Issue 40 2022 October 13 NG Times

Workout of the

Leaves

Get to know your candidates

by David Shanahan

The mayoral candidates meeting last Thursday night was an encouraging one. For the first time in twenty years of covering these things, I was worried that there could be disturbances, but the nastiness was confined, as usual, to the online watchers. The debate between Colleen Lynas and Nancy Peckford was, with one exception, good mannered, intelligent, and informative. Great credit goes to both, and to the Moderator, Brian McKee, who had prepared well and managed professionally.

Given the current climate, it was felt better to have a moderator with no ties to the Times or either campaign, and that was a real benefit on the night. The theatre was full, with almost every seat taken, and those watching online probably exceeded in number those who were in the meeting itself. As of a couple of days after the event, the video by Livestream Junkies on the Times Facebook page had reached almost 700 and engaged over a thousand viewers.

The Times is committed to fair and equal opportunities for all candidates,

and in this issue we have published the first selection of articles by candidates for both Mayor and Councillor positions. To ensure fairness, we had Mary-Anne Leang, of the law firm of Jansen Law, to arrange the order in which the articles would appear and to vet the contents. It is a sad fact that this kind of approach has never been needed in the past. But that is the state of public discourse in North Grenville during this election cycle. Many thanks to Mary-Anne and Jansen Law for this service to the community.

To date, the Times has now hosted candidate meet-

ing for both mayoral and councillor positions. We do so, and pay the full rental rate to the Municipality, as part of our mandate as a community newspaper. I mention the rental issue to clarify that we receive no special treatment. It is also important to point out that Livestream Junkies, who put a great deal of time, expertise, and assets into livestreaming both meetings, did so free of charge, also as a public service. We at the Times, and, I am sure, all the candidates, are grateful to Francois and his team for their generosity and skill.

Moderator, Brian McKee with Mayoral Candidates Colleen Lynas and Nancy Peckford

Council Candidate Deb Wilson

In the interests of fair play, we have not edited this in any way.

Questions for Candidates for Councillor:

What are your top three priorities for the coming four years of Council? How do they differ from the last four years?

Firstly, I would like to apply my expertise in securing funds and partnerships for the whole of the municipality’s benefit. Working together with the Funding & Grants Research Analyst to obtain and report on granted funds would allow me to support others through my extensive experience and international certification as a fundraiser.

Secondly, I’m a passionate advocate for the implementation of the four IDEA principles: inclusion, diversity, equity, and access in everything the municipality does. This should begin with mandatory training for all elected and employed municipal representatives. Therefore, I look forward to being involved, on or off council, learning about how we can create safer, more inclusive environments for all residents of North Grenville.

Inclusion starts with representation. Getting more voices asking critical questions is a priority for me. I would explore how to create more liaison relationships, not only for transparency and engagement in decisionmaking processes, but also for succession planning.

What do you bring to Council that hasn’t been there previously?

I’m proud of my 12 years of experience as a professional fundraiser. It has gifted me with the opportunity to hone my skills as a motivator, facilitator, and communicator. All of

these will support my work as a Councillor. While I can’t speak for whether anyone has had similar experience on North Grenville Council in the past, I know that asking critical questions, listening, and facilitating creative solutions will aid in supporting North Grenville’s reputation as a caring community that gets things done.

Social media has become toxic locally, especially over the past year. Do you think Council has a role in creating a more civil atmosphere generally? If so, how would you go about it?

I do feel that the Municipality should play a role in moderating a select few Social Media channels. Without a ‘go-to’ moderator, assumptions become belief very quickly, especially when emotions and integrity are at play. This arena is one that would greatly benefit from the IDEA framework I noted previously. I have noted the toxicity in several regional Facebook groups. At the time, I chose to mute or leave those groups. It’s my hope that in future, those

Council Candidate John Barclay

community cohesion and quality of life by building both physical and social connections - trails, events, grassroots volunteer organizations, mixed affordable housing, a vibrant downtown and walkable neighbourhoods.

In the interests of fair play, we have not edited this in any way.

What are your top three priorities for the coming four years of Council? How do they differ from the last four years?

1) Amongst my top three priorities is to continue the progress this Council has made in the areas of civic engagement, affordable housing, environmental stewardship, improved recreational amenities, client-driven service delivery, smart growth through development design, built heritage preservation, diversity/inclusion, and support for the arts.

2) Broadening the commercial tax base to relieve the pressure on residential taxpayers and to increase local net employment (fewer commuters). Support for local small business through retention and expansion programs.

3) Developing greater

What do you bring to Council that hasn’t been there previously?

I bring four years of experience as Council Liaison to the Public Works Department and the valuable knowledge gained with service on five advisory committees (Youth, Heritage, Environmental Action, Arts & Culture, Agriculture and Rural Affairs). A year’s experience on the Board of the Ferguson Forest Centre and three years serving on the North Grenville Police Services Board; the last 18 months as its Chair.

Social media has become toxic locally, especially over the past year. Do you think Council has a role in creating a more civil atmosphere generally? If so, how would you go about it?

As community leaders, Council has a responsibility to set the tone for civil discourse. This is the first Council North Grenville has had that is accessible and active on social media, pri-

marily Facebook. I believe we have been respectful in our responses to questions and concerns from residents and business owners. We have consistently provided valuable information about the activities and workings of the Municipality and have promoted increased civic engagement. The Municipality has a Code of Conduct that applies to all employees, elected representatives, and even governs the activities of our committees.

Do you think more can be done to involve the community in the affairs of Council and being part of the decision-making process?

Covid put a pause to Council’s well attended inperson Community Discussion Forums. As the pandemic declines, I look forward to continuing with many more of them. Consultations continued online but it was difficult to have the kinds of informal dialogue that happens naturally when one is face to face in a group setting. Despite that, the Mayor and individual Councillors had opportunities to “check-in” with community groups via Zoom and those meetings proved very productive. Certainly, the Advisory Committees

who want to engage with the municipality on any of its channels find what they want, engage how they want, and leave the (online) space with a good feeling.

Do you think more can be done to involve the community in the affairs of Council and being part of the decision-making process?

Social Media Ambassadors (volunteers) would be an incredible addition to our wonderful municipal communications staff. I do understand that training and monitoring volunteers can be stressful and an extra burden, but without engaging those interested in helping to increase awareness of our programs, services, and announcements, we will only be able to reach those of our residents who are on Facebook, read the paper, or visit the NG website. I would like to explore a multi-level, accessible communications plan that includes options for folks to ‘opt-in’ for text message notifications for a variety of topics, such as natural disaster warnings,

swimming program registration, council meeting agenda topics, and more. This would provide for more ways for our communities to engage with staff and Council.

How do you think the future development in North Grenville - infrastructure, economic, environmental - should be directed? What new initiatives need to be undertaken in those areas?

Infrastructure: Affordable housing needs to stay a priority, as is the work of Council in making alternative housing solutions possible, including becoming a tiny home destination for builders and homeowners. In order for this to be encouraged and sustainable, the infrastructure needs to exist to make it easy for developers to invest here. Having an economic development plan ready for when the County Road 43 project is complete would give us a better chance to successfully create and maintain a rural, yet commercial business-friendly boulevard which will be essential to the sustainable growth and tourism in our

beautiful municipality.

Economic Development: We need to be a destination for investment by jobcreating companies that also support tourism to our quaint downtown cores full of interesting products, services, and restaurants. I also want to support existing local businesses who need help with making their location or online services as accessible as possible.

Environmental Sustainability: Emergency preparedness, generator loan programs, municipal building codes, and respite or financial relief to those affected should all be considered to help prevent personal disaster when mother nature has other plans. On the topic of prevention, there is much more we can do as a municipality to reduce our carbon footprint. I would like to see collaborative solutions like a community compost pile - or several! This would help dramatically with yard waste being diverted from the landfill, as it can serve another whole purpose to feed our gardens.

that Council formed in 2019 were a wonderful way for residents to get involved in Municipal Affairs and many recommendations concerning Policies and Practices came from them and were implemented. Finally, it’s essential that Council and staff communicate more effectively to residents and business owners so that the opportunities for increased engagement in decisionmaking are more evident.

How do you think the future development in North Grenville - infrastructure, economic, environmental - should be directed? What new initiatives need to be undertaken in those areas?

The 10-Year Community Strategic Plan passed this year after considerable consultation with residents, business owners and community stakeholders. It’s a reflection of how this community sees its future. The foundations of the document, and I encourage everyone to read a copy by the way, are five key strategic pillars: 1) Balanced and Environmentally Sustainable Growth; 2) A Strong, Connected, and Vibrant Community; 3) Diverse and Resilient Economic Development; 4) Efficient Governance and Service Delivery and 5) A

Caring Community. I hope the next Council continues to use it as a roadmap when making decisions about future development.

One new initiative I would like to see is an effort to broaden the commercial tax base to relieve pressure on the residential taxpayer. Even during the height of the pandemic many residents left the Municipality every day to commute to work. To avoidt becoming strictly a bedroom community we need to create the conditions that will make North Grenville a great place to work, not just live. We need to continue to improve the quality of life for residents and to make North Grenville an attractive place to situate a business. As well as business attraction initiatives, we need to help existing local small businesses to survive and to thrive.

I don’t believe you can

have economic development without community development and so we should re-double our efforts a developing greater community cohesion and our quality of life by building new physical and social connections and supporting existing onestrails, events, grassroots volunteer organizations, mixed affordable housing, a vibrant downtown and walkable neighbourhoods.

Small idea with a big heart

by Brandon Mayer

A local resident is making a splash with her soap business which she is using to raise money so underprivileged kids can take dance lessons. Leya Vandewaetere is the face behind The Sunny Pineapple, which manufactures artisan soaps and body products made with essential oils.

The name of the unique project raising money for dance studios is “Soaps 4 Studios”.

The Sunny Pineapple runs on a non-profit model, with Leya making handcrafted soaps. The products are made using natural, high-grade ingredients, and

are packaged with biodegradable and seed-embedded materials. The idea for the Soaps 4 Studios project came from a very personal place for Leya.

“I was a dancer for 22 years, and when I was 12 years old my father lost his job and couldn’t pay for my dance classes, my parents didn’t make a lot of money,” said Leya. “I ended up getting into a situation where I would have had to quit dance, but someone decided to sponsor me.” It was through this sponsorship that Leya was able to continue on with her dance classes. Leya went on to train with both the National Ballet School and the National Circus School. “To this day I still

don’t know who it is that sponsored me,” Leya added.

Leya is now using The Sunny Pineapple and Soaps 4 Studios as a way to pay forward the kindness she received, but on a larger scale. Her model for Soaps 4 Studios is that participating dance studios who sign up will receive their own sponsorship code. When this code is entered on The Sunny Pineapple website during an order, 30% of the proceeds are redirected to the corresponding dance studio.

In a promotional document Leya is using to help get more dance studios on board, she dives more deeply into her story, writing, “Dance has been my

passion for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t just because it was fun to move to the music. Dance was my safe haven. It was my escape from everything. When the music came on, and I let myself move, I was in control. My dream of being a circus performer was cut short when I was diagnosed with epilepsy. But I couldn’t let dance go. That’s when I decided to combine my passion for dance and making artisan soap as a way of giving back to dancers. Dance is expensive, but it’s also the best thing that ever happened to me. So I started The Sunny Pineapple to give aspiring dancers a chance to get the training opportunities I had despite financial restrictions. Everybody deserves a chance to dance.”

Anyone wishing to show their support for the project should visit the website of The Sunny Pineapple at www.thesunnypineapple. com. Purchases made on the website can have funds redirected to particular dance studios automatically. You may just make a child’s dream come true!

Oxford-On-Rideau will stay open for good

success is clearly something to celebrate, there are other emotions at play as well.

by Brandon Mayer

Parents can finally rejoice now that a years-long battle has come to an end. The announcement was made on September 28 that Oxford-On-Rideau Public School will stay open not just for another year, but permanently. The school had previously been on a list of UCDSB schools slated for closure beginning in 2017, with several extensions keeping it open to the

present day. Now, parents can stop fighting the closure and breathe a sigh of relief.

The effort to keep Oxford-On-Rideau open was one that required the contributions of many. An entire action group was formed, cleverly named Oxford SOS (Oxford Save Our School).

Brent Lekx-Toniolo was a member of Oxford SOS, a group that is credited with much of the effort that led to the successful reversal of the closure. While the

“I think we all feel a bit mixed – a little upset that the board didn't have enough foresight to see this from the start of this process, to avoid all this work,” said Brent. “However, we understand that they must operate under a strict set of guidelines, much of which they don't have any control over. Besides that, we are all very happy. First and foremost happy that the kids (and future children around the area) will get an opportunity to continue their work at this great little school (or get a chance to go to it in the event of new students).”

Brent also made a note about the positive impact that this will have on other

area schools. “[We’re] happy for the school community as a whole as this will help avoid further loading on other schools in the area,” he said.

UCDSB Chair John McAllister brought the motion forward to keep the school open permanently, and it was seconded by Lisa Swan, trustee for Ward 6. One of the driving forces behind the decision was the growing population in North Grenville.

Mayor Nancy Peckford was excited upon learning the news that the school would stay open. “So many families, teachers, administrators, and trustees, including Trustee Lisa Swan, never gave up on this school, and we are so very grateful!” she wrote on her Facebook page. “Board

Vehicle repairs

Class

Rd 1, Mountain Ontario

Time to consider the School Board Trustee elections

by Michael Whittaker

The candidates for school board trustees are often the least considered and least known to voters. Electors tend to neglect that ballot, or randomly select a candidate. Trustees are often acclaimed for the want of candidates.

North Grenville in Ward 6 (Grenville County) of the Upper Canada District School Board has John Palmer and Heidi Piper-Ward challenging three-term trustee Lisa Swan. They are running for one seat amongst 10 elected trustees, one First Nations trustee, and one student trustee.

Trustees in the Upper Canada District represent the concerns of students, parents, and taxpayers in the counties of Leeds-Grenville, Lanark, Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, and Prescott-Russell: 27,000 students; 4,200 staff; and 78 schools. They have responsibility for a $403-million operating budget, and $65 million for planned capital projects. By comparison, the budget for the Municipality of North Grenville is $26,022,550, about 5.5 per cent of the school district’s funds.

There are no local contenders for the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario. The incumbent Brent Landon (Grenville County and Elizabethtown-Kitley Township) has been acclaimed, as per an inquiry I made to the board office.

In the Catholic Board, seven trustees and one student trustee have responsibilities for 42 schools, 12,900 students, 890 teachers, and 535 support staff in the same eight counties mentioned above. The proposed budget of $194.3-million, included $147.1 million for wages and benefits, and $35.4 million for operating and capital expenses.

Consideration of school board trustees warrants serious thought, not only for whom to vote, but stepping up to run. Our schools run on hundreds of millions of tax dollars. The Government of Ontario determines the amount included in our municipal tax assessments.

Chair John McAllister demonstrated his leadership and commitment by moving [the motion], seconded by Lisa Swan. MPP Steve Clark also expressed his support to keep the school open. It has been a pleasure to work with everyone to help them make the case for this gem in our community! This board decision now means that OxfordOn-Rideau has a very bright future in North Grenville as a

valued community school in one of our largest and historic rural hamlets, Oxford Mills.”

Few things feel as good as hard work paying off. Brent summarized the community sentiment nicely in the aftermath of years of fighting. “It was a very long road, many parents, community members and trustees put a lot of work into this,” he said. “It’s so nice to see it all work out for the best.”

Celebrating Women’s History Month Elizabeth Bell Ferguson

and Elizabeth attended a prestigious girls’ finishing school in the village of Kemptville, in a lovely stone house on the corner of Rideau and Main (now Clothier West), where she was taught all the cultural and practical skills it was felt necessary for a young lady to know in the 1850's. Elizabeth’s brother, Robert, was already making a name for himself in the wider world, first of all as a successful surveyor, then as one of the owners of the Bytown and Prescott Railway which had arrived in Kemptville in 1854.

tion. Not only did he win, but he remained M.P. for the riding for the next 22 years. In later years, he and Elizabeth bought the house where she had attended finishing school, making it a home in which her children grew up.

Elizabeth Bell Ferguson

by David Shanahan

The contribution by women to history, whether local or national, was often overlooked, as the influence of women was usually confined to behind the scenes activity. It was very often their role to have an impact on events through their unseen and unacknowledged encouragement, or even active direction, of a husband or son’s career.

Life in Canada was

not very easy in the nineteenth century, if you were an intelligent and ambitious woman. Traditional social and family structures were confining, limiting a woman’s activities to a narrow range of interests: home, husband, children, church, etc. Elizabeth Bell was such a woman. Her parents, Robert and Catherine Bell, had left Strabane, Ireland, early in the century and settled on a farm off what is now Beach Road, south of Kemptville. Elizabeth was born there in 1841.

The family prospered,

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had “made a good match”, when she met and married a young and up-and-coming doctor newly arrived in Kemptville, Dr. Charles Ferguson. The couple married just a few weeks after Elizabeth’s 21st birthday, and might have gone on to live the normal life of a country doctor and his wife. But there was more to Elizabeth’s ambition and talents than that. In 1874, when local Member of Parliament, Francis Jones crossed the House and voted against Sir John A. Macdonald’s Conservatives, Charles Ferguson was persuaded to run against him in the subsequent elec-

Charles does not seem to have been a natural politician, and never attained any important position in Parliament. Always a backbencher, he was a member of many Committees, but never Chaired one. His greatest claim to fame as an M.P. was having the South Branch River dredged, to help the navigation of steamboats into Kemptville. Then, when the general election of 1891 was called, Charles failed to win the nomination for the Conservatives, and his political career seemed to have come to an inglorious end. However, it was at this point that Elizabeth showed that, perhaps, she had been the power behind Charles all the time.

The story was repeatedly told by her famous son, Premier G. Howard Ferguson, and appears in both of his biographies. When the voters turned up at the polls on election day, they found a sign posted prominently which read: “To the Con-

Madeleine Jaffray’s Lifetime of Service

War amps pays tribute to canada’s only female amputee from first world war

at the front.

Canadian nurse, Madeleine Jaffray, Photo PR1986.0054/4 appears courtesy of the Provincial Archives of Alberta

For more than 100 years, women have been an integral part of Canada’s military history. During the First World War, Madeleine Jaff ray (1889 – 1972), served as a nurse overseas and returned home missing a limb.

Jaffray was born in

Chicago, Illinois and moved with her family to Galt, Ontario, as a child. She trained as a nurse, and soon after the outbreak of the First World War, enlisted with the French Red Cross. Nursing was virtually the only area where women could experience the war

Jaffray went overseas in December 1915 and spent 10 months working in a military hospital near Bordeaux, France, before being transferred to a mobile ambulance unit in Adinkerke, Belgium. This area was only a few kilometres from the front lines and Jaffray recounted how the unit was bombed. "I was coming out of a covered passage in one of the wards when a bomb fell right in front of me," she said. This severely wounded her foot which led to an amputation, making her Canada’s only female war amputee from the First World War.

The Nursing Director wrote to Jaffray’s mother, “At one o’clock last night, the hospital was bombarded by German aviators and she [Jaffray] was wounded in the foot by a piece of shrapnel from one of the bombs… It is a bad wound.”

A week after the incident, Jaffray was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French military for her bravery, with an additional star for her services, though she felt that all the nurses in her unit were equally deserving of it. She was the first Canadian woman to be awarded this medal.

After the war, she worked at the Dominion Orthopedic Hospital on Christie Street in Toronto. She later moved to Edmonton with her husband and continued her nursing career, working for the Victorian Order of Nurses and was a member of the Overseas Nurses Association.

She also became the only female war amputee member of The War Amps, an organization started by amputee veterans returning from the First World War to provide each other with support and adapt to their new reality as amputees.

servatives of North Leeds and Grenville. I respectfully request your support for my old friend Dr. Charles Ferguson”. Charles won the seat again, defeating the official Conservative candidate. Sir John was furious when he heard that his name had bene taken in vain, and demanded an explanation: significantly, it was Elizabeth who provided it. According to her, the signatory of the notice was a family friend, a local blacksmith who wanted to indicate his support for Charles. Any confusion about the name was hardly her fault, surely!

It had been said that Charles was quite happy not to run again in 1891, but it was also a well-known fact in Grenville that “although Dr. Ferguson was the MP, it was his wife who won the elections”.

Elizabeth was no stranger to political action or administration. She was deeply involved in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union [WCTU], a strong advocate for temperance and prohibition. It, like other Christian groups of the day, provided women with an equal position on committees and as officers, and gave them experience in chairing meet-

ings, arguing policy and procedures, and speaking publicly on social issues. The confidence and expertise this engendered in women was a strong element in the burgeoning Women’s Suffrage movement that would begin to bear fruit shortly after Elizabeth’s death.

Elizabeth Ferguson, given the restraints and restrictions imposed on her by the society of her day, managed to help her husband in his representation of the people of this area in Parliament for 23 years, and then provide a village Councillor, Reeve, MPP, Minister of the Crown, Premier of the Province, and High Commissioner to London, with an upbringing and political education which ought to be acknowledged after so many years. From her home on Clothier Street, her influence reached out far beyond municipal boundaries. Elizabeth Bell Ferguson died on September 21, 1915, aged 74. She and Charles are buried in St. James’ Cemetery, next to their family home in Kemptville.

Annelise Petlock was born a left arm amputee and grew up in The War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program, which was started by these founding war amputee veterans so that young amputees across Canada could receive financial support for artificial limbs and devices, as well as emotional support.

“Jaffray served in wartime, returned home missing a limb and continued to practice nursing,” says Petlock, who now works with The War Amps. “She never let her amputation stop her from helping others.”

The War Amps has added Jaffray’s story to its website in an ongoing project to tell the stories of its early veteran members. “In doing so, we pay tribute to their service and help to ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten,” says Petlock.

To learn more about Jaffray and other founding members of The War Amps, visit https:// waramps.ca/about-us/ our-war-amputee-members/.

With the approval of both Mayoral candidates for positioning.

Redmond, Joseph Gerald (Gerry)

1952-04-05 - 2022-09-07

Gerry passed away peace fully at Kemptville Hospital with Rudy by his side on September 7, 2022. Gerry in his 71st year will be forever loved by his partner/hus band and best friend Rudy Vens of 30+ years. Gerry was born on April 5, 1952, in Nipawin Saskatchewan to Jack (D2020) and Hazel (D2012) Redmond. He was the beloved brother of Leary (Colleen), sisters Cindy (Jim) and Joanne (Dan) and the late brother Jim (D2021) (Mira), an abundant amount of nieces & nephews and the many more family members and friends.

Gerry served more than 33 years of dedicated and decorated service to his country. From his humble beginnings with the Privy Council Office of the Gov ernment of British Columbia to the many postings he had with what was then known as the Department of External Affairs Canada. He left an amazing and lasting impression with the people where he had been posted such as Guyana, Surinam, Bangladesh, Burma, Japan, Thailand, French Guiana and many more right down to the 95 Halifax Summit, Canada.

Gerry was “My Strength and Stay” and he will be with me forever.

A memorial service will be held in Victoria, Brit ish Columbia on Saturday, October 22, 2022.

Council candidate Mitch Bloom

Voter Information Letters are arriving... it outlines how to vote, who the candidates are, what you need to vote, and your PIN for internet/phone voting.

For all election information, visit: NGvotes.ca

Fe erly, Ian

Peacefully at the Ottawa HospitalCivic Campus on Thursday October 6, 2022. Ian Fetterly age 70 of Mountain. Beloved husband of Elly (Saunders). Loving Dad of Amy Watkins (Trevor) and Mike Fetterly (Gen Labelle). Cherished Grandpa Ian of Shelby & Danica Watkins; Abby & Hudson Fetterly, Andrew and Maddisson. Dear brother of Carol Fetterly, Gordon (Denise), Sandra Shaver (Bill), Brian (Greta), Dianne Fetterly (Luc), Donna Graham (Darryl) and Scott Fetterly. Brother in-law of Kevin (Debbie) Saunders, Laurie and Sharon. Predeceased by his parents Doris and Glen Fetterly. Dear son-in-law of Jack Saunders. Fondly remembered by his little buddy Desi, many nieces, nephews and friends.

A Private Graveside Service will be held at South Gower Cemetery followed by a Celebration of Life at the Mountain Township Agricultural Hall 2967 Lough Road, South Mountain on Friday October 14, 2022 from 12 noon to 3 p.m. By family request donations in memory of Ian may be made to the Kemptville Salvation Army or Charity of Your Choice.

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

In the interests of fair play, we have not edited this in any way.

What are your top three priorities for the coming four years of Council? How do they differ from the last four years?

My top three priorities:

One, put in place a strong economic development agenda to broaden our tax base (94% of North Grenville’s tax revenues comes from homeowners) and create jobs in our community that allow people to work and live here.

Two, better balance needs and opportunities in rural and urban North Grenville, with a particular focus on the needs of seniors, children and housing affordability.

Three, ensure efficient and effective municipal government operating within its means, developing its staff and where no taxpayer dollar is wasted. Transparency and seeking the views of residents is key.

What do you bring to Council that hasn’t been there previously?

I’m an entrepreneur and small business owner of a horse farm in Oxford Mills, allowing me to bring both a business and rural perspective to Council. Prior, I was a longtime senior executive in the federal public service where I was responsible for managing large budgets and large organizations – working in a government setting is something I am very familiar with.

I’m a policy expert in socio-economics, community economic development, financial management, the environment, and strategic direction setting. It is a broad skill set built on decades of work experience.

I am also deeply committed to our community and my involvement has given me a broad perspective on its needs. I was part of the Affordable Housing Task Force and the Community and Economic Development Advisory Committee. As a Board member of the Grenville Community Futures and Development Corporation, my understanding of local business has deepened. I spent years working on seniors issues and sit on the Board of Seniors Support Services for Leeds Grenville. I have been lending my expertise to the Kemptville Campus Board and the North Grenville Historical Society. I believe these skills and experiences will help me serve our com-

munity.

Social media has become toxic locally, especially over the past year. Do you think Council has a role in creating a more civil atmosphere generally? If so, how would you go about it?

While I do not think Council should directly weigh in on social media exchanges that get a life of their own, more can be done to ensure our community comes together and is not pulled apart. Debate among residents is a good thing, the key is for that discussion to have a shared base of facts and the municipality can help here. North Grenville’s online presence is not good enough. A better website and social media pages are needed to proactively share information. Local print media is also important in getting the word out on important subjects. It should be easier for residents to feed their concerns directly into the municipality. Be it better online tools, Council holding open forums for community discussion, or even the classic “suggestion box”, can help make it easy for residents to reach into the municipality, fostering an ongoing and positive community dialogue.

Do you think more can be done to involve the community in the affairs of Council and being part of the decision-making process?

Definitely more can be

done to engage the community in municipal decision making. Proactively gathering views is the foundation, be it online or in person. Consider the power of a regular council meeting where the only agenda item is open discussion time with the community based on topics submitted by the community.

Having worked on the Affordable Housing Task Force, I really like that format. Turn a problem over the community and, voila, smart solutions can be delivered.

How do you think the future development in North Grenville - infrastructure, economic, environmental - should be directed? What new initiatives need to be undertaken in those areas?

As a strategic planner, I know a community’s long term success is based on a clear sense of what people want it to be, and what steps are needed to get there. While there are plans and some strategies for North Grenville, what's lacking is the roadmap – what do we need to do first, second and so on. Proper sequencing and aligning efforts gets things done faster, avoids mistakes, and wasting money and effort.

Our community needs a strong economy to broaden its tax base – 94% of our revenue comes from home property taxes. An economic development strategy for all North Grenville is needed. We need to support the rural parts of our municipality. Growth there will mean strong hamlets which also means less pressure on Kemptville’s infrastructure. A strategy is needed on how to protect and promote our local environment; perhaps an initiative the community can lead.

We can better connect our rural and urban spaces in all seasons, and ensure our municipality does not stand in the way of using renewable energy at home like geothermal.

Sorry for smiling

by Brandon Mayer

After the mayoral candidates’ meeting on the evening of October 6, opinions seemed almost universal that the meeting was well moderated, civil, and generally productive, with much ground covered. As the meeting wrapped up with little to no complaining and plenty of constructive niceties, suddenly the positivity party was over, and I overheard a small group of ladies complaining to our Editor, David, with my name being thrown around in concerningly high frequency.

It turns out these ladies had a very specific issue. Apparently, I smile too much. Well, of course that’s not how they put it. David was told that I behaved unprofessionally by “texting my friends” throughout the meeting, “smirking” whenever mayoral candidate Colleen Lynas was talking, and “passing notes” like a schoolchild. Oh dear. Assumptions! Assumptions

everywhere! It seems that claiming to know the damning truth without investigating any facts is a problem that has plagued us steadily this past month.

Allow me to clarify things that I really shouldn’t have to clarify. Firstly, working the candidates meeting on October 6 was one of the duties of my employment. For a paid employee, I probably didn’t look like I was doing much. I certainly didn’t say anything out loud. Brian was, by all accounts, a great moderator, so talking from me was not necessary (thank goodness). But there is much work that gets done behind the scenes to make an all-candidates meeting function. Three newspaper personnel were on site, plus two independent parties whose help was sought to ensure neutrality, plus two additional staff who were helping to run things remotely.

Maggie was one of the staff helping from a distance, and it is with total honesty

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I agree with Nadia Gray (September 29) when she says the main job of elected officials is to understand and represent the majority of their constituents. The majority of the present council, including Mayor Nancy Peckford, completely failed to do so.

They accepted this proposed jail as a “fait accompli” and a done deal instead of fighting and opposing MPP Steve Clark on our behalf.

They failed to take the pulse of the population on this one! As a result, this election may shape up to be a referendum about them and their failure towards the voters and taxpayers in handling this “crisis”. Holding your elected representatives accountable for their actions is the cornerstone of democracy.

Gisele Idema

Dear Editor,

In reference to your October 6 edition of the NG Times, you did excellent articles on “Clarification”(page 3) and “Words” (page 4).

As well, please pass on to the person who was the moderator at the mayoral candidates meeting/debate on October 6 that he did an excellent job. He certainly has the necessary skills (organizational and verbal communication) and personality to do the job correctly and professionally. If NG Times hosts municipal candidates meetings/debates in the future this gentleman should be the moderator. Regards, Roger Giroux

that I can say that the only app that was open on my phone during the meeting was the Messages app, and the only person I communicated with was Maggie, about matters related to the meeting. Don’t get me wrong – I am honoured by the assumption that I have friends, and that they are interested in local politics, but, unfortunately, assumptions are often simply wrong. I didn’t even text my wife during the meeting, only Maggie. What about? She noticed a possible glitch in the live feed, so I showed her message to David, who directed me to go up to the control room and report the issue. She noticed that time was getting short and wanted me to ask David about the possibility of extending, which unfortunately was not possible. We worked through two options of how to proceed. These are two examples of the things that came up behind the scenes.

There were microphone lineup issues which I had

in Kemptville. However, in a North Grenville Times interview this year with David Shanahan, Victor mentioned that has been living here for about two years.

to ask David about. In one instance, there was a logistical issue which I decided to ask David about privately, and it appears that even that was scrutinized after the fact. And, of course, I was “passing notes” of gossip. Assumptions! Other than a half dozen or so residents’ questions handed in by Ashley and I, there were only two notes passed, and they were given to Brian. The content of these notes is not a secret. One asked him to remind audience members that time was running short, so no new people would be allowed in the microphone lineups; and the other reminded him to give a word of thanks before wrapping the meeting up. Such gossip.

Before I ramble too much, I must remember to make amends for my wrongdoing: sorry for smiling. Ask my mother if you wish – she will confirm that, in childhood, my teachers gave me the incredibly creative nickname “smiley” because, you guessed it, I smile a lot. I also happen to work at an elementary school full time

of a Detention Centre in her heretofor beloved North Grenville..

and spend my day making sure that at least one face the young children have seen in any given day had a nice, bright smile.

I was proud of the meeting we were hosting on October 6, and in my mind the smiles I was displaying were a show of positivity, both of the Times as an organization, and of the simple fact that beautiful democracy was in progress. As someone with a Master’s degree in counselling psychology, I must also point out that confirmation bias exists. We tend to notice things that confirm prior beliefs, such as the prior belief that I dislike Colleen Lynas.

I don’t remember sharing, in print or otherwise, my views on either mayoral candidate for this election. This is because I have, in fact, not shared my views on either mayoral candidate for this election, nor any of the candidates for councillor for that matter. Some may even notice that I only shook Colleen’s hand before the start of the debate. Save your assumptions – this was simply because Colleen and

I had never met previously. I am already acquainted with Nancy from covering media events, and didn’t feel comfortable being one of the hosts of the meeting without first introducing myself to Colleen as well. My political views are private, and the beauty of our society is that they are allowed to remain private.

Let’s end on a note of positivity. A kind gentleman, who I shall not name to respect his privacy, was of great moral support when the ladies began to complain about me to David. If not for him, I would have left feeling much worse than I did. If anything, the controversy my smiles created prove that I am not a nobody. My kids will be so proud of my fame, perhaps even more so than when David said my name on livestream (livestream!) during the previous meeting. I guess it’s true what they say: the smaller the fame, the bigger the ego. Go off on your day today and spread some positivity: Smile!

Dear Editor, In her election material Colleen Lynas notes that in 2018 she came "to live in beautiful North Grenville with this combination of deep rural roots and smalltown charm". I could not find in print when Colleen's very capable supporter and adviser, Victor Lachance, arrived

As for myself, I was born in Kemptville, left for many years, and returned in 1991. I sense that my experience here in Kemptville and North Grenville in the last 30 years has led me to a different perspective on this election than that of Colleen and Victor. I am honestly sympathetic to both these people and others like them who, in their search in the last four or five years for the best place to retire, found our beautiful North Grenville "with its combination of deep rural roots in small-town charm", only to find that a jail or Detention Centre is to be constructed in this otherwise ShangriLa community. It may well elicit a few snide remarks from old Rosedale friends.

Reluctantly, I have come to suspect that Colleen Lynas’ entry into the competition for Mayor is, at base, an effort to engineer some sort of plebiscite on the building

north grenville

TIMES

I have come to accept that how long you have lived in North Grenville leads folks to significantly different assessments and criticisms of the Ontario government's decision to build a Detention Centre here.

Oh, don’t we all wish jails were not needed at all; but if they are, why must one be located in Kemptville? Why Kemptville, indeed? Why not somewhere else... like anywhere else.

Those of us who have had the opportunity over the past quarter century to spend time in surrounding communities like Spencerville, North Gower, Ashton, South Mountain, Prescott, or Richmond for example, have come to appreciate how fairly, and even generously, Kemptville and North Grenville have been treated by the Ontario government. There is the Kemptville Agricultural School and the Ferguson Forest, much of the land of which has been sold to our Municipality.

We have the luxury of having a hospital in our home town, only because, years ago, the Ontario government approved its creation and contributed to its construction, and is still, I am told, paying over 90% of the cost of running it. Ontario also contributed substantially to the construction of our new Library.

How do the other surrounding communities see us?

I am sure they will say we have been pretty damn well treated by our Provincial government in far off Toronto. With this awareness in mind, how will longtime Kemptville residents react to the Jail issue.

I cannot say: it’s complicated. In the following I speak only for myself.

I remember reading that in the 1830s, when first visiting North America, the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville observed in the people here "a calm and considered feeling, which disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of his fellows and withdraw into the circle of family

and friends: with this little society formed to his taste, he gladly leaves the greater society to look after itself.”

This tendency has been greatly enhanced by the rise of the computer and social media.

“In physical communities we are forced to live with people who may differ from us in many ways. But virtual communities offer us the opportunity to construct utopian collectivities, communities of interest, education, tastes, beliefs, and skills. In cyberspace, we can remake the world out of an unsettled landscape." (Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam, 2000, pg 174)

So where do I stand on the Detention Centre being built in my backyard? I return to the fact that in the last two generations, I believe my Kemptville has been treated more generously by our Provincial government than neighbouring towns. That being the case, if the Ontario Provincial govern-

cont'd on page 8

ment has determined that a Detention Centre must be built in Eastern Ontario, then I have decided it is North Grenville’s turn to be of some service to the rest of our broader Eastern Ontario community by accepting the Provincial government’s right to build this Detention Centre on land that it owns in my community.

Wait a minute! What if other towns and cities in Clark’s constituency also share my view? Indeed, what if our MPP Steve Clark is of the same opinion as I am? Just how would this affect Mr. Clark’s response to the harsh criticisms leveled at him by the well organized Kemptville contingent opposing the Jail? What is your conclusion?

I will add my own conviction that our present North Grenville Mayor and Councillors together have handled this jail issue wisely and realistically. They have done the research. They are aware of the history.

Later this month we will be voting for a new Mayor and Councillors. The Jail issue is but one of many challenging issues which confront and challenge our new Mayor and Councillors. To my mind, the present Council members have governed across a wide range of issues intelligently, cooperatively, and creatively. They have served us better than any other Council in my memory.

In the past four years, Nancy Peckford has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills.

“Governing” is much more complex than just “managing”. Nancy Peckford has proven she excels at both.

Sincerely, Bill Kilfoyle

Dear Editor,

Ed Norman’s position on climate change seems rather confused and incoherent. He accepts that the Earth is warming, is in favour of reducing CO2 emissions, and reducing our environmental footprint, and states that climate change denial is wrong. Yet he also states that there is no climate crisis, and that the planet is not in imminent peril from CO2. It is deeply ironic that his letter was published just a few days after storm Fiona wreaked devastation in the Maritimes, causing damage estimated at up to $700m, and just a few days before hurricane Ian hit Florida causing damage estimated at up to $47bn US.

In terms of logical fallacies, an appeal to authority can be a legitimate argument or it can be a fallacious one depending on the circumstances. A person citing the views of an expert in a specific field is not necessarily committing a logical fallacy, especially if those views are shared by other experts in that field. A person is committing an appeal to authority when they cite the support of an eminent individual who works in a different field as a reason for supporting that argument. To give a brief example, Clintel lists a number of professors and doctors as ambassadors to their ‘World Climate Declaration’, as well as a Nobel prize winner, but on investigation many, if not all of these individuals do not work in fields related to climate change. The Nobel prize winner won a share of the prize in 1973 for work done in 1960 on superconductors – when it comes to climate change he is a layperson, not an expert.

Mr Norman takes aim at some predictions that were made in the past about climate change. Climate and weather are highly complex, nonlinear systems that make specific predictions difficult if not impossible to make. Instead of predicting specific events we should be thinking in terms of risk or probabilities – just like we do with health where we know that smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer but can’t predict exactly which smokers will develop lung cancer. Increased temperature equates to increased energy, and warmer air carries more moisture than drier air, so we can predict that climate change will lead to stronger storms, like Fiona, and heavier monsoon seasons like Pakistan is experiencing – Sindh province received more than eight times the usual amount of rain between June and August this year.

We cannot ignore the realities of climate change and how it is going to affect us in the coming decades. Unfortunately, Mr Norman wants to bury his head in the sand. We’ve seen just in the last few weeks the immense power of Mother Nature. Buildings and other infrastructure can’t resist the 135km/h winds seen in Port-Aux-Basque, or the storm surges that accompany such winds (and remember, just one cubic metre of water weighs 1000kg). Many people around the world

are going to have to migrate to safer places, including some in Canada (Nomad Century by Gaia Vince has an excellent discussion of this for interested readers). As much as we might wish it were otherwise, climate change poses a real threat to current and future generations and we should be taking every possible step to reduce emissions. We cannot defer measures due to cost, as everything we do and our very existence is dependent on having a habitable biosphere.

Steve Gabell (he/him) President, Leeds-GrenvilleThousand Islands and Rideau Lakes Constituency Association, Green Party of Ontario

Dear Editor,

Response to an article in the North Grenville Times of October 6, 2022 entitled “The death of an idea..” by Paul Cormier

As a citizen of North Grenville and particularly of Kemptville, I am disgusted at our Provincial Government for the callous way they have imposed a Prison on our small rural community without consultation even though the decision did not fulfill the selection criteria they themselves set out. In the article submitted by Mr. Cormier about a man by the name of Michel Alarcon wanting to develop the farm land in such a way that would attract “green investors”, including First Nations people into our farming community, and once again put Kemptville Agriculture on the map. This would take place in collaboration with First Nations, who I might add have been caring for this land for thousands of years. The Research and Development Centre would put North Grenville, and in particular the farming town of Kemptville, on the map as a community open to world Scientists in the fight against climate change and best practices on sustainable ways to grow food.

I would suggest each voter in North Grenville remember the Provincial Government’s callous disregard for the citizens of North Grenville in the next Provincial Election. Get out and vote. If you have never voted in your life because your attitude is that “ it doesn’t matter, the provincial government will do what they please”, prove yourself wrong.

Josephine Herman

MUNICIPAL OFFICE HOURS

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

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

2022 MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION – KEY DATES

• Voter Instruction Letters will be mailed October 4, 2022

• Internet and Telephone Voting will begin October 17, 2022 – available 24 hours

• Advance Polls will take place on October 20 and 21, 2022 – 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the North Grenville Municipal Centre

• Election Day is October 24, 2022 – 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the North Grenville Municipal Centre

To ensure that you are on the Voters’ List, please contact the Clerk at 613-258-9569 ext. 171. Please note that any changes to the information on the Voters’ List will require an appointment and identification must be provided.

Visit NGvotes.ca for Election updates and the list of Candidates.

VOLUNTEER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Waste Transfer Station Attendant (part-time/Casual)

The Municipality of North Grenville is seeking to fill a casual position of Waste Transfer Station Attendant. The salary for this position currently pays $16.83 to $18.92 per hour. Interested applicants may submit a cover letter and resume outlining qualifications in confidence to Human Resources at hr@northgrenville.on.ca by 4:00 p.m., October 28, 2022.

Building Inspector

The Municipality of North Grenville is seeking to fill the full-time position of Building Inspector. Interested applicants may submit a cover letter and resume outlining qualifications in confidence to Human Resources at hr@northgrenville.on.ca. Please note that this posting will remain open until a suitable pool of applicants have been received.

Please visit northgrenville.ca/careers for information and updates on volunteer and employment opportunities.

The Municipality of North Grenville

285 County Rd. 44, PO Box 130 , Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Tel: 613-258-9569 Fax: 613-258-9620 general@northgrenville.on.ca www.NorthGrenville.ca

Building: 613-258-9569 x130 Fax: 613-258-1441

Fire Services Info: 613-258-9569 x201 Fax: 613-258-1031

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

Dear Editor,

In his message last week Dr Paul Roumeliotis, the Medical Office of Health for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, acknowledges that the Covid pandemic is not over yet also says we are “well equipped to continue on our path towards a more normal life”. I am disappointed to see such a denial of reality. The truth is we are still deep in the pandemic, regardless of the fact that our provincial government seems to be pretending that everything is fine. We have vaccines available, although uptake of third and subsequent doses has been much lower than for the first two doses. We have antiviral treatments, but these are not miracle cures.

CBC Ottawa reported on July 26 that Ottawa had already seen more covid deaths in 2022 than in 2021. On October 4 they reported that wastewater levels are

high and rising in Kemptville, and that the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark health unit reported its 122nd overall covid death. The total for 2022 in LGL currently stands at 57 covid deaths, more than for 2020 or 2021.

Our healthcare system is on its knees with staffing shortages rampant, ERs and other departments having to close or reduce their hours, and patients waiting hours just for an initial assessment by a doctor. Even people taken to ER by ambulance are waiting over 30 minutes to be handed over by paramedics. Yet we have virtually no restrictions in place to reduce the spread of covid: mask requirements have almost disappeared, isolation only needs to last for 24 hours after respiratory symptoms have been improving, asymptomatic positive tests don’t need to isolate, 3rd and subsequent vaccine doses are not required.

Given all the advances made in our understanding and treatment of covid, we don’t need to return to the mass lockdowns we saw at the start of the pandemic, but this does not mean that we don’t need any measures to reduce the spread of covid. Individuals can take the decision to wear masks, to avoid risky environments, and to be as fully vaccinated as possible, but public health should not be left to individuals. At the very least, reintroducing mask mandates would help reduce the spread of covid and other respiratory illnesses. Covid is not a harmless infection, it has killed many and caused suffering and disability for many more. We should not be dropping our guard against it.

Steve Gabell

Dear Editor,

Kemptville is very fortunate to have the Ferguson Forest Centre available to the public so we can stroll,

but have not had everything done to repair, so have been in a mess since May or June.

THOMAS

walk our dogs,

our children run in the leaves. It is a beautiful place where photographers can capture the wildlife, different fungus

the coloured leaves, the changes of the season.

On Thursday this past week, St Michael’s got to take advantage of the beautiful trails with their cross country run. There were at least eight to ten stations of high school students making sure runners stayed on the trails and didn’t go off the planned route. When the runners came through, there was a supervisor riding a bike letting walkers or anyone on the trail know that runners were coming. A great idea. I hope they had a great time.

So, with all this planning, why was there so much garbage left behind? Pizza boxes, Tim cups, McDonalds, as well as the candy wrappers and drink cans and bottles. On Friday, I went through the trail and picked up one full bag of garbage. That was half the trail of their planned route.

I took this to St Michael’s and put forward my concern. On Saturday, I picked up a second bag of garbage from the other half of their route. Chairs from the school were still out there as of Saturday. Paid for with tax dollars.

Kids will be kids. But kids should be taught to respect public property. To be responsible. If they learn by example, I would have to say the supervisors of this run did not set a very good example and they really don’t care about the mess they left behind. I know not every student left their garbage, and for those that took it out, Thank you. To those that left it behind, shame on you. To the organizer of this run, shame on you as well. Name withheld by request

Dear Editor,

I am presently having a very difficult time with an insurance claim. I had significant damage from water when the ice collected along the eaves trough and then backed up under the shingles and into the interior of the house. I understand that many people have had similar events, that insurance companies are very backed up. But mine has been since last February. I have had the demolition part done,

I call everyone, with no results yet, many times.

Sometimes one wonders about paying regularly for insurance, but on the other hand, how can one possibly take that chance?

The guys who did the demolition part said many people in this area, just around the corner from me, also had damage from the windstorms earlier in the summer. Still, mine does go back to February.

I have been told by a relative that they’re not going to do anything. That definitely is not encouraging.

This may not be in your best interest to print, but I have to find a reasonable way to vent my frustrations

Kath Piché

Re-elect

Kristin Strackerjan as your North Grenville Councillor

All Candidates Meet &

Greet - in Oxford Mills

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

The Oxford Mills Community Association would like to invite residents to Maplewood Hall on October 14, at 7pm for a meet and greet with the candidates running for council. Light refreshments will be provided and you will have a chance to get to have a discussion face to face. Councillors would like to have a chance to meet residents they may have missed going door to door.

For more information please visit the Oxford Mills Community Association Facebook Page to check out events.

73’s Thanksgiving Tournament losing effort

Clock ticked away….Emile Trottier with Rhett Palmer glide through the neutral zone during the 73’s challenge with the Cornwall Colts for their second contest of the Thanksgiving Event in the Bell Sensplex on Sunday evening. Unfortunately they had to suffer another loss of 2 to 1. by the sportsguy

The Bell Sensplex in the Canadian Tire Arena hosted the Thanksgiving Tournament for another year as Kemptville faced the Renfrew Wolves for a 1 pm matinee. The 73’s couldn’t keep the Wolves at bay to suffer a 5 to 2 loss.

Dante Parent with a solo effort to put it behind Jacob Biron for the Wolves to draw first blood at 5:36. Kemptville with man advantage when Campeau combined with Yakubowski on the point to find Chase Lammi PPG at 7:20, past Sebastian Resar to knot it up at one. First frame ended with a tie and Kemptville outshooting Renfrew by 15 to 9.

Second stanza closed

out scoreless, with both teams riding the pine and the Wolves outgunned by 18 to 12.

Renfrew came out in the final twenty on the hunt to post a double lead when Brendan Waivada, with helpers from Grainger and Tomasini at 4:05, for tiebreaker. Wolves on PP as Brendan Waivada PPG notched his second, with assists from Grainger with Tomasini at 7:45 for the insurance. Fennell pulled the trigger from the top of the wall, and Grady Logue deposited the loose change at 11:20 to bring the 73’s within one.

Renfrew on the move, as Aditya Mehta at 1501, assisted by Slack and Grainger,

to make it a 4 to 2 lead. Tyson Tomasini, assisted by Grainger with Waivada to drive it home for the Wolves 5 to 2 win at 1553. Renfrew counted 13 to 11 SOG with 1 PP on 5 attempts, and Kemptville 8 opportunities with 1 result.

Kemptville 73’s met Cornwall Colts for their second session for a Sunday evening contest in the Bell Sensplex to be subjected to 2-1 close contest.

Cornwall count first, with Nicholas Gingras, assisted by Gagnon and Eaton at 9:14, to twitch the mesh behind Conor Blackwood. The Colts outshooting the 73’s by 11 to 9.

Kemptville evened it up after Lammi reversed to Tan-

ner Fenell to beat Dax Easter top shelf at 16:50. The Colts rustled 8 to 7 SOG to finish the second period.

Cornwall broke the tiebreaker at 3:20 with PPG from Nathan Garnier, with helpers from Gagnon and Laferrier, to open the last

Nickname:

twenty to hold on to a 2-1 victory. Cornwall maintained a 8-6 lead of SOG with one PPG on three attempts, and Kemptville with two without capitalizing.

Baldwin's Birds

Last week, courtesy of one of our readers, I spent a super morning by the river watching and photographing the Great Egret which he had been watching for a number of days. He gave me a call, and so I had the pleasure of witnessing it myself. Unwittingly, on my last photograph of the day, (I didn't know until I had downloaded my pictures from my camera much later) that as I captured it in flight, I had also managed to get in the picture a Great Blue Heron too! Wow! What are the chances of that!? Getting a comparison of the two in one picture, I was really pleased!

Despite being on the “Otter” side of the river, I managed to get some really good shots of it as it patiently hunted for

fish and frogs in the reeds, with the occasional flight to a better patch.

You are probably wondering why my spelling of "other" has taken a slip and "Otter" substituted instead!?

Well birds were not the only thing to appear that day because, as I braced myself against a pole to steady my camera's telephoto lens to get the bird pictures, I happened to glance to my left as some hedgerow birds flitted past. At the same time, another movement caught my eye and, low and behold, there was an Otter coming towards me! Gosh! More excitement as it approached and almost stepped on my feet as it passed and then disappeared into the nearby reeds. I desperately wanted

to get my camera off its tripod to get a picture of it close-up, but had the dilemma of making too much noise and movement and scaring it off, so had to stay still and just enjoy the very brief moments while it was still in view! I tried to get a glimpse of it swimming in the reeds once it had entered the water, and had freed my camera, but to no avail.

Disappointment at not getting a picture of the Otter was soon forgotten, as the birds on the berries in the hedgerow were still within view, so my attention was drawn to them once again. My pictures allowed me to get both a front and a side and back view of them, so I am concluding that they were Yellow Rumped Warblers.

Well, as you can see, I have had a pretty exciting time over the past few days and I hope you continue to do so, as the migratory birds pass through the area. Enjoy and stay safe and well.

Cheers, John Baldwin

Motorists continue to drive… collisions and fatalities up

Grenville County OPP participated in Operation Impact

Numerous friends and family members missed loved ones at their Thanksgiving long weekend gatherings this year, with the death toll on Ontario Provincial Police-(OPP)-patrolled roads reaching 268 heading into October.

The fatalities mark a 24 per cent increase over this time last year. The majority of the deaths were no "accident" and were the result of motorists consciously making bad decisions behind the wheel and failing to take seriously their enormous responsibility to drive and share the road safely.

So far this year, poor decisions and a disregard for the safety of fellow road users have been linked to 69 speed-related fatalities, 57 inattentive-related fatalities, 40 alcohol/drug-related fatalities and 40 deaths associated with lack of seatbelt use.

Over the long weekend, the OPP joined police services across the country for Operation Impact. This national, annual traffic safety campaign is among the most robust police enforcement and education initiatives to target drivers who are alcohol or drug impaired, aggressive and inattentive/ distracted, as well as vehicle occupants who fail to buckle up or properly restrain toddlers and children.

In keeping with this year's campaign theme, officers are counting on all drivers to "put their best foot forward by putting the brakes on bad driving behaviours."

The OPP and its policing partners were committed to doing everything within their means to keep the motoring public safe during one of the busiest traffic weekends of the year. If every road user makes the same commitment every day of the year, Canadians could unequivocally reduce the tragic loss of lives on roads across the country in large numbers.

Operation Impact is led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, under the leadership of its Traffic Safety Committee, in support of Canada's Road Safety Strategy 2025.

Life on the “Otter” side of the river!

Council Candidate Doreen O’Sullivan

In

interests of fair play,

edited this in any way.

1. What are your top three priorities for the coming four years of Council? How do they differ from the last four years?

My vision for North Grenville (NG) is to be a safe and healthy community. My priorities are based on what is needed to achieve this. First is to continue to promote a pedestrian and bicycle friendly community through pathways, sidewalks and paved shoulders on roadways. As well as to establish an Equity, Diversity and Inclusive framework for NG that will ensure people of all ethnicity, ability, race, colour, sexual orientation or identification and faith are welcomed and safe in our community.

Secondly, we need better access to primary health care and I will continue to advocate for more Primary Care Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses working to their full scope of practice as part of a team. This will enable primary care physicians to manage a larger number of rostered patients in their practices.

The third priority, which has come about since the last election, is to ensure that the NG taxpayers are not held responsible for any construction or operational costs of the new Eastern Ontario Correctional Centre. This centre is a decision made by the Provincial Government and we need to advocate for the transfer of the surplus lands to the Municipality so that the land can be developed for community and ag-

ricultural use. And to advocate for an improved justice system where the facility treats the inmates as humans with single accommodations where they are safe. There should be appropriate health care and programing to treat and manage mental illness, addictions, and provide opportunities to turn their lives around.

2. What do you bring to Council that hasn’t been there previously?

I am a Registered Nurse and I do not believe that there has been a health care professional on council previously. Where we live is a social determinate of our health and I feel that I have a great deal to offer with respect to building a community that is safe and inclusive. I have clinical and administrative experience in primary care, health promotion, advocacy, risk management, quality and safety. I have spent my career advocating for people and it’s a continuation of that servitude.

3. Social media has become toxic locally, especially over the past year. Do you think Council has a role in creating a more civil atmosphere generally? If so, how would you go about it?

I believe that the first thing council can do is to set a good example and tone with respect to social media. Unfortunately there are many ‘keyboard warriors’ who post things that they would likely never say to someone’s face. I believe that this is worse since the pandemic when face to face conversations didn’t happen. With social media we are also missing the body language and communication experts say that from 55-90% of the message is portrayed through body language. Words alone can be very harsh and taken out of context.

We need to THINK about what we post. Is it True? Is it Helpful? Is it Inspiring?

Is it Necessary? Is it Kind?

4. Do you think that more can be done to involve the community in the affairs of Council and being part of the decision-making process?

Since the last election there have been more Community Advisory Committees than ever. I believe these should continue as they engage community members with a particular interest and are a great source of information for council. I would encourage the establishment of an Indigenous advisory circle and a Seniors Advisory committee. I also will support the return of the ‘Town halls’ which were a way to reach out to the hamlets but we had to stop due to the pandemic. As a councillor I represent you and I want to hear from you.

5. How do you think the future development in North Grenville –infrastructure, economic, environmental should be directed? What new initiatives need to be undertaken in those areas?

Growth needs to be sustainable and manageable. I would like to see a more balanced tax base through an increase in light industrial businesses attracted to NG.

The creation of a multiyear budget allows for planning on the infrastructure rehabilitation that is required as our community grows.

I want to see an urban canopy/tree preservation bylaw established that supports our green while growing vision.

I would like to see new initiatives in waste management that will address recycling of agricultural plastic waste. I believe that we need to increase the frequency of yard waste pick up. I am very supportive of the Blue Community initiative and feel strongly that we must protect all of our natural resources. Let’s keep our community green, growing an beautiful.

All Candidates Meet and Greet - in Oxford Mills

The Oxford Mills Community Association would like to invite residents to Maplewood Hall on October 14, at 7pm for a meet and greet with the candidates running for council.

Light refreshments will be provided and you will have a chance to get to have a discussion face to face. Councillors would like to have a chance to meet residents they may have missed going door to door.

Vote

ANDRE RANCOURT

I

Since moving here in 2018, I have been inspired by

generous and caring community.

North Grenville has been rewarding in ways that I have never experienced elsewhere.

is an exciting time for North Grenville and I would like to contribute to our ongoing success.

want to ensure that the municipality

the

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers in eastern Ontario have been actively investigating damage caused to cell towers across the region.

The OPP is asking anyone that observes something suspicious at or near a cell tower to contact police immediately.

Anyone with information relating to these occurrences is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS) where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000, or you can submit a tip to Crime Stoppers at www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

Grenville is Ontario's fastest growing community

want to ensure the growth

sustainably

managed

What’s up at the NGPL this Fall:

Open Sundays, new programs & more

Day, where we will be joined by Daisy from the Académie Catholique Notre-Dame.

submitted by the North Grenville Public Library (NGPL)

Fall is here and plenty is happening at your North Grenville Public Library. We have new hours, new programs, and the return of your program favourites.

Starting Sunday, October 16, we will be open from 12-4 pm on Sundays, in response to requests from community members, including those who cannot get to the Library on other days of the week. We are hoping that people will make use

of the extra hours, and if all goes well, we will continue Sunday hours as a regular thing during the school year.

Our program schedule is filling up again, after a couple of understandably quiet years. We have our regular Fall programming for kids, with Library Sue (Getting Ready for Kindergarten, Sarah’s Circle, Bedtime Storyhour, Twinkle Little Stars). We are also bringing back Friday Fun Days, and are excited to announce that the last Friday of each month will be “French Friday” Fun

The popular Reading Buddies program is back and runs from October 11 to December 6. This program pairs teens with younger students to help young readers improve their reading skills - in English or French. We are still looking for some teen volunteers to be part of this rewarding program and to get those community volunteer hours at the same time. Contact kids@ngpl.ca to learn more. And be sure to watch our Facebook page and website this Fall for other special STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) sessions for school-aged children.

For adults and teens, we have a range of programs, including the return of the NG Writers Circle and La Leche League Drop-in, and new to us, the NG Art Chal-

lenge and the NG Poetry Guild. We cannot forget to mention our faithful Knitters, Quilters, Youngsters of Yore, Alzheimer CareGiver Group, and Teen Book Club.

Book clubs are back in a big way. In addition to supporting several local book clubs off-site, we have the popular monthly NGPL Book Club, hosted by our own Linda Purvis-Carriveau. We are considering adding an evening meeting as well, for those who cannot attend in the afternoon. Let Linda know if you would be interested, at lcarriveau@ ngpl.ca.

To learn more about programs for people of all ages, go to ngpl.ca/programs or check out our calendar on our website homepage. You can also call us (613-2584711), email us (info@ngpl. ca), or just drop by to say hello. We would love to see you!

‘Epic’ health information system at three Eastern Ontario hospitals ready to launch on November 5

J. Vassallo, KDH’s CEO.

“Our teams have been working tirelessly to train and prepare for Epic. They see the benefits first-hand.”

On November 5, the new Epic health information system will be launched at Deep River & District Hospital (DRDH), Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) and Winchester District Memorial

Hospital (WDMH). Training is now underway as staff and physicians prepare for a new way of caring for our patients.

“November 5th is just over a month away and we will be ready,” said Frank

Epic is a powerful digital health information system that uses the latest technology to securely store, organize, and access patient records. “The new Epic system will support both patients and their care providers,” noted Janna Hotson, the CEO of DRDH. “Simply put, patients will get better access to their own health information and more seamless care from their providers.”

The three hospitals will now become part of a digital network of nine

hospitals in the Ottawa region using the worldclass health information system. “Epic replaces the current hospital information systems made up of multiple electronic and paper-based systems containing different parts of a patient’s health record,” added Cholly Boland, CEO of WDMH. “Epic gives the patient’s care team the information they need at their fingertips and is proven to reduce wait times, length of stay in the hospital, and readmission.”

Another benefit of Epic is the private MyChart portal. Patients will have their health story at their fingertips, anytime, anywhere.

MyChart subscribers can see their medical history, diagnostic test results, upcoming appointments, lists of allergies and medications, and even educational materials.

As part of the planning process, each hospital will be reducing some services at the time of launch to ensure that staff have time to

care for each patient while learning to use of the new system. More details will be provided on the hospital websites and social media channels leading up to November 5th. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Heritage

Clinical Manager Michael Paglia and Jennifer Sanger, RAI Coordinator at Winchester District Memorial Hospital, check out the new portable Workstations on Wheels

Council Candidate Kristin Strackerjan

responsibility, by learning more and making sure that leaders across NG have the tools that they need to succeed.

Growth: Managing financial, economic and development growth in a responsible way.

What are your top three priorities for the coming four years of Council? How do they differ from the last four years?

Building a stronger, better community for all was always a priority for me as a Councillor. The topics below cover many areas and they are all about making North Grenville a more welcoming, inclusive, safer place for all. While not entirely different from the priorities of the last four years, they are areas that require continued attention and improvement.

Effective communication: Building and maintaining great communications with residents and business owners via greater transparency in decision-making and more opportunities to meet.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): Ensuring that our community continues to grow its understanding of Indigenous reconciliation, social and environmental

What do you bring to Council that hasn’t been there previously?

I am not new to Council and I know that I have unique skills based on my professional and personal background that will complement any team of elected members of Council. I will continue to address issues from a fact-based perspective, to discuss them publicly via the Council meetings and to listen to community members. Working ‘out in the open’ means greater transparency, something that we developed and fostered over the last four years on Council. I am always willing to engage and meet with anyone in the community. I bring a youthful, progressive perspective to conversations and decision-making.

Social media has become toxic locally, especially over the past year. Do you think Council has a role in creating a more civil atmosphere generally? If so, how would you go about it?

Absolutely. We are leaders and, with that, comes a greater responsibility to reflect the type of community in which we would all like to live. When answering or creating an online post, I assume that my children or loved ones will read what I have written. If I would not want them to read my comments or posts, then I likely have not approached things with kindness and patience. Although personal attacks have been infrequent, it is not always easy to answer with calm and grace. I try to remain respectful even when others may not be.

Do you think more can be done to involve the community in the affairs of Council and being part of the decision-making process?

Currently, Council uses Discussion Forums, open Council meetings, Advisory Committees, representation on various boards, such as the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and the Kemptville District Hospital, and active involvement in community association meetings to communicate with and hear from the community. Improving the use of these tools should be on the radar of the next Council. We have already discussed

Burn Henry Ford in Effigy Night

crosses the road, from the County Road 20 Bridge past the Middle Creek Bridge to the drain just past where Nelms used to live, in the fields between the Cemetery and Bishops Mills, and, in lesser numbers, on the streets in the village.

options to increase youth participation and encourage more residents to get involved, as well as the need for an Indigenous Advisory Circle. A focus on DEI will mean that more folks will know that they have a place at any table.

How do you think the future development in North Grenville - infrastructure, economic, environmental - should be directed? What new initiatives need to be undertaken in those areas?

Growth in North Grenville needs to be sustainable, from both an environmental and an economic perspective. Housing affordability and increasing the available housing stock across the spectrum are both important now and should continue to be. Our new Housing Strategy will help guide the way in the decisions that will come before Council. There are a number of affordable housing projects already underway (Habitat for Humanity, the Courthouse renovations, as examples) that offer different models to meet different needs. It will be necessary to seek out innovative ways to fund such projects while ensuring that we continue to address the immediate needs of our residents. Where and

how we build homes is very important to our environment. Smaller footprint homes, infill over clearing greenspaces, green building options, protecting water sources and floodplains, and efficient construction are

some of the environmental considerations related to development. Use of experts within the RVCA and our Environmental Action Advisory Committee can also help advance greener development conversations.

The Food Corner

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville

The whole family went out to Mountain Orchards (highly recommended) on a beautiful sunny day last week to pick apples. What comes to mind when cooking apples is, of course, Apple Crumble. This recipe adds custard to it, and it sure makes for a tasty dish. I don’t know about you, but cooler weather brings out my sweet tooth, big time. So, have a go at Apple Custard Crumble starring some lovely fresh apples. Maybe with some warm apple cider…

Basic Ingredients

1-10 inch pie shell, the deep variety, uncooked (pre-made or made by you)

8-10 apples (try the Spy)

2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Custard Ingredients

1 cup of 35% cream and 1 cup of milk

the going-home-from-work traffic.

¼ cup of flour

3 egg yolks

submitted by Fred Schueler, Fragile Inheritance Natural History

Calendar-bound traditions usually have a macabre holiday on a fixed date in the fall, often enlivened with orange and black geegaws bought in stores.

In the seasonal ritual calendar for eastern Ontario naturalists, the corresponding autumnal ceremony is “Burn Henry Ford in Effigy Night” (BHFIEN), a festival of revulsion and disgust at the slaughter automotive transportation imposes on the populations of any animal that needs to move across the landscape.

Th date varies from year to

year, and is the night when Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens) make their major movement from the fields where they spend the summer towards the waterbodies where they hibernate.

This memorial was first marked on 13 October 2000, when, on County Road 18 from Kemptville to Bishops Mills (20h30-20h50, 13° C, calm, a trace of rain), there were great numbers of dead and not-yet-dead Leopard Frogs at all the traditional killing fields: just south of Kemptville, near the turn to Oxford Mills (and doubtless in the village), Hutchins Corners, the place where the drain from the Wolford Bog

In the years since, BHFIEN has been seen to occur earlier in years that have had wet summers, so the frogs have made good growth, and are ready to go into hibernation, and later after drought summers, when they feel the need to gulp down a few more Grasshoppers in order to be ready for winter.

In Bishops Mills, there have been few Leopard Frogs since the winter of 2013-2014, but this year there’s been a very considerable recovery, and there were good numbers along County Road 18 on September 13, so I expect the combined celebration and lamentation of a “good” BHFIEN. The best nights for the frogs occur when rain starts up late at night when there’s not much traffic, and the worst when dusk on already wet roadsides coincides with

The places where frogs cross roads in their seasonal movements can vary as much as a kilometre from year to year, depending on the temperature and moisture. North Grenville’s municipal budget for this year includes some funding for studying where Turtle Crossing signs can alert drivers that Turtles may be on the road, but it’s much harder to avoid hitting frogs. All you can do is, if it’s possible, not take trips early in the evening on rainy nights in the fall, drive slowly when you see frogs on the road, and swerve around those you can safely avoid, but a study in Germany suggests that at any speed above 30 km/h, just the passage of a vehicle is going to kill many frogs.

Science-based festivals are naturally marked by data collection, and any reports of frogs-on-the-roads sent to me at bckcdb@istar.ca will contribute to our understanding of the populations and their movements.

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla

2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel

Crumble Ingredients

½ cup of packed brown sugar

¾ cup of flour

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

½ cup of butter, cut into cubes

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup of instant oats

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 435F degrees.

2. Bake the pie crust for 8-10 minutes and leave to cool. Reduce your heat to 350F

3. Peel, core and cut the applies into ¼ inch slices

4. In a bowl, toss the applies in the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and cinnamon

5. In a custard bowl, beat the milk, cream, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla, peel and cinnamon

6. In a crumble bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; add Parmesan and oats

7. Cut in the butter cubes and rub the crumble with your fingers to make small pea-like bits

8. Now, put the apples in the pie shell and pour the custard over the apples

9. Sprinkle your crumble over the filling, covering it completely

10. Bake at 350F for 45 to 50 minutes until the crumble is crunchy and the apples soft

Vanilla or pumpkin ice cream or iced yoghurt accompanies this pie nicely, whether warm or chilled. Do enjoy! All feedback gratefully accepted at pcormier@ranaprocess.com.

A

pipiens) victimized by a Burn Henry Ford in Effigy Night.

A Leopard Frog (Lithobates [formerly Rana] pipiens) victimized by a Burn Henry Ford in Effigy Night.

MELISSA OTTENHOF

Classifieds Classifieds

FOR SALE

WHEELCHAIR FOR SALE, LIKE NEW ONLY SIX MONTH OLD. PAID OVER 4000.00, ASKING 2,000.00 BUT WILLING TO NEGOTIATE. PLEASE CALL 613-296-8778

WALKER WITH SEAT; ELECTRIC ACTIVE CYCLE (PEDAL ONLY TYPE), MANUAL EXERCISE CYCLE. CALL 613-5678533

BLACK WALNUT PLANKS AND DISKS MERRICKVILLE JGHARRIS@SYMPATICO.CA

SETS OF WINTER TIRES

195-60R 15"; 1 SET ON GM 4 BOLT RIMS; $120 PER SET. CALL 613-282-1836, LEAVE A MESSAGE

WOMEN'S WINTER COAT, ROSE COLOURED, HANDMADE, LARGE. $40. HANGING POOL TABLE LIGHT $20. CONTACT NADFUDT@ GMAIL.COM

RED PICNIC TABLE, CUSTOM BUILT, 4 SEATER. 4'8" X 4'X10". $45. STERLING BBQ, CLEAN, SELDOM USED, HIGH TOP, 10,000BTU, MODEL 1701-4. $45. CONTACT NADFUDT@GMAIL.COM

STEALTH 300 MOTORGUIDE ELECTRIC BOAT MOTOR, 30LBS, THRUST 2 POPS. $75. CONTACT NADFUDT@GMAIL.COM

HAY AND STRAW FOR SALE

4X4 ROUND BALES, STORED INSIDE. CALL JON 613-2273650

NORCO CITY COMMUTER BIKE. MINT CONDITION $300. NICK 613 890 3512

40" DYNAMAX TV. IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION. $75. NICK 613 890 3512

HELP WANTED

MOUNTAIN DAIRY FARM REQUIRES MALE/FEMALE OR STUDENT FOR CHORE DUTIES DURING MILKING TIMES, 5-8 AM/4-7 PM. SCHEDULE NEGOTIABLE. CALL 613 989 5204 OR 613 227 6026.

PERSON WITH GENERAL LANDSCAPING AND HORTICULTURE KNOWLEDGE. NOT AFRAID TO GET HANDS DIRTY. CONTACT ANDRELSIMARD@GMAIL.COM

KEMPTVILLE AREA ROOM. MATURE STUDENT, STUDYING AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR IN KEMPTVILLE, NEEDS A QUIET ROOM WITH BATHROOM FACILITIES FROM SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER AND FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL. WEEKDAYS ONLY. HAS SMALL FRIDGE, KITCHEN NOT REQUIRED. NEEDS RELIABLE INTERNET ACCESS. CALL CHRIS 613200-7016.

SERVICES

MISCELLANIOUS

HUNTER EDUCATION COURSE ON SEPTEMBER17TH AND CANADIAN FIREARMS COURSE ON OCTOBER 22 AND 23 IN BURRITTS RAPIDS. PLEASE CONTACT KERRY COLEMAN AT 613-791-7515 OR KERRYCOLEMAN@XPLORNET. COM

WANTED

Looking to rent winter parking near Asa St. Contact 613-545-5420.

RETIRED CARPENTER

Renovations, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, decks, home repair. Call George at 613 462 7637

HANDYMAN SERVICES

Call Bill 613 774 2922

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

last week’s

Senior Times

As we age it is important that we pay close attention to our health, and feet are something we may not give the tender loving care they deserve. Sometimes it is harder to care for our feet when the reach is challenging. Improperly cared for feet can be very painful causing difficulty in walking and decreased mobility and agility. Don’t be de-feeted! Seeing a footcare nurse can help identify possible health conditions and one of the many things you can do to care for yourself. Seniors’ Community Services has a foot care clinic on site

Thursdays and Fridays with a Registered Nurse who will ensure the best care to allow you to walk without pain, and can help with healthier, long-lasting lifestyle changes.

To access the footcare clinic, please call 613258-3203 for registration and fee information.

The footcare clinic is just one of the services offered to older adults who are living independently at home. Meals on Wheels is another supportive service that provides access to nutritious meals door to door. It is convenient, delicious and takes the stress out of grocery shopping

and meal preparation. In the last six months, over 3000 meals have been delivered to folks in this community, and the demand continues to increase. Over the next month we are holding our second annual Holiday Wreath and Planter fundraiser in support of the Meals on Wheels service. Decorate your doors and porches for the holidays knowing you have a part in building a strong and vibrant community.

For information, or to order please reach out to jill.woodley@seniorscs.ca or call 613258-3203.

Bayfield

Education workers may soon be on strike

by Brandon Mayer

A seemingly familiar occurrence is upon us, as thousands of education workers across Ontario are poised to be in a legal strike position in the coming days. Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents non-teacher education workers such as Educational Assistants and Early Childhood Educators, have voted strongly in favour of strike action.

Under Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive-Conservative government, Education Minister Stephen Lecce is arguing that the demands being made by the CUPE union are unreasonable, and that his government’s off er is fair. Tabled by the province early in the negotiation process was an offer of a 2% annual wage increase over the span of the new contract for any staff member

making less than $40,000 annually, and a 1.25% annual increase for those already earning $40,000 annually or more. The union on the other hand is seeking annual increases of 11.7% for all of its workers. Also demanded by the union are changes to working conditions, such as the addition of daily paid prep time and five additional work days in the summer before the school year starts.

Education workers are represented by several different labour unions, which can cause confusion when contracts are up for renewal. Many people mistakenly believe that the current labour dispute involves teachers, who are paid more than double what other education workers receive, on average. The current dispute involves support staff and custodial staff. Even Minister Lecce has been quoted as saying that the current dispute will set the stage for negotiations with “every other

teacher union”, a simple factual error that could help win support for the government’s position.

A full time experienced teacher now typically has a salary in excess of $100,000 per year. Misrepresenting CUPE as a teacher union could therefore help turn the public against the union, since an 11.7% increase on a $100,000 salary would be whopping. Support staff who perform many of the same duties as teachers, and custodians who do the grunt work that keeps school buildings functioning, are arguing that they simply want fair compensation for all.

"The majority of education workers make on average $39,000 a year, and they're working multiple jobs to make ends meet, and they're asking this government for a real wage increase," said Union President Laura Walton. "We also need to understand that these are also parents, and they do want this school year to

be smooth. But they also want to be able to afford to put food on the table."

Minister Lecce does not agree. "We believe what we have offered really exceeds what many people out there [have]," he said. "I think that this education union is on a path to strike before the government offered our first proposal to them. That is not fair on families."

CUPE members voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action on October 3, setting the wheels in motion for a potential strike. Specific notice periods are set out and must be adhered to before any strike action can commence. Notice had not yet been given as of the time of writing, but in high stakes labour disputes, the situation can change very quickly.

Financial Cup of Team –Business Transition Planning

by Sarah Chisholm

Financial Advisor, O’Farrell Wealth & Estate Planning | Assante Capital Management Ltd.

As we celebrate small business week, it is a great time for business owners to start thinking about retirement. You have built a successful business – when do you want to take a step back, and how will you implement that transition? Every business transition is unique, so please grab your favourite cup of tea or coffee and let us consider.

Transitioning a business is typically a multi-layer process. A Financial Advisor can work as your quarterback to direct the transition and bring in key players such as your accountant, lawyer, and lender to get everyone on board.

Transitioning a business can take a variety of forms. You may sell outright to a third party, negotiate a deal with a current employee, wind down the business, or keep the business going by transitioning to a family member. If you are in certain industries like farming, a family transition can often be implemented tax efficiently with a farm roll over. In all cases, your succession team will provide guidance on how to proceed in the most tax efficient manner and will provide solutions to smooth the transition.

Roundabout project to finally move forward

ing. “I’m fully supportive of the speed reduction.” Mayor Peckford went on to further point out that it may take some time for drivers to change their habits of driving quickly through the intersection. She recommended additional supports to help slow drivers down, such as rumble strips, but acknowledged that this would be a discussion for a later date. Merrickville-Wolford

discuss this at the insistence of Mayor Peckford. Director Kester confirmed that the consultation work on the roundabout project has been completed, and that the tender for the work is expected to be awarded by the end of October.

Knowing who the business will transition to is often the easiest part. The hardest part may be the transition into retirement – the personal side and the financial side. On the personal side, business owners often connect their identity to the business itself. They see themselves as the business. What happens when you are no longer the business owner? Identifying retirement goals, activities, and networks is part of process to rebuild your personal and family identity. Look at the hours you currently devote to your business and consider how will you fill your time in retirement.

by Brandon Mayer

After years of waiting, North Grenville residents will finally see a dangerous intersection made safer with the installation of a roundabout. The intersection of County Roads 43 and 22 –the latter otherwise known as South Gower Drive – is expected to have a tender for the upgrade work in by the end of this month.

The decision to move ahead with the work was the subject of a special meeting of Council of the United Counties on October 4. County Council members include Mayors from municipalities in the Counties, with Mayor Peckford amongst those in attendance at the virtual meeting. Council members wasted no time

jumping into the issue at hand during the short meeting.

First up for discussion was a motion to reduce the speed limits on both County Road 43 and County Road 22 in the area of the intersection. The speed limit on County Road 43 will be reduced to 60km/h from the intersection to the existing 60km/h zone at the 416 overpass to the west, and to the area of Maplestone Drive to the east. On County Road 22, the limit would be reduced to 60km/h from approximately 50m north of Anthony Curro Drive, to approximately 50m south of Kennedy Road.

“I would like to thank our public works staff for moving the issue of speed reductions forward,” said Mayor Peckford at the meet-

Mayor Doug Struthers also chimed in, pointing out that letting people know of the speed limit reduction in advance, and issuing tickets for violators, should help people change their habits.

In response to the idea of rumble strips, Counties Director of Public Works Rick Kester pointed out that while these are effective at getting drivers’ attention, they also produce a lot of noise. For this reason, it is a good idea to seek feedback from residents of the area prior to planning for the installation of rumble strips.

The motion for the reduction of the speed limits was carried, but there was no motion on the October 4 agenda for the awarding of the roundabout tender, or for the discussion of timing on the project. With all County Council members in agreement, the meeting strayed briefly from the agenda to

The intersection at South Gower Drive is known for the high frequency of accidents that occur there, including accidents that occasionally result in fatalities. Visibility is generally good at the intersection, but the volume of traffic on both roads likely contributes to the high number of collisions. Drivers on County Road 43 are warned of the approaching intersection with a “proceed with caution” sign and a flashing yellow light. For drivers on South Gower Drive, a flashing red light and a sign reading “cross traffic does not stop” warns drivers of the intersection’s danger.

In 2019, it was announced that the intersection would be fitted with a roundabout to counteract the problem, though residents were left waiting for years for the work to begin. With these final administrative steps taken, it won’t be long now before shovels are finally in the ground.

As you focus on your goals for retirement, it will help your Financial Advisor build a strategy for your retirement cash flow. Having a good idea of the daily cashflow, vacation, large purchases that you expect to make over the first 5 years of retirement can bring clarity to the investment goals that need to be implemented for retirement. Are there enough savings in retirement savings plans and tax-free savings accounts or other assets to fund the retirement goals? What after tax amount do you need to net from the sale of your business to fund your retirement goals? Having a number in mind can help you weed out lowball offers from potential buyers.

For those business owners transitioning to family, another aspect comes into play – fairness. When businesses are transitioned from parents to children it is often done at some sort of discount, potentially with promissory notes forgivable on the parents passing. If there are multiple children in the family but only one is buying the business, it is important to look at the estate and legacy goals. Most business owners with multiple children understand that you can be fair to all your children, without necessarily being equal. Building assets outside of your business can help with this equalization dilemma. Real estate, investment accounts, and permanent life insurance can all be used as part of the estate equalization process for the non-business children.

The transition process can be challenging but remember the reason it is challenging is because you’ve built a successful business and significant wealth. Starting to plan early is important. Put your professional team on notice and get them started on a business transition plan for retirement.

Sarah Chisholm is a Financial Advisor with Assante Capital Management Ltd. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Assante Capital Management Ltd. Please contact her at 613.258.1997 or visit ofarrellwealth.com to discuss your circumstances prior to acting on the information above. Assante Capital Management Ltd. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

A sign at the northbound approach of the intersection of County Roads 43 and 22 warns drivers that “cross traffic does not stop”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare at an astounding pace. Vantage Market Research, an American firm specializing in emerging markets, estimates the global AI market in health will climb from US$6.6 billion in 2021 to US$95.7 billion by 2028. That’s an astounding 46.1% compound annual growth. What’s does this mean for the healthcare consumer?

Henry Ford advised, “Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success.” He lived in a different time, when his assembly lines operated in a simple operational sequence, one workstation after another. Today, getting ready for anything doesn’t seem to be an option. In healthcare, the pace at which AI technologies are reshaping the sector is both exciting and inscrutable.

On the bright side, diagnostics are already undeniably improved. As pathology adopts AI tools, earlier detection of cancer is possible. Medical errors in diagnosis are certain to decline.

AI is changing the cost structures of new drug development. Biopharmaceutical companies can more efficiently identify effective drugs, reducing costly and timeconsuming clinical trials that don’t lead to marketable drugs – currently about 90% of drugs in development.

Robotic-assisted surgery is another area of

profoundly improved outcomes for patients.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “robots help doctors perform complex procedures with a precision, flexibility and control that goes beyond human capabilities.”

Some companies have developed the potential to create your digital twin. Lifestyle changes and adjustments to medications can be modeled to help forecast the effect on chronic disease conditions like type 2 diabetes. It will be interesting to learn whether meeting one’s future self will motivate people lose weight and eliminate other risk factors for lifestyle illnesses.

Graphic pictures of diseased lungs and toothless gums on cigarette packages are effective in reducing tobacco usage. Maybe an image of one’s own fatty liver or amputated leg will have the same effect in helping people choose healthier food.

On the darker side, there are risks to the explosion of AI technologies that are yet to be well studied or managed.

One concern is the introduction of systemic bias into decision making. For example, when AI models use data limited by ethnicity or gender, both computers and doctors alike may arrive at sub-standard results for some patients.

Another concern is personal privacy. The irony is that protecting privacy stifles AI. But

the real challenge is that society has not yet figured out how to protect privacy in a world where cameras capture images everywhere. Most individuals have no idea where, when, and how to offer or remove consent for their private data to be collected.

Legal experts acknowledge that regulation of AI lags behind. The slow process of law is problematic but can’t be blamed. Instead, innovators, businesses, governments, and consumers need to think through their own responsibilities, seeking to understand risks, identify ethical questions, and invite discourse on social or moral consequences.

Data scientists need closer scrutiny. They are known for their “black box” algorithms which nearly always lack transparency. How many are trained or take even a small interest in the implications of their work? Do buyers of their services do any better?

Imagine the company that adopts technologies to compare individual employee’s mental health data with large population datasets, then uses machine learning to match people with specialists or make health appointments for them. Care to talk with a chatbot about how you are feeling?

Maybe welcome? Maybe ill-advised? Like it or not, these new AI services and products are in the marketplace and probably already part of your healthcare.

Asking if you are ready is a moot point.

OPENING SOON!

Small Business Week in North Grenville

by Brandon Mayer

Next week, we will celebrate Small Business Week in North Grenville and across the country. The celebration runs from October 16 to 22. Small Business Week is run annually by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) with 43 years of history in helping Canadians realize the importance of entrepreneurship in keeping the economy booming.

Just how important are small businesses in Canada? The short answer is “extremely important”. Small and medium sized businesses – collectively defined as businesses having fewer than 500 employees – account for a staggering 99.8% of all businesses in Canada. These businesses employ about 10 million people in Canada, or 88.3% of the total private sector workforce. More than half of these businesses have less than four employees, and about 75% have fewer than 10 employees. In other words, some of the smallest businesses in Canada have a huge responsibility for keeping the wheels of the economy turning by providing paychecks for a majority of the workforce.

The BDC provides some interesting facts about small businesses. Interestingly, small businesses that are owned equally by men and women have a higher chance of survival than those owned by only men or women alone. It may

also be a pleasant surprise to readers that despite the difficulties of entrepreneurship, about twothirds of new businesses in Canada survive for five years or more. Unfortunately, small businesses can be disproportionately affected by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, 92.1% of employment loss occurred in small and medium sized businesses.

For the last several months, COVID-19 pandemic rules have been dormant, finally giving small businesses a fair playing field once again compared with large corporations. Many businesses survived the pandemic and must now focus on financial recovery, but many businesses simply did not make it through two years of closures and restrictions. While government benefit programs can provide some support to struggling businesses, the people most equipped to help small businesses are ordinary people who choose to spend their money locally, where it counts the most.

Anyone interested in learning more about the BDC or Small Business Week can visit the BDC website at https://www. bdc.ca/en/small-businessweek.

In North Grenville, we are lucky to have a database of local small businesses available online through LoveNG. Despite the old adage that “everybody knows everybody” in a small town, North Grenville is fast-growing, and it is not likely that any one local resident knows all of the great local businesses that the community has to offer. A quick search on https://loveng.ca/ can help in locating a business to suit one’s need for a specific good or service. New businesses are added periodically.

The Times is grateful for nearly a decade of advertising and other support from the countless small businesses that keep our local economy thriving. Our community paper is a local small business as well, and the reality of helping each other demonstrates the heart and soul of what small businesses are really about. Shop Local! #LoveNG

Historically Speaking TR Leger Kemptville expands Adult Training & Apprenticeship Programming

Due to the positive response and demand within the community, the TR Leger School of Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education at Kemptville Campus will now be offering its newly launched adult training in heavy machinery in the evenings and on weekends.

Courses that are being offered are as follows:

Hydraulics-Fluid Power Systems

Electrical Theory / Practical Engines

Fuel Systems Theory / Practical

Submitted by Saman Shaikh, RD., M.Sc. Registered Dietitian and Public Health Nutritionist

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

1. Start your day with breakfast. Eating breakfast fuels your body and brain so you can concentrate better at work. Enjoy a healthy breakfast that includes a variety of foods like whole grains, foods with protein and vegetables and fruit.

submitted by Donna Ross MDHS Volunteer Lecture Coordinator

The Merrickville and District Historical Society Lecture Series for the month of October will be held on Tuesday, October 25 at 7 pm at the Merrickville Legion. Join us to hear presenter, Mariana Iglesias, speak on: “Heritage Conservation: Planning for the Future”. The Village of MerrickvilleWolford prides itself in respecting heritage and rightly so with more heritage designated buildings (34) than any other Ontario community of like-size. Visitors to our community marvel at the numerous century stone, brick and wood buildings, and the history surrounding both them and the Village. Learn about heritage conservation and how to preserve and protect what we have for the future. Gain an understanding of what a building that has Ontario Heritage Designation status means and the steps required for designation.

The presenter, Mariana Iglesias is a registered Professional Planner and a member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals. She has worked as a development planner since 2006, specializing in the field of heritage planning, working extensively with municipal heritage committees, municipal councils, staff, and the public to further the work of heritage education, stewardship, and conservation.

Mariana has a Planning Degree from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) and has pursued courses and training in heritage conservation through University of Victoria and Willowbank, Canada’s heritage conservation school. She presently works in Centre Wellington as a Senior Planner, Heritage, and Development.

We invite you to come, listen, learn, and ask questions. All are welcome!

All Candidates Meet & Greet - in Oxford Mills

The Oxford Mills Community Association would like to invite residents to Maplewood Hall on October 14, at 7pm for a meet and greet with the candidates running for council. Light refreshments will be provided and you will have a chance to get to have a discussion face to face. Councillors would like to have a chance to meet residents they may have missed going door to door.

For more information please visit the Oxford Mills Community Association Facebook Page to check out events.

Adults looking to become a Truck and Coach Technician, an Agricultural Equipment Technician (425A), a Heavy Equipment Technician (421A), or who want to upskill in these industries can now take specific micro-credential courses that interest them, or take all the courses in a particular specialty to complete the in-class portion of the Level 1 Commercial Vehicle Apprenticeship Certification.

“This really is a great opportunity for adults who are looking to get into a trade, or who want to get more training in an industry they are already in,” explains Shelley Riddell, Principal of TR Leger. “All of these programs are fully funded by the government, so there is no cost to enroll. For those that were interested in our daytime offering but couldn’t commit to one or two days in person, this is a great alternative. We have a number of community partners that are looking to fill positions with people who have this type of training.”

Wheel End Assemblies & Brake Systems Theory/Practical

Drive Train Systems Theory / Practical Trade Practices Theory

Registration is open, with some courses starting on October 19.

Get full details about the courses being offered, timing and registration information on the TR Leger School of Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education website.

2. Pack your lunch more often. Bring your lunch from home as often as possible to make healthier choices and save money. One strategy is to make extra servings for dinner the night before, then pack them up for lunch the next day. Try packing your lunch the night before to make things easier.

3. Pack healthy snacks or keep some at work. To energize yourself throughout the day, have a small healthy snack to keep you going if you’re hungry. Try not to eat while you are distracted and take the time to focus on enjoying your snack.

4. Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated helps you fight fatigue and stay alert. Bring a reusable water bottle to refill over the day. Try adding lemon, cucumber or mint to your water to add a burst of flavour.

5. Take a break from your work. Stand up and stretch or head outside for some fresh air if you can.

For more information, visit our website at healthunit.org, call us at 1-800-660-5853 or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Also visit unlockfood.ca for more information.

Local Conservation Authorities expand septic approvals service

Landowners in several Eastern Ontario municipalities will now receive septic approval services from their local conservation authority.

As of October 1, 2022, the Mississippi Valley and Rideau Valley Conservation Authorities have begun providing septic inspections, reviews and permits on behalf of the following municipalities:

Township of Beckwith Town of Carleton Place

Township of Lanark Highlands Town of Mississippi Mills

Township of North Grenville Town of Smiths Falls Town of Westport

These municipalities were formerly serviced by the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit.

The Mississippi Valley and Rideau Valley Conservation Authorities have been providing septic review and approval services in the City of Ottawa and Tay Valley Township for more than 25 years and have knowledgeable and experienced staff to support this increased service area.

“We are pleased to support our local municipalities with septic review and approval services required under the Ontario Building Code,” said Terry Davidson, RVCA Director of Regulations and Chief Building Official for program delivery across the two watersheds. “We look forward to working with contractors and residents to ensure systems are properly installed and repaired with the goal of protecting homeowners and keeping communities healthy and safe.”

The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit will carry out all inspection work for permits received or extended on or before September 30, 2022. Property owners who have previously submitted a septic permit prior to September 30, will continue to have their application overseen by the Health Unit.

Visit www.rvca.ca/septic-approvals for a map of Eastern Ontario to guide you to your local septic approval agent as well as forms, fees, frequently asked questions, and other sewage system resources for landowners and contractors.

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October is Healthy Workplace month. Here are some tips for healthy eating in the workplace.