ND Times Issue 6 2021 February 17

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The Voice of North Dundas

Vol 2, No 6

February 17, 2021

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Commander Doug Layton

by Joselyn Morley On February 4, Commander Doug Layton, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 108 in Winchester, assumed command of the HMCS Winnipeg.

Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific Commodore Angus Topshee presided over the change of command ceremony between outgoing Commander Mike Stefanson, and the incoming the Commander. Master of Ceremony was Lieutenant Commander Amber Comisso, HMCS

Winnipeg's Executive Officer.

The ceremony was conducted aboard the HMCS Winnipeg, in Esquimalt, BC, with only the four in attendance, and streamed live on Facebook.

Social distancing on a Canadian frigate is a challenge.

Outgoing Commander Mike Stefanson has commanded the HMCS Winnipeg for the last 3½ years.

In his departure speech, he commended the crew of the frigate saying, "I have been so impressed with the professionalism, the ownership that I've seen from the ships

Kim Monkhouse

quit; struggle through adversity and support each other through adversity, and be there to congratulate each other during our successes and challenges".

"They were also there to support each other through times of tragedy." On 14 December, 2020, a crew member, Master Sailor Duane Earle, 47, was lost overboard off the coast of California during the frigate's return from overseas operations. continued on page 2

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The North Dundas Times

Second dose of COVID-19 Vaccine – done!

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Resident Annie Bouwhuis celebrates with Cornwall-SDG Paramedic Mike.

Residents at Dundas Manor received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, February 6. “It was another successful day, and we are so happy that our residents are now protected,” noted Administrator Susan Poirier. “We will continue to do everything we can to keep everyone safe.”

Perhaps the best comments came from Facebook when the announcement went out. “You are working so hard on the well-being of residents, staff and community – inspiring!” noted Manjit Banga Aitken. “Fantastic folk – glad you have been looked after in this worrisome time. Thanks

to everyone,” added Jean Porteous. And there was even an animated Tony the Tiger yelling GRRRRRREAT! Special thanks to our partners at the CornwallSDG paramedics and nurses from the Eastern Ontario Health Unit who assisted at the clinic.

Although the residents have now received both vaccines, 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.

Cont'd from front page Commodore Angus Topshee, who oversaw the change of command parade, told Commander Doug Layton, "This is the highlight of your career. It is something that, although it will strain you and challenge you, it should also exhilarate you and energize you every day. Embrace it for the experience that it is. I have absolute faith in your success aboard this great ship."

Commander Doug Layton, upon assuming command, commented: "It is with the utmost humility, excitement, and joy, that I am honoured and privileged to accept this appointment today. I am truly and sincerely grateful to the leadership of the Royal Canadian Navy... for granting me this opportunity and responsibility, which

I wholeheartedly accept."

He thanked his parents for their support, saying "Merci aussi a ma chère mère qui nous regarde aujourd'hui de l'Ontario, et mon père...

Merci pour le support et l’orientation durant ma croissance. C'est grâce à vous que je sais de vivre ma vie chaque jour avec discipline, service, et humilité." He gave a special shout out to Winchester in his speech, saying, "Thanks to the Navy, I now have family and friends throughout Canada...a special shout out to my newly adopted hometown of Winchester, Ontario.

We wish Commander Layton and his crew fair winds and safe travels when they next take to the seas.

Ready, Aye, Ready.

Garry Gainer was one of the first residents to get the second dose.

Get outside and take advantage of free fishing days

ing Regulations Summary online at: www.ontario.ca/ document/ontario-fishingregulations-summary. Those under 18 years of age do not need a fishing licence.

After a particularly warm fall, with a couple of shortswearing days sticking around until November, it finally got cold in January. We have been very lucky this winter, so far, that we haven't suffered those freeze-thaw cycles that really mess up a lot of outdoor pastimes. If you enjoy being outside in the winter, this winter has been the best in a long time.

by Joselyn Morley Family Day Weekend was a great opportunity to get outside and try ice fishing. It is one of four weekends in the year where you can fish without a license in Ontario.

The other three are: Mother's Day Weekend, Father's Day Weekend, and Family Fishing Week in July, July 3-11, 2021.

You must be a Canadian resident. You must follow fishing rules: follow the conservation licence catch limits, obey size limits and sanctuaries, and follow the fishing regulations.

You can find Ontario's Fish-

North Dundas High School news

February 17, 2021

North Dundas has had some interesting changes in the last week. As of Wednesday, February 10, all Grade 9-12 students must now complete the online Covid-19 Self-Screening test before coming to school every day.

The test can be accessed through the link sent in the email from Mr. Bourne. It is important to remember to complete it before you arrive

get a fishing licence and follow fishing regulations; discover more about fishing in Ontario; and fish safely and sustainably.

Always be careful on ice, making sure there's several inches of thickness before venturing out. There are usually parts of a body of water that don't freeze. If water is moving fast, or there are dark rocks sticking out of the water, the ice there will probably be thinner. Blue ice or clear ice is stronger than white ice.

You need a permit for an ice hut you will leave on the ice, but not for the pop-up ones that you put up and down.

There are 72 different species of fish in the South Nation River. You're not allowed to catch them all, but that's a lot of different species of fish!

SEND IN YOUR CLASSIFIED to classified@ndtimes.ca

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New Covid screening process

by Jamie Wilson

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) started a program called Tackleshare. It's sponsored by Ontario Power Generation, and it allows young or new anglers the opportunity to try out fishing without needing to buy rods, reels, and tackle first. You can borrow fishing equipment from a local library. In North Dundas, you can borrow fishing equipment from the Recreation Library. Keep this option in mind for the next free fishing weekends.

Ontario also has a free learn-to-fish program that has gone virtual due to Covid-19.

Details at www.ontario.ca/ page/learn-fish. The program will teach you to: rig, bait, and cast a fishing rod; identify and catch local fish species;

at the school. Some of our students have provided great suggestions for remembering every morning. Pinning the link to the home screen of your phone, setting a reminder, or sticking the provided QR code to your door, are the most popular ones.

Last Friday, we had a Valentine’s Spirit Day. Students wore Valentine’s Day colours of red, pink, purple,

and white. The participation was impressive for our second spirit day since being back in school. Almost every grade had over 50% participation, and Grade 7 tied with staff for first place, both with 76% participation. Keep up the great spirit, North Dundas!

Next Wednesday, February 24, is Pink Shirt Day. Pink Shirt Day originated in Nova Scotia in 2007, where two 2

high school students and their friends organized a protest to wear pink in support of a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied. Since then, schools in Canada and around the world have been participating in Pink Shirt Day to raise awareness of bullying in schools, the workplace, and online.

Let’s take a stand against bullying, North Dundas, and wear pink next Wednesday.

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

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Coalition against proposed prison: Information Session

by Joselyn Morley Coalition Against Proposed Prison (CAPP) is a group of residents questioning the Ontario's plan to build a prison for 235 inmates in North Grenville. The Public Information Session on February 2 heard from six speakers outlining their concerns with the prison. Victor Lachance of CAPP moderated this second session held by CAPP. Both can be accessed on CAPP's website, coalitionagainstproposedprison.ca.

Colleen Lynas introduced CAPP's reasons for opposing the EOCC: failure to consult and lack of transparency, losing unique farmland, jeopardising North Grenville's future vision, environmental impacts, failure to demonstrate economic benefits, lack of local infrastructure, a broken bail and remand system, and the fact that the Ontario government is using North Grenville to expand a failed correctional system.

The province argues that the prison must go somewhere. CAPP challenges that argument, explaining that our prisons do not support rehabilitation, and that our corrections system, including the current systems of bail and remand, do not work. We do not need another prison, we need to reduce the number of prisoners on remand. The province made decisions without consulting residents, or our mayor and council. CAPP calls on the mayor and council to take a clear and public position on this. Colleen Lynas maintains

that, "in words and deeds, it pains me to say, our council has said, without saying, that they are not opposed, and are not going to challenge the province's plan in any way. Trying to get the best deal possible is not challenging the province's plan."

Local resident Lisa Gallant has submitted a request for access to records regarding site selection for the facility.

The province claims that they looked at over 100 possible sites, but has not provided any details.

Laura Beach, a Kemptville native, is a PhD candidate studying criminalisation, incarceration, and mental health and illness. Her research shows that prisoners are extremely isolated from the community, and face intense separation from family and community support.

This drastically hinders rehabilitation and meaningful reintegration. Isolation is compounded by the lack of public transportation. Video calls and visits are not the same, particularly for children of the incarcerated.

Medical neglect ultimately leads to more serious illness.

Laura cites a prison in Saskatchewan where two nurses oversee 400 inmates. There is inadequate support for mental health and addiction issues, which are exacerbated in prison, and increasingly criminalised in society. Drugs are available, and medications such as anti-psychotics are over-prescribed as sleep aids.

We need alternatives to incarceration, such as mental

health and addiction support in the community. Ontario has the highest rate of criminal charges being withdrawn prior to trial. We need programs where charges get vetted through the Crown Prosecutor, drastically reducing the remand population.

Rules, a UN Convention.

Aaron Doyle, PhD, and Nicole Meyers, PhD, have studied pretrial conditions, the remand system, and bail.

71% of people in Ontario prisons are on remand. These are people waiting for trial, often people who do not have someone to act as surety for bail. Many spend longer in jail waiting for trial than they do for their sentence.

Janjala Chirakijja, PhD, studies the local impacts of

Cathy Robinson and Lydia Dobson of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa, spoke of "the foolishness and the mistake of investing in a solution that does not match the problems that we have.

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa provides support and advocacy to women who have been criminalised, provides a bail house, and surety for bail. A transition house offers addictions counselling and housing support.

82% of federally incarcerated women became criminalised through fleeing abuse. Many have experienced physical or emotional abuse, suffered inter-generational trauma, have addictions or mental health issues, are poor and face precarious housing. The majority are mothers, and 90% of them were primary caregivers prior to incarceration. Cathy says "nothing that we see, as a staff of 40, volunteer of 80, tells us that a single client has, does, or will benefit from incarceration."

They face "horrific abuse" in jails. Black, Indigenous, and racialised people are vastly over represented. They face conditions of confinement that violate human rights and international conventions on human rights against torture, specifically the Mandela

February 17, 2021

of schools for a prolonged period of time. We are taking this precaution based on advice from health experts, including the province's Science Table and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, to help protect against the emerging COVID 19 variants of concern.

We appreciate the hard work of students and staff in the education sector and I want to be clear: March break is being postponed, not cancelled. To keep schools open, we must keep them free of COVID 19. The actions announced today serve to limit opportunities for congregation while reaffirming the evidence that schools are safe for students. By continuing to follow public health advice, and by introducing

and materials will go through usual and established tender processes for institutions.

There is little chance of a local company being granted any of these contracts. Her research has found a decrease in housing values and a change in socio-economic status nearby prisons. People who can move away often do, leaving those with lower socio-economic status.

County employee tests positive for COVID 19 On February 9, the United Counties of SDG was advised that an employee has tested positive for COVID 19. The individual is an employee of the SDG Library working out of the Winchester branch. Sanitization and contact tracing procedures have been implemented according to Eastern Ontario Health Unit protocols.

“We are following guidelines prescribed to us by our own internal health and safety framework, as well as the protocols outlined by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit,” said Karen Franklin, director of library services. “At this time we are confident that this is an isolated case with an extremely low risk to the community at large.”

The branch reopened on Wednesday, February 10.

To view health and safety guidelines with respect to COVID 19, please visit eohu.ca/en/ covid 19 novel coronavirus.

MP Eric Duncan welcomes back Tax Clinic for 2021

With tax season fast approaching, local Member of Parliament Eric Duncan (Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry) has announced the return of the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) at his Cornwall constituency office for 2021. Due to restrictions associated with COVID-19, the tax clinic will operate solely in a drop-off format and by appointment only starting Wednesday, February 24. Appointments can be made by calling MP

Ontario delays March Break Stephen Lecce, Ontario's Minister of Education, issued the following statement regarding March break: "In support of our collective efforts to keep schools safe, we are postponing March break until April 12 16, 2021. This decision was made with the best advice of Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health and public health officials, including consultations with many local Medical Officers of Health.

Many students have been learning remotely since the start of 2021. It is critical we follow public health advice to protect schools and avoid a repeat of the concerning spike in youth related cases over the winter break, when students and staff were out

prisons, and addressed the province's failure to demonstrate economic benefits.

Most positions will be filled by existing staff from the corrections system. These are unionised, secure jobs, but they will not be hiring from the local population. This was emphasised at the Public Engagement Session held by the office of the Minster of the Solicitor General on November 26, 2020. Sourcing for contractors, labour,

additional safety measures and more testing, we are supporting our collective efforts to keep COVID 19 from entering our schools.

With respect to travel, our government's position on this is unchanged. Ontarians should refrain from travelling, particularly given the increase in new variants that pose a direct risk to our country. Please stay at home as much as possible and continue following the direction of public health officials so that we can keep schools open and protect our seniors, frontline health workers and all families.

These decisions based on the advice of medical experts are never easy, but they are necessary to keep Ontario families safe."

Duncan’s office directly at 1-888-805-2513.

“Our community has come to depend on the wonderful work that the volunteers of the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program offer free of cost. Despite the challenges of 2020, we were still able to help thousands of residents complete their income tax return in a timely and safe manner,” said MP Duncan.

In order to qualify for the free service, an individual must earn less than $35,000 annually, or $45,000 if filing as a couple, and the returns must be simple in nature.

Complicated returns are not eligible for the program, which includes: · self-employed or have employment expenses

WE NEED HEROES ACT NOW 3

· have business or rental income and expenses · have capital gains or losses · filed for bankruptcy in the tax year; or · completing a tax return for a deceased person The volunteer-based clinic is being hosted at MP Duncan’s constituency office at 691 Brookdale Avenue, Unit C (in the International Business Plaza just south of the traffic circle). The volunteers will be available beginning on Wednesday, February 24, and will be open daily by appointment only.

You can learn more about the CVITP on the Canada Revenue Agency website at https://www.canada.ca/en/ revenue-agency/services/tax/ individuals/community-volunteer-income-tax-program. html.

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Guest Editorial

The North Dundas Times

Has Capitalism killed Journalism?

by Lorraine Rekmans When I was a young reporter working at a small town newspaper in 1989, the challenges to cover local news effectively and efficiently were evident early on.

As a young journalism student, I was hired on for a summer position because I had my own car, and my own camera, and I could write as well develop my own black and white film, and print my own black and white photos.

I had no misgivings about why the paper hired me. I knew it wasn’t because I was such a terrific writer, but because I had various skills, including digital type-setting, when desktop publishing was relatively new. These were considered assets to a paper that was focused on cost efficiencies.

I emerged from the educational system which had all the bells and whistles of the newest technologies into the working world of a real newspaper that was dealing with the day to day reality of cost saving. The small-town paper afforded me the opportunity to cover municipal politics, labour and union issues, environmental issues, school board issues, and even take pictures of the hopeful adoptable pets at the

pet shelter. It provided me with a broad lens in which to view my own hometown community.

This was a time when Conrad Black’s Holinger Inc. was buying up all of Canada’s media. At one time, Hollinger Inc. owned more than half of Canada’s daily newspapers, including the former Southam chain and the National Post.

It quickly became clear to me that cost saving was the focus of this little twice weekly publication. I never met Conrad Black, but at that time he was a highly influential figure in my dayto-day work. Reports about Mr. Black cast him as a ruthless boss, whose focus was on the bottom line. When Hollinger bought the Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, one of the first moves was to sack staff to reduce costs and increase profits.

I am here to attest that our little newspaper in a town of 20,000 in northern Ontario, miles away from Bay Street and Wall Street, felt the ruthless impacts of cost cutting to an extent that I will never forget. We typed our news stories on manual typewriters in 1989. I can still remember, decades later now, that my typewriter was missing the

“K” and “D” keys. We used sheets of thin newsprint to write on. You can imagine the shock I had when my editor told me that it was now policy to type on both sides of this thin paper in order to save money. Typing on the other side of the page made the first side illegible.

My editor seemed more focused on how much paper I was using, rather than on what I was writing about. When we could no longer buy ribbons for my typewriter, my editor caved in and agreed we could buy a new manual typewriter.

He was shocked when the owner of the local stationary supply store said that manual typewriters weren’t even sold any more. After using a computer at school, I was so pleased to finally get an electric typewriter.

Cost saving mania was so rampant, our little newspaper even had to report to corporate headquarters on how much toilet paper our office used. And, of course, there was the ever- looming spectre of layoffs guiding us daily. Unlike the reporters then at the Timmins Daily Press, we were non-unionized and there was no way we could strike for better pay or shorter working hours. I was essentially on call 7 days a

week for minimal pay.

The point of the story is that I was brought into a world where journalism was already a victim of capitalism, asset acquisition, consolidation, and liquidation. By way of contrast, I was educated by journalists who told me stories of a more exciting time in media history. A time when reporters would rush out to get the first scoop.

When reporters had to write the most exciting leads to capture readers, when they would race each other to the nearest phone booth to call in breaking news. When newspapers would compete against each other to get the best stories.

Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but I believe reading the old newspapers from 1940, 1930, and 1920, I get a true sense of what was happening, because the reporters did such an excellent job of covering issues. The columns were long and descriptive and created a wonderful historical record.

That is the value of excellent journalism. It is precisely the point of why we tell stories.

We are leaving a record for the next generation, as we are trying to understand the world we currently live in.

Here we are today in a Metroland and Postmedia world. Where we get to read

the same stories in multiple publications, whether they are relevant to our region or not.

According to a Google search, Postmedia is currently 66% owned by an American media conglomerate (Chatham Asset Management), known for its close ties to the Republican Party (United States).

Incidentally, Postmedia now owns the little small town paper I used to work at, as well as dozens of others including the Cornwall Standard Freeholder, Montreal Gazette, Timmins, Brockville Recorder and Times, Kingston This Week, Owen Sound Sun Times, Espanola’s MidNorth Monitor, etc.. Postmedia Canada's revenue from print advertising amounted to $190.697 million in 2020.

That is a lot of cost efficiency.

I am personally troubled by such a massive consolidation in media, especially that the consolidated ownership is foreign, with ties to the U.S. Republican Party. I am troubled when major daily newspaper in Canada specifically endorses the Conservative Party, like they did in 2011 and 2015. Some papers even ran adds from the Conservative Party as their entire front page.

As person living in Can-

ada, I grew up in a time when Canadian ownership and Canadian content were mandated by law. When I was young, I grew up in a political household, and we talked about the Combines Investigations Act, and no, it isn’t a farming term. It was an Act created in 1923 that prohibited the creation of monopolies. It was an act designed to encourage competition and stop mergers or monopolies that may “operate to the detriment of the public.”

It’s strange that the Postmedia acquisition of so many Canadian newspapers wasn’t subject to an investigation under the Canada Investment Act, and that this purchase did not trigger an investigation under the Competition Act. How could government have let this happen to our media?

My personal view is that the creation of an Americancentric, Republican backed media monopoly will operate to the detriment of news readers across Canada. The stories that we generate and tell each other on this side of the border should belong to us. Remember, whomever pays the piper, calls the tune.

PS. Thank you North Grenville Times for being independent.

SDG plans to advocate for improved rural tance applications and pay- province’ economic recovery education

Province and Municipalities work to improve Social Assistance The Ontario Government is working with its municipal partners to better connect people to the supports they need as the next step in the province’s plan to modernize the delivery of social assistance. As part of its plan, frontline workers will have more time to focus on connecting clients with supports such as job readiness programs, housing, childcare, skills training and mental health services. At the same time, the province will gradually take on more program administration to make it easier for people to navigate the system.

“Ontario is facing deep economic challenges brought on by COVID 19,” said Todd Smith, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. “Our government is taking action by developing a sustainable social assistance program that takes the administrative burden off local front line workers, so they can spend more time helping their clients connect to community supports that will get February 17, 2021

them ready for jobs.”

As part of the Recovery and Renewal Plan announced last fall, the province worked with municipalities to design a Vision for Social Assistance Transformation to ensure people are getting the right supports at the right time so they can re enter the workforce. The vision outlines plans for a new social assistance delivery model that allows frontline workers to focus on results for people rather than paperwork. Based on a 2018 study, caseworkers spent approximately a quarter of their day – about 400 hours a year – filing and organizing paperwork.

Under the new delivery model: - The province will focus on overseeing social assis-

ments making it quick and easy for people to access the system while safeguarding program integrity. Currently, 47 agencies at the municipal/ District Social Services Administration Board level co fund and manage delivery of social assistance in Ontario.

- Municipal partners will use their expertise to deliver person centred casework and knowledge of local supports to help people get back to work and access supports to stabilize their lives such as housing and health care.

“Ontario finds itself at a significant crossroad,”said Minister Smith. “e must continue our work to renew the social assistance system during and after the COVID 19 pandemic, supporting the

and helping the people of Ontario find financial independence and stability. Our plan for a transformed social assistance system will help us achieve that.”

Work on social assistance reform is already underway and will be phased in over the next several years. The province continues to build on this work which includes centralized intake and prototyping a streamlined applications process to continue to free up staff time so they can focus on client support.

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Pat Jessop Email: production@ndtimes.ca 613 258 4671

The United Counties of SDG is making a priority the advocacy of rural education for local students. SDG will hire an external resource to develop an advocacy document for the promotion of rural education within the County, with a recommendation on the preferred consultant coming back for council review as soon as possible.

The County began the process this month by issuing an RFP to solicit proposals from interested and experienced parties who will draft documentation that will serve as a basis to advocate for augmented rural education options for SDG students.

“While education in Ontario is governed by school boards and the province, SDG can play a significant advocacy role in ensuring that access to quality education for our young people is paramount,” said Warden Frank Prevost.

A link to the RFP can be found at sdgcounties.ca/ruraleducation.

“There is a substantial body of literature confirming why educating children in or near their home communities is important, particularly from a social capital point of view,” said SDG CAO Timothy Simpson. “The intent of this report is therefore not to confirm what we already know, but rather to propose tangible policy solutions to make rural education in our region better.”

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The North Dundas Times

Gardening:

I forgot the Onions!

by Joselyn Morley I forgot the onions!! Digging through my big bag of seeds last week, I realised that I'd forgotten all about onions!

Onions are very important.

There have been riots over onions. That is not hyperbole.

The Indian Onion Crisis of 2010 saw 20,000 demonstrators take to the streets of New Delhi, India, when abnormal weather led to a shortage of onions, and an ensuing drastic price increase. Far from being an isolated incident, onion prices and shortages were blamed for bringing down the central government in 1980,

and decided the outcome of elections in the states of Delhi and Rajasthan in1998.

Although Canadian politics are unlikely to be overly influenced by onion shortages and prices, onions really should have been at the forefront of my gardening brain in February!

There are a couple of ways to grown onions in our area. Many people plant onion sets that they buy at the local garden or feed store.

They are tiny onion bulbs, grown from seed the previous season, then shipped to the garden or feed store. They are pretty easy to grow, and

of onions that you wouldn't be able to find in sets. It is possible to grow many onion starts from seed in a very limited amount of space, so if you are short of money or space, or you just want to try something new this year, why not try growing onions from seed. Generally, seeds should be planted 10 to 12 weeks before you can put them outside, so if you're considering it, there's not much time to waste!

Onion varieties are classified as either short-day, long-day, or indeterminate.

Onions begin to grow their bulbs based on the number of hours of daylight. Long-day onions require 14 or 15 hours of daylight each day to start bulbing. Short-day varieties need 10 hours of daylight. In eastern Ontario, we definitely have the amount of daylight to grow long-day onions. A large healthy green top to the onion is also required to give the bulb enough energy to grow big, but you will have a lot more success growing onions in Eastern Ontario, the rest of Canada, as well as most of the northern United States if you start with longday onion seeds.

pretty foolproof, so you're very likely to get a decent harvest of onions if you plant sets. They like full sun, and well drained soil. Your local garden or feed store mostly likely stocks sets of a variety of onion that does well in the local area. Your choice of sets may be limited to two or three varieties, which is fine for most gardeners. Sets stocked by local stores are often varieties that will store well after harvest, providing you cure them properly.

You can also grow onions from seed. It's generally cheaper, and you can often get seeds for different varieties

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You can plant seeds in a seed starting mix or a soilless mix in February. Onion starts can be planted out before the last frost, so you want them ready to go outside before the tomatoes, peppers or eggplants. The seeds can be planted quite close together, as long as they are in a container with lots of room for their roots to go deep, and keep your eye on them regarding water. You can put them in individual seed-starting cells, or you can start a lot of seeds in an old mushroom container. They don't generally need a heat mat, but they do need light.

The idea is to grow healthy and vigorous tops with welldeveloped roots to plant out once you can work the soil outside. Many people trim the tops off of the shoots before they get too long, in order to keep the plant short and bushy, and allow them to develop good root systems

47 Christie Lane Winchester

and strong leaves.

When you plant them outside, choose an area with well-drained soil, and full sun. Some well-aged compost will help them along, ideally dug into the soil prior to transplant. Plant them 3 to 4 inches apart, or more for big varieties. It is best to stop watering in August to allow bulbs to finish off in dry soil, but that is dependent on the variety of onion, as well as the weather we have had through the summer. Tops will begin to fall over. You will most likely have to push some of them over after waiting a while.

Onions require curing before storing. Most varieties can be cured in the sun after harvest as long as they are protected from rain, and dew. There are some onions that just don't store as well as others. Generally the strong flavour ones store the best, and the sweet ones not as well.

The New Daikin Fit Heat Pump Fits Your Space, Your Budget, and Your Life

by Joselyn Morley When everything came to a grinding halt last March, Nanda Wubbs-Huizenga quickly came up with an idea to help local businesses. She and Jen Feeny, from Jen Feeny Marketing, started the website My Shop Local in April 2020 to connect North Dundas residents with the businesses and services around them, myshoplocal.ca The online directory lists almost 400 businesses and service providers in North Dundas. Businesses are listed by category, and you can see what pandemic protocols a business has put in place, such as curbside pickup, and what services are offered during Covid-19. Business owners can immediately update their listing to reflect a change in how the business is responding to new rules from the Health Unit or province.

Businesses do not pay for February 17, 2021

this service. The website was set up in order to support local business in an unprecedented time. For some, it is their only avenue of advertising at this time.

Its inauguration was not without challenges.

The website was hijacked by a malicious individual or entity. The entire site had to be re-created, taking time, money, and expertise. The website has been sponsored by Wubs Transit, Precision Diesel, No Limits Auto Parts, Jen Feeny Marketing, Nation Valley News, and the North Dundas Business Centre. The Township of North Dundas, and the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry provided a onetime start-up donation of $400 and $200 respectively.

There is an ongoing cost to running the website, and they are looking for sponsorship for the site going into their second year.

Contact Nanda@wubs.ca

to help with sponsoring this community resource.

There is a resource page on the website dedicated to linking people, businesses, employers, and employees, to various resources available during the pandemic.

This includes a link to suppliers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and a link to Community Food Share.

If you or someone you know is in need of food or housing assistance, please contact Community Food Share in Winchester at 613774-0188, or winchester@ communityfoodshare.ca, or House of Lazarus at 613-989-3830, or 613-6123830. New businesses can enter their information on My Shop Local, and it will be included in the directory. Businesses that need help accessing programs are encouraged to contact North Dundas Business Development Officer at smann@northdundas.ca for one-on-one support.

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How things were in 1865

Heritage Week, 2021 In 1985, the Ontario government designated the third week in February as Ontario Heritage Week, with the federal Heritage Day kicking off the week.

Winchester Old Town Hall Renting land in Mountain Township, 1843

Built in 1904 for $5,000, the Old Town Hall (Winchester Cultural Centre) located at 478 Main Street East in Winchester has gone through many changes. From 1906 to 1961, it was the village library. During the 1920’s, it showcased movies, plays, and concerts with local dances held upstairs. For 65 years, the Old Town Hall acted as Winchester’s local jail, and visitors can still see evidence of jail cells in the form of bars on windows and original cell doors. From 1970 to 1980, the Ontario Provincial Police made their headquarters there.

Now, the Old Town Hall is home to the Dundas County Players theatre group, who have been entertaining the community with plays, cabarets, and dinner theatre since 1996.

True to its history of versatility. The Old Town Hall doesn’t just serve this one purpose. It also hosts “A Night at the Movies”, as well as Open Mic Night on a regular basis. The Old Town Hall has been host to many other community events like concerts (including the Festival of Small Halls, as well as artists Dan Hill and Sean McCann), live entertainment, book and CD release parties, and weddings.

What’s in a name?

by David Shanahan A piece of legislation was passed by the Ontario Government on April 7, 1890, changing the name of the Village of West Winchester. The municipal corporation had petitioned the Legislative Assembly for the name change, for a number of reasons. When the village was first established, the Post Office, then a central point of business and commerce, was located at a settlement “a few miles to the east called Winchester, but which has since been changed to Chesterville”.

Hence West Winchester was named. But complications had arisen since Chesterville had changed its name. The Canadian Pacific Railway station in West Winchester was called simply “Winchester”. The municipal corporation considered West Winchester was too long a name, “and has no local or geographical signification”.

So, in order to clarify the situation, the Assembly passed An Act to change the name of the Village of West Winchester, to that of Winchester, making everyone happy once more.

For many newcomers to the area, it was not possible to buy land outright, and so renting, or leasing, was the preferred option. This is a Lease between the Canada Company and Richard Ennis of Elizabethtown, dated April 18, 1843. Ennis was agreeing to rent the east half of lot 21 in the 1st Concession of Mountain Township, consisting of 100 acres. The lease for a term of 10 years, at a rent of £3.10.6 a year. It was a fairly normal Agreement, but an official of the Company has added some advice in writing in the margins of the document.

First, on the side, they give instructions on how to execute the document: “Fill in your place of Residence. Execute in presence of a Justice of the Peace and another Witness and attend to the Printed Notice at foot.”

The notice at the bottom of the page is a very direct warning about what would happen if the rent was ever in arrears: “You are most earnestly requested before Signing this Instrument seriously to consider whether you can pay the Rents punctually on the 1st February in each year, without reference to date of Lease, for if you do not pay and perform the other Covenants your Lease will immediately be absolutely forfeited, the Land open to any new occupant and advertised accordingly, and you will then lose all your Improvements.”

Everything, for Richard Ennis, would depend on how well he could work the land, raise his crops, and find a good price for them at market. Any serious problems would result in him losing, not only the land itself, but any buildings he had erected, such as his home, or barns. Life in North Dundas in 1843 was uncertain and settlers risked everything to put down roots in their new homes. These are the people who founded North Dundas.

Mitchell’s Canada Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1864 & 1865 listed many of the towns, villages and hamlets in the country, giving statistics on population and businesses in each one.

HALLVILLE A village in Mountain Township, Dundas County, Ontario 60 miles northwest of Cornwall, the county seat, 7 miles northeast of Kemptville the nearest banking point, and 2 miles from Mountain on the C P R its nearest shipping point. It contains Methodist and Presbyterian churches and a public school. Stage to Mountain daily. Population, 150.

W T Clelland was the Postmaster and he operated out of one of two General Stores, the other run by D. Finkelstein. The Shaw & Dougall saw mill was a major employer in the village, other factories produced potash and pumps. Robert Hyndman was in business as a grain merchant. There were two blacksmiths, B. Adams and William Patterson, as well as Joseph Thompson’s carriage making business. There were the usual businesses of the time: a tailor, two carpenter, two shoemakers, and two dressmakers.

SOUTH MOUNTAIN A village in Mountain Township, Dundas County, Ontario 50 miles northwest of Cornwall, the county seat, 15 miles north of Iroquois, and 3 miles south of Mountain on the C P R, its nearest railway point. Nearest bank at Winchester. It contains Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist churches and a public school.

Stages daily to Iroquois and Mountain. Population, 400.

South Mountain was quite a busy place in 1865.

Nelson Bowen had a hotel, as did Eli Montgomery, which implies a lot of travellers passing through regularly. George Stacey was the Postmaster and local doctor too. The Clelands operated a grocery store, and David Cleland was also a carriage maker, while M.J. Cleland was a Clerk in the Division Court. Perhaps this was the same family who ran the Post Office and store in Hallville. There were five stores in the village, as well as the usual painters, tailors, two blacksmiths, shoemakers, and butchers.

Some specialised trades operated in South Mountain in 1865. William Bailey was a tinmaker, Robert Boyd made stoves, Henry Moore operated a tannery, Robert Walker had a brick making factory, and there was a cheese factory owned by J. Soper. More unusual were the two cabinet makers, Elijah Gregory and D. Hunter.

All in all, South Mountain was a hive of activity in the 1860's.

The biggest village in the area, however, was: CHESTERVILLE, a post village in Dundas County, Ontario, on the Nation River, and a station on the C.P.R. It contains 5 churches (Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Roman Catholic and Hornerite), 9 stores, 2 hotels, 1 saw and grist mill, 1 sash and door factory, 2 branch banks, and 1 printing office issuing a weekly newspaper. Population 900.

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Getting the lines right

by David Shanahan In 1833, the leading residents of Mountain Township petitioned the Executive Council of Upper Canada to have survey work done in their township. It seems that when the original survey was performed, the Concession lines of the 10th, 11th, and 12th Concessions were either not laid out properly, or the surveyor’s markers had disappeared. This caused confusion and possible disagreement about where the boundaries of farm lots were actually situated.

The Petition was signed by William Cleland, Henry Loughlin, John Allen, Joseph Clark, Joseph Clark, jnr., John McGahey, Bernard McGahey, Lawrence Fitzpatrick, Andrew Fitzpatrick, John Gaffney, George Gibson, Alexander Clark, Hezekiah Clark, John Loughlin, John McCluskey, and Michael Loughlin.

They asked that John West, Provincial Land Surveyor, be used for the job. On inspection, it was reported that two of the lines had been run, but not that of the 10th Concession. The Executive Council ordered that the work be done, and William Cleland was informed of this decision on April 24, 1833.

Boer War

Parade for the return of soldiers from the Boer War, Winchester Ontario ca. 1900 Archives of Ontario photograph collection.

F 2170 0 0 0 9.

The British Empire went to war in South Africa in 1899 in an imperial venture to take control of minerals and territory. Opposed by the Boers, descendants of earlier Dutch settlers, Britain put pressure on Canada to send troops, although Canadians had never served outside of the homeland before. Canada was divided over the prospect, and Prime Minister Laurier compromised by agreeing to pay for a volunteer corp to join the war.

7,368 Canadian volunteers and 12 nursing sisters were eventually to serve in South Africa, of whom 89 were killed or died of wounds. Some 252 were wounded, 135 more died by accident and disease. The Canadian War Museum records that “Canadian troops burned Boer houses and farms, and moved civilians to internment camps. In these filthy camps, an estimated 28,000 prisoners died of disease, most of them women, children, and black workers. Civilian deaths provoked outrage in Britain and in Canada”.

ND Ice Storm story

by David Shanahan During the emergency following the great Ice Storm in January, 1998, volunteer workers came from around the province to help with repairs, clean-up and other assorted jobs.

The new township of North Dundas had agreed to feed these volunteers, and authorised them to go to a local restaurant for meals. All was fine until the bills arrived from the restaurants for payment.

One bill, for example, totaled more than $400, which may not seem much these days. The problem was that the items on the tab included 40 beers, 26 doubles, 12 Crown Royals, and 17 tequilas. Councillor Keith Fawcett pointed out that: “I don’t mind paying for their food, but I am concerned about the drinking”. Mayor Claude Cousineau was concerned about the safety issue when those men went back to work.

The final total for the meals amounted to between $300 and $400 for alcohol alone, and the Council felt they had no choice but to pay up. But they considered taking legal opinion on the matter. In the end, it was accepted that, if the volunteers had been paid for the work they did, it would have cost the township far more than the meals and drinks.

That was no consolation when the bills came in for township staff and fire fighters. Taking overtime pay into account, the ice storm had cost the township around half a million dollars in wages. To make matters worse, council were told that the $400,000 which had been borrowed by the township to cover expenses during the emergency was almost all gone, with only $55,000 left. That seemed acceptable, until it was then reported that there were still accounts yet to arrive from the various wards of at least $85,000. It was not a good way for the newly-established Township of North Dundas to begin operations.

Heritage Matters Celebrating Heritage in North Dundas

35

The Law Office of

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222 Prescott Street, Kemptville www.lamble.ca connie@lamble.ca

613.258.0038

February 17, 2021

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Township of ND Council Meeting

by Joselyn Morley The Council of the Township of North Dundas held their regular meeting on February 9. It was held virtually, recorded by Nation Valley News, and posted online on the Township website and on Nation Valley News' site. All of the meeting minutes are posted online after the meeting. The board package with agenda and everything you need to follow along is always posted online well in advance of the meeting. Everything is available on their website www.northdundas.com.

Director of Finance, John Gareau, asked that council approve routine tax assessment reductions in order to reflect updated MPAC assessment values. Khurram Tunio, Director of Public Works, recommended hiring Brock Lama, the successful candidate for the full-time position of Truck and Coach Technician. Council approved the allocation of five routine water and sewer units for the new Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) Daycare development in Winchester, and four for a new infill 4-plex in Chesterville. At the next meeting of council, Director Tunio anticipates having a more detailed report concerning the demands on the water capacity, and an overall look with which to support a discussion surrounding commercial flows, where we stand, and what different options we have in terms of water and sewer. Mayor Fraser stated that information regarding the holistic overview of the units available, and the combined residential, commercial / industrial / institutional, is an important piece of information to have. We need a better idea of the general

Eating disorders combine secrecy and compulsion

It’s plainly evident that many people are eating too much. But several serious eating disorders can be harder to see, especially when they deliberately hide the problem.

Recent research indicates that pandemic-related stay-athome orders have ramped up anorexia, bulimia and bingeeating disorders.

With COVID capturing all the headlines, it’s easy to lose sight of the looming mountain of mental health issues that are changing our healthcare horizon. Mental illnesses are the leading cause of premature death in Canada. In the U.S., Johns Hopkins University estimates that 26% of Americans ages 18 and older – about 1 in 4 adults – suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

Eating disorders are serious but treatable mental illnesses. Girls and young women are commonly thought to be most at risk. But research shows that body image and dieting attitudes are influential in young boys as well. Identifying those who are at risk or suffering these illnesses is challenging, as individuals tend to hide the problem from even their closest friends and family.

Ellen E. FitzsimmonsCraft, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine, says, “Eating disorders are something individuals usually keep private, and there can be a lot of shame around behaviors.”

The good news is that lockdowns might give us a better chance to keep an eye out for signs of an eating disorder. The bad news is that the stress of this COVID era may be making things a lot worse for people who are suffering from anorexia, bulimia or binge-eating.

A study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders reports that more than a third of 1,021 study participants said their illness had worsened. They pointed to a lack of structure, a triggering environment, the absence of social support and an inability to obtain foods that fit their meal plans.

Even for the healthiest, pantries full of pandemicpreparedness foods could lead to binge eating. If this is a problem for you, get help in managing your cravings.

There is nothing good that comes of extra weight gain.

For habitual binge-eaters, these excess stocks of food can result in more episodes of self-induced vomiting and laxative misuse.

Adding to these factors is the effect of the pandemic on our level of physical activity.

Numerous studies show that COVID has significantly increased the amount of time people spend sitting down each day. This is not good.

Prior to COVID, a comprehensive study of sedentary behaviour from 2001 to 2016, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed that on average

we are sitting longer each day, generally in front of a television or computer screen. As a result of COVID, the trends are steeply worse.

For people with eating disorders, the lockdown is a no-win situation. Cynthia Bulik, founding director of the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says, “For those whose disorder includes compulsive exercise, either they’re very anxious because they can’t go to the gym or find themselves exercising excessively at home because there are no barriers to doing so.”

Last year was an awful year for the health record books. It’s reasonable to bet that the statistics on global weight gain won’t be good.

And it’s not over yet. This year and the years to come will see the reckoning – increased rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

But mental illnesses are certain to escalate too. Among them, eating disorders. Unfortunately, there will be tragic increases in other forms of mental illness too.

We wish the news were better.

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health, and the future of the current system, and what we can anticipate going forward.

Deputy Mayor Armstrong agreed that the numbers are sorely needed to help decide where to go from here with regards to water and sewer capacity. We need to know the whole picture.

Calvin Pol, Director of Planning, Building, and Enforcing, recommended that Council accept a revised Zoning By-law application currently submitted for the property at 29 Main St, Chesterville, to create a residential unit in the back of the building. Public meeting with regards to this application will be held on February 23 at 6:30 pm. K202 Landscaping has been awarded the contract for snow clearing and salting for the new dry hydrant located in South Mountain, for the remainder of this winter, and for the winter of 2021-22.

Meaghan Meerburg, Director of Recreation and Culture, recommends seeking a Canada Cultural Spaces Fund grant for $25,907.50 to allow for the replacement the HVAC system in the Old Town Hall. CAO Angela Rutley explained to council that the policy passed last year to allow five day’s leave for permanent employees in the event of possible Covid-19 exposure or concern, does not extend to contract employees.

Council approved the policy be extended to those employees, to allow them to stay at home when they have symptoms or possible exposure to a positive case of Covid-19. To date there have been very few people availing themselves of "Covid Days."

Stephen Mann presented quotes to print the Explore North Dundas Guide, intended to come out in April, 2021. At the Council meet-

ing of November 3, 2020, Graphic Design was awarded to Henderson Printing, Photography was awarded to Citizen North, and Article Creation was awarded to Nation Valley News. Calls for tenders for printing closed on February 4, and Stephen Mann recommended at the February 9 meeting to award the printing contract to Hunai/Xhunai. Citizen North, the company awarded the contract for photography, is located in Montreal. Henderson Printing is located in Brockville.

The Waste Diversion Newsletter has been distributed to all the entities that the township is required to notify in accordance with Ministry of the Environment standards.

It is a requirement to make the public aware of our waste diversion practices, and or practices which could be implemented into our waste management operational plan in the future.

Arenas will open again once when we return to a colour coded system. If we open into a green, yellow, or orange zone, Recreation Department estimates having 40 hours of ice rented out at the Winchester Arena, and 18.5 at Chesterville. If we open into a red zone, those numbers would drop to 14 and 8 hours respectively.

North Dundas is hiring for Summer, 2021. Spring and Summer 2021 employment opportunities include: outdoor pool coordinator, head lifeguards, lifeguards and swim instructors, maintenance and park labourers.

The deadline for applications is March 12 at 4:30 pm. See the Job Opportunities page at www.northdundas.com for job descriptions and instructions on how to apply.

Dr. Robert Reddick This entry is taken from a fascinating book published in 1893, with the lengthy title: “The Canadian Album. Men of Canada; or Success

by Example in Religion, Patriotism, Business, Law, Medicine, Education and Agriculture”. This was Volume 2 of the work, and consisted of 500 pages of short biographies of men, all men, from Quebec and Eastern Ontario. This entry provides an insight into the professionals living in North Dundas at the end of the Nineteenth Century.

February 17, 2021

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OFA is optimistic about environmental benefits of a Clean Fuel Standard

by Drew Spoelstra, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Since the initial announcement of the Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) Regulatory Framework in 2017, the Canadian government has prepared to implement a Clean Fuel Standard to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions and lower the full lifecycle carbon intensity of fuels used in industry, transportation and buildings.

With a Clean Fuel Standard in place, fuel producers and suppliers can help meet reduced carbon obligations and earn compliance credits by lowering the Lifecycle Carbon Intensity of fuels.

One example of how they may do this is by supplying low carbon-intense fuels such as ethanol in gasoline or biodiesel in fuel.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) believes the implementation of CFS regulations can result in better pricing opportunities for Ontario farmers by creating significant growth in the Ontario crop markets while working towards a healthier, more sustainable climate.

The CFS will play a large role in the production of farmgrown feedstock. A carbon lifecycle assessment is used to analyze the greenhouse gas impact of fuels through the entire production lifecycle.

For farmers, this includes the cultivation and harvest of feedstock used to produce low carbon intensity fuels.

Land Use and Biodiversity (LUB) criteria mentioned in Section 38 of the proposed regulations will ensure the cultivation and harvest of feedstock do not reduce biodiversity or pose risks to any vulnerable species, ecosystems and habitats. The LUB criteria will also help reduce indirect land-use changes that risk increasing carbon emissions by the displacement of forests, wetlands and grasslands.

Increased markets for crops and crop residues in February 17, 2021

Ontario can provide opportunities for farmers to contribute to the production of lower carbon-emitting fuels.

However, there is still work that needs to be done to ensure regulations are attainable for Ontario farmers. Having the ability to produce and grow quality crops is just as important as protecting the environment.

Many farmers are concerned the proposed regulations will hinder their ability to produce and grow feedstocks, impact the expansion and growth of farmland in northern Ontario, increase excluded zones near riparian zones and wetlands, and create red tape.

To address these concerns, Section 39 of the proposed regulations recognizes that the criteria set out for crop feedstocks by the US EPA for their renewable fuel standard are stringent enough to comply with the LUB criteria. This means all Canadian Agricultural feedstock is eligible for CFS compliance credit creation.

Livestock farmers have also voiced concerns on the treatment of pastureland as restricted grassland that cannot be used to produce feedstock for CFS compliance credits.

Although pasturelands left unseeded for 10 years could be deemed as restricted grassland under the proposed regulations, intermittent seeding of pasturelands allows these fields to remain unrestricted for cultivating and harvesting CFS compliant feedstocks.

As a united industry, we need to work with the federal government to find a balance between addressing setbacks and supporting the betterment of the environment where we live, work and play. If there are proper measures to help create attainable regulations,

Help Support Your Local Businesses

SHOP LOCAL

La FAO dévoile de nouvelles ressources en ligne pour les membres francophones La Fédération de l'agriculture de l'Ontario (FAO) est fière de dévoiler un nouveau service en ligne pour les agriculteurs francophones ; on y offre un éventail de ressources en matière de politiques et de programmes, de fiches d'information, de guides et de renseignements supplémentaires pour appuyer nos membres francoontariens.

Le site Notre agriculture : Cultiver les possibilités pour les familles agricoles francophones de l'Ontario (Our AgriCulture: Cultivating Opportunities for Ontario’s Francophone Farm Families) est financé par le gouvernement de l'Ontario par l'entremise du Programme de subventions à la communauté francophone, offert en collaboration avec l'Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens (UCFO).

Le nouveau service répertorie des politiques et des fiches d'information de la FAO sur de nombreuses questions et priorités clés ayant un impact sur l'industrie agricole de l'Ontario, notamment les biens agricoles, le transport, la sécurité agricole et la santé et le bien-être mental. Il existe également de nombreuses ressources permettant aux fédérations locales de comté de défendre et de faire du lobbying au nom des agriculteurs et des communautés rurales francophones.

"Nous sommes ravis d'offrir ces précieuses res-

these initiatives will help support a healthy environment on farms and are a step in the right direction.

The agriculture community needs investments in programs that advance positive environmental initiatives across the country. This can be done through cost-share incentives and by increasing market opportunities like a Clean Fuel Standard. Ultimately, if the objective is to improve the environment by collecting a carbon tax, why not invest those funds back into the environment we’re trying to protect and preserve?

As farmers, we don't want more paperwork or red tape when following regulations.

We want to work collectively towards a better environment while minimizing any burden required to meet this new standard.

It's important to recognize that it's difficult to create a one-size-fits-all approach for all of Canada to follow. OFA will continue to advocate for the federal government to accommodate different regional jurisdictions and crop management practices across the country. Any Clean Fuel Standard that is implemented will need to recognize these differences, with reasonable compliance burden, helping farmers follow best farm management practices while improving the environment.

sources à nos familles agricoles francophones avec le soutien du gouvernement de l'Ontario", a déclaré Peggy Brekveld, présidente de la FAO. "Nous savons que les agriculteurs franco-ontariens sont de fervents défenseurs dans leurs communautés, et nous espérons que ce nouveau service en ligne encouragera, soutiendra et dynamisera leurs efforts continus".

"Nous sommes heureux de nous associer à la FAO pour réaliser ce projet et apporter une valeur ajoutée à nos membres collectifs » a déclaré Danik Lafond, directeur général de l’UCFO. “Nous souhaitons que tous les agriculteurs de l'Ontario - français et anglais - puissent prospérer et réussir.

Ces ressources sont des outils pour aider à cette réussite » a déclaré Peggy Brekveld, présidente de la FAO. La FAO défend la diversité et l'inclusion dans nos communautés agricoles, avec près de 650 membres qui s’identifient comme francophones. Grâce à ce projet, la FAO et l'UCFO visent à faire en sorte que les francoontariens puissent continuer à être des citoyens engagés en faveur de changements positifs dans le secteur agroalimentaire, aujourd'hui et à l'avenir.

Le centre de ressources en ligne est maintenant disponible sur le site Web de la FAO à l'adresse ofa.on.ca/

NotreAgriculture.

La Fédération de l'agriculture de l'Ontario (FAO) est la plus grande organisation agricole générale de l'Ontario, représentant 38 000 familles agricoles dans toute la province. En tant qu'organisation dynamique dirigée par des agriculteurs et basée à Guelph, la FAO s'efforce de représenter et de défendre les intérêts des agriculteurs de l'Ontario par le biais de relations gouvernementales, de recommandations de politiques agricoles, de recherches, d'efforts de lobbying, de représentation communautaire, de relations avec les médias et plus encore. La FAO est le principal défenseur des agriculteurs de l'Ontario et est la voix des agriculteurs en Ontario. Pour plus d'informations, visitez le site ofa.on.ca.

ple, including Lions, have “passed on”, and we who loved them, and thought highly of them, have not been able to “properly” pay our respects to them and their families.

We do, however, deeply feel the loss, and we hope their families and loved ones are aware of our feelings.

Lion Suzanne is pleased to announce that the Lions Club of Winchester’s Thrift Store at 541 St. Lawrence street will open at 9 a.m. on February 18. Due to Covid restrictions a maximum of eight (8) customers will be allowed in the store at one time. Masks must be worn, and customers are asked to respect the social distancing protocols. It is the current plan to have the store open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday through Friday.

Until further notice the store

will not be open on Saturdays or Sundays. Donations of clean, reusable and smoke free goods can be made on or after Monday February 22.

The Lions Club is very appreciative of the public’s awareness that we are a volunteer organization and that funds raised, through this project, return to our community through donations and assistance to those less fortunate. Please help us by ensuring you are pleased and proud of the articles you donate.

L'Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens (UCFO) est un mouvement qui se consacre à la défense et à la promotion des intérêts économiques et socioculturels de tous les agriculteurs franco-ontariens. L'UCFO se préoccupe particulièrement des intérêts de la ferme familiale en tant qu'entité traditionnelle ainsi que de toutes les activités socioculturelles et économiques du secteur de la production agricole et du développement des communautés rurales.

A year like no other Winchester Lions Club news

impossible to raise funds and be able to help those less fortunate. With this pandemic, I am sure there are those out there that could use some assistance. Thirdly, Lions Clubs throughout the Multiple District of Ontario and Quebec are staggering through this unusual circumstance, just like we in Winchester are.

Governors and Chairpersons of various programs that usually visit Clubs in their area to inform and inspire are not able to do so. This means that Lions programs like, Leader Dogs, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Diabetes, CNIB, and other initiatives will suffer severely because of an inability of Clubs to fund-raise.

Finally, throughout our communities, valuable, respected, and well-loved peo-

by Lion Bob Porteous Having been a Lion for slightly more that 50 years, I have not seen a more difficult year to be a Lion. First, we have been required to stay home, restrict socializing, and rely on social media to determine what is happening in our community. In my opinion, it is very difficult to identify social, community, and individual needs under these conditions. A concerned and active Lions Club needs community input, either directly, via community scuttlebutt, the rumour mill, or maybe even conversations at a hockey game. Without these things, it is difficult to know the problems that are out there.

Second, by having to stay home and keep within your bubble, it is practically 9

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CLASSIFIEDS

ACROSS 1. Trainee 6. If not 10. Evil 14. Winged 15. Twosome 16. Weightlifters pump this 17. Radiolocation 18. Moving within 19. Identical 20. Prolonged 22. By mouth 23. Chills and fever 24. Straying 26. Hindu princess 30. Arrive (abbrev.)

31. Unhappy 32. Ends a prayer 33. Brass component 35. Boscs 39. Fetes

41. Estrogenic hormone 43. Wearing footgear 44. List of options 46. Cocoyam 47. Record (abbrev.)

49. French for "Summer" 50. Very intense 51. Agency 54. Adriatic resort 56. Functions 57. A type of mint flavor 63. A set of garments 64. Double-reed woodwind 65. Restaurant 66. Sea eagle 67. Blaring 68. Master of ceremonies 69. Hurried 70. Blind (poker) 71. Prepared

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DOWN 1. Grumble 2. Winglike 3. Rabbet 4. French for "State" 5. Latin name for our planet 6. Gormandism 7. Type of lamp 8. Location 9. Wears away 10. Disarrayed 11. A kind of macaw 12. Ancient empire 13. Genuflected 21. Staring intently 25. Awestruck 26. Whacks 27. Nanny 28. Roman emperor 29. Fascinated 34. Multi-legged insect 36. Assistant 37. Was a passenger 38. Swill 40. Notion 42. Soft leather 45. Burbot 48. Domed roof 51. Public transit vehicles 52. Take forcibly 53. French for "Queen" 55. Law and _____ 58. Black, in poetry 59. Marcel Marceau was one 60. Ancient Peruvian 61. Require 62. 3

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

The Voice of North Grenville

Hospital By-Laws require that membership applications be received at least 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Corporation to entitle a member to vote at the Annual Meeting. The 2021 Annual Meeting of the Corporation is scheduled for Tuesday, June 22.

To ensure applications are properly processed, they must be received prior to Monday, March 15, 2021 at 4 pm.

Application forms for new members, or renewing members, can be found online at: https://www.wdmh.on.ca/corporatemembership Please forward completed application forms to: alafleche@wdmh.on.ca Alternatively, you can mail your application: Administration Office Winchester District Memorial Hospital 566 Louise Street Winchester, Ontario K0C 2K0 Attention: Amy Lafleche To find more information about The Winchester District Memorial Hospital Corporation, please visit https://www.wdmh.on.ca/boardbylawspolicies and see our Administrative Bylaws.

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The Food Corner

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville

Easy

Medium

Hard

Solution to last week’s Crossword

I am definitely old fashioned. All that means is that I remember many of the treats we had in yesteryear and enjoy recreating that special flavour.

One of the most enjoyable treats in my memory’s repertoire is the traditional Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail: please, not with 4 jumbo shrimp, but with 6, white-pink and beautiful and laid out on a bed of sliced lettuce in a Shrimp Cocktail dish (if you have one) or a large wine glass, if you don’t. Also, another blast from the past involves pairing your Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with an ice-cold Chardonnay, oaked or unoaked according to your taste. Mind you, a Singapore Sling ain’t bad either.

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail (for 2) Main Ingredients: 12 jumbo shrimp (you can buy them frozen quite safely) ½ cup of finely sliced lettuce 2 lemon wedges Some capers, if you wish Cocktail Sauce: ¼ cup catsup 6 tablespoons horseradish 6 tablespoons HP sauce Several vigorous dashes of

February February17, 17,2021 2021

10 13

Worcestershire Sauce A half a dozen drops of Tabasco Sauce A couple of tablespoons of lime or lemon juice (whatever you have in stock) Preparation: Boil and peel the shrimp till they turn pinkish white (please do not overcook) Chill for at least an hour Mix all of the Cocktail Sauce ingredients together with a fork and chill (also for at least an hour) When ready and just before serving, line the bottom of your 2 cocktail dishes with the sliced lettuce Gently pour some of your cocktail sauce over the lettuce and place some capers over top Place the shrimp in your dishes, heads in, in a circle with the tails forming a fan (make it look pretty, please!

Garnish with piece of lemon for each dish Place any leftover cocktail sauce in a separate dish for extra dipping Do all of the final preparation from 4 above onward in front of the person who is going to share with you,

maybe have them open and decant the wine.

You may want to turn on some background music; Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons is nice, but so is some Ella Fitzgerald.

How to eat: This dish is meant to be savoured, not devoured. It is also best eaten as a finger food, which means, only use your fork to capture some sauce-laden lettuce. This may sound terrible to some of you but I eat the whole shebang, finishing with the lettuce “tarted up” with the cocktail sauce as a salad. Now, for those who insist on modernizing this traditional dish, you can also use Tzatziki instead of cocktail sauce. Oh, and don’t forget the wine and such, eh!

Meanwhile, I greatly appreciate receiving your mails at pcormier@ranaprocess. com, so kindly keep sending them along.

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The North Dundas Times

Against the Grain Farms

by Joselyn Morley Shelley Spruit founded Against the Grain five years ago, with a focus on the reestablishment of heritage grains for human consumption, with an emphasis on the local market. A fourth generation farmer, Shelley says she knows nothing else but growing and preparing food from their gardens and land. She grows whole grains and ancient varieties, adapted for the local environment, as many otherwise local food systems are missing locally grown grain. She selects grains from around the world, collecting stories and encouraging diversity.

Shelley's husband Tony was born and raised on Spruit road. The couple moved to the area over 25 years ago.

They founded Winchelsea Farms, and operated that business for 13 years, promoting locally sourced food, and feeding people from across the counties in their renovated barn. In 2009, they

sold that business. All tolled, they have been farming in the area for 33 years, and have always grown some sort of grains. Over the last 7 years, they have developed an interest in heritage grain, so they started looking into the value and opportunities for older varieties of grains. Heirloom grains are important for a variety of reasons, including: expanding and maintaining the biodiversity of agriculture; honouring and perpetuating food history; preserving a diversity of flavour; ensuring seed sovereignty; and protecting farmers' rights to save and re-use seeds, and breed and exchange diverse and open-source seeds that are not patented, genetically modified, or owned or controlled by seed companies.

When Shelley started Against the Grain, and began researching heirloom varieties of seeds, she only had a handful of some of the seeds she wanted to try to grow. She grew them and saved them, then grew and saved them

Baldwin’s Birds

I hope you are all safe and well and keeping in good spirits.

No Owls the other day, but got some more Snow Buntings and a real surprise bird, that I've never seen before, a Horned Lark. I was driving along very slowly and spotted a bird on the side of the road, which didn't quite look like a Snow Bunting, so I stopped and looked at it through my camera lens.

Wow! What a surprise to see such a colorful bird, of which I wasn't sure what it was. The fellow who had been following me stopped and had his binoculars out and he too couldn't identify it. There were three of them only, not a flock similar to the Buntings, at this stage, but they quickly flitted from the road side, landed in the field and then ran, not hopped, away from us. They soon got out of camera range, and, not having spotted anything else and the day drawing to a close, I left for home to delve into my bird books to identify them. It was well worth it and a lovely surprise too.

Stay safe and well, Cheers, John Baldwin.

February 17, 2021

again the next year, one seed at a time. In the third year of growing, she found the winner, which has become the cornerstone of Against the Grain. Ancient Amber Wheat is now used by professional bakers all across Canada.

Against the Grain has grown, literally, one seed at a time.

Big farms are getting bigger. In North Dundas, many of the smaller dairy farmers are selling out. But in the past five years, Shelley is pleased to see a growing interest from people who don’t have a farming background wanting to learn how to grow their food, and how to develop sustainable businesses that provide an income for their families.

There is no one-and-only way to farm. Through changing habits, some farmers manage to create habitat space for at-risk species, and some can retire marginal land. Some

farmers can practice no-till farming, and some can plant green cover crops. Each of us must be willing to try something that is beneficial to our land, our business and the environment.

Many of Shelley's clients at Against the Grain come from outside the area. A surprising number don't know about Stormont, Dundas, & Glengarry. It's a beautiful area, with rich agricultural land and communities. We need education and more awareness in order to bring people out here from the surrounding cities. Our leaders could look to Prince Edward County to see an excellent example of agriculture tourism, and agriculture events that promote regional food.

There are few regulations governing how many of our treelines and acres of forested area can be cut down. This is a big concern for many people,

including Shelley. In South Dundas, we can see the longterm negative effects from clearing the trees from fence rows, and removing areas of bush. Removing trees leads to wind erosion, loss of habitat for species, and changes to the water table. We need to think of the long-term effects. Each of us needs to take responsibility for the health of the environment, and to take responsibility for understanding the importance of trees. Seven years ago, when Shelley and Tony purchased the 50 acres they currently steward, they planted over 300 native trees and shrubs into the fence rows and marginal grasslands. She knows that they will not see all of them mature, but it is their way of giving back to the generations to come.

Education and awareness are key to promoting sustainability, supporting heritage food, and understanding the

role of regenerative agriculture. The more people are exposed to the positive and negative impacts of their food choices, the better chance we have of making a positive change for the good of our generation and those to come.

Each of us has a responsibility to participate in the change we want to see. Healthy communities go hand in hand with a healthy local food economy.

Everyone benefits when we pay attention to local agriculture. Farmers are resilient and adaptable. They have grit.

No matter what happened last fall, the farmer still plants the seed the following spring.

Farmers' work ethic, optimism, and willingness to keep going will always prevail.

Against the Grain Farms: www.againstthegrainfarms. ca, 613-406-1969

promises high-speed, low latency, broadband internet to users worldwide, especially those in rural or remote locations. They advertise 50 to 150 Mbps, depending on location.

The company is now selling beta service internationally in several locations with global coverage advertised by the end of 2021. Beta is a testing phase, prior to official release. The company claims that the service is ideal for rural and remote communities where traditional landline infrastructure would be prohibitively expensive. Current service is $799 Canadian up front for equipment cost, and $129 Canadian per month for 50 to 150 Mbps unlimited data. Availability is currently limited, with potential periodic outages to be expected during the beta phase.

Starlink works as such: There is a network server farm, connected by a fibre backbone to a satellite ground station. This satellite ground station transmits to, and receives from, a satellite in the constellation, which itself

transmits to, and receives from, other satellites in the constellation. Each of the satellites then transmit to, and receive from, a large footprint (area) on the earth. Any Starlink transceiver within that footprint (area) is able to transmit to, and receive from, that satellite. The end goal is to create a web of communications satellites enabling internet access from anywhere in the world.

Elon Musk aims to have 11,943 satellites circling the earth by 2025, with an end goal of 42,000. Light pollution is already a large concern for astronomers. Many astronomical images taken over the last year have been near useless because of trails of light across them.

Starlink is here

other, that are not in communication with each other, do not constitute a constellation.

Falcon 1 was the first privately-funded launch vehicle to reach orbit on September 28, 2008. The Falcon Heavy was the first privately funded launch vehicle to put a payload into orbit around the sun.

That was his Tesla Roadster on February 6, 2018.

SpaceX currently has the lowest cost of earth to low orbit payload insertion in the industry. They are able to put a payload into orbit for $28 million, charging their clients approximately $62 million for the service. SpaceX currently performs two thirds of NASA's launches, and won a contract in 2020 for 40% of the US Space Force launches through to 2027.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation constructed

by SpaceX. Upon completion, it will include thousands of small mass-produced communication satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) working in conjunction with multiple ground stations. The company

by Joselyn Morley People are excited about Starlink arriving in the North Dundas and North Grenville areas. So what exactly is Starlink? Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX, which is the American aerospace company founded in 2002

by Elon Musk. SpaceX began with multiple goals, including reducing earth to orbital launch cost, developing a recoverable launch vehicle, and eventually building a viable vehicle to begin Mars colonisation.

The company has developed a number of highefficiency, high-performance rocket engines, a number of launch vehicles, cargo and personnel space craft, as well as the the Starlink Satellite Constellation.

A satellite constellation is a series of satellites that communicate with each other.

In order to be considered a constellation, there has to be numerous satellites in communication with each other.

Many satellites close to each 11

Contact Joselyn Morley if you need an event covered. joselyn@ndtimes.ca 613-989-1980

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Sustainability: Zero Waste

by Joselyn Morley Zero Waste International Alliance defines the term Zero Waste as “the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health”.

Most of us look at that definition, or any such declaration, and are defeated before we even have a chance to figure out what it means. We are surrounded by disposable and single-use products, appliances and household items that cost more to repair than to replace, fast fashion that

is cheap but wears out after a couple of washes, overpackaged food, and plastics everywhere. Have you stood at the recycling box recently wondering if the thing in your hand goes into recycling or garbage? Or wondered how much of what you've put into your recycling box actually gets recycled. It's truly overwhelming.

There are small things that you can do, that do add up, especially if many people are doing them. Yes, drastic measures are required to address climate change, but small changes do make a difference. We can all make small changes, or swaps, in our everyday lives, to change one or two small things for something that generates less waste. Yes, Ontario’s plan for recycling intends to put the responsibility for recycling at the feet of the producers in the next few years. No one quite knows what this will look like though. Will producers truly take over responsibility for recycling, or will they just add cost onto their product, and pay the municipalities or waste companies?

left in them, in order to replace them with greener alternatives. Use things until they fall apart if possible. When you absolutely have to replace something, then replace it with a greener, more environmentally-friendly item. Buy things that will last. Source second hand items, whenever possible and practical, but also buy the best quality you can when you do buy new, so that it will last. Shop less in general. Ask yourself if you really need it before you buy it. Swap clothes with friends.

Fix or mend things if you can. Give yourself a 30 day no-shopping challenge. Try refillable pens or recycled paper. Choose second hand electronics. Share books, or borrow from the library or read off a device if you want to support the author.

Giftwrap in re-usable fabric.

Don't use single-use plastic bags. Bring re-usable bags with you when you shop. Put something at your front door, or on your car dash, to remind you to bring the bags with you. Take re-usable produce bags too. They can be fancy mesh ones with draw strings

Meanwhile, if we want to make changes in our lives to move towards a more Zero Waste lifestyle, a good approach is to avoid creating a demand for more production.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Recycle is third on the list. We need to reduce our demand, and reuse what we already have. The world doesn't need more garbage. Here are some things that you can try. Some will be way beyond your comfort level now. Just try to do a few, perhaps. The idea behind a zero waste swap is that you replace one thing in your life with something more sustainable. As you keep making swaps, it becomes easier.

Straws are of course the poster child for how singleuse plastics are killing wildlife. Try not to use straws unless you absolutely must.

Then try to use re-usable ones, or those made of paper. Use up what you have before you go out and buy all new green, environmentally friendly products. It is against the entire concept of Zero Waste to throw out all your old things, with plenty of life

Public Consultation: Mapping Natural Heritage Systems, SDG & South Nation Conservation

by Joselyn Morley South Nation Conservation (SNC) held a public consultation meeting on February 9 for residents within the United Counties of Stormont Dundas & Glengarry to discuss the ongoing project of mapping the Natural Heritage Systems. A second public consultation meeting for the United Counties of Prescott Russel (UCPR) was held the following night. Both public consultation sessions were recorded and can be found on the South Nation Conservation's YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/SouthNationCA. The project is a partner study that began when SDG and UCPR decided to work together to study the Natural Heritage Systems beyond their own boundaries, and then asked SNC to work with them. The SNC asked Raisin Region Conservation Authority to participate, as they have jurisdiction on parts of SDG. The final maps, and all the data collected through the process of mapping, will be used to help update the Official Plans and policies for the Counties. It is a provincial policy requirement that the Counties must undertake Natural Heritage Studies.

The meeting featured February 17, 2021

John Mesman, Team Lead for Communications and Outreach, and Alison McDonald, Team Lead for Approvals.

The SNC is one of Ontario's 36 Conservation Authorities, whose mandate includes community based watershed management. SNC encompass 16 municipalities, and covers 4441 km2 in Eastern Ontario.

Natural Heritage Systems planning recognises that all of the natural features, such as forests, rivers, or wetlands on our landscape are truly connected. They do not exist in isolation. There are two main components of a Natural Heritage System, the core natural area, and the linkage that connects those core natural areas. These linkages are essential to support the wildlife movement between core natural areas. This movement is essential to ensure genetic diversity of a population. In its broadest terms, the goals of the study include: identifying natural heritage features and supporting areas; recognising local linkages and wildlife corridors between these natural heritage features; improving environmental policies; providing a scientific basis for land and water stewardship activities; protecting and enhancing regional biodiversity, indigenous species,

and ecosystems; helping to mitigate the effects of climate change such as flooding and drought by keeping wetlands and forests on the landscape, and conserving natural legacy for future generations.

They began by mapping as many potential core areas or corridors as possible. Not all of them will end up on the final map. Forests must be socially significant, and as big as possible, with existing protection. They looked for large areas that already contained large tracts of public land, so that these cores and corridors remain for future generations. They encourage people to reach out with what areas they think should be included. Even if an area doesn't end up on the final maps, many regions already have policy to protect local forest or wetland, and this will continue. We need a strong green, resilient landscape.

The draft maps are online.

Planning and development is a balancing exercise between people and nature, and economy and ecology.

The advantage to looking at the entire region is that we can look at how the different parts interconnect. Habitat loss and fragmentation is the leading cause of species loss and decline in Ontario.

12

Climate change is causing shifts in the range of our species. Roads make it difficult for species to travel. Urban sprawl can destroy wildlife habitat. Intense development can cause flooding. Intensification in urban areas can help reduce urban sprawl. Forest and wetlands help protect communities from some effects of climate change. Even small natural features, such as vernal pools or hedgerows on private property, can benefit species. Natural Heritage Systems also provide us with ecosystem services that sustain life or improve the quality of life, such as clean water, pollination, and flood reduction. Genetic diversity is only possible if genetic exchange is possible, when species can travel between different areas.

Moose and Fishers are considered keystone wildlife species because of the large range and specific habitat requirements of each of these species. Moose need large tracts of forest, not just a few trees. They rely on forests for food, protection from predators, and shelter. They require a variety of forests as well, including mature vegetation to offer a canopy of tree cover for protection against the weather in summer and weather. They also require

and toggles, or they can be basic home-made ones.

When you do go out, bring your own cutlery to use rather than plastic forks.

Bring a mug with you for coffee. It doesn't have to be fancy, or expensive. Use up what you have. Carry your refillable water bottle. Try to brown bag your lunch and snacks when you can. You will save a bit of money, and possibly eat more healthily.

Make some of your favourite snacks at home. Swap your single-use napkins for re-usable. Don't use plastic wrap.

At home, cover left-overs in a pot or bowl with a dinner plate, or a beeswax wrap.

Save your citrus peels and soak them in vinegar.

Use that to wash counters or clean. Vinegar is a great cleaning agent, as is baking soda. DIY toilet tabs work.

Swap your laundry detergent for refillable, or use concentrated laundry cream sold in mason jars. Use natural stain sticks. Swap your plastic kitchen brushes and scrubbers for those made of sustainable materials. Use bar soap or laundry cream for laundry.

Try soap nuts.

Save your veggie scraps and make stock. Grow herbs rather than buying them in the produce isle. Make plant milks yourself if you drink them. Use charcoal filters for water rather than buying bottles. Aim for carbon neutral or carbon negative food and materials. Consider how many miles your food has

to travel to get to you. Buy local and seasonable when possible. Choose hemp over cotton. Use jars you have already to store bulk items, before you go out and buy new mason jars. Switch to loose-leaf teas and herbal teas. Don't throw out food waste. It doesn't decompose in the landfill, and contributes to greenhouse gasses. Try making things like breads, buns, or flatbreads.

Swap your shampoo and conditioner bottles for bars.

Use bar soap. Try a re-usable razor. Try re-usable menstrual pads, cups, and period panties. Consider a bidet. Swap out tissues for reusable handkerchiefs. Buy toothpaste and deodorant from a sustainable company. Try a DIY lipbalm or one in reusable or sustainable packaging. Swap your plastic toothbrush for one that is made of more sustainable materials, once your old one is done. Say no to online companies that do not package or ship in an environmentally conscious fashion.

These may seem small.

Some won't work for you.

There are probably many swap suggestions that aren't here. Currently North Dundas is undertaking an Environmental Assessment in regards to waste management. All municipalities are facing increased pressure to find new approaches to deal with waste, recycling, organics, and landfills reaching capacity.

forests with new growth for food. Moose populations are threatened when they cannot access both types of forest. If it makes sense to see moose as a keystone wildlife species for the fast tracks of different types of forests they require, it at first seems odd to realise that the other keystone species is the fisher. The fisher is a solitary member of the weasel family. It can be found in most of Canada. They are considered a keystone species because of their need for large interconnected areas of mature forest. These mature forests, and the corridors that previously connected them, are disappearing rapidly. It is one of the many reasons the counties and South Nation Conservation have undertaken to map the large areas and the corridors connecting them.

The South Nation Conservation is asking people to report sightings of the keystone wildlife. In addition to moose and fishers, they are also asking that you report

sightings of beavers, turtles and honeybees.

Report keystone wildlife sightings using the Survey123app found at: survey123. arcgis.com Or through the Story Map available at www.nation. on.ca Forms for the public to provide feedback on the draft NHS maps are available on the South Nation Conservation website, at www.nation. on.ca Stakeholders and special interest groups can provide additional feedback through scheduling private meetings with SNC staff in February. Forms to schedule these meetings are available on the South Nation Conservation website, at www.nation.on.ca

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