In the copy of the "County of a Thousand Lakes" at the Sharbot Lake branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, there is a hand-written note underneath the dedication at the front of the book.

The dedication says “This account of the history of Frontenac County is dedicated to the people of the county, to those of past generations who developed a new and empty land ...” and the note says “It wasn't empty – it was invaded by another people searching for wealth, your heritage is theft".

The book, which was put together in the late 1970s as a massive community project the likes of which has not been seen in Frontenac County before or since, is certainly scant in its treatment of the Algonquin heritage of Frontenac County.

There is a section at the beginning by Ron Vastokas of Trent University that talks about the Algonkians, but it includes a proviso that says, “Since very little archaeology has been done in Frontenac County, ... , a brief outline of the larger area will provide the background for a later consideration of a few specific sites within the county.” He then goes on to talk about the Algonkian speakers who inhabited the Canadian Shield, only considering the pictographs at Mazinaw Rock “as one of the most spectacular” examples of paintings that are attributed to Algonkian shamans.

The conclusion that Vastokas draws at the end of his piece is that “at the time of the arrival of European settlers, therefore, the Algonkian hunters and gatherers lived in the harsh environment of the Shield.”

Neither the section of the book that is dedicated to settlement nor the section dedicated to Bedford Township make any reference to Algonquins living in the region or reserve lands being set aside for the use of Algonquin families in the vicinity of Crow and Bobs Lake in 1844.

The section of the book that concerns Oso district starts with a description of the photo that hangs in the Oso Hall to this day. “Tradition supports the words on the back of the picture which say 'Mr and Mrs Francis Sharbot came up from the Fall River and pitched their tepee on the shores in the year 1830 and gave the lake its name.' They were full blooded Indians of the Mohawk tribe and were considered the best family of Indians in the County of Frontenac, honest and reliable,” says the County of 1000 Lakes in the only direct reference to an Aboriginal family in its 572 pages.

In retrospect, it is not a total surprise that a book written at that time would ignore the fact that there were people living in Frontenac County before it was formally 'settled'.

Since the County of 1000 Lakes was published, the profile, certainly of the Algonquin people who have roots in the Rideau and Mississippi Valleys, which take up the northern two-thirds of the county, has risen. Events such as the wild rice dispute in the early 1980s, the establishment of community organisations and later First Nations structures such as the Ardoch and later the Sharbot Lake Algonquins, the Algonquin Land Claim process, as well as court rulings about inherent rights and the duty to consult, have changed the politics of Frontenac County.

Much of Frontenac County, is now recognised as being part of the Algonquin Land claim, which has been slowly progressing since 1994.

The personal history of Doreen Davis, who has been chief of the Shabot Obaadjiwan (formerly Sharbot Lake Algonquins) ever since 1999 and the regional Algonquin Nation Representative at the land claim table, has taken many twists and turns just as her community has. Chief Doreen (no one seems to call her Chief Davis) is a born and raised Frontenac County resident who attended Sydenham High School, lived on Desert Lake Road and raised a family. Hers is also the story of an Algonquin who was born on the shores of Sharbot Lake, a direct descendant of Francis and Mary Sharbot who talks about hunting and fishing all her life just as her ancestors have for centuries and centuries.

“We have archaeological records from Bobs and Sharbot Lakes of a presence going back to 3000 to 1000 BC and 900 to 1500 AD, over 30 sites at Bob's Lake alone, that establish our presence. The only time we scattered was during the Iroquois wars prior to 1701".

While there is little written history of Algonquin presence in the region prior to the settlement era of the mid 19th century, what little there is, including a map of the 3,700 acre Bedford tract, bears out her version of events.

She has records from the Benjamin Tett trading post at Battersea in the 1840s and 1850s with entries about trades for furs with Algonquin trappers from Frontenac County.

“Benjamin Tett had a trading post for the Algonquins. John Antoine, Joe Mitchell, all members of this community took in stuff and traded there. It shows that we were in Battersea; it shows you that we were there. I even have, in storage, some of the slips from the store."

There is reference in records dated as early as 1817 to Peter Shawanapinessi, also known as Peter Stephens, who was identified as a chief who used land in the South Sherbrooke, Oso and Bedford area as winter hunting grounds, and petitioned for and was granted the Bedford tract. Other families included the Michels, Clemos (Clement) Antwins (Antoine), Buckshots and Whiteducks from Cross or Crotch Lake.

A document from Joan Holmes, a genealogist who works with the Algonquins of Ontario – the umbrella group negotiating the Algonquin Land Claim, comes to the following conclusion: “In summary, correspondence, church and census records covering the period from 1842 to 1863 indicate that the ancestors of the Ardoch Algonquins were leading a semi-nomadic life in the townships of Bedford, Oso, South Sherbrooke and Palmerston ... they had license of occupation to a tract of land in Bedford Township where they attempted rudimentary agriculture. However their occupation of that land was made untenable by lumber cutting. Their main source of support was gained from the traditional pursuits of hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering, which they carried out in remote areas north of the Rideau River system.”

According to Doreen Davis, while the records are stronger for the Bedford Algonquins, “there were other families throughout, in Oso, in Ardoch, in Lanark, in Renfrew, all over. We knew about it, but it was never written down. Even though Francis and Mary Sharbot were born at Oka, that is true, she was a Nicik, and there are records of the Niciks in Frontenac going back to the 1700s,” she said.

Doreen Davis lives with her husband on a property that is close to where she was born, perched between Sharbot Lake and the Fall River. She presides over a large extended family of children and grandchildren. She spends a lot of her time in the Shabot Obaadjiwan office at the Snell Complex on Highway 7, when she is not in Pembroke at the Algonquin Nation Office or in meetings throughout the Ottawa Valley.

Her grandmother Margaret, who was Mary and Francis Sharbot's grand-daughter, lived on the farm where Doreen lived when she was a child.

“I grew up knowing that I was Algonquin. My grandmother said to say I was a Blackfoot or to say nothing. The reason was that we did not want to be known as Mohawks, because that was dangerous, and no one knew about the Algoquins, so it was best to keep quiet. We moved to Joyceville and then Harrowsmith, where I went to school. I used to come back each weekend, to spend the weekend back here, where we hunted and fished. We farmed and hunted and fished, just like everyone else in those days.”

If she has a regret about those years it was that she did not pay as much attention as she would have liked to all the knowledge about the use of herbs that her grandmother showed.

“I did what she told, gathered herbs and bottled things and all that but I never paid enough attention.”

The Algonquin connections that have characterized her life were all extended family connections.

“We have always been connected, through marriage and everything else, and when we gathered as family those were Algonquin gatherings. We may not have talked about it, and it was never something that made life easier for us, but that was the way it was,” she said. “The more people knew you were native, and this was true for the Badour's and all of us, the more shit-kicking you took. It wasn't smart to make a big deal about it; it still isn't today. That was the way it was.”

In the 1980s when Algonquin politics started to ramp up she was involved, but not in a leadership role.

That all changed in 1994.

“I had a nervous breakdown, two breakdowns actually in 1992 and 1993, from a lot of things. In 1994 I went to one of the first land claim meetings, and I was very nervous to be there because I had not been out of my house for a very long time. There was a mask, it was of a face made out of leather and it was pulled back like the wind. It was made by a woman I never met before and never saw again, and it was raffled off. I couldn't take my eyes off the mask and I bought one ticket for 25 cents and I won it. She then sat with me and asked me if I had any idea what this mask represents and I said no. She said it's pulling you from your past and you can still see the future. I said okay, not really knowing what that meant either at the time, and she said, now you have a responsibility. She said you have to lead your people. I said I can't get up in the morning by myself; there is no way I can lead people. She said, 'Well you will, you will dear'”.

That fall she was elected to the Sharbot Lake committee for the land claim.

“It totally changed my life. I don't know how and I don't know why but I don't even question it anymore,” she said.

In 1999 she went on to become Chief of the Shabot Obaadjiwan and has remained in that position ever since. She has been twice selected as Algonquin Nation Representative to the land claim.

As the land claim progresses, and Algonquins gain back rights that have been long lost, there are two important issues about those rights that she talks about.

“Rights come with responsibilities. That's the first thing, and there are no individual rights, they are collective rights. To say I have rights to take that deer or take that fish, I don't. I have the right to sustain my life, but I only have Aboriginal rights as part of a community, not for myself. This is what we have to tell ourselves and communicate to everyone else, and this is what the land claim settlement is all about.”

There are a lot of politics connected to the land claim, including opposition from both Algonquins and other groups with an interest in the land. Internal to the claim itself, an appeal has removed a number of Shabot Obaadjiwan members from the land claim approval voting list, but Chief Doreen said that those people have never stopped being members of the Shabot Obaadjiwan.

“That appeal changed nothing in our community, and it does not mean they will not be on the beneficiary list, that has not been determined yet. You can't change who someone is, their identity, because a piece of paper from 200 years ago is unclear. We know who we are, we always have,” she said.

The Shabot Obaadjiwan are moving their office soon to a property they own on Hwy. 7 west of Arden, and are building a community centre on some property on White Lake near the MNR fish hatchery.

Chief Doreen continues to work on the Algonquin Land Claim.

Volunteer Septic Re-inspection Program

The volunteer septic program will be available to property owners on Big Clear Lake and Silver Lake this year, at a cost of $6000 to the township. Of those lake associations wanting to offer the program to their members, Silver Lake was chosen because it is defined as an at-capacity trout lake, highly sensitive to pollutants and Big Clear Lake because it has a high density of structures. Crow Lake is the last at-capacity lake in the township that has yet to be offered the program.

Council approves tandem snow plow truck purchase: Council approved CAO Jim Zimmerman’s recommendation for the purchase of a tandem snow plow trick from Oakes Truck sales at a cost of $222,650. The truck will replace the township's truck # 4, a 2000 Ford Sterling Tri-axle.

No decreased speed limit on Road 38 near Evergreen Road: Council agreed with CAO Zimmerman's recommendation to leave the 80 km speed limit in place on Road 38 from Evergreen Road to 100 metres north of the Hydro One transmission facility at Hinchinbrooke. Zimmerman was instructed by council to look into the matter and found after referencing Book 6 of the Ontario traffic manual that reducing the speed to 60km/hour would “be problematic”.

“This highway has been designed for speeds of 80km/hour and the request does not comply with the Ontario traffic manual recommendations,” he said. He added, “If we reduced the speed limit there we would have to look at all areas where school buses pick up kids along 38 and in our township that would be somewhat problematic." In lieu of reducing the speed limit, the CAO recommended additional brushing in that area to improve sight lines. This was approved by council.

Councilor Dewey asks to see the numbers

Councilor Tom Dewey requested that council be able to see financial reports from recreation committees in order to see what monies are going in and out. He cited the model that the Heritage Festival uses in their annual reports. Council passed a motion requesting staff to look into the matter.

Delegations: Catherine Tysick of Northern Frontenac Community Services and David Townsend of Southern Frontenac Community Services spoke to council about new shared initiatives between the two organizations. The first addresses the homeless population in North, South and Central Frontenac townships through a Homelessness Prevention program, and the Housing First and Rapid Re-housing programs. With extra funding there are now two staff members instead of one who are providing support to the homeless populations in all three townships. Townsend cited that in 2014 SFCS dealt with 216 households in imminent threat of losing their homes, and NFCS has identified a further 30 from Central Frontenac and 12 from North Frontenac.

“In rural areas the homeless population tends to be 'invisible' and this initiative will help,” he said.

The second initiative is the expansion of the Hospice Palliative Care program. Funding has expanded this service from one to five days a week to benefit clients in South, Central and North Frontenac. The program offers a volunteer hospice service coordination, bereavement support, outreach volunteer training and administrative support and better connects the local health care professionals with clients in need in their communities.

Crow Lake sign trials

Council was hesitant initially to approve Karen Lahey's requests for a series of community signs to be placed on existing township signs located at the entrance and exit points of Crow Lake Village. The new signs, which were a project of Villages Beautiful, include the following wording: “Welcome to our beautiful community: please slow down and enjoy the view”.

Lahey is hoping that the signs will slow traffic on Crow Lake Road, which she said is an issue that she has been concerned about for years.

The concern raised by a number of councilors as well by CAO Zimmerman was primarily that an approval would allow anyone to make a similar request. Currently the township has no set criteria for signage and a policy would require some definite guidelines.

Zimmerman said, “I would caution council that once you allow private signs to be placed within a right of way, that opens the issue up to everyone who might want to follow suit and it would very difficult to determine what signs are appropriate and what signs are not.” He added that the signs would also need to be maintained.

Lahey said that she would be happy to put up and take down the signs herself and that as a last resort, she would place them on private property. After much discussion considering a future official signage policy, Councilor Brent Cameron said Lahey's request should be approved because the signs seem to be in keeping with township ideals. Council approved the Crow Lake signage conditionally for 2015.

Delegation re approval of Small Fit application

Rob Hitchcock of Abundant Solar Energy Inc. requested on behalf of a client that council support an IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator) application for a 500KW solar ground mount project offered through the Small Fit Solar program on a property located in Hinchinbrooke on Wilkinson Road. Council hesitated and CAO Zimmerman said he has been getting lots of similar requests for support since the IESO deadline for applications is July 13. Zimmerman pointed out that council has two options regarding this and other IESO requests. They could either approve the applications by a blanket resolution or else look at each project individually. He advised council “to be cautious”, citing his concern about ensuring there is a public consultation process for renewable energy projects.

”Property owners might not want to look at solar panels so I would be cautious of approving these projects without public consultation,” he said.

Zimmerman then asked Hitchcock if it was possible to approve the application with conditions. Hitrchcock replied that the IESO “sees things in black and white” and that an approval has to be either yes or no. Councilor Bill MacDonald said he would consider approving the application “only if a public meeting were held first”. Council in the end passed a motion receiving the information and requested that staff look into the matter further.

Council gets tough on back taxes owed

CAO Zimmerman said that council needs to maintain consistency in its approaches to the payment of back taxes. Mayor Frances Smith said, “There is a process already in place and Treasurer McGovern deals with it. He is given the authority to negotiate with the property owner where he can and I don’t think people need to come to us to see if we are going to change the rules.”

Parham library branch update

CAO Zimmerman informed council that the Kingston Frontenac Public Library CEO received a call from the Limestone District School Board (LDSB) indicating that there is a possibility of extending the branch's stay in the existing portable. The LDSB expects the township to pick up any ongoing incidental costs of running the facility after June 1. Zimmerman then handed out proposed draft floor plans for a new Parham Fire Station/ Community Centre, which included a 1000 square foot section that could house a self-contained library facility if the costs fall within the budget or if council approves additional funding for it.

Other news and business

Mayor Frances Smith congratulated Treasurer Michael McGovern on graduating with an AMCTO diploma in municipal administration

Councilor Jamie Riddell spoke of upcoming meetings with Utilities Kingston and Xplornet Internet in the hopes of bringing improved internet services to the Mountain Grove area.

Additional property has been purchased for the Hinchinbrooke fire hall.

by CF Soccer Association

The Central Frontenac Soccer Association is getting ready for another great season. Baseball and soccer will be held at separate times throughout the spring and summer again this year, so that more children have the opportunity to participate in both sports.

The Central Frontenac Soccer Association is a youth organization for girls and boys ages 3-18 (as of July 1) serving Central Frontenac and the surrounding area. Games will be played weekday evenings beginning in July through to the September with a final tournament. Soccer is an excellent way to promote physical activity, socialization and team play for children.

The Soccer Association will be holding an in-person registration in the lower level of the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team on Saturday, May 23, from 1pm - 4pm. There will be refreshments. We will also be holding an equipment swap this year. So bring all of your unused cleats, shin pads, etc. and you may be able to exchange them for different ones the day of registration. Also, if anyone has any jerseys from previous years, please return them. If you cannot attend the registration day, you may pick up a form from Lynette Whan, Elizabeth Bigelow or Lindsay Lowery-Beattie.

Registration forms can be mailed with payment to the address provided on the form by June 19. Fees for one child are $30. That allows for 7 weeks of play, the tournament, and awards. Receipts will be issued upon request.

NEW - Are you interested in volunteering as a coach or assistant coach for your child's team? Coaches and Assistant Coaches will receive free player registration for one child. We need coaches in

order to have a team for your child! Training and support is provided.

VOLUNTEERS are needed to make this another exciting season. There are many volunteer opportunities including coaching and refereeing and little to no experience is necessary. The committee will be holding clinics for training. We also welcome new members to the committee. If you are willing to support the league in any type of volunteer capacity, please contact Lynette at 613-279-2366 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lindsay Lowery-Beattie at 613-279-1079 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

I read with interest the notice in the last issue of the Frontenac News calling for tenders for Road 38 overpass removal. There are probably not too many people living in Sharbot Lake today who were living here prior to the construction of the overpass. I am one of them. These pictures were taken from the backyard of our house where I lived beside the K&P tracks from late 1930 until around 1943. The house burned down in October of 1974. I am second from the right in the 1933 picture (no Road 38 overpass), which also includes my brother Ronnie on the left and three of my cousins. The other picture showing the overpass was taken in 1936. I am fairly certain that Road 38 crossed the tracks just west of the location of the existing overpass. In both pictures, you can see what looks like white guardrails crossing the tracks. Also in the pictures is the water tower for the trains. It seems like we are resetting the clock back 80 years. Interesting!

Francis Dowdall

Northern Frontenac Community Services announced last week that after an extensive search they have hired Louise Moody to head the organisation.

Moody has worked in leadership roles in social services agencies in York Region and the City of Toronto for the past 25 years. Her work has ranged from children's services to working with young mothers and families. She spent six years as executive director (ED) at Humewood House Association in Toronto, which offers residential and other services for young mothers and their children, and most recently was the executive director of the Regent Park Community Food Centre in Toronto, which offers both food and housing programs.

Part of her attraction to the NFCS position was a desire to return to a more rural environment and the opportunity to live close to her mother, who lives near Elphin.

“Having experienced the beauty of the area for over 20 years, I would now like to get to know the families and communities who live there,” Louise Moody said. "It's an exciting opportunity for me to be coming to the area. I'm thrilled to be working with young families and excited by the opportunity to learn about working with seniors.”

“We are extremely pleased that Louise will be joining our staff team,” said NFCS Board Chair, Linda Chappel. “She was our first choice among a strong group of candidates for the position, and our selection committee felt her skill set and personality were a match for an agency that provides services for children, youth, adults, and seniors in a rural setting.”

Chappel also expressed her thanks for the continuity of service that has been provided by NFCS staff ever since the former executive director, Don Amos, left in late December to take a job in Kingston.

“We are particularly grateful to Catherine Tysick (Adult Services) and Maribeth Scott (Children's Services) for stepping in over the winter to keep the agency on solid footing,” said Chappel.

For her part, Lousie Moody's first day of work at NFCS will be May 19.

Every year the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board presents students in their board with a special award. On April 29, Ariel Lee, a grade five student at St. James Major Catholic School in Sharbot Lake, was presented with the Beacon of Hope award, which honors students in the school community who make a difference by demonstrating volunteerism, enriching the lives of their fellow classmates and teachers, and who generously share their gifts and talents with the entire school community.

Director of Education at the ALDCSB, Jody DiRocco, spoke at the special presentation and stressed the importance of honoring and recognizing the “unsung heroes in our schools, who quietly go about their business while acting as positive role models to other students”.

Also present at the event were board communications officer Mike Weaver, board trustee Sean Kelly, and Wendy Procter, board trustee for North, Central and South Frontenac. Vice-principal Anna Coe introduced the award with a special story, as is the tradition, and she spoke of Ariel as someone whose “contributions to the school community reflect our Catholic virtues and who contributes to the betterment of the community with dedication, integrity and a gentle spirit.”

Coe further described Ariel as a student, new to the school last year, who "has come out her shell, who participates with respect and eagerness and contributes to school athletics while also encouraging her team mates. She is also a school bus helper and a member of the school’s Eco team.” Ariel was elected by staff and her peers at the school and was described as a “peace maker”. Coe added that Ariel has a “understated leadership quality that has endeared her to the St. James Major School community.”

Ariel's mother Angela and grandparents Lorraine and Sonny Embury attended the special presentation and expressed their pride in Ariel. Following the presentation the students enjoyed a hot pizza lunch and cake and congratulated their fellow student Ariel on her award.

Hats off to the close to 60-member cast and crew of The Music Man, who remounted and brought to life one of the all-time musical favorites from the Broadway repertoire.

The play is being performed at Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake and Saturday night’s performance was a memorable one. The two leading players, Tim White as the lovable con man, Harold Hill, and Virginia Beckett as the prim and proper Madam Marion were stellar. Both demonstrated their triple-treat talents with White nailing the physical comedy, his countless lines and most challenging of all, the mighty mouthfuls of songs lyrics, as in “Trouble in River City”, for example.

Leading lady Beckett's experience as a singer made her mesmerizing and a delight to watch as she delivered her numerous show-stoppers including “My White Knight”, “Till There Was You” and more. Witnessing her character’s hardness soften under Harold's spell was also a delight.

On all counts this is not an easy play and instrumentally speaking it was the six-member orchestra under the direction of John McDougall that provided the glue that allowed so many vocal talents to shine. The impressive barbershop quartet with singers Ken Fisher, John Inglis, Tim Holmes and Allan Brown no doubt put in countless hours to get their challenging harmonies just right. Word play and physical comedy were a big part of this show and Paul Gosse's “phraseology” as Mayor Shinn got many big laughs, as did his wife Eulalie Shinn, played to great comic effect by Roseanna Redmond whose “fountain dance” antics as Ms. Liberty were a comedic highlight.

Janina Fisher as Marion’s sometimes meddling mom and Brian Robertson as Hill's confidant, Marcellus, both pulled off their supporting roles to great aplomb, as did Sydney Drew as Amaryllis. Everyone loves a loveable con man and while Harold sets out to swindle the folk of River City, he cannot help but simultaneously bring out the goodness in them. Hill helps turn bad boy Tommy Djilas (played by NFLT veteran Nic Alarcon) into the fine young man that Vaneeta Shinn (played by Gillian Hoffman) plainly sees. Congrats to Logan Cowdy in his first talking and singing role. He more than came out of his shell in the role thanks to Hill and nailed his solo, “Gary Indiana”, with his character’s lisp intact to boot.

The show was beautiful to look at with the quaint detailed set painted in pleasing earth tones, with neat and tidy era typography naming its prime places and topped off with an big American flag. The costumes were beyond exceptional, cotton laced long skirts, lacy aprons and gorgeous head gear for the gals; suspenders, caps and boots for the males with the youngsters looking especially cute. Charlotte Hilder, who played Gracie Shinn, informed me that she donned the same lacy blouse that Pam Giroux wore in the 1981 production.

Perhaps what was best about this production was its introduction of a plethora of newbies to the NFLT stage. These cast members of all ages formed the lively, colourful chorus of the show and included youngsters Joey Beckett, Amaya Silva, Rylee Beattie, Bobbie-Sue and Tristan Cowen, and the not as young Frank and Suzanne Gallagher, Ian Whillans and Betty-Anne Blyth, Nancy Hilder, Rudy Hollywood, Carol Raymo, and Linda Bush.

Of course a show cannot go on without the help of many unseen hands and minds behind the scenes, who no doubt had their work cut out for them in this huge production.

The show continues this weekend, on Fri. & Sat. March 8 & 9 at 7pm, finishing off with a 2pm matinee on May 10. Tickets are $14 for adults, $10 for children and are available at Sharbot Lake Pharmacy or by calling Nina Jenkins at 613-279-2945. Don’t miss it!

Photos-21486 & 21489

by Liz Steele-Drew

If you had been a guest at the very first Comedy Night GREC ever hosted - last Friday night, you were probably wondering, as you sat hunched down in your seat, avoiding eye contact with the keenly intuitive comics, why has something like this not taken place sooner? Those who attended the show were treated to some hilarious stories and observations that the talented comics, including headliner Brendan McKeigan, (Just For Laughs, USO Tour in Iraq, Kuwait, Africa) so easily put into words. Aaron Keefe, the grade 11 student who organized the event, worked with Jason Laurans from Absolute Comedy to put on the “clean” show for students and parents.

“We had an opportunity to bring some kind of feel good event to the school and a comedy show just seemed like it would be a great idea.” Keefe, with support from Cindi Scott, Adolescent Care Worker, contacted Absolute Comedy and brought the four comics from Ottawa and Kingston to Granite Ridge Education Centre, for the hour and a half long show.

The money to put on the show comes from a new program funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. “We are in the second year of OPHEA’s (Ontario Physical Education Association) Smoke Free Ontario pilot project. The program focuses on building student leadership while addressing tobacco and other health related topics. Shaming smokers to stop or not even start, doesn’t work,” said Scott.

Students involved in the program received training and support from YATI (Youth Advocacy Training Institute), OPHEA and KFLA Health. The students are encouraged to spread the word on the tactics big tobacco uses to trick youth into starting to smoke. YATI believes the key to engaging youth in the fight against Big Tobacco is to find out what they are passionate about. If they are passionate about the environment, educate them about the amount of garbage that smoking creates. If they are passionate about human rights, educate them about how Big Tobacco uses child labour to harvest tobacco plants, often resulting in green tobacco sickness, or acute nicotine poisoning.

“We planned a few events over the month of April to educate students about stress, how to deal with it in healthy ways. The Comedy Night was a great opportunity to just sit back and laugh, which is a great way to deal with stress. Before the comics took the stage we had a two-minute public service type announcement that talked about the tactics big tobacco uses to entice young people into starting smoking. The newest concern on the tobacco front is flavoured tobacco. This stuff was developed with youth in mind. I don’t know of many adults who would choose to smoke a watermelon flavored tobacco product,” concluded Scott.

For most of the comics this was the first time they had travelled west on Hwy. 7, or at least the first time they turned left at the flashing light in front of the Petro Can station. It was quite obvious that they took some time to do a bit of sightseeing before taking to the stage. They poked fun at the dual purpose rooms in the new school: The café-torium - Is that a combination of a cafeteria and a crematorium? And the Drama Music room - Do they study only dramatic music? Their hilarious stories and impressions left the audience beaming. At one point the student sitting next to me, who was bent over laughing most of the night, elbowed me in the side and said, “It’s so funny! Because it so true!”

Stress Education Month @ GREC continues this week with Massage Therapist Annette Gray Jackson offering free mini-massages to students during their lunch hour on Tuesday and Thursday.

In an effort to demonstrate their school pride and tidy up their school grounds, students and staff at the Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake donned plastic gloves and with garbage bags in hand picked up trash in around the school property on their annual Pitch-In Day on April 23. The students collected countless bags of debris and recyclables and as a result the school property is looking much cleaner and tidier for the spring season. Mr. McVety, who teaches grade 10 Civics, and Mr. Leonard, who teaches global studies, history and social sciences at the school, were assisting their students with the clean up. School Principal, Heather Highet, said, “Winter tends to leave a lot of garbage behind and this Pitch-In Day at the school not only tidies up the school property but it is an opportunity for students to celebrate Earth Day and gives them a chance to take pride in their school and community.”

Staff outlines plans to mitigate $255,000 budget pressure

In an effort to mitigate the township's $255,000 budget shortfall that resulted from an oversight in the public works total formula, CAO Jim Zimmerman and treasurer J. Michael McGovern presented council with their six step plan to reclaim the $255,000 error. First they reduced the original $255,000 in the estimated costs for the repair/replacement of the township's fleet of vehicles to $227,000. Changes to the staff salaries resulted in an additional $34,000 in savings and a deferment in securing a loan required for the Fifth Lake Road Road construction project will reap an additional $55,000 savings in interest. A reduction to the estimated Phase 1 costs for the 2015 Environmental Assessments in the municipalities by restricting the proposed assessments to just four sites at a cost of $2,500 each will save an additional $70,000 from the original $80,000 in the budget.

Councilors had trouble agreeing with a $50,000 reduction in the proposed $295,000 gravel budget for 2015. Councilor Brent Cameron wondered if a $50,000 reduction in gravel would meet the townships needs.

CAO Zimmerman responded by saying that day-to-day stock piling of material would help, as would lumping a series of municipal roads into a single contract. He added that though there may be a slight reduction in the level of service to the township as a result, that a reasonable level of service could still be achieved with the reduction. Council passed a motion for staff to proceed with their proposed plans and ordered that staff provide them with a regular monthly status report concerning the matter for the remainder of 2015.

CF Council extends CIP beyond Sharbot Lake

Council unanimously passed a motion to expand the township's Community Improvement Plan to include other hamlets and villages in the township. Originally the plan, which was initiated three years ago, was to include only Sharbot Lake and to date it has attracted just 12 applications. The news should be welcomed by residents and business owners in other villages across the township. A public meeting will be scheduled at a later date to convey the details of the program and the application process.

Kennebec Shores sales building and privy approved

Council approved a motion allowing the owners of the Kennebec Shores development to sign a memorandum of understanding with staff allowing the former to construct a sales building and privy on township land in order to better promote the sale of the lands

Delegations

Anne Prichard, executive director of the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC), made an in depth presentation to council outlining the numerous services, programs, loans and grants that are available to local individuals and businesses in the township with the hopes that that council and staff will steer aspiring entrepreneurs their way. The FCFDC aims to encourage economic growth by promoting local businesses and tourism in the area and by promoting and supporting community vibrancy in the township. Mayor Frances Smith congratulated Prichard on her hard work.

Wallbridge Lane Resident appeals to council re back tax concerns

Robert Scrymgeour appealed to council to show him leniency for back taxes and interest he owes on two deeded properties, comprising a total of six parcels of land located on Wallbridge Lane. He cited family illnesses, deaths and his own medical issues, which he said have kept him from clearing up the matter sooner. He also said the MPAC valuations for the properties were ridiculously high. He described one as “swampy” and one as having a dilapidated shack, which he said MPAC described as a cottage.

He offered to pay the township $400 a month in back taxes and interest until he can get the matter settled and before the township reclaims the lands. Rather than accepting payments from Scrymgeour, council passed a motion ordering staff to consider the matter and suggested that he return to council for their next meeting to resolve the matter.

Water levels one metre below average

Councilor Bill MacDonald informed council about information he gleaned at a recent meeting of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, where it was announced that lake levels are well below average for this time of year. “Unless we get rain we could be facing imminent water shortages,” MacDonald said.