready, there are eggs out there somewhere! "Starting March 27th at 9am, ﬁnd the Easter egg posters posted in the windows of selected businesses in Downtown Kemptville. Write the names of the businesses on a special form that you can pick up at the North Grenville Public Library or the Bodhi Tree Yoga Centre. Once completed, bring the form to the library by 2pm on Tuesday April 6th to be entered into a draw for a children's gift basket with gifts donated by BIA businesses."

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"Enter our Easter Egg Parade by creating your very own Easter Eggs using any materials you want. Challenge your neighbours co-workers or family members to win prizes and bragging rights. Any North Grenville business can enter too! Once you're eggs have been made, to register and drop them oﬀ (with something to stand them up), visit the BIA oﬃce at 28 Prescott Street (Bodhi Tree Yoga Centre) Friday April 2nd from 7pm9pm or Saturday April 3rd from 9am-11am. Starting at noon on Saturday April 3rd, drive, walk, cycle or hop to Downtown Kemptville and choose your favourites!"

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The Voice of North Grenville

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Spring is in the air – and that means spring cleaning! If you have an old or unwanted car or truck sitting in your driveway or garage, we can help! Donate your vehicle to the Winchester District Memorial Hospital Foundation (WDMH) and receive an oﬃcial income

tor, WDMH Foundation. “The process is simple and it’s a win-win for everyone. Thank you to everyone who has cleaned out their garage for us!” HospitalCars.ca will pick up your vehicle free of charge. For more information or to request a quote for the value of your vehicle, call 613-706-0482 or visit https://hospitalcars.ca/ winchester to access the online form.

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Social gatherings can have deadly consequences.

tax receipt. Your donation will go to supporting local health care. The WDMH Foundation partners with HospitalCars.ca. It accepts vehicle donations on the Foundation’s behalf. The vehicles are recycled or sold at auction. Donors receive a tax receipt, and the Foundation receives a donation. “Since the program started, the Foundation has received close to $9,000 from this unique program,” says Kristen Casselman, Managing Direc-

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The North Grenville Times

Stress Relief Centre relocates to down town core

Mayor Nancy Peckford, Megan Cumming, CEO of the Kemptville Stress Relief Centre and Deputy Mayor Jim McManaman The Kemptville Stress Relief Centre (KSRC) is the newest local business to be welcomed to the growing Old Town Kemptville Business Improvement Association (BIA) family. The Board of Management of BIA welcomed KSRC as it oﬃcially opened its new location on Saturday, March 20. Having recently relocated to 28 Clothier Street East, the

KSRC is part of the growing sector of health and wellness businesses that have chosen Downtown Kemptville as their home. This trend symbolizes not only the need and demand for these products and services, but also that locating your business downtown is considered a smart ﬁnancial decision. With the ongoing negative impact to our collective

mental health caused by the pandemic, demand for mental health services has increased dramatically. KSRC has a full team of qualified, compassionate mental health professionals who have been able to satisfy that demand through the creation of a welcoming, safe and inclusive space for those who are struggling. Their full suite of services, including relief from stress & anxiety, trauma therapy and couples counselling, are also oﬀered virtually. “I am so pleased to have our business be a part of the Downtown once again. We thank the BIA for the warm welcome, and look forward to supporting this incredible community from the heart of Kemptville”. Meagan Cumming - CEO – Kemptville Stress Relief Centre. “We’re excited to welcome this well-established and distinguished psychotherapy and counselling service provider to our Old Town Kemptville BIA family. Meagan and her team have

already demonstrated their commitment to Downtown Kemptville through their considerable community volunteer eﬀorts. We look forward to their continued success in both serving the needs of their clients and helping us build a bright future for the downtown”. Debbie Wilson – Board Chair - Old Town Kemptville BIA. While COVID restrictions are in eﬀect, services are provided through phone and video. The centre says once in-person services resume, clients can access counselling and psychotherapy in person through Smiths Falls or the Kemptville centre, as well as virtually. For more information about the KSRC or to book an appointment, follow their Facebook page Kemptville Stress Relief Centre, visit their website www. ksrc.ca, email them at info@ ksrc.ca or call them at 613701-7574.

Solar Geoengineering is like pulling the goalie by Ralph C. Martin During the financial crisis of 2008, I first heard about the possibility of solar geoengineering i.e. planes spraying sulphate particles high in the atmosphere to reflect sunlight back to space. I had invited Gwynne Dyer, an author and historian, to speak in Truro, NS. He stunned many of us by saying that politicians would delay addressing climate change until solar geoengineering was the only option left. When I contemplate too long about what we might have done from 2008 until now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), contrasted with the paucity of political action in that time, I have to slap my forehead and utter "Ugh." It's like a highly rated hockey team frittering away their final series until they are down a goal in the last minute, of the last period, in the last game, and then pulling their goalie, to gain more offence. The desperate effort could backfire and seal their demise. Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels were 385 parts per million (ppm) in 2008, but are now beyond 415 ppm, too far north of the 350 ppm needed to restore climate stability. We're nearing the end of the third period. March 24, 2021

Policies are urgently needed to reduce GHGs by at least 7% each year from now to 2030 and beyond. In 2020, it appeared that a 7% reduction could be attributed to COVID-19. Now that we know it is possible, we need political will to decrease GHGs another 7% in 2021 and another 7% in 2022 and so on. Regardless of lower emissions in 2020, it was the hottest year on record, along with 2016 (https://bit.ly/3sqJ0Fz). Think of GHGs going into an almost full bathtub. If the inﬂow (GHG emissions) declines by 7%, there are still too many GHGs in the bathtub that is too slowly draining (e.g. sequestration of carbon by trees and forage crops). That is why more incentives are needed for farmers and foresters to sequester more carbon, and for industries and citizens to emit fewer GHGs every year. Our habit of pouring CO2 into the atmosphere means that oceans will absorb some of that CO2, and keep acidifying. Reﬂecting light back into space from sulfur dioxide would still allow CO2 buildup and thus put marine life under stress. Sulfur dioxide also might delay ozone regeneration in the stratosphere. "Blocking the sun could

come with a host of other issues from negative impacts on crop productivity and shifts in rainfall" (https:// bit.ly/3bE3DYZ). Furthermore, having started solar geoengineering, we may be committed, because to stop would be to allow too much solar radiation through, too abruptly. "Sulphate particles would not stay aloft for more than a couple of years …The Asian monsoon, on which 2 billion people depend for their food crops, might shut down" (https://bit.ly/39zEUCu). How will soils, crops, forests and water bodies respond to continuously descending sulphate? Will this research tempt politicians to dither about reducing GHGs even more than they already are? Who should decide, and on what authority, if and when to start solar geoengineering, with given speciﬁcations? Recent research is suggesting solar geoengineering may not have substantial negative consequences (http:// dx.doi.org/10.1088/17489326/ab76de). The researchers suggest lower levels of solar geoengineering than originally proposed, might work. We only have one planet. Models, while helpful, are

inexact. Do we want to risk this one planet, with a potentially dangerous ongoing global intervention, based on models? A well-known philosopher, Yogi Berra, said "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." In practice, our planet experiences increasing intensities of hurricanes, ﬂoods, droughts and ﬁres. We also still have the practical option to reduce GHGs every year. Let's get on with it, before the end of the third period. Ralph C. Martin, Ph.D., Professor (retired), University of Guelph. Author of Food Security: From Excess to Enough at www.ralphmartin. ca

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Editorial

Why not? by Lorraine Rekman If you are like me, you get annoyed whenever you are on a zoom meeting and your screen freezes, or you are on a call that gets dropped and the person is only a few farm ﬁelds away from you. It’s at moments like these when you really wish your highspeed internet was really high speed, and not just an itemized thing on your internet bill. Bell Canada has plans for expanding telecommunications in rural areas and is eyeing up the government’s $1.75 billion Universal Broadband Fund to ﬁnance costs that Bell might incur while building new infrastructure. Bell has been on the hunt securing the support of municipalities for its application to access these dollars, which rightfully belong to Canadian taxpayers. Of course, everyone wants highspeed internet right? But, the question is begged here, about who owns it and

The North Grenville Times

who is going to pay for it. It seems to me, if Bell gets this grant, we are going to have to pay for this infrastructure twice, once to build it, and then again when we use it. Now, this isn’t the ﬁrst time that Bell has gone cap in hand looking for money from the Canadian government. Remember the most recent debacle of Bell securing $122 million to pay its employees with the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, after earning only $23.96 billion in revenue last year? Bell Canada is planning to spend between $1 billion to $1.2 billion on its broadband network over the next 2 years. They made this announcement at the same time they released the news of a 28% increase in net revenue for the ﬁrst quarter last year ($932 million). The CEO of Bell has stated, “These initiatives reflect our commitment to lead the buildout of Canada’s next-generation digital infrastructure while also delivering increased dividend returns to the

The Voice of North Grenville

shareholders who have invested in Bell’s strategy of broadband innovation and growth.” After all, that is exactly the purpose of a corporation, which is to generate a profit for its shareholders. We all understand government’s efforts to support infrastructure and bail out failing industries, especially when jobs are at risk. We watched a $13.7-billion injection of Canadian taxpayer money into the auto sector after the 2009 global financial meltdown. In 2018, GM surprised us all when they announced they were closing their Oshawa plant, leaving 2500 people out of work, and an unpaid loan behind. CBC news reported that the Finance Minister, Bill Morneau, quietly authorized a loan write-off which may have been related to the 2009 bailout of GM and Chrysler. We are watching a growing trend in public investment and a growing trend in declining private sector investment in Canada. We know generally that

there is a ton of capital out there in the private sector, and we are challenged with ways on how to shake it loose. When Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney left the building, he told us that corporate Canada was sitting on mountains of dead money that could be feeding economic growth. It’s estimated that this capital is worth about $600 billion, or 32% of Canada’s GDP. So, with all this “dead” money sitting out there, we have to wonder why the public purse is the only option to finance corporate infrastructure. In this case, the infrastructure will belong to Bell, and they will be charging us to use it. Essentially, we are contributing public money to privatize assets. This is one of those private public partnerships (P3s) that magniﬁes some of the big societal questions for us. Internet access is essential. Is it the responsibility of the state to ensure citizens have essential services, or is it the responsibility of the private sector?

Do Canadians support state run utilities, or should this be left in the hands of the corporate world? If we support state-run utilities, are we prepared to fully ﬁnance them? Would it be a better option for us to build our own infrastructure, rather than buy assets for a private corporation? As we grapple with these questions, we continue to prop up a capitalist system with our social dollars. The Canadian Council for Public Private Partnerships conducted an analyses of various P3s and concluded a few important things; one is that when the public sector and the private sector get together, they have conﬂicting goals and objectives. The public sector wants affordable services paid for with their tax dollars, and the private

sector wants profits and revenue from user fees. The second major conclusion was that any beneﬁts of P3s are overshadowed by higher costs. These projects result in added user fees that extend far beyond any tax burden. In summary, Bell wants to use our money to build its broadband network, and then charge us again to use it. Why not? That is what P3s are all about

information about the vaccine (Pﬁzer) and asked us to wait 15 minutes before leaving . We were handed a red card to place on the chair when we left to show that the chair was vacant and ready to be cleaned and prepared for the next person. On the way out, we stopped at a desk to get an appointment for our second shot. The whole process took approximately 30 minutes. As a senior with some mobility issues, I was very concerned that going to what is often called a mass vaccination centre for our vaccinations would involve long line-ups as we have seen on television. Whoever came up with the idea of the rolling carts coming to us instead of us having to stand and wait our turn was brilliant. I congratulate our local health unit for their well organized vaccination procedures, and the caring volunteers who were there to direct and assist us. Shirley Price, Kemptville

Dear Editor, I would like to give a shout out to all those involved in the delivery of Covid 19 vaccinations at the Municipal Centre. I received my ‘shot’ last week and was impressed with the organization of the procedure which allowed a whole lot of residents to be taken care of at one time. The hall was arranged with lines of well spaced chairs and you were assigned a seat; one of the many “injectors” approached, checked identity again and explained the process before administering the vaccine; a wait of 15 minutes to make sure of no problems and you were on your way out with an appoint-

ment for the 2nd dose. Chairs sanitized and ready for next person. Process complete in 25 minutes. Well done to all concerned. Gillian Starling

been treated with respect and encouraged to work safely, by offering both in person and online training site. From our experience, the clergy have tried so hard to improve things, working conditions, areas of work and services provided, and rewarding volunteers for their effort. With the COVID pandemic, it has been increasingly difficult but they have risen to the challenge. The current Thrift Store is such an improvement from where it began at the church, then the move to Asa St., and now to the old Giant Tiger site.

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

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, I just read the article in your newspaper about the Poet's Bench being installed in Cenotaph Park in Merrickville. One day I hope I will sit on that bench and write a poem. Sincerely, Garth Ukrainetz Poet Laureate of the Blackmud Creek Dear Editor, I'd like to thank Mr Fry for his recent letter which has spurred me into action. I have launched Kemptville Environmental Group on Facebook to act as a forum for discussion on what we can do locally to tackle the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis and other environmental issues. Steve Gabell Dear Editor, Kudos to the Leeds Grenville Lanark Health Unit! A week ago, I had a phone call

from my doctor's office to say that they were making appointments for their over 80 patients to receive the Covid-19 vaccination, and appointments were scheduled for both my husband and myself on March 11 at 3:10 pm. We were asked to arrive as close to the scheduled time as possible. We parked and left the car at 3:05. When we entered, we were asked to exchange our face masks for one provided by the Health Unit and within a very few minutes, were ushered to the registration desk to show our health cards and answer a few questions. Rather than the vaccination centre tables I had seen on television, chairs had been placed throughout the room, socially distant from each other of course. We were ushered to our chairs and a few minutes later, a nurse arrived pushing a rolling table and gave us our vaccine injections, my husband and then myself. She gave us

The North Grenville Times is published weekly by North Grenville Times Inc. Marketing Gord J. Logan gord@ngtimes.ca 613-258-6402 March 24, 2021

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ISSN 2291-0301 www.ngtimes.ca

TIMES

OFFICE 613-215-0735 Accounting Pat Jessop cfo@ngtimes.ca 613-258-4671

Editor Lorraine Rekman editor@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735

Dear Editor, In response to the Times article regarding a letter from unnamed individuals regarding their experience of volunteering with the local Salvation Army, we would like to share our experience with the organization. In the 8 years we have volunteered with the Kemptville Salvation Army, with the current pastors and permanent personnel, it has been outstanding. We have always

letters cont'd on page 5

Mailing Address P.O. Box 1854 Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Staﬀ Reporter Hilary Thomson hilary@ngtimes.ca

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The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Letters cont'd The current Thrift Store has received so many compliments; the professional set up and decor. It was truly a remarkable transition, all thanks to the current pastors, managers and hard working volunteers. For those who have felt slighted or not valued during all the major changes, location, procedure, process and COVID requirements, we understand that change is diﬃcult. We encourage you to come forward and discuss your issues in person rather than an unsigned letter to the editor. Nothing is ever perfect but that doesn’t mean we can’t strive for better. That is exactly what the Salvation Army is trying to do and all of it accomplished by a tremen-

dous amount of hard work by the Pastors, their staﬀ, all the dedicated volunteers. Janet and Marc Cote Dear Editor, I found the open letter to Premier Doug Ford by Rodger Parnell very interesting and am most inclined to agree. It seems to be very much in sync with a letter I recently sent about the opinions of two associate professors in two Ottawa Universities. Mr. Parnell states that the current system falls short of meeting full Charter rights! Also of great mention is “to restoring the integrity of our Justice system itself”. Personally, I cannot imagine “being put in a small concrete cell behind locked steel-bar

doors, with bare minimum furnishing and no privacy or television”. Mental torture? Also news to me is that the author states that the “site” is on un-ceded territory, to which the Algonquin Nation claim title. Neither have I seen a hospital with coiled barbed wire protruding above its roof line! This vision is not heartwarming. Sincere thanks for this letter. It is greatly appreciated. Kath Piché

in 1896. The oil companies themselves first acknowledged climate change in the 1970s in internal documents. There is overwhelming consensus in the scientiﬁc community that human activity is increasing global temperature, and NASA reports that since records began in 1880, 19 of the warmest years have been since 2000. The debate is not whether climate change is real or not, the debate is what actions can

Dear Editor, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read on Friday, March 19 that the Conservatives were debating if climate change is real. The warming eﬀects of CO2 were ﬁrst discovered by Arrhenius

March 24, 2021

high. And, so hope the holders of “authority”, the putative dull-witted populace has slept the problem oﬀ and now has only the scarcest memory of it. Methinks they may err in that judgement. Owing to the steady work of the two local jail opposition groups (JOG and CAPP) which are active, pressure has been brought to bear on the municipal council and the province. While the ‘authorities’ gleefully hide in Covid land, it is still possible for concerned residents to attempt to register their views. In fact, a ZOOM meeting on the subject of the jail is being scheduled by the municipality. So, what questions might be asked at that meeting? Last autumn, unlike Facebook from which I have been banned since November for posting anti-jail articles, the Times was kind enough to publish several of my articles on this subject, written since August 29. Some of the questions I brought forward in that series follow for your information: 1. Why did our provincial MPP not see ﬁt to consult the residents (voters) of North Grenville before initiating this momentous jail project? 2. Why did our municipal Council not stand up to the insulting and disrespectful treatment not only of our residents, but of themselves as well? 3.Why did it not occur to Mr. Clark and Mr. Ford that real consultation is basic to democratic practice and it doesn’t happen genuinely after a decision is taken. Real, sincere consultation takes place during the decisionmaking process.

to a reduction in emissions of around 7%. We need a war-like mobilization of society to deploy renewable energy, reduce energy demand, and increase CO2 captured by trees, and we need it now. What we do not need is for one of the major political parties to still be debating the reality of climate change. Steve Gabell Founder, Kemptville Environmental Group

UPDATE For updates related to COVID-19 and the North Grenville Municipal Centre visit: www.northgrenville.ca/coronavirus The Municipal Centre is open to the public Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Politicians rely on social licensethe people need to be heard by Jim Bertram A brilliant man, initials W.S., once wrote :“...but man, proud man, drest in a little brief authority, most ignorant of what he’s most assured, plays...tricks before high heaven as make the angels weep.” To some, since it was written hundreds of years ago, such words are now devoid of meaning. And yet, those words are given meaning by “authority” at various levels of government on a quite regular basis. And sometimes relating to subjects concerning the welfare of considerable numbers of people. Government authority must, of course be used to making decisions, hopefully well-informed and useful ones. In a theoretically democratic society, much valuable information for the nourishment of the decision-making process should necessarily be taken from the people who must live with the decisions made by government. Even so, when optimistically asked by the editor of this newspaper last autumn about the role of local residents in determining the finality of the decision to impose a jail on the town of Kemptville, a town with an urban footprint scarcely exceeding 4000, our very influential MPP who holds a ministerial portfolio responded that the provincial ‘authority’ had the sole discretion to decide in that matter. Hmmm. So much for the people whose voice had been so important in the recent election. As matters stand, winter has now passed since last summer’s decree from on

we take that will reduce emissions quickly enough. The planet is already 1c warmer than in 1880, and we are already seeing the eﬀects, such as heatwaves and droughts, forest fires, flooding, and hurricanes. The 2018 IPCC report states we need to reduce global emissions by 50% by 2030 and to net zero by 2050, yet we have seen very little progress. The economic shut downs caused by the covid-19 pandemic only led

COUNCIL MEETINGS

Council meetings will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Council meetings will be live streamed on YouTube commencing at 6:30 pm. To view the live stream visit: https://www.youtube.com/user/ NorthGrenville/featured.

4.Is there really likely to be a general broad-based economic benefit to this community from the proposed jail project as claimed by Mr. Clark and your Council? A significant number of Canadian and American academic studies of jails placed in small towns refute that assertion. Given the arbitrary will of the province to push the project through, will the ‘authority’ allocate funding/tax credits to accelerate that very theoretical economic growth process? Or will they continue to stress saving money for the province on this project? (Much more expensive to build in Ottawa where it’s needed.) 5.What financial support will be available from the province to reduce the impact of necessary jail-related improvements to the municipal water system, to wastewater treatment facilities, enhanced policing? This shouldn’t be a shared municipal-provincial responsibility since the jail project is a downloaded provincial project and the province has far deeper pockets than the municipality. Ultimately, will Council withhold action on this file if financial guarantees aren’t forthcoming? Or will Council continue to play the “kind and caring” card and give ground before the provincial juggernaut? 6.The brand or image of a place is an important part of the overall reputation of a town or city. What supports will the province offer to help re-build Kemptville’s image as a place attractive to tourists and thus strengthen this part of our area’s economy? Will

For any members of the public wanting to attend the meeting virtually, pre-registration is required by e-mailing clerk@northgrenville.on.ca. To make a deputation in relation to an item on the agenda, please pre-register with the Clerk’s Oﬃce at the same e-mail address. Please provide your comments no later than two hours prior to the start of the meeting. • Council Meeting – April 6, 2021

ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS Committee meetings will be conducted virtually via Zoom. For any members of the public wanting to attend the meeting virtually, pre-registration is required by e-mailing Jessica Workman at jworkman@northgrenville.on.ca Active Transportation Advisory Committee – Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 5:00 pm Environmental Action Advisory Committee – Monday, March 29, 2021 at 6:00 pm Community and Economic Development Advisory Committee – Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 2:00 pm Heritage Advisory Committee – Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 4:30 pm Community and Economic Development Advisory Committee – Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 3:00 pm Agriculture and Rural Aﬀairs Advisory Committee – Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 4:15 pm Arts and Culture Advisory Committee – Thursday April 8, 2021 at 5:00 pm

BAG TAGS

Old bag tags can be refunded or exchanged at the Municipal Centre. Bag tags are now $2.75 per tag or a bundle of 8 for $22. The Municipality is providing additional weekend oﬃce hours (9:00 am – 1:00 pm) for residents to exchange their old garbage bag tags for new ones on the following date: •

Saturday, April 10

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Visit www.northgrenville.ca/careers for more details Tourism Coordinator: Resumes must be received no later than 4:00 pm on April 2, 2021 Facilities Lead Hand: Resumes must be received no later than 4:00 pm on April 2, 2021 Parks and Trails Labourer: Resumes must be received no later than 4:00 pm on March 26, 2021 Spring/Summer Student Positions 2021: Resumes must be received no later than 4:00 pm on March 27, 2021 Board Members – Kemptville Campus: Resumes must be received no later than 4:00 pm on April 2, 2021

2021 INTERIM TAX BILLS

All 2021 Interim Tax Bills have been mailed. If you have not received your bill, please contact the Tax Collector, Karen Macpherson at 613-258-9569 ext.104 or kmacpherson@northgrenville.on.ca The installment due date is March 31, 2021. Final tax bills for all tax classes will be mailed in June. Reminder: Payments can be made by credit card when paying online through our website.

The Municipality of North Grenville

285 County Rd. 44, PO Box 130, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Tel: 613-258-9569 Fax: 613-258-9620 general@northgrenville.on.ca Building: 613-258-9569 x130 Fax: 613-258-1441 Fire Services Info: 613-258-9569 x201 Fax: 613-258-1031 By-Law Services: email: bylawinquiries@northgrenville.on.ca 613-258-9569 x211 Police Administration: 613-258-3441 Animal Control: 613-862-9002

www.NorthGrenville.ca

cont'd on page 6 5

www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times cont'd from page 5 Council loudly DEMAND this instead of walking softly and carrying NO stick. (Apologies to Teddy Roosevelt who had access to larger pieces of wood.) 7. Residents of Kemptville are outraged at the lack of respect shown to local residents and the lack of more than superﬁcial concern from the municipal Council. When will both of these levels of government deal candidly with the community they serve and put the complete jail package on the table?

8. An agenda I have seen for a meeting on the subject of the jail in Kemptville listed “significant stakeholders” as School Boards and the local Hospital. There was no entry for residents under the rubric of significant stakeholders. Why is that? Is the majority of people who will be affected by this project insignificant? Does the province and the municipality even see them as stakeholders? What measures besides grossly inadequate “ZOOM meetings” are contemplated to determine the

Call for Board Members at Kemptville Campus

ideas of residents relative to the jail? Where is the room being made for the “Voice of the People” as the Conservatives said it before the last election, which they won with the help of the votes of local residents? Finally- Is “Raw Political Power” the only important criterion in the decision-making process of our Conservative provincial government? Do the people of Kemptville intend to allow that to be the case? Or are the people still awake to this issue ?

by Lorraine Rekmans philanthropy. Applicants Karen Cooper is the new will be screened based on Chair of the Board of Di- criteria that include profesrectors for the Kemptville sional skills using a matrix Campus. She was recently that was developed in an earappointed by Mayor and lier governance study. The Council to take over the deadline for applications is helm of the Kemptville April 2 at 4 pm. Campus and lead the orgaKaren says she is exnization forward. cited and challenged by this Karen will be working opportunity. As a 20-year with the new Board to set resident of Kemptville, she direction for the future of experienced the campus the Kemptville Campus site when it was operational and is equipped with the and through its closure, and Masterplan, which was then along to the community a two-year undertaking acquisition. "I am excited to set the course for the about what it can become. ted at the World Forestry Kemptville Campus. The It's a completely new venMasterplan is a huge un- ture for North Grenville and Congress, in 2003. She has received The dertaking that will require the other partners." There is a lot of work to Rosalie Bertell Award for the development of a Strategic Plan by the Board of be done, and Karen calls it outstanding service in the field of environmental Directors. Currently the a "shoulder-to-wheel" chalhealth by the International site hosts educational and lenge. The early work of Institute of Concern for multi-use facilities, with the board will be focused representations from four heavily on developing govPublic Health. She served as the Ab- school boards (French and ernance policies and proceoriginal Affairs Critic for English), service groups, as dures. Most of this developthe Green Party of Canada well as government agen- ment will be supported by an and was a member in the cies serving the community earlier governance study that was commissioned, so much Green Party Shadow Cabi- and eastern Ontario. Karen was handed the of the groundwork will be net from 2008 until 2020. Lorraine was a three-time reins on March 18 by the available. Karen believes strong federal candidate for Leeds- Mayor and Council, and will replace the interim governance will lead to Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. She has Chairs Mayor Nancy Peck- excellent outcomes. When just completed one term as ford and Deputy Mayor Jim she was the Chair of the a board member with the McManaman who have Kemptville hospital board, Forest Stewardship Council served on the interim board the hospital received the since 2018. highest accreditation posof Canada. As the Chair, Karen will sible in the province and she Lorraine and her husband Gerry live in Kemp- be tasked with establishing attributes that to the strong tville and are thrilled to be the Board of Directors, who governance procedures that surrounded by their children will be working with her were in place to support the develop the plan for the board and staff in their work. and grandchildren. Campus. A call for Board As the new Chair, she Members has gone out to brings a strong governance The North eight positions on background to her role. Grenville Times fithell the Board. The campus Karen said her strengths Grenville CFDC: Advertising (5h 8w) - Generic 2 TD Graham + is xseeking out individuals include her very high regard is Locally Associates | 613-258-3885 with extensive experience for ethics, and a strong finanSept Owned 2018 and in business, service orga- cial acumen. She believes nizations, government, and in collaboration and though Operated

The NGTimes welcomes Lorraine Rekman as its new Editor

Lorraine Rekmans is co-owner of a small business in Kemptville and has worked in the community for the past 15 years. She is of Algonquin-French descent, and is a member of the Serpent River First Nation. As a young journalist, she worked for the Elliot Lake Standard, and later became the editor of Council Fires, and also worked for a brief period as editor of the Anishinabek News before moving into the non-proﬁt sector. She worked as executive director for the National Aboriginal Forestry As-

sociation and was involved with the National Forest Strategy as an advocate for sustainable forest management practices, and the development of non-timber forest products. Lorraine is the co-editor of This Is My Homeland, a book which captures the experiences of members of the Serpent River First Nation and the impact on their lives from uranium mining at Elliot Lake. Lorraine assisted in writing a number of international declarations including the Indigenous Peoples Declaration on Forestry, which was submit-

The Voice of North Grenville

she has strong opinions, she is willing to hear other views to support collective decision making that will be based on consensus. The Board will be hiring an Executive Director who will be dedicated specifically to work with the Board in developing the campus. Up until this point, the campus has relied heavily on Mayor, Council and municipal staff to support the campus efforts. The vision for the campus is to establish an educational and multi-purpose community hub for Eastern Ontario based on three foundational principles, which include education and learning, health and wellness, and economic development. Karen expects that community consultation will be ongoing and the campus Board will be open to suggestions. The aim is to ensure the community is satisfied with development efforts. The Board will operate at arms-length from Council and will be responsible for operations, with the Chair reporting to the Mayor and Council. Currently the Kemptville Campus Educational and Community Centre is an educational and multiuse facility with over 500 students from four school boards (French and English), service groups, as well as government agencies serving the community and eastern Ontario. For more information about the call for Board Members at Kemptville Campus visit: www.kemptvillecampus.ca

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The North Grenville Times

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The Voice of Merrickville/Wolford

Local business beneﬁts from Digital Main Street

Lisa Card, co-owner of Chaiya Home and Garden Decor municipalities through a $12 Local Journalism Initiative Reporter million DMS program over two years. Since then, the A local business is sing- program has received addiing the praises of Ontario’s tional funding from both the Digital Main Street program. Province of Ontario and the Digital Main Street Federal Government. (DMS) was ﬁrst launched in DMS provides several 2016 by the Toronto Associa- diﬀerent tools meant to help tion of Business Improvement downtown small businesses Areas to support Toronto expand their online capabilibusinesses in improving their ties. This includes a $2,500 online presence. In 2018, the Digital Transformation Grant Ontario Business Improve- to help them capitalize on ment Association (OBIA) digital avenues to promote and the Ontario Government their products and services. partnered to expand the pro- The grant program also program to include all Ontario vides funding for local govby Hilary Thomson

years. According to President of the Merrickville and District Chamber of Commerce, Robyn Griff, they are one of nine businesses in the Village to receive the grant. In 2019, Carlos and Lisa used the $2500 to hire a professional to build a website, which they didn’t have for their first four years in business. Lisa now recognizes how invaluable it is to have a website, as the vast majority of people tend to look up a store online before they decide to visit the physical location. “Everybody’s so busy, and especially where we live things tend to be a bit of a drive to get there, so you want to know that it’s going to be worthwhile,” Lisa says. When the 2020 round of applications for the Digital Transformation Grant came up at the end of last year, Lisa wasn’t going to apply. It was a visit from the local Digital Service Squad member that encouraged her to take the time to fill out an application. “She gave me a lot of support and helped me through the application process,” she says.

ernments and organizations like BIAs and Chambers of Commerce to hire a Digital Service Squad to help businesses make use of the DMS program and move their business online. In 2019, the Merrickville and District Chamber of Commerce received a $10,000 grant from DMS to hire a Digital Service Squad member to support businesses in Merrickville-Wolford. In September 2020, the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville shared in a $127,345 DMS grant to fund ﬁve Digital Service Squads to service local municipalities including Merrickville-Wolford, Athens, Elizabethtown-Kitley, Front of Yonge, Rideau Lakes and Westport; in partnership with Leeds and the Thousand Islands and Gananoque; Prescott, Augusta and Edwardsburgh Cardinal; North Grenville and Brockville. Chaiya Home and Garden Decor in Merrickville, owned by Lisa and Carlos Card, was able to make use of the Digital Transformation Grant twice over the last two

Lisa was able to submit her second application just in time for the deadline last year and received the grant earlier this year. She is using the funding to hire Smiths Fallsbased digital marketing firm, Crummy Media Solutions, to upgrade her website to make it more reflective of the business and put together a threemonth digital marketing plan. Although it is still a work in progress, Lisa believes that the investment will definitely have a positive impact on her business. According to Lisa, Digital Main Street is an invaluable program. As a small business owner in her 50s, she was intimidated by all things digital and didn’t really understand how it could help bolster her business. Part of the application process for the grant is watching several hours-worth of videos on digital marketing which she found extremely informative. “It helped me to see why it’s important. It’s not a nicety. It’s an absolute essential in this day and age.” It has been even more

Merrickville-Wolford Council decides not to change re-cycling program the Village’s recycling and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter waste diversion program. The staff report gave Recycling in Merrick- council three options to conville-Wolford is likely to sider. They could remain remain status quo until On- with their current contract tario implements the producer with Limerick Environmenresponsibility model in the tal at $45,152 a year until the province implements municipality in 2023. At the council meeting the producer responsibility of March 8, council received model; direct staff to hire a a report from staff outlining qualified external consultant their options when it comes to to obtain pricing and options increasing recycling capabili- for a new recycling program ties in the municipality. The and evaluate the benefits of report is the direct response issuing a request for proposal; to a petition of almost 200 or look for opportunities to signatures spearheaded by partner with other surroundSustainable Merrickville- ing municipalities for one Wolford, asking council to large recycling program. Mayor Doug Struthers explore ways of expanding by Hilary Thomson

March 24, 2021

fine paper, magazines and paper cup and plates in their recycling program. They also recently added a new electronics and rechargeable/ single use battery recycling program at the landfill. The Mayor believes that more education is the way to go when it comes to improving recycling outcomes in the municipality. This means not only educating residents about what can be recycled, but also how to recycle in order to ensure the products don’t end up in the landfill. “The peanut butter jar – it has to be clean,” he offered, as an example. Councillor Bob Foster

believes that the Village already has a relatively robust recycling program. The province requires municipalities to offer recycling for five basic materials: aluminum food or beverage cans, glass bottles and jars, newsprint, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles for food or beverages (like peanut butter jars and pop bottles) and steel food and beverage cans. They also require that municipalities add two supplementary categories for recycling. According to the staﬀ report, the Village goes beyond this legislated requirement to include aluminum foil, boxboard and paperboard, cardboard, 7

essential due to COVID-19 as many local businesses, including Chaiya Home and Garden Decor, have had to close their doors to the public for months. Lisa says she definitely saw an upswing in online sales during the shutdowns, which helped them stay afloat. Unlike many government programs, Lisa found everyone that she engaged with, from the Digital Service Squad member to her grant coordinator, to be extremely helpful and supportive. “They do their best to work with you and make it easy,” she says. The DMS program has given Lisa the confidence to use the digital tools available to support her businesses. Small businesses are at the heart of communities across Ontario and Lisa believes this public investment is money well spent. “In supporting small business and helping them thrive, not just survive, it’s supporting the economy,” she says.

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said that he is in favour of maintaining the current recycling contract because it is affordable. According to Manager of Operations, Brad Cole, the Township of Montague is paying Emterra Environmental $157,461 a year for their recycling program, more than triple what MerrickvilleWolford pays for Limerick Environmental’s services. “Currently the costs are under control,” he said at the meet-

ing. “Spend more money on education and look forward to the future with what the province is doing.” Deputy Mayor Michael Cameron disagreed with the Mayor and Councillor Foster, suggesting that council take a more active approach to recycling in the municipality. He said it might be a good option to task their Environmental cont'd on page 8 www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times cont'd from page 7 Advisory Committee (EAC) with creating a more comprehensive report on the subject, taking some of the pressure off staff. “I think moving in a proactive manner towards a more comprehensive study and direction for council to consider within the next 5-6 months would be an asset for us to do,” he said. Councillor Timothy Molloy voiced his support for looking at partnering with surrounding municipalities to make an expanded recycling program more effective and affordable. “I think we should be looking at option three and see what we can do with our neighbouring municipalities, and how we could coexist with them to pick up the recycling and make it worthwhile,” he said. In the end council passed a resolution to maintain the status quo while also directing staff to look at possible partnerships with surrounding municipalities to increase their recycling program. Chair of the EAC and member of Sustainable MerrickvilleWolford, Anney De Gobeo, says she is disappointed with council’s decision to stick with their current contract, but is hopeful that the Village will find a partnership with a neighbouring municipality that will allow them to expand recycling options. Anney’s main concern is there doesn’t seem to be a timeline or sense

or urgency for discovering these partnerships, as there was for staff to bring back the initial report. Anney says the EAC would be happy to help research options if that was the will of council. “That was the purpose of our committee in the first place,” she says. “To support council and staff in situations like that because we know that staff are taxed. We understand that. To me that is the point of having support of the EAC.” Anney appreciates that cost is definitely a consideration when it comes to any municipal service but she hopes that staff can work around that barrier to find a better option for recycling in the municipality. “I want to stress that let’s not drop the ball,” she says. “There is still a sense of urgency here to make something happen if possible.” the north grenville

TIMES Gord Logan

Marketing Consultant Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

The Voice of North Grenville

Residents frustrated over municipality’s treatment of advisory committees the Province or the Village. Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Although council took advantage of this amendment to hold meetings via teleconferResidents of Merrick- ence in the spring of 2020, ville-Wolford are concerned this option was not extended about how long it is taking for to advisory committees. municipal council and staff to Chair of the Recreation, reinstate the municipality’s Health and Wellness Comadvisory committees. At an mittee, Katie Dickie, has been emergency meeting of coun- sending emails to council and cil on March 16, 2020, the staff, inquiring about having Municipal Emergency Con- committees meet virtually trol Group (MECG) called since December. In response, for all advisory committee council directed staff to look meetings to be cancelled. into the possibility of comAccording to the Village’s mittees meeting again and by-law to adopt an emergency what form that would take in response plan, the MECG is a pandemic environment. a group responsible for the Over the past few months, overall emergency response staff have put together sevwithin the community. All eral reports for council and municipalities in Ontario are reached out to the members of required to have an emer- the advisory committees via gency response plan and an a survey to gauge interest in MECG under the Emergency resuming their duties and figManagement and Civil Pro- ure out their preferred method tection Act. for meeting. The survey indiOn March 19, 2020 the cated that 81% of committee Province of Ontario amended members were interested in the Municipal Act to allow participating in meetings, and municipal councils, local 68% preferred to meet virtuboards and committees to ally. In the last staff report, meet electronically during presented to council on March emergencies. In response, 8, staff recommended that Merrickville-Wolford council Zoom would be the best way passed a by-law on March for committees to meet safely. 23, 2020 to amend the muDespite this recommennicipality’s procedural by- dation, staff indicated that law to allow for electronic council still has to amend the participation during a state municipality’s procedural of emergency declared by bylaw to allow virtual meetby Hilary Thomson

ings. According to Mayor Doug Struthers, the March 23, 2020 bylaw only allows councils and committees to meet during a state of emergency. The state of emergency for Ontario has been lifted, and Mayor Struthers confirmed that no state of emergency was ever declared for the Village of Merrickville-Wolford. Council has directed staff to amend the procedural bylaw to be brought back to council for approval. Despite the fact that things seem to be moving forward, Katie doesn’t understand how long it is taking to allow committees to meet. “It’s just been months and months and months of excuses and delays,” she says. “My main concern at this point is the amount of time and effort that the CAO has spent, and the resources he’s spent, putting together reports and putting together surveys, and all the while they knew that this bylaw needed to be amended. Why was that not done at the same time?” Merrickville resident and former member of council, Chuck McInnis, believes that this council has not managed committees properly throughout their term in office. Chuck says they were slow to put the advisory committees in place, with the first meetings occurring in late November 2019,

meaning that they were only in operation for a few months before the MECG shut them down mid-March. “They should be embracing the knowledge, skills and abilities of the community through this pandemic, not shoving them aside,” he said in an email to the Times. Although both Mayor Struthers and members of council have expressed the immense value of municipal advisory committees, the past year has left many committee members feeling unwanted. “They don’t really want them is definitely my take on it because we seem to add a layer,” says Anney De Gobeo, Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee. “They don’t see us as support. I think they see us more as a make work project.” Mayor Struthers could not give a timeline on when the procedural bylaw amendment will be brought back to council. Katie says the most frustrating part of the whole process has been the lack of communication. She is glad to see that the process is underway but says she doesn’t believe it will happen soon. “I’m not holding my breath to be honest,” she says. “I know how this council works and when they are ready for us to meet again, I think it will happen.”

Protect species at risk, leash your dog Brooke Barkley

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Even the goodest of good pups can accidentally harass or kill wildlife while oﬀ exploring, which is why we’re reminding visitors to keep their dogs on-leash and on conservation area trails at all times. Spring is a particularly sensitive time, as some birds and animals build their nests on or very close to the ground. These nests can easily be trampled, eaten or otherwise destroyed by curious canines. While the RVCA welcomes on-leash dogs to most of its conservation areas, Conservation Lands manager Chelsey Ellis says her department’s top priority is protecting the natural spaces RVCA owns and manages. “Oﬀ-leash dogs disrupt the ecosystems we are trying to protect,” Ellis said. “We want to ensure we can balance all the unique natural activities happening at our sites. Guests can do their part to help by keeping dogs on-leash while they connect with nature.” The meadowlark, bobolink and whip-poor-will are all considered species at risk in Ontario, and all of them build their nests on the ground, making them vulnerable to roaming pups. Game animals like grouse, ducks and turkeys also nest on the ground. Mammals like mice, voles, chipmunks and even skunks can also be found cuddled up with their young in burrows, under logs, in leaf litter or in cavities at the base of trees where they are at risk of being disturbed. Allowing pups to poop in the woods where it’s not easily cleaned up is a problem, too, as dog waste can contaminate nearby waterways and introduce disease and parasites to local wildlife. Cleaning up after your dog – on or off the trail – is important to protecting our natural areas and waterways. The RVCA operates 11 conservation areas across the watershed, including 42 kilometres of trails. Our properties include wetlands and forests, unique floodplain lands along the Rideau River and a wildlife reserve in Perth. Please note the wildlife reserve does not allow any dogs at any time. To plan your visit, see www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas. www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

Conservative Party of Canada hosts ﬁrst virtual convention

Merrickville Day Nursery School raising money for playground

THOMAS M. BYRNE Barrister and Solicitor

General Practice Corporate / Commercial Family Law Estates Real Estate Wills & Powers of Attorney tom@tmblaw.ca 613.258.1277 222 Prescott St., Kemptville

by Hilary Thomson

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Merrickville Day Nursery School (MDNS) is selling rain barrels over the next month to raise money for a new shade structure for their playground. The daycare is partnering with an organization called RainBarrel.ca which reclaims food grade barrels and repurposes them as rain barrels. They help stage fundraisers for not-forprofit organizations across Canada where a minimum of $10 of the sale of each rain barrel goes to support the not-for-profit. Rain barrels collect rainwater from roofs and store it for watering gardens, lawns, shrubs and trees. Not only is it a free source of water that can be used in the dry summer months, but it is also the best type of water to use for gardening as is doesn’t contain chlorine and fluoride that is often found in tap water. RainBarrel.ca offers all kinds of re-purposed rain barrels, accessories and even composters starting at $55, which is about half the retail price of a typical rain barrel. MDNS is a not-for profit charitable organization that opened its doors in 1987 to provide care for children from birth to age 12. Vice President of the Board of Directors, Krista Smith, says that as a notfor-profit daycare, they rely heavily on donations and fundraisers to make ends meet. While they often fundraise for things like fieldtrips, materials/toys, March 24, 2021

and improvements to the building, this fundraiser is being held to raise money to erect a shade structure over their playground to help protect the children from the elements when they are playing outside. “Especially with COVID, I think it’s really heightened our awareness of air quality and being outdoors,” Krista says. “Now as the weather gets even nicer, they’re going to spend even more time outside and they’re going to try and do a lot of programming outside that they would usually do inside.” Krista says the Board would love to raise $1000 to pay for a portion of the shade structure that they hope to have in place this Summer. As the only daycare in Merrickville, many families have ties to MDNS, and Krista believes it is a very worthwhile organization to support. “I feel very comfortable sending my kids there and I think they could use all the help they can get just to make it even better than it already is.” Rain barrels can now be purchase online at www. RainBarrel.ca/mdns. The deadline to place an order is April 16. MerrickvilleWolford council has waived the rental fee for the community centre so that it can be used as a storage and pick up location for the fundraiser. Rain barrels will be ready for pick up on Saturday, April 24 from 9am-12pm and COVID protocols will be in place to ensure the process is safe for all involved.

The Voice of North Grenville

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by Lorraine Rekman The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) hosted its first virtual policy convention from March 18-20. The CPC touted this convention as the largest ever in its 18-year history, with the first convention being held in 2005. There were more than 5000 delegates registered for this convention. Party members were to debate more than 34 policy proposals and 29 constitutional amendments. Dr. Leslyn Lewis, who was a candidate for the party leadership, coming in third, cohosted the convention with Quebec radio-host Archy Beaudry. This convention was the first for Erin O'Toole, as the leader of the party. The convention was originally scheduled for April 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was moved to 2021 and was held virtually. A preliminary online vote was held to finalize the policy proposals that would be voted on at the convention. There were over 6,400 combined votes cast in the policy process, with 196 policies to vote on. The popularity among policies ranged between 124 votes for the most popular, to 88 for the 34th most popular. Any policy with fewer than 88 votes didn't make it to the convention. In the constitutional policy process, more than 4,400 combined votes were cast, with 63 items to vote on. The popularity among those ranged between 138 votes for the most popular, to 80 for the 30th most popular. Any proposed constitutional amendment with fewer than 80 votes did not make it to convention. Among some of the items debated were commitments to develop a national strategy to fight against organized crime, with increased financial resources to the RCMP, a focus on curtailing the distribution of contraband firearms, empowering the Ethics Commissioner with the ability to punish parliamentarians who violate the Conflict of Interest Act, reducing government funding for CBC, promoting nuclear energy, and support for the private development of alternative energy sources including, wind, solar and geothermal, and supporting interprovincial harmonization of professional and trade certificates.

5 Tips for First Time Homebuyers by Daren Givoque, O'Farrell Financial Services

1. Understand Income Qualifiers Gross Debt Service (GDS) ratio and Total Debt Service (TDS) ratio are two numbers that lenders will use to qualify you for a mortgage. Your GDS ratio is the percentage of your income needed to pay your monthly housing costs. Typically, your GDS ratio needs to be below 39% to secure a mortgage for a new home. Your TDS ratio is the percentage of your income needed to cover all your debts. Most lenders will consider you for a mortgage if your TDS ratio is 44% or lower. Assess your financial situation before you go to a bank or private lender. Paying down debts and having good credit will improve your chances of qualifying for the mortgage you need. 2. Mortgage Default Insurance The down payment needed to buy a house in Ontario is 20%. This can be a challenge for even the most fiscally responsible. You have the option of decreasing the down payment to 5% if you insure the other 15%. The Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation sell products that allows you To acquire insurance for the portion of the down payment that you don't have. Premiums are around 3.%. Some believe in waiting until you can afford the entire down payment before buying to eliminate added interest payments. By waiting you may end paying more in the long run, as housing prices tend to rise. Becoming a homeowner sooner helps grow your net worth and improves your financial security into the future.

3. Budget Budgeting for all the costs associated with buying and maintaining a home, plus other living expenses like food and entertainment, is extremely important. The more accurately you can project your expenses in your new home the better. Plan to have $5,000 to $10,000 set aside for extras, to avoid unforeseen costs. 4. Accept Help Ontario housing costs are at an all time high with the average home costing $600,000. Housing costs have skyrocketed while average incomes have increased at a slower rate. This makes it particularly hard for young people to buy their first home and some turn to their parents for help. Buying a house is an investment in your future, so do not shy away from help if it is available to you. 5. Think Long-Term Plan ahead when purchasing your first home. Ensuring that the house you buy will fit your needs down the road prevents you from repeating the homebuying process too soon. Buy a home that you can grow into. Buying a house is a great investment and one that contributes to your financial security. Research shows that people that get into the housing market early typically retire more comfortably. Surround yourself with the proper experts - real estate agent, financial advisor, mortgage broker, - to ensure you are well-equipped for the journey into home ownership.

Attend our free First Time Home Buyers Webinar happening March 30th! Visit the O'Farrell Financial Facebook page for more information. www.ngtimes.ca 9

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Financial Forum 2021 Did you know:

You do not need to report certain non-taxable amounts as income, including the following: • Most lottery winnings • Most gifts and inheritances • GST/HST credit and CCB payments, including those from related provincial programs • Most amounts received from a life insurance policy following someone’s death • Most amounts received from a tax-free savings account (TFSA)

Filing early will help ensure your beneﬁt and credit payments are not delayed or stopped, for example: • Guaranteed income supplement (GIS) • GST/HST credit • Canada child beneﬁt (CCB) • Related provincial programs

Note – Income earned on any of the above amounts is taxable (such as interest you earn when you invest lottery winnings)

The CRA’s goal is to send a notice of assessment, as well as any refund within: • Two weeks if ﬁled online • Eight weeks if paper ﬁled

If you have a spouse or common-law partner, they also have to ﬁle a tax return

If you are ﬁling your income tax return electronically, keep your supporting documents for six years in case the CRA selects your return for review. You should always keep a copy of your return, the related notice of assessment and any notice of reassessment

Once received CRA usually processes the tax return and a notice of assessment is issued. However, each year CRA conducts a number of reviews to promote awareness and compliance with the laws that CRA administers. This means that your return may be selected for a more detailed review before or after assessing it. This review is not an audit, it is simply a routine check to ensure the information provided is accurate.

Corporate/Business Tax Planning & Preparation Our goal is to help you

• Assisting in organizing your tax information • Preparing the return(s) eﬃciently and diligently • Ensuring all applicable items have been considered • Reviewing and understanding the return(s) • Identify and plan for future tax saving opportunities • Representing and assisting with CRA requests and issues

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What’s new for tax filing in 2021? (NC) The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the way some of us file our income tax and benefit return this year. But with a bit of planning and know-how, filing season can go smoothly. To avoid delays and minimize any potential impact on your refunds, benefits or credit payments, it’s important to file your returns on time to avoid delays to your refunds, benefits, or credit payments.?Here’s what you need to know about what’s new this year:

Robert S. Walker, CPA, CA Bradley Mehlman CPA Dinah Boal Crystal Lang email: info@wapc.ca

Kemptville Office: 2 - 4 Industrial Rd, South Gower Business Park T: 613.258.3282 Prescott Office: 304-235 Water St. W. T: 613.925.3535 website: www.wapc.ca

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COVID-19 benefits The federal government introduced several taxable support and recovery benefits last year, the most well-known being the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). Some recipients may now owe tax on these benefits depending on personal circumstances, the type of COVID-19 benefits received, and other sources of income or credits. COVID-19 benefit recipients will receive a T4A or T4E tax information slip in the mail, and they can also be found on the CRA’s online portal. New benefits and credits A new support for families with young children was announced in the government’s fall economic statement, providing four

Wherever you are in life, strengthening your plan today will help give you and your family a brighter tomorrow.

tax-free payments per child under the age of six in 2021 to families entitled to the Canada child benefit (CCB). Support would be between $150 and $300 per child for each payment, depending on a family’s net income. The first two payments would be based on 2019 family net income, and the last two based on 2020 income.?Parents must have filed tax returns for these years to receive all four payments. The Canada Training Credit is another new credit you may be able to claim. Individuals older than 26 may be eligible to claim tuition and other fees paid to eligible educational institutions or occupational, trade or professional bodies for courses or examinations taken in 2020. Also new for this year is the non-refundable digital news subscription tax cred-

it, which can be claimed for a digital news subscription with a qualiﬁed Canadian journalism organization. Working from home It’s now easier for employees who worked remotely due to the pandemic to claim home office expenses with a new temporary ﬂat-rate method. Employees who worked from home more than half the time for at least four consecutive weeks may be eligible to claim this deduction, which is $2 a day for each day worked at home in 2020 up to $400. Employees with larger claims can complete the T2200S and T777 forms instead of the simplified method. Home office expense claims for salaried employees are limited to utilities, rent, maintenance and supplies. Find more information at canada.ca/taxes.

Bryonie Baxter* Advisor Tel: (613) 878 1367 bryonie.baxter@sunlife.com advisor.sunlife.ca/bryonie.baxter

the north grenville

TIMES Gord Logan

Marketing Consultant Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

*Mutual funds distributed by Sun Life Financial Investment Services (Canada) Inc. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a member of the Sun Life group of companies. © Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 2021.

March 24, 2021

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613.860.2539 www.dialachef.ca

The Voice of North Grenville

Menu #54

Tuesday March 30th - Friday April 2nd Order & Pay online

www.cateredaﬀairs.ca 613-324-3136

$37.50 Complete Meal for 2 + HST $70.00 Complete Meal for 4 + HST All Family Meals include Chef's of Appropriate Side Dishes & Light Dessert

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Chicken Caesar Salad & Alfredo

Sunday April 4th Easter Brunch Dill and Brandy gravlax on a bagel, Home made cinnamon brioche, Croissants. Rum spiked tropical fruit salad. Egg Benedict Quiche,Spinach salad with bacon and croutons. Homemade maple sausages Home fries with duck conﬁt. Tarte au chocolat $32.50 per person, plus tax and delivery

Tuesday March 30

1- chicken and wild mushroom rolled in a buckwheat crêpe, Spring salad. 2- Asparagus and wild mushroom rolled in a buckwheat crêpe, Spring salad.

WednesdayMarch 31

222 Prescott St. Kemptville

Thai Red Curry Coconut Chicken

Panang Chicken with Lemongrass and Toasted Black Sesame Noodles, Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce, Vegetable Medley

General Tso’s Chicken

Sweet n Spicy Chicken, Fried Rice, Szechuan Noodle Stir Fry, Egg Rolls with Plum Sauce & Wonton Soup

1- Skillet roasted pork chop with spring vegetable and mustard sauce. Mash potatoes. 2- Pan fried tofu with mango keﬁr sauce, mash potatoes and vegetables.

Friday April 2nd & Sat April 3rd $110 + HST for Family of 4 $60+HST (Adult meal for 2) Please pre-order by Monday March 29th as not to be disappointed

Friday April 2nd

May 9

Mother’s Day Dinner Special

March 24, 2021

Creole Spiced Steak Salad

Creole Spiced Tenderloin, Greenhouse Greens and Cabbage Salad, Jambalaya Rice, Cheddar Hush Puppies, and Sweet Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Easter Menu Curbside

1- Parmesan encrusted tilapia ﬁllet with green beans and rice. 2- Parmesan breaded eggplant, tomato coulis, green beans and rice

The space is 1247sq. ft. suitable for office space not an apartment. It features a large office/board room in the front and plenty of space for cubicles. Access to kitchen and bathroom/shower facilities, limited parking. It is on the third floor and we are asking $800/month+HST. Please call Ross at 613-601-0968

Bacon Wrapped Pork Kebabs

Brined Pork Loin, Roasted Sweet Potato & Potato Wedges, Fruit Salsa

1-Slow roast lamb shoulder with spring vegetables & potatoes. 2- Spring vegetable tagliatelle in lemon and chive sauce.

Thursday April 1

OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE

Crisp Romaine, House made Caesar Dressing with Garlic Parmesan Chicken Breast, Double Baked Croutons, Bacon Bits, Alfredo Pasta, Garlic Bread

Creamy asparagus velouté Beef tenderloin wild mushroom and truﬄe sauce Croquettes potatoes, vegetable medley Strawberry and chocolate parfait $40.00 plus HST and delivery

Moist and tender brined local Beurbre turkey sliced white and dark meat (gluten/dairy free) Made-in-house Herb & sweet onion conﬁt dressing Whipped mashed potatoes Vegetable medley House made gravy Fresh cranberry, spice & orange sauce Brown Sugar & Mrs McGarragles Mustard Glazed Ham Pan jus Scalloped Potatoes Vegetable Medley Brown Butter & Sugar Glazed Carrots Butter topped rolls Salmon Wellington Thyme Cream Sauce Whipped mashed potatoes Vegetable medley Butter Topped Rolls

www.cateredaﬀairs.ca 11

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Roll out of vaccine by appointment only

SERVICES

The Leeds Grenville and Lanark Health Unit (LGLHU) has established a Vaccination Centre at the North Grenville Municipal Centre. The Vaccination Centre will be entirely separate from the COVID-19 Assessment Centre. Vaccinations will take place by invitation only and will begin according to the provincial roll out plan. Citizens will have to make an appointment but only when the phase targeting their age group is announced. “The Vaccination Centre will be where you go when invited, to get your vaccine.,” stated Dr. Suzanne Rutherford, Medical Director of the Centre. “Obviously, it will be great when everybody is vaccinated, but that’s going to take some time.” The LGLHU’s COVID-19 Distribution and Administration Roll Out Plan will help ensure efficient and effective delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark and align with the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan. The LGLHU is fielding many calls asking about which age groups are being vaccinated. In an effort to keep the phone lines open, the Health Unit recommends that only the specific groups who are directly invited should currently book appointments for vaccine clinics. Information about the days for other age groups to receive the vaccine will be on the Ontario. ca website. Health Care Workers that are being vaccinated will be contacted through their employer for their instructions on booking appointments. In the first week of March, 3771 individuals received their first dose of vaccine and 239 individuals received their second dose of vaccine. A total of 6725 individuals have received at least one dose of vaccine (either through the KHSC Clinic, the Ottawa Hospital Clinic or one of the mobile clinics) since the roll out started. The LGLHU is awaiting details from the Province on how the two additional vaccines approved by Health Canada (Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson) – will be distributed. Rollout of the vaccines for adults aged 79 and younger will take place in Stage 5 of the distribution program which is expected to occur in April.

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At present the priority groups include;

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Yorkie pup, male 14 wks, vet checked. 613-258-0445 JAYCO 5th wheel. Fully loaded, beautiful shape. Call James 613-258-3561 Cedar posts,Spruce logs & pickets..call 613.258.3561

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The Voice of North Grenville

BUY AND SELL LOCALLY

HIRING FOR MULTIPLE POSITIONS

FIRST TEN WORDS FREE

Tackaberry Construction is a local, family run business, serving eastern Ontario since 1957. We oﬀer competitive wages with group beneﬁts. We are currently looking to hire for various locations in Leeds and Grenville/Lanark area. If you have experience in any of the following areas please apply: Construction Labourer Weigh Scale Attendant Surveyor/Grade person Construction Foreman Job Estimator Heavy Equipment Mechanics Truck Mechanics Heavy Equipment Operators Crusher/Screening Plant Operators Depending on the position the successful candidates should have at a minimum: Communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills Equivalent of a high school diploma (Not required for some positions) Computer experience (Not required for some positions) Valid driver’s license If you are a self-starter, interested in working in a fast-paced environment, please submit your resume with references to: careers@tackaberryconstruction.com

Tackaberry Construction is a local, family run business, serving eastern Ontario since 1957, offering competitive wages and group benefits. We currently have immediate openings for the following positions at our Athens Location Truck and Heavy Equipment Shops. Available Positions: A Certified Technician able to work on light duty and heavy-duty road vehicles. 310T/310S endorsement, or a 2nd/3rd period apprentice. A Heavy Equipment Technician, certification would be an asset. Qualifications: A strong team player who can work in a fast-paced environment. Automotive experience an asset. Must have own tools. Valid Drivers License Please submit your resume to: careers@tackaberryconstruction.com or book an appointment by phone with Bill Keeler at 613-924-2634 to submit your resume in person or Mail to G. Tackaberry & Sons Construction Company Limited P.O. Box 70, Athens, ON K0E 1B0

G. Tackaberry & Sons is an equal opportunity employer. We wish to thank all who apply for this position, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Mechanic Positions

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Virtual Open House: North Grenville Toastmasters celebrate 19th Anniversary on April 1, 2021

You are invited to come and support one of Kemptville’s hidden gems, our local North Grenville Toastmasters club. Celebrating its 19th year, the club will be honouring this landmark with its first Open House of 2021. Thanks to video conferencing, a global invitation is open to anyone with a computer and internet connection. While many aspects of personal and professional lives have been disrupted, this Toastmasters club continues to meet online to provide a sense of normalcy for our members. From farmers and small business owners to CEOs, artists and retirees, the North Grenville club boasts a very diverse membership offering excellent and eclectic topics of discussion. In our busy lives, everyone requires confident communications skills to speak effectively with employees, suppliers, clients, spouses and children. Occasionally, we may be asked to make a presentation at a wedding or family event. Perhaps you may soon be presented with tough questions at an upcoming job interview. Toastmasters can be your first step into building your confidence so that you will get these jobs done with finesse. The ‘Open House’ will start at 7 pm and unfold as a regular meeting. The Chairperson will guide us through

the agenda by introducing our speakers for the evening and describing the various evaluations, presentations and reports. Every meeting starts with a Toast, Joke and Word-ofthe day to set the mood. There will be two speakers presenting their speeches this evening: one speaker will be our newest member, Paula Brazeau, and the other will be Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Dan Bennett, a founding member of North Grenville Toastmasters since its inception in 2002. Evaluation reports are a big part of the Toastmasters learning experience. Members receive feedback regarding structure, speech-craft, conﬁdence, diction, grammar and body language. Feedback is always supportive with positive comments but also with some helpful suggestions for improvement. Other evaluations at every TM meeting include reports on grammar, body language, ‘Ah-Um’ usage and timing. A little levity is oﬀered during the Table Topics segment of the meeting. The Table Topics Master (TTM) randomly asks a few members to present an impromptu speech. The TTM will pose a question on any topic and the member must answer promptly with a short, time-limited response. This fun part of every TM

The Voice of North Grenville

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Cotton seed structures 6. Baby buggy 10. Jot 14. Nearly 15. Relating to aircraft 16. Moving within 17. Sesame seed 18. Back talk 19. Knights 20. Spectacles 22. Porn 23. Negatively charged particle 24. Considers 25. Nile bird 29. Any cone-bearing tree 31. Hold 33. Opinion poll 37. French for "Again" 38. A light skiﬀ 39. Charring

meeting brings many smiles as members shuffle to reply “off-the-cuff” to the unlimited variety of thought provoking questions. In Toastmasters, The Distinguished Club Program (DCP) presents awards that recognize clubs which provide an outstanding member experience. This year, North Grenville Toastmasters has fulfilled these goals and is now proudly recognized as a Distinguished Club in International TM District 61. Through this Open House, North Grenville Toastmasters is hoping to gain new members which would help bring the DCP status up to ‘Select Distinguished Club’ – a very honourable and credible status for any Toastmasters club indeed. Zoom portal opens: 6:45 pm Event: 7:00 pm Get the Zoom link for this event: vpm-8032@toastmastersclubs.org North Grenville Toastmasters meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month with Zoom. The regular meeting location is at O’Farrell Financial Services, 292 County Road 44 in Kemptville. For more information about Toastmasters and its new education venue, Pathways, visit the North Grenville Toastmasters website: https:// northgrenville.toastmastersclubs.org/

41. Turmeric 42. Estrogenic hormone 44. Where the sun rises 45. Stockpile 48. Borders on 50. Protagonist 51. Everyplace 56. Brother of Jacob 57. Haughtiness 58. Pointed a weapon 59. Cuts oﬀ 60. Anagram of "Ties" 61. Overgrown with ivy 62. Church alcove 63. Nestling hawk 64. Geeky DOWN 1. Baseball great, ____ Ruth 2. Comply with 3. Solitary 4. Breathing organ

5. Grave marker 6. A strong feeling 7. A rational motive 8. Insecticide 9. Nonvascular plant 10. A harmful act 11. Japanese cartoon art 12. Play a guitar 13. Legions 21. Archaic 24. Monetary unit of Macedonia 25. Frosts 26. Part of a skeleton 27. Ancient Peruvian 28. Warehouse 30. The body of teachers 32. Come up 34. Shade of blue 35. Totals 36. Chair 40. What holds us down 41. Parts of a meal 43. A European peninsula 45. Pincer 46. Writer 47. A dice game 49. Boyfriend (archaic) 51. Leisure 52. Apiary 53. Arab chieftain 54. Anagram of "Deer" 55. Countercurrent

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March 24, 2021

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The Voice of North Grenville

Baldwin’s Birds

Hello Readers, I hope this ﬁnds you all ﬁt and well and also a little more relaxed with life, especially if you have already received the Anti-Covid Vaccine jab. If you haven't, just hang on, we are almost there! Now that the clocks have jumped ahead and the promise of warmer weather and brighter skies are here, things will be a bit brighter for us all.

Already some of our Spring birds have made their appearance and the sounds of honking Canada Geese are already becoming a familiar sound, as they stage through on their long journey North. On this sunny, but still coldish, day around the garden and immediate neighbourhood, we have seen some newly arrived Red Wing Blackbirds, and our ﬁrst Robin. The latter was in our back

despite some of them having already departed for more northern habitats. There are quite a few of them ground feeding at present, now that the snow is disappearing, and they are joined by the Juncos, who are primarily ground feeders, regardless of the ground coverage. Our resident flock of Rock Pigeons, now in their Spring plumage, still come daily, and the males are colorfully puffing themselves up, as they vie for a female partner! Of course, our feeders are still attracting our four legged friends, the Red, Black and Grey Squirrels, but as long as they don't gnaw on the feeders we can tolerate them, even though they eat a lot and, at times, put the birds off, from feeding. Live and let live! Stay safe and well, Cheers,John Baldwin

garden, on the first patches of grass, where the sun is fairly quickly disposing of the snow. Joining it, back there, was a Cardinal, at first, singing in a Maple tree and then, later, perched in our Globe bush. Grey Juncos flitted about and a Mourning Dove perched in our Catalpa tree, for a short while, before flying off. Our front garden feeders are still being well used by the Redpolls, who are still here,

Municipality developing zoning rules for Cannabis production facilities Grenville,” she said. “We Local Journalism Initiative Reporter had a bit of a rocky ride, as I think some of you know with our first one and we do The Municipality of as a council, and now obviNorth Grenville held a pub- ously with significant staff lic meeting last week as part support, want to strengthen of the process to develop certainly the standards, if regulations governing the you will, or the way in which establishment of Cannabis the municipality decides production facilities in the the how, the where and the municipality. what.” In August 2019, counDirector of Planning and cil put an interim bylaw Development, Amy Martin, in place prohibiting the has reviewed all the options establishment of Cannabis available to council to reguproduction facilities in the late Cannabis production municipality while they con- facilities in the municipality. ducted a study into current Over the past few months, planning practices related she has reviewed the fedto Cannabis facilities across eral framework regarding the province. This was in the production and sale of response to a number of resi- Cannabis, provincial polident complaints about noise, cies, the municipality’s own odour and lighting emanat- official plan and zoning bying from North Grenville’s laws, and surveyed more first Cannabis production than 20 other municipalities facility, Fleurish Cannabis, across Ontario to see what on County Road 20 near they have done to regulate Oxford Station. Cannabis production faOn August 19, 2020, cilities in their own jurisdiccouncil extended the in- tions. Through her research terim bylaw to allow more and the municipality’s own time to complete the study. experience, Director Martin Mayor Nancy Peckford said noted that some of the main at the public meeting last issues to consider in siting Wednesday that it is impor- facilities included; odour, tant to get it right in terms noise, light pollution, seof establishing well thought curity and crime, land use out and implemented regu- compatibility and set backs lations for Cannabis pro- from sensitive land uses, like duction facilities in North residential developments, Grenville. “This council schools or community cenhas certainly heard loud tres. and clear that there were The Federal Cannabis obviously some challenges Act addresses a couple of and concerns regarding the these concerns as Cannabis regulatory framework for production facilities are Cannabis production fa- required to have physical cilities throughout North security measures, including by Hilary Thomson

March 24, 2021

tice, through a site specific zoning bylaw amendment. It also suggests that small scale cannabis production, such as micro processing and microcultivation, could be permitted in a rural-industrial zone as they are less likely to have an impact on neighbouring land uses. Director Martin noted that council may want to give consideration for the niche craft market for Cannabis as it is something that is becoming more desirable to Canadian consumers. Mayor Peckford noted that setbacks from sensitive land uses will be important as, in council’s experience, the risk of odour emanating from these facilities is still there regardless of whether they have a sophisticated air filtration system or not. “I have a feeling that our appetite will be to ensure those setbacks are there because the malfunctioning of equipment, if you don’t change the filters often enough, the stench, if you will, from indoor growing facilities can be quite strong,” she said. North Grenville resident Aaron Nichols is happy to see that the municipality is taking the issue seriously and is open to engaging with residents when it comes to regulating this emerging industry. He believes the municipality needs to take a strong stance when it comes to setting the tone for Cannabis production facilities in North Grenville. “I would err on the side of caution when we set up provisions

video monitoring in place, to prevent crime. Director Martin says the regulations are also becoming more stringent around having air ventilation within the physical buildings to prevent odours from escaping. An important piece of provincial legislation that regulates certain land uses in Ontario is the Farming and Food Protection Act which determines what should be considered a normal farm practice. Anything that is deemed a normal farm practice would be allowed in an agricultural zone, without having to go through a site-speciﬁc zoning by-law amendment. The issue is currently under review by the Normal Farm Practices Board in the case of Burnstown Cannabis Farm v. Beckwith Township. For now , it is up to municipalities to deem whether or not they would like to consider Cannabis production as a normal farm practice. The municipality will also have to decide on the appropriate zoning category for Cannabis production facilities. Director Martin’s report recommends that they be permitted in industrial zones because they are in areas that are further away from residential areas, and more ideal for the establishment of industrial and manufacturing facilities. The report also outlined the option for allowing Cannabis production in agricultural zones, even if it is not deemed a normal farm prac14

like setbacks,” he said. “I think that if we set fairly aggressive standards in the bylaw, we can always back down from those in a bylaw amendment.” He also believes that the municipality needs to have some recourse when it comes to businesses not abiding by the regulations set out by the municipality. “I would be worried that if there aren’t teeth in the rules, we may struggle a little bit to enforce them locally,” he said. The full Cannabis study can be found on the municipality’s website under Cannabis. Written comments are being accepted until March 30. Director Martin will be taking public input into consideration as she drafts the zoning bylaw provisions and another public meeting will be set for the

second Wednesday in May. “Being able to have these discussions with the community to get their impact, hear their expertise, to hear their concerns, is important in ensuring that we’re introducing zoning provisions into North Grenville that really meet the community’s desires and vision of North Grenville,” she said. “I am but one person and I do value that feedback.” The interim control bylaw is set to expire in August 2021, however Director Martin says she is planning to have the ﬁnalized zoning bylaw provisions ready for council’s approval well before that date.

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Diﬀerent times for our 73’s

The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Photography Club

Kemptville 73's run against two hot stoppers for the Brockville Braves..end to end action without success. by Gord Logan Well sports fans your Kemptville 73’s have been exposed to challenging conditions due to the COVID-19 situation. Not only do they not have an opportunity to bring back their imports and recruit potential imports from the U.S.A., but they have to establish a local bubble with Nepean Raiders and Brockville Braves. With the help of the CCHL, an inter-squad Development Scrimmage schedule was initiated during November to play a ﬁve game romp through to December. Nepean Raiders walked away with a victory of winning three games to two to close out the ﬁrst schedule. The second session would see Brockville Braves with a 7 to 2 blow-out on February 26 in Brockville. The fol-

lowing night the 73’s would seek revenge on their home ice, only to be denied a 4 to 3 squeaker. Kemptville would lose another tight one by 3 to 2 when they faced Brockville on their home turf on March 5. The next night, the 73’s in their barn played a strong end to end contest to force overtime and they lost yet again to the Braves. Back in Brockville on March 12, the 73’s suﬀered another 4 to 3 loss to put the Braves ahead by 5 games to zip. Kemptville was still napping during their afternoon joust on March 14 as Brockville slammed them 3 to 0 to make it 6 straight loses. There was one more loss for the 73’s when they met in Brockville on Friday night with the 7th straight win for the Braves. Kemptville opened the first when Ethan Espisito

combined with Merritt and Lynch to beat Antoine Bourdeau at 9:18. Man advantage for the Braves when Troy Bowditch PPG with helpers from Casey and Godfrey at 18:58 to equal the odds. Second session the 73’s broke the tie at 1:16 as Whyte with Jefferies to find Jeff Taylor in the soft spot to whip it home. Brockville tied it at 3:13 when Evan Boucher connected with Godfrey and Gillespie to rifle it by William Anderson. Braves went ahead at 7:18 with helpers from Boucher and Tchor onto the stick of Ryan Gillepsie to find the back of the net. Kemptville changed up their stopper at 11:00 to try and revitalize their club. The final twenty belonged to Brockville as Colin Elliot from Donovan drove it around Riley McCabe at 6:14

Photographer Trevor Meunier captured this image on a foggy, late winter, morning in Acton’s Corners. for the insurance and awarded the Braves 4 to 2 win. Kemptville outshot Brockville by 39 to 24 and still suffered another loss. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 curse has struck the comeback attempt of 73’s games as some of the roster are from Ottawa, which are back in the troubling zones. Hopefully the vaccines and applying restrictions will compliment the ability to have your team available for your watching pleasure soon.

Dr Alan Wolfelt, a renowned grief counsellor from the, oﬀers a heartfelt perspective on the emotional experience of loss and its connection to love. This oﬀers a lens through which to consider the complex and intrinsic nature of grief in the healing journey. He writes "Grief is not something we choose or don't choose. Rather, it is in our wiring. It is the normal and necessary journey we embark on after something we have valued no longer exists…...You see, love and grief are two sides of the same precious coin. One does not-and cannotexist without the other. They are the yin and yang of our lives. People sometimes say that grief is the price we pay for the joy of having loved. If we allow ourselves the grace March 24, 2021

TIMES Gord Logan

Marketing Consultant Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

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Beth Donovan Hospice offers support for those who grieve of love, we must also allow ourselves the grace of grief and mourning". We are often reluctant to give ourselves permission to grieve because we're afraid of what might happen when we let our guard down. Grief is a dark, unknown abyss and the secret fear is that if we allow ourselves to sink into it we'll never find our way back out. It takes courage to just let ourselves grieve without censure or judgment, in order to finally get to a place where we can say goodbye to how things were and move forward with our changed circumstances as they are. The Grief Support Network at the Beth Donovan Hospice offers a variety of resources and programming to individuals navigating grief due to loss. These include individual, family and couples' bereavement counselling, monthly bereavement support groups, peer support groups, biannual support groups catering to

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speciﬁc losses, remembrance events and community building activities such as yoga, book club and journaling workshops. At the Beth Donovan Hospice, we understand that processing a loss can be a very isolating experience. It is our mission to create a safe, supportive community where grief and all that it entails is embraced as a normal and innate part of the human experience. We believe that grief is the very thing that allows for healing to take place. If you or someone you know is experiencing a loss, we warmly invite you to reach out to us and allow us the opportunity to be part of the network of support in the healing journey. For more information, please call 613-258-9611.

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The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

New Player Assist Program to help hockey families ﬁnancially impacted by Covid-19 The Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) has announced a new Player Assist Program to help hockey players under the age of 7 by providing equipment, including skates, shin pads, pants, shoulder pads, elbow pads, neck guards and helmets. This new pilot project is to help families who may be feeling the pinch because of COVID-19. The program will eliminate the cost of equipment for 350 hockey families across 10 minor hockey associations. This program is a partnership with OMHA and the Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) Local minor hockey associations will apply to be one of the 10 associations for the pilot project based on meeting a number of criteria. The associations will retain the 350 sets of equipment at the conclusion of the hockey season to loan to players in following years, similar to loaning out a library book.

“Cost is sometimes identiﬁed as a barrier for some families to get involved in our great game. We thank our partner the Egg Farmers of Ontario for launching this initiative to help hundreds of families for years to come,” says OMHA Executive Director Ian Taylor. Since 2018-19, the EFO has supported the OMHA’s Playdowns where more than 31,000 minor hockey players compete on 6750 teams from January through March. With Playdowns unable to take place this year because of the pandemic, the EFO wanted to support OMHA participants in a new way. “The pandemic has taken a toll on Canadian families and hit them in the pocketbook. Families are going to have to make some diﬃcult choices in terms of how they spend their money going forward. We want to help hundreds of young people around the province enter the game

without the barrier of having to purchase equipment,” says Scott Helps, Chair of EFO. The new Player Assist Program is similar to the OMHA’s Goalie Assist Program, which the OMHA has also announced will continue for its 10th year. That program loans out CCM goalie equipment to associations, which allows 5-7-year-old players to try out the position without the burden of making a full ﬁnancial commitment. In the past decade, the program has provided 480 full sets of goalie equipment with associations retaining the equipment at the end of the season to loan to players in the following years. This season, there were 156 applications received from OMHA member associations, with 80 sets distributed across the province. “The Goalie Assist program has given hundreds of young players a chance to get between the pipes and

to see what it’s like to be a goalie without their families having to make a big ﬁnancial commitment. We have heard stories about how many of them have fallen in love with the position,” says Taylor. Each goalie kit is equipped with a set of CCM youth pads, catcher/blocker, stick, chest protector and bag. Catching hands and sticks are available with common left/right combinations. The Ontario Minor Hockey Association, founded in 1935, is a leader in community sport and oversees

a participant base of more than 300,000, consisting of players, coaches, trainers, oﬃcials, hockey volunteers and parents across the province. The OMHA works with its 225 local minor hockey associations and annually

coordinates 28 leagues to create the best minor hockey experience in Canada. For more information, visit http://www.omha.net.

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TIMES Gord Logan

Marketing Consultant Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

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March 24, 2021