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Vol. 7
No. 12
YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE
DECEMBER 2020
Smiths Falls donors come through for food bank Smiths Falls - Chris Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca
The annual Build a Mountain of Food campaign in support of local food banks scored another huge success in Smiths Falls this year, with Andress’ Your Independent Grocer owner Dan Andress reporting that customers purchased 1,200 bags of food in record time. Although the store has succeeded in selling 1,200 bags for donation to the Smiths Falls Community Food Bank for each of the past three years, said Andress, “This is the quickest they’ve ever gone.” Each bag has a retail value of $22 but can be purchased for $10. A total of 1,200 bags sold meant that the community donated 18,000 pounds of food worth $12,000 to the local food bank. “We had already sold 648 bags between Monday and Fri-
day,” said Andress. The campaign’s one-day drive in Smiths Falls took place Saturday, Nov. 21. People are eager to help, he added, because “They thought it was a wonderful thing that the community was doing.” A crew of volunteers assembled to pack the bags, and to transport them to the food bank. In addition to this community support, the store also donated 44,000 pounds of perishable items. The 2020 RCL Automotive Build a Mountain of Food Campaign’s Nov. 21 Smiths Falls food drive also had support from Giant Tiger, The Garden Market and some other local businesses. In a comment on the Smiths Falls Community Food Bank’s Facebook page, food bank manager Natalia Soteroff said that the community’s generosity has ensured that no
one will go hungry in our town. “Again a huge thank you to Andress’ Independent, Giant Tiger and The Garden Market for always being huge supporters,” she added. The food bank counts on the success of the annual drive to keep its shelves stocked for many months. The Build A Mountain of Food campaign was originally launched in 2007. This year the campaign is taking place in a total of 11 communities, including Almonte, Carleton Place, Perth, Lanark, Smiths Falls, Westport, Elgin, Portland, Merrickville, Athens and Delta. Last year’s six-week campaign collected 238,882 pounds of food and over $196,000 in cash donations. The 2020 campaign began in Almonte on Nov. 7 and will conclude Dec. 12 with food drives in Athens and Delta.
Andress’ Your Independent Grocer owner Dan Andress reports that customers once again stepped up to the plate in 2020 to buy 1,200 bags of food to be donated to the Smiths Falls Community Food Bank. The Build A Mountain of Food campaign came to Smiths Falls Nov. 21. Photo credit: Chris Must.
Local municipalities getting creative for pandemic Christmas
Smiths Falls kicked off its 2020 Festival of Lights Nov. 22. Displays may be viewed until Jan. 3. Photo credit: Submitted.
Smiths Falls - Chris Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca Christmas across Lanark County will look much different in 2020, as the province-wide state of emergency prohibits gatherings of more
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than 10 people. Local municipalities have been looking for creative ways to mark the season as annual parades and parties are cancelled. In a sign of the current times, Lanark County TourFacebook/HometownnewsPerth
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ism’s website includes a notice stating: “The Province of Ontario has declared a State of Emergency. All Public Events over 10 people are prohibited until further notice.” In Smiths Falls, the San-
ta Claus parade normally held by the first weekend in December is off the table in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Events are illegal, or at least gatherings are illegal,” said Art Manhire, Director of Community Services for the town of Smiths Falls. “It wasn’t feasible to start planning the event.” However, the town was able to kick off its Festival of Lights Nov. 22, and plans to keep a continuous display of lights and decorations leading from the town hall to Centennial Park below the water tower in place until Jan. 3. The town website includes the advice, “Please ensure you practice physical distancing between yourself and those outside your social bubble.” Manhire said there will also be a couple of visits from Santa to Centennial
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Park while the lights are on, with dates in times to be announced by the town in the near future. Annual festive events at Heritage House Museum are also cancelled in 2020. To help spread some holiday cheer the town is sponsoring a Christmas decorating contest. All residents and business owners are being encouraged to light up their home, business, window, or front yard for the holidays. Participants can register for the contest by visiting https:// forms.gle/gTJyqWsUDrw4cCMCA. Contestants are asked to upload a photo of their home or business, taken at night, for other citizens to vote on. A map is to be posted on the town’s Facebook page Dec. 6 showing all the participating locations. Judging will be completed by the community between
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Dec. 7 and 13. The locations with the most votes through Speak Up Smiths Falls will win! The top three locations with the most likes will receive a prize (exact prize to be determined). Fireworks purchased by the town for Canada Day were never used, said Manhire. The town is hoping to find a way to put on a fireworks display for New Year’s while adhering to provincial health regulations. “Our caseload has been excellent here,” said Manhire. “We’ve been very successful in being safe.” Also going ahead this year is the Smiths Falls Community Hospital Foundation’s annual tree lighting. The lighting ceremony will be held live on Facebook at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. continues on page 2 www.Hometownnews.ca
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