This week in The Leader – November 20, 2019

“Completion of the Campbell Street extension is imminent,” reported South Dundas chief administrative officer Stephen McDonald, at the December 16 council meeting.

“We have received our permit. We can now cut down a butternut tree.”

One endangered butternut tree located right in the centre of the Campbell Street extension put a stop to the work taking place to open up land in the Morrisburg business park.

The work was stopped back in 2013, and could not proceed until the Municipality was granted this permit through a lengthy process.

Work will proceed as soon as the contractor is available to complete the project.

[…]

One hundred and fifty free pumpkins are ready and  waiting to be carved.

The Morrisburg Business Improvement area is inviting everyone to come by the Morrisburg Plaza the afternoon of October 26, to carve a pumpkin.

From 2-5:30 pm., pumpkin carving will take place at clock tower in the Morrisburg Plaza.

“Families are welcome to drop by and carve a pumpkin, that they can take home with them,” said Grace McDonough, BIA coordinator. “The pumpkins are free!” 

Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

Some carving tools including stencils and carving kits will be available, but people are can bring their own too.

Once the pumpkins are carved, they can be lit and placed with all of the other creative community efforts in the light the way display at about 6:30 p.m.

The idea is for the community to light the way to Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village for its visitors,

The carved pumpkins then go home with their creators.

The light the way display is the culmination of this year’s second annual Season of the Pumpkin People which runs throughout the South Dundas community during Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village.

This year featured children’s activities and stories, a pumpkin recipe contest, and window display contest.

[…]

Firefighters from all three South Dundas fire stations fought a fire on Pages Corners Road last Friday.

At 7:30 a.m., October 19, firefighters rushed to the scene of a structure fire at Xolanda Farms, where the large tarp building used for hay storage was fully engulfed in flames.

“Crews quickly extinguished the flames,” reported Chris McDonough, fire chief for South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services. “Then the long process of extinguishing the hot spots began,” he noted, adding that the rain made it difficult for the crews because it was forcing the smoke to stay at ground level. A contractor was called in with an excavator to separate the burning bales of hay. Crews remained on scene until about 5:30 p.m.

The fire was caused by a Bobcat loader’s exhaust igniting combustibles (possibly hay) in the coverall building.

A previous fire, in the same structure approximately three years ago, destroyed only the outer shell of the building, so the owners were able to use the same frame and replace only the tarp. The fire chief is awaiting an engineer’s report to determine if once again the steel structure is salvageable before making an estimate of damages.

[…]