Issue 50 2019 December 11 NG Times by The North Grenville & North Dundas Times

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Reaching by direct mail 9,000 homes and businesses in North Grenville and Merrickville/Wolford

The Voice of North Grenville

Vol 7, NO 50

December 11, 2019

Floor Model Sales Event

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Roberta Russell and Bill McElrea honoured by Friends of the Library

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At its AGM on November 21, the Friends of the North Grenville Public Library honoured Roberta Russell and Bill McElrea with a Star of the Library Award. Roberta and Bill are long-standing pillars of the Friends and have always been very generous of their time, ideas, and energy, especially when it came to fundraising. “They exemplify the qualities of outstanding community service,” said Jude Fader-Levere when she presented the awards on behalf of the Friends. photo credit: Ivan Russell submitted by Jeff Murray Since its inception eighteen years ago, the Friends of the North Grenville Public Library has looked for imaginative ways to raise funds that enhance the library’s programs and services by

taking them beyond the basic. Two long-standing members of the Friends have been particularly resourceful in this regard: Roberta Russell and Bill McElrea. In recognition of their great work, Roberta and Bill were honoured with

a “Star of the Library” Award at the Friend’s AGM. “Roberta is a creative thinker and brainstormer,” announced the secretary of the Friends, and one of the of the AGM’s participants, Jude Fader-Levere. And to prove

it, Jude went on to list wellattended events that Roberta organized to help raise money not only for a new downtown library but library programs as well. There were the annual fall book fairs, Jazz in the Garden, events for the Dandelion Festival, Puppets Up Kemptville, and many silent auctions. Roberta has also been on the North Grenville Public Library Board and the Friends of the Library Board, and for several years, she acted as a liaison between the two. Bill McElrea has been equally busy for the library. In the spring of 2008, he assumed the chair of the Room to Read Campaign. This was no small endeavour, since Room to Read was asked to raise more than $750,000 for a new downtown library. Only someone with Bill’s strong leadership and outstanding team building skills would have been up to the task. He met the target, and on time, allowing the new building to open in May, 2011. “Bill leads by example,” writes colleague Jean Kilfoyle. “He is always positive and prepared to look at all possibilities. He never lost his sense of humour.” Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities. Thanks Roberta and Bill for helping North Grenville to create a great library.

Winter Sale Kemptville Eye Exam Clinic

Kemptville Mall *see in store for details

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The Voice of North Grenville

A record year for the Fill-A-Bag Campaign!

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2,000+ plus bags to be picked up by volunteers and taken to the sorting location at 200 Sanders Street in Kemptville. The Campaign would not be the success that it has become without the hard work and dedication of many individuals, families, teams, businesses, churches, community groups and clubs that come together to staff the Campaign. The food drive has become a labour of love for many who return year after year to volunteer. Also critical to the success of the Campaign are the individuals and businesses that sponsor the food drive, providing the donation bags and flyers that are dis-

by Susan Hoftyzer The residents of North Grenville have filled up the food bank again this year, generously supporting the 11th Annual Fill-A-Bag Campaign. The generosity of our community is exceptional, as teams collected 350+ more donations than last year, representing an over 20% increase. Almost 6,000 paper grocery bags were distributed in the municipality on November 24th with a flyer attached requesting donations of food, toiletries and household items, indicating that the filled donation bags would be collected the following Sunday. Even the snowstorm waited for the

tributed around the municipality. Thank you to Array Hair Studio; B&H Grocer; Brewed Awakenings; Coba Studios; DSI Williams Excavating; Exit Realty – Wendy Embleton; G&S Automotive; Isabella Williams; McKee & McKee; Rekmann’s Automotive; Remax Affiliates Realty – Gerry Seguin; Royal Bank – Samantha RivetStevenson; Sauve Heating & Air Conditioning; Sheppard & Associates; and Westerra Homes. The Fill-A-Bag Campaign is a joint effort between North Grenville Community Church, who organizes the food drive, and the Salvation Army who runs the food

bank. This year, the Salvation Army projects that they will deliver 115+ Christmas hampers to area families. The food received from the Fill-A-Bag Campaign will be used to fill the hampers. The remainder of the food will stock the shelves of the food bank for the upcoming year, which serves 35-40 clients weekly. It is fantastic how the community comes together each year to care for the vulnerable among us. Thank you to the people of North Grenville, for your continued support of the Fill-A-Bag Campaign.

Community partners warm homes this winter

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

THOMAS M. BYRNE Barrister and Solicitor

Send in your letters to the editor to editor@ngtimes.ca

Neil Williams

Y Truckour man

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104 Elvira St. E., Kemptville

HEAPHYS CLEANING SERVICE

Tel: 613.258.3403 Cell: 613.978.4071 nwilliams@myers.ca

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exponentially, we will need donations to supplement this program,” HOL executive director, Cathy Ashby, said. In 2018, the trio delivered more than 200 window insulation kits to people in need through Project Warmth, and 28 one-ton loads of Eco-Energy Logs through Heat for the Holidays. While the window kit numbers were in line with

Community Food Share (CFS) and House of Lazarus (HOL) are partnering with Winchester BMR for the third year in a row to provide firewood for families in need. Ken Boje of Winchester BMR is expected to donate three loads of wood, and will also donate his truck and driver to deliver the wood. “With the need growing

the previous year, the Heat for the Holidays number tripled. This year, the number is already higher than last year for those food bank clients in need of wood, and it’s expected that the final tally may double that of 2018. “Through a recent survey and conversations with food bank clients, it’s clear that the majority are facing major

challenges, as their income is no match for their expenses,” Cathy said. “We have clients who wear their winter coats in the house because they can’t afford the heating bill. Our communities have always been so generous. It’s the assistance we receive from our neighbours that allows us to help so many people in need throughout our communities.” A $20 donation will provide window insulation kits for three families, while a $63 donation will supply a week’s worth of Eco-Energy Logs and a $252 donation will supply a month’s worth of Eco-Energy Logs to a family in need this winter. Donations can be made at any of the following locations, please call for more information: House of Lazarus (613-989-3830), Community Food Share (613898-0781), and Winchester BMR (613-774-2700). HOL and CFS can give charitable receipts for your donations.

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TIMES Gord Logan

Marketing Consultant Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

December 11, 2019

Please join us on December 24th at 6:30 pm for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Kemptville Christian Reformed Church 2455 County Road 18. 2

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The North Grenville Times

BIA’s 12 Days of Christmas has begun

The Events Committee of the Old Town Kemptville BIA wants to continue the sweeping momentum from the recent Old Town Kemptville Christmas event with a very special announcement. The committee has decided to add a SECOND Christmas promotion in partnership with the Law Office of Connie Lamble, to make this an even more memorable Christmas season for the Downtown business owners, visitors, residents and even its volunteers. We’re excited to call this bonus promotional activity the “12 Days of Christmas”. Starting December 10 and ending December 21, the “Downtown Elves” will visit one randomly selected Downtown Kemptville business each day (of the 12 Days of Christmas) and give away a gift certificate to one lucky person who has made a purchase at that business. The gift certificate could be from any one of Downtown businesses. The Old Town Kemptville

BIA will announce which business the Downtown Elves will be visiting each day through their Facebook page and Instagram account. Follow our social media closely, to find out where the Elves will be showing up next. We just won’t tell you WHEN the Elves will be there. They could show up at any time from the opening in the morning to closing time. To increase your chances of being “caught”, make sure you’re buying locally and don’t be afraid if you see people coming towards you dressed in crazy elf hats! It’s a VERY good thing! To help us kick off this festive promotion, we launched with a very special open house at Richardson Hair Design at 201 Prescott Street on Tuesday, December 10 from 5 pm to 8 pm. Every day throughout the promotion, we’ll be posting photos and videos from the many encounters that the Elves have with visitors, business owners and the lucky winners! Do you want the

The Voice of North Grenville

ST. JOHN’S UNITED CHURCH Advent/Christmas Services:

All Are Welcome, we look forward to Worshipping together December 15 -10 am service with the message of JOY.

“Joy to the World, A Celebration of Carols” a Christmas cantata as presented by the St. John’s church choir. December 22 - 10 am service with the message of LOVE. December 24 - Christmas Eve Services 6 pm – a retelling of the Christmas story 9 pm – traditional service with communion served by intinction

December 29 – Regular worship at 10 am Our facilities are fully accessible

400 Prescott Street Kemptville 258-3259 kemptvilleunitedchurch.org

Elves to come by your business for a visit? Would you like to donate a gift certificate to be a part of the promotion? Would you like to volunteer or learn more about the promotion? Please email us at bia@northgrenville.on.ca. Thanks to the Law Office of Connie Lamble for being our primary partner on this promotion, Richardson Hair Design for hosting our launch event, our participating member businesses, our other Downtown Kemptville family members and our volunteers for their considerable efforts in making this promotion happen.

Please watch for more current information and which business the Elves will be visiting on which day by following our social media accounts including our Facebook page www. facebook.com/oldtownkemtovillebia. If you’re interested in volunteering, sponsoring or participating in some way at one of our events and in our programming, or simply want to know more about the Old Town Kemptville BIA, please email bia@northgrenville. on.ca to learn more.

Support Your Local Lions Club JOIN TODAY!

Why I volunteer for the Salvation Army by David Herman On November 15, the Salvation Army started their Christmas Kettle campaign; but, before that, I signed up to help where and when I could. I was not able to commit to a firm schedule because of various medical appointments for my wife and I, so I told them I would do what I could. They have an on-line schedule that I can check each morning and, if they have a need in a time slot that I can manage, I put my name in. The Salvation Army helps many, many people; but their focus is to help one person at a time. Along with the Kettles, at this time of year they have, in conjunction with the North Grenville Community Church and volunteers throughout the community, the Fill-A-Bag campaign. This brought in over 2,000 bags of groceries that stock the Food Bank and also aids in providing a complete Traditional Christmas Meal for people who register for this program. How great is that? While at the Kettle, I have heard “Are you guys out already?”, “You guys are everywhere”, or “Don’t you realize that most people don’t carry cash?” November 15 does seem early, unless you stop and realize that they need December 11, 2019

the money before Christmas because it is needed to provide a “Christmas” for those of our community that do not have the resources to provide it for themselves. We do try to blitz the community, because the Army needs every dollar they can raise to help others. The Salvation Army has heard the comment and is aware of the changing population that does not carry cash the way they used to, and that is why they now have the ability to accept donations and print a receipt instantly for the donation made by debit or credit card. I point this out if given the chance, but most people make the comment in passing and are gone out the door before I can respond. Some people are overjoyed to see that this option is now available to them. Others deliberately look away and do not look at the person giving of their time to man the Kettle. I am not sure why they do that, but, if they look at me, they will not be asked for anything. I will give a pleasant greeting and, if they have small children with them, I will ask if the child can have a candy cane. I won’t be offended if they, for whatever reason, do not make a donation. That is their decision, and I accept it. The

in half. I was so frightened I couldn't take them to her, so I just stood in the kitchen with them in my hand and cried and cried – I felt this was the end of me. A knock sounded on the door – it was the Salvation Army bringing the War Cry. She put her arms around me and, between sobs, I told her what I had done. She went in and talked to my Mother, and then came out and told me she could get them fixed and everything would be alright. I didn't know until years later that she had got them fixed at her own expense. I had a friend – she always came and brought the War Cry and always made me feel that she really meant it when she’d say ‘you're a nice little girl’”. The other story, much shorter, is from my Father who was in the engine room in the RCN during WW II. He always supported the Salvation Army because he said, during that time when they made it to port, they could always count on the Salvation Army being there to meet the ships with chocolate, cigarettes and, best of all, warm homemade wool socks. He said those kindnesses meant so much to the sailors during that terrible time.

people that volunteer their time at the Kettles are just ordinary people, like you or your neighbour, who want to help make a difference in somebody else’s life. As to my support of the Salvation Army, I have heard some amazing stories of love and compassion from my family and others about the Salvation Army. One is from my mother, in her own words (she was about 10 years old and living in Timmins during the events she is talking about. At the time, her father had died in a mining accident about two years earlier): “During the year 1926 – 1927, my Mother was bedridden and confined to a screened-in veranda off our house, and the only contact we had was through an open window – this was the treatment for tuberculosis at that time. It was probably very hard for her; but Uncle Mac provided a very kind, competent house keeper, who did his very best to provide us with food and clean clothes and kept life going quite well. One of my tasks was to clean my Mother's dentures, and she always warned: "don't you dare drop them – hold them tight". Well, one day, I held the lower ones too tightly and broke them 3

I hope this will help you realize the wonderful good that the Salvation Army does in our community. Merry Christmas.

Support Your Local Lions Club JOIN TODAY!

Marking 60 years of KDH by Linda Carnegie If you are looking for the perfect Christmas gift for that special person on your list who already has everything they need or want, then the Kemptville District Hospital Auxiliary has the solution for you, AND you will be supporting a very worthy local cause. To recognize and celebrate 60 years of Kemptville District Hospital, the Auxiliary is hosting a Charity Event to raise funds toward the purchase of much needed equipment for our hospital. As our community grows and expands, so do the needs and services provided locally. One hundred percent of monies raised by KDH Auxiliary are invested back into the hospital. With this in mind, the Auxiliary is organizing a Red Carpet Event to be held on Saturday, February 29, 2020 (Leap Year Day!) at the New Rideau Restaurant. There will be a Prime Rib Buffet, Silent Auction and music from the era of the beginnings of our local hospital – yes, we will Rock and Roll to the beat of the 50s and 60s for an evening of fun and frolic. Tickets are $100 and available at B&H Grocers, the New Rideau Restaurant and the Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop (where you can enjoy other Christmas shopping as well). This event will be the perfect gift for “Persons of a Certain Age”- you know who they are, and all that love the lively music of the good old days, as well as excellent food. For more details email volunteer@kdh.on.ca or call 613258-4581. www.ngtimes.ca

Editorial

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

And so this is Christmas... by David Shanahan It’s getting close now, almost on top of us. Christmas, I mean, what else? There will only be one more issue of the Times this year, that’s next week, December 18. We can’t expect printers and Canada Post to deliver papers on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, can we? But those fall on Wednesdays, and that’s the day we usually appear in your mailbox. No doubt, there are some out there who will be glad of a break from the paper for a couple of weeks (many of us feel that way too!). Even better, next week’s Editorial will be coming to you care of Hilary Thomson, our intrepid reporter, so I’m off duty until January. “And so, this is Christmas, and what have we done?” I ask that every year in this space, and it’s worth asking again. My goodness, what haven’t we done? I had wanted to publish an article on what our new Council (though hardly “new” anymore, are they?) has been doing in this first year of their

mandate. The problem was that, when I asked Mayor and Council to give me some thoughts on their first year, the resulting article was at least twice as long as any we’ve ever published before. Now that’s just a sign that they have been busy indeed. So much so, it seems, that there will be a need to hire more staff at the Municipal Centre next year. No kidding. According to sources in that hive of activity, the workload for municipal staff has just about doubled since the new team got started. To be honest, it was long overdue. We had been getting by, and no more than that, trying to use methods and policies that had served the municipality fine 25 years ago, perhaps, but this is a happening place, one of the fastest growing municipalities in Ontario, and the very fastest growing in the United Counties. A change in Chief Administrative Officer, as well the Director of Corporate Services and Clerk, means that there will be a new aspect to senior staff by this time next year, so the changes just keep

coming. As usual, this community has been exceptionally generous in providing for others in the Christmas season. (I should ask: can it be exceptional, if it is as usual? Maybe that’s just the way we are in North Grenville, usually exceptional?) I’ve always found it wonderful that when we celebrate the birthday of Jesus, everyone else gets presents. There’s something proper about that. That brings me to the whole “religious” thing about Christmas, something which some people can get quite annoyed about, for some reason. There are two versions of the holiday in competition with each other, especially over the past couple of decades. One is the traditional, what may be called the “religious” view - CHRISTmas, complete with carols and hymns about the birth of Jesus, Wise Men, mangers and nativity scenes. This makes sense: after all, what is Christmas but the celebration of Jesus’ birth? It doesn’t really matter that December 25 was just a handy pagan

holiday lifted by the Catholic Church as a date to adopt for the occasion. The fact of the birth of Jesus, the way in which that event completely changed the world, for believers and non-believers alike, makes it one of the most significant events in history. We have even changed how we calculate time to mark it. Whether you call it 2017 A.D. (Anno Domini, “the year of the Lord”), or 2017 C.E. (Christian or Common Era), makes no difference either. He is at the centre of history. Christmas is a specifically Christian event, but open to all to enjoy. Over many years, it has been almost overwhelmed by secular additions: rather like a Christmas tree being almost hidden by lights, tinsel and various baubles. We have added Santa Claus, holly, reindeer, decorations, even Christmas trees, but the reason for the season is still the same. So, what is the true spirit of Christmas? It is celebration, joy to the world, gift-giving and a desire for peace for all. The competing tradition wants to remove all the “re-

ligious” elements from the Holidays (as some like to call Christmas, forgetting that the world “holiday” comes from the words “holy day”, not much of an improvement for the non-religious). At the very least, here was a man, Jesus of Nazareth, who told people they should love one another, even their enemies. That they should forgive hurts, do good, care for the sick, the hungry, the poor, the young and the old. And yet, they killed him. Strange world, isn’t it? Terrorism, wars, murders of schoolchildren, the destruction of the planet... Yes, given all that, let’s enjoy these few days of warmth, peace, generosity and caring in our community. We have so much to be grateful for (to whomever you wish to be grateful), so much to value and appreci-

Jim Bertram's letter, in a different vein, praises Kevin Hodges' previous letter (That letter was the one that Creasey's article challenged.) Bertram summarizes stating, "A timely point and a point well made," As far as I can see his point is that many or most of us "don't have the luxury of just pretending that science is on our side for a populist political movement." What particular 'science'? Who is 'just pretending'? Why does he assume that the 'science' he disagrees with is a 'populist political movement'? I can guess that his emotionally loaded terms are intended to sway us to his view, but I hold out hope that most readers can see past this strategy. But Mr. Bertram also gave us a URL to check, so I did. The referenced article was written by Steve Novella in 2008, eleven years ago. That date did not of itself take away credibility, so I dug further. There are many opinions about Novella, so I read several of his blog posts and critiques of those posts. I won't bore you with details; suffice to say that Novella is

a controversial figure whose posts are sometimes very persuasive, and sometimes not. And other skeptics sometimes disagree with Novella's 'dogmatic skepticism' (a contradiction in terms?) If you are still with me -- brave you -- check objectiveskeptic.blogspot.com 'The Ugly Face of Science' (2018) for a different skeptic's view of Novella's skepticism. Personally, I prefer Creasey's attempt at clearly presented argument to Bertram's reliance on emotionally loading. Darrell Nunn Kemptville

Development, as allowed by original bylaws, was not an issue for them. I believe generally that people depend on things like zoning bylaws in determining where they may live. These bylaws should only be changed if approved by residents who have invested in North Gower. Personally, I cannot grasp why the city of Ottawa seems to be OK with this monstrous facility. I also cannot understand how owners of a large corporation like Broccolini can sleep at night knowing how they are affecting the residents of North Gower. I assume they are getting one heck of a deal on this land. Is the money, etc. at stake here for all parties worth ruining the lives of so many people? Why is a company from Montreal receiving such special treatment. I would like to suggest that North Gower residents send their letters, etc. to Broccolini and Montreal media. Please Broccolini and Ottawa move this facility to a suitable area. A concerned father (name supplied)

Dear Editor, As always, I am impressed by Colin Creasey’s take on things. I try to buy organic produce when it is available and looks reasonably fresh. I bought most from the local Farmers Market all summer through their season, as I have since they started many years ago. I am also vegetarian and closer to vegan. Monsanto came to my attention long ago, and I have not been a fan! I have read in the past that they have actually threatened farmers, at least in the U.S., and maybe out West. At present, I am reading “Civilized to Death (The Price of Progress)”, by Christopher Ryan.He states: “The planetary climate is shifting like cargo on a sinking ship. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reports that, at the end of 2015, the number of people forcibly displaced by war, conflict and persecution had risen to a staggering 65.3 million, up from 37.5 million in 2004.

ate in our friends, family and neighbours. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could carry that into 2020 and throughout the coming year? For now, let’s be thankful for the reason for the season, and remember that wise men still seek him. So, as this is my last Editorial of the year: From everyone at the North Grenville Times, Happy Christmas to you and yours.

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TIMES Gord Logan

Marketing Consultant Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, Fans of the Habitat Restore What a local treasure this is - friendly staff and volunteers, a good cause and amazing bargains. Check it out... just east of Kemptville. Recently we bought tiles for a friend's kitchen and had enough left over for a small part of our own kitchen. Marion Fuller Dear Editor, Thank you Colin Creasey for your thoughtful, well-documented "Change our Habits" opinion piece, that dared to broach Monsanto, Big Agro and vegetarian choices in the same article. It was a very interesting contrast to Jim Bertram's letter. Further to your observation that "Huge amounts of farmland are devoted to growing food to feed cattle," I couldn't help noticing that the local constituency office for our elected member has a lovely window-size picture of a huge field of corn. I wonder how many viewing that photo see it as symbolic of his support of the 'Big Agro' industrial farming status quo approach, as I do.

The North Grenville Times is published weekly by North Grenville Times Inc. Marketing Gord J. Logan gord@ngtimes.ca 613-258-6402 December 11, 2019

Marketing Consultant Peter Peers peter@ngtimes.ca

Dear Editor, My daughter and her husband were finally able to live their dream by moving to North Gower to a country home. Recently that dream has been shattered. She has been devastated by the plans to build a mega warehouse in North Gower. She has not been the same since she learned of these plans and the negative impact on North Gower.

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TIMES Editor David Shanahan david@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735

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Flocks of birds are falling dead from the sky, the buzzing of bees is fading, butterfly migrations have stopped, the vital ocean currents are slowing. Species are going extinct at a rate not seen since the dinosaurs vanished. Texas-sized masses of swirling plastic soup suffocate acidifying oceans while freshwater aquifers are pumped dry as a bone. Ice caps melt down as clouds of methane bubble up from the depths, accelerating the cycle of global destruction. Governments look away while Wall Street tears the last bits of wealth from the carcass of the middle class and energy companies frack the Earth, pumping secret poisons into aquifers we all depend on, but don’t know how to protect.” Sorry that wasn’t so uplifting and I hope, or wish, none of it is true. Sincerely, Kath Piché continued on page 5

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In my opinion:

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We do need to change our habits by Jason Byvelds, Farmer Having read some recent contributions to the NG Times, I'd suggest Colin Creasey and Kelvin Hodges actually read the regulations and standards for organic production on the Canadian Food Inspections webpage, like the Permitted Substance List (CAN/CGSB-32.311) that has the insecticides and herbicides used in organic farming. Colin and Kelvin might also both be interested in knowing that Canada ranks No. 1 out of 17 OECD countries according to the 2014 World Ranking Food Safety Performance. All farmers are proud of the crops that leave their farm, and Canada has some of the highest food and safety standards. We should be proud to share the extra that we have with the rest of the world. And, as over 98% of Canadian farms are not certified organic, and a farmer is responding to your article as well as Kelvin's, how do you think it was received amongst my peers? Let me provide a clear example with wheat yields and acreage, since I'm

not certain you understand the actual impact of the Green Revolution on land use and sustainability. In 2019, Canadians will consume about 9.3 million tons of wheat, 1 ton of wheat is 36.744 bushels, so we consume 341,719,200 bushels, thank God for our harvester combines! With a population of 37.59 million, that's about 9.1 bushels of wheat per person, an average family of four would consume about 36.4 bushels of wheat per year. Let’s suppose a family ordered two years supply of wheat from Saskatchewan (sorry OMAFRA doesn't distinguish between farming types in its yield data), 36.4 bushels of organic wheat and 36.4 bushels of conventional wheat. The average yield for Saskatchewan-grown organic wheat is 20 bushels per acre, so we need a bit less than 2 acres to supply wheat for a family of four for a year. The average yield for conventionally grown wheat is 38 bushels per acre, so a bit less than 1 acre to feed a family of four for a year. I would note that these are average yearly yields, this doesn't account

for taking farmland out of production every 3rd or 4th year to green manure it in organic production, removing 25-33% of arable acres puts the organic yield in the 13.4 to 15 bushels per acre, pushing a year’s supply of wheat for a family of four to 2.4 to 2.7 acres per year. That's why you pay more Colin, and not everyone can afford that luxury or to pretend it’s sustainable. I'm with you on food waste and we all need to improve and work together. This is a daily concern for farmers this fall as we try to get crops off and dried so they don't spoil in storage because of moisture. We learn and improve from mistakes, from overshooting the gravity wagon when unloading, to properly cleaning and maintaining our combines to cut down the field loss out the back (responsible for 20% of the loss) and the header (the other 80%). One way we can measure, track and improve on this is looking at a field after it is harvested, for every four soybeans per square foot found on the ground equals

Letters to the Editor continued Dear Editor, Kemptville water sewer system An article elsewhere on the web has given me concern regarding Council's consideration of expanding the sewage treatment plant. I would like to ensure that the Mayor, Council and general public are reminded of the following: 1] At the time of municipal amalgamation, it was determined that everything to do with the water/sewer system would be paid for by the users, with minimal amounts paid by general taxation to cover water used by the Fire Department. Residents of the then Oxford-on-Rideau and South Gower townships were assured they would not have to support this particular infrastructure. 2] Growth pays for growth through assessment at the time a subdivision or other expansion is approved. A formula exists to determine what percentage of sewage capacity new development would use, and a cost was levied against the developer. Revenue from these assessments would go into various reserves, including a water/ sewer reserve. Given our commercial and residential growth over the last 20 years, we must have a pretty healthy reserve fund. 3] Property owners outside the urban area would continue to be responsible for their own well and septic

systems. 4] One of the options put forward while I was mayor was to build large settling ponds behind the treatment building, so that waste could be stored during peak hours and then processed at night. Has Council considered this? 5] Water/sewage usage is currently paid for via a meter system, with all costs reassessed via a separate annual budget. Our taxes are already high enough, and going higher as we fund more and more social programs. If, Mayor Peckford, you are considering changing this time honoured formula, you will have a rural taxpayer rebellion on your hands. I raised this question via the Kemptville District Community Associations Facebook site, and Mayor Peckford replied: “We aren’t sure what will happen”. Her answer scares me. Bill Gooch former mayor

Again, “he might even decide that he never has to leave office”; totally frightening thought. Like a horror movie. As I listened to lawyers yesterday in the Congressional hearings, the Republican response was as you say: “the Republican Party has sold its soul for power, refusing to confront Trump even though he has trashed every one of their basic political principles. The evangelical so-called wing of the Christian Right has likewise turned its back on the Gospel for the sake of what they see as political reform”. I totally agree this is all so despicable! And again, I repeat myself, but I am a fan of Colon Creasey’s way of thinking. He states, “we feed 760 million tonnes of farm animals every year”. And “meat-eater’s diet requires 17 times more land, 14 times more water, and 10 times more energy than a vegetarian’s. At least the Chinese have something right in “guidelines aimed at getting the nation’s 1.3 billion people to reduce their meat consumption by 50% by 2030". I also heard on the news that they plan to have electric cars, hopefully soon in the future. I absolutely agree with Colin’s last sentence: Ëating less meat is better for your health, as well as the climate”. Kath Piché

December 11, 2019

Dear Editor, Thank you for the article, “Close to the Edge”. I have been listening to the hearings by way of North Country Public Radio, and it is scary to hear the rebuke by Republicans. Everything about this President is scary for me. He has no morals, no ethics. As you state, “Any one thing Trump does in a single day would have had any other President out of office and possibly jailed”.

one bushel per acre of loss as a benchmark to give readers an example. Taking soil samples to be analyzed in a lab, trapping and assessing pests, or splitting or fixing tile drainage are all regular practices that land stewardship requires so the next generation can continue to feed Canada and the world’s growing population. I wish I had more time to respond to Colin and Kelvin's other concerns about the food Canadian farmers produce, as only 2% of the population farms in Canada; however, as I am sure you can appreciate, I'm working long days to catch up now that CN and its workers have reached a tentative deal, and thankfully back to work government legislation wasn't tabled. As the holiday season is upon us and it’s always a busy time for food banks, I'd ask NG Times readers to grab an extra non-perishable item or two for them instead of spending that extra money for organic, as more food will make it to the plates of those who are most in need this season.

The Voice of North Grenville

UPDATE UPDATE UPCOMING MEETINGS COUNCIL Tuesday, December 17 at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Centre COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Tuesday, January 14 at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Centre **NOTE: Council and Committee of the Whole meetings are live streamed and archived on the Municipal website. Agendas for upcoming meetings are published on the Friday prior to the meeting and minutes are posted after they are approved. Visit www.northgrenville.ca and click on Agendas, Minutes & Video in the Govern tab. COMMITTEE & PUBLIC MEETINGS Health, Wellness & Fitness Advisory Committee – Monday, December 16 at 4:00 pm at the Municipal Centre Heritage Advisory Committee – Monday, December 16 at 4:00 pm at the Municipal Centre

BUDGET MEETINGS

Held in the Municipal Centre Dec 18 – 6:30-8:30 pm – Budget Discussion Jan 8 – 2:30-4:30 pm – Presentation of Budget Draft #2 Jan 14 – 6:30-8:30 pm – Budget Discussion Jan 22 – 6:30-8:30 pm – Adoption of 2020 budget

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE CHANGES

The Municipal Office will be CLOSED at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, December 24 and will re-open on Thursday, January 2 at 8:30 am.

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 Building: 613-258-9569 x130 Fax: 613-258-1441 Fire Services Info: 613-258-9569 x201 Fax: 613-258-1031 By-Law Services: 613-258-9569 x204 Police Administration: 613-258-3441 Animal Control: 613-862-9002

www.NorthGrenville.ca

Global warming is not the cow’s fault by William J. Langenberg, M.Sc. Env. Biol. Former lecturer, Climatology, Kemptville College Actually, all farm animals (ruminants) ’may’ reduce global warming, according to the latest research by the American Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre (CDIAC). That farm animals (cows primarily) contribute to global warming is a myth (a false perception). Farm animals emit greenhouse gases (GHGs), namely CO2 and methane, but these GHGs emitted are short-lived. They break down in roughly 8 years. Livestock farming could even offer a solution for climate warming. Around 1850, the concentration of GHGs CO2-equivalents in the atmosphere began to increase slowly. That increase accelerated in the mid-20th century. According to atmospheric analysis conducted by the CDIAC, the concentration of CO2-equivalents increased by roughly 60% between 1750 and 2017 (from 277 ppm to 450 ppm). After 1950, the earth was no longer able to drain this increase caused by ‘human activity” through carbon sequestration. The result was a 5

warming of the climate. CO2 emission per person: An important source of CO2 emissions is the burning of fossil fuels, but there are more sources. Animals and people exhale CO2. Every person on this planet exhales 500 litres of CO2 per day, which is about 1 kilogram. This does not sound like very much, but remember that the world population is 7.7 billion people, which amounts to a total 2,800 megatons, which contributes to a total of 6% of the total CO2 emissions. Livestock farming reduces global emissions: Contrary to many who believe that cows contribute to GHS emissions, CO2-equivalent emission by livestock is of a different character than emissions from burning fossil fuels. CO2 emissions from farm animals are not only part of a short cycle, but the CO2 and methane emitted are also directly captured by plants as carbon, which means that in this case no CO2 is added to the atmosphere on balance. Recent research in Europe is showing that composted cattle manure produces lots of humic acid, which will become more important in crop nutrition in the years

to come. I, as a grower of culinary herbs, use composted cattle manure in providing the correct nutrition and growing medium to produce healthy organic herb plants. Finally, livestock farmers are the only people who could become the “Carbon Farmers” of our times, by sequestering CO2 in their farm land. Agricultural land can sequester 4 times the carbon that is in the atmosphere. Every kilogram of carbon sequestered in the soil takes 3.67 kg of CO2-equivalent out of the atmosphere. Canada has signed the Paris Agreement, the “40/00 initiative” in 2015. Under this initiative, we will be able to stop CO2 emissions into the atmosphere related to human activities. I had a display on this Initiative at the North Grenville Sustainability Fair back in 2018. It did not create much attention and interest at that time. If we all want to reduce CO2 emissions immediately: “Take the train instead of the plane!” Planes are the main contributors to global warming, definitely not the cows.

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Senior Times Let’s Connect…

“There’ll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the snow.” December is a time of sparking lights and all things festive. This is also a time when it often hits us hardest that there are family and friends that are no longer with us, and it hurts. I personally have my tearful moments leading up to Christmas. This is something that I know will happen, and that I will have some ‘tender’ days. I know that self-care is vital particularly at this time of year. Author Kriti Ling writes “Caring for your body, mind, and spirit is your greatest and grandest responsibility. It’s about listening to the needs of your soul and honoring them.” I find that I need extra quiet time for reflection, and I have certain books that I find comforting. Another thing that I find helpful is

gentle exercise, whether that is yoga, tai chi, stretching or walking. Others may find that more aerobic exercise is helpful. The key is to allow yourself the time and space to find what works for you, and honour that by dedicating the time for it. It can be helpful to keep in touch with other people when dealing with feelings of loss. Meeting with friends, or joining in regular activities can be just what we need at this time. To be supported, comforted and encouraged by others is a gift for us, and also for them. There are many activities that are taking place in the community, and here at the Seniors’ Centre. Thanks to the Ontario Seniors Grant that we received, there will be several bus trips taking place this winter; a creative dance workshop; and, a free ’Arts in the Afternoon’ event, including lunch. For more

Paul A. Jansen, BA, LLB.

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

215 Van Buren Street, Kemptville 613.258.7462 jansenlaw.com

Real Estate - Wills & Estates - Family Law - Corporate

The Voice of North Grenville

Alzheimer’s Learning Series – Don’t Flip your Lid

information please give us a call, as we are just confirming details. For those that aren’t able to get out, we have volunteers that are available to visit, or call and have a chat on the telephone. Are you looking for that gift for the person that has everything? ‘Gift Cards’ for our 4th Annual Big Band Dance, coming April 25th, 2020, are available for Christmas giving. This is a unique gift, and has the added bonus of helping to support KDHSI. Erick Le Pors, Dial A Chef, will be providing a delicious hot sit-down meal, and then the ‘The Jivewires’ will be providing music for us to dance to. There will also be a silent auction where ‘bidding’ is sure to be a lot of fun. There will be an Early Bird Draw, courtesy of Kemptville Retirement Living, for tickets that are purchased before March 6th, 2020. For more information please call us at 613-258-3203. Remember to be gentle with yourself, and with each other. On behalf of the Board and Staff of KDHSI I wish you all of the blessings of the season. Until next time Susan Smith, Executive Director Kemptville & District Home Support 215 Sanders St. Suite 101 613-258-3203 susan.smith@kdhsi.com www.kdhsi.com

by David Herman The December Learning series session should be of interest to us all. Mary Campbell, of the Alzheimer’s Society of Lanark Leeds and Grenville, is bringing in to speak to us, Shulamit Ber Levtov, MA, RSW – from our very own Support for Stressful Times Clinic, here in Kemptville. Once again, this talk, although facilitated by the Alzheimer’s Society, is really directed to any and all “Caregivers”; so, if you are fulfilling that role for someone, this talk is directed to you and your needs. Shulamit will be discussing why you may flip your lid, and offer suggestions on what you can do to prevent this from happening. She will explain why we may Flip our Lid, and provide examples on how you can Protect your Bunny. You need to come to hear her speak to understand this, but your inner Bunny is a theme that runs through Shulamit’s talks. I have heard her talk a couple times about helping you sleep and Flipping your Lid, and she incorporates the lived experiences of the audience to try to offer real world examples to help you walk away better equipped to handle your emotions when you find yourself about to Flip your Lid. This learning session will be presented at the North Grenville Public Library, on Monday, December 16 from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. and, as usual, no registration required and everyone is welcome.

Wednesday, December 25

Our 25th Annual

DECEMBER

December 11, 2019

8:30am to 2pm

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Kemptville Diefenbunker named as health hazard

the event of a nuclear attack. The locations of these as Federal Readiness Units were chosen to be close to Ottawa, for ease of access, and had to be south and west of the capital to escape radioactive clouds that would be spread by the prevailing winds which blow from the west. The Kemptville location was also chosen to be the back-up centre should the Diefenbunker itself be compromised, which meant that Kemptville would then become the government and communications centre for the Canadian Government. Cabinet Ministers and senior government officials would be divided between the Diefenbunker, the Kemptville site and the Carleton Place location, to ensure that government could continue even if two of the three sites were destroyed in an attack. The facility closed in 2006. The RCMP is preparing letters to be sent out to those who worked in the building to inform them of the potential health concerns.

The RCMP training centre in Kemptville by David Shanahan The old Defense building which used to be located on County Road 44 has been named in an internal RCMP memorandum as having been a health hazard during the period the police force used it as a training facility. The CBC recently revealed that the RCMP had prepared a report on the hazardous materials contained in the building, including “friable asbestos, building materials contain-

ing silica, rodent and insect infestation, unsafe levels of lead in the water, and hazardous moulds." These health hazards may have contributed to the deaths of six RCMP officers who either trained or worked at the facility, and all of whom died between the ages of 39 and 57. The police force used the facility, primarily, as a training centre for their Special 1 unit, which undertakes electronic surveillance operations. The building had a long

history of undercover operations, being one of three Federal Readiness Units, designed to house and shelter government officials in case of a nuclear attack. Another Unit was the famous Diefenbunker in Carp. A two-storey building was built on Highway 16 (now County Road 44) across the road from the entrance to the Ferguson Forest Station. Before the building was ready for occupation, a special underground bunker was added to the structure to protect those using the site in

by David Shanahan In this series of men and women from North Grenville who had an impact beyond the borders of their community, Charles Ferguson is a little unusual. Unlike others, he did not travel across the country to make a contribution to provincial or national life. Nor did he rise to national prominence in his field, or achieve widespread fame for his accomplishments. Charles Ferguson lived most of his life in Kemptville, serving his neighbours as a doctor and friend. But his wider contribution came during his time as Member of Parliament for North Leeds and Grenville between 1874 and 1896, a total of 22 years, 3 months, 27 days. December 11, 2019

Charles Frederick Ferguson was the son of Robert and Elizabeth Ferguson, who emigrated from Ireland in the early 1830's and settled in Kitley Township, where Charles was born and raised. He attended Smiths Falls Grammar School, and went on to Queen’s University to study medicine. He graduated in 1859, and immediately moved to Kemptville, where he opened his practice, remaining there for the rest of his days. He married Elizabeth Bell, sister of Robert, both of whom are featured in this series, and the young couple found grief and joy in their children. Seven were born to them, but only three survived beyond their parents. Two died as infants, and two sons died as young men. Their surviving son, G. Howard, became Reeve of Kemptville and Premier of Ontario, another one of the Ferguson clan profiled in this series. Charles built up his medical practice and mentored a number of young doctors who continued to serve the community over the years. He and Elizabeth lived in various homes on Prescott

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Street before settling down in the stone house on the corner of Clothier and Rideau Streets. The warmth and affection with which Charles was held in the community is made clear in his obituary, where we read that “he was accounted a member of nearly every family in the district”. To his friends and neighbours, he was simply known as “The Doctor”, and Elizabeth and Charles had a very strong commitment to those with whom they came in contact. The attic of the home on Clothier Street was equipped with a number of beds to accommodate passing tramps needing a place to stay. One man apparently stayed thirteen years, had his life changed completely, and became a preacher. This sense of public service was called upon in 1874, when the sitting member for the riding, Francis Jones, another Kemptville resident and also featured in this series, crossed the floor of the House and opposed the sitting Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, because of his policy on railways. Charles was chosen to represent the Conservatives against Jones in the election, since he

was well known as a fervent supporter of Macdonald, Confederation, and the National Policy. Howard Ferguson’s niece once told an interviewer that, in Charles and Elizabeth’s house, the Holy Trinity were God, Queen Victoria and Sir John A. Macdonald, “though not necessarily in that order”. Charles won the election, but it was appealed by Jones and had to be run again. But Charles prevailed once more, and so began his long career on Parliament Hill. Although he never made it into Macdonald’s Cabinet, Ferguson was very close to the Prime Minister, who visited the Ferguson’s at their Kemptville home on a number of occasions. Charles was responsible for having the South Branch dredged to allow boats to travel up to Kemptville from the Rideau Canal, and was repeatedly selected as Conservative candidate, unopposed, at election time. In the 1890's he made a trip by the new Canadian Pacific Railway as far west as Manitoba, after which he reported to Parliament in a three-hour speech which was later published and circulated 7

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115 Sanders St, Kemptville www.pixeleyecare.ca in the thousands in Canada and the United Kingdom. It was said, however, that the quiet doctor was not the real politician in the family: that it was Elizabeth who really had a passion for it, and it was probably from his mother, and not his father, that young Howard caught the political bug. When he retired from politics, Charles continued to work for his community, serving on Council, as well as on the Board of Education, where he sat for forty years. Dr. Ferguson continued to take care of the people of North Grenville into his seventies. In the winter of 1909, he was called out to help a woman about to give birth. Another doctor had refused to go because the family could not afford his fee. Ferguson left his bed, did his duty and

returned to sleep. He never woke up. A last word comes from his obituary: “With many warm friendships such as it is given to few men to achieve, with few antagonisms and having the respect of all, this broad-minded, active, manly man has concluded his life of great usefulness. We shall not soon see such another”.

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South Gower Business Park

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SOLID WASTE & RECYCLING COLLECTION CALENDAR Sunday

JANUARY Monday

Tueday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

5 12

19 26

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

MARCH

Monday

Tueday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

22 29

Saturday

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

MAY

Monday

Tueday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

3 10 17 24 31

5 12

19 26

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

JULY

Monday

Tueday

Wednesday

Friday

Saturday

30 30

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS AUG

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

SEPTEMBER

Sunday

6 13

20 27

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

Monday

Tueday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

•

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

Monday

APRIL Tueday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

Monday

Tueday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

AUGUST

Monday

Tueday

17 24

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 Saturday

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31 31

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OCTOBER

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Monday

Tueday

Wednesday

Thursday

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Saturday

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS 5

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

NOTE: Current waste & recycling contracts end mid-November. Remainder of 2020 calendar will be available once new contracts are in place. This advertising space is provided through a partnership between industry and Ontario municipalities to support waste diversion programs.

WHAT DOES NOT GO IN:

Soiled paper Pizza boxes with food residue Plastic egg cartons Reports with plastic spines Waxed cardboard Fast food drink/coffee cups Waxed paper Foil wrapping paper/ribbons Chocolate bar/candy wrappers Tissues *EMPTIED & RINSED

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

WHAT GOES IN:

Boxboard (cereal boxes, paper towel & toilet tissue rolls, shoe boxes, tissue boxes) Soft/hard cover books, telephone books Corrugated cardboard (flat/bundled/tied) Detergent boxes, egg cartons (paper), kraft (brown) paper bags, magazines, catalogues, junk mail, office paper, newspapers, flyers (not in plastic bags) Pizza boxes (clean) Gift wrapping paper/greeting cards

CONTAINER* RECYCLING

1 8

See www.NGRecycles.ca for pick-up maps and more information.

December 11, 2019

• • • • • • • • • •

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

Sunday

• •

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

24 25 26 27 28 29 PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

•

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

17 18 19 20 21 22 FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

PLASTICS AND 10 11 12 CONTAINERS 13 14 15

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

Saturday

•

Sunday

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

Friday

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

Sunday

Thursday

JUNE

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

Wednesday

•

Sunday

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

Sunday

Saturday

Tueday

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

Sunday

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

Sunday

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

Monday

PLASTICS AND CONTAINERS

FEBRUARY

FIBRE RECYCLING

FIBRE AND PAPER PRODUCTS

Sunday

2020

• •

WHAT GOES IN:

Glass bottles and jars (& lids) Metal cans (steel & aluminum) Plastic bottles, jars & jugs Aluminum trays and foil (clean) Empty metal paint cans (dry, lids removed) Gable-end milk & juice cartons Juice and soup boxes (tetra-pak) #5 and #6 wide-mouth dairy containers PET plastics #1-7 Plastic fruit containers

WHAT DOES NOT GO IN:

Film plastic (bags & cellophane) Polystyrene (styrofoam trays & coffee/drink cups) Paper coffee cups Clear or black plastic trays or boxes Scrap metal, wire hangers Containers that held hazardous products Hard plastics Light bulbs Ceramics Polypropylene (cookie trays) Compact fluorescent lights

Oxford Mills Waste Transfer Station 699 Crozier Road, Oxford Mills 613-258-9677

Hours of Operation:

Tuesday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

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Dr. C.L. Eamon

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Realities of motherhood and postpartum depression by Hilary Thomson Jackie Schoemaker Holmes never thought she would get married and have children. As an academic, she was focused on her graduate studies in gender and sexuality at the University of British Colombia, and having a family just wasn’t on her radar. However, in 2014 she had met her partner and they decided to embark on the adventure of having a family. Jackie says her pregnancy was great. Even though she had struggled with anxiety and depression in the past, she wasn’t really worried about how she would cope once her baby arrived. Motherhood was supposed to be this magical thing, another life adventure to be savoured and cherished. The difficulty started when her birth didn’t go as

planned. This seemed to send her into a tailspin of anxiety and depression which she just couldn’t seem to shake. “I tried to take her to an earlyyears centre, and left in tears,” she remembers. Jackie was also finding breastfeeding very difficult, which was contributing to feeling that she was failing as a mother. “Women have been doing this for thousands of years,” she told herself. “You should be able to too.” Two weeks after having her daughter, Jackie told her counsellor (who she had kept in touch with from her days at UBC) how she was feeling. Her counsellor told her that feeling overwhelmed and teary was just a part of being a new mom. It would get better. At the six-week mark, Jackie still wasn’t feeling any better. She had heard about postpartum depression, but she had always thought it meant

come to the difficult conclusion that she had to stop trying for her own mental health. “There is a lot of unfortunate moralising around it,” Jackie says. “In my experience, every mother is doing the absolute best she can for her children.” With a lot of support, work, and professional help, Jackie was able to learn to manage her postpartum depression. Her experience has inspired her to try and help other moms who may be going through something similar. She realised that, even as someone who spent over a decade studying what it means to be a man, woman, and mother in graduate school, she still wasn’t able to escape the insane societal pressure that is placed on mothers. “Even knowing these things on an intellectual level did not inoculate me from the unrealistic expectation that is put on

that suffering new mothers wanted to hurt their babies. Jackie didn’t want to hurt her daughter, but she also didn’t have the overwhelming love and adoration towards her that she had expected to feel. When Jackie went back to her counsellor and told her how she was feeling, she was diagnosed immediately with postpartum depression. “I was insanely relieved,” she remembers. “There was a reason I was feeling like this.” She sought out the help of her family doctor, and got a local counsellor to help her deal with her depression, anxiety and, ultimately, the adjustment into motherhood. She was put on medication, which she had hoped would stop her from breastfeeding, giving her an excuse to stop forcing herself to do something that was making her feel horrible. When she was told it wasn’t an issue, she had to

mothers,” she says. “It wasn’t until I lived motherhood that I found it to be overwhelming.” Jackie wants to eradicate all the shame that surrounds sharing all aspects of motherhood. The good, the bad and the ugly. “It’s as though speaking about the experience of motherhood being difficult reflects on how much you love your children,” she says. “It makes no sense.” In 2017, she created the blog “Eating Her Young”, and also established the online support group Mummy Voices on Facebook which currently has over 1,000 members. She says she wanted to create a space online where mothers can give and receive support without any judgement. “The community is so important, because we normalize the reality of motherhood,” she says. “Different women experience different things, and that’s ok.”

613.258.7438

Jackie encourages all new mothers who are struggling to reach out for support. “You are not alone,” she says. “You are not failing, not dysfunctional, and you are not a bad mom.” Jackie’s future goals are to continue to support women and mothers, both online and in her community. “My whole purpose is to disrupt motherhood,” she says. “The trope of being a perfect mom.” She is also adamant that women are not being bad mothers if they have to put their health and needs above their children. “The fact that we are encouraged to put ourselves last is insane,” she says. “Motherhood is a part of our identities. Motherhood should not swallow us whole.” For more information and to access support visit www. eatingheryoung.com, or find Mummy Voices on Facebook.

Open Arms welcomes first refugee to North Grenville

by Hilary Thomson North Grenville’s new refugee sponsorship group, Open Arms, welcomed their first arrival to the Municipality at the beginning of November. Originally from Iran, Massih was forced to flee the country because of a very popular political website that he ran in his spare time. He was critical of the government and of Iran’s national religion, Shi’a Islam. He also had a Facebook page with 400,000 followers, which was illegal. “If you express yourself in Iran, you are in trouble,” he says. Because the Iranian passport is very weak, the only two countries he could go to were Turkey and Thailand. Because of the unrest in Turkey (and its proximity December 11, 2019

to Iran), he chose to go to Thailand, where he was able to continue his on-line work remotely for a while. Unfortunately, with the transition to a new government in Thailand in 2015, Massih was arrested along with thousands of other refugees from all over the world. Massih was thrown into immigration jail in Bangkok, where he describes the living conditions as hellish. He lived in a room with 80-200 people, where there was just enough room to lie down. There was no fresh air, because the windows were too small, and the temperature often rose to over 40 degrees Celsius. The food was horrible, “waste from a pig farm.” People died on a regular basis. He was in the Thai jail for just over 26 months. During

He is living with one of the volunteers of Open Arms until he can find a job and a suitable place to live. He is hoping that he can eventually find a job working with computers, but he will be happy with any job that helps him support himself. “Because I am coming from somewhere really horrible, a simple life is enough for me,” he says. Massih would like to thank Open Arms, the Government of Canada, and the United Nations for giving him the opportunity to build a new life in Canada. He also wants to remind other groups like Open Arms how important it is to support refugees in integrating into society once they have escaped from the nightmare of their former life. “Mentally, the jail will change you forever,” he says about his own experience. “Every minute for them is pain.” He is already feeling very welcome in Kemptville and is loving Canada, despite the cold weather. “In the cold weather, people are warm,” he says, smiling. “This is the beauty of Kemptville.” Open Arms is holding a Kitchen Party fundraiser to help support Massih on Friday, December 13, at the Kemptville Legion, from 7-10pm. Join them for an evening of music, food and fun and help welcome Massih to the community. Admission is by donation.

that time, his only priority was survival. At one point he slipped, broke his hip and had to bribe the guards for medical care. Luckily, he had enough money to pay for surgery, but it still took him seven months to walk again. Even with his injury, and the horrible conditions he was subjected to every day, he never gave up hope. “Some people gave up and they died,” he says. “It’s up to you.” The only way out of the jail was a plane ticket to another country that was willing to take him in. In November, 2018, Massih was told he had been accepted by the Government of Canada to become a resident. However, he still needed a group to sponsor him and help him integrate into society. With the help of the Mennonite Central Committee Canada (MCCC), Open Arms found Massih in late October and offered him a new home in North Grenville. “It was the ticket to escape from hell,” he says. He says the welcome he received when he stepped off the plane in Ottawa on November 8 is something he will always remember. “After a long journey, to see that some people care,” he says. “It will be a very nice memory for the rest of my life.” After just over a month in Canada, Massih is still settling into his new home.

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The Voice of North Grenville

Gremlins support KDH Foundation

On November 19, the Grenville Gremlin’s Square Dance Club had the opportunity to present Margaret Norenberg of the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation a cheque for $1,000 at our club’s regular dance night. This has been a yearly donation and, as of now, the Gremlins have donated to the Foundation approximately $5,000. We hope to be able to continue this tradition in the future. The Grenville Gremlin’s club with Margaret Norenberg.

Local high school teachers walk out

Local area high school teachers and support staff picketed outside North Grenville District High School (NGDHS) last Wednesday in the province-wide Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) oneday strike. The strike closed many of the high schools across the province, as teachers walked out of the classroom to protest the provincial government’s changes to the education system, including larger class sizes and more e-learning. OSSTF teachers have been without a contract since August. OSSTF Branch Steward, Jason Henderson, says they had representatives from many local high schools on the picket line, including NGDHS, North Dundas High School, TR Leger, Brockville Collegiate Institute, and Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute. They also had representatives from all four educational unions in Ontario come out to show their support. There were about 100 people on the picket line outside NGDHS at its peak, protesting the provinces’ actions, which they believe will degrade the quality of education in Ontario.

December 11, 2019

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Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas

by, Danielle Labonté, MAN, RD, Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit Curried Lentil Soup in a Jar It’s the time of year where we are often invited to others’ houses for holiday dinners and events. Here I am sharing a recipe that makes a great gift for the host! It is also a nice gift for friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, or anyone else on your list this holiday season. This recipe for “Curried Lentil Soup in a Jar” is one of my favourite gift ideas because it is shelf-stable, simple, affordable to make, and really tasty. Plus, there really is nothing like a homemade gift! To make this gift idea, layer the following ingredients in a mason jar in the order they are listed: 2/3 cup orange lentils 2/3 cup green lentils 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 tablespoon dehydrated chopped onions 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic Next, put the lid on the jar and add a tag with instructions for making the soup as follows: Add all ingredients from the jar, plus four cups of water or low sodium vegetable broth and one 14-ounce can of coconut milk to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. My Favourite Mixed Nuts This is my absolute favourite recipe for mixed nuts! Not only do they make a great gift, I also put them out when company comes over and pack them for road trips or running errands during the holidays. I have been making this recipe for almost 10 years and it is always a hit; the rosemary and the maple syrup really work well together here. Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups unsalted mixed nuts 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt (optional) Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350˚F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roast nuts for about 10-12 minutes Remove nuts and let cool for about 5 minutes In a large bowl, mix together rosemary, cayenne pepper, brown sugar maple syrup, and olive oil. If you are using salt, add it in here

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Add the cooled nuts to the same bowl and mix well Spread nuts back onto baking sheet and bake for another 10-12 minutes at 350˚F. Once they have cooled, you can package them up and give them as a gift! This should make about 9, ¼ cup portions. For more information, visit www.healthunit.org, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@LGLHealthUnit) or call 1-800-660-5853.

Chief Building Official The Township of Edwardsburgh Cardinal has an outstanding opportunity for a Chief Building Official. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the CBO is responsible for issuing permits and conducting inspections in accordance with the Ontario Building Code and other related acts and regulations. The CBO is also responsible for the supervision of bylaw enforcement in the municipality, including a part-time contract bylaw enforcement officer and a part-time contract animal control officer. The CBO works closely with the Township’s volunteer fire department and assists with enforcement of fire service legislation. Post-secondary education in a related field and a minimum of five years of experience in a municipal building department is a requirement of the position. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated competence in plans examination and building inspection as well as experience interpreting zoning and official plan documents and other municipal bylaws. Experience as a Fire Prevention Officer is considered an asset. The successful candidate will show a strong customer service orientation and well developed organizational and communication skills. Edwardsburgh Cardinal is a progressive municipality with a population of 7,000 distributed in a dynamic mix of rural areas and small urban centers. The municipality is strategically located for economic development at the intersection of Highway 401 and Highway 416. There has been significant growth in industrial and commercial development in the past few years. The Township offers a comprehensive benefit package and is an OMERS employer. The 2019 salary range for the position is $68,319 to $85,400 annually, based on a 40 hour work week. Qualified candidates are invited to submit a detailed resume and covering letter in confidence to the undersigned by 4:30 p.m. on January 7, 2020. For additional details and the complete job description, please visit www.twpec.ca or contact the undersigned. In accordance with MFIPPA, the information gathered will be used for the purpose of job selection. The Township of Edwardsburgh Cardinal is an equal opportunity employer. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted. David S Grant, CAO Township of Edwardsburgh Cardinal PO Box 129, 18 Centre Street, Spencerville, ON K0E 1X0 dsgrant@twpec.ca - 613-658-3055 x 104

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FOR SALE White bath 6' x 3' with brushed nickel faucet. Excellent condition $250 o.n.o. 613-269-2332

Dirty Deeds, Done... For A Reasonably Aggressive Price.Small household jobs done well. Call 613-215-0660

Used 9 HP Craftsman snow blower, like new $485.00 Call John 613-269-3113

For Sale 98 Harrowsmith magazines in pristine condition, 1977 to 1995, $100 call 613 269-3567.

2010 Dodge Journey SXT. Loaded. Summer and winter tires/rims. 180,631 km. One owner, very clean, nonsmoker. $3500 as is. 613447-2005

December 11, 2019

Firewood, hardwood, 3 cords/ load, $110/cord. Call Peter 613 913 0810

Tamron, Canon mount, 70300, macro 1:2 180-300. $99.00 613.258.3557. (50)

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Mixed seasoned firewood for sale, all hardwood, $110/3 3 cord minimum delivered, Jon 613-227-3650

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Wheelchair Fuse2.0 with a tilt/Roho cushion. Call 613567-8533 or leave message. All Christmas decorations must go, tree, decorations, Nut Crackers and Noma inside and outside lites, 613-

Experienced, versatile drummer with vocals seeking lead and bass guitarist with vocals for classic rock,; R & B cover band.....call GJ at 613.258.6402. Looking to Rent Farmland for cash crops. Call or text Mitch @ 613-262-1204.

FOR RENT Commercial Property in Kemptville, corner of Prescott & Clothier. Call Mark at 613.620.3868 Furnished or unfurnished $1,100. 613.805.0649 (48)

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CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Lasso 5. Type of poplar tree 10. Wanes 14. Murres 15. "Odyssey" sorceress 16. Pace 17. Handrail 19. Behold, in old Rome 20. French for "Summer" 21. Devoutness 22. Out of kilter 23. Conference 25. Religious splinter groups 27. Female chicken 28. Signalman 31. Risk 34. A type of virus 35. Actress Lupino 36. Bound 37. Amount of hair

38. Jittery 39. Shade tree 40. Young hog 41. Runs away 42. Substance for staining 44. East Indian tree 45. Somewhat 46. An aromatic herb 50. Held on tightly 52. Road or bridge fees 54. Historic period 55. Allies' foe 56. Strictly obeying the law 58. Connects two points 59. Eagle's nest 60. Ow! 61. Fog 62. Small songbirds 63. Petty quarrel

COMMUNITY EVENTS

DOWN 1. Yokels 2. Give a speech 3. Heaps 4. French for "Water" 5. Fight 6. Femme fatale 7. Buttocks 8. Exotic dancer 9. Born as 10. Excrements 11. Lapse 12. A pale blue pigment 13. Goulash 18. Patter 22. Skin disease 24. Transport commercially 26. Hens make them 28. Bundle 29. Border 30. Beams 31. Implored 32. Evasive 33. Small fireproof dishes 34. Make an unreasonable profit 37. As a result 38. Large N. Amer. deer (plural) 40. Male deer 41. The language of Persia 43. Sundown 44. Rapids 46. Unadorned 47. Abatement 48. Genus of heath 49. Luxury boat 50. Serene 51. 62 in Roman numerals 53. Monster 56. Legislation 57. Mayday

Dec 14 Breakfast with Santa, 9 am, St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, 319 Prescott St., Kemptville. Enjoy pancake breakfast, silent auction, and a visit and photo with Santa. Cost is $5.00 per person and a non-perishable food item for the local Salvation Army food bank. Limited seating, please reserve by calling Margaret at 613-552-2895. Dec 15 Candlelight Carol Service at St. Andrew's United Church, Bishop's Mills at 7:00 p.m. Refreshments will follow in the Church Hall. Dec 24 Christmas Eve Service at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, 319 Prescott St., at 7 pm, refreshments following. Accessible entrance from parking lot.

Weekly and recurring events Mon Kemptville Quilters Guild, 2nd Mon./mth at the Kemptville Pentecostal Church, 1964 County Road 43, 7 pm. New members welcome. Kemptville Cancer Support Group, 3rd Mon/mth, St. John’s United Church, 2 pm. For info call Ellen Vibert-Miller at 613-258-7778. Arts Guild, 2nd Mon/mth, 7pm at the Masonic Hall on Van Buren St. Newcomer Bridge-St John's United Church 12:15pm. Cost $5.00. All levels welcome. Info 613-806-4495 or 613-795-7155. Gremlins Square Dance Club, NG Municipal Centre, 7:30-9:30 pm. Sept-April. Details at: www.grenvillegremlins09 or email : kemptvillesquaredance@gmail.com

Tues Rotary Club meeting, Kemptville Legion, 6:30 pm. BNI Networking Group Breakfast, Grenville Mutual Insurance Building, 380 Colonnade Dr, 7- 8:30 am. Info: 613-918-0430. Bridge St. John’s United Church, 12:15 pm. Cost $5. All levels of bridge players welcome. Info, call. 613-806-4495 to 613-795-7155. The Branch Artisans Guild, NG Community Church, 2659 Concession St. every 3rd Tue/mth, 7pm. New members welcomed Wed NG Photography Club - 1st Wed./mth, 7-9 pm, at the Grenville Mutual Insurance, 380 Colonnade Drive. See ngphotoclub.ca for info. Klub 67 Euchre every 2nd &4th Wed/mth, 1 pm, Kemptville Retirement Living, 2950 Cty Rd 43.Everyone welcome. $5.00. (No euchre July & August) Bingo- 1st & 3rd Wed/mth., Kemptville Legion, 1 pm. All welcome. New Horizon Club, Burritt`s Rapids Community Hall. Adults 55 plus welcome. For info re programs and membership, call Golida Tym 258-3894. Probus Club of North Grenville, 3rd Wed./mth. Everyone is welcome to join us at 9:30 am at St Paul's Presbyterian Church Hall for fellowship. NGPL Science and Technology Group meetings, 1st/Wed/mth, 7-9 pm in the program room at the Library. Euchre, Rideau Glen Golf Course, 6:30 sharp, $5, share the wealth tickets sold, all proceeds go back to the players. May 1-Oct 9. Thu Bridge - St. John’s United Church, 6:15- pm. Cost $5. All levels of bridge players welcome. For more info, call 613-806-4495 or 613-795-7155. North Grenville Toastmasters - Meeting 1st & 3rd Thurs/mth., 7 pm at O’Farrell’s Financial Services, Cty Rd 44. Info, call 790 7665. Fri Friendship Lunch, 11:30-1 pm, St. John’s United Church. Free, everyone welcome. Sat Kemptville Legion breakfast, 8 - 10 am 3rd Sat/mth, 100 Reuben Crescent. Adults $6, Children 6 and under $3. All welcome. Euchre, Kemptville Legion, last Sat/mth. Noon-5 pm. Sun Bingo, Kemptville Legion – Last Sun/mth, Doors open 6 pm, guaranteed $400 jackpot. Refreshments available. M,W,F Kemptville and Area Walking Group meet at Municipal Centre at 8 am.

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

Easy

Hard

December 11, 2019

The Voice of North Grenville

Medium

Grenville County Weekly News

Solution to last week’s Crossword

On December 2, 2019 officers from Grenville County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a report of theft around 5:00 a.m., from an unlocked vehicle that was parked at a residence on George Street, North Grenville. The footprints led back to the Maley Street area. Residents are again asked to ensure they lock their vehicles and to not leave valuables in their car at any time. On November 28, 2019, shortly after midnight, Grenville County OPP responded to a traffic collision in a ditch on Van Buren Street in the North Grenville Township. A black sedan was observed driving south bound on Bridge Street before entering a ditch on Van Buren Street and striking a hydro pole. The vehicle was left at scene and a driver wearing dark clothing was observed running west on Van Buren Street. Police are asking for any witnesses to contact North Grenville County OPP on 1-888-310-1122 or crime stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Kemptville 73's focussed with a mission Last frame, both squads played it tight to the vest, as the stoppers kept it even to force OT. 73's on net with 9-6, without either to count PP attempts. OT remained scoreless, causing the unbalanced SO to be the deciding factor of the battle, and Kanata managing 3 SOG to Kemptville's 2. Shooters lined up for the contest, as William Anderson proved to have Kanata's number and Kemptville's new kid in town showed his snipping ability to beat JeanPhillipe Tourigny for a 73's 4-3 victory. Jason felt it was "good to beat Kanata, they have had trouble with them in the past and with two wins in a row, want to push heading into Christmas. We got off to a good start and then blew our lead, but showed good character to get the win". The rematch with Pembroke Lumber Kings in our home barn on Friday evening was an official calamity, as the boys were faced with contending with an extra attacker most of the 90 minutes. Kemptville were pumped, anticipating the opportunity to right their loss from last Pembroke visit on home turf. They mastered the calamity and handed their rivals a 7-4 swatting. Kemptville came out on fire, as Lammi pushed back to Wood on the line and Chase Broda in motion drove it past Reece Proulx at 9:20, after ringing the iron numerous times to open initial period. Pembroke countered at 18:06, when on PP Jesse Dick lifted glove high to beat William Anderson with assist from

In your face... Cole Dennison was really pumped for the rematch as he gets air against Cornwall Colts on Sunday matinee, after their defeat in Cornwall by the sportsguy Kemptville 73's hosted the Cornwall Colts after taking 6 2 shellacking in Cornwall for the Sunday matinee: they got their revenge with 2-1 victory. Kemptville drew first blood when Moretti combined with Pawlikowski back to Nathan Merrett from the point, to rifle it top shelf glove side of Rico Dimatteo to give him his first goal of the season at 3:53. Kemptville hammered 15 SOG to Cornwall 3, with having 1 PP without results. Cornwall tied the game when 73's "D" slid across to block the shot and miscalculated to give Will McKinley a marker past William Anderson, assisted by Grose and Hay at 10:20. Bond dug the rubber off the half boards to Dennison, up the wing through the neutral zone, so Chase Broda could finally defeat the iron after ringing it various times, and a tie breaker at 19:54. Kemptville

outshot Cornwall by 14 to 5, and 73's 2 unsuccessful PP with Colts 1. Last twenty was full of end to end action, with Kemptville’s PK being stretched with three consecutive trips to the sin-bin, giving Cornwall an opportunity to turn things around. Colts pulled the stopper at 18:22 for another attacker that was blanked to give the 73's a 2 - 1 win, to finally break their losing streak. Kemptville owned the draws in both ends for the three twenties, but showed no sign of a confident PP plan with three opportunities. Kemptville’s next road challenge was in Kanata to face the Lasers, and it was a fruitful experience, as 73's posted their second straight win 4-3, in a SO. 73's opened the first with a man advantage when Patterson set Suzuki in motion to drop back to Gavin Wood (PPG) on point, to launch a howitzer top shelf

by Jean-Phillipe Tourigny at 9:20. Then Carter Vollett took it upon himself to break over the neutral zone to hammer into the back of the net at 12:31 to give Kemptville two goal lead. Kemptville outshot Kanata by 9-6, with one PPG on three attempts. 73's put another marker on the board, as Ryan dumped it back to Cameron Cotnam on the line to rifle one home at 2:45 to start the second. Conley with Njima to allow Dylan McMahon to spoil William Anderson SO at 8:39 for Kanata. Conley would be a menace again when he feathered it to Markhauser, so Luca Nocita could move the Lasers within one at 11:24. Conley with McMahon would strike one more time to find Derek St. Jean open for the tie at 18:48. Kemptville blasted Kanata 19-6, but kept getting caught flat-footed and neither club able to take advantage of PP.

#10

Dante MORETTI Nickname: SUNSHINE Born: 05 / 17 / 2000 Home Town: Powell, OH., USA Position: Right Wing Previous Hockey Club: Pembroke Lumber Kings Inspiration: Mom Favourite TV Show: Riverdale Favourite Actor: Will Farrell Favourite Musician: Juice Wrld Favourite Food: PIZZA Favourite Hockey Memory: 1st Junior game Life as a JR “A” player: Meeting & playing with great guys

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Connie Lamble 222 Prescott Street, Kemptville

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Guillemette. Pembroke with 15 SOG and Kemptville 13, and Lumber Kings one PP for three with 73's none for two. Pembroke on comeback to open second at :14 from the draw, Skankar to Fletcher Anderson. Jesse Dick for his second from Hough at 7:59 to make it a 3-1 runaway. 73's kept coming, as Patterson opened up Suzuki, across to Hunter Brazier PPG on the doorstep, while on PP at 12:04. Suzuki combined with Merrett to Dante Moretti from the half circle at 19:36

A dream comes true dancing with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet

by Hilary Thomson A local girl had her dreams come true last week, dancing in the Nutcracker with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Seven-year-old Marlo Ferguson has been dancing since she was three, although December 11, 2019

she showed an interest even earlier. “I wanted to start at two, but had to wait,” she says. Marlo started dancing at the Pia Bouman School of Ballet when she lived in Toronto. When her family moved to Kemptville in 2017, they enrolled her in dance in

Ottawa, but found the commute to be too difficult, especially in the winter. Marlo started dancing at Farrah Dance Works in Kemptville in September and has been loving it. She does ballet and contemporary at Farrah Dance Works, and highland dancing at Andrea Goral School of Highland Dance, also in Kemptville. Davina Joseph, Marlo’s mother, saw the open call to audition for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker at the National Arts Centre (NAC) online and asked Marlo if it was something she would be interested in trying. “She’d never done anything like that before,” she says. Marlo jumped at the idea, and Davina took her to audition for the part of a polar bear cub in the Nutcracker. Marlo was one of 250 children ages

7-12 who came to the NAC to audition. She had to dance for 45 minutes in a group of over 70 other kids and be judged by people from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In the end, she was one of 75 children chosen to play polar bear cubs in this year’s production. “When I was chosen, I was very glad,” Marlo says. “I was very proud of myself and I couldn’t believe they chose me.” Davina was also thrilled that Marlo was chosen to dance with such a prestigious ballet company. She was surprised, because she met other mothers at the audition whose daughters had auditioned multiple times without ever making it into the production. “I didn’t think she was going to get chosen,” she says. The project meant Marlo travelled to the NAC to rehearse throughout the Fall,

and she also practiced her routine a lot at home. At the beginning of last week, she had a costume fitting and dress rehearsal, with her first performance on Thursday evening. She was very excited to put on her costume and perform in front of an audience of over 2,000 people. She was also very excited to meet all the professional ballet dancers, and says she hopes to be one of them when she gets older. “I want to be a professional dancer, actor and singer,” she says. Marlo had lots of family coming to watch her dance, including her grandparents, all the way from Timmins, Ontario. Davina says they are all very excited to watch Marlo dance in a professional setting. “It’s been a really good experience,” she says.

to even the odds. Kemptville out-gunned Pembroke by 11-7 with one PPG for two attempts, and opponent’s failure for one. Flood gates opened for the boys in the third, as they broke the tie when Cotnam sprung Taylor, back to Dylan Bond in the weeds at 5:20. Ryan tictac with Bond to Ryan Taylor wide open to bury the spoils at 10:51. Hunter Brazier PPG picked up his second after Taylor dropped it to Wood and Hunter pounced on the rebound at 13:07 to give 73's a 3 point advantage. Kemptville error in clearing their zone while in the sin-bin, allowed Dick across to Fletcher Anderson PPG to count his second at 14:56. Pembroke pulled their stopper at 16:04 for extra attacker, and Suzuki worked the puck to Pawlikowski, ahead to Dante Moretti who pasted the rubber into empty net a 19:08. "Great to win three in a row, happy for the boys, as the hard work in practices are paying off", commented head coach. Coach’s Diggers Award is given to the new kid in town, sniper Dante Moretti, with his aggressive work ethic and constant tenacity, never give up attitude. Your team would love to see you out at their next home game when they meet with Hawkesbury Hawks on Saturday, December 14 at 7:30. Hockey with edge... a cut above the rest... show you care... see you there.

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The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Kemptville Physiotherapy

? n i a P f f O y a l 613-258-7661 P www.kemptvillephysio.com TR Leger School hosts Open House at Kemptville Campus

The TR Leger School of Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education hosted an open house on Tuesday, December 3 at its Kemptville campus. More than a dozen people attended the event, which showcased the campus and the alternative programming it offers secondary school students and adults. “We wanted the community to know about our life-changing programming,” said TR Leger Principal Sandy McInnes. “Our programs offer a second chance. They help high school students and adults obtain their high school diploma or strengthen their resume to find employment. They can study on a schedule that fits their needs and the diploma TR grants is exactly the same as any

mainstream school.” The campus is located on the second floor of the Parish Building at 40 Campus Street, in the old Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology. It offers “one stop shopping” for a variety of programming. Programs showcased at the event included the Skills Training and Employment Preparation program (STEP), Adult Education, and high school courses. The STEP program allows adults to study relevant

occupational courses so they can secure a job, such as its call centre program, daycare worker program, and materials handler program. When completed, students earn a certificate they can list on their resume. The Adult Education Program permits adults who did not attain a high school diploma the flexibility to earn one online, on their own schedule. Adults can gain credits for their life experiences through the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition Program (PLAR), drastically shortening the amount of credits required to attain a diploma. “With PLAR, the road to your diploma is much shorter than you think,” stressed Sandy McInnes. High school students looking for an alternative to mainstream classes can benefit from the self-directed course structure at TR Leger to earn their diploma and set the stage for a successful future.

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Are you retired and looking for extra income? or looking for part-time work? We are seeking a motivated, creative salesperson who loves talking with people and possesses great interpersonal skills. Position involves sales associated with print advertising. Must be dedicated to build and manage a client base as well as maintain current customers. Experience an asset and must have own vehicle. Email resume to production@ngtimes.ca December 11, 2019

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Food banks needed more than ever by David Shanahan Here’s something to think about in the weeks leading up to Christmas. More Ontarians with jobs are accessing Food Banks. It is simply harder for families, even with a regular income, tomake ends meet these days. Feed Ontario, formerly the Ontario Association of Food Banks, released its 2019 Hunger Report, and it has the shocking statistic that 510,438 individuals accessed a food bank last year, visiting more than 3,059,000 times. In spite of the Ontario Government’s emphasising the province’s low unemployment rate, Ontario’s food banks continue to see increasingly high levels of use. “Over the last three years, Ontario’s food banks have seen a 27% increase in the number of adults with employment income accessing their services,” says Carolyn Stewart, Executive Director of Feed Ontario. “This tells us that, while these individuals are working in a full or part time position, they have not been able to secure sufficient income to afford all of their basic necessities each month, like rent, heat, hydro, or food.” This is partly the result of high costs in the area of hydro, rent, gas and other necessities that families have no choice about paying for, but the Hunger Report also points out that there has been an increase in the effects of what is called “precarious work”, meaning part-time, or situations where individuals are never sure of having sufficient work shifts to make a regular wage. The Report also highlights the negative impact that changes to Ontario’s labour laws, and the inadequate help provided by social as-

December 11, 2019

sistance programs, as key contributors to this emerging trend. The changing nature of the workforce has meant that adults over 25 years of age now hold nearly half of all minimum wage positions in the province, with 1 in 3 having a post-secondary education. That is an unusual turn of events, as those in the age group, and of the educational level who would normally have been expected to be in permanent, well-paying jobs are now taking up more and more of the minimum wage jobs in Ontario. “Ontario’s job market is changing. Not only are we seeing a rise in casual and contract employment, but we are seeing more adults having no choice but to work in temporary or minimum wage positions,” says Carolyn Stewart. “Oftentimes, these positions do not provide consistent wages or work hours, and seldom provide employer health benefits or paid time off. This is reflected in Ontario’s food bank data, which indicates ‘low wages and/ or insufficient hours’ as one of the most common reasons for needing support.” This has put extra burdens on the province’s food banks, many of which have expanded their mandate to include providing job fairs, resume writing workshops, interview preparation, assistance with filing income taxes, or applying for support programs, child care, housing help, and accredited training programs. Cuts to government programs that would traditionally meet some of those needs, as well as more regulations making it harder, and in some cases, impossible for people to access programs such as the Ontario Disability Support Program, have added to the problem. Some of the 2019 Hunger Report data includes fig-

Lisa Deschambault

ures that are staggering for a wealthy province like Ontario. 510,438 adults, children, and seniors accessed food banks across Ontario between April 1st, 2018 – March 31st, 2019, an increase of 8,848 people over the previous year. 71% of households that access food banks indicate social assistance programs or government benefits as their primary source of income. 53% of households served by food banks identified as single-person households. 87% of food bank visitors were rental or social housing tenants. 33% of food bank visitors were children under 18 years of age. Since 1998, there has been a 31% increase in the proportion of workers in temporary positions. Taking one example, the Report notes that, in Oakville, a minimum

wage worker would need to work 78 hours per week to afford the average rent of a onebedroom apartment alone. The Government’s changes to Ontario’s Labours Laws have included the elimination of paid sick days, and the option to pay reduced wages to part-time, temporary, and casual workers. Only 28% of unemployed Ontarians are receiving Employment Insurance, which provides only 55% of an individual’s former pay. The vital importance of food banks in the economy of so many families in Ontario is a sad reflection on how our province has been changing. Something to think about over Christmas, and even more so in the year ahead. Don’t let your support of food banks end on Boxing Day.

Ontario BIA Executive Director speaks to local businesses

started right here in Ontario, and that is something to be proud of.” Kay is a big proponent of the power of BIAs, and how they can leverage partnerships in the community to make a difference for the whole municipality. She is adamant that all BIAs need to undergo strategic planning, so they have a picture of how they want to develop the business area. This includes economic development, marketing, promotion, beautification, maintenance, and creating a vision for the downtown. “BIA 101 is building a sense of place,” she says. BIAs across Ontario do this in many ways, including using innovative banners through the downtown core, branded street signs, decorative lighting, façade improvement programs, and organizing festivals and events. Kay says that many BIAs have started animating the streets, rather than organizing special events, which takes a lot of leg work and administration. This includes things like community murals, or placing

by Hilary Thomson The Old Town Kemptville BIA, in partnership with the Municipality of North Grenville, hosted a special presentation at the Municipal Centre last Thursday by the Executive Director of the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA). Kay Matthews has been with OBIAA for the past eight years, and has spoken across North America about the importance of BIAs and ways that towns, no matter how small, can leverage their resources to promote and grow their historic downtowns. “We are hyper local community economic development,” she says. The first BIA was started in 1970 by a group of business owners who wanted to preserve the Bloor West Village in an ever-expanding Toronto. They wanted to create a system where everyone paid, contributed, and benefited from the development of the area. “The need for downtown revitalization has spread all over the world,” Kay said. “It 16

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Steve Clark hosts Christmas Reception

Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MPP Steve Clark hosted his annual Christmas Reception on Sunday, December 1 at the Brockville Convention Centre. Once again this year, attendees were incredibly generous in donating nonperishable items to assist area food banks in helping those in need. With MPP Clark and just some of the food collected are: (clockwise from the far left): JoAnne Sytsma, Brockville Food Bank; Shannon Griggs and Joanne Lancaster, Gananoque Food Bank; Bernice McLean and Barb Kelsey, Athens Food Bank; Bonnie Pidgeon-Cougler and Karen Cutts, South Grenville Food Bank. pianos strategically along the street. She noted that the Somerset Village BIA in Ottawa recently placed the Chinese symbols for luck in a parkette along Somerset Street to encourage people to come to the area. “You can do events and promotions, but how are you keeping yourself top of mind?” she asked. One of Kay’s biggest pet peeves is when BIA boards spend too much time talking about the lack of parking (something that has been highlighted as an issue in Kemptville). She believes creating a lively and walkable downtown trumps the parking issue. “The car is not king,” she says. “The people in the car are king.” After years of hearing

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about the death of the old downtown, Kay believes that cities and towns are slowly moving back towards valuing the old downtown as the heart of the community. She believes it is the job of the BIA to leverage this and create a vision that will support this transition. “It’s about optimizing our jewel,” she says. “BIAs have the opportunity to change the narrative.” At the end of Kay’s presentation, Mayor Nancy Peckford thanked her and expressed council’s commitment to working towards a healthy and vibrant downtown. “We’ve got a great BIA Executive Director and group of businesses,” she said. “We need to land a brand downtown and run with it.”

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