Community invited to participate in traditional Mexican

A new restaurant option will be on the menu in South Dundas in mid to late November when Morrisburg resident, Bill Dillabough opens his Pizza Hut ‘take-out’ franchise in the Pinkus Plaza.

“My target date is November 30th, earlier if possible,” says Dillabough who has 10 years experience with Pizza Hut in Cornwall.

To be located at the east end of the Pinkus Plaza, Dillabough’s franchise in Morrisburg will be a ‘take out’ only.

“I will have a full Pizza Hut menu, but there will be fewer choices in some of the items. For instance, I will have Caesar salad, but maybe not all the other choices.”

Dillabough says the take-out menu will include Pizza Huts’ popular sides and desserts, pizzas, pastas and wings.

He expects to employ up to 20 employees and positions will be available for cooks, order desk receptionists and drivers. In-house and on-line training will be provided and resumes are now being accepted.

 “We will be offering delivery and take out, but there will be no dining in. We will be open seven days per week from 11 a.m. until closing.”

Pizza Hut take-out franchises are very popular in urban areas and Dillabough estimates that of the 11 Pizza Huts in Ottawa, only three or four are dine in. The take-outs are very successful he says.

“I will have all that Pizza Hutt has to offer, and will be operating on a personal and local level.”

Customers in South Dundas and surrounding area will be able to order online and through the Pizza Hut call in service, but there will also be a local number available to place orders. “You will never get a busy signal.”

The new Pizza Hut location in Morrisburg will be fitted with its specialized equipment over the next few weeks and with two ovens to be included, Dillabough says he will be able to put out 45 pizzas per oven in one hour.

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South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services is proactive when it comes to ensuring its residents are protected with a proper working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

SDFES runs a program, whereby its members go door-to-door visiting homes in South Dundas to test smoke detectors, to help homeowners/tenants ensure that they are properly located within the home, to provide new batteries, and if needed to provide homeowners, one time, with a free smoke alarm. 

They too inspect carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are installed properly in an optimum location, and are in working condition. These have been mandatory in South Dundas since 2011, in any home with a fuel fired appliance or an attached garage.

Fire chief Chris McDonough explained that this ongoing program has never been about fining people for non-compliance. It is about ensuing that they are properly alarmed, which is an essential, life-saving, first line of defence in an emergency.

So far this year, South Dundas firefighters have visited 170 homes. 

“It is a very successful program,” said McDonough, adding that the homeowners are very receptive to it and that the firefighters love helping out their friends and neighbours with important advice.

“This is a hugely important program,” said McDonough, adding that the winter and the holiday season is the highest risk time for fires, especially in single family dwellings. 

Since the inception of the alarm program, the number of residential fires in South Dundas has decreased.

Each year, Union Gas searches out worthy community programs and provides them with grants in support of their efforts.

They selected the SDFES Alarm Program as one of those worthy community initiatives, providing it with a $2,000 grant. 

“As a company, our focus on safety doesn’t end with the work day. We believe in investing in programs that will help make our communities safter 24/7,” said Jake Lapierre of Union Gas. 

“South Dundas Fire and Emergency Servicdes continues to actively promote fire safety throughout the community with the door-to-door campaign. We are very pleased to receive this generous donation from Union Gas,” said Chief McDonough.

[…]

Activation of the time-of-use rates for customers of Rideau St. Lawerence Distribution Inc. are delayed.

According to Rideau St. Lawrence Chief Executive Officer John Walsh, “we haven’t been able to get an actual date.” At this point, there is a “fluid date” of May 1st, but it may happen earlier or it may happen later. Walsh did say that when a firm date has been set, customers will definitely be informed.

The time-of-use rates will be divided into three time periods: on-peak (highest price); mid-peak (mid price); and, off-peak (lowest price). In addition, peak periods will change depending on whether it’s winter rates or summer rates.  

In any case, it looks like electricity will be at its lowest price on weekends, holidays, and between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

The activation delay, Walsh explained, is due to “a provincial delay with the MDM/R (Meter Data Management and Repository). They need to implement some new software to comply with Measurement Canada regulations. It’s all up to the government.”

For those wondering what will happen when time-of-use rates do go into effect, Walsh said that Rideau St. Lawrence will be sending out comparative bills for two billing periods prior to time-of-use activation.

The comparative bill will show the customer what their consumption and billing rates are for that time period using the present system’s set-up. In addition, the bill will also show what it would look like ‘if’ the time-use-rates had been activated for that particular bill.

In terms of when customers will actually start paying time-of-use rates, Walsh stated that Rideau St. Lawrence bills “won’t be pro-rated.”

If, for example, the time-of-use system goes into effect beginning May 1st, customers won’t pay those rates on the first bill they receive in May. In this scenario, Walsh explained, they won’t start paying time-of-use rates until their June 1st bill.

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