Issue 46 2022 November 24 NG Times

A Kemptville resident with a big heart is among those spearheading a campaign this season to make care packages for those in need. Chrissie Norton shared her personal story in a local social media group as a way to explain why her care packages project is important to her.

“As many of you know, my story involves a period of my life where I was once a victim of domestic violence, and a suicidal, homeless drug addict,” Chrissie wrote. “Because of that, and knowing how hard it can be, and meeting many people who were/are struggling with

these terrifying life circumstances, I’d really love to give back in any way I can.”

Chrissie is urging locals to realize that anyone can fall victim to homelessness, domestic violence, and mental health problems. “It could even be you, or a family member one day,” she wrote. “The thought is scary, but I’d love you all to give hope that there are people who love those who seem so hopeless.”

Chrissie is no stranger to helping out the less fortunate with care packages. This year, she wants to put together care packages using Ziploc bags, rather than using the baskets that she handed out last year. This is because she has realized that

the baskets, while aesthetically pleasing, are not very useful once empty, and only pose an annoyance for the recipient to have to transport and store.

Assembling care packages is a popular activity at this time of year. The winter months present an especially difficult challenge for those living homeless. By happy coincidence, the Christmas season – which is by all accounts the “season of giving” – happens to fall right at the start of winter. The care packages given out in the spirit of the season therefore go a long way when the bitter cold of winter starts to bite. “A lot of these people don’t get anything at all for Christmas, so this can mean

a whole lot to them, and bring them some peace and joy in such a hard season of their lives,” Chrissie explained. “Even one granola bar can make a difference in someone’s life!” In addition to care packages for the homeless, Chrissie would also like to assemble some specifically for victims of domestic violence this year.

Some specific items that Chrissie is seeking for the care packages are: Leftover Halloween candy, chips, large Ziploc freezer bags, granola bars or protein bars, protein drinks, juice boxes or juice mix, hats, mittens, socks, mini deodorant and hygiene products, and hand warmers. For the victims of domestic violence, Chrissie has at least two specific items in mind. “I would really love to be able to give them each a gift card to get their nails done,” she wrote. “Along with a nice zucchini bread.” There is also a special Christmas surprise that Chrissie would like to include in the packages –homemade cards. “Anything will do for these! A nice hand written message from a kiddo, a handmade card, or even a store bought card with a sweet message!”

Those wishing to contribute to Chrissie’s care packages campaign can get in touch with her through Facebook. Her profile name is Chrissie Elizabeth.

Chrissie poses with her children and a few of the

the less fortunate this year

by Brandon Mayer

Help the hungry, support the 11th annual Fill-A-Bag Campaign

Help the hungry in our community by filling a bag of groceries. The 11th annual Fill-A-Bag Campaign in support of the Kemptville Salvation Army is now open for registration. Each year our community comes together to meet the needs of the less fortunate. Donations from the Fill-A-Bag Campaign fill 150+ Christmas hampers and serves over 100 clients bi-weekly at the food bank as well as short term needs and emergencies.

There are two ways that you can support the campaign: first, by filling an empty grocery bag and leaving it on your doorstep. Empty grocery bags will be delivered to residences in North Grenville on Sunday, November 20, and the filled bags will be picked up the following Sunday, November 27 starting at 1 pm. The empty grocery bags will have an instruction flyer attached, with information about the campaign and suggestions for items that would be useful for the Food Bank to receive.

The filled donation bags are taken to Christmas Central located at 200 Sanders Street, across the parking lot from B&H Grocers. Teams can pick up the empty bags, donations will be sorted, and Christmas Hampers will be assembled at this location.

our sponsors: B&H, DSI Williams Excavating, Coba Studios & Paint House, Exit Reality by Design, Westerra Homes, Gerry Seguin RE/ MAX Samantha Rivet-Stephenson RBC, Array Hair Studio and Sauve Heating & Air Conditioning.

This food drive would not have continued for the past 11 years without the support of the community. From the volunteers who prepare the bags for distribution, the teams who distribute and pick up the bags, the volunteers who unload vehicles, sort the food, our sponsors and most importantly the residents of North Grenville who fill the bags with groceries, thank you for your continued support of the Fill-A-Bag Campaign. We look forward to filling up the food bank again this year.

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Thank you, don’t come again

by Brandon Mayer

Hospital wait times have been awful since the dawn of time (okay maybe since the dawn of hospitals), but the current situation is quite bad.

A recent report by Health Quality Ontario found that in September, the average time patients spent waiting in hospital emergency rooms before being admitted was 21.3 hours. Almost a full day! How a person can even function well enough to speak to a doctor after waiting for such a long time is beyond me. I would have to assume that a 21.3 hour wait means 21.3 hours spent awake in an uncomfortable chair, because the last thing a person in an emergency room would want is to fall asleep and miss their name being called. Astounding!

It is likely that the 21.3 hour average applies more to city hospitals than it does to rural ones, but rural hospitals are now facing an even bigger crisis – complete emergency room shutdowns.

A recent article written by James Pascual of Farmers Forum sheds some light on the problem. While Kemptville’s hospital is name-

checked in the article as one example of a hospital that has had to close its emergency room several times, staffing shortages have been identified as the cause of emergency room shutdowns in rural hospitals all across the province. Nurses are largely burnt out and feeling unvalued after working hard during the pandemic. Legislation last year – specifically Bill 124 – capped nurse’s wage increases in Ontario not long after they were declared as frontline heroes. Perhaps this situation is a lesson for Doug Ford in the fact that collective bargaining is not about getting rich, but is rather about setting working conditions and compensation levels that help in recruiting and retaining the staff who keep critical institutions open.

Power moves look more like foolish moves in the long run - back-to-work legislation is often ineffective and has no hope of working on those who resign completely.

Doom and gloom regarding staffing aside, there must be other ways to increase hospital efficiency and reduce wait times, right? Well, perhaps the only solution would be an ad hoc flash

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

The North Grenville Times (NGT) has been much appreciated by me over the last decade as a resident of North Grenville. I have often felt and expressed with neighbours and friends the worthiness of having a local newspaper of well-balanced opinions and thoughts.

The present Municipal Council is refreshing, transparent, and inclusive. I feel considerable gratitude for their diligence, due process, fairness, and representative thoroughness. Just as importantly, the NGT has thoroughly covered the varied political challenges.

I did not support several of those who challenged the incumbents as they appeared to have an agenda that in my opinion was 'interest' generated rather than a duty to represent all residents, all needs, and demands. A few of them canvassed our neighborhood

The North Grenville Times is published weekly by North Grenville Times Inc.

Marketing/Sales

Melissa Ottenhof marketing@ngtimes.ca 613 329 0209

objectively stating that they were "against the Prison". I told them that I was neither for nor against it.

The 'No Prison' supporters needed to realize that they had established a rational and fair opposition to the provincial legislative process of proposing Kemptville as the new prison site. That was definitely laudable. On the other hand, when a few took to shamefully criticizing the local Council in an effort to amplify their demands, they lost me. Unlike the Provincial Officials, our Council was transparent and in my opinion, added value to the essential criticism of our MPP and present Ministry.

In a good functioning democracy, as we see in North Grenville, we must continue to be inclusive, listen to all opinions, and ensure that all voices are heard fairly, justly, and ac-

mob of sensible Ontarians who decide only to use hospital services for hospitalworthy problems. Hospitals have always, in my experience, had a policy of unwelcomeness. This is out of necessity, because healthcare services are expensive, and those using these services who don’t really need them take away resources from those who do. Much like the stereotypical catch phrase of many convenience stores is “Thank You, Come Again!”, hospitals seem to require the motto “Thank You, Don’t Come Again!”

On one occasion as a child, I was at the hospital waiting room with my mom, though I can’t remember what for (hopefully it was for a valid reason, or this story would be somewhat hypocritical!). I vividly recall an elderly lady in the hospital waiting room with us, and she was making idle conversation with my mom. Waiting times were not nearly as bad back then, and after a short while a staff member who I assume was a nurse came in and informed the elderly lady that they were sending her home. She had nothing more than a viral infection and there was

nothing the hospital would be able to do for her. As the lady gathered her things, she turned to my mom and asked, “Don’t you remember the good old days, when they would always send you home with some pills that would fix you right up?”

It is true that antibiotics don’t work for viral infections, and they never have. Nevertheless, I am among the probably thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands?) of people who remember the magic of childhood hospital visits, and the many a time I would get sent home with wonderful tasting medicine that would make me feel astronomically better in less than a day. Who remembers banana medicine? Oh that sweet nectar of healing almost made it worth being sick. Yum!

So why is it that so many people seem to not understand that antibiotics only work for bacterial infections? I have several theories. One factor is probably that kids are germy creatures who get bacterial infections more frequently than adults, and so many of us remember frequently getting antibiotics prescribed to us as children. Maybe this creates a sort

of “Mandela Effect” where we all seem to remember a false past when antibiotics healed all. Another factor is more obvious – laypeople simply don’t know how to tell if they have a viral or a bacterial infection and end up at the hospital seeking relief of nothing more than the common cold.

I recently made a hospital visit with my 11-year-old when we both had persistent sore throats with no other symptoms. I was worried that we had strep throat, which is bacterial and does often require antibiotics. About five hours later (we got off easy!), the Doctor informed us that she believed it was just a virus. A throat swab and a COVID-19 swab revealed that we had neither strep throat nor COVID – we were one of “those people” who waited hours for nothing. Not the hospital’s fault, of course. We should have made family doctor appointments, but sometimes, the immediacy and 24-hour nature of the hospital emergency room is the only option that is practically available, and is often the only nearby option for those without family doctors.

It is clear that hospitals

curately. That achievement can give us pride. For me, that pride extends to our fortune in having the North Grenville Times, reporters, editors, contributors, and Dr. David Shanahan as our trusted sources of reporting.

Thank you North Grenville Times for all of your efforts covering the election and the Prison.

I cannot say that I enjoy reading the oft-negative letters to the Editor or contrary contributors, but I see them as having a strong educational value in enabling a full awareness of all the demands and supports in local policymaking. I hope that I will always be flexible enough to recognize when contrary opinions are of significant value to my own limited understanding of local issues.

Graeme Waymark

the north grenville

Ashley Sloan Repotrer at large 613-215-0735

need more staff to function properly and to stay open consistently, particularly rural hospitals. One would be foolish to believe that we are going to fix our hospitals by convincing the entire population to stop showing up at them for anything except the most serious of illnesses. But as I have seen many locals urge on social media lately, I must agree that no harm can come from simply staying home when sick with viral symptoms. Ride out the illness without spreading it to others, and save room in the emergency department of the local hospital by simply staying out of it. You’ll probably get well faster in bed, anyway! So today’s advice, until the province can get its act together and figure out how to hire and retain nurses, is for hospitals to stress a new motto of “Thank You, Stay Away!” Maybe it should go on a plaque. Money well wasted.

Accounting Pat Jessop cfo@ngtimes.ca

Dear Editor,

I read with some dismay of the second impending retirement of David Shanahan as editor of the NGT, I say second as I recollect a previous retirement in 2020/21. I would take this opportunity to thank David for his many historical and religious articles, and of course, editorials that paid homage to the Beatles' music repertoire. For a decade of community articles of interest and having the audacity to encourage community members respond with “letters to the editor”. Wishing you a great retirement including a few Guinness in an Irish pub alongside a single malt whiskey. God bless you in your future endeavors.

Willem Van Dam

Dear Editor,

It was a joy to read about two young women who have been voted as entrepreneur

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OFFICE 613-215-0735

Editor Brandon Mayer editor@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735

of the year for North Grenville by the Leeds Grenville Small Business centre. Both Meagan Cumming and Karin Rabuka are talented and very hard working women who have grown their business in our community to the point where we can be very proud of their successes and passion for their work.

It is unfortunate that Meagan Cumming received a three column write up in the paper and Karin Rabuka received one sentence only. Karin has been roasting fair trade organic highest quality coffee in her North Grenville Roastery for several years and has been supplying her fresh roasted coffee to B&H and Johnson’s Independent grocery stores in Kemptville.

In the last two years she has launched a mobile café in her NoGo Coffee Truck. She has served coffee at special events including

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 1854 Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0

the International Plowing Match and Kemptville Live. As well she travels to fairs and markets to serve her specialty coffee. She was also parked at The Station on Hwy 43 this past summer several days a week.

Karin and her staff are a big asset to our town and are well deserving of her Entrepreneur of the Year Award for North Grenville.

My comments are in no way meant to diminish the efforts of Meagan but to fully recognize the efforts of both these exceptional North Grenville women entrepreneurs. Meagan received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Karin won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

David Herman

cont'd on page 4

Production production@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735

Dear Editor:

In his latest letter (the Nov. 17 Times, after 4 weeks), Steve Gabell simply asserts without evidence that my arguments about global warming alarmism are "utterly wrong". He then says that I fail "to understand the implications" of the climate as a non-linear system. However, as an electrical engineer, I am well versed in flip-flops between stable states in non-linear systems! He presumably is referring to so-called "tipping points" in the climate, yet the planet has survived higher and lower CO2 levels and temperature swings in the past, making any imminent and major irreversible changes highly unlikely. Moreover, dozens of previous alarmist "tipping point" predictions have failed to happen.

Doubling down on the simplistic notion that carbon dioxide in the air is the "planet's thermostat", Mr. Gabell reports that CO2 levels and global temperatures have risen and fallen together in the past. Yet it is generally accepted that the CO2 levels lagged behind the temperature changes rather than causing them.

The extreme temperature swings between ice ages had other causes (related to the Earth's orbital mechanics) much larger than the modest, non-linear effect of CO2 concentration. Also, the Earth's water cycle and heat transport mechanisms play a large role in stabilizing the temperature.

After making the shocking statement that, "Humans have no inherent right to live on Earth" (huh?), Mr. Gabell closes by saying that the Ontario Green Party has "a plan to reach net zero". I looked up their plan to see what it includes. Among other feel-good measures, they want to double the size of Ontario's electricity grid, while also phasing out fossil fuels and nuclear power over time. Presumably, that means adding huge tracts of wind and solar generation capacity at great expense.

Current Ontario peak electric power demand is over 20 gigawatts (20 GW or 20,000 megawatts), mostly provided by nuclear generation. To achieve their goals the Greens would therefore need to add more than 20 GW of renewable power generation. But since solar power produces little energy at night and the wind often doesn't blow, those sources only produce around 30% of the time. The additional installed capacity would

therefore need to be over 60 GW to meet the peak demand on average!

Moreover, they would need huge energy storage capacity to maintain power when the renewables are idle. Aware of that, the Greens' plan "7500 MW" (7.5 GW) of backup storage, seemingly confusing power and energy. Taking them at their word, 7.5 GW (power) would back up less than 40% of their renewable supply. Alternately, if their storage is actually 7.5 GWh (energy), then it would provide less than 25 minutes backup! Perhaps the Greens enjoy expensive, lengthy blackouts? Or maybe they should rethink their plan.

In closing, I would like to congratulate Mr. Gabell on his pending Canadian citizenship. I hope he and his family continue to enjoy life in North Grenville and that they will have enough electricity and other energy sources available to keep them powered and warm through the coming winter.

Ed Norman, Kemptville

Dear Editor, I would like to thank John Baldwin for his wonderful Remembrance Day poem. Please keep writing your column, John. Thank you, again.

I would also like to comment on Willem Van Dam's letter to the Editor in the November 17, 2022 edition of the North Grenville Times. My work life was entirely in the Accounting field and I find Mr. Van Dam's use of the big numbers he has quoted, quite meaningless. The numbers will only mean something financially if they are broken down into the areas that the money was spent on and why. Oh, and the current Government under Ford, having to deal with COVID, are those numbers before or after the Federal Government money that was given to the Province to deal with COVID? And anyway, I thought the current Government said they were in a surplus! Maybe I missed which area the surplus is in? I also heard that they are allocating money to renovate old health facilities and build new health facilities to create 6,000 new beds for patients. (Big construction companies will benefit from that, I'm sure) That's great, but...... who will staff these facilities? We are facing a nurse and doctor shortage, that is why Emergency Rooms are overwhelmed, a lot of people don't have family doctors and there are not enough nurses. Maybe

if the current Government had paid the nurses and doctors what they should have been for taking such incredible care of the people of this Province, we wouldn't be in this crisis. All I can say is Good Luck trying to straighten this mess out.

Lynn Paibomesai

Open Letter to Doug Ford, Steve Clark, Stephen Lecce

Teach your children well I am looking forward to the response that my letter to the three of you gets after it was published in last week's NG-Times, here in North Grenville.

As Mr. Clark will tell you, dissenting, non-Conservative voices don't matter much in Leeds/Grenville. The loyal agriculturalists vote for Tory, no matter what happens. (see how they 'consulted' Prior to Downloading a Prison in North Grenville)

I am so glad my parents encouraged their children to be intelligent, independent thinkers...none of this 'You must vote for The Party, just like I did, just like your grandparents did...just like everyone in this whole family has done for generations.' 'That', as they say over at Eastern Breeder/EastGen, when they clean out the bulls' pens, 'Will help the roses grow.'

Who, in your room full of advisors, came up with the damnable/damaging idea to use the 'Notwithstanding clause' to take away the basic rights of the workers in the lowest-paid category of education workers? That backfired, didn't it? And now, with the so-called 'generous offer', you are looking at a resumption of an unwanted/easily-avoidable strike action.

Are you going to table the same heavy-handed bill again? When the Unions say, something rude and anatomically impossible, will you call out the police...the Swat Teams...the military? It would be no more overthe-top and ridiculous than invoking the notwithstanding clause. Meanwhile...

You wrap yourselves up in the mantle of purity and righteousness: 'We want the kids to be in the classrooms.' Hypocrites! You kept kids out of school longer than most other provinces during the pandemic years. And when parents started getting a bit antsy...you gave them cash payments to placate them. Seems like your unethical bribery didn't work as you had hoped it would.

The only reason why you decided to do an about-face

was parental disapproval. Not, 'what's best for the kids.' That one has been used by every politician and upper echelon School Board administrator since the beginning of time. That too, 'Will help the roses grow.'

In the whole/entire field of education, no one is more removed from the students and the day-to-day reality of children and their lives in education, than the Ministry of Education and any and all Provincial Governments. You are not the 'experts'. You don't know what goes on inside classrooms every day---the support workers do---they live it every--single---day! But obviously, you don't care about the kids enough to give these people a fair, living wage. When were you last in a school?

••

You only go into a schools to make political announcements and get a photo ops. How do you guys live with yourselves?

Everything you say publicly is disingenuous. You spin it all to make yourselves look good. Lecce does it every time he gets in front of a mic. Poor Mr. Lecce will soon be demoted. Perhaps, right out of Cabinet. The person Ford once called, 'The Best Education Minister Ever! He will likely be moved out for being a noneffective communicator... perhaps he has a conscience and realizes being the propagator of Party lies and disinformation is not what he was looking forward to when he decided to give politics a try.

He is not as good at it-'disingenuous speak' as the

representative for Leeds/ Grenville...but that person has never done anything BUT be a politician. He has forgotten how to speak like a normal person. And our illustrious Premier? Who knows what rattles around in the empty, not-so-hallowedhalls between his ears?

But, I have put in too many words.You guys don't read this stuff anyway. Your staffers probably scan it quickly and check a box marked...'Supporter' and the other, marked...'NonSupporter/maniac'.

I will submit it to the local paper if I want people to actually read it and think about it.

Peter Johnson Upper Oxford Mills, On

on page 10

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

UPCOMING MEETINGS

COUNCIL MEETINGS

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

To make a deputation in relation to an item on the agenda, please provide your comments no later than two hours prior to the start of the meeting to clerk@ northgrenville.on.ca.

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

• Council Meeting (Open) – Council Chambers – Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

•

• Council Meeting (Open) – Council Chambers – Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

VOLUNTEER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Public Library Board

The Municipality of North Grenville is seeking applications from individuals interested in being appointed to the Public Library Board. The Public Library Board shall be composed of at least five members appointed by the Municipal Council. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, Canadian Citizen, North Grenville resident and not employed by the Municipality or County. Applications will be received up to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 25, 2022. Visit www.northgrenville.ca for details and to apply.

Accessibility Advisory Committee

The Municipality of North Grenville is seeking applications from individuals interested in being appointed to the Accessibility Advisory Committee. Candidates must be 18 years or older, a Canadian citizen and a resident of North Grenville. Applications will be received up to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 25, 2022. Visit www.northgrenville.ca for details and to apply.

WINTER PARKING

Overnight parking restrictions take place from November 15, 2022 through April 15, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Further winter parking restrictions can be found by reviewing By-Law 14-12 at www.northgrenville.ca

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

Community-building Champions receive Thake Award

rich history and genealogy of Rideau Lakes accessible to everyone interested in ancestry. For more than 42 years, she has volunteered her time protecting documents and archives while promoting the township’s historical significance through books and films.

is currently Chair. Dermid served as Chair of the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo 2022 Local Exhibitors Committee.

Long-serving community leaders Susan Warren and Dermid O’Farrell are this year’s recipients of the Bill Thake Memorial Economic Development Leadership Award.

The winners were announced at the 14th annual United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Economic Development Summit held at the North Grenville Municipal Centre. Susan is a resident of the Township of Rideau Lakes. Dermid is from the Municipality of North Grenville.

“These individuals have demonstrated leadership and outstanding commitment to

the growth and vitality in their communities over the long term,” said Warden Roger Haley.

“We are proud to honour them, along with our two remarkable nominees, for the level of volunteerism they demonstrate and the major contributions they continue to make,” the Warden said.

The Bill Thake Memorial Award, also called the Warden’s Award, has been presented for the past 12 years to community volunteers showing economic leadership in Leeds Grenville. Co-winner Susan (Sue) Warren works tirelessly behind the scenes to make the

Co-winner Dermid O’Farrell is a community leader who is passionate about North Grenville. Dermid is President and Managing Partner of O'Farrell Financial Services Inc., a company he and his wife Donna Lee founded in 1997.

He has been an active volunteer and board member with many local organizations for more than 25 years, including the Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation and the Economic Development Advisory Committee. Dermid was president of the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation and sat on the Board of Directors for the Ryan’s Well Foundation.

He was appointed to the Kemptville Campus Board of Directors last year and

The NG Photography Club

Also congratulated for their many achievements within their communities were nominees JoAnne Sytsma, Township of Athens, and Derek Ouellet, Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands.

Since being introduced in 2011, the award has been presented to 18 individuals from across Leeds Grenville. Close to 50 deserving women and men have been nominated. Last year’s recipients were Cathy Sheppard, of the Municipality of North Grenville, and Ken Watson, of the Township of Rideau Lakes.

During his lifetime, Bill Thake was known for his leadership and mentoring skills. He served 52 consecutive years on Westport Council to set a Canada-wide record as the longest serving head of a municipality.

Lights of Love memorial gathering at the Beth Donovan Hospice

This is a time of year when there is lots of hustle and bustle, socializing, and celebrations with family and friends. However, the holidays can also bring quiet moments that leave space for somber reflection and feelings of grief to surface. For those on the end-of-life journey or missing a loved one, it can be an especially nostalgic time.

In honoring love, transition and loss this season, The Beth Donovan Hospice will be hosting its annual Lights of Love memorial event on Monday, December 5 at 6:30 pm. This year’s event is being held at the Beth Donovan Hospice at 1107 French Settlement Rd. and all are welcome to attend. Guests will experience live music, a time of silent contemplation, some shared words of support, and poetry. There will also be the opportunity to place a ribbon on the Evergreen tree in memory of those who are not physically here with us but will always hold a special place in our hearts. Following the more formal gathering will be an opportunity to informally share in community and conversation over tea, coffee and homemade refreshments.

For inquiries, or to reserve your spot, please contact Megan at 613-258-9611 ext 6 or counselling@bethdonovanhospice.ca.

This quirky image was taken by Serena McDonough on a fall outing to The Boneyard. Inspiration is a plenty, as our members roam among the acres of retired vehicles of all makes and ages.

Ron's Small Engine Repair

613.258.9720 (across from old Bingo Hall)

ronssmallengines@outlook.com 1 Jayland Drive, Kemptville

L-R: Marlene Thake, Bill Thake’s widow, co-winners Dermid O’Farrell and Sue Warren with Leeds Grenville Warden Roger Haley

Congratulations on ten outstanding years serving the people and businesses of North Grenville. I wanted to take a moment to congratulate the NG Times on its 10th Anniversary. Your newspaper has always supported the community and the North Grenville Historical Society has definitely

had a special relationship with your newspaper over the past ten years. We appreciate your support and your community involvement. Once again. Congratulations on a great ten years.

David M. Finnie President North Grenville Historical Society

We applaud the dedication of the North Grenville Times in chronicling community events and issues that are important to the lives of residents in North Grenville.

On this Tenth Anniversary of the North Grenville Times we wish the Editors and Staff continued success. Congratulations on your 10th Anniversary and Best Wishes into the next decade!

The Rotary Club of Kemptville 15 November 2022

On behalf of the Oxford Mills Community Association, we wish to extend our heartfelt congratulations on 10 years of publication. The service you have provided our association over the years has been fundamental in our efforts to broadcast our messaging to not only the local Oxford Mills community but to all of North Grenville. Printed media remains vital in reaching all members of the community.

Congratulations to the Editor and Staff of The North Grenville Times on your 10th Anniversary as a weekly, local newspaper!

The Friends of the North Grenville Public Library commend you on your success in keeping our community informed. We have appreciated your publishing numerous articles about the Friends events and its relationship to the library. In addition, you have provided design support for our logos, posters, and annual newsletters. We have appreciated your voluntary involvement since our inception, and we send you our thanks and very best wishes for the future.

Jude Fader-Levere Joan Simpson

The North Grenville Photography club would like to extend our appreciation to all the NG Times supporters, past, present and future.

You contributions have been integral to the success of our community news source. Congratulations NG Times on your 10th year anniversary!

It is a pleasure to be able to commend the Editor and Staff of The North Grenville Times on serving our community for ten years! The Royal Canadian

Legion Kemptville Branch 212 would like to thank you for the coverage of our endeavors and informing the citizens of North Grenville of our upcoming events. Like you, we are here to serve. Thank you for all your support and we look forward to the next ten years of our relationship. Respectfully yours, Jay Tousaw President of Branch 212, Kemptville, ON

Being a group focused on hosting community based events that are free or next to free, we manage to do so with modest financial support from our local community, municipal and federal grants and supportive organizations such as yours. By providing the OMCA free access to publish our event announcements in the NG Times, we are able to direct the vast majority of our limited resources into the programming of community building events. We very much appreciate and value this service. We know this is only possible with the continued support of local and corporate advertisers of the North Grenville Times. We can’t thank them enough for continuing to enable your publication to assist grass roots organizations such as ours. We feel that together, we all benefit from the sense of community that is a distinguishing feature of North Grenville.

Many thanks for 10 years of community service.

Oxford Mills Community Association

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Kutebah

Impaired Driving hurts us all.

What a party! 10 years of local news

by Brandon Mayer

The North Grenville Times hosted a party at Catered Affairs on November 15 to celebrate 10 years in business as a community newspaper. Combined with eight years publishing a community newsletter, owners David Shanahan and Marguerite (Maggie) Boyer have been serving North Grenville for 18 years!

The party was a social affair, with drinks flowing and appetizers sizzling. Many invited guests attended the occasion, including years worth of contributors and advertisers who have all helped in one form or another to make the Times into what it is today. Having been with the paper for only a year and a half, I was excited to be able to finally meet many of the people who “built” the NG Times.

Many readers probably don’t realize the work and sheer number of contributors required to make a community newspaper successful. One face I met at the party was Amery Boyer, Maggie’s sister who fills in as the paper’s Copy Editor from time-to-time. I

had no idea that she is, in fact, the Mayor of a small Nova Scotia town called Annapolis Royal! Another person I was glad to meet was John Baldwin, writer of the “Baldwin’s Birds” column. I regret not getting a chance to tell John about a conversation I had with a 10-year-old girl last year at the elementary school where I work. This girl told me how much she enjoys reading Baldwin’s Birds. Keeping young people interested in print news is something to be very proud of!

Someone else I got to meet was Maggie’s son, Michael, who I learned was instrumental in helping the newspaper in its early days, particularly with setting up the website. And of course it was nice to put so many faces to names that I see frequently in emails.

A party is perhaps only as good as the food served, and for the magnificent spread we enjoyed on November 15, we must thank both Erick Le Pors from Dial-A-Chef, as well as Natalie and the rest of the staff from Catered Affairs. I am not at all embarrassed to say that I went up for food two (or maybe three)

Baldwin's Birds

for him and at one stage he tried perching on one of our cars, but didn't do that very gracefully and with much confidence.

times. I heard throughout the evening about the reputation they both share for their generosity in the community, great food and friendly service, and I can’t say I am at all surprised. Absolutely delicious! One face my wife and I were thrilled to see was that of the party’s bartender, Lily, a kind-hearted soul and master of hospitality who also bartended at our wedding. My list of shout outs is not meant to be exhaustive – I enjoyed speaking with absolutely everyone!

One of the most moving parts of the evening was David talking with me about the support the paper has received from countless local advertisers over the years. Advertising is a wise marketing move for any business, but the beauty of small towns is that advertising in the local paper means one small business is supporting another.

Now that the party is over, we will continue to do what we always have – provide quality local news and stories that keep the community happy and connected. As I heard many people at the party say – here’s to the next 10 years!

The first Winter weather cold snap

Last week, we had the first really cold snap of winter and the birds immediately responded by coming to our feeders. As you can, one of them was a bird I haven't seen for many a long year,- an Evening Grosbeak! We haven't had them in the garden for quite a while and he only stayed for a short visit. He was a lone bird, not with a flock, which might be just as well as a flock of them can empty a feeder in a very short time! He didn't seem to be sure of what, or where, he should go to sate his hunger. He tried the hanging feeders unsuccessfully, probably because of the shape of his prominent beak, and then got his sights on the larger garden feeders, with a bit more success. Being mixed in with a number of other birds was a bit off-putting

Prior to the Grosbeak's visit, our regular flock of fifteen to twenty Rock Pigeons swooped in before the squirrels could get to the feeders. Accompanying them were six or seven Bluejays whose beautiful blue feathers contrasted to the yellow, white and black of the Grosbeak and the not so vibrant Pigeons, although one of them was a lovely light reddish brown color. He was the odd one out from the rest who had the traditional bluey grey coloring. He was also behaving a little oddly, strutting about in a frolicsome Spring-like gait in pursuit of a suitor! He wasn't getting much joy out of the females that he pursued, which wasn't really surprising, they were only interested in the food, not him!

Although being reasonably sized birds, the ones above didn't match the size of the two Crows who came

and did a bit of foraging underneath the hanging feeder, beneath one of our trees. Everyone seemed to be getting along nicely, without any fuss and muss, and were of no worry to the much smaller Slate Grey Juncos, the other ground feeders who were present. Their contrasting white and dark grey feathers seem to be more accentuated in the cold, for some reason, despite the time of year.

Well the snow arrived that morning, so I guess the winter season is here to stay for a little while and the birds will appreciate every little bit of help they can get, from us, to survive. Please don't forget them, for the joy that they bring during these cold days, and keep them fed. When you do venture out to feed them though, please make sure that you stay safe and well.

Cheers John Baldwin

Canadian Tire thanks community

by Melissa Ottenhof Frank Hoffman and his team at Canadian Tire Kemptville would like to thank the community for their generous donations to The Kemptville Salvation Army. The Spirit of Giving held on November 12, 2022 at Kemptville Canadian Tire was a great success. Over $2,600 was raised between raffles, the kettle program and donations from staff. The team of volunteers collected more than 300 toys and 1,300 pounds of food.

“When the employees from Beking's egg farm showed up with a 5 ton cargo van for us to fill, I was worried we wouldn't fill a quarter of it. By 2pm the truck was full! I have never been prouder

to belong to such a giving community,” said Sam Harris, one of the main organizers of the event. “I couldn't be happier with the results of the fundraiser for the Salvation Army. The Spirit of Giving started out as a small idea and quickly grew into an amazing event. I was blown away by the support shown by the community and can't thank Frank and volunteers enough for all the help. Without their help the event wouldn't have been the success it was.”

Thank you to the OPP, the North Grenville Fire Department, the Kemptville 73’s, Grahame’s Bakery, Bekings Eggs, B&H, Jonsson’s Independent, Food Basics, Fat Les’s Chip Stand,

Elsa, The Grinch, Spiderman and Santa. Your help and donations for the event contributed greatly to the success. Thank you to 97.5 Moose FM for spending the day broadcasting and raising awareness for the event. Special thanks to all those who volunteered their time organizing and running the event. Frank Hoffman said he is “so proud to have so many employees who care about our community and volunteered their time for this very special event! We support many groups in North Grenville and helping our local Salvation Army at this time of year made a lot of sense.”

Statement from Mayor Nancy Peckford on Transgender Day of Remembrance

On behalf of the Municipality of North Grenville and Members of Council, we join with residents to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance – an annual observance to remember and honour the memory of transgender people whose lives were tragically lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

November 20th was originally created as a vigil to honour Rita Hester, a transgender woman killed in 1998.

Transgender people are disproportionately affected by hate violence, and unfortunately there has been an increase in violence against transgender people reported across the country.

It is a day we can collectively learn more about violence affecting the transgender community. We all benefit from a culture that

affirms everyone’s lived experiences and identities – and we all have a role in creating a supportive culture and community.

North Grenville is well known for being an exceptionally caring and compassionate place, and declaring Pride Month and flying the Progress Flag, which includes colours of the Transgender Pride Flag, is one way we acknowledge and reflect our community’s

commitment to diversity.

Council is proud to work alongside local groups, NG Pride and North Grenville Rainbow Youth Alliance, both of which advocate for the local 2SLGBTQI+ community and help to provide a safe space.

We all have the right to belong, no matter our gender or sexual identity.

The Stove Store has continued to offer warmth and beauty in many forms. For almost 50 years, this small, locally owned and operated business has been busy installing high-quality and innovative fireplace and home comfort products to its dedicated and growing base of customers across Eastern Ontario.

From the warmth of a wood stove to help heat a cabin on a cozy winter night to a stylish and sleek gas or electric fireplace adding ambiance and flair to a penthouse condo. From concept to finished product, The Stove Store’s knowledgeable and experienced Sales, Service and Installation team are available to guide you in every step.

From its humble beginnings, The Stove Store has grown to become a full-service company that you can call for all your indoor and outdoor comfort needs. While the name “The Stove Store” is not definitive, The Stove Store and staff are experts at Home Comfort. From wood, pellet, gas, and electric fireplace options to heat your home or outdoor spaces to home heating systems, geothermal heat pumps, air conditioners and indoor air quality products. The Stove Store also has a large selection of outdoor products, including pizza ovens, fire pits, cooking grills and custom outdoor kitchens.

The Stove Store also provides a long list of after-installation services, including chimney sweeping, annual fireplace and heating and cooling system tune-ups and maintenance, water heater service and indoor air quality products, to name a few.

The Stove Store has over 50 models of various fireplace options displayed in the showroom, whether you are interested in something small and subtle or a completely in-wall style with lights and crystal accents. The showroom also has a wide range of fireplace and wall coverings and hearths to choose from to show off your new fireplace or stove.

The

Stove Store has SOMETHING here for EVERYONE. Big or small, any heating source you choose, THE STOVE STORE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.

The Food Corner

By Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville

So, coping with the cost of inflated food prices is a heck of a challenge these days. Who would have thought that coming out of the pandemic, we would be faced with galloping increases in the basics of cooking and eating. Let’s all hope that this isn’t the new standard and that prices will stabilize in the mid-term. Meanwhile, budget dishes are in order and today’s pick is Salmon Loaf: easy to make, very tasty and great for filling hungry tummies. And if canned salmon is too expensive, tuna works just as well…

Salmon Loaf

Ingredients

• 2 184 gram cans of red salmon, drained

• 2 cups of stale bread crumbs

• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

• 4 green onions or half a good size onion, finely chopped

• ½ of a red pepper, diced

• 3 large eggs, separated

• 1 teaspoon of dry mustard or 1 teaspoon prepared mustard

• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

• A good dash of Worcestershire Sauce (if you can’t pronounce it, say Lee and Perrins

• ½ cup of milk

• 1 tablespoon of butter, melted

Preparation

• Preheat your oven to 350F

• Combine all of the listed ingredients in a bowl, except the egg whites

• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff

• Fold the egg whites into your mixture

• Pour into a loaf pan (I like the glass ones, myself), sprayed with Canola oil

• Bake for about 50 minutes or until your loaf is stiff

• Cool for 10 minutes before serving Tzatziki, if you are a fan, goes very well with this dish. Otherwise you can be very creative with some mayo, dried parsley, chives and dill, some leftover French dressing and cream and a bit of lemon juice. Add a wee bit of sugar for a nice finish. Just take a look in your fridge and see what you have kicking around. As always, enjoy and let me know how things turned out at pcormier@ranaprocess.com.

CROSSWORD

FOR SALE

Comforter Queen 7 pieces rusts creams browns new condition $30 afoxbrown@outlook. com

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 613-567-8533

Black walnut planks and disks Merrickville jgharris@sympatico.ca

2 sets of winter tires 19560R 15"; 1 set on GM 4 bolt rims; $120 per set. Call 613-282-1836, leave a message

Dry firewood for sale $110 a cord plus delivery fee. Call or text Jon 613-2273650

Small square bales of hay and straw for sale. Call or text Jon 613-227-3650

Hay and straw for sale 4x4 round bales, stored inside. Call Jon 613-227-3650

Floating pool lounge chair, webbing good condition $20. Contact nadfudt@ gmail.com

Handmade hooded rose coloured spring & fall woman's coat, large. $40. Contact nadfudt@gmail.com

MISCELLANIOUS

HISTORIC HALL AVAILABLE FOR RENTALS in Beautiful Burritts Rapids! Start a book club in time for cooler weather in a hamlet near walking trails and parkettes. Our hall is well equipped for any gathering or celebration, and we offer very competitive rates. http://burrittsrapids.com/

WANTED

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

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 613-200-7016.

FOR RENT

Rental for winter months. Looking for any truck driver or two who might be looking for accommodations starting the beginning of December. We are located in Kemptville with large drive way.Please call at 613-258-7778 to visit or for more details.

SERVICES

RETIRED CARPENTER

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

Painting, Demolition, Dry Wall Call Bill 613 774 2922

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

long narrow passage 47. A common code 48. Mishmash 49. Facial disguise 51. In place of 52. A cleansing agent 53. Terminates 54. Travel by plane 56. 5 plus 5

NG Times wins CCNA award for website

by Brandon Mayer

The goal of any newspaper is to spread information that is accessible to all. In the modern age, a website is a critical piece of this puzzle. The North Grenville Times website is managed by our beloved Christine Boyer, who works tirelessly to make sure that it is up to date with the great local content that keeps readers informed.

This year, the Canadian Community Newspaper Awards (CCNA) – an organization that celebrates the talent of local news publishers – has named the North Grenville Times website as the second best in the country, specifically in the category of papers with a total circulation of 9,999 copies or less. “The CCNA celebrates the best in community publishing from across the country,” said Christine. “Newspapers of similar circulation size compete against each other and are judged by a panel of industry experts. With a diverse array of awards

categories covering editorial, photography and multimedia, the Canadian Community Newspaper Awards offer learning opportunities for publications of all sizes.”

Why have a website? Although many people enjoy the format of a hard copy newspaper, news posted online provides an accessible format for others to access news. For example, computers can enlarge the text of online news articles for people with visual impairments. The website also allows readers to access news that is relevant to them despite being outside of a contrived border that prevents them from receiving hard copy news – when a person lives just on the other side of the North Grenville border, for instance. Further, the website allows the Times to promote important events and charitable causes that are occurring before the next print edition will be released.

Congratulations to Christine for making the North Grenville Times website into what it is today!

Call to residents to take action

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

We can all reduce hospital visits and admissions in those most vulnerable (the very young, very old and immunocompromised) if we work together this season to reduce the spread of the triple threat of seasonal respiratory viruses (Covid/Flu/ RSV). The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit supports the provincial recommendation of getting back to using the layers of protection we know are effective.

“Our community has been remarkable during the pandemic; we are asking you to take action at this time,” says Dr. Linna Li, Medical Officer of Health for the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit. “It is important now to follow as many of the public health precautions as possible, including wearing masks in public spaces.”

We are urging everyone to do their part in reducing severe illness and hospitalization:

Stay home when you are sick

- Be honest about your symptoms and if they have the potential to infect others (remember a simple cold to you may be serious to those most vulnerable) –symptoms for all respiratory viruses are similar

- Do a self assessment: Coronavirus (COVID-19) self-assessment (ontario.ca)

- Do not visit hospitalized patients or residents of retirement homes or longterm care homes if you are experiencing any symptoms.

- If your child is sick, contact your health care provider, a local respiratory assessment centre or call Health Connect at 811 (formerly Telehealth). Emergency rooms may be experiencing high volume and have lower capacity but if your child is experiencing serious symptoms, please seek medical attention.

Get your COVID booster (if it has been 6 months since your last dose you are due for a booster, since immunity wanes)

- You should do this to protect others around you who are at risk because

of medical conditions or treatments or are at risk due to age or are unable to be vaccinated. They may be your loved ones, family, friend, neighbour or co-worker.

A list of upcoming clinics is available on our website. Clinic dates and locations are posted through to December. More appointments will be added as capacity allows.

We encourage you to continue to check with a participating pharmacy or your health care provider.

Get your flu shot. Anyone 6 months and over should get a yearly flu shot

- Flu shots are available at local pharmacies to anyone 2 years of age and older

- Check with your health care provider if they provide the flu shot

- If you are a parent of a child under 2 and do not have a health care provider, please contact the Health Unit to get your child vaccinated at one of our regular immunization clinics

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water (rub hands together under

COMMUNITY EVENTS

water for 15-20 seconds), or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.

Wear a well fitted mask when indoors, in crowded public places, and around those most vulnerable (many of them may not be able to wear or tolerate masks). A lot of the spread of respiratory viruses happens in homes when people gather (especially in the season coming up). Consider bringing a mask with you wherever you go!

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

It is important to clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched a lot, like desks, door handles, toys and computer keyboards.

Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sneeze into your arm, not your hand.

Local public health officials will be monitoring a number of factors including watching the overall respiratory transmission and capacity in hospitals.

letters cont'd from page 4

Dear Editor,

It looks like we who were (are) opposed to this prison being built in Kemptville have lost.

ANIMAL CARE SPECIALIST

12 Month Contract

12 Month Contract

Full Time - Day Shift (6:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. with rotating weekends)

Kemptville, Ontario

FULL TIME -DAY SHIFT (6:30 am - 3 pm w/rotating weekends) Kemptville, Ontario

Semex is a dynamic global organization that is committed to developing and delivering innovative genetic solutions. We believe that people truly are the cornerstone of our success, and that our employees are our most important asset.

Semex is a dynamic global organization that is committed to developing and delivering innovative genetic solutions. We believe that people truly are the cornerstone of our success, and that our employees are our most important asset.

We are currently seeking an individual for the role of Animal Care Specialist within the Kemptville production facility. The successful candidate must have a good knowledge of livestock care and be physically capable of handling large bulls. Hay, silage and manure handling are part of the regular job duties.

BREAKFAST, Kemptville Legion! Every 3rd Saturday from 8-10am - $8 for adults, $6 for children 10 and under. Euchre will be held following breakfast, registration starts at 11:30 am. BINGO, Kemptville Legion, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, doors open at noon

This position requires working a day shift from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and requires working rotating weekends and statutory holidays as scheduled.

Responsibilities include:

• Semen Collection

We are currently seeking an individual for the role of Animal Care Specialist within the Kemptville production facility. The successful candidate must have a good knowledge of livestock care and be physically capable of handling large bulls. Hay, silage and manure handling are part of the regular job duties. This position requires working a day shift from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and requires working rotating weekends and statutory holidays as scheduled.

• Feeding and caring for bulls

• Operating farm equipment

Responsibilities include:

• Seasonal crop work

• Semen Collection

• Mechanical and manual barn cleaning

• Feeding and caring for bulls

Qualifications include, but are not limited to:

• Operating farm equipment

• High School Diploma

• Seasonal crop work

• Strong agricultural experience, including livestock handling & care

• Mechanical and manual barn cleaning

• Ability and experience operating farm equipment; solid mechanical aptitude

Qualifications include, but are not limited to:

• Good communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a team

• High School Diploma

If you are looking for an organization that invests in its people, is engaging, flexible and striving for betterment, this is the opportunity for you! At Semex, we demand the best of ourselves, our company and what we do for our customers.

• Strong agricultural experience, including livestock handling & care

• Ability and experience operating farm equipment; solid mechanical aptitude

• Good communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a team

We thank all applicants for applying for this position, but only those considered for an interview will be contacted.

Now, I think, when we go for pleasant walks down the rail trail, we will always be reminded of those who are not so fortunate, who will be confined within cells for much of the time because mostly they may not have had what was required as children while growing up to deal with things they were confronted with, mainly, I guess, love balanced with discipline, and I’m not a psychiatrist or anything close to that, but most people would understand that you do need proper guidance from parents and teachers while in the early learning years and for quite some time thereafter. I would presume that these people were failed in that respect, those who will be incarcerated. Welcome to Kemptville for the interim.

Kath Piché

If you are looking for an organization that invests in its people, is engaging, flexible and striving for betterment, this is the opportunity for you! At Semex, we demand the best of ourselves, our company and what we do for our customers. We thank all applicants for applying for this position, but only those considered for an interview will be contacted.

Please send your resumé to Sameer Javed at sjaved@semex.com

Please send your resumé to Sameer Javed at sjaved@semex.com

KLUB 67 Euchre – Fun, social card playing every 2nd and 4th Wednesday monthly at 1PM, September to May. Location: Kemptville Legion, 100 Reuben Cres, Kemptville. Everyone welcome $5., cash prizes.

73’s ride the bus to Brockville to get a 6 - 2 spanking

by the sportsguy

Friday evening, the 73’s rolled into Brockville to meet the Braves who were one point ahead of the 73’s with a game in hand and seeking redemption after being skunked in Kemptville 3 zip. The Braves not only found revenge, but crunched their opponent with a 6 to 2 runaway as the 73’s dug themselves a hole that had them chasing the contest.

Initial frame opened with end to end action with both teams riding the pine and Kemptville seizing the opportunity to draw first blood.

Brazier dictated the attack with extra man on the line to Merrett, then dished over to Matthew Yakubowski PPG to beat Sami Molu at 9:39. Jake Laville put it behind Conor Blackwood with helpers from Yarde and Elliott at 16:36 to even it at one. Brockville outshot Kemptville 16 to 10 with two PP without results and the 73’s capitalizing on one PP with two attempts.

Brockville snipes in four unanswered markers to close out the second stanza. Elliott finds Lucas Culhane SHG during Kemptville PP at 7:39

for the tie breaker. At 15:24 Trent Ledrew with assists from Biniaris and Haynes gave Brockville the go ahead. Jake Laville scored his second goal with helpers from Elliott and Yarde for the Braves insurance at 16:30. Belsterling to Tchor to award Lucas Culhane his second counter at 19:37 to make it a 5 to 1 romp for the Braves. Kemptville outgunned by 14 to 12 with two PP opportunities, one being a double minor that they failed to take advantage of and the Braves one unsuccessful PP attempt.

The Hottest fashion of 2022

Brockville chased Conor Blackwood to early showers and Jacob Biron in between the pipes to begin the final twenty. Kemptville attempted to claw their way out of their deficit with Rabuka stretching out to Henry up the half wall to Emile Trottier in the slot at 1:45. Brockville countered at 12:31 from Yarde to Colin Elliott to punch it by Jacob Biron to wrap up a 6 to 2 victory. SOG were even at 9 and Kemptville three PP without results and Brockville with two non results.

Fashion was the highlight of the afternoon for two sold out shows at the Brigadoon restaurant on November 14. A group of women from the community volunteered to model outfits provided by Jac's Boutique that gave the ladies a preview of the hottest trends of 2022. Proceeds from this event were for

Driving hard without results….Chase Lammi takes a ride only to ring it off the iron during Friday evening battle with the Braves in Brockville that spanked the 73’s 6 to 2

by Ashley Sloan

the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation and their initiative to purchase an MRI machine. There

are many businesses to thank for their donations and support to make this fundraiser a great success.

Game on for Video Games

Wandering poorly prepared into a discussion about video games is ill-advised. Yet, people who don’t play video games commonly argue that long hours spent focused on digital playthings, especially by children, rot their brains. It is an uninformed point of view.

There are plentiful misconceptions about video games. That label itself is outdated. Video games have evolved in many different directions and “gamification” is rapidly becoming part of the most important aspects of society, from education and healthcare to banking and retail.

But what about those

children isolated in their bedrooms or basements playing games endlessly?

Recent research, published in JAMA Network Open, suggests the kids will be fine. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is a long-term study inviting 11,880 children ages 9-10 and their families across 21 locations in the U.S. to participate in research that tracks their biological and behavioral development through adolescence into young adulthood.

The new findings involving nearly 2,000 of these children indicate that those who reported playing video

Green & Growing?

submitted by Fred Schueler

After it was formed by provincial amalgamation of three municipalities, North Grenville burdened itself with the paradoxical motto “Green & Growing,” and soon had the “growing” term, which had been triggered by the increased capacity of Kemptville’s sewage-treatment plant, enhanced by the construction of Highway 416, with its facilitation of daily commuting to jobs in Ottawa. The construction of housing for these commuters severely strained the “green” part of the motto, and Kemptville, for example, lost its most distinctive feature: the spring migration of Leopard Frogs from hibernation in the creek around Hurd Street to breeding in the swamps north of Highway 43.

If we’re going to be “green,” we’d better attend to proposals for a “green new deal” which combine emergence from the pandemic with action to mitigate and offset climate change. The Council of Canadians has “Whereas & Therefore-be-it-resolved” resolutions for such a transformation on their website at https:// canadians.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/greennewdealguide.pdf as a document linked through the pdf document, and I’ll use some of the language of this, though the reader is

warned that this discussion is informed by my radically ecocentric, servants-of-the-land point of view.

I suggest that the human population of North Grenville recognize that they live as guests and caretakers within “green and growing” ecological communities of other species, while recognizing both the urgency of the climate crisis and the partitionings of responsibility imposed by the Canadian political system. A “Green New Deal” will ensure that transformation is carried out equitably, that it is rooted in climate justice, that it respects the rights of Indigenous peoples, and that it creates jobs in the process.

We should all be aware that we are living on an Ordovician limestone plain, the recent retreat of the ice, post-glacial flooding by the Champlain Sea, the retreat of the sea as the earth rebounded from the weight of the glaciers, and that our land has been occupied and managed by people for as long as it has been exposed, most recently as a boundary territory between Algonquin and Iroquoian peoples, and then through the fur trade and Loyalist settlement.

On the basic ecological side, we should engage in land use which promotes natural

games for three or more hours per day performed better on cognitive skills tests involving impulse control and working memory compared to children who had never played video games.

But should these kids adhere to the long-standing Gifford-Jones advice of practicing “all things in moderation”?

The ABCD Study is ongoing and will help answer this question in the years ahead as these children mature into young adults.

But the evidence to date suggests there are ample benefits to video games among the young and old alike.

Students gain expertise in subjects like history, literature, religion, mathematics, and science through games without knowing they

are learning. They also gain skills in strategy, creative thinking, problem solving, eye-hand coordination, and of course, concentration.

Games also provide opportunities to learn about topics such as cooking, politics, agriculture, and city planning that people may not have been exposed to in school.

Many games can help people become more physically active, not less. From simple and fun games that get people up from the couch to dance to virtual reality games that demand physical prowess and stamina from participants, there are opportunities for using games to get exercise.

Studies have shown that people who play more games report better mental health. Critics overlook

the social elements of the games people play, and it is these game features that involve teamplay and social networks which participants report as the drivers of better wellbeing.

Online games played an important role in helping friends and families stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, socializing together while keeping a distance.

But there are concerns too. It’s hard to find the humanity in violent video games. The connection between games that offer rewards for repeated accomplishment of goals and the development of addiction behaviours is still hotly debated. And the gaming industry has struggled with how it has handled gender and race.

Julius Caesar said, “Experience is the teacher of all things.”

Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, suggested it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to achieve mastery of a skill.

The children in the ABCD Study performing better on cognitive tests are playing at least three hours of games a day. That is just over 1,000 hours a year.

According to people who try to measure these things, it takes about 700 hours of learning to be an expert in yoga and about 42,240 hours to be an expert in neurosurgery.

Those 1,000 hours of video games do not seem so bad in light of it all.

biodiversity and retains mineral nutrients in terrestrial communities, so that streams have the low levels of nutrients to which native species are adapted. In co-operation with Conservation Authorities, the municipality should model and understand the flow of water through precipitation, runoff, infiltration, transpiration, drains, streams, and aquifers, and how human use affects these. There should be a corresponding effort to measure and analyse the carbon stored, and methane emissions from, the forests, soils, and wetlands of North Grenville, in order to form a plan to maximize carbon stored in these communities.

We should actively discourage invasive plants and animals from becoming established, while native species with limited dispersal ability, that were extirpated by past land use practices, are reintroduced into the new habitats produced by reforestation or secondary ecological succession. We should preserve all local ecological communities of limited extent – wetlands, rock faces, streams, prairielike grasslands and distinctive forests – and we should each learn to recognize as many species, and their roles in the ecosystem, as possible.

We should look forward

to having roads managed to minimize roadkill of wildlife, to having some land managed as prairie-like meadows to support species which occupied the pastures of previous agricultural practices, and to having the extent of lawns minimized, with what are now overly broad lawns planted with biodiverse carbon-sequestering groves of trees.

We should expect that in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the municipality will ensure a reduction of at least 30% in municipal government emissions by 2025, and a 50% reduction by 2030, in part by installing renewable energy systems, such as to-scale solar, wind, and/or heat pumps, on municipal facilities.

We should look forward to action from all levels of government to ensure equitable distribution of wealth through the human population, support for those who are emotionally distressed, and effective action in support of those who have been discriminated against on the basis of culture, sexual orientation, or “race.”

There should be progress toward systems for transportation which emit minimal greenhouse gases, including public transit and continued support for cycling and pedestrian

infrastructure.

We should minimize the area needed for housing by zoning that maximizes the use made of built-up land, encouragement of multi-generational households and friendliness in the taking-in of the homeless and wanderers, reduced exploitation of renters by commercial landlords, and support for insulation, heat-pumps, and rooftop solar panels to maximize the efficiency of housing, while reducing residential greenhouse gas emissions towards 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050.

Procedures and research should minimize waste and encourage recycling, directing as much organic household waste as possible to backyard composting and/or chickens. The municipality should eliminate any barriers to residents growing their own food and should increase opportunities for community gardens. Bylaws that encourage mowed lawns should be replaced by ones that support the growth of pollinator-friendly plants around homesites.

To minimize corporate influence and capture of regulatory and governance processes on climate action, all candidates for municipal council should declare any support they have received from development corporations, and recuse

themselves from decisions that affect any of their campaign donors.

Progress on this kind of issues is slow and difficult, and the comparison is often made with mobilizations for the World Wars of the 20th Century. Denialists raise the cry, in the words of the classic cartoon, “What if it’s all a hoax, and we create a better world for nothing?”, there are possibilities of “positive feedback loops” in melting permafrost or hydrated seabed methane, and any area’s contribution to controlling greenhouse gases will be a minute fraction of what’s needed globally, but a unique opportunity is presented for everyone to work together for the first time to understand human occupancy of the Earth on a planetary scale. If North Grenville can move forward in this way, it’s an opportunity for our community to be a leader in responding to the global crisis. The present council has made good progress on some of these fronts, but this is the time, and we have the opportunity, to do much more. I hope this squeezing-down of the huge problem into a few paragraphs has been helpful.