discover smiths falls - hometown news december 2014

V O L . 1 N O . 2 Y O U R L O C A L , I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S P A P E R - S M I T H S F A L L S D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 FREE

exploreFormer mayor Dennis Staples sat down with HomeTown News to dis-cuss Smiths Falls, his time in offi ce, and his plans for the future.

PAGE 18

Groceries Produce

Fresh Flowers Fresh Deli

Fresh Fish Bakery

Butchers Counter Salad Bar

ANDRESS

Andress cover bannerS.Falls 2010-11 #56048

25 Ferrara Drive, Smiths Falls 283-2999

Pharmacy 283-1855

culture

Healing Ceilings off er unique view for hospital patients

PAGE 15

lifestyle

Snowshoe Running: Th e new frontier in winter cross-training.

PAGE 13

Community

An exclusive, in-depth look inside the Montague water scandal.

PAGE 3

Council gives green light to proposed plastics plantAMY HOGUE

In a 5-1 recorded vote on Dec. 15, Smiths Falls council voted to approve the Summit Energy zon-ing by-law amendment to allow for a plastics-to-fu-

el oil conversion plant at 1 Hershey Drive.

The Dec. 15 council meeting became heated and needed to be called to order as those in oppo-sition and support of the development voiced their

differing opinions. Mon-tague Reeve Bill Dobson, was one of many who attended the meeting, and asked council to de-fer the issue to allow the community more time to gather information.

Council assured Dob-son, and others in oppo-sition that the operation will be highly regulated and monitored by the Ministry of the Environ-ment and Climate Change (MOECC). Council voted 5-1 in favour after three

readings of the by-law. Council Joe Gallipeau was the only dissenting vote.

In a previous Commit-tee of the Whole (COW) meeting, Senior Planner, Niki McKernan, acknowl-edged the many of the concerns about the devel-opment will be addressed by the scrutiny of the pro-posal by the MOECC. The solution was the wording of the by-law, to include a Holding Zone, or con-dition of approval, for the

development, which was approved by council on Dec. 15.

The Holding Zone des-ignation will require that the applicant (Summit Energy) provide written confirmation from the MOECC that approval has been granted for the operation of the facility, to the satisfaction of the municipality. Further, the Holding Zone would require the applicant to enter into a Develop-ment Agreement with

the municipality that would establish a thresh-old for truck volume before a Traffic Impact Assessment is required, securities respecting site cleanup and emergency preparedness, specifica-tions for the storage of trailers on site, and any other terms required by council.

With the passing of the by-law, councils decision is now subject to appeal through the Ontario Mu-nicipal Board (OMB).

RYAN HOLLAND/PHOTO

Children gathered around Santa at Th e Ivy on William Dec. 13. Th e venue hosted a Christmas Tea Party with Santa, complete with snacks, take-home goodies and a visit with Santa himself. Th e venue owners hopes to make this an annual event.

Neil Doef injured during World Junior A

ChallengeKINDERSLEY, Sask.

Following a collision with a Swiss defenceman in the fi rst period of Sun-day aft ernoons game at the 2014 World Junior A Challenge, Canada East forward Neil Doef was transported by ambulance to Royal University Hos-pital in Saskatoon, Sask.

Neil underwent surgery on Sunday night, and is resting comfortably with his parents, who arrived Mon-day morning from Ontario, at his side. He will contin-ue to undergo tests, and is receiving tremendous care from the staff in Saskatoon.

Hockey Canada would like to thank Dr. Dan John-son and the local EMS for their quick response, and the World Junior A Challenge host commit-

tee in Kindersley, Canadi-an Junior Hockey League, Central Canada Hockey League and Smiths Falls Bears for their support.

Th e focus is on Neil and his family, and Hockey Can-ada will not have further comment until more infor-mation becomes available. Hockey Canada asks that you respect the Doef fami-lys right to privacy and not contact them at this time.Source: Hockey Canada.

AMY HOGUE/PHOTO

V o l . 1 N o . 1 D i s c o v e r E v e r y t h i n g a b o u t o u r C o m m u n i t y S m i t h s F a l l s , O n t a r i o O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4

/discoversmithsfalls

/Discover_SF

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

FREE

december 2014 2 www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

Page TwoCOMMUNITY EVENTS

Dec. 19 2nd Annual Community Christ-mas Run - Leaving from Coffee Culture, 6:00 p.m. Holiday Movie Night- Rise of the Guardians - Smiths Falls Civitan Club, 7:00 p.m. Jewels Gently Used Clothing Bag Sale. 18 William St. E.

Dec. 20 Santa at the County Fair Mall, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Dec. 21 Santa at the County Fair Mall, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m Legion Jamboree - Smiths Falls Canadian Legion Branch 95, 1:00 - 6:30 p.m. Movie & Skate - Smiths Falls Youth Arena, 4:50 - 8:00 p.m.

ONGOING

2nd Annual Celebration of Lights. victoria park.Nov. 29 - Dec. 31

Nightly 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

33rd Annual Art Show & Sale. Heritage House Museum.Nov. 9 to Dec. 21

Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.

PUBLIC SKATING - $2 per personYouth Arena - Monday - 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday - 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Friday - 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Saturday - 12 - 2:00 p.m.Community Centre - Monday - Friday - 11:00 a.m. - 12

Sunday - 11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.NOTE: Skating is cancelled during special events

such as hockey tournaments

PUBLIC SWIMMING FOR ALL AGES AT THE HUB 361 Queen St. in the Gallipeau Centre

Mondays - 6-7 p.m.; Tuesdays - 6-7 p.m.; Fridays 6-7 p.m.; Saturdays - 2-3:30 p.m.

Cost: Drop In Pricing or Membership Fee apply

Sunday ladies dart leagueEvery Sunday - 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - RCAFA Hall

MONDAY DUPLICATE BRIDGE Held at the Royal Canadian Legion every Monday evening at 7:00 p.m.

MONDAY BID EUCHRE Held at the Royal Canadian Legion every Monday evening at 7:00 p.m.

in the Canadian Room.

TUESDAY NIGHT BINGOSmiths Falls Civitan Hall, Doors open at 5:45 p.m. Bingo starts at 7:00

p.m.

THURSDAY NIGHT BINGOSmiths Falls Legion in the Lancaster Hall, 7:00 p.m.

FRIDAY NIGHT BINGORotary Collegiate Hall, 2 Gould St. 7:00 p.m.

WALKING CONCOURSE Smiths Falls Memorial Center open 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. 7 days a week

MIXED DARTS Every Thursday from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the RCAFA Hall on

Abbott St. New Players welcome.

Dec. 23 Holly Days Children Workshop. Heritage House Museum. 1:00 4:00 p.m. Tim Hortons Free Skate, Youth Arena, 1:00 p.m.

Dec. 24, 25 & 26 Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day :)

Publisher Patricia Krotki

Email: [email protected]

Editor Sabrina Bedford

Email: [email protected]

Reporters:Amy Hogue

Howaida Sorour-Roberts

photographers:Jason Code

Ryan Holland

PDG Media - 84 Lorne St. Smiths Falls, ON. K7A 2A5 Phone: (613) 206-0708 Fax: (613) 284-1094

pdg media

Dec. 22 Tim Hortons Free Skate, Youth Arena, 1:00 p.m.

jan. 2, 2015 Tim Hortons Free Skate, Youth Arena, 1:00 p.m.

jan. 5 Taoist Tai Chi Open House Week at the Seniors Activity Cen-tre, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

December 2014 3 www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

communityMONTAGUE WATER: amy hogue

After years of com-plaints of high water bills in Atironto, it appears Mon-tague may now have found the source of the problem. A water main leak was dis-covered beneath a section of Fifth Street in late No-vember, and Montagues Chief Administrative Offi-cer (CAO) Glenn Barnes, said the leak may help to explain the high water us-age in Atironto.

Barnes confirmed that the Atironto water system currently operates with a staggering two-thirds, or 66 per cent water loss.

According to Barnes, industry standards allow for somewhere between three and six per cent water loss. In laymans terms, this means Montague is billed by Smiths Falls for all the water that passes through Smiths Falls meters, but two-thirds of that water never reaches the residenc-es in Montague.

The leak is not the cause or the effect of high wa-ter rates, thats the agree-ment with Smiths Falls, Barnes said, explaining that Atironto residents are billed based on readings from the water meters in their homes and they receive a bulk rate from Smiths Falls for that usage ($1.320 per two cubic metres).

Bill and Trudy Shappee, of Atironto, said their wa-ter usage is billed to them at approximately $1.90 by Montague, a $0.60 in-crease over what Montague

is charged for the water by Smiths Falls. Bill Shappee explained that their water bills doubled between six and eight months ago. The Shappees spend time at a cottage during the summer months but say their water bills stay the same all year long.

I cant understand how we could use the same amount of water all sum-mer long as we are right now, Bill said. Theyre reading these meters, it doesnt make sense to me.

According to a Town-ship of Montague report, in the first eight months of 2014 household meters in Atironto recorded $13,387 worth of water usage, while Smiths Falls billed Mon-tague for $40,436, a dif-ference of $27,049, or 66 per cent. The difference in amounts comes from wa-ter loss in the line, which is paid for by Atironto res-idents.August Report Pinpoints Issue

In a council meeting on Oct. 7, 2014, Council re-ceived a report dated Aug. 28 from Echologics, a PVC Leak Detection Report as information only. Accord-ing to the staff report, Echo-logics was retained in June to investigate and gather further information on the 2.4 kilometres of polyvinyl chlorice (PVC) water mains in Atironto.

The Echologics report, which was received by Montague staff on Aug. 28, states a water balance showed a discrepancy be-tween the supplied and used water in the township.

The water balance indicat-ed an estimated 18 gallons per minute water loss in the Atironto area. A leak in the water main is the suspected cost.

The report located a Point of Interest at a lo-cation at the northeast end of Fifth Street, specifically along 33 Fifth St., where the leak was recently located.

Barnes explained the municipality is moving forward with next steps to determine if the leak at 33 Fifth St. is the source of all water loss, or if there are other leaks that remain un-detected.

We took some readings of pit readers last Monday and then well probably do more the next couple of Mondays and see how were doing, Barnes said. We want to monitor the pits for a while until we understand the water usage or at least water flows.

If the leak is plugged, it could save Atironto resi-dents upwards of $25,000 annually in billing for water that was previously lost un-derground.

According to the Safe Drinking Water Act, the municipality is required to provide a five year finan-cial plan indicating the wa-ter system, in this case the Atironto Water Distribu-tion System, is financially viable. All funds related to the maintenance and repair of the water system must be supported by the sys-tem, which has become an issue in recent years when the financial reserves for the water system became

depleted.Because the province

requires the system be 100 per cent recoverable any leak would have to be re-flected back into the cost of the operation, Barnes explained.

Any money that we spend upgrading or repair-

ing any maintenance costs for the water and sewer sys-tem that has to be recovered through the water use rate.

Montague Reeve Bill Dobson said its important to take things slowly and plan carefully for the next steps.

Whats important for

me is that we do the prop-er things in the right order because any money that we spend will eventually come out of the agreement. The people of Adironto have to pay for it, so we have to make sure were doing the right thing at the right time in the right order.

PATRICIA KROTKI/PHOTO

NO ANSWERS UNTIL MARCH FOR ATIRONTO RESIDENTS


They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and it takes at least a thousand words to describe being pregnant! Last month Bill Davidson and Elizabeth Fewer of WMD Photography of-fered the residents of the Susan Shirley Program a free photo shoot.

It was just a gesture from us to do something for these young women who might not be able to afford something like that on their own, said Davidson.

The Susan Shirley Program is a residential maternity home and

parent-training centre, that supports young new mother and mothers-to-be through their preg-nancy and in the first few months after their baby is born.

Our clients vary in age from 15 to 24, and we can accommodate up to eight young women at a time, said Nichole Anderson, founder and executive director of Susan Shirley House.

According to Anderson the ladies who took part in the shoot are ecstatic over the photos.

Normally they could never afford a luxury like that and Bill managed to capture the personality and essence of each one of

the girls beautifully, said Anderson.

The photos showcase each pregnant young woman separately, record-ing that very special time of life in a way that made each feel special, accord-ing to Anderson.

The way the photos were taken and the style of each photograph is different for each of the girls, said Anderson.

The idea for a private photo shoot was dreamed up by Davidson and Fewer this past Autumn, shortly after they were asked to set up a photo booth at the Susan Shirley Programs gala dinner.

At the gala, they took photos of all the girls

present, in their evening gowns and some with their newborns, and I know the girls really cher-ish them, said Anderson.

According to Davidson, that experience left quite the impression with him and Fewer and after some discussion they decided they wanted to go one step further.

So we approached Nichole Anderson and asked if they would be interested in letting us do a photo shoot with the pregnant women for free in return for permission to publish them for our portfolio, said Davidson.

With the executive directors blessings, WMD Photography invited the

young ladies accompanied by support staff for a pho-to-shoot at their studio on Russell Street. Appar-ently Davidson and Fewer pulled out all the stops for the photo shoot, spend-ing hours with the young women, feeding them and making them feel com-fortable about posing for their photographs.

One of the girls is very quiet and shy, but Bill managed to capture her personality perfectly, said Anderson.

Each girl was then given a copy of the digital photos taken during the shoot.

Elizabeth and I have discussed this and have decided to make a framed

8X10 print of each young womans best shot, and well be dropping them off to the ladies as Christ-mas gifts, said David-son. Weve also invited them back to do newborn photos and two of them have since given birth so were looking forward to seeing them soon, said Davidson.

The simple gesture has proven to be much more than the physical photographs each girl is receiving.

It really helps their sense of self worth as well, to see themselves in a re-ally good photograph that captures them at their best, said Anderson.

A gesture worth so much more than mere words

community


Just talking on the phone leaves her breathless and struggling, and yet she doesnt give up. Suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Jacqui Bowick-Sandor is a determined fighter who is working hard to fundraise so that she can afford the asso-ciated costs of a double lung transplant.

There are a lot of expens-es that arent covered, she explained.

Theres the weekly travel to Toronto for three days in every seven and back. Then theres the four months in Toronto after the surgery and the homecare support shell need. Meanwhile she has no idea when shell be asked to move to Toronto to be closer to the hospital or how long shell need to be there before her surgery.

Theyll tell you to move if you start to get sick or if the weather gets bad and theres no schedule so you just go day by day, said Bowick-Sandor.

She does receive some support from the govern-ment but its barely enough to cover travel expenses for one week let alone a month or six

months.You cant get much for

$650 a month in Toronto, she said.

Shes only been on the transplant list for just over a month and shes already had to spend 12 days in Toron-to spread over four weeks. Although she cant wait for the surgery and being able to take

a deep breath again, she says making the decision to get onto the transplant list wasnt easy.

It was a hard decision, you have to do a lot of soul searching, but Im lucky to be surrounded by a great com-munity, family and friends, said Bowick-Sandor.

Besides the danger of the

surgery there are the side effects of anti-rejection drugs, which can frequently lead to complication such as diabetes.

The 49-year-old was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2010 after many years of struggling with respiratory issues that were repeatedly misdiagnosed because of a lack of awareness

and the complexity of the diseases manifestations.

Pulmonary fibrosis just means scarring of the lung tis-sue. As the scars increase and becomes thicker, the lungs have difficulty transferring oxygen into the bloodstream and patients become short of breath while the brain and vital organs become increas-ingly deprived of the oxygen necessary for survival. The scarring can be caused by a lot of different factor but in most cases its hard to pinpoint whats causing the problem and when that happens the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

In the first few years after her diagnosis, Bowick-San-dor was able to manage with medications and therapies that eased her symptoms. Eventually she had to accept the use of an oxygen tank just to do the simplest of every day tasks like walking up to her front door.

I had mixed feelings when I was put on oxygen therapy. I was so grateful to finally be able to breathe normally again and participate in activities, but I was also self conscious wearing it, wrote Bowick- Sandor in her blog.

She soon got over the self-consciousness dubbing her new companion Whoopi, for the noise it would occa-sionally make!

Now that shes made the decision to get onto the trans-plant list she has to wait and while shes waiting she has to work doubly hard to build up her strength for the surgery.

Once youre on the list, you do a lot of physiotherapy to get your muscles strong ahead of the surgery, said Bowick-Sandor.

She still goes on regular walks with Whoopi and a friend, and she still does water aerobics regularly at the Hub community pool. Busy as she is trying to build up her strength, she still manages finds the time to fundraise and delight in the community, and the family and friends that have rallied around her.

I couldnt imagine taking this journey without the support of a community like Smiths Falls, or all my friends and family, it must be terrible for people who dont have all that I have, she said.

Taking it one breath at a timeDecember 2014 4 www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

Jacqui Bowick-Sandor is busy fundraising right now to help cover the many expenses associated with going in for a double lung transplant. Already she has travel to Toronto for three days of every week, shes going to need home care support after the surgery and the months she will have to stay in Toronto before and after the surgery.

HOWAIDA SOROUR-ROBERTS/PHOTO

AMY HOGUE

Organ donation can be a sensitive subject; one that some people tend to shy away from while others embrace wholeheartedly.

For Cindy Rivington, organ donation is a subject with personal meaning. Cindy is not only a liv-ing donor, but her life has been personally touched by organ donation, and she is hoping to increase awareness of organ dona-tion and encourage others to participate in this life- giving process.

Organ donation can not only saves lives, but can also help recipients im-prove their quality of life, allowing them to live their lives as productive mem-bers of society. Accord-ing to the Ontario organ donation website, there is a chronic shortage of or-gans and tissue available, and nearly 1,500 Ontari-ans await life-saving organ transplants. One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation or enhance up to 75 through tissue donation.

Organ donors need to register to ensure their or-gans are preserved in case of death, but organ dona-tion is not only something to think about if someone dies, people can also be-come living donors for a kidney, part of a liver and a lobe of the lung. The

organ most in need by Ca-nadians is a kidney, which can be received from a liv-ing donor.

You dont realize how precious life is until you live with some one thats sick, Cindy explained, touching on a topic that is meaningful for her and her family. Her husband, John, has suffered from kidney failure for many years and was facing a fu-ture of dialysis when Cin-dy donated a kidney to him in 2009.

Before deciding to do-nate one of her kidneys, Cindy and her family had already been personally impacted by organ dona-tion. Cindy explained that when her brother passed away in 2001, his organs were donated through the organ donation program.

Although families of organ donors arent in-formed who the organ re-cipients will be, Cindy said her family received a four page letter from a Toronto man in his mid-twenties who received one of her brothers kidneys. The let-ter thanked Cindys family for donating her broth-ers organs, and explained how the kidney literally gave him a second chance at life.

Cindys and Johns feed-back from their experience with organ donation is in-credibly positive. Cindy explained she began test-

ing her blood in June 2009 to see if she was a match, and the surgery took place only two months later, in August 2009. Although Cindy said she took two weeks off work for the surgery and recovery, she said the recovery was re-markably smooth for her and her life hasnt changed at all now that she has only one kidney instead of two.

As a donor, I actually forget at times that I even gave a kidney, Cindy said. I dont even know the dif-ference.

For John, the impact Cindys kidney had on his health was almost immediate. Cindys par-ents, who accompanied her to the hospital for her surgery, noted the rapid change a new kidney made for her husband, John.

When John was going in for surgery they said he was very grey and disco-loured and after the sur-gery the change in skin colour was almost imme-diate, Cindy said. You dont realize how import-ant kidneys are in getting toxins out of your system until youre sick with it.

The only other alterna-tive to a kidney transplant is dialysis, which Cindy said is good, but not the best.

Cindys aunt is anoth-er person in her family touched by organ dona-tions, and has received

two unsuccessful organ transplants. She currently travels from her home in Westport to the hospital three times per week for dialysis.

Cindy pointed out that although dialysis keeps people alive it makes it difficult to lead a normal life because so much time is spent in hospital receiv-ing treatment. Beyond dialysis, patients with kid-ney failure also have to monitor their water intake very carefully, which can also be time consuming.

Cindy is so passionate about organ donation that shes taken over an an-nual five kilometre walk, the Kidney Foundation of

Canadas Give the Gift of Life Walk, to raise funds for kidney research. The walk is held on the last weekend in September at the Crystal Palace in Perth and features door prizes and silent auctions.

Cindy said she partici-pated in the walk for the past two or three years, but 2014 was her first year organizing it. The walk is open to anyone, and dialysis recipients dont need to walk, they are encouraged to just come and enjoy the after-noon.

Cindy said shes trying to do more to promote organ donation in the community, and partic-

ularly bring awareness to the process. The walk is one of the ways in which she hopes to accomplish this, and she has big plans for its continued success.

Im actually just start-ing to get into it, this was my first year (2014) trying to organize the walkwe raised a lit-tle better than $11,000, Cindy explained. Im hoping next September it will be fairly big.

For more information about organ donation, or to register as a do-nor, please visit www.beadonor.ca.

community


It has been a privilege to provideemployment services to Smiths Falls

& area for the past year.Wishing everyone all the best in

2015 from the staff at

Living donor encourages others to give the gift of life

AMY HOGUE

Although Smiths Falls has received several Community Donations requests in response to councils newly-adopted policy, Town staff say there will likely be more coming from organizations who were unaware of the Nov. 30 deadline for submis-sions. At the time of the Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting on Dec. 8, town staff had received nine requests for funding from the Town of Smiths Falls, but expect more to be forthcoming in the coming weeks.

Th e requests came from Lanark County Interval House, $2,000; Big Broth-ers Big Sisters (BBBS), $3,000; Rolling Th un-der Car Show, $1,500; Horticultural Society, $800; Gordon Pipe Band, $1,000; Th e HUB, $75,000; Together Smiths Falls, $10,000; Healthy Living Festival, $10,000; and the

Rideau Environmental Action League (REAL), $9,000. Total requests amount to $112,300, while the 2014 budget for community donations was only $84,800.

Director of Corporate Services, Kerry Costello, recommended that each organization requesting funding be allotted a fi ve minute time period at an upcoming COW meeting to address council and outline the basis for their request. In the meantime, staff have created a place-holder for the 2014 bud-geted amount of $84,800 until council sets the 2015 community donations budget at the upcoming budget meeting on Jan. 7.

Councillor Chris Cum-mings pointed out that the purpose of creating a community donations policy was to ensure they didnt delay budget discussions. He suggested the community groups be given a delegation time at the meeting immediate-

ly following the budget discussions on Jan. 7, to ensure council can contin-ue on track with budget discussions.

Because some organiza-tions may not be aware of the new policy, including the deadline, Costello asked the committee for direction in handling late funding requests. Mayor Shawn Pankow noted that his understanding was the delegation was for people who have submitted requests and others who havent met the deadline but would still like their requests to be considered by council.

Because this is the fi rst year we set the deadline, Im fi ne with fl exibility for this year, Pankow said.

Th e committee direct-ed staff to continue to accept funding requests from organizations and to schedule delegations fi rst thing in the new year.

Community donations policy draws $112,300 in funding requests, deadline extended

Merry Christmas from our families to yours

community


613-283-5941 613-796-4226

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE BRIEFSWRITTEN BY AMY HOGUE

Committee considers Kia use of municipal land, reconsiders land lease policy

The question of the towns leasing policy for municipal land became an issue at the Dec. 8 Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting, after staff presented a report identifying a com-plaint received for an unopened road allowance on Lombard Street.

The report revealed that Smiths Falls Kia has been using a portion of the lands as a parking area for vehicles for the past five or more years. Following the receipt of the complaint, Kia management removed the vehicles and will not be using the property until the issue has been resolved.

Senior Planner, Niki McKernan, suggested that the town establish the terms and conditions specific to the use of the property with Smiths Falls Kia. In similar situations, McKernan said, municipal land was leased at the rate of $75.00 for five years and noted there have been only five such agreements in Smiths Falls in the past 15 years. McKernan also suggested council look at raising the rates, and potentially pursue leasing land as a revenue source for the municipality.

Mayor Shawn Pankow was surprised by the low rate to lease municipal land. It probably costs more than $75 to do this report, he pointed out. At this stage I think we should discuss what we do.

McKernan informed council that should the road allowance be needed by the municipality, Smiths Falls Kia would be required to return it to its original state and would have 90 days to remove the vehicles. She also informed council that the vehicles have been removed from the property and suggested she come back with a reassessment of leasing fees.

Councillor Chris Cummings agreed with Pankow that the leasing fees dont reflect the value of the properties, while Councillor Quinn suggested the municipality enter into a temporary agreement with Smiths Falls Kia until they could review the leasing policy. The committee elect-ed to defer the matter until the new year to allow staff to come up with reasonable options for leasing rates for municipal properties. By-Law enforcement, animal control to be contracted out

As a stop gap measure following the resignation of former Proper-ty Standards By-law Officer, Mark Russell, and Animal Control service providers, Smiths Falls will enter into a temporary Property Standards By-law enforcement and Animal Control

contract with Frontenac Municipal Law Enforcement Inc.

The Manager of Planning and Sus-tainable Growth, Lynda McKimm, presented to committee a report out-lining the quotations received from both the Corps of Commissionaire and Frontenac Municipal Law En-forcement Inc. Corps of Commis-sionaire quote came in at an hourly rate of $17.05 plus HST, while Fronte-nac came in at $25.50 plus HST, along with 52 cents per kilometre for mile-age.

Despite the higher hourly rate from Frontenac, McKimms recommenda-tion was to contract with that com-pany in part because staff provided by Frontenac will all be certified by the Ontario Association of Property Standards of Ontario, while Corps of Commissionaire staff will not be cer-tified, but instead will be willing to be trained in May 2015. In addition, McKimm pointed out that Frontenac provides by-law enforcement services, including property standards, to a number of area municipalities.

McKimm also recommended con-tracting Animal Control services with Frontenac, based on services oper-ating on an as-needed basis, which could result in lower costs. McKimm recommended entering into agree-ments for both Animal Control and Property Standards By-law enforce-ment for a four month period, at which time staff can prepare a report for council outlining the options from that point forward.

Chief Administrative Officer (CA) Malcolm Morris explained to com-mittee that despite the fact the town is disappointed to see staff leave, every change presents the opportunity to look at how we do things.Election sign by-law coming soon

Councillor Jay Brennan brought forward a suggestion that the town set some sort of policy restricting the amount of time municipal candidates can have their election signs posted within town limits. Currently, Bren-nan stated, the town has no policy in place, which means candidates can post signs nine or ten months in ad-vance of the election date.

I think it would give candidates more of a level playing field, Brennan explained. We need more control on signage during election time.

Brennan also pointed out that there are regulations in place in surround-ing municipalities, and in the provin-cial and federal elections. Councillor John Maloney acknowledged he had put up his election signs early on in the campaign, but that he waited until after the provincial election so there wouldnt be any confusion.

Councillor Chris Cummings said

he travelled extensively around the area prior to the election and didnt see any election signs other than in Smiths Falls. Mayor Shawn Pankow said he agrees there should be some restrictions, suggesting a 60 or 90 day time frame, and potentially a restric-tion on size.

Staff were directed to review the ex-isting by-law and bring forward rec-ommendations at a later date. Midget B2 Minor Hockey boot drive permitted

A request for a boot drive in front of Town Hall from the Smiths Falls Midget B2 Minor Hockey team to fund a February trip to Montreal to at-tend the Can-Am games. The request led to discussion about the number of street tolls currently permitted in town and the possibility of adding an-other.

A report presented to the Com-mittee of the Whole (COW) on Dec. 8, stated that since 2000, the town al-lows for three organizations to hold street tolls within the town, with the provision that any other requests be brought forward for councils consid-eration.

The organizations currently per-mitted annual boot drives are the Smiths Falls Fire Association, Cana-dian National Institute of the Blind, and District Club of Youth. Council discussed the consequences of allow-ing the minor hockey boot drive, and if this would result in an inundation of other organizations looking for fund-raising opportunities.

If we allow one, we could open the door for others, Mayor Shawn Pan-kow pointed out. Pankow said he is not concerned with the prospect of al-lowing for another boot drive within the town limits, but pointed out the level of accountability for the minor hockey association is different than that of a charity.

Councillor Lorraine Allen suggest-ed the fourth toll be rotational, to al-low other organizations to fundraise in future years, and this was agreeable to the other members of council.

Dennis Durant, Smiths Falls Midg-et B2 Minor Hockey assistant man-ager attended the COW meeting and explained that the main reason for the street toll request this year is because for many players this will be their last year playing hockey.

We wanted to go out with a bang for them, Durant said, adding that the team is 11 and 0 so far this season, and he considers them the best in the league so far.

Police Services Board, Lanark County Corporate Services appointments hot topics

Amy Hogue

A seat on the Police Services Board was a hot topic at a Dec. 8 Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting when council reviewed and discussed council appointments on various boards and committees for the duration of the new term. Th ere were fi ve names in the ring for only two seats: Coun-cillors Maloney, Brennan, Cummings, and Gallipeau were interested in sitting on the committee, as was Mayor Pan-kow.

Cummings, who sat on it for the past four years, told council there will be changes coming with labour negotia-tions and contracts coming up for renewal and he was look-ing for council support to allow him another term on that board to continue the work he started the previous term. He explained he felt his past experience on the board would be benefi cial at such a critical time with negotiations.

Brennan said he didnt realize there would be so many people interested in the appointment, and that he would defer to Cummings and agree that he has one term under his belt and consistency would be important going forward. Maloney said he would still like to be considered for the ap-pointment and hoped for councils support.

Sometimes I think its nice to have fresh insight into things, Maloney said. Id like it to have a nice fresh set of eyes on it.

Cummings pointed out there would be a new set of eyes on it if Mayor Pankow was appointed to the committee, which would satisfy Maloneys wish for a new perspec-tive. Council members supported Cummings bid for the appointment and he and Pankow will serve on the Police Services board.

A few minutes following that decision, another debate en-sued over an appointment on the Lanark County Corporate Services Committee (LCCSC). Councillors Quinn, Bren-nan, Maloney and Allen, along with Mayor Pankow were all interested in the appointment.

Councillor Quinn said she felt very passionate about representing Smiths Falls on the LCCSC, an opinion that Maloney echoed on his own behalf. Brennan said he had wanted to sit on the committee four years ago but had de-ferred to two more experienced members and would like the seat for the coming term. Councillor Allen said she looks forward to learning something new through the ap-pointment.

Cummings, who had at fi rst refrained from comment-ing on the debate, suggested they amend the appoint-ment to a two-year term per person, but Brennan argued that he wasnt sure how much anyone would learn in two years. Cummings suggested that Pankow be the constant on LCCSC, while the other candidates rotate through the position.

Th e four candidates agreed to this suggestion, and Pan-kow will hold his seat for the four year term, while Council-lors Allen, Brennan, Maloney and Quinn will each partici-pate for a one year term, in that order.

community


adopt-a-petThis beautiful boy is Orlan-

do! Come visit and fall in love with this gorgeous boy at Laura Janes Pet Food and Supply on Dufferin street in Perth.

His idea of a perfect day would be having a good bowl of kibble for breakfast, followed by a nap in a windowsill, maybe a little cuddle time, followed by a snack, more cuddle time and then some din din.

If you would like a sweet qui-

et boy to spend your days with then hes your guy! He is 8 years old, neutered, microchipped, all vaccinations, dewormed, Revo-lutioned and has excellent litter habits.

Sometimes he doesnt make friends real fast so it might be best that he is the only cat. A nice quiet home would be per-fect!

Adoption fee $85

Sherry Crummy

Many business owners are currently working on their goals and objectives for 2015. You may be doing the same. When it comes to creating your marketing plan, digital marketing is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the overall marketing strategy. It used to be that businesses would just hop on Facebook, as they felt thats what they needed to do to join social. Now, many of them realize that they have to make informed decisions in which networks to invest their financial and personnel resources to achieve the best results. Social media is no lon-ger about following the masses, its about following your target audience.

A major challenge which arose for businesses in recent years is how to collect, analyse, and interpret the data, and in 2014, companies have still only scratched the tip of the iceberg. If marketers want to succeed, they need a coherent and

engaging content strategy with compelling visuals and authen-tic stories.

Heres a few trends that emerged in digital marketing during 2014, what to expect in 2015, and how to prepare your business in socials ever-evolv-ing ecosystem.

Scommerce Social media meets shopping

Social commerce is becom-ing a large driver of online shopping. User-generated content around shopping can have some major impacts. The first successful steps to push forward more sophisticated Scommerce were seen in 2014, for example with the introduc-tion of Twitter Product Cards and innovative campaigns on Pinterest. We recently saw in-creased efforts to simplify the social network-driven buying process for online shoppers with both Twitter and Face-book pioneering the testing of Buy buttons. The more rel-evant and tailored your social advertising is, the fewer users will feel commercialized.

Facebook becoming more of a News Source

In 2014, Facebook debuted Trending Topics, which appear to the right of your News Feed as a list of topics and hashtags that are spiking in popularity on Facebook. This list is per-sonalized based on a number of factors, including Pages youve liked, your location, and whats trending across Face-book.

Businesses will need to create content around current conversations. Use Trending Topics to know what Facebook members are talking about, and capitalize on that buzz by creating content that fits with relevant keywords and/or hashtags.

Location-based mobile mar-keting

Google reports that 71 per-cent of in-store shoppers who use smartphones for online research say their device has become more important to their in-store experience. With technological progress in terms of geofencing and geotargeting

retailers should put mobile and owned mobile apps at the core of their marketing activities reaching their customers with timely and highly contextu-al messages on a one-to-one basis. Considering a worldwide mobile penetration of 93 per cent, major social networks are constantly improving their mobile presence. Social web-sites and apps being among the most used features on mobile.

Visual MarketingAlready big in 2014, the

appeal of visual marketing will reach still more brands. YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Vine will play a greater role in content market-ing strategies, but so too will individual pieces of content

like infographics and data visu-alizations. B2B marketers will recognize the value of visual social media. The strongest brands are adapting and creat-ing a clear visual social media strategy. Being consistent in the way you create content will help maintain a strong brand online said Canvas Zach Kitschke.

The social landscape is con-stantly changing, and it can be challenging for most business owners to keep up. Remember to follow my posts to discover the latest digital marketing updates at crummymedia.com. Ill keep an eye on these and other trends, and keep you posted as we venture into 2015 and beyond.

digital marketing trends for 2015

CRUMMY MEDIA/PHOTO

community


When reason leaves the room

JASON CODE/PHOTO


Summit Energy proposed a plastics to fuel plant here in town and even before any-one had heard their proposal or the facts surrounding the proposal or its purpose, a letter had been circulated that fed into every fear a community can harbour; the fear of air pollution, fear of explosions, of food poisoning, of fi re, and traffi c overload. All valid fears, just not based, in this case, on any actual information. Sure one could reasonable argue that sending out a notice on Friday of a public meeting on Monday is the kind of short notice that could breed suspicion of a cover up, but again that brings us back to fear. At the very least, it fed the suspicion that govern-ments at all levels really dont have our best interests at heart. And there, you have it on the whole when it comes to our air and water weve all become rightfully cynical about our various governments willingness to protect assets versus glomming onto the almighty dollar.

But I digress. Back to Summit, information, listening and this communi-ty. I attended that meeting, as an observer, to fi nd out what the proposal was. I was impressed with the turnout, at least 100 people had managed to take the time or rearrange their lives to attend the meeting. It was the fi rst time in more than a year and about fi ve munici-pally-called public meetings that Id seen that kind of attendance. At least I was impressed until I realised that most of the attendees were there less to fi nd out what the proposal was and more to express fears that had been richly nourished by a letter that had little research, few facts and a great deal of misinforma-tion. I certainly understand the concerns, who wouldnt, but Ill go back to something my dad always said always understand all the facts before you make up your mind. Good advice, in any situation but particularly important when those facts force us out of our comfort zones and demand research into processes that stretch our minds a little beyond

high school chemistry. Back to the meeting.

What I saw at that public information meeting was reason walking out of coun-cil chambers. Instead I saw fear. At its most basic level fear is a chain reaction that starts with a stressful stimu-lous that sets off a chemical reaction in our brain. We need it for survival but on the downside when our brains are hopped up on fear they short-circuits more rational processing paths and reacts immediately to signals from our primitive brain. When in this overactive state, we tend to perceive events as negative and remember them that way because were not able to weigh pros and cons in that state. Second I saw anger. Now normally I would say that both those emotional responses can be very good motivators..... except when theyre not. In this case what I saw was fear and anger paralyzing a normally reasonable and thoughtful community and preventing normally reason-able and thoughtful people from either hearing or pro-cessing information that was presented and that was/is available at libraries and the internet for all to research and learn.

Ok. Yes I understand weve all been sold a bill of goods when it comes to various processes that aff ect our health and safety, but we know that. So let be smart about this. Let us not au-tomatically react negatively simply because we dont un-derstand. In 2014, we have technologies we didnt have in 1990, we have checks and balances that we didnt have ten years ago, we have the MOE, can we trust all that? Well within reason, yes. And theres the rub reason fear shuts down reason and anger cant be reasoned with, so perhaps we should all head the words of a wiser man than I, Th e only thing we have to fear, is fear itself, - Franklyn D. Roosevelt. Reason and rational analysis are what should inform any decisions about Summit Energy if it does what it purports to do and recycles one of the worst compounds that man has managed to pollute this planet with, then lets embrace and welcome it. If it turns out to have real dangers associated with it, then lets get them out into the open and reject it. First lets understand all the facts before we make up our minds.

Viewpoint: A LOCAL OPINION

Jason Code

Aft er playing the last two seasons with his home town Smiths Falls Bears, Costello has put on the blue and green school colours of the Canton Kanga-roos. Studying as a business major Costello has played in all eight games (as of Dec. 1) and has had a major im-pact on the Roos defense core. Known to play as a forward with the Bears, Costello has played defense in the past and feels solid as a hard-nose grinder on the blue line but also brings his off ensive style of play back this year.

Aft er a tough loss in the CCHL fi nals last season Costello and two of his Bears teammates (Ben Beasley and Brandon McMartin) have made up a very young portion of the blue line at Canton. Were a young team this season, better for years to come, said Costello on a sit-down interview aft er the game against Hamilton College late November. On the ice I want to be of-fensive defensively. Th e last few games

Ive gotten a few points, I got my fi rst goal the other night [Nov. 25 vs SUNY Cortland], said Costello.

On his NCAA experience so far this season, he said its been pretty good, you know its fun getting back in school, I took four years off so its a big change for me but Ive settled in well now. I just want to keep on track, keep my grades up, maintain that big GPA.

Aft er going from a 62-game season in the CCHL to about 25-games at the college level, how has that a ected your style of game?

Its defi nitely a big change, we have a very tight schedule, 25 games. Im used to playing 62 games the last four years, it is a big diff erence for me so Im just working as hard as I can every single game to get the last out of every moment, thats for sure.

As a Bear, what was your favourite memory playing in Smiths Falls?

Probably being with the boys, hanging out with everyone, and Friday nights at home thats always best play-

ing in front of the home crowd, I miss that for sure, he exclaimed.

Any advice for the younger junior players looking for success?

Work hard, he said. Its a good league to get involved with, youll achieve, just be gritty and play the roll youre given.

In the past two seasons with the Bears, Costello played in 95 games which resulted in 45 points (9 goals, 36 assists) and with 84 minutes in the penalty box. His all time stats in the four seasons that he played in the CCHL consist of 66 points (17 goals, 49 assists) in 156 games and 147 minutes in penalties. Playoff numbers were 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 29 games with 26 minutes in penalties with Smiths Falls and Hawkesbury.

Th e Town of Smiths Falls and the Smiths Falls Bears organization are very proud of Costellos achievements and wish him success on his future goals, on and off the ice.

Local hockey player Brett Costello has started journey as NCAA freshman SUNY Canton in New York


Starter Company

Star t a company, launch your future.

Could you be a Starter Company Entrepreneur?

a great company starts withmentoring, money and you.

If youve got a great idea for a business - and the entrepreneurial drive to see it through -Starter Company is here to help you start your company.

Up to $5,000 in funding , plus the invaluable guidance of a business mentor.

Starter Company is an Ontario program that provides young people with the resources and knowledge they need to start and grow their own business

As a Starter Company entrepreneur, you get:. Funding of up to $5000. One-on-one guidance from the Small Business Enterprise Centre Advisor. Mentoring with a local successful Entrepreneur. Access to business workshops on topics ranging from writing a business plan and budgeting, to executing a marketing campaign

You can apply to the Starter Company program if youre an Ontario resident aged 18 - 29 and not attending school full time. To qualify for funding of up to $5,000, you need to be able to contribute least 25% (in cash or in kind) of the grant amount.

91 Cornelia Street West, Smiths Falls, Ontario K7A 5L3(613) 283-7002 ext 108/109

[email protected]@smallbizcentre.ca

www.smallbizcentre.ca

merry christmasFrom the staff at Smiths Falls HomeTown News & Discover Smiths Falls

Christmas in the Falls...

JASON CODE/PHOTO

JASON CODE/PHOTO

RYAN HOLLAND/PHOTOTop: Smiths Falls Civitan Club 16th Annual Festival of Trees. Middle: One of the many displays at this years Smiths Falls Celebration of Lights in Victoria Park along the Rideau Canal. Bottom: Th e CP Holiday Train rolled through Smiths Falls Nov. 28 to a very generous crowd. Th e Holiday Train is North Americas longest rolling food bank fundraiser and travelling stage.


Christmas recipesfrom

Smiths Falls Council

HomeTown News asked the Smiths Falls council for their favourite family recipes for the holidays. Try them - and enjoy! Merry Christmas.

www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

On Christmas Eve, the Pankows have a traditional Ukranian feast with Cabbage Rolls, Bigos, Ham, Kolbassa, Boiled eggs, Dill pickles and of course Perogies.

Th ese are very labour intensive but can be frozen and used later. It takes a day to make perogies, basically. My famous perogie recipe is a secret but here it is:

DOUGH4 cups all-purpose fl our

2 eggs1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter1 tsp salt

2/3 cup warm water

CHEESE FILLING2 cups sharp cheddar (sometimes more or I mix cheeses)

Mashed potatoes whipped with milk and butterSalt and pepper to taste

SAUCE1 large onion chopped

1/2 cup or more of butter

DOUGH - Mix all ingredients except water. Add a little bit of water at a time until used. Knead until dough is fi rm and elastic. Cover and rest ten minutes. Th e dough that is. :)FILLING- Make potatoes. Mix cheese and salt and pepper into the potatoes.SAUCE- Saute onion in butter until onion is golden.

Assembly: Th is part takes the longest amount of time. Divide the dough into 3 parts. On a fl oured surface, roll out one part of dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch rounds. (I use a glass to do this) Place a small spoonful of fi lling into corner of each round. Fold over and press edges together to seal. Repeat with ALL of the remaining dough. If you do not want to make them right away, you can fl our them a bit and place on cookie sheets. Put cookie sheets into the freez-er and freeze perogies. Once frozen they can be removed from the cookie sheet and place in freezer bags for a later use.Bring an extra large pot of water with a teaspoon of oil to a rapid boil. Drop perogies in a few at a time, do not over crowd. When they fl oat, remove with a slotted spoon and place in large casserole dish. Continue until all perogies are done. Cover with the sauce. I usually have to add more butter to stop sticking. BAKE at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Pankow 's Perogies

december 2014 11 www.discoversmithsfalls.cadecember 2014 11 www.discoversmithsfalls.cadecember 2014 11 www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

Christmas recipesfrom

Smiths Falls Council

Dawn Quinns Traditional TourtiereIngredients

2 whole Prepared Pie Crusts, 1 pound Lean Ground Pork, 1 pound Extra Lean Ground Beef, 1 whole Onion, Minced

cups Boiling Water, 2 cloves Garlic, Minced, 2 teaspoons Salt teaspoons Sage, teaspoons Thyme

teaspoons Ground Cloves, teaspoons Cinnamon teaspoons Nutmeg, teaspoons Fresh Ground Pepper

3 whole Medium White Potatoes

PreparationPreheat oven to 450F.

Prepare your own pie pastry or defrost the frozen ones. In a heavy saucepan, combine pork, beef, onion, water and seasonings (feel free to add more of your favorite spices to taste). Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until the meat is fully cooked and browned. Then

lower the temperature and continue to simmer for 45 minutes.While the meat is simmering peel and boil the potatoes. Mash potatoes when they are done. When the meat mixture is done, mix the potatoes

thoroughly with meat mixture. Let the mixture cool.Take the defrosted (or fresh pastry) and put one of them into your pie pan.

Fill the pastry with the meat and potato mixture. Put the second pastry shell on top of the pie. Seal the edges well. Then flute the edges and poke the

center of the top pastry 3 or 4 times with a knife to allow steam to escape.Bake in the preheated oven at 450F for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to

350F and continue to cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden on the top.Serve warm and enjoy!

Chris Cummings Chinese Noodle CookiesIndgredients

1 cup chocolate chips1 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 cup margarine1/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup peanuts2 cups Chinese Chow Mein noodles

Preparation Melt the first four ingredients in a large saucepan over low heat.

Stir often until completely melted. Remove from heat. Mix in pea-nuts and noodles. Spoon into small mounds on wax paper lined

cookie sheets. Refrigerate until set. Enjoy!

Jay Brennans Devils on Horseback

Ingredients24 large dates - pitted

12 slices of bacon - cut in half1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese (or any other blue cheese)

PreparationPre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Place 24 toothpicks in water for 15 minutesLine baking sheet with parchment paper

Halve the dates lengthwise but do not cut right through

Place small amount of cheese in the center of each date and wrap with 1/2 slice of bacon - insert toothpick to hold together.

Bake 20-30 minutes - until bacon is cooked -- serve warm.

Joe Gallipeaus Cauliflower-Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients10 oz. (284 g) Frozen Cauliflower

10 oz. (284 g) Frozen Broccoli 1/3 cup (75 ml) Finely Chopped Onion

10 oz. (284 ml) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/3 cup (75 ml) Grated Low-Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese (less

than 21% MF)1/4 cup (60 ml) Corn Flake Crumbs

PreparationLayer cauliflower, broccoli and onion in 2 quart (2 L) casserole.

Cut in large chunks with sharp knife.Place soup in bowl, add cheese and stir. Spoon over casserole.

Sprinkle with corn flake crumbs. Bake, uncovered in 350F (175C) oven for about 60 minutes.

John Maloneys Barolo Wine Stew2 1/2 lbs. stew meat2 medium onions

5 medium potatoes5 carrots

2 celery stalks28 oz. canned tomatoes

1 c. Barolo3 1/2 c. beef bouillon4 tbsp. minute tapioca

1 tsp. lemon juice1 tsp. Worchester sauce

1 tsp. sugarsalt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a baking pot. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 4 hours.

This is a great dish for those cold winter months. This wine stew is tasty with fresh bread and a glass of wine. YUM!

Lorraine Allens Boiled Raisin CakeIngredients:

1 cup of raisins cup of water

1 egg cup of butter

1 cup brown sugar1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder2 cups of flour

Directions:In a small saucepan, boil the raisins in the water until they are soft and swollen.

In a mixing bowl, mix the egg, butter and brown sugar well and then add the raisins.

Mix the baking soda, baking powder and flour together then add to and blend with the raisin mixture. Spread into a 9X9 Pyrex baking dish.

Cook at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool and then ice with the Brown Sugar icing.

Brown Sugar Icing1 cup of brown sugar

cup of butter3 tablespoons of milk

1 teaspoon of corn syrup

Mix the ingredients together in a pot and bring to a boil.Boil until it forms a ball when a small amount is dropped into cold water.Remove from heat and ice the cake while still warm and then refrigerate.

Dentistry @ Smiths Fallswhere relaxation meets care

County Fair Mall275 Brockville Street

Unit 28

613.205.1600www.dentistryatsmithsfalls.ca

443697_0703

Your One Stop Dental OfficeNow Accepting New Patients

General Dentistry Oral Sedation Dental Implants Implant Supported

Dentures

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Same Day Emergency Care

0% Financing OAC

www.dentistryatsmithsfalls.cawww.dentistryatsmithsfalls.ca

NOW OPEN!

Accepting New

Patients

AMY HOGUE/PHOTO

sports

lifestyledecember 2014 13 www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

AMY HOGUE

Dedicated runners are often challenged by the winter road conditions that come along with a Cana-dian climate, where snow, slush and ice are constant hazards for anyone in a pair of running shoes. For those training for triathlons, duathlons or competitive racing, winter can make a serious dent in a training schedule. This could be why running guru, Corey Turnbull, has looked to a new and chal-lenging sport to add into his cross training schedule in the winter months snowshoe running.

Snowshoe running is an activity that must be expe-rienced firsthand to truly appreciate it. Essentially, runners race in specialized lightweight snow shoes on trails, most often through naturally wooded areas. What that description doesnt tell you is the ex-perience that accompanies the activity, including the silence in the forest and the winter scenery you travel through, which is spectac-ular.

Turnbull said he was encouraged to try snow-shoe running four years ago after talking to ultra marathon runner Derrick Spafford. We were just chatting back and forth about different thingshe sells Dion snowshoes and had a pair to lend me, Turnbull said, adding that for him part of the special appeal of the sport is the winter scenery on the running trails used for snowshoe running. I fell in love with it instantly. Its like trail running, which is great, but its just simply stunning. Its such a differ-ent picture than what you see in the summertime.

Snowshoe running also allows you to get a more intense workout in a short-er time frame. According to Turnbull, running a ki-lometre on snowshoes will give you a similar workout to running twice that dis-tance on a flat surface.

It is also well suited to strength training and cross training through the winter and is more friendly for your body. Because of the intensity of the sport, Turnbull said training is typically less than 10

kilometres in a single run, which gives you a better workout in less time.

For you to go out in the summertime and do a drop dead interval, the impact of running on the road is huge, whereas in a snow shoe you get the same ben-efit without impact on your body, Turnbull explained. The difference is you are able to get off the road, get off the slush. And the physical benefit is incred-ible because you get so much strength and power out of this and cardio, but you dont have the impact.

Turnbulls local snow-shoe running team, the Snow Squalls, train on the track at the high school when there isnt any snow, and then at Mill Pond Conservation Area, near Lombardy, where there are several trails to choose from. Turnbull said he is still scouting out differ-ent locations to use for training. The Snow Squalls currently have about 12 members, but there are another 20 people on the fringe that train with the team but arent committed to competing.

Turnbull has plans to try

and get a race going out at the Mill Pond or in and around the Smiths Falls area in the new year.

Its something Id like to do in January, have a demonstration day maybe at Lower Reach Park, people could try it, have a little fun run, or people that are racing on the team could do a little play race, Turnbull said.

Although competition is something Turnbull en-joys, he stressed snowshoe running is not all about the competition, its about the activity itself. It depends what youre chasing, if you want to go in and get some fitness, maybe substitute one of your runs a week with this, you can. If youre more on the competitive edge you may want to do this a couple of times a week and as an add on to your regular training schedule, thats good, too. Whatever level you want to race at, either recreation-al or competitive, youre going to find it.

Although there are a number of competitions coming up this winter, Turnbull said he is looking at the world champion-ships in Quebec in Febru-ary, and at the possibility of entering the competition with a national team. This wouldnt be Turnbulls first kick at the can on a nation-al team, he was on Team Canadas Duathlon team a few years ago, but he said this would be a totally different experience.

Turnbull stressed that even if you are competing in races, the atmosphere between competitors is far more relaxed than at your typical road race, and the participants far friendli-er. At the end of the race, participants often chat and catch up with friends while enjoying a bowl of hot chili.

A few of us are kind of eyeing it up, Turnbull admitted. Id like to go in as a national team.

Snowshoe running: the new frontier in winter cross-training

AMY HOGUE/PHOTO

Members of the Snow Squall team turned out at Mill Pond Conser-vation Area on Saturday, Dec. 13 for a training session. From left to right: Corey Turnbull, Susan and Andrew Moizer. Turnbull and Susan are both members of the Snow Squall racing team while Andrew is a recreational snowshoe runner.

jason code

Th e month of November started off with the same inten-sity as how October ended. Th e Jr. A Bears started their winning ways in Pembroke with a 6-3 win. Aft er a tough loss at home against the Ottawa Junior Senators (3-2), the Bears went on a six-game win streak spanning from Nov. 11th to 28. Winning games against Gloucester, Cornwall, Nepean, Kemptville and two big games verses rivals Brockville Braves, four out of six games were won by shootout. In those eighteen days the Bears put up 23 goals with 15 against. Th e Gloucester Rang-ers ended their November campaign with a 4-3 loss on the road, giving the Bears a 7-2 month record.

Bears Josh LeBlanc (97) won CCHL rookie of the month with 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) in 9 games and Michael Pinios (94) also won CCHL goalie of the month with 7 wins, 2.31 goals against and a .924 save percentage. Th e Bears made some transactions nearing the end of the month, picking up Connor

Rankin (95) off waivers from Pembroke and shipping out Brandon Lesway (94) to Kemptville for Olivier Chabot (96), the rights to Brodie Barkley (98) and a fi rst round pick in 2015 player draft .

Th e fi rst of December has seen some of the Bears leave for a higher level of hockey, Neil Doef (97) and Jared Henry (96) both have been selected to play on team Canada East in the World Junior A Challenge in Kindersley, Saskatch-ewan, also along for the trip is head coach Mark Grady as one of the assis-tant coaches. Kevin Groulx (96) has been called back to the Ottawa 67s of the OHL where he scored his fi rst OHL goal (Dec. 12), this is Groulxs second call up this season. Groulx was also named CCHL player of the week (Nov. 30 - Dec.6) he had 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 4 games.

Th is past weekend (Dec. 12-14) the Jr. A Bears had a tough two games against Highway 15 rivals Carleton Place Cana-

dians, dropping both games (5-2 Friday, 4-2 Sunday) being outshot (64-61). BEAR TRACKS

Th e Bears 8th round pick in the 2014 draft forward Quinn Gordon (97) played his fi rst CCHL game Sunday December 14th against Carleton Place Canadians.

Injured forward Sebastien Barrette (96) will be out until aft er the Christ-mas break. As a precaution, he had an MRI to see if theres any permanent damage, but the Bears are pretty sure hell get a clean bill of health.

Bears defenseman Chase Hawley (97) has been a great addition to the squad, aft er being released from the Sudbury Wolves (OHL) back in late October.Hawley has been an aggressive force on the blue line, in 17 games Hawley has put in 45 minutes in penalties adding a physical style of game that the Bears were lacking in their home end.

For your number one source of Jr. A Bears photos check out Smiths Falls HomeTown News on Facebook for up-to-the-minute game-day action.

lifestyle


culture

Merry Christmas!Shawn Pankow

looking forward to serving you in the New year

Coach b

Nine secrets to achieve your New Years resolution

1. Make sure it really is your goal (be careful, many people chase what they profess to be their goals but in reality there are really someone elses goalsparents, spouse, peers etc..)2. Now you have your resolution, dont ever call it a resolution again! How is your track record with resolutions? Many set but few achieved? If so then your brain has made an unconscious relation to any resolution you will set from now on.Oh, here is yet another resolution that wont be achieved or followed through on Call them promises. How does your brain react when you use that word?Most people take promises to a deep and serious place.3. Clearly identify your promise.if you dont know where you are going, then any road will take you there.4. Identify your personal motivatorWe oft en do more for others than we do for ourselves. Are your motivator positive or negative?Negative motivators can be sometimes more powerful than positive ones.- Positive motivators you normally do for an-other (family, friends, love interest)- Negative motivators you normally do to show others 5. Create a promise plan (by failing to prepare- you are preparing to fail)WHAT: is your objective, be clearWHEN: by what dateWHERE: identify a locationWHY: for someone or to show someone, your positive or negative motivatorWHO: what help will you need, who will be on your teamHOW: what are the necessary steps?If you have a really good WHAT and a really good WHY then the HOW will show up.6. Review your plan and your promise (put it in a place where you have to see it and review it, study it for 20 minutes every day) Make it a hab-it, revise as necessary because your plan will change as you achieve results, and the HOW will once again present itself.Use visual reminders of your promise:- Index cards, posters, photographs, pocket promise card7. Tell yourself that you will succeedWhether you think you can or think you cantyoure right8. Tell others of your promiseIt is okay to fail if nobody knows, put yourself under some pressure.- Success requires commitment- Put some skin in the game, increase the stakesYou can get 3 outcomes from sharing your promise with others.I. Th ey will help you achieve itII. You will learn to articulate itIII. People will become a motivator for you (SHOW them)9. ENVISION THE RESULTS- See the conclusion and use the sensation of fu-ture success to empower the now.- Reverse worry (worrying is imagining some-thing that hasnt happened yet and putting a negative outcome on it.reverse it.)-FOLLOW THROUGH (run, jog, walk, saunter, crawl, ROLL IF YOU HAVE TObut keep go-ing)Slow down, but never quit.

column hockey corner


culture

AMY HOGUE

Next time youre in the obstetrical, dialysis or emergency sections in the Smiths Falls campus of the Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital, take a moment to look up, you might be surprised at what you find. Local artist and cancer survi-vor, Donna Scanlan, has brought her creativity and a healing view to the hos-pital with her donation of hand painted ceiling tiles, called healing ceilings.

Its a difficult time for a lot of people when they find themselves in hospi-tals, and I thought maybe its time we created some-thing to brighten it up a bit, Scanlan explained.

Although Scanlan has been cancer free for sev-en years, she said when she was in the hospital frequently for treatments, she spent a lot of time staring up at the ceiling and thinking weve got to do something about these

ceilings.As a lifelong paint-

er, painting was the first thing that came to her mind after her diagnosis. The first thing I thought was nobodys going to stop me painting, so Im going to do it anyway.so I painted wall murals at home, painted on the ceiling, painted every-where. Then I started painting on tiles and do-nating them, Scanlan ex-plained.

So far Scanlan has painted and donated 17 tiles to the Carleton Place & District Memorial Hos-pital, and 18 to the Smiths Falls campus of the Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital. In January, Scanlan will be donating another 16 or 17 to the Perth campus as well.

Looking beyond the local area, Scanlan has also approached the Chil-drens Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and said they are looking at put-ting some tiles at Rog-

ers House. The Cancer Centre at the Kingston General Hospital is where Scanlan herself had her treatment and is another potential location for her work.

More than just a cre-ative and inspiring view for hospital patients, Scanlans healing tiles can also be used as a fundraiser for the hospi-tal. Were sort of talking about that, people could donate something to-wards the hospital and have a tile installed in their name, Scanlan said.

Although Scanlan calls the tiles healing ceilings, she said the healing bene-fits go both ways. I think even though I call them healing ceilings I think people look at them and get some healing bene-fits, but I also get a heal-ing benefit from creating them.

Its not about money, I just want to do it for the joy of it, and if it brings a smile to someone or

makes someone feel better then weve done something good.

For more informa-

tion about the healing ceiling or for informa-tion about making a do-nation to the hospital,

please visit www.heal-ingceilingtiles.ca or con-tact [email protected].

Healing Ceilings offer unique view for hospital patients

Local artist and cancer survivor, Donna Scanlan, has brought her creativity and a healing view to the hospital with her donation of hand painted ceiling tiles, called healing ceilings.

AMY HOGUE/PHOTO

(613) 205-0555

Gift certificates availableDental Insurance Accepted


culture

Councillor Dawn Quinn

Wishing you a veryWishing you a veryWMERRY CHRISTMAS

a happyNEW YEAR

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Councillor Dawn Quinn

a happyNEW YEAR

Wishing you a very

Steve BennettSenior Tax Professional

Last month, I discussed the Disability Tax Credit certifi cate at CRA and briefl y mentioned that there are many tax breaks available to taxpayers with disabilities. I wanted to expand on one important program that is not very well advertised: the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). Th is account assists Canadians with disabilities with long-term savings.

For those of you who are familiar with Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP), you will see a lot of similarities in the administration and government fi -nancial support. It works in a very similar fashion, but the government subsidies are higher and there are fewer restrictions on withdrawals.

From an income tax perspective, the account functions exactly like an RESP. A contributor deposits money into the account on behalf of a benefi ciary. Th e de-posits are not tax deductible, but the funds grow tax-free. When a withdrawal is made by the benefi ciary, the investment income and any government subsidies are taxed in the hands of the benefi ciary. In Ontario, withdrawals from the plan will not aff ect social assistance payments.

To open an account, benefi ciaries must be a Canadian resident under 60 years of age and have a disability tax credit on fi le with CRA the disability tax credit was discussed at length in last months column. To be eligible for the grants and bonds discussed below, the benefi ciary must be under 50 years of age. An RDSP can be set up on behalf of a benefi ciary at any major fi nancial institution generally done by the taxpayer, a guardian, or a family member.

Th e most exciting part of the RDSP is the government support. Th e government matches deposits with the Canada Disabil-ity Savings Grant. Th e amount of the grant is determined by the family net income of

the benefi ciary. For income up to $87,123, the grant will be 300% of the fi rst $500 and 200% of the next $1,000. A contribu-tion of $1,500 will give the benefi ciary a total of $5,000 in their account!

In addition to the grant, the government also provides a Canada Disability Sav-ings Bond for lower income families. To receive the bond, an RDSP just needs to be open no contributions are required. Th e bond is $1,000 for family income under $25,356 and is gradually phased out as income rises to $43,561. Grants and bonds will still be paid retroactively back to 2008, but there are maximum lifetime limits of $70,000 and $20,000, respectively.

If a benefi ciary opens an RDSP when they are 25 and their only source of income is the Ontario Disability Sup-port Program (ODSP), then they will get $20,000 of bonds over 20 years. Assuming they make no withdrawals and earn a 5% return, they will have over $70,000 saved by the time they turn 60 - without making a single contribution themselves!

Withdrawals can be made at any time and used for any purpose, but there are some annual restrictions determined by the amount of government assistance. In addition, a portion or all of the grant and bond money that has been in the RDSP for less than ten years will have to be re-paid. Due to these restrictions, the RDSP is really geared towards long-term savings.

Th is article provides only an overview of the regulations in force at the date of publication, and no action should be taken without consulting the detailed legislation or seeking professional advice. Th erefore, no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material contained in this bulletin can be accepted by Steve Bennett or H&R Block Canada, Inc.

MANY TAXPAYERS WITH DISABILITIES ENTITLED TO $20,000

OF GOVERNMENT GRANTS

opinion

Amberley Beatty showcased her fi rst Original Country Christmas show at the Gallipeau Centre on Dec. 6.JASON CODE/PHOTO

Vickie Dickson

As Canadians, our skin takes a beating in the winter months. Cracked, dry skin can be more than aesthetically challenging as it can also let in bacteria, causing infection. Th ere are many things that can be done, nutritionally, to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy.

1. Water Did you know that our cells are approximately 70% water?

Water is not only a transporter of nutrients; it is a nutrient in and of itself and as such, is vitally im-portant for the health of your en-tire body. Water moves nutrients into and through the body and helps to usher toxins out. If you are looking for further informa-tion on the importance of water in your diet, I recommend, Your

Bodys Many Cries for Water Youre not sick, youre thirsty.

2. EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) Fat has gotten a bad rap in

modern society, but the pen-dulum is swinging back in its favour. Healthy fats are im-mensely important for skin health. Ideally, we should be eating Omega 6s and Omega 3s in a 1:1 ratio, as our ancestors did, however, the nature in which we are consuming fats in our diet today has become pathological. 85 per cent of North Americans are defi cient in Omega 3 fats, but are getting 20 times the Omega 6 requirements, due to a highly processed diet. Good sources of fats in the diet include nuts (walnuts especially), wild salmon, and ground fl ax seed.

Vitamin A Food sources such as leafy greens and red and

orange vegetables contain be-ta-carotene, but our body needs FAT to convert beta-carotene to the usable form of Vitamin A.

Antioxidants Fight free rad-ical damage and aid in collagen production. Vitamins A, C, and E are some examples that come to mind. Good food sources in-clude leafy greens, berries, citrus, nuts and seeds.

Selenium Prevents oxida-

tive stress, which damages cell membranes. Good food sources of selenium are Brazil nuts (just an ounce will do!) tuna, poultry, and whole grains.

Avoid sugar, including white and processed foods. Remember, in addition to causing infl amma-tion, excess sugar is stored in the body as fat.

A few other good health prac-tices for healthy skin include:

Topically applying organic, virgin coconut oil

Using a humidifi er in your home with an essential oil of your choice

Dry brushing your skin always work towards the heart. Th is will also stimulate your lymphatic system and boost your immunity.

Exercise In short, the health of your

skin is dependent on the same practices you use to promote heart & brain health, control your weight, and live better & longer.

If you have questions or comments, or are interested in learning more, catch me on my blog at vickiedickson.com.Vickie Dickson is currently study-ing Holistic Nutrition at CSNN.

column: Do you have the winter itch?


food & drink

HOLIDAY BUFFET

Traditional Fixings

Perfect Thyming

Wishing you and your family a very

Councillor Lorraine Allen

happy holiday season!

Local food is not just a hob-by with Two Rivers Food Hubs new General Manager, Mat-thew Brearley, its a lifelong passion. With 17 years in the restaurant industry and hav-ing been raised on a Renfrew area beef farm, Brearley brings a perspective from both ends of the local food spectrum to the food hub.

Brearley said he is looking forward to the challenges he will encounter in his new po-sition. Im really excited to be on board with this proj-ect. Im glad Im helping chefs and local producers to reach a greater portion of the market.

Brearleys background in-cludes graduating from two cooking schools, one of which featured a rigorous two year

program at the Stratford Chef School in Stratford, O n t a r i o . Brearley also owned his own farm to table restau-rant in White Lake, Castle-garth, which offered an i n n o v a t i v e approach to serving local food.

By farm to table, I mean that Castle-garth quite literally had a farm at-tached to it that supplied most of the

produce in the summertime, Brearley explained, adding that he also worked with local farmers to fill in any gaps that might be missing from his lo-cal food selections.

Brearleys background makes him well suited to his new role at the food hub. On the one hand he brings knowl-edge of the commercial ends of restaurants and institutions, and the work involved in sourcing local produce for his own restaurant. On the oth-er hand his childhood ensures he understands the plight of the farmer, helped in part by growing and supplying local food for his own restaurant.

Brearley identified the bur-den placed on farmers to transport their products to various locations in order to sell it, and hopes the food hub will offer a bridge for farmers to take on part of that burden.

Ive encountered farm-ers who spend thirty or forty dollars in gas to bring their products to market, Im hop-ing that the food hub will al-low them to drop off as much of the product as they can in one central location, Brearley said, It all adds up, if youre a farmer driving to ten or twelve restaurants you can spend fif-ty or sixty dollars in gas. We want to help them avoid that.

Producers who are interest-ed in providing food for the food hub for the upcoming season are invited to contact Brearley for details about that aspect of the food hub. One of Brearleys first tasks will be to establish connections with local producers and ensure a consistent supply of local foods.

Since taking on his new po-sition at the food hub, Brear-

leys spent the bulk of his time setting up the commercial kitchen space for the food hub that will offer local producers a location that meets all health and safety requirements and conforms to government reg-ulations.

What were trying to do is teach people how to ramp up their production using larger quantities so they dont have to spend time doing four or five batches, they can do it all in one batch, Brearley ex-plained.

Brearley noted that once producers have a product that comes from a government in-spected facility they will gain access to the retail market as opposed to the farmer or ar-tisan market. So far, Brearley said interest in the commer-cial kitchen is building, and the food hub hopes to have the kitchen operational beginning in early January, to rent for anywhere between a half day, a full day, or weekly, depending on the individual businesss needs.

There are already peo-ple lined up to use the kitch-en, Brearley noted, adding that the food hub kitchen use rates, which are available on the website, are quite reason-able. The website, which can be found at www.tworivers-foodhub.com, will soon be revamped and will include information such as a list of the equipment available in the commercial kitchen, along with rates for use.

For more information about the Two Rivers Food Hub, the commercial kitchen or to con-tact Matthew Brearley, please visit the website at www.tworiversfoodhub.com.

Food Hub General Manager brings wealth of experience to position

Two Rivers Food Hub has selected a logo as part of the marketing and branding of the hub. Th e new logo features two waves to represent the two rivers of the Two Rivers Food Hub, and was created by the Smiths Falls graphic and web design fi rm, PDG Media, a division of Polcan Design Group.

PDG MEDIA/PHOTO

please respect the

planet

recycle this paper

Do you have the winter itch?


culture

explore

AMY HOGUE

The day after passing on the Chain of Office to Smiths Falls new Mayor, Dennis Staples appears as a more relaxed version of the man most people will continue to associate with Smiths Falls for quite some time. After 29 years in politics, 15 of which were in the position of Mayor, Staples said leav-ing his role on council will be an adjustment.

Basically for last 15 years Ive been getting up and going to town hall, Staples said, adding hes been mentally preparing for this transition since his announcement in Jan-uary 2014. Staples said hell now have more time to spend on other inter-ests, such as time with family, playing hockey, playing golf, participating in his band and in the ro-tary club. Despite a num-ber of areas of interest, he stressed that family is the priority.

Although Staples said he is looking forward to what comes next, he is not keen on using the word retirement to de-scribe the next phase of his life. I dont like the word retirement, Staples explained. I call it the next phase, the next chap-ter, like a good book you want to read.

As someone who ad-mittedly thrives on chal-lenges, change and op-portunities, Staples is not one to sit idle, and is not without future pros-pects to choose from. He said hes already been approached by seven or eight organizations look-ing to see if hes interest-

ed in becoming involved in their group, but hes in no rush to commit to any one organization.

During a recent radio interview, Staples said he was asked if he had any regrets about his time on council, to which he re-sponded, If I knew coun-cil was this much fun I would have run earlier.

Staples likens it to play-ing hockey, in that you need to put your gear on and get in the game. And it was the decision to get in the game that was the kick starter for his coun-cil career in 1985, when Staples first ran for coun-cil.

According to Staples, the municipal world 30 years ago was far differ-ent than it is today, with todays residents taking a more informed interest in their municipal council. Although transparency and organization has im-proved in the years Sta-ples has been on council, he said at one time it was an issue.

When he first decided to run for council Sta-ples said he asked staff for three documents: a copy of the organiza-tional chart, monthly fi-nancial statements, and minutes from fire com-mittee meetings. He was shocked when he was told the municipality didnt have an organization-al chart, financial state-ments wouldnt be avail-able until mid-year and the fire committee hadnt had a meeting since 1980. He decided to make im-proving the organization a priority while on coun-cil.

Since his first inaugu-

ration on council, Staples said he has been working with council and staff to create basic structure systems in the town, in-cluding being part of the development of the first strategic plan for the town of Smiths Falls, in 2002. Staples considers the cre-ation of a strategic plan a big step for the town, and a crucial one to make sure plans remained on track for the municipality.

Can you imagine gen-eral motors not having a plan for where they want to be and what they want to do next? Sta-ples laughed, adding that Smiths Falls needed a strategic plan to maintain direction, no different than any other large cor-poration.

With specific econom-ic challenges affecting

discover smiths falls - hometown news december 2014

Documents

s d e c e

council meeting

n d e p e n d e n t

p e r s

th e ivy

asked council

council assured

th e venue owners