Find Your Council Reps

Wilma Kenny | Jun 07, 2017

Most of them are there somewhere, behind their new #INFRONTENAC sunglasses. The Councils of all four Townships attended at a special Committee of the Whole meeting at Verona Lions’ Hall last Wednesday night (May 31), to hear two presentations from the County of Frontenac.

Consultant Terry Gervais reported on behalf of the In-Field Communications Committee, established last November. Made up of the  township Fire Chiefs and Public Works Managers, the  group was tasked with first tracking and recording gaps in communications, incidents of equipment failure and dispatch problems, then developing a protocol to build a standard means of communication across all fire departments (e.g. radio use training, using consistent terminology). Secondly, they assessed the current radio system: both tower infrastructure and user gear, making recommendations re upgrading, replacement, and standardization and the associated costs and timelines.

The current estimated costs (new simulcast system with three additional towers, fencing, backup generators and (eventually) updating (all) user gear, would run between $2,075,000 and $2,575,000. Other options being considered are leasing the tower infrastructure and user gear, or exploring partnerships with neighbouring municipalities.

Gervais said that once final recommendations are made and approved, a new system could be implemented within a year, pending financing.

The second presentation, given by Richard Allen, Manager of Economic Development and Alison Vandervelde, Community Development Officer, focused creating the conditions for economic development that will be appropriate to the resources and local interests of Frontenac County.

The three main areas they are working in are: Trips and Trails, Local Food and Beverage, and Recreation Lifestyle. Some of the goals they are working toward are to provide local employment and better connections between communities, support food production, processing and sales, attract tourism and encourage the recreational lifestyle enjoyed by both local residents and visitors to the area.

Noting that Frontenac County is working with a very small budget compared to neighbouring Counties, Allen and Vandervelde expressed confidence that much could be accomplished through collaboration and creative use of resources. Currently, they are supervising an accommodation study, working with Tourism Kingston on a ‘Ferry by Foot’ tourism initiative, with the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation CFDC on improving local food awareness, with Eastern Ontario Trails Association for maintenance and marketing of the K&P Trail, and with planning, township staff and other agencies to promote the INFrontenac brand, making sure all related information is accurate and relevant. Other collaborating partners include: Land O’ Lakes, Great Waterway, Ontario Highlands, the provincial cycling network and Visit Kingston. Regional signage will soon appear along Highway 401, with other ‘gateway’ highways to follow. Their ‘Brand Ambassador’ program currently has a network of over 80 participating  businesses.

They made sure everyone went home with a pair of the INFrontenac sunglasses pictured above.