Two back-to-back fundraising events in Sharbot Lake on November 21 were organized by members of the District 3 recreation committee and raised $3,000 for the Sharbot Lake rink project. The first event was an open mic fundraiser that took place at the Sharbot Lake Legion in the afternoon, and later that evening a dance was held at Oso hall featuring three bands, Franny and Beeb'z Breezeway Pickers, Greatest of Ease, and Plan B. The latter event was attended by over 100 people, who danced the night away to the sounds of old country, rock 'n roll and the blues. The Oso hall event included a silent auction with numerous items donated by individuals and businesses from the local community. The $10 ticket included a full buffet that was served at 10pm.

To date the Oso Recreation Committee has raised $10,000 for the rink project, which they estimate could cost $200,000. The project's organizers have secured a site for the rink that will be located at the Oliver Scott Memorial Park near the Granite Ridge Education Centre. A geo-technical survey has been done and that report is currently being reviewed by the project team.

Local surveyor Tom MacDonald will also be surveying the site sometime this week. The next steps for the project include hiring an engineer to draw up the design, after which time it will be determined which aspects of the project can be carried out by skilled local volunteers.

I spoke to Lesley Merrigan one of the organizers of the project who said that she is hoping that local skilled trades people who support the project and who plan to use the rink will help out by volunteering their time and know how to work on the project. Merrigan also said that there are plans to hold a town hall meeting sometime in the near future to inform the community about the project with the hopes of attracting local businesses who may want to sponsor it. Similarly, the team is looking at possible grant funding from various sources.

In the meantime the District 3 Recreation committee will be fundraising through the winter months. Merrigan said that she has been speaking with Paul Hogan of Wolfe Island, who was involved in a similar project there that has been successfully completed. Anyone wanting to get involved in any way with the District 3 Recreation Committee's Sharbot Lake Rink project can contact Lesley Merrigan at 613-483-1839 or Dave Willis at 613-279-2844.

Members of the Sharbot Lake and District Lions were out in full force on November 21st at their Oso hall/den and served close to 120 all you can eat pancake, sausage and egg breakfasts to hungry diners looking for a hearty and fair-priced feed to start to their weekend. Proceeds from the meal will help fund the Salvation Army's annual Christmas Basket campaign in the township. For diners with a sweet tooth, Lions members were also selling their seasonal fruitcakes and cookies, the former for $18 in a tin or $17 in a box and the latter for $6, all of which make great gift giving items for Christmas. Anyone interested in purchasing Lions' cookies and/or fruitcakes, please call Dave Hansen at 613-375-6318.

MacMunn hired as new clerk/administrator in Central Frontenac

After holding an in camera meeting last Thursday (November 19), council has appointed Cathy MacMunn as the township's new clerk/administrator.

The decision came about following the recommendations to council by Frontenac County Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Pender in a “State of the Organization” report, in which he suggested three options for council and staff to address what he termed their existing “leadership gap” after former CAO Jim Zimmerman was let go in late June.

Mayor Frances Smith said that at Thursday’s meeting, council unanimously opted for the clerk/administrator option as “a leadership model” and the position was offered to Cathy MacMunn the following day.

MacMunn said she took the weekend to think it over and speak with her family.

MacMunn, who has been working at the township for the past 34 years in a number of roles, said she is pleased.

“What gave me the biggest push in making the decision is that I had the support of both council and staff. I look forward to continuing to serve the public in my new role,” she said

Ad hoc committee to plan for township's first re-use centre

Councilor Victor Heese brought a request by numerous residents who he said are willing to support and volunteer at a re-use depot if one were to be created in the township.

Heese recently looked at a number of existing re-use centers, including those in McDonalds Corners in Lanark Highlands, and at Glen Tay Road in Tay Valley, which are both working well. Council agreed to appoint an ad hoc committee to set the rules and regulations. Heese said that once it was up and running the site could be handed over to volunteers. Council encouraged Heese to go ahead with the plan.

Contaminated sites policy

In his financial report to council, Treasurer Michael McGovern reported that the $80,000 put aside by council in their 2015 budget for further investigations into possible contaminated sites is not required.

Councilor Dewey suggested putting the $80,000 in reserve funds for other unexpected expenses, such as the recent emergency Raymo Road bridge rebuild. Councilor Brent Cameron suggested holding the funds for any possible future contamination issues. McGovern said that Cameron's idea is a sound one but that smaller amounts could be accumulated for such a fund in the future.

Council accepted McGovern's report for information.

Council agrees to go RED

Cathy MacMunn outlined for council the Rural Economic Development (RED) Program, which County Council is currently leveraging as a means to support possible future projects put forth in each of the four townships in Frontenac county. The program provides cost shared funding support (up to 50% for municipalities) for projects deemed to strengthen rural Ontario. The aim of the program is to “better position” rural communities, organizations and businesses to create jobs and attract investment by encouraging collaboration and local partnerships, thereby providing benefits to more than one community.

A teleconference call that took place in November this year between county and township staff, resulted in the recommendation that one regional/partnership application from the county be submitted for the program's January 15, 2016 deadline.

That application will be geared to the Frontenacs' economic development charter themes, which include “Trips and Trails; Food and Beverages and Rural Life styles”. Council seemed excited by the possibilities and councilors Brent Cameron and Jamie Riddell, who both currently sit on the township's economic development committee, said that they will bring the news to the committee's next meeting.

Dogs in the halls request denied

Erin Godfrey sent a letter to the township, asking to rent the Oso hall for dog training classes. The township has no policy in place regarding bringing animals into their municipal halls. Numerous councilors brought up possible issues of cleanliness since the hall is often used by individuals and organizations who are serving food. Council denied Godfrey's request and said they will consult staff about the issue and get back to her.

 Holiday office closures

Signs and notifications at the township offices and on their website will notify residents of upcoming holiday closures and any relevant emergency contact information.  

Stretching resources to the limit

Kim Cucoch, the President of the North Frontenac Food Bank (NFFB), says that demand for food has hit an all-time high, and the small food bank is struggling to keep their own cupboard from being bare.

“Our demand is up by over 55% this year, and ever since the beginning of October it has been even busier, and the increase is coming mostly from senior's,” Cucoch said, when interviewed earlier this week.

The number of NFFB users who receive Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Ontario Aged Security (OAS) benefits is up by 110% this year.

20% of Food Bank users are senior's, about 50% are on a disability pension or Ontario Works, and the other 30% are employed on a full or part-time basis.

There are just over 3,000 households in the catchment area of the NFFB,

The North Frontenac Food Bank uses criteria for eligibility that are set by the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB). They calculate the monthly income of applicants, subtract heat, hydro, rent and phone costs and look at how much is left and how many people there are in the family to determine eligibility.

Although food is distributed twice weekly, on Tuesday and Friday mornings, each family can only use the Food Bank once a month.

“The Food Bank is not a grocery store. We provide one week's worth of groceries for a family to help them get by. They are on their own for the rest of the month,” Cucoch said.

The North Frontenac Food Bank serves families from Godfrey north to Plevna, and Maberly west to Arden, but all recipients need to pick up their food at the depot in Sharbot Lake, in the courtyard behind 1095 Garrett Street.

406 baskets of food, most of them family sized, have been handed out this year, and Cucoch expects the number will easily hit 450 or more by the end of the year. 44 went out in October, the most ever, and November is at 38 with two weeks left in the month.

The total for all of 2014 was 289.

“The thing that worries me most is that we have $5,000 in the bank right now, which will only get us through until Christmas. After that we could be in trouble,” she said.

While the Food Bank accepts donated food, they purchase fresh fruit and vegetables and meat on Tuesday and Friday mornings, and monetary donations are required to keep them afloat.

“We do receive some small grants and we get food from the OAFB but for the most part we depend on donations to get by,” said Cucoch.

The North Frontenac Food Bank is a registered charity and gives out tax receipts for donations over $10. The Food Bank has about 20 volunteers.

At the Festival of Trees in Sharbot Lake food and donations are accepted at the door as a voluntary admission, and the Food bank is also a partner in the Christmas Dinner that takes place in Sharbot Lake each year, but right now they are appealing for support directly to the public as the Christmas season gets underway.

The best ways to reach the Food Bank for those who require food or those would like to donate are by phone at 613-532-8855 (voice message only) or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

When Stephen Francis heard that there was an ice rink project being considered in Central Frontenac, he immediately wanted to help. Stephen (better known as Franny), is the front man for a musical group called BCR. He is also part of a duo that brings local musicians into the limelight through social media and You Tube. Together with musician, Steve Beebee, they form "Franny & Beebz In the Breezeway" which is a weekly musical video show that allows area musicians to play a few tunes and talk to the guys about their love of music, and theinterview is broadcast via YouTube to Facebook and beyond. Not long ago, Central Frontenac's own Riley Merrigan was asked to visit the Breezeway after a performance at the Hollyrood Jamboree. The interview was recorded and has been shared multiple times on Facebook and email. And that's how Franny & Beebz made it to Central Frontenac!

Now Stephen and Steve and a collection of the talented musicians that they have interviewed and or performed with on the Breezeway, are loading a bus starting in Port Hope and heading to the Oso Hall to play a dance in support of the Rink Project. These guys and their talented friends play everything from Hank Williams to Travis Tritt to Rolling Stones and just the right mix for a wonderful evening of dancing. Saturday November 21 at 8 pm the fun will begin. This is a licensed event so you must be 19 years old to attend. District #3 Rec Committee want to extend our thanks to all the musicians coming to the hall on Saturday as well as to all the fantastic support we have received from our community. Looking forward to seeing many two steppers out on Saturday night. Also a reminder of the Open Mic in support of the rink project on the same day at the Legion from 1 to 4pm.

The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority is hosting an open house next Thursday, November 26 in Sharbot Lake to discuss changes to the Wetlands policy in Ontario that are being proposed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).

In a discussion paper called Wetland Conservation in Ontario, the MNR says that 70% of wetlands in southern Ontario have been lost through development and the ministry has a goal of ensuring there is no further net loss of wetlands in southern Ontario.

Wetlands are described by the ministry as “lands that are saturated with water long enough to cause the formation of waterlogged (hydric) soils and the growth of water-loving (hydrophytic) or water-tolerant plants”. Wetlands are classed as marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens.

The MNR intends to work with partners, including conservation authorities, to develop a strategic plan for the next 15 years with the intention of ensuring the health of wetlands.

In their response to the discussion paper, Conservation Ontario (CO), which is made up of the 15 conservation authorities in the province including Mississippi, Quinte, Cataraqui and Rideau Valley in our region, recommends that an Integrated Water Management (IWM) approach be taken.

“The IWM approach to wetland conservation would lend itself nicely to and support the focus areas outlined in the discussion paper: strengthen policy, encourage partnerships and improve knowledge, and will provide a framework for the ‘no net loss’ approach to wetland conservation,” says the written response from Conservation Ontario.

Officials from Mississippi Valley Conservation will be on hand in Sharbot Lake to give an overview of the changes and talk about how they see their role.

The new policies could have an impact on land development in the Land O'Lakes region, a major repository of the remaining watersheds in the province.

The meeting is set for 4:30 to 7 pm at the Oso Hall. For information, contact Shannon Gutoski – 613-253 -0006, ext. 225

“State of the Organization” report to CF Council

-The good, the bad and the ugly according to County CAO Kelly Pender

In an effort to make improvements in the state of the township's organization and to move forward in a positive manner, the Council of Central Frontenac earlier this year invited County of Frontenac CAO Kelly Pender to review its existing structure and report back to council with his recommendations.

At council's regular meeting on November 10, Pender presented his findings after reviewing budget and report documentation and conducting a series of confidential interviews this past summer with nine council members and 14 members of township staff.

Like a well seasoned diplomat, Pender reported the good news first. Pender praised staff and council as “good people, doing good work” in an environment where trust, honesty and good relations were the norm, adding that staff's financing arm seems “well positioned”.

On the not so good side of the scale, he cited “a general feeling of the organization lacking direction”, and the presence of what he termed “silos” i.e., a situation where departments and/or individuals feel that they are working in isolation. He noted feelings of a lack of consistency in applying policy; the lack of a safety culture; and the township IT staff displaying a love/hate relationship with software and network reliability.

He also sensed a frustration at the township’s ability to keep quality senior staff. He defined what he called "a leadership gap" where council, though largely unified, needs to be able to make “tough decisions” and to “chart a course, then explain it to staff and the community and then steer towards it”, as opposed to front line staff members taking control in the face of a lack of clear directives and a fixed chain of command.

This led him to talk about the current lack of a Chief Administrative Officer.

Pender said there are three options available to council: to maintain the status quo, where there is no hierarchy among senior staff; to establish the position of Clerk-Administrator; or to hire a Chief Administrative Officer to oversee all the township's operations.

He said the status quo is not recommended because it makes for a less cohesive, leaderless staff complement and “puts the mayor in an awkward position as the political and administrative head of the township.”

Establishing the clerk-administrator position would place the clerk of council, the job held by Cathy MacMunn, in a position of leadership over all operations of the township.

A Chief Administrative Officer is a similar role, except it gives that person full authority over all other staff. Essentially the chief administrator becomes council's only employee, who then determines the activities of everyone else, within the confines of the Municipal Act and clear job definitions.

Pender said that at least half of the provinces in Canada require that municipalities have a CAO in place, but Ontario does not, only requiring the position of clerk.

“That might change when the Municipal Act is renewed in a few years,” he said.

Regarding the township's fire department, Pender recommended engaging an external fire professional to review the department's operations, citing gaps and equipment needs and surpluses.

Other longer term recommendations include developing a business planning process and providing citizens with a five-year forecast of what to expect. Pender also suggested that the public works manager and the treasurer provide a fully costed report to council regarding the consolidation of the township's two public works yards.

Other recommendations included sharing human resource expertise with neighboring municipalities; targeting 2017 for the implementation of a new financial software program; implementing an ongoing asset management policy; committing resources to economic development; and reviewing the functionality of the township office's public foyer.

Lastly Pender recommended that council adopt a “community of communities” approach to governance that focuses on the overall benefit of the township as a whole rather than allowing one community to be pitted against another.

Following the report, council agreed there is much work to be done and invited Pender back to review their progress in a year's time.

Haven't seen Kyle in awhile?

When asked about the whereabouts of Kyle Labbett, Mayor Frances Smith said that it was the County CAO Kelly Pender's organization review that led to Labbett being let go last week.

“We looked at what jobs need doing and Kyle's combination job as public works supervisor/waste disposal coordinator was determined to be redundant. Kyle did a great job setting up waste management but that job is now done. Similarly the public works supervisor position is not and has never been a full time position”, she explained.

She added that with grants not coming in for large construction projects and with a number of larger projects now completed, it did not make sense to keep Labbett on.

Construction numbers healthy

Chief Building Officer Jeremy Neven was pleased to announce that as of the end of October, construction numbers this year are $6,417,300, compared to roughly $5 million at the same time last year. Permit fees to date are $91,000, close to double where they were at the end of October 2014 and a third again as much as at the end of October 2013. Similarly the number of residential units at 16 has surpassed the nine units built by the same time last year.

OCIF Grant for Sharbot Lake reconstruction denied

Mayor Smith regretted to announce that staff's application for government funding for infrastructure reconstruction of Sharbot Lake village was denied. Smith said that the application would be kept on file and updated so that when another round of grants is announced, staff can re-apply.

Putting a bounty on beavers

Councilor Jamie Riddell posed the question of possibly setting up a bounty on beavers since they are costing the township money in road repairs and maintenance.

Sign By Law review

Currently council does not a have a by-law in place regarding signage in the township. Cathy MacMunn, who looked into the matter, noted that a resolution passed to propose a by-law in 2001 was never completed, leaving council now without a by-law in place. Council and staff will be reviewing and proposing a new signage by-law.  

Those unfamiliar with the lore of Mexico’s Day of the Dead holiday may not have realized that one Sharbot Lake family with roots in Mexico were paying tribute to that country's Halloween traditions. Leslie Johnson, her son Chris, his wife Ana and their daughter Sophia, along with good friend Susan, chose to flavor their Halloween celebrations by honoring the Mexican traditions of the Day of the Dead holiday.

Chris was dressed as a mariachi, a traditional Mexican roots musician, Sophia was dressed as the enigmatic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and it was the ladies who put the Mexican tradition of “La Calavera Catrina” to the fore. The ladies wore white skeletal faces, fancy European dress and loads of jewelry reflecting La Calavera Catrina, which translates in English to “dapper skeleton" or "elegant skull".

The image or character comes from a zinc etching created in 1910-1913 by the famous Mexican printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada, which shows a female skeleton dressed in a fancy hat befitting the upper class European outfits typical of the early 20th century. For the artist, the character represented a satirical portrait of certain Mexican natives who Posada felt were aspiring to adopt European aristocratic traditions in Mexico’s pre-revolutionary era. The name “La Calavera Catrina” is derived from a 1948 work by artist Diego Rivera.

Today La Calavera Catrina remains a popular costume for Mexicans celebrating the Day of the Dead. Thanks to Leslie, Chris, Ana, Sophia and Susan, this Halloween in Sharbot Lake had a unique Mexican flavour to it, likely unbeknownst to the many young trick or treaters who visited their home.

The original leaflet that accompanied the etching described a person who was “ashamed of their Indian origins and instead chose to dress in the French style and to wear white makeup to make his skin look whiter”.

While Posada introduced the character, the popularity of La Calavera Catrina as well as her name is derived from a work by artist Diego Rivera in his 1948 work “Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central" (Dream of a Sunday Afternoon along Central Alameda).

The culture of La Calavera Catrina also has deep political associations and has ties to political satire. The original was inspired by the polarizing reign of dictator Porfirio Díaz. Though Diaz' reign modernized and brought financial stability to Mexico, those accomplishments pale in comparison to his government's repression, corruption, extravagance and obsession with all things European and brought extreme wealth to the hands of the privileged few. This in turn brought much discontent and suffering to Mexico and eventually led to the 1910 rebellion that toppled Diaz in 1911 and became the Mexican Revolution.

As part of their Soldier of the Great War project, Family and Children's Services of Frontenac Lennox and Addington (FACSFLA) has put together a web page devoted to the memory of Edward Nelson Badour. Badour died on November 17, 1917 after being wounded and captured by German forces one week earlier, on November 10, during the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium. Passchendaele was one of the most deadly battles of the war for Canadian troops, with nearly 16,000 dead (the British lost 275,000 and the Germans 220,000 in the mud at Passchendaele according the Canadian War Museum).

Edward Badour enlisted with the 146th Battalion on March 29, 1916 in the village of Sharbot Lake at the age of 32. His occupation was listed as “labourer”. He was married to Norah Badour (nee Cota) in 1909 and his religion was listed as Roman Catholic. The battalion trained at Barriefield in Kingston, and embarked for Liverpool on September 25 from Halifax. During the training, Private Badour was disciplined once, on August 8, but there is no record of any punishment being handed out.

He arrived in Liverpool on October 6, 1916 and was absorbed into the 95th Battalion. On March 6, 1917 he was posted to the 20th Battalion and arrived in Havre, France on March 9.

Badour participated in the battle of Vimy Ridge with the 20th Battalion. The battalion was given the task of trying to finish off the Passchendaele offensive, which had been ongoing since late July, and the Canadians were successful. In fact, on the day that Edward Badour was wounded and captured, November 10, the battle ended.

“The Canadian Corps launched a final action on 10 November, to gain control of the remaining high ground north of the village near Hill 52, which ended the campaign ...” - (source Wikipedia entry.)

In the war diary prepared for that day there is reference to what the troops were up against.

“Throughout the day the enemy subjected our lines to constant artillery fire, concentrating particularly on the church corner at Passchendaele. This made the carrying of messages, and the evacuation of wounded, extremely difficult. During the evening the Defy Crossing road was under continuous M.G. Fire. Rain commenced at 7 am and was intermittent throughout the day, resulting in the trenches very quickly becoming very bad, in fact, so bad that the men left them at night and lay out in the open.”

What happened to Edward Badour between November 10 and November 17 is not known. The German army only sent notification of his death and his burial site has not been determined. His name is commemorated on the walls of the Menin gate in Ypres, Belgium, where each night of the year at 8 p.m. a local detachment performs the last post in honour of the war dead. His name is also inscribed on page 194 of the Book of Remembrance of WW1. The page is displayed for public viewing in the memorial chamber of the Parliament of Canada on May 4 each year.

When Al Lloyd, the 21st Battalion historian from Kingston, was approached by John Suart of the FACSFLA to research the story of Edward Badour, Lloyd contacted the Sharbot Lake Legion Branch, which is named for the Hollywood family (it is the Hollowood branch because of typo when it was officially dedicated). June Crawford, the branch president, arranged for Edward's nephew, Ron Hollywood to meet with Lloyd.

When interviewed this week by the News for this article, Ron Hollywood said that he did not know very much about his mother's brother Edward.

“I was born in 1935, the baby in a family of 10 boys and 4 girls, on the Hollywood farm across from St. George's Lake. My parents worked from dawn until dusk, we all did, and there was little time to talk about the past,” he recalls.

Coincidentally, 5 of Ron's brothers enlisted for WW2, and served in Europe.

Ron said he does not even remember exactly when five of his brothers signed up for World War 2 since he was only about five years old at the time.

“I was young and the house was very busy. All I knew was they were gone and eventually they came back. All but Herb, who died in battle.”

He does remember when the news of his brother's death was delivered to his mother, early one evening.

“She just sat in a rocking chair by the stove and cried. That I still remember,” he said.

Another of Ron's brothers, Ken, was hit near his right eye by a bullet, which exited through the back of his head. However, Ken did not die from his wound, although he remained in hospital for two years. He died two years ago at the age of 95.

As part of the Soldier of the Great War project, John Suart brought Al Lloyd to the Sharbot Lake Legion branch to meet with June and Vern Crawford of the branch executive and Ron Hollywood. Lloyd presented the materials he had found through his research to them and Suart took three videos. All of this material, including the video, is available at http://www.facsfla.ca/remember. 

“Before, this soldier was just a name on a plaque. We’ve managed to bring him to life,” said Suart. “He was a real person. And that’s worth remembering on Remembrance Day.”

The worst part of the claustrophobic, dark, scream filled, zombified trip through the transformed motel rooms at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn on the evenings of Octoerb 30 and 31st was the fact that every one looked so familiar.

It's one thing being scared by a bunch of strangers, but having about 20 people from your own community transformed by costume, moving stiffly with a far away look in their eyes creates more than a bit of unease. Then there were the teddy bears that came to life, the white rabbits, the haunted kids asking for help, the woman in a cage, the life sized puppet in a mask come to life, and the woman tied to a table while a man in a gas mask stood over her with the intention of cutting her into pieces.

All in all, it was not really an event to bring the kids to, or squeamish adults for that matter.

As a piece of active theatre, put together by a large group to bring Halloween to life by creating an event to remember, it was rather brilliant.

This was the third year that the White family (and they were all involved) along with hotel staff, friends an neighbours, have put on a haunted house. 80 people went through on the first night and many more on Halloween.

Who knows what will happen in year 4?