Hospital home to ‘flash mob’

In October, reports from the South Dundas planning department showed that South Dundas was having a good year, growth-wise.

 Last week, South Dundas council found out just how good, when they were presented with the 2012 building permit summary.

According to those figures, South Dundas experienced a record year, with construction projects valued at more than $27 million taking place.

That is a huge increase over 2011, when total construction for the year was valued at just under $13 million.

“That’s really good news,” said South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds at the February 5 council meeting. “We have 34 new residences.”

While the number of new residences is about the same as the previous year, there were about 30 more permits for residential construction sold in 2012, meaning that more people are making improvements to existing residences.

South Dundas even experienced some industrial growth. Five industrial building permits were sold in 2012, as compared to only two in 2011.

The increase in the sale of building permits represents immediate revenue for the municipality when the permits are issued and fees are paid. South Dundas collected almost $40,000 more in permit fees in 2012, than 2011.

In the long run this growth will result in additional property tax revenue for the municipality.

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For the first time ever, Winchester District Memorial Hospital will have four obstetricians, and that fourth obstetrician will be part of the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic group.

“That really reflects the growth in our maternal care program,” said Cholly Boland, WDMH CEO, when he announced that Dr. Roger Perron will join the hospital full time in the new year.

Dr. Perron says he has found the best kept secret in Ontario in discovering Winchester District Memorial Hospital and the surrounding region. 

Dr. Perron is WDMH’s newest specialist in obstetrics and gynecology. 

He will deliver babies and perform general gynecological surgery with a specialty in minimally-invasive procedures. He will practice at the St. Lawrence Medical Clinics in Morrisburg, Iroquois and Ingleside.

“I came to Winchester Hospital to provide summer coverage and my wife and I fell in love with the area,” he says. “We didn’t even know it existed.” He has equal praise for the hospital. “It’s the best kept secret around. The people here are great. And the operating rooms are magnificent. Any tertiary care centre would be happy to have them.”

With 25 years of experience, Dr. Perron says he knew early on that obstetrics was his passion. “It’s one area of medicine where people actually want to see you,” he smiles. “And if I’m going to be up in the middle of the night, I might as well deliver a baby and make everyone happy.”

When not delivering babies or performing surgery, Dr. Perron says he loves to hike, canoe, fish or do anything outdoors. “We seem to never spend any time in the house,” he laughs.

Because all of WDMHs other OBGYNs are focused in the north of the hospital’s catchment area, it was natural for Dr. Perron to come to the south, to the SLMC. He will be living in Morrisburg, which he very much looks forward to. He was looking for a retirement lifestyle, although he intends to fully practise medicine for about 10 years and then to assist for about six more. He takes referrals as he does not have a primary care practice.

Dr. Perron comes here from Guelph. He is the first OBGYN to join the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic team since Dr. Gerry Rosenquist, one of the SLMC founders.

Perron grew up in northern Ontario. He did his undergraduate schooling at Lakehead, Masters and PhD at University of Guelph, and med. school and residency at McMaster. He has three children and two grandchildren.

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The weather was perfect. The apple pies and apple desserts were perfect. And the large crowds were perfectly happy to enjoy games, rides, music and lots of good food during the Iroquois Apple Festival held on Saturday, September 17.

Candace Menges, chair of the Iroquois & District Celebration Festival Committee, which organized the event, said that organizers were “extremely pleased with the day.”

“The only complaint we’ve heard thus far is that there was no where to park,” Menges laughed. “I think I kind of like that complaint, as you don’t hear that too often in the Iroquois Plaza.”

The theme of the 2011 festival was tied in to the 200th anniversary of the McIntosh Apple.

Descendents of the McIntosh family and other guests came from Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Cornwall and the United States to visit the community and enjoy the festival.

“We want to offer many thanks to Smyth’s Orchards for providing tours of their orchards and for setting up the McIntosh Apple Visitors’ Centre,” Menges said. “The family was great to work with, and we are very thankful that they have sustained the McIntosh Apple within our community where it originated.”

With members of the McIntosh family assisting, South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds and members of council officially opened the Festival by cutting the red ribbon. Mayor Byvelds praised the work of the organizers. With councillor Evonne Delegarde he presented McIntosh descendents with specially created commemorative coins in honour of the 200th anniversary.

An all day farmers’ market, colourful vendors, Tribeck Inflatables, a petting zoo and lots of fun contests for kid and adults alike were popular at the Festival. Children especially enjoyed the music of H&S Express, while the beat of Landmark rocked the plaza in the afternoon.

Members of the South Dundas council were also called upon to judge desserts and pies. (Some had to sample each offering two or three times just to be sure.) The apple pie winner was Lori Link, while Anne Hartle won top apple dessert.

Cutest apple dumpling baby under age one was Addisyn Blanchette while Kacey Claxton took honours in the one to two year old category. Sarah Steward, Mateo Lacroix and Amber Bailey were judged best in the colouring contests in their age categories. Ethel Merkley won the peeling contest with an apple peel measuring 31.5 inches, while Sharron Miller was the winner of the apple trivial challenge. Lynne Jamieson was the 50/50 draw winner. 

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