Central Frontenac Says No More Pickleball in Piccadilly Hall

Craig Bakay | Jan 22, 2025

Barring an influx of many people wanting to organize and/or coordinate events, the (Central) Frontenac Heritage Festival is a no-go for 2025. The festival began in 2007 with then-Mayor Janet Gutowski at the helm.

In a verbal report at the Jan. 14 regular meeting in Sharbot Lake, Heritage Festival Council representative Cindy Kelsey said: “Our group is down to four people and I want to suggest we put the Festival off this year and start thinking about having it every other year (even years) so we can have more of a festival.”

She said there was “a bit of a mix-up” for renting the community centres and the loss of organizer Rob Moore led to her suggestion.

“After last year, Rob resigned,” she said. “He’d been doing a long time and would do the opening ceremonies but I think people are tiring of it a bit.

“Or, does one of the councillors want to step up and give me an extra hand?”

“I do know our church is going to be putting on a breakfast on the Saturday because we had one last year,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “So I think that regardless if there’s an (overall) event, there will be events that people have done in the past.

“But . . . volunteers wear out.”

“I know Arden has a few things going on that weekend too,” said Kelsey. “If any community group wants to do something, we can still support them.

“But I just don’t think we can do a full Heritage Festival.”

“Let’s put that on our website, that we’re considering and leaning towards postponing it this year and see if we can bring people in who are prepared to work for next year’s festival,” said Smith.

“If we get a bunch of people maybe we can pull it together,” Kelsey said.

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What had been semi-regular pickleball in Piccadilly Hall got a big ‘nope’ from Council when it was learned that the activity had caused some damage to the walls and floor requiring painting a restoration to the tune of $2,500 last winter.

CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn said: “We wanted to bring this to Council’s attention.

“It required repainting, something done to the door and a lot of little things.

“If that’s going to happen, either we’re going to have to cover the cost every year or somebody is going to have to pay some money up front.”

In one sense, pickleball isn’t a District 4 Rec Committee activity because a community group organizes it. However, District 4 Rec did buy the equipment and as such, the hall could be used without rent money being paid.

“So, it was free and there was $2,500 damage done?” said Mayor Frances Smith. “I know which way I’m leaning.”

Chief Building Official Andy Dillon said: “Any kind of activity like that is going to put dents in the walls and mark up the floors.

“It’s not that there was major damage and I don’t know if pickleballs can break windows but if it’s going to be used for that, we should probably look at repainting every year and buffing the floors.”

• • •

Following an email from a resident who is annoyed at seeing the American Flag flying at Oso Beach, Council discussed coming up with a flag flying possibility but in the end, the flag will continue to fly at the beach for the foreseeable future.

The resident requesting the flag be taken down didn’t like how U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, potential tariffs and talk of Canada becoming the “51^st State.”

Coun. Phillip Smith said that while he hadn’t really thought that much about it, the email did get him thinking.

“I don’t expect to see a Canadian flag flying when I visit the States,” he said. “And I don’t think they expect to see theirs here either.”

“I don’t think they expect it but I think they’re quite pleased when they do see it,” said Mayor Frances Smith.

Coun. Nicki Gowdy and Bill Everett pointed out that a large number of Americans own property here (“and a number are generational” said Everett) and the Township does advertise itself as a tourist destination in the States.

• • •

Council passed a motion to add a $1,000 grant to the North Frontenac Food Bank for 2024 and then $2,000 annually starting with the 2025 budget.