Signs are up for the 2015 Inroads Studio Tour, a familiar event for over 20 years here in Central Frontenac Township. This year, there are nine open studios and a dozen fine artisans displaying their work; hours are from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Sept. 5-7 of Labour Day Weekend. Now is the time of year when friends and visitors to my shop are likely to say something like: “You must be really busy getting ready for the Inroads Tour.” These comments got me thinking about what it is we do to prepare for Inroads – and realizing how long the process really takes.

Tour preparation began in January or February when former participants decided whether they wanted to do the tour again this year. With snow still on the ground, the interested parties got together, in person or via e-mail, and volunteered for various roles (chair, treasurer, secretary, sign manager, etc.) Previous tour members and possible new participants were contacted, commitments were made and cheques mailed to the treasurer so that the brochure co-ordinator could assemble the information and brochures could be printed to be given out during the summer.

For all tour members, preparation throughout the summer involves distributing brochures and generally promoting the tour whenever the opportunity arises. Closer to the event, we put up small signs and dust off the larger signs that we have stored, making sure we have enough and that they are in good repair. I think we all look around our studios and do whatever re-arranging and cleaning seems necessary.

For those of us on the tour who have a shop that is open throughout the summer, much of the pre-tour activity is what we would be doing anyway – filling current orders, replacing stock that has sold through the summer, and trying to keep ahead of the general mess generated in an active artist’s studio. Joanne Pickett (Arden Pottery) says that her usual long days just get longer. At this time of year, Joanne can often be found in her studio at 2 am, throwing pots or waiting for firings to be finished – fortunately, she finds these night vigils peaceful and rather pleasant.

Judith Versavel, who runs Gallery on the Bay in Arden, summarized her preparations for Labour Day thus: “Sprucing up the garden, mowing the lawn, washing gallery windows - again, rearranging items for maximum show, helping my guest artist and trying to figure out what to wear! Oh yeah … and trying to get new paintings and jewellery finished at the last minute!!!”

Here at the Arden Batik shop, I have completed some new pictures, and plan to get them matted and/or framed before the tour. However, I am also going to start some batiks that I know I will not finish, so there will be a selection of interesting pieces in process for tour visitors to see – and for me to demonstrate with during the weekend.

Nancy, at Hilderbrook Studio, tells me that she has some new necklaces, and is “madly busy” making more. Jo Crivellaro has been working on a new product -- collaged mirrors with hunting and fishing themes. She has yet to do the weed cutting and tidying up around her owner-built house in the woods, but will certainly be busy until the tour date. Laurel Minutillo, (Laurel Leaf Studio) has also been busy creating new work; she will be showing painted ceramic jewellery as well as new roller printed metal earrings and forged pendants for necklaces. The worst part about getting ready for the show, she says, is that you never think you are ready enough. Alas, how true!

Nick Hally, our sign man, puts up the large highway signs, and makes sure that all studios are supplied with the signage they need. He and Annette, at Maple Hollow Studio, write that they “ensure that we have enough of our various stock on hand for the full weekend, make sure our signage is all up and visible the night before the first day, cut the grass, weed the garden and make sure our whole place wherever customers will be going is neat, tidy and welcoming, and provide adequate seating and iced bottled water for tired feet and legs.”

Doreen Morey doesn’t show at her home studio, but at her cottage location, so her preparation includes setting up a tent for display and arranging a temporary work space on the cottage deck. She sews in preparation for the tour, and continues sewing throughout the weekend.

For those who are guests at another artisan’s studio, the process involves less house cleaning and more carrying of boxes. Jill Ferguson, guest at Gallery on the Bay, writes: “Worst part is packing and carting all the stuff and the best part is looking forward to meeting new people and seeing regular visitors. I have my must do cards and coasters ready to go and all made with prints of original artwork. I still hope to prepare some mini-prints so I guess that's on my wish list. I have several new landscapes of Ontario country scenes ... roads, fields, waterfalls, trees.”

Janet and Steve MacIntyre are guests at Ken Waller’s studio, and enjoy both the tour and a good visit with the Wallers. This year, Steve and Janet have been trying an unusual jewelry making technique called broom casting. Yes, it involves brooms – they hope you will come and see their new work and find out how it is made.

In fact, all of us look forward to our tour visitors, and hope that the preparations we have made will mean a pleasant tour for all who come and share, for a day, our work, our studios, and a bit of our lives.  

“The Miracle Worker” is an ‘interesting, absorbing and moving’ play, says the NY Post. It is also an intense and emotional drama about family dynamics and the unique challenges associated with raising a sensory-deprived child. In this case, the child became the famous Helen Keller, who eventually graduated, tirelessly and successfully promoted schooling and training for the blind worldwide, and befriended many persons of influence along the way. However, in her early life it was far from easy to imagine these results, when as a child, she lacked discipline, understanding, and three main senses - seeing, hearing and speaking. Enter Annie Sullivan, a seeing-impaired person herself who underwent multiple eye operations, not before, however, she lived a destitute life with her critically ill brother in a state institution for the poor. Her fear-based yet tough-as-nails approach earns her a hard-won place among the proprietary family of Helen at their Southern home in Alabama. With widely differing opinions on the raising of Helen, family dissension is strong, and many strong exchanges take place as a result.

It is a fantastically crafted play of a segment of these real lives, set in the 1880s, just after the American Civil War whose own theme juxtaposes nicely with the tumultuous family dynamics. The timelessness of family values and the needs for change, growth and expression can be related to by all. The North Frontenac Little Theatre's production of The Miracle Worker will be performed the last two weekends of November. www.nflt.ca

This past weekend over 300 Miata enthusiasts in 155 of their favorite cars took part in the Underground Miata Network's tour of Quebec and Eastern Ontario on August 7, 8 and 9. The event was organized to help celebrate the Ottawa-based club's 20 year anniversary.

Mazda MX5s are those eye-catching, spiffy and sporty convertible roadsters, also known as Miatas, and they attracted a lot of attention as groups of them took part in a total of 35 different daily tours over the weekend. The tours included destinations like the Rideau Canal, Upper Canada Village, Montebello, Quebec and more.

There were 12 different touring groups that included drivers from clubs as far away as Florida, Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Rhode Island, Michigan, New York and Massachusetts, as well as Canadian drivers from Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and the Maritimes. The tour was the largest event that the 186-member club has hosted since its inception in 1995.

Club president, Rolly Eeaulne, and vice-president Ron Staples said they expected 75 drivers to participate but were forced to cut off the numbers off when they reached over 300. Both gentlemen lunched on Friday at Sharbot Lake's Crossing Pub with their tour group number 10, who were at the half-way point of a 350-kilometre loop that began at Ottawa's Conference Centre, the central hub of the tour, and would take them after lunch to Merrickville along the Rideau Canal.

Sandra White, co-owner of the Sharbot Lake Country Inn, was more than pleased to host the participants and had arranged in advance with Eeaulne to offer the pub as a key lunch destination for the tour.

Eeaulne said that the scenery and roads in this area make for perfect driving conditions. “The roads like those up through Snow Road, Ompah and beyond are just perfect for the kind of driving we love. Lots of curves, (aka twisties) and great scenery.”

First produced in the 1990s, there are currently three generations of Miatas, all two-seater, sports car roadsters and all known for their superior road handling abilities. They also all boast convertible tops, either in soft or hard top models.

Vice president Rob Staples said “Though there are faster cars to drive, there is not a more fun car to drive than a Miata and nothing beats driving on these twisty, curvy roads with the top down, hearing the birds, smelling the country air and watching the gorgeous scenery go by.”

The tour participants covered close to 1000 kilometres over three days and had stellar weather for the tour. Judging by the turn out it will likely not be the last Miata club tour that will pass through these parts.

Anyone interested in joining the Ottawa club can visit www.ottawamiata.net. But be sure that you have the $20,000 -$45,000 that it will take to become a proud Miata owner.

A one-time opportunity to see 14 drummers from CADRE (the Canadian Associates Drumming Rudimental Excellence) is coming to Sharbot Lake.

A five-time senior world champion drum ensemble, CADRE, will play in Sharbot Lake before heading to Rochester, New York, to compete in the 2015 World Championships. These 14 drummers play fast and with a high degree of precision. They perform amazing and coordinated drum stick movements. It’s totally mesmerizing and a one-off opportunity to see unique and high-impact drumming like you’ve never seen before.

These senior drummers are playing in Sharbot Lake for the first and only time using rope drums and high-tension drums. This is a performance you’ll want to see and it’s FREE to the public (all ages). Don’t miss it.

The event is on Saturday, August 29, 3 to 5pm at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn.

August 11, 2015

District 4 fire hall contract awarded

Fire Chief Bill Young recommended that council accept the bid by Guy Saumure and Sons Construction Ltd. at a total cost of $694,800 to build a new fire hall on the site of the existing District 4 Fire Hall, which is located on Wagarville Road next to the Parham fair grounds. The bid was the lowest of four received, with the next lowest bid offered by Tarasick Carpentry at just over $800,000. The highest bid was offered by Wemp and Smith Construction Ltd. at just under $970,000. Council accepted Young's recommendation to accept the bid. Although it is $95,000 over the initial budget, the bid provides for an expanded space designed to include a possible library/community space, which was not envisioned at budget time.

Council gives go ahead for Raymo Road fix

With the replacement culverts ready for Raymo Road, Public Works Coordinator Kyle Labbett brought a last minute report to council recommending that council approve his recommendations to award the contract to Crains Construction at a total cost of $346,760. That bid was $30,000 less than the one other bid that was received by the township from Arnott Brothers Construction. Council passed the motion unanimously, leading Labbett to say, “I am very glad to see this day.”

Labbett said that work will begin immediately and that barring any unforeseen circumstances, Raymo Road should be open to limited traffic by Labour Day, with a few touch ups expected after that.

Paving approved for Medical Centre Road and parking lot

Council approved Kyle Labbett's recommendations to have new pavement installed at Medical Centre Road at a cost of $31,000. Labbett said that “this has been something council has been putting off for a while and now is the perfect time to do it” because Thomas Cavanagh will be paving the new bridge section of Road 38. Council approved his recommendations.

Two of three boat ramp replacements approved

Council approved the recommendations by chief building officer Jeremy Neven to award the contract of replacing both the Long Lake and Eagle Lake boat ramps to Crains' Construction at a cost of approximately $23,000 each. Council had approved a capital expenditure during a 2015 budget review for three boat ramp replacements, the third being the Big Gull Lake boat ramp at an estimated $15,000 each. Council will be requesting financial assistance from North Frontenac Township to assist with the cost of replacing the ramp at Big Gull Lake in 2016.

¾ ton truck comes in under cost

Fire Chief Bill Young's recommendation to council to approve the $39,000 bid put in by Braden Ford for the purchase of a ¾ ton truck to replace truck #12 (a 1979 GMC tanker) that is “ past its useful life” was approved by council. The new truck, which will have to be outfitted with lights and sirens, comes in well below the estimated $75,000 cost.

Smiths Falls to deliver fire dispatch communications services in CF

Council approved Bill Young's recommendations that council enter into an agreement with the Corporation of the Town of Smiths Falls to provide fire dispatch communications services at a cost of approximately &13,500 per year. The service has been provided by Kingston Dispatch, who will be increasing their current costs of just under $10,000 per year to over $24,000. In his report Young stated that “fire services have suffered over the years with issues such as poor communication due to dead areas” and incorrect information coming through to township personnel. Young said he anticipates that the new service will rectify those issues and at a cheaper cost.

Council updates by-law allowing greater on road access for ATVs, ORVs and UTVs

Council approved a motion updating their current by-law in accordance with new changes by the province which increases road access for off road vehicles (ORVs), all terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility terrain vehicles (UTVs). The new bylaw allows two seat ATVs and side by side ORVs on the shoulders of public roads. The law includes requirements that all drivers and passengers wear approved helmets and use seatbelts and foot rests where applicable; that children under the age of 8 not be permitted as passengers on ATVs and ORVs operating on the roads; and that the number of passengers be limited to available seating.

Fate of Parham library remains in limbo

In a letter and report sent by Patrica Enright, chief librarian and CEO of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library to Mayor Frances Smith, a number of issues were raised regarding the proposed options for a future library facility in Parham. The report outlines a number of guidelines designed to “provide an appropriate level of service” for Parham. Due to limited hours of operation and limited circulation at the former Parham branch, and due to the fact that the existing furniture and fixtures at the former branch do not meet current requirements and regulations, the report cited other self-serve options that might better serve the Parham community. These could include lockers or vending machines that would provide 24/7 service to customers, at a cost of $35,000-$40,000. Mayor Frances Smith pointed out that if the community wanted this sort of service, it could be located in the proposed community library space in the new fire hall.

When the matter was discussed by members of council, Councilor Brent Cameron said he was disappointed by the stance that the library board has taken. “I still maintain that one of the reasons that the board is not willing to service this area is because they are putting all of their resources into the larger Kingston area branches”.

Councilor Bill MacDonald, who has sat on the library board for 15 years said that the decisions the board makes, “rely heavily on circulation numbers and that when circulation is low, the board cannot justify certain services”.

Council decided to hold a public meeting regrading the future of the Parham library in the early fall.

Other items

Mayor Frances Smith announced a successful $247,000 grant received by the County of Frontenac Trails Committee as part of the Canada 150 grants to expand the K&P trail from Tichborne to Sharbot Lake.

OPP costs

At a meeting that Mayor Frances Smith attended with staff at the OPP to get clarification regarding the 40% higher costs per household to Central Frontenac residents compared to those in North Frontenac, Mayor Smith reported that part of the costs are a result of higher OPP occurrences in Central Frontenac. She was also advised by OPP staff that residents who have made “mistake or pocket dial 911 calls” need to report them and meet with OPP staff immediately. The mayor also recommended that council set up a police service committee to meet with OPP staff periodically to discuss any issues of concern.

Arthur passed away on June 1st, 2015 at age 99. He was one of seven children born on Antoine Point in Sharbot lake. Arthur was a kind, humble man of many talents.

He was a master carpenter employed by the Allen Brothers Cottage & Livery business, located opposite the now

medical center. This was a thriving servicing business for fishermen and tourists at that time. Arthur moved on to

be the supervisor of a CPR bridge building team for many years. He also built homes and cottages in Sharbot Lake, Perth and Smiths Falls.

My father started coming to Sharbot Lake in 1938 with several fishing friends. We as a family started coming to Sharbot in 1946 and purchased Rupert Island, the small island just off the public beach in 1948. I was 12 years old when I met Arthur at the Allen Brothers location. At that time it was a very active place where you could rent cottages, boats, outboard motors, fishing guides, and purchase bait.

Being a young, impressionable city boy from Rochester, NY, Sharbot Lake with its steam engine trains, sawmill and a country store was a whole new world for me. Arthur was the man. He could do everything – repair boats, engines, fix minnow seines. As I watched him and asked questions, I was enthralled by what he could do. Arthur Antoine became my hero and lifelong friend.

In later years I visited him at his various residences and reminisced about his life in Sharbot Lake. One short story about Arthur goes like this. I asked him how he got to know the location of the deep shoals, which all fishermen desired to find to catch the big one. Arthur simply said, “Pete, my brother Fred and I simply took 25 feet of rope, tied a stone on it, and rowed around the lake, marking each one with sight lines on the shore.” Arthur was a master of all trades. He even mixed herbal plants for a medicine that he took when he was sick. That probably was the reason he lived to age 99.

Arthur Antoine will be missed by his family and his many friends. He was a kind and humble man of great integrity.

Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Jeff Leal, was in Sharbot Lake briefly on a hot Tuesday morning to announce a new round of infrastructure funding.

Using the backdrop of a project that received 90% of its funding from the first round of the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) - namely the removal of an aging bridge on Road 38 over the Trans-Canada Trail - Leal announced that $50 million will be made available for projects in so-called rural communities in 2016.

For the purposes of OCIF, municipalities with populations under 100,000 are defined as rural. Municipalities have until September 11 to file an expression of interest for 2016 funding. Unlike other infrastructure programs, which tend to be funded as a three-way partnership (1/3 provincial, 1/3 federal, and 1/3 municipal) OCIF funding is 90% provincial and 10% municipal.

Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith thanked the province for providing the funding for “an improvement to Road 38, which as you can see is a busy road that is used by many of our permanent residents to access work, and by seasonal residents in North and Central Frontenac to get to their cottages.”

Minister Leal, who spent 18 years on Peterborough town council before being elected as an MPP in 2003, said that when roads were downloaded by the Harris government in 1999, Eastern Ontario was the hardest hit region of the province, and the McGuinty and now Wynne governments have been attempting to address the resulting infrastructure gap for the last 12 years.

Road 38 was one of the roads that was downloaded by the Harris government. Central Frontenac received a matching grant to resurface it in 2006, and is still paying off its own share of those costs.

Leal did not indicate on Tuesday that the Wynne government is considering taking back responsibility for any of the roads that were downloaded under Mike Harris. Instead, he talked about partnerships and the OCIF program.

The section of Road 38 that runs through South Frontenac, which was resurfaced by the Ministry of Transportation before the road was downloaded in 1999, has been earmarked for re-surfacing by South Frontenac staff, but the costs are too great for the township to cover on its own. 

July 18 was a fine day. At 10am my husband, Carl Conboy, and I attended the annual general meeting of the Sharbot Lake Property Owners Association (SLPOA) at St. James Church. Everyone had lots of table space; there was tea and coffee and lots of chatter and buzz. For those who stayed until the end of the meeting there was a free lunch of delicious sub sandwiches provided by the Sharbot Lake Country Inn. How generous was that?!

The meeting was very worthwhile. The mayor was there, as was a pollinator (think bees) biologist and two enthusiastic women from the “Love Your Lake” program (LoveYourLake.ca), which is sponsored by the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Watersheds Canada. These women have been examining all our shoreline with the assistance of volunteers from SLPOA. The program is offering FREE reports to individual owners on their specific properties and FREE plants to protect and sustain our lake.

We learned about everything from the bridge work on Hwy. 38 in the village to septic systems on the lake to what attracts the many pollinators so essential to our local agriculture. The meeting lasted about two hours and held everyone's attention to the very end.

Congratulations to those who have shown leadership in the community by providing us with an opportunity to help keep our lake healthy and beautiful.

The meeting was well attended, but not well enough. Those of us who live beyond the shores of the lake, both in the village and throughout our network of local roads, benefit from a healthy, beautiful lake and can help. The lake association needs more members. A $20 membership fee enables our volunteers to carry on their labour of love monitoring the lake and environment. I invite everyone in the area who has not yet joined - business owners, villagers, farmers, professionals and shore-dwellers - to invest $20 in the future of Sharbot Lake.

There was more to the day. From 5 to 7pm we attended an exceptionally good barbecued chicken dinner, which included a silent auction with a variety of offerings from local businesses and other generous citizens. Barb Wilson's beautiful custom-tailored tote bag drew several bids, as did Ken Waller's meticulously-turned beech wood bowl and a three-dimensional puzzle. Senators’ hockey fans also had an opportunity to get a bargain.

Clark Lawlor's “Kingmakers” group (Clark is the lead singer and an east basin cottager) provided swinging music from Nashville (where they have recorded), Elvis to Blues, all of which had us prancing around the dance floor.

The SLPOA offered this truly fun event as an opportunity for those of us who are committed to the future well-being of Sharbot Lake to have a really good time together. The whole community was encouraged to come. Again, while it was a great crowd, it wasn't a large crowd.

Sharbot Lake is vulnerable to pollution, weather and neglect. The lake association needs us to support it in its monitoring work. I encourage everyone in our area to show support for our volunteer “lake-minders” by becoming members of the association - and when there is an SLPOA event, whether a meeting, a dinner or another event, I encourage you to attend. You'll be glad you did and you'll be helping our lake.

At the Sharbot Lake Property Association’s annual general meeting, which took place on July 18 at St. James Church hall in Sharbot Lake, pollination expert Susan Chan spoke about the importance of bees as pollinators. Chan is also project manager with Farms at Work.

Her talk was titled “Introduction to Pollinators for Cottagers” and offered up a plethora of information about bees as well as ways to encourage their presence and ongoing health.

When we think of bees we think mostly of honey bees, which are the only non-native bees in Ontario, but Chan explained that there are over 400 other native species of bees. Bees are a vital part of what makes our plants, flowers and veggies grow. Wind and insects are two key pollinators and native bees are the predominant insect pollinators that carry pollen from the male part of a plant (anther) to the female part (stigma), resulting in pollination. Pollination is needed to set seed in plants and is what allows fruits and seeds to grow, which is the main source of food for humans and for wildlife.

Bees also pollinate the plants whose seeds are used to produce most of our edible oil products. Meat and dairy products are heavily dependent on the alfalfa plant, pollinated by native bees. “If you like your steaks on the barbeque, you are dependent not on honey bees but on native bees who pollinate alfalfa plants which are used to feed meat and dairy cattle.”

She spoke about common myths about bees and the surprising fact that it is the non-native honey bee that usually stings, whereas most of the native species can sting but generally do not. They live in much smaller colonies; most live solitary lives and possess very low defense mechanisms, which makes them very unlikely to sting aggressively. Swarms are only associated with honey bees; other solitary bees do not live in colonies and therefore do not swarm. In fact, 70% of the bees in Ontario live in solitary nests in the ground and the other 30% live solitary lives in hollow stems.

Chan explained how to encourage native bee pollinators by constructing bee-friendly dwellings (pictured here) using the stems of an invasive plant called Phragmites Australianus. “You can make use of these plant's stems as long as you do not transport the seeds from one place to another.” These condo-like dwellings will encourage solitary native bee guests. Chan spoke of various species of bees including leaf cutter bees, wool carder bees and bumble bees, the latter of which she called “the work horses” of the native pollinators since they are around from April to October. This makes them particularly susceptible to lack of food. Chan said that all bee populations in North America are currently declining. The two main reasons she gave are lack of habitat and toxins in the environment.

She said that neonicotinoids are a problem since the chemical is transferred to all parts of the plant it is applied to, can take three years to break down, and is highly water soluble. Bees are much more susceptible to insecticides, more so than the insects they were designed for, because bees do not have a strong resistance system and they can come into contact with the insecticides when collecting nectar from affected plants and side crops nearby.

Chan also said that butterflies and birds are being affected by neonicotinoids.

On a more positive note, Chan suggested ways that property owners can help the plight of all species of native bees by planting flowering native plants, which provide habitat and food. She advised them to reconsider when weeding and to understand that all weeds are not bad. “If you can tolerate dandelions simply for the sake of the bees, do it since they (dandelions) are a great source of food come early spring.” She advised landowners to encourage wild blueberries and raspberries for similar reasons and to leave natural spaces to grow and thrive because if left alone they will become healthy pollinator habitats.

If you know of pickerel weed growing, encourage it, because there exists one pickerel weed bee, a specialist bee that eats only the nectar and pollen from that plant.

For those who love plants and food, bees are key and Chan's talk went a long way in encouraging homeowners to create environments that will encourage their health and abundance.

photo 22552-

Rachel Hosseini, the owner and operator of Sharbot Lake's Subway franchise, marked the business's first year anniversary on July 23 by offering her customers a one-day special to help celebrate the event. Patrons who visited the shop on that day received a free 6-inch sandwich with the purchase of a second sandwich and a drink, and also a free piece of anniversary cake.

Hosseini, who is originally from Richmond Hill, bought the former Rising Bun bakery and set up the Subway franchise after becoming familiar with them while working with a construction company in Toronto. Looking for a calmer, quieter life away from the city, and wanting to be closer to nature, she took the plunge and is now living and working full-time in Sharbot Lake.

Currently the business employs 10 staff members - five full-time and five part-time. Hosseini said that the anniversary celebration was her way to thank the many loyal customers who have helped her and her team by continuing to patronize the business throughout the winter months. Hosseini said she is grateful for the way the local community has welcomed her and said that there is lots of room for the business to grow in Sharbot Lake.

She said her first year has been busier than she anticipated. Her regular clientele consists of local residents, many of whom came out to celebrate at Thursday's event. Local nine-to-fivers in the area have been taking advantage of the business's early bird special that Hosseini and her staff offer, a six-inch breakfast sub with a small coffee for $3, which is available before 9am. The business also gets good traffic from weekenders passing through on Highway 7, as well as seasonal cottagers.

Hosseini said that she traveled from Toronto on Thursday especially to be at the event since the business is “her baby”. She thanked her team, including long-time manager Alana Botting, who has been with her since day one and she looks forward to continuing to serve her customers in the many years to come. She said that with a full year now under her belt, she has a few new plans up her sleeve, one of which is to support local school teams and/or events in the area.