Year: 2012

 

 In an effort to be proactive and with an eye to employee safety, Cruickshank Construction held its first ever Health and Safety Day on July 17th at the Morrisburg Arena.

The event included construction safety as well as health-related vendor displays, mini-seminars covering issues like ergonomics and sun-related safety, and demonstrations covering anything from putting out fires to inspecting a truck.

A popular indoor demonstration called Fall Arrest was provided by Acklands Grainger. Participants learned the possibilities surrounding falls and what to do or not do in the event of a fall.

The South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services provided participants with information on fire prevention, including hands-on demonstrations of how to correctly use a  fire extinguisher.

Cruickshank’s health and safety officer, Jamie Guthrie, said the idea sprung from a desire to counteract the increase in workplace accidents during the busy months of July and August. 

“It’s good to work for a company that doesn’t just talk,” said Guthrie, “they mean it. They get behind it.”

President and chief operations officer Dave Read said that not many companies would shut down operations for a full day during their busy season and host a full-day health and safety event, complete with a barbecue lunch served up by Les and Steve Cruickshank.

He pointed out that Cruickshank takes employee health and safety very seriously, making it a top priority.

In fact, the full-day company-wide event happened twice last week, on July 17th in Morrisburg and on July 19th in Kingston. 

Read pointed out that operations in the East shut down for the Morrisburg event, while operations in the West shut down for the Kingston event. 

Employees had the option of attending either event and, according to Guthrie, almost 100 percent of employees committed to attending the event. 

An added incentive for attendance was a vast selection of prizes to be given out at the end of each Health and Safety Day.

Each participating employee was given a Passport to Safety with seven boxes covering the different seminars and demonstrations. For each one attended, a stamp was given. Those with all seven stamps at the end of the day were eligible to enter their names for the  prizes.

In addition to giving out two ThinkPads and several golf-related packages, the grand prize included a Via Rail trip for two to Toronto with a two-night stay at the Royal York and dinner at the Keg.

According to Guthrie, the event organized, in large part, by health and safety program administrator Nina Gamble and summer student Kate VanDuinen, is expected to become an annual event taking place around the same time each year.

[…]

 

All three stations of the South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services were dispatched to a fire at 3439 County Road 31 in the Township of South Dundas at approximately 7 p.m. on July 19.

According to chief Chris McDonough, “North Dundas also responded to the call with a full response from Winchester.”

There were no injuries to report and “dogs and cats were removed from the ground floor,” said McDonough.

The fire, which is thought to have started in one of the second floor bedrooms, was “under control” by 9 p.m. and extinguished by 9:30 p.m.

The cause, said McDonough, is under investigation and the estimated damage is approximately $180,000. Damage to the second floor, he said, was extensive.

[…]

 

Residents who frequently drive along Laurier Street in Morrisburg will soon  see some improvements where Laurier meets County Road 2.

United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry engineer Ben De Haan reported that work will begin sometime in mid-August.

According to De Haan, work on the patch of Laurier Street just south of County Road 2 in Morrisburg will include the following:

• Excavation and removal of the existing culvert under the roadway

• Installation of a new culvert 

• Reconstruction of the road granulars

• Installation of sub-drains (to help keep the granular material dry)

• Repaving

“We will end up re-paving approximately 20 meters of asphalt,” said De Haan.  

“There may be some traffic delays due to construction, but  a complete road closure will not be required.” 

[…]

 

While recent rainstorms have been a welcome sight, they have not been enough to officially change the drought status or lift the fire ban in South Dundas.

On July 24, Sandra Mancini of South Nation Conservation Authority (SNC) confirmed that the Level 2 Low Water Condition remains in place.

“The recent rainfall was very localized,” said Mancini. “Some areas got a lot of rain and some had nothing at all.”

“It had little impact on the watershed. The river flows at well below average for this time of year.”

She reported that while Ottawa received 13 millimeters of rain on July 23, Cornwall received 17.4 millimeters and Brockville none.

Mancini further explained that it would take one full week of very steady rain of long duration and low density to make any positive impact on the current drought situation. 

She pointed out that, unfortunately, the July 23 storm was very high in density and low in duration.

The Ontario Low Water Response program, implemented in 2000, has three levels and according to Mancini, “we are really close to a Level 3 right now.”

“As of today, some of the conditions have not been met” for a Level 3 Low Water Condition,  but, she added, it’s very close. 

While only the province can officially declare a Level 3 drought, South Nation Conservation’s water response team will meet on August 2nd to review the situation. If conditions, at that time, have reached a Level 3, SNC will recommend to the province that the designation be updated.

In determining the water condition, the water response team monitors water levels within the watershed and tracks any reported water-related issues.

The team at South Nation Conservation ask that anyone experiencing water-related issues contact them at 1-877-984-2948 extension 223 or extension 227.

At this point, no dry wells in South Dundas have been reported, but Mancini pointed out, during the 2001 Level 2 Low Water Condition there were several reports of dry wells in South Dundas.

Contacting the SNC will not only give the water response team the data to support their findings, but it will also give area residents the opportunity to ask questions and find out what to do in a dry well situation.

In fact, those residents whose wells are low, but not yet dry, should also contact SNC for information. Low water levels in wells could affect the quality and safety of the water. 

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) provides free water-testing for wells. More information on this can be found by contacting SNC or by contacting EOHU directly.

South Nation Conservation continues to promote conservation. People are asked to use 20 percent less water than they would normally. Should the drought be upgraded to a Level 3, the province will determine if any restrictions are to be put in place in terms of water usage.

In related news, the fire ban in South Dundas remains in place.

South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services chief Chris McDonough was contacted on July 24, following the previous day’s rainstorm. 

“We need another full day of rain before I’ll even think about lifting it,” he said.

[…]

 

The Morrisburg and District Lions Club has offered to purchase and install portable finger docks at the Morrisburg Waterfront, east of the Docksyde, and the Township of South Dundas has accepted.

Morrisburg Waterfront Committee chair Doug Grenkie made the offer in a letter written to the township on July 11th.

Several questions arose in relation to the offer, which was addressed at the July 17th South Dundas council meeting. Council inquired as to who would be responsible for acquiring permits, for instance. 

In addition, council wanted to know if the Lions Club planned to take responsibility for installing the docks and then removing them at the end of the season. They also wondered about storage of the docks during the winter months.

As there were no representatives from the Morrisburg Waterfront Committee or the Morrisburg and District Lions Club, staff agreed to look into council’s concerns following the meeting.

Realizing the importance of having some sort of dock arrangement at the Morrisburg Waterfront this season, it was agreed that staff would “reconvene council for a brief session” should the need arise.

The next regularly scheduled council meeting is August 14th.

[…]

 

If all goes well, residents of South Dundas will be able to use a new Morrisburg Dock beginning next season, in 2013.

During the July 17th council meeting, South Dundas chief executive officer Stephen McDonald recommended that council go ahead and retain Kehoe Marine of Lansdowne, Ontario to complete construction of the new dock and council agreed.

While the final report from Ottawa-based engineering company J. L. Richards was not ready at the time of the meeting, McDonald did say that, based on the draft report received in June, the entire dock would need to be replaced.

“The dock, as it is now, will not be there again,” said McDonald. “It’s lived a good life of 50 years.”

He suggested that council sole-source the project, hire Kehoe Marine immediately, and “get in the queue.” 

He pointed out that Kehoe already has several jobs lined up. If hired immediately, however, then the Morrisburg Dock would get into priority sequence permitting construction to start in September or October, depending on the time required to get the necessary permits.

Deputy-mayor Jim Locke agreed, saying that “timing is of the essence. If we don’t get at it this fall, there will be no dock there next year.”

“We look at this as a priority,” said mayor Steven Byvelds, agreeing that it would be best to have the dock reconstructed before the 2013 boating season begins. He offered apologies to residents for the loss of the dock for the current season.

According to McDonald, the dock will be reconstructed to match existing dimensions.

Thanks to last year’s surplus, it was agreed that financing for the project will come from the working reserve.

[…]

 

South Dundas council approved the removal of the Morrisburg tennis courts and the Iroquois Haldane Park East ball diamond during the July 17th council meeting.

According to chief administrative officer Stephen McDonald, the recommendation was “based on the usage and the cost it would take to bring them up to standard.”

The fact that the township doesn’t own the land on which the tennis courts are located was also a major factor in the recommendation and, in turn, a major factor in council’s decision to go ahead and dismantle the structure.

The Hartford Retirement Centre and the Upper Canada District School Board each own sections of the land where the tennis courts are located.

The main Haldane Park ball diamond will remain in use. It is the East diamond that is to be removed.

Dates have not been set for the removal of either recreational structure and the cost to remove both is estimated to be between $7,500 and $10,000.

[…]

 

While many area residents were relieved to see a little rain on Monday, some were faced with the inconvenience of a prolonged power outage. 

Due to the July 23 storm, several homes in South Dundas powered by Hydro One lost power early Monday evening, including sections of Church Road, Glen Becker Road, Dunbar Road and County Road 31.

According to Hydro One Winchester, 1,842 customers were without power in the areas served by the Winchester location, including residents of South Dundas.

Hydro One crews were dispatched to several locations to investigate. As of mid-morning on July 24, a direct cause had not yet been identified. 

It was suggested however, that with a storm similar to the one on July 23, there is usually a ‘laundry list’ of possibilities including branches on lines and downed poles.

It was estimated that power would be returned by 6 p.m. Tuesday night, leaving some without power for almost 24 hours.

This story was ongoing and not yet resolved as of press time.

[…]

 

There was some nervous peeking through the curtains, and some very excited whispers backstage. Occasionally teacher Kate Veinotte’s calm voice could be heard quieting  pre-show jitters.

 However, when they finally stepped on to the Playhouse stage Friday, July 20, the 27 children who took part in the 2012 Junior Drama School class at Upper Canada Playhouse behaved like seasoned troupers. They put on a great show. 

“Welcome to the first ever Upper Canada Playhouse Olympics,” said senior students Conor Veinotte and Grant Wells, who assisted with the junior school last week. The two narrators introduced the participating nations, cheered on the determined competitors and (tongue in cheek) praised the sponsors of the wonderful UCPO.

“We have had a very busy week,” teacher Kate Veinotte told the large crowd of parents, grandparents and friends who came out to see the culminating performance of the drama school.

“This was an incredibly creative group we had this year. We decided that the Olympic Games were going to be the theme of this year’s school, and we brainstormed a lot of ideas for the play. I asked the kids, if you could come up with Olympic events of your own, what would you put in the games? What you are seeing is their ideas, complete with commercials.”

Of course, every Olympics must begin with the parade of nations. And if the nations at the UCPO were a little unexpected, well, that was just part of the fun.

The nation of New Yolk solemnly promised to “scramble” its opponents. Spudland swore its team would “mash these guys.” Limbotania defiantly vowed their athletes would “go low” while Seekey Land expected to be the craftiest contenders for the hide and seek competition. And Alphadopia made it clear that its team members were utterly confident of capturing s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g bee gold.

The Games were naturally thrilling, with loud cheers from the audience.

When they won the egg-and-spoon race, New Yolk stood for their anthem The Chicken Dance. Spudland won the potato sack race and proudly sang their anthem “One potato, two potato, three potato…”

After their sweeping victory in  the limbo, Limbotania’s anthem, The Limbo Rock, had everyone toe tapping while Seekey Land’s dynamic gold in Hide and Seek led to a proud chorus of “Where is Thumpkin?”

As for Alphadopia’s taking of the laurels in the spelling bee, well, the whole audience could join in their national anthem “A B C D E F G, H I…”

Everyone knows how important commercial spots at the Olympics are to advertisers, so it was no surprise to see these young actors present some priceless ads.

Sweet Dreams Energy Drink guaranteed that athletes drinking it would get ahead. Cloud Shoes promised to be both “heaven on your feet” and “good for your soles.” The bilingual ad for Mattress Mart Shoe Depot claimed shoes so comfortable “they’re like mattresses for your feet.” And Zipster Drink declared its enormous benefits to athletes and “only $2.99!”

The show ended with the five teams, in the spirit of true sportsmanship and global friendship, passing around the  coloured hoops and creating on stage the proud symbols of the modern Olympics.

Jackie McCormick, stage manager at Upper Canada Playhouse, worked with the class, teaching how props are made, and ran the lights for the show. Rosemary Laurin came to help  for the week, and arrived with treats for the young actors at the end of the play. 

Artistic director Donnie Bowes made sure that everyone went home with a certificate of accomplishment, telling the children they had created a “wonderful, wonderful show.”

“The kids had so much fun,” Kate Veinotte said. “They came up with everything, the sports, the ads, the countries and the anthems. They were incredibly hard-working and very creative. I found myself wishing there really was a Kids Olympics.”

[…]

 

The Heel ’n Wheel for Local Cancer Care has taken off with a running start.  Six registered teams have already contributed to raising $27,980 for the inaugural walking and biking fundraising event, benefitting the WDMH Foundation. 

The event will be held on September 8th with seven starting locations that teams can choose to start their journey from: Morrisburg, South Mountain, Osgoode, Greely, Russell, Crysler, and Finch.  

On the day of the event, teams will walk or bike from these locations of varying distances, to the Winchester District Memorial Hospital.  

The starting location with the shortest distance is South Mountain, which is 18.6 kilometers from WDMH. The location with the longest distance is Greely, which is 33 kilometers from WDMH.  

Both of these starting locations offer family-friendly routes, because they divert walkers and cyclists along back roads, featuring lots of safety and caution signs along the way.  

The other routes that feature back roads are Russell at 23.8 kilometers, Crysler at 24.6 kilometers and Osgoode at 29 kilometers.

“We’re hoping that the five family-friendly routes will reassure parents’ apprehensions about bringing their children with them on such a long walk or bike ride,” said Arnold Scheerder, the new WDMH Foundation Board Chair.

“Our event organizers have also arranged to have pit stops so that participants have a chance to stop for a rest, a drink, some more sunscreen or a bathroom break,” he added. 

The Heel ’n Wheel will wrap up with a celebration BBQ in front of WDMH, complete with musical entertainment, children’s activities, and a presentation of awards. To find out more, visit heelnwheel.ca.

[…]