News

 

South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services was called out early Friday morning, February 24th to a garage fire on Brinston Road.

According to a report from Fire Chief Chris McDonough on February 27th, “fire crews from Iroquois and Morrisburg responded. Upon arrival the garage was fully involved with exposures to the house. A vehicle was also fully involved at the rear of the house.”

“The owner’s pet was rescued from the kennel which was attached to the garage and suffered minor burns to its nose and paws.”

“We saved the house,” he  added, “only minor damage” to the house. 

“Damage,” in total, however, “is estimated at approximately $100,000 including contents.”

He added that “the fire was deemed suspicious by the Fire Chief and the Fire Marshal’s Office (OFM) was requested to attend.”  

“The OFM will complete their investigation and if deemed criminal the OPP will investigate,” he explained.

[…]

 

The competition for the first South Dundas Recreation Logo has come and gone and the winner is… Nikki Ault.

In addition to having her design be the logo for South Dundas Recreation for the foreseeable future, Ault’s face and logo will grace the cover of the second South Dundas recreation guide, coming out this spring. 

According to Recreation Program Coordinator Ben Macpherson, there were almost 30 entries in the logo contest. The decision, he said, was based on five criteria: simplicity, memorability, timelessness, versatility, and appropriateness.

To see the new South Dundas Recreation Logo, watch your mail for the spring/summer recreation guide coming out later this week!

[…]

 

“They had so much fun. It’s such a positive experience,” said Fiona Carr, Family Resource Coordinator for GIAG.

Carr was referring to the full-day events on February 22nd, Ash Wednesday, marking the first day of Lent.

Organized and planned by Lutheran and Anglican churches in South Dundas, the base of activities took place at St. James Anglican Church in Morrisburg. Children from kindergarten to grade 12 were invited to join in the day’s activities where the theme for the day was “Lord Teach Us to Pray.”

According to Carr, “we had kids from tons of different schools.” The similarity? “They have a commonality of believing in God,” she said. 

Kids in Carr’s group, the intermediates, were exchanging phone numbers because although they hadn’t known one another before Wednesday, many of them “became instant friends.” 

Both the intermediate and senior groups took trips to the food bank where they dropped off donations, took a tour and helped out. 

“I was really impressed with them,” said Carr, of her intermediate group. “They helped pack some snack bags.” 

Carr was told that “they asked more questions than they’ve ever asked before,” and, in addition, they were fascinated to learn that donations can include pet food and toiletries, things they hadn’t thought of before the tour.

The primary group was led by Carol Rumble of Iroquois. According to Rumble, aside from honouring Ash Wednesday and having some fun in the process, the day’s purpose was to deliver the message of outreach to the children.

The primary group spent time during the day making cards for orphans in Madagascar. Mary Sherwood is a missionary at an orphanage there and had previously visited the area, giving a presentation of her work and what’s needed. According to Rumble, the cards will be forwarded to Sherwood who will see to it that the children receive them. 

The intermediate and senior groups had a visit from Karen Marshall who spoke about the outreach work her son Chris and his partner Shayna Campbell are doing in Uganda.

Currently, the couple is in the midst of a year-long mission to make a difference at St. Francis Health Care Services located near Mbiko, Uganda. They are trying to raise $33,500 to build a maternity hospital at the center. 

[…]

 

On February 24th, the Linking Hands Network held a working group meeting, Access to Transportation, at The Gathering House in Chesterville.

The meeting is one of six working group meetings set up in response to the outcome from the November 18, 2011 Dundas County Community Forum held at the Christian Reformed Church in Williamsburg. 

In November, Pauline Pratt, Executive Director for the House of Lazarus, told The Leader that “this Community Forum was the next step in the House of Lazarus’s Linking Hands in Dundas project. The overall vision of the project is to develop sustainable solutions to the increasing poverty we are experiencing in North and South Dundas, and create communities that are more resilient.”

The six working group meetings cover the following themes: access to transportation; access to basic health care needs; access to safe, nutritious, primarily local food; community connections and navigating the system; economic and entrepreneurial development and training; and, strategies for increasing participation in physical activities.

Nanda Wubs was the coordinator for Friday’s meeting, Access to Transportation, in which Robert Dupuis discussed the success of a similar venture in Quebec. 

In addition to Dupuis, Harry Gow also discussed similar transportation initiatives, like the non-profit transportation service in North Grenville. Following the presentation, audience members were able to ask both Gow and Dupuis questions.

According to Wubs, “the event was well-attended and there was a good representation of local agencies including both municipalities.”

In terms of a next step, Wubs said, “continue investigating other models of transportation networks, send out a survey to agencies to determine current transportation ‘stock’ and to the community to do a transportation needs assessment.” 

“In regards to political support,” she continued, “I feel that both townships are open to hearing ideas from the community that could make transportation less of a burden on some. At this point we don’t have any more expectation than that from them.”

“However, as Robert Dupuis mentioned, the Federal Gas Tax credit is available to Municipalities for transit only. They cannot access it otherwise which means there is a pool of money that could be used to help the transportation network. More research has to be done in this area.”

Wubs admitted, “this is a daunting task but the wheels are definitely rolling.”

“I want to reiterate the reason Linking Hands is doing this,” she said, “we are an advocacy group for rural poor in Dundas County and transportation was a key theme in the Community Forum held last November which was titled Building a Sustainable Dundas County.”

“If our community is not sustainable, there could be more on their way to being poor. As the Chesterville Record put it so nicely ‘economic hope begins with a ride to work’.”

For more information, email linkinghandsdundas@gmail.com or phone the House of Lazarus at 613-989-3830.

[…]

 

It’s New York City, 1939, and detective Harry Monday has a lot of problems. Authorities have condemned his run down building; his bookie, the pawn shop, the IRS and his landlord are all demanding their cash; he’s in the bad books of the NYPD; his bootleg stash could melt your nose hairs.

And, oh yes, there’s the little matter of several dead bodies cluttering up his office.

It can only mean one thing.

The Iroquois-Matilda Lions are into rehearsals for their 2012 production, Monday Always Leads to Murder, which will open at Upper Canada Playhouse on April 26 and run for four performances.

For over 25 years, members of the Iroquois Lions club and their spouses have brought a lot of laughter and a lot of great entertainment to the community through their plays. Staged every other year, the Lions’ productions are greatly anticipated and regarded as one of the highlights of South Dundas year. 

Funds raised by the plays,  have, for two decades, helped the Lions to carry out numerous charitable activities and important services in the community. The Lions International motto is “We serve.” Productions at the Playhouse are one way local Lions can continue to carry out that goal.

Monday Always Leads to Murder, by Pat Cook, follows in the comic traditions set by the Club in previous productions like The Best Laid Plans, You Can’t Take it With You, Arsenic and Old Lace and Dark Deeds at Swan’s Place.

Rick MacKenzie is private eye, Harry Monday, a Sam Spade ‘wannabe’. He is supported by a strong cast (playing some hilariously colourful New York characters) including Glenn and Margaret Swerdfeger, Joan Mann, Barry Fawcett, Bill Rumble, Brian Speer, Jim Mustard, Ruth Robertson and Donna Swank. 

Jim Locke will head up the construction crew at the theatre, building a completely original 1939 set, designed by talented artist John Thompson. Taking over lighting, sound and technical duties for the Lions’ play will be Sean Free, technical director at Upper Canada Playhouse. Wendy Gibb will direct the production.

Tickets and ticket information will soon be available. 

In the meantime, mark your calendars for The Iroquois-Matilda Lions production of Monday Always Leads to Murder, coming April 26-28 to Upper Canada Playhouse. 

[…]

 

On the afternoon of February 24th, the Hartford Retirement Centre in Morrisburg hosted their first annual Chili Cook-off to great success.

The event, organized by Hartford’s Community Services Manager, Tracy Jones, got underway with a short presentation by Deirdre Cooke RD, CDE. The presentation, Heart Disease: Diet Can Make a Difference, was well-received with a packed audience in the chapel.

Following the presentation, the chili cook-off got underway accompanied by some live entertainment.

According to Jones, while there had been 10 chili contestants registered, only seven were able to make it due to Friday’s storm.

Judges included South Stormont Mayor Bryan McGillis, North Dundas Mayor Eric Duncan, Upper Canada Playhouse Artistic Director Donnie Bowes, Iroquois Fire Department’s Phil Thompson, and Chartwell’s Regional Marketing Director Patricia Courtney.

The live entertainment was provided by what the Hartford called “the singing policemen.” The group, which has no name, normally performs at Christmastime as the Coppertones. For the chili cook-off they were able to pull together a mix of “country and oldies” as well as a few jokes. The group performed to a very receptive crowd.

Money was raised through chili entries as well as through direct donations. Lise Koslowski, a volunteer with Heart and Stroke, was on-hand to accept donations and write receipts. 

In the end, the Hartford was able to raise $354 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Chili cook-off winners included: Reg Anderson in first place; Shirley Lalonde in second place; and, Sue Jarvis in third place. Cash prizes were given.

[…]

 

Funds to cover the cost of HVAC annual inspections of South Dundas water treatment plants will come from the 2012 Water Budget.

At the February 21st South Dundas council meeting, Manager of Public  Works Hugh Garlough recommended that council accept a bid from Neal’s Heating & Cooling for the job. The winning bid came in at $1,190 plus HST. 

The other two companies invited to bid on the project were Morrisburg Plumbing & Heating and Atel Air, both of which were outbid by more than $1,000.

Garlough assured the concerned Deputy-Mayor Jim Locke that “protocol with tenders” was being adhered to during the process.

[…]

 

 “I enjoy what I do very much,” said Dr. Suru Chande. “I will admit that I am not a morning person, but once I am on the road, on the way to work, I am always looking forward to the day ahead.”

Father of three, grandfather of three, for over 40 years, Dr. Chande has served the South Dundas regions both at the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic. Morrisburg, and at Winchester District Memorial Hospital. 

In late December of 2011, his dedication to medicine was recognized at WDMH with a Long-Term Service Award.

“We are incredibly fortunate that a surgeon of Dr. Chande’s calibre has devoted his career to caring for the patients in this area. It represents a more than 40 year commitment to serving our community,” said Cholly Boland, CEO of Winchester Hospital. 

On Wednesday, February 8, after a typically very busy day, Dr. Chande sat down to reflect on a long career devoted to caring for others. 

He was born in a small community in Tanzania, receiving most of his high school education in that country. He took his medical training at Birmingham University, one of the largest universities in England. 

“Back in the 60’s and 70’s, there were limited spots in specialty training in England, and the process often took a number of years,” Dr. Chande recalled. “It seemed a good idea to come to Canada to do my residency.”

Dr. Chande received his FRCSE (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh) in 1968 and his FRCSC  (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada) in 1971.

“I am called a general surgeon,” he explained. “The term general surgery has no definite meaning, unlike terms such as cardiac surgeon or neuro-surgeon. Doctors of my vintage, trained as general surgeons, definitely gained a fairly extensive repertoire because we have always been called on to do many different types of surgery.” 

Dr. Chande was completing his residency at Ottawa Civic Hospital when he decided to reply to an ad in a medical journal from the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic. 

The clinic was started in 1960 by doctors Gerry Rosenquist and Don Robertson. In 1971, Dr. Chande recalls, they were looking to replace a doctor who was leaving. Chande and his wife, Dr. Ann Chande, came to Morrisburg, looked at the area, and decided to sign with the St. Lawrence group.

Dr. Chande laughed when I asked him what made his family choose to put down roots in very rural Ontario.

“Well, my home town may have been small, but Dar es Salaam in Tanzania is a huge city, and so is Birmingham. Frankly, to me, Ottawa seemed little. But we found we loved the small town life in South Dundas. It was easy to make friends within the medical community. We could send our kids to school here, since we were big believers in the public school system. 

And I love to play golf and tennis, and it’s much easier to do those things in South Dundas than in the big city.  

The doctors at the Clinic are amazing people. If they have left here before retirement, it has never been due to medical issues, but for personal reasons. They love being here in this area.”

In forty years serving this region, Chande has seen a number of changes in the medical profession, and in the actual Winchester Memorial Hospital. 

The  building additions to WDMH and the professional growth of its staff, as well as its transition to a teaching hospital with university affiliations have been exciting changes. Laparascopic surgery, for example, is very different from when Dr. Chande began his career.  And regular in-hospital programs for training young doctors have taken Dr. Chande, in the last few years, into another aspect of medicine: teaching. It is an area he has found he truly loves.

“Most of us want to pass on our medical knowledge to students. Teaching is very important; I believe it is vital to introduce young doctors to rural medicine.  And I think that you have to have lived life to be a good physician. 

Life’s experiences shape your views and approaches to medicine,” he added. “We teach young doctors every time we bring them (with the patient’s permission) into the room with us, even when we must give a patient bad news. How else can future doctors learn?” 

Dr. Chande has worked with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the regulatory body of the medical profession. Licensed medical practitioners take courses and seminars throughout their careers to keep abreast of changes and innovations in medicine.

“I am not an inspector,” Dr. Chande explained. “Rather I go out on arranged visits to look at the practices of other doctors. When I visit, I try to create a dialogue to make it a learning experience for both of us.”

This year will mark Dr. Suru Chande’s final year as practicing physician. “I continue to absolutely love what I do,” he said, “but it is time to contemplate retirement.” 

And although he may be retiring in the near future, Dr. Chande remains thoughtful about the direction of medical care in Canada.

“I think the medical profession and the government will have to work very closely together to develop solid, workable medical care for our population. And I think there will never be one ‘magic bullet’ cure for cancer. We will need to find different approaches to different concerns.  We must be realistic about the quality of life as our population ages.”

At the end of the interview, I commented that he has been a vital, much respected member of this community for many years, and his retirement will be keenly felt.

“It’s nice to find that people are going to miss me,” Dr. Suru Chande smiled.

Indeed they will. 

[…]

 

When Luke Whitteker first spoke to The Leader about his racing, it was August 2005. He was 11 years old and was busy preparing for the final lap of his first year of competitive kart racing. He would enter grade 7 at Iroquois Public School in September.

Today, the 18 year old is a first year student at Carleton University, Ottawa, where he is studying mechanical engineering.

Recently, he became the first Canadian to win the prestigious Race 101 Premier Driver Award having graduated the one year scholarship program based in North Carolina with top honours.

He claims that had he been asked during that first interview, he would not have thought that seven years later he would be a veteran Dirt track racer about to experience his first ride in a late model car.

Asked if he is about where he wants to be at this time in his racing career, he says, “Right now I’m a Dirt racer, and I’m going to learn about asphalt racing.”

That is what the Premier 101 Driver Award will provide in the coming months. For the Iroquois youth, that is a good place to be.

Race 101 is an educational and consulting program for the auto racing industry. It offers yearly scholarships for up and coming racers and was founded in 2009, by veteran racing crew chief Tony Blanchard, longtime motorsports marketing/Pr consultant Annamarie Strawhand and television announcer Adam Ross. 

Students experience the driving, mechanical and marketing sides of motorsports and at the end of the year,  the ‘premier’ driver is announced.

The premier driver is then given the opportunity to drive the  Race 101 Howe super late model ‘house car’ in actual competition.

Luke says the program was “heavily weighted towards public relations, how to get money and how to establish yourself.”

Most of the program was delivered on line in weekly webinars. “We could all see each other on line, and we got the lectures together. We got together every week for the whole year.”

In addition, Luke travelled to North Carolina four times, Charlotte, North Carolina twice and to Florida once.

He explains that he was aware of the program through a friend who had gone through it. He applied on line and was thrilled to be selected as one of the 16 students for 2011.

He was even more thrilled when he was named the premier driver at the February 11, 2012, awards banquet held in Hickory, North Carolina.

For the premier selection, he admits “I wasn’t the best on the technical and I wasn’t the best in the marketing, but I was good enough at both to win the overall. I put my honest effort into both.”

He figures he did well in  the situations the students were put into at various events, that he did well in his radio interview and that he had three great references (which were a requirement) from a local O. P. P. officer, a fellow Dirt Car star and from a very good friend and Motivational Speaker.

As the Race 101 premier driver for 2011, Luke says his job now “is to represent Race 101. You can say I’m hired to represent 101.” He points out, however, that it is a two way track, so to speak, as he too will benefit  from the exposure.

“I’m guaranteed three events with the car and however much practise I need. This is special. In our area we are saturated with Dirt track racing. Down there it’s more asphalt tracks.”

With the 2012 season fast approaching the Whitteker Motorsport Team is now busy getting ready. Last year, Whitteker competed at the popular Autodrome Granby track in Drummondville where he was named Top Rookie Driver.

Attracting sponsorships is important for racers and the Whitteker Motorsport team is now in the process of securing sponsorship for the upcoming season. 

Since he first began racing in 2005, Luke has been sponsored by Rust Check and Parcoll Products/Napa Auto Parts. Some other major sponsors include Toy Storage & Boat Transport, the 730 Truck Stop, Steve Summers and C Double J Harvesting. Another eight businesses, several of them local, were on board in 2011.

As he wraps up his current semester at Carleton, Luke is busy putting the marketing portion of his Race 101 studies to the test for the first time as he approaches would-be sponsors for the 2012 race year.

[…]

 

Although it has experienced a solid test run since July of 2011, Upper Canada Playhouse’s new addition, containing an attractive and versatile box office and new administrative offices for Playhouse staff, was officially opened on Friday, February 17, 2012.

“We decided to wait until now to officially open it,” said artistic director, Donnie Bowes, “to coincide with the opening of our first show of the 2012 season, the hilarious comedy, The Foursome.”

Upper Canada Playhouse is one of Ontario’s most successful theatres. To accommodate its growing audience and the increasing number of shows the Playhouse is presenting in a season, the theatre had to expand its facilities.

“The box office is a separate part of the theatre at the west end, conveniently connected to the main lobby where audiences enter the theatre at show time,” Bowes explained. “The box office is a spacious, customer-friendly area with plenty of seating and three efficient areas to book tickets. It also provides new offices for our administrative staff. They appreciate the increased space.”

This new facility has drawn rave reviews from the public and the staff.

The original box office, located at the east side of the Playhouse, was directly attached to back stage and production zones. As Bowes joked with his guests, “people waiting to buy tickets might have to dodge stage crew carrying planks and sets through the area.”

The Playhouse addition was built by Swank Construction.

Following this new addition, the Playhouse is preparing to enter phase II of its expansion project: development of the production department’s storage space which the theatre’s increased programming demands. 

South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds, on hand with other dignitaries to help cut the official ribbon, said that the new addition was a real asset to the theatre.

“It’s great that we were here to celebrate the opening of this box office,” he said. “Upper Canada Playhouse has experienced phenomenal growth and is a vital part of the South Dundas community. We look forward to continuing to work with the Playhouse.”

Following a brief reception, Bowes invited members of the South Dundas recreation and economic development committees, as well as Playhouse board members and councillors back stage for a quick look at the outstanding sets  under construction for the March 16 opening of the riotous Norm Foster golf “classic,” The Foursome. 

“March is a new time slot for us, and we can’t think of a better show to start the season and  officially open our new box office than this  comedy production,” said Bowes. 

[…]