Frontenac County Sustainability Breakfast

Jeff Green | Jun 13, 2013

It’s been five years since Frontenac County released its Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP), and in the spring of each of those years county council members and staff have held a breakfast for community members who participate in projects that are associated with all things green and sustainable in the county.

The county has helped to encourage a number of the activities that are celebrated each year at the breakfast with political and sometimes financial support, but that financial support may be less forthcoming in future years.

Until now, most of the county funding has come from federal gas tax funds that the county has had at its disposal. However, as a result of a recent decision by county council to transfer all future federal gas tax rebate funds to local townships, the county will have fewer resources to devote to community sustainability projects.

For 2013, however, as was pointed out by Manager of Sustainable Development, Anne-Marie Young, $50,000 has been set aside for small-scale projects, which are funded on a first-come first-served basis.

At the breakfast, which was held at the Lions' Hall in Verona on May 24, a number of previous recipients of that funding were on hand to talk about the projects they are associated with.

There were a number of formal presentations, about the Community Improvement Plans in Verona and Sharbot Lake, the rebuilding project at the Fairmount Seniors’ Home auditorium, and others.

Geoff Sandiford, the Chair of the Sustainability Advisory Committee of the county, said that when he has been at regional and provincial meetings people have approached him about how much of a leader Frontenac County is in working towards sustainability in a rural environment, “so I guess we must be doing something right,” he said.

Sandiford also talked about the efforts that are being undertaken by municipalities to enable people of modest income to invest in energy-saving technology.

The highlight of each of the breakfasts over the years has been the opportunity for the people sitting around the tables to get up and talk briefly about the projects the organizations they work with have been undertaking over the previous year.

This time Diane Dowling talked about the Kingston and Frontenac Food Charter that is now being promoted by Public Health. Gord Rodgers outlined the efforts of the Frontenac Stewardship Foundation to survive in the wake of a severing of financial and administrative support by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Rodgers also introduced Bret Colman, a former owner of the Desert Lake Resort and a former Stewardship Coordinator for the MNR, who has taken on a part-time role as Executive Director of the Frontenac Stewardship Foundation.

Howard Smith talked about the work of New Leaf Link with developmentally disabled young adults in South Frontenac, and David Townsend talked about the community garden and plans for a greenhouse at the Grace Centre in Sydenham.

Betty Hunter, from the Economic Development Task Force in North Frontenac, presented some information about the Dark Skies initiative on Highway 506 near Fernleigh, and Sue Leslie talked about plans to re-purpose Hinchinbrooke Public School for community use.

Other presenters included Wilma Kenny from the KFL&A Public Library, Pat Furlong from the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market, Don Ross from the Frontenac Arch Biosphere project, Mike Snow from the Limestone District School Board, and Rachelle Hardesty from the Land O’Lakes Tourist Association, among others.