Issue 22 2022 June 8 NG Times

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Vol. 10 No. 22

The Voice of North Grenville

June 9, 2022

Welcome to the new North Grenville Historical Society

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The History Hub on Prescott Street in Kemptville.

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A local organization has been revamped and is ready to serve the public. The North Grenville Historical Society has moved into two new locations, one of which is called “The History Hub”.

The Society moved from the old courthouse building after it was decided that it would be converted to affordable housing units.

The History Hub is located at 148 Prescott Street, in Kemptville, with a second location at the Kemptville Campus, where the archives are kept. The organization also has a new President, David Finnie.

David provided a poster

to the Times which outlines the Historical Society’s mission. “The North Grenville Historical Society is a group of dedicated volunteers whose first objective is to engender and promote public interest in the heritage and history of the people and places of the North Grenville area,” it reads. “We also advance education by improving the public’s understanding and awareness of the history of North Grenville by hosting events, supporting programs, producing educational materials, and scholarly articles, and operating the North Grenville Archives and the History Hub, which are owned by the Society. The purposes of

the Archives are to collect, classify, and preserve information and artifacts relating to North Grenville, and to maintain this material as a resource centre accessible to members and the general public.” The History Hub is currently developing innovative programs for all ages, including activities designed to engage young people and children.

Those interested in visiting the new Historical Society do not have to be members of the organization to drop in. David told the Times that those who drop in will have many different opportunities to learn. “It depends what they’re looking for,” he said. “People

want to know historical stuff, and we try and help them research what they’re looking for.” One example David gave was helping someone research some of their own family history, based on knowledge of where a grandparent or other relative lived decades ago. He emphasized that the Historical Society can provide a wealth of information about the history of North Grenville in general.

The Historical Society also sells history books for those interested in digging deeper into local history.

While not necessary to drop in, membership of continued on page 2

The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Times

Birds of Prey Show returns to Kemptville

An eagle returning to its handler

by Lynne Tyler The Friends of Ferguson Forest Centre (FFFC) are bringing the Birds of Prey Show back to Kemptville for two shows on June 25. The show was an annual event prior to the pandemic, and is now coming back.

The show is very exciting, as the different raptors plunge and soar, performing free flight demonstrations before returning to their handlers. It has been immensely popular in the past and makes a wonderful outing for the whole family. FFFC is very pleased to bring it to our community again.

The Canadian Raptor Conservancy provides the show, which features a wide range of birds of prey. The demonstration is expected to include five different raptors from around the world, including at least three free-flying birds. Some of the birds are also the stars of Hollywood productions!

This unique encounter

with nature’s flying hunters might include: - The bird with the best vision in nature, able to spot its prey from over 20 km away.

- The only species of hawk that hunts in a pack, just like a family of wolves.

- The bird of prey that has the most highly developed sense of smell in the world – even better than a bloodhound.

- One of the world’s most nocturnal animals. This owl can find its food on the darkest of nights using only its ears.

- The amazing falcon, as it folds its wings and accelerates into a vertical dive, reaching speeds of up to 200 km/h as it flies over the crowd.

The exact birds involved will depend on the decision of the Conservancy, but it may include bald eagle, golden eagle, Harris hawk, barn owl, great horned owl, red-tailed hawk, peregrine

falcon, American kestrel, and turkey vulture. While the birds are in flight, the handlers will provide educational commentary about each one.

The Birds of Prey Show will take place in the arboretum of Ferguson Forest (entrance from County Road 43). Signage and volunteers will help direct visitors.

There will be two performances, one at 10:00 am and one at 1 pm. Those attending are kindly asked to consider a donation – a suggested donation of $5 (or more) helps Friends put on events of this type and carry out our other programming.

The Friends of Ferguson Forest Centre is a non-profit, volunteer organization that exists to preserve, protect, maintain, and enhance the Ferguson Forest trails and other public-use areas, in partnership with the Ferguson Forest Centre Corporation, for the educational benefit and enjoyment of the public; and to promote the Ferguson Tree Nursery’s historical and ongoing significance to the Ferguson Forest Centre and the local community. The Friends of FFC hold a number of activities over the year open to the public, including interpretive walks in the Forest, and educational events. (www. friendsofthefergusonforest. ca)

History Hub continued from front page the Historical Society is very affordable. A youth membership is $25, an adult membership is $35, and a household membership is $60. To provide additional financial support to the organization, members can choose to be a patron for $100 for an individual, $150 for a household, or $200 for a corporation. Membership fees can be paid by e-transfer or by cheque.

The Historical Society is actively fundraising in the community. The Society is holding its inaugural Golf Tournament on June 24, and is delighted that local business, CopperWood has signed as the Title Sponsor for the event. David was eager to thank the other sponsors of the sold-out golf tournament: Myers Kemptville, Bee Alarmed Security, The Best Adirondack Chair Company, Joel Evan Pools, June 9, 2022

Pear Tree Property Management, Justin Rice Insurance, Stevens Creeks Décor Centre, Geraldine Taylor Realtor, Wallace Farms, Kirby and Masson Insurance, The Cooperators Insurance, and Assante Wealth Management.

The organization has offered two annual bursaries to graduating high school students for a number of years, but new this year is that the bursaries will be named in honour of two local historians. One will be named for local Historian Dr. David Shanahan, and the other for Dr. Bill Adams, both of whom served as Presidents of the Historical Society.

The Historical Society has a strong team behind it.

David took over the Presidency from Ken Mews, who has now assumed the role of Past President. Donna Gould is the director of The His-

tory Hub on Prescott Street, while her daughter, Amanda Gould, is the director of the campus archives location.

David also expressed strong gratitude to Mayor Nancy Peckford, Councillor John Barclay, and CAO Gary Dyke for their instrumental support in the Historical Society’s move from the courthouse to their new locations.

Anyone interested in benefitting from the resources of the Historical Society can drop into The History Hub. “People can come and see us,” David said.

“You’ll see our display in the window [on Prescott Street].” The History Hub is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 am until 4 pm. More information can also be found on the Historical Society’s website at www.northgrenvillehistoricalsociety.ca.

Election win for PCs both locally and provincially

by Brandon Mayer The June 2 provincial election resulted in a landslide victory for Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative government, including a win for local incumbent PC MPP, Steve Clark. The PCs won 83 seats at Queen’s Park out of a total of 124, giving the party its second majority government, for which only 63 seats are required. The PC party had just over 40% of the total vote share. The election proved to be the first back-to-back PC party win since 1999, with the 83 seats being more than any other PC government has ever held in the province’s history. The victory gave the party a seven seat bump from the 76 seats secured in the 2018 election.

Local MPP Steve Clark, who is also the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, was re-elected with over 24,000 votes, and 57% of the riding’s total vote share. Liberal candidate Josh Bennett was the runner up locally with 7,786 votes, and Chris Wilson was a close third with 5,672 votes. Green Party candidate, Fiona Jager, was the only other to receive more than 1,000 votes, with 2,583. Five other local candidates each received votes in numbers ranging from 88 to 944.

Provincially, the New Democratic Party will remain as the official opposition after securing 31 seats in the legislature. Notable, however, is that long-time leader, Andrea Horwath,

will be resigning as leader of the party despite winning her own seat. She has been leading the party since 2009.

The Ontario Liberal Party faired poorly. The party had lost official party status after the 2018 election due to winning only seven seats.

The June 2 election only saw one extra seat gained for the Liberals, for a new total of eight, which falls short of the 12 seats needed to secure official party status.

Liberal leader Steven Del Duca resigned his position after failing to win a seat in his own riding of VaughanWoodbridge.

Despite a poor overall election performance, the Liberals won more total votes than the NDP by a very thin margin. Both parties had approximately 23% of the popular vote. A likely explanation for this is that a large number of the Liberal votes were received in PC ridings, resulting in Liberal votes adding up in significant numbers, yet not translating into many seats in Queen’s Park when the PC candidates ultimately won. In contrast, high NDP vote counts were more localized to ridings where the NDP candidate actually won the seat.

Overall voter turnout for the election was poor, with early estimates of about 25% being reported. Using this number, it means that since only 40% of the 25% of eligible voters cast a vote for the PCs, just 10% of eligible voters were needed to secure the major PC victory. This is common with both federal and provincial

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elections because of the way the electoral system is set up.

Shortly after the election results were announced, a local group – CAPP Kemptville – called a rally against the proposed Kemptville prison on June 4. The group has been outspoken against local MPP Steve Clark, and Doug Ford’s PC government since the proposed prison was first announced, so it comes as no surprise that the PC victory is cited in a press release about the June 4 rally.

An interactive tool which provides detailed election results both locally and riding-by-riding can be found online at https:// newsinteractives.cbc.ca/ elections/ontario/2022/results/#/.

Rotary Canada Day parade

Participants in the 2019 parade.

by Anna Van Adrichem Rochon The Rotary Canada Day parade will be taking place again this July 1 in Kemptville at 4 pm. The theme this year is "imagine." Every group, club, association, business, or group of friends 2

is welcome to take part by entering a float - it can be small, large, or anything in between. Just imagine the fun you will have waving as you pass through the community on the parade route.

Businesses will be noticed for their community

involvement. There is no cost to participate. The final route will be about 4 km long. Comfortable footwear is important.

The very popular Shriners will be coming to participate with us. Look for their mini planes and motorcycles and large stuffed animals. The parade's timing will allow people to take part in Canada Day festivities in various places in North Grenville before coming to town for the parade.

If you would like to take part in the parade, contact canadakville@gmail.com for parade route and safety rules. www.ngtimes.ca

The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Times

Delivery issues may be a sign of the times

by Brandon Mayer Two weeks ago, the May 25 issue of the North Grenville Times was delayed in being delivered to local readers. That paper should have been delivered to homes on Wednesday, but it was instead delivered on Friday. This type of delay is new for the Times, and it is perhaps an indication of current economic uncertainty nationwide.

The May 25 issue was the second last to be printed

by Maclaren Press Graphics, which was forced to close its doors at the end of May due to rising costs and supply chain issues. The papers from Maclaren were ordinarily delivered by an Ottawa delivery company to Canada Post for distribution. However, a shortage of drivers delayed this process for the May 25 issue. Thankfully, the delivery company was able to expedite the delivery of the papers to ensure readers would have their copy of the Times before the weekend. However, the driver shortage speaks to

a growing problem across most employment sectors – a significant labour shortage.

The delivery company did not respond to a request for comment on some of the current issues hurting the delivery industry.

For the June 1 issues of the NG Times, and sister paper, North Dundas Times, delivery delays were expected again. Not wanting a delay similar to the one that occurred the previous week, Maggie Boyer and Melissa Ottenhof drove to Ottawa to personally collect the papers. No blame or malice is extended to the delivery company – the labour shortage is no one’s fault and cannot be controlled by individual companies.

Speculation might suggest that one serious issue for delivery companies at the moment is the cost of fuel.

Gasoline and diesel power the delivery industry, and so there are few factors that can increase expenses for these companies to quite the same magnitude as fuel costs.

Across all industries, high inflation is taking a

Build bridges, build community: Ottawa's rural grant supports Nature For All Baxter Conservation Area plans to build more than just a bridge this summer: it will build a more inclusive and accessible community, as well. The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is one step closer to making that dream a reality thanks to a $50,000 grant awarded by the City of Ottawa under the Rural Community-Building Grant Program. This grant will help the Foundation’s Nature For All committee transform Baxter’s 80-hectare natural park near Kars into Eastern Ontario’s most accessible nature destination.

But this project is about more than a new bridge, said Nature For All committee chair Mike Nemesvary.

“At its core, this project is about creating an inclusive society,” said Mike. The long-time disability advocate has been visiting Baxter in his power wheelchair for nearly 20 years, after a training accident left him paralyzed on his path to becoming a world champion freestyle skier.

“Nature should be for everybody," he said. "People all ages and abilities should be able to enjoy the many physical and emotional benefits of being outside without worrying about safety or logistics.”

The project’s first phase, slated to begin construction later this year, includes a new marshland bridge designed to the gold standard of accessibility based on the world’s top outdoor accessibility policies.

This bridge will be twice as wide as the current decommissioned structure, with two large, accessible education platforms to accommodate more inclusive outdoor education programming, accessible railings and sightlines and gradual slopes.

Baxter’s Nature For All vision also includes five kilometres of extra-wide boardwalk and stone dust trails designed with gold-standard accessibility features like gentle slopes and bounce control.

To learn more or donate to this project visit www.rvcf. ca/nature-for-all.

June 9, 2022

significant toll. With rising costs of housing, food, and fuel, minimum wage jobs are becoming much less viable for employees with high bills to pay. Whether this is directly linked to the labour shortage is unclear, but it is certainly possible. Many companies have begun offering raises and other incentives to help hire employees, but employers feel the effects of inflation as well, and many simply can’t afford to pay the rates necessary to retain workers.

On June 1, the Bank of Canada raised the base interest rate to 1.5%, which is the second recent major increase. The purpose

of this was to help cool out-of-control inflation. It remains to be seen whether this will help ensure sustainability for businesses, but the move will almost certainly calm the housing market.

Or perhaps not quite yet, as Times owner Maggie Boyer recently joked to me, “Write something on the decline of civilization and how we will be living in caves in a few years!”

The Times will continue to serve the local community with pride. Beginning with the current issue, delivery of the paper will be on Thursdays, rather than Wednesdays.

Graduation ceremonies return to normal NGDHS was held on June 4 as a community event. “Our students, along with parents, have done a phenomenal job planning and fundraising for the event, and have managed to reduce the cost for the event to a very manageable amount,” Christopher said.

“Michelle Ansell has been the lead parent behind the prom.”

Brad O’Neil, Principal of Oxford-on-Rideau Public School, also weighed in.

“Oxford staff and students are pleased to be able to have both a Kindergarten moving up celebration and a Grade 6 Leaving Ceremony,” he said. “Students and staff are excited to revisit these traditions. They mark significant milestones in the students’ educational journey. The grade 6 students are looking forward to a special night for them to be recognized with their families and peers as they move on to Grade 7. For the Kindergartens, it marks the moving into Grade 1 next year and sends a great message to parents and the kids about the value and importance of learning.

They get excited about going into Grade 1, and their parents are so proud of their accomplishments. The staff are also happy to have these traditions back; they love to see the results of their collective efforts, and find joy in having the learning journey with the kids.”

by Brandon Mayer After two years of atypical, or simply non-existent, graduation ceremonies, area students and staff are excited about a return to normal graduation ceremonies and prom celebrations this year.

The events had been cancelled for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 schools years due to pandemic restrictions and other safety concerns brought about by COVID-19. Instead of graduation ceremonies, many schools produced lawn signs for graduating students, so that they could proudly display their accomplishment. Some parents also organized private end-of-year parties in lieu of traditional, formal prom events.

Principals from all English-speaking North Grenville schools were asked to weigh in on the return to pre-pandemic graduation and prom celebrations.

“Yes, it has returned to a more normal end of year here at NG, which we are excited about, both students and staff,” said Christopher Bourne, Principal at North Grenville District High School. “For the graduation ceremony, we will be returning to an in-person ceremony at NG on Tuesday, June 28 at 10 am. The ceremony will look similar to previous years, with families and dignitaries joining us in the gym. We have been so fortunate, again, to have tremendous community support for our graduates, and will be able to offer a number of bursaries to our graduating students.”

The prom celebration for

Send in your letters, stories, events to editor@ ngtimes.ca 3

••

UPDATE

MUNICIPAL OFFICE HOURS

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

Please note: Renovations at the North Grenville Municipal Centre reception area are underway. Access to the facility will continue to be through the main entrance doors located on the North side of the building.

Customer service will be moved upstairs for the duration of the renovation project. Access to the 2nd floor stairs and elevator will be available during this time.

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

2022 MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION The nomination period is now open for the 2022 Municipal and School Board Election. Please visit NGvotes. ca for nomination information, announcements, and updates.

Notices setting out the positions and details concerning school board elections can be found at: NGvotes.ca/ election-news.

Are you on the voters list for the 2022 Municipal and School Board Election?

Visit voterlookup.ca or simply scan the QRCode using the camera on your smart phone or by downloading a QR reader.

UPCOMING MEETINGS COUNCIL MEETINGS Council will continue to meet virtually during the Municipal Centre renovation project. Please pre-register with the Clerk at clerk@northgrenville.on.ca. If you require accommodation, please advise the Clerk when pre-registering so that we may best assist you.

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 meetings will be live streamed on YouTube at: youtube.com/user/NorthGrenville/featured and on the Municipality’s website at: northgrenville.ca/govern/governance/agendas-and-minutes.

Council agendas are available at: northgrenville.ca/govern/governance/agendas-and-minutes.

• Council Meeting (Open) – Virtual – June 15, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

• Council Meeting (Open) – TBD – June 21, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Committees may be meeting in-person or virtually. Please see the Committee agenda for details on how to attend.

• Health Wellness and Fitness Advisory Committee – June 13, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.

• Tourism Advisory Subcommittee – Thursday June 16, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

• Arts and Culture Advisory Committee – Tuesday June 28, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.

VOLUNTEER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Looking for an exciting career in municipal government?

Visit northgrenville.ca/careers to stay up to date on career opportunities with the Municipality.

TAX BILLS All 2022 final tax bills have been mailed. If you have not received your bill, please contact the Municipal Office at 613-258-9569.

The due dates are June 30 and September 30. Payments can be made in person by cash or debit. Credit card is available only when paying online through the North Grenville website.

The Municipality of North Grenville 285 County Rd. 44, PO Box 130, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Tel: 613-258-9569 Fax: 613-258-9620 general@northgrenville.on.ca www.NorthGrenville.ca Building: 613-258-9569 x130 Fax: 613-258-1441

Fire Services Info: 613-258-9569 x201 Fax: 613-258-1031 By-Law Services: email: bylawinquiries@northgrenville.on.ca 613-258-9569 x211 Police Administration: 613-258-3441 Animal Control: 613-862-9002

www.ngtimes.ca

Editorial

The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Times

Everything is broken

by David Shanahan So now we’re back to when politics and democracy is, largely, a spectator sport. We had our chance to have some say in how we’re governed, and the end result is rather less than encouraging. In Ontario as a whole, more than 10 million people had the right to vote. Only around 43% of them did so, the lowest rate of voter participation since who knows when. It was even less than the rate at the last election in 2018, which was 57%. The PC Party of Ontario has been returned to power, with an increase of 17 seats, having won the support of a little less than 2 million votes, or almost 41% of the votes cast.

Think about that: a government with an increased majority won 41% of the 43% of votes cast across the province. A minority of a minority of eligible votes.

Fair enough: the votes gave the victory. And what a victory it was. Not only did Ford increase his major-

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, I doubt that I was the only person who was struck by the fact that the negative responses to Ms. Price's letter, were written by men.

Why is it that men have such strong feelings on the issue of abortion, and feel compelled to lecture us all, constantly, on an issue that is really none of their business, or mine, or anyone else's.

A person's medical situation belongs to the person and her (or his) doctor. No one else.

Yours Sincerely, Wendy Earl

Help Support Your Local Businesses SHOP LOCALLY

ity, he managed to end the political careers of the two main opposition leaders, an apparent clean sweep of support. But, once again, think about it. The PC’s got 1.89 million votes, the NDP got 1 million, and the Liberals got 1.1 million. But the PC’s got 83 seats, NDP got 31, and the Liberals got a measly 8. Is that really a shining example of democracy in action? Look at the NDP/ Liberal situation: the Liberals got more votes, won a greater percentage of the votes cast, yet ended up with a quarter of the NDP seats.

How can that be?

The situation in our own riding, that of the ridiculously long name: LeedsGrenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, was not much better: Of the 86,847 eligible voters qualified to cast a ballot, only 49.12% chose to do so. And while Steve Clark can be congratulated on winning a massive 57.8% of the votes cast, that amounted to less than a third of eligible votes. His support, nevertheless, was

tion do not take part in the political process at its most democratic, and, even more worrying, 80% of voters did not vote for the Ford government in this election. This is not unique to this election, nor, in fact, to elections in Canada as a whole. How can we continue to accept that such a minority of the voting public are effectively disenfranchised in their own democratic system?

Party loyalty plays a part in how people vote, and always has. But blind loyalty is as much a source of weakness as strength for the community at large.

Situations change over time, generations change, policies change, personalities and issues change, but people still vote for their family favourite, regardless. This phenomenon means that it becomes incredibly difficult for other parties to break the stranglehold on political representation enjoyed by the Conservatives and Liberals, although the NDP have managed to a greater or lesser degree.

Tradespersons’ strike ends after halting construction activities

by Brandon Mayer A labour strike involving carpenters and crane operators has come to an end. Several unions representing the two important professions went on strike earlier this month to push for fairer contracts. On May 20, crane operators ratified a new contract and returned to work, while the same didn’t happen for carpenters until May 27. Since the carpenters’ strike began later, both strikes lasted for approximately two weeks.

The primary reason for the strikes was perhaps a sign of the current economic situation in Ontario. Unions argued that a proposed prorated $8 hourly wage increase was not enough due to current “economic uncertainty”. Tradespersons must often pay many expenses out of pocket, including fuel costs and parking fees at construction sites. Fuel prices have risen approxi-

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June 9, 2022

still far beyond that of the second place finisher, who received just 7,786 votes.

There is no doubt that Steve Clark deserved to win based on votes cast.

There are so many issues arising from this election.

One is the rise of smaller parties. In this riding, we had the largest number of candidates ever to run in a provincial election here. Of the nine candidates, five received less than 3% of votes, and the bottom three won less than 1% each. But why this surge in small party candidates? It is, I think, partly to do with the same problem underlying the poor overall turnout. People are dissatisfied with things as they are.

They simply don’t think the traditional parties represent them. So, either they splinter into smaller parties, or, more commonly, they just don’t vote at all.

But if almost 6 in 10 voters don’t bother voting, for whatever reason, we can hardly call that a sign of a healthy democracy. The reality is that 60% of the popula-

mately 60% since last year, and many other expenses continue to increase due to high inflation rates, including household expenses such as groceries. Workers across many industries are fighting for higher than normal pay hikes, not out of greed, but simply to ensure that they at least break even and are not taking a pay cut caused by rising expenses.

Across Ontario, even the relatively short strike period caused serious delays in new construction work.

The building of schools and hospitals, and the expansion of public transit, were all delayed province-wide by the strike. The spring is often the busiest time of year for new construction projects. The impact of the delays may be felt long term, since the intended completion timelines of many projects have been affected simultaneously. Developers expressed concerns that grand opening dates of several Ottawa projects

could be delayed, one of which was Ottawa’s new library at LeBreton Flats, but construction has since resumed.

Labour strikes can be unpredictable as to how long they will last, and what kinds of concessions will be made. Ontario’s teachers engaged in rotating strikes for several weeks just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a more extreme case, workers at Baxtrom’s Independent grocery store in Cornwall engaged in a strike that went on for nearly three months between November 2018 and January 2019.

The greater the impact that a strike has on an employer, the greater the likelihood of concessions being made that may bring the job action to an end.

During the recent tradespersons’ strike actions, University of Toronto Professor Rafael Gomez was quoted as saying, "There's an adage in industrial relations:

the north grenville

resented in their parliaments and assemblies according to their share of the vote. It encourages voter participation, because people know that their vote is not “wasted”, that the party they support will be granted seats in proportion to their share of the votes cast each election.

Yes, there are issues with PR, but perhaps not as many as is sometimes claimed.

Coalition governments are often the result of PR, and they can be as stable and productive as one-party rule. They can even force politicians to find working compromises, policies that reflect the entire community, rather than the ideological demands of one section. One model of PR is sure to be useful in Canadian federal and provincial elections, it just takes some research and consultation. But wouldn’t it be worth the effort if it means that citizens feel that their vote will count, that more than 43% of them will be willing to go to the polls and take part in our democratic system?

Long strikes favour employers, short strikes favour employees. In this case, the stakes are so high for these projects, and there is money available, and I think it has to get directed to the right places. My prediction is

that these strikes won't last very long."

It would appear that the professor was correct, and it is without a doubt that many construction project stakeholders are grateful for it.

NG Times poll on the proposed jail

by David Shanahan Well, we tried. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been asking the people of North Grenville to tell us how they feel about the proposed prison for Kemptville. In the event, just 214 of you took part, which either means most people don’t care or have an opinion, or that they’re just tired of the whole story.

Of the 214 votes, 165 were against the prison (77%), while 33 were in favour of it (15%). 16 people said they just didn’t care one way or another. It was a most unscientific survey, always likely to get opponents involved, rather than supporters, but at least we attempted to get the feeling of the community on the topic, for what it’s worth.

ISSN 2291-0301 www.ngtimes.ca

TIMES Editor David Shanahan editor@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735

No, the real menace to democracy in Canada is First Past the Post (FPTP), the system which gives a winner-takes-all advantage to large parties with wellorganised political machinery. Whoever gets the most votes in a riding, wins the seat, even if it’s just by a handful of votes, and even if it is with a minority share of votes cast. Even then, as the Liberals have experienced this time around, they can win more votes than the NDP and only get 8 seats compared to the NDP’s 31.

What’s the answer? There is an obvious one: Proportional Representation (PR); you know, the system Justin Trudeau promised to introduce and then changed his mind about.

The major parties insist that PR leads to unstable governments, splinter groups, never-ending election cycles, etc. This is more of a myth than anything else.

Many countries have one form of PR or another (there are many to choose from), and allow voters to be rep-

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Staff Reporter Brandon Mayer brandon@ndtimes.ca

Mailing Address P.O. Box 1854 Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Production production@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735

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June is Pride Month for Municipality

The Municipality of North Grenville has declared June to be Pride Month. At a flag raising ceremony at the Municipal Centre on June 1, Mayor Peckford reflected on the reasoning behind the event.

“Today’s flag raising, and the annual proclamation of Pride Month reflects our community’s commitment to diversity. We all have the right to belong, no matter our gender or sexual identity. North Grenville is well known for being an exceptionally caring and compassionate place. It is important that this care extends to all members of our community, particularly our youth.

This year, the Municipality will raise a newly redesigned Progress Pride Flag that includes black and brown stripes to represent marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of colour, along with pink, light blue and white, which are used on the Transgender Pride Flag. The Progress Pride flag was developed in 2018 by non-binary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar.

“The redesigned flag celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and calls for a more inclusive society,” added Melissa Button, Member of the Board

of Directors with NG Pride.

North Grenville’s Council also recognizes the leadership of the community notfor-profit group, NG Pride, which was established in 2018 to plan, fund, and organize Pride activities in the Kemptville area and to support LGBTQ2+ people and their families.

“Pride Month is dedicated to uplifting and celebrat-

ing LGBTQ2S+ voices and cultures, and demonstrating our support for LGBTQ2S+ rights. Let’s come together to reinforce our commitment to inclusivity, acceptance and allyship,” added Councillor Kristin Strackerjan.

Kemptville held its first Pride Parade in 2019. The parade has been cancelled for the past two years due to the pandemic. Instead, the Pride committee held virtual events and a home decorating contest. Last year, at the request of NG Pride, Council voted to paint a rainbow pride crosswalk at the corner of Prescott and Reuben Street in downtown Kemptville.

“After a two-year hiatus, we are thrilled to be hosting the 2022 Pride Parade on June 12,” highlighted Ms. Button. “This year we are

dedicating the parade to Kyiv Pride. We welcome everyone to celebrate with us – young or old, individual or business! Be Bold. Be loud and be proud!”

The Pride Parade will begin at 1:00 pm on Sunday, June 12 at Kemptville Campus and end with a celebration at Riverside Park with food, fun and vendors.

In addition to the Parade, NG Pride is also organizing a Flotilla on Saturday, June 11. Beginning at 11:00 am at Curry Park, participants are invited to come out with their kayak, canoe or paddle board and dress up in their brightest colours to paddle down the South Branch.

For more information on Pride festivities and to get involved visit www.kemptvillepride.com.

NG PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB

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Vehicle repairs Class “A” Mechanic Sale of Quality PreOwned Vehicles Flat Bed Tow Truck

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Brakes Suspension Tire Sales Air Conditioning Alignments

613-989-3839

County Rd 1, Mountain Ontario

THOMAS M. BYRNE Barrister and Solicitor

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

H E L P WA N T E D

Berube Poultry Berube Poultry in Mountain is seeking labourers , FULL & PART TIME. No experience necessary. Will train.

Serious inquiries only please @

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Tree is onService We are located at Image by Kelly Maloney. A forest of Tulips. (Apologies to Kelly, last week her beautiful photo was inadvertently cropped when reducing size for the paper)

613.531.1544

TRIMMING & TREE REMOVAL FREE ESTIMATES . FULLY INSURED

Grand Opening & Open House June 18, 2022 from 1pm-3pm

207 Prescott Street, Kemptville (The original Kemptville library) June 9, 2022

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Back To Basics

by Deron Johnson Despite considerable efforts by the current and previous Boards of Management, many people still don’t clearly understand what exactly a Business Improvement Area (BIA) is and what it does. Let’s review some of the key elements of what BIAs are, what they do, how they work, how they’re funded and what the benefits are of being a part of one.

What Are They?

Here’s how the website of the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association defines what a BIA is: “A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is a “made-in-Ontario” innovation that allows local businesspeople and commercial property owners and tenants to join together and, with the support of the municipality, to organize, finance, and carry out physical improvements and promote economic development in their district. Traditionally, a BIA is a body established by a municipality and is governed by a Board of Management.

The term BIA is used to generally describe that board. The legislation states they are LOCAL boards or committees of council. People also refer to the geographic area designated by a municipality for a BIA as the BIA.” How Does a BIA Work?

A BIA is run by a volunteer Board of Management elected from its members. The Board is nominated at an Annual General Meeting and, once approved by municipal council, serves a four-year term concurrent with the term of Council. The Board works on behalf of its members and meets monthly to develop budgets, set priorities, implement & encourage beautification efforts, plan events, oversee day-to-day operations of the organization and promote the area as a whole.

How is a BIA Funded?

Once the BIA members approve the budget and municipal council approves it, funds are raised through a special levy on all commercial and industrial properties within the BIA’s boundary or footprint. Calculation of this levy is based on the proportionate value of each property’s commercial and/or industrial assessment (MPAC). Once the Municipality collects the levy, it forwards the funds to the BIA to manage.

If you ever have any questions about BIAs or are simply curious about what’s happening Downtown, just send us an email at bia@northgrenville.on.ca and we’ll add you to the mailing list for our email newsletter. There’s always something going on in Downtown Kemptville.

613.258.2782

146 Prescott St. Kemptville

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Heritage wood-fired brick oven operating since 1885 115 Clotheir St., E., Kemptville 613.258.2317 www.grahamesbakery.com

Alanna Sterling at Kemptville Pride

The Street Piano Concert series is honoured to partner with Kemptville Pride to present rising star Alanna Sterling, aka Twitch streamer “MermaidUnicorn”, aka Merms, a gender-fluid singer-songwriter and mental illness advocate. Catch Alanna at the end of the rainbow Pride parade in Riverside Park, where they’ll kick off the party with a concert you will love and later say I saw them when…

What? The Kemptville Street Piano Concert Series and Kemptville Pride presents June 9, 2022

Who? Alanna Stirling When? Sunday June 12, 2pm Where? Riverside Park How much? Free! https://www.alannasterling. ca/ YouTube: https://youtube. com/AlannaSterling What is a Street Piano?

It’s a piano placed in a public area that encourages passersby to stop and play.

Why a Street Piano?

Who is it for? Street Pianos draw pedestrians, turning any location into a concert venue / cultural hub. By giving residents an instrument to play together, this project encourages locals to share their knowledge, initiate their own ‘play’, and create relationships, setting a precedent for positive experiences in Kemptville’s public spaces and inviting foot traffic to downtown businesses. Learn more about street pianos at www.

streetpianos.com.

When and where are the concerts taking place? The concert series takes place on Sunday afternoons at 2 pm from end of May to mid-September at the North Grenville Public Library (except for Alanna Sterling’s show at Riverside Park). Check the Kemptville Street Piano Facebook page for regular updates on all things Street Piano, including indoor locations in case of rain, concert details, and access to the Street Piano calendar. www.facebook.com/ KemptvilleStreetPiano.

The Kemptville Street Piano Concert Series is presented by Voyageur Art & Music School with support from RTO 9 Government of Ontario and the Municipality of North Grenville. Contact kemptville.street.piano@ gmail.com.

STORE HOURS Monday to Friday 8:00am to 7:00pm Saturday 8:00am to 6:00pm Sunday 9:00am to 6:00pm

613.258.3014

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Tripoly Acoustic Trio concert and film release

With the re-opening of live music venues, local acoustic folk group Tripoly has been pretty busy of late; but that’s nothing compared to how busy they were last year. During the second year of the pandemic, the trio, along with Geit Productions director, Stephen Fuller, created a short film which they will finally get to release at a concert on Saturday, June 11 in the Burritt’s Rapids Community Hall.

“The idea, originally, was for a simple music video”, explains Doug Hendry who, along with Elizabeth McNally and Glenna Hunter make up Tripoly. “But the idea grew and a storyline developed way beyond anything that we had imagined.”

“We had worked with Stephen Fuller before” says Elizabeth, “so we trusted his creative vision.” However,

what transpired was the creation of a movie set which included a run down harbour past its glory days, as well as the exterior and interior of an 1820’s transport sloop, rigging, sail and all.

“We are thankful to the Fullers that we were given free use of a barn in which to build the set, as it really transformed the project into a pretty sophisticated piece and it’s probably the first time a ship has set sail from Newmanville Harbour (on Bolton Rd)!” adds Glenna.

The short film focuses on an agèd mage, embarking on her life’s last voyage, discovering her successor in the unlikely guise of the ship’s youngest crew member.

The 12 minute piece has no dialogue, but rather a soundtrack created by Tripoly, Stephen Fuller, and Rowan Meyer, Glenna’s son,

Pinhey, Harold Townley “Hal”

who also acted in the film.

“In many respects, creating the soundtrack was the most difficult experience”, says Doug. “It was certainly a new task to write for specific actions on screen and to write music to carry the mood. But I think we’re all pleased with the result. I have a great respect now for sound in film, and I’m always listening so closely that I sometimes miss the action!”

The actors were all local to the area - some were

experienced, and to some it was their first time in front of the camera. “You will certainly recognize some familiar faces”, says Doug cryptically.

The film’s release on June 11 will also feature the trio performing a set of their favourite songs from the folk world and, as well as the film, they will show a gag reel produced by the very talented Theresa Graham (who also acted in the film).

Tickets are $15 ($7.50 for under 16s) and can be purchased from the group’s website at https://fiddleheadsoup.com/tripoly. There may be a certain number of tickets available at the door, but capacity is limited for better spacing, and so it is better to buy online if possible.

The show at Burritt’s Rapids will begin at 7:30 pm and local film fans will have a chance to try to identify all the locations used in the film!

Ottawa-Centre MP Yasir Naqvi, left, helps Forests Ontario CEO Rob Keen plant a tree during a community tree planting event at a Rideau Valley Conservation Authority property in Kars on Saturday, May 28.

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Assante Capital Management Ltd.

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BROCKVILLE CORNWALL KEMPTVILLE RENFREW WINCHESTER

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June 9, 2022

by Emma Jackson, RVCA A community tree planting event took place near Baxter Conservation Area, organised by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority in partnership with Forests Ontario, at the end of May. Volunteers of all ages planted 300 native trees in an effort to reforest the watershed and contribute to climate action. Forests Ontario has been a long-time supporter of the RVCA’s tree planting program, which plants about 240,000 trees each year across the watershed. Since 1984, the RVCA has planted nearly 7 million trees.

Sarah Chisholm

1-877-989-1997 | OFARRELLWEALTH.COM | OFARRELL@ASSANTE.COM

Peacefully at the Kemptville District Hospital on Sunday May 22, 2022. Harold Pinhey age 91 of Kemptville. Beloved husband and best friend of Avalon (Turner). Loving Dad of Susan (Jeff ) Turner, Janet (Barry) Redmond, Stephen Pinhey and Andrew (Kelly) Pinhey. Cherished “Hal” of Jennifer Turner, Scott (Justina) Turner; Phillip & Christopher Redmond; Megan & Michelle Pinhey; Bradley & Bryan Pinhey and Kristy (Jon) McCurdy and great grandchildren Noah, Taylor, Avalon, Mia, Ayla, Easton and Ava. Dear brother of David Pinhey, Richard (Doris) Pinhey and the late Dyson Pinhey. Fondly remembered by many nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held at St. James Anglican Church 35 Clothier Street West, Kemptville on Friday June 10, 2022 at 11 a.m. By family request, donations may be made to the St. James Anglican Church or the Kemptville District Hospital.

Arrangements entrusted to the Byers Funeral Home, South Mountain (613-989-3836). Online condolences may be made at www.byersfuneralhomeinc.ca

Baldwin's Birds Feeding time in the garden

Community tree planting

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With the extreme weather conditions hopefully behind us, it is time to concentrate on the job at hand - the raising of the newcomers into the world. Two of our nesting boxes are occupied at the moment, and both sets of parents are busy catching bugs and grubs to feed their new broods. In the one, a pair of House Wrens are flitting to and fro, busily, and still somewhat noisily, as they answer the call of a hungry brood.

Not too far away from them, a pair of Bluebirds are doing the same thing, without drawing too much attention to themselves and the location of their nestlings. The female, with a full beak, will land on one of the nearby nesting boxes and will look all around her, for quite a while, before making the quick flight directly into the entrance of her chosen nesting spot. Once she has fed her offspring, she quickly leaves and goes off seeking more food, whilst the male might arrive to help her out. He will use another approach and zips in from very low down, having taken a devious route through the neighbour's trees in an effort to disguise his destination.

He is less obvious then she is and doesn't seem to take such a big part in the feeding operation as she does! Of course, most of you ladies are probably saying right now,- what's new about that!?

My picture is of her just leaving her adjacent nesting box perch, on her direct flight to her own nesting box entrance hole, with a grub in her beak, which will soon be disappearing down one of her hungry young's throats!

Hopefully, some of you are also witnessing the present activities of our feathered friends, but remember, as well as enjoying them, don't forget to stay safe and well.

Cheers, John Baldwin www.ngtimes.ca

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The Voice of Merrickville-Wolford

185th Anniversary Celebration Year of the Garden for Holy Trinity Anglican Church celebrated again

Trinity 1837 - 1908

by Doug MacDonald There has been a church on the corner of Main East and Church Streets for 185 years. The first church on the site was Trinity, Church of England. This small village church graced the corner from 1837 to 1908. On this same site a larger church was constructed. The Gothic style new Trinity (now Holy Trinity), its doors now painted a welcoming yellow, opened in 1909.

It was the devotion and determination of the faithful pioneer families that built the 1837 and 1909 churches.

We celebrate and honour their accomplishments.

Documents name some of the pioneer families of Trinity/Holy Trinity – Mirick (or Merrick), Collar, Read, Giffin, Smythe, McGee, Whitmarsh, Campbell, Boyd, Stone, Jakes, Bowen, Moxley, Watchorn, Hardy, Scott, Armstrong, Duke,

Seever, Elliot, Burchill, Carley, Gorman, Wood, French, McCrea, Saunders, Hall, McGuiel, Tilton, Bell, Muckleston, Stewart, Postlethwaite, Mosher, Wylie, Buttermore, Ricky, Wright.

Some descendants of these families remain in the community. Would you be one?

On Sunday, June 19, a special service will celebrate the 185 year story of the Anglican Church in Merrickville. Bishop Michael Oulton of the Diocese of Ontario, the Rev. Andrew Wilson, and the congregation of Holy Trinity welcome former congregants, and linking past to present, invite descendants of the pioneer families to join us at 10:30 am on Sunday the June 19. A potluck lunch will follow the service.

Off-road and offline: Avenza trail maps offer new way to explore No cell service? No problem! Visitors to RVCA’s conservation areas can now navigate evenour most remote trails with confidence thanks to a new partnership with Avenza Maps. The Toronto-based mobile app allows you to download GPS-enabled maps that can be used offline and without cell service to keep your bearings even in the deepest woods.

“Safety is number one, and this is an innovative tool to help our visitors stay on track while exploring our beautiful properties,” said Conservation Lands Manager Chelsey Ellis. “We’re pleased to partner with such an ambitious and community-oriented organization.”

Tristan Lyttle, senior product manager with Avenza Systems Inc., agreed.

“We’re thrilled to see our local conservation authorities become early adopters of this technology,” Tristan said. “Getting outside and June 9, 2022

exploring our surroundings has never been more important, and Avenza makes it even easier.”

The app is supported by Android and iOS. Instructions on how to get started and use the mobile app can be found at www.avenzamaps.com/maps/how-itworks.html.

QR codes for the RVCA’s new Avenza maps have been installed at the trailheads of eight conservation areas, and can also be found on their property-specific webpages at www.rvca.ca/ conservation-areas.

Scanning these QR codes will download RVCA’s maps to your phone to take out onto the trail. If you don't have the Avenza Maps app, you will be guided through the installation process.

To avoid installation issues, the RVCA encourages visitors to download the free app before leaving home.

Traditional trailhead maps and printed brochures will

continue to be available, as well as downloadable PDF trail maps on our website.

The RVCA offers a total of 42 km of trails through forests, wetlands, meadows and more. From the Chapman Mills boardwalk in Barrhaven to the Spy Rock lookout at Foley Mountain, our 11 conservation areas offer something for everyone, all year round.

For more information visit www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas or contact Conservation Lands Manager Chelsey Ellis at chelsey.ellis@rvca.ca.

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The 8th Annual 1000 Islands and Rideau Canal Garden Trail is ready to celebrate the Year of the Garden! Part of Canada's Garden Route, this area's Trail features 12 remarkable locations throughout Leeds Grenville. The famous garden tour gained national notoriety in 2017 as the only trail given the 'Canada 150 Garden Experience Designation.'

“After two years, it's exciting to be back," said David Cybulski, Trail Cochair. "We love to share our gardens and we hope the residents of Leeds Grenville, as well as visitors, take full advantage of this opportunity. The gardens are ever-evolving and you’ll see some really big changes in several gardens," he said.

Showcasing horticulture in this region, many of the gardens also have added special experiences including a Monarch butterfly Way Station, native butterflies, honeybees and birds, fountains, ponds, contemporary art exhibits, statuary and even classes in a teepee.

There is no admission fee to visit the gardens, though some owners welcome donations to their favourite charity. Both guided and self-guided tours are available throughout the season. Hours and contacts vary, so please visit each garden's page for full details as some are by appointment only.

In celebration of National Garden Day on June 18, all of the 1000 Islands and Rideau Canal Garden Trail gardens will be open

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for all to enjoy.

Gardeners are encouraged to plant red this season to pay tribute to lives lost during the pandemic, to honour frontline workers, or to simply express their Canadian Pride!

The 1000 Islands and Rideau Canal Garden Trail launched in 2015. A modified Trail was offered last year due to the pandemic but despite that, it was a big success. Organizers saw people wanted a return to nature, spending time and learning more about caring for their own gardens or taking in local, low-key attractions.

Rideau Woodland Ramble, the garden centre near Burritt's Rapids, has been with the trail since the beginning. The Ramble experienced the busiest season in its 22-year history last year.

It is expecting this year to be the same or even better.

"Everyone is craving the peace and serenity of the garden. Now, more than ever, the garden represents a tonic for these crazy times," said Ramble owner Dave Dunn. "What a beautiful gift resulting from the efforts of planting and maintaining a garden! Come Ramble!"

Rideau Woodland Ramble: This 7-acre destination is nationally known by gardeners, collectors, horticulturalists and designers as one of Canada's top garden displays and garden centre. Located in a verdant woodland setting, the gardens comprise significant collections of conifers, Japanese Maples, grasses and Hostas, as well

as a wide range of unusual trees, shrubs and perennials.

Garden rooms and rambling trails immerse you in garden settings that showcase Magnolia and Rhododendrons in spring and give way to a thoughtfully planted succession of blooms.

Don't miss the dramatic pond full of Koi, or the Pavilion Art Gallery featuring the Garden and Wildlife Art of Dave Dunn. Follow the Covid-19 Protocols and come Ramble!

The cleverly-named A Labour of Love on Porter Road in Oxford Station, is the result of the labour of owners Kaye and John Love.

Beginning as a century farmstead, this country garden has evolved and now boasts a wrap-around front porch, a secluded Japanese inspired courtyard featuring a luscious pond and bubbling rock, and a large pool with ample seating areas. Beyond the courtyard lie expansive lawns, dazzling flowerbeds and a large greenhouse. A cedar arch leads to a large vegetable bed attractively laid out around an charming gazebo walled with stained glass panels. A second cedar arch leads to a large naturalized pond which is home to many goldfish, turtles and frogs. This beautifully landscaped park-like setting is a delightful surprise along a country road.

All tours of the property must be pre-booked, appointment only. All tours are guided. There is no entrance fee, but donations are accepted for the Big Sky Ranch Animal Sanctuary, Kemptville. www.bigskyranch.ca To learn more about the trail, joining the trail or to view a map, please visit the Garden Trail website at gar dentrail.1000islandsandride aucanal.com.

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Science and Faith – Part 2

The purpose of this three-part series is to hopefully frame the manner in which readers can discuss and debate about what is true and what is not. This is part two: comparing naturalism and supernaturalism’s ability to determine where humans came from, where we are going, and human morality.

There are three areas of knowledge and truth I’d like to explore in order to compare naturalism and supernaturalism, as discussed in part one of this series: where we came from (ontology), where we are going, and morality. Let’s start with morality.

Whether you believe that morality comes from a supernatural entity or you don’t, I think there is still plenty of room for common ground. For example, we can normally agree that it’s a good thing for humans to flourish. Many will agree that animals should also flourish, and possibly even plant life, as well as the ecosystem and the planet itself I suspect that almost everyone would agree that it’s a good thing to maximize happiness and minimize suffering. On these grounds alone, we should be able to fashion a set of morals by which to live our lives and evaluate our actions. If we share the same goal of healthy, happy, flourishing lives, with the minimum amount of suffering while sustaining the planet and all it contains (the moral goal), we simply have to take that goal and work backwards to develop a shared moral code.

Unfortunately, many supernaturalists and religions want to focus on where morals came from, and less about what they are. Does it really matter whether morality originally came from a Christian god, an Islamic god, a Hindu god, a Sikh god, or no god, so long as we share the overarching goal of healthy, happy, flourishing lives? Besides, don’t we have to come up with new moral requirements for things that aren’t found in holy books, like social media, or space junk, or climate change? I think we can allow ourselves to set aside ontology in order to continue to develop our morality for the future.

On to where we came from. We can’t escape the desire to know why we exist, or, for that matter, why anything exists? Naturalism June 9, 2022

uses a number of scientific disciplines to seek answers.

This has given us knowledge about the Big Bang singularity launching our universe, the formation of stars, galaxies and our planet, a number of mass extinctions, tectonics, evolution by natural selection, genetics, DNA ancestry, and the formation of civilisations. Naturalism has some hypotheses about how life emerged on earth; however present day physics cannot look beyond the Big Bang to know what existed before then, if anything.

Here supernaturalism has both an advantage and disadvantage. The advantage is that for any question that naturalism cannot yet answer, supernaturalism can simply fill the gap by claiming that the answer must be a supernatural force or entity, like a god. The disadvantage is that supernaturalists, and more particularly religions, do not agree on what or who that supernatural force or entity is. Each religion and sub-religion thinks it has the right answer. I have often noted that if all the religions of the world could get together in one room and come out with one uni-

fied supernatural being, it would simplify things. Because otherwise, religions simply disagree within and against each other about why they are right, and they collectively argue against naturalists.

In the search for answers, we can also use logic. As a science, logic provides us with the rules of rational discourse and reasoning. If we agree to play by those rules, we can eliminate faulty reasoning. The process of reasoning is filled with logical fallacies; that is, a failure in reasoning which renders an argument invalid. There are many, many logical fallacies, but luckily there are about 15 to 20 common ones that can guide a search for answers by naturalists and supernaturalists alike. The key point here for me is that any debate between naturalists and supernaturalists should be bound by the rules of logic. To say otherwise is making a claim of special status for one or the other before even getting off the ground, which is usually unproductive.

As to where humanity is going from here, naturalism says that our planet will not

last forever. Our sun will eventually expand to engulf the earth, and then shrink into a white dwarf. Other catastrophic or extinction events are likely to happen before then. Either way, if humanity is to survive in the distant future, it will have to be elsewhere. For naturalist, this is the life we have, so make the best of it, within the moral code and rule of law that applies to where you live.

For the supernaturalists, there is something beyond our individual death. Not everyone gets there, or comes back, but it’s available to you if you adhere to revelation or religious requirements. As to the fate of the universe, supernaturalism is generally silent, but there is usually an “end-of-times” that suggest that the earth and the universe will not last forever. In the short-term then, this is the life you have, so make the best of it, within the moral code and rule of law that applies to where you live.

In Part 3, I will compare naturalism and supernaturalism in terms of which one provides a more reliable path to knowledge and truth.

Well water and septic health The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit can help you ensure that the well water you and your family drink is safe.

Spring is a good time to have your well water tested for bacteria. Run off from heavy rain may affect the safety of your drinking water. Bacteria in your well water may not affect the taste or smell of your water.

Testing your well water is the only way to know for sure if your drinking water is safe to consume or if it is contaminated with bacteria and requires some actions to protect the health of your family. The Health Unit recommends that you test your well water at least three times a year.

A possible source of well water contamination is a malfunctioning sewage disposal system. Properly maintaining your sewage system can help prevent ground water contamination and keep your well water safe for drinking. With regular care and maintenance, a properly installed sewage system should provide many years of service. However, here are some tips and common household products

sludge and scum occupy one-third of the working capacity of the tank. Septic tanks contain deadly gases and should only be inspected by firms specializing in this work.

The area over a leaching bed should have a good cover of grass allowing for adequate sunlight and ventilation to be maintained.

Avoid planting shrubs and trees over this area.

Visit the Well Water Sampling section of our website for drinking water information including: where you can pick up and drop off your free water bottle samples; how to take a sample; how to disinfect your well (if required). For more information, call us at 1-800-660-5853 or connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @ LGLHealthUnit.

that residents should avoid disposing into their septic to ensure a well-functioning system. They include: Fats, oils and grease; Household chemicals such as vehicle fluids, paints and solvents, caustic drain and harsh cleaners, bleach, pesticides; Cat box litter; Tampons, sanitary napkins, diapers, paper towels, condoms; Coffee grounds, egg shells and other kitchen waste; Excess water from roof drains, sump water, water from softeners and iron filters; Driving over the leaching bed with motorized vehicles should be avoided Excessive water use in your home could impact your sewage disposal system by flushing solids from the septic tank into the leaching bed. Conserve water by spreading your laundry out over the week rather than doing several loads in one day; fix running toilets and leaking faucets and minimize the length of time in the shower.

The septic tank should be inspected at regular intervals and pumped out whenever

Send in your letters, stories, events to editor@ ngtimes.ca 9

Can AI help fight Cancer?

The short answer is yes – cancer, and other health problems too. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a game-changer. Not only can this rapidly advancing technology improve the speed and accuracy of disease diagnosis and treatment, it has enormous potential to predict health problems, allowing for far more effective prevention programs that target at-risk populations.

Take, for example, children born with congenital heart defects. This fate currently falls to about 40,000 babies born in the U.S. each year, and about 1.35 million newborns worldwide. What causes defective heart structures in the developing embryo is open to debate. But genetics, diet, environment, medications, and smoking are all on the list.

But what if AI could analyse vast quantities of data and learn from patterns to predict a problem pregnancy even before conception? Neonatal cardiac surgeons are studying this possibility, in hopes of putting themselves out of a job. Instead of time in operating rooms, they are designing educational programs and delivering nutritional supplements to would-be mothers most as risk.

What exactly is AI? And how does it work?

Artificial intelligence refers to computer programs, or algorithms, that use data to make decisions or predictions.

To build an algorithm, scientists instruct computers to follow a set of rules in the analysis of data. In machine learning (ML), an algorithm teaches itself how to analyze data and interpret patterns. With exposure to vast amounts of data, learning and interpretation improves.

The question becomes, to what extent can the decisions being made be trusted?

Dr. Hugo Aerts, Director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, says, “AI can automate assessments and tasks that humans currently can do but take a lot of time.”

Scientists are developing AI tools that use screening images like mammograms to predict risk of developing cancer. To date, doctors used such images to detect if cancer is already present. Due to variation in the skill-level and experience of radiologists, results are highly subjective.

Dr. Aerts notes that relying on “a human making an interpretation of an image—say, a radiologist, a dermatologist, a pathologist —that’s where we see enormous breakthroughs being made.”

In 2018, an AI tool hit the news by outperforming 58 international dermatologists in the diagnosis of skin cancer, missing fewer melanomas and misdiagnosing fewer benign moles. AI models have shown impressive precision in identifying lung, breast, thyroid, prostate, and bloodrelated cancers.

With AI, medical professionals can cut costs, expedite clinical decision-making and significantly reduce wait times.

But despite these successes and benefits, there is reason to be skeptical about early computer models as stand-alone tools for screening cancers or predicting the onset of other diseases. One model, for example, was found to raise alarms not in accordance with the patients’ conditions but with the location where imaging equipment was used.

Yet, scientists are honing the instructions given AI tools by validating results against well known, trusted data. For example, the Framingham Heart Study has been collecting data from a large population cohort for over 70 years. This data provides an opportunity to assess AI findings against established records.

Will the technology become so astute that oncologists and pathologists become obsolete?

Not according to Dr. Olivier Michielin of University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland. “AI will enable oncologists, pathologists and other stakeholders to work more efficiently, it will not replace them,” he says.

But AI is undeniably improving the practice of medicine by having computers do what humans cannot – crunching huge amounts of data to expedite diagnosis and treatment. To what extent AI can help prevent disease remains to be seen.

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Classifieds eds Classifi FOR SALE

Old horse machinery for lawn ornament or for use. No 1 horse hay. Call Jim 613-258-3561 Travel trailer Jaco, 5th wheel, fully loaded, 28ft long, perfect condition.

Must sell. Call Jim 613258-35612 Brand New Wedding Dresses, never been worn, Tags Still On, LULUS (XL) ordered online. $300 each (phone number: 613-203-2724 Men's bicycle, 2 electric motors, jointer planer.

Call Doug 613-258-4573 No. 6/4 wire cabtire 18 meters; No, 6/4 wire liquidtight 15 meters; $175.00 each or both for $300.00. Bill 613-8501584

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CROSSWORD

Two brand new wedWANTED ding dresses, tags still attached, bought online Looking to rent farmland for cash crops. Call or text Mitch LULUS (XL) $300 each @ 613-262-1204 1992 Ford Econoline E150 HELP WANTED Palm Spring's edition. B.C. vehicle, no rust, 396000 kms. 5.7 litre engine, test- Occasional muscle required part time for landscaping ed and certified $2500. and waterfront maintenance Phone: 613-791-0204 on Boyd Landing , Merrickville. Heavy work. Pays $100 Hearing aid with charger, for five-hour day. Must have hardly used. Call 613-567- transportation. Phone 613 8533 2847780.

Firewood for sale $110 a cord delivered, min 2 cord for delivery. Call Jon 613-227-3650

WANT3D

The Eric Gutknecht Memorial Bursary Charity is seeking 250ml jars (new or used) for 2022 jam/ jelly sales.

Drop off at 529 George St. E or call Billy at 613-796-0941

Hay and straw for sale 4x4 round bales, stored inside. Call Jon 613-2273650 Cedar posts and rails for sale, various sizes available. Call Jon 613-2273650

GARAGE SALES

MILTONS ESTATES LAW Wills - Probate - Estates Estate Litigation

June 11 -23 Tamarack Circle, Kemptville. Antiques, wedding dresses, Royal Doulton's and more

As heard on CFRA Experts on Call www.ontario-probate.ca

JUNE 11 Community Garage Sale - Stonehaven / GlenGable area

SERVICES SERVICES

ACROSS 1. Shut forcefully 5. Spheroid 9. Begin 14. A beautiful and graceful girl 15. Not false 16. Strange or spooky 17. Door-to-door cosmetic company 18. Anagram of "Hail" 19. A racing row boat 20. Repeat payments to performers 22. Decoy 23. A resin used in incense 24. Mar 26. 24 hours 29. People talking 33. A domestic garbage crusher 38. Once again 39. Smell

40. Slants or swerves 42. "Oh my!"

43. Law enforcement dept.

45. Unaltered 47. One more than ten 48. A tribe of Israel 49. Introduction (abbrev.)

52. 10 in a decade 57. Split or cleave off (archaic) 60. One who studies the past 63. Keen 64. An ancient city in Asia Minor 65. Seaweed 66. Genus of hemlock spruce 67. Roman emperor 68. Search 69. Metal 70. Lyric poems 71. Current

DOWN 1. Extra 2. Even 3. Came up 4. 1/60th of a fluid dram 5. British Thermal Unit 6. Operatic solo 7. Calms 8. The smallest amount 9. A meeting 10. Pertaining to modern science or equipment 11. Wild African sheep 12. Streamlet 13. Impart information 21. Founder of Carthage (Roman mythology) 25. Sacred text of Zoroastrianism 27. Express agreement 28. Tibetan ox 30. A type of cabbage 31. Historical periods 32. Dried hemp leaves 33. Dummy 34. Object of worship 35. Bottom of one's shoe 36. Special advantage 37. Light Emitting Diode 41. A chaw 44. Important or inner 46. Ancient war goddess 50. Horned animal 51. Lubricated 53. Delete 54. Afflicted 55. Behaved violently 56. Serpentine 57. Collections 58. An earlier time 59. Shivering fit 61. The founder of a family 62. City in New Mexico

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

VA L L E Y A I R WAY MECHANICAL • HVAC • CUSTOM SHEET METAL• VENTILATION

RETIRED CARPENTER Renovations, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, decks, home repair.

Call George at 613 462 7637

Jack Lalonde, RSE, President, Operator Serving The Ottawa, Dundas and Cornwall Areas Residential, Commercial

Easy

Medium

Valleyairwaymechanical @gmail.com 613- 915- 5820

HANDYMAN SERVICES Call Bill 613 774 2922

Hedge Trimming Small or Tall Call Rob 613-795-1845'

Kemptville Horticultural Society June Meeting Wednesday,June 15 7:00pm Kemptville Pentecostal Church, 1964 County Rd. #43, Kemptville The guest speaker will be Cindy Cluett, Beyond the House, "Goodies and Newbies" Perennials.

June 9, 2022

Services • • •

3D Design Interlock Natural Stone

• • •

Lighting Planting Water Features

Hard

613-316-7710

Solution to last week’s Crossword

www.ardron.ca the north grenville

TIMES MELISSA OTTENHOF Marketing Consultant

Phone:613 329 0209 Email: melissa@ngtimes.ca www.ngtimes.ca

10

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Senior Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Get on Board with Seniors’ Community Services

by Jill Woodley The Board of Directors at Seniors’ Community Service is recruiting new members to join their team. This is an opportunity to bring your expertise to the table and be a part of a leadership role in support of the ongoing success and growth of a vital organization in North Grenville.

“Seniors’ Community Services provides valuable programs for seniors in Kemptville and surrounding areas, being part of the Board helps the team of staff and volunteers be successful and build a sustainable organization for the growing needs of the community”, says Aaron Nichols, Trea-

surer on the Board of Directors – Treasurer.

SCS has an outstanding volunteer program, and Board members are no exception. During the challenges of the last two years, Board members were integral in helping support staff in navigating the uncharted waters of a pandemic. Their unique skills and expertise are a complement to the progressive and successful non-profit environment, and key to creating a healthy community. Board members are ambassadors for the organization, and advocate for the hundreds of seniors, and adults with physical disabilities in our community. It is an opportunity to support the

great programs and services that make SCS unique in North Grenville.

“Being on the board of Seniors’ Community Services is extremely rewarding. SCS is key to dynamic services provided for seniors in North Grenville”, says Ross Hebert, Vice-President.

Join our Board, and be a part of the community in action that supports older adults to successfully and age at home. To learn more about SCS please visit www. seniorscs.ca For more information on becoming a Board member, please email Board President, Bill Forbes at jointheboard@seniorscs.ca.

OPP Report

Grenville County residents targeted in Grandparent's scam Over the month of May, 2022, older residents from East Region have been targeted by fraudsters using the "Grandparent's scam".

Seven local community members have filed reports just this week with the Grenville County Ontario Province Police (OPP). All were asked to urgently send money to assist a family member.

The amount requested was just under $10,000. If the victims do not have access to a vehicle, the scammers offered to send a cab to col-

Professional Fully Insured Commercial & Residential Painting

Paul A. Jansen, BA, LLB.

lect the funds at their homes.

If you have older family members, please speak to them about this and advise them to always call and check with family first, or call the police if they have concerns.

Below are some of the warning signs: Urgency-- The scammer always makes the request sound very urgent, which may cause the victim to not verify the story.

Fear-- The scammer plays on the victim's emo-

tions by generating a sense of fear. For instance, they may say, "I am scared and I need help from you."

Secrecy-- The scammer pleads with the victim not to tell anyone about the situation, such as, "Please don't tell Dad, he would be so mad."

Request for Money -Money can be requested by money transfer, or, in some cases, the scammer sends someone to your home to pick up the payment.

If you or someone you know have been the victim of a scam, contact the OPP

Bayfield Manor Retirement Community Your place to call Home

613.25.7484 bayfieldmanorltc.com 100 Elvira Street, Kemptville

Professionally trained staff Affordable carefree lifestyle Part of the Kemptville Community for over 40 years

Come in and see for yourself! the north grenville

at 1-888-310-1122 or report the information to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.

FRAUD…Recognize it…

Report it…Stop it.

TIMES MELISSA OTTENHOF Marketing Consultant

Phone:613 329 0209 Email: melissa@ngtimes.ca www.ngtimes.ca

Kutebah Alyousef kutebah1984@gmail.com 613-276-4583

Rachel S. Jansen, B.Comm., J.D.

215 Van Buren Street, Kemptville 613.258.7462 jansenlaw.com

Real Estate - Wills & Estates - Family Law - Corporate

June 9, 2022

11

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UCDSB Board of Trustees meeting

(From left to right) UCDSB's Board Chair John McAllister, Student Trustee Bradford Ward, (on-screen) Green Iglu CEO Raygan Solotki, (on-screen) Green Iglu Director of Marketing Paige Deasley, Student Trustee Eshal Ali, and Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Perry pose with a cheque representing the money raised by UCDSB students for remote Indigenous communities Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) met on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.

Some of the items discussed in the public session are as follows.

Budget Approved: Executive Superintendent of Business Services Jeremy Hobbs presented to Trustees the proposed budget for the 2022-2023 school year. This comes after regular budget-related reports over the last few months.

Superintendent Hobbs noted that the total proposed budget sits at $403.5 million. This proposed budget is compliant with the Ministry of Education requirements. $403.3 million of the budget will go toward expenses, the UCDSB anticipants to see a surplus of $0.2 million to remain compliant.

Highlights for the proposed budget include: $50 million for special education; $1.3 million for mental health and wellness supports; $5.2 million in Indigenous education supports; $600,000 for remote digital learning related to COVID-19; $1.6 million investment in student technology, which includes $500,000 in broadband network operations funding.

The Superintendent shared that the Ministry of Education has started to shift its focus from managing the COVID-19 pandemic to supporting learning recovery efforts with investJune 9, 2022

ments in tutoring and mental health supports. He noted that school boards have been directed by the Ministry of Education to continue to of-

fer remote learning options for the 2022-2023 school year.

Also noted in the proposed budget is $65 million for planned investments in school and child care capital construction, additions, improvements, and retrofits.

Additionally, $3 million has been allocated for student success supports to reinforce the 90 per cent graduation rate and $2 million for realworld learning opportunities for students. These include Specialist High Skills Major and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship programs.

Trustees unanimously voted in favour of the budget. It will now go to the Ministry of Education for

The Food Corner

looking to develop working groups that will aim to address specific portions under the equity and inclusion spectrum such as racism, LGBTQ2S+, neurodivergence, learning disorders, disability awareness, and Indigenous peoples.

Tr u s t e e A l i s h a r e d that Seaway District High School’s Intermediate and Secondary gay, straight alliance along with school staff have been working with their local municipality to propose a rainbow sidewalk be erected in honour of pride month. A presentation will be brought to the Town of South Dundas council on June 13.

Bradford Ward shared

that Student Senate will host its final meeting of the 2021-2022 school year on June 3. During the meeting, Ward will be getting a pie in the face by Director Ron Ferguson after the Student Senate’s Green Iglu fundraiser met and surpassed its goal. The fundraiser saw each UCDSB school raise funds for the charity that works with Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario to help address food security and food sovereignty. The original fundraising goal was $5,000 and, in the end, they nearly doubled it to $9,100 and the total keeps on climbing.

WIN WITH THE TIMES!

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville How about a bit of seafood this week? Salmon and shrimp are two of my favourite foods, so combined in a simple recipe, they make for a very stylish and tasty departure from “plain old, plain old”. The trick with salmon and shrimp is NOT TO OVERCOOK IT! Sorry for yelling, but one of the reasons folks don’t appreciate fresh seafood is that they cook the taste right out of it.

This recipe is for four folks getting together to appreciate some good food, along with a nice bottle of chilled white wine, such as an unoaked Chardonnay.

Salmon-Shrimp Combo Ingredients: - 4 fresh salmon steaks or filets 4 or 5 oz each - 1 dozen jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (can be frozen and thawed) - 2 pounds of shrimp, fresh or frozen (unpeeled) - ½ cup of white wine - A splash of lemon juice - A dash of vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon of dill weed - 2 tablespoons of butter Preparation: 1. Mix the wine, lemon juice, dill and oil together well in a bowl 2. Place the salmon on separate sheets of aluminium foil

final approval.

Director’s Work Plan: Director of Education Ron Ferguson presented an update on the Director’s Work Plan. The areas of focus include graduation rate and student success, student culture, community, and staff culture, which “completion” means that the structure has been set up and work can now continue in these areas.

Student Trustees Update: Student Trustees Eshal Ali and Bradford Ward provided an update to Trustees regarding their student-led equity and inclusion committee. Both recognize that equity and inclusion is an overly broad subject and are

3. Coat with the wine mixture and shake on some pepper lightly 4. Seal the foil into packets and cook in a 350F oven or BBQ for 10 to 12 minutes 5. Meanwhile, melt your butter in a good size pan and add the shrimp 6. Season to taste, e.g. Cajun spice, some dill weed, a bit of lemon pepper, etc.

7. Sauté briefly, till the shrimp are barely done (a couple of minutes only) Place one piece of the salmon on each guest serving plate and top with 3 shrimp (that’s it, that’s all, folks!). What can go well with this simple dish is: a) a nice light romaine salad with chunks of feta and an olive oil and balsamic dressing; and/or Rice Pilaf; and/or sliced potatoes that you pre-baked in the oven (coated with vegetable oil and spiced up to taste); and/or “Tomates au gratin” (slices of tomatoes topped with a spoonful of Panko and grated Parmesan and popped in the oven long enough to warm up). And for goodness sake, don’t forget your bread from Grahame’s… All the best from Paul at pcormier@ ranaprocess.com!

12

Dinner for two at Salamanders & a night at the Kemptville Suites Followed by Breakfast at Kemptville Hardstones

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