News

 

With the approval of the South Dundas council, Captain Andrew Neeteson’s Sea Fox II docked at the Morrisburg Wharf for several public sightseeing and dining cruises from June 7th to the 10th. 

At the June 5th council meeting, chief administrative officer Stephen McDonald requested that council approve the use of the wharf for the 1000 Islands and Seaway Cruises’ tour boat at a cost of $1.16 per foot per day.

According to McDonald, the company had requested a waiver or reduction in docking fees. 

“Certainly council has the option to waive the fees,” said McDonald, “my recommendation is that you don’t.”

“I think that we need to set a policy or a precedent for these boats that come in.” 

He pointed out that the fee for the 46 foot boat equated to $53.36 plus HST per day, which is “considerably less than he’d pay at say Brockville.”

McDonald stated that the money earned through docking fees will go back into dock improvements.

Council agreed with McDonald’s recommendations and councillor Evonne Delegarde said, “I’m glad to see it’s still proceeding with the tours.” 

[…]

 

The second annual Galop-Canal Bluegrass Festival kicks off this Friday, June 15th in Iroquois and will last through until Sunday.

The weekend long event will take place, once again, at the Iroquois Locks, courtesy of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

While camping out for the weekend is an option, it is not a necessity for those who want to enjoy a little bluegrass music this weekend. 

The event provides music lovers with various ticket options including a weekend ticket or daily tickets. When accompanied by adults, children 16 and under are free.

Emceed by master of ceremonies Terry Joe Banjo, the festival’s entertainment will include the talents of popular bluegrass musicians including Dave Nichols & Spare Change, Grassland, Northwind, Hard Ryde, The Dusty Drifters, Grassy Fiddle Time, Concession 23, and Darwin & Gilles.

Sound system for the event will be handled by Shawn Markell of MK Music Solutions.

The weekend-long event will kick-off on Friday night at 5 p.m. when the Dave Nichols & Spare Change band take to the stage. The final set of the night will begin at 9 p.m. and will feature music by the Dusty Drifters.

Saturday is a full day of bluegrass with Grassland, the first band of the day, taking the stage at 10 a.m. 

Also on Saturday, there will be instructional workshops throughout the afternoon featuring guitar lessons beginning at 1 p.m., mandolin lessons at 2 p.m., banjo lessons at 3 p.m. and dobro lessons at 4 p.m.

A universal supper break will be taken from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The final set of the day will begin at 9 p.m. with Hard Ryde.

And then on Sunday morning at 10 a.m., Dave Nichols & Spare Change will get things rolling with the first set of the day. 

Northwind will take the stage at 2 p.m. for the final set of the weekend.

For a complete timetable outlining when each band will take the stage, go to www.bluegrassconnection.ca and click on the 2nd annual Galop-Canal Bluegrass Festival link.

In addition to music, the Bluegrass Festival will also provide opportunities to shop. Sharon Piche of Iroquois has organized an assortment of vendors who will be showcasing their wares throughout the weekend.

There will be barbecued food available, provided by the Iroquois and Matilda Lions Club.

Proceeds from the Galop-Canal Bluegrass Festival will go to the  Galop-Canal Revitalization project.

The project is focused on restoring the history of the area, keeping the shorelines clean, utilizing the beautiful waterfront, and welcoming tourists into the area. 

[…]

 

Love South Dundas is an “endeavour by the churches to let (the residents of South Dundas) know we’re there and that we desire to minister to them in any way we can,” said Reverend Duncan Perry of the Morrisburg Pentecostal Tabernacle.

Love South Dundas is a yearly event where churches of all denominations within South Dundas make an extra effort to become better known to the community at large and to offer the gift of love and kindness to everyone in  South Dundas.

“We’re trying to let the community know that the church is still there,” said Perry, referring to the days long ago when the church was the center around which every community revolved. 

Love South Dundas is a two-week long event, which is now in its fourth year. The event got underway on June 10th with congregation members being encouraged to go out and perform random acts of kindness.

A random act of kindness is defined as a selfless act done at random for a stranger for no other reason than to make that person  smile. A simple example might be paying for a coffee for the person behind you in line at Tim Horton’s. 

In addition to random acts of kindness throughout the two-week period, Love South Dundas has also made a yearly habit of spreading love and smiles through Baked Blessings. 

On Tuesday, June 12th, service organizations in South Dundas were greeted by volunteers bearing baskets of baked goodness.

Also popular in years past, Love South Dundas will once again be holding a free car wash. For those interested, the car wash will take place this  Saturday, June 16th from 9 a.m. until noon at the Iroquois fire hall. Along with the free car wash, guests will be offered a bonus of free barbecued hotdogs.

Capping it all off, on Sunday, June 24th the Love South Dundas event will come to an end with lots of free activities and free munchies for all who attend. 

This final celebration will take place in Morrisburg at the Earl Baker Park beginning at 2 p.m. with bouncy castles and face painting for all the township children.

Then, at 3:30 p.m., juggler Bob Cates will begin entertaining the crowd. 

At 4:30 p.m., a free barbecue will be provided complete with a selection of hotdogs, hamburgers, pop and water.

Finally, at 6 p.m., the ecumenical service will get underway in the big tent. Reverend Chuck Price will lead the service.

While the day’s events are free, organizers are inviting guests to bring a non-perishable food item for donation to the local food bank. A drop-off station will be available and following the day’s events all items collected will be delivered to the Dundas County Food Bank.

The Love South Dundas message, from all of the churches in South Dundas, is simple, said Perry: “If they get to a place where they’d like a church or clergy, we’re there and they can contact any of us.” 

[…]

 

At the June 5th South Dundas council meeting, economic development officer Nicole Sullivan recommended that council adopt the South Dundas Economic Development Strategy Update, dated May 2012, as presented and they did.

The update, completed by Ottawa-based company McSweeney & Associates, was presented to council by Ian Duff. The company was also hired by the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry to complete the SD&G Economic Development Action Plan.

According to Duff, the township should be focusing on the following key areas of opportunity: agriculture, logistics and shipping, small businesses, home-based businesses, and tourism.

“If you’re looking to grow, look at the businesses you have,” said Duff. “Being a rural municipality, there are definitely opportunities for people to stay at home and work at home.”

“You need to grab hold of the opportunities that are here.”

Duff continued to emphasize, throughout his presentation, that it’s “imperative that they (businesses) be kept up to speed on what’s happening.” 

“Where a lot of communities drop the ball,” he continued, “retaining and expanding current businesses. Identify those that are excelling. Identify those that are struggling.”

“You don’t just do it once. You need to keep doing it. You need to keep engaging the business community,” said Duff. 

The main portion of Duff’s presentation centered around seven key action items McSweeney & Associates felt the township should be focusing on. With each action item, Duff went into detail on the variety of ways to accomplish the task.

The key actions included are:

• Developing a tourism strategy

• Creating and continually updating marketing and investment attraction material

• Developing a more tourist  friendly community with customer service training

• Branding

•  Completing an investment readiness assessment

• Developing promotional material 

• Community improvement plan – infrastructure

“These are the main priority actions,” said Duff. “There are others, but tackle those first and then go back and pick through. If you do all of these right, it will take you a good five years.”

Deputy-mayor Jim Locke pointed out that “there are a lot of opportunities and challenges ahead of us to follow what we’ve been presented.” 

“It certainly sounds logical,” said mayor Steven Byvelds. “I think the priority initiatives you’ve given us to work at certainly are doable.”

“It’s something we’re looking forward to as a council,” he added.

Duff agreed, “economic development should be fun. Communicate and have fun with it. Try to step back and really enjoy the opportunities economic development can bring you.”

“We’re always there to offer support and assistance,” said Duff. “It’s easy to bounce ideas off of us.” 

“I’d like to commend your economic development officer,” continued Duff, “she kept us on track.”

“It’s a great community to live and do business,” said Duff, referring to South Dundas. “Start promoting yourself as that and start building momentum behind it.”

[…]

 

We all strive to be the best we can be and over the past several weeks, seven area dog owners provided their ‘best buddies’ the opportunity to do the same.

The eight, together with their dogs, joined Canine Behaviour and Performance Consultant Jane Madigan for a nine hour workshop that ran over three sessions during the last three weeks in May.

Born and raised in Britain, Madigan has accumulated over 30 years of expertise empowering horses and dogs to reach their full potential.

“I trained as a guide dog ability instructor in the United Kingdom before coming to Canada where I carried on with Canadian Guide Dogs,” explained Madigan as the workshop wrapped up on Thursday, May 31.

During the 15 years working with dogs, Madigan studied different aspects of training technologies including Holistic Training of Guide Dogs, Sensory Enhanced Learning, The Feldenkrais Method, Tellington Touch and Cross Training.

She says she left her career with Guide Dogs 18 months ago, to set up a program in which she could benefit even more dogs. The result is her Inspiredk9s business which she founded in 2010, “to share her knowledge, to encourage ability, sitmulate agility and motivate performance for every dog.”

What she offers the dogs and their owners is “confidence training” as apposed to “obedience training”. In addition to Inspiredk9s business, Madigan volunteers for Hopeful Hearts, a dog rescue organization in Ottawa, where she applies her techniques to help the most physically and psychologically damaged canines back to a state of self confidence and trust in their adoptive owner and their world at large.

The workshop in Morrisburg came about through Madigan’s acquaintance with Paul and Judy Charette. The Charettes are involved with the Canadian Guide Dog program. 

The Morrisburg workshop was the first she has run over three weeks, and she was pleased with the results.

“I think it went really well. I saw great improvements with the dogs and their owners over the three sessions. They have all improved 100 per cent. The handling between the dogs and the owner has improved. I can see the clients now standing back and allowing the dogs to think more. The three weeks gave the people time to absorb and reflect. It’s worked really well.”

Madigan explained that her objective is to enhance a dog’s performance, to make a dog the best he/she can be. “I work at building up the relationship between the dog and the handler by empowering the person with the understanding of what the dog is saying to them.”

Friend and colleague Jade Hill, who worked with Madigan at Guide Dog, explains that, “Jane is enabling the owners to allow the dogs to make decisions by supporting them and guiding them in the right direction.”

“I think all dogs have issues,” says Madigan, “and it’s how to deal with these issues, to understand where the dog is coming from. It is my job to decipher what is going on.”

“The normal perspective of the everyday dog owner is to have control over the dog,” says Hill.

Benefiting from Madigan’s Morrisburg workshop were: Phoebe, a Wheaten Terrier and her owner Janeen Wagemans; Zoya and Zippy, Black Labs and their owner Judy Charette; Tiffany, a Schnauzer, with her owner Sue Nichols; Finnigan a Golden Retriever/Poodle Mix with his owner Jackie MacRae; Abby, a Lab-Bordie Collie mix with her owner Tracey Veinotte; Lily a poodle mix with owner Ree Graham; Mia an Australian Shepherd/hound mix with her handler Jane Domanko who was puppy-sitting for her son Mike and his family.

One of the main issues brought to the workshops by the owners was their dog’s fear of loud noises, in particular thunder. Other issues included fears in general and their inability to control their excitement.

Madigan points out, she does not do “quick fixes”. She works with a dog and its owner to understand what a dog is experiencing and feeling and then assists the dog by bringing it to a state of calm. 

Any dog can have issues whether it be a highly trained working or search and rescue dog or simply a family pet.

“It was very enlightening,” said Tracey Veinotte whose dog Abby is afraid of thunder. “The workshop made me stop and think. I didn’t know what to do to help Abby through a thunder storm.”

Veinotte recalled a recent thunder storm and how she applied both the physical and emotional suggestions learned in the workshop. “She sat on the couch and it didn’t fizz her. She was focused on something else.”

“The workshop has changed my perspective,” said Janeen Wagemans who owns Phoebe a Wheaten Terrier. “Instead of training a dog, you are communicating with your dog. I am no longer being assertive with Phoebe, but more cooperative. Now when Phoebe and I go walking we walk together. I am not walking my dog.”

Ree Graham claimed her best friend Lily, “was just about perfect when we came. However, we are communicating more now. I used to day dream during our walks, but now I have noticed that she watches me all the time.

Jane Domanko, who was babysitting her son’s 5.5 month old Australian Shepherd cross, Mia, said “we’ve had family dogs before, but we’ve never learned how to train a dog properly. I am much more aware now of how to do it.”

“This has been way life changing,” said Jacki MacRae of the changes she was seeing in Finnigan, a high strung retriever poodle mix, who was calmly enjoying the companionship of the other dogs and people. “When Finnigan was with just me and my husband, he was calm.  But he would go from zero to 100 when visitors arrived. This is surreal for Finnigan to be calm.” 

“My philosophy is empowerment,” said Madigan. It’s about giving empowerment to the owner to work with their dog. It’s about allowing the dog to be the best he/she can be. The dog is going to be much happier for it.”

Madigan is now considering a second workshop in the Morrisburg area. She says that while she likes to work with no more than eight dogs, she would welcome additional people to come and observe.

[…]

 

Tim Hortons Camp Day 2012, last Wednesday, June 6, will be a day Carlie Barkley of Cardinal won’t forget.

That’s the day Barkley shed her locks to send a local child to camp.

The evening manager at the HK 401 Travel Centre east of Morrisburg, Barkley jokingly suggested “they could shave me bald” as an incentive for the staff to raise their $1,000 objective for Tim Hortons Camp Day.

“I said it, and they ran with it,” she said with a chuckle prior to her trip to the barber chair set up in front of the new centre last Wednesday where several staff members gathered as witnesses.

Barkley’s incentive was successful as the staff went to work and were well over their target several days in advance of Camp Day.

In fact, three employees chipped in $100 apiece which earned them a turn with the clippers. They included the Travel Centre’s assistant manager Marsha Shaver of Iroquois, Tim Hortons’ crew member Brian Hutt of Iroquois and Jeremy Benoit a porter at the centre.

This is the second Tim Hortons Camp Day since the HK Travel Centre opened. In addition to Barkley’s haircut, the staff ran various games to raise extra money in the nationwide event.

In total they raised a whopping $3,984.15 from the haircut, extra activities and donations, way more than last year and much better than their sibling stores did at Ingleside and Bainsville.

Each year Tim Horton store owners donate the money from their coffee sales on Camp Day to send economically disadvantaged children to Tim Horton Children’s Foundation Camps.

Many of the stores also run special events to top up the money raised from the sales.

Each year, more than 15,000 children enjoy the camping experience of a lifetime thanks to the generosity and support of the Tim Hortons’ owners and their customers.

“Everyone knows about Tim Hortons Camp Day, so it’s a fairly easy sell,” said Barkley who has been with HK Travel Centre for seven years.

Getting the first snip on Barkley’s haircut, was  Tim Hortons’ crew member, Sarah Toonders of Williamsburg, who collected the most donations.

Barkley said she was only too happy to give up her locks so that a child could go to camp. She expected one child from the Morrisburg/Williamsburg area, would benefit as a result of the 401 Tim Horton location.

The area, of course, has the advantage of having two Tim Hortons, the second in Morrisburg where staff there ran a Silent Auction and had some festively costumed critters assisted by representatives of the O.P.P. collecting additional donations in the drive through area.

[…]

 

South Dundas seniors are finding they have a bit more leisure time on their hands now that the J.W. MacIntosh Senior Support Centre summer student is out and about helping them in their homes/apartments and gardens.

For close to 20 years, the Centre has employed a summer student to roll up his/her sleeves to help seniors with tasks around their home.

This can mean anything and everything from mowing lawns to pulling weeds, to washing windows and performing housework  to a bit of painting.

This year’s student is Sherry-Lynn Harbers, who has just completed her first year at Brock University in St. Catharines where she is studying Recreation and Leisure.

“I heard about this job through my parents, and I thought it would be a good experience because I might work with seniors later on,” said Harbers as she completed some gardening Friday morning at the home of Lillian Noon in Morrisburg. “I also like working outdoors, so it was appealing in that way too.”

A graduate of Seaway District High School, Harbers is hoping to develop her social skills. In addition to dealing one on one with her clients, she works in a group setting at the Adult Day Program which runs on Wednesdays at the Centre in Williamsburg.

“It is nice that what I do is helping them to be on their own in their homes,” says Harbers.

“We’ve had a real variety of students over the years,” says Janet Levere, Executive Director of the Williamsburg Non-Profit Housing Corporation. “Many use the opportunity to gain experience in their selected careers. We’ve had nursing students and some who were studying to be teachers.”

Levere explains the student position is made possible, thanks to a partial government grant and by a donation from the Park Lane Crafters that helps to cover travel costs. “Our student services all of South Dundas, so there is a bit of travel. As well, there is a small charge to the clients of $8 per hour.”

“Gardening tends to be high on the list of seniors’ needs,” says Levere. “But they might want help cleaning out a garage or a basement.”

“We have received some really good feedback from our seniors over the years. In fact, before Sherry-Lynn started in mid-May, we were getting calls asking if we would be having a summer student this year.”

“Sherry-Lynn is a good worker, and she is learning quickly. She is very pleasant, and we always advise our students to leave a little time for a visit or a little chat with the client.”

Now, just a few weeks into the job, Harbers has contacted the seniors who made use of last year’s summer student. She has introduced herself at the Centre’s Day Program and at the Community Meal Program.

Seniors living in South Dundas, who may be interested in getting help with their chores in their homes and/or gardens, are invited to contact Sherry-Lynne at the J.W. MacIntosh Senior Support Centre in Williamsburg at 613-535-2924.

[…]

 

An unexpected find has led to an unexpected expenditure for the Township of South Dundas.

At the June 5th council meeting, South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services chief Chris McDonough requested council’s permission to proceed with the purchase of a “super tanker.”

The tanker, he admitted, wasn’t due to be purchased in this year’s budget, but “it’s good for our accreditation for water shuttle,” he said.

McDonough was referring to “being recognized by the Underwriters Insurance for Alternative Water Supplies for Fire Protection accreditation.”

The new 2004 Western Star 3,000 gallon tanker from Eastway Emergency Vehicles will replace Williamsburg’s current 1985 Ford 1,500 gallon tanker.

The new tanker “is being retrofitted with a new tank,” said McDonough, and when all is said and done, he estimated the final cost to be in the vicinity of $130,000. 

He pointed out that the cost savings of buying this particular tanker at this time, rather than buying a brand new tanker in future, is approximately $120,000.

“I think it’s a good opportunity,” said deputy-mayor Jim Locke. 

Councillor Archie Mellan said, “I like the fact that we’re going to get accreditation.”

All in agreement, council approved McDonough’s request to proceed with the purchase.

[…]

 

On June 10th, the Galop-Canal Revitalization Project committee hosted a charity cruise aboard the Sea Fox II.

When all was said and done, the charity cruise raised $2,500 for the Galop-Canal Revitalization Project.

At just $35 per ticket for the two-hour long dining cruise along the St. Lawrence River, the cruise was sold out quickly and organizers had to turn people away.

The cruise included dinner courtesy of Hanne Rycroft and Carl McIntyre of the Basket Case Café as well as live entertainment, including the band Ruckus who volunteered their time and talent for the event.

Staying true to the purpose of the cruise, a live auction featuring 54 donated items created quite a stir. A private behind-the-scenes tour of Parliament Hill with SD&SG MP Guy Lauzon sold for $250. 

Iroquois United Church Reverend Janet Evans and Paul Robertson of the Iroquois Matilda Lions Club volunteered their services as auctioneers for the event.

In addition to ticket sales and auction revenues, the charity raised $290 in 50/50 Draw sales. The winner, a newcomer to the area, won the draw and then donated her winnings back to the charity.

To capture the moment, photographer Lori Cook of Just the Way You Are Photography was on hand to take pictures.

McIntyre pointed out that “when council and the dedicated group of volunteers work together they can make anything happen.”

McIntyre was referring to the recent issues with the Morrisburg Dock and council’s decision to allow Captain Neeteson to proceed with the cruises, docking at the Morrisburg Wharf.

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could keep this going for our community,” asked Rycroft. “Think of the economic spin-off that this could generate.”

In addition to raising money to aid in the “restoration and revitalization of the Iroquois Galop Canal and area,” Rycroft was referring to the inevitable benefits that come with encouraging tourism into the area.

So far, the Galop-Canal Revitalization committee has cleaned up the shoreline and cleared the way for locals and tourists to once again enjoy the St. Lawrence River along the Iroquois shoreline.

“We just need the rest of the community to participate and come up with some ideas,” said Rycroft.

[…]

 

 At their final meeting on June 6th at Matilda Hall, the Helping Hands of Matilda group enjoyed concert entertainment from several local musicians.

Group president and long-time resident of the area, Lorne Strader organized the event, lining up 90 minutes worth of musical entertainment. Songs were from the country and gospel variety.

First on the docket were Madalyne Gates of Iroquois along with  Gerry Morrell and Bernie Coville, both of Johnstown. While Gates sang and played the keyboard synthesizer, Morrell played the guitar and Coville played the mandolin. Morrell’s parents were in the audience and as a gift to them, the trio ended the set with the couple’s favourite song, I’ll Fly Away.

Next up were husband and wife singing duo, Charlene and Jack McCargar from South Mountain. While Charlene played the mandolin, Jack played the guitar and both sang to the enjoyment of the toe-tapping crowd. Capping off their stint on stage, the couple ended with Because He Lives.

Third on the docket were local guitar players Mary Perry and Ralph Jollota, both of whom could sing up a storm. 

While Ralph shared a well-received song written by his brother, Mary made a point of singing those songs the crowd could join in on. The talented pair reminded the crowd to Keep on the Sunny Side.

Last, but not least, were Bill Horner and Lloyd Hall playing guitar and singing in harmony. The friendly duo got things underway with a well-known gospel tune, Kneel at the Cross.

Between sets, Strader kept the crowd laughing with some very funny jokes. According to Strader there were 56 members in attendance, a record number due to the advertised entertainment.

Helping Hands is a group of seniors who meet the first Wednesday of each month from September through June. Those in attendance enjoy a hearty lunch, a little entertainment and some socializing. In addition, they make greeting cards for those seniors who are unable to attend the monthly event, reminding them that there are those who care.

During July and August, the group enjoys day trips to different events within Eastern Ontario. According to secretary Jean Van Gilst of Chesterville, “we’ve been to so many places.”

Van Gilst’s term as secretary ended with the close of the June meeting. Strader presented her with a service plaque, thanking her for her many years of service. Van Gilst became secretary of the group in September 2009.

Helping Hands of Matilda has 62 paid members. Membership costs just $5 per year. Membership, however, is not a prerequisite for attending meetings. Anyone over the age of 50 is welcome to attend.

[…]