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Wednesday, 16 November 2016 22:41

A little walk along the trail, across Canada

Pam and Marcel Giroux of Sharbot Lake were having dinner last Friday evening at the Maples Restaurant when they met 2 girls in their 20's who had very large backpacks. Pam, never one to be overly shy, struck up a conversation with the girls. They turned out to be sisters Sarah and Catherine Jackson who come from Edmonton.

Sarah traveled to Victoria over a year ago, and from there she has been walking the Trans-Canada Trail. Catherine has been attending university and has joined her sister from time to time on the long trek, and is with her for the final section. They intend to keep going through the winter until they reach the end of the trail in Newfoundland.

They travel between 30 and 35 kilometres per day, and were going to camp out before heading south to Harrowsmith to join the Cataraqui trail when they met Pam and Marcel.

“We invited them to have a shower and stay the night at our house, and they were really delightful company,” said Marcel, who took the picture of Catherine, Pam and Sarah the next morning as the sisters were on their way, after Pam made them a pancake breakfast with Frontenac Maple Syrup and fresh fruit.

Sarah has a website where she describes the trek. By the time she reached Toronto on October 20, she had traveled 7,585 kilometres.

She told the Edmonton Journal that she took on the trip because she wanted to go on a long hike after graduating from the University of Alberta last year. She was seeking adventure and a chance to meditate on what she wants to do with her life. While she considered hiking either the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail, the idea of seeing Canada took hold, and even though the Trans Canada Trail is not complete she decided to take it on. She took some time off at Christmas last year but has been on the trail the rest of the time, even in winter.

In her blog she has made some interesting observations about the reaction of people to seeing a single woman hiking alone. Essentially, while she does feel scared at times, she says that this is what it is like to be a woman in our society at all times, on the Trans-Canada Trail or on a city street.

“So when people ask whether I am ever scared on the trail, whether I ever feel unsafe because of my gender, I am so frustrated. The answer is an unequivocal yes. For so long I struggled with how to answer this, because how I feel on the trail is an almost perfect reflection of how I feel in everyday life,” she wrote on her website sarahrosewalks.wordpress.com.

As she said, no one would ask a male hiker the same questions.

The trek has been more about seeing the country than living in fear, however, and as Sarah and Catherine set out from Sharbot Lake on a brilliantly sunny November morning last Saturday, they had a spring in their step.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Teddy Brown has loved cows longer than she has known them.

Standing in a barn at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto less than 18 hours before she is to represent Frontenac County in the 4-H Showmanship and Conformation class, she smiled when asked about the origins of her affection.

I’ve always had a love and devotion to cows, without even petting them,” said the Elginburg native. “I think they’re good creatures that give so much to us. I just appreciate that. I don’t know why I love them, I just do.”

Unassuming and hardworking, Teddy is gaining national attention exhibiting her family’s superior line of Holsteins. Her accomplishments seem even more impressive when compared to her arrival in 2010 on the Frontenac County 4-H scene at age 16 when she bought her first calf. 

For the first year of 4-H, the girl and her calf were ranked at the bottom of every competition. After years of hard work and perseverance, she became a very accomplished showman, exhibiting some of the top heifers in Canada.

Now 22, Brown’s is enjoying her fifth and final year at the Royal Winter Fair at the 4-H competition; one of the biggest fairs in the world. In 2014, she won Reserve Grand Champion Calf at the TD 4-H Classic. In 2015, she won Grand Champion Calf at the TD 4-H Classic.  It was the highest 4-H accomplishment in Frontenac County in years.

This year, Brown plans to show the daughter of her winning cow from 2014.

It’s neat to have the same family come back,” she said about her Calf Lily, who she was presenting on Nov. 8 in the Showmanship Class.

Poised to compete against the best cows and handlers in the Canada, Brown seems ready for the pressure.

I feel good,” she replied when asked if she’s ready for the competition, which was starting a few hours later. “The cows have settled nicely and I’m not too nervous. I’m just trying to focus and get the job done.”

Brown calls this year’s fair bittersweet because it is the last time she can compete in 4-H, as she is at the age limit for 4-H.

It’s pretty cool,” Brown noted about how far she has come in the short time she has been working with cows. “It’s not all me,” she said, “I’ve had some pretty knowledgeable and influential people in this industry who have helped me along and I’m thankful for their support.”

Some of those supporters include Brown's partner Adam Hunt along with her mother, Mary Pearson.

Laughing at the memory of those early years when she was trying to find a calf for her daughter and learn how to care for it, Pearson noted wryly, “I had never even touched a calf before that. I didn’t know anything about cows.”

A retired family doctor who owns a small farm in Frontenac County, Pearson said affectionately about the 16 cows at the family farm, “It’s like looking after little kids.”

The family got serious about cows in 2011 when they purchased a calf in the “Sale of Stars” at the Royal Winter Fair.

We stared at her hour-after-hour, she was so beautiful,” said Pearson about the purchase of the family’s first show heifer, which they soon discovered came from Eilevale Farm in South Frontenac. 

Over the next few years, the family immersed themselves in the agricultural community in Frontenac County where Brown honed her skills as a master showman.

Having a cow at the Royal Winter Fair is such a huge deal,” said Pearson who will be watching from a distance as her daughter competes in three classes over three days at the Royal Winter Fair this week.

Teddy has upped the ante in this county,” said Pearson, “She’ll do her best to not do it badly.”

Focused on making the most of her last year at the most prestigious agricultural fair in Canada, Brown smiles when she talks about her future.

I love the cows so much. I don’t see myself ever being away from them,” she said with a chuckle. “It’s weird, isn’t it? I don’t know why I love them, I just do.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Last Saturday afternoon, a crowd of friends and co-workers gathered to honour Bert Korporaal on his retirement from 40 years of park work, the last 30 as Assistant Parks Superintendent of Frontenac Provincial Park.

Bert has played an important role in the development and preservation of Frontenac Park, a popular 12,000 acre wilderness in South Frontenac. A dedicated woodsman, he’s well known for his love of the outdoors and his willingness to go the extra mile to help others enjoy the trails, lakes and campsites. Many commented on his friendliness and generosity.

Part of Bert’s responsibility has been to protect the park: from poachers, rule-breaking fishers (the two, not four-legged ones — the park has both), illegal campers who build fires in the duff, and those who scatter garbage. He makes no compromises with law-breakers, and his memory is good.

Bert’s looking at a number of options for retirement and has had several job offers, but for the immediate future, plans to enjoy hunting season.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Father Giuseppe Gagliano is still a young man as he prepares to take on a large rural ministry, the St. Francis Regional Ministry outside of the City of Sherbrooke in Quebec’s eastern townships.

As a 27-year-old Anglican priest, it will be a challenging assignment.

However, it will be no more challenging than his first placement as a minister, when he was 24 years old.

“Officially, I came to Sydenham as a curate, since I was just out of Divinity School, but although a curate usually serves with an established priest in a larger congregation, I was more or less on my own,” he said from the chapel at St. Paul’s church, on George Street in Sydenham last week.

Gagliano was preparing for his final two services at St. Paul’s on Saturday night and Sunday morning. After that he will have some time off to recharge before moving to the eastern townships in the new year.

When Fr. Giuseppe arrived in Sydenham in 2013, “The bishop basically said to me, ‘Here are the keys; you go for it.’ I did have a supervisor to advise me, but I don’t think I came here with too many expectations. I was open to whatever I would find. I had never been to Sydenham; it was a completely new experience. What I found was a beautiful church and a welcoming congregation and community, and an active parish. I felt at home right away.”

Fr. Giuseppe was new to Sydenham when he arrived, but the area was already known to him. After growing up in Wellington County, he enrolled at Queen’s as an undergraduate, and it was through attending services and joining in activities at St. George’s Anglican Church in Kingston that he realized he had a calling. After graduating from Queen’s with a major in religious studies and a minor in politics, he attended Yale for a master’s in Divinity, and studied for the priesthood at the affiliated Berkeley Divinity College.

One of the things he has brought to St. Paul’s in Sydenham has been a contemporary service, which is held on Saturday evenings.

“We use different music than the Sunday service - different instrumentation, guitars, piano, drums, as well as a mix of different and more familiar elements to the service, which has made it popular, particularly for some of our young families,” he said.

One thing that doesn’t change between the two services is the sermon, however, and the discipline of writing a sermon each week and making it relevant has been one of the challenges he has had to deal with.

“I use a lot of my own references, to politics, Monty Python, Star Wars, reflections on English poetry, anything I can think of to speak the truth to the congregation, and if I am able to speak the truth, the message should work in both the traditional and contemporary services. It really is a matter of trust between us, and while there were some close calls, I have always been able to come up with a sermon each week.”

Over his time at St. Paul’s he has developed a rapport with the church community.

“My youth was likely an issue for some people at the start, but over time it has become more of a running joke than anything else,” he said.

He said that when he came to Sydenham he had knowledge, but in time has learned to value wisdom over knowledge.

“I also learned that teaching and change must go hand-in-hand, if you are going to change things you have to explain why and be open to revising your plans.”

He comes away from his time in Sydenham with more faith than he had before.

“Seeing the power of God so deeply in the lives of people, and being invited into people’s lives so deeply is a great privilege.”

He said that the greatest joy in his time at St. Paul’s was found in small, intimate gestures that he was privy to. “Sometimes you see really beautiful things that others don’t necessary see: the way people treat each other; the way people treat the church; the way that they are generous without announcing their deeds. These are the lived experiences of ministry.”

For their part, the St. Paul’s congregation seem to feel the same way about Fr. Giuseppe.

Parishioner Helen Lamb summed it up this way: “Our lives have been forever changed and enriched by this humble, joyful, and extremely intelligent young man who is so passionate about his faith and incredibly sincere in his love and concern for others.  We all love him - men, women, young, old - and his presence at St. Paul's and in the Sydenham community over the last three years has been a gift to everyone who came in contact with him …  We shall miss him terribly but will continue to follow his journey in the church from a distance, always cheering him on and blessing him for his time with us.”

A farewell potluck was held for Fr. Giuseppe on Sunday afternoon. There wasn’t a dry eye in the church.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

An inconspicuous escarpment in northwest France has captured the imagination of a 16-year-old girl from Canada.

“They’re heroes,” Shannon Suffron said quietly, referring to the Canadians who fought for control of the 8km escarpment in World War One.

Known as the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the campaign made history when the Canadian Corps scaled a steep barrier separating them from the German Sixth Army. The Canadians captured most of the ridge during the first day of attacks on April 9, 1917. Three days later, they secured their final objective, a fortified knoll located outside the village of Givenchy-en-Gohelle. It was a pivotal victory in the war.

Almost 100 years later, the battle remains a symbol of Canadian national achievement and sacrifice. Prior to battle, the ridge was considered unsurmountable.

Awed by her countrymen’s courage and innovation, Suffron is looking forward to seeing history come to life when she joins a handful of classmates from La Salle Intermediate and Secondary School (LISS) at the battle site in April 2017.

Suffron is one of five LISS students from South Frontenac Township travelling to France to honour the achievement of our country’s forefathers at a 100th anniversary memorial service.

“I’m very excited,” said the teen in late 2016. “I think it’s a great opportunity to see first hand what I studied at school the year before in Grade 10 History.”

Using the topic to complete her final school project, Suffron studied the battle extensively.

“It’s known as a big Canadian milestone,” she said. “That was our first step in becoming our own country. Our victory earned the world’s respect.”

Aware many of the men who fought in the war were only a few years older than her, the teen paused and said, “I couldn’t imagine people in my grade going to war. Their courage was remarkable.”

Eager to travel overseas for the first time, Suffron noted, “It’s going to be interesting to see how Europeans live and experience their different lifestyle.”

After the service, which is expected to be attended by representatives of the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office and British Royal Family, students will have time to visit Paris and see attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and Louvre. LISS is one of three schools from Kingston participating in the trip to France.

“To be there exactly 100 years later is pretty spectacular,” said Laura McDowell, trip coordinator for LISS.

A History and Geography teacher at the high school for the past 18 years, McDowell confirmed that the Battle of Vimy Ridge is part of the curriculum for Grade 10 History. She will travel with the group to recognize the impact Canadians had on World War One. The Kingston contingent of 49 people is part of a movement of 15,000 Canadians planning to attend the service.

“It’s nice to have the opportunity to travel with them,” she said. “It’s exciting.”

According to McDowell, LISS students plan to fundraise to help offset the cost of the trip such as transportation to the airport. To make a donation, call 613-546-1737 ext. 239 or write This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

“It’s not just people from Kingston there,” said the teacher. “There will be students represented from across the country. It’s a pretty incredible opportunity.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Growing up north of Verona in the vicinity of Oak Flats, Kyle Ruttan became interested in the naval forces thanks to his great grandfather, Clifford McGinnis, from Sharbot Lake.

McGInnis served aboard HMCS Strathadam for four years during the Second World War, and Ruttan knew him when he was growing up in the 1990s. McInnis lived on Road 38 south of Sharbot Lake until his death in 2006.

“I didn't join the navy until after he died, but his legacy was one of my reasons for joining the navy when I did,” said Ruttan.

He has made his own mark since joining the navy. He received a commendation for helping his cousin pull a man from a burning vehicle near Victoria late one night in 2014 while he was headed to the airport to come home for a leave, and he has also been identified as a hard-working team member wherever he has been stationed.

Late last week he received word that he will be traveling to Ottawa to stand guard as a sentry at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial on November 11 with other Canadian Armed Forces members representing the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, along with one Royal Canadian Mounted Police member.

LS (Leading Seaman) Ruttan said it was a “complete surprise” when he learned of the honour, partly because he works as a logistics and supply officer, “which is a support trade, not a hard navy trade.”

He admits to being nervous about it, because a sentry is required to stand solemnly, head bowed and white-gloved hands on the butt of a ceremonial rifle, straight-faced and with no emotion, throughout the 90-minute ceremony.

“Straight-faced and with no emotion; that will be the hardest part, because it is an event that always tears me up, especially when they play the Last Post,” he said.

It will be the first time LS Ruttan has ever done sentry duty.

“This is not just standing sentry at one of the local ceremonies back home, which would be hard enough. It will be in Ottawa, with all the dignitaries there and in front of the whole country,” he said.

Remembrance Day will also evoke memories of LS Ruttan's mother, who died last April. The two would watch the ceremony from Ottawa when he was growing up.

His father Micheal will be his guest in Ottawa, not only at the ceremony, but for an entire week of festivities and gatherings preceding November 11.

“It is very exciting,” said Michael Ruttan. “I'm obviously very proud of what he has accomplished. I knew he was well regarded by his colleagues because when I visited him where he is stationed in Esquimault, near Victoria, everyone told me that he was really good at everything he did and had a great attitude. Everyone had a lot of respect for him.”

While standing sentry, Ruttan will be thinking about his family, and also about LS Brandon Smith, a colleague of his who died in Tanzania while the two were deployed on HMCS Regina, and about CPL Nathan Cirillo, who was killed by a gunman as he stood guard over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on October 22, 2014.

“His memory will certainly be etched in my mind,” said LS Ruttan.

(with material from Lookout newspaper, a weekly published at CFB Esquimault)

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 26 October 2016 23:49

Old friends meet at wardens' dinner

Frances Smith hosted the Frontenac County wardens' dinner last week at the St. James Catholic Church Hall in her home township of Central Frontenac. The meal was also locally catered by Tim Cota of Cota's Mobile Catering of Tichborne.

The evening provided an opportunity for politicians from Frontenac and surrounding municipalities, volunteer committee members, and leaders from groups and associations to get together over a meal. It was a chance to reminisce about the previous year, and talk about the future.

For Frances Smith it marked one of the final acts of her year as warden. It is the second time she has served in that office, the last time being 20 years earlier in 1996, when she was the reeve of Oso Township.

Isabel Turner served as warden while she was the reeve of the former Kingston Township, and later served as mayor of Kingston between 2000 and 2003, after Kingston Township was amalgamated into the City of Kingston. When she found out that Don Lee, the 97-year-old former warden from the former Hinchinbrooke Township was also at the dinner, she and her husband John bolted from their chairs and went to find him and have a chat.

When it came time to gather all the former wardens for a photo, they all gathered around Turner and Lee, who were still deep in conversation.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY
Wednesday, 26 October 2016 23:43

Inverary woman returns home to hero’s welcome

Kelli McRobert has come home to a hero’s welcome after representing Canada in the World Obstacle Course Race Championships on the unforgiving Blue Mountain.

A resident of Inverary, McRobert competed against some of the greatest obstacle course racers in the world in Collingwood, Ontario on Oct. 14.

“That alone would have been a dream come true,” said McRobert, more than a week after returning home. “But it was even more spectacular as I arrived at the Blue Mountain Resort and saw the quaint village set-up with a myriad of fantastic full-size obstacles for me to tackle at the World Obstacle Course Race Championships as a Masters participant.”

According to McRobert, more than 40 countries participated in the competition, creating a nervous energy that motivated racers and spectators throughout the weekend. McRobert completed 15 obstacles over three kilometres.

“It was difficult to sleep the night before and I found some comfort online with other insomniacs as we texted back and forth to alleviate some of our fears,” she noted. “The following morning came way too early. We headed down for a quick warm-up before our heat, and before we knew it, we were at the start line getting pumped-up with a motivational speech by Coach Pain.”

McRobert called the 3K mountain climbing course incredible.

“The obstacles challenged our deepest fears, including heights,” she admitted. “We leapt across deep divides and clung desperately to a thin pole on the Dragon’s Back. Then, as a test of strength and endurance, we climbed the mountain and up a set of stairs with 50lbs of sand on our shoulders. Up and back we went, relieved as we dropped the bags to race onto the next unknown.”

A member of the Canadian team, McRobert said racers displayed patriotic pride as they wore their Canada jerseys and clung to monkey bars, ropes, rings and suspended skulls while shimmying their way to the finish line.

“The final wall was a great spectator point and you could hear the crowds cheering us on as we climbed the rope vertically, scaled down the other side and raced with a full sense of accomplishment towards the finish line and our finisher medal,” said McRobert proudly.

Bruised and sore from the challenging course, McRobert said she is comfortable with her ranking of 33rd in a division for females 40 and older.

“I may even set my goal for 2017 to improve my placement to the top 20,” she said with optimism. “Who knows what the future holds.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Kelli McRobert is on a mission.

Sitting in her home in Inverary on a Friday afternoon in the fall of 2016, she smiled when asked her age.

“I’m 50,” she replied with a grin. “That’s what started this all.”

“This”, according to McRobert, was a quest to complete 50 fitness challenges by the time she turned 50 on April 22, 2016.

“As of last Saturday, I did my 101st race, so I doubled my goal,” she said with a chuckle.

A safety officer at CFB Kingston, McRobert’s efforts have taken her farther than she imagined. On Oct. 14, she will join a team of Canadians in Barrie for the Obstacle Course World Championships.

Her event is the Women’s Masters 3 km race on Blue Mountain. The course is expected to be technically challenging, with many obstacles over a steep incline. “This is it; this is the big one,” she said. “I’m really excited and I don’t get excited very easily any more. It’s going to be awesome.”

To prepare for her event, which includes racers from approximately 45 countries, McRobert has been training at home and at the base gym to improve her cardio, flexibility and strength. “We’ve literally tried one of everything to see what it’s like,” she said about the races she’s completed with her friends over the last four years. “If we win, great, but it’s more about getting out there and looking forward to something every weekend.”

McRobert estimates it has cost her $6,000 to complete the 101 events. Approximately 40 of them were obstacle courses and more than 60 were triathlons and marathons. This amount does not include event registration fees, which are covered by a publication for which she works as a writer to rate and describe races.

“I’m a tough critic now,” she said. “I’ve done so many.”

McRobert is a member of the Canadian Mudd Queens. She spends almost every other weekend traveling to and from a race. “We’re really good at bruising,” she said, while tugging at her pant leg to reveal a recent bruise. Her repertoire also includes strains, sprains, scratches and pulled muscles.

“Last weekend, we were chased by zombies in Stittsville,” she said. “It was pretty epic.”

Holding a fistful of medals, McRobert proudly showed the severed finger she received from the Zombie Run when she crossed the finish line. It has become one of her favourite trophies.

Married to James McRobert, her best friend from high school, Kelli is grateful for the support she has received from family and friends as she works to fulfill her dreams. “You have to have a really supportive group of friends and family,” she said about what it takes to achieve so much in the sport she loves.

“They’re working on making it an actual Olympic sport.”

Asked if she hopes to win at the world obstacle course championships, McRobert replied with a quick no. “I’m going to go and have fun and enjoy the moment,” she said. She also said she doesn’t plan to slow down after her big race in Barrie.

“My new goal is 200 races by 60,” she said with enthusiasm. “That gives me 10 years. I don’t want to rush it.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Thursday, 15 September 2016 00:45

Fishing guides save life of Rochester man

Paul Davey and Harold Lake are experienced fishing guides who typically catch fish when they’re on duty. Last Saturday, they also saved a life.

Friends for decades, the men started their day like any other: boats, supplies and customers ready for an 8 am start on Loughborough Lake. The sky was blue and the water was calm. It was a perfect day for fishing.

But as it happened, it was not just another day on the water. By 3 pm that afternoon, a customer was in cardiac arrest at Loughborough Lake Marina in Battersea.

The men quickly scrambled to help the victim, a Rochester man who had collapsed seconds earlier. When they reached him, his vital signs were absent. Taking over almost immediately from the man’s wife, Davey and Lake began to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly known as CPR. The men performed chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth for about 10 minutes until help arrived.

The fishing guides credit their life-saving medical attention to the training they received to qualify for a commercial fishing guide license. Both men belong to the Storrington Guides Association.

“We were trained to do what we did and to stay with it until first responders arrived on the scene,” said Lake, 70. “I think we did it well.”

“We just did our job,” said Davey, 75.

Holding the first aid book by Island First Aid Services, Lake advocated for the value of first aid training. “As far as I’m concerned, they taught us pretty good. It doesn’t hurt to know it. If you have the time, take the course,” he said.

Still rattled from their experience two days later, the fishing guides have since spoken with the victim, who was resting comfortably in a nearby medical centre and thanked the fishing guides personally for saving his life.

“He’s already planning on returning next year,” said Davey with a chuckle. “We’ve known this guy for a lot of years.”

“It’s tough when he’s a friend,” Lake agreed. “It was an awful thing looking at a friend who wasn’t coming to. It was tough and I personally thought it was close to not working.”

Reflecting on their experience, the men, who have 87 years of guiding experience between them, agreed it would help in situations like these if businesses on the water have a defibrillator like the one the Storrington District firemen used to revive the victim when they arrived at the scene.

“We could have used it,” confirmed Davey. “His heart quit.”

“I was very scared,” Davey said about the seriousness of the situation. “It looked like he was going to die on us.”

“I definitely thought that,” agreed Lake. “So much happened, just like we were told in our training. That’s why we were just doing our job.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
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With the participation of the Government of Canada