Issue 21 2023 June 1 NG Times

Annual fundraising underway for the Cancer Kicking Cousins

Fundraising is all about having a passion for a cause. Carol believes that people should do what comes naturally to them when fundraising, which can include activities such as yard sales, crafts, collecting bottles, BBQs or just reaching out to friends and family for donations. She posits that goals don’t have to be big, and that every little bit helps.

by Brandon Mayer

A local family that has been fundraising to kick cancer’s butt for years has officially begun its fundraising for this year. The family, fundraising under the team name of “Cancer Kicking Cousins”, will be participating in the Terry Fox Run this year in addition to other fundraisers.

Team (and family) member Carol Miller Snook explained the history of the family’s cancer fundraising efforts. “In 2013, the Miller family formed the team, Cancer Kicking Cousins,” she explained. “Our desire was to help fund research and awareness of the devastation of cancer. Cancer has not only affected family members (par-

ents, siblings, uncles, aunts, in-laws) and friends but also team members. All this has made it a cause close to our hearts.”

The team participated in the Smiths Falls Relay for Life for five years, raising over $50,000 before Smiths Falls discontinued hosting the event in 2018. “We still wanted to support the cause and hoped to keep it local, as most of the team live in or near Kemptville and Smiths Falls,” Carol added. “While investigating various events, we learned of the Neon Night Fun Run for childhood cancer and decided to select it as our cause. From 2018 to 2020, we raised over $9,000 towards this event.

Due to COVID, Neon Night was discontinued and has not restarted. We continued doing fundraisers and began

contributing to the Terry Fox Run for 2021 and 2022.”

How does a team like “Cancer Kicking Cousins” get its unique name? Carol explained that different team members had different suggestions, but they settled on “Cancer Kicking Cousins” since it is a family team with mostly cousins, except for a couple of aunts and an uncle. Carol is one of the aunts and is also a cancer survivor. She explained that all of the family members have been affected by cancer in some way. “We started with 16 members but, for various reasons, we are now down to 6-8,” said Carol. “The oldest, my brother, participated from the beginning, but now at almost 91 years old, he doesn’t do the walk but helps where he can on fundraisers.”

Particularly in this area, fundraising is made easier by the strong support of locals. “The community in Kemptville and the surrounding area is so great, providing a spot to post flyers, donating space or items for fundraising and spreading the word,” said Carol.

This year’s fundraising goal is $5,000, with over $1,000 already raised at a craft sale that the family does every year before Christmas. A yard sale took place last weekend, and upcoming events include a Euchre tournament on June 8, and a bake and craft table on June 18 at the Kemptville Farmers Market.

“People can donate to the Terry Fox Run via our team, Cancer Kicking Cousins,” Carol said. “Everyone has been affected in some way by cancer. Please make it your cause as well and contribute in any way to help eradicate cancer.”

Paramedic Services Week

submitted by April Bradley

In 2023, Paramedic Services Week was celebrated across Canada from May 21st to 27th. This year’s theme, “Diversity in Paramedicine – The Patient. The Provider. The Profession” recognized the importance of diversity, inclusion and equity. Counties Council, at its meeting on May 25, recognized Paramedic Services Week and the team of Leeds Grenville Paramedics who provide critical, lifesaving care to residents and visitors.

Warden Nancy Peckford stated the Counties employ many highly qualified and dedicated paramedics and offered sincere thanks to each of them, acknowledging the high quality of care and critical expertise they provide. She said, “There has been a lot of conversation around the status of our paramedic service and making sure they can do their jobs well while taking good care of themselves. Many of us have had personal, first-hand experience with our local paramedic service and we know how incredibly dedicated they are.”

Leeds Grenville Paramedic Chief Jeff Carss said “We thank our paramedics for the hard work and professional care they provide to thousands of Leeds and Grenville residents and visitors.” He also thanked paramedics for supporting one another, especially over the last couple of years. “Paramedics are an essential component to Ontario's healthcare system and the work they do for Ontarians is sincerely valued. “

212 Van Buren St. 613.258.7438

www.drcleamon.com

Hey Day Book Club

submitted by Jean Gallant Kemptville’s giant garage sale, Hey Day, is just two weeks away! On Friday June 9th from 6 to 9pm and on Saturday June 10, from 9am to 1pm, the doors of the North Grenville Municipal Centre will open to the 60th Hey Day garage sale offering treasures galore to shoppers at low, low prices.

Always a big attraction, the Book Section will once again be loaded down with great books at great prices. If you’re an avid reader and have books to donate, we will gratefully receive them. Donations can be dropped off at the Municipal Centre

on Wednesday June 7, from 1pm to 7pm, and again on Thursday June 8, from 9am to 8pm.

Hey Day is an important fundraiser for the Kemptville District Hospital and run by volunteers from the hospital’s Auxiliary. All money raised goes to the hospital for the purchase of equipment and services used in the treatment of patients.

We would like to give a shout-out to Chin Chin Coffee Roasters from Russell who are vendors at the Sunday Kemptville Farmers Market. They raised money in support of the hospital by offering their customers

extra coffee for a donation. Thank you, Chin Chin Coffee!

And if you’re able to volunteer some time to help out, we would love to hear from you. We’re also looking for a truck and driver to help move some Hey Day items from the hospital to the Municipal Centre. Please contact us at kdha. heyday@gmail.com or call 613-447-4492.

MELISSA OTTENHOF Marketing Consultant

Phone:613 329 0209

Email: melissa@ngtimes.ca

Dr. C.L. Eamon Optometrist

North Grenville Duplicate Bridge Club supporting KDH Foundation

submitted by Kristy Carriere

The North Grenville Duplicate Bridge Club recently donated $1,000 to the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation.

Kemptville District Hospital Foundation Board Chair Margret Norenberg was thrilled to accept the cheque from members of the NG Duplicate Bridge Club for

a worthy cause. These funds will be used towards the acquisition of a new CT Scanner for KDH.

“Thanks to all of our members who support our club and helped make this possible”, said Club President, Elizabeth Robinson.

Following this donation from the NG Duplicate Bridge Club, Club

member and long-time supporter of the KDH Foundation, Ed Chajkowski, matched this donation and hand delivered his cheque to the Foundation office a few days later.

“We are so grateful to the community for their continued support to the Foundation and Hospital”, says Joanne Mavis, Executive Director of the

Everybody comes to Jim’s

Foundation.

About the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation

The Kemptville District Hospital Foundation (KDHF) is the registered charitable organization that supports Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) by fundraising for essential medical equipment that the hospital’s care

teams need to care for patients. Government funding alone cannot supply all the equipment needed; KDH depends on the generosity of community donors to fund lifesaving equipment. Community support enabled the hospital to open its doors in 1960 and remains at the heart of KDH.

Donations to the

KDHF support the skilled and compassionate care that is happening every day inside KDH. www. kdhfoundation.ca.

left to right:

by David Shanahan

An unusual gathering took place, quite spontaneously, at the B&H in Kemptville after Buskerfest. In the movie, Casablanca, it said that “Everybody comes to Rick’s”; well in North Grenville, everybody comes to Jim’s. Jim and Judy Beveridge are celebrating sixty (yes, 60) years of the B&H, and there’ll be lots more about that in the coming weeks.

It has always been a place where you can almost guarantee you’ll meet someone you know and spend time catching up on the weather, the world, politics, or the price of eggs. Our photo here shows an usual

group, even for the B&H. Christine Milk was in Kemptville to introduce Ted Hsu, the MPP for Kingston and the Islands, to North Grenville and Buskerfest, and where better to get a feel for the community than the B&H?

All at once, it seemed, the spectrum of politics and business was represented in that small group, as Councillor Deb Wilson, co-owner of Grahame’s Bakery, arrived to do some shopping. Deputy Mayor John Barclay was already there doing his job, and Maggie Boyer, co-owner of the Times, was on hand to gather everyone together for a

photo-op. Jim Beveridge, as usual, was a quiet, witty, and graceful host to this eclectic bunch.

Yes, sooner or later, everybody comes to Jim’s (and Judy’s), a sixty-year tradition of community.

Councillor Deb Wilson, Ted Hsu, M.P.P., Deputy Mayor John Barclay, David Shanahan and Maggie Boyer of the Times, and Jim Beveridge of the B&H.

A lonely pizza slice

by Brandon Mayer

I love a good riddle, don’t you? Here’s one: “I am valuable, but I am hated. I am sought after, but I am chased away. I am a basic necessity of life, but I am subjected to scorn and resistance. What am I?” Having trouble answering? No problem, it’s a tough one. The answer is “housing”.

Think about it just for a moment. Housing is one of the most desperately sought after commodities in our current economy. I personally know of several young people working full time hours at decent paying jobs who simply can’t afford to move out of their parents’ house. I was working about 35 hours per week when I moved out of my parents’ house. I was single, had no savings, and absolutely no “allowance” from my parents (which I know some people get well into adulthood). Just me, with those 35 hours per week, and I was able to get an apartment and pay all my bills with money

to spare each month. This wasn’t very long ago. What on earth has happened to our economy since then?

This has been written about on several occasions in the Times, but it’s worth explaining again. We simply don’t have enough houses and apartments in Canada. When demand is higher than supply, prices go up. Think of it this way: if you had the last slice of pizza on the planet, you’d be rich. Someone who really likes pizza would undoubtedly give you an exorbitant amount of money for the pizza, just for the chance to savour that one last slice. There wouldn’t be anything innately more valuable about the pizza – same ingredients, same cooking process, same product – but the rarity adds value. The true value of a product or service is measured only by what someone is willing to pay.

Housing has become a lonely pizza slice. Same appliances, same square footage, same amenities… but when there are not enough housing units to go around, a

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Some have bemoaned the recent increase in the carbon tax, which now sits at $65 a tonne, yet the real cost of carbon is far higher than the price we pay at the pump or on our bills for methane or propane. Despite making enormous profits, oil and gas companies have a poor track record in planning to deal with easily foreseeable costs such as cleaning up wells at the end of their useful life, with one recent report estimating the cost of cleaning up Alberta’s oilpatch to be $260 billion. Another recent study reports that the top 21 fossil fuel companies owe over US$200 billion a year in reparations for the damages they are causing around the world.

These are big numbers, but they pale into insignificance when we look at projected future damages. An analysis by the Climate Accountability Institute cal-

person who has been looking for a place to live for months will have no problem paying a price that they know is obviously unfairly high, so long as they have the money. This is why there have been some recent cases of houses being sold sight unseen to the highest bidder. When my wife and I bought our house in 2021, we considered it a miracle that we were actually able to negotiate the price. Very few have had that opportunity in recent years.

Thinking back to our lonely and extremely valuable pizza slice, there is only one thing that could drive the unfair price of the pizza down: more pizza slices. That’s how housing works, too. I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers the days when apartment buildings would have a sign out front as a permanent lawn ornament bearing only the words “apartment for rent” and a phone number. The existence of multiple empty units gives a potential tenant bargaining power. It doesn’t take long for a landlord with vacant units to realize that

it’s better to be paid something for them rather than nothing at all, even if the rent being earned is not as high as previously hoped.

In our current economy, it is a privilege for young people to have their own place. People are bunking with friends, couch surfing, or remaining with their parents simply because the alternative is homelessness. This is a reality that can’t last forever. It’s not a happy situation for anyone. I personally know of a few people who have remained in unfavourable living conditions because there is nowhere else to go. A basic necessity like housing should not be for the wealthy only.

Problems are no fun without solutions, aren’t they? The solution to overpriced housing is more housing, much like making a batch of pizza slices would lower the price of the last pizza slice on earth. Is it going to happen overnight? Of course not. Developers know the price they can get for units currently, and so they are going overcharge

for them – such is the nature of business. As time passes, however, and an increasing number of housing units get built, we will eventually return to the way things should be, where both landlords and tenants have negotiating power to settle on rent rates that are fair.

Many agree that supply and demand is the main determinant of housing prices, and most agree that housing affordability is a hugely important issue both locally and nationally. Why then, do we scream at developers to go away any time they come within 10 kilometres of our borders? We want housing, but we don’t want it near us. We want young people to be able to live normal, independent lives, but we don’t want to give them anywhere to do so. We want more stores and amenities, but we resist having new neighbours in our community to help keep these resources open. My only question is… why?

Kemptville is growing, and it’s growing at a huge rate. Kemptville is a hub for many people in the general

area. It is the “I’m going into town to pick up a few things” destination for people as far away as Chesterville, Merrickville, Osgoode, and other such towns. As much as long time locals will always want to hold on to Kemptville’s small town feel, it’s time to accept that Kemptville is the hub, and smaller villages like Oxford Mills, Burritt’s Rapids and Heckston are the communities of choice for people who prefer a quieter lifestyle.

More housing is coming to Kemptville. A lot of it, in fact. Existing residents deserve a say in the aesthetics and logistics of new projects, but to simply chase projects away would be irresponsible. Let’s not forget that for every knee-jerk protest raised about every potential housing project, someone, somewhere, may be facing the prospect of a winter without four walls and a roof. Be grateful for what you have, and take the time to see the bigger picture. Someone will thank you someday.

culates that the global fossil fuel industry could be responsible for a staggering US$23 trillion in lost GDP from climate impacts cumulatively by 2050.

In recent weeks we have seen huge wildfires in BC and Alberta, with tens of thousands forced to flee their homes, air quality that made it dangerous to be outside, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith forced to request assistance from the federal government. Over 35,000 people were made homeless in Italy after six months’ worth of rain fell in 36 hours on land that had been dried out by a drought. On our current course to hit 2.7C of heating we could see up to 1 billion people migrating to cooler places.

The truth is we currently pay far too little for fossil fuels and a recent internal estimate by the federal government has placed the social cost of carbon at $261

per tonne. Increasing the price of carbon strengthens the economic case for alternatives and will spur investment in renewable energy. Supports need to be in place for those at the lower end of the income scale, but moving away from fossil fuels will save us all money – just imagine not having to pay to fuel your car, or not having to pay for hydro or heating.

Doug Ford is expanding fossil fuel infrastructure, building new dirty fossil gas plants and investing in expensive and unproven carbon capture and storage schemes. Ontario Greens have a plan for investing in cleaner, cheaper, and safer energy, and to scale up incentives to make retrofits, heat pumps, and EVs more accessible for everyday people.

Steve Gabell

Dear Editor,

In regards to the “New development, new complaints” article in the last edition of this newspaper, which was about the proposed development at Pinehill and CR43, there was a lot of ink spent complaining about people not turning up to public meetings, but maybe they, like me, failed to notice anything in the NGT telling us about this meeting. That isn’t to say that it didn’t happen, I don’t know, but could I suggest that there be a special area in your newspaper devoted to upcoming public meetings, so that those of us who are interested could be made aware? Local newspapers in communities that I have lived in before have done this, and I have always found this useful.

So, just like Reuben Crescent, this developer is asking for even more increased density, while balking at providing the

percentage of affordable housing that our official plan requires. I was wondering how long it would take the development industry to latch on to the fact that we now, after the debacle of the Reuben Crescent decision by our municipal council, appear to be open to whatever the developer asks and wants.

One odd thing that I have noted about this Council, is that they all appear to be of the same mind. I have never seen that before in any municipal council, as there usually are one or two members who see things differently. I believe that to be a good thing, as it facilitates the discussion of different viewpoints. I find this trait mildly disturbing; nobody questioning decisions.

I am also reminded of the proposed jail here in Kemptville, where the Provincial government promised an open process. The process

has been anything but open, so citizens groups have had to go to bat for the community, at some considerable personal expense while our municipal council does nothing to hold Ford and Clark to their promises. Am I seeing a pattern here?

Colin Creasey, Kemptville

Brief Council update

by Brandon Mayer other items of business were discussed. These include general updates from various departments, and speed limit changes for two North Grenville roads. Council also heard minutes from various committees The open portion of the May 16 meeting lasted just under one hour.

Council has met for two regularly scheduled meetings since the last update, one on May 16, and a virtual meeting held on May 24. The May 16 meeting began with a closed session. The open portion began with a presentation from Sara Jane Manning to request that Council fly the Progressive Pride Flag in addition to the other flags flown at the North Grenville Municipal Centre.

Following items on the consent agenda, which are handled in one motion, some

OPP Report

submitted by Constable Ann Collins

DRIVER CHARGED WITH IMPAIRED

On May 21, 2023 around 9:45 a.m., officers from the Grenville County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were on patrol when they observed a vehicle parked on County Road 18 in the Township of Augusta with front end damage. The driver was assessed and cleared by paramedics before the officer conducted further testing.

A man, aged 35 years old, from Ottawa, was arrested and charged with: - Operation while impaired – alcohol and drugs

The May 24 meeting had a very limited agenda. In fact, it contained only one item of substance –consideration to declare the Kemptville Building Centre Customer Appreciation Event as a Municipally Significant Event. The

– Criminal Code - Possession of a Schedule I Substance – Opioid – Controlled Drugs and Substances Act

He was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brockville at a later date.

OPP INVESTIGATE

AT JOB SITE

The Grenville Detachment of the OPP is currently investigating a theft at a local building site off Concession Road in the Township of North Grenville. Police attended and were advised that there was approximately $50,000 of material and tools taken from a container.

It is believed that this oc-

purpose of an event being declared “Municipally Significant” is typically to allow alcohol to be served in a public place.

Most Council meetings are available to be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/@NorthGrenville. Readers are encouraged to view or attend meetings to stay apprised of what is going on with their local government.

MUNICIPAL OFFICE HOURS

The Municipal office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Visit our events calendar to find out what’s happening in the community: www.northgrenville.ca/events

Sign-up to receive Mayor Peckford’s e-newsletter at: northgrenville.ca/connect.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

COUNCIL MEETINGS

Please see the Council agenda for further details on how to participate in Council meetings. All Council meetings will be live streamed on YouTube at: youtube.com/user/NorthGrenville/featured and on the Municipality’s website at: www.northgrenville.ca/meetings.

To make a deputation in relation to an item on the agenda, please provide your comments no later than two hours prior to the start of the meeting to clerk@northgrenville.on.ca Council agendas are available at: www.northgrenville.ca/meetings.

curred sometime overnight on May 23, 2023.

Please contact North Grenville Detachment on 1-888-310-1122 with any information pertaining to this incident.

If you have any information on the above investigations or any others, please contact Grenville OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-(TIPS) 8477 or submit your tip online at www. ontariocrimestoppers.ca. Crime Stoppers does not want your name, you don’t go to court, and you could earn a cash reward.

Greens standing up to protect Ontario's farmland

submitted by Steve Gabell, GPO

Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes Ontario Greens President Steve Gabell released the following statement in response to the government's proposed Bill 97:

"Ontario’s farmland is a vital resource and once it is gone it’s gone forever. Ontario’s farmers have a clear message for the Ford government: to farm, we need farmland.

Food and farming is a $50 billion economic powerhouse. It fuels our economy, supports rural communities, and strengthens our food security. It is a cornerstone of the way of life in rural areas like Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands & Rideau Lakes.

Our farmland is some of the best in North America, but only 5% of the province is farmland, and under Doug Ford’s PC government, we’re losing 319 acres every day.

With Bill 97, the Ford government is planning to further weaken protections on farmland, allowing more residential building in prime agricultural areas. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and National Farmers Union are warning that these changes would fragment and permanently remove farmland from productive agricultural use and limit farm business growth.

Ontario Greens know there’s clear value in our food and farming sector. We know how important it is to residents of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands & Rideau Lakes. We stand with the agricultural leaders across the province fighting to protect it. "

Ontario Greens’ MPP and Leader Mike Schreiner said “we are calling on Ford to walk back on Bill 97 and the proposed provincial planning statement, to permanently protect Ontario’s prime farmland, and to step up and solve the housing crisis by building affordable homes in caring, connected communities where people actually want to live.”

• Friday, June 2, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. (Closed Session) – Catered Affairs

• Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. (Open Session) – Council Chambers

• Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. (Open Session) –Council Chambers

• Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. (Open Session) – Council Chambers

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Committees may be meeting in-person or virtually. Please see the Committee agenda for details on how to attend. Agendas can be found on the Municipal website at www.northgrenville.ca/meetings

• Community and Economic Development Advisory Committee –Monday, June 5, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.

• Agriculture and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee – Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 4:15 p.m.

• Health, Wellness, and Fitness Advisory Committee – Monday, June 12, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.

• Heritage Advisory Committee – Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.

VOLUNTEER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Advisory Committees

The Accessibility Advisory Committee currently has room to accommodate more members. Visit northgrenville.ca/committees for more information on how to apply. For questions, please contact the Clerk by email at clerk@northgrenville.on.ca or by telephone at 613-258-9569 ext 171

CIVIC AWARDS CEREMONY

The Civic Awards Program was established to recognize and honour the contributions and dedication of individuals and groups who make outstanding contributions to improving the quality of life for all those living and working in North Grenville.

Council will be hosting the 2022 Civic Awards ceremony and reception on Thursday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the North Grenville Municipal Centre. Civic Award recipients, family, friends, colleagues and members of the public are all invited and encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be served.

NORTH GRENVILLE IN BLOOM

North Grenville is participating in Communities in Bloom, which is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the aesthetic appeal of communities across Ontario. North Grenville is looking for residents and businesses to participate by sharing photos and details of their blooms. We will be putting together a profile book and tour of the community for the judges visiting the second week of August.

If you’re interested in taking part in the initiative, including contributing to the profile book, tour, or submitting your beautiful photos of local gardens and landscapes, visit the North Grenville in Bloom project page on northgrenville.ca/projects. For more information, contact vision@northgrenville.on.ca.

Farmers invest back into their communities by supporting local projects

OFA has invested more than $200,000 to support projects in 36 counties and regions across Ontario. These run from farm and road safety signage and training to teaching people about farming, promoting local food, supporting food banks and more.

ron County as well as a copy of the popular Real Dirt on Farming publication to give them some insights into what agriculture is all about.

by Ethan Wallace, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The belief in the strength of community and of giving back runs deep in Ontario, particularly in rural areas of our province. Two years ago, when many farming and rural communities were struggling under the burdens and impacts of the pandemic, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) created its Revive Fund.

It’s a program that provides funding to help our 51 county and regional federations plan, develop and launch projects and initiatives in support of agriculture and their local communities – and our local organizations have stepped up with many impactful ideas.

Over the past two years,

Baldwin’s Birds

I farm in Huron County and our local federation of agriculture partnered with agricultural businesses in our region to do a SlowMoving Vehicle signage campaign. We replaced faded or missing signage and stickers on farm equipment to help raise awareness among both farmers and motorists of how critically important road safety is, especially at busy times of the year like planting or harvest when there is more equipment on the road.

And this year, we’re taking advantage of our unique position near Lake Huron’s cottage country to promote food and farming to cottagers and tourists on the way to the lake. We’ll be handing out insulated OFA Farms and Food Forever bags to long weekend grocery shoppers with information about Hu-

Three's Company

Other Ontario projects this year will focus on agritourism, bus tours for local municipal leaders or food influencers, signage to help passersby identify crops, events that focus on the future of farming, and even a weather station program that will help the local community benefit from more detailed weather forecasting.

I’m proud of how our local federations of agriculture have embraced this fund and have identified needs in their communities that they can help address with their innovative project ideas. It’s also great seeing OFA, as a provincial organization, support more investment in initiatives like the Revive Fund that will help bridge the gap between urban and rural residents.

Farming is most often thought of as something that happens far from our urban centres and that is relegated to small towns and rural areas with few connections to towns and cities. After

all, less than two percent of Canada’s population is involved in farming and the closest many Ontarians ever get to a farm is shopping at a local farmers’ market or visiting an agri-tourism attraction near an urban area.

We all need to eat, but farming and food production also support and influence every major aspect of life in our province, from jobs and food security to health care and the environment, which makes agriculture in today’s world as much urban as it is rural.

When I think of the cottagers who come to Huron County for the weekend, for example, where we live and what we do might be quite different, but there is more that connects us than we might think. We share many common values like family, community, a love of food and a desire to protect the environment so we can leave a better world to our children.

You can learn more about the many impactful local projects that have been supported through the Revive Fund on the OFA website.

SGDHS relay for life

Most people go through their life knowing at least one person that has been effected by cancer. To some people it might be a coworker or a person you almost never talk to, but for others it’s a family member or a friend, either way it’s tough. 2 in 5 Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer, while 1 in 5 are expected to pass away from cancer. Cancer is painful on everyone not just the person being effected. South Grenville District High is having relay for life this year and by donating you can make an impact on cancer research. Any donation would help. To donate visit https://support.cancer.ca/site/TR/RelayForLife/ RFLY_NW_even_?fr_id=28987&pg=entry and donate to team PopRocks. Students for north Grenville are participating in this event as well to make an impact on peoples lives. We all want to make a difference in peoples lives and we can try our best to do that any way possible.

As the month of May passes rapidly by, I hope, as you probably do, that its' horribly variable weather will settle down to more of a summer variety than what we have been getting this week. Our sympathetic thoughts went out to those of you who were participating in last weekend's Buskerfest. There were a few sad looking, soaking wet birds hanging about our place on that day who didn't seem to be enjoying it either. Followed up, for the past couple of days, with temperatures that are are a bit "nippy around the

knee caps", for those of us who have prematurely taken to wearing our summer shorts, it hasn't been too jolly a week at all!!

(I know it serves me right for jumping the gun!!)

Anyway, enough doom and gloom and on with some good stuff! We got another very brief sighting of the Brown Thrashers that I had high lighted in my last article and the Bluebirds have been very busy looking after their brood in one of our nesting boxes, although we have yet to see a really good sign

that the chicks are actually there, i.e. no heads popping out of the box entrance hole begging for food. The odd time though, we have spotted a Bluebird a little dumpier and not so mature looking as their more colourful parents do.

Our nesting Robin, above one of my garage doors, was also able to get her brood out of the nest without us being able to witness the event, as we have been able to in past years. We just hope that the young had matured enough to fly and that they haven't become a

victim of something more sinister! Nothing untoward points to such a happening so we'll keep with the positive thoughts. At least one pair of Robins are definitely still with us, as they feed either on the front grass or that in the rear of the house. They also give us plenty of entertainment, when they take to the water bath for a quick dip! Surprisingly, they haven't been alone in this sort of activity recently as Cowbirds, Chipping and White-throated Sparrows have been observed doing the same! We even saw a Bluebird partaking too, which is quite a rare sight for us. Maybe you have been able to witness some of this sort of thing going on in your own backyard,- I hope so. Stay safe and well.

Cheers, John Baldwin

High Tea on Read

submitted by Terry Copeck

A treat for you and your friends. Join us in our English cafe in the Community Centre at 106 Read Street in historic Merrickville for High Tea, Saturday June 17 from 1 to 3 pm. You will be served delicious small sandwiches, scones, petit fours, squares and sweets, freshly baked by the parishioners of St Anne. Musical background will be provided by Suzanne on the harp. Your ticket may win the lovely centrepiece on your table or a wonderful door prize to keep as a remembrance. Tickets are limited. To order phone Audrey Baker at 613.283.5033 or email a.bakercl@hotmail.com. $30 cash or eTransfer.

Op-ed Idiot wind

by David Shanahan

It’s no secret that I really don’t like Facebook; for all its benefits in keeping friends and family in touch and updated, there’s so much negativity, misinformation and plain nastiness there that I just stay away. But sometimes, I get sent something that has been posted about me, or this paper, or staff, and I feel that I have to respond, and this is one of those times.

The Times recently received a Letter to the Editor from someone who has been published here numerous times over the years. But this one was different: quite simply, had we printed it, both the Times and the writer would have been wide open to a lawsuit for libel. You just can’t accuse people in public life of accepting bribes and being corrupt unless you have solid evidence, or even the smallest bit of support for the accusation.

So the letter was not printed, and the writer just threw a hissy fit. As is now the usual response to anything that goes against someone’s wishes, the writer ran to Facebook to condemn the Editor of the Times, making

the remarkable statement that “...now I know that I can’t write articles for the NG Times anymore as the paper is too close with Council.” There are at least two things that are wrong about that statement: no one has ever told that person that they can’t write for the Times again. After literally dozens of letters and articles published to date by this person, this seems a rather extreme reaction to one letter being rejected.

Of course, no context was given, no background or reason for the decision not to publish, just an aggrieved moan about how unfair it is, and all because the Times “is too close to Council”! Believe me, the decision not to publish was not to protect Council, it was to protect the Times and the writer from serious legal jeopardy, something not revealed in the Facebook posts.

Naturally, the usual suspects jumped into the fray, declaring that the Times “adores this council”. Interesting accusation to make from defeated candidates for Council, and it shows a remarkable ignorance of recent history in NG. Anyone

Environmental Racism

by Zara Zrudlo

who has been around for more than ten minutes will remember previous mayors and councils and the many, many attacks made on the Times and its predecessor.

I have two favourites: one was when I was escorted out of a Council meeting for pointing out that the Mayor of the day was turning off the microphones of anyone he disagreed with. The other was when the previous Council to this one declared, in writing, that the NG Times was a threat to democracy in NG, and that neither the Times, nor anyone else in the community, had the right to question or criticise Council. And they put this in an article they submitted to the Times! Ah, those were the days!

Compared to some of those other councils, this one is relatively benign. No, we don’t “adore” them, and once or twice we’ve been criticised (on Facebook!) by members of the current council. I know that the current Editor has no personal relationship with anyone on Council, although my soul mate chats with many of them regularly; but then, she chats with half of NG

Racism isn’t just one simple idea, there are many different parts to it. One of the parts is environmental racism. Environmental racism is how the actions of people with ‘higher’ status, impact the people with ‘lower status’, usually focusing on people of visible minorities.

All over the world there are a lot of mines, toxic waste disposal sites, refineries, chemical plants, and other facilities that are dangerous to people’s health. On Turtle Island, what is now known as North America, most of them are right next to communities with a high population of people who are Black, Indigenous, or persons of

regularly, so that means less than you’d think. Personally, I haven’t seen or spoken to the Mayor since the night of the election!

But, to go back to the main point: Facebook has become a place where people just shout into the ether about whatever upsets them. There are allegations without substance, gossip of a malevolent nature, group think where people talk to like-minded obsessives in their own personal echo chamber. Of course, there are some worthwhile uses for the platform, as long as it lets you access something other than what their algorithms select for you.

The kind of exchange of views that are exemplified by the ones I refer to here are all too common these days, and allow people to become vindictive, mean-spirited, and increasingly uncivilised and ignorant. They may be the kind of people Bob Dylan wrote about many years ago:

“Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press. Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out quick; but when they will I can only guess.

Idiot wind. Blowing through the buttons of our coat. Blowing through the letters that we wrote. Idiot wind. Blowing through the dust upon our shelves. We're idiots, babe, it's a wonder we can even feed ourselves.”

Is there any chance that we can, as a community, leave all that behind and learn to actually talk to each other again, to discuss differences and opinions rationally and sensibly? Or are we doomed to continue listening to the idiot wind?

color. These types of facilities can cause rare and dangerous kinds of cancer and other diseases.

Because the communities mentioned above don’t always have access to good health care, or because of racism IN the healthcare system, these diseases and their causes often get ignored. A survey taken in BC found that 84% of Indigenous folks have experienced racism in healthcare. Stats similar to this are not confined to BC, or Indigenous people. People of color and black people have experienced similar things. Racism existing in all levels of government and services make it even harder for environmenal racism to come to light.

In Ontario, more than 60 refineries and chemical plants have surrounded Aamjiwnaang First Nation since the 1940s, creating what’s known as “Chemical Valley.” Chemical Valley is one of the most polluted places in the country. The journal ‘Cancer’ did a study in 2019 and found that a certain part of myeloid leukemia is more common there than anywhere else in the country.

While communities affected by environmental racism aren’t always widely acknowledged, there is a lot of research into the effects of the toxins found in waste sites, thermal generating stations and pulp and paper mills. The toxins used in these facilities—heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, fine particulate matter, and mobile gases—are associated with a long list of health issues including cancer, birth defects, and damage to most of the vital organs.

The air pollution caused by many of these facilities has been studied, and linked to a lot of heart diseases which cause 14,600 premature deaths in Canada per year. Based on maps and statistics, we can assume that a lot of these are from marginalized communities.

Environmental racism can sometimes be more subtle than other types of racism. You have to look at maps and find the pattern of where the dangerous facilities are positioned, otherwise it just looks like a coincidence.

Another example is the Gaslink pipeline that is going straight through the Wet’suwet’en territory. It is not only atrocious, but illegal. The people in that territory were never consulted and they

never ceded their land to the Crown. According to The Indian Act, the government/ Crown is not allowed to take land from the Indigenous Peoples without treaty negotiation or trade of some sort.

The Indian Act is racist and horrendous. It treats the Indigenous Peoples like they are barely human. It is shameful that it exists, however, the least the government can do is follow the rights for Indigenous Peoples that are set out in it.

According to Wet’suwet’en law, the Hereditary Chiefs have jurisdiction over the land. This is supported by the 1997 Supreme Court of Canada Delgamuukw decision. This law states that provinces can’t extinguish Indigenous land titles (which includes rights to natural resources), and oral history is legitimate evidence of land claims. The Hereditary Chiefs have said that the construction of the Costal Gaslink pipeline is a violation of their law, and have issued the company an eviction notice that has been ignored. The construction of the pipeline has also caused many Wet’suwet’en people to be removed, sometimes by force from their homes on their traditional lands.

More than 150 countries have updated their environmental laws to include a provision that having a healthy environment is a human right. Hopefully Canada will soon follow. For now, what we can do is continue to learn, protest and call the government and industries out on what they’re doing. To learn more about environmental racism in Canada, you can check out Elliott Page’s movie, “There’s Something In the Water”. You can also look at an article the magazine Chatelaine called “This Is Where Canada Dumps Tons Of Its Toxic Waste, Tailings Ponds—And Racism”.

Zara Zrudlo is a homeschooled, fourteen year old resident of Kemtpville. They love writing, art, acting, reading and anything to do with music. Ever since they were little they’ve cared a lot about activism and social justice, and hoped to make a difference in the world. Zara has written two and a half novels, and ran a newspaper for their friends and family for three years. They love hanging out with their dogs and chickens and spending time imagining having dinner with various book characters.

Celebrating Seniors’ Month in June

June is a vibrant month full of sunshine and the welcoming warmth on our winter weary faces. It is the month that raises awareness for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Brain Injury, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, and Stroke. It is the month we celebrate Pride in our community and all around Canada. For Seniors’ Community Services, June is Seniors

Month and a time to celebrate older adults and the extraordinary contributions they bring to this community.

One of the most anticipated events of the year is our Seniors’ BBQ. We missed it for a few years as our world settled into something we did not expect, but in 2022 the party

resumed under the blue skies and the swaying trees. There was music and laughter, reconnecting with friends and of course a dance off with Mayor Peckford and the over one hundred attendees. The food was served up with panache by the Kemptville Lions Club chefs and everyone had a wonderful time. This year, we invite you to attend our celebration in honour of the remarkable seniors who are recognized during this month of June – Seniors Month.

On Wednesday, June 21st, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at Maplewood Park in Oxford Mills, we will once again gather for this very special event.

Please RSVP by Friday, June 14th at 613-258-

3203 or by email at hello@seniorscs.ca. What to bring, you may ask? Just a smile, your appetite and a chair.

June also brings recognition for our Transportation Service Volunteer team. They will be receiving a North Grenville Civic Award (group – Seniors) for the exemplary service they provide North Grenville and the folks who access drives that support independent living. Our volunteers and their own vehicles have given over 11,000 hours and driven more than 88,000 kms over the last year. They are a remarkable asset to this community, and we encourage you to attend the awards to show your support to all the award

recipients on Thursday, June 8th at 6:30 pm at the Municipal Centre.

And last, but certainly not least, SCS will be hosting its AGM at 215 Sanders on June 20th from 10:30 to 11:30 am. This meeting is a great way to hear more about our organization and get involved. Please RSVP your attendance prior to June 15th by email hello@seniorscs.ca or by phone 613-258-3203.

June is a very special month for SCS – devoted to recognizing the seniors who are the brightly coloured threads that are weaved through the fabric of this community. Watch for highlights on our social media, and follow along. Happy Seniors Month!

For more information on SCS and the services we provide, please visit our website at www.seniorscs.ca or come for a visit at 215 Sanders Street, Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. We look forward to welcoming you!

The Food Corner

By Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville

Rhubarb is king at this time of year. The patch in our garden is going nuts. So, it’s time to cook, freeze and otherwise make use of this great vegetable (yup, it’s a vegetable that belongs to the buckwheat family, though we think of it as a fruit). So, modifying a basic crumble recipe such as Apple Crumble and using rhubarb works very well. The difference in the taste will be the tart flavour, offset by the sugar you need to add. So, give this crumble a whirl and enjoy your fresh rhubarb.

Rhubarb Crumble

Basic Ingredients

6 cups of rhubarb cut into one-inch pieces

1 ¼ cups of white sugar

¼ cup of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla (we got the real stuff while on holidays this past winter), or

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crumble Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

½ cup of butter, cut into cubes

½ cup of instant oats

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 375F degrees.

2. In a bowl, toss the rhubarb, white sugar, ¼ of flour, vanilla and cinnamon

3. Pour into a 9X12 baking dish (preferably glass)

4. Mix the ½ cup of flour, brown sugar and ½ cup of oats in a bowl and cut in the butter

5. Spread the crumble over the rhubarb mixture

6. Bake for about 45 minutes until the crumble has browned

7. Let cool for a half hour or so before serving

Income Tax

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Vanilla ice cream or iced yoghurt accompanies this crumble nicely, whether warm or chilled. Do enjoy! By the way, don’t waste your rhubarb! Just harvest, cut the stalks into one or two-inch pieces, place on a cookie sheet, freeze, then bag (no blanching required). Use your frozen rhubarb as if fresh. Adding a few strawberries to this recipe doesn’t hurt at all… All feedback gratefully accepted as usual at pcormier@ranaprocess.com.

Rachel S. Jansen, B.Comm., J.D. Paul A. Jansen, BA, LLB.

The Weather with Connor

featuring Connor Mockett

Hello, everyone! Welcome back to another week of The Weather with Connor. This week, I thought I’d take 3 random photos from 3 different chase days, and explain the story of each chase day. Let’s have some fun and get started.

July 3rd, 2021

This was one of the more fun days of my 2021 Chasecation in Alberta. This photo was taken near Water Valley, Alberta, in what was day 2 of a 6-day severe weather period along the Foothills in Alberta. July 3rd was just storm after storm coming off the Hills; my chase partner and I chased three separate storms that day. The third storm was the most beautiful, which is crazy because after the other two storms, the environment had become

a bit watered down (no pun intended). It was only 15 degrees outside when this storm started to roll off the foothills.

This storm didn’t pose much of a threat in terms of a tornado being possible or anything, it was mostly just a photogenic storm that all of the chasers in the area were taking photos of. A couple friends and I were actually picking up some ping pong ball sized hail stones on the side of the road after the second storm just for fun while this third storm came along.

July 2nd, 2022

This day was one of the biggest chase wins of the season for me and my chase partners that day. Just a little bit of a back story leading up to this day: my former chase vehicle, my red 2010 Ford Focus, had a transmission

problem two days before, and I lost top gear. That means that I couldn’t chase, as it’d be too risky, mostly because I didn’t want to get stranded before attempting to drive home for three days with a broken car (I made it home with the car).

So anyways, a few of my chasing friends that live in Alberta offered to take me with them for their chase, which I obviously had to accept because why would I ever turn that down? They picked me up at my hotel in Airdrie, Alberta, and away we all went (there were six of us in two vehicles).

This day was supposed to be spectacular. Supercell thunderstorms were expected to come off the Foothills south and west of Calgary, and tornadoes were definitely possible in

the environment that day. However, pretty much zero things went according to plan. There were literally no storms for the longest time, and then it was just plain ‘ol Alberta rain. We all thought the day was toast, and ended up driving up into the mountains to explore the back roads. That’s when we looked at radar.

There was a small, but really evident storm right out in front of the rain, just east of the small town of Claresholm, Alberta. We turned the vehicles around and started racing towards the storm, which was thankfully moving quite slow. We punched through the centre of it, and came out front to see this beautiful supercell. This was the only storm of the day (it was almost night actually, the photo was taken

Resident shares concerns with customer service

ers from being served, and hung up.

at 9:30pm), and we were the only chasers around to see it because every other chaser group gave up!

August 31st, 2022

This day ended up being one of the most active and crazier days of the Eastern Ontario storm season last year. Storms initiated early in the day, around 1:00pm, first along the Seaway near Brockville. Naturally, I was in position for these storms, as I did expect to have a good day after I did my severe weather forecast the day before and the morning of.

The first round of storms were all very close together and difficult to navigate through, as I kept getting caught in rain without visibility of the storm. I did eventually get between two storms though, and followed

one from the town of Lyn, Ontario to Mallorytown, Ontario. Difficult chase area there too, with the St. Lawrence River, trees, and the road network. Nonetheless, after watching one storm rotate and then come straight over me, I drove towards another storm just down the road. What I rolled up on is still to this day one of my favourite storm scenes ever. The backside of this storm was just so beautifully ridiculous.

All that puffiness to the clouds is the updraft of the storm going up into the atmosphere. I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, with railroad tracks in the foreground, to take that photo.

A local resident’s recent customer service concerns add to growing complaints both locally and nationally that businesses – particularly large utility companies – don’t always treat their customers fairly. The issue for Kemptville resident Donna Blendell and her neighbours began on the afternoon of May 18, when they began having issues with their Bell internet.

Donna and her neighbours were fi rst told that service would take just one day to restore, before this promise was eventually bumped to a disappointing one of having service restored in about a week.

“The unbelievable lack of customer service has been mind blowing,” said Donna. “Equally insulting is that in the chat, they tell me I can check outages on the MyBell account. If I login to the MyBell account they actually list my internet service as fine with no outages.”

Donna ended up having to speak to a customer service manager in a call that lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes. She says that an agent kept coming back on the line to tell her that she would receive a call back in 48 hours. She insisted several times on speaking with someone today, but the agent eventually gave up, told Donna that she was preventing other custom-

Donna pointed out that the neighbourhood she lives in is largely a “work from home” community, which makes an internet outage a big deal. “The good news is that if you are with Bell Mobility, they will give you 50 GB of data right now, but for the rest of us we don't even get a sorry,” Donna added.

Donna’s story grew the following day, when she suggested that someone who lives on her street who works in the telecommunications industry “called in some big favours” to get the Bell crew dispatched a few days after the outage, instead of a week. This is when she was told that the internet lines were damaged during nearby construction.

This was frustrating to learn because it’s what Donna and her neighbours suspected all along, but she claims that Bell customer service representatives would not listen when they tried to explain.

Bell has made some attempts to provide compensation, but Donna does

not feel it goes far enough. “I was told by a loyalty manager to buy my own data for another mobile plan and when all was said and done they would review for reimbursement,” said Donna. “I had to call the other carrier and they graciously took care of me.” But Donna later found out that Bell could have added the data to the other carrier on her behalf, as the two companies are related.

As for a service refund, Donna says that Bell is offering compensation prorated to outage time. “I did provide feedback that their employees can only read scripts, have no analytical thinking and absolutely no listening skills and that applies as well to a lot of managers who aren't doing much of anything,” Donna added. “Let's face it, they don't have listening skills so I am sure it will go nowhere.”

As of the time of writing, a temporary fix had been applied, but Donna was not holding her breath for the permanent planned repairs.

by Brandon Mayer

July 3rd, 2021

July 2nd, 2022

August 31st, 2022

BIA requesting strategic plan consultants

submitted by Deron Johnston

The Old Town Kemptville Business Improvement Association (BIA) is requesting proposals from experienced and qualified vendors (consultants) to help the BIA develop a five-year strategic plan to support the growth and expansion of the downtown business community in Kemptville.

The successful vendor will possess the requisite technical skills to deal with the complex matters to be addressed in the scope of work and will be required to work directly with the BIA Board, BIA staff, BIA members, the public, and stakeholders in a professional manner.

Qualified vendors who are interested in submitting a proposal should email Deron Johnston, Executive Director, bia@northgrenville. on.ca. to receive a copy of the full Request for Proposal (RFP). Deadline for proposal submissions will be 5:00pm on Friday July 7, 2023.

The BIA Board intends to recommend the appointment of the vendor based on best overall value and a review of the proposal including work plan, schedule, clarity, budget and relevance. The vendor appointment is subject to approval by the BIA Board in accordance with the provisions of the Procurement By-Law.

A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is an as-

Weed spraying facts

by Brandon Mayer

Weed spraying season is a familiar occurrence annually. There are some common misconceptions about weed spraying that probably explain why it is such a topic of controversy.

Weed spraying refers to the spraying of chemicals in ditches to control the spread of noxious weeds. Property owners can opt out of weed spraying by placing “no spray” signs in the desired area.

Many people are likely unaware that the Municipality is obligated under

law to perform the annual spraying. The purpose, as set out in Ontario’s Weed Control Act, is to control noxious weeds that have the potential to infest agricultural land and severely hurt crop yields and crop quality. The noxious weed control is therefore done to protect the food supply chain.

“Noxious weeds are much more than an inconvenience,” reads an article published by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

“Invasive and noxious weeds threaten Ontario’s plants and animals and can be harmful to crops, livestock, humans and our

sociation of commercial property owners and tenants within a defined area who work in partnership with the Municipality to create thriving and safe business areas that attract shoppers, diners, tourists, and new businesses. By working collectively as a BIA, local businesses have the resource capacity (funds and people) to actively enhance the quality of life in their local neighbourhood and the Municipality as a whole.

The Old Town Kemptville BIA was established in 2006 and operates within a defined commercial area referred to as Downtown Kemptville within the Municipality of North Grenville. North Grenville is an amalgamation of the municipalities formerly known as the Town of Kemptville, the Township of Oxford on Rideau and North Gower Township. It is located 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa, along Highway 416, with easy access to Highways 417 & 401. For further information regarding this special project, please contact:

Deron Johnston Executive Director

Old Town Kemptville BIA bia@northgrenville.on.ca

natural environment. Ontario’s Weed Control Act facilitates the control of noxious weeds on lands in close proximity to lands used for agricultural or horticultural purposes. Under Ontario’s Weed Control Act, farmers and landowners have a legal obligation to manage noxious weeds species on their properties.”

The Act does not stop at requiring farmers to control noxious weeds. It also sets out rules for local governments, including upper tier municipalities (locally, this is the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville) and lower tier

municipalities (locally, the Municipality of North Grenville). “The Act requires single tier or upper tier municipalities to appoint a weed inspector,” reads the OFA article. “Lower tier municipalities are also required to appoint a weed inspector. Lastly, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has the authority to appoint a provincial weed inspector. If notified about noxious weeds on lands close to ones used for agricultural or horticultural purposes, the weed inspector can order the weeds destroyed. If weeds are not destroyed

within a set time, the municipality can use its staff to destroy the weeds, and add the cost to the property owner’s tax bill.”

The OFA supports spraying activities and expects its members to obey local and provincial spraying regulations since infestations of noxious weeds can significantly limit crop yields. The organization specifically supports the spraying of ditches because of the way that off-farm weeds can make it more difficult to control on-farm weeds if left unmanaged.

Does this make “no spray” signs inherently

irresponsible? Not at all. Landowners can have any number of reasons for not wanting spray on their property, such as a having a nearby garden or water well, family members who present with allergies following spraying, or pets who are inclined to play in or eat chemically treated grass. While spraying is certainly not the evil and deadly activity that some people make it out to be, the decision of “spray” vs “no spray” rests on individual households.

Notes from above ground

by David Shanahan

Of the very many myths and misunderstandings (hence, mythunderstandings) about Christians and Christianity that are current in society today, there is one which has me really quite puzzled. It is probably the one I come across most often: the idea that Christians are, to put it bluntly, mindless morons. That they have put their brains to one side in order to blindly believe, without evidence, in the supernatural, miracles, and such like. I have seen comments online about how these unsophisticated people believe in "fairytales", in a big meany in the sky who watches over them in case they do anything fun or enjoyable in any way.

The reason this one has always puzzled me is because, fifty years ago when I became a Christian (one Sunday afternoon in April 1973), I was a university student at the time and the group through which I came to the Lord (as we say) was a collection of academic staff and students from all levels and many disciplines, including Medicine, Engineering, Chemistry, History, and so on. Not the kind of people you would think were unthinking, uncritical believers in fairytales.

In the half-century since those great days, I have continued to ask questions, deal with criticisms from friends and otherwise, and acted on the assumption (reasonably) that if something was true and real, there would be answers to all questions. And so I have found it. I have been encouraged and inspired by incredibly intelligent people, from

Saul of Tarsus, Augustine, Martin Luther, through to C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Martin Lloyd-Jones, Jim Packer and Francis Schaeffer. There are too many to count over two thousand years of testimony and experience.

This is not to say that you have be some kind of intellectual to be a Christian, not at all. People from all walks of life, all levels of education, all cultures and ethnicities, through centuries, have all believed the same things (with minor exceptions). Critics claim that Christianity and belief in God cannot be proved, nor can it be falsified, therefore it is not acceptable, not "real". But surely, millions of subjects, over countless years, constitute a good sample of repeatable experiences adding up to some serious evidence of something?

But this criterion, so beloved by modern society, that the only reality is what can be proved through the scientific method, is itself unscientific. Someone once wrote that: "The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world. This, in the opinion of many academics and pedagogists. It is the root of scientific discovery, and knowledge. The test is to have others repeat the process and get the same results. The same with opinions: they have to be verifiable. One’s opinion is merely that, nothing more."

I think this sums up the prevailing ideology, but is seems more than a little contradictory. Opinions have to be verifiable, and the scientific method is best in the opinion of most. But how

is it verifiable? When it is claimed that the supernatural, miracles, religious belief, is not verifiable, where is the proof of that? How can you claim the scientific method is the best, when that is an opinion also? Things are not as cut and dried as some would have us believe.

Science and Christianity are not at all incompatible.

C. S. Lewis wrote: "But why anything comes to be there at all, and whether there is anything behind the things science observes - something of a different kind - this is not a scientific question. If there is 'Something Behind,' then either it will have to remain altogether unknown to men or else make itself known in some different way. The statement that there is any such thing, and the statement that there is no such thing, are neither of them statements that science can make."

We used to talk about the sciences, now we talk about Science, as though there is a monolithic discipline, and not separate strands such as physics, biology, paleontology, etc. Scientism, as it came to be called, is the belief system that claims that Science will find all the answers to life’s mysteries, and will eventually do away with the need for miraculous and supernatural experiences because we will then know the natural explanation for it all.

But this topic goes deeper and wider than whether or not Christians are sane or moronic. The fact is that society has become divided into two main blocks, not based on gender, ethnicity, education, or any other parameter. The really fundamental difference between

the two is that one, the secular post-Christian society, believes there is no purpose or meaning to the universe or the individual, as we are all simply cosmic accidents, produced by the random and undesigned coming together of atoms and molecules over vast stretches of time. There is no Creator, no purposeful design and destiny for humanity and the universe. Of course, no one, or very few, can live in the day-today world and act as if this was true. The horror would be too much.

Christians see the world very differently. They know of a Creator, a Person, who planned his work before the universe began. It and we have purpose and meaning and a destiny after this life. The world is not as it was made, we have rebelled and tried to be gods to ourselves, but that is another story to tell. Next time, we can look at two statements that reflect these different perspectives. One is by the French-Algerian philosopher, Albert Camus, who, looking at life and the world around him, wrote: "There is only one really serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide," in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus. The other is by King David: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour."

[Psalm 8: 3-5] We should talk about this again.

100 Women & 100 Men Who Care North Grenville Q2 Meeting

The 100 Women Who Care NG and the 100 Men Who Care NG are pairing up for their upcoming meeting! Everyone is welcome.

The second quarterly meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 21st at 6:00pm at Catered Affairs on the Kemptville Campus; please go to the website www.100womenwhocareng. com to register for the meeting. There will be a meal (Brisket on a Bun with a salad) for $20. Please preorder and pay for dinner via either Catered Affairs or 100 Women Who Care NG websites. The cash bar will be open as well.

Nominations for the second quarter charities will be accepted via our website link or the 100 Men Who Care up until June 1st. Four charities will be chosen at random (2 from each group) to present at the June meeting. We will be choosing 1 winner from the women’s votes and 1 winner from the men’s votes to receive the collected funds. The other two charities will each receive $250 from each group.

To date, the 100 Women Who Care North Grenville has raised $99,168 towards local charities. The 100 Men Who Care North Grenville has raised $98,152.

Both groups have partnered with the Ottawa Community Foundation to streamline their donation process. Members can log on to the Foundation’s website Donate 100 Women and enter “100 Women Who Care North Grenville” or “100 Men Who Care North Grenville” Donate 100 Men as the fund to receive their donation. Please ensure that you choose the correct group for your donations. This system automatically generates a tax receipt, making the whole operation that much easier. Please do not choose to be anonymous.

We are looking to make

Early Hormone Therapy has benefits

It was surprising news in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. There’s another about-turn among scientists studying hormone therapy (HT) as a treatment for symptoms of menopause. This time, researchers have produced findings that suggest benefits to healthy women who start HT early in the transition to menopause.

Women have long been perplexed by conflicting advice on hormone replacement, and this new study doesn’t offer universal guidance. The bottom line remains, HT is a complicated business, requiring patients and doctors to weigh many factors in deciding for or against.

Dr. Iliana Lega of the Women’s College Hospital and the University of Toronto has this to say, “Menopausal hormone therapy is the first line treatment of symptoms in the absence of contraindications.” That clarity may be overly simplified, and she adds that patients and doctors need to consider symptoms before and during menopause and to discuss treatments based on personal preferences and potential risk factors.

Those risk factors have been well publicized. Many studies have suggested leaning away from HT due to associated increased risk of breast cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. But new findings offer important

insights for younger women.

Previous studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer in women taking HT. However, this new study reports the risk is much lower in people aged 50-59 years and in those who start HRT in the first 10 years of menopause.

Increased risk of ischemic stroke (blood clot) has been a concern for women older than 60 years who start HT 10 years after the start of menopause. But new findings suggest that the risk is reduced for those younger than sixty.

Furthermore, data from the Women’s Health Initiative trial show a possible reduction in coronary artery disease with HT among younger menopausal patients, specifically those who start HT before 60 years of age or within 10 years of the start of menopause.

Be sure to discuss the issues with your surgeon if you are scheduled for a hysterectomy. Leaving ovaries in place can preserve natural estrogen function for a time. But removal of ovaries and use of HT eliminates any future risk of ovarian cancer. Of course, most saved ovaries do not develop a malignancy. So, sparing one or both ovaries in younger patients should be a matter for discussion.

There are other benefits of hormone therapy in the treatment of menopausal

the biggest local and immediate charitable impact we can. Remember that 100% of the proceeds go towards the chosen charities that night. Join us, the North Grenville chapters of this amazing charity. and help bring positive change to your community.

For more information on 100 Women Who Care North Grenville, visit them on facebook https://www.facebook. com/100womenwhocareng/ or on their website ttps://100womenwhocareng. com/. For more information on the 100 Men Who Care North Grenville, visit them on facebook https://www.facebook. com/100MenWhoCareNG.

symptoms. Reducing the severity of hot flashes is the main one. Another is reduced fragility, with one large study involving over 25,000 women aged 50-79 showing that HT reduced the risk of any fracture by 28 percent, a major osteoporotic fracture by 40 percent, and a hip fracture by 34 percent. HT can also offer relief from mood swings, vaginal dryness, and joint pain.

The cognitive effects of HT are debated. Past research questioned the impact on risk for dementia. Other research found benefits including reduced “brain fog” and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Pauline Maki is a specialist in menopause and cognition in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She notes, “Women who initiate hormone therapy before their final menstrual period show increased blood flow to the hippocampus and better verbal memory compared to nonusers.”

The message is that “timing is everything” in decisions around hormone therapy.

That’s not easy to action given menopause may begin up to 10 years before the last menstrual period and can last more than 10 years. For some women, the symptoms are intense. Others never know that the menopause has come and gone.

So get informed guidance from your doctor and start the discussion early.

We look forward to hosting our members and guests for a fun-filled meeting on Wednesday June 21st at 6:00PM for a meal and socializing and 7:00PM for the meeting.

Tid bit musings

by Elva Patterson Rutters RSSW

With Mother's day behind us and Father's day looming, perhaps it is mindful to acknowledge your beliefs, ideals, and reflections on these two events in reference to expectations. Whenever there are expectations not met, there is disappointment and often deep hurt. Three keys words whether uttered or written-"Happy Mother's/Father's Day" can make a huge impact on a parent's self- esteem. Where do you stand on acknowledgement of everything your parents' did for you? have you talked issues out with the parent for clarification? Withholding affection from a parent is termed "parental abuse."

It is very easy to focus on the things you did not receive or get to do. Make a list of the things you did experience and you might be surprised to acknowledge your parent did the best they could with what resources they had. The fundamental components on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (food, shelter, clothes, safety) were most likely achieved thro careful budgeting and efforts to fulfil those needs. Again distinguishing "needs" from "wants" is imperative. For the "in-law" critical of the spouse's parent, bear in

mind, that spouse is a wonderful blend of that parent's love and attention. Perfection is not possible, present only with God. The ability to resolve differences is a sign of maturity.

Unfortunately for all too many, the two celebratory/ appreciation days go by without acknowledgement. Parents are stymied as to why this child negates them and chooses to be alienated. Sending out an olive branch may work but may also be rejected. Mind you overt abuse and neglect elicit a different consideration where forgiveness does not equate to reconciliation. Stop to consider your perceived interpretation and measure it against how someone else may interpret the same behavior. Bear in mind, there are three sides to every story, his, hers and the truth! Even the Bible instructs that we are to "love one another" but also "honor your parents so your days shall be long on this earth." There is a differentiation between love and honor. In a self-centred society, concern for others is minimized.

Leave the onus on the adult child for their behaviors. You can only control your own reactions. If you are estranged, at least talk it over with the parties involved knowing no one is

infallible. When the child was young you were "responsible for" them but as they grew your role changed to "responsible to." like a bird that feathers the nest making it real cozy for the hatchlings, she then takes out that down and the nest becomes more uncomfortable encouraging the babes to fly on their own wings. This is a parents' role to allow the child to learn from teachings and experience their ability to be independent. Showering a child with everything- car, house, etc- diminishes their ability to learn accountability.

A parent's role-modelling and attitudes are absorbed by the child. Watching a child at play indicates the dynamics in the family home. Exposure to a crass environment (swearing, drug/alcohol dependency, smoking, theft, murder, abuse) may not be what you desire your offspring to emulate, yet you knowingly expose your child to that.

Why? Keep in mind there is a time after the death of a parent, you experience " I wish I had... That void hurts over and over.

Now is the action time. Karma bites and bites hard and deep!

FOR SALE

Harmonica Phe 64 Chromonica, 4 Octaves, professional model, M Hohner, Germany. Contact 613-567-8533

Mandolin, Veritona, 6 string, made in London England. Contact 613567-8533

Free AKC Reg Male & female yorkies puppies Need a good home and great companion if interested contact : jacbow2023@gmail. com

Spring and Summer

Potted Canna Lilies 18-20" tall. Ready to be planted outside after last frost. 1/$4.75, 2/$8.50, 3/$11.25, 4/$15.50. Contact Carman 613-824-5252

Cedar posts and rails for sale. Jon 613-2273650.

4X4 round bales of hay and straw for sale. Jon 613-227-3650.

Cedars for hedging, 2' tp 10', Tamarac &

ANTIQUES APPRAISAL

Saturday, 3 June 2023, 1:00 to 3:00pm at the History Hub, 148 Prescott Street. A certified appraiser will examine and value your grandmother's hatpins and any other precious antiques you may have. Please contact us and we will send you some questions to assist the appraiser in doing research to make your estimate as accurate as possible. No charge.

Spruce. Call Jim after 6pm 613-258-3561

Dry firewood for sale $110 a cord plus delivery fee. Call or text Jon 613-2273650

MISCELLANEOUS

HISTORIC HALL AVAILABLE FOR RENTALS in Beautiful Burritts Rapids! Start a book club in time for cooler weather in a hamlet near walking trails and parkettes. Our hall is well equipped for any gathering or celebration, and we offer very competitive rates. http://burrittsrapids.com

WANTED

Looking to harvest cedar trees for hedges off acreages from landowners. Please call Joanne 613-799-0958

Experienced+local farming family looking to buy a farm. Min. 10ac tillable with a liveable house. Open to creative solutions. davidrbailie@gmail.com.

Looking to rent farmland for cash crops. Call or text Mitch @ 613-262-1204.

FOR RENT

FOR RENT 2 bed/2 bath apartment in senior’s building in the heart of Kemptville. Newer build, walk to amenities. $2250 plus utilities. Available July 1st. Call 613-978-4700

Property for rent for spring & fall deer & turkey hunting. Call Jim after 6pm 613-258-3561

EVENTS

RECURRING EVENT

PROBUS: Fellowship, Fun and inFormed presenters are part of the PROBUS gathering on the third Wednesday of each month at St Paul's Presbyterian Church Hall at 9:30AM. For more information contact at n.g.probus97@gmail.com

BREAKFAST, Kemptville Legion! Every 3rd Saturday from 8-10am - $8 for adults, $6 for children 10 and under. Euchre will be held following breakfast, registration starts at 11:30 am.

Kemptville Legion: Now Open Fridays 1-7. Free Pool and Darts. Everyone Welcome

BINGO, Kemptville Legion, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, doors open at noon

NG Duplicate Bridge Club Bridge, Masonic Lodge 311 Van Buren Kemptville, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 12:15. All Levels of bridge players are welcome. Info call 613-795-7155

EUCHRE on Tuesday, June 13, 27, July 11, 25, August 8, 22, September 5 and 19 at Pierce's Corners also known as the Marlborough Community Centre, 3048 Pierce Road. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m. and play starts at 7:00 p.m. $5 per player. For information contact debiar@ymail.com.

BID EUCHRE on Tuesday, June 6, 20, July 4, 18, August 1, 15, 29, September 12 and 26 at Pierce's Corners also known as the Marlborough Community Centre, 3048 Pierce Road. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m. and play starts at 7:00 p.m. $5 per player. For information contact debiar@ ymail.com.

UPCOMING EVENT

Spring Market & Yard Sale, Sat., June 3, 8am-2pm, Yard Sale 8 am, Plant & Bake Sale 9 am, BBQ 11 am, St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, 319 Prescott St., Kemptville

Four arrested in national labour human trafficking case

submitted by OPP

Police have arrested four individuals in a labour human trafficking investigation that had links to Ontario, Alberta and Quebec.

The investigation, named Project FOXTROT, began on February 13, 2023 when Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) members received information of suspected labour trafficking involving foreign nationals from Mexico who were being exploited. The victims were recruited online and promised work permits and good paying employment in Canada.

The victims were expected to work at various recycling facilities in Red Deer (Alberta), North Bay (Ontario) and Sault Ste Marie (Ontario), and Levis (Quebec). They were housed in several short-term rentals around Canada and in the basement of one of the accused people in Simcoe County. Payment for the accommodation was taken

from the victims' wages, which was less than had been promised.

On May 16, 2023, the Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-led

Joint Forces Strategy (IJFS) members from the OPP, Anishnibek Police Service, Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police and Halton Regional Police Service executed search warrants at locations throughout Simcoe County and the Greater Toronto Area.

As a result of the investigation, on May 16, 2023:

A 72 year old from Etobicoke was arrested and charged with three counts of Human Trafficking of Persons as per Section 279.01, and three counts of Material Benefits in Trafficking of Persons as per Section 279.02 of the Criminal Code. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in Brampton Court on July 17, 2023.

A 33 year old from Sim-

coe County was arrested and charged with three counts of Human Trafficking of Persons as per Section 279.01, and three counts of Material Benefits in Trafficking of Persons as per Section 279.02 of the Criminal Code. A bail hearing has been scheduled for May 23, 2023.

A 53 year old from Halton was arrested and charged with three counts of Trafficking in Persons as per Section 279.01 of the Criminal Code. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in Brampton Court on July 17, 2023.

A 27 year old from Simcoe County was arrested and charged with one count of Trafficking in Persons as per Section 279.01, and one count of Material Benefit in Trafficking of Persons as per Section 279.02(1) of the Criminal Code. She was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in Brampton Court on June

26, 2023.

The three male victims range from 27 to 42 years old. All victims were provided services through the OPP IJFS Victim Specialist and FCJ Refugee Centre.

IJFS partner agencies who supported this investigation also included Barrie Police Service, Kingston Police, Ottawa Police Service, Greater Sudbury Police Service, Quebec City Police Service, York Regional Police, Durham Regional Police Service, Niagara Regional Police Service and Waterloo Regional Police Service. The Canada Border Services Agency and Ministry of Labour provided assistance.

If you or someone you know is being trafficked, call your local police. The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking has resources available for victims and survivors of human trafficking on its website at canadiancentretoendhumantraf-

Highlights from the May 24 UCDSB Board of Trustees Meeting

submitted by UCDSB

Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) met on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Some of the items discussed in the public session are as follows.

2023-2024 Budget Approved

Executive Superintendent of Business Services Jeremy Hobbs presented to Trustees the proposed budget for the 2023-2024 school year. This comes after regular budgetrelated reports over the last several months.

Hobbs noted that the total proposed budget sits at $424.2 million. This proposed budget is compliant with the Ministry of Education requirements. $424 million of the budget will go toward expenses and the UCDSB anticipates a surplus of $200,000 to remain compliant.

Highlights of the proposed budget include:

- $53.7 million for Special Education, a 7.4 per cent increase and includes a full-year implementation of the Power Up 2 (P2) program expansion. The Special Education budget represents 12.8 per cent of the board’s expense budget;

- $4.1 million for Indigenous Education supports, which includes $1.3 million in one-time mitigation funding to offset the Ministry of Education’s funding model change;

- $1.6 million in continued investment in student technology and IT infrastructure;

- $1.5 million in math recovery support for students from the Ministry of Education;

- $1.2 million investment in literacy support from the Ministry of Education for reading activities, screening tools, and software licenses; and

- $1.2 million for mental health and well-being support. The proposed budget adequately addresses foreseeable financial risks for 2023-2024 in estimating Special Incidence Portion, transportation, and the application of Indigenous education and math funding.

Also noted in the proposed budget is $58 million for planned investments in school and child care capital construction, additions, improvements, and retrofits. Additionally, $2.1 million has been allocated for Experiential/ Real-World Learning, Specialist High Skills Major, and

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program opportunities for students, which is directly tied to the priorities outlined in the Director's Work Plan.

Trustees voted in favour of the budget. It will now go to the Ministry of Education for final approval. Director's Work Plan Update

Executive Superintendent of Student Success and Innovation, Eric Hardie, provided an update on the Director’s Work Plan Student Success goal of a 90 per cent graduation rate and the Authentic Student Learning Experience (ASLE) Tool.

Hardie explained that when the district has lost students, the district can’t re-engage them by offering them more of the same. The district has to meet them in the middle ground, between their skills, talents and the curriculum. ASLE is a responsive, individualized strategy, capturing new learning and is an umbrella tool that takes pieces from a variety of Ministry of Education documents and centres them in a process to engage or re-engage students. The ministry provides a general direction on what to do, but it’s the district’s job to figure out the how.

ASLE is a responsive, individualized strategy, capturing new learning that turns students who would not otherwise graduate into graduates, prevents at-risk students from dropping out, validates a student’s learning outside of school, makes them feel heard, and provides them with a structure to achieve their pathway.

Trustee Vacancy Update

Chair of the Upper Canada District School Board John McAllister provided an update on the Ward 7 Trustee vacancy and the next steps. Earlier this month, Larry Berry announced that he would be stepping down from his trustee position due to personal reasons.

McAllister advised that the vacancy will be shared with each school council and parent involvement committee, posted on the UCDSB website and social media accounts and shared with local media and municipalities. The timeline for applications is May 25 to June 6.

ficking.ca. A national hotline is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-833-900-1010.

"Project Foxtrot demonstrates the exploitation of human trafficking victims in plain sight and the necessity of the IJFS and its partners to help unmask this crime,” said Detective Inspector Jordan Whitesell, OPP IJFS Lead. “It serves as a stark reminder that human trafficking remains a largely clandestine and complex crime that easily goes unnoticed. We must come together to educate ourselves, recognize the signs, empower survivors and provide hope to victims to combat this hidden threat. We cannot fight this alone."

ABOUT THE IJFS

On March 6, 2020, the Government of Ontario an-

nounced funding to establish the IJFS, consisting of full-time investigators and analysts who are assigned to participating police agencies across Ontario, including municipal and First Nations, along with additional resources to the OPP. The IJFS has increased the capacity for policing by assisting in identifying, investigating and disrupting multi-jurisdictional human trafficking organizations operating within Ontario.

The 21 participating police agencies include: Anishinabek, Akwesasne, Barrie, Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Niagara, OPP, Ottawa, Peel, Peterborough, Six Nations, Greater Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Treaty Three, Waterloo, Windsor and York.

The White House Hotel

by David Shanahan

The White House Hotel was built by Nathaniel Fenton in the mid-1830's. Fenton was also responsible for the fine building on the north-west corner of Clothier and Rideau streets, and was an important individual in the business life of Kemptville for many years. A map of 1861-62 indicates that the Hotel was then called Rideau House.

Nathaniel Fenton had a secret part of his life as a respectable hotel-keeper in Kemptville. He also a member of the underground Hunters Lodges, a republican group dedicated to rebellion in Canada and followers of William Lyon MacKenzie King. The Hunters Lodges continued to make occasional raids into Canada from the United States even after the failure of MacKenzie’s 1837 Rebellion.

An informer led to the dispersal of the Kemptville Lodge, although Fenton returned in a short time to carry on his life in the community. He was, it seems, the big winner in the

entire affair . Now that the Hunters Lodge was defunct and the members could not identify themselves without facing the consequences, it seems their Treasurer, Nathaniel himself, decided to spend the funds raised by the Lodge on a big new stone house for himself. It still stands at the corner of Clothier and Rideau, and Fenton continued to live there until his death in 1849. Ironically, the house built by the funds of a republican secret society of rebels later became the home of a Conservative Member of Parliament, Dr. Charles Ferguson, and the boyhood home of a future Ontario Premier, G. Howard Ferguson.

Thomas Adams bought the hotel in 1865 and maintained it until 1881. To attract business to his establishment, Thomas ran a free shuttle service between his hotel and the railway station at Bedell for visitors and travelling salesmen. Thomas Warren, whose name appears on the sign in the photograph, owned it from 1881 until 1928. One of the first buildings in

cont'd on page 15

View of Clothier and Prescott in 1907. Thomas Warren’s Hotel is on the right.

History

G. Howard Ferguson Centenary Moving on up

by David Shanahan

In 1901, reports began to appear in Toronto newspapers that G. H. Ferguson, Reeve of the little village of Kemptville, intended to run in the next provincial election, preferably as the Conservative candidate, but, if not, as an Independent. Ferguson’s own newspaper in Kemptville denied he had any intention of ever running as an Independent, and that he “is not dividing the Conservative Party”. Only one of those two statements proved to be true. It was not surprising that he would set his sights higher than Kemptville politics. After winning five elections, becoming Reeve for three straight years (elections then were held annually), he had a solid record of achievement to present to voters on a wider stage. New bridges, paved roads, a library, and the purchase of Riverside Park from the Township of Oxford-onRideau had all added to the stature of both Kemptville and its Reeve.

The strange move was to run provincially, rather than federally. After all, his father, Dr. Charles Ferguson, had been the local Member of Parliament for over twenty years, and it seemed logical that Howard would follow in his footsteps. But the sitting M.P. was a friend of the family, a very popular figure, and impossible to unseat. That left provincial politics. But there was a sitting M.P.P. as well, a Conservative to boot, one Robert Joynt was a merchant from Augusta Township who had been the

town to be heated by furnace and lit by electricity, it also had large carriage and livery barns in the rear, with power generated by two windmills. This establishment took up the entire block from Clothier Street to the river.

A description of the hotel in 1903 emphasises both its size and importance: “This is another house that can lay claim to some considerable ancient history. The hotel is largely patronized by travelers and by farmers while in town with their produce. It is furnace heated, lighted by electricity and provided with a dining room whose tables are second to none in the town.

There is connected to the hotel one of the finest hotel and livery barns in this part of the province. It is constructed

member for Grenville since 1898 and had no intention of stepping aside for the young upstart. This would take tact and patience, two traits Howard singularly lacked.

Although he had announced his intention of running for Reeve again, he withdrew and entered the nomination meeting on May 7, 1902. But it was too soon, and Joynt won the nomination with 54 votes to Howard’s 36. During the ensuing campaign, Howard campaigned alongside Joynt in Kemptville, and the Conservatives won the seat, as always, with the biggest majority achieved to date, 860 votes ahead of the hapless Liberals. Joynt may have thought he was safe for another few years at least, but circumstances worked against him. The Liberal government at Queen’s Park was running out of steam after thirty-five years in power, and a nother election was expected sooner rather than later. This may explain why Joynt launched an amazing and foolish attack on Howard Ferguson at a Grenville Conservative Association meeting in Spencerville in October, 1903.

Joynt accused Ferguson of reaching out to the Liberals in the previous election to gain their support as their party’s candidate to run against Joynt. He cited the testimony of three leading Liberals in support of his explosive claims. By the end of the month, the Ferguson camp had sworn statements from all three Liberals cited denying that any such ap-

of heavy frame work 100x50 covered with iron, is provided with two windmills and everything that could add to the comfort and convenience of the horse. Large, airy stables, fine carriage and harness rooms and in short everything that could go to complete a model hotel and livery barn.”

The large stables built to the water’s edge described in this report were built on the site of the woolen mill formerly owned by George Keating, another of the early entrepreneurs of Kemptville. In 1888, Keating ran wires from his mill down to the Oddfellows Hall on Clothier, supplying electric light for an Agricultural Fair.

Business declined over the years, along with the economy of Kemptville, and the hotel was finally demolished in 1928

proach had been made to them by Howard, and completely destroying Joynt’s claims and reputation. Howard’s supporters then moved to have a nomination meeting to select candidates for both provincial and federal elections, even though Joynt had only been elected eighteen months earlier. Despite Joynt’s strenuous objections, the meeting went ahead in Spencerville on December 8, and Joynt, deeply angry at this rather underhanded political chicanery, refused to stand for re-selection and Howard won the nomination unopposed.

This was not the end of the matter. Joynt then spent the time before the next election claiming to all and sundry that Howard Ferguson had bought the nomination by paying delegates $10 each for their vote, the kind of accusation he would face for his entire political career. Howard Ferguson was quite aware of his reputation as a political operator, less than squeaky clean, and at a meeting in Kemptville, when he referred to Liberal skullduggery, the crowd of friends and neighbours began to snicker. Howard noticed the reaction and said: “When I come to speak of public morality, you think I am joking. Well, don’t do as I do, do as I say.”

To appear fair, Howard agreed to another nomination meeting once a provincial election had been called, and in January, 1905, once again in Spencerville, he defeated Joynt’s attempt at a comeback by a slim ma-

and replaced by a service station, with the old livery building used as a receiving, grading, and shipping station by Oxford-on-Rideau Egg Producers. Under various names - the McColl-Frontenac Station, the Red Indian Service Station and the Texaco Service Station - it operated under many owners until it closed in 1985. Herbert Hunter, an retired OPP officer, operated the McColl-Frontenac Station, and when it switched to being the Texaco Service Station, Gerald Cater, Albert Cater and Doug Somerville ran it.

Today, there is little to show that this corner lot was once a thriving and prosperous hotel, catering to hundreds of visitors and commercial business people for more than a century.

jority. Joynt was not to go silently and issued an open letter accusing Howard, once again, of irregularities in the choice of nominating delegates, particularly those from Burritt’s Rapids. It seems it took the personal intervention of their party leader, James Whitney, to get Joynt to desist.

In the event, the 1905 election saw Howard Ferguson elected as the new M.P.P. for Grenville County, and Whitney’s Conservatives assuming office as the new government of Ontario. Howard’s timing was excellent. He was now a government backbencher in the Legislature, although it would be another six years before he made a name for himself outside that chamber, and then it would be in a very public and controversial manner. Not that he was silent in his first years in Queen’s Park, where his specific set of skills provd very useful to the Premier and gave Howard his reputation as the “Tory Hatchet Man”.

To attend the open house or to book your personalized tour, please call 613-285-9242 or email bayfieldrh@southbridgecare.ca BOOK YOUR TOUR TODAY! OPEN HOUSE SAT. JUNE 10TH 12PM - 2PM

Buying

Selling a Home?

No one wants a big truck on electric power

A 19-hour trip in an electric transport truck would take 69 hours — including 50 hours for recharging

by Nelson Zandbergen courtesy of Farmers Forum

The workhorse machines that reliably till the soil, plant the crops and transport the harvest to market are powered by internal combustion engines, a tried-and-true technology. Is it reasonable to expect these serious farm tractors and commercial trucks, fuelled by economically-viable and reliable fossil fuels that keep the nation fed, will ever run on batteries?

The question arises as Canada, similar to the European Union, has already banned the sale of all new fuel-burning light vehicles, starting in 2035. Only three years from now, in 2026, the same Canadian mandate requires 20 % of new car and lighttruck sales to be electric, gradually rising to 100 % by 2035.

But as the Trudeau regime charges headlong into a presumed future without the internal combustion engine, the already

obvious headwinds facing the rollout of electric vehicles today portends a potentially even tougher sell in agriculture and trucking.

Consumers realize that an electric vehicle (EV) costs more to buy upfront than the conventional alternative. Farmers and truckers likewise know that electrifying their big machines would only raise their capital costs as well. And a consumer-level pushback appears to be underway in the U.S. According to a recent survey by marketing research firm J.D. Power, higher cost was a key reason cited by American consumers who don’t want an EV as their next vehicle, and this group is growing. Respondents who said they were “very unlikely” to buy an EV as their next car increased from 17.8 % to 21 % between January and March, according to the survey. (Those who said they were “very likely” to buy an EV remained unchanged at just under 27 %.)

The EV share of new U.S. vehicle sales fell to 7.3 % in March, down from a record 8.5 % in February, according to USA Today. Though they have come a long way, EVs still represent less than 1 % of all vehicles on the road.

Beyond cost, the skep-

tical group in the JD Power survey was also concerned with the classic EV shortcomings: lack of charging stations and limited driving range. This is where the rubber hits the road, and the logistical challenges are only amplified with heavy farm machinery and big trucks.

Case in point is the Illinois trucking firm that planned to go all-electric, only to be told that their local city utility couldn’t accommodate the huge power connection required to charge the fl eet of 30 trucks.

“The city came back and said, ‘This is some kind of joke. You’re asking for more [electrical] draw than the city requires,” Massachusetts trucking firm operator Andrew Boyle told a U.S. Senate subcommittee in April.

An electric transport truck requires at least two massive batteries each weighing 8,000 lb., Boyle testified.

He also laid out the stark superiority of a diesel-powered transport truck over the current electric alternative, offering facts that surely have their parallels for big diesel farm tractors.

“Today, a clean diesel truck can spend 15 minutes fuelling anywhere in

the country, and then have a range of about 1,200 miles (1,900 km)before fuelling again,” Boyle said. “In contrast, today’s longhaul electric trucks have a range of about 150 to 330 miles (240 km to 530 km) and take up to 10 hours to charge. So for the same 1,200 mile (1,900 km) journey, we’d go from 15 minutes of fuelling a clean-diesel truck once, to charging [an electric truck] five or six times for dozens and dozens of hours.”

That means the same 19-hour drive in a conventional transport truck would take an electricpowered truck 69 hours.

He added, “We would need far more trucks to haul the same amount of freight, and each of those trucks cost 2 to 3 times a comparable diesel truck.”

Converting all transport trucks in the United States to electric would cost $1 trillion, he said, “which ultimately would flow to consumers.”

Meanwhile, Canada is already offering taxpayers’ money to entice trucking companies down the electric path. But response has been rather slow. The Trudeau government last year budgeted $547.5 million over four years to provide grants of up to $200,000 toward the purchase or lease of medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission trucks. But only $10.5 million has been spent on 339 vehicles so far, according to government statistics. Only 11 of the acquired trucks — each coming with a $150,000 cashback guarantee — could be described as transport trucks. The remaining

328 are single-axle commercial trucks. The bulk (266) are Ford E-Transit vans, each coming with a $10,000 grant toward the purchase or lease. While electric pickup trucks are likewise eligible for a $10,000 grant, there were no takers in the program’s first year. As of right now, only Ford, GM (Hummer model) and Rivian have full-size electric pickups on the market, with reported ranges of 515, 570 and 505 km on a full charge. This performance is said to fall off markedly when towing. Fully charging the battery with the fastest available charging system takes about an hour — or

12 hours on a slower home charger. It’s been reported that Ford loses $60,000 on the sale of every electric vehicle.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, an Ottawabased news website, the federal government also offers $250,000 grants through a related “Green Freight” program that has similarly spurred little uptake. Only 18 % of 300 surveyed trucking executives were aware of the program and almost three-quarters of the companies did no truck retrofits in the last three years.

Farm tractors are not eligible for either program.