Issue 33 August 19 2020 ngtimes

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The Voice of North Grenville

Vol 8, NO 33

August 19 , 2020

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by Hilary Thomson The Municipality of North Grenville is partnering with the Old Town Kemptville BIA and the Kemptville Farmers’ Market to host a downtown promenade event on Sunday. Mayor Peckford says they were inspired to create the downtown event because they know people are staying closer to home this summer and are looking for new and different ways to experience their community, while keeping social distancing and public health protocols in mind.

“We wanted to create an event, or an experience, where people rediscover

some of the restaurants and patios and other businesses in the downtown core, while also doing it in a leisurely and fun way,” she says. “We thought working with the BIA and capitalizing on the Kemptville Farmers’ Market, which has been successfully going now for a number of weeks, was an interesting way to do that.”

Prescott Street, from Reuben Crescent to Reuben Crescent, will be closed on Sunday from 9am-4pm, to allow for North Grenville residents and visitors alike to wander the downtown and explore all that it has to offer. The actual promenade event with be held from 10am-3pm, to allow for set up and tear down.

Along with the usual downtown businesses, the street will be filled with other local artists and artisans, with everything from fibre products to ceramics and pottery.

My Local Markets, which represents a lot of local farmers and makers in the area, will also have a presence.

Several local musicians will be located throughout the downtown, playing acoustic music, to entertain passers by and add to the atmosphere of the downtown promenade experience.

Executive Director of the Old Town Kemptville BIA, Deron Johnston, is happy to have a very active mayor and council who had the appetite to help organize and

promote such an event in the downtown. He hopes it brings some much-needed attention to the downtown, which, from his perspective, is full of assets. “I keep thinking back to the round table I had for BIAs of Eastern Ontario and that introduction of people to the downtown,” he says. “I remember that group couldn’t believe what a great downtown we had.”

Mayor Peckford feels that, in these COVID times, the downtown offers a lot of safety and enjoyment to the community. Compared to other small towns in the Ottawa area, which can get quite congested on the weekcontinued on page 3

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COVID-19

Information for North Grenville Residents Protecting each other from COVID-19

Local Business Support #LoveNG

Please continue to do your part to protect yourself and others to help stop the spread of COVID-19:

Shop local and show your support for our community.

Visit: www.LoveNG.ca

►

Wash your hands frequently

►

Practice physical distancing

►

Wear a face covering indoors

COVID-19 Business Support The business support program has been expanded to assist entrepreneurs in the community in the wake of COVID-19.

Visit www.investnorthgrenville.ca for details.

Please continue to be patient and kind with business owners and each other.

Municipal Updates (as of August 14, 2020): ► Well water sampling can be dropped off at the North Grenville Municipal Centre (Monday to Thursday from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm).

Rural Broadband SURVEY on Rural Broadband North Grenville’s Council would like to hear from residents and businesses on their experience with rural broadband particularly during the pandemic. Go to www.northgrenville.ca to fill out the survey and test your internet performance.

► Playgrounds are open. Park equipment is not sanitized and residents are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer. ► Portable toilets are installed at Riverside Park and Curry Park and are cleaned daily. ► Splash Pad at eQuinelle Park is open daily from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm.

If you have questions or concerns related to COVID-19:

► The North Grenville Recreational Guidelines can be found on our website at: www.northgrenville.ca/coronavirus

Please contact the Health Unit at 1-800-660-5853 or online at www.healthunit.org.

The Municipality’s priority is the health and safety of our residents.

Visit www.northgrenville.ca/coronavirus.

Contact us at: 285 County Road 44, Kemptville ~ Telephone: 613-258-9569 ~ Email: general@northgrenville.on.ca ~ www.northgrenville.ca Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Thank you for doing your part to help stop the spread of COVID-19: 2m (6’)

Maintain 2m distance.

Masks mandatory indoor public places.

Follow provincial restrictions regarding public gatherings.

Continue to wash your hands often.

Stay home whenever possible.

Promenade Sunday, August 23, 2020 10am - 3pm

Have more space to rediscover Downtown Kemptville on an open street!

Prescott Street will be closed to vehicles from Reuben Crescent North to Reuben Crescent South.

August 19, 2020

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Local artist creates memory game with original art

by Hilary Thomson A local award-winning artist and naturalist has created a new memory game featuring 36 original watercolour paintings of Canadian wildlife. Aleta Karstad got the idea for her new game, called NatureMatch, from a woman named Natasha Prosser, who she met by chance in the Edmonton airport in May 2019. “We both had four hours between flights, and we ended up talking nonstop,” she says.

It wasn’t long before they had forged a strong bond over their love of nature and Aleta’s art.

After they both arrived home, Natasha invited Ale-

ta and her husband, Fred Schueler, for dinner at her home in Belleville. After dinner, she brought out a German version of the memory game, Concentration, which she said is very popular in Europe. “I want to see your watercolours on these,” she told Aleta.

Aleta sat with the idea for a few months, until last Winter, when she started going through all the watercolours that she already had scanned on her computer. She wanted to keep the production of the game as local as possible and found the only company that produced card games in Canada in Mississauga, The Playing Card Factory. All the paper used to make the cards is also sustainably sourced, which was important to Aleta

STONE LOCK along with the game.

Aleta hopes NatureMatch will be a way to stimulate people’s interest in nature and connect with each other, especially during COVID-19 times. “We know that people are spending a lot of time indoors and on screens,” she says. “It’s a nice way for a family to interact with a tangible game.”

To support Aleta and get a copy of the game for yourself, go to Indigogo and search NatureMatch. Aleta also has a website (www.naturematch. ca) where you can learn more about the game, the wildlife on the cards, and her awardwinning work.

as a naturalist. The packaging and layout of the game was designed locally by COBA Studios in Merrickville.

NatureMatch is unique in that it combines Aleta’s gorgeous artwork and love of nature in a memory game for all ages. Each card also has a number on it, which correlates to a booklet where it explains a little bit about each of the animals pictured. “It makes it even more of a conversation piece while people are playing it,” Aleta says.

To introduce NatureMatch, Aleta and Natasha created a campaign on Indigogo, with the goal of raising $5,000. In just over a week they had surpassed their goal, with many people purchasing multiple sets. Although the games will not be ready to ship until November, Aleta decided to create 25 limited edition autographed sets to thank her most enthusiastic backers. Five will be shipped to reviewers, while the other twenty can be purchased on Indigogo and will be shipped by the end of August. “It’s a way of getting them out there for people who are really eager to see them,” she says.

A special deck of cards featuring Aleta’s paintings will also be given to the game’s first 100 backers and she is offering the opportunity for people to purchase one of her limited edition prints

August 19, 2020

Peckford said.

Owners of Geronimo Coffee House, Luc Vincent and Scott Godwin, say they are cautiously optimistic about the downtown promenade event. “It will be interesting to see how it takes shape,” Scott says. “I hope it does well for tourism.”

The Mayor also wants to emphasize that this is just one way that the Municipality is trying to support local businesses, both in the downtown and the wider community.

“North Grenville is working hard to put our community

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continued from front page ends, downtown Kemptville offers the space for people to enjoy the community while maintaining physical distancing. “By closing the street we are allowing for more seating options and giving families a bit more room to stretch their legs,” she says.

Even though Prescott Street will be closed in the downtown core, there will still be plenty of parking at the Library, B&H, or at Riverside Park. “The street closure portion is very minimal compared to the footprint of the promenade,” Mayor

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Safely reopening for walkins and appointments!

on the map,” she says. “We’re trying a number of things to increase our visibility.”

The hope is that this event will help bring new energy to the downtown. Mayor Peckford believes that the visibility of the downtown needs to be amplified, and that COVID-19 has provided the opportunity to create an experience that many people are hungry for right now. “I think we have a compelling experience to offer,” she says. “You are missing something if you don’t come downtown.”

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Editorial

Taxman

by David Shanahan One of the more obvious outcomes of the current pandemic (yes, it’s still here) has been the fear that the world’s economies are going to experience another Great Depression. In fact, the United Kingdom is going through their worse depression since records began. Around the world, millions unemployed, more millions dependant on government support schemes, and everyone wondering how many businesses will be unable to reopen after the restrictions finally end.

It does sound rather dire, doesn’t it? Nevertheless, I find myself more optimistic than I perhaps should be. After all, I think in my simplistic way, every country will be in a similar position, everyone needs to find a way through, and I just don’t believe that capitalism will simply give up and die. No, money will flow and some will profit

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while many will not, but the economy will go on, but maybe in a different way.

In Canada, schemes like CERB, CEWS, and CESB have kept so many afloat and have proved to be a useful tool in maintaining basic incomes for Canadians. Here in North Grenville, the municipality moved quickly to defer tax payments, support local business, and keep the people safe. There are some, even in our Letters section, who have been highly critical of Council, believing that these alleviating moves will come back to haunt taxpayers in the future. I would strongly recommend they listen to the latest podcast, “Conversations with...”, on our website where Mayor Peckford describes the actions taken, where the funding has come from, and the measures that have been taken to ensure that the taxpayers are not going to face a huge increase in their taxes next year. She is not saying there will be no increase, but fears

of deep debt are unfounded.

Elsewhere in this issue, there is a report on the $434,600 that North Grenville has received from the provincial government in Emergency Funding for Covid-19 response initiatives.

Merrickville-Wolford is getting $85,300 from the same source. Of course, people will now worry about where the Province is getting that money, and whether taxpayers will be on the hook for that too. But, let’s face it, government money comes from somewhere, and very often that is the taxpayers. The Taxman stands at the centre of everything, really. But is that something to criticise?

At times like this, don’t we want government at all levels to step in and protect citizens from financial hardship, or even disaster?

Sadly, the answer is that not everyone wants that. They don’t want their “hard-earned money” to go to the undeserving, which they usually

The Voice of North Grenville

see as anyone less fortunate than they are. There is something very disquieting about pronouncements that people will only stay at home if they’re given too much help; that they would rather watch tv all day rather than go back to work. Now, I am not naive: I know there are people like that, and I’ve known those who claim disability benefit while being quite capable of working. But, to be honest, another result of this pandemic is to make most people eager to return to some active work or school instead of being increasingly bored and unhappy sitting at home.

Those people, I believe, are the vast majority, and their experience should teach a lesson to governments and taxpayers alike.

People may choose to work from home in future, now that they’ve experienced the freedom and mental health that comes from not having to commute for hours, and being able to schedule their work-

ing day to suit their situation.

But it is clear that people need to have something to focus on, something productive, tangible and, preferably, something that pays the bills.

Which brings me back to considering the idea of a Minimum Basic Income, an idea that has been looked at and has so many possible benefits.

CERB, CEWS, and CESB have been like pilot projects for a MBI scheme, and the results have been quite positive. It has been calculated that the amount that would be spent on a MBI would be offset to some degree by savings in the current healthcare and social assistance systems, would cut down significantly on environmental pollution, and allow many to create their own jobs and escape the hated ones they feel trapped in because they need to make a living.

There are variations in such schemes, and surely we could find one that would suit the Canadian, or even just

the Ontario situation? This strange time we’ve been living through around the world has thrown us into new and sometimes unsettling scenarios. But, given the emergency situations we’ve found ourselves in, we’ve had to come up with new ways of doing things. People have proved, by and large, to be adaptable and willing to embrace new realities in everyday living.

When this all first hit us, there were dreams of coming out of covid to a new, environmentally and socially renewed world. Much of that has faded as the darker side of humanity has surfaced in social media and in politics. Canada has escaped the worst of this, and we are the country that could lead the way into a different kind of society: one where we rethink things, develop a vision of a different way of living together. Maybe I am naive after all, but why not?

Is the way we’ve been doing things so far really that great?

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, The various responses in recent issues of the NGT regarding an editor expressing strong religious views, reminded me of a similar discussion in the Canadian Snow Bird magazine, that features a monthly full page editorial by Michael Coren, a convert from Judaism to Anglicanism. The CSA publisher strongly defended Coren's right to express his religious points of view, and so he continues to do so.

Back before Saddam Hussein became public enemy #1, he was being interviewed in his desert camp by the BBC. Asked how he would treat some foe, he used the analogy of a skunk, saying he would much prefer the skunk be scurrying about inside his tent, where he could keep an eye on him, than outside where he could not.

In the '50s in Ottawa we read two daily newspapers, Gratton O'Leary’s Journal, and the Southam family's Citizen, one being staunch

Conservative, the other Liberal. Most knew that, and read accordingly.

Brian Hendrick, Merrickville

Dear Editor, I recently read of Council’s efforts to address speed limits and people driving too fast on the streets of greater Kemptville. It is great that Council is putting a focus on the issue of cars speeding on our roads. This is one of those issues that keeps coming up when residents get into what bugs them. There are North Grenville roads and Leeds Grenville county roads through much of the municipality. But it seems there is little alignment in how things are approached by each level of government.

It is also not really clear how speed limits are decided and set...and what priority the OPP is able to put on this to make speed limits effective. So lots to do here and Council could play a great

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leadership role in working with the various players. Having said that, all of us could do our part in not exceeding the current posted limits and enjoy the ride through our great country roads.

Mitch Bloom Oxford Mills

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Local Covid-19 update ville and Lanark District Health Unit [LGLDHU] area, there have been 356 confirmed cases of covid-19 in the area, of whom 52 people died. Only three of these deaths took place in the community, the remainder, sadly, were in long-term care homes and residences. None of these were in our sector of the LGLDHU, UCLG East, which consists of the municipalities of North Grenville, MerrickvilleWolford, EdwardsburghCardinal, and Augusta, as well as the Town of Prescott.

by David Shanahan I think we can be very grateful that our region of the country has escaped the worst ravages of the pandemic. In part, this seems to be because municipal governments moved quickly to lockdown, and residents complied with the restrictions that were imposed on us.

Things may not have been done perfectly, but the facts speak plainly.

Since the pandemic first hit the Leeds Gren-

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Full credit should go to the seniors facilities is these municipalities, where the lockdown measures were imposed early, and maintained scrupulously.

Many lived as a result.

The point to note here is that the three community deaths took place before April 12. There have been none since. As of the end of last week, there were no active cases anywhere in the LGLDHU area. The last confirmed case in the wider community was identified around July 11.

Today, we are hearing of a spike in cases all over

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Editor David Shanahan david@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735

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the world, as societies reopen and people gather together again. This was expected, and may yet happen in the LGLDHU region. However, given the willingness of residents so far to protect their friends, neighbours and families, it is hoped that this will continue to be a safe and secure region in the months ahead. The talk of a second wave in the Fall reminds us that we are not over this yet, and we have to continue being diligent and sensible.

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TIMES

Staff Reporter Hilary Thomson hilary@ngtimes.ca

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The Voice of North Grenville

North Grenville Business Support Programs expanded The Municipality of North Grenville has expanded its business support program to assist entrepreneurs in the community in the wake of COVID-19.

“My Council colleagues and I appreciate this has been a challenging time for local businesses, as many were forced to quickly adapt under COVID-19, often at great expense,” said Mayor Nancy Peckford. “The Business Support Program is intended to provide assistance to local businesses as they get back on their feet.”

A marketing firm has been hired to expand upon the existing buy local #LoveNG campaign. Promotion of local businesses and the www.LoveNG.ca website have already been

developed, and a focused yearlong marketing campaign will be launched later this month.

Further, a new local currency will be distributed in the community beginning in September. “NG Green” will be given away to people shopping locally and through online contests and giveaways. The currency can be redeemed in full at participating businesses (with no cash back option). Businesses can get onboard to accept the local currency through the month of August by registering online at www.investnorthgrenville.ca/NGgreen.

The support program has also expanded to provide advertising with local media outlets at a reduced rate.

Businesses can choose from

three advertising packages for $500, with the Municipality covering the rest of the cost.

For more information and to book advertising space visit www.InvestNortGrenville. ca/AdShare.

The Economic Development Team has worked closely with the Business Support Group, convened

by Council and comprised of representatives from local business support services, to provide various support programs including webinars and business outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A dedicated website was created with resources specific to local business' needs during COVID-19 at www.

InvestNorthGrevnille.ca/covid19.

Finally, there are still

funds available through the Small Business Grant program. Businesses adversely affected by COVID-19 can apply for up to $1,000 to cover costs incurred while adapting their business model due to the pandemic. The Municipality of North Grenville partnered with the Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation (Grenville CFDC) on the Small Business Grant (SBG) program. Learn more and apply at www.InvestNorthGrenville.ca/Grant.

“Council would like to extend our thanks to the community for continuing to support local businesses during what has been a challenging time," added Deputy Mayor Jim McManaman.

Autorisation du port Catholic School Board releases re-opening plan du sac à dos dans les The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario has écoles du CECCE

now posted its School Re-entry Plan on its web site, which includes important information for parents pertaining to the return to school for September.

“We are extremely pleased that our draft plan has now been approved by the Ministry of Education,” noted Chair Todd Lalonde. “The plan, which includes measures for enhanced safety protocols for the return to school, was reviewed by the Board of Trustees on July 29th. We look forward to welcoming our students back to the classroom on September 4th for those who will be attending in-class instruction. We also look forward to offering robust remote distance learning for students who choose this learning option.”

The CDSBEO School Re-entry plan contains details to help parents with their decision on whether to choose remote distance learning or in-person instruction at school. It describes what we know to date about how both remote distance learning and in-person instruction will be done, and answers many of the questions parents have been asking.

For complete details please visit the CDSBEO website at: https://www.cdsbeo.on.ca/cdsbeo-re-entry-plan.

Cher parent, tutrice ou tuteur, La présente est pour vous informer que les sacs à dos seront permis dans les écoles catholiques du Centre-Est à compter de la rentrée scolaire.

La position initiale de l'administration était de réduire la quantité d'effets personnels apportés à l'école. Comme vous le savez, l'administration continue d'apporter des changements à son Guide de retour en classe, en respect avec les nouvelles directives ministérielles qui ont été émises le 30 juillet dernier.

Ainsi, selon le ministère de l’Éducation, il convient de réduire la quantité d’effets personnels apportés à l’école. Les effets personnels apportés à l’école (p. ex., sacs à dos, vêtements, protections solaires, bouteilles d’eau et nourriture, par exemple) doivent être étiquetés et conservés séparément, dans des compartiments/espaces particuliers ou des casiers.

En terminant, je suis conscient que la rentrée scolaire apporte son lot de questionnements.

Les membres de l’administration investissent actuellement tout le temps et les énergies nécessaires afin de répondre à vos questions.

Cordialement, Réjean Sirois Directeur de l’éducation

UPDATE UPDATE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

The Municipality has created a dedicated webpage for updates related to COVID-19 (www.northgrenville.ca/coronavirus)

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING September 1, 2020 at 6:30 pm

PLANNING PUBLIC MEETING

– Wednesday, September 9 at 6:30 pm -Proposed Zoning By-Law Amendment – 845 Prescott St.

DOWNTOWN PROMENADE

Rediscover Downtown Kemptville at the Downtown Promenade Event, Sunday, August 23, from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. **NOTE: Prescott St. closed to vehicles from Reuben Cres.

N. to Reuben Cres. S.

NORTH GRENVILLE MUNICIPAL OFFICE HOURS The Municipal Office is open to the public between the hours of 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Residents and businesses can continue to access Municipal services by phone, email and online. For more information visit www.northgrenville.ca/coronavirus

2020 BURN PERMITS & CONDITIONS

In accordance with By-Law 33-12, residents must have a Burn Permit before they have an open-air fire. The fee for a Burn Permit is $15 and available online at www.northgrenville.ca. Please check conditions prior to burning by calling 613-706-1770 or online to see if there are any burn bans currently in effect.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Seasonal Arena Attendant (Part-Time)

The Municipality of North Grenville is accepting resumes for interested and qualified candidates for the position of part time Seasonal Arena Attendant. The closing date to receive applications is 4:00 pm on Friday, August 28, 2020. Additional information is available at www.northgrenville.ca/careers.

The Municipality of North Grenville

285 County Rd. 44, PO Box 130, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Tel: 613-258-9569 Fax: 613-258-9620 general@northgrenville.on.ca Building: 613-258-9569 x130 Fax: 613-258-1441 Fire Services Info: 613-258-9569 x201 Fax: 613-258-1031 By-Law Services: 613-258-9569 x206 Police Administration: 613-258-3441 Animal Control: 613-862-9002

www.NorthGrenville.ca

Local builders finalists in Tarion Annual Awards Two local home builders were named finalists in two categories of the Tarion Warranty Corporation’s Annual Awards for Ontario’s top-rated home builders 2020 Homeowners’ Choice Awards.

Westerra Homes and Lockwood Brothers Construction were both identified as finalists in Tarion’s Ernest Assaly Award and the Homeowners’ Choice Awards for builders, both prestigious awards that recognizes Ontario’s best new home builders from over 5,500 provincial home August 19, 2020

builders in the province.

Westerra Homes was named a finalist for the 2020 Tarion Ernest Assaly Award - for an Ontario builder who demonstrates a continued commitment to customer service, community involvement and building quality and innovative housing.

Lockwood Brothers Construction was named a finalist for the 2020 Tarion People’s Choice Award.

The Homeowners’ Choice Awards focuses exclusively on customer service and are informed by surveys completed by new home buy-

being recognized by homeowners in these awards,” added Deputy Mayor Jim McManaman, and Liaison for Planning and Development.

Established in 2017, Tarion's Ernest Assaly Award recognizes the highest level of excellence in Ontario home building while honouring the legacy of a highly respected leader in the residential building industry.

ers and homeowners from across the province.

“On behalf of my Council colleagues, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to Robert Noseworthy of Westerra Homes and Corey Lockwood of Lockwood Brothers Construction for being recognized as some of Ontario’s top-rated home builders,” said Mayor Nancy Peckford.

“Both Westerra Homes and Lockwood Brothers Construction are known for building quality homes in North Grenville, and it’s wonderful to see they are 5

The latest podcast in the "Conversation with..." series is now available on our website and YouTube channel. This edition features a conversation between NG Times Editor, Dr. David Shanahan, and North Grenville Mayor, Nancy Peckford on "NG in a time of Covid". How did the Municipality respond to the pandemic? Where did the funds come from to support local business, and what are the ramifications for the municipal budget?

www.ngtimes.ca

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The mystery of Tom Chu

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Big Sky Ranch closed to public for rest of 2020 decision to close the Ranch to visitors for the rest of 2020 due to COVID-19. He does not have the resources needed to make sure the Ranch is safe for visitors. “I’d have to hire at least ten people to walk around and clean the place.”

According to Andy, closing the Ranch to the public was their way of supporting the fight against the spread of COVID-19. “We want to make sure that people stay safe and we don’t add to the spread,” he says. “Thousands of people have lost their lives.”

Big Sky Ranch depends

by Hilary Thomson Big Sky Ranch made the difficult decision last week to close their doors to the public for the rest of the year. Established in 2002 by owner Andy Parent, Big Sky Ranch Animal Sanctuary quickly grew into a refuge for unwanted and abused animals. Over the past 18 years, they have helped over 3,500 domestic animals of all shapes and sizes achieve a happy outcome through their rehabilitation and adoption programs.

Andy says they made the

on donations from visitors to help care for the animals.

They also had to cancel their popular Summer Camp this year, which normally helps to buy enough hay for the animals into the winter. Despite the lost revenue, they still have many bills to pay to support the 119 animals that are currently in their care. “We still have to feed the animals,” Andy says. “We are doing our best.”

While he understands that this is a difficult time for many, Andy hopes that Big Sky Ranch will remain top of mind for people looking to

support a local organization.

The Ranch, he says, is a place that was very much built by community support. Big Sky Ranch would not be what it is today without financial support from the community and the hard work of their many dedicated volunteers.

“This place has been built by a community,” Andy says.

“I’m not the owner, I’m just the gatekeeper.”

Donations can be made through their website (www. bigskyranch.ca) or by cheque made out to Big Sky Ranch Animal Sanctuary.

General Practice Corporate / Commercial Family Law/ Criminal law Estates Real Estate Wills & Powers of Attorney

by David Shanahan There has been some discussion on our Facebook page recently about the grave in the Kemptville Union Cemetery where a Chinese man, Tom Chu, lies buried. It has always been a subject of interest to people as they comment on the lonely grave, away from everyone else, in a far corner of the cemetery near the corner of CR 43 and King Street.

Speculation has ranged from him being a worker on the railway, to a persecuted foreigner kept away from “decent” people, even in death.

There is, so far, not a lot to know about Tom Chu. Born in China in 1878, he was 70 years old when he died in Kemptville. Records show that Tam Chu arrived in Canada on the Empress of Russia in 1914 from Hong Kong, landing in Vancouver. Listed as Buddhist, Tam was one of many Chinese immigrants on the ship, and all of them were listed as “Grocers”. Is this the same Tom Chu who is buried in Kemptville? More research is required to track down this information.

What we do know is that, in the 1950's, there were two businesses run by men of Chinese origin in Kemptville, both on Prescott Street between the bridge and Reuben Street.

Melvyn Weedmark described the operations: “The first building across the bridge was a long, narrow white building with the back overhanging the water.

This was a Chinese laundry. Water was pumped from the creek for washing the clothes. Men’s dress shirts were a specialty. I remember walking by and seeing the Chinaman pressing shirts. The heat coming out the door in summer was unbelievable.”

In 1953, an article on businesses in Kemptville noted that the Star Café, a Chinese restaurant, was owned by Henry Wong who had been in Kemptville more than 30 years at that time, and was a native of Ottawa. This was located in the Holmes Block, near the end where the laundry was located.

There is no reference to Tom Chu in the records found so far, but research will continue to see if anything mentions him. As for his location in the cemetery, there seems no reason to believe that Tom was deliberately excluded from being buried near the other graves. If he was, as the records suggest, a Buddhist, that would explain his separate burial site. The fact that there were two Chinese-run businesses in Kemptville, one at least which lasted more than 30 years, would also suggest no racist antagonism, although there are always some who distrust “the other”.

Should any new information come to light about Tom Chu, who lived a long life, worked and died in our community, and whose grave is maintained by anonymous benefactors, we will bring you an update in the Times.

August 19, 2020

tom@tmblaw.ca 613.258.1277 222 Prescott St., Kemptville

THOMAS M. BYRNE Barrister and Solicitor

Community wide speed limit reduced to 40km/hr in Kemptville

The Municipality of North Grenville has implemented a community wide 40 km/h speed limit in the urban core of Kemptville. To facilitate this change, the Municipality will be utilizing Gateway Signage. This method of signage will include a 40 km/h “area begins” sign and a 40 km/h “area ends” sign at each entrance (gateway) and exit to the urban core.

The affected areas include from County Road 43 South to Concession Road, Somerville Road and Hurd St to the West, as well as Van Buren to Bridge St. and Wellington

Road to the East. The Tempo Subdivision on dePencier Drive and the eQuinelle Subdivision off of County Road 44 have also been included.

At the June 16, 2020 Council meeting, the Public Works Department recommended to Council that the speed limit in Kemptville’s Urban Core be reduced from 50 km to 40 km/hr.

“Speed concerns have been among the top concerns expressed by residents in recent years,” said Mayor Nancy Peckford. “Given the significant growth in North Grenville, especially here 6

in Kemptville, traffic patterns have changed. Reducing speeds where possible is one way we can advance road safety, alongside other tools. The next step will be to examine rural areas to see where a similar approach can be applied.” ”I’d like to express my thanks to the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville for their collaboration and support given the number of Counties roads that are included here,” she added.

Gateway signage, in combination with a posted speed limit of 40 km/h, provides a

consistent posting method, as well as a streamlined cost for signage. The cost for the purchase of gateway signage is estimated at $4,200, which was identified in the 2020 Public Works budget. All signage will be installed by the end of August.

“Other communities have successfully used the gateway signage approach to improve road safety,” added Councillor John Barclay, who has been an early champion of this initiative. “Rural estate subdivisions and hamlets that are not included in the current footprint will be considered in the next phase following public consultation,” added Councillor Barclay, Liaison for Public Works.

Many of the roads through the rural parts of North Grenville are managed by the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. Speed limits are currently posted at 50 km/hr through the main streets of the rural estate subdivisions and hamlets.

A public consultation on speed limits for the rural hamlets will be set for late Fall.

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

High speed broadband is the new transit for many Ontarians

by Mayor Nancy Peckford Earlier this month, the Ford government announced an unprecedented $11 billion joint funding agreement to support Ontario's COVID recovery, fragile as it may be. In his announcement, Premier Ford recognized the province’s strong and collaborative relationship with their federal governments.

Given the chaos in the US, Canadians should be so lucky.

Of the 11 billion, $4 billion is intended to support 444 municipalities across Ontario, of which 50 percent is designated for public transit systems. Clearly, the arrival of COVID has dramatically changed daily commuting patterns. The radically quick pivot to work from home, learn from home arrangements continues to transform Ontarians' habits and imperatives.

It’s no surprise, then, that urban transit systems are hemorrhaging dollars, riders and need the help.

But there is another urgent need for a successful economic recovery. High speed broadband has been the invisible enabler when it comes to Canadians’ efforts to contain COVID transmission. Overnight, millions of families, professionals and business owners in our country became solely dependent on their Internet Service Provider to work, learn, visit the doctor, and obtain the goods and services they needed.

Local businesses immediately transitioned to web sales and curbside pick-up only. Classes were streamed, doctors shifted to virtual consultations, and entertainment went exclusively on line. Given a recent uptick in COVID cases, we may be there again in the not too distant future.

However, many living outside of large urban centres, including here in North Grenville, were met with the daily frustrations of a poor and un-

reliable internet connection.

Before moving out of the city, I mistakenly assumed this was only happening in highly remote locations. Not true.

Go a few kilometres beyond urban boundaries in this province and the reality is that good broadband is a matter of good luck. In fact, the recently established CRTC basic minimum standard for internet service (50 Mbps for downloads and 10 Mbps for uploads) is out of reach for over 40 percent of those living and working outside of major urban centres in eastern Ontario.

This translates into nearly a half a million people, many of whom have woefully bad service despite their relative proximity to a commercial or residential hub, including right here in Leeds and Grenville.

And with diminished access to reliable internet becomes diminished opportunity. Businesses can’t rely on an online customer base, education can't be effectively delivered remotely, professionals who are staying out of the office won't get the work done on time, and primary health care is reduced to a telephone call.

Many parents and professionals, including myself, are wringing their hands about back to school and work arrangements for the fall. As a mother of 3 school age kids, I fully understand the limitations of virtual learning. My kids yearn for human contact and a screen is, at best, a one dimensional experience they tolerate, not embrace as a substitute for school.

Plus, unfortunately, we can’t always count on the internet to deliver.

But as Mayor of North Grenville, recognized as a high growth community immediately south of Ottawa, I am deeply aware that public health must come first.

Should keeping kids out of the classroom (or offering a

hybrid program), among other measures, become the only way to ensure we get through a second wave without another massive economic disruption, I can accept that.

What I can't accept is poor rural internet service that risks leaving many of my residents, businesses and much of eastern Ontario behind.

Without an ambitious federal- provincial strategy that prioritizes the establishment of truly high speed, reliable rural broadband networks (i.e. a gigabit), access to education, health care, jobs, and Ontario's long term economic recovery is in jeopardy.

That’s why EORN, the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) - representing 13 Counties and over 100 municipalities - is seeking federal and provincial support to deliver ultrafast, Gig internet to homes and businesses in the region through a $1.6 billion publicprivate partnership.

Nearly 103,000 small and medium-sized businesses operate in rural eastern Ontario.

Almost sixty percent of those responding to a survey by the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council said broadband is the number one priority for their business.

Clearly, the urgency of the matter is akin to urban transit, and the dollars to fix it are comparable. However, its impact will have an equalizing effect across the province, ensuring that no matter where you live, rural, urban or somewhere in between, COVID will not exact more of a price than it already has.

North Grenville residents and businesses are invited to complete the Municipality’s recently launched internet connectivity survey at https:// performance.cira.ca/northgrenville.

An earlier version of this article was published in the Ottawa Citizen and Brockville Recorder

Congratulations Westerra Homes on being a finalist for the 2020 Ernest Assaly Award We congratulate you for being recognized as a finalist thanks to your longstanding commitment to building quality and innovation, customer service and community involvement.

Tarion Warranty Corp. recently announced that from over 5,500 new home builders in Ontario, Westerra Homes has been named as ONE OF THE FOUR FINALISTS for the 2020 Tarion Ernest Assaly Award.

Westerra Homes was nominated for this award by Homeowners who completed surveys in the past year and the best builders are recognized by Tarion as Finalists for this award.

The Westerra team thank all our homeowners for their continued trust and appreciation of the new homes we build.

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August 19, 2020

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The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

The Voice of Merrickville/Wolford

Province announces COVID-19 relief funding

by Hilary Thomson Leeds-Grenville-Thousand-Island and Rideau Lakes MPP and Minister Steve Clark announced last week that local municipalities will be receiving over $6 million to address operating pressures as they continue to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This funding includes $85,300 for MerrickvilleWolford and $434,600 for

North Grenville. North Grenville will also be receiving $13,320 to support public transit in the Municipality.

The financial relief, in partnership with the federal government, is part of the first round of emergency funding under the Safe Restart Agreement and delivers on the province’s commitment to provide urgently needed emergency assistance to Ontario’s 444 municipalities.

“Local municipalities have

munities and protect local taxpayers as Ontario continues on the road to renewal and economic recovery.”

Merrickville-Wolford Mayor Doug Struthers says he is happy to see the federal and provincial governments follow through with their commitment to help municipalities with the financial pressures of COVID-19.

Municipal staff have been tracking costs incurred by the pandemic and, while they won’t know the true impacts on the municipality’s finances until the fall, the funding will

demonstrated outstanding leadership in helping to keep our residents and communities safe throughout these unprecedented times. But rising to this challenge has brought with it immense financial pressures,” said Minister Clark. “I commend Premier Ford for his determination in negotiating a strong agreement with the federal government. This ensures we can support our municipal partners, build stronger com-

shortfalls, and potentially support deferred and other capital projects. The transportation funding will be used to support the Municipality’s partnership with Allegiance Transportation Services (ATS) which provides some public transportation in the municipality. “I appreciate the continued support and understanding from both levels of government to the pressures faced by smaller communities,” says Mayor Peckford.

“It is making a significant difference.”

Montague residents petition against recreation feasibility study

Support Small Support Local

by Hilary Thomson

Our retailers, restaurants, service providers, agri-food producers, artists and manufacturers...

Two Montague residents are spearheading a petition to stop the municipality from moving forward with a recreation feasibility study.

At the Committee of the Whole meeting on August 4, Montague Council passed a motion to move ahead with hiring Mehak, Kelly and Associates to undertake a recreation feasibility study for the municipality, at a cost of $29,100. According to the staff report, the study would include identifying market needs through engaging with stakeholders, residents, and surrounding municipalities, and completing a financial analysis for a potential recreational facility to be located on the township’s 22 vacant acres.

The motion was passed through a recorded vote, with Councillor Karen Jennings and Councillor Ian Streight voting against moving ahead with the study. Councillor Jennings feels that, especially considering the COVID-19 pandemic, they should be spending money on things like much needed repairs on their municipal buildings.

“I just don’t think this is the time to be doing it,” she said.

Councillor Jeff Carroll is vehemently in favour of the project, because he feels

are at the he♥rt of our community Please show your support

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For small business tools and resources: www.merrickville-wolford.ca

August 19, 2020

go a long way to make sure that Merrickville-Wolford remains sustainable into the future. “It is greatly appreciated and appropriately done,” he says.

North Grenville Mayor Nancy Peckford says she is also very happy to see the funding come through. As North Grenville had already created its own COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund through the deferral of some non-essential capital projects, she says these dollars will be used to help close the gap on any projected revenue

8

like it is an investment in the growth of the community. “I think this is a great opportunity for us,” he said. “It opens up the spectrum to see how we can better the lives of the people in our township and our surrounding area.”

Montague Reeve, Bill Dobson, also voted in favour of completing the study. He hopes it will look at more than just the feasibility of an indoor facility, and help paint a picture of all assets and recreational possibilities available in the municipality and the wider community. According to Reeve Dobson, the study will also help them plan for the future, as Montague continues to grow, and to be prepared to apply for grants that may become available for recreation in the future. “I take this very seriously, and I think we are doing the right thing,” he says. “If they do the things I want them to do, I think we are going to have a lot of great information.”

Montague resident, Bev Toivonen, says she agrees with Councillor Jennings, that this is not the time to be spending almost $30,000 on a recreation feasibility study.

She would much rather see the money spent on the upkeep of some of the municipal buildings that are falling into disrepair. “We need to be thinking about what is essential during these times,”

she says.

Bev is also concerned that spending this money will cause further pressures on an already stressed tax base. She says there are many seniors in the municipality who are having trouble paying their taxes as it is. “If you are spending money on things that are frivolous, then we’re going to need a tax increase,” she says.

“We’ve got to be realistic.

We only have 2,000 taxpayers here with residential and commercial.”

Reeve Dobson says he has been in touch with the local seniors association throughout the pandemic, and their president has not noted any particular financial stresses within their group. He also says that their treasurer has reported that tax arrears are not any higher due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “My personal opinion is that people who are against spending money on a study will always be against it,” he says.

Bev feels that council should not have made this decision during a time where council is meeting over Zoom, making it difficult for residents without internet to access the meeting. “Why would they go ahead and do this when a lot of residents can’t have their say?” she continued on page 9

The North Grenville Times

Catered Affairs – Al fresco local dining at its finest

73's Camp evaluates prospects

The 73's held an Evaluation Camp August 7th to 9th at the recently re-opened ice pad at the North Grenville Municipal Center. With many Covid restrictions in place, such as arriving fully dressed, maintaining social distancing....the competition was intense. The camp consisted of approximately 70 players spread out over 6 teams, each practicing on Friday followed by 2 games on each of Saturday & Sunday. Players came from across Ontario and even from the East Coast of Canada.

The coaching staff was excited by the caliber of play and ended up adding some exciting new prospects to the team, announcements will be made over the next few weeks.

by Hilary Thomson It was a beautiful night last Thursday for an al fresco meal, and the table d’hôte menu at Catered Affairs did not disappoint. The meal was part of a hyper-local community event created by owner of Catered Affairs, Natalie Castellas, and Darlene Collin of My Local Markets, on the Kemptville Campus. While Natalie was serving up her delicious food on the patio outside the cafeteria building, Darlene was running an artisan market, chock full of scrumptious local food and other items like handmade jewelry and artisanal soaps. Not only were the two events being run at the same time, Catered Affairs used many of the food items offered at the market, in their dishes.

I had a caprese salad with fresh local tomatoes, creamy bocconcini cheese, and house-grown basil pesto. There is nothing quite like tomatoes and basil, fresh from the garden. It has to be one of my favourite combinations and Catered

The North Grenville Photography Club Dianne Cayer: This lady is always smiling and when asked for any words of wisdom regarding the Pandemic her reply simply was, "it helps to smile, just keep on smiling and we will get through the difficult times!"

Stand by me

The Voice of North Grenville

Affairs’ caprese salad was no exception. The presentation was also gorgeous, with the bocconcini cheese interspersed between the thick slices of bright red tomatoes, garnished with a sprinkling of microgreens and balsamic, the fresh basil pesto and crispy baguette croutons. Summer on a plate if you ask me.

For my main dish I had crispy chicken, stuffed with local cheese on top of fettuccini with market vegetables.

It was also beautifully presented, and the chicken was extremely tender and flavourful. The fettuccini was creamy, but light and cooked to a perfect al dente, while the green beans wrapped in a zucchini blanket, were crunchy and sweet.

As much as I enjoyed my main meal, the piece de resistance was definitely the warm blueberry and peach crisp with both vanilla and beet (I know, cool right?) ice cream. You could tell that the blueberries and

peaches were fresh and in season, as they were extremely flavourful without one overpowering the other. The crumble top was rich and thick, with just the right amount of sweetness.

Topped off with the cold ice creams, it was a dessert truly made in heaven.

The meal was served with a smile (you could tell, even through the masks) and everyone was happy to go the extra mile to make sure we enjoyed our experience.

Beautiful weather, great company and, of course, delicious food, prepared with love. For a locavore and self-proclaimed foodie, I could not have asked for a better experience for my first time at Catered Affairs. I will definitely be back!

Catered Affairs not only offers great weekly meals on their patio, they also have many take-home options.

To learn more about Catered Affairs and order online visit their website at www. cateredaffairs.ca.

GET your YOUR FALLtune-up TUNE TODAY UP!!!

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continued asks. “I don’t want council to get away with it because we are in a pandemic.”

Bev and another resident, Norma Ford, have put together a petition to have council’s decision to move ahead with the study reversed.

As of last week, it already August 19, 2020

had 163 signatures. They hope to present the petition to council at the next meeting on September 1. To sign the petition go to www.change. org and search for Montague Township Council, or contact Bev at 613-269-3386.

the north grenville

TIMES Gord Logan

Marketing Consultant Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

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The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

r e m m u S f l o o d o h En c S o T k c a B &

(NC) It’s time to go back to school and many parents are on the hunt for snack options that are both healthy and something their kids want to eat.

For banana bread Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter and dust with our, tapping out any excess.

Stir together bananas, milk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together our, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and honey on medium speed in another large bowl until light and uy; about 5 minutes. Add egg and beat until combined. Add banana mixture and beat until combined. Add dry ingredients in two additions, beating on low after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary until fully incorporated.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. Sprinkle with streusel topping.

Bake, rotating once halfway through, until sides are starting to pull away from pan and a tester inserted into centre of bread comes out clean; about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a butter knife around edges of loaf, then carefully invert onto a plate (some streusel will fall o; you can sprinkle it back on). Invert back onto wire rack and let cool completely before slicing.

Let us introduce this delicious banana bread with streusel topping recipe. Using Fairlife ultraďŹ ltered lactose-free milk gives this bread a light, moist texture with a perfectly browned crust. The milk also has 50 per cent more protein and 50 per cent less sugar than regular milk, which makes this an easy choice for a more nutritious snack.

This banana bread will stay fresh all week long, so get ahead of the game and bake it on Sunday. But let’s face it, it’s so good it might not last the full week.

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hour and 10 minutes Serves: 8 Ingredients: Streusel topping (optional) ½ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas) 2 tsp packed light or dark brown sugar 2 tsp poppy seeds 1/8 tbsp kosher salt 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled Banana bread Âź cup Fairlife 2% ultraďŹ ltered, partly skimmed milk ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing pan 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose our, plus more for pan 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 medium or 2 large) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp kosher or sea salt 1/3 cup honey 1 large egg, lightly beaten Directions:

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For streusel topping (optional) Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) with rack in middle. Spread pepitas on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, then coarsely chop.

In a bowl, mix cooled pepitas with sugar, poppy seeds and salt until sugar is incorporated. Stir in butter. Set aside (leave oven on).

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The North Grenville Times

r e m m u S f l o o d o h En c S o T k c a B &

The Voice of North Grenville

Returning to classrooms safely and with confidence

(NC) No one is certain what this school year will look like. But one thing parents, students and teachers can do is make sure they’re prepared to face any obstacle. Health and Safety will play a large and important role when returning to school this year. Here are a few tips to keep in mind for students for as they return to school:

when they have friends they haven’t seen in months. Explaining that everyone is keeping their distance to keep their friends and families safe is key to helping young kids understand. Give them an example to visualize what two metres looks like, like a hockey stick or the height of a door. This way, when they return to classrooms, they’ll understand the guideline.

Remember to practice good hygiene: Now is a perfect time to stress good hand-washing skills. At home, remind little ones to practice handwashing for at least 20 seconds each time. They can sing happy birthday or another song verse that lasts 20 seconds to make it fun and memorable. While it may be difficult to teach kids not to touch their face, consistent reminders are a good way to help them remember as best they can. When they’re back in the classroom, they’ll take these lessons with them.

Be equipped with the right supplies: Students will need many unexpected essentials on their back-to-school list this year. In addition to a new backpack and pencil case, facemasks, hand sanitizers and cleaning supplies will also be on the shopping list. Make facemask shopping fun by choosing a trendy design that kids will be excited to sport. Equip them with multiple hand sanitizers so when one gets lost, they have quick access to another. Staples Canada has taken some of the work out of deciding the right health and safety items for backto-school with their new school kit, that includes supplies like trendy facemasks and useful hand sanitizers.

Physically distance when possible: Teaching kids that they have to stand two metres apart from each other is difficult, especially

August 19, 2020

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The North Grenville Times

FOR SALE VINTAGE ARMCHAIR OVERSTUFFED ARMS WOOD TRIM $25 YOU MOVE. MINT CONDITION GOLDENROD COLOR WITH BROWN FLECK. CALL 613-720-6730

LARGE COLLECTION EXCELLENT ROYAL DOULTON LADIES AND LLADRO 613-2585294 OLD BEER BTLS AND POP CANS 1970-1998 100’S ALL DIFFERENT BEST OFFER, BRAND NEW ENCY-

CLOPAEDIA SET NEVER TOUCHED FULL SET$400, FULL BOXES OF ALL ASSORTED SPORTS CARDS 1980-1997 NHL, NBA, NFL, ETC BEST OFFER ANDY 215-0665

utilities,1st and last months YARD SALE required. Call John 613-2693113, leave name and num- Farm Yard Sale Sat Aug ber.

22nd 8:00 AM – 1:00pm

Household items, horse related items, come find a treasure! 919 Visiting Road Kemptville

Honey for sale Local new crop Mixed seasoned firewood for raw wildflower honey, 500g sale, $110 per cord delivered, $8, 1kg $14, 3kg $40, 5kg minimum 3 cord order for $60. Burritts Rapids - EMT and distanced porch pickup delivery, Jon 613-227-3650 available 613-269-4233

MOVING SALE 3834 Donnelly Drive, Sat. Aug 22 9 am to 1pm 613 258 4377 Generator, 2 large wagon wheels, horse tack new and used, antique Mclaughlin sleigh, etc...

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Available in Smiths Falls, Call 613-216-8711 for details.

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Hospital workers to protest at Steve Clark’s office

by David Shanahan Much of the goodwill that the Conservative Government of Ontario has won during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic may be somewhat diluted in the coming weeks, as hospital workers, the frontline heroes that Premier Ford and other government ministers have lauded so rightly, prepare to hold protest meetings outside the offices of government ministers across the province.

The “Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020" was passed in July, and, at the time, Premier Ford rejected all the allegations regarding his motives in passing the legislation, calling it “a piece of legislation that is critical, absolutely, to protect the health and well-being of the people of Ontario. This legislation is number one fully transparent, I’m here, a lot of orders have stopped, some we have to continue. One example, is to make sure we have to give flexibility to hospitals, long-term care folks for staff, making sure we keep electricity rates affordable when they are working at home and businesses. When this [COVID-19 developments] is moving rapidly, we can’t wait three weeks, four weeks in some cases, to August 19, 2020

call back the legislature and move it forward”.

Before it was passed, the proposed legislation had led to protests outside hospitals throughout Ontario, as the very frontline workers that Ford has been so keen to praise for their selfsacrifice were angered that the legislation gives power to the Premier to continue the emergency measures imposed due to Covid-19 for another two years, without having to have it approved by the Legislative Assembly. The Premier can extend emergency orders every 30 days for another two years through sweeping powers that override many aspects of the government’s functions and longstanding legislation.

The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE (OCHU) and CUPE Ontario are hosting 22 rallies across the province, asking that the government revoke the COVID-19 emergency orders that can indefinitely override front line workers’ most important workplace rights.

“Frontline staff have sacrificed a great deal to support the people of Ontario during COVID-19,” says Michael Hurley, President of the OCHU/CUPE. “The government has declared the emergency over, yet it has stripped the most

The Voice of North Grenville

LOST Lost silver HP lap top along County Rd 43 between Kemptville & Winchester on Wednesday August 5th.

If found please call 613 894 5876.

MISCELLANIOUS WANTED to BUY....Clean Fill...$20 / load...Kemptville Area....613.314.9327

Betty Anne Hartman (Bolton) April 18, 1948 – August 2, 2020

important workplace protections from this largely female workforce. For workers revered as heroines, losing the right to keep their shift schedule, to work in the same community, not to have their job eliminated without notice or their parental leaves cancelled is a terrible blow. Many of our members have responsibility for child and elder care and have to be able to plan their lives. The government is disloyal to frontline workers and we trust that the people of Ontario will support us in this struggle to restore our rights.”

It does seem remarkably insensitive to pass such legislation in the middle of a campaign that depends so heavily on healthcare workers to go above and beyond their responsibilities. The President of CUPE Ontario, Fred Hahn, called the legislation “an extraordinary, undemocratic, and unprecedented abuse of power”.

The protest rallies, organised under the title “Restore Our Rights”, are taking place across the province, and Steve Clark’s office in Brockville was visited on August 18, and another nearby protest will take place at the Ottawa office of Lisa MacLeod on September 9.

CANADIAN FIREARMS AND HUNTER EDUCATION COURSES

(One Stop) at Burritt’s Rapids on August 28-30 and Sept 18-20. Please contact Kerry Coleman at 613-258-7515 or kerrycoleman@xplornet. com

the north grenville

TIMES Gord Logan Marketing Consultant

On the evening of Sunday August 2nd, Betty passed away at the General Campus of the Ottawa Hospital with her son Todd by her side.

From her time teaching in Kemptville, to her time in real estate, and later as a small business owner in Ottawa, Betty had an impact on everyone she connected with. She learned to practice personal philanthropy from her mother Ruth, directly helping one person at a time as best she could, and many of those people would become lifelong friends.

She loved her friends dearly, but as a private person, Betty always preferred one on one interactions to meeting in groups. Respecting that, no services are planned. Instead enjoy a coffee or tea with a close friend and remember her fondly.

Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

Support Local, now more than ever!

Food Bank The Knights of Columbus in Kemptville offers a food bank service to those in need in the community of North Grenville We provide a selection of canned, packaged and dry goods For more information please call Dave at 613 258 3683 Pick up at Holy Cross Church hall preferred – delivery can be arranged if required

This service is supported by the community of North Grenville 12

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

CROSSWORD

FOOD CORNER

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville At this time of year, the carrot crop should be coming in, big time. Carrots are great, washed and eaten raw with a saltshaker in the other hand. They are also terrific in salads. I already introduced you to another kind of carrot salad back in May, one that involves raw product. This salad is a little different in that it uses cooked carrots. However, this dish, well chilled, is a tasty addition to barbecued chicken.

Jamaican Carrot Salad

Ingredients 2 bunches of carrots, washed, peeled, cut and cooked 1 onion, sliced thin (Bermuda or Vidalia) 1 green pepper, thinly sliced 1 cup or 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced 1 can of tomato soup 1 cup sugar ½ cup vinegar ½ cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon each of salt and dry mustard ½ teaspoon each pepper and allspice ¼ teaspoon each of cayenne, ginger, clove and cinnamon

ACROSS 1. Electrical pioneer 6. Brusque 10. District 14. Different 15. Dwarf buffalo 16. Love 17. Seeking damages 18. Celebrity 19. Glove 20. A language of India 22. 1 1 1 1 23. Close violently 24. Showy attire 26. Wise one 30. Reverence 31. A law enforcement agency 32. 64 in Roman numerals 33. Nil 35. A small island 39. Hypersensitivity

Preparation Mix the raw onion, green pepper and celery with the cooked carrots and set aside. Place soup, sugar, vinegar, oil and spices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often and pour over carrot mixture. Mix and chill before serving.

Did anyone try Ayden’s Devilled Eggs from last week? Kindly let me know at pcormier@ ranaprocess.com. Best to all!

SUDOKU EASY

HARD

41. African pullover 43. Keno 44. Views 46. Always 47. Derisive laugh 49. Secret agent 50. Start over 51. Highly seasoned fatty sausage 54. Goulash 56. Small songbird 57. Finally 63. Quaint outburst 64. Head of hair 65. A person who is owned by someone 66. Unadulterated 67. Circle fragments 68. Indian antelope 69. Care for

70. Caustics 71. Abominable snowmen DOWN 1. Nonsense (British) 2. Decorative case 3. Tibia 4. Extend credit 5. A giant with 100 eyes 6. Shipwrecked people 7. Wild 8. A soft sheepskin leather 9. A government tax 10. One who reproves 11. French for "Queen" 12. Consumer of food 13. Pretentious 21. Jargon 25. Nile bird 26. Thick piece 27. Spindle 28. Arizona river 29. Fair 34. Deftness 36. Not pre-recorded 37. Barely managed 38. Novice 40. Wander 42. Heretofore (2 words) 45. Gist 48. Characteristic of winter 51. Used a broom 52. Bicker 53. Gain knowledge 55. Weakling 58. Deviate 59. Wings 60. Not first 61. 57 in Roman numerals 62. Cravings

MEDIUM

Answer to last weeks crossword

Puzzled over Real Estate.....Give us a call ** Broker

August 19, 2020

13

www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

Bringing colour and joy

COVID-19 impacts children’s mental health

by Hilary Thomson With the little information we have about COVID-19, it seems like the virus tends to favour the older generation, with more seniors getting severely ill than children. Despite the fact that many of our kids may not be getting physically sick from the virus, research has shown that the pandemic is having a definite affect on their mental health.

According to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in June, the pandemic has the potential to cause higher depression and anxiety among children, due to lack of routine, more screen time, and reduced physical activity.

When schools shut down in March, North Grenville resident and mother of two, Melissa Button, thought her children would just see it as an extended March break.

Although her youngest, Penelope (5), took it quite well, her eldest, Emma (8), had a really hard time. “She was quite devastated,” Melissa remembers. “There was a lot of questions like ‘what about my work’ and ‘what about my shoes.’”

Melissa says those first two weeks were rough, with Emma asking a lot of fearbased questions about what she was hearing on the news about the pandemic. Her anxiety also manifested in sleep disturbances, with her waking up with night terrors regularly. “She was internalizing a lot of things,” Melissa says.

At the three-week mark, Melissa and her husband had to tell Emma that the school shut down had been extended, possibly for the rest of the school year. Emma was extremely upset, because she had been counting down the days until she could return to the classroom on the calendar in her room. “There were lots of tears and, oddly enough, fear about being behind, which I was a little surprised about at her age,” she says. “Her anxiety was just so high on everything.”

Emma quickly went from a happy go lucky child to isolating herself in her room whenever she got upset. Then, about once a week, the floodgates would open and she would sob about missing her friends, teachers and family. Even

The first batch of nests have been completed and the new young ones have hatched, fledged and flown. Here are just a few pictures of the successful nesters in our garden - Bluebird, Robin and Wren. All of them used hand-made nesting boxes and provided us with hours of free enjoyment and entertainment. The Wrens are presently having a second go at raising another family,--suckers for punishment!

Looking out of the window on a damp rainy morning recently, lo and behold, on our bird feeder, a beautiful blue Indigo Bunting was there! Luckily, camera was at hand, so got some shots of it. The spots on the back feathers are rain droplets.

I hope that you and all your readers are staying safe and well and enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer, in their own gardens, for free, as she creates an ever changing life and educational picture, for us all.

Cheers, John Baldwin

Local biologists need help with specimen inventory A transport trailer just inside a gate, south of Bishops Mills, contains tens of thousands of specimens of flora and fauna, both local and from all across Canada. Fred Schueler and Aleta Karstad have been housing the specimens in the trailer since 2014, when they moved them out of the Bishops Mills Natural History Centre, which had been located in the old general store building. Many of the collections and most of the shelving and cabinets are from the Eastern Ontario Biodiversity Museum that was in the basement of Raina’s Mall on Sanders Street from 1997-2005.

Last week, Algonquin Towing made a valiant attempt to move the trailer to a site closer to Fred and Aleta’s home in Bishops Mills so they could more easily access the collection for curation and inventory, with the aim that it can be sent to natural history museums across the continent. In a perfect world, they would love to see a natural history museum established in North Grenville. “If we had a municipal museum, we would have everything to equip it,” Fred says. “We consider ourselves holders of the collection that can be used by other museums.”

When the heavy-duty tow truck tried to get the trailer moving, it was discovered that six years of rust prevented the wheels from turning. Algonquin Towing and Fred and Aleta’s resourceful neighbour, Kevin Willey, are still working on the problem.

Eventually, Fred and Aleta would love to attract some volunteers who are interested in working with specimens to help them sort through the collection. According to Aleta, it is important to preserve specimens, since they are physical evidence of life on Earth. Most of these specimens were gathered by Fred and Aleta in the decades between 1990 and 2010, when natural history museums had largely stopped adding to their collections. This is when many native freshwater mussels were being wiped out by Zebra Mussels, so their collections document many extinct populations.

“Natural history collections are a marker in time of species, and we never know how they are going to be needed in the future, or how they are going to be used. Fred didn’t know that he was preserving DNA when he collected the leopard frog specimens for his thesis as skins,” Aleta says, “but it turned out he had, and, in 2001, this allowed understanding of the genetic variation of the species throughout its range, including areas in Ontario and British Columbia, where the populations are now extinct.”

If you are interested in working with specimens and helping Aleta and Fred with inventory, you can email them at karstad@pinicola.ca or bckcdb@istar.ca.

August 19, 2020

The Voice of North Grenville

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now, months into the pandemic, Melissa says her anxiety is much higher about simple things like going into a store, even with a mask on.

“What if someone comes too close? What if someone coughs?” she worries. “It’s kind of heartbreaking.”

Melissa called Children’s Mental Health of Leeds and Grenville (CMHLG) who she says were fantastic in helping her support Emma.

“It was just a one session type thing where they gave us pointers on how to address things like validating her fears, because a lot of it was very valid,” she says.

Executive Director of CMHLG, Lorena Crosby, says that while they have seen a decrease in calls throughout the pandemic, she knows there are lots of other children like Emma out there. The affect of the pandemic is always a topic they bring up with any child or family who is referred to their services. “It’s always about the current situation and what is on people’s minds,” she says. “Staff are capable and ready to have those conversations.”

Mother of three, Kristin Strackerjan, says the realities of the pandemic really hit her children at the end of the school year. When they realized that their typical end of the year activities weren’t going to happen, summer camps were cancelled, and they wouldn’t have access to the Kemptville pool or other recreational facilities, they started to wonder what they were going to do all summer.

“Home becomes boring after a while,” she says.

Kristin says it has been interesting to see how her three children have adapted differently to COVID-19 restrictions. Her eldest, Mabel (12), had a bit of an easier time because she was connected with her friends through social media and apps like FaceTime. Her two boys, Oscar (11) and Zach (9), connected with their friends through playing online games, but have definitely missed the social interaction with their friends that they would have had at school or their usual summer activities. “When there was an opportunity to see a friend, or if we happened to be in town and we saw someone even from a distance, it was something that would be talked about for days,” she says. “I think that

was when I started to realize that they were having a harder time with it than they were actually showing.”

Kristin can tell that keeping on top of all the COVID-19 restrictions has been exhausting for her children, and she knows it isn’t going to get better once they return to school in September. “When they go back to school, we’re all anticipating that it’s going to be better for them mentally,” she says. “In some cases, it may be really hard to adapt.”

She has found that managing expectations and being open and honest have been essential in talking to her children about COVID-19, especially with the uncertainty that everyone is facing right now. “There’s a constant need to set expectations so it’s not an extreme disappointment when things don’t go that way,” she says.

Melissa agrees that keeping the lines of communication open is her main focus for helping both her girls get through this difficult time.“A lot of check ins to make sure they are doing OK.” Because Penelope has health issues, Melissa and her husband have opted not to send their girls back to school in the Fall. She says that while she knows they will miss their teachers and friends, it is the right thing to do for their family. However, she says the decision has kept her up at night, worrying that Penelope will fall behind and that Emma’s mental health will suffer because she won’t have the social interaction she craves.

“It’s a really hard choice,” she says.

Lorena of CMHLG wants families to know that they are there to support both parents and children, as students return to school or start remote learning at home. CMHLG is offering their full range of services and can accommodate both virtual and in-person appointments. “Don’t be afraid to call,” she says. “It can be a one-time phone call, or a more in-depth service.

We can help figure out with families what is going to be best for them.”

For more information about CMHLG, or to access support, visit www. cmhlg.ca.

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Open For Business Support Local, now more than ever!

Dial A Chef on wheels

Erick Le Pors

Curbside/Delivery Family Meal Menu #24 Tuesday Aug 25 - Friday Aug 28 1:30pm 4:30pm Pickup Preorder for the next day! info@cateredaffairs. ca 613-324-3136 www.cateredaffairs.ca Family Meal for 4 $65 + HST - Family Meal for 2 $35 + HST Family meal for 10 $160 + HST Butter Chicken Marinated tender chicken in mildly spiced, cream sauce, Basmati rice, Curried Potatoes, Chef's Veg Medley, Pita Bread, Garden Salad with vinaigrette & Dessert.

Morrocan Style Beef Brisket Low and Slow Cooked Beef with Spiced (Harrissa) Stewed Tomatoes, Dried Fruits and Capers Couscous Pilaf, Pita Bread & Hummus Crispy Chicken Tacos Crispy Tex-Mex Chicken with Peppers & Onions, Soft Flour Tortillas, Pico de Gallo, Red Slaw, Cilantro Lime - Sour Cream, Cheddar, & Dirty rice Korean BBQ Pork Bowl Korean BBQ Pulled Pork, Sesame Garlic Noodles, Asian Slaw, Cucumber, Hoisin BBQ Sauce Summer-Time Fettuccini Al Dente Fettuccine with Prosciutto, Bocconcini, Oven Roasted Grape Tomatoes, House Garden Basil, Lemon Bread Crumbs, Caesar Salad, and Garlic Ciabatta All meals include Chef’s Salad, Veggies & Dessert!

Catered Affairs & My Local Kemptville Patio Menu Aug 20th 3 Course Table D’hote $55pp + HST Please RSVP & Preorder online www.cateredaffairs.ca 613-324-3136

Catered Affairs Caesar Salad With Roasted Garlic Dressing, Shaved Parmesan, Ontario Bacon and Garlic Crostini Or Caprese Salad With Beefsteak Tomatoes & Bocconcini, House Grown Basil Pesto, Oak Aged Balsamic Redux, EVOO & Baguette Croutons & Marinated Beef Filet Medallions With Horseradish and Black Pepper Aioli, Shoestring Truffle Potatoes Served with Thyme Roasted Cremini Mushrooms and Sweet Carrot Puree Or Crispy Chicken Breast Roulade Stuffed with House Grown Herbs Served on Fettuccine with a Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce With Market Vegetables & Peach & Blueberry Crisp With Vanilla Ice Cream Or Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake With White Coffee Anglaise and Toasted Nut - Seed Toffee

August 19, 2020

Monday to Friday two main courses will be offered, (one meatless option) Monday August 24 1- Lemon, garlic, oregano marinated grilled chicken breast with roasted pepper coulis, mini potatoes.

2- tomato confit, halloumi cheese over orzo, roasted pepper salad.

Tuesday August 25 1- Rosemary peppercorn marinated beef steak, summer grilled vegetables.

2- Root vegetable tart with candied nuts and blue cheese. Endive and radicchio salad.

Wednesday August 26 1- Sesame coated seared tuna steak, zucchini noodles, lime, soy and ginger dressing.

2- Roasted squash with goat cheese and Du Puy lentils.

Thursday August 27 1- Pan fried pork loin steak, late summer vegetable, balsamic glaze.

2-Chipotle sweet potatoes and black bean stew, Cheddar dumplings.

Friday August 28 1- Roast lamb and summer vegetable, with mint pesto.

2- Fennel and lemon risotto, tomato basil salad.

Now that we can have groups of up to 50 people inside, and 100 outside, LET’S PARTY! (safely) I can arrange tents and all the party needs.

Call now to make arrangements for your next reception.

Monday to Friday, the cost is $22.50 per person.

Children 12 and under $14.00. There is $5.00 fee per delivery. Payment can be done by cash, credit card, or e-transfer. We need one day advance notice in order to organize the meals and the delivery route. HST extra. Ordering for the week : 10% off Reservation by phone at 613-860-2539 or email : erick@dialachef.ca

NEW STORE HOURS Monday to Friday 8:00am to 7:00pm

Saturday

8:00am to 6:00pm

Sunday

9:00am to 6:00pm

301 Rideau Street, Kemptville

613.258.3014

the north grenville

TIMES Gord Logan

Marketing Consultant Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

15

www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

Priority Pump Service &

Water Conditioning 613.882.7867

The Voice of North Grenville

Renewal of the waterfront at the Rotary Park

the north grenville

TIMES Gord Logan Marketing Consultant

Sales, Service, Installations

FOR ALL YOUR PUMP NEEDS

Well Pumps - Submersible & Jet Pressure Tanks Water Conditioning Sump/ Effluent / Sewage Pumps Heated Water Lines Pump & Electrical Motor Repair Well Extensions and Conversions www.prioritypumpservice.ca

P: 613.774.1672 F: 613.774.6612 12205 Gypsy Lane Winchester, ON, K0C 2K0

prioritypumps@gmail.com

MACHINING HYDRAULICS CNC PLASMA MECHANICAL WELDING (IN SHOP) WELDING (MOBILE) CUSTOM FABRICATION

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Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

Support Your Local Lions Club JOIN TODAY!

by Paul Cormier Anyone visiting the Municipal dock across from the Library will have noticed some huge improvements to the downtown’s Waterfront at the Rideau Reach (aka the Reach, the South Branch, the Basin, but never the Kemptville Creek, by the way). All of these improvements were designed to ensure the safety of citizens and visitors – young and old – spending some quality time in downtown Kemptville.

First, metal guards have been installed along the top of the concrete abutment leading down to the Reach. It had always been a nightmare for folks living or working in the area that a child might fall over into the water during the spring water peak, meaning certain death by drowning or, come summer and low water season, a fall on the stones below. While someone who is determined could still defeat the purpose of guards by misbehaving, the very presence of these safety features provides a constant reminder to exercise care next to the water. The Reach has the unfortunate reputation of having claimed the lives of both children and adults in past years but, hopefully, never again. By the way, someone did their homework right: the guards match the metal bannister coming down the long stairs from Clothier Street to the waterfront. Not only do we now have an important safety feature installed where it should, but we also have a fine example of downtown beautification.

The same principle seems to have been applied to another safety feature: a matching metal bannister that provides security along the stone pathway to the water where the Municipal dock is located during the warmer seasons. This addition is also both functional and very pleasing to the eye. Prior to this enhancement, getting onto the dock was a non-starter for anyone elderly, or with any kind of physical challenge.

These safety features have been enhanced even further by the provision of emergency rescue equipment in close proximity to the dock. While the water in the area is not particularly deep, there is a current that can be treacherous at times, and the bottom of the Reach is strewn with large stones. So, it’s possible that if one of the town kids jumped off the dock to cool off during the summer and made an error of judgment, a tragedy might take place. Just the fact that we now have a safety line and buoy available to throw out to someone in trouble tells everyone to be doubly careful with the water in the Reach.

By the way, one of the safety features that the general public might not notice is a curb easement at the entrance to the dock area. This is a huge improvement to access, since it allows for limited usage by municipal and building service vehicles needed to provide upkeep to the area and also for emergency vehicles such as ambulances. Three ambulances have been called to Salamanders over the years, and one ambulance received structural damage to its undercarriage when there was an attempt to drive it over the curb and down to the hill to provide help to a person in distress.

So, kudos to the Municipality, to Council Members John Barclay and Doreen O’Sullivan for acting as champions for these important projects. And many thanks to Karen Dunlop, Director of Public Works and Mark Guy, Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture for providing the necessary operational support and acting on behalf of improved safety in the downtown.

Since the improvements have taken place, we have noticed increased foot traffic to the area.

Let’s now hope that this is a harbinger for the much-anticipated Waterfront Trail.

Garden Trail resumes in a limited version

The traditional 1000 Islands and Rideau Canal Garden Trail has opened in a new incarnation due to the new realities of a pandemic. The 2020 Garden Trail consists of five public gardens which are open to the public, and which have implemented social distances measures for the safety of visitors. The Garden Trail season marks the 20th anniversary of the Rideau Woodland Ramble, which is, according to reports, having its best sales season ever. Visitors are enjoying the trails through the woodlands and are purchasing flowers, plants and trees to put in their own gardens. The Ramble has published a new book and owners are planning the installation of an anniversary sculpture in the garden.

The other public gardens which are open to visitors this year are: The Gananoque Horticultural Society is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, and is welcoming visitors to their garden which is part of the Gardens of Gananoque. They also offer a virtual guided tour of the gardens. Close by is Town of Gananoque's Confederation Park that sits on the shores of the Gananoque River. This park boasts one of Canada's largest outdoor contemporary art exhibits around its walks and beautiful fountain.

Ivy Lea Club gardens in Ivy Lea overlook the St. Lawrence River and is surrounded by large granite rocks, a huge displays of hydrangeas and lilac bushes among other perennials.

Visitors can also enjoy treats found at the Skiff Café, have dinner at the Ivy Restaurant or dock at the marina.

Featuring plants, flowers, quotes and busts from famous Shakespearean plays, Shakespeare’s Gardens offers a stunning view of the St. Lawrence River and the Sandra S. Lawn Harbour and Marina in downtown Prescott as well as access to shops, pubs and restaurants.

Gardens of Brockville on Courthouse Avenue is a colourful backdrop to three spectacular churches, historic architecture, a bust of war hero Sir Isaac Brock, the Brockville War Memorial and Fulford Memorial Fountain with its ornately sculpted fish and turtles. Spectacular waterfront views and dining or shopping options are close by during your visit.

As there is no new brochure for 2020, the Garden Trails ask that visitors use the 2019 version as a map reference only.

Hours and contacts vary so please visit each garden's page for full details. Visit the Garden Trail website: https://discover.leedsgrenville.com/en/see-do/garden-trail.aspx.

Tim Horton’s Camp Day

by Ingrid Kohling A grand total of $8,226.36 was raised on Tim Horton’s Camp Day 2020 by both Kemptville locations combined. This included coffee sales, iced coffee sales, donations, sale of bracelets and fundraising by Camp Day Committee Members.

While the overall amount is lower than last year, in consideration of the times we’re living in, this is excellent!

Thank you to all our guests for supporting the Tim Hortons Camps!!

L-R: Steven, Haley, Emily and Emmanuel (Tim Hortons Colonnade).

August 19, 2020

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