Issue 8 2022 March 2 NG Times

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The Voice of North Grenville

Vol. 10 No. 8

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March 2, 2022

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MPs in Ukraine hold up flags to thank countries for their support [Copyright Credit: AP Photo]

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Sometimes, you just have to stand with people in situations that are unacceptable. The invasion of Ukraine by Putin’s military forces is such a tragedy, not just for Ukraine, but for all of Europe, and for the peace of the world. For those who have recently been throwing around the term “dictator” in this country, take a look at Czar Putin’s aggression and un-

derstand: that is a Dictator.

The photograph is of members of Parliament in Ukraine holding up flags to thank the countries that have given them support, and that was before the invasion began in earnest.

Take a look at the faces: many of them are now in danger of their lives for daring to think that they could be free and independent of the Russian Bear.

In this country, even after recent events, we can

be thankful that we are still free to have our own opinion, our own beliefs, and our own country. This must give us a real sense of perspective, as we look at a nation being attacked without genuine cause, all because one man thinks he has the right, even the duty, to take away the freedoms of other nations in order to restore a lost Soviet Empire. He truly does see himself as the new Czar of all the Russias. He is, in

fact, only the new Stalin, cold, pitiless, arrogant, cruel. He has already been guilty of murdering and imprisoning those who oppose him. There is every reason to believe he will not stop at destroying Ukraine if he can. There is every reason not to believe a word he says.

Have you ever felt more thankful that you live in this country?

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Funds divided between charities

100 Women Who Care North Grenville leading ladies, presenting a cheque to Deborah Thomson, director of Naomi’s House. They were the charity voted to receive the donations from the 4th quarter of 2021. Pictured: Tracy MacDonald, Anne Kotlarchuk, Samantha Rivet-Stevenson, Deborah Thomson and Cyndy Batchelor.

by Anne Kotlarchuk The 100 Women Who Care North Grenville hosted it’s first quarterly meeting for 2022 on Thursday, February 24. This was in-person at Catered Affairs on the Kemptville Campus. Thank you so much to Natalie Castellas, owner, and staff for the wonderful evening and donation of the beautiful venue for our meeting. There was a delicious chilli (Veg & Non Veg options) and salad served, to help warm souls on a cold winter's night. The three nominated charities that presented this quarter were: The United Church Kemptville, A Chance Animal Rescue, and the KDH

Auxillary.

The presentations were informative, and it was inspiring to learn about what many volunteers in our community do to help others, both humans and animals! The members in attendance voted on the charity to receive our donations this quarter. There were also proxy votes that had been made by members not able to attend. The votes were tabulated and we ended with a tie (for only the second time ever in 5 years). Our donations will be equally split between the United Church Kemptville, and the KDH Auxiliary. A $250 donation will also be given to A Chance

Animal Rescue, to thank them for their participation.

100 Women Who Care NG has partnered with the Ottawa Community Foundation to streamline the donation process. Members can log on to the Foundation’s central website and enter “100 Women Who Care North Grenville” as the fund to receive their donation. This system automatically generates a tax receipt, making the whole operation that much easier. Please do not choose the anonymous option. The deadline for donations this quarter is March 15.

We don’t stop at 100 women: in fact, the more the merrier! We are looking to make the biggest local and immediate charitable impact we can. 100% of the proceeds go towards the chosen charities. Join us for the North Grenville Chapter of this amazing charity and help bring positive change to our community.

For more information on 100 Women Who Care North Grenville, visit: www.facebook. com/100womenwhocareng, and our website: https://100womenwhocareng. com.

Celebrate Strong Female Business Leaders International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated around the world. It recognizes and celebrates women’s accomplishments and the work that still needs to be done for equality. The Leeds Grenville Small Business Centre has been celebrating IWD for over a decade highlighting female entrepreneurs and celebrating women in business.

March 2, 2022

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This year's theme is #BreaktheBias. The keynote is Suzan Hart, an inspirational speaker, master trainer, and author known for her breakthrough strategies designed to help you reset your thinking.

Suzan will speak about challenges that women of other cultures face running a business and the challenges of women in general. She will provide attendees with

the tools to share their stories as females so that they are showcased at their best. The Lifetime Achievement Award is also being presented.

For more information, or to register: www.lgsmallbusiness.com/events/event/international-womens-day-2022.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 8, 3-5 p.m. COST: $40.

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The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

New Councillor named for North Grenville

Debbie Wilson to fill the upcoming Council vacancy

Country Treasures to move to Kemptville

come to Kemptville,” said Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Trish. “It will be something completely different for us.

A small, Winchester- We anticipate that it will be owned store is set to start the busier, just because the popunext chapter of its journey lation base is so much larger when it moves to Kemptville than here.”

Trish does not know of in the near future. Country Treasures is a small business any stores currently in Kempcurrently located inside of tville that offer the same Winchester’s BMR hardware range of products offered by store. The store sells gift Country Treasures, and so ware and home décor items, she knows that the store will with something to suit most be a great addition to the lotastes – the theme of the store cal shopping market in town. can generally be described She is still anticipating seeing as “farmhouse”, or “country many of her North Dundas rustic”. The store also fea- customers after the move, tures seasonal sections, such and she joked about telling as those set up for Christmas them to grab a coffee and hop and Easter, and other themed onto Highway 43 to visit the areas, such as a gardening new store.

Though the opening of section.

Co-owner, Trish Boje, the store is much-anticipated, told the Times that the reason Trish does not yet have a she and her husband Ken, guaranteed opening date, bewho live in Chesterville, are cause they are still waiting for moving the store is that they one more permit to complete have sold the Winchester a final renovation. The new BMR and have retired from store will be about the same the hardware business, but size as the current Country are not quite ready to retire Treasures space within the altogether. They have been Winchester BMR, except that operating their Winchester the layout will be different, store for 17 years, and have and, hopefully, even more worked hard to grow their appealing to shoppers.

Trish’s best estimate of business over that time. Their daughter will also be joining an opening date for the new them in the new Kemptville location is the end of March, location, and she will be in though it will depend on how charge of the new online everything goes with the final shopping platform which renovations and the move. will offer in-store pick up, The new location of Country local delivery, and shipping Treasures will be located in the Kemptville Mall, near the anywhere in Canada.

“We’re really excited to Independent grocery store.

by Brandon Mayer

March 2, 2022

At the Council meeting of February 22, Mayor Peckford announced that Council has selected Ms. Debbie Wilson to fill the upcoming Council vacancy. This development is a result of the announcement on February 7 that Deputy Mayor Jim McManaman was re-locating outside of the community on February 23 and would need to resign his Council position as a result.

“Ms. Wilson is a wellrecognized community leader and long-standing resident of North Grenville,” said Mayor Peckford. “She has had a strong presence over several decades in the community, and has taken on various leadership roles, both municipal and otherwise. We have no doubt that she will hit the ground running,” said Mayor Peckford.

“We wish to thank all those who sought to be considered for the council vacancy. Council interviewed a pool of very qualified candidates who are passionate about North Grenville,” added outgoing Deputy Mayor Jim McManaman.

“We are blessed with an abundance of talent in our community, and the calibre of individuals who stepped forward was truly excellent,” Mayor Peckford noted. “We sincerely appreciate their strong interest in making North Grenville an even better place. It made for a difficult decision.”

Co-owner of Grahame’s Bakery, Ms. Debbie Wilson was born and raised in Kemptville and has a considerable record of public service as former Chair of the Old Town Kemptville BIA, Vice Chair of the Kemptville District Community Association, a founding member of the Sports Hall of Fame, among many other initiatives. Ms. Wilson also currently serves

as Chair of North Grenville’s Community and Economic Development Municipal Advisory Committee, and is the provincial appointee to the North Grenville Police Services Board.

Ms. Wilson was the recipient of the 2019 Bill Thake Award for Economic Development Leadership in Leeds, Grenville, Thousand Islands.

“I am honoured to have been selected to join North Grenville’s Council and serve the community I love. I look forward to working with Mayor Peckford, Councillors Barclay, O’Sullivan, and Strackerjan to continue building on our shared vision for North Grenville,” said Ms. Wilson. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Deputy Mayor McManaman, and know I have big shoes to fill, but I am up for the challenge.”

Ms. Wilson has been sworn in, and will serve for the duration of this term.

Owing to her new role, she will step down as the provincial appointee to the Police Services Board, and as Chair of the Community and Economic Development Municipal Advisory Committee, but expects to remain on the Committee.

News about other committee assignments, and the Deputy Mayor position, will be forthcoming.

The Municipal Act, 2001 directs Council to replace a vacated seat within 60 days of the day the seat is declared vacant, either through a by-election or an appointment. According to North Grenville’s By-Law 51-16, section 2.1, adopted in 2016 by the previous Council, “If a vacancy on Council for Councillor occurs more than six months after the Municipal election, Council shall fill the vacancy by appointing a person”. The Bylaw outlines

a specific process for fulfilling the appointment, including an open call for candidates and conducting interviews in public.

Council used an application and appointment process to fill the seat. The application process opened on February 8, 2022, and closed at 12 pm noon on February 17. Nine members of the public applied for the position and were invited to virtual interviews that took place on Friday, February 18. Applicants were asked to answer three questions, and had fifteen (15) minutes to present their answers with fifteen (15) minutes of follow-

• • • •

up questions by Council.

The next municipal election is on October 24, 2022, with the four-year term starting on November 15, 2022.

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Editorial

The North Grenville Times

Can I get a witness?

by David Shanahan You know, the weeks fly past and it can be difficult to remembers what happened last month, or last year. Publishing a newspaper can be like that. Because I read everything that goes into every issue, I can get quite confused about what we cover and what may have been missed.

But that is what the rest of the team is for: to remind me when I think I’ve done something, when, in fact, I have not. Maybe it’s just age?

But that is not relevant right now. You will see in the Letters to the Editor section this week that a reader raises a complaint about the length of some of the letters we print, as well as the frequency with which some writers are represented. There is also a question about publishing letters with names withheld, for one reason or another. My usual response to letters or articles that complain about something in the Times, particularly something I write, is to communicate with them

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Are they asking the right questions of themselves?

This morning on CBC, the Mayor of the City of Ottawa is reported as saying that they need to find out why what has been called “an illegal blockade “ happened, and what should have been done to prevent this from happening.

It was also reported on CBC that the Prime Minister had stated early on during this illegal blockade that the police had not used all of the tools available to them to end the illegal activities happening in the City.

Residents of the City of Ottawa have just had to put up with more than three weeks of terror and anarchy. Residents were unable to go to work, shop owners were unable to open their businesses, people were unable to access doctors and dentists offices. Residents of the downtown core were also subjected to fear for their safety, and the constant violation of the peace and tranquility of their neighbourhood.

Questions and Comments: Why was criminal code, section 63 (1) “Unlawful Assembly” not put into effect?

directly, off the record, as it were, to discuss their complaint.

I did this with the reader in question this week, and we had a very cordial discussion, as is usual with the kind-hearted people who read the Times. And, respecting his position on the issue, I thought it might be a good idea to seek a wider opinion from the wider community.

This is, after all, your community newspaper, and we try to reflect the opinions, often quite contrary to each other, of the residents of North Grenville, Merrickville-Wolford, and beyond.

My initial response to William Vanveen’s letter was somewhat tongue in cheek: his original letter, since amended, noted that those things about which he complained “started under Dr. Shanahan’s watch but has continued”. This is something which has often caused me some personal embarrassment. Last year, I stepped down as Editor in order to focus on my other Violations of this criminal code have a maximum sentence of two years less a day imprisonment, and or a $5,000 fine.

I wonder if violations of section 46 of the Criminal Code, “any person who resists or willfully obstructs a public officer or a police officer in the execution of his duty… is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not to exceed two years upon summary conviction”, will be acted on?

Although the charge of “mischief” can have graver consequence for lawbreakers, I believe that it only deals with offences against property, not the peace of the community.

If the police are responsible for upholding the criminal code, and they fail to do so, are they breaking the law?

Does the term, “peaceful conclusion”, to the illegal blockade only apply to the perpetrators of the illegal activity? There was no peace for the residents of the City.

Why are the police only talking about bylaw infractions? Are the police afraid to uphold the law? Are members of Parliament who physically

The North Grenville Times is published weekly by North Grenville Times Inc.

Marketing/Sales Hayley Bedford hayley@ndtimes.ca 343 777 2702

March 2, 2022

The Voice of North Grenville

work, and Lorraine Rekmans replaced me. This lasted for about three months, when I returned to the position following Lorraine’s departure to become President of the Green Party of Canada. But it seems many people didn’t notice my return, in spite of my name appearing on each subsequent Editorial, which were each titled after a song (what I thought was my trademark, but apparently one that has gone largely unnoticed).

Anyway, let me point out to all those who have asked me how I am enjoying my retirement: alas, I am still here, much to the displeasure of some, I know. Oh, and ownership of the Times has not changed since we started almost ten years ago. Another “mythunderstanding” (sorry).

But to get back to the point: my response to William’s letter was as follows: As for your points: as you say, this is a community newspaper, not a major city one.

This means, from my point of view, that there is a greater emphasis on reflecting the thoughts and opinions of the

community. Letters to the Editor are a major forum in that respect, and so I believe a lot of leeway needs to be made to accommodate that.

This also results in letters that are not always literate or well-formed, although I do try to correct the more egregious errors. I should also note that you don't see the letters we don't publish!

As for frequent letter writers: alas, that is another aspect of a community paper. There are only so many people in a small community willing to write at all. You mention "Major papers" twice: as I say, we are not a major big city newspaper. Our mandate is to provide a voice for this community, and I believe the letters serve that purpose.

And as for anonymous letters: we do not publish a letter unless we have the name and contact information of the writer. There are times when anonymity is requested, usually for a good reason.

But we do not publish letters submitted anonymously.

That, in a nutshell, is our policy regarding Letters to the

Editor. As I mentioned above, there are letters we simply refuse to publish, and these are usually libelous, or spreading misinformation (lies), or so rambling and incoherent as to defy publication. We don’t like to publish anything that could put the health or life of our readers in jeopardy.

Believe me, there have been many of that kind over the past two years.

But, basically, that is our approach to letters from readers. The fact that we get so many of them implies, at least as far as the Times is concerned, that readers appreciate them and find the forum accessible and open to all shades of opinion. I hope that is the case. And, yes, we do have some writers who seem to pop up most weeks.

It is clear that, for some of them, at least, this is the only forum they have to express their opinion or to engage in debate with others of differing views.

I also recognise that some will grow very tired, very quickly, of some of those debates, either because they

have no interest in the topic, or because they feel it is being done to death. In some cases, I can only agree. But here is where I’d love to get a general sense of how people feel about this topic.

Should we insist on shorter letters, regardless of their content? Should we always demand that people put their names to their missives. Note what William says: “If potential contributors wish to keep their name to themselves then they should also keep their thoughts to themselves”.

What’s the verdict on that?

I have been accused, at times, of using the paper as a mouthpiece to impose my ideas on people. It is, let’s be fair, my role as Editor to do that sometimes. However, I believe we have offered the same option to all, this is the Voice of the communities we serve: not our voice, but a place for those other voices to be heard. Surely, that is a central core responsibility of a community newspaper?

And isn’t that the perfect role for the Letters to the Editor section? What do you think?

take part in an illegal activity, and appear to support that illegal activity, acting illegally?

Are members of the police force that support, through their own actions, an illegal activity, acting illegally? Is an omission to act, an illegal act?

It has been reported on CBC that the government has plans to compensate business owners for losses due to the illegal blockade, nothing was mentioned of support for the people who lost wages because they could not go to work. Is that justice?

I wonder why we continue to pay the salaries to public officials that do not act in the best interests of the majority of Canadians? I can no longer fly the flag of Canada because, in the last three weeks, it has been turned into a symbol of terrorism and anarchy.

That in itself is the greatest crime of all.

Richard Banks

prints unattributed letters. The identity of the writer is known to you, but is anonymous to the public. There is no room for anonymity in public discourse. If potential contributors wish to keep their name to themselves, then they should also keep their thoughts to themselves. Second is length. Far too many letters are far too long and meandering. Major papers edit for length. I can understand that a small community paper may lack the time and staff to edit for length, but you should impose a reasonable word count limit and require the writers to do their own editing. Third is frequent contributors. There are a few who treat it as their personal opinion column. Major papers limit the number of letters printed from any single writer over a given period. You have a good and important local paper, but your letters garden needs some serious weeding.

William Vanveen Kemptville

Dear Editor, I have refrained thus far from commenting on what has been going on in downtown Ottawa, with what has euphemistically been called the “Freedom Convoy”, but when Willem van Dam decided to put his own spin on what Amita Kuttner, interim leader of the Green Party, said in this newspaper the week previously, I decided that it needed responding to.

Let me begin by stating that I am not a fan of vaccines, but I have been boosted. This is because I am a fan of keeping my family, friends, and community safe. I fully understand people’s reluctance to be vaccinated, but they should also understand the feeling that the other 85% of us may prefer that they keep their distance.

Mr. Van Dam’s letter is full of speculation, innuendos, and half truths; but what stood out for me was comparing the threat of the CAS having to take care of people’s children if their parents got arrested, to what happened in residential schools. This is appalling, just like other similar protests comparing government restrictions to the Holocaust.

I often wondered where those on the right and the alt-right get their information from, and then I read an article recently on Russia Today, a program available to 7 million Canadian households that serves up a steady diet of anti-vaccine and antimask articles as a part of a long-standing propaganda campaign to destabilize democracies by dividing their citizens.

It described Canada as a “dictatorship” (they are fine ones to talk), and the “first iteration of a Chinese-style social credit regime in the Western world”. Then, in an interview that trucker convoy organizer, Tom Marazzo, gave to reporters, he quoted a line from the Russian editorial: “The only plan that they [the government] have is violence, and the institution of a Chinese-style social credit score system”. (He is a fine one to decry violence when there were over 400 incidents of hate crimes during the occupation). It is of note that prominent supporters of the Ottawa occupation, like Ontario MPP Randy Hillier,

Dear Editor, There are a few issues with the Letters to the Editor segment of your paper. First is the publication of anonymous letters. No serious newspaper

the north grenville

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TIMES Editor David Shanahan editor@ngtimes.ca 613-215-0735

OFFICE 613-215-0735

Accounting Pat Jessop cfo@ngtimes.ca 613-258-4671

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Staff Reporter Brandon Mayer brandon@ndtimes.ca

continued on page 13

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Council begins its budget deliberations Council with an update on Local Journalism Initiative Reporter some of the specific projects that could be completed with The North Grenville’s the proposed allocations in Council meeting on February this year’s budget, such as the 22 focused heavily on the laying of sidewalks. Director 2022 draft budget, which has Dunlop answered questions now gone through a media from Council members reconsultation session and two garding 2022 Public Works public consultation sessions. matters for approximately 30 The budget discussion began minutes. Director of Parks, with a presentation of the Recreation, and Culture, Municipality’s reserve fund, Mark Guy, answered quesdelivered by Acting Director tions about the funding alof Finance/Treasurer Femi locations for his department, Ogunrinde. Numbers from particularly from Councillor 2020 were used to illustrate John Barclay. Councillor Barthe funding sources for the clay was concerned about a reserve fund, as well as proj- lack of funding committed to ects that sometimes warrant the Old Township Hall in Oxdipping into the fund, such as ford Mills, which he pointed infrastructure, maintenance, out is a heritage building and replacement projects. which may end up costing At the end of year in 2020, the Municipality significant the main reserve fund (over amounts of money in the which the Municipality has future if efforts are not made control) had a closing balance to provide maintenance soon, such as roof repairs. of over $11 million.

Councillor Barclay quesWith the property tax increases proposed in the 2022 tioned the funds allocated to draft budget, both from the Maplewood Hall, and, withMunicipality and from the out suggesting “robbing Peter Counties, many residents may to pay Paul,” asked whether be wondering what drives this the Old Township Hall repairs need for additional revenue. may be just as important. In Director Ogunrinde explained response, Director Guy sugthat many considerations gested that public consultaare taken into account when tion regarding what the Old preparing the draft budget, Township Hall can be used including the rising costs for would be an appropriate linked to inflation, which is first step before allocating showing no signs of cooling such funds. Councillor Dodown. The increasing costs reen O’Sullivan provided a of fuel, utilities, and materials comment concurring with are felt by the Municipality Councillor Barclay, to which in much the same way as by Chief Administrative Officer, individuals and families. The Gary Dyke, responded, in Municipality is also preparing part, “we aren’t ignoring the for the potential continued building, and by no means are loss of revenue from facility we letting it fall down.”

The presentation portion rentals due to the ongoing of the meeting concluded COVID-19 pandemic.

Director of Public Works, with a discussion of this Karen Dunlop, provided year’s water and wastewater

by Brandon Mayer

The North Grenville Times ••

budget, which is considered self-sustaining through user fees and does not rely on taxpayer funding. Following the presentations, Councillor Barclay formally asked CAO Dyke if staff could look into the possibility of lowering the property tax increase from the proposed 1.9%, though he didn’t recommend a specific lower number. Councillor Kristin Strackerjan supported weighing options for a lower tax increase.

Councillor O’Sullivan provided a dissent, arguing that the 1.9% increase works out to about $7 per month for a house assessed at a value of $400,000, which she deems as reasonable, considering that it is better to cover increased expenses now, rather than letting them pile up for future years. She used the needed repairs at the Old Township Hall in Oxford Mills as an example of where money being spent now will help future larger costs be avoided.

Before ending the meeting, Council members provided well-wishes to outgoing Deputy Mayor Jim McManaman, for whom the February 22 Council meeting was the last before he moves away.

The 2022 draft budge will be further deliberated

by Council during the virtual Council meeting on March 2.

The draft budget can be downloaded at www.northgrenville.ca/budget. Those interested in the details of the February 22 budget presentations, as well as the deliberations of Council regarding same, can view the virtual meeting at www.youtube.com/ atch?v=IRbZBjM7Lbg&ab_ channel=NorthGrenville.

March 2, 2022

is self-funded by fees.

On February 24, 2022, the Board of Health of the Health Unit announced that, as of October 1, 2022, the Health Unit will no longer be able to provide these services on behalf of 19 municipalities in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark.

Health Unit staff will continue working with municipalities to support the transition.

“The Board’s decision will enable the Health Unit to focus on its primary public health mandate, guided by the Ontario Public Health Standards, to promote and protect the health of Leeds, Grenville

UPDATE

For updates related to COVID-19 and the North Grenville Municipal Centre visit: www.northgrenville.ca/coronavirus

MUNICIPAL OFFICE HOURS

The Municipal office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Please note: Renovations at the North Grenville Municipal Centre reception area are underway.

Access to the facility will continue to be through the main entrance doors located on the North side of the building.

Customer service will be moved upstairs for the duration of the renovation project. Access to the 2nd floor stairs and elevator will be available during this time.

Sign-up to Mayor Peckford’s e-newsletter at: northgrenville.ca/connect.

UPCOMING MEETINGS COUNCIL MEETINGS

Council meetings will be conducted virtually via Zoom.

For any members of the public wanting to attend the meeting virtually, pre-registration is required by e-mailing clerk@northgrenville.on.ca. To make a deputation in relation to an item on the agenda, please pre-register with the Clerk's Office at the same e-mail address. Please provide your comments no later than two hours prior to the start of the meeting. If you require accommodation, please advise the Clerk’s Office when pre-registering so that they may best assist you.

Council meetings will be live streamed on YouTube at: youtube.com/user/NorthGrenville/featured and on the Municipality’s website at: northgrenville.ca/govern/governance/agendas-and-minutes.

Council agendas are available at: northgrenville.ca/govern/governance/agendas-and-minutes.

• Council Meeting (Open) – Virtual – March 9, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

• Council Meeting (Open) – Virtual – March 15, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Committee meetings will be conducted virtually via Zoom. For any members of the public wanting to attend the meeting, pre-registration is required by e-mailing the Clerk’s Office at clerk@northgrenville.on.ca.

• Heritage Advisory Committee – March 3, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

• Community and Economic Development Advisory Committee – March 7, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.

• Health Wellness and Fitness Advisory Committee - March 7, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.

•Tourism Advisory Subcommittee – March 17, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

ACCESSIBLE TRANSIT

North Grenville Accessible Transit is available seven (7) days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The service is available for anyone who meets the definition of having a disability in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarian with Disabilities Act or Seniors 65+.

Visit www.northgrenville.ca/transit to register for the service or call 613-258-9569 ext. 133.

VOLUNTEER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Please visit northgrenville.ca/careers for updates on volunteer and employment opportunities.

Building Inspector The Building Division of the Planning and Development Department is seeking to fill a full-time position for a Building Inspector. Please visit northgrenville.ca/careers for the job description. Interested applicants may submit a cover letter and resume outlining qualification in confidence to hr@ northgrenville.on.ca no later than 4:00 p.m. on March 14, 2022.

Seasonal Student Positions 2022 - Parks, Recreation and Culture The Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture is currently accepting applications for full and part-time spring/summer student positions. Please visit northgrenville.ca/careers for a list of the positions available.

Please send resumes to hr@northgrenville.on.ca no later than 4:00 p.m. on March 14, 2022.

Engineering Summer Students The Department of Public Works is seeking to fill three (3) Summer Engineering Student positions.

Please visit northgrenville.ca/careers for the job description. Interested applicants may submit a cover letter and resume outlining qualification in confidence to hr@northgrenville.on.ca no later than 4:00 p.m. on March 18, 2022.

Land Control Program will transition to municipalities from the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit Since 1998, the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit [LGLHU] has been providing services under PART VIII of the Ontario Building Code for 19 of 22 municipalities in Lanark, Leeds and Grenville. These services include: review and approval of applications for septic system permits, installation inspections, file searches, sewage system maintenance inspections, review of subdivision plans and severances. This program

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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 www.NorthGrenville.ca

and Lanark residents, and move towards the recovery phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” says Board of Health Chair, Doug Malanka. “The Board of Health values the partnership that the Health Unit has established with our municipalities and their staff through the Part VIII program. We will continue to work together to protect and promote public health.”

For more information about the Land Control Program, visit: Sewage & Land Control - Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, or call 1-800-660-5853.

Building: 613-258-9569 x130 Fax: 613-258-1441 Fire Services Info: 613-258-9569 x201 Fax: 613-258-1031 By-Law Services: email: bylawinquiries@northgrenville.on.ca 613-258-9569 x211 Police Administration: 613-258-3441 Animal Control: 613-862-9002

You can also get important updates by following @ LGLHealthunit on Facebook and Twitter, as well as @ lglhealthunit.z on Instagram.

5

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March 2, 2022

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The Voice of North Grenville

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2794 County Rd 43, Kemptville The North Grenville Times

United Counties Council report

The highlights of the regular United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Council Meeting held on Thursday, February 24, as well as the Committee of the Whole and Joint Services Committee (JSC) meetings held earlier this month, are listed below.

County Road 43 widening Engineering Company announced: McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers Ltd. will be the firm overseeing the County Road 43 widening project.

Counties Council announced the Canadian company will provide project management, contract administration, inspection services and a communications team at a cost of $2.24 million. McIntosh Perry’s bid was the lowest received but had the highest evaluation score from Counties staff.

The widening of County Road 43, from County Road

44 to Colonnade Drive in Kemptville, will impact some zoned agricultural property along the north side of County Road 43 at the Ferguson Forest. There will also be a number of trees removed along the right-of-way and around the existing bridge. However, a new wetland habitat beneath the new bridge with the addition of trees, shrubs and other plantings along the County Road 43 construction corridor will be created.

One of the key components of the County Road 43 Project Management Request For Proposal was to provide a communications strategy and specialist to form and chair a communications committee.

Timely communications to the public regarding traffic restrictions, closures, updates on construction progress and anything else deemed of importance to the public at large will be a priority for this proj-

ect. Additional information regarding this project will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Truth and Reconciliation Acknowledgement from Council: Counties Council has accepted a recommendation from the Committee of the Whole for the development of an Indigenous Reconciliation Acknowledgement for the United Counties. The Warden will make this acknowledgment at the beginning of all Council meetings.

Additional steps will be taken in the development of an Indigenous Reconciliation.

Staff will investigate partners to develop specific training to ensure The Counties’ services meet the needs of its indigenous residents, as well as partner agencies supporting indigenous needs. Staff will also seek out funding opportunities to, develop further

meaningful acknowledgement within the Counties, to the ongoing Truth and Reconciliation process being advanced within Canada. For more information contact Chief Administrative Officer Ray Callery at 613-342-3840, ext. 2301.

Upcoming meetings: The Joint Services Committee is on Tuesday, March 8th; the Committee of the Whole meeting is on Wednesday, March 9; Maple View Lodge Committee of Management on Thursday, March 10, and Counties Council is on Thursday, March 24. All regular meetings begin at 9 a.m. and can be viewed by accessing the livestream on the Counties website www.leedsgrenville. com. For more information, contact Interim County Clerk / Manager of Legislative Services Lesley Todd at 613342-3840, ext. 2454.

The Voice of North Grenville

services

Joe Gauthier Master Electrician

613.802.4608

joe@oldschool-electric.ca

"No Job Too Small"

Emergencies Act revoked after 10 days

by Brandon Mayer

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

All Conservative and Bloc Quebecois MPs as well as the remaining Green Party MP, voted against the motion.

The result was a 185-151 vote win for those fighting to keep the Emergencies Act in place.

Prior to the vote, a few Liberal MPs admitted that they did not necessarily agree with the continuation of the Act, but that they would be voting with their party since they perceived the vote as a confidence motion. Just two days later, amid growing pushback from the Senate suggesting that the bill was at risk of being quashed, Trudeau announced on February 23 that the Emergencies Act would be revoked as the situations

in Ottawa and elsewhere had cooled down.

The powers allowed by the Emergencies Act are immense, particularly insofar as they can violate the rights of citizens if misused. In the case of the Freedom Convoy situation, the Emergencies Act allowed police boundaries and checkpoints to be set up, permitted the government to order banks to freeze accounts suspected of funding the Convoy, and compelled tow truck drivers to remove protestors’ vehicles from downtown Ottawa if ordered to do so.

Many opposed the Act, including dozens of Conservative MPs, arguing that its use violated the Canadian Charter

of Rights and Freedoms, particularly since it was used to control a relatively mild situation compared to some others that have occurred in the decades since the Act was created. Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act was the first time it has ever been used since it was created in 1988.

Due to the seriousness of invoking the Emergencies Act, Trudeau has promised an inquiry – to begin within 60 days – to dive into the circumstances leading up to the crisis. It is not yet clear who will be in charge of the inquiry, or when it will be completed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on February 23 that the use of the Emergencies Act would immediately come to an end, as it was no longer deemed necessary for addressing the Freedom Convoy protest situation in Ottawa and other parts of the country. The Emergencies Act was invoked on February 14 in response to the Freedom Convoy protest movement, which Trudeau’s government argued was an “illegal occupation” that endangered citizens of downtown Ottawa. There were also allegations of hate being spread in the form of racist symbols and flags, as well as threats being made against RCMP officers. Bridge blockades were occurring in other parts of the country as well.

The ongoing Freedom Convoy movement seeks an end to COVID-19 pandemic mandates, which organizers and supporters argue are no longer necessary according to public health advice.

On February 21, while families across Ontario were celebrating Family Day, Members of Parliament in the House of Commons took turns engaging in fierce debate about whether the powers of the Emergencies Act should be ratified by the House. A vote finally took place in the early evening, with all Liberal and NDP MPs, and one Green This is an example of lensball photography. A lensball is a glass sphere that photographers Party MP, voting in favour of shoot through that refracts or bends the light passing through. The image inside the ball will the continuation of the Act. be upside down creating a more artistic feel. Image by Elaine Hanlon.

7 March 2, 2022

NG PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB

Helping many wishes come true!

The results of the WDMH Foundation’s 2021 Judy Lannin Christmas Wish Tree are in, with more than $72,000 raised!

The three giant trees on the hospital mezzanine were adorned with hundreds of ornaments!

“We’ve had a wonderful response to this annual tradition, and we want to thank everyone who donated,” notes Kristen Casselman, Managing Director.

The Judy Lannin Christmas Wish Tree program invites donors to provide a gift in memory or honour of a loved one, doctor, health care provider, neighbour or veteran. Since this tradition began, close to $1.2 million has been raised for health care close to home.

Funds raised are directed to the Foundation’s Family Care Fund ‘supporting families just like yours’. These gifts will help to ensure that that the WDMH team has the right tools needed to care for patients and families, close to home.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the virtual tree lighting ceremony and thank you to our generous sponsors who support this annual tradition. www.ngtimes.ca

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The Voice of North Grenville

South Gower Business Park We ’r e H e r e To S e r v e Yo u

At D.R. Howell Electric Inc. we strive to uphold the highest levels of safety, workmanship and professional integrity in serving our customers, suppliers, subcontractors and professional associates.

Howell Electric has established a leading business in general electrical contracting proudly serving North Grenville and the surrounding area. No matter what size the project – Howell Electric can provide you with any type of electrical service and expertise that you require.

• Residential • Commercial • Generac Generators Sales and Service Don’t be left in the dark, life is better with power!

“Thank you” to our loyal customers

Ron's

Small Engine Repair 613.258.9720

ronssmallengines@outlook.com 1 Jayland Drive, Kemptville (across from old Bingo Hall)

Call us today at (613)258-0294 or visit our website at www.drhowellelectric.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

The team at D.R. Howell Electric Inc.

CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANT

Robert Walker, CPA, CA, LPA Bradley Mehlman CPA Dinah Boal Clare Deans Crystal Lang T: 613.258.3282 F: 613.258.4391 2 - 4 Industrial Rd, Kemptville, South Gower Business Park

Eastern Ontario Development Fund applications open

The Eastern Ontario Development Fund provides support for projects and investments to businesses, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for economic development in Eastern Ontario.

The funding, complementary services and support are to: create jobs and build talent attract and encourage private sector investment; lead to business growth and broad positive economic impacts;encourage innovation, collaboration and cluster development.

For more information, review the eligibility checklist on the EODF webpage: www.ontario.ca/page/eastern-ontariodevelopment-fund.

Additional assistance is available from Denis Lapierre, Senior Business Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, by email: denis. lapierre@ontario.ca.

Applications opened: February 9 Eligibility checklists: Recommended before April 7 Submission Deadline: April 21 March 2, 2022

Royal Canadian Legion Provincial Bursary Program Applicants for the Royal Canadian Legion Provincial Bursary Program are still being accepted for this academic year.

If you are a student attending a college, university, or any other post-secondary institution, you may qualify for a bursary of $750.

Eligibility: - Former or currently serving members of the Canadian Forces (Regular, Reserve, and Merchant (Navy) and their children and grandchildren.

- Ordinary and Life members of the Royal Canadian Legion and their children and grandchildren.

- Associate members of the Royal Canadian Legion and their children.

- Ladies’ Auxiliary members and their children and grandchildren.

- Step children and step grandchildren may be considered.

Application forms are available at branches of the Royal Canadian Legion. Application forms can also be downloaded from the Legion’s Provincial web-site (on.legion.ca).

Please note: completed application forms must be mailed to the address shown on the application form. Forms sent by email or fax will not be accepted.

Application forms must be received by Legion Provincial Command by March 21, 2021.

For further information contact the Legion Branch nearest you, or Douglas Brunton, Zone G-3 Bursary Chairman, at 613-258-5111, or email d.c.brunton@sympatico.ca.

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OFA celebrates farming and food on Canada’s Agriculture Day

By Sara Wood, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture February 22 was Canada’s Agriculture Day – an annual event that brings both consumers and farmers together to celebrate the local food we all love to enjoy and the hardworking contributors across the food value chain that nurture it from field-to-fork.

In Ontario, we are privileged to have access to a bounty of fresh, nutritious, affordable foods produced right here on our own farmland and available all year-round. Over 200 diverse food products are grown, produced and raised by farmers in Ontario. As an economic powerhouse, the agri-food sector in our province contributes more than $47 billion annually to the economy and employs over 860,400 Ontarians.

Even in the heart of winter, local food surrounds us and can be found at the grocery store, farmers’ market or purchased directly from the farm. Ontario tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and strawberries are accessible throughout the year, thanks to a strong and innovative greenhouse industry. Our emerging controlled-climate vertical farming sector provides Ontarians with leafy greens, microgreens and baby greens as well. Ontario dairy products are always readily no matter what season we’re in as dairy cows continue producing high quality milk that that is processed into butter, cheese, cream, yogurt and ice-cream.

Keep an eye out for the blue cow logo that promises the

March 2, 2022

items in your cart are made with 100% Canadian milk.

Additionally, the meat and poultry sector steadily produces and processes farm fresh products. Ontarians can purchase and enjoy fresh meat and poultry by visiting their local butcher shop, grocery store or directly from farmers in their community.

Ontario grown vegetables can be found in the freezer aisle and were flash-frozen at peak freshness, preserving all the nutrients. They are an affordable and healthy way to enjoy Ontario produce in the colder temperatures.

If your taste desires, remember to pair your meal with local beer, cider, wine and spirits. Ontario craft brewers source local hops and grains, cideries frequent Ontario orchards and the VQA medallion ensures that your wine is made entirely from Ontario grapes.

Although this is certainly cause for celebration, it also provides us with a stark reminder. Ontario continues to lose an average of 175 acres of productive farmland to urban development every day. With Ontario’s average farm size being 249 acres, this equates to a loss of 5 family farms per week. To add context, in one year, 175 acres can produce 58,000 packages of bacon, 1.3 million servings of nachos, 532,400 turkey dinners, 1.1 million quarter pounders, 273,000 chicken wings, or enough eggs to make 2.9 million omelettes.

Without serious intervention to preserve farmland, the Canadian foods we all love to enjoy could potentially disappear forever. Farmers are tirelessly dedicated and proud to provide food for the province, country and world, but we simply cannot grow food without arable land.

We all have a role to play in preserving farmland and that contribution is making the conscious choice to source local. Buying local is good for the economy, better for

the environment, supports our domestic food supply chain, contributes to farm businesses and rural communities and encourages the preservation of farmland for future generations.

Closer to home, sourcing local is a fundamental part of a healthy diet for you and your family. Local food not only tastes better, but it is superior in quality, nutrition and freshness. The benefits of sourcing local are abundant.

But, from my experience, the most significant impact is the human connection that’s established. When you source local you start a relationship and connection with that local farmer and their family.

Through conversation Ontarians can learn the love, care and dedication that farmers put into raising the crops and livestock that nourish our family and yours. Through connecting with our customers, we are re-connecting them with the agri-food supply chain. Re-establishing that connection is the goal of OFA’s new pilot project alongside Farm & Food Care Ontario – Source Local. I’m a poultry farmer, but I’m also a director, mother, wife, friend and athlete. I share the values of family, quality, taste, community and health with Ontario consumers.

Today and every day, let’s raise a fork to the food we love, the people who produce it and the consumers who purchase it.

Plastic soup a disastrous meal Why is humankind so bent on destruction? Why so apathetic in the face of annihilating warfare, repeated massive oil spills, and choking urban smog? Equally awful is the “Plastic Soup” in our oceans.

A picture of an Hawaiian beach reveals the folly of humans. It shows a huge amount of plastic washed ashore – an insult to a beautiful beach.

Such ocean garbage is a serious hazard for sea life. Don’t believe the rest us are immune to this environmental disaster.

Our lives, too, depend on our oceans.

Small planktonic organisms, through photosynthesis, transform carbon in air and seawater into organic compounds, an essential element of Earth's carbon cycle.

They generate about half the atmosphere's oxygen, as much per year as all land plants.

Plankton also provides a food source for marine animals.

But studies show plastic particles are also being ingested by these animals. This poses a major problem for us all.

Microplastics carry toxic chemicals such as DDT and heavy metals. Scientists say concentrations can reach a million times higher than present in the natural environment. The worrying point is that these contaminated particles are in our food chain, and who knows what new diseases will emerge?

Humankind should get its act together. Ocean plastics are concentrating in large offshore patches, extending for miles, consisting of floating and submerged debris.

Microplastics and other garbage are present in all oceans, and found even at the deepest levels. It’s been called “Plastic Soup.”

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It’s estimated the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” contains of at least 70,000 tons of ocean plastic across an area twice the size of Texas!

But don’t believe it is only the large garbage patches that are the concern. Most of the plastic material is small and distributed throughout the ocean.

The 2018 study confirmed that most waste products in the ocean were made from plastic. A major culprit was cigarettes containing plastic filters. When will humans understand this smoking madness must end?

The fishing industry is not so innocent either. As dependent as it is on preserving a healthy ocean environment, it gets a big F grade. The World Animal Protection Federation, a non-profit association, reports fishers dump an estimated 700 tons of “ghost fishing gear” into the oceans every year. Why? They do not want to spend the money for repairs.

This further pollutes the ocean. It also traps and ensnares sea life. Animals face another problem. They are eating all this garbage. For instance, in 2018 a dead sperm whale washed ashore on the Spanish coast. A necroscopy revealed the whale’s stomach contained 64 pounds of plastic trash! This trash is

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part of the diet of 800 marine species!

The US-based Natural Resources Defence Council is trying to get this “Plastic Soup” from getting into the ocean in the first place. Other organizations are monitoring the presence of microplastics so small they float in the air.

Very, very small nanoparticles have been proven to pass through cell walls in fish and humans, where they can be chemically active and potentially affect endocrine function, for example.

We are late in realizing the impact of plastic waste, and far too slow to act. If we want to protect our brain, lungs, kidneys, endocrine system, and other organs, it means getting active. Banning plastic bags and radically reducing plastic consumption is required. Eliminating microplastics from common products is also needed. Consumers need to demand less plastic packaging, always recycle, and change buying habits.

Let’s not make plastic soup our every meal – and our demise.

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The Voice of Merrickville-Wolford

Snowflake Festival for the Village Vision for Health & Community - The Library: who pro- Hub in Smiths Falls

‘Snowperson’ building contest was enjoyed by all

by Robyn Eagle, M-W and District Chamber of Commerce On any given year, you’ll find numerous events in Merrickville, bringing tourists and shoppers to enjoy all the amazing offerings of our village. But on Family Day this year, the Merrickville-Wolford and District Chamber of Commerce hosted the Snowflake Festival, a community appreciation event intended only for our residents. This festival is a way to say a big ‘thank you’ for supporting and shopping local.

It has been a long two years of limited events and gatherings. People are craving coming together, talking to their neighbours and letting their kids be kids, and that is exactly what this festival

provided. There were horsedrawn wagon rides around the fairground track, music, fire barrels to warm up or roast marshmallows, free hot chocolate, chili and coffee, a ‘snowperson’ building contest, and much more! Many thanks to the Chamber Members who sponsored this event to make it possible.

A number of local organizations supported the event, including: - The Volunteer Firefighters: who displayed their equipment in the Community Centre parking lot, along with a fire prevention display and hot dogs for a donation going to the Merrickville Food Cupboard; - The Merrickville Trails Society: who provided a guided tour of the Riverwalk Trail;

vided inside activities for children; - The Legion: who provided a warming station and bar; - The Lions: who sponsored the horse drawn wagon rides; - Merrickville Public Works: for helping with set up, preparing the track, and efforts to get the rink ready… sadly mother nature didn’t co-operate; - Village of MerrickvilleWolford: for providing the venue.

Additionally, Rideau Bridge to Canada had a 50/50 draw, which raised over $325 for the project. Thank you to all who supported, the winning ticket, #588396, has been claimed. The winners of the Snowperson building competition were Heritage Stables and the Aiken Family.

Thank you to our volunteer photographers, Chuck Willemsen and Line Pelletier, for capturing images from the day and which can be found on the Facebook event page.

The day finished off with a wonderful fireworks display hosted by the Municipality of Merrickville-Wolford.

The Festival was a true testament to how wonderful our community is; the people who live here, the businesses who operate here, and the organizations and groups that support us. The Chamber would like to thank everyone who participated to make the day the success it was, and look forward to doing it again next year!

from Rideau Community Health Services Rideau Community Health Services [RCHS] has been actively planning and advocating for the development of the Smiths Falls Health & Community Hub for five years. The vision of RCHS is to bring the community together to create a welcoming space in Smiths Falls in partnership with health, social, and community agencies.

The community connection is a vital element in delivering programs and services. We believe that a health and community hub will improve the experience for individuals and promote greater community health.

RCHS has partnered with local agencies in the health, community, and social services sectors for the proposed health and community hub. The "Hub” would be an

Rideau Community Health Services (RCHS) is a non-profit, communitygoverned community health centre that provides comprehensive primary care, health promotion and community development services. RCHS works with partners to provide integrated health and wellness services for various communities throughout Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties. An interdisciplinary team is supported by an administrative team providing primary care services for registered clients. A wide range of health promotion and disease prevention programs are available to our communities such as: diabetes education, telemedicine, chiropody/foot care, dietetic consultation, oral health care, lung health, smoking cessation, mental health and wellbeing and exercise programs.

Ontario eliminates license plate sticker renewal fees

by Brandon Mayer

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The provincial government announced on February 22 that it would be eliminating license plate sticker renewal fees, effective March 13 of this year, with reimbursements for those who already purchased stickers retroactive to March 2020. License plate stickers have been an annual household expense in Ontario and in other provinces for decades. Most recently, a renewal sticker cost $120 per year per vehicle in our region, having increased in price several times over the past decade.

The sticker fees, in theory, were intended to help maintain the cost of building and maintaining roads and other infrastructure necessary for motor vehicles, while making sure that these costs would only be absorbed by those who owned vehicles. Now, Doug Ford’s government has decided that these fees are

The Lions sponsored the horse drawn wagon rides March 2, 2022

integrated space that is approximately 30,000 to 40,000 square feet in size. We would hope to provide indoor and outdoor spaces for the community such as a community kitchen, recreational space, community gardens, and other green spaces.

The Smiths Falls Town Council Committee of the Whole supported unanimously the Town of Smiths Falls working with RCHS to determine if there is opportunity for the project to be developed on municipal land. Currently the project is pending funding approval for a phase 1 planning grant from the Ministry of Health Capital Investments Branch.

Bringing together organizations and services that reflect local community needs will play an important role in building connections and supporting our community.

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a burdensome expense for individuals and families.

“As the cost of living continues to go up, our government is cutting costs for families to make life more affordable,” said Ontario Premier, Doug Ford. “Eliminating the fee to renew your licence plate, and refunding the cost of doing so for the past two years, is a concrete way we can put and keep more money in the pockets of hard-working Ontarians.”

Unlike individual vehicle owners, businesses will not receive retroactive payments for licence sticker renewal fees already paid, but they will no longer have to pay to renew stickers. “Small businesses play a vital role in fostering Ontario’s economic growth,” said Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, Nina Tangri. “Starting next month, eliminating renewal fees for vehicles owned by a company or business is just one of the many ways we are supporting

small businesses across the province so they can continue to thrive and contribute to their communities.”

Vehicle owners will still have to renew their licence plate either once every year, or once every two years, to confirm that they have valid insurance and to pay any outstanding fines or tolls.

There is no need to apply for a refund for fees already paid, but anyone who has moved recently will need to update their mailing address and pay any outstanding fines in order to receive a refund cheque at their correct address in late March or April. Vehicle owners with up-to-date stickers can expect to receive a refund of at least $240, while those who have pre-paid for future years can expect to receive more. Updating your address with service Ontario can be completed at Ontario. ca/addresschange.

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BACKYARD ASTRONOMY

Dodging A Solar Bullet

The February 15 X Flare

by Gary Boyle The Backyard Astronomer For the most part, this past February 15 seemed like any ordinary day. We recognized Flag Day, as the Canadian maple leaf that was first raised in Ottawa in 1965. But things played out differently on the surface of the sun, with a huge explosion known as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) into space. The good news for us, this intense X-class occurred on the far side of the sun, with the particles moving away from us. This class flare is the most powerful on the scale.

The sun is a huge ball of hot plasma, spanning the width of 109 earths lined up side by side like a string of pearls at its equator. The immense energy is produced at the sun’s core. Every second, 600 million tons of hydrogen is converted into 595 million

tons of helium. The remaining five million tons results in pure energy that helps sustain life here on earth.

Over the sun’s elevenyear solar cycle, internal magnetic field lines begin to twist, building up energy. Eventually, this energy is released in solar flares, forming large loops that are anchored to the solar disk. However, there are times when the flare’s energy is so intense, a CME explodes off the surface, travelling through the solar system via the solar wind. On a calm day, the solar winds blow at about 350 kilometres per second, but a very intense explosion can race up to 2,000 kilometres per second. When a cloud encounters the earth, it can set off spectacular Northern Lights, aka the Aurora Borealis. On a typical day, about 20 flares are seen on the surface

of the sun.

When our atmosphere interacts with a solar storm, it helps balloon our atmosphere, and is extremely dangerous for satellites. They can malfunction, or be dragged down and destroyed as they burn up in the atmosphere.

This occurred with a geomagnetic storm that hit the earth at the end of January, bringing down 40 of the 49 Starlink satellites SpaceX had just sent up. This new batch had not reached its operating altitude and fell out of the sky, costing about $20 million.

Another hazardous factor is if the CME had been angled toward earth, our planet could have been in serious trouble.

Solar storms such as these can destroy power grids, such as the Quebec blackout of March 13, 1989, when transformers melted. One of the most intense storms to hit the earth was called the Carrington Event of September 1-2, 1859. Teletype machines were still able to transmit messages, even with the batteries disconnected. There were even reports of the paper and machines catching fire.

The aurora was so bright, prospectors searching for gold woke up in the middle of the night. They started making breakfast, thinking the sun was rising.

At some point in the future, we will eventually be hit by another such Carrington Event. When it does, power grids will be affected or fail, impacting our everyday lives.

We rely so much on electricity and the Internet for city and country infrastructure.

We dodged a solar bullet on February 15. The present solar cycle is ramping up to the height of Solar Max, sometime in July 2025. From now till then will be a greater chance of seeing the shimmering Northern Lights.

Clear skies.

Known as “The Backyard Astronomer”, Gary Boyle s an astronomy educator, guest speaker and monthly columnist for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada as well as past president of the Ottawa Centre of the RASC. He has been interviewed on more than 50 Canadian radio stations as well as television across Canada and the US. In recognition of his public outreach in astronomy, the International Astronomical Union has honoured him with the naming of Asteroid (22406) Garyboyle. Follow him on Twitter: @astroeducator, Facebook, and his website: www.wondersofastronomy.com.

Masking requirements in schools beginning to ease

by Brandon Mayer

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On February 23, Trustees for the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) passed a motion to make the use of masks for kindergarten children optional in its schools. This occurred in response to a presentation from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officers of Health, indicating that our community health profile is improving, making kindergarten masking much less of a priority. Mask requirements for students above kindergarten age remain in place in all schools.

Mandatory masking for schoolchildren has been a polarizing topic since it began in September of 2020.

Some argue that it is necessary to keep children safe, and to avoid the spread of COVID-19, which can extend beyond school walls. Others have gone so far as to argue that masking is child abuse, as it is uncomfortable, can make it harder to breathe, and March 2, 2022

reduces the ability to notice and understand emotions using facial expressions.

While unconfirmed, rumours have surfaced that the Ontario government will prioritize the lifting of mask requirements in schools over removing these requirements in other settings, once mask mandates begin to be eased in the coming months. Mandatory vaccination requirements and capacity limits were lifted in Ontario on March 1, though Premier Doug Ford did not include mask mandates in

the list of lifted restrictions, instead promising that a timeline for this step would be released in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, in Quebec, students in all grades will no longer have to wear masks in their classrooms beginning on March 7, though they will still be required to wear masks in common areas and on the school bus. Part of the reason given for this is the large number of people who have contracted COVID-19 in the past few months, which affords a natural immunity

to the virus. Quebec Health Minister, Christian Dube, has said that lifting mask mandates for school students is the first step in eventually lifting the mandates in all settings.

As with all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lifting of mask mandates is not certain, because of the continually evolving situation.

The most up-to-date information for Ontario can be found at covid-19.ontario.ca.

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Wealthy Women

by Sarah Chisholm, Financial Advisor & Partner, O’Farrell Financial Services Everyone knows a wealthy woman. She is inspirational, in control of her finances, has a successful career, and enjoys life to the fullest. As we celebrate International Women’s Day while enjoying a favourite cup of tea or coffee, let’s consider five habits that women can use to build their wealth.

1. Cashflow – Understanding cashflow means understanding the full picture of future expenses – monthly, annually, and one-time. Rather than relying on a credit card debt, create a sinking fund. With a sinking fund, you plan for large expenses by setting aside the monthly equivalent. For example, if your next summer vacation is going to cost $4,000, and you have fourteen months to save, you need to set aside $286 per month until that point. You can then enjoy that vacation and begin saving for the next large purchase. Sinking funds are great options for property tax, vehicle maintenance, and sport registrations.

2. Automate – Growing your wealth starts with a plan.

RRSP, TFSA, and RESP contributions can help you meet those goals. Automate your savings, but do not forget about them. Wealthy women will re-visit their strategies at least annually, increase contributions, and re-allocate funds as targets are met.

3. Risks – Protecting your wealth means protecting your current income, your health, and your loved ones. An emergency fund, access to credit, and appropriate insurance coverages, provide the

protection needed in case of death, disability, or disease.

4. Diversification – wealth can grow from a variety of sources, but you should never put all your eggs in one basket. Make sure your investments (mutual funds, etfs, or stocks) are diversified across geography and sectors. Build a portfolio that suits your risk tolerance and your time horizon. As their wealth grows, many women further diversify by starting a business, owning rental properties, or investing in private equity.

5. Weakness – wealthy women are talented, and they put themselves in careers where they can excel and achieve their goals. More importantly, they surround themselves with the resources that fill in their weaknesses.

They do not waste their time with tasks that hold them back. Not good at paperwork – work closely with a great administrative assistant.

Don’t understand cars – find a trusted mechanic.

What habits do you already have, and which ones do you want to improve?

Take the first step by building a network of trusted women who practice these habits.

Surround yourself with likeminded professionals, wise mentors, and supportive family members. Celebrate the wonderful women who are already in your life.

Speak with your Financial Advisor today, and start implementing some of these habits. We welcome questions so please reach out!

Follow us on Facebook @OFarrellFinancialServicesInc.

www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

Classifieds Classifieds FOR SALE

Walker, Barber Kit, Women's, Bowling Shoes Women's Short Leather Boots call 258-5547 Triplex, waterfront, downtown Kemptville. Email redmondjg52@gmail.com for details.

Old used POS system along with two cash drawers, two receipts printers AS IS. $500 OBO. Contact dqkemptville@gmail.com ASUS laptop - 12GB ram - 1TB HDD - AMD A12 processor 2.5-3.4 GHZ. Specs /pics available. $300. Fred 613-258-3596 Firewood for sale $110 a cord delivered, min 2 cord for delivery. Call Jon 613227-3650

Hay and straw for sale 4x4 round bales, stored inside.

Call Jon 613-227-3650 Cedar posts and rails for sale, various sizes available.

Call Jon 613-227-3650 Dust Free N #1 Horse & Cow Hay. Round or small square bales...call Jim 613.258.3561 Horse drawn machinery for horse or small tractor, all types...call Jim 613.258.3561

MISCELLANEOUS Firearms Course (March 5 and 6) and Hunter Education Course (March 11 and 12) in Burritt's Rapids.

Please contact Kerry Coleman at 613-791-7515 or kerrycoleman@xplornet.com.

The Voice of North Grenville

CROSSWORD FOR RENT HISTORIC HALL AVAILABLE FOR RENTALS in Beautiful Burritt's Rapids!

Start an art, musical, or book club to beat the winter blues.

Our hall is well equipped for gatherings or celebrations, and we offer very competitive rates. http://burrittsrapids.com/ WANTED Local young farming family looking to buy a farm. Min. 10ac tillable with a liveable house. Open to creative solutions. davidrbailie@gmail. com.

Molecular Biologist

needed at Proteins Easy, Kemptville Campus, Part/ full-time to produce recombinant proteins using plant systems. Experience: biotech, plant biochemistry. Assets: Tissue Culture, cereal transformation.

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SERVICES RETIRED CARPENTER Renovations, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, decks, home repair.

Call George at 613 462 7637

ACROSS 1. A landlocked African republic 5. Historical periods 9. Conflict 14. Among 15. Tight 16. 1/16th of a pound 17. Exhibitionism 19. A single-masted ship 20. Chivalrous 21. Shredded cabbage 23. Abradants 25. Marsh plant 28. Drunkard 29. A law enforcement agency 32. Accumulate on the surface 33. And so forth 34. Implored

35. Mogul 36. Small fluid-filled sac 38. Small brook 39. Not his 40. Half of two 41. A small skullcap 43. S 44. Years (French) 45. Din 46. Most lustrous 48. Decrepit 50. Wash out with a solvent 54. Steam 55. Foolhardy 57. Dialect 58. Wicked 59. Umpires 60. Treaties 61. A pack of playing cards 62. Not in danger

DOWN 1. Principal 2. Ammunition 3. Arm or leg 4. Devotees 5. French for "Summer" 6. Mischievous one 7. Cars 8. Hairdressers 9. Coddle 10. Quietens 11. Dwarf buffalo 12. Flat-bottomed boat 13. Cool, once 18. Refuse 22. Able to be brought forth 24. Awarded 25. Stockpile 26. Woodcutting tools 27. Russian emperors 29. A hard kind of stone 30. Negate 31. Lazybones 33. Before, poetically 34. Childish talkers 37. Unsown 42. Alleviated 44. Warning devices 45. Kind of acid 46. Dash 47. Scoundrel 48. Slang for Father 49. Sweeping story 51. Eye layer 52. Minor quarrel 53. If not 54. Very Important Person 56. Antlered animal

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

HANDYMAN SERVICES Call Bill 613 774 2922

INCOME TAX SERVICE

Easy

SEND IN YOUR CLASSIFIED to classifieds@ ngtimes.ca

Hard

in Merrickville John Harris jgharris@sympatico.ca 613-297-7553

Medium

Solution to last week’s Crossword

HELP WANTED The Rideau Glen Golf Club is looking for club house staff & outside workers for the upcoming season. Smart Serve required for club house staff and experience with equipment preferred for outside workers .

Students considered with right qualifications Send resume to therideauglen@gmail.com March 2, 2022

12

www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Letters to the Editor cont'd from page 4 have urged Canadians to trust Russian state media over established news outlets in their own country. You have to wonder just what motivates them.

What happened in Ottawa was not a protest, it was an occupation. I have taken part in protests, in which you gather, listen to speakers, you march, then listen to more speakers, and then go home. You don’t block streets for weeks, denying people the right to work, and forcing businesses to close down. You don’t try to intimidate and threaten violence to hospital workers, workers in homeless shelters, and mall shoppers, nor do you keep residents up night after night making so much noise that they cannot sleep. As for the flags, there were Nazi flags and the massively racist Confederate battle flag. If they were indeed told to take them down by the organizers, it still gave an insight into the sort of people that were there. We also found out that there were American alt-right people participating, and that close to half the funding for this “protest” came from the USA. So we have foreign agents and foreign money attempting to destabilize our country.

Significantly, what Mr. Van Dam failed to mention was that the convoy leadership came with a demand that the Governor General and the Senate dismiss our democratically elected government, and install themselves in their place. That is not how democracies work. Small wonder

the government wouldn’t meet with them; but let’s not forget that members of Her Majesty’s “loyal” opposition did, taking coffee to the “freedom loving truckers”, in effect, encouraging them.

That was definitely not helpful, but does indicate where the Conservative Party might be heading ideologically.

There is more to be angry about than vaccine mandates.

We are angry at the decades of government-led austerity that have left our ICU’s overwhelmed and underresourced, and angry at a system that has left us overworked and underpaid. We are angry that our governments can hand out $18 billion to oil and gas companies during a climate emergency, but still somehow cannot afford to provide every Indigenous community with safe drinking water. We are angry that, while we lost our jobs, Canada’s 100 highest paid CEO’s walked away with an average extra $95,000 in their pockets last year, and that Loblaws made $400 million in profit, yet couldn’t afford to pay their workers an extra $2 an hour. The list goes on.

We have allowed a minority of our citizens to hold us hostage, and allowed alt-right extremism to gain a foothold in our society. The occupation managed to deflect any articulation of the real grievances that truckers have about how their industry is run. That wasn’t right. They deserve better.

Colin Creasey, Kemptville

Dear Editor, I am always impressed by the wisdom of Colleen Lynas (yet more serious questions raised about the proposed prison), and also Nadia Gray (An Open Letter to the Premier).

There are elections coming up in the not too distant future, provincial and also municipal. My vote will definitely go to anyone who convinces me that they are against this “Proposed Prison”.

Kath Piché Dear Editor, What great news to read of Dr. Kerry Badgley’s deserved recognition for his outstanding contribution to our community.

My children attended the Juice Jams and Sarah’s Circle events at their inauguration. I saw firsthand the devotion Kerry and his wife Sue put into these activities. They are wonderful entertainers, instantly connect with children, and are committed advocates for children’s programming at NGPL. Congratulations, Kerry, on the award and thank you and Sue for all you have done and continue to do at NGPL. Wayne Reed the north grenville

TIMES

Hayley Bedford

Marketing Consultant

Phone: 343-777-2702 Email: hayley@ndtimes.ca www.ndtimes.ca

March 2, 2022

Dear Editor, A discussion - Who are We as Canadians?

On my father’s side of the family, I am 3rd generation Canadian. On my mother’s side of the family, it is believed ours is a line that reaches as far back as the first French settlers to come to Canada. I am an amalgam of European heritage – Scottish, Norwegian (Scandinavian both from maternal and paternal sides), Dutch, and Metis. That’s part of my genetic makeup, but certainly does not make me uniquely Canadian; just one of the millions of Canadians with a similar family history.

We’re a nation of immigrants and, before that, a nation of usurpers.

The face we like to present to the world is one of kindness, morality, and equality.

Good Canadian values include being respectful, peaceful, nature-loving, and wellmannered. I think we have, as a nation, always hoped that that is, in fact, who we are. I just can’t personally reconcile that as being true as I sit safely in my large home on my thirty-some acres of land, watching the morning news on my needlessly large tv. I am a privileged, white, Canadian woman.

I have always prided myself on being compassionate, intelligent, and hard-working.

I wonder now if that pride has been misplaced, because of my privilege. Simply being born white automatically gave me an edge, nothing that I’d earned, simply inherited with no real merit. Added

to my ingrained GenX selfloathing, guilt is often my close companion, as I mostly feel deserving of what I have and entitled to seek more. I envy people who have more, and look down on those who have less. That’s just…gross.

What I’ve been seeing on my tv the last few days is probably what has me in such a state of self-reflection – something that I’m both grateful for and saddened by. I’m grateful that, as Canadians, we are afforded the right to peaceful protest. I’m saddened that people can no longer seem to differentiate between peaceful protest and illegal occupation. I’m ashamed that there are Canadian citizens who feel so empowered or emboldened by their WHITE PRIVILEGE that they expect that they should be allowed to bully, harass, and denigrate citizens of our Capital city with impunity. That fellow Canadians feel entitled to inflict hardship or suffering on a population already struggling after years of pandemic restrictions.

I am disappointed, so disappointed, that the word FREEDOM is being used to mask bigotry, inflict hate, and derail months and years of hard work to put ourselves in a better position to survive a deadly disease. It is a slap in the face to those of us that have done all the “right” things, made the hard choices, and tried to recover from devastating economic hardships and skyrocketing inflation.

Further, I’m sad. It never occurred to me that the Capital of Canada would ever,

Dear Editor, In December 1967 a patient in South Africa was dying from heart disease. Dr. Bernard offered him the chance to try a heart transplant, he agreed, he lived more than one year.

While the occupation in Ottawa was underway (this was not a protest) doctors in Baltimore transplanted a pig's heart in a human, the patient is still alive. When the polio vaccine came out in 1954 there were many hesitant people, so much so that Elvis agreed to get the vaccine on live tv on the Ed Sullivan show to calm nerves.

In 1905 Einstein published his relativity theory. Since then teams of scientist around the world have tested it with sophisticated computers. The new telescope in space will also test it. So far Einstein and his pencil have been proven right every time.

My dad use to say there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who believe in science and the rest of you.

The science in the vaccine has been studied by the brightest minds in medicine for 30 years. It is the same science that produced stem cell treatments. A doctor I saw on a documentary said, "We don't know yet exactly how it works, but it works the same way every time."

The important piece of knowledge the occupiers lacked is the scientific method. That's our fault in not teaching it in elementary school until it is well understood.

But there is no excuse for the behaviour in Ottawa. If you don't get vaccinated, live with the consequences.

Ukrainians are showing us what freedom looks like. It's not hot tubs and bouncy castles.

Wayne Porter 13

EVER need to be occupied by a massive police presence to ensure the safety and continuity of our democratic process.

That a year on from seeing an insurrection in Washington, DC, we would have our own illegal occupation. That our international bridges would be under siege by a fringe segment of the population who just simply refuses to comply. A small percentage of our population feels that they have endured too much and will now work to “fix” Canada. They actually feel that we should not only thank them, but support them in their nefarious endeavors.

I feel that we are not

the Canadians we have long thought we were. I would say that we do a disservice to our forefathers, however the mass graves of deceased aboriginal children we continue to discover say that perhaps we are simply furthering the dream of our forefathers.

Maybe it has always been Canada’s destiny to do only for ourselves and to hell with anyone who stands in our way. Why better ourselves, if we were born better to begin with? Canada has an identity crisis.

That’s just…gross.

Kelly Johnson, Upper Montague Township

Dear Editor, Seems nothing changes.

A few years ago, I wrote basically the same letter to the editor asking this question: Who ARE the people in Kemptville who do this to the post office lobby? This is one of two piles there today.

How difficult can it be to take your junk mail home, rather than drop it on the floor? My grandchildren all know not to litter - why don’t you?

Some will say a recycling bin would help, and I agree; but until that happens, take it home!

Isabel Hinther

Notice of Tree Removal – County Road 43 Road Widening Project As part of the four-lane widening of County Road 43, the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville is undertaking tree removal from 200m west of County Road 44 to 220m east of Colonnade Drive in Kemptville.

The work will take place in the immediate vicinity of the County Road 43 river bridge between mid-February and the end of March, 2022. Approximately 85-100 common species of trees, such as Manitoba maples, ash and American elm will be removed. An equal number of trees native to the area will be planted to compensate for those being removed. No Species at Risk will be affected by the tree removal. The Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Endangered Species Act state trees can only be removed between September 1 and March 31.

Next year, tree removal work will take place along the County Road 43 right-of-way between mid-February and the end of March, 2023. At that time, approximately 75-80 trees will be removed, including common species and horticultural varieties such as Norway maples, Manitoba maples, white spruce and black locust. Again, an equal number of trees will be planted to replace those being removed.

There are no anticipated road closures associated with this work. www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

73’s need to find a way to complete three periods

73’s strike first…Grant Eastwood combined with Jeff Taylor and Ty Whyte found the back of the net during Friday night’s challenge with the Ottawa Jr. Senators by the sportsguy A special matinee game on Monday for the Annual Family Day event in which Kemptville 73’s faced their nemesis, Hawkesbury Hawks, to be hammered 7-3 in front of over 400 fans. Municipality N.G. Council supplied hot chocolate and baked goods in celebration of long time 73’s fan, and previous councillor, Terry Butler. The 73’s also invited their fans to skate with them after the game.

Tyler Laureault for the 73’s, and Dimitri Pelekos for the Hawks, received the honours as stopper starters to represent their clubs. Kemptville drew first blood when Morency came up the wall with Eastwood to find Chase

Lammi in the slot to bang it home at 3:15. Hawkesbury answered back with PPG from Jeremy Quesnel, with helpers from Sauve and Gendron, at 4:43. Morency streamed through the neutral zone with Brazier to put it on net, and Benjamin Campeau stretched the mesh to give the 73’s the lead at 9:50. Jeremy Quesnel posted his second from Gendron and Kirk for a tie at 15:48. The Hawks came on with Mark Cooper, assisted by Spratt with Cusson, to break the tie at 16:17.

Transition from Caulfield to Taylor on the wall, to Hunter Brazier from half circle to even it at 1:03 to open the second. Josh Spratt, with Hlusiak and Cusson, for tie

breaker at 18:51. Last twenty was owned by Hawkesbury, with three markers, as Rylee Hlusiak steal found the back of the net at 6:52. Jackson Kirk PPG, assisted by Quesnel and Tremblay at 11:26, to double it up for Hawks 6-3 romp. Kemptville pulled their stopper at 15:07 for extra attacker, without success.

Jeremy Quesnel ENG marked his hat trick, with helpers from Spratt and Cooper at 15:20, to plug the dyke and 7-3 win.

Wednesday night’s challenge, to meet the Nepean Raiders on their home turf, proved to be another disappointing result, as the 73’s suffered their second loss of the week of 4-3. Kemptville 73’s Connor Blackwood, and Nepean Raiders Connor Shibley, drew the short straws for goal duties this evening.

Opening period closed out scoreless, with only visits to the sin bin for both teams.

Kemptville struck first for second stanza, with Taylor setting up the attack, back to York, across to Johnny Howie on point for PPG at 2:51.

Ryan Liverman, with assists from Graham and Matsukubo, to even it up at 14:02 to end the twenty.

Coleman Bennett PPG,

with helpers from Hillier and Liverman, for tiebreaker at 6:46. The magic combination of Chase Lammi to Hunter Brazier to rifle it top shelf at 12:30 to put Kemptville ahead. Hunter Brazier recorded his second of the contest after Lammi doubled up with his line mate after penetration over the line at 15:06. Raiders bounced back, with Owen Hollingsworth from Matsukubo at 15:50 for 4-all tie. At 19:04, Coleman Bennett PPG for his second, with helpers from Liverman and Rivard, to award Nepean with 4-3 victory.

A major battle for the 73’s, as Ottawa Jr. Senators in home barn on Friday turned out to be a tough go, as the relentless Senators bounced back from a 2 goal deficit at the end of the second to take a win in OT of 3-2. William Desmaris for Ottawa, and Tyler Laureault for Kemptville, received the call as stoppers.

Kemptville came out with a vengeance during a see saw initial twenty, as Eastwood penetrated the line with Taylor onto the tape of the magic stick of Ty Whyte to hammer it home at 9:28. The second was still a battle in both zones, with 73’s on PP and Taylor, Lammi combination back to Matthew York PPG on the point to launch a heavy bomb between the posts at 8:23 to make it a 2 to zip contest.

The wheels fell off for Kemptville for the last twenty, when Ottawa initiated

North Grenville’s winter in review

by Brandon Mayer

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Over 200 years after its first annual publication, the Farmer’s Almanac is still trusted by many as a source for predicting seasonal weather patterns. This year, the Almanac is predicting a long end to winter, which many will find unappealing. A banner on the Farmer’s Almanac website reads, in reference to the rest of the winter season, “Grab your gloves: Farmers’ Almanac is calling for a frosty flip-flop winter ahead.”

Indeed, the rest of winter is predicted to have periods with mild temperatures, providing a so-called “false spring,” with extreme cold snaps to make things interesting. The Almanac has predicted that, in March, the spring-like weather that

many people are hoping for may not arrive on time, with temperatures predicted to remain cold. While the publishers of the Almanac claim to have 80% accuracy in their predictions, which are based on scientific data, weather patterns are never certain.

How has the 2021-2022 winter season been, so far, for North Grenville? Several notable snowstorms have rocked the area this winter, including a major snowstorm on January 17 that was reported to be the worst to hit the region in several years. That week also saw a second dumping of snow on January 19, and very windy conditions throughout.

More recently, on February 18, another winter storm hit the area, the day after heavy rains and warm conditions melted the snow from the previous storm. Last week,

Hayley Bedford

Marketing Consultant

Phone: 343-777-2702 Email: hayley@ndtimes.ca www.ndtimes.ca

The Voice of Our Community

March 2, 2022

an episode of freezing rain occurred over two days, on February 22 and 23, followed by another dumping of snow and blowing conditions on February 25, creating unpredictable slippery conditions for both drivers and pedestrians which were still not completely cleared days later.

This winter has, therefore, been a messy one, and it is not over yet. On December 15, the Times reported that snow plowing businesses have been struggling this year due to rising insurance costs, and weather patterns have shown that such businesses are essential, especially this year.

Not all weather news this Crows with icy beaks year has been bad. Consis- by John Baldwin tently very cold temperatures A beautiful sunny, but in December allowed for the cold, day has brought a few freezing of the South Branch different faces, or should of the Rideau River to revive I say birds' beaks, into the an old tradition of outdoor garden at both the front and family skating in Kemptville. the back. The Nyjer seed Snowmobilers, sledders, and has attracted our usual flock other winter activity lovers of Goldfinches, a couple of have also undoubtedly ap- House Finches, and even a preciated the extra snow this couple of Red Polls, which we year. So, while commuters haven't seen much of this year. may see this year’s weather Unfortunately, one of glass as half empty, there will them, startled by a passing always be those with plenty car, panicked and tried to of optimism who see it as take a short cut through our half full. big front-room window and

#19

Patrick Larkin Nickname: Larks Born: Great Britain 23/02/01 Hometown: Swindon Position: Centre Previous Hockey Club: Nepean Raiders Hockey Hero: Pavel Datysuk Most Inspiring Person: Dad Favourite Movie: Shawshank Redemption Favourite Food: Pizza Favourite sport (beside hockey) : Skiing Favourite Hockey Moment: Winning gold at WJC with Great

Britain Life as a Jr. A player: Nothing beats spending time with the boys One word that describes me: Passionate

T: 613.258.3282

a comeback with two unanswered markers. Simon Isabelle, with helpers from Brennan and Recine, to spoil Tyler’s shut-out at 7:16. Bodie Nobes, assisted by Velocci, with Jacques at 18:05 to tie it up and force OT. With 5 more minutes on the clock to determine the victor, Anthony Provost capitalized at 4:08 to give Ottawa a 3-2 victory.

Extremely strange night, with questionable infractions

F: 613.258.4391

that had both clubs chasing the first 40 minutes and then penalty free for the final session. Kemptville had to accept a 1 point result after being outshot 39-33, and having 3 PP with one finding the mark.

Hawkesbury Hawks will be back on the 73’s home ice for a Sunday matinee.

See you around the boards..hockey with edge.

Baldwin's Birds

Something to "Crow" about!

14

met its demise! I checked it out where it had fallen, but there was no response from the poor little bird. A very sad occurrence indeed, but something that happens now and again, unfortunately.

These visitors were all at the front of the house, and not many of them are seen in the back garden.

However, for the past few days, a group of three to four Crows have taken to sitting in the trees at the back and, seemingly, aren't doing much.

Today, though, they at first sat

on a branch of our Japanese Willow, and then perched on the top hand-rails of my bridge over our water feature.

There were three of them, and I can only assume that they were seeking water, because they were pecking at the snow covered ice that had gathered there over the past week. As can be seen in the picture, two of the birds have got ice at the tips of their beaks.

After their brief stay on the bridge, they came around to the front of the house to nervously ground feed, as they usually do, along with the Rock Pigeons, Juncos, and Mourning Doves. I hope that you have also been able to take advantage of the sunshine to see and enjoy your own garden birds.

Stay safe and well, Cheers, John Baldwin www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

Menu # 103 Wed Mar 9 - Fri Mar 11 Please Preorder the day before for next day pick up Order & Pay online www.cateredaffairs.ca 613-324-3136 $39.99 Complete Meal for 2 + HST $74.99 Complete Meal for 4 + HST All Family Meals include Chef's choice of appropriate Side Dishes. (Some items may be modifed based on product availability) Add on a Dessert of the week: Tiramisu Parfait $2.50 Red Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Chunks of Chicken Breast braised in a Coconut Curry Sauce | Cilantro Rice | Asian Noodle Salad | Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce | Vegetables | Salad Greek Chicken Souvlaki Marinated Chicken Kebabs | Greek Roasted Potatoes | Rice Pilaf | Vegetables | Village Greek Salad | Pita Bread & Tzatziki Meatball Stroganoff Beef Meatballs in Creamy Mushroom sauce | Herbed Butter Potatoes | Buttered Egg Noodles | Veggies | Garden Salad

Menu #104 Wed Mar 16 - Fri Mar 18

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Add on a Dessert of the week: Chocolate Chip Cookies (3 each) $2.50 Catered Affairs Chinese Take Out Sweet & Sour Chicken balls | Beef & Vegetable Stir Fry | Garlic Fried Rice | Pork Egg Rolls (1per person) Plum Sauce | Wonton Soup Chipotle Glazed Bacon-Cheddar Meatloaf Moist with Mild Spicy Glazed Meatloaf | Mashed Potatoes | Gravy | Chef's choice of veggies | Salad Indian Curry Meatballs (Vegan & GF Available) House made Meatballs in Savory Curry Sauce with Potatoes, Chickpeas, & Spinach | Flatbread | Cardamom Basmati Rice | Chef's choice of veggies | Samosas, Dip | Salad Casseroles… Easy go to Meals or Stock Your Freezer $40 each Cabbage Rolls | Beef & Cheese Lasagna | Mac ‘n’ Cheese | Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Book your special occasion or corporate event with Catered Affairs.

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ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS March 2, 2022

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The Food Corner

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville We will soon be coming up to St. Patrick’s Day (on Thursday, 17 March, actually); you know, the day where everyone wears green, whether they are Irish or not.

We certainly celebrate it at Salamanders, and I thought you might want to try some traditional dishes. One of those is Colcannon, a great side dish to accompany any meat. It certainly is hearty and fits the time of year, as we start to say goodbye to the really cold days of our own Canadian winter.

Colcannon:

The Voice of North Grenville

Price increases likely to change foodbuying habits in 2022

next grocery bill will come Local Journalism Initiative Reporter from.

What drives these large A recent survey published food price increases can be by the Agri-Food Analytics quite complicated. On FebruLab at Dalhousie University ary 2, the Times explored the is suggesting that Canadians issue of supply and demand will be taking measures to when it comes to food, quescut their grocery bills this tioning whether North Grenyear by changing how they ville residents could expect buy food. The survey, which to be impacted by food shortwas completed at the end of age concerns being reported 2021, asked 9,999 Canadian all over the country. While adults about their food-buying B&H grocery store owner, expectations in 2022. An as- Jim Beveridge, predicted tounding 63% of respondants at that time that food shortanswered that they intend to ages would not impact North make changes in 2022.

Grenville as heavily as other Some examples of chang- areas, due to the availability es which survey respondants of many local products, other indicated they intended to areas are certainly impacted. make this year include using Supply issues, arising from a coupons more often, visiting shortage of truck drivers in different grocery stores, buy- Canada, cause an increase in ing more food in bulk, and demand for products, which buying discounted food that is can, in turn, increase prices. about to expire. These survey Other factors that drive responses highlight the sever- food prices up are relevant, ity of food shortages and food regardless of region. These price increases in Canada, include the soaring costs of which have been a concern fuel, which causes an increase for many months. in delivery costs, as well as On December 15, the minimum wage increases Times reported on the grim for more than 750,000 worknews found in Canada’s Food ers in Ontario. Whatever Price Report, which suggested the various causes of food that groceries would likely price increases, the cycle of cost 5-7% more in 2022. increased costs being passed This is particularly concern- onto consumers year after ing because wages and salary year is not likely to come to increases have not been keep- an end any time soon, leaving ing up with inflation costs countless families struggling for many Canadians, leaving to find creative ways to make some families wondering ends meet. where the money for their

by Brandon Mayer

the north grenville

TIMES

Hayley Bedford

Marketing Consultant

Phone: 343-777-2702 Email: hayley@ndtimes.ca www.ndtimes.ca

Ingredients: - 10 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters - 6-8 slices of bacon, diced - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, or a bit more if you like - 4 cups of shredded cabbage - ⅓ cup of thinly sliced green onions - 1 cup of 35% cream - ¼ cup of butter, melted Preparation: 1. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender and then, drain.

2. Cook the bacon in a separate pan until crispy and remove from the pan.

3. Add the cabbage to the bacon pan and cook till wilted for about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the green onion and garlic and set aside.

5. Place the cooked potatoes back in the original pot and add the cream and butter.

6. Mash the potatoes until richly smooth.

7. Stir in the cabbage mixture and the bacon and serve right away.

If you want a topping, you can use more green onions, bacon bits, or parsley flakes. Once again, vegetarians can skip the bacon and use vegetable oil to cook the cabbage. Of course, that wouldn’t be a traditional Colcannon, but what the heck…

Let me know how it turned out at pcormier@ranaprocess.com. And all the very best for St. Patrick’s Day! www.ngtimes.ca 15

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Op-ed Section 2:

World views explained

by David Shanahan

Op-ed section 1:

Intelligent Design rebuttal

by Steve Gabell In his latest article, Dr Shanahan trots out the tired, thoroughly debunked idea of intelligent design (ID). ID may be superficially attractive, but under some modest examination it quickly falls apart. There are many flaws that are apparent within the human body – I’m sure many men above a certain age would agree that multiple trips to the bathroom each night are proof enough that the human body wasn’t designed. Or how about eyes? Many of us need corrective lenses, the brain has to flip the images from the retina, our retinas have blind spots, and we don’t even see continuously – the human eye only produces 24 images per second. These are just the obvious flaws in one organ in our bodies.

If we look at other life on Earth, we can see the ID argument fall apart even further.

What kind of designer would design parasites, such as protozoa and helminths, that can cause blindness in humans?

What kind of designer would design a butterfly such as the

Monarch, which is dependent on a single genus of plants?

These are just a couple of examples where ID falls apart, any biologist could provide many more examples.

ID also suffers from its own logical incoherence. If life is so complex that it had to have been designed by a designer, then where did that designer come from? Were they also designed, or did they just magic into existence?

Evolution provides all the answers to the complexity of life on Earth, even in the most inhospitable locations occupied by extremophiles. Earth is old, very old. Its around 4.6 billion years old. Earth is so old that if we express its age in terms of a day then life as a whole started before 4am, dinosaurs went extinct at 11:40pm, early mammals arrived at 11:42pm, hominids first appear at 11:58pm and modern humans arrive virtually on the stroke of midnight.

Evolution has had plenty of time on Earth to work its slow yet immensely powerful transformation of life. Chance mutations combined with the

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survival and reproduction of those individuals best suited to their environment added to an immense timespan has led to the variety of life Earth has had. The Darwin’s Theory of Evolution has been thoroughly supported by DNA and the last 70 years of molecular biology.

Earth is just one planet in our solar system. In our own galaxy the Milky Way astronomers estimate there are somewhere between 100 billion and 400 billion stars.

And the Milky Way is just one galaxy out of an estimated 200 billion galaxies in the observable universe.

The number of stars in the universe is so large as to be incomprehensible, and the number of planets could be at least an order of magnitude larger than the number of stars. Just in the Milky Way, it is estimated that 300 million planets could host life. Even in our own little solar system, we have three planets (Venus, Earth, Mars) that could support life.

Given that the size and age of the universe are so enormous as to be almost infinite, is it really a surprise that at least one planet happened to have the right conditions for life to prosper?

An almost limitless amount of planets, combined with an almost limitless amount of time, combined with the power of evolution, is enough to explain life and how humans came to be.

There is no need to add a designer, and Occam’s Razor tells us that entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.

16

Recently, I received two lengthy submissions opposing my last Mythunderstandings article. With the agreement of both writers, it was decided to deal with them one at a time, in the Op-ed pages. The first of these, Steve Gabell’s article dealing with Intelligent Design, is published with this.

I appreciate Steve Gabell’s comments, but I think he has misunderstood the situation. To begin with, Intelligent Design [ID] is by no means a “tired, thoroughly debunked idea ,” as I think he must know. It is becoming increasingly accepted as the only possible explanation for the mathematical precision which can be seen throughout the universe, from the micro to the macro. The physical, or universal constants, are at least 26 different mathematically known measures without which life could not exist, and if any one of these was changed even slightly, life would not exist anywhere.

People of differing world views have explained these differently. Christians and other ID proponents (not all are Christians, by the way), see this as evidence of ID, that the universe is designed to suit. Opponents of ID agree that the universe appears to be designed, but reject the idea simply because to accept it would mean accepting the existence of a Designer.

Rather than evidence-based, their belief is a blind faith, refusing the evidence and where it points.

Steve Gabell raises the question of an inept Designer, should one accept the ID perspective, citing the effects of aging, and even the example of the human eye, which is usually considered one of the marvels of biology. He says: “What kind of designer would design parasites, such as protozoa and helminths, that can cause blindness in humans?

What kind of designer would design a butterfly such as the Monarch, which is dependent on a single genus of plants?”

Here he touches on an important point. Christians do not claim the world is perfect, though it was created that way. Instead, they believe that at some point early in our history, there occurred what is called the Fall, a rebellion, a rejection of God’s authority.

The result of this was the origin of those flaws we see everywhere: from climate issues, to human problems of greed, anger, hatred, etc.

Paul talks about this in Romans: “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” [Romans 8.20-22] In other words, what we see around us is not what was meant to be; but people asserted their independence from the Creator and the result was a deeply flawed planet.

Steve’s misunderstanding of what Christianity actually teaches leads to his arguments being somewhat off target. He tries to impress with stats: “An almost limitless amount of planets, combined with an almost limitless amount of time, combined with the power of evolution, is enough to explain life and how humans came to be. There is no need to add a designer, and Occam’s Razor tells us that entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.”

This is completely false.

It has been calculated that the chance of a single DNA molecule with specific functioning information required to build the required proteins for biological life arising by random action over time, is so remote as to be mathematically impossible. The information in the DNA, RNA, and proteins did not arise by chance, and without that information, life would not exist. Where did

that information come from?

To say it just happened due to immense amounts of time, etc., is like saying that scraps of metal lying about in a wreckers yard could simply come together to make a jet engine, given enough time.

Information programming in computers relies on an outside source, people, to create and install the programs.

The design of the universe, of a nucleotide, of a single strain of DNA, implies something quite profound: this was not the result of random chance or coincidence.

I could get into a whole new line of argument with Steve over his assumptions about the age of the universe. That, too, is an assumption underlying so much of the opposition to ID. It involves circular reasoning about the age of rocks, decays rates of elements, and assumptions about sedimentary layering over time. The huge ages claimed for the Earth alone were largely based on the need to explain, without allowing for a Designer, the appearance of geological formations. The results of the Mount St. Helen’s eruption in 1980 should have raised serious doubts about calculation which depended on Charles Yell in the Nineteenth Century.

The main point I would make is that it is vital to understand the arguments you are trying to oppose. Know what the oppositions is saying, and make no assumptions about it until you have informed yourself of their position.

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