Opponents keep track of wind turbine issue

 

 It has been a long journey for the Reverend Feras Shammas from his original home in Syria to his new home in Morrisburg, Canada. 

While he has only been the spiritual leader of Knox Presbyterian Church in Morrisburg for a little over two months, Reverend Shammas has already begun to feel at ease in his new parish. “Everybody has been very good to me. They have made me feel like family, at home. I am very grateful to the church and to this community for taking in a newcomer and making him feel welcome.”

Reverend Shammas was born in the ancient city of Damascus, now the capital of modern Syria. However, he was brought up in the equally historic city of Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, in the northern part of the nation.

“Aleppo is a very old city,” Rev. Shammas explained, “a place where many different ethnic groups live. There is a very large Christian community there.” He attended high school in Aleppo, until he made the personal decision to move to Beirut, Lebanon, in 1993-4, to attend the Near East School of Theology, where he earned his B.A. in theology, with a major in New Testament studies.

Rev. Shammas feels that he received the call to the ministry at a very early age.

“In Aleppo I attended a school which had been founded by American Protestant missionaries. My mom actually taught at the school, and my dad was on the school board. Both of my brothers (one older, one younger) and I went there. Every day began with morning chapel, and I experienced the preaching of a wonderful chaplain. I was still in elementary school when I felt that I wanted to work in the Church. Over time, the call just grew within me.”

When he announced his desire, as a child, to enter the Presbyterian ministry, his family “thought the desire might fade with time. But by high school, they understood that I was really committed and were very supportive. There is a very strong Presbyterian tradition in my family. My father is an elder, my brother a church musician. However,” he added with a laugh, “I am not sure they were quite expecting to produce a full minister.” 

Shammas began his ministry in 1999, in both Syria and Lebanon, serving and working in a number of churches. His last church in the Middle East was in Syria, by the coast, in Lattakia City. “We had a congregation made up of over 600 families. I was chair of the church board, and the senior pastor. I also had youth and choir pastors.” 

The nature of life in the Middle East meant that Feras’ family was often separated, far away from each other. For more than 15 years, his brothers and parents and he were in various parts of Europe and the Gulf. 

“We made a decision as a family that we were going to be together again. We decided that we would all go to North America.” 

By this time, Rev. Shammas was married, and had two daughters. 

“I met my wife, Reine, at college, where she was also studying theology. But in the Middle East it is still not possible for a woman to be ordained, despite her degree. We wanted to come to a nation where we could be equals, and she could also be ordained. We wanted a place of equality, a place where she could serve the church.”

The couple decided that in North America that would be possible. With emigration in mind, they actually chose the names Cynthia and Amy (ages 10 and eight) for their daughters.

“I had a college friend, a minister in Kemptville. We talked about my coming here. So I applied to the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and well, here I am,” Shammas laughed.

However, the young minister did have to cope with a difficult situation. He had gone ahead to Canada, preparing for his family to join him. However, just as his wife and daughters were to be issued their visas, there was a massive Civil Service strike. 

The great news is that Reine and the girls have now safely made it to Canada. With the arrival of Feras’ wife and children, the entire Shammas family can finally realize their dream of being together in North America.

The Reverend Shammas is very happy, and settling well into his new church family. “Presbyterian traditions are very alike, no matter where in the world the church is,” he explained. “These traditions and ways of doing things, even the similar hymns, meant that I could feel at home in this church and with these people almost immediately. 

Knox has been looking for a new spirit, with a goal of bringing families and young people back to the church. I’m going to be deeply involved in this. Knox Presbyterian Church is part of a beautiful family, and it deserves my hard work.”

[…]

 

Construction projects reportedly worth almost $17 million are taking place in South Dundas so far this year.

That’s about $7 million more than last year.

This year has been an especially busy year for residential construction in South Dundas.

South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds reported at the Oct. 9 open forum meeting in Iroquois that the municipality’s building permit department has been “extremely busy” issuing a much higher number than average so far in 2012.

Dan Tessier, South Dundas’ building inspector, agreed that this year has definitely been a lot busier than last.

By the end of August this year 104 building permits had been issued, compared to 86 last year.

In comparing the two years; industrial, institutional and agricultural permits have remained roughly the same. 

The number of commercial building permits issued has decreased slightly, dropping from 12 to nine.

All of the growth in South Dundas appears to be residential. 

By the end of August last year, 57 residential permits had been issued. This year, in that same time frame, 79 permits have been issued.

“Things are happening,” commented South Dundas deputy mayor Jim Locke about the building permits at last week’s public meeting.

This growth, if it continues through the end of this year, helps to improve the municipality’s financial situation in two ways. 

Firstly, the fees paid by the applicants are revenue for the municipality, and so far, about $27,000 more fees have been collected this year than in the same time period last year.

Secondly, the homes/buildings being constructed will share the property tax load in South Dundas.

“Growth equals additional tax revenue. Growth is our main goal, and the main goal of any townhsip,” says Shannon Geraghty, treasurer for South Dundas. “It has a domino effect, everyone benefits from it.”

[…]

 

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, some farmers from Oak Valley, a small settlement north of Brinston, were embroiled in an epic battle to continue farming there.

Anna Smail and Norm Tinkler led the charge on behalf of their families homesteads to get the government and its agencies to recognize their plight and do something about the annual flooding which was more than just a nuisance to area farmers. 

The extent of the flooding made day to day operations of the farm a struggle and summer floods had devastating effects on crops.

What the farmers needed was to get all levels of government involved to dredge and realign the Nation River and South Branch in Dundas County.

In the end, their efforts paid off, and the project was completed. It took well over 10 years of involvement to get it done.

“You didn’t think about the time you were putting into it, you just did it,” said Smail. 

“It was a battle,” said Tinkler. “The biggest reward for our efforts is to see what has happened in our area.” 

Through the efforts of these farmers, the Oak Valley, Brinston areas now have thousands of acres of wonderfully productive farmland.

Remembering back to floods, Smail said, “It was bad.” 

She remembers having to get in a boat to go to a tractor to get a ride out to dry land so the school bus could pick them up. 

Her family had to sandbag the milk house to keep the water out. The cows had to be put on a raised floor and still, they were often  standing in water. 

During the floods, the milk had to be taken from their farm’s bulk tank, in cans, to another farm on dry land. It would the have to then be emptied into that tank, so the milk truck could take the milk.

March 8, Smail and Tinkler received Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, in recognition of their efforts. The presentation was made at the Dundas Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s annual Seed, Forage and Agriculture Show.

[…]