Tax increase at Counties level

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. 

[…]

 

It was a tough decision for the three official, and one slightly unofficial, judges who had to choose the best chili entry at the Iroquois Legion Branch 370 Great Chili Cook-off on Saturday, February 28.

When all 12 entries had been sampled (and greatly admired) the judges selected Gail McCallum first, Lyle Fickes second and Anita Gilmour, third. Vicki Tetley took home an honourable mention and the People’s choice awards.

“It’s never easy for the judges to choose,” said contest organizer Shelley Cumberland. “We had 12 great contenders for the title of Chili Champion, 2015, with bragging rights for the year.”

This was the ninth annual Chili Cook-off held at the Legion. After the official judging, guests enjoyed a delicious dinner and the music of Keith Johnston, King of Karaoke.

Official judges for this year’s cook-off  were  Michael Tryon, chief cook on the Canadian icebreaker ‘Griffon’, South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services Chief, Chris McDonough, and South Dundas mayor, Evonne Delegarde.

The somewhat unofficial  fourth judge was one ‘Juan Pedro de la Rodriques’, apparently from Tijuana, a noted chili eater, visiting in Iroquois to get away from all that hot weather down in Mexico. (In another life, Judge “Juan” is also known as Justin Mayhew).

“The chilis are all submitted anonymously, with none of the cooks on hand,” said Shelley Cumberland, “so there is not a hint of favouritism. The decisions are based on the judges’ personal tastes. We don’t have a set criteria.”

The funds raised at events such as the Great Chili Cook-off allow the Legion to continue its support of many community efforts.

[…]

 

Local optometrist, Dr. Karen Salaj is taking part in the World Sight Day Challenge in October to help give the gift of vision to people living in areas of need.

Now in its 7th year, the World Sight Day Challenge is the largest annual global fundraising campaign to address avoidable blindness caused by uncorrected refractive error–simply the need for an eye exam and glasses.

The campaign goal for 2014, is to raise $1 million globally.

“World Sight Day is October 9, but I picked the last Thursday in October as my day, as I thought we could use the whole month to promote it and what I am doing,” said Dr. Salaj from her office at 69 Main Street in the Morrisburg Plaza, main court, last Thursday. “Everything we take in on eye exams on Thursday, October 30 will go to the World Sight Day Challenge.”

“It’s me giving, but it is also enabling the public and my patients to get involved and give too.”

The World Sight Day Challenge is run globally by Optometry Giving Sight, which was established in 2003 to address the needs of over 600 million men, women and children around the world who are blind or vision impaired simply because they don’t have access to an eye exam and a pair of glasses. 

World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. It is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and is supported by eye health organizations around the world, including Optometry Giving Sight.

Optometry Giving Sight supports programs that offer, not only eye exams and glasses in countries with little or no access to them, but that establish the infrastructure and train the local human resources required for sustainable, quality vision care. It is a registered charity in Canada and is the International Charity of Choice of the Canadian Association of Optometrists.

“This is our first opportunity to support Optometry Giving Sight and the World Sight Day Challenge,” said Dr. Salaj. “Preventable blindness is a solvable problem, and we are proud to help give sight to those in need.”

Just $5 can be enough to help provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses to someone living in an under-served community. Every contribution is meaningful.

“If you can’t see, it is difficult to learn, it is difficult to work and it is difficult to go forward in your life,” says Dr. Salaj. “Here, we are all blessed with being able to get our eye care, but it is not like this everywhere.”

In addition to Dr. Salaj donating the proceeds from eye exams on Thursday, October 30, patients, from now until the end of October, will be able to donate to the Challenge. “It doesn’t need to be anything major, but every penny counts. Our office doesn’t charge for repair or glasses adjustments, so we would like to suggest to our patients that in lieu of, they use that as a way to make a donation.”

For more information on donating or to make an appointment, Dr. Salaj’s office can be reached at 613-543-3208.

“We’d love our patients to get their eyes tested during October to help raise awareness and funds for this great cause.”

[…]