Lanark, North Leeds & Grenville - Hometown News September 2021

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Vol. 8

No. 9

YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE

SEPTEMBER 2021

Safe routines, hope and optimism as school begins Regional - Janelle Labelle editorial@pdgmedia.ca

As we head back to school in yet another pandemic year, teachers, students, and parents are gearing up to do all they can to ensure that in-person learning is safe and effective. The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) have both shared their safe re-entry plan for September in order to prepare staff and students for safe schooling during the fourth wave.

First Defense The primary defense against the spread of Covid-19 in schools continues to be good hand hygiene, masking, and social distancing. Students in grades 1-12 will wear masks on buses and indoors, while kindergarteners are encouraged to do so if they are able. Hand washing and sanitizing upon entering school, between tasks and before eating will be mandatory, and any who are exempt from wearing masks will be asked to maintain a distance of two metres or greater from others. CDSBEO is encouraging any student unable to

wear a mask to participate in remote learning.

Daily Screening The province of Ontario has provided an online screening tool which every student, teacher, and school staff member must complete before going to school each morning. Both UCDSB and CDSBEO may ask students and staff to provide daily confirmation of completing the self-screening tool (parents may complete the screening on behalf of young students).

Staff and students with any Covid-19 symptoms will be expected to stay home.

Cohorts Students in kindergarten to grade 8 will continue to be in cohorts. Like last year, students will have staggered recess times to limit contact with other students in the schoolyard. Unlike last year, masks will not be required for outdoor activities. High school students will not be in cohorts, however, they will again follow the quadmester system (four semesters), with two classes per day in order to limit the number of contacts. UCDSB notes that when possible, washrooms will be cohorted as well to minimize contacts.

Masks, good hand hygiene, and social distancing are the first steps in a safe re-entry to school this fall. Photo credit: Janelle Labelle

Choosing Remote Learning Both boards are encouraging all students to return to in-person learning, however, remote learning remains an option for those who wish to continue following this model. Remote learning will be available at least until the end of 2021; CDSBEO will decide in late fall if it will continue to be offered in 2022. UCDSB will share its decision on continuing re-

mote learning by January 1.

Clubs and Activities UCDSB announced that clubs, activities, sport teams, and extracurriculars are permitted this year. Cohorts may interact outdoors with physical distancing encouraged, and indoors with masking.

UCDSB UCDSB writes: this fall, UCDSB educators will focus on connecting with students and reinforcing daily

Get to know local candidates For federal election candidate profiles SEE PAGES 6&7

FIND US ONLINE

Groceries Produce Fresh Flowers

Regional - Janelle Labelle editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Every few years, Canadians are privileged to be able to make their mark in politics. I’m not talking about making your mark as a politician, although there are plenty of candidates who sign up for that as well. I mean actually making a mark, making an X on a ballot box that impacts the leadership in our corner of the world.

I remember the first time I was aware of an election taking place. I was young, and hadn’t learned voting Facebook/HometownnewsPerth

Fresh Deli Fresh Fish

Bakery Salad Bar Butcher’s Counter

etiquette yet. A neighbour got out of her car and told me she had just voted. I asked who she had voted for, and she bent down and politely told me that wasn’t a pertinent question. “The important thing is to know who you would vote for, and why. You don’t need to tell the neighbours, you just need to tell the government on voting day,” she told me.

Our team of writers has reached out to local candidates in order to share their platforms and political positions with you in the on pages 6 - 7.

The Carleton Place

and District Chamber of Commerce and the Lanark Federation of Agriculture will be hosting an All-Candidates Event for the riding of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston. This event will be held on Tuesday September 7, and moderated by Andrea McCoy Naperstkow. If you would like more information about this event or are interested in submitting a question, please contact Jackie Kavanagh at 613 257-1976 or jackie@cpchamber.com or Nancy Fleming (LFA) at 613-285-7575 or nancy. warren@sympatico.ca.

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school routines. Educators will strive to meet students where they are and prioritize key curricular outcomes to shape the curriculum to the learner. There will be an emphasis on self-regulation, social emotional learning, and well-being for all.

CDBSEO CDSBEO writes: We celebrate and honour the efforts of staff, students, families, and community

members who have risen to this unprecedented challenge. With this in mind, we prepare for the 2021-22 school year with hope and optimism. We recognize the importance of returning students to a more normal, full-time, in-person learning environment as we know this is key to their well-being and long-term success.

Your Choice for Change!

MICHELLE FOXTON Federal Liberal Candidate for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston

For 20 years LFK has sat at the end of the bench – it’s time for change!

A vote for foxton is a vote for leadership on climate change, accessible housing, investment in small business and community infrastructure.

Advance Polls – September 10th to 13th

Election Day – September 20th

www.MFoxton.ca @MFoxtonLFK 1-888-920-8457 #Forward With Foxton Authorized by the official agent of Michelle Foxton.

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2

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Hometownnews

September 2021

Page Two

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Patricia Krotki pmkrotki@pdgmedia.ca

Kathy Botham

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Kathy Botham Sally Smith Chris Must Janelle Labelle Brian Turner John Kessel Shannon McLellan Catherine Poag

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Cartoon by Patrick Labelle

mammoth cheese - 1893 LEFT: In 1893, a 22,000 pound cheese known as the 'Mammoth Cheese' was produced in Perth to be exhibited in Chicago at the World's Columbian Exposition to promote Canadian cheese around the world. It arrived at the fair on April 25, 1893. Photo credit: beautifulperth.com

by sally smith

BOTTOM: The Mammoth Cheese” leaving Perth, Ontario, en route to the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. Photo credit: facebook.com/LibraryArchives

A challenge to his ego…dog’s too

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It’s come to this…

Every hour or so I get a report on ‘squirrels’.

“I can’t believe what the little buggers have done now.”

(There are five black and two grey.)

“They come head first down the tree, wait until the feeder swings towards them, jump to the rope, shinny down over the pipe, ooze around the hubcap, land on the top of the feeder, drop to the tray, and dig in.”

I can hear the frustration in his voice; it’s a challenge to his ego that they outwit him, no matter what he jury-rigs to keep them away.

“And they climb straight up the poles to the suet!” He gnashes his teeth, kind of like squirrels twitching their tails.

Our dog, Blue, has taken on the

persona, too. He stands and watches and waits at the screened back door, eyes glued, quivering, tense; when I open the door he’s out like a shot, jumps off the back stoop and hurtles at the varmints.

Beneath the tree where the bird feeder hangs is a patch of bare ground, five feet in circumference — Blue’s scratching patch when he’s challenging the squirrels. He watches them skitter across the top of the fence, some precarious slips down the side in their flight. Earth flies up behind him. His eyes are fiery red and jaws drooling (but that could be my imagination.)

He barks and huffs and scratches… and drools.

My guy does, too.

3

September

community Cemetery adornment: what’s appropriate and what’s changing

Photo credit: Submitted.

CARLETON PLACE - BRIAN TURNER editorial@pdgmedia.ca If there’s any one facility or piece of property that has more emotional connection to us than anything else, it has to be a cemetery. It’s a final resting place for our loved ones, and a quiet place for reflection of lives lived and our relationships with them.

Many of us visit grave sites on special occasions or when searching for some family history or just to feel closer to someone we’ve lost. Few of us ever give thought to the work behind the scenes that’s required to keep cemeteries maintained, safe, and accessible to everyone who might wish to visit. And, like pretty

much everything else in life, change happens. When cemeteries change their policies, there’s bound to be some disagreements and differences of opinion.

And changes are happening in cemeteries around the world. A trend is developing to limit the type of adornments and decorations that family members and/ or friends may place on a gravesite or its marker. The moves can be attributed to a number of reasons. Some cemeteries’ owners or boards of directors may be looking to keep a lid on costs. And trimming grass around any number of personal mementos takes time. Some are getting pressure from their insurance

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carriers; the more things lying on the ground, the higher injury risk. And some are getting negative feedback from users regarding appearance: everyone has an opinion. My editors recently passed along a social media post from a regular visitor to a local cemetery complaining

about personal effects and mementos removed from a family member’s gravesite and tossed into garbage/ recycling bins. This person also noted that all other sites seemingly received the same treatment and photos were posted as proof. We’ve omitted the name of the poster as well as the cemetery but any such facility may be facing these changes and any family member might be surprised at the outcomes.

Cemetery ownership and control vary, with some being non-profit and controlled by a volunteer board and some being profit type with paid professional administration. Some require annual maintenance payments from family or estate funds and some use investments from original plot-rights sale revenues and donations to cover ongoing costs. Keep in mind, no matter which type of cemetery, individuals do not own the plot, but simply a right to use them.

When a cemetery board or administration chooses to make changes to their

adornment policies, the first problem they face is how to notify users. They may have a database on all the occupants of their facility and this may even include immediate survivors such as spouses. But they certainly would have no way of keeping track of extended family members and their ever-changing contact information. So they resort to other means. Our local cemetery in question is controlled by a volunteer board and posted signs on the property and on their social media account regarding the changes. Their new policy banned solar lights, candles, artificial flowers, ornaments and adornments as well as the planting of trees and shrubs. They provided details on their social media site for their reasons, indicating there were safety issues as well as messes caused by blowing winds. They also stated they would not be throwing any removed items in the garbage but instead storing them for up to 60 days for families to retrieve them if they wished.

This facility, like others that

For Your Information with Kathy Botham

have taken similar measures, isn't necessarily against personal decorations as most set aside a week or so in the year for decoration services that allow family and friends to adorn gravesites as they wish and all these adornments are usually removed after the week is over.

The message here is, if you’re concerned about how your loved ones’ gravesites look and are maintained, stop by and check things out.

Pay attention to any signage or postings from the graveyards’ controllers. Some graveyards, such as the one where my parents rest are kept by volunteers that are thoughtful enough to post the names and telephone numbers of those responsible for maintenance so the right parties can be notified if any damage is found or if anyone has a question on what’s permitted in terms of adornments. Remember, non-profit graveyards are run by volunteers and they usually do their best to keep everyone who visits happy, but that’s not always possible.

4

September 2021

community

Beginnings of The Village Pump

SCHOOL SAFETY: A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

HEALEY

TRANSPORTATION LIMITED Village Pump mural which still is there today, faint but intriguing. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Owen in his shop. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca The mural on the brick wall is faded, but the story is still there.

Owen Pardy, who owned The Village Pump in Smiths Falls until 2005 tells it like this.

His Dad bought the building at the end of April 1974 with the hope of luring Owen home from the Ontario College of Art. The enticement worked and the two spent May, June and part of July renovating. It stands today behind the Bank of Montreal and the mural — faint but noticeable — is still there.

In the mural, Owen says, “I’m standing in one window, Dad’s stand-

ing in the doorway with a bone behind his back and Chien-Chaud, a little spaniel, is at his feet.”

It was just half the building. “The other half was Bobby Marks’ Shoe Repair. He’d been there many years.”

For the renovation, the two rescued barn board for the inside of the shop from an old building on family property in Port Elmsley, and “Dad created a pump for the front window with a spout and a wooden handle. He put it there even before we opened so people walking by recognized the store with the old pump.”

Names were a bit harder. “I originally thought of Lavender Loon (Lavender is a family name) because

there was The Brown Bear and The Snow Goose and Caribou House. I wanted an animal name.

“But one day the name just came — Village Pump — a place where people gather.

“Even up to the day I left, people thought I sold pumps!”

What Owen originally thought he wanted was not what he got. “What I wanted was a prestigious little artsy-fartsy shop in Smiths Falls. That went by the boards pretty quickly when a salesman came into the store. He convinced me the hottest item was sterling silver rings for kids called Tina Jewelry.

“No way,” I thought to myself. “I’m not selling jewellery — especially for kids…” — but the salesman convinced him.

“I gave him a couple of hundred dollars and he sent me a display. I bought an ancient old jewellery case for the rings and had a counter made…and within the first week I totally sold out.

“My wonderful pewter goblets, on the other hand, never sold. Somebody must have liked them, though, because they were slowly being shop-lifted.”

And then, to add insult, Owen says, “…Mom and Dad went on a road trip up around Guelph and came back with a whole trunkful of women’s purses — Mann Made Leather they were called, with wooden handles, a heavy flap, all tooled, with a soft bag.

“They flew off the shelves. I was ordering about three dozen a week.

“And I hate red…

“So then, when Dad arrived home with a trunkful of red pottery that flew out of here, I was appalled!

“More insult. People must like red,” he sighs.

“The first year of The Village Pump was the biggest learning curve I’ve ever had. What I learned was I had to listen to other people…for the first time in my life.”

Cavanagh donates $1 million Carleton Place - Janelle Labelle editorial@pdgmedia.ca "God bless the Cavanagh family!" reads Kelly O'Neil's enthusiastic caption to this photo, above.

And her enthusiasm is well-placed: Thomas Cavanagh Construction donated one million dollars to the Carleton Place and District Community Hospital on August 28 at the Jock River Jam in Beckwith Park.

This donation was planned by Tom Cavanagh, founder of the enormous construction company, before he passed away in 2019. “Tom Cavanagh’s generosity throughout the Ottawa Valley is legendary and this million dollar donation carried out by his family adds to his legacy.

Our community is certainly very grateful for this donation” commented Beckwith Township Reeve Richard Kidd.

Photo credit: Kelly O'Neil

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5

September

community

Future Stars fundraising program supports women’s health initiatives Smiths Falls - Shannon Mclellan editorial@pdgmedia.ca The Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation has implemented a brandnew program this year that not only supports women’s health initiatives, but also celebrates the arrival of babies in the community, past and present. Following the amalgamation of the foundations, the Future Stars Program was implemented in May 2021, just in time for Mother’s Day. Since then, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or friends can now commemorate a newborn’s arrival by purchasing a silver Twinkle Star for $100.00, with the full proceeds going into boosting support for ongoing projects and programs for women’s health, including equipment for mammography, ultrasound, obstetrics or gynecology programs at both sites of the Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital. Every

Future Stars Wall at the Smiths Falls Site of the PSFDH. Photo credits: Sarah Stewart, donor relations coordinator PSFDH

5-inch star that is purchased can be inscribed with a first and last name, year of birth, and will be on display for ten years on the Future Stars Wall for visitors to marvel with admiration. The text on each star can contain less, but not more information as to protect the privacy of the infant. The Future Stars Wall is located at the Smiths Falls site of the Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital, on the second floor, across the hall

from the obstetrics department.

Sarah Stewart, who is the donor relations coordinator for the PSFDH, told us in her interview with Hometown News that the idea for the program was born when Executive Director of the foundation, Margot Hallam, was searching for ways to showcase babies being born in the community, who will ultimately be our future stars. When asked if the pro-

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gram would be continuous, Sarah stated, “the intent of the Future Stars Program is to be ongoing.” Sarah told us, “there will always be babies being born, which means there will continuously be a need for equipment, and also an ongoing need associated

with women’s health care.”

The stars can be purchased at any time but are only installed quarterly with the intent to help keep the program feasible. The preliminary stars were installed in early July, with the next installation happening in

November 2021. To date, there have been 20 stars purchased.

For more information or to purchase a star, call 343881-4483 or toll free 1-833680-GIVE (4483) or visit https://psfdhfoundation. com/programs/

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Growing caterpillar eating milkweed. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Close-up of monarch and chrysalis. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Monarch just emerged from the chrysalis drying out her wings.

Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca I watched three caterpillars fly away as monarchs this week, and have two mini caterpillars on the way.

Last year I midwifed two, this year I had four.

It’s exhilarating, a little nerve-wracking, and as a butterfly takes its maiden flight, if the dog gets in on the action, a bit heart palpitating, too.

If you can find milkweed, or if it grows in your gar-

den, watch for butterflies.

If you see a butterfly in your garden, pay attention.

Watch where she lands, bobs from leaf to leaf, lays her eggs, and wait awhile.

Then go and look.

Eggs are tiny. They’re not pure white and they’re not round…oval in shape, maybe a tinge of yellow. If you find what you think are eggs, break the leaves off, bring them inside, set them on a small plate maybe with a damp folded piece of pa-

per towel underneath.

And wait.

If it is an egg, eventually you’ll see a darker blob at one end…and for sure will know this is an egg.

Wait some more.

If these are caterpillars, and if you can find them — they’re very tiny — keep feeding them and watch them grow. You have to be prepared to feed them fresh milkweed every day…that’s every day!

They eat a lot. You can see a lacy absence-of-leaf where the mini caterpillar has been eating; and there’s lots of mini-poop…looks like poppyseed.

Wait some more.

Carefully add milkweed, looking under and everywhere on the daily milkweed. Don’t crush them.

Keep waiting.

You’ll see them grow. At first, tiny wee, wee things, then noticeable stripes, and soon larva/caterpillars.

You wait, they poop… and eat. Add milkweed.

They eat and poop.

These aren’t tree caterpillars. They’re definitely striped — green, yellow, black — with long feelers at one end and tiny ones at the other.

One day, comfortable seeing a green, yellow and black

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Look up.

There she is, hanging in a J-form from the perforated top of the peanut butter jar.

Keep waiting.

She hangs there for a while and overnight (it seems) she pupates into a chrysalis. The chrysalis is light leaf-green, looks like a large tear drop and is spotted with bling, or silver/gold

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dots. The theory behind the bling is the pupae shouting, “I’m poisonous! Leave me alone or you’ll be sorry!”

As you wait again, this time for 10 or more days, it seems that overnight the chrysalis turns black. Very soon, within 10 minutes or so, wing colour emerges under the black.

And very soon after that the butterfly bloops out of the chrysalis; she hangs

there pulsing, her wings growing and her abdomen lengthening.

Take her outside…it’s better to have this figured out beforehand…and watch her grow. She fans her wings, sometimes sits unmoving for a few minutes, fans again, and then, before two hours go by, dry and eager, she flies away.

Bye…

6

September 2021

community

Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston

early voting

Regional - Janelle Labelle editorial@pdgmedia.ca In advance of the federal election on September 20, the Elections Canada office for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston is open at Settlers Ridge Centre in Smiths Falls for early voting. Jackie Staples, recruitment supervisor for Elections Canada in Smiths Falls, said voters from all ridings are welcome to cast their vote at this location.

Staples added that you don’t need a voter card, but you are required to present two pieces of identification, one of which must include your address. The Elections Canada office is open Monday through Friday, 9am9pm; Saturday 9am-6pm; and Sunday 12pm-4pm until 6pm September 14.

“You can come here any day and vote,” emphasized Staples, “and avoid the lineup on voting day.”

This is the special ballot process, slightly different from voting at Advance Polls or on Election Day. An election worker will greet you and ask for proof of identity and address. You will confirm your information on their computer screen. Then, you will be given a ballot and instruc-

Steve Garrison

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

tions. You will go behind the voting screen, mark your ballot, and return to the election worker. The worker will give you two envelopes: place your ballot in the unmarked envelope and seal it; then place that unmarked envelope in the outer envelope and seal it. After this, read the declaration on the outer envelope and sign it.

When it is time to count the ballots, an election worker will remove all the outer envelopes and place the unmarked inner envelopes into the ballot box.

For any who would like to get their vote in before September 20, this is a socially distant option that is open to everyone. Voting by mail is also an option for those who have requested mail-in ballots; Staples added with a note of urgency, “get them back in as soon as you receive them. Don’t wait.”

Elections Canada is looking for staff to work the polling stations on September 20, 8am-10pm. A (paid) training session will also be required, which takes 3-6 hours. To anyone who is interested in working for Elections Canada during this election, please contact Jackie Staples at 866-2417891 ext. 1005, or Brenda Healey at ext. 1006.

Currently retired or working?

Currently employed as an elementary school teacher with 24 years experience Volunteer service: Former 2-term Kingston City Councilor Top 3 issues facing the LFK Riding: 1. Affordable Housing; Steve notes the lack of affordable housing is a critical issue as more people are feeling the increasing gap between income and mortgage or rent payments. He knows of many renters paying more than the average mortgage payment on a purchased residence.

can’t afford their meds and basic dental-care are bound to have poorer health outcomes.

Your and your party’s solution/approach to those issues: 1. His party would plan for building over 500,000 units of affordable housing, give immediate relief for renters who need it, and stop big-money investors from driving up housing costs.

2. Steve and the NDP plan to bring a fairer deal to workers with paid sick leave, living wages, stronger bargaining rights and more.

2. Quality secure employment; Steve sees living-wage employment being very precarious for the average worker. Many are forced to take 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet.

3. The NDP promises to work with provinces to introduce a universal pharma-care program and to expand covered services over the next 10 years to include improved access to dental-care, vision-care, and mental health services.

3. Lack of pharmacare and dental-care services; Steve believes public health is incomplete without covering these 2 crucial areas of healthcare. Patients who

You can contact Steve for more information at lanarkfrontenackingston.ndp.ca or through facebook.com/SteveGNDP or by calling 613546-2450.

PEOPLE'S PARTY OF CANADA

Top 3 issues facing the LFK Riding: 1. Lockdowns 2. Censorship 3. Vaccine Passports

Currently retired or working?

Employed as an IT professional for a software company headquartered in Markham.

He lives in Frankford.

Volunteer service: Florian has given over 1000 volunteer hours with the St. John Ambulance Brigade in Toronto. He has since added thousands of more volun-

The erosion of our freedoms and liberties over the past 18 months. Censorship: whether Medical (www.CanadianPhysicians.org) or via social media has been very concerning. The never-ending lockdowns, constant fear mongering, questionable health mandates, medical coercion, vaccine mandates, constant moving of the goalposts for re-opening, limiting of movement, the creation of a 2-tiered "papers please" society with Vaccine Passports.

LIBERAL PARTY

Currently retired or working?

Florian Bors

teer hours over the past 20 years volunteering with several Toronto church groups.

Michelle Foxton

These things are not supposed to be staples of a free society.

Yet here we are. Thousands are being threatened with losing their jobs or getting kicked out of their schools for exercising informed consent. People aren't allowed to think for themselves or make decisions for themselves or even ask logical questions about what is going on without being criticized, ridiculed, and vilified. Adults are being treated like little children by the government and being told what is best for them. It is a very dangerous path our country is heading down and we need to stand up and do something about it.

Your and your party’s solution/approach to those issues: What kind of country do they want to live in going forward?

All other political parties (Liberals, NDP, CPC, Green, Bloc) will continue leading Canada down this same dark path in varying degrees. They will all continue with lockdowns further devastating small business and the mental well-being of the general population (especially children), they will continue with the fear mongering, the questionable health mandates, the medical censorship, and the discrimination of people based on their personal medical choices. This is not the country that I want to live in.

We need change! The People's Party of Canada (PPC) is the only federal party that will put an end to all this tyrannical nonsense. The PPC will end the devastating and ineffective lockdowns. We will focus on protecting the vul-

Have worked more than 20 years as a general practice lawyer in the Kingston area.

Volunteer service: • Served as a member of South Frontenac Township Council • Served as Chair of the local Employment Insurance Board of Referees • President of the Fort Henry Guard Foundation Inc. since 2016 Top 3 issues facing the LFK Riding: 1. Climate change 2. Broadband access 3. The need for an affordable and sustainable economic recovery Your and your party’s solution/approach to those issues: 1. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report indicates that climate change is an existential threat. A Liberal government will encourage renewable energy, including electrification.

Funding is needed to improve local infrastructure, such as culverts, which are destroyed as flooding becomes more frequent. Also, the Liberal government is committed to a 50 per cent reduction in carbon emisnerable, yet allowing people the freedom to choose what medical interventions are best for them. We will stop the censorship of medical professionals and allow healthy debate and discussions on what is the best way to deal with the COVID situation.

We will put an end to the vaccine passports and any other forms of discrimination. The PPC is the only choice for those who value freedom. I will help the residents of LFK fight for that Freedom, so we can all return to the normal that we had before this whole COVID situation.

Closing thoughts: Florian was disappointed at how a lot of politicians handled the response to the Covid-19 situation. The constant lockdowns were especially devastating on

sions by 2035, down to net zero by 2050.

2. The pandemic has shown how significant a problem the lack of adequate broadband access in rural areas really is. Inadequate broadband access impedes online learning and leads to the isolation of seniors. Accessibility, reliability and speed all need to be addressed, and this requires a strong local voice in Ottawa.

3. COVID-19 has caused problems such as shortages in the labour market to come to light sooner than they would have otherwise.

We have a huge shortage in certain areas such as PSWs and in the service sector.

The country needs a plan to retool, retrain and incentivize jobs in those areas.

An affordable system of child care will enable more women to enter the workforce. The Liberals will also introduce the Homebuyers Bill of Rights and a home savings plan, since lack of affordable housing is a serious issue in parts of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston.

Increasing student loan forgiveness is also part of the Liberal platform.

Closing thoughts: “The measure of a society is how we treat our less fortunate.” We need to continue investing in our future. children and small businesses. It did not seem that most politicians cared how negatively their decisions affected families. Florian is also concerned at the amount of censorship that is happening around covid-19. He believes that the silencing of doctors and other medical professionals that are voicing concerns about the lockdowns and/or other medical interventions needs to stop. Florian wants to be an honest politician that is for the people: a politician that actually cares about their constituents and makes decisions that are in their best interests and not for personal, financial, or political gain.

You can contact Florian Bors at FlorianBorsPPC@ gmail.com or by calling 705915-3618 ext 107

7

September

community

Scott Reid

CONSERVATIVE PARTY even greater than the national average.

Currently retired or working?

Currently employed as the federal MP, continually since 2000 Top 3 issues facing the LFK Riding: 1. The issue of inadequate broadband in rural and small-town areas has been a source of frustration throughout the entire two decades that I have been an MP. Inadequate cell-phone service, and numerous "black holes" where service does not reach, is a related issue.

2. Housing prices / housing shortage. Canada as a whole is experiencing soaring housing prices. But in our area, the rise has been

3. The recovery of local industries from the pandemic. A rural and small-town region near a large city, like Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, inevitably develops an economy based on aspects of tourism, including campgrounds and trailer parks, facilities for cottagers, and services that cater to day-time and weekend visitors, including theatre festivals, farmers markets, art shows & art tours, music festivals, sugar bushes, etc.

Your and your party’s solution/approach to those issues: For better bandwidth in rural areas; the problem is partly due to Canada's vast geography, but has been made substantially worse by our poorly-designed auction process. I therefore suggest the following changes: Speed up the spectrum auction process to get more spectrum into use. Apply a

“use it or lose it” provision to any auction, to ensure that spectrum which has been purchased by a bidder is actually developed, rather than being held in reserve in order to freeze out competitors. We should stop treating the auction of spectrum as a source of revenue to the general treasury. Instead, auction revenues should be dedicated to our digital infrastructure plan. For rural cell service: We can improve service standards for rural cell service by changing the way in which the right to provide service is auctioned off by the federal government. Currently, the coverage areas that are auctioned off are too large, with significant rural hinterlands being included in blocks of territory with an urban hub. The service provider who gains the right to service this block then will typically maximize the revenues from this area by focusing solely on service-provision to the most densely populated areas. If

Calvin Neufeld GREEN PARTY

Currently retired or working?

Has worked, without pay, for the past 10 years as founder of the grassroots national organization Evolve Our Prison Farms, and as a speaker to school and community groups.

Professional experience: Social justice advocate and researcher, environmental consultant Volunteer service: • Founder of Evolve our Prison Farms, campaigning for sustainable and therapeutic agricultural programming in Canadian prisons • Played piano at elementary schools and local retirement home • Volunteered at local thrift shop • Volunteered as a gardener Top 3 issues facing the LFK Riding: 1. Healthy planet 2. Healthy people 3. Healthy government Your and your party’s solution/approach to those issues: 1. The damage that has been done is undeniable and the

rate of acceleration demands immediate, uncompromising action at the local, national, and global scale. All subsidies to earth-gutting industries must end and be diverted into a bold transition to a sustainable green economy. We must invest in clean renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, jobs of the future and earth-preserving solutions. Government needs to invest in making healthy choices easy for consumers. We can increase the affordability and accessibility of public transportation, electric vehicles, and renewable heating and cooling technologies. We must also create a roadmap to shift Canada to a predominantly plant-based food system, including phasing out all factory farms, to prevent future pandemics and drastically reduce our ecological footprint.

2. Society is fractured by deepening division, inequity, insecurity and trauma.

The pandemic has inflicted terrible physical and psychological damage. We need to prioritize mental health support for parents, youth,

teachers, health care workers and first responders. Our Indigenous relations need healing through Truth and Reconciliation, and we need to expose and dismantle systemic racism. Long-term care homes need rescue from neglect and profit-driven enterprise. The housing crisis must be treated as an emergency, as must the opioid crisis, and we must also uphold the human rights of incarcerated persons as we weave a social safety net that leaves no one behind.

3. Healthy government: Corporate influence over government has eroded public trust and created conflicts of interest that impede healthy decision-making, undermining the goals of healthy people and healthy planet. We need increased transparency and accountability in government spending. Just as we once needed a separation of church and state, we need a separation of industry and state, not a government that buys pipelines and airlines and blurs the lines between politicians and lobbyists.

Governance reform is also needed to transition away from partisan politics and bring a more balanced, cooperative and constructive approach to tackling the challenges ahead.

Closing thoughts: I don’t support this election.

We are still in the midst of a pandemic and this is risking people’s health. It could potentially threaten more school closures. This has put the country into chaos.

the federal government were to auction off blocks of rural territory separately, these particular auctions would generate much less revenue from the service providers who are bidding to provide these services. But that lower price would translate into more potential profit for the providers from providing adequate service.

On Housing prices and shortages, no success will be possible if we don't start by recognizing that the problem is not too much demand. The problem is too little supply. It may be the case that in a city like Vancouver, there is a great deal of offshore demand, which is driving up prices. But measures designed to inhibit foreign investment in residential real estate, designed to cool off the Vancouver or Toronto markets, aren't going to work in rural Ontario, where it is raising demands from city-dwellers who are now able to telecommute that is driving demand (and thus prices).

Since this new population cannot be stopped from buying in rural and smalltown areas (and since trying to stop them from doing so seems undesirable anyway), the solution has to be to make it easier to build new homes at a reasonable price. This increase in supply is the only way of keeping prices reasonable

for long-term and lifetime local residents who are often far less wealthy than the new arrivals in our communities. This means that municipalities have to adopt zoning and land-use policies that do not serve the de facto purpose of driving up development costs and therefore house prices. Laws that prevent people from building tiny homes or that make it impossible to live in a trailer, harm only those who are not wealthy enough for a larger, bricks-and-mortar house.

Of course, these are actions that municipalities must take; the federal government has no role in these policies. But we can influence things in the right direction by modifying how we collect the Capital Gains Tax. A design error in this tax has led to a decline in the construction of residential rental properties, since the capital gains on the sale of such properties are taxed (whereas the capital gains on a person's own primary residence are not taxed).

The logical thing to do is to defer such taxes on the sale of a rental property, as long as the proceeds are reinvested in more rental housing. This sensible policy forms an important part of the Conservative platform in the present election.

On post-COVID recovery we need to give clear sig-

nals on the post-pandemic reopening. The on / off / on again nature of Ontario's lockdowns were a disaster for businesses; this unpredictability needs to end.

Additionally, the Conservative platform contains several measures which would help many of these businesses. Here they are, taken verbatim from the party's policy platform: Canada Job Surge Plan: paying up to 50% of the salary of new hires for six months following the end of CEWS. Canada Investment Accelerator: getting companies spending money and creating jobs by providing a 5% investment tax credit for any capital investment made in 2022 and 2023, with the first $25,000 to be refundable for small business.

Rebuild Main Street Tax Credit: providing a 25% tax credit on amounts of up to $100,000 that Canadians personally invest in a small business over the next two years, to get money flowing into main street businesses and create jobs.

Main Street Business Loan: providing loans of up to $200,000 to help small and medium businesses in hospitality, retail, and tourism get back on their feet, with up to 25% forgiven.

You can contact Scott at ReElectScottReid2021@ gmail.com or by calling 1-800-504-2431

Calvin Neufeld LANARK FRONTENAC KINGSTON

Making Life Better Vote For Change

possible.ca

8

September 2021

lifestyle opinion: Am I the only one?

Carrie Wynne

covid derangement syndrome

I’m happy to be vaccinated. Vaccines are the best approach for preventing the spread of Covid and significantly lower your risk of death. Vaccines downgrade the infection to a mild seasonal virus.

96% of the hospitalizations were the unvaccinated population according to the Centre for Disease Control.

Avoid vaccine but do so at your own risk. There is a certain percentage of people with vaccine hesitancy and the rest of us will just have to deal with that. Instead,

the Covid thought police are out in full force.

Don’t speak out or question anything. Trust the pharmaceutical industry wholeheartedly.

Block anyone that goes against the current narrative: be afraid.

Nothing has disturbed the order, arrangement, or function of a free society like Covid has.

People are suffering from covid derangement syndrome. Wearing a mask to your table but not at your table is comical. Wearing a mask outdoors is dumb too. Insisting that kids wear masks while playing sports is preposterous. The kids under 12 have a miniscule risk of getting severely ill from the virus. The mediam age of covid deaths is 85.

Remember that most of them are vaccinated.

The argument against vaccine passports is one we are losing no thanks to our so called “leaders.” Most Canadians don’t seem to care about government overreach or pesky civil rights.

We should be thankful for our freedoms and not give them away so easily. Politicians are so afraid that every little thing they say will have major consequences to their political future. When posturing around a voter base is all you have got, you’ve lost me. Am I the only one? I can’t wait for this pandemic to be over so the climate change pandemonium can start.

The opinions stated in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hometown News’ management, staff or writers.

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9

September

lifestyle

Food & Drink

Beer, Wine and Spirits

Vignoble Clos du Vully

The vineyard is located on the outskirts of Navan, 15 minutes south east of Ottawa.

Five thousand cold climate vines are grown on a mineral rich, clay-loam slope planted between 2008 and 2011. In 2013 they transformed an old dairy barn into the winery and wine store, opening in May 2016. They grow five varieties of grapes on the farm and purchase grapes from two producers from Niagara-On-The-Lake. The hybrids that do well in this part of the country for white wines are Frontenac Blanc, Frontenac Gris, Petite Pearl.

In red wines, the Marquette and Frontenac Noir round out the estate grown wines.

Hybrid grape wines are really coming along now in more northerly climes as vintner/winemakers are getting good at selecting the right grapes for their local

consisting of a blend - 85% Frontenac Blanc (Estate) 5% Frontenac Gris (Estate) 10 % Riesling (Niagara), which was fermented and aged in a stainless steel tank. The most expressive white wine that they produce. Nice balance between the residual sweetness and the refreshing acidity. Intense nose of honey followed by a powerful palate of honey, pineapple and pear.

Can be enjoyed on its own or with slightly spicy foods like sushi, Thai dishes, or curries.

Another white blend is their Cuvée Marie-Louise 2019 at $17.00 and 12% abv consisting of a blend 35% Frontenac Gris (Estate) 35% Vidal (Niagara) 30% Cabernet Franc (Niagara), which was fermented and aged in stainless steel tank.

Off-dry rosé but almost dry.

Refreshing and concentrated with a deep color coming

soil and climate conditions.

I have been impressed with the taste and quality of some of these wines by local producers in Eastern Ontario extending into Quebec along the north shore to Quebec City! And with global warming, the wine industry is increasingly publishing articles about what grapes will do well and which ones will have to be uprooted in traditional temperate wine regions around the world.

We might even see enough hot, sunny days for Niagara to expand its production of top quality big reds like Cabernet Sauvignon! For certain white grape varietals we are going to see them going from valley floors and moving up hills and mountains to keep cooler conditions to retain the fruit acidity you need.

“Most vineyards hardly have any wine their first year

of sale,” Etter says. “The wine is young and they sell out quickly. I was in good shape because I had lots of stock, some seven year vintage. It meant that a taster's first experience of Etter wine was good.” Bannered under the family name, Etter currently sells more than 12,000 bottles of wine annually, with 14 varieties including Niagara grapes he brings in such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Muscat Ottonel, Vidal, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec. Low in alcohol and packed with fruit, Etter says his wine is rich and fruity and meant to be paired with cheeses and meats. (from 25 August 2021 'Ottawa News' article by Denis Armstrong).

Focusing on his hybrid wines, I would opt for the Frontenac Blanc 2018 at $18.50 and 12,5% abv

Brian Turner

Let's Eat Fat Bastard Burritos; quality shines

Photo credit: Brian Turner

There’s been a recent influx of Mexican themed diners and take-outs in the region, and judging by their growing customer base, they’re enjoying success and filling a need. But there still a certain segment of the dining-out crowd that shuns Mexican cuisine fearing an excessively hot palette. Fat Bastard Burrito dispels that myth quickly

and offers levels of spice that let their ultra-fresh veg and perfectly cooked meat shine through, providing a refreshing break from the average ho-hum take-out choices. This provincial gem of a 47 franchise operation recently opened a new location in Smiths Falls in the LCBO retail complex on Lombard Street. And when you’re in

1 Chambers Street, Smiths Falls

a competitive market, you need to do what Fat Bastard does; find new ways to delight the taste buds.

My wife and I dropped by on a recent Sunday afternoon for a post-golf lunch. I went for a signature ground beef burrito and she opted for the shrimp taco-trio.

First tip; if you’re choosing the big or huge sized burrito, over a lil, bring an appetite.

They know how to fill a wrap at Fat Bastard. And they have almost 20 different filling combos from traditional spiced ground beef to sweet chili Thai. This amazing number of choices also includes a good supply of vegetarian creations and a rare option for gluten-free wraps.

Their chopped veg are extremely fresh and diced to perfection and guacamole is never an extra cost. The heat level is up to you and the mild tone still has the flavour you need without the heat you may not. The shrimp for my wife’s tacos were served in soft shells with freshly

sautéed shrimp with a great hint of lime. The extensive menu also includes a wide array of quesadillas and desserts.

As their public pledge notes, “When you eat at Fat Bastard Burrito, you'll taste the long hours we put into perfecting our craft. We are obsessed with burritos, and love what we do. Our goal is to bring you the freshest and most exclusive flavours available anywhere on the planet.” Judging from our experience they hit their target with perfection.

The Smiths Falls location is open from 11 am to 11 pm Monday through Thursday, till midnight Friday and Saturday and until 10 pm on Sunday. You can reach them at 613 284 0909 and check out their menu and nutritional specs at fatbastardburrito.ca. Their address is 123 Lombard St, Unit 8 and they’re wheelchair accessible. There’s also counter and table seating available.

sweetscoops.ca

from the skin contact fermentation for the Frontenac Gris and Cabernet Franc. Elegant nose of red cherries, on the palate, cherries (at first) with a long cranberry finish.

Nice rosé to enjoy before a meal as an apéritif, on the patio in the summer time or to go alongside a salad with goat cheese and dried cranberries.

In the reds, Frontenac Noir 2017 at $20.00 and 13% abv, a single varietal which is an expressive medium body wine that was aged in neutral French oak barrels for 24 months after alcoholic fermentation and malo-lactic conversion. Dark cherries on the nose, palate that starts with the same dark cherries which evolves into rich plum flavours; this is a versatile food friendly wine, pairs well with burgers, ribs or any pasta with a tomato sauce.

Another single red hybrid varietal, Marquette 2016 at $22.00 and 13.5% abv is a full bodied wine made from the king of the

Brian Preston

The Travelling Sommelier brianpreston@hotmail.com

cold climate grapes “Marquette”; aged for 24 months in neutral French oak barrels after alcoholic fermentation and malo-lactic conversion. Delicate violet and blackberries on the nose with a palate of dark fruits (cassis and blackberries) and a touch of pepper towards the finish.

This deep and complex wine has nice acidity that pairs well with steak or any flavorful meal.

In addition to the table wines described above, they also produce a Riesling (Niagara) sparkling wine and other white and red wines.

Additionally, they have a dessert wine in half-bottle format, Cuvée Éliane 2017 at $23.00 and 17% abv with a rich nose of honey, some pineapple, pears and a touch of maple syrup on the palate. Recommended with strong cheeses (old cheddar, blue) before a meal or with desserts (vanilla ice cream with a fruit salad).

Jan-Daniel Etter and partner Anne Grenon with their little helpers. Photo credit: vignobleclosduvully.com

10

September 2021

culture Smiths Falls History & Mystery: The man behind the red brick

by Ted Outerbridge

In 1887, The Toronto Mail newspaper raved about the town of Smiths Falls. They wrote that “there were over one hundred buildings erected in Smiths Falls last year” and stated that “over 1,000,000 bricks were manufactured and used for building purposes in the town during the same period.” Meanwhile, the local press reported that “Ryan & Allen’s large brickyard is tried to the full this spring to supply all the orders coming in.”

Smiths Falls had recently become a Canadian Pacific Railway divisional centre while two of the town’s major employers had expanded. Frost & Wood had evolved into one of the largest manufacturers of farm implements in Canada, and the Malleable Castings factory was one of their primary suppliers.

A construction boom was the result. Herbert Allen, a bricklayer and stonemason, formed a partnership with contractor Matthew Ryan in 1884. The 1884-5 Ontario Gazetteer and Business Directory confirms this with a listing for Ryan & Allen and describes them as “Brick Makers”. This was a brilliant business to be in at the time, as brick had replaced stone as the building material of choice for the well-to-do.

During my search for definitive proof regarding

the various locations of the brickyard, the team at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum triumphed. Shirley Sommerville discovered an ad on the front page of an 1887 Rideau Record newspaper for a brickyard on Jason Island. It reads “BRICKS|BRICKS| We have improved and enlarged our facilities for Brick Making and are now prepared to fill all orders for Bricks on application. Leave your orders early to insure them being filled as the demand is very great, at the works on Jason Island. PRICES VERY LOW, RYAN & ALLAN.” It is interesting to note that Allen was spelled incorrectly in the ad.

In 1887, The Toronto Mail wrote that “Mr. Ryan is at present engaged in the erection of the roundhouses of the C.P.R. now in course of construction at this point, he having the contract for the wood work, while his partner in the brick yard, Herbert Allen is superintendent of the brick and mason work.”

Allen was a highly skilled craftsman who combined the roles of architect, builder, craftsman, designer, and engineer with the simplest of tools to create some amazing structures. Allen’s list of creations include Saint Francis Hospital, Frost & Wood, Hotel Rideau, Malleable Foundry, and the Areno Block. In addition, he was involved in building many private homes. One of Allen’s finest engineering feats is the grand Moorish arch at the Keyhole House on Brockville Street.

I have the privilege of being the current curator of this magnificent structure together with my wife Marion.

Although Allen ran the brickyard, Ryan received

ted@tedouterbridge.com Rideau Record Ad. Photo credit: Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum

Saint Francis Hospital. Photo credit: Ted Outerbridge

much of the credit. In 1929, The Rideau Record wrote “Ryan bricks really built Smiths Falls. Ryan bricks are in practically every building of this type in the town of Smiths Falls. His brickyard, it is conceded, resulted in the erection of many fireproof homes and incidentally in the lowering of local insurance rates.”

Herbert Clarence Allen was born on December 13, 1856 in Eastons Corners, Ontario and learned his trade as a stonemason in Brockville. He was in his early twenties when he came to Smiths Falls. He and his wife Jessie Scott were Methodists and raised three children, Amos, Irene and Ethan. In the late 1910s, they moved to a farm on the edge of town.

His death certificate tells us that he broke his hip in an accident at home and died three weeks later of pneumonia on November 27, 1937. He was 81 years old and he died at St. Francis Hospital which he had

built over 30 years prior.

He is buried at Hillcrest Cemetery in Smiths Falls, Lanark County, Ontario. His funeral was held at 61 Russell Street East in Smiths Falls in a home built by Allen. Following his death, his wife Jessie Scott sold their farm and moved into this house.

His obituary describes him as “… a quiet and home loving man [who] possessed an honest and upright character, and his death is the cause of widespread regret.”

It also refers to him as “… one of the town’s oldest and respected citizens.”

During my research for this article, I had the pleasure of meeting Allen’s greatgreat-grandson, Douglas McEwen. He advised me that his family described Allen as “strong in his convictions and possessing an extreme passion for creativity and design which is very much evident in his creations.”

Much to my delight, Douglas shared a personal pho-

Herbert Allen. Photo credit: Douglas McEwen

tograph with me of Herbert Allen himself!

Ted Outerbridge & his wife Marion are currently restoring a Smiths Falls heritage home built by Matthew Ryan

in 1893. They are also being swept away by local history & mystery. You can follow them at The Keyhole House on Instagram & Facebook. ted@tedouterbridge.com

Rideau Paddlefest making a comeback September 18th Smiths Falls - Chris Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca After plans for the 2020 edition of Rideau Paddlefest were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual voyageur canoe racing event will be making a comeback this month.

Paddlefest founding committee chairman Peter Au said the event, which is also a celebration of the heritage and culture of the Rideau Canal, is set to go ahead on Saturday, Sept. 18. Paddlefest takes place at Lower Reach Park in Smiths Falls.

Organizers currently have four teams of canoe racers confirmed. Gouvernail (team captain) training will be provided on Sept.

11 by veteran long distance

paddler Max Finkelstein.

Heritage plays that highlighted the last Paddlefest held in 2019 won’t be included in the 2021 lineup of events due to lack of time for rehearsal. Instead, musical entertainment will be provided throughout the event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. by a number of artists including Smiths Falls’ own Campbell Woods, who is also serving as event coordinator.

As always, plans for Paddlefest include children’s activities, such as a puppet show and a number of exhibits related to the history and culture of the canal. Exhibitors confirmed to date include Heritage House Museum, Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust, Harvest Acres Farms, Climate Net-

work Lanark, Friends of the Rideau and local gift shop Pretty Things on Russell.

Organizers are working to confirm the participation of more exhibitors.

On the Saturday following Paddlefest, Sept. 25, the Rideau Round Table is also planning a Shoreline Restoration Demonstration.

The shoreline restoration will take place along a 300-metre area of the shore of the canal between Beech and Pine Streets. Some 200 shrubs and 30 trees will be planted.

Organizers plan to dedicate three of the trees in honour of Doug Stewart, the retired Director General of Parks Canada; Manuel Stephens, a retired planner who produced the first Rideau Canal Management

This team of paddlers competed in the last edition of Rideau Paddlefest held in 2019. The event was cancelled in 2020 but is coming back Sept. 18 at Lower Reach Park in Smiths Falls. Photo credit: Rideau Paddlefest Facebook page.

Plan; and Stew Hamill, Voyageur Canoe Program Coordinator. Under Stewart’s term as director general the Rideau received Heritage River designation as well as World Her-

itage Site designation. All three honourees formerly served as directors of the Rideau Roundtable.

This is a project of the Rideau Roundtable in collaboration with the town

of Smiths Falls, the Rideau Environmental Action League, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, Tree Canada, the Smiths Falls Horticultural Society, Cogeco TV and FedEx.

11

September

business Work Matters: and the solutions might surprise you Regional - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca While discussions of our current pandemic and its effect on the economy might still dominate every table from government legislatures to the humblest of kitchen furniture, a new strain of conversation is climbing up to take top spot regionally if not nationally: lack of jobs and lack of a work-force. While this topic might seem mired in incongruity right from the start, it is very connected and a recent initiative from the Canadian Career Academy (CCA) of Carleton Place has targeted solutions.

Work Matters is an Employment Ontario funded project, started in April of 2020, designed to bring together job seekers, incumbent workers, employers, and community partners to develop and improve Human Resources and recruitment practices in Lanark and Renfrew Counties. It started in April of last year as the experts at the CCA were looking for solutions for problems in labor force supply and

demand, knowing that a fragile economic recovery was at stake. Hometown News caught up with Work Matters Project Coordinator Sonja Robert-Steeves to learn how things are progressing.

Sonja noted Program Manager Shelley More and the team didn’t take long to dive into things, holding multiple virtual roundtables and seminars starting last August.

They met with CEOs, HR managers, business owners, and employees. Their early efforts focused on health-care, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. They’ve since expanded their reach by modernizing and growing their processes to connect with hundreds of area employers, post-secondary school staff, and those seeking work.

The biggest concerns around these various tables involved the impacts of COVID-19, lack of training, and especially expedited education to be able to shorten the time required to get skilled workers up and running.

The reduced opportuni-

Photo credit: work-matters.ca

ties for high-school students for trades training was also another common problem noted. And, of course the lack of sustainable funding from upper levels of government was also a popular challenge.

Lanark and Renfrew counties are especially hard hit due to a predominantly rural lay-out making training resources even harder to access.

Sonja pointed to their Pathway2 PSW initiative as a recent example of their success. It brought almost 200 PSW and DSW trainees through a thorough and effective training program to get them in the work-force in record time. If there is a secret to the success of Work Matters, Sonja isn’t shy about sharing it: it was putting all of the right people at the same table at the same time. The current crisis in employment has put some incentive in play for employers and job seekers alike to communicate and cooperate with each other and learn. And Work Matters is gladly providing the right environment and guidance to assist the cooperation and innovation.

If you’re a job seeker or employer looking for solutions contact Work Matters. For Lanark, their office is at 91 Cornelia St. W. in Smiths Falls (613283-7002 ext 107) and in Renfew, call 613-312-7304 for their Pembroke location. You can learn more at work-matters.ca.

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