Issue 9 2020 March 4 NG Times

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Celebrating a record year for the Sweetheart Brunch are, from left: Michael Barrett, M.P., Jim MacManaman and Todd Fortin, KoC, and Steve Clark, M.P.P

by David Shanahan

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It seems that every year the Sweetheart Brunch breaks new ground, but the 22nd edition made new records.

The event manages to serve an average of 1,200 in just three and a half hours, and the aim is to make between $20,000 and $25,000 for local charities. But 2020 was a bumper year for the Sweetheart Brunch: over $30,000 was taken in this time.

This is a real achievement by the Knights of Columbus Council 5333, the many, many volunteers, the sponsors, and, of course, the people of the community who came out in such large numbers to the Municipal Centre to enjoy the food, the

music, the 50'50 draw, and all the other elements that go into making the Sweetheart Brunch the great occasion it is.

The funds raised will help many local organisations throughout the year, including Kemptville District Hospital, Beth Donovan Hospice, Ryan’s Well Foundation, Kemptville District Home Support, Scouts Canada, Jumpstart, Victory Time Therapeutic Riding, and more. Other recipients may be identified during the year also.

This year, the Brunch was held in memory of Pat Maloney, a man who had been such a central part of the Sweetheart Brunch over many years. An M.C., a singer of songs and a teller of tales,

Pat was much loved and is much missed in North Grenville and beyond, and the record amount raised to support his friends and neighbours is a great memorial to the man.

This year’s event also allowed others to promote their cause, as they set up booths along the hallway, having something of a captive audience as people lined up, waiting for their turn to find a seat at a table in the Community Rooms.

One of those causes, as described by Jim MacManaman, who has been with the Brunch from the beginning, is the Coats for Kids. This year, the Ontario Knights of Columbus have adopted the Coats for Kids campaign, the aim of which is to provide

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good quality coats to those who need them during the year. The goal is to supply 10,000 coats in Ontario over the next two to three years.

Many cases of coats in various colours and sizes were ordered by the Knights and they are available now on their Facebook page. At the Sweetheart Brunch, they set up a big coat rack so that people waiting in line could see the Coats for Kids, and be inspired to support the initiative.

The Sweetheart Brunch continues to be one of the great successes of the voluntary sector in North Grenville.

Twenty-two years on, it has continued to grow and receive the enthusiastic support of the community. Congratulations to all on a record year.

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FADS awareness day at Queen's Park

through FASD was shared and videotaped by our official photographer, Aidan, who will have his work featured shortly by the Kids Brain Health Network. The audience heard how FASD leads to choices that can result in difficulties with the law when inappropriate approaches are used. Solutions were offered through early mental health intervention and informed mobile crisis interventions, as seen in the counties of LeedsGrenville and Lanark. During this time, Skylar shared how her life was turned around through our local partnership between the OPP Perth Detachment, Smiths Falls Police, and the Lanark Mental Health Unit. It was stressed that the funding for this partnership has ended, and so further funding is needed.

In combination with the eight private meetings during the day, the Rural FASD Support Network considers the day to be a success and is pleased to partner with so many others in bringing awareness to the challenges the marginalized people of Lanark and Leeds-Grenville face on a daily basis.

This is why we are also pleased to announce we have now partnered with Cogeco TV of Brockville, Kemptville, Smiths Falls, and Perth in creating the first TV show in the world dedicated to people with FASD through their Podium format. Please read for future announcements regarding our speaker series and training events. We are also pleased to announce our participation in CanFASD’s online course developments in an advisory capacity including their Foundations course, which is free to the public. We would encourage

Rob More of the Rural FASD Support Network, Rick from Almonte, Minister Todd Smith, MPP Jill Dunlop, Dr. James Reynolds of Kids Brain Health Network, and Eric, Rick's support worker. Photo by Minister Todd Smith of MCCSS

by Rob More On February 23 and 24, 27 individuals with FASD, and their caregivers from the Rural FASD Support Network, navigated their way to downtown Toronto and the Legislative Assembly at Queen’s Park. After spending the night at their hotel relaxing, swimming, and checking out the sights, they spent Monday at Queen’s Park. During the day, they attended Question Period, where MPP Steve Clark of Leeds-Grenville introduced the group. They heard seven other MPP’s introduce others from across the province who also were there for FASD Awareness Day at Queen’s Park.

Following Question Period, they joined 18 service providers from across the province, including Kids Brain Health Network, the primary sponsor, and the Smiths Falls Knights of Co-

lumbus, our secondary sponsor. At noon, remarks were made by Steve Clark, the sponsoring MPP, Minister Todd Smith of MCCSS, MPP Monique Taylor of the NDP, and MPP Kathleen Wynne of the Liberal Party. Following the remarks, the visitors came in and shared their stories with the 43 MPP and staffers in the room.

The MPP’s heard Rick from Almonte talk about how his life turned around with his diagnosis of FASD, the support of his worker Eric, how he recently graduated from Algonquin College, and is still seeking a job as a dishwasher in a local restaurant.

They heard how our youth have athletic skill, technology skill, knowledge skill, academic skill, and mechanical skill, and how, using their strategies, are experiencing positive outcomes. They heard how little Kallie has already been through multiple

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surgeries due to the FASD, and she stole the entire show with her laughs and smiles.

Finally, it was pointed out that when people with FASD who have the courage to share their stories, informed service providers who use evidence-based practices, and empathetic and compassionate members of society come together, inclusive, accessible positive outcomes can be achieved for all marginalized members of society. However, the piece that is still missing is an overarching strategic plan at a provincial level to sustain these supports.

Following the presentation, multiple conversations took place, pictures were taken, meetings were scheduled, information was exchanged, and awareness regarding FASD was substantially increased.

At the end, a panel presentation on How Justice and Mental Health are linked

The Voice of North Grenville

all people interested in learning more about FASD to take this 90 minute course.

We want to thank our sponsors, including the Kids Brain Health Network, the Smiths Falls Knights of Columbus, Passport Funding, the Mills in Almonte, Beckwith Township, and Barker Funeral Home. We also need to thank all our service providers, caregivers, and especially our youth and adults with FASD for having the courage to share their stories.

The Rural FASD Support Network is a non-profit corporation which provides a monthly peer support groups

for children with disabilities and their caregivers on the third Saturday of the month.

We also bring awareness to all levels of government and society of the existing gaps within our services, and provide advice and direction in those circumstances based on lived experience. To join us, or learn more, please email ruralfasd@gmail.com, or register through our Facebook page.

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The Voice of North Grenville

Do Canadians know, or care, about Indigenous issues?

by Lorraine Rekmans This is an extract from the podcast series Conversations with David. For the full conversation with Lorraine, listen to the podcast at www.ngtimes.ca.

I’m always surprised at public forums that people are curious about indigenous issues. Surprisingly, it is relevant to them because they take a lot of pride in being Canadian; they value social justice and wellbeing for all Canadians, they are supportive of universal health care, and they believe that we are a society that takes care of people who have the least.

With social media, there is an awareness of the plight of indigenous people and how they have been pushed to the margins. The history of the residential schools has raised awareness about what Canada is doing, and why people do not have fundamental human rights, like drinking water.

They (the indigenous people) are part of the founding of this country, and how do we have any moral authority at the United Nations to talk about what other countries are doing, when we are part of the problem?

There is subversive oppression. The history suggests that the intent was to assimilate indigenous people

but it wasn’t really about that because of the reserve system; the removal of people from indigenous society would never have occurred if the purpose was assimilation.

It started with the treaties with indigenous people; but then came the realization that it was too much effort to honour the treaties. Somebody came up with the idea that the solution was removal and creating a state of dependency. People were put on lands and were told they had to become farmers. Indigenous people were excluded from the economy, arrested for hunting, arrested for leaving their land. It is said that Canada tried to force assimilation on people, but that was not true. There was simply no attempt to incorporate indigenous people into mainstream society, it was removal and genocide.

One of the problems I have right now is reading transcripts in the House of Commons about blatant racism by people who are supposed to be learned. Where indigenous people were successful setting up a business, they were removed and expected to go back to live on the land. There was an odd mixture of motives, where people thought they were doing the right thing, but they were destroying the culture.

many indigenous people are not being counted under the current registration system.

The Crown has completely ignored basic human rights in terms of housing and education. Reserves were explicitly excluded from early regulations on housing and drinking water. You could have more radioactive materials in drinking water on reserves than in municipalities.

If we look at the Indian Act, it sets up a trust setting the Crown up as the trustee for indigenous people. We set up trusts every day for people who have to make decisions for other people because they are not capable of making them for themselves. It’s about holding assets in trust where you never allow people to access them. If you turn it around, it’s a trusteeship, and the trustees have done a really bad job when they should have protected the trust. They need to be fired. The trust can end at any time.

There is a fiduciary responsibility of the Crown – now it is responsible for the results. If Canada was to report on its actual liabilities in terms of failed trust responsibilities, that would be enormous. Canada is of course terrified but we have to work through it. We’re all here to stay, we have to work it out and negotiate.

Being excluded from participating in the forest economy occurred until 2000. The Province of Ontario decided to turn the forestry over to the private sector. Before that, all of the mills were successful.

Then the government signed private deals with industry. If you weren’t in the game at the time, like the First Nations, you were excluded. There was no entry point for inclusion of Indigenous people into that kind of economy. It’s important to talk about how indigenous people enter the system today.

A lot of people don’t recognize indigenous people when they see them. I hear racist talk; I will sit next to people who will talk racist talk right next to me, not realizing that I am indigenous.

The fact that most indigenous people live in urban centres doesn’t mean that we are not interested in our homelands.

But there have been a lot of court decisions that have come out in favour of indigenous people. You do have groups going to the United Nations, and the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People paves the way, for that is a way for things to change a lot. But there’s a big difference between legislating and court decisions. The Indian Affairs Act constrains us. So

A new series of podcasts from the Times Converstations with David

Student Volunteer Hours

The NG Times has entered the digital age in a new and exciting format. We have had a very active website and Facebook page for some time now, and both have been very well-received by the community. There has been quite a lot of fascinating discussions on many subjects over the last years, and it is a great source for breaking news and for catching up on what’s been happening in the print copy.

Now we’ve begun another initiative on-line.

“Conversations with David” is a series of informal, well, conversations, between our Editor, Dr. David Shanahan, and various interesting individuals in the community. The first podcast is now available on-line, and it features Jim MacManaman, long-time business owner in North Grenville, and currently Deputy Mayor of the Municipality.

Upcoming editions feature M.P.P. and Minister or Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, and local business owner and Spokesperson on Indigenous Affairs for the Green Party of Canada, Lorraine Rekmans. The podcats can be found on the NG Times website: www.ngtimes.ca.

We are looking for help from Students at the Legion to take down chairs and tables for our monthly Bingos.

Our Bingos run the 1st and 3rd Wednesday's of the month.

Leave a message at the Branch 613-258-5734

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UPDATE UPDATE UPCOMING MEETINGS COUNCIL Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Centre COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Centre. **NOTE: Council and Committee of the Whole meetings are live streamed and archived on the Municipal website. Agendas for upcoming meetings are published on the Friday prior to the meeting and minutes are posted after they are approved. Visit www.northgrenville.ca and click on Agendas, Minutes & Video in the Govern tab.

COMMITTEE & PUBLIC MEETINGS Health, Wellness & Fitness Advisory Committee – Monday, March 9 at 4:00 pm at the Municipal Centre Agriculture & Rural Affairs Advisory Committee – Tuesday, March 10 at 4:15 pm at the Municipal Centre Public Meeting – Proposed Zoning Amendment – Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 pm at the Municipal Centre Special Committee of the Whole – Wednesday, March 11 at 2:30 pm at the Municipal Centre

DISPOSAL OF MUNICIPAL LAND

Pursuant to Section 7.1 of Municipal By-Law 5-14, Notice is hereby given of the Municipality's intention to dispose of land located at 2680 Concession Rd. in the former Town of Kemptville.

Council intends to convey these lands to Habitat for Humanity for the purpose of constructing an affordable housing project.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Summer Students The Municipality of North Grenville is accepting resumes from interested and qualified candidates for summer student positions in the Engineering Department and the Parks, Recreation & Culture Department The closing date to receive applications is 4:00 pm on Friday, March 27, 2020. Information is available at www.northgrenville.ca/careers.

The Municipality of North Grenville

285 County Rd. 44, PO Box 130, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Tel: 613-258-9569 Fax: 613-258-9620 general@northgrenville.on.ca Building: 613-258-9569 x130 Fax: 613-258-1441 Fire Services Info: 613-258-9569 x201 Fax: 613-258-1031 By-Law Services: 613-258-9569 x204 Police Administration: 613-258-3441 Animal Control: 613-862-9002

www.NorthGrenville.ca

The Road Safety theme for March is: Roundabouts Roundabouts are designed to improve the flow of traffic and make intersections safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

There are a number of roundabouts in North Grenville. When used properly, they are designed to handle a high volume of vehicles and lower speeds, reduce stop time, provide traffic calming, and reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

A few key tips to remember when approaching a roundabout: Slow down and yield to drivers in the roundabout Enter when there is a safe gap in the traffic Indicate a right turn as you approach your exit Stay in your lane; do not change lanes Remember to always watch for and yield to pedestrians The Road Safety public awareness campaign aims to promote safe driving behaviours and make roads in North Grenville safer for all users.

The North Grenville Road Safety Campaign Committee is comprised of the Municipality of North Grenville, the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, the Grenville County Ontario Provincial Police, and the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.

For more details on the campaign visit the webpage at: www.northgrenville.ca/roadsafety. www.ngtimes.ca

Editorial

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

School’s out

by David Shanahan It’s getting harder, these days, to think about writing anything strictly local. It seems that world events, or even just national, or provincial events, keep breaking in to every conversation, every element of daily life in North Grenville, or MerrickvilleWolford. The world intrudes into the news, social life, and, of course, social media. The municipal council can do wondrous things, or terrible things, and few people would pay much attention. They’re too preoccupied with the Coronavirus, rail line blockades, provincial strikes by teachers, and so many other issues that affect us here.

The teachers’ strikes have shown a different side of political life in Ontario. Gradually increasing in scope and frequency, they have been a genuine problem for parents, as children remain at home and have to be cared for, watched and entertained. At first, it was relatively easy to deal with the unscheduled holidays from school, they were in the same category as

snow days. But the escalation has raised the stakes for everyone, and the attitude of the relevant government minister has hardly made the atmosphere conducive to positive talks.

At first, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, tried to alienate public support from the unions by promising money, not to the teachers, but to parents to help pay for daycare. That may have helped a little, but it didn’t have the impact for which he must have hoped. The unions continued to escalate their actions, trying to force the Minister to negotiate.

The Minister’s next gambit was to portray the teachers as uncaring of their responsibilities, willing to allow students to suffer educational decline, rather than discuss matters reasonably. But it needs to be remembered that there had been lots of time, even before these strikes began, to talk and come to a reasonable solution. In December of last year, the four main teachers unions had warned that they would go to court to question the validity

of the government’s Bill 124, which restricted all increases in public servant wages to 1% per year for three years. This, the unions claimed, was an illegal denial of their right to collective bargaining.

Things just got worse, until all four unions ended up walking out in selective one-day stoppages. Stephen Lecce took the usual tack that these were unfair to students, parents, a denial of the proper duty teachers owed to their charges, and generally portraying the teachers as irresponsible.

Now, I am absolutely sure that many people share the views of a recent letter writer in this paper, that: “The teachers are again on strike when they already have great salaries, benefits, pensions, early retirement, and summer holidays that last for two months. Oh right, it's about the students. So much for public "service". Looks like self-service to me.” This seems a fairly balanced view of the matter, doesn’t it?

Maybe not.

Teachers have a very high level of job stress, and if

you have had to deal with even your own children in a confined space for hours at a time, five days a week, you might understand why that is. For years, we have taken away any means of control that teachers have recourse to in keeping a classroom relatively conducive to learning.

Men and women are afraid to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, or even look the wrong way at students, in case they are called to account and penalised, thus lessening their authority in the classroom even further.

I am very far from being in favour of the “good old days”, I clearly remember being strapped an average of every second day I was in school. And I was relatively

predate colonialism. They have authority over all the land and resources of the Wet’suwet’en Nation -- which spans far greater territory than the reserves. This land is unceded and was never surrendered by the Wet’suwet’en Nation to Canada, which means that it remains, to this day, sovereign Indigenous territory that belongs to the Wet’suwet’en Nation.

Indigenous laws are a part of the rule of law. Canadian courts have repeatedly acknowledged this, and governments are legally bound to take them into account; it’s just that they rarely do.

Hereditary chiefs thus have a right to assert their sovereignty and make decisions over their land. This legal right is recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada.

In 1997, in a case known as the Delgamuukw decision, the SCC recognized the limitations of band councils and ruled that the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs have author-

ity to govern their unceded territory.

For centuries, Canada has put its laws above Indigenous legal systems, with the aim of dismantling those systems. The Wet’suwet’en are resisting this. They have had enough, and you cannot blame them. They have been treated worse than second class citizens in their own country, and this pipeline seems to have been the last straw. This protest has little to do with a pipeline, and more to do with how successive governments have treated them since Confederation.

Another item missing from this conversation is that an alternate route was proposed that skirted the Wet’suwet’en territory, but this was rejected by the pipeline proponent. Could this have been because it was going to add yet another cost to the $12.6 billion already admitted to, a cost that is on top of the $4.1 billion already paid for this pipeline, and

well behaved! But education in Ontario has been completely transformed over the decades, and not always in a good way. Too often, we can mourn the loss of basic literacy skills, even the ability to count, divide, or multiply without the use of an electronic device. Schools are often forced to cater to the common denominator, leaving those who are relatively gifted, and those who are having a hard time, alone and left to their own devices.

This government has been messing around with class sizes, the curriculum in different subjects, and this has not helped teachers do their job properly. Whatever his personal opinion, comments like this from Stephen Lecce,

“We want a deal that keeps students in class. Strikes by the teachers' unions have resulted in millions of student days lost. Days where students should have been in class preparing for math tests, practising for hockey games or music competitions, and learning the skills needed to succeed in their educational journey and beyond”, just don’t seem to be in accord with actions and policies on education that his government has been pursuing. This goes beyond wages and conditions: it is about a deeper malaise in public education in Ontario that needs to be addressed quickly.

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613.258.3493

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Council is going to spend $1.05 million dollars of the municipality's capital budget to pave an approximately 500 metre length of Wellington Road. It works out to about $2 million dollars per kilometre.

It's interesting that so much of the municipality's capital spending will be spent on such a project, given that the cost to tar and chip a rural road is about $50,000 per kilometre, and you could surface 21 km of some of the high traffic rural roads for the same amount of money. Why doesn't council tar and chip Wellington Road for now, at a vastly reduced cost of about $50,000, and spend the $1 million left over on surfacing our rural roads. Numerous engineering studies show that rural roads are cheaper to maintain anyway, if they have a tar and chip surface rather than constant gravel rebuilds and grading maintenance.

Perhaps it would be better to leave Wellington Road as it is, as a reminder to council

and urban residents that there are still 130 km of unsurfaced dirt roads in the rural area needing attention.

Stephen Hammond Dear Editor, I daresay that the trouble with the blockades, by and in solidarity with, the Wet’suwet’en Nation, will be over by the time that this letter hits the newspaper, but there are a few pertinent facts missing from this conversation.

Band councils are colonial governance structures, created by the federal government through the Indian Act in 1876, to weaken traditional governance structures. These Councils oversee matters that affect reserves, specifically the distribution of federal funding. They are accountable to the federal government.

Band councils signed Benefits Agreements with Coastal Gas Link.

Hereditary chiefs and their system of governance long

The North Grenville Times is published weekly by North Grenville Times Inc. Marketing Gord J. Logan gord@ngtimes.ca 613-258-6402 March 8, 2020

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Marketing Shannon Lever shannon@ngtimes.ca 613-791-8317

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that it was felt that the political cost of spending this much taxpayer money was too high?

I can’t help but wonder how many oil and gas workers you could retrain for well paying jobs in the renewable energy industry for $16.7 billion. I also have to ask why the potential of jobs for thousands of oil and gas workers in cleaning up the abandoned oil wells that the governments, both federal and provincial, have allowed the industry to walk away from, isn’t being addressed.

The last figure that I heard for the cleanup was a whopping $62 billion, a number evidently more than the combined worth of the oil and gas industry in this country, which, incidentally, is mostly owned by foreign companies.

You and I will be on the hook to pay for this cleanup, not the foreign-owned oil companies, because we let them get away with doing this.

We have known about

this problem for more than a year, so why wasn’t something done when First Nations started to build those tiny, self-sufficient houses along the pipeline route, in protest of their rights being dismissed by the government? We knew that they had a good reason for being upset, and we did nothing. Why wasn’t the dialogue started then? This could have all have been avoided if the government had done what it is mandated to, and please don’t tell me that the other major party in this country would have been any better. Just watching the reaction from their leaders and would-be leaders leads me to believe that there would have been a pretty good chance that they would have made things worse than they already are.

Colin Creasey, Kemptville.

Mailing Address P.O. Box 1854 Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Staff Reporter Hilary Thomson hilary@ngtimes.ca

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The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

UCDSB Students in 2020 Eastern Ontario SKLZ Competition

North Grenville District High School students Rogan Beechey and Malina Vallee won gold in the TV/video production competition.

About 300 students from at the 2020 Eastern Ontario the Upper Canada District SKLZ competition, held at St. School Board (UCDSB) com- Lawrence College in Cornpeted Tuesday, February 25 wall.

The event, run in partnership with St. Lawrence College, is held annually to showcase the value of the trades and celebrate the accomplishments of students skilled in them. The goal is to encourage students to consider the trades as a career, said Ashley Grant, a co-convener of the event.

This year, UCDSB students competed in 11 events: individual carpentry, carpentry team of 2, home building (team of 4 carpentry), cabinet making, automotive service technician, small powered equipment, welding, photography, environment, TV/ video production and drama.

Co-convener Lauren

Levac said attendance by UCDSB students was up 50 per cent this year, largely due to a concerted effort by organizers to promote the competition.

Top competitors at the event either qualified for the Skills Ontario Competition, to be held in Toronto May 4-6, or advanced to the regional qualifier in Kingston on April 4 in hopes of qualifying for the provincials.

Two students from North Grenville District High School advanced to the regional competition in Kingston April 4, Rogan Beechey and Malina Vallee, gold, TV/ video production.

the north grenville

TIMES Gord Logan

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

Rush to kindness That might surprise some folks who know me through music and have seen me cover Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Hip, Alanis Morissette, Laura Smith, Gordon Lightfoot, Tom Cochrane and many other wonderful Canadian musicians.

Rush? Yes, Rush. A three-man Canadian band - Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart.

I was in my mid teens when I was introduced to their music,

by Terry Brewer Somewhere out there is a woman to whom I owe an enormous debt of gratitude.

To begin to tell the story of how and why, I must begin by saying that I love music.

I make music. I listen to music. I love a lot of music and, truth be known, if I were to ask myself who the artist is that I've followed the closest, for the longest, that would be the band Rush.

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Support Your Local Lions Club JOIN TODAY! and I've been a huge fan ever since. I devour their music, I watch their documentaries, and I marvel at and reflect upon Neil's written words.

It might also surprise you to know that I suffer from depression and anxiety. The Me that stands before you on stage and banters comfortably and affectionately with you, and performs, is genuine and seems far removed from any sadness or anxiety, but there you have it.

My mental illness gives me a bit of trouble when it comes to milling about in a huge crowd. It also makes me pretty uncomfortable travelling any distance, even from Kemptville to Ottawa.

But when Rush was playing at Bluesfest in 2013, I knew I had to be there. I had to see them live, at least once, and this was probably my one chance to do so. I ordered tickets. VIP tickets. Rather expensive, but VIP seating meant not having to mill about in a throng of thousands. I had the full support of my husband (inexplicably, not a Rush fan), who would transport me to said venue in Ottawa, enjoy (I use the term loosely, in his case - again, inexplicably) the concert, keep me safe from the milling throngs, and even fetch a beer for me at the VIP bar.

I ordered the tickets, and waited. And waited. And then one day, I got a call from a woman who lived just a few blocks away. She had some-

how received my tickets in her mailbox. She could have sold them, or gone to the concert herself, but she did not. She looked me up in the phone book (remember those things? We're in the white pages). And she dropped the tickets off to me right at my door. How very, very kind.

John and I went to the concert, and had a wonderful time. It was a "bucket list" thing for me, and was indeed to be my last opportunity to see them locally. I'm so grateful to have had that experience. You see, Neil Peart - drummer and lyricist of Rush - passed away on January 7 of this year, after a privately managed three-anda-half year ordeal with brain cancer. The band had retired from touring in 2015, but We, The Fans wondered if they'd maybe make another album.

When they stopped touring, Geddy started collecting bass guitars and wrote a book about basses, and went on a book tour. Alex spent a lot of time as a studio musician on Other People's Albums, but was equally in the spotlight.

These two gentlemen - Neil's dearest friends - uttered not a word publicly about Neil's illness, which was exactly what Neil would have wanted. He was an intensely private person (I do get the irony of all of his fans being aware of the fact that he was very private).

Neil was only 67.

It's a bit weird to grieve 5

for a person one has never met. But I do. And, rather than eternally wishing I'd seen Rush live, I tuck close to my heart the fabulous memory of having celebrated their Bluesfest performance with my fellow fans, and with Neil,

Geddy and Alex. This experience and cherished memory I owe to the kind woman who mistakenly received my tickets, and brought them to me.

Thank you, dear lady. I will never forget your kindness.

www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

Downtown Digest With the days growing longer and the sun still shining at 4 pm, it’s time for the Old Town Kemptville BIA to think about our programming for the year ahead. This year promises to be an even more memorable year for events and promotions in Downtown Kemptville.

Some of our confirmed events and promotions for the coming year will be: Easter Bunny Hop Saturday April 4th from 10am-2pm.

Not Just Ladies Night – “Wealth & Wellness” Friday May 1st from 6pm to 9pm.

Kemptville Live Festival Fan Discount Promotion – July 2020.

Kemptville Live VIP Passes Giveaway - July 2020.

Not Just Ladies Night – September 2020.

Kreepy Kemptville – October 31, 2020.

Old Town Kemptville Christmas – TBA November 2020 (same day as Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade).

12 Days of Christmas – December 2020.

Our programming is essential to attracting visitors to the downtown area in order to create the conditions for our businesses and organizations to prosper and grow. This critical element of what our Old Town Kemptville BIA does has been evolving starting in 2019 and continues. A few of our members expressed that our traditional “trick or treating”-style of events have not quite had as much of a positive impact on their individual businesses and organizations as they were hoping.

This is also due partially to the diversity of business types in the downtown, including a number of non-traditional storefront businesses and organizations. Though many of our BIA family members see direct benefit from these events, we agreed that we can do more to be inclusive of all of the different types of businesses in the downtown.

As a result, we’ve introduced new programming to target different demographics and age groups to encourage a more diverse range of people to explore what downtown

has to offer.

Another way that we are evolving in our programming is to encourage and create the conditions for “activations” to take place. Activations are smaller activities that require less resources (volunteer time and money) and are created & organized by the local businesses and organizations themselves.

This permits the BIA (and its limited resources) to take on a secondary supporting role instead of consistently being the primary organizing and financing force. It also encourages more BIA members to get involved in downtown activities by allowing them the space to create their own events and promotions. Some

of these activations to date include: “Wellness In the Park”, “Trivia Night” and the most recent “Pancake Flippin’ Relay Race”. Though smaller in scale, make no mistake, these events have a very meaningful impact on both visitors and participants alike.

There’s a special event coming up on the calendar for Sunday March 29, 2020 from 3 pm to 6 pm at Salamanders restaurant. Some of you may know that the owners of Geronimo Coffee House, Terri and Lee have sold their business and the new owners take over possession on April 1st. In a short period of time, Terri and Lee have become an integral part of our Downtown community. Their

support of BIA events and promotions, support of local community organizations and their compassionate approach to building their business has touched many people. Please

join us in wishing them the very best in their future endeavours at this meet & greet style event.

ing (https://www.teck.com/ responsibility/sustainabilitytopics/energy-and-climatechange/).

For scant evidence of impending calamity, a modest 3.6 mm/year of sea level rise (https://www.climate.gov/ news-features/understanding-climate/climate-changeglobal-sea-level), and a planet that is 0.8o C warmer over the 1951-1980 baseline average (https://earthobservatory. nasa.gov/world-of-change/ global-temperatures) because of our 200 years of industrial huffing and puffing that so happens to have enabled the pampered lives we all enjoy, we are told to panic, and are apparently doing so, by an ignorant malcontent attention-seeking hypocritical dropout school girl who instantly becomes a media darling embraced as a champion of science.

If Saint Greta is really committed to making a difference, she should shut up and go back to school and learn to engineer some solu-

tions instead of advocating for the destruction of our industry and economy and possibly the foundations of liberty responsible for building the greatest societies on the planet. It is notable that Miss Thunberg didn't choose to protest coal-fired power plant construction in China, or Iranian or Saudi Arabian oil facilities, undoubtedly because she would have been quickly silenced and jailed.

She chose to protest Canadian oil because she could get away with it.

By acquiescing to the destruction of our oil sector we are handing the profits to the far less environmentally scrupulous producers of the world like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. The world will still burn the oil whether we produce it or not. Junior seems to have tacitly concocted his own National Energy Program that is even far more destructive than that of his father. The only climate crisis in Canada is in our political climate and Canadians should

wake up and fix it before it is too late. 0.8 degrees of global warming will seem paltry to the destructive torrent that a government of ignoramuses driven by mass hysteria can unleash.

These are embarrassing times to have to admit to being Canadian.

In My Opinion Canada's Energy Policy Disaster

by Blaine Geddes, PhD. (Mech. Eng.) The recent cancellation of the Frontier oil sands project

by Teck Resources is an issue that should be a serious wake up call to all Canadians. The project represented a $1.1 B investment by Teck before they shelved their plans.

Despite a recommendation of approval in 2013 by a joint committee of Environment Canada and Alberta Energy Regulator representatives, the Liberal government waffled and vacillated on approving the project until Teck, burdened with the uncertainty, finally withdrew its application. Shafting western resource companies is a pattern with this government.

The Trudeau government changed the rules during the Energy East development driving Trans Canada out of the project. With ineptitude and inaction they watched Kinder Morgan bail out of their Trans Mountain project dumping it on the Canadian taxpayers for us to watch March 8, 2020

costs explode to the point where it is unlikely to ever be economic and may never be finished. They quashed Northern Gateway outright costing Enbridge their investment. Encana smartly moved to a friendlier jurisdiction and is now headquartered in the USA, rebranded as Ovintiv to disguise their Canadian origins and business component to investors. Trans Canada Corporation also found it advantageous from a brand marketing standpoint to edit out their Canadian association and are now simply known as TC Energy. The government tolerance of the recent bandit rail blockades by slothful fanatics adds insult to injury helping to land lock Canadian oil and other commodities.

The government's response to the illegal rail infrastructure paralysis was only to spew empty infantile platitudes urging dialogue amid the anarchy.

In his letter to the federal minister Wilkinson, Don Lindsay, CEO of Teck Re-

sources, effectively, but in a nuanced way, cites political uncertainty in Canada as a reason for cancelling the project (https://www.teck.com/ news/news-releases/2020/ teck-withdraws-regulatoryapplication-for-frontier-project). To have major resource projects abandoned because of political uncertainty puts us in the same league as such distinguished nations as Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, and a long list of banana republics. Investors will now have good reason to be very wary of backing resource development projects in Canada.

The motivation by the government is a concern over carbon emissions despite the fact that Teck Resources has announced a goal of carbon emission neutrality by 2050 (https://www.teck.com/news/ news-releases/2020/teckannounces-goal-of-carbonneutrality-by-2050), they are a signatory to the Paris Pledge for Action, and they are advocates of carbon pric6

the north grenville

TIMES Gord Logan Marketing Consultant

Phone 613 258 6402 Email: gord@ngtimes.ca

www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

Kemptville 73's stay focussed for play-off bid

SO and 1 PPG with 2 attempts.

Rockland main attack plan was to launch the stretch pass through the middle and Kemptville PK were outstanding with each player sacrificing their bodies to support their stopper. Coach summed it up: "It was a good team effort and we dug in and refused to lose. Anderson was solid with a spectacular performance in the shoot-out."

Digger's Award goes to Ryan Pawlikowski for his continuous work ethic, tenacity, never give up attitude and always in the heat of the action as displayed in tonight's battle with his sniping ability to win the shoot-out.

Hawkesbury Hawks swoop into the 73's barn on Saturday, March 7 for an evening battle at 7:30. Hockey with edge... a cut above the rest... show you care... see you there.

Kemptville 73's Gavin Wood placed a fantastic shot top shelf to lift the water airborne by the sportsguy Brockville Braves motored into Kemptville 73's barn for a matinee meeting on Sunday to be surprised by an aggressive 4-1 loss.

With temperature warmer than usual, the ice was mushy and slow, with both teams running end to end for an exciting battle. A Kemptville defensive error allowed MacCormick to drop it to Justin McRae gliding through the middle to beat William Anderson at 11:40 to put Brockville on the sheet.

Kemptville came out fast and furious, as Moretti forced the play to Pawlikowski to Madoka Suzuki streaming behind the net for a quick wrap around past Simon Harkness at :029 to even it up. Cotnam held the line, over to House to find Ryan Pawlikowski to rifle it top shelf for tie breaker at 14:11.

Terrible officiating in the first carried over as, finally, the 73's captain took matters into his hands and dropped his opponent with a blistering upper-cut that dropped him like a stone. After the whistle, Kemptville bench tried to communicate with officials to confirm what the new rules were for icing and elbowing, but were dismissed for the meeting.

One could sense the third was going to be a donnybrook as Brockville was behind by one. 73's knew this was going to be a long twenty, with one of their top players in street clothes and they would have to tip toe around officials to avoid sinbin time. Ryan Pawlikowski recorded his second glove side after Moretti with Suzuki crossing the line in hyper-speed at :33 for the insurance. Pass and go from Brazier up the half boards to Jeff Taylor in the slot to give Kemptville a three goal pad at 7:38. Then Brockville bullies unleashed their frustration along the boards two against one, resulting in two extra PIM to seal the win for Kemptville of 4-1.

"The team is really coming together and we're having fun as a group. We had an March 8, 2020

excellent fun practice with music playing yesterday, like a lot of NHL clubs are doing.

Anderson was outstanding and the team refused to be outworked," as per Jason's post game review.

Diggers Award goes to Cameron Cotnam who has shown consistent growth with improvement every game.

Unfortunately, due to inclement weather Thursday night road game against Kanata Lasers was postponed.

Friday night’s game with the second place Rockland Nationals proved to be an example of officials with blinders, as five head hits totally ignored were featured in the initial period. Kemptville 73's came out hot and loose as Merrett rifled one and Nicholas Domitrovic punched in the rebound past Jack McGovern at 4:03 to count first. Gunnar Smith, with helpers from Mercurio with Craft, to direct a softie through the five hole when Andrew Anderson failed to place his stick in the path of ascending rubber at 7:38 to even it up. Another softie, as 73's defensive clearing error gave Cole Craft an opportunity to lift it between the post, over Anderson’s left shoulder at 19:54 for the tie breaker.

End to end play for both squads as finally an open aggressive infraction in the neutral zone to give the 73's a 4 minute PP at 11:10 into the second. Suzuki magic from behind the net to Moretti, over to Gavin Wood to cherry pick the water bottle top shelf for PPG at 13:08 to make it even at two. Scoreless last twenty, with the 73's having numerous unsuccessful attempts to break the tie, forced OT without results, and finally

set up a shoot-out to decide the outcome. Four snipers from Rockland were stoned

by William Anderson and Kemptville three shooters were shut-down and the final finesse of Ryan Pawlikowski to find the back of the net behind Jack McGovern to give the 73's a 3-2 victory.

Rockland Nationals: SOG: 11-9-12-1, unsuccessful SO results and 2 PP attempts. Kemptville 73's: SOG: 11-12-7-1, 1 goal for

#26

Carter VOLLETT Nickname: “CARTS", "VOLLEY" Born: 2002-01-13 Home Town: Nepean, ON Position: Left Wink Previous Hockey Club: Kemptville 73's Inspiration: Parents Favourite TV Show: South Park Favourite Actor: Will Farrell Favourite Musician: A Boogie Wit Da Hoody Favourite Food: Steak Favourite Hockey Memory: Signing with 73’s Life as a JR “A” player:Competitive, fun and challenging.

613-258-7878

the north grenville

TIMES Gord Logan

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

Kemptville Physiotherapy

? n i a P ff PlayO 613-258-7661 www.kemptvillephysio.com 7

The Voice of North Grenville

General Practice Corporate / Commercial Family Law/ Criminal law Estates Real Estate Wills & Powers of Attorney tom@tmblaw.ca 613.258.1277 222 Prescott St., Kemptville

THOMAS M. BYRNE Barrister and Solicitor

WINTER TIRES AVAILABLE

CCHL Standings ROBINSON Caleton Place Candians Brockville Braves Smiths Falls Bears Pembroke Lumber Kings Kanata Lasers Kemptville 73's

GP PTS 60 100 59 81 59 65 57 63 58 55 58 52

29/02-20

YZERMAN Rockland Nationals Hawkesbury Hawks Ottawa Junior Senators Navan Grads Cornwall Colts Nepean Raiders

59 58 58 58 58 58

79 72 65 55 43 21

Health Unit reminds you that how you eat is important too March is Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is “More than Food: How you eat is important too!”

Last year Health Canada released the new food guide, and provided us with the healthy plate model which illustrates a healthy eating pattern: Fill ½ your plate with vegetables and fruit, ¼ of your plate with protein foods and ¼ with whole grain foods.

Dietitians are encouraging Canadians to consider not only what they eat, but also how they eat. This month we will be highlighting everyday healthy eating habits from the food guide. For example, it is important to be mindful when eating to cook at home more often, to enjoy our food and eat meals with others.

Dietitians are a trusted source of credible nutrition information. They are trained to provide advice on diet, food, and nutrition for you, your family and your community. Registered dietitian is, by law, a protected title and only individuals who have met specific education qualifications and licensing can use this title.

Adapting healthy eating habits will help shape the future of eating and healthy living for all Canadians. Tell us what healthy habits you are adapting. Join the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit dietitians in a conversation every Monday on Twitter and Facebook. www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

The Voice of Merrickville/Wolford

Wetland designation debate continues

by Hilary Thomson Property owners all over the Ottawa area are concerned about what new wetland designations mean for the value and use of their land. Merrickville-Wolford landowners, Paul Matteau and John Miner, approached council in January to ask them to help hold the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) accountable for designating part of their land as provincially significant wetlands. Council responded by sending a letter to the MRNF, asking them to justify their decision to apply the designation to 600 acres of land in MerrickvilleWolford. “We know we have to accept, under the Planning Act, what is provided in terms of wetlands designations; but we are not happy with it, and we want a justification and a process to move forward to have that addressed,” Mayor Doug Struthers said at the meeting in January.

Since then, there have been several people who have contacted the Times to share their thoughts on the issue. Merrickville resident, Robbie Giles, wrote an open letter to mayor and council, expressing his concern that council hadn’t done their due diligence before supporting the landowners. “Council and committees, supported by staff, need to constantly recognize the seriousness and sensitivity of topics such as wetlands, private property and development and the natural environment,” he wrote.

In response to this letter, John Miner wrote to the NG Times, explaining that many property owners across Ontario are good forest managers and lovers of nature. His issue is that the MNRF has not provided sufficient evidence to support their decision that the land in question is actually a wetland. If landowners want the decision reversed, they have to hire their own evaluator and present their findings to the MNRF for review.

“We rural landowners would like to be treated like any other property owner, March 8, 2020

who is dealt with in a fair manner,’ he wrote.

Ottawa-based environmental advocate, Ken Mcrae, has been fighting for the protection of wetland in Ottawa for the past 30 years. He says wetlands have many important environmental attributes.

They act as carbon sinks and provide a habitat for many types of wildlife, including many species at risk. Wetlands also have a flood control function. “If it wasn’t for the presence of wetland acting as flood planes, there would be a lot more flooding,” Ken says.

Ken has heard property owners argue against a provincially significant wetland designation many times, particularly in the Goulburn Wetland Complex in West Ottawa. In 2004, the MNRF found that an additional 20 wetlands in the area should be designated provincially significant, which involved about 60 landowners in the area. The vast majority of them objected, saying that the lands weren’t wetlands and hired evaluators to reassess their properties. “Several of them hired bulldozers and destroyed the wetland, “Ken says. “The designation changed and the MNRF withdrew.”

He believes there are a lot more wetlands that need to be designated in order to protect them. “I have been at this for many years,” he says. “It has been a long uphill battle getting wetlands properly classified and designated.”

The MNRF evaluates land based on certain criteria in order to designate a property as provincially significant wetland. One of the main criteria is that it must contain at least 50 per cent wetland plant species. The MNRF has confirmed that documented species observations, mapping, and aerial photography are all used to make the designation. “Site visits allow the evaluator to verify whether existing information is accurate, to record new field observations, and to adjust preliminary mapped boundary,” a representative from the MNRF wrote in an email

Merrickville Fire Department presents year-end report to council

to the NG Times.

However, the property owners in Merrickville-Wolford say that no one from the MNRF ever came to their property to do a site visit before making the designation, instead relying on air photos, which could be years old. Local biologist, Fred Schueler, who has worked with the MNRF for many years, says he is not surprised. In his experience, people who work at the MNRF are told to stay in the office as much as possible, as they don’t have the budget for fieldwork.

The MNRF is transparent about their protocol when it comes to designating provincially significant wetlands; but it is unclear whether they actually follow it. Wetland needs to be protected; but so do property owners from having their land designated as provincially significant wetland if it is not actually the case. There is a delicate balance here between protecting the natural environment while also respecting landowner’s rights to their own property. Landowners need to be responsible in protecting important wetlands; but the MNRF also needs to do their due diligence to make sure that the provincially significant wetlands designation is used appropriately and doesn’t cause undue stress for property owners.

by Hilary Thomson The fourth quarter and year-end Merrickville Fire Department (MFD) report was presented to council last week, outlining the significant emphasis they place on training in order to make sure Merrickville-Wolford is a safe place to live.

According to the report, the MFD responds to between 65-80 calls for service every year on average. The calls are primarily responses to medical assists (due to paramedics having to respond from Smiths Falls or Kemptville), motor vehicle collisions, and fire/carbon monoxide alarms.

Last year, the Department saw an increase in calls, from 65 to 76, as compared to 2018.

Training and equipment maintenance are a priority for the MFD. All members commit a lot of time and effort to ensuring that their training is up to the provincial standard.

The MFD has adopted the National Fire Protection Association Firefighter 1 and 2, 1001 Training Program and has been following it for the past five years.

“Ensuring that the training program(s) for the firefighters is attainable, accessible, and to a recognized provincial standard, is critical to the level of service ex-

Pitch-In campaign coming to Merrickville-Wolford in Spring Merrickville-Wolford council passed a resolution at the last meeting to support the annual Pitch-In campaign in the municipality from April 10 to April 24. The annual campaign encourages citizens to help pick up garbage along roadways and in public spaces to help keep the municipality tidy. “It’s a great event and very valuable,” Mayor Doug Struthers said at the meeting.

Throughout the 15 days of the campaign, Pitch-In bags will be available at the Municipal Office and accepted at the landfill free of charge. Anyone can participate and do their part to keep Merrickville-Wolford a clean and beautiful place to live.

8

pected from the citizens we serve,” the report states. In the fourth quarter alone, fire fighters spent 220 hours training and 150 hours responding to emergency calls.

The only question that was directed to Fire Chief Brad Cole came from Councillor Timothy Molloy, who asked why residents had to apply for a burn permit every year, rather than having an ongoing agreement with the MFD to allow burning. Fire Chief Cole replied that it is easier for the MFD to track and report on burn permits yearly, and that yearly applications allow them to remind residents of the stipulations that go along with a burn permit. “They are acknowledging and taking ownership of what they can and can’t do,” he said.

Mayor Doug Struthers said at the meeting that, while having data available, and training is important, it is also important to recognize the huge dedication of time by the MFD’s volunteer fire fighters.

Not only are they dedicated to their regular duties as fire fighters, many also volunteer in the community at events like Christmas in Merrickville, the CP Holiday Train, and their annual Halloween party. The Merrickville Fire Fighters Association is also in the process of raising money towards purchasing a new thermal imaging camera for improved firefighter safety and ease of heat and fire detection within a structure. “It is so valued and appreciated by the community,” Mayor Struthers said.

LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING

Dr. C.L. Eamon Optometrist

ASK ABOUT OUR DIGITAL RETINAL IMAGING 212 Van Buren St.

613.258.7438 www.ngtimes.ca

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

CANADIAN FIREARMS AND HUNTER EDUCATION COURSE (One Stop) at Burritt’s Rapids on March 13-15. Please contact Kerry Coleman at 613-258-7515 or kerrycoleman@xplornet.com

CLASSIFIEDS First 10 words are FREE for North Grenville and Merrickville/Wolford Residents.

All service ads will be charged.

Extra Words: 50 cents a word. Email classifieds@ngtimes.ca

FOR SALE Slipper chair - excellent condition $50. Barrymore sofa - excellent condition $400.

613-269-7983

EXCELLENT CONDITION 613 859 4644 PARTLY USED TONERS FOR HP COLOUR LASERJET 1600.

FREE 613-713-3347

Quilters 40"x72" Rotary Cutting Mat with 36"x 68" grid, never used. $90. 613 269 3301

5 PIECE PINE BEDROOM SUITE, FITS QUEEN OR DOUBLE. $200. CALL CAROL AT 613-541-1362

Black & Decker bread machine $20. 613 258 4384

CARTON OF 10 48" 34W, FLUORESCENT LAMPS. 20.00, VE3MHM@SYMPATICO

HP902XL ink pkg. Open but never used, printer died. $50, 613 258 4884.

For Sale 98 Harrowsmith magazines in pristine condition, 1977 to 1995, $100 call 613 269-3567.

Michael Hill Infinity Bangle valued at $400 asking $200 e-mail Maya @ maya_ramsay2499@hotmail.com 10 hp MTD snowblower. 28 in. cut. Asking $350.00 613302-4384 2 BABY GATES, 1 BATH TUB, PLAYPEN IN CARRYING CASE

TWO INFLATABLE AIR MATTRESSES, 76IN X56 X8 AND 72 X35 X14 IDEAL FOR UNEXPECTED GUESTS OR CAMPING. BARELY USED $30 AND $25 RESPECTIVELY CALL BILL 613 258 6544

House for Sale

wrong opening. $950 or best offer - retails for $1600. 613912-4006

Kemptville bungalow $320,000.

4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, pleasant neighbourhood, large lot, near to shopping, convenient to 416. info@510jamesstreet.com or 613-226-7171.

Mixed seasoned firewood for sale, all hardwood, $110/3 3 cord minimum delivered, Jon 613-227-3650 Wheelchair Fuse5.0 with a tilt/Roho cushion. Call 613567-8533 or leave message.

04

FOUND

Set of keys found near 125 prescott stree. call 215 0651

CRIBS: 1 BROWN 1 WHITE WITH MATTRESSES AND SHEETS PERFECT CONDITION$100 EACH 613 859 4644

Brand new patio door - opens left to right, comes with foot lock and brick mold. ordered

Royal Canadian Legion Provincial Bursary Program

Farm Equipment Operator

Primary Duties: • General equipment operations including tractors, implements, skid steer, trucks • Fertilizer applications • Pesticide applications • General land work • Equipment maintenance Seasonal, 8-9 months, late March till late November.

Wage: $19 per hour

Nursery Operations Technician WANTED

Looking to purchase a small breed puppy, leave message Looking to Rent Farmland for 613 258 0445 cash crops. Call or text Mitch @ 613-262-1204.

Firewood, hardwood, 3 cords/ load, $110/cord. Call Peter 613 913 0810 Yamaha Snowmobile $400.

613.258.6562 ask for Harry

Employees Wanted

FOR RENT

Support Your Local Lions Club JOIN TODAY!

Commercial Property in Kemptville, corner of Prescott & Clothier.

Call Mark at 613.620.3868

Tuesdays & Thursdays (until May) The Kemptville Campus Greenhouses are open for public visitation 10am to 2pm 75 Campus Dr at Curtis, Kemptville.

For information contact claude431@cogeco.ca

Primary duties: • Irrigation of all field products • Transplanting of seedlings • Seeding of all field products • Assist with harvesting of all field products • Support for fertilizer and pesticide programs • Record keeping • Other duties as assigned Seasonal, 8-9 months, March till November.

Grounds and Trails Maintenance Worker The purpose of this position is to maintain and assist in the development of the recreational land and trails managed by the Ferguson Forest Centre.

Primary duties: • Mowing • Weed eating • Plant trimming and pruning • Weeding • Operation of mowers, UTV’s, compact tractors, hand tools, whippers, chainsaws • Equipment maintenance • Assists with nursery operation in early spring and fall Seasonal, 8 months, April till November Wage: $17 per hour Nursery Manual Workers These positions are required to do a variety of manual jobs on the nursery including: • Weeding • Seeding • Transplanting • Thinning • Potting • Packing of all products • Harvesting of all products • General manual work lifting up to 22.5kg on a regular basis Seasonal, 6-8 months, April to September or November.

Wage: $15 per hour

Applications 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 up to $750 per year.

Eligibility: • Ex-Servicemen 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 www.leedsgrenville.com and their children and grandchildren.

• Associate members of the Royal Canadian Legion and their PUBLIC NOTICE Send resume to ed@fergusontreenursery.ca or to the children.

Ferguson Forest Centre at 275 County Rd. 44, Kempt• Ladies’ Auxiliary members and their children and grandLIMERICK FOREST INTERPRETIVE CENTRE CENTRE - DOORS OPENOPEN ville, ON. K0G 1J0 LIMERICK FOREST INTERPRETIVE - DOORS children.

8th10am-3pm from 10am-3pm th March 8March from • Step children and step grandchildren may be considered.

The Friends of Limerick invite you to visit the Limerick Application forms are available at branches of the Royal The Friends of Limerick invite you at to1175 visit Limerick the Limerick Forest Interpretive Centre Road,Forest Canadian Legion and can also be downloaded from theInterpretive LeCentre at 1175 Limerick Road, just south of Oxford just south of Oxford Station, on Sunday March 8th from Station, the north grenville gion’s Provincial web-site. (on.legion.ca.) th 10March am-3 pm.

Take a10wagon trails ride or visit on Sunday 8 from am-3 ride pm.through Take athe wagon through the Please note: completed application forms must be mailed the the boardwalk on your skis or skis snowshoes. trails or visit boardwalk on X-country your X-country or snowshoes. Drop to the address shown on the application form. Forms sent bythe interpretive Drop into thecentre interpretive centre for a hotor chocolate into for a hot chocolate view theortaxidermy email or fax will not be accepted. view the taxidermy and egg collections and egg collections before heading to the firebefore pit forheading a hotdog. Bring Shannon Lever to the fi re pit for a hotdog.

Bring your camera and Application forms must be received by Legion Provincial your camera and enjoy the trails! Go to limerickforest.caenjoy or call 613- Marketing Consultant the trails! Go to limerickforest.ca or call 613-342-3840 Command by March 27, 2020.

342-3840 ext. 2416 for further details.

Phone 613.791.8317 ext. 2416 for further details.

For further information contact the Legion Branch nearest Email: shannon@ngtimes.ca you or Douglas Brunton Zone G-3 Bursary Chairman at. 613258-5111 . Email d.c.brunton@sympatico.ca.

TIMES

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

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9

PROFESSIONAL PAINTER Commercial and Residential Free Estimates 613 276 4583

HANDYMAN SERVICES Call Bill 613 774 2922

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. To terrify (archaic) 6. To tax or access 10. Whacks 14. More pleasant 15. Leave out 16. River of Spain 17. Jibe 18. Roman emperor 19. Lunch or dinner 20. From that time on 22. Countertenor 23. Sandwich shop 24. Exit 26. After-bath powder 30. Martini ingredient 31. Long-haired wild ox 32. Murres 33. Chilled 35. Fees for buses

Easy

39. Storm 41. On leave (military) 43. Flavorful 44. Peddle 46. Connects two points 47. 2,000 pounds 49. Spelling contest 50. Biblical garden 51. Slander 54. Mining finds 56. Wicked 57. State of being clean 63. Timbuktu country 64. Blockhead 65. Twilled fabric 66. Midmonth date 67. Tardy 68. Supporting column 69. Check 70. Visual organs 71. Affirmatives

The Voice of North Grenville

Mar 8 Heckston United Church St Patrick's Day supper 4.30 to 6:30 pm. Free will offering Mar 14 Bonfire/skating party/4 wheeler day to honour Dale Armstrong Jr. He had wanted to do this for years & and everyone is invited to attend. We will start the day at 10am at Camp on Land O' Nod Rd. Mar 18 Kemptville Horticultural Society March Meeting, 7 pm, Kemptville Pentecostal Church. Speaker: David Dunn & Rob Carron of the Rideau Woodland Ramble

DOWN 1. Annoying insect 2. Not low 3. Unit of land 4. Clairvoyant 5. Cornered 6. Disputes 7. A white crystalline alkaloid 8. "Your majesty" 9. A level in a building 10. Noteworthy 11. Poplar tree 12. Backsides 13. Flies alone 21. Armor 25. Spike 26. Sounds of reproof 27. District 28. Not stiff 29. Free-enterprise 34. Dark-colored, igneous rocks 36. Police action 37. Feudal worker 38. Observed 40. Anagram of "Dome" 42. Swift 45. Hard rubber 48. Get cozy 51. To yield or submit 52. Avoid 53. Dossiers 55. Impudent 58. On the road 59. French for "Head" 60. Colored part of an eye 61. Leer at 62. Catches

Weekly and recurring events M on Kemptville Quilters Guild, 2 nd Mon./mth at the Kemptville Pentecostal Church, 1964 County Road 43, 7 pm. New members welcome.

Kemptville Cancer Support Group, 3 rd Mon/mth, St. John’s United Church, 2 pm. For info call Ellen Vibert-M iller at 613-258-7778.

Arts Guild, 2nd Mon/mth, 7pm at the Masonic Hall on Van Buren St. Newcomer Bridge-St John's United Church 12:15pm. Cost $5.00. All levels welcome.

Info 613-806-4495 or 613-795-7155.

Gremlins Square Dance Club, NG Municipal Centre, 7:30-9:30 pm. Sept-April.

Details at: www.grenvillegremlins09 or email : kemptvillesquaredance@gmail.com Tues Rotary Club meeting, Kemptville Legion, 6:30 pm.

BNI Netw orking Group Breakfast, Grenville M utual Insurance Building, 380 Colonnade Dr, 7- 8:30 am. Info: 613-918-0430.

Bridge St. John’s United Church, 12:15 pm. Cost $5. All levels of bridge players welcome. Info, call. 613-806-4495 to 613-795-7155.

The Branch Artisans Guild, NG Community Church, 2659 Concession St. every 3 rd Tue/mth, 7pm. New members welcomed Photography Club - 1 st W ed./mth, 7-9 pm, at the Grenville M utual Insurance, 3 8 0 Colonnade Drive. See ngphotoclub.ca for info.

Klub 67 Euchre every 2 nd &4 th W ed/mth, 1 pm, Kemptville Retirement Living, 2950 Cty Rd 43. Everyone welcome. $5.00. (No euchre July & August) Bingo- 1 st & 3 rd W ed/mth., Kemptville Legion, 1 pm. All welcome.

New Horizon Club, Burritt`s Rapids Community Hall. Adults 55 plus welcome.

For info re programs and membership, call Golida Tym 258-3894.

Probus Club of North Grenville, 3rd Wed./mth. Everyone is welcome to join us at 9:30 am at St Paul's Presbyterian Church Hall for fellowship.

NGPL Science and Technology Group meetings, 1st/W ed/mth, 7-9 pm in the program room at the Library.

Euchre, Rideau Glen Golf Course, 6:30 sharp, $5, share the wealth tickets sold, all proceeds go back to the players. May 1-Oct 9.

Thu Bridge - St. John’s United Church, 6:15- pm. Cost $5. All levels of bridge players welcome. For more info, call 613-806-4495 or 613-795-7155.

North Grenville Toastmasters - Meeting 1 st & 3 rd Thurs/mth., 7 pm at O’Farrell’s Financial Services, Cty Rd 44. Info, call 790 7665.

Fri Friendship Lunch, 11:30-1 pm, St. John’s United Church. Free, everyone welcome.

Sat Kemptville Legion breakfast, 8 - 10 am 3 rd Sat/mth, 100 Reuben Crescent. Adults $6, Children 6 and under $3. All welcome.

Euchre, Kemptville Legion, last Sat/mth. Noon-5 pm.

Sun Bingo, Kemptville Legion – 1 st Sun/mth, Doors open 6 pm, guaranteed $400 jackpot. Refreshments available.

M ,W ,F Kemptville and Area W alking Group meet at M unicipal Centre at 8 am.

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The Voice of North Grenville

Fundamentals

A Christian, or a hambuger?

by David Shanahan Yes, that is an odd question: a Christian, or a hamburger? Actually, it comes from a comment by the late Keith Green, a Christian musician from a time when Christian music had content and power. He once said: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, any more than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger”.

He was pointing to an only-too-common phenomenon: the churches full of people who have never experienced God, never known their sins to be forgiven, and with no assurance of their salvation.

In fact, it is quite likely that many people would even accept that these things are either possible, or desirable in a Christian. To know that you are a sinner, to know that “I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind, but now I see”, and to know that you are destined for eternal life, regardless of everything against you, may be considered arrogant and presumptions.

But that is precisely what Jesus and every New Testament writer says we should know. “They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.”[John 4.42] “We...know that a person is not justified by the works of

the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”[Galatians 2.15-16.

“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”[1 John 5.20] Why is it so many sit in churches, or stand and sing, and don’t know these things?

In part, it’s because no-one expects them too. They have not been told that this is an essential part of being a Christian. They have been led to expect that they are simply an audience, their role is to sit and listen, or join in with the singing and prayers.

Because so many churches are structured that way, for historical reasons, or because of the format used in church meetings. And because so many church leaders grew up under that kind of structure, they don’t know that it could, or should, be any different. But the New Testament is clear, as Paul said to the Corinthians: “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.

Everything must be done so that the church may be built

up.”[1 Cor. 14.26] Christians were not meant to meet so that they could enjoy a great light show, a musical performance, a concert.

They are to worship; but that, today, often means repeating the few lines of a chorus in order to get a good feeling, rather than sing the words of songs that have content, real meat and not milk. The writer to the Hebrews bemoaned the same problem is his or her day: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.

You need milk, not solid food!

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.” [Hebrews 5.11-13] Christians today are too often led to believe that the spirituality of a church is reflected in its size, in the talent of the choir, the number of people who attend youth groups, social events, and so on. But these things are, in fact, often a hindrance, because they exclude the possibility of close fellowship, put the emphasis on the standards which the world uses to define success. The big question for any church, or for any individual, is: are you a Christian, or a hamburger?

Breakfast at school program

by Hilary Thomson A dedicated Early Childhood Educator (ECE) at Académie Catholique Notre Dame (ACND) in Kemptville has made it her mission to make sure every kid at the school is properly fueled for the day. Louise Rauche started the breakfast program at ACND in November.

The program is supported by Nutrition 4 Kids Leeds and Grenville, an initiative whose goal is to ensure that each child in Leeds and Grenville attends school well nourished and ready to learn. Nutrition 4 Kids is administered by the Upper Canada Leger Centre for Education and Training, which is in charge of running nutritional programs in Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott-Russell, Renfrew, and Leeds and Grenville.

Louise says they had the breakfast program at the school she worked at in Brockville, and she thought it would be a great idea to bring it to ACND. She knows how busy mornings can be and how difficult it is for kids to get a proper breakfast before getting on the school bus.

“It’s one less thing for parents to think of,” she says.

Every morning, Louise welcomes students as they get off the bus into her classroom, where a balanced breakfast is waiting for them. The nutritious meal always has at least three of the four food groups and can include anything from cereal, milk and fruit, to wow butter and jam sandwiches. “I want it to be as filling as possible,” she says. Louise not only organizes breakfasts every morning, but also fills baskets of healthy snacks for each classroom to make sure the students are fueled throughout the day.

Since the program started in November, it has only grown in popularity. Louise now has around 30 students in her classroom every morning having breakfast, and even more are taking advantage of the basket of snacks in their classroom. “Kids are growing and hungry,” Louise says. “It’s a weight off parent’s shoulders to know they are eating well.”

Louise not only spearheaded the program at ACND, but also runs almost all of it herself.

She says she has some help from the school daycare’s cook, Elizabeth Fleury, and sometimes the students help out as well. “It’s such an easy program,” she says. “It should be in every school in my opinion.”

Louise says that the breakfast program allows all students at ACND to start the day on the right foot. Not only are they getting a nutritious meal, but also some time to socialize before the school day gets started. “It’s my favourite part of the day,” she says.

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BACKYARD ASTRONOMY Evening Beacon

by Gary Boyle The Backyard Astronomer Throughout history, keen skywatchers would follow the weekly and monthly movement of bright objects against the background sky. The early Greeks referred to the planets of our solar system as the “wanderers” and there are five which can be seen and followed with the unaided eye.

The planet Venus is now seen high in the western sky shortly after sunset. Other than the moon, Venus is the brightest night-time object and for good reason. It is completely surrounded by thick clouds comprised of carbon dioxide and reflects about 75% of sunlight that falls on them.

On a moonless night out in the dark countryside and away from any light source, this beacon will cast a shadow on a sheet of white paper. It can also be a great subject for astrophotography. However, what goes on under the clouds is something out of a science fiction novel. Thanks to its 50 to 75-kilometre cloud deck, pressures at the surface are 90 times that of earth. That is comparable to being a kilo-

metre under the ocean or in a car crusher. It rains sulphuric acid (battery acid) that never reaches the ground.

The clouds also produce the greenhouse effect, trapping the solar energy and locking it in. This keeps the day and night side a toasty 400 degrees Celsius and is so hot you could cook a large pizza in 9 seconds. It is safe to say human astronauts will never visit the Venusian surface. However, in 1970 the Russians launched Venera 7 and became the first of its kind to land on another planet.

The craft only lasted about 50 minutes but opened the door to the planet’s hidden secrets. Today, X-ray images pierce these clouds to reveal its landscape and volcanoes that still seem to be erupting.

Venus and Mercury are termed inferior planets as they reside inside earth’s orbit. It takes only 224 days for Venus to circle the sun and takes on different phases when viewed through a telescope, much like we see with the moon as more or less sunlight illuminates its surface. On March

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1, Venus will only be illuminated by 62%. It reaches its farthest point from the sun on March 24 and then begins to move lower to the horizon.

Over the next few weeks, the planet will position itself between the sun and earth.

Following this progression through a telescope, you will notice the planet growing in size as it moves closer to us but shrinking in illumination.

On April 3 it will be located in the Pleiades Cluster and on the night of May 21 and 22, teams up with Mercury low in the northwest sky but will be a thin 4% lit crescent.

Known as “The Backyard Astronomer”, Gary Boyle is an astronomy educator, guest speaker and monthly columnist for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

He has been interviewed on more than 50 Canadian radio stations and local Ottawa TV. 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 or his website: www. wondersofastronomy.com.

WDMH Joins Trillium Gift of Life Network

Right now, in Ontario, there are more than 1,600 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Unfortunately, the need for transplant continues to outweigh the number of organs available.

Every three days, someone dies while waiting.

Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN), Ontario’s organ and tissue procurement organization, is working in two ways to tackle this problem: encouraging the public to register as organ and tissue donors and ensuring hospitals identify and notify TGLN of every potential donor.

Effective, March 31, 2020, Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH) will work to save more lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation by notifying TGLN when a patient is at high risk of imminent death or when a patient has died. Routine notification is the critical first step allowing TGLN to assess and determine if organ and/or tissue donation is possible.

“We are excited to be part of this important program,” says Nathalie Boudreau, Vice President, Clinical Services at WDMH. “Through this

613-258-7800 www.kvrl.ca

partnership, the hope is more families will have conversations about the importance of providing life-saving gifts to those in need.”

By implementing Routine Notification across the entire hospital, WDMH hopes to make donation a standard part of quality end-of-life care. A call to TGLN starts the process of saving and enhancing lives. Donations help honour a person’s wish to donate, leaving a lasting legacy for grieving families, and helping to start a new life for someone who is waiting for a transplant.

The gift of organ and tissue can be life changing, and life saving for a recipient, in the following ways: After a sight-restoring corneal transplant surgery facilitated through the gift of

eye donation, recipients can return to work or school Kidney donation enables recipients to live free from dialysis treatments and allows them to eat and travel without restrictions Heart valve donations are used to replace the diseased or damaged valves of young children, giving them the chance to live a normal, healthy life Lung donation allows recipients to walk, climb stairs and build an active life.

To ensure that your donation decision is honored, register your consent at www. beadonor.ca or in person at a ServiceOntario centre. Be sure to speak to your family about your wishes. One day, your death could have the power to save up to eight lives and transform up to 75 others.

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TIMES Shannon Lever

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