ND Times Issue 9 2021 March 10

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The Voice of North Dundas

Vol 2, No 9

March 10, 2021

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Julie Bourdon operates Kibble 4 Paws from a rented storage container in Morewood. Animal Rescues need food; the more cats, rabbits, birds, and dogs a rescue helps, the more food they need.

Kibble 4 Paws is putting otherwise wasted food from the pet industry into the hands of rescues, shelters, sanctuaries, and foodbanks that need it.

One day, four years ago, while transporting a rescued animal, Julie came up with a way to help rescues secure food. Initially, she provided food to one rescue every couple of months. A year ago, in March, 2020, when the

pandemic began, she started to provide the option of delivery right to the door of the rescue. Kibble 4 Paws now supplies animal food, bedding, and litter to 57 organisations, including shelters, rescues, farm sanctuaries, wildlife centres, foodbanks, and wellness centres. They supply foodbanks and wellness centres so that people who are going through a rough patch do not have to worry about losing their pets.

Kibble 4 Paws has eight Kibble Krew who deliver food. The East Krew deliver to Ottawa, North Dundas, Cassleman, Embrun, Alexandria, Plantagenet, and St Eugene. The West Krew deliver to South Dundas, Leeds

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& Grenville, Brockville, and Kingston. They also deliver to two Krew in Kingston, who then drive further on to Campbellford, Belleville, Courtice, and Oshawa. When I dropped by Headquarters, I found two Kibble Krew, Marilyn and Peter Scott piling their vehicle full of food to head to Brockville. Marilyn and Peter do a huge amount of work for animal rescues in the area. All the Kibble Krew donate their time, vehicle, gas, and labour. Scheduling and coordinating deliveries and drivers is a massive job. Julie says they're like a well-oiled machine now. She is very thankful for Messenger chats!

Mondou donates cat and dog food, cat litter, some

bird seed, and some small animal feed. The food usually has damaged packaging, or is from returns, or it is near its best-before date.

Donating the food is not just good for rescue animals, it is also good for the environment, because it keeps it out of the incinerator. Julie purchases food for rabbits, pigs, guinea pigs, and rats, as well as wood shavings, from Dundas Feed and Seed, with money donated to Kibble 4 Paws. She buys bales of hay from a local farmer, also with donated funds. Kibble 4 Paws is always looking for donations to help offset the cost of these supplies. Find them

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Julie regularly rents a 20 foot cube van to pick up the food from Mondou in Montreal. Claro Cabinet Manufacturing in Morewood is a sponsor, and provides Kibble 4 Paws with a place to put their rented storage container. Kibble 4 Paws would love to own their own storage containers, and are looking

for sponsors and donations towards this goal. Any storage solutions would need to be wild-animal proof! Van rental and gas for the van are also funded through donations.

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Baldwin’s Birds

I hope that you are all fit and well and looking forward to longer and warmer days ahead.

Having reached the bottom of the very large bag of Nyjer seed, feeding our numerous bird portion of the Redpoll irruption, it was time to restock again. Local suppliers were out, so a trip a little bit north of here was required. A brilliantly sunny, but extremely cold, windy day prompted me, as I was going that way, to try my luck at seeing a Snowy Owl and Snow Buntings once again. So, with that in mind my camera was soon nestled behind my driving seat, in silent expectation.

Once the Nyjer seed had March 10, 2021

been purchased and stowed I was off to try my luck, again, Snowy Owl seeking. As luck would have it another car was just passing by, on the road where a sighting might have been expected, and an enthusiastic head popped out of the car window, to direct me to a Snowy Owl location, where it was supposedly sheltering from the wind, on the ground, by a fenced hedgerow, not too far away.

A first scan with my camera's zoom lens didn't really show it up, as, being white and well camouflaged, it didn't stand out one bit.

Surprise,- surprise! I was feeling a little bit frustrated about this situation, when another car drew up and

the gentleman in it, with his powerful binoculars, was able to zero me in, on it, straightaway,- success! The owl, looking like a small mound of snow, sat stock still for ages, occasionally turning its head, but never really giving a great view of itself, until it finally took to the air and flew a short distance to the top of a hydro pole! Not surprisingly I lost sight of it during this transition, due to the glare of the sunshiny snow and it being white! At first I wasn't sure where it had gone, but then, looking down the road past the fanatical photographer, who was laying prone on the ground taking pictures of Snow Buntings, I spotted it!

The bird sat up on the top of the pole, looking amazing in the sunshine, but was having quite a battle with the windy conditions. Its feathers were quite ruffled, by the biting wind, and I wondered, as I sat with my car engine and heater running and my window open, how long it would stay there. Well, my hands started to get really cold and my gloves were donned, as I tried to maintain a steady hold of my camera and trigger finger, whilst, still keeping my eye to the lens eye piece, awaiting its next flight!

After over an hour of waiting it took off, but so suddenly it was gone in the blink of an eye. Luckily, however, it landed in the snow not many metres from where I sat and I was able to get some very quick, fairly close-up, pictures of it. This was to be very short lived, as it took off, once more, and I just managed to get a couple of in-flight tail end shots, as it flew off, to disappear out of sight. What a great afternoon it turned out to be.

Stay safe and well, Cheers, John Baldwin

Hayley Bedford

Marketing Consultant

Phone

343 777 2702 email hayley@ ndtimes.ca 2

Mountain Township District Lions Club

Our Club members were extremely happy to meet in person last night, after not meeting since December 3, 2020!

Two long time members were presented with Chevron Awards recognizing long term service. 25 year service Chevron pin was presented to Robert McMenomy, and 30 year service Chevron pin was presented to Brian Telford.

Congratulations and thank-you to Rob and Brian! It was reported that in December, our COVID Christmas Hamper Event was extremely well organized and delivered without a hitch!

Under the umbrella of the North Dundas Christmas Fund, our community was the recipient of 44 baskets, helping 79 adults and 47 children. 45 PJ'S and 38 snowsuits were delivered!

We couldn't have done all this without the very generous donations made to the North Dundas Christmas Fund by our community. As always, we thank the community for their great support of our events and our sign rentals. We are busy planning future events! Be safe, and get your physical and mental exercise! www.ndtimes.ca

The North Dundas Times

Half-load Season began March 8

by Todd Lihou, Corporate Communications Coordinator It’s that time of year again. Half-load season began in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry on March 8. Halfload season is just that, the limiting of materials to five tonnes per axle on the weaker roads located throughout the region.

Roads that are subject to seasonal weight restrictions are identified with a sign.

Half-loads will be enforced once signs are posted, which started March 8, 2021 and will likely run into the early part of May. Except the following lo-

cations, most roads within SDG are subject to half-load restrictions: - South of Highway 401 on County Road Nos. 1, 14, 33 and 35.

- County Road 1 from French Settlement Road to Belmeade Road.

- County Road 15 from County Road 2 to the southwest leg of County Road 36.

- County Road 44 from Highway No. 138 to 840m East of County Road 42.

- County Road Nos. 31, 34, 43, 46.

- County Road No. 2 from Leeds & Grenville boundary to the City of Cornwall boundary and from the City of Cornwall boundary to the Ontario/Quebec boundary.

Benjamin de-Haan, Counties’ Director of Transportation and Planning, said halfload season is integral to the long-term sustainability of the road infrastructure – the largest municipal roads system in the entire province.

“We allow for the transportation of goods across the Counties, while at the same time putting measures in place to protect the investment taxpayers have made in our infrastructure. These measures are important to the bottom line of the Counties, as well as the effective use of taxpayer dollars.”

Why are these measures so important? Try to think of a road like a giant sandwich buried in the ground, with layers that are important to the overall flavour of the road. When you add an extra ingredient – like water – your sandwich can become a mess.

The base of the road begins at its deepest point with the sub-grade material, which is typically native material or imported fill. On top of this layer is aggregate material of varying sizes of crushed stone and other granulars that

are packed into place. Finally, the whole thing is topped with asphalt.

The problem comes in the late winter and early spring, when the heat of the sun can warm the asphalt base to several degrees above freezing, while the ambient air temperature can often be well below zero. As snow and ice melts, it can permeate the asphalt in areas. When that water refreezes, say after sunset, or during an especially cold day, the ice and trapped water will weaken the strength of the road.

By restricting the amount of weight a vehicle carries, the damage to weakened roads can be mitigated.

“Half-load season is an effective means to protect our roads,” said Director deHaan. “It won’t be long before the weather warms even more, and we will remove the restrictions.”

To learn more about halfload season, and other county programs and procedures, please check out our website, at www.sdgcounties.ca.

Local writing competition winners to be published

On March 27, 2021, A Bunch of People Arts and Events, out of South Stormont, will again host the Annual “Writing in 150" writing competition.

Amanda Burger, President of the Board noted: “This is our third year, and it is going to be exciting! This year, we are teaming up with Perch magazine in Cornwall.

Not only will our traditional collection of works in book form be released in the late summer, but readers will be able to access the First Place winners on Perch Magazine’s online platform”.

The competition is so March 10, 2021

named because the writers have one hundred and fifty minutes (2 ½ hours) to write, based on a theme given to them that day. The Writing in 150 writing competition consists of six (6) writing genres: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Play, Spoken Word/Slam Poetry and Song writing. This fast-paced and creative competition will be judged by quite the line-up of experienced local judges; such as Rachelle Eves (Short Play), Tom Schoch (Fiction and Non-Fiction), Dylan Roberts (Song writing), Suzanne Millaire (Spoken word).

Tony Glen, winner of

the first year’s song writing genre said, “I think we were all surprised what we could achieve in 150 minutes. Having a deadline like that really energizes the creative spirit.

Everybody has something important to say; this event gave us license to express ourselves in a supportive environment”.

In 2019, the competition was held at McCloskey’s in Chesterville, where everyone created their pieces at the same time; the song and spoken word pieces were judged on-site, and the other written pieces were presented by the authors, and the public could attend the performances. With the pandemic, each person works from home and submits their work online. The event will start at 11 am, with judging beginning at 1:30 pm.

The spoken word and song entrants will record their performances and upload them to the cloud for viewing by the judges. The written pieces will be emailed in. Again this year, 1st and 2nd place winners will be published in a book of their written work, as well as the posting of the 1st place winners online with Perch magazine.

“Spots are filling up fast,

and we really want to have more Song writers and Slam poets enter. We are hoping Amanda Gorman’s performance at the US inauguration will inspire people to enter!”

Last year’s winners were all published in a book entitled “Writings during a Pandemic”, by Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Publishing Inc. “The book is a real success,” Amanda stated, “We always sell well, with many bought as Christmas stocking stuffers!”

If you wish to be a competitor, it is only $25 to enter.

A Bunch of People Arts & Events is a Canadian Notfor-Profit Corporation headquartered in South Stormont.

Working with professional and amateur writers, musicians, actors, and visual artists, we help raise money for charity by producing fun, artist events, and entertainment. All profits go to local charities. https://www.facebook. com/abunchofpeopleartsandevents. https://www.instagram. com/abop_artsandevents For more information email: abunchofpeopleartsandevents@gmail.com.

3

Queen's Park Update

by MPP Jim McDonell Our local vaccination team, led by Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, is working long hours to administer our program. To date, they have vaccinated the region's long-term care homes, as well as the first dose for retirement home residents. As deliveries of vaccines from the Federal Government are projected to increase over the next weeks, the team is developing plans to vaccinate the rest of Phase 1 members, including front-line health workers, essential health caregivers, and those 80 years of age and older.

Vaccine guidelines are continually evolving as data around the world is collected and evaluated. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is now recommending the time between first and second doses be extended, allowing more people to receive the all-important first dose faster. Health Canada has also approved the new AstraZeneca vaccine, and supplies are expected to be received over the next few weeks. This vaccine will be made available for the 60 to 65-year-old segment of the population. Stay tuned as the final program details are being updated to reflect these recent developments.

Meanwhile, the government is assessing its new online booking program through a limited pilot in several regions of the province. The final version of the appointment portal is expected to go live on March 15 in our area. For the latest vaccination news, go to www.eohu.ca.

Good news arrived from Queen's Park this week in abundance. First, I was happy to announce the Ontario government is giving new support for local residents who need long-term care. The Community Paramedicine for LongTerm Care program will receive $2,815,200 over four years to expand the program to ensure more seniors in Cornwall and the United Counties of SDG can stay at home longer.

The program has proved effective in alleviating the demand for LTC beds as we build the 21st-century long-term care system that Ontarians want and deserve.

As part of a $150 million, provincial transit funding program, Cornwall Transit will receive an additional $659,305 to help the system recover from low ridership numbers during the peak of the pandemic. The funding will help to ensure riders are safe when they board their bus while maintaining the service's sustainability and affordability.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, announced that the Ontario government will be providing an additional $500 million to help the province’s 444 municipalities address ongoing COVID-19 operating costs.

The new financial relief will help ensure the delivery of critical services and keep capital projects on track, and will be prioritized to help municipalities hardest hit by the pandemic. Locally, Cornwall, the United Counties of StormontDundas-Glengarry and local townships will receive a total of $3,311,493.

Finally, the Ontario government is investing $14.3 million in 2020-21 to support nearly 300 Seniors Active Living Centres. Locally, the Seaway Senior Citizens Club and the Centre Charles-Émile-Claude each received $54,014 to deliver new virtual initiatives to help keep seniors safe and socially connected as they continue to self-isolate due to COVID-19. This year's investment will focus on virtual programs such as teleconferences, online videos, and oneon-one phone calls to help seniors stay connected from home. It will also support projects such as Seniors' Centre Without Walls to create interactive telephone-based group programming for socially isolated seniors and people with disabilities, virtual physical fitness programming, and online educational programs.

As always, remember to stay home, stay safe and save lives. Your health and that of your loved www.ndtimes.ca

Editorial

The North Dundas Times

Homeward bound

by David Shanahan Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel?

Is there a sense that we’re finally coming out of the dark place we’ve been in for the past year? As Ontario announces that we’re entering Phase 2 of their vaccination program, can we begin to hope that we’re finally making progress, getting somewhere at last?

Of course, this is far from the end of the journey. What is it that rascal Churchill once said: "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." He did have a way with words, didn’t he?

As we look back at the Before Times, it is really hard to remember what it was like to just get on a plane, train, or automobile and head off somewhere for a bit of a break. At times, during the last twelve months, many wondered if those days would ever return; or, if they did, would anyone really want to join

a lot of other people in the close proximity of a plane or train. Would we ever feel safe again, as we once took so much for granted?

To be honest, there’s no way of knowing if that Before Time feeling will ever return, only time and circumstances will tell. Will we once again enjoy travel, live music, family celebrations, or social gatherings with the same insouciance we once did, as we brandish our vaccination passports as a kind of licence to live freely. I think we will. We’ve done it before. Well, maybe not us, but our grandparents and ancestors who went through equally traumatic times.

Living through the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic was possibly even worse than this past year, not knowing why or how people were infected, without the technology to devise vaccines as fast as we have this time around.

Try to imagine what it was like during the Black Death, the awful plague that lasted from 1346 to 1353. It spread throughout Asia and

Europe and killed, at best reckoning, between 75 and 200 million people. It’s hard to get your mind around that number - up to 200 million dead in just seven years.

That was about half of the entire population of Europe, which didn’t recover its population of the 1300's until two hundred years later.

It transformed European society.

But the population did recover, life did go on, people did cope and carry on, even through that unimaginable terror. And so will we.

What set this pandemic apart from previous ones has been the role played, positively and negatively, by social media platforms. Some have used Facebook. YouTube and other sites to encourage, to keep in touch with family and friends, or to post entertaining pieces to lift the spirits and bring a smile.

Others have used them to spread fear, disinformation, even hatred, recklessly endangering people’s lives and health. That, I suppose, is a reflection of humanity, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

As I’ve said many times, usually to myself, this, too, will pass. And it will; we can now see hope for the future, probably even this year.

There will never be a time again when we will be free of covid or a variation of it.

But perhaps we can control and limit its effects, as we have with other diseases, such as polio, tuberculosis, even influenza. Variant strains of influenza continue to arrive every year, but not with the devastating effects of 1919. People still develop illnesses to which we are largely now immune, thanks to advances to medical knowledge. We live in an imperfect world, where disease and contagions exists, no matter how we advance in knowledge. There are places in the world where diseases that have been conquered here are still virulent, because of poverty and lack of medical facilities. That is sad, and also scandalous.

But here in the world in which we live, life continues. The trains, planes and automobiles will carry us around the country and

around the world once again, albeit with a different attitude and, perhaps, a greater appreciation of the freedoms we have.

There is one point that I should make here. Over the weeks, we’ve had a number of Letters to the Editor giving various kinds of advice and information about the pandemic and its effects.

Everything from outright denials that there even is a pandemic, claims that there is a cure for covid we’re not being told about, or advice on dealing with any side effects of vaccines for people with preexisting conditions.

The Times has a policy not to publish any such letters.

The Letters page of a news-

intends to use horse power – literally – to work the soil and make it fructify. The important thing, besides the valuable experience derived from the mutual support and affection involved in domestication and care of animals, is that the use of the horses participates in the cycle of energy exchange in our local environment: the horses gain their energy from locally grown plant life, they expend their energy on a landscape scale appropriate to their species, and they return partially digested matter to the soil where it becomes a source of fertility and renewed energy.

In contrast, the tractor depends on a costly and widespread network of utilities to produce, refine, and deliver oil into the local environment from elsewhere; barring the dangers of spills and misuse, it normally produces energy

through burning, a process that has disastrous consequences on the environment.

Moreover, as well as the tractor, the omnipresent devices powered by oil require, as an inevitable by-product, a destructive reordering of the landscape which is euphemistically called “development.” Witness to that are the demand for bulldozed flat fields which defy the natural processes of water conservation, and straight-line roads that blast their way – as recently happened on Townline road – through significant landscape forms.

It seems to me, at 82 years old, that the dilemma is pretty clear: either we struggle like Isabelle Rodé to shake off our addiction to oil with all the pain of withdrawal that entails, or fall back on the addiction as proposed by the OFA for fear of having nothing to

eat. Food security is a critical worldwide issue, but can we not address it in other ways?

Since the 1980's and even earlier, some of us recognized the danger of climate change and have attempted in various ways to find solutions, all the time fighting a steep up-hill battle with incomprehension in the community and downright obstruction from climate deniers led on by the oil industry and politicians of Stephen Harper's ilk. He, at least, should have known better. But even as we worked, we were aware of being seriously hooked on oil, and that getting over the addiction will certainly cause many moments of extreme difficulty.

Isabelle has chosen a very tough row to hoe and, as we applaud her effort, we should say from our experience that she will need our

encouragement and support to continue. The struggle is not for nothing. Should we decide to share Isabelle's courage, hope, and intelligence, I am sure as we go along we will find new, vibrant ideas about how to work creatively with our environment, and in doing so, shake our addiction to oil and then experience the immense joy of breathing deeply in greener pastures under a truly blue sky.

There are lots of ideas and projects like Isabelle's out there. Now that Covid-19 has given us a chance to realize we can't return to “normal,” it would perhaps be good for the New Times to start an open column for contributors entitled something in the order of “Practical Ideas for Change.”

Philip Fry

paper is no place for people to look for medical advice, especially concerning such a serious matter as covid-19.

Good, bad, or indifferent, medical information should be provided by medical people, not by people who have read something somewhere, or heard from dubious sources about possible cures, ills, or side effects of any medical procedure. It is a sad fact of life that some people glory in conspiracies, delight in spreading rumour and misinformation. Equally sad is the fact that they will continue to do so, long after this pandemic is a painful memory. Light for the light ahead. We shall overcome.

Hayley Bedford Marketing Consultant

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

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor: As I finished reading the February 24 edition of the NG Times (editors note: these two articles appeared in both the North Grenville and Dundas Times), I realized that if I unfolded it from the centre, the front and back pages would face each other, clearly displaying the environmental predicament we all confront.

On the right, the story and hopes of a courageous young woman, Isabelle Rodé, who believes that there is a way to farm while working creatively with the environment; on the left, a devastating article by Crispin Colvin of the OFA, who outlines in detail the addictive dependency on oil we have all developed, and argues in favour of ways to continue being hooked. It reminded me of an artwork created forty years ago, in which the artists, Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison, presented two mural-sized photographs taken in Sri Lanka: in one, a farmer working his field with a water buffalo; in the other, a dilapidated tractor. The accompanying text described how each expended energy to produce a crop.

Much as the farmer with his buffalo, Isabelle Rodé March 10, 2021

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

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The North Dundas Times

George Jowett – the Strong man of Dundas County

by Susan Peters, Dundas County Archives While George Jowett was not born in Dundas County, he did make it his home for most of his adult life. He certainly made Dundas County proud, as the Canadian Strongman.

He has been a mentor and educator to many, and a promoter of physical fitness. His life story is very motivational, defying the odds from a child with physical handicaps, to the mentor of generations of a lifestyle of fitness and strength.

He was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England in 1891.

At 6 months of age, he fell from his mother’s lap on to a fireplace, and was injured.

While it is not clear what the extent of the injury was, it apparently did result in numerous hospital stays as a child.

At the age of 8, his parents were told that he might not walk, and he might not live past 15. When he was 11, an

uncle took him to see a show featuring a strong man with the stage name of “Hercules”.

When he was told that Hercules, too, had a rough childhood but somehow managed to train past his handicaps, George was motivated to take the same path for himself. He began training. By 15, he was an international gymnastic champion. By the age of 18, he had won several titles for boxing and weightlifting in England.

He understood the value of a good mentor and sound guided training. As such, he understood the potential for developing such programs himself, in order to mentor others. He initially moved to Europe to study further and, in 1910, at the age of 19, he felt the need to spread his wings and chose to immigrate to Canada.

How he ended up in Inkerman is a mystery, but he settled there and worked

for 11 years as a blacksmith.

He did take a 3-year break from that while he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force serving in the First World War, before returning to Inkerman. According to his attestation papers, he had married a local girl, Bessie Hilda Bouck, in October, 1913. They welcomed a daughter, Frances Phyllis Eliza, on April 30, 1916.

While smithing paid his bills, George continued to augment his income in various ways. He performed as a paid “strongman” at local fairs and carnivals. He specialized in bending horseshoes and lifting barrels, and was later known under the stage name of “Young Hackensmidt”.

Apparently, he also offered training sessions to youth who wanted to build muscle.

This included a number of wrestlers.

By 19, he had made a name for himself and began writing and editing for Strength Magazine. In 1927, he established the Jowett Institute for Physical Culture.

Under this umbrella, he wrote a number of small books with titles such as: “Nerves of Steele”, “Muscles like Iron”, and “How to mold mighty arms”. In the mid 1920s he relocated to the US where he had a controlling interest in several companies connected with body building. He cofounded the American Centennial Weightlifting Association and served as its first president. He developed and manufactured several lines of sporting equipment, as well as a line of bar bells and body building equipment. He also developed strength training programs. By the 1930s, he had offices in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Britain, and USA. One of his most famous students was Johnny

Weissmuller. For those who admit that they are as old as I am, they would recognize his name as the original Tarzan of Hollywood legend.

Unfortunately, in 1940 he was injured in an accident and broke his back. After being temporarily paralyzed, he did manage to recover the ability to walk, but he stepped back from his former life. By 1945, he had moved his family back to Dundas County. His

March 10, 2021

focus then changed to local matters and community. The family also actively worked on restoring an old home that had been in his wife’s family since the Loyalist era. By the 1950s, his focus was on his home community and the Seaway Development. He was an elder of his church, and pivotal in the work to relocate the 200-year-old Trinity Anglican Church from its original location in the

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Tid-bit Musings

by Elva Patterson Rutters RSSW Time is of the essence. Time is elusive. Time is so variable. To those with nothing to do, time is long. To those swamped with activity, time is short. Respect for time is critical. If you are throwing a hand grenade, you have only a short period of time before it explodes. As someone anticipating an event like a birth, time past the due date is incredibly slow.

Time changes our perspective. Experience and aging ripens our acuity. As youngsters, we can't wait to drive, to date, or to graduate. As a mid-life person, we believe we are the keepers and masters of time. As a senior, we ponder where did time go? Yet, for many of us, resetting the time clock disturbs our bio-rhythms. We are often tied into schedules and obligations.

Many of those are self imposed out of desire to keep up with the neighbour. Many of us were screaming and kicking as we had Covid re-evaluate our ability to self-entertain and adjust to new protocols. We had time to think seriously about life and death. Even the Bible talks of time - time to plant, a time to harvest, a time to weep, a time to be joyous, and so on.

What is your measurement of time? What are your reference points? Now is the time to determine your own priorities and desires. Are they circled around your spirituality, your finances, your opportunities and your values? For some, it means time to think more of others than yourself. Self-care is vital so the balance is precarious.

Take time to treasure yourself, because, regardless of circumstances, you are precious. You mean the world to someone!

Elva

potential flood zone to where it is located now in Riverside Heights. In 1968, he was honoured with the Molson Trophy in Montreal, for a lifetime of contributions to the fitness and body building industry.

George Jowett died of cancer in Winchester on July 11, 1969. He left behind a legacy of works on strength building and physical fitness. He is buried at the Union Cemetery, where his gravestone reads: “a humble man who carried his meritorious achievements with dignity and thanksgiving.”

That pretty much says it all.

In 1997, his daughter donated his memorabilia to the Todd -McLean Body Building collection at the University of Texas. The Dundas County Archives has shared materials with them to build a small tribute to this wonderful man.

Every now and then, we get an enquiry about his life and work. He impacted so many people’s lives and was a great mentor and communityoriented man. dundascountyarchives@ gmail.com.

Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Send your confidential resume to Info@atelair.ca or call me directly at 613-535-2720 Jimmie Thom

Call or email us today!

888-535-2720

info@atelair.ca www.atelair.ca Williamsburg, ON 5

Jimmie Thom

Second Generation Owner www.ndtimes.ca

The North Dundas Times

Female Entrepreneur Boxes at Foodland Winchester for International Women's Day

by Joselyn Morley In honour of International Women's Day, Foodland Winchester is featuring the Fab Female Local Box, to help support and promote small business, female entrepreneurs, Ontario food, and Canadian Women in Food (CWIF).

The Celebrate and Elevate Fab Female Entrepreneurs program is a joint effort by Sobeys and Nature Knows.

The box contains 17 products from 12 femaleowned companies in Ontario, and includes an overview of the companies.

CWIF helps to promote

women-owned businesses and to cultivate the positive energy that comes from women supporting women.

You can check CWIF at www.canadianwomeninfood.ca.

Andrea Watson, CEO of Nature Knows, and National Ambassador for CWIF, explains that, "As a local woman-owned and sustainable company, we know more than anyone how important it is to support our fellow entrepreneurs."

Products in the box include: From Farm To Table popcorn and chips; tea and biodegradable teabags from Genuine Tea;

Food encourages all female food entrepreneurs to join them in order to build relationships that matter, so they can successfully navigate challenges, seize opportunities, make exclusive connections, and have a positive impact on the communities they serve.

By joining the organization, members can participate in virtual weekly meetings, professional networking opportunities, and exclusive perks. Sign up for their newsletter at www.canadianwomeninfood.ca. Membership is $100 annually.

Dan Pettigrew, owner of Foodland Winchester, brought in 10 of these Fab Female Local Boxes. By Friday there were just four remaining.

raspberry dark chocolate from GiddyYo; gldn hr collagen sparkling water; a washable facemask by Happy Pops; trailmix and a granola bar from Healthy Crunch, a Hitchhiker Beverage Company black tea; lemon lavender hand wash from Lemon Aide, sparkling lemonade from Metta Tea Co; a sparkling wine jam by Provisions Food Company; granola and chips from Rawcology; and peppermint lip balm

by Walton Wood Farm.

Each of these businesses is headed, in whole or in part, by women entrepreneurs, and are located in Ontario.

Canadian Women in

Hayley Bedford Marketing Consultant

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

Additional support for Municipalities during Covid-19 The Ontario government is providing a total of $3,122,624 to help municipalities in the riding of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry address ongoing COVID-19-related operating costs. The new financial relief will help ensure the delivery of critical services during the pandemic and keep capital projects on track.

“This new funding will ensure that those municipalities in the most need to offset costs will be able to provide the everyday critical services we all rely on,” said Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP Jim McDonell.

This announcement is part of the province’s $500 million investment to help ensure the stability of Ontario’s 444 municipalities as they plan for the year ahead. The funding is being prioritized to help municipalities hardest hit by the pandemic and can be used for things like personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies March 10, 2021

and by-law enforcement.

Local funding allocations were as follows: North Dundas, $186,938; the City of Cornwall, $1,432,263; United Counties of SDG, $751,692; South Glengarry, $230,437; South Stormont, $216,568; South Dundas, $191,690; North Dundas, $186,938; and North Stormont, $113,036.

As well, the Township of North Glengarry is receiving $188,869.

"Our government continues to adapt and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as it evolves, and we know our municipal partners are on the front lines of this effort — providing the critical services people depend on every day," said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

"Our municipalities have been clear that they need ongoing operating funding in 2021, and it's important that we step up and provide more financial relief. At the same time, we need the federal government to join us and provide our municipal partners with the additional

Hey Kids it's Contest Time!

support they deserve."

This provincial investment builds on the $1.39 billion in operating funding that was provided to municipal partners through the joint federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement.

The second phase of the Safe Restart Agreement was allocated to all Ontario municipalities in December, to ensure that no community entered 2021 facing an operating deficit from 2020.

"Municipalities are important partners in the fight against COVID-19," said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board. "We know the global pandemic has created significant financial challenges for communities across the province. That's why we have been there with support from the very beginning. I encourage our federal partners to step forward with additional investments as all three governments work together to protect people's health and jobs."

We would like to invite the children of our community to send us their St Patrick's Day themed drawings! The 3 lucky winners will receive their drawings featured in our St Patrick's Day Special AND a gift certificate to Doyle's sweet shop in Chesterville!

1st prize $25, 2nd prize $15, 3rd prize $10.

This contest is open to all children ages 12 and under.

Contest closes at 8pm on Friday the 12th of March.

Drawings need to have a name, age and contact details attached and can either be dropped off in the collection box at Winchester Foodland OR be scanned/ photographed and emailed to hayley@ndtimes.ca.

Good luck and Happy drawing!

May the luck of the Irish be with you!

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International Woman’s Week 2021 The North Dundas Times

Saluting our business women in North Dundas “Well-behaved women rarely make history.”

–Eleanor Roosevelt

Nanda Wubs-Huizenga 498 Ottawa Street Winchester 613.223.9765 theloftynest.ca

HealthGirl Online is your one-stop shop for everything Health and Wellness. Our HealthGirl Live studio features daily live-streamed Yoga and Fitness classes, as well as special events for all levels and our HealthGirl Anytime studio offers an exclusive library of Yoga, Nutritional, Fitness and Lifestyle videos viewable anytime. HealthGirl Online features RYT-200, RYT-500 & NASM-qualified instructors to professionally guide your online experience. Join HealthGirl and let's begin our journey together.

“She wasn’t looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword.”

–Atticus

info@healthgirl.ca 613-296-2799 Meghann Lynch - HealthGirl Founder Yoga instructor, fitness coach, social media inspirer, and all-around healthenthusiast, Meghann Lynch is the driving force behind Health Girl which helps individuals from all walks of life to achieve their health and wellness goals.

With over 15 years’ combined experience in Yoga, Fitness and allergy-free nutritional guidance, Meghann offers a unique skill set for the health and wellness community.

As a NASM-certified personal trainer and RYT-500 Hatha Yoga and Yin specialty graduate, Meghann teaches Hatha, Flow, Yin and Back Care Yoga classes to students of all levels in North Dundas, ON and internationally online through the website at www.HealthGirl.ca.

Health Girl – it’s everything fitness, food and fun!

Nanda Wubs-Huizenga, owner of WUBS Transit (recently sold), Precision Diesel, No Limits Auto Parts and The Lofty Nest Lodging located in Winchester, is a believer in hiring local, employing females when possible and supporting women in business.

“I make decisions based on a long-term plan,” the mother of six says. A bus company, a diesel truck-repair shop and an auto parts store are not typical female enterprises, but this long-time entrepreneur does it with flair and class.

As founder of the Dundas Women in Business meeting group, co-founder of Linking Hands (poverty reduction committee) and a visionary behind the 100 Women Who Care North Dundas initiative, community is very important to her. Wubs current role as a ‘Community Advocate’ for Foodshare is where her passion lies, helping the vulnerable in the community.

Wubs offers this advice to aspiring female entrepreneurs: “Dream big, find a gap, have a long-term plan and work towards it.

My dream was to have a family business, and now we have four.”

13904 Connaught Road Chesterville ON K0C 1H0 Info@smithandsayer.com www.smithandsayer.com Hayley has been making her own cleaning and personal care products for years due to the fact that she is sensitive to commercial detergents and synthetic ingredients, and it can be miserable trying to find something that works for you.

One product she is most proud of are her waste-free items such as shampoo bars.

They last for months and you have no guilt!

She is working towards using only recycled or even better biodegradable containers, but these are not commercially available to the small batch makers yet.

When they are she will change over. Their bottles and closures are recyclable.

Glass works for some products but using them for cleaning a range is too dangerous.

She has recently added recycled paper refill pouches to cut down on waste even further.

All her products that contain water are preserved using naturally derived preservatives, as more and more inventive and excellent natural preservatives are becoming available all the time. As the industry advances, she adapts to the best new products.

Hayley's true focus is to help busy people reduce toxicity in their lives and home.

Lise was born and raised in North Dundas and is currently living with her husband Simon in Chesterville. She received her real estate Licence in 2017 and since that time has been very successful helping members of her community buy and sell their homes. In that short period she has been ranked amongst the top 5% and 15% of Realtors Internationally within Coldwell Banker.

Recently, Lise just became a Real Estate Broker and now manages the Coldwell Banker Coburn Realty office located in Chesterville.

"I look forward to continuing to serve the community with all their real estate needs. I love my job and my community and nothing is more satisfying than helping its residences."

Please feel free to stop in and say hi at the new location.

March 10, 2021

7

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The North Dundas Times opened clogged arteries, a huge discovery.

Any vitamin C product will do, but we recommend Medi-C Plus because its powdered form makes high doses easier to take, and because it includes lysine, which builds strong cell walls.

Second, our experiment shows it is important to supplement with omega 3.

But not all omega supplements are equal. MaxSimil, developed by a Canadian company, is a fish oil that is absorbed three times better than typical fish oils. It’s produced from small fish like sardines and anchovies rich in omega-3 fatty acid.

Fatty acids help prevent heart attack by decreasing cellular inflammation.

Researchers have reported for years that chronic inflammation is a factor in coronary attack. Now, the Omega-3 Index can accurately measure the amount of these fatty acids in our red blood cells.

Studies also report that people consuming fish oils show decreased blood triglycerides, decreased total cholesterol, lower

Change your Heart Health in three months or less

It’s said, “Being wrong is acceptable, but staying wrong is unacceptable.” So think twice if you believe a high fish diet alone is providing you with enough essential fatty acids (EPA and DHA) to decrease your risk of heart attack. We were shocked when blood tests showed, despite our healthy diets, that our absorption of fish oils was not making the grade. What are people getting wrong?

And how can you get it right?

Oil and water do not easily mix, and most oils pass through your waterbased body until enzymes in the small intestine break down fats. But it’s a mistake to believe this process is perfect. We wrote previously about a supplement called Omega3X, which

uses digestive enzymes to facilitate absorption of essential fatty acids. And we promised to put it to the test and report back to you.

First, we stopped taking any omega supplements, but continued a diet rich in fish. Then we tested our blood using the Omega-3 Index. We both failed. (Giff 5.56% and Diana 5.47%) These scores placed us barely above the “undesirable” high risk zone as measured at 4% or lower on the Index.

Then, for three months, we took Certified Naturals Clinical Omega-3X Fish Oil, a specific product containing MaxSimil that breaks down the hardto-digest triglycerides of fish oil into more readily absorbed monoglycerides.

Then another blood test.

The results were compelling. The measurement of the two most important omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) was now in the category of low risk for coronary heart disease – a result of between 8-12% on the Omega Index. (Giff 9.64% and Diana 11.64%) You can visit www. docgiff.com to read the advice shared with readers for years. First, to decrease your risk of a fatal coronary attack, you gain advantage with high doses of vitamin C. Dr. Linus Pauling, a Nobel Prize recipient, observed that most animals escalate vitamin C production when confronted with stress, but humans lack this ability. Then, Dr. Sydney Bush, an English researcher, showed that high doses of vitamin C

bad cholesterol, and raises good cholesterol. These patients also had fewer irregular heartbeats and heart attacks. Low levels of essential fatty acids have been associated with mood imbalances and joint problems.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has reported that the Omega-3 Index is just as important as cholesterol blood level. It’s alarming that nearly half of all North Americans are in the high-risk category for heart attack. The message is clear. If you want to be certain that you are absorbing essential fatty acids, get a blood test to measure EPA and DHA. Send a single drop of blood using a test kit provided by OmegaQuant. Your result

is mailed to you.

Take it from a 97-yearold, it’s never too late to reduce the risk of a coronary!

Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@ docgiff.com. Follow us Instagram @docgiff and @ diana_gifford_jones.

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

Extra funding for children Is your Teen safe at work? and youth mental health support by Anne-Marie Langan to appropriately respond information about these The Ontario government is investing up to $10.5 million to immediately expand the mental health Secure Treatment Program for the province's most vulnerable children and youth. This funding will enhance access to these services and add up to 24 new beds at the Syl Apps Youth Centre in Oakville and at the Roberts/ Smart Centre in Ottawa. By expanding this program, an additional 52 children and youth with complex needs will receive direct mental health and addictions support each year.

"Our government is continuing to fulfill our promise of making mental health and addictions a priority, and ensure Ontarians have the services they deserve - when and where they need them," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "Today's investment in Ontario's Secure Treatment Program will help vulnerable children, youth and their families in their time of need and allow them to access supports faster."

Ontario's Secure Treatment Program provides intensive care for children and youth experiencing acute and

March 10, 2021

complex mental health and/ or addictions challenges that may put them at risk of selfharm or harm to others. The expanded Secure Treatment Program will address gaps in care and improve access while decreasing existing wait lists and extensive wait times.

The Syl Apps Youth Centre is expected to accept additional children and youth by the summer, while the Roberts/Smart Centre is expected to be fully implemented in 2022-2023. The province is also increasing annual base funding by 10 per cent at the Syl Apps Youth Centre, the Roberts/Smart Centre, as well as the Youthdale Treatment Centre in Toronto.

"This much-needed funding will help expand Ontario's Secure Treatment Program, so that our most vulnerable children and youth can take that next important step in their journey towards mental wellness," said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. "By investing today, we are closer to reaching our shared goal of building a modern, connected and integrated mental health and addictions system for the fu-

There have been several lawsuits brought by employees against fast food chains, alleging that they were sexually harassed at work and that nothing was done about it when they reported the incident(s). Worse yet, one of the employee litigants alleges that she reported to her supervisor that her co-worker was sexually propositioning her, engaging in unwanted sexual touching, and showing her pornography on his phone, and their response was to reduce her hours.

Many employees at fast food restaurants are high school students working at their first job. As many as 1 out of 2 women and 1 out of 5 men will experience sexual harassment at work at some point in their career, and those between the ages of 15-25 are especially vulnerable. It can be extremely traumatising to witness or experience sexual harassment at any age, and this type of experience can adversely impact a teen’s mental health and vocational aspirations. It is unlikely that a teen would know how

ture. Our government remains fully committed to creating a system where all Ontarians, young and old, have access to the highest quality supports that meet their unique needs."

"The Secure Treatment Program is an essential part of the child and youth mental health system serving children and youth experiencing high-need and complex mental health issues who require intensive and in some cases life-saving treatment. I know firsthand just how important this investment will be to other Ontario kids and their families, who right now are facing long wait times for secure treatment and as a result often end up in the hospital in crisis," said Kimberly Moran, Chief Executive Officer, Children's Mental Health Ontario. "This is a critical step and we appreciate the Ministry of Health putting dedicated focus on this group of vulnerable children and youth, and look forward to continuing our work together to build up a comprehensive and connected mental health system for children, youth and families."

8

to sexual harassment by a manager, co-worker, or a customer, or where they can go for help.

Most workplaces where teens work have an anti-harassment policy that outlines what behaviours are considered inappropriate and how employees can report incidents of harassment. These are often included as part of a hiring/ training package that is provided to an employee on their first day. However, how likely is it that a teen, or any other employee for that matter, will actually take the time to read these policies and, if they do, will understand?

All employers, and especially those with young and vulnerable employees, should consider offering mandatory harassment prevention workshops to all employees and managers.

The Legal Clinic, and many other community legal clinics across Ontario, are offering free virtual workshops for employees and employers about how to prevent and address harassment in the workplace.

If you would like more

free workshops, please contact The Legal Clinic at 613-264-7153, langana@ lao.on.ca, or www.tlcshiwproject.com.

Anne-Marie is a staff Lawyer at The Legal Clinic in Perth, Ontario, who is currently working on a Public Legal Education campaign for employers and employees about sexual harassment in the workplace. This project is sponsored by the Justice Department of the Government of Canada. AnneMarie graduated from Queen’s Law in 2004 and completed her Masters of Law at Osgoode in 2009.

In the past 6 years she has primarily practiced in the areas of employment law, including human rights in employment and Workplace Safety.

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The North Dundas Times

CDSBEO Board meeting highlights

by Amber LaBerge Specialist High Skills Major Program Update The Specialist High Skills Major programs provide students with an opportunity to focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests while meeting the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

The SHSM programs help prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow and are key to increasing awareness of and exposure to technology, skilled trades, and apprenticeship pathways. Students receive the SHSM seal on their diploma when they complete a specific bundle of 8-10 courses in the student's selected field, earn valuable industry certifications, and gain important skills on the job with employers. The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario is currently running 25 Specialist High Skills Major programs in nine different approved sectors.

Specialist High Skills Major Consultant Tammy Bovaird, presented an over-

view of the CDSBEO SHSM programs to the Board, including information on program statistics, current initiatives, and future planning.

“Each of our ten secondary schools has a minimum of two programs in each school and next year we will be adding two new programs. St. John Catholic High School in Perth, upon approval from the Ministry, will offer the Construction SHSM program, and at St. Mary Catholic High School the Health and Wellness SHSM program will be added,” noted Ms. Bovaird.

“St. Mary is looking to add a fitness facility for students at the school. They have a very robust athletic program, and a very active athletic council at the school. They would like to focus on improving student’s physical fitness, coaching and leadership opportunities in this program.”

This year, there are 476 students enrolled in SHSM programs, which is up slightly from 461 last year.

There are five requirements for each SHSM pro-

SEND IN YOUR CLASSIFIED ic has brought about many changes, and for the Board and its schools, it has created an opportunity to rethink the way engagement with parents and the community happens.

For students registering with the CDSBEO, this means that in-person school visits, open house events, and even the registration process had to be carried out in a COVID-safe way. In response, the Board and schools have implemented several creative strategies to facilitate the registration process virtually.

Executive Assistant to the Director of Education, Leah Finley, provided an overview of the new registration processes, including examples of how schools hosted virtual open house events and modifications which were made to the registration process.

“With the need to engage and inform prospective new students and their families, our schools hosted virtual open house events, and were very creative in using various social and web-based platforms for delivery,” she explained.

Some of the formats implemented by schools included YouTube videos, interactive websites with

gram which include a defined bundle of credits (including cooperative education credits), sector-recognized certification and training courses, experiential learning and career exploration activities, learning experiences connected with the learner’s postsecondary plans, and sector partner experience (industry partners design real challenges for students to facilitate collaboration, critical thinking and teamwork).

“This past year we have had to adapt and do things a little differently during the pandemic. Certifications and training have moved online, and the Ministry of Education has made some accommodations to the SHSM program requirements. Experiential Learning and Reach Ahead activities have been modified so that students are participating in virtual tours and online interviews, and there will be an upcoming virtual event on March 25 for the sector partner experience where Amazon and FedEx will host an Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship day,” explained Ms. Bovaird.

Rethinking School Registration During COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandem-

Highlights from the UCDSB Trustees’ meeting

Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) met on Wednesday, February 24, for a regularly scheduled board meeting.

UCDSB Highlights Experiential Learning Initiatives Staff presented an update on the school board’s Experiential Learning Plan for 2020-2021. Recognizing the educational value of lived experiences, the UCDSB Experiential Learning Plan includes eight strategies to help the board design and implement effective programs.

This year’s plan focuses on activities and board-wide challenges related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), skilled trades, and equity. Some examples of experiential learning that are outlined in the plan include: on-site or virtual field trips, collaborative construction projects using basic materials, horticultural projects using garden towers and commuMarch 10, 2021

nity gardens, and coding activities.

Schools have been invited to submit proposals to receive funding for curriculum-related community-based projects.

Students participating in remote learning have received access to hands-on activities that align with both the curriculum and experiential learning principles.

This Is Us: Students Continue to Share Insight about the School Year The UCDSB continues to connect with students to showcase secondary student experiences during this phase of pandemic learning. The “This is Us” video series provides an inside look at our schools and gives students and staff an opportunity to share their experiences so far this school year.

Currently, videos showcasing Almonte DHS, Tagwi SS, Gananoque SS, North Grenville DHS, and North Dundas DHS. have been released. At the Feb. 24 meeting, the school board shared two more videos interviewing

Help Support Your Local Businesses SHOP LOCALLY

staff and students from Russell DHS and Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute.

Continued Focus on Occupational Health & Safety for 2020-2021 Trustees were presented with the annual occupational health and safety report. Staff reported a 34 per cent reduction in incidents, which can be attributed to integrated prevention programs as well as decreased days of in-school learning. In 2019-2020, the focus was on establishing, updating, and maintaining health and safety programs to identify hazards and in developing and implementing practical and sustainable solutions. This approach has continued in 2020-2021 with a continued focus on creating safer and more engaged learning environments that encourage mental and physical wellness and meets legislative requirements.

to classifieds@ndtimes.ca

BUY AND SELL LOCALLY FIRST TEN WORDS FREE

virtual tours, and Facebook live events. Several examples of projects created by schools were shared with Trustees. To promote registration across all grades, and let parents know that it is now time to register for the 2021-2022 school year, Board Communications did a paid online campaign. A sister campaign was also run to highlight secondary virtual open house events, which took place in January and February for students entering Grades 7 and 9.

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

Hayley Bedford Marketing Consultant

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

Congradulations!

Dan and Cathy Kelly are pleased to annouce their son Dylan graduated with Honours from the Forestry Technician Program, Pembroke Campus of Algonquin College, August 2020.

Classes continued through Covid 19, till the end of August. We are Proud he worked hard to finish his course during a stressful time. Dylan is now living and working in Ottawa. Way to go!

Love Mom and Dad

http://myshoplocal.ca/ 9

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CROSSWORD

The Food Corner

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville We recently pulled out a Tourtière from the freezer for dinner. At our house, we have Tourtière pretty well all year round, not just during the festive season. One of the great accompaniments to this great traditional meat pie is my mother Yvonne’s fresh pickled onions.

“Fresh pickled” is not a contradiction in terms, actually: you start with fresh onions and place them in a vinegar solution with the result that they combine the taste of the fresh onion with the pickling flavour. Let me tell you that with Tourtière, they are a sure winner. However, they are great to accompany a pork or beef roast as well. So, here goes.

Grandmère’s Pickled Onions Ingredients: 2 largish red onions (red onions have a thinner skin and a lighter flavour than yellow or white onions); plus they have this beautiful colour 2 cups of white vinegar (more or less, depending on the size of your jar) 2 or three tablespoons of pickling spice 2 or three tablespoons of sugar; this is to taste; if you prefer sweeter, see test in step 8 below Preparation: Peel the onions and slice them as thinly as you can. Leave the slices intact and place them in a largish bowl.

Bring a full kettle to a boil and cover the sliced onions with boiling water.

Let the onions sit and sweat until the water has cooled to room temperature.

Bring the two cups of white vinegar to a boil in a saucepan and drop in the pickling spice and sugar.

Remove the solution from the stove and let it sit while the onions are cooling.

Get yourself a handsome big jar; ours is a big white attractive kitchen jar that sits on the second shelf of our refrigerator.

Layer the onions in your jar; the slices will fall apart as you layer them and that is just fine.

Pour half of your solution over the onions; then taste your solution for flavour. It if is too vinegary, add some cold water, if you like the pickling flavour, leave it intact and continue filling your jar. You can also add more sugar if you wish.

Put the lid on your jar and refrigerate for a week or so before dishing out with your favourite dish.

As always, just let me know how this worked out for you by contacting me at pcormier@ ranaprocess.com.

Surmounting COVID – food for thought

by Peter S. Milsom, President, Kemptville Navy League Volunteering has fallen off for most charitable organizations over recent years, but is again markedly on the rise. One positive effect of the COVID experience has been the reassessment by both individuals and families - long constrained within the severely restricted, noninclusive character of the “bubble” - of the value and pleasure of external and community involvements that they have dearly missed.

After all, one can only take so much “reality” TV when one’s own reality is so unreal.

Re-prioritization of individual and family interactions, experiences, and activities is happening because the cocoon-like COVID experience just didn’t cut

it – the pleasure and sense of accomplishment in collaborative activities with others whose interests and company you enjoy – be they restaurants, kids’ hockey games, get-togethers, sharing a meal were denied. For families and for people who treasure and respect the development and mentoring of young people, enough with reality TV - this is a time to re-invest in the volunteer activities that have real impact and meaning.

What can you spend a few volunteer hours a month doing that has a greater, almost magical “return on the investment of time and effort”, than helping our wonderful young people learn personal discipline and self-confidence; grow new sports, coping and life skills; participate in, and then lead, teams; accomplish personal goals; acquire a sense of purpose, and an

ACROSS 1. Church recesses 6. Rabbit 10. Male turkeys 14. Angry 15. District 16. Brother of Jacob 17. Tycoon 18. Pins 19. Small brook 20. Party pooper 22. Genuine 23. Grin 24. Beset 25. Dry 29. Stretchable 31. An impressive array 33. Sandstorm 37. Exertion 38. Foursome

39. Fables 41. Creep 42. Protein in hair and nails 44. Amazes 45. Praises 48. On the up and up 50. Type of sword 51. Subduing 56. Stringed instrument 57. Sexual assault 58. Hearing-related 59. Skin disease 60. How old we are 61. Incline 62. Ale 63. Dregs 64. Anxious

DOWN 1. Objectives 2. Brace 3. Palm starch 4. Decorative case 5. Trades 6. Jubilantly 7. Ring around the nipple 8. Lapse 9. Where the sun rises 10. Hard unglazed brownishred earthenware 11. Willow 12. Of the cheekbone 13. Tarnish 21. Ore refinery 24. Employs 25. Mimics 26. Flat float 27. Data 28. Usher 30. Historic ship 32. Jimmies 34. A pouch in some birds 35. Concern 36. Probabilities 40. Collect discarded material 41. Wander 43. A Native American tent 45. Rehabilitation 46. Quickly 47. French science-fiction writer 49. Browned bread 51. By mouth 52. Stubborn beast 53. Press 54. Short sleeps 55. Delight

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku informed and experienced understanding of the true value of citizenship within a community? And, from personal experience, seeing your parent there at the game, or the activity, or in direct, active support, is the best motivator, reinforcement, and endorsement for a young person!

Therein lies the magic!

We have a recommendation for you to achieve all of these objectives: Join us!

Take the personal leap into the most rewarding of personal giving!

Kemptville Branch, The Navy League of Canada Serving the needs and best interests of boys and girls 9 – 18 years, and of the officers, instructors, volunteers and families (Information: 613 215-0705)

Easy

Medium

Hard

Solution to last week’s Crossword

AL'S WINTER-SPRING CLEAN UP

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The North Dundas Times

OFA urges snowmobile riders to respect farmland and Ontario’s trail system

by Jackie Kelly-Pemberton, Director, OFA As we balance lockdowns and restrictions, social distancing measures and stayat-home orders, outdoor activities have become our only solace throughout. However, this newfound craze for recreational snowmobiling has also brought with it an increased level of frustration and challenges for our farming members.

According to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), the trail network spans more than 30,000 kilometres across the province and includes agreements with 18,000 landowners. Ontario’s snowmobiling industry generates $3.3 billion annually in economic activity and supports rural communities through tourism, hospitality, food service and fuel. Last year, 88,000 permits were sold across the province and one OFSC representative notes they’ve seen a 13% in-

crease in permit sales in their district this year. The positive impact on local economies across Ontario is undeniable.

However, it’s important to remember there would be no continuous trail network without farmers and rural landowners. Farmers rely on their land to produce food, fibre, and fuel for the province, country, and the world.

It drives the profitability and sustainability of our farm businesses. While trail systems benefit the economy, the farmer receives no financial compensation.

This is why the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) reminds all riders to be respectful while navigating the trails, and that access to farmland is a privilege, not a right. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has repeatedly communicated that farmers’ fields are not for snowmobiling. They’ve stressed that farmland is private property, and snowmobilers do not have the authority to access fields unless they’ve obtained permission from the landowner. It’s not only a trespassing offence, but it also jeopardizes the health and nutrients of the soil and crops beneath the snow. Additionally, fences, irrigation systems, and other obstacles

and increased trespassing on farm property. When trails are closed, riders become increasingly impatient and ride them anyway, which not only worsens the condition of the trail, but further delays the reopening as well. These individuals abusing the local trail system run the risk of losing the privilege for the whole community.

Many farmers are unaware of the process for filing damage complaints for trespass-related issues. While we appreciate the local clubs that actively post signage where winter crops are planted, and actively deter their members from going off the trail, additional communication with farmers and landowners regarding reimbursements for snowmobile related damages is imperative.

Anecdotal evidence shows that in parts of southern Ontario, local clubs have worked with farmers and landowners to repay them for necessary damages. From crop damage to irrigation sprinklers, farmers have been reimbursed following issues caused by riders veering off the trail. But, it’s clear a knowledge gap exists. Volunteers at the local level are encouraged to develop relationships with landown-

utilized in farming operations can cause serious harm to riders. The fear of being liable for injuries is a constant source of fear and anxiety for farmers and landowners.

To help combat off-trail trespassing, OFSC launched the “Friends don’t ride with friends” campaign, focused on not riding with people who trespass, disrespect landowner property, risk the safety of themselves and other riders, or jeopardize the trail system.

Anyone riding outside of the marked trails is trespassing on private property and endangering their own safety as well as the livelihood of the landowner. Any person riding without an OFSC trail permit is trespassing, as is anyone caught riding on a closed trail.

Snowmobilers need to understand that when trails remain ungroomed, often it’s for a legitimate reason. This year, there have been recorded complaints of winter wheat being destroyed, significant damage to irrigation systems, and farm gates being opened without permission. Maintenance and grooming of trails is left to the discretion of the local club and completely dependent on volunteer capacity and weather conditions.

There is a distinct correlation between poor trail conditions

by Joselyn Morley Rewilding is the process of returning an area to a previous, more natural state; reversing the destruction of the natural world, while restoring complex ecosystems. It is a way to restore parts of our environment and preserve diverse species.

It attempts to address and mitigate some of the detrimental effects of mono culture and over development, and emphasises ecological systems and biodiversity. It puts plants and animals in the forefront of any discussion of March 10, 2021

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Dundas Cup Day was a huge success

Sustainability March 10, Re-wilding. land use. It is also a huge subject, with many different branches of study, and quite a bit of disagreement within the field.

Why is rewilding good? Because we are losing species of plants and animals at an alarming rate. Once a species is gone, it doesn't come back.

Rewilding emphasises systems, and interdependence of species. It means more variety, and numbers, of plants and animals. We can help ecosystems be more diverse and abundant. Rewilding stresses the need to maintain core areas of natural bio-diverse habitat, and corridors connecting these areas. It is about making ecosystems self-sustaining, abundant, and diverse. We have done so much damage to ecosystems, we need to take an active role in trying to bring some areas back to complex systems. We need to stop separating humans

ers and keep communication lines open to ensure landowners know who their point of contact is when issues occur.

We appreciate the efforts of snowmobile club volunteers, and recognize them as the lifeblood of the local riding community.

On behalf of all Ontario farmers, we encourage riders to enjoy this beautiful province while treating our land and the trail system with respect. Be safe, be smart, and be considerate.

from nature, development from wild.

Rewilding stresses that humans are just one part of an ecosystem. It seeks to look at how diverse animals and plants are interconnected and interdependent. Rewilding principles include ensuring that development allows for corridors connecting large natural areas. If we want wildlife in our developments, we have to provide them a way to get there. It seeks to include many species where previously only one would have been encouraged. A lot of good can come from paying attention to our impact on our surroundings, and inviting diversity. Allowing hedges and trees, rather than stripping land bare, or planting a diversity of native plants, will encourage more diverse plants and animals to come.

Rewilding in a community can be as simple

as adding white clover into your lawn, or growing some native flowers for bees. Both let a bit more nature into the area.

It means taking a bit more of a hands-off approach to maintaining our land, whether that's a 40 foot by 40 foot backyard, or 1,000 acres. There's room for a variety of different plants and animals. Plant a new tree, but make sure it is a native species. Let a part of your lawn go back to being a meadow. This does not mean letting it get overrun by wild parsnip and burdock, but adding wildflowers and native grasses. Add bird houses and bat houses.

by Jamie Wilson Last Friday, March 5, was our Dundas Cup spirit day competition against Seaway DHS. The Dundas Cup is our annual hockey tournament between the two schools here in Dundas County. It is one of the events our students look forward to the most. This year, our student councils collaborated to create a spirit day that would honour the Dundas Cup tradition and keep the incredible school spirit that we put into it every year alive.

The competition winner was to be the school with the highest percentage of participation. The results were unexpected, to say the least. Seaway had a whopping 70% participation, and we beat them by no more than 1%, with a total of 71% here at North Dundas. Congratulations to both schools, as those are impressive numbers regardless of who won. We enjoyed the friendly competition; perhaps days like these will become a new tradition and continue in the years following Covid-19.

This Friday, March 12, we have a frontline worker-themed spirit day, to show our support for the people who put themselves at risk for us every day. Frontline workers include, but are not limited to, health care workers, grocery store workers, first responders, and teachers. We planned this day to show that we appreciate what these people are doing for us during these challenging times.

Hayley Bedford Marketing Consultant

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

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The North Dundas Times

Dundas Federation of Agriculture Annual General Meeting

by Joselyn Morley The Dundas Federation of Agriculture (DFA) held their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, March 3, online. The outgoing President, Marty Derks, has served in that role for the last three years. Ryan Devries was elected as the new President. Jackie Kelly-Pemberton, Director for Zone 11 of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), presented an update for members of the DFA. Constable Jim Blanchette, Community Mobilization Officer, SD&G OPP, was the guest speaker, and made a presentation to the members and attendees. He addressed Bill 156, Bill 136, and mental health. Bill 156, which is law as of December,

2020, is an Act to protect Ontario's farms and farm animals from trespassers and other forms of interference, and to prevent contamination of Ontario's food supply. This bill has attracted a lot of attention from animal rights activists, and Constable Blanchette outlined how the Bill would protect farmers from interference by activists.

He also noted that there have not been any conflicts between protesters and farmers in this area since the passage of Bill 156. He explained that it is always a good idea to call the OPP in the event of any incident involving trespassers on your farm.

The government must respect the right to peaceful protest, but this must be take place on public property. As soon as someone trespasses on your land for the purpose of

protesting, or interfering with your farm practices, you can, and should, call the OPP. He acknowledged that farmers have the right to arrest a trespasser themselves, including the right to use appropriate force, but that it is a better idea to call the OPP. Those convicted can face fines of up to $25K, and jail time of up to two years. He noted that protesters videotape everything, and that protest groups are linked. The Provincial Liaison team is in place to work with protesters, to facilitate peaceful events, and to dialogue and work with all those affected. Protestors cannot breach the peace, block or obstruct routes, cause a disturbance or riot, wear a disguise, disobey a court order, or harm or injure people or animals. Bill 156 extends the animal protection

zone to anywhere your animals are, or are travelling. In short, anywhere that farming activity reasonably or customarily happens is included in the animal protection zone.

The phone number to call is 1-888-310-1122.

Constable Blanchette also discussed Bill 136, Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS), which replaced the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The OPP can take calls regarding cruelty or animal suffering, but there are provincial inspectors with a standardised code of contact assigned to respond and investigate. Bill 136 provides the strongest penalties for cruelty to animals in Canada.

The phone number to call is 1 833 9 ANIMAL (1-833926-4625).

SD&G OPP have asked

for funds from the Counties to continue the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT).

With the MCRT, a nurse rides with the OPP to any mental health calls. Involuntary arrests are down 42% since September, 2020, when the program began. Diversions are up 45%. Covid-19 has really increased the need for mental health services, and has put a great deal of stress on people. The OPP want people to know that help is available, that recovery is possible, and that it is not shameful or weak to ask for help. Younger people tend to be more open to asking for help, and more aware of when someone isn't doing ok. Middle-aged men are the least likely to accept that they need help. The message in the presentation was overwhelmingly positive, stressing that asking for help

is never a bad thing. There are many resources, starting with your family doctor.

groundcover, try Wild Strawberry, Wild Ginger, Wintergreen, Mayapple, Bunchberry, Running Euonymus, Foamflower, Bearberry, or Wild Geranium. Ornamental grasses are attractive garden additions, providing height and interest. Instead of choosing Miscanthus grasses, such as Chinese Silver Grass or Zebra Grass, which are native to Africa and Asia, choose one of the native grasses that are attractive and help support native biodiversity. Examples of native grasses that work as ornamentals are Indian Grass, Switchgrass, or Big Bluestem.

Norway Maples have been planted throughout the region because of their dense foliage, despite the fact that both the Sugar and Silver Maple are native species. You can also choose from a variety of Serviceberry bushes, or

a Hackberry tree. The Russian Olive tree or bush has long been used in landscaping because it is tough and durable. You could, instead, use Witchhazel, which grows the same size as the Russian Olive, but is native and has flowers that bloom in Fall. A Chokecherry tree is a good choice too, providing fruit for birds and flowers for butterflies and bees. Alternateleaf Dogwood is also a good native choice. Instead of buying an Autumn Olive, try a Common Ninebark, Grey Dogwood, or Eastern Redbud. The non-native Bush Honeysuckles, the Tartarian, Amur, Morrow, Bells, and European Fly Honeysuckle, all hail from central Asia and the mountains of Europe.

Instead, try Nannyberry, Redosier dogwood, or Native Bush Honeysuckles. The Multiflora Rose is pretty, but can become invasive, and it's native to Japan, not Ontario.

Try a Common Elderberry, Wild Roses, or a Flowering Raspberry. Japanese Honeysuckle Vine can kill trees by blocking out all the sunlight,

or toppling them over. Try climbing Hydrangea, American Wisteria, Goldflame Honeysuckle, or Jackmans Clematis.

Luckily, some of the nicest perennial flowers are Ontario natives. Black-eyed Susans, Swamp Milkweed, Fireweed, Wild Quinine, and Blanketflower or Gaillardia are all easily found in nurseries or grown from seed. Bee Balm, Butterfly Weed, Purple Coneflower, or Blue False Indigo. Choosing native plants does not mean your garden needs to be boring!

Do not go out and cut down your Norway Maples and dig up all your periwinkle. But, when you have the opportunity to add a new tree, or replace a dying one, possibly replace the Norway Maple with a Sugar or Silver Maple. Contain the periwinkle, and when you rip out dead sections, replace with wild geranium, wild ginger, or wild strawberries.

Gardening March 10: Native Plants

by Joselyn Morley When you are starting seeds, buying annuals and perennials at the nursery, or choosing which trees to add to your garden, consider sticking to native plants. Native plants support and attract native wildlife. They often require less care than non-native plants, are better suited to the area, and more able to withstand the changing climate.

They cope better with the variations of the local landscape, have natural defenses against pests, and contribute to the complex ecosystem of the area. Often, when a native plant disappears, a native animal or insect will disappear too. Native plants encourage and support biodiversity.

The Monarch and the Karner Blue butterfly are two examples of reliance on native plants. The Karner Blue butMarch 10, 2021

terfly needs the wild lupine, which is increasingly hard to find. The Monarch needs milkweed, which is also being destroyed through development, monoculture, and nonnative and invasive species.

Many of our invasive plants were brought to Ontario to look good in gardens. Two examples are periwinkle and goutweed. Both were brought here as ornamental garden plants, and both take over gardens and wild areas, quickly pushing out native species.

Choosing native plants over exotic ornamentals encourages and sustains biodiversity, which is the number and variety of living things in a specific area. We need to make even our developed areas, such as our communities or back gardens, hospitable to native wildlife. Native plants naturally occur in an area, and can support much more

wildlife. Native birds live off of native insects, which live off of native plants and trees.

Importing a tree or plant from a different part of the world does not contribute to the ecosystem that the birds and other wildlife need to survive and thrive. Native plants are often healthier and stronger, meaning that you spend less time and money taking care of them. You don't have to pollute the environment with large quantities of fertiliser, or pesticides.

Native plants in Ontario are those that existed within a region before Europeans arrived. They include grasses, ferns, perineal and annual flowers, trees, vines, and shrubs. Nurseries and seed catalogues are increasingly stocking native plants, and there is a native plant for every space. Instead of using Goutweed or Periwinkle as a 12

Crisis line: 1-866-996-0991 Youth crisis line: 1-877-3777775 OPP Mobile Unit: 1-888310-1122 Canadian Mental Health Association's Winchester Office: 613-774-6258 Conex (Mental Health, Addictions, & Problem Gambling Services): 1-866531-2600 Telehealth: 1-866-797-0000 211 for any Ontario Government Service Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH) Addictions & Mental Health Services & withdrawal: 613-361-6363

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