News

 

Door-knocking is one area where the SD&G OPP have had a lot of success over the past year.

OPP Sgt. Brent Mattice explained to South Dundas council at the February 19 meeting that door knocking is a process whereby police randomly knock on the door of a residence where one of its occupants is under release conditions.

Through this, police are able to determine whether the person is complying with the conditions of his/her release.

Although it does take time, Mattice reported that it is a worthy endeavour, which has resulted in the arrest of 20 individuals who were not complying with conditions.

“It’s a good process,” said Mattice. “The bad guys know that we (the OPP) are out there, we’re active and we’re checking on them.”

Calls for service

Mattice reported that although the local detachment is short-staffed, they have managed to handle the calls for service, even though the numbers have increased slightly over last year. 

South Dundas recorded the second highest number of calls for service of the six municipalities in the United Counties, according to Mattice. However, he added that the number of calls to each was very similar, with the exception of North Stormont.  

New tool at the disposal of OPP

The police services board has purchased a portable device that police can attach to a sign post to monitor traffic flow and speeds. 

“It should provide us with a lot of meaningful data,” said Mattice, explaining that with the use of this device they will be better able to identify problem areas in need of further enforcement.

Collisions rise

The number of traffic collisions has increased slightly from last year, but Sgt. Mattice reported the upside of the stat. “The number of fatalities has decreased,” said Mattice. Last year there were 10, this year six.

Traffic enforcement goal

Distracted drivers continue to be a key target for traffic enforcement for the OPP in SD&G and across the province.

[…]

 

Firefighters had difficulty gaining access to a structure fire that was reported through a 911 call at 8:45 p.m. February 24.

The structure was located in a field about 400 feet south of the 401, in the vicinity of the extension of Muttonville Road. Firefighters from the Morrisburg station responded to the scene.

“Firefighters had to access the fire from the 401 with hose lines and equipment which made it difficult with the depth of snow to the structure,” reported Chris McDonough, fire chief for South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services. Firefighters from the Iroquois station were called in for additional manpower and tanker shuttle.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but it was deemed suspicious, according to McDonough. Damage is estimated at $10,000.

[…]

 

Sheds, located right next to a Brinston Road home, were completely destroyed by fire February 21.

Quick action by firefighters who arrived on scene at 10:22 p.m., kept the fire from spreading to the house.

“Firefighters made an aggressive attack and managed to control the fire before any significant damage was made to the adjacent home,” said Chris McDonough, fire chief for South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services.

When firefighters from the Iroquois Fire Station arrived on scene the two sheds were fully involved and flames were exposed to the house, reported McDonough.  

“It was an excellent save for us and the homeowner,” he said.

An additional tanker from the Morrisburg station was also called to the scene.

The fire is thought to have been caused by a wood stove in one of the two sheds. 

Damage is estimated at about $18,000; $10,000 for the buildings and $8,000 for contents.

[…]

 

Nearly $160,000 worth of food was distributed to people and families in need through the Dundas County Food Bank in 2012.

Dundas County Food Bank officials discussed the facts and figures of 2012 at their annual general meeting held February 18, at the J.W. MacIntosh Seniors Support Centre in Williamsburg.

The 1,818 boxes of food went  out the front doors of the food bank’s Morrisburg and Winchester locations. Forty per cent of those people fed with the contents were children.

There were nearly 5,600 visits to the DCFB recorded last year, 372 more than the previous year.

“As we know, some things never change,” said Alvin Runnalls, DCFB board chair, at the meeting. “The numbers of people we help keep growing.”

“Our numbers have increased, but the generosity of our communities has grown as well, and we have thus been able to keep up with that growth,” said Runnalls.

In 2012, $45,000 was budgeted for food purchases, but necessary food purchases exceeded that budget by about $10,000. The 2013 budget is $56,000.

Purchasing by the food bank, especially of food staples is done in bulk, on sale, and often locally to maximized the dollars donated to the food bank.

Some small changes have been made by the food bank coordinators as cost cutting measures, such as no longer purchasing baby wipes and eliminating peanut butter from the regular food boxes, giving it out instead by request only.

Usage of the Morrisburg location of the food bank is slightly higher than the Winchester location. About 58 per cent of people who used the food bank in 2012, used the Morrisburg location.

[…]

 

The most prestigious of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal presentation ceremonies was held, February 6, at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, and among the guests was Iroquois resident John Ross, founder of Ross Video.

At the Diamond Jubilee Gala, hosted by The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, members of the Order of Canada, residing in Ontario, were presented with their Diamond Jubilee Medals.

“What a wonderful experience,” said Ross. “This was my first experience to be among such a very distinguished group, who were all receiving the medals for a variety of accomplishments in various fields.”

Of the event, Ross said, “It couldn’t have been done better.”

The event drew to a close Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Year, as February 6, 2013 was the 61st anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the Throne.

A number of prominent Canadians acted as medal presenters. Ross was presented his medal by Jian Ghomeshi.

Some of the other medal presenters included Ken Dryden, Dan Akroyd, Paul Henderson, Tommy Hunter, Elizabeth Manley, Valerie Pringle, George Stromboulopoulos and Brian Williams.

Peter Mansbridge was master of ceremonies for the event, and Ross enjoyed having the opportunity to talk to Mansbridge. “We have a lot in common,” said Ross of their CBC affiliations, Order of Canada honours, and career starts in Manitoba.

A pre-recorded Message from Prince Charles was played at the event, and there was also a link to Chris Hadfield in the International Space Station.

The entertainment line-up for the evening was star-studded including Michael Burgess, Liona Boyd and Tom Cochrane.

[…]

Over $1,000 was raised at the annual Heart and Stroke Curling Bonspiel hosted by the Morrisburg Curling Club on Saturday. 

Organized for the fourth consecutive year by Greta McGann, the bonspiel in that time has raised over $5,500. 

This year’s event attracted 10 teams of curlers all of whom enjoyed a great day of curling and hospitality. 

“February is Heart Month, and we have our Core Fundraising Program underway,” said Cindy Rowe, area manager for Heart and Stroke in SD&G-Prescott Russell of the 1,495 canvassers involved in the local door-to-door campaign.

Rowe congratulated McGann on the great job she does with the annual bonspiel. In addition to accepting the Morrisburg Club/Bonspiel donation, Rowe was on hand to announce that Heart & Stroke would be providing a heart defibrillator to the club. 

“Heart and Stroke received money through a bequest from an area farmer and as a result, in partnership with SD&G Emergency Service, we are able to place some defibrillators throughout the area.” 

Rowe indicated that the curling club, with its activities and high senior membership population, is a good fit. 

Bonspiel organizer Greta McGann was happy with Saturday’s turnout and especially pleased with the generous response from the local business community and individuals who provided a fantastic assortment of gifts used for prizes and door prizes.

McGann expressed her thanks to everyone who donated. 

The Bonspiel featured two draws. Winning the first draw was the Toonders rink of John, John C. Jason and Candice. The second draw winners were Mahlon and Paula Locke and Carolyn and Garry Beckstead.

[…]

Dog # 1-Chocolate Lab mix is a female puppy, less than one year old. She is not spayed, but is house trained and good with people. She is an excellent choice for a family, as she is eager for some puppy training and fun!!! -Was adopted, Sunday February 24.

 

[…]

 

The South Dundas Sports Lending Library, established in 2012 to allow residents of South Dundas to access a wide variety of sporting goods, is becoming very popular.

“The Sports Lending Library is working very well,” said Ben Macpherson, South Dundas recreation program coordinator. 

Macpherson established the program with a successful Trillium Funding Application and now has sports equipment of all kinds available, for for residents of South Dundas to freely borrow.

“The snowshoes have been very popular this winter,” said Macpherson, who says that area schools have made use of them to provide their students the opportunity to try something new.

“The schools are strong supporters of the program,” he said, adding that currently one of the schools has borrowed a number of helmets and skates for a skating trip to the canal in Ottawa.

“Also getting a lot of use are the skates at the arena,” said Macpherson. 

“We had one person borrow a pair because he hadn’t been skating in 20 years. Now, he comes every week and borrows the same pair.”

That’s the whole point of the library, facilitating physical activity for South Dundas residents.

The Sports Lending Library is located beside the Dundas County Food Bank. Available for borrow are snowshoes of all sizes, basketballs, volleyballs, footballs, cross country skis, badminton and bocce ball sets. Skates and helmets are available within the Morrisburg Arena in all sizes, from children’s to youth to adult.

“Several families have borrowed the cross county skis,” said Macpherson, explaining how great it is for people to have the opportunity to enjoy these outdoor winter sports without having to invest in the costly equipment. 

“It’s also great if you have visitors coming to town,” he said explaining that you can outfit them to enjoy some recreational activities with you, again without having to invest in equipment.

Looking forward to the summer months, Macpherson is hoping to bring in canoes and kayaks to the lending library.

Anyone with questions about the South Dundas Sports Lending Library can contact Ben Macpherson at 613-543-2937 or bmacpherson@southdundas.com

[…]

 

Funds from the John Stewart Estate Memorial Trust were delivered to Dundas County recipients Friday at the Dundas County Food Bank’s Winchester location.

The Dundas County Food Bank received $1,200. Meals on Wheels, which serves Morrisburg and Iroquois, and the J.W. MacIntosh Seniors Support Centre in Williamsburg each received $490 from the estate.

All were very grateful to receive the contributions in support of each of their programs.

“The board looks most at need,” said Estella Rose, advisory board member. Contributions are made to other groups throughout the United Counties and the City of Cornwall. In total, $8,505.91 worth of grants were made through the program to 13 organizations. The grants ranged in size from $490 to $1,200.

The money for the annual grants is investment income derived from the sale in 1991 of the John Stewart Home, once located in Cornwall. The home was opened in 1930 as a modest facility to provide housing for poor and indigent persons. 

To date, over $192,000 in income has been distributed to appropriate agencies. This is the 110th anniversary of John Stewart’s death.

[…]

 

Proper nutrition through the inclusion of necessary fruits and vegetables in one’s daily diet, can often fall by the wayside in the hustle and bustle of daily life, with people all too often opting for less nutritious, convenience items.

For a few years, South Dundas has taken the lead role in helping make proper nutrition more convenient for its residents, by offing a green food program. 

The program makes it easy for residents to fill their fridges with fruits and vegetables, without having to take the time to shop for them.

“All you need to get started is $10 and an empty grocery bag,” says Ben Macpherson, recreation program coordinator for South Dundas, who administers the program.

“The green food bag program is for everyone,” he says.

“It’s $10, try it once,” encourages Macpherson. 

“If you don’t like it, there’s no commitment to continue, and if you do like it, it’s very easy to continue receiving the bag each month.”

Currently, the green food program is experiencing a downturn in usage.

“I have no idea why,” says Macpherson. “It’s such a simple and easy way to get a great value for you and your family.”

Last month, only 80 people participated in the green food program. 

Although Macpherson is used to seeing the numbers fluctuate a little from month to month this is the lowest it has been since its inception. 

The program has seen as many as 145 monthly users.

This recent downturn will not have an overall impact on the program. It will continue and the cost will remain the same $10. 

But, when more people use the program, everyone benefits from a greater value, and greater variety of produce, for their $10 contribution.

How to get started

• The first step is the hardest: Drop by either the South Dundas municipal office in Williamsburg or Community Living Dundas County, located on Allison Avenue, in Morrisburg. Tell them you want to order a green food bag and pay $10. If you order/pay before March 8, there will be a green food bag ready for you to pick up on March 20.

• Pick up day: On pick up day, which will be outlined on your order sheet, stop by the Morrisburg Arena anytime from 12:30-3:30 p.m. or 4:30-6:30 p.m. to pick up your green food bag. Take an empty shopping bag with you. When you pick up your green food, a volunteer is on hand to take orders/payments for those who wish to re-order for the next month.

How the program works

Once the order by date passes, Macpherson takes the money collected and a wholesale price list and decides what will be in the next food green food bag. 

“What I do is choose items that are the best prices for that month, so I’m stretching the dollar for everyone,” says Macpherson. 

“I try to include some staples every month, like potatoes and onions, because you can really do a lot with those. I start with the staples, and then I go from there with the dollars I have available. What I try to do is to provide a balance of fruits and vegetables each month.” 

“There’s a core group who have used this program since it started. They love it and they definitely recognize the value it provides,” says Macpherson. 

Most who use the program tend to be parents or seniors, but Macpherson stresses that the program is for everyone. “You can order as many bags as you want, it doesn’t matter who you are,” he says.

Some people have even organized themselves so that one person picks up several bags for them and their neighbours, to add to the convenience of the program.

Macpherson hopes that this valuable program will continue to grow and thrive for the value it provides the residents of South Dundas.

While Macpherson administers the program, there are many volunteers who offer their time to keep the program going. 

They pack the bags, oversee pick ups and orders and one, Neila Fowler, even donates the use of her truck on her day off to go and pick up the order from the warehouse.

[…]