ND Times Issue 2 2021 January 20

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Vol2, Issue 2

January 20, 2021

COVID-19 vaccines arrive at Dundas Manor “We sell knowledge... and auto parts”

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Bill Wagoner was the first resident to get the vaccine.

A special delivery at Dundas Manor has everyone smiling. Residents, staff, physicians, and essential caregivers received the COVID-19 vaccine yesterday. In total, 312 doses were given. The Resident Council Leadership Team dubbed the day ‘Operation Protect’, celebrating the completion of the mission to get everyone vaccinated.

Resident, Bill Wagoner, was the first resident to get the shot: “It just felt like a little mosquito bite. No problem!

One quick needle means a life of protection.”

Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) Spencer Hayward was the first staff member to get the shot: “I was very excited to get the vaccine today, and encourage everyone to get it when able.” Spencer’s Mom Sharon (another PSW at Dundas Manor) was second in line.

Essential caregiver, Janie Grimes, who also serves as Family Services Representative at the home, also received her shot: “I am so grateful to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. It is amazing how the staff at Dundas

Kim Monkhouse

you to the paramedics, nurses and our entire Dundas Manor family for your commitment and support of one another.

We are DUNDASMANORSTRONG ...”

Although the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has been given, all safety protocols, such as wearing masks, the use of personal protective equipment, and visitor restrictions will remain in place. In addition, staff and essential caregivers will continue to be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis.

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“This has been an emotional week preparing for the clinic. We are sharing tears of happiness and gratitude to the Eastern Ontario Health Unit for their assistance in bringing the vaccine to our home,” summed up Administrator Susan Poirier. “Thank

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The North Dundas Times

COVID-19 vaccines arrive at Dundas Manor (continued)

1000 Hours Outside Project

Our thanks to the Cornwall-SDG paramedics, EOHU nurses for their assistance.

by Joselyn Morley

Registered Practical Nurse Spencer Hayward was the first staff member to get the vaccine.

You may have heard people talking about being outside for 1000 hours, and thought them possibly somewhat extreme. Who on earth wants to stay outside for 1000 hours. And why? 1000 hours is a long time!

It's the 1000 Hours Outside Movement. The core goal of the movement is to get kids outside for 1000 hours a year.

You just did some quick mental math there.... didn't you? Broken down equally, 1000 hours a year breaks down to 2.7 hours a day, or 19.2 hours a week. Most families trying this aim for about four to six hours a day, three to four days a week.

1000 Hours Outside is a global movement, based on an effort to match the time spent outside with the time the average American Child spends in front of a screen. Statistically, the Average American Child spends roughly 1200 hours a year in front of a screen. This is a prepandemic statistic. Children learn in nature. Being outside,

playing, helps children develop on all levels: physically, socially, academically, and emotionally. The founders of the movement, Ginny and Josh Yurich, maintain "that nature - big beautiful, bountiful nature - is the absolute and very BEST reprieve for you and your children." Ginny and Josh have five children under twelve, and live in Southeast Michigan. They started their movement after questioning why they saw so few children at city, country, and state parks, or at trails and campsites.

The emphasis of the movement is on Nature Play: free time in nature. Children will seek out learning opportunities on their own given the chance.

You can get downloadable tracker sheets on the website, and read others' experiences of their time outside as they try to embrace this lifestyle.

There are plenty of tips there too, such as "How to Find the Hidden Nature Gems Near You," and information on the benefits of free time in nature, such as how good sunlight is for your mental health.

For many people, even contemplating spending 1000 hours a year outside is laughable, and seems unattainable.

So, if you haven't spent much time outside recently, maybe pick a small goal, maybe an hour a day. Or a half hour. Or fifteen.....

At its core, this challenge is totally grounded in privilege. This is not going to happen if you are working two jobs, kids in daycare from open-to-close, big-city-highrise life. This is a judgmentfree zone: I've been there. It requires a privileged life to be able to spend four to six hours a day, three to four days a week.

Nevertheless, the fundamental premise of this challenge, is that kids thrive outside. Adults thrive outside too, although this challenge started as a way to emphasize the benefits to children of learning outside. Maybe there should be a 365 Hours Outside Challenge. Just spend an hour outside every day.

Check out the project online at: 1000hoursoutside. com There are many groups on social media as well

Non-essential County staff working remotely during state of emergency

The United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry has announced that all non-essential staff have transitioned to working remotely at least until the provincial state of emergency/work-athome orders have been lifted.

County CAO Tim Simpson said the County continues to follow the lead of the province and its health care professionals to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The County administration building has been closed to the public since the Christmas break, and these new measures will help to further blunt January 20, 2021

the coronavirus spread.

“Staff are still working and can be reached by email and cell phone as usual as they continue the work of local government,” said CAO Simpson. “All essential County services, including roads, carry on as usual.”

The public can expect the following impacts at this time: The County administration building remains closed to the public. The public is encouraged to utilize available online resources and contact staff via telephone or email.

Provincial Offences Act

court matters will continue as scheduled. The public is reminded that a convenient way to pay fines is by visiting the County website at www. sdgcounties.ca.

All applications for severances and various permits (entrances, moving, setbacks) must be submitted electronically.

All SDG Library branches continue to be open for curbside pick-up of books and print materials, including DVDs, musical instruments, and other ‘Library of Things’ items.

More info: sdglibrary.ca/

limited-branch-access.

The County has been in close contact with its municipal partners in the area and will provide updates as they become available.

“It’s our hope that these measures will be short-term in duration and we thank our residents for their patience and understanding,” said CAO Simpson.

Warden Frank Prevost said the County is being proactive in its decision-making.

“The health of our residents and our staff is of paramount concern,” he said.

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The North Dundas Times

Provincial Stay-at-Home Order

by Joselyn Morley The government of Ontario declared a second Provincial Emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act on January 12. This allowed them to enact further restrictions in order to halt or slow the spread of Covid-19. It came into effect on Thursday, 14 January.

People were confused.

The government has been criticised at many points throughout the pandemic for unclear or inconsistent messaging. One example is that many people still think that they can visit with people in their "Bubble." The idea of a Bubble came about as restrictions were relaxed when the government attempted to open up the economy.

People were encouraged to consider themselves part of a limited social circle, or Bubble. You could visit with people in your bubble, as long as Bubbles stayed intact. We

no longer have Bubbles.

We have been told to stay home, except for essential needs. Everyone who can work from home is to do so.

The Stay-at-Home Order allowed increased oversight of employers who may not have been encouraging working from home. Ford noted how many people were working in downtown Toronto now, compared to March, April, and May of 2020.

We can get groceries and household goods, pet food, or medications. We can attend medical appointments, or access social services, health supports, mental health supports, or addictions support services. We can get take out food from restaurants. We can take groceries or other essential items to someone in need.

We are explicitly allowed to drive children to daycare, or to another parent's residence.

The confusion came around exercising, and being outside. People can leave their house to exercise out-

Sustainability

side, and they can use an outdoor recreation facilities, like trails, rinks, hills, and the like. People wondered how many people could gather together outside. Similar to the confusion around the Bubble, people interpreted the new rules through what had been allowed before. The answer to how many people can gather together outside is zero. Go out, exercise with your family or by yourself, go home.

Public health departments were handed out. One City area is within their immedi- there is no confusion here, now declare that masks are of Ottawa Councillor was ate neighbourhood, making it's very simple. Stay home. important even outside, yet calling for more ticketing people wonder if they would Stay home. That's it!" When previously we were told they when people were too close be ticketed if they went to pushed, Ford said everyone were not necessary. We were on tobogganing hills. Enti- one of the cross country ski needed to use "judgement told that outside was gener- ties like the National Capital or hiking trails, or the canal. and common sense." Which After the Stay-at-Home sounds sensible. Until you ally safer than being inside, Commission, who has jurisorder was rolled out, and actually try to figure out if you diction over the Rideau Canal but now we are told to not be near people outside and wear and the Greenbelt, added people started shaking their can go skating if you have to to the confusion, and to the heads and saying "Clear as drive to a skating rink! masks when possible.

Messaging from outside sense of the absurd, spectacu- Mud," Ford said, "Folks, our area adds to the confu- larly when they declared that, sion. Areas in Ottawa have once open, the Rideau Canal put limits on the number Skateway should only be of people allowed to use visited by those within walkoutdoor amenities like out- ing distance. When pressed, door rinks. Masks are to be they explained that people enjoy whatever NCC worn. warnings should • Brakes • Tickets Vehicle and repairs • Class “A” Mechanic • Suspension Homemade frozen meals • Sale of Quality Pre- • Tire Sales Pizza & subs • Air Conditioning LCBO/Beer Store convenience outlet Owned Vehicles • Flat Bed Tow Truck • Alignments 613-989-1323 fore, or never seen anything Hours: Mon-Fri 6am-7pm Sat&Sun 7am-7pm grown. Many 613-989-3839 of us left that online 1738 County Rd 1, Mountain Ontario C oencounter u n t y R dwith 1, Mountain Ontario a bad taste in our mouths, but also a determination to form communities that supported questions. There are so many amazing gardeners in this area who are willing to answer questions online, and in person. I count on them and value them dearly as I learn.

There are many people right now leaving cities, looking for a life where they can connect a bit more with the earth, and the things that sustain us. Some have been scared by the pandemic.

Others were seeking a con nection prior.

Sustainability, in short, is the ability to exist con stantly. It sounds self-ev ident, but as a society, we are struggling. Ontario Min istry of Agriculture, Food,

and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) defines sustainable

agriculture as "the efficient production of safe, highquality agricultural product, in a way that protects and improves the natural enA Division of Arthur Thom Electric Limited since 1949 vironment, the social and Call or email us today! economic conditions of the farmers, their employees and local communities, and safeguards the health info@atelair.ca www.atelair.ca and welfare of all farmed species."

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Don’t let a winter storm

by Joselyn Morley This is the first in a series of articles on sustainability. Going forward, there is a space for discussion of all things sustainable: local food, sustainable agriculture, food security, sustainable development, heritage animals and grains, heirloom food, how to support local food community, how to support and grow local community in general, local market gardening, permaculture, regenerative farming.... You get the idea.

I'm open to suggestions, and to learning. I would like to visit some small local farms and businesses. It seems unbelievable that, despite the fact that we are surrounded on all sides by farmland, many in our community exist in a food desert or are food insecure.

North Dundas is growing. The pandemic has fueled a desire, for those who are able, to upgrade their living situation. For some that means a bigger house in the city. For others it means selling in the city and heading to smaller townships January 20, 2021

like North Dundas. We have a chance to help shape what kind of place North Dundas is in five years, fifteen years, twenty five years. Do we want to be a bedroom community for Ottawa, or do we want to encourage a local, vibrant, and sustainable community.

I have lots of ideas to explore in this section going forward. I'd love to hear what you are interested in learning about. Gardeners are starting plants this week: peppers are being planted in tiny pots right now. Market gardeners and home gardeners are using greenhouses to extend the season, but also to see if it is possible to grow your own green food in your backyard all winter. Or on your windowsill. Maybe there's enough interest in gardening to start a column dedicated to heirloom tomatoes and no-til backyard plots. I saw a woman get laughed off an online gardening group one night because she asked how many carrots she could get from one carrot seed. Fair question if you've never grown anything be-

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The North Dundas Times

We shall overcome

by David Shanahan Let’s face it: most of us are thoroughly fed up with covid, restrictions, and all the other irritating aspects of life these days. And it’s not just a pandemic that’s getting on our collective nerves.

There’s the climate: did you know that the past six years have been the hottest six on record, worldwide? That’s according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. And it’s not going to get any better soon, if ever. Feeling a little discouraged now?

This issue of the Times contains quite a lot about the latest results of covid: a province wide lock down (again), stay at home, wash your hands, keep apart as much as possible. It is so easy to just throw our hands in the air and tell it all to go the way of the Dodo. Not that any of that would do any good either.

Last week, someone sent me a troubling rant sent out by someone to their “dear neighbours”. It was another of those conspiracy theory things that warn you to “read this before it gets taken down”. It promised to “disclose to you

[what] very few people know about”. Of course, naturally.

Only the privileged few get to see behind the curtain and appreciate the diabolical things that are happening, and who understand that the “mainstream media...has largely been controlled by corrupt CIA and evil individuals”.

I am amazed that these evil and machiavellian powers are so bad at their plotting that everyone finds out about them so easily. I am also amazed that no-one seems to have a rational (too much to hope for?) reason for why they are doing these dastardly deeds. If they are so powerful that they are already pulling the strings of world politics, media and social affairs, why do they still need to keep plotting? I’m sorry: I’m trying to be reasonable about something totally unreasonable.

How pointless.

Of course, these “enlightened ones” will simply point out that, as a newspaper editor, I have been either coopted by the nasty villains, or simply fooled into blindness.

You really can’t win when you try to discuss conspiracy theories rationally. But I am also an historian, and I know

that this kind of witch-hunt has been a regular aspect of times of confusion, fear and social disruption throughout history. It has only become even more toxic in an age of online social media platforms that encourage the most baseless and insane ideas free access to millions. And there are always going to be those who swallow these idiotic ideas wholesale because it makes them feel they are privy to secrets, and therefore makes them important.

What is particularly dangerous in these days, could be seen in Washington on January 6. Thousands of people, most of whom are “regular” folks, getting caught up in the emotion and excitement of the mob, and committing acts that led to the deaths of five people. Don’t dismiss the power of the mob mentality too easily. I have experienced it first hand. Back in 1972, after the British Army shot 26 unarmed protestors in Derry, 14 of whom died, there was a very understandable anger in Ireland that led to a protest march on the British Embassy in Dublin. The emotion, the feeling that we were part of a righteously angry people,

allowed some individuals to throw molotov cocktails through the doors of the embassy, which was completely gutted in the ensuing fire.

During the entire event, we cheered lustily and totally lost any sense of reality. (Aside from the fact that most of us were anti-violence in any other situations, we also had to pay for a new British Embassy!).

But back to our “dear neighbour” and that flyer. One of the sources listed there is to a youtube video by Lin Wood.

That should be enough to put anyone on the alert for some genuine, 100% nonsense.

This is a really weird example of the conspiracy theorist. The Huffington Post reported that: “He predicts the execution of Vice President Mike Pence by firing squad on charges of “treason”; he tweeted that he believes Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts raped and murdered a child on video; he claims hackers from “Lizard Squad” have encrypted evidence of a global cabal of powerful individuals whom intelligence agencies have blackmailed to do their bidding.”

Look, this is not a “good”

world in which we live. In spite of what many want to believe, people are not always good, not even fundamentally. But history is full of these stories of cabals and secret societies that are secretly a. running the world for their own enrichment; b. drinking the blood of innocents; or c. controlling the media in order to brainwash regular people into believing their lies. In past generations, these powers have been identified as Masons, Illuminatti, the Jews, Catholics, witches, or any number of others who were the focus of the day.

Life is difficult these days, and we have to keep our heads, as well as our bodies, safe from viruses. There are people who will claim masks, social distancing, vaccines, and other measures, are not only ineffective, but positively dangerous, and part of a plan to somehow keep us all down. No reliable evidence is offered to support these claims. Believing them puts others at risk. The evidence is all on one side, and it is not that of the QAnon initiates who somehow know all.

Of course, even if they’re right, and that we are help-

less against an all-powerful elite who play with us as puppets, what do they suggest we do about it? Create insurrection and anarchy? If these conspiracies were true, there would never have been a revolution of democracy, civil rights, an end to Apartheid, an ecological movement, a feminist movement, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and assembly, because these are all anathema, we’re told, to the “hidden ones” who run the world.

This is no time to be fearful, gullible, irresponsible.

This is a time when we have to stand together against a very real danger; one that has killed more than two million people worldwide; one that continues to threaten us and our children, parents, friends and neighbours. That is the real truth that’s out there.

That is what we have to guard against, no matter how tired, irritated and genuinely fed up we may be. This will take time; but this, too, shall pass.

We shall overcome.

Letter to the Editor

Covid-19 Vaccine Dear Editor, to get this app and I kept put- that you take a look at this of any age get into this enI just read the article writ- ting her off because I hadn't website I use to review apps vironment. I think if you are Rollout SDG ten by Naomi Jackson titled "What is Roblox?". This article does talk about being careful and that there is bullying, racism, and homophobia on Roblox, but "Roblox is a wonderful, but sometimes harsh, online gaming community. It is growing and changing for the good as more voices speak out and stop cyberbullying and scams.

Roblox is safe to play, and incredibly fun to explore with your friends, and might just be the community for you."

Her final sentence is encouraging parents to allow their children to use this app with their friends as it is "safe and incredibly fun to explore."

I am sorry, but I am a parent of a 10-year-old girl and this game is anything but being safe from the information I have gotten from her and her friends. My daughter was bugging me and bugging me

had a chance to look into it and talk to my friends about it. Then one day she came home and said she wanted NOTHING to do with it at all.

She told me how two girls in her Grade 5 class (8 and 9 yr olds) were playing and had their own avatars and decided to go into a private room together where they proceeded to have virtual sex with their avatars for three hours a night for a while.

I had another friend who set the parental controls and when she looked in on her son who was playing, someone had gone in on their end and turned off the settings she had set and was chatting with her son....she turned the settings off again, but a bit later it happened again. This was not her son who changed the settings, it was someone online trying to get at him.

I would highly suggest

before I approve them for my children. This is the review they did on Roblox and it is extremely different from the article written in the paper this week. I would also suggest that your reporter talk to other parents who have children who have experiences and information on this kind of thing.

In summary, I feel there should have been a lot more information for parents so they know both sides of this app and therefore could actually make an informed decision about it. This was not a good overall explanation of this app and did not reveal the truth about what can happen in this app. As a parent just reading her article, I would totally feel fine about signing my kid up for this; but, after talking to my friends and reading this article, I would 100% NOT let my children

going to give parents/readers information about an app, then I think you should give them the tools to protect their children and also tell them the pros and cons of an app.

There are much better online apps and games out there for kids to use with their friends that will not expose them to unnecessary violence, rape, bullying, racism, homophobia, and other graphics that are offensive.

Angela Wood

Send in your letters, stories, events to editor@ ndtimes.ca

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

Production

Pat Jessop Email: production@ndtimes.ca 613 258 4671 January 20, 2021

Eastern Ontario has received their first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19. They arrived at the Eastern Ontario Health Unit the week of January 11. Vaccination started on January 13. With Ontario prioritizing the most vulnerable of our population to receive the first doses of the vaccine, the staff, residents, and essential caregivers of long-term care homes and retirement homes will be the first to receive their vaccinations in Eastern Ontario. The PfizerBioNTech vaccine requires intense refrigeration, to minus 70 degrees Celsius. The company has shipped the vaccine in dry ice because few freezers can get to such a low temperature. In the US, Pfizer's decision to turn off the temperature sensors in the boxes that the vaccine is shipped in, caused a panic. Consensus is that Pfizer's decision to disconnect the sensors once the containers have been delivered to their destination stemmed from a fear of legal challenges should the temperature of the containers go above minus 70 degrees Celsius, thus rendering the possibility that the vaccine become ineffective.

In other news Dr Paul Roumeliotis, EOHU's Medical Officer of Health, assured the reporters gathered for one of his twice-weekly updates, that he was concerned about the allegation that many people from Quebec have been coming into Ontario to avoid some of the harsher restrictions in Quebec.

He reassured them that he would follow up with enforcement officials to monitor box stores more effectively for people crossing the provincial border to shop, and to monitor how many people are in a store at any one time.

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UCPR and SDG Counties partner with SNC for Natural Heritage Systems Study

Every member makes a difference.

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The United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR), as well as the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry (SDG) have partnered with South Nation Conservation (SNC) to complete a Natural Heritage Systems (NHS) study in Eastern Ontario.

An NHS is a network of interconnected natural features such as forests, rivers, wetlands, and agricultural lands. These systems are made up of core natural areas and natural linkages that support wildlife movement and natural processes necessary to maintain biological diversity, natural functions, and ecosystems. Strong natural heritage systems protection is necessary to maintain and enhance long-term quality of life, environmental health, and economic prosperity in the region.

As a provincial requirement, both Counties identify NHS policies in their Official Plans to protect the ecological integrity of these areas.

Through a unique partnership, the Conservation Authority is completing an updated study on behalf of both Counties to ensure these policies remain appropriate, effective, and implementable.

SNC has also been working with the Raisin Region Conservation Authority and 14 municipalities in both Counties, along with indigenous partners and other special interest groups to best redefine the NHS while finding a balance between indigenous ecosystems and the importance of agricultural and other land uses in the region.

The updated draft NHS maps are available for viewing on SNC’s website at

may also complete an online feedback form or request a virtual meeting with SNC in February. Feedback received will assist in updating Official Plan policies for both Counties.

“We look forward to working with the Counties, our partners, and hearing from area residents on ways to best conserve these natural features and areas for future generations,” says Alison McDonald, SNC’s Approvals Lead.

www.nation.on.ca/nhs, as well as frequently asked questions, an interactive story map, and a link to download a free smartphone application where residents can report sightings of moose, fishers and other wildlife to help SNC identify local corridors and natural linkages.

SNC will also be live streaming public presentations on the new draft NHS maps via their YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/ SouthNationCA) on the following dates: • Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at 7:00 pm (SDG) • Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 7:00 pm (UCPR) Area residents and stakeholders are invited to tune-in to learn more about the NHS maps and may pose questions via YouTube’s live chat feature. Those who wish to provide additional feedback

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The North Dundas Times

The Brown Murders of 1879 in West Winchester

Carl Dussault est nommé surintendant spent the day harrowing the poisoning his brother earlier de l’éducation

by Susan Peters, Dundas County Archives Every once in a while, a story surfaces that creates a huge sensation. It makes one realize that the sleepy little community had a very deep undercurrent. One such story took place in what was then West Winchester. The story was reported in newspapers from New York City and Toronto.

In 1879, West Winchester was still a small community with a population of only 700.

It was not for another decade that the name became Winchester. If that was not confusing enough, the name of the original town of Winchester was changed to Chesterville in 1865.

The patriarch of the Brown family, Robert, had been born in Scotland, but arrived in the area in 1845, along with the throngs of immigrants eager for a new life in Upper Canada. His wife, Lydia, was also born in Scotland, and settled with her family on a farm near Metcalfe. By 1879, they had been married for 23 years. They had a 21-year-old son, Clark; Charles was 17, and they had two young daughters; Adeline aged 12, and Winnifred aged 8. Clark had been married for 8 months to Melvina. They all lived together in the large farmhouse.

On the fateful night of September 2, 1879, Robert was exhausted, as he had

fields. His eldest son, Clark, had been in his bed all day with a debilitating headache, and had been suffering greatly with these headaches for months. Robert went to lie down after his dinner. Charles took Clark’s wife Melvina to visit her parents’ farm near Metcalfe, so they were out of the home that evening.

The events that happened next were horrific, but the details altered, depending on who was telling the story. By all accounts, Robert had encountered an individual who had attacked him with an axe.

It was a bloody ordeal, and he did not survive. Unfortunately, 12-year-old Addie was an innocent victim, sustaining massive wounds to her head.

While all this was happening, Lydia ran out of the farmhouse to tell neighbours of the situation. It just so happened that most of the neighbouring farms were all members of the extended Brown family.

While Clark originally claimed a stranger came to the house to battle them with an axe, he eventually confessed that he was the murderer.

During the trial that ensued in Cornwall, it was apparent that this family had many secrets, and the undercurrent was one of dysfunction. Clark had motive, as he had learned that his father had multiple mortgages on the farm. Clark had wanted to have part of it signed over to his name. Apparently, his little sister was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We also learned that Clark was accused of

in the year, and possibly others as well.

Of course, before the development of forensics, hearsay and accusations were pretty much all one could go with in a trial that was reported as far away as the New York Times. Between Clark’s confession and the witness accounts, it was enough to convict Clark and he was hanged in Cornwall October 25, 1879. None of the Brown family was there at the end, other than Lydia and Melvina.

The trial and execution drew large crowds, some of whom had traveled quite a distance to partake in the events. It was almost a circus.

After all, this was the first public execution in Cornwall in over 43 years. Clearly, there was still discord within the Brown family as, in a matter of months, Lydia’s brother-in-law had her charged for complicity in the murders.

An inquest took place in Morrisburg. The prosecuting attorney was James P. Whitney, a Morrisburg lawyer who later became Premier of Ontario. While there was much salacious testimony against Lydia, in the end she was discharged, and the charges were dropped. But you can be pretty sure that her brotherin-law was off her Christmas gift list. While this brought no joy for any members of this family, for us, this story is a great asset. It provides a vivid window into the world of West Winchester in 1879.

UCDSB Trustee meeting report UCDSB Graduation Rate Update: Staff updated the Board of Trustees regarding the ongoing system efforts to meet the Upper Canada District School Board’s 90% graduation rate goal. The UCDSB’s four-year student graduation rate has climbed steadily from 73.4% in 2017, to 77.4% in 2020.

Overall, the school board’s June 2020 graduation rate is estimated at 86.2%. The UCDSB expects to receive its official graduation rate results this Spring from the Ministry of Education.

UCDSB Reviews Quadmester 1 Credit Achievement Rates: Staff presented the Quadmester 1 credit achievement rates for secondary school students. Students taking part in the in-person or synchroJanuary 20, 2021

nous learning models had a 95.5 per cent successful credit achievement rate while remote asynchronous digital and non-digital learners experienced a 76.7 per cent successful credit achievement rate.

The UCDSB will continue to refine its instructional strategies and deploy resources to support all students, regardless of their method of learning. In addition, staff will continue to monitor student achievement through the UCDSB’s Student Success Teams, Graduation Coaches, and administrators to give each student the best chance for success amidst the disruptive circumstances of a global pandemic.

Staff Provide Trustees with Operational Update Planning and preparations

Staff continue to work to ensure students have access to devices and connectivity they need to learn. Staff are in the process of distributing approximately 350 more laptops and another 20 ‘internet hotspots’ - that number is on top of the 4,000 devices distributed between April and December, 2020. In anticipation of further need, staff are in the process of acquiring an additional 1,050 new laptops that could be loaned out.

to support staff, students and families for the return to full remote learning on Jan. 4, 2021 occurred in three stages, and staff outlined the process to trustees. Remote learners who require non-digital materials have been provided with the necessary resources to continue learning from home in an asynchronous format.

Currently, 44 students requiring intensive support with special education needs returned to learning in-person on January 7, as they could not be accommodated in any form of remote learning.

The Special Education Department continues to work directly with school teams who are working directly with families, to determine how best to serve students who cannot be accommodated in remote learning.

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Le Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CEPEO) est fier d’annoncer la nomination de Carl Dussault à titre de surintendant de l’éducation.

M. Dussault est détenteur d’une maîtrise en éducation et leadership de l'Université d’Ottawa et compte plus de 20 années d’expérience dans le système scolaire ontarien.

Après avoir commencé sa carrière d’enseignant à Toronto, il s’est joint au CEPEO en septembre 2002 en tant qu’enseignant au niveau secondaire à Cornwall. Il occupe depuis mars 2019 le poste de directeur à l’école élémentaire publique SéraphinMarion d’Ottawa.

Tout au long de son parcours, il a su mettre à profit ses qualités de leadership dans des postes de direction d’école en entretenant d’excellentes relations avec les communautés scolaires.

Il a su rallier des équipes et créer un environnement bienveillant et sécuritaire pour tous. Il a géré et a assuré, dans différentes écoles, le maintien et l’amélioration continue desservices pour les élèves ayant des besoins particuliers.

Carl Dussault a également travaillé comme agent de l’éducation au sein du ministère de l’Éducation de l’Ontario, où il a exercé un leadership provincial auprès des conseils scolaires francophones de l’Ontario. Il a contribué à l’encadrement et à la formation des directions d’école afin de rehausser le rendement scolaire en mathématiques à l’élémentaire et au secondaire, particulièrement auprès des sous-groupes d’élèves ayant des besoins particuliers en numératie. Il a soutenu le développement du leadership des cercles professionnels des directions

d’école à l’échelle provinciale par l’entremise de la coordination, de la planification et de l’animation des rencontres provinciales des directions et des webinaires. « Je suis honoré de me joindre à l’équipe de gestion en place et de collaborer avec l’ensemble du personnel du CEPEO afin d’aborder de façon stratégique et proactive les enjeux du contexte actuel de la pandémie et ceux à venir. J’ai le désir de contribuer au rayonnement du savoirfaire du CEPEO, non seulement à l’échelle provinciale, mais aussi à l’échelle nationale et internationale. C’est avec grand enthousiasme que j'entreprends ce nouveau mandat professionnel au sein du conseil. » mentionne Carl Dussault. « Nous sommes très heureux d’accueillir Carl Dussault au sein de l'équipe exécutive du CEPEO. Sa vaste expérience en éducation et sa connaissance de notre conseil seront un atout pour notre conseil scolaire. Nous sommes convaincus que son leadership et son expertise en éducation pour les enfants ayant des besoins particuliers seront un appui important pour l’ensemble des directions et de toutes nos écoles » ont souligné respectivement Denis M. Chartrand, président, et Sylvie C.R. Tremblay, directrice de l’éducation du CEPEO. Carl Dussault sera remplacé à la direction de l’école élémentaire publique Séraphin-Marion par Rabah Iddir et prendra ses fonctions à partir du 1er mars prochain. Aziza Hajji, directrice adjointe, assumera le poste de direction de l’école élémentaire publique Charlotte-Lemieux en remplacement de M. Iddir. www.ndtimes.ca

The North Dundas Times

Government Assistance for Small Business

by Joselyn Morley Small businesses are bearing the brunt of stay-at-home orders and lockdowns. Many of the big box stores that are allowed to remain open, are allowed to sell all their items, yet small shops have been shuttered. Businesses have scrambled to shift from a bricks & mortar business to online. With a new set of regulations under the most recent Stay-at-Home Order, it's even more important to Support Local. Curbside pickup or online ordering is possible for many small businesses. Restaurants can do take-out, and some, like Cup of Jo's, have gone online to provide meal kits. When you do buy something from a local business, take a selfie with your purchase. Share it on social media. Tell your friends what you're enjoying from our area! Like and share a business' Facebook page. Comment. Follow their Instagram.

There is no one-size-fitsall to helping a small business weather an unprecedented global pandemic, but the federal and provincial governments have both crafted various support programs designed to help businesses.

I am going to put some of them here.

The Ontario Small Business Support Grant. It's a grant, not a loan, which is good when you don't know when the next time you will have any revenue coming in. The grant starts at $10K to a maximum of $20K for any eligible business. It is intended to help cover decreased revenue expected as a result of the province wide shutdown. Businesses have to show that they suffered a loss of revenue of at least 20%, comparing April 2019 and April 2020. The business has to have fewer than 100 employees.

Ontario's Main Street Relief Grant for PPE support: It's a one time grant of $1000 to help cover the cost of PPE. It's for businesses that are retail, food services or accommodation, repair & maintenance, laundry or personal services, gyms & yoga studios. Gyms & yoga studios are closed right now, but when they open up, they get help with PPE. Property tax & Energy Cost Rebates: Eligible businesses can receive rebates for municipal and education property taxes, and energy costs such as electricity, natural gas, propane, or oil. It is not clear if this is only for a shopfront business, or if it is for a home-based business, or if a business proprietor pays a

Subsidy: A federal program that offers businesses, nonprofits, or charities subsidies to cover part of their commercial rent or property expenses until June 2021. This can provide payment directly to qualifying renters and property owners.

Canada Emergency Business Account: This is an interest free loan up to $60K to small business and notfor-profits. If the loan is repaid by the end of December 2022, 33% of the loan will be forgiven. There are obvious issues with borrowing $60K during an unprecedented global pandemic, not knowing when you will have revenue again, but it will help some businesses out.

Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit: The CRSB is $500 per week for up to 26 weeks for those who have had to stop working or had their income cut by half because they contracted Covid-19, or have to isolate, or have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to Covid-19. This is through the Canada Revenue Agency.

Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit: CRCB is $500 per week for up to 26 weeks

mortgage as opposed to commercial rent, but check it out.

There are also rebates through some energy companies, usually in conjunction with this program.

A provincial government Pause on Commercial Evictions can keep a commercial tenant from being locked out, evicted, or having their assets seized. This program is in addition to the previous Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program, and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy.

There is a phone number for the Transfer Payment Ontario Client Care: Toll free.

1-855-216-3090 You can apply online.

Check out: ontario.ca/page/ business-get-help-covid19-costs Our MPP is Jim McDonell. You can apply for any of the provincial programs through his website, including some of the federal programs: covidsupports.ca/ JM-support-for-businesses/ You can also contact his office for direct help figuring out what your are eligible for.

613-933-6513, or Jimmcdonnellmpp.ca, or jimmcdonellco@pc.ola.org Some of the federal programs that are available to businesses: Canada Emergency Rent

per household for workers who cannot work at least 50% of the week because they must care for a child under 12 or a family member because schools or daycares are closed because of Covid-19, or because a sick or quarantined family member requires care.

There are also various programs that will guarantee loans to small businesses, through Export Development Canada (EDC) and Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). Again, not sure how many small businesses want to borrow money when there's no guarantee for revenue, but there are some businesses doing well.

Property Tax Relief: This is a new one as of 2021. Municipalities will be able to adopt a new optional subclass for small business properties.

This will allow municipalities to target tax relief by reducing property taxes to eligible small business properties. The Province will also consider matching these municipal property tax reductions. I'm not sure if North Dundas is considering this, but it's worth looking into.

Digital Main Street: I think this program is great,

and wish more people in this area had known about it in March and April. Digitalmainstreet.ca It provides hands-on realtime help getting businesses online. The Program can create and configure your online store, train you on how to manage it, provide support to get your online store live, and helps with marketing your online store. It provides one on one support building and launching your store, ad credits, free .CA domain registration, and others. It is about $2500 worth of help. It is for a small business under 10 full-time employees (or 25 if it's a restaurant), registered business in Ontario, and it is also available to both businesses and artists, home based or commercial.

If you live in North Dundas, you have to go through Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre, but you can apply online, and Carla Pollard and Adam Gibeau at Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre are a great help via email or phone. 613-930-2787 x2277 BusinessEnterpriseCentre. ca

The Ace of Spades will keep hiding – for a little while longer

by Jane Adams The Kin Club of Russell has announced that Catch the Ace is suspended due to the latest provincial COVID-19 stay-at-home order. But it will be back as soon as it is safe to do so – hopefully on February 28!

There are now 15 envelopes left, and the jackpot is more than $180,000. The next weekly win will be more than $10,000. To date, the Kin Club of Russell has raised $250,000 to give back to local charities, including the WDMH Foundation.

Both online and paper tickets sales are still permitJanuary 20, 2021

ted, but no pickup or delivery of paper tickets is allowed.

All tickets that have been purchased since last Sunday, and those purchased between now and February 28, will be valid for the next draw on February 28. Please be sure to select the WDMH Foundation as the charity of choice.

“This is a very exciting event, and taking this short break will help to keep everyone safe,” notes Cindy Ault Peters, the Foundation’s Manager of Direct Mail and Events. “We want to thank the Kin Club of Russell, and everyone who is trying to Catch the Ace. The excitement will

continue as soon as it is safe to do so!”

For full details, ongoing updates, and rules of play, visit www.kinclubofrussell.ca, or watch the Kin Club video: https://youtu.be/ KRWEEmejoxk.

7

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Myth understandings: An irregular column

by David Shanahan

Questions about the Ketogenic Diet What is a ketogenic diet?

How does it differ, and is it more effective than other diets? Apart from the hype surrounding this diet, what are the medical concerns about it?

Recent marketing of the ketogenic diet suggests it’s a new one. But a report from the University of California says it’s been used for years to treat medical problems such as epilepsy in children.

But what is it about the ketogenic diet that causes weight loss? A major factor is that it’s low in carbohydrates and high in fats. Blood sugar (glucose) is normally the body’s main source of energy. But when blood sugar is diminished by eating less carbohydrates, the body is unable to maintain needed levels. To compensate, the body must start burning fat for energy. It also obtains more energy by converting some amino acids from protein in foods. And if this does not suffice, it gets energy from muscles.

The breakdown of fat, and to a lesser extent, protein, creates a condition called “ketosis” which is also used for energy. Hopefully none of us will ever be in a situation where we’re starving. But if that happens, we develop ketosis. It also occurs in uncontrolled diabetes.

Ketosis starts within a few days after carbohydrates are decreased to between 20 and 50 grams a day. This is not much carbohydrate, as two one-ounce slices of bread contain 28 grams of carbs!

How does a ketogenic diet compare with a normal diet?

The average North American gets 50-55% of energy from carbohydrates, 30-35% from fats, and 15-20% from protein. The ketogenic diet obtains 5-10% from carbohydrates, 70-75% from fats, and 20% from protein.

A ketogenic diet contains full-fat dairy, eggs, fish, poultry, meat, nuts, non-starchy vegetables and butter. You are allowed to eat as many of these foods until you are full. It eliminates starchy vegetables, most fruits, grains, and sweets.

The British Journal of Nutrition analyzed 13 diet studies and reported that most, but not all, found that patients on a ketogenic diet lost more weight than those on other diets. They also ended up with lower blood pressure and blood triglycerides. And it helped those with type 2 diabetes. The negative of this diet is that it also increases bad cholesterol because of its high content of saturated fat.

Another negative is that the low carbohydrate content makes it hard for people to

Source documents: 1 The Gospels In the Nineteenth Century, intimidated by the apparently reliable new theories about origins and human development, a school of thought arose which sought to rationalise what Christians believed about Jesus and all things transcendent. A campaign to undermine the authority of the main historical sources for Christianity and the teachings of Jesus and the early church, without denying them outright, led to claims that the New Testament documents, the most important and complete records of the life of Jesus and the activities of the first Christians, had only been written many decades after the events they describe. They were, therefore, unreliable as history, and contained much that was simply myth.

This idea has become generally believed by the public, although, ironically enough, it has fallen out of favour with historians. Historical and textual analysis of the twenty-six documents which make up the New Testament has concluded that they are, in fact, what they claim to be.

Part of the problem has been that the nature and purpose of these documents has been misunderstood, or misrepresented.

The earliest copies of the entire New Testament date from around 350A.D., though there are parts, or entire books from 100 or 200 years earlier.

About 5,000 manuscript copies exist for the New Testament, compared with around ten manuscripts of Julius Caesar’s “Gallic War”, written about 56 B.C., the oldest of which dates from 900 years after the original was written. No-one questions the historicity or genuineness of either Caesar or his book. The

stick to it. Also, by eliminating most fruits, many vegetables, whole grains, and fiber, constipation is more likely to be a problem. Moreover, it removes ingredients essential for good health. No one should start a ketogenic diet without the help of your trusted family doctor.

It’s unfortunate that most diets wouldn’t be needed if people would follow a sound lifestyle. The first error is not having a bathroom scale that you step on every day. Scales tell it the way it is. Focus on losing any gained weight the same day the scale reports an increase.

This means saying no to high calorie desserts, eating smaller portions on smaller plates, and declining any offered second portions.

Healthy weight loss also means an increase in daily exercise. Loss of excess weight and common-sense healthy living significantly reduces the risks associated with the epidemics of obesity, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.

A sustained commitment can add years of longevity.

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Baldwin’s Birds

Hopefully all of you are fit and well and staying safe, under the new restrictions imposed by Covid 19. Our winter birds are, fortunately, not under the same restraints and are still visiting daily, particularly the "Niger" seed January 20, 2021

eaters, the Red Polls, mentioned in my last missive, published, very kindly, in the 13 January 2021 issue of the NG Times. I apologize, if some confusion arose, over what I had written and what appeared in front of

posed to be there, which is not a bad thing is it!? At least it would have provided an interesting diversion from what you might, or might not having been doing, during these troubling times, to pass the time away. Hopefully it gave you some pleasure.

It could be argued that the editorial staff assumed that a Cardinal is a Red Poll, being, itself, red all over!! I'm sure that the bird Pundits would tremble, at the thought, as not being a fair comment, so I'll not go there! I am including a

your eyes! It was, in fact a picture of a Cardinal, not of a Redpoll, but, I'm sure, that not many of you were fooled by this mis-representation!

Maybe some of you had to check your Bird Books to understand what was sup8

Papyrus Bodmer II contains most of the Gospel of John.

It was discovered in 1956 and dates from around 200 A.D., and another of the same year contains parts of Luke and John. There is, in short, a great deal of evidence for the early origins of the New Testament.

The four Gospels were not written as biographies, as we would understand that term. No biography would devote so much space to the last week of the subject’s life, and ignore much of what went before he reached his thirties.

Each of the four Gospels was written for a different audience, with a different purpose in mind.

It is understood that Mark’s was the first Gospel to be written down, based largely on earlier oral records.

One of these, apparently, was the Apostle Peter, as stated

by Eusebius in his history.

Matthew and Luke both used Mark as a source, though not exclusively. Mark was a companion of both Paul and Peter on their travels, and gathered much of his material from Peter, probably in Aramaic.

This he translated into Greek around 65 A.D., and seems to have been directed to the Christians in Rome, largely Gentiles and not Jews.

Matthew used Mark as one of his sources, and both Mark and Luke seem to have drawn on an earlier collection of the sayings of Jesus, usually referred as “Q”, which was quite likely compiled from notes taken as Jesus spoke. It is considered most probable that a second collection, referred to as “P”, was also available to the Gospel writers, and may have been quoted by Paul in some of his letters. Papias, writing around 120 A.D., says that Matthew compiled the “Logia”, the saying of Jesus, in Hebrew (or Aramaic). Matthew’s Gospel

was written around 70 A.D., and was a combination of the Logia and other sources. It was written for the Jewish Christians, based on the main emphasis of the work.

Luke is a deliberate work of history, based on research, interviews with eye witnesses, and is considered by historians of the ancient world to be a work of the highest historical standard. Luke, from the beginning, bases his book on traditional historical forms and structures, and has been supported by recent archaeological discoveries.

An entire article, or series of articles, could be written about the historical value and integrity of Luke’s Gospel and his sequel, the Acts of the Apostles. It was probably written before Paul’s death in 65 A.D., as the Acts ends with Paul’s arrival as a prisoner in Rome, and there is no reference to the Fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. The Gospel of John has always stood alone in the thinking and affections of Christians. Unlike the other three Gospels, which share sources, and very often large amounts of content, John is deeper, perhaps, more theological and poetic, though it remains an historical document full of events, facts, and personal reflections and memories. John wrote for all Christians and seekers of all ages, and his emphasis is on “knowing”, being certain of the truth of what he is writing. In his Gospel, and the three letters included in the New Testament, he comes back, again and again, to the importance of knowing as truth, as fact, the events and Person he is recording.

John’s Gospel was probably the last to be written, and is thought to date from around 70 A.D. by a participant in the events it records.

picture of an actual Red Poll this week to compensate, for this apparent misconception.

Best wishes to all, Stay Safe, John Baldwin,

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The North Dundas Times

OFA urges farmland preservation

by Peggy Brekveld, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture The value of local Ontario food goes beyond the amazing taste of DeBruin’s Greenhouse tomatoes, Thunder Oak cheese, and My-Pride Farm veal – a few of my local favourites.

It is also about the importance of food security, its economic impact, and our regional identity. To have local food, we need farmers and growers to take on the challenge of raising crops and livestock. We also need to quote our licence plate slogan, “Places to Grow” in Ontario. The importance of farmland preservation and long-term land use planning has been highlighted in our current pandemic.

The COVID-19 health crisis has forced the world to press pause on our normally busy lives and re-evaluate what is most important as a society. Amid challenging obstacles brought on by the pandemic, consumers now more than ever before are looking to source locally grown produce, meats and dairy products. This newfound demand for local has proven its longevity. However, for Ontario farmers to maintain the supply the demand for local products, farmland needs to be preserved and urban sprawl contained. Long-term land use planning needs to focus on protecting agricultural land to ensure we have the resources available to continue producing food for the future. Otherwise, we’re left asking the question, where will Ontario source its food January 20, 2021

products from in years to come.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) believes that agricultural land is a finite and shrinking resource we require in order to effectively produce food, fibre and fuel. Urban sprawl has threatened the sustainability and viability of our sector for decades. To put the problem into perspective, from 1996-2016, Ontario lost 1.5 million acres of farmland to development, at a daily rate loss of 175 acres per day. According to OMAFRA’s 2016 census data, the average Ontario farm is 249 acres with many of our farms being familyowned and operated. Our province loses an average of five farms per week to development in an effort to keep pace with Ontario’s growing population.

When the pandemic first hit, the main concern amongst Ontarians was that our food supply chain would collapse, resulting in shortages and skyrocketed prices for consumers. Our sector rose to the challenge and

OFA expressed concerns to Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing regarding the recent proliferation of Minister’s Zoning Orders. We cannot afford to prioritize urban development over that of farmland.

Protecting and preserving farmland is the only solution to ensuring Farms and Food Forever.

Protecting and preserving Ontario’s agricultural land for the purpose of growing, harvesting and producing food has and always will be a main priority of our organization. The OFA will continue to advocate on behalf of our 38,000 farm families to ensure that farmland is not only preserved, but that farming is sustainable and profitable for the next generation of your family.

proved that Ontario’s agrifood supply chain is strong and resilient. At OFA’s 2020 virtual annual meeting, Premier Doug Ford identified how important the agri-food sector is to the provincial economy and how instrumental the industry will be for solidifying economic recovery post-pandemic.

Farmers continue to be the definition of innovation, producing more yield with less inputs. However, the reality is that farming in Ontario will always require arable land and an environment that supports the growth of our more than 200 diverse commodities. The rate at which our province is losing agricultural land is not sustainable, especially with the demand to increase the production of food, fibre and fuel for an ever-growing population, as our finite resources continue to diminish.

Local food production and processing is extremely vital to the economy, providing a significant economic impact both locally and provincially. From field-to-fork there are many important contributors along the food supply chain, and available land is vital to ensuring we have enough food processing facilities to keep up with demand. These facilities are integral to our food security.

Preserving farmland can go hand-in-hand with housing needs. It can include rejuvenating and renewing our cities, as well as infrastructure investment in our rural hubs. Ontario farmers need the government’s support to contain urban sprawl and to keep our domestic agri-food sector strong. Less than 5% of Ontario’s land base can support agricultural production of any kind. In 2020,

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Register online or call your local school

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CLASSIFIEDS

CONTACT classifieds@ndtimes.ca The North Grenville

CROSSWORD

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email classifieds@ ngtimes.ca for pricing

Help Support ACROSS 1. Contributes Your Local 5. French for "State" Send in your 9. Disguises Businesses Casino game letters, stories, 14.

15. Pipe

SHOP LOCAL

events to editor@ ndtimes.ca

16. Small islands 17. Cheater 19. Appearance 20. Bog hemp 21. Juicy yellow pear 23. Type of sailboat 25. Go-between 28. Beam 29. Record (abbrev.)

32. Arch of the foot 33. 3 in Roman numerals 34. Mother 35. Pot

DOWN 1. At a distance 2. 20th-century art movement 3. Percussion instrument 4. Lobbied 5. French for "Summer" to the following customers6.who were winners in A traditional headdress our Christmas draw 7. Beside 8. Vivaria Mike Dewar Doug Padbury Meta Lowe Dave Thompson 9. Lose Nancy Beuman Louise Trudel 10. Pale with fright Krista Weegar Judy Baldwin 11. Thin strip Leo Tessier Craig Munro 12. Retained Sandra Fawcett Hayley Moher 13. South southeast Arlene Sommerville Gary Rice 18.Larmour Make fun of Dan Brian Steele 22. Tramped about Thank you to all our customers for your24. support andsails we wish you all a Certain 25. Tropical – Lynnvine & Todd Kirkwood 26. Not outer 27. Daisylike bloom 29. Indian prince 36. An elongated leather strip 30. Electronic letters 38. Not fully closed 31. Fair 39. Require 33. Bother 40. Biblical boat 34. A sacrifice for one's beliefs 41. Exert vigorously 37. Dissertation 43. Arrive (abbrev.)

Stop by or view our 42. Claw 44. Cry of disgust vehicles online at 44. Spirited 45. Resembling death 45. Inner core of a tooth 46. Tardily SALES & SERVICE • QUALITY USED VEHICLES 46. Small goose 48. Baptize 47. Canvas shelters T. KIRKWOOD 50. German iris 48. Algonquian Indian 54.

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Happy New Year

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ACROSS 1. Contributes 5. French for "State" 9. Disguises 14. Casino game 15. Pipe 16. Small islands 17. Cheater 19. Appearance 20. Bog hemp 21. Juicy yellow pear 23. Type of sailboat 25. Go-between 28. Beam 29. Record (abbrev.)

32. Arch of the foot 33. 3 in Roman numerals 34. Mother 35. Pot

The Voice of North Grenville

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

36. An elongated leather strip 38. Not fully closed 39. Require 40. Biblical boat 41. Exert vigorously 43. Arrive (abbrev.)

44. Cry of disgust 45. Resembling death 46. Tardily 48. Baptize 50. German iris 54. Districts 55. An administrative official 57. Inclined 58. Blend 59. Killer whale 60. Trifling 61. Feudal worker 62. Food from animals

January 20, 2021 Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

DOWN 1. At a distance 2. 20th-century art movement 3. Percussion instrument 4. Lobbied 5. French for "Summer" 6. A traditional headdress 7. Beside 8. Vivaria 9. Lose 10. Pale with fright 11. Thin strip 12. Retained 13. South southeast 18. Make fun of 22. Tramped about 24. Certain sails 25. Tropical vine 26. Not outer 27. Daisylike bloom 29. Indian prince 30. Electronic letters 31. Fair 33. Bother 34. A sacrifice for one's beliefs 37. Dissertation 42. Claw 44. Spirited 45. Inner core of a tooth 46. Small goose 47. Canvas shelters 48. Algonquian Indian 49. Warmth 51. Unusual 52. Ancient Peruvian 53. Immediately 54. Mountain 56. Before, poetically

Easy

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www.ndtimes.ca January 20, 2021

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The North Dundas Times

Bringing even more expertise to WDMH

Registered Respiratory Therapist Heather Houlahan

by Jane Adams During the COVID-19 p a n d e m i c , Wi n c h e s t e r District Memorial Hospital (WDMH) welcomed a new staff member. Heather Houlahan is a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RT) and brings new expertise and experience to the team.

“We wanted to ensure we had the best team available to support any COVID-19 patients at WDMH as well as other patients with respiratory concerns,” explains Nathalie Boudreau, Vice President, Clinical Services.

“Heather provides crucial, specialized knowledge and is a great addition to WDMH.” Respiratory Therapists specialize in critical care and cardio-pulmonary medicine.

They are often involved in crisis situations, supporting patients suffering from acute critical conditions, cardiac and lung disease. They often work closely with anesthetists to provide patient respiratory care.

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"Having a respiratory therapist, especially someone with Heather's skill and experience allows us to offer much better support to patients with all sorts of breathing issues,” notes Dr. Patricia Moussette, Chief of Anesthesia. “From testing outpatients to treating patients with infections or heart failure, Heather has helped us do more for our community."

Heather has been an RT for 25 years and says she is no stranger to crisis situations: “My father was a pilot who flew Medivac ambulances and he introduced me to his respiratory therapy colleagues. Plus, I have 7 siblings, so I’ve grown up in a lot of chaos!”

Since arriving at WDMH, Heather has secured new equipment, created new policies and procedures, and provided training to staff, particularly related to intubating a patient and using ventilators.

“It’s all about the team,” says Heather. “When you are in a crisis situation, everyone has a role, and you know your role. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the team at WDMH.” Plans are underway to further develop WDMH’s services for patients with respiratory issues such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma.

If you would like to provide comments or suggestions about hospital services, please contact Cholly Boland, President and CEO, Winchester District Memorial Hospital at 613.774.1049 or by email at cboland@wdmh.on.ca.

WSIB denies most workers claiming for Sexual Harassment Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) which can take years. This leaves those who have been denied with no compensation whatsoever and no funding for treatment for the injuries caused by the SHIW they experienced.

As a result, workers who are denied WSIB benefits often end up having to depend on government-sponsored social assistance programs such as the Ontario Disability Support Program or the Canada Pension Plan Disability benefit for their income and are living below the poverty line. Unless a worker lives in a larger city by their co-worker/spouse. A center, it is unlikely that they supervisor trapped a worker will have access to timely and in the room and grabbed her free treatment for their menbreasts, making comments tal health challenges. This about them. A worker was not only affects the injured grabbed, kissed, and propo- worker, but it also impacts sitioned by a supervisor on all those who live with and more than one occasion. depend on them for financial If a worker's employer and emotional support, like has WSIB coverage, they their children. usually do not have the option Why should we be conof suing their employer or cerned? Instead of the WSIB co-workers for compensation using employers' premiums to for injuries they incurred in support these workers followthe course of their employ- ing their mandate, taxpayers ment. They are permitted to are paying to support injured bring a concurrent claim to workers. Furthermore, these the Human Rights Tribunal workers often become sicker of Ontario for discrimination as a result of living in poverty but these applications are and lack of treatment, thereby often deferred pending the placing an additional burden outcome of the WSIB appeal. on our public health care From there their sole recourse system. is to appeal to the Workplace The good news is that

by Anne-Marie Langan Were you aware that a large portion of claims made to WSIB by workers who have experienced sexual harassment at work are being denied? WSIB defines harassment as “engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker, including bullying, that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome”. Yet there is a myriad of examples where behaviours that would almost certainly be considered to be unwanted by most people are determined by WSIB not to meet their definition.

Here are just a few of the most egregious examples: A worker was raped in the stairwell of the workplace

The Food Corner

12 large scallops, cut into quarters 1 can of potatoes (or if you prefer, boil your own; I’m just lazy) 1 small can of smoked oysters 1 small can of smoked mussels 1 can of clams 1 cup of grated cheese (whatever you have left in the fridge: last Friday, I used some old cheddar and a bit of limburger) Salted butter to fry the fish and seafood Black pepper and if you have some Cajun Spice, otherwise use Cayenne Pepper

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville Moving along with soups, how about a Seafood Chowder? I made up a batch last Friday and it was goooood! We brought some over to our great neighbours, Doreen and Greg, and they said it was goooood! Once again, this is a very simple recipe with one simple rule: ensure that your fish and seafood is fresh or freshly thawed. Preparing it is a bit of a social event, with family members crowding around.

Accompany this Chowder with an impertinent little Chardonnay and some fresh bread (for dipping).

Paul’s Seafood Chowder Ingredients: 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup 2 cups of milk 2 pieces of any white fish, preferably haddock 1 piece of salmon, or one tin of canned salmon 12 large shrimp cut into pieces

Preparation: 1. Open the two cans of soup and place in a soup pot with the 2 cups of milk.

Turn on low heat to start the warming process. Wisk to break up the lumps.

2. Wash the fish thoroughly, then soak in cold water with a healthy splash of lemon or lime juice for a half hour 11

while you are doing other stuff; then separate them into separate dishes and pat them dry with a paper towel.

3. Wash the shrimp and scallops and place the pieces into separate dishes; also pat them dry.

4. Open up the cans of smoked oysters, mussels and clams (and salmon, if you are using the canned variety instead of fresh or fresh frozen).

5. Drain the clams, keeping the juice; pour the juice into your soup mix.

6. Open up the can of potatoes, keeping the juice; also pour the juice into your soup mix. Quarter the potatoes and drop them into your mix.

7. Melt a dollop of butter in a pan until almost blackened: drop the white fish in and cook for a couple of minutes, dusting with Cajun spice or Cayenne; then break up the fish and empty the contents of the pan into the soup mix.

many community legal clinics across Ontario, including The Legal Clinic, offer free legal assistance to injured workers whose WSIB claims have been denied in obtaining the benefits they are entitled to.

Many clinics are also offering free legal assistance and information for victims of SHIW, and training for employers and employees about how to prevent and address SHIW. Anne-Marie is a staff Lawyer at The Legal Clinic in Perth, Ontario who is currently working on a Public Legal Education campaign for employers and employees about sexual harassment in the workplace. This project is sponsored by the Justice Department of the Government of Canada. Anne-Marie graduated from Queen’s Law in 2004 and completed her Masters of Law at Osgoode in 2009. In the past 6 years she has primarily practiced in the areas of employment law, including human rights in employment and Workplace Safety.

For more information about the services offered

by The Legal Clinic please contact Anne-Marie Langan by phone at 613-264-7153, by email at langana@lao. on.ca or visit our websites: https://www.legalclinic.ca, and www.tlcshiwproject.com.

8. Repeat with the salmon (if fresh), but with no spices, and then over and over again separately with the shrimp, scallops, and clams; everything gets dropped into the soup mix.

9. Bring up your heat under your soup pot soup, but don’t boil; add your grated cheese and let it melt into the mixture.

10. Now rinse your oysters and mussels to remove the oil and drop them into the soup. If you are using canned salmon, do the same.

11. Very gently stir your soup until you have the beautiful thick mixture of a Chowder.

I hope you enjoy this delightful and easy to make Chowder. Please let me know how it went at pcormier@ ranaprocess.com.

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The North Dundas Times

Rural Internet Access

by Joselyn Morley No doubt many of us have felt the frustration or despair of sketchy internet over the last ten months. Since March 2020, kids have been doing a mixture of synchronous online learning, asynchronous learning, which still requires reliable internet, or in-person learning at school when it was safe to do so. People who could have been told to work from home. Virtually every service has been catapulted online, including access to healthcare, banking, and even buying milk. Suddenly, we are demanding a great deal from our internet, out of necessity.

Rural and remote residents are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to accessibility when compared to their urban counterparts.

Unequal access to internet in the city is most often due to social inequalities. Out here, all the money in the world won't buy you great internet unless you build the infrastructure to support it.

Although we focus on this as a problem stemming from the pandemic, rural and remote regions of Ontario and Canada have had a great deal fewer options for internet than our urban neighbours for many years now. Successive provincial and federal governments have made announcements about a variety of broadband initiatives, but, as the pandemic has shown, we're not much further ahead.

It was almost twenty years ago that Brian Tobin, then Federal Minister of Industry, established the Broadband Task Force. The aim was to "map out a strategy for achieving the Government of Canada's goal of ensuring that broadband services are available to business and residents in every Canadian city by 2004." The Task Force recommended that "All communities should be linked to national broadband networks via a high-speed, high-capacity and scalable transport link."

Both the Federal and Provincial governments have recently announced increased funding allocated to improve internet access to rural and remote areas. Ottawa has allocated $1.75 billion towards its Universal Broadband Fund, with a goal of 50 Mbps (Megabit per second) download speed, and an upload speed of 10Mbps (50/10) Ontario has recently launched its "Up to Speed: Ontario's Broadband and Cellular Action Plan." Ontario's total spending includes nearly a billion dollars over six years.

So what exactly is broadband, and more importantly, what do we need to do in order for rural and remote residents to achieve acceptable speeds?

Broadband is the transmission of information over multiple radio frequencies.

Information through the air.

Bandwidth is a measure of how much information you're

sending over a period of time.

There are hard limits to how much data you can transmit through the air, which is a function of frequency. You can transmit more data at higher frequencies than at lower frequencies, which is why we are going into 5G. But even at that, there's only so much data you can send through the air. Our airwaves are very busy. One tech I talked to exclaimed: "Our RF floors are through the roof!"

The internet is essentially many large network servers interconnected by high-speed data trunks. In order to get reasonable service in rural areas, you need to connect to those servers, which are located in urban centres. High speed trunks need to be laid between rural and large urban centres. This means a lot of buried fibre-optic cable between rural and urban areas.

The problem with running that much fibre is that it is expensive. We need co-ordination so that any time a road is built, that is a perfect opportunity to bury conduit with fibre in it.

We basically have to dig and bury cable, between say Winchester and Ottawa, or tap into existing fibre trunks between Ottawa and Toronto. Back in the 1980s, Bell undertook major projects to install large fibre trunks between large urban centres. Bell owned the infrastructure. Looking to the future, they installed huge amounts of fibre, some of which are still unused. Fibre-

optic cable is exactly like wire, except instead of putting electricity through it, you pass light pulses through it using lasers. Fibre-optic cable allows you to send much more data over a single cable than you can with copper wire.

In order to get 50 Mbps in one residence, you can run fibre from a major hub to a central distribution hub, then run copper to individual users. Once you leave the fibre and copper cable, and start running that information through the air, you drastically reduce the amount of information you can send. So, although you hear a great deal about how Broadband is what we need to solve our internet issues in rural areas, it's a misnomer. Increased broadband is definitely welcome, and absolutely essential for remote areas unable to be tethered physically to the major trunks, but we need more trunks, and more fibre.

Mbps is essentially a measure of flow rate. Think water.

If you want to keep the flow rate up, the size of the pipes needs to increase. If there are ten houses on your street, and you all want 50/10 Mbps, your street has to be equipped with the infrastructure (fibre)

to bring in 600 Mbps. If there are ten of those streets in a subdivision, there has to be the quantity of fibre to carry 6000 Mbps to that subdivision. See diagram.

After the pandemic is over, there will most likely be more telecommuting than before, providing the infrastructure is available. This would help green the economy. It is estimated that each worker

who shifts to telecommuting means a CO2 reduction of 2450 kilograms a year.

Mid-range estimates project, providing we have the infrastructure post-pandemic, that Eastern Ontario could expect to be home to 50,000 telecommuters. That would mean a CO2 reduction of 380 million kilograms each year.

Delay in Phizer Vaccine

by Joselyn Morley Pfizer-BioNTech has announced that doses of their Covid=19 Vaccine, destined for Canada, will be delayed because they must suspend production in order to allow an expansion of their plant in Puurs, Belgium. The expansion plans are being carried out in order to expand their long-term capacity for production, but that is little comfort to the confused public health officials, government ministers, and vulnerable people waiting to get their second shot, or even their first.

Each province is handling the expected reduction in the number of vaccine doses that had been planned in different ways. Ontario has slowed down their plans for the second dose, assuring that everyone that has received a first dose will indeed get their second dose. Other provinces, January 20, 2021

such as Quebec, have decided to withhold the administration of second doses, and continue giving the first doses with the vaccines that remain. Public Health units that have decided to postpone the second dose have cited various research studies that have analyzed data concerning the efficacy of the second dose at various intervals to the first. Most public health units maintain that there is enough sound evidence to say that the vaccine is just as effective when there is increased time between the two doses.

The delay of the vaccine will be most obvious during the week of January 25, when Pfizer will reduce the shipments to Canada by 75 percent. Pfizer's plan is to honour all planned shipments as soon as they are able, including both the delayed doses and the future doses being delivered at a similar time.

Pfizer assures their customers that they have distributed the shortfall equitably amongst countries expecting their vaccines.

Meanwhile, projected models of infection rates across Canada are sobering.

Governments are hoping that by announcing the grim projections, that residents will pay attention to the importance of staying at home.

Epidemiologists are very concerned about the new highly-contagious variant that was first detected in the UK, but is now widespread throughout many countries, including Canada. Although the current vaccines approved for distribution in Canada currently are effective against this new more virulent strain, that may not hold true for future mutations of the virus expected. Viruses reproduce at an extremely fast rate. Mutations that are more virulent

can overtake the original.

Indeed, it is in a virus' very makeup to evolve, to survive and thrive. It is possible that the vaccine could exert pressure on the existing strains of the Covid-19 virus, both original and more virulent, in such a way that it mutates in reaction to the vaccine, and newer strains of the virus become immune to the current vaccine.

Shannon Lever

Marketing Consultant

Phone 613.791.8317 Email: shannonlever@ndtimes.ca 12

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