A dinner and K-12 talent show will be held at Granite Ridge Education Centre on Thursday, May 5. The chicken dinner will start at 5:30pm and a vegetarian entrée is also available. There will be a pie/cake dessert auction at 6:30, and the talent show starts at 7pm. Dinner is $10 for adults, $5 for kids; five years & under free, and reservations must be made for the dinner. The talent show only is $3 and you can pay at the door. The show will feature musicians, vocalists, songwriters, storytellers, dancers and others. Proceeds from the event will support the grade 8 grad trip and the parent council. Call GREC at 613-279-2131 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to reserve for dinner or for more details.

What better way to welcome spring than with a colorful, musical, classic fairy tale, adapted with a few modern twists that make it the perfect family-friendly theatre experience right here in our own back yard. Tonight the North Frontenac Little Theatre will be presenting “Pinocchio” at 7pm at the Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake for a four-show run that wraps up on Sunday April 24. Shows are Thursday through Saturday at 7pm, with a Sunday matinee at 1:30pm. This classic tale is sure to put a spring in your step no matter your age. The Granite Ridge gym will be transformed into a fairy tale wonderland, and this production will be remembered for its stellar costumes, sets, lighting, and the talented cast and crew, which includes NFLT veterans plus many newcomers, who will make this a show not be missed. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for students under 18; and $8 for children four & under, available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy, the Dollar Store, the Parham General and at the door if the show is not sold out. Why not start off your spring season like Pinocchio, a puppet made alive through a wish and looking for some adventure with no strings attached.

Staff at St. Lawrence College Employment Services in Sharbot Lake were pleased when over 40 job seekers turned out for their seasonal job fair on April 7.

According to Amanda Kendall, employer liaison at the center, the fair was one of their biggest to date with over six local employers taking part. “In the past we generally have put on single employer job fairs, but this time around we decided to bring a number of different employers together so that job seekers have more options and have a chance to network with several employers at once”, Kendall said.

Employers at the event included Ontario Parks; The Canadian Armed Forces; the owners of two local restaurants, Subway and The Fall River Restaurant; Seed to Sausage; and Hubby's House Cleaning and Care Partners, a local home care business.

The event was timed to bring potential employees into contact with employers gearing up for the upcoming tourist season. The job seekers were of all ages and backgrounds, including students looking for summer employment, laborers, retired seniors and more.

“We tried to cover a lot of bases with the employers here today so there are not only seasonal work opportunities available but also part-time and full-time jobs,” Kendall said.

Prior to the event, job seekers were given assistance in updating their resumes, which is another free-of-charge service that the center offers.

Staff member, Lesley Pickard, stressed that having a professional, second set of eyes look over a resume is always beneficial. “The staff here at the center are well-trained and we know a lot about resumes and what employers are looking for. These days, the job of a resume is to get the job seeker an interview with the employer and is not so much about listing all of your experience, but letting the employer know 'This is what I can do for you',” Pickard said.

Staff at the center also offer mock interviews for job seekers, which she said is good preparation for the real thing. People looking for information about possible careers or career paths are also offered services at the center.

Nearing the end of the job fair, Kendall said that she had a strong inkling that many who attended did acquire employment, and she encourages anyone who missed the fair to drop in to the center and speak with staff. “We are here to assist job seekers; we have made close connections with many local employers and can pass their information on to them.” For more information call St. Lawrence Employment Services at 613-545-3949.

Two back-to-back events on April 9 helped to make local residents aware that the 2016 North and Central Frontenac Relay for Life is moving into high gear. The first was the Relay's official kick-off pancake breakfast fundraiser at Oso hall in Sharbot Lake. The Relay's newly appointed chair, Vicki Babcock, was on hand manning the merchandise table and selling sweat shirts, sweat pants, socks, head bands, coffee mugs and more.

Registration chair, Christine Teal, was also on hand to register new teams which that day included Scott Reid's “Team Steam”. To date seven teams have registered and Babcock said she hopes to have at least 10 teams registered by May 1. Over 50 diners came up out for the event.

Retro-Relay is the name of this year's community team, which is open for anyone who doesn't have a team but wants to participate. Teams who missed the event but still want to sigh up can contact Christine Teal at 613-375-6525 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The second event was the first fundraiser this year for June's Angels, a long-time Relay team made up of relatives of the late June Fox, who passed away four years ago from cancer. The Angels, who number over 20, held a spring luncheon/bake sale at the Parham IOOF hall and not surprisingly, organizers perfectly timed it so that Relay chair Vicki could be there to show her support.

Northern Frontenac Community Services thanked over 100 of its volunteers at an annual dinner at St. James Catholic Church hall in Sharbot Lake on Monday night, April 11.

After everyone had enjoyed a dinner of chicken breast, peas and new potatoes, followed by cake, it was time for the main event, the announcement of the winner of the Volunteer of the Year award. When Gail Young, the co-ordinator of Frontenac Transportation Services (FTS), came to the microphone at the front of the hall, it was a tip the audience that the winner this year would be one of the FTS drivers, who collectively drove over 600,000 kilometres this past year.

Marion Barker is a dedicated driver who has been with FTS for many years and makes herself available Monday to Friday each week.

“About two years ago she tried to take Fridays off, but so many clients ask for her by name and she can't say no to them,” said Gail Young.

Young also said that Marion Barker is able to juggle different ongoing trips at one time.

“She brings client A to one location, and instead of, waiting, collects client B and brings them where they have to go; then heads back to bring client A home before returning to pick up client B. She has as many as four clients on the go at one time like that. I only knew how complicated it all was when she got sick one day and I had to replace her. The new driver just looked at the paperwork and shook their head,” said Young.

For her part, Marion Barker said she enjoys the atmosphere at FTS and NFCS.

After the award ceremony, the father and son duo of Gilbert and Justin Riddell played together in public for the first time. They played a selection of their favorite Waylon Jennings and George Jones tunes, to the delight of all the “outlaw country” fans in the room. They also marked the death of Merle Haggard this past weekend by performing a number of songs from his extensive catalogue.

Gib plays often with the Old Habits, but hopefully the Gib and Justin show will return sometime soon. Their harmonies are too good to be heard only in the Riddell family kitchen.

North Frontenac Telephone Company sets sights on improving service in Mountain Grove

In a delegation to council, Dave Smith and Grant Roughley of the North Frontenac Telephone Company approached council for approval to install an underground high-speed fiber optic cable network in Mountain Grove.

The company plans to install the cable underground within the township's road allowance where the topography allows. Where the topography does not allow, i.e. where there are culverts, bridges and other obstacles, the company plans to install poles to link to the proposed underground network. The goal, Smith said is to provide up to 150 subscribers in and around Mountain Grove with reliable high-speed internet service, cable TV and residential home phone services.

Following an aerial study done of the area, many of the existing hydro poles were deemed not able to hold the cable due both to cost and/or Hydro One regulations.

Roughley said that though this project is not a highly profitable one for the company, it will bring services to areas of the township where currently they do not exist. The plan is to bury the cable in a pipe at least 24 inches, preferably 30 inches, below ground.

Councilor Jamie Riddell asked about the legal implications to the township if repairs need to be done to the roads. Cathy MacMunn said that staff had yet to hear back from their legal advisers.

Dave Smith responded that the NFTC, being governed by CRTC standards, would be responsible for maintaining the network.

Council Victor Heese asked about the option of going wireless and installing a tower instead of buried cable. Smith responded that he and his team have costed out those options as well. Heese also wondered about extending the cable down smaller roads. Roughley said that those residents could possibly pay for the construction costs and that that is something that might be looked into in the future. Smith stated that due to the rocky topography in the village of Mountain Grove, poles might have to be installed there.

Council accepted the request for information.

Frontenac County update

In a delegation to council, Frontenac County CAO Kelly Pender was joined by the County's deputy warden, Ron Vandewal. Pender updated council about a number of issues that involve the township. County projects include creating a health hub, which aims to give rural communities more say in how health services are delivered, and achieving more rural community involvement by establishing a rural liaison committee with the Limestone District School Board.

Pender said that the Township of Central Frontenac meets the county’s focus for developing trails, accommodation and food and recreation lifestyles and he noted that $500,000 has been set aside by the county for economic development activities in those areas over the next three years.

Public works and waste site report

Public works manager, John Badgley, reported that he has been inundated with calls about the poor quality of the roads as a result of the spring weather and that his crew have been working extra hours to get ahead. Crews have been busy sanding, patching, salting, repairing signs, brushing, replacing culverts as well as dealing with beaver issues.

Badgley said that the arrival of the township's new roll truck, which will be hauling the township's own waste bins, will result in a 50% savings over former costs.

Further, Badgley reported that all road repairs have been completed since the flooding on April 1.

Tax Sales Report

Staff treasurer Michael McGovern is hoping to see the sale of a number of properties on the Silver Lake Estates that have been moved up to May 12.

Infrastructure Funding made official

Council passed a motion to enter into a contribution agreement for funding under the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program to expand the new Mountain Grove Community Centre to include a library facility, with the funding approved at $110,000.

Martin Walsh (1926-2016) lived in Sharbot Lake for two stretches of his life. From 1967 to 1974 he was the priest-in-charge of the Parham-Sharbot Lake mission of the Anglican Church, presiding over the Oso, Zealand, Mountain Grove, Arden and Bobs Lake churches as well. During that time he married Ann MacPherson, a Sharbot Lake girl.

Martin became chaplain at Collins Bay Prison in Kingston in 1974, after which he and Ann moved to Saskatchewan and eventually Revelstoke, BC. After he retired in 1987, the Walshes moved back to Saskatchewan so Ann could pursue the teaching career she had begun when they were living there earlier. In 1993 the couple moved back to Sharbot Lake, where they have lived ever since.

Martin's brother in-law Jim MacPherson delivered the eulogy at his funeral on April 2, flanked by church officials, including the Anglican Bishop of Ontario, Michael Oulton.

Jim talked about Martin's driving (his nickname was 'Crash' for a reason), his love of ladders and renovating, and his opinionated nature.

“Martin loved a good discussion. If an argument broke out, so much the better” said Jim.

Martin and Ann always exhibited the best kind of a marriage. They had common interests as well as separate ones, and when they were together they were always gracious and respectful to each other. In recent times as Ann's role changed to that of caregiver, both Ann and Martin handled their altered relationship with grace.

In the days after Martin's death, some of the people he worked with when he was the Anglican minister in Sharbot Lake have been talking about his role in the development of local institutions that have had a continuing role in the life of what is now Central Frontenac and western Lanark County.

Dr. Peter Bell and Wayne Robinson both talked about the role Martin played in the development of a community spirit and community services when he arrived as minister in 1967.

“He came to the Anglican churches of Parham, Sharbot Lake and Arden and he hit the ground running, identifying inequalities in the communities. He put a group together and went to get St. Lawrence College involved in supporting community development. He lobbied service agencies to develop more presence in the area and pushed for medical and ambulance services to be brought back to the community,” said Wayne Robinson.

Based on Martin's insight that the communities he served as a priest were isolated from each other and facing a rapid decline, as were many other rural communities across the country, he formed a Communications Group, which included two business people, two teachers and himself.

They began printing the North Frontenac News in the basement of the Anglican rectory, and Don Morrow, an undertaker and owner of what would become the North Frontenac Telephone Company, delivered the papers each month to stores in the region. That monthly newsletter is the precursor to the Frontenac News. The first article on the front page of the first edition summed up the thinking of the group and of Martin about the future prospects for the local communities: “It may be up to us”.

In the early 1970s the Sharbot Lake Medical Centre was formed, as was North Frontenac Community Services, both institutions that continue to serve the region to this day.

Dr. Peter Bell wrote, “The thing that has always impressed me about Martin and the Communications Group is the great insight they had about the problem of lack of resources and services in the north half of the county ... The new level of cooperation and sense of community they fostered received attention and support from government and agencies that had previously served the area only from their distant offices. As I recall, after coming to Sharbot Lake in 1971 and joining in with the Communications Group, the discussions were at times emotional and unwieldy with strong language that might have been offensive to a man of the cloth. Martin never appeared to be disturbed by this. His influence was to bring calmness to the frustrations that were evident and to promote cooperation, which has been the key to success.”

Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) is leading a community process to respond to issues of poverty and homelessness.

NFCS has received a grant from the United Way to respond to the issues in Frontenac County with support from Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS).

“One of the strategic directives of the City of Kingston's 10-year plan to eliminate homelessness is to develop a rural homelessness strategy and that is what motivated our agency to take on this initiative,” said Louise Moody, executive director of NFCS.

The rural strategy addresses the following goals in rural areas: expand housing options for low-income and homeless individuals; improve access to services; enhance targeted prevention; and promote local leadership in “ending homelessness” (i.e. putting an effective system in place to make the absence of housing short-term and rare, and eliminate long-term or repeated episodes of homelessness).

There are four levels of homelessness as defined by the Canadian Homelessness Research Network, and in Frontenac County the focus has been on level 3: provisionally accommodated; and level 4: at risk of homelessness.

“We have used the United Way funding to engage Kim Allen as a consultant to meet with community leaders, with people who have experienced poverty and homelessness/housing security issues, and service providers in the various communities of Frontenac County,” said Moody.

“Getting to meet people from throughout the county who are facing or have faced these issues, people who work in this area, and others who are interested in making a difference on a community level is key to ensuring that we can truly address these deep and complex issues,” said Kim Allen.

After two months of collecting information about rural poverty and housing security, NFCS is convening an all-day summit in Sharbot Lake on May 6. During the summit, participants will discuss the findings of the community consultations, explore the issues of rural poverty, identify assets in the community and develop new strategies to deal with the issues.

“We will employ a world cafe style process on May 6. The goal will be to access the collective wisdom, encourage intentional conversations, invite diverse contributions to the discussion and foster a sense of commitment to the necessary actions that will be identified at the summit,” said Allen.

A minimum of three strategies will be identified for the community to address/prevent homelessness as well as to help inform the City of Kingston's Homelessness strategy for Frontenac County and the United Way's Youth Homelessness strategy.

The geographic and economic diversity in Frontenac County will likely result in different initiatives being taken on in different communities within the County.

A further hope of the organizers is that by getting people who are committed to addressing these issues they will take it upon themselves to act collectively in the future, within and between the community of communities that is Frontenac County.

If you are interested in learning more about this community initiative or the summit, please contact Kim Allen at 613-583-4569 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The play, the play, the play! What is the play they are talking about? Well Pinocchio of course. This spring, North Frontenac Little Theatre is offering up a treasure of a classic adaptation of this tale with a modern-day twist.

The cast is choc full of wonderful talents, from newcomers to seasoned actors! Pinocchio himself is being played by the inimitable Mason Moore, who wowed us as the Monkey in Aladdin. Jonathan Wisteard is a fabulously evil Mastrioni and the Grandmothers are delightfully portrayed by Carol Moore and Pamela Giroux. Carol taught drama and stage in her career and now we get the pleasure of finally seeing her perform for real!! Pamela, on the other hand, has been on stage so often it is hard to recount how many wonderful performances she has given with NFLT. Her most recent parts have been in The Miracle Worker and Music Man.

We have a delightful pair of young women teaming up as The Fox and The Cat. They are none other than Sydney Drew and Jillian Hoffman. And so the list goes on; from the youngest to the eldest, all of the cast is working hard at practice.

The fine talents of Geoffrey Murray doing the costuming, Donna LaRoche the set and Jeff Siamon handling the lighting design will add to the drama and polish the look of the play so that you will be transported into the story from the start!

This play truly promises to be a treat. There will only be four performances so be sure to get your tickets early to avoid being disappointed. There will be a special family showing of the Sunday matinee where children 4 and under can be seated right up front on mats with their adults behind them on benches. It should make it more accessible and fun for the youngsters as they will be so close to the action on the stage.

The show opens Thursday April 21, at 7pm and runs until April 24 in the theatre at Granite Ridge Education Centre, on the 2nd floor. Friday and Saturday nights are also at 7pm, with the family matinee at 1pm on Sunday. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 students; and children 4 and under $8, and can be purchased at the Pharmacy, Dollar Store, Parham General Store and at the door if the show is not sold out.

The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association will be hosting their second annual Maple Weekend on Saturday & Sunday, April 2 & 3 from 10am-4pm. Many members of the Lanark and District Maple Producers will be hosting various activities at their sugar bushes. Mel & Joyce Conboy & Son, whose state of the art maple syrup operation is located at 2379 Bell Line Road, will be taking part for their second year. Last year’s event drew over 200 visitors to their farm. Clayton Conboy will be giving tours of the family sugar bush and doing numerous demonstrations. Joyce, I hear, has been busy baking up a storm and all of her treats will include maple syrup as one of the ingredients.

Visitors to the Conboy farm will be able to taste samples of the various grades of syrup and also learn about a new syrup grading system, which is aimed at standardizing grading for all maple producers across the United States and Canada.

Other producers who will be taking part include Coutts Country Flavours and Oliver's Mapleworks near Perth; Stead's Maple Syrup and Temple's Sugarbush in Lanark; and Wheeler's Pancake House & Sugarcamp in McDonalds Corners. The participants will be offering up a number of activities including pancake meals, horse-drawn wagon rides, and more.

“The main idea behind the event is to give people information about how local maple syrup is produced,” Mel Conboy said.

For more information, visit www.mapleweekend.ca