Evacuation of Beavers Dental caused by fire

Now starting its 88th season, Canadian Club has 23 corporate sponsors for the upcoming year.

The Club meets at the Canadian Legion in Morrisburg six times per year, each meeting catered  (wonderfully I might add) by the Legion ladies. We are happy, as the Canadian Club, to support this wonderful organization, and we are extremely happy with the venue. 

Canadian Club encompasses about 25 villages and hamlets, and reaches into four counties. It’s a very inexpensive way to communicate with people from a fairly large area.

Our meetings for the 2012-13 season will be held on the third Wednesdays of  September, October, November, March, April and May.  Everyone is invited to attend any meeting with a $20 ticket. We do ask that you reserve at least a week in advance of the meeting you plan to attend. You are welcome to attend the social time at 6:15. Dinner follows at 7 p.m.

We have an exceptional line-up  of speakers scheduled.

On September 19, Sergeant J. J. Marc Godue, Acting Officer in Charge of the Musical Ride Branch, will be the first speaker. His topic is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride and the Ride’s contribution to Canadian unity and to promoting Canada.

He will be followed October 17 by Robert Fowler, a Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. Fowler was kidnapped in 2008 in Niger by an al-Queda affiliate and held for nearly five months. An Order of Canada recipient, Fowler will discuss his ordeal, and comment on Canada’s role at the United Nations.

On November 21, following Remembrance Day, Vice Admiral (retd.) Ron Buck, CMM, CD, will be the guest speaker. His topic will concern Canada’s navy, its origins, its achievements and its importance in going forward. He is a former Commander of the Navy and Vice Chief of Defence.

Major John Grodzinski (not as yet confirmed) is scheduled for March 20, 2013. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance, and a professor of history at the Royal Military College in Kingston. He will focus on the War, events specific to our region, and provide insight on how this war made us who we are today.

The guest speaker for April 17 is Jim Brownell, a well-known person throughout Eastern Ontario, who served two terms as MPP in Queen’s Park for this region. Brownell, a former long-time teacher, and a volunteer with a host of community organizations, will discuss the Lost Villages Historical Society. He will focus on the Society’s role in history preservation and interpretation over the past 35 years.

The final speaker of the 2012-2013 Canadian Club season will be Wayne Domanko, M.D., a partner in the St. Lawrence Clinic since 1969. Over the years Dr. Domanko has been a main presenter and speaker at numerous seminars. He is a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and has conducted significant research. He has served on several committees at Winchester & District Memorial Hospital. And, of course, he has been “doctor” for many in the community.

At Canadian Club, we hope that if you are currently a member, you will rejoin the Club. If not, we hope you will consider becoming a member or a visitor. Our average attendance at meetings is just over 100, and we always welcome new faces. 

For the past few years (with our gratitude) piper Marc Calder has piped in the head table to begin each evening. Current president of the Canadian Club, Dave Black of Morrisburg, presides over meetings whenever possible.

Each month we draw for a 3X6 foot Canadian flag donated to the Club by MP Guy Lauzon. We close each meeting with ‘O Canada’ accompanied by Eleanor Allison. 

We offer our thanks to the volunteers who care for the sound system and table settings for every meeting.

We look forward to seeing you at Canadian Club this fall. 

For tickets to the 2012-13 season of Canadian Club, contact Doug at 613-543-2922 or Clara at 613-774-2407. 

[…]

The spark of a new idea coming to fruition at Upper Canada Village has ignited a number of area partnerships between the business community and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. 

The South Dundas Chamber of Commerce is fueling the fire of Pumpkinferno by helping spread the seasonal  theme throughout the community.

Last week, in anticipation of the kickoff of Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village, the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce launched  “Season of Pumpkin People” at the Upper Canada Playhouse.

Through the Season of Pumpkin people, the organizing committee hopes to get area businesses and residents to create Pumpkin People/Scarecrow displays at their homes and businesses to create a festive harvest season atmosphere throughout South Dundas in support of the Pumpkinferno event at the village which aims to bring 20,000 visitors to the region.

The organizing committee is chaired by local artist Gene Ward.

“We would like to see people make an effort to create their own pumpkin people displays in whatever way they feel is appropriate,” said Ward. “Maybe it will be something so small it will fit in your hand, or maybe something giant. Really the purpose is to engage people in the community to get involved so that people from outside the community can take an interest in the area.”

“Also, this is a great opportunity to promote the area at a time of year which is traditionally a down time for businesses,” said Ward. 

“To have Upper Canada Village include us is a big bonus for this area,” he added. “We need all the help we can get.”

South Dundas Mayor Steven Byvelds congratulated the chamber of commerce, Ward and the event team on getting involved in this partnership with Pumpkinferno. “We always look forward to forming partnerships, especially partnerships with the St. Lawrence Parks Commission,” he said. “I’m certain the community will buy into this theme.”

“This is a really great opportunity,” said South Dundas Chamber of Commerce President Chuck Barkley.

Nicole Sullivan, South Dundas economic development officer reiterated the importance of working with the SLPC in this initiative.

She spoke about the creation of the theme which was designed to build on the agricultural roots of the community and expand on the highly successful Harvest Festival theme of the 21 year event in Williamsburg. “The way Williamsburg is decorated for the harvest festival really brings that community to life,” she said. 

“This is wonderful,” commented Susan Leclair, corporate marketing and devlopment officer for the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. “We are delighted to have your participation and cooperation.” Of the 20,000 visitors the commission hopes to bring to Pumpkinferno, Leclair said, “I hope they want to visit your businesses as well as ours.”

“It’s one of those events where the pictures don’t really do it justice. We have a great feeling about this event, and we hope we have a winner on our hands.”

In closing she thanked the chamber for embracing Pumpkinferno adding that they hope to build on it in the future.

Those who create a Season of Pumpkin People display, can fill out a registration form to be eligible to win random prizes. The early bird draw prizes of free admission to Pumpkinferno were won by Williamsburg Garage and Brian and Jane Cox.

Registration forms can be dropped off at Candy’s Hair Salon/River Rat Treasures in Iroquois, the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce office in Morrisburg, Williamsburg Garage in Williamsburg or H&I Country Supply in Brinston.

[…]

Led by their senior LINK crew, and the grade 10 WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) crew, the students and teachers at Seaway District High School in Iroquois made it clear that bullying has no place in school or community life.

During the week of November 18-22, there was a board wide initiative in schools to make students aware of the nature of bullying, and what can be done to stop it.

“There is more awareness of bullying, more discussion in the schools,” said teacher Heather Thompson, who also leads the successful LINK program at the high school which matches senior mentors with grade nine students. “Kids have to know that it is okay to stand up ‘for the silent.’ It takes only 10 seconds to stop the bullying when peers intervene.”

Lindsay Waddell, who is the teacher organizer (with fellow teacher Rodney Benton) of the WEB program that matches grade 10 students with intermediate school grade sevens, says the week of Anti-Bullying activities got kids thinking, and encouraged them to act.  “We focused in WEB on how words can be harmful and hurtful. If your words are long-lasting, why not make them positive. We led discussions about ‘safe spheres’ and the ‘role of the bystander.’” 

The high school/intermediate school staffs were very supportive of the anti-bullying activities, and welcomed WEB and LINK representatives into their classes to bring a message of tolerance and respect. The OPP has also been invited to present workshops on cyber-bullying, sadly a growing factor in recent, reported teen suicides.

Jessica Wright, a LINK senior, organized an anti-bullying scavenger hunt. A big flag with power words on it from LINK and a collage from WEB will be displayed in the school. Grades 7-12 students were also encouraged to sign the Anti-Bullying Banner and make a commitment.

Teachers Thompson and Waddell joined the students in the gym, all wearing pink to signify anti-bullying, for a large and positive group photo. Both had great praise for the leadership and the dedication displayed by their WEB and LINK students in this recent campaign.

“It’s amazing the amount of work our LINK and WEB kids take on, and follow through on. When you give kids responsibility, they don’t let you down.”

[…]