Issue 49 2023 December 14 NG Times

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Reaching by direct mail 8,500 homes and businesses in North Grenville www.ngtimes.ca

The Voice of North Grenville

Vol. 11 No. 49

December 14, 2023

A successful KPS food drive

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submitted by Ian Morris The KPS community recently held a Food Drive for local families.

From December 4 to 8, students brought in nonperishable food items and other common necessities that families might need over the holidays. On Monday December 11, all collected items, from canned food to toothbrushes, will be passed to the House of Lazarus. The House of Lazarus is a non-profit organization that supports our local community with the basics of life.

Students took own-

ership of preparing and running the food drive.

Many of our Grade 4-6 students prepared by creating informational posters that were circulated through the school.

KPS set a goal of 500 items to be collected during the week. Students collected and tallied the results day by day. Updates were shared on the announcements and a sense of excitement grew as the food drive gained momentum. By the end of the second last day, students surpassed our school goal. Students brought in another 250 items on the last day

bringing the total to at least 821 items.

We are so proud of our students, staff, parent council, families, and community in supporting KPS to meet our food drive goals. Each month, we focus on a different character trait at school, with December's trait being generosity. It is incredible to see what students can do when given the opportunity.

Students and families at KPS demonstrated that we can do great things for others both within our school and within our local community.

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The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Times

Fundraiser at B&H provides donation to hospital auxiliary submitted by Jean Gallant Thanks to B&H Your Community Grocer and their many customers, $3,500 was raised recently as a donation to the Kemptville District Hospital Auxiliary. The fundraiser was held recently at the B&H store, where many generous customers donated $2.00 and signed a colourful thank-you note. These notes were

used to decorate walls, windows and along the sides of the cash registers.

B&H has been part of the Kemptville community for 50 years, continuing a long tradition of giving generously to many of the appeals over the years. Thank you to B&H Your Community Grocer and its wonderful staff for such a fabulous gift of support for the Kemptville Hospital.

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Beth Donovan Hospice annual online auction raises $12,500 submitted by Darlene Collin The third installment of the Everything Under the Evergreen Auction comes to a wrap, having raised a whopping $12,500. This amount more than doubled what was raised in 2022.

Executive Director Sue Walker has a message for the community “Thank you to our generous community for making it the best auction

year ever”.

Over 200 auction items were donated by local businesses and community members, with hundreds of individuals logging in to bid.

The fundraiser is only made possible by Rideau Auctions who not only hosted the auction, but also took all the photos and removed any fees associated with the platform meaning that all funds raised went directly to the Hospice.

Funds raised from this auction go to support the ongoing needs of those in the community living with a life-limiting illness through grief and bereavement programs, day hospice, in-home visiting, support groups and equipment loans.

For more information about Beth Donovan Hospice, please visit www.bethdonovanhospice.ca.

Social activities at St. John’s United Church

Holly Tea and Bazaar submitted by Barbara Rousseau We have never before had as many people or as many sales as we had at the Holly Tea and Bazaar on November 25. We raised $8,000 in one day!

This was amazing since it was our first live bazaar since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The bake table was depleted, and over 50 gift baskets were sold. Yes – one person December 14, 2023

made over 50 gift baskets in a multitude of sizes and containers!

In addition to the gift baskets and bake table, the event featured crafts, knitwear, housewares, decor, outdoor planters, and more. Guests also had a hot homemade lunch served to their table.

Another endeavour we have started is a Friendship Café.

The people of St.

John’s United Church have warmly opened their doors to the community with the Friendship Café. The café is a place where anyone can drop in for free coffee, tea, and conversation.

This is just one of the ways that St. John’s is reaching out to the community.

The Friendship Café i s o p en o n Tu es d ay mornings from 10 am to noon at St. John’s United Church – 400 Prescott Street in Kemptville, side door entrance. If necessary, please call the office for more details at 613258-3259.

The café is accessible, and everyone is welcome!

Friendship Cafe

St. John's United Church 400 Prescott St., Kemptville Tuesday 10am to Noon All are welcome to join us for a cup of coffee/tea & conversations with friendly faces Donations appreciated but not required

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The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Times

County Road 43 tender announced

CORRECTION NOTICE

A transformative step towards infrastructure enhancement

submitted by Jill Sturdy, Municipality of NG On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, during its regularly scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting of the United Counties, the longawaited tender for the County Road 43 Rehabilitation Project was recommended for approval to Counties Council next week.

The tender for this important rehabilitation project was issued to a list of prequalified contractors on September 27, 2023 and closed on November 14, 2023. R.W. Tomlinson Limited submitted the lowest bid at a value of $38.9 million dollars.

As a joint project between the Municipality of North Grenville and the United Counties, North Grenville will be responsible for approximately 23 percent of the expenditures, with the United Counties assuming the remaining amount. A grant of approximately $8.3 million was secured through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to offset the total $50 million price tag.

In response to the news, Mayor of North Grenville Nancy Peckford who also serves as Warden shared the following: “The plans for the County Road 43 Rehabilitation Project are a reflection of the shared dedication of the United Counties and the Municipality of North Grenville to crucial improvements to our joint infrastructure, not just in North Grenville but throughout the Counties. The significant improvement and expansion of this extremely busy reDecember 14, 2023

gional thoroughfare between Colonnade and CR 44 in the Town of Kemptville will ensure better traffic flows, enable major commercial activity and a much safer road experience for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

The replacement of the current bridge with a four-lane one is also necessary given excessive wear and tear due to exceedingly high traffic volumes. Collectively, these improvements will contribute to strong economic development in North Grenville and the Counties for the decades ahead.”

“I would like to thank MPP Steve Clark and my Counties colleagues from neighbouring municipalities for their steadfast support. Given that CR 43 is one of the busiest regional roads in Leeds and Grenville, these improvements will have very positive economic and safety impacts for the decades to come,” Peckford added.

Yesterday’s recommendation for approval by Counties’ Committee of the Whole marks a significant milestone in a multi-year effort that has included securing funding from three levels of government, several studies and numerous land parcel acquisitions.

It has required the key support of local MPP Steve Clark who expressed his unwavering support for the CR 43 Rehabilitation Project since 2018. Former provincial Minister McNaughton, as well as former federal ministers Catherine McKenna and Maryam Monsef were also key to approving a joint federal – provincial $8.3 million grant under the Improving Canada’s Infrastructure Project.

The ten Mayors at the Counties Council table have also relied heavily on the expertise of several Counties and municipal staff who have guided the project's development since 2018.

The expansion will include crucial improvements to approximately 2 kilometres of road which will be twinned into a four-lane boulevard between CR 44 and the Colonnade Shopping district, plus a new four lane bridge on CR 43 where the existing two lane one currently exists. The bridge and the road have both reached end of life and are in urgent need of replacement.

In addition, there will be four new roundabouts and multi-use pathways on both sides of the road to facilitate optimal traffic flows in this busy commercial corridor which also features a large daycare, a long term care home and high school as well as safe pedestrian

crossings.

Pending final approval

by Counties Council on December 14th, the project is scheduled to commence in 2024 with regular updates being provided to keep the community informed about timelines, progress and potential impacts.

There will be a dedicated website, a local liaison committee of businesses and other stakeholders, live camera feeds, and a robust communications strategy about traffic disruptions, potential road closures, public notices, a construction schedule, a map of the project, an FAQs page, a contacts page and a links page.

The tender was recommended to Committee of the Whole on December 6th for approval after a comprehensive review process that included rigorous pre-qualification screening. Counties staff were confident in recommending R.W. Tomlinson Limited which submitted the lowest bid, and met the high bar required for the largest road project in Counties history.

In the November 30 issue of the Times, the author of the front page story was listed incorrectly as Neil Whyte. The story was actually authored by Susanne Larner, and Neil submitted the story on her behalf.

The Times apologizes for the error.

THOMAS M. BYRNE Barrister and Solicitor

General Practice Corporate / Commercial Family Law Estates Real Estate Wills & Powers of Attorney tom@tmblaw.ca 613.258.1277 222 Prescott St., Kemptville

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Editorial

The North Grenville Times

Keep your nose to yourself

by Brandon Mayer As Christmas fast approaches, so does the spirit of giving, one form of which is gift giving. Some people enjoy debating the common courtesies attached to gift giving amongst friends, colleagues, extended family, etc. Others enjoy an even more pointed and polarizing topic: the subject of just how much kids should receive at Christmas. To this, I simply implore people to stop judging others.

If there is one aspect of child gift-giving that I think should be universal, it is the fact that children should be taught and reminded that larger gift requests cannot be made to Santa.

Santa is fair and gives one or a few modest gifts to all kids. This is important for making sure that every child enjoys a good Christmas.

Moms and dads can buy and give whatever they like, but the expectations from Santa should be minimal, in the spirit of modesty and respect, and the spirit of the merry season.

With that out of the way, I can now be more blunt: No parent should be judging any other parent on how much or how little they purchase

for their kids in Christmas gifts! Parents who spend very little often can’t afford much more. I have seen firsthand that the kids of those parents are often the happiest and most respectful. Isn’t it wonderful to see how innately good children are before society takes its toll? Kids who know their parents are struggling financially, especially when they reach the age when they have both knowledge and empathy, tend to simply be grateful for what they get.

Parents who spend way too much on Christmas may invariably be spoiling their children, I don’t doubt that. There are certainly parents who go overboard just because they want to, and whether it makes their kids worse off I suppose is different in each individual circumstance. Another possible scenario is the case of me and my upbringing.

We were poor, not to the extent of poverty but to the extent that vacations were all within driving distance, meals were cheap, eating out was rare, and we did all of our own car repairs and house repairs. We went from paycheque to paycheque, and luckily the paycheque was always just enough.

There certainly wasn’t enough money for us to have things purchased for us randomly. Toys

and games, gadgets and devices came at Christmas and birthdays only.

The experience, however, was magical. We would typically have an average of 8-10 toys or games to open each year, in addition to some small novelty items or candies in our stockings. Bearing in mind that these gifts were mostly inexpensive and would need to last us a full year of entertaining ourselves, it was still a lot.

I used to tell kids at school only about my favourite toy that I received, and not mention the other stuff. When my friends visited, there was no need to tell them I got all of my latest things at Christmas time. According to convention, it’s completely normal to receive a few items at Christmas, and have a few surprise or “just because” items throughout the year. To receive your whole year’s worth of spoiling in a single day, however, was just plain taboo. I therefore chose to hide it. I didn’t want other kids to think that I was bragging, even though only once a year did I have new possessions to brag about.

There is a lesson here.

It’s easy to judge others.

The problem with judging is that no one who judges ever has the full story. It would be easy to look at

a 10 year old me receiving eight Christmas gifts and say “wow, he must be a spoiled brat!” Was I though? I appreciated it each and every Christmas and knew what a big deal it was to receive what we did. I also never complained about receiving nothing the rest of the year. I actually preferred the anticipation and surprise of waiting for the one big day.

The lesson is: stop shoving your nose into other people’s business!

We teach kids to keep their hands to themselves.

It’s about time we start teaching adults a new concept – “keep your nose to yourself”. It is not our place to judge when we don’t have the full picture. We do not have the right to criticize others for what we don’t understand. People are allowed to be different and have different practices and opinions. Many of us follow this basic rule, but when the subject of Christmas gifts rolls around, we tend to be a bit more harsh. In a word… stop!

I will end on a different note. Regardless of gift giving philosophies – which differ in each family, and there is nothing wrong with that – one universal ideal should be that Christmas not focus solely on gifts. We’ve all heard kids sheepishly add

their head. While we should be very grateful that food banks exist, every case of someone needing to use one should be seen as a policy failure. Every case of someone being homeless should be seen as a policy failure.

These failures should make us angry. Neoliberal economics has failed, succeeding only in making the rich ever richer. All three major parties have been complicit in this failure. We need a new political and economic framework, one that puts people and the planet first rather than the interests of a tiny elite.

Steve Gabell

November 30, 2023. It was a wonderful commendation of the generosity of North Grenville and North Dundas residents towards the two big projects in their respective care.

Thank you for your stupendous and ongoing support of the CT Scanner Crossroads Campaign and sharing this “call to action” with your readers. We are very grateful. To paraphrase what you said, together, we will reap the future benefits of that community spirit.

With best regards, Lynne Clifford-Ward

The Voice of North Grenville

TIMES www.ngtimes.ca ISSN 2291-0301

OFFICE 613-215-0735

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

Editor Brandon Mayer editor@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735 Marketing/Sales Melissa Ottenhof marketing@ngtimes.ca 613 329 0209 Production production@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735 Accounting Pat Jessop cfo@ngtimes.ca Classifieds classifieds@ngtimes.ca

a few notes about “family” and “love” and “giving” before finally saying “presents”, when asked what they love most about Christmas. Gifts are fun, and there’s no need to be a grouch just because kids find joy in a guilty pleasure. We all have our own guilty pleasures as adults, do we not? Stop making kids feel guilty for theirs.

That said, spend time as a family over Christmas. It’s okay to enjoy gifts, but everyone should be immersed in the enjoyment of good food and good company over the holiday season as well.

In summary: teach good morals, and mind your own business.

development that is taking place in Kemptville? For example, the only LOGICAL SOLUTION for the Reuben Street development is to allow single family homes comparable to the existing ones in the Reuben Street neighbourhood. As a former mayor of Kemptville, my duty to the citizens was that we consider them first.

This is not happening in the Reuben Street case.

If I were to become mayor again, I would designate that the property be divided into single homes similar to the present ones, to be priced for affordable housing. Any developer that gets permission to continue to build without paying any development charges has to be denied the right to build, if applicable.

When I was applying to develop Raina Way, it was required that I ascertain

in writing from the public school, the separate school, the high school and the Council that there would be sufficient capacity for a new development. I was very happy to comply because I was trying to protect the interests of the citizens of Kemptville. It was the right thing to do. I hope that our mayor and council will consider doing the same thing.

Ralph Raina

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, Christmas is a time for giving and it is right that we celebrate the generosity of normal people in donating their time, money, or goods to charitable causes at this time of year. There are many charitable organizations that we are fortunate to have in our communities, supporting people when they need it the most.

Christmas is also the time of year when we are bombarded with self-serving photos of politicians supporting food banks, yet they are complicit in creating the conditions which have led to an explosion in food bank usage. Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) payments were increased by 6.5% earlier this year, meaning a single person on ODSP with no dependents receives a maximum of $1,300 a December 14, 2023

month. Ontario Works recipients receive an even more meagre $733 a month, an amount that hasn’t increased since 2018. This is legislated poverty that our provincial government could deal with immediately if it wanted to.

In Ottawa, a private member’s bill is progressing to develop a national framework to establish a school food program, yet our MP voted against this bill.

A recent report revealed that the number of people using food banks across Ontario increased by nearly 40% in the year to March 31, 2023, with nearly 800,000 people across the Province needing their support. The total number of visits saw a similar increase. Canada is a rich country, the tenth largest economy in the world, yet increasing numbers of people are not able to put food on the table or a roof over

Dear Editor, Please accept the KDH Foundation's sincere appreciation for your editorial, “Water to the Soup”, 4

Dear Editor, What comes first, the wellbeing of the citizens of Kemptville or the influx of another 500-1,000 homes when we DO NOT have the infrastructure to accommodate this uncontrolled

Dear Editor, I was just going through a recent edition of the NG Times when I noticed a letter from E. McGreavy regarding the debacle that is the 168 apartment development proposed on Reuben Crescent.

It is good to keep the community up to date with what is going on. I undercont'd on page 5 www.ngtimes.ca

The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Times

Grenville County residents targeted in grandparents’ scam submitted by OPP Over the month of November 2023, older residents from East Region have been targeted by fraudsters using the “Grandparents Scam”. Some local community members filed reports this past week with the Grenville County Ontario Province Police (OPP) advising that they had lost money or were about to. Each time, the victims were told that they urgently needed to send money to assist a family member. If the victims did not have access to a vehicle, the scammers offered to send someone to collect the money at their homes.

If you have older family members, please speak to them about this and advise them to always call and check with family first or call the police if they have concerns.

Below are some of the warning signs: - Urgency: The scammer always makes the request sound very urgent, which may cause the victim not to verify the story.

- Fear: The scammer plays on the victim's emotions by generating a sense of fear. For instance, they may say, “I am scared and I need help from you.”

- Secrecy: The scammer pleads with the victim not to tell anyone about the situation, such as, “Please don't tell Dad, he would be so mad.”

- Request for money: Money can be requested by money transfer or in some cases, the scammer sends someone to your home to pick up the payment.

If you or someone you know may have been the victim of an “emergency” scam, contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS). You can also report the information to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).

FRAUD…Recognize it…Report it…Stop it.

••

UPDATE

Township of North Dundas Career Opportunities We’re Hiring!

Truck and Coach Technician

(Application deadline is December 29, 2023)

Casual/Call-in Seasonal Plow Truck Drivers

(Application deadline is until all positions filled) For full position descriptions and details, visit Career Opportunities on our website.

www.northdundas.com Township of North Dundas 636 St. Lawrence St., PO Box 489, Winchester, ON K0C 2K0

Professional Fully Insured Commercial & Residential Painting www.horizonspainting.ca

Kutebah Alyousef kutebah1984@gmail.com 613-276-4583

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 Sign-up to receive Mayor Peckford’s e-newsletter at: northgrenville.ca/connect.

UPCOMING MEETINGS COUNCIL MEETINGS

Please see the Council agenda for further details on how to participate in Council meetings. All Council meetings will be live streamed on YouTube at: youtube.com/user/ NorthGrenville/featured and on the Municipality’s website at: www.northgrenville.ca/meetings.

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: www.northgrenville.ca/ meetings.

• Tuesday, December 19 at 6:30 p.m.

(Open Session) – Municipal Center, Suite A

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

CLASSIFIEDS

classifieds@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735

Committees may be meeting in-person or virtually.

Please see the Committee agenda for details on how to attend. Agendas can be found on the Municipal website at www.northgrenville.ca/ meetings.

• • •

Letters cont'd stand the amount of work and money involved in challenging a developer’s plan (having seen what CAPP has had to do regarding the proposed prison), and it is unfortunate that it is left to local citizens to spend their own money to engage a professional to discover the flaws in the decision that our municipal council made regarding this development.

I have lived in communities where there are by-laws that say that you can only build one storey higher than adjacent existing buildings.

This worked well, and would have made these apartments 3 storeys high, not 4. We have got a 4 storey proposal primarily because this council went against its own Official Plan, and granted the developer increased density, then added insult to injury by accepting a lesser affordable housing percentage.

And let’s not forget that this developer has made absolutely no effort to make the exterior building design compatible with the surrounding architecture.

I have never seen the reaDecember 14, 2023

soning why our municipal council agreed to all these developers’ requests. Don’t we elect these people to reflect the wishes of the community that they are elected to serve, and at least follow the rules and regulations in our own Official Plan? Or are we going the way of other communities where developers dictate what the future of our community will be?

Colin Creasey, Kemptville Open Letter RE cancellation of Kemptville-Ottawa commuter service Hello Mayor Peckford and Council Members, I am writing to express my concern over the recent announcement from ATS Kemptville that commuter services between Kemptville and Ottawa, which run Monday to Friday, will be suspended indefinitely as of January 2024 due to a lack of funding/revenue.

This service is an essential connection between North Grenville and Ottawa for a number of residents who work or

between the Municipality and Ottawa as a major part of increasing mobility for residents. However, its reliance on completion of the southern extension of the LRT to connect residents to OC Transpo services will leave a significant gap in service delivery over the coming years. If the current LRT service is any indication, the southern extension may well be unreliable and expensive even when it does (eventually, presumably) become available.

In addition to providing an essential daily connection between North Grenville and Ottawa, the ATS commuter bus provides an environmental service in reducing the number of vehicles on the road each day. It also provides a social service to the community as a point of connection for riders and drivers alike.

ATS Kemptville reports a loss of approximately $7,000 per month in providing its commuter services, given the post-

go to school in Ottawa. It is also the only mechanism by which the Municipality is currently meeting its strategic transit goals (North Grenville Transit Study -- Goal #2: Connecting to Ottawa), though the service is privately run.

Commuter services were suspended during the pandemic, and resumed only in September of 2022. During this time, residents made other travel arrangements and changed their in-office work hours.

Ridership was therefore much lower in 2022/2023 than it was pre-pandemic.

However, I have personally noticed an increase in the past year in ridership, as word has spread that this reliable and affordable service is once more available. I believe that ridership would continue to grow over the next few years, especially with the recent announcement of on-demand transit services within the Municipality.

I note that the North Grenville Transit Study recognized the connection 5

•

Environmental Action Advisory Committee – Monday, December 18 at 6:00 p.m.

Arts and Culture Advisory Committee – Tuesday, December 19 at 3:15 p.m.

Active Transportation Advisory Committee – Wednesday, December 20 at 5:00 p.m.

Indigenous Advisory Circle – Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.

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

pandemic ridership decline. While I recognize that the timing (out in the morning at 6:00 am, returning from Ottawa at 4:15 pm) and accessibility of the commuter bus will not meet the needs of all folks in North Grenville, the fact that it provides the only service of this kind for the Municipality, I think warrants serious consideration for subsidization -- at least to bridge the gap until the southern extension of the LRT has

been completed and alternative options can be brought to the table.

I urge the Municipality of North Grenville to add subsidization for commuter bus services to the municipal budget as a means of meeting its stated strategic transit goals.

Thank you, Amanda Bennett Oxford Mills, Ontario

www.ngtimes.ca

The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Times

2024 Solid Waste, Recycling, and Organics

Collection Calendar

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• Meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, bones, eggshells • Fruit and vegetables • Dairy products • Bread, cereals, crackers • Pasta, beans, rice, seeds and other grains • Coffee grounds, filters, tea bags • Cookies, chips, popcorn, nuts • Cooking oils, lard, shortening, fat, butter • Pet food • Salad dressings, mayonnaise, vinegar, sauces, gravy, dips • Small animal bedding • BBQ ashes (cold)

• Fireplace ash (cold) • Dryer lint • Contents from vacuum canister • Butcher paper meat wrap • Food soiled paper towels, napkins, parchment or wax paper • Food-soiled pizza and cereal boxes • Wood chips/sawdust • Microwave paper popcorn bags • Paper cups, plates, muffin wrappers • Pet fur, hair, feathers, • Dog waste and cat litter • Sugar, flour and potato paper bags

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Plastics & HOLIDAY Containers Fibre and Paper HOLIDAY

Curbside Organic Collection ACCEPTED in the organics collection:

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7

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26

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Don’t forget...

GREEN BIN collection is every week!

NOT ACCEPTED: • Diapers • Menstral products • Used face masks • Solid waste (garbage) • Plastics (exception of using a plastic bag for bagging organic waste) • Leaf and yard waste • Recyclable materials • Clothing and textiles

Large/bulky item collection week Leaf & yard waste collection week Curbside Giveaway Weekend C

See northgrenville.ca/waste for pick-up maps, organics, Waste Transfer Station hours and more!

December 14, 2023

6

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The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Times

Youth Climate Action Summit ignites passion and collaboration

The YCAS crowd on November 14 at the NG Municipal Centre. Photo by Olivia Little. submitted by Olivia Little The recently concluded Youth Climate Action Summit (YCAS) proved to be a resounding success, uniting 96 enthusiastic high school students from 20 schools in an empowering exploration of environmental responsibility.

The Summit kicked off with presentations by

guest speakers, including FABN's Executive Director Shannon Lem, the FABN Board co-chair Steve McGovern, Michèle Andrews from Door Number One, Nancy Peckford, Mayor of North Grenville, and Cam Jones, Principal of Student Success and Real-World Learning with UCDSB. Following lunch, stu-

dents participated in two workshops of their choice.

The workshops covered diverse topics such as preparing for extreme weather with the Leeds Grenville and Lanark Health Unit, creating walkable communities, and building resilience in the face of climate anxiety. One standout workshop was the Ferguson Forest Centre (FCC) tour, which allowed students to tour the facility, hear from the Vice President of the FCC’s Board of Directors and take home cedar saplings for community planting.

The Summit also included a collaborative work session, where students started their own Climate Action Plans (CAPs) for implementation in their schools. The atmosphere

Kemptville students fundraise, teachers eat bugs for CHEO

submitted by UCDSB While it all came down to who could eat the most bugs in one minute, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) came out as the real winner.

Christina Lo Basso and Dan Preston’s Grade 7 French immersion classes at North Grenville District High School (NGDHS) raised $800.12 for pediatric cancer patients at the hospital, after reading a French book in class called Tu manges ça.

The book aims to find fun ways to fundraise within a school to help cancer patients. While discussing the book, the classes decided to mimic it, gathering donations to see which teacher could eat the most chili-lime December 14, 2023

flavoured crickets.

In an epic battle of strong stomachs, Mr. Preston came out on top, devouring 43 insects in the one-minute time limit, to Mme. Lo Basso’s 23.

Students also saw where their fundraising dollars would go during a virtual call and hospital tour with CHEO’s Mandy Arsenault, who explained the importance of the hospital and the Kids Helping Kids program.

“As part of this program, we offer presentations to schools and kids so they can really understand how impactful their support is,” Arsenault said.

“The bug eating competition and fundraiser from NGDHS is one of the most creative and fun

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was charged with lively discussion and knowledgesharing as students exchanged ideas, fostering a sense of unity and purpose in addressing climate challenges.

YCAS concluded with a moving Thanksgiving address given by The Native North American Traveling College, leaving attendees inspired and motivated to effect positive change in their communities.

YCAS is a testament to the power of youth engagement in addressing global issues. The organizers extend their heartfelt gratitude to sponsors, the Good Family Foundation, CSE Consulting, the Trottier Family Foundation, and the Upper Canada District School Board, whose support made this event possible.

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initiatives I have seen in my 8 years at CHEO and certainly goes beyond the more typical options!” said Arsenault.

“It’s a great cause. We were just trying to raise a few bucks and have some fun,” said Preston. “Having the virtual call with Mandy was the icing on the cake, it was an eyeopener for the kids.”

“I thought we would raise $100,” said Grade 7 student Josephine Godwin-Sens. “I think it’s good to help out the community and raise school spirit.”

“Mr. P just ate the crickets like they were nothing!” Grade 7 student Zachary Roberts added.

“After watching the video with CHEO, we saw all the different machines they have and how much it costs, it made me feel better about giving them money.”

The $800 donation will go towards equipment, research projects, and supporting families, according to Arsenault who said that any school is welcome to contact CHEO regarding a fundraising initiative of its own.

“No matter the idea, the important part is that we are encouraging our future philanthropists and teaching kids about the impact of giving,” Arsenault said.

editor@ngtimes.ca

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BIA gets new website, AGM update

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submitted by Deron Johnston On Thursday November 30th, the Old Town Kemptville Business Improvement Area (BIA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the North Grenville Public Library. The evening began with some networking, delicious hot appetizers from O’Heaphy’s Irish Pub and then proceeded into the meeting agenda.

The meeting began with a welcome from BIA Board Chair Shelley Mitchell who then introduced Mayor Nancy Peckford who spoke of the strong relationship between the BIA and Council. She also praised the Kemptville Busk-

erfest calling it one of North Grenville’s signature events and highlighted other successful BIA programming such as Kreepy Kemptville.

Bonnie Ruddock, the Executive Director of Regional Tourism Organization #9 (RTO 9) was the guest speaker for the evening. Bonnie spoke about the role of RTO 9 and the programming it uses to support tourism initiatives and tourismbased businesses. The audience of about 25 attendees had several questions for Bonnie which she graciously answered before receiving a special gift bag full of local products to thank her for her time.

Next on the agenda

was time for the Annual Report given by Chair Shelley Mitchell. The Report touched on several highlights of the past year including the relocation of the BIA office, a new members-only newsletter and the return of the special event Not Just Ladies Night. Board Treasurer Sierra Jones-Martel gave a quick report on the Kemptville Buskerfest and walked everyone through the current financial position of the BIA. Traditionally, the AGM wouldn’t be complete without the presentation of the draft 2024 BIA budget. The budget presented two versions of the budget with one version including a successful request for municipal funding and the second version excluding municipal funding. One of the key differences between the two versions was that without municipal funding, the BIA would be forced to revert back to a part-time Executive Director.

Tr e a s u r e r S i e r r a Jones-Martel finally revealed the secret BIA project that everyone had

been waiting for. The secret project was revealed to be a new standalone website for the BIA. A website has been on the BIA’s wishlist for quite some time and it’s now become a reality. The website can be found at www.downtownkemptville.ca. Sierra also showed her “Year In Review” video which has become an AGM tradition. It was a collection of photos and short videos from all of the events and memorable moments of the past year.

To close out the meeting, Shelley thanked everyone for coming, the BIA’s volunteers for all of their hard work throughout the year, and the Library for hosting the meeting. She also specifically thanked Omshanti and Rob Charlebois of Bodhi Tree Yoga Centre for being the home of the BIA’s office for the past three years and the North Grenville Historical Society for agreeing to become its new location.

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Farmers pleased to see proposed Underused Housing Tax changes submitted by Rachelle Kerr Changes proposed by the federal government to its Underused Housing Tax (UHT) Act are welcome news for Ontario’s farmers.

Announced in the recent Fall Economic Statement, the proposed changes would remove onerous filing requirements for farm corporations and farm partnerships who own more than one residence as well as December 14, 2023

reduce excessively high nonfiling penalties.

“We appreciate the federal government listening to the concerns of the farming sector and announcing their intent to make these changes that will ease the UHT burden on farm businesses,” says Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) President Drew Spoelstra.

“Although most farmers

would have been exempt from paying any actual tax, the filing of a UHT return is administratively burdensome. That’s why OFA, together with many other farm organization partners, has worked hard over the past year to raise awareness of the issue and advocate for change,” he adds.

The proposed changes still need to be introduced and passed through legisla-

tion in order to come into effect.

Farmers operating their businesses as a sole proprietor were already exempt from filing UHT returns, but if the legislation is passed, farm corporations and partnerships that are deemed to be Canadian owned (90% owned by Canadians) will also be exempt from filing a UHT return starting with the 2023 tax year. The 8

penalties for failure to file a UHT return would also be reduced to $1,000 for an individual and $2,000 for a corporation from their current levels of $5,000 and $10,000 respectively.

UHT returns must still be filed for the 2022 tax year by the April 30, 2024 deadline in order to avoid non-filing fees.

The Underused Housing

Tax Act received Royal Assent in June 2022. Intended to help alleviate the high cost of housing, it levies a 1% tax on the value of vacant and underused residential properties directly or indirectly owned by those who are not permanent residents or Canadian citizens.

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The Voice of North Grenville

Jean Newans: teacher of generations

by David Shanahan In any community, we value those who have given something precious to their friends and neighbours, through volunteering, their family, and the role models they are to younger genera• Fully equipped clinic for full Optometric Services tions. Jean Newans, Gladys Jean Joyner before her mar• Emergency Exams riage to Keith Newans, himself a great addition to the • Direct Billing Oxford Mills community, • Full Optical services with an Ontario Licensed was someone special in that Optician regard. For forty years, Jean went from one one-room 613.258.7878 / Pixeleyecare.ca / info@pixeleyecare.ca school to another throughout the region, teaching music 3000 County Rd. 43, Unit B3, Kemptville to generations of children.

In an article about Jean in a

history of North Grenville’s one-room schools, produced by the Historical Society in 2014, Beth Nicol described Jean’s career as a music teacher to generations: “Hired by the Townships of Oxford on Rideau and South Gower, her schedule had her travelling to 17 schools in just 3 days each week. Each class received one half hour of instruction.

She travelled in her father’s car. In it she carried records and a record player, song books and a device for duplicating papers called a jilly pad, everything she might need to make her classes successful. Out of necessity, she became organized, selfreliant, and independent.

Her contract was extended to include Kemptville and Marlborough Township.

This lengthened her work week to five full days, during which she visited 25 schools.

The curriculum included the

colour coded sol-fa scale (before the hand signs were introduced) and the basics of musical notation. As students learned to sing in key, she challenged them to learn harmony lines.”

In fact, by the end of the one-room schoolhouse days in 1964, Jean was travelling to 25 schools on a regular basis. After that year, when all the schools were amalgamated, she worked at Oxford-on-Rideau Public School until her retirement in 1988. A special tea was held in her honour on her retirement, and her role as teacher for forty years was noted in the attendance of up to 300 people who dropped by to say thank you for her years of dedication to generations of children.

In addition to the daily round of classes, Jean also formed choirs in each of her schools, often entering them in choral competitions, and usually with very positive results. Her Christmas concerts, when the students of all the schools united in one performance, were especially memorable.

Jean also provided an invaluable service to the community by acting as an unofficial historian of Oxfordon-Rideau Township over the years, along with her colleague, Winnie Lamrock.

When the Township marked its bicentennial in 1984, Jean combined her interests by forming a community choir and compiling a book on the

Township’s history, called “All Around the Township”.

In later years, her home became an archive, packed to the rafters with boxes of documents, correspondence, and historical records of every description. She was a dedicated supporter of the local historical society.

Jean and Keith were an integral part of the Oxford Mills community for a lifetime; between them they held a deep and detailed knowledge of the history of the hamlet and the wider township, as well as invaluable memories of the people and events that were the foundation of Oxford-onRideau. Their home in the hamlet stood just across the road from the Newans homestead, still standing as a memorial to those who lived at a time when Oxford Mills was a lively, thriving place with hotels, stores, bakeries and farms, capital of the Township with its Town Hall and schools.

Jean Newans died on December 1, at the age of 97. Keith had predeceased her in 2014 at the age of 96.

They were special people of a different time and place, and they helped form the community that we enjoy today. Jean asked that donations after her death may made to the Oxford Mills Community Association, or to a charity of your choice, her last of so many contributions to the community she served so well for so long.

North Grenville Photography Club

This holiday season, Shop, Eat, and Enjoy Local!

Show your love for our community by supporting our local businesses.

From charming boutiques to mouthwatering eateries, North Grenville has it all!

Visit LoveNG.ca for a list of our incredible local businesses.

Wintery scene on the Kemptville Creek (south of Oxford Mills) in early December.

By Sandy Archibald December 14, 2023

9

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The North Grenville Times

Use prime farmland effectively

by Ralph C. Martin When crumbs of soil from prime farmland sift through the fingers of my right hand, I conclude that it should be used to grow food crops for human consumption, while maintaining or improving soil health.

Obviously, prime farmland must not be paved over.

When more prime farmland soil trickles a bit faster through the 4.5 digits (I lost half of one on the farm) of my left hand, I ponder the best way to maintain or improve the health of that soil. My research informs me that forages (clover, alfalfa, timothy etc.) are required in rotation or in conjunction with row crops. In addition, animal manure, other organic amendments and crop residues

can be applied to improve soil health.

Livestock play an important role, in particular, ruminants which convert soil-restoring forages to meat and milk.

Livestock also provide the manure mentioned above. In addition, within a food system, livestock can consume and convert human inedible materials such as i) food processing by-products, ii) otherwise wasted food, iii) food crops which inadvertently do not meet specifications for human consumption and iv) crop residues.

Clearly there is an ecological role for livestock.

Today, in a world of 1.4 billion cattle, 0.9 billion pigs and 24 billion chickens, more grain crops for livestock feed are required as well as the concomitant land to grow them. Furthermore,

Baldwin’s Birds

Angels wings?

On this crisp winter morning down in a minus degree temperature, the birds are definitely vying for something to eat. The ground and the trees are laden with ice and snow so are not offering much in the way of sustenance to those who rely on such locations as sources for their own individual supplies of food. The smaller birds such as the Chickadees and Gold Finches along with the Woodpeckers head for our hanging feeders, whilst our big flock of Pigeons descend from their overhead wire in search of the ground food that I have scattered or the

December 14, 2023

seed in our other feeders.

Considering that I cannot provide too much on a daily basis, for them all, they all seem to remain remarkably affable with their fellow birds competing alongside them for the same food. Very few squabbles occur, despite the small confines that they find themselves in at times and such a pleasant sight to behold. Even our one, vastly different coloured, very brown Rock Pigeon feeds quite freely with the rest of the flock without any animosity being shown towards it. A lesson, indeed, for all of us!

As I am writing this, I am watching a Male Cardinal sharing a feeder with a lone Chipping Sparrow and, close by, a female Cardinal is feeding in another spot and a Blue-jay is doing the same. Of course the colours of these two types of birds show up beautifully in the snow, as I hope you too are able to enjoy, but please do it safely. Stay safe and well.

Cheers, John Baldwin

to maximize litres of milk per cow or kilograms of animal gain per day, human edible food often enhances livestock feed rations. Of all the world’s crops, only 55 percent of crop calories go directly toward people. The rest are allocated to biofuels or animal feed. Unfortunately, global methane emissions from livestock are 131.7 Tg methane per year, about one-third of global anthropogenic methane emissions.

Our ancestors practiced agriculture with due respect for the ecological role of livestock.

The problem now is that with efforts to increase demand for animal protein, the livestock tail is wagging the entire food system.

Since WWII, when 20 million deaths from starvation exceeded those

from direct military conflict, agricultural leaders have declared, “we must feed the world.”

We responded on our home farm in the 1960s by turning the whole farm into one corn field as did others across Ontario.

Now it’s time to rethink the dedication of over 2 million Ontario prime farmland acres per year for number 2, yellow dent corn, grown mostly for feed and fuel.

I understand the sunk costs (financial, cultural, emotional) of the current livestock system in which I grew up. Nevertheless, Dr. William Rees of UBC, who developed the ecological footprint analysis, stated in his recent paper The Human Ecology of Overshoot, “We are consuming and polluting the biophysical basis of our own existence. …

The Voice of North Grenville

The global economy will inevitably contract and humanity will suffer a major population ‘correction’ in this century.”

Turning away from such warnings propels ecological systems further into overshoot. Governments must develop policies to help livestock farmers break free from sunk costs which prevent them from switching to human edible crop production.

To feed the world and avoid overshoot, we need more human edible food crops and less feed.

Currently, more than 40% of prime farmland in Ontario which is dedicated to grow feed crops for livestock could be used instead to grow food crops for human consumption. In this scenario, there would still be sufficient animal protein for an adequate diet, ac-

cording to the Canada Food Guide.

Many cultures have lived well for centuries with much less animal protein per person than consumed now in North America and Europe. It is becoming increasingly evident that we endanger our capacity to feed the world by over-assigning feed crops to prime farmland. The priority for this heritage is to grow crops for human edible food, while maintaining or improving soil health and overall ecological integrity.

Ralph C. Martin, Ph.D.,Professor (retired), University of Guelph. Information on book “Food Security: From Excess to Enough” at www.ralphmartin.ca.

they’ve eaten it, their urine turns blue after exposure to sunlight. Goats are quite fond of the twigs and foliage, and feeding the goats was for a long while our major mode of control of the Buckthorn on our land.

As with Frangulous Buckthorn, control has to be a sport, rather than a project, and a sport that is very like combat. When we were first battling with the Cathartics, Fred wasn’t wielding the axe carefully enough, and the thorns twice scratched the cornea of his eye, a notably painful experience. When the stems are cut, they often stay tangled in the canopy – we recently felled a low 25 cm diameter tree, and each of the branches was so tangled overhead that none of them fell when cut.

Once cut, the stumps sprout prolifically, often going up more than a metre in a year, with a splay of horizontal shoots along the ground, and when the canopy is opened there can be a veritable sod of seedlings growing from the previous fall of berries. The more specialized methods of control are weed wrench tools, which can uproot stems up to 5 cms in diameter, while for

larger trees some organizations have used tractors for uprooting. Girdling can weaken larger shrubs, daubs of herbicide can be used to kill stumps, and there’s a new treatment based on a native fungus, Chondrostereum purpureum, that kills the stumps. A few colonies of the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma americanum, are found on Cathartic Buckthorns every year, and next year we’re going to move such of these colonies as we find to Buckthorns on our land, to see if the genes which give the caterpillars a taste for the invader can be concentrated into a population that may give some control.

With the Emerald Ash borer deaths of so many of our Ash trees, the invasion of the Buckthorns has become the biggest environmental change in eastern Ontario. Cathartic Buckthorn is listed as a provincially noxious weed in the Weed Control Act. and the struggle against them will be facilitated if more hands and axes are raised in opposition.

Cathartic Buckthorn!

MISSING PICTURE November foliage on the sprouts of a felled Cathartic Buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica, Bishops Mills.

by Fred Schueler and Aleta Karstad Fragile Inheritance Natural History As the leaves of native trees and shrubs fall, the last broad-leaved green along roads and in the oldfields of eastern Ontario is Rhamnus cathartica. This invasive shrub or tree is called European, Purging, or Common Buckthorn, though we call it “Cathartic,” in accordance with the policy of having frighteningsounding English names for invasive species.

This is a dark-barked semi-shade tolerant small-leaved shrub, with lenticel-barred twigs often sharpened into thorns.

The leaves are dark green, and are shed late in the fall, forming billows of green under the Emerald Ash Borer-killed Ashes which now make up so much of our woods. It is a species which acts out 10

all the elements of invasiveness: it leafs out early in the spring, and retains its leaves into November, it produces toxins which inhibit the growth of other plants and poison tadpoles in adjacent ponds, it can grow up into a tree (we found one 25 cm in diameter near an old Loyalist homesite near Domville), or twist up into the canopies of Sugar Maples or Apples like a vine (we recently cut one that was 3 cm in diameter and 478 cm tall), and it effectively has no insect pests.

The cathartic character means that the black berries, which are held on the plant into the winter, pass rapidly through birds which eat them to be purple spots on snow or sidewalks, while blue spots on the snow mean that Deer or Rabbits have been browsing on this species, because when

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The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Times

73’s take one of the back to back home contests

Not for lack of trying, just couldn’t dial it in.....Matthew O’Doherty launched a howitzer that missed the mark during Friday evening session in front of 345 fans as the Ottawa Junior Senators found redemption after falling short in the two previous encounters.

by G.J. the sportsguy Wednesday evening on a collision course with the second place Canadians of Carleton Place with a different look as they paid tribute by wearing the sweaters of their name sake Legion Kings. A stellar superior stopper exhibition on display from both squads with Jacob Biron recording his second SO to give the 73’s a 2 to zip victory.

Fast, furious, body punishing, sacrificing their bodies through the initial frame as both teams utilizing 200 feet to put the first marker on the board. Within the first minute Kemptville found themselves down a man for four minutes in which the PK had to stay strong to close out the first scoreless.

Second stanza remained a repeat of the previous

period and end to end action as the goal tenders displayed a clinic rising to the occasion. The 73’s turned things upside when the Legion Kings with extra attacker were stripped of the rubber by Moroz to Logue off the wall and snapping it up to Owen Redmond SHG with afterburners wide open to put it to bed under the pillows of Ian Vandenberg for first blood game winner and his first of the season at 5:06.

Kemptville PK was called upon to open the final twenty and sustain the lead. Carleton Place pulled their stopper at 18:31 for extra man when the 73’s answered with EN insurance goal as Rutley penetrated the line, reverse to Thomas on point to Tyler Melvin ENG heading

#12 Viau for his second of the night at 9:11 to give Ottawa a two goal lead.

With the Junior Senators in control and the 73’s playing catch up Ottawa recorded the insurance from Alexandre Cote assisted by Dietsch and Parent at 12:21 to make the chase more difficult with 3 to 0 advantage.

Kemptville came alive when Holmes jetted up the half wall unto Tyler Melvin tape driving hard to the blue paint with a razzle-dazzle forehand, backhand dipsydoodle under the sprawling Connor Shibley to eliminate his SO at 19:00.

Final twenty was a roller-coaster on steroids with an Indian rubber disc that both teams had to tame and the hour glass filling in rapidly as the 73’s couldn’t find a way to disrupt the game plan and elite stopper of the Junior Senators. Ottawa outshot Kemptville by 22 to 21 with 1⁄4 PP and 0/3 PP. Kemptville hits the road to face the Nepean Raiders on Wednesday evening for a 7 pm battle and then at home to meet the Brockville Braves for a 7:30 pm Sunday evening excursion.

Hockey with EDGE... see you around the boards.

downtown to pull the trigger at 18:46. The 73’s held onto a two goal lead to reward them with another win and a 2 to 0 victory. Carleton Place outshot Kemptville 29 to 28 with 0/5 PP and 0/2 PP. The summary from the coach was that the guys played two strong games, limiting shots and working hard away from the puck.

One noticeable difference on the defensive side has been our commitment to blocking shots and we’ll need to continue this mentality moving forward.

Ottawa Junior Senators were primed for Friday evening as they took advantage of their opponents’ flatfeet and erratic bouncing puck that resulting in a 3 to 1 redemption after failure to count a win in the previous meetings.

Junior Senators came hot plugging up the neutral zone, forcing all the attacks to the outside and slowing the pace to take away the speedy offense of the 73’s. Garbage goal past Jacob Biron on a combination from Dietsch to Conrad Moline who clipped a skate blade and in at 6:01 for the opening marker for the first frame. Power play game winner for Conrad Moline PPG with helpers from Menard and Renaud-

A “Peppa Pig” children’s toy that was lost (and found) in Kemptville earlier this month has caused North Grenville residents to go hog-wild with joy as they receive regular updates December 14, 2023

from Peppa’s temporary caregiver, Lise Kingsbury. A campaign to get Peppa home to her child owner for Christmas has made headlines and attracted the attention of multiple media outlets.

The story of the Peppa toy is quite simple. It begins on Friday, December 1, when Lise’s husband – who

wishes not to be named – was driving from their home to Kemptville on County Road 44. “Just after the Municipal Centre, he noticed Peppa on the road,” said Lise. “He drove past and then looked in his rearview mirror to see if anyone was coming, reversed and picked her up.”

Nickname: Melvin Born: Ottawa, ON., 2003/04/11 Position: LW/C Previous Hockey Club: Kemptville 73’s Hockey Hero: Sydney Crosby Most Inspiring Persons: My Mom Favourite TV Show: Modern Family Favourite Musician: Bon Jovi Favourite Food: Pasta Favourite Hockey Moment: Winning the Bell Capital Cup Favourite Sport other than Hockey: Lacrosse Life as a Jr. A Player: I work everyday, then I get to go on the ice & play the sport I love One word that describes me: Competitive

Ron's

A lost Peppa Pig causes endless joy for NG residents

by Brandon Mayer

Tyler Melvin

11

Lise’s initial social media post about the lost toy was what she would call “normal” – intended to alert parents in their area that she may have their children’s toy safe and available for pick up. Peppa was dirty from having been found on the side of the road.

“The next day, I started to clean her and thought it would be fun to post again with her bathing photos,” said Lise. “It must have touched people’s hearts because they started giving me tips on how to find her owners, questions on how to help, and requests to keep posting updates daily!

Someone mentioned creating the hashtag [#getpeppahomeforchristmas] so I did that. Another said she would post on some bulletin boards around town. People think this is what the Christmas season is all about.”

Since the initial post, Lise has given many daily updates featuring Peppa in many silly scenes, playing amidst festive Christmas

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ronssmallengines@outlook.com 1 Jayland Drive, Kemptville (across from old Bingo Hall)

decorations and getting up to various activities in Lise’s home. As of the time of writing, Peppa’s owner has still not come forward.

Lise feels that Peppa is definitely bringing the community together. “Many referenced that this is just like Vanturken from a few years back,” Lise added. “I certainly hope that an owner will come forward. Peppa is looking forward to getting

back with her little one.”

The story of Peppa, Lise, and her husband has reached the Moose FM and Move 100 radio stations as well as a local Smith Falls television channel, and she has also been in contact with a reporter from CBC. “Crazy but sweet,” Lise noted. “This world, especially now, needs this type of news.”

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The Food Corner

By Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville In April of 2021, I gave you our family’s recipe for Baked Brie, wrapped in pastry. Salamanders has another version that is very popular and a great treat this time of year for entertaining family and friends. You might consider it while decorating the house. This particular recipe adds a festive season staple, the use of cranberries, a versatile, tasty and healthy addition to any dish.

Onion and Cranberry Baked Brie

Ingredients • 1 large Brie • 2 sweet onions, finely chopped • ½ cup of brown sugar • 2 tablespoons of butter (salted or unsalted, your choice) • ½ cup dry cranberries (Craisins) • A dash of vinegar (white wine is also nice) • ½ cup finely chopped pecans Preparation 1. Bring your Brie to room temperature and pre-heat your oven to 375F 2. Place the Brie on a greased cookie sheet 3. Pop in the oven while you are preparing the topping 4. Sweat your onions in the butter till they start to turn golden 5. Add the sugar, then the cranberries, then the vinegar and caramelize your topping 6. Take the Brie out of the oven and transfer to your favourite serving dish 7. Top with the hot onion-cranberry mixture and sprinkle with the pecans Serve with triangles of Naan bread, warmed briefly in the microwave or half slices of your favourite bread from Grahame’s. Either works just great.

As a wine, consider a cold Chardonnay, unoaked preferably, though a Merlot wouldn’t go amiss, nor would a dark beer, e.g., a St. Ambrose Stout.

Many thanks again for your mails, questions and feedback. Keep ‘em comin’, folks at pcormier@ranaprocess. com.

CAPP IN FOCUS

Pretzel truth

by Victor Lachance In the last column, I covered some of the odd ways that the Province has a problem with logic when it comes to responding to the question of whether or not it abided by the Planning Act when it selected the former Kemptville Agricultural land for a prison.

But there’s also a problem with the truth. The most recent step in the Judicial Review (JR) process is a motion that Kirk Albert and I made to compel the Province to provide a complete record to the court on what led the Province to select Kemptville.

In responding to this motion, the Province chose the following approach. First, they said we should use the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) to get the information on the site selection process, ignoring the fact that residents of Kemptville have filed 22 FIPPA applications and that the Province has fought these applications at every turn – in other words, stonewalling. Next, they said that what happened on August 2020 was just a press release announcing a plan that might or might not go anywhere. This would be like saying that if there was a press release from Premier Ford saying he was resigning, well we could just ignore what a “press release” says. Then they said that the JR was about determining whether the proposed site is farmland when they know it’s about whether the Province abided by the Planning Act when they decided to select Kemptville.

And finally, as they say in the media, they used a falsehood – what you and I might call a lie. In the hearing, the government argued that the words “site selection” was something that Kirk Albert and I made up to describe the decision to build in Kemptville, and that it was some kind of umbrella word that was too broad for the court to consider. So where did the term “site selection” actually come from? You guessed it, the Province. That’s right, it’s exactly how they described the process. Anyone who attended the Province’s by-invitation-only stakeholder session in October 2020, or the two public engagement sessions (one in 2020, the other in 2021) would have seen a slide presentation talking about, among other things, site selection. In the October 2020 slides, there is an Agenda slide that leads off with the words “site selection”. The next slide introduces the topic: Site Selection. The next slide describes the “site selection” criteria that the Province used to look at, according to them, over 100 properties. You get the picture. It’s what they themselves call the process. But no, in the hearing before a judge of the Ontario Superior Court, they said we “coined” the words site selection.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t see why they are trying so hard to do everything and anything other than to answer the question we’ve asked the court to look at: did the decision to build in Kemptville – that is, the site selection process – abide by the Planning Act and the Provincial Policy Statements? Why stoop to saying that there was and that there wasn’t a decision in August 2020? Why lie and say we coined the words “site selection” when in fact it’s how they define the process? Could it be because it forces us to show the court that those are not our words, they are theirs, and that when you do anything in court, it costs money?

Instead of answering the question, could they be using an unlimited amount of your tax dollars against two residents of North Grenville, hoping that they’ll have no money to force them to tell the truth and answer the JR application?

And yes, I coined the term pretzel truth.

Now available

The Voice of North Grenville

Utman, Marian (Hart)

Passed away peacefully at Southbridge Care Home, Kemptville on November 30, 2023 at the age of 80. Born in Jasper and moved to Kemptville in 1962.

Loving wife of the late Howard Utman. Beloved mother of Edward Utman (Laurie). Cherished grandma of Haylee. Dear sister of Gloria (Gary) Tousaw. Predeceased by her parents Asman and Vera Hart and her siblings Doris Rintoul, Louise Flynn, Norman, Harold, Gerald and Albert Hart. Fondly remembered by many nieces, nephews and friends. By Marian's request Cremation has taken place. The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to the staff at Southbridge Care Home. You will be forever remembered in our hearts.

A Graveside Service will be held in spring 2024. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The Dementia Society Ottawa.

Condolences/Tributes Hulse, Playfair & McGarry www.hpmcgarry.ca 613-258-2435

Newans, Gladys “Jean” (Joyner) August 20, 1926 – December 1, 2023

Passed away peacefully at Southbridge Long-term Care Home, Kemptville, in her 98th year. Beloved wife of the late Keith Newans for 56 years. Dear daughter of the late Fred Joyner and Evelyn Alberta Donnell. Predeceased by her infant sister Dorothy. Dear sister of foster brothers Bill (Wava) and Elroy Cox and brother-in-law of the late Glen Elwood Newans. Survived by nephew Donald Newans (Nancy), greatnephew the late A.J. Newans (Rose), and great-greatnephew Milo. Jean enjoyed her life on the farm, both as a child, and during her married life. She was well-known throughout the area in her career as a music teacher who travelled to all the one-room schoolhouses, bringing the joy of music to her pupils, and organizing dozens of Christmas concerts. She was an accomplished piano, organ and accordion player, as well as a choir director.

Jean played at countless weddings, funerals and church services. She was also an avid local historian, leaving a vast quantity of resources that she had meticulously gathered over the years to the North Grenville Historical Society, and writing “All Around the Township”, a book about the places and people of Oxford-on-Rideau Township. Through her music, she touched the lives of many people, and through her documentation of local history, many details of people and places long passed will not be forgotten. Friends are invited to visit the Kemptville Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, 805 Prescott Street, Kemptville on Monday December 11, 2023 from 12 noon until the Service in the Chapel at 1 pm.

Interment to follow at the Oxford Mills Union Cemetery.

A special thank you to Dr. Leonard, and to the staff at Southbridge for their compassionate care. Donations to the Oxford Mills Community Association or to a charity of your choice gratefully accepted.

Condolences/Tributes/Donations Hulse, Playfair & McGarry www.hpmcgarry.ca 613-258-2435

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

Please Support our Community Sponsors: B&H Your Community Grocer, Grahame’s Bakery and Kemptville Home Hardware December 14, 2023

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classifieds@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735 FOR SALE 75 Litre aquarium 24in x 16in x 12in wide includes light and stones. $75.0 0 O BO. J ac k i e 613-821-6161 6 WOODEN BOX SPEAKERS: 1 GE 11IN X35IN, 2 IMAGE 10INX19IN, 2AKAI 12INX14, 1 PANASONIC 11X18 $100.00 OR OBO. JACKIE 613-821-6161 For sale Ostomy supplies Hollister/Sensor Mio ect. Wrong size for us. Contact 613 25 8 0445 3/4 hp shallow well jet pump. $100. Call Ed at 613-282-1836 Tasco 675x power telescope. $100. Call Ed at 613-282-1836 Firewood $120 per face cord delivered. Call or text Jon 613-227-3650 Hay round bales stored inside $50 each. Call or text Jon 613-227-3650 C O LEM A N C O O LER large plastic used once bought this summer

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ACROSS 1. Free-for-all fight 6. Millisecond 10. Rodents 14. Hawaiian veranda 15. Noble 16. Dugout shelter 17. Beside 18. Diva's solo 19. Hard work 20. Paganism 22. Small parasitic arachnid 23. Make lace 24. Young lady 26. Author 30. Stop 32. Consumer of food 33. Vendors 37. Flower stalk 38. Eagle's home 39. Train track

COMMUNITY EVENTS RECURRING EVENTS

Monthly Suppers prepared by Knights of Columbus at Holy Cross Church Hall at 503 Clothier St W. Suppers will be held on the last Thursday of the month commencing September 28. Cost $10 per adult, $5 for children under 12 and $25 for families.

PROBUS: Fellowship, Fun and inFormed presenters are part of the PROBUS gathering on the third Wednesday of each month at St Paul's Presbyterian Church Hall at 9:30AM. For more information contact at n.g.probus97@ gmail.com Kemptville Legion: Fridays 3-9. Free Pool and Darts.

Everyone Welcome BINGO, Kemptville Legion, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, doors open at noon NG Duplicate Bridge Club, Masonic Lodge 311 Van Buren Kemptville, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 12:15. All Levels of bridge players are welcome. Info call 613-795-7155 KLUB 67 EUCHRE Join us for fun, social euchre games taking place every 2nd and 4th Wednesday monthly at 1pm, September to May. Location: Kemptville Legion, 100 Reuben Cres, Kemptville. Everyone welcome, $5. To play, cash prizes.

Friendship Lunch every Friday at St. Johns United Church hall at 400 Prescott St. starting Oct. 6 th . The meal begins at 11:30 and is free of charge. A good will offering is appreciated. Everyone is welcome.

People of Action - Rotary Club of Kemptville meet on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7AM at the Long Reach Restaurant. Meet for breakfast and informal discussion.

40. Not extreme 42. Noodles 43. Sea swallows 44. Seven performers 45. Not fresh 47. Offer 48. Annoyance 49. Drowsiness 56. African sheep 57. Pieces of information 58. Christmas song 59. Corporate image 60. Broadcast 61. A long narrow passage 62. Aquatic bird 63. Documents 64. Hemorrhage DOWN 1. Dull 2. Rattling breath

3. Dwarf buffalo 4. Desire 5. Cigarette igniter 6. Had in mind 7. Indian dress 8. Greek goddess of discord 9. Beach cookout 10. Jalopy 11. Agitated 12. Instant 13. Type of fabric 21. Hearing organ 25. East southeast 26. Where the sun sets 27. Assess 28. Detail 29. Enticement 30. Grocery carriers 31. A Great Lake 33. Average 34. Where the sun rises 35. Religious ceremony 36. Thin strip 38. Detained by police 41. Snake-like fish 42. Human-powered taxi 44. Small mouthful 45. Goat antelope 46. Hemlock spruce genus 47. Beats 48. Friends 50. Luxury car 51. Majestic 52. Type of fastener 53. Celtic language 54. One and only 55. Sleigh

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

Health Unit receives award for mental health in the

submitted by LGLD Health Unit On November 17, Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit representatives accepted the Excellence Canada’s Mental Health at Work Gold award at the 2023 Performance Excellence Summit in Toronto. The Canada Awards for Excellence is an annual awards program established in 1984 that recognizes outstanding achievements by organizations in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors coast-to-coast across Canada.

“This award is a testament to the collective effort, dedication and commitment of every individual in our organization that values and promotes a culture of mental health and well-being,” said Shani Gates, Health Unit Director of Quality, Information and People Services and executive sponsor of the mental health and well-being program.

“I would like to thank all of our mental health at work champions and our leadership team for supporting our wellness initiatives and creating a workplace environment where mental health and well-being is a priority.”

In the fall of 2021, the Health Unit’s Strategic Leadership Team adopted Excellence Canada’s Mental Health at Work Program as a strategic framework to improve the psychological health and safety of the workplace environment and contribute to personal mental health and well-being amongst all of our employees. In March 2023, a verification process was completed with Excellence Canada, and the Health Unit met the requirements of the Gold certification level of Excellence Canada’s Mental Health at Work program.

This award is the first milestone in the Health Unit’s journey to create a workplace environment where all employees feel safe, supported and cared for.

“Congratulations to everyone at the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit,” says Dr. Linna Li, Medical Officer of Health and CEO for the organization.

“This is an important strategic initiative as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and focus on the mental health, well-being and resiliency of our employees into the future.”

For information about the Health Unit, please visit www.healthunit.org or call 1-800660-5853. Important public health updates are also available by connecting with @ LGLHealthunit on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and @lglhealthunit.z on Instagram.

December 14, 2023

Easy

Hard

13

Medium

Solution to last week’s Crossword

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Why some people die The Weather with Connor early and others live on We started driving to- softer, so no dents for me.

Foothills near Sundre after it

What’s the most depressing part of a newspaper? It’s the obituary section where you see many people dying too early in life. What causes these untimely deaths? A Gifford-Jones Law states that one bad health problem inevitably leads to another and another, causing people to die early.

One of the cardinal sins is not having a healthy and sensible breakfast. Where to lay blame? It’s the neglectful practices of food companies, governments, schools, and parents, all of whom are commonly ignoring the hazard.

The breakfast sin is found everywhere. Nearly every restaurant serving breakfast is guilty of pushing the wrong foods.

We recently found sinful breakfasts in a high-end retirement residence in Toronto. Even upon request for a high fibre cereal, the response was that none was available unless we supplied it ourselves. Yet high amounts of fibre, as found in Cinderella’s typical meal of beans and lentils in the gruel, are essential to good health. The Cinderella diet at breakfast is, at a minimum, some whole grain toast or high fibre cereal.

High fibre cereal is not what most are eating – children and their parents alike. Most cereal boxes contain more sugar than fibre. The blunt fact is that sugar tastes better.

The best way to make high fibre cereals more palatable is to add a banana or another fruit. It can still be a hard sell, so maybe pictures of diseased inner organs on cereal boxes are needed, like cancerous lungs on cigarette packaging.

Young children won’t care about historical studies, but maybe a few additional illustrations of the medical facts would help. Everyone wants to avoid constipation. It’s December 14, 2023

uncomfortable, causes hemorrhoids, and is generally unhealthy. But sailors on British ships suffered so badly from this problem that they couldn’t do their work. Luckily, a wise ship’s doctor insisted on increased fibre in their diet, and they were all cured.

European explorers in Africa found another historical discovery. African societies didn’t suffer from constipation the same way that Europeans did at the time. Why? African diets included more fibre.

What’s the magic of fibre? It holds on to water making bowel movements as soft as toothpaste. Fibre also has a filling effect, decreasing the amount of food consumed. If people ate more fibre, it would help fight the uncontrolled pandemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Few people realize how obesity, type 2 diabetes and their complications are causing heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness, and amputation of legs due to gangrene. This results in a huge medical cost to society and pain and suffering that can last for years.

Remember, the recent viral infection lasted just three years. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are increasing year after year with disastrous consequences.

The time is ripe for food producers and governments to get with it.

But we know from experience that regulation alone isn’t going to solve the problem. People need to change what they buy and what they settle for from places serving food.

In the Bible it says, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The GiffordJones version is, “What if

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

This week I’d like to talk about one of the more fun chases I’ve been on in my chasing career. This column will be the story of that day, from start to finish, and how it went down.

The day is June 30th, 2023. We’re in Alberta along the Foothills for a pretty hyped up Prairies severe weather day. I started the day by going over the weather models that are available out there, and picking my target. My target ended up being one of my favourite gas stations in Alberta, the Shell station just north of Cochrane on HWY 22. That gas station has seen many “sit and wait” games. Incredible snack selection inside the store. Lots of nice property around to play frisbee in while waiting for storms.

Anyways, we waited and waited there, and finally a storm started to come off the

had been percolating overtop of the Foothills for awhile.

We hopped back on HWY 22 to go north for about 40 minutes to get a closer look at the developing supercell.

We got right up next to it. At this point it was in its early stages, still developing and not all that organized. It was moving slowly as well, so we were able to sit right next to it and watch it slowly try and get its act together. A couple of lightning strikes and a spike in rain activity later on would tell us that it’s trying to get itself going.

We followed that storm as it moved incredibly slowly for probably 2 hours. It was really struggling in the area that it was, which was near Shantz and Didsbury, Alberta, because the wind shear in that area was not strong enough to support it. It always had the shape of wanting to get its act together, but it just couldn’t do it, so we actually left that storm and went to a different storm further south near Crossfield on Trans Canada HWY 2.

This is the storm that made this day really fun.

wards it and noticed it really getting itself together as it came into Crossfield and went through town. I knew I would have to do a “core punch” on this storm, meaning driving through all of the precipitation to get to the other side of the storm to have a better view unshrouded by rain and hail. Of course, with storms in that part of the country, hail is oftentimes the main story, which is why I found this so fun.

Listen, alright? I’ve always wanted hail dents in my chasing vehicle. It’s an unexplainable chaser thing.

It’s like a token of success, but instead of a token, it’s dents. So with that in mind, I core punched. Golf ball sized hail was raining down on us. It was loud. I was smiling so hard my cheeks were sore after. It was so much fun, that I actually decided to go back north through the core again, and then back south through it for a 3rd time. It was incredible, I really wanted those dents, guys. Unfortunately, the dents didn’t happen. The hail was big, but also a bit

I’m still searching for those.

After going back south through the core the 3rd time, we stayed south of the storm to actually properly chase it, like a regular storm chaser who isn’t insane would do (oh who am I kidding, I’m insane). This is where this storm got super beautiful.

At this point, there are a ton of other chasers on this storm. We’re seeing a bunch of them parked on the side of the road, watching and loving what they’re seeing, as was I. It was turning into something you’d never see in Ontario, one of those flying saucer supercells, rotating away over beautiful green Alberta fields to the east of Crossfield, Alberta.

This photo of the “flying saucer” supercell made it into my 2024 calendars, which are filled with storm and sunset photos from the 2023 summer chasing season. Speaking of calendars, if you’d like one of my calendars, please email me at forecastingbyconnor@ gmail.com, or message me on my Facebook page.

Thanks for reading!

hard work produces great wealth, but ill health steals it back early in life?”

The fact is that high fibre products aren’t making the right pitch. Regulatory rules rightfully limit what claims can be made. But a healthy fibre cereal should trumpet the benefits of reduced risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes and a host of degenerative diseases having terrible medical complications.

Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@ docgiff.com. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones.

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TIMES MELISSA OTTENHOF TIMES Marketing Consultant Phone:613 329 0209 Email: melissa@ngtimes.ca www.ngtimes.ca

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Senior Times

It Takes a Village Seniors’ Community Services

In our diverse and vibrant community, there are many, who despite their wealth of lived experiences may find themselves marginalized and overlooked. Many seniors

Rachel S. Jansen, B.Comm., J.D.

Paul A. Jansen, BA, LLB.

215 Van Buren Street, Kemptville 613.258.7462 jansenlaw.com

Real Estate - Wills & Estates - Family Law - Corporate

From our home to yours, we wish you cherished time with friends and family. May the new year be full of kindness and joy.

Holiday Hours We are closed from Monday, December 25th to Monday, January 1st. www.seniorscs.ca 613-258-3203

Merry

Christmas

May this holiday season be a time of celebration and togetherness for you and your family From the residents and staff at

Kemptville Retirement Living

613.258.7800 www.kvrl.ca

December 14, 2023

The Voice of North Grenville

FULL SERVICE LIFESTYLE CARE AND SERVICE BY DESIGN TEMPORARY STAYS Spend your winter with us!

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face challenges related to social isolation, economic hardship, and limited access to essential services.

At Seniors’ Community Services, we recognize the need to create and sustain a support system dedicated to seniors and adults with physical disabilities.

In 2020, Ron enjoyed a good life as a man in his early 60’s. He was dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, was very social, and shared his life with a loving partner. A stroke changed his life in January 2021, and tragically and unexpectedly, he lost his partner three months later. Ron was left to pick up the pieces and navigate living on his own with the effects of aphasia, loneliness, and the weight of his grief. It was a difficult and emotionally complex time. Ron’s daughter found SCS, and we worked together to support his needs. Five days a week a hot lunch is delivered to his home

by Meals on Wheels volunteers. Access to healthy meals and a friendly visit from a volunteer connect him to his community.

This was the stepping stone to creating a support system to help Ron age well in his own home.

In the words of Ron’s daughter, “SCS is our lifeline, we simply could not have faced this uncertain time without their caring and support. A healthy meal, a check-in, and a smile. With aphasia comes

a communication deficit, and SCS has helped to build my Dad’s life back.

There is no instruction manual when you are faced with overwhelming personal challenges.

The staff and volunteers continue to help guide us with encouragement and a human connection that is so important to my Dad’s overall health.”

Ron and his daughter are just two of the hundreds of people in our community who rely on our programs and services to continue to live safely and independently at home. Your financial support will have a direct impact on your community and those who share it with you. Thank you for helping us help others.

Thank you to our volunteers who continue to support this community and SCS with kindness and dedication. Without this team, we could not support the hundreds of clients who continue to live at home with independence and peace of mind. From our home to yours, we wish you a Christmas filled with warmth, laughter, and all the joy the season brings.

It was a wonderful year, and we look forward to a gentle and memory-filled New Year.

To donate, please visit our website at www.seniorscs.ca or contact our office at 613-258-3203.

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Merry Christmas W E

W I SH

Y O U

A

V E R Y

Royal LePage Team spreading Christmas cheer

Council update

O’Neil Road discussions cause a stir

by Brandon Mayer

Baldwin, Nina Tachuk and Mark Stegeman served up hot chocolate to the many parade watchers.

Sunday Nov. 19th was the annual kick off to Mountain of Toys at the Kemptville 73’s Hockey game.

Royal LePage elves, Sue Barnes, Antonella Holmes, Winnie Singer, Walker Baldwin and Ian Fortugno along with Santa and Mrs. Claus and the entire 73’s hockey

submitted by Judy Littau The Elves at Royal LePage have been busy the past two weekends kicking off the Christmas Season.

Royal LePage is the drop off location for the local Mountain of Toy Collection in North Grenville. Last Saturday, the Drozda Team collected an amazing 161 toys along the parade route while the elves, Diana Delisle, Chloe Croghan, Walker

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team filled the back of the truck with 224 toys. A shout out to the 73’s organization for always sponsoring this event with Royal LePage.

It was a win-win as the 73’s beat the Brockville Braves 5-4.

Saturday, Royal LePage held their annual BBQ for the Salvation Army as part of the BIA Old Town Christmas festivities. The sun was shining as elves Chris Drozda, Sue Barnes, Jennifer Hindorff, Christian Fattizzo, Chloe Croghan, Lisa Deschambault, Nina Tachuk, Winnie Singer and Ian Fortugno served up delicious hamburgers, hot dogs and hot chocolate. A total of $670 was raised for the Salvation Army kettle campaign.

Royal LePage will be collecting new, unwrapped toys at their office at 139 Prescott St. until December 18th. The office is open Monday to Friday 9 am to 7 pm and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm. If you cannot make it to the office to drop off your toys, just call the office and we can pick them up. 100% of the toys collected stay in our community.

North Grenville is a very generous, giving community. At Royal LePage, we pride ourselves on our motto “we give where we live”.

The need is great, let us all spread the cheer this time of year.

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On December 1, a closed session meeting of North Grenville Council took place, listed in the agenda as taking place for the purpose of “education/training” at the Brigadoon in Oxford Mills. Another closed session meeting took place on December 5, this one listed as taking place for solicitorclient privilege, matters relating to an identifiable individual, and a somewhat more unusual discussion topic: “A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial or financial information that belongs to the Municipality or local board and has monetary value or potential monetary value.”

As is always the case with closed session meetings, these meetings were closed to the public and media. On December 5, shortly after the preceding closed session, an open session meeting took place in Suite A at the Municipal Centre. Following the Mayor’s opening remarks on housekeeping business, Rachel Burns from RNJ Youth Services gave a presentation to provide information on the services that the organization provides. Rachel had given a Community Grants presentation in November.

Next, Council heard a recommendation from municipal staff to approve the continued road maintenance work plan in the Municipality which would include a gradual resurfacing of O’Neil road within the next 6-10 years. Some back and forth discussion took place between Public Works Director Mike Finley and Deputy Mayor John Barclay.

Councillor Deb Wilson then had some questions for the Director, and a resident of O’Neil Road, Evan Thompson, stepped forward to ask questions on his behalf and that of his neighbours as well.

Evan was asked to lay all of his questions out at once for future discussion amongst staff and Council members.

He first asked why Crozier Road was prioritized for road work over O’Neil Road when both receive the same traffic. He then pointed out that many roads in the Municipality have been better cared for despite being travelled only by local residents, while O’Neil is more of a thruway.

Evan further questioned why the Road Superintendent’s considerations were part of the decision making process, calling it “personal choice”.

Director Finley endeavored to look further into these matters. He also confirmed which roads the Municipality is focusing on right now for rehabilitation: Townline, Hess, Edward Scott, Norton, and Slater. O’Neil is the next priority after these roads.

Following the discussion about roads, Council voted to adopt an updated land acknowledgment, similar to the previous one read at the beginning of each Council meeting, which acknowledges that the Municipality operates on unceded Indigenous territory.

Next, Council heard a report from Hillary Geneau, the Municipality’s Director of Corporate Services, regarding North Grenville’s recent participation in the Communities in Bloom project. Director Geneau also provided an update on the implementation of the recent Parking Study recommendations which were heard by Council in October, begin-

ning with a focus on eight identified priorities.

Councillors Wilson and Strackerjan both raised concerns about the inclusion of so-called “age friendly” parking spaces in the Plan, which both the Advisory Committee and Council had decided was not appropriate since it unfairly paints elderly people as being less mobile, and also does not help younger people who need access to more accessible parking. The Councillors asked that the “age friendly” parking spaces be off the table.

Deputy Mayor Barclay asked that one of the priority items be moved higher on the list, specifically asking that North Grenville eliminate the use of a blanket overnight parking ban in the winter months. The Deputy Mayor instead recommends the use of a notification system to instruct residents not to park on the street whenever snow clearing is required, such as during or after a snowfall event.

Finally, Director of Planning and Development, Amy Martin, presented a request from two residents of Scotch Line Road to construct an access laneway/driveway at their own expense. The proposal did not raise concerns for Council, and Director Martin was authorized to execute the agreement.

The December 5 meeting was short compared to some other recent meetings, lasting just under one and a half hours. Another open session Council meeting took place yesterday, December 13 – the final meeting on the agenda for this year. The December 13 meeting will be covered in the December 21 issue of the Times.

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