Under the umbrella

There is still lots of summer fun yet to be enjoyed. And this weekend amid the enchanted forests of Woodlands Beach, families can enjoy a brand new Children’s Festival featuring:

· The Barnyard Petting Zoo,

· Bouncy Castle and Sports Inflatables;

· Free Face Painting by A Little Bit of Bling; and

· Princess Belle from the Fairytale Beauty and the Beast.

Also enjoy crafts, games a new forest themed play structure and roaming characters. Refreshments will be available at the Candy and Slushie stand or at the chip wagon. 

The festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, August 18 and 19.  Story reading with Princess Belle will take place at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. each day.

The event is supported through generous sponsorships by United Way Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Ontario Power Generation, Cornwall Honda, The Great Waterway and Kraft.

*   Admission is $4.87 per person ($14.16 maximum vehicle charge) and children 12 years of age and younger are free.

Woodlands Beach is located on the Long Sault Parkway west of Cornwall, Ontario, on County Road 2 between the villages of Ingleside and Long Sault.  From Highway 401 take exit 770 or exit 778.

“We have made numerous improvements throughout Parks of the St. Lawrence campgrounds and beach areas this year.  Beach improvements, campsite upgrades and the recent addition of new playground equipment at our beach areas is a definite bonus for families looking to beat the heat this summer.  The Children’s Festival is a new event we have added to give families an affordable way to come out and enjoy our parks,” said Lou Seiler, Manager of Parks & Recreation, St. Lawrence Parks Commission.

[…]

 

“On behalf of Dundas County Hospice, we thank our volunteers for over 1,900 hours that have been donated to our organization over this past year,” said director of client services, Catheryn Mulder at the annual Hospice Volunteer Appreciation night, held last Wednesday night, April 22.

It was a night, that would not only thank the volunteers, but an evening to remember the late Diane Annable of Winchester, whose family was on hand to unveil a Memorial Award for Volunteer Service to Dundas County Hospice. Annable, a dedicated volunteer with Hospice for seven plus years, passed away in February, 2014.

Named as the first recipient of the Diane Annable Memorial was Sandra Jennings, who, like Annable, has served the Dundas County Hospice in various volunteer/ board positions, for many years. 

“I enjoy my work, it’s a good cause, but we miss our Diane who was an all-round good person,” said Jennings, following the presentation made by Annable’s husband Gary and son Thomas. Also on hand were Diane’s mother and father, Vance and Audrey Mcleese.

“It was Diane who got us going on fundraising, she was a special person,” said Jennings.

“Diane enjoyed the volunteer work she did for Dundas County Hospice very much,” said Gary. He explained that she first volunteered when she was high school age and worked with children’s camps in Toronto. “She loved to organize.”

“The year’s 1,900 volunteer hours for Hospice included hours provided for direct client involvement, board hours, equipment cleaning, public awareness and fundraising,” said Mulder, following the presentation.

“Thank you to those of you who gave comfort and kind words and a listening ear for the clients you visited so faithfully,” said Mulder.  “Thank you to those of you who provided activities and assisted with the Day Hospice and Men’s Breakfast. Thank you for the many hours you spent on fundraising for Hoedown, for golf, for the annual newsletter and now the upcoming Hike for Hospice.”

Mulder told the volunteers that it had been an exciting year for Dundas County Hospice. 

“This has definitely been a time for exciting growth, and we could not have accomplished this without you our volunteers.”

“Our board, as well as our executive director, Lisa Casselman, have gone above and beyond. They have made our dreams of expanding our day hospice program and locating in a new facility, realities.”

The board of directors for Dundas County Hospice includes chair Bob Pitruniak, vice-chair, Paul Renaud, past chair, Sandra Jennings, treasurer Janet Moorhouse, secretary Arlene Nesbitt. Directors are Betty Guy, Mary Gibson, Kathy Spruit and Bob Sisson.

Introduced was Lynn Gee, who is the new program assistant with the day hospice program.

Dundas County Hospice offers a variety of services to anyone suffering from a terminal or life-threatening illness. Hospice supports clients and their caregivers through all stages of their illness including bereavement support after the death of the client. All of our services are free

The hospice offers an equipment loan program which helps clients maintain some independence, comfort and mobility. 

Hospice also assists with in-home complimentary therapies for clients that can no longer get out.

Coming up on May 3, is a  Hike for Hospice  (2.5 or 5 km. hikes) fundraiser. Folks are invited to join Hospice for a hike along the beautiful St. Lawrence in Morrisburg. A donation to Dundas County Hospice will get you registered (9:30-10:30 a.m.) and participants can get hiking at 10:30 a.m. A barbecue at noon will complete the event.

The Hike for Hospice will be part of a busy spring as Dundas County Hospice prepare to relocate to its new home in Williamsburg this coming summer.

The Volunteer Appreciation guest speaker was certified relaxation therapist Kim Hutt owner of Souly Reconnected located north of Iroquois.

“It is a pleasure for me to be here, celebrating your community service,” Hutt told the volunteers.

Hutt explained how she turned a hobby, “into a profession, when I began studying relaxation therapies. She shared some exercises and demos on how one can self care and explained the various therapies available including Reiki and Quantum Touch.

[…]

“I really love doing this parade,” said George Davies, the organizer and marshall for the 2013 Santa Claus parade held in Morrisburg, Saturday, December 7. “It’s not just the little ones, it’s the seniors and everybody in between who make it all worthwhile.”

And judging from the smiles and applause, people who lined the parade route through the town were enchanted with the big parade.

“It was a great day, weather wise,” Davies said, “you couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. I think we had a good turn-out to see the parade, and lots of people taking part in it.” 

Riding a 4-wheeler on loan from Jim’s Performance Plus, George was everywhere along the route. “Everything went pretty smoothly,” he said, “and the OPP were on hand to control the traffic in town and along county road 2. (Floats marshalled in the Canadian Tire parking lot and the Upper Canada Playhouse lot.) We also had spotters in key positions along the  route equipped with radios loaned by the South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services.”

The 2013 Santa Claus parade boasted over 50 floats with five bands providing seasonal music: the Brockville Lions Steel Band, the Royal West Academy of Montreal Band, the Cornwall Air Cadets Band, the Kemptville Legion Pipe Band and the Maple Leaf Brass Band from Ottawa.

There were some first time local entries this year. “Both the BIA and the Fire Services had floats this year. And we had many return participants.”

Crowds enjoyed the four legged friends who also took part in this year’s parade. These ranged from Eddie the Service Dog (who turned up on the Morrisburg & District Duck Dynasty float) to several therapy dogs, in full costume, walking the whole route, while  miniature horses, wearing their Christmas finery, either rode on a float or pranced along with the parade.

Responsibility for contacting and securing  participants and bands, organizing every aspect of the parade itself, then dealing with clean up and costume retrievals falls yearly on Davies’ cheerful shoulders, with the help of his wife and daughter. However, if you ask George who his volunteers on the actual parade day were, he laughs and says, “Everybody.”

Service clubs, schools, civic groups, many area businesses and the OPP and South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services all came to help on December 7.

Santa and Mrs. Claus were a definite high point to the parade.

They waved to the crowds,  and happily pointed out children who had been especially good this year. Later, Santa took time at the Fire Hall to listen to some small people’s Christmas hopes and dreams. 

(The word is the couple headed back to the North Pole by Elf Airlines later in the day.)

By every account, the 2013 Morrisburg Santa Claus Parade was one of the best ones yet. 

And volunteer organizer George Davies has already started work on the 2014 event. 

[…]