Morrisburg Collegiate progress report

 

The Morrisburg Canada Day committee, hard at work planning and preparing for the big day, are inviting the public to contribute in any way they can to making this year’s July 1st celebration a success.

The current Morrisburg Canada Day committee formed in late May 2011 when it looked like Canada Day might be cancelled for Morrisburg. 

According to committee members Keith Robinson and Tracey Veinotte, the current committee will be losing some of its members this year and they would like to invite anyone interested in joining the committee to come forward.

Also, Robinson offered, “if anybody has any thoughts or ideas on what we can bring to the day” for this year’s Canada Day celebration, they’re “welcome” to contact the committee.

Along those same lines, if there are any “other organizations or groups who want to participate,” said Robinson, “it’s a good opportunity to get exposure.” Robinson can be contacted at 613-543-3338.

So far the committee has received a lot of support, financial and otherwise, from local businesses and the general community for which the group is grateful.

High on the committee’s agenda at the moment, however, are fundraising efforts for the annual fireworks display at the Morrisburg Waterfront. 

The length of the Morrisburg fireworks display will depend on how much money the Canada Day organizing committee can raise before then. 

While they would like to provide a longer show this year, to do so the committee needs to raise an additional $4,000 above what they raised for last year’s fireworks.

The group’s current fireworks fundraising initiative includes selling tickets for a draw. According to Veinotte and Robinson, there are over 1,500 tickets left to sell. 

Currently, tickets can be purchased at the Canadian Tire checkout counters daily. In addition, every weekend from now until Canada Day, there will be ticket sale tables set up at the entrances to Valumart and Canadian Tire for those wishing to support Morrisburg’s Canada Day fireworks. 

A ticket sale table will also be set up at Earl Baker Park on Canada Day. Tickets will be available until the draw at 4 p.m. 

Draw prizes include gift certificates from the following local businesses: $750 from Canadian Tire; $500 from Valumart; $200 from Giant Tiger; $100 from Ultramar; and, $100 from Home Hardware.

[…]

 

About a dozen elementary school students were inside Winchester Public School December 20, while 120 Upper Canada District School Board employed public school teachers and occasional teachers marched outside.

Winchester was one of the picket locations set up across the board as part of the one-day strike action by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.

 The Winchester picket line included teachers from all public elementary schools in both South Dundas and North Dundas as well as a handful of other schools.

Nancy Jordan, picket captain and teacher at Winchester Public School had expected to see about 50 teachers on the picket line, which they well exceeded.

UCDSB elected to keep schools open during the one-day strike. 

“We believed that it was our moral obligation to have safe and reliable care available for our students,” said David Coombs, superintendent. He reported that the schools were open and the busses were running for the those who could not find alternative care for their children. About five percent of students across the board attended school last Thursday, although they did not have regular school programming as their teachers were walking picket lines. 

“We did this to support our parents,” said UCDSB chair Greg Pietersma.

While the teachers walked the picket line, Pietersma and other board officials held a press conference where they discussed the motion passed by board trustees at their most recent meeting that calls on Education Minister Laurel Broten to retain a special mediator to facilitate the provincial bargaining process.

“I am concerned that the minister is going to wait for the December 31 deadline for contracts to be negotiated and then blame us, the school board trustees, for not negotiating those contracts by that deadline,” said Pietersma. “That would be disingenuous at best.”

“Local bargaining works. The ministry needs to get out of our way and let us do that,” he said “Trustees, the employer, should have been given a better hand to deal with their employees – the minister should have stayed in the back room and let us negotiate.”

“Our board believes in the collective bargaining process. What the ministry has done has created an untenable situation for us to operate,” said Pietersma. “She (Broten) does not have a stake in this. We’re the employer and we have had no opportunity to participate. School boards have lost because the provincial education ministry has not allowed the boards to modernize the contracts.”

Nicole Touchette, grade 7/8 french teacher at North Dundas Intermediate School spoke on behalf of the ETFO members picketing.

“Bill 115 is the real problem,” she said explaining that it is the impediment to local talks. “We want to send a clear message. Repeal Bill 115. Our members will not accept this government imposed bill. We are standing up for democracy.”

“We are teachers. We chose this profession because we are committed to our students and we lead by example,” she said explaining that the looming threat of a government imposed agreement is tantamount to bullying. “If we are bullied, what message does that send to students?”

“We’re all frustrated. It’s time the minister assumed some of the leadership she said she would offer so that we can get our schools back to work,” said Pietersma. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

[…]

 

 Shoppers at Something Old Something  New in Iroquois, have been dropping coins in a donation jar kept near the cash checkout by Thrift Store owner Laurie Turriff….and now that money will be used to help grant a wish to a child living in Eastern Ontario with a life-threatening medical condition.

Thursday, November 20, Turriff turned over a cheque for $800 to Make-A-Wish, Eastern Ontario Canada’s Mike Wlotzki, Director, Fund Development. 

Something Old Something New customers contributed $400 to the jar and this was matched by Turriff.

“That is a lot of wrapping coin,” said Wlotzki as he accepted the cheque. “That is beautiful.”

Turriff explains that the ‘donation jar’ is always in its place in her shop located in the Iroquois Shopping Plaza. 

“When I get up to $300 to $400, I match it and make the donation. When that is done, it starts over, and I find the next organization that helps kids with cancer. This is all thanks to my customers. Already we have raised $20 for the next donation.”

The Make-A-Wish Eastern Ontario area stretches from Ottawa to Cornwall, west to Belleville and north to Peterborough said Wlotzki.

“We are very proud to say we have granted 66 wishes in 2014,” said Wlotzki.

With 60 wishes completed in 2013, and the goal for 2014 set at 65, Make-A-Wish Eastern Ontario has reason to be proud. 

Chief Executive Officer for Eastern Ontario, Tanya Desjardins points out in a Make-A-Wish publication that, “these wishes are not possible without the support through donations, sponsorship and awareness. From travel wishes to Disney and London, to room make overs and “man fan caves”, to meeting Sidney Crosby and One Direction and to hot tubs and computers…the list of creative unique and special wishes keeps on growing. This year is a historical one as we granted our 500th wish to a 15-year-old boy….” 

 Make-A-Wish Eastern Ontario does not solicit wishes. All children who receive their wishes are referred by family, friends, medical personnel or social workers. Any child with a life-threatening medical condition, from three years to not yet 18, may be referred.

Once the family is aware of the referral, Make-A-Wish, verifies the child’s medical condition with his/her doctor.

The fun begins with the child making three wishes which can be…. “I wish to be, I wish to have, I wish to meet, or I wish to go…..

Once this is accomplished Make-A-Wish goes to work on making a wish come true.

“If there is anyone who thinks there may be a child, they can go to our website to the “refer a child” section,” says Wlotzki. “We are always looking for a Wish Child.”

“It’s a lot of work, but it is very magical.”

[…]