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May 5, 2016
Vol. 16, No. 18
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Accidents at ATV run test emergency services by Jeff Green
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n April 30, two accidents took place at almost the same time at different locations about a quarter of the way along the route of the North Frontenac Spring Volunteers ATV Ride for Dad. Both accidents were in areas without cell service, and one of them resulted in a serious injury. Three women suffered injuries and one of them, the driver of a two-seater ATV carrying one of the other women, was seriously injured. In responding to the accidents, all the preparation and training that the North Frontenac and neighbouring fire crews have undertaken over the years came into play. At Saturday’s run, George Ross, the deputy fire chief for the Ompah crew of the North Frontenac department, was overseeing emergency operations at the Ompah fire station. “We had three outfitted emergency ATVs rolling on the day,” said Ross, “and it was one of them that came upon the rollover that involved two riders.” When they called the accident in to the Ompah station at about 11:30 am, the call also went straight to the emergency dispatch centre in Kingston. Paramedics from the nearby Robertsville station in North Frontenac were the first on the scene, and were followed by two Lennox and Addington crews. “The location of the accident was not accessible to the ambulance trucks,” said Ross, “so they went to the closest spot, at Arcol Road and Hydro Lane. The emergency ATV crews had to bring the women out to them in what we call a basket.” Because of the nature of the injuries, progress along the 2½ to 3 kilometre stretch was slow, at walking pace, to make the ride as smooth as possible. Over 850 riders were participating in the run, which is one of the premier tourist events in North Frontenac each spring, so other fire crew members dealt with traffic flow to ensure a clear passage. Once the women were delivered to the ambulance, the paramedics took over. The victim in the second accident was ferried out to the same location by one of the
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Air ambulance at Ompah helipad - photo courtesy of Frontenac Paramedic Services riders she was travelling with. By the time the paramedic services took over, the decision had already been made to engage ORNG, the Ontario Air Ambulance Service, because of the nature of the injuries and the distance to hospital. The seriously injured victim was transported by ambulance to the Ompah helipad, where the air ambulance was waiting. After a few minutes were taken to ready the patient for the transfer, she was loaded onto the helicopter and whisked away to hospital. Although the name of the woman has not been released, she is known to be an experienced rider who has participated in most, if not all, of the previous ATV runs, and is a seasonal resident of the township. She is recovering in hospital, the News has learned. The logistics of the rescue, which involved the run’s organizers, fire services, dispatch, and air and ground ambulance in a remote location with no cell phone coverage, and
in a circumstance where time and careful treatment were of the essence, is something that could well have been imagined as an emergency preparedness or first response exercise. Coincidentally, the accidents took place on April 30, the day before First Responders Day, May 1, and the kickoff day for Emergency Preparedness Week, which is May 1 to May 7. As for the ATV run itself, according to one of the organizers, Denis Bedard, the 850 riders was a record number. The run raised $15,000 for the Ompah Community Volunteer Association; $7,500 for the Ride for Dad program, which combats prostate cancer; $2,000 for the North Frontenac Food Bank; and $500 for programs at Clarendon Central Public School in Plevna. “All in all, the weather co-operated, the participants enjoyed themselves, and the volunteers out-did themselves,” said Bedard.
the grass on May 1, the league’s second Sunday, was nothing compared to the hive of energy and activity that was taking place inside. The music was loud and clear thanks to a new sound system; the lighting brighter and the stands were packed with onlookers as three separate games took place simultaneously. Over 265 youngsters of all ages were playing, each with new jerseys, and Laprade was thrilled to see the sport take off. “The response was overwhelming right from the start and it’s great to see the place just rocking,” he said on Sunday afternoon. The league quickly registered with the Ontario Ball Hockey Association, and the FMHA also applied for a Trillium grant, and received funds to train coaches and referees.
“One of my goals as arena manager has been to find ways to increase programming during the off season. From March until September it has been sitting empty and I knew there was an opportunity here," Laprade said. Laprade said that a number of initiatives have been fulfilled since the new league began, including the installation of the new sound system. The arena’s capital fund also paid for new overhead lighting, which replaced the old metal halide lights with new LED lights that are not just brighter but also more efficient. Laprade said that new spectator heating has also been installed thanks to the Turn Up the Heat campaign, which will keep spectators more comfortable when the
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by Jonas Bonnetta orh Frontenac Council chose to move forward with adding a 2265 square foot addition to the existing township building as well as renovating the existing structure in a three-phase construction project. Jeremy Neven, the Chief Building Official, and Larry Gaines, the architect who designed the new building and addition, were at the meeting on Friday to discuss any questions and concerns that Council had about the designs. Neven explained that the construction project would be rolled out in three phases. The first stage is building the new addition on the current township building. The second phase is renovating the exterior of the existing building including windows, doors, and insulation. The final phase is renovating the interior of the existing building, which includes mechanical upgrades, electrical work, and finishing. Gaines spoke about how he attempted to incorporate some of North Frontenac’s character into his design with a proposed timber frame structure over the entrance-way and stonework on the exterior. “The project costs have certainly accelerated,” Councilor Dennis Bedard said. One of the proposals that Bedard brought to Council back in August of last year was to add an additional 1,500 square feet to the existing building at a cost of $900,000. “My gut feeling, in terms of doing renovations, is it’s never under. It’s always over,” said Bedard. “You’re absolutely right but I think we’ve accounted for that,” Gaines told Bedard. “I want to know how we’re going to pay for this,” Bedard said. “$1.3 million. I’m really uncomfortable with that dollar figure.” “Reserves and loans,” Mayor Ron Higgins said. North Frontenac Treasurer Kelly Watkins said that a loan would cost $59,000 a year for 25 years on a 3.24%, guaranteed, interest rate. “If we don’t do something this year then it gets more expensive next year,” Mayor Higgins said. “Would it be worth waiting to see if we can lessen the burden on these taxpayers to see if we can get federal and provincial grants?” Councilor Bedard asked. “I don’t know about you folks but constituent-wise I think a lot of people are not in favour of that kind of money being spent on a building.” “I’ve had more positive comments on a new building than renovating this old building,” Councilor Gerry Martin said. Currently there is no funding available to help subsidize the construction project. “I don’t think we’re going to get a better
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Ball Hockey buzz hits the Frontenac Arena by Julie Druker im Laprade, Arena and Recreation Supervisor for the Township of South Frontenac, had a vision about making the Frontenac Community Arena a continuing destination for youngsters and their families after the ice hockey season is over. Back in December he put a call out to see if anyone wanted to run a ball hockey league. Laprade got an overwhelming response both from local individuals and the Frontenac Minor Hockey Association, and the rest, as they say, is history. Now just two weeks into its opening season, the Frontenac Ball Hockey League has eager players and their families flocking to Piccadilly. The sheer number of cars that filled the parking lot and spilled over onto
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