ND Times Issue 24 2023 November 30

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The Voice of North Dundas

Vol 4, No 24

November 30, 2023

Don’t miss the North Dundas Parade of Lights!

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The 2.5 km long parade A decades long tradi- route is as follows: it starts tion returns for another at North Dundas Municipal W.A. Pakeman exciting year this Saturday. Building, north on St. Law& Associates Ltd. The North Dundas Parade rence St., right on York St., of Lights is sure to add a left on Albert St., left on Life Insurance You protect your home & car twinkle to every watching Main St., and ends with a -why not protect your eye as it rolls down the left into the ‘exit’ lane of Disability Insurance family & business? streets of Winchester on the Sam Ault Arena.

As usual, the parade Insurance CriticalLife Illness Insurance December 2.

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available at the Vendor and Trade Fair for food and toy donations, and volunteers wearing vests and ID tags will also be walking the parade route collecting monetary donations to be shared with the North Dundas Christmas Fund, which puts together Christmas baskets for those in need each year.

A junior B hockey game will take place at the Arena at 2:15 pm (Winchester Hawks vs Perth), as well as a chance to make your own Christmas ornament or Christmas cookie in the Old Town Hall lobby from 10 am to 3 pm. The Old Town Hall theatre will feature a Rock the Arts Puppet Show free of charge at 11 am and

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1 pm, as well as Magical Marvin at 2 pm (also free).

The Winchester Legion branch on Main Street will have a euchre tournament from 12:30 pm – 4 pm, with registration taking place between noon and 12:30 pm, at a cost of $20 per team.

The Legion will also host a parade after party from 8 pm – midnight. Admission is free, with $5 chilli available.

The Parade itself will begin at 7 pm, beginning at the Township building.

There will be a fire pit at Sweet Corner Park, free hot chocolate, and washrooms available at Southgate Church, and coffee, apple cider, and cookies for sale at Simply Baked Catering.

The Parade of Lights has been an ongoing annual tradition in Winchester for decades. A committee member who spoke with the Times said that the Parade was started by Joel Steele, who got the idea after hearing about a nighttime Christmas parade elsewhere. The Parade of Lights became the “Display of Lights” in 2020, and again in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This allowed spectators to remain in their own vehicles to drive past stationary floats in Winchester (2020) and South Mountain (2021). Last year, the traditional parade returned, and is sure to be a hit again this year!

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Get ready for some Christmas caroling!

and a dose of much needed love and kindness. Should the weather be too poor for the children to travel or stay outside for an extended period of time, the caroling will be moved to December 19.

Program staff Emily Quinto originally came up with the idea for the caroling. “I asked the kids if they wanted to do something special for Christmas for their parents,” Emily explained. “I suggested learning a song and a choreographed dance to make a video to send to their parents for Christmas. One of the kids later asked if we could do Christmas caroling instead.”

Emily was enthusiastic about the caroling idea, but she didn’t like the idea

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Eager elementary students from the GIAG extended school day program at Winchester Public School will be contributing their fair share of this season’s Christmas spirit with a caroling activity on December 14. Participating children will walk from the school to Sweet Corner Park and will be singing some of everyone’s favourite Christmas tunes at the park by about 4:15 pm. The kids will be at the park for at least an hour, and welcome as many audience members as possible!

The group will be handing out candy canes as a goodwill gesture aimed at spreading Christmas cheer

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Not quite two of a kind!

amount of their beautiful red colouring for us to see.

They mingled with the Goldfinches to peck at the nyjer seed and after a brief respite, they took their departure.

Meanwhile, our expanded flock of pigeons, now numbering almost 60, were busily feeding on the ground. They always remain somewhat skittish and it doesn't take much for them to suddenly take flight to seek the refuge of the high slung hydro wires, where they will then sit in a row, waiting for one of the flock to be brave enough to drop back down again to feed!

Whichever way the event occurs, the flapping of their

Our little bit of variable weather has brought one or two of our regular birds back to our feeders and so it was the other day when we got a visit, not from just one type of Nuthatch, but also at the same time, another type. Yes both a Red-breasted and Whitebreasted one made their appearance simultaneously on our hanging feeders and fed there without any signs of agitation or worry about each other. A lesson for us all maybe!!

Another brief but welcome return was made by a couple of House Finches, still sporting a reasonable 2

of knocking on people’s doors when they’re just getting home from work or sitting down to dinner since it would be disruptive to them. She therefore thought of Sweet Corner Park, where only willing participants will hear the music, with potentially many more audience members than if the group had knocked on doors.

Meanwhile, student Evey Vowles had an idea to make the event extra special – the collection of donations for a local food bank.

While monetary donations cannot be accepted due to the accounting required (GIAG is a non-profit organization), program staff let Evey know that she and her peers could certainly collect non-perishable food items

powerful wings makes quite a spectacular noise, although not quite as noisy as a flock of Canada Geese taking off from the creek down the road. They, the geese, are really busy at the moment although they don't seem to be in too much of a rush to leave us yet, as they keep heading over our house flying towards the Rideau River, not south, but in the other direction!

I expect some of you are thinking or have already got plans of your own to beat the birds or meet them some-

Evey Vowles during the caroling activity.

When asked why it was important to her to collect food bank donations, Evey responded, “I wanted to do this to help the food bank so they have enough food to feed people for Christmas.” There will be a tote for canned and boxed goods and other non-perishable food items set out at the park during the caroling, and all items collected will be brought to the House of Lazarus location in Mountain.

Come out and celebrate the joys of the Christmas season on December 14 (inclement weather date: December 19)! Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for a joyous holiday season!

where "down south" in a warmer clime than what the majority of us are going to have to face soon. Until you either "put the peddle to the metal" or simulate our avian friends and "take a flight", I hope that you find time to still enjoy those of the bird species who will remain here whilst you are gone, before you actually go. Stay safe and well.

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Editorial

Water to the soup

by Brandon Mayer There are currently two major fundraising campaigns underway that almost all residents of North Dundas and North Grenville have surely heard about by now. In North Grenville, there is a huge effort underway to raise funds to add a much-needed CT Scanner to the Kemptville District Hospital. In North Dundas, a campaign that has gone on for many months to raise funds for the new Dundas Manor is reaching more milestones each passing week, with construction now set to begin.

It’s unbelievable to see how well-supported these campaigns have been. It’s astounding in the best way.

It’s heartwarming and speaks to the strength of our communities. It shows such a commitment to helping each other, which is a small town value we must never fail to be proud of.

Don’t just take my word for it. Let me point out some of the generosity that has been shown in the past few months, starting with Dundas Manor. In July, campaigning got underway for the Grand

Parade fundraiser that saw hundreds of people – including members of Council – raising money for the Dundas Manor in September. Many local businesses also stepped up to show support. The result was over $100,000 in funds raised.

Just last week, on November 18, Matilda Hall in Dixon’s Corners played host to the Sapphires and Snowflakes event, with ticket sales supporting the new Dundas Manor.

It took only two months for the fundraising metre to hit $700,000 after the public fundraising campaign for the new Dundas Manor was launched. This amount is just a small part of the approximately $12 million that has been raised by the community in total. I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees what an absolutely massive sum of money that is for a small community to raise. The Winchester Lions Club was able to provide a $10,000 donation, and pledged $10,000 more. The Morrisburg and District Lions Club managed to come up with a $20,000 donation as well, and the Mountain and District Lions Club

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, Congratulations! You are obviously very clever to have achieved so much.

I think, however, there are many people who, for various reasons, do not do so well.

For this reason, I am in favour of a Universal Basic Income. No child should be without. No person should do without.

For what reason are there so many homeless people and very hungry people… so hungry that the food banks can’t keep up.

Immigrants probably have language problems which would make everything more difficult.

People are persecuted for their colour or their gender which probably makes getting some jobs more difficult. I doubt that people who live comfort-

ably with six figure incomes will benefit from UBI. They will just probably have to help out somewhat with their income tax or other taxes.

I also think that most people prefer to work unless they have serious health problems of some sort. I would think that it would make most people feel more useful and happy with themselves.

Kath Piché

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has now pledged a $40,000 donation.

These examples (and I’m sure there are some I’ve missed) only pertain to the new Dundas Manor.

They don’t include the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for other Winchester District Memorial Hospital Foundation causes, such as the general equipment fund, the cancer care fund, and the birthing unit. I’m glad to say that an exhaustive list would likely occupy two editorials and leave no room for my commentary.

Next, let’s take a quick snapshot of the KDH’s CT Scanner campaign. Again, I can’t hope to capture every fundraising initiative that has been undertaken over the course of several months, but I can happily provide examples. The Camaro raffle is one – the exciting fundraiser brought in about $200,000 for the CT Scanner. Another example is a recent $10,750 donation to the campaign from the Holmes Memorial Golf Tournament, and a $3,180 donation from the eQuinelle Men’s Golf League. An eQuinelle fashion show raised a further $20,000.

November 24, 2023

Royal Lepage ran a fundraising event for the CT Scanner, and JAM Productions and Blackwind partnered to make a fundraising CD in support of the campaign. In a recent conversation with Chris Morgan about the Kemptville Male Choir’s upcoming Christmas concert, he mentioned that a collection plate will be passed around during the concert to raise funds for the CT Scanner. It’s very inspiring to see how residents of our communities can wholeheartedly get behind causes that are important.

Something that we must keep in mind: These are community dollars. Fundraising money is money that comes from the pockets of those who live here. The non-profit organizations and community volunteers give their time and their organizational expertise, and the community provides the funds. Someone who is better than me at math ought to run some calculations and see how much has been raised by each household or resident on average in these fundraising campaigns.

What has happened and continues to happen with

by Brandon Mayer At the November 14 Council meeting, a decision was made that is sure to make the Township’s dog owners smile. Consistent with other municipalities in the area, Council decided to eliminate dog tag requirements for North Dundas dog owners.

“Staff brought the dog tags report to Council as a means to get direction,” ex-

plained Councillor Matthew Uhrig. “In the end, it was an easy Council decision to eliminate dog tag sales and amend the By-law to read that dog owners must have some form of identification for their dog should it get out and end up in the jointly shared dog pound, or elsewhere.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, door-to-door dog tag sales were suspended.

This January was slated to be the first time since the onset of the pandemic

ISSN 2291-0301 www.ndtimes.ca OFFICE 613-215-0735 Editor Brandon Mayer editor@ndtimes.ca 613-215-0735

the unwavering support for these worthy causes would be heartwarming even in the best of economic times.

However, these times are anything but. Inflation is high, groceries and gas are expensive, housing is so pricey that it is scarcely attainable for many people, and it’s a struggle for many just to get by. And yet here we are, raising massive amounts of money for worthy causes, just because that’s who we are.

In trying to think of why people are willing to part with their money, even in these challenging times, my mind jumped to its usual assortment of phrases and analogies that could help to summarize what is going on. The first one that I came up with was that small town people are always eager to give the “shirt off their back”, but it doesn’t quite fit. Giving the shirt off one’s back suggests giving the last of what a person has, and that is not what’s happening here.

In university, I had a very quirky psychology professor who – in discussing his upbringing to prove a point about nature vs nurture –

told us that he was raised in a stereotypical small town atmosphere. Hospitality was king in their household, and generosity was not viewed as an option, but a necessity. They didn’t have much money, but nevertheless, they would never let others go without if they had the option to share. I’ll never forget the phrase my professor used – “we can always add water to the soup”. In other words, we may not have money to buy extra ingredients, but if everyone takes just a little less, more people can share in the meal.

With these recent fundraising campaigns, it shows that even though people are increasingly tapped out for money lately, there is always something left to give.

Clearly, we have much to be proud of. In tough times, North Grenville and North Dundas residents have supported causes that mattered, and demonstrated what tight knit, caring communities look like. Bravo to us. We deserve to hold our heads a little higher while we reap the future benefits of our community spirit and collective generosity.

Council moves to eliminate dog tags

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that dog tag sales were to have resumed. A report was prepared for Council with all of the options available regarding dog tags. These options included: - continue with the current dog tag sales and return to door-to-door sales in 2024, - remove the bi-annual renewal of dog tags and create a lifetime tag for dogs, - eliminate dog tags altogether, and - keep dog licences but make them voluntary (for those seeking a way for their dog to be identified and returned, should it become lost).

Councillor Uhrig explained that one of the reasons neighbouring municipalities have done away with dog tag sales is because of advancing technology that has seen many dog owners

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purchasing tags with QR codes or other more modern ways of having their dog identified if lost.

“It isn't an efficient system, nor is it economically viable from a Township perspective,” said Councillor Uhrig regarding door-todoor dog tag sales. “There are upstart costs, as well as training and the need to find folks willing to take on the sales. In the past, there has been verbal abuse at the doorstep, as residents feel they don't need to purchase a tag or participate.”

North Dundas residents will now be responsible for deciding how to identify their dog should it become lost, with options such as tags and microchips.

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Council update

Police charge four with human trafficking offences submitted by OPP 23 charges laid in 10-month investigation Police have arrested four individuals and laid 23 criminal offences during a joint human trafficking investigation.

In October 2022, police were made aware of a female youth being human trafficked across Ontario and Quebec. Under the Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy (IJFS), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Ottawa Police Service, Kingston Police Service and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service began an investigation. The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) also assisted with this investigation.

Evidence revealed that the victim indicated that they had been sexually exploited since 2019. The victim is now in a place of safety.

As a result of the investigation, four individuals were arrested and charged with the following Criminal Code offences: A male, 26 years old from Ottawa, has been charged with: - Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, as per Section 117.01(1), - Sexual Assault, as per Section 271, - Assault, as per Section 266, - Procuring, as per Section 286.3 (1), two counts, - Traffic in Persons, as per Section 279.01, - Material Benefit Resulting from Trafficking in Persons, as per Section 279.02(1), - Material Benefit from Sexual Services, as per Section 286.2(1), - Advertising Sexual Services, as per Section 286.4 C.C, - Possession of a Prohibited device or ammunition, as per Section 92(2), and - Possession of a Schedule I substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, Section 5(2) CDSA. He remains in custody following a bail hearing.

A male, 22 years old from Vanier, has been charged with: - Traffic in Persons, as per Section 279.01, - Material Benefit Resulting from Trafficking in Persons, as per Section 279.02(1), - Material Benefit from Sexual Services, as per Section 286.2(1), - Procuring, as per Section 286.3 (1), and - Advertising Sexual Services, as per Section 286.4.

He remains in custody following a bail hearing.

A female, 26 years old from Ottawa, has been charged with: - Traffic in Persons, as per Section 279.01, - Procuring, as per Section 286.3(1), and - Advertising Sexual Services, as per Section 286.4.

She has been released from custody. She is scheduled to appear on December 12, 2023, at the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa.

A female, 23 years old from Ottawa, has been charged with: - Traffic in Persons, as per Section 279.01, - Material Benefit Resulting from Trafficking in Persons, as per Section 279.02(1), - Material Benefit from Sexual Services, as per Section 286.2(1), and - Procuring, as per Section 286.3 (1).

She has been released from custody. She is scheduled to appear on December 12, 2023, at the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa.

Police suspect there may be other victims and are urging anyone with any additional information to contact the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122 or their local police. If you or someone you know may be a victim of these crimes, call 9-1-1 immediately.

The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-833-900-1010. Human trafficking resources are available at canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca.

This South Mountain property was the subject of a public meeting on November 14.

by Brandon Mayer A lengthy Council meeting on November 14 opened with the approval of meeting minutes from several past meetings, before jumping into a public meeting regarding a property in South Mountain.

The subject property was formerly used as a medical office, and was zoned as a commercial space with an exception to allow partial residential use. The building is currently being used as a multi-residential unit, with the zoning by-law amendment request being made in the hopes of “legalizing” what is already taking place, similar to what has occurred with a few Chesterville properties recently.

The proposal for the property to be rezoned as residential (first density) did not generate any comments from members of the public or the applicant. Deputy Mayor Theresa Bergeron made a comment about the proposal, stating her view that it would be a positive change for South Mountain, given the addition of smaller residential spaces available for rent.

Following the public meeting, some routine business was dealt with and some delegations were heard, including a rather lengthy presentation from the Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre, which works with individual municipal economic development

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offices and local stakeholders to promote tourism and new business in the Cornwall and SD&G region.

Next, a presentation was given regarding the Marionville Energy Storage Project, a proposed initiative by a company called Baseload Power. The project would see the addition of a Battery Energy Storage System to a five acre property in Marionville. Such a system is designed to collect and store excess energy from the power grid at night, so that it can be redistributed at peak periods of the day. Council heard that the project would provide benefits for the Township, including recurring community benefit payments and tax revenue, the use of local service providers, the strengthening of the local power grid, and the potential for the stored energy to help in a power outage.

Since Battery Energy Storage Systems are prone to electrolyte leakage venting, and can potentially be susceptible to fires, explosions, and the release of toxic gases, Councillor Gary Annable had some tough questions for the Baseload Power presenter. Councillor Annable asked whether the site would be monitored 24/7 by a “warm body on site”, as opposed to remote monitoring, and the presenter confirmed that there would usually be someone local on site, or at least nearby and on call. Councillor Annable then expressed his concern that he didn’t feel that a meeting which was held on November 10 gave an adequate opportunity for all those who live near the site to be heard. The presenter

admitted that Baseload Power officials “lost control of the meeting” in terms of knowing who was in attendance (due to a lack of knowledge of the local population).

Councillor Annable ultimately stated his lack of support for the project, telling the Baseload Power representative, “I know the Province has to do something, but I’m not sure this is the right move.” Councillor Matthew Uhrig took a strong stance as well, stating that he does not agree with Baseload Power’s so-called “trust us approach”, where approval must be given before studies are done and questions are answered. “There’s much more that needs to be done… much more that we collectively as a province need to know,” added Councillor Uhrig. Fire Chief Kreg Raistrick added a comment that a fire at a Battery Energy Storage System facility would burn 12 times longer than a typical house fire, which raises safety concerns for fire officials. The proposal was ultimately deferred.

After a brief break for a closed session portion of the meeting, Council next heard some reports regarding Township financial matters. Council passed a motion authorizing the borrowing of capital required to finance important infrastructure projects.

Following some other routine business, a request came before Council for the Morewood Recreation Association to become a Committee of Council. After a few positive comments from members of Council, the motion was passed. Next, Council voted to support an official plan amendment for the rezoning of a property on Kittle Road.

Council was then tasked with considering an increase to some of the municipal fines for parking violations. The motion also provided OPP officers with authority to enforce related by-laws, following a request from the OPP to be given this authority. The motion passed.

The lengthy meeting went on for almost four hours. No other meetings have taken place since.

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Op-ed

Bill C-234 is a no-brainer

by Brandon Mayer I make no attempt to hide the fact that I am anti carbon tax. However, I believe even more strongly that regardless of a person’s beliefs for or against the carbon tax, everyone should agree that farmers ought to be exempt. That’s the essence of Bill C-234, currently before the senate.

The carbon tax is supposed to be a “neutral” tax, with a set amount of money returned to each person or family quarterly as a refund of tax paid. Those who purchase an average amount of fuel have net zero losses or gains. Those who purchase lots of fuel end up losing money, and those who purchase less fuel than an average person end up with a financial bonus.

The carbon tax concept makes sense in theory, but has a lot of holes. One is that the poorest of families can’t afford to shell out extra fuel money now and wait three months for reimbursement.

Another is that “net zero” is a farce when money changes hands, with taxpayers on the

hook for administrative costs to keep the program running.

Yet another is that just like many other systems in our society (such as using fines as a criminal penalty), those with money are essentially unaffected.

Despite these points, I acknowledge that to some small extent, the carbon tax probably works. I myself try to eliminate unnecessary journeys due to the price of gasoline, though for as long as I can afford it, I refuse to let the price of natural gas dictate that I must freeze in the winter.

All said, I don’t support the carbon tax, but I can see why some people do. What I can’t support is our local farmers bearing the costs of carbon tax when fuel is an expense that they can’t avoid. Are you one of the 8 billion people on Earth who requires food to survive? If so, then surely you see it as unconscionable to hit farmers with an unavoidable tax that puts an extra cost burden on running the equipment that harvests your food?

If the purpose of the carbon tax is to encourage people to use less fossil

fuels, it has no business being charged to those who have no choice. I assure you that farmers do not have the spare time required to go joyriding in their combine.

When that machine is running, it’s running to put food on the table for thousands of Canadian families. In a Canada that is already unbearably expensive, adding costs to food production is a completely illogical move.

Don’t suggest that farmers should switch to electric equipment. This is not a solution. A farmer who is struggling with the cost of a fuel tax is not likely financially prepared to buy an entirely new machine. This is especially true when that new machine requires special charging infrastructure, has less power than existing equipment, and must be out of commission for at least 5 hours every time it needs charging, which in a farm work day, could be several times a day. Electric equipment may one day be practical, but only innovation can get us there, certainly not a carbon tax.

I wonder why Bill C-234 wasn’t passed quickly. How

can we justify continuing to charge farmers this burdensome tax? If not for reasons of compassion toward those who produce our food, then we should at least consider supporting Bill C-234 for selfish reasons. Lowered costs for farmers could, after all, help tame the out of control (and rising) cost of food.

The answer to why Bill C-234 was still sitting in the Senate as I wrote these words, awaiting potential revisions and causing much debate, likely lies in the adversarial and downright childish way political issues are often handled in this country. Bill C-234 was a private member’s bill, meaning that regardless of merit, its purpose and value were destined to be questioned from the moment pen hit paper.

I fully support the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and other groups who are urging Bill C-234 to be passed to give farmers some much needed relief. There are times when politicians really must cast aside the politics and work on the side of logic. Either give us a good reason why farmers should be paying the excess tax, or pass Bill C-234 as a declaration that we will no longer bite the hand that feeds us.

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Christmas In The Valley With JoAnne Laurin Live Concert at The Old Town Hall, Winchester An Old Fashion Christmas Concert Sunday, December, 3rd, 2023 Doors Open at 1 00 p.m.

Show Time 1:30p.m.

Art Display with Ron LeClair.

Reception to follow.

Tickets $12.00 available from JoAnne at 613 543 0695 or at jpclaurin@gmail.com and at the door.

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Township holds vote to help decide park designs

by Brandon Mayer North Dundas will soon have three new play parks for local kids, and residents were consulted earlier this month for their opinion on what playground design would be best.

The new parks will be located in different areas of the Township – one in Hallville (long anticipated on County Road 1), one in Ormond (on Ormond Road), and one in Winchester (on James Street). The Township asked playground design and sale companies for some sample design concepts, and decided to ask for input from the public on which design would work best for each park.

The online voting tool – which was open until November 20 – allowed Township residents to select multiple designs, and to provide additional feedback.

When will the public know what design is chosen? “Based on feedback I've seen via social media and have been contacted about, I expect there to be considerable comments for staff to sift through,” Councillor Matthew Uhrig explained. “As for when the public will see the selected concepts… I know there was [valid] concern that each addition may not be accessible to all, so I expect staff will take the time to get these right, and ensure all voices, with sensible commentary, are heard from.”

The three new parks will be constructed in 2024, but it is not yet known exactly when.

The aim is for the parks to be constructed as soon as possible once materials and labour are available.

5 November 24, 2023

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This Season Shop Locally

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Support local this holiday season submitted by News Media Canada A community is more than a group living in a particular area. A community is where strangers become friends, local businesses build each other up, and important topics are debated and tackled. Communities help us through tough times and allow us to celebrate as a collective when things go well. By investing in our communities, everyone reaps the benefits.

The holidays are a perfect time to honour the power of community by supporting local. Here are three ways you can support local this holiday season and beyond:

PARO supports women entrepreneurs throughout Ontario from ideation to export. We offer training, collateral free financing, and networking support and offer services in French and in English. We are hosting a CLUSTER INNOVATION TABLE in Prescott Russell and in Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry for women-owned businesses looking to scale and are looking for participants.

Please contact Renée Gendron at parobizeast@paro.ca

1. Shop Local

Small businesses are the heart of communities across the country. When you shop locally, you support more than your town’s economy, you support your friends’ and neighbours’ livelihoods. And in turn, this support can help businesses thrive to support the community.

Research finds that for every dollar spent at a local small business, $0.66 stays local compared to only $0.11 when spent at a multinational. So, instead of turning to the big box stores this season, take your gift shopping to local small businesses .

2. Support Your Local Newspaper Local news unites communities. Local newspapers are an essential part of communities across Canada that keep them informed and connected. You may not know that they are small businesses, too, and one of the last-standing sources of local credible news that cannot be found anywhere else. Newspapers – and the people behind them – champion and challenge communities to spark meaningful dialogue about what matters to them.

Supporting your local newspaper is essential and rewarding, and there are many ways to do so. For example, you can subscribe to your local newspaper, gift a subscription to a loved one, sign up for email newsletters, submit a donation, or buy a print or digital ad if you’re a local business owner.

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3. Give Back to Your Community Supporting local charities is a great way to strengthen your community while helping those who most need it. Giving back doesn’t always come with a price tag. You can contribute to your community by volunteering your time to give back in any way that works best for you.

Another way to give back and support Canadian news media this holiday season is by purchasing a copy of News Media Canada’s limited-edition book, Champions, featuring inspirational stories of notable Canadians from the news media industry. All book proceeds are being donated to First Book Canada to transform the lives of children in need by making new, quality books and resources available to those who need them most.

Learn more about Champions and show your support for the industry this holiday season by purchasing a copy of the Champions book at www.ChampionsoftheTruth.ca.

Shop local this holiday season www.northdundas.com November 24, 2023

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Role of women evolving in farming sector

by Sara Wood, Director, OFA Traditionally, agriculture has been a male-dominated industry, but women have always played very pivotal roles in farm businesses – just mostly behind the scenes or in a supportive capacity.

That is definitely changing, however. As a female farmer myself, it’s something that I can confirm first-hand, but it’s also backed up by data from the most recent Canadian Census of Agriculture.

In 2021, Canada had

just under 80,000 female farm operators, making up 30.4% of the farm population compared to 28.7% during the previous census in 2016. In fact, this was the first time the number of female farmers in Canada has increased since 1991.

Statistics Canada attributes this increase to a rise in what they call “one-operator farmers” or women who farm on their own. The data also shows that more women are now running large farm businesses than ever before, and that Ontario is home to just over one quarter of our country’s female farmers.

Our family farm is located near the Perth County community of Mitchell, west of Stratford, where we raise broiler chickens and grow crops. For me,

members are gathering for our annual conference, where we’ll be saying good-bye to our outgoing provincial president, Peggy Brekveld, who is the third woman to lead Ontario’s largest general farm organization.

I’m currently one of seven women on the OFA Board, and two of the four candidates who have let their names stand for a director-at-large position on our board this year are female.

As more women, particularly from younger generations, become farm business partners and decision-makers, I believe it’s important that we are around those boardroom tables and that our voices are heard.

Women still face bar-

being an active female farmer has always been a given. That’s because our family farm is somewhat unique in our industry in that it has always had a woman as the main farm decision-maker – first my grandmother, then my mother and now me.

My husband and I have now taken over the dayto-day farm operations, so my mom has become more of an advisor, but she still pitches in if my off-farm activities, like serving as a board director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), take me away from the business.

Historically, involvement with farm organizations has also been mostly by men, but here too, things are changing. This week, for example, OFA

riers in our industry, however. For example, we often still have to fight to have agricultural service providers, from animal nutritionists and agricultural lenders to farm equipment service managers and agronomists, view us as equal farm partners and informed decisionmakers. It can also be intimidating to step forward to take on a leadership position, particularly in organizations where women haven’t previously played very visible roles. And just like women across Ontario and Canada, we face challenges like childcare and more when it comes to juggling work and community involvement.

These are the types of issues that helped lead to the creation of the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference that is happening this week in Niagara Falls. The event was created for women passionate about agriculture to provide training, networking and development opportunities unique to their roles in the agrifood sector, and it annually brings together hundreds of like-minded people in both eastern and western

Canada.

The newest resource for female farmers is the AgriMentor program for Canadian women in agriculture, funded by the federal government. It offers six months of individual coaching in English or French for women in the agri-food sector and matches mentees with experienced female mentors working in agriculture nationwide. The OFA is proud to be supporting its francophone counterpart, the Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens, in the launch and delivery of the program.

I encourage women across our sector to take advantage of these resources – and others – and to not be afraid to take a chance, whether it’s speaking up at a meeting, dealing with service providers or deciding to take on a leadership role.

It won’t always be easy, but when it comes to farming, I believe that we can do everything a man does – we just may do it a bit differently.

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CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Got a good look at 5. Back talk 9. Rotate 13. Hindu princess 14. Sugary 16. Conceal 17. Lather 18. Instruct 19. Misfortunes 20. Geologic period 22. Rivulet 24. A cleansing agent 26. Type of body fluid 27. Accumulated 30. Principles 33. Small European songbird 35. Vogue 37. Bite 38. Mendacious 41. Word of possibility 42. Foul moods

45. Sudden collapse 48. Carve 51. Blabber 52. Angers 54. Former Italian currency 55. Plenty 59. Capture 62. Fern clusters 63. Utopian 65. Egyptian river 66. Hurt 67. Thick 68. Thug 69. Male deer 70. Marsh plant 71. Terminates DOWN 1. Celtic language 2. Wail 3. Requiring the use of an endoscope 4. Strife 5. Supersonic transport

The Merry Little Minuet

6. Amazes 7. Chairs 8. Clandestine 9. Glint 10. Tablet 11. Inactive 12. Bird home 15. Thither 21. Cart 23. Parental sister 25. Reverberation 27. Barley beards 28. Metal money 29. Arid 31. Enticement 32. Symbol of slowness 34. Fox baby 36. Physics unit 39. Short sleep 40. Young female 43. Moving into a new direction 44. Slipped 46. Nonclerical 47. Unusual 49. Flannel shirt pattern 50. Affectionate 53. View 55. Snakes 56. Watercraft 57. Murres 58. Lack of difficulty 60. Dolt 61. Female chickens 64. Light Emitting Diode

In 1959, The Kingston Trio released an album called, 'The Hungry I'. It had a clever, short song called, 'The Merry Little Minuet'...a protest song: 'They're rioting in Africa, They're starving in Spain, There's hurricanes in Florida, And Texas needs rain.'

'The whole world is festering, With unhappy souls, The French hate the Germans, The Germans hate the Poles.'

You'll see where this is going, soon.

After the recent explosion on the Rainbow Bridge, according to CBC News, Poilievre was asked during a press conference if it was responsible of him to label the incident as terrorism before officials had indicated whether that was the case.

There are two issues that are of concern here: one being the fact that he got his facts wrong and didn't own up to that, and secondly, the manner in which he dealt with the reporter who asked the question...she, who was only doing her job.

In just under two and a half minutes, he managed to state that the Canadian Press had set a Guinness Book of Records record for incorrect facts (fact-checked to be false), and accused the reporter of making, 'yet another falsehood in your question'.

And he finished up by telling her that he wasn't going to answer her question because it would just lead to her having to apologize for making yet another wrong remark. He is the one who should have had the grace to apologize.

But that, seemingly, is not in his nature.

What we are seeing

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

Easy

Hard

Medium

Solution to last week’s Crossword

is the real personality of the leader of the Opposition: he is a nasty piece of work. When challenged, he pushes back and is insulting. He does not like to be questioned or corrected. Like the last Conservative Prime Minister, if Pierre gets to sit in that chair, he will not speak to the press, nor will he consult with the Opposition parties. He will be an authoritarian leader. He will bi-pass every step in the Parliamentary process that limits his authority... the same as the guy in the U.S. who wants back into the Oval Office.

Some people are not fit for the job. Some people would dismantle our democracy to serve their own ends. The damages would go well beyond the interests of any particular party...the damages would be institutional and national in their negative impact.

His party has been trying to polish his image, but when he is questioned and backed into a corner, their work is undone... there is no shine or lustre left. The expression about swine and make-up comes to mind: 'It doesn't matter how much lipstick you put on the pig, it is still a pig.'

'Italians hate Yugoslavs South Africans hate the Dutch And I don't like Anybody very much.

But we can be tranquil And thankful and proud For man's been endowed With a mushroom shaped cloud' At a time when American politicians have turned unintelligent, rude and blatant lies into an art form, we are seeing more and more of the same creep into our culture. I understand completely the desire to replace the current Prime Minister.

His best before date was a long time ago. We should have a two-term limit on all provincial and federal leaders. And, we should not be going for the most boorish candidates to appease our discontent.

They may be loud and they may be against everything, but wouldn't it be nice if they had some decorum as well as some well thought-out solutions?

'And we know for certain That some lovely day Someone will set the spark off And we will all be blown away.'

Peter Johnson, Upper Oxford Mills

Now available The Food Corner Recipe Book in USB Flash Drive format at Salamanders of Kemptville and at the Beth Donovan Hospice. You can also download a copy at the The Hospice Shop

Please Support our Community Sponsors: B&H Your Community Grocer, Grahame’s Bakery and Kemptville Home Hardware

Send in your letters, stories, events to editor@ndtimes.ca Classified to classified@ndtimes.ca November 24, 2023

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Tid bit musings

by Elva Patterson Rutters, RSSW As much as winterizing your vehicle for the cold season ahead, each of us needs to review and revitalize our wheel of wellness check. The vehicle needs to be outfitted with good snow tires, proper windshield washer fluid, functional wipers, oil change and so on to make our journey as safe as possible. Yet we tend to neglect our own personal wheel of wellness to ensure that we conquer the winter months the best we can. Chances are great that you never contemplated having a wheel of wellness in your repertoire. A wheel of wellness encompasses physical health, social health, mental health, environmental health, occupational health and spiritual health. Like any wheel, being out of balance creates a bumpier road than necessary! Accessing the resources takes fortitude and perseverance.

Certainly there is ample information on vaccines and inoculations to be acquired for our daily life, travelling or occupational requirements. Obtaining them is your responsibility with corresponding consequences if you choose not to. Financial or economical restraints may limit our acquisition of good nutrition but bear in mind there are food banks and faith cupboards available to the individual in need. If you have been stockpiling, be sure that nothing is expired or could result in food poisoning. Is there someone we can provide some help to? Our physical health comprising sleep, nutrition and activity all interact and when one is off balance, your wheel thumps down the path to self-destruction.

Maintaining social wellness may be challenged by health, transportation and limitation of available activities.

Not knowing where to find information can be challenging, especially if you don't have a computer. Try your library, friends and, of course, this newspaper for announcements. It may be tough if you have social anxiety but try to participate in activities or at least talk to one good friend a day. As 4-H teaches: learn to do by doing.

Mental and emotional health is often complicated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) on top of any other psychological elements in play. Who can you call upon for support? Often there are wait lists, but the Distress Centre or Crisis Line are there for you 24-7. Never hesitate to call.

REMEMBER, you mean the world to at least one person.

Christmas certainly ignites individual, community and cosmic spirituality within each of us. The drummer may be different but as long as you march to the beat, you can maintain a balance with other aspects of wellness. Christmas being the celebration of the birth of Christ is celebrated in many fashions. Choose the one best in tune to your beliefs.

When you deem Christmas too commercialized, examine your own practices of celebration. Don't believe in Christ - what year is it? 2023 A.D. Since A.D stands for after the death of Christ, there has to be something to this historical event. Instigate new traditions like a birthday cake for Christ's birthday for the Christmas dinner dessert.

Environmentally, we can find our "happy place" in visualization or in actualization. Personally I can often visualize the clear blue water, the sandy beach, and the gentle wind.

Take in the beauty of the elements around you- even the glistening ice perched so delicately on the tiniest branch as the sun glistens on each crystal. Maybe be thankful for what you don't have to do- driving on icy roads or watching for a goose flying over your head. Perhaps it is the acres of untouched snow blanket, the gorgeous snow geese sparkling in the sky from the sun or even the individuality of each snowflake that falls so gently outside your window that brings a gasp of delight. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

There is no time for complacency in modifying your wheel of wellness. Being stagnant results in the boredom and doom of life. Hold your shoulders back, take a deep breath, and get your wheel of wellness oiled for a successful, fulfilling, enriching time of your life. You are worth it - just because God made you and he didn't make any junk!!!!!!!

Nanda Wubs Huizenga Marketing Consultant nanda@ndtimes.ca 613.223.9785 ww.ndtimes.ca

November 24, 2023

Op-Ed

The Voice of North Dundas

The North Dundas Times

New USA legislation may finally teach Meta a lesson

by Brandon Mayer

It’s fascinating how quickly we can adapt to new realities. It wasn’t so long ago that many people were consuming their news content via links from Facebook.

However, in the wake of the Online News Act – a piece of legislation intended to force big companies to distribute a fair share of advertising dollars with the smaller news media organizations who generate those dollars – news on Facebook has since disappeared. At first, it may have come as a shock to some social media users. By now, it just seems normal. Facebook is not a place to go for news.

It has no news. It’s just the way it is.

I won’t pretend to know how much money it’s costing Facebook to have removed news content, but I assume they’re feeling at least a small loss. Meanwhile, Canadians still have print newspapers,

radio and television news, and individual websites to receive their news content.

In other words, Facebook’s parent company, Meta, probably thought it was going to be teaching the Canadian government a lesson by blocking news content in Canada. Now, it’s Meta’s turn to learn a lesson.

In the USA, there is new legislation that may soon come into effect, called the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), which would “allow small and local news publishers to collectively negotiate with Big Tech for fair compensation for access to the journalistic content that generates revenue on those platforms,” according to News Media Alliance. This Act would therefore essentially be an American version of the Online News Act. Meta may not have been too upset by the loss of Canadian news content ad revenue, but I think their tune may change if a similar

situation unfolds south of the border. With 10 times the population, the financial hit they will take from the lost advertising revenue will presumably be 10 times greater.

The company’s resistance is not logical – it comes down to pure and simple greed.

American writers Anya Schiffrin and Haaris Mateen have estimated that Meta and Google would owe US news publishers between $11.9 and $13.9 billion a year if the JCPA is passed.

Remember – this money represents nothing more than a fair share of advertising revenue generated by content that these news publishers have produced.

In other words, Meta and Google (the latter of which has, at the very least, continued to share news content in Canada) must be making far more money from newsrelated advertising in the US alone. This means the companies will have two choices: play fair, and pay those whose content generates the wealth, or lose the entirety of the revenue. The first option is expensive, but the second option is much worse – a veritable financial nightmare.

Business is business, and none of us should be surprised that tech giants are putting up a resistance to forking over billions of dollars. However, competition is well-accepted as a

healthy – and indeed, critical – part of our economic system. Both Canada and the USA have competition bureaus. There is no reason whatsoever that tech giants like Meta and Google should make billions upon billions of dollars from sharing news content, while an increasing number of the smaller companies that produce the content are folding every day.

Do a quick internet search of the print newspapers that have been forced to shut down in Canada this year alone. You’ll be unpleasantly surprised. Within the past couple of months alone, you’ll find that two print newspapers in our area have stopped printing, including, of course, the Kemptville Advance. It’s one thing for an industry to struggle due to a lack of viability, but a whole other issue when tech giants are reaping the benefits of other companies’ work.

I hope, with the greatest conviction, that the JCPA passes, forcing Meta and Google to swallow a decency pill once and for all, and cast aside their greed in the name of fair news competition. The alternative is a world without integrity in news reporting, where politicians and other people in power are not held accountable, and where the public is not kept informed. I shudder to imagine it.

Vroom! Vroom! We’re Getting Ready!

you to Bob Weagant and submitted by Jane Adams Last week was busy on his team for preparing the the big field where the new site for our new home. The Dundas Manor will be built. contractor who will build Tractors, trucks and wood the new home and the conchippers were on hand to struction schedule will be remove some of the trees and confirmed in the next few brush where the new build- weeks.”

“It feels like a new day!” ing will be located. Initial site preparation is officially adds Dundas Manor Administrator Susan Poirier. underway!

“It’s always exciting to “Thank you to everyone who see a project getting started,” is involved in making our says Lisa Little, Dundas dream a reality.”

The new two-storey Manor Board Chair. “And once again, our community Dundas Manor, located behas been there for us. Thank side the current building, 10

will be more than double the size. Thirty additional residents will be welcomed.

There will be four resident home areas called Homesteads. Each one will have a wonderful gathering space as well as beautiful outdoor gardens nearby. Hallway dining will be a thing of the past as there will be four large, bright dining rooms with enough space for everyone. Rooms in the new home will be larger – and everyone will have a window.

The total cost is $63 million. The Ministry of LongTerm Care is providing $45 million. The WDMH Foundation is leading the Expanding the Circle of Compassionate Care campaign to raise the remaining $18 million. To date, $12 million has been given by our generous community! “We are so grateful to everyone who has supported the new Dundas Manor so far,” notes

Kristen Casselman, Managing Director of the WDMH Foundation. “And we encourage everyone to get on board to build a beautiful new long-term care home for our community.”

If you have questions about the new Dundas Manor building, please contact Philippe Marleau, Project Manager Redevelopment at phil.marleau@dundasmanor.ca or 613-774-2422 ext. 6341.

For more information on the fundraising campaign to build the new Dundas Manor, please visit www. dundasmanordream.ca. This website also includes resident and donor profiles as well as photos of the new home.

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The North Dundas Times

South Nation bridge reopens

by Brandon Mayer Traffic is flowing! Motorists throughout the Township and beyond are surely grateful to have the main route around the Village of Chesterville clear once again. The bridge over the South Nation River in the “Chesterville bypass” section of County Road 43 was closed at the end of May so that the bridge could undergo much needed structural rehabilitation.

Council had decided to close the bridge to vehicle traffic entirely while the work was completed, rather than having one lane open with traffic control for the alternating directions to take turns. This decision was made because it lowered the cost of the rehabilitation, and shortened the amount of time it would take. The work was expected to be completed

by October, with the bridge actually being reopened on November 17. This puts the project more or less “on time” compared to some other major local road and bridge work completed recently.

In the days following the re-opening of the bridge, it was still not yet “business as usual” in the area. The railway crossing at County Road 9 was surrounded by work vehicles, presumably for crossing maintenance. County Road 9 had been used – along with County Road 7 – to provide the approved Counties detour during the construction on the South Nation River bridge.

With the detour route passing through town, the speed limit was reduced from 50 km/h to 40 km/h to help ensure the safety of pedestrians and motorists within Village limits with the increased traffic flow.

When the Times toured around the area on November 20, the speed limit in Chesterville was still posted at 40 km/h, and the County Road 43 bridge was only accepting vehicle traffic in one lane, necessitating a flag person on each side to control traffic. Presumably, the finishing touches were being put on the bridge work, with traffic opened back up as a courtesy to those who have been pa-

The Voice of North Dundas

Another successful food drive

tiently waiting for the return of their convenient Chesterville bypass for five months.

The bridge work certainly caused its fair share of drama while being completed. There were complaints that a culvert on Forward Road should have been repaired ahead of time to provide a more suitable detour route. There were concerns that the approved detour route needlessly took traffic out of its way, and crossed the Canadian Pacific Railway twice at grade (in this case, there was little choice, as Counties staff try to only use County Roads in planning official detour routes). There was also a concern that the signage marking the construction and detours was placed needlessly in the middle of County Road 43, therefore forcing vehicles into the oncoming lane when making a local trip into Chesterville.

Now that the work is finally completed, the complaints and concerns will become nothing but distant memories. Motorists are undoubtedly safer now that the much-needed rehabilitation is done, and we all ought to be grateful that it is “someone else’s job” to plan such work and see it through.

submitted by Jane Schoones Once again, the OPP Stuff a Cruiser, Dundas County food drive was a great success!

CFS volunteers collected 3,520 lbs of non perishable food and received $3,515.00 in monetary donations.

Community Food Share is grateful for the kindness and generosity of the community members who supported our CFS food banks by filling our shelves.

Thank you to all the volunteers, OPP Auxiliary Members, Iroquois Foodland, Mike Dean Local Grocer, Laura’s Valu-Mart, and Winchester Foodland for making this food drive such a wonderful success.

Help Support Your Local Businesses

SHOP LOCAL

Mountain and District Lions Club Pledges $40,000 to help build the new Dundas Manor

submitted by Jane Adams The Lions roar again! Thank you to the Mountain and District Lions Club who have pledged $40,000 to the Expanding the Circle of Compassionate Care campaign to build the new Dundas Manor. They recently presented a cheque for $10,000.

“Dundas Manor is here for our community and so are the Mountain Lions!” notes Campaign Assistant Cindy Peters. “We are so grateful for this generous gift. Like the Lions themselves, it will have an impact on our community for many years to come.”

“The new Dundas Manor will allow 128 residents to call it their home,” says Club Treasurer Josh Cooper. “Thank you to the community for supporting our Club and making this pledge possible.”

For more details about the Expanding the Circle of Compassionate Care campaign and how you can donate, please visit www.dundasmanordream.ca or contact the WDMH Foundation team at 613-774-2422 ext. 6162 or 6169.

November 24, 2023

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Rockets win big on and off the ice!

by Murray Link The North Dundas Senior Rockets celebrated twice on the Nov 18th weekend. On the ice, the unbeaten Rockets won their closest game of the year with a 5-4 victory over the South Grenville Rangers.

Off the ice, the team was able to accumulate donations for the North Dundas Christmas Fund.

The Saturday afternoon game was a tight fast paced match with only one penalty recorded the whole afternoon. The Rockets found

themselves down 2-0 at the halfway point of the game.

“We tend not to panic when we are down” said head coach Rob Sadler when asked about trailing after the halfway point. “We have so much depth and experience that our team can persevere

The Weather with Connor

featuring Connor Mockett Hello, everyone! Welcome back to another week of The Weather with Connor.

This time we’re actually going to talk about the weather!

Haven’t done too much of that lately.

As of right now, it’s November 30th. There've been a couple of storm systems in the last month that have not lived up to what they were supposed to be. The first one was November 8th, a quick little system that was supposed to give us multiple centimeters of snow for the first time in the winter season. That did not happen, and it turned into a mostly ice pellets and rain event with the temperature not cooperating.

Then, the next one was more recent, on November 21st. This one was a difficult forecast for any forecaster, with so many precipitation November 24, 2023

types at play and the temperature hovering around 0 degrees. My personal thought was that there’d be snow first, maybe a bit of ice pellets, and then rain afterwards the next morning as the temperature rose further.

I was wrong (mostly) about the snow, that’s for sure. I thought nearly 10cm would fall, but it turned into an ice event entirely with some wet snow mixed in, and then the regular rain. Not what I thought would happen!

Now, with the first weekend of December on the way, there’s an opportunity coming up for some more mix of rain and snow. Some models are showing some wet snow traversing through the region, with rain around as well. It’s unknown as of right now if there will be much snow accumulation, or how much rain will fall throughout the region.

Surely, I will let everyone know on Facebook when the time comes for the forecast for the event.

In the longer term for December, there are regular opportunities for some flurries. These would be just the usual December flurries, and wouldn’t pose much of a problem towards anything.

There are, on every model run usually, opportunities for winter storms further away.

Those are extremely uncertain, though, so I won’t even go into any detail on them.

For me personally, the business that I’ve started is going well so far. Lots of forecasting has been done, and it keeps me very busy on a lot of days. I’ve also been selling my 2024 calendars, which feature photos from my storm chasing season last summer. That’s been going insanely well. As I type this I’ve sold over 160 of them already! If you’re interested, you can email me at forecastingbyconnor@ gmail.com or message me on Facebook, and order as many calendars as you’d like.

Also, I just wanted to thank all of you, the readers, for the great reception I got from the last column about my Fiance and I. Lots of people in the past week have walked up to me in public and congratulated me, which is really cool. It’s a super exciting time for both of us!

Thank you all for reading, and I’ll talk to you all in a couple of weeks!

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even when we are behind” The latter part of the second period saw the momentum shift as the Rockets rallied with 3 consecutive goals by Brett Gustavsen, Tanner Williams and Dean Byvelds to make it 3-2 for the Rockets with one period to go. The third period saw each team adding two goals apiece to make it a 5-4 final in favour of the home team.

Final shots on goal were 36 for the Rockets and 26 for South Grenville.

Off the ice, the Rockets were winners as well. The team donated all proceeds of the ticket sales for the $25,000 shootout to the North Dundas Christmas Fund. The North Dundas Christmas Fund assists local residents who may need a little help. Funds help

to provide individuals and families who reside in the Township of North Dundas with seasonal Christmas meals, gifts and snowsuits for children 13 years of age and under. Also, in lieu of ticket revenue (1 for $5.00 or 3 for $10.00) at the Nov 18th game, fans were able to bring non-perishable food items and receive a shootout ticket, or bring in a toy and receive 5 tickets. “The support for the Christmas fund initiative was above and beyond what we expected” exclaimed Sadler. “We as a team wanted to give back to the community that has supported us so much” Fans will have another chance to participate in the North Dundas Christmas fund initiative at the next Rockets home game. On Dec

9th at 3:30, the Rockets will be taking on the very strong South Stormont Mustangs.

Once again, all proceeds from the $25,000 shootout will be donated to the North Dundas Christmas Fund.

Fans will also be given one ticket for the shootout for every non-perishable food item that is donated or 5 tickets for every toy.

To keep up with the scores, stats and news regarding the North Dundas Senior Rocktets, visit our Facebook page and hit follow. Don’t miss the next home game Dec 9th at 3:30 as the South Stormont Mustangs are in town. Question is: ARE YOU GOING TO THE GAME?

Win a Date Night

We would love to give some couples a chance to relax and have a date night!

No catch, just enjoy a night on us while supporting local businesses

Winner will receive:

Gift card to local restaurant or event, beverages with the meal, dessert for 2, special gift from us. (total value approx. $175) A winner will be drawn No. 29th and Dec. 14th (2 winners) Call us at 613-774-2323, email us at info@oldford.ca or comment on our contest Facebook post, to be entered into the draw.

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Call today for a FREE consultation

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