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According to a report submitted to South Dundas council, the township currently owns 109 properties.

On January 17th, council agreed with Clerk Brenda Brunt’s recommendation that seven of these properties should be declared surplus and then sold.

According to Brunt, “staff has done extensive research on our properties. These seven have been identified, that we feel are surplus at this point.” Brunt’s report pointed out that two of the properties have buildings, while the remaining five are vacant.

The seven properties include various locations throughout South Dundas. They are: 5680 Duncan Street in Mariatown; vacant land at the corner of County Roads 8 and 41; vacant land beside the outdoor rink in Dundela on County Road 18; vacant land on Hanesville Road; vacant land on Pleasant Valley Road;  vacant land on Caldwell Drive in Iroquois; and, 2 Miller Street in Iroquois.

According to the report, “proceeds from the sales will go to the Sale of Assets Reserve Account.”

[…]

 

 In the very early hours of dawn, April 29, 1849, the ship, Hannah, en route from Warrenpoint and Newry, Ireland, to Quebec City, Canada, carrying perhaps 180 Irish immigrants and a crew of 12, struck a frozen reef in the strait near Cape Ray off the coast of Newfoundland during an ice storm.

The Hannah’s 23-year-old captain, Curry Shaw, son of one of the owners of the ship, prepared to abandon the vessel. But before he did so, he ordered the ship’s carpenter to nail down the Hannah’s after hatch: his Irish passengers would be sealed below decks. Then he and some members of the crew climbed into the life boat and rowed away into the darkness. 

Another crewman, however, wrenched the hatches back open and those passengers still able climbed out on to the heaving deck. 

Among those who staggered on to the Atlantic ice April 29, 1849, were Owen McCourt and his wife, Jane McKnight.

Now, over 162 years later, Owen and Jane’s great grandson, Pat McCourt, of Williamsburg, has traced the story of his family back to Ireland, and to the circumstances that led them to the deck of the Hannah.

“The Hannah was called,  even in the day, a ‘coffin ship’, as were many of the ships which carried Ireland’s poor to the New World,” Pat McCourt told The Leader

McCourt, a retired principal, can remember, from a very young age, being fascinated by the stories told in his family about his Irish ancestors.

His desire to know more only increased when CBC National – Doc Zone – ran a documentary called “Famine and Shipwreck: an Irish Odyssey”, a film by Brian McKenna, on March 17, 2011. As a descendent of survivors of the wreck, McCourt was invited to be part of the documentary.  

The Irish McCourts hailed from the lowlands of Poyntzpass, on the boundary between Counties Down and Armagh, about 15 miles from the town of Newry. 

In the late 1700s, Pat McCourt’s great-great-grandfather had been moderately successful in setting up a small flax selling business.  

Eldest son Patrick was educated as a doctor while Owen, the youngest son and Pat’s great grandfather, was a farmer, whose two acre holding was opposite his widowed mother’s six acres,.

He had been living with Jane McKnight, daughter of Scottish-Irish Protestants. “I suspect that both Owen’s and Jane’s families were very upset at their union,” McCourt said. “However, two children, Daniel (my immediate ancestor) and Eliza were born to them.”

No Irish Catholic could actually own land; he could only lease it from (often absentee) English landlords. And if a family actually tried to make any improvements to the home or fields, the rent was promptly raised. 

For one third of the Irish, population, uneducated, faced with crushing rents and official English indifference (if not out and out dislike), life was a ceaseless grind of poverty.

Ironically, English papers regularly described the Irish as “lazy and indolent”, people who refused to work, to better themselves. In the 1800s, the stereotype was wide-spread in society and accepted.

The lowly potato was literally the sole  basis of survival for  many Irish families. 

In 1845, a deadly blight attacked. Soon Ireland’s potatoes were rotting in the fields. 

“The thing is,” Pat McCourt said, “there was enough food still being produced in Ireland, despite the blight, to feed the people. Landowners were exporting food all during the famine despite authorities knowing people were actually starving to death. But it appears that many English privately saw the famine as a convenient way to finally get rid of the troublesome Irish ‘problem’. 

“If you can’t call this genocide, it’s pretty damn close,” Pat McCourt commented. 

Prior to 1845, Owen McCourt agreed to stand as guarantor of a loan taken out by his McKnight brother-in-law. 

 “Then the famine came. His brother-in-law defaulted on the loan.”

Owen McCourt had to sell the lease to his eight acres for £80. When his brother-in-law’s debt was settled “we think he may have had £10 or so left. He and Jane decided to take the money and go to Canada to start over. Passage cost  £2-3 each.”  

They left Daniel and Eliza with relatives and boarded the ship at Newry. 

Jane and Owen left Ireland on April 3, 1849. Owen was wearing a warm overcoat his doctor brother had given him at the last minute. It may have saved his life.

On the bitter morning of April 29, with the other survivors of the Hannah, they stood on the heaving ice. 

“The ice broke apart,” Pat McCourt said, “forcing survivors into two groups. People slipped and fell into the arctic water.  Hands and feet froze. Bodies were abandoned on the ice.

My great-grandmother said that when she was trying to get on board the rescue ship, she had to use her elbows and teeth to climb. Her hands were frozen. Later, horribly, a hatch cover was accidentally dropped on her damaged hands.”

About 10 hours after the Hannah struck, a second ship, also carrying Irish immigrants, came on the horizon. She was the Nicaragua, captained by William Marshall, whom McCourt calls the “hero of this story.” 

Captain Marshall, described as a God-fearing Protestant who never expressed a word of anti-Irish sentiment, immediately turned to the rescue. His crew nearly mutinied, terrified at being lost on the ice themselves. 

“Then,” Pat McCourt said, “they heard the people crying and begging from the ice and they relented. As Captain Marshall put it, ‘what has to be done, must be done.’”

When the survivors could not fasten bow lines or ropes with their frozen hands, he and his crew lassoed them, dragging men, women and children from the ice and on to the Nicaragua any way they could. 

“He pulled 129 survivors off the ice that day, including Jane and Owen.” McCourt said. “He could not carry them all on his own already loaded ship, but other vessels had come on the scene, and he transferred the Irish survivors to them. 

William Marshall will always be a true hero to me.”

Nothing was ever done to punish captain Curry Shaw for his actions April 29, 1849.  

Owen and Jane ultimately decided to get off a second ship in Cornwall.

Daniel and Eliza McCourt eventually joined their parents in Canada in 1851. By then, 16 year-old-Daniel was ready to strike out on his own. 

He apprenticed with a Cornwall shoemaker,  then worked on the canal and down the Mississippi River, narrowly avoiding being pressed into the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. 

“Why does this story of the Hannah matter so much to me?” Pat McCourt commented. 

“This is who I am. These people are part of my identity. Their stories and the heritage of these incredibly strong, determined Irish people are my background.”  

But,” he added smiling, “even  family stories can get changed. We were told Owen went back to the Hannah just before she sank to bring off blankets and, supposedly, meal. 

Well, in reality, he brought off blankets and strong spirits. But that part of the story was apparently cleaned up in the telling.” 

[…]

 

“English country dancing is lively, it’s very sociable and the music is wonderful,” explained Sara Lawson, who will be offering classes in English country dance beginning February 5. “This is exercise for the mind and body that people will really enjoy.”

And classes are starting up just in time for participants to join in the festivities surrounding the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 in Ontario. 

“One of our goals is to take part in the Regency Ball which will be held on Canada Day, July 1, this summer,” Lawson said. 

English country dancing originated as far back as the 1700s. By 1812, the slower and more elegant styles were performed in the drawing rooms of the gentry, while the livelier dances of the country people took place in barns and fairgrounds. Accordions, flutes, fiddles and violins still form the music. 

British officers were regular participants at the dances in the communities where regiments were stationed. “Military re-enactors are today among those eagerly taking up English country dance for the Regency Balls all over Ontario.” 

There has been a tremendous revival of interest in this type of dance in the last 10 years in North America.

Lawson, who has been teaching English country dance for 15 years in Ottawa, Montreal and Ogdensburg, will be starting classes at Allen Hall in Morrisburg for adults over 18. She expects famed caller, Nigel Kilby, known as “Mr. English Country Dance” to come to Morrisburg to ‘call’ for local dancers later in the summer. 

“These are walking dances rather than dances needing special steps. Everyone can do them,” Lawson said, “and they will have a wonderful time.”

For information about classes call 613-652-4010 or contact skgl@sympatico.ca

[…]

 

On December 6, 2011, the South Branch Wind Opposition Group (SBWOG) presented South Dundas with their case against Prowind’s planned South Branch Wind Farm near Brinston.

After taking some time to consider the requests, council came back to the January 17th meeting with a decision not to support SBWOG.

In fact, South Dundas Mayor Steven Byvelds summarized council’s stance, saying, “overall we are in support of the project.”

Councillor Archie Mellan declared a conflict of interest, taking himself out of the equation. The remaining council members were unanimous in their support for Prowind’s wind farm project.

In terms of why council landed where they did in terms of which side to support, it seems to come down to a matter of choosing the winning team.

Deputy-mayor Jim Locke reminded everyone that “it’s a known fact that the municipality really has no say in the matter.”

Councillor Jim Graham concurred, saying, “I think the government has set up a policy where they’re going to limit the interference of municipalities on these projects.”

“We don’t have staff and resources to fight provincial policy on this,” he added.

He suggested that it would be “foolish” for council to support SBWOG “because I don’t think we’ll get far on this.”

Councillor Evonne Delegarde agreed, “the province has taken a firm stand on this.”

However, she also said, “I don’t have a problem sending their concerns on to the Member of Provincial Parliament.”

In addition to council’s feelings that to support SBWOG would be pointless, Byvelds also pointed out that the project “started in 2008 and then in 2011 a group that decides it’s not right came along making demands that we don’t have authority on.”

Interestingly enough, Byvelds informed council of a deputy-mayor in a western Ontario municipality who had recently contacted him with a cautionary note concerning the wind farm project: she reported that those in her municipality were having some problems until the lines from the turbines to the substations were buried. Apparently, above ground, these lines emitted unfiltered electricity.

Byvelds also noted, however, that there “is not a lot to validate her concerns.”

“From a project overall, I think it’s at a point now where I’m certainly not going to stand in the way of it,” he said.

Locke interjected, saying he had heard of similar issues concerning “overhead wires and unfiltered power. There were houses that needed to be vacated.”

“I would definitely support an urge to bury,” said Locke.

With that said, South Dundas council decided against supporting SBWOG and their requests.

This may not, however, be the end of the discussion. On January 20th, Mark Wales, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), issued two releases changing OFA’s stance on wind farms in Ontario: Wind power versus rural power; and, OFA calls on government to suspend wind turbine development in Ontario.

“The OFA is calling on the provincial government to suspend the invasion of rural Ontario with industrial wind turbines.”

[…]

 

Nicole Sullivan, South Dundas Economic Development Officer, recommended to council at the January 17th meeting that directional signage be purchased for both the South Dundas Dog Park and the Iroquois Locks.

After hearing Sullivan’s recommendation and reasoning, council agreed to the purchase of six signs.

The South Dundas Dog Park in Morrisburg will have three signs in the following locations:  County Road 2 directing West bound traffic; County Road 2 directing East bound traffic; and, County Road 31 directing South bound traffic.

The Iroquois Locks will also have three signs. The locations for these are: County Road 2 directing West bound traffic; County Road 2 directing East bound traffic; and, County Road 1 (Carman Road) directing South bound traffic.

Each sign comes at a cost of $335. In addition, the township will need to rent the sign space. This is done through a membership fee of $75 per year in the County Tourism Signage Program administered by Seaway Valley Tourism.

In total, the cost of the new directional signage will be $2,085 for 2012. 

Sullivan’s recommendation, she said, “comes out of discussions with the Park Pals committee and feedback from the community about directing people to the Iroquois Locks.”

In her report, she referred to the township’s 2005 Strategic Economic Development Plan and two of it’s recommendations. “Both of these recommendations,” she reported, “aim to enrich the experience of visitors to South Dundas. This will result in extended stays, repeat visits and ultimately, greater benefits to the local economy.”

“I fully support signs for the Iroquois Locks,” said Councillor Evonne Delegarde. She was concerned, however, in the many other attractions at the waterfront that could benefit from directional signage, other than the dog park.

During an interview on January 23rd, Sullivan told The Leader that “signage is imperative when people are in your community.” In addition to making the experience more pleasurable, it “also grabs people who might not have been aware” of the attractions in the first place.

“We’re always looking for ways to enrich the visitor’s trip. We’re looking for things to add on to their visit,” she explained. “The longer someone is in the community, the bigger the contribution to the local economy.”

“Recognizing that,” she continued, “one of my goals is a signage review.” The review will begin by compiling a list of all the attractions South Dundas has to offer.

“It won’t be something we can do in one year,” said Sullivan. “Once we look at the whole scope of attractions, that’s when we can start prioritizing.”

[…]

 

“My recommendation is to brand South Dundas Recreation,” said Ben Macpherson, Recreation Program Coordinator for South Dundas, at the January 17th council meeting.

Council agreed to the recommendation and Macpherson will soon be introducing a logo design contest to South Dundas residents of all ages.

Macpherson suggested that “the winning design would be launched  on the cover of the upcoming Spring/Summer Recreation Guide.”

According to Macpherson, both North Dundas Recreation and North Grenville Recreation have created their own logo and branding. “I felt that this was a very good way to improve the visibility of programming in the township,” he said.

“Branding will, over time, help develop an instant recognition of any program or activity run by or in partnership with South Dundas Recreation and the township,” suggested Macpherson.

“The underlying goal,” he continued, “is to foster community ownership through continued efforts, partnerships and cross-promotion of events involving residents, community groups and local businesses.”

Macpherson believes that “the symbol can be recognized as one of commitment, by the Township of South Dundas, to improving the quality of life of its residents.”

[…]

 

At the January 17th South Dundas council meeting, council members were treated with a presentation of the proposed new branding options for the Untied Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

South Dundas Economic Development Officer Nicole Sullivan presented council with a report outlining the creation process behind the proposed brands. The presentation came complete with visuals and detailed explanations.

Both branding options incorporate SD&G’s geographic location in their proposed catchphrase. Each option is being considered for its wording, not for the accompanying picture. That will be decided on at a later date. 

Option one, The Counties @ 45, was chosen because “the Counties of SD&G are located at the 45th parallel, halfway between the Equator and the North Pole – @ the juncture of balanced living, adventure and business opportunity.” 

Option two, Gateway Counties, was chosen because “the Counties of SD&G lie on the doorstep of Ontario, near major Canadian cities and the United States – opening up new opportunities for business, tourism, and balanced living.” 

“To enhance its economic development activities, the United Counties wish to: position the region as an attractive location for business and tourism; present a unified and consistent brand message to strengthen recognition and become more effective; and, help locate Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry on the map.”

“A new logo mark has been developed that aims to convey key attributes to a wide range of target audiences spanning from business relocation consultants to tourists to local residents through a fresh look and feel.”

Following the presentation, council members were advised of an anonymous online survey to evaluate the two options. Mayor Steven Byvelds encouraged council members to complete the survey to “give the Counties something to go on when trying to make the decision in February.”

The Counties council is expected to make a decision in late February.

[…]

 

Was Prowind Canada able to ease the concerns of the South Branch Wind Opposition Group (SBWOG)? Simply put, the answer is no.

January 10th, 2012 marked Prowind Canada’s final public meeting at Matilda Hall in Dixon’s Corners with respect to the proposed South Branch Wind Farm near Brinston.  

Although the meeting began with Prowind’s typical open-house style, the meeting’s main event came an hour into the night with a question and answer period lasting over two hours. 

Upwards of 70 people showed up for the forum, looking for an opportunity to ask questions, express their fears, and share their uneasiness about the big change. There were also a few people in attendance to applaud the wind energy initiative and the Prowind group.

Several South Dundas council members and a few township employees also attended the event. When asked for his general impression of the meeting, Mayor Steven Byvelds said, “I do feel that the meeting went well.” 

Members of SBWOG did not share the Mayor’s opinion. In a January 11th email, Bruce Albers, a representative for SBWOG, stated: “Suffice it to say that many of us found the answers given by Prowind to be slanted and in many cases simply untrue, to the extent that we will submit a formal complaint to the MOE (Ministry of the Environment.)”

On his own behalf, he said, “there are many issues I have with the answers that were provided by Prowind as well as the format.” Albers, and many other residents affected by the wind farm, felt that there should have been room for public rebuttal during the forum.

Another issue raised with the forum was the absence of any representatives from either the Ontario Health Unit (OHU) or MOE. 

Prowind’s forum panel consisted of four people: project manager Juan Anderson; President Jeffrey Segal; Rochelle Rumney who is in charge of environmental assessments; and, Dr. Loren Knopper, co-author of Health effects and wind turbines: A review of the literature. It was pointed out that Dr. Knopper is an academic doctor, not a medical doctor.

According to Anderson, other agencies like OHU or MOE were not invited because “that’s really not their role.”

When asked about statistics in reference to wind turbines on health, Knopper said there were none. What is known, he said, is that reports put it around the “10 per cent mark for people who may find it annoying.”

The audience followed up by asking why Prowind hasn’t gone ahead and done some studies of their own. Segal replied, “we’re not in the business of doing health studies.”

When asked if Prowind has petitioned the government for a third-party epidemiological study, Anderson answered: “No, that’s really not our role. We go on the existing research.”

Knopper was then asked if he had written a paper suggesting that more studies need to be done on the effects of wind turbines on health. In short, his answer was “yes.”

In terms of recourse, should residents experience adverse health effects, the audience was told that MOE has a hotline available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. “It’s up to them (MOE) to investigate,” he said. 

In any case, Knopper claimed, “there won’t be any adverse health effects based on the 550 metres and 40 decibels.” 

The province requires that all turbines be a minimum of 550 metres away from  residences. According to Knopper, with that distance, sound will not rise above 40 decibels.

It was suggested by both Anderson and Knopper that most health-related issues that arise in a wind farm area, do so indirectly and, most often, due to annoyance. Knopper pointed out that a person’s attitude and visual cues predict whether or not they might be annoyed. 

It was also pointed out by a few panel members that most people who complain of health-related issues are those who are not profiting from it.

Knopper interjected, saying, “if you read negative things, hear negative things, then you’re going to be worried and annoyed.”  He further pointed out that annoyance leads to stress and, stress can lead to health issues. 

In addition to health-related worries, the residents in the audience were also concerned with property values.

According to Segal, “impirical evidence in both Ontario and elsewhere is demonstrating that there is no property value loss.” In terms of backing this up, Segal said he had documentation he could send to anyone interested. 

An audience member introduced names of wind farm areas where substantial property value loss was experienced.  Segal denied knowledge of any such findings, but agreed to look into it further.

He pointed out that there are many other factors, other than the presence of a wind farm, that could play a part in why an area’s property values decline.

Speaking of money issues, members of the audience wanted to know how much profit Prowind would make from the South Branch Wind Farm. They also wanted to know what the actual landowners (the “participating” residents who will have turbines on their land) would be receiving in terms of compensation.

In terms of Prowind’s gross revenue, Anderson said, “those are private financial details of the project. It’s not something we can really comment on.”

In response to how much the participating landowners were making from the deal, he said, “that is private between landowners and Prowind.”

When asked about the cost of energy on the average Ontario tax-payer due to the FIT program, Anderson replied, “there’s a lot of political spin that gets put on that.”

As for long-term jobs produced by the farm? Anderson revealed that due to a “higher amount of maintenance in the beginning, (there will be) 10 permanent jobs.” However; “ongoing, long-term there will be two to three.” 

Nearing the end of the forum, the panel was asked the crucial question of whether any of them live within one kilometre of a wind farm. The answer for each of the panel members was ‘no’.

As stated earlier, one of the issues SBWOG had with the forum was the lack of any representation from governmental or environmental authorities. The Leader was able to contact the South Nation Conservation Authority (SNC) as well as the Ministry of the Environment (MOE).

On January 12th, Geoff Owens from the Planning and Engineering department of SNC spoke with The Leader. He revealed that under the Conservation Authority Act, “our rights are not superceded by the Green Energy Act.”

He said that Prowind’s project’s “natural hazards have to comply with our regulations before they get a permit from us.”

The SNC deals only with the environmental factors, however; everything else would fall under the jurisdiction of the MOE or the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).

On January 13th, The Leader received an email from MOE. Kate Jordan from the Communications Branch of MOE reported that “the ministry has not received an application for a renewable energy approval for the Prowind Canada project.”

“It is our understanding,” she continued, “that the company is going through the needed public consultation work required under the renewable energy approval process.”

“Public involvement and participation is a significant part of the approval process. Developers are required to hold at least two public meetings and all comments received through public consultation must be documented and reported to the ministry as part of the application. We review all comments submitted carefully as part of our review of the application.”

Jordan also stated: “We also post complete applications on the environmental registry site for the public to review and comment on before we make any approval decisions.”

She went on to say that “our priority is that renewable energy is developed in a way that protects human health and the environment. The stringent Renewable Energy Approval process ensures that protection.”

“We have taken a cautious approach when setting standards for wind setbacks and noise limits to protect Ontarians. Ontario is a leader in establishing clear setbacks that are protective of human health and the environment.” 

“Developers must demonstrate that projects will meet the ministry’s 40 decibel noise guideline – the sound in a library – to protect the surrounding community. The World Health Organization says this level is protective of human health.”

“The Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) and Ontario Superior Court have also ruled in favour of our protective renewable energy framework. The ERT upheld our approval and ruled that it is fully protective of human health and the surrounding community.”

While Prowind Canada moves slowly and steadily ahead with their project, the South Branch Wind Opposition Group is still working hard to have their demands addressed.

The SBWOG executive met on January 12th to discuss strategies and options moving forward. Next up is the South Dundas council meeting on January 17th. 

South Dundas council intends to discuss the requests made by the South Branch Wind Opposition group made earlier, in December. 

The January 17th South Dundas council meeting took place after The Leader’s Tuesday press deadline and news from the event will be covered in the January 25th edition. Check back then for more news on the subject.

[…]

 

Time-of-use rates for those who buy their electricity from Rideau St. Lawrence Distribution Inc. will not be going into effect this month, as was previously expected.

In fact, it appears quite possible that the change won’t take place until March 2012.

Originally, the local hydro utility expected to have their 2012 Electricity Distribution Rate Application filed by December 2011. 

However; according to Chief Financial Officer Allan Beckstead, Rideau St. Lawrence contacted the Ontario Energy Board on Monday to confirm that they “are not moving ahead” with the application. “It just does not make sense,” he said.

In explaining the reasoning behind the decision, Beckstead said, “it’s a deep subject. It’s tied in with the province’s Meter Data Management and Repository (MDM/R) and the standards.”

Rideau St. Lawrence has decided to wait until the MDM/R is finished testing and everything can be done properly and in compliance with all rules and regulations.

When asked about the reasoning behind the Time-of-use rates, Beckstead explained that the province’s intention is “to provide a more stabilized load for generation. It costs a lot to have it on stand-by.”

In terms of cost to customers, Beckstead couldn’t say anything for certain. He did, however; offer the following: “From the majority of articles that I’ve read, if you don’t change anything you might see a $2 increase per bill.”

According to Beckstead, Time-of-use rates are expected to “probably” be implemented sometime in March. 

However, he also added: “We don’t really see it as an advantage to our customers so we’re not in a hurry to get there.”

Rideau St. Lawrence Distribution Inc. services South Dundas, Prescott, Cardinal, and Westport.

[…]

 

On January 12th, a winter storm hit the area with freezing temperatures, freezing rain and, of course, snow.

Students woke up to good news on the 12th: a snow day! Schools remained open, but buses were cancelled.

Unfortunately, Friday the 13th proved to be unlucky for those hoping for another snow day. Despite the freezing rain, snow, and poor driving conditions, buses were not cancelled. 

According to the Upper Canada District School Board’s (UCDSB) website: “the UCDSB strives to ensure the safe transportation of children. Ultimately, each parent has the right and legal obligation to protect their child. You may decide to keep your child at home at any time if you feel that it is too risky to have him/her transported to school.”

By mid-morning on the 13th the storm was still going strong and, according to police reports, “SD&G OPP officers responded to a total of 37 traffic/weather related calls for service. The incidents ranged from vehicles in ditches to property damage collisions. Fortunately, no injuries resulted.”

Flashbacks of 1997’s Ice Storm were front and centre in the minds of many local residents, especially when, at 11:54 a.m. on the 13th, the power went out in Morrisburg, Williamsburg, and areas farther north. Iroquois was not affected.

According to John Walsh, a representative for Rideau St. Lawrence Distribution Inc., “the storm caused trees to come down on the main line that feeds Morrisburg.”

The main line belongs to Hydro One and “they repaired the problem.” Hydro power was up and running by 1:31 p.m.

And, on January 17th, children were gifted with another snow day. As of 9:20 a.m., there was still a freezing rain warning in effect for all parts of South Dundas.

[…]