News

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.

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The St. Lawrence River is one of our community’s greatest assets and the Morrisburg Waterfront Committee is excited to share an update on the initiatives that are underway this summer to enhance it.

The Morrisburg & District Lions Club has graciously spearheaded and funded the installation of finger docks along the Morrisburg waterfront. The new docks provide over 60 additional feet of space for small watercraft to dock and come ashore to enjoy our community. The docks were supplied by Quinte Boatdocks and concrete landing pad to which they are attached was installed by Cruickshank Construction Ltd. 

In support of the initiative, the Morrisburg Waterfront Committee has recently commissioned a “lock door” sign. It is designed to commemorate the canal system that ran along the waterfront in Morrisburg prior to the construction of the Seaway. 

Enhancements are also being made in the park itself; the Lions Club Pavilion is now equipped with six new durable, steel top picnic tables, two of which are handicap accessible. These additions match the benches and picnic tables that surround theDocksyde Snack Bar and have received positive feedback. The coordination will help facilitate a consistent look throughout the waterfront park. 

Leading residents and visitors to the park are new sidewalks and, soon to be, decorative lighting. The sidewalks running on the east side of Ottawa Street at the waterfront will be lit with a series of energy efficient lights that match those running along the waterfront walking path. These additions are important steps towards making the park safer and more visually appealing.

In late 2013, the Committee presented South Dundas Council with a preliminary design for the Morrisburg Waterfront. Randy Veinotte, spokesperson for the Committee notes that “these initiatives make the park more welcoming to the public and contribute to the overall vision the community has identified for the space”.

“The river is a defining characteristic of our community” said Mayor Steven Byvelds, “and continuing with these successful partnerships will help us ensure it remains a place for residents and visitors enjoy”.

Full plans for the Morrisburg Waterfront are available online atwww.southdundas.com.

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Municipal Elections will be held on October 27, 2014 for the election of Municipal Councils and School Board Trustees. Persons interested in submitting their names as candidates, may now complete the necessary nomination forms and submit them to the Municipal Office by 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2014.

The Municipality of South Dundas has adopted the alternate voting method of "Vote by Telephone, Internet or Paper Composite Ballot". VOTING WILL ONLY BE DONE BY TELEPHONE, INTERNET OR PAPER COMPOSITE BALLOT.

Should a municipal election occur as a result of having a greater number of candidates than required to fill the office(s) available, each eligible and registered elector on the List of Electors will personally and individually receive, by first-class mail, a "Voter Information Letter" containing the following information:

1. The toll free telephone number to call and the website to visit to vote;
2. Your confidential and Personalized Identification Number (Voting PIN);
3. A list of the candidates nominated for each office and instructions on how to vote;
4. The telephone number of the Voter Help Center.

 

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As an added security feature, you will be required to add your date of birth before voting. If you are unsure that your full date of birth is on the voter’s list, you may contact the Voter Help Centre (Municipal Office) to have it added prior to voting. After September 22, 2014, you will be required to come into the Voter Help Centre to fill out a form and provide photo identification.

Voting will commence on October 22, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. and conclude on October 27, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. Voting access by telephone and internet will be available on a continuous 6 day, 24-hour basis during this voting period. The “vote by telephone” method requires use of a touch-tone telephone. The "vote by internet" method requires use of a computer with internet access.

As in the past no proxies are permitted with these alternate voting methods. Any individual, during the 6 day voting period, may request assistance at the Voter Help Centre (Municipal Office).

In addition, all County Libraries have established internet access centers for the use of the public at locations in the various communities in the United Counties of S.D. & G.

To accommodate all electors, the Municipal Office will be open extra hours. Please contact the Municipal Office for the hours or further information.

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One of the summer’s biggest events along the Seaway is set to take place on Sunday, August 24, as the Golden Gears Car Club hosts its third annual Car Show and Concert at the Iroquois Locks.  

This Show can attract up to 300 vehicles of all types from eastern Ontario  as well as northern New York. When you add the sounds of good-time rock and roll featuring the popular group, Eddy & the Stingrays, you have the makings of a memorable summer afternoon. 

This is an opportunity for everyone to take in both an exciting car show and some outstanding music. 

Admission to the event is free for all spectators. Visitors to the Locks will be encouraged to make a donation to help defray costs, if they wish. 

The Car Show runs from 9 a.m.  until 3 p.m. Eddy & the Stingrays will swing into musical action on the Locks stage from noon until 2:30 p.m. 

For those who arrive early, the Iroquois members of the South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services will be presenting a vehicle rescue demonstration at 10:30 a.m., using the Jaws of Life. This promises to be a fascinating exhibition for the youngsters.

This year, the date of the annual Car Show and Concert has been moved from September to late August.

The day’s many activities have also been moved ahead to take advantage of a bit more daylight, and to allow drivers to get home before dusk.  

Car owners coming out for this Show will be eligible for a variety of prizes and trophies in various categories of vehicles. As well,  everyone can take part in the  50-50 draw. 

Again this year there will be vendors on site offering vehicle accessories and all things automotive to visitors. And there’s no need to pack a lunch. The food concession will be operated by Terry Palmer of the South Mountain area.  His crew can handle a crowd with speed and precision, offering delicious beef, or pork on a bun, sausages and much more wonderful food.  

In the event of rain, the Golden Gears have arranged for large tents to be put in place: the band will be playing on the covered stage. 

There’s no need for a little damp weather to spoil any of the concert fun. Just  remember to bring your lawn chair.

The Golden Gears Car Club, revived in early 2012, now boasts over 80 members made up of classic car owners and car enthusiasts. Its mission is twofold: the preservation and restoration of classic cars, and the desire to help our community.  

The Gears operated the annual car show at the Canada Day celebration at the Iroquois Locks on behalf of the local Lions Club. The club also held a food drive in Morrisburg in early August with proceeds going to the Dundas County Food Bank, and was instrumental in a car show and food drive held in Cardinal on August 10th.

Don’t miss the Golden Gears Car Show and Concert, featuring  Eddie & the Stingrays, Sunday, August 24, at the Locks. What a great way to wind up the summer.

  

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The Provincial Government is providing small, rural and northern municipalities with stable, annual funding to build and repair critical infrastructure and help to create jobs across the province.

Premier Kathleen Wynne and Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, were in St. Thomas to announce that the new Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund will provide $100 million per year in funding for critical road, bridge, water and wastewater projects. 

Half of the funding for the initiative will be allocated annually using a fair and transparent formula, which recognizes that municipalities have different infrastructure and fiscal needs. The remaining $50 million will flow through an application-based process, allowing municipalities to continue partnering with the province to invest in critical infrastructure projects that will create jobs and support growth. 

The Premier also announced that Ontario municipalities can now propose infrastructure projects to be considered for support through the Small Communities Fund. Through this fund, Ontario and the federal government will each provide $272 million to support projects in municipalities with populations less than 100,000.

The province is now accepting expressions of interest for the application-based component of the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and the Small Communities Fund, with grants expected to be awarded in early 2015.

To be eligible for the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, municipalities must have a population of less than 100,000 as of the 2011 census or be located in northern or rural Ontario.

To ease the administrative burden for small municipalities, the province worked with the federal government to closely align the Small Communities Fund with the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund.

Ontario plans to invest more than $130 billion in public infrastructure over the next 10 years. This will support more than 110,000 jobs on average each year in construction and related industries.

“Our government is fulfilling a commitment to provide a permanent infrastructure program that will continue to build up small, rural and northern communities. We listened to our municipal partners, who know what’s best for their communities. This is why providing predictable, sustainable, annual funding is a key component of this new fund,” said Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

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 NORTH DUNDAS – The group Destination North Dundas, a group of business people in North Dundas and the surrounding area, have been working very hard to organize an Art and Wine Tour for September 13th and 14th, 2014. 

The Tour includes three local wineries: Strathmore Orchard and Winery, Smokie Ridge Vineyard and Blue Gypsy Wines. 

Also on the tour are the Chesterville Farmers’ Market , the North Stormont Farmers’ Market, The Gathering House-Chesterville, the Town Vintner, Terrace Green B & B, Winchelsea Events and Art Scene Art Gallery in Spencerville. 

On this inaugural tour, we have a very diverse group of artists, musicians, painters, fabric artist, jewellers, sculptors, authors, food and woodworkers. 

A complete list can be found on our website at www.artandwinetour.weebly.com. They can also be found on Facebook at Art and Wine Tour.

Applications for artists to join the tour are still being accepted. (A downloadable application can be found on our website.)

Awareness of local wineries increased when the Provincial Government changed the regulations to allow only VQA wines to be sold at the local Farmers’ Markets. Since Strathmore Orchard and Winery, Blue Gypsy Wines, and Smokie Ridge Vineyard not VQA, they are prevented from selling their local product at our local Farmers’ Markets.

Destination North Dundas started working on developing the Tour over a year ago, with the idea to increase awareness of the local producers and to share local treasures.

The dates for the Art and Wine Tour are September 13th and 14th to coincide with the harvests. A variety of artist and art forms at each stop on the tour. “We want you to join us on the tour along highway 43, stop and smell the roses, check out some fabulous art and discover our hidden jewels,” they say.

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Iroquois is one of three overnight stops for the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure which started Monday at Brighton.

Over 120 cyclists will roll into the Iroquois Campground August 14, for an overnight stay.

This is the first time South Dundas has hosted the Great Waterfront Trail campers.

The Great Waterfront Trail adventure is a cycling getaway along Ontario’s Waterfront Trail, a 1,400 signed route along Ontario’s Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

The trail highlights many cycling tourism destinations in the province and puts local communities on the map for tourists looking to explore the region. 

“Cycling tourism is growing in popularity because of its great health benefits and scenic travel opportunities,” said Anna Halkidis, manager of operations for CAA South Central Region, which is supporting the ride. She is also participating.

This five day tour will take the cyclists from Brighton to Cornwall. 

The final day of the trip starts in Iroquois and ends in Cornwall.

Marlaine Koehler, executive director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust is pleased that CAA chooses to host this type of vacation along Ontario’s Waterfront Trail. 

“This speaks volumes to the quality of experience that we offer in our own backyard and the growing opportunity for local communities to tap into the international cycle tourism market,” she said in an August 11, media release.

During this trip, overnight stays are at Picton, Kingston, Gananoque and Iroquois.

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Upper Canada Village will host over 30 food, wine and beer artisans and producers at a new culinary event Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17 showcasing a selection of the region’s best local food and beverage producers.  And there’s more….this year’s event is themed around the love and role of cast iron cookware.

The highlight of the weekend will take place on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., with an all-new Iron Pan Competition.  

Chefs from across the region will vie for the judges’ favour as they create a dish using a box of local mystery ingredients, each using a single cast iron skillet. 

Competing Chefs include:  Chef Supremo Ahmad Mansori from Cornwall’s Table 21 and Truffles Burger Bar; Executive Chef Derek MacGregor representing Le Chien Noir Bistro in Kingston; Executive Chef John Leung from Ottawa’s Steak Modern:  Steak & Sushi located in the Byward Market and  Executive Chef Jhonatan Gonzales from Winchelsea Events, Winchester.  

Executive Chef Luc McCabe from NAV Centre will lead the judging panel with the help of Peter Hum, Food Editor at the Ottawa Citizen and Hélène Peloquin, Cook, Writer and blogger from Ottawa (La Cuisine d’Hélène). Chef Wes Wilkinson, Culinary Faculty Member at Algonquin College will Emcee.  

Contestants will be judged on, but not limited to their creativity, use of mystery ingredients, flavours, and cleanliness.  

“We’re extremely pleased to see an increase in event vendors this year, proving that Culinary Tourism is strong and continuing to rise”, says Geoff Waycik, UCV Manager. ”We’ve got one of the most unique venues in Ontario to host this event and as we add in our own Village staff cooking interpretations, it really puts a historic spin on food. The iron skillet theme this year has generated much interest – as the trend with many customers is to simplify and get back to basics in everyday life.  This is the year to attend this event!”

On Sunday, a new segment featuring sensational single-skillet suppers made simple will be presented three times during the day at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m.

Special guest Gourmet Food Chef  Dwight Saunders, Teacher and Wellness Consultant of Aura Culinary Arts in Iroquois, will lend his culinary expertise, preparing three unique dishes from around the world, using local ingredients!  

Not to be missed on Saturday & Sunday: 

The Original 100 Mile Diet…

Throughout the weekend, Upper Canada Village’s own characters from the past will be presenting the region’s original 100-mile diet through heirloom garden tours, as well as special heritage cooking demonstrations and taste testing in the historic kitchens of three of its 19th century homesteads (Louck’s Farm, Tenant Farm and Cook’s Tavern). Other food-related activities will include grinding flour in Bellamy’s Steam Flour Mills, baking bread in the bakery and making cheddar cheese in the Union Cheese Factory.  Village flour, bread and cheese will all be for sale in the farmers’ market area.

The cast iron theme continues throughout the site.  Period kettles, woodstoves and utensils all crafted from iron will be highlighted and/or put to use throughout Upper Canada Village over the weekend.   Visitors can test their strength at the skillet tossing challenge, a more than “light-hearted” activity that will add some weight to the event’s full roster of activities.  

Stop in at Crysler Hall to see “Fire in the Kitchen”, a special exhibit showing technological change in the kitchen in the 19th century.  From new food products, gadgets and tools, to new methods of preparing food, the century marked a period of rapid innovation in the home.  See if you can figure out the mystery artifacts!

Dining in a 19th Century Inn – Willard’s Hotel Weekend Special

Historic Willard’s Hotel Restaurant, across the street from the fairgrounds, is featuring a Food Lover’s Special: Homemade Chicken Pot Pie, Side Salad in a Sweet Cider Vinaigrette Dressing, Village Bread, Strawberry Shortcake and Beverage – $20 per person, both Saturday and Sunday.  Reservations are recommended at 613-543-0660. Willard’s Hotel is licensed and air-conditioned. Other regular menu items will also be offered.

Access to the Farmer’s Market in the fairgrounds, presentations and activities are all included in admission to Upper Canada Village. Adult $18, Senior (65 yrs+) $16; Youth (6-12 yrs) $12.  Visit www.UpperCanadaVillage.com or call 800-437-2233 or 613-543-4328 (locally) for more information or to purchase tickets.

A complete list and description of all vendors participating is available online.  Food Lover’s Field Days is also sponsored by Foodland Ontario, Stormont & Dundas Milk Producers and the Ontario Egg Farmers (Eastern Ontario region).

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Submitted by: Joanne Ledoux-Moshonas, Manager of Mental Health Promotion Source: www.iasp.info

CORNWALL – Suicide is a major public health problem. The psychological pain that leads each of these individuals to take their lives is unimaginable. Their deaths leave families and friends bereft, and often have a major ripple effect on communities.

Every year, almost one million people die from suicide; this roughly corresponds to one death every 40 seconds. The number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined.

Suicide is among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 years in some countries, and the second leading cause of death in the 10-24 years age group; these figures do not include suicide attempts which can be many times more frequent than suicide (10, 20, or more times according to some studies).

Mental disorders (particularly depression and alcohol use disorders) are a major risk factor for suicide in Europe and North America; however, in Asian countries impulsiveness plays an important role. Suicide is complex with psychological, social, biological, cultural and environmental factors involved.

The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are committed to preventing suicide. These organizations recognize World Suicide Prevention Day as an important day in the international calendar. World Suicide Prevention Day brings together individuals and organizations with an interest in suicide prevention, and mobilizes efforts to save lives.

Efforts to prevent suicide have been celebrated on World Suicide Prevention Day – September 10th – each year since 2003. In 2014, the theme of World Suicide Prevention Day is ‘Suicide Prevention: One World Connected.’ The theme reflects the fact that connections are important at several levels if we are to combat suicide.

Connectedness is crucial to individuals who may be vulnerable to suicide. Studies have shown that social isolation can increase the risk of suicide and, conversely, that having strong human bonds can be protective against it. Reaching out to those who have become disconnected from others and offering them support and friendship may be a life-saving act.

Please join us on World Suicide Prevention Day September 10th, 2014 at North Dundas High School in Chesterville, Ontario from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for an awareness evening on suicide prevention. Participants will have a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.0 for more info please call 613-933-5845 ext. 241 Bring a guest and each will receive two bonus tickets for the draw.

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 I love my operas bigger than life, bold and passionate. I love my plays about operas bigger than life, bold, passionate and hilarious.

Lend Me A Tenor, which has just opened at Upper Canada Playhouse, and runs until August 24, is all of the above, and then some.

Ebullient characters, impossible mix-ups, outrageous lines, and some of the best laughs you will experience in a theatre this summer, Lend Me A Tenor is simply great fun. Director Donnie Bowes’ eight man cast is dynamic,  all of them easily able to deal with both the frantic pace of the play and its demands on their acting stamina.

The story is set in 1934, in a hotel suite near the Cleveland Opera House where Italian opera superstar, Tito Morelli, is scheduled to give one performance only of his most famous role, Otello.

The Opera House has a lot riding on this show. Manager Henry Saunders has wilting shrimp hors d’ouevres, a full stage crew, back up singers, a chorus line, an interfering opera board and 1,000 paid patrons in search of a spot of culture, in place, awaiting the arrival of the great Morelli. 

To add operatic overtones to the plot, the temperamental tenor arrives several hours late for his Cleveland engagement. He has grossly overindulged in train food, and  adamantly refuses to attend a dress rehearsal. His nerves, he proclaims, are playing up. He will need some medication.

He gets a little more than he expected.

Sheldon Davis performs ‘Il Stupendo’ the tenor, as a character whose ego appears to be only slightly smaller than Luciano Pavarotti’s girth. Morelli’s fractured English and his habit of flinging himself dramatically all about his hotel room, swiftly sets the outrageous mood of the play…and also sets off audience howls.

Davis is priceless in the bombastic role. Yet he still manages to bring out his character’s sympathetic side. It is not easy, even for Morelli, to be hounded by a fickle public, and to exist out of suitcases. (“I live in hotels! If I have children they gonna look like bellhops!”) 

Perhaps that is why Tito’s relationship with his long-suffering wife, Maria (Susan Greenfield, having a wonderful time in the role), is tempestuous, and very, very funny. They don’t talk these two. They shout. They gesture. They threaten.

“Someday you gonna wake up in you bed, you gonna be a soprano!”

“My wife, she’s-a crazy! Shutta up yourself!”

Witness to the Morelli domestic outbursts is Max, Parris Greaves, the harried Cleveland Opera assistant manager and its general “dogsbody,” as the insufferable Henry Saunders (Ed Sahely) describes him.  Ordered to keep the womanizing Tito “on a leash” until performance time, Greaves’ Max soon finds himself drowning in Machiavellian cover-ups. Especially when it appears, early in Act I, that ‘Il Stupendo’, in a fit of remorse, may have actually done himself in.

“It was acknowledged that Tito sang like an angel. Apparently he wanted to prove it,”  an enraged Saunders says acidly. The Cleveland Opera manager  now faces that greatest of all theatrical calamities – returning ticket money!

Someone must put on the Otello costume and sing the opera. And who better than Max, who actually knows the role? (So what if he’s never sung outside his shower.)

The plot complications fly thick and fast, to the audience’s evident delight. Soon there are two Tito Morellis on the loose in Cleveland, and one of them has slugged an unforgiving cop. 

Into this comic buffet, toss Maggie, Max’s on-again, off-again fiancé (played with wide-eyed naiveté by Liz Gilroy) who is desperate for a “wider experience,”  preferably with the great star. Stir in the formidable head of the Opera Guild, Julia (Patti Kazmer), who is also Tito ‘stage-struck’, and a most unexpected fashionista. (“How do I look?” Saunders: “Like the Chrylser Building.”)

Blend in bellhop Doug Tangney (who can set the audience giggling just by walking on stage) complete with his camera, his autograph book and his running feud with Saunders.

And finally, spice the whole feast up via the sultry Diana (AnnaMarie Lea), who is only too ready to do “whatever” it takes to get to the Met stage  ‘a la Tito’. 

However, as she later hilariously observes, at a crucial moment, there does seem to be rather an overabundance of Titos in the hotel suite! (“I’ve been two timed before, but never with so much flair!”)

The laughs are loud and long throughout the entire play. Bowes has also punctuated certain actions on stage by the introduction  of some  unexpected and quite inspired bits of real opera. Bravo!

Incidentally, be prepared to be bowled over by the vocal talents of Davis and Greaves – what a pleasure to hear them!

Bowes has staged a classic, thoroughly wonderful comedy for the third play of the season.  Plan to spend time with Il Stupendo and the mad cap characters of Lend Me A Tenor. As Tito would say, it’s all “molto bene”!

Contact the Playhouse at 613-543-3713 for tickets.

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