Month: July 2013

 

The members of the Timothy Christian 50th anniversary organizing committee won kudos from the hundreds of people who turned out June 28-30 to celebrate the school’s accomplishments and to share memories and good times. “We had 60 people drop in to our memorabilia night on Friday,” said TC principal Gary Postma, “and another 125 attended our car rally and ball games on Saturday. Our celebratory dinner at Matilda Hall on Saturday evening drew a massive crowd with 300 coming out. On Sunday morning, the Christian Reformed Church was packed as 400 worshippers joined in the service. The organizing team just did an incredible job. We seemed to hit all the right notes with our 50th anniversary celebration: lots of good vibes and lots of compliments on the press coverage and all the events. It was just a great occasion for everyone.” The organizing team gathered beneath the theme of the gala Friday evening. In front are Audrie Pol and Art Pol, chair of the TC board, who gives much credit to the hard work of the team. Behind, l-r, are Bill Byker, chair of the committee, Wes Douma, Margaret Ten Brink, Gary Postma and Andrew Bouwman.

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In August of 2012, Seaway District High School teacher Heather Thompson had just finished training the first ever LINK group at the school. 

As Thompson said at the time, “These grade 12 students, we hope, can begin to build strong relationships with our grade nines. They can become people to whom grade nines can safely turn. I think this program will start the school year off in a positive, energetic way that will make this the best year at Seaway.”

According to UCDSB feed back, reports from teachers and administrators, and comments from both the LINK partners and the grade nines they have mentored for 10 months, the new program has, unquestionably, been an outstanding success. 

The LINK program is a one credit Interdisciplinary Course on Leadership taught at Seaway by Heather Thompson. Sixteen students completed the course.

On Wednesday, June 5, the grade nines and their LINK leaders gathered in the school cafeteria to celebrate the year, and to dedicate the first ever Legacy Poster, as a permanent tribute to this year’s grade nines.

The students took part in some spirit building activities with their LINK leaders, then were introduced to the Legacy Poster, Before I Graduate…, the work of LINK student Jessica Bass. 

“Jessica’s leadership idea was to create a legacy poster (the concept originated with the Before I Die…project) specifically for this school,” said Heather Thompson. “She worked through several drafts with graphic artist Lesley Ellam, and came up with this beautiful final result. Her hope is to see a wall of posters at Seaway creating a permanent legacy of each year’s grade nines.”

Every grade nine student was invited to sign his/her name to the 2013 poster, which will be laminated and mounted on a wall at the school. 

How has putting in place a LINK program affected Seaway? 

“This year the board asked every grade nine student it serves to complete a detailed Tell Them From Me form,” said Seaway principal, Terry Gardiner. “The TTFM was designed to survey the school climate throughout the region. It particularly asked students to rate their sense of belonging. I am proud to say that Seaway’s grade nines scored higher than the national average in their sense of belonging, and lower than the national average in feelings of bullying. 

Our grade nines have set the example for the next group of grade eights coming up, showing them this is a school to be proud of. And our LINK leaders are part of this.”

“The survey results are critical,” said Thompson. “They set Seaway apart. We are a small school, but we can make a huge difference. Through the LINK program we have seen grade nines out with their mentors doing community service and getting involved in community efforts. 

In our entire grade nine class this year, first semester, only three credits were lost. Strong teachers and strong mentoring and support from LINK leaders has made a difference. Creating a culture of caring is generating positive and real feed back, and having an impact on the whole school.”

As part of the celebration, the nines and their grade 12 mentors enjoyed pizza supplied by the board, and cookies from their principal. 

Teachers Carrie Gilmour and Melissa Ringler, who run a cross curriculum activity for grade nines combining science and english, explained that Seaway students won the pizzas for submitting posters to the board. 

“The theme was to be a way to encourage kids to take the Specialist High School Major Program,” Gilmour said. “Our students worked very hard on the project. Seaway submitted so many entries, that the Board was completely impressed, and felt we deserved a ‘prize.’ Ms Ringler and I decided to combine the pizza feast with the LINK legacy poster celebration.”

“We want to create a culture of caring and concern in our school,” Jessica Bass told the grade nines. “Each class hereafter will sign their names, as we do today, to their own posters. These posters will be an awesome reminder to all that Seaway is a great place.”

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 A large crowd and many dignitaries turned out at the site of the Lost Villages Museum on Sunday, June 30, to remember the heroism of the small militia which, 200 years ago, delayed an American invasion of Canada at Hoople’s Creek. While the skirmish may have been lost for the 500 outnumbered Canadians, the actions of the 1st Stormont Militia and the 2nd Glengarry Militia in that fight ensured that those American troops ultimately had to take on the British/Canadian forces at the Battle of Crysler’s Farm.

Carol Goddard, one of the organizers of the day’s events said there “were great crowds and great support for the celebration.” There were many exhibits and a tattoo which featured the SD&G Highlanders Band, the Sea Cadets band, the 1st Grenville Militia and the City of Brockville Pipe Band. Colonel Bill Shearing  addressed the audience telling the story of the battle. Honorary Lt.-Col. of the SD&G Highlanders, Jim Brownell, (7th from the left above) shared the stage with descendants of the Hoople family and Lt.- Colonel Duda (9th from the left), commander of the Glens. South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds (4th from the left) was also on hand for the celebration. Town crier Lawrence Levere (extreme right) said “our heritage will never be forgotten and our pride will never be diminished,” in describing the battle.

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Tuesday, July 2, St. Lawrence Medical Clinic opened the doors of the new Iroquois clinic to its patients and to future growth.

Friday, June 28, The Leader was given a tour of the former St. Cecilia School in Iroquois.

The nearly $1 million, four month renovation of the former school was finished last week, on time and on budget.

“The retrofit of this old school into a new clinic worked really nicely,” said Stephen McCann, SLMC business manager.

The new location features 6,300 square feet of clinic space, with the opportunity to add more clinic space if needed as the school gymnasium remains in tact. For now, is being used for storage. 

This new configuration of the old school features much that was missing from the old clinic location that was only about 1,700 square feet in size.

Accessible washrooms, a full lab, mini lab, designated procedure room, secondary waiting room, and more secure reception area are all features of the bright, clean, beautiful new space that is filled with new equipment and furnishings.

McCann estimates that between this project and the ongoing Morrisburg clinic project, SLMC has invested about $170,000 in new equipment and furnishings. 

“This will be a lot better,” said Debbie Shaver, SLMC receptionist, of the new Iroquois clinic, who was proud to show off the new space. “This should allow us to move more patients through,” she said, explaining that the spacious waiting areas and prep areas should allow for improved efficiency. 

Presently the clinic is staffed with three doctors, the equivalent of two on a full time basis, three nurses, one lab tech and one receptionist, but now has room to grow their staff at every level.

In this new set up, each doctor has their own office and three patient exam rooms.

“This expansion gives us the opportunity to bring in a third doctor full time,” said McCann. He also added that they now have space to better accommodate the students who are always part of the process as all of the SLMC’s doctors are preceptors. 

While having space for an additional doctor, the new space also opens up the opportunity to add ancillary services such as nurse practitioners. While that is not a reality yet, that is an opportunity that the SLMC group can pursue.

McCann explained that every part of this project has been designed and built with longevity in mind and with a view to the future, right from the floors to the air system to the network cabling.

“We are ready for the next 20 years,” said McCann. 

The building is owned by the Municipality of South Dundas, and leased to the doctors for 20 years. The terms of that agreement are such that the cost of the renovation will be fully recovered through the lease.

CIBC or Hawkesbury was contractor for the project, that was supervised locally by Hartley Hodgson. “We are 100 percent satisfied with the job they did here,” said McCann. “Working with them was a great experience.

The Iroquois Clinic was the first of SLMC’s clinic projects to be completed. The Morrisburg clinic is looking at September completion. There is a desire for renovated space in Ingleside as well, if another doctor joins the group. 

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While South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds is getting an earful from a certain group of people about the proposed grain terminal for the Universal Dock, located along Lakeshore Drive in South Dundas, he too is looking at the proposed project for its broader benefit.

“As mayor, I’m looking at this as an opportunity to have a new business come to South Dundas,” he says.

“Looking at this from an economic development point of view, it’s a potential business that will generate revenue,” he added.

While he acknowledges that much of that revenue will go into the pockets of those in the agricultural community, there too will be some job creation. 

The company building the terminal is also a member of the Stormont Dundas and Glengarry business community.

“What this will do is provide a new market for agricultural products,” says Byvelds, who is a farmer.

As a farmer, he confirms that there is a need for such an outlet for agriculture commodities. 

“The reality is that we can’t use all the product that is made here and storage is an issue, so exporting makes sense,” he said. 

He explained that there are some relatively local outlets for product but during the busy harvest season there is a significant bottleneck. 

“Adding another outlet provides competition. And, competition is good for the industry. More competition tends to increase prices and that in turn brings more dollars into our local economy,” he added. 

The building permit application is still in front of South Dundas’ building officials. 

South Dundas Chief Building Officer Don Lewis, with the help of a peer review, has determined that the proposed terminal does meet the existing zoning requirements, however a building permit has not yet been issued.

While there is a process to obtaining a building permit, building permit issues are not a council matter. 

“In the end, if it meets applicable law, it can proceed,” said Byvelds. Lewis said the same.

Building permit issues only become a council matter if a zoning bylaw amendment is required. 

No zoning amendment is needed for this grain terminal project.

Byvelds acknowledges that people have alleged that his participating in voting on the matter could be seen as a conflict of interest. However, since building permits are not a council matter, and do not require a council vote, he has no conflict.

Mayor Byvelds has offered those opposed to the grain terminal the opportunity to make a presentation to South Dundas council as a delegation at the July 16 meeting.

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Keep Calm and Paddle On, Tubie Weekend is right around the corner.

Organizers for the Morrisburg Tubie Festival are hard at work planning activities for the 43rd annual event, which falls on the August Long Weekend (August 2-4).  The theme of the weekend is Keep Calm and Paddle On.

This is the seventh year the Lions Club has organized the Tubie Festival, and the fourth year since it moved the Tubie Dance from the Morrisburg Arena to the outdoor venue at the softball diamond.  

Organizers are working towards the future of this long-standing event, by creating opportunities for the younger set to get involved in the 43 year old event.

One of these is the return of the teen dance, which takes place Friday, August 2, under the big tent.

“The teen dance was very well received last year,” said Michael Domanko of the Morrisburg & District Lions Club.  “We were very pleased with the number of teens who attended the first teen dance, and we hope to see more of them this year.”

Domanko added that holding the teen dance provides younger residents an opportunity to participate in Tubie Weekend.

“Many of our participants are between 16-18,” added Domanko, who pointed out that a 16-year-old, Katherine Lee, captained the winning Tubie craft two years ago. “We encourage teens to get their friends together and participate in the weekend.  Those who get involved early have a lot of fun and come back year after year.”

An important rule change will also help bring Tubies to the next generation of paddlers.

This year, each team will be allowed to have up to two 14-year-olds participate. In previous years, the age of participation was 16 and older. 

“We had some participants last year say they wanted to get their kids involved, and perhaps even include their kids on their team,” explained Domanko.  “We feel this is a good way to encourage a new generation of Tubie participants to get started.”

The usual events of the Saturday parade and dance will take place. Organizers are looking for floats to participate in this year’s parade, those interested can contact Michael Domanko mdomanko@gmail.com.

The outdoor dance will feature some local performers; The Woodwork with Bobby Paradis, Justin Beckstead, Ron Dupuis and James Orendi, will take the stage to open the party at 8 pm.

A new headlining act will follow.  Sticks ‘n Stones, a party rock band that has entertained thousands throughout Eastern Ontario over the years, will play their first Tubie Dance.  The band has opened for a variety of high-profile musical acts, including Tom Cochran, Nazareth, Trooper, The Stampeders and Chilliwack.

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 South Dundas is short-staffed by about seven full time positions according to the staffing review presented to council at the June 18 meeting.

The review compared South Dundas to other Eastern Ontario municipalities of similar size. 

Most of the short-staffing is at the administrative level. 

“Most of our managers do their own administrative work,” said South Dundas chief administrative officer Steve McDonald who completed the review. He explained that managerial staff are spending much of their time with administrative duties like typing letters, when if they had appropriate help they could be working on more important tasks.

“The shortage of administrative help has been discussed on numerous occasions and our current space has restricted our ability to have the assistance required,” said McDonald who recommended that 1.5 new positions be created to coincide with the relocation of the municipal offices to the South Dundas Municipal Centre. And a 0.5 position be created in the planning and enforcement department to focus on bylaw enforcement.

Council concurred with the recommendations. 

Other departments identified as short-staffed include the treasury department and the recreation/facilities department.

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 The Winchester District Memorial Hospital has received full accreditation with commendation from Accreditation Canada, recognizing WDMH’s commitment to excellence in quality health care for patients and the communities it serves – close to home.

“We should all be proud of this accomplishment because it means we have exceeded national standards for quality improvement and patient safety,” notes Cholly Boland, CEO. “Only a small number of Canadian hospitals achieve this.”

Hospital accreditation through Accreditation Canada is a voluntary exercise that reviews a health care organization’s care and services. It includes an intensive self-assessment, a survey visit with a team of health care professionals and a comprehensive survey report. Three surveyors spent three days at WDMH interviewing staff, physicians, volunteers, patients and families, Board and community members as part of the process. In its report, the survey team commended the WDMH team for the many initiatives it has developed and launched. Here are just a few of their comments:

• “Throughout the organization, we have met caring and devoted staff who really care about this place. They work hard and take good care of the patients.”

• “You have out-of-the-box, innovative thinking with a ‘we can do it’ attitude.”

• “There is a feeling of pride and ownership that goes above and beyond – this is very evident both in the hospital and in the community.”

• “It has been a privilege to go through this organization – from boardroom to boiler room. You have that quality vision! Quality is a journey and quality improvement is a culture that you need to embrace. It’s OK to have work to do.”

The surveyors also commented on WDMH’s strategic vision as part of a Centre for Excellence for Rural Health and Education, noting “community partners, without exception, spoke positively about their relationship with the organization. It is apparent that the organization continues to have a reputation in the community as a place to receive good patient care.”

“Accreditation provides an effective measure of our performance and is a valuable learning tool for all of us,” adds Lisa Little, Board Chair. “The positive power is in the review and continual improvement that takes place every day.”

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MORRISBURG–Are you one of those dog owners who feels guilty when you pack your suitcase to head off to a wonderful holiday without your best friend? Does that look of ‘what am I gonna do without you when you’re gone’ tug at the heartstrings?

Well, we all need a break, and we can’t always take our four-legged friends along and that’s where Anjo and Kathy Norg come in with their Come By Chance Boarding Kennels.

The Come By Chance Boarding Kennels, located on Ferguson Road in South Dundas, has been in operation for three years and offers a comfortable safe environment for dogs and cats at reasonable prices. Getting the boarding kennel up and running has been a labour of love for Anjo and Kathy.

“We bought our property 15 years ago with the intention of building a kennel,” says Kathy from the comfort of a rocking chair in the front reception area of the kennel. A self-proclaimed dog lover, Kathy says, “I’ve always had dogs. I wanted multiple dogs, but my husband eventually said ‘no more’. I’ve had Newfies, German Shepherds, really the whole gamut in my life.”

Kathy says it was quite a process to get Come by Chance up and running. Following three to five years of research, Kathy designed the kennel of her dreams which has now become “more my baby. He [Anjo] does work on it, and my son helps on the weekends too, but it’s my job mainly. It’s not that difficult. You get to sit around, watch television and pet doggies.”

The kennel name comes from a small town in Newfoundland, Come by Chance, located “up the road” from where Kathy’s father is from. This and “the fact that we came upon the property by chance about 17 years ago”. At the time, friends of Anjo’s parents who had property to sell, overheard that, “we were looking for property at the end of a road.”

All this Kathy explains as she relaxes in her rocking chair, petting a gorgeous Burmese Mountain Dog guest and keeping an eye on a wall of monitors showing what her other guests are up to. It is not until later, during the visit, that Kathy mentions her day starts at 6 a.m. and continues until her guests are tucked in for bedtime at 10 p.m.

The long day has included not just the one on one time spent with the dogs, their care and feeding, but the cleaning and chores.

Come by Chance is a “high end facility” she explains. “We have heated floors and piped in music, and I provide a nice, safe environment for the animals. Dogs like Classical Music, that’s the music of choice.” In addition to heated floors, a modern HVAC system, keeps the guests warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Since Come By Chance Boarding Kennels opened, business has been steadily increasing.

Rooms are booked for overnight stays, visits of two or three days, and weekends. There are often two-week visits while moms and pops are vacationing, and, “we have a number of regular weekend customers.”

Kathy has also accommodated dogs on extended stays when an owner is dealing with a medical issue.

A number of visitors to the area who are camping or staying in hotels have also discovered Come by Chance and now leave their pets while they are out and about enjoying their holiday…sightseeing, golfing, perhaps visiting a local tourist attraction.

“I have quite a few repeat visitors from Toronto and Quebec City, Gatineau, even North Carolina. They can’t leave their dog in their camper or hotel, so they leave them here. They are close by, so they can come and see them, or pick them up, whenever they want. Dogs are such a part of the family these days. They travel with their families who bring them here.”

With the tourists in the area and the number of campgrounds, Kathy has built a good summer clientele. She says her slow period is generally from the end of March break until school is out in June. That’s when maintenance and renovation work gets done at the kennel.

To keep all the visiting dogs safe, Health and Vaccination Status Certificates are required and dogs must have kennel cough vaccinations. From April to November, guests must also be on a vet approved flea and tick protection program.

Guests at the Come by Chance Kennels are accommodated in comfortable suites with full-height, insulated walls. On the interior wall is a windowed steel door that opens into the facility’s main central hallway and on the exterior wall is a doggie door which opens onto an outdoor run, with a heated cement floor to prevent ice and snow buildup in the winter. 

The dogs are free to go in and out all day, and from the outdoor runs, they can be released into large outdoor play areas for some quality play and exercise time.

All rooms are hypo allergenic, mold and mildew resistant and are secure and safe. Each windowed door has an exterior curtain that can be raised and lowered depending on the guest’s need for privacy.

Suites come in a variety of sizes to handle various sized dogs, those with mobility issues and multiple dog families.

A cat room, with high rise cat condos and secure outdoor play area completes the facility.

“When it started coming together, it was stressful, but it is well worth it in the end,” says Kathy. “It was really good to see it come to fruition.”

Obviously a dream come true, Kathy now has her business and the opportunity to spend quality time caring for some great dogs and cats…and from one animal lover to another….it doesn’t get any better than that.

For more information on the Come by Chance Boarding Kennels please check out their website or call 613-978-3300.

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