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The Voice of North Grenville
Vol 7, NO. 32
August 7, 2019
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The Municipality of North Grenville has joined with the Kemptville College Alumni Association to celebrate the centenary of what we now call the Kemptville Campus. On September 28, there will be a day of events held in conjunction with another agricultural landmark: the Grenville County Plowmen’s Association 100th anniversary plowing match, which will take place on the land adjacent to the Campus, on the east side of County Rd 44.
On September 21, 1916, the Kemptville Agricultural Society were holding their Annual Fair. The guest of honour was the Honourable G. Howard Ferguson, Ontario’s Minister of Lands, Forest and Mines and local boy made good. The country was in the middle of World War 1, and the area needed some good news, which Ferguson was happy to provide. Stealing the thunder of the Minister for Agriculture, whose announcement it should have been, Ferguson revealed that the Ontario Government would be establishing “a twoyear course in Agriculture
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and Domestic Science in the Village of Kemptville”. As an ex-Reeve of the Village, and coming from a family with deep roots in the community, it is, perhaps, only fair that Ferguson got to break the good news. But it would take some time to get the courses operating. First of all, land had to be found, and two farms were bought in 1916 from Thomas Murphy and Alex Armstrong, one on either side of the Ottawa-Prescott Highway (now CR 44) in Concession 4 of Oxford-on-Rideau Township. Over the years, the College would purchase other parcels
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of land. The house on the Murphy farm had been built by an earlier owner, Thomas END OF ! E McCargar, in the 1840's and SEASON SAL was completely renovated in 1918 to house the new President of the Kemptville College, W. J. Bell, and his family. Over the years, various alterations were made to the building, and Buy one, it still survives today as the home of the North Grenville Get one Co-operative Preschool and free! Learning Centre. It was not until 1919 that Quality Women's Clothing classes officially began at & Accessories.. the College, then known as COMMUNITY SQUARE
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Community BBQ and Easter Seals General Practice Corporate / Commercial Family Law/ Criminal law Estates Real Estate Wills & Powers of Attorney tom@tmblaw.ca 613.258.1277 222 Prescott St., Kemptville
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The Community Charity BBQ held at the Municipal Centre last week was in aid of Easter Seals. Special thanks to our sponsor, Giant Tiger who, with support from the Grenville County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), raised a total of $694.70. Next week's barbeque is sponsored by Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, with proceeds going to the Friends of the Library. The 19th annual community charity barbeques are held every Thursday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at the Municipal Centre’s parking lot. Hope to see you there!
Company of Fools returns to Maplewood
by the Oxford Mills Community Association The summer tradition returns! A Company of Fools is back with their Torchlight Shakespeare in the Park series. On Tuesday, August 13, the Oxford Mills Community Association will host The Company of Fools as they perform Romeo and Juliet in
Maplewood Park, the perfect setting for an evening summer picnic with the entire family (even the dog). For the first time in 11 years, A Company of Fools tackles Shakespeare’s iconic story of doomed young love. A stellar local cast of Fools, both new and old, play 14 different roles to retell Shake-
dangerous pleasure. Relive your teenage angst with the Fools this Summer, as they present the world’s favourite romance. Bring a lawn chair in order to enjoy high culture in one of North Grenville’s most beautiful parks.
speare’s popular story in your own backyard. A carnival setting creates the backdrop for the Fools’ fantastical take on the streets of Verona. Swords are paired with water pistols, and live music is played by a carnie barker with a megaphone. Audiences will be transported to an adolescent paradise of
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Music flows in North Grenville by Louise Atchison It occurs to me frequently that North Grenville has an abundance of musical talent, not all in plain sight: the KYMTC productions, NG Concert Choir, the music programs in high schools giving us the drummers from North Grenville High and the bands and chamber choir from Saint Michael’s, plus piano, guitar, ukulele and voice students and who knows what other instruments at several sites . People, maybe your neighbour, travel to Ottawa to play in the Divertimento Orchestra, or the Nepean Symphony and some stay near by to enjoy time in the Kemptville Community Band or the Original Trillium Dixieland jazz Band. I know fellows in that band who play in 5 different groups. Their wives hardly see them, but, at least, they come home happy. There is a 6 piece band rehearsing for Shake, Rattle and Roll in November at the Urbandale Arts Centre, Kemptville on the 8th, 9th and 10th. The Singing Seniors, the Ottawa Valley Male Choir and special guests are preparing the fund raiser for Kemptville and District Home Support. Tickets will be available on September first. This band gives me joy. My heart dances even if my feet do not. They pick up a piece they may have played or at least heard some decades ago and off they go with it! Telstar and Wipeout! Insert a big, 6 second laugh here! August 7, 2019
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continued from front page Campus are still impressive and the landscaping owes a great deal to the work of A. J. Logsdail, who arrived at the campus in 1920 and spent the next thirty years laying out the grounds, the walkways and choosing native species of trees and shrubs, and maintaining the orchard, while carrying on his responsibilities as teacher of Horticulture, Botany and Entomology. The paths were particularly welcome: before they were paved, they consisted of a line of planks, laid two by two, which the unfortunate habit of tilting up when you stepped on one end, often resulted in skinned knees and shins. This was the beginning. By 1929, the Kemptville Agricultural School was just starting on a long and exciting history. The coming decades were to see unbelievable change and major strides in research and education, traditions which we hope will continue for many more decades to come.
The Class of 1929: 90 years ago. the Kemptville Agricultural School, when short courses were offered in Farm Power, Agriculture and Domestic Science. The old barns on the Murphy farm were torn down and a new Judging Pavilion and Gymnasium were built in their place. This building is today known as Purvis Hall, and the upper floor was used as a Hall and Gym, where sports like indoor softball and basketball were played. The downstairs space has seen many events over the years, but was originally used for livestock demonstrations and classes. In 1919, there were 444 students using the
building. From 1927, when the first College “Royal” was held, students showing their cattle would walk them across the highway from the farm buildings and into the Judging Pavilion. In 1920, the two-year course program started, as well as short courses in Domestic Science. The students had a curriculum that contained twenty-two subjects, including Public Speaking and English Literature, as well as the expected courses in various agricultural subjects and economics. This was the year of real progress in construction. The Administra-
tion Building was erected that year, and included student accommodation, a kitchen, dining room, assembly room as well as classrooms and offices. In the 1920's, summer courses were offered to public school teachers through the Ontario Department of Education, when as many as 300 teachers would spend the summer months preparing gardens and growing and maintaining what they had developed. Staff from the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa also came to the KAS to help teach classes and do research. The grounds of the
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Editorial
The North Grenville Times
The Voice of North Grenville
Both sides now by David Shanahan Now that the neighbouring municipalities of North Grenville and MerrickvilleWolford have completed filling positions on their Advisory Committees, they have reached the point where democracy is fully staffed and ready to go. The idea that citizens can play a role in the running of their own communities is one that has not always been acceptable to those on council, or, for that matter, those on municipal staff. Unfortunately, this can still be the case with some individuals, when even staff members resist the “encroachment” of elected councillors on what they see as their territory. We saw that in Merrickville-Wolford recently, when the proposal that staff inform council of all federal, provincial and other
grants that might be available to their municipality was rejected by the CAO, and voted down by a majority on council. Running the administration of a municipality, ran the argument, is the job of staff, and it would be too onerous a task to have to keep elected representatives informed about possible funding opportunities that might ease the budgetary burdens. I am aware that this attitude holds in some senior management circles in North Grenville also, which has led, in the past, to the municipality being known as a kind of black hole when it comes to attendance at workshops and conferences, for example. There is no doubt that keeping up on the various funding opportunities can be a difficult job, and actually applying for them is even worse. People have been employed simply to prepare these applications, as every word, every rationale for applying, can make the
difference between having it accepted or rejected. But that may be why so many bureaucrats make over $100,000 per year. But we need both sides now, if we want to make things work better. The new committees are a welcome return to a more complete participatory form of democracy, especially in North Grenville. One important committee that has been restored to operation is the one dealing with Agricultural and Rural Affairs. There had been a Rural Affairs Committee in the past, but its Chair, Tim Sutton, decided not to call any meetings, preferring to work through the Economic Development Committee instead. As a result, the Rural Committee ceased to exist, and when the University of Guelph made the unexpected announcement that they were ceasing operations at Kemptville College, there was no group of informed and experienced people in place to deal
do not fit his gender-binary expectations. As a gay man, I’m offended by his implication that LGBTQ oppression is ancient history. While our civil (not civic) rights were entrenched in Canadian law in 1969, that certainly didn’t bring an end to either systemic or individual homophobia, any more than civil rights legislation ended the hateful faces of racism. I can personally attest to experiences of intolerance, bullying, physical violence, and being labelled “sinner” by self-righteous conservative Christians, who base their judgements upon unscholarly misinterpretations of the Bible. When my fiancé, Allan Rae, and I moved to North Grenville two years ago, we were nervous about whether we’d be accepted as a gay couple. The township’s first Pride celebration definitely helped us feel accepted here. For us, Pride is about selfrespect, living openly in a culture which often seems to wish we were straight. Pride means we believe our sexual orientation should never be
prefaced with an apology, never censored, and never cloaked with a cowardlyconstructed mask of societal expectations. Since virtually all major towns and cities fly Pride flags, Mr. Boersma’s insistance that NG not do so sends profoundly negative messages. His article was a simplistic attempt to deflect attention from the concerns of marginalized people, but the LGBTQ community will not allow our voices to be silenced. We applaud Mayor Peckford and the council’s support. It is to be hoped that the ingenious idea of adding more flagpoles will finally end the thinly-veiled homophobia of anti-Pride grousing. Sincerely, David Montgomery (retired priest of the Anglican Church of Canada)
with the crisis. This required a rush to gather expertise to handle the situation and to find a way to save the College for future generations. That has finally resulted in the present status of the Kemptville Campus, though one wonders how long it will be before we have that Board of Directors for a not-for-profit corporation which will run the property on behalf of the taxpayers. As for the other Advisory Committees, in addition to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Community and Economic Development Committees, which was established in April, there are six other advisory groups, as reported in last week’s Times. What gives most satisfaction in this is the fact that so many residents applied to join these groups, more than could be included on them. That speaks volumes for the level of interest and commitment existing in the community. We have said for
years now that there is a depth of experience and expertise in North Grenville that was not being tapped and which could add immeasurably to the efficiency and effectiveness of the municipality. What the current Council has done is a great step forward in terms of administration. It brings a new layer of vision, creativity and imagination - not to mention energy - to this municipality that can only be of benefit and support to municipal staff and council. In addition, these committees will be drawing on other residents from time to time, as their expertise in various subjects and on different projects can be utilised on an ad hoc basis. The only downside to all of this is that we have lost a few months in actually getting the committees up and running. This is understandable when one considers that new terms of reference had to be drawn up for each committee,
particularly the new ones. Now let’s hope that they can all hit the ground running and become the effective and creative bodies they promise to be. This requires co-operation from municipal staff, a willingness on their part to partner with the groups, rather than see them as rivals for power and influence. We’re all human, after all. The membership of the advisory committees promises great things in the near future and for years to come. This raises the bar for future councils to continue making use of the talent and expertise on our own doorstep. It is looking good from here.
Dear Editor, In reference to the debate about Climate Change articles, I am still definitely on side with Colin Creasy. He makes sense to my mind. I guess it depends on one’s philosophy. Back to “We only have one Earth”; so why do we want to gamble with it? If there is a Creator, which many believe there is, then I would think he/she wouldwant us to not abuse what we were given, as in the Earth and all the creatures on it! Taking care with respect to our air quality, water quality, and the food we eat, and trying to avoid as many toxic substances as possible in the process, one would reasonable think, would be very important. I suppose Paul George and Ms. Bell think there is no concern abut the monstrous destruction that are the oil sands, or “tar” sands. Have they seen the aerial views of that yet? That, of course, os only one of many ways mankind is trying to destroy this planet. Sincerely, Kath. L. Piché
Dear Editor, In the last issue of your paper was a front page article entitled "women supporting women". It would seem to me that the job of the reporter was to simply tell the basic story of what these ladies are doing and why, but instead, the reporter veers into preaching, by stating, "its not right to say we should help people at home before we look abroad for people to support..." Think about Those words. The journalist, the presenter, is telling the reader that their opinion, or their belief, is wrong, presumably because 'they' (people who hold such opinions) are not as wise and as broadminded as 'the writer'. Perhaps the writer does not think they are 'as evolved' as the writer. Does that not strike you as arrogant and preachy, that a writer/reporter would say such a thing to the reading audience? My opinion, and its just my opinion, is that just because two groups of people have a different opinion, does not necessarily mean that one of those opinions is Wrong or 'not right'. Jeff Feenstra
Dear Editor, I never appreciated the difficulties people with handicapped issues face until I found myself in their position. I’m glad to see a new accessibility committee in place and have a couple of suggestions for them. 1. Some North Grenville residents think parking in a handicapped space without a permit is just fine. Well, it isn’t fine, and I would like to see the law enforced by bylaw or OPP. A suggestion: people noticing a violation should take a picture of the offending vehicle and the OPP could send the violator a notice not to do it again. 2. There is no handicapped spots on Prescott Street this should be an easy fix - also needed at the Post Office. Bill Gooch
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Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, Harmen Boersma’s article, “A Test of Trust”, ostensibly promoted North Grenville unity. Instead, his arguments against Pride flags at the township office betrayed a divisive insensitivity. He falsely claimed that “the LGBT [community] was a suppressed minority 75 years ago, but since it has been given civic ‘liberty’ in 1969, the movement has changed from a suppressed minority to a vocal sub-culture touting a new identity theory or ideology known as genderism.” This is not only untrue, it is completely antithetical to the term’s actual meaning. “Genderism” is the reactionary conviction that humans must be exclusively male or female. It is used to justify discrimination against those who are non-conforming or transgender, contrary to the Ontario Human Rights Code. Mr. Boersma’s ridicule of the spectrum of gender identities both dismisses the current medical consensus, and ignores the intense suffering experienced by people who
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Municipality Matters
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Interim control by-law could affect local business by Hilary Thomson Municipal staff have made a recommendation to council that they put in place an interim control by-law to suspend the establishment or expansion of cannabis production facilities in the Municipality for one year. According to the staff report, interim control bylaws have been used by other municipalities in Ontario as they grapple with regulating cannabis facilities. “There are no regulations in the zoning by-law for cannabis facilities,” says North Grenville Director of Planning and Development, Phil Gerrard. Phil says that the interim by-law would give staff a year to complete a study of best planning practices, and make relevant provisions to the Municipality’s zoning by law, to take into consideration the unique challenges posed by cannabis production facilities. This includes addressing neighbourhood compatibility, setbacks from
residences, and any federal/ provincial regulations that don’t accord with current municipal by-laws. If they are not done in one year, there is the possibility of an extension, keeping the by-law in place for a maximum of 24 months. Currently, there is only one cannabis production facility in North Grenville that will be affected if this by-law is put in place. Fleurish Cannabis has been a producer in the Municipality since late 2018, but they have owned the land on County Road 20, just outside Kemptville, since 2014. Since they started production, they have had several complaints from neighbours about issues such as lights, noise, and odour coming from the facility. However, CEO of Fleurish Cannabis, Michael Smith, says they have been working with residents and the municipality to address these issues. “Everyone who lives here is very reasonable,” Michael says. “We have resolved all the issues.”
Michael says that, should this interim control by-law be put in place, it would seriously limit his business. Fleurish is a new company in an ever-changing industry, and they have to be able to morph and grow in order to remain viable. As a health company, they are looking at getting into vaping and edibles, once they become legal in the Fall. This means buying new equipment and getting new permits, something that would not be allowed under the interim control by-law. “There is a fairness argument,” Michael says, adding that the Municipality knew about their plans for expansion from the beginning. “If you invite a business into a community, I am not sure it’s fair to change your mind.” Michael says Fleurish wants to become a respected name in the community. With their planned expansion, they are hoping to provide jobs to local people and contribute to the local economy. “We are building a world-class
female-focused cannabis company,” he says. “[The proposed by-law] is not good for my business, not good for employment, and not good for the Municipality.” Phil says there is an application in for a second cannabis facility in the Municipality, and they get at least one inquiry a week to establish more. “We want to put the brakes on and put our planning documents in order,” Phil says. “It will have a big impact for development and Council understands that.” Because of this, Council decided to take some time to meet with residents and Fleurish Cannabis, rather than voting on the recommendation at the last Council meeting. Further discussion of the bylaw will take place at one of the Committee of the Whole meetings in August, with the recommendation coming back to Council for a decision at the meeting of August 27.
It is not the answer that enlightens by Jim Bertram “It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question”. (Eugène Ionesco) Following an initial article, Ceasing to think, which I wrote several weeks ago, very interesting articles by Dr. Joanne Bell and Mr. Paul George were recently presented in this paper. The first article was written by a professional scientist, Dr. Bell, the second by a very alert and questioning layperson with regard to scientific matters. My thanks to both of them for taking the time to air their informative thoughts. Both of these writers, while proceeding from a different knowledge base relative to scientific matters, deal with the general topic of anthropogenic climate change in a similar manner. Both give primary importance to the questioning or skeptical approach to what we as citizens are given through politicians and the media in the guise of “information”. Information which rarely rises above the level of mere propagandisation. Which is why we need skepticism. These writers, Bell and George, understand that the progress of modern science has been gained through an ongoing and competitive process of investigation, hypothesis formation, testing, responding to questions by August 7, 2019
those skeptical of proposed findings and results of research, re-formulation or rejection of hypotheses where (almost always) necessary, and so on – often in the face of severe opposition by totalitarian regimes or institutions throughout past history. Governments in general do NOT like questions. But most dedicated scientists understand the importance of sharp-witted doubters, skeptics, questioners. Real science, as opposed to official science, thrives on the questions which skepticism brings forth. Skepticism quite directly leads to sounder procedures in the gaining of knowledge. Ultimately, the skeptical demand for proof, the ongoing questioning process, the desire to examine data, to consult with a variety of top practitioners in the various fields of enquiry, tends toward producing sound knowledge . Knowledge that has been thoroughly vetted. Always with the underlying knowledge that the science will never be settled. Sorry Mr. Gore! Unfortunately, the “ information age” in which we now live tends to promote neither questioning nor sound knowledge. In the words of the great philosopher of Science, Karl Popper: “We know nothing – that is the first point. Therefore we should be very modest – that is the second.
UPDATE UPDATE UPCOMING MEETINGS COUNCIL Tuesday, August 27 at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Centre. (Please note that the Council Meeting of August 20 has been rescheduled to August 27) COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Tuesday, August 13 at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Centre. COMMITTEE & PUBLIC MEETINGS Old Town Kemptville BIA – Wednesday, August 21 at 6:00 pm at the Municipal Centre **NOTE: Council and Committee of the Whole meetings are live streamed and archived on the Municipal website. Agendas for upcoming meetings are published on the Friday prior to the meeting and minutes are posted after they are approved. Visit www.northgrenville.ca and click on Agendas, Minutes & Video in the Govern tab.
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That we should not claim to know when we do not know – that is the third. This is more or less the approach I should like to popularize. It does not have good prospects.” It would seem, at present, that Popper’s assessment of the prospects for the success of a traditional scientific approach to gaining knowledge is correct – it is not good. The politicisation of science at the highest levels, and the reflection of this politicisation in relatively unchallenged government policies, is dangerous to the future of the country we know as one which, theoretically, is democratic and permits, even encourages, the presentation of questions. A certain Mr. Voltaire (18th C.), known in his time as a rather wise person, proposed the following: “Judge a man by his questions, rather than his answers”. Given the reaction of some of us, who certainly react badly or worse to questions and the practice of skepticism, Mr. Voltaire would be very surprised to note the very little progress made towards freedom of thought in some quarters in the 21st century. He would, of course, recognise the use of scare tactics, public insults, and a variety of tactics to exclude unwanted points of view, since these very things, and others, were part of the “outillage”(tool kit) applied by
The North Grenville Times is part of the community. We provide a platform which gives residents a voice and an insight into events and developments in the municipality, and beyond. We spend time in the community, talking to local residents, covering school and government issues, and writing about issues that most of our readers find interesting. Because the costs of production and delivery increase every year, we need your help to remain a viable local news source. Our advertisers can no longer shoulder the entire burden. To that end, we are introducing voluntary subscriptions, as we look to diversify revenue streams. Help us to maintain door-to-door delivery, which is an increasingly expensive undertaking and a major cost for any newspaper. Let us stress: this is entirely voluntary and all North Grenville and Merrickville-Wolford residents will continue to receive the North Grenville Times in their mailbox. You will always – each and every week – receive your copy of The North Grenville Times & The Merrickville-Wolford Times THAT WILL NOT CHANGE!!!! ONE YEAR (51 ISSUES) VOLUNTARY SUBSCRIPTION $51.00 (includes HST) With your subscription you will Receive a weekly email listing the week’s headlines Be eligible for any giveaway the paper has during the year WAYS TO PAY: IN PERSON: If you prefer, you may pay in person at our office by cash, cheque, or credit card. Our office is located at 215 Sanders St, Suite 106, Kemptville, ON . Hours are Tuesday-Thursday, 9AM to 3PM. BY PHONE: You may also pay over the phone with a credit card by calling us during the hours above at 613-215-0735. BY MAIL: You may subscribe by sending a cheque to: Box 1854, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0. Be sure to include your name, address and e-mail. If you have questions about subscribing, call us at 613-215-0735 or printme@ngtimes.ca the oppressive Royal government of France in Voltaire’s time. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose , n’est-ce pas! Thank you, in any case, to Dr. Joanne Bell and Mr. Paul George, once again, for representing the side of reasonable citizens who will not 5
be shouted down by those who rely largely on unsustainable claims of authority. Such arguments from authority claim “...the science is settled...” In reality, the science involved in understanding atmospheric phenomena has merely made the smallest of beginnings on
a long voyage of discovery, if only we will allow ourselves to ask the questions which will permit that voyage. (Suggested reading: Hubris, Hart,2015 – NG Library 333.709 HART) www.ngtimes.ca
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Run Merrickville supporting local soccer club
New Committees of Council appointed
by Hilary Thomson Merrickville-Wolford council appointed the members of their new municipal committees at the meeting of July 22. This is the culmination of a long process of identifying necessary committees, creating terms of reference, and then putting a call out for community volunteers. Mayor Doug Struthers says that all the individuals who put forward their names as volunteers on advisory committees will receive a thank you from council. Successful candidates will be receiving a package with their respective committee’s terms of reference, and staff will be setting up a municipal committee orientation session for all new appointees in August. The first official meetings of the new committees of council will be in September. Committees are as follows: Property Standards Committee: Cynthia Waldie; Patricia Watson; Yves Grandmaitre. Heritage Advisory Committee: Cynthia Waldie; Peter Szmidt; Anne Barr; Donna Daw; and Ann Martin. Committee of Adjustment: Lorne Walker; Denis Schryburt; Colin Hurman. Recreation, Health and Wellness Advisory Committee: Scott Thompson; Kathleen BurnetteDickie; Janet Fitzpatrick; Angie Cameron; and Sarah Lavalee. Community Development Advisory Committee: Tom Belanger; Helen Canjar; Gillian Gray; Mike Zaversenuke; Donna Daw; and Colin Hurman. Environment Advisory Committee: Janice Ife; Gary Brown; Paul Marriott; Claire Sexton; Anney de Gobeo. Agriculture Advisory Committee: Helen Canjar; Gary Brown; Donna Daw.
Run Merrickville’s Lori Reynolds and Sally McInnis present a $1,000 cheque to President of the Merrickville Soccer Club, Nancy Watkins. Nancy says the generous donation will help the club do some work on their soccer fields. Also pictured are Merrickville Soccer Club members Liam Murphy (U7), Eva Cardinal (U5), Elise Boomhouwer (U10) and Jake Watkins (U13/15). Photo provided by the Merrickville Soccer Club
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Mayor Struthers gives an economic update by Hilary Thomson Mayor Doug Struthers sat down with the Times recently to review how he sees Merrickville-Wolford in the current economic climate. In a climate of uncertainty with the current provincial government, the Mayor remains optimistic about council’s ability to adapt, and is focused on fiscal responsibility while ensuring quality of life for all residents of MerrickvilleWolford. Earlier this year, the municipality received almost $32,000 in grant funding as part of the Ontario Government’s Municipal Modernization Fund (MMF). The province stated at the time that the MMF was “a one time payment in the 2018/2019 fiscal year to support small and rural municipality’s efforts to become more efficient and reduce expenditure growth in the longer term.” The grant was integral August 7, 2019
in council passing a zero per cent tax increase for this fiscal year. Staff were able to find projects in the current budget for which the funding could be used, taking the burden off the taxpayers. This includes an update of their Asset Management Plan, a large project, which entails taking into consideration all the infrastructure and other assets in the municipality, and figuring out needs for future upkeep and maintenance. “It’s a powerful tool to be able to paint a picture of the need to upkeep our assets,” Mayor Struthers says. He believes council is very focused on remaining fiscally responsible by identifying what projects are critical, need to get done, and beneficial to do. One of these projects that the Mayor sees as critical is analyzing ways the municipality can mitigate the infiltration of water into the sewer system. Having water seep into the system that
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doesn’t need to be treated directly affects capacity and the ability for expansion, which is needed to lower the high cost of water in the municipality. “Treating water that doesn’t need to be treated is spending money that doesn’t need to be spent,” says Mayor Struthers. Another project the Mayor sees as critical is the renovation of the Eastons Corners skating rink. He sees having recreation facilities available as integral to the quality of life of residents. “It’s of value to the health and well-being of the community, and is an example of the kind of infrastructure that is appropriate to maintain,” he says. Repairs to the bell tower in Eastons Corners and the library building in Merrickville are also in the budget as capital projects for 2019. The Mayor is also forward thinking in terms of drawing new industries to the area. The municipality has already been made aware of
two applications for growing cannabis in the rural area. He sees the cannabis industry as being no different from any other type of agriculture, which has been an industry in the municipality for decades. “It’s a significant opportunity for a successful business in the rural area,” he says. “The more money that is generated and spent in a defined area speaks to the strength and depth of that local economy.” Mayor Struthers says that, according to their auditor, the municipality has good control over revenue and expenses. That being said, he is wary about how potential cuts to the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) could affect the municipality down the road. The province has already signaled that they are reviewing that funding stream, and he is concerned that, should the funding formula change, the Municipality would have to go without 6
dollars they depend on to be sustainable. “Northern and rural municipalities ought not to be treated the same as larger municipalities, as they don’t have the critical mass,” he says. “The province has the responsibility to make sure there is stability in rural Ontario.” While Mayor Struthers understands that the province is trying to tackle significant debt, he doesn’t feel that shifting that burden onto municipalities is the answer. “To shift expenses onto rural municipalities is shifting the burden of provincial debt onto property taxpayers,” he says. For now, the Mayor is keeping a close eye on what is going on at the provincial level. He will be attending the Association of the Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference from August 1820, and should have another report for the public once it is over.
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Residents express wishes for parkland in Merrickville Estates by Hilary Thomson Some residents of Merrickville Estates have made their wishes known about what they would like to see in the parkland planned for the subdivision. According to Merrickville-Wolford CAO, Doug Robertson, certain subdivision agreements require the developer to set aside a plot of land for parkland to be developed and maintained by the municipality. This is the case for lot 72 (between lots 12 and 20 facing Collar Hill Road) in Merrickville Estates Phase 1. Merrickville-Wolford council received correspondence from Francine Lapointe Côté and Emil Côté stating that they had told the Recreation Advisory Committee in September, 2016, through a survey circulated to residents, what they would like to see developed in the
green space adjacent to their home. “We have not heard back from the committee,” the letter states. “We raised the topic during pre-elections discussion with one of the candidates; to be informed that the topic never really made it to council.” Emil and Francine’s letter to council clearly states that they would not like to see any infrastructure that allows team sports in the parkland. This is due to their own experience living close to a park in Gatineau, where team sports were played on a regular basis. They say that having sporting events near their home was disruptive in terms of noise, light pollution at night, and garbage left on site. “We recommend that expansion of existing infrastructure located near the Merrickville Community Centre be considered for team sports,” they write. “Economically, it makes
Ontario Parks 30x30 Challenge Begins
The Ontario Government is encouraging people all across the province to join the Ontario Parks 30x30 Challenge and spend 30 minutes outside in nature every day for the month of August to improve their health and well-being, as part of the Healthy Parks Healthy People movement. "Spending time in nature has a significant positive impact on our health and happiness," said Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. "The 30x30 Challenge is an excellent way to kickstart a habit that supports a healthy lifestyle. From taking a walk to going on a bike ride with your family, there are lots of outdoor activities you can take part in this August. I encourage everyone to join me to participate in the challenge and enjoy exploring our many provincial parks and green spaces across Ontario." Researchers at Trent University surveyed participants in last year's 30x30 Challenge to find out more about the health benefits of spending time in nature. After completing the challenge, they reported significantly improved health benefits, including an overall boost in their mood. Ontario is working to provide people with more opportunities to enjoy provincial parks and increase recreational opportunities while protecting the natural environment, as committed to in the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan. The 30x30 Challenge is part of the Healthy Parks Healthy People movement to inspire individuals to reconnect with nature while improving their health and mental well-being. Spending time in nature can lower the risk of heart attack by 50 per cent, reduce the risk of mental health challenges and help combat chronic disease. The Ontario Parks Blog and YouTube channel have lots of ideas of what you can do for your 30x30 Challenge. You can share how you’re taking part in the challenge on social media using #HPHP and #30x30challenge.
August 7, 2019
reation Advisory Committee will consider the long-term effect in allowing team sports to be played in the currently mature green spaces in magnificent display along Collar Hill,” they write. “This is what attracted us to the area in the first place.” Doug says that there is nothing currently planned for the development of the land Emil and Francine are concerned about. “Council has to have that discussion,” he says.
sense to draw-in people to use the wonderful restaurants, municipal parking areas, and to bask in the most beautiful, lively and active village we know.” Instead of sports fields, Emil and Francine would like to things like a meditation area, open spaces for mature trees to continue to grow, a playground for children, and trails for walking and biking be included in any development of the parkland. “We hope that the Merrickville-Wolford Rec-
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rescued the lady and took her to the hospital. We thank them for their quick response to the call. Beware ladies of the heat and dehydration. Try to keep cool and drink lots of water. We must thank Ron Tracey who takes care of the water replenishment. He is very alert to the needs of the ladies. Ron's cherished charity - Parkinson disease that affects so many people - will be supported by a raffle. Tickets are being sold for a draw of a basket of "goodies" donated by Shoppers Drug Mart". You have till end of September to buy your tickets. Birdies for the month were numerous, seven in all. The pins were given to: Frankie Baird for hole no, 14, and also Pat Kealey on the same hole; Joyce Charter on no. 6; Daphne Stephenson on no. 10; Diane Charlebois on no.5; Pearl Webb on no.16; Lee Riglin on no. 1. Well done ladies! Some of you are first time winners. Maureen announced that, in September on the Tuesday mornings, we will try for a shot-gun start at 9 a.m., instead
by Cecile Fortier July is the month that the ladies invite a guest to play and dine with them. Since July was such a beautiful, hot, and dry month, they were able to participate in all the five Tuesday of the month. Something rare that does not happen very often. On July 11, the "Dickenson Tray" tournament was fought by 25 avid golfers. It was a shot-gun start, so at the end all the ladies came in together after their game. They didn't have to wait too long for the winners to be announce. These were: 1st. Bonnie Thibaudeau; 2nd. Jean Potvin; and 3rd. Mary Garrett. Kudos Ladies! Most stayed to enjoy a cordial lunch and toasted the winners. Ladies, DO NOT FORGET TO SIGNUP for the next tournament that is the most prestigious one: the Club Championship. We should get at least 50% of the players! On a hot, humid Tuesday one of the ladies had heatstroke and fainted. 911 was called and the Paramedics arrived within four minutes,
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115 Sanders St, Kemptville www.pixeleyecare.ca of regular tee times, and see if all members agree to do this regularly for next year. As June was the wettest month ever, July was the driest with only four days with rain/ showers. This is a rarity! This year the ladies were favoured with only one small breach that occurred on the last Tuesday with players and guests coming-in to the clubhouse. A heavy downpour greeted them; but it was short-lived. The clouds dispersed and the sun shone and the game started on time. The winners of the "Bear Trophy" were, for the second year in a row, Bonnie and Mike Thibaudeau; 2nd. Cathy and Dave Valcourt; 3rd. Willie Bridges and Georgia Crawford. Kudos to all!
Maureen thanks the guests who came out and enjoyed the afternoon with the ladies, and were satiated with a good meal, prepared by "Just Home Cookin" of Pam and Don Miller. July has gone by and we are into August with its "lazy, crazy days of summer", and Fall is just around the corner. The avid "early birds" who are out with sun-up every morning, making traces in the dewy grass and the rooster tails following their balls, enjoy the most beautiful part of the day, and their love for the game. They are so thankful for the peaceful beauty that Rideau Glen has to offer its golfers.
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Today’s Society is disconnected from Agriculture
Mr. William James Bell standing in his crop of Sweet White Clover, 1924 by William J. Langenberg, former lecturer Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology One of my relatives took her grandchildren to Upper Canada Village for a day. She and her grandchildren watched a farmer milking a cow by hand. A lady in the visiting group asked the farmer, “What are you doing?” He answered, “I’m milking a cow!” She asked, “What for?” He explained, very politely, “the milk that comes out of this cow can be processed, and you will
be able to buy this milk in a carton in the store!’ The lady turned around, walked away from the group, and threw-up. I was fortunate, growing up, to have parents with gardens, and neighbours with livestock, in a small village in the Netherlands. Every evening, I would visit the neighbour’s dairy farm and watch the 20 cows being milked by hand. The dairy farmer would send me home with a litre of milk. My parents would care for the gardens and orchard, and, in the Fall, they would
just did that for 25 years. Mr. Bell was well ahead of his time, because he was a visionary instructor who, against anybody’s wishes, grew and harvested ‘Sweet White Clover’. “Sweet White Clover”, he said, “is good nutrition for cows, and, besides, it produces lots of organic matter”. If Mr. Bell was alive today, he would be heavily involved in Carbon Management Trials, because that same Sweet White Clover would sequester carbon today. The last time we had primary school kids visiting the KCAT campus was in 1991. On a hay wagon ride, we took these kids to the school’s greenhouses, orchard and the dairy barn. This last school visit was one year before our Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs decided, in their infinite wisdom in 1992, that the rural Agricultural Colleges were not essential anymore to the Ministry’s long range plan. We became a satellite campus of the University of Guelph until 2015. A recent survey by the U.S. Farmers & Rangers Alliance at schools across the US showed that 72% of Millennials don’t have a clue
harvest and preserve the seasonal produce for the winter. I say I was fortunate, because these experiences were a part of my daily childhood life, and that meant I always knew where my food came from. More importantly, I knew that food always came at a price - a price greater than money. The price of farming also includes the countless hours of time, effort and care that go into raising and harvesting everything from vegetable to grains, fruit, livestock and dairy. Even at grade school we learned about farming practices, because the majority of students’ parents worked on, or owned a farm. That experience of my early childhood prompted me to start a professional career in Agriculture and Horticulture, which brought me to the Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology (KCAT), formerly Kemptville Agricultural School (KAS), during the mid-seventies. William James Bell, the first Principal of KAS (19171936), instructed teachers during the early school years, “I don’t want textbook education, just share your personal agricultural experiences”. I
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where our food comes from. These kids today don’t have that experience in their dayto-day life, which I used to have. That worries me. My concern for children today is that a trip to the supermarket doesn’t paint an accurate picture of our food chain. I wonder how many kids on the Kemptville Campus today have any idea where food comes from? I applaud parents who take their children to the Kempville Farmers’ Market. This is a great way for kids to meet farmers, connect them with agriculture, so that they begin to get a feel for who is growing food locally. But don’t stop there. Talk to your kids about what they’re not seeing at our
farmers’ market. Help them to understand why farms are important, so that we can get them to purchase local food. Kids need to know that ’fried chicken’ is not made in a restaurant. Often, I give a small child visiting our Kemptville Farmers’ Market a vegetable plant, with the instruction, “Here, grow this plant at your home and harvest the produce from it”. It is a pretty sad picture when you see someone throwup, because that person just found out that milk comes out of a cow. That’s all because society is disconnected from Agriculture.
Local elementary school children visiting KCAT’s greenhouses on Feb.21-1991
A more diverse workforce essential to the success of Canadian agriculture The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council’s newly released Labour Market Forecast to 2029 indicates that Canada’s agriculture producers continually face challenges related to securing an adequate workforce. In a survey of farm employers, over 47% of respondents saying they could not fill their labour needs. Across the sector over one in three responded that they receive zero Canadian applicants when they post an available job. Considering that approximately 37% of the workforce is expected to retire in the next ten years, the Labour Market Forecast indicates that there will be an increasing labour shortfall. Solutions to resolve worker shortages include focusing on untapped potential within Canada, as well as looking outside the domestic workforce. Employers look to hire Canadians first and then recruit international workers when no Canadians can be found to work on their farms. International workers are a valuable source of labour for the Canadian agriculture sector. Jobs filled August 7, 2019
by international workers have increased from almost 45,600 jobs in 2014 to nearly 60,000 in 2017, representing one in every six positions in the Canadian AgriWorkforce. Non-traditional sources of labour can help to ease labour market pressures. The agriculture industry can work to recruit people who have not been strongly connected to the sector to find a rewarding career. Underrepresented groups, such as young Canadians, women and Indigenous people, present tremendous opportunity for addressing workforce shortages, and bring new experiences and ideas to the workforce. Immigrants are another diverse source of skills and knowledge. Although 4% of today’s AgriWorkforce have come to Canada in the last 5 years, most new Canadians are less likely to choose a career in agriculture than in other sectors. Encouraging communities and local governments to promote community activities, schools and recreational programs will help to alleviate concerns and encourage people to move to their vibrant rural areas for agricultural employment.
will help the sector achieve its maximum potential,” states Portia MacDonald-Dewhirst, Executive Director of CAHRC. “And continuing to find ways to make agriculture an attractive and viable career path will be important in accessing more of the domestic workforce. It will take concerted effort, multiple strategies and a sustained approach so that we can truly make a difference.” To address the labour issues identified in the research, CAHRC has developed agriculture-specific human resource (HR) tools
Changing negative perceptions surrounding living and working in rural areas, and promoting agriculture as a rewarding career will create long-lasting benefits for the sector. There is a general lack of awareness about working in food producing industries. If business, education and government agencies are able to position agriculture as a viable and exciting career path for Canadians, the result will be more people interested in working in food production careers. “A diverse labour force with the right set of skills
designed to support modern farm operations to manage their workforce. CAHRC also offers Agri Skills, online and in-person training programs, and the Agri HR Toolkit – an online resource guide and templates to address the HR needs of any business. For agricultural organizations there are customized labour issues briefings that apply the new research to specific commodities and provinces, to explore the labour implications within their specific area. For more information on these and other CAHRC offerings visit www.cahrc-ccrha.ca.
The labour market forecast research was validated through industry consultations conducted Canada-wide including: 1704 surveys of employers, workers and industry stakeholders, and eight webinars focused on specific commodity groups with 170 participants in total. National data from the forecast can be found in the report Agriculture 2029: How the Sector’s Labour Challenges Will Shape its Future. The research was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program.
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Events In Downtown Kemptville In recent years, one of the defining elements of the Old Town Kemptville BIA has been the community events it has organized and hosted in Downtown Kemptville. Each event draws hundreds of people to the Downtown area. While visiting for these events, people will often spend money at our local businesses, visit some that they had never been to before, or come to appreciate some other aspect of what Downtown Kemptville has to offer. A lot of time and energy goes into the planning, organizing and execution of these events and, thankfully, the BIA has a very strong Events Committee, full of dedicated
volunteers who provide the ideas, experience and expertise to make sure that events run smoothly and are as enjoyable as possible for residents and visitors alike. This second half of 2019 looks to have a very full schedule of events for Downtown. In addition to the traditional family events, like Kreepy Kemptville in October and Downtown Christmas in December, there will be two new items on the agenda. The first is, potentially, a Local Food-based event, focused on local food products made by the food-based businesses in the Downtown area. This may create an opportunity to work with a community part-
tizers and a chance to have a drink, mingle with other participants, chat with local business owners, and to get all of the information you’ll need to have a memorable night out. After that, you will be free to wander to all of the different locations in Downtown Kemptville that will be part of the event, and experience what the local business community (and some special guests) have to offer. In the weeks ahead, we will be releasing more details about what businesses will be involved, what they may be offering, what time certain activities will take place, and other relevant information. If you ever have any questions about events in Downtown Kemptville, or how to get involved in them, feel free to contact our Executive Director, Deron Johnston at bia@northgrenville.on.ca, or call 613-258-9569 ext. 401. Time for a fund raiser; special occasion or just a party... introducing North Grenville's own..
ner such as the Kemptville Farmers’ Market, who could provide the local ingredients needed through their vendors. This event is still in the initial planning stages and we’ll have more news on that in the weeks ahead. As for the other event, the Events Committee is excited to announce the launch of the first ever “Not Just Ladies Night”, which will be happening on Friday, September 13, from 5pm to 9pm in Downtown Kemptville. It will be a full evening, with a variety of activities to experience including: a meet and greet with local women authors, demonstrations by local merchants, unique shopping opportunities, discounts for participants, prizes, and a special mystical experiences venue, where some special spiritual activities will be happening. The evening is free to participate, and will be begin at 5pm at Salamanders Restaurant in Downtown Kemptville with free appe-
High-tech solutions for Conservation Authority Custom-built smartphone apps are changing the way staff at Rideau Valley Conservation Authority get their work done – and saving time, money and headaches in the process. This Spring, the RVCA launched its latest app, this one for classifying shorelines – something no other conservation group is doing digitally. Gone are the bulky clipboards and windswept papers of previous surveys. And vanquished are the days of tedious data entry after a long season on the water. These days, with the tap of an app staff can quickly analyze a shoreline, take a photo and input all the relevant data into a digital database, all from the palm of their hand – and from the middle of a river. "It's amazing," said AdriAugust 7, 2019
enne Lewis, an aquatic resource technician with RVCA for the past 11 years. "It's fast and easy. We don't even have to label our photos, because we take them inside the app. We've eliminated 40 to 60 pieces of paper each day." In-house GIS/database specialist Chris Czerwinski took the survey's old paper field form and turned it into a custom-made digital data chart using the platform Survey123. This Summer, as Adrienne heads down the river with a student by her side, she assesses shoreline conditions from her smartphone, ticking boxes in the app to make note of erosion, invasive species, vegetation and other factors that contribute to water quality and shoreline health. The data is uploaded to
the cloud, offering real-time results from the field and eliminating the need for manual data entry – and reducing the opportunity for human errors by half. The data is then easily formatted to inform RVCA programs and decisions. It's a huge time savings. "We've taken the workflow from the field and emulated that in the app," Chris said. "This survey project was supposed to take two years and they're going to finish it in one season. That speaks to the efficiency of the new process." The RVCA has come a long way in a short time when it comes to tech. "I built the RVCA's first app in 2013, and it was fairly novel at the time," Chris said. But by today's standards, that first app is downright quaint: it ran on 10
a GPS-equipped handheld device that could run a Windows operating system that's no longer even supported. Since then, the RVCA has developed five different mobile apps to improve workflow in the field, assisting staff with water quality monitoring, aquatic insects sampling, shoreline classification, septic re-inspection, and forestry site visits. "Ten years ago, everything was done on paper," Chris said. "Now, the amount of technology we use is amazing. It has exponentially driven workflows up." The demand for mobile app solutions is so great, he's having to manage staff expectations: there's only so much that can be developed at once. "Staff always want more, because they can see the
benefits," he said. "There's so much more to come." Collaboration is key. Conservation authorities across the province are all taking up the tech trend, developing apps for all manner of monitoring and tracking programs they run every day to promote healthy watersheds. And with tight budgets and stretched staff, sharing has been caring. A key benefit of the new technology is the ability to share workflows with other conservation authorities and environmental groups. Chris shares what he creates and borrows from others. This saves time and effort for all the groups, because no one's reinventing the wheel. This Winter, for example, Chris will borrow the bones of a snowpack measuring app developed by Quinte Conser-
vation and tweak it to suit the RVCA's needs – no need to create his own. It's especially easy to collaborate when the apps are for monitoring programs that follow international, national or provincial data collection protocols. If everyone's following the same process with the same data criteria, a customized app can be used by any protocol partner, Chris said. And the potential for new apps and digital solutions is endless. "When I think where we'll be in five years, it's incredible," Chris said.
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Fundamentals
Just as I am by David Shanahan
As the Spirit “disillusions” us, it can be a painful and difficult process. For those who allow the Spirit to reveal the truth to them, there is a painful time of disillusionment. They find that they are not who they thought they were. Their Christian life is not where they thought it was, and their daily walk has nothing to do with taking up their cross and following Jesus. But there are those who are willing to face up to the truth about the world, the flesh and the devil. Hardest of all, they are prepared to face up to the truth about themselves. They forget what is past, and they press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of them. But that is not the end of the process. Just as they begin to feel that they are growing in the Spirit, that they are learning deeper things and moving in the maturity God has called
August 7, 2019
them to, disillusionment sets in! They look around at their life, and something seems wrong. For all their learning and growing, their Bible reading and prayer, life is getting harder, not easier. Prayers are not being answered as they once were. Work and family are not going well, maybe, in fact, crashing into crisis. They thought that their deeper commitment to the Lord would lead to greater power to serve, greater joy in overcoming trials and temptations. In fact, they really thought it would lead to an end to trials and temptations like this. Spiritual warfare was something they could face with a measure of satisfaction, as 'mature' Christians, 'prayer warriors' that they are. But the problems they now face, the crisis which threatens to overwhelm them, is something they have prayed about many times, something they had trusted God to save them from, or to bring them through. But their strength is ebbing, their patience is fast
disappearing, and they have no joy in the trials. They are disillusioned. They thought God would move in their circumstances, but it now seems that it is God himself who is causing the trouble in the first place! What is happening? God is destroying another serious illusion which afflicts so many of us. It is the lie that, if we commit ourselves to Jesus, and seek maturity and spiritual growth, then we will move into greater power and effectiveness in ministry and witness. But there is no such quid pro quo; God is not obliged to give us anything in return for our lives. The ultimate revelation of all for Christians is that God is GOD ALMIGHTY, Creator of everything that is. We have no claim on him in ourselves. As a loving Father, he has to face us with the disillusioning fact that we deserve hell, and nothing else. We have to understand what it really means when we read that 'it is all of grace...so no-one can boast'. We never graduate to
a place as Christians where we are no longer dependant entirely on grace. We never attain a position where we have a right to grace and mercy...never! No matter how long we have served God, we are still as needy as when we were the deepest-dyed sinners in creation. This is disillusioning, it is not what we thought, what we wanted to believe, was the case. Like Job, we have to come to accept that we will not always be given answers to why God treats us as He does. We must stand in faith, knowing that he loves us, and is training us in righteousness. But this truth also sets us free. Because it is only then that we begin to understand how amazing grace really is, how astounding it is that the Almighty God loves me! The illusion is that God is simply a loving, forgiving Lord, and, because we are so loveable, He cannot bring himself to condemn us. What a lie! So, in love, the Holy Spirit brings us to a place where we cannot
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deny our unworthiness any longer. We are faced with a holy and majestic God, and, in comparison, we appear in our true identity. It isn't a pretty sight. We are so easily led into spiritual pride. Just getting saved makes some people so arrogant that they parade through life waving their Bible at unbelievers, demanding that they live up to a standard that only God's grace makes possible. And Jesus looks at them and says: 'Pharisees!' But as we grow in Christ, the temptation is still there. We think, 'I am getting much more spiritual these days; I am understanding so much more, so many deep things'. C. S. Lewis once said that the worst thing about humility was that, once you realise you had it, it’s gone! This pride takes a great deal of breaking. It is hard, painful and humiliating. It is disillusioning to us, making us admit things about ourselves that we really don't want to know. It is easier, far
easier, to resist the intrusion of the Holy Spirit in our cosy world of religious righteousness. But such unreal illusions lead to an unreal life where we have to pretend that we are something we are not. We think we're wine, when really we're just water. In the twelfth chapter of Romans, Paul makes it very clear that there are two ways to see things: God's way and the way the world does. If we see things the same as the rest of world, then we know we are wrong. Its that simple. No, we're not the Christians we thought we were, but God is not surprised by that: he knew it all along. So allow him to bring you to the truth through disillusionment. You will come to see things as he does. You will see yourself as you are: and then have even greater joy and surprise at knowing how much God loves you.
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ACROSS 1. Body of water 5. Skid 10. Amazes 14. How old we are 15. Beginners 16. Jump 17. Dilapidated 19. Pueblo ceremonial chamber 20. Defraud 21. Overweight 22. Merchandise 23. Empower 25. Pasture 27. Beer 28. Soft thick unsweetened baked dishes 31. Stomach 34. Blunts 35. Before, poetically
36. Prig 37. Mountainous 38. Largest continent 39. Family 40. Gossamer 41. Points 42. Baby pacifiers 44. Pallid 45. Ganders 46. Ecstasy 50. Termagant 52. Direct the course 54. Veto 55. Withdraw gradually 56. A decorated dart 58. Not legs 59. Law and _____ 60. Consider 61. Prying 62. Smells 63. Contributes
DOWN 1. Big 2. Twice 3. Tidy 4. S 5. Horse barn 6. French school 7. Bothers 8. Sorrowfully 9. East southeast 10. Antacid 11. Strangeness 12. Overhang 13. Resorts 18. Heatedly 22. Marries 24. Poetic foot 26. Lazily 28. Inexpensive magazines 29. Handle 30. Oceans 31. Sounds of disapproval 32. Pearly-shelled mussel 33. Anagram of "Groomsman" 34. Ignore 37. Hastens (archaic) 38. Parental sister 40. Exclamation of relief 41. Escapade 43. Very small 44. Waterproof hip boots 46. Equestrian 47. Lacking leadership 48. Angered 49. Tests 50. An aquatic bird 51. Protagonist 53. Annul 56. Ghost's cry 57. Actress Lupino
The Mysterious Mr. Henderson by David Shanahan Part 1: From war to Kemptville On December 28, 1837, a man called John Henderson, then living in Ogdensburg, New York, wrote to William Lyon Mackenzie at Navy Island in the Niagara region. Mackenzie was in exile following the failure of the rebellion instigated by him in Upper Canada, now the Province of Ontario, that same month. People had been killed, a few were later hanged after trial on treason charges, and the entire province had been thrown into turmoil by the outbreak of violence. Henderson, too, was in exile, having, he claimed, had his entire fortune “extracted” from him back in the town he had set his business - Kemptville. John Henderson, according to his letter to Mackenzie, was an American citizen who had fought in the War of 1812 in a number of battles, including Chrysler’s Farm and Sackett’s Harbour. Now, aged 43, he was eager to join Mackenzie to continue the battle for “the Reduction of British power in the Canadas”. He was prepared to fight and die, and informed Mackenzie that he could bring with him to the cause “a number of volunteers”, if only he could find the money to get to Navy island. But he was destitute, thanks to the way he had been treated in Kemptville, and was only eager to get his revenge on them by joining Mackenzie’s forces. On the face of it, John Henderson seems a pathetic figure, bitter and angry, a victim of malign forces and looking for a handout and a cause. There is no indication that Mackenzie ever answered his letter, though it remains in the Mackenzie Papers in the Archives of Ontario. He might have remained just a footnote in history, but it turns out there
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was far more to the mysterious Mr. Henderson than that one letter suggested. By using other sources, the story of John Henderson in Kemptville becomes somewhat clearer, and it is linked to, not only Kemptville in the 1830's, but the wider world of Upper Canada during that turbulent decade. We know, from his letter to Mackenzie, that John Henderson came to the Canada’s in 1826, living first in Montreal in Lower Canada, where he stayed for four years. Then, he says, in 1830 he moved to Kemptville to take up a business partnership with a merchant called Baxter Bowman. Bowman was a lumber merchant based in Buckingham, Lower Canada, who had the cutting rights to the timber on the du Lièvre River and the upper Ottawa River. He operated a number of sawmills on the du Lièvre, as well as a gristmill. Bowman was a justice of the peace for the region and also served as a captain in the local militia. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada in 1834 for Ottawa County. The municipality of Bowman on the du Lièvre River was named after him. It is not known when and where Henderson and Bowman first met or entered into business as partners, but they bought two lots in Kemptville from Asa Clothier in 1834 for £112 and ten shillings, which would have been the equivalent of about $500. The lots were on the South Branch at what is now part of Curry Park. They operated as
Bowman and Henderson in 1835 and 1836, selling a wide variety of goods to the people of Kemptville, advertised as “the most extensive and choice assortment of Dry Goods, Liquors, and Groceries ever offered for sale in the village of Kemptville”. Clothing, hats, fabrics, hardware, tools, fruits and spices, guns, axes, nails, cutlery, all were available at Bowman and Henderson’s store on the South Branch. It is assumed that there was a warehouse and wharf on their property, as their merchandise was imported by steamboat on the recently completed Rideau Canal. As was usual at the time, their goods were available, not just for “ready cash”, but through barter and exchange. “All kinds of produce will be received in payment at higher prices than any other person can pay at Kemptville”, according to an advertisement in the Prescott “Vanguard”on January 6, 1836. What happened to turn this prosperous merchant along Kemptville’s waterfront into the embittered rebel living in destitution in Ogdensburg just two years later, eager for revenge and to overthrow British rule in Canada. In a word: politics. In addition to his business venture in Kemptville, John Henderson was also involved in local, and provincial, affairs. And this brought him, and Kemptville, into the mainstream of Upper Canada politics as it swept towards rebellion and crisis. Next: Part 2: The coming storm.
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TIMES Gord Logan
Marketing Consultant Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca
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Kemptville & District Home Support, the place for Active Aging!
First 10 words are FREE for North Grenville and Merrickville/Wolford Residents. All service ads will be charged. Extra Words: 50 cents a word. Email classifieds@ngtimes.ca
FOR SALE Liftmaster 1/2hp AC Chain Drive Garage Door Opener. New $350 or bo. 613 713 3311 Covered swing 4 seats, table, mosquito net $500 firm. 613-258-0530 (35) Vintage Bar Stools Faux Leather and Chrome. Great Condition. 613 258 2272 (35) 2016-Chrysler 200 LTD. 3.6 l, 13,800 km $15,500 OBO 613 302-9463 (35) Curling equipment. Jackets: size large and children size 12 $20. each., shoes size 12 $20. , and size 10 $40., broom $20. Call 613 258 1842 (35) Decorative wood stove. Not certified. Very heavy. No delivery. 613-258-3851 (35) Hardwood for sale. Black walnut planks slabs logs jgwalnut@gmail.com. (34)
FIREWOOD, HARDWOOD, 3 CORDS /LOAD, $110/CORD. CALL PETER 613-913-0810 MIXED SEASON HARDWOOD$105/CORD, 2 CORD MINIMUM DELIVERY.CHARLIE - 613-989-2768 NOMA PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER 1 summer only 613-658-5902 $250 Andrea (32) Quality grass hay round bales for sale. Call Jon 613227-3650. (34) Entire Home Workshop: Band & Table Saws, Jointer,Router,Plainer;Hand and Power Tools,Drills etc. 613/258-4519 (33)
COMPLETE MECHANICS TOOL SET AND CABINET ON CASTERS 42 INCH HIGH,ELECTR.& AIR POWER WRENCH SETS 613/258-4519 (33) FREE, YOU PICK-UP AND MOVE, APARTMENT SIZE ELECTRIC YAMAHA ORGAN. EVENING 613 702-1278 CAN ALSO LEAVE MESSAGE. (33)
613-601-0968
From 1981-2019 ~ 38 years of providing service in the community. Welcome August! There are many activities and events to keep involved and active at KDHSI, and are scheduled in either the Activity Room or in the Cheryl J. Brown Centre. See below for Raffle Fundraisers going on in August-September! KDHSI is located at 215 Sanders St., Suite 101 in Old Town Kemptville. To register with us, learn more about our activities, services, fundraisers/tickets or volunteer opportunities at Home Support, please call us at 613258-3203. Better yet, stop by for a tour! OFFICE HOURS: Monday – Friday, 8:30am-4:00 pm. FUNDRAISER NEWS: KDHSI Raffle: 1st Prize ~ Johnny Cash & June Carter Tribute 1000 Islands Boat Cruise on September 10, 2019. 2nd Prize~ $100 Prepaid MasterCard Gift Card. Tickets: $2 each, or 3 for $5. Draw date: 3:00pm August 29, 2019 (ALSO: Vessy’s Bulbs pre-order & Bake Sale start at 9am) UNITED WAY RAFFLES: “Take Flight with Air Canada Raffle”:Two Economy Class Return Tickets for travel with Air Canada. Tickets: $20 each, or 3 for $50. Draw date: August 14, 2019. “Summer Fun Raffle”: 1st Prize: $1,000 cash; 2nd Prize: $500 cash. Tickets $2 each, or 3 for $5. Draw date: September 3, 2019.
Mixed seasoned firewood for sale, all hardwood, $110/3 3 cordminimum delivered, Jon 613-227-3650 GERMAN SHEPHERD/ROTTWEILER MIX PUPPIES. BORN MAY 5. VACCINATED, DEWORMED. $700. 613-989-2547. (33) NEW CENTRAL AIR INSTALLED SO FOR SALE 3 AIR CONDITIONERS 613-821-6161 (33) ALUMINUM TRUCK TOOL BOX 71" X 14 " X 21". $120. 2582641. (33)
GARAGE SALES Downsizing. August 10, 7:30 to 4:00, 1584 oxford station road. ,furniture air conditioners bikes and lots more 613-821-6161
HELP WANTED
WANTED
Part Time Help Shipping & Receiving General Carpentry Help Call Kemptville Windows & Kitchen 613.258.7464 email:kwandk@bellnet.ca
250ml canning jars for the Eric Gutknecht Memorial Bursary Jam and Jelly Sales. The Bursary is a registered charity that has awarded $24,000 in bursaries to both North Grenville High Schools. Call Billy @ 613-258-4529 or drop off at 529 George Street East. (39)
Send in your letters to the editor to editor @ngtimes.ca Starting Kemptville chess club. Interrested? Email me
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TIMES Gord Logan
OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT Unit available August 1, 2019 in well maintained commercial building. Conveniently located on Van Buren Street close to downtown Kemptville and easily accessible from the 416 Highway. The building currently has 6 units occupied by medical and professional offices. One unit is currently available as of August 1, 2019. This spacious double unit is 1470 square feet that is currently used as a medical office for two doctors with three private offices, four exam rooms, two bathrooms a shared reception and exclusive waiting area. Ample parking available in open parking lot on location. All utilities included. Possibility of re-configuring unit. For further information or to set up a viewing please call 613-258-7462 or email carole@ jansenlaw.com
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TOES IN NEED
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Thursday August 8: Exercise: 9:00-10:00 Cribbage: 1:00-3:30 Friday August 9: Foot Care Clinic: By appointment Exercise: 11:00-12 noon Monday August 12: COPD Exercise Class: 9:00-10:00 Euchre: 1:00 – 3:30 Tuesday August 13: Exercise: 9:00-10:00 Skip-Bo: 10:00 -12 noon Bid Euchre: 1:00-3:30
Wednesday August 14: COPD Exercise Class: 9:0010:00 Thursday August 15: Foot Care Clinic: By appointment Exercise: 9:00-10:00 Cribbage: 1:00-3:30 Friday August 16: Foot Care Clinic: By appointment Exercise: 11:00-12 noon
HELP WANTED Wanted experienced carpenter, capable of working unsupervised. Competitive wages
Call 613-913-9598
CJM925@GMAIL.COM
FIREARMS AND HUNTING COURSES PAL; Sept. 6,7 Hunter Safety; Sept 13,14 Oxford Mills Further information: Tony Gundy 613 258 7816 or keewaytin@gmail.com
Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca
SERVICES Professional, Sterile Advanced Mobile Foot Care Nurse 613 858 4383 toesinneed@bell.net www.toesinneed.ca
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email classifieds@ngtimes.ca for pricing ERIC’S CARPENTRY
Residential construction, additions, reno’s, kitchens, baths, basements and more. 613-913-9598
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HEAPHY’S CLEANING SERVICES Chemical free cleaning, plant based products. Call 613 206 7279 for a free quote
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RETIRED CARPENTER Renovations, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, decks, home repair, ceramic tile. Call George at 613 462 7637
PROFESSIONAL PAINTER Commercial and Residential
Free Estimates
613 276 4583
CLEAR HOME
Affordable, custom cleaning service Call KC at 613 204 6757 or email at kcglights @gmail.com
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BACKYARD ASTRONOMY
The North Grenville Times
The Perseid Meteor Shower
by Gary Boyle The Backyard Astronomer You are taking a late-night stroll, or sitting on your deck staring at the starry sky, and whoosh, a quick streak of light catches your attention. You have just witnessed the fiery re-entry of space debris called a meteor. In a few cases, they can be nuts, bolts and wires from damaged satellites orbiting high above the earth. However, the majority of sightings are visitors from outer space. No, not the alien variety but leftover material from the early creation of the solar system. The average faint meteor is the size of a grain of sand, or the period at the end of this sentence, whereas other brighter “heart stoppers” that light up the ground could be many centimetres in size. Striking the atmosphere about
100 kilometres in altitude, temperatures reaching 1,700 degrees Celsius, and with entry speeds of tens of kilometres per second, causes them to glow. They simply vaporize high above our heads without incident. From time to time, a basketball or larger size meteoroid will end its ancient life in a brilliant blaze of glory. High temperature and pressure cause the space rock to shatter, with some surviving pieces called meteorites reaching the ground. These chunks of rock are the leftover “lego” pieces that never formed a planet. Meteorites are around 4.6 billion years old. But not all meteors are random (sporadic) in where they appear in the sky. There are various times of the year when the Earth ploughs through the dusty debris of
a comet. As our planets orbit the Sun, we encounter the stream of particles at the same time each year, and one of the best showers is now underway. The annual Perseid meteor shower will peak on the night of August 12 and early morning of August 13. This shower generally produces from 80 to 100 meteors per hour, zipping along at 72 kilometres per second. Well, that was the good news, and now for the bad. The bright 93% lit moon will wash out faint meteors and drastically reduce the hourly rate. Till next time, clear skies. Known as “The Backyard Astronomer”, Gary Boyle is an astronomy educator, guest speaker and monthly columnist for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. He has been interviewed on more than 50 Canadian radio stations and local Ottawa TV. In recognition of his public outreach in astronomy, the International Astronomical Union has honoured him with the naming of Asteroid (22406) Garyboyle. Follow him on Twitter: @astroeducator or his website: www. wondersofastronomy.com.
The role of Supply Management in Canadian agriculture by Deron Johnston For decades, Supply Management has been a hot topic of political discussion across Canada. However, outside of the agricultural sector, it appears that not many people truly understand how it works, or who pays to help ensure that Canadian farmers have a stable income. Farmers in the turkey, chicken, egg and dairy sectors operate within arrangements that are governed by Supply Management. Back in the 1960’s, there was a period of overproduction beyond the needs of Canadian consumers, and this resulted in many farmers receiving very low prices for what they produced. This overproduction was due, mainly, to technological advancements in farming. Though the federal government has been involved in supporting agricultural pricing policies for over a century, at the time it was believed that direct financial support to farmers was too costly. Hence, the creation and subsequent evolution of our current Supply Management system. Supply Management is based on the principle that, by controlling the amount of agricultural products produced in certain sectors, it will help stabilize the prices of those products and, subsequently, the incomes for farmers without direct government support. In the U.S., the agricultural industry largely relies on direct government subsidies, so Americans pay to support farmers directly through taxation. In Canada, we pay higher prices for
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need to produce each year. Each individual farmer must have a quota, which is essentially a licence to produce a set amount of product. The quota system prevents the overproduction which causes prices to dip and reduces the income of farmers. Quotas were initially granted to farmers for free, but are now quite valuable. Quota can even be bought or sold under certain conditions. Import control: In order to solidify Canadian-produced products as the first choice for Canadian consumers and safeguard the income of Canadian farmers, agricultural products (that are covered by the Supply Management system) that are imported from other countries are often subject to Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs). Canada sets TRQs, with some foreign products (about 10 per cent of Canada's domestic dairy market), entering tariff-free, but all other imports face high tariffs to prevent products from other countries from flooding the Canadian market. According to the website of one dairy industry organization: “Without supply management, due to the volatility of the global market, the comparatively high costs of production in Canada (due to a colder climate), and the perishable nature of their products, many Canadian family farmers would simply go out of business. This would hurt Canadian communities, Canadian consumers, Canadian farmers, and the Canadian economy”. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why some American dairy farmers might be envious of the predictable income provided by our Supply Management system.
June and July were busy months for the OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT). Summer weather has brought with it some challenges for the ERT program including an increase in lost and missing persons. In July, two 16-year-old girls from Kitchener were lost for four days when they failed to meet up with the larger camping group in the vast, rugged and remote Algonquin Park. The girls were found alive and well with the assistance of OPP ERT and Canine Unit along with members of the Ontario Search and Rescue Association and the Ministry of Natural Resources. 'They did the right thing. Once they realized they were lost, they stopped moving. It's best to stay put, protect yourself from the elements and we will come find you,' says Sgt. John Meaker, Search and Rescue Coordinator. The teens had seen the OPP helicopter searching above and knew it was just a matter of time. Zoe from the Canine Unit found the teens, less than two kilometres away from where they were last spotted on the Western Uplands Trail dehydrated and bug bitten, but very happy.
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agricultural products that are supply-managed, but are not supported through taxation. Common wisdom is that Supply Management has been constructed using three pillars: pricing controls, production controls, and import controls. Like a house with walls, if one of these pillars falters, then it weakens the others and the system may collapse. Pricing controls: Farmers who are part of the Supply Management system are guaranteed a minimum price for what they produce. These minimum prices, or “farmgate prices”, are most often established through provincial sector marketing boards representing farmers in that sector. Factors such as costs of production, capital costs, labour costs, and the condition of the Canadian economy in general, are considered when establishing farmgate prices. Depending on the sector - let’s use the dairy sector as an example - the farmers sell their raw products to the processors at farmgate prices. The processors then mark up the prices and sell their processed products to retailers, who then mark up the price again. The final price paid by consumers is often significantly higher than what the farmer received for producing those products. Production control: Through the collective efforts of national organizations and provincial marketing boards representing each sector, forecasts are created anticipating the demand for each product. Production quotas are then set for each province, which are then divided up among individual farmers, providing them with the specific amount of product that they
Warm weather heats up search and rescue
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More wins for Little League
Back row: Jeff Matthew (Coach), Cullen Ralph, Parker Hughes, Jacoby Pierce, Jaxson Matthew, Crue Allen, Lukas Hambly Front row: Luthor Pierce, Nathan Hambly Absent were: Elliot Cunningham, Aiden Hyndman, Dave Ralph (Coach), CJ Pierce (Coach), Owen Cunningham (Coach). by Nadine Pickard Congratulations to Kemptville Little League’s Royal Blue Coach Pitch Team, who won the Coach Pitch Cup at the 2nd Annual tournament for the Wildcats' 7 and 8 year-old ball players on July 20. Despite the major heat wave, their abundance of hard work and heart managed to get them to the finals and take home the Cup. Congrats team on a great year! Special thanks to the Kemptville Legion Branch 212 for their continued support of the Wildcats' Little League program here in town. It is because of our sponsors in this community that we are able to offer softball and baseball programs for our local girls and boys. 2020 planning is underway! Keep watch for our AGM date, and volunteer opportunities. League information can be found at www.kemptvillewildcats.com.
Health Unit conducts Beach Water Quality Program
The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit is conducting weekly water sampling of the area’s public bathing beaches for this year. The beaches will be monitored weekly throughout the summer season until August 31. This year the following public swimming areas in Leeds Grenville will be monitored: Sand Bay Charleston Lake County Park, St. Lawrence Park, Lyn Valley Conservation Area, South Crosby Beach, Portland Campbell Street Beach, Foley Mountain Beach, Joel Stone Beach, Kendrick’s Park, Lower Beverley Township Park, Bellamy Park, Kelly’s Beach, Merrickville, Westport Sand Lake. Every week a total of five water samples will be collected from each beach. The results will then be analyzed for the presence of E. coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria. If the results exceed the bathing water standard of 200 E. coli, the beach will be posted with a “WARNING Unsafe for Bathing” sign indicating that the level of bacteria in the water may pose a risk to your health if you choose to swim. This information will appear on our website and social media. Updates will be posted Friday mornings by 9:30am. Research has shown that when people are swimming at beaches where the water has a high E. coli level, there is a direct relationship with an increase in ear, eye, nose and throat infections in swimmers. The bathing beach will remain posted until test results indicate that the water quality meets the bathing beach water standard. To help you better understand “Why Beaches are Posted”, check out our Beaches page. Bacterial water quality is one parameter used to determine water quality. Other variables, which are assessed and evaluated, are the presence of a blue-green algae bloom, accidental spills that may pollute the water and any safety issue that could affect the health of the bathers. At any time if these variables are believed to have an impact on the beach’s safety, the beach will be posted as “Unsafe for Bathing”. Posting information and results are available on our Weekly Beach Results page: https:// healthunit.org/health-information/recreational-water/weekly-beach-results, @LGLHealthUnit on Facebook and Twitter or by calling 1-800-660-5853. August 7, 2019
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North Grenville Photography Club
Vernissage featuring NGAG artists
Rust and Goldenrod in the Boneyard. Photo by Robert Young
Sandy Armstrong, Hanna MacNaughtan, Susan Cartwright, and Miriam Mas at the Studio 57 vernissage in Perth. by Miriam Mas Art Show at Gallery Studio 87 – Perth. Four featured artists, three of them members of the North Grenville Arts Guild, were profiled at the art gallery Studio 87 on the banks of the Tay River in beautiful Perth. On the evening of July 25, Sandy Armstrong (NGAG Member), Hanna MacNaughton (NGAG Member), Susan Cartwright, and Miriam Mas (NGAG Member) shared the spotlight with nearly 80 guests (several of them also NGAG members who came to give their support), making this a full house event for the gallery, as they reached the maximum allowed attendance for the liquor license of the venue. After a brief introduction by Studio 87 owners, Randa Khoury and Martin Hauschild, the four artists shared with everybody there what motivates them to paint, as well as some personal experience around the art they so love to create and share. A great variety of mediums, artistic interpretations and style were present in the art exposed, which covered themes from still life, to country living, to marsh and meadow scenes. This was followed by more time for the guests to mingle with the artists and other art lovers present, while everybody enjoyed a glass or two of wine, delicious hors d'oeuvres and cheese.
Kemptville Players Inc.
Do you want to see some fairly local summer theatre with like-minded local people? If you do, you are welcome to sign up for any of the following performances. Kemptville Players Incorporated (KPI) is Kemptville's longest running own theatre group. Signing up in no way obligates you to be part of KPI or commit to volunteering. Students are welcome with parental accompaniment. If you are interested in any or all of these outings, please email Darrell Nunn directly at (darrell@kapn.net)
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Priority Pump Service &
Water Conditioning 613.882.7867
TIMES Gord Logan Marketing Consultant
HERE ARE A LIST OF PLAYS:
1. Lunenberg, Norm Foster, Upper Canada Playhouse, Morrisburg, Friday, August 23, 2 p.m. (This is a new Foster comedy.) 10 or more $31 2. Same Time Next Year, Bernie Slade, Upper Canada Playhouse, Morrisburg, Saturday, September 21, 2 p.m.( A real classic comedy that originally ran for four years. You may remember the film; see the play.) 10 or more $31 Once we have final numbers of people interested, Darrell will reach out and let you know what the rate will be based on group rates.
Sales, Service, Installations
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Well Pumps - Submersible & Jet Pressure Tanks Water Conditioning Sump/ Effluent / Sewage Pumps Heated Water Lines Pump & Electrical Motor Repair Well Extensions and Conversions www.prioritypumpservice.ca August 7, 2019
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Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca
Come join us!
Shannon Lever, President, KPI 16
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