Month: August 2012

 

The dock’s about to rock as the 42nd annual Tubie Weekend is set for this weekend featuring Dock of Ages as the theme for this year’s Tubie Parade.

“We are really excited about this year’s tubie theme,” says Michael Domanko of the organizing committee. “I think it provides a lot of opportunity for classic rock and 80s big hair band inspired floats, which will take a lot of tubie participants, and spectators, back to their younger days.”

Although Domanko has heard lots of rumours about float themes, some even considering using their vessel as a vehicle for political satire, he has no confirmed knowledge of what creative entries will form part of this year’s parade. “One thing that is clear, is that the competitors are putting a lot of thought into their floats, but the final displays are pretty closely guarded until parade day.” 

The tubie parade will take place at noon, Saturday, August 4, but this year that will not be the first tubie event. This year, the addition of Tubie a Teen, the new teen dance, will officially kick off the festivities. Taking place, Friday, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., under the big tent, organizers are hoping this inaugural teen dance will be a success. “I have heard a lot of positive comments about this event from the community, and specifically from the teens,” says Domanko.

While the teens will get to strut their stuff under the big tent Friday night, the older crowd will have their chance Saturday night when Ambush will rock the stage under the big tent from 8 p.m. to midnight.

The tubie races will take place at the Morrisburg dock Sunday at noon.

The state of the Morrisburg dock, which was this summer posted as unsafe for use, will not have an impact on the tubie races. 

“The loss of the dock won’t affect us directly,” said Domanko, explaining that the starting line goes from the concrete wharf, not the wooden portion of the dock.

The number of teams set to participate in the races this year has not yet been firmed up, as the participants are notoriously late to register, but Domanko suspects the field of entries will be similar to that of last year. “We have a number of seasoned veterans returning to race in this year’s event,” said Domanko, who also confirmed that last year’s rookie champion, Katherine Lee will return to defend her title. 

“We are really trying to encourage the younger people, like Katherine, to get involved in the race,” said Domanko. In an effort to do that, he would like those interested in getting involved in the race to contact him (mdomanko@sympatico.ca). “Even if you don’t have enough people for a team, contact me and we will try and find a place for you, in the race,” he said.

Although the Tubie dances, the parade and race are the weekend’s marquis events a number of other events will be taking place in Morrisburg throughout the weekend including Little Ray’s Reptiles Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Amphitheatre, a dog behaviour demo Saturday 2 p.m. at the dog park, the Lions Club Duck race Sunday, 10 a.m. at the Morrisburg beach and a free bouncy castle at the Docksyde at noon.

[…]

 

On July 22, at Guindon Park, Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry MPP Jim McDonell hosted a summer picnic for everyone in his riding. According to his ‘tweet’ later that day: “SD&SG Riding Picnic was a great success today with almost 200 enjoying sausages, hamburgers and good company.”

The picnic is expected to be an annual event and, according to McDonell’s executive assistant Marilyn McMahon, “It gives the people a chance to chat with and maybe meet the MPP, if they have not met him before, and it  allows the MPP to have an opportunity to meet and chat with the people.”

South Dundas residents Lorne Strader and Doris Stewart were just two of the residents in McDonell's riding to attend and enjoy the picnic. Strader recently received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his many years of service to his community.

[…]

 

A “training video” released virally on YouTube this week shows how easy it is to train for the Winchester District Memorial Hospital Foundation’s September 8 fundraiser, the Heel ’n Wheel for Local Cancer Care.

The training grounds in the video are right in front of WDMH, in the roundabout, but your training grounds can be anywhere. Staff organizer, Christina Enright, said, “you can walk or bike a little or a lot; in your own backyard, or through the streets of your hometown.”

“However you choose to train, we’re encouraging you to get moving, because we want you to enjoy this event with no pain, and lots of gains!”

“We hope that this funny video shows people that they can still have fun while they’re training,” she continued.  

The video features several current and former Winchester Hospital Heelers (occasionally in costume), Janet Hutt, Tanya Keats, Heather Harper, and WDMH Dietician, Lisa Raoul Watt, along with some neighbours and friends.  Check it out on YouTube under the name: Training Laps for the Heel ’n Wheel.

To start your own walking club or cycling group for the event, you first have to register yourself or your team at heelnwheel.ca.  

Then, to get your team active, you can easily make a phone or email tree, and reach out to your teammates to arrange your weekly training walk or bike ride.  

Or, you could mobilize on Facebook or on the Heel ’n Wheel event website, where there are tools that will get you talking and moving in preparation for the event.

The event will be held on September 8, 2012. There are seven starting locations including Greely, Osgoode, Russell, Crysler, Finch, Morrisburg and South Mountain. This event is open to all ages. 

The Heel ’n Wheel will wrap up in the early evening with a celebration barbecue in front of WDMH, complete with musical entertainment, children’s activities, and a presentation of awards.

[…]

 

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit warned residents to take precautions during the hot and humid weather following the humidex advisory that was in effect this past weekend.  

During extremely hot and humid weather, anyone can suffer heat-related illness when their body is unable to compensate for the extreme temperatures and properly cool. 

Some groups are more vulnerable than others, including young children, the elderly, people who exercise vigorously or who are involved in strenuous work outdoors for prolonged periods, individuals on medication and the chronically ill. 

There are a number of things that people can do to prevent heat-related illness:

Drink plenty of water and avoid liquids that contain alcohol, caffeine or large amounts of sugar.

Stay indoors. Stay cool by taking cool showers or wetting your hands, face and the back of your neck.

Wear light, loose fitting clothes, a hat and sunscreen when outdoors. 

Avoid vigorous exercise in the heat (this includes children as well). If you have a young child or a child with chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, do not allow them to partake in sporting events or exercise during heat waves especially when there is a heat/humidity advisory in effect.

Keep your home cool by limiting the use of your oven/stove.

Turn off unnecessary lights. 

Keep windows slightly open during the day. 

At night, open windows wide to cool the house. 

Never leave children or pets in a parked car.

Check up regularly on friends, family and/or neighbours who may be at high risk during a heat wave.

Extreme heat can cause many health problems, including cramps, dizziness, headache, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.  

Heat stroke is a medical emergency and can be fatal if left untreated.

For the complete list of tips and warning signs of illness, visit www.eohu.ca  or call 613-933-1375 or 1 800 267-7120 and ask for Health Line. 

[…]

 

Just as some wells are beginning to dry up with the heat of summer, so are the stores of available items at the local food bank.

Statistics from January to June of 2012 show that visits to the Dundas County Food Bank are up by 10 percent over last year.

According to food bank administrator Donna Quesnel, there were ‘just over’ 900 visits in that time compared to 839 in the same time frame for 2011. Forty-five percent of recipients are children.

In addition, there have been 40 new families visiting the food bank this year.

The Dundas County Food Bank, with locations in Morrisburg and Winchester, is currently in need of the following items:

• Juices

• Cereals

• Canned meats and fish

• Canned fruits and vegetables

• Soups

• Dry pasta

• Canned pasta and pasta sauce

• Children’s snacks – raisins, real fruit gummies, Rice Krispies, cheese and crackers

• Personal toiletries

• School supplies

There are a variety of locations for depositing donations, including the food banks themselves. 

Donations are accepted at several churches in both North and South Dundas as well as at Riley’s ValuMart in Morrisburg and Mike Dean’s in Winchester.

The two locations of the Dundas County Food Bank are: 17 Second Street in Morrisburg and 497 May Street in Winchester.

The food banks are open Mondays from 10 a.m. until noon, Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m.

In addition to regular donations, there is an upcoming fundraiser for the Dundas County Food Bank for those interested in walking or running for charity. 

This year’s Winchester Dairyfest will include a run/walk for charity called the Dairy Dash, proceeds from which will go to the Dundas County Food Bank.

The Dairy Dash will take place on August 11 at the Winchester Arena. 

It provides participants with the option of a five or 10 kilometer run or walk beginning at 8:30 a.m. or a Holstein Scamper, which is a two kilometer run or walk, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

[…]

 

An update on the state of the sewers in Iroquois, Morrisburg and Williamsburg was given at the July 17 South Dundas council meeting.

Todd Grant of AECOM was on hand to deliver a presentation outlining the issues found in each of the locations as well as an account of what needs to be done and a timeline and cost approximation for the work to be completed.

The 2011-2012 study of the sewers in Iroquois, which has 14 kilometers of “mainly concrete” pipe and 125 manholes, revealed “clear evidence of infiltration and pipe deterioration.”

The streets needing work in Iroquois were divided into high priority and low priority, with the high priority streets expected to be addressed first.

The study of Morrisburg’s sewers took place from 2009 through 2011, revealing that the 19 kilometers of pipes and 250 manholes also had “clear evidence of infiltration and pipe deterioration.”

All listed streets needing work in Morrisburg were listed as high priority. In addition, a section on Lakeshore Drive is in such a state of disrepair that it cannot be rehabilitated, but requires replacement.

Grant’s report also covered the findings from the 2011 study of Williamsburg’s sewers, which include four kilometers of pipe and 20 manholes. These, he said, were in “generally good condition” and need only minor repairs.

The studies revealed extraneous flow, which is a combination of infiltration and inflow issues.

Infiltration refers to ground water entering the sewers through defective pipes and/or cracks in manholes while inflow refers to  water entering the sewers through inappropriate connections. 

Inappropriate connections can include such things as roof drains, foundation drains, sump pumps, street catch basins and yard drains.

The impact of the extraneous flow is loss of capacity in the sewer collection system as well as higher water treatment costs.

It was suggested that operating costs could be reduced by as much as 30 percent if all systems were completely repaired.

Grant suggested council look into an education program for residents highlighting and explaining the various inappropriate connections.

He informed council that final reports will be submitted by July 27 with the expectation that tender preparation will be completed by August 31 with a tender closing of September 21. Rehabilitation work would then begin on October 1, 2012 and run through to October 31, 2013.

The section of Lakeshore Drive requiring replacement has a design deadline of October 30, 2012 with the expectation that tender preparation will be completed by November 9, 2012 with a tender closing of March 2013. Work would take place between May and September of 2013.

“That was very interesting,” said deputy-mayor Jim Locke, following Grant’s presentation, “and not frightening.”

[…]

 

The partial reconstruction of Saving Street in the Township of South Dundas will soon get underway now that a company has been chosen for the job.

During the July 17 South Dundas council meeting, Hugh Garlough, manager of public works, was granted approval to hire Cornwall Gravel Company Limited at a cost of $307,305 plus HST. 

According to Garlough, the tender for this job was prepared by Eastern Engineering Group and sent out to nine local companies. In addition, the tender was advertised in local newspapers and on the township’s website. 

Of the four companies that responded with bids, Cornwall Gravel came in at the lowest price.

Eastern Engineering’s services were priced at $11,000 plus HST. 

The partial reconstruction of Saving Street will begin at County Road 31 heading west a total of three kilometers to Caughnawaga Road.

“This project is to pulverize and add four to six inches of 5/8 stone and then repave with two inches  to a width of 20 feet,” reported Garlough.

It was also reported that “the road crew is looking after culvert replacement.” Garlough has allotted $30,000 under a separate budget item to cover culvert replacement. He stated that “at this time, I see no reason to require the total amount for this budget item.”

According to Garlough, work on Saving Street is estimated to begin the week of July 30 and conclude the week of August 24.

[…]

 

Unfortunately for the South Dundas public works crew, the heat and humidity hasn’t affected the growth of roadside grass and weeds in South Dundas.

Hugh Garlough,  manager of public works for South Dundas, asked and was granted approval to hire an outside contractor to help battle the out-of-control weeds.

According to Garlough, “I have $12,000 in this year’s budget. I was hoping to be able to do most of it ourselves, but we’re getting behind.”

Happy with the work they did in 2011, the township hired Tibben Bus and Rentals Incorporated again this year at a cost of $77 per hour, the same price as 2011.

[…]

 

“Nicole certainly has some good ideas on how to revitalize this committee,” said South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds, “She’s certainly not letting it drop off.”

South Dundas economic development officer Nicole Sullivan presented council with recommendations for reformatting the structure of the Economic Development Advisory Committee during the July 17th council meeting in Williamsburg.

Council agreed with Sullivan’s recommendation that they turn from an Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) structure and move to an Economic Development Advisory and Project Teams (EDAPT) structure.

The switch will allow for one advisory team that oversees the various project teams. 

One of the benefits of EDAPT, said Sullivan, is that “it helps us to include participants who might not otherwise have wanted to commit time.” 

Project teams have defined parameters with specific goals. People who might not normally join an advisory team due to its broad scope and large time commitment, might now join a project team with a specific time frame and an agenda that interests them personally, thus bringing in new ideas and perspectives.

According to Sullivan, the South Dundas Economic Development Advisory Committee met on June 13th to discuss and formulate a forward action plan in relation to suggestions made in the South Dundas Economic Development Strategy Update, adopted by council on June 5th.

During the meeting, the committee identified four initiatives they feel are priorities for South Dundas.

The identified initiatives include:

• Develop a tourism strategy

• Develop and continually update marketing and investment attraction materials

• Develop a more tourist-friendly community

• Identify what brand works best, and fully engage the brand

The bottom two initiatives will be focussed on internally by Sullivan herself, while the top two initiatives will be divided and addressed by two separate project teams.

Currently, the Tourism Strategy Project Team consists of Donnie Bowes of Upper Canada Playhouse, Michael Burton of Russell Manor, Sally Francis of Iroquois Marina, Susan Le Clair of the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, Hanna Rycroft of the Basket Case Gallery and Café, Tom Morrow of the McIntosh Country Inn, Linda Wilson of Cornwall and the Counties Tourism, and South Dundas councillor Jim Graham.

The Investment Attraction Materials Project Team consists of John Allison of John Allison Real Estate, Stephen Law of Iroquois, Mark Miron of the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario, Steve Walsh of Udder Comfort, and South Dundas councillor Evonne Delegarde.

The Advisory Team consists of EDAC chairperson Mart Prost, director of South Dundas Chamber of Commerce Michel Proulx, South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds, and the chairs of each of the two project teams.

Sullivan is also a member of each of the three teams. 

Anyone interested in joining one of the teams should submit a statement of interest along with a detailed synopsis outlining their reasons for joining and their unique qualifications to nsullivan@southdundas.com.

[…]

 

“This is the first expansion of our business park,” said South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds following the passing of a by-law to authorize the sale.

Dwayne Sprague of Home Hardware in Morrisburg purchased two acres of land “sitting at the northwest area of VanAllen Road and what would be the Campbell Street extension,” said chief executive officer Stephen McDonald. The sale price was $15,000 per acre.

Sprague and wife Lloya took over the Morrisburg Home Hardware on July 18, 2011.

According to McDonald’s report, the property in question had originally been reserved for the Dog Park, but with the Dog Park finished and located on the Morrisburg Waterfront, the land was once again available.

“The availability of this property was discussed with the new owners of Home Hardware in late 2011,” reported McDonald. “The owners are now ready to complete the transaction with a covenant that they will proceed with development within three years.”

[…]