Poverty forum to look at better ‘rural’ future

Upper Canada Village’s new fall event Pumpkinferno continued its winning ways in Ottawa April 24,  when Ottawa Tourism named it New Company of the Year.  

The award category recognizes an event or company two years or less in operation that through its success has stimulated the economy.  

Pumpkinferno which was launched in 2012 has certainly done that.  

In just two years of operation, not only has Pumpkinferno taken the region by storm hosting almost 75,000 people but it has contributed an estimated $8 million in economic impacts to the region’s economy. 

“Over the past three years we have taken a close look at our business operations and have encouraged our staff to be innovative in their approach to developing new visitor experiences.  Pumpkinferno is a great example of that type of thinking. Not only does it showcase amazing artistic and creative talents that go into making this such an amazing event, but our business strategy is really solid and surpassing our projections” commented Darren Dalgleish, General Manager & CEO, St. Lawrence Parks Commission. 

Festival and Events Ontario recognized Pumpkinferno as Ontario’s Best New Event in 2012 and in November 2013 the Tourism Association of Ontario honoured it with the award for Ontario’s Tourism Event of the Year.

“The Pumpkinferno team exceeded expectations to deliver an event that attracted over 35,000 guests in our first year and then topped that number last fall with over 38,000 visits.  We believe we have something special here and it is so gratifying to see this acknowledgement from the tourism community.  It was an honour just to be named a finalist in the Ottawa Tourism awards.  Our hats are off to the other excellent nominees.” said Geoff Waycik, Manager of Upper Canada Village.

Upper Canada Village gets an early start to the 2014 season opening on Wednesday, May 7. 

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(SD&G) – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is committed to road safety. As a driver, your actions directly impact your safety and the safety of other motorists.  With the Easter Long Weekend approaching and as the weather improves, the roads get busier.  Here are some important tips to remember every time you get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle:

Pay Attention to the Road.

• Distracted drivers are a safety risk! It is illegal in Ontario for drivers to use any handheld communication and entertainment devices (not exclusive to cell phones) while operating a motor vehicle. We have seen a decrease in the number of persons using handheld devices, but we are concerned about the large number of drivers who continue to engage in this dangerous activity.

Buckle Up – Seatbelts Save Lives.

• All Ontario drivers and passengers must wear a seatbelt in a properly adjusted and securely fastened manner.  It’s the law. Making sure your children are also secure in a properly installed child restraint is equally as important.  Wearing a seatbelt properly will dramatically increase your chance of surviving a motor vehicle collision.

Obeying the Speed Limits.

• Speed continues to be the number one cause of motor vehicle fatalities in Ontario. Slowing down, and obeying the posted speed limit, will reduce the number of fatal crashes and serious injury collisions.  Are you doing your part?

Slow Down or Move Over.

• Drivers must remember when passing an emergency vehicle stopped with its emergency lights activated in the same direction of travel, either in a lane or on the shoulder of a road or highway, to slow down and pass with caution. If the road has two or more lanes, you must move over into another lane, if it can be done safely.

Don’t Drink and Drive.

• Impaired driving continues to be among the leading criminal causes of death in Canada. The OPP conducts R.I.D.E. spot checks throughout the year to remove the threat of the impaired driver. Do your part by not drinking and driving.

Inspector Brendan MacDonald, SD&G OPP detachment Commander advises motorists that “our officers will be out in full force on our Provincial roadways this holiday weekend and traffic safety is in everyone’s best interest, lets continue to keep our highways safe”.

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On Sunday, August 11th, my wife Frances and I had the pleasure of hosting our 9th Annual Constituency Picnic. Thanks to a wonderful staff and some great volunteers, the event went off without a hitch. After being so well received by the many constituents throughout SDSG it is very gratifying for Frances and I to return the favour and welcome people to our home. 

The picnic has become a bit of a tradition for us. We have been feeding our guests the same menu, providing the same entertainment and everyone seems to enjoy themselves year after year. We even have bouncy castles for the kids. 

Speaking of entertainment, Lucien “Smokey” Leger and his family have been our entertainment since our first event in 2005. 87 year old Smokey, his sons Alan and Brian, along with son-in-law Rick, keep everyone tapping their toes and sometimes even singing along to the many “old favourites” they play. I feel truly fortunate that our Constituency Picnic is the only “gig” these very professional and accomplished musicians play at all year. They have already been booked for next year’s special 10th Anniversary Picnic.

Certainly one of the highlights of the afternoon is when Frances sang a few numbers. 

As some of you know, Frances has a beautiful voice and she is always a fan favourite when she sings her traditional three numbers. 

Many of our guests are most complimentary of the beautiful flower gardens Frances works so hard at preparing for our special event. 

I do cut the grass, however this year I didn’t get the weeding done, although I don’t think anyone noticed.

In all sincerity this day is very special to me. It is very humbling to welcome all the great friends we have made over the past years to a very simple happy family event. 

Our BBQ gives all of us a chance to catch up with each other, see old friends, and just be grateful for the wonderful country we live in. For me it is a wonderful reminder of just how fortunate I am to be blessed with being the Member of Parliament for Stormont, Dundas & South Glengarry.

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