Ho! Ho! Ho! Parade ready to go, go, go

SD&G OPP officers are currently at the scene of a vehicle fire that occurred on August 21st, 2014 at approximately 12:15am on Highway 401, eastbound lanes, South Stormont Township. Investigation indicates a tractor-trailer unit caught fire due to mechanical reasons. 

Fire Department is on scene and a section of Highway 401, eastbound lanes (only) is closed to traffic between Dickinson Drive (Ingleside) exit and Moulinette Road (Long Sault) exit. Traffic is being re-routed via Emergency Detour Routes (EDR). The closure is expected to remain in effect for several hours as emergency personnel tend to the scene.

The 36 year old male driver (from Etobicoke, Ontario) was not injured. The vehicle was carrying non-hazardous products (dog food).

The 401 was re-opened around 10 a.m.

[…]

Gay Rust, Worthy Matron of the Moonlight Chapter #224 of the Eastern Star in Iroquois, completed this year’s ‘special project’ last Thursday night when she made a total of $1,500 in donations.

This year’s project, which she worked on with Worthy Patron Jack Tousaw of the Friendly Brothers Iroquois Mason Lodge #143, was to “help women with cancer.” 

“Our goal was to raise money for the local community, and we also wanted to honour the memory of Friendly Brother Gary Richards.”

Three donations of $500 each were presented to the Dundas County Hospice represented by the organization’s secretary Marilyn Boissonneault, the Winchester Hospital Heelers represented by Heelers captain Carole Hall and to Mason’s Worshipful Master Ron Cowalchuk in memory of the late Gary Richards who was a  Master Mason and a member of the Eastern Star.

Gary’s widow, Kay Richards, joined Master Cowalchuk to receive the memorial.

“We try very hard to integrate with the community and be part of the community,” said Cowalchuk. “We try to stand as an example for the young people. Brother Gary was a very important part of our community. He was a strong person with good ideals. We are constantly remembering and missing Gary, and I am touched to receive this on behalf of the Lodge. We appreciate everything the Moonlight Chapter has done, and we will find a way to put a memory together to remind us of Gary as we go forward.”

On behalf of the Dundas County Hospice, Boissonneault thanked the Moonlight Chapter.

“Even though it is our 20th anniversary this year there are still people in the community who do not know that we exist or what we do,” said Boissonneault of the Hospice that provides a range of services in the home of a person/family facing a terminal illness.

Boissonneault outlined that the Dundas County Hospice has trained volunteers who go into the homes, bereavement counselling programs and an equipment loans cupboard.

“We have a whole lot of stuff for people who need it, and all of our services are free to residents of Dundas County who are facing a life-threatening illness. At any one time, we can have as many as 65 clients.”

Boissonneault also pointed out that because the Hospice receives, only about one third provincial funding, it relies heavily on the financial help of the community.

“This donation is going to go a long way in helping someone have an easier time in a very difficult time in their lives.”

Carole Hall too thanked the group and explained that the Winchester Hospital Heelers are a group of individuals, many of whom are cancer survivors, who are dedicated to making a difference to the lives of cancer patients and their families.”

To date the Heelers have raised more than $525,000 through their participation in the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation’s  60 km Walk Weekends to End Breast/Women’s Cancers which began in 2006 and ended in 2011.

While 25 per cent of the funds they raised went to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, 75 per cent of over $392,000 was returned to benefit the Winchester District Memorial Hospital cancer program.

“This money is financing the purchase of a new digital mammography machine that offers the newest technology in the prevention and early detection of breast cancer,” said Hall.

She explained that with the end of the Ottawa walk last year, the Heelers committed to continue their efforts. “Our current goal is to raise another $125,000 by September 8, to pay the outstanding balance on the digital mammography machine.” 

To do so, the Heelers have received the blessing of the Winchester District Memorial Hospital Foundation which will organize an event/walk this fall, “Heel ‘n Wheel for Local Cancer Care”.

The Heel ‘n Wheel walk/bike event, officially launched this past Friday, will take place September 8, 2012, with starting points in seven of the Heelers’ hometown communities including Morrisburg and South Mountain. (See related story in this week’s issue).

The entire Winchester Hospital community is being invited to participate and support the September “Heel ‘n Wheel”.

“We are good people here in the Eastern Star, and we will go farther and faster into the future now, knowing we have touched people,” said Rust following the presentations.

[…]

Visitor Information Services in Iroquois will be moved away from the Iroquois Plaza, and closer to the town’s tourist attractions.

South Dundas council approved the move at the May 7 meeting.

This move is one that was suggested by the Iroquois Waterfront Planning Committee.

The VIC will be located in the back room of the Forward House, making it accessible through the side door.

According to the usage statistics presented, it cost the township almost $23 per visitor with a tourism related inquiry to operated the facility last year.

South Dundas economic development officer Nicole Sullivan intends for this proposal to help use these funds more effectively.

The plan is to create a tourism cluster to capture the target audience.

“The target audience is those who are already interested in visiting the community,” she noted. “The objective is to provide information which encourages them to participate in additional activities, ultimately lengthening their stay and increasing spending within the community.”

“The Forward House is strategically placed for achieving this goal as it is located in close proximity to a number of tourism attractions in Iroquois (including the Carman House, Iroquois Golf Course, Iroquois Locks and Galop Canal Marina, etc.),” said Sullivan. “It provides an ideal opportunity to attract traffic that is going or coming from those destinations and travelling along Carman Road.”

“Similarly, the large majority of tourism signage which currently exists through the SDG Tourism signage programs directs visitors along that route,” she added.

Along with moving the visitor information service to a better location, the site also provides some opportunity to create a small interpretive centre where historical/artistic displays could be included. “The Forward House provides adequate space to this objective plus the added appeal of it being a historical building itself,” said Sullivan.

The location will have the convenience of a washroom facility, which the old building never had. Also it is located close to other municipally employed staff at the campground who may be able to cover staff at the facility during lunch breaks. In previous years, the building was left without staff during employee breaks.

The previous location in the plaza will remain in place, for the use of community groups through the township’s facility rental agreement. There would  be no fee.

[…]