ND Times Issue 03 2023 February 09

Nationview PS students write children’s book

hidden animals to illustrations created from clay.”

by Brandon Mayer

A journey that started in January of 2022 has reached a significant milestone, as students from last year’s grade 4, 5, 6 class at Nationview Public School officially launched their book, “The Little Lonely Potato”. The book launch took place at the Nationview PS gymnasium on January 30, with a proud mix of students, parents, and UCDSB dignitaries in attendance.

LeBlanc’s grade 4, 5, 6 class that took on this expressive project.

Rutters and Trustee Larry Berry.

“The Little Lonely Potato” began as a project not just to allow the students to experience the joys of authorship, but also to share a message that everyone is different, and that this difference is good. It was

Jeannette

Froese-

“I guided them as they went through the process, but the ideas and the work is all theirs,” Mme Froese-LeBlanc told the audience at the book launch. “I’m very proud of their accomplishment!” The book was written and illustrated by students Teagan, Keira, Colton, Jacob, Wyse, Gordon, Molly, Colby, Skyler, Ethan, Fizza, Nikolye, Conner, Gabriel, Ellasyn, Preston, Tyson, Makayla and with help from Mme Froese-LeBlanc. In addition to parents, several representatives from the UCDSB were present at the book launch including Dan McRae, Principal of Equity and Inclusion, Superintendent Susan

Mme Froese-LeBlanc explained that the class brainstormed ideas and chose their audience and set about to write the children’s book. The students had to create original characters, and they made the illustrations for the book out of coloured clay, using knowledge of middle ground and foreground which they had learned in class. The class learned how to blend colours, use different layers, and construct certain critical things such as clouds using only clay.

“The students wrote the story and then divided up the jobs,” said Mme Froese-LeBlanc. “Everyone worked on something on each page. The book features everything from

“Once all the pages were made and the story written and agreed on, a group met at recess to photograph the clay tiles,” explained Preston, one of the book’s authors. “Then another group met over several recesses to crop and input the images into the printer’s program and the text was added. This project took five months and I think we did a fantastic job. It was also a great motivator for us to work hard on our French so that we can have the most time possible for art and working on the book. We would also like to thank Ms. McConnell’s class for taking on the job of PR and advertising!

Members of her class also did the set up and were the door greeters, thank you!”

“I made all of the clay potatoes with Molly – actually, the idea of a potato as one of the characters was my idea,” explained Teagan, another author.

“At first the class just added it to the list of character ideas, but I convinced them! It’s a really good idea. A potato is just a potato—it’s not a girl or a boy—or it’s both. It doesn’t matter—it’s a potato with feelings and ours met a lot of nice animals on the way from the garden to the pond.

TO ALL OUR VALUED CLIENTS FOR HELPING US GET WHERE WE ARE!

Some of the Authors of “The Little Lonely Potato” pose with their book

All of the animals are gender neutral, too. As a class we talked about how this book needs to include everyone and not say he or she, or someone might feel left out.”

“In fact by NOT saying he or she in the whole book, everyone can enjoy it and everyone will make their own connections to the story and the moral that we are all different and that is a good thing,” added Keira, another one of the book’s authors.

In response to a question from a student at the book launch, Mme LeBlanc was unable to

say for sure whether the book will be published via mainstream publishers, but she asserted that she is confident the book is good enough to be distributed as such.

Currently, parents can buy copies directly from the online publisher used to create the copies for the book launch. Mme Froese-LeBlanc has that information for interested fans of the book. The school’s principal, Mrs. Candy Campbell, is looking into other avenues to get the book printed. “It’s very original and it has a great message.”

Local hockey team makes donation to Naomi’s House

VALLEY AIRWAY MECHANICAL 613- 915- 5820 Valleyairwaymechanical @gmail.com

METAL• VENTILATION

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

A local hockey team has become the epitome of giving back. Players from the local U15 Rep North Dundas Demons hockey team made a food donation last week to Naomi Family Resource Centre in Winchester. The Resource Centre, also known as “Naomi’s House”, is a women’s

shelter that also offers child and youth programs, support groups, and a 24/7 crisis line.

Renee Moores, Interim Executive Director at Naomi’s, explained more about how the donation came to be. “About a week or so ago, I received a call from Coach Brian of the U15 Rep North

Dundas Demons saying that his team wanted to give back to the community and if there was something they could offer,” Renee explained.

“Coach Brian liked the idea of a food drive and agreed to it.”

The team worked hard and made their donation count. “I am so delighted

to share that the U15 Rep team raised 600.3 lbs of food for the Violence Against Women shelter,” added Renee. “What a success!”

The Demons have demonstrated, with such a caring gesture, that they are a team not only on the ice, but off it as well. Their kindness has certainly not gone unnoticed.

“On behalf of Naomi's, we are truly grateful to every player and team member for thinking of us and this extremely generous donation,” said Renee. “Coach Brian is very thoughtful. The community support for Naomi's is so kind and the quantity of food is overwhelming. We feel very fortunate.”

cont'd from front page

by Brandon Mayer

In the early morning hours of February 3, Matt from CP Rail finishes a repair on a broken rail near Oxford Mills.

Photo by Ashley Sloan

Cardiac symptoms for some women to watch for

submitted by Louise Arsenault

I was compelled to write about my own experience after hearing the news about the lady from Cape Breton, NS a few weeks ago, who died after waiting in the ER for 7 hours and had called her husband to pick her up and then went home. Within an hour, her symptoms increased and he took her back to the hospital but they couldn’t revive her, she suffered a Myocardial Infarction, “Heart Attack”. A week or so later, the family came forward in the media, hoping their experience could save others who might experience similar symptoms. Her symptoms were severe arm pain and jaw pain. She had NO chest pain or shortness of breath. She showed symptoms that some women can present with, along with a few others I will list later. I can’t remember if she had any blood work done when they first took her history. There is a blood test they do in the ER which will confirm there is a cardiac problem.

In the last months of 2018, I gradually noticed a left side jaw pain which radiated along the left side of my nose. It wasn’t severe, but I had it checked out at my dentist and that was negative. In the days that followed, I would feel a “sort of heavy feeling” in my left arm, as well as the jaw discomfort. Both things may have lasted a few minutes. It was not a severe pain, so I didn’t get alarmed. As the weather got cooler

Letter to the Editor

and I was out walking to an exercise group, I noticed it more, but once inside, it disappeared. I mentioned it to my doctor who ordered me an ECG the next morning, which was negative. She also suggested I go to Emergency at the Winchester District Memorial Hospital if these symptoms lasted longer than 15 minutes. On a Friday morning, I felt these symptoms for about 2 hours, again not severe, but I went to the ER and said my Doctor sent me. You would never know I had a problem looking at me and my ECG showed nothing. They did the blood work, which takes about 4 hours to get the first result, and they said we would do the same blood work again. After another 4 hours it was confirmed, so I was admitted while I waited for an appointment at the Ottawa Heart Institute. They do an Angiogram, which shows them heart arteries and vessels. There were actually three places that I had some blockage. One was 95% blocked, so it was cleared and a Stent inserted. The other two had only 50% and 30% blockages, and they don’t Stent unless the blockage is at least 70-80%. That might have even changed over the past 4 years. I’ll not go into the details of how it’s done, but you are not put under an aesthetic, just a relaxant, and they ask you not to move. If you wish, you can watch on the very large screen that the Doctor uses while doing the procedure. A nurse will watch you in the recovery room for 3-4 hours and then you can go

home. I didn’t feel any discomfort whatsoever after, and the symptoms were gone.

We need to inform the general public about these not so obvious symptoms that some women exhibit.

1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the centre of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.

2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

5. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women may experience other symptoms that typically are less associated with heart attack, such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back arm or jaw pain.

Notice next time when you see an ad on TV about Heart Attacks, take note— no mention about women who can experience the above symptoms. I had never heard of these other symptoms four years ago. We need to spread the word, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Dear Editor, RE cost of living and coping with this world.

Look at all the Prime Ministers. They really look healthy. Because they all can afford to buy steak, beer, liquor because money doesn’t bother them. We go to the food bank, thank heavens for them, but all we see for fresh meat is chicken legs, or legs and thighs, and hamburger. Where is the prime meat, breast or steak, roast, etc.?

We need a cap on all groceries in stores, restaurants, any place that sells food. For one year starting right now. Watch the flyers and match from one week to the next. The price

goes up. Let them keep it. Stand up and keep money in your own pocket. I know people that haven’t even got $100 left after paying rent for a month. That is the government’s fault, welfare, etc. Look at Ford and Trudeau for example. They get that big smile on, thinking they did something great, but they only look like a dog eating crap out of long grass.

We challenge all Prime Ministers and highly paid people to live on $100 to $150 for food and all other accessories. We got a raise on Old Age Pension, a whole $4.42 a day. That buys fudge all. The Prime Minister must be laughing his guts out. What a jack--s. He got us so far in debt now, we

Tid bit musings

by Elva Patterson Rutters RSSW

Did you know there is no such legal/social identification as bad parenting or good parenting? Parenting is divided into three categories. The authoritative parent, the jelly fish parent or the brick wall (authoritarian) - those are the categories defined by sociologists. Who are you? and when are you? and what is the best selection?

The brick wall or authoritarian resonates with historical early years- "yes sir, yes ma'am" and onto the task now. There was no room for negotiation, explanation nor plea-bargaining. In those times, if you got the strap at school, you got it again at home for the same misdemeanor! This style works for all-around legal and safety issues. The issues were well defined and subject to the administering of consequences.

The jelly fish style was associated with those who had parents not seemingly aware of what or where their youngster was. Any answer was never prefaced with a yes or no. It was do as you please, and many did as they pleased. This was deemed the pushover parent or they don't care persona. They may well have chocolate cake for breakfast and no set mealtimes. This style does not provide a child with a framework of what is expected and when. Very roller-coaster in application.

The authoritative parenting style is the more respected style, lending to a child understanding and instituting the consequences. The youth asked permission, received the perimeters of expectations and were versed in the consequences for non-compliance. Consequences were/are carried through.

At one time or another, we deploy all styles at varying situations. You are the brick wall parent when it comes to safety, and legal perimeters. You are a jelly fish when you say have an apple, orange or banana. You are authoritative when you say before you play in the street, if there are no vehicles, eat some fruit, put peelings in garbage and have fun! The extension of application is far more than explained, but well worth a self evaluation of your "style!" Remember you are the child's parent not their friend- true for teenagersbe the parent!

will never see daylight.

Trudeau gave Kathleen Wynne hell for spending too much, that’s nothing compared to what shape our country is in.

We need housing for single people and single parents under 55, like seniors 55 and up, because they cannot afford high rent plus hydro and heat.

Next time there is an election, you know who to vote out, vote Trudeau out. Send him to the curb, with a garbage bag. Unfortunately, we have an idiot for a Prime Minister. Wake up people. We are all on our way to hell in a handbag. SOONER THAN LATER if we keep Trudeau.

David Larmour

The glass tipped over

by Brandon Mayer

What a snowy winter this has been so far! Compared to the last few years, with only my own memory as a source, I believe this winter takes the cake. If thinking back decades rather than years, most will remember snowier winters than this one, as do I. But in recent memory, the dumping of snow this season, and particularly in the last few weeks, has been astounding. When standing in my own driveway I feel like I am in a lonely crater, unable to see in any direction besides out into the street.

Opinions regarding the white fluffy stuff vary greatly depending on who you ask. Some hate it, and some love it. I often chuckle at social media posts in the summer months that feature a picture of a snow-covered street with a caption reading something like “this is coming in only four months”. The

humour comes in the form of comments from people who see the photo and act as though their life is coming to a bitter end, as though we weren’t already keenly aware that we live in Canada and that it snows in Canada, prior to the unsolicited guidance of social media.

Snow has its ups and downs. It can be a pain to clear out of the way, but it’s fun for kids to jump, play, and build in. It is a sign of colder, uncomfortable weather, but is also a symbol of winter fun such as sledding, skiing, and tubing. It reminds us of the January blues, but it’s also associated with Christmas and Valentine’s Day. One could say that the “good or bad” debate when it comes to snow is a perfect example of a classic “glass half full or glass half empty” scenario. For those not familiar with this old bit of philosophy, it’s quite simple. In any given situation, even as the facts remain the same, there will

Council update

by Brandon Mayer

The recently elected North Dundas Council is getting warmed up with plenty of routine business. Local Council meetings are pre-scheduled for the entire year, with either one or two meetings taking place per month. In February, only one meeting was scheduled and as you are reading this, it already took place on February 7. Unfortunately, a printing delay is part of the newspaper business, so as of the time of writing, I have only an agenda to work with for February’s meeting.

Earlier this year, a much-anticipated topic took centre stage for Council – water allocations. During the October election, every candidate for a Councillor position mentioned water in their Q&A submission to the Times. The need for more

be those who evaluate it in a positive way, and others who see it in a negative way. This leads to the analogy that if a glass is filled to the halfway point with water, optimists will see it as a glass half full, while pessimists will see it as a glass half empty. Unfortunately, I can’t help but notice that people seem to be getting increasingly negative lately. Forget about “glass half empty or glass half full”, it seems that we have just collectively decided that the glass has tipped over. And no, it didn’t have a lid.

When it comes to mental health, a positive attitude really does go a long way. Being positive is therefore not just about putting on a persona for those around you – it can be an act of self-care as well.

I have as much reason to complain about the snow as anyone else. Sometime before the last snowstorm, my snowblower stopped working. It’s a minor issue and I refuse to get a new one because I know that

“one of these days” I will just fix it, but in the meantime I have been shoveling by hand. It seems that the snow scoop I use is now having to slide up and over hills 5 feet in height in order to dump each load. There is just so much snow that I am running out of places to put it without being able to blow it somewhere! Despite this annoyance, I do enjoy snow. It feels so Canadian. It reminds me of childhood. It’s great to see kids’ creativity when they manage to make forts and tunnels and other frozen architecture with it. Why hate something that is out of our control, particularly when it’s here for at least a quarter of the year each and every year?

While snow is my current example because… well, look out your window – it is only an example. This isn’t really about snow. It’s about negativity and what it does to us. One psychological study showed that optimistic people can actually live 15% longer than

pessimistic people. That’s a significant number. To illustrate, if a pessimistic person had a lifespan of 60 years, this study suggests that an optimistic person could live for 69 years. Nine extra years!

It's time to take back positivity. It’s too cold to take a walk? Put on jacket! There are too many chores to do? Tackle a couple today and a couple tomorrow! Christmas is over? No big deal because Valentines Day and Easter are coming!

Shovelling the snow is too hard? At least it means you can make snow angels with your kids and this weekend will be easy to plan with snowy activities!

The snow example remains a good one, particularly insofar as kids can teach us what positivity means. When is the last time you heard a kid complain about too much snow? Sure, it may be because they are usually not the ones shovelling or driving in it, but it could also be because they are so natu-

rally good at making the most of things. Take your family on a snowy hike, or on a ski trip, or tubing, or sledding, or skating. Don’t see snow as a burden, see it as an opportunity.

None of this is meant to convey that any mental illness can be resolved simply by “thinking positive”. Instead, I want to implore people to once again assume the responsibility for their own happiness. Yes things are expensive, yes there are problems in the world, yes it feels like we must work longer hours for the same amount of money and have less time for recreation. However, none of these things are a barrier to making the most out of what we have. We must play with the hand we are dealt, and perhaps that means not only seeing the glass as half full, but also working to fill it up the rest of the way. Stay safe and warm this winter, but above all else – have fun!

municipal water capacity, particularly in Winchester, is a sign of the town’s growth. The water issue has existed for years, or even decades depending on who you ask. Since neither Winchester nor Chesterville are adjacent to any significant surface water sources, both towns’ municipal water systems are fed by groundwater wells. With groundwater being a limited resource, water allocations are necessary to ensure that our source water is not “overtapped”, so to speak.

At the January 18 Council meeting, Council made a firm decision regarding water allocations – developers with expired allocations will not be allowed to apply for an extension. Expired applications will indeed stay expired. The reasoning for this, which was discussed at the Council meeting, is that there are developers who need water allocations now, so allowing developers to extend an expired allocation

for use several years down the road is neither fair nor logical. Late last year, Council seemed to be leaning in the opposite direction in its decision.

One major reason for the change of heart is the expectation that new source water will be sought in the coming years, meaning that more water allocations will be available for developers in the years ahead, for those who had been holding on to an allocation for future use. Decision making in a small municipal Council is often heavily informed by Township staff. Council members act as final decision makers with the input of their constituents in mind, but expert consideration and research are done by Township employees who have the necessary education and experience. Township staff report findings to Council before Council makes a decision.

On the agenda for the February 7 Council meeting

– which you can now watch on the Township’s YouTube channel – is a discussion of “Option to Purchase Property for a New Well”. Later in the meeting, the agenda lists “New Requests for Water and Sewer Allocations” as a topic for discussion. The addition of a new source well to the Township water system is certainly the easiest option, and the one that will provide more water allocations in the short term, given that the system is already fed by wells. The other longer term option for source water would be to run a pipeline either directly from the St. Lawrence River to the South, or from an existing municipal water system that uses the St. Lawrence River as its source.

A few short years ago, the town of Maxville in North Glengarry installed a brand new municipal water system to replace the private wells that its residents had been drawing from. The only two options for

source water considered at that time were both existing municipal water systems.

The City of Cornwall is said to have rejected a request from North Glengarry to pay to tap into their system over concerns that it would draw businesses and residents away from Cornwall. North Glengarry Council therefore ran a pipeline to a system they already own – the Alexandria water system, which draws from the Garry River.

In North Dundas, the surface water option would be more sustainable in the long run, but would not get new water allocations quickly enough to those who need them now. Such a project would take years to complete. Given the attention being given to this issue, all Council members have thus far made good on their promise to take the water issue seriously.

Other agenda items for discussion on February 7 which I lament not being able to speak more about

owing once again to that pesky printing deadline include: remuneration for Council, the Fire Department, and full time Township employees; a January activity summary from various Township departments; and finally, an introduction of a list of Township boards and committees. Such a jam packed meeting! Want to know more about what is going on in your community and your local government? Don’t be afraid to go straight to the source. The Township of North Dundas YouTube channel – on which all Council meeting recordings are posted – can be accessed online by visiting https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCEHN4uflBAU2WZCe2LcyOQ.

Peacasa Snacks to visit Foodland this month

brewing in a startup business called Peacasa Snacks.

Peacasa Snacks is based out of London, Ontario but has Winchester roots. It was founded in 2020 by Victor Delage and Aaron Johnstone, the former of whom grew up in Winchester. Alex Porteous joined Victor and Aaron in early 2022 after living his entire life in Winchester, which is how he knew Victor.

have been flying off of the shelves, which has made us extremely proud,” Alex added.

France, where “Socca” are sold. Socca are woodfired crepes made from chickpeas.

In North Dundas, we tend to be proud of the success stories that have their roots here. One only has to

look as far as the Winchester welcome sign, and its longstanding brag of Winchester being the “birthplace of George Beverly Shea”, to see that small towns take pride in those who make

a name for themselves. George Beverly Shea was a gospel singer and hymn composer who lived to the astounding age of 104. Now, another Winchester success story might very well be

“I can pretty much guarantee we crossed paths at some point as I spent a year working at Winchester Foodland and three years at mainly Winchester Post Office,” said Alex, explaining his Winchester roots. Alex now lives in London, helping to grow Peacasa Snacks, which manufactures chickpea chips. “Recently we were able to put our product on the shelves in Foodland and our chips

Later this month, Alex and Victor will be bringing their product back to their hometown for a customer sampling event at Winchester Foodland. The sampling will take place on Saturday, February 18 from 10 am to 3 pm. The pair is very excited to return and share their story in the community in which they grew up.

As the name suggests, chickpea chips are chips that are made from chickpeas instead of potatoes or corn. Compared to potato chips, chickpea chips have 2.5 times more protein and 4 times more fibre. They also have 30% fewer net carbs. The idea for the product originated from street markets in the South of

South Dundas group aims to save historical building

Shawn Walker, Vice President of the Historical Society of South Dundas.

“The house is one of only a handful that did not need to be relocated that still are standing.”

Forward House and the property on which it sits are both owned by the Municipality of South Dundas. The Municipality cannot commit to investing in the needed repairs on its own, but South Dundas Mayor Jason Broad confirmed in an interview with CTV News that Council will consider a fundraising dollar match type of support in its 2023 budget.

Peacasa chips are made using only chickpeas, sunflower and olive oils, and seasoning. They currently come in two flavours – sea salt and honey dijon. The product is grain free, gluten free, vegan, non-GMO, and Kosher. It is made in Canada and boasts better environmental sustainability vs. snack foods made from potatoes or corn.

Come out on February 18 to meet Alex and Victor (or maybe catch up with an old acquaintance) and try out what may very well become your new favourite snack food!

by Brandon Mayer

The Historical Society of South Dundas has quite a task on its hands. A wellknown landmark in the town of Iroquois – the 207 year old stone building known as Forward House – is in need of repairs. The building is rich in history, being one of the oldest buildings remaining in town.

While the structure of the building is still strong, some rehabilitation is needed, including roof repairs and the removal of the building’s original furnace which is contaminated with asbestos. The former Council in South Dundas wanted the building gone, but the Histori-

cal Society successfully fought for the chance to return it to its former glory, and won. Now, they need money to make the necessary repairs happen.

The Historical Society has entered into a contest run by the National Trust of Canada called “The Great Save”. The premise of the contest is simple – 50 communities across Canada compete for funding to help restore or save a local landmark. Forward House has made it into the finalist round, which means the building is one of 10 across the country eligible for the chance to win the grand prize - $50,000. The contest winner is determined by online voting. As of the time of writing, an old

train station in Duncan, BC has a strong lead with over 18,000 votes, while Forward House sits at just over 3,600 votes. There is still time for Iroquois’ beloved landmark to take the lead, however – the voting period does not end until February 22.

If the Historical Society wins the prize money, the plan is for Forward House to be turned into a historical centre and a local meeting place. The area along the St. Lawrence River is rich in history owing to the flooding of the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s. Ten communities were submerged by the flooding, which was done to create a shipping passage between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic

ocean. Many of the displaced people from these ten communities were understandably angry at the time, particularly because many felt that the money offered for their land was insufficient. The towns of Long Sault and Ingleside originated as planned communities intended as a new home for those displaced by the flooding of the Seaway. Morrisburg was partially flooded, and the original town of Iroquois was submerged, but Iroquois was relocated 1.5 kilometres north rather than being abandoned. However, Forward House did not have to be moved.

“Forward House was not relocated, it sits on its original foundation on high ground,” explained

While an ideal outcome would be for Forward House to win the $50,000 prize money from The Great Save, the contest is not the last option for the Historical Society.

“If the Society fails to win the prize, we will persevere and continue to make efforts to raise the funds required to make

the building structurally sound and revitalize the space for public use and for creating a home for the Historical Society of South Dundas,” added Shawn.

Anyone can help Forward House by registering an online vote once per day until February 22. Only a name and email address is required, and don’t forget to confirm your vote by clicking the email link. With enough joint community support, we can show the rest of Canada that Eastern Ontario sticks together. To cast a vote, visit https://nationaltrustcanada.ca/whatyou-can-do/nextgreatsave/ competition2022.

Forward House in Iroquois.

by Brandon Mayer

A day w h real he t

by David Shanahan

It would be easy to think of Valentine’s Day, February 14, as another Hallmark invention, designed to sell greeting cards and create annual anguish on people everywhere as they try to find the perfect card for the object of their affections. But, in fact, Valentine’s Day is an ancient festival, the origins of which may be rather unclear, but rest with certainty in the records of history.

The day is named for Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr of the 3rd Century, though, as noted, there is some uncertainty about which of two, possibly three, martyrs named Valentine is the main source of the celebration. One of these died around 270 AD during the reign of emperor Claudius II, and the story surrounding him is that, before he was executed, he healed his jailer’s daughter of blindness. The day before his death, he wrote her a letter which he signed “from your Valentine”. Hence the tradition of signing Valentines with a similar wording.

Another possible Valentine was said to have secretly married Christian soldiers in the emperor’s army, and against the commands of the emperor, and so is associated with romance and secret love. However, since Christians didn’t join any army before Christianity became the state religion, and as the emperors had no objection to married soldiers, this tradition lacks some credibility.

But that there was a Valentine, and that he was gave rise, somehow, to the tradition of Valentine’s Day, is rather more historically supported. Some believe that the Day is a Christianised version of the older Roman festi-

val of Lupercalia, which celebrated the coming of Spring in mid-February each year. However, that theory has been firmly rejected, as there was little in common with the events of Lupercalia and those of Valentine’s Day. Refl ecting their ancient Roman origins, Valentines commonly depict Cupid, the Roman god of love, along with hearts, traditionally the seat of emotion. Birds are often included in illustrated cards, as February was thought to have marked the beginning of mating season for birds. Traditional gifts include candy and flowers, particularly red roses, a symbol of beauty and love.

The Venerable Bede, in the “Ecclesiastical History of the English People”, written in the 8th Century, refers to Valentine as an historical character. Bede is a credible writer on history, medicine, poetry, and science, and is lauded as “one of our best-written sources for early English history”.

References of Valentine’s Day go far back in historical and literary records. The Victorians, of course, are often credited with expanding the mythology surrounding the day, but commercially produced Valentine cards date from the late 1700's. Earlier still, cards and messages on Valentines Day appear from the 1500's, and Shakespeare referred to the day in Hamlet, when Ophelia says:

"To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine.”

It is thought that one of the earliest surviving valentines in English appear to be those in the Paston Letters, written in

1477 by Margery Brewes to her future husband John Paston "my right well-beloved Valentine". An even earlier reference can be found in Geoffrey Chaucer’s book, “Parliament of Fowls”, in 1382, and in a few other sources from the 14th Century. Religious relics are a less reliable source of information on history, but relics of Valentine are held in a number of locations, including, oddly enough, in a church in Dublin. It seems that Pope Gregory XVI donated them to the Carmelite order from their previous location in the cemetery of St. Hippolytus in Rome. They are now on display in Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland, where they have been since the 19th Century.

But all of this is probably irrelevant to those romantics, and underpressure lovers, as they search for just the right card, just the right wording, to provide their loves with an expression of their love on February 14 every year.

Of course, for those who have already found the love of their lives, every day is Valentine’s Day and there is no need for cards and flowers to prove their love and devotion. Or maybe that’s what they tell their love when they forget to buy a card?

Baldwin's Birds

Brrr! Frozen Food!?

I hope that you have all got yourselves dug out from our latest series of snowy nights and days. Plenty of exercise for me, that's for sure, as I made paths to my bird feeders to keep them happy. We still have plenty of resident birds who seem

to have survived it all, and are now experiencing some quite cold, but sunny days. One such bird is our delightful "Upside-down Bird", the White Breasted Nuthatch, which I managed to get a picture of as it fed on one of my peanut feeders surrounded by the overhanging

icicles glistening in the sun. The frozen and sometimes watery stalactite formations don't seem to put the birds off from feeding, so I have no concerns for their continuing welfare. In fact they, the icicles, provide a little contrast to show up and enhance their somewhat drabber winter coloring, as does the pure white fresh snow for those birds who are ground feeders. A good example of this are the Rock Pigeons and the Mourning Doves and some of our other birds, like the Cardinals and Bluejays. Perhaps you too have noticed the sharper bird colors when you are trying to cope with, and seeking some enjoyment, on these cold wintery, snowy days. Stay safe and well.

Cheers, John Baldwin

Farmers need right to repair their own equipment

by Cathy Lennon, General Manager, OFA Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Earlier this month, John Deere, one of the world’s largest farm equipment manufacturers, signed a “right to repair” memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau. This means farmers in the United States now have the right to fix their John Deere tractors and other farm equipment either themselves or through an independent third party.

This is a major shift for the agriculture sector, where Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in both Canada and the United States have long restricted farmers’ ability to access the technology embedded in their products, including diagnostic and repair codes and service manuals.

By comparison, rightto-repair legislation has been in place for decades in the automotive industry, where independent mechanics have the same diagnostic software and service manuals as OEM dealerships.

In Canada, without right-to-repair protection, farmers or someone not certified by the OEM who break a password or a digital lock to make a repair are in violation of the federal Copyright Act – and with digital systems and soft-

Is it safe to have an alcoholic drink before dinner?

the soul after an intense day of work. Not recommendations for others, but the plain facts for us.

No one in our family has ever needed to cling to a telephone pole on the way home after drinking too much alcohol. Rather, we have long held that moderate amounts of alcohol can be healthy. But are we right? Now, a new Canadian report claims more than one or two drinks a week increases the risk of health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.

nebulous affair. For instance, if you say “no” to a glass of red wine before dinner, would this alone increase your longevity? Unlikely.

It’s been said, “alcohol is for the elderly what milk is for the young”.

ware increasingly embedded across a growing array of systems and equipment, this applies to more and more aspects of a farm business’ operations every year.

Copyright law was never intended to prevent people from repairing their own devices. And even though copyright law is federal, Ontario needs a right-to-repair framework for agricultural equipment so that repair manuals, parts and tools are available, and manufacturers can’t deliberately make products unrepairable.

Bill C244, An Act to Amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance, and repair), was introduced in the House of Commons on February 8, 2022. It is currently before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Industry and Technology for review.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) supports legislation that lets people make repairs, run diagnostics and conduct maintenance. We understand that farmers cannot afford to be dependent on a dealer schedule to fix what could be as simple as a faulty fuel sensor – especially during busy planting and harvest seasons where field work must be completed as quickly as possible.

We need this legislation to ensure OEM-approved

tools, replacement parts and repair manuals are available for Canadian electronic and farm equipment aftermarkets. Doing in-field repairs themselves or calling an independent technician can minimize costly downtime and avoid a lengthy trip to the dealership.

Farmers also need assurance that equipment repairs done by non-OEM certified shops do not violate any warranties and want clarity about operator or OEM liability if an accident does occur on repaired equipment.

At the same time, we understand that OEMs need to protect their intellectual property, and that safeguards need to be in place to prevent the modification of software in ways that would circumvent the original design and function of the equipment.

That’s why farmers aren’t asking for the right to modify software or expose OEM intellectual property, but instead, support a framework that allows for decoding of digital locks for diagnosis, repair and maintenance.

The new MOU signed by John Deere and the American Farm Bureau has the potential to serve as a model for other manufacturers and in other jurisdictions to enable a framework where manufacturers and consumers can work together to

Professor Dan Malleck of Brock University, who specializes in alcohol regulation, and who has written several books on this topic, is skeptical of these generalized guidelines. He says they remind him of the Temperance Movement of long ago. Moreover, he states, the study used relative rather than absolute risk. This means that just three ounces and a half of alcohol shockingly increases the risk of larynx cancer by nearly 100 per cent! But this cancer is known to be primarily related to the smoking of tobacco.

The possibility of developing cancer from alcohol is real. Some studies do show an increase in a variety of malignancies. So, if you do not consume alcohol, do not start. Perhaps this decision will prolong your life.

But the attempt to extend your life by the abstinence of alcohol is a

protect everyone’s rights and improve the playing field when it comes to repairs.

The OFA supports a framework for farm equipment, as with other vehicles, that does not compromise safety and emissions standards, ensures products are repairable and that spare parts and tools are accessible. An amended federal Copyright Act that protects manufacturer technology copyrights, combined with provincial laws giving people the right to repair the things we own will help level the playing field in the agricultural sector and support the competitiveness and profitability of our industry.

Getting older is hazardous but alcohol can mediate it, particularly for the cardiovascular system where blood flow to the heart and other organs decreases with age. Alcohol dilates blood vessels, decreasing the risk of coronary attack. It also increases good cholesterol. Possibly even more vital, it makes tiny blood platelets more slippery, less likely to stick together causing a fatal coronary attack.

What about the psychological effects of alcohol?

As a surgeon, I often used a routine post-operative order which sometimes surprised nurses. They would counter, “But it’s never been done before!” The order allowed patients who typically enjoyed an alcoholic pre-dinner drink at home, to enjoy one on the second post-operative surgical day, normally the most difficult day of recovery.

It also reassured patients that they were not going to die, but were getting better.

Why do we accept the potential risk of partaking one or two ounces of alcohol daily? Because it relieves the chronic pain of an aging body more effectively than drugs. Or because it relaxes

Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Britain, and a noted heavy drinker, made an amusing pronouncement on this issue. He stated, “I’ve taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” He started his alcohol routine early in the morning and continued during the day. He was hardly the poster boy for the Temperance Union. But he lived to 90 years of age with his mental facility intact.

Past studies such as France’s National Institute of Health and Scientific Research reported an interesting finding. Elderly people who drank moderate amounts of wine were less likely to suffer from senility and Alzheimer’s Disease.

We also know that Hippocrates, “the father of medicine”, supported the use of alcohol. Although we are not religious experts, we are told that Jesus transformed water into wine!

One of us now in the 100th year of life, hell will freeze over before this doctor dispenses with a pre-dinner cocktail. Does anyone lay blame?

The Food Corner

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville

Garlic is a health food. Unfortunately some restaurants use it to mask “food in a bag”, those dishes that come from central kitchens and sold to unsuspecting patrons. Fresh garlic as part of a well-thought out recipe gives great depth of flavour to what you are cooking. So, I feel really sorry for those good folks who are allergic to this “magnificent tuber”. This week’s recipe, Broiled Garlic Chicken is another one of those simple dishes that will put smiles on your family’s faces and give you the reputation of a Cordon Bleu chef.

Broiled Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts, skinless and boneless (about 2 pounds worth)

½ cup of lemon juice

5 tablespoons of olive oil

½ cup of dry white wine

8 cloves of garlic, minced or 8 tablespoons of crushed garlic

2 bay leaves, crumbled

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon of soya sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

- Wash your raw chicken in hot, then cold water and place in a flat pan

- Mix all of the remaining ingredients into a marinade and pour over the chicken

- Make sure all the surfaces of the chicken are coated; add more liquid as needed

- Marinate, covered and in the fridge for several hours or even a full day

- Remove the chicken and reserve the marinade

- Place the chicken on a rack in a broiler pan

Classifieds

Broil till the chicken is done through, while basting with the reserved marinade.To go with the chicken, you may wish to plop a couple of tablespoons of butter in a pan and fry up a couple of large red or green peppers, with the seeds out and cut into strips or squares. Add a pound of medium-size mushrooms that you have cut in half and maybe a medium size Vidalia onion. Toss them together in the pan till they are sweated but still firm. While you are cooking your chicken and veggies, prepare a couple of cups of Basmati rice and place the cooked rice on a large serving plate. Distribute the cooked veggies over the rice and then place the cooked chicken on top; if you want to get really fancy, you can cut the chicken in diagonal slices. A sprinkle of parsley flakes also looks nice.

This dish goes extremely well with a cold Chardonnay, either oaked or unoaked, depending on your taste buds. Stay warm and healthy as we get through winter. Best wishes from pcormier@ranaprocess.com.

New bill addressing violence against pregnant women

submitted by We Need a Law

When a pregnant woman is a victim of violent crime, our law is unable to account for her pre-born child in charging or sentencing a criminal.

“The Criminal Code states that babies are not recognized as ‘persons’ under the law until they are fully born,” said Anna Nienhuis, spokeswoman for We Need a Law, a national grassroots campaign advocating for legal protection for preborn children. “As a result of our country’s hard pro-abortion stance, we cannot count any preborn children as persons under the law, so preborn victims of crime receive no justice from our criminal justice system.”

The Government of Canada and other sources acknowledge that pregnant women are at greater risk of intimate partner violence than other women.

“These women and their pre-born children are uniquely vulnerable,” said Nienhuis, “yet our law offers them no ad-

ditional protection and does not even recognize their child if it dies before birth as a result of a violent crime.” Earlier today Member of Parliament Cathay Wagantall introduced a bill to try to change that. Bill C-311, the Violence Against Pregnant Women Act, would instruct judges to consider pregnancy as an aggravating factor in sentencing, thereby considering any harm done to a pre-born child. This would be a step toward real justice for pregnant women and their children who are victims of violence. More than 80 women in recent Cana-

CROSSWORD

6. Scandinavian 7. Song for 2 voices 8. Angrily 9. Additionally

10. Eavesdropper

11. Embroilment

dian history have been assaulted or killed by an intimate partner, and had their pre-born child die as a result. None of those families had justice for both victims.

“In crimes against pregnant women, there are always two victims,” said Nienhuis. “We want the law to see them both.”

ACROSS

1. Rational

5. Neighbor of Pakistan

10. Snake sound

14. Duty

15. Grieve

16. Broadcast

17. Widely circulated

19. Possessing necessary skills

20. An uncle

21. Guest inviters

22. Archer's bolt

23. Scorn

25. Small part

27. Before, in poetry

28. Went in separate directions

31. Skirt fold

34. Log home

35. Put down 36. Pig sound 37. Planet

38. Bog 39. Large flightless bird 40. Crude 41. Gullible people 42. Keepsakes

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

Morewood Winter Carnival a success despite cold weather

on Saturday morning, and a spaghetti supper on Saturday sponsored by Camouflage Property Maintenance.

Chief Byers explained that the money raised from the family bingo activity and the firefighters’ breakfast is used to help pay for fire department equipment that is not foreseen at budget time.

An event such as the Morewood Winter Carnival is not possible without the generous support and hard work of local community members and businesses. Chief Byers had specific words of thanks to provide. “I would like to thank the Morewood Recreation Association for the support and the generous people that donated to the bingo and their winnings back to the fire station,” he said. “Also, I would like to send a special thank you to Dan Pettigrew of Winchester Foodland for his generous donation, and to people who attended the breakfast.”

Update on return of fertilizer tariffs paid by Ontario farmers

Courtesy of Ontario Federation of Agriculture

In 2022, the Canadian government-imposed tariffs on fertilizer sourced from Russia in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This has placed added financial burden on farmers who are already facing record high fertilizer prices and pressures from inflation and rising interest rates.

Since the tariffs were imposed, the OFA has been actively working on this issue on behalf of its membership and asking for a fair resolution to the tariff issue for farmers. OFA has participated in many meetings with federal government representatives, including federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP Francis Drouin who serves as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister Bibeau, and MP Kody Blois who also chairs the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.

From the onset, OFA’s preferred solution has been the reimbursement of fertilizer tariff dollars collected by the federal government back to farmers who paid them. This is a similar position that other farm organizations have put forward.

Minister Bibeau, Parliamentary Secretary Drouin and federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland continue to reiterate their commitment to working towards a fair resolution to the tariff issue for the agriculture sector. When the federal government made it clear that a refund of tariffs was not on the table, the OFA worked to develop and propose alternative ways to ensure these dollars were returned to agriculture.

OFA has been actively promoting these options to the federal government, which include:

Development of a new program or an investment by the federal government into an existing program that provides easy, direct payments to farmers for implementation of Best Management Practices particularly around emission reduction.

by Brandon Mayer

Extreme cold weather wasn’t enough to stop North Dundas families from having fun last weekend. Events at the Morewood Winter Carnival, held from February 3 – 6, proceeded as

planned even as temperatures were colder than -20 degrees Celsius for much of Friday and Saturday.

Morewood Fire Chief Ken Byers told the Times that he thought the turnout at the carnival was great. “The community and businesses are great supporters,” he added.

Chief Byers said that

he believes only the hockey tournament had to be cancelled due to the cold weather. The Morewood Winter Carnival is an event packed with family fun including skating, tobogganing, face painting, log sawing, family bingo, and a tug of war. There was also a firefighters’ breakfast

Time to build each other up

by Marguerite Boyer

Due to an impending storm a few weeks ago, I had to cancel an appointment at the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus. When talking to a staff member there, I was informed that my staples had to be removed as soon as possible, and I was either to contact my own doctor, or go to the Kemptville Hospital emergency to have them removed.

Okay, that sounded good in theory. Closer to home, each only a five minute drive away from me. So I called my doctor’s office in the morning, only to be told by a recording that due to technical updates no one was available to answer my call. Phones would be back up by the afternoon and to call after one. So I called

later, only to be placed on hold for an hour and a half before anyone answered. I put my speaker phone on and went about my tasks while on hold. Once ‘a real person answered’, there was no apology for having kept me on hold for so long. I could hear the tension in the person’s voice at the other end of the line. I was informed that the nurse was off sick and she had no clue when she would be back, so try and call again the following day. I wasn’t happy but what could I do, other than go spend hours at the emergency.

I thanked her and called back the next day. One thing I did notice, that on the recorded message at the clinic, it asks people to be patient, and to be courte-

ous, due to the long delays they are experiencing due to staff shortages. Yes, we are hearing that a lot. This had been my second surgery for a hip replacement, and this time around, I noticed a huge difference in pre-op and post-op in recovery. The staff were over burdened. It was so clear. But even with this to deal with, they treated me with kindness and compassion.

It got me thinking how we have taken so much for granted for so long. When was the last time you thanked someone for a service they provided. At the fast food take out, a restaurant, or whatever? To my mind, the staff at the hospital deserved more from me. I did thank them, as I left, and told them how appreciative

Chief Byers further extended a thanks to Councillors John Lennox and Matthew Uhrig for attending the firefighters’ breakfast and family bingo. “Nice to see some support from the Township,” he added. It is clear that cold weather can’t get in the way of North Dundas people supporting their community!

Establishment of a tax rebate to return dollars directly to farmers.

Investment in the development of domestic nitrogen production in Eastern Canada.

The founding principles of any method to return the fertilizer tariff funds to the agriculture industry must include: Simplicity. Any compensation program should be easy for farmers to apply to and simple for the government to administer.

Palatable. The federal government has made it clear that any compensation can’t be directly tied to or perceived as being directly tied to farmers who paid the tariffs.

Direct. Given the disproportionate impact on farmers in Eastern Canada, any program must return dollars directly to farmers in Ontario.

Timeliness. Any compensation program should provide payments to farmers as quickly as possible.

I was of the care I received.

When I finally got to see my own doctor, which was the next day, I mentioned to him the hour and a half I was on hold, and the recorded message. He said it is unbelievable how rude people have become and how angry people are since Covid.

Why has Covid changed us so much? Is it because the service we had before is now in the past? I am aware now that every time I go out for a meal, I am grateful that the establishment is able to be open, and that there are staff to serve me, maybe not as soon as I would like but I do get served. But I am not sure where all the anger is coming from? And what gives you the right to yell and scream at someone over the phone or think it

OFA continues to advocate on behalf of its members to the federal government and impress upon them the urgency of moving forward with a fair resolution for returning tariff dollars back to agriculture.

right to post nasty comments about someone on social media. What does it accomplish? That person you just screamed at or posted about, perhaps lives in your community, has feelings just like you, and surely deserves to be treated kindly and with compassion? In the end, what does it achieve to debase someone? Does it ease your anger and frustrations?

I, for one, am so grateful for the service we still have. I no longer take it for granted. Yes, we may have to wait longer and have more patience. I am just so grateful to be able to go out after the years of self–isolation

many of us experienced. So rather than voice your anger at the other human being, take the time to think how lucky we are to live in such an amazing area. I am not sure where your anger is coming from, but please take the time to think about the other person you are directing it at. Perhaps they are also having a bad day and coping as best they can, given the circumstances. Let’s build people up, not tear them down. Surely we are better than that!

Councillor John Lennox and his oldest son, Blake were the first to arrive at the firefighters’ breakfast on February 4

Former Winchester OPP officer sentenced

The Weather with Connor

by Brandon Mayer

An officer of the Ontario Provincial Police who made headlines in 2020 after being charged with breach of trust has been sentenced to a conditional discharge. Constable Scott Joseph was initially charged in July of 2020 with breach of trust. Some time after his arrest, two additional charges were added – one additional count of breach of trust, and one count of obstruction of justice.

The illegal acts were all committed in Winchester, at the local detachment of the OPP. Specifically, Const. Joseph converted an OPP Occurrence Report “to a use not authorized, with intent to defraud”, leading to the charge of breach of trust. The charge of obstruction of justice came from “providing confidential information to subjects of a criminal investigation.” No other information on the nature of the offence is readily available.

As per the rules of the Police Services Act, Const. Joseph was suspended with pay from his duties as a police officer from the time of his arrest, until he was convicted. He had worked as a police officer for three years until the time of his arrest. Upon conviction, his position as a police officer was terminated.

Const. Joseph’s initial charges came after a fourmonth investigation as part of Project Tadley, an OPP initiative which began in response to allegations of misconduct against the OPP.

A conditional discharge is a sentence in which an offence, for which an accused has been found guilty, will be forgiven or expunged after a set period of time if certain conditions are met. This typically includes not committing any further crimes, and may also include conditions such as not owning a weapon or not communicating with certain individuals. It is not immediately known what the specific conditions are for the sentence of former Const. Joseph.

featuring Connor Mockett

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the second installment of The Weather with Connor. We’ve got a few things to recap in this weeks column, plus a few things to talk about for the future in the month of February.

The region did see a few minor snow events in the last couple weeks, as well as a couple bigger storms. It has been quite active, as the month of January brought Eastern Ontario snow totals that were well above the normal for that month. The normal is about 60cm, the region saw upwards of 90cm.

The first minor snow event was on Sunday, January 22 when we got grazed by the northern tip of a snowstorm in the US Northeast. This grazing brought just a few centimeters across the region, and was only a minor inconvenience. Roads were slightly messy, but the most annoying part from this one was having to clean your car off.

The next minor event was actually the next day, on Monday, January 23. This one was just a quick, although heavy, snow squall that happened right at the time of the morning commute. It didn’t make the commute all that treacherous or anything, just a quick bout of heavy snow followed by flurries. It dropped less than 3cm across the entire region.

Then came one of the biggest snowstorms of this winter season so far. The January 25/26 storm packed a punch,

with strong winds up to 70km/h, and very strong snowfall. Winchester itself, which I measured, saw 6cm in a single hour on the evening of Wednesday the 25th. There were also many reports of thundersnow (a thunderstorm but with snow) around the Chesterville, Finch, and Berwick areas. I ended this storm on Thursday the 26th with a measurement of 25cm in Winchester.

The next minor event came on Saturday, January 28, when some heavy snow squalls moved through parts of the region that morning. Some of them were strong enough to create near zero visibility while driving, which I would know considering I drove in one of them on the 417 just past Stittsville. I couldn’t even see where the lines for the road were. These squalls dropped a quick 2-4cm in places that saw them, but they were scattered, so many people didn’t even realize the squalls happened at all.

Then comes Sunday, January 29. This one was a bit of a surprise for a lot of people. Due to the cold temperatures on this day (it was around -10 during peak snowfall), the snow accumulated faster. When I did my forecast, I mentioned I was very confident in 10-20cm. The entire region lived up to that, including some unconfirmed reports of nearly 30cm along the Seaway. Winchester got 14.7cm, and the Ottawa Airport reported 18.6cm.

Instead of snow, now we get to talk about some

absolutely frigid temperatures. Albeit short, the Polar Vortex showed itself for the first time this winter from the evening of February 2 until the afternoon of February 4. These temperatures brought the first Extreme Cold Warning of the season from Environment Canada. The temperature on the morning of Friday, February 3, was around -30, with the windchill close (if not below in some areas) to -40. The daytime high that Friday didn’t get much better, with the high coming in around -23, and the windchill in the mid -30’s.

Overnight Friday the 3rd and into the morning of Saturday, February 4, the temperature across the region was anywhere from -29 to -35 (without the windchill). With the windchill, it was anywhere from -37 to -43. Absolutely bone chilling.

As I type this, there are a couple minor snow/ rain events on the way for the week of February 6 through the 10th. Both of these will be in the recap of my next column, as they will have already happened when this gets published, but right now it looks like 3-6cm of wet snow is possible on Monday, January 6, with localized areas of 7-12cm. There will be rain involved with this one, as the temperature will be above 0.

The next system will be happening right as

this gets published on February 9. This storm is completely up in the air, it could be a bunch of wet snow or a bunch of rain with temperatures around 7 degrees.

In general, aside from the first couple days of the month, February looks well above normal temperature wise, and less active snow wise than January was. There will be more snow melt this month, that’s for sure. That will be it for this week's installment of The Weather with Connor. Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you in a couple weeks!

The OPP detachment in Winchester

by Steve Gabell

We live in a democracy, or so we are told. But do we really? In a democracy power resides with the people, which does not seem to describe the current situation in Ontario. We are less than a year out from an election, and Doug Ford and his ministers are pushing through a number of damaging policies to address long standing issues such as housing and healthcare, and completely ignoring huge numbers of responses to consultations. These are not new issues that have suddenly cropped up, yet during the election no mention was made of opening up the parts of the Greenbelt for development, of significantly changing development fees charged by municipalities on new homes, or of increasing use of the private sector in healthcare. I can distinctly remember Steve Clark at one of the allcandidates debate praising Ford for being “open and transparent”. Maybe he was using a different definition to the rest of us, as not much about this Progressive Conservative government is open and transparent.

Our electoral system is archaic and fails to ensure that the seats awarded in Parliament represent the share of the vote won by each party. First past the post may have made sense in a bygone era where electorates elected truly local representatives, where communication between constituencies and representatives was slow, and when elected representatives were more independent of their party. We now have ridings that vary in geographical size from small to enormous, we have instant communication and easy travel, and we have a party system that virtually guarantees MPPs vote as directed by the party.

Following the provincial election in 2022 we’ve ended up with one party that won the support of less than 18% of the electorate (or 40% of those who actually voted if we want to be generous), winning 67% of

the seats in parliament, and 100% of the power. Does that sound democratic, or to borrow from Lord Halisham, does it sound like an elective dictatorship? Not content with having control of parliament, Ford and his Attorney General want to assume control over the process to select the next chief justice.

Participatory democracy is a core value of Green parties around the world. This is applied not just to systems for electing representatives to parliament, but within the parties as well. Every member of the Ontario Greens has a voice in policy development and acceptance, local officers are elected by members, and candidates for provincial elections are decided by members in the riding. Changing to a proportional system may increase Green representation in parliament, but we do not advocate for this out of narrow self interest. There is a significant disconnect between our elected MPPs and those they are supposed to represent, and widespread disillusionment with politics in general as was evidenced by the shockingly low turnout seen in our last provincial election.

Ontario needs electoral reform. First past the post has long outlived its usefulness. We need an electoral system that reflects how votes are cast across the province, that ensures all positions are represented, and that fosters collaboration rather than partisanship. Proportional representation would increase public engagement with politics as people felt that their vote truly mattered. Support for electoral reform is widespread across the political spectrum, as evidenced by polling commissioned by Fair Vote Canada with 76% of responders to a national poll supporting a Citizens’ Assembly on electoral reform, including 69% of Conservative voters.

Under first past the post over half the votes cast in the 2022 election did not count for electing a representative, whereas in Denmark less than one in 20 votes was wasted. Support electoral reform to ensure that every vote truly counts.

The Importance of Spiritual Care

Statement from MP

Eric Duncan on new IRCC Asylum C laimant Processing Centre in Cornwall

Eric Duncan, Member of Parliament for StormontDundas-South Glengarry released the following statement regarding recent developments on the new Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processing centre in Cornwall.

“Over the last few months, a temporary IRCC asylum claimant processing centre has been located at the DEV Centre in Cornwall. As imagined, this created a sudden and major strain on local social services, education and public health services, and multiple not-for-profit organizations.

“Last week, rumours began circulating that a significant expansion of the processing capacity and timeline extension was underway. Through rumours, and not from the Government of Canada, we learned that a major hotel venue, the Ramada Inn on Brookdale Avenue, had been sold to a company with a contract to expand and extend the processing centre and volume in Cornwall indefinitely.

“This latest processing centre was established without notice, without consultation, and without securing the resources required to assist asylum claimants integrate into our community and succeed.

submitted by Jane Adams

Spiritual care is an important part of the support provided to each of our residents at Dundas Manor. Our Pastoral Care Team consists of staff and local clergy who visit Dundas Manor on a regular basis. Each month, residents are provided with an opportunity to participate in interdenominational church services, hymn sings, Bible study, pastoral visits and occasional outings to churches.

“We provide our residents with the opportunity to rejoice, give thanks and ask for assistance if needed,” explains Jennifer Hill, Activity Programs and Services Director. “Working with our wonderful spiritual care volunteers, our team provides outreach, prayers, compassion, music, wisdom and a listening ear.”

Before Christmas, the Activity and Recreation team hosted a gathering with the pastoral care team to provide an update on the Manor and talk about future planning. Thirteen Pastors and church volunteers attended along with Dundas Manor staff. The goal was to talk about what has worked well and how we have adapted spiritual care during the pandemic.

“Our team looks forward to gratefully welcoming back pastors and groups as the pandemic guidelines allow,” adds Jennifer. “In the meantime, one-on-one and small group engagements have been increased to support our residents.”

Meaningful activity and recreation programs are a fundamental area of daily living that is essential to the well-being and quality of life of all residents. Our spiritual program is an important part of how we help our residents engage, succeed, and enjoy.

“Once again, Cornwall has been left to deal with the consequences of this federal Liberal government’s incompetence and mismanagement. We are hearing from couples whose wedding receptions and hotel rooms have been cancelled. We are also hearing from countless burnt-out frontline staff who are struggling to cope with this massive increase in case volume without notice or any additional resources.

“Simply put: Justin Trudeau and this Liberal government’s reckless, uncoordinated and uncompassionate approach is setting these asylum claimants up to fail.

“SDG ACFO’s Carrefour Immigration Crossroads Initiative, a local not-for-profit organization previously coordinated support services and provided information for those being hosted at the processing centres. Without justification or notice, IRCC cut off their funding, and we are now back to square one - total and complete chaos.

“Proper consultation with all community partners, like Social Services, School Boards, CBSA, Public Health, and community support agencies would have ensured the availability of adequate resources and would have been an overdue but welcomed gesture of good faith from this federal government to our community.

“Sadly, for the last 8 years, this Liberal government has developed a pattern of disrespecting and disregarding the City of Cornwall and local officials, and this is just the latest example.

“Whether it was the chaos and lack of communication around the cruise ship quarantine at the NAV Centre during the beginning of the pandemic, zero progress or resolution to the Transport Canada surplus waterfront lands or addressing our water levels in the St. Lawrence River, Liberal Ministers have refused to communicate basic and necessary information to local leaders or the public in a timely manner.

“Now, with the opening of a massive IRCC asylum claimant processing centre in Cornwall, a city that is not properly equipped to manage such a significant influx in demand on social and health services, it is clear that this Liberal government simply does not care about Cornwall, our region, or our people.

“Today, I am calling on Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to immediately provide local officials and community partners with a comprehensive operational plan for this new asylum claimant processing centre, and to commit to adequately funding the resources required in Cornwall to cope with this massive surge in demand on local services.

“Anything less is unacceptable.”