ND Times Issue 2 January 25 by The North Grenville & North Dundas Times

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The Voice of North Dundas

Vol 5, No 2

January 25, 2024

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A collision between a Canadian Paciﬁc Kansas City (CPKC) freight train and a delivery van at a public crossing east of Mountain last week has many residents of North Dundas questioning how and why the accident happened. The collision occurred just after 3 pm on January 16 at the Crowder Road level crossing between Winchester and Mountain. The 60-year-old male driver of the courier van – who is from Augusta Township – was taken to hospital with life threaten-

ing injuries. His current condition was unknown at the time of writing. Unconﬁrmed reports suggest that he was airlifted from Winchester District Memorial Hospital to a larger hospital in Ottawa shortly after being admitted. An Ornge helicopter was observed arriving at the WDMH landing pad just before 4:30 pm on January 16, and departing shortly thereafter. The wording of some news reports regarding the incident suggests that the delivery driver struck the side of the train while it was already moving through the level cross-

ing. In CPKC’s statement to the Times, the wording suggests otherwise: “A CPKC train struck a motor vehicle on Crowder Road,” said the CPKC spokesperson. “The train cleared the area later in the afternoon.” The railway declined to provide any other details of the incident while the investigation proceeds. Constable Serge Duguay of the OPP conﬁrmed that the CPKC’s own police division is investigating in conjunction with OPP investigators. Similar to the CPKC Railway, Constable Duguay was not able to divulge

any other details of what happened. The North Dundas Fire Service had ﬁreﬁghters from stations 2 and 3 on site, and both Crowder Road and Development Road were closed for much of the day following the incident. Only local traffic was allowed, and both level crossings were impassable. The Township announced on January 17 that the roads were open once again. The Crowder Road level crossing is one of two crossings in North Dundas that are unprocont'd on page 2

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Loving homes needed for future guide dogs

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind is looking for volunteer puppy raisers who can help raise and socialize future guide dogs in their homes. Puppy Walkers, as they are known, are foster families who volunteer to take a young puppy into their home for 12 to 18 months, and provide them with basic obedience train-

ing, exposure to different environments, and lots of love and attention. This is a rewarding and fulfilling opportunity that will make a difference in the lives of people experiencing vision loss. Volunteers are currently needed to provide homes for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind’s upcoming litters of puppies. By volunteer-

cont'd from front page tected by active warning systems such as lights, bells, and gates. Instead, the crossing has warning signage to alert drivers that the crossing is low visibility, suggesting an approach speed of 30. The crossing itself has a crossbuck and a stop sign – drivers are responsible for checking that no train is coming. Crowder Road is a through road, but is not heavily used except by locals. It is often left poorly treated for long stretches of time during the winter months. Last week, it was observed to be very icy. The Transportation Safety Board designates crossings such as these as having “passive” protection in its database of the nearly 25,000 level crossings in Canada. The Crowder Road crossing ranks as number 5,947 in terms of danger on this list, with approximately 8 trains and 200 motor ve-

hicles passing per day. In comparison, the St. Lawrence St. crossing in Winchester is ranked as more dangerous (number 828) despite having active protection, likely because of the estimated 2,870 cars that pass by daily. Neither crossing had any report of accidents, fatalities or injuries as of the 2023 TSB update. Social media speculation has been heavy regarding the incident. Such details which cannot be conﬁrmed by reports, evidence and facts should be taken with a grain of salt and will not be reported here. As usual, the OPP is asking that anyone having information on this incident please call the SD&G OPP at 1-888310-1122 or Seaway Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). You can also submit a tip online at seawayvalleycrimestoppers.ca.

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are provided for as well. You’ll also receive expert guidance and training sessions from staff at Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. All you need to provide is a safe and loving home, and a commitment to help a puppy reach its full potential. The most diﬃcult part of the journey is giving up

ing as a Puppy Walker, you will not only help a puppy grow into a conﬁdent and well-behaved guide dog, but also support a fellow Canadian who is waiting for their new companion and mobility aid. Puppy Walkers often work full-time, and some are even post-secondary students. As puppies get older, they can accompany volunteers to their workplace or classroom, as well as on errands and visits to local businesses. ‘Guide Dog in Training’ jackets are provided for the puppy to wear in public. Real world experiences are essential to raising well-adjusted guide dogs, and Puppy Walkers are encouraged to take the puppy everywhere they go. Food, toys, supplies, and veterinary expenses

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the puppy when it is time to enter formal guide dog training, so it is important that volunteers enter the program with the mindset of doing something that beneﬁts their community and provides freedom and mobility to an individual in need of assistance. If you are interested in becoming a Puppy Walker, you can sign up for one of the upcoming monthly information sessions at www.guidedogs.

ca/puppy-walking. Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind was established as a registered charity in 1984. Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind provides professionally trained guide dogs to Canadians who are visually impaired from coast to coast. To learn more about Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind visit www. guidedogs.ca, or phone 613-692-7777.

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Family Literacy Day 2024

by ABC Life Literacy Canada On January 27, 2024, families, libraries and literacy groups will host events across the country to celebrate 25 years of Family Literacy Day, an annual initiative that aims to encourage reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. As an ode to the anniversary, this year’s theme is “Let’s have a family party!”, which encourages families to come together and celebrate by having a party. When it comes to having a party, the possibilities for learning are endless. From making food to singing songs and playing games together, there are many opportunities to improve your family’s literacy skills – and it’s fun when you do it together! “Back in 1999, during the inaugural year of Family Literacy Day, we never could have imagined that 25 years later the initiative would have spread this far and wide. We thank everyone who has participated in Family Literacy Day over the years for helping spread awareness of the importance of family literacy,” says Alison Howard, Executive Director of ABC Life Literacy Canada. “We’re encouraging families and groups across the country to help celebrate 25 years of Family Literacy Day by throwing a family party of their own. Learning as a family not only helps to build strong literacy skills for both adults and children, but it also strengthens family bonds and ties.” Award-winning Canadian author and modeling clay illustrator Barbara Reid is once again the Honorary Chair of Family Literacy Day. She will be hosting a virtual event for families across the country on January 25 that will include a demonstration on how to use clay to create a picture. Families and community organizations can register for the free event. “I’m so thrilled to be partnering with ABC Life Literacy Canada again to celebrate 25 years of Family Literacy Day,” says Ms. Reid. “As an author, literacy is close to my heart, and I hope that by helping to promote this important initiative we can continue to celebrate another 25+ years of success.” ABC Life Literacy Canada® is a non-proﬁt organization that aims to strengthen organizations that promote adult learning by developing and supporting the use of highquality introductory learning materials and resources written in clear language. We envision a Canada where everyone has the tools and opportunities they need to improve their literacy and essential skills. For more information on family literacy and ABC Life Literacy Canada’s programs, visit abclifeliteracy.ca. 2

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Editorial

Stuck in a crater by Brandon Mayer “Progress, not perfection.” This is one of my favourite sayings. It acknowledges that if we never accept anything other than a perfect ﬁnished product, we may lose the motivation to keep on working and striving for better. But what is progress? Some people see it as a scary word, equating it with “change for change’s sake”. This can be particularly bothersome to small town folks, who often want things to stay as they are, lamenting big changes that hurt the magic of a “small town feel”. Another angle on the idea of progress is that it has been critically important for everything that ever was, and will carry the same importance for everything that will ever be. Do any of us really wish we could go back to the “good old days” of the year 1654? I assume I’m not the only one who is happy to be living in 2024, where people have far more rights and freedoms, and life is not marked with nearly as much hardship. There are undoubtedly people, however, who would want to return to the way life was in say… 1987 for example. (Yes, these example years are entirely random). What can we learn from this? Well, it means that no one is truly against progress. Some people just prefer rapid and pronounced progress, while

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others prefer a slower variety of change – the latter group may not like some of the social values of the modern world, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t appreciate the progress of ending witch trials or enjoying fast food hamburgers. I introduce the above notions of progress more as a precautionary measure than anything, to protect me from the inevitable strong opposing opinions that will be born from my next statement: North Dundas needs more progress. Before you scream, let me say… I know! North Dundas is charming. It’s built on tradition. It has its way of life and there is nothing about said way of life that needs changing. I know! I am not disagreeing with that. I love my community. I am not arguing in favour of faster social progress or changes to how we do things. I am saying that North Dundas needs more progress in the literal sense of needing more amenities. No, this doesn’t mean that I want a McDonalds or our own Walmart or any other symbol of big town living. I can say – as someone who also covers news stories in North Grenville – that there are many Kemptville residents who have struggled immensely with what they feel is the loss of their small town identity. Kemptville has, in the eyes of some (certainly not all) residents become a bedroom community for Ottawa, inhabited by an

the town’s only public park. My mom told me that residents all donated small amounts of money to raise enough to have the rink installed. North Dundas already has two arenas and a few outdoor rinks, but aren’t there other potential new recreational amenities we could get excited about? A skate park has been suggested. A splash pad has been suggested. What about a public basketball court or tennis court? South Mountain is lucky to have these last two things, but what about elsewhere locally? The skate park and splash pad ideas have routinely been rejected, even when it was proposed that residents would raise the money with absolutely no burden to taxpayers. Why? Bureaucratic nonsense. Forget about being stuck in a rut, sometimes it feels like we’re stuck in a crater. It’s this difficulty in moving forward that makes me laugh at my self-proclaimed “outlandish” ideas such as my belief that with the new subdivision, South Mountain has grown big

inﬂux of newcomers who demand big box stores and other “city” things. Indeed, Kemptville is the smallest town in Ontario by population size to have its own Walmart. What amenities do I think North Dundas could use? One thing that comes to mind is some kind of public transportation. Winchester and surrounding villages can’t seem to keep a viable taxi service. One could make the argument that this means there simply aren’t enough North Dundas people who would use public transportation. I argue otherwise – is it not instead possible that in this economy, it isn’t possible to run the service as a private, for-proﬁt business? North Grenville has just launched an on-demand transit system. There are no large city buses. The transit vehicle resembles a large van, and offers curb-to-curb service between points all around the Municipality. There are user fees for using the service (pay per ride or longer term passes), but because it’s a municipally run system, it doesn’t matter if there is a small loss in a given month, because it’s worth spending the miniscule amount of money in order to have such a service available to local residents. Why North Grenville but not North Dundas? I visited my parents in Avonmore last week and noticed that a new (and very well constructed) outdoor rink can now be found set upon previously vacant land in

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enough that it’s time to consider adding a public water system. There are too many people drawing water privately from the same small area, and I can attest to the fact that my water seems to be getting rustier and smellier by the day. But considering that Winchester and Chesterville water have posed ongoing problems for decades, who has time to think about South Mountain? It was only a few years ago that Maxville (in North Glengarry) added public water. Ah, such wonderful progress. I confess to feelings of jealousy. It’s respectable to be responsible with taxpayer money. I can also get on board with not wanting to change North Dundas’ small town charm. But sometimes we need a bit of “bold” in our lives. We can’t stay stuck in a crater forever, while the rest of the world is rocketing to the moon.

Dear Editor, A love letter to Winchester: A year ago I moved to Winchester and started working cash at Foodland. It has been an amazing year and I want to thank every one of you. All my life, I wanted to live in a small town. It was a dream that I didn't think was possible but then I fell in love with someone from Winchester and here I am. Even though some say outsiders will never ﬁt in, I have never felt anything but welcome. I love seeing all of you every day at the store. Sharing your lives, the joys and the sorrows. I love knowing my neighbours will help out when we need them (and they have!). I love coming home from Kemptville or Ottawa and seeing the town appear and I know I am home. Thank you for letting me come home. Katy Devlin

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Council update by Brandon Mayer A regularly scheduled Council meeting took place on January 18, the first regular meeting in 2024. Council wasted no time jumping into business, beginning with a delegation from two OPP officers. Acting Staff Sgt. Alicia Burtch explained that nothing jumps out from the OPP’s latest report to the community, but that as usual, traffic and other concerns brought forth by members of Council and the public are being actively addressed. The Sergeant also explained that the OPP is adding four new recruits to its SD&G team, which is expected to significantly help police staffing in the area. A back and forth discussion took place between Sgt. Burtch and Mayor Tony Fraser regarding the importance of reports from the public. Sgt. Jim Blanchette was also in attendance, and reaffirmed that complaints and concerns from community members are vital in helping the OPP do its job. He assured residents that they are not annoying the police by making a report. The Mayor also alluded to future Township considerations of

lowering the in-town speed limits within North Dundas. Following the delegation, other routine business proceeded. Eleanor Renaud was nominated as the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Committee representative. Next came a proposed update to the Township’s Public Complaint Policy. Staff determined that the Policy – which was implemented in 2020 – went beyond what is legally required, for example by requiring a response to complaints when in fact all that is required is that the complaint be heard. The recommendation from staﬀ is that the formal process spelled out in the Policy be used as a last resort, instead encouraging residents to resolve complaints at the Township office or by reaching out to speciﬁc departments directly. Councillor Matthew Uhrig commented in support of the “new and improved” complaint policy before the motion was passed. The next item of business was an update regarding the Township’s animal control by-law. For over two decades, the Township has partnered with three other municipalities to jointly fund a dog pound for use when a

stray dog is caught. The four municipalities (including North Dundas) also contract services from the same Animal Control Officer – Kevin Casselman. Council moved to extend this arrangement for the next six months. Calvin Pol – the Township’s Director of Development Services – explained that the other three municipalities are considering different arrangements due to the age of the shared dog pound. If this happens, North Dundas has pre-arranged to share Russell’s dog pound. Director Pol also noted that far fewer dogs are caught than in previous decades since the internet now allows people to reach out to the community and find their lost dogs more easily. Council’s next order of business was to pass two borrowing resolutions – one each pertaining to the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank of Canada – to facilitate potential short-term loans for future projects to help bridge the financing gap while the Township awaits longer term loans from Infrastructure Ontario or a financial institution. As is typical in January, Council also passed a by-law to allow an interim tax levy for the

ﬁrst half of 2024 to be billed to property owners in advance of the passing of this year’s budget. The interim tax levy for each property cannot exceed 50% of last year’s bill for the total year. Next, Council heard from Director Meaghan Meerburg of the Recreation and Culture Department who explained staﬀ’s recommendation that a tender for a pavilion and concrete pad for Hallville Community Park be awarded, but that two other recreation recommendations – a similar set up for Oschmann Park, as well as a dog park in Chesterville – be put on the backburner for this budget year. Council agreed and the motion passed as recommended. Council then approved design option B for the Hallville, Oschmann, and James Street parks, for a total cost of $323,674.02 + HST. Councillors Lennox and Uhrig made comments that it is worth it for these projects to go over budget to ensure inclusiveness for those living with accessibility issues. Council moved quickly

on January 18, considering items and voting with no time wasted. A new projector was approved for Old Town Hall. A new water allocation was granted for a Winchester property. Other routine business followed, including a motion allowing a telecommunications company to install a new ﬁbre optic internet line in underserved local areas. Next, Council approved a policy allowing seasonal permits for businesses that require exceptions to half load restrictions. This comes following a request by Sevita International last year, which spurred several Council conversations on the matter. Sevita’s speciﬁc agreement was also approved at the meeting. Councillor Annable expressed satisfaction that this matter is now settled. Councillor Uhrig expressed a word of caution that Sevita drivers must ensure that they carry their permit with them. Council had an in-depth discussion of job benefit enhancements for Township employees. Council members took turns pro-

WDMH leading the way —

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Involving rural patients in clinical trials by Jane Adams Winchester District Memorial Hospital’s (WDMH) research program is growing quickly – supporting rural patients and putting a spotlight on our local hospital. Here’s one example. WDMH is involved in a clinical trial focusing on a new potential medication for treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – or COPD. Over the past several months, 30% of the Canadian patients taking part in this international study have been recruited right here in Winchester. “Clinical trials are a key research tool for advancing medical knowledge and patient care,” explains Chief Research Officer Dr. Mohamed Gazarin. “For patients with COPD, this trial is looking at the ﬁrst novel medication in many years. We know there are plenty of patients in our region who have COPD and January 25, 2024

could benefit from this important study.” The WDMH research team is also leading the way in two international clinical trials, focusing on heart failure and COVID-19. In all, more than a dozen clinical trials are underway at WDMH on a wide range of medical conditions. “Rural patients no longer need to travel for access to these investigational therapies and can access these treatments through participation in these clinical trials,” sums up Dr. Gazarin. “WDMH is committed to ensuing that rural patients are part of these studies and benefit from the knowledge gained.” For more information about the clinical trials underway at WDMH, please visit https://www.wdmh. on.ca/PatientInformationClinicalTrials or contact the research team at research@wdmh.on.ca. If you would like to

viding their opinions and observations about benefit increase amounts for specific needs such as eyeglasses and therapy. Councillor Lennox asserted that he wants the Township to provide the best possible maternity leave benefits for its employees. Council agreed that a final decision will be easier to make once the impact on benefit premiums is known. Mayor Fraser mirrored the comments of his Council colleagues in his belief that better benefits will help the Township retain employees. Councillor Lennox – who is a firefighter – recused himself from a presentation given by Fire Chief Kreg Raistrick regarding a firefighter wages study. Next, Council followed up on a pilot study that began in February of last year to evaluate the “FoodCycler” – an indoor alternative to composting. Feedback on the device was overwhelmingly positive and the device was praised as a good waste diversion tool. After some wrap-up routine items of business and a few update reports, the Council meeting concluded after just under 1 hour and 40 minutes.

provide comments or suggestions about hospital services, please contact Cholly Boland, President and CEO, Winchester District Memorial Hospital at 613.774.1049 or by email at cboland@wdmh.on.ca.

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Provincial recycling policy change Accessing the explains lack of free blue bins North Dundas Times online

by Brandon Mayer Some local residents have noted that blue bins are no longer being given away at the Boyne Road Landfill. The question of “hey, what gives?!” is one that has an answer perhaps more complex than some people may realize. Danielle Ward was able to quickly confirm that recycling bins are no longer offered by the Township free of charge. She also noted that they are available at local hardware stores for residents to purchase. “There is no policy for recycling bin sales in the Township, nor is the Township required to provide recycling bins free of charge,” Danielle added. While it’s easy to assume that the change comes down solely to money, that isn’t the case. Danielle explained that in previous years, municipalities used to receive blue box funding that allowed bulk orders of recycling bins to be placed at a low cost. “Waste Diversion Ontario would allow municipalities to claim the cost on their annual Datacall report to receive reimbursement,” said Danielle. Providing free blue boxes for residents therefore used to be an easy decision but now, changes are on the horizon regarding how recycling waste will be

managed. “In July of 2023, the provincial government changed the Blue Box Act to the Waste Diversion Ontario Act, and this changed how recycling will be completed in the Province and how funding is allocated,” Danielle explained. “Currently, municipalities such as the Township of North Dundas are transitioning out of collection of recycling, and the producers of the items in the recycling box are beginning collection of the items. December 31, 2024 is slated to be the last day that the Township staﬀ will collect recycling in North Dundas. Beginning in 2025, the producers will be collecting recycling from residences and how they perform that collection is on the authority of the Province, not the Township.” These regulatory changes were proposed to help shift the burden of waste management onto the companies that produce the waste in the form of packaging. As part of the program, larger facilities such as public schools, long term care homes, and multi-residential buildings will be eligible to have their recycling collected for free – a change from having to pay a third party contractor. In addition, a larger number of items will be eligible for recycling in

Meta has blocked Canadian News on Facebook and Instagram because the Canadian government said that they would need to share the advertising revenue that Meta earns from using content from Canadian news outlets. The North Dundas Times wants readers to be able to choose how they read their news so we need to be more creative on how to make it accessible to our readers. Here are a few suggestions that will allow you to access The North Grenville Times online: Bookmark our website, ndtimes.ca, and come directly to the site. The bi-weekly news is uploaded every other Thursday by 5 pm. We have started posting to Threads at https://www.threads.net/@northdundastimes_ofﬁcial. Although Threads is owned by Meta, it has not been blocked. Please follow us on Threads. The full paper in electronic format can be viewed by clicking on PRINT EDITION on the top menu bar of our website ndtimes.ca. Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter - click SUBSCRIPTIONS on the top menu bar at ndtimes.ca If any of our readers have any suggestions or ideas on best ways that The North Grenville Times can spread trustworthy local news online, please contact us by sending an email to northdundastimes@ndtimes.ca or call the oﬃce at 613-215-0735.

Ontario, and the list of items that can be recycled will be universal across the Province for the ﬁrst time in history. Danielle connected the dots regarding the Township halting its free blue bin policy. “[Now], if the Township were to purchase the bins, it would be at no cost reduction, nor would we be reimbursed by what used to be WDO – now the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority,” she said. “Therefore we would sell [the blue bins] at the same price, or likely higher than at the hardware store. So rather than compete with local businesses, we have gotten away from supplying blue bins.” Anyone looking to replace or add a blue bin to their recycling routine is encouraged to shop locally at one of the many hardware stores in North Dundas.

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Op-ed:

The Israel-Hamas war by Steve Gabell Aristotle was one of the finest minds in all of human history, and it is galling that a foundation bearing his name should write such a one-sided, simplistic article (Are we beasts?: War, civilian casualties and Hamas, Jan 11). Saying simply that Hamas should not have attacked Israel if they did not want to be bombed fails to address the issue of why Hamas decided to attack (and we should be clear that seeking to understand the reasons behind an event is not the same as trying to justify that event). Some may dismiss Hamas as murderous, antiSemitic terrorists, yet Hamas did not appear out of a vacuum. We have to ask what conditions gave rise to Hamas and why they still have the support or acquiescence of some Gazans. Since 1967, Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank. Israel has faced widespread criticism for its treatment of Palestinians. The actions of Israel have been likened to apartheid-era South Africa by Israeli human rights organisations, by major international human rights bodies including the UN Special Rapporteur, by former senior Israeli politicians, and by some who lived under apartheid in South Africa, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Winnie MadikizelaMandela. Some have described the Gaza Strip as “the world’s largest open air prison” due to Israel’s land, sea, and air blockade ongoing since 2007. Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and independent Arab news outlet Al Jazeera reports that prior to the current war, the unemployment rate was a staggering 45%, 64% of households were food insecure, 81% live in poverty, and 95% lack safe drinking water. In their response to Hamas’ attack which killed 1,200 people, Israeli forces have so far killed almost 25,000 Palestinians, and wounded over 60,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Only a third of Gaza’s hospitals remain operational, while 85% of the population have left their homes and the UN reports that one in four Gazans is starving. This heavy-handed, indiscriminate response is only sowing the seeds for future rounds of violence and acting as a recruitment agent for Hamas and other extremist organisations. The prospect of a better future is important for peaceful resolution of conflicts, yet this has been crushed in Gazans by 16 years of Israeli subjugation. Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu has also been supporting Hamas during his periods in power, encouraging Qatar to fund Hamas with the aim of preventing a two-state solution by weakening the Palestinian Authority. Insurgent conflicts cannot be won in the same manner as conventional wars, as has been demonstrated in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Northern Ireland. More moderate factions need to be engaged with, and grievances from both sides need to be heard and engaged with. The conflict in Northern Ireland did not end because the UK government had destroyed the IRA and UVF, it ended because all parties engaged in dialogue, grievances were addressed, and creative solutions were implemented. Jewish people have faced persecution for at least 2,500 years, with the Holocaust being the most destructive episode. Israelis quite rightly want peace and security, but this cannot be achieved with subjugation and wholesale slaughter of civilians. Seeking vengeance and retribution is a natural human instinct when we’ve been hurt but is ultimately self destructive. To quote Martin Luther King, “The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert”.

January 25, 2024

The North Dundas Times

The Voice of North Dundas

Life with Connor the Weatherman moved on January 3rd, so today’s column will be me telling the story of how the drive went. So, the morning of January 3rd comes along. It had been a stressful couple of weeks, with my calendar sales trucking right along, quitting my job at Foodland, packing, family gatherings, the whole shebang. That morning, the emotions of a stress-ﬁlled couple of weeks, meshed with the emotions of leaving home, all came out. I was a crying mess before hopping in the car and leaving. I got to Zoé’s house 30 minutes later and had another cry in her arms. I do NOT do well with change, that is for sure. We eventually got on the road after some ﬁnal things at her place. It was 6:30 am-ish when we left for what was supposed to be about a 12 hour day (stops for food and gas included). Considering I said “supposed to be a 12 hour day”, you can probably tell where this is headed. It was not a simple day or drive. After about an hour of driving on HWY 417/A30, we started to hit some freezing rain, enough to where we had seen 3 or 4 crashes in the westbound lanes of the highway before we had even gotten into Montreal. Not a good sign.

featuring Connor Mockett Hello, everyone! Welcome back to another column. This one’s a little bit diﬀerent, and so will the rest of the columns. As you can probably already tell, we’ve made a name change to my columns from “The Weather with Connor” to “Life with Connor the Weatherman”. This change stems from sometimes not having anything to talk about weather wise, which then turns my columns into just talking about what I’ve been doing in my life. Speaking of life… If you saw my last column two weeks ago, you’ll know that a big life change happened for my fiancée and I. If you missed that, let me recap really quick: we moved to Moncton/ Dieppe, New Brunswick! Zoé has a school co-op at the George Dumont Hospital here in the City, which is the final thing she needs to do for her schooling until she graduates. We

Tid bit musings

all the facts or details of a situation. The "fancy" truck they come to the food bank in may just be their "ride" or perhaps they just lost their job. Perhaps the truck is a loaner while the warranty is sorted out on the blown engine. One can't know the extra expenses the individual has just incurred such as repairs or utility bills. When you point your ﬁnger at someone, know that there are three pointing back

by Elva Patterson-Rutters, RSSW By no stretch of the imagination does "jumping to conclusions" constitute exercise even if you listed it as a new resolution on your exercise regime! "Jumping to conclusions" turns speculation or opinions into harmful criticism, negativity and hurt feelings for more than one person. Inevitably we all do it spontaneously, with little regard to the aftermath. For Christians, God instructs"Judge not lest you be judged." What the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't feel! That is why it is easier to financially support foreign countries or individuals we don't know. Knowing the person results in us being judgmental with such statements as "but they have this, do this" and so on. Until you have walked a mile in someone's shoes, it is impossible to know

Now that means we had to take our time a little bit more which, for safety reasons, makes sense. So we turned off the cruise control and hung with the flow of traffic for a while. Everything’s was all fine and dandy… until it wasn’t! About 10-15 minutes southwest of Montreal, someone in our little 3 car convoy needs a bathroom stop. That’s fine, let’s get off the highway and go to the McDonald’s right there just off the highway in Beauharnois, Quebec. So we all went onto the off ramp to go there. Of course, there’s freezing rain, but the highway is mostly fine (on our side, anyways). The off ramp was absolutely not fine. It was a complete skating rink. So much so that while on the off ramp about halfway up, I’m sliding up to the stop sign, Zoé’s parents are sliding behind me, and Zoé is sliding *into* her parents car, rear-ending them and then smashing into the guard rail. Nothing she could have done, it was purely an ice accident. Everyone was and is okay, albeit shaken up from what just transpired. The cops came and did a report on it so insurance can fix both vehicles. Thankfully, both vehicles were still drivable, so after about an hour and a

half delay, we got back on the highway and continued the journey. After that whole ordeal, the drive was much easier. Roads were clear, dry, and ready for highway driving after we got out of Montreal completely. There were still quite a few stops after that for gas, food, and bathrooms. But no more accidents, which is always good. Don’t want those to happen too often! A slight delay won’t stop us from completing our long haul drive with packed up vehicles. We ended up getting to Dieppe at 9:45 pm Atlantic, so 8:45 pm Eastern time. That made it a 14 hour day behind the wheel. After the accident, the drive went quicker than I had thought it would. I thought it would feel slow, but I’m a long haul type of guy, so it ended up being good. We unpacked 2 of the 3 vehicles when we got there, made sure the tech stuﬀ was inside the house, and then Zoé and I went to bed while her parents went to the place where they were staying. A long, weird day had finally come to an end. Hopefully, when we come back to Ontario, the drive won’t have any accidents! *knock on wood*.

at you to indicate that it is time to be held accountable, respectful and understanding without judgement. Knowing that there is substance use/abuse, the fact that folks still need food is key to survival of the community. This inevitably includes spouses and children. Knowing that they are being judged makes going for help diﬃcult and humiliating. Food banks capture the community spirituality with Christmas food

drives but hunger/deprivation exists all 12 months. Be mindful of expiry dates when you donate. Dig deep and be kind and helpful. BUT be aware of scams that are circulating. The community will be enriched by your openmindedness and loving heart. You can do it.

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Op-ed

Handle with care by David Shanahan It’s amazing how quickly the world “out there” is changing. Not just the technology, or the climate, or the politics; although all of that is part of it too. Not too long ago, it seemed like we all spoke the same language, used the same references, understood what the words meant. There was always a certain style of speaking, of words used, that helped one group or generation to stand out from others, that established a cultural identity. For my generation, it was cool to say things were far out, man. “My Generation” was even an anthem at one time (ask your grandfather). Now, however, we have to watch every word we say or write in case someone, somewhere, is offended. That’s the difference, I suppose. In other, perhaps more innocent times, words could identify, but they were not taken as oﬀending or insulting. There were, of course, certain words that could be used like that, but everyone understood

that and the meaning was perfectly clear. But now you just don’t know if a given word is “safe” or not. That’s a huge change. Pronouns have become tricky, other words have had their meaning changed, or are the reserve of specific groups and are no longer useable in the former ways. You can tell I’m being careful about how I write this; and that is exactly the situation we find ourselves in these days. Someone, somewhere, may take offense and put a label on me that may not be fair or accurate: it may even be dangerous. This is a serious issue, as words and language generally are the means by which we communicate with each other and by which societies operate. Words gain new meaning very quickly and in a very political way, and we are quickly reaching a point where they can mean very different things to different people, which makes genuine communication difficult, at best. As I have implied, even giving examples is a

veritable mineﬁeld, in which a badly chosen word can lead to an explosion of conflict and misunderstanding. So let me use an example in the use and misuse of words with which I have some personal experience. Decades ago, when I became a Christian, I, naturally, told people about it. I got two main responses: one was a blank look which said: “I have no idea what you’re talking about”. The other was an irritated “what do you mean? We’re all Christians, this is a Christian country. Are you being holier than thou?” All well and good. But today, and possibly as soon as you read “I became a Christian”, an entirely new response is more common. In many peoples’ minds, the word “Christian” means right-wing, bigotic, misogynistic, homophobic, anti-intellectual people who believe fairytales without evidence or reason. It’s a label, one applied universally to an entire range of people without any nuance or attempt to grasp realities.

We do the same with so many other groups: apply a generic label on people without any understanding of individual differences, or even if the label is applicable to anyone at all. It’s understandable on one level. We are bombarded with simplistic messages through various media outlets, mainstream and other, and it can take too much time, effort, or simple interest to look into the truth, accuracy, or fairness of such easy labels. It is dangerous and misleading to apply any one label to an entire section of society, and all too often it results in unnecessary division, conflict, distrust, and personal animosity between people who would otherwise find much in common. And all because of a tendency, becoming more and more prevalent, to make words and ideas so sensitive that they can’t be discussed openly and without point-scoring. Take that definition of “Christian” I gave earlier: how accurate is it? How do you evaluate a label like

that? It’s easy for people to adopt a name to give respectable cover to unacceptable attitudes or behaviour. Not all right-wingers are fascists. Christians cannot be homophobic, racist, misogynist, or indulge in any form of hatred or violent nationalism, and still be genuine Christians. Is that my opinion alone? No, it is the teaching of Jesus, the one these “Christian Nationalists”, or other hate-ﬁlled people claim to follow. They are not following Jesus, they are disobeying everything he said and was. That is the criterion for assessing the claims. Labels are dangerous, albeit easy and convenient.

But such an easy option in the so-called culture wars only leads to disintegration, division, conflict and animosity on a personal and political level. There are two definitions of “judging”: one is to convict, condemn, find fault with. The other is to evaluate, consider the merits of, or to weigh up the benefits and negatives associated with an idea, an ideology, a belief system, or an individual’s claims. One is easy and quick, the other takes effort. One creates conflict and separation, the other creates tolerance and transparency. Our future together requires us to choose one or the other.

The bureaucrats at PDSB attack timeless classics as “Euro-centric texts that were penned long before students’ birth dates, and may not reﬂect the lived experiences of students.” But as a teacher, I found that a classic of literature such as Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden had the power to shape all children’s young minds. In prose that inspires a sensitivity to the beauty of our language, the book showed my students how a simple Yorkshire cottage boy, Dickon, could transform two spoiled, upperclass English children with his simple, earthy values. Similarly, Canadian author Joyce Barkhouse’s The Pit Pony paints a vivid picture of the dangerous working conditions of turn-of-the-20th-century Cape Breton coal miners, including child labourers. Yes, Barkhouse’s characters are all white, but her book paints a vivid picture of an earlier Canada, allowing our youngest citizens, of whatever ethnic origin, to learn about our shared history and strengthening

Canadian identity in the next generation. Insisting on “diversity” in each individual book, as the PDSB policy does, misses the larger picture: true diversity is achieved through a plurality of viewpoints, characters and stories within a library’s entire collection. Well-written children’s books do not cause harm. They entertain, illuminate, enlighten and educate. They carry the legacy of our culture, the history of our societies, and the seeds of our future growth. To inspire a lifelong love of reading, we need libraries with shelves sagging under the weight of their collections. The real harm lies in destroying books. Marjorie Gann is a Senior Fellow with the Aristotle Foundation and author of Five Thousand Years of Slavery co-authored with Janet Willen. This column was adapted from the original full-length C2C Journal version.

Op-ed

Banning books and burning books by Marjorie Gann When I was 10 years old, I discovered Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel Little Women. From the very first line — “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents” — I was hooked. Never mind that my Jewish family didn’t celebrate Christmas. The world of the lively March sisters, who sang and sewed together at the family hearth, captivated me precisely because it was so different from my own. Little did I know the “harm” it was causing. According to diversity bureaucrats in charge of libraries at Ontario’s second-largest school board, I should never have been allowed anywhere near my favourite book, because it says nothing about my own “lived experiences.” Recently, the Mississauga, Ontario-based citizens’ group, Libraries Not Landfills, exposed an internal training document from the local Peel District School Board (PDSB) containing instructions for librarians on how to destroy the vast bulk of their book collections for ideological reasons. January 25, 2024

Citing a need to “promote anti-racism, inclusivity and critical consciousness,” the document explains how to remove “any harmful, oppressive or colonial content.” Most books published before 2008 had to go; children’s titles like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and even Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl, were pulled oﬀ the shelves. Such books are rife with “explicit and implicit biases” that make them “inherently racist, classist, heteronormative, and/or sexist.” Books deemed harmful were to be destroyed in a “sustainable manner,” either shredded or landfilled. In an FAQ section, the document rationalized treating books as garbage by arguing that PDSB operates within a “white supremacist structure” and that these resources are to be weeded out as “not inclusive, culturally responsive or relevant.” Because of the harm they were causing, they could not be sold or donated. News of the policy quickly created a media ﬁrestorm. One PDSB student

components of the literary world as well, from book publishers to organizations that claim to defend Canadians’ freedom to read. Together with a group of other children’s book authors, I wrote to the Writer's Union of Canada, the Ontario Library Association and PEN Canada (a free expression lobby group) asking for their response to the PDSB book-burying scandal. Two offered only meek statements of indifference; PEN Canada never even bothered to respond. As a former elementary school teacher, I have seen first-hand the wide diversity of Canadian children’s literature dating back decades. Shizuye Takashima’s 1971 A Child in a Prison Camp, for example, recalls the author’s experience in an internment camp in the Second World War. Tanzanian-Canadian Tololwa M. Mollel’s gorgeous The Orphan Boy won the prestigious GovernorGeneral’s Literary Award for Illustration in 1990. There is no diversity problem in Canadian libraries that needs fixing.

told the CBC that half of the books in her school’s library had disappeared over the summer, including such favourites as the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series. “There were rows and rows of empty shelves with absolutely no books,” she said. Public outrage followed. Ontario’s Education Minister, Stephen Lecce, immediately condemned the removal of books as “oﬀensive, illogical and counterintuitive.” PDSB leadership, caught in the act, claimed it was all a simple “miscommunication,” although it was obvious from the document that staff were simply following instructions from board administrators. PDSB's deliberate policy of book destruction provides clear evidence of the dangers posed by handing administrative control of public institutions to anti-racist activists operating under the guise of promoting diversity, inclusion and equity. This rejection of the pluralism and freedom of thought inherent to expansive library collections is unfortunately infecting other 7

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The Voice of North Dundas

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New oﬃcers appointed for and we act like it isn’t com- many cases, services are not Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus pletely insane. Well… it is! adequately delivered, even

The hunger games by Brandon Mayer A problem that seems like it may never stop bearing down on us is the lack of easy access to healthcare in this province. A couple of weeks ago, Kemptville residents were on social media discussing the lack of family doctors in their town who are accepting new patients. As a South Mountain resident, I can’t wrap my head around Kemptville not having enough family doctors. How is it that the biggest small town in the area is lacking in a fundamental necessity for its residents? I contemplated this for a long while before deciding to put words down on the matter, and there were many diﬀerent culprits at whom I could have pointed the ﬁnger. Are local Councils not pushing enough to attract doctors? Is our area simply not attractive to working professionals? Are patients from outside the our area coming in and taking all the spaces? The answer to all of the above is simply… NO. Think higher up on the ladder. How has the Province allowed us to be in such a situation where we are competing with other municipalities to attract doctors? Why do we accept that it’s okay to pit ourselves against others for access to fundamental medical care? It’s like the hunger games,

I am not one of the many people who believe that private healthcare is the solution. I grew up poor and often feeling “second class”. I don’t have a problem with wealthier people buying nicer homes, nicer cars, and fancier dinners; but fundamental rights, like access to healthcare, should be equal for all. Wealthier people are already at an advantage in too many situations. The wealthier class has access to better lawyers when faced with a civil or criminal matter, and better quality education for their children. Privatized healthcare would just add to the divide. I suggest that it’s time to start seeing tax payments as transactions. Most of us pay thousands of dollars every year – directly oﬀ our paycheques – in provincial taxes. On most non-food purchases, we give 8% of this already-taxed money to the Province in the form of sales tax. For anyone earning more than $20,000 per year (a very outdated cutoff in this economy), we also pay for healthcare directly every year when ﬁling income tax returns. This annual fee can be up to $900 depending on income. Surely we can see healthcare in this province as not being “free”, but rather as something that has been paid for? And yet, in

though we’re fully paid up. A similar arrangement in the world of private transactions would be called a “scam”. Perhaps there should be no “Ontario Health Premium” (i.e. annual health tax) for those unable to secure a family doctor. Perhaps the Province should act as any other responsible paid service provider and incentivise hospital employees like doctors and nurses to stay in their roles, while also hiring more professionals to meet the demand of those who pay for services (i.e. all Ontarians). Perhaps it's time for us to stop calling healthcare “free”, and instead insist that we receive the proper healthcare we already pay for. There is no excuse for 10-hour hospital wait times, frequent hospital closures, and the near impossibility of getting on a family doctor’s patient roster. It's time for the Province to stop manipulating us into thinking that our local governments are the problem. Competing for doctors and nurses is ridiculous and distracts from the Province’s overall mismanagement of healthcare that has gone on long enough. We don’t want private healthcare. We just want public healthcare that works.

(left to right): EOWC Vice-Chair, Bonnie Clark (Warden of Peterborough County), EOWC Chair, Peter Emon (Warden of Renfrew County) At the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC) annual inaugural meeting on January 11 and 12, hosted by the County of Lennox and Addington, Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon was re-elected as Chair, and Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark was acclaimed as Vice-Chair for the 2024 term. Mr. Emon responded to his election: "I am honoured my colleagues in eastern Ontario have shown their faith in me once again. We will work together to address the issues and champion solutions that impact residents of rural eastern Ontario. I look forward to the year ahead and being around many decision-making tables”. In her statement follow-

ing her re-election, ViceChair Bonnie Clark said: "In my second year as ViceChair, I will continue to bring key issues forward on behalf of rural eastern Ontario municipalities and their residents. I look forward to working together with Chair Emon, our Caucus colleagues and staff, and identifying new priorities for the remainder of 2024." At the meeting, the 2023 EOWC members were thanked for their eﬀorts on behalf of residents of eastern Ontario. For the purposes of continuity, the EOWC will stay the course with its priorities for the initial months of 2024. This will inform advocacy during EOWC's delegation meetings at the 2024 Rural On-

tario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference to be held on Sunday, January 21 to Tuesday, January 23, in the City of Toronto. The EOWC’s priorities include affordable and attainable housing, and the 7 in7+ Regional Housing Plan, long-term care, and modernizing the construction approval process to support economic development. The Caucus will re-evaluate its strategic plan and priorities during the priority-setting EOWC meeting to be held in March 2024, as it has done in the past. The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC) Inc. is an incorporated nonproﬁt organization that includes the Heads of Council of 13 municipalities (11 upper-tier counties and two single-tier municipalities). The EOWC covers an area of approximately 50,000 square kilometres from Northumberland County to the Québec border. The EOWC supports and advocates on behalf of its 90 local municipalities and 800,000 residents across the region. The EOWC has gained support and momentum by speaking with a united voice to champion regional municipal priorities, and works with government, business leaders, the media, and the public.

Driver behaviour around school buses continues to alarm parents

Photo by local bus driver, Krista Lepage. by Brandon Mayer Parents of children who take buses to school are urging drivers to be more respectful of the rules when it comes to caution around school vehicles. A reminder of the road rules written by a parent in a commuJanuary 25, 2024

nity forum ended up eliciting responses from several other parents who have all had frustrating experiences of watching vehicles blow through the stop arm of their child’s bus. “No one would want to see the worst-case scenario

both ways and only crossing when it is safe. “Don’t assume everyone is paying attention,” he said. Thankfully, Jason’s son was not in danger when the recent incident occurred, because he didn’t have to cross the street. School bus drivers often play a key role in signaling to students that it’s safe to cross before they can proceed, since they can use mirrors to check for traﬃc. “In general, I think most of us live here because it's a safe spot to raise our children,” said Jason. “I’m just reminding people that we can do better.” Arthur Bedford is another parent who recently had a scary experience when waiting at the bus stop. Similar to what far too many parents report, Arthur witnessed a driver pass the stop arm on his children’s bus, even though he was standing in the middle of the road, and the driver had enough

occur,” said Jason Ball. “I really feel that this isn't indicative of most drivers in our town. Most are very conscientious and are paying attention.” Jason recently experienced a driver disobeying the ﬂashing signals and stop arm on his son’s bus, which prompted him to reach out publicly to remind drivers that there are severe legal penalties for breaking this road rule. Such penalties pale in comparison to the physical harm and emotional devastation should a child be struck trying to cross the road at a school bus stop. “People just need to be reminded to pay more attention, especially in more densely populated areas,” Jason added. “The new amber warning lights are deﬁnitely a step in the right direction.” Jason suggests that parents should talk to their children to ensure that they know to be aware of their surroundings, looking

awareness of the situation to slow down but still chose not to stop. “I think external cameras on the buses to capture cars would be a good idea,” said Arthur. “I think a lot of the drivers are genuinely distracted and not paying attention or paying more attention to kids in their car or being on the phone.” Arthur’s advice for other parents is to make yourself visible at your child’s bus stop to add an extra layer of protection. Indeed, when drivers know they are being observed breaking the law by the very people whose children are being put in danger, it may serve as a much stronger motivation to rethink their poor driving decisions than any potential ﬁnes or jail time could be. The law in the Ontario driving manual is clear: “As well as the upper alternating red ﬂashing lights, school buses use a stop-sign

arm on the driver’s side of the bus. This arm, a standard stop sign with alternating flashing red lights at top and bottom, swings out after the upper alternating red lights begin to flash. Remain stopped until the arm folds away and all lights stop flashing. It is illegal to fail to stop for a stopped school bus that has its red lights flashing. If you don’t stop, you can be fined $400 to $2,000 and receive six demerit points for a first offence. If you are convicted a second time within five years, the penalty is a fine of $1,000 to $4,000 and six demerit points. You could also go to jail for up to six months. In Ontario, school bus drivers and other witnesses can report vehicles that have illegally passed a school bus.” Keep our kids safe! Stop for the bus!

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New Year’s resolutions – physical activity by Danielle Labonte, RD, MPH, MAN, Public Health Nutritionist Increasing physical activity is another area that people often want to change in the New Year. Similar to eating, this is usually linked to wanting to change how our bodies look. Let’s start off by acknowledging that most people do not get enough physical activity in general, but what we want to avoid is linking physical activity to changing the way our bodies look. Research shows that this can actually demotivate people and create a negative relationship with being active. Instead, think about being active for reasons aside from how we look. For example, our mental health, stress management, blood sugar control, heart and bone health, as well as building and maintaining strength, flexibility, mobility, and independence as we age. Creating goals for ourselves to increase our activity is beneficial as it can lead to healthy habits to include more movement throughout our week, and including a variety of activities helps to improve our strength, flexibility, endurance, and mental health. It is recommended that adults get two and a half hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week. This can be in smaller chunks of ten minutes or more throughout the week, or in larger chunks less often. Whatever works for you! It is also recommended that we do strength activities for our muscles and bones at least twice a week. Some tips to help you make this a habit include: - scheduling it into your day; maybe you do something every morning, or certain days of the week; - being active with others; you could join a class or find a workout buddy; and - setting small, achievable goals to work towards; for example, walking longer, further, or faster each week. For more information, visit our Health Unit website at healthunit.org, follow us on Facebook and X, or give us a call at 1-800-660-5853.

Postbiotics for the gut, body, and brain

Last week’s column suggested that we are minnows in the grand life adventure. This week we’ll look at little beings in our bellies that seem to have outsized inﬂuence. What is it about these microscopic components of the gut-brain connection that leads us to thinking that a postbiotic supplement might be a very good investment. The gut microbiome is like a neighbourhood of friends you carry around in and on your body for your entire life. Just as the environment outside your body and the way you live your life have consequences for your well-being, this gooey world in your gut has an enormous impact on your health, from head to toe and cradle to grave. What exactly is it? The gut-brain microbiome refers to a bustling two-way street between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain, fueled in part by the vast community

of microorganisms residing in the gut. In 1972, microbiologist Thomas Luckey estimated the human gut is home to 100 trillion microorganisms – bacteria, viruses, fungi, and more. They make mighty contributions to brain health. About 90-95% of the body's serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation, is produced in the gut. Imbalances in the gut microbiome have been linked to various mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders. Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease have also been associated with alterations in the gut microbiota. How they work is being studied, but there seems to be a role in the progression of disease. The gut microbiome, when working well, helps

regulate the immune system too by distinguishing between harmful pathogens and beneficial microorganisms. When failing to perform, immune systems weaken, and inflammation goes unchecked. Chronic inflammation could be a sign of an unhealthy gut microbiome. This kind of inflammation has been implicated in various diseases, including those affecting the brain. Understanding this dynamic interplay between the gut and the brain is a rapidly evolving area of research, and there is still much to learn about the specifics of how the microbiome influences brain function and vice versa. However, it is increasingly clear that maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is important for overall health, including for mental and neurological health. Here’s the interesting part. Unlike our lot as minnows in the great ocean of life, we can influence our body’s inner ocean with the right fuel to achieve a better balance in the microbiome. A healthy gut will have ample communities of probiotics (healthy bacteria that convert fiber into beneficial compounds), prebiotics (a group of nutrients, mainly fiber, that feed these healthy bacteria), and postbiotics (bioactive compounds that offer important benefits to your body).

Thompson Road resident ﬁghting to have road ﬁxed

The condition of Thompson road over the holiday season. Photo by Cassandra MacDonald. tive, saying that tarred and by Brandon Mayer Cassandra MacDonald is chipped roads deliver “false not one to back down from promises” because the large a cause, especially when she vehicles that use North Dunknows it’s a good one. The das roads can easily break Thompson Road resident down the surface in a year or made CBC headlines last two. Tar-and-chip is a road week when she publicly surfacing method where ﬁne complained about the con- gravel or asphalt particles dition of her road, asserting are laid on hot tar to create that it needs to be tarred and a surface that is grittier and chipped due the presence of sturdier than a gravel road, countless large potholes that but not as high in quality make driving next to impos- or nearly as high in price as asphalt paving. sible in some sections. Following the Mayor’s Mayor Tony Fraser has provided a diﬀerent perspec- response, Cassandra is still January 25, 2024

going strong with her petition for the Township to proceed with tar-and-chip for Thompson Road. “I do not feel defeated at all, if anything I feel more motivated to keep collecting signatures supporting the cause,” Cassandra told the Times. “I know it is not only Thompson Road residents who are dealing with the issue of their road not being regularly maintained and wanting more eﬀort made from the Township.” Noting that the Mayor has stated the Township’s preference for paving over tar-and-chip, Cassandra had an answer for that too: “I would be happy to change the petition from ‘tarred and chipped’ to paving Thompson Road,” she said while also noting that she has done her research on tar-andchip, and is conﬁdent that it can last for many years if done properly and wellmaintained. North Dundas roads

are certainly not unique in their often poor condition. Municipalities on all sides of the border, including Ottawa, have some roads in very poor, often nearly impassable condition. “I absolutely do not believe that this is normal or acceptable,” said Cassandra. “The size of potholes that engulf your vehicle, and rip off parts of the undercarriage is what we have dealt with on numerous occasions. Some residents who use the road prefer to even drive along the surrounding farmers’ fields to avoid the road.” Cassandra further notes that she has spoken to commercial drivers who claim that the condition of Thompson Road makes it difficult to control their vehicle. When asked about Council’s previously stated position that road maintenance takes time and is a gradual process, Cassandra responded with a belief that this is simply an excuse. “I under-

stand that paving all the rural roads will take time, but regardless of paving them in a timely manner, all rural roads need to be regularly maintained, adding fresh gravel to them frequently and having properly trained operators running the graders. I am also curious about how the Township chooses which roads to be paved ﬁrst, as many dead-end roads and roads with very minimal thru-traﬃc have taken priority ahead of roads with more frequent traffic and residents.” The reason Cassandra decided to start her petition is because her oldest daughter starts school next year, and Cassandra currently doesn’t feel safe buckled into her own car, let alone having her unbuckled daughter riding in a bus along the extremely bumpy Thompson Road. Cassandra notes that she has talked to countless rural road residents in the Township who

A healthy individual eating a diet that includes plenty of fiber and essential nutrients should enjoy a robust, well-functioning gut. But many people are kidding themselves as they consume foods high in animal proteins, sugar, salt, and saturated fat – just the ticket to punish gut bacteria and invite inflammation and chronic disorders. Yet, as healthy food prices remain high, getting enough fiber and optimal nutrition is hard, even if you are trying to make the right choices. Is the cost of a supplement the right investment? If a boost to your microbiome gives you a better chance at reducing the risk of conditions like dementia, it’s money well spent. Postbiotics are a relatively new option, offering targeted formulas that deliver more efficacy in achieving health benefits. Visit your local health food store and find out why experts recommend one product over another. Be sure to purchase from trusted sources offering products containing high quality natural ingredients backed by independent clinical studies. Sign-up at www.docgiff. com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us on Instagram @ docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones.

feel the same way. “Here in the rural community, many of us are aggravated as we all pay residential taxes – and many of us also agricultural taxes – and feel as though we are completely forgotten about,” Cassandra added. “Other than regular garbage and recycling pick up weekly, what else do our taxes go to if we can’t even get regular maintenance done to ensure we have safe roads to travel home on?” Cassandra’s petition for having Thompson Road tarred and chipped currently has between 200 and 300 signatures. She is collecting signatures in person and would be happy to visit any local residents who wish to add their name – just send her an email to cassandra. macdonald@hotmail.com.

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Safe snowmobiling means not going out until it is safe

CROSSWORD

The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) launched Provincial Snowmobile Safety Week (January 13 – 21) by cautioning snowmobilers to always go online to consult the OFSC Interactive Snowmobile Trail Guide (ITG) before riding. Introduced in 2010, the proprietary ITG is well established as the sole authorized source for the status of 30,000 kilometres of OFSC Snowmobile Trails. With the unusually late start to this winter, this Safety Week update is especially important because most OFSC Prescribed Snowmobile Trails have been unavailable for recreational riding as of last week. Making trails ready to ride requires prolonged sub-zero temperatures to set a deep frost into the ground and to freeze waterways and swamps solid, along with enough snow so that groomers can pack a durable trail base. This essential and weather-dependent process is only beginning and may take a while to happen, so the OFSC emphasizes that riders must check trail status on the ITG to avoid trails that are not ready for snowmobiling at this time. “As we await the cooperation of Mother Nature, I urge snowmobilers to make safety their #1 priority,” said Ryan Eickmeier, OFSC CEO. “Our clubs are eagerly awaiting the right conditions to make trails available, and the Interactive Trail Guide (ITG) is the place to go for trail status information.” The OFSC also urges snowmobilers not to be fooled by an early snowfall or a skim of new ice into placing their lives in peril by travelling on newly formed or untested ice, riding off trail or running on public roads, none of which is a responsible alternative to GREEN or YELLOW trails as indicated on the ITG. The OFSC appeals to every snowmobiler not to head out for that first ride of this season too soon, and even when trails show GREEN or YELLOW on the ITG, always put personal safety first and ride responsibly by not taking unnecessary chances. In their statement on Snowmobile Safety Week, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding snowmobilers to stay off Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) Trails which remain closed at this time. They are also urging snowmobilers to stay off frozen waterways which unseasonably mild temperatures have made particularly unpredictable and unsafe throughout the Province. In the past 10 years, 158 snowmobilers did not make it home to their families in what were almost all preventable riding incidents. Common factors included driving too fast for the conditions, alcohol/drugs and riding on unsafe frozen waterways. Forty-one (41) percent of the fatalities were linked to alcohol/drugs and 36 percent of them occurred on frozen lakes and rivers (in OPP jurisdictions). Rohan Thompson, Deputy Commissioner, OPP Traffic Safety and Operational Support, emphasised the importance of ensuring safe conditions before venturing out: "Safe and responsible snowmobiling means not going out if there is any doubt about whether it is safe to do so. This cannot be overstated where frozen waterways are involved, which are never guaranteed to be 100 percent safe. Making smart decisions before and during your ride, such as always riding sober and drug-free, is what will get you home to your family." The OFSC Trail Guides are available at: www.ofsc.on.ca/trail-maps.

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, On Monday January 15th at around 3:50pm, I was driving home on HWY 43 east of Hallville where the road bends, when a big tractortrailer heading the opposite direction lost a load of ice and snow off the roof of the white trailer which flew into my lane. It flew off in huge chunks. I hit my brakes real hard but still didn’t miss the big chucks that were coming down. The front of my car was badly damaged! On the positive, I’m glad I have quick reflexes because only a foot or so further (a second of braking) and the huge chunk that hit the front of my car would have come through my windshield! It struck me when I got home, had that happened, I could have ended up on the side of the road in the ditch, in the hospital, or worse, killed. I was quite shaken up the rest of the night and the next day. I did see the name on the side of the trailer and called the company. I’ve since learned that they are well known in this area. At first they were real nice and said they would take care of things. The guy I spoke January 25, 2024

to Monday night said he’d check in the morning to see which truck was there. They all have GPS. Tuesday morning the guy emailed and called and said none of their trucks were in the area at that time. “It must have been someone who bought a trailer from them and didn’t remove the logo”. I should point out, he did ask for pictures of the damage on Monday night. Maybe they were surprised at the extent of the damage? Granted, they did say they checked their GPS logs and there wasn’t a truck in that area, so legitimately it might be a trailer they sold. I did tell them that selling a trailer with their logo on it was not a smart business move. It could tarnish their reputation. He went silent. I spent Tuesday ﬁlling out a police report, including “drawing the accident” as they asked. I’m being told to expect about a minimum $2,000, likely higher, bill for repair. I’ve since received a private message from someone on FB who got hit in the windshield with loose snow from the same truck

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ACROSS 1. A lyric poet 5. Documents 9. A stubborn person 13. Away from the wind 14. Conscious 16. Ancient 17. 50% 18. Transparent green gemstone 19. Happy 20. Delicacy 22. Make solemn 24. Fellas 26. Female demon 27. Tailed creepily 30. Casual eatery 33. Litterbug 35. Oozing 37. Sash 38. Black 41. C

42. Birds have them 45. Upper-class 48. Bureau 51. An anti-riot weapon 52. Undersides 54. Bearing 55. Similar to baseballs 59. Nigerian money 62. Sloth 63. Swings around 65. Russian monarch 66. Arouse 67. Guest inviters 68. Female chickens 69. Only 70. Which thing 71. Border DOWN 1. Thai currency 2. Winglike 3. Delegating 4. Foreclosure cause

(time and location exactly the same as me). She didn’t Solutions to last week’s Sudoku see the logo, but she said it scared her and the grandchildren when it hit. She said she was lucky it was just snow, because there wasn’t any damage. What has me upset, and I dare say even angry about this is that there should be a way to track down whose truck it is. I have since Easy learned that any truck that travels over 160km radius from its business location must have ELD (Electronic Logging Device). Surely someone out there knows. I came close to being killed! Would there be more of a community rally if I had? Is that what it’s going to take for some action to stop this from happening again to someone else? It’s the law to clean off a tractor trailer like Hard it’s a law to clean off a car. I hope they find the truck responsible and somehow enforce the requirements to clean off the rigs before someone does get killed. If anyone witnessed this incident, please reach out to the newspaper staff so they can put us in touch. Lynne Leblanc

5. Apply gently 6. Is endebted to 7. Christmas song 8. 1st American space station 9. Powerful businessperson 10. Type of fruit 11. Table extender 12. Countercurrent 15. Lacquer ingredient 21. Kid 23. Overlook 25. Arid 27. At low speed 28. Leg bone 29. Cotillion girl 31. Acknowledged 32. Drama set to classical music 34. Not a column 36. Cravings 39. Mesh 40. Primordial matter 43. Hand movement 44. Pretentious person 46. Been in bed 47. Inhale 49. Conﬂict 50. Color of the midday sun 53. Partially melted snow 55. Figure out (British) 56. Aware of 57. Flunk 58. Bristle 60. Sounded a bell 61. Rear end 64. Supersonic transport

Medium

Solution to last week’s Crossword

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Registering your child Rockets bounce back after first loss of season Mustangs. Other notable Link for kindergarten - 101 by Murray The North Dundas Se- performances were #66 by the Upper Canada District School Board Starting kindergarten marks an exciting chapter for families. In this pivotal stage, children learn the fundamentals of math and literacy but also develop independence, problemsolving skills, and the ability to think critically about their surroundings. For parents and guardians, enrolling your child in kindergarten can be a learning experience for you too. Here is some information to help you navigate the process. If you have more questions, reach out to your local school or contact the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) at 1-800-267-7131 for assistance. Full-day kindergarten in Ontario Children are eligible to start school in the year they turn four years old. All schools in Ontario offer full-day kindergarten, which means students go all day, each day. The kindergarten curriculum centres around play-based learning, fostering the development of crucial social and emotional skills and teaching students how to establish and navigate relationships. Through these play-based learning programs, kindergarten students not only refine their social and emotional abilities but also lay the groundwork for academic growth. The full-day structure helps to develop essential skills, including problem-solving, creative thinking, and critical analysis in literacy and math. Children enrolled in kindergarten have a stronger start in school with improved early reading, writing, and math skills. Along with developing the capacity for future learning, kindergarten gives children the opportunity to socialize with other children and develop social and academic skills for future success. How do I pick a school? Selecting the right school for kindergarten will depend on your location and transportation needs. If there are several schools in your area to choose from, visit each one to determine the one that fits your family’s needs. All UCDSB schools organize kindergarten information sessions in January and February, followed by open houses in the spring. Check out when your local school is hosting its session. When do I register for Kindergarten? Registration for the 2024-2025 school year with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) is open now. The earlier you register the better, so that we can plan for their arrival in the fall. However, parents and guardians can register their child at any time during the year that the child turns four years of age. How do I register? Parents and guardians can register their child online or in person at your school. Phone your local school or 1-800267-7131 for assistance. What do I need to register? When you register your child for kindergarten, you will need proof of age and address. Proof of age could be a Birth Certificate, Passport, Certificate of Canadian Citizenship, Statement of Live Birth or Permanent Resident Card. The address provided for your child must be the same address as the parent or guardian. For this, you can use a utility bill, cable or internet bill, lease/rental agreement, mortgage agreement/proof of purchase agreement or other official document. When you register online, you will need to share these documents with the school before your child starts school, but the school will let you know when! What vaccinations are required for children? Under Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act, parents or guardians are required to provide proof of immunization (or appropriate exemption documents) for certain diseases. Proof of immunizations should be provided to the local Health Unit (measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough, chickenpox, and meningococcal disease). This record of immunization is required to assist the local Health Unit to meet their requirement under the Act to collect and maintain immunization records for every child registered in school. A COVID-19 vaccination is not required to attend school. Any questions regarding immunizations can be directed to your local Health Unit. The school does not collect proof of immunizations or any health records. Are there child care options available? Many UCDSB schools have third-party child care providers who operate within their buildings, providing before and after-school care, as well as care for pre-school age children. Find more details on our registration page: www.ucdsb. on.ca/for_families/registration.

January 25, 2024

nior Rockets were on the road the past to weekends and experienced their first loss of the season. On January 13, the Rockets travelled to Long Sault to take on their division rivals the South Stormont Mustangs. This would mark the last meeting for the two teams before playoff time. In one of the best rivalry’s in the EOSHL, the Rockets seemed to have had the Mustangs number by narrowly winning all three games played between the two clubs this season. “You have to be on your game” remarked Rob Sadler, the Rockets head Coach when asked about how his team stacks up against the competition….” They are a great team with a ton of depth and speed”. Wi t h b o t h t e a m s poised with scoring ability, the Rockets outshot their opponents 39-30 in front of a packed crowd in the Long Sault arena. The much anticipated game ended up in a goaltender duel with the Mustangs leading 2-1 for most of the game and ending the perfect season of the Rockets with an empty netter in the last minute for a final score of 3-1. Ryan Lough scored the lone goal for the visiting team with assists by Tanner Williams and Shawn Moors). “We couldn’t buy a goal, a couple of posts and a crossbar…. it wasn’t our night” Lamented Sadler. The Rockets bounced back in high flying fashion eight days later on January 21, vs the Bytown Royals with a decisive 8-5 win. In their final road game of the year, the Senior squad came out firing taking a 6-1 lead, just four minutes into the second period. When asked about the game #91 Andrew Radjenovic commented “We came out hard and didn’t want to leave anything to chance”. Radjenovic took home first star of the game with an impressive 4 pts (3G, 1A) with his first hat trick as a Rocket. In the 17th game of the season, the win vs Bytown extended the Rockets season point total to 32 points….one more win will solidify first place in the East division ahead of the South Stormont

Brett Gustavsen who had 3 pts (0G, 3A) on the night. Gustavsen, last years EOSHL oﬀensive player of the year currently has 44 pts (15G, 29A) and is leading the league once again ahead of South Stormont’s Isaac Barr, who has 37 points. Rockets goaltender #25 Matt Jenkins also recorded his 14th win of the season, which currently puts him ahead of Bailey Miracle, of the Deseronto Bulldogs who has recorded 10 wins on the season. The Rockets are at home the ﬁnal 3 games of the regular season. On Saturday January 27, they will take on the Paugan Falls Rapids, puck drop at 2:15. To keep up with the Rockets and other teams in the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League, make sure to visit their Facebook page or visit eosh.hockeyshift.com for a very user friendly website. The question is: ARE YOU GOING TO THE GAME!

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The Food Corner

Baldwin's Birds

by Paul Cormier of Salamanders, Kemptville This week is the third in a series on traditional comfort food. First was Maple Johnny Cake, then Blueberry Grunt. Today’s recipe takes advantage of that rhubarb you blanched and froze this past summer or fall. If you didn’t, you can ﬁnd some in the frozen food section of your local grocery store. It is Rhubarb Cobbler. Notice the names of these dishes, whose origins go way back in Canadian, Scottish and Irish history.

Which one is which?

Rhubarb Cobbler

Ingredients 4 cups of rhubarb pieces ½ cup of white granulated sugar + 3 tablespoons 1 cup of water 2 tablespoons of cornstarch 2 cups of flour 3 teaspoons of baking powder ¼ cup of shortening 1 cup of milk Preparation · Preheat your oven to 425 F · Mix the sugar and cornstarch and add the rhubarb and water · Combine the flour, baking powder and 2 tablespoons of sugar · Cut in the shortening to get the consistency of cornmeal · Add the milk and mix into a batter · Pour the rhubarb mixture into a 9X9 inch pan and place in the oven till it boils · Then, drop the batter by tablespoon onto the hot rhubarb mixture · Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and bake for another 20 minutes This is another comfort dish that you will wish to serve hot from the oven with some tea or coffee. Hot apple cider (with a cinnamon stick) or Glühwein works really well also. This is great for après-ski. Stay well as we winter on and be in touch at pcormier@ ranaprocess.com.

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The North Dundas Times

A Crow

With the varying seasonal weather affecting ourselves and the birds and their varieties, there comes a time when you tend to get a bit blase and think that the bird you are looking at on your feeder is the same one you saw yesterday. How can that be? Well, let's look at some of my recent sightings that I may have mentioned in my articles, or not, giving rise to that interminable question - which one is which? There are three quizzical examples I can give you straight away: a) Is it a Sharp shinned Hawk or a Coopers Hawk? b) Is it a Crow or a Raven? c) Is it a Purple Finch or a House Finch? Oh how easy those sound to you, because of the possible familiarity you might have yourself with some of the pairs, if not all of them. It is this familiarity that can trip you up when identifying them, because there are only very subtle differences between any of these pairs, and they are so subtle that even many of the "experts" have difficulty separating them to give a positive answer to the question. I am definitely not an expert, nor even profess to be, so I have to resort to the same resources to secure an answer as you yourselves do - viz. bird books, internet, and knowledgeable friends. Drawing conclusions from what you glean from these sources can be quite an educational activity, which is well worth doing if you have any doubts at all as to which one of the two you are actually looking at. I can assure you, the time that you spend doing your own research is a very enjoyable, mentally therapeutic and rewarding learning tool. If you reach a logical and satisfactory conclusion to obtain the answer for yourself, then you are well ahead of the game. I hope that this gives you another outlet to explore the many different facts about our avian friends that you might or might no, already know. Have fun anyway and stay safe and well. Cheers, John Baldwin

Notes from above ground

The last enemy by David Shanahan I am not getting older. Unfortunately, my body is, much to my annoyance. I can’t run as fast as I could when I was younger. In fact, I’m not sure I can still run at all. An awareness of my mortality is a constant factor in my life, with every ache and pain, and with every new prescription my doctor writes for me. I am by no means alone in this experience, of course. We all, every one of us, either do, or will experience the same thing, though it is not something people like to talk about. When you think about it, it is absolutely amazing how unwilling people generally are to think about, much less talk about death. It is the one great experience every single one of us have in common. We use euphemisms: “passed away”, “departed”, “no longer with us” - anything rather than say “died”. This can lead to funny situations, like in a movie I saw where a character refers to his January 25, 2024

dear departed wife. When he’s asked, in solemn tones, “Is she dead?”, his response is: “no, just departed”. Human beings have an astonishing ability to ignore something that they don’t want to acknowledge about themselves. But it is increasingly difficult in this connected world of ours to ignore the fact that people are dying every day, many in the most tragic ways: suicide bombers killing dozens, disease and hunger taking men, women and children without mercy. Death is something that is a fact of life as we know it. Another quote from a movie: “Someone has died: that’s life!” Christians have an interesting attitude to death. On the one hand, Paul calls death “the last enemy” and Jesus wept over the death of his friend Lazarus. On the other hand, to fully quote Paul: “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15.26). Perhaps we react so negatively to the idea of death

because it is not “natural” machines and surgery. in a way. Death was never We are bombarded with meant to be part of the hu- advertisements for things man experience, accord- that will make us look ing to Christian teaching. younger and feel younger. It is a major eﬀect of the We want to deny that, not Fall, something that came only are we ageing, but into human experience that we cannot, no matter through rebellion against what we do, escape the God. inevitability of death. The The writer of the letter fear of death, as the writer to the Hebrews says that says, holds us in captivity. one of the main results I know that the popof the life and death of ping of one little brain Jesus is that death itself cell could kill me. The has been conquered and misbehaviour of a few the power of death over cells can result in a faus has been broken. What tal disease. We are surdoes that mean? Look rounded by dangers and at what the writer says: we cannot completely “Since the children have shield ourselves or our ﬂesh and blood, he too loved ones. shared in their humanity There are differing so that by his death he ways of responding. Igmight break the power nore the whole thing and of him who holds the drift into death with eyes power of death - that is, averted. Others revolt the devil - and free those in anger and, like Dylan who all their lives were Thomas, declare: “Do not held in slavery by their go gentle into that good fear of death” (Hebrews night, Old age should 2.14-15). burn and rage at close of The fear of death has day; rage, rage against the driven people to murder, dying of the light”. Others war, hatred and, on a more accept the inevitable with mundane level, spending resignation, believing that millions of dollars on death is the end, so why health regimes, exercise fear nothingness? 12

Christians have a different attitude, one based on knowledge of what has happened in Christ: “He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1.9-10). Jesus conquered death for me when he died and rose again. Death is not the end, and the darkness holds no fear any longer

for those who know him who came back in victory. “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11.25-26). Do you believe this? I do. Here are great lyrics by Iris DeMent, to sum it up: “When my morning comes around, from a new cup I'll be drinking And for once I won't be thinking there's something wrong with me And I'll wake up and ﬁnd that my faults have been forgiven Oh and that's when I'll start living, when my morning comes around”. Amen.

Mark Larin

Piano Tuning & Servicing

613.936.3912 marklarin@gmail.com www.ndtimes.ca