Month: October 2012

 

Chances are when residential property owners in South Dundas opened their mail from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) this week, they learned that their property values have increased since the last assessment in 2008.

Not surprising as the trend is the same across the province of Ontario, which shows an average increase in residential property values of about 18 percent. Narrowing the scope to Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry residential property values have increased a little more at 18.4 percent,  and in South Dundas alone, that average increase is 19.53 percent.

All increases will be phased in over four years.

Waterfront residential properties are still showing increases, but after the huge assessment increases in 2008, the increases this time are much more moderate at about 17 percent across the province. The smaller increase is due to reduced demand.

Property assessment values on farmland have taken a huge jump since 2008. Looking at the entire province, the average assessment increase on farmland is listed at about 34 percent, but that average is much higher when looking at the local picture. Looking at all of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry the average increase on farmland is a whopping 71.9 percent. Narrowing the scope to South Dundas, that average assessment increase on farmland is 49.92 percent.

Property assessment values are based on recent property sales, and with farmland, based solely on area farmer-to-farmer sales. As a result, the farming community has likely seen this assessment increase coming because they know better than most that farmland is in high demand and selling prices reflect that demand.

In a community with such a large agricultural base as South Dundas, one may think that these huge assessment increases will amount to a huge financial boon for the municipality, but the impact of these increases will be relatively small.

Although there are many variables that could affect the overall number, South Dundas treasurer Shannon Geraghty estimates that the overall increase in farmland assessments will mean additional tax revenue for South Dundas of just over $35,000 in 2013, the first year of the four year phase in.

Although farmland occupies a significant portion of the South Dundas landscape, properties classified as farmland presently account for less than five percent of the $4.9 million worth of taxes levied on South Dundas property owners.

It is provincially mandated that the farmland tax rate be one quarter of the residential rate. On a farm, the home and one acre of land are taxed at the regular residential rate. The remainder is taxed at the reduced rate.

The bulk of the tax burden in South Dundas falls on residential property owners, who carry 72 percent of the tax load. Other property tax classes including commercial, industrial, multi-residential and special/exempt are seeing very small increases in property values of about three to five percent.

In South Dundas commercial property taxes cover about 12 percent of the total levy, industrial and multi-residential carry about three percent of the burden and other categories such as pipeline and managed forest and others together carry about 10 percent of the tax load.

MPAC assesses all property in Ontario every four years. “The assessments provide the foundation on which municipalities across Ontario base property taxes. It is the accuracy of MPAC’s assessments that help ensure property owners pay their fair share of property taxes and nothing more,” reads their Market Snapshot document.

An increase  in assessment does not necessarily mean an increase in property taxes.

If the assessed value has increased more than the municipal average, an increase in taxes is likely. However if the increase is less than the municipal average a decrease in taxes should result.

In a recent media release, Michel Contant, account manager in the Cornwall MPAC office said, “MPAC’s role is to accurately assess every property in Ontario. Property owners should ask themselves if they could have sold their property for its assessed value on January 1, 2012. If the answer is yes, then their assessment is accurate. If not, we are committed to working with them to get it right.”

Property owners can check the accuracy of their assessment at www.aboutmyproperty.ca. 

This website allows owners to easily compare the value of their property to others in their neighbourhood and community. Registration information is included with every notice mailed out this fall.

If property owners believe their assessment is not correct, they have the option of filing a request for reconsideration and MPAC will review their assessment free of charge.

[…]

 

These three young students, under the guidance of teacher Carrie Gilmour, are the alternating authors of the Seaway District High School column which appears in The Leader weekly. Dana Rodie who is considering a journalism career, is strongly interested in sports, and analyzes team play. Stormy Howard checks out events to see what is new, and likes to write about Seaway’s involvement in the community outside school. Ryan Morrison is interested in creative writing and regularly talks to people in the school, taking notes and looking for stories. Dana is in grade 10, Stormy and Ryan in nine.

[…]

 

– This can be a very uncertain world. It’s important that people feel that there is someone they can always turn to for help and support.

For the past 65 years, the Iroquois-Matilda Lions club has contributed its services to South Dundas and beyond, with openness, with caring and with enthusiasm. On Saturday, October 27, the 36 members of the club are celebrating their anniversary at Matilda Hall. They hope the community joins them on this gala occasion.

 “Groups like the Lions are really a vital part of the community,” 2012-13 president Steve Wilson said. 

The club was originally founded in April of 1947 by a group of local businessmen, and sponsored by the Morrisburg Lions Club. There were 49 members in that first group, with village reeve Lloyd Davis acting as the Charter president.

“Unfortunately, we no longer have any of those original charter  Lions still with us,” said Les Craig, who has been an active Lion since 1962. “Our most senior member right now is George Jackson, who has been with the Lions for 51 years.” 

“People apply for membership in the club,” Lion Paul Robertson (1977) explained. “Each candidate needs a sponsor who is already a club member. About 30 years ago, because of the number of Lions coming from outside the village of Iroquois, it seemed a good idea to officially become the Iroquois-Matilda Lions. And for the last three years, this club has welcomed female candidates.”

Les described some of the club’s early days. “I was treasurer for about 10 years, and I recall that in the 50’s the Lions used to run a Street Fair in old Iroquois that lasted for more than five days.”

“All through the 60’s the Club held live dances pretty much every Saturday night,” said Stephen Law (2009). “They also ran pub nights most Fridays.

“Bingo was also a big event for the Lions,” said Paul. “In the 70s and 80s, we held bingos at the Matilda Hall, and raised a lot of funds for the club’s many community projects. Then big regional halls moved in, and Casinos cut into a lot of the chance of profits.” 

In 1984, the Iroquois-Matilda Lions sought a new source of revenue.

“Reina DeJong, wife of Lion Albert, approached Glenn Swerdfeger with an idea. Why not do a play?” said Paul. “The club talked it all over, and decided to take a chance, although we had no training and no experience. Glenn approached Wendy Gibb, the drama teacher at Seaway, and she agreed to sign on. Things kind of snowballed from there.”

Following the debut of The Haunted House in the Seaway District High School gymnasium (the show played to packed houses), the Lions have never looked back. They have staged some very remarkable shows.

The Lions’ first four productions were all performed at Seaway. Then, in 1990, the club made the move to Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg, with a production of Harvey: the Playhouse has been “home” ever since. The resources and support of the staff of the Playhouse, especially under artistic director Donnie Bowes, have been phenomenal. 

So has the support of the community. 

Through 14 productions, the most recent  being Monday Always Leads to Murder in April of 2012, the South Dundas community has turned out to cheer its amazing  and talented Lion actors. 

The club has also raised nearly $200,000 for charitable causes through its theatre productions.

How has the money the Lions club has raised over the years helped the community?

President Steve Wilson said that in 65 years the projects, charities and causes supported by the Lions make for a very long list. 

First, and foremost, Lions around the world have always supported organizations dealing with sight. 

In 1917, when Lions Clubs International was founded, at the urging of Helen Keller the Lions made vision one of their key platforms. Programs to protect sight have always been important to the Iroquois-Matilda Lions.

However, they have also supported Winchester Hospital, CHEO, Cancer, Diabetes, Heart & Stroke foundations and hospices. 

Taking care of their neighbours is a priority. The Lions support the Food Bank, and Christmas baskets and have joined with the Morrisburg Lions to ensure parties and events for seniors.

The young people of the community have not been forgotten. The Iroquois-Matilda Lions support school bursaries, school projects, the South Dundas Soccer Association, Scouts and Guides and Partners for Children.

The Iroquois Lions built the tourist booth and picnic shelters at the Locks and beach, and constructed the splendid band shell at the Point.

And there are many, many charitable groups, and many, many individuals and families in South Dundas, faced with real challenges and hardships, who have counted on the Lions for their support and quiet help. 

On October 27, the Iroquois-Matilda Lions will be celebrating 65 years in South Dundas at the Matilda Hall with a gala party and some stellar entertainment. 

The Lions welcome all the members of the community they have faithfully served for over six decades to come out and join them.

For tickets to the anniversary celebration, contact Mustard’s Variety in Iroquois.

[…]

 

 “These men cared nothing about what we thought. I know that there was not one of them in that unit who, if given the command, would not have immediately beheaded us.”

Former Special Envoy of the UN, Robert Fowler, kidnapped in December, 2008, in Niger, by an affiliate of al-Qaeda, was the guest of the Canadian Club of Morrisburg and District, on Wednesday, October 17, 2012. A large crowd was on hand.

The former diplomat was Canada’s longest-serving Am-bassador to the United Nations. He acted as foreign policy advisor to three prime ministers and, in 2011, was named Officer of the Order of Canada. 

At the time of his abduction, Fowler was posted to Niger as a Special Envoy to Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. His task, in the increasingly unstable, desperately poor nation of 18 million, was to try and find a diplomatic resolution to the “low-grade” rebellion of the Taureg people. During three trips into the Taureg territory, he and his colleague, Louis Guay, had convinced the rebels to agree to sit down. What they could not move was the government of then president Mamadou Tandja. 

Fowler now believes that Tandja harboured private ambitions to continue to rule Niger, depending on an ongoing state of “civil unrest.” It is Fowler’s stated contention that the president “arranged to send our itinerary to al-Qaeda so that these people could come after us.”

They were ambushed by men  armed with Kalashnikovs on a highway well inside the capital region of Niger. 

This was the start of a terrifying off-road journey into the desert as the kidnappers fled back to their desolate campsite, ironically nicknamed Camp Canada.

“The commander of our kidnappers, called Omar One by Louis and me, demanded our papers (probably to be sure they had got the right men). Louis produced his passport, but I had absolutely no papers on me. Omar furiously exclaimed that it was illegal to travel in Niger without documents,” Fowler told the audience sardonically.

Every day, the captives lived with the very real fear of being beheaded on camera. Hauled into a tent on two occasions to make  videos, Fowler quietly recalled looking around “for plastic. The kidnappers don’t want blood getting on their few possessions.”

The gang ranged in size. But there were never fewer than three rifles aimed at the hostages.

“These were fundamentalists of the most extreme kind. Omar often told us, “We fight to die. You fight to go home to your families. How can we lose?” They were kidnappers and killers, but utterly dedicated to their cause. They absolutely believed in Jihad, absolutely believed that the moment they died, they would sit in paradise by rivers of milk and honey,” Fowler said. 

“They exist in a 7th century bubble, but are festooned with 21st century cell phones and weapons. They hate democracy, liberty, freedom. 

And any Muslim who espouses a view contrary to theirs is an apostate and should be assassinated.” 

Sweltering in 52 degree Celcius heat, deprived of even basic resources, Fowler and Guay struggled to keep up each other’s spirits. They had no idea if anyone was even looking for them.

Fowler later learned that president Blaise Campaoré of Burkina Faso, through his envoy Mustapha Chaffi, had agreed to take on the complex negotiations for their release. (“Ironic,” Fowler commented, “as I had, the year before, called Campaoré an ‘international criminal.’”). Also stepping in to help was Baba Ould Cheikh, envoy of Mali’s president Touré: Cheikh made 11 perilous journeys into the rebel region on behalf of the Canadians. 

“The government of Canada swears it did not pay any ransom for us,” Fowler said. “But al-Qaeda does not carry out humanitarian acts, such as releasing hostages. I truly do not know what was paid for us or to whom. Apparently it was ‘enough.’ In a way, I do not want to ever know.”

Finally turned over to the “good guys” after 138 days of captivity, Fowler said that he took five showers and still felt sandy. He also drank three cokes. “But I knew I was truly free when I asked for a beer, in a Moslem country, and eventually someone produced a room temperature LaBatts 50.”

Fowler, who is now with the University of Ottawa, was a riveting and thoughtful speaker. His address obviously struck a strong chord with the audience. 

He was asked, at the end, how he and Louis Guay, stayed sane.

“We had these rules,” Fowler explained quietly. “No “what ifs.” No talking about bad stuff after lunch. And, if one of us fell into despair, the other was to haul him out of that pit.”

[…]