Fire department receives donation from Lions Club

The Morrisburg and District Lions Club has offered to purchase and install portable finger docks at the Morrisburg Waterfront, east of the Docksyde, and the Township of South Dundas has accepted.

Morrisburg Waterfront Committee chair Doug Grenkie made the offer in a letter written to the township on July 11th.

Several questions arose in relation to the offer, which was addressed at the July 17th South Dundas council meeting. Council inquired as to who would be responsible for acquiring permits, for instance. 

In addition, council wanted to know if the Lions Club planned to take responsibility for installing the docks and then removing them at the end of the season. They also wondered about storage of the docks during the winter months.

As there were no representatives from the Morrisburg Waterfront Committee or the Morrisburg and District Lions Club, staff agreed to look into council’s concerns following the meeting.

Realizing the importance of having some sort of dock arrangement at the Morrisburg Waterfront this season, it was agreed that staff would “reconvene council for a brief session” should the need arise.

The next regularly scheduled council meeting is August 14th.

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During the May 15th South Dundas council meeting, councillor Evonne Delegarde submitted three requests from the Bluegrass Festival Committee.

The requests included the borrowing or renting of chairs as well as the use of the Iroquois Campsite showers and dumping station.

It was estimated that there would be 70 to 80 campers ‘rough camping’ at the Bluegrass Festival, which takes place June 15th to the 17th at the Iroquois Locks.

 Mayor Steven Byvelds reminded council that the committee had submitted a request at budget time for $10,000 and were granted $3,000 from the township.

He also pointed out that “we had this request last year and denied it.”

Chief administrative officer Stephen McDonald pointed out that there is a grants policy and “I don’t think this group just thought of this request today. I think it was purposefully not given to staff.”

In terms of the shower request, Councillor Jim Graham said, “people pay to camp there. It’s not fair.”

Delegarde suggested there might be a fee for showering.

Deputy-mayor Jim Locke said, “I don’t think we’re supporting our tourism by not allowing dumping. You’re not going to have them lined up.”

Clerk Brenda Brunt pointed out that there is no staff working on Sunday afternoons.

“I do see a line up,” said Byvelds. “I don’t like getting last minute requests. It’s not fair to council and it’s not fair to staff.”

As for the paying campers at the Iroquois Campsite, Byvelds said, “it’s not going to be an enjoyable experience for them.”

In the end, it was decided that there weren’t any chairs sufficient to the task. It was also decided that allowing the showers to be used would be too much of an inconvenience to campers at the Iroquois Campsite. The request to allow dumping, however, was approved.

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“Canada wanted cheap labour, and Britain wanted rid of waifs and strays. It was a win/win situation…but not for these children,” said Glenna Smith-Walkden, president of the East British Home Child Family. On Saturday, August 31, she and many of the descendents of the nearly 100,000 children shipped to Canada and into servitude as farm labourers, gathered at the Aultsville Train Station (by arrangement with Upper Canada Village and the St. Lawrence Parks). Descendents want Canadians to understand the trials, the fears, the harsh lives, that many of these innocents faced in Canada from the 1800s until the late 1920s. Taken from poor parents, orphanages, or the London streets, these children often grew up believing they were “bad people” who somehow deserved the abuse many suffered at the hands of the farm families which “adopted” them. Today, their descendents honour them with exhibits, momentos, photographs and artifacts, on display at the Train Station, all September, on weekends. September 28, British Home Child Day, there will be a banquet at the Morrisburg Legion, open to the public (contact Nancy Edmonds).

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