Procedural changes recommended for SDG Counties council

 

“Good for the body and good for the soul” was this year’s theme for Curves International’s 14th annual month-long food drive. 

Once again, Curves of Morrisburg took part in the March event. According to owner Kelly Keeler, “this was the best year ever.” 

On April 2nd, Keeler revealed that the gym collected 2,565 pounds of food and supplies for the Dundas County Food Bank, easily exceeding their original goal of 2,000 pounds. In fact, they doubled their 2011 haul of 1,230 pounds.

Keeler pointed out that “most of the groceries that were purchased, were purchased locally.”

To motivate members, Keeler drafted an incentive plan for the members of the Morrisburg gym: for every 20 pounds of food donated, they received five ballots. 

Winning ballots will be drawn sometime next week. An Avon gift basket, a Curves gift basket,  and a bracelet are just a few of the prizes available. The first place prize is a pair of Upper Canada Playhouse tickets, donated by the Playhouse.

“Kelly does a lot. She really motivates everybody,” said Curves member and former chair of the Dundas County Food Bank, Brenda Millard. “Our community is hugely generous.”

In addition to the in-house prizes for members, there was an incentive for those who wanted to join the gym during the month of March. Rather than pay the membership fee, new members had the option of donating two bags of groceries or $30 to the food bank. Morrisburg had 15 new members join the club during their March food drive.

In addition to Keeler’s in-house incentives, Curves International had some incentives of their own.

In a February press release, Curves founder Diane Heavin stated: “With a theme of ‘Good for your body and your soul,’ this year’s drive encourages Curves members to feel doubly good about themselves as they make time to exercise for good health and take time to help others in the community with a donation of nutritious food.”

“Local Curves clubs may also qualify to win cash prizes for their local food banks. Curves International will award cash prizes to the clubs that collect the most food, the clubs that show the greatest increase in donations over the 2011 food drive, and to two additional clubs randomly selected from all the clubs who enter the contest.”

According to Keeler, Curves International is expected to announce these award winners sometime in late April or early May. The prizes, all monetary, will go to the food bank associated with the winning Curves club. There is one $1,000 prize as well as several $500 prizes.

Keeler has high hopes for the final awards and said, “anything we win will go directly to the food bank.” 

“I think that my club may be in the top five or earn one of the other prizes for the food bank… I’m hoping anyway,” said Keeler.

The Dundas County Food Bank is currently looking for empty containers: juice or Ensure bottles; 250 and 500 ml containers; 2 liter containers; water bottles; and, baby food jars.

[…]

 

The Morrisburg Canada Day committee, hard at work planning and preparing for the big day, are inviting the public to contribute in any way they can to making this year’s July 1st celebration a success.

The current Morrisburg Canada Day committee formed in late May 2011 when it looked like Canada Day might be cancelled for Morrisburg. 

According to committee members Keith Robinson and Tracey Veinotte, the current committee will be losing some of its members this year and they would like to invite anyone interested in joining the committee to come forward.

Also, Robinson offered, “if anybody has any thoughts or ideas on what we can bring to the day” for this year’s Canada Day celebration, they’re “welcome” to contact the committee.

Along those same lines, if there are any “other organizations or groups who want to participate,” said Robinson, “it’s a good opportunity to get exposure.” Robinson can be contacted at 613-543-3338.

So far the committee has received a lot of support, financial and otherwise, from local businesses and the general community for which the group is grateful.

High on the committee’s agenda at the moment, however, are fundraising efforts for the annual fireworks display at the Morrisburg Waterfront. 

The length of the Morrisburg fireworks display will depend on how much money the Canada Day organizing committee can raise before then. 

While they would like to provide a longer show this year, to do so the committee needs to raise an additional $4,000 above what they raised for last year’s fireworks.

The group’s current fireworks fundraising initiative includes selling tickets for a draw. According to Veinotte and Robinson, there are over 1,500 tickets left to sell. 

Currently, tickets can be purchased at the Canadian Tire checkout counters daily. In addition, every weekend from now until Canada Day, there will be ticket sale tables set up at the entrances to Valumart and Canadian Tire for those wishing to support Morrisburg’s Canada Day fireworks. 

A ticket sale table will also be set up at Earl Baker Park on Canada Day. Tickets will be available until the draw at 4 p.m. 

Draw prizes include gift certificates from the following local businesses: $750 from Canadian Tire; $500 from Valumart; $200 from Giant Tiger; $100 from Ultramar; and, $100 from Home Hardware.

[…]

Just over 30 jobs are leaving South Dundas, but not going far.

South Stormont Township recently announced that the former Norceram facility in Ingleside is being renovated and will be the new home of Quality Manufacturing, the plastics processing and packaging plant, which has been a longtime tenant of an Allison Avenue building in Morrisburg.

Mayor Bryan McGillis said, “We are pleased to announce the relocation of Quality Manufacturing to South Stormont; another welcome addition to our industrial sector. The township continues with job growth in this community. This business relocation has now put us in the fortunate position of having filled all available major industrial buildings. Welcome to South Stormont, our door is always open.”

October 17, the Municipality of South Dundas issued a statement regarding the manufacturing company’s move. “While the municipality regrets that the company is leaving South Dundas, we are happy that the company’s success has put them in a position to enhance their business operations and that they have found an opportunity to grow within our region,” reads the statement.

“We were able to purchase a building in Ingleside, and we expect to be moving in the spring/summer of next year,” said Gordon Carvell, Quality Manufacturing general manager.

The main reason for the move is that the building purchase is that it allows the company to reduce its occupancy cost. “We would have been happy to stay here in Morrisburg, if the reduced occupancy cost could have been matched, but this opportunity came along, and we took advantage of it,” said Carvell.

[…]