Month: December 2012

Each Christmas, thanks to some very generous donations, children, who are in hospital at CHEO over the holiday season, are given the opportunity to select a gift from guerneys, sometimes wheel chairs, piled high with books donated by Reader’s Digest (Montreal). 

The books are donated to Jeff Arsenault’s Morrisburg-based Garden Foundation. Once in the Foundation’s possession, Harland Veinotte Ltd. comes on board to have the several hundred books transported to Ottawa. 

According to Arsenault, Reader’s Digest has been making children’s Christmases brighter through this gift of books for the last 14-15 years. On board in the effort is Trends International (Toronto) which adds to the gift assortment with donations of doodle-type books and poster kits. 

For many of the years this projects has been underway, Veinottes has been making sure the gifts get to their destination. 

Arsenault credits everyone in the effort. “Everyone is just great. We get several hundred books suitable for all ages. There are puzzle and games books, writing kits, cookbooks, even video games they can play with.”

“Unfortunately, there can be several hundred children in CHEO over Christmas. Some of them get to go home, but then have to come back.”

Once Arsenault goes through the books, to make sure everything is suitable and that there are no small parts that might go to little ones, Veinottes arrives at his home to make sure the shipment gets to its intended destination in Ottawa.

“Randy (Veinotte) is a really great guy. He does a lot of good stuff in the community. I don’t know what I would do if it weren’t for Veinottes. I can’t thank him enough.”

[…]

Thanks to the Christmas Exchange and the generosity of the South Dundas community, some 666 people living in South Dundas sat down to a Christmas dinner this year who, due to tough times, might not have been able to afford one.

According to Exchange coordinator, Carol Richer, the 170 boxes provided food for 428 adults, 191 children and 10 infants. An additional 37 boxes were distributed to singles through the Dundas County Food Bank.

“We are actually down about eight baskets this year,” said Richer on Thursday, December 20, as the boxes were being picked up at the Morrisburg Legion.

In addition to the food, just over 200 children received gifts through the local Angel Tree programs along with mittens, toques pyjamas and books donated through various individuals and events in the community.

Once again the Exchange and the Angel Tree programs were generously supported by the community although, Richer said “early indications are that we are done a bit in monetary donations. However, some of our donations come in a bit later, so we are hoping that will put us on track.”

The Christmas Exchange counts heavily on financial donations as much of the food that goes into the boxes is purchased.

“We buy the turkey or hams, along with the fresh vegetables, potatoes and fresh fruit,” said Richer. “Much of the canned vegetable requirements are donated, but the Exchange purchases the large cans of fruit juice, bags of cookies, some of the canned cranberries requirements and occasionally, we have to top up the canned vegetables.”

The Exchange and the Dundas County Food Bank work very closely so that any non-perishable food that is donated, and is not included in an Exchange Food Box, is directed to the Food Bank.

Nothing is wasted.

Richer says that some people may not be aware of just how much food is purchased by the Exchange for the boxes. That is why financial donations and programs like the Top Up program at Valu-mart are indeed very necessary to the Exchange.

[…]

Marilyn Boissonneault says she wanted to make a gingerbread house this year, she just didn’t know who to make it for.

Last Christmas, Boissonneault lovingly created a gingerbread house for her dear friend Carol Froats, who passed away this past June.

“Carol loved Christmas,” explained Boissonneault last Wednesday as she and husband Jim prepared this year’s house for transport. “Carol loved the holiday so much that it took her an entire week to decorate her house. Even last year, when she was so sick, she did the best that she could.”

“Last year, I decided to make her a gingerbread house. She had never had one before. When we dismantled it together, Carol removed the little plastic burro and dog and handed them back to me for ‘next year’s house’.”

“I wanted to do another one so much this year. I just didn’t know who to do it for. So I talked to Carol Richer at the Christmas Exchange, and she came up with the perfect idea.”

“Carol told me about this young lad at CHEO. When I asked her what the family’s name was and she said ‘Froats’, I thought I had been given a push.”

With loving care and in memory of her dear friend Carol, Marilyn went to work on this year’s creation for Brody Froats and all the children at CHEO this holiday season.

Marilyn explained to Brody’s grandparents, Carl and Gail Robinson, and little brother Brett, who arrived for pickup on Wednesday, December 19, that her gingerbread houses aren’t the frilly traditional style.

“My gingerbread houses are styled after the southwestern style Adobe Casita. It is furnished and you can take its roof off and look inside,” Marilyn told Brett.

Caramel candies, icing, gingerbread…the Adobe Casita destined for Brody at CHEO is entirely edible, except of course for the tiny burro and dog that graced Carol’s Casita last Christmas and were now at home in Brody’s gingerbread Casita.

[…]

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.”

[…]

Friday, December 21, the SD&G County Library officially announced that Morrisburg will be getting a new library branch, and along with that announcement came news of the pending closure of the Williamsburg branch.

“The new library branch in Morrisburg will consolidate two library branches; the old Morrisburg branch, currently under the Morrisburg Arena, and the Williamsburg branch, currently in the Township of South Dundas Municipal Building in Williamsburg,” reads the release.

According to Erika Heesen, Communications and Marketing Librarian with the SD&G County Library, “The decision was mostly made because the township is planning to sell the building.” 

With the coming changes, library patrons will have access to improved services. 

“This consolidation will allow us to increase our open hours without increasing the cost to the taxpayers,” said Heesen.

The new branch, which will be the last part of the reconstruction of the former Morrisburg Collegiate Institute project, will be located in the space being vacated by the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic.

“We’re very excited to be able to enhance our services for South Dundas residents,” said Karen Franklin, Manager of Library Services. “The new Morrisburg branch will be a high quality facility that is a true community space for everyone.”

The new Morrisburg branch has been designed to the latest library standards by Heather C. Kembel, of Colbourne & Kembel, Architects Inc., who also recently designed the Yarker Branch Library in the County of Lennox and Addington. 

The new branch will be open longer hours, and have enhanced programming and services for library users. 

It will also include access to the Internet and public computers, as well as space for residents to browse, read, meet and engage with other members of the community. 

The SD&G County Library will be applying for a Trillium grant to assist in covering the costs of new furnishings for the branch, and welcomes any community donations. 

“This is a key part of our Strategic Plan”, said Bill McGimpsey, Library Board Chair. “We want to provide better facilities that will accommodate both current and future generations of library users.”

The library portion of the ongoing renovation project, will be the final part of the renovation, so the Williamsburg branch is expected to remain open until the new Morrisburg library is opened in about a year’s time. 

[…]