A special meeting to approve paving

Crains’ Construction, who had made the lowest bid of $124,608 to rehabilitate and double surface treat a 1.7 km stretch of the Henderson Road, just north of Highway 7 near Arden, said they were prepared to start on the project this week.

Since the regular Central Frontenac Council meeting was not set until next week (June 14), Council met in special session on Monday (June 6) to approve the contract.

The budgeted amount for the project is $197,000 and that money has been left in place in case there are reasonable options to improve the project once it is under way.

North Frontenac Telephone to expand to Mountain Grove

Council also approved a proposal for North Frontenac Telephone to use a road allowance for an expansion plan to bring high speed Internet service to the village of Mountain Grove.

The Council of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation (SOFN), along with a crowd of members of all ages, gathered last Saturday, May 27 for their annual spring fish fry. But this time, instead of renting or borrowing someone else's hall for the event, they held it in their own new cultural centre.

The SOFN have been working on the centre for a number of years and it is now ready for use. It is located on 50 acres between Highway 7 and White Lake that have been occupied by SOFN under a land use permit from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Fisheries since 2007. The wooded property is included as one of the parcels of land to be transferred to the Algonquins of Ontario as part of the Algonquin Land Claim. It is adjacent to the 500 acres that are reserved for the White Lake Fish Hatchery, and one of the clauses in the Agreement in Principle to the land claim provides for that land to be offered to the AOO if the province ever decided to cease the fish hatchery operation.

“When we went to the MNR to talk about the land for our cultural centre about 10 years ago it was because we did not want to put our own community development on hold while waiting for the claim to be completed. We wanted to build a home base for ourselves, and that is what this building and this land is all about,” said Shabot Obaadjiwan Chief Doreen Davis at the opening of the centre.

The Algonquin Land Claim process seemed set to enter a new phase as the majority of the communities involved, including the Shabot Obaadjiwan, ratified the agreement in principle for the claim earlier this year. However, the majority of voters in a referendum that was held at the only reserve in the claim territory, Pikwàkanagàn First Nation at Golden Lake, voted against the agreement.

“We have all agreed to put a hold on the next phase of the process until the Council of Pikwàkanagàn is able to provide the kind of comfort necessary for those in Pikwàkanagàn who are not ready to sign on,” said Davis.

She said that work continues on many of the details of the complex agreement in the many working groups, with the benefit of participation from members of the Pikwàkanagàn Council, but the entire land claim negotiating team is not meeting to ratify any of the working group decisions until Pikwàkanagàn is ready.

“The land claim always had and will always have bumps and delays along the way, but we are working on our own community all the time,” said Davis.

The Shabot Obaadjiwan raise money through sales at smoke shops that they run in Sharbot Lake and Parham.

“We put everything we raise back into the community, and since our members are integrated into the broader community in the area, we are involved as well,” she said.

Shabot Obaadjiwan donates $1,000 each year to the snowsuit fund at Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS). This year, they have been working with NFCS on a snowshoe initiative and are looking forward to working on trail development on private land and some of the land earmarked for park use in the land claim. They also support minor baseball.

“We are working hard developing our cultural centre as well,” said Davis.

In addition to a new pre-fab building, insulation has been installed as well as a wood floor. A front porch has been constructed, as well as a privy.

The next stages are putting in a septic system and plumbing for the centre.

A hand-made birch bark canoe that Shabot Obaadjiwan members built a few years ago is going to be installed inside the front door of the center sometime soon, and other decorations are planned.

“This will be a location where we can live our ceremonial life, our funerals, our weddings, our celebrations,” said Davis, “but we are not trying to exclude anyone either. We will make it available for community use as well.”

The site itself is also under development, as it is transformed from deep bush to a location that can host community ceremonies. Perhaps in time it will host an Algonquin nation gathering, similar to one that was hosted at the Sharbot Lake beach three years ago.

“It takes time, and it takes funds and volunteer labour to do all these things, and we can only do things as we can afford them,” she said.

On Tuesday, May 31 the Sharbot Lake and District Lions held an information night at Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake. Long-time members of the club, including President Bill Zwier, and former presidents Bill Pyle, Linda Zwier, and Dave and Dawn Hansen, all outlined some of the projects that the local Lions have been involved with over the years for an appreciative crowd of observers and potential new Lions.

They talked about the support the Lions give to causes as varied as recent donations to the Fort McMurray relief fund and the trip by students at St. James Catholic School to Knoxville, Tennessee for the Destination Imagination finals. They also talked about Vision Screening that the Lions have done for years in local schools, roadside cleanup, Canada Day, the food bank, and more.

The evening ended up taking a youthful turn with talk about a brand-new initiative for the local club, the establishment of a LEO club. LEO, which stands for Leadership, Experience, Opportunity, is a youth club for children ages 12 to 16 to organise events, socialize together and learn the spirit of service that is encompassed in the Lions' motto, We Serve.

Lion Lesley Merrigan is spearheading the establishment of a LEO club in Central Frontenac, and she was joined by Vic Smith, who is the co-ordinator for the 24 LEO clubs in Eastern and Central Ontario.

“LEO clubs tend to work best, and last the longest, in small towns,” said Smith, “and with no other youth clubs on the go in this area I think it is an ideal fit.”

Merrigan said that since she has children who are 9 and 11 she has a personal reason for starting up a LEO club.

There were a number of teenagers and pre-teens interested in joining the new club in the audience. The organising and membership work will be done this summer with a view towards starting the club in September.

Anyone interested in joining or learning about LEO is invited to email Lesleysmith181@hotmail or call 613-279-3144 and ask for Lesley.

As President Bill Zwier said, the average age of Lions club members is well into the 50s and 60s, and an infusion of youth “would be very welcome indeed”.

The Cardinal Café in Sharbot Lake is presenting live music from 6-9 pm each Wednesday this summer. The shows feature small acoustic combinations, and started off last week with Arden's Sympathy Ghost, the husband and wife duo of Dan Keeler and Kate Turner.

With Keeler on guitar and lead vocals on most tunes, and Turner on a variety of hand-held percussion instruments and vocals, they played two sets of engaging original tunes, complemented by covers in the alt-country vein.

The songs, funny and poignant in turn, were well served by Keeler and Turner's plaintive delivery, their voices working well together throughout the evening. The atmosphere at the Cardinal was casual, even though many of the songs had an emotional depth more reminiscent of a smoky late-night bar.

The Cardinal is located in a former Catholic church, and as was the case for a Baroque concert that was held there in late January, the acoustics and the light in the space are excellent. Sympathy Ghost used very minimal amplification, and the room easily did the rest.

The second Wednesday evening show, which takes place before this goes to print, features the flute trio Toute Ensemble (Anne Archer, Melanie Fyfe and Debbie Twiddy). Still to come this month: June 8, Trxtr (Gerard and Diana Smith); June 15, Alan Brian (Bryan Roche and Alan Kitching); and June 22, Auburn Mystery (Nancy and Rob Moore); June 29 TBA.

While there is no admission to the shows, patrons are encouraged to help cover the musicians’ expenses by putting money into the jar that is passed around, reminiscent of the offering basket back in the day.

Cardinal is licensed, and offers coffee, sandwiches, and baked goods throughout the evening. It is open Tuesday to Saturday in the daytime, Friday and Saturday until the early evening as well.

Congratulations to Hollowood Branch 425 on your 70th Anniversary!

On May 1st, 1946, Douglas Thompson, District "F" Commander, attended a meeting of war veterans at Sharbot Lake Community Hall to form a branch of the Canadian Legion. This meeting was arranged by one of the local veterans who had joined the Perth branch in the fall of 1945.

District Commander Thompson gave a talk on the aims and objects of the Legion, then took applications from the veterans to form a branch of the Legion. Elections were then held and the branch’s first president was Wm Meldrum; 1st Vice Bill Hawley; 2nd Vice Roly Irwin; Secretary Ken Alexander; Treasurer Len Sly, and Sgt at Arms Don Jarvis. The branch got its name from Tom Hollowood Sr., who had five sons in the army in the First World War. Two sons were later killed overseas in the Second World War. Fifteen names were picked for the Charter: Comrades Wm. Meldrum, W. Hawley, R. Irwin, K. Alexander, L. Sly, G. Crain, E. Bonner, G. Beattie, D. Reynolds, T. St. Pierre, R. Greer, A. Brash, W. Parks, W. Blakely, H. Raymo and C. Gordon. The Charter came into effect on May 29, 1946.

In 1949 it was learned that the school house at St. Georges Lake was for sale. A motion was passed at the next meeting for the then president, Com. Lyndon Bonner and the secretary, Com. Don Jarvis to attend a meeting of the local school board and see if the branch could buy the building. The building was bought and the branch held its first meeting there on Dec. 7, 1949.

In 1954 the Ladies Auxiliary was formed, the first president was Phyllis Marten; 1st Vice Ivy Bonner; 2nd Vice Elvie Jarvis; the secretary Betty Commodore and the treasurer Bessie Jarvis.

In the spring of 1958 the branch decided they had to have a hall in the village of Sharbot Lake as the school house was too far out and had no room to expand. A motion was made to see if the branch could buy a lot in the village. Com. Lyndon Bonner and Com. Don Jarvis made an agreement to purchase the Abby Brotherhood estate of eight acres for the sum of $12,000 in the fall of 1958. The school house was then sold and the money used to build a basement for their new hall.

During the next two years the branch sold building lots and put the money into the new hall. As the money came in the building was built by the members of the branch. The Legion, for its site, saved one and a half acres with 160 feet of lake frontage and with room to expand when needed.

This brief history was written by Comrade Donald Jarvis.

Today Branch 425 is involved with supporting our local community in many ways, either through donations to different events, such as the swimming program, local fireworks, etc. Branch 425 is also involved with local and home schooled children with the Remembrance Day Poster, Poems and/or Essay Contest held during our fall Poppy Campaign. The posters, poems and/or essays are put on display at the Legion for the benefit of our Veterans, Military guests, and general public to view. The Legion also hosts a seniors’ bingo and dinner in September for the local seniors during Seniors Week. A Veterans Dinner is held at the Branch for local Veterans on the 1st Saturday of November. The Legion also puts on the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Oso Hall Cenotaph followed by a lunch at the Legion. Also, there are our Friday night suppers prepared by volunteers and open to the public.

We are proud of our Legion and welcome anyone who wishes to join and or participate in any of our activities. I wish to extend a big thank you to all who have supported us, and to all our volunteers who tirelessly give of their time.

June Crawford, President.

The Limestone District School Board honoured 14 dedicated and compassionate young people with Limestone Student Achievers Awards for their outstanding achievements. The 2016 honorees have made significant contributions and accomplishments throughout their high school careers, both in their school and throughout the broader community. Congratulations to all recipients.

Nick Adams - Sydenham High School

Nick Adams is a true leader, a visionary and an all-around excellent young man. He broke two school records in Track and has medalled at KASSAA and EOSSA for both cross country and track. Nick has always been a strong student academically and athletically but it’s in other, less recognized ways, that Nick truly shines. He is a modest yet effective leader at Sydenham High School. He is known for taking initiative to seek out areas that need improvement, constructing plans to address these needs and seeing these plans to successful completion. Nick is always the first choice to be the master of ceremonies for school assemblies and events and he does so with wit and charm and a commanding presence. He will happily and effectively be another student’s campaign manager in the race for Co-President of Student Council. Nick is always looking to fix problems and to help others. He is always working on plans and strategies to help those less fortunate in food drives or fundraising for Syrian Refugees. When some of our students were in an accident this year, Nick was the first one at the hospital offering support in any way he could. Nick is also an integral member of the school’s Red Cross team, which works to prevent bullying and create a positive school climate. When asked to peer tutor other students he always agrees and is the most patient, clear and empathetic teacher to his fellow students.

 Riley Teal - Granite Ridge Education Centre

You have all heard, “It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s Superman!” Let us introduce you to Granite Ridge Education Centre’s Superman. His name is Riley Teal and although he cannot fly, his personal qualities make him heroic to a number of people in the classroom, on the court or field, and in the community. Academically speaking, Riley excels in all subject areas. His strong work ethic propels him to the front of the class. Like Clarke Kent, his demeanour in class may seem reserved and quiet, but do not let his mild manner mislead you, as he possesses superior learning skills. Riley is very diligent with his work. He takes initiative in what he is doing and is very thorough in all of his assignments. He may not be able to leap buildings in a single bound, but he did complete an entire week’s worth of math homework in Grade 9 in one single night. Riley sets an extremely high standard for other students in his grade. When receiving their results for the OSSLT, his classmates would ask, “Was I close to Riley?” This young man has received numerous subject awards and was the recipient of the proficiency trophy in Grade 9, 10 and 11: Riley has his sights set on attaining this for Grade 12 as well. Riley is conscientious, and a creative problem-solver. He can work in any group and can bind any team. The reference to a superhero is not accidental. A spectator can easily spot Riley on the court as he wears his trademark superman socks during the volleyball and basketball games. Given the opportunity, he would wear them during soccer, track and hardball games, as he is actively involved in all aspects of athletics. Last year, he organized three-pitch softball intramurals at lunch for the secondary students. For each team, he is a dedicated and competitive player while respecting the rules and players of the game. He is extremely coachable, winning four coach’s awards during his three years as a Gryphon. He leads by example on the court and on the field. His leadership skills extend beyond athletics and encompass the entire school and community. Riley is an active and dedicated member of the District #4 Recreation Committee and a dependable participant/volunteer for the Relay for Life. He has submitted over 200 community volunteer hours.

Andre Tryon - North Addington Education Centre

At North Addington Education Centre, we are fortunate enough to watch as small children grow into capable young adults prepared to face the future. Andre Tryon is a wonderful example of our good fortune. If there is something happening at NAEC, you can expect to find Andre working behind the scenes or upfront directing the action. As a leader and a role model, Andre’s experiences are far-reaching—literally. Last year, Andre became interested in an exchange with a student from Italy. Andre had to take an extra course load last year to ensure he would graduate this year; he did this with no reservation. While Illya visited Canada, Andre was a wonderful ambassador, and while on exchange, Andre shared his experiences in a weekly on-line forum with our Writers’ Craft class—this became a valuable learning experience for everyone. In the area of athletics, Andre has not only shown himself as a skilled and recognized hockey player outside of school, he is also a hard-working, capable athlete on the volleyball court where, this year, he served as our captain. In addition to his own skills, he is committed to helping provide athletic opportunities for others. Andre helps organize a weekly volleyball evening so students can be active all year, and led a lunchtime program aimed at developing athletes in the elementary part of our school. Oftentimes, Andre would play alongside our young athletes as he modelled good sportsmanship, a positive attitude and a genuine commitment to having fun. Andre is also committed to our school as a whole. This year, he is co-president of our students’ council; last year he was the council’s vice president. Andre often makes us wonder how he finds time and energy for everything. His work with our local volunteer fire department has led him to participate in numerous courses and certifications. This, in addition to school, athletics and a part-time job make Andre a very busy young man. Andre’s efforts are not limited to helping others. He has maintained a high academic average throughout high school and has been recognized with numerous proficiency awards. Andre has also participated in the Limestone Skills Competition. His gold medal win in Kingston allowed him to represent Limestone at the provincial level. The scope of his abilities is almost limitless.

Have you ever wondered about being famous? About people pointing you out as an example for their children or whispering complimentary things as you walked down the street? That would be nice but how could you make that happen? How could you become famous here, in Central Frontenac? Well, you might run a general store for 70 years or so. That’s pretty good. Or you might win the egg toss at Parham Fair or play the children’s lead in a North Frontenac Theatre Company show. Better, you might play the old man’s lead part except there aren’t very many of them. Parts, I mean. There are lots of old men.

You might get drafted by a major league hockey team. But you would probably go away and never come back. Then you would just be a “used to be” famous. You could win an award from some esteemed organization but that would make you famous somewhere else, not here in Central Frontenac. You could raise a family here and send them into the world to do good things and be a source of pride for the community. That would be worthy of fame but hardly unique.

You could be a hippy who came here to escape who knows what and stayed on to build something wonderful. Or maybe a hippy who came with the intention of building something wonderful. There are a few of those. Famous? Who knows? You could come here on a one-year contract and fall in love with the place and stay on forever and ever and ever and . . . . You could be born here and grow up here and stay here to become a great hunter and fisherman and a legend people told visitors about. You know, the kind of person other people brag about knowing. “I know this guy who . . . . “

You could stand as a candidate for a party that is never going to be elected and, in the words of Rudyard Kipling, “lose and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss” . . . and lose and start again . . . and lose and start again . . . That would make you famous – as men of principle usually are. You could be a legendary teacher who established in some student an interest in mathematics or literature that was unknown to that student’s parents or a teacher who guided him through a shop project that became a life-long source of pride.

You could be a true daughter of the community who helped boot-strap her family from the shanty living of a century ago to positions of leadership today. If that didn’t make you famous, it should certainly make you proud.

Or if you really wanted to be famous, you could write Central Frontenac’s winning slogan for the 150th anniversary of confederation. Just think, 50 years from now someone will be saying, “We need a slogan for the bi-centennial program in Central Frontenac.” And someone else will say, “We can’t beat what they used the last time. Let’s use it again.”

And 150 years from now, at the tri-centennial, they’ll be saying, “Who was that girl anyway? Let’s name the town after her.”

Now that’s famous.

The contest close has been extended to June 16. Send your entries to Rosemarie Bowick. Call her at 613 279-3341 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On Friday June 10, Tribute Artist, Stephen Goodberry will return to Sharbot Lake for his Tribute to the Legends Show at Granite Ridge Education Centre. Stephen will perform hits by Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison and his very popular Elvis Tribute show. The award winning tribute artist is once again returning to his roots as he grew up in Parham and is a graduate of Sharbot Lake High School. The event will begin at 7pm at Granite Ridge Education Centre and there will be a silent auction and door prizes throughout the evening. Tickets are $20 per person and all proceeds go to the Canadian Diabetes Association and Granite Ridge School Council.

Alpha Leo Clubs are designed for youth between 12 and 18 years old. Kids who join Leo Clubs have fun, make new friends and experience the rewards of serving others. This gives young people a strong foundation as they learn the meaning of leadership and service. Plus, Leos learn valuable lessons and make connections that can help them succeed for the rest of their lives.

These clubs focus on social skills and the character development of teens and pre-teens. Leo Clubs are open to young people who have an interest in serving their community.

The Sharbot Lake & District Lions Club is early in the information & development stages of starting a new Leo Club in this area. A Leo Club in our community could provide young people with an opportunity for development and contribution as responsible members of their local, national and international communities. Leo Clubs can have a positive influence on today’s youth and young adults, helping them become better citizens and leaders for life.

The Leo Club motto – Leadership, Experience, Opportunity – says it all:

Leo clubs are sponsored by local Lions Clubs through Lions Clubs International. The first Leo Club was started in 1957 and there are now more than 5,700 Leo Clubs in approximately 140 countries.

The Sharbot Lake & District Lions Club invites you to attend their ‘Meet & Greet’ at the Oso (Soldiers Memorial) Hall on May 31 from 7 – 8 PM to learn more about LEOs and our Lions Club. Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 613-539-8190

After spending two months interviewing service providers, people with 'lived experience' of homelessness and/or poverty in Frontenac County, and interested community members, Kim Allen was ready last Friday, May 6, for the key event of the project she was facilitating, a rural summit at St. James Church hall.

The summit came about when Louise Moody, the Executive Director of Northern Frontenac Community Services, with support from Southern Frontenac Community Services, secured a grant from the United Way to fund a rural summit. Kim Allen was hired to pull it together.

Participants included front-line social workers in Frontenac County; agency representatives; guests from other communities who have worked on the issues that arise from poverty and homelessness; township and county politicians, including three of the eight members of Frontenac County Council; and community activists who are itching to make a difference.

The meat of the gathering was what Allen described as a modified version of a World Cafe. Participants were seated at tables, and a question was posed for discussion at each of the tables. A note-keeper was appointed at each table. After a few minutes, everyone but the note-keeper stood up and moved to another table. Throughout the day participants moved from table to table and discussed their response to a series of questions.

The first question was general, asking why the topic was important to people and what they hoped the day would accomplish.

Before asking any further questions more detailed information was presented. After sharing the results of some of the research she has done, Allen introduced Tabitah Morton, who is the data analysis co-ordinator for the Ontario Early Years Centre. While Morton is tasked with collecting data about children under the age of six, a lot of the data she uses applies to the general population. She outlined the difference between the northern and southern parts of Frontenac County and Frontenac Islands, and talked about the metropolitan influence of Kingston and how it wanes the further north you go. Another presenter, Dierdre Pike, a Senior Social Planner, newspaper columnist and community engagement expert from Hamilton, talked about how other communities have come together to bring about social change. Pike, who might have been a stand-up comedian in another life, also lightened up the tone of the proceedings considerably.

The rest of the day was devoted to dealing with three further questions. One dealt with people's responses to the presentations, and a second sought ideas, or seeds, that can be used to find real solutions that will have an impact on the lives of people in Frontenac County. The third question, “What needs immediate attention going forward”, resulted in seven proposals for further action, which were then looked at by the group as a whole.

Participants came forward to put check marks beside proposals they supported. They wrote their names beside proposals they not only support but are willing to work on, and they circled their name if they are willing to take the lead pushing a proposal forward.

The results will all be gathered in a final report, to be released in June.

On the day, four of the proposals drew high levels of support. One of them was to look at a model that has been put into practice in Haliburton County. A group has renovated abandoned properties as interim places to live for people who need them. With support, rent had been paid for these properties, allowing the group to expand the stock of temporary housing over time.

Another proposal was to build a small, off-grid house using inexpensive materials and volunteer labour. Using a design put forward by Geoffrey Murray from Granite Ridge Education Centre, the small house could be built for $50,000 in his estimation, and would be suitable for youth trying to establish themselves in Frontenac County.

A third idea that was popular was more process- oriented. It talked about a group of people getting together to form a sort of pressure group to make sure that Northern and Southern Frontenac Community Services, the local township councils, and Frontenac County address the issues raised at the summit on an ongoing basis.

It falls to Frontenac County Council to ensure that the Frontenac County initiative receives its share of attention, and funding from the City of Kingston, which has received provincial funding to work on a ten-year housing and homelessness plan for itself and Frontenac County.