Lions continue their commitment to the ‘No Child Without’ program

 

The Canadian Club of Morrisburg and District now has an evenly split year thanks to a 2012 directors decision to have the usual three meetings in the fall and add a meeting in March, to the existing meetings in April and May.   

And so, for those of us who don’t go south,  we can look forward to being entertained at the upcoming March meeting on Wednesday, March 19. 

In March, we will  enjoy a roast pork dinner and then Rev. Dan Hayward will  help shorten the winter we have experienced.  The United Church of South Stormont is where Rev Hayward ministers now.  He will explore the Comedian’s Craft – Behind  the Scenes. His presentation will be light-hearted, insightful and tasteful – and we look forward to seeing you there.

In April, Ron Bennet, president of the  Federation of Agriculture, will look at Canadian agriculture’s contribution to our economy and the World. As usual, we will have a draw for a  3’ x 6’  Canadian Flag–compliments of our local MP Guy Lauzon.  The Legion Branch 48 auxiliary ladies will serve a turkey dinner.

Prime rib will be on the menu  in May.

Our final speaker for the year will be a representative of the Area Crime Prevention program from the SD&G OPP Detachment in Long Sault speaking to the club on Identity Theft, Fraud and Protecting Personal Information.  

Typically, the Canadian Club also has the winner of the Dundas County Public speaking contest speak to us.  The winner will be known in mid April.

Members of the community are invited to join the Canadian Club for any dinner meeting for only $20.

Tickets for the dinner meetings are $20 and should be purchased one week in advance. Members of the community are invited to attend a Canadian Club meeting and tickets can be purchased by calling Clara at 613-774-2407 or Doug at 613-543-2922.

[…]

While South Dundas council may have handled more than its fair share of controversy in 2013, its mayor is looking ahead to 2014;  positive about what has been accomplished, positive about projects in the works and positive about the new year.

The 2013 year end interview with local media took place December 18 at the Mayor’s office on the third floor of the new South Dundas Municipal Centre in Morrisburg.

“We are definitely sitting in the highlight of the year,” said South Dundas Mayor Steven Byvelds of the South Dundas Municipal Centre.

“We have rebuilt this into a very useful space, not only for South Dundas council and staff, but for the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic,” said Byvelds.

This SDMC building project, along with South Dundas’ partnership with the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic team to renovate the former Catholic school in Iroquois into a new clinic, means that South Dundas is now home to two new medical facilities.

“That is an important asset in a time where it is challenging to keep medical staff within our borders,” said Byvelds.

Although not yet complete, Byvelds reported that the new Morrisburg library portion of the project should be finished early this year. It will be housed in a portion of the former Morrisburg Clinic space.

On top of this huge project nearing completion, Byvelds is proud to have been able to be part of major progress on working towards rectifying infrastructure issues that have needed addressing for decades.

He acknowledges that the work taking place around Lakeshore Drive certainly wouldn’t have been possible without $2 million worth of provincial funding that South Dundas was fortunate enough to receive. 

That funding, along with the funding for the new Iroquois waste water treatment plant, have allowed significant infrastructure improvements. 

“A lot of good stuff happened with that money,” said Byvelds. 

The new Iroquois waste water treatment plant is expected to be commissioned within a couple of months.

Also, coming to council early in the new year, are plans for the expansion of the Williamsburg recreation building that will return library space to Williamsburg and also provide a useful facility for the community.

With 2014 being an election year, like most municipal politicians, Byvelds hopes for a ‘boring’ year, but he will not shy away from making decisions because of the looming election, which will take place in October.

“I know that any issues that are simmering won’t disappear, and when the time comes, we will deal with things the best we can.”

No matter the issue, Byvelds always adheres to the same process. “You listen, you learn, then you make the decision, and that in part is where your own philosophies come into play,” he explained.

“Most times, change is the biggest challenge, but change is inevitable. Change is challenging for me too, but I know that change has to be managed. It can’t be radical. It has to make sense. I don’t like change either, but globally it is something we need to deal with. If you do nothing, then you are going backwards, and I’m not prepared to do that.”

Even a tough open forum meeting in the fall where much of the public backlash over various issues was directed at Byvelds, has not swayed his philosophy.

Admittedly a tough experience, Byvelds still called the process a useful one, as people had the opportunity to voice their opinions. 

“In an election year, my role is to lead properly,” said Byvelds. “I need to demonstrate leadership, showing the community what it takes to run a municipality from the mayor’s chair.”

He sees 2014 as a year to settle down, get things wrapped up and put South Dundas in a position to allow its new council to pick up the ball and make the decisions going forward.

Byvelds would not divulge his intentions for the 2014 election. He plans to make his intentions known in late summer. His only prediction for the new year, was that South Dundas residents will see a zero or very modest tax increase in 2014. 

The budgeting process will take place earlier in 2014 than it has in the past, a change that Byvelds has been eager to see. 

At this point he is focusing on the roads system. “We are a rural municipality and roads are important,” said Byvelds. “I would rather spend money on roads wisely, making things last beyond their useful life than ignore them.”

“Provincial funding has dried up, so how we manage our own affairs is very important,” he said. 

[…]

Dr. Graham Jacques of the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic team was recently honoured with the Ontario Medical Association’s Lifetime Membership.

“This is a lovely recognition,” said Dr. Jacques, who was very surprised to be one of only a couple of eastern Ontario physician’s receiving the honour this year.

“I only found out about it, when I received a letter of congratulations from the OMA,” said Jacques. Those recognized must be nominated, and Jacques still doesn’t know who nominated him.

Dr. Jacques joined the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic team in the early 1980s as a general practitioner, with priviledges at Winchester District Memorial Hospital. Jacques practices at the Morrisburg and Ingleside SLMC locations.

Along with his decades of service with the SLMC and WDMH, Jacques held the post of president of the Winchester-Kemptville Medical Society until 2011. He currently serves a president of the medical staff at WDMH.

Dr. Jacques will be retiring at the end of March 2015and hopes that the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic team will have a replacement in place for him by then.

Jacques speaks fondly of this area at the SLMC.

“This place is a real gem. It has been wonderful,” he said. “The people in this area are great and this clinic has always been exceptional, always operating to the highest of standards. The people of this area are blessed to have such an organization in their midst.”

Jacques, who lives in South Dundas, will continue to do so in his retirement. 

“I am very happy to have had the opportunity to live and work in this area. I know I will miss the patients terribly when I retire,” he said.

While continuing to reside in South Dundas, he plans to travel across Canada in his retirement.

Dr. Jacques was born in Yorkshire, England and moved to Canada in 1958 at the age of 9. He graduated from University of Ottawa Medical School in 1975, after which he completed a year of roatating internship at Memorial University of Newfoundland. 

He then started working as a general duty medical officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. While working with the Canadian Armed Forces, Dr. Jacques finished a year of postgraduate training in internal medicine at the National Defence Medical Centre in 1979. 

He then moved to Morrisburg, and joined the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic.

[…]