Latest / North Shore News / November 23rd, 2024

Transcript

November 23rd, 2024 · North Shore News

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Welcome to North Shore News and Interviews on Amherst Island Radio.
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Each week we keep you updated on newsworthy events, happenings, and conversations that
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we've had with people in the local community and beyond.
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Loyalist Township kicked off the holiday season on Saturday with the 22nd annual Light Up
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the Season celebration at Fairfield Park in Amherst View.
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From 3-5pm, families enjoyed horse-drawn wagon rides, cookies, hot chocolate, and music while
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the children made ornaments with the help of some special holiday helpers.
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The highlight of the day was the lighting of the trees which will remain lit now until
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early February.
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For Amherst Island Radio, I'm Jordan Webster.
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This is North Shore News.
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Nappany and District Secondary School held their holiday bazaar this weekend featuring
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over 150 vendors offering everything from handmade crafts to home-baked treats.
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Customers had plenty of chances to win prizes including a hot air balloon ride and vacation
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home stays through the event's silent auction.
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And for families, a visit with Santa provided an opportunity to capture some holiday memories.
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The event raised funds for local causes including the Odessa Horse and Pony Club, Nappany and
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District Secondary School, and the Spay-Newtark-Kinston Initiative.
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For Amherst Island Radio, I'm Jordan Webster.
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This is North Shore News.
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The new roundabout at County Road 6 and County Road 23 is nearly complete.
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Lennox and Addington's Department of Infrastructure Services presented an activity report highlighting
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the new roundabout among other projects and achievements.
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The roundabout is currently open to the public with a few small items to be completed later
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this year and in early 2025.
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Napp noted temporary signs within the roundabout that indicate the direction of each exit.
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Currently the text is smaller than regular road signs and the signs are slightly misaligned.
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Director of Infrastructure Services Chris Wager notes the issues and what staff are
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doing to take care of them.
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Those signs, if you notice, the text is even a little bit smaller than it is on most signs.
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They're just temporary signs until the other ones could get ordered and put in place.
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And when they do that, they can angle them a little bit better because they were just
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put up quickly.
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I think they might be a little misaligned, but once the official ones come in, then we'll
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make sure that they're properly aligned.
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Wager describes some of the parts they still need to complete.
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There's a couple items such as the stamp concrete and flag poles that will be installed in 2025,
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but traffic is definitely moving a lot more subtly through there and it's just a beautiful
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roundabout.
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It's one of our best that we've done so far.
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Councillor Jim Hagedorn shared his comments on the roundabout and the positive feedback
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he's received from the public.
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The construction, of course, no one likes to wait, but the wait was worth it.
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It's all been positive comments since it's been opened after being completed.
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Gordon John Wise noted the difference from the old four-way stop.
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It's a very smooth transition now.
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You're not wondering who's going next like it was with the old four-way.
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Among other projects and achievements this year for the department is the near completion
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of the work on Main Street in Odessa.
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Staff are also currently preparing their 2025 budget presentations and the design of upcoming
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2025 capital projects.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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This is North Shore News.
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Prince Edward Lennox and Addington Social Services announced they'll be supporting two initiatives
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that support early learning and the childcare workforce.
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The initiatives include a licensed childcare outdoor clothing allowance as well as their
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one-time childcare fee relief.
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Staff noted the initiatives are to help with current affordability strategies as well as
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recruitment and retention efforts.
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Both initiatives are supported through funds received by the province of Ontario and the
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government of Canada.
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Director of Social Services Lynn Chenye explains the outdoor clothing allowance.
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Children's Services was happy to be able to provide some assistance to child ECEs, early
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childhood education workers in the terms of an outdoor clothing allowance.
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And this is really seen as a workforce retention strategy.
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Chenye notes the benefits of the one-time childcare fee relief.
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Pellis was once again able to offer one-time childcare fee subsidy for families in 2024.
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So for the months of November and December, there will be no parent fees.
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So that's a big savings to parents, especially at this time of year.
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And definitely brings childcare more into the more affordable range again.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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This is North Shore News.
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Lennox and Addington County Council were presented with projected construction costs for two
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new libraries each totaling over $12 million.
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Operating cost projections were presented as well at approximately $1.1 million per
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year.
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Construction costs are based on January 2024 rates while operating costs are still based
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on 2022 numbers.
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Annual operating costs do not include any internal staffing changes.
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An update to the county's library service review was presented to council in 2019 and
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council approved staff to investigate the development of two future libraries with consideration
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also given to the future of current, smaller community libraries.
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Director of Community and Development Services Stephen Paul notes the importance of capital
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planning heading into the development of future budgets.
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Specifically, we're looking at strategic priorities for council, which was capital strategies
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moving forward.
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And with a few other items from ambulance bases to social housing, I thought it was
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timely to have these numbers in front of council as we start looking at the 2025 budget.
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Not that we're looking to include it in that budget, but certainly as we look at capital
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planning that would be the ultimate goal.
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The county hired plus VG architects in 2020 to determine space needs, site options, budgets
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and operating cost implications.
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The study was presented to council on January 12th, 2022 and has now been updated.
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Paul explains the work done by the company.
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They were the architectural firm that did work for us in 2020 and it was presented to
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council in 2022.
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Just some renderings and some overall costs.
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And when it's all said and done, we're looking at approximately 12.1 million per library
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branch, one in Amherstview, one in Napa-nee.
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And that cost would include some of the soft costs such as furniture costs, equipment fed
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it up in the facilities as well as the architectural fees and engineering fees and all that would
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be combined to get that amount to $12.1 million.
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The new library for Amherstview was recommended to be built on the site of the W.J. Henderson
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Recreation Center in the northwest corner of the property.
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Costs were calculated based on a two-story building.
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Two locations were assessed for a Napa-nee library, including on the courthouse campus
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and a second in downtown Napa-nee.
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Paul notes the breakdown of projected costs.
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So in the financial impact section, we've just really provided an overview of what it
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would be on an annual cost over 25 years.
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So for the Amherstview library, the financial impact would be $1,090,000 approximately.
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And for the Napa-nee location, I'd be looking at about $1.141 for that location per year.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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This is North Shore News.
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The county's naturally L&A activation fund, which funds new and existing events and products
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in the county, has an all-new set of guidelines this year. With dedicated marketing support
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as a highlight, there were also other major changes made to the program.
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General program guidelines have been changed to reflect a different set of eligible projects
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as well as offering a continuous intake period.
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Staff noted that by providing dedicated marketing support, narrowing the project focus, and
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extending the intake period, the program will provide a better potential return on investment
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for both project organizers and the county.
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Director of Community and Development Services, Stephen Paul, explains the history of the
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program.
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Your activation program is going for a number of years where we have $40,000 that's split
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evenly amongst our four municipalities, $10,000 per. And we've been providing funding to help
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with new events, recreational products and activities, cultural products, beautification.
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There's quite a wide range of that.
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Paul gave a breakdown of the new marketing support.
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He would fund up to $5,000 and using this as an example. So if it's a $5,000 project,
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80% would go directly to the project to help with their events and all the different aspects
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of what that might be. And then 20%, so $1,000 if we're looking at a $5,000 program, would
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be held back and we would actually do marketing support directly for that event or that tourism
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product on their behalf.
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Paul explains why marketing support was a focus for staff.
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One of the things that we have found with these projects that we've funded is that the
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marketing is sometimes not as strong as what we would wish it to be and the activation
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fund really is about getting new products in our marketplace, but also really trying
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to enhance our natural and A brand. So we feel if we invest 20% of that funding, that
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will go a long ways in trying to bring new people, new visitors and enhance our brand
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within Lenox Ninten County.
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Paul breaks down the changes to eligible applicants.
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We want to fine tune the categories that would be eligible for funding to new events, existing
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events, new tourism products and tourism project enhancements only. And in reality, that's
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what the lion's share of all the applications have been improved over the years really fall
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within those four categories.
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Paul describes how the new continuous intake period will work.
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We would just have an open application process. We wouldn't do strictly one per year. We would
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ask that all applications are submitted at least three months prior to the event or the
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product launch. And then from there we would go until the $40,000 is depleted or if we
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have money left over we roll that into the following year as well.
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Warden John Wise showed his support for the new changes.
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I think those refinements are good. The marketing one in particular, that's pretty critical.
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Council unanimously voted to carry the motion.
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We need a mover to note and receive and to move that the activation program be revised
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by narrowing the project focus, providing dedicated marketing support and offering a
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continuous intake period.
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Councillor Davidson, Councillor Hogg, all in favour?
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Carried. Thank you.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is Northshore
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News.
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Loyalist Township is reminding residents that they can take advantage of a special discount
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on dog tags now through March 31st, 2025. The discounted rate is just $15. After March 31st,
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the price will return to the regular fee of $30. You can pick up your dog tags at locations
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like the Odessa Municipal Office, Free Flow and Shells Market and Bath, Amherst View Pet
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Hospital or WJ Henderson Recreation Center. And you can also purchase them online at loyalist.ca.com
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for Amherst Island Radio. I'm Jordan Webster. This is Northshore News.
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Residents of Loyalist Township are now taking advantage of the Loyalist Link Pilot Transit
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Program that officially launched on November 4th. This new service aims to improve transportation
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options for residents in Bath, Odessa and the Amherst Island Ferry Terminal in Milhaven.
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It also connects local workplaces including the Taylor-Kid and Dusse Real Park and the
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Loyalist East Business Park, making it easier for commuters to access jobs in the area.
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The program is funded through a $192,000 grant from the province's Community Transportation
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Fund along with provincial gas tax funding. Riders can use Kingston Transit Fairs for
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the service, making it an affordable and convenient option for the community. The Loyalist Link
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Pilot Program will run until December 31st, 2025. For more information on routes and schedules,
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visit kinkstintransit.ca. For Amherst Island Radio, I'm Jordan Webster. This is Northshore
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News.
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The L&A has released Lenox and Addington's Ultimate Holiday Shopping Tour, a guide to
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local businesses to shop at this holiday season from Loyalist to Greater Napañí, Stone Mills
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to Addington Highlands. Visit naturallyla.ca and check out the local businesses involved
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in the local shopping route. For Amherst Island Radio, I'm Jordan Webster. This is
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Northshore News.
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Lenox and Addington will see its first ever holiday pantomime event this year in Odessa.
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Torrent Productions, a production company formerly based in Toronto that has recently
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relocated to Lenox and Addington, are preparing to host the event. Cinderella, a merry magical
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pantomime, will be running from December 19th to 24th at a manual United Church in Odessa.
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Pants are now on sale. Torrent Productions is run by husband and wife team Rob Torr
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and award-winning choreographer Stephanie Graham. They are hoping to make this an annual
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tradition for the community in Lenox and Addington. Co-artistic producer Rob Torr explains what
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pantomime is.
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Pantomime is a wonderful medium because we have music, we hope, that satisfies all the
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different generations. There's voodoo comedy, there's silly comedy, there's a lot of
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silly comedy, there's classic music, there's up-to-date music.
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Wordplay.
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Wordplay, it's all the things. There really is something for everybody.
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Torr describes the company's history and his own personal connection to pantomime.
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We're from Toronto. We moved out here about three and a half years ago. And we've done
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four successful pantos downtown Toronto in a very sort of small-town feel. We were doing
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it at the local Legion. Panto is my passion. It was before we started them, but after producing
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them and seeing the magic that they created is why I want to continue doing it. We saw
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memories being formed. And that's what I want to do. I want families to be able to come
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to this and have memories and remember having a good time together and silliness. I always
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say that Panto is not going to change the world, but it might make it a better place.
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Co-artistic producer Stephanie Graham explains what they do at Torrent Productions.
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We have three core mandate things about Torrent production. We want to bring affordable professional
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theatre to Southern Ontario. We are interested in developing new shows and then encouraging
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and nurturing bridges between generations and the diverse demographics in our community.
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So those are our sort of three pillars. For right now, we're focusing on the Panto and
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building that, but who's to say what might happen more in the future?
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The couple notes how the show could expand and what they may be working on in the future.
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I've got three more shows written and ready to go. And our hope, like this year, we're
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only at the moment we're scheduled to do eight shows, but we are able to extend.
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If possible.
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If we have enough, and again, that's all based on ticket sales. But I mean, I'd like to make
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this in the future. I'd like a six-week run. I'd like people coming from all up and down
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the Seaway to come to Odessa, come to Lenox and Addington, come to our little part of
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the world and enjoy all the things we have to offer here.
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The couple note how the show is currently run and how they'd like to foster more local
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talent in the future.
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We're asking Toronto-based actors to come out here for four weeks at the holidays. And
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we have to pay them and we have to house them. But what I really would love to do is to be
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able to attract Kingston actors who've gone abroad and bring them back home so that they
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can be with their families during the holidays.
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But also so that we as a community can celebrate the talent that this community has helped
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create.
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We live in the area too. We get it. And we would like to foster something. And not just
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truly, not just the talent that's on the stage, but also...
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Change managers and technical...
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And also teaching audiences how to enjoy live theatre. Because that's something that we
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don't do in this country. And pantomime is like an entry level form of live theatre.
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And because it's not children's theatre, it's family entertainment.
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The couple spoke about the long standing tradition of pantomime in the UK.
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My ultimate goal is to have a child that comes to see our show when they're, I don't know,
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seven or eight. And then we probably don't see them when they're 15 or 16. But then they
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go away to university and they come back and they go, you know what, let's go to the
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Panto. And then they come back with their kids.
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Like that's the tradition in the UK. We didn't invent this format. It comes from a long,
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long tradition in the UK. And it's that thing that you do during the holidays. You go to
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a Panto and you have some silliness.
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Moore describes why he's so passionate about pantomime and is excited to bring it to Lennox
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and Addington.
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There's a magic that happens between the actors and the audience. And that's something
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that, you know, as the director, writer, producer, that relationship is something that, you know,
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I nurture. But what we find with this style of theatre is a magic that I don't have control
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over. And that's the moment when a parent and a child laughed at something together and
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then look at each other and notice that they're sharing that moment together. And that's the
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magic I'm interested in creating.
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I think those are the special moments.
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Those are the special moments that we hope and we saw them every show. And it was, it
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really was, it sort of become my raison d'etre to nurture an opportunity for that to happen.
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For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans. This is North Shore
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News.
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