Rotary Club of Kemptville supports Shalom Small Homes
The Rotary Club of Kemptville has once again demonstrated their commitment to community support by presenting Shalom Small Homes with a generous
donation of $5,000. This contribution comes from the proceeds of the inaugural Kemptville Rotary Radio Day held on May 10, 2025. Last year, the Rotary Club donated
$10,000 towards the same cause, underscoring their ongoing dedication.
Janne Ritskes, Chair, and Mary Ritskes, Treasurer of Shalom Small
Homes Kemptville, gratefully accepted the donation during a ceremony where the cheque was creatively concealed within a small LEGO model of a home.
Shalom Small Homes Kemptville, a project aimed at providing affordable housing for seniors in North Grenville, currently has four homes occupied with seniors from the community. Plans are underway to construct an additional 16 homes. https://shalomsmallhomeskemptville.org.
Learn more about Rotary and consider joining us having fun while helping the community - visit our website www. kemptvillerotary.ca.
Who knows where the Times goes?
NGT goes East
Vicki and Dale Cameron are on a wonderful trip to the East Coastd they brought the NG Times along with them. Vicki sent these two pics in as they travelled through the Maritimes.
“Here is my first photo of the NGT on holiday. This is Don Messer’s fiddle in Harvey, New Brunswick. We are on our way to Newfoundland”.
Later, Vicki sent the second photo: (page 2) “We are in Pictou Nova Scotia and the Hector (1773 sailing ship) is being relaunched this weekend. The Bluenose arrived for the celebration. They have it under heavy security, this is as close as we could get.”
Janne Ritskes of Shalom Small Homes receiving funds from Rotary Club President Bruce Wehlau.
Who knows where the Times goes?
To celebrate our twenty years of news in North Grenville, the Times is inviting readers to submit photos of them reading the paper wherever in the world they may be. You may be on vacation in Europe, Or you may be visiting friends somewhere in Canada. Who knows where the Times goes? At the end of the summer we’ll have a draw to find the winning pic, and present a gift coupon from $100 for a local NG business. It’s a fun way to mark a big anniversary for us here at the Times: one we want to share with our friends and neighbours in our community.
Thank a first responder
Meet our First Responders! • Face Painting! Thank a first responder
Sunday, August 3
Sunday, August 3
Noon until 4pm
Kemptville Farmers' Market 200 Sanders St., Kemptville kemptvillefarmersmarket.ca 100% Locally
Local musician wins prestigious award
Darren Michael Boyd’s latest music video (Perpetual Night) has been awarded Best Music Video by the Alternative Film Festival in Toronto (ALTFF). His solo career started as a form of therapy for the physical and psychological complications that followed a life-altering car accident, and he has released six albums and over 20 music videos since 2019. His sound has been dubbed “Spooky Surf” by fans and has been described as “Dick Dale meets Joe Satriani in a horror movie”.
In 2024, Darren received Three Josie Music Award nominations - Musician of the Year (Guitarist), Song of the Year for Darkling, and Instrumental Album of the Year for Hexalogy. He attended the awards show in Nashville, Tennessee at the Grand Ole Opry House in October, among the 3% of submissions to be nominated out of 75,000. Boyd ended off 2024 winning Composer of the Year at the Red Carpet Awards Show in Europe.
In 2023, The Red Carpet Show in Holland nominated Darren for Most Appreciated Musician, and Misty Mundae in two categories: Best Music Video and Instrumental Song.
Darren was Voted Best Guitar Teacher, in the Ottawa Valley/North Grenville Readers Choice Awards.
It’s been a remarkable career, considering the potentially tragic impetus with which it began. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/lwxNUoNSo8k?si=WkV430jie_BcV0ZT
Chance to Win $10,000 and Accelerate Your Business
Entrepreneurs, visionaries, and business trailblazers—get ready! Leeds Grenville’s Greatest Entrepreneur Competition is now open for applications, offering local businesses the opportunity to showcase their ideas, gain expert coaching, and compete for a generous prize package.
Our community has rallied behind this initiative, contributing generously because they believe in you, the entrepreneur. Thanks to this incredible support, each of the two grand prize winners will receive $10,000 in cash and a $10,000 value of in-kind business services, including media exposure, Chamber of Commerce memberships and marketing support.
Participants will receive:
Free business coaching from experienced professionals; Networking opportunities with key players in the local business ecosystem; and A chance to win funding and support to accelerate their business growth.
Applications are open now through October 17, 2025, at 12:00 noon. From the pool of applicants, six finalists will be selected to pitch to a panel of judges at a high-energy gala event scheduled for January 2026, where two grand prize winners will be announced. Why Compete?
- Expert Coaching: Refine your pitch with
guidance from industry leaders.
- Funding & Prizes: Win a share of the prize package to scale your business.
- Visibility & Networking: Connect with business leaders, investors, and media.
- Real Impact: Take your business to the next level with community support.
To learn more and apply, visit: www.lggreatestentrepreneur.ca/entrepreneurs
This premier pitch competition is presented by 1000 Islands Community Development Corporation and Community Futures Grenville, two of 36 organizations across southern Ontario delivering the national Community Futures Program. Designed to foster economic development in rural communities, the Community Futures Program is funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
Lions Club Trip of the Month
Standing with the July winner of the Lions Club Trip of the Month Lottery, Monica Gordon, are Lion Gerald Christie on the left and Lions Wayne Vachon and Kathy McCoy.
The Kemptville Lions Club held their monthly draw on July 14 in their Lions Club Trip of the Month. The winning ticket was drawn by Natalie Castillas owner of Catered Affairs, and the July winner was Monica Gordon.
VOLUNTEERING IS THE
This town ain’t big enough for both of us
by David Shanahan
There’s so much time and energy being spent on national and international issues and crises, and that is perfectly understandable and right. I mean, climate change, wildfires, wars, tariffs, threats of annexation, and so many other topics claiming the headlines fully deserve their high profiles. Fair enough. And the Times has done its bit to focus attention on some of these and other major issues over the years. But, at the same time, we are a community newspaper, and there are times (Times?) to zoom in on things closer to home, things which may have been in danger of slipping by unnoticed in the whirl of world events.
The fact is that things in North Grenville seem, here and there, to be in something of a mess. People have been concerned for a long time now about the rapid growth in terms of population and development taking place in Kemptville. The current
construction on County Road 43 has been the subject of warnings and dire predictions long before a shovel went into the ground, and many of those concerns have proven justified. The traffic can be really bad at certain times of the day, like when it’s daylight out. That previous councils gave planning permission and building permits for the Northwest Quadrant (everything north of 43 and west of 44) years before the road infrastructure could feasibly handle the increased traffic it would bring, was bound to lead to the present situation. But development, development charges, and increased tax revenue seemed to count for more with the “Grow or Die” brigade.
Many will say that this congestion is but a temporary problem: once the roads are finished, all will move smoothly and quickly along the four-lane, and around the many roundabouts that are yet to be built. How many roundabouts? I’m honestly not sure anymore. But as residents and visitors
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Twenty-one years ago, I was working in Ottawa, in the engineering field. At that time my husband and I owned a small horse farm outside of Kemptville. Our family had moved to North Grenville in 1997 from Nova Scotia. In late 2003 and early 2004 I was in my early 50's. I found myself feeling very tired and chalked it up to my age and the many young staff working in an international company in Ottawa.
January 19, 2004 at 11:00PM, my husband and I had just gone to bed, when I turned to him and said, "I hear blood running in my ear". Then I collapsed. The paramedics were phoned and they first brought my collapsed body to Kemptville District Hospital, where it was discovered what my medical issue was, and the
have yet, it seems, to learn how to use the ones already in place, it does not augur well for the larger ones still to come. At the very least, drivers should learn how to signal on the things, and perhaps learn, also, what the word “Yield” means! And no, you should not turn left on a roundabout: you go around them - the hint is in the name.
But roads are not the only thing that bode ill for Kemptville in particular, and the municipality as a whole. Growth has also led to a different character for the place. It’s not just the loss, potential or actual, of the small town vibe that residents valued and which encouraged so many to move here from larger urban centres. That is a problem, certainly, and rather ironic too. Some people, seeking that small-town character, have, at the same time, demanded large-town facilities and infrastructure, thus changing the very thing they came here to enjoy.
As some one who arrived here a mere three decades ago, I am really shocked by how much
bleeding stopped. I was then rushed to the Ottawa Civic Hospital for brain surgery conducted by Doctor Howard Lesiuk, Neurosurgeon. Once I was in recovery, my husband was advised he should go home and the hospital staff would phone him should my situation change.
Dr. Lesiuk had used a brand new technique when trying to increase the survival of Brain Aneurysm victims. That technique worked and I am writing this email 21 years later. The CT Scanner is a fantastic machine, which has saved many lives. Any part of the body can be scanned to diagnose a very serious injury that is able to save many, many lives. I think the population of North Grenville and surrounding area will be much better served by the very donation of the Tallman Family
has changed in those years. In 2007, as part of Kemptville’s 150th anniversary, the Historical Society contributed a photographic collection to a Time Capsule. It showed CR 43 from the 416 to Somerville Road, Clothier Street east to west, and Prescott Street, all as they were in 2007. The differences today are remarkable. Much of the changes are positive, others sad. Too much green gone, too much concrete in its place. “Green and Growing”, indeed.
Historically, the keepers of the flame in small communities have been the various voluntary groups, the service clubs and churches, which created and maintained that sense of community which gave people a sense of shared belonging. But these are dying: younger people are not getting involved in the numbers necessary to keep them alive in the long term. Newer residents often don’t have the time or interest to look into becoming part of the activities. As Kemptville, in particular, becomes more and more a dormitory town for Ot-
and our community. My mother often told us, " What goes around in this world, comes around".
I am sure the Tallman Family companies in North Grenville have been well served. The community has proved that by raising the needed funds so the medical staff in North Grenville will be able to save the lives of many people.
In 1989 my young nephew collapsed and died as a result of a brain aneurysm rupture. Thankfully, Rick was an athlete who looked after his body because my
brother and his wife donated enough of Rick's organs to save the lives of 8 people. When a person dies, their organs can be used to save the lives of many, mostly young people. Do not be greedy with your organs. Give them to someone whose life will be extended because of you. Who knows, maybe that person's donated heart will go on to accomplish magnificent, groundbreaking, medical research?
Josephine
Herman
tawa or Brockville, many residents spend evenings and weekends at home, often involved in recreational activities away from the area. Family, not community, is the centre of attention. All of which is understandable, but the damage to social cohesion and community identity is inevitable.
In all of this ranting, I’ve not dealt with the role and destiny of the hamlets of North Grenville, and that is deliberate. They require, if not demand, some proper attention and consideration. This has been lacking, with the focus being on Kemptville and its changing shape and style. But, given the confused state of development in the Major Urban Area, perhaps the residents of the hamlets may be pleased at this benevolent neglect on the part of municipal planners?
What does all this amount to, or to what does all this amount? Nothing clear and obvious, perhaps. Nothing either positive or negative. Nothing to give an idea of which direction things may be heading. Rather like the way things are in
the municipality. Don’t we have an Official Plan, and a Strategic Plan? Is there any attempt being made to update them, or even to implement them?
On second thoughts, maybe it is easier to think about wildfires, wars and tariffs.
Mailing Address P.O. Box 1854, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
Editor David Shanahan editor@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735
Marketing/Sales marketing@ngtimes.ca 613 215-0735 Reporter Talia Hreljac Talia@ngtimes.ca
Graphic Designer Mary Moore graphics desinger 613-215-0735
Accounting cfo@ngtimes.ca Contact 613-215-0735 ISSN 2291-0301 www.ngtimes.ca
Classifieds classifieds @ngtimes.ca
www.northgrenville.ca
going on? See our events calendar: www.northgrenville.ca/events
Stay informed! Council Meetings: www.northgrenville.ca/meetings
Need to see us? Municipal office hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 285 County Road 44, Kemptville
Need to reach us? Contact us: Call 613-258-9569 or email: general@northgrenville.on.ca
Need additional information? Visit us: www.northgrenville.ca
JOB POSTING CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL
Reporting to the Planner, the Chief Building Official contributes to the safety and wellbeing of the residents and visitors of the municipality through the administration and enforcement of the Ontario Building Code Act, the Planning Act, the Municipal Act and all other applicable Acts, Regulations and By-Laws. A detailed job description is available on the Township website at www.tayvalleytwp.ca.
As the Chief Building Official you will process building permit applications, including holding pre-consultation meetings, reviewing building plans, drawings and specifications to ensure compliance, issue permits, conduct site inspections to ensure compliance with permits issued, maintain accurate records, etc., as well as assist with the development and implementation of policies, operational procedures and practices and ensure compatibility and compliance with legislation, regulations, standards and the Township’s goals and objectives.
The ideal candidate must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, will have acquired post-secondary courses in building sciences, construction engineering technology or architectural technology or equivalent field of study, have a valid BCIN, is qualified and registered with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (QuARTS) in the following categories: CBO Legal, Small Buildings, Large Buildings, House, Plumbing All Buildings, Plumbing House, HVAC House, Building Services, Building Structural, Detection Lighting and Power, have a valid driver’s license, and have a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in a municipal capacity as the Chief Building Official, or other applicable experience involving the Building Code and Building Code Act, and demonstrated experience in administration and enforcement of applicable legislation. CBCO and BCQ designations would be considered an asset as would Fall Arrest/Confined Spaces training and On-Site Sewage Systems and Wood Energy Technology Transfer (WETT) certification.
The 2025 salary range is $95,400 to $109,500 and a competitive benefit package and participation in OMERS makes this an attractive full-time permanent position for the right candidate.
Qualified candidates are invited to submit a covering letter and resume clearly marked
“Chief Building Official”, prior to 9:00 a. m. on Monday, August 11th, 2025 in confidence to:
Tay Valley Township
Aaron Watt, Deputy Clerk 217 Harper Road, Perth, ON, K7H 3C6 or e-mail: deputyclerk@tayvalleytwp.ca
We thank all applicants for their interest and only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Tay Valley Township is an equal opportunity employer, committed to ensuring all candidates are able to participate in the interview process fully and equally. If contacted for employment, please let us know if you require any accommodations to ensure you can participate fully and equally during the recruitment and selection process.
Personal information collected from applications is collected under the authority of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and will be used to determine qualifications for employment. Questions about the collection of Information should be directed to the Clerk at the address indicated above.
Health and Wellness on 43
The businesses along County Road 43 are OPEN Open and here to help you feel your best with wellness services, healthy products, and nourishing options. Roadwork is a temporary step toward lasting improvements. Your support today helps create a stronger, more connected community for the future. Visit: www.northgrenville.ca/discover43
“You can expect to see the additional parking lot at Shoppers Drug Mart open to the public by the end of the month!”
Eric Gutknecht Memorial Bursary winners 2025
by EGMB Executive
On Thursday, June 26, 2025, 127 students from St. Michael Catholic High School (SMCHS) in North Grenville crossed the stage to receive their Secondary School Diplomas, Honour Cords, Honor Role Medallions, French Immersion Certificates, Ontario Scholer Certificates and various Awards, Bursaries and Scholarships.
Among those students was Sarah Lewis who took home the Eric Gutknecht Memorial Bursary (EGMB) which is awarded annually to a student continuing post secondary education, has faced and persevered through personal or family challenges and is involved in the community . Sarah will be attending Carleton University choosing to pursue a degree in Cognitive
Science to hopefully become a Speech Pathologist.
On Friday, June 27, 2025, the scene shifted to North Grenville District High School (NGDHS) where 160 students were honoured with various diplomas, certificates and special awards. The EGMB was proudly awarded, with cheques and plaques, to two students showing strength and perseverance advanc-
Justin Duhaime’s Gypsy Muse Trio plays the Kemptville Street Piano
by Lisa Poushinsky
Guitar and early Jazz lovers, this one’s for you! This Saturday, get set to be transported to pre-War Paris, 1930s, when the clubs were hot and Jazz was new. The Kemptville Street Piano welcomes Justin Duhaime and his Django Reinhardt-inspired jazz manouche project, Gypsy Trio. With Django-style silvery glissandos, arcing melodic solos, and a pumping swinging rhythm grooving at breakneck speed, to play Manouche music right requires a virtuosic player and Duhaime is one of Canada’s
best. Catch Duhaime on the North Grenville Public Library terrace at 1pm, with Christian Flores on acoustic guitar, and Normand Glaude on double bass. A must-see for guitar fans of any genre and music lovers of all stripes!
Justin Duhaime is a passionate guitarist, composer, and teacher based in Ottawa. No stranger to the stage, Duhaime has performed at Chamberfest, JazzFest, FolkFest, and TulipFest, and is the recipient of the Ottawa Arts Council’s 2018 RBC Emerging Artist Award. In 2015, he
published his book Justin Duhaime’s Guitar Guide and has written more than 40 compositions, done over 150 live performances, and published over 300 videos on YouTube. Justin Duhaime is sponsored by DK Guitars and plays a Black Sword guitar.
What? The Kemptville Street Piano Concert Series presents Who? Justin Duhaime’s Gypsy Muse Trio
When? Saturday July 26, 1pm, rain or shine
Where? North Grenville Public Library terrace (indoors in case of inclement weather)
How much? Free! Want to support the music? The Kemptville Street Piano is a non-profit concert series that relies on grants, and we will gladly accept donations and discuss sponsorship opportunities (contact us at kemptville.street.piano@ gmail.com).
Learn more about Justin Duhaime here: https:// justinduhaime.com/music/ gypsy-muse/
ing to post-secondary studies to:
Haleigh Brown who has chosen to attend McMaster University, enrolling in the 'Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour' program and.
Jake Watkins whose interest in psychology will lead him on a path to becoming a Police Officer in the not too distant future.
The EGMB charity was
created shortly after the passing of Eric on June 15th, 2010 and has now awarded $46,000 to students attending the two high schools located in North Grenville.. Congratulations to all graduating students and also to those students taking a gap year, going into the world of work or those who will remain undecided as to what their next steps might be. There is no per-
VOLUNTEERING IS THE
fect path moving forward. Be open to new ideas and opportunities. Be less selfish and more kind and you may end up where you never expected and be happy about it. Hats off to the class of 2025!
Jake Watkins, NGDHS
: Sarah Lewis, St. Mike’s
Halleigh Brown, NGDHS
Fresh, local, and in season: it’s Ontario fruit’s time to shine
by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture
With summer in full swing, so too is the sweet season of Ontario fruits, fresh from the orchard, grove, bush, field or vineyard. Local fruit season starts in early to mid-June with the much-anticipated strawberries, which then moves into a domino run of fresh, succulent berries, tender fruit, tree fruit and more right through to Halloween.
“There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh Ontario fruit, the flavor and sweet taste is a reminder of the beauty and bounty of Ontario agriculture,” says Bill Groenheide, a director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the organization’s commodity liaison with the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association. “We are so privileged here in Ontario to have the weather, the environment and the soil to grow such
a wide range of fresh fruit. It’s also a reminder of how important it is to keep farmland for food production and other agricultural uses. There is no way to get more once it’s gone.”
The OFA’s Home Grown campaign raises awareness of why it’s important to preserve Ontario farmland to produce local food, fuel, flowers and fibre. Learn more and sign up for regular updates on products grown and raised in Ontario at homegrownofa.ca.
Buying local fruit not only supports Ontario agriculture - a critically important sector of the economy - but it is also better for you and for the planet. The moment fruit is harvested, its nutrient value begins to deteriorate, so the closer to home we can grow and harvest these crops, the tastier and healthier they are and the lower our environmental footprint, including fewer climate change-causing
greenhouse gas emissions.
Here is a list of popular Ontario fruits and when you can expect to see them at on-farm stores, farmers’ markets, roadside stands and grocery stores:
- Strawberries: peak strawberry season is June and July, but fresh local berries are available right into the fall from Ontario farms.
- Cherries: the season is short, so you have to move fast. Sweet and sour Ontario cherries can be found in July and August.
- Peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums: Ontario’s sweet tender fruits are available from approximately July through September.
- Berries: The peak summer months of July and August are also when you will find delicious Ontario staples widely available, like blueberries, raspberries and watermelon (it is a member of the berry family – look it up!).
Habitat for Humanity 1000 Islands new Executive Director
The Board of Directors Habitat for Humanity 1000 Islands is pleased to announce the appointment of Anthony Conte as the new Executive Director, effective August 5, 2025.
A seasoned media and community leader, Anthony has an extensive background in broadcast media, audio production, creative branding, and non-profit retail management. With over two decades of experience in radio production, including his tenure as National Imaging Manager at Rogers Sports & Media, he has
led national rebranding campaigns, managed diverse creative teams, and created innovative audio strategies across Canada. His approach to leadership emphasizes strategic planning, team mentorship, and meaningful community engagement.
Currently serving as a Full-Time Supervisor at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Brockville, Anthony has played a vital role in operations, volunteer coordination, merchandising, and customer engagement.
A passionate advocate for inclusion and volunteerism, Anthony
- Cranberries: Coming mostly from Muskoka and the Ottawa area, Ontario cranberries are available in August and September, just in time to stock up for Thanksgiving.
- Apples and pears: Early varieties of apples and pears can be ready as early as late August, but it is really from September through to November that they are in the prime harvest season.
- Grapes: While a lot of Ontario grapes are grown for winemaking, local table grapes are also available in August and September. Keep an eye out for a new kid on the Ontario grape block called Jupiter, a tasty red table grape.
“It’s a joy to see Ontarians come together over fresh Ontario fruit, from enjoying an outing to a pickyour-own farm or sharing tasty bites on a beautiful summer evening,” adds Bill Groenheide. “Ontario fruits benefit from the perfect climate and growing conditions and rich, healthy soils – all of which we’re so lucky to have right here in Ontario.”
is committed to furthering Habitat for Humanity 1000 Islands’ mission of building stability and self-reliance through affordable homeownership. He looks forward to engaging with stakeholders, partners, and community members across Leeds and Grenville to expand Habitat’s local impact.
“We are very excited to welcome Anthony as our new Executive Director,” says Bill Spencer, Board Chair. “His depth of experience, creativity, and dedication to community building make him an ideal leader to guide our organization into its next chapter.”
Liane cooked up a Red Velvet cake for Emma’s birthday this past week. So, I thought I’d share the recipe with you. You can use gluten-free flour if you prefer. Just keep in mind that this is not diet food, just a special event dish and pure enjoyment if you are a dessert person.
Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
6 tablespoons of softened butter
¾ cup of vegetable oil, e.g., canola
1 ¾ cups of white granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 ½ teaspoon of white vinegar
3 ½ tablespoons of red food colouring
¾ cup buttermilk
Preparation:
- Pre-heat your oven
- Cream together the butter, oil and sugar
- Mix in the eggs, then, add the vanilla, vinegar and food colouring
- Fold in the flour to your mixture as you also add the buttermilk
- Pour into two lightly greased cake pans (springform preferred, for ease of handling)
- Bake till your probe comes out dry
- Take out and let cool before removing from the pans
This cake begs for vanilla cream cheese icing for which you will need: 1 cup of softened butter, 4 ½ cups of icing sugar, 1 ½ cups of cream cheese and 1 ½ tablespoons of vanilla. Beat till smooth and ice your cake. Refrigerate after icing. Serve with vanilla ice cream or ice yoghurt. A dark roast coffee to accompany is very nice.
As always, don’t hesitate to be in touch at pcormier@ ranaprocess.com.
Cedar Waxwings
This past little while I have spent some very interesting early mornings and evenings just observing all the bird activity taking place in the bare trees just over the fence, between my property and that of one of my neighbours. It’s been very revealing too, with quite a number of varieties congregating there at the beginnings and the endings of the days. A couple of the most active have been the Kingbirds and, Bluebirds, and I got some glimpses of some lovely Cedar Waxwings. These were perched very high up in the tall trees and only appeared to the naked eye as just another nondescript image. However, my ever faithful camera lens proved to me that they were far from being that and were, in fact, Waxwings.
Of course, now cames the inevitable question, as to which one they might be: the Bohemian, or the Cedar Waxwing variety. Well my pictures were not, as such, too helpful in that respect, as the distant picture angles didn’t really emphasize the various identifying features of the two types, although I think that I had enough to identify them as being The Cedar type, rather than the more exotic sounding Bohemian type.
My nesting birds, the Bluebirds and the House Wren, are still very busy and I suspect that the Bluebirds, who have been diligently feeding their young every hour of the day over the past week or so, are about to be relieved of that task when their brood take to the air themselves. I hope that I get to witness some of that activity, but can’t really spend a 100 percent of my time sitting and watching them, so will have to watch whenever I can.
I hope that you, too, are being as fortunate in your observations of your garden birds and are getting as much enjoyment from doing so as I do myself.
Stay safe and well.
Cheers
John Baldwin
RECURRING EVENTS
Knights of Columbus Monthly Supper at Holy Cross Church Hall 503 Clothier Street West. Suppers are held at 5:30 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month, September to November and January to May. Cost $10 per person, $5 for a child under 12 and $25 for a family.
PROBUS: Fellowship, Fun and inFormed presenters are part of the PROBUS gathering on the third Wednesday of each month at St Paul's Presbyterian Church Hall at 9:30AM. For more information contact at n.g.probus97@ gmail.com
Kemptville Legion: Fridays 3-9. Free Pool and Darts. Everyone Welcome
BINGO, Kemptville Legion, Bingos run from the beginning of September until the end of June on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays.
LEGION EUCHRE will be held at 100 Reuben St., the 3rd Saturday of each month. Registration starts at 12:30, with Euchre starting at 1:00. Cost is $5 to play - cash prizes. NG Duplicate Bridge Club, Masonic Lodge 311 Van Buren Kemptville, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 12:15. All Levels of bridge players are welcome. Info call 613-795-7155
Friendship Lunches are offered to everyone every Friday. Please join us in our lower hall by 11:30 for a free meal, companionship and fellowship at St. John's United Church hall at 400 Prescott St. and begin at 11:30. There is no charge. A free will offering is appreciated. Everyone is welcome. Friendship Café is open to the community Tuesday's from 10 to noon. All are welcome to stop by, enjoy a hot beverage, a sweet treat and some friendly conversation all at no cost. At St. John's United Church hall at 400 Prescott St. Tuesday Community Hub hosted by the House of Lazarus All are welcome to drop in. Advocacy, “make a meal, take a meal” cooking opportunities, community services assistance are just a few of the weekly programs. Stop by and visit or contact House of Lazarus directly at 613-989-3830 for more details. “Building Community, Sharing Hope”. Upstairs at St. John's United Church at 400 Prescott St. Modern Square Dancing in Kemptville with the Grenville Gremlins Square Dance Club. Monday Evenings 7:309:30pm. North Grenville Municipal Center County Road 44 For more info call Debbie at 613-795-3032 or Google "Kemptville Square Dancing"
Saturday Art Social every Saturday morning at the NG Public Library! 10 am - 11:30 am at the NG Public Library. Free with basic materials provided
BID EUCHRE at Pierce's Corners (aka the Marlborough Community Centre) at 3048 Pierce Road on Tuesday, July 29, August 12 and 26. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m., play starts at 7:00 p.m. Contact Debi at debiar@ymail.com EUCHRE at Pierce's Corners (aka the Marlborough Community Centre) at 3048 Pierce Road on Tuesday, July 22, August 5 and 19. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m., play starts at 7:00 p.m. Contact Debi at debiar@ymail.com
North Grenville Men’s Shed
A men’s shed provides a safe and friendly environment for men to socialize and/or do projects.
Contact: Peter Ivay 343 598-1174 or website ngmensshed. com for scheduled meetings on the calendar and additional information.
Malala Women’s Choir
Invites you to explore uplifting music for treble voices. Rehearsals: Wednesday evenings 7:00 – 9:00 pm, March 5– May 28, 2025. At St. Andrew’s Knox Presbyterian Church, 23 Bennett St., Spencerville. To register: contact Sheila at 613-658-5290 or sheilafawcett92@gmail.com No previous choral experience required.
Membership fee: $35
Kemptville Horticultural Society - meetings are held monthly, except July, August & December. The are held the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:00 pm at the Kemptville Pentecostal Church.
South Branch Serenade FREE Event Every Thursday Night Throughout July and August. 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Rotary Park in Downtown Kemptville Kemptville Street Piano Join us on Saturdays for FREE musical adventures. 1:00 pm
North Grenville Public Library terrace
UPCOMING EVENTS
August 9
Ferguson Forest for Beginners Time: 10:00 am
Not familiar with Ferguson Forest? Prefer not to walk alone? Come join one of our volunteers for a guided walk.
FREE MAPS! Meet in parking lot near dog park.
August 10
WIZARD CARD TOURNAMENT Time: 12:30 pm
Registration starts at 12:30 and play starts at 1:00 p.m. $5 per player. For information contact debiar@ymail.com.
Pierce's Corners, also known as the Marlborough Community Centre, 3048 Pierce Road. August 11
Spencerville Agricultural Society Time: 7:00 pm
August Meeting If you are interested in joining our committee, please email info@spencervillefair.ca to receive all of the meeting details.
Phone: 613-658-3333| www.spencervillefair.ca Cost: Free Drummond Building 22 Ryan Street, Spencerville Ontario August 13
Craft Night Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
FREE for all kids - Preschool to Grade 6!
Join us for our 3rd Annual Spencerville Fair Craft Night! A totally FREE evening of handson fun for kids in Preschool through Grade 6. All supplies are provided, and the only thing you need to bring is your kid’s creativity!Drummond Building, 22 Ryan Street, Spencerville
Remembering Dick Loewen
April 16, 1940 - July 22, 2020
"For You Were A Man To Know"
In Memory of
Faye Marybelle Hockaday Brooks, much loved by me her husband, John. Dear mother of Ian and Rob, both of whom live in BC. Some key things that have happened since July 15, 2005, the day you left: After graduating with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Ian went on to complete his Ph.D. in Philosophy at UBC where he met Alice, who has been his partner for 10 years now. They live in Vancouver and both work at Simon Fraser University. Rob is married to a wonderful Christina, and after training together in medical school in Sydney, Australia, they are now both practicing family physicians in Chilliwack, BC. Rob and Chrissy have three children - Caleb, Toby and Maya, each awesome in their own way. Of course, you knew all this, didn't you? I still miss you a lot, even 20 years later. You were my guide and partner. I am recovering from a very serious illness which has left me with a much better appreciation for life. My motto: Life is So Good! My terrific new friends Andrea and Christine help to make my life So Good!
ACROSS
1. Small ball with a hole
5. Distinctive flair
9. Respond
14. Dull pain
15. Rodents
16. Master of Ceremonies
17. To that
19. Feeling
20. Home run (baseball)
21. Monk's haircuts
23. In a generous manner
25. Extreme
28. Make lace
29. Letter after sigma 32. Vomitive
33. Durable wood
34. Sprockets
35. Worry
36. Australian "bear"
38. Old stories
39. Cuts off
40. Except
41. Straw hat
43. N N N
44. Damp
45. Skirmishes
46. Never-ending
48. Struggle or scramble (archaic)
50. Of a pelvic bone
54. Danger
55. Deliberately
57. Be extant
58. Coral formation
59. Drunkards
60. Woodland deity
61. Makes a mistake
62. Coin opening
Solutions to last week’s Sudoku
Wall desk white in colour brand new hardly used, $150.00. call 613-215-0665.
Firewood for camping @ $60.00/cord. Call Reg 613 258 7606
We sell and install cedar trees for hedges and we are also looking to harvest cedar trees for cedar hedges from land owner(s). Joanne (613)799-0958
TO RENT
LAND FOR RENT to farm. High producing for soy bean and corn. Reasonable to the right farmer. Call 613.258.3561
DOWN
1. Shower alternative
2. Reflected sound
3. Interruption
4. Homeless people
5. Large flightless bird 6. Door frame part
7. Thespian
8. Hospital unit for newborns
9. Answer
10. File
11. Skin disease
12. British tax 1
3. Golf ball support
18. Genus of heath
22. Quenchable
24. Musical rhythm
25. A shoulder firearm
26. Bib
27. Ocean trenches
29. Bicuspid 30. Acquiesce 31. Utilizers
33. Type of cereal grass 34. Egalitarian 37. Stare down 42. Haven 44. Fortune 45. Cunning
Crunchy
Patriarch 48. Alluring
Strait-laced
False god
Countertenor
Writing implement
Possibilities
to last week’s
Wondering about the web
by Hilary Thomson
Having kids has made me re-evaluate a lot of things in my life. Even things that have become so much a part of my everyday, that I can't even remember what life was like without it. The most glaring example of this is: the internet.
Even though my kids are young I have been grappling with the reality of raising them in such a digital world. I not only have to teach them how to exist in the real world, but also try and instill in them a safe and well educated way of appearing online. With the rise of AI and the reality of online predators, I am honestly more concerned about the online rabbit hole they could fall into, in the comfort of their own home, rather than anything that could happen to them out in the physical world.
As I try to figure out
HISTORY
how to teach them responsible and safe ways to use the world wide web, I am also beginning to question my own internet use, particularly social media. I want my kids to live in a house where their creativity can flourish; where they can figure out who they are, and what they believe in, and be confident in that.
I am a firm believer that this happens in the quiet - In the times in between school and other activities of daily living - where your brain can wander, ponder and develop. The problem is many of us never allow for this to happen anymore. Whenever we are even remotely bored we pick up our phones to see what Sally in Toronto is having for lunch, or how Chloe does her hair in the morning.
And those are just the benign examples. Social media in general is so full of misinformation, and dan-
gerous viewpoints. I find that every time I log into my Facebook account to see what is happening in the community, three quarters of my feed is AI generated "fake news".
Confirmation bias online is a real problem, with algorithms only feeding us opinions that match our own. It reminds me of a line from the 1998 film The Truman Show, where Jim Carey plays a man who has unknowingly spent his entire life in a reality television show.
"We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented."
I feel like the creators of that movie must have seen what was coming, because almost 30 years later that quote could not be more relevant. And so, after much contemplation, I have taken a step back from social media. I deleted my Instagram account and do not have the
Facebook app on my phone. I want to lead by example. I want my kids to live their lives in the real world, not glued to a smartphone. I want that for myself too.
I don't want to be so caught up in the alternate reality of the internet that I forget to actually live my life. The internet is a powerful force; and while it can definitely be wielded for good, there is a large portion of it that is extremely detrimental to our society and the world as a whole.
At this point it is a necessary evil. But I hope that by placing limits around it for myself, I can encourage my children to also value their life offline. Because, to be blunt, that is truly what matters.
The pressure of 18 summers—and how i let it go
The first summer I had my daughter, my hormones were pumping, and I stumbled upon a story that said something like, “You only get 18 summers with your kids—less if they get a job in high school.” That line sent me into a tailspin. My daughter was only two weeks old, and I was already panicking that she was growing up too fast. Was it the hormones talking, or just my new mom brain in overdrive? We’ll never really know; but that moment had a real impact on me. That summer, we packed our tiny newborn into the car and went everywhere: Kingston, a few museums, the Laurentians, and countless other spots. I didn’t want to waste a single summer moment with her. When my second child came along, we took the same approach, with more crafts, fewer outings, and a bit more chaos trying to wrangle two kids. By the time baby number three arrived, we had fully embraced the backyard: an inflatable pool, a steady supply of popsicles, and hours of fun right at home. And you know what? We made just as many beautiful memories as we did on those big trips.
The Kemptville budget crisis of 1996, part 3
by David Shanahan
By the beginning of April, 1996, the Kemptville Taxpayers Coalition were becoming more radical in their demands on the municipal Council. Their demand that Council be placed under supervision by the provincial government had been rejected by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, so the Coalition presented Council with a further list of six conditions under which, they said, they would be prepared to work with the elected representatives to deal with the threatened 80.0% increase in taxes.
The six conditions, presented to Mayor Etmanskie on March 28 by Coalition co-chair, Bill Gooch, included that the Coalition be allowed to interview municipal staff members without Council being present, and that the Coalition be provided access to “any and all contacts, expenditure detail, invoices, leasing documentation and purchase orders”. The Coalition would then produce their own recommendations to be presented by them to the public before being brought to Council.
These demands were objected to by the Ministry itself. Concerns were raised about both of these suggestions, “which suggested that a shadow council was being
formed...Coalition members must not, in effect, take the place of the Council”. Councillor Richard Bole reflected the feelings of his council colleagues on the Coalition’s actions: he and other members of the Council had been subjected to suggestions of mistrust, a lack of honesty, of secret agendas. “We have been elected by a democratic process to serve until 1997 and we intend to do that”, he stated. All that the Coalition had accomplished, so far, he said, was the demoralization of the town staff.
The Coalition now raised the stakes. Bill Gooch resigned his position as cochair for health reasons, and his successor, Bruce Elmore, contacted the Ottawa media and informed them that either the Kemptville Council would accept Coalition demands, or their resignation would be demanded. The next meeting between the two sides was attended by the general media, eager to report on this small-town controversy. In the meantime, Mayor, Council and staff had been working on finding reductions in the budget that would allow them to introduce a smaller tax increase, and had managed to reach a figure of 41%, instead of the feared 80.8%. This was announced at the meeting, but the Coalition rejected it
outright.
Instead, the self-appointed guardians of the taxpayers of Kemptville demanded no tax increase at all. The Coalition’s presentation to Council, by Bruce Elmore, was not a series of suggestions, but a list of explicitly stated strict demands. They “demanded” that Council recognise the Coalition requests and its status as representatives of the taxpayers of Kemptville. They “demanded” that a 0% increase and reasonable increase in water charges be approved jointly with the Coalition, and that all future development projects in the Town of Kemptville be approved jointly. Council was instructed to “stop wasting taxpayers money and time by bringing in lawyers, government consultants and representatives”. The Coalition promised not to “encourage any Civil disobedience of any kind as long as the co-operation and communication with Council and the Mayor is working”. This annoyed Councillor Fern Ferland, as it was clearly meant to be seen as an implied threat.
Relations between Council and Coalition were strained, to say the least, with the elected Council deeply resenting the unelected Coalition’s assertion of authority over them. Submission to the demands
of their self-appointed critics would mean surrendering the democratic process to an autocratic elite who considered their professional skills and experience of more value than those of municipal staff and council. It was a remarkably arrogant attempt what was, effectively, a coup against the representatives of the residents of Kemptville. However well-intentioned it may have been, it was, nevertheless, an attack on democracy, especially considering the fact that the sitting Council had not been in office when the financial mess was created in the first place.
The Coalition announced that they would be holding a public meeting on May 8 to inform the residents of Kemptville of their proposals to Council, and Council’s response. But before they could take that next step in taking over control of the Town, the “lawyers, government consultants and representatives" so dismissed by the Coalition had made some progress in finding solutions to the financial confusion, albeit not the ones the Coalition had demanded of them.
Next: The final countdown
Whether it’s the idea that we only get a handful of summers with our kids, or the pressure of seeing Instagram-perfect family adventures, we need to give ourselves permission to just enjoy the season. We don’t have to do it all. We can hang out in the backyard with a water gun, knocking over pop cans. We can feed ducks, grab ice cream, sit around a campfire, or spend an entire day in our pajamas playing video games. Life is chaotic most of the year: it’s okay to use summer to slow down and recharge.
Our kids will be adults soon enough. Why rush their childhood?
I think back to my own childhood summers. We didn’t travel much. Maybe the occasional weekend getaway, but most of my summer was spent at my cousin’s house, swimming in their freezing pool. Saturdays were the big days; nothing extravagant, just something a little different. And even though only a few days of the summer were truly “exciting,” I still carry those memories with me like treasures.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed about creating the perfect summer for your kids, here’s a tip: make a Summer Bucket List with your kids. Today, mine helped me come up with ten things we want to do this summer. That’s just one activity a week, totally manageable. It gives us a bit of structure, something to look forward to, and, best of all, eases that constant parent guilt of “not doing enough.”
And let’s be honest: if my parents were worried about only having 18 summers with me, the joke’s on them. I’m still around, and now they get the joy of babysitting their grandkids.
We can’t let the fear of time slipping away push us to cram a million activities into each summer. The best moments are made when we’re simply together, when boredom leads to creativity and connection.
So this summer, take a breath. Soak up the sun. Let your kids be kids. And just be because, in the end, it’s not about the number of summers: it’s about the memories we make when we simply show up.
OPP Report
Impaired driving continues to plague Eastern Ontario roads
A disturbing number of drivers across eastern Ontario continue to get behind the wheel after drinking or consuming drugs. As of the end of June, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers across the region have investigated 575 impaired driving incidents. While that is down slight from the same period in 2024, it is still a cause for concern.
"One impaired driver is one too many. We know impaired driving can have a deadly impact, affecting not only that driver, but potentially others on the roads and highways, innocent families." - Inspector Josh Kingsley, OPP East Region Traffic & Marine Manager
In the first half of 2025, the OPP investigated 22 fatal collisions on eastern Ontario roads, resulting in the deaths of 25 people. Impaired driving played a role in five of those deaths.
OPP officers across eastern Ontario are on the roads 24/7, looking for those who engage in dangerous driving habits like impaired driving. If you suspect someone if driving impaired, call 9-1-1. You could help save lives.
Safety reminder after numerous marine incidents
The OPP is reminding those using the province's waterways this summer to stay safe. This weekend a large number of marine incidents were reported across the province. OPP members from various detachments were called out to multiple incidents on OPP patrolled waterways, and police are urging the public to take measures to prevent tragedy.
Boaters and paddlers are reminded that alcohol or drug impairment, operator inexperience and not wearing a lifejacket, are among contributing factors in marine injuries and deaths.
In incidents investigated by OPP, falling overboard and capsized vessels remain the leading causes of death each year. Lifejackets should be worn by everyone in the boat. If you are rendered unconscious, a lifejacket will keep your head above water.
For a safe and enjoyable boating season, always be well prepared, check the weather forecast, and make sure your vessel is functioning and equipped. Swimmers should never venture into the water alone, children should be supervised closely, and swimmers should know their limits and obey posted signs and warnings.
The OPP recommends all vessel owners/operators familiarize themselves with the Safe Boating Guide found here: https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/marine-safety/boating-safety.
With July and August being peak months for boating and swimming, now is the perfect time to review water safety practices with your family.
Household Invasives
on what once was a lawn in Bishops Mills.
by Fred Schueler, Fragile Inheritance
Natural
History
Is there a "green" way to remove the following: Buckthorn, Garlic Mustard, and Dog Strangling Vine? All of those species were introduced as garden plants, and then got away to both invade natural habitats and take over gardens and less-cultivated land around homesites. You can access species descriptions and best-management-practices plans at the Ontario Invasive Plants website: www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/invasiveplants/species, but I’ll just list things that can be done without herbicides.
Buckthorns (Rhamnus cathartica & Frangula alnus): These are shrubs that grow from seeds spread by birds that have eaten the berries. If there are only a few shrubs, cut them at ground level and put a patch of carpet over them to keep them from sprouting. If the site is shady, repeated cutting of sprouts will often kill felled plants. It can be quite a chore to pull all the seedlings on ground that's saturated with seeds under big plants, but a pair of pliers help get a grip on the stems. “Pullers” are made that will push under larger shrubs and uproot them.
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata): The trick here is to pull or eat the plants before they set seed. Even if the pulled plants are in seed you can make a single pile and then have only a square metre from which to pull the seed-
lings in the next spring (rather than plastic-bagging them and sending to a landfill, as the advice goes). They're biennial (grow one year and then flower and die the next) and the seed bank isn't very longlived.
Dog-strangling Vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum): This species has only scattered occurrence in North Grenville, but Spencerville is totally overrun with it, and the milkweed-like seeds have blown east along Godin Road to the 416. I don't have any personal experience with control, but the Invasive Plants Council says: “Dog-strangling Vine is extremely persistent and complete eradication may take several years. Small populations are most effectively eradicated by digging up the entire root crown. Care must be taken to remove the entire root system to prevent resprouting. Small populations can also be tarped in late spring, cutting or mowing plants and covering them with an opaque plastic tarp...”
Like several of our invasive plants, this is a rare species in much of its native range, and a biocontrol moth is being introduced in hopes of reducing its invasiveness.
One of the most invasive plants around homesites, and the one we’re losing the struggle against at our place in Bishops Mills is Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria), a perennial member of the Carrot family, with compound leaves and Queen-Anne’sLace-like flowerheads. There
is a variegated type with bluegreen leaves that have creamy white margins, but these tend to revert to the faster-growing fully green coloration in invasive populations. It is also known by a variety of other English names including Bishops-weed, Ground Elder Goutwort, Herb-Gerard, English Masterwort, Aise-weed, Dwarf weed, White-ash-herb, Dog Elder, and Snow-on-themountain. Before we knew its identity, we called it Weirsbane, since it grew around the house we bought from George & Esther Weir, and promptly began to romp across lawns, garden beds, ash heaps, old barn foundations, and wooded groves. Historically, it was considered a treatment for gout, and once you get used to the sharp flavour, it makes a nice potherb in the spring.
The flowers don’t set seed
in our area, but the extensive underground root system of branching rhizomes can spread up to 70 cm per year and new plants can grow from broken rhizome fragments which can remain viable in the soil for more than four years. The Invasive Plant Council agrees with our experience that control is almost hopeless without herbicides. The recommend multi-year tarping of small stands to a metre beyond the outermost stems, constant vigilance in cutting, digging, and pulling, and focusing control in the spring, when the plants have put all their reserves into the new growth. They advise that our practice of using the early spring leaves as a potherb is discouraged since “there is not enough research to confirm the safety of consuming Goutweed.”
Japanese Beetles
Fred Schueler – Fragile Inheritance Natural History
The Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) “is a species of Scarab Beetle. Due to the presence of natural predators, it is not considered a pest in its native Japan, but in North America and some regions of Europe, it is a noted pest to roughly 300 species of plants. The first evidence of its appearing within the United States was in 1916 in a nursery near Riverton, New Jersey” (Wikipedia, edited).
I grew up in Connecticut where, in the 1950s, this species was the most deplored alien species, but it was 1994 before we saw one in Ontario (near Toronto), 2004 before we saw one in eastern Ontario (Cunningham Island, on the Champlain Bridge), and the first in North Grenville in 2008. In 2016 we killed 30 of them in the daughter’s yard in Kemptville and planted Marigolds to protect their Squash, but it was 2021 before we saw two in Bishops Mills. This July we have found clusters of a couple of dozen on a sprouting Plum bush, and there are general reports of increased abundance. Beetle specialist Joyce Cook, a bit further from settlement 4 km from Bishops Mills, had had only one specimen that she’d trapped soon after they arrived in eastern Ontario, but she has seen a few this year.
The larval beetles live on the roots of grasses, doing visible damage to lawns when they are abundant, and groups of adults skeletonize the leaves of plants by feeding on them – often with as many mating pairs as single individuals in the group.
Control of Japanese Beetles begins with shaking adults off the plants they are feeding on into soapy water. The larvae are susceptible what's called Milky Spore Disease, caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus popilliae, which is commercially available for application to lawns.
There are traps which use the beetles' pheromone scent to capture them, but these are said to also attract beetles to the vicinity of the trap without capturing them. Soildwelling Nemotode worms prey on the larvae, and these are commercially available – the daughter used these on their lawn in Kemptville, and has not been bothered by the beetles since.
The real risk isn’t what you think
by Diana Gifford-Jones
I have a strong belief in personal responsibility. From an early age, I was taught that my own daily decisions will determine my future. You will know, for example, where I heard that sugar is the “white devil”. It’s a conviction helps me avoid it. For another, if I don’t use my muscles as I age, I know I will lose them. But there’s a set of problems we’re not talking about. In fact, in our personal hopes and efforts for good health, we are often obsessed with fear about the wrong risks.
We focus on cholesterol but ignore loneliness. We cut carbs but don’t move our bodies. We chase step counts, yet deny ourselves sleep, nature, purpose, or joy. If my father championed common sense, I want to build on his message with something just as important: whole-life prevention of ills – with ills very broadly defined.
That means looking beyond pills, blood pressure, and protein intake. It means stepping back from the microscope and seeing the full human picture. And increasingly, largescale studies are proving the factors that most powerfully protect our health and wellbeing are often the ones we’re least likely to track on a fitness app, or even in most doctors appointments.
Take the Harvard Study of Adult Development, an ongoing project that began in 1938. It’s one of the longest studies of adult life ever conducted. Its key finding? The most consistent predictor of long, healthy lives isn’t diet, wealth, or even exercise; it’s the quality of relationships, also called “social fitness”. Close social ties were more protective than any single medical metric. Loneliness, on the other hand, has been shown to have health effects comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
In recent years, there have been dozens of studies that explore the impact of multidimensional lifestyle interventions; in other words, these studies test the effects of health care programs that blend physical activity, social connection, nutrition, stress reduction, and other treatments. The findings consistently show superiority over single-focus strategies for managing diabetes and reducing cardiovascular events, stroke, and depression, just to name a few. Illness is not always a precision fix. You may be better off tending to broader dimensions of your life.
It’s worth knowing about the FINGER trial from Finland too. It’s one of the first major randomized controlled trials to show that a blend of modest lifestyle changes (better diet, light exercise, cognitive engagement, and social activity) could slow decline in older adults, even among those at higher risk of dementia. It’s research like this that is sparking a healthy wave of organizations addressing social isolation. GenWell, found at genwell.ca, is one example. This is the new frontier in prevention: living in a way that protects your health because it supports your humanity.
This isn’t about rejecting advances toward more technical, lab-driven medical breakthroughs. I have huge respect for medicines that cure or manage diseases, and for surgeons and their scalpels. I’m proud of what science can do. But too many of us have outsourced health to lab results, forgetting that daily habits, environments, and emotional lives matter as much, sometimes more, than our biomarkers.
Let’s shift the lens. Let’s talk about what really keeps us well. Not fear, not fads, not guilt, but meaningful, joyful, intentional choices, sustained over time.
What does this mean you do? You can start by making an old-fashioned phone call to a friend, a neighbour, or a family member you haven’t connected with for a while. Make a date to get together, go for a walk, cook a meal, and do it with the music turned on.
Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive my weekly enewsletter. For comments, diana@docgiff.com. Follow on Instagram @diana_gifford_jones.
Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria)