News

The St. Lawrence Parks Commission (SLPC) was recently honoured with recognition of three special events being in the Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario.  This honour is awarded annually by Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) to those festivals and events that excel within the industry.

For the SLPC, this isn’t the first time they have achieved such honours for these events.  Upper Canada Village’s Alight at Night event is recognized for the second time; while for Fort Fright it is the fifth award (including Best New Festival in 2008).  Fort Henry’s World Heritage Sunset Ceremonies has been awarded for an impressive seventh time.

Two of the events – Alight at Night and Fort Fright – take place during the shoulder season or what is traditionally considered to be the ‘off-season” for tourism.  Both events have made significant impact in the regional tourism market drawing over 40,000 visitors (Alight at Night) in December and 20,000 (Fort Fright) over the end of September and month of October.  

The World Heritage Sunset Ceremonies are an entertainment tradition in Kingston.  

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The Morrisburg High School will retain its architectural character and, at the same time, it will be home to new-age enhancements.

Once South Dundas council made the decision to ‘recycle’ the old Morrisburg High School  building, things quickly got underway and Colbourne & Kembel Architects Inc. were hired in the fall of 2011 to draw up plans for the project.

In terms of a timeline for the project, on March 8th, Chief Administrative Officer Stephen McDonald reported that “a tentative schedule is to have drawings complete by April 20th with the tender period commencing thereafter and running until June 5th. A recommendation will be made to council in June. The timeline to complete the renovations will be part of the tenders.”

The plan for the building is to keep as much of the original structure as possible, thus protecting a bit of South Dundas heritage.

At the same time, changes are being made inside and out to make the building safer, more user-friendly, and perhaps a bit more stylish.

As for the interior, according to McDonald, “the lower level (gym) is being filled in order to construct the main level that will house the medical clinic.”

“The main level currently exists on the north and south sides of the lower level. The main level will be extended across the existing gym to connect the existing north and south entrances.”

“The township offices are located on the second floor. Council chambers and municipal programming space is planned for the third floor.”

As for getting from the first floor to the third floor, McDonald has confirmed that “yes, an elevator is included in the plan. The brick portion in the centre  is the elevator.”

As for exterior additions, “the glass and spandrel panels (shown in the picture) are an addition,” he said.

The main front entrance of the Morrisburg Collegiate Institute will not actually be used as such when plans are completed. According to McDonald, “the existing entrance fronting on Ottawa Street is being maintained as an architectural feature to maintain the facade of the original building. The doors will be replaced by windows.”

The main entrance to the ‘new’ building will instead be located “under the canopy north of the elevator tower. This entrance will provide access to the entire building.”

Parking for the Institute will remain similar to what currently exists. “We plan on providing 75 parking spaces, mainly by utilizing existing asphalt areas. The existing parking area in front of the clinic and behind the high school will be utilized and the area that housed the outdoor rink will be used.”

The subject of what to call the new building came up during the March 5th, South Dundas budget meeting. It is most often referred to as simply ‘the old high school’ and, sometimes, by its original name, the Morrisburg Collegiate Institute. 

On March 8th, McDonald confirmed that the subject of building names hadn’t come up before the meeting and, at this point, there hasn’t been any indication, discussion, or decision made on what the building’s official name might be going forward.

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Activation of the time-of-use rates for customers of Rideau St. Lawerence Distribution Inc. are delayed.

According to Rideau St. Lawrence Chief Executive Officer John Walsh, “we haven’t been able to get an actual date.” At this point, there is a “fluid date” of May 1st, but it may happen earlier or it may happen later. Walsh did say that when a firm date has been set, customers will definitely be informed.

The time-of-use rates will be divided into three time periods: on-peak (highest price); mid-peak (mid price); and, off-peak (lowest price). In addition, peak periods will change depending on whether it’s winter rates or summer rates.  

In any case, it looks like electricity will be at its lowest price on weekends, holidays, and between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

The activation delay, Walsh explained, is due to “a provincial delay with the MDM/R (Meter Data Management and Repository). They need to implement some new software to comply with Measurement Canada regulations. It’s all up to the government.”

For those wondering what will happen when time-of-use rates do go into effect, Walsh said that Rideau St. Lawrence will be sending out comparative bills for two billing periods prior to time-of-use activation.

The comparative bill will show the customer what their consumption and billing rates are for that time period using the present system’s set-up. In addition, the bill will also show what it would look like ‘if’ the time-use-rates had been activated for that particular bill.

In terms of when customers will actually start paying time-of-use rates, Walsh stated that Rideau St. Lawrence bills “won’t be pro-rated.”

If, for example, the time-of-use system goes into effect beginning May 1st, customers won’t pay those rates on the first bill they receive in May. In this scenario, Walsh explained, they won’t start paying time-of-use rates until their June 1st bill.

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In a March 2nd press release, the St. Lawrence Parks Commission (SLPC) announced the return of Farran Park to its portfolio of parks and day-use areas following the expiry of its lease on March 31st with the Township of South Stormont.

The Township of South Stormont has operated the park since 1990. A separate lease agreement between the SLPC and South Stormont remains in effect until 2022 to provide free waterfront access for residents through Lakeview Park. 

In the July 25, 1990 edition of The Leader, it was reported: “At its July 18 meeting, the St. Lawrence Parks Commission decided to open doors for business entrepreneurs to participate in operating the parks which were closed this spring due to restructuring.”

The parks in question included Brown’s Bay, Charlottenburgh, Farran, Grenville, and Nairne.

In a follow-up article, the October 10, 1990 edition of The Leader reported that the SLPC “received 14 proposals from public and private sectors for the five parks it closed earlier this year in a cost-cutting measure.”

One of the proposals came from Osnabruck Township (now known as South Stormont) for both Farran and Nairn.

“On an agreement with the Commission, Osnabruck Township operated Farran Park this summer (1990) from July to Labor Day, realizing a profit of $4,000.”

“The Township is looking at a lease to operate both parks for between 30 to 50 years for a nominal fee,” the 1990 article continued. “They wish to extend the camping season to the end of September, and upgrade facilities starting with water and electrical sites in both parks, and improve the boat launching area at Farran.”

The March 2012 SLPC release revealed that in 1991 the SLPC entered into a lease agreement with the Township of South Stormont for the operation of Farran Park.

The SLPC lease required the Township to reinvest a portion of the profits of the campground into the maintenance and capital refurbishment of the park in lieu of higher rent payments to SLPC. 

This has resulted in an estimated $500,000 investment in the campground’s infrastructure.

It was also revealed that, in February 2012, the SLPC Board voted to reassume operation of Farran Park, effective April 2, 2012 with the option of considering any future proposals that the Township may choose to submit during the coming year. 

Darren Dalgleish, GM & CEO of the SLPC, said, “the municipality should be proud of the job it has done operating the campground over the past 21 years. Now that the lease has reached its end and with SLPC in the process of revitalizing the campgrounds, it’s the right time for the SLPC to reassume operation of the park.”

In the same release, SLPC acting chair, Ron Eamer said, “the SLPC is committed to maintaining and growing Farran Park as we reintegrate it into the Commission’s network of parkland. The camping sector is poised for significant growth and we see a very bright future ahead for Farran.”

Further to that, SLPC Parks and Recreation Manager Lou Seiler added, “we will accommodate current guests and all planned special events at Farran Park.”

“We have decided to ‘grandfather’ the seasonal camping fees and daily campsite fees that were established by the Township in 2011 for the upcoming 2012 season,” continued Seiler. 

“Coupled with this will be the new benefits of access to other attractions which represents tremendous value to residents and guests.”

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What does South Dundas need to achieve in the next 10 years?

The Township of South Dundas has embarked on an exciting journey to develop a Community Strategic Plan to chart the municipality’s future for the next 10 years.  

The Community Strategic Plan is designed to bring together a range of interests and priorities in an integrated and balanced strategy.  

Local residents, groups, and businesses are encouraged to  articulate  a  vision  that  is  meaningful  and  originates  from  within.  Through this process, citizens will shape the long-term direction of the community.

The Township is hosting a round of community cafés in four locations across South Dundas on March 21 and March 22 to gain community feedback and advice in the creation of a Community Strategic Plan. 

To assist with organizing for this event, advance registration is suggested and can be submitted by e-mailing csp@southdundas.com or by calling 613-535-2673.

The four cafés are:

•March 21st from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Matilda Hall, 4241 County Road 16, Dixon’s Corners

•March 21st from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Morrisburg Meeting Centre, 12580 County Road 2, Morrisburg

•March 22nd from 2 p.m to 4 p.m. at the Iroquois Civic Centre, 1 Dundas Street, Iroquois

•March 22nd from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Williamsburg Oddfellows Hall, 12389 County Road 18, Williamsburg

If citizens are not able to attend the consultation cafés, they are encouraged to join the discussion on-line by participating in the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/DL7QZWF. 

Citizens are also encouraged to contribute to an on-line photo journal by e-mailing pictures with descriptions to photos@southdundas.com. 

Please visit www.southdundas.com and click on the “Community Strategic Plan” tab for more information.

[…]

 

The opportunity has come to voice opinions about what the future of South Dundas should look like.

On March 21st and 22nd, South Dundas township is hosting four Community Vision Cafés, each in a different South Dundas location.

Chief Administrative Officer Stephen McDonald first approached council with the “Proposal for a Community Wide Strategic Plan” at the November 1, 2011 council meeting.

Once approved, McDonald set to work gathering bids for consulting firms, of which he received 10 entries. Council agreed, at the December 20, 2011 council meeting to hire Dillon Consulting Limited, an Ottawa-based company, for a cost of $24,870 plus HST.

In early March 2012, McDonald sent The Leader excerpts from the Dillon Consulting Limited’s plan document, outlining the details and expectations for the Community Vision Cafés.

The format for the cafés are described as follows: “The workshops provide an opportunity for participants to learn about the Community Strategic Plan project, the results of our initial review/ survey/ photo journal, and meet other residents and business owners to discuss the strengths, opportunities and vision for the future.”

In addition, it is suggested that “participants should have four to six major strategic directions/ themes/ priorities listed, and may have also identified some early specific actions for the strategic plan.”

“At the closure of the session, we will ask participants to specifically sign-up as champions for action planning later in the Strategic Planning process.”

According to McDonald, a status report will be ready for council to consider in April and, following this, an implementation plan will be presented in June. Council will then decide how and when to move forward with the findings.

[…]

 

During the February 21st South Dundas council meeting, Recreation Program Coordinator Ben Macpherson recommended that council accept the recently created Charter for Active Living as a living document.

Macpherson told council that the document, created by Macpherson and Stephanie Caissie of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, “would be an excellent opportunity to show a commitment to the health of the residents of South Dundas.”

“It would also,” he pointed out, “serve to show individuals, families, businesses and organizations looking to move into the community that the township of South Dundas is dedicated to providing their residents with every opportunity to be active and healthy.”

The charter, Macpherson said, “would clear a path to where we want to take recreation here in South Dundas.”

The charter’s stated goal: “The Township of South Dundas will improve the physical and mental well-being of its residents by encouraging families and individuals to integrate active living in their everyday life as they learn, work and play through continued education, promotion of healthy living and accessible programming.”

Deputy-Mayor Jim Locke said, “I certainly think it’s a good move.”

“It’s a good document,” said Councillor Archie Mellan, “it might inspire me to get up and get active.”

Mayor Steven Byvelds added, “I certainly concur with council. I think it links hand in hand with where we want to go as a society, which is health prevention.”

The South Dundas Charter for Active Living is printed in full in the spring/summer edition of the South Dundas Recreation Guide.

At the moment, Macpherson is looking for members of the community to form a working group for the official launch of the South Dundas Charter for Active Living, which is expected to take place sometime in late spring, possibly May.

[…]

 

 From Kirby the Hermit Crab to Dakota the Poodle, from Florida’s Gatorland to television’s Sesame Street, the young speakers at the 2012 Iroquois Public School Speak Off entertained judges, teachers, family members and their fellow students with some outstanding speeches on Monday, March 5. 

“The eight finalists in our gym were chosen from their individual classroom competitions,” said teacher/organizer Margaret Phifer. “It was definitely tough for grades four to six teachers to choose those finalists because all the classes had some great speeches. This has been an amazing competition.”

This year, after a hiatus of some years, the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 370, Iroquois, is once again involved in elementary school public speaking.

“It is wonderful that we are participating with the Legion again,” Phifer said, “that they are becoming involved with our young speakers.”

This year’s first place finisher was Katie Buter, whose speech, complete with actions and singing, was based on the enduringly popular children’s show, Sesame Street.  Katie will be going to the Legion semi-finals competition in March. She and second place finisher, Darci Dodge, the proud owner of Kirby the Crab, will both present their speeches at Winchester Public School for the South Dundas Family of Schools in April. Third place finisher was Dana Domanko, who shared a wealth of information on a sticky subject, Gum.

Judges for the event were retired IPS teachers Bob Dolan and Gail Burrell, while Maurice Kolff, represented the Iroquois Legion.

At the medals presentation, judge Dolan congratulated all the participants on the tremendous amount of time, energy and effort they all put into writing, practicing and memorizing their speeches.  He also told them that it took real courage to be able to get up and speak before a large audience, and he reminded them to always stay passionate about what they are doing.

[…]

 

The Dundas County Food Bank (DCFB) held their  annual general meeting on February 27th at the J.W. McIntosh Seniors’ Support Centre in Williamsburg.

Brenda Millard, board chair for the food bank, began by saying, “the word that stands out is blessed.”

She then revealed, “we did end in the black this year with our budget. So that’s a good thing.”

She quickly explained that being in the black does not mean that the DCFB has money sitting idle. Rather, “that money has to carry us into the next months, into spring.”

Millard reminded everyone that the focus of the food bank “is to give food to people who are without and we are able to serve our clients and that’s what I see as success.”

During her report as chairperson, she also revealed that she would be stepping down as chair, but would be remaining on the board for another year.

Referring to her start as chairperson, she said, “I was terrified.” And now, at the end, she admitted that “it’s been rewarding.”

In addition to this, Millard said she had been meeting with South Dundas council in relation to the Morrisburg location of the DCFB.

“When I spoke with Stephen McDonald (South Dundas Chief Administrative Officer), I was assured that they were keeping us in mind and that they would be helping us find a new location.”

While not confirmed yet, she revealed that council is strongly considering moving the DCFB into the SD&G library’s present location, ‘below’ the Morrisburg Arena. If this works out, the DCFB would share some of the space with the arena’s maintenance crew.

“It’s an excellent facility with some need for revisions,” said Millard, “but it is a handicap accessible, clean, well-maintained space.”

As for the Winchester location, 2012 is the year for the final payment on the $60,000 no interest loan. The township of North Dundas lent the DCFB money to purchase their May Street location five years ago.

In terms of numbers, Judy Hilson provided statistics for DCFB usage and Dave King presented the financial report.

Hilson revealed the differences in numbers of families served between January and December for a three year period: 2009 saw 1,726 families; 2010 saw 1,606 families; and, 2011 saw 1,665 families.

Of the 1,665 families served in 2011, 776 came from Winchester and 889 came from Morrisburg.

In addition to serving families throughout the two townships, North and South Dundas, the DCFB also serves a handful of families in Finch and Berwick. These towns are “kind of outside any area,” said Hilson, “so we’ve made an agreement with Cornwall.”

“We’ve had support from Finch: the Finch Lions, Catholic school, and BMO,” added Hilson.

Of the people DCFB serves, 42.3 per cent are children. At the Morrisburg location, children make up 44.9 per cent of those using the food bank’s services while at the Winchester location children make up only 39.5 per  cent of those using the food bank’s services.

Included in Hilson’s statistics are those families not living within DCFB’s mandated area who visited the food bank once in 2011. In this situation, “we don’t turn them away. We give them food,” she said. However, “they are encouraged to go wherever they’re supposed to go” for the next visit.

Along with being the DCFB statistician, Hilson is also the coordinator for the Winchester location of the food bank. Norma Smith is the coordinator for the Morrisburg location.

As for the finances, Dave King had great news for everyone. In 2011, the food bank reported $114,155 in revenue and only $95,886 in expenses. 

In addition, they raised more in revenue than they had originally budgeted for in 2011. For example, they had anticipated receiving about $80,000 in donations, excluding grants and fundraising efforts. Instead, however, they received $83,583 in donations.

As for grants, in 2011, the DCFB received $5,000 from RBC, $1,000 from Kraft Canada, $2,000 from the Canadian Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and $800 from the John Stewart Estate.

Millard repeatedly lauded the overwhelming support received from the public in all its forms: businesses, community groups, individuals, churches and so on. “I don’t hear of support when I go to other meetings like ours, not even from their councils,” she said.

“If we go to the community, they’ve always responded and without that support we wouldn’t be able to carry on.” 

As for expenses, the food bank received a ‘break’ on rent and utilities at the Morrisburg location. The township of South Dundas gave them a special dispensation eliminating the need to pay the fees.

According to King’s financial report, the majority of the expenses go straight toward purchasing food. Excluding extras like fresh produce, dairy or meat, the DCFB spent $132,072 on food in 2011: $73,125 in Morrisburg and $58,947 in Winchester.

Looking forward, Donna Quesnel, Administrator for the Dundas County Food Bank, reminded everyone that “we’re always looking for ideas in our community” for fundraising.

It was also revealed that the annual volunteer luncheon will take place on March 28th this year at the Christian Reformed Church in Williamsburg. According to Millard, the food bank has approximately 60 active volunteers.

Food bank hours are: Mondays from 10 a.m. until noon; Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m.; and, Thursday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m.

For assistance,  to make a donation, or to volunteer, contact one of the Dundas County Food Bank’s two locations. The Morrisburg location contact number is 613-543-0065. The Winchester location contact number is 613-774-0188.

According to Quesnel, the Dundas County Food Bank is currently in need of the following items: cereals; canned veggies, including beans, carrots, and peas; canned pasta; canned fruit; soap for bathing; peanut butter; and, margarine.

[…]

 

South Dundas Mayor Steven Byvelds attended the annual ROMA/OGRA Combined Conference in Toronto last week.

The conference, which took place from February 26th to February 29th, gave Byvelds the opportunity to meet with politicians from other municipalities throughout Ontario.

According to their website, ROMA (Rural Ontario Municipal Association), “is Ontario’s rural municipal voice, ensuring that matters affecting rural  communities are brought to the attention of the provincial and federal governments.”

OGRA (Ontario Good Roads Association) “represents infrastructure interests of municipalities through advocacy, consultation, training and the delivery of identified services.”

On March 6th, Byvelds revealed that “there were no objectives going to ROMA. It is,” he added, “a great opportunity to discuss issues or methods with fellow municipal politicians.”

In terms of how things progressed at the conference, he said “there were some good information sessions.”

“I believe if you come home with one idea it was worth the effort.”

As for what South Dundas residents might find relevant from the conference, Byvelds said, “I did go to a seminar that was related to climate change and picked up a contact with information we can use when we have our public meeting concerning the sewer issues in our villages.”

In addition, “there was also a panel discussion on how municipalities need to work with local post-secondary institutions and how they affect economic development.”

According to their own literature, the ROMA/OGRA Combine Conference “is one of the largest annual gatherings of municipal leaders in Canada. It’s aim is to reinvigorate public debate about how municipalities will respond to emergent challenges and opportunities.”

This year’s conference, according to Byvelds, presented a good opportunity “to get a feeling on where the Provincial government is heading in these current times of fiscal restraint (don’t expect the cheque in the mail).”

While Byvelds didn’t get an opportunity to speak with the Premier himself, he did “take the opportunity to listen when he spoke.”

According to Byvelds, Premier Dalton McGuinty “did speak in generalities and hoped to continue to work with municipalities in the future. He committed to the finish date on the uploads but cautioned us on the new spending limit for the OMPF (Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund) of $500 million. He also re-committed to Green Energy.”

While several politicians walked out during the Premier’s ROMA appearance in protest of his energy policy, Byvelds admitted, “no, I was not involved.”

“I do not think it is a way to have a meaningful dialogue on issues. It takes two to discuss and walking out does not solve the issue.”

[…]