R. Comfort

MORRISBURG – Some people make friends more easily that others, and that’s no different for someone with an intellectual disability.

A person’s support network is generally comprised of a mixture of family and friends, but too often someone with an intellectual disability can end up quite isolated.

“Sometimes the only contact they end up having is with paid staff,” said Brenda Laviolette, coordinator with Community Living Dundas County.

WILLIAMSBURG – The report stemming from a $4,600 review of council compensation was accepted but shelved at the Feb., 16 South Dundas council meeting.

The MacCrimmon & Associates report was presented at the last regular council meeting.

“It provides some good information,” said South Dundas councillor Del Jones, although he pointed out that some of the consultant’s comparisons were a little misleading.

WILLIAMSBURG – “It’s not too often we get an opportunity like this,” said South Dundas councillor Del Jones, concerning the Ontario Visual Heritage project proposal to create a documentary on this history of the McIntosh apple.

Councillor Jones, South Dundas mayor Robert ‘Rowdy’ Gillard and South Dundas economic development officer Linda Wilson attended the Feb.., 11 meeting which introduced the project to the community. Jones reported back to the other members of South Dundas council at the Feb., 16 regular council meeting.

WINCHESTER – From the outside, Winchester District Memorial Hospital appears to be a shining example of a state of the art community hospital ready to position itself as a regional centre for health care, but what’s on the inside matters too.

Realizing this, Hospital CEO Trudy Reid and the board have taken steps to ensure that the heart of the hospital, its 178 employees, are also industry leaders.

They want WDMH staff to lead health care in bucking the trend of workplace employee stress that runs rampant throughout the industry today.

“Now that everything’s built, what we need is to invest in our people,” said Reid at a Feb. 18 press conference.

Reid explained that rather than react to the province-wide trends, this hospital decided to invest first in finding out exactly what issues are impacting staff at this rural, community hospital.

The Ontario Visual Heritage Project (OVHP) is producing a documentary to share this local history with the province, the nation, even the world.

OVHP director and coordinator Zach Melnick, producer Yvonne Drebert and researcher William Darfler, made a presentation at the McIntosh Inn last Thursday.

Among the local politicians, area organization representatives and history buffs who attended the meeting was the great, great granddaughter of John McIntosh, Nancy McIntosh.

Melnick plans for the high definition documentary, to commemorate the discovery of the McIntosh apple by John McIntosh in 1811, to be released in time for the 200th anniversary of the discovery.

“The story of the McIntosh’s bumpy rise to prominence from a single tree found by John while clearing a farm near Dundela in Eastern Ontario to become the dominant apple variety in North America is a little-known adventure that has the opportunity to become a major source of pride for Canadians,” said Melnick. “The 200th anniversary of this discovery is fast approaching, and now is the time to bring this unique story into the public through a dynamic documentary produced by the non-profit Ontario Visual Heritage Project.”

“There is surprisingly little recorded about this,” said Darfler. He explained that OVHP happened upon the story by accident. “It’s a complex story that I have never seen written together in one place.”

“This is a profound story, and I hope we can do it justice,” added Melnick.

He said this type of little-known Ontario story may have a big reach. When mentioning that big reach, making the connection between the locally discovered fruit and the popular brand of Apple computer was in the minds of some at the meeting.

This project, estimated to cost $125,000, would likely be broadcast on TV Ontario. OVHP will seek funding through various sources and is looking to raise $10,000 locally for the project.

The documentary would be supported by a web site promoting the McIntosh apple’s story, and a course guide connecting the project to the Ontario Curriculum. DVDs and Blu-ray discs will then be distributed for free into all schools in Eastern Ontario, and made available for sale throughout the province.

Melnick explained that this project would have a community-focussed production model. There will be opportunities for local input through the formation of a community-based committee and the use of local actors and local sites for shooting.

To date, the Ontario Visual Heritage Project has partnered with hundreds of non-profits, municipalities, and First Nations to produce 11 historical documentaries, 11 web sites and numerous course guides and DVDs that have been distributed to thousands of Ontario schools, museums and tourist centres.

For more information on the Ontario Visual Heritage Project, www.visualheritage.ca

STAMPVILLE – Users of the Stampville Centre have been given notice that the municipally-owned building will be permanently closed as of September 1, 2010.

The two main users groups in the facility are the Upper Canada Quilters Guild and First Iroquois Scouts.

According to South Dundas chief administrative officer Stephen McDonald, township staff have been in contact with the users groups to make them aware of the pending closure.

WILLIAMSBURG – The plan for a local building supply company to expand its business is being met with some opposition in its early stages.

Thompson TIM-BR Mart in Iroquois has been granted a conditional severance by the United Counties and is now seeking a zoning bylaw amendment from the Township of South Dundas that will allow for the construction of a Building Supply Store and associated warehousing of stock on a 14.65 acre parcel of land located in between County Road 2 and the Broken Second.

Committee chair Chuck Irvine presented the committee’s plans to South Dundas council on January 19, along with a list of requests, which included a $10,000 funding request.

At that meeting the council members present opted to defer any decision on the matter.

South Dundas councillor Del Jones, council’s appointed member to the newly formed committee, brought the request back to the table at the Feb., 2 council meeting, urging council to support the committee’s requests.

“The challenge the committee has is to get things going,” said Jones.

“I assumed this decision might be part of the budget discussions,” said South Dundas deputy mayor Steven Byvelds.

“I would ask council to give consideration to supporting the requests made so the committee can move forward with certainty,” said Jones.

South Dundas treasurer Shannon Garaghty, pointed out that there is an annual budget allocation of $30,000 for donations.

Byvelds asked how much was given to the 50th anniversary celebrations held last year in Iroquois. Rather than a response, he was met with frustration from South Dundas mayor Robert ‘Rowdy’ Gillard.

Gillard expressed anger over the idea of making any comparisons between the two events. He argued that the township gave money to the event in Iroquois and an excellent job was done, and now this committee is asking for money for an event. “If we don’t want to give money to them than vote against it. That’s all we have to do,” said Gillard.

Byvelds responded quickly that his intent was not to deny funds, he was only trying to establish whether or not he agreed with the $10,000 request.

“We would have to allow for the money in the donations budget and $10,000 is a significant amount of that budget,” said Byvelds. “Is that the right amount?” asked Byvelds rhetorically. “If we give that much, someone else may suffer.”

Byvelds asked if council would be better off paying the $10,000 for the rental of a tent which will house many of the festival’s events?

“That would tie our hands a bit,” said councillor Jones as a committee member. “We really need the money to start bookings.”

Councillor Evonne Delegarde questioned what would happen with the township funds if the committee is successful in securing funding from other levels of government?

Jones explained that because the intention of the committee is two-fold: to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Morrisburg, and to establish an annual festival that encourages people to come to this area for a couple of days rather than a couple of hours; any surplus of funds from the initial event would likely be banked for future years.

He then added that the reality of government grants is that they are often one time grants.

If all grant applications are successful they would provide the committee with over half of the estimated $40,000 cost of this year’s Morrisburg Old Home Week Festival.

The committee is planning fund raising, and to aggressively seek out sponsorship to ensure that the children’s events (with the exception of the midway, but including the air bounce rides) and much of the outdoor entertainment are available free of charge.

WINCHESTER – Twenty-four restaurants from across the region, including many of last year’s winners, will be back for the second annual Soupfest, Mar., 6 at the Winchester Community Centre.

TLC Soupfest challenges area restaurants to prepare from scratch soup for judging in three categories; Best Soup, Best Creative Soup and Best Presentation. The winners in each category are awarded a soup spoon plaque. Second and third placed winners receive a framed certificate.