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Lisa Lewis wanted to do something to help the Froats family cope with their expenses while Brody remains in CHEO, so she organized what she thought would be a small pancake breakfast fundraiser.

The event, held Saturday at the Recreation Hall in Riverside Heights, raised $800 for the family. 

Thanks to Riverside Recreation donating the use of the hall and the food for the event, the entire proceeds from the sale of the breakfasts will go to the Froats family. In addition to the 86 breakfasts sold, those who attended generously donated another $370.

“I wasn’t planning on so many people coming out, but I’m glad they did,” said Lewis. She was thrilled with the support and appreciative of the efforts of those who volunteered to help out including; Ann Lewis, Linda Robinson, Alice Pemberton, Madison DeJong, Melanie, Jeremy and Tyson Whitford, Carl and Gail Robinson and Terry Hamilton.

“It’s fantastic what Lisa has done here,” said Gail Robinson, who thanked Lisa and the volunteers on behalf of the family. “The community, everyone, has been so wonderful. I know Mark, Lisa, Brody and Brett are very appreciative.”

The funds are meant to help the family with expenses so that they can focus on their time together. Brody has been in CHEO since late last year as a result of complications of Prader-Willi Syndrome. 

His father Mark remains at CHEO with him. Mark is a contractor who has been unable to work since Brody was admitted to hospital. Brody’s mother Lisa is battling cancer and finished her chemotherapy last week.  

[…]

As of January 1, the South Dundas Animal Shelter was looking for homes for eight poor, unfortunate dogs, who have found themselves in very sad situations for reasons they (and those of us trying to help) don't understand. For information on the dogs listed or for the other five dogs at the Shelter please call 613-543-2980.

There are no set adoption fees. However, donations to assist with the care of the animals past the four days that they are the responsibility of the municipality are expected. Donations should be determined by the size of the dog and its length of stay.

As of January 1, municipal dog tags must be purchased for all dogs adopted from the shelter.

For anyone unable to adopt a new best friend, but who wish to help the dogs, financial donations, donations of dog care items (blankets for bedding, puppy pillows, food bowls etc) and food donations are very much appreciated. They may be dropped off at the Morrisburg Animal Hospital which has so kindly agreed to provide space and their time to help out. We do all so much appreciate their efforts.

 

This week's dogs:

 

Photo 2-Hungry & Homeless (Adopted!!!! as of January 3)

Hi. I am a fawn coloured, 2-3 year old female boxer, and I was rescued while running loose on the 401. Thanks to the Animal Shelter, I have a warm bed and some food…cause I sure have been hungry. Yep, those are my ribs you see in my picture. I sure am looking forward to a permanent loving home and some good food.

Financial donations (cheques) must be made payable to the Municipality of South Dundas and must be clearly marked for the Animal Shelter.

We advise all adopting persons/families to please have their new best friend neutered/spayed. We also advise that  in almost all of the cases, we do not know the background of the dogs. Ages are estimates and in the case of neglected or abused dogs, new owners should expect to be patient and understanding as the dog is rehabilitated in a loving home.

The Looking for Forever Homes column in The Leader is a public service column. The Leader accepts no responsibility for the dogs or the adoption process.

[…]

This year marks the halfway point of this term of council and looking back over the first part of the term, South Dundas Mayor Steven  Byvelds is fairly satisfied.

“We’ve come  a long way,” Byvelds told reporters at the year-end interview at council chambers in Williamsburg December 14. “We have a lot of projects on the go.”

Old high school getting a new lease on life

One of these projects, the $4 million renovation of the former Morrisburg Collegiate Institute, will mean that this year’s interview will likely be the last to take place at council chambers in Williamsburg. The mayor already plans for the 2013 interview to take place in the mayor’s office of the new municipal building in Morrisburg.

For Byvelds, the highlight of 2012 has definitely been getting the reconstruction of the old high school started, as it has been in the works since before the start of this term of council.

“A lot of people are saying this project was the right thing to do, while others wonder why we would bother with that old building, but that’s okay,” said Byvelds, who is confident in the end this building will prove to be an asset to the community on many levels.

Not only will it bring municipal administration under one roof, it will bring a medical facility under the same roof. Byvelds believes the end result will be a building that the community can take pride in.”

“Personally, I’d just like to see it done,” said Byvelds, who is ready to mark that project off his ‘to do’ list. 

Waste water projects fully funded

The construction of a new waste water treatment plant in Iroquois is ongoing, and fully funded. Although it is running a little behind schedule, the mayor said there is no worry that it won’t be completed in time to take full advantage of the available funding.

Along with that project, the funds are also in place for a project to address some of the long-time sewer issues that over overburdened the villages sewer systems during heavy rainfall events.

“Once these key pieces of infrastructure are done, we will be well suited for our journey forward,” said Byvelds.

With the infrastructure of South Dundas seeming well looked after, South Dundas has also made great strides theoretically.

Planning for the future

Community and economic development planning processes were completed, the Morrisburg Waterfront plan has been submitted to council and they are looking forward to the Iroquois Waterfront plan in the near future.

“These processes gave residents the opportunity to express their feelings and what that gives us, council and staff, is direction,” said Byvelds, explaining that it helps them when they are trying to decide which projects to prioritize as most important to the community at large.

Few challenges in 2012

Categorized by the mayor as challenges for 2012 were the Morrisburg dock being condemned, the proposed sale of the 400 acre Williamsburg forest and the decision to proceed with the Morrisburg Collegiate project.

With the dock and the ‘400’, when council made decisions that negatively impacted people, they were quick to let council know. And, Byvelds said that council was willing to listen and to make the necessary decisions to attempt to rectify the situations.

One time that council has had difficulty addressing the concerns of residents has been when the group opposing local wind turbine projects surfaced.

“The South Branch Wind project has been on the books a long time,” said Byvelds, explaining that the project predates this council and that while there are area residents who oppose the project, there are other residents who have invested significantly in this project.

“This council had no say in that project, but we will have a say on any future projects that come to us, seeking our support,” said Byvelds. 

The decision to proceed with the renovation of the old high school proved to be a difficult one for council, and was definitely an instance when Mayor Byvelds found it necessary to provide some leadership and make his stance known.

Looking ahead to 2013, Byvelds hopes for the successful continuation and completion of the ongoing projects.

Budget predictions for prudent spending

First and foremost in the minds of he and the other council members in the new year is the budget process.

Byvelds won’t make any predictions about the budget, only saying that they as a council plan to continue as they have in the past, being as prudent as they can be when it comes to spending.

He said that they as a council are waiting to see where staff numbers come in and then to proceed with the decision-making process from there. “If we need to whittle it down, we will. That’s our job.”

“Council’s objective is to be as constrained as possible, and to be realistic with what we spend taxpayers money on.”

“Council’s attitude has been that we need to bring South Dundas forward, to spend conservatively, but not to be too conservative. The idea is to do the right things at the right times,” said Byvelds. “It’s important to seize opportunities when they present themselves.”

Satisfied, but still striving

Byvelds said that this council has gelled quickly from the day they were elected and that the all of the decisions regarding council business are made at the council table. “And, that’s a good thing for South Dundas,” he said.

He said that council has done well at being approachable and available to residents of South Dundas with concerns, and sees that continuing. 

“Everyone has an opinion, and it is up to us as a council to listen to those opinions.”

Reflecting on council in general, Byvelds said, “We can always be better, and we always strive to be better.”

[…]

A Community Satisfaction Survey is scheduled to start in January in East Region to solicit public opinions about the services the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments deliver to communities throughout the region. 

The Community Satisfaction Survey is a telephone survey that randomly selects members of the public (16 years or older) who live in Ontario.  

The survey takes about five to seven minutes to complete and is strictly voluntary.  

Those contacted and willing to participate are asked about issues such as community security, perceptions of crime and youth issues in the community, OPP presence in the community, service delivery and even how the OPP investigates crime and enforces the law.

The information provided by those surveyed is being collected by a research consultant, R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. that has been retained by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.  

The information is treated confidentially and the names, telephone numbers, and addresses of those surveyed will not be included in the survey results provided to the OPP.

Once the survey is complete, the results will be used in the OPP Business Plan and Annual Report.  The information will be useful in helping the OPP set out goals and objectives to improve on the services it delivers to communities throughout Ontario.

These surveys are done throughout the province on a rolling three year schedule.

The East Region detachment surveys will start in early or mid-January and are expected to be completed by March 15, 2013.   

The Ontario Provincial Police would like to thank those who participate in the Community Satisfaction Survey and who take the time to help the OPP in its vision of Safe Communities…..A Secure Ontario.

[…]

 

Friday, December 21, the SD&G County Library officially announced that Morrisburg will be getting a new library branch, and along with that announcement came news of the pending closure of the Williamsburg branch.

“The new library branch in Morrisburg will consolidate two library branches; the old Morrisburg branch, currently under the Morrisburg Arena, and the Williamsburg branch, currently in the Township of South Dundas Municipal Building in Williamsburg,” reads the release.

According to Erika Heesen, Communications and Marketing Librarian with the SD&G County Library, “The decision was mostly made because the township is planning to sell the building.” 

With the coming changes, library patrons will have access to improved services. 

“This consolidation will allow us to increase our open hours without increasing the cost to the taxpayers,” said Heesen.

The new branch, which will be the last part of the reconstruction of the former Morrisburg Collegiate Institute project, will be located in the space being vacated by the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic.

“We’re very excited to be able to enhance our services for South Dundas residents,” said Karen Franklin, Manager of Library Services. “The new Morrisburg branch will be a high quality facility that is a true community space for everyone.”

The new Morrisburg branch has been designed to the latest library standards by Heather C. Kembel, of Colbourne & Kembel, Architects Inc., who also recently designed the Yarker Branch Library in the County of Lennox and Addington. 

The new branch will be open longer hours, and have enhanced programming and services for library users. 

It will also include access to the Internet and public computers, as well as space for residents to browse, read, meet and engage with other members of the community. 

The SD&G County Library will be applying for a Trillium grant to assist in covering the costs of new furnishings for the branch, and welcomes any community donations. 

“This is a key part of our Strategic Plan”, said Bill McGimpsey, Library Board Chair. “We want to provide better facilities that will accommodate both current and future generations of library users.”

The library portion of the ongoing renovation project, will be the final part of the renovation, so the Williamsburg branch is expected to remain open until the new Morrisburg library is opened in about a year’s time. 

[…]

 

About a dozen elementary school students were inside Winchester Public School December 20, while 120 Upper Canada District School Board employed public school teachers and occasional teachers marched outside.

Winchester was one of the picket locations set up across the board as part of the one-day strike action by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.

 The Winchester picket line included teachers from all public elementary schools in both South Dundas and North Dundas as well as a handful of other schools.

Nancy Jordan, picket captain and teacher at Winchester Public School had expected to see about 50 teachers on the picket line, which they well exceeded.

UCDSB elected to keep schools open during the one-day strike. 

“We believed that it was our moral obligation to have safe and reliable care available for our students,” said David Coombs, superintendent. He reported that the schools were open and the busses were running for the those who could not find alternative care for their children. About five percent of students across the board attended school last Thursday, although they did not have regular school programming as their teachers were walking picket lines. 

“We did this to support our parents,” said UCDSB chair Greg Pietersma.

While the teachers walked the picket line, Pietersma and other board officials held a press conference where they discussed the motion passed by board trustees at their most recent meeting that calls on Education Minister Laurel Broten to retain a special mediator to facilitate the provincial bargaining process.

“I am concerned that the minister is going to wait for the December 31 deadline for contracts to be negotiated and then blame us, the school board trustees, for not negotiating those contracts by that deadline,” said Pietersma. “That would be disingenuous at best.”

“Local bargaining works. The ministry needs to get out of our way and let us do that,” he said “Trustees, the employer, should have been given a better hand to deal with their employees – the minister should have stayed in the back room and let us negotiate.”

“Our board believes in the collective bargaining process. What the ministry has done has created an untenable situation for us to operate,” said Pietersma. “She (Broten) does not have a stake in this. We’re the employer and we have had no opportunity to participate. School boards have lost because the provincial education ministry has not allowed the boards to modernize the contracts.”

Nicole Touchette, grade 7/8 french teacher at North Dundas Intermediate School spoke on behalf of the ETFO members picketing.

“Bill 115 is the real problem,” she said explaining that it is the impediment to local talks. “We want to send a clear message. Repeal Bill 115. Our members will not accept this government imposed bill. We are standing up for democracy.”

“We are teachers. We chose this profession because we are committed to our students and we lead by example,” she said explaining that the looming threat of a government imposed agreement is tantamount to bullying. “If we are bullied, what message does that send to students?”

“We’re all frustrated. It’s time the minister assumed some of the leadership she said she would offer so that we can get our schools back to work,” said Pietersma. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

[…]

 

Marilyn Boissonneault says she wanted to make a gingerbread house this year, she just didn’t know who to make it for.

Last Christmas, Boissonneault lovingly created a gingerbread house for her dear friend Carol Froats, who passed away this past June.

“Carol loved Christmas,” explained Boissonneault last Wednesday as she and husband Jim prepared this year’s house for transport. “Carol loved the holiday so much that it took her an entire week to decorate her house. Even last year, when she was so sick, she did the best that she could.”

“Last year, I decided to make her a gingerbread house. She had never had one before. When we dismantled it together, Carol removed the little plastic burro and dog and handed them back to me for ‘next year’s house’.”

“I wanted to do another one so much this year. I just didn’t know who to do it for. So I talked to Carol Richer at the Christmas Exchange, and she came up with the perfect idea.”

“Carol told me about this young lad at CHEO. When I asked her what the family’s name was and she said ‘Froats’, I thought I had been given a push.”

With loving care and in memory of her dear friend Carol, Marilyn went to work on this year’s creation for Brody Froats and all the children at CHEO this holiday season.

Marilyn explained to Brody’s grandparents, Carl and Gail Robinson, and little brother Brett, who arrived for pickup on Wednesday, December 19, that her gingerbread houses aren’t the frilly traditional style.

“My gingerbread houses are styled after the southwestern style Adobe Casita. It is furnished and you can take its roof off and look inside,” Marilyn told Brett.

Caramel candies, icing, gingerbread…the Adobe Casita destined for Brody at CHEO is entirely edible, except of course for the tiny burro and dog that graced Carol’s Casita last Christmas and were now at home in Brody’s gingerbread Casita.

[…]

 

Thanks to the Christmas Exchange and the generosity of the South Dundas community, some 666 people living in South Dundas sat down to a Christmas dinner this year who, due to tough times, might not have been able to afford one.

According to Exchange coordinator, Carol Richer, the 170 boxes provided food for 428 adults, 191 children and 10 infants. An additional 37 boxes were distributed to singles through the Dundas County Food Bank.

“We are actually down about eight baskets this year,” said Richer on Thursday, December 20, as the boxes were being picked up at the Morrisburg Legion.

In addition to the food, just over 200 children received gifts through the local Angel Tree programs along with mittens, toques pyjamas and books donated through various individuals and events in the community.

Once again the Exchange and the Angel Tree programs were generously supported by the community although, Richer said “early indications are that we are done a bit in monetary donations. However, some of our donations come in a bit later, so we are hoping that will put us on track.”

The Christmas Exchange counts heavily on financial donations as much of the food that goes into the boxes is purchased.

“We buy the turkey or hams, along with the fresh vegetables, potatoes and fresh fruit,” said Richer. “Much of the canned vegetable requirements are donated, but the Exchange purchases the large cans of fruit juice, bags of cookies, some of the canned cranberries requirements and occasionally, we have to top up the canned vegetables.”

The Exchange and the Dundas County Food Bank work very closely so that any non-perishable food that is donated, and is not included in an Exchange Food Box, is directed to the Food Bank.

Nothing is wasted.

Richer says that some people may not be aware of just how much food is purchased by the Exchange for the boxes. That is why financial donations and programs like the Top Up program at Valu-mart are indeed very necessary to the Exchange.

[…]

 

Each Christmas, thanks to some very generous donations, children, who are in hospital at CHEO over the holiday season, are given the opportunity to select a gift from guerneys, sometimes wheel chairs, piled high with books donated by Reader’s Digest (Montreal). 

The books are donated to Jeff Arsenault’s Morrisburg-based Garden Foundation. Once in the Foundation’s possession, Harland Veinotte Ltd. comes on board to have the several hundred books transported to Ottawa. 

According to Arsenault, Reader’s Digest has been making children’s Christmases brighter through this gift of books for the last 14-15 years. On board in the effort is Trends International (Toronto) which adds to the gift assortment with donations of doodle-type books and poster kits. 

For many of the years this projects has been underway, Veinottes has been making sure the gifts get to their destination. 

Arsenault credits everyone in the effort. “Everyone is just great. We get several hundred books suitable for all ages. There are puzzle and games books, writing kits, cookbooks, even video games they can play with.”

“Unfortunately, there can be several hundred children in CHEO over Christmas. Some of them get to go home, but then have to come back.”

Once Arsenault goes through the books, to make sure everything is suitable and that there are no small parts that might go to little ones, Veinottes arrives at his home to make sure the shipment gets to its intended destination in Ottawa.

“Randy (Veinotte) is a really great guy. He does a lot of good stuff in the community. I don’t know what I would do if it weren’t for Veinottes. I can’t thank him enough.”

[…]

 

 As of January 1, 2013, section 19 of the Safe Drinking Water Act extends legal responsibility to the people with decision making authority over municipal drinking water systems, including municipal councillors.

That has prompted South Dundas to undertake a thorough review of the provision of water and wastewater services, and to make a change.

The report was presented to South Dundas council at the December 18 meeting.

Currently, South Dundas contracts the operation, maintenance and management of its water and sewer systems to a third party contractor – Caneau Water and Sewer Operations Inc. 

When that contract expires in June, South Dundas will take over direct management of the services and provide these services in house.

“The bottom line here is we have to have properly trained personnel in our plants to ensure the safety of our drinking water,” said South Dundas councillor Archie Mellan. 

“I like the idea of eliminating a level of bureaucracy because come January 1st, it’s our asses on the line, so it would be nice to be hands on with the goings on of our plants.”

Although South Dundas mayor Byvleds did not approve of the expression used by Mellan, he did say, “Councillor Mellan is correct.”

Byvelds said it is time for South Dundas to bring the operation of the water and sewer plants in house. “We have the opportunity to bring this in house, and get the accountability where it needs to be. There have been challenges with upper management that we wouldn’t have to deal with.”

In bringing plant operations in house a staffing model of four certified operators and an operator in training is proposed.

Even with the creation of the new positions and the purchase of vehicles and equipment, the municipality expects to be able to operate the plants, in house, for less than the roughly $400,000 paid out to Caneau annually.

[…]