UpFront

Quantify Numbers that matter

Canada: One of the few industrialized countries that does not provide a school lunch program

¼of kids’ calories are from foods not recommended by Canada’s Food Guide

2/3

of high school students do not eat a healthy breakfast before school

Source: Food Secure Canada

France

They’re not so much cafeterias as they are school restaurants. France has developed strong nutrition standards for its school lunch program, with local governments and parents showing wide support. In the city of Bordeaux, for example, fresh bread is served each

day just a few hours after it comes out of the oven, all school year long.

Nearly half the food in the region is organic and 70 per cent of the vegetables come from the immediate region, according to food blogger Tom Conrad. Meals are based on ingredients like organic chicken, lamb that is traceable to the farm where it was raised, certified Atlantic salmon, seasonal vegetables, organic fruit and dairy from the region and traditional cheeses.

It’s not confined to one region either. Even in the poorest neighbourhood of Paris, school meals include dishes like veal, salmon and organic vegetables — all paid for by the government.

UPFRONT

Soroptimists help hungry families, local restaurants

Members of Soroptimist International of Kawartha Lakes know the struggles that businesses and individuals are facing today. That’s why they are sponsoring a program that benefits three groups of people: you, local restaurants and women and children in need. As a donor, you will receive a charitable receipt when you support “A Meal on Us.” Just name a restaurant within Kawartha Lakes that you want to support, and the Soroptimists will purchase gift cards or gift certificates, using 100 per cent of your donation. Those gift cards will then be distributed to women and their families through your local food bank.

Restaurants benefit from needed cash flow, and families who are struggling will have the opportunity to enjoy a meal without worrying about the cost of food, an opportunity that they would not otherwise have.

To stand behind their mission of helping women and girls, the Soroptimist club will match donations to a total of $2,000 — making your money go twice as far — and and helping more restaurants and serving more women.

Donations can be made by e-transferring to the treasurer@sikawarthalakes.org, or mailing a cheque to SIKL, P.O. Box 365, Lindsay ON K9V 4S3. Be sure to include your name and address to receive your charitable receipt, and the name of the restaurant. A $20 minimum donation is required for receipt.

Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization working to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of Soroptimist globally, and ten years for the Kawartha Lakes club — making a difference in our community!

Business UPFRONT

Morrison Nicholls wins international award

Marlene Morrison Nicholls of Stewart Morrison Insurance has won an Enterprising Women of the Year Award. A media release calls it “an annual tribute to the world’s top women entrepreneurs.”

The awards, sponsored by Enterprising Women magazine, are considered “one of the most prestigious recognition programs for women business owners in the U.S. and globally.”

To win, nominees must demonstrate that they have fast-growth businesses, mentor or actively support other women and girls involved in entrepreneurship and stand out as leaders in their communities.

“It is nice to be recognized as someone who has shown leadership, resilience and longevity in the business community,” said Morrison Nicholls, a 45-year veteran of the industry. She noted insurance was once a male-dominated industry and says as the only Canadian woman in a group of very strong women from the U.S. and around the world, “it was a very special nomination and award to achieve.”

Morrison Nicholls says she has spent most of her life building a business that welcomes diversity and inclusivity, and providing women with stable, full-time careers with equal pay and benefits. “I hope I have been part of an encouraging, positive voice for women in business.”

1890 through 1891 and will undergo a full restoration for its 130th milestone birthday this year.

The “rare and excellent example,” as the volunteers describe, of nineteenth-century dry stack stone wall construction was something early Ontario settlers built. The Boyd family paid farmers a dollar for each wagon load of stones brought to the site.

Building a dry stone wall requires a high degree of technical achievement; the technique has been recognized by UNESCO for its picturesque appeal and cultural significance.

With the wall’s repair costs estimated at $70,000, the Bobcaygeon group has joined with the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes to create the Edgewood Stone Wall Fund to facilitate community donations.

For more information on the campaign and how to help, visit www.EdgewoodStoneWall.com

Dry stone wall in Bobcaygeon needs business, community support

Pictured at the dry stone wall in Bobcaygeon. Left to right: John Bush, Stephen Slack, Richard Fedy, Robert Blane, Monica Cara, Councillor Kathleen Seymour-Fagan, Ann Adare. Photo: Submitted.

The 122-metre (400-foot) stretch of dry stone wall near Case Manor on Canal Street in Bobcaygeon is one of only two in Kawartha Lakes.

Known as the Edgewood dry stack wall, it is now in serious need of repair. Volunteers from Environmental Action Bobcaygeon are determined to rescue it, according to a media release. The wall was built in