Kellylee Evans starring at SLAS concert

The November 15th South Dundas council meeting saw a lot of discussion surrounding the Morrisburg Rink rental fees.

The issue was raised due to a letter received by the Township,  sent by Bruce Mullin about the “more-than-double” rate of the ice rental fee for Seaway District High School’s hockey team.

According to Mullin’s letter, last year the team paid $37 per hour for ice time, but this year the rate has gone up to $87 per hour.

The Morrisburg Rink’s rental fees are $125 per hour for adult prime time rental, $95 per hour for children’s prime time rental, and a universal $85 per hour for non-prime rental. All prices are before the addition of HST.

Manager for Recreation, Don Lewis, provided council with a breakdown of rink costs. It costs “$24 per hour for electricity when the compressors are running. When there’s no rental, it costs $8 per hour.”

“The hourly rate for one of our employees (with benefits calculated in) is $29.66 per hour.”

“It’s $53.67 in total. That does not include the natural gas we burn for heaters or the zamboni. These are just two of the key things,” he continued.

In checking with other arenas, Lewis found that Morrisburg’s prices are comparable.

“People think that when the rink’s not being used that it’s not costing us as if it was being used,” said Chief Administrative Officer Stephen McDonald.

The main concern seemed to revolve around two points: what is fair and consistent for everyone; and, what can council do to help support the existence of a hockey team for the local high school.

Councillor Jim Graham pointed out: “They got a rate last year and they were expecting it this year. My suggestion is that we give them a reduced rate on their practice time. This year they got hit with something they weren’t expecting.”

Mayor Steven Byvelds said, “one of the challenges I have is that we went through the budget. We felt they were fair. There’s no expectation to make money. It’d be nice to break even. There’s a lot of cost we haven’t accounted for.”

He pointed out the probability that “if we allow a break on this one” then minor hockey might ask “‘if the high school can get a break, then why can’t we?’”

He later said, “I just think it’s fair that we try to be consistent.”

He admitted that the hockey program for high school students “gets them out and gives them school spirit.”

He said, “we try to be fair and still run our business and try to keep deficits to a minimum.”

Council members each saw the need to be fair and the need to keep deficits to a minimum, but many also wanted to do something for the high school’s hockey team.

In the end, it was decided that for 2011/2012, ice rental fees for Seaway’s team will be $50 per hour for practice ice time and $85 per hour for tournament ice time.  The following years will see the team paying the same price as everyone else.

[…]

It was an absolutely wonderful experience says 13 year old Tayler Pilon of Morrisburg who participated in the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Man in Motion Relay at Smiths Falls on Saturday, October 29. 

“It was awesome,” says Tayler who was accompanied by her mom Laury, her grandmother Inez Bilmer and a large number of family members to Smiths Falls where she ran in memory of her beloved ‘poppy’ Les Bilmer, who was left a quadriplegic from a spinal cord injury suffered in 2000.

Les passed away in May of 2004.

Tayler was one of seven participants in the Smiths Falls segment of the relay, “three wheelers and four runners”. It was a great experience. I met a lot of nice people.”

When Tayler learned she was one of 2,000 Ontarians selected for the relay, she and her mom Laury set a goal to raise $1,000. As of last week, they raised $2,020. 

“That is way more than I ever expected. I want to thank all the people who donated. It is going to a great cause.” 

Both Tayler and her mom were impressed with the day, the organization, the coordination and the wonderful spirit of all those working in the relay.

“They made it so much fun,” said Laury. 

“You clapped people off the bus, and they played music all the way along the route,” says Tayler. “Everything was laid out and ready to go. Everyone was so willing to help and there was always a person around if you had a question.”

Tayler says it was an honour to carry the commemorative Rick Hansen Difference Maker Medal (produced by the Royal Canadian Mint) which was passed to her by Amanda Lawson of Brockville. She then  carried it to a waiting Marshal Hogan of Smiths Falls who was the community ‘medal bearer of the day’.

As a participant Tayler received a replica of the medal and will keep her “Man in Motion’ Nike track suit.

Major sponsors for the 25th anniversary relay are Nike and McDonald’s Restaurants.

Twenty-five years ago, Rick Hansen wheeled through 34 countries in 26 months to complete his now-famous Man in Motion World Tour. He raised millions of dollars and invaluable awareness for people with spinal cord injuries and related disabilities.

The 25th anniversary relay started in Newfoundland in August and will end May 22, 2012 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Pictured: Above Taylor is passed the Relay Medal by Amanda Lawson of Brockville. Below she is pictured with Marshal Hogan of Smiths Falls who was that community’s ‘medal bearer of the day’.  In the background of the bottom photo (far right) is her grandmother Inez Bilmer.

[…]

At the April 3rd South Dundas council meeting, councillor Archie Mellan opened discussion with council on where things stand with several of the South Dundas murals.

According to Mellan, the South Dundas Mural committee “had two meetings in March. They’re wanting me to express to council there’s going to be three down this year,” including the one on the Valumart wall. “It’s such a large mural and no one’s come forward.”

He reminded council that the “township is responsible for removing the mural and for repairs to the wall.”

“There will probably be some cost to that,” added Mellan. “The mural committee doesn’t know how much.”

“It isn’t at the point yet that it has to be taken down. They would suggest some notification to public,” said Mellan.

“It is such a large prominent mural in Morrisburg, so some people might complain,” he continued. “If people know the fate of the mural, maybe somebody might come forward.”

Chief administrative officer Stephen McDonald suggested, “the sooner we talk to Riley (Hatherall), the better so we know what his expectations are.”

Mellan pointed out that “there’s two other murals that may be coming into that, but right now it’s the Valumart one that’s most pressing.”

Deputy-mayor Jim Locke inquired as to whether it was a matter of finding an artist to take on the project. 

Mellan informed that two artists have looked at the mural and “both agreed it has to be completely redone.”

It was estimated that it would cost approximately $10,000 to redo the mural.

“It’s gone past the point of repairing or touching up,” said Mellan. “The backing is rotting.”

Bringing everything to point, mayor Steven Byvelds said, “I think the mural committee should be responsible for telling council when that mural has to come down.”

“I guess the best time to look at it is in the fall,” he added. “It’s ours to look after and we’ll look after it.”

On April 16th, South Dundas Mural committee representative Jane Cox reported that “this will be another busy year for the murals.”

She reiterated the unhappy news Mellan brought to council earlier in the month, saying that “the hardest part of this whole mural project is letting them go. In the committee’s 2011 Year End Report it was recommended for the ‘Aerial View of Morrisburg’  mural on Valumart   be turned back to the township and allowed to age graciously.”

“As a  result, the township is in the process of coming up with a decommissioning plan for this and any subsequent murals,” she added.

In addition, the two other murals which Mellan mentioned might be on their way out are the ‘North Side – Main Street’ mural on the Giant Tiger building and the ‘South Side – Main Street’ mural on the Upper Canada Playhouse building.

The two murals do not, Cox revealed, have champions to lobby for them.

“From a distance,” said Cox, “they are still appealing but we have a very narrow window before we lose them.”

“We do have short and long term recommendations  for their maintenance but both require funds to accomplish the goals.”

“As a result the life expectancy of these murals are unknown but this fall they very well may be part of the decommissioning process,” she continued. “We hope not.”

As for some of the other more fortunate murals, Cox informed that “the ‘Homecoming’ mural, championed by the Morrisburg Legion,  and the ‘New Canadian’ mural, championed by the Kolff Family, will have their maintenance done by Pierre Hardy this summer. Both will have some touch-ups done with an overall varnish coating applied.”

“The maintenance of the ‘Caldwell’ mural in Iroquois will be more labor intensive,” she continued. “A lot of water damage has been done over the years and as a result the bracing behind the mural will have to be replaced. When that is done Mike Kelly, champion and owner of Magnus Restoration in Iroquois, will be doing his magic with the mural.”

Cox also pointed out that “the mural committee’s mandate of the restoration and maintenance of our standing mural collection is drawing to an end and should be completed by year end.”

“By then we hope to place a plaque close to each mural acknowledging each mural’s champion. Again, we would like to thank everyone that has stood beside us with this endeavor including the support shown by the Morrisburg Leader.”

[…]