South Frontenac Council

Jeff Green | Sep 16, 2010

Is Sunday gun hunting coming to South Frontenac?

In 2007, South Frontenac Council rejected a suggestion by the Ministry of Natural Resources that Sunday gun hunting be permitted in the township.

Since then, South Frontenac has become increasingly isolated, as one jurisdiction after another has decided to extend hunting to Sundays.

The City of Kingston approved Sunday hunting earlier this year. In a presentation to a meeting of the South Frontenac Committee of the Whole, South Frontenac resident Ed Giffin made a number of arguments in favour of Sunday hunting. He also presented a map, which shows that the only other township from Lennox and Addington to the Quebec border that does not permit Sunday hunting, aside from South Frontenac, is Beckwith Township in Lanark County. Every jurisdiction bordering South Frontenac now permits the practice.

Giffin also pointed out that “Hunting is one of the few activities that require proof of training, resulting in a decline of accidents over the years to next to nil. If hunting is not dangerous on Monday to Saturday why is it dangerous on Sunday?”

Giffin also said that of the 140 municipalities that originally voted to approve Sunday gun hunting, none have reversed their decision, while those that originally rejected the idea had been reversing their positions “one by one over the years”.

He appears to have convinced at least one member of council who voted against Sunday gun hunting when it was last proposed in 2007.

“The last time it came to the table I voted no for personal reasons,” said Councilor Ron Vandewal, “but when I look back I realise that 50 years ago we couldn’t have a cattle truck on the road on Sundays. People do more things on Sunday than ever before. This time I will support it.”

Vandewal’s altered vote may be all that is needed when the matter comes back for a vote at Council next Tuesday. The vote in 2007 was defeated 5-4. At that time Councilors Fillion, York and Stowe and Mayor Davison voted in favour of Sunday hunting, while along with Vandewal, Councilors Robinson, Hicks, Hahn and McPhail voted against it.

Committees, committees, committees

Based on a nine-point discussion paper by Councilor Larry York, Council talked for half an hour about the way committees are formed, how they function, and how they should be changed.

In the end CAO Wayne Orr was charged with pulling together some of the threads of the conversation to set the stage for a further discussion later in October so that this Council can make a recommendation to the new Council about the optimal size, makeup and function of various different committees, ranging from recreation committees, cemetery boards, committees of Council, and the Committee of Adjustment