News

Starting January 1, 2012, businesses were required to be in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA). Enacted in 2005, the AODA provides standards for accessibility in all areas of daily life.

Accessibility standards identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities in the areas such as Customer Service, Information and Communications, Employment, and Public Spaces. All businesses with one or more employees must meet a variety of mandatory requirements.

“Consideration of accessibility is not an option for a business. These days it’s a basic business practice.” explains Constance Exley, CEO of Accessibility Ontario. “We have an aging population and the numbers of Ontarians with a disability is increasing.”

Exley is one of two keynote speakers who will present at the 1st Annual South Dundas Business Summit, taking place on Thursday, February 26, at the McIntosh Country Inn in Morrisburg.

In its inaugural year, the South Dundas Business Summit will present a unique opportunity to hear expert speakers who will provide advice on accessibility for businesses. 

“The South Dundas Business Summit will provide business owners with a clear understanding of what they need to do to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act,” explains South Dundas Economic Development Officer Nicole Sullivan.

“Businesses need to be proactive in their response to these changes in order to stay relevant to their customer base and to keep their competitive edge,” added Exley. “Accessibility does not need to be expensive or complicated, and there are many things you can do that are low cost or no cost.”

Exley’s workshop will specifically outline how accessibility can build profit, increase a customer base and facilitate employee engagement.

The AODA standards not only apply in the physical workspace, but also the web. 

Bernard Charlebois, Principal Consultant at Boumstrategies and Professor at La Cite Collegial, will speak on making websites and other e-business tools accessible to people with disabilities and the aging population.

The Business Summit is being hosted by the Morrisburg Downtown Business Improvement Association, the Municipality of South Dundas, the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce, and the Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre. 

It is presented by the Ontario BIA Association, with support from the Eastern Ontario Training Board and the Government of Ontario. 

To register or to make accommodations in order to attend, please contact: Nicole Sullivan, Economic Development Officer 613-543-2673 or nsullivan@southdundas.com

[…]

 

 WDMH’s cancer care navigator program supports patients and their families throughout their cancer journey. A new free workshop series is focusing on how to live well with cancer. 

On Tuesday, February 24, WDMH will be hosting “Living Well with Cancer: Self-Care and Coping” – an education session presented by Kimberly Janssen, WDMH’s Social Worker. During the session, Kimberly will discuss the unique needs of cancer patients and provide coping skills and strategies. Family and friends will also learn how to provide support while taking care of themselves. 

“This is important for people with cancer as often the disease can take over one’s life,” explains Kimberly. “The goal is to remember that while cancer can be life-altering, it doesn’t need to be all-consuming. We want to encourage people to live well with cancer and not let cancer define them.” 

“It’s all part of our effort to support our patients and their families,” adds Linda Johnson, WDMH’s Cancer Care Navigator. “We want to help patients be the healthiest they can be during their cancer journey.” 

The session is on Tuesday, February 24 at 2:00 in the hospital boardroom (Room C1-401). For more information, or to sign up to attend, please call Linda Johnson at 613-774-2422 ext. 6798 or email nursenavigator@wdmh.on.ca 

[…]

 The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has named Kingston’s Cruickshank Construction Limited its Paver of the Year for 2014.

The award, handed out at the Ontario Road Builders’ Association’s (ORBA) annual conference, recognizes excellence in workmanship on a hot-mix paving project completed in 2014. 

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) names one winner and three finalists each year and judges candidates on criteria including smoothness, night paving, completion, workmanship, and mix quality.

MTO chose Cruickshank on the strength of its work on the Napanee stretch of Highway 401, a multi-year project that was completed in the fall of 2014.

“We are extremely proud of all the people whose efforts went into the winning of this award,” said CEO Steve Cruickshank. “It was a great day for Cruickshank Construction.”

Cruickshank General Manager Roger Coulas accepted the award at ORBA’s annual conference on February 10th in Toronto.

[…]

Making every day special for residents is the goal of every staff member, but the Activity Team at Dundas Manor is taking that promise one step further. They have introduced the ‘Dream Come True’ program, setting a ‘person-centred goal’ for each resident.

“Dreams Come True can be big or small but they are always meaningful to the resident,” explains Jennifer Hill, Activity Programs and Services Director. “For example, they may want to spend an afternoon making chili sauce from an old family recipe. Maybe they want to skype with faraway family or go people watching downtown. One resident wanted to go to a greenhouse to pick out spring flowers for planting and another wanted to visit her former farm to see her farmhouse.”

Dundas Manor resident Bob Bennett took a trip to his old friend Eldon Lindsay’s farm with Activity Assistant Kerri Seabrook. 

Bob’s friendship with Eldon goes back to his equipment salesman days. He commented on how enjoyable the trip was and how much he appreciated the day out. “Bob’s natural GPS kicked in when we hit those old country roads,” adds Kerri. “Touring the modern dairy farm operation and visiting with an old friend makes for a perfect day.”

Bertha Christie loves to shop! So the activity team found a place not too far from Winchester that offers great deals – the House of Lazarus. Bertha enjoyed a morning of shopping followed by lunch at Loughlin’s for a visit with the locals. “It was a wonderful day. I had never been there before,” notes Bertha.

“Each resident is part of the process and is encouraged to dream a little,” adds Jennifer, who has worked at Dundas Manor for 20 years. “We sit down and talk about what we can accomplish together. And then we work to make it happen.”

[…]

Nation Valley ATV Club is proud to announce that its third annual Telus ATV Ride for Dad will be held on March 7, 2015. 

The 2015 goal is to raise $50,000 for the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation, with the proceeds being used for prostate cancer research and awareness in the Ottawa area.

This year’s rally is presented by the Ottawa Senators Alumni, and celebrity ride captains include former Ottawa Senators John Barrett and Amanda Kingsland from Country 101.1.

Many riders have already pre-registered for the event with the final attendance expected to be between 100 and 200.

The ride begins at the Mountain Township Agricultural Hall (2967 Lough Road, South Mountain). Registration is from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Departure at 10 a.m.

Riders are able to register and pledges can be made online at www.RideforDad.ca.

Many small businesses supporting the event have donated items for an online Facebook auction leading up to the rally. The address for the auction is https://www.facebook.com/AgoraWinchester. All of the proceeds of this auction will be donated to the Ride for Dad event on March 7th.

[…]

 

Two Seaway District High School students, both professed animal lovers, are stepping up to the plate, a plate stacked high with cupcakes to be exact, to help bring awareness to animals in need and raise much needed funding for the OSPCA. Sophia Currier, left, and Kendra Buter have gotten together to join the OSPCA on their National Cupcake Day and raise funds for the Cornwall Branch. For students at Seaway, it will be as simple as buying a cupcake(s) for $1 this coming Monday, February 23. Kendra, whose family includes two horses and their Golden Retriever “Daisy”, and Sophia, whose pets include the family dog Tuffy (who is a OSPCA Rescue) and three cats, say they have met with overwhelming support. “We are making cupcakes and have asked others to make some too,” says Kendra who has career plans to become a vet technician. “Originally we were hoping for 100 cupcakes, but now it is looking like more.” Sophia is delighted that Monday’s event will be attended by an OSPCA representative from the Cornwall Branch and there is the possibility the representative will attend with an animal available for adoption. “This is our effort to help out the animals,” says Sophia. “My mom actually found the National Cupcake Day event, and I think it is a great.” While the Seaway students are supporting the effort with every $1 cupcake purchased outside the cafeteria this Monday, February 23, the community can also donate to the OSPCA’s National Cupcake Day Fundraiser by going to the National Cupcake Day-Ontario SPCA website and donating to the Seaway Spartans team.

[…]

 

 “Weather stopping us! Never!” said Earl Nesbitt, one of the main organizers of the 2015 Iroquois Legion, branch 370, Darts 4 Hearts Tournament, held at the Legion on Saturday, February 14.

Despite some serious Valentine’s Day blizzard-like snow, 52 players came out for the event, and helped raise $1,767 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. While the numbers were down a little, players thoroughly enjoyed the tournament, organized by Earl and Randy Nesbitt. 

Prizes for the Heart & Stroke players were very generously donated from many area businesses, “from Brockville to Ingleside to Winchester,” said Earl.

Cindy Rowe, area manager of the Heart & Stroke Foundation was on hand to receive the cheque.

“We really rely on events like this,” Rowe said. “February is Heart and Stroke month, and an annual event like Darts 4 Hearts really helps create awareness, and in the process, ensures that there will be more survivors.”

The work of Heart and Stroke is ongoing, Rowe pointed out. Stents, improved drugs, pace makers, all of these aids for those stricken with heart related problems, are the direct result of  intensive research,  research that is often supported by events like Darts 4 Hearts.

“We are seeing an increase in research into women’s heart and stroke issues,” Rowe said. “Women’s problems are often different from men’s. There are also many younger people having  strokes, so we want to get the word out about proper diet and exercise. Along with programs like Jump Rope 4 Heart, we try to get educational activities into our schools.”

Cindy Rowe is joined, in the photo, by branch 370 president, Ralph Martin. Martin is himself a triple bypass survivor, from exactly one year ago.

[…]

 

 “Based on today’s experiences, I would say that this is probably going to become an annual event,” said Iroquois fire fighter, and one of the organizers of the first ever Fire Fighters’ Breakfast, Shawn Markell. “ We had nearly 200 people come out to enjoy the pancakes and sausages. People came steadily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.”

The breakfast, held at the Iroquois Civic Centre on Sunday, February 15, was cooked and served up by members of the Iroquois fire station. There was no admission cost: visitors were just asked to make a donation when they came in. The funds raised will go to the Firefighters Association for the South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services, and will be used for projects in the community throughout the year such as kids events and safety awareness events. 

The maple syrup was donated from Fowler’s, while Iroquois Foodland donated the food for the event.

“My goal and Mike’s (Eastman) goal was to see that everyone was able to have breakfast as part of our community. We wanted community families to have a chance to get together and enjoy a good meal. A dozen fire fighters and their wives and kids were all working on putting this meal together, and I feel the response to our first breakfast has been great,” said Shawn Markell. 

[…]

During the fall election campaign, the idea of an open question and answer session becoming part of the regular South Dundas council meeting agenda was a recurring topic of discussion.

The idea of adding such a ‘Q&A session’ to regular council agendas has not yet been brought to the table at a regular council meeting for discussion, but it looks like it may already be scrapped.

During a recent priority setting exercise for South Dundas council and staff, which took place February 6, at council chambers in the South Dundas Municipal Centre, in Morrisburg, the topic was briefly discussed.

Members of South Dundas council had earlier last week attended a two day council training session in Cornwall, where the topic was discussed.

According to South Dundas mayor Evonne Delegarde, all of those with expertise providing advice to the council members advised against open question and answer sessions at council meetings.

It was explained to council, that council meetings are meetings for council business, and even though they are open to the public, because they are council’s meetings, it should be up to council to bring issues into the council fold, not the public.

The public already has the ability to bring an issue to their council, by way of contacting an elected official whose phone numbers and email addresses are readily available, by writing a letter to council or by following the process to make a deputation to council.

Delegarde, added that she still thinks an annual town hall meeting for public input and feedback is an important exercise that she expects to continue in this term of council. Her hope was to hold one ‘as soon as possible’ but last week conceded the first town hall meeting of this council is not likely to happen until fall 2015.

[…]

A fire Friday, February 6, caused extensive damage to the Nudell Bush Road home of Sarah Belanger and Marcel Desaulniers.

Belanger was outside shovelling the deck at the rear of the house, and could smell something burning. When she went inside she discovered smoke in the house and went to the neighbour’s to call 911.

Chris McDonough, fire chief for South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services reported that the call came in at 12:20 p.m. as a possible chimney fire. 

When fire crews arrived, heavy smoke and flames were coming from the rear of the house where the steel chimney was located.

“The fire started inside the wall surrounding the chimney and travelled into the attic area, making it very difficult to contain the fire,” said McDonough. 

Crews remained on scene until about 6 p.m. Damage was extensive, estimated as a total loss of $220,000. No injuries were reported.

[…]