Union Gas supports fire safety awareness

Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak announced his upcoming Million Jobs Act, to be tabled at Queen’s Park when the Legislature reconvenes in February.

“The Million Jobs Act is an important first step in returning Ontario to growth” – said Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP Jim McDonell. “We offered the Wynne Liberal Government to clear the legislative calendar in order to focus on a true jobs plan for the Province. We have seen no willingness by the current Government to change course from their failed policies, so we are tabling our own jobs plan that will secure a better future for us and our children. It is time to act to create jobs and attract businesses to Ontario – our Leader, Tim Hudak, will introduce this Bill as soon as we return to Queen’s Park in February”.

The Million Jobs Act builds on the foundation laid by the Ontario PC Caucus White Papers published over the course of the past two years. It will include provisions to end costly subsidies in the energy sector to bring down the cost of power, immediate trade and apprenticeship reform to create 200,000 jobs in the skilled trades, bold steps to tackle the Province’s debt and a clear path to reducing the $11 billion annual cost of red tape by at least a third. 

“Only by attracting job-creators and preserving Ontario’s financial health can we build a prosperous Province” – MPP McDonell concluded. “My constituents’ concerns have been heard loud and clear – we need affordable energy, a vibrant enterprise environment and a leaner, more efficient public sector. The Million Jobs Act, when passed into law, will kick-start the recovery that will return our Province to its rightful place as Confederation’s leader in innovation, manufacturing and growth”.

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Perennial election contender Bill Ewing, will once again have his name on the ballot for the 2014 municipal election.

Ewing filed his nomination papers for the position of councillor with the clerk January 7.

Ewing’s name has been on the ballot of every South Dundas Municipal election since the corporation was formed. Once, he ran but was defeated for the deputy mayor’s seat, but he was twice elected as a councillor having served two terms.

No matter whether he wins or loses an election, Ewing never hesitates in letting his name stand for a council seat because, whether sitting on council or not, he always has an interest in this municipality and its affairs.

Ewing chose to this time run for one of the three councillor seats. “I have sufficient time to work as a councillor,” he said. Ewing is self-employed as the owner/operator of Bill’s Towing. The mayor and deputy mayor seats require a larger investment of time, that Ewing explains he cannot fully commit to.

“I can be of benefit to South Dundas,” says Ewing who, on top of his council experience, has much municipal experience with water, sewer, roads and parks management in the former Village of Iroquois.

Ewing chose to declare his election intentions, fairly early in the process. “There’s no reason to keep people in suspense,” said Ewing. “People have been asking me whether or not I’m running, so I filed.”

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Upper Canada Village’s launch of the new Pumpkinferno, billed as ‘Eastern Ontario’s largest, boldest and most unique’ event has surpassed expectations with over 12,000 visitors through the gates in just seven days of operation.

That figure grew dramatically, this past Saturday night when 5,000 people showed  up causing back ups on County Road 2 and a long wait despite the St. Lawrence Park’s Commission’s effort last week to speed up the entry process.

“Once again we will be trouble shooting,” said the Commission’s Corporate Marketing and Development officer, Susan Leclair, on Monday morning. 

Leclair explained that after the big crowds on the weekend of October 11-13, measures were put in place last week that were expected to keep the flow moving. They included overflow parking and improved schematics for check in/ticket sales.

However, says Leclair, it didn’t take into account that there would be 5,000 visitors on a single night.

While the overflow parking and the entry (separate entry for prepaid, and five cashes open for sales) was in fact better for the visiting public,  their success pushed the problem further up the line to a bottleneck which occurred just inside the village. 

As one exits the Visitor Centre, the Pumpkinferno begins with a light show. Visitors then proceed to the first few exhibits along a narrow pathway around the grist mill. It was at the start to the narrow pathway, that the process slowed down Saturday night.

“While our team was prepared to have a robust visitation, the public reaction surged early in this event, resulting in some extended line ups,” said SLPC General Manager & CEO Darren Dalgleish, in a press release that was released late last week, prior to Saturday night’s huge attendance.  

In the press release, Dalgleish added that, “our team has reacted quickly and streamlined the entrance processes which will be able to get visitors into the parking lot and through the gates much quicker this weekend. Other small adjustments inside the attraction will keep our guests moving at a timely pace during their walk through. It looks like Pumpkinferno is here to stay; based on the attendance to date and stellar feedback we are receiving from our guests.”

“We are driving a strategy of “product mix enrichment” and Pumpkinferno embodies this priority,” said Dalgleish.  “The visitor response has been absolutely astonishing, far exceeding expectations.”

The phenomenal early success of Pumpkinferno has led to the addition of three extra days – November 1, 2 and 3 (Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights) – in order to accommodate the tremendous popularity of the event.

Pumpkinferno, an event to be enjoyed by all ages is a 45 minute walking tour through a mesmerizing installation of thousands of LED-lit pumpkins of all sizes.  It is a unique blend of creative artistry and must be seen to be appreciated. 

To speed entry into Pumpkinferno, advance ticket purchase is recommended and can be bought online at www.Pumpkinferno.com.  

With a ticket in hand, visitors can then proceed directly to the Express Line-up for pre-paid tickets which will ensure quicker entry. 

Combo tickets Fort Fright / Pumpkinferno ($20 general admission) or Pumpkinferno / Alight at Night (Adult $20; Senior/Youth $15) are also available.

Here’s what visitors are saying about their Pumpkinferno experience:

• “You have outdone yourself with this festival event. The level of artistry and imagination is outstanding.”

• “Awesome, fabulous carvings and display, a must see for all family members.”

• From OTTAWA:  “Hundreds of pumpkins stacked into enormous scenes of stunning originality. The displays literally took our breath away. My kids asked if we could come back the very next night. Well worth the drive and affordable!”

• From CORNWALL:  “This is Upper Canada Village’s new event SUPERSTAR! Original, creative and mind-blowing!”

• From KINGSTON:  “So much buzz about this event we had to see for ourselves. It exceeded our expectations by miles!  What a cool idea! Such energy and talent!”

•From WINCHESTER:  “We did not really know what to expect. We found it difficult to move to the next display because the carving detail was overwhelming! Proud to have this event in our own backyard!”

• From MONTREAL:  “Been to Alight at Night for years – had to think this was worth the trip. It sure was and then some. What an incredible creative idea – executed to the max! Nothing like this in Quebec!  Tres Bien!”

Pumpkinferno is open on select nights from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. throughout October and into November: Thursday to Sunday, October 25, 26, 27, 28; Wednesday to Saturday, October 31 (Hallowe’en), November 1, 2, 3.

The event has affordable family friendly pricing of $10 Adult (13 to 64 years of age), $7 Senior (65+ years of age) / Youth (6 to 12 years of age) and is absolutely free for children five and under. 

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