Yourway
July 4, 2013
Vol. 13, No. 26
$1.00 incl. GST. Home | Auto Commercial
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A fitting send off for Hinchinbrooke school North J Frontenac achieves dark skies designation anice Peters, the long time office manager at Hinchinbrooke Public School, couldn't let the final day of classes in the school's history pass without some sort of gesture. The school did have an official closing on June 15, but this was the final day, the final time the buses would come into the parking lot and gather up all the children and take them away for the summer. Janice had an idea. Helium balloons, (biodegradable helium balloons in fact) one for each child, to be released just before they boarded the buses. This children and staff gathered in front of the school. Most of them held on to their balloons until the proper moment, and they let go. The balloons floated up into the sky as everyone watched, and then drifted away. There were some hugs; some tears were wiped away. The children got on the buses, and the buses drove off, leaving a quiet, empty building in their wake. Hinchinbrooke Public School opened in 1966. It served the population of Hinchinbrooke township, and later, Central Frontenac, for 47 years. There is a committee working on a plan to keep the building in public use as a recreational centre.
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Canada Day festivities in the region W
Canada Day in Denbigh: A big thank you to the Denbigh Recreation Committee for hosting the annual Canada Day celebrations. The evening was full of fun for all ages and ended with a bang; an amazing fireworks show. Thank you to the fire department as well, for your hand in the fireworks display. - Angela Bright
Jack Russell 'Mia' and friends enjoying the Harrowsmith Parade - see more Canada Day coverage on page 12
by Julie Druker
ell the weather could have been better, but it also could have been worse. It did not keep patriotic celebrants from enjoying a plethora of activities put on by countless community/recreation groups and their army of volunteers, who work so hard every year to make Canada Day one to remember in North, Central and South Frontenac, Addington Highlands and Western Lanark County. Revelers from here and afar took part in the numerous parades, flotillas, and a wide variety of all day festivities in Sydenham, Harrowsmith, Arden, Verona, Sharbot Lake, Parham, Matawatchan, Snow Road, Ompah, McDonalds Corners, Ompah, Wilton and Denbigh. Activities included duct tape boat races, scenic cruises and of course, a wealth of children’s activities, plus live musical entertainment on many stages by many local musicians - and lots of food of course. Many celebrations ended with spectacular fireworks in the sky. And so once again ended another birthday party in Canada and it seemed that another very good time was had by all who said phooey to the thermometers and the clouds overhead.
Crow Lake float in Sharbot Lake parade
Don’t Lose Your Cool
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orth Frontenac Township is the first municipality in Canada to achieve the designation of Dark Skies Preserve from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. The designation is in recognition of efforts, led by the townships Economic Development Task Force, to develop an observation pad off road 506 that is open to the public year round, and is also the location of a Dark Skies events in the summer and fall season. There are numerous dark skies preserves in he country, but this is the first time that an entire municipality is achieving that designation. After receiving an application earlier this year from the township, the Royal Society said they would approve the designation if the township was willing to enact a new lighting policy. The policy commits the township to using only International Dark Sky Association approved lights in all new installations and when lights need to be replaced. The township is also committed to carrying out a communications plan aimed at educating permanent and seasonal residents of the benefits and cost savings of adopting Dark -Sky lighting, but the new policy calls for only voluntary compliance among township residents and business owners. Still, at least one member of Council, Gerry Martin, expressed the concern that he township is edging towards legislating the king of outdoor lighting that township residents are allowed to purchase. “I find there is a real Big Brother aspect to this. I don't like hat,” he said. But, as Mayor Bud Clayton explained when asked about the new policy by a member of the public, “all we are contemplating doing is encouraging modern lighting techniques, which are more efficient, light up the ground rather than he sky, and save money. There will be no forced compliance.” With the policy in place, the township will now focus on the grand opening of the North Frontenac Obseravtory, which is slated for Saturday, August 3rd. The observatory, which is located next to a township helipad, has been the site of dark skies events in the past. Now, thanks to $41,000 in Frontenac County Federal Gas tax rebate money, there is a new concrete pad for the observatory, as well as a parking lot, privies, and picnic tables. The site also has hydro available for powered telescopes. “Since we started this initiative, we have had a lot of support from astronomers from throughout the region who value the dark skies that we have in North Frontenac. We are accessible by car from Kingston and Ottawa, but the light from both of those cities does not overly impact our viewing. And with 70% of our land being crown, the viewing is
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