In Bath call Marg Franklin 352-7277 Sponsored by St. Alban ... · In Bath call Marg Franklin 352-7277 Sponsored by St. Alban’s ... {Amherst Island Beacon: January 15, 2000 - Volume

In Bath call Marg Franklin 352-7277

Sponsored by St. Alban’s Anglican Church*as far as we know!*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: January 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 264}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 264 January 2000 {mislabeled as 263}

Newsstand $1.00 / Issue

Subscription RatesCanada... $19/yrUSA... $21/yrOverseas... $24/yr

SubscriptionsLeslie GavlasGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0(613) 384-2807

ProductionHeadlands Co-op14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0Voice (613) 389-3802e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0

Printed atKR CopyCat Town Centre

CreditsCorel WordPerfect Suite 8 &WP6.0 for Windows

Production For January275 Copies*****

Beacon Notes We start this month with an apology for incorrectlytranscribing Lyn’s Neighbourhood column (that’s Donat the keyboard - not Caroline). Unfortunately part of aline was missed and, with the sentence still readingcorrectly, the proofers did not pick up the mistake. Thefirst paragraph should have read...

Welcome to some new Island residents this month.Bill Morton, a former summer resident on Stella Point,has decided to make his permanent home here now.Laurie Youell’s father, Don Smith moved into theapartment above the store recently and Erie and SusanFriesson hare moved into their new home (former homeof Ernest and Paulette Apps). We do our best but sometimes that is not goodenough so mistakes do get through.

Lastly.. any of the Beacon pictures credited to ‘DT*are for sale. An 8” by 12” blow-up can he purchasedfor $20. Most of the pictures are cropped and modifieda bit for the Beacon but started out as 4” by 6” prints.They are also all in colour. Of course, if you don’t likethe blowup, it can he returned.*****

{Page 2}

Paul Gilmore, ReeveLoyalist Townshipcordially invites all residents to attendThe Reeve’s LeveeonSunday, February 13, 20001:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.Council ChambersLoyalist Township Municipal Building863 Main Street, OdessaDisplays Wooden Carvings by Mr. Robert Mulder, Sr. Historical Photographs Historical artifacts provided by the Bath MuseumRefreshments will be served*****

Public MeetingDraft Official PlanDecember 20th, 1999- Don Tubb Well, Island residents got a first look at the draftOfficial Plan before Christmas. The meeting wassparsely attended due to the season I suspect. Tworepresentatives from the consulting firm (Mr Uliana &

Ms Venditti) were on hand plus our planner (MurrayBeckel), and our representative on Council (DuncanAshley). The working part of the meeting began with anintroduction to the draft Official Plan by theconsultants. Then the meeting was opened up toquestions and comments from the floor of which therewere quite a few. One of the main complaints heard was therestrictions on severances in the Agricultural zone. TheTownship Planner, Murray Beckel, said that there maybe some flexibility here. He went on to explain thatErnestown Township had faced this obstacle when itsplan was done years ago. The Township sat down withthe Min. Of Ag. and tried to rationalize the soil mapswhich are the sole criteria for determining the extent ofthe Agricultural zone. He thought that this would beworth doing on the Island. Just how much land mightbe removed from the Agricultural zone was not known.(While this was not mentioned at the meeting, I have adim remembrance of our previous Official Planprocess where I think that a land owner can apply tothe Ministry to have their soil re-designated if theythink it doesn’t meet the criteria for a particular class.) There were also queries about the elimination ofhaving any animals in some of our present areas plusthe privilege to sell Island produce anywhere on theIsland (like several gardeners selling vegetables at onestand). On the whole, the consultant seemed more receptiveto making changes to the plan to meet specific requeststhan I would have expected. One interesting point madeby the consultant was that there would be an effortmade to insure every legal land use now continues tobe such. This, I think, would have to be done by zoneexceptions in the Zoning Bylaw (which this consultingfirm will be doing) as some present uses are made non-conforming in this new draft. This means that eachlandowner will have to continue to be vigilant inmaking sure their uses are not missed. Apparently Council held a meeting on December 22after this series of meetings (one in each of the oldmunicipalities). Its purpose was to deal with any issuesbrought up. Some changes to the draft were approvedmost of which are fairly minor.- In the Shoreline Residential zone, the requirement fora drilled well has been changed to only requiring a wellbut the water must still meet MOE’s Drinking WaterObjectives as a condition of approval.- ‘The consultant will review Agriculture land use onAmherst Island with the Ministry of Agriculture. Foodand Rural Affairs.’ [from the meeting’s minutes]- Topsy Farm property has been re-designatedAgricultural.

Next the plan is to be sent off to the Ministry ofMunicipal Affairs for a ‘one window review’ (thequotes are in the minutes of the December 22 meetingso it is likely that the writer didn’t know what it meantwhich I don’t either). It will also be sent to thesurrounding municipalities also. This is expected totake about three months after which there will be astatutory public meeting held after the Ministryapproves the plan and the process should be completedin the early summer of 2000'. What this suggests to meis that if you want changes to the draft or simply wantto comment on it, the time is now rather than laterbecause once the Ministry approves the draft, it seemsless likely that changes will be made.*****

{Page 3}

Regular Council Meeting- Don TubbJanuary 10th, 2000 The meeting started about 20 minutes late (withappropriate apologies from the Reeve) but was madeup for by ending early (before 8:00 p.m.). You mightthink that there was nothing to report.... wrong. Therewill be some items included in this report from theminutes of the December 22nd meeting. Duncan Ashley was not present for the January10th meeting (family matters) but all other members ofCouncil were present. I think that all usual members ofstaff were also present but I may be wrong herebecause the overflowing crowd of 3 obscured my view. Staff Sgt. MacPherson (OPP DetachmentCommander) gave his usual policing update. Activitygenerally declined this month compared with last year.This seems to go up and down with no particularpattern. Next month he will be giving us a summary ofthe year’s activities which should be more interesting. The Reeve gave a short address - A State of theUnion - which listed accomplishments for 1999 andchallenges for 2000. It looks like Council and staff willbe kept busy this month. Among the items listed were:- trying to obtain the Frontenac II as the permanentferry,- completing the Official Plan and Zoning By-law,- continuing the Amherst Island history project,- acquiring photos of former Reeves of both AmherstIsland and Bath to be displayed in the CouncilChambers,- opening the micro filtration water plant inAmherstview,- opening the new municipal garage on County Road 6,- signing a contract with the OPP. Of course, he made mention of the desire to

continue the Township’s low tax policy. Thedepartments had been requested to provide a shortsummary of their accomplishments. Now I won’t listthem all but some struck my fancy:- Clerk’s Department: - a review of all current municipal policies isunderway (90% complete) and a new policy manual isexpected to be done by the spring of this year; - a computerized by-law directory has been completedallowing the user to search not only by the by-law’snumber but also by subject.- Fire Department: - a unified Emergency Plan was completed; - a new 1700 gallon tank and a new triplecombination pumper were put out to tender with theunits these replace scheduled to come to the AmherstIsland station.- Planning Department: - a digital base map of the Township is now up andrunning; - a grant program assisting owners of designatedheritage buildings in preserving them.- Recreation Department: - purchasing the Stella Bay park and dock; - painting and repairing the Amherst Island officebuilding.- Treasury Department: - a 10 Year Capital Budget for 2000 to 2009 will beproduced. Prick up your ears farmers... Included in the agendapackage was a letter from the Minister of Agriculture,Food and Rural Affairs, Ernie Hardeman. He wasannouncing public consultations ‘to gather input onintensive agricultural operations and their effect onrural communities’. Included with this letter was a listof dates and locations (the closest one in the HastingsCivic Centre on January 26th), a discussion paper, anda questionnaire. The purpose of the consultations is to get a feel forwhat, if any, controls are needed on intensiveagricultural operations to

{Page 4}

minimize conflict with any neighbouring residentialareas. While there is nothing that would qualify as an‘intensive agricultural operation’ on the Island, itprobably is a good idea to keep watch on theseproceedings. There are options mentioned which wouldapply controls like nutrient management planning to allfarms (livestock and cash crop). One option evenincluding golf courses, parks and residential lots. Ifanyone wants a copy of this document, I would suspectthat it was channeled to the Planning Department (the

letter dated December 30th and received by theTownship on January 4th). In other news, while it isn’t official yet, it appearsthat Council will nominate Sister Leonard for theOrder of Ontario. She is the founder of the Partners inMission Food Bank. Since 1986 two hundred andsixty-eight people have been honoured. ‘The awardpays tribute to exceptional people who exemplify thehighest qualities of achievement and excellence in theirchosen professions or in community service on aninternational, national or provincial level.’ The Township has committed itself to aGroundwater Management Study. From thedocumentation, this appears to be scheduled overseveral years with a total estimated cost of $100,000.We will see if they find any water on the Island. Remember the Noise Control By-law... it’s finallyback from the Ministry of the Environment with itsblessing. If I remember correctly, it was passed inresponse to Township residents complaining ofexcessive noises from these new fangled devices calledhorseless carriages. Last but not least is just a mention of the 1999building activity in the Township. House starts are up20% from 1998 with 55 houses, 4 semi-detachedhouses, and 8 multi-unit residences built. These wereworth $8,287,459. Construction revenue is up 17%from the previous year. The number of projectsincluded 19 commercial, 2 industrial and 3institutional, worth a total of $4,902,538. There wereeven 5 new farm buildings and 2 farm renovationsbegun worth $105,000. Plus, a total of 155 renovationand addition projects were started worth $1,378,705.In total there were 208 projects worth $14,082,129which generated $122,295.50 in fees. At the December 22nd meeting, new rates forcommunity facilities were approved. Some wereincreased like the ice rates (5%), others remain thesame like th pool, and others decrease like those for theAmherstview and Odessa Community Halls. Also at this meeting, the Committees wereapproved. Some Island residents sitting on thesecommittees are: Cemetery (W. Bruce Caughey,Dorothy McGinn and Doris Wemp);Adjustment (Jacqueline Sylvester); Planning (Ian Murray);Recreation & Property (Rick Bedford & LynnFleming).*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Get well wishes this month to Bill Morton, who isin

hospital recovering from a stroke; Myles Hutchingswho recently travelled to London, Ontario, for daysurgery and Audrey Miller, who has again been in andout of the hospital. Condolences to Anna Hitchins and family,following the passing of her husband, Henry, earlierthis month. Jim, Lynann and Ben Whitton travelled to Australiato spend the holidays with Lynann’s family. Myparents, Art and Kay Wolfreys, (Orlando, Florida),spent Christmas with our family on the island. CarlShangraw (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) spent almost amonth over the holidays with his sister, Karen J.Fleming and family. As well, many

{Page 5}

college and university students were home for theChristmas season. I know there were many others whotravelled some distance to and from the island for theholidays, I just don’t have the details. Congratulations to Stewart and Kathy Reed, whogot an early Christmas present with the birth of their1st grandchild. Donald and Christine Reed welcomedtheir daughter, Emily Noel into the world on December22nd. Congratulations also to first time uncles -Christopher and William Reed. Jack Ellis called on theweekend to let the Beacon know that an unidentified“explosive device” had washed up on the shore of theircottage. The Military Bomb Disposal Unit, fromTrenton arrived Sunday to take care of things! About 150 islanders celebrated the arrival of theNew Year at the Community Centre with friends andfamily. A Roast Sirloin dinner, with all the trimmings,was followed by a dance that wrapped up around 2:00am.! Don’t forget, if you have something that you wouldlike to see in the Beacon Neighbourhood column,please give me a call @ 634-2509. Many thanks to allthat do call with news! Finally, Larry and I do appreciate all thecompliments and comments regarding “our star” on thesilo! Unfortunately we can only take credit for the oneon the T.V. antennae, Tom Richmond is responsiblefor bravely climbing the silo and installing it for thepast 2 seasons. It is pretty amazing to see this hugestar hanging in the dark as the ferry approaches thedock. Correction to a misprint in last month’s“Neighbourhood”: Welcome to new full-time islanders; Eric and SusanFriesson, who moved into the former Ernest Appshome east of the village: and to Laurie Youell’s dad,Don Smith, who moved into the apartment above the

store. Happy New Year To All Of Our Readers!*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Leslie GavlasSenior’s Christmas Dinner A good time was had by all attending the ChristmasDinner. Members of our Institute enjoy putting on thisdinner. Earle Smith and the Pathetically Hip providedrousing entertainment. A traditional turkey dinner wasserved and we are very thankful to the 4H for helpingunder the leadership of Scott Marshall and SaraPollock. It all couldn’t have happened without thevolunteer support of community members includingNancy Dunn, Debbie Fleming, Lyn Fleming, BethForester, Dorothy McGinn, Debbie Miller, Janet Scott,Alex Scott, and Sheila Whiting. Many thanks to thosewho helped out with donations. Thank you all and wehope everyone has a wonderful New Year.*****

Thank You NotesCard of Thanks The family of the late Leonard McCormick wish toexpress their thanks and appreciation to relatives,friends and neighbours for cards, phone calls, anddonations of food after the funeral. A special thank-you to Kendra O’Brien, V.O.N.who took such good care of Leonard, before he went tohospital. Thanks also to the Payne Funeral Home and Rev.Andrew Chisholm for their care and consideration.*****

Obituary

Neilson Ada Oren Pringle Ada Oren Pringle passed away peacefully onMonday, October 18th, 1999 at Trillium Health CareCentre, Mississauga in her 97th year. She was born onAmherst Island. Her parents were the late Sydney andJane (Polly) Pringle of Stella, where Sydney Pringlewas a blacksmith. Ada was also predeceased bybrothers Archie, George and Ross (WW I). Ada was a graduate of Wellesley Hospital Schoolof Nursing (1926). She began her nursing career inWellesley Hospital Toronto. She returned to AmherstIsland in 1926 to nurse her mother, where in 1928 shemarried Roddick Neilson, a graduate of Queen’s. Rod,and brother Fred Neilson, operated The Neilson Storefor many years - a thriving business selling groceries,hardware, yard goods, grain and coal, to name a few.Ada and Rod build and lived in the house now owned

by Leslie Gavlas. Ada is survived and sadly missed byher daughter Ann and her husband Richard Large ofBrampton, Ontario.

{Page 6}

Ada’s nursing skills and kind and generous nature weremany times called upon on Amherst Island. She was avery active member of St. Alban’s Church, Stella,where she served on Altar Guild and as organist. Shewas a member of The Anglican Guild, and W.A.. Shealso worked with Jr. W.A. and Brownies. In later years because of Rod’s poor health theymoved to Kingston where Ada resumed her nursingcareer. Following Rod’s death in 1960 she moved toMississauga where she resided with her daughter Ann.Ada was blessed with both patience and a keen senseof humour which helped she and Ann together, througha long and difficult illness. These blessings have alsotouched the lives of many nieces and nephews and wethank God for them. A Service in Celebration of her life was held at St.Alban’s Anglican Church, Saturday, November 27th,1999. Rev. George Dunkley officiated, assisted byRev. Andrew Chisholm. Interment was in Glenwood Cemetery Amherst Island, followed by a reception atSt. Paul’s Hall.***

Henry Reginald HitchinsOctober 7, 1919 - January 4, 2000 Henry Hitchins passed away peacefully, in hishome, on Tuesday, January 4th. His condition hadbeen deteriorating during the past several months, as hewas cared for at home by his devoted wife, Anna, andmembers of his family, who were also assisted bymany caregivers. He had suffered a stroke three yearsago, resulting in hospitalization at St. Mary’s of theLake, where lie received therapy, which was continuedafter his return home. He had a further setback whenhe had a heart attack about one year ago. This lovinghusband, father, grandfather, neighbour, friend andIslander will be missed. Henry was the only child of Arthur Gilbert (Bert)and Ada Hitchins. (An older brother died at birth). Hewas born, and lived for the first three years of life, onthe farm presently owned and occupied by DennisMcGinn. From there his family moved to the presentHitchins farm, where Henry later farmed with hisfather, and would spend the rest of his life, and raisehis family. Henry attended Kemptville AgriculturalSchool in 1938. (Jack Roblin from Adolphustown andLyle Kilpatrick, now of Kingston, were students thereat the same time.)

Henry has always given much to his community. Hewas involved in most organizations at one time oranother. He was the first youngest Councillor,nominated by Jim Strain and Fred Neilson. He was amember of the Township Council when the AmherstIsland Consolidated School was built, and opened in1948. He was a dedicated and longtime member of theCemetery Board, having been there when the system ofPerpetual Care was introduced and was a promoter ofthe building of the stone entry pillars at the Southentrance to Glenwood Cemetery. He was one of theoriginal Directors of the Amherst Island MunicipalTelephone System, having replaced Arthur Kilpatrick,as the “West end” representative. Henry was a devotedmember of Burleigh Loyal Orange Lodge. He isremembered as having conducted the office of Chaplinwith dignity and in a very capable manner. He was afaithful worker within the Lodge, and looked forwardto the annual New Year’s Eve Ball, which theOrangemen sponsored for so many years, held in theOrange Hall. Henry served several terms as Trustee onthe Amherst Island Consolidated School board. He wasa 4-H Calf Club leader for many years, helping toorganize Calf Shows and “Fair Days” for the farmyouth of the Island. Henry served his

{Henry’s Obituary will continue after the followingfamily tree}

Ancestors of Henry Reginald Hitchins

Henry Reginald Hitchins

Gilbert A. Hitchins {father of Henry ReginaldHitchins}

Ada G. Fowler {mother of Henry Reginald Hitchins}

Alfred Wm. Hitchins {father of Gilbert A. Hitchins}

Mary Elizabeth McDonald {mother of Gilbert A.Hitchins}

Reginald A. Fowler {father of Ada G. Fowler}

Ella Mary Gale {mother of Ada G. Fowler}

John Hitchins {father of Alfred Wm. Hitchins}

Elizabeth Heath Wemp {mother of Alfred Wm.Hitchins}

John McDonald {father of Mary Elizabeth McDonald}

Elizabeth ?? {mother of Mary Elizabeth McDonald}

Daniel Fowler {father of Reginald A. Fowler}

Elizabeth ?? {mother of Reginald A. Fowler}

Richard Hitchins {father of John Hitchins}

William Wemp {father of Elizabeth Heath Wemp}

Mary Stapley {mother of Elizabeth Heath Wemp}

Barnabas Wemp {father of William Wemp}

Catherine Gates {mother of William Wemp}*****

{Page 7}

{Henry Hitchins Obituary continues}

Church faithfully, as Warden and Treasurer at ChristChurch in Emerald. and later as Warden at St. Alban’sAnglican Church in Stella. Henry has always been asupporter of Community events. He loved to playcards, and was a “perky participant” in a 500 Club anda Euchre Club, which each met once a month. Hisfriendly face, his cheery smile, and his little jokes willall be missed butt long remembered. His grandchildrenwill always remember the question he asked when theywould return from a swim - “Was the water wet?”, andthe way lie jokingly allowed their “After Eights” to beeaten after 8 o’clock! He will he missed by his wife Anna (nee Glenn),children Ross (Ada), Garry (Anne-Marie), Roberta(Brian Reil), and Arthur, grandchildren - Vicki andhusband Mike Rowden, Cheryl and husband RandyHuyck, Heather Reil and fiance Dave Mason, Jeff Reiland his wife Krista, Reginald Hitchins, Tracy andhusband Craig Monk, Heidi Hitchins and fiance TerryGeneraux, and Brett Hitchins; great grandchildren -Aleesha and Sommer Reil, and Mathew Huyck. Thefuneral was held in St. Alban’s Anglican Church onFriday, January 7th, 2000, at 11:00 am, with Rev.Andrew Chisholm officiating. Interment was in thefamily plot in Glenwood Cemetery, followed by aReception in St. Paul’s Church Hall. The Pall Bearerswere: Grandsons Reg and Jeff Reil, nephews RonGlenn and Leslie Strain, and neighbors Jim Reid andBob Howard.*****

Ancestors of James Leonard McCormick

James Leonard McCormick

Hugh McCormick {father of James LeonardMcCormick}

Victoria Hamilton {mother of James LeonardMcCormick}

John McCormick {father of Hugh McCormick}

Elizabeth Gibson {mother of Hugh McCormick}

Robert Hamilton {father of Victoria Hamilton}

Nancy Agnes Findlay {mother of Victoria Hamilton}

John McCormick {father of John McCormick}

Rose Quinn {mother of John McCormick}

John Gibson {father of Elizabeth Gibson}*****

A Letter Home I just erased a paragraph lampooning the Y2K viruspreparations but enough said about that considering noproblems were noted. What there is to talk about is the weather which, upuntil a couple days ago, was remarkably benign. That,however, has changed to just plain cold and windy.Perhaps we could hit a nice medium... you know somesnow for aesthetics and some cold to keep the groundhard. The tractors were starting to get stuck taking hayand grain to the sheep. We had another day or so of really quite good ferrytrips. The boat she rocked... she rolled... and she evenyawed. But what she did the best was to wash herself.Oh well, soon the fun will be over as we will be intoice sailing with smooth but noisy trips. Well we have a little space here so perhaps sometrivia is the thing to end this month’s Beacon. From the12th edition of Uncle John’s Absolutely AbsorbingBathroom Reader by the Bathroom Reader’s Institute...It’s 5670 according to the Hebrew calendar. It’s 4698 according to the Chinese calendar.It’s 1921 according to the Reformed Indian calendar.It’s 1421 according to the Muslim calendar.It’s 1378 according to the Persian calendar. It’s 2543 according to the Therevada Buddhistcalendar.*****

{Page 8}

For SaleWanted

For Sale100% Virgin Wool Blankets from Topsy FarmsCall Sally at 389-3802 or 389-3444.***

Albertan HomesHomes built or renovatedKen Albertan at 389-2662***

Baby-Sitter & Mother’s HelperLight yard work & homeworkCall Stephanie at 634-2509***

Bayridge Travel & Cruise CentreLeslie McDonald - Travel CounselorFor all your travel arrangements...Call 384-8065***

Baby Sitting!Shannon Youell389-5596 Reference available.***

Bulldozing Done$40/hour flat rateCall Llew at 384-4071.***

Certified ElectricianHome, farm and commercial workBuilding maintenance and repair on the IslandCall Tom Richmond at 634-1855***

Computer AssistanceCan help to build computer skills on many programs.Call Jan at 634-1995.***

Firewood for SaleCall: 389-4484.***

GLM ConstructionGeneral Contracting, Renovations & DesignContact Gary McDonald at 384-1456.***

Lakeshore Rubber StampQuick service for all kinds stamps (self-inkers, daters,signature, logos, business & personal)Call Linda Welbanks at 389-8441Fax 389-9770***

Lawn CuttingCall Tom deHaan: 389-6647***

LIN - SARMechanical - Peter WempHeating & CoolingSheet Metal Fabrication & InstallationPhone: 478-5417***

Matt’s Pet Care Service 389-1202I can care for your animals (cats, dogs, birds, rabbits,gerbils, fish, hamsters, etc) in your home or in mine.Good Rates. Negotiable***

Nutrition and Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more... For information, call Diane Hieatt, Body WiseConsultant, at 389-7074.***

Painting ClassesCall Shirley Miller at 389-2588.***

Picnic Tables & Weather VanesFor SaleCall Keith Miller at 389-2588.***

Portable WeldingCall Noel McCormick at 389-5172.***

PrintingA complete printing and design service.Contact Peter Morgan at 384-4102.***

Pumps of All KindsRural water system maintenance.Call Tom Miller at 389-0105.***

SeamstressAlterations, mending, custom clothing, home deco, giftitems.Call Debbie - 384-3188***

“Shelley’s Style”Hairstyling for women, men, and childrenContact Shelley Glenn-Hawley at 634-3079Address: 487 Coronation Blvd.***

Shore Well MaintenanceCall Warren Kilpatrick at 634-7869.***

Smart ShopYour Personal or Group Assisted Shopping ServiceCall Laurene Kilpatrick at 634-7869***

Whig Home DeliveryIf you would like to Whig Standard delivered to yourhome, please phone Jim or Sandra at 389-4484.*****

Senior Outreach ServicesFrozen DinnersFor orders, menus & informationCall Freda Youell at 384-4135*****

A.I.P.S. Club Z account number is 943 199 922*****

Loyalist TownshipThe Amherst Island Landfill SiteHours of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noonSunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*****

{Page 9}

Community CalendarJanuaryMon. Ja 24th Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.Sun. Fe 13th Reeve’s Levy 1-4 p.m. CouncilChambersMon. Fe 14th Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.Mon. Fe 28th Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.*****

ISLEDates to Note for Isle Cheese Ordering:Order In By Pickup DateFri. Jan. 21 Wed. Jan. 26Fri. Feb. 18 Wed. Feb. 23Fri. Mar. 10 Wed. Mar. 22Fri. Apr. 14 Wed. Apr. 19Fri. May 19 Wed. May 24Fri. June 16 Wed. May 21 {June 21}*****

Amherst IslandCommunity Bible Studymeets Thursday a.m. - 0945 - 12 noonFebruary... Syke FlemingMarch... Cathy GlennApril... Karen J. FlemingMay... Ann AlbertanJune... Helen LambJuly... Janet ScottAugust... Janet ScottJoin in a time of prayer and studying God’s word. All welcome.*****

News FlashCBC TV Program - “On The Road”Features Amherst IslandWednesday, Feb 9 ‘00 @ 7:00 PM*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417Winter HoursJanuary 21st - April 28thMonday - Thursday - 9 am - 7 pmFriday and Saturday - 9 am to 7 pm

Canada PostMonday - Friday 9 am - 11:30 am 2:30 pm - 5 pmSaturday 9 am - 12 noon

The Saturday Beaver will now be available at theAmherst Island General Store.We have a wide variety of products available.If we don’t have what you need, it can be ordered withdeliveries.Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays.Just call a day ahead to place your order.Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask that youpick up orders around 11 a.m. as we have no room forstorage in coolers at this time.

Fax ServiceFax service is now available atAmherst Island General StoreMon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page50¢ for each additional pageLong Distance $5.00Receive - 50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417*****

{Page 10}

Odessa OfficeC.A.O’s Dept (Diane Pearce)... 386-7351 Human Resources... Ext 111 Labour Relations... Ext 111 Anniversary Calls... Ext 107Treasury Dept (Ross Troop)... 386-7351 Budget... Ext 109 Property Tax and Assessment Info... Ext 119 Utilities enquiries... Ext 105 Accounts Payable... Ext 113 Accounts Receivable... Ext 114 Payroll and Benefits... Ext 106Trans & Waste Management (Jim Guest)... 386-7351 Road maintenance, ferry & transit info... Ext 117 Waste Management... Ext 116Clerk’s Dept (Brenda Hamilton)... 386-7351 Lottery Licences... Ext 100 Council information... Ext 120 By-laws information... Ext 121 Fencing enquiries... Ext 121 Transient Traders’ Licences... Ext 121Engineering Dept (Dave Thompson)... 386-7351 Emergency - regular office hours Water and Sewer... Ext 0 Public Works general information... Ext 165 Engineer... Ext 118 Street Light repairs, garbage enquiries... Ext 103Utilities Dept... 386-7351 Superintendent... Ext 108 Water and Sewer location of services... Ext 108Fax... 386-3833After Hours Service... 541-3202Community Animal Control... 354-5907 ... 1-800-535-0007

Bath OfficeBuilding Dept... 352-3361 Building & Zoning enquiries Civic addressing Property Standards By-law enforcement

Planning Dept (Murray Beckel)... 352-3361 Zoning, planning, severance Home based businesses Road closings Heritage issues

Bath - Sewer, Water, Hydro... 352-7204 Information

W.J. Henderson Rec CentreParks & Rec Dept (Patrick Beyer)... 389-3648 Recreation Director... Ext 208 Cemeteries... Ext 208 Arena and Parks administration... Ext 208 Programs... Ext 203 Ice and Ball/soccer fields... Ext 200 Hall and programs... Ext 200 Fax... 634-4045

Amherst Island Ferry OfficeA.I. Ferry Office (Tues, Wed, Thurs 9-noon, 1-4) ... 389-3393

Fire Dept Business- Odessa Station Fire Chief (Wayne Calver)... 386-3762

O.P.P.- Napanee General Inquiries (Business Hours)... 354-3369 Communications Centre (24 Hours)... 1-888-310-1122

e-mail: [email protected]*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: February 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 265}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 265 February 2000 {mislabeled as 264}

Newsstand$1.00 / Issue






Production for February250 Copies*****

Beacon Notes In the January 24th Council agenda package therewas a copy of the ‘Report on Amherst Island FerryService’ sent to the Minister’s Office and MTO inKingston. If anyone would like to read it, a copy willbe found in the Ferry Office (open Tues, Wed andThurs from 9-noon and 1-4 p.m.). It is straight forward and very readable with nobureau-speak or baffle-gab to be found. Obviously thewriter has not yet had the opportunity to take theBureaucrats’ Advanced Writing Course. We can onlyhope that Council will not allocate any funds to thatend in the current budget deliberations.

As you can see on this page, the new sign is up onthe Island Municipal Garage. It looks good.*****

Public Works- Ian Murray What a decent thing for our Council to do: TheStuart Miller Memorial Municipal Garage. Like manyothers, I miss Stuart’s presence on our Island. As wellas being a very interesting and entertaining person, heand his crew kept the road system going with aminimum of resources. Stuart was very skilled atmaking do with what budget councils could allow himfrom our small tax base - and always bearing in mindthat there could be a lot of snow to clear in Novemberand December. I’m glad that he had a few years towork with good equipment and a generous (relativelyspeaking) budget.

{Page 2}

It is a bit ironic that the only way that the townshipcouncil could justify building the present municipalgarage was to lay off the road crew - Ron and Gary -for a summer and put what would have been theirwages into the building. Maybe Ron and Gary couldhave a plaque of some kind too - perhaps beside theplaque naming the members of council. As I started writing this, the road plow went byclearing last night’s fallen and/or drifted snow off theroads so the school bus and others can drive safely tothe boat. Yeah, yeah, I know we pay these guys, butI’m always grateful to them for getting the job done;and for the times they’ve cheerfully pulled me and mineout of ditches in years past. I wonder how long its been since the roads crew lastmarked out an ice road. I thought of that as I waswaiting to get on the ferry and watched a pickup truckheading across the bay.*****

World Day of PrayerA service written by the women of Indonesia Friday, March 3rd, 2000Time - 2:00 pmPlace - St Alban’s Anglican ChurchParticipating Churches: St. Paul’s Presbyterian St. Alban’s Anglican St. Bartholomew’s Roman Catholic*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbJanuary 24th & February 14th Two meetings to report on here and, with one majorexception, there was very little to report about - at leastthat which is Island relevant. All members of Councilwere present for both meetings along with appropriatestaff members. Missing from the February meetingwere the Wartmans who are almost always present.Perhaps the driving was too treacherous.The Ferry Report The report on the Ferry was released to the publicat the January 24th meeting. In a covering memo, theCAO (Dianne Pearce) stated that this report had beenreceived by Council on December 22 then sent on toMTO and the Minister’s office. No word had beenreceived to date so a request for a review and responseto the Report was going out. The Report goes through many ferry issues: SocialEconomic Factors, Capacity, Service Inequities,Disability Service Issues, and Financial Implications.There is a section titled “Where Do We Go FromHere?”. MTO says it costs an extra $100,000 to run theFrontenac II. Council wants recognition of the savingsrealized by having the big boat in service. To quote therelevant section, the Township is proposing: The Township is willing to negotiate acceptingresponsibility for the actual costs, that is, the additionalcosts minus the amount saved by M.T.O. by nothaving the Amherst Islander in service. Those costsinclude:1. reduced operation of bubble system2. reduced accidents on ferry3. reduced ramp maintenance4. loss of revenue due to reduced capacity5. cost of dump truck for ice breaking.The Township is willing to negotiate cost sharing forthe balance. It should be pointed out that any additional costs donot necessarily have to be covered by fares alone.Amherst Island has been defined as the ferry servicezone just like Amherstview is defined as a service zonefor water and sewer. The costs associated with theservices provided to that zone are borne by the zoneexclusively. We, on the Island, do not pay for theinfrastructure for Amherstview water and sewer, andthey do not pay for ferry costs. These costs can be inthe form of fees for use (users pay for

{Page 3}

water consumed or for each trip taken on the ferry). Or

it could be as a land tax. There are good argumentsthat can be made for having part of the ferry costsattributed to landowners regardless of how frequentlythe owner uses the boat. There is a copy of the Report at the Ferry Office inStella.Back to Council...Cemetery Committee The minutes for the January 19th meeting wereincluded in the agenda package. These showed that W.Bruce Caughey has been chosen as Chair (byacclamation). A verbal report on the state of UnionCemetery was made by Earl Hagerman (a committeemember) which listed many issues that need attention.A work plan is to be drafted for all of the cemeteriesprioritizing the work needed. It was also proposed thatan annual Memorial Day be held alternatively on theIsland and at Union Cemetery. This would not beginuntil enough work had been done to make UnionCemetery look better.Roads Standard Policy Many Island roads do not meet the minimumcriteria for a low-volume, two-lane, gravel road. Staffproposed that a new class of roads (called ‘lanes’) bemade for those which do not meet the minimum widthcriteria. This would mean that the Township would nothave to include upgrading these lanes in the capitalworks budget. Quoted in the documentation is anupgrade cost of between $100,000 -$300,000 perkilometer. Council endorsed this recommendation.Groundwater Management Study A proposal from Oliver, Mangione, McCalla &Associates has been accepted to do this study ofTownship groundwater. The bid was $52,835. Othercosts will take it up to just over $70,000 (there wassome discussion between staff and Council membersabout various figures including some contingencyfunding which went right over my head). The bottomline is that the $70,000 will not likely be the final cost.Flood Plain Mapping Council has okayed staff to talk to the CataraquiRegion Conservation Authority about doing up floodplain mapping for Amherst Island.Korean War Vets Reeve Gilmore is looking for WWII and KoreanWar vets. Apparently the County museum and theLennox & Addington Historical Society were applyingfor a Millennium grant to recognize county residentswho served in these two conflicts.Wemp’s Bay Marsh Project Council approved a proposal from Ducks Unlimitedto spend upwards of $60,000 on this project. One maincomponent is to install a pump near the existing controlstructure to assure that water levels can be stabilized.

There had been concerns of flooding from this projectwhich apparently have been satisfactorily dealt with.*****

The Nieghbourhood Get well wishes this month go out to MylesHutchings, who is recovering at home from (more)surgery; Audrey Miller at home again after another tripto the hospital; Don Gregg is also recovering fromsurgery this month; get well wishes to Bea Wemp, whoreturned early (along with Ralph). from their winter inFlorida for health reasons. (Welcome home also). Welcome home to Paul and Nancy Henshaw whohave returned from au extended vacation inClearwater, FL. Bruce and Susan Caughey travelled toIndiana to visit Susan’s family this month. Winterludein Ottawa has been a popular place this month forIslanders. The weather seems to have been perfect sofar. Condolences this month to the family and friends ofBill Morton. Mr Morton died recently fromcomplications of a stroke he suffered earlier this year. Happy 90th birthday to Bruce Caughey Sr. Brucecelebrated with family and friends at a party held at theHelen Henderson Home in Amherstview. Youngestgranddaughter, Jill Caughey, celebrated her 20thbirthday with her grandfather. The afternoon was a“flaming” success. St. Alban’s Church hosted a “Robbie Burns” dinnerin January. It was an evening of dinner, toasts, andentertainment and was very well received!! Shirley Miller was featured this month on the CTV

{Page 4}

television show, On the Road Again. It was aninteresting 7 or 8 minutes, crammed with Shirley’spaintings, interviews and footage of the Island, but, asusual, not nearly long enough.*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Leslie Gavlas I was surprised when I read my news in the JanuaryBeacon that I had failed to mention our InstituteChristmas party - one of the highlights of our year. Itwas held at the home of Leslie Gavlas on December 8,1999. The change from our usual location was, verysadly, caused by the illness of Henry Hitchins. We alsodecided on the menu change, settling for Pot Luck.This proved quite successful as the food was very goodand a change from the many turkey suppers we all eatat the festive season. There were 15 of us seated attable, and were very happy that Jane Miller and Jean

McIntyre were able to come over from Kingston to joinus. After supper we had a short business meeting. Wewere wearing our new badge holders which are madeof the Women’s Institute tartan, and which had beensewn for us by Mary Kay Rombout. We can pin ourInstitute badges to these, and are looking for smallname badges to add to these. Members who havebadges for long-term service, or executive positions inthe FWIO would also place their badges on thesebadge holders. Freda Youell had a very interesting program for us,and then we exchanged Christmas presents, drawingnames of other members from a hat. This is usually amerry and pleasing activity. Our January meeting took the form of a slidepresentation by Bobbie and Michael Shaw, the slideshaving been taken on their recent trip to Bolivia andPeru. To this meeting we had extended invitations tothe PCW and the ACW and we were very pleased to bejoined by 15 people, some of them gentlemen. Theslides were excellent, and Michael and Bobbi weregood commentators. This was very interesting as thispart of the world is foreign to, I believe, everyone whowas there at the meeting. I think we would all like to gothere after seeing the slides, though it is unlikely wewill since it is quite a distance, and not a regular touristplace. The entire group expressed their “Thanks” toBobbi and Michael. The WI served a lunch after theslides to close the afternoon. We will not be having a meeting in February, a timeof the year when it is often difficult to get together. Thenext meeting will be on March 15, 2000, at 8:00 p.m.at the home of Jackie Sylvester. The topic fordiscussion will be “gardening” and members will beasked to speak of their favourite gardening tool. Wewelcome visitors, and possible new members. Thereare many gardening advocates on the Island, so comeand join us - the ground will be too frozen to be in thegarden - in what should be an interesting evening.*****

Thunder- Justin Hutchings Thunder is my rooster. I got him from my cousin.He was an egg. I had his sister Lightning first but shedied. I cried for a long time. On Christmas he got corn. He loved it. He ate it fora long time. He is mean to the dogs. If they are off the chain hegoes at them and the dog will be scared and will let himpeck them. My mom will put him away in his cage. Cory and I were sitting in the room and I heard ascreech. It came from Thunder’s house. We went out

and the owl had tried to get him. He does not like theowl. Thunder is black and white. He rides on thehandlebars of my bike or on my shoulder or on myhead. He is small for a rooster but he is the best roosterin the world.*****

{Page 5}

Burns’ Night Supper- CJ Kennedy On January 16th Amherst Island celebrated the lifeand work of the famous Scottish poet, Robbie Burns,at a traditional supper at the Community Centre.“Never heard of him,” you might say. Well, if youhave ever sung “Old lang syne” on New Year’s Eveyou know some of his work. He was very prolific in hisshort life, and his poetry is noted for its down to earthsubjects, penetrating observations and reflections, andthe deep feeling in his love poetry. Burns’ Night suppers are an excuse for overseasScots and people of Scottish descent to celebrate allthings Scottish, and it was certainly a grand celebrationat the Community Centre that night. There was lots toeat and drink, including Haggis and Whisky, andbagpipes to welcome in the haggis in fine style. (Burnswrote an Ode to the Haggis.) Then we were splendidlyentertained by the Singing Ministers, the ReverendsDavid McKane and Malcolm Sinclair from Toronto,with readings from Burns, songs and jokes. Burnsloved good food, plenty to drink, and all women, and Ithink that the Ministers did him justice. Many thanksto the Recreation Association and St. Albans’ AnglicanChurch for organizing such a good evening.*****

Reeve’s Levy, Feb 13, 2000- Ian Murray It was not easy to find a parking spot for this well-attended event. Many residents took the opportunity tomeet and chat with the Reeve, Councillors and Staff ofthis township. There were displays of paintings andcrafts as well as quite a spread of food and non-alcoholic drink. It was good to visit with former Reeve Jim Neilsonand Mary. Jim assured Councillor Duncan Ashley thatthe rumour from Wolfe Island that Amherst Islandturned down a free ferry is not true. A fair number of Island residents made the trip toOdessa including local TV personalities Peter Truemanand Shirley Miller. (There is a rumour that Keith hasbeen asked to join the Royal Canadian Air Farce.)Ernest Fleming must have been just about the oldest

person attending. Diane Pearce, Brenda Hamilton andtheir staff did a fine job organizing this event. The Loyalist Township flag was officially unfurledby Council members as a group.*****

Thank You Notes

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks andappreciation to relatives, friends and neighbours for themany acts of kindness shown to Henry during hisillness. (The phone calls, cards, visits, donations offood, floral tributes, and donations made at the time ofhis death.) My appreciation to Rev. Andrew Chisholmfor his visits and comforting words at the funeral. Athank you to the ACW for their lunch served after thefuneral. A thank you to Kendra O’Brien, VON and PennyBaxter, Homecare Worker, who took such good care ofHenry during his illness. Anna Hitchins***

My wife, Christine and I wish to thank all of theIslanders for their many cards, phone calls and visitsduring my recent stay in hospital. My problems arenow manageable thanks to you, your prayers andexcellent attention from the hospital. I expect to bewalking before the flowers bloom. God bless you all, Don Gregg*****

{Page 6}

Your Garden CalendarFebruary- Propagate stem cuttings of geraniums, fuchias, etc.- Plant other slow seeds such as impatients, peppers,eggplants, etc.- Place orders for shrubs, hedges, trees, etc.- Prune shade and fruit trees. Leave bleeders likemaples and birches until after they have leaves.- Visit local city and nursery garden shows.- Check dates of annual garden shows.*****

News From The General Store We are now carrying Crystal Springs 18 ltr waterinstead of Culligan. We are no longer acceptingCulligan jugs at the store. The cost of the water is$6.50 with a deposit of $10. We would also like to announce the all new cookiegive away. Attention all kids 16 and under, every time

you purchase candy, your name will automatically beentered into the draw to win the “The Big Cookie”, alarge chocolate super deluxe cookie. The first drawwill be held on March 17 at 4 pm, and there will be adraw held every second Friday after that, same time,same place. Enter as many times as you like. GoodLuck! Remember pizza from Capri is still available, large,medium and personal size. Simply let thaw, preheatyour oven to 350 degrees and heat for 8 - 10 minutesdepending on your oven. Thank you all for your patronage and support!Store HoursMon - Thurs 9 am - 6 pmFri & Sat 9 am - 7 pmSunday 10 am - 5 pm*****

A Letter Home Winter has arrived as of last month and yet it hasbeen pretty decent so far for feeding the sheep. Thesnow has helped a lot because we don’t have to waterthem anymore. And, today (Tuesday the 15th) is thefirst time we put chains on and blew out the driveway.We can only hope for a fairly decent winter. The Islandcertainly looks much better with a layer of snow. Ourlast load of lambs went to market last week so we’vehad our last payday until about October. The next bigtask on the farm is shearing which isn’t for a while yet. We are a little short on copy this month and so willslap in a few miscellaneous items we’ve come across...... Forestry is Canada’s leading export. Home Depotaccounts for about 10% of the world’s lumber salesaccording to a recent article in the Ontario Farmer (Ja18/00).... Your oddity of the month is that February 2, 2000 isthe first date when written in numbers (02/02/2000)where every digit is even since, (Are you ready forthis?), August 28, 888 (08/28/888). That’s a long time.This bit of trivia credited to a story in the NationalPost.... Just when you thought it was safe to go back in thepool.... apparently, at the next Olympics, there will beSynchronized Diving. Dear me, what are the Gamescoming too... the powers that be thankfully did in PairSynchronized Swimming but replaced it with TeamSynchronized Swimming. They have includedBallroom Dancing as a demonstration sport; and, wehear rumors that Chess is being considered as anOlympic sport!! What we don’t know yet is whetherChess is a Winter or Summer sport.*****

{Page 7}

From the ArchivesIssue 55 August 15th, 1982[Staff: This is part of an article written for the Beaconby Garth Orchard who was recounting his early dayson Amherst Island. At the time of this account, hewould have been in his mid-teens. He had come outfrom England on a contract to William Hill who will becalled ‘Willie’ in the account that follows. ‘Mr Hill’ isWillie’s father and ‘Becky’ is Willie’s sister. The farmwas on the Second Concession.]

The winter of 1929-30 was known as the ‘bad iceyear’. Although the bay froze over as usual aroundNew Years, mild and changeable weather caused manyweak areas and bad cracks so that only ice-boats orvery light rigs could cross. Consequently supplies of allheavier goods could not be brought in. Coal was thefirst to run out, followed closely by flour and sugar,then supplies of coal oil for lamps gave out, so thatmany residents had to go to bed with the sun, or sit inthe dark. The few cars that were around were laid upfor want of gasoline. The situation was becomingserious by the end of January, and finally Neilsonschartered the icebreaker tug Salvage Prince fromKingston to tow a barge load of coal and needed goodsthrough the ice to their dock. Most of the populationwere on hand to see the landing and help unloadprecious supplies. It was a day of relieved rejoicing inStella. I had my first scary experience of ice crossing thatmonth, when it was necessary to get a doctor from themainland for old Mr. Hill. Willie let me undertake thetrip, since I was the lightest weight. We hitched oursmallest mare to a light two-seater racing cutter and Istruck out for Bath. Much of the ice was ‘glare black’where you could see the thickness by the depth of tinycracks which formed as you drove over the flimsysurface. From two inches down to one inch, which Iwas told was the absolute minimum to take the weightof a horse. But our old mare was really ice wise (shehad been through the ice before and rescued), andtrotted gingerly around the worst spots. Dr. Northmorewas known as a keen judge of ice conditions, and metme outside the big dock in Bath harbor. He neverrefused even the most perilous crossing, and theIslanders really respected the simple efficiency andquiet courage of this dedicated doctor. We made thetrip to the Island and back to Bath safely, but I learnedmore about ice conditions from Doc. Northmore thatday than any other time. It always amazed me toobserve the nonchalant acceptance by most Islanders,of the dangers of ice crossing. Each season they wouldkeep driving across until someone went through, andthere have been several tragedies over the years.

February turned very cold with snow piled high inall the roads. There was no attempt at winter car travelin those days, and where the roads filled up, farmerswould just cut the fence and drive through the fields.After each heavy snowfall it was the duty of variousfarmers to break a track with their team and sleigh forthe mailman, who had to make his deliveries by horseand cutter along the concession roads each day. Themailman was our only contact with the outside world,and a determined, faithful, and obliging man he was!Just a phone call to the store for a badly needed itemwould see it delivered to your mailbox along with theWhig-Standard and the Farmers Advocate, whichprovided the only reading around the coal oil lampeach evening, along with Eaton’s catalogue. The mostexciting day was when the mailman dropped off theexpected parcel from Eatons. You gloated over everygoodie you admired in the catalogue picture, and neverminded that they “substituted with a high priced item atthe same price, rather than disappoint you”. One thingthat always amused me with the girls at the OrangeHall dances. One would glare at her rival in a newdress and mutter “Huh! Eatons, page 79 - $5.98” Theyknew them all by heart. Even the material in the prettyhomemade dress was expertly appraised, “Looks prettygood for $1.69 a yard” My parents had taught me basic needlework inEngland, so, with long winter evenings to fill, I ordereda bundle of quilting patches, and started cutting andsewing the pieces for a Dresden Plate quilt. When thefront pieces were all assembled, Becky got out an oldquilting frame, and arranged with a few of the churchladies for a quilting bee to help finish it, and this quilthas been used in my family ever since. Now faded andthinning the stitches have stood the test of time for overhalf a century; my only remaining souvenir of thosehappy Island days. My Dad had written that he was coming out to tryfor a job in Toronto, and find a house, once he wasestablished, for the rest of the family to join him. So ona crisp 25 below zero day in February, Willie and Idrove to Ernestown with the team and sleigh to meethim. With a light English topcoat and a fedora hat,Dad was ill prepared for a Canadian winter. But webundled him into an old “coon coat” and the overshoesand Yukon cap I had brought, and we settled down inthe straw of the sleigh box, covered with a big buffalorobe. Dad was fascinated with this wildly differentmode of travel, and I can still hear his delighted“Oops” every time the sleigh dipped into a snowypothole. We spent a few grand days of companionshipbefore he continued on to Toronto. That winter hadseen the great market crash of ‘29, and the beginningof the great depression here, so he was very fortunate

in finding work in his trade, and saving hard to havethe family rejoin him, which they did the followingFall. Due to lack of funds for his fare, my youngerbrother had to wait till later in the Spring of ‘31.

[Staff: In later issues, we will reprint more of hisaccounts.]*****

{Page 8}

Come and Celebrate60th Birthday Party for Stephen StreetWhen: February 26th, 2000Where: Amherst Island Public SchoolTime: 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Music by ‘R’ DJ Cash Bar and BuffetRSVP Please 384-6855*****

Smoke Detector Safety- Tom Richmond “Smoke Detectors Save Lives”. We’ve heard thatoften enough, but now they save money- up to $500!That’s because it is now a Provincial Law that Eachresidence, regardless of age, must have at least onesmoke detector - and there’s a fine if you don’t. Recently the faith some folks have in their detectorhas been shaken by a TV news report about less-effective detectors. Shortly after this report, the Globeand Mail published this statement from the makers ofthe First Alert smoke detectors: “...Not a single life hasbeen lost in a home with a properly placed andmaintained smoke detector”. Proper placement meanson the ceiling in a part of the house where theinstructions say it should be (and not in the box it camein on the shelf). Proper maintenance means bothMonthly vacuuming of the detector and changing the battery regularly, generally each time you change theclock for daylight savings time (spring and fall). Nodetector in your house should be more than 10 yearsold - if you are unsure - Change It. They Do wear out! Some smoke detectors are as little as $4, and theyprovide a level of protection. A good quality detectorcan be had for between $20 and $40. Smoke detectorscome in Ionization type and the Photoelectric type.Sometimes the only way to tell them apart is to lookfor the Americurium label which appears on eachIonization type. Ionization detectors are best forflaming fires, photoelectric detectors for smolderingfires. Although each will provide a suitable level ofprotection, you can see how having one of each wouldbe added insurance.

Carbon Monoxide detectors are also important tohave, and a necessity if you have an appliance in yourhouse (like your stove, furnace, dryer, etc.) that burnsa fuel - oil, propane, wood, coal, whatever. The bestones have an alarm and digital display that lets you seehow much of this deadly gas is being detected in the air- allowing you to note the change and (for example)correct that partially blocked furnace flue before itbecomes a problem! What else can you do to make your house safe?Join the fire department! Did you know that there is apopulation of 380 year-round island residents but thereare only Ten people on the fire department, and anadditional six on the EFR team. When there is a FireCall on the island, each one of these people has a job todo at a fire scene. If they are not there, that job will notget done. Take out your calculator: Once at the scene,it takes 2 people to operate the tanker truck and 1person to operate the pumper truck. It takes 2 peoplewith air tanks and a hose to enter a house for a search,and an additional 2 people with air tanks and a hose inplace and ready to rescue them. If there are any otherduties, such as property protection, you will need 2people more, and of course you will need 1 person toruncoordinate and control this operation. As you can see, we have counted to Ten. Next timeyou are in line for the boat, think about how many ofthese people are off the island occasionally just likeyou, especially in the daytime or on weekends. Thereare times when I am sure we are below 1/2 strength -and help from Bath is a long, long way away. Doesthis make you worry? It should. It is making yourneighbours worry. So what are you going to do about it? Employmentby Loyalist Township Emergency Services is open topersons residing on the island subject to writtenphysician’s permission and meeting attendance criteria. It pays an hourly rate of $14.84, and is partially tax-free. Paid training sessions (2 hrs each) are every otherMonday at 7 PM for the Fire Department, and the thirdThursday per month for the EFR Team at 7:30 PM.We have an equal opportunity and alcohol-freeworkplace program in place. If you have an interestyou can contact the chief of the department, WayneCalver, at 386-3762, or you can just show up at one ofthe meetings.*****

{Page 9}

For SaleWanted

Wanted - Spare WoolThe Red Cross is urgently asking for wool donations.This wood is used for making items for the needy. Ifyou have any wool left from long forgotten orabandoned projects, I would be happy to pick it up anddeliver it to the Red Cross.Contact Dianne Marshall at 389-0554***





Cisterns FilledCall Llew MacArthur at 389-4071***






Lakeshore Rubber StampQuick service for all kinds stamps (self-inkers, daters,signature, logos, business & personal)Call Linda Welbanks at 389.8441Fax 389-9770***



Matt’s Pet Care Service 389-1202I can care for your animals (cats, dogs, birds, rabbits,gerbils, fish, hamsters, etc) in your home or in mine.Good Rates. Negotiable***

Nutrition and Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more... For information,call Diane Hieatt, Body Wise Consultant, at389-7074.***



Picnic Tables & Weather Vanes For SaleCall Keith Miller at 389-2588.***


PrintingA complete printing and design serviceContact Peter Morgan at 384-4102.***





Smart ShopYour Personal or Group Assisted Shopping ServiceCall Laurene Kilpatrick at 634-7869***




The Amherst Island Landfill SiteHours of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Sunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*****

{Page 10}

Community CalendarFebruarySaturday, Feb 26th 60th Birthday Party for StephenStreetMonday, Feb 28th 7:00 pm Council Meeting

MarchFriday, Mar 3rd 2:00 pm World Day of Prayer at St.Alban’sMonday, Mar 13th 7:00pm Council MeetingWednesday, Mar 15th 8:00 pm AIWI Meeting atJackieSylvester’sMonday, Mar 27th 7:00 pm Council Meeting*****

ISLEDates to Note for Isle Cheese Ordering:Order In By Pickup DateFri. Feb. 18 Wed. Feb. 23Fri. Mar. 10 Wed. Mar. 22Fri. Apr. 14 Wed. Apr. 19Fri. May 19 Wed. May 24Fri. June 16 Wed. May 21*****

Amherst IslandCommunity Bible Studymeets Thursday a.m. - 0945 - 12 noonMarch... Cathy GlennApril... Karen J. FlemingMay... Ann AlbertanJune... Helen LambJuly... Janet ScottAugust... Janet ScottJoin in a time of prayer and studying God’s word. All welcome.*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417Winter HoursJanuary 21st - April 28thMonday - Thursday - 9 am - 7 pmFriday and Saturday - 9 am to 7 pmSunday - 10 am to 5 pm


The Saturday Beaver will now be available at theAmherst Island General Store.

We have a wide variety of products available.If we don’t have what you need, it can be ordered withdeliveries.Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays.Just call a day ahead to place your order.Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask that youpick up orders around 11 a.m. as we have no room forstorage in coolers at this time.


{Amherst Island Beacon: March 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 266}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 266 March 2000 {mislabeled as 265}Newsstand $1.00 / Issue




Printed AtKR CopyCat Town Centre


Production For March250 Copies*****

Beacon Notes The Amherst Islander has disappeared for what isrumoured to be a brief period. While we have noconfirmation, it apparently will return so the WolfeIslander III can be taken out of service to be painted. [email protected]. is the new email addressof Topsy Farms, Headlands, The Beacon, etc. We arenow a ‘com’ and proud of it. We’ll let you know whenwe go public and start trading on the TSE orNASDAQ. Spring is officially here, because the ice is gone infront of the Frame House. The waves can be heardagain.*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbFebruary 28th & March 13th Meetings A short report as there is not much to talk aboutthis month. All members of Council were present at theFeb 28th meeting but Councillor Bresee was notpresent for the March 13th meeting.

{Page 2}

The item for the February meeting was signing theOPP contract. This was done with appropriaterepresentation from the OPP and Council. In other news, it was mentioned that the LoyalistTownship logo has been trademarked. That means itcannot be used without licence. Opps! Hopefully wewon’t be in violation of copyright by advertising thisfact? The Loyalist Township Groundwater ManagementStudy will now go ahead. Oliver, Mangione, McCalla& Associates’ tender was accepted ($84,601). A new schedule of miscellaneous charges wasapproved. For us, only the ones concerning excavationand construction in road allowances would apply. Anexcavation permit is $25 plus actual inspection costs.A driveway entrance permit is the same. An entranceculvert is +$30 per foot (minimum charge of $600). One item of interest in the March 13th meeting wasthat a lease agreement has been signed between theTownship and the Weasel & Easel for part of theStella Bay building (the old Neilson’s Store). TheTownship is still exploring what does need doing to thebuilding for basic use and what can be done with it inthe future. The item for the farming community was Councilpassing an interim control by-law to regulate the usesof land for intensive farming operations. There areactually two bylaws... one to set up a steeringcommittee to figure out what is needed for a permanentbylaw. This committee will be made up of an OFAmember, a Health Unit representative, a member of theCattleman’s Association or the Ontario PorkProducers, a mainland farmer, an island farmer, thePlanner, a rural non-farm resident and a Councilmember. The second temporary by-law prohibits newintensive farming operations from being established orexpansion of any operation to the point that it wouley aTd(g8n isla)Tj31.aexpansion p0 Td(e.)Tj-0.12sum0.1t36 0 Td5( steer)Tj2exist0 Td(ing)Tj-184.91.aws..mem

iomm

units with a livestock density of great than 5 livestockunits per tillable hectare. The temporary by-law willcontinue in effect for a year (but can be renewed if thepermanent one is not ready). As I said, a short report...*****

Notice The Women’s Institute will not be canvassing doorto door for Cancer but will be sending contributionenvelopes to everyone on Amherst Island. Donationsfrom the Island will be separately recorded.*****

Loyalist TownshipLoyalist Township invites everyone to attend aCommunity Safety ForumOn Monday, March 20, 2000 at 7:00 p.m.at Odessa Community Hall Come out and see what Loyalist Township andyour Community are doing to promote safety for ourresidents.Coffee and doughnuts will be served*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Get well wishes this month go to Tom deHaan andBarbara Reid, who have both had major surgery andhospital stays this month. Also to Faye Wemp, CoraleeMarshall. Lilliam Miller, Audrey Miller, RyanMcGinn and Stephanie Fleming who have made tripsto the hospital or medical facilities due to illness ormedical procedures. We wish you all a speedyrecovery. Condolences to Marion Glenn, Elsie Willard.and Stratton Reid and families following the passing oftheir father (grandfather and great-grandfather).Gordon Reid died March 13, following a brief illnessat the age of 95. Also our sympathy to Emily Tugwelland family on the passing of Emily’s sister. DorothyWills, on March 2. 2000. John Mayman recently attended the MiningMillenium 2000 conference in Toronto. The week longconference ran from March 5 - 10, and dealt withmineral exploration and mining among other things.

{Page 3}

John is a milling engineer and geoscientist. Congratulations to Mary Kay Rumbout whorecently became a grand mother when her daughter andson-in-law became the proud parents of a daughter,Charlotte. Happy 65th birthday to Steve Street, who

celebrated with friends and family at dinner and danceat the community centre. Doug and Helen Lamb traveled to Florida for somewarm weather and Jim Whitton traveled to Phoenix,Arizona, to visit family and play some golf.Congratulations to the 4 AIPS students who werefinalists at the school Chess Tournament. GeoffreyMcDonald, Matthew Coleman, Talia Fleming and BethAlbertan all earned the chance to compete in theLimestone District School Board - west division -Chess Tournament recently. All 4 students placed wellup in the standings, with Geoffrey winning his level’smedal. He will go on to the eastern OntarioChampionship to be played April 2 at the KingstonCentre. Good Luck Geoff!! The entire student bodyand staff, along with some parents enjoyed an hour’sskate at Henderson Arena this month. LoyalistTownship Recreation donates free ice time to townshipschools. Spring break has officially begun for the localelementary, separate and high school students. Too badlast week’s balmy weather couldn’t have stayed aroundfor the week. Islanders were pleasantly surprised this month withthe sudden return of the Frontenac II.*****

A.C.W. Beef DinnerThe A.C.W. is holding a Beef Dinner at the A.I.Community Centre on Saturday, April 8, 2000 from 5- 7 p.m.The tickets are: Adults - $10.00, children 4-12 - $5.00 and Pre-school - freeAdvance tickets only.*****

Island History- A. Bruce Caughey Some Island history that comes to my mind on thisLeap Year day - I realize that there are few, who canverify unless it would be Ernest Fleming or VeraHogeboom. You have often heard me say that Amherst Islandwas a Dancing Community. Young People, especiallyteachers who gained employment in Island schools andcame to the Island, soon found out that if they weregoing to be part of the Community that they wouldhave to learn to dance. The round dances in this erawere the Fox Trot and the Waltz. The square dances,the Cottillion and Lancers. Two teachers that come to my mind were girls whoboarded in our home and taught school in S.S. No.5school - Neita Mitchell, who came from the hamlet of

Twin Elm (some 20 miles from Ottawa) was hired inSeptember of 1928, one of the years that I was a sailoron the great lakes. The other girl was MargaretPentland, from the hamlet of Dungannon in HuronCounty, where her parents, who had migrated fromAmherst Island, were devoted members of theMethodist Church, who did not think highly of dancingas a pastime. Kenneth Miller who was a good dancer,kept company with both girls, who very quicklylearned to dance, perhaps with some assistance frommy mother and father, who never missed a dance inVictoria Hall. I remember, that along with my parents,another Island couple, Tom and Lillian Glenn drove toWolfe Island to attend a dance there, staying overnightwith May Taylor (nee McCormick). My parents werealso very pleased to be invited to attend an Annualdance which was held in the “Dairy School” eachwinter ----- enough of this! I have gotten away fromthe topic of history, about which I intended to write. It was a custom on Amherst Island when a Leapyear came every four years, to organize a “BoxSocial”. This was the

{Page 4}

night when the female of a couple, who kept company,invited the male to go to this particular dance. Thiswas in an era when the “gents paid the fiddler and theladies provided the lunch”. Who could ever forget thedelicious cakes, many of them from their particularfavourite recipe, coated with delicious icing, as well aschocolate layer cakes, at least two layers high. The “Box Social”, which I remember attending waswith the following arrangement - remember thefamilies were much larger at that time - eg: the Millerfamily of the Third Concession were three girls -Arlene, Dorothy and Vera; the McGinness family ofEmerald were four girls - Marjorie, Mary, Rachel andAnnie. The girls prepared a box, or in some cases, a basketof food, which contained the girl’s name inside, withthe outside being disguised with wrappings such asnewspaper or brown paper, perhaps from a recentEaton’s order. When the girls arrived at the Hall,usually with some other male, these boxes weredisplayed on the platform on a large table, where fromtime to time the gents could look at them and try tofigure out which one he should bid on. When midnightarrived, an Auctioneer, usually John Glenn proceededto conduct the auction. Sometimes bidding becamevery brisk and it was not unusual for bids to exceed$10.00. When all the boxes had been disposed of andthe successful bidder hastened to open or remove theoutside papers he would then find a seat with her to

eat. (Coffee was provided by the organizationsponsoring the dance). I guess I was a little slow at placing a bid, or else Iwanted to get a cheap box! At ally rate I was the onethat got the last box, and to the great amusement of myfellows, the box had been prepared by MargaretWilkinson. Well anyway - “he who laughs last, laughsbest!” When I opened this box, it contained wonderfulfood - a variety that you couldn’t imagine! The boxhad been prepared by Aunt Meta, who was the “kingpin” of the Moutray family. She at one time in herlifetime had worked in a Nursing Home in Montrealand who had realized that her parents and twounmarried sisters at home on the Island, could nolonger look after themselves and she came back to theisland. One of the rules of the “Box Social” was that youhad to have the first dance after lunch time with the girlyou had eaten with. Margaret was not a good dancer,but I struggled through that and furthermore you wererequired to see this girl home and I remember walkingdown the street with Margaret and seeing her to thedoor - where Aunt Meta was waiting to be satisfiedthat her grandniece had got home safely. Another thing related to this date was that therewere a number of babies born on the Island onFebruary 29th, which meant that they could onlycelebrate their birthday every four years. I am unableto give the names, other than Kenneth Reid, the secondson of David and Edna Reid (nee Beaubien). Since originally writing this article, it has beennoted that Margaret Wilkinson Quinn (AdamsUpchurch) recently passed away at Trillium RidgeNursing Home.[Staff: Would anyone have any photos we could printnext month showing some of our history?]*****

Bob and DianeInvite you to share with them in celebrating the joy oftheir marriageCome and Dance with us April 15, 2000 8:00 p.m.Amherst Island Community CentreR.S.V.P. 389-2916*****

For RentCottage for rent. North Shore. Phone Cherry at 634-1212*****

{Page 5}

Descendants Of George McGinnis

1 George McGinnis 1751 - 1822 +Ann Nancy Staring 1755 - 1837 2 Anna Margretha McGinnis 1777 - +William Eadus 3 Sarah Eadus 1796 - 3 Martha Eadus 1798 - 3 Nancy Eadus 1800 - 3 George Eadus 1803 - 3 William Edward Davy Eadus 1805 - 3 Elizabeth Charlotte Eadus 1809 - 2 Timothy McGinnis 1782 - 1851 +Elizabeth Hartman 3 Mary Anne Catherine McGinnis 1811 - 3 Catherine McGinnis 1811 - 3 Adeline J McGinnis Abt 1815 - 3 Jane McGinnis Abt 1820 - 3 George McGinnis 1825 - 1894 +Harriet Matilda Bates 1829 - 1912 3 John McGinnis Abt 1825 - 2 Nicholas McGinnis 1783 - 1785 2 Sarah Ann McGinnis 1798 - +Joseph Stapley 2 William McGinnis 1788 - 1837 +Margaret M Howard 1789 - 3 James McGinnis 1827 - 1879 +Mary Ann Baker 1832 - 3 Gus McGinnis Abt 1808 - +[1] Caroline Howard 1828 - 1904 3 William Eadus McGinnis 1809 - 1852 +Christy McDonald 1806 - 1852 *2nd Wife of William Eadus McGinnis: +Chris McDonald 1823 - 1875 3 Mary Anne “Nancy” McGinnis Abt 1815 - 98 +Stephen Amey 1836 - 3 George Howard McGinnis 1816 - 1882 3 Mary Catherine McGinnis 1821 - 3 John Howard McGinnis 1822 - 1869 +[1] Caroline Howard 1828 - 1904 3 Margaret Catherine McGinnis 1813 - 1866 + Angus McKay 1814 - 1866 3 Elizabeth Thompson McGinnis 1826 - 1878 +James Jackson Wemp 1823 - 1905 2 George McGinnis 1792 - 3 John McGinnis 2 Elizabeth McGinnis 1793 - 1806 2 Catherine McGinnis 1795 - 1881 +George McLeod 1790 - 1879 3 Alexander McLeod +Frances Vosburgh 2 May Anna McGinnis 1798 - 1876 +Thomas Hopper 1796 - 1873***

Some Notes on

the Family of George McGinness, U.E.L.- Leslie Gavlas Ms Catherine Evans, a direct descendent of thisfamily has provided me with some interesting material. As a United Empire Loyalist, George McGinness,who had fought with Sir John Johnson in the war ofAmerican Independence, was entitled to a grant of 200acres of crown land. Each of his children had the sameentitlement when they reached legal age. Among thepapers I received are copies of the petition of George,in 1782, and of his daughter, Catherine, in 1817.George was granted lot 11 in Ernestown, and laterdonated some of th is land for the building of St.John’s Church and Cemetery in Bath. Catharine’s lotwas in Violet. George subsequently settled on Amherst Island,where early maps show some of his sons. In 1879,there is a copy of a document, witnessed by R.A.Fowler, which records a deed of land to “TheIncorporated Synod of the Diocese of Ontario” byWilliam George McGinness and Caroline McGinness(a great grandson and his mother Caroline Howard) oflot 12 in the first Concession of Amherst Island for$1.00. This is the site of the Emerald Anglican Church,now St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church. The home ofDelbert McGinness, to my knowledge the last of thatsurname on the Island, was to the west of this sitebeside the Daniel Fowler house. The building ispresently neglected and owned by someone in Toronto. William George McGinness was married to RachelEva Howard and they were the parents of Annie, whomarried Kenneth Miller. They were the parents ofStuart Miller and his sisters, Anna Wlasuk and GwenLauret. Annie’s sister, Ethel, married Royal Wemp,and their son Wallace married Catherine Filson. Theyoungest son of the family was Delbert, who marriedMavis McGinn. Their children were Harold, Jean,Robert, Delbert, Judy and Cindy. It is interesting tonote that William George’s wife was a Howard, aswere also his mother and grandmother. Other Islandnames I note in the genealogical tables: McMullen,Taylor, McKay, Hopper, Baker and DeForest. George’s daughter, Catherine married GeorgeMcLeod whose name appears on the early maps ofAmherst Island drafted by Tom Sylvester. In 1841,according to a copy of another legal paper sent to me,George McLeod sold to Stephen Mount Cashel, for thesum of 1000 pounds, “lots 24, the west half of lot 25,and the rear of lot 27 on the north of said Island on theshore of the Bay of Quinte”. At the same time his wife,Catherine, yielded her dower rights. This land is knownas the Glebe and is to the west of the dump road by aroad allowance leading to the Hamilton place.Catherine Evans is the great-great-grand daughter of

George and Catherine McLeod. She writes that hergreat-great grandfather had a cottage on this land andhis oldest grand daughter, Eva, used to row across toMillhaven every Friday evening during the summer topick up her father from a stagecoach. Thank you Mrs. Evans, for this interesting look atHistory.[Staff: alternate spellings: McGuiness; McGinis:McGiness; McGinnis]*****

{Page 6}

Garden Calendar For March- Start tuberous begonias and caladiums in pots.- Plant brassicas (cabbage family) and hardy annualsfor April-May plantings.- Start tomatoes, lettuce and other fast growers lateMarch to early April.- Order summer flowering bulbs.- Check and repair gardening tools.- Apply combination dormant spray to fruit trees andpest-prone shrubs when non-freezing weather permits.- Start forcing branches of spring-flowering shrubs andlily of the valley roots pips after buds start to swell.- Prune summer flowering shrubs and vines.- Loosen up packed winter mulch and press backheaved perennials.- Plan to add a few native bird-attracting berry plants.*****

Attention Gardeners- Sally Bowen Are any gardeners interested in organizing a springtour of each other’s gardens? Betty Wemp suggestedwe might find a few folks interested in sharing seeds orroots, ideas, stories of muddles etc. All are welcome nomatter the colour of your thumb. If interested, please call me at 389-3802. We’llprobably have one brief meeting to plan where, when,how etc.*****

Wanted I am still collecting the following: - used stamps -any country including Canada - for guide dogs for theblind. Good clean clothing for the animal shelter thriftshop and knitted squares, blankets, pet food, papertowels, etc., for the Napanee Animal Shelter. Pleasecall me if you have anything to donate or leave in myfront porch. The animals really need our help. Freda Youell 384-4135*****

Thank You Notes We thank the members of the “EmergencyResponse Team” for their assistance in the care of ourDaddy - Bill Morton, on January 9/00. Your skill,knowledge and quick response enabled Bill to have anopportunity to recover. We especially thank Elsie and Eldon Willard fortheir friendship and loving care. Amherst Island is truly a special place to findpeace. Thank you. Martha, Alice and Colleen.*****

An Open Letter to the Residents of Amherst Island The Odessa Agricultural Society extends a warmwelcome to the residents of Amherst Island as we arenow both part of the newly formed Loyalist Township.August 17-20, 2000, we will be presenting the 165th.annual Odessa Fair at the Odessa Fairgrounds. Withthe increasing urbanization of Loyalist Township, welook to our rural sectors to keep the focus of our fairon agriculture. Indeed, in recent years, it has becomemore difficult to involve the farm community in ourorganization. We look to any and all interestedAmherst Island residents to participate in our fairboard. We are a not for profit corporation operatingunder the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs. As residents of Loyalist Township, thisis your fair board too. We currently offer competitions in the followingcategories: Dairy Cattle, Beef Cattle, Goats, Poultryand Pet Stock, Horse Show, Horse Draw, Hay, GrainSeeds, Vegetables, Fruit and Roots, Domestic Science,Homecraft, Photography, Floral, and Arts and Crafts.Many of the categories also offer Junior and undercompetitions. Conspicuously absent are Sheep andSwine competitions. We would welcome any assistanceyou could offer us toward establishing these categories.We also invite all residents to compete in any and allcategories at our fair. Other exhibits we would readilywelcome include sheep-shearing demonstration,taxidermy, sheepdog field trials demonstration, canineclub training and/or field trials demonstrations, woolspinning and any aspects of conservation and ruralenvironmental issues. This year we are considering the return of theDemolition Derby on Friday night in addition to our4x4 Mud Drags held Saturday afternoon and theHeavy Horse Draw on Sunday. We hope to introduce aFair Ambassador program for youth 17 and over. Thewinner goes to the annual convention of the OntarioAgricultural Societies in February and to the CNE inAugust, 2001 for the all Ontario competition where thewinner is crowned fair ambassador of the CNE

involving a

{Page 7}

two week stay in a first class hotel in Toronto as wellas other exciting prizes and benefits. We would greatlyappreciate hearing from anyone interested in such acompetition. While our fair is relatively small compared to someother fairs in Ontario, our community spirit is big andour fair is growing with our new township. We arereaching out to a

course, there was an intense little snow squall going onwhich limited my view of the water to about zip. So, Icontinued in looking and looking ending up at thePump House Museum. There I saw a boat trackthrough the ice so I figured I had missed it. Well, Ichased the ghost westward until I got to Amherstviewwhere I could find no boat track. There are placeswhere the channel is obscured such as around LemoinePoint. At this point, I started back and finally ended up atthe Kingston ferry dock where the Frontenac II wasjust pulling out. After some inquiries, the storyemerged that the FII got just past the Kingston YachtClub when the engines overheated.. It had to go backfor repairs which took (including testing the boat byracing around Kingston harbour) several hours. Whenit did finally leave, it just walked through the ice like itwasn’t there. Someone said that an ice free trip fromKingston takes about 2 hours.... well this trip with iceonly took about 2 1/2 hours. So, I spent a good part ofthe day chasing a boat that wasn’t there because it firstleft at 10 a.m. and didn’t get to-0.18 Tce6 -13.2 Tdst


Nutrition And Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more... For information,call Diane Hieatt, Body Wise Consultant, at389-7074.***



Picnic Tables & Weather VanesFor SaleCall Keith Miller at 389-2588.***



Pumps Of All KindsRural water system maintenance.Call Tom Miller at 389-0105.***




Smart ShopYour Personal or Group AssistedShopping ServiceCall Laurene Kilpatrick at 634-7869***




The Amherst Island Landfill SiteHours Of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

*****

Amherst IslandCommunity Bible Studymeets Thursday a.m. - 0945 - 12 noonApril... Karen J. FlemingMay... Ann AlbertanJune... Helen LambJuly... Janet ScottAugust... Janet ScottJoin in a time of prayer and studying God’s word. All welcome.*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417Winter HoursJanuary 21st - April 28thMonday - Thursday - 9 am - 6 pmFriday and Saturday - 9 am to 7 pmSunday - 10 am to 5 pm




{Page 12}

{four pictures showing the Frontenac II starting inKingston Harbour and going up past Amherstview}*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: April 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 267}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 267 April 2000 {mislabeled as 266}




ProductionHeadlands Co-op14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0Voice (613) 389-3802fax (613) 389-3802e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0



Production For April250 Copies*****

Beacon Notes We are late... again. Work got in the way of thisenterprise plus my printer, scanner and computer allgot bad cases of the hiccups. I have no idea what’swhat with them. There isn’t time to do anything aboutthem so its coping time. There was a notice for a Public Meeting which wasnot run due to our tardiness. The meeting is to be heldon Tuesday, April 18th at the Community Centre. TheTownship wants input on the future of the formerNeilson’s Store.*****

He Is Risen!Do You Have A Sense Of Adventure?Join Us For An Easter Sunrise Service April 23, 2000, 7 a.m.St. Paul’s Presbyterian ChurchDress for the Temperature and weather.Pancake breakfast to follow in the church hall.A free will offering basket to support an InfantOutreach Project in Baffin Island (through AmyCaughey) will be available.*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbMarch 27th and April 10th This will be short because there was a distinct lackof Island specific items mentioned either at the Councilmeetings or in the agenda packages. The April 10th meeting started off with adifference. The OPP showed up and showed up instrength. The reason was unclear at the start... WasBath Hydro coming up again? Was there a delegationfrom the Women’s Institute (those rabble rousers)?Was Kingston presenting an ultimatum on their

{Page 2}

intention to invade? In the end, the OPP were there tosupport the passing of the Policing contract. I thinkthere were 15 officers there... 11 officers, 2replacement officers, 2 staff officers all introduced byInspector MacPherson. This represented all of theofficers assigned to Loyalist except for one who washome too sick to come. It begged the question - Whowas minding the shop? The answer was that no onewas on patrol but you could look at it from anotherdirection - all officers were instantaneously availablefor duty. And it made the parking lot a very safe placeto be. The Intensive Farming Operations Committee is upand running. One additional member, Steve Holmes,was added to the Committee. He is considering startingup a hog operation on MacIntyre Road which wouldfall into the intensive farming category. The Groundwater Steering Committee has beenappointed. Amherst Island is represented by LanceEves, Keith Miller and Ian Murray. The Heritage Committee has become interested inNeilson’s Store. At its March 210 meeting, a motionwas passed to investigate designating the Store as ahistorical building.

Included in the agenda package was a letter fromour MPP, Leona Dombrowski. She was writing toDavid Turnbull, Minister of Transportation,commending the decision to pull the Amherst Islanderfrom service. She went on to express the followingopinion... ‘I am also writing to indicate that it would betotally inappropriate for the Ministry to considerretrofitting this vessel. The Amherst Islander servicedthe island well for many years, however, islandresidents now require and deserve a larger and moremodern ferry. The Ministry must recognize that itwould not be an efficient use of taxpayers moneyretrofit a ferry which no longer meets the needs ofresidents.’ The Minister of Transportation, David Turnbull,has written to the Reeve (March 17, 2000). Heapologized for the delay in responding to the Report onthe Amherst Island Ferry Service (it was the one, Ithink, from 1972). He goes on to say... ‘please heassured that we are actively reviewing this matter andwill advise you as soon as we have completed ourreview.’ In a letter to Reeve Gilmore (March 23, 2000), theEnvironment responded to Councils concerns aboutlow water levels affecting the water treatment plantand the ferry docks. While they had no answers, MOEdid write... ‘According to projected impacts of climatechange, water levels on Lake Ontario could besignificantly lower during the next two to threedecades. It is essential that past water level fluctuationsand the potential for lower levels in the future be takeninto consideration by those who plan, approve andbuild water level dependent facilities on shorelines.’ Speaking of the Lake levels... the Department ofFisheries and Oceans web site for Kingston shows afairly steady rise in the Lake level since the start ofMarch. It has gone up from about 0.3m above datumto approximately 0.6m above datum (74.5m to 74.8mabove IGLD 1985 - whatever IGLD means). Council continues to be busy with the budget. Thenumber of meetings they have held over the past coupleof months has been quite staggering.*****

Food Safety SeminarSOS and Other Volunteer Food Preparation WorkersOffered by the Kingston, Frontenac & Lennox andAddington Health Unit and supported by SOSWhere?... Napanee Lions HallWhen?... Thursday May 11, 2000Time?... 8:30 am - 4:30 pmCost?... Free or $10.00$10.00 fee covers costs of a probe thermometer andhand-out material for those who wish to do the

Certificate Examination. (This is a regular $35.00course being offered at this minimal cost to volunteerworkers and friends.)

The course content will include:- Food Safety from back door to the plate- A review of Food Poisoning... and how to prevent it- Food service legislation and inspection- Temperatures for safe products- Pest Control I management- HACCP (Hazard Analysis, Critical Control PointFood Safety System) There will be a 50 question, multiple choiceexamination at the end of the day for anyone whowants to try it. Those who score at least 70% on thistest will be awarded a Food Service Certificate, validfor three years, that is recognized throughout Ontarioas meeting the requirements of the food service trainingstandards of the Ministry of Health of this Province. In the past three years, everyone of the 380 peoplewho attended this course and wrote the test has passedwith an average score of above 85%.“Guaranteed to be interesting, informative andentertaining?”Registration Forms At The Store*****

{Page 3}

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Get well wishes this month to Billy Bulch, DaveYouell, Leslie Gavlas, Barbara Reid and Earl Tugwell. Welcome to new permanent Island residents, Donand Pauline Pepper. Don and Pauline are in the processof moving into their newly built home next door toStratton and Barbara Reid. We also said good-bye toPenny Baxter and kids (Matt, Ben and Katie). Theyleft the Island and have moved to the Belleville area. Michael and Bobbi Shaw have returned from twomonths in England, visiting friends and relatives andwalking the coastal paths and lanes of Devon. Condolences to Christopher Kennedy whose fatherpassed away this month. Congratulations to Alan and Cathy Glenn, whowere doubly blessed in the “new grandchildren”department. Daughter Shelley and her husband FrankHawley, started things off by welcoming a son into theworld on March 26/00. 8 lb. 8 oz. Nathan Alan joinsbig sister Megan in the Hawley house. On April 5, sonSteven and his wife Suzanne welcomed their first child,a 7 lb. 5 oz. daughter, Sara Kathleen. Congratulations to Bob and Diane Horth, who weremarried on April 15, 2000 at a private family service

at St. Alban’s. An open reception was held at thecommunity centre for family, friends and neighbours. The ACW held their annual Beef dinner on April 8.The dinner was attended by a record number of peoplefrom the island and the mainland. The Amherst IslandGirl Guide leaders hosted the annual Lakeside DistrictGuiders’ dinner this year. The turkey dinner was puton by Susie Caughey and the 4-H club. The IslandSparks, Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders entertainedthe leaders with a play called “Somewhere There’s AnIsland”.*****

Mother’s Day Ham DinnerSaturday, May 13Amherst Island Public School5 pm - 7 pm$10. adults / $5 children 4 - 12 / pre-school freeAdvance tickets only, available from all PCWmembersContact: Beth Forester 389-5582 or Carol Glenn 389-0512*****

KFLA Health Unit NoticeRabies 2000May 6 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.Amherst Island Municipal Garage This service is being offered by your Health Unit,local municipalities and the Kingston Area VeterinaryAssociation, at a cost of $15.00 per animal.Note: Since June 2nd, 1986 it is required by law thatall cats and dogs in the Health Unit area be immunizedagainst Rabies.*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Leslie Gavlas The regular monthly meeting was held at the homeof Leslie Gavlas on Wednesday, March 15. A numberof items of interest were discussed. As reported in theMarch Beacon we will not do a door-to-door canvassthis year, but will be mailing donation envelopes to allIslanders. Although these will be mailed to our contacton the mainland a separate tally of the Islandcontributions will be made so that Amherst Island willreceive credit. A new pamphlet is available through the OntarioFederation of Agriculture reporting on the “BaselineWater Well Testing Program”. This is designed to testground water samples for inorganics, gasoline andsolvents, pesticides, oils and

{Page 4}

diesels and bacteria. The testing done through thissystem is not free of charge, although the bacteriaanalysis may be provided free of charge through thelocal health unit. Should any of our readers wish water testing of thisnature they should contact OFA. We are planning an open meeting at the school tolisten to the head of the local Council on Aging whowill give an overview on Senior Housing in the area.More details of this will be provided by, we intend, anisland wide mailing. We have decided against planning for the AnnualCleanup Day this year. In past years arrangementswere made with the school to involve the students. Iguess individuals who walk our roads, might be willingto collect garbage on their regular routes. Some of our new members were interested in theorigin of W.I. and the founders of the movement. W.I.was organized on February 19, 1897 in SaltfleetTownship through the combined efforts of Erland Leeand his wife, Janet, with the encouragement ofAdelaide Hoodless. “The object was to promote theknowledge of household science with a view of raisingthe general standard of health. This organization hasspread world-wide. Our branch on Amherst Island willcelebrate its hundredth birthday this year. Our next meeting is at the home of Jackie Sylvesteron April 19 at 8:00 p.m. We welcome visitors and newmembers. This being our birthday year will be a busyand enjoyable time to join us.*****

Loyalist TownshipNotice to Candidates2000 Municipal Election Every person who proposes to be a candidate in the2000 Municipal Election must file a Nomination Paperwith the Clerk of the Municipality for which you areproposing to be a candidate by Friday, October 13,2000. A $100.00 filing fee in cash, certified cheque ormoney order is required with the submission of yourNomination paper. No person, who proposes to be a candidate, maysolicit or accept contributions for the purpose of theelection or incur campaign expenses until that personhas filed a Nomination Paper with the Clerkresponsible for the election. Nomination forms and full particulars ofprocedures to be followed may be obtained from:Brenda Hamilton, ClerkLoyalist Township613-386-7351 ext.121*****

Loyalist TownshipNews Release - April 6, 2000The Loyalist Township Groundwater ManagementStudy Loyalist Township has retained a local consultingfirm to characterize its groundwater resources.Currently, approximately 1,675 residential homes andmany firms are fully dependent on groundwater.Oliver, Mangione, McCalla & Associates, a division ofTrow Consulting Engineers Ltd. (Trow) will undertakea Groundwater Management Study to identify areas ofconcern such as low well yields and poor water quality,and areas most vulnerable to groundwatercontamination. This study is funded by LoyalistTownship and the Ministry of the Environment,Provincial Water Protection Fund. The Township will receive an inventory of itsgroundwater resources, something it currently does nothave. The inventory will provide information ongroundwater sources, water well yields, water quality,direction of groundwater flow and othercharacteristics. Deputy Reeve McEwen states “Theinventory will by used by the Township to provideinformation to the community on the status ofgroundwater resources and general guidance on themeasures necessary to protect these resources. Theresults of this study will also be incorporated intopolicies for rural development which depend on privateservices, including water wells and septic systems”. Deputy Reeve McEwen encourages rural residentsto become involved at the on-set by filling out thePrivate Well Supply Questionnaire. The questionnairewill be mailed to rural property owners in theTownship over the next week. If you are a ruralresident and have not received the questionnaire, pleasecontact the Township. Trow will be collectinggroundwater samples from a select number of welllocations across the Township, and residents may alsopick up sample bottles at various locations, duringApril, for free bacteria testing of their well water.Open Houses are scheduled to be held in Odessa andAmherst Island in October 2000 to present the studyfindings to the public. A Steering Committee made upof Township residents, technical

{Page 5}

advisors, and municipal representatives has beenestablished for the study. For further information please contact FrankReinholz, 396-7351, Ext 102 or David Thompson,Ext. 118 at Loyalist Township.*****

Letters To The BeaconDear Friends on Amherst Island, I am writing from Baffin Island in Canada’sEastern Arctic. The Baffin Region includes 13communities and 113,000 people in Canada’s newestterritory, Nunavut. All the communities in the Baffinregion are fly in, including Iqaluit (pop.4,500), thelargest centre and capital of Nunavut. Iqaluit housesthe only hospital in the region, and in the territory - allother communities have Health Centres, which arestaffed by nurses. Doctors make visits to these healthcentres each month. Nunavut has a very high birth rate, which HealthCanada compares to that of developing countries.There are also a large number of young mothers, (ages13-19) giving birth. Four weeks before their due date,women leave their family and community and travel toIqaluit, where they wait to have their baby. Babies areborn in the Baffin Regional Hospital. Often womenstay with friends or relatives if possible. Morefrequently, however, they stay at the TaamaativvikMedical Boarding Home, an accommodation forpeople from the communities to stay when they are inIqaluit for medical reasons. Often women who stay at the Boarding Home donot have many, if any, clothes for their newborn baby.The hospital is challenged to keep up with providingclothes for the high number of births, and the price ofgoods in the North is extremely high. Through my jobwith the regional health board, I have found that thereis a real need for newborn clothing: hats, socks,sleepers, blankets. Knit hats for newborns would bevery appreciated. New items can be distributed throughthe hospital and good used infant clothing can behandled through the Boarding Home. I am working oncontacting First Air to arrange transportation of goodsto the north, which can be a costly endeavour. In the Inuit Culture, babies and small children arecarried in the amauti, or “hood” of their mother’sparka, which keeps them warm in the bitter Arcticcold. Still, there is a need here, and the need is veryreal. If you have questions about what is needed orhow appropriate certain items might be: please contactmy mom, Susie at 389-2012. Items can be dropped offanytime on the veranda at Poplar Dell, or phone forpick-up. The first boxes will be heading north afterEaster. Many thanks to all those already busy knitting andhelping out in many ways. Thank you for caring.Amy CaugheyP.O. Box 2042Iqaluit, Nunavut XOA [email protected]*****

The Weasel and Easel We are happy to announce that this season we willbe open for business at our new location, in the StellaBay Park building. We will continue to showcase localart and handicrafts including watercolours, pottery,woodwork, Topsy blankets and yarn plus lots of newitems. Watch for our Grand Opening in mid May!*****

Thank You Notes

Laura and I would like to thank all our family andfriends who helped me celebrate my 60th “surprise”birthday party. Thanks to everyone for the cards, gifts, and phonecalls and food. Also, thanks to Heather and the ladies who did awonderful job in the kitchen and to Rick and Larry forthe excellent job on the bar. Stephen Street***

We would like to thank our friends, relatives, andneighbours for cards, floral tributes and donations tothe charities. To the A.C.W. visiting committee and thePresbyterian women for providing the lovely lunchfollowing the service at the time of our loss of a lovingfather, grandfather, and great-grandfather, GordonReid. Thank you again. Stratton, Barbara Reid and family***

{Page 6}

Don and I would like to thank once more the manyIslanders and church organizations for the concern,cards and lovely plants sent to us. It makes us feel still very much a part of thecommunity, even though we are not on the island now. After spending most of my life, there, it will alwaysbe home to me! Also, thanks to Rev. Zander Dunne for his calls.They were both enjoyable and inspirational. Thank you friends for caring! Don and Chris GreggP.S. Also a thank you and a pat on the back for theeditorial staff of a great little paper “The Beacon”.***

The family of the late Gordon Reid extend theirheartfelt thanks and appreciation to relatives, friendsand neighbours for visits, cards, phone calls, donationsof food, floral tributes and charitable donations made

at the time of his death. Our deep appreciation to Rev. Zander Dunn for hisvisits and comforting words at the funeral and to BethForester for playing the organ. A special thanks to the P.C.W. for the deliciouslunch served after the funeral. Thank you to the R.J.Reid Funeral Home for the guidance and compassionshown to our family during this difficult time. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Management andStaff of Helen Henderson Care Centre, especiallyYvonne McGinn, for their care and consideration overthe past 7 years. Stratton, Marion, Elsie and Families (Reid) (Glenn) (Willard)***

I would like to thank my family and friends, for thecards, gifts and visits after my operation. Stephanie Fleming*****

New for SpringSweatshirts and Jackets Hooded full-zipper front, pockets with AmherstIsland crests. Available at the General Store along with a varietyof crew neck sweatshirts for children and adults. Theymake great gifts. Surprise someone you care about! St. Paul’s P.C.W. thank all who so loyally supportthe shirt and cap sales.*****

Garden CalendarApril- Prepare garden beds for planting. Dig in compost andother organic material.- Remove rose protection; prune and apply dormant oilspray before buds break.- Treat birches against leaf miner.- Plant trees, shrubs, perennials and biennials.- Seed outside cool-weather vegetables such as peas,spinach, lettuce, onions, beets and frost resistantannuals such as larkspur, sweet peas and calendulas.- Rake lawn, repair damage and seed bare spots.- Fertilize lawn with slow-release fertilizer.- Apply crabgrass pre-emergence herbicide if required.- Start lawn mowing only when needed.- Organize a compost pile.- Check out the garden shows.*****

A Few Good Questions...- from Helen LambIf there is no God, who pops up the next Kleenex in the

box?When a cow laughs, does milk come out its nose?Why do they put Braille on the number pads of drive-through bank teller machines?How did a fool and his money Get together?If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they stick Teflon onthe pan?What’s another word for thesaurus?What do they use to ship Styrofoam?Why is abbreviation such a long word?Why is there an expiration date on my sour creamcontainer?How do you know when it is time to tune yourbagpipes?Does fuzzy logic tickle?Why do they call it a TV set when you only get one?Do radioactive cats have 18 half-lives?What was the Best thing before sliced bread?*****

News from The General Store Congratulations to our cookie winners for themonth of March. Destiny Freeman won the March 17draw for a giant cookie and congratulations to AmandadeHaan. Amanda won the March 31 draw for a basketof goodies. Draws for April will be held on Apr.14 for anEaster basket of goodies, and on April 28 for a giantcookie. Got Your Name in Yet?

{Page 7}

The summer season is almost upon us once again.Summer hours at the store will start May 5 and will beas follows:Mon - Thurs 9 am - 6 pmFriday and Saturday 9 am - 9 pmSunday 10 am - 6 pmHours for Easter Weekend:Good Friday April 21 10 am - 5 pmSaturday April 22 9 am - 6 pmEaster Sunday April 23 10 am - 5 pmEaster Monday April 249 am - 6 pm Renovations are under way once again and we doapologize for any inconvenience. Watch the MayBeacon for more details. Nestle ice cream bars are now available and wehave a good variety to choose from.*****

For RentCottage for rent. North Shore. Phone Cherry at 634-1212

*****

Cottages for Rent by the Week.North Shore Amherst Island.Starting May 1st.Call Susie at 389-2012 for full details.*****

Island HistoryThe Garth Orchard Series[Issue 56 September 15, 1982] After learning most of the basic operations offarming during my two years as farm hand, I wasdetermined to further that knowledge by studying themodern methods. To this end, I sent away for all thegovernment pamphlets available through our localAgricultural Rep. in Napanee, on crop care, animalhusbandry, weeds, garden and orchard care, then spentthe winter evenings studying them. Mr. Buchanan, theAg. Rep. at that time proved a good friend and avaluable source of information. He took me to someJunior Farmer judging competitions on animals, grainsand vegetables. Knowing what the judges would belooking for, and careful selection of samples, enabledme later to win several prizes at the Fall Fair for someof our stock, grain and vegetables. It was quite obviouswho the best farmers were, and I tried to emulatetheir methods of thorough cultivation and clean seed.For a conscientious farmer there is surely nothing tocompare with the satisfaction of producing a bumpercrop of hay, grain and root crops, in spite of rockbottom prices. At that time oats and barley were soldfor 25¢ a bushel, pork at 3 1/2¢ a pound on the hoof,and eggs were sold at the store for 11¢ a dozen. Wehandled very little cash in those days, but every farmerhad a barn full of feed, a cellar full of vegetables andfruit, and home-killed pork and beef stored. Thewomen always had a basket of eggs to trade at thestore for the staples she needed, and any balance went‘on the bill’ to be paid out of the next milk cheque. Topay the taxes we sold a cow, and a couple of hogscovered the cost of new roofing for the shed. Our blackmare, Birdy, produced a sturdy colt, which assured ourhorsepower needs for years to come. Such was life onthe farm during Depression days. It soon became apparent that I needed help toproperly farm 150 acres, and I persuaded Keith to joinme that summer, and we worked well together. ThatFall we plowed ninety acres with a walking plow and athree horse disc plow, which enabled us, the nextseason, to thresh the largest crop ever taken off thatfarm. Meanwhile, Winter was our social season. Withoutradio or shows to go to, young people made their own

entertainment. Dances were held in the Orange Hall,with our ever reliable orchestra of Tina Filson onpiano, Alec Glenn on fiddle and Stirling Glenn onbanjo. These dances were well attended by both youngand old. In fact we young people learned all theintricate steps of the traditional square dances from themature couples who ‘promenaded’ gaily in everydance. Lunch was served around 11 p.m. withsandwiches, cake and cookies brought in by all themarried ladies (who also deposited their bundled upbabies in a row on the back kitchen table). If feedingtime came during that evening, there would be a shortrespite from the dance to pacify the hungry infant.Apart from the odd couple ‘going steady’ there wouldbe a stag line of shy boys on one side of the hall and arow of hopeful girls on the other side. You shyly askedthe girl of your choice for a dance, hoping you wouldnot lose her if it turned out to be a ‘tag dance’. Keith and I pooled our resources and bought aModel T Ford coupe for $15. The rumble seat had longsince been removed and replaced with a wooden box tocarry grist to the mill, and half the inside floor boardswere

{Page 8}

missing. This feature proved to be quite useful whenwe took our girl friends out riding in the evening. Wesomehow managed to find a puddle in the road, andthere would be shrieks as the girls hoisted their legshigh to avoid the incoming splash! Our tool kitconsisted of a spare magneto and a length of balingwire, which proved equal to all emergencies even whena rival swiped two of our spark plugs during aswimming date at the beach. In the early Fall, the Young Couples Club of thechurch formed a drama group, and we began practicingfor a play to be presented during the Winter. Thesepractice sessions were delightful gatherings, held atvarious members’ homes, always ending with a tastylunch and a brisk ride home, bundled together in awagon or sleigh. Scenery was painted, and the playwas presented to an appreciative audience in StellaOrange Hall. In following weeks we would load up thescenery and players in a big bobsleigh, and journey tovarious mainland village halls to repeat theperformance. The Amherst Island players attained afair reputation for we were usually invited back. Allthis is fairly typical of social life in those days, and wecertainly never felt deprived or at a loss for somethingto do! Threshing time in the Fall was a period of hardwork, hearty eating, and great neighbourlycomradeship. Since it took from fifteen to twenty men

to keep the threshing machine going, a group ofneighbouring farmers would work together, going toeach of their farms in turn till all the grain was safelythreshed and stored. Young men vied with each otherto see who could build the highest load of sheaves, orcarry the heaviest bag of wheat to the granary. ‘Onearm’ Willie Glenn with a wooden sling replacing thearm torn off by a machine belt, was an undoubtedchampion at building a wagon load of sheaves, and theman who pitched to him needed the longest pitchforkmade! Equally valiant feats of prowess were evident atthe lunch and supper tables, where huge roasts, bushelsof vegetables, and pies by the dozen disappeared asfast as the neighbouring farm wives could producethem. The heavy work made for prodigious appetites,and it was not uncommon to see a hungry man eat awhole pie after his main course, cheered on by hisfellow workers. The threshing session I remember best was the lastof the steam engine outfits, still run on a road by RobMcFern, though he was then well over 80. He wouldfire up the boiler around 5:30 a.m. and by six o’clockyou could hear him tooting for the team assigned todraw water from the bay for the engine which requireda tank full every hour. The old threshing machine wasthe largest on the Island. It was hand fed by a man whocut the sheaf twine and pushed the loose bundles intothe screaming cylinder at a rate that kept seven wagonshustling to keep up to it. Grain poured out a such arate that I have seen men running with bags full to thegranary. This delighted old Rob, who loved to see hismachine test the speed of the best crew. That was onetime that we had little chance to linger over the meal.Mr. McFern ate faster than anyone, and was soon outtooting for the machine to start again! Comparing thesenostalgic memories of the old ways with the highlymechanized harvesting methods of today, makes mewonder if we may be missing some of the fun andneighbourliness of those times.*****

WantedI am still collecting the following: - A&P Tapes - usedstamps - any country including Canada - for guidedogs for the blind. Good clean clothing for the animalshelter thrift shop and knitted squares, blankets, petfood, paper towels, etc., for the Napanee AnimalShelter. Please call me if you have anything to donateor leave in my front porch. The animals really need ourhelp.Freda Youell 384-4135*****

Recollections of The Moutray Estate

- Contributed by Bruce Caughey(The Beacon, Issues 9, 10, 11,12 1970)[Requested by a reader who met Margaret Wilkinsonat her Nursing Home.] Your reference in a recent issue of “The Beacon” tothe Moutray Estate being on the auction block, stirswithin many of those of my own “vintage” memories ofthe past, intimately connected with this old landmark. Ever since, through necessity the last of theMoutray family have had to seek care in a rest home,due to the infirmities of their age, we have had toaccept the fact that this beautiful old home musteventually pass to the ownership of someone else. In these days of ever-diminishing shore lines andever increasing interest in parks and park facilities, ithas been in my thoughts that perhaps sufficient interestcould be developed to enable this property to beacquired by the Township and Province and to betransformed into a most desirable park-site and amuseum combined. This old estate has very close connections with theoldest history of our Island Township and innumerableconnections with our development and progress.Named “Farnham” (a nobility title in the Maxwellfamily) I would guess that it

{Page 9}

might have been built somewhere around 1850 and1860. I would also expect that it was built for the useof William Perceival Maxwell who served as “agent”for the owners of the Island and who was latersucceeded by his nephew William Henry Moutray. It iswith the latter’s occupancy that 1 am most familiar butI have often heard my Aunt, Mrs. Henry Sanders(Sarah P. Allen) tell of the activities there during Wm.Perceival’s occupancy, for instance the first SundaySchool classes were held in the “Drawing Room” thatsection to the west of the house and this large roomwas the centre of many social activities of that era. The building now located on Art Drumgoole’sfarm, known as his granary, was originally a part of“Famham” and was the servant’s quarters, situated atthe North end of the East wing - a painting, by the lateDaniel Fowler R.C.A., was made when this originalbuilding stood there. When it was later replaced withthe frame section presently there, the building, referredto above was used by the “Militia”, for storage fortheir rifles and equipment (Miss Neta Moutray gaveme this information many years ago).

Part II William Henry Moutray was the son of Rev. JohnCorry Moutray, Rector of Erigleviough County,

Tyrone, Ireland. His older brothers were John Maxwell(Rev.) and Robert Percival (Capt. Royal Navy)(“Burke’s Landed Gentry,” Courtesy of Dr. H.C.Burleigh, Bath). In 1871 William Henry marriedMargaret Wilson and soon thereafter came to Canadaand took up his duties as “Agent” on Amherst Island,residing in “Farnham”. Therefore the Moutray occupancy of this grand oldestate has extended over almost 100 years. In additionto carrying out his duties of leasing of farms etc., thekindly and generous Irish gentleman always found timeto involve himself in the many spheres of activitywithin the growing and developing Island community.The late Mr. Moutray served for many years as theTownship Clerk, his foresight made him instrumentalin the building of the first Stella Cheese factory, ofwhich he served as Secretary Treasurer, theestablishment of the first grist mill on the Island, in theorganization of the Amherst Island AgriculturalSociety and the holding of the Annual AgriculturalFairs, which were held on his farm across the streetfrom Farnham for many years. When the need for anew township cemetery was recognized, about 1883 hegranted the purchase of the present site from theMaxwell property for the sum of one dollar and heacted as Secretary-Treasurer of the cemetery board formany years. Another project was symbolic of his foresight, theconstruction of the cottages on Stella Point. “ThePoint” had long been a community picnic ground, aswell as the site of one of our local ship yards and theerection of the cottages along with a “summer hotel”on the peninsula enclosing Stella Harbour was the firstcontact that Island people had with “tourists”.Prominent Kingston business men with their familiesspent their summers here and many of the descendantsof these families still have ties with the Island as wellas lifelong friendships. The operation of the “summer hotel”, presentlyowned by Mrs. Stein, was at one time a very profitableventure. The use of the building as accommodationsfor our Continuation School was brought to a closewith the sale of “The Point” to Samuel Sutherland, ashoe manufacturer from St. Louis, Mo. in 1928.*****

BlanketsYarnSheepskinsTopsy [email protected]*****

{continuation of Recollections of the Moutray Estate}

Part III During his service as Township Clerk, the Annual“Revision Court” day was a very auspicious event, asthe Reeve and Councillors were entertained at dinner atFarnham by the Moutray family. On many occasionshis kind generosity was taken advantage of but he hasleft a heritage long remembered by Amherst Islandresidents. Mr. Moutray was a great lover of horses and in hismore active years was a familiar sight “on horseback”,even after the advent of the automobile, his “carriage”,with the old gentleman at the reins was a familiar sighton the Island roads. In religious persuasion the Moutray family weredevote Church of England people, while I am notqualified to comment extensively on this phase of theiractivities, I do know that they were always devotedattendants and ardent supporters of the church of theirchoice. Two of the Moutray daughters married Churchof England clergymen. Rev, and Mrs. R.S. Wilkinson(Annie) were the first to occupy the new “Rectory”after it’s construction and Rev, and Mrs J.E. Lindsay(Emily) also served the Amherst Island parish for threeyears, (it is their daughters, Mrs Mervyn Murphy(Dorothy) and Miss Betty Lindsay of Ottawa who areundertaking the disposition of the property). Two recollections of Mr. Moutray are most vivid inmy mind, the first when as a boy, I might happen tovisit his office in company with my Father, in businessand the old gentleman would be at work at his desk,where he always wore a little round cap, known as a“skull cracker”. No such thing as a typewriter was thenknown so that all documents, in connection with hisbusiness, was done in long hand. Nor

{Page 10}

were such conveniences as filing cabinets in use andduplicate documents were stored in folios or books. Inone corner of the office stood a huge “safe”, on thefront of which was W.H. Moutray. The otherrecollection which I have, concerned the transportationto and from the Island in that age. The so-called “BayBoats”, passenger steamers which plied the Bay ofQuinte and the North Channel, to and from Kingston,Picton, Belleville, Deseronto and Napanee madescheduled calls at the Neilson wharf at Stella, adjacentto the Moutray property - this was the Commerciallife-line of the Island and passengers and in-comingand outgoing freight moved to and fro. It was acommon sight to see Mr. Moutray, satchel in hand,making a last minute dash across his own property to

board the steamer, usually at the same time as the“cast off” whistle was sounded and as the “gangplank” was being drawn in, he was off to Kingston onbusiness.

Part IV In those days the yard surrounding Farnham , wasimmaculately kept, not overgrown with lilacs andshrubbery as it now is, lovely flowers and well keptgravel walkways made it a most beautiful anddesirable estate. Of an enterprising nature, the late MrMoutray undertook many “firsts”, to mention a few ofthese, the installation of a windmill to provide a watersystem to pump water from the harbour to a storagetank for use in the home and to provide a water supplyon his farm, which was adjacent. This system waseventually abandoned in favour of a gasoline engineoperated pump and jack, which performed the sameservice. This engine was a single cylinder water-cooled“Olds” and no doubt was one of first gas engines madeuse of for this purpose on the Island. Another first was undertaken when he attempted,not too successfully, to light the home with “gas”,remnants of this equipment, which made use ofCarbide and water as used in the original bicycle lightsstill remain in the “front” cellar of Farnham. Indoorplumbing was another first in the Moutray home, manyyears before it came into general use in Island homes. Is it any wonder then that I suggest this historic oldsite as an ideal location for a park and museum,steeped as it is in the history of this Island it is indeedregrettable if it passes on to some commercial mindedperson to forever be lost as an historic shrine,dedicated to the genteel, honest, generous, God fearinggentleman from Northern Ireland whose contributionsto our Island community are inestimable. It was alwaysa puzzle to me that the late Mr. Moutray should havearranged purchase of a family plot in CataraquiCemetery, Kingston, rather than to have his remainsinterred on the Island which certainly must have beenso much a part of his life.*****

A Letter Home Spring is definitely here... signs from the Head:- the ice is gone;- the flowers are blooming;- For Sale signs are blooming too:- the snakes are coming out to sun themselves; and- shearing has been completed - partly. Shearing is a trial every year even under idealcircumstances. Trying to organize 3 shearers, 4 hiredhelpers, 5 people here, and 1000+ ewes adds up tostress particularly with it virtually guara

have rain just before or during shearing. I think wecould end a 7 year drought on the Sahara. Shearerswill not shear damp sheep. The forecasted scattered showers turned intovirtually all day rains both before and during. Therewasn’t any volume to mention - just periods of drizzlefollowed by periods of drizzle with short stretches oflight rain. We don’t have enough room under shelterfor all the sheep so some had to stay out. The otherswere huddled in the barns. It got real old in a hurryrunning each ewe out under an umbrella to get theirgrain... no... they were run out and fed their grainwhich allowed us to roll out some hay in the barns. The various flocks were brought back to the barnduring the brief respites between the ‘drizzles’. Oncethere, shearing proceeded normally. Its quite a jobkeeping the shearers supplied with sheep and gettingthe fleeces packed away. It does take the effort of 8people with most working full time to do this... there is:- a packer (putting the fleeces into bags, sewing thebags shut and storing them away);- two people rolling fleeces (picking off the bad parts,plus sorting the fleeces into the good, the bad and theugly);- three working on the shearing floor itself (picking upthe fleeces, keeping the area clean and bringing moresheep into the holding pens);- one person floating;- and a cook. In the end, we got 80% of the flock sheared in a dayand a half with one shearer scheduled to come backlater this month to finish off the job. The shearers workhard, hard, hard... 25-30 sheep per hour bent over atthe waist most of the time working on a 130 lb sheepwho doesn’t want to have anything to do this operation.*****

{Page 11}

For SaleWanted

To Give AwayDouble Cement laundry tubs to give away.Helen Bulch - 389-3411***

For Sale Wall Cabinet5 1/2 ft. long 2 ft wide glass door, one dower. Could beused in various ways, to hold ornaments, to store smallitems in a garage or shop etc.$50.00 phone 389-1540***

WantedI am still collecting the following: - used stamps - anycountry including Canada - for guide dogs for theblind. Good clean clothing for the animal shelter thriftshop and knitted squares, blankets, pet food, papertowels, A& P tapes, etc, for the Napanee AnimalShelter. Please call me if you have anything to donateor leave in my front porch. The animals really need ourhelp.Freda Youell 384-4135***

Wanted“Utility Trailer” good shape or not.Call - Amherst Island General Store389-0417***

WantedRent or Buy50 - 100 acres with water on property withoutwaterfrontCall 386-5197***




Baby Sitting!Shannon Youell389-5596 Reference available. ***










Nutrition and Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children*s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more... For information,call Diane Hieatt, Body Wise Consultant, at389-7074.***

For Sale100% Virgin Wool Blankets and Yarn fromTopsy FarmsCall Sally or Ian at 389-3802 or 389-3444.***

Painting ClassesCall Shirley Miller at 389-2588.

***

For SalePicnic TablesWeather VanesAdirondack ChairsCall Keith Miller at 389-2588.***









{Page 12}

Community CalendarAprilTuesday, April 18th 7:00 pm Community Hall -Neilson Store Public MeetingSunday, April 23rd 7:00 am St Paul’s Easter Sunrise

ServiceTuesday, April 25th 7:00 pm Council Meeting

MaySaturday, May 6th 5 - 6:30 pm Rabies Clinic at theMunicipal GarageThursday, May 11th 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Food SafetySeminarSaturday, May 13th Mother’s Day Ham Dinner AIPS

JuneMonday, June 12th 7:00 pm Council MeetingMonday, June 26th 7:00 pm Council Meeting

JulyMonday, July 3rd Canada Day (Mun Offices closed)Monday, July 10th 7:00 pm Council Meeting

AugustMonday, August 7th Civic Holiday (Mun. Officesclosed)Monday, August 21st 7:00 pm Council Meeting

SeptemberMonday, September 4th Labour Day (Mun. Officesclosed)*****

ISLEDates to Note for Isle Cheese Ordering:Order In By Pickup DateFri. Apr. 14 Wed. Apr. 19Fri. May 19 Wed. May 24Fri. June 16 Wed. May 21 {should be June 21}*****

Amherst IslandCommunity Bible Studymeets Thursday a.m. - 0945 - 12 noonMay... Ann AlbertanJune... Helen LambJuly... Janet ScottAugust... Janet ScottJoin in a time of prayer and studying God’s word. All welcome.*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417Winter HoursJanuary 21st - May 5thMonday - Thursday - 9 am - 6 pmFriday and Saturday - 9 am to 7 pmSunday - 10 am to 5 pm





{Amherst Island Beacon: May 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 268}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 268 May 2000 {incorrectly labelled as 267}




ProductionHeadlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2SO

Printed At KR CopyCat Town Centre


Production For May275 Copies*****

Beacon Notes First, we got a phone call the other day where thecaller mentioned how error free the Beacon was. Wetry but just in case there’s a real doozy this (or anyother month).... we offer a blanket apology for errorsin spelling, context, mis-facts, etc, etc - in fact, for justabout anything and everything except the weather. Second, we should give credit where credit is due.Our volunteers, Leslie for subscriptions and Carolinefor typing, take a lot of stress off the job up here. And,our regular contributors, led by the Women’s Institutereport and Lyn with The Neighbourhood do their thingmonth after month making the Beacon what it is.

Third, a call for more copy... now that our readersare requesting old articles, we can fill up the Beaconmore regularly but we can always use fresh copy. Mostsubjects are acceptable but we try to stay away frompersonal disputes, political in-fighting and the like... wehave to live here too. In the end, we will continue to stumble along,hopefully, with your tolerance and support. By theway, the Beacon rack in the Store has been movedslightly so you will have to actually look for it.*****

{Page 2}

Letter from the ReeveMay 8, 2000 Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues and staff I wish toinform you that I do not plan to seek re-election in theupcoming November municipal election. It has beenmy great honour and privilege to have served thepeople of the old Ernestown township as theircouncillor, Deputy Reeve and Reeve and to have beenthe first Reeve of the new township of Loyalist. I amproud of my fifteen years of service andaccomplishments and appreciative of the great supportgiven me by the people of Ernestown/Loyalist. To mypresent council colleagues I wish you all the best withwhatever decisions you make regarding November2000. Together we have done a super job bringing ourcommunities together and making Loyalist such a greatplace to live. I thank you, and all our dynamic staff foryour efforts in this regard. We have accomplished thisbecause we have been responsible, conscientious andpositive always collectively part of the solution and notthe problem. My sincere wish is that this spirit willcontinue with our next council and I will do whatever Ican to ensure it. We still have a lot of roads to cross before election2000 and rest assured it is my intention to continue tofulfill my mandate with the same degree of passion andleadership as I have hopefully shown to date. Paul Gilmore Reeve, Loyalist Township*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbApril 26th and May 8th Councillor Lowery was away on holidays andmissed the April 26th meeting but was back for the

May regular meeting. All other Council members werepresent for both meetings.Reeve Will Not Run Again: Reeve Gilmore read a letter during theAnnouncements at the end of the May meeting. Itstated that he will not seek re-election this November(the letter is reprinted on this page). He has servedErnestown and Loyalist for 15 years. Deputy ReeveMcEwen and Councillor Bresee who have served withthe Reeve for twelve and nine years respectfully saidappropriate good words about his time in office.The Budget Is Passed: After what must seem like an endless series ofmeetings, Council passed this year’s budget. Excludingcounty and education levies, the Township budget is$14,845,700. This is broken down into $7,756,200 forgeneral expenditures and $7,089,500 for area-ratedexpenditures. The overall increase in this year’s budgetis 2.1%. Council members congratulated themselvesand, in particular, staff for being able to bring in sucha moderate increase. Some also pointed out that whilesome tough decisions had to be made, the basicoperations of the Township were being taken care of(infrastructure and services) plus improvements toattract more economic development. [Staff: More onthe Budget later.]Minister Apologizes: For lack of a better word to describe Jim Wilson’s(Minister of Energy... etc) letter to Reeve Gilmore, thiswriter will consider it an apology. The context revolvesaround a letter the Minister had published in theNapanee Beaver (April 8th) which took issue withLoyalist’s decision to sell Bath Hydro. The Ministeroffers regrets on the impression it left and, in the letter,supports the basic thinking of the Township in makingthat decision.Aitkenhead/McFadden Minor Variance Fee Waived: The Township had waived the minor variance feeon a house being built by Brian Aitkenhead andShannon McFadden on PtLt21, Con 1. In what couldhave been a simple case of mishearing on the part oftheir solicitor, the house was built with not enough sidesetback distances. The Township decided to waive thefees that would make it legal non-conforming.Heritage Committee Begins Gathering Info OnNeilson’s Store: The Township Heritage Committee is looking intothe background of Neilson’s Store in an effort todetermine if it could be declared a heritage site. In theminutes of the April 18th Committee meeting someinformation had been gathered. Cynthia Flavell hasfound out that the store was established 1883 but itslocation is not certain. The present site was being usedin 1895 by the Neilsons. Any information about the

store is being requested by the Recreation Director, PatBeyer.

{Page 3}

The BudgetContinued from the Council report... The General Expenditures ($7,756,700) is for thefollowing Township wide purposes:- construction, maintenance, snow plowing, andlighting of Township roads, bridges and sidewalks;- fire protection and emergency services, includingenhanced 911, police protection, crossing guards, by-law enforcement and building inspection;- Conservation Authority services;- land use planning and development;- parks and recreation services, including the arena,swimming pool, libraries, and community halls and awide variety of parks and playgrounds. The Area-Rated Expenditures ($7,089,500) are forthe five general area-rated areas some of which arefurther divided:- Waste Management (Bath, Ernestown and AmherstIsland areas);- Water (Amherstview, Odessa, Harewood,Brooklands, Bath);- Sewer (Amherstview, Odessa, Bath);- Amherstview transit;- Amherst Island ferry. Of interest (to me at least) were some Island-relateditems:- $15,000 budgeted to retrofit a fire tanker for theIsland;- while the $27,800 budgeted for the Amherst Islandlandfill site represents a 54.2% increase in theResidential tax rate, the landfill site is projected toshow a revenue of $29,000 which means it is expectedto generate more revenue than expenditures ($1,200);- the ferry service was projected to run at a deficit of$5,300 but instead had a surplus of $3,100 and thisyear, it is projected to run at a deficit of $3,100;- the Island is assessed at a Year 2000 Current Valueof $31,658,775. All of this is interesting but what does it mean indollars and cents.... the following are the tax rates forthe property classes found on the Island.

Class 1999 2000 %

Residential /Farm

0.013498

0.013645

1.1% up

Commercial(occupied)

0.035604

0.035812

.06% up

Farmlands 0.003374

0.003341

1.1% up

Managed Forest 0.003374

0.003411

1.1% up

In a related matter, the County Budget shows anincrease of 1.2% in tax rates. The total budget comesto $11,744,238 of which Loyalist Township isassessed for 39%. Napanee has 38.3%.*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Get well wishes this month go out to the following:Sally Bowen, Dave Youell, Fay Wemp, and HeatherYoung. Good-bye to Bill and Beryl Stoker, who sold theirhome on the south shore and moved to Peterborough.Welcome to the Lavignes, who moved into MadelineKerr’s former home. Peggy and Stanley Burke recently returned fromseveral months travel to exotic locations. Mark Ritchiespent a week in Scotland visiting family. Happy 70th birthday to Eldon Willard. Eldoncelebrated with his family at a surprise party. Amherst Island P.S. primary and senior studentsspent a day at Gould Lake Outdoor centre.*****

Learn more aboutThe Lake Ontario Waterfront Trailat the following presentations:May 18 - Amherst Island,Amherst Island Public SchoolMay 25 - NapaneeFormer South Fredericksburgh Community Hall Planner Shirley Bailey, will present the DraftRouting Options Report on the proposed local sectionof the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail.Times: 6:30 PM - Open House 7:00 PM - Presentation with questions andanswers to follow.For more information call: (613) 546-4228 ext. 248*****

{Page 4}

Garden CalendarMay- Find out your average frost date and allow at least 2weeks later for tender transplants and warm weatherplantings, e.g. beans and corn.- Harden off seedlings before transplanting.

- Consider protective measures against slugs, cutworms, earwigs and tent caterpillars.- Treat roses against black spot and aphids as required.- Take notes and photos of bulb plantings for laterchanges and additions.- Dead-head faded tulips and daffodils.- Treat lawns against weeds and grubs as required.- Start regular hoeing and hand-weeding of gardenbeds.- Mulch newly planted seedlings and shrubs.- Stake and tie trees, shrubs and vines as required.- Plant tender summer bulbs, e.g. dahlias and glads.*****

News From The General Store Congratulations to our draw winners from April.Justin Hutchings won the April 14th draw for anEaster Basket of goodies. Cole Barrette won the drawApril 30th for a Jumbo Jet Kite. And congratulationsto Talia Fleming. Talia was the May 12th winner of aJumbo Jet Kite. Our next “surprise” draw will be onMay 26th. It’s not just a giant cookie anymore. Well all of the hammering, sawing and lots of handwork have finally paid off and we are all very proudand excited to introduce to you: the grand opening of“Youell’s Coolies”Soft ice cream and frozen yogurt treats The Grand Opening will be on Friday May 19th at11 a.m. Thank you all for your patronage and support.Have a safe and happy Victoria Day weekend.*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute The Women’s Institute will be holding the BakeSales again this year on the Friday of each longweekend starting on May 19th outside of AmherstIsland General Store.Time: - 3.45 pm.*****

Amherst Island Rec. Assoc.Annual Spring Dance & Fish FrySaturday, May 20/00 $20.00 per couplefor tickets call - 634-2509*****

Island HistoryMemories of Amherst IslandV. Garth Orchard[Issue 57- October 15, 1982] Time seemed to slip by until my two year contractwas completed. In the Spring of 1931 I received wordthat my Dad had developed rheumatic fever, and would

be laid up for many months, unable to work. While Ihated to leave the Island and the healthy farm workthat had done wonders for my physique, it seemedobvious that my help was needed more with the familyin Toronto. In spite of the drastic employment situationat that time, I was lucky enough to get a job as a juniorsalesman in a men’s clothing firm. For the balance ofthat year the whole family lived on my wage of $12 aweek. Dad was advised to get to a drier climate, andaccepted an offer of work in Winnipeg, so the rest ofthe family moved West. Keith left the Island shortly after and joined me inToronto, taking over my job when I was promoted toanother position. On combined earnings of $27 a week,we rented and furnished a two room flat, and lived likekings by careful shopping and developing our culinaryskills. I shall never forget that look on landlady’s facethough as she summoned us to her rooms on our returnfrom work one evening, to see a steady drip from theceiling into her dishpan on her bed! We had forgottento empty the waterman under our ice-box frig, and ithad overflowed all day! All in all though, we enjoyedour year of ‘batching it’ in Toronto. Early in the Winter of 1933 I received a distressingphone call from Becky Hill telling me that Willie wasdying of advanced kidney failure, and had asked if Iwould consider coming back to run the farm for them.With only a few days to make a decision, I gave noticeat work, and prepared to return to the Island. As anexample of the desperate

{Page 5}

employment situation in Toronto then, the firmadvertised the job (for which I had been paid $15 aweek) at $8 weekly, and had over a hundredapplications for it, finally hiring a married man withtwo children for the job. I asked him how on earth heexpected to live on that, and he said “Don’t worry,enough will go out the back door to make up a living!”Desperate situations create desperate people, and Icouldn’t help thinking that employers almost courteddishonesty by offering such starvation wages. The journey back to the Island was somewhatapprehensive as this was my first experience withimpending death. On phoning from the station I wastold that a neighbour would drive over the ice to getme, as Willie was not expected to live through thenight. Hustled up to his bedside, I was shocked by thegaunt shadow of the man I had known. He recognizedme and whispered “My wee man, you did come,” andshortly after, “Sing for me.” Holding his hand, I foundthe strength to sing that haunting Welsh tune of ‘Jesuslover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly’. Moments

later there was a long sigh as Willie breathed his last.When family and neighbours had paid their lastrespects and left, Becky and I were left alone to do thenecessary preparations. In those days there were no facilities available onthe Island for undertaking services. Mr. Miller inStella, kept one or two caskets on hand for ready use,and the family looked after preparing and dressing thebody. So, by the flickering light of a single coal-oillamp, we set to the task. After a careful wash, Beckyasked if I thought I could shave him. Gulping down mypanic, I said I’d try. With cold thin lather and muchpatience, I managed to remove several days growthfrom one side without a nick, then gently turned himover to tackle the opposite side, there was a long drawnout AGH H H! From poor Willie. Becky nearly tippedover the lamp, and I almost dropped the razor and ran;I was so startled, before realizing it was just airtrapped in the body, and not a resurrection! By the timethe shaving was finished, rigors mortis had set in, and Istill had the challenge of dressing him in his Sundaysuit. I cut the sleeves out of the shirt and slipped it on.Tying a tie on myself was easy enough, but did youever try doing it in reverse on someone else? The pantswere relatively simple, but the jacket proved quiteimpossible. Nothing would bend! I finally solved theproblem by slitting up the back right through thecollar, and sliding each half on separately, then pinningit back together! Hidden in the casket next day, thefinished appearance looked quite presentable.Nevertheless, my first experience with death was amost memorable one. It was a bleak February day,with ruts in the roads frozen solid, as we loaded thecasket onto our spring wagon and headed the cortegeof friends to the church on the hill That was probably the roughest ride poor Willieever had, for I was hard pressed to keep the casketfrom bouncing out of the swaying wagon! It remindedme poignantly of my first jolting ride up that same roadbeside Willie, on our way to the farm. So much hadhappened in those few years, and I recognized how, inmany ways, Willie had helped my growth from boy tomanhood. We laid him quietly to rest in the cemeteryvault, and I drove home to the sober responsibility Iwas taking on as ‘man of the house’ and farmer.*****

The Junior 4 H Clubwill be supporting the 10th Annual“All for the Animals” Walk-a-Thonon May 28th - in Napanee.To raise funds for the shelter. Members will be askingfor Pledges and there will be a Form at the Store.Many Thanks for your Support

*****

Cakes for All Occasions &Gift and Fruit Baskets(Cakes for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Retirementavailable)(All Gift and Fruit Baskets personalized) For more information please call Heather389-8246 Or 389-2822*****

Thank You Notes

I would like to express my “Thanks” to all thosewho supported me in my recent illness. The cards withtheir encouraging notes, the flowers, and books tocheer me, and the many gifts of food which I enjoyed,after my return home, did a lot to make my recoverypleasant. I’d also like to thank my family who stood byme when I needed their encouragement, and especiallyIda, who fielded so many telephone calls. I am verygrateful, and consider myself very lucky. Leslie Gavlas***

{Page 6}

I would like to thank everyone who sent me get wellwishes both in the hospital and since coming homethrough cards, phone calls, visits, flowers, baking andmeals brought in. I want to thank the P.C.W. for thevisit and the bedding plant, the A.C.W. for the lovelypie and visit. I would like to thank those who brought me homefrom the hospital and took me to doctor’sappointments. A special thank you to my sister Linda Brown forcutting my hair in hospital and for her many visits. A very Special thank-you to Stratton, Jim andSandra for all you did for me and just for being therewhen I needed you. Thank-you all again. Barbara Reid***

A very warm Thank you to our wonderful families,friends and neighbours, for all the lovely gifts on theoccasion of our wedding. You made it a very specialand memorable day. It was gratifying to have so many come out andhelp us celebrate. Thanks also to the Rec. Association for thewonderful job looking after the bar and the exceptionalluncheon they put on.

Again - Thank you all so much. Bob and Diane***

Thank you to all who sent cards, letters and kindwords of encouragement and support after myoperation. I am feeling better now and getting strongeragain. Thank you Dave Youell*****

New for SpringSweatshirts and Jackets Hooded full-zipper front, pockets with AmherstIsland crests. Available at the General Store along with a varietyof crew neck sweatshirts for children and adults. Theymake great gifts. Surprise someone you care about! St. Paul’s P.C.W. thank all who so loyally supportthe shirt and cap sales.*****

A Letter Home Lambing arrived on schedule this year. We werehoping that Mother Nature had got the rain out of hersystem in April but noooo... there was only a briefrespite of good weather before we dove back into wet,wet and really wet weather. Thank goodness our crew showed up again... Leahis back from the Left Coast, Beth came back for thethird year and Caroline fights the daily traffic jams inStella to get here. Of course there’s Chris, Dianne(who takes part of her holidays from the ferry to dolambing), Ian and Don. With Sally being sick, Sue hastaken over the fosters. The ewes and lambs, despite the rain and muck, aredoing just fine, thank you. Fifteen days into lambingwe are well over 2/3's done. The early pasture has beena blessing giving the ewes and lambs a good start onthe grazing season. One oddity is that the number ofewes lambing slowed down a bit last week whichseems due to some very bad weather during breeding -it looks like some things can get in the way of truelove. It’s been an interesting 4 weeks for the weather:some initial heat which brought our snakes out of theirholes; a brief snow to make things look very pretty fora day; rain (and more rain) with a spectacular lightningshow during the early morning of the thirteenth. Therewas one blast at 2:30 a.m. which was close... howclose, you ask.... I could hear the sizzle of thelightening path opening up (or whatever) before thebolt shook the house. It was tres close and I fully

expected to find a hole in the roof but no visibledamage was seen except for one fence energizerdestroyed. By this time next month, we could be well intohaying so I’ll sign off now and take a nap.*****

Cottages for Rent by the Week.North Shore Amherst Island.Starting May 1st.Call Susie at 389-2012 for full details.*****


{Page 7}

Water Levels- Staff Its been a while since we posted the water levelcharts from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans sohere they are. They show a rather dramatic rise in theLake level over the last 6 weeks. At the start of April,the Lake was above 74.6 meters. By the middle of thismonth that level was better than 75.1 meters whichmeans a rise of over half a meter in 6 weeks (for thoseof you who don’t like ‘centegraders’, which includesme, a half meter is just under 20”). The average for the middle of May over the last 80years is 75.0 meters. While there is no graph posted onthe web site showing the Lake average levels since theSeaway was built, it seems that our present level is alittle below the mid-May average for the last 40 yearsor so. [And now for a little scare mongering... yes!!!] Ifthe rise in water levels continues at its present rate,(better than 8cm per week) the Lake will reach the highwe had in 1993 (75.6 meters) another 6 weeks. Thatmay seem pretty unlikely but so did our present Lakelevel a year ago. So, consider your options because wemay all need an ark in a few weeks when the docksflood and the Island is split in two.{There were two graphs associated with this article}*****

{Page 8}

Wide Variety of Concerts Planned for

Waterside Summer Series 2000 The committee has been hard at work planning the

program for the seventh annual Waterside SummerSeries. The number of concerts has been increased tosix. New this year is a different gospel singing group,and a Baroque music and dance ensemble. Back bypopular demand are Wassermusik, singer JudithVachon, cellist Wolf Tormann, and the Kingston CeiliBand. In a change from the usual Saturday eveningschedule, the opening event will be on the first Sundayevening in July, followed two weeks later by a Sundayafternoon concert. The Baroque dance event, on July29, will be held at Victoria Hall in Stella. All otherconcerts are at St. Alban’s Church, as in the past. Allexcept the Sunday afternoon concert will start at 7.30p.m. The series opens on Sunday evening, July 2, withthe Wassermusik chamber group playing selectionsfrom Beethoven, Dvorak and Mozart. Islander andpianist Inka Brockhausen joins with four musiciansfrom Toronto. The Sunday afternoon concert on July 16 at 2.30p.m. features soprano Judith Vachon and baritoneGarth Hampson in Come to the Music Hall. Both arefrom Ottawa. On Saturday, July 29th at Victoria Hall, LesBarricades Misterieuses, an Ottawa area ensemblededicated to 18th Century Instrumental, vocal musicand dance, will provide a new experience to concertgoers.. The troupe of nine musicians and dancersstrives to recreate an authentic Baroque environmentthrough the use of Baroque instruments, period danceand costume. The four-member Eagle Band from Belleville, withcountry Gospel music to warm the heart and spirit ofall ages and tastes, will provide the fourth concert inthe series, on Saturday, August 12. The program for Saturday, August 19, featurescellist Wolf Tormann and pianist Cynthia Szabo. BothWolf and Cynthia, husband and wife who teach at theQueen’s Faculty of Music, will perform romanticpieces by Beethoven and Chopin, among others. The series closes with a familiar Celtic flourish onSaturday, August 26. Once again, a foot-stomping,sing-along evening is promised by the six-memberKingston Ceili Band.

Concert Schedule & Ticket Info Sunday, July 2, 7:30 p.m at St. Alban’s ChurchThe Wassermtjsik Group, Inka Brockhausen, Pamela and Pierre Meullen, EstherGartner, Leonard and Clara Odynski - from Torontoand Amherst Island. Sunday, July 16, 2:30 p.m. at St Alban’s ChurchCome to the Music Hall -






Nutrition and Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more... For information,call Diane Hieatt, Body Wise Consultant, at389-7074.***

For SaleWoollen Blankets, Yarn and Sheepskinsfrom Topsy FarmsCall Sally or Ian at 389-3802 or 389-3444.***


For SalePicnic tablesWeather vanesAdirondack chairsCall Keith Miller at 389-2588.***

Portable WeldingCall Noel McCormick at 389-5172.

***

PrintingA complete printing and design serviceContact Peter Morgan at 384-4102.***





BlanketsYarnSheepskinsTopsy Farmsand atThe Weasel & [email protected]*****


The Amherst Island Landfill SiteHours of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noonSunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*****

Senior Outreach ServicesFrozen DinnersFor orders, menus & information Call Freda Vouch at 384-4135*****

{Page 10}

Community CalendarMayThursday, May 18th Waterfront Trail Meeting 6:30pmFriday, May 19th Women’s Institute Bake Sale 3:45pmSaturday, May 20th Spring Dance & Fish FryTuesday, May 23rd 7:00 pm Council Meeting

JuneMonday, June 12th 7:00 pm Council MeetingMonday, June 26th 7:00 pm Council Meeting

JulySunday, July 2nd The Wassermusik GroupMonday. July 3rd Canada Day (Mun Offices closed)Monday, July 10th 7:00 pm Council MeetingSunday, July 6th ‘Come to the Music Hall’Saturday, July 29th Les Barricades Misterieuses

AugustMonday, August 7th Civic Holiday (Mun. Officesclosed)Saturday, August 12th Country GospelSaturday, August 19th Queen’s 2000Monday, August 21st 7:00 pm Council MeetingSaturday, August 26th Kingston Ceili Band*****

Weasel & EaselOpening for 2000May 20th, 21, & 22Open weekends until July 1stSummer Hours:11 am to 5 pm daily July & AugustCome and see us at our new location in the old Neilsonstore beside the Loyalist Public Dock and park.*****

Amherst IslandCommunity Bible Studymeets Thursday a.m. - 0945 - 12 noonJune... Helen LambJuly... Janet ScottAugust... Janet ScottJoin in a time of prayer and studying God’s word. All welcome.*****

ISLEDates to Note for Isle Cheese Ordering:Order In By Pickup DateFri. May 19 Wed. May 24Fri. June 16 Wed. May 21

*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417Summer HoursMonday - Thursday - 9 am - 6 pmFriday and Saturday -9 am to 9 pmSunday - 10 am to 6 pm

Canada PostMonday-Friday 9 am - 11:30 am 2:30 pm - 5 pmSaturday 9 am - 12 noon



Fax ServiceFax service is now available atAmherst Island General StoreMon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page50¢ for each additional page Long Distance $5.00Receive - 50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: June 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 269}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 269 June 2000 {incorrectly labelled as 268}



SubscriptionsLeslie GavlasGeneral Delivery Stella, On K0H 2S0(613) 384-2807

ProductionHeadlands Co-op14775 Front Rd Stella, On K0H 2S0 Voice 613 389-3802 fax 613 389-3802 e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, On K0H 2S0


CreditsCorel WordPerfect Suite 8

Production For June300 Copies*****

Beacon Notes This month’s Beacon will look a little differentbecause of some on-going technical problems. Myprinter has pretty much gone the way of the Dodo and Idon’t have the resources to deal with it quickly (ie buya new printer). The first alternative that occurred to me was topatch over to our other printer which, after 4 hours oftrying, proved fruitless. It’s probably a softwareproblem because my computer froze solid each time Itried to print. The next possibility was to bring the Beacon overto Ian’s computer. Only having 1.44 megabyte floppies

was an issue because the Beacon template runs about 6megabytes. So, I decided to take the template apart.This worked fine by separating the text and graphics.But (didn’t you know there would be a ‘but’)... Icouldn’t get the styles over so the little bits of graphicsthat appear at the start of most articles won’t be there.Some reformatting may also be noticed due to somedifferences in the fonts. So please bear with us as weattempt to sort this all out. Well it’s past time to get on with this month’sBeacon, so let’s begin with some good news...*****

The Back Kitchen Restaurant389-7200 The Back Kitchen Restaurant will be opening forits seventh season on June 23, 2000. I am feeling much better and look forward to beingback where I need to be for the summer. For this yearwe have scaled down the hours of operation to ensurethat I continue to feel better..Hours of OperationJune 23 - September 10Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11:00 am - 8 pmPlus Holidays - July 3, August 7, September 4 The Menu is pretty much the same including Fridayand Saturday night specials and Homemade bread forsale. We will not be selling whole pies but the sliceswill still be the wonderful pie prepared by Garry’sMother, Barbara. Lyn Fleming and Sandra Reid will be working withus again this year which is a tremendous help to Garryand I. See you soon for a meal, a piece of pie or just avisit. Susan Sedore*****

{Page 2}

“U Pick” Strawberries Last Week June and July560 North Shore Amherst IslandCall 384-4551 for picking conditions.*****

4-H Club “Annual Draw” ticketsare available from any 4-H member, leader or atAmherst Island General Store. Be sure to get yourname in for a chance to win the following Prizes onJuly 1st, 2000. Royal Doulton Figurine “Maureen” donated by

Doris Decorte Amherst Island Sweat Shirt donated by Poplar DellBed and Breakfast Wooden Tree Ornament donated by Alan Glenn 5 Free Movie Rentals donated by the AmherstIsland General StoreTickets - $2.00 each*****

Chicken Bar-B-QSponsored By The A.CW.Saturday, July 15, 2000, 5 -7 p.mAdults... $10.00Children 5 - 12... $3.00Pre-School... FreeAdvance Tickets Only*****

Regular Council Meeting- Don TubbMay 23rd and June 12th About 70 people turned out for the May 23rdRegular meeting of Council. They were there forvarious reasons:- Some to help Council recognize Douglas and LauraEves’ efforts in rescuing two boys from the LakeOntario at Fairfield House. The Reeve presented aplaque and congratulations were offered by all Councilmembers.- Some were there to recognize the contributions ofDouglas Chapman, Ted Reid and Gary & JoanneNightingale who were presented with certificates byMichelle Chiddle of the Ontario Municipal RecreationAssociation.- Douglas Brooks (and others) were there to talk toCouncil about air pollution apparently coming fromAshwarren.- Andy Huisjes (President of Enertech EnergySolutions) who was explaining a proposal that hadbeen made to Council. The Loyalist Township Occupational Health andSafety Manual has been updated with twoappendices.... one for each of the Ferry and EmergencyServices. It was interesting to note that now the Townshipreceives the ferry subsidy in two payments (rather thanmonthly). Fifty percent of the subsidy is promised forJuly (no specific day) and the balance ‘will beprocessed upon submission of your affidavit ofexpenditures which must be received by your localMinistry of Transportation district office by January31, 2001*. This information was contained in a letterfrom David Trumbull Minister of Transportation datedApril 27th. The effect of this is obvious... the

Township has to pay the bills and then wait for monthsfor the subsidy to show up. The Monthly Building Permit Summary for Mayshowed that some significant activity will be occurringon the Island. Permits for two houses were issued. H.Redekopp is building a house on the Front Road andA.K. Bennick is building on the South Shore. There isanother house already under construction on the SouthShore so that’s three at least for this year. In other building news, it looks like the new lot onthe Third just west of the culvert (the old school housewhich is now torn down) has been figured out. Therehad been a problem with closing the road allowancebetween lots 75 and 76. This was going to be done tomake the lot large enough but it was pointed out thatthis would eliminate an access point to the Big Marsh.The new proposal is to close the road allowance wherethe new lot is being created and have a 20' wide right-of-way on the other side and along the back to get toand from the remaining portion of the 75/76 roadallowance. There were no objectors present when thiscame up at the June 12th meeting. MNR has a aerial baiting program for this region.From Adolphoustown to Cornwall 300,000 raccoonbaits will be dropped in an effort to control rabies. Thedates for this area are June 26-28. To quote theletter.... ‘The bait is an army green colour 3.5 x 3.5 x11 cm square made out of fat. The vaccine is containedin a package embedded in the bait. Should peopleencounter a bait, they are asked not to touch it. Baitsare appropriately labeled with a telephone number onthem for inquiries.’. If you have questions, MNR canbe reached at 1-800-667-1940 (Natural ResourcesInformation Centre) or you could visit the Rabies in

{Page 3}

Ontario website (www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/rabies). Another information item included in the agendapackage was from STEM-Net Training Office which iscoordinating a project called ‘We Will Remember,’Canadian War Monuments on the World Wide Web.This group is trying to ‘preserve the historysurrounding war monuments across Canada in digitalformat’. Some 600 monuments are included presentlyand they hope to up that to 2000 by November of thisyear. They are looking for pictures and informationabout local war monuments. The web site iswww.stemnetnf.calmonuments/ and the coordinatorcan be reached by email at [email protected] [email protected] ,or by phone at (709) 256-2488 or by fax at (709) 256-6080. In a kind-of relatedmatter, the Reeve mentioned at the end of the June 12thmeeting that a $20,000 grant has been received to hire

a professional historian to interview war vets fromLennox and Addington. As usual this is an incredibly brief summary ofCouncil’s doings over the last month with emphasis onIsland relevant items. Council is busy as always withTownship business. I don’t know what people thinkabout Council but after first hand observation for thelast 2 1/2 years, it does deserve much credit forlistening to delegations and presentations. Thebeginning of each meeting is devoted to that purpose.After the presentation, complaint or whatever, Councilmembers often ask questions with staff generallygetting involved. Usually no resolution is possible rightthen but appropriate staff members are put on the case. Last but certainly not least... it is painfully obviousthat more pictures of Island Reeves are needed. Onlyfour or five are on display in the Council chambers.This had been (and presumably still is) one of theReeve’s projects. So, if you have a decent picture ofany Island Reeve, call Reeve Gilmore and he’ll take itfrom there. Somewhere in one of the agenda packages,there was a note about getting the pictures of the BathReeves. Some mix-up in communication has preventedthis from already happening.*****

Services Time ChangeSt. Paul’s Presbyterian Church will have Sundayservices at 10 am Sundays, until the end of August.*****

Waterfront Trail MeetingMay 18th- Don Tubb This was the poorest attended Public Meeting that Ican remember. The name-tag people outnumbered theaudience 7 to 4. The up-side was that those who didattend had ample opportunity to ask questions. The purpose of the meeting was for the LakeOntario Waterfront Trail people to show us where theywant to have trails on the Island. Plus they wanted toget some feed back and to generally answer questions.This they did with the help of representatives from theTownship and the Ministry of Citizenship, Culture andRecreation. There are some 18 other partners listed intheir brochure for this region alone which include, inpart, the Kingston Field Naturalists, the Health Unit,the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, Dupont,and many others. The trails on the Island will be secondary routeswhich will join us up to the main trail running alongHwy 33. The Island routes are shown on the map takenfrom their information package (modified to make itwork on a small scale). {this map has obviously not

been reproduced in order to minimize the size of thefile} There seem to be no real costs to us or theTownship associated with the trail as all trails run onpublic roads. The Township may install the signs forthese people but that appears to be about the extent ofservices provided. The upside of all this is that moretourists will be cycling and hiking around the Island.The downside is that more tourists will be cycling andhiking around the Island. It depends on yourperspective, I guess. If any one has comments about the trails, thesepeople can be reached at:The Waterfront Working GroupThe Cataraqui Trails Alliance OfficeCataraqui Region Conservation AuthorityP.O. Box 160, 1641 Perth RoadGlenburnie, On K0H 1S0*****

{Page 4}

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Condolences to John Mayman and family,following the passing of his mother in May; to LynannWhitton, who had to make a sudden trip to Australia,when her dad passed away recently; and to the manyfamily and friends of Ben Wemp, who passed awayfollowing a lengthy illness. Get Well wishes this month to: Garnet McDonald,Bill Bulch, Sally Bowen, Donalda Hudson, RickBedford (Jr.) and Sid Alport. Happy Birthday wishes to Pete Wittiveen, whocelebrated his 96th birthday with family in May and toJudith McKenzie, who celebrated her 60th at a surpriseparty with family and friends in May also. Amanda Tesan spent some time with hergrandparents, Keith and Shirley Miller here on theisland this spring. Amanda hadn’t been home fromBurnaby, B.C. for a few years, so there was a lot ofcatching up to do. Three year old Noa Ansom spent several weeks onthe Island with grandparents Cherry Allen and MarkRitchie, while she awaited the arrival of her newsibling. On June 6th, Cherry and Noa returned to B.C.just in time for the arrival of Noa’s little sister on June7th. 8 lb. 4 oz. Lucie Paascale arrived late, but healthy.Proud mom and dad are (former islanders) TaggetBonham-Carter and David Ansom. Alex and Debbie Scott spent 4 days in Quebec Cityat a PC convention in May. Welcome to Amherst Island to two new families,Phil Shepherd and Shelley Morris and son Tyrone

moved here from Newfoundland; Wayne and KatrinaLaPierre and family recently moved here fromPembroke, Ont. Congratulations to Heidi Hitchins, who wasmarried to Terry Genereux at St. Mary’s Cathedral onJune 3. Terry and Heidi will live in Belleville. Later thesame day, Sara Scott was married to Donnie Wemp ina ceremony at St. Paul’s church in Kingston. Sara andDonnie live on their farm north of Colebrook. Congratulations to various grads this month.Crystal Bedford graduates from St. Lawrence College;Cory Hutchings and Tabytha Trotter graduate fromgrade 8 at A.I.P.S.; Shannon McLennan and KeithMcGinn graduate from Holy Cross High School. Thenext bunch are a group I have watched grow up, Iremember them at pre-school play group together andsome started kindergarten together and then highschool. It’s hard to believe they have finished highschool and are moving on again. I wonder how manyof you are following the paths you predicted at grade 8graduation??! Graduating from Ernestown Secondary:Stephanie Fleming; from NDSS: Nate Maleska, ScottMarshall, Jacob Murray, Jessica McGinn and MarkMcCormick. (p.s. - happy 19th birthdays to Scott andStephanie). Lastly, Caroline Yull completed her lawcourse at Queen’s. The P.C.W. held a Ham Dinner in honour ofMother’s Day; The AIRA’s annual Spring Dance andFish Fry was held on the May long weekend and waswell attended this year. Amherst Island Store has expanded once again,with the addition of “Youellie’s Coolies”. FrozenYoghurt and Soft Serve Ice cream is available at thenewly added service window. Back by popular demand(on a limited basis), is the Back Kitchen. We will beable to eat out again without leaving the Island - atleast on weekends! The Weasel and Easel has openedagain for the season. It is now located in the oldNeilson’s Store at the east end of the village. Finally, congratulations to the 31 students atA.I.P.S., who participated in the Heart and Stroke’s“Jump Rope for Heart” on May 31. With generouspledges and some donations from the community and alot of jumping rope by the kids, our students raisedmore than $1,250.00 for the Heart and StrokeFoundations!! Great Work!!*****

Congratulations to Lyn Fleming who won 1st place -KingstonDivision in the 20 bus passenger category at the StockTransportation Bus Rodeo in Richmond Hill, June 10,2000. She was awarded a plaque and cheque for herachievement.

*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute The Women’s Institute will be holding the BakeSales again this year on the Friday of each longweekend starting on May 19th outside of AmherstIsland General Store.Time: - 3.45 pm.*****

Cottages For Rent By The Week.North Shore Amherst Island. Starting May 1st.Call Susie at 389-2012 for full details.*****


{Page 5}

The Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Anna Hitchins The Annual Meeting was held at the home of JackieSylvester on Wednesday, April 19th at 8 p.m. Anumber of items were discussed before the meeting wasstarted. It was decided that the monthly meeting wouldstart at 7 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. Bake sales conductedby the W.I. to be held on the Friday of all holiday longweekends. Annual reports were presented by the officers andthe annual fees were collected by the treasurer.Program Coordinator presented the report for thecoming year. The Nominating Committee presented thereport, showing the slate of officers, which wasaccepted, with Nancy Henshaw being the newPresident. The District Annual meeting is to be held atSelby on May 11th. The May meeting of the Women’s Institute was anopen meeting to the public held at the Amherst IslandSchool. Our guest of the evening was DavidSwerkfeger, President of the Council on Aging. This isa non-profit volunteer organization dedicated toenhancing the quality of the life to all seniors. Hediscussed housing for seniors, cutbacks in health careas to home nursing, etc., and to social housing. A smallnumber of interested residents attended plus regularW.I. members. A light lunch was enjoyed. The President conducted a short meeting followingthe program. Nov. 5th was the date set for our 100thAnniversary celebration. It was decided that we would

enter a float of the Canada Day Parade. A group phototo be taken at the June meeting as a Millenniumproject. A Senior’s workshop, writing your life history is tobe held in the first part of June. A leadership training course is to be held atGlenburnie Church Hall on Sept 9th and Mary KayRombout and Diane Hieatt offered to attend. The June 21st meeting will be held at the home ofNancy Henshaw with a Presentation on Israel as theprogram.*****

New For SpringSweatshirts and JacketsHooded full-zipper front, pockets with Amherst Islandcrests.Available at the General Store along with a variety ofcrew neck sweatshirts for children and adults.They make great gifts. Surprise someone you careabout!St. Paul’s P.C.W. thank all who so loyally support theshirt and cap sales.*****

Junior 4- H Club- Khrysta 4-H Club reporter The junior 4-H club’s project for May is AnimalFriends. At our first meeting we held our elections andeach member of the group was given a special position.We discussed up coming events in our club anddecided our club name. The Animal Crackers. JessicaMcGinn and Sara Pollock are joining us as YouthLeaders. Our 4th annual 4- H draw is coming up again andwe have some great prizes to give away.First Prize... Royal Doulton FigurineSecond Prize... A.I. SweatshirtThird Prize... Wooden tree ornamentFourth Prize... Five movie Rentals Each ticket is only $2. and available from 4-H clubmembers and at the Amherst Island General Store. We are also participating in the Humane SocietyWalkathon on May 28th. The club will keep you posted on the turn out ofeach of these events.*****

Letters To The BeaconLetter from Amy CaugheyIqaluit, Nunavit10, June, 2000Dear friends, The response to the Baffin babies fund has been

overwhelming. Two huge and overflowing boxes ofnew and knit

{Page 6}

clothes, blankets, socks and hats have been delivered tomothers and babies in the Baffin region, with 8 boxesawaiting air shipment. As well, over $350.00 in cashhas been raised through the kind donations of residentsand friends of Amherst Island. Mothers are excitedwith the clothes and health care workers from acrossthe region have passed on their appreciation to me.Knit hats are being given to babies at the hospital, andclothing and blankets are being distributed at theTammattaavik Medical Boarding Home. I was recently in the small community of ClydeRiver, on the northeast shore of Baffin Island, 400 kmnorth of the Arctic Circle. I met a women who justreturned home from having her baby in Iqaluit. Thepanik (little child in Inuktituk) was wearing a sweaterand hat all the way from Amherst Island. How kindness shrinks the world. Thank you. Please note: Items continue to be received at PoplarDell B & B - with thanks.*****

Garden CalendarJune- Prune shrubs and trees after flowering.- Prune evergreens and hedges- Stake or cage tomato plants, dahlias, glads, etc.- Thin vegetable seedlings and plant successive crops.- Seed flowering cabbage/kale into garden rows forlater transplanting.- Seed directly fast growers such as cosmos, calendula,lavatera, marigolds.- Move houseplants outside to protected locationsaway from chewing pests.- Deadhead faded blooms.- Pinch back late bloomers such as mums,snapdragons, asters and dahlias.- Weed and water garden beds regularly.- Good time for rooting cuttings of perennials, shrubs,roses, etc.*****

Cakes For All Occasions & Gift And Fruit Baskets(Cakes for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Retirementavailable)(All Gift and Fruit Baskets personalized)For more information please call Heather389-8246 or 389-2822*****

Thank You

I’d like to thank the First Response Team. Youwere here when I needed you, to Kendra who helped inso may ways. The Ambulance attendants, Randy andhis Boss were also super to me when they took me byambulance to K.G.H. Emergency. Special thanks tomy caring family. A special thank you Diane forstaying at the hospital all day with your mother and I,and for bringing us home that night. Bill Bulch***

I would like to thank Janice, Eric and family forhosting my “surprise” birthday party. Thanks also tothe rest of my family and friends who attended and alsofor cards and gifts. Thanks to Lyn Fleming for thebeautiful cake. The food, family and friends made for a mostenjoyable day. Eldon Willard*****

{Page 7}

ObituaryMayman, Hilda Mary (Ski)[from the Whig Standard May 24, 2000] At the Helen Henderson Care Centre, Amherstview,Ont., on Saturday, May 20, 2000. Beloved wife of thelate George J. Mayman and dear mother of MargaretAnne Luscombe (John) of Kingston, John Mayman(Estelle) of Stella and Brian Mayman (Linda) ofToronto. Loving grandmother of John L. Mayman(Tessa) and great grandmother of Codey and Dylan.Sister of Dorothy Dinner, Evelyn Fisher, AudreyMcNabb, Eileen Mayman, Rita Keall and the lateClifford, Harold, John and Shirley Flynn. Daughter ofthe late John and Jessie (Gibbs) Flynn.***

Wemp, Benjamin[from the Whig Standard June 1, 2000] At the Kingston General Hospital on Wednesday,May 31, 2000. In his 73rd year. Beloved husband ofthe late Barbara Jackson. Dearly loved father of Debby(Lynn) Revell and Janice (Jim) Mason. Much lovedgrandfather of Shannon and David Revell and Jamieand Jared Mason. Dear stepfather of Yvonne (Pat)Hunt, Wayne (Renee) Bustard, Lori Bustard, Christine(Jim) Fowler and Bill Bustard. Also much loved bystep grandchildren Sonja, Christopher, Sandy, Markand Lindsay. Special ‘Papa’ to Morgan and Nicole.Dear brother of Christena (Melville) Filson. Hugh

(Doris) Wemp, and the late Margaret (Frank) Bailey,Grace (Eric) Bailey and Nina (Bill) Churchill. Bennywill be sadly missed by his many nephews, as well ashis loyal, dear friends.

***

Wemp ‘one of the best’[from the Whig June 1, 2000 Doug Graham writer] Benny Wemp of Amherst Island, whoseinvolvement in harness racing spanned four decades,passed away on Wednesday at Kingston General. Mr Wemp, 72, had remained active in standardbredracing as a trainer in recent years. His latest racer, thetrotter Worthy Balance, was training for anotherseason. “Benny was still very active . He was going toclaim [a horse] at Belleville too,” said Steve Skene, afamily friend.“At one time, he campaigned all over and he was oneof the best. Anybody that got to know Benny had tolike him.” Mr. Wemp was the leading driver at the oldKingston Memorial Centre track several times andremained a top driver-trainer when racing moved toKingston Park Raceway. He set a unique record in thelate 1970's when he drove six winners, all with his ownhorses. “He was a combination driver and trainer and hewas very good at both,” said Skene, who become oneof the drivers Wemp used frequently.“[Benny] was the best at one time, so when he askedyou to drive, it was a real compliment.” Skene said. While he trained both pacers and trotters over theyears, it was no secret on the island that Mr. Wemp’spreference was for a good trotter. “He always loved a trotter,” Skene said. “Bennyhad a lot of great patience with trotters. He could hanga horse up really good.” Mr. Wemp, who was last active as a driver in 1994,was still involved in training. He had 216 career winsand 77 victories as a trainer. Some of the pacing mares from his stable wereAllison Scott, Debby Jan Scott, the trotter HustlinHoss that went on to race at the Jockey Club andDocside, a pacer that won more than $500,000 at theMeadowlands. One of his most successful racers, Worthy Balance,will bring Mr. Wemp home to rest today at GlenwoodCemetery, next to St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church onAmherst Island. Wemp had a history of being able to turn around atroubled horse, particularly trotters. “Worthy Balance was bred to trot, but he was on

the pace when Benny got him,” Skene said. “Bennywanted to prove he could trot. He said he could get himtrotting and he did.” Today, the trotter Mr. Wemp paid $800 for andwhich ended up winning more than $25,000, will bringhis body back to the island and his gravesite. Skenewill be the driver, traveling along a straight stretch ofisland road that Mr. Wemp used on many occasionsfor training. The trotter will be rigged up when the funeralprocession comes across on the ferry. Mr. Wemp alsowas a purser on the Amherst Island ferry for manyyears.*****

Wanted I am still collecting the following: - A&P Tapes -used stamps - any country including Canada - forguide dogs for the blind. Good clean clothing for theanimal shelter thrift shop and knitted squares, blankets,pet food, paper towels, etc., for the Napanee AnimalShelter. Please call me if you have anything to donateor leave in my front porch. The animals really need ourhelp.Freda Youell 384-4135*****

{Page 8}

News From The General Store Congratulations to our Draw winners. The Drawheld May 26 was won by Whitney. She won a “WaterBall Splash Kit.” Lots of summer fun, and NicholasFreeman won the June 9 draw for 5 free ice creamcones at Youellies Coolies. mmmm cool summer treat. The next draw will be held June 23rd, 4 pm. Gotyour name in yet? We’ve extended the Summer Store Hours onceagain and we will be open 7 days a week from 9 am - 9pm

Store hours for the Canada Day Long Weekend.Sat. July 1 9 am - 6 pmSun. July 2 9 am - 9 pmMon. July 3 9 am - 9 pm

Hours For Youellie’s Coolies Until The End Of June.Mon - Thurs 3 pm - 9 pm - weather permitting Fri, Sat & Sun 12 pm - 9 pm

Thank you all for your patronage & support. Havea safe and great long weekend.*****

The Big www- Staff Does anyone out there know where, on the big‘www’, one can find Kingston precipitation data forthe previous day (for free)? How is one supposedto make light conversation if you don’t know howmuch rain or snow fell? Actually I would also like aKingston monthly summary (precipitation,temperature, sunshine, etc). Heck if you have any site that you just have toshare with others, drop us a line (voice, e-mail,whatever)and maybe we can put it in the newsletter. The best weather site I’ve found iswww.intcllicast.com/. Their satellite imagery for theUS and southern Canada is first rate. Of particularinterest are:- various maps can be called up ranging in area fromthe whole continent to the Lake Ontario - Erie - Huronarea (that’s the Rochester map);- you can call up - radar images (ie intensity of rain or snow), - 6 hour radar loops which shows movement of theprecipitation cells, - precipitation maps which are calculated from theradar images on a two square kilometer grid, - surface maps showing the isobars of highs and lowssuperimposed over the radar images of theprecipitation, - a radar summary which shows the direction of thecells plus the height of the clouds; and - lightening strikes. The imagery is first rate as is the information. Theimages are updated four times an hour so you arealmost watching the clouds roll right overhead. Theydo offer weather forecasts but not for Kingston(Toronto and Ottawa are available). The local weather site I use iswww.weathcrofficc.com. It also has radar images butthey aren’t nearly as good as the www.intellicast.comsite. Anybody else got a good weather site?*****

The Letter Home Lambing is done!! Despite the really quite atrociousweather, the lambs did pretty well. There were somelosses after the ewes and lambs were turned out topasture from the rain, cool temperatures and strong,persistent winds. Speaking of pastures.... they continue to grow likewild fire. Even the areas that were under water for afew weeks in May have come back nicely. Of course,the wet weather has delayed planting, haying and

pretty much all field work. The hay crop is ready andso are we (well.., pretty much as ready as we can beuntil the day arrives and we put the equipment to thetest). Now it isn’t that we are just sitting around watchingthe pastures grow - no, sirree.... we have been trying toget the sheep sorted out and stashed away on theirsummer pastures. There has

{Page 9}

been an on-going series of flocks coming down theroad and through the grey barn for their shots. Theseshort sheep drives are trying as the ewes and theirlambs get all mixed up. This causes all kinds ofconfusion on the drive making them slow. Sometimesthe ewes at the front decide to check out the back of theline and we go in reverse for a while. Speaking of water... the Lake continues to rise butnot nearly as fast as it has been. Right now it is a littleabove the 90 year average and, if this is a typical year,should have peaked.*****

Movies- Staff We have a satellite dish and we don’t use for thepay-per-vu stations so we’re very behind in movies.Occasionally, however, there is a really good one thatwe haven’t seen. For instance, ‘Under Fire’ was on the other night. Itis a political drama set in 1979 Nicaragua staring NickNolte, Gene Hackman and Joanne Cassidy as threejournalists reporting on the war. My movie books rateit very high lauding its good story line... good acting...good technical aspects. All of this was my impressiontoo. Also, ‘Looking For Richard’ was on one of thespecialty stations. This is Al Pacino’s look atShakespeare’s Richard III. I never took it in highschool but I would have understood it a lot better if Ihad this movie to watch with it. The movie is anexplanation of the play with people talking aboutvarious characters. Some scenes are read around atable and some are done in full costume. Absolutelyfirst rate.*****

{Page 10}

For Sale And Wanted

For SaleChildren’s climber $120.00, Lil*Tykes,

2 level moulded plastic with slide and steering wheelAges 2 - 6.Superb condition(new price at Toys R Us is $230.00)Call Jim or Lynann Whitton at 384-5027.***

For Sale2 chest freezers$250 eachexcellent shape384-7866 or 389-7200***

WantedStrawberry pickers. 560 North Shore AmherstIsland. Transportation to farm will be supplied.Call 384-4557 for times and conditions.***







Certified ElectricianHome, farm and commercial workBuilding maintenance and repair on the IslandCall Tom Richmond at 634-1855

***


Firewood For SaleCall: 389-4484.***





Nutrition and Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more...For information, call Diane Hieatt, Body Wise Consultant, at 389-7074.***



For SalePicnic tables

Weather vanesAdirondack chairsCall Keith Miller at 389-2588.***







BlanketsYarnSheepskinsTopsy Farmsand atThe Weasel & [email protected]*****


The Amherst Island Landfill SiteHours Of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Sunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*****

Senior Outreach ServicesFrozen DinnersFor orders, menus & information Call Freda Youell at384-4135*****

{Page 11}

Community CalendarJuneFriday, June 23rd Back Kitchen OpensMonday, June 26th 7:00 pm Council Meeting

JulySunday, July 2nd The Wassermusik GroupMonday, July 3rd Canada Day (Mun. Offices closed)Monday, July 10th 7:00 pm Council MeetingSaturday, July 15th 5 - 7 pm Chicken Bar-B-QSunday, July 16th ‘Come to the Music Hall’Saturday, July 29th Les Barricades Misterieuses

AugustMonday, August 7th Civic Holiday (Mun. Officesclosed)Saturday, August 12th Country GospelSaturday, August 19th Queen’s 2000Monday, August 21st 7:00 pm Council MeetingSaturday, August 26th Kingston Ceili Band*****

The Weasel and Easelat its new location in the old Neilson Store at the eastend of the village will be open daily from July 1st. Thehours are 11 am to 5 pm.The store has a wide variety of local art and crafts forsale. Wood work pottery, paintings, blankets, sheepskin rugs, to name some of the work there.The place to find that perfect gift or memento of a visitto the island.*****

Amherst IslandCommunity Bible Studymeets Thursday a.m. - 0945 - 12 noonJune... Helen LambJuly... Janet ScottAugust... Janet ScottJoin in a time of prayer and studying God’s word. All welcome.*****

ISLEDates To Note For ISLE Cheese Ordering:Order In By Pickup Date

Fri June 16 Wed June 21*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417Summer HoursGeneral Store 9 am - 9 pmYouellie’s Coolies (until end of June) Mon - Thurs 3 pm - 9 pm (weather permitting)Fri - Sun noon - 9 pmCanada PostMonday - Friday 9 am - 11:30 am 2:30 pm - 5 pmSaturday 9 am - 12 noon



Fax ServiceFax service is now available atAmherst Island General StoreMon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page 50¢ for each additional pageLong Distance $5.00Receive - 50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417*****

{Page 12}

Loyalist TownshipPress ReleaseJune 7, 2000 On June 12, 2000 at 6:30 pm, members of LoyalistTownship Council will gather at the Booster PumpingStation located immediately north of Taylor-KiddBlvd. on County Rd 6 for a brief dedication ceremonyof the Odessa Trunk Water Main. During the week of June 5, Loyalist TownshipUtilities staff were making the final preparations forputting into service, the trunk water main betweenAmherstview and Odessa. This trunk water main is akey component of Loyalist Township’s upgrade inwater supply. With the commission of the Odessa

Trunk Water Main, the communities of Odessa,Harewood and Brooklands are now connected to thenew Fairfield Water Treatment Plant in Amherstview.The Fairfield Water Treatment Plant, with its newlycompleted micro filtration process and activatedcarbon combination, will ensure residents connected tothis system are supplied with water of the highestquality in Ontario. The trunk water main was built in1998 at a cost of $2.4 million. The system waspartially commissioned in 1998, along the southern endof County Rd. 6. The Booster Pumping Station is fully automated.The pumps at the Booster Pumping Station arecontrolled by the elevation in the Odessa Water Tower.When the water level drops in the tower, a signaltransmitted to the Booster Pumping Station can bemonitored from the Fairfield Water Treatment Plant. Paul Taylor, Loyalist Township UtilitiesOperations Supervisor, has already noticed asignificant drop in the requirement for chlorine in thedistribution system since the new micro filtration hascome online, compared to the former Amherstviewfacility.David C. Thompson, P.Eng.Township Engineer*****

Loyalist TownshipNotice Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 300, ofthe Municipal Act, MRS., 1990, Chapter M.45, asamended that the Council of The Corporation ofLoyalist Township proposes to pass a by-law to stopup, close and sell the following road allowance: A portion of the Opened Road Allowance describedas being found between lots 75 and 76, Concession3, Amherst Island, being located within LoyalistTownship, in the County of Lennox and Addingtonand designated as Part 10 on Reference Plan 29R-7941. On Monday, July 10, 2000 at 7:00 P.M. in theCouncil Chambers, Administration Building, Highway#2, the Council of The Corporation of LoyalistTownship will hear, in person, or by counsel, solicitoror agent, any person who claims his/her land will beprejudicially affected by the said by-law and whoapplies to be heard. Any person who wishes to beheard should, as soon as possible make application to:Brenda J. Hamilton, CMOClerkThe Corporation of Loyalist Township263 Main StreetBox 70Odessa, Ontario

K0H 2H0Telephone 613-386-7351, ext. 121*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: July 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 270}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 270 July 2000 {incorrectly labelled as 269}




ProductionHeadlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613)389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0



Production For July300 Copies*****

Beacon Notes This month we’ve got pictures coming out of ourears. Thankfully, the scanner and printer problemshave been resolved so the quality should be better thanin the last few issues. We’ve got a bunch of picturesfrom the Canada Parade and the Pie Eating Contest butonly a sampling as I took three rolls of film. Seeing as we’re pressed for space, I’m not going torun on at the keyboard much longer but just beforegoing... From the Irony Of The Month File - we do businesswith Advantage Business Internet Solutions and havejust discovered that the only way to pay these people isvia mail. They do not have the capability to accept

internet payments! It makes you wonder ‘cause this isno small corporation but a part of Bell CanadaEnterprises.*****

Join us for the52nd Annual Garden PartyJuly 29: 12 - 4 pmatSt. Paul’s Presbyterian Church BBQ; Pie and Ice Cream Bake Table; AuctionMusic and Clogging and More*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbJune 26th and July 10th All members of Council were present for bothmeetings but at the second one, staff representationwas limited to Brenda Hamilton (Clerk) and RossTroop (Treasurer). At the July meeting, there were about 20 people inthe audience to witness the presentation of the Seniorof the Year award to Glen Lowry. Reeve Gilmoremade the presentation and all members of Counciloffered personal congratulations.

{Page 2}

There were no objectors to the closing of the openedroad allowance in Lot 75, Con 3. Later in the Julymeeting, a bylaw to close this was passed. Heather Young and Bonnie Baker were present atthe July meeting to speak to their request for aTransient Trader’s Licence for a chip truck. Theirapplication had undergone several changes as problemsbecame apparent. Council members listened and askedquestions but in the end, the request was denied. The Neilson Store Committee requested a grant of$500 from the Township to be used to paint, makecommunity mailings, etc. This was okayed but with theproviso that any work be approved in advance byPatrick Beyer (Recreation Director). Apparently thebuilding is under active consideration for designationas a Heritage Building. There was a report from the Treasurer about thePort Transfer Contribution Fund (that’s the money theTownship received from the Feds when the docks weretransferred). He needed Council’s approval to send offa required statement of Revenue and Expenditures of

this fund to the Feds. The statements were included inthe agenda package. They show that for the periodbetween June 5, 1998 and December 31, 1999 the fundshrunk from $222,500.00 to $216,122.08. While therewas interest earned in the amount of $16,919.52, therewere expenditures for professional fees, maintenanceand repairs and purchase of the water lot which totaled$23,297.44. The water lot purchase was over$10,000. Council passed a bylaw stating how long variousrecords need to be kept. While this is pretty irrelevantto this report. It did made for interesting reading if forno other reason then to see the amazing scope of therecords stored by the Township. The list took up 5 fullpages with retention time ranging from one month topermanent retention. Just to give you a taste of this, theFerry records that are the responsibility of the Clerkare kept as follows:- accident claims... 3 years- invoices... 7 years- purser sheets... 7 years- revenue logs... permanent- ticket stubs... 1 year- traffic logs... permanent Somewhat less irrelevant (can you really say it thatway...) was the Monthly Police Statistics. AmherstIsland for the year 2000 (including May) has had atotal of 13 items noted. The Township, in total, hashad 1328 which means that the Island has just aboutexactly 1% (another weird way of saying something).The point is that we have roughly 3% of the totalpopulation of the Township (400 people to theTownship’s 14,000). Does this mean we are threetimes as law abiding or does it mean only one third ofthe crime gets caught? This segues nicely but unfortunately into a verbalreport by the Transportation Super (Jim Guest) whosaid that the new roads garage (on County Road 6) hadbeen broken into. At the time of that report, he couldonly roughly guess that $10,000 - $20,000 in tools hadbeen stolen. There has also been some vandalism at theBath Sewage Plant. A first attempt (on several fronts)has been made to stop this. Two additional members have been added to theIntensive Farming Committee. This seems to be inresponse to a significant increase in public interest.The two members will be urbanites (ie non-farmers andnon-rural residents). The rational seems to be thatfarming practices can affect the urban centres whereurban and rural areas meet. In a related development, aletter from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and RuralAffairs was attached to the July agenda package. Itannounced that a directive from the Minister had beenissued “that reinforces municipalities’ ability to pass

and enforce interim control by-laws affectingagricultural operations”. We*****

{Council report will continue after the followingnotice}

Loyalist TownshipJob PostingLoyalist Township Ferry ServicesRequire a person to workAs a relief DeckhandOn the Frontenac IIAnd Amherst IslanderRate of Pay $15.23Apply in writing by July 25, 2000ToFerry ManagerFerry OfficeStella, OntarioK0H 2S0Job description available at the Ferry Office 389-3393*****

{Page 3}{Council report continues}

will have to see if this is the last flip or flop by theProvince on this matter as there had been previousannouncements of province-wide regulations. Thedirective states, in part: “...I direct that an agriculturaloperation proposed to be carried on in an area which isthe subject of an interim control by-law under thePlanning Act shall be deemed not to be carried on as anormal farming practice until a by-law providing fornutrient management planning, minimum distanceseparation and manure storage has been passed”. Last but not least was the announcement thatDeputy Reeve McEwen will be running for Reeve inthe upcoming elections. Reeve Gilmore (who is notrunning again) offered his support but more on thatlater.*****

Services Time ChangeSt. Paul’s Presbyterian Churchwill have Sunday services at 10 am Sundays,until the end of August.*****

Amherst IslandWomen’s InstituteThe Women’s Institute will be holding theBake Sales

again this year on the Friday of each long weekendstarting on May 19th outsidethe Amherst Island General Store.Time: - 3.45 pm.*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Congratulations to John Mayman and TessaFabian, who were married in Amherstview on July 1st. Get well wishes to Ernest Fleming, who is mendingat home after a fall. Hans and Hazel deHaan spent acouple of weeks this month in Holland visiting family.Caitlin and Geoffrey McDonald recently returned fromEngland, where they spent 2 weeks visiting theirgrandparents. Condolences to Judy Roberts and family, followingthe recent death of Judy’s sister, Charlotte, in Florida.Also to Rod Barr and family and Helen Caughey andfamily on the passing of their wife, mother and sister,Rhoda. The first concert of the Waterside music seriesopened to a full house on July 2nd. Island residents andvisitors alike celebrated Canada Day on the Island. Theparade, which was bigger and better than ever,finished up at the school, followed by the PCW’sStrawberry Social; hotdogs and drinks; kid’s games; apie eating contest and lots of visiting. The night wascapped off by another great fireworks display. A.I.P.S. students finished their school year withtheir year end trips. The primaries travel led to FortHenry, where they had a tour, followed with front rowseats to see the Snow Birds air show. The senior classtravelled to Toronto, to the Royal Ontario Museum andOntario Place. Welcome back to our “summer people” andcottagers. Summer has been slow starting this year, butseems to be on the way now.*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Anna Hitchins The regular meeting of the W.I. was held at thehome of Nancy Henshaw on June 21st at 7 p.m. Apresentation on Israel with a video and interestingdetails given by Cathy Glenn, Karen Fleming and AnnAlbertan was much enjoyed by all present. The hostessserved a light lunch following the program. The President conducted the regular meetingfollowing the program. Marion Glenn gave thecorrespondence report and the President gave thereport of the District Annual, held on May 11th.Wilton Branch is to host the District Annual in 2001and Wilton Branch was presented with a $1,000.00

from the District for help in restoration of their hall. Ashort course, working with parchment paper, waschosen at the Annual. Final details for the Canada

{Page 4}

Day parade float were discussed. The bake sale is to beheld on June 30th. Jackie Sylvester reported on the “Phone Directory”.400 copies are to be printed. Discussion was had as to entertainment etc., for ourNovember 5th 100th Anniversary party also for theDecember 3rd Christmas Party. The July meeting is to be held on Sunday 9th at thehome of Jackie Sylvester at 1 p.m.*****

News From The General Store Congratulations to the draw winners once again.The draw held June 23 was won by Fae MacArthur.Fae won a waterball splash kit. And the draw held July6 was won by Brittany Sneep. Brittany won 5 icecream cones at Youellie’s Coolies. New videos at the store are The Green Mile starringTom Hanks and Michael Clark Duncan. Highlyrecommended, very good movie. 10 Things I HateAbout You, good movie for teens. Bring Out The Deadstarring Nicolas Cage. The World Is Not Enough, forthe James Bond fans starring Pierce Broslan. We havea pretty good selection of movies new and old. Newreleases are $3.00 + tax = $3.45 and older rentals are$.99 + tax = $1.14. We now carry some fishing supplies, hooks,bobbers, fishing line, sinkers, etc, etc. The warm weather is finally here so drop by for aYoullies Coolie treat. Soft ice cream or frozen yogurttreats that you can mix with our wide selection offrozen fruit. Lots of flavors to choose from, you caneven mix them up to make your own unique frozentreat. Drop by and see what’s new at the General Store.*****

Summer Holidays Are Here There are a number of families with young childrenin the village. Now that school is out and the weather isbetter, they are outside riding their bikes and doingwhat children do during the holidays. Having fun.Please be aware of them as you drive through thevillage or make that last minute dash for the ferry.Don’t leave at the last minute and then have to putyour foot down.... it might be fatal. Let’s all have ahappy and safe summer.

*****

Letters To The Beacon It has rather painfully and quickly come to ourattention recently that we have had a severe outbreakof Dutch Elm disease in our neighborhood. Afterleafing out in the spring the affected elms have justrecently wilted and turn brown. Upon questioningseveral authorities on the subject my suspicions havebeen confirmed that indeed we are experiencing asecond wave of Dutch Elm disease across the province.Almost everyone can remember the last outbreak thatswept across the country during the 60's and 70's andtotally devastated and denuded our countryside of themajestic and stately elms which we took for granted.Well, we have it again, this time in spades, and on ourisland especially. Upon a cursory drive around theisland we have spotted dead and infected treeseverywhere, from one end to the other. Unless we actimmediately by cutting down and burning all the treeswhich show infection as well as any which havealready died we are doomed to the same fate as before.If you choose to ignore this warning you are puttingevery one of your neighbours elm trees at risk. Neglectwill bring the total destruction we experienced manyyears ago. I have some information and a video on the subjectgiven tome which I would gladly share with anyonewho would like it. My phone number is 634-7894. Thecompany which provided this information has beenlicensed recently to produce a chemical which is apreventative treatment for trees which have not yetbeen infected. You can get the same information on theweb at www.engageagro.com.. One last point - I got permission to burn my treesrather easily from the Loyalist Fire Departmentprobably because of the wet conditions that exist rightnow. If we all don’t act soon maybe we won’t get thatpermission. Ross Haines (2860 Front Road)*****

Cottages For Rent By The Week.North Shore Amherst Island.Starting May 1st.Call Susie at 389-2012 for full details.*****


{Page 5}

Gardening July- Fertilize roses, annuals and vegetables- Pinch back and stake stringy annuals- Mow, hoe, weed and water as required- Finish pruning spring - flowering shrubs andevergreens- Remove old raspberry canes and trim backstrawberry plants after fruiting- Transplant flowering cabbage and kale- Turn compost.*****

ObituaryBarr, Rhoda Henrietta Marshall, R.N. A former Island resident came “home” to beinterred in her family plot at Glenwood Cemetery, onSaturday, July 1st, 2000. Born on the South Shore ofAmherst Island, Rhoda Marshall Barr, passed away athome with her family in St. Catherines, on Thursday,June 28th. She is survived by her loving and devotedhusband Roderick Barr, and children Peter (SharonBroderick) and Elizabeth (Stephen Perry). She was theadoring grandmother to John Barr and Nicholas, Jamesand Christopher Perry. She was the youngest of theRobert J. and Elizabeth Marshall family (nee LizzieMiller), and is survived by brother Capt. HaroldMarshall (Nellie) and sister Helen Caughey (Bruce).She was predeceased by her infant daughter JaneHenrietta; her parents; her brother and sister-in-lawBill and Kay Marshall; her sisters Nessie Drumgoole(Art), Ruth Glenn (Clifford), and Janie (age fiveyears). She will be missed by sisters-in-law IsobelMarsh and Margaret Rhamey of Hamilton. She willbelong remembered by many nieces and nephews. Rhoda graduated as an R.N. from Kingston GeneralHospital and nursed in Kingston and New York City.She joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in November1942 and was posted to the Air Force Station atTrenton, Ontario. It was there she met Rod. She servedas Nursing Sister at Trenton, Picton, St. Hubert andRockcliffe and after the war nursed in Toronto. Shemarried Rod in 1948 and moved to St. Catherineswhere she raised her family. Rhoda was a member ofthe Knox Presbyterian Church in St. Catherines andwas always interested and contributing to the work ofSt. Paul’s here on the Island. She had been active inmany organizations in St. Catharines. A funeral servicewas held in Knox Church on Friday, June 30th. Aswell a service was held in St. Paul’s on Saturday, July1st at 3 pm. with Rev. C.A. (Zander) Dunn officiating.“And now abideth, faith hope, and love. These three.But the greatest of these is love.” This she had andgave in abundance.*****

Ancestors of Rhoda Henrietta Marshall

Rhoda Henrietta Marshall

Robert J. Marshall {father of Rhoda HenriettaMarshall}

Elizabeth Miller {mother of Rhoda HenriettaMarshall}

John Marshall {father of Robert J. Marshall}

Jane Filson {mother of Robert J. Marshall}

Adam Miller {father of Elizabeth Miller}

Jane Glenn {mother of Elizabeth Miller}

David Filson {father of Jane Filson}

Jane McClement {mother of Jane Filson}

Samuel Glenn {father of Jane Glenn}

Rose Ann Farley {mother of Jane Glenn}

Robert Glenn {father of Samuel Glenn}

Nessie Johnston {mother of Samuel Glenn}*****

{Page 6}

Thank You Notes

We would like to thank all those involved and allwho attended the rededication ceremony on June 16th.A very special thanks to the Township and Communityfor renaming the Municipal Garage in our brotherStuart’s memory. It would have meant so much to him. Anna. Gwen and family***

The family of the late Ben Wemp would like tothank relatives and friends for their many acts ofkindness, food, flowers, donations and cards, etc. at thetime of our loss. Special thanks to the A.C.W. of Amherst Island forthe beautiful lunch. Thanks to all who helped in anyway. Debby, Janice, Chris, Hugh, Grace, Nina andfamilies***

We would like to thank relatives, friends andneighbours, for phone calls and cards receivedfollowing the death of my mother, Hilda Mayman.Thank you for your kind thoughts. John Mayman and family.***

I would like to thank friends, family andacquaintances, for calls, visits, support andencouragement following my accident earlier thismonth. To the parent of “my kids”, your trust andsupport has meant so much. To Gary, Phil and Bonniefor staying with me through the morning, and finally,but most especially to Debbie for literally staying withme from morning til’ night. It will be awhile before Iget over this (if ever), but you have all made is somuch more bearable! Thank you. Lyn Fleming***

The Amherst Island Recreation Association wouldlike to thank everyone who came out and celebratedCanada Day on the Island. Special thanks to everyonewho took the time to decorate floats, horses, lawnmowers, wagons, dogs and of course the bikes. Theparade gets better and better every year! Thanks toGary and Susan at the Back Kitchen and Dave andLaurie at A.I. General Store, for their continuedsupport and donations. Thanks to Gary McDonald, forhis loan of equipment; the Loyalist Fire Department forbeing on call; Shannon Youell for taking on the job ofkid’s games; Stephanie Fleming, for helping wherevershe was needed; and to Canazon Fireworks for anotheramazing show. We would like to especially thank theReeve and entire Council of Loyalist Township forparticipating in our festivities and for being such greatand enthusiastic sports!! Many, many thanks to all and we hope to see youall again next July 1st.*****

Rhoda Barr’s Relations(a few as a sample)H. Allen Caughey... nephew ... 2nd cousin twice removedGary Filson... 1st cousin twice removed ... 2nd cousin twice remove ... 3rd cousin twice removedHugh M Filson... 2nd cousin three times removed ... 3rd cousin three times removedWayne Fleming... 1st cousin twice removed ... 2nd cousin twice removedJeff Forester... grand nephew

Allan Glenn... 2nd cousin once removedGarry Hitchins... 2nd cousin once removedScott Marshall... grand nephewKeith Miller... 1st cousin once removedAnnette Philips... 1st cousin twice removed ... 3rd cousin twice removedTed Welbanks... 2nd cousin once removedBen Wemp... 3rd cousin once removedDonna Willard... 2nd cousin once removedElaine Wolfreys... 1st cousin once removed*****

{Page 7}

A Letter Home Let’s see now... I have dim recollections ofsomething we do in the summer... oh yes! Haying. Thisyear has been different in that we have only just begunand here it is the middle of July. Usually, you would beseeing wagon trains of large round bales heading homeby now. The weather is the culprit and, as with mostfarming operations, we wait for suitable conditions.The hay is ready - is it ever with fields thick and tallbut you can’t cure hay under water nor can you balewith the axles buried in muck.. The up side of all this wet cool weather is thepastures continue to grow. In fact, the flocks stillhaven’t made the circuit once. This while thosepastures they have munched are re-growing. It really isamazing with these very tall grass pastures to see aflock of a couple of hundred ewes and twice as manylambs literally disappear. In a day or two, they start toemerge. Of course, the guard dogs don’t like this at allbecause they can’t control the flock nearly as well. Speaking of water, the Lake is full. Over the lastweek or so, it has started to recede a bit which is abouta month later than usual. Right now we are still abovethe 90 year average for this time of year. I think Iheard that they pulled the plug in Cornwall around thestart of the month. We’ll have to see what effect thishas in the next few months.*****

{Page 8}

Ben Wemp’s Relations(once again - only a sample)Rhoda Barr... 3rd cousin once removedW. Bruce Caughey... 4th cousinTessa Fabian... 3rd cousin twice removedHugh M Filson... grand nephew ... 3rd cousin twice removedLarry Fleming... 4th cousin once removedAllan Glenn... 4th cousin

Gary Hitchins... 2nd cousin ... 4th cousin ... 4th cousin once removedBonnie Marshall... 4th cousin once removedNoel McCormick... 3rd cousin once removed ... 5th cousin once removedConnor MacDonald... great-grandnephew ... 3rd cousin three times removedDanny McGinn... 3rd cousin once removedRyan McGinn... 2nd cousin twice removed ... 3rd cousin twice removed ... 3rd cousin three times removed ... 5th cousin once removed ... 4th cousin three times removed ... 5th cousin twice removedTed Welbanks... 4th cousinDavid Wemp... 3rd cousinDonna Willard... 2nd cousin ... 4th cousin*****

Ancesters Of Benjamin Wemp

Benjamin Wemp

Edward Norman Wemp {father of Benjamin Wemp}

Sarah Jane Glenn {mother of Benjamin Wemp}

Benjamin Wemp {father of Edward Norman Wemp}

John Glenn {father of Sarah Jane Glenn}

Catherine Fleming {mother of Sarah Jane Glenn}

William Wemp {father of Benjamin Wemp}

Sarah MacKenzie Howard {mother of BenjaminWemp}

Alexander (Sandy) Glenn {father of John Glenn}

Nessie Askin {mother of John Glenn}

William Fleming {father of Catherine Fleming}

Sarah Jane Cronin {mother of Catherine Fleming}

John Wemp {father of William Wemp}

Ellen Catherine Althouse {mother of William Wemp}

Edward Howard {father of Sarah MacKenzieHoward}

Elizabeth ?? {mother of Sarah MacKenzie Howard}

Alexander Glenn {father of Alexander (Sandy) Glenn}

Alex Askin {father of Nessie Askin}

Mary Glenn {mother of Nessie Askin}

Samuel Fleming {father of William Fleming}

Catherine Galbraith {mother of William Fleming}

James Cronin {father of Sarah Jane Cronin}

Christine Kaig {mother of Sarah Jane Cronin}

Barabas Wemp {father of John Wemp}

Catherine Gates {mother of John Wemp}

Abram Althouse {father of Ellen Catherine Althouse}

Lucretia Dusenbury {mother of Ellen CatherineAlthouse}

Robert Glenn {father of Alexander Glenn}

Nessie Johnston {mother of Alexander Glenn}

?? Fleming {father of Samuel Fleming}

John Dusenbury {father of Lucretia Dusenbury}

Eleanor Cotter {mother of Lucretia Dusenbury}*****

{Page 9}

For SaleWanted

For SaleSwing set for kids $30. Located on south shore # 4895.Come and get it (good condition)Call: 546-3986***

For Sale: Solid oak desk, 4 drawers plus a file drawer.Measures 72" length, 36" width, and 29" height. Greyoffice work table, also for sale. Measuring 60" length,30" width and 29" height. Both good condition $150.or best offer.Phone: 389-6918***

Will trade for rototiller - Brown velvet 7'+ couch orsimilar couch that converts to a bed. If you do not havea rototiller then try $250. Clean and in good condition.Call Hugh or Claire Jenney at 384-7830. Free Delivery***










GLM ConstructionGeneral Contracting, Renovations & DesignContact Gary McDonald at 384-1456.

***




Nutrition And Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more... For information, call Diane Hieatt, Body WiseConsultant, at 389-7074.***

For SaleWoollen Blankets, Yarn and Sheepskins from TopsyFarmsCall Sally or Ian at 389-3802 or 389-3444.***









BlanketsYarnSheepskinsAvailable atTopsy FarmsThe Weasel & EaselThe Bath Village Gallery*****


The Amherst Island Landfill SiteHours Of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Sunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*****


{Page 10}

Community CalendarJulySaturday, July 29th Les Barricades MisterieusesSaturday, July 29th noon to 4 p.m. Garden Party

AugustMonday, August 7th Civic Holiday (Mun. Offices

closed)Saturday, August 2nd Country GospelSaturday, August 19th Queen’s 2000Monday, August 26th 7:00 pm Council MeetingSaturday, August 26th Kingston Ceili Band*****

The Weasel And Easel The Weasel and Easel at it’s new location in the oldNeilson Store at the east end of the village will be opendaily from July 1st. The hours are 11 am to 5 pm. The store has a wide variety of local art and craftsfor sale. Wood work, pottery, paintings, blankets,sheep skin rugs, to name some of the work there. Theplace to find that perfect gift or memento of a visit tothe island.*****

The Back Kitchen389-7200Hours Of OperationFriday, Saturday, and Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.through September 10PlusAugust 7th and September 4th Holidays.

Dinner Specials, Friday and Saturday evenings

Homemade Bread for Sale*****

Amherst IslandCommunity Bible Studymeets Thursday a.m. - 0945 - 12 noonJuly Janet ScottAugust Janet ScottJoin in a time of prayer and studying God’s word. All welcome.*****Amherst Island General Store389-0417Summer Hours7 Days a Week 9am -9 pm



We have a wide variety of products available.

If we don’t have what you need, it can be ordered withdeliveries.Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays.Just call a day ahead to place your order.Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask that youpick up orders around 11 a.m. as we have no room forstorage in coolers at this time.


{Page 11} {pictures of the Canada Day Parade}

*****

{Page 12} {pictures of the Canada Day Parade}*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: August 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 271}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 271 August 2000 {incorrectly labelled as 270}




ProductionHeadlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0



Production For August300 Copies*****

Beacon Notes Summer’s here but only in fits and starts. We’retrying to enjoy the good parts... Has the Island everlooked so green and lush in the middle of August? Itlooks more like June! The not-so-good parts will waitfor the Letter Home. Last month I tried taking a picture of the Weasel’ssign in their store window and inserting it into their ad.It didn’t work very well. This month I’ve tried turningthat picture and turning it into a drawing. Afterremoving the background, it works better - at least youcan tell who the ad for! With that being a success, I didthe same for the General Store and the Back Kitchen. This month’s Beacon is a bit thin which is pretty

normal for August. And, with haying plus otherconcerns, we have not padded it up with past articles.Next month should be better...*****

Farm Mutual Financial ServicesGrand Opening of Financial ServicesDate: Thursday, August 17, 2000 from 12:30 to 4:30p.m. Special Note: Financial Services will be availableevery 3rd Thursday of the Month on the Island.Location: Amherst Island Mutual Insurance Office(Bruce Caughey’s office)Please drop by for a Coffee and Snacks!We are here to help with any questions!If these times are not convenient, please call BrentTimm at: 1-888-246-5555 for a personal appointmentor questions.Door Prizes to be won!!Allan Glenn has recently been appointed to the Boardof Directors of Farm Mutual Financial Services.*****

{Page 2}

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbJuly 31, 2000 Summer is when Council takes a break and onlyholds one meeting a month. However, due to a largenumber of items needing attention, Council held asession on July 31. All members of Council were thereand a larger number of staff members than previousmeetings were also present (I guess they are back fromvacation). Speaking of vacations, Councillor Lowrycomplimented Ross Troop on handling both his job asTreasurer and Diane Pearce’s as CAO while she wasaway. The Waterfront Working Group sent a delegation tothe July 31st meeting to report on their progress. Theydidn’t have much to say except that they are continuingto work towards the trail system shown on the map weprinted a while ago. In related news, Hwy 33 throughBath is getting re-surfaced and the Township is tryingto get a bicycle path included. Negotiations with MTOare proceeding with it almost certain that those partsthat can easily accommodate a bike path will be goingahead and paid for by MTO. Deputy Reeve McEwenquizzed the delegation about the extent of theTownship’s contribution towards the trail system. Forthe time being, that only amounts to putting up signs

provided by the Working Group. The Amherst Islandloop was mentioned as a worthwhile addition to thetrail system. Some work is necessary to figure out ifthe roads meet the standards required. The Heritage Committee report was received. In itwas mention that Neilson’s Store might be designated aHeritage Building. Usually this means that only certainfeatures are designated like the front exterior, roof lineor sometimes an interior feature. Once designated,these cannot be altered without approval of theProvincial agency and any work (like maintenance) hasto be done with approved materials (including colours).Some members of Council were interested in thefinancial implications for this building to theTownship. Because no application has been submitted,the Provincial agency has not looked to see whatshould be designated so no estimates of costs could begenerated. There was some very good news for the Township.Tests done to the ground water and soil at the oldOdessa Roads garage have proved that no specialaction is needed before a cleanup of the site can bedone. There was the potential here for many thousandsof dollars in remedial action being needed if anyunacceptable pollution was found. A report on the Amherst Island landfill site waspresent in the agenda package. No issues were notedthat need major work. The rate of fill has been farbelow that predicted in 1996 and so the life of the siteis estimated at 20 years. It was also noted that wastediversion programs are significantly reducing thevolume put into the site (it is so difficult not to write‘dump’). As with all other reports that I can remember,there is no conclusive evidence that the site is pollutingeither the ground or surface water. Some adjustmentsin what is tested for will be done this coming year(some monitoring will be increased while some will bedecreased from an elevated level). Last but not least,there was mention of the inconsistencies between theCertificate of Approval and the Development andOperation Plan in the areas of the site and thewaste disposal areas. It is hoped that this can beresolved simply with a letter (could we be so lucky toget something sorted out so easily). A Township policy has been developed (andpassed) to regulate entrance permits and culverts. Thisshould help make this process much easier tounderstand. A 35 page report from Cumming Cockburn Limitedreviewing the Province’s comments on our proposedOfficial Plan was received by Council. It will be dealtwith at a special administration meeting “some time inSeptember”. Because the actual comments from theProvince were not included, it is a little hard to follow

but it looks, on first glance, like it largely deals withdetails and not the

{Council report will continue after the following 2notices}

Loyalist TownshipPublic Notice In accordance with the agreement between LoyalistTownship and Nut Island Ltd., the Back Beach onAmherst Island is closed to the public from the dayafter Labour Day to December 31st of each year.*****

Notice The Amherst Island Recreation Association regretsthat it will not hold a New Year’s Dinner and Dancethis year. Thank you to everyone who has supported us.*****

{Page 3}

{Council report continues}

general thrust of the OP. Before our next issue, I willtry and go through it more carefully just to be sure. If Iremember correctly, there will be another round ofpublic meetings showing the OP with any changes. Ofcourse, by this time, it is pretty difficult to get anychanges. Minutes from the first three meetings of theIntensive Farming Operations Committee wereincluded in the agenda package. Reading themsuggested that the committee meetings have beenlively. This committee is attempting to come up with areasonable by-law to regulate intensive farmingoperations. Comments included in the minutes showthat not only is water pollution an issue but persistentodours are also a significant concern. These first threemeetings have largely been organizational with thehard work yet to come. And, it is by no meanscompletely clear that the Province won’t step in atsome point and produce a set of rules itself. Until (orif) that happens, the committee remains hard at work. The next regular meeting of Council will be held onAugust 21st at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Bye the bye, the pictures of the Bath Reeves arenow on display in the Council Chambers. This makesthe Amherst Island display look pretty dismal with onlyfour or five Reeves represented. So, if you have apicture of an Island Reeve, call Reeve Gilmore (386-7351). He will be more than helpful in getting thepicture reproduced for display in the Council

Chambers.*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Get well wishes this month go out to Amy Caughey,who is recovering at home from the badly broken ankleshe got while hiking on Baffin Island; to Eva Kidd whobroke her arm; Ken Jeffreys, who is recovering from aheart attack at home; and, to Audrey Miller followingher stay in hospital. Belated 60th birthday to Keith Miller; Happy 40thanniversary to Earl and Donna Willard. Ernest Fleming has recently moved to HelenHenderson retirement home. Stewart and Kathy Reed and sons Chris andWilliam travelled to the Maritimes with Betty andDavid Wemp for a holiday and to visit Kathy andDavid’s sister Maureen. Lynann and Ben Whittonspent a week with family in Montana. CarolineAckerman spent a couple of weeks in England visitingher family. The annual Garden Party, held at St. Paul’s wasagain well attended by Islanders and visitors. The St.Alban’s ACW’s annual Chicken BBQ was also wellattended. The Waterside Music Series is enjoyinganother successful year as it winds down for theseason. A.I.P.S. will become a science resource centre forthe Limestone District School Board. A Half timeteacher has been hired to run the program. Childrenfrom other schools will come to the Island toexperience some of the Island’s natural habitats andenvironment. We will have two new teachers in thePrimary and Senior classes as well as an EducationAssistant and Janet Scott will be the only familiar faceto students when she returns to her halftime position atthe school. This is all wonderful news, as it decreasesthe chances of the Board naming our school forclosure.*****

The Amherst Island Community Sunday School We meet at the Amherst Island Community Centreon Sundays from 9:45 to 10:45 am This is a non-denominational Sunday School opento all children ages 3 to 99 Sunday School starts on Sunday, September 17th. For information call Janet Scott 389-4608 or AnnAlbertan 389-2662*****

Calling All GirlsSparks, Brownies, Girls Guides and Pathfinders

We will be registering on September 13th. at theAmherst Island Community Centre 6:00 to 7:00 pm For information call Janet Scott 389-4608 orValerie Wolfreys 389-8513*****

{Page 4}

4-H News The senior 4-H Fall Club (for grades 9 thru ages21) will organize on Sunday, September 10th. at 1:00pm at Caughey’s on Front Road. The project will be“Sew-Easy”. If you are interested in joining the Clubbut cannot attend the first meeting, please phone Susieat 389-2012 before that date. The next club for the junior 4-H will start after thenew year. The 4-H members again plan to host the HalloweenMasquerade at the school. We hope that you’ll startmaking plans to dress up and attend!*****

Thank You Notes

The Garden Party Committee 2000 would like tothank all residents and friends of Amherst Island fortheir generous and enthusiastic support of St.Paul’s 52nd. annual event on July 29. Special thanks tomusicians, vocalists, cloggers, as well as JacobMurray for the use of his sound system and DaveYouell for standing by to help with it. Many thanks.*****

FlooringCarpet, vinyl, wood. Summit International/DistributorAgent: Gord Forbes - 389-8516*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute The Women’s Institute will be holding the BakeSalesagain this year on the Friday of each long weekendstarting on May 19th outside the Amherst IslandGeneral Store. Time: - 3.45 pm.*****

Janet’s Jottings“What is this life if full of care,we have no time so stand and stare”

Perhaps you remember that poem from your High

School days, you know back in the Prehistoric dayswhen we memorized poetry and wrote with fountainpens. It was called “Leisure “and we pronounced itwith a short “e” sound unlike the Leesure suits andLeesure time today. Last Friday, August 4th. was one of those beautifulleisure days that had no demands and no “things youjust got to do”. After James left for the early boat Itook my coffee and binoculars out on the porch for ashort coffee break and what a fantastic hour of birdingit became. The water was still and as those of you who live onthe South Shore know, that changes about 10:00 as theland warms and the breezes start. I could hear a looncalling across the water, that sound that reminds us ofcamp and cottage and summers long ago. Shortly afterI heard a buzz and familiar squeak and there was theHummingbird checking out the feeder but that morninghe preferred the Hollyhocks. This was a Ruby-throatedHummingbird but in recent years the Rufous has beenseen by Kingston Field Naturalists and Stewart Reedgot to see one on the South Shore so take a second lookwhen one stops at your feeder. As the sun began to warm the treetops the littleinsect eaters flitted and chattered in the foliage. Therewere wrens and flycatchers, probably the LeastFlycatcher but I can’t tell them apart, they are about 5inches in length and have wing bars and an eye ring.The Chickadee was there and a Warbling Vireo as welldoing acrobatics on the Willow fronds and in theWeeping Birch. While I was scanning the trees withmy faithful and battered binoculars I was rewardedwith a Black-billed Cuckoo. You’ll recognize this birdby its long tail with white markings on the underside.When I first moved home to the South Shore he wascalling regularly from the thickets on the Marshall 40foot but he’s quiet now. Scanning the lake I saw a majestic Great BlueHeron fly by as he headed off for some morning fishingand three Mergansers were dipping their faces in thestill water as they fished directly off our shore. Thelocal Canada Geese are flying again. Their time ofmoulting must be over and it’s time to instruct theyoung on flight patterns and formation flying. Back on the porch the chattering House Fincheswere feeding at the mixed seed and a Goldfinch triedthe Niger seed in the hanging feeder. Just when Ithought it was time to move and start the day didn’t aBaltimore Oriole (Northern) visit the Hollyhocks fourfeet in front of me. The adult Robins were feeding with some youngbirds, full-sized but still spotted. I think they wereteenagers, playing cool and aloof but glad Mom andDad were on watch. The Red-winged Blackbird

whistled and the Grackles chattered just to remind

{Page 5}

me they were there while the Tree Swallows and BarnSwallows dipped and dove and the Kingbirds noisilysupervised their young on our TV antenna. About this time the Catbird called from the brushand the Chipping Sparrow reminded me it was time toget busy but what a marvellous morning of Bird-watching I had without leaving my porch, twentyspecies at least. Amherst Island with its wide variety ofhabitats suitable for birds is a treasure and we areblessed to live in such a marvellous place.*****

Cakes for All Occasions&Gift and Fruit Baskets(Cakes for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Retirementavailable)(All Gift and Fruit Baskets personalized) For more information please call Heather 389-8246 or389-2822*****

August Gardening- Sow fall vegetables e.g. spinach and lettuce.- Prune climbing roses- Order spring-flowering bulbs. Try somethingdifferent such as colchicum for next fall.- Plant fall-flowering perennials.- Avoid cutting grass shorter than 5 cm.- Water and weed frequently. Keep compost moist.- Good time for drying flowers and herbs.*****

News from The General Store Congratulations once again to our draw winnersDanielles Wolfreys, July 21 and Sean deHaan, August4. Each won 5 ice-cream cones at Youellies Coolies.The next draw will be on August 18 at 4 pm. Got yourname in yet? New movies available to rent are:- Bicentennial Man With Robin Williams. GoodMovie, Highly recommended.- Superstar with Mary Catherine Gallagher fromSaturday Night Live- Romeo must Die with Jet Li and Aaliyah - A goodaction film that combines Martial arts and some greatvisual effects.- Scream 3 with Neve Campbell.- Man on the Moon with Jim Carrey, Based on the truestory of Andy Kaufman.

New movies for the kids are Disney’s Geppettowith Drew Carey.*****

Pelee Island Conference Wave Of The Future Last week, the Beacon received a five page faxabout a conference on Pelee Island called Wave Of TheFuture. The cover page says, in part:“This conference is the first opportunity islands inOntario have had to get together and discuss economicdevelopment.” The conference will be held onSeptember 28-29, 2000. Workshops on transportation, infrastructure,marine development, development & developers, islandidentity plus marketing & tourism promotion areplanned. Many speakers are scheduled. More information about the conference can beobtained in many ways:- web site: www.pelee.com (which is a quick-loadingand easy to navigate site)- email: [email protected] fax: (519) 724-2470- voice: (519) 724-2931 Registration costs for the conference are $200($250 after September 1st). Packages for spousesrange from $25-$60. And, there is a one dayconference price too. The web site lays all this out...just click on the Wave Of The Future title on the homepage.*****


{Page 6}

A Letter Home The grass was ready to start haying at the start ofJune but two and a half months later, we’re still at it...and we’re no where near done. Judging from all theuncut hay fields around the Island, most Island farmersare in the same boat. And, being in a boat is just aboutwhat is needed to get across some fields... there’sstanding water days after a rain. Chris keeps track of

the rainfall and said that the Island had more rain inJune than in May, and more rain in July than June -unbelievable! Even August has been wet!! It would be okay if the weather people could predictwhat’s going to happen more than 12 hours in advance.We’ve gone out cutting with a three day window of sunonly to come back in a few hours later to find 60%chance of showers over the same period. And, we allknow what 60% chance of showers means thissummer... it’ll rain for 60% of the day. The one bright spot in all of this cloud and rain isthat the pastures are growing. The flocks have finallymade it around their pastures once and the re-growthhas been wonderful. Often by this time of year, thelambs have been weaned to get the ewes on hay until(or if) enough fall pastures starts growing. The duals that Chris put on the round baler haveworked a treat. If we didn’t have them we would stillbe pulling it out of one the first fields baled. So when you are driving around this summer andsee someone trying to get some field work done, sparethem a kind thought and perhaps even wish them a bitof good luck ‘cause they could use some. Hayingseason is rapidly drawing to a close whether haying iscompleted or not. The days are shortening and coolingoff making it even more difficult to cure the hay. Wellthat should be enough gloom for one column... heckyou’d think I was Keith Miller!!! Oh! I almost forgot... Topsy Farms’ web site isnow up and running. The address iswww.topsyfarms.com. We haven’t received ourmonthly report on the number of ‘hits’ so we don’tknow if we’ve broken into the top 100 internet sitesyet. We’ll certainly let you know when that happens.*****

Organ Donor Cards- Dianne Marshall I finally did something I’ve been putting off for along time - I phoned, received and signed an OrganDonor Card! If anyone else has been meaning to dothis - the phone number is 1-800-263-2833 or you canask them to send a card on the web atwww.organdonationontario.org. One less thing on my to do list!*****

Rugby Two of the best rugby games I’ve ever seen were onthe dish this past month. New Zealand and Australiaplayed each other in a home and home series as part ofthe Tri-Nation cup (South Africa is the third member).The first game was so good that it even got two largestories in the National Post!

Just as a point of reference, Australia and NewZealand are ranked number one and two respectively inthe world with South Africa a fading third. (Canada isranked 12th which is pretty respectable but we don’treally have any chance of winning against the topteams. Canada plays for moral victories.) The first game was played in Australia’s newOlympic Stadium. It was a sell-out with 109,000+ avidfans in attendance. The game opened with a deluge ofNew Zealand scoring... after 8 minutes the Kiwis wereahead 21 to zip (on three converted trys). You mightthink this would be enough to put the game away butno... this is Australia, the World Champions, we’retalking about here!!. The Aussies didn’t panic... theteam just kept on working. Gradually they came backand the score was even at the half. Australia wentahead in the second half but New Zealand, at the lastmoment, scored a try to steal the game.

{Page 7}

The second game was in New Zealand and wasmuch different. The score remained close during thewhole game. One team would dominate looking like itcouldn’t be stopped and then the other team would takeover for 15 minutes or so. The level of play wasincredibly high with both teams bringing their ‘A’games. In the end, the Australians stole one from theKiwis on a last play penalty kick. What an incredible couple of games. These teamsare now tied in the Tri-Nations standings with twowins and one loss each. Each team has one gameremaining with South Africa. While the Boks lost boththeir previous Tn-Nation games, they are a formidableopponent. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of theTn-Nations. Rugby just doesn’t get any better thanthis! If you are interested in rugby sites, two come tomind: www.rugbvrughy.com/ andwww.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/rugby/index.html.*****

{Page 8}

For SaleWanted

For Sale1 medium size chest freezer $75.00389-4874***

For Sale2 chest freezers - Great Condition

Call Garry or Susan - 384-7866***











Lakeshore Rubber Stamp

Quick service for all kinds stamps (self-inkers, daters,signature, logos, business & personal)Call Linda Welbanks at 389-8441Fax 389-9770***



Nutrition and Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more... For information, call Diane Hieatt, Body WiseConsultant, at 389-7074.***

For SaleWoollen Blankets, Yarn and Sheepskins from TopsyFarmsCall Sally or Ian at 389-3802 or 389-3444***





Pumps Of All KindsRural water system maintenance.Call Tom Miller at 389-0105.

***



Whig Home Delivery If you would like to Whig Standard delivered toyour home, please phone Jim or Sandra at 389-4484.*****

BlanketsYarnSheepskinsAvailable atTopsy FarmsThe Weasel & EaselThe Bath Village Gallery*****



Senior Outreach ServicesFrozen DinnersFor orders, menus & information Call Freda Youell at 384-4135*****

{Page 9}

Community CalendarAugustSaturday, August 19th Queen’s 2000Monday, August 21st 7:00 pm Council MeetingSaturday, August 26th Kingston Ceili Band

SeptemberMonday, September 11th 7:00 pm Council MeetingMonday, September 25th 7:00 pm Council Meeting*****

The Weasel & Easel The Weasel and Easel at its new location in the oldNeilson Store at the east end of the village will be opendaily from July 1st. The hours are 11 am to 5 pm. The store has a wide variety of local art and craftsfor sale. Wood work, pottery, paintings, blankets,sheep skin rugs, to name some of the work there. Theplace to find that perfect gift or memento of a visit tothe island.*****

The Back Kitchen389-7200Open Fri, Sat and Sun 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Labour Day Monday 11:00 am - 7:00 pmWe’re open one more week-end after Labour Day,September 8, 9 & 10Thank-you all for making our Week-end Openings asuccess this year. The support and compliments wereoverwhelming. A special Thank-you to all of our staffand Garry’s Mother, who worked tirelessly with us tomake it all come together. Susan and Garry*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417Summer Hours7 Days a Week 9 am - 9 pmCanada PostMonday - Friday 9 am - 11:30 am 2:30 pm - 5 pmSaturday 9 am - 12 noon


Fax ServiceFax service is now available at Amherst Island GeneralStoreMon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page50¢ for each additional pageLong Distance $5.00Receive - 50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417

*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: September 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 272}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 272 September 2000 {incorrectly labelled as271}





Printed at KR CopyCat Town Centre

CreditsCorel WP Suite 8 &ArcSoft Imaging Suite

Production For September275 Copies*****

Beacon Notes Fall left no doubt as to its arrival with cool breezyweather. The leaves are showing signs of turning andby next month, they should be in full anti-bloom. Thismeans that all those things not done this summer needto be gotten at sooner rather than later. There have been an amazingly large number of carson the roads this summer. And, a lot of them are notIslanders. We found this out when someone tried tohitch-hike back to the Head after a tractor broke downon the Front Road. Five cars went by before someonestopped and offered him a ride. I was watching from

further down the road and my jaw dropped after thefirst went by, and continued to drop lower and lower asmore went by... it was shocking to see! Well, enoughabout poor manners shown by mainlanders, it’s time toget on with this month’s Beacon.*****

Loyalist TownshipNotice Sorry for the Inconvenience but the Dock Toiletswill be closed due to vandalism. Washroom facilitiesare available on the Ferry.*****

Regular Council Meeting- Don TubbAugust 21st & September 11th, 2000 All members of Council were present for bothmeetings as were a fairly usual array of staff members. There was a small crowd at the September meetingto witness the presentation of a framed certificate toTom Crausen who helped the OPP

{Page 2}

apprehend a suspect. Inspector Macpherson along withSergeant Cosgrove and Constable Glazin were on handto make the presentation. Council members offeredpersonal congratulations after Inspector Macphersongot through “embarrassing” Tom Crausen. Three members of the public came forward toannounce their intentions to run for Council. And, atthe end of the September meeting, Councillors Ashleyand Storms announced their intentions to run again intheir respective Wards. This was greeted with generalapproval by other Council members. The tone ofCouncil has changed rather dramatically over the lastthree years. At the start, Council members were quitetight-lipped except to express a brief and very specificopinion on a given topic.... but now, questions areasked more freely and frequently of staff and talk ismuch looser. While none of this approaches the morecasual meeting atmosphere during many of AmherstIsland Council meetings, the Loyalist meetings are nowmore interesting and informative. We can only hopethat the new Reeve can strike a similar balancebetween formality and casualness. It should be noted that all members of the presentCouncil have either filed their papers or declared theirintentions to do so. Of course, with Reeve Gilmore notrunning again, some members of Council are seekingdifferent positions. When this was being written, 10

people had filed and Duncan had just declared hisintention to do so making 11. He is the only personfrom Amherst Island to do so. So what’s going on here with everyone runningagain (except for the Reeve)... Do the present Councilmembers feel the amalgamation job is not completed?Have these folks not used up their personal quotas ofcommunity spiritedness? Is the time commitment morethan compensated for with the remuneration or bysome other benefit (tangible or not)? It is reallyinteresting to see 6 of the 7 present Council membersrunning. Well, after that extended aside, the business athand beckons. Dave and Laurie Youell came to Council asking forits help in the on-going problems with Bell and the payphone. The phone presently accepts only cards - nocoins. The Youells have been trying to have thischanged. Bell, however, has countered with an offerthat the Youells pay Bell $50 a month to keep the payphone at all. As it is the only pay phone on the Island,this is not an inconsequential matter... late arrivals onthe ferry can call for a ride without having to walkkilometers in the dark. After some questions fromCouncil members, it was decided that, initially at least,a letter from the Reeve will be sent to Bell. The Township is going to get involved, in a minorway, with the private water supply system atMillhaven Trailer Park. The firm managing the Parkhas to meet new Ministry of Environment requirementswhich involve several items. The Township help hasbeen requested to take water samples and deliver themto the lab. After some discussion and assurances thatthis help would not lead to further involvement,Council agreed to do this basically at cost. All of the Township roads have now been classifiedunder a uniform set of criteria. This will, apparently,help in setting reconstruction needs, upgrading forwidth, or curbs or ditches or whatever. It did pique myinterest to note that the Front Road west of Emeraldwas rated as a two lane gravel road used for localresidential access. Two lanes wide is a bit liberal if notjust plain fanciful for considerable portions of the road.Plus, a very significant portion of the traffic is farmbased like tractors, wagons, ATVs, grain trucks, otherfarm supply vehicles like fuel trucks, etc, etc. Thereare any number of other examples on the Island*****

{Council report will continue after the following twoitems}

Public Notice The following Public Meetings will be held toadvise the public of progress and changes made based

on input received to date, and to seek further commentson the Draft Official Plan.Tuesday, September 19th 7:00 p.m OdessaWednesday, September 20th 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. BathThursday, September 21st 7:00 p.m Stella[Staff: We did not receive an official notice from theTownship of these meetings but took the abovewording from a resolution made during one of theadministration meetings This is why the Township logois not present We wouldn’t want to be putting words inthe Township’s mouth.]*****

Turkey Supper The Anglican Church Women are holding theirAnnual Turkey Supper and Sale at Amherst IslandCommunity Centre on Saturday, September 30, 20005:00 - 7:00 pmAdults... $10.00Children (5-12)... $5.00Pre-school... Free*****

{Page 3}

{Council report continues}

where a specific section of the road wouldn’t meetwidth criteria. However, enough ranting.., it doesn’tmatter what a table shows as long as the Townshipstaff really know what the roads are like and can fitthem accordingly into a capital works project. The minutes for the Heritage Committee meeting ofAugust 15th were included in the agenda package. Itnoted that no new information had been received on theNeilson Store. And, the next meeting, September 19th,will be held at the Fowler House. The Provincial government has invited applicationsfor projects under the Ontario Small Town and RuralDevelopment Infrastructure Program. There is little tosay here except that Council decided the Odessa wastetreatment plant deserved top priority. End-loadingdocks were not among the Township Engineer’s ‘topfive’ priorities. This may be partly due to the emphasisof this specific program being on infrastructureinvolving public health and safety. Speaking of public health, the Province has broughtforward some new requirements for the mainland watertreatment plants which have some significant costsassociated. The new regulations would take the present$16,000 a year water sampling cost (for the Bath andFairfield plants) and make it more like $37,000(estimated). Plus there will be more costs because allreports will have to be made available to the public the

day after they are received by the Township. Allreports need to be available for two years. While it isimpossible to say how much staff time this mightconsume, it will certainly have some significantimpact. Of course, the Province suggests all these costsbe passed on as user fees. At the August 29th Administration Committeemeeting, a resolution was passed which did not givepriority status to a Tri-Board Transportation Authorityschool bus on the ferry. I don’t know if this is standard policy but it took theProvincial Ministry of Justice 6 months to answer aletter written to it. The letter was sent by the Townshipon February 29th and an answer was received onAugust 2nd. While the letter was only supportinganother township’s resolution, you wouldn’t think itwould take the Ministry 6 months to put less than a100 words of reply together. Another aside here... do you know what a“brownfield” is? Apparently it is a former industrialproperty. The reason I found this out is the Ministry ofMunicipal Affairs and Housing has made available toany municipality an education and training programabout same. Last but not least is to mention again that the 5lonely pictures of past Reeves of Amherst Island needsome company. Right now, pictures of Duncan Ashley,Ian Murray, David A. Caughey, Morrison Scot andHarry E. Fleming are in place. The Township has beentaking care of copying or enlarging and framing sothere is really no cost.. all we need to do is supply thepictures. Bath and Ernestown sections appear to berelatively complete. The Reeve will be more thanhappy to facilitate this process.*****

For Rent Three bedroom Presbyterian manse, located on ahilltop 1 k. south of the village by St. Paul’schurchyard, is available for rental; $400 per month.Stove and refrigerator included. Garage. Tenant must agree to maintain lawn and yard, heatthe house during cold months, and, during dry periods,fill the church cistern with water. Interested parties should contact Peter Trueman(389-3548) as soon as possible, and before October 1.*****

Need a light duty caretaker while you are away.Call Betty at 389-7907*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming

Get well wishes this month to Leonard Pittman andGarnett Willard. Condolences to the family of the lateViolet Wemp, who passed away recently. Mrs. Wemphad lived most of her life here on the Island. Lots offamily visiting from far flung places this month.Lynann Whitton’s mom from Australia is visiting for acouple of months; Chris Kennedy’s mom visited fromEngland; John and Alena Schram were home fromAfrica for their annual visit; Art and Kay Wolfreys arehere from Orlando; Angela and Patrick Foster and BobHill came from England to attend the Wolfreys familyreunion; Zander and Nancy Dunn are back

{Page 4}

home on the Island after spending a couple of monthsin Africa. Ray and Zelma Koenders entertained their nieces,Ruth and Linda Koenders from British Columbia for acouple of weeks. Linda lives on a Chinese Junk inVictoria and owns the Beacon Hill Children’s Farm.Welcome to Shirley Miller’s mom who has recentlymoved from Napanee to live with Keith and Shirley. Congratulations to Rick and Carol Morgan on thebirth of their first grandson. Mitchell Bursey was bornon Sept 9, 2000 to Susan and Carl. The Back Kitchen has closed for the season andschool is back in, can fall be far behind?Congratulations to some island baseball and soccerplayers. Alicia Wolfreys, Tabytha Trotter and WhitneyFleming played baseball in a Loyalist TownshipLeague this summer and ended up being the “A”division champs. Ben Whitton came home with a firstplace trophy when his soccer team won thechampionship for his division. Welcome to the new teachers at A.I.P.S. CathyDonaldson is the new head teacher and Senior classteacher; Andrew Cotton is the new Primary teacher andStephanie Raeburn-Gibson is the new science resourceteacher. Welcome back to E.A. Margo Virtue andplanning resource teacher Janet Scott.[Staffs addition] It was great to hear localentrepreneur, Malt Gowan, interviewed on CBCradio’s Fresh Air program on September 16th. TheOlympics in Australia sparked some interest in Matt’sdidgeridoo playing and making.*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Anna Hitchins The monthly meeting of the Women’s Institute washeld on Sunday, July 9th at 1 p.m. at the home ofJackie Sylvester, starting with a pot luck luncheon. Agood crowd attended and three new members joined the

W.I. The President conducted a short meeting withdiscussions concerning the new phone directory and the100th anniversary party to be held in November. Dueto rainy weather, Jackie Sylvester showed her watergarden but was unable to give or do much in detailconcerning this. There was no meeting in August and the Septembermeeting will be held September 20th at the home ofJean McIntyre in Kingston.*****

The Amherst Island Women*s InstituteIs looking for old photographs of Island life over thepast 100 years for their 100thAnniversary CelebrationNovember 5, 2000If you have any appropriate photos which may includeformer Institute members of life in downtown Stella,Please contact Joyce Haines 634-7894 or NancyHenshaw 384-0799*****

Cool, Clean WaterMaureen Swain - Vice Principal These days everyone is concerned about safe andenjoyable drinking water. The water at Amherst IslandPublic School has always been safe for drinking butfor the past few years until this September, I.S.L.E.has purchased drinking water for the students to drinkif they wished. Last spring the Limestone DistrictSchool Board installed a new water filtration system atthe school. The water first passes through a sand filterand then a carbon filter before finally being treated andsterilized with an ultra violet system. In mid-August,the shore well was cleaned and sterilized along with thewater system. Water tests are taken once a week by atrained staff member and water fountains are flusheddaily. Should any irregularities occur with the weeklysamples, the Board Office and the school would becontacted immediately and be supplied with drinkingwater until the water again met the standard. Thesestandards and procedures are consistent with theMinistry of The Environment guidelines and arestandard procedure with schools in the District who areon their own water system. We are pleased to report that the system is workingextremely well. All samples have come back affirmingthe safety of the water and the system. I.S.L.E. islooking for even more ways now to support thestudents of Amherst Island with its fund raising efforts.*****

{Page 5}

School Volunteers Again this year, Amherst Island School is interestedin hearing from members of the community who wouldlike to volunteer in the school. Volunteers can behelpful in so many ways, from helping in the library tosupervising on field trips. The school will bedeveloping a pool of volunteers from which volunteerscan be asked, based on teacher needs, to support theschool on either a regular or casual basis. Allvolunteers who did not go through the process of aCHIC last year, must have a police check which isdone free of chargethrough our local Amherstview police detachment. Ifyou are interested in becoming a volunteer, pleasecontact the school.*****

I.S.L.E. ISLE is pleased to be able to offer you fresh Wiltoncheese again this year. Why buy cheese anywhere elsewhen you can stock up on mozzarella, gouda, orhavarti, etc right here at home and support AmherstIsland Public School. Listed in the box on this page arethe dates to order and pick up cheese. Cheese comes inapproximately 1 lb pkgs unless otherwise stated.Cheese is to be paid for at pickup time. Please makecheque payable to ISLE. Curd, extra mild, mild colby, mozzarella, casserole,onion/garlic, hot pepper, marble, medium, old extraold, grated mozzarella, grated parmesan, swiss,havarti, danish blue, gouda, jarlesburg, slices, cheeseballs (1/2 lb), feta, brie, skim, danish creams (1/2 lb)(pineapple, peach, dill, garlic, or herb/spice) are allavailable. If you would like to order cheese each month orplace a standing order, please call any AIPS student orany ISLE member - Sandra Reid 389-4484, GaryMcDonald 384-1456, Janet Scott 389-4608, KarenFleming 389-9869.*****

News fromThe General Store..... Congratulations once again to our draw winners.Justin Hutchings won the August 18th draw for anam/fm portable radio and sports watch, and ChrystaTrotter won the Sept 1st for 5 ice cream cones fromYouellie’s Coolies. September 22nd will be the lastdraw for this year, thank you to all the kids forparticipating and don’t forget to enter for the last drawof the year. Just a reminder to everyone who orders newspapersto please pick them up and if you don’t need the paperfor the Wednesday or Saturday delivery to please give

4 Gerald Andrew deHaan 1959- +Patricia Made “Patsy” Horth 4 Jane Ellen deHaan 1961- +Russell Keith McGinn 1955- *2nd Husband of Dreta Ellen Westwood: +Robert Gibson 1936- 4 Florence-Mai Gibson 1964- +Jerritt Martini 4 Harry James “Jimmy” Robed Gibson 1967- 4 Carl Frederick Gibson 1968- +Kelly Kehoe 4 Hugh Edward Gibson 1970- +Shirley Kehoe *3rd Husband of Dreta Ellen Westwood: +Tom Sudds 2 Catherine “Kate” Flanagan 1899 - 1986 2 Minerva Anne “Nerv” Flanagan 1901 - 1988 +Hugh Allen Drumgoole 1899 - 1975 3 Katherine Lavina Drumgoole 1921- +Raymond Leonard “Len” Garrah 1923- 4 Robert Allen Garrah 1953- 4 Raymond Leonard Garrah 1955- 4 Ronald Joseph Garrah 1965- 3 John Patrick “Johnny” Drumgoole 1923 - 1994 +Elva Lakins 4 Sheila Drumgoole +Henry Crouse 4 Judy Drumgoole +Carl Wilson 3 Hugh “Calvin” Drumgook 1931- +Vera Azulay *2nd Wife of Hugh “Calvin” Drumgoole: +Joan Fish 3 Nina Jane Drumgoole 1934- +Manuel “Manny” Morris

2 Violet Grace Flanagan 1910 - 2000 +Arthur Daniel Wemp 1914 - 1987 3 Norma Jane Wemp 1937- +Sinclair Knox 4 Danny Knox 1959- 4 Debbie Knox 1960- +Leon Frederick McGinn 1960- 3 Mary Grace Wemp 1944- +Daniel Claus 1939- 4 Wayne Claus 1964- 4 Paul Claus 1965- 3 Robert Arthur Wemp 1946- +Debra Cunningham *2nd Wife of Robert Arthur Wemp: +Cathy Blondin 3 Jean Catherine Wemp 1955- +Wayne Smith 4 Richard Smith 1977-

4 Robert Smith 1980-*****

{Page 7}

Janet’s Jottings- Janet Scott“The world is charged with the grandeur of God, It shall break out like shining from shook foil.” Does anyone remember that poem or at leastsomething like it since my memory like the rest of meis short and getting wrinkled? I cannot remember thetitle or the author but I do remember our teacher,Christine McVicar, one of those once in a lifetimeteachers that affect your whole being and youremember forever, telling us that the poem was writtenafter the industrial revolution and used symbolismreflecting the change in industry. If you can shine somelight on my recollection I sure would like to know theauthor and the rest of the poem. I asked “Jeeves” andhe described cases where people were charged underthe God’s Day Act but I’m not computer literateenough to get from there to my poem. The poem came to mind last August 17th. If any ofour readers were awake and about early that morningperhaps they experienced the awesome sight that I did.I had read Jessie Deslaurier’s column in Kingston ThisWeek that there was going to be an interestingconformation of stars and planets in the early morningsky. I went out to see and was greeted with a fantasticview. The moon was in the western sky and brightenough to cast sharp, black shadows from every tree,bush, and weed. That alone was something to see butin the ten o’clock position as I looked south the starAldebaran, the cluster of stars called the Pleiades andplanets Jupiter and Saturn formed a rhombus shape, asquished square, as my math teacher called that shape.It was Beautiful! The Orion was rising out of the topof our Willow tree and as it cleared the tree the pre-dawn light and wispy clouds gradually faded the top ofthe constellation. The sky grew lighter, the shadowsdisappeared and the mystical picture was gone. Withan eerie call of the loon another day began but my soulhad been touched and brightened by God’s grandeurand my batteries were charged for another day.*****

Vole Alert- Keith Miller Vole populations appear to be very high andgrowing. I predict the snow will be very deep to housethese pests, so be sure and wrap those little trees anduse “Scoot” on your larger trees before snow time.*****

A Letter Home I’m sure you’re as sick and tired hearing abouthaying as we are of doing it, so this is the last word...we stopped on August 28th. There was lots more wecould have done but we just stopped. Of course, we arebringing the bales home but once made, haying isconsidered essentially done. Now all we need is for thefall to be warm until say January with the grassgrowing again in about April - that would, for sure,insure we have enough hay. The lambs were weaned in the middle of Augustand while both the lambs and ewes complained for aday or so, things went pretty well. There is still lots ofpasture out there for both the lambs and ewes. Thelambs can continue to grow and the ewes can recover. Right now we are shearing (Thursday and Friday,the 14th and 15th), so we are guaranteed rain.Wednesday was a

{Page 8}

beautiful warm sunny day and the lambs got all driedoff, sorted and shuffled around. We put the ones to besheared in the barn overnight to keep the dew off. Twoshearers and six support staff was the people count andwe are expected to shear about 800 lambs this timearound. This in aid of getting the lambs ready to go tomarket this fall. By the time all was said and done, thetwo shearers had knocked off the 800 lambs in a dayand 2/3rds.*****


Topsy Farm’s Lamb will be available again this fall.Call Sally at 389-3444*****

Ancestors of Violet Grace Flanagan

Violet Grace Flanagan

John Flanagan {father of Violet Grace Flanagan}

Jane Denee {mother of Violet Grace Flanagan}

John Flanagan {father of John Flanagan}

Ann Unknown {mother of John Flanagan}

John “Jack” Denee {father of Jane Denee}

Mary Jane Bailey {mother of Jane Denee}

Thomas Denee {father of John “Jack” Denee}

Jane McMullen {mother of John “Jack” Denee}

Robert Bailey {father of Mary Jane Bailey}

Ann Jane ??? {mother of Mary Jane Bailey}

Antoine Denee, Sr {father of Thomas Denee}

Catherine Asselstine {mother of Thomas Denee}

Alexander McMullen {father of Jane McMullen}

Jane Houston {mother of Jane McMullen}

John McMullen {father of Alexander McMullen}

Agnes Gordon {mother of Alexander McMullen}

Pater Unknown McMullen {father of John McMullen}

Mater Unknown {mother of John McMullen}*****

{Page 9}

For SaleWanted

For Sale1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera 155000 km phone: 389-4017***

Cash for Cars and Trucks. Riddle Auto Recyclers: 544-3038***

For Sale1 medium size chest freezer. $75.00389-4874***





Cakes & Gift BasketsCakes for all occasionsGift and Fruit Baskets personalizedCall Heather at 389-8246 or 389-2822***




Computer AssistanceCan help to build computer skills on many programsCall Jan at 634-1995.***


FlooringCarpet, vinyl, wood,Summit International distributor

Agent: Gord Forbes 389-8516***





Nutrition and Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more... For information,call Diane Hieatt, Body Wise Consultant, at 389-7074.***













{Page 10}

Community CalendarSeptemberThursday, September 21st, 7:00 pm Official PlanMeetingMonday, September 25th 7:00 pm Council MeetingSaturday, September 30th, 7:00 pm Anglican TurkeySupper

October

Monday, October 10th 7:00 pm Council MeetingMonday, October 23rd 7:00 pm Council Meeting*****

The Back KitchenThank-you all for making our Week-end Openings asuccess this year. The support and compliments wereoverwhelming. A special Thank-you to all of our staffand Garry’s Mother, who worked tirelessly with us tomake it all come together. Susan and Garry*****

Weasel & Easel The Weasel and Easel will be open on weekendsuntil Thanksgiving from 11 - 4 pm. Come and do some early Christmas shopping.There are many interesting things to browse through.Pottery, paintings, blankets, cards, chairs, toy boxes,towel rails, jewellery and much more.*****

BlanketsYarnSheepskinsAvailable at Topsy Farms The Weasel & Easel The Bath Village Gallery*****

Amherst Island General Store389-04177 Days a Week 9 am - 9 pm




Fax ServiceFax service is now available at Amherst Island General

StoreMon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page50¢ for each additional pageLong Distance $5.00Receive - .50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: October 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 273}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 272 October 2000 {incorrectly labelled as 271}


Subscription RatesCanada $19/yrUSA $21/yrOverseas $24/yr


Production

Thanksgiving has come and gone with only a mildcase of bloat. There sure was a lot of food consumed...enough that the Island seemed to sink a bit lower in theLake. The day after Thanksgiving, ‘snow’ appeared forthe first time in Environment Canada’s Kingstonforecast. This is a sure sign that winter is on its way sowe all need to get busy finishing off those summerprojects... build that bar-b-q or floating dock so it willbe ready for next year. The leaves are turning now... to date, only theSumacs have really shown any colour with some beinga very firey red. If you missed them on the north shore,you could have gone across and seen them on the southshore as they seem to be about a week behind.*****

Official Plan Meeting- Don TubbSeptember 21, 2000 Another in a series of Official Plan meetings washeld to explain the draft OP. This was necessarybecause changes have been made because of concernsat the previous set of meetings (way back when) and,because of the Provincial review. If you wish, copies ofthe current draft of the Plan are available at theTownship Office in Odessa. About thirty people attended the meeting along withrepresentatives from the Township and the consultingcompany. This was their third meeting in three nightswith one being held in Bath and one in Odessa (or wasit Amherstview). Mr Uliana, the representative from CummingCockburn Limited, started off by going through whathas occurred to date and what sort of changes havebeen made to the draft OP. He did say that the processwas considerably behind schedule because of changesat the Province which held up the review (but he,pointedly, made it clear that the process was withinbudget). He then threw the floor open to questions andcomments. Many of the concerns raised centered on the largeamount of land zoned for agricultural use. This zonecovers perhaps 80% of the Island and has veryrestrictive uses imposed on it - basically, use of thisland is limited to agriculture or agricultural uses(barns, sheds, shops, etc). A number of people raised concerns that thislimited residential growth. Some people felt that thefuture of the Island rested in having more landavailable for housing, particularly low cost housing. It seems that the Township’s hands are really tiedwhen it comes to agricultural land as the Provincerequires that it be protected for agricultural uses

(unless you are a big developer in the Toronto area...sorry, I didn’t say that which is plain cynical). Theonly hope offered by Mr Uliana is to have the land re-assessed by some Provincial agency. Most of the landpresently designed agricultural is defined on mapswhich were laid out in the distant past. These maps areapparently not very accurate and so the agency willreview them. This, of course, takes time but Ernestownhad their land done which reduced significantly theamount of agricultural land. I confess I did not read the draft mainly because themaps look to be pretty much the same as before andthe plan is nearly an inch thick. Next up seems to beapproval by Council after one more public meeting tobe held on October 10th in Odessa.*****

Halloween Masquerade You are cordially Invited to attend the annualHalloween Masquerade which will once again, bebrought to you by the Amherst Island 4Hers.

When: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm on Saturday, October 28,2000Where: Amherst Island Community Centre What: Costume Judging, Music, Games andRefreshments.Admission for 18 and over is a non-perishable donationto the food bank or $2.00 and everyone under 18 getsin for free.Who: Why you ,of course!Why: Because it’ll be Fun!*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbSeptember 25th, 2000 All members of Council were present for the Sept25th meeting as were a number of staff. A largecontingent of people were there to support a delegationwhich wanted some

{Page 3}

sidewalks built in Amherstview. After some questionsand comments by Council members, the issue was sentto staff for a report. Councillor Ashley had an item added to theagenda.... to change the days the Ferry Office is open.Instead of having it open Tuesday, Wednesday andThursday, he thought it would be better to have it openon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This too wassent to staff for a Report but no objections were voiced

by Council members. Every 6 months, ‘a statement of the money at thecredit of the Corporation’ is done with the latest oneincluded in the agenda package. Of note were severalitems from the Island:Reserve Funds Ferry Dock Reserve... $221,908.83 Ameriks Scholarship Fund... $10,008.62 A.I. Waste Management... $4,109.85 Ferry Berthage Fees... $46,252.92 Ferry Reserve Fund... $41,155.43Trust Funds Glenwood Pentland Cemetery... $34,602.63 Ontario Home Renewal Plan... $51.65This last item, I think, is also an Island related item. IfI remember correctly, long, long ago there was aProvincial program to help people fix up their houses(the name is shortened to OHRP). The Island did notuse it all up and there seems to be no way to give itback to the Province. So, it sits there and cannot beused for anything else. The Township appointed 3 fenceviewers: KevinPeters, James Guest and Robert Wilson. So, if you arehaving problems with a neighbour, these folks areavailable through the Township to enforce the LineFences Act. There was a letter from David Turnbull, Minister ofTransportation dated August 29th. He had met with theReeve at the AMO meeting (August 14th, of the sameyear). The letter puts in writing his position. Becausewe have the space, I will quote the letter in part:

I recognize the importance of the Amherst Islandferry service to the Loyalist Township, and appreciatebeing informed of your concerns. As I indicated to you during our meeting, we are inthe process of completing an assessment of our fleetserving your area. I am aware that early decisions arerequired, following the problems encountered with theAmherst Islander, and the need for continued serviceand appropriate backup provisions for our vessels. Ialso acknowledge the Township’s desire to retain theFrontenac II for the Amherst Island service. As such, Ihave asked staff to give careful consideration to thiswhile reviewing the options. Again, thank you for meeting with me in Ottawa,and for keeping me up-to-date on the Township’sviews on these matters.

There were many other items dealt with but theyhad less relevance to the Island and so have been leftout due to space limitations.*****

Loyalist TownshipAmeriks Scholarship Fund - 2000 Applications for the Ameriks Scholarship Fund, inmemory of Reeve Frank Fleming, will be received bythe Committee until October 31, 2000. Amherst Island residents who currently attend postsecondary institutions on a full time basis are eligibleto apply. Application forms are available a the FerryOffice in Stella during office hours, Tuesday toThursday. Please forward completed applications toLoyalist Township at 263 Main Street, Odessa, K0H2S0, or leave at the Ferry Office. Diane Pearce, Chief Administrative Officer September 25, 2000*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbOctober 10th, 2000 This was a very interesting meeting despite the factthat it ran for more than 3 1/4 hours (I had to leave forthe boat at 10:15 p.m. and the meeting seemed to bejust wrapping up... that is except for the closed sessionwhich had several items to deal with). All members of Council were present along with thenormal array of staff members and several reporters.Also present was a standing room only crowd ofperhaps 80 people who largely seemed to be fromLoyalist Estates. The reason for the large turn-out wasthe draft Official Plan Public Meeting. I will save thatpart for the end of this report, going through thenormal business first... The Ferry Office will have its hours of operationchanged as of January 1st. Instead of being open onTuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays it will open onMondays,

{Page 4}

Wednesdays and Fridays. When a Monday is astatutory holiday, the office will then open onTuesdays. There was an interesting report from DavidThompson (our Engineer) to Council about road salts.Apparently, Environment Canada is consideringlabeling it as a toxic substance. The effect of thiswould be to require that ‘municipalities will berequired to closely monitor the amount used on roads,as well as report the usage to a reporting agency’. Hegoes on to say, ‘In the absence of another suitablematerial and the inherent need to provide saferoadways during the winter months, the labeling ofchloride-based products as “toxic” will significantly

reduce the road authority’s ability to combat snow andice-covered roads’. Council will be sending off a letterto a long list of people outlining its concerns regardingthis potential change. While the report doesn’t mentionit specifically, a background report does makereference to calcium chloride which is what is used tokeep dust down on the gravel roads during the summer.This too would probably be similarly labeled. Remember the Youell’s problem with Bell Canadaregarding the pay phone at the The General Store?During the October 2nd Administration Meeting, theReeve inquired as to the status of a letter to be sent toBell from Council on the Youell’s behalf. The CAO(Diane Pearce) said that it had been sent but no replyhad been received. The Deputy Reeve “noted that hehad spoken with some people at Bell Canada and hewould forward those names to the CAO” (a quote fromthe minutes). An information item from the Province was a NewsRelease to announce that starting with the year 2000date, a municipal report card would need to be issued.This will allow a comparison of costs for items likewater, fire and road services. Apparently 9 high-costservices will be measured. As you might expect,Council members were not pleased with this extrawork. Included in the agenda package was the IntensiveFarming Operations Committee minutes for theSeptember 20th meeting. It shows a wide divergence ofopinions as to how much control needs to be exertedover intensive farms. Some members of the committeewant intensive farms treated the same as otherindustries having Environment Canada Certificate ofApproval which would be in addition to Ministry ofAgriculture regulations. This however was defeated ina recorded vote. At the next meeting, representatives ofOMAFRA (that stands for Ontario Ministry ofAgriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) will be invited todiscuss some of the issues raised during previousmeetings. The above discussion leads nicely into the first partof the Council meeting which was a draft Official PlanPublic Meeting. Several individuals spoke on their ownbehalf or as representatives of a group of concernedcitizens. While the talk was polite, the emotionsinvolved were plain to be seen. After Mr Uliana give an introductory talk as towhere the Official Plan process was at this time, arepresentative of the Loyalist Estates Residents’Association, Barry Casey, gave a submission. His talkoutlined his history with intensive farming issues whichstarted with the rumour of a hog farm being establishedclose to the housing development. The rest of thehistory is irrelevant to this report. One point he did

emphasize was that since the establishment of LoyalistEstates in the late 1980's, there had not been anyissues, complaints or conflicts with the surroundingfarmers. To save considerable space, I will limitfurther discussion to the bottom line as I understandit... The Loyalist Estate Residents’ Association wants:- the Official Plan should recognize two types ofagriculture... regular farms and intensive farms- intensive farms should be buffered from sensitivereceptors (mainly residences) with the buffer zonebeing 6 kilometers- the noise and vibration part of the Official Planshould be expanded to cover odour- the approval of the Official Plan should be delayeduntil after the Intensive Farming*****

{Council meeting report will continue after thefollowing two ads}

Amherst Island Women’s Institute 100th AnniversaryNovember 5, 20002:00 P.M.Community Centre

Come Help Us CelebrateDisplays Entertainment Refreshments*****

Oil UndercoatingWinter is Coming.Help protect you vehicle from rust. Have it oil sprayed.All under carriage, doors, trunk, hood, etc done.Holes drilled and plugged.Call for an appointment today.352-3589orE-mail [email protected] $40Trucks and Vans $50*****

{Page 5}{Council report continues}

- Committee has reported which would be after theelection. Mr Casey went on to say that if theCommittee’s report did not meeting the Association’sexpectations, it would issue a minority report and gothe Ontario Municipal Board.

The next speaker was Michael McKinnon whointroduced himself as the owner of the farmland thatsurrounds two sides of Bath. His farm has been inoperation since 1784 (that’s correct two hundred andsixteen years). He pointed out that there had been‘issues, conflicts and complaints’, specificallymentioning trespassing; rocks being removed; andplants dug up. One case of the latter resulted in his soninjuring himself when he tripped. He went on to saythat while he is not an animal farmer, he too may bedeclared an intensive farm. He requested that there be aclear definition of intensive farms - one that didn’tsimply encompass all large farms. In conclusion, hesaid that his property was for sale but that the buyerhad to be prepared to pay for it. Next up was Kelly Hineman who was representingthe Loyalist Ratepayer’s Association. He criticized theplan on several fronts but had little or nothing to sayabout the intensive farming issue. After Kelly, Steve Holmes spoke. He introducedhimself as the potential pig farmer that the LoyalistEstates people were so concerned about. He said thathis proposed pig operation was not even at a proposalstage but when it was, it would meet any and allcriteria spelled out by an interim intensive farm by-law. He also said that it wasn’t his wish to be a verylarge pig operation but competitiveness demands thathe be a large operation. As far as odour is concerned,he said that new technologies are reducing odourssignificantly along with pollution of the water table. Hementioned that housing was being allowed very closeto a large turkey operation (somewhere in southwestern Ontario). He requested that all sides drop theemotion and use their heads. As a final thought, he saidhis farm was also for sale. Jack Donaghy next briefly spoke to Council. Thegist of his talk was to suggest that not too much faithbe placed in new technologies so Council should beprudent and cautious. The last speaker on this subject was Bob Vermilyeawho introduced himself as a large dairy operation thatwas within 6 kilometers of Bath. His farm wouldprobably be declared an intensive farm. He went on tosay that odour is a big deal, not only for urbanresidents but for everybody (implying that mostfarmers do their best to control odours within theconditions that they have to work with). He said he wasnot against nutrient (ie manure) management plans. Inconclusion, he said his farm was not for sale yet but, asproposed, the changes by the Intensive Farmingcommittee would be the death of his farm. There was at least one other speaker but her talkhad no bearing on the intensive farming issue.*****

New Year’s Eve DanceDecember 31, 2000at The Community CentreSponsored By & Proceeds forThe Neilson Store Restoration CommitteeDoors Opening @ 6:00 p.m.Beef Dinner @ 7:00 p.m.Dancing Beginning @ 8:00 p.m.Live BandDress Code Enforced(Business Suits & Evening Wear Attire Only)Tickets Available SoonContacts: Dorothy McGinn 389-2947Karen Miller & Ted Welbanks 389-1080 Bruce Caughey 389-2012*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Condolences to Helen Trotter and family followingthe death of her father, Tony Sychra. Get Well wishes go out this month to Ross Haines,Shyanne Shurtliffe, Monica Hutchings, ElaineWolfreys, Lois Fennel and Jenny McCormick. Congratulations to Kristy Grange (daughter ofSusan Sedore and Gary Filson), who celebrated herOctober 1st birthday by becoming engaged to NelsonCabral. Although the wedding date has not been set asyet, Susan and Kristy are busy making plans! Congratulations to Ann Robertson (daughter ofGwen) and Craig Coles, who were married at St.Paul’s on September 16th. The reception was held onthe lawn at the Robertson cottage on the Island. Craigand Anne live in Belleville. Loyalist Township Emergency Services recentlyheld their awards Dinner and Dance. David Flemingwas presented with a 20 year service award, Alex Scottreceived a 10 year award and Wayne Fleming a 5 year

{Page 6}

award. Congratulations to all! Best wishes to Cheryl and Myles Hutchings, whowelcomed their first grandson, Jacob in late September.Proud parents are Jason and Amanda and big sisterMonica. Another great grandchild for Susan McGinn. Neilson Wemp, of Kelowna, BC spent time thismonth on the Island visiting his sisters Jean Tugwell,Helen Miller, and brother Ralph Wemp and families.Sister Marjorie Tooke of Hamilton completed thefamily get together. Shirley Fleming celebrated her 70th birthday withfamily at a surprise birthday party held by her niecePam Barrett in Kingston.

The A.C.W held their annual Turkey Supper andBazaar on September 30. The dinner was well attendedand enjoyed by all. Senior class students at A.I.P.S. took part in theTerry Fox Run held at Bath P.S. Our students aloneraised more than $550.00. Seven of the senior classstudents participated in the Limestone District SchoolBoard’s Cross Country meet held at Fort Henry lastweek. Despite snow flurries and sleet, all of ourstudents finished respectably in their divisions. Fall colours are almost at their peak now, here onthe Island, and in the rest of Loyalist Township. If youare going to town, be sure to take the drive alongTaylor-Kidd Blvd. and enjoy the fall colours.*****


Need a light duty caretaker while you are away? Call Betty at 389-7907*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Anna Hitchins The monthly meeting for the Women’s Institute washeld on Wednesday, September 20th at the home ofJean McIntyre, starting with a pot luck supper. The President conducted the regular meetingfollowing the supper. Marion Glenn gave the “GoodCheer” report and the Treasurer gave a report of theentire bake sales receipts. The telephone directorieshad to be returned to be recoiled, so therefore the costis to be $6.00 per copy instead of $5.00 as had beenpreviously expected. After all the orders are filled therewill be directories available for purchase at the generalstore. A thank you to Tom Richmond for his designingof the cover and interior. The 100th Anniversary party dated for Sunday,November 5th from 2 - 5 pm was discussed.Volunteers offered their services and severalcommittees were filled. The President welcomed Coralie Marshall andNancy Dunn as new members with the Institute. A Brown Bag auction followed the business. Themeeting closed with the singing of the Queen. On Friday, October 22nd at 7 pm six membersattended the 75th anniversary party of the WiltonWomen’s Institute.*****

Cook’s Corner- Dianne Marshall

I’ve always enjoyed the combined taste of cranberryand lemon. While reading a recent issue ofHarrowsmith Country Living, I came across a recipefor Cranberry Lemon Pound Cake. Needless to say, Iimmediately whipped out the old baking utensils andset to work. I didn’t have any sour cream on hand, so Iused yoghurt instead. The lemon glaze was the perfecttopping to a yummy cake.

Cranberry Lemon Pound Cake 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries roughlychopped 2 cups white sugar 1 cup of butter, room temperature 5 large eggs 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 Tbspn grated lemon zest 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt

{Page 7}

Glaze 1/3 cup lemon juice 1/3 cup white sugarGarnish 1/3 cup icing sugar

Preheat oven to 350/ degrees Using an electric mixer, blend the sugar and butterin a large bowl until light and fluffy, scraping down thesides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs one at atime until well incorporated. Add the sour cream,lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Mix well. Sift the flour with the salt and add to the cakebatter. Mix until just combined. Using a woodenspoon, fold in the cranberries until evenly distributed. Pour the batter into a greased and floured bakingpan. Tap gently on counter to release any air bubblesin batter. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes for bundt pan, 40to 50 minutes for loaf pans, or until tester inserted intothe centre of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake rest in the pan on a cooling rack for 10minutes before turning out on a rack to coolcompletely.

Glaze Combine lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepanand stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Placecake on a cooling rack with a plate underneath. Using apasty brush, brush syrup onto cooled cake. Dust withicing sugar just before serving.

Serves 12*****

Thank You Notes

Dear friends and neighbours: Thank you so very much for the deep caring yousend me through cards, call, books. And tapes as wellas ongoing messages and prayers. You support megreatly in this long struggle. My doctor has diagnosed arsenic and mercurypoisoning (sources unknown except for my toothamalgams). He is also testing for auto-immunediseases. I have bad nerve and muscle damage, and Icannot digest food through my stomach. The nose feeding tube keeps me alive, theacupuncture and other therapists gradually strengthenme, but I haven’t really started healing yet. The trips home on weekend feed my soul - I missyou all so terribly much. I’m grateful for every friendlywave, every enquiry, every prayer. Sally Bowen***

I would like to take this opportunity to say thankyou every so much for proving me right! In spades.See, I just knew this would be a great place to live, andall of you who visited me in the hospital and at home,who brought all those goodies, who sent cards, andwho just took the time to inquire as to my conditionafter my bypass operation, all I can say is thank you,and thank you again. Ross Haines*****

{Page 8}

Janet’s Jottings“Here hath been dawning another blue day,Think wilt thou let it slip useless away.Out of the darkness this new day was bornInto the darkness so soon to returnHere hath been dawning another blue dayThink wilt thou let it slip useless away.

I like sunrises! Now many people like to tell aboutsunsets or write songs about sunsets or photographsunsets but how many “wish you were here” postcardsshow sunrises? I don’t think too many do. I had a friend once, who told me that sunrises werejust backwards sunsets but somehow they’re muchmore than that. Sunrises start a brand new day, a dayuntouched and unblemished. Sunrises lead into daylightnot darkness and give us a whole new chance to do it

right this time. Sunrises are like forgiveness, full oflove and promise. Perhaps my love of sunrises started during days ofGirl Guide camping when the day started at dawn butBird watching and Bus Driving have entrenched thatawesome moment of light returning in my very soul. Ofcourse living on the South shore may have somethingto do with it! Once I stopped the bus so that my solepassenger, Jennifer and I might enjoy the spectacle ofthe sun rising and reflecting on the ice in front of DaveWillard’s. The sunrise brings back colour. The sky thatwas black now shows blue as the stars fade but beforethe sun appears. Next we may see a warm and gentleapricot with royal blue clouds and golden linings orsometimes the sailor’s warning of fiery reds andoranges. Nothing has been quite as spectacular as lastThursday’s sunrise which was red and orange but itcast a beautiful, pastel rainbow in the western sky. Itlooked like a pot of gold was in the Landfill site sowatch for treasure Keith. Probably present and pastcouncils think a pot of taxes are buried in it. It was anawesome sight and I can’t remember seeing a

{Page 8}

morning rainbow before. Thanks Lyn for calling myattention to such a spectacular start to another day. Birders like dawn because as the sunlight warmsthe trees the birds start to feed and call attention tothemselves. You’ve probably noticed how the robinsand cardinals start to sing and chirp before you arereally aware that dawn has started. In Warbler seasonespecially we like to get out early while they’re singing.You may have noticed an increase in birders lately.Fall migration is under way and we found four Saw-whet Owls and flushed some Long-eared in the Pines.There’s an Hudsonian Godwit at the bar and anincrease in hawks and the continuing presence of ourfamily of Kestrels on the Stella 40 ft. If the voles arehere the birds will come! The Fall Round-up for the Kingston FieldNaturalists will be held November 4 from 3:00 pm toNovember 5 at 3:00 pm. The Christmas Bird Countwill be held on Amherst Island on December 28th. Sokeep your eyes open and please watch those feeders forme. Thank-you. Janet ScottP.S. Thanks to Rosemary McMullen and Pat Frontinifor replying to me about last month’s

It will flame out, like shining from shook foil:It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oilCrushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: thesoilIs bare now, nor can feet feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent:There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;And though the last light off the black West wentOh, morning at the brown brink eastward, springs--Because the Holy Ghost over the bentWorld broods with warm breast and with ah! brightwings.*****

October Gardening- Continue planting spring bulbs.- Dig, dry and store summer bulbs.- Distribute nearly completed compost to empty spacesand between rows.- Rake leaves and add to reduced compost pile.- Prepare and seed new lawns.- Prepare and dig new garden beds and additions.- Dig over vegetable garden plus compost.*****

Unofficial List Of Nominations FiledReeve- William Kelly Hineman filed March 22/00(withdrawn June 29/00)- Clayton McEwen filed June 26/00- Doug Thorne filed Oct 13/00

Deputy Reeve- Terry Linkson filed Jan 2 1/00- Carl Bresee filed May 23/00

Councillor Ward 1 (Elect One)- Duncan Ashley filed Sept 12/00

Councillor Ward 2 (Elect One)- William Kelly Hineman filed June 29/00- Kathy Storms filed Sept 6/00

Councillor Ward 3 (Elect Three)- Bill Lowry filed July 25/00- Ed Jesvins filed Aug 2 1/00- Ron Andress filed Sept 7/00- Richard Bresee filed Sept 13/00

Trustee

- Helene Morency filed Sept 8/00 for Conseillerescolaire catholique francais in Geographic Area 1- Helen Brown filed Sept 12/00 for Public SchoolBoard Trustee (English) in Loyalist & Stone Mills- Tracey Bennett filed Sept 15/00 for Separate SchoolBoard Trustee (English) in Tyendinaga, Deseronto,Prince Edward, Napanee, Loyalist, Stone Mills

Staff: By the time Beacon comes out in November, thenew Council will be elected. Hopefully it will be madeup of seven people who will honestly and cooperativelydo their best for the Township.*****

Last Minute Thank Yous My heartfelt thanks to my family, friends, andneighbors for your support, cards, calls, gifts andflowers. They helped make my stay in hospital and athome a little brighter. Our First Response Team is the best. It means somuch to have their care and support. You all drop whatyou are doing and are on the scene in a very short time.My hate is off to all of you. Audrey Miller*****

{Page 9}

A Letter Home Its been a busy month with the large round balescoming home, the first load of lambs going to market, amajor sorting of the lambs, going to the sheep dogtrials to sell blankets (etc), bush-hogging, sheepchecking, etc. Things just have to start winding downor we might not make it to the start of the newmillennium next Jan 1. Leah has left us for the left coast but hopes to comeback for lambing if not before. The only good thingabout her leaving is that for the next week we canblame everything that is out of place or broken on her. This coming month fencing starts up again and wewill be doing a lot of sheep management stuff...shuffling sorting shipping. Got to go to bed now so bye bye till next monthwhen we will have a new Council to watch. Last but not least is to congratulate Duncan onbeing acclaimed in Ward 1. We have not heard ofanyone filing to run against him and the date is nowpast (this Saturday evening about 10:15p.m.).Hopefully this is not a ‘Dewey Wins’ kind of entry.*****

Loyalist Township Notice To Electors

2000 Municipal ElectionLoyalist TownshipWard 1 - Amherst IslandWard 2 - BathWard 3 - ErnestownVoter Identification Cards Voter Identification Cards have been mailed to allhouseholds in each ward for Loyalist Township. Please check the card to ensure the information iscorrect and all eligible electors at your residence arelisted on the card. Please retain this card and take itwith you when you vote. If you have not received a Voter IdentificationCard, please contact the Election Office - Odessa, at386-7351, ext. 122, to determine if your name hasbeen included correctly on the Voters’ List. Additions and revisions to the Voters’ List, afterOctober 13, 2000, will require a certificate which maybe obtained at the Election Office, 263 Main Street,Odessa and will be returned to applicants forpresentation at voting stations. Additions and revisions to the Voters’ List can alsobe made at voting stations on Voting Day. In order toeliminate line-ups and delays, you are encouraged tomake additions or revisions, to the Voters’ List, priorto Voting Day on November 13, 2000. Voting Proxy forms may also be obtained at theElection Office, during regular office hours. The Clerkwill also be available to certify Proxy forms at theOdessa Municipal Office, on Saturday, November 4th,2000, the date the Advance Votes, between the hoursof 12:00 noon and 5:00 pm. Locations for the Advance Voters, in each ward,will be noted on the Voter Identification Cards.Residents are only eligible for one vote in LoyalistTownship and must vote in the ward in which they live. Brenda J. Hamilton, CMO Township Clerk The Corporation of Loyalist Township*****

{Page 10}

For SaleWanted

Wanteddecent used TV - up to $100 also interested in used VCR Call Kyle at 389-3802***

For SaleTwo riding lawnmowers.

2000 Sears 13 hp 38"cut $1200.001999 Poulon 20 hp 44"cut $2200.00Call Bob 389-2916***

For Sale5 hp NTD Rototiller5 or 6 years oldHelen Bulch at 389-3411***

For SaleRemember the good old days when you could startyour car with a screwdriver?Well now is your opportunity to buy a 1988 MercuryTopaz L, four-door, blue car that starts and runsperfectly, but is sometimes temperamental and requiresa screwdriver to get her going.$250 buys you a lot of fun for cruising the fields orjust parts. Call Hugh Jenney at 384-7830 for ademonstration.***







Bulldozing Done$40/hour flat rateCall Llew 384-4071.***




FlooringCarpet, vinyl, wood,Summit International distributorAgent: Gord Forbes 389-8516***





Nutrition and Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition,40+ Health Issues, and more... For information, call Diane Hieatt, Body Wise

Consultant, at 389-7074.***











The Amherst Island Landfill Site Hours Of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Sunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*****


{Page 11}

Community CalendarOctoberMonday, October 23rd 7:00 pm Council MeetingSaturday, October 28th 7-9 pm HalloweenMasqueradeTuesday, October 31st Ameriks Scholarship Fundclosing date

NovemberSunday, November 5th AIWI’s 100th AnniversaryMonday, November 13th Election DayMonday, November 27th 7:00 pm Council Meeting*****


ISLECheese DatesOrder In By: Pickup & Payment 6 - 7 pm at the school Sept 15 Sept 20 Oct 20 Oct 25 Nov 17 Nov 22 Dec 15 Dec 20 Jan 19 Jan 24 Feb 16 Feb 21 Mar 9 Mar 21 Apr 20 Apr 25 May 18 May 23 June 15 June 20*****

Blankets Yarn SheepskinsAvailable atTopsy Farms andThe Bath Village Gallery*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417

7 Days a Week 9 am - 9 pm


The Saturday Beaver will now be available at theAmherst Island General Store.We have a wide variety of products available.If we don’t have what you need, it can be ordered withdeliveries.Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays.Just call a day ahead to place your order.Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask that youpick up orders around 11a.m. as we have no room forstorage in coolers at this time.

Fax ServiceFax service is now available at Amherst Island GeneralStoreMon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page50¢ for each additional pageLong Distance $5.00Receive - 50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417*****

{Page 12}

October 2000 is the 16th Anniversary of Headlandsproducing Beacon. Its been a long run of 192 issueswithout a miss... often late but never a month skipped.This wouldn’t happen without our production team ofChris, Dianne, Don, Ian and Sally at Headlands plusLeslie and Caroline in the Village. And, it certainlywouldn’t have happened without our contributors bothregular and irregular, past and present... Lynn (andAnnette for many years); the Women’s Institute; theLegion; and those who have shared a bit of history orbirding news or whatever with us. Special thanks needs to go to the many Townshipcouncils in all their varying guises. They have filledmany otherwise boring Monday evenings with boring

meetings eventually leading to equally boring Councilreports. The key is to be able to nap in the meetingsbut still be awake enough to pick up on that oddproposal... like the one years ago to send a ferry crewto hijack a PEI ferry. The Clerk nixed that one pointedout the necessary overtime was beyond that allowed bythe union agreement and the wages wouldn’t be 90%subsidizeable. Things have changed on the Island in the last 15years. Anyone who runs their eye down the newtelephone list will certainly be aware of how manypeople have come and gone. These lists are absolutelyinvaluable in providing us with a snap-shot of theIsland. I know how much work they are and extendcongratulations to the WI for undertaking the task thistime... it is a deceptively simple project but its all in thedetails. So what’s ahead for us... we’re thinking aboutseveral things like sharing some articles with theAmherst Island web site and maybe, if we can figureout the details, putting the Beacon itself on-line alongwith the usual printed version. Some day, we may evenbe able to print in colour but costs need to come downa lot before that can happen.P.S. The rest of the Beacon staff give special thanks toDon, who not only attends the Council meetings butalso does 90% of the work on the Beacon. Withouthim, there is no Beacon.P.P.S. Pshaw... we all have our hobbies.*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: November 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 274}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 274 November 2000 {incorrectly labelled as273}




Production Headlands Co-op

14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0

Printed At KR CopyCat Town Centre

CreditsCorel WPSuite8 &ArcSoft Imaging Suite

Production For November275 Copies*****

Beacon Notes

Congratulations to all the winners: Councilmembers and School Board representatives. They allshould have an interesting term in office. Hopefully,they will all find it a worth while experience. A book-keeping item... in August 1997, I (we)somehow missed advancing the number of an issue (ie:both July & August 1997 are numbered 134). Thiscame to light recently and offends my engineer’s soul.It has been corrected with this issue by skipping anumber from last month.... okay?*****

Our New Council Is...Reeve Clayton McEwenDeputy Reeve Carl BreseeCouncillor (Amherst Island) Duncan AshleyCouncillor (Bath) Kathy StormsCouncillor (Ernestown) Bill LowryCouncillor (Ernestown) Richard BreseeCouncillor (Ernestown) John Ibey*****

Loyalist Township Regular Council Meeting- Don TubbOctober 23, 2000 All members of Council, except Councilor Linkson,were present for this the thirtieth session of Council.The usual staff members were present as were anormal number of people in the audience (half a dozenor so). This meeting could be characterized as clearingthe decks for the new Council as several items werepassed that had been worked on for months and years.But first... At one point in the meeting, the Reevecongratulated Councillor Ashley and Deputy ReeveMcEwen on being acclaimed to their respective offices(Duncan continues as our representative and Claytonwill be our new Reeve). While we’re on the subject ofoff-the-cuff remarks... Duncan, at the end of themeeting, praised Council members, staff and,especially the Reeve in helping to get the Frontenac IIassigned to us. He praised the Reeve highly - to thepoint that, at the end of the speech, there was generalapplause from everyone in the room... except for thereporters.

{Page 2}

The Reeve responded by saying that Duncan couldgive his eulogy. The Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail Working Grouphas requested support from Council. This wouldlargely be limited to putting up signs and helping to

figure out if the roads meet the Group’s requirementsfor safety. One comment from the Engineer’s report toCouncil pricked up my ears... “For the purposes of thisinitial report, it is premature to give Agreement inPrinciple for the secondary routes on Amherst Island.The reasons for this are two-fold, however, bothultimately involve safety issues. The majority ofroadways under consideration on Amherst Island are40' wide rights-of-way or less. Some of the roadwaysindicated as secondary routes are also located alongshorelines which are currently under review forpossible modifications. Until the long-term location ofthe shore roads is established, I believe it is prematureto designate these routes as official routes. Generally,all routes on the Island will require extensiveimprovements to meet the Waterfront Trail criteria.”Council approved the Engineer’s recommendationswhich do not imply any significant monetaryexpenditures. The previous mention of ‘clearing the decks’referred to a couple of long standing items:- The Official Plan was adopted. The Reeve read ashort statement which had to do with the intensiveagriculture problem which has caused some concerns.He said that the OP has gone as far as would beallowed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Foodand Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) in controlling theseenterprises.- Council adopted a resolution to enter into anAgreement of Purchase and Sale of Bath Hydro toHydro One Networks Inc. If the sale gets approvalfrom the Ontario Energy Board, Loyalist Townshipwill receive $825,000 for Bath Hydro. Things like theoffice equipment and buildings used by Bath Hydro arenot part of the sale. In addition Hydro One has agreedto: a free of charge assist with the hanging of lights andbanners for three years’; and, a one time donation of$4000 to the Loyalist Township Canada DayCommittee. While not in the category as the above two items,Council also passed a Cemeteries By-law. This is thefinal version of the By-law and has been approved bythe Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations.This By-law covers 5 cemeteries: Glenwood andPentland on Amherst Island; the Lutheran (Union)cemetery on Ham Road (Con 2 Pt Lt 16, 17); BellsCemetery (4th line Con 3 Pt Lt 10); and, an abandonedfamily plot at 2090 Withers Road (Con 3, Pt Lt 7). I thought we already had a By-law to establish aFire Department but one of these was passed, alongwith a Master Fire Plan. Council also updated a Bylaw of miscellaneousfees. I think that this time the changes are for increasedfees for emergency response by the Fire Department to

December 3rd is the date set for the Senior’s ChristmasDinner starting at 3:45 pm at the Community Centre -invitations to be sent out later. December 7th - the Women’s Institute ChristmasDinner (pot luck) and party to be held at St. Paul’sChurch Hall. Final preparations were discussed and decided uponfor the 100th Anniversary Celebration, being held atthe Community Centre on Sunday, November 5th from2 - 5 pm. The next meeting to be held at Bobbi Shaw’s homeon November 15th at 7 pm. Visitors welcome. The meeting closed with the singing of The Queen.*****

{Page 4}

Amherst Island Women’s Institute

100th Anniversary Party 1900 - 2000 On Sunday, November 5th a 100th Anniversaryparty of Amherst Island Women’s Institute was held atthe Community Centre from 2 - 5 pm with a largecrowd in attendance. The President, Nancy Henshaw, welcomed theaudience, including visiting members of W.I Branchesin the District, dignitaries, etc., followed by the singingof the Ode. Greetings and plaques were presented toour Institute by Christine Raeburn, ProvincialPresident; Marie Thomson, Kingston area President;Valerie Smith, Lennox and Addington DistrictPresident; followed by Larry McCormick MP; LeonaDrombrowsky MP; Paul Gilmore, Loyalist TownshipReeve; and, Duncan Ashley, Loyalist TownshipCouncillor. A Life Membership from the Branch was presentedto Helen Miller, a member for 26 years. Entertainment in the way of singing, readings,entertaining jokes, was presented by Seasoned Spirits,Seniors form Kingston, much enjoyed by the audience.Mary Kay Steel commented on the displays set up onthe floor and walls, including pictures of pastpresidents (Mrs. Duncan McDonald was the firstPresident, and held that office for 26 years), pastcelebrations, parades, years with 4-H Clubs, etc.,Tweedsmiur History books, plaques and greeting cardsfrom other W.I. branches. The birthday cake was made and decorated by LynFleming and the cake cutting was done by MarionGlenn (member for 52 years) and Anna Hitchins(member for 42 years). Pictures were taken of pastpresidents and the membership of to-day. The Grace was given by Presbyterian MinisterZander Dunn.

The 4-H members and interested people of thecommunity served the refreshments of hors d’oeuvresmade by Dorothy McGinn, wine and cheese, crackers,punch, birthday cake and tea and coffee. The peoplemingled and visited during the lunch. Beth Foresterprovided piano music during the afternoon. An enjoyable afternoon was had by all! We would like to thank the following people whohelped make our 100th Anniversary Celebration asuccess: Zander Dunn, Sandra Filson, Lyn Fleming,Beth Forester, Laura Gartner, Doug Gavlas, CarolGlenn, Paul Henshaw, Dave Hieatt, Hugh Jenney,Dorothy McGinn, Judy Miller, Karen Miller, ShirleyMiller, Michael Shaw, Tom Sylvester, Sheila Whiting,and Susie Caughey’s 4-H members - Bonnie Marshall,Mindy Fleming, Whitney Fleming, Brennan Kilpatrick,Marlene Kilpatrick, Allison McDonald, AndrewMcDonald, Sammy Pollock, Krista Trotter andCandice Youell. Also we would like to acknowledge and thank thosewho made a donation: Georgie Allison, Dave Hieatt,Helen McCormick, The Amherst Island General Store,Curbside Publishing and Diane Pearce. In addition, we would like to thank all our memberswho have worked so hard over the last few months toprepare for this milestone event. Last but not least wewould like to express our gratitude to the Islanderswho came out to support us. It was a great party!*****

Amherst Island Phone Directories on sale at theGeneral Store Have you got yours yet? Need a second copy? Great Christmas gift! Only $6.00 each!A.I.W.I.*****

WantedEgg cartons, any size.The Food Bank urgently needs egg cartons. Can youhelp? If you can, please drop them off in my porch.(345 Stella 40 ft).Freda Youell - 384-4135*****

Congratulations Congratulations to this years Ontario SecondarySchool Diploma graduates. As always we are proud ofyou and wish you the best in the years to come.Stephanie FlemingNate MaleskaBonnie Marshall (Honours)

Scott MarshallJessica McGinn (Honours)Sara Pollock (Honours)Jacob Murray received the Certificate of Excellence.This was awarded to him for completing an OSSDwith 30 credits or more, including 6 OAC subjects andcurrently not attending Secondary School.

{Page 5}

Proficiency Awards went to:Sara Pollock for Advanced Grade 12 EnglishSara Pollock for OAC French (core)Bonnie Marshall for Society, Change and Challenge The Ontario Scholars Award was also presented toJacob Murray. This Award is given to students whohave received an average of at least 80% on six OACCourses. Well done.*****

4-H News The high school 4-H Club has started the “SewEasy” project and nine members are makingcomforters for themselves or sewing blankets forcharity. Meetings are on Saturdays at Susie Caughey’shouse. The Junior Club did not have a fall project.Hopefully we can arrange for a project for them in thespring. Susie and Freda***

A 4-H Club Thank You A big “Thank you” to all who attended the SecondAnnual 4-H Masquerade which was held on Saturday,October 8 at the Community Centre. A big thanks goes out to Amherst Island GeneralStore for donating canteen supplies and prizes, DaveYouell for being a great D.J., Jacob Murray forloaning us his sound equipment, and to the AmherstIsland Women’s Institute for their continued support. A special thank you to our judges Andrew Cross,Susan Friesen and Michael Shaw. It was an especiallydifficult job this year due to the overwhelming turnout. Congratulations go to all prize winners and to ourexpert apple peelers - Marilyn Taylor, Jim Whitton,Jan Sneep and Janice McGinn. Four boxes of food and a generous cash donationfrom this event was gratefully received by the KingstonFood bank. On behalf go the 4H, thank you once again and welook forward to seeing you next Halloween.*****

Ancestors of Harold Reimmer Marshall

Harold Reimmer Marshall

Robert J. Marshall {father of Harold ReimmerMarshall}

Elizabeth Miller {mother of Harold ReimmerMarshall}

John Marshall {father of Robert J. Marshall}

Jane Filson {mother of Robert J. Marshall}

Adam Miller {father of Elizabeth Miller}

Jane Glenn {mother of Elizabeth Miller}

David Filson {father of Jane Filson}

Jane McClement {mother of Jane Filson}

Samuel Glenn {father of Jane Glenn}

Rose Ann Farley {mother of Jane Glenn}

Robert Glenn {father of Samuel Glenn}

Nessie Johnston {mother Samuel Glenn}*****

ObituaryMarshall, Captain Harold (Had)Retired Captain with U.S. Steel, Great Lakes Fleet Entered into rest peacefully at the Kingston GeneralHospital on Monday, October 16, 2000, three daysafter his 92nd birthday. Beloved husband of 64 yearsto Nellie (nee Woods) of Kingston. Dear father ofWilliam (Bill) Marshall and his wife Avis of Ypsilanti,Michigan. Dear brother of Helen Caughey and herhusband Bruce of Amherst Island and brother-in-lawof Rod Barr of St. Catherines. Predeceased by hisbrother Bill Marshal and sisters Nessie Drumgoole,Ruth Glenn and Rhoda Barr. Fondly remembered bymany nieces, nephews and their families. The funeral service in St Paul’s PresbyterianChurch, Amherst Island, on Thursday, October 19,2000 was conducted by Rev. Dr. Zander DunnInterment was at Glenhaven Cemetery.[Whig-Standard October 17, 2000]*****

{Page 6}

Thank You Notes A heartfelt “Thank-you” to all relations, friends andneighbours for your many expressions of sympathy atthe time of Harold’s (Had) death. A special “Thankyou” to Rev Zander Dunn and Nancy and the ladies ofSt. Paul’s Church. We deeply appreciate everyone’skindness at this difficult time. Nellie and Bill Marshall and Helen Caughey.*****

News from The General Store Congratulations to William Reed. William won theSuper Duper Candy bucket on September 22nd. Thatwas the last draw for 2000. Thanks to all the kids whoparticipated and congratulations to all. We are now operating on Fall and Winter hours.Mon-Fri 9 am - 6 pmSat 9 am - 6 pmSun 10 am - 6 pm Customer deliveries ordered from Food Town willnow be subject to a 10% surcharge.*****

Garden CalendarNovember- Try potting up some spring bulbs for chilling outsideand forcing inside; later, some indoor bulbs for winterblooms.- Start winterization procedures for plants, hoses andgarden equipment.- Protect young trees and shrubs from rodents.- Keep evergreens, shrubs and young trees adequatelywatered.- Sever invading tree roots by digging deeply withsharpened spade along affected bed.- Stock up on wood for the fireplace.*****

The Unknown Soldier’s PrayerSubmitted by Syke Fleming

Look, God, I have never spoken to youBut now I want to say, “How do you do?You see, God, they told me You didn’t existAnd, like a fool I believed all this.

Last night from a shell hole I saw your sky I figured right then they had told me a lieHad I taken time to see thing you made I’d have known they weren’t calling a spade a spade

I wonder, God if you’d shake my hand Somehow I feel that you will understand Funny I had to come to this hellish place

Before I had time to see your face.

Well, I guess there isn’t much more to say But I’m sure glad, God, I met you today I guess the “zero hour” will soon be here But I’m not afraid since I know you’re near.

The signal! well God, I’ll have to goI like you lots, this I want you to knowLook now this will be a horrible fight -Who knows, I may come to your house tonight

Though I wasn’t friendly to you beforeI wonder God, if you’d wait at your doorLook I’m crying! Me! shedding tears -I wish I had known you these many yearsWell, I have to go now God. Good-byeStrange since I met you, I’m not afraid to die.*****

New Year’s Eve DanceDecember 31, 2000at The Community CentreSponsored By & Proceeds for The Neilson StoreRestoration CommitteeDoors Opening @ 6:00 p.m.Beef Dinner @ 7:00 p.m.Dancing Beginning @ 8:00 p.m.Live BandDress Code Enforced (Business Suits & Evening WearAttire Only) Tickets Available SoonContacts: Dorothy McGinn 389-2947 Karen Miller &Ted Welbanks 389-1080Bruce Caughey 389-2012*****

{Page 7}

Janet’s Jottings“Along the line of purple hillsThe crimson forest standsAnd all day the Blue Jay calls,Throughout the autumn lands.”

I know winter is on our doorstep but you mustadmit that we have had one absolutely marvelousautumn. We have had those brilliant blue skies thatshow off the burgundy oak leaves, golden maple leavesand rich red of the sumacs to perfection. Theabundance of foliage in our native deciduous trees isphenomenal, they have fought back from the ice stormof ‘98, the drought of ‘99, the on-going effects of acidrain and gypsy moth, with more growth. Are we, that

man species, not like the trees. Give us adversity andwe grow stronger.Prune us a little and we grow more branches. They saythat the true definition of a Canadian is one who ishappiest showing he can battle a snowstorm. “No snowis going to keep me from getting to the corner store,eh!” Well it is autumn and those Blue Jays are calling.They are much more vocal now that Fall is here. Theyharass the other birds at the feeder and sneak aroundbehind us as we feed the Chickadees in the OwlWoods, harvesting the sunflower seeds that thechickadees hide. They call loudly to warn other birdsof hawks or owls or man and chase the long-eared owlsmercilessly. We complain about the noise but admit it,don’t you love their antics. We have one regular herethat swoops in on the feeder with the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk and of course all the Mourning Doves andSparrows scatter and then our smart friend has thefeeder to himself. I’ve been asked a few questions about the hawkshere on the Island in autumn. The large hawk thathovers in mid-air over the fields is a Rough-leggedHawk. I describe him as a hanging banana as the bodyarches under those wide spreading wings. This birdcomes from the arctic and sub-arctic regions where it isused to the treeless tundra so here it prefers open fieldsand will sit in small shrubs along the fence lines. It hasfeathered feet, hence the name, and comes in both lightand dark phases with a patch on the underside of thewing which is actually the wrist although it appears asa bend in the elbow. The light phase has light colouredwings with a dark patch and the dark phase has darkand light under wings. The tail is light with a darkpatch and the dark phase has dark and light underwings. The tail is light with a dark bank along theedge. In a high vole year as many as 100 have beenseen here on Amherst Island and 106 on Wolfe. Ournesting Red-tailed Hawk is about the same size but itstail is solid brown or the familiar red colour as itmatures. It does not have a wrist patch but has a lightbelly with a bellyband where the Rough-legged has alight head and dark lower belly. Both hawks have overa four foot wing span. The smaller Northern Harriercan be seen cruising over the fields. It has a 42” wingspan and longer tail and the white rump patch is a fieldmark on both male and female. The female is largerand brown while the male is grey with a white bellyand black wing tips. The small falcon you notice on thewires is an American Kestrel with a 21” wing span,rusty back, warm brown front and black whiskers. Themale has blue wings and the female brown. Last minute news flash! Jim Reid spotted a snowyowl.

Please watch those feeders, take time to enjoy ourbeautiful Island and Good Birding!P.S. Here’s a recipe you might want to try for winterfeeding.No-Melt, All-Season Peanut Butter Suet 1 cup crunch peanut butter 2 cups “Quick Cook” Oats 2 cups cornmeal 1 cup lard ( no substitutions) 1 cup white flour 1/3 cup sugar Melt lard and peanut butter. Stir in remainingingredients. Pour mixture into suitable containers forthe shape of your feeder. (I use a 9 x 9 cake pane andcut it into four to fit my wire mesh holder.) Allow tocool. Wrap and store in freezer*****

“Getaway Home”Year around cottage rental by the week or week-end.North Shore, Amherst Island.A beautiful winter / spring / summer / fall getaway!For details phone Susie at 389-2012.*****

Lake Ontario Level Its been a while since we mentioned the Lakelevel... it’s been dropping pretty rapidly for somemonths now. The long term mid-November average isabout 74.55m. We are currently running at about74.45m (November 14). So, we’re very close to thelong term average. The amount of precipitation inOctober was roughly half of the long term average andso far this month its been roughly two-thirds the longterm average. It looks like the Lake will continue tofall.*****

In Passing.... In the November 9th Whig-Standard, Annette hadan article of Island interest... she says that LoyalistTownship and two local conservation groups areconsidering buying the Owl Woods.*****

Loyalist TownshipAmherst Island Landfill SiteReduce Reuse RecyclePlease Note That The Receptacles For Recyclables AtThe Landfill Site Will Be Changing- The Glass And Plastic Will Be Sorted Into SeparateContainers- Newspapers Will Be Stored As Before- Cans Will Also Remain The Same

Help Reduce the Amount Of Garbage Going Into OurLandfill SiteDo Your Part By Separating RecyclablesYour Co-operation Is AppreciatedEffective Date November 9, 2000Transportation and Waste Management Department*****

A Letter Home Late fall through mid winter is the farm’s pay-day.The rest of the year, we hang on waiting for October. Itfeels good to be shipping lambs again. They look goodand prices are okay to good. It is, however, a time when work becomes muchmore difficult due to the weather. Zipping around onan ATV isn’t as comfortable as in the summer. Heckan above freezing day at 50 klicks feels like one ofthose bright but very cold January days. Full insulatedwinter suits are needed for protection. Actually whensomeone turned the heat off in late October, we wentfrom sweaters one day to full winter battle gear thenext. Oh how soft we get over the summer. At the start of the summer, we put together a list ofthings that need to be done, things that should be doneand things that would be to be done. The first items gotdone as did a few of the second but the wish-listitems... nadda - such was our summer of haying heck.*****

{Page 9}

For SaleWanted

For Sale1 medium size chest freezerPhone: 389-4874***









Computer AssistanceCan help to build computer skills on many programs.Call Jon at 634-1995.***



GLM ConstructionGeneral Contracting, Renovations & DesignContact Gory McDonald at 384-1456.***


Lawn Cutting

Call Tom deHaan: 389-6647***

Lin - SarMechanical - Peter WempHeating & CoolingSheet Metal Fabrication & InstallationPhone: 478-5417***

Nutrition And Wellness Products:Nutrition Foundations, Weight Management,Cardiovascular Health, Children’s Nutrition, 40+Health Issues, and more... For information, callDiane Hieatt, Body Wise Consultant, at 389-7074.***










Water sample bottles are available at the Ferry Office.*****


The Amherst Island Landfill SiteHours Of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Sunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*****


{Page 10}

Community CalendarNovemberSaturday, November 25th 1 -3 pm PCW’s ChristmasTea & SaleMonday, November 27th 7:00 pm Council Meeting

DecemberMonday, December 4th 11:00 am Inaugural CouncilMeetingSunday, December 17th 2:30 pm “The Play” By TheSunday SchoolSunday, December 17th 7:30 pm Community CarolServiceMonday, December 18th 7:00 pm Council MeetingSunday, December 31st New Years Dinner & Dance*****

WantedI am still collecting the following: - A&P Tapes - usedstamps - any country including Canada - for guidedogs for the blind. Good clean clothing for the animalshelter thrift shop and knitted squares, blankets, petfood, paper towels, etc., for the Napanee AnimalShelter. Please call me if you have anything to donate

or leave in my front porch. The animals really need ourhelp.Freda Youell 384-4135.*****

ISLECheese DatesOrder In By: Pickup & Payment 6 -7 pm at the school Nov 17 Nov 22 Dec 15 Dec 20 Jan 19 Jan 24 Feb 16 Feb 21 Mar 9 Mar 21 Apr 20 Apr 25 May 18 May 23 June 15 June 20*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417Store HoursMonday - Saturday 9 am - 6 pmSunday10 am - 6 pm

Canada PostMonday - Friday 9 am - 11:30 am 2:30 pm - 5 pmSaturday 9 am-12 noon


We have a wide variety of products available. If wedon*t have what you need, it can be ordered withdeliveries.Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays.Just call a day ahead to place your order.Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask that youpick up orders around 11 a.m. as we have no room forstorage in coolers at this time.


{Page 11}


Blankets Yarn Sheepskins Available at Topsy FarmsandThe Bath Village Gallery*****

Loyalist TownshipEffective January 1, 2001 the hours of operation forthe ferry office will be changed to:Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 am - 12 pm 1:00 pm - 4 pmClosed for Lunch 12:00 pm - 1 pmIn the case where a statutory holiday falls on aMonday, the office will be closed on the holidayMonday and open on the Tuesday, for that week only.In the case where a statutory holiday falls on a Friday,the office will be open the preceding Thursday andclosed on Friday, for that week only.*****

{Page 12}

Notice Of Passing Of The Official PlanThe Corporation Of Loyalist Township Take Notice that the Council of the Corporation ofLoyalist Township adopted the Official Plan by By-Law Number 2000-66 on the 23rd day of October,2000, under Section 17 of the Planning Act (R.S.O.1990, c.P.13).

Purpose and Effect of the Official Plan The Official Plan is a document setting out policieswhich are primarily intended to manage and direct thephysical changes of the Township, and guide divisionof land, over the next twenty (20) years. Policies guidechanges to land uses such as:residential;infrastructure;commercial;heritage;industrial;group homes;agricultural;community improvements;rural;institutional; andenvironmental;open space.

The Official Plan, as adopted by Council, wassubject of:- community consultation inclusive of seven (7) publicmeetings;- a background planning study;- agencies’ input; and- provincial review under the “one window” provincialapproval process.

The Official Plan, as adopted, represents theculmination of the above consultative process.

Information Availability A copy of the Official Plan as enacted by Council,as well as background materials are available forinspection at Loyalist Township municipal officesduring regular business hours.

Approval of Official Plan The Official Plan is subject to the approval of theMinistry of Municipal Affairs and Housing who is theapproval authority. Any person or public body isentitled to receive notice of the decision of the approvalauthority if a written request to be notified of thedecision is made to the approval authority. The Official Plan is submitted to, andcorrespondence or requests should be directed to:Ministry Of Municipal Affairs and HousingPlans Administration Branch, Eastern Region8 Estate Lane, Rockwood HouseKingston, OntarioK7M 9A8

Attention: Heather RoebuckPhone No.: (613) 548-4304 (ext. 21)Fax No.: (613) 548-6822

Clerk (Brenda J. Hamilton)*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: December 15, 2000 - Volume 4 Issue 275}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 275 December 2000

Newsstand$1.00/Issue

Subscription RatesCanada $19/yrUSA $21/yr

Overseas $24/yr


ProductionHeadlands Co-op14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0Voice (613) 389-3802

fax (613) 389-3802e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0


CreditsCorel WP Suite 8 &ArcSoft Imaging Suite

Production For December275 Copies*****

Beacon Notes Sure is an old fashioned January... bright, cold withlots of snow. How was your Xmas and New Year’s?Funny, I don’t remember them... oh - its stillDecember. Well that gives us time to offer up...Season’s Greetings From All Of Us To All Of You We now have some filler for those thin issues. I’vebeen going through the back issues of the first Beacon(1970-71) and have found a lot of good stuff.Considering that most of the present Island populationwasn’t here at that time, these early Beacons now forma historical record. This brief period of time sawseveral major changes in Island life. Among them werethe coming of dial telephones and the switch-over tobulk milk because of the coming of the Milk MarketingBoard, plus the bubble system. And there was thewinter of ‘70-71 which was one to remember.*****

{Page 2}

New Year’s Eve DanceDecember 31, 2000at The Community CentreSponsored By & Proceeds forThe Neilson Store Restoration CommitteeDoors Opening @ 6:00 p.m.Beef Dinner @ 7:00 p.m.Dancing Beginning @ 8:00 p.m.Live BandDress Code Enforced(Business Suits & Evening Wear Attire Only)Tickets Available SoonContacts: Dorothy McGinn 389-2947 Karen Miller &

Ted Welbanks 389-1080 Bruce Caughey 389-2012*****

Regular Council Meeting- Don TubbNovember 27, 2000 This was the last regular meeting of the oldCouncil. All members were present as were the usualstaff members. It’s my remembrance that last councilmeetings have little content but you wouldn’t knowthat from this one which dealt with a full agenda. In order to conserve space (because there are twoother meetings to talk about), this will be one of thosepoint form reports. From The November 6th Minutes:- the Intensive Farming Operations Committee passedthe following resolution.... ‘that the Ministry ofAgriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in its examinationof the Minimum Distance Separation formulaeconsider an exemption for farmers who are upgradingtheir manure storage system where the storage capacityis not being increased’ which would go a long waytowards rationalizing the current regulations whichprevent a farmer from improving their manure storagesystems.- the Youell’s thanked Council for its support in theirproblems with Bell Canada and they reported that BellCanada has withdrawn its threat to remove the payphone at The General Store.- Council okayed a contribution of $20,000 towardsthe purchase of the Owl Woods by the CataraquiConservation Authority which will be funded fromfuture Parkland Reserve contributions [Staff: these, wethink, are moneys given to the Township when aproperty is severed]. Further... the Township has anagreement with the CRCA to have first option topurchase the property. From The November 9th Meeting Of TheRecreation& Property Advisory Committee:- the Neilson Store Committee continues to worktowards upgrading the building so both the store andapartment can be rented but beyond basic repairs, itseems that things are on hold until its Heritage status isdetermined.- the following current members of the Recreation &Property Advisory Committee have expressed aninterest in continuing to sit on it when it is re-formedby the new Council... Lynn Fleming, Shirley Wartman,John Posadowski, Councillor Bill Lowry, RickBedford, Ron Andress and Keith Collins. From The Cemeteries Committee Report:- the Committee is looking at a computer program that

would record information about the various Townshipcemeteries (about $1,000).- the following people on the present Committee haveexpressed an interest in continuing on the newCommittee... Earl Hagerman, Doris Wemp, DorothyMcGinn and W. Bruce Caughey. From The Heritage Committee Report On TheNovember 14th Meeting:- it looks as if the Amherst Island inventory report isstill being worked on. From The Report On The Amherst Island WasteDisposal Site:- the Ministry of Environment inspected our site onSeptember 26th and had no major concerns but bettercontrol of litter will be done, a container to put oldpaint cans will be set up and the actual filling area willbe better defined with telephone poles. From The Administration Committee Minutes OfNovember 6th:- a Sign By-law is being worked on which seems tobe regulating advertising... signs that will be regulatedare bill board, A-Frame, mobile, election, subdivisionmarketing and home occupation signs.- Council has authorized the Cataraqui RegionConservation Authority to do the necessary aerialphotography of Amherst Island to prepare a floodassessment map... the cost is estimated to be $5,000 ofwhich the Township pays half. The ortho-imagemapping is to be delayed until it can be considered inthe 2001 budget.- The Committee system is being re-vamped with thePlaning Advisory Committee, the Community Safety

{Page 3}

Zones and Traffic Committee, and the Fire Committeeall being disbanded. The Intensive Farming and theGroundwater Management Committees will continuefor now plus the Police Services Board and LoyalistBath Canada Day Committee will continue through thenext term of Council. So, this leaves the followingstanding committees: Committee of the Whole whichtakes care of budget, Administration, EconomicDevelopment, Ferry Services and Property Standards;the Committee of Adjustment; the Recreation andProperty Advisory Committee; the HeritageCommittee; the Cemeteries Committee; and theEmergency Planning Committee. Council will beadvertising for people to sit on committees plus theCataraqui Region Conservation Authority.- The Ameriks Scholarship Committee reported onNovember 14th that the following people had eachreceived $126.75: Jill S. Caughey, Stephanie K. A.Fleming, Douglas Gavlas, Jessica Gavlas and Scott

Marshall. From The Minutes Of The October 19th MeetingOfThe Steering Committee For The GroundwaterManagement Study: (is that a mouthful or what!)- This Committee continues to be hard at work lookingat Amherst Island groundwater (or lack thereof). In theminutes it was noted that there is bacteria in 50% ofthe wells sampled, and 45% have e-coli with only 20%of the wells having bacteria treatment systems. In addition, there was a long report from DianePearce and Murray Beckel on their recent attendance atthe Pelee Island Wave of the Future EconomicConference (November 28th and 29th). It makes forinteresting reading but, due to space limitations, I willnot get into specifics. If anyone wants to read it, mycopy will be available for a while (until it finds its wayinto the recycling box). I didn’t see any mention of mypet project for the Island... an enormous (in fact, agigantic) incinerator which would burn Toronto’s andanyone else’s garbage. I was originally thinking thatbarges could be used but not year-round, so a bridgewould have to be built to handle the hundreds oftandem dump trucks every day. What’s another 100million dollars or so in Toronto’s garbage budget. Thefact of there being an incinerator on the Island wouldhave the secondary consequence of keeping residentialdevelopment down... now how about that for havingyour cake and eating it too... a bridge with only a verylimited potential for more houses cluttering up theIsland. [Just in case anyone mistakes this for a seriousproposal... just kidding! You can’t be too careful thesedays...] Many other items were dealt with by Councilincluding comments by various members of Council onthe election and closing words by the Reeve on his longinvolvement with Loyalist and Ernestown councils. Hedid say that he would not be dropping entirely fromsight so we will see where he pops up.*****

Loyalist TownshipEffective January 1, 2001 the hours of operation forthe ferry office will be changed to:Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 am - 12 pm 1:00 pm - 4 pmClosed for Lunch Noon - 1 pmIn the case where a statutory holiday falls on aMonday, the office will be closed on the holidayMonday and open on the Tuesday, for that week only.In the case where a statutory holiday falls on a Friday,the office will be open the preceding Thursday andclosed on Friday, for that week only.*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbDecember 4th, 2000 11:00 a.m. The Inaugural meeting of Council was held beforethe full house of council member’s families andinterested Township residents. After the Call To Order and the Invocation,Reverend Claudia Kitson gave the Declaration ofOffice and the Oaths of Allegiance to:Reeve Clayton McEwenDeputy Reeve Carl BreseeCouncillor Duncan AshleyCouncillor Richard BreseeCouncillor John IbeyCouncillor William LowryCouncillor Kathy Storms Past Reeve Paul Gilmore presented the Chain OfOffice to Reeve McEwen. Just before this came theReeve’s presentation of flowers to his wife. He made afew comments and ended up by informing all thosepresent that he wasn’t a softy. Then came the Reeve’sInaugural Address which is reprinted below:

Ladies and Gentlemen; I take the liberty of speaking for my colleagues andmyself when I say it is with a sense of pride, andaccomplishment that we are before you here today.

{Page 4}

The pride is in knowing we have earned yourconfidence. We thank you for that and for allowing usto serve you for the next three years. Our sense of accomplishment comes from knowingthat just three short years ago, Amherst Island, Bathand Ernestown joined together as one, creating LoyalistTownship. We realize what strides we have made inmeeting our commitments to you, our residents, whileknowing there is still much to do. I welcome and congratulate Deputy-Reeve CarlBresee, and Councillors Kathy Storms, DuncanAshley, Bill Lowry, Richard Bresee and John Ibey, foryour success during the recent Municipal election, andfor your obvious commitment to your community. Ascolleagues and friends, the mutual respect we haveearned for each other will make the hard realities ofpolitics easier to accept. To our former Reeve Paul Gilmore, your dedicationand leadership throughout the last fifteen years will begreatly missed. We wish you and Rina well in all yourfuture endeavours. I believe I have learned much from you, and saythanks from the bottom of my heart. I hope I can live

up to the high expectations that you, and the residentsof Loyalist Township have for me. We have, as former Reeve Gilmore said in his lastinaugural address, made every effort to keep ourMunicipality in good financial shape. We have alsodone our utmost to maintain the quality of life andsense of caring we all treasured in our formerMunicipalities. No one could have ever anticipated themany changes and obstacles we encountered during thefirst historic term as Loyalist Township. It will not be my style to continually berate theProvincial Government for the shifting responsibilitiesand associated costs to the Municipalities, but it isimpossible to speak of change and obstacles withouttouching on the added burden that you, our residents,are facing. Changes such as paying for our policingcosts, putting roads previously the responsibility of theProvince in the hands of the Municipalities, and taxcapping in the Commercial, Industrial and Multi-residential sectors, are some examples. We have met those challenges, and newresponsibilities, head on. We have either maintained, orimproved municipal services that you, the taxpayerwant and have become accustomed to receiving, whilekeeping any tax increases at a fair, yet responsiblelevel. The much anticipated Fairfield Water TreatmentPlant is now in operation. (under budget) We have built a new Municipal Roads Garage,housing nearly two million dollars in equipment;equipment required to keep our roads and sidewalks tothe standards you have come to expect. (on budget) We have activated the Odessa Trunk Watermainalong County Road 6, the Booster Station, and theCoronation/Amherst Drive Watermain connection. We have the Frontenac II, transporting passengersto and from Amherst Island, a feat many felt could notbe accomplished in light of recent happeningssurrounding ferry operations around the Province. Thiswill encourage growth and will certainly improve thequality of life for our Island Community. We have completed major repairs to the Bath WaterTreatment Plant (at no cost). In Bath, work has been completed on both Queenand Fairfield Streets, and resurfacing Main Street(complete with bicycle paths) adds to the beauty of thepicturesque Village of Bath. Ever mindful of our residents’ concerns, we havenegotiated and signed our first contract with theO.P.P., bringing stability to the policing situation inLoyalist Township. We have completed the Master Fire Plan, replacedone of our custom pumpers, and replaced a 1700imperial gallon fire tanker at the Bath Fire Station.

We have also been active in preparing for the new BathFire Station, which we have scheduled for the year2001. The Loyalist Township Official Plan has beencompleted, while work on the new comprehensiveZoning By-law is well

{Council Meeting report will continue after thefollowing two ads}

Amherst Island Phone Directorieson sale at the General Store Have you got yours yet? Need a second copy? Great Christmas gift! Only $6.00 each!A.I.W.I.*****

WantedEgg cartons,, any size.The Food Bank urgently needs egg cartons. Can youhelp? If you can, please drop them off in myporch. (345 Stella 40 ft).Freda Youell - 384-4135*****

{Page 5}

underway. History, a major interest for Paul, was notforgotten, as a heritage inventory of Amherst Islandwas completed, and three designated buildings - BathMasonic Lodge, St. John’s Anglican Church, and theWilton Women’s Institute, received grants for buildingrepairs. It has been, and will continue to be, your Council’scommitment to do what must be done, whiledetermining and addressing our long term needs in theareas of Planning and Development, Recreation, Roadsand Transportation, and equally important, preservingour History. We are actively involved in studies, often ahead ofother Municipalities, to address the concerns ofresidents in regard to the quality of our soil, water, andthe air we breathe. The list goes on, and so does our commitment toyou. A commitment to work on behalf of All ofLoyalist Township. There Is No Other Way. None of this could have been accomplished withouta dedicated workforce, active volunteers and YOU We, your Council remain optimistic that we can,and will, overcome any obstacles that come before us.

Whether it be further shifting of responsibilities, orworking to address any outstanding issues andconcerns still existing following amalgamation, we canIf We Want, replace them with a strong bond ofaccomplishment and a new sense of History. This is acommitment each one of us should make to our future. We have only to remember the unprecedentedcoming together and desire to care for our neighbours,that came during the ice storm of 1998, to believe thatunited there is absolutely nothing that we cannotaccomplish. There is an old saying, “The Hard Tasks Take AWhile, The Impossible Just A Little Longer”. That can, and should be our commitment to eachother. Thank you Clayton McEwen Reeve***

To Council Members: We, at the Beacon, welcome the new and thereturning members to this the latest Township council.The jobs and responsibilities have been shifted but withfive returning members, this council is less of anunknown. The rookies will, in time, find their place. Over the last 30 years or so, Ian, Chris and me(Don) have watched eleven councils prior to this one(at least that’s our guess - you know memories growdim over time). Over this time we have come to recognize thatCouncil members are public spirited, amateurpoliticians doing the best they can for the Township.Our job is simply to report Island related items to ourreaders along with anything else that sparks ourinterest. When Loyalist Township was formed, we ran aletter like this one. In it we said Islanders cared aboutthree things: the ferry, the roads and the school. Theorder can vary depending on what is being threatened.This is probably still true today. So, we’ll be seeing you all twice a month.*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbFirst Session - December 4th, 2000 1:00 p.m. All members of Council were present as were theusual staff members. There were only a few interestedspectators in the audience. Two short Public Meetings began the session todeal with three re-zonings. No objectors were presentso the meeting moved on to reports. First up was a report from the Fire Department. It

recommended to Council that tenders should be calledfor the architectural design of the new Bath FireStation. This was approved in the hope that thebuilding can be completed before the end of next year. The first of the now required quarterly reports onthe Bath and Fairfield water works were released.Reeve McEwen asked about the two samples that hadcoliform in them (which turned out to be a problemwith the test location not the water in the system). Theengineer, Dave Thompson, said

{Page 6}

that under the new regulations, these two bad sampleswould have resulted in a boil water order. The Reevepointed out to all Council members to be attentive tothese reports in light of the Walkerton situation as theywill be held responsible. The engineer said he wouldset up a seminar for Council members about the basicsof the water system so they can better interpret futurereports. About 700 ratepayers currently pay their taxes on amonthly installment plan. Because the tax bills areunknown at the start of each year, the bills are basedon the previous years bills plus 5%. This year theactual tax increase was only 1.1% so the overpaymentwill be refunded as a lower last payment or as areduction in the next year’s payment. It was not clearfrom the report which alternative will be used. Council received and supported a resolution fromthe Corporation of the County of Prince Edward. Itrequests the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs to provide third party review of nutrientmanagement plans. The resolution notes that PrinceEdward does not have the expertise to assess theseplans plus if OMAFRA does the job, it would be doneconsistently over the whole province. A new Procedural By-law was passed: It can bestated in two simple rules:1-The Reeve is always right; and,2-When the Reeve is wrong, proceed to Rule #1.Actually, the rules followed are Bourinot’s Rules ofOrder which is what the Feds use. The Procedure By-law lays out, in simple clarity, just how meetings are tobe run plus the makeup of the standing committees. And last but not least were two information itemson the purchase of the Owl Woods. Councilcontributed $20,000 towards this and has ‘first right ofrefusal’ if the land is sold by the Cataraqui RegionConservation Authority. The other participant in thepurchase was the Kingston Field Naturalists ($10,000which goes along with the CRCA’s $10,000).[Staff: Someone wrote in to us asking where the OwlWood’s is located. It is south of the Front Road and

east of the Marshall 40' more or less across from thePentland Cemetery.] So wrapped up the first Council meeting underReeve McEwen. It started on time, ran like clockworkand had a familiar feel to it. The Reeve seems to becontinuing past-Reeve Gilmore’s style.*****

Need a caretaker while you are away? Call Betty at389-7907*****

“Getaway Home”Year around cottage rental by the week or week-end.North Shore, Amherst Island.A beautiful winter / spring / summer / fall getaway!For details phone Susie at 389-2012.*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Congratulations to Bill and Helen Bulch, whocelebrated their 57th anniversary recently. Get well wishes this month to Duncan Marshall,Bill Bulch, and Barbara Reid. Ray and Zelma Koenders spent a month visitingand traveling with family in Mexico and the Americansouthwest, then traveling up the west coast to BritishColumbia to visit more family before flying home.Duncan, Kim and Gavin Ashley spent time visitingDuncan’s parents in Alabama. The A.I. Rec Ass. held a bonfire to celebrate theFrontenac II being assigned to Amherst Island. Morethan 100 residents, Loyalist Township staff, and wellwishers from the mainland enjoyed an evening aroundthe roaring bonfire. Hot chocolate and donuts wereserved in the fire hall, where local students’ renderingsof the Old Amherst Islander were on display andimpromptu tours of the fire hall and equipment weregiven. As if on cue, big, fluffy snow flakes startedfalling part way through the evening. The PCW held their annual Christmas Tea andSale, which was as usual a great success. Tea andhomemade treats were served throughout the afternoonand more than a few Christmas gifts were bought. The A.I.P.S Christmas concert was held onDecember 14. Congratulations to the teachers andstudents on a great night of skits and music. The Amherst Island Community Sunday Schoolheld their annual Nativity play Sunday December 17.More hard work by teachers and students. We certainlyhave some talented and hard working kids here on theIsland. As I write this, we are experiencing our first big

{Page 7}

“blizzard” of the season. We saw three snowy owls onthe bus run yesterday afternoon. We can add them toour list of various hawks, deer, fox and pheasants etc.Seasonal parties, travel and of course shopping foraysinto town are in full swing. Best wishes to everyone fora safe and happy Holiday season.***

More news: Shortly after his latest business trip to Guangzhou,China Dick Dodds was “on the road again”. Dick andWilma were guests of their friend, Canadian astronautMarc Garneau, at his latest launch into space from theKennedy Space Centre in Florida. Dick described theexperience as “awesome” and one that ranks with theirexperience in 1972, when they attended the Russia-Canada hockey series in Moscow.***

Still more news: We note from the Whig that Graeme McDonaldreceived Canada’s highest civilian honour by beinginducted into the Order of Canada in November. Hewas a brief resident on the Island but his son, Graeme,worked on Topsy Farms for many years.*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Anna Hitchins The regular monthly meeting of the Women’sInstitute was held at the home of Bobbi Shaw on Wed,Nov 15 at 7 pm. The President conducted the meeting. Final planswere made concerning the Senior’s Christmas Party tobe held on December 3rd at the Community Centre. Avideo on Seniors resources by Helen Lamb wasenjoyed. A new member Kirsten Bennick waswelcomed into the membership. The December Christmas (Pot Luck) party will beheld on December 7th at 6 pm at St. Paul’s ChurchHall. The meeting closed with the singing of the Queen.***

On Sunday December 3rd at 3:45 pm the Seniors ofthe Community met at the Community Centre wherethey enjoyed the music and songs by Earle Smith andhis associates. A delicious turkey supper followed -much enjoyed by all!*****

Brownies, Girl Guides and Pathfinders- Janet Scott and Valerie Wolfreys -

At a recent enrolment held at The Amherst IslandCommunity Centre there were several girls who wereenrolled. Brooke Reid, Chelsea Sneep, and Danielle Wolfreysmade their Promise and were enrolled as Brownies.Destiny Freeman, Melinda Laing, Marley LaPierre,and Brittany Sneep were enrolled as Girl Guides. The girls were also presented with numerousbadges that they’ve worked on and are looking forwardto an Overnight, which is planned in January. The District Commissioner sent her regrets as itwas such a bad night and her driver did not feel safe incoming to the Island but in spite of the snow manyfaithful friends and family showed up and we thankyou so very much for your support. Refreshmentsfollowed, supplied by some of the parents and everyonehad a great time. In October our girls went to Welborne school tolearn about bats from Matt Saunders and they eachmade a Bat House which should make the bats ofAmherst Island excited about an increase in affordablehousing. Our Pathfinder has been busy on several serviceprojects and recently joined with the 79th, HendersonPathfinders for a Mosaic Glass craft night. We have been very fortunate to have the assistanceof

{Page 8}

Alison McDonald and Tabytha Trotter as JuniorLeaders at our meetings. Val and I thank you for yourvolunteer time. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and thankyou Amherst Island for supporting our Cookie Sales sowell. We’re sold out but watch for our regular cookiesin the last week of April.*****

Memorial Service for Edward A. Filson On Sunday, November 5, 2000 at 11.00 am , at St.Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Amherst Island a verytouching Remembrance Day Service honoured anIsland man, Edward A. Filson. Cpl EA Filson died 100years ago during the Boer War. The service was organized by the Royal CanadianDragoons Association Kingston and Region Centre.Some 25 members of this group planned the morningchurch service. During the service Fred Watson readthe official account of the battle of Lilliefontaine asrecorded in the Dragoons archives. It was thismemorable action the resulted in Cpl EA Filson’sdeath. George Knight, #523 Bath and Tom Miller,Amherst Island laid a wreath in the church in his

honour. Following the church service the members of theDragoons contingent lined up in front of the churchand marched to Edward Filson’s memorial where theyformed up in two lines forming an aisle. At the foot ofthis aisle A. Bruce Caughey was wheeled. Bruce spokeof his uncle, Edward Filson, (Bruce was born someyears after his uncle died). He also spoke of the historyof the Filson family. Helen Caughey, representing herhusband, then laid a wreath at the foot of themonument. The Bugler played the “Last Post”, and a 2minutes silence was observed. The piper played alament, and the “Reveille” sounded. After the servicethe Dragoons formed up again and marched back to thechurch where they were dismissed. In usual Amherst Island tradition all present weretreated to a wonderful luncheon by the women of theIsland.*****

ObituaryWemp, Thelma Kathleen (nee Allison) In her sleep in Kingston, on November 11, 2000.Born in 1906 in Brandon, Manitoba, raised inLethbridge. One of four daughters of Robert andMaude Allison. Beloved wife for 71 years of Grant E.Wemp, son of Henry and Laura Wemp of Bath andKingston. She will be sadly missed by her survivingsister, Evelyn Wilson of Calgary, and son Ross Wempof Toronto. Much loved by her granddaughtersCarolyn Jackson of Tottenham, Ontario, JenniferHyslop and Paula Wemp of Toronto; greatgrandchildren Lauren, Bailey and Kyle Jackson ofTottenham; nieces and nephews Marion Anderson ofVancouver, Ken and Terry Stowell of Calgary, DitHolt of Barrie, Sherry Hendry of Waterloo, andSheelah Lund of Colorado Springs. She was pre-deceased by her daughter Margot and daughter-in-lawElizabeth Wemp.[from the Whig-Standard]*****

Thank You Notes Warmest thanks to the Amherst Island FireAssociation. The gift of wine to Ian and flowers toSally - and the love and support and concern alongwith them - sure help us keep up our courage as Sallyslowly heals. Thanks folks***

The Amherst Island Recreation Association wouldlike to thank everyone who came out to celebrate theFrontenac II being assigned to the Island, at the bonfire

in November. We would especially like to thank theLoyalist Emergency Services - Amherst Island division- for all their work and support and Amherst IslandGeneral Store for their continued donations andsupport. Special thanks to Dave and Shannon Youell,Alex Scott, Gary McDonald, the Island Roadsdepartment, judges Cathy Storms, Duncan Ashley andStephanie Fleming, Diane Pearce and the LoyalistCouncil and staff who all worked so hard to get theFrontenac II. Finally, we would like to thank all of thekids who took time to draw, paint, etc. their pictures ofthe Amherst Islander for the contest. All of the pictureswere great, and I know the judges had a hard timepicking the winners. It was a great night! Congratulations to the contest winners:12-13 year old Geoffrey McDonald - 1st place David Albertan - 2nd place10 - 11 year old Justin Hutchings - 1st place Patrick deHaan - 2nd place7 - 9 year old Brittany Sneep - 1st place Danielle Wolfreys - 2nd place*****

{Page 9}

Janet’s JottingsDecember 2000“...birds are far more than robins, thrushes, and finchesto brighten the suburban garden, or ducks and grousetofill the sportsman’s bag, or rare waders or warblers tobe ticked off on a bird watcher’s checklist. They areindicators of the environment - a sort of environmentallitmus-paper.”Roger Tory Peterson

Our readers may wonder at the Birder’s desire to goout and count birds during the Christmas season andnot stay home where it’s warm and hospitable but for100 years this has been the time of the Christmas BirdCount inspired by Frank Chapman of the AmericanMuseum of Natural History in 1900. This is a time ofyear that bird populations are not migrating and byeveryone counting in their area at about the same timewe can presume the approximate numbers areindicators of the populations of those species. Thisyear marks the tenth of the Amherst Island ChristmasCount so if you will watch your feeders and countnumbers of each species on December 28th, and ifyou’re out and about please report any sightings andlocations.

Exciting birds to report this month are numerousowls. One birder reported 26 owls on one day in lateNovember. On December 4th, he found a Boreal Owlin one of the White Cedar rings at Stuart Miller’swoods about halfway between the two sets of beeches.This is the famous owl that brings Birders from aroundthe world to visit “The Owls Woods”. It is larger thana Saw-whet Owl and more chocolate brown in colourthan the little butterscotch Saw-whet. You haveprobably seen the middle-sized owl that flops like amoth as it flies across the fields in the daytime. That’sa Short-eared Owl. The Snowies are setting up regularviewing areas and by the white droppings in the woodswe have a fair number of Long-eared Owls as well. Thank-you Keith for your early warning about volepopulations but you forgot to tell me that they don’t eatOil Pastels but love Watercolours. The senior class cantestify to that! Watch out for colourful droppings??? A Northern Shrike put on an excellentdemonstration at The Amherst Island Public Schoollast Wednesday, December 6th, as it perched on thevery tip of one of Sally’s Spruce trees wagging its tailand then dove in Shrike fashion after a mouse and thenreturned to a vantage point on the basketball net beforeflying to a branch closer to the school window so thathis black mask and patterning could be seen. What awonderful sighting and a learning experience for ourSenior class! This is an uncommon winter visitor.Happy birding everyone and remember those feeders. Merry Christmas and the best in 2001 Janet Scott*****

Garden Calendar - December- Protect rose bushes with soil or plastic cones justbefore the ground freezes.- Mulch tender perennials when ground starts to freeze.- Loosely wrap burlap around pyramidal evergreensrhododendrons and other shrubs and trees that needprotection.- Set up outdoor lighting units before heavy snowfalls.- Check that house humidifier is maintaining humidityover 40% to benefit houseplants.- Order seed catalogues.*****

A Remindersubmitted by Freda Youell

Door to door salespersons offering cheaper hydrarates. The public should be aware that there aresalespersons attending door to door trying to signpeople up for a new company offering cheaper hydro

rates. These persons are working for a legitimatecompany, however, the police are reminding the publicthat any contracts signed are binding, so pleaseexercise caution as you would before signing any newcontract. 1-877-632-2727 is a toll free number for OntarioHydro Energy, and they will supply answers to anyquestions regarding this matter.*****

Blankets Yarn Sheepskins Available at Topsy Farmsand The Bath Village Gallery*****


{Page 10}

News from The General Store Once again the Christmas season is upon us, andeveryone is as busy as a Christmas elf. Too much todo, too little time or so it seems. All of us at theGeneral Store would like to take this opportunity towish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and all thebest for Good Health, Much Happiness and GoodFortune. Take time to relax over the busy holiday seasonwith a good movie. We’ve got a great selection tochoose from.Such as:The Replacements - Keanu Reeves and Gene HackmanThe Klumps - starring Eddie Murphy - very funnyChicken Run -with the voice of Mel GibsonGladiator - Russell CroweThe Perfect Storm - George ClooneyXMenFor the kids we have:Pokemon 2000Toy Story 2Plus lots and lots more. We also have a few more Christmas trees left @$18.00 each.Till next year...*****

A Letter Home Farming continues despite the weather. This isbreeding season so ewes and ewe-lambs must be sorted




Immune System Breakthrough:Natural health product - find out more.Call Diane Hieatt,Independent Consultant, Body Wise Inc.389-7074.***

For SaleWoollen Blankets, Yarn and Sheepskinsfrom Topsy FarmsCall Sally or Ian at 389-3444.***





Pumps Of All KindsRural water system maintenance.Call Tom Miller at 389-0105.

***

SeamstressAlterations, mending, custom clothing, home deco, giftitems.Call Debbie 384-3188***





The Amherst Island Landfill Site Hours of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Sunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*****


{Page 12}

Community CalendarDecemberSunday, December 31st New Years Dinner & Dance

JanuaryMonday, January 8th Council MeetingMonday, January 22nd Council MeetingFebruaryFriday, February 9th Robbie Burns Dinner*****

WantedI am still collecting the following: - A&P Tapes - usedstamps - any country including Canada - for guidedogs for the blind. Good clean clothing for the animalshelter thrift shop and knitted squares, blankets, petfood, paper towels, etc., for the Napanee Animal

Shelter. Please call me if you have anything to donateor leave in my front porch. The animals really need ourhelp.Freda Youell 384-4135.*****

ISLECheese DatesOrder In By: Pickup & Payment 6 - 7 pm at the school Dec 15 Dec 20 Jan 19 Jan 24 Feb 16 Feb 21 Mar 9 Mar 21 Apr 20 Apr 25 May 18 May 23 June 15 June 20*****

Amherst Island General Store389-0417Store HoursMonday - Saturday 9 am - 6 pmSunday 10 am - 6 pm



We have a wide variety of products available. If wedon’t have what you need, it can be ordered withdeliveries.Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays.Just call a day ahead to place your order.Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask that youpick up orders around 11 a.m. as we have no room forstorage in coolers at this time.

Fax ServiceFax service is now available at Amherst Island GeneralStoreMon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page50¢ for each additional pageLong Distance $5.00Receive - 50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417*****

presentation of Long Term Service awards. Of Islandinterest were:35 years Earle Willard30 years Cedric Wemp20 years Darrell Miller10 years Garry Filson and Donnie Miller At one point in the meeting, it was announced thatthe Reeve was acclaimed as County Warden. Thisshould help fill up any spare time the Reeve mightotherwise have had. There were a series of written reports from theDepartment Heads summarizing the capital spending inthe 2000 fiscal year. Of the several items notcompleted last year was a repair job to the ferry dockworth $15,000. This work, according to the report,was scheduled to begin in December. I forget exactlywhat the work entailed but I don’t think that, when itdoes happen, it will cause any significant disruption onthe docks. Probably the most intensive part of the year forboth staff and Council members is coming up - settingthe budget. Department heads meet five times duringthe first half of February and submit a ‘budget manual’to Council on the 23rd. From there, Council meetseight times in March and April with the goal ofapproving the budget on April 23rd. The ferry rate structure has been formalized againin a bylaw. It essentially remains as it was but clarifiesthe issue of certain health care workers. VictorianOrder of Nurses, Allcare and Homecare workers willbe charged. You may not have known but school busesare charged as are school teachers. There are 7 groupswhich do not pay to ride the ferry (the following istaken directly from the by-law):a) Ontario Provincial Police (anytime);b) Fire Department and Ambulance vehicles onemergency calls;c) Hearses and funeral car for funerals;d) Council members (business card counts as a passwhile on Township business);e) Loyalist Township Senior staff (business cardcounts as a pass while on Township business);f) Loyalist Township Committee members (while onTownship business)g) Community Animal Control.There are also a small number of complementarypasses issued to retired ferry personnel. The Year 2000 Building Permit Summary wasincluded with the agenda package. It lists the numberof permits issued and the value of the work being done.In all, there were 149 permits issued with a value ofnearly $6,000,000. Of that the bulk were for residentialdevelopment with 23 new residences and 4 semi’sbeing started for a combined value of almost

$4,000,000. Commercial and industrial permits werevalued at nearly $300,000 plus institutional permitstotaled a little over $300,000. New buildings andrenovations to farm buildings totaled a little under$200,000. And, renovations were valued atapproximately $1,250,000. As usual, Council dealt with many other items thanthose few mentioned here.*****

Loyalist TownshipPublic MeetingGroundwater Management StudyAmherst Island Community CentreTuesday, January 23, 6:30 PM Open House Formal Presentation More Open HouseRefreshments Provided*****

Loyalist TownshipThe Ferry Office will be closed February 2nd, 2001.*****

{Page 3}

Regular Council Meeting- Don TubbJanuary 8th, 2001 As usual, all members of Council were present aswere the appropriate department heads (except for theEngineer). There were 8 people in the audience. Thiswas a short meeting with few Island-specific items. Council approved payment by debit card, at theRecreation Office, for dog tags and blue boxes. Thisexpands the list of services that can be paid this wayfrom the present recreation program registrations,memberships and other recreation activities. The Province has sent out a News Releaseannouncing a $300 million Superbuild fund aimed atsport, recreation, culture and tourism facilities. TheRecreation Department will be providing a list ofpotential projects that could fall under this program. The agenda at every meeting contains severalresolutions from other municipalities which are askingfor support. Some are simply received while others arereceived and supported. This means a letter of supportis sent back to the municipality that sent the resolution.Many times these resolutions are specific only to thesending municipality while the issues are or couldbecome province wide. The Reeve pointed this out (andhas in the past) so what will happen for a couple ofthese resolutions is that the idea will be supported not

just the specific resolution. This makes plain Council’sconcerns to anyone who might read the letter ofsupport. The L&A Historical Society is ‘working tomemorialize our veterans of World War 2 and theKorean conflict through the means of a book’. It has alist of veterans but, for some, the information issketchy. While the Society made no direct request ofCouncil in its letter, the list of the veterans with littlepersonal information has been posted in Townshipoffices. The hope is that people will look at the list andsupply some more information to the HistoricalSociety. Because the list runs to nearly 1100 names,we will not be reprinting it. As usual, Council dealt with many other items thanthose few mentioned here.*****

Make up a party Now forRobbie Burns SupperEnjoy Traditional Scots FoodPlus an Evening of Fun and SongLed by”The Singing Ministers”The Reverends David McKane andMalcolm Sinclair from Toronto

Friday February 9, 2001Amherst Island Community Centre

Cash bar provided by (and for) the Amherst IslandRecreation Association

Doors open at 6:00 p.m.Dinner is at 7:00 p.m.Entertainment begins after dinner.Tickets: $12 per person, Children 4-12: $6. Under 4: freeSeating is limited.For tickets call:Dorothy McGinn 389-2947 Michael & Bobbi Shaw389-0223 Dave Hieatt 389-9294In Bath call Marg Franklin 352-7277Sponsored by St. Alban’s Anglican Church*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn FlemingHappy New Year!!! Get well wishes this month to Stratton Reid, who isin hospital. Continued good health wishes to LlewMacArthur, Sally Bowen and Lillian Miller.

{Page 4}

Our deepest sympathy to Sylvia Dopking andfamily following the sudden passing of her husbandCharlie, on New Year’s Eve. Condolences to ShirleyMiller and family on the recent passing of her niece,Tina Pettifer, following a lengthy illness. Congratulations to Shirley and Keith Miller on thebirth of their first great-grandchild, Nathaniel DemetrioTesan to grand daughter Amanda (Bateman) Tesanand her husband. Gary and Leslie McDonald and family, Warren andLaurene Kilpatrick and family, Clinton Kilpatrick andPeter and Joyce Morgan joined other family membersand friends for a cruise of the western Caribbean atNew Year’s. Paul and Nancy Henshaw took in thetheatre and did some sight seeing, while visiting theirson in San Francisco after the first of the year. Myfamily spent Christmas in Orlando visiting family andfriends and enjoying warm weather and sunshine.Leslie Gavlas traveled to Quebec to visit her daughterand family, then to Cobourg to spend time with anotherdaughter and her family. John and Alena Schram werehome from Africa for a quick pre-Christmas visit.Ardis Shurtliffe left for Florida after the holidays. Iknow there were many more holiday travelers to andfrom the Island and I apologize for those I missed. The A.I.P.S. school concert and the Sunday SchoolNativity were both exceptionally well done this year.As I mentioned before, we have a lot of talent in thestudents here on the Island, and the teachers of bothgroups did an amazing job of showcasing those talents.Congratulations to all! The ecumenical Christmas Carol Service was heldat St. Alban’s this year. Islanders, as well as visitorsfrom the mainland rang in the New Year together at theannual dinner and dance held at the CommunityCentre.*****

New Year’s Dance Committee Report Many thanks to all who attended the New Year’sEve Dance 2000. We are pleased to announce arealized profit of $3,161.00 from the event. Thesuccess of the evening was largely due to the hardwork and generosity of the following volunteers:Andrew Chisholm, Bernice Gould, Rick Bedford, StanBurke, Peggie Coulter, Andrea Cross, David Willard,Laurie McEwan, Ardis Shurtliffe, Reta Brown, RossHaines, Zelma and Ray Koenders, Karen Miller, TedWelbanks, Marc Raymond, The Weasel & Easel, A.I.Women’s Institute, the A.C.W., Dick Dodds, JohnMayman, Brian Grace, Todd Aird and Chris Legge. We thank you all for being there when we needed

you. The money has been deposited with the Townshipand will be used toward the restoration of Neilson’sStore. We extend our thanks once again to theCommunity for supporting this event and look forwardto fund raising with you again in 2001. The New Year’s Eve Dance Committee: DorothyMcGinn, Joyce Haines, Janet Grace, Dick Shurtliffe,Bruce and Susie Caughey.***

To The Beacon Thanks and Farewell! On behalf of ourselves and 160 other people whoenjoyed the New Year’s Eve dance, we’d like to thankthose who made this what many called ‘the best danceever’. The food was wonderful, decorations werebeautiful, and it was all done in the island spirit byvolunteers. In particular, we thank Dorothy McGinnwho kept an island event alive. Earlier, the dance hadbeen cancelled by the recreation committee because ofhooliganism last year but Dorothy said a traditionshouldn’t die. Along with Dorothy, we thank thosemembers of the committee who turned out and all theothers who worked with energy and imagination tomake the event a success and to raise money forrestoration of the heritage Neilson’s store. With sadness, we must note, however, that a pallwas cast by the passing of Charlie Dopking. The hallwas cleared while heroic but vain efforts were made tosave him by Drs. Brian Grace and Harley Smythe,Amy Caughey, and members of the first responseteam. Charlie, who built many of the island homes,earlier had a heart bypass operation and his health wasprecarious. He had recently celebrated a birthday andretirement party with many friends and was anxious toattend the New Year’s celebration. At the party, hewas in good spirits, greeted many friends, and thenslipped away. As Brian Grace said after, it was theway Charlie would have wanted to go and added thatthat he would want the party to continue. We raised aglass to Charlie and, gradually, regained the partyspirit. So long, Charlie -- and thanks everyone! Peggie Coulter and Stan Burke*****

Amherst Island Phone Directorieson sale at the General StoreHave you got yours yet?Need a second copy?Only $6.00 each!A.I.W.I.*****

{Page 5}

4 H Registration - 2001 Become a 4-H member. 4-H is about personaldevelopment but it’s also about making friends andhaving fun. If you were 10 years old and under 21 onJanuary 1st, 2001, you can become a 4-H member. For more information and to join call Susie at 389-2012 or Freda at 384-4135 before January 21st, 2001.*****

News From The General StoreHappy New Year to Everyone!Just a reminder the price of postage has increased.Canada - 47¢ + GST = 50¢U.S.A.- 60¢ +GST = 64¢International - $1.05 + GST = $1.12

We’ve got some great new movie rentals available.Beat the January blahs with a good movie tonight. Wehave:Gone in 60 Seconds - Nicholas Cage, Angelina JolieThe Replacements - Keanu Reeves, Gene HackmanShaft - Samuel JacksonSmall Time Crooks - Woody Allen, Tracy UllmanU-571 - Matthew McConaughey, Harvey KeitelKeeping the Faith - Ben Steller, Ed NortonMore new arrivals coming...

New releases - $3.00 + 45¢ = $3.45Older Movies - 99¢ + 15¢ = $1.14*****

Island HistoryQueen’s Grad Pays Visit To Old Hauntsfrom Whig-Standard October 8, 1952[submitted by Prof. Don Smith, U. of Calgary] A native of Amherst Island where he taught schoolnearly 60 years ago, Dr. Harry Gibson, Sr., of Calgaryspent the weekend visiting friends and the scenes of hisyouth in Kingston and district. Now 74, though he looks much younger, Dr.Gibson was brought up on Amherst Island where hisfather, the late Alex. Gibson, engaged in mixedfarming, “Like all the other residents of the island.” “Barley, milk and cheese were our main sources ofrevenue,” he recalled. The mail came by row-boat fromBath, with Alex Stevenson, the mailman for manyyears. “We had a daily boat, the old ‘Hero’, which servedas our link with the mainland. For excitement thereused to be horse races up and down the village streetwhen I was a boy. The were also two toll gatesbetween Bath and Kingston, and they let down the gate

bars at night. The toll use to be two or three cents,”said the doctor. The population of Amherst Island was about 1,000when Dr. Gibson was born. It was 900 when he taughtschool there. Among the old families he rememberswere the Prestons and James Paterson. After teaching school for a year or so, Dr. Gibsonentered Queen’s University in the faculty of medicine,then a four-year course....*****

Loyalist TownshipFerry Office HoursMonday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 am - 12 pm 1:00 pm - 4 pmClosed for Lunch Noon - 1 pm In the case where a statutory holiday falls on aMonday, the office will be closed on the holidayMonday and open on the Tuesday, for that week only.In the case where a statutory holiday falls on a Friday,the office will be open the preceding Thursday andclosed on Friday, for that week only.*****

Need a caretaker while you are away? Call Betty at 389-7907*****

“Getaway Home”Year around cottage rental by the week or week-end.North Shore, Amherst Island.A beautiful winter / spring / summer / fall getaway! For details phone Susie at 389-2012.*****

{Page 6}

ObituaryJeffery, Ken Peacefully, but all too soon, at his home on theevening of December 15, 2000. Ken Jeffery, lovinghusband of Carol. Dear father of Steve (Elaine), Alanand John (Vanessa). Predeceased by sister Anne andbrother Harold. Son of the late Mary and Everett. ... Adevoted friend to his community and the environment,Ken’s extraordinary commitments and contributions toDucks Unlimited and the Rotary organization will notbe forgotten. As a passionate outdoorsman, hisfellowship and hospitality will be missed by all of hissporting friends.[from the Whig-Standard, December 19, 2000]***

Dopking, Charles L.

Suddenly on Amherst Island on Sunday, December31, 2000. Charlie Dopking, in his 61st year. Cherishedhusband to Sylvia Dopking. Dear farther of AimeePianosi and her husband Dave. Adoring grandfather ofRobin. Survived by his brothers Elwood and Bill,sisters Bessie, Rose, Mary and Lorna, half sisters Joyand Bonnie. Predeceased by his sister Jean and halfbrother Roy (Billy).[from the Whig-Standard, January 9, 2001]***

Dear friends at the Beacon, I was wondering if there would be room to put in alittle notice about my mother’s passing away in theBeacon. She visited Amherst Island on several occasions andfelt she was very much connected to it, and that its lifewas a part of her life. Thank you very much Sincerely Carolyn McIntire-Smyth

Dorothy Goodner Kennedy The mother of Carolyn McIntyre-Smyth, DorothyGoodner Kennedy, died October 8, 2000, in her 87thyear, after a series of strokes. She was born inGainesville, Texas, on January 3, 1914, and wasmarried to the late Reverend Clyde Kennedy, aPresbyterian Minister. After her husband’s death in1962, she was a librarian in New Jersey, a missionaryin Beirut, Lebanon, and a teacher and principal inSouthern California. Her legacy is in the memory ofcountless people whom she touched with her love andhumour, and with her musical gifts as a pianist andvocalist. A memorial service to celebrate her life washeld in Glendale, California, November 25th.*****

An Occasional Collect upon the Passing of CharlieDopkingDecember 31, 2000 Lord Jesus, Master-Carpenter of Nazareth, wethank You that with your own hands You ennobled thecraft of woodworking for all who have followed you init. We thank you especially for Charlie’s calling, forthe gifts you gave him, and for the humour, friendshipand love he brought everywhere with him in the faithfulcompletion of all his earthly tasks. Above all we thank You that, upon the crossthrough wood and nails, You, once and for all,fashioned and finished your perfect work offorgiveness, restoration and complete salvation, withits sure and certain hope of endless life with You, for

Charlie, and for us all. Here, at this hour in this your daily workshop, wewho remain come together to You as yet rough-hewn.Wield well, Lord Jesus, the tools of your love andpower in our lives, we pray. Soften our hard hearts. Bend our proud wills. Mend our brokenness. Raise up and make fast in us that which has fallen.Carve us deeply so as to receive and hold You that, atthe end of your day’s work in us, we too, with Charlie,at last may be found in You, fashioned to a truerbeauty by your hands. We pray to You, Lord Jesus who, with your Fatherand your Holy Spirit are alive forever more. AmenFootnote: Composed and read at the funeral service forCharlie Dopking, Church of St. Alban, Odessa,January 4, 2001. Dr. Smyth is a lay reader to theAnglican parish of St. Alban’s, Amherst Island and afriend of the Dopking family.*****

Thank You Notes Many thanks from all the Captains and crews of theFrontenac II for the goodies and good wishes atChristmas. Every cookie, candy and chocolate, etc wasmuch appreciated.*****

{Page 7}

Janet’s Jottings- Janet Scott Thank you to all those who helped count birds andspecies on December 28th., to all those who phoned mewith sightings and feeder counts and all those patientIslanders and Ferry crew members who helped andaided the counters. We had a wonderful althoughsomewhat chilly day for our count. The first earlybirders arrived on the 6:30 ferry but the majority ofparticipants arrived on the 7:30 ferry and wereassigned groups and routes. We had 28 participantscoming from as far away as Guelph in the west and St.Bruno in the east. My intrepid crew managed to find57 and Alex Scott was able to add 3 the week of thecount which gave us a total of 60 species. By 1:00most of my frozen but exuberant birders were back forsoup and hot apple cider but many as a reward trottedoff to the Owl Woods to check for owls. The verydedicated few stayed until dusk to watch the Short-eared Owls perform in the fields south of Stella. Below is a list of species seen:Great Blue Heron 1

Canada Goose 671American Black Duck 83Mallard 361Northern Pintail 10Gadwall 2Redhead 1Long-tailed Duck 16Black Scoter 2White-winged Scoter 15Common Goldeneye 587Bufflehead 160Common Merganser 255Duck species unidentified 47Bald Eagle 5Northern Harrier 4Red-tailed Hawk 23Rough-legged Hawk 50Kestrel 7Ring-necked Pheasant 3Ring-billed Gull 1Herring Gull 14Greater Black-backed Gull 4Rock Dove 2Mourning Dove 55Great Horned Owl 5Snowy Owl 11Barred Owl 1Long-eared Owl 20Short-eared Owl 29Northern Saw-whet Owl 8Belted Kingfisher 2Downy Woodpecker 10Hairy Woodpecker 3Northern Flicker 3Horned Lark 4Blue Jay 114American Crow 31Black-capped Chickadee 106White-breasted Nuthatch 5Brown Creeper 1Cedar Waxwings 20Northern Shrike 5European Starling 217Northern Cardinal 8American Tree Sparrow 103Song Sparrow 5White-throated Sparrow 2Swamp Sparrow 1Longspur 15Snow Buntings 576House Sparrows 136House Finch 50Meadow Lark 1Rusty Blackbird 1

Brown-headed Cowbird 48Junco 21Goldfinch 3 Within three days of the count either way Alexadded a Loon, a Boreal Owl and a Robin. The nextweek we were all excited to see three Boreal Owls inone day, an Ivory Gull on the ice and a few got to see aHawk Owl south of the village. Great Birding!!!*****

Amherst Island: A New Frontier For The CRCA[from Cat Tales Winter 2001 issue put out by theCataraqui Region Conservation Authority] The newest part of our jurisdiction is AmherstIsland. It became part of our jurisdiction in January2000. A common-asked question is what the Authoritymight do on the Island. We’re pleased to report that we have just acquired92 acres of the Owl Woods property. This property iswell-known by local naturalists as a significant habitatfor a variety of owls and songbirds. Loyalist Townshipand the Kingston Field Naturalists are assisting withthe purchase. This purchase ensures that the wildlifehabitat will be maintained. There are lots of other things the CRCA could do. Floodplain mapping for the shoreline would letplanners and new landowners know how much of animpact the Lake Ontario water levels might have onvarious waterfront properties. Wave uprush, or theextent to which waves flow under storm conditions,particularly affects the southern shoreline. Mappinghelps in making decisions on setbacks for newdevelopment, and also helps in long-range planning forthe municipality. Amherst Island is the only location within theConservation Authority’s jurisdiction where dynamicbeaches are found. Part of the Back Beach is adynamic beach. It is defined as an unstableaccumulation of sand subject to constant change. Adynamic beach is a type of natural hazard, whereconstruction should not be permitted because offlooding and erosion. One of our traditional programs is planting trees onpublic and private land. Programs are often availableto subsidize such tree plantings. Another form ofplanting might be to broaden fence rows. Thisincreases the diversity of the habitat in the area, andprovides wildlife corridors. Farmers in the area have expressed an interest inlooking at nutrient management on individual farms tosee how well natural processes break down manure.Testing could be carried out to see where the run-offgoes. Are there concerns about water quality in thestreams - should there be monitoring of the streams or

drains? Are there environmentally friendly ways to dealwith shoreline erosion? Studies have been carried outto determine how this problem should be addressed.The CRCA can help find solutions to help resolvethese ongoing problems. The CRCA is a supporter of a regional trailsnetwork. In particular, discussions have been heldabout the possible routing of a secondary WaterfrontTrail route around the Island.

{Page 8}

The idea of a watershed management plan shouldalso be considered for the island, to help guide levels ofgovernment in future land use planning and resourcemanagement. With the apparent popularity of islandsites for residential development, a watershedmanagement plan could help find a balance betweenthe natural environment and the human use of the land.It might be a case of anticipating environmentalstresses, before too many more lots are created anddeveloped. If you have any ideas or specific projects, please letus know.*****

Groundwater Management Study- Ian Murray Following public meetings on Amherst Island andon the mainland, the study will be presented to LoyalistTownship Council for its consideration and action. Thestudy, which was conducted by Trow ConsultingEngineers, contains important recommendations thathave the potential to affect every landowner onAmherst Island. Recommendations from theGroundwater Steering Committee will also bepresented to Council as well as recommendations fromthe Township Planner and Township Engineer. Why 3 groups of recommendations? Firstly, the consulting engineers must makerecommendations based on their professional opinionson what should be done regarding groundwater inLoyalist Township. The Steering Committee which is made up oftownship employees, the consulting engineers,representatives from the local Health Unit andconservation authority, and some township farmersmay well disagree with some of the recommendationsmade up by the consulting engineers. The Islandfarmers that are on the committee - Lance Eves, KeithMiller and myself - certainly find some of theengineering recommendations to be troublesome. And the township staff will very likely provide

Council with advice on what can be legally done by themunicipality and what should be done but must beinitiated by the Province. Staff may also advise thatsome of the recommendations may sound good but arejust not workable. The report itself is a somewhat intimidatingdocument but the consulting engineers are prepared totake whatever time is needed to explain it formally atthe open house part of the public meeting, at the formalpresentations, and again on an individual basis afterthe formal presentations. Believe me, the groundwater management issue isvery important. It affects everyone living on or owningproperty on the island. Now is the time to learn aboutthe groundwater study and to make your opinionsknown to the consulting engineers, to the committeemembers, and, most importantly, to the members ofCouncil.*****

Gardening Calendar for January- Inspect houseplants for white flies, spider mites andaphids.- Inspect bulbs in storage. Discard bad ones.- Expand personal knowledge through library visits,courses, catalogues, etc.- Plan your garden.- Order flower and vegetable seeds. Decide which to bestarted inside.- Try forcing amaryllis and paper white narcissus.- Start slowest germinating seeds like begonias andgeranium, also seeds for early spring bloom e.g. pansy,verbena, alyssum, and dianthus.*****

Rise Above the Circumstances

Old Jim had been a faithful horse,But he was growing old,So Uncle Lem made up his mindThe horse should not be sold

But turned out in the pasture landTo roam and feed at will,Or rest beneath the shady trees,Down by the waters still.

Lem loved his faithful servant Jim,And watched him day by day,And when he whistled to the horse,Jim gave an answering neigh.

One day the horse had disappeared,So Lem went out to see

What had become of faithful Jim -Where could the creature be?

Lem thought of an abandoned wellWhich had uncovered been;He hurried down the path to see;Yes, Jim had fallen in!

If he should try to pull him outA leg might broken beSo he would go and get his gunAnd end Jim’s misery.

Lem brought the gun but couldn’t bearTo shoot old faithful Jim,So brought a shovel and a pickWith which to bury him.

{Page 9}

Lem took a shovel full of dirtAnd rolled it in the well,It slid down on the horse’s backAnd to the bottom fell.

As fast as every load was sentThe horse would stamp it down,And as they both thus worked awayAt last the well was gone!

Out jumped the horse, all whole and soundKicked up his heels and ran,Let’s get from out this simple taleA moral, if we can.

When people try to crush us down,And cover us with dirt,Let’s stamp it underneath our feet,And never let it hurt.

Let’s be like Jim and rise aboveThe troubles that beset,If we are on the side of right,We’ll gain the victory yet.

Submitted by Syke Fleming*****

A Letter Home Things are finally getting quieter on the farm.Breeding is finished and the number of flocks has beenreduced to four. Basic chores only take about 5 or 6hours now. We are still feeling the effects of last year’s rainy

summer in that the hay isn’t very good. The mineraland energy content is low so we have to supplementwith grain. The lambs are growing, but slowly...usually by this time we are almost done shipping butwe still have about five hundred around. Priceshowever remain good. The weather has modified with enough snow for thesheep to get their moisture requirements but not enoughto make it difficult to get around on ATVs andtractors. And the temperatures (up to now) haven’tbeen too high or low to create problems for the sheep. I am hoping for more of the same... just a dusting ofsnow occasionally to whiten things up.*****

Topsy Farm’s Lamb will be available this winter.Call Sally at 389-3444*****

Blankets Yarn SheepskinsAvailable at Topsy Farms and The Bath VillageGallery*****

For SaleWanted

For SaleElectric stove, portable dishwasher, shower stall.$50. each.Also kitchen sink, cupboards and jet pump.Phone 389-0223***

For SaleJenn-Air CooktopJenn-Air cooktop and barbecue-grill top in goodworking order. $75.00Call Carolyn Smyth 389-3054 or 416-489-2121***


Baby-sitter & Mother’s HelperLight yard work & homeworkCall Stephanie at 634-2509***

Bayridge Travel & Cruise Centre

Leslie McDonald - Travel CounselorFor all your travel arrangements...Call 384-8065***









GLM ConstructionGeneral Contrading, Renovations & DesignContact Gary McDonald at 384-1456.***

Lakeshore Rubber StampQuick service for all kinds stamps (self-inkers, daters,signature, logos, business & personal)

Call Linda Welbanks at 389-8441Fax 389-9770***



Immune System Breakthrough:Natural health product - find out more.Call Diane Hieatt, Independent Consultant, Body Wise Inc.389-7074.***

For SaleWoollen Blankets, Yarn and Sheepskins from TopsyFarmsCall Sally or Ian at 389-3444.***






Seamstress

Alterations, mending, custom clothing, home deco, giftitems.Call Debbie - 384-3188***







{Page 11}

Community CalendarJanuarySunday, January 21st, 9:45 a.m. Sunday School startsat the Community CentreMonday, January 22nd, 7:00 p.m. Council MeetingTuesday, January 23rd, 6:30 p.m. GroundwaterManagement Meeting

FebruaryFriday, February 2nd, Ferry Office closedFriday, February 9th, 6:00 p.m. Robbie Burns DinnerMonday, February 12th, 7:00 p.m. Council MeetingMonday, February 26th, 7:00 p.m. Council Meeting*****

WantedI am still collecting the following: - A&P Tapes - usedstamps - any country including Canada - for guidedogs for the blind. Good clean clothing for the animal

shelter thrift shop and knitted squares, blankets, petfood, paper towels, etc., for the Napanee AnimalShelter. Please call me if you have anything to donateor leave in my front porch. The animals really need ourhelp.Freda Youell 384-4135*****

ISLECheese Dates

Order In By: Pickup & Payment 6 - 7 pm at the school Jan 19 Jan 24 Feb 16 Feb 21 Mar 9 Mar 21 Apr 20 Apr 25 May 18 May 23 June 15 June 20*****




We have a wide variety of products available. If wedon’t have what you need, it can be ordered withdeliveries.Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays.Just call a day ahead to place your order.Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask that youpick up orders around 11 a.m. as we have no room forstorage in coolers at this time.

Fax ServiceFax service is now available at Amherst Island GeneralStore Mon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page 50¢ for eachadditional page Long Distance $5.00Receive - 50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417*****

{Page 12}

[Staff: A little history from past Beacon issues... Therewere pictures with this story but when I scanned them,the print on the page behind showed through and thequality was poor so I didn’t include them. The storyhas been edited slightly but is largely as printed.]

Issue #25March 18, 1971Worst Winter In Years Tests Islanders- G.F. Sheil Since our last edition on March 4th, AmherstIslanders have experienced two weeks of severe winterushering a deluge of frustration and hardship. Travelacross the ice, snow removal and plowing were thefocal points of concern: farmers frantically managed toget their milk to the factory; people who are employedon the mainland fought their way to and from work; theelementary school abandoned any regular classes; thetownship council was confronted daily with problemsand predicaments; Island people, and particularly thosesituated a distance out of Stella, found themselvesisolated. Wind and snow combined to fill our Island roadswhich in many cases were already lined with ten footbanks, and the roads were virtually sealed on Thursdayevening, March 5th, when the grader, our mosteffective plowing machine, was marooned at SandBeach on the Third Concession. The grader had a flattire and, after transporting the tire to Kingston forrepair and then back up to the grader by snow machineon Friday, the men found that the steering mechanismon the grader was broken. The situation wascompounded on Friday night when our road crewresigned en masse. On Saturday, March 6, at 2:00 p.m. Reeve VinceAitken called an emergency council meeting. BertGlenn was appointed as temporary roadsuperintendent. The township’s plow truck wasdetailed to do as much as possible with the assistanceof two front-end loaders, Ed McCormick’s and thetownship’s. This meant that the loaders would clear ahole through the drifts and thetruck would “root” through; the wing was broken onthe truck adding to its inability. It was hoped that apath could be made to the grader so that Clinton couldweld the steering. James Neilson and James Eves “blew” out the roadto Stella from their farms on Saturday and their milkwas picked up by the truck, as was Roger Holden’s atthe Foot. By Sunday midnight Marshall Glenn’s milkwas picked up as the truck and tractors had gotten thatfar.

On Monday a new storm filled the roads again andplowing operations halted. New parts for the graderwere ordered from Paris, Ont. Twelve skidoos delivered 23,000 lb. of milk to thecheese factory on Tuesday; this is approximately one-half of the Island milk; the other half had been pickedup by the bulk tank. The plow wing on the truck was repaired onThursday and by 8:00 p.m. Friday night the FrontRoad was open up to Fred Hitchins’ farm. The partsfor the grader arrived on Friday and the grader wasready for action by midnight, but the accumulation ofsnow dictated that assistance would be needed beforethe grader would move. A 3,500 pound, $6,500.00 snow blower (orthrower) arrived on Saturday March 13th. The blowerwas installed on to the township tractor and numerousonlookers turned out to witness the occasion. However,they were somewhat disappointed in the fact, that theblower would not operate properly until additionalweight was mounted on the rear of the tractor. Thisundertaking was carried out by Clinton Kilpatrick andby Sunday at 1:30 p.m. the blower was beginningabove Marshall Glenn’s hill; the sun and rainhampered the effectiveness of the blower for the snowwas slushy and plugged the chute. At Bruce Caughey’sfarm the alternator and chain drive gave out and theblower waited for repair by a company representativeon Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday saw a concerted attempt toget the grader “on the line” and by 4:00 Tuesdayafternoon its muffled roar was heard breaking throughthe last drift on its way down the Third Concession. As this edition goes to print the grader is openingthe road at the Head, and “spring cannot be farbehind”.*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: February 15, 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 277}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 277 February 2001

Newsstand $1.00/Issue



Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0

Printed atKwik Kopy Printing655 Arlington Park Place

CreditsWord Perfect Office 2000 & ArcSoft Imaging Suite

Production For February250 Copies*****

EuchreJoin friends and neighbours at the Community EuchreNightsMarch 2 & 16, April 6, 2001 at 7:30 pmAmherst Island Community Centrefun! prizes! refreshments!$2.00 per person*****

Regular Council Meeting- Don TubbCouncil Report for Jan 22, 2001 All members of Council were present for this

meeting along with regular staff members and 6members of the interested public in the audience. There were very few Amherst Island specific itemsdealt, with at this meeting however the following wasgleaned from the proceedings and the agenda package:- I think we told you last month that the Province hasintroduced another part of their capital building fund... this time for sports, culture and tourism projects. TheRecreation and Property Advisory Committee has beenlooking at this and its number one priority was asecond ice sheet at the W.J. Henderson Centre. TheCommittee recommended to Council that a letter ofintent be submitted to the Province. This was approvedby Council.- The Recreation and Property Advisory Committeealso recommended to Council that an application forthe Heritage Challenge Fund Community Program besubmitted for the Fairfield House and Neilson’s Store.- There was a notice in the agenda package stating thatFriday, July 6th through Sunday, July 6th is OntarioFamily Fishing Weekend. No licence is required forthis weekend. Council will support this event withsome low cost advertising.- The Amherstview bus had its best year ever with74,429 riders. This is nearly 15,000 riders more thanin 1998 and about 9,000 riders above the previous 5year average.- Rates for most recreation activities will be going upby 5% (such as swimming, skating, ball and soccerfields) with two notable exceptions being the publicskate and the public swim.*****

{Page 2}

World Day Of Prayer ServiceFriday, March 2 - 2 PMSt. Paul’s Presbyterian Church2001 Service written by Women of Samoa.Theme: Informed prayer; Prayerful action.Jointly conducted by:St. Paul’s, St, Alban’s and St. Bartholomew’s*****

Notice Of Annual MeetingThe 106th Annual Meeting of The Amherst IslandMutual Insurance Company will be held at theAmherst Island Public School on - Wednesday, March7, 2001 At 8:00 P.M.Purpose:- To receive the financial statements and Auditors’Report for the year ended December 31, 2000.

- To appoint Auditors for 2001.- To elect three Directors for a three year term. Theretiring directors are Keith Miller, Wayne Fleming andBrian Ward, all of whom are eligible for re-election.Any person seeking election is asked to file theirintention to stand for election with the secretary at leastfive (5) days prior to the Annual Meeting.- To transact such further business as may properlycome before the meeting.Keith Miller PresidentW. Bruce Caughey Secretary-Manager*****

Loyalist TownshipCouncil Reportfor February 12, 2001 All members of Council were present for thisregular meeting. The CAO, Clerk, Treasurer,Engineer, Planner, Recreation Director, Fire Chief andPublic Works Superintendent were in attendance aswere 6 members of the interested public. The major Island related item was the increase inferry rates. By-law 2001-8 brings into effect thefollowing rates as of March 1, 2001:Individual Rates (for one round trip)- car, truck (under 1 ton), van $5.00- farm tractor $5.00- motorcycle $1.50- bicycle $1.00Bulk Rates1 book of tickets (23 tickets) = $50.00 The Township has recently sent a household flyer tothe Island residents which discusses this rate increase.There seems little reason to re-print it here. There are a number of quick items of Islandinterest:- The Miller Drain is going to get some neededmaintenance under a grant from the Ontario MinistryofAgriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).- Council received and supported a resolution from theTown of Caledon. The resolution asked that funding becontinued for the Environmental Farm Plan program.Funds for the program are to run out at the end of thefirst quarter of 2001. This voluntary program covereda wide range of environmental concerns such asstorage and handling of pesticides, fertilizers andpetroleum products - to name just a few.- From the Administration Meeting minutes (Feb. 5,2001), the following motion (quoted in part only) waspassed, “that the section of roadway, approximately 2km east of the Village of Stella be added to theapplicable Hot-Mix and Surface TreatmentResurfacing Program, when updated”. It is not clear

from the minutes just where on a priority list, thissection ofroad would be placed but Councillor Ashley hasmentioned its rather sorry condition at Council.- The following people have been appointedFenceviewers under the Line Fences Act 1990: KevinPeters, James Guest, Alex Scott and Robert Wilson.- The Intensive Farming Operation Committee minutes(Jan. 17, 2001) were included in the agenda package.These show that progress is being made as thecommittee continues to refine the 4th draft. In a relatedmatter, the Planner, Murray Beckel, received aresponse from the then Minister of Ag (etc), ErnieHardeman, in which he said (in part), “At present,Ontario does not have a program that measures odouremitted from farms. Odour measuring technology isrelatively new for picking up farm odour. Thesedevices are still in the developmental stages.”. This had(has) been a sticking point with some members of theCommittee who wanted this incorporated into the by-law.- The Heritage Committee minutes (for Jan. 16, 2001.12 -1f5116.4 -13.2 Td sasureveIslTd(an3)Tj5.76 0 dthat menhadteinto Admen Mip(has)4Tj20.4 0 Td(at)Tj8.16 0 ionot hinues mida 2001chw -29.28 0 Tders of1Tj74.64 0 Tcounuteatsubjethe stag42j30.48 0 Tteapproval(ethese)Tj0.12 Tc 0.06 122j44-36 -13.14 - itage nedo inrese mmi ne thTd(an)Tj20.64 0 dd(n w)Tj15.84 0 Td(ve)Tj9.84 0 d( th8j20.4 0 me me)j16.56 0 rbeer- Thehadat5Tj611.04 0 Td(en ond fencesived a79j13.2 0 n(had)Tj-0.12 Tc 0.3 194j313-36 -13.14 qudtions wereTaskd(w(ttee))Tjj9.84 0 derTd(ecd((da61j13.92 0 Commitcoulded a)Tj0.06 Tc 0.12 17Tj23.12 -13.2 prot( ne)Tj22.32 0 ct d(- The)Tj79.36 0 T(en ruct(easure5Tj20.4 0 s.(had)Tj-0.18 Tc 0.36 9 -119.12 -13.2 - WhileTduncup f63j27.6 0 il did noteacmmitt54j30.48 0 oeinto follows b,( iyonded a)Tj0.18 Tc 0 T)Tj084.56 -13.2 Tdcup f)TjTj12 0 Tsed a7j19.44 0 Td(vi)Tj8.16 0 ng(do)Tj10.56 0 Td( th)Tj11.28 0 Td(e )Tj7.44 0 cotal )Tj22.08 0 rrTd(es)Tj16.56 0 potal )TjTj18 0 nded a)Tj10.56 0 Td(en)Tj9.84 0 Td(ce)Tj9.36 0 , nt witmiesmis ares areden w thhadan Tup f6

Township stations when new units were purchased forthose locations. The Loyalist Township Fire Department responded to 306 calls in 2000... that’sapproximately a 25% increase over 1999. The AmherstIsland station responded to 15 calls. The busiest stationwas Odessa with 137 calls (Bath had 53 andAmherstview had 99). Of those 306 calls, only 48 wereclassed as fire calls. The partial list below gives someof the major reasons for a Fire Department response:Fire... 48Alarm Malfunction... 28Alarm Accidental... 7 Alarm Malicious... 7Medical Emergencies... 61Heart Attack CPR... 28Vehicle Extrication... 10 Vehicle Accident... 23Carbon Monoxide Detection... 11 Human Accident... 4Other Public Service... 45.*****

Loyalist Township The Loyalist Parkway Association has askedCouncil to recommend an Amherst Island resident as amember of their committee. The Association wants topromote Amherst Island as a place to visit along theParkway and, for that reason, wants input from arepresentative of the community. The Association meets at 10:00 a.m. on the secondWednesday of each month at the Wheelhouse ViewRestaurant just off the ferry at Glenora. The Loyalist Parkway Association works topreserve, enhance and promote the scenic, historic andarchitectural qualities of the original Loyalist route.The group participates in long term planning along theParkway and the development of picnic areas, reststops, signs and information kiosks for the use andenjoyment of tourists. If you are interested in serving on this committee,please submit a brief letter to Loyalist TownshipCouncil by January 31, 2001. We would appreciatehearing from someone who is willing to represent theIsland’s interests on this committee. Diane Pearce Chief Administration Officer*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Get well wishes this month to Lillian Miller; BonnieBaker who is recovering at home from recent surgery;and to Ida Gavlas, who is recovering from footsurgery. Bruce and Susie Caughey escaped winter for a

week or so, when they took a cruise of the westernCaribbean. Leonard Pittman spent a month visitingfamily in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. MarkRitchie and Cherry Allen have just returned fromvisiting Mark’s dad in Scotland. Congratulations to Paul and Nancy Henshaw on thebirth of their 2nd grandchild (1st grand daughter),Sarah, on January 23. Big brother Joshua and momand dad, Dawn and Craig, are thrilled with the newaddition to their family. The first community Euchre night of the season gotoff to a great start with a lot of laughs and visiting - aswell as cards! The 2nd

{Page 4}

Annual Robbie Burns Dinner, sponsored by St.Alban’s Church, was an even greater success than lastyear! A full house enjoyed a traditional Scottish dinnerand entertainment at the Community Centre. The highlight of winter carnival week at A.I.P.S.,was the annual Polar Bear Olympics, held on February14.*****

Robbie Burns Night- Chris Kennedy Many thanks to the members of the Anglicanchurch for organizing the Burn’s Night Supper and theentertainment. The Community Centre was full for theoccasion. The magnificent haggis well deserved its titleof “Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race” and wasparaded round the hall in fine style behind the piper“And then, O what a glorious sightWarm-reekin, rich!”I don’t think anybody left the table with room in themfor another mouthful. The entertainment was by “TheSinging Ministers” from Toronto, who provided uswith songs and stories, filled with wit and wisdom. Wehad a life of Roberts Bums, the Poet of the commonman. It is well worth taking the time to work throughhis dialect to savour the meaning in his words. Tofinish the evening after some of the people had left forthe ferry, the tables were pushed back and the braverfolk danced the “Gay Gordons” round the hail. A grandway to end the evening.*****

Letters To The Beacon[Staff: We received the following e-mail from DonMurray just after we went to press last month. If youhave any information regarding his query, you can callus at the Beacon, (613) 389-3802, or e-mail us [email protected] or write at Amherst Island

Beacon 14775 Front Road, Stella, On K0H 2S0.]

Greetings I wonder if you might be able to help me with a bitof Island history. I have been going over back issues ofthe Beacon, which I got from my mother-in-law,Margaret McKee of Kingston, and I have been lookingfor information about the Canadian Volunteer Militiaon the Island. The findings to date have been slim. In our family, we have an army ceremonial swordthat is engraved as follows: “Presented to Major R.Patterson by No. 4 Co 480 Batt V.M Amherst IslandMarch 1875". Are you aware of any books, reports etcabout No 4 Company? Issue #262 of the Beacon (Dec. 1999) stated thatthe Island Reeve in 1873 was ‘R. Patterson’ and in1888, 1890 and 1892 the Reeve was ‘RobertPatterson’. Do you think that either of these twoindividuals might have been the original recipient of thesword? I thank you for your consideration in this matter. Yours truly Don Murray*****

Correction Contrary to a letter in last month’s Beacon, the A.I.Rec. Assoc. did not “cancel” the New Year’s Evedance due to “Hooliganism”. I am afraid Mr. Burkehas been misinformed and was not given the reason bya Rec. Assoc. member. The Rec. Association decided in July that we wouldnot hold a New Year’s dance. We made the decisionearly enough in the year to give another group theopportunity and time to put on the annual function. The main rea in s wthe

d a i n nr / dn e d a s n t a t p i s s m a l l i nnoumbrsfthe aordk

od toldiday pl

Dim-dipping, far-flying Alone in the shadows and grandeurs and tumults Of night and the sea And the stars and storms.

Out over the darkness it wavers and hovers,Out into the gloom it swings and batters,Out into the wind and the rain and the vast,Where fogs are at battle, sky-driven, sea blown,Love of mist and rapture of flight,Glories of chance and hazards of deathOn its eager and palpitant wings.

Out into the deep of the great dark world,Beyond the long borders where foam and driftOf the sundering waves are lost and goneOn the tides that plunge and rear and crumble

For a short brief time an Ivory Gull visited AmherstIsland. It was first seen on January 3rd and for a shortfifteen days it affected the amount of revenue on theferry, the number of visitors to the Island, even theamount of sardines sold at our local store and evenmade itself a headline in the Kingston paper. This littlebundle of feathers only 43 cm, still young and showingthe black smudges of it immaturity was a long wayfrom home. This gull breeds in the New World onSomerset and Ellesmere Islands in the Arctic andwinters on the edge of the pack ice but sometimesmakes rare visits further south. In 1977 on Dec. 9thMarnie and Geoff Matthews reported the only otherrecorded Ivory Gull in the Kingston area. It also wasimmature and they saw it on Wemp’s shore accordingto R.D. Weirin his book “Birds of the KingstonRegion”. I guess if a young teenage gull wants to takea trip south, Amherst Island looks like home. We weresaddened to read on the Internet that it did not lookwell on Jan. 18th. I believe that was the last dayanyone saw it. What storms or weather patterns ormixed up genetic messages drive a bird so off coursewe will never know but wasn’t it fascinating havingour little visitor among us. “High Flight” little fellow. For the birders that missed the gull there’s been lotsof other birding activity. The Owl Woods have hadregular Saw-Whets, those adorable kitten-sized owlsthat are butterscotch coloured and also their chocolatecoloured cousins the Boreat Owls which are a littlelarger but a rarer visitor. The pines have a flock ofabout a dozen regular Long-eared Owls and Short-eared Owls can be seen at several locations flying justat dusk. Our Snowy population has stayed fairlyconstant at about 11 birds with a wide variety ofplumage from the very

{Page 6}

white such as the one at Welbanks or the teenager atthe Roads garage that is quite dark. Why he thinks itscool to sit on the very tip of the radio aerial at the FireHall we’ll never know but maybe he’s playing “Kingof the Castle”. For a short time a Hawk Owl wasreported in the area south of Peter Witteveen’s and eastof the Stella 40 ft. but so far no Great Greys althoughthere’s one near Kingston just off Sunnyside Road.Watch for him. He’s the large grey gentleman with awhite bow tie and a 1.4 m wingspan. His height isabout 40 cm. As well as Owls we’ve had several NorthernShrikes hunting mice on our Island. They’re a robinsized bird, grey above and white below with a blackmask and black tail with white edges and they like tosit on tips of trees out in the open. Interesting other visitors are two Meadowlarks thathang out at Frontini’s corner and a Brown Creeper inthe Pines at the Owl woods. If you don’t get out to see the Owls they come toyou as the Wolfreys found out when an owl flew in andsat on their porch railings during a recent snowstorm.Maybe he’s heard about Dan’s Owl carvings andwanted to pose. We can’t all be that lucky but get outthere and enjoy the excellent birding opportunities thatwe have here on Amherst Island. Good Birding!*****

Gardening CalendarFebruaryMaster Gardeners of Ontario Inc.- Propagate stem cuttings of geraniums, fuchsias, etc.- Plant other slow seeds such as impatience, peppers,eggplants, etc.- Place orders for shrubs, hedges, trees, etc.- Prune shade and fruit trees. Leave bleeders likemaples and birches until they have leaves.- Visit local city and nursery greenhouses.- Check dates of annual garden shows. Note: The Lung Association’s Second AnnualGardening Festival is being held at PortsmouthOlympic Harbour March 1,2,3, & 4, 2001. ASpringtime celebration in Kingston.*****

Loyalist TownshipFerry Office HoursMonday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 am - 12 pm 1:00 pm - 4 pmClosed for Lunch.... Noon - 1 pm In the case where a statutory holiday falls on aMonday, the office will be closed on the holiday

Monday and open on the Tuesday, for that week only.In the case where a statutory holiday falls on a Friday,the office will be open the preceding Thursday andclosed on Friday, for that week only.*****

Food For Thought- Submitted by Keith Miller One day a father of a very wealthy family took hisson on a trip to the country with the firm purpose ofshowing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farmof what would be considered a very poor family. Ontheir return from the trip, the father asked his son,“How was the trip?”- “It was great, Dad”. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the fatherasked. “Oh yeah,” replied the son. “So what did youlearn from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog andthey have four. We have a pool that reaches to themiddle of our garden and they have a creek that has noend. We have imported lanterns in our garden and theyhave the stars at night.” “Our patio reaches to the front yard and they havethe whole horizon. We have a small piece of land tolive on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.” With this the boy’s father was speechless. Then hisson added. “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poorwe are. Too many times we forget what we have andconcentrate on what we don’t have. It is all based onone’s perspective.”*****

For The Record An NBA regulation game consists of 48 totalplaying minutes. In the 1961-62 season, Philadelphia’sWilt Chamberlain played in all 80 games for the yearand averaged 48.5 minutes per game. This unusual stathas its origin in the number of overtime games theWarriors had that season and Wilt’s ability to finish acontest. The 7' 1" center did not foul out of a game thatentire season. In fact, the NBA Hall of Famer played in1,205 games (including playoffs) over 14 remarkableseasons and never once fouled out of a single contest.[taken from my Sports Trivia calendar for January 15,2001 put out by the Workman Publishing Company]*****

{Page 7}

“Getaway Home”Year around cottage rental by the week or week-end.North Shore, Amherst Island.

A beautiful winter / spring / summer / fall getaway! For details phone Susie at 389-2012.*****

Loyalist TownshipPublic MeetingGroundwater Management Study & Protection PlanJanuary 23, 2001-Don Tubb About 45 residents turned out for this publicmeeting. There were representatives from TrowConsulting, the Health Unit, the Township (both staffand council members) and several Island members ofthe committee. This meeting was held to give the public anopportunity to see and hear the technical committee’sresults. The report will be passed on to Council alongwith reports from relevant staff members. Themeeting’s format was the usual open house so thepublic could view displays and read material whichwas followed by a formal presentation and aquestion/answer period. The major improvement at thismeeting was the use of a portable loudspeaker systemwhich allowed everyone to hear the main speaker. The committee was set up to examine ‘groundwaterin relation to its supply, natural characteristics and itspotential for impacts from man-made sourcesassociated with a variety of land use activities’ (allquotes come from the handouts at the meeting). Themain findings can be summarized as: ‘The study hasidentified a naturally sensitive hydrogeologic system.Thin soils and weathered limestone, the latter oftenexposed and fractured at the surface, coversapproximately two-thirds of the area [Staff: ie all ofLoyalist Township]. This combined with old,substandard wells and hundreds of improperlyabandoned and unused wells are largely responsible forpoor groundwater quality and the high percentage ofbacteria detected in existing water well supplies.’ Thereport not only studies the potential for pollutinggroundwater but also provides some recommendationsfor both new development and existing uses. It should be remembered that this is a technicalreport with some recommendations that are notenforceable by current laws and regulations. Also, costdoes not seem to be an issue for the writers of thereport nor do difficulties for homeowners, farmers, etcin fulfilling the regulations. This report, to some extent,might be considered a wish list of recommendationsalthough it may be foreshadowing future laws andregulations from the Province. It seems unlikely thatCouncil will adopt anything that cannot be enforced sothe real report(s) to note are those from the appropriateTownship departments (Engineering and Planning).

Hopefully, the above will put the following intoperspective. To start with, the technical committee did not haveenough information to categorize significantly largeareas of the Island like the Foot, the Head, and much ofthe south shore (the white areas on the map). None ofthe below recommendations can be applied to theseareas until they are placed into one of three zonesfound on the Island. These three zones divide the Islandbased on their potential for groundwater pollution.There are four small areas of high pollution potential(two near the Foot and two along the north shore abouthalfway between Stella and the Foot which are shownas black dots on the map). Most of the Island is classedas having a moderate pollution potential (light grey onthe map) but there are a number of significantly largeareas having low pollution potential scattered withinthe moderate zone (dark grey on the map). The mapshown is simplified and should not be consideredaccurate but just something to give you an idea ofwhat’s roughly where. By the way, overall the Islandhas a lower potential for polluting the groundwaterthan does

{Page 8}

the mainland part of the Township. The recommendations for existing homeowners arepretty limited for all of the zones. If you apply for abuilding permit, the Township would advise you to:have your water tested for both bacterial and chemicalpollution; and, have a purification system installed(whether the tests turned up anything or not). Otherrecommendations are:- any new wells are to be drilled wells (no chipped, dugor blasted wells) and all must meet Well ComplianceProgram which details how the well is constructed,what the water is tested for (bacteria and chemicals);- increased distances between new wells and septicsystems would have to be met; and,- any old wells would have to be located and properlydealt with. For new lots, the recommendations are quiteextensive. To start with, a lot would have to be 1.5 haminimum except 0.8 ha lots would be allowed in themoderate or low pollution potential zones that are alsoin the clay plains (most of the Island’s centre). Aprofessionally done hydrological study (of varyingthoroughness depending on the zone) demonstrating thedevelopment’s impact on existing land uses around thenew lot. A well would have to produce 13.6 L/min(that’s 3 g/m if my conversion is correct) and the waterwould have to meet Ontario Drinking Water Standardsplus a water treatment system would have to be

installed. There are more difficult requirements ifgroundwater contamination is known or evensuspected. There will be increased separation distancesbetween wells and septic systems (in all of somecomplete and parts of other zones). There are someuntidy recommendations for septic systems such asdiscouraging (but not forbidding) standard septicsystems in the high potential zones and parts of themoderate potential zones. For all zones, new lot ownerswould be required to find and properly abandon oldwells. From what I understand, this ‘abandoning’ orsealing up of old wells has to be done by professionalswith the work needing the approval of some Provincialagency. In the tables in the handouts, it is interesting to notethat there was a general comment attached to eachzone. For the moderate to low potential zones,subdivisions should be encouraged in areas withmunicipal water and sewage (ie obviously there arenone of those areas on the Island). For the highpotential for groundwater pollution zone, thatencouragement to develop on municipal water andsewage is across the board... ie for existingdevelopment, for new severances, and for subdivisions.It is not clear if this means development will beactively discouraged. There you have it... nine hundred and eighty-ninewords to glean the high points from therecommendations for land development. As I saidbefore, this is one committee’s report and not the finalword of Council but it seems pretty certain that somemore steps will be needed when developing eitherexisting or new lots to ensure that groundwater is notthreatened. Just how tight the final regulations will bewritten could significantly affect development on theIsland... if, for example, any new development has tobe on a drilled well (ie no shore wells); having 3 g/mflow; and, having the water meet the Ontario SafeWater Standards, that could kibosh development over amuch of the Island. I have not mentioned farming in this report becausethis report would have to be at least twice as longwhich is just too long. There are EFPs, MMPs, NMPsand BMPs that would all need explaining (I’m notkidding about that alphabet soup... they are allsignificant hurdles for a farming operation to clear).And, hopefully, the few active farmers left on theIsland have already caught wind of significant changescoming, so writing something is a bit redundant. But Ishould say that the farming recommendations apply toall farms... it is my understanding from reading of thecommittee’s handouts that if you have an existing farmwhich you had planted back into trees but you alsohave a few horses, this committee’s recommendations

would require or recommend (depending on the zone)that: an Environment Farm Plan, a NutrientManagement Plan, and a Manure Management Plan allbe prepared, plus that Best Management Practices befollowed. I fully realize that this is only the technicalcommittee’s recommendations but it is reallydisappointing to see that big and tiny farmingoperations will be faced with the same regulations. The reports from staff are apparently going to beready reasonably soon so we shall see just what theproposed by-law looks like.*****

{Page 9}

A Letter Home January has come and gone and February is halfdone so winter has to be on the downswing. That didn’tlook to be the case on the morning of Feb 10th... I gotup a little after 6 a.m. and the temperature was 5.1degrees C with very strong winds; out of the NW. By7:30 it was -3.8 and by 8:15 it was -5.3 degrees C plusthe winds were still blowing. In two hours, thetemperature had dropped 10 degrees C. Anyone can dochores when the weather is nice but when its reallyugly, that’s when you earn your vittles. Chores are attheir lowest level for the year right now However,dealing with problems is much more of an issue... if, ashappened a few weeks ago, the tractor and wagoncannot get up the hill in the woods, it becomes a realproblem getting another tractor around in front of it togive it a pull. And, repairs in the field become nearlyimpossible so pulling broken down machinery back tothe shop can chew up a lot of a day. Such is sheep farming... There are plusses too...like the other day when it dawned clear and sunny aftera snowfall the night before. Going up through thewoods was absolutely glorious where the world wasreduced to three colours only - the very white snowsitting on the black tree branches all framed by astrong medium blue sky. That morning cost me a rolland half of film. Last but not least is a bit of info... Road conditionscan be heard over the phone from a MTO hotline. Yousimply dial 1-877-401-8777... hit ‘1' for English... hit‘1' for highway conditions... then the number of thehighway you want like ‘33' for highway 33.*****

Blankets Yarn Sheepskins Available at Topsy FarmsandThe Bath Village Gallery*****

{Page 10}

For SaleWanted

Baby Sitter AvailableAfter School and Weekends- Responsible- Red Cross Babysitting CertificateCall Whitney Fleming at 389-9869***




Baby Silting!Shannon Youell389-5596 Reference available.***







FlooringCarpet, vinyl, wood.Summit International distributorAgent: Gord Forbes 389-8516***














Whig Home Delivery If you would like to Whig Standard delivered toyour home, please phone Jim or Sandra at 389-4484.*****





{Page 11}

Community CalendarMarchFriday, March 2nd, 2:00 p.m. World Day Of PrayerFriday, March 2nd, 7:30 p.m. EuchreWednesday, March 7th, 8:00 p.m. AI Mutual AnnualMeetingMonday, March 12th, 7:00 p.m. Council MeetingMonday, March 26th, 7:00 p.m. Council Meeting

AprilFriday, April 16th, 7:30 p.m. Euchre*****


ISLECheese DatesOrder in By: Pickup & Payment 6-7 pm at the school Feb 16 Feb 21 Mar 9 Mar 21 Apr 20 Apr 25 May 18 May 23 June 15 June 20*****




We have a wide variety of products available. If wedon’t have what you need, it can be ordered with

deliveries.Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays.Just call a day ahead to place your order.Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask that youpick up orders around 11 a.m. as we have no room forstorage in coolers at this time.

Fax ServiceFax service is now available at Amherst Island GeneralStoreMon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page.50¢ for each additional pageLong Distance $5.00Receive - .50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417*****

{Page 12}

Amherst Island Mutual Insurance Company We are pleased to present the 106th Annual Reportof the Amherst Island Mutual Insurance Company.This year again we hove produced a strongunderwriting gain and an excellent return oninvestments. This gain will continue to ensure our verycompetitive rates. Our affiliation with Form Mutual FinancialServices (FMFS) has proved beneficial and weencourage all to have a look at their products. Amherst Island Mutual is dedicated to providingquality service and innovative coverages for ourHomeowners, Farmowners and Commercial risks.Please call for a quote. We are a 24 hour servicecompany. Keith Miller President W. Bruce Caughey Secretary-Manager 389-2012

Statement Of Income Year Ending December 31, 2000

Premium Income 2000 1999

Gross premiums $ 222,920 223,178

Reinsurance ceded 64,082 63,254

Net premiums written 158,838 159,924

Increase in unearned premiums (3,711) (5,399)

Net premiums earned 155,127 154,525

Expenses

Net claims incurred 20,038 47,477

Net adjusting expenses 4,789 2,217

Policy acquisition expense 30,680 31,050

Salaries and benefits 20,179 19,268

Travel 1,590 3,525

Directors’ fees 3,021 2,760

Audit and legal 3,531 4,245

Rent 2,400 2,400

Advertising 660

Amortization 458 76

Association fees and license 2,950 3,500

Bad debts 1,807

Computer services 6,899 6,869

Insurance 510 545

Postage and telephone 755 1,191

Printing, stationary and office 1,275 1,118

Meetings, education and misc. 758 2,098

Corporation premium tax 974 978

101,467 131,124

Net Underwriting Income 53,660 23,401

Investment income 95,460 31,846

Income Before Income Taxes 149,120 55,247

Income taxes (note 4) 13,748 5,482

Net Income For The Year $135,372 $ 49,765

Balance SheetAs At December 31, 2000

Assets 2000 1999

Cash $162,913 $103,524

Investments (market value $704,262, 1999 -$618,957) 665,870 555,110

Accrued interest 8,506 29,779

Accounts receivable, policyholders and others 46,882 47,570

Receivable from reinsurers 631 18,472

Deferred policy acquisition expense 16,887 16,204

Capital assets 1,757 2,215

$903,446 $772,874

Liabilities

Provision for unpaid claims $10,500 $21,859

Unearned premiums 108,608 106,610

Payable to reinsurer 16,572 18,319

Acc payable and accrued liabilities 23,821 23,080

Income taxes payable 8,195 2,628

167,696 172,496

Policyholder’s Surplus

Reserves required (note 3) 35,105 35,412

Unappropriated surplus 700,645 564,966

735,750 600,378

$ 903,446 $772,874

{Amherst Island Beacon: March 15, 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 278}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 278 March 2001

Newsstand $1.00/Issue





CreditsWord Perfect Office 2000 & ArcSoft Imaging Suite

Production For March250 Copies*****

Beacon Notes The Beacon was late last month and it will be againthis month too. I having lots of technical difficultiestrying to get this new system of printing the Beacon towork. You wouldn’t think that simply saving theBeacon on a cd would be that hard but it is when youhave three computer/printer systems to d

comment goes from $75 to $175. The same fees rise isthe case for a Zoning By-law amendment. An officialPlan amendment goes from $100 to $350. TheTownship collects these fees for the CRCA andtherefore takes the brunt of landowner’s comments.Negative comments are not expected to lessen. Itshould be pointed that all severance, minor variances,etc need CRCA comment. Representatives from L&A County, Loyalist Twp,Stone Mills Twp and Napanee met with Brian Coburn,the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs onFebruary 26th. This was to talk about intensivefarming. The local group made presentations plus theMinister and his executive assistant made comments inresponse. Reeve McEwen’s (also acting as Warden)presentation made four main points:- that the responsibility for regulating and enforcingregulations for intensive farms be done at theProvincial level;- that the Farm Practices Protection Board be acompletely independent body (particularly fromOMAFRA);- that financial assistance and incentives by madeavailable for environmental improvements; and,- that Environmental Protection Act be applied for‘very large livestock operations’. In response to this and other presentations, theMinister and his assistant made a number of points.Some of these are:- that Provincial legislation should not be expectedsoon (there had been mention of this spring but now thefall seems more likely but even that could be pushedback);- that no decisions have been made as to whetherProvincial or municipalities will be made responsiblefor enforcement; and,- that any legislation must be fair, equitable and protectthe environment while not creating unnecessary redtape. All of this leads nicely into Council passing a oneyear extension of the Interim Control By-law forintensive farms (until March 13, 2002). The Administration Meeting minutes for February20th showed that the Groundwater Study waspresented to Council. It has been also forwarded to theMinistry of the Environment for comment but theyhave responded saying they do not have the staff toreview and comment on the report at this time. Staffwill be making their own report to Council ‘regardingthe implementation of the Study’. The motion made atthe meeting said that the final document will becirculated to public agencies for comment. The timingof all this was not expressed in the minutes. (Later inthe Council meeting, approval was given to cooperate,

in a limited way, with the Quinte Conservation groupon its groundwater study.) In the same Administration Meeting, a motion waspassed that ‘staff conduct an inventory of LoyalistTownship buildings and space within approximately 3months to determine space utilization and space needsin the Township’. A By-law to sign a lease for the Layer Cake Hallwas deferred for clarification. No further explanationwas made. The minutes for the Loyalist Parkway Associationwere in the agenda package. When they came upduring the Council meeting, Councillor Ibey noted thatthe group did not have an Island representative. One isdesired ‘to ensure their interests are well represented onthe website’ (that quote is from the minutes). Anyoneinterested can contact Councillor Ibey through theTownship Office (386-7351). Meetings are held at theWheelhouse Restaurant in Glenora. Last but not least is the year end policing statisticswhich were included in the agenda package.

{Council Repor

Category AmherstIsland

LoyalistTownship

B&E 0 81

Assault 1 82

Mischief 4 118

Theft 0 210

MVA 2 196

Impaired 0 15

MVA/Imp 0 8

Drugs 1 42

Total # ofIncidents

31 3284

Because there are many more categories ofincidents than listed here, the totals do not add up. So,we have three percent of the population and only onepercent of the total number of incidents. Does thismean we are more law abiding or are we just caughtless often? Should we be demanding our fair share ofcrime over here? Interpretations are left to the reader. So ends this report...*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Condolences this month go to Bill Phillips andfamily, following the passing of Bill’s step-mother. Get well wishes to Llew McArthur who is inhospital; Don Pepper, who is recovering from recenteye surgery; Talia Fleming, who is sporting a cast onher arm after a fall on ice; Eldon Willard is alsorecovering from a fall on ice. Also, get well wishes tothe dozens who have suffered through a bad bout of fluthis last month or two. New grandchildren for some Islanders this month.Diane Pearce became a proud, first time grandmotheron February 23, when daughter Jennifer and herhusband Greg welcomed their son, Graydon into theworld. Earl and Donna Willard also added a newgrandchild to the family when daughter Laurie and herhusband welcomed their new son. Paul and Nancy Henshaw spent a month in Florida,escaping our long winter. Tom and Audrey Millerspent a month travelling and visiting friends in South

Carolina and Florida. Unfortunately, winter was stillhere when they returned! Zander and Nancy Dunnreturned from an extended vacation in Egypt andEthiopia, and spent some time with John and AlanaSchram while in Ethiopia. Ashley Filson and SaraWhitton are both spending their spring breaks withtheir families on the Island. Welcome to downtown Stella, to Debbie Miller andPhil Silver, who bought Kendra O’Brien’s house at thestop sign. Welcome to Amherst Island to Dave Bradyand Deborah Kimmett and their children Brendon andLaurel. They have relocated from Toronto and boughtDebbie and Phil’s home on the Front Road. The Community Euchres have been well attendedthis year and seem to be enjoyed by all.*****

4H News Our Achievement Night is scheduled for ThursdayApril 5th at the school beginning with a Pot Luck at 7p.m. All members, parents, Women’s InstituteMembers, neighbours, grandparents (maybe I shouldhave just put Everybody) are invited and the more themerrier. Awards and a short program will followsupper and the 4 H will supply plates, cutlery and hotand cold drinks - all we need is the food We will alsobe greeting some new members and give details of our“Clubs” which will be started in the Spring. Hope to See You There. Susie and Freda*****

EuchreJoin friends and neighbours at the Community EuchreNights April 6,2001 at 7:30 pmAmherst Island Community Centrefun! prizes! refreshments!$2.00 per person*****

{Page 4}

Island History[Staff: Last month we printed an e-mail from DonMurray looking for information on R. Patterson andthe local militia company. The following was receivedand will be forwarded to him.]

Militia Act of 1793 required each male inhabitant,aged 16-50, to enroll his name as a militiaman andattend an annual muster on the King’s birthday, 4thJune. In 1808, the age was raised to 60, but no oneover the age of 50 was to be called except in case ofwar or national emergency.

The group to be ready for first call were thosebetween the ages of 19 and 39. Amherst Islanders were part of the 1st AddingtonMilitia. The records (muster rolls) of the militia are at theNational Archives of Canada in Ottawa and must beconsulted there.***[This material came from the Lennox and AddingtonCounty Museum. Further material is available. If youare interested contact:Jennifer Bunting e-mail [email protected]?????]

[from the Napanee Express, January 11, 1895]

News From The County Stella The funeral of the late Warden, R. Patterson, tookplace from his residence on the south shore of theisland, on Thursday, 3rd inst. It was very largelyattended, there being seventy four vehicles in line. Thebody was taken into the Presbyterian church, where theRev. Mr. Cumberland delivered a very touching andfitting address. The remains were laid in the vault.*****

Loyalist ParkwayAnnual Public MeetingBath Town Hall April 18, 1:00 pm. The public are invited to attend, share theirconcerns, offer suggestions, and have questionsanswered.Information: 613 393 3752*****

Foot CareOn the Island (Save a trip to the Mainland)Sue Irwin, R.N.Footcare c/o Bio Ped 1440 Princess Street Kingston, Ontario (613) 545-9379Reflexology 33 Mack Street Kingston, Ontario K7L 1N7 (613) 545-9379 Sue will be taking care of clients at the Foresters byappointment onWednesday, March 21, 2001 Call Beth for an appointment time 389-5582*****

Intensive Farming Committee- Chris Kennedy The Loyalist Township Intensive farmingCommittee has been meeting for nearly a year now. Itspurpose is to come up with an Intensivefarming/Nutrient Management By-law for theTownship. On the Committee are Cathy Storms, whois the Chair, Murray Beckel, the Township ChiefBuilding Official, Hank Blok, from the Health Unit,and representatives from other interested organizations,farmers and both rural and urban citizens. We havebeen meeting monthly, with sub-committee meetings inbetween the regular gatherings. There are differing views on the committee, butthere is general agreement that we need to ensure thatas far as possible there is no contamination of surfaceor ground water from agricultural operations and thatoffensive odours are kept to the absolute minimum,while livestock farming is able to continue and expandwithin the township. There are a variety of views onthe committee as to the best way to achieve this. Arequest for a building permit for a large livestockbuilding will be the trigger that will require a NutrientManagement Plan. The Township is constrained as towhat can be included in the By-law by the limits to itspowers under the Municipal Act and also by theProvincial Right to Farm legislation (a.k.a the Farmand Food Practices Protection Act). The Committee has nearly finished the By-law,which has to be reviewed by Council, the Townshiplawyer and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Foodand Rural Affairs, and probably several other people,as well as being presented at least one Public Meeting. The Province is also drawing up much moreextensive legislation on farming practices, but it mostuncertain when this is published.

{Page 5}

Meanwhile the province has said it may produce aWhite Paper, which sets out the way it is thinking,possibly this spring. Some provisions of the Provinciallegislation are likely to supersede the Municipal By-law.*****

Cook’s Corner- Dianne MarshallSwiss Turkey and Ham Bake This is a good casserole for using up leftover hamand turkey or chicken. The water chestnuts add acrunchy texture. In a frying pan cook 1/2 cup chopped onion in 2tablespoons butter or margarine till onion is tender but

not brown. Blend in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour,1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add one3 oz. can sliced mushrooms, undrained (2/3 cup), 1cup light cream, 2 tablespoons dry sherry; cook andstir mixture until thick and bubbly. Add 2 cups cubed cooked turkey (or chicken), 1cup cubed cooked ham, and one 5 oz. can waterchestnuts, drained and sliced (2/3) cup. Pour onto 1 1/2 quart casserole; top with 2 ouncesprocess Swiss cheese, shredded (1/2 cup). Mix l 1/2cups soft bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons butter ormargarine, melted; sprinkle around the edge ofcasserole. Bake in hot oven (400 d ) for 25 minutes, till lightlybrowned. Makes 6 servings.*****

Amherst IslandPhone Directorieson sale at the General StoreHave you got yours yet?Need a second copy?Only $6.00 each!A.I.W.I.*****

Thank You Notes Thank you to all the First Responders who cameout of their warm beds in the wee smalls of March 5 tohelp us. Gary, Tom, Bill, Diane, Chris and Alex - youwere a great comfort and help at a very scary moment,and we are very thankful. No less thanks to the nightferry crew for its quick response to the callout. It’sgreat to know the system works. If I’ve left out anynames, that’s because I’m tired now and my braindoesn’t work! Caroline / Llew*****

Engagement Laurie McEwen and Dave Willard were engaged onFebruary 17th at the Wharinghouse Inn near Picton. Awedding will follow shortly and then Dave and Lauriewill be making their home on the enchanting southshore. Laurie is a high school teacher and will beworking at Frontenac Secondary and Dave willcontinue to operate his fitness centre in downtownKingston.*****

Janet’s Jottings“The ousel-cock so black of hue,With orange - tawny bill,The throstle, with his not so true,

The wren with little quill.” (1564-1616)William Shakespeare

Little did the great bard know how he would effectthe birds of the new world. When Europeans arrived onthe eastern shores of North America, they found one ofthe richest habitats in the Northern Hemisphere. Theyfound forests of more species than in all of Europe.There were creatures of the woods and waters strangeto their eye and adapted to life in the deciduous forest.They must have marvelled and wondered as we do on atrip to the zoo or those fortunate enough to visit exoticplaces. Was man happy with the way things were? Ofcourse not! Man the hopeless romantic that he iswanted to bring some small bit of home with him. In1880 a small group of Shakespeare lovers tried tointroduce all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare toCentral Park, New York. They released 60

{Page 6}

European Starlings. In 1875 attempts in Quebec weremade and again tried in 1889 and 1892 but all triesfailed. The first Starling recorded in Canada was in1914 at Niagara Falls. The first Kingston area Starlingwas taken in 1921 on Wolfe Island and is now in theNational Museum. You can imagine the thrill earlyBirdwatchers would have when they could list theirfirst Starling. The largest flock ever recorded inKingston records was seen on Amherst Island in 1979as 10,000 birds. Their numbers of recent counts are onthe decline.

“Garbage Birds” I heard this term used among Birders as referring tobirds such as Starlings. There Are No Garbage Birds!Every bird has worth as a creation of God just as eachchild has value and every weed and flowering plant.We cannot decide what is garbage. We make it thatway when we carelessly throw it away but as NorthAmerica has discovered - Our garbage is killing us. I defend the Starling because he never chose toinvade us. Each fall as they circle in huge aimlessflocks, I feel for them as their genetic memory saysmigrate, migrate and their imprint of stars and theirmaps match European patterns not ours. Where isAfrica where I’m supposed to go? There are about 100species of Starlings. We would love a Rosy Pastorfrom Eurasia or and Oxpecker from Africa or a Mynabird from Asia but we cannot abide a noisy dirtyimmigrant for Europe who is competing for homes andfood in the New World. Think about it ...weren’t we allthe same when we arrived and shoved our First

Nations brothers over? Their mimic ability is phenomenal. Today as thesleet fell and rain followed I heard the haunting soundsof an Upland Plover. Was it one? Of course not, just aStarling singing its variety of calls. We have one whowoos his lady-love with the far-off call of a loonwhistled down our chimney to get an echo effect. TheStarlings are early signs of Spring as their dark beaksturn bright yellow and their dull coats take on aniridescent sheen of purple and green. As they coveryour lawn working a pattern that reminds me of asearch and rescue pattern we used to learn as wetrained as waterfront personnel in those long gonedays. Duck-diving to cover the dark waters of aswimming area. They seem to organize themselves inlines and work your whole area finding cut worms andclinch bugs and other harmful pests. Yes, they competewith Bluebirds, Flickers, Tree Swallows andWoodpeckers but they earn their keep. Can’t we justbuild more Birdhouses?*****

Need a caretaker while you are away?Call Betty at 389-7907*****

“Getaway Home”Year around cottage rental by the week or week-end.North Shore, Amherst Island.A beautiful winter/spring/summer/fall getaway!For details phone Susie at 389-2012.*****

Cottage for RentNorth Shore - very private Good swimmingCall - Cherry @ 634-1212*****

Garden CalendarMaster Gardeners of Ontario IncMarch- Start tuberous begonias and caladiums in pots.- Plant brassicas (cabbage family) and hardy annualsfor April-May plantings.- Start tomatoes, lettuce and other fast growers lateMarch to early April.- Order summer flowering bulbs.- Check and repair gardening tools.- Apply combination dormant spray to fruit trees andpest-prone shrubs when non-freezing weather permits.- Start forcing branches of spring-flowering shrubs andlily of the valley root pips after buds start to swell.- Prune summer-flowering shrubs and vines.

- Loosen up packed winter much and press backheaved perennials.- Plan to add a few native bird-attracting berry plants.*****

Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow- Submitted by Syke Fleming - There are two days in every week about which weshould not worry - two days which should be kept fromfear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday with its mistakesand cares, its aches and pains, its faults and blunders.Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring backyesterday. We

{Page 7}

cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannoterase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone. The other day we should not worry about isTomorrow with its possible adversities, its burdens, itslarge promise and poor performance. Tomorrow isbeyond our immediate control. Tomorrow’s sun will rise either in splendor orbehind a mask of clouds - but it will rise. Until it does,we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is as yet unborn. That leaves only one day - Today. Any man, by thegrace of God, can fight the battles of just one day. It isonly when you and I add the burdens of those twoawful eternities -Yesterday and Tomorrow - that webreak down. It is not the experience of Today that drives menmad - it is remorse or bitterness for something whichhappened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrowmay bring. Let us, therefore, journey, but one day at atime. - Illinois Medical Journal.*****

Water Levels Lake levels are just about exactly on the 82 yearaverage, 1918 - 2000, at 72.6m for the middle ofMarch. And, the Lake is slowly rising as it should forthis time of year. What kind of growing season will it be? It doesn’tseem we repeat weather so perhaps it will be hot anddry or hot and wet. We would like mainly summery butwith some significant rains to keep the pastures andhay growing... not, however, like last year wheneverything grew like bamboo all spring, summer andfall.*****

There was supposed to be a picture here but myprinter wouldn’t print it. Don’t ask me why ‘cause Idon’t know... I even installed the printer again with thesame poor results. The picture showed 11 deer grazing in a field only acouple hundred feet from our new barn.*****

A Letter Home Shearing is the first major non-regular chore of theyear. It is three days of intense worry and work. Thesheep have to be kept dry which, for this time of year,generally means under cover.., we don’t have enoughcover to put all the sheep under at one time. And, itmeans bringing the sheep back to the old grey barnbetween rain or snow storms. This coupled withmaking sure that the shearers have a steady supply ofsheep is very stressful. On the plus side, we’ve lots ofhelp hired with virtually all being experienced atshearing. So, wish for warm, dry weather this comingweek because we could use some. And, once shearing is out of the way, the ewes starttheir conditioning run up to lambing. This should getthem in the best possible shape so they have fewlambing problems and can produce lots of milk. Ofcourse, not getting the ewes fat has to be guardedagainst. Chores build up as we approach lambingbecause there are barns to get ready, feeders to fix,fences to get running again, etc. Lambing runs directlyinto haying so come the middle of this month, we canstart to long for the lazy days of winter... you know -going out for a few hours on the ATV in -1000 degreeweather with a wicked wind out of the NW... gettingstuck and having to walk home beating off rovingherds of deer.

{Page 8}

Has anyone noticed that there are immense numbersof deer roaming over the Island? One day, I countedtwelve in one field (there easily could have been a fewmore); and, just through the woods, there were 7 more.Plus, there are almost always 2 to 4 hanging aroundwith another flock... the dogs put these guys out of thefield when we show up at feeding time, we thinkthey’re letting us see them do something besidesconsume buckets of dog food. Its got to the point whereyou don’t say you saw a deer or two but rather you sayhow many herds did you saw. You virtually have tobump them out of the way with the ATV to get whereyou are going. We are thousands of miles from the UK and itscontinuing crisis with hoof and mouth disease - yet wefeel a tinge of fear. There is no way for us to

comprehend the terror that must gripping the UK’sfarming community. As of March 11th, the BBC wasreporting 164 cases which is double the number it wasreporting a few days earlier. Despite the government’sefforts, it continues to spread. There is now talk ofcalling out the Army to deal with the hundreds ofthousands of sheep, cattle, pigs and goats that have tobe slaughtered. It only takes one animal with aconfirmed case of the disease to cause the whole herdor flock to be destroyed. Plus a 6 mile exclusion zoneis set up around the farm. Inside this area no animalscan be moved off the farm and there are extremerestrictions on how deliveries are made to the farm...even groceries have to be passed from road to farmover a disinfected coated layer of straw. Reports fromEurope now say the disease has broken out in France,Argentina, Saudi Arabia and someplace else in themiddle east. It must be horrible to see your life’s workdestroyed... breeding programs that have been on-goingfor years and years. literally, stopped dead in thetracks. For us, the threat is small but not imperceptiblyso... the disease can be carried by people and thingscoming from the Europe. Hoof and mouth disease canlast, according to the OMAFRA web site, up to 14days on clothing and up to 20 weeks in things like hay.It is destroyed by sunlight and high temperatures.Apparently, the last outbreak in Canada, 1952, wasbrought here from Europe on a raw sausage. So, if your sheep-farming cousin just over fromEngland wants to visit a Canadian sheep operation,ours is closed to visitors. In fact, the shearing crew willall be completely immersed in disinfectant before beinggiven the 5th degree as to their recent whereabouts.*****

Ontario Sheep Marketing AgencyNews ReleaseMarch 15, 2001Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency Urges WiderPrecautions as Foot-and-Mouth Disease is confirmedin France, reported in Saudi Arabia, United ArabEmerates and Argentina

While Britain has confirmed 3 more outbreaks ofFoot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), raising the total to234 cases, FMD is now confirmed in France, andreported in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates andArgentina, the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency isurging wider precautions for travelers and producers toprevent the disease from spreading to Canada. Foot-and-Mouth Disease can be spread by humans,via containated clothes or footwear, and by infectedmeat products. Farmers are requested to prevent farm

visits by anyone who has been in a country with FMDwithin the past 30 days. FMD is endemic in parts ofAsia, Africa, the Middle East and South America withsporadic outbreaks in areas previously free of thedisease, including France and the United Kingdom. Ifvisitors must come to the farm or ranch they shouldwash and disinfect all personal effects and equipmentthat have accompanied them, especially footwear. Travelers are reminded to declare all meat, dairy orother animal products that they bring back to Canada.If travelers visited a farm while abroad they shouldclean and disinfect footwear and clothing. Those whohave traveled in a country where FMD is presentshould stay away from Canadian farms for 30 daysafter entering Canada. Foot-and-Mouth disease does not cause illness7.4a4 0 Td(r r Sout)Tjd0Tdty frd td tenooitedTc -0.0 Tc2 0.3 Twhe26j38.16 0 Tdire aar.eaksTdest(alivestoc Can97j25.2 0 k.ment)Tj0.24 Tc -0.06 Tw -225.12 -13.14 B(r e)Tj77.76 0 Taus ths ofs thtadl proongdl abreng prtwntar.tw4Tj15.84 0 Td(tbr)Tj12.48 0 Td(MTnd clot4Tj23.52 0 Tallmit clot)j124.08 0 mindedexp(y or4Tj18.72 0 talivest Can)9j11.04 0 Tcka(y or)Tj2Tj0 Tc 0.18 2

mada. TTd Ont(n far59j17.28 0 io Sheep Marketd( Agency i( pr)T6j18.72 0 d(ullyada.0Tj0 Tc 0.18 185-203.94 -13.14 supp(tive(tw4Tj15.84 0 d((oadD is)Tj10.56 0 Td(d(nn D is)Tj15.84 0 d Inf tr)Tj17.04 0 spectioan a)Tj30.48 0 T As th)Tj730.48 0 gd(he)Tj9.84 0 ncy’(ntw -18.96 0 sy or)Tj2Tj0 T -0.06 TwTj19.42 -13.2 swi(rod)Tj14.88 0 ftd(udin)T15.6 0 spo( Can)Tj11.04 0 h (nt)T14.88 0 dess7.4)Tj11.04 0 TdnnKing)T2.16 0 ess7.4)Tj8.16 0 g ire a)Tj11.04 0 Td(m)Tj8.16 0 p(ts King)Tj18.96 0 of(nt)T14.88 0 d(r ani)Tj124.08 0 Td(m)Tj8.16 0 Td(ro awa)Tjj7.44 0 Tucs th abr9j38.16 0 opea Canngoooos theaKing(Fclot)Tj447.04 0 TdsKingtsectsTTj124.08 0 of(nt)Tj0.24 Tc -0.06 Tw -216.48 -13.2 (at th)Tj8.4 0 Td(e)Tj4.56 0 Td( Can)Tj20.64 0 Td(ng)Tj16.32 0 idn(ng)Tj28.16 0 (rod)Tj37.44 0 yd(ng)Tjj4.56 0 TIss7.4rodtwooheerilf tr65j11.04 0 po(siba co)811.28 0 ie(ms keepd( f(y or7Tj14.88 0 eigny or)Tj0.18 Tc 0 2)Tj729.56 -13.14 (rre a)Tj28.16 0 Td(m)Tj8.16 0 Tdd ani)Tj124.08 0 is(r e)Tj77.76 0 dis(ar.)Tj918.72 0 dom Caada.{Pagd(he26j11.04 0 T9}ada.)Tj-0.12 Tc 0.3 26j11 26j313.14 Fms SKingar.itedTc4 0.18 TTj30 2 -2 T 0 Alb anir eooar.30j12.24 0 bu(ar.)Tj918.72 0 ilt(nt)T14.88 0 a(y or21.12 0 erin ani)Tj10.56 0 ovas thitedTc -0.0 Tc2 0.3 97j119.42 -13.2 Kenf trngar.35j528.16 0 f 389 2 62ada.Bom Carodntr erodngmear.35j11.04 0 ph(rre a12.24 0 e at 634-hile)Tj20.64 0 2509ada.Babf trntsibls(ar.)Tj2Tj0 T -0.0604.88 -13.D4 - Reudinr e3ar.2Tjj9.84 0 mi(tw)Tj986.32 0 ng(ng)Tjj4.56 0 Tat - 389 9869ada.!ectsnon Youell(ar.)Tj30.12 T4 0.1808.42 -13D4 38ectsada.Bayf trheerodrodar.51j38.16 0 onald - Tm Ca4Tj124.08 0 ra(nt)T14.88 0 vel Counselory orhe26j14.56 0 l yectsng31j28.16 0 emm Caar.ar.ooitedTc -0.0 Tc2 0.3 1twitedTc -0.0 Tc2 0.3 4Tj14.88 -13.14 Call Llects30j18.72 0 ewm CaBulldozd( Dons(ar.)Tj2Tj0 T -0.0604.88 -13D4 $40/h awa)4j18.96 0 our fclot2Tj21.12 0 lat rateitedTc -0.0 Tc2 0.3 46011156 -13.2 roll Llects30j18.72 0 ewm CaCe(rod)10.32 0 rtif(rod)Tj73.44 0 ieectsTj73.44 0 d E(oo)Tj14.88 0 leectsTj73.44 0 ctri(oo)Tj20.64 0 ciectsTjj7.68 0 an(oo)Tj0.24 Tc -0.06 7Tj510.42 -13.2 Hd(rod)Tj10.32 0 Td(m)Tj8.16 0 ld(e)Tj4.56 0 , fa(rod)Tj37.44 0 rm(rod)10.32 0 an(rod)Tj10.32 0 d cm Carodme maintt th6ar.Tj20.64 0 s on(oo)Tj77.76 0 man(ar.2Tj377.76 0 y prog(ng28j124.08 0 rams(ada.)207Tc2 .88 -13.14 Call Jan(ar.35j77.76 0 at 6341995(ada.)Tj42Tj0 T4 0.18 35j77.88 -13.14 ***y or)Tj-0.12 Tc 0.300 2 -2 TD(Fir(ar.)Tj18.96 0 ewoo awa)2T7.68 0 d (ms Sa(ar.35j11.04 0 leitedTc -0.0 Tc2 0.3 70j89156 -13.2 roll:clot2Tj21.12 0 389 4484(ada.)Tj42Tj0 T4 0.18 2Tj21.48 -13.2 ***y or)Tj-0.18 T-0.0600 2 -2 TD(Floory or23j510.32 0 d(itedTcc 0.36 23j510.88 -13.14 Cam Ca)Tj12.48 0 rpf tr)T38.16 0 et, vinyl,m Ca3Tj918.72 0 wood,m Ca-59.70.88 -13.14 Suects)Tj77.76 0 mmit IntTrnam Ca5Tj918.72 0 tio(aclot2Tj4.56 0 l distry or25j21.12 0 ibut(oo)Tj11.04 0 oritedTc -0.0 Tc2 0.3 1)1j510.88 -13.14 Ag(ar.)Tj18.96 0 enf tr)Tj9.84 0 t: Go awa)2T124.08 0 rd Forbem Ca3Tj420.64 0 s 389 8516ada.

signature, logos, business & personal)Call Linda Welbanks at 389-8441Fax 389-9770***


Lin-SarMechanical - Peter WempHeating & CoolingSheet Metal Fabrication & InstallationPhone: 478-5417***








SeamstressAlterations, mending, custom clothing, homedeco, gift items.Call Debbie - 384-3188***





The Amherst Island Landfill SiteHours Of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Sunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*****


{Page 10}

Community CalendarMarchMonday, March 26th, 7:00 p.m. Council MeetingSaturday, March 31, 5-7 p.m. Anglican Beef Dinner

AprilFriday, April 6th, 7:30 p.m. EuchreMonday, April 9th, 7:00 p.m. Council MeetingWednesday, April 18th, 1 p.m. Loyalist ParkwayAnnual MeetingMonday, April 23, 7:00 p.m. Council Meeting*****

WantedI am still collecting the following: - A&P Tapes - usedstamps - any country including Canada - for guidedogs for the blind. Good clean clothing for the animalshelter thrift shop and knitted squares, blankets, pet

food, paper towels, etc., for the Napanee AnimalShelter. Please call me if you have anything to donateor leave in my front porch. The animals really need ourhelp.Freda Youell 384-4135*****

ISLECheese DatesOrder in By: Pickup & Payment 6 - 7 pm at the schoolMar 9 Mar 21Apr 20 Apr 25May 18 May 23June 15 June 20*****


Canada Post

Monday - Friday 9 am - 11:30 am 2:30 pm - 5pmSaturday 9 am - 12 noon


We have a wide variety of products available. If wedon’t have what you need, it can be ordered withdeliveries.

Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays.Just call a day ahead to place your order.Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask that youpick up orders around 11 a.m. as we have no room forstorage in coolers at this time.

Fax ServiceFax service is now available at Amherst Island GeneralStoreMon - Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page.50¢ for each additional pageLong Distance $5.00Receive - .50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFax# - 613-389-0417*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: April 15, 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 279}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 279 April 2001

Newsstand $1.00/issue



Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0

Printed At Kwik Kopy Printing 655 Arlington Park Place

CreditsWord Perfect Office 2000 & ArcSoft Imaging


Dear Readers: Instead of the usual opening notes, I will use thespace to say my farewells. This is my last productionjob and report on Council. Various circumstances aremaking it increasing difficult for me to continue doingthis work. It has been a long run of good and not-so-goodissues. Through it all, you continued to purchase theBeacon which always amazed me. Bye bye folks... Don***

Staff

We are all going to miss Don’s contribution to theBeacon. His hard work, persistence and wry sense ofhumour will not be forgotten. However, Headlandshopes to reorganize the work and continue publishingthe Beacon. See you next month.*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don Tubb -March 26, 2001 All members of Council were present for thismeeting. Also present were the CAO, the Clerk, theTreasurer, the Planner, the Recreation Director and theFire Chief. There were eight people in the audiencealong with two real reporters and me. The agenda package was thinner than usual givinghope of a short meeting which turned out to be the casewith Council starting on time and adjourning justbefore 8:00 p.m. There were no major issues of Island interest dealtwith at this meeting so I will simply list some itemsthat caught my eye:- A new Quick Response Light Rescue Truck will bepurchased from Almonte Fire Trucks for $80,280.26which is over the $75,000 budgeted for this vehicle.The difference will be made up from the sale of the oldtruck.- The Heritage Committee continues to work on severalIsland items (the following taken from the March 13thminutes): - the report on the Brown’s Blacksmith Shop is nowin the hands of the Committee members who areconsidering the possibility of a Heritage Designationfor the building;

{Page 2}

- the Committee continues to look at the Island stonewalls with regard to maintaining them; - the Committee is bringing the Neilson’s Storedesignation to Council on April 9th (oops... we’re pastthat aren’t we? Hopefully you can stand the suspenseuntil the next report to see if the By-law passes.).- There was a report from the Treasurer summarizingthe Unfinanced Capital Outlay Account items. Of A.I.interest were: - $21,090.89 for the Owl Woods purchase which willbe funded from future contributions to the ParklandReserve Fund; - $1,816.04 for the Municipal Drain which will befunded when the work is done; and,

- $2,524.79 towards the Cataraqui ConservationRegional Authority’s aerial photography of the Island(I think its only the Island that’s getting done) whichwill be funded from the 2001 budget.- The Administration minutes (March 19th) had oneinteresting entry: - The Official Plan is back from the Ministry ofMunicipal Affairs and Housing which has, accordingto the minutes, conducted an ‘exhaustive review’.Seven issues were noted of which six are apparentlyminor and one is not so minor - ie... the location ofasphalt plants. Recommendations from ourconsultants, Cumming Cockburn Limited, apparentlysatisfied Council which passed the recommendations.- The lease with the Fairfield-Gutzeit Society for theLayer Cake Hall was approved by Council with nocomment, however, it was noted by the Reeve that twomembers of Council voted against the motion.- Council passed a by-law to up the petty cash andchange floats for the Temporary Pursers from $100 to$150.- Council received a reply from the Office of theMinister of Canadian Heritage about makingRemembrance Day a national holiday. The letterexplains that for a day to become a national holiday, itmust first be made such by All Provinces AndTerritories [Ed: my emphasis]. The letter went on tosuggest contacting provincial and territorialgovernments or trying to interest a member ofParliament to introduce a private member’s bill orstarting a petition. Council took this under advisementand, at the Reeve’s urging, will revisit the issue at anAdministration meeting.- Last but not least was an announcement byCouncillor Ashley who said there was a ‘moose on theloose’. He said there have been several sightings of abull moose on the Island. While we have not seen oneyet, we do hope it runs across a pack of coyotes whomistake it for a sick deer. Love to see that... a coyote-butting-kicking-stomping moose in action!!! Sorry, I gotcarried away. I’m supposed to be sort-of impartial butwhen it comes to sheep-harassing-maiming-killingcoyotes, I am not impartial at all but rather partial todark thoughts.*****

Loyalist TownshipRegular Council Meeting- Don TubbApril 9th, 2001 All members of Council were present for this the10th Session of Council. A slightly reduced number ofstaff were present but that was made up for by having

slightly more people in the audience plus 3 reportersand myself. The meeting started pretty much on timeand ended about 8:40 p.m. The meeting began with a couple of public meetingsto allow concerned citizens to air their views on: (a) thedesignation of Neilson’s Store; and/or (b) the ABNAsubdivision & rezoning application. No members of theaudience spoke to the Neilson Store designation. Oneaudience member voiced concerns about the ABNAsubdivision (subject to approval, it is to be built westof Coronation Blvd and south of Amherst Drive). Theconcerns were noted by Council and staff. There wasalso a good deal of talk among Council members andstaff concerning this application which seems to havesome way to go before it will be approved. It did,however, receive an approval in principle fromCouncil. I won’t go into the details suffice it to say thatmuch of the discussion was centred around the plussesand minusses of cul-de-sacs. The Province is looking to change the BuildingCode and Act which would have little impact on thoseapplying for a building permit but would, if passedunchanged, impact the Township. There are manyproposed changes of which the following arehighlighted:- inspectors would have to have minimumqualifications (which, apparently, won’t be much of aproblem for the Township);- permits would have to be issued within a specifiedperiod of time... eg. 5 business days for a stock planhouse; 10 business days for other houses; 30 businessdays for complex buildings (which could be an issuewhen people are on vacation, on sick leave, etc);- fees would have to reflect the actual costs of thebuilding inspection department (which is the currentstate of affairs here now but apparently not for allmunicipalities across the Province);

{Page 3}

- the Township would be saddled with the headache ofdeciding if an equivalent material can be used in agiven situation but there would be an appeal process(let’s say you wanted to build a mud house, it would bethe individual township’s problem to figure out if itwas okay) and,- last to be highlighted is a proposal to requiredesigners and builders to carry more insurance and toextend warranties for longer periods on buildings (forrenovators, that would kick in with a job over$10,000). Included with the agenda package was the IntensiveFarming Operations Committee minutes for meeting#10. There were a series of recommendations from the

Odour Sub Committee which is still trying to find away to use smell as a controlling factor in approvingand siting factory farming operations. It appears, fromwhat little was in the minutes, that there is no way todo that at the present time but this committee keeps ontrying. Council approved the six point strategy whichgives leave for the Sub Committee to search furtheravenues. Many other topics were discussed during themeeting. The By-law to designate Neilson’s Store waspassed. It provided some information of interest...Under the Historical section of Schedule B was thefollowing (quoted directly from the By-law):- In 1883, Neilson built this store as his second. Theearlier, smaller store, where he had been conductingbusiness since 1873, was moved to the waterside toserve as a coal shed.- Over the years, Neilson’s store and dock became afocus of related activities of shipping, storing, andsales of coal and barley and of milling feed. Smallersteamers had regularly scheduled stops at the dock forpassengers and freight.- When the Amherst Island ferry service began in 1929between Millhaven and the island, the Neilson’s dockserved as the ferry dock The ferry continues as animportant symbol of Amherst Island’s relationship tothe mainland. A couple of quick points to end this report...- A communique from the Ontario PropertyAssessment Corporation said that ‘basic propertyinformation and assessed values for any property inOntario’ can be found at www.opac.on.ca .Ownersnames and mailing addresses are not included in thisdata file.- A building permit has been issued to Bill and BevHarris for a house on the Front Road.*****

The Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Get well wishes to Helen Miller, who underwent hipreplacement surgery this month. Our sympathy to Darrell Miller, Ron Miller,Marilyn Eves and Gordon Miller and families,following the death of their mother, Reta Miller thismonth. Condolences also to Helen McCormick andfamily and Rita Brown on the passing of their sister-in-law and aunt, Jenny McCormick. Travellers went in several directions this month.Keith and Shirley Miller took the train to B.C. to visittheir granddaughter, Amanda and her family, whichincluded Keith and Shirley’s first great-grandson. Alanand Cathy Glenn visited Cathy’s sister in Arizona for acouple of weeks. Lloyd and Elaine Wolfreys caught up

with brother Howard Wolfreys and family, fromWinnipeg, at Art and Kay Wolfreys in Orlando, Fl. Congratulations to Tom and Rosemary Richmondand daughter Ciara, who welcomed the newest additionto their family, a baby boy, Barry Edmund, born onApril 10, 2001. Also congratulations to Bonnie andAllen Caughey, on the birth of their 2nd grand-daughter, Olivia, born to son Todd and his wife Sonya,a sister for Ali. Also to John and Alena Schram, on thebirth of their first grandson (and 2nd grandchild), inToronto. I understand that Alena has already beenhome from Africa to meet the newest family member. The ACW’s Annual Beef Dinner was another greatsuccess. I think we all look forward to dinner out andan evening to catch up with friends and neighboursafter a long winter. A group of A.I.P.S. students recently attended andcompeted in the LDSB Chess Players Tournament atCataraqui Wood Elementary School. Congratulationsto Geoffrey McDonald, who placed first amongsteighth graders, and to Talia Fleming and Chris Reedwho placed in the top 25%. All three qualified to go onto compete in the Eastern Ontario Chess Tournament,held April 1st in Kingston. Congratulations to Geoffreyagain, who placed 5th. Great work kids! Bobbi and Michael Shaw have returned afterspending time in Devon, England. Their plans to walkon the coastal paths and through the countryside werecurtailed by precautions against the foot and mouthoutbreak. Though they did get to walk some countryroads, they assure their

{Page 4}

farming neighbours on the Island that they sterilizedtheir footwear before returning. They report that thespread of foot and mouth has been devastating not onlyfor farmers and the tourism industry, but has affectedevery aspect of British life.*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Anna Hitchins The regular monthly meeting was held at the homeof Helen Miller on January 17th at 1.30 pm. The President conducted the meeting with somedecisions being left until March meeting. Marion Glenngave report of “Good Cheer”. Mary Kay Steele gavehighlights of her trip to Arizona. The March meeting is to be held at Nancy Dunn’shome and there will be no meeting in February.***

The regular monthly meeting was held at the home

of Nancy Dunn on March 21st at 7 p.m. The Presidentconducted the meeting. It was decided that the canvassfor Cancer to be done by mail. Heart and Stroke canvass was also discussed. TheW.I. has been granted the use of the back room of theFerry building for our meetings and a place to displayour plaques, etc. Helen Lamb and Kirsten Bennickoffered to study the room and where to display ourplaques. Five members attended Hawley W.I. and enjoyed thedemonstration of parchment paper craft. A good number of members are going on March28th to the showing of “Pools Paradise”, live theatre atSelby and also out to dinner before the show. Nancy Henshaw is planning on attending the ACWTriennial Conference to be held in June 2001 inHamilton. It was decided that we pay her expenses. The President attended the Executive Committeemeeting and gave her report. May 9th/01 is the date of the District Annual to beheld at Odessa. Representative of Amherst Island W.I.and Grandview W.I. appointed to the NominatingCommittee. May 2002, we are to host the District AnnualMeeting. A “get well” card was signed by the members and isbeing sent to Helen Miller who is in hospital andrecovering from surgery. The April meeting is to held at the home of JoyceHaines on the 18th at 7 pm. The meeting closed with the singing of “TheQueen”.*****

4-H News On April 5, the Island 4H clubs held this yearsachievement night. Twenty-three members, plus familyand friends, all enjoyed the evening. The festivitiesbegan with a delicious pot-luck dinner and wasfollowed by entertaining presentations. We would liketo thank everyone for supporting the Amherst Island4H clubs. In other news, our new club, made up of 24high school and public school students, is Drama. Thevery qualified Deborah Kimmett, with help from Susie,is leading the club this time ‘round. It’s sure to be quitean exciting learning experience for all.*****

Cook’s Corner- Caroline Ackerman The story is long and involved but, until recentlythis recipe was a closely guarded secret at the Neiman-Marcus store in Los Angeles. They are for cookielovers

everywhere. Enjoy!!

Neiman Marcus Cookies(Recipe may be halved)2 cups butter4 cups flour2 tsp soda2 cups sugar5 cups oatmeal24 oz chocolate chips2 cups brown sugar1 tsp salt1 8 oz Hershey Bar grated4 eggs2 tsp baking powder2 tsp vanilla3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a finepowderCream the butter and both sugarsAdd eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal,salt, baking powder, and soda.Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts.Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookiesheet.Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees.Makes 112 cookies*****

{Page 5}

Island History

Barbara Hopper, U.E.127 Chambord PrivateOttawa, Ontario K1V 0L3E-mail: [email protected] 30 March 2001The EditorAmherst Island BeaconR.R.#1Stella, Ontario K0H 2S0 Dear Sir: You referred in the March issue to Amherst Islandmen who might have served in the Lennox andAddington Militia in the 1820s. This sent me rootingthrough my files in a successful search for their names. The 1st Regiment of the Addington Militia wascreated by General Orders on August 12th, 1822, andwas to assemble at Ernestown. The 2nd Company ofthe regiment was formed entirely of Amherst Islandmen. The Captain was John Richard, and the twoLieutenants were Edward Howard and John Howard.The other 58 men were Privates, three of whom, John

Hopper and William and George McGinnis, arerelatives. The two Howard lieutenants and the twoHoward privates, although more distantly related, alsoappear on my family tree.

Nominal Roll of the 2nd Company, 1st Regiment,Addington Militia(National Archives of Canada, RG 9, 1B2, Volume 29,Page 4)No. NAME AGE1 Dine Anthony 302 McGinnis William 193 Little Patrick 284 Rodger Reuben 255 Cantell Augustus 386 Cristy Peter 247 Cristy Michael 228 Cristy Joseph 209 Howard George 2310 Howard William 2011 Nugent John 2612 McMullen Hugh 2213 Hopper John 2114 Carter Benjamin 2915 Stapley Joseph 2516 McGinnis George 3717 Scot James 3618 Brown Thomas 3219 Wemp William 3220 Wemp Michael 2921 Corne Edward 3622 Smith Henry 2623 Pentland Thomas 3624 Frink David B. 3825 Smith Joseph 3826 Corn Robert 3427 Brown James 2528 Brown Avery 2229 Brown William 2030 Boyd John 2431 Chatman Daniel 2632 Patterson Hugh 3833 Cleveland William 2034 Read Alexander 3235 Bell Alexander 2936 McKea William 2437 Pentland Samuel 3938 Gibson John 3639 Gibson William 3040 McLloyd James 2241 Preston James 2342 Wilson James 2943 Master James 2844 Milligan John 36

45 Tate David 3046 Wallace James 3947 Mcdonald Alexander 2548 Chatman John 2049 Montam Albert 3250 Johnston Robert 2251 Johnston John 2052 Cockran Thomas 3053 Dene Joseph 2754 Dene Francis 2955 Kelantic John 3656 McMullen William 2057 Sims Henry 2658 Johnston George 24

These were the Island’s ablest men, all of themfarmers, and all between the ages of 19 and 39.Government orders dictated that every regiment was toassemble its men at least once a year for drill practice.Failure to report could result in a stiff fine. Most menviewed the day - usually held in June - as a lark, a sillywaste of a good Spring work day just to play soldierand march about with sticks. To make matters worse, many of the younger ladsand older men (and women!) frequently went along totease and heckle them, and have a good laugh at theirclumsy and often

{Page 6}

confused marching. Local bureaucrats despaired of thiscitizen army, and feared the country would becompletely unprotected if a real need to fight arose. Anyone interested in viewing the entire nominal rollof the 1st Addington (or any other Ontario regiment ofthat period) should obtain a copy of Men of UpperCanada: Militia Nominal Rolls, 1828-1829, edited byOttawa historian Bruce Elliott, Ontario Archivesstaffer Fawne Stratford-Devai, and genealogy writerDan Walker. They have collected and organized all themilitia lists from RG 9 at the National Archives intoone volume. Where no list was available, they tried toinclude a more-or-less contemporary list of townshipor county males. A copy of this excellent book,published by the Ontario Genealogical Society(Toronto, 1995) can be found at the Kingston PublicLibrary. For those of us seeking immigrant ancestors, thesemilitia lists, which pre-date census records by a good20 years, are often the only evidence of an ancestor’searly residence. In my case, the list gave me officialproof there were Hoppers on the Island by 1822. Someof today’s residents will be pleased to find their ownsurnames on the almost 200-year-old list, a wonderful

connection with the island’s past! In signing off, I’d like to say “hello” to my friendsElsie Densem, Sally Bowen and Tom Sylvester whohave shown me wonderful hospitality, a kindness or afavour while I’ve been researching my Amherst Islandroots. Barbara Hopper*****

ObituaryFerne (Gibson) Luffman Peacefully at Becrest Villa, Belleville, on March14, 2001. Mom was a wife, mother and employee of DeaconBros in Belleville. She was born in Wainwright,Alberta and came east to settle in Roslin with herparents and six siblings. She met and married Murney Gibson and after hisuntimely death in 1965, married Glen Luffman whopredeceased her in 1989. As well, she was predeceasedby her parents, Edward and Ruth Davidson; sisters,Thelma LaFontaine, Mary Gibson and LorraineHaight. She is survived by daughters Sue Gibson,Belleville;Carolyn Green (Henry), Kingston; granddaughters,Cindy Fielding (Chris), Sylvia Waters (Alex); greatgrandchildren, Danielle and Michael Waters; stepsons,Ted (Joan), John (Pat), Lewis (Faye), Glen Jr. (Kathy)and Bob (Wendy) Luffman and their children; sisters,Evelyn (Chambers) McEvoy, Edna Edgar; brothers,Caemen Davidson (Olive) and Perry Davidson(Leona), sisters-in-law Viola B. Gibson and FranLuffman and brother-in-law Angus Haight. She will bedeeply missed by all those who came in contact withher. [Whig March 31, 2001]***

McCormick, Jennie Peacefully on Tuesday, March 27, 2001 at theHelen Henderson Care Centre, Amherstview in her77th year. Dear daughter of the late WilliamMcCormick and Mabel Bulch. Survived by her sister-in-law Helen McCormick and predeceased by her sisterAnnie Isobel Brown and brother Edward JamesMcCormick. Fondly remembered by her nieces andnephews Anne, Penny, Reta, Paul, Peter, Michael andNoel.[from the Whig March 28, 2001]***

Miller, Reta P. Peacefully at the Helen Henderson Care Centre,

Amherstview, on Thursday, April 5, 2001. Reta Begg,in her 85th year. Beloved wife of the late Douglas A.Miller. Much loved mother of Marilyn and herhusband Royce Eves, Ronald and his wife Lillian,Gordon and his wife Lynn, Darrell and Vicki. Fondlyremembered by her grand and great grandchildren.[Whig April 6, 2001]*****

Thank You Notes I would like to thank the Ferry Crew for theirassistance when I had an injury to my hand. Also Iwould like to thank all the friends and members of StAlbans A.C.W. for cards and telephone calls. Thanks again, John G. Mayman***

We wish to thank friends and neighbours for alltheir prayers and donations and the many offers of aride to the hospital to see my son. My son Joe is nowrecovering at home with home care. They have rented ahouse in Kingston and thanks to many people familyand stores, they are slowly putting their home andfamily together again. God bless everyone and thankyou. Laura and Stephen Street*****

{Page 7}

Janet’s JottingsApril 2001“Birds are singing, woods are ringing,With thy praises, blessed King;Lake and mountain, field and fountain,To thy throne their tributes bring.

We thy children join the chorus,Merrily, cherrily, gladly praise thee;Glad hosannas, glad hosannas,Joyfully we lift to Thee” L.F. Cole Everywhere the earth is waking with new songs andnew life and we are renewed. For those poor folks tiedto the cycle of light we can now lift up our heads andshake the dark depression that has dogged our pathover that long dark winter and walk with lightened stepand joyful heart. If you were not a nature lover beforeyou will find it difficult to stop yourself as AmherstIsland awakens to the call of Spring. Are the woods ringing? Of course they are! Thewoodpeckers have been hammering out the messagethat Spring is here for a month. They find a convenient

hollow tree and soon their tapping is Resounding!!!!through the woodlots. March 21st was greetedregularly at our old house in Henderson Place by anadaptable Flicker that drummed on the chimney cap ofour metal chimney that happened to run down throughour bedroom. He got wonderful acoustic vibrationsthat naturally awakened us with a start! Using just thenatural hollow trees available in the Owl Woods or inyour own woodlots that little Downy can drum out aloud and consistent Spring message to his “LadyLove”. If anyone hears the Pileated Woodpeckerdrumming or finds new holes, please let me know. Thelast place I saw him was on the hill just west of TheEmerald 40ft and south of the 2nd Concession Road. We had an absolutely marvellous Owl year, Saw-whet, Boreal, Short eared, Snowy, Long-eared, GreatHorned and Hawk Owls were reported earlier andfinally in late March, Alex reported a Great Gray inthe Pines south of the Owl Woods. The Great HornedOwls filled the winter nights with their hooting andthey’ve been nesting since February but if you’ve beenwondering about that consistent short tooting at nightin Stella, I’m convinced it’s a Saw-whet tooting at his“Lady Love”. He’s been serenading for the past threeweeks. It sounds like the back-up signal on a truck. AsI write the Snowy Owls are still here and the Long-eared and Short-eared are settling down on territory.As of April 3rd there was still a Boreal Owl in thecedars. The silly Pheasants that have stayed by the feederall winter have now decided to pair up with two hensand one rooster so that the male has to spend a lot ofhis time chasing the other rooster around our yard. It isquite a display with the one dropping his head and onewing and running in circles. The colours, however arebeautiful when he lifts his chest to the sunlight and thegold and rust just glow while he beats his wings andcrows to all and sundry, “I am the greatest!” Another sign of Spring is Bill Butch getting hisMartin houses ready. They should be back aroundApril 11th. The Tree Swallows have already beendipping and diving at Millhaven. I’ll be watching forour Cliff Swallows that nest yearly under the eaves.Once again I will plead with Island residents not todestroy the few nests they build around the CommunityCentre. I know you look at them and think they’re themore common Barn Swallow but these fellows havebeige rump patches and forehead patches unlike therust of the Barn Swallow and they don*t have the“Swallow Tail”. They have few suitable places to nestso if they pick your wall please put up with their mess,it’s only for a short time. Soon the Island will glow with green. Ireland iscalled the Emerald Isle; well for a short time in Spring

Amherst Island just radiates green like a jewel and somany shades of green. Just think by the time I writeagain the Warblers will be back. Enjoy the ringing andsinging. Remember if only the beautiful birds sang thewoods would be a silent place. I think that’s a Thoreauquote? Good Birding.*****

News from The General Store Springtime at last has finally sprung. Just a fewthings to mention this month. Happy Easter to all. “Youellies Coollies” will re-open once again for thesummer beginning May 18, weekends only until theend of June and then 7 days a week beginning June 29.mmmmmmmm. So drop by for your favourite frozenyoghurt or ice cream treat. We’ve got some great movies in right now, come onin and browse.Saving Grace - Craig Ferguson - Funny movie, greatfor a laugh.Remember the Titans - Denzel Washington - based ona true story. Very good.Bless the Child - Kim BassingerThe Kid - Bruce WillisBedazzled - Brendon Fraser and Ben StillerDragonheart - A new Beginning - Chris Masterson. Store hours will be as follows for the May longweekend.Sat .May 19 - 9 am - 9 pmSun. May 20 - 9 am - 9 pmMon. May 21 - 9 am - 9 pm Thank you all for your patronage and support.*****

{Page 8}

Master Gardeners of Ontario Inc.Garden Calendar- Prepare garden beds for planting. Dig in compost andother organic material.- Remove rose protection; prune and apply dormantspray before buds break.- Treat birches against leaf miner.- Plant trees, shrubs, perennials and biennials.- Seed outside cool-weather vegetables such as peas,spinach, lettuce, onions, beets and frost resistantannuals such as larkspur, sweet peas and calendulas.- Rake lawn, repair damage and seed bare spots.- Fertilize lawn with slow release fertilizer.- Apply crabgrass pre-emergence herbicide if required.- Start lawn mowing only when needed.- Check out garden shows.*****

Descendants of Reta P. Begg1 Reta P. Begg 1916-2001 +Douglas Adam Miller 1909 - 1977 2 Ronald Samuel Miller 1938 - +Lillian Beckstead 2 Marilyn Louise Miller 1940 - + Royce Eves 1927 - 3 Charles Douglas Eves 1959 - + Linda Richard * 2nd wife of Charles Douglas Eves: +Valerie Gough 4 Jamie Lynn Eves 1987 - 3 John Paul Eves 1961 - + Cindy Crampton 4 Rebecca Carie Eves 1989 - 4 Mathew Royce Eves 1992 - 3 Roycene Peachie Eves 1963 - 3 Marlene Rita Eves 1967 - + Douglas Harold 4 Samantha Louise Harold 1993 - 4 Amanda Lee Roycene Harold 1996 - 4 Nicholas John Harold 1999 - 2 Douglas Gordon Miller 1946 - + Lynn Howes 3 Tracy Lynn Miller 1967 - 2 Darrell Royce Miller 1956 - + Karen Anne McGinn 1960 -*****

Ancestors of Edna “Jennie” Jane McCormick

Edna “Jennie” Jane McCormickWilliam James McCormick {father of Edna “Jennie”Jane McCormick}Mary “Mabel” Edna Bulch {mother of Edna “Jennie”Jane McCormick}James McCormick {father of William JamesMcCormick}Jane Filson {mother of William James McCormick}George Richard Bulch {father of Mary “Mabel” EdnaBulch}Sarah Jane McMaster {mother of Mary “Mabel” EdnaBulch}John Bulch {father of George Richard Bulch}Mary Philips {mother of George Richard Bulch}Christopher John Bulch {father of John Bulch}Isabella Catherine Taylor {mother of John Bulch}John Bulshey {father of Christopher John Bulch}Dorothy Metcalfe {mother of Christopher John Bulch}Joseph John Taylor {father of Isabella CatherineTaylor}Janet ? {mother of Isabella Catherine Taylor}*****

{Page 9}

For SaleWanted

For SaleCar top luggage carrier $75.00Phone - 384-5606*****


Baby Sitter AvailableAfter School and Weekends- Responsible- Red Cross Babysitting CertificateCall Whitney Fleming at 389-9869***


Baby Sitting!Reference available.Shannon Youell at 389-5596***





Certified Electrician

Home, farm and commercial workBuilding maintenance and repair on the IslandCall Tom Richmond at 634-1855***





Lakeshore Rubber StampQuick service for all kinds stamps (self-inkers, daters,signature, logos, business & personal)Call Linda Welbonks at 389-8441Fax 389-9770***


Lin - SarMechanical - Peter WempHeating & CoolingSheet Metal Fabrication & InstallationPhone: 478-5417***


For SaleWoollen Blankets, Yarn and Sheepskins from TopsyFarmsCall Sally or Ian at 389-3444.

***








Whig Home DeliveryIf you would like the Whig Standard delivered to yourhome, please phone Jim or Sandra at 389-4484.*****

Water sample bottles are available at the Ferry Office.***

A.I.P.S. Club Z account number is 943 199 922***

The Amherst Island Landfill SiteHours of OperationWednesday 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Sunday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.***


{Page 10}

Community CalendarAprilFriday, April 16th, 7:30 p.m. EuchreMonday, April 23rd Council Meeting

Summer ScheduleMonday, July 2 Office Closed in lieu of Canada DayMonday, July 9th Council meetingMonday, July 23rd Council/Administration meetingMonday, August 6th Office Closed for Civic HolidayMonday, August 13th Council meetingMonday, September 3rd Office closed for Labour Day*****

WantedI am still collecting the following: - A&P Tapes - usedstamps - any country including Canada - for guidedogs for the blind. Good clean clothing for the animalshelter thrift shop and knitted squares, blankets, petfood, paper towels, etc., for the Napanee AnimalShelter. Please call me if you have anything to donateor leave in my front porch. The animals really need ourhelp.Freda Youell 384-4135***

ISLECheese DatesOrder in By: Pickup & Payment 6-7pm at the schoolApr 20 Apr 25May 18 May 23June 15 June 20***



The Saturday Beaver will now be available at the

Amherst Island General Store. We have a wide variety of products available. If wedon’t have what you need, it can be ordered withdeliveries. Delivery days are Wednesdays and Saturdays. Justcall a day ahead to place your order. Our deliveries arrive at 10:50 a.m. and we ask thatyou pick up orders around 11 a.m. as we have no roomfor storage in coolers at this time.

Fax ServiceFax service is now available at Amherst Island GeneralStore Mon-Fri onlyTo send - Local - $1 for first page.50¢ for each additional pageLong Distance $5.00Receive - .50¢ per page - Local and Long DistanceFAX# - 613-389-0417***

{Page 11}

The Loyalist Parkway Association is looking for anAmherst Island resident to serve on this committee If you are interested, please contact Councillor JohnIbey This can be done through the Township Office at386-7351.***

Do You want to find out the secret of life itself?Come seeThe ClownsBy Craig CassilsA Musical performed by the students of AmherstIsland Public SchoolMay 9th 7:00 pmAt the Amherst Island Community Centre***

Topsy Farms regrets that we will not be havingvisitors during lambing this year. Foot and Mouth disease can travel too easily andlast too long for us to take any unnecessary chances. Sorry for any disappointment this may cause.***

C.O.M.E.R. - Kingstoninvites you to a free workshop aboutAffordable Municipal Taxation- minimizing municipal interest costs- modernizing property tax increases- keeping infrastructure renewal affordable

Guest Speaker:William Krehm (C.O.M.E.R. - Toronto)

Workshops by:Herb Wiseman (C.O.M.E.R. - Peterborough)Don Findlay (C.O.M.E.R. - Kingston)

Saturday May 5th -2 p.m. to 4 p.m.Unitarian Church - 214 Concession St.

It’s Your Tax Money ...So Get Involved!Don’t let poor public policy bury us in debtPublic pressure creates political willFor More Info Call Hugh Jenney 384-7830***

Baby SittingNeed a babysitter for after school or evenings?Call Candace Youell @ 389-6596References available***

The Loyalist Township Heritage Committee isinterested in obtaining more information about thestone walls of Amherst Island. If you can help, pleasecall Clyde Macfarlane at 389-3366.***

{Page 12}

Happy First Anniversary KittenMany more to comeLoveBob***

Annual Spring Dance and Fish FrySaturday, May 19, 2001$20.00 per coupleDoors open at 6:00 p.m.Dinner at 6:30 pmDance to followTickets from any Rec. Association memberRick: 389-8434; Carol: 384-0847; Jane: 389-3155Bonnie: 389-1579; Tessa - 384-1783; Larry/Lyn - 634-2509Proceeds to Canada Day Fireworks.***

The Weasel and Easel is opening May long weekendfor its 6th Season.

Come in and have coffee and cakes with us, and seewhat’s new.Hours 11 - 5Open weekends until the end of June daily during Julyand August***

St. Paul’s P.C.W. invites you to the Mother’s DayHam DinnerSaturday, May 125-7 p.m.Adults: $10.00Children under 12: $5.00 Children under 5- No Charge

Deadline for Tickets Tuesday, May 8For Tickets Please Call:Beth Forester: 389-5582 Carol Glenn: 384-7480Elaine Wolfreys: 389-5945*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: May 15, 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 280}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 280 May 2001




Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613)389-3802 e- mail: [email protected] AckermanGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0


CreditsWord Perfect Office 2000ArcSoft Imaging

Production For May250 Copies*****

Under New Management- Mostly the same old management Welcome to a simpler, but no less kind, Beacon.We still intend to leave the controversial issues to theWhig, the Globe, and the Post. Our humble task is tobe an information sharing newsletter for those living onAmherst Island as well as for those who have someconnection with this place. Until someone takes an interest, the way Don did, increating a more aesthetically pleasing Beacon, we’llforget about the little masthead drawings and

information boxes surrounded by text. Until someone takes on the job of attending councilmeetings, there will be little official municipal businessincluded in the Beacon. Does anyone want the job - itcould be shared? The Beacon might cover mileagecosts. Hopefully, the municipality will to send uscopies of agendas and minutes - Don got them when heattended the meetings. Don, by the way, is still contributing to the Beacon.He is scanning photos into the other computer whilethis is being typed. He also loaded up the floppy discthat Caroline delivered this morning containing all thecontributions that were left at the store. Tomorrow evening Tom Richmond is coming hereto show us how to use the Adobe Page Maker programwhich promises to ease the burden of producing aBeacon. [It’s interesting to note how many usefulToms there are in this community: Tom the plumber;Tom the carpenter; Tom the roofer and grass cutter,and Tom the electrician.] So, the Beacon will be simpler in layout and lighterin municipal content - at least initially. Are there anyother changes? Yes:1) the Beacon will come out at the end of each month.The submit-material date will the 20th.2) there will be more emphasis on Island history.3) all ads will have to be re-submitted for the Juneissue. Long running ads may be charged for but thatdecision hasn’t been made yet. For now, all that we askis that anyone wanting to have an ad in the Beaconshould send the ad in by June 20. All ads must beIsland related.4) items without a direct link to Amherst Island areunlikely to be printed (unless they appeal to the narrowand arcane interests of some staff member).5) typed articles or e-mails can be directly entered intothe computer thereby saving typing time.6) reasonably small ads can also be entered directly. The Beacon gratefully accepts articles from itsreaders: obituaries; memories; meeting reports; doingsat the school; church news; farming outlooks; natureviews; and, so on. We miss Sally’s willingness toencourage community members to write about specificevents. The Beacon needs people to interview olderIslanders. There are, at the County Museum, quite afew audio tapes of interviews of senior Islanders thatare begging to be made into articles for the Beacon.And there is a gold mine of material in the WomensInstitute’s Tweedsmuir History.*****

{Page 2}

NeighbourhoodLyn Fleming Get well wishes this month to Earl Tugwell, as herecovers from eye surgery; Lillian Miller and BillBulch, who both made trips to the hospital; ShyanneShurtliffe and Laurel Brady, who are both sportingcast on their arms. Welcome to new Island residents, Vicky Keith andJohn Monroe, who have bought Doug Shurtliffe’shouse on the south shore. Also to Bob and BernadetteFilson who have moved into Madeline Kerr’s house. Happy 97th birthday to Pete Witteveen, whocelebrated by going out to dinner with family.Congratulations to his daughter Swantze Kehoe andher husband Leonard, who celebrated their 50thwedding anniversary the same day. The congregation of St. Paul’s held a recognitionevening recently to honour some of their own who hadbeen members of the church for 50 years or more. Rev.Dunn presented each with a framed award. Theevening also included a pot luck supper and slides fromZander and Nancy Dunn’s trip to Ethiopia. Congratulations to Larry Fleming, who recentlyplaced 2nd in the Eastern Ontario Truck DrivingChampionships, and now qualifies to go on to theprovincials. Well, the highlight of the month for many, wasA.I.P.S.’s presentation of the musical “Clowns”,presented to a full house. The students have workedvery hard the last couple of months, under the directionof head teacher Mrs. “D”, and it paid off! From thetiniest JK clowns right up to the 8th grade “BigWheel”, there was no shortage of talent. There wereacrobats, dancers, soloists, tricksters and so muchmore. Every student was involved on stage and thesenior class took care of set and gym decorations aswell. Refreshments were provided following the showby ISLE. Spring has finally arrived this month, the tulips areup, lilacs are budding, there are lambs, calves andfawns in the fields. If, over a long winter, we everdoubt why we live here, this time of year reassures us!!*****

Hope to see you at the 4-H Yard SaleSat. June 9 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.Look for us behind the “Back Kitchen”(Have rummage to donate to the sale? Please bring onsale day. Thanks!)*****

Women’s Institute Meeting

Nancy Dunn The regular monthly meeting of the Amherst IslandWomen’s Institute was held at 7 p.m. on April 18,2001 at Honeywood, the unique log home of JoyceHaines. Following the usual opening 10 membersanswered the roll by paying their annual dues. Theminutes of the last meeting were read and approved. It was noted that a total of 17 people (members,spouses and friends) attended the amusing theatricalpiece, “Pool’s Paradise”, presented by the GrandviewWomen’s Institute in Selby on March 28th. Pres. Nancy Henshaw, Anna Hitchins, MarianGlenn and Joyce Haines are planning on attending theDistrict annual meeting in Odessa on May 9th. Whilethere, they will be extending an invitation to the districtto meet on Amherst Island on May 15th next year. It was decided to send a donation to the CNIB. Bake Sales on Fridays of the summer’s longweekends will be held again this year, namely: May 18,June 29, Aug. 3 and Aug. 31. A booth will be set up infront of the General Store for sales between 3:45 and 6p.m. Pies, cookies, breads, rolls and who knows whatother goodies will be available. After the monthly business the annual meeting washeld. Minutes of last year’s A.G.M. were read andapproved; the report of the nominating committee wasreceived; and a new slate of officers was installed. As May 16th, the regular meeting date, conflictswith a zoning by-law meeting the May gathering willbe on Thurs. May 17th at 7 p.m. at Marian Glenn’s inBath. The evening closed with a brown bag auctionfollowed by a delicious lunch served by the hostess.*****

W.I. Bake Sales at the StoreFridaysMay18June 29Aug. 3Aug. 313:45 - 6:00 p.m.*****

{Page 3}

Island HistorySally Bowen(I’m living on the mainland for a while near medicalhelp, but I miss the Island. I started seeking anisland connection in my neighbourhood, and to mypleasure met...Ralph Morrow. Ralph’s grandfather’s grandfather built the

beautiful stone Morrow homestead and carriage house,now owned by Bryan and Carol Finlay at the Head. Two of his father’s uncles worked the farm at theturn of the century, Willy living in the stone house andTom in a frame house next door. His grandfatherSamuel worked a farm where the Truemans now liveand his father John bought the Burleigh farm just westof the Truemans. His father’s uncle George Wemp,farmed what is now the Hunt Club Property. Everyonedid mixed farming with sheep, pigs, chickens and milkcows. They all raised their own grain for the animalsand as a cash crop. Ralph’s father told him he thought the grainelevators were built when prices were good for whiskeyand beer. His brother remembers the elevator atEmerald being loaded by horse power - a horsewalking in circles worked a pulley to the top. Ralphremembers that other elevator east of Neilson’s store(now the location of the Weasel and Easel) was easierto load because it was built into a hill. The farmerscould load at the top at road level and the unloadingwas accomplished by two-wheeled carts below at lakelevel. Willy would use a horse and wagon to draw hismilk from the Morrow Homestead to the cheese factorynear Emerald (now on the property which I believe isowned by Bob Horth). His father converted a car into atruck during the war and managed to get enoughrationed gas to draw the milk from a couple of farms tothe factories. The two Island cheese factories (the otherlocated on the Wilson’s property in Stella) had anexcellent reputation. They were owned by islandresident, Reg Instant. Harold White operated the one inEmerald; his father, the one in Stella. When theseclosed, Harold went to Wilton to make cheese and herehis son Lyle learned the skill. Ralph remembers the “Battery Pasture”(once partof the Morrow farm, and now part of Topsy Farms) atthe Head and the “Battery Field” owned by Ben Wempat the Foot. Cannons had been located there during thewar of 1812. He said in later years people used to digdown into the mounds and search the water off thebluffs, but the cannons weren’t to be found. He doesremember his father saying that a stone stairway hadbeen carved into the cliffs for access and that theeroded remnants could still be seen from the water. In 1928, the year Ralph was born, Amherst Islandpurchased its first ferry. The reeve at the time, SamMiller, had encouraged Council to build money in areserve fund and when they had $20,000 (he thinks)they ordered a 5 car ferry from Collingwood, modeledafter the St. Roach. It could take seven cars byblocking the passenger cabin. At first the ferry used theprivate dock at Neilson’s Store. His father said it was

very difficult to drive up that steep slope in a model T.Soon the government built a dock at the presentlocation. There was a log house on their farm where Ralphremembers his father stored their shorn wool for a fewyears during the hard times when it didn’t sell formuch. They had lived in it until his father was able tobuild in 1937. He remembers a big barn with the horsebarn built at right angles and the date 1876 proudlycarved nine inches high right through the board facingthe road. Ralph, his brother Carleton and sisters Glenna andWilma used to walk the three miles from their farm toSS #5 (which is now the location of Paul and CarolGlenn’s new house on the 3rd Concession). In wintersometimes his mother would drive them in a horse andcutter. To attend the continuation school they bikedseven miles to the village. The High school just east ofthe blacksmith’s shop was in a building owned by theGlenns. A Miss Glenn lived in one end of the buildingand two rooms, one up and one down were used for theschool. Willy Morrow married Elizabeth, an Irishimmigrant late in life and they had no children. TheMorrow homestead was sold to Arthur Timbrell. Oneof Arthur’s brothers, Walter, is the father of our localpolitician, Dennis Timbrell. The house was vacant andabandoned for some time when purchased by Charlesand Elsie Densem in the 50's. It is beautiful now. Ralph is not sure whether he still has kin on theisland. Any response? Any comment on the above?*****

{Page 4}

Dump {strikeout}Landfill Site {strikeout}Transfer Site[Staff: The following was received from DavidThompson, Township Engineer. It is in reply to a lettersent to him about changing the dump to a transfer site.]Dear Chris & Dianne: Thank you for your correspondence dated April 8,2001. I am taking this opportunity to respond to yourconcerns and attempt to explain the direction proposedby staff regarding the Amherst Island landfill site. The Township is required, by the Ministry of theEnvironment, to conduct groundwater monitoring andcomplete an annual report for the Amherst Islandlandfill site. This task costs approximately $11,400,which represents about 1/3 of the total wastemanagement costs for Amherst Island. Staff feel that there may be a potential of operating

the Amherst Island landfill site as a waste transfer site.Under this scenario, it may be possible to reduce themonitoring and reporting costs. The presentation was made to Council that thisalternative method of service delivery would besomething that staff would evaluate as a project for themedium to long term, with the initial step being toevaluate whether there was the financial incentives tomove in this direction. As a waste transfer site, residents would still bringtheir garbage to the site, as they always have done. Theexception would be instead of depositing the waste onthe ground, it would be put into bins which would beremoved on a regular basis and taken to an alternatesite. It is hoped that in time, the monitoring andreporting costs could be reduced. Staff will bereviewing this issue as time permits, albeit this item isrelatively low on the priority list with a very lengthylist of issues ahead of it. We appreciated your comments in your letterregarding recycling. During the past couple of years,specifically in 2000, we have continued to expand therecycling program on the Island in such a fashion as tomatch the products processed by our contractor,Kingston Area Recycling Centre (KARC). If you haveany questions regarding recycling issues, pleasecontact Jim Guest at our office at 386-7351, ext. 117. In your letter you also mentioned you would like alocation for depositing used engine oil. The collectionof waste oil is an activity controlled by the Ministry ofthe Environment, which requires various levels ofapproval and related monitoring. Currently, theTownship, through its contract with KARC, willreceive waste oil at the recycling depot on Lappan’sLane in the City of Kingston on Thursdays during themonths of April through November and the secondSaturday of each month over the same period. As aresident of Loyalist Township, you are entitled to dropoff residential volumes of waste at this facility at nocost. Should there be enough interest in a Township-owned waste oil depot, this matter could be reviewed ata later date. I would be hesitant in recommending thisproposal as the costs and risks associated withcontamination would be great. Should you have any additional questions, pleasecall.*****

Gardening CalendarMaster Gardeners of Ontario Inc.May- Find out your average frost date and allow at least 2weeks later for tender transplants and warm weather

plantings, e.g. beans and corn.- Harden off seedlings before transplanting.- Consider protective measures against slugs,cutworms, earwigs, and tent caterpillars.- Treat roses against black spot and aphids as required.- Take notes and photos of bulb planting for laterchanges and additions.- Dead-head faded tulips and daffodils.- Treat lawns against weeds and grubs as required.- Start regular hoeing and hand-weeding of gardenbeds.- Mulch newly planted seedlings and shrubs.- Stake and tie trees, shrubs and vines as required..- Plant tender summer bulbs, e.g. dahlias and glads.*****

{Page 5}

Janet’s JottingsMay As every month rolls around I wonder what do Iwrite this month? You are very patient readers andcomment on what I’ve said or listed and I reallyappreciate that. Usually I try to answer a question I’ve had lately ornote a sighting that an Islander has made but today Iwalked to the road to get the paper and what could I dobut come in and share this beautiful May morning withyou. The rain has brought the greens that I promised youin last month’s Beacon. It was a gentle rain and theIsland is humming with new growth and life. Theroadsides are alive and the fields are planted. The newlambs are arriving and soon we’ll see them leaping andspringing. How one such small beastie can leapstraight up with all four legs as if on springs is awonderment to me. Is that why they’re called “Spring”lambs, Chris? This morning is what my Scottish Grannie called asoft morning. There is no wind to speak of although thelake is ruffled. The temperature is moderate and thegrass and trees are still wet from last night’s rain. It’snot the warm sunny day that you might like best butit’s perfect for the birds. The Oriole is singing his heartout in the willow north of the house. His mate will beweaving her intricate nest of grasses that will hangfrom a cluster of fronds and when the leaves are outwill be nearly impossible to spot. She weaves from theinside of the sack and her eggs and later the young arerocked safely and securely high above the predators. In the maple at the east side a Red-eyed Vireo isworking around the unfolding leaves looking for insectsand breakfast. You’ll know him by his blue-grey headand visible eyebrow. The Phoebe is a friendly

flycatcher that pumps his tail up and down when hesits and gives his scratchy call- feebee. He likes to usethe feeder as a perch although he’s not looking forseeds. East of the house the male Pheasant crowsloudly. I’ve not seen the hens lately. Possibly they’reestablished on nesting sites. The Wood Thrush iscalling from the other side of the Marshall 40 ft. andtwo Kingfishers have just rattled their way over thehouse. They are such beautiful birds but their call isvery noisy. The White-crowned Sparrows have beenvisiting the feeder. They have black and white stripeson their heads, no yellow spots on their faces like theWhite-throated Sparrows and sing O Canada buzzbuzz as if they’ve forgotten the song whereas theWhitethroated clearly sings O Canada, Canada. In the lake to the south are two smooth sailingRed-breasted Mergansers. The Common Merganserhas a smooth green head while you may note this onehas a feathered green head. There are three green-headed mallards in front of the house so the femalesare now on nests. In the pond by the Stella 40 ft. someof you have noted the pair of Northern Pintail. Iconsider this the winner of “Most Elegant” duck. Hiswhite neck stripe makes him appear to carry his headprimly erect and the dapper grey and black morningsuit worn with the addition of long tail feathers is aneye-pleaser. In contrast for the “dumpy” award is theNorthern Shoveller that you can see near Langevins onthe South Shore. He comes with a green head like aMallard but is squatty with red-brown sides and asplayed bill. The quiet Gadwall swims away from theshore with a whispered “Quack” similar to the familiarMallard’s but much softer. Returning from the lake I watched the Rubythroated Hummingbird at the feeder and the AmericanGoldfinches at the Niger Seed feeder. They have beencleaning it out almost daily. The wonderful UplandsSandpiper is calling to the west and the House Finchesare making their friendly noises around the eaves. Yes! All is right with the world and a new seasonhas come to our fair Island. Watch for the Warblers.May 21st. should be the best Warbler watching timeand our old apple trees and Hawthoms are an excellentplace to check. Good Birding!*****

Winners of the Amherst Island Public School Raffle1st Tessa Mayman Book of Ferry Tickets2nd Tom deHann $25 gift certificate to General StoreThank You for Your SupportI.S.L.E.

*****

{Page 6}

Letter Home{Chris Kennedy} May can really be a wonderful month on the Island.We can finally discard the long-johns, and even theoccasional pair of shorts have been spotted. And thisMay is such a contrast to last year, when there wasrain and mud and cold winds all through lambing. Thisyear the bright sun and blue skies have made the job somuch easier. We have the same lambing crew as lastyear, Dianne, Caroline, Beth and Leah, with Donhelping with the feeding, and their experience makeslambing 800 ewes through the barn in three weeks apleasure. Now the fields all round the barn are dottedwith young lambs. There are also 400 ewes lambingout on pasture at this end of the island: Ian’sresponsibility. I am sure that Mark and Cherry andDave have the fields down at the Foot full of lambs aswell. Soon the lilacs will be out on the Front Road, withthe ones on the windswept South Shore followingabout ten days later. The summer birds are back,according to Janet, and many of our summer residentsas well. Now with some rain for the hay crop, and nottoo much attention from the coyotes it could be a greatsummer. We have another guard dog pup, a threequarter Great Pyreneees, one quarter Maremma, but atfour months old she will need the summer to growbefore tackling any serious work. I had better get back to the barn. With fifty eweslambing a day there is always some action.*****

The Back KitchenBurgers, fries & Homemade PiesPhone 389-7200Hours of OperationJune 1 - Sept. 9, 2001WeekendsFriday - Saturday - SundayPlus Holidays - Aug. 6 and Sept 311 am - 8 p.m.Full Menu as per the Island FlyerPlus Evening Specials from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.*****

Forgive Me LordSubmitted by Syke Fleming Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with goldenhair. I envied her - she seemed so gay - and wished Iwere as fair. When suddenly she arose to leave, I saw

the cruel braces as she hobbled down the aisle; a victimof polio was she. But as she passed - a smile! Oh, God,forgive me when I whine. I have two straight feet. Theworld is mine! And then I stopped to buy some sweets. The ladwho sold them had such charm. I talked with him. Hesaid to me: ‘It’s nice to talk with folks like you. Yousee,’ he said, ‘I’m blind.’ Oh, God, forgive me when Iwhine. I have two eyes the world is mine! Then walking down the street, I saw a child witheyes of blue. He stood and watched the others play. Itseemed he knew not what to do. I stopped a moment,Then I said: ‘ Why don’t you join the others, dear?’ Helooked ahead without a word, and then I knew he couldnot hear. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I havetwo ears. The world is mine! With feet to take me where I’d go, with eyes to seethe sunset’s glow, with ears to hear what I would know- Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I’m blessedindeed. The world is mine. Author Unknown*****

Benefit Concert for The St. Alban’s Church OrganFundSunday June 3, 4:00 p.m., St. Albans Church The MacMillan Singers Summer Choir. Lake OntarioTour. Under the direction of conductor Doreen Rao,the Chamber Choir will perform a cross-culturalprogram of traditional and contempary choral musicranging from Handel to celebrated new works byCanadian, American, and Australian composers.Tickets at $12.00 can be ordered by calling KarenMiller: (613) 389-1080Or contact: Kirsten Bennick (613) 389-0636 [email protected]*****

The Weasel and Easel is opening May 19th for its 6thSeason.Come in and have coffee and cakes with us, and seewhat’s new.Hours 11 -5Open weekends until the end of June and daily duringJuly and August*****

{Page 7}

Waterside Summer Series 2001Eighth Year on Amherst IslandConcert Schedule:

Bach and Beyond

Saturday, June 23, 7.30 p.m., St. Albans Church Rich sound of the organ and soaring voices: Bach tothe year 2000 and beyond. With David Cameron,organist, Mark Schaub, tenor, Gilda DiCola Mills,soprano.

Swing JazzSaturday, July 14, 7:30 p.m., St. Paul’s Church The Ron Gilbertson Swing Quartet is featuring SwingJazz, re-creating the music of the big band era, and thesongs of Frank Sinatra, in a laid back, easy listeningfashion. This Concert is guaranteed to have your toestapping!

WassermusikSaturday, July 28, 7.30 p.m., St. Albans ChurchRomantic and baroque chamber music by theWassermusik group led by Amherst Island pianist InkaBrockhausen.

Night SunSaturday, August 11, 7.30 p.m., St. Paul’s ChurchAn evening of Ceili, blues and folk - music with heart,imagination and rhythm performed by the awardwinning recording group Night Sun.

Comedy and musicSaturday, August 25, 7.30 p.m., St. Alban’s ChurchRoger James delivers music and fun - an inter-activeperformance combining bluegrass and comedy.

Tickets at $12 per performance can be ordered bycalling Jan Sneep at (613) 634-1255*****

Every month the Beacon arrives and brings us up todate on all the news. Its seems so easy that too oftenwe just take it for granted and don’t appreciate all theeffort and dedication that goes into making ourcommunity paper happen. Don Tubb has worked long and hard on our behalffor no pay and little thanks. I know I speak for all of us‘when I say “Thank you Don.” Your photos andarticles are an important part of the recording of everyday life on Amherst Island. Thanks again. Shirley Miller*****

Breast Cancer Action Kingston’s 8th Annual Walk took place in Kingstonon Saturday, May 12th. Spring is a time to celebratelife by walking together to raise funds in support ofBrest cancer awareness.

and Picton to Kingston. The steamer “Brockville”docked at Stella each day and at Emerald, a village onthe wester tip of the island, three times a week.Another steamer, owned by the Rathbum LumberCompany of Deseronto, named the “Leitha” also madeAmherst Island a regular port of call. Mrs. Kearney was the former Marion McGinn,whose father came to Canada from Ireland. On hermother’s side, she is a descendant of John Wemple,now abbreviated to “Wemp” who was the fist whitechild born in Kingston. She has resided on the islandfor all of her 62 years. Mrs. Kearney and her husband live with a son,Gerald, on their 260-acre farm. Their home was builtwell over one hundred years ago, and in it Mr. andMrs. Kearney have raised their family of 12 children. At one time, more than 1,000 people resided on theisland, but today most of the young people have goneto the mainland to make their livelihood. There aresome 73 active farmers on Amherst Island today, andthe population has dropped to less than 500. Amherst Island is steeped in early history of theopening up of Upper Canada. United Empire Loyalistssettled there following the American Revolution, andthe first transfer of title to a settler is recorded in 1803.Around 1670, Sieur de la Salle, with his Frenchcompanions and Indian guides, explored the island andclaimed it for his own. He gave it the name “IsleTonti”, in honor of one of his officers. Previously, ithad been called “Kaounesgo” by the Indians, its firstinhabitants, which meant “the drowned island”, for alarge swamp and lake are on the island. Governor John Graves Simcoe, during his term inoffice, changed the name to Amherst Island, in honorof Lord Amherst who led British troops against theFrench fortress of Louisbourg, on Cape Breton. Amherst Island was the home of the renownedCanadian artist, Daniel Fowler, R.C.A., who died in1894. His beautiful home, “The Cedars” which hebuilt, overlooking the entrance to the Bay of Quinte hasbeen visited by hundreds of people. Amherst Islandalso boasts of another residence, said to be unique inCanada. It is “Scott’s Mud-House”, built over ahundred years ago, with earthen walls three feet thick,which still stands

{Page 9}

today, although one part has fallen into disrepair. Others who took part in the recent commissioningceremonies were Hon. W.M. Nickle, Q.C., ProvincialSecretary for the Province of Ontario, representing theHon. James N. Allan, Ontario Minister of Highways,and Canon W. Williston, of St. Alban’s Church, Stella.

Following the commissioning, a banquet was served atVictoria Hall, put on by the ladies of the community.Among those present were Francis T. Welbanks,Clerk, Amherst Township; L.R. Neilson, Treasurer; H.Filson, Road Superintendent; Councillors MaxBeaubien, James Eves, Ross McKee and ErnestFleming. Women’s Institute members present some attiredin costumes of the “gay nineties” period, were Mrs.W.A. Smith, Odessa; Mrs. Marshall Glenn, President,Amherst Island Women’s Institute; Mrs. Fred Perry,Napanee, President of Lennox County District Women’s Institute; Mrs. D.A. Miller, Stella; Mrs.William Coulson, Mrs Garnet MacDonald. R.W. Sutton, manager of Kingston Shipyards,where the ferry was built, and Mrs. Sutton, Mrs.Nickle, and J. Gilmore, Montreal, architect, alsoattended.*****

EFR Team Members and Firefighters wanted forAmherst Island

Loyalist Township Emergency Services, AmherstIsland Station, is in need of interested people to servetheir community in time of need. For more information,just show up at one of the meetings:EFR: Thursdays, June 21 or July 19, 7:30 PM Fire: Mondays, May 28, June 11 & 25, July 9 & 23, 7PM Interested parties should be year-round islandresidents who can attend training sessions. TheTownship pays each member a generous hourly rate of$17.06, an amount that could easily reach over onethousand dollars per year just for attending trainingsessions. We have recently experienced shortages inthe daytime, and could especially use members who arearound during that time. Your neighbours aredepending on you.Questions? Wayne Calver or Fred Stephenson at 384-3762*****

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the FirstResponse Team and Fire Fighters for their efforts onBill’s behalf when he fell Friday May 4th. A veryspecial Thank You to Danny Wolfreys who stopped inwhen he saw Bill on the ground injured, and got himinto our wheelchair. A special thank you to our daughter Diane and ourson Dave who helped us in many ways. Diane at thehouse and Dave at the hospital and they transported ushome again. Thanks to all who enquired in person or by phone

about Bill’s condition and expressed their concern. Theparamedics who came with the ambulance, the boatcrews, the emergency doctors, nurses and staff alldeserve credit and thanks too. They were efficient andcaring. Bill & Helen Bulch & family*****

{Page 10}

Your article or picture could have been here!*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: June 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 281}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 281 June/July 2001




Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail: [email protected] Ackerman General Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 andTom Richmond

Printed AtKwik Kopy Printing655 Arlington Park Place

CreditsWord Perfect Office 2000ArcSoft ImagingAdobe PageMakerAdobe PhotoShop

Production For June/July300 Copies*****

This IssueIan Murray The Beacon is now coming out closer to the end ofthe month so we have decided to call this issue June /July with the next issue labeled August. The Issuenumbers will continue to be in order and subscriptionswill continue to be for 12 issues. The margin size last month was too large whichresulted in smaller print than usual. That seems to havebeen the only technical problem resulting in our e-mailing the Beacon to the printer. We’ll do our best tocorrect that problem. Its great to have more material for the Beacon thismonth than usual. I had been planning an article ondairy farming and milk quota but I can, in goodconscience, put it off for now.*****

Waterside Series Emerges As Community EffortSummer Series Committee The Waterside Summer Series of musicalperformances, now in its eighth season, is emerging asa community effort. The Series was started by LynFleming, Dave and Diane Hieatt, Dick Shurtleff, JanSneep and Caroline Yull to generate funds for St.Alban’s Church. The current organizing committee,chaired by Island pianist Inka Brockhausen, hasenlarged its membership and restated its goals. The main aim of the expanded committee is toprovide high quality music and entertainment atreasonable cost for well as for visitors. The bulk of theproceeds from ticket sales and financial support fromsponsors will be dedicated to improving programquality.

As part of the community involvement, and toaccommodate larger audiences, St. Paul’s Church isincluded as a location for the 2001 season. Under thenew structure, rental agreements have been establishedwith both churches. Together with Inka Brockhausen, members of theorganizing committee are Kirsten Bennick, BruceBurnett, Andrea Cross, Beth Forester, Janet Grace,Dave and Diane Hieatt, Michael and Bobbi Shaw,JohnSchutzbach, Dick Shurtleff and Jan Sneep. Sponsors for the 2001 season are: the AmherstWildlife Foundation; Bath Food Town; BombardierTransportation; Classic Video; Dave Hieatt - RoyalLePage Pro Alliance Realty; Garfalo BrosConstruction Limited; Glenn Lasher Home ComfortService; Janet Grace - Royal LePage Pro AllianceRealty; GuardianAmherstview Drugs; LaFarge Canada Inc.;MacDonald, Porter, Drees - Barristers and Solicitors;Meriton International; Nut Island Club; MarcRaymond Opticians; Thomas A. Richmond -Electrician; Royal Bank Financial Services; CarolynMcintyre Smythe - Royal LePage Real Estate, J & DDivision; Stradwick

{Page 2}

Carpet One; and, Triheat-Anglin Energy SupplyCompany. All concerts this summer are on Saturdays andbegin at 7:30 p.m. Included are Swing Jazz at St.Paul’s on July 14, Wassermusik at St. Alban’s on July28, Ceili, blues and folk at St. Paul’s on August 11,and bluegrass and humour on August 25 at St.Alban’s. Tickets at $12 per performance can be ordered bycalling Ian Sneep at 634-1255.*****

Article on AIMPeter Trueman More than 30 Amherst Island men held anenthusiastic inaugural meeting for a new communityorganization at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church Hall,Saturday AM, June 8. The purpose of the new group is:1. to be of service to Amherst islanders, particularlyyounger and older people, and to raise funds forworthy island projects; and2. to promote fellowship among island men, and toentertain and educate themselves in the process. The group will be called Amherst Island Men, AIMfor short.

AIM came into being because several peoplerealized there were island needs that were not beingmet, and that although island women have severalworthy organizations they can join to mingle withothers of their sex and serve the community, there wasno such opportunity for men. The organizers noticed that apart from the usualagencies, whose assistance is limited, no one wasgiving relief to full-time caregivers who are rarely ableto leave their ill or elderly charges to shop, meetfriends for a meal or a movie, or just have a change ofscenery. It had also come to their attention that theisland no longer has a meals-on-wheels program, andthat if there is a need, AIM might be instrumental in itsrevival. Several other possibilities were discussed at theorganizational meeting, including the setting up ofmedical, shopping and entertainment trips to themainland for elderly and other shut-ins; as well asraising funds for needy people and youth scholarships. Other ideas included assisting the teachers at theschool, and working with young people generally;island history projects; yard work and minor repairsfor those who cannot manage these things themselves;and larger long-term projects, perhaps some dayincluding “habitat” type house construction for thosefinding home-ownership beyond them. Those attending the meeting were asked to put onpaper the kind of endeavour they would be ready toundertake, and the wide range of skills they listed wasextremely gratifying to the organizers. The categoriesof effort for which the first 31 members volunteeredincluded the following: Relieving care-givers, companionship,driving/transportation, school help, meal delivery,sailing, communications, repairs, building, estate care,recreation (boats), kids’ workshop on science, book-binding, labour, yard work, tutoring; transportationinto town, planning, fund-raising, getting speakers, potlucks, working, island history, design detailing,construction, flyer delivery, plumbing, carpentry,garden, work with tractor and front-end loader,“anything” and “whatever”. The first meeting took place over a pancake andsausage breakfast prepared by Allan Glenn, John Kutiand Hugh Jenney, and the cooks were given a round ofapplause. Monthly meetings will not always involve ameal, or take place on weekends, and may sometimesbe scheduled for weekday evenings, with interestingspeakers. Some other meetings may be devoted almostentirely to the planning of various community projectsand services. A committee consisting of Clinton Kilpatrick, AllanGlenn, Paul Henshaw and Jim Whitton will consider

projects and a variety of chores that AIM shouldundertake, and will recommend ways of making theseservices available to islanders who need them. Thecommittee will be reporting its findings to the secondbreakfast meeting on Saturday July 7 at 8 a.m., also atSt. Paul’s Church Hall. Anyone who missed the first meeting and whowould be interested in joining AIM should call one ofthe cooks who volunteered for the second meeting -Ken Albertan, Gian Frontini or Paul Henshaw - andtell them they’re planning to attend so that enough foodwill be purchased to feed everyone. The cost is $5.00 per meal, and there is a $5.00membership fee for the first six months. AIM ismaking an attempt to reach decisions by consensusrather than by majority votes, and will have no electedexecutive. To begin with, chairmen and secretary-treasurers will volunteer for each monthly meeting. Themeeting recognized that at some point it may benecessary to chose a long-term treasurer to handlefinances and banking. Zander Dunn will chair the second meeting on July7. Peter Trueman and Paul Henshaw will share thesecretary-treasurer’s chores.*****

Canada Day Parade Parade starts at 7:00 p.m. (St.Alban’s) be there by 6:30 p.m. if you are taking part inthe Parade Fireworks at dark*****

{Page 3}

NeighbourhoodLyn Fleming Get well wishes this month to Dave Willard, who ishome again following a stay in hospital: to KayeMcGinn, who has also been in hospital this month, andto Ardis Shurtleff who was in hospital. We wish youall a speedy recovery. My favourite part of this column, is the new babynews, and there are 3 this month! Congratulations toAlex and Debbie Scott and daughter Rachel on the newaddition to their family. Rebecca Dawn was born onMay 28, weighing 9 lbs 11 oz. She is anothergranddaughter for Syke Fleming and Janet Scott, andanother great granddaughter for Pete Wittiveen andErnest Fleming. Councillor Duncan and Kim Ashleywelcomed Gavin’s baby sister into the world on June 7.Megan Emma weighed 6 lbs 9 oz. She is anothergranddaughter for Hans and Hazel deHaan.Congratulations to Ross and Sally Wilson on the birthof their 6th grandchild. Tyler Stewart Wilson was born

on March 30 to Michael and Jacqui Wilson, in Boston,Mass. Ross and Sally will be travelling to Boston inJuly for Tyler’s christening. Leslie Gavlas travelled to Nova Scotia recently tospend a couple of weeks with her son John and hisfamily. Condolences to Helen Caughey, Alan Caughey,Beth Forester and Bruce Caughey and familiesfollowing the passing of their husband and father, A.Bruce Caughey in May. Also to the family of long timesummer resident Earl Smith, who passed away thismonth. Sympathy to Bonnie Caughey and family onthe sudden passing of her sister in law. Late May was a busy social time for many ThePCW held a Ham Dinner which was well attended. Thequilt that some of the ladies had been working on andselling tickets on was raffled off after dinner. The Amherst Island Rec. Association held theirannual Spring Dance and Fish Fry. The fish dinner hasearned quite a reputation and was sold out. Congratulations to this year’s graduates. Gradeeight graduates from A.I.P.S. are Whitney Fleming,Geoffrey McDonald and Chris Reed. All will beattending NDSS in the fall. Graduating from MountCarmel, is Alicia Wolfreys, who will attend HolyCross in the fall. High School grads this year are HelenBell-Smith, Ryan McGinn, Kyle Murray and ShawnaPhillips, from NDSS and Tamson McDonald fromErnestown. Congratulations to OAS grads BonnieMarshall and Sarah Pollock, also from NDSS.Graduating from St. Lawrence College were DougGavlas and Tyler Hutchings. Also, congratulations to Shawna Philips and herdate, Rob McFarlane (son of Gord, the milk tester),who were voted queen and king at the NDSS prom. Summer is finally here, we’ve already had somehot, muggy days, we welcome back our summerpeople, and best of all, the Back Kitchen is open again!*****

Allen Caughey InterviewIan Murray I phoned Allen to follow up on the Whig articleabout his retiring from judging horse races: “Caugheyquits horsing around”, June 22, by Doug Graham. Just about the first thing Allen said was that DougGraham had been a grade 8 student of his when hetaught school and that Doug has often contacted himwhen doing horse racing articles. (Doug is married tothe daughter of Reverend Lindsay and Jean McIntyre.) The uncle who took 5-year old Allen to his firsthorse race was Art Drumgoole. From the time he wasseven, Allen has spent as much time around horses andhorsemen as possible.

I reminded Allen that some time ago - at least 10,maybe 15, years ago - he told me that he wasconcerned that casinos and lotteries would seriouslyweaken horse racing in Ontario. He said that theOntario Government’s decision to locate casinos atrace tracks and to direct some of the casino profits intoracing purses has been very good for horse racing. Andgood for the local municipal tax payers as some of theprofits also go there: Allen said that Milton, whereMohawk Raceway is located receives about $10million a year. The Whig quoted Allen as saying he’d like to havea colt to train. That plus his 30 beef cows andcontinuing part time work with the racing commissionshould keep him active for years to come.*****

Women’s Institutes:What Are They?What Do They Do?Nancy Dunn The Women’s Institute (WI) was formed in 1897 inStoney Creek, Ontario. Adelaide Hoodless and JanetErland Lee were instrumental in organizing the firstbranch. WI’s initial purpose was to improve theconditions of life for rural women through thepromotion of domestic science education. Theirmandate was soon expanded to include self-improvement, government lobbying, and communitybetterment. In 1919 the Federated Women’s Institutesof Ontario (FWIO) was organized to give women astronger voice by working together as a united group.In the same year, the Federated Women’s Institutes ofCanada (FW1C) was formed to coordinate the work ofthe provincial organizations. A member of a local branch is part of aninternational network of women who believe that peaceand progress can best be advanced by friendship andunderstanding through communication. Theinternational federation is known as ACWW -Associated Country Women of the World. Their recenttriennial gathering was held in Hamilton and wasattended by current Amherst Island Women’s Institutepresident, Nancy Henshaw. She was thrilled to be partof a 900-strong meeting

{Page 4}

of women of diverse backgrounds with a commonpurpose. In November 2000, the AIWI celebrated its 100thanniversary with a festive party at the communitycentre. Among its projects last year were the annualChristmas dinner for Island seniors and the publication

of an Island telephone directory. A previous directory,sponsored by the First Response Team six or moreyears ago was rapidly becoming dated to say nothingof dog-eared. The new one took many months ofslogging to complete and distribute. All membershelped but the bulk of the leg work (mouth, arm andear work?) was done by Jackie Sylvester and NancyHenshaw with the invaluable and considerableassistance of Tom Richmond and his computer.Besides being a useful tool this directory will, we hope,be a souvenir keepsake of the millennium and our100th anniversary. There are still a goodly number atthe store @ $6 each. Since they include addresses theyare useful to have in the car too - buy two or three! New members and interested guests are alwayswelcome at our meetings which are usually held on the3rd Wed. of each month. Pres. Nancy Henshaw or Sec.Mary Kay Steel will be glad to give details and/or sendout brochures of our year’s program. Look for us inthe Canada Day parade too!*****

Women’s Institute May MeetingNancy Dunn Several delicious desserts were offered by MarianGlenn to begin the May 17th meeting of the A.I.Women’s Institute at her Bath home. Nine memberswere present. The acting secretary read the previousmeeting’s minutes and announced that there are now17 members in the group. Program pamphlets for the2001-2002 year were distributed, indicating a variedand interesting season ahead. A “float” committee wasformed to plan participation in the Canada Day parade. Anna Hitchins reported on the District Annualmeeting held in Odessa on May 9 with 25 delegatesand 23 visitors in attendance. The district has 13 clubsand a total of 220 members. Amherst Island’s branchhad the biggest increase in membership last year. Thelocal branch is one of four sponsoring the July/Augustedition of the Seniors Outreach Services (S.O.S.)newsletter, a publication of Lennox and AddingtonCounty. It was announced that a Country Festscheduled for Sept. 29 is in doubt because of the Hoofand Mouth disease. Unfortunately the evening’s program, an outline of4-H clubs and what our two Island groups have beendoing and are about to do, had to be postponed. TheIslanders caught an early boat home in spite ofMarian’s offer of more-food, drinks and an opportunityto visit! The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Wed.June 20th at the meeting room behind the ferry officewhere we are pleased to have been given permission tohang some of the Institute’s plaques and historical

items. Venues for subsequent meetings will varybetween members’ homes, the ferry office board roomand St. Paul’s Church. On the July meeting date (18th)an outing to Wellesley Island is scheduled.*****

The Census (1852)Vera Hogeboom Now that we have dispensed with and forgotten theCensus for a few more years I found his old copyinteresting. In 1852 the population of Amherst Island listed1287 residents. The denomination of the residents was listed as:Church of England 384Roman Catholics 359Presbyterian Church of Canada 454Methodists 55Unitarians 8Mormons 1 By 1901 the population was 821 and by 1971 haddeclined to 367.*****

The Amherst Islander of CollingwoodPostscriptSally Bowen from Ralph Morrow The first ferry purchased by Council in 1928traveled between Stella and Millhaven five days aweek, closing down at 6 pm. On Tuesdays andFridays, it traveled Stella - Millhaven - Emerald -Millhaven - Stella - Kingston. Stores would delivergoods purchased to the dock for pickup. Carl Morrow, Ralph’s brother, said he took thephoto (printed in last month’s Beacon) at the head ofHowe Island. The ferry was taken there when it was nolonger needed, and went to pieces there.*****

News from Amherst Island Public SchoolCathy Donaldson It has been a busy and productive year at A.I.P.S.As the year ends, and the staff and students reflect onthe many experiences we have had, we realize that wehave shared may interesting and exciting learningexperiences. Our students participated in the Terry Fox Run heldat Bath in September, presented a Remembrance Dayceremony on November 10, and a Christmascelebration in December. Through the winter months,they participated in intramural sports, the Polar BearOlympics, and the School Board Assessment forGrades 2, 5, and 8. We also enjoyed some delicious hotlunches provided by people in our community.

In the spring, our school presented a musical called

{Page 5}

Clowns in which our students refined their “clowningaround” skills. A.I.P.S. did very well in track and fieldevents held in Bath and at Richardson Stadium. Ourgrades 3 and 6 students participated in the Grade 3 and6 Provincial Assessment. We also raised money forheart and stroke research through our Jump Rope forHeart Day and held a luncheon to thank our manywonderful volunteers. Through all three terms, our students have workedhard all year to develop their academic abilities andlearning skills. We have enjoyed many field trips tohistorical sights, theatrical presentations, science andsports events. We appreciate the contributions ofI.S.L.E. and our volunteers who have made these tripspossible. Each month, we have had RecognitionAssemblies to acknowledge the good work andcitizenship of our students. We have had an ongoingprogram called “Choices in Action” through which wehave had visitors to the school who describe their jobsand explain the kinds of training they took to be able todo their jobs. We have had many improvements to our schoolbuilding this year. The halls were freshly painted and anew floor was laid in the entrance. We have newheating and water filtration systems, new blinds in thelibrary and senior room and new computers which arehooked up to the Internet. On Tuesday, June 26 we will have our graduationceremony for our three graduates who are leaving us toattend Napanee District Secondary School next year.We are proud of their accomplishments and will be sadto see them leave. The staff and students at AIPS have had an actionpacked and enriching year and express appreciation toall who have participated with us.*****

Congratulations Bonnie Marshall and Sara Pollock on theirgraduation from OAC and their Ontario ScholarStanding. Sara will be going to the University of Ottawamajoring in Marketing. Bonnie will be attending YorkUniversity in Toronto, studying Film. I think we should also take our hats off to our veryown Amherst Island Public School. The excellenteducation they received there provided them with asound base for their future success. Best Wishes. Dianne Marshall

*****

When the tall ships were threatening our 1812 Batteryby Thomas Sylvester The sheltering ice of December 1812 barely camesoon enough for our humbled fleet cowering inKingston Harbour. November 10, 1812 the US Navyattacked and boldly chased our flagship the RoyalGeorge into Kingston Harbour. They burntmerchantship Two Brothers in the port of Ernestownand nearly seized merchantship Governor Simcoe eastof Amherst Bar. South of the Upper Gap, the USsubsequently captured merchantship Elizabeth whichhad been under escort by the only other Canadiangunship Earl of Moira. By late November, our army and the civilians atNiagara were anxious for military stores and clothing.However, these crucial provisions were beingblockaded in Kingston; a convoy of the Royal George,the Earl of Moira and a schooner failed at fourattempts to sail out of Kingston. The US had asquadron of four ships cruising between the Ducks andKingston in order to intercept everything passing inand out of the port. The sailing season concluded with the US Navycommanding Lake Ontario. Clearly, our ships alonewere not going to save the colony and Amherst Islandoccupied a central position within this naval theatre.Indeed, the marauding American fleet would have beenvisible from the Island’s south shore. The strategic contribution of the Island was thecontrol of the Upper Gap, the water feature at thewestern end of the Island that links the sheltered Bay ofQuinte to Lake Ontario proper. The Island shore is asix metre limestone cliff that overlooks the gap.Further, the apparent expanse of the gap is deceptive,the sailing channel is restricted to 700 metrescontiguous to the cliff. The gap was the refuge of theRoyal George from the pursuing American fleet Nov 9,1812. The Island Battery wa at ng Amerle

levefTd(vis)Tj1f w 0 Td(l th)Tj1hi36 0 Td(at)Tjch6 0 Td0yal1eattivpahor rgeodd George18g inT w - 1 9 2 . 6 6 . 3 6 6 0 T d ( 5 t o t ) T j 2 1 n 4 8 r m T d ( f 4 8 ( e c ) T j 1 n . 1 6 0 b r o w 0 T d ( n 6 0 T , 8 8 . 8 8 0 T 6 U S N ) T j 1 2 . 1 2 0 T d ( a r ) T j 6 4 l y 5 6 0 T d ( e s ) T j - 0 . 1 8 T c 9 0 . 4 8 T w - 1 9 2 . 6 6 . q u i o l o n c o n c T d ( 6 T d ( a r ) T j - 1 3 . a 0 T d ( e 5 s l a ) T j 4 9 . 9 a t w e l v e - p T d ( c o 6 T d ( l i f ) T j - 1 3 r c T d ( t h ( u d i ) T j 1 3 n . 0 4 . 4 8 0 T o 8 1 2 . ) T j 0 . 3 T 1 9 d d ( T j - 1 9 9 . 3 8 - a s j - 2 0 6 . 5 6 0 T d s 9 . 1 4 T d T d ( 0 0 ) T j 1 a n n 0 T d ( r e s ) T j e d . 2 0 T d ( v e ) T j b y 4 0 T d ( r g e ) T j 1 3 . 3 2 0 T d ( l e ) T j i 3 2 0 T d d ( t i v ) T j 1 1 r 6 0 T d ( t i v ) T j 1 - 1 0 T d ( s t o n ) T a l . 7 6 0 T d ’ s ) T j 1 r t i l 6 0 T T d ( m e ) T j 1 8 . 3 2 0 T d ( l e ) T j . 8 4 0 T d ( r l o o ) T j 1 r l o d ( o d d d ( a r ) T j c a l 6 0 T T d ( m e ) T j 1 M i l 6 0 T d ’ s ) T j 1 i t i 1 2 0 T d ( a r ) T j a 4 . 4 0 T d ( e . ) T j - 0 . 1 8 T 2 2 6 . 4 8 T w - 1 9 2 . 6 6 2 T D 1 8 3 0 T d ( ( m e ) T j 1 O l . 9 2 d ( f t h a t o ) T j t k s t h e d d G e o ) T j 2 y 1 8 4 - a s j - 2 3 0 m e ) T j 1 n o t o n . 0 4 N a 1 3 . 2 0 6 ( a t ) T j l y ) T t h e d 9 T d ( l e ) T j v e y s 6 0 T d T d ( a p . ) T j - 0 . 3 T c 8 ( R o ( T j - 1 9 9 . 3 8 1 8 4 T d T d ( 0 0 ) T j 1 2 . 5 2 0 T d ( 0 0 ) T j 1 1 a 5 6 0 T d a t o ) T j d 0 T d T d ( s t G e o ) T j 2 i n u 4 0 T d ( r g e ) T j 1 e 0 T d ( n d ( e f r ) T j 1 4 4 8 p T d ( s t G e o ) T j 2 l o t 6 0 T d ( t i v ) T j 1 t o n a 0 T d ( k s t h ) T j 2 6 8 0 T d T d ( e c ) T j 1 n D 1 8 3 0 T d T d a t o ) T j H 0 4 0 T d ( 1 e a t ) T j 1 t 5 . 6 0 T d ( e c ) T j 1 1 6 S 0 T d ( 2 2 s ) T j 1 i t e 1 8 4 2 8 0 T T d 8 2 T w - 1 9 8 . 4 2 . 0 4 6 0 T d ( 5 t o t ) T j o p o 0 T d ( t e x ) T j 1 g 9 . 2 0 T 1 e g ) T j 1 2 . 0 8 0 T d ( p a ) T j 1 h 1 6 m T d ( t h e g a ) T j 2 9 s . 2 0 T d ( v e ) T j . T d ( o T d ( l i f ) T j t 1 8 2 . 6 0 T ( m e ) T j 1 2 9 6 0 T d a n f ) T j 2 h T d ( c o d ( t e x ) T j 1 g h t 4 0 T d ( r g e ) T j 1 . 3 6 ( c o d ( a n f ) T j 2 t D 6 0 T d p a s ) T j 1 9 a 5 6 0 T d a n f ) T j 2 i 3 2 F t h e d 9 T d ( l e ) T j o w l s t h e ( 1 8 g i n ) T j 3 . 1 8 T 2 0 7 d ( l T w - 1 9 8 . 4 2 p a i n t o n - 1 3 . e t t . 9 2 ; h . 6 8 d a u 8 8 0 T 6 U d ( a t ) T j g h t 1 r M r 0 T d 3 T 6 y w a ) T j 3 y A n n i e C h r i s t i e 0 T o 8 1 2 . ) T j 0 . 3 T 1 5 4 . 8 T w - 1 9 2 . 6 6 6 8 0 T d d ( r l o o ) T j 1 a n 1 6 0 T d d ( l e ) T j i c 3 2 0 T ( r g e ) T j 1 i s e 6 0 T d 7 t o0 0a rl et i v m e v e t i v

l e a t a p . 5toTw -192.66 -13.I fird(f that o)Tjst32 0 Td(le)Tj 76c(cod(t ex)Tj1ogniz0 Td(e5sla)Tj4 on -13Bd( pursuin)Tj3at36 0 Td(at)Tjks the d1e5sla)Tj4y in 10 Td( (me)Tj19652 0 Td(00)Tj19.0 Td8(hor)Tj(he c Td(ve)Tj-13ea Td(s td(at)Tjkhen2 Td(18(e.)Tj-0.18 T2w -8(Tj-199.38 mou9.9.68discs the 6 Td(at)Tjnab 0 Td(d(ve)Tjln 6over onin Junips the 89rsuin)Tj3, C0 TdTdat o)Tjeda Td(Td(me)Tj1 .48 0 T of the)Tj0.06 T20( (Tw -192.66 P2.7k.2 Td(Royal)Tj2y.76 0 Td(g A)Tj1sh. Tt0 Td(ric(pa)Tj1r Tds 26d( pursuin)Tj3 m6 0 Td( res)Tj15e0 wTd(s t(le)Tji32 0 Td(l th)Tj18.14 Td (5to t)Tj04 e(cod(t ex)Tj1 fla56 0 T9T(rge)Tj1ks,2 Td(18(e.)Tj-0.18 T2w4(5toTw -192.66 maximum p Td(55T(rge)Tj1ofiln 21.04 es.0 Td61Royal)Tj25Tt004 0 Td9T(rge)Tj1 nown.0416 0brink0 Td(efuge o(e .)T- of thw 1Td e69 T()Tjcl32 0 T(rge)Tj1if.6 0 T(vis)Tj1f, l6 0 TTd(e c)Tj11k36 0 Td(at)Tjefuge4(5to t)Tjly56 0 Td(at)Tj to 0 Tdd(tiv)Tj1 cTd(fTd9to t)Tjll6 0 ursuin)Tj3apse6 0 T9Td(le)Tj1a56 0 Tdat o)Tjd d6 0 Tdd(le)Tjis32 0 Te g)Tj12.pe0 Td(k6y wa)Tjar i52 0 d Geo)Tj2nt0 Td8(hor)Tjo.14 Td (an f)Tj2efuge4(5to t)Tjm56 0 Td(at)Tjo9.2 0 T1e g)Tj1y56 0 Tdg in)Tj3.18 T2Td(lTw -198.42 conin a c64 ury.0 Td7dat o)Tj I0416 0m0 Td3 T6y wa)Tjean1ime, it 76mains416 0only56 0 Td(es)Tj-0.18 Tcdd8(lTw -198.421814 Td (5to t)Tj2 Wa0 Td(esuin)Tj3r h.66 0 T9Teat)Tj1t5.6 0 Td(e c)Tj116 sit0 Td(ks th)Tj2e conin Le3n.x & Add.92ton2 Td(1f the)Tj(e .8 T92T6y Tw -198.42Cou9ty.5Tt004 a nat36 07d(me)Tj1ional.sit1 32 04(me)Tj1(our nationhoTd(f63(g A)Tj1on.0c0 Td(e5sla)Tj4 fuge the)Tj8.06 T208.48 Tw -198.42d1.2 0 Td(ve)Tjpe48 0 T(k6y wa)Tjed.2 0 Td(ve)Tj .044 Td (an f)Tj2it). 0 T of the)Tj0.06 T56T6y Tw -192.66 -13.T(efuge that o)Tj Isla56 0 2g A)Tj1onBatksfuge that o)Tj.8 04 pTd(s7.(pa)Tj1r te(cod((ar)Tjcte(cod2T(vis)Tj1d by4 0 T89to t)Tj Topsy Farm0 Td5 t(le)Tjs,2 Td o(e .)T- of thw TTd�y Tw -198.42whd(fTd9to t)Tjo .6 0 Td f)Tj2efuge4(5to t)Tjfu.2 0 T1e g)Tj1se6 0 8ks th)Tj268 c0 Tdd((00)Tj1ced(oTd(lif)Tjss. 0 Td((00)Tj1T(efuged(22s)Tj1ir 6 0 T(at)Tjli6 0 ursuin)Tj331.2 0 Td(ve)Tjli6 0 ursuin)Tj3ho08 0 Td5to t)Tjod08 0 Td5to t)Tj1a56 0 Tdat o)Tjd l52 0 Td(00)Tj1iv36 0 Td(at)Tjefuge4(5to t)TjstTd(fTd(me)Tj1ck08 0 Tdt ex)Tj1 a e(co d(ap.)Tj-0.3 T2d(9toTw -192.66 th.6 0 Td(e c)Tj1eat36 0Td(me)Tj1ened by4 0 33d(lif)Tjn -13.0 Td(ee ga)Tj296c(cod(e fr)Tj1t the 6.9th)Tj2e TdHTd(s7.1e g)Tj1o Td&2 Td(R(rge)Tj1 MTd(co(e5sla)Tj432 D6 0 T9Teat)Tj1iseafuged(22s)Tj1se,2 Td(18(e.)Tj-0.18 T2w5.4toTw -192.66 .48 .6 0 22(an f)Tj2equire t the 3 T(vis)Tj1anqui6 0 2g A)Tj1l p (cod(an f)Tj2stud(fTd9to t)Tj5e0 f6 0 T9Teat)Tj1or p (co22(5to t)Tjstud(fTd9to t)Tj5.92 ewes.(he c5(ve)Tj-1(co d(ap.)Tj-0.3 T2(k7y Tw -198.42ba08 0 Td5to t)Tjttthe 6.(e c)Tj1ery6 0 Td(rge)Tj1 04 b4 0 T8(vis)Tj1est6 0 Td f)Tj2 viewed (ofuge4(e fr)Tj1r i52 0 T(at)Tjmagi6 0 21d(lif)Tjned)0 Td(r5hat o)Tj.o.2 0 T1e g)Tj1mn -13wa08 03 T(at)Tjks the of the)Tj0.06 T2 Td72 Tw -198.42aft1r all6 0 33(g A)Tj1, gla56 0 2g.(e c)Tj1cind(fTd9to t)Tjg 56 0 Tdd(le)Tj7rv6 0 Td(rge)Tj1ousl52 0 rge)Tj1y up to 0 T30(vis)Tj1wards h6 0 34(an f)Tj2osti 0 Td( res)Tjle32 0 Td(le)Tj1gun4 0 T89to t)Tjs.0 Td the)Tj8.06 T222(9toTw -2)Tj1(44N 0 Td03 N, 76N 48.352 0 T(esuin)Tj393 W)(co d4g in)Tj54.18 Tcd(esoTw -2)Tj1*****the of the)Tj0.06 0 T2(a4.1D({Page0 Td t(le)Tj 6}2 Td(18(e.)Tj-0.18 T2 t(T2 t()TjJad(oTd(lif)Tjnet18 2s J0 Td8(t ex)Tj1ott.92.0 Td-3 Td(Tw -2)Tj1Tr08 0 Tdvis)Tj1ee0 by Ha32 04(.9th)Tj2rr32 0 T(rge)Tj1y Behn2 Td(1(e .)Td4g i8 T61R38 T2(a4.1j1Tr08 0 Tdvis)Tj1ee0 a Td(s5-192h)Tj2e -13kindest6 0 5(ve)Tj onin2.0 Td29ee ga)Tj2 I know;56 0 Td(es)Tj-0.18 Tcd898oTw -192.66 T(ey do no ha Td(6(at)Tjm, -1y.simply gr32 0 (t ex)Tj1owthe of the)Tj0.06 T14(.02(T2 t()TjAnd(fTd9to t)Tjd spre0 Td t(le)Tjad a shad08 04Td(00)Tj1e f6 0 TTd(00)Tj1or sle32 0(esuin)Tj3epy 0 Td((lif)Tjncowthe (k6y wa)Tjs,2 Td15thatTw -2)Tj1And(fTd9to t)Tjd g6 0 Tdd(le)Tja(efuge1 fr)Tj1r birds amfuge4(6y wa)Tjon2 Td Td5to t)Tjg -4 Td (5to t)Tjei32 0 Td(le)Tjr boug0 Td8(an f)Tj2hs.0 Td Td(es)Tj-0.18 Tc51RoyaT2(a4.1j1T-1y.give u0 f Td(6(at)Tjuit in leafuge3 Toyal)Tj2ve0 abTd(s7.(pa)Tj1ov fuge the)Tj8.06 T1 th52oTw -192.66 A48 0 Td8(e c)Tj1 wo 0 Td((g A)Tj1od to 0 T21Td(ve)Tj makeTd(s5-oyal)Tj25our ho 0 T309to t)Tjuse0 of,2 Td(18(e.)Tj-0.18 T1Td8(T2 t()TjAnd leave0 to bud(f7d9to t)Tj5n .04Ha32 038(hor)Tjllowe18 2en,2 Td111d(lTw -2)Tj1And in -13.p Td(61T(rge)Tj1.92 new bud0 of gr32 081T1e g)Tj1een. 0 T of the)Tj0.06 T14(.8aT2(a4.1j1T-1y(co22(t ex)Tj1 a e (efuge32Td(at)Tj first wthe that o)Tjh1.2 0 Td(ve)Tjn d6 0 Tdd(le)Tjay18 2s bsfuge that o)Tjgun4 0 (18(e.)Tj-0.18 T13 T8(lTw -2)Tj1To t 0 Td8(e c)Tj1ouch -13beafuge54(me)Tj1m0 of morn.92 sun,2 Td7d9(T2 t()TjT-1y.a32 030o t)Tj5e -13la32 035d(00)Tj1st t6 0 Tdd(le)Tjo hold -13light 0 T o1g in)Tjf thw 7d"oTw -192.66 Wh1.2 0(kd(at)Tjn e(cod2T7yal)Tj2ve.2 0 Td(ve)Tjni36 0 Td(at)Tjng08 0 Td5to t)Tj1chd(fTd9to t)Tjang08 0 ( res)Tjes36 0 T8rge)Tj1 0n6 0 TTd(00)Tj1to n4 Td (5to t)Tjig36 0 Td(at)Tjht,2 Td(18(e.)Tj-0.18 T134(58(T2 t()TjAnd when a mo.044 Td81Tto t)Tjfloat36 0T9-oyal)Tj2s .04 -13.ky 0 T of the)Tj0.06 T101.4toTw -2.1j1T-1y(co22(t ex)Tj1 hum 0 T21Td(ve)Tj a drowthe 32Ts th)Tj26y l52 0 ((lif)Tjullaby 0 T o8(e.)Tj.06 T92Td(T2 t()TjOf3.0 Tdd87yal)Tj2le32 0 Td(le)Tjep08 0 Td0rge)Tj1y cd(fTd9to t)Tjhi36 0 Td(at)Tjld36 0 Td(at)Tjre56 0 Td(rge)Tj1 lo6 0 TTd(00)Tj1ng08 0 Td5to t)Tj1ago4 0 T8(vis)Tj1...0 Td Td(e .)Td4g i8 T1T9Te8(Tw -2)Tj1Tr08 0 Tdvis)Tj1ee0 a Td(s5-192h)Tj2e -13kindest6 0 5(ve)Tj onin2 Ifuge that o)Tj know.0 Td Td(es)Tj-0.18 Tc21T14aT2(a4.1j1 Las 0 T30(vis)Tj1t mon32 I3was 0 T59e5sla)Tj4 abTd(Tdd(le)Tjle to see -13generosity.a32 010(t ex)Tj148 0 T o8(e.)Tj.06 T209h52oTw -192.66 co08 0 Td0rge)Tj1op08 0 Tdvis)Tj1eraTd(Tdd(le)Tjtio6 0 TTd2 ex)Tj14 oTd(Tdd(le)Tjf a g36 0T9-(rge)Tj1rTd(co1(6y wa)Tjp oTd(Td(rge)Tj1f pe4 Td (5to t)Tjop08 0 Tdvis)Tj1le32 0 Td(le)Tj1doTd(Tdd(le)Tj0n6 0 Td(at)Tjg3.0 Tdd2(vis)Tj1omTd(Tdd(le)Tjet32 0 T(rge)Tj1hi36 0 Td(at)Tjng08 0 Td5to t)Tj1 -4 Td Td2 ex)Tj1at36 0- o1g in)Tj3.06 T227d(0Tw -192.66 will probabTd(49-oyal)Tj2ly nev0 Td td(at)Tj1r benefit -1m44 Td6 T(rge)Tj1but will certafuge57.(pa)Tj1inly h1.2 09ee ga)Tj2lp0 Td Td(es)Tj-0.18 T230(0Tw -192.66 -13next3generafuge65esuin)Tj3tion. 0 TT9-d(le)Tj1It t6 0 T( res)Tjake0 fa32 0307yal)Tj2i32 to p 0 T309to t)Tjla5t4 Td (3sla)Tj4 a t6 0 Tdoyal)Tj2ree and tfuge3 Td(le)Tjh1.2 0Td(e .)T-Tjf thw 2301 Tw -198.42abiTd(Tdd(le)TjliTd(5esuin)Tj3ty36 0 T(ve)Tj oo6 0 TTd2 ex)Tj1 trus36 0T9-(rge)Tj1t1 -4 Td 4t(le)Tjat sothe (k6y wa)Tjm36 0 Td(at)Tj1.2 04(5to t)Tjon2 Td Td5to t)Tj1.2 04(5to t)Tj e32 0 Td(le)Tjls32 0 T2o t)Tj1.2 04(5to t)Tj w2 Td Td5to t)TjilTd(5esuin)Tj3l w2 Td dd(le)Tjae(cod2T7yal)Tj2r an(cod7ee ga)Tj2d n2 Td dd(le)Tjurtd(co1rge)Tj1re0 Td Td3 .)Td48thw 231TtoTw -198.42thaTd(Tdd(le)Tjt tfuge9T1e g)Tj1ree athe (k8 ex)Tj148 enjoy36 036T7yalTdyalT7e5sla00leT(3sla)Tj4t tfuge9T1e ges

District voted to spend their tree money on AmherstIsland where Sparks, Brownies and Girl Guides andPathfinders have been meeting for the past 15 years.That’s when this ball started rolling. The motion waspassed on a Tuesday evening and the following FridayI was called and told that a Maple Tree had been foundin our price range at White Rose. I was working thatweekend and could not fit an 8 ft tree in my car so Icalled my Guiding partner Val Wolfreys who took onthe project. She called Donna Thompson whogenerously gave of her time and delivered the tree tothe Island. Noel McCormick and Dan Wolfreysdonated their time to dig a hole and plant our Maple.The Pathfinders, Guides and Brownies watered andLoved our tree and it looks like it is thriving. A greatmany people who may never see or enjoy our tree andsome very generous Islanders worked together andhave made one more step in repairing the ravages ofthat storm. We all thank-you for sharing your time.Thanks Donna and Richard, Val and Dan and Noel forhelping to make an idea happen.*****

Remembrances of Our “Dad”submitted by Beth Forester He was tall in structure - taller than both of mybrothers, Allen and Bruce - not as tall as his6'8"cousin, “Mac” Filson who was his Best Man whenhe and Helen Marshall were married on September 3,1938, in St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church. We neverstopped looking up to Dad - whether it was simply thathe was of the tallest in the crowd, or that we wereseeking more of the stored information - about so manythings, that made Allen Bruce Caughey the “Icon”, the“historian” the “legend”, the “greatest citizen”, towhich he has been referred, by so many since his deathon Thursday, May 17, 2001. Always a farmer, Dad was born on January 22,1910, in the same home in which he lived untilFebruary 1999, to his proud parents David Jr. (Dave)and Mary Agnes (Mm) Caughey (nee Filson) afterhaving lost their first son, Allen Filson Caughey todiabetes at the ages of six, having been born onJanuary 22, 1899. Dad spent five and one-half debilitating months inKingston General Hospital, where his ability to walk,even with the walker became impossible. Arthritis, hefelt, had finally taken it’s toll. He spent a week at St.Mary’s Hospital, in May, to try more intensephysiotherapy. It was his “Island” connection there,Maureen McGinn, who triggered to the fact that hiscondition had altered, recognizing a particularinfection, she prompted his being rushed back toK.G.H. where his condition remained uncertain for

several weeks. When a bed became available at HelenHenderson Care Centre, Amherstview, in July 1999, avery ailing man was transported by ambulance. Thestaff there, and family, agreed ...his days were perhaps“numbered”, as he struggled to swallow a few bites.However, as most readers know, Dad’s determinationtook over - he ate, he improved, he adjusted, he simplyhad another chapter to write, and so he did. He left hismark at H.H.C.C., having participated in every activityavailable, which included a bus tour of Amherst Island.He made many friends there, too, so very characteristicof him through out his entire life. Dad often spoke of his early years and of his familyvisiting around the Island - by spring wagon, by horseand sleigh or cutter, or travelling in their first car - a1918 “gleaming black” Ford Touring Car - Licenceplate number 95902 ( purchased from Vanluven Bros.through Arthur Kilpatrick, salesman). They werewelcomed into many homes and enjoyed many “SupperParties”. This tradition carries on as can be evidencewhen people enjoy the fine culinary abilities of both ofhis daughters-in-law, Bonnie and Susie, and indeed thistradition still flourishes in many Island families. Dadoften relayed tales of crossing on the ice - to dances inBath, for socializing with the Mainland friends andrelatives, as well in later years, of his sometimeshazardous trips, to the many meetings which hecontinually attended. The introduction to

{Page 7}

the Island for Jack, his then future son-in-law, was assmooth as 401, his passenger was somewhat lesscomfortable! As youngsters at home on the farm, all three of uswill fondly remember... walks with Dad through thefields to “fetch” the cows, swims at the Sand Beachafter chores with Dad tossing us from his shoulders,riding atop a load of loose hay while the team of horsesplodded carefully from the hay loader in the field,taking our turn driving the Ford Ferguson tractor whilethe horse fork transported that load to the haymow,being safely guided by Dad across the barnyard wherethe frightening bull lurked , being rescued from thegander, who also lived behind the barn and in closeproximity to the cornfield, taking a ride around theIsland while Dad stopped at each home to read themeter, sometimes assisting around the dining roomtable in sorting little long-distance telephone call slips,which was part of the billing process for the Secretary-Treasurer of the Amherst Island Telephone System,and evening trips to Stella where we hung out with ourfriends or watched the newest invention - the television- at Aunt Nessie and Artie’s, while Dad attended a

meeting of the Orange Lodge, Amherst Island SchoolBoard, a Church meeting or on occasion a Town Hallmeeting, and the pleasant summer drives home alongthe country road while both parents were instilling ourinterest in music through the many favourite oldieswhich they harmonized, while we “Debated” whowould get the middle seat in our 1950 Mercury - andwho would sit by the open window. In later years, Poppy enriched the lives of hisgra

father, and grandfather. Thanks to Rev. Zander Dunnfor his support and fine message, to Dick Dodds for hiscaring eulogy, and to the ladies of St. Paul’s P.C.W.for the lovely Reception following the service. Oursincere appreciation for the many contributions to St.Paul’s Memorial Fund, the Canadian DiabetesAssociation, and all other donations. Thank you torelatives, neighbours, and friends for floral tributes,beautiful cards, visits and delicious food. We also wishto thank Paul Payne and his staff for the efficient,accommodating, and caring service.***

St. Paul’s P. C. W. wishes to thank all those whoso generously supported the recent Mother’s Day HamDinner and those who purchased tickets on thehandmade quilt. Our congratulations to the winner ofthe quilt; John Barr of St. Catherines.***

Due to the great response to the appeal for eggcartons, the Food Bank now has enough to last thesummer so I will not be collecting them again until thefall. Thank you all for your support. Freda Youell*****

Master Gardeners of Ontario IncGarden Calendar - July- Fertilize roses, annuals and vegetables.- Pinch back and stake straggly annuals.- Mow, hoe, weed and water as required.- Finish pruning spring-flowering shrubs andevergreens.- Remove old raspberry canes and trim backstrawberry plants after fruiting.- Transplant flowering cabbage and kale.- Turn compost.*****

St. Paul’s Presbyterian ChurchSummer ServicesZander Dunn The worship services at St. Paul’s PresbyterianChurch from July 1 to September 2 inclusive will beginat 10 a.m. On September 9 the services will begin at11 a.m. Come early to get a back pew! Each service isfollowed by a time for refreshments. St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church is pleased to behosting two of the Waterside Summer Series ofconcerts: on Saturday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m. and onSaturday, August 11 at 7:30 p.m. We’re all looking forward to the annual St. Paul’sGarden Party from 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday,

July 28. Good things to eat, good things to buy, goodentertainment to enjoy, a good time to meet and greetfriends. The people of St. Paul’s join with many others tothank The Beacon staff for doing such a great job. Youkeep us informed about people on the island; youremind us of our history; you challenge us to think newthoughts. We thank Don Tubb for reporting on thework of the Loyalist Township Council.[Staff: The following was scheduled for the May issuebut somehow got lost in the shuffle.]*****

An Angelsubmitted by Betty WempOnce upon a time there was a child ready to be born.The child asked God, “They tell me you are sending meto earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live therebeing so small and helpless?”God replied, “Among the many angels, I chose one.Your angel will be waiting for you and will take careof you.”The child further inquired, “But tell me, here in heavenI don’t do anything but sing and smile to be happy.God said, “Your angel will sing for you and will alsosmile for you everyday. And you will feel your angel’slove and be very happy.”Again the child asked, “And how am I going to be ableto understand when people talk to me if I don’t knowthe language?”God said, “Your angel will tell you the most beautifuland sweet words you will ever hear, and with muchpatience and care, your angel will teach you how tospeak.”“And what am I going to do when I want to talk toyou?”God said, “Your angel will place your hands togetherand will teach you how to pray.”‘I’ve heard that on Earth there are bad men. Who willprotect me?”God said, “Your angel will defend you even if it meansrisking it’s life.”“But I will always be sad because I will not see youanymore.” God said, “Your angel will always talk toyou about me and will teach you the way to come backto me, even though I will always be next to you.”At that moment there was much peace in heaven, butvoices from Earth could be heard and the childhurriedly asked, “God, if I am to leave now, please tellme my angel’s name.”“Her name is not important. You will simple call her‘Mom’.”*****

{Page 9}

New Web AddressJan Sneep The old host for the web page stopped offering theservice at the end of May, so I would like to let youknow that the Amherst Island web page has a newaddress. It is now {the address is missing from thecopy}. I have not updated the content too much in thechange from one location to another, however I thinksome updating to the pages is long overdue. I will beworking on a face-lift and some content revisions overthe summer. I’ll let you know when anythingsignificant takes place.*****

ApologyIan Murray, farmer This is a blanket apology to those motorists that Ihave inconvenienced in the past and to those I mayinconvenience in the future: with large farm equipment- our haybine takes up the whole road width on theFront Road west of Emerald; with sheep on the roadbeing moved from one pasture to another, or back tothe barn, or from the barn to pasture; and, with slowmoving loads of hay. I do try to get out of your waybut sometimes things just don’t work out right there’sno place to get the haybine off the road, the sheep arestubborn, and I just cannot see you stuck back behindall that hay. Perhaps during this busy summer season you, themotorist, could leave for the ferry a few minutes earlyin case you meet one of us farmers clogging up theroad while going about our business.*****

Dairy Farmer Wins Poetry Slam and Other Scenesfrom IrelandRosemary McMullen I traveled to Ireland April 26 to join my sister Kitsyfor a visit and tour. She has been working inAmsterdam for almost a year as a member ofGreenpeace’s climate change team. We met in eastClare and headed west, hoping to spend a night on theAran Islands. But the weather was too “soft” that dayto see anything, so we headed for the bright lights ofGalway City. The charming and quite posh town was crawlingwith European tourists and very good looking Irishyoungsters, almost all with cell phones in hand. Kitsy’scomment on their beauty: “It’s amazing what a littlenutrition will do.” A literary festival was in progress,and I packed into the basement performance space of a

pub with several hundred others to witness thirty poetscompeting with their works on one of three themes:jealousy, “cute hoors” (tricky people, like politicians),and the River Corrib. Thus nature, love and betrayal,satire and comedy were nicely covered. The threejudges, one of whom was himself the UK’s poetry slamchamp, unanimously declared as winner a young dairyfarmer from Kilrush, west Clare. Sean O’Brianstunned all by assuming the persona of Cain in abeautifully rhymed monologue to the absent Abelencompassing his motive (jealousy), crime, remorseand desolation. Foot and mouth disease precautions in Irelandclosed many historical sites, but Kitsy and I managedto enter the excavation area in Sand Hill, Sligo wherehundreds of circa 6000 BC stone circles and dolmans,many of them still buried, surround Maebdh’s Mound,itself a sacred hill. Another foot and mouth memory:driving around a bend on the Antrim coastal road tomeet two young fellows sunbathing, who sprang up topump out the iodine solution and spray our tires. Besides the mostly gloriously sunny dry weatherand spring scenery, we enjoyed wining, dining, andexchanging family lore with our relatives. My mother’sparents were the only members of their large familiesto emigrate to the USA in the 1890s. Their nieces andnephews abound. Kitsy had not met any of thesecousins, but I had in several earlier trips in which I hadbeen housed, fed, and driven around with greatgenerosity, so it was my pleasure to return the favorsand introduce Kitsy to her family members, now closerthan those in North America. She plans to return forthe Ballycastle Music Festival and see them in August. We were also keen to dig into the origins of myfather’s side of the family. One of our great-greatgrandmothers was Bridget McAuley, wife of NealMcMullin who built the stone house here on AmherstIsland in the 1840s. (Spelling variations are irrelevant,as they are all anglicized versions of the Gaelic.)Bridget, her parents and siblings came to Canada in1802 from Cushendall, north Antrim, in the sameneighborhood where all my mother’s ancestors abidedfor centuries. McMullan is a common name there. Infact, one of my mother’s aunts married a McMullan,so we have lots of McMullan cousins on our mother’sside. Lo and behold, the Glens of Antrim HistoricalSociety is centered in Cushendall and its president isnamed Robert McMullan! I did not have a chance tomeet our father’s namesake on this trip, but lookforward to communicating with him about Hisancestors. I wager he can tell us something about theMcMullans in the mid-18th century and how three oftheir boys, Neil, Hugh and our great-great-greatgrandfather John, would have come to the colonies.

John and his wife (Rosemary) and children settled onlots 2 and 3 of Amherst Island in 1793.*****

Kingston Field NaturalistsEditor, Amherst Island Beacon, The message below was sent to those whosubscribe to the “Ontbirds” list server on the internet,to express the appreciation of the birding community tothose mentioned, for their support and assistance tobirders from far and wide visiting Amherst Islandduring an outstanding winter of birding. Althoughmany Amherst Islanders may be “Ontbirds”subscribers, this message may not have been seen byall of those for whom it was intended,

{Page 10}

and I respectfully request that it be published in theBeacon. I would like to add the thanks of the Kingston FieldNaturalists and the Kingston birding community ingeneral to the Laurets, the crew of the ferry, Alex Scottand Karen Fleming, and the entire population ofAmherst Island. We know we sometimes block theroadways and incur your ire in our excitement over abird sighting, but I assure you, it is unintentional, andwe usually do try to pull over and allow room to pass.Thank you for your patience and understanding. Nexttime you see any of us peering with binoculars or‘scopes along the roadside, stop and say hello, andwe’ll show you what we’re excited about. Sincerely, Bud Rowe President, Kingston Field Naturalists***

Dear Everyone, The OFO Board of Directors, Mike Street and Ijoin with birders to thank all those who made birdingAmherst Island a memorable experience this winter byposting information on Ontbirds and assisting visitingbirders. We thank Alex Scott and Karen Fleming for theirfrequent posts on Ontbirds of the owlpopulations/sightings at Amherst Island during thiseventful owl winter. Alex and Karen served the Ontariobirding community very well, and acted as goodambassadors to numerous visiting birders. Many thanks to the owners of Owl Woods: Gwenand Paul Lauret, and the Cataraqui RegionConservation Authority, Loyalist Township and theKingston Field Naturalists for access to the OwlWoods and for their warm, helpful hospitality tovisiting birders.

We appreciate the efforts of the crew of theAmherstIsland ferry boat, Frontenac II, to assist birdwatcherssee the Ivory Gull, which was present in the area ofAmherst Island in January 2001. Many thanks to:Earle Willard, Senior Captain; Captain DougShurtliffe; Helen Trotter, Purser; and Brent Wolfreys. Best wishes and good birding, Jean Iron President, Ontario Field Ornithologists*****

Gleanings from Council Minutes Don Tubb & IanMurrayChanges to the Loyalist Official Plan:1) “the autobody use on Amherst Island [GeorgeGavlas’] approved but restricted to the currentbuilding.”2) “that guest facilities on Amherst Island ... beapproved with the provision of one guest facility perlot as an accessory to an existing residence and that thefloor space for such accessory use not exceed 30sq.m.” [This was requested by Jackie Sylvester.]*****

The Back Kitchen Restaurant384-7200Hours of OperationFriday, Saturday and Sunday11:00 am - 8:00 pmPlus Holiday Mondays: August 6 and September 3until September 9Specializing in: Burgers and fries and Homemade PiesHot DinnersDinner Specials 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm***

Join us for the 53rd Annual Garden Party July 28th 12to 4 pm at St. Paul’s Presbyterian ChurchBBQ Pie & Ice CreamHomemade Baking Auction Quilt DisplayFish PondCandyClogging Music & Much More*****

Chicken Bar-B-QueSponsored by A.C.W.Saturday, July 14, 2001, 5 -7 P.M.Adults $10.00

Children (5 - 12) $ 3.00Pre-school FreeAdvance tickets only*****

{Page 11}

I am collecting used stamps - any kind for the guidedogs, clean used clothing and books for the “CatsMeow”. Used towels - cleaning products - A& P tapesand 12"x 12" knitted squares for the Napanee Animalshelter. Donations may be left in my front porch or callfor a pick-up. Freda Youell - 384-4135 The animals really need our help.***

News from the General Store....Hours for the Canada Day Long Weekend are:Fri June 29 9 am - 9 pmSat June 30 9 am - 9 pmSun July 1 10 am - 6 pmMon July 2 10 am - 5pm The heat waves of summer have finally arrived andwhat better way to cool off than with a nice cool“Youllies Coollies” treat. Very refreshing.Hours for Youellies Coollies are:Fri. June 29 3 - 8 pmSat June 30 l - 8 pmSun July 1 12 - 6 pmMon July 2 12 - 6 pm Some great movies are available for rent right now:What Women Want - Mel GibsonLittle Nicky - Adam SandlerPay It Forwardand many more to choose from. Post cards are available at the store now. 6 differentscenes to choose from. We’d like to thank ZanderDunn, Zelma Koenders and Shannon Youell for thewonderful photos they submitted.Happy Canada Day All!Have a great long weekend.***

WI Bake Sales at the StoreFridaysJune 29Aug 03Aug 313:45 - sell-out***

Woollen Products From Topsy FarmsBlankets, Wraps, Yarn, Sheepskins

389-3444 or at The Weasel and Easel & Bath VillageGallery***

Summit International CanadaCarpet Manufacturer and Distributor Gord Forbes, Sales Agent .... 389-8516***

Thomas A. RichmondCertified ElectricianHome, Farm, Commercial work, right here on theisland.634-1855*****

Hey, where are those advertisements, pictures, andarticles you promised you’d write? Now you can’t saythere wasn’t room for them. So there!*****

{Page 12}

{two pictures}

{Amherst Island Beacon: August 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 282}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 282 August 2001




Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail: [email protected] Tom Richmond


CreditsWord Perfect Office 2000 ArcSoft Imaging Adobe PageMaker Adobe PhotoShop

Production For August 300 Copies*****

This Issue- Ian Murray The good news is that we sold all 300 copies forJune/July issue. The bad news, from the staff perspective, isCaroline Ackerman’s resignation as typist. She did agreat job for several years and will be missed. Ourencouraging submissions by e-mail and computer discreduced the amount of typing to the point where itbecame hardly worth her bother. We are re-printing the Bruce and Helen photo fromlast issue as it turned out so poorly. It just may not be

possible to reproduce photos well with our low-renttechnology but we’re not ready to give up yet.*****

Council Gleanings- Ian Murray The following are from township documentscovering the last month or so, are in no particularorder, and are without editorial comments.1) Policy regarding the Requirements for Promotion toFerry Captain. Included in this policy is a listing of themandatory licences and certificates as well as details of28 skill and knowledge requirements.2) Groundwater test results on the landfill site fromApril indicated that more testing will need to be done -another $800.3) The McGinn/deHaan severance application on Lot5, Con. 1, has once again raised concerns about whoowns what between the traveled road and LakeOntario.4) The Intensive Farming Operations Committee hassubmitted a Draft “Intensive Livestock FarmingOperations and Nutrient Management By-law” toCouncil. The most contentious matter faced by thiscommittee, bad smells from farm operations, was notaddressed in the bylaw as there is no relevantprovincial statute dealing with farm odours. Section 9.0: An Agricultural Advisory Committee(of 6 members) will be formed by the Township toassist with the complaint process.... The Committeewill operate as a group of peers from the farmcommunity with representation from the majorcommodity groups and farm organizations, as well asrural residents and a member of Council....TheCommittee will also conduct periodic random audits offarms that are required to have nutrient managementplans. Section 10.0: ...it is strongly recommended that theCommittee hold one seminar annually to provide aneducation forum for

{Page 2}

farmers regarding nutrient management.5) Budgeted in 2000 for Stella library, $1000; actuallyspent in 2000, $1039.6) A grant application to the Ontario HeritageFoundation regarding Neilson Store was not approved*****

AIMS- Peter Trueman

The new Amherst Island men’s group held itssecond meeting, over breakfast, at St. Paul’sPresbyterian Church Hall on Saturday, July 7. Morethan 30 members were in attendance. The first order of business was to modify theorganization’s name from Amherst Island Men (AIM)to the Amherst Island Men’s Society (AIMS). Thechange was made so the group would not be mistakenfor the militant American Indian Movement. Four committees were designated to serve theisland’s elderly and infirm. The Transportation Committee will be composed ofthose volunteers who have offered their cars, andthemselves as drivers, to take people around the islandand to the mainland to shop, for doctors’ appointments,or simply for recreation. The Committee’s membersare also willing to run errands - to pick up groceries orprescriptions, for example. The committee’scoordinator is Ralph Woods (389-7235). Anyonewishing the Transportation Committee’s servicesshould contact Ralph. The Manual Labour Committee’s members haveoffered to do odd jobs for those unable to do the workthemselves, including house repairs, yard work, andcarpentry etc. The Committee’s coordinator is AllanGlenn (389-0214). The Care and Companionship Committee, whosemembers have volunteered to relieve care-givers so thatthey can leave their charges for a few hours to do otherthings, will be coordinated by Peter Trueman (389-3548). The Wheels To Meals Committee was designated toset up a series of regular luncheons on the island sothat those who have difficulty getting out of the housewill have an opportunity to have a meal, talk, or playcards etc together, perhaps even monthly. It hasn’tbeen decided whether there might be a modest chargefor the luncheon, but transportation to and from theevent would be provided free of charge by the AIMSmembership. The coordinator for the Wheels to Mealscommittee is John Kuti (389-0890) and anyoneinterested in such outings should contact him. Tom Richmond suggested that AIMS mightconsider using any excess revenues to set upscholarships for deserving Island students. Ken Albertan noted that some of the trophies forAmherst Island Public School children had beendonated by people no longer on the Island and thatdifficulties had arisen about the cost of engraving. Hesuggested that AIMS should pay for such engraving. These ideas were received favourably and it wassuggested further that AIMS might considerestablishing new school trophies for new categories ofexcellence, or offering small cash prizes for the

winners of existing trophies. No decisions were taken,but there appeared to be broad general support for allof these suggestions. The next meeting will be held at the St. Paul’sChurch Hall on Saturday, August 11 at 8 a.m. Anyisland men who have not yet joined AIMS are welcometo attend. The membership fee is $5.00, and there is a$5.00 charge for breakfast.*****

2001 Budget Highlights- Ian Murraya) $50,000 budget for renovations to HistoricNeilson’s Store with $45,000 provided from fund-raising or grants. b) $30,000 for local improvements on South ShoreRoad, Amherst Island.Dave Thompson, Township Engineer, says that this isrip-rap [a protective layer of rocks] at the worst erodedareas and also for surveying costs.c) $32,400 budgeted to continue garbage disposal andrecycling operations for the Amherst Island Ward

{Page 3}

including expanded recycling opportunitiesd) The Amherst Island Ferry expenditures of$1,643,100 are offset partially by continued fundingfrom the Province and by user fees. Dave Thompson, Township Engineer, told me thathe does not anticipate fare increases this year. Designwork is being initiated for the Stella dock with repairsto be done when necessary. The ferry dock reservefund is over $220 thousand.*****

Neighbourhood - Lyn Fleming Congratulations to Garnett McDonald who becamea first time great-grandfather - twice!! Twins, EmmaGene, (6 lbs 12 oz.) and Damien Joseph Noel (6 lbs 8oz.), were born on July 6, to Tammi and Wally. Firsttime grandparents are Garnett’s daughter Carol andhusband, Herman Langwald. Get Well wishes this month to Lillian Miller, who isback in hospital and Eldon Willard, who has also beenin hospital. Happy 40th wedding anniversary to Zander andNancy Dunn, who celebrated with friends and familyfrom the Island and the mainland at St. Paul’s. Happy80th birthday to Duncan Marshall who celebrated withfamily and friends at home. Also happy 84th birthdayto Doug Wilson. Lots of visitors from near and far to the Island this

month. Peter and Joyce Morgan’s niece from Englandhas been spending some time here visiting family;Zander Dunn’s mother, from British Columbia is alsohere for a visit; Hans and Hazel deHaan have beenentertaining Hans’ sister and family from Holland;Harold and Irna Reddakopp, have had their twin, 3year old granddaughters visiting for a week each andmy twin niece and nephew from Orlando have beenenjoying a 3 week holiday with us. We welcome some new Islanders this month. TheTattershalls have moved into Bobbi and MichaelShaw’s house on the north shore and Michael andBobbi have moved to the south shore. The Trehaanfamily moved into the house at the end of the 3rdconcession, formerly owned by Jim Baker. The Canada Day parade, PCW strawberry socialand kid’s games were a hit again topped off by someamazing fireworks.*****

Women’s Institute News (2 in 1)- Nancy Dunn Changing the deadline date for submissions to theBeacon to the 20th should result in more up-to-datenews from the Women’s Institute. Since our meetingsare held on the 3rd Wed., most months our write-upswould be published within days of our gatherings(provided that this correspondent is on the ball). Case in point: New News - on July 18th theA.I.W.I., accompanied by several spouses and friends,“met” by travelling across the border to WellesleyIsland, which is reached via the Ivy Lea Bridge atGananoque. Ably organized by Jackie Sylvester withtravel arrangements by Kirsten Bennick, the outingwas a great success: the weather was wonderful, thescenery scintillating and the Victorian architecture ofThousand Island Park, a private enclave at the end ofRte.100, awesome. Lunch on the porch of the oldwooden Wellesley Island Hotel was especially arrangedby Jackie and was delicious, if different from typicalAmherst Island fare. The day was enjoyed by all 19participants in spite of a couple of cars making wrongturns. (Are U-turns legal on the highways of the US ofA? - one driver made two of them but at least thatsaved the cost of going through the 2nd toll gate whichexpense was incurred by another group). “Old News” -The previous month’s meeting was onJune 20th - alas just too late for the paper. It was heldin the “back room” of the ferry office with 10 memberspresent and President Nancy Henshaw in the chair. Plans were made for a float for the Canada Dayparade with the theme “We’re Growing”. [Post script -result -a bevy of beauties clad in yellow and blue withfruits and vegetables growing out of their hats,

accompanying their president who was watering a tree!Special thanks to Joyce Haines, Kirsten Bennick, MaryKay Steel, and Claire Jenney for their creativity and toAnders Bennick for pulling the float at a keep-up-ablepace.]

{Page 4}

Nancy Henshaw reported on the time she spent atthe Associated Country Women of the World’sconvention in Hamilton the week before and showed afew pictures. Other business was briefly dealt with.The evening’s program entitled “Creative Preserving”was led by Mary Kay Steel, Nancy Henshaw, KirstenBennick and Nancy Dunn, each giving ideas on foodpreservation e.g.- drying herbs in the microwave,freezing loose-pack strawberries, using a dehydrator,and tips for single people with limited freezer space.Some of the presenters provided recipes, someprovided samples and some provided the refreshmentsto end a helpful and humorous session. There is no August meeting. The Sept. 19th meetingwill be a potluck supper at the home of Jean McIntyrein the east end of Kingston at 6 p.m. Guests arewelcome and car-pooling will be arranged. Many thanks to all who have supported our bakesales so avidly that we are selling out within an hour.Next sale - Aug. 3rd at 3:45 at the store.*****

General MacArthur’s Prayer For His Son- Submitted by Syke Fleming “Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strongenough to know when he is weak, and brave enough toface himself when he is afraid; one who will be proudand unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentlein victory. “Build me a son, whose wishes will not take theplace of deeds; a son who will know Thee - and that toknow wisdom is the foundation stone of knowledge. “Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease andcomfort, but under the stress and spur of difficultiesand challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in thestorm; here let him learn compassion for those whofall. “Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whosegoal will be high, a son who will master himself beforehe seeks to master other men, one who will reach intothe future, yet never forget the past. “And after all these things are his, add, I prayenough of a sense of humour, so that he may always beserious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give himhumility, so that he may always remember thesimplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true

wisdom , and the meekness of true strength. “Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, ‘I have notlived in vain’.”*****

Whig Gleanings- Ian Murray Thunder Hutchings and his friend Justin appearedon the front page on July 18. Jack Chiang’s article onpage 3, “The Island of the Bicycle-Riding Rooster”,informs us that his friends Vicki Keith and John Munrohave been on the Island “for barely a month and,already everybody knows them and they knoweverybody else”.Keith Miller and I are quoted in another front pagearticle on July 25: “The heat is on for area farmers”.The sidebar gives the hot and dry data for April-Julyshowing that this period has been hotter and much drierthan normal. This weather, combined with lastsummer’s cooler and much wetter than normalconditions, has certainly caught the attention of localfarmers. The barley and oats look pretty good but justabout every other living thing - except thistles -appears to be suffering from the drought.*****

News From The L&A County Museum- Leslie Gavlas The book of veterans of WW II, for which materialhas been collected over many months, is at the printersand should be available in September. Advance copiescan be ordered from the Museum - phone 354-3027. Adiscount is offered for advance orders. I will also takeadvance orders - phone 384-2807.*****

Please remember that there is a burning ban ineffect for Amherst Island due to the excessively dryconditions we are experiencing now.*****

{Page 5}

What Happens To Recyclable Material?Submitted by Keith Miller

Boxboard (detergent, cereal, tissue boxes) - Newboxboard packaging Corrugated cardboard - Other cardboard products likemoving boxes and tubes Office paper - Office paper, tissuePolycoated paperboard (milk & juice cartons, tetrapacks) - Tissue paper, towels, stationeryPET (Polyethylene terephthalate) #1 plastic, 2 litre

bottles - Carpet, insulation and clothingHDPE (High density polyethylene) #3 plastic (juice,shampoo, bleach bottles) - New plastic bottle, draintile, car partsLDPE (Low density polyethylene) #4 plastic (drycleaning bags & plastic shopping bags) - Footwear,plastic lumberPP (Polypropylene) #5 plastic (margarine, yogurt,cottage cheese containers) - Plastic lumberPS (Polystyrene) #6 plastic (plastic disposable plates,cups, cutlery, foam packaging) - Durable consumerproducts like file trays and compact disk trays.Steel food and beverage cans - Variety of steelproducts (pop cans, car parts)Aluminum trays and foil - New trays and foil*****

The Heritage Resource Of Amherst Island- review by Ian Murray The full title is “Inventory of The HeritageResource Of Amherst Island”. This inventory wasprepared by Martin Barakengera, a planning internwith the Loyalist Township Planning Office. Martin isa student at the School of Urban and RegionalPlanning, Queen’s University. The Beacon got a copy of this along with otherLoyalist Township material. This inventory contains much interestinginformation and, with some editing, could be a usefuladdition to Amherst Island historical material. I cannotspeak for much of the inventory but some of theinformation for the Bowen House is amusinglyinaccurate.*****

Thank You

The Amherst Island Rec Association would againlike to thank all those who helped make Canada Daysuch a success. The Loyalist Twshp - Amherst IslandStation Fire Department for their participation and forthe volunteers who were on stand by for the fireworks.To the Back Kitchen and Amherst Island General storefor their continued support and participation. To allwho decorated floats, vehicles, bicycles andthemselves, thank you for taking the time and effort.The PCW, for the popular strawberry social. To theLoyalist Township council for their enthusiasticparticipation in the parade and pie eating contest. Congratulations to this years winner, Rick Bresee.And to all those who came out to watch and cheer ourparticipants, thank you! Finally, to Canazon Fireworksfor another fantastic show. Rick, Jane, Bonnie, Larry, Lyn, Carol and Tessa

***

Special thanks to the Amherst Island Communityfor their generous support of the 4-H Yard & BakeSale in June and Draw on July 1. We thank the BackKitchen for cheerfully allowing us to have the YardSale on their property. Congratulations to the winner of “the draw”:Helen McCormick, movie rentals, A.I. StoreJoyce Morgan, gift cert., Creative GiftsStewart Reed, gift cert., Creative GiftsAlison McDonald, gift cert., Back KitchenHarold Redekopp, Royal Doulton Figurine Thanks from All members & leaders of the 4-H Program.***

David Albertan, Justin Hutchings, William Reed,Christopher Varga & the rest of their soccer teammares would like to thank Amherst Island GeneralStore for sponsoring their team. This team went on towin the “A Flight” championship of the Pee Weedivision of the Loyalist Minor Soccer Association.*****

{Page 6}

Notices

Request For Proposals Loyalist Township is soliciting proposals fromindividuals and/or companies who are interested inopening up a business on Amherst Island at theHistoric Neilson Store building located on Front Road,Stella. Proposals will be received until 4:30 p.m. August31, 2001. Proposal documents can be obtained at theW.J. Henderson Recreation Centre, 322 AmherstDrive,Amherstview. Highest or any proposal not necessarilyaccepted.Patrick Beyer, R.D.M.R.c/o W. J. Henderson Recreation Centre322 Amherst DriveAmherstview, OntarioK7N 1S9*****

Advertisements

For SaleCucumbers, dill, yellow beans, beets, carrots, tomatoes(later), peppers (later).Parsnips, squash, and pumpkins in the*fall.

Phone Barbara Reid: 389-0675.***

Yard SaleLarge multi-familyAugust 4 and 58 am - 5 pm5675 Front Road.Good StuffGreat Prices***

Wanted: Many smallish, inexpensive tables needed forbedsides, for writing and for books or tea. Can repairor paint. Please leave a message for Molly Stroyman at(613) 634-1388.*****

Letter Home- Christopher Kennedy I know that farmers are always complaining aboutthe weather, but sometimes it is justified. Last summerit never quit raining and this summer it has cleanforgotten how to rain. Most of Ontario has been quitedry this year, but coming from Trenton on the 401 theverges turn from green to brown and then a sickly,dusty grey. We have had 4 mm of rain in the last month, andthe island is really showing it. The trees and bushes onthe shallow land are starting to wilt, and the grass isturning crisp under foot. Great weather for making haythough, and I think every square inch on the island thatcan have a haybine run over it has been scooped up byfarmers expecting to feed hay in August. We haveweaned all the lambs early, and are putting many ofthem on feed. What pasture is left will go to the ewes. In a week or two we will move the ewes down to theland south of the school, along with Joe, the steady oldguard dog and Juno, a pretty little bitch. A couple ofdays ago we could see a big cloud of smoke to thenorth of here, and heard later it was a big grass fireabout 30 kms away. The warm weather though has warmed up the lakefor swimming, and the zebra mussels have cleared upthe water. Lovely for all our summer visitors, butcould we have just one decent rain?*****

{Page 7}

The Back Kitchen Restaurant384-7200Hours Of OperationFriday, Saturday and Sunday

11:00 am - 8:00 pmPlus Holiday Mondays: August 6 and September 3until September 9Specializing in : Burger & and fries and HomemadePiesHot DinnersDinner Specials 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm***

I am collecting used stamps - any kind for the guidedogs, clean used clothing and books for the “CatsMeow”. Used towels - cleaning products - A& P tapesand 12"x 12" knitted squares for the Napanee Animalshelter. Donations may be left in my front porch or callfor a pick-up. Freda Youell - 384-4135 The animalsreally need our help.***

WI Bake Sales at the Store FridaysAug 03Aug 313:45 - sell-out***

Woollen Products From Topsy FarmsBlankets, Wraps, Yarn, Sheepskins389-3444or at The Weasel and Easel & Bath Village Gallery***

Summit International CanadaCarpet Manufacturer and DistributorGord Forbes, Sales Agent .... 389-8516***

Thomas A. RichmondCertified ElectricianHome, Farm, Commercial work, right here on theisland.634-1855*****

This is more space you could have filled with yoursubmission this month!*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: September 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 283}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 283 September 2001***




Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail: [email protected] andTom Richmond

Printed At Kwik Kopy Printing655 Arlington Park Place

CreditsWord Perfect Office 2000ArcSoft ImagingAdobe PageMaker 6.5Adobe PhotoShop 6.0Adobe Acrobat 5.0

Production For September300 Copies*****

This Issue - Ian Murray The big change this month is that I will beresponsible - with lots of help - for getting the written,photographic and other information together. Afterproofing, the material will be sent to Tom Richmondwho will use a desk top publishing program to get theBeacon to the stage where it can be sent to KwikKopywhere it will be printed. This is a big deal for mebecause, while I like to get the writing and family treestuff together, I have no interest in the actualproduction phase: Tom likes this part and is very good

at it. I hope that most material will come in on or beforethe 20th of each month. But I am not working towardsa firm completion date other than somewhere near theend of the month. I can usually include material,especially if it is e-mailed, fairly late in the month. Myfocus is less on what’s coming up next month as it is increating a snapshot of Amherst Island for the previousmonth.I hope that a person interested in Amherst Isla-0.18 Tfailom Ri. 0 .lj22.0843(r)Tj3d(ree).36 0 st30.48 0hRTj22.08 0 Td(r(r(r(r(r(r(u Td(int)5iir)Tj18.24 0 Td(m complene(on)Tj10su.76 0 Td(er)Tj-0Td(iTjd3(th. .06 Twd(8.88 -10d(e d(focus isig tow4 0 Td(res)Tj1)Tjr4 0 Td(d i)Tj1eadext 28 0 Td(ria)Tj152 0 Td(j10.8j25. 50 y 0 st31(res)Tj12s 0 Td( if)Tj9.f.64 0 T(n somewhorkinw. Splened(e m)Tj1Tj24.3 Tc 0.48 Tw -196.32 -13d(op8(om Ri. 0don93.6 0 Td((th)Tj8.4.4 0 TTd5ria)Tj11. 0 Td(ria)Tj1n1.04 0 Td(n somewhey44 0 Td(res)Tj1h)Tj86 0 Td(ria)Tj1.32 0 TT(n somewht r 0 Td(rst I)Tjefl.88 0 2(ar)Tj8.ts 0 Td(th)Tj8. ba4 0 Td(n i)Tj1dde)2.0a 0 Td( is in)Tnyone -2 Tc 0.3 Tw -139.14 -1Td58d(the 20t)Tjat6 0 Td(e m)Tj193.6t�uw4 0 Td(th)Tj8. goalTdyway -14.might21.a0.12 id4 0 Tdd(ria)Tj1ea87iTjl18 Tc 0.36 Tw -186.72 -198.6op8(om Ri. 0in)Tj41argins 0 T61(res)Tj125.y2uw4 0 3d( in)Tj116 022.0wi)Tji4 0 Td70.9r(r(r(r(u2.7t8 0 2(ar)Tj8.i.5 0 T-0.06 Tw 0 -13.2 -1Td(re8(om Ri. 0in 0 Td( if)Tj988 0 Td(re)Tj-0.m Td(d i)Tj14.24 0 Td(n A)Tj1.56 0 Td(th. My)T 88 0 TTd(op)Tj10r y Td(d i)Tj1ou 0 Td(e )Tj7.r g Td(d i)Tj1rTfail)Td(ate)Tj1d56 0 Td0res)Tj1h) 0 Td( if)Tj9ld 0 Td( if)Tj9.96 0 (ere)Tj11.28 0 Td(he)Tj9.o.4 0 TTd(res)Tj1uz2 0 TT(n somewhzl 0 Td(res)Tj16 0 Td( in)Tj11ov4 0 Td(erst Isl) 0 Td( in)Tj1r.8 Tc 0.426 Twd(8.88 -111(re8(omocus is*****8 Tc 0.36 Tw -186.72 TD3.24 I)TTj4W52 0 Td(n A)Tj1v12 Tc 0.3 Tw -139.14 -3d9re8(om Ri. 0- Dianne M88 0 T5d(rso)Tj1shal18 Tc 0.8 Tw -196.32 -589re8(om Ri. 0j18 0tcomplen310.8j25. wit6 0 Td(e m)Tj1hre ne r 0 T370.8j25.egr 0 TTd(res)Tj1et 44 0 Td(res)Tj1h32 0 TT(n somewht I 0 Td in)Tj11ha4 0 Td1n A)Tj1v1jr4 0 Td(e m)Tj15ce4 0 TdTd(n somewhde)2b0 TdT1(rst I)Tjs4.64 0 d(ria)Tj1ved8 Tc 0.36 Tw -186.72 -13.2 Td(creati)TTj4dinexish)Tj25.an old29.5a4 0 T3.2 ere)Tj11d tr8 0 2(ar)Tj8.adet6 0 Td(n somewh othkinwj3493.3 0 T6h of eacT84 0 T0.06 Tw -204 -13.12n A)T8(omocus isWav12 TcTdn somewh93.4. T84 0 T27( it i)TjWav12 TcTd(t I a)Tj1has b2 TcTd90.8j25.e4 0 Td1n somewher29.art.28 0 4d(op)Tj10f29.52 0 Td(er)Tj-0and 0 Td(on)Tj10 h44 0 Td(n i)Tj1spet6 0 Td(m)Tj8.1ali 0 Td(e )Tj7.ty8 Tc 0.36 Tw -186.72 -1Td(d(creati)Tqui18.pomplen3d( it i)Tjsibde)s2 TcTd(t I a)TjTj24Tj4beginn)Tj25.time. T844W52 0 152(s e)Tj1ve 0 T-0.06 Tw 0 -13.2 -22d0re8(omocus iscTfail)Td( materia)tak6 0 Td(n somewh6 0 Td( in)Tj11t76 0 Td2res)Tj16 0 Td( in)Tj1188 0 TTd(op)Tj10rm Td(d i)Tj125 0 TTd(op)Tj109.as6 0 Td(sla-0.18i 0 Td2 e)Tj1ve 0 Td(rst I)Tj16 0 Td( if)Tj9.l) 0 Td(s e)Tj1f.24 0 d in)Tj1.5 0 Td( if)Tj9.mo)6 0 Tdres)Tj1)T0 Td(ere)Tj12 0 Td( in)Tj11824 0 d3 in)Tj1.5 0 Td( if)Tj9) 0 Td( in)Tj1r18 Tc 0.2 Tw -207.12 -1(om3op8(om Ri. 0frorkTj42 0er)Tjw84 0 Tdr)Tj18.24 el,2 014.c52 0 4390.8j25.n21.an en) 0 Td8(ria)Tj1rgeticw8ole8 Tc 0.36 Tw -186.72 -186(8.8(om Ri. 0hd(int)5iTdres)Tj1ctivede)wav)Tjba4 0 7d(e m)Tj1ljd(iT 0 Td4d(ate)Tj1)Tjor8 0 2(ar)Tj8..mo)a0 TdT1(rst I)Tj(idown8 Tc 0 12 Tw -218.88 -13d(op8(om Ri. 0W44 0 TTd(sla-0.1cTf w4 0 Td(res)Tj1av12 TcTd(re)Tj-0w86 0 Td(m)Tj8.1ile8 TcTT(n somewh4.3 Tc Td( materia)walk6 0 23(op)Tj109d44 0 Td(n i)Tj1wn64 0 d9 in)Tj11t7e6 0 Td(m)Tj8.142 re4 0 T232res)Tj1t, rid12 TcTd(th)Tj8. 2uw4 0 0 Tw -218.12 -1(4(n 8(omocus isbicyc 0 T232res)Tj1les.28 0 d(90.8j25.r s14.oth28 0 3d(s e)Tj1ur.f.on1.porc7e6 0 655ria)Tj1s. 0tcreal1y d 0 T5d(n somewhoe 0 Td(rst I)Tjsn93.6t8 Tc 0.36 Tw -186.72 -1095ri8(omocus ismatt8 0 d((erst Isl)rw84(m cwehkinwjTj4per18 Tc1.4.(t I a)Tj2.0we93.6re)wav)Tj87ior8 0 0.36 Tw -.88 -14358.8(om Ri. 0no 0 Td( if)Tj9t. 0t 0 Td(on)Tj10 omplenTd0res)Tj1 siplenTd0res)Tj1m 0 Td( if)Tj9pl0 Td(ere)Tj1y Tfail)T8196.s)Tj1 ack6 0 T is in)Tno 0 Td( if)Tj9wl 0 Td( if)Tj9)d 0 Td(rst I)Tjge 0 Td(rst I)Tjm 0 Td( if)Tj9en 0 Td(rst I)Tjt.28 0 Td2res)Tj1f Tfail)Tdres)Tj1ot0 Td(ere)Tj1he 0 Td(rst I)Tjr hu 0 TTd5ria)Tj1m 0 Td( if)Tj9Tfail) 0.2 Tw -207.12 -1Td1.8(om Ri. 0be)Tj93.6texi2 0j2. 0fcwehd44 0 T1d(th)Tj8. kinwjTj Td422 ere)Tj1 o(m cper1on, 0 T5d5 materia)thomplen0 12 Tw -218.88 -2Td(i8(omocus issh44 0 Td(re)Tj-0uld 0 TTd(res)Tj121.88 0 2((s e)Tj1.56 0 Td(th. My)Tsid4 0 T2196.s)Tj1e.96 0 d9 in)Tj1(in b44 0 3.2(re)Tj-0nus.8 Tc 1 d0(i8(omocus isj18 To al18 Tc4T(n somewh4th44 0 Td(e m)Tj1se w4 0 d((erst Islho 0 Td( if)Tj91hav4 0 T23(rso)Tj19d44 0 Td(n i)Tj1ne 0 Td(rst I)Tj1t7e6 0 Td(m)Tj8.1ir214 0 d((res)Tj1st87ik4 0 3.2(re)Tj-0e4 0 Td1n somewhp.mo 0 T0.06 Tw -204 -13.104(ri(creati)TTji8 0 Td2res)Tj1s trade 0 T27( it i)Tjti28 0 Td2res)Tj1n, T8 0 T232res)Tj1ank 0 Td(on)Tj10 Yo6 0 Td(m)Tj8.1u. F 0Tfail)3d(rst I)Tjy w4 0 dd(m)Tj8.1ho 0 Td( if)Tj91are)fail).4.96.s)Tj1ew6 0 d ere)Tj1 to8 Tc 0.36 Tw -186.72 -10d(i(creati)T93.3T Td(d i)Tj1844W5ve93.4 you may 44 0 8d(rso)Tj1ry)a0 TdTd(rso)Tj19v88 0 TTd(rso)Tj1iety25.hd(imoti2n18 Tc 1Td((i(creati)Tuntil you8 0 3d(s e)Tj1 c ne mo)with you8 0 T842 ere)Tj1 own unique)way25.sa0 Td97(90.8j25.yi.5 0 T-0.06 Tw 0 -13.2 -22d7(d(creati)TH96 0 d96.s)Tj1l18 Tc5(op)Tj10o 44 0 Td2res)Tj1o y4 0 Td(n i)Tj1ou8 0 d(e )Tj7.r.f12 TcTd(re)Tj-0l18 Tc5(op)Tj10ow6 0 d9 in)Tj11Is8 0 d(e )Tj7.lTfail)T32 e)Tj1(iT 0 TTd(op)Tj10rie8 0 Td2res)Tj1nd6 0 Td(th. My)Ts,iT 0 TTd(res)Tj1amail)T32 e)Tj1i18 Tc5(op)Tj10y, 0 Td( if)Tj9.n96 0 d(ria)Tj1ig 0 Td( if)Tj9hb8 0 d(e )Tj7.ou8 0 d(e )Tj7.rmplen0 12 Tw -218.88 -2Td2(d(creati)Td(inct)5iTd(n somewhquaifail).4it i)Tjtaj2ail).2(e )Tj7.s.8 Tc 0.36 Tw -186.72 -7d( m(creati)Tj18 Hao 0 T32(re)Tj-0py4W52 0 2d(rso)Tj1vi.5 0 T 0.46 Tw -278.88 -61(90.8(omocus is*****plen0 12 Tw -218.88 0 -2d(cusD({Page 0 T2dere)Tj1 2}4 0 0 Tw -218.12 -1der-2d(cusj1Neig 0 T2((s e)Tj1hbou8ho 0 T( it i)Tjod -0 TdTd(rso)Tj19Staffail) 0.2 Tw -207.12 -7d(re(creati)T[Note: Ly.0will21. 0 Td2(th. My)Tback.n9xt ommplen5dere)Tj1u2. S844willfillifail)0.36 Tw -.88 -13d96d(creati)Tdy 0 Td(on)Tj10)T0 Td(ere)Tj1ifail)d( if)Tj9g w4 0 dd(m)Tj8.11. 0 T7(n i)Tj1m 0 Td( if)Tj9ommplenTd5 materia)d 0 Td(rst I)Tj.f.o 0 Td(on)Tj10m 0 Td( if)Tj9 Au4 0 Td0res)Tj1gu8 0 d(e )Tj7.st.]8 Tc 0.36 Tw -186.72 -1Td6r-2d(cusj1j18 Condolej2s87iBa0 Td95(op)Tj10rb 0 Td3 if)Tj91a(iJim Rei(int)5i67(res)Tj1(iTami1y .56 0 -172(e 8(omocus isTj4dea)Tjof St)5i60n)Tj10)8 0 T69 in if

be an obituary in our next issue. Condolences to Chris Glenn and family on the deathof her husband, Don Gregg, who died on August 24. Congratulations to Sarah McGinn & Jamie Scott onthe birth of their first child, Quentin James RussellScott, August 24, 5lbs 8oz. First grandchild forRussell and Jane McGinn and another grandchild forJanet Scott and Alex Scott (of Bath). Congratulations to Sarah (Scott) and Donald Wemp(a grandson of Wesley and Laura (McGinn) Wemp) onthe birth of their second child, Brandon Donald Wemp.Another grandchild for Janet and Alex. Congratulations to Vicki Keith and John Munrowho swam across Lake Ontario - Cape Vincent toKingston - on August 25 weekend. Their 19 hour swimwas reported in some detail on the front page of the August 27 Whig Standard.*****

Amherst Island Roads- Ian Murray During the 30-or-so years I’ve lived here, I’veconsidered the Island roads from various perspectives:as a civil engineer working for the Ministry ofTransportation of Ontario; as a member of theTownship Council; as a bus driver; and, as a farmer. As a civil engineer, I am aware of the structuralproblems of the roads: the poor drainage, thenarrowness, the lack of shoulders, the inadequate sightlines. A consulting engineer, after touring the roadswith Stuart Miller several years ago, told him thatthere was basically nothing wrong with most of ourroads that straightening them and adding a foot ofgravel wouldn’t cure. As a former council member, I am aware that allroad improvements (as well as routine maintenance)must be paid for out of tax dollars. The cure mentionedabove would, at that time, have cost an amountequalling a decade of all municipal taxes - not just theusual amount allocated for roads. As a former school bus driver, I am aware of howthe seasonal weather affects driving conditions on allIsland roads. Nothing is quite as thrilling as driving theschool bus with 5 or 6 children aboard along the southshore on a February day with ice all over the road fromyesterday’s big thaw - the road actually seemed to tilttowards the lake. As a farmer driving large farm equipment oversome of the Island roads, I am very aware of the manyblind spots on the Front Road west of Emerald as wellas on other roads where we get hay and/or pasture oursheep. So here are a few road related observations:1) The roads are improving. The roads crew have more

equipment available to them now than ever before andmore money to work with. It’s good to see the rights-of-way cleared of tall vegetation so that one can seewhat’s beside the road. I have travelled on the 2ndConcession Road enough to appreciate the workcurrently being done there. I still remember the queasyfeeling looking ahead at hundreds of feet of partiallyfrozen slush east of where David Fleming’s house isnow. The much improved drainage should eliminatethat condition. The Emerald 40' just south of the FrontRoad intersection used to be a mud hole every spring.Not anymore. And so on around the Island.2) There will not be enough money in the foreseeablefuture for Loyalist Township to bring most of ourroads up to mainland standards: we just do not havethe tax base over here to pay for that; nor the traffic tojustify such high standards.3) Remember the old saying “so dangerous it’s safe”?That applied to things like very narrow bridges orsharp bends in a road. But it also implied that peopleknew something was so dangerous that extra cautionwas necessary I believe that many of the people drivingon the Island roads have become so used to mainlandroads where there are nearly always adequate sightlines at intersections, curves and hills that they do notrealize that many of the roads over here do not haveadequate sight lines at cross roads, at curves and onhills for vehicles travelling at 80 kph - the legal speedlimit outside Stella. It can only be the low level oftraffic that prevents more head on collisions on Islandroads. I think that drivers tend to forget that therecould be another vehicle coming the other way, on ablind corner, a blind hill or at a hidden intersection.And that many of our roads are too narrow to allowmuch evasive action. Stupid things that I’ve seen:1) Top of the list is the time that 2 pickup truckspassed my two loaded hay wagons as I was headingwest on the Front Road a little down hill from Gavlas’mailbox. Had there been

{Page 3}

anyone heading for the ferry coming around deHaans’corner, there would have been a real smashup. (For therecord, these were not Island trucks but those of somemainland workers.)2) During the last few weeks of June, we often seeschool buses over here with an elementary class fromthe mainland on a school trip to this beautiful island. Iwas heading for the ferry one day when I came upon acluster of school kids and 2 or 3 teachers, all on bikes,also going towards Stella. I expected that the cyclistswould all pull to the right and I could go by. To my

amazement, some went left and some went right and afew wobbled both ways for awhile. I passed them veryslowly and almost missed the ferry A better citizenthan I am would have stopped and, hopefully withoutyelling, pointed out to the teachers that, even onbackwaters like Amherst Island, cyclists go to theright, pedestrians to the left, and that it can be verystressful for drivers to have cyclists or pedestrians onboth sides of the road. The driver can not be sure thatsomeone isn’t going to suddenly bolt over for the otherside and be run over.*****

Beacon Policies- Ian Murray Here are the current Beacon policies as understoodby those of us who do the work:1) Avoid news that has any scandal attached - leavethat for the Whig.2) Edit what is sent to us as little as possible.3) Include all news that affects those living on, orowning property on, Amherst Island.4) Advertisements are free.5) Only advertisements with a strong Island connectionare included. This would take in ads placed by formerIsland residents providing a good or service aimed atIsland residents. Ads placed by non-Island residentswill not be included except under specialcircumstances.6) In proofing, we will try not to be pedantic. Wecertainly welcome articles, notices and advertisementsthat conform to these policies. More policies will bechanged or added to as experience warrants.*****

Family Trees- Ian Murray One of the Beacon items that many people seem tofind interesting are the family trees that we print whensomeone from one of the old Island families dies. Thisinformation comes from a Family Tree Maker programthat I’ve built up over the years. I consider this to bepublic information and anyone who wants to iswelcome to come up here with a CD or floppy disc andget a copy. Or we can just print out what you areinterested in. There is a lot of information on this program - anda lot of information missing. And, sadly, some wronginformation. Please, if you see something wrong in oneof the ancestor trees, or can add more names and dates,phone, write or e-mail me and improvements will bemade. This issue we have included all the data we have onStratton Reid’s ancestral tree - it was too much for one

page and Tom will have to figure out how best to showthe information. Bruce Caughey’s ancestral tree is alsoincluded. Beth helped fill in some blanks here and alsowrote Stratton’s obituary I hope that we can eventuallyinclude stories in the Beacon on how each family cameto the Island. It’s interesting to learn that AlexanderCaughey brought his 3 eldest children here followingthe death of his wife. His youngest child was left inIreland with his wife’s family. What a hard decisionthat must have been.*****

Robert Stratton Reid- Beth Forester The Community was saddened to learn of thesudden passing of one of our lifetime citizens, StrattonR. Reid, on Tuesday morning, August 21, 2001. In his75th year, Stratton died peacefully, at home, on thefarm where he and Barbara (Robinson) had workedtogether for 45 years, and where his Grandparentsbefore him had established the dairy farming business. Stratton, together with his wife, and later his sonJim, toiled diligently and honestly, and even until theend of his life, Stratton was working daily, with thechores involved with their beef cattle operation.Together with his 5 year old grandson Brandon, heenjoyed planning the crops, and chatting about thelivestock. His 8 year old granddaughter, Brooke, alsothrived from her Grandpa’s interest and encouragingwords about her activities. Stratton held a specialadmiration for his daughter-in-law Sandra, who readilyhas assisted with any tasks in whatever area she hasbeen needed. Over the years, Stratton had encountered a few setbacks,

{Page 4}

through hospitalization following a car accident,broken bones resulting from farm injuries, and severalsurgeries. More recently, Stratton had just had eyesurgery and removal of the cataract on his other eyewas slated for later this fall. In spite of these situations,Stratton dealt with each one, and pressed on tirelessly,each time returning to his farm and family withrenewed hope and dedication. Stratton was a good anddependable neighbour, and together with Barbara hasfaithfully contributed to Community functions. He willbe missed at dances and dinners, at which you couldcount on Stratton for a kindly and quiet chat. Stratton was a member and Past Master of BurleighLoyal Orange Lodge, a former member of theCanadian Order of Foresters, had been a director for23 years with the Amherst Island Mutual Fire

Insurance Company, and remained a member of St.Paul’s Presbyterian Church. He was predeceased byhis parents, Gordon and Georgia (Brown) Reid, theirfarm having been located where Laurie and DaveYouell presently live, on the Second Concession. He is survived by his sisters, Marian (the lateMarshall) Glenn of Bath, and Elsie (Eldon) Willard;his sisters-in-law, Geneva (Arthur) Keyes of WolfeIsland, and Linda (Wayne) Brown of Forest Mills, andseveral nieces and nephews. The funeral was held onThursday, August 23rd, at the Paul G. Payne FuneralHome in Odessa, with the Rev. Dr. Zander Dunnofficiating. Interment was at Glenwood Cemetery, witha reception following in St. Paul’s Church Hall. ThePallbearers were: Nephews- Doug Willard, StevenBrown and Dean Keyes, and Neighbours/Friends -Gary Hitchins, Warren Kilpatrick and Don Pepper.***

Ancestors of Robert Stratton Reid

Robert Stratton Reidb: April 13, 1927d: August 21,2001

Gordon Edward Reid {father of Robert Stratton Reid}b: December 13, 1904d: March 13, 2000

Georgia Brown {mother of Robert Stratton Reid}b: May 29, 1904d: October 30, 1984

Robert Hugh Reid {father of Gordon Edward Reid}b. 1878d: 1966

Miriam Gertrude McMullen {mother of GordonEdward Reid}b: April 11, 1882d: July 10, 1945

Herbert Brown {father of Georgia Brown}b: August 14, 1869d: May 09, 1939

Christina Fleming {mother of Georgia Brown}b: January 08, 1877d: January 17, 1948

David Reid {father of Robert Hugh Reid}b: 1850d: 1931

Mary Finnigan {mother of Robert Hugh Reid}b: 1854d: 1923

Edward Stephenson McMullen {father of MiriamGertrude McMullen}b: March 26, 1852d: 1928

Mary Caroline McGinnis {mother of Miriam GertrudeMcMullen}b: March 31, 1853d: March 1914

William Brown {father of Herbert Brown}b: 1810d: 1871

Margaret Henderson {mother of Herbert Brown}b: 1832d: 1915

William Fleming {father of Christina Fleming}b: October 28, 1840d: October 30, 1911

Sarah Jane Cronin {mother of Christina Fleming}b:1844***

Ancestors of Mary Caroline McGinnis {greatgrandmother of Robert Stratton Reid}

Mary Caroline McGinnisb: March 31, 1853d: March 1914

John Howard McGinnis {father of Mary CarolineMcGinnis}b: 1822d: 1869

Caroline Howard {mother of Mary CarolineMcGinnis}b: 1828d: 1904

William McGinnis {father of John Howard McGinnis}b: 1788d: 1837

Margaret M. Howard {mother of John HowardMcGinnis}b: 1789

George Howard {father of Caroline Howard }b: June 16, 1805d: April 01, 1878

Rachel Youngs Wemp {mother of Caroline Howard }b: May 28, 1803d: May 02, 1875

George McGinnis {father of William McGinnis}b: 1751d: 1822

Ann Nancy Staring {mother of William McGinnis}b: 1755d: 1837

(1) John Howard Jr. {father of Margaret M. Howard}b: 1766d: 1829

(2) Anne “Nancy” Jackson {mother of Margaret M.Howard}

(1) John Howard Jr. {father of George Howard}b: 1766d: 1829

(2) Anne “Nancy” Jackson {mother of GeorgeHoward}

Barnabas (Barent Wemple) Wemp {father of RachelYoungs Wemp}b: 1738d: 1843

Catherine Gates {mother of Rachel Youngs Wemp}

d: August 27, 1843***

{Page 5}

Ancestors of Edward Stephenson McMullen

Edward Stephenson McMullenb: March26, 1852d: 1928

Aeneas “Innis” McMullen III {father of EdwardStephenson McMullen}b: 1819d: 1907

Catherine Wemp {mother of Edward StephensonMcMullen}b: February 28, 1827

Aeneas McMullen II {father of Aeneas “Innis”McMullen III}b: 1781d: 1862

Eleanor Dusenbury {mother of Aeneas “Innis”McMullen III}b: 1792

John Wemp {father of Catherine Wemp}b: March 12, 1785d: August 13, 1867

Ellen Catherine Althouse {mother of Catherine Wemp}b: July 26, 1808d: April 24, 1891

Hugh McMullen {father of Aeneas McMullen II}b: Abt 1738d: 1825

Rosanna Devaney {mother of Aeneas McMullen II}

John Dusenbury {father of Eleanor Dusenbury}

Eleanor Cotter {mother of Eleanor Dusenbury}

Barnabus (Barent Wemple) Wemp {father of JohnWemp}b: 1738d: 1843

Catherine Gales {mother of John Wemp}d: August 27, 1843

Abram Althouse {father of Ellen Catherine Althouse}

Lucretia Dusenbury {mother of Ellen CatherineAlthouse}b: 1788***

Ancestors of Christina Fleming

Christina Flemingb: January 08, 1877

William Fleming {father of Christina Fleming}b: October 28, 1840d: October 30, 1911

Sarah Jane Cronin {mother of Christina Fleming}b: 1844

Samuel Fleming {father of William Fleming}b: 1802d: 1888

Catherine Galbraith {mother of William Fleming}b: 1801d: 1879

James Cronin {father of Sarah Jane Cronin}b: 1814d: 1864

Christine Kaig {mother of Sarah Jane Cronin}b: 1807d: 1890***

Ancestors of Robert Hugh Reid

Robert Hugh Reidb: 1878d: 1966

David Reid {father of Robert Hugh Reid}b: 1850d: 1931

Mary Finnigan {mother of Robert Hugh Reid}b: 1854d: 1923

John Reid {father of David Reid}b: 1803d: 1889

Elizabeth McKee {mother of David Reid}b: 1817d: 1860***

Ancestors of William McGinnis

William McGinnisb: 1788d 1837

George McGinnis {father of William McGinnis}b: 1751d: 1822

Ann Nancy Staring {mother of William McGinnis}b: 1755d: 1837

Timothy McGinnis {father of George McGinnis}b: 1705 d: 1755

Sarah Kast {mother of George McGinnis}b: 1713d: 1791

Joseph Staring {father of Ann Nancy Staring}

Maria Markle {mother of Ann Nancy Staring}

William McGinnis {father of Timothy McGinnis}

Johann. Kast {father of Sarah Kast}b: 1678d: 1750

Anna Feck {mother of Sarah Kast}***

{Page 6}

Ancestors of George Howard

George Howardb: June 16, 1805d: April 01, 1878

John Howard Jr. {father of George Howard}b: 1766d: 1829

Ann “Nancy” Jackson {mother of George Howard}

John Howard {father of John Howard Jr.}b: Abt 1735d: 1795

Mary Hall {mother of John Howard Jr.}b: Abt 1743d: 1829***

Ancestors Of Allen Bruce Caughey

Allen Bruce Caugheyb: January 22, 1910d: May 17, 2001

David A. Caughey {father of Allen Bruce Caughey}b: 1870d: April 06, 1938

Mary A. Filson {mother of Allen Bruce Caughey}b: 1872d: 1948

David A. Caughey {father of David A. Caughey}b: 1843d: 1924

Mary Ann Glenn {mother of David A. Caughey}b: 1830d: 1907

Robert Filson {father of Mary A. Filson}b: March 17, 1843d: October 07, 1895

Mary Jane Allen {mother of Mary A. Filson}b: 1852d: 1942

Samuel Glenn {father of Mary Ann Glenn}b: 1810d: 1888

Rose Ann Farley {mother of Mary Ann Glenn}b: 1810d: 1889

David Filson {father of Robert Filson}b: July 25, 1810d: July 22, 1896

Jane McClement {mother of Robert Filson}b: February 02, 1808d: December 06, 1879

Edward Allen {father of Mary Jane Allen}b: 1814d: 1887

Mary Kerr {mother of Mary Jane Allen}b: 1816d: 1901

Robert Glenn {father of Samuel Glenn}b: Abt 1765

Nessie Johnston {mother of Samuel Glenn}b: Abt 1770

Nathaniel Kerr {father of Mary Kerr}b: 1783d: 1859

Mary ?? {mother of Mary Kerr}b: 1787d: 1856***

Janet’s Jottings- Janet ScottThe Challenge

Ian with a cackleChallenged me to battleSee if you can rattleOff, a tale about a Grackle.

I must pick up the gauntletA Scott cannot denyWe must not let it byBut parry with couplet.

The thinking I could tryAnd with my tongue in cheekTo tell the tale I seekAs summer days slip by.

You write about a starlingYou write about a treeCertainly it seems to meYou can write about this darkling.

I looked into my readingAnd found to my dismayI’ll hae to tell it this wayIt’s a bird that may seem boring!

An Ordinary Bird (Quiscalus quiscula) The Grackle can be found throughout most ofNorth America. It is only a casual visitor to the PacificCoastal region and Alaska - like many other NorthAmericans. My references tell me that its numbers nowhave not changed significantly since those noted in1859, a static population one could say. It is a nativebird not travelling to this continent by some exotic wayor human error and is adaptable to changingagriculture patterns. In Ontario it is our 5th mostcommon nesting bird and nests from April 25 to July11, and “The Ontario Breeding Atlas” estimates56,400 pairs. The Grackle is a good parent nesting in a secludedpart of a bush or tree and it quietly enters and leaves

this spot so as not to attract predators. Both parentscare for the young and so as not to leave tell taledroppings around it removes fecal sacks from the nestand deposits them in convenient nearby water holessuch as Jackie’s lovely water-garden. The Grackle isan aggressive visitor to your feeder and is not cowedby other birds although it did not share our feeder withWinifred, the Red-bellied Woodpecker as she wasabsolute boss! When it is mating time they put on an interestingdisplay by holding their heads pointing skyward andwalking around

{Page 7}

puffed up. Of course this shows off their glossy,purplish-blue heads and makes them look “Macho”.The cowbirds copy their display methods but lookclownish because they tip over trying to walk tall.There may not be a Grackle in sight but as soon as Ifill the feeder I hear their loud chuck and soon severalare there. We could say they are neighbours that sharebecause different families eat together. The female isduller and smaller while the young Grackle is drabbrown with a dark eye. The adults have yellow eyes.They have rather aristocratic noses which make themappear to be looking down on their neighbours andrather elegant keep shaped tails which makes themexcellent flyers and quick to manoeuver into a tree orshrub. You can pick them out when flying in a mixedgroup of blackbirds by this tail shape. They may not beexotic, beautiful or wonderful singers but like you andI they are everyday, ordinary folk and there are lots ofus in this great big beautiful world.

Bird of Note I hope over the summer you got a look at the familyof Short-eared Owls that took up residence in the brushpile at the Road Garage/Firehall. I know they playedkamikaze with cars on the side of the road at night asthey seemed to prefer the very edge of the pavementand then fly up as your car reached their spot. At leastone I spotted dead on the road. They were amusingthough, early in the morning when they would line upalong the wire from the tower to the hall and flap theirwings like little sparrows either saying “feed me, feedme” or maybe just trying to keep their balances.*****

Letter Home- Chris Kennedy We were dry last month when I wrote, we are evendryer now. Much of Ontario has had some rain, but notthe Island, or at least not enough to do any good. In

many places where the land is shallow the leaves arefalling off the trees as if it were autumn. I will beinterested to see how the trees and pastures survive thewinter without the chance to lay down food stocks forthe winter. About the only thing that is thriving is the wildlife.We have all seen the number of meadow voles thisyear, and of course the hawks and owls and birdershave followed in their wake. Anyone with young treesor shrubs would be wise to protect them against thevoracious voles. We have been inundated with racoonsaround the barn and chicken house. So far we havetaken fourteen, with no end in sight. They have alsoeaten all the cat food for the barn cats, which have lefthome in disgust, so there are mice everywhere. I haveseen more fawns around this summer than I can everremember, with twins being common. Without rain Ifear that we will have a lot of hungry deer this winter.With the abundance of wildlife you would think thatthe coyotes would have plenty of wild food but no, theystill prefer lamb. The coyote pups are old enough to trykilling lambs for themselves now, and the results arenot pretty. Anyone who has seen the aftermath of aracoon going through a chicken house or coyote pupslearning to kill will not have a very warn and fuzzyview of nature. For most visitors to the Island it has been abeautiful warm summer, and the lake is a goodtemperature for swimming. I thought it would takeabout five years for us to fill up the new ferry, but ithas often been packed, after only two years of having itfull time. How quickly we become used to these things.Meanwhile we will pray for rain and enjoy the last oftht summer.*****

More Farm Stuff- Ian Murray The hay crop was light but of good quality -certainly more real feed value than last year’s hay. TheIsland pastures badly need several inches of rain toproduce fall pasture. Otherwise, a lot of this summer’shay will have to be fed before winter. Almost all cattlehave been sent home from Quinte Pasture. Keith Miller says that the barley has never beenbetter. Vince Eves reports that the oats were quite goodwith very nice straw. He also says that the corn issurprisingly good considering the lack of rain. Thesoybeans should yield about half as much as normal onthe deeper land and possibly very little on the shallowerland. The Eves family planted 200 acres of soybeans -you can see some south of Gavlas’ and along the 2ndConcession - the plants are very low and quite green

except where they are turning yellow. Soybeans requirea very careful field work as the combine has to gatherbeans quite close to the ground and stones are notcombine-friendly.*****

LoyalistCouncil Gleanings - Ian Murray Don looked through the pile of municipal councilminutes and reports and so on and told me that theredidn’t appear to be anything directly affecting AmherstIsland. I confirmed this over the phone with a townshipstaff person. Where government is concerned, I believethat in most cases, no news is good news.(TR notes: AI Street signs have been tendered for!)*****

{Page 8}

The Back Kitchen Restaurant384-7200End Of Season Sunday Sept 9, 2001Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday11:00 am - 8:00 pmSpecializing in:Burgers and Fries and Homemade PiesHot DinnersDinner Specials 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm***

I am collecting used stamps - any kind for the guidedogs, clean used clothing and books for the “CatsMeow”. Used towels - cleaning products - A& P tapesand 12" x 12" knitted squares for the Napanee Animalshelter. Donations may be left in my front porch or callfor a pick-up. Freda Youell - 384-4135 The animalsreally need our help.***

Fresh fruits and Vegetables, in seasonBarbara Reid10850 Front Road389-0675***

Woollen ProductsFrom Topsy FarmsBlankets, Wraps, Yarn, Sheepskins389-3444or at The Weasel and Easel & Bath Village Gallery***

Summit International Canada

Carpet Manufacturer and Distributor Gord Forbes, Sales Agent .... 389-8516***

Thomas A. RichmondCertified ElectricianHome, Farm, Commercial work,right here on the island.634-1855*****

Townshiprequests applicants for the following positions:

1. Operator - Roads and Landfill - Amherst Islandon a contract basis not to exceed six (6) months.Hourly rate - $15.85. Normal hours of work - 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but must be available to respond tocall-outs on the Island after hours for emergencies orwinter control. Must possess a valid driver’s license.Preference will be given to applicants who have aClass “D” license with a valid Air Brake endorsement(“Z”).2. Winter Roads Relief, Amherst Island - Operator ona part time, temporary basis. Hourly rate - $12.79.Must possess a valid driver’s license with a Class “D”license and Air Brake endorsement (“Z”) and beavailable to respond to after hour call-outs on theIsland.3. Winter Roads Relief, Amherst Island - Wing on apart time, temporary basis. Hourly rate - $8.48. Mustpossess a valid driver’s license and be available torespond to after hour call-outs on the Island. Subject toexperience and qualifications, duties will includewinter control activities described in the job descriptionfor Operator. A detailed job description is available by calling386-7351, Ext. 107 or from the address below. Writtenapplications outlining qualifications and experiencewill be received by the undersigned until 4:00 p.m. onFriday, September 7th, 2001. Please submit yourresume to Jim Guest, Superintendent, Transportationand Waste ManagementLoyalist TownshipP.O. Box 70, 263 Main Street Odessa, OntarioK0H 2H0***

The Amherst Island Community Sunday Schoolwill restart on Sunday, September 16th. at 9:45 at theCommunity Centre. If you have any questions or areinterested in becoming a teacher or helper , pleasecontact Janet Scott 389-4608 or Ann Albertan 389-

2662.***

Amherst Island Sparks, Brownies, Girl Guides andPathflnders will register on September 5th. at theschool 6:00 to 7:30. Meetings to begin on September12th. Please direct inquiries to Janet Scott 389-4608 orValerie Wolfreys 389-8513. Another leader would behelpful . Please consider and let us know***

The Anglican Church Women are holding theirAnnual Turkey supper on Saturday September 29,2001 at the Amherst Island community Centre: 5:00 -7:00 PM. Tickets are: Adult, $10.00; Children, 5-12,$5.00; and preschoolers are free.*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: October 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 284}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 284 October 2001***




Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail: [email protected] andTom Richmond


Credits

Word Perfect Office 2000ArcSoft ImagingAdobe PageMaker 6.5Adobe PhotoShop 6.0Adobe Acrobat 5.0

Production For October250 Copies*****

This Issue- Ian Murray What a relief to have more material submitted thismonth. There was a bit of a drought at the Beacon lastmonth as well as in the fields. There’s nothing that we can add to what has beenwritten already regarding the terrible events in theUnited States. In some ways, New York is anotherworld but, without doubt, someone reading the Beaconhas been directly affected by the disasters. We wishyou well.*****

Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Belated birthday wishes to Ernest Fleming, whocelebrated his 94th birthday with his family, at homethis summer. Congratulations to Councilor Duncan Ashley andwife Kim, who celebrated their 10th anniversary inSeptember. Congratulations also to Zander and Nancy Dunn,whose 5th grandchild was born on September 19 in

Toronto. Son, Mark Dunn and his wife Elfi Schlegelwelcomed their daughter Olivia Frances into the world. Condolences to Noreen Welbanks and family, onthe passing of her brother, Vernon Richards (husbandof Leta), this week. Kelly and Maureen McGinn took a “road trip” toBritish Columbia this month to visit family. Doris and Joe Farrington, of Hollywood, Florida,spent a couple of weeks on the Island with Harry andBarb Filson. The Annual St. Paul’s Garden Party was held thelast Saturday of July, and as usual was a great success.Lots of food and fun for all ages! The Waterside Summer Series has finished foranother year. This year the concerts alternated betweenSt. Alban’s and St. Paul’s churches. The Weasel and Easel is still open weekends forthose last minute shoppers. Welcome back to a great group of teachers atA.I.P.S. The kids are back at school (please remember theStop sign in the village!), the “summer people” havepacked up for another year, the Back Kitchen is closedfor the season and the leaves have started turn colour -it must be fall!

{Page 2}

The Pollack family, John, Diane, and Samantha,are moving into the house where Peachy Eves used tolive. They plan to live there until their house is built -on the lot on the other side of the road from whereDiane’s parents’, Albert and Phylis Henderson, live. Get well wishes to Edith McLellan, who recentlymade a trip to hospital. Jan Sneep and Bonnie Azulay and family finishedup the summer with a trip to the Maritimes. John and Petrie Gavias and daughters, of NovaScotia, spent 2 weeks visiting family on the Island. Finally, we send our messages of sympathy andsupport to our American family and friends followingthe events of recent weeks.

Staff note: Our condolences to the family of William“Billy” Bulch, who passed away on the Island,Saturday 29 September 2001.*****

Ancestors of Vernon Hatfeton Richards

Vernon Hazleton Richardsb: January 1921d: September 22, 2001

William “Howard” Richards {father of VernonRichards}b: 1899d: 1968

Marion Thelma Wemp {mother of Vernon Richards}b: March 21, 1901d: 1992

Augustus Richards {father of William “Howard”Richards}b: 1854d: 1927

Mary Eliza Rote {mother of William “Howard”Richards}b: 1863d: 1941

John Wemp {father of Marion Thelma Wemp}b. March 18, 1858

Mary Quintal {mother of Marion Thelma Wemp}b: 1868d: 1903

John “Howard” Richards {father of AugustusRichards}b: 1811d: 1897

Mary Quintell {mother of Augustus Richards}b: 1817

Daniel Wemp {father of John Wemp}b: 1833

Elizabeth (Eliza) Baker {mother of John Wemp}b: 1836d: March 1904

Peter Ashlan {father of Mary Quintal}b: 1820

Eleanor Cantell {mother of Mary Quintal}b: Abt 1820*****

Council Gleanings- Ian Murray There was little of import concerning AmherstIsland at the municipal level in the past month. TheNeilson store project is covered elsewhere. Council has referred the question of pleasure boats

using township docks to the Recreation Committee toformulate some policy recommendations. Other than that: no news is good news.*****

Janet’s Jottings- Janet Scott There is no doubt about it Fall is upon us. Now ifyou were watching for falling leaves we had that backin August when due to the drought our trees droppedleaves like a carpet on the lawn but there are othersigns all around us. My cat has decided to come in where it’s warm andpretend briefly that he is a domesticated and not a feralcat. Then the feeder picked up in activity and Blue Jaysand Chick-a-dees started calling and chattering. Themale pheasant brought a young one to the feeder thatwas showing signs of the breeding plumage and thereare more geese calling as they wheel and land. The deerhave returned to munch on the fallen chestnuts andapples and the fawns have lost their spots and aregrowing fall coats. The chipmunks are scurryingaround building up a store for winter and chatteringand bobbing their tails at intruders. Several years agowhen Noel McCormick was repairing our water line hedug up the storage chamber of a chipmunk and it wasamazing how much food it had carted into thisunderground larder. Seed by seed it had filled a cavityabout 2'x2'x2'; carried probably from beneath ourfeeder in its cheek pouches. The

{Page 3}

swallows flocked earlier and most have gone althoughour hardy Tree Swallows will stay until the last. Theshorebirds have been moving through as they migratefrom the Arctic to South America. They stock up onthe mud flats and weedy shores before flying on. The Black Walnut tree that Bill Coulson plantedabout twenty years ago has finally produced and thewalnuts are falling as the weather cools. The leavesthat have hung on and are now changing colour arefalling with the rains and soon Amherst Island willchange from emerald green to shades of burgundy,browns and scarlets. The final clue that it was reallyFall came today as the White-crowned Sparrowsappeared at the feeder and Autumn Was Here! Happy Birding*****

Farnham: 1858-2001- A Short History by Janet Grace (nee Apps) On Amherst Island, near the Eastern end of thevillage of Stella, sits the century and a half old building

known as Farnham. This house has been the demesneof only two families in its long history: from 1871 until1970 (the first hundred years!) it was the home of theMoutray family from County Tyrone, Ireland, andfrom 1970 until the present day it has been the countryretreat for the Apps and Grace family. Farnham was built in 1857-58 for the land agentrepresenting Major Robert Perceval Maxwell ofCounties Waterford and Down, Ireland. The surnameMaxwell was assumed by Robert Perceval after hismaternal uncle, John Waring Maxwell, died withoutissue. Along with the surname, Robert Perceval alsoinherited the Maxwell coat of arms and severalsignificant estates thereby united the Perceval andMaxwell families in name and property. Initially, thereason Major Maxwell purchased Amherst Island wasto recoup the 30,000 pounds that his wife and herfamily (the Moores of Mount Cashel) had loaned toLord Mount Cashel, the owner of the island. AlthoughMaxwell was reluctant at first to become involved inthis transaction, in the end he felt it was better topurchase the island than to assume the bad debt! Hehad every intention of selling the property as soon as aprofit was assured. He met with Mr. MacDonnell, a Kingston solicitorand partner of John A. MacDonald, in London andproceeded with the purchase of Amherst Island in1857, receiving title in 1858. Major Maxwell was avery prudent investor and was well known for hisbusiness skill. He managed to employ his four youngerbrothers as land agents and managers of his vastholdings and demanded exacting and up to date figureson the income these properties produced. In 1871Maxwell’s nephew, William Henry Moutray, wasgiven the job of land agent for Amherst Island at therequest of his family. A graduate of Trinity CollegeDublin, it seems that he had fallen in love with thegatekeeper’s daughter at their home, Favour Royal.The family considered this an undesirable liaison andWilliam was strongly encouraged to leave!! Love did,however, conquer all and Margaret followed him toCanada where they were wed and lived together atFamham for the next 52 years. William Henry Moutray was the third son of theRev. John Corry Moutray, Rector of Eriglekeviough,County Tyrone, Ireland. His older brothers were theRev. John Maxwell Moutray and Robert PercevalMoutray (Capt. Royal Navy). His mother was MariaDorothea Perceval, younger sister of Robert PercevalMaxwell. On assuming the position of land agent,Moutray’s duties involved administering the lease ofland to tenant farmers. Throughout his tenure as landagent, Moutray was regarded as a kind and generousman, and, according to the meticulous ledgers left in

the house, often lent a helping hand (and an interestfree loan!) when a farmer came upon hard times. Oftenpayments would be in kind or deferred for a month or ayear until prosperity allowed the farmer to pay hisdebt. He was consulted regularly on legal and moneymatters and kept meticulous records on each tenanthousehold as well as his own! Aside from his duties as land agent, Moutrayinvolved himself in many spheres of activity within thegrowing and developing island community. He was anexcellent horseman and owned a stable of horses ofwhich he was very proud. He served for many years asthe Township Clerk and was instrumental in thebuilding of the first Stella Cheese factory and the firstgrist mill on the Island, a community ice house and haypress. Moutray was actively involved in the AmherstIsland Agricultural Society and hosted the annualAgricultural Fairs which were held for many years onhis farm across the street from Farnham. Land for thefair ground was also donated by the Maxwell estate aswell as sites for the Town Hall, Public Pound, 3schools and the Presbyterian Church. In 1883, when the need for a new townshipcemetery was recognized, Moutray granted thepurchase of the present site from the Maxwell propertyfor the sum of one dollar. He remained on the cemeteryboard for many years. He provided wise leadership inboth social and religious matters and was a devoutmember of the Church of England, holding regularSunday School classes in his own home and taught

{Page 4}

by his wife. His foresight enabled the construction ofthe “cottages” on Stella Point as well as the erection ofa “summer hotel” to cater to a thriving tourist tradeduring the summer. This was the first contact thatIslanders had with “tourists” and the hotel was veryprofitable venture for many years. Farnham, during its early years, was home to agrowing family and a meeting place for all Islanders.Older Islanders today can still recall an elderlyMoutray, sitting at his roll top desk, wearing his“skull-cracker” with an ever present dish of candiesclose by. Here he would greet Islanders at any time ofday for whatever reason! Mr. Moutray used to holdlarger meetings in the “ballroom” and hosted parties onthe lawn to the east of the house. Racket sports were afavourite pastime and there are lots of pictures ofpicnics by the water, posed nicely with a couple offavourite steeds close by. Many of the pictures featurefamily members and among those the five daughtersand one son of William and Margaret - Mary, AnnaCaroline, Elizabeth, Margaret, Emma and Maxwell.

Originally, horse drawn carriages and carts enteredthe grounds from a public road that was situateddirectly to the East of the property which explains whythe house faces that direction. The gravel drive endedin front of the house where there were posts fortethering the horses and ample room to turn thecarriages around. Along the South side of the propertythere used to be a fence which Mr. Moutray, reputedly,urged his horses over during their daily exercise. Aboathouse was situated where the boat-slip now is andthere were several other outbuildings to the West of thehouse including a separate frame structure whichhoused the summer kitchen, probably in an effort tokeep the heat out of the main house. This building wasmoved sometime in the 20th century to the farmyardacross the street (the summer kitchen is the middlebuilding of the three). When one looks at Farnham from the road, it seemsthat there are two separate and distinct structures,attached by a short hallway. The main house, with theverandah, was the first part to be built, followedshortly after by the “ballroom” and “schoolroom”addition. This addition was originally a frame structurebut was clad in brick shortly after being built. Theaddition on the north side of the house was built whenindoor plumbing became the vogue. This broughtrunning water to the new kitchen and provided an extrabedroom, bath and toilet upstairs. Attached to theNorth of this was the coal shed which effectivelyblocked out any view of the harbour! Inside the house beautiful maple floors, protectedfor almost a century by a heavy layer of linoleum, arefound in the front hall, dining room and parlour. Theoriginal tin ceiling in the kitchen is typical of the eraand all woodwork in the house is original with theexception of the family room which was renovated in1990. Upstairs, economy justified hardwood givingway to pine which was, once again, protected by thatwonderful layer of heavy linoleum! The six originalbedrooms have now become four and a large bathroomhas taken the place of the maid’s room. Of the threeoriginal staircases, two remain and one of those hasbeen turned around to award us a wonderful view ofStella Harbour. In style, the house seems to follow the classicformal and symmetrical lines of Georgian architecture,however the addition of the sloping “canopy” styleverandah suggests a Regency influence. Indeed, houseslike this, which incorporated a variety of stylisticfeatures, were a trademark of the time and were oftenlabelled “Ontario Regency”. The continuation of theverandah around the South side of the house wascompleted in 1999 and is comparable to the originalstructure.

When my parents, Syl and Molly Apps, took overownership of Farnham in the 70s, it was certainly notthe house you see today. William and Margaret’s onlyson Max had been the last inhabitant of the house and,over the years, as he became less capable of lookingafter himself, the house sank further and further intoruin. It came as no surprise to learn that many of thevillage children thought the house was haunted andthere was the occasional “dare” to run up and knock onthe door! I remember my first step into the house -followed by a hasty retreat the smell in the house wasoverwhelming! The verandah had partially fallen downand the grounds were completely overgrown withweeds, trees and brambles. It was actually difficult toeven see the house from the street! The house had been heated by seven pot belliedstoves with accompanying stove pipes travelling at oddangles throughout each room and held by rusty wiresto ceilings of cracked and flaking plaster. It was aliability to even walk through the house! But amidst thedisrepair there were many surprising revelations - oldnewspapers under layers of wallpaper offeringglimpses of life a hundred years ago; dusty, mildewedledgers which have provided much of the historicalbackground of Ontario tenancies; ice boat runnerssuggesting a pleasurable wintertime activity; beautifulplots of healthy

{Page 5}

peonies - the remains of a well tended and beautifulgarden. Farnham became a challenge of a lifetime andone that was undertaken with great care and hope. Thisis a legacy we have tried to keep alive. We haveanother 70 years left in our tenancy-time, I hope, tomake the old house even better than it was in thebeginning. Certainly our children have wonderful plansfor the house .... when their turn comes around. Whenthat happens, I will gladly relinquish the responsibility(I’ll have no money left anyway!) and hope that therewill still be time for me to sit out on the deckoverlooking Stella harbour and watch someone elsewash the windows!*****

Neilson Store Proposal- Hugh Jenney, AIMS{The following letter was sent to Patrick Beyer,Recreation Director for Loyalist Township, on August31, 2001, responding to the Township’s request forproposals regarding what should be done withNeilson’s Store} This letter is to acquaint you with a proposal by theAmherst Island Men’s Society that the township make

available to us the heritage building known asNeilson’s Store, in Stella, for a professionallyorganized Amherst Island Museum combined with aWeasel and Easel gallery/gift shop in the same space. You may not be aware that The Amherst IslandMen’s Society (AIMS), which already has more than40members, was founded in June to be of service to thisunique island community. Although we have not beenfunctioning as a society for very long, one of the firstthings that has come to our attention is that much ofour heritage is being trucked away by enterprisingantique dealers who have been going door to door withready cash. Much has been lost already, probablyforever. A place to house and display vanishingartifacts seems long overdue. The AIMS museum committee first met at the homeof the Chair, Hugh Jenney, on August 14, 2001, toorganize the business proposal which follows. Becausetime, at least for us, has been so short, we are going topropose an interim one-year arrangement to maintainthe status quo while we consult an antiquities architect,further involve the community, conduct fund-raisingevents on and off the island, and pursue several grantopportunities. When the year is up, and the necessary funds are inhand, with the agreement of the operators of theWeasel and Easel, we would like to see their arts andcrafts operations expanded to encompass the wholeground floor of the old store, mixed in with museum-calibre displays of historic island artifacts such asfurniture, tools, paintings, photographs, letters andother documents, dishes, quilts, clothing, toys, toolsand machinery. We would, at our own expense, openup the ground floor to its old store configuration andprovide some cosmetic restoration of the interior. Islanders not only have interesting items to exhibit,but have access to the knowledge and experience oftwo professional exhibit organizers, Andrea Cross andBruce Burnett, who are both islanders and members ofour committee. Three thousand dollars was raised at the NewYear’s Dance for the Neilson store, which we hopewould become available to the Museum Committee. Inaddition, we would hope to make the dance an annualfund-raising event to help us with the collection anddisplay of island treasures. If our application is successful, we plan to run theAmherst Island Museum as a non-profit venture,charging no admission, but encouraging visitors tomake donations. If AIMS becomes responsible for the wholebuilding, which is what we are proposing, we wouldhope that the Weasel and Easel would divert their

annual rental fee to us. It would be used to assist in thepainting and refurbishing of the old store area, and forthe acquisition, display and restoration of artifacts. Regarding the space required: we would need theentire building - downstairs for the Weasel and Easeland selected artifacts, upstairs for storage of materialsawaiting display, being sorted or whatever. We will also use some outside space to displaylarge farm equipment and other weatherproof items ofinterest. We submit that what we are offering would be amost valuable cultural and educational resource, notjust for islanders, but for all the people of thetownship, and at very little cost to the municipality. It will enable AIMS to return the building to itshistoric configuration and to mount displays depictingthe history of this island settlement. Among other things, the museum would seek to tellthe story of how the island was first populated, itsisolated island

{Page 6}

agriculture, the cultural and artistic role of the island’swomen over the years, the sacrifices made by theisland’s young in at least four wars, the island’sinvolvement in Great Lakes shipping through fishing,ship-building and the supplying of seasoned mariners,and the religious history of the island community. The museum would depict island life before theferry service and before electricity, and try to givepresent generations a taste of how these hardy peoplecoped with the isolation and educated and entertainedthemselves in the process. This, we believe, is aheritage that should not be lost, however much theisland and its population have changed. Obviously, some renovations to the old store will berequired. We are told that the building will soon need anew roof. We have read the very thorough study done of thebuilding earlier this year with its attachedrecommendations. We have studied the financial projections over theten year period until the hoped for income covers theinitial expenses. There appears to be no immediatetenant for the storefront or apartment spaces. Our proposal we believe is much simpler. We willnot need the rebuilding of the apartment space. We willnot need the fire stop between floors. We will not needthe suspended ceiling. We will not need separateelectrical, heating and water services. We willprobably not need the second staircase and the extraoutside door. The roof can be restored to its original

configuration without the added on gables which arenot appropriate to the original style. This will make itsimpler to re-roof and will eliminate the sources of thecurrent leaks and the need to repair these extra gables. Most importantly, the township will not have to bean apartment landlord with all the associated problems. We would want the township to continue to dowhatever is necessary to maintain the structuralintegrity of the building for a period of one year, untilwe are able to arrange finding for repairs, refurbishing,and the display of island artifacts. We would alsoexpect that the township would continue to beresponsible for grass cutting and snow clearanceduring that period. From the report and our own careful examination ofthe building, it appears to be quite sound structurally. We would expect you to continue to insure thebuilding under whatever blanket policy you havecurrently for township property. We, of course, wouldbe responsible for the contents. We are also planning to apply for available federaland provincial grants to return the Neilson Store to itsoriginal state. These grants could also be used for suchimprovements as a furnace and siding and hermeticallysealing the basement for storage. If you should decide to accept our proposal, wewould like to invite a representative from your LoyalistHeritage Committee to join us at our next MuseumCommittee meeting and to become a permanentmember. We also intend to include on our committeerepresentatives of St. Alban’s Anglican Church, St.Bartholomew’s Roman Catholic Church, St. Paul’sPresbyterian Church and the Women’s Institute toassist us in stopping the steady loss of our AmherstIsland heritage. With your help we will succeed. Members of the committee: David Brady, BruceBurnett, Andrea Cross, Bruce Caughey, Neil Johnston,Hans Krauklis, Gary McDonald, Keith Miller, DonPepper, Peter Trueman, Ralph Woods, John Wright.Appendix “A” Specifications1. Type of Business - Non-profit museum inassociation with the Weasel and Easel gallery and giftshop.2. Business Plan - After year one, AIMS would subletspace to the Weasel and Easel and charge $1,000 perannum rental, would ask visitors for donations andwould expect to raise operating, maintenance anddisplay funds by sponsoring dances and other fund-raising events.3. Space Requirements. We would need the wholebuilding. The ground floor would house the museumproper plus the Weasel and Easel; and the second floorwould be needed for storage of artifacts being sorted,

awaiting display or needing repair.4. Renovations Required. We would like to restore theroof-line, the building’s exterior and the ground floorto the original dimensions of the old Neilson’s Store,and would supply the labour and materials ourselveswherever possible.5. Expectations re Bidder’s Responsibilities - Wewould undertake all of the above providing funds canbe raised and grants can be obtained, at no cost to thetownship or its taxpayers. We would also undertakenormal cosmetic maintenance of the building.6. Expectations of Loyalist Township’s responsibilities- AIMS would expect the township, as an interimarrangement, to make any repairs necessary to thebuilding’s structural integrity, and to continue itsgeneral maintenance program for a period of one year.This will give the AIMS museum committee time toconsult with an architect specializing in old buildings,apply for federal and provincial grants and generatemore interest and raise funds locally.7. Leasing terms including length of lease andanticipated rental fee - One year initially. The Weaseland Easel would continue to pay rent to the townshipduring that period.8. Insurance coverage - When the time comes, AIMSwould assume responsibility for covering contents. Wewould hope that the Township would see fit tomaintain whatever policy it now has on the buildingand for public liability.9. References: Letters attached from Nancy Henshaw,President of the Amherst Island Women’s Institute; IanMurray, former Reeve, Amherst Island Township;John Schram,

{Page 7}

Canadian Ambassador to Ethiopia; and HaroldRedekopp, Vice President, Canadian BroadcastingCorporation.10. Other Pertinent Information. - AIMS is veryanxious that this project proceed, and if Loyalistconcludes that any of our terms are unreasonable, orunrealistic, we are more than willing to sit down andtry to resolve differences.*****

Women’s Institute September Meeting- Nancy Dunn Having had no meeting in August the A.I. Women’sInstitute began the new season with a “true” pot-lucksupper at the home of Jean McIntyre in Kingston. The meal consisted of half a dozen delicious saladsand half a dozen delectable desserts with one casserolethrown in for variety. There were 13 in attendance.

The business meeting was conducted by presidentNancy Henshaw and after the usual formalities ofminutes, roll call (responded to by recountinghighlights of our summer), financial reports etc. therewere announcements of anniversaries of TamworthW.I. (80th) and Grandview W.I. (50th). Severalshowed an interest in attending these events on Sept.24th and Nov. 14th respectively. The area annualconvention will be in Glenburnie on Tues. Oct. 16th. A committee was struck to organize the Seniors’Christmas dinner to be held on Dec. 2, 2001.Invitations will be sent in due course but if you qualify(age 65+) and don’t receive an invite call NancyHenshaw to be put on the list. It was announced that the club has purchased acopy of the inventory of the “Heritage ResourceBuildings of Amherst Island”, compiled in the summerof 2000, that Anna Hitchins will serve as ourrepresentative on the Amherst Island Men’s Society’scommittee to restore the former Neilson’s store andthat AIMS would be glad to hear from us (or anyone)of persons who are ill or incapacitated and are in needof meals, assistance around the house, shopping etc. ona short-term basis. Joyce Haines drew to our attention that thegovernment is no longer providing plaques for 4Hmembers to display their awards for the completion oftheir courses. A motion was made to set aside funds tobuy plaques, preferably from an Island artisan. After hearing a report that the A.I. phone books arestill selling well the group decided that, in view of thefact that there have been many newcomers to the Islandin the past year, there should be an update published inthe form of an addendum. Diane Hieatt is in charge ofthis. If you wish your name and number to be includedcall her at 389-7074 or e-mail her at“[email protected]”. There will be no more bake sales this year. Thanksto all who made the four we had very successful. The October meeting will be held at 7p.m. onThursday, Oct. 18th at St. Paul’s Presbyterian churchhall. It will bean open meeting. The speaker will be Dr.T. Anastassiades, head of the Division ofRheumatology at Queen’s University and Director ofthe Rheumatic Diseases Unit. His topic will be“Rheumatic Diseases”. All are invited. The evening closed with a brown bag auction fromwhich a goodly sum was raised via the sale of somevery interesting packages.*****

A.I.M.S.- As recorded by secretary of the day Ralph Woods In an effort to keep the community informed about

our work we are publishing our minutes to ourmembers as well as publishing this update in theBeacon. The regular meeting of A.I.M.S. met on Sat. Sept.8th after a congenial breakfast attended by about thirtymen. Bob Thompson called the meeting to order andcongratulations were expressed to Vicki Keith andJohn Munroe for their swim as well as to PeterTrueman for his appointment to the Order of Canada. After a favourable financial report by Jim Whittonthe other committees reported as well. John Kutiexpressed concern for Island residents who werereturning to their homes after a stay in the hospital. Acommittee was struck to further assist with thisparticular concern. The Historical Committee made a proposal toLoyalist Council for the use of Neilson’s store as amuseum for Island artefacts. This would be inconjunction with the continued use of the store by theWeasel and Easel Gallery and gift shop. The importantareas outlined in this proposal are: (a) we be granted ayear to acquire the necessary funding to proceed withthe project; (b) the township for insurance purposeswill still retain ownership of the building; (c) that themuseum committee work in co-ordination with theWeasel and Easel Gallery and gift shop and in thesame space; (d) our objective is to keep artefacts whichare presently being trucked off the Island; and, (e) wewould like to restore the old store to its former areaand size with the removal of some of the presentpartitions. We are also suggesting the removal of thedormer windows which have been placed on the roof. At the time of writing this article the proposal hasbeen accepted and the committee will now proceedwith acquiring the necessary funding which will berequired to proceed. Dr. Brian Grace reported on his suggestion ofhaving a Farmer’s Market in the village. This marketwould be for produce or baked goods supplied byIsland vendors. It would not be a flea market for yardsales or T shirts. It was the consensus that we wouldproceed with this market in the spring after Islandinterest had been assessed.

{Page 8}

A suggestion of a perfect pie contest and sale wasmade to raise funds for the museum or otherendeavours. We are also making inquiries of Loyalist Townshipfor replacement of trees which we could acquirethrough the township. The meetings are usually concluded by about 10

a.m. and we invite all Island men who are free at thistime to join us on Oct. 20th for the next meeting.*****

Farming, Fishing & Bees- Ian Murray Hugh Filson and Raymond Wemp agree that it hasbeen a difficult year for fishing. Hugh said he’s givenup on yellow perch but is going to go after white fish inNovember. The nets he put out earlier in the summercaught mostly moss and weeds. Raymond says thatthere are yellow perch out there but not in the usualplaces. He stressed that the lack of spring runoff, thesummer heat and winds have made catching fish moredifficult than usual. Mr. Shane who has quite a few bee hives on theIsland said that he got a very good honey crop fromhere - much better than on the mainland. Black bearshave become a real problem for some of his mainlandbee yards. Adam Miller reports that his corn yields areprobably a bit less than 1/2 of normal. His dry haytested 13% protein, first cut silage was 16% andsecond cut was 20%. Vince Eves says their corn isprobably a little better than 1/2 a normal crop. The beef and sheep farmers are hoping that the rainthis last week of September will be followed by somegood grass growing weather so that pasture can replacethe hay and grain that is being fed now.*****

Arthur John Wolfreys (1927-2001)- Lyn Fleming Dad was born on July 4, 1927 in Richmond Hill,Ontario. He always joked that that was why the U.S.celebrated the 4th of July - they were glad he wasn’tborn there! He was the 2nd of eight sons born to Bertand Mable Wolfreys. At the age of 15, he fibbed abouthis age so he could join the Merchant Marines. Afterseveral trips back and forth across the Atlantic, hereturned home following the sudden death of a youngerbrother (Henry). He worked alongside his father in a munitionsfactory in Toronto for several years. At age 19, he“rode the rails” west with a friend to help with theharvest. He went back the next year with brotherLloyd. In his late 20's, he spent a year and a half in aSanatorium in Hamilton, Ont., until it was decided thathe didn’t have tuberculosis. It was during hisconfinement, that he met a nurse, Katie Thiessen,whom he married several months after being releasedfrom hospital. He drove a delivery truck and then worked forSuperior Propane, before joining the Vaughan

Township Police Force in 1957. During this time, mysister (Gail) and I arrived. In his spare time, he startedhis own sign painting business, which steadily grew,until he quit the police force in 1966 to work full timeas a sign painter. In 1968, he moved his family “southof the border” to Florida. He became the junior partnerof Schafer Signs and eventually the sole owner. He andmom spent many weekends traveling around Floridaand later around much of the U.S. and Canada, butalways looked forward to their annual treks north toCanada to visit family and friends. I was lucky enoughto work with dad in the sign business for 6 1/2 years.He was a strict father (much to the chagrin of 2teenage daughters!) but always had lots of love andhugs too. Dad had a wonderful sense of humour and noone was immune when all the “Wolfreys boys” andtheir families were together. His love and fascination with flying was a lifelongpassion. It meant family outings on Sunday afternoonsusually ended up at Malton Airport in Toronto towatch planes landing and taking off! After moving toFlorida he realized his dream of becoming a pilot. Herarely missed a space launch - from the Apollo’s to theshuttles. He was an accomplished leather craftsman,making and carving belts and wallets, dabbling inwoodworking, ham radios and more. Then came hismost recent passion - computers. His was one of thefirst sign shops in Orlando to have a computerized signmachine, was instantly hooked on his home computerand is responsible for dragging me kicking andscreaming into the computer age! Anyone he knew whohad a computer, received email from him on a dailybasis. There are many of us who don’t get so many e-mails anymore. Dad was the treasured grandfather to 5 grandsonsand 2 granddaughters, (Jason and Stephanie and Scott,Todd, Stewart, Christy and Kevin). He had a uniqueand special relationship with each and everyone ofthem. He was predeceased by brothers Henry, Don andErnie and survived by Lloyd, Howard, Leonard andEllis. Dad was a special brother, brother-in-law and uncleto so many in the Wolfreys and Thiessen families. Hewas a much loved father and grandfather. Finally, hewas best friend and husband of 47 years to Mom. Wemiss him terribly. A memorial service will be held for Art Wolfreys at11:00 a.m., on October 13, at St. Alban’s - Stella.*****

Genealogy- Ian Murray The relationships listed below are for interest onlyand are intended to show some of the relationships

between the older Island families. Our Family Treeprogram has 78 pages of kinships for Stratton Reid -one of the largest I’ve come across. This is because hehas some of the same ancestors on both his mother’sand father’s family trees and many of his ancestorsbelong to large and well-documented families such asGlenn

{Page 9}

and Wemp. The following are related to Allen Bruce Caughey:Peter Barr, 2nd cousin twice removed; Carry Filson, 2nd cousin twice removed and 3rd cousintwice removed; Tracey McDonald, 2nd cousin three times removed;David Fleming, 2nd cousin twice removed; Allen Glenn, 2nd cousin twice removed; Annette Philips, 2nd cousin twice removed; Anna Hitchins, 2nd cousin; Scott Marshall, 2nd cousin twice removed; Keith Miller, 2nd cousin twice removed; Ted Welbanks, 2nd cousin once removed; Steven Willard, 2nd cousin twice removed. The following are related to Robert Stratton Reid:Kim Ashley & Neil deHaan, 6th cousin once removed;Bonnie Baker & Cheryl Hutchings: 4th cousin, 5thcousin, 5th cousin once removed, 6th cousin onceremoved; Rita Brown, 2nd cousin; Mary Claus, 3rd cousin once removed, 4th cousin onceremoved, 5th cousin and 6th cousin; Hugh Filson, 2nd cousin twice removed, 4th cousinonce removed, 5th cousin once removed, 6th cousin,5th cousin once removed, 6th cousin once removed and(again) 6th cousin once removed; Larry Fleming & Debbie Scott, 4th cousin onceremoved; Bob Gibson, 4th cousin, 5th cousin, 5th cousin onceremoved and 6th cousin once removed; Marion Glenn, sister; Annette Philips, 4th cousin, 5th cousin, 5th cousinonce removed; Garry Hitchins, 2nd cousin and 5th cousin; Warren Kilpatrick, 2nd cousin once removed; Noel McCormick, 3rd cousin, 5th cousin, 5th cousinonce removed and (again) 5th cousin once removed;Ryan McGinn, grandnephew, 3rd cousin onceremoved, 5th cousin once removed, 5th cousin twiceremoved, 6th cousin, 6th cousin once removed; 5thcousin 3 times removed and 6th cousin twice removed; Don Miller Jr., 4th cousin, 5th cousin, 5th cousin onceremoved; Kathy Reed and David Wemp, 1st cousin once

removed, 3rd cousin once removed, 4th cousin onceremoved, 5th cousin, 5th cousin once removed, 6thcousin and 5th cousin twice removed; Elsie Willard, sister; Steven Willard, 2nd cousin once removed; and Ted Welbanks, 2nd cousin, 3rd cousin once removed,4th cousin once removed and 5th cousin once removed.*****

Letter Home- Christopher Kennedy We can no longer pretend that it is still summer.The kids are all back at school, and some of the olderones have left for university. Quite a step fromAmherst Island to Toronto or Ottawa. Many of oursummer visitors have gone, only coming back for theoccasional weekend. Even most of the cattle from theCommunity Pasture have had to leave, as the droughthas meant very little fall pasture. Many of the Islandfarmers are already digging into the winter hay supply.The little bit of rain today, September 24, may be toolittle and too late to help much. Before winter we willhave to count the bales and decide how many ewes wecan keep. It will soon be time for the Turkey Supper at theschool and Thanksgiving. Along with the coolerweather the deer start to move around more, with thebucks looking for does, and vice versa, so we have toleave a little earlier for the ferry or we may end up withsome very expensive venison. The deer at least seem tohave had a very prolific year. It has been a good fall sofar for getting jobs done around the farm. It has beendry and sunny for drawing out the manure, and that isabout finished. We do have to spend a lot longerfeeding the sheep each morning though. Usually at thistime of year they should be all out on pasture.Listening to the radio this morning there wereinterviews with farmers in Saskatchewan, and we seemto be much better off than them, as many of them haveno crop at all. Thanksgiving is a good time toremember the people less fortunate than we are.*****

News from the General Store We would like to thank Winston & Carol Morrisfor the large fan we have at the store now. It certainlycame in handy during the hot, humid days we had thissummer. We would also like to congratulate TheAmherst Island General Store soccer team. Theyfinished the 2001 season as the A Flight teamchampions. Way to go team! Congratulations to all. We will still be operating on our summer holidayschedule until Oct. 14:Mon - Thur 9am - 6pm

Fri & Sat 9am - 9pmSun 10am - 6pm

Greeting cards for all occasions are now available atthe store, and are sold for $2.50 each plus tax.

We have a great selection of movies in right now.The Family Man - Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni3000 Miles to Graceland - Kurt Russell, KevinCostnerHannibal - Anthony HopkinsExit Wounds - Steven Seagal, DMXTraffic - Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-JonesMany others to choose from.

Store Hours for Thanksgiving Weekend Are:Fri 9am - 9pmSat 9am - 9pmSun 10am - 6pmMon 10am - 5pm.Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!***

{Page 10}

I am collecting used stamps - any kind for the guidedogs, clean used clothing and books for the “CatsMeow”. Used towels - cleaning products - A& P tapesand 12"x 12" knitted squares for the Napanee Animalshelter. Donations may be left in my front porch or callfor a pick-up. Freda Youell - 384-4135 The animalsreally need our help.***

Fresh fruits and Vegetables, in seasonBarbara Reid10850 Front Road389-0675***

Woollen Products From Topsy FarmsBlankets, Wraps, Yarn, Sheepskins389-3444 or at The Weasel and Easel & Bath VillageGallery***

Summit International CanadaCarpet Manufacturer and DistributorGord Forbes, Sales Agent .... 3 89-85 16***

Thomas A. RichmondCertified ElectricianHome, Farm, Commercial work,

right here on the island.634-1855*****

For SaleVinyl Windows, various sizes, $20.00 to $45.00; 8foot sliding door - $75.00. May be seen at 9910 FrontRoad and by contacting 549-2177 after 6:00pm.*****

For Free:Precast concrete stairs- five steps and aprox 4'x4' toplanding, with a steel railing built-in. They are hollowand can be picked up with a tractor for transport.In Very Good Condition and in the driveway- the firstone to show up and take them wins.Tom Richmond 634-1855*****

NoticesA.I. Women’s Institute invites everyone to hear Dr. TAnastassiades of Queen’s U.: “Rheumatic Diseases”,Thurs. 18 Oct. 7 p.m., St. Paul’s Church Hall***

Ameriks’ Scholarship Fund - 2001- Diane Pearce, CEO Loyalist Township Applications for the Ameriks Scholarship Fund, inmemory of Reeve Frank Fleming, will be received bythe Committee until October 31, 2001. Amherst Island residents who currently attend post-secondary institutions on a full time basis are eligibleto apply. Application forms are available at the FerryOffice in Stella during office hours, Tuesday toThursday. Please forward completed applications toLoyalist Township at 263 Main Street, Odessa, K0H2H0, or leave at the Ferry Office.***

Weasel & EaselThanksgiving is the last weekend of our season.10% discount on most items in the store.Store Hours: 11 am - 5 pm Saturday and Sunday andalso Thanksgiving Monday.*****

Thank You Thank-you to our many family, friends andneighbours for the emails and calls while we weredown south; for all the many, many comforting andkind words, messages, cards, visits, flowers and food,following my dad’s (Art Wolfreys) passing. A veryspecial thank you to Leslie McDonald and BayridgeTravel, who worked into the night to get us on the first

available flight home. It’s been said many times beforehow special and supportive the Island community is ata time like this, and it is so true. Again, thank you so much. Lyn Fleming.***

The family of the late Stratton Reid would like toextend their thanks for the many acts of kindnessduring the sudden loss of a dear husband, father andgrandfather. For cards, visits, calls, food, flowers anddonations. To St. Paul’s P.C.W. for the lovely lunchafter the funeral service. To the First Response Team,Ambulance Attendants, Police, Rev. Zander Dunn, andPaul Payne and his staff for their assistance andcomforting words during this difficult time and also tothe Pallbearers. Thank you. Barbara, James, Sandra, Brooke and Brandon Reid*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: November 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 285}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 285 November 2001***

Newsstand$1.00 / Issue***



ProductionHeadlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail: [email protected]&Tom Richmond [email protected]


CreditsWord Perfect Office 2000ArcSoft ImagingAdobe PageMaker 6.5Adobe PhotoShop 6.0Adobe Acrobat 5.0Adobe Distiller 5.0

Production For November225 Copies*****

This Issue- Ian Murray Tom Richmond and Jan Sneep have been asked ifthey can figure out how to get the Beacon on to theAmherst Island web site,http://www.amherstisland.on.ca. The idea is thatBeacons will be uploaded a month after publication

and stay there permanently. It will be a chance to seethe colourful masthead and what the photos look like incolour. The paper now being used by the Beacon is heavierthan before so now we can only use 5 pages withoutupping the postage required for mailed Beacons. Wenow have an inventory of articles from old Beacons sowe should be able to fill 10 pages each month. E-mailed articles certainly make my life easier. Ifpossible, please don’t use hard returns at the end ofeach line Tom or I have to remove them. The lessformatting the better: none is great. If you don’t haveemail, Don can usually scan into the computer clearlytyped material and that also saves time and effort. The photos in the last issue turned out very well,Tom would like more photos. Old photos of the Islandare often the most interesting.*****

Many thanks to Shirley Miller, whose photographsadded greatly to this issue of the Beacon!*****

A Tribute To Captain William Bulch- David Willard Shakespeare once wrote, “the evil that men do livesafter them, the good is oft’ interred with their bones.”The good should not be forgotten when heroic peopleleave us. Because time propels us all rapidly forward,it is fitting that we pause and remember the sacrificeand service in the long and varied life of Billy Bulch. Did our beautiful Island ever have a betterAmbassador? Since the 1960s many will remember

{Page 2}

Billy most fondly as the Mate on the Amherst Islanderwhose cheerful disposition and crusty voice alwaysgreeted you by name, and if you were a “newcomer”he’d stick his head in your window and find out whoyou were and remember you. And on the pragmaticside Bill set the standard by which all future Mateswere measured, especially in the waning years of theAmherst Islander’s service when she could no longercope with the heavy and unpredictable traffic loads.“Load for a load every time” was his motto as Billwould run out to the line-up himself and pick the orderof loading to ensure leaving as few behind as possible. Bill was born to Joe and Alice Bulch and grew upon the family farm on the Second Concession, workingthe land and milking cows like many Island kids in thatera and taking the milk to the factory in Emerald. He

had an older brother named Clarence and a sister,Florence, who died as a child, Bill attended school at#3 on the Front Road not far from the present daydump. If life was in any way idyllic during those years,it was short-lived because Hitler’s forces were on themove in Europe and soon many of the Island’s youngmen would sail across the Atlantic to face this newmenace. Billy joined the Canadian Navy and learned aboutthe horrors of war at sea firsthand. He was serving onthe Bayfield, a British minesweeper in the EnglishChannel when they fell prey to a Nazi U-boat. Billdescribed the experience, “I had just come on watch. ..Iheard a thud and then two clicks.. .the next thing Iknew, I was in the water.” There were six Canadiansserving on the Bayfield when she was blown apart andall six survived despite the explosion, the icy water,swallowing salt water and fuel, raging fire andconfusion and the sickening spray of machine gunfire.All six kept in touch for many years after. Bill served on several ships during the battle for theAtlantic, both British and Canadian. He had marriedHelen Kay during the war and when their first child,Charles, was born, Bill’s ship, the H.M.S. Glasgow(above) wired flowers home to the new mother andbaby. After the war, Bill returned to Helen andresumed life on the Island assuming the mortgage fromhis parents on the family farm. In the years that wouldfollow, they would welcome many more children intothe world but face a number of sorrows, as well. Nearthe end of the war, Bill’s oldest brother Clarance wastransporting coal on a truck on the ice out off FairfieldPark near Amherstview when it went through. Theother two men, Jack Instant and Hugh Perry survivedbut Clarence was sitting in the middle and did not.Some years later their barn burned to the ground,probably as a result of arson. They lost their youngestson, Bruce not long after that. In more recent yearstheir son, Dick was killed in an accident. Billy survived it all and could always be counted onas he lived out the chapters of his life, many of whichwere in a world far different than the safe and sterileone most of us have grown up in. In the 1950s when a neighbour died in a huntingaccident, he was waked at home as many were then.During the wake, a change of shirt became necessaryso Billy sat the man up in his coffin and changed hisshirt. That’s the kind of man Bill was and that’s thekind of man Amherst Island has lost. The family farm was sold in the late 60s and Billymoved through the ranks of the Amherst Islanderfinishing his career as Captain - quite appropriate for anaval vet and a true seaman. Confined to the “wheelhouse”, Captain Bulch probably missed the interaction

down on the deck but even there his animated characterwould still manifest itself occasionally. Once in themid-seventies when freezing weather had the ferryslowed to a crawl in the ice, I parked my car atMillhaven, choosing to run across the ice on foot ratherthan endure the long wait. When I passed the ferry inthe middle of the channel, Captain Bulch blew the ferryhorn and gave me a big wave and smile. Bill eventuallyretired from the ferry and quietly lived out his days inthe village enjoying his family and grandchildren andcoping with a number of health problems. Bill had true character and was an outstandingCanadian citizen. He served both his County and hisIsland so very well. Thank you Bill.(Special thanks to Ida Gavlas, Aunt Emily Tugwell &Garnet McDonald.)*****

{Page 3}

Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Get will wishes to several Islanders this month. Getwell to Eldon Willard and Alison McDonald who bothspent time in hospital; to Wayne Fleming as herecovers from knee surgery and to Ryan McGinn andStephanie Fleming who have both had dental surgery. Condolences to the family and friends of NellieNeilson, who passed away earlier this month. Nellieand her husband Fred operated Neilson’s store on theIsland for many years. Her son, Jim, was a long timedairy farmer on the Island as well. Sympathy to Helen Bulch and Ida Gavlas andfamilies, following the passing of their husband andfather, William “Billy” Bulch. Billy was another “old”Islander with lots of stories of earlier days on the ferry.With the passing of our older, lifetime and sometimemulti-generation Islanders, goes so much of our historyand stories that were never written down. This month a memorial service was held for ArtWolfreys at St. Alban’s. Megan Ashley, (daughter of Duncan and Kim), wasbaptized at St. Alban’s in October and Rebecca Scott,(daughter of Alex and Debbie), was baptized at St.Paul’s. My mom, Kay Wolfreys, (Orlando) spent acouple of weeks here on the Island visiting with familyand friends. It seems people with Island ties can find each otheranywhere. Shortly after the September 11 tragedy,Ralph Morrow was on a seniors bus tour to NYC. Invisiting with other Canadians on various tours, he meta bus driver who was an Islander! Art Hitchins haddriven another tour to NYC.

Jeff Pearce, former Island resident and member ofthe music group Moist, is touring with Moist’s leadsinger David Usher who has just released his secondsolo album. They played at AJ’s Hangar October 17 toa sold out audience. Another former Islander (andTopsy Farm employee), Graeme MacDonald is tourmanager. Amherst Island Public School is getting a muchneeded face-lift, with long over due repairs and a freshpaint job to the exterior of the building. The Scienceschool at A.I.P.S. is off to a great start, with severalschools from the mainland already having visited theIsland and many more booked.*****

Amherst Island Women’s Institute - October Meeting- Nancy Dunn An open meeting of the Amherst Island W.I. washeld on Thurs. October 18th at St. Paul’s Church Hallat 7 p.m. Including 15 members, there were over 30 inattendance. The guest speaker was Dr. T.Anastassiades of Queen’s University who gave us aninformative overview of Osteoporosis, a disease of thebones which affects both men and women. Hispleasant, unassuming manner and use of slides,including graphs and charts, resulted in a talk that wasreadily understood by the “non-medical” major part ofthe audience. Unfortunately he was able to stay onlyuntil the 8 p.m. ferry so that the question period wasnot as long as we would have liked. After a lunch enjoyed by all, the Instituteconstituted its regular meeting with Nancy Henshawpresiding. Nancy reported that several women hadattended the Tamworth W.I. anniversary on Sept. 24thand the district annual meeting in Glenburnie on Oct.16th. On the latter excursion, informed that the ferrywas still out of commission when the gatheringadjourned (that was the day of the body at the dock)they extended their stay by “living it up” in Kingstonfor a couple of hours. At that meeting one of ourmembers, Freda Youell, received recognition for herrecent volunteer award from the L.&A. organizationfor seniors (SOS). Joyce Haines reported that twelve 4-H plaques havebeen ordered at a very reasonable price. Seven areneeded immediately and we will have five in reserve.Members were encouraged to attend the 4-H-sponsoredHallowe’en Party at the community centre on Oct. 27. Further plans were made for the Seniors’ Christmasdinner on Dec. 2nd. The next regular meeting will be at the home ofNancy Henshaw on Wed. Nov. 21st at 7 p.m. TomSylvester will tell us some interesting things aboutcreatures and their environment on Amherst Island.

Guests and prospective new members are welcome.*****

AIMS- Peter Trueman The Amherst Island Men’s Society held its regularmonthly breakfast meeting at 8 a.m. on Sat., Oct. 20,in the St. Paul’s Church Hall. A number ofdevelopments were discussed, including the status of agovernment grant for renovation of the NeilsonStore/Museum, an Island Farmer’s Market, and a HelpPeople fund. Ken Albertan was this month’s Chair, and PeterTrueman

{Page 4}

acted as the meeting’s secretary. Paul Henshaw is theAIMS Treasurer. After committee reports, John Munrothanked the AIMS membership for digging into theirown pockets in support of the 18-hour tandem swim hemade with his wife, Vicki Keith, from the U.S. side ofLake Ontario to Kingston on August 25. When theybegan, he said, the water was like a millpond, and thetemperature was 78 degrees F. But they hit roughwater at the mouth of the St Lawrence and John beganto feel the effects of an undigested lump of power barin the pit of his stomach. From then on, he said, it wasa bit like swimming with the flu. Told they had threemiles left to go, John was dismayed an hour later tolearn that they were still three miles from their goal.But he didmanage to finish. Thanks to the swim and the funds itraised, The Variety Village Flames now have youngdisabled swimmers training in Kingston. In closing,John presented AIMS with a certificate ofappreciation. For the second time, two members of AIMS wereasked to share something of their life stories, and to tellthe meeting how they happened to be on AmherstIsland. The previous month, the group had heard aninteresting account of John Kuti’s life as a writer,shop-owner and restaurateur, and something aboutHugh Jenney’s varied career in business and as ateacher. At the most recent meeting, the speakers had similarstories to tell about the terrors of childhood in wartimeEurope, much, much worse than what happened inNew York on September 11. Hans Krauklis came toCanada in the 1950s and was introduced to the Islandby a real estate ad, after a 25 year career in the civilservice. He met his wife Erika Montreal. Gian Frontiniwas born in Italy and was posted to Kingston by Alcanin the 1960s. He and his wife Pat bought a cottage

from the late George Mygind in 1969 and later boughtGeorge’s farm. Both couples love the island and livehere now in very active retirement. Under new business, Keith Miller suggested a HelpPeople Fund, to fund AIMS services to people askingfor assistance. Keith has been picking up beer cans andbottles at the dump and turning them in. To start offthe fund, he turned over the $32 he has so far collectedto Treasurer Paul Henshaw. Paul Lauret suggested thatthe membership also save beer bottles and beer cans,and put the money in the Help People Fund. He agreedto bring his truck to the next AIMS meeting and takeall the cans and bottles into town for recycling. Brian Grace reported that the location for theproposed farmers’ market was no longer a problem.The Township has amended a by-law to alloworganizations to use the Memorial Park. The marketcould begin mid-April when plants and baking could besold. The school children could be invited to sell anyseedlings left over when their subscribers have beensupplied. An Island mailing on the market is underconsideration. Hugh Jenney, chair of the AIMS MuseumCommittee, and David Brady, who has undertaken aninquiry into the possibility of government grants,reported on the status of the Neilson Store/Museum/Gallery project. The building was surveyed by CourtNoxon, a Prince Edward County architect whospecializes in older buildings. Mr. Noxon had a varietyof suggestions, and was very encouraging about thebuilding’s potential. David Brady reported on a furthervisit to the old building by Patricia Howorth, aKingston-based program officer for Heritage Canada,inconnection with a possible grant application underCultural Spaces Canada, a three-year $80 millionprogram for the entire country. David pointed out thata number of steps needed to be taken if AIMS were toqualify under terms of that program. For example, theMuseum Committee, or some other governing body,would have to incorporate. A feasibility study wouldhave to be completed etc etc. Under the CulturalSpaces program claims could be made for up to 30percent of the cost of construction/renovation, and upto 50 percent of the cost of specialized equipment anda feasibility study. Heritage Canada is concerned that any facilityreceiving a grant has a well thought out business plan,and that it has been demonstrated that it will attractlarge numbers of visitors. If the Museum is not a year-round operation that would detract from the likelihoodof getting a grant. The participation of the Weasel andEasel, a commercial operation, would however beconsidered a plus. David pointed out that our chances

of receiving a grant would be improved if we could lineup strong political support. Our case would beenhanced in bureaucratic eyes if AIMS coulddemonstrate that several groups and organizationswould be likely to use the refurbished building. Thebroader the “cultural partnership” that might beestablished, the better the case that could be made.With this in mind, Dick Dodds suggested using part ofthe building (upstairs, for example) as “a centuryclassroom”, a re-creation of what a classroom in one ofthe Island’s schools might have looked like 100

{Page 5}

years ago. Peter Trueman suggested that a refurbishedkitchen area in the upstairs might be used as alunchroom for visiting school children on naturalhistory tours of the Island. AIMS meets the second Saturday of every month at8 a.m. at St Paul’s Church Hall. Breakfast is servedand the charge is $5. All Island men are welcome. Thenext meeting is Nov 10.*****

News from Amherst Island P.S.- School StaffPenpals - The Primary and Senior classes havereceived the first set of penpal letters from students inDenbigh Public School. A.I.P.S. grade 8 students arecorresponding with grade 8 students in Norwood.Upcoming...Remembrance Day Program - November 9 at 11:00a.m. Jingle Bell Run - November 30.***

Cross Country Run- William Reed On October 9, 2001, 4 students from A.I.PS.participated in the cross country run on Fort HenryHill. Those students were Brittany Sneep, LaurelBrady, Justin Hutchings and William Reed. Thedistance we had to run was 2.5. km, up and down hills!At the end of the day, Sharon Donnelly, a well knownCanadian athlete, gave out all the awards. Our groupdid really well after all of our hard practice.*****

Remembering- Ida Gavlas “Remembering” is the new book published underthe auspices of the Lennox and Addington HistoricalSociety for the Veterans of Lennox & AddingtonCounty for World War II and the Korean Conflict. The

book is wonderful and has many letters written homeand stories of conditions and people at a terrible phaseof their lives. Remembrance day is here again, and I dolike to keep the memory of the selfless men and womenwho gave so much for us. Appreciating the years andsuffering they went through during and after the warsis something we can not forget. I have watched movies and old news reels of thewars. Dad and I watched one particular movie where aship sank and the oil in the water was on fire with menin it. He said to me “you can’t imagine what it wasreally like”. On this Remembrance Day lets all pray towhoever we hold most high that the wars will end andthat Remembrance Day will be what it should be, aday to remember lest we forget. Remember all our pastand present family and friends involved in theseconflicts.*****

Roofing- Ian Murray Industrial built up roofing - the flat roofs onfactories and other large buildings - is a major sourceof employment for Island men. Only the ferry serviceemploys more Island workers. Industrial roofing isvery demanding work: it requires physical strength andendurance; the worker must endure the heat of summerand the cold of winter - only rain, high winds andextremely hot or cold weather interrupts roof work; thework is technically challenging as new products andmethods are introduced; and, there is the ever presentdanger of falling or being burnt by the asphalt. It is avery competitive field and each company’s reputationdepends on work of high quality; many corporationshave a list of acceptable roofing companies and to bedropped from that list because of a leaking roof isserious business. Amherst Roofing and Covertite each currentlyemploy about 8 Island residents with one Islanderworking for another company. Eric McGinn told methat Amherst Roofing has about 35 employees with 3/4being either Island residents or relatives by blood ormarriage. Eric says that Amherst Roofing is very busyright now and it is a challenge to work around therecent wet weather. This company currently has jobs inCornwall, Maitland (DuPont), Warkworth (jail), andCalabogie. It also has the roofing contract for the newcasino in Gananoque. I know from talking to roofers over the years howmuch pride they take in their trade. Farming isconsidered to be challenging work but I think thatroofing is in a higher league. I do not envy my roofingneighbours on the 6 a.m. ferry and getting home 12, 13or 14 hours later.

*****

{Page 6}

Talking Peace- Lyn Fleming About 45-50 people attended “Talking Peace” at St.Alban’s, hosted by Rev. Andrew Chisolm andfeaturing Dave Brady and Stanley Burke. Stanley andDave both gave brief talks about their experiences andthoughts regarding the Arab/ Muslim world. The floorwas then opened up to the audience for questions anddiscussion. While the evening was informative in a lotof ways and gave a little insight into another way oflife, I still left with many questions. As I understood it,the idea of “Talking Peace” is to create dialogue withthe Muslim people to find out what they want and needfrom us. While I believe dialogue between All culturesand races would be beneficial in many world problems,I don’t believe it alone is the answer to current events. A website has been created to encourage dialogueand can be found at www.talkingpeace.net.*****

Ferry Service Suspended- Ian Murray As the ferry was approaching the Millhaven dockOctober 16, at about 9:15 a.m., Captain DougShurtliffe spotted what looked like a body floating inthe water. The OPP ordered the ferry to return toAmherst Island and not to operate again until a bodywas found or it was determined that no body was to befound. The Whig Standard reported that “the body ofan adult male was pulled from the water around 4:30p.m.” This was an unfortunate incident for allconcerned.*****

Little Kitten Creates Big Move- Bill Harris In June last year Bev and Bill Harris were spendingtwo weeks at Ted Wellbanks’ farm house on the SouthShore Road. On their first day, while walking alongStella Road, they were surprised by the Meow Meowof a little ginger kitten climbing out of the bulrushes.Delighted, Bev called “come to Mama!” A fewhundred dollars of vet bills later, they decided to keepthe kitten, naming him Moses. At the end of their twoweek stay they took him home to Oakville to join theircats Benny and Susie. They also took back an AmherstIsland Directory with the names of thirty peoplechecked off that they had met. Having sold their Nonsuch sailboat (which theykept at Collins Bay Marina) that year, Bev and Bill

were looking for a summer cottage, and AmherstIsland seemed the perfect place. But before the yearwas out, it was a year round house they were buildingat 4 Front Rd, east of Harry and Barb Filson’s house.Bill had retired as President of Ciba Agriculture, andBev thought this a perfect time to also retire from overthirty years as a piano teacher. John Maas with thehelp of Noel McCormick built the house during sixmonths this summer and Moses moved back toAmherst Island in August. As Bev drove off the ferryand down Stella Road, Moses became agitated andjumped with great excitement. Was it the new home orthe voles he was excited by? We can only guess.[Staff: This is a good way for new Island residents tointroduce themselves. Welcome. Some years agoCaroline Yull did a few articles on people moving here.Is anyone interested in doing this?]*****

Ancestors of Ellen Lilian (Nellie) McDonald

Ellen Lilian (Nellie) McDonald b: December 12, 1904 d: October 07, 2001

Sylvester McDonald {father of Ellen McDonald}b: 1873

Mary Glenn {mother of Ellen McDonald}b: 1875d: 1915

William McDonald {father of Sylvester McDonald}b: 1852d: 1933

Ellen Stevenson {mother of Sylvester McDonald}b: 1850d: 1930

Nessie Askin {mother of Mary Glenn}b: 1837

Alexander (Sandy) Glenn {father of Mary Glenn}b: July 10, 1838

Mary Glenn {mother of Nessie Askin}b: Abt 1799

Alex Askin {father of Nessie Askin}b: 1796

Alexander Glenn {father of Alexander (Sandy) Glenn}b: Abt 1790

Robert Glenn {father of Alexander Glenn}b: Abt 1765

Nessie Johnston {mother of Alexander Glenn}b: Abt 1770***

Ellen Lilian “Nellie” Neilson- Jean Tugwell Nellie Neilson was born on Amherst Island andpassed away at Trillium Ridge Retirement Home,Sunday October 7th, 2001 in her 97th year. Herparents were Sylvester and Mary Glenn MacDonald.She was predeceased by her husband FrederickNeilson, and her sister Nessie Corerie. Sadly missed byher son James S. Neilson and his wife Mary ofKingston, and daughter Kaye Moeller and her husband

{Page 7}

Fred of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; her manygrandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, and also many nieces and nephews.Predeceased by her daughter Mary Eleanor Neilson in1998 and by her granddaughter Patricia JoanneNeilson in 1996. After graduating from Normal School inPeterborough, Aunt Nellie taught on Amherst Island in#2 school and boarded with Mr. and Mrs. EddyFleming. Aunt Nellie was truly a lady, a wonderfulmother and homemaker - her buns, cakes and pies were“the best”. While Uncle Fred was busy as part ownerof The Neilson Store - open from 7 a.m. for milkwagon traffic until the last customer left at 9 p.m. orafter - followed by Reeveship duties, school boardmeetings, or St. Alban Church warden duties, AuntNellie managed her volunteer work. Aunt Nelliebecame a Life Member of the Amherst IslandWomen’s Institute. I remember well watching herknitting needles fly as she made many socks, andhelped pack boxes for the boys overseas in World WarII. Aunt Nellie attended St. Alban’s Church faithfullywhere her pretty singing voice added to our services.She was a long time member of the Women’sAuxiliary and served as President of the Women’sAuxiliary at the Diocesan level. Uncle Fred, Aunt Nellie and family all cheerfullyshared their home with me for two years when I wasattending Continuation School on the Island - I havevalued those years and love each and every one of thefamily as they continue to show me their love andkindnesses. The funeral of Nellie Neilson was held at St.Alban’s, Amherst Island October 11, 2001. Rev.

***

Wedding Bells on the South Shore: On August 3, Laurie McEwen and Dave Willardjoined their lives together on the front lawn under abeautiful arbour provided by Baloney’s Flowers.Painted sap buckets adorned with Queen Anne’s Laceand Purple Loosestrife marked the pathway to thearbour where Reverend Zander Dunn was waiting togreet the bride and groom. The maid of honour wasLaurie’s sister Shelley McEwen who was accompaniedby her daughter Sky McEwen and Dave’s daughter,Becky. The best man was Peter Hamilton - Dave’sformer strength training partner and long time owner ofSunshine Natural Foods. Peter was accompanied byLaurie’s nephew, Lake Khera and Dave’s son,Morgan. The signing was done on an antiquewashstand refinished by Dave’s mom, Gayel. Susie Caughey provided a wonderful receptiondinner at Poplar Dell with dessert served down on herdock in Preston Cove. It was truly an enchanting day. Thank you to all those who attended the bridalshower for Laurie. Special thanks to Aunt DorothyMcGinn and Karen Miller who hosted the bridalshower. Congratulations to Aunt Emily Tugwell andher decorating team, as the winners of the weddingdress design contest. Dave Willard***

Thanks to AIMS for providing some driving help.Special thanks to John and Sherrill Wright and to JimWhitton. And also to Ralph Woods for making thearrangements. Sally Bowen*****

Notices

News From The General StoreWe are now operating on Fall and Winter hours onceagain:Mon - Sat: 9 am - 6 pmSunday: 10 am - 6 pm.This is the newest list of movie rentals we have in rightnow:The Mexican - Brad Pitt, Julia RobertsBlow - Johnny DeppAlong Came a Spider - Morgan FreemanCrocodile Dundee in Los Angeles - Paul HoganCrouching Tiger - Hidden Dragon - Chow Yun FatThe Pledge - Jack NicholsonSpy Kids - Antonio BanderrasDriven - Sylvester Stalone

The Mummy Returns - Brendan FraserDown to Earth - Chris RockMany others to choose from.Thank you all for your continued patronage andsupport.***

A.I.W.I. Update of Island Phone Book Please contact Diane Hieatt at 389-7074 or <[email protected] > to add new names &/ornumbers***

Attention Seniors If you have reached that magic age of 65 and thinkthat you might not be on our list to receive yourpersonal invitation to The Amherst Island Women’sInstitute Seniors’ Christmas Dinner Sunday December2, Please call Kirsten Bennick 389-0636 or ClaireJenney 384-7830.***

The Ferry Office Will Be Closed on November 21,2001. Sorry for any inconvenience.Thank you. Ida Gavlas, Ferry Clerk***

PCW Annual Christmas Tea and SaleSaturday November 24 1-3 pmAmherst Island Community CentreChristmas gifts and crafts***

Public Meeting at Ferry Office7 p.m. on November 6Miller Municipal Drain Maintenance Report.*****

{Page 10}

Operation Christmas Child This Christmas, you can share joy and hope with aneedy child in a troubled country like Cambodia,Serbia, Bolivia or Sierra Leone by taking part inOperation Christmas Child, a missions project ofSamaritan’s Purse. Everyone can participate by fillinga shoe box with gifts and dropping it at St. Paul’sPresbyterian Church or at Karen J. Fleming’s, 2050Stella 40 Ft Road on or before November 11,2001. If you would like to spread joy and peace to hurtingchildren by participating in this special Christmasproject, please call Karen at 389-9869 for a brochure,shoe box or details.

*****

[From Beacon Issue #6 Thursday, June 25, 1970]Municipal Affairs- Marj Aitken At a special session on June 1st, Council had as itsguest, Mr Irvin Anderson, of the Department ofMunicipal Affairs. Mr Anderson explained many of theaspects of the Planning Act and gave advice, re:passing a bylaw to control subdivisions. The followingnight Council met for their regular meeting anddiscussed, at great length, the pros and cons of such astep. After much serious consideration, a motion wascarried to pass a bylaw establishing subdivision controlover the entire municipality of Amherst Island. Thisseem a rather extreme measure but there have been somany examples of poor development of lands wheresuch control was not instituted that Council feltobligated to do so. But it would seem that the choice was not to beCouncil’s for long at any rate. The following appearedin Monday’s Globe and Mail and is a direct quote ofthe article, under the heading ..For OrderedDevelopment ... Uncontrolled development of land ischaos. Land use plans are designated to avoid thatchaos. But in vast areas of Ontario wheremunicipalities have no such plans, extraordinarymeasures are needed. These measures were taken in theLegislature last week when Municipal Affairs MinisterDarcy McKeough introduced amendments to thePlanning Act. Under the new law, all Ontariomunicipalities that have no land use plans will have toapply to Queen’s Park before they will be allowed tocreate subdivisions. By putting subdivision controls onall land not protected by bylaws or plans, McKeoughhas, in effect, frozen development until themunicipality passes an Official Plan. And the planmust meet the standards set down by the Departmentof Municipal Affairs. Most of the areas affected are inEastern Ontario. The Minister had no choice. Withoutthe protection of adequate zoning and planningcontrols, land could be hacked into smaller pieces anddished out to developers without regard to the need forroads, sewers, schools, electricity or water supply!...end of quote.***

Monday evening another guest addressed Council.This time the visitor was Mr Clyde Pope, of the FireMarshall’s Office in Belleville. He looked over theTown Hall and recommendations for its conversioninto a proper Fire Hall. He was very pleased with it’spossibilities. Mr Pope instructed Council on aproposed voluntary fire department as to the numbers

of personnel required, equipment needed, andmodifications necessary to the Town Hall to properlyfit it to the needs of a Fire Hall.. .i.e. a wall up alongthe stage line, to make a room for training meetings inthe rear of the building, new wiring necessary, etc.Glenn Sheil is Council’s chairman of this committeewhich will oversee this new group and a list ofcandidates for Fire Chief and brigade members is beingconsidered. Glenn will contact these people personallyand your support will be appreciated.*****

I am collecting used stamps - any kind for the guidedogs, clean used clothing and books for the “CatsMeow”. Used towels - cleaning products - A& P tapesand 12”x 12” knitted squares for the Napanee Animalshelter. Donations may be left in my front porch or callfor a pick-up. Freda Youell - 384-4135 The animalsreally need our help.***

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, in season Barbara Reid 10850 Front Road389-0675***

Woollen ProductsFrom Topsy FarmsBlankets, Wraps, Yarn, Sheepskins389-3444 or atThe Weasel and Easel & Bath Village Gallery***


Thomas A. RichmondCertified ElectricianHome, Farm, Commercial work, right here on theisland. 634-1855*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: December 2001 - Volume 4 Issue 286}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 286 December 2001



SubscriptionsLeslie GavlasGeneral DeliveryStella, Ont K0H 2S0(613) 384-2807

ProductionHeadlands Co-op14775 Front RdStella, Ont K0H 2S0Voice (613) 359-3802fax (613)389-3802e-mail: [email protected]&Tom Richmond [email protected]


CreditsPhotos by Shirley Miller (marked as SM)

Word Perfect Office 2000ArcSoft ImagingAdobe PageMaker 6.5Adobe PhotoShop 6.0Adobe Acrobat 5.0Adobe Distiller 5.0

Production For December250 Copies*****

This Issue- Ian Murray In this issue, as in most, there will be somegenealogy information sometimes in family trees andsometimes in articles. Please, if you see any errors or

omissions, let us know by phone, letter, fax, email, orin person, so that the information can be made moreaccurate. We would also like the opportunity to correctany other errors or omissions that appear in theBeacon. The photos turned out quite well in the last Beacon.We can always use more. Photos should be clear and,for people, the closer up the better. We receivedseveral photos that had been copied onto a computerprinter or scanned from an indistinct photo andemailed. While these photos look not too bad held inthe hand, they would not be clear enough to print in theBeacon even with Tom’s skillful manipulations. Our Beacon archives are missing the followingBeacons from 1970: Issues 10, 11, 12 & 16. Ideallywe’d like the originals if someone has extra, but ifthat’s not possible we can make copies. It is gratifying to see articles submitted by our localreaders. The letters - turned into articles - from thosewho are looking at their Amherst Island roots are verymuch appreciated. The backbone of the Beaconcontinues to be the regular contributions from Lyn,Janet, Peter, Nancy, and others. And its great to begetting material from A.I.P.S. The Beacon alsowelcomes articles pertaining to Island studentsattending other schools: separate, public, high schools,colleges and universities. The unpaid position of Beacon reporter to LoyalistTownship is still open to all qualified applicants.*****

Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Condolences go out this month to Ray Duncan andfamily, following the passing of his wife Ethel.Condolences also to Lyle Jones and family followingthe death of his wife, Helen. Our sympathy to MaureenMcGinn and family, whose father passed away in B.C.this month. Get well wishes to Jackie Sylvester and Dave Hieattwho are both mending broken bones. Also get wellwishes to Lyn A’Court, Debbie Miller, Donna Willard,and Helen Trotter following stays or visits in hospital. In our thoughts, Eldon Willard, Sally Bowen andLlew MacArthur. The last month has been a busy one for 50thbirthdays! Happy 50th to George Gavlas, Phil Silver,Bob Howard and Paul McCormick. Congratulations to Freda Youell on the arrival ofher new (& first) grandson. Eighteen month old Justinjoined the family of Freda’s son Peter and his wifeNora and big sister Emma.

Syke Fleming recently returned from a bus trip to

{Page 2}

Branson, Missouri. Art Hitchins is driving a tour busfor Rita McNeil this month. The annual Masquerade was an even greatersuccess this year, thanks to the Island 4H clubs andleaders. Costumes on all ages from infants to seniorcitizens were amazing. It was a great night for youngand old, participants and spectators! The community churches and the school all heldRemembrance day services again this year and theyseemed to be even better attended than usual. November 24th was a busy day for Islanders. ThePCW held their annual Tea and Sale. Lots ofChristmas ideas were on sale and lots of goodies weresold at the baked goods table. Later in the evening theAmherst Island Recreation Association held their 2ndannual Community Bonfire. About 125 people cameout for a visit and a cup of hot chocolate. My favourite part of the bus route is on the southshore, where the scenery is never the same two days ina row or even from morning to afternoon! But now thatthe deer are coming out more, we are seeing them mostdays all over the Island and the last 3 weeks we haveenjoyed watching the 7 tundra swans at the Foot.*****

Janet’s JottingsDecember Many people on the Island and among my widercircle of friends often leave phone messages about birdsightings that allow me to see a rare bird or anespecially awesome sight or perhaps just to ask about abird they’ve seen recently. I appreciate these calls asnow that I don’t get out and about as much I mightotherwise miss that special bird. Thanks for thinkingabout me. One of these calls initiated the following message,timely, for this blessed season of Christmas and Iwanted to share it with you. I picked up my messagesto hear Lyn singing to me about “Seven swans a-swimming” so of course what could I do but rewriteone more parody to that old Christmas Favourite.Please sing along with me.....The Twelve Birds of WinterOn a winter’s day on Amherst you might likely see:Twelve Long-eareds lifting, Eleven short-eareds flapping, Ten Blue Jays calling, Nine mallards dipping. Eight Geese a-flying,

Seven Swans a-swimming, Six Saw-whets sitting, Five Crossbills eating,Four Rough-leggeds hovering,Three Ring-necked Pheasants,Two Mourning DovesAndASnowy on a telephone pole!!!! All of the above birds and more can be seen on awinter’s day on our beloved Island. Thanks to Lyn andI hope many more got to see those “MagnificentSeven” Tundra Swans that sailed so proudly the watersoff the North-east corner of Amherst Island. “Theearliest record of the Tundra Swan in our region datesfrom the travels of Samuel de Champlain, who notedthem near Loughborough Lake in 1615 Oct 28(Grant1907). Bent (1951) documented the slaughter of thismajestic species on its breeding grounds between 1853-1877, during which time at least 17,671 swan skinswere sold by the Hudson’s Bay Company for theirbreast feathers. It is not surprising that no more werenoted in our region until six were found on LowerRock Lake in 1932 Nov 27.” (Birds of the KingstonRegion by Ron D. Weir) Peter and Eleanor are faithfulto alert me when the swans are in their bay. Once I got to witness the spectacular flight of ahuge flock of these birds in the Lake Erie area at LongPoint and watched them glowing against a setting sun.One of those lifetime pictures you store away foranother “Memory Moment”. Thanks to Shirley Miller I got to see a new bird forme. Shirley alerted me to the visit of some White-winged Crossbills at her feeder on the Third. It was achilly Sunday so I dressed for bird-watching (I usuallyneed several layers and toque and mittens) as Iexpected to be watching from a distance for awhile inhopes of seeing this highly nomadic bird at a brief stopon Amherst Island. Come on in says Shirley as you allknow and there in the warmth of her kitchen withhomemade soup, as well, I got my first sighting of thisfascinating bird. It’s fine beak tips are crossed and likescissors it neatly nips the sunflower seeds apart. Thebirds were no more than 15 feet away and there werethree as I watched although Shirley and Keith had seena redder one earlier. Hawk watching and Owl watching is good as thevole population remains high and nothing tastes betterthan gourmet vole a la Amherst. Don’t forget yoursunflower seeds for the Attack Chickadees in the OwlWoods and enjoy those Winter Visitors at your feeders.***

Important Birding Note

January 5, 2002 will be the annual Christmas BirdCount for Amherst Island. If you would like to helpplease call me at 389-4608. This is a morning ofcounting species and approximate numbers in a givenarea of Amherst Island and I can sure use the help andextra eyes . If you’re at home that day please count thebirds at your feeder and call in your numbers andlocation. If you are a new birder, don’t worry you’ll beteamed with an experienced birder and it’s a greatlearning experience. Thanks everyone.*****

{Page 3}

News From A.I.P.S.Library Staff and volunteers have been working after schoolto organize and sort the school library. This not onlymakes it more user friendly for the students, but alsowill accommodate the 10 refurbished computers on theway to our school. Thanks to ISLE for buying one ofthe two new book shelves.

“Rec” Assembly The monthly Recognition “Rec” Assembly was heldon November 2 to recognize October’s recipients.Intermediate academic Award: Candace Youell Junior Academic Award: Caitlin McDonaldPrimary Academic Award: Ben WhittonCitizenship Award (sr. class): Beth AlbertanCitizenship Award (primary): Aaron Sneep Special Mention Award: Melinda Laing

Remembrance Day On November 9th, the students and staff held theirannual Remembrance Day service. The service wasdone entirely by students and included poems andreadings. Loyalist Township Councilor John Ibey {andformer Chair of the L & A School Board} attended andplaced a wreath.

P.A. Day November 23rd was a P.A. day. While students hada day off from school, teachers worked on report cards,due to go home on December 5.

Jingle Bell Run Our school will be participating in the KFLAHealth Unit’s Jingle Bell Run on Friday, November 30,2001. This will be an opportunity for students to kickoff the holiday season in an Active way and at thesame time collect food items for our local food bank.Students will take part in a festive fit break during theschool day by walking with teachers through the

village with “bells on”! Each student is asked to bringan item for the food bank and in return will be given abell to tie to their jacket or shoe.

Volleyball The senior class is continuing to practice andprepare for the volleyball tournament they will attendon December 5, 2001. Retired teacher and volleyballcoach, John Hall, came with 4 intermediate students torun a volleyball clinic with the senior class.

Beauty and the Beast The primary and kindergarten classes will betravelling to the Grand Theatre on December 5 to seeTheatre Five’s production of Beauty and the Beast.

Christmas Celebration Dinner In December, the staff and students will hold aChristmas Celebration Dinner for family and friends.For a nominal fee, guests will enjoy a traditional turkeydinner, served by students and followed by a Christmassing-a-long.

Remembrance Day On November 9, 2001, the staff and students ofAmherst Island Public School held a RemembranceDay service. The two main emcees for the day wereCandace Youell and David Albertan. The serviceincluded wreath laying of the Boer War, World War 1,World War 2 and peace keepers. There were poetryreadings by some of the students. These included“Born Free” (William Reed, Laurel Brady, BrendanBrady, Talia Fleming and Beth Albertan); “In FlandersFields” (Ben Whitton, Zackary Neville and ChelseaSneep); “With Two Wings” (Senior class); “HighFlight” (Ashley McGinn). All in all, November 9th wasa day to remember....by Laurel Brady and Candace Youell

Jingle Bell Run Well, Christmas is almost here and Amherst IslandPublic School is getting festive. On Friday, November30, the children of the school will be jingling throughStella. The purpose is to raise food for the food bank.The kids and staff hope the festivity of Christmas willflow to your family. Merry Christmas....by David Albertan and Brendan Brady*****

Council Gleanings - Ian Murray The Township has sent out a householder mailingdetailing “Waste Recycling Guidelines”. If you havelost your copy or didn’t get one, please contact the

Township Office - 386-7351 Ext. 116. Yeah, its not assimple as it used to be when we could just throweverything in a pile but the longer that we can keep thepresent land fill site operating by reducing our wasteproducts, the lower our taxes - or waste disposal fees -will be. A glance at the quarterly water reports for Bath andFairfield Waterworks is impressive: there are morethan 50 results from tests that were done on thedrinking water. No health related Ontario DrinkingWater Standards were exceeded in either facility. Thepost-Walkerton world of water testing is certainly morecomplicated. The following people received Long Term ServiceAwards at the November 12 Council meeting: GarryHitchins, 30 years; Warren Kilpatrick, 25 years;Robert Horth, 20 years; Brent Wolfreys, 15 years;Dianne Marshall and Camlo Peiris, 10 years. Howtime flies. Council adopted the following at the November 26meeting: the Weasel & Easel lease for 2002 has beenextended over the Thanksgiving weekend; staff willadvise owners of property assessed for the MillerMunicipal Drain of the status of the maintenance workand billing.*****

Baby Sitter AvailableAfter school and weekends- Responsible- Red Cross Babysitting CertificateCall Whitney Fleming at 389-9869*****

{Page 4}

Women’s InstituteNovember Meeting - Nancy Dunn Thirteen members and one visitor were treated to afascinating presentation on the flora and fauna of ourIsland home by Tom Sylvester at the regular meetingof the Women’s Institute held on Wed. Nov. 21st at 7p.m. Tom told us about past and present types of trees,plants and animals and why there have been somechanges. Rocky shores and old foundations encouragehalf a dozen types of snakes and as for those peskyvoles, one of the reasons they thrive is that the raptors(hawks and owls) can’t reproduce fast enough to keepup with them. Several members provided whimsicalrecipes for voles including one for “Vole au vent”. After delicious refreshments, some ingredients ofwhicratinea of on taalrs5s fom d(half a)Tj24.72 0 rabbitp.m. Tos2ourva W5rs5 Noup w rep rep(ha.ers why60 o) canake6osoms8why.whiemes 1.er9en o Wei2ou561 o8f a refr4duc rep.whie9.e9u Td(ome)Tj-0.18 Tc 0.2nd7w -211.16 -1changedn t Tdue Td( 80hy)Tj26.2 0 0 Tprin 0 Td52ep th28ve9duc tr thnt t9avoup o)(v)Tj10.0 N0 Td(ono)Tj15.3w Td((vo)Tj10.5Y 0 Td(es)Tj18.2ar! Td(om42)Tj-0.6 Tc 018-0.6 -140.16 -1*****d( keep)Tj0.18 0--26vaerTD({Th8Td(22be)Tj10.0df0 Td( of)Tj11.7llTd(5of)Tj11.7ow0 Td(e9)Tj15.3Td(fa(iv)Tj8.1g i Td( tr)Tj53.0s(ut Td( W5)Tj24.72ol Td( tr)Tj53.0 0 dd( refs)Tj78.46 0 Td(ve)Tj9.84t 0 Td(4(iv)Tj8.16m0 Td(em)Tj12.76 0 Td(ve)Tj9.8t.}0 Td224.)Tj-0.18 Tc 0.6ono)T-140.72 -134 03S Td( th)Tj11.2tella PTd(27uc)Tj15.oin 0 Td-0.3 Tc 0e8hof)-140.16 -1en Tdso.2Tj-0.4 Tc -0)-140.16D-1.1AmTd(up w)Tj21.h 0 Td(de)Tj9.8r8 Isl Td 4u9)Tj11.7 nd Td(duc)Tj15. Id(fa( of)Tj11.7 Lake Td 4us)Tj78.48OnTd( ree)Tj10.0tario0 Td2nd1.whionont taome2ouan4(va)Tj16.3t pvac(nake3uc)Tj15.tien Tdso aomefa(iv)Tj8.1g r Cachangesso anake3ude ref2- llTd( 4us)Tj78.48spring(nake0Tj78.48matt 0 Td30oa)Tj24.7sses. Td(om3a)Tj0.5w Tc 0.63ud6T-178.16 -1 GooTd( 4u2)Tj15.8d dTd(faup 5)Tj18.2T Tdr0 Td2nd1so an4(v)Tj78.4six rooTd(e0Tj78.4m 0 Td(em)Tj12.7d cod( ref2)Tj53.0ttage(faup 1)Tj24.7s. Td(.2s of)-140.98 -13.1Spacio0 Td35W5)Tj24.7us groTd(27u1)Tj24.7und Td(ree)Tj10.0s. Td(ome)Tj-0.18 Tc 078 Tw -216.72 -13.1Th 0 Td pr22ban4fn4ef2 re

significant other) of the people who bought the Frenchproperty on the Front Road; a young man fromNapanee who works with Mike Strain; a cousin ofSusie Caughey’s; and, a WW2 veteran and his wifewho knew Les Glenn from the war - this couple saidthat Les had introduced them and that they had visitedLes and Irene on the Island. There was such a variety of people passing by:many shapes, sizes, ages, and races. There were ruralfolks dressed for the city and rural folks dressed to tendtheir show animals. There were city folks dressed for acountry event. There were the evening horse show folksin tuxedos and fancy dresses. There were kids running,wheel chairs rolling, and elderly people moving slowly. The fair was not a land of milk and honey for manyvendors: not much wonder when each day’s headlinesshouted out some bad news or other: loony hits recordlows; thousands laid off; bombs being dropped; and,anthrax scares everywhere. Someone also pointed outthat by the time a couple got through the door afterpaying for parking and tickets there was not much leftfrom $40. Leah and I were both impressed by the friendlinessand helpfulness of many of the other vendors. Theircheerfulness and interesting stories certainly helpedpass the time when there were few people coming bythe booths.*****

Waterside Summer Series Seeks High QualityEntertainment- Inka Brockhausen The Waterside Summer Series (WSS) organizingcommittee is already eagerly planning for the 2002season. The music program for the summer of 2001was considered another success, thanks in large part tothe tremendous support of Amherst Islanders, theirfriends and visitors, and of 19 generous sponsors. Aschairperson, I am grateful for a hardworkingcommittee. This was the first year the WSS has beenrun as an all-Island event, with performers andaudiences benefitting from two wonderful concertlocations, at St. Alban’s and St. Paul’s. The WSS committee has redefined its goals thisyear. We strive to provide high quality music andentertainment for the entire community of AmherstIsland, and to provide stimulating

{Page 5}

and enjoyable events in a friendly and personalatmosphere. The variety of entertainment this year -classical organ music, traditional chamber music,swing jazz, Ceili music and a combination of comedy

and music - was enjoyed by a wide audience of allages, including families and those seeking excitementand challenges. Another goal of the committee is to ensure qualityperformances at a reasonable cost. Any surplus fund,after all expenses are met, will be dedicated toattracting higher quality entertainment in the future. I wish to give special thanks to the WSS committeemembers: Kirsten Bennick (publicity), Bruce Burnettand Andrea Cross (organization), Beth Forester(organization), Janet Grace (organization), Dave andDiane Hieatt (secretaries), John Schutzbach(treasurer), Bobbi and Michael Shaw (marketing),Dick Shurtleff (organization) and Jan Sneep (tickets).We look forward to welcoming several new islandersto the committee for 2002. Also, many thanks to the support of Bernice Gouldand Neil for delicious food in the intermissions, AlanGlenn for lending his trailer to ship the piano back andforth, and for organizing parking, to Mary-Liz Best forfood and thought, to Hans Krauklis for walking flyersin Kingston, and to Peter Trueman, Stanley Burke andPeggy Coulter for much support and improvement ofthe obligatory Amherst Island Anthem. We are alsograteful to Rev. Andrew Chisholm and Carol Finlayfor supporting concerts in St.Alban’s and Rev. Zanderand Nancy Dunn for inviting the WSS for the first timeto St.Paul’s, and for a charming reception. Thanks alsoto Eric Friesen and Dr. Harley Smythe for interestingand humorous introductions, and to Jackie and TomSylvester for support and great parties! Hope to see you all in 2002! Anyone wishing toshare musical talent, please contact me at 389-3525 orInka. [email protected].*****

Amherst Island New Year’s Eve GalaDecember 31, 2001 At the Community Centre.Proceeds for The Neilson Store RestorationDoors Opening @ 6:00 p.m.Beef Dinner @ 7:00 p.m.Dance Beginning @ 8:00 p.m.Live BandDress Code Enforced(Business Suits & Evening Wear Attire Only)Tickets Now Available $50.00/CoupleContacts: Dorothy McGinn 389-2947Ted Welbanks 389-1080Bruce Caughey 389-2012Janet Grace 384-0912*****

{Reprinted from BEACON issue #5 June 11th, 1970}The Milk Stand

-Jean Tugwell Our community is suddenly becoming dotted withshining new milk houses of various materials, steel,plywood and cement blocks. We wish these milkproducers well in their stretching day into night tocomplete a big task. Their work is made lighter only bytheir anticipation of the bulk tank truck turning into thegateways and so eliminating endless can washing and abumpy trip to the factory, minus breakfast. The presenttransportation rate is $.27 per cwt, however theproducer receives an additional $.10 per cwt for hisproduct. There are at present nine bulk shippers on theIsland and several other milk houses almost completed.And so we are witnessing a new era in the milkindustry!***

DeathsEthel Duncan- Janet Duncan Ethel Duncan died on November 2, 2001, after abrief illness. Dear wife of Ray Duncan, mother ofDavid Duncan (Karen), Cathy Woodworth (Bob), bothfrom Nova Scotia, and Dr. Janet Duncan (Bob), ofSyracuse New York. Grandchildren Scott, Brett, Amyand Evan will always remember their “Nanny”. A private memorial service will be held in NovaScotia at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made to the Lennox & Addington Hospital in hermemory. The family wishes to thank Dr. Valli Hota ofNapanee for her gracious and loving care. The nursingstaff are exemplary models of service for us all. Ethel will be remembered for her smile, wit, andlove for birds and animals, and kindness toward others.***

Helen Margaret Jones (nee Bilkey)January 29, 1916 - October 21, 2001- Dale Clement Jones Mom came to the Island in 1925 when thefishermen from Main Duck Island bought land on LongPoint. Her mother and father, Mary and GeorgeBilkey, fished alongside the Welbanks, the Wemps,and, who could forget, Bob Smith. She attended schoolon the Island the part of the year when her familywasn’t wintering in Picton. She made a life-long friendof Helen Caughey. The family was joyful at the Islanders who came toher wake on October 24, enlivening it with the musicshe loved: Helen, Susan, Bruce, Allen and BonnieCaughey, Dale Filson and Noreen Welbanks. Ourthanks to Everett and Karen Doxtator for their fiddlemusic and guitar expertise. Helen is survived by her husband of over sixty

years, Lyle; her son Dale and his wife Sylvia and hisdaughter, Samantha; her son Blake and his wife Nonaand their children, Lyle, Stuart and Sheilagh; herdaughter Marilee and her husband Stefan and theirchildren Daniel and Keegan. My Mother loved the Island and passed this love onfaithfully. My father’s mother, Alice (Jones) Clementwas born on the Island. ‘Jane’ is buried in Glennwood(her mother? grandmother?)***

{Page 6}

Angus Allen McGinn- From Whig Standard, November 24, 2001 Passed away on November 23, 2001, at theKingston General Hospital after a lengthy battle withcancer, in his 72nd year. Beloved son of the late Henryand Helena McGinn. Survived by: his sisters, HelenLutz (Eldon), Serena Trent (the late Austin), EleanorTaggart (Danny); and his brothers, Denis and Mitchell(Sheila).... Predeceased by his sister Olga Aubin, andbrothers Stanley, Emerson, Vincent, Leo, and Neil.***{Included on this page is a family tree of ‘AncestorsOf Angus Allen McGinn’ which has not beenreproduced.}

Descendants of Henry Arthur McGinn1 Henry Arthur McGinn 1891-1964 +Ellen Helena “Lena” M. Drumgoole 1896-1976 2 Stanley McGinn 1916-1929 2 Algy M. McGinn 1918- 2 Olga McGinn 1918-1989 +Albert Aubin 3 Paula Aubin 3 Peter Aubin 3 Anne Aubin 2 Patrick “Vincent” McGinn 1920-1995 +Audrey Lorraine Smith 3 Elaine Mary McGinn 1942- +James Macdonald *2nd Husband of Elaine Mary McGinn: +Barry Sillett 3 Terry McGinn 1952- +Roxanne Holmes 2 Henry “Emerson” McGinn 1922-1923 2 Leo J. McGinn 1924-1986 +Many Drew 2 Neil Edward McGinn 1926-1977 +Gertrude Wemp 3 Joyce McGinn 3 Linda McGinn 3 Paul McGinn

3 Brian McGinn 3 Gary McGinn 3 Michael McGinn 2 Helen Catherine McGinn 1928 - +Jack E. Instant 1920- 3 Richard Allen Instant +Anita Molleson *2nd Husband of Helen Catherine McGinn: +Eldon Lutz 3 Cathy Lutz 2 Angus Allen McGinn 1930-2001 2 Serena McGinn 1932- +Austin Treat 2 Richard “Dennis” McGinn 1933- 2 Mitchell “Mike” McGinn 1935- +Shelia Mohan 1939- 3 Patrick Henry McGinn 1967- 3 Dennis Mitchell McGinn 1968- 3 Michelle Katherine McGinn 1969- 2 Eleanor Paula Theresa McGinn 1937- +Daniel Taggart 3 JosephTaggart 1965- 3 Jeffrey Taggart 1966- 3 Suzette Taggart 1968- 3 Tany Taggart 1972- 3 Valerie Taggart 1973-*****

{Page 7}

Fall Colours -Zander of Dunn Inn Now that Autumn is over much of the colour hasleft The Island. But the Islanders are doing their best tobring the colours back. Nancy and I walk almost dailyalong the Front Road and the Stella Forty Foot and arepleased to report the exciting colours we see. The beautiful brown of the Tim Horton’s PaperCups, the bright blue of the Pepsi cans, the rich red ofthe Coca Cola tins, the yellows, oranges and greens ofthe chocolate bar wrappings, the vivid violet ofpacking papers, the snow-like white of the Styrofoamcups and containers, the clear plastic of the waterbottles (which reflect wonderfully the sun’s rays) - allthese colours brighten our days. Broken beer and rumbottles add a touch of danger to the colours they emitand thus make our walks into adventures. How thoughtful of The Islanders to throw theircolourful items out of their cars and trucks so they canland in the ditches along our roads and give colour toour Island at this drab time of the year. Throwingrefuse into the ditches is so much better for The Islandthan putting it into garbage cans. We are told that members of the Amherst Island

Men’s Society are going along the roads to take thesecolours away from us. Let’s keep on discarding ourcolourful waste onto the landscape to give A.I.M.S.something to do. On the mainland littering leads to a fine. On TheIsland let’s show we’re different by giving a prize tothose to distribute the most colourful bits and pieces. I would give the prize to the One who threw into aditch a clear plastic bag full of all the coloursmentioned above. The sun made that bag into a beaconreflecting all the colours of the rainbow. It was such ajoy to keep seeing it day after day - until one of thoseA.I.M.S. guys took it away! Yours for a more colourful Island*****

The First Fifty Years Were The Hardest!- Jill Schatz On November 3, 2001, Betty and Ray Feradaycelebrated their 50th wedding anniversary surroundedby their extended family and close friends at theBluffers Pack Yacht Club in Scarborough. As many ofyou know, Betty and Ray have been the happy ownerssince the 1950's of a farmhouse and acreage on theSecond Concession. Betty has spent every summer atthe farm for countless years as does Ray since heretired from his career as a Metropolitan Torontopolice officer almost 10 years ago. In fact because oftheir deep and abiding love on the Island in recentyears they have stretched their time each year on theIsland far into the spring and fall months. Were theirfarmhouse better suited to face the winter months theywould doubtless be up during the entire year. Betty and Ray also reared their eight children:Raymond, Michael, Daniel, Marie, Stephen, David,Cathy and John, to have a lifelong love andcommitment to the Island life where the children feltprivileged to summer during their formative years.They were free to roam and explore the Island and itsbeaches by foot and bicycle each summer beforereturning to the rather less spacious confines of theirhouse in downtown Toronto for the school months. Assoon as school let out in June, the entire clan would becrowded into the family station wagon (in the yearsbefore seatbelt laws) for the long trip to the Island(Highway 2 in the years before Highway 401) not toreturn until September’s shorter days and cooler nightsfell. Betty and Ray are now enjoying the fruits of theirlabours and are the devoted grandparents of fifteen(Christine, Maximillian, Kevin, Christopher, David,Michael, Danielle, Mark, Matthew, Lindsay,Alexander, Robyn, Melanie, Rebecca and James) witha sixteenth on the way in the New Year. The

grandchildren all look forward to spending time on theIsland each summer to revel in the outdoor life, tofrolic with their many cousins and spend cherishedtime with their grandparents, affectionately referred toby all as “ma and pa”. Congratulations to Betty andRay and we all wish you many more summers of peaceand joy on Amherst Island! With loving best wishes from the Feraday/SchatzClan.*****

Directions Home,My Roots on Amherst Island - Lee Dennie-Riggio My roots begin with Antoine Denee Sr andCatherine Asselstine-Denee, their oldest son ThomasDenee and Jane McMullin-Denee and AlexanderMcMullin and Jane Houston-McMullin, my great,great, great and great, great grandparents respectively.About two years ago I had no idea who these peoplewere or where they came from. I contacted ThomasSylvester the author of the book “The McMullins ofAmherst Island” got a copy of his book and found justabout every Denee I’d been looking for. Since then I’vewanted to go to Amherst Island to see for myself whattheir homeland was like. I contacted Thomas onceagain and I got more than just directions. He and hiswife Jackie opened their home to my

{Page 8}

husband and I and gave us the grand tour of the Island.We would have missed a lot if we had gone alone. When we arrived at the ferry to Amherst Island inMillhaven and I saw the island for the first time fromthe mainland I felt a rush of excitement come over meand I was a little scared at the same time. I knew noone there. I felt as if we were invading someone’sprivacy. I had no idea what was ahead. We docked onAmherst Island and went to the General Store for ourfinal directions. As we drove down the dirt and cinderroad I could see the women of the early 1800's walkingthis road to the General Store in their long dresses,horse drawn wagons and children playing in a field ofdandelions. I could feel the children stop and look upas we passed. It was a calming feeling and awelcoming feeling. Our tour of Amherst Island took over four hoursand I was wishing it would never end. We were takento the “fishing village” on the Island’s west end first.On the way we passed the Bailey home. I waswondering if this could have been the home my great,great grandmother Ann Jane McMann-Bailey lived inbefore she married John Robinson, my great, great

grandfather. Ann Jane was married to Robert Bailey.Robert died in passage from Ireland and was buried atsea. They had two daughter’s Mary Jane and CatherineBailey. Mary Jane married my great, great, great uncleJohn Denee, the son of Antoine Denee and CatherineAsselstine-Denee. John and Ann Jane Robinson’sdaughter had been Agnes Robinson who marriedThomas Denee, the son of Thomas and JaneMcMullin-Denee. Thomas Denee had been a fishesmanon the Island and when he moved to Cape Vincent,N.Y. around 1870 he continued that trade. JaneMcMullin-Denee had died on October 20, 1852 aftergiving birth to their son Thomas Denee, my greatgrandfather. Thomas Denee then remarried to MaryGault-McMillen, the widow of Robert McMillen.Thomas and Jane Denee’s son Thomas was also afisherman in Cape Vincent. I could picture the fishingboats on the lake heading home from a day of fishingwith their catch and them hanging their nets to dry.There was Grape Island where Thomas Denee, the sonof John Denee settled for a while. We also passed theone room schoolhouse where the Denee childrenattended school. On our way back from the fishing colony we wereshown the spot where Thomas Jackson had beenbrutally murdered with an axe. He had been a wealthylandowner and a “close friend” of my great, great,great grandmother Catherine Asselstine Denee.Thomas said no one was ever charged with thismurder. I wonder if any one from my family couldhave done such a horrible task. I guess I’ll never knowthe answer to that. We stopped at St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Churchand down farther to the home of the McMullin family.Thomas told us this house was built in 1843 and is stillin the McMullin family today. Further along we turned to the right and went ontoto the former property of Antoine Denee, my great,great, great grandfather. There stood another beautifulstone house. I was surprised and very impressed whenI saw it. It sits looking out over the lake through a rowof trees toward Prince Edward County. This house wasbuilt in 1843 shortly after the McMullin’s home wasfinished. Antoine Denee lived in this beautiful housewith his second wife Rosanna McMullin and theirchildren. It was a large home but considering Antoineand Rosanna had 13 children I was wondering wherethey could fit that many children into this house. Evenwith its size it must have been rather cramped. I wasalso thinking how much I would like to be able to buythis house and bring it back to our family. I don’t seethat being done unless I win the lottery. As we ended our tour and headed back towardsStella we passed the Robinson home, the home of John

Robinson and Ann Jane McMann Bailey-Robinson.There was no time to stop, as we were all heading tothe mainland shortly and I was out of film. I’m from along line of Thomas Denee’s, and today the Denee(Dennee/Dennie) family lives in Oswego, New York.On this trip there was no time for research or stops atthe cemeteries, but I did take back home with me myvery own piece of Amherst Island, a canister filled withisland soil. For now that will keep me happy until mynext trip home.*****

4-H News- Caitlin McDonald (with an addition by SusieCaughey) The Junior 4-H Club has just completed aPhotography Club. We called ourselves the “4-HExposures”. The members of the club were CandaceYouell, David Albertan, Brendan Brady, Will Reed,Laurel Brady, Ashely McGinn, Talia Fleming, BethAlbertan and Caitlin McDonald. We enjoyed learningabout cameras and photography. Peter Trueman was aguest speaker at one of our first meeting. He showed ussome of his photographs. Mr. Trueman kindly agreedto judge our club members’s photographs. Wephotographed various places on the Island includingOwl Woods, the Ferry Dock, the Village, and the BackBeach. On behalf of the 4-H Exposures I would like tothank Mr. Trueman for helping us. A special thank youto our Club’s leaders, Freda, Dave and ShannonYouell. This year’s Masquerade was a great success. Thejunior and senior 4-H Clubs thank all who attended thisenjoyable event. Our judges (Laurie Willard, BetteKelley & Wayne Gulden) had a difficult task, and theydeserve our heartfelt thanks! Jim Whitton was on handto defend his apple peeling skills in the menscompetition, and Elsie Willard took top honours in thewomens division. There were great pumpkin carvings& entries in the colouring contest. A very largedonation of food & money was taken to the Food Bankfrom the admission & canteen proceeds. The 4-Hsincerely thanks Laurie & Dave Youell for providingmusic, delivering to the Food Bank, & for theirgenerous donation to our canteen from the AI GeneralStore. Thanks to all from Al 4-H Members & Leaders.*****

Farming & Fishing - Ian Murray The fall field work is done on the Island. Seldomhas there been such a dry fall. The first few inches ofsoil are moist but its pretty dry below that level. It willtake a lot of rain to get the ground water up to its usual

autumn height. Keith Miller says that he’s never seentheir creek so dry this late in the year.

{Page 9}

Fortunately there has been enough rain, sunlightand heat for there to be enough fall pasture to ease thepressure on hay supplies. There are so many voles inthe pasture and hay fields that it looks as if tinyrototillers have been at work.***

Despite the almost balmy weather that we’ve beenhaving, it has been windy enough to cause problemswith net setting and lifting for the local fishermen goingafter white fish. In this part of Lake Ontario, white fishare off limits until November when the weather isusually challenging and the price is not as good as it isearlier in the year. The amount of paper work requiredby government fishing regulations continues to growand takes up a fair amount of time for each day offishing.*****

AIMS - Peter Trueman The Amherst Island Men’s Society (AIMS) held itsregular monthly breakfast meeting at 8 a.m. November10, in the St. Paul’s Church Hall, where membersheard the latest developments in the creation of acombination Museum, Gallery and Cultural Centre atthe old Neilson Store. Hugh Jenney, the Museum Committee chair, hadgood news and bad. The bad news was that theTownship has turned down his request for a key to thestore, on the grounds that AIMS won’t be takingpossession formally until next year. Hugh wanted tohire an animal control operator to get rid of thesquirrels. The good news was that the Township wouldtake care of the squirrels on its own, and repair roofleaks too. David Brady, in charge of AIMS applications forgovernment grants, found it encouraging that of the$80 million available under the 3 year federal CulturalSpaces program, only $1.2 million has been allocatedin the first 6 months. Don Pepper has prepared a detailed renovationprogram, and David estimates it will take $128,000 torepair and set the building up the way we envisage. Hesays work could be undertaken in stages. Our focus, hesaid, should be to get the ground floor back to theoriginal store format, so that the combined Museumspace and Weasel and Easel gallery could be opened assoon as possible.

Up to 30 percent of renovation costs would beavailable if our Cultural Spaces application isapproved, and up to 50 percent of the cost of fixtures,like original store counters and display cases. Davidbelieves we need to raise $10,000 to $15,000 for thebasics, like re-painting the building and restoring thewooden floors. So far, in addition to the museum and gallery, it hasbeen suggested that the restored building might containa re-created “heritage classroom” on the upper floor,and provide modest facilities for an Amherst Islandnatural history centre. It has been made clear to AIMSby Heritage Canada that the more that appropriateIsland organizations can be persuaded to use thebuilding, the better the chance of getting a CulturalSpaces grant. Two AIMS members continued the tradition oftelling the meeting something of their life stories andhow they came to be on the Island. Rev. Zander Dunnhas been associated with St Paul’s PresbyterianChurch since he was a student at Queens, where he metNancy, his wife to be. He told of his childhood inGuyana, and life in Canada as the son of aPresbyterian minister and RCAF chaplain. Zander alsospoke of his association with the Island after he wasordained, when he was minister for both St Paul’s andTrinity Presbyterian Church in Amherstview. Thismeant driving or walking the ice in winter, and Zanderrecalled his old car going through the ice on oneoccasion. Art Drumgoole pulled it out, and ClintonKilpatrick got it running again. The Dunns have beenback on the Island, in what was Don and ChrisGregg’s house, for more than two years. The second speaker, Bob Thompson, was born inWinnipeg and first got to know the Kingston area as anair force officer in training at RMC. He met his futurewife, a Wolfe Islander named Corrinne, at that time.His flying career in multi-engined aircraft took him allover the Canadian North and to Europe and the MiddleEast. During the Suez Crisis in 1956, Bob was aircrewin “the flying boxcars” that flew supplies to Italy andthen on to the Gaza strip. Bob left the air force to teachengineering at Seneca College in Toronto, and mighthave retired there if Laurene Kilpatrick, Corrinne’sniece, hadn’t phoned them about a shore property forsale on Amherst Island. In 1993, Anniversary House -named in honour of the Thompson’s 40th weddinganniversary - was the result. Bruce Burnett reported the AIMS roadside clean-upproject had gone well. Each AIMS member tookresponsibility for certain sections of road, and onlythree sections were still unserviced at the time of thelast meeting. AIMS provides transportation, home repair, yard

work services and care-givers relief for people who aretoo ill or elderly to manage on their own. Fortransportation services, call Ralph Woods (389-7235);for manual labour, call Allan Glenn (389-0214); or forcare/company, call Peter Trueman (389-3548). All Island men are welcome to join AIMS, or tolook us over at a breakfast meeting. The cost ofbreakfast is $5.00. The next meeting will be held at 8a.m. on December 8, at St Paul’s Church Hall. AllanGlenn will be the chair, & Gary McDonald, DonPepper & Ralph Woods will be doing the cooking.*****

Roofing- Ian Murray In speaking with Reg Hitchins, I learned thatCovertite has had a very busy season and expects tostay busy until real winter weather arrives. Theycurrently have 3 large jobs going on at CataraquiTown Centre; Dupont; and, Homestead Condos byElevator Bay, and there is also work at CFB Kingston.Covertite now employs 8 Islanders riding in 3 vehicleseach workday.*****

Thank You Notes A thank you to Danny Taggart, his brothers-in-law,Denis and Mike McGinn, and his nephew, Peter Aubin,for the great work done on the Catholic Cemeteryfence. Danny, a retired dairy farmer from Wolfe Islanddecided that the cemetery where his wife’s family wasburied should have a new fence and he made it happen.The fence looks great and should keep livestock out ofthe cemetery for many years. -Topsy Farms***

{Page 10}

Amherst Island Women’s Institute thanks everyonefor their support over the past year and sends bestwishes for a Merry Christmas and happy holidayseason!***

The Amherst Island Recreation Association wouldlike to thank everyone who came out to the CommunityBonfire. We had a better turnout than last year, andhope to have a better one next year. We would like tothank the Roads department for building and movingthe “woodpile”. Special thanks to Alex Scott and GaryMcDonald and the Amherst Island Fire Dept., for all ofthe extra help they gave preparing and hosting theBonfire, and for the use of the fire hall. Also to Gary &

Alex who stayed late to douse the remains of the fire.*****

News From The General Store Our movies prices have increased: for new releasesthe fee is $3.50 & older movies are now $1.49. Wehave in right now:Shrek - with the voices of Mike Meyers and EddieMurphyEnemy at the Gates - Joseph Fiennes, Ed HarrisDr. Doolittle 2- Eddie MurphyCats and Dogs. We have many more to choose from. Dec. 15 is customer appreciation day at the storeand we would like to thank you all for your patronageand support though out the year. So drop in and join usfor coffee and goodies. Christmas is approaching us very quickly onceagain. Our hours will be as follows:Mon, Dec. 24: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.Tues, Dec, 25: Closed Merry Christmas:Wed, Dec. 26: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.Dec 27 - Dec 30: Regular hoursDec. 31: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Jan. 1, 2002: Closed, Happy New Year! Happy Holidays Everyone!***

The Pathfinders of Amherst Island have beeninvited by the Pathfinders of 79th. Reddendale toaccompany them to England in the summer of 2003. Ifwe are to go this will require some rather aggressivefund-raising on our part. Already they have begun asyou may have seen the girls out and about in thecommunity doing odd jobs. If you can use the help ofsome of our girls please contact Val Wolfreys 389-8513 or Janet Scott 389-4608. As part of our fund-raising the girls have planned achild care day at the Community Centre on December8. Many of our girls have taken the Red CrossBabysitting course and are capable and energetic. Doyou need shopping, wrapping or baking time? Maybeyou need time for yourself.***

Happy Anniversary Kitten37 Years To GoLove Bob***

Missing Gate The metal gate to our property at 2200 Front Roadhas gone missing sometime around the period October31st to November 10th. I would greatly appreciate any

help in getting the gate returned - no questions asked.Harold Redekopp, 389-5283.***

Tether Balls At The School Last spring the students at A.I.P.S. put on themusical “Clowns”. With the money they made fromdonations at the door, a variety of new balls for theschool were purchased. All three tether ball posts havehad tether balls since the start of the school year. Theseare a favourite of students at all grade levels and areused every recess and lunch hour - until this last week.Over the weekend someone, cut all three tether ballsdown. They didn’t want the balls, just to destroyproperty that wasn’t theirs. The people that did thiswere not children. It’s time the community stoppedsitting idly by while vandals continue to destroytownship and school buildings and property. It is hopedthat a reward can be posted shortly for informationleading to the arrest and conviction of the peopleresponsible. It’s time to take notice and report anysuspicious vehicle or people to police, the township orthe school. You can call Crime Stoppers anytime andreport any crime anonymously.***

I am collecting used stamps - any kind for the guidedogs, clean used clothing and books for the “CatsMeow”. Used towels - cleaning products - A& P tapesand 12” x 12” knitted squares for the Napanee Animalshelter. Donations may be left in my front porch or callfor a pick-up. Freda Youell - 384-4135. The animalsreally need our help.***

Sheep Products From Topsy Farms Lamb, Blankets, Wraps, Yarn, Sheepskins, Hats& Insoles 389-3444 phone (call for an appointment) www.topsyfarms.com is our web page***


Thomas A. Richmond, Certified ElectricianHome, Farm, Commercial, right here on the island.634-1855***

Phone Book Update Please contact Jackie Sylvester at 389-1320 to add

new names & / or numbers to the Al Phone Book.*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: January 2002 Volume 4 Issue 287}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 287 January 2002



SubscriptionsLeslie Gavlas General Delivery Stella, Ont K0H 2S0(613) 384-2807

Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 250 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail [email protected]& Tom Richmond [email protected]


CreditsPhotos by Shirley Miller (marked as SM)Word Perfect Office 2000ArcSoft ImagingAdobe PageMaker 6.5Adobe PhotoShop 6.0Adobe Acrobat 5.0Adobe Distiller 5.0

Production For January250 Copies*****

This Issue- Ian Murray The November Beacon is now available online atthe website www.amherstisland.on.ca. The DecemberBeacon should there soon and, in time, back issues willbe on the web site. The post mistress, Laurie Youell,has determined that a 6-page Beacon -12 sides- can bemailed without increasing the postage. Last month’s

issue could have gone to 2 more pages as we left outone article and there were very few photos. This issue is a bit light on current articles - theholiday is a busy time-so we’ve included some materialfrom L&A Museum’s “Born on the Island” - a veryinteresting look at Amherst Island from 1878-1896.This publication contains information from the 1891Census and Amherst Island births 1878-1896. Thoseinterested in Island history will certainly enjoy thispublication. The missing Beacon issues mentioned inthe last Beacon are being supplied to us by GarnetMcDonald. Our copy of Issue # 17, August 1, 1979, appears tobe missing at least one page. The copy we have has atitle page, a page containing the first part of an articleby A. Bruce Caughey and a second page with a snarkynote on it. Please let me know if you have more thanthis. Is so, can we make a xerox of what is missing?*****

Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Some new additions to Island families this month.Congratulations to Laurie LeBlue and Nick McGinnon the birth of their son earlier in December. A brotherfor Andrew and Dana. Congratulations to Bruce andSusan Caughey on the birth of their 2nd grand-daughter born to daughter Lori and her husband Ben, asister for Abby. Congratulations also to Sheila andPeter Whiting who became grandparents in December. Condolences to Caroline Yull and family, followingthe passing of Llew MacArthur. Condolences to Peter Wittiveen, who recently losthis last surviving sibling when his younger sisterpassed away in Holland. Congratulations to Ray Koenders, who was recentlyrecognized by the Catholic Church, in a special serviceat Amherstview, for the years of help and support hehas given the church. A.I.P.S. held a Christmas dinner for family andfriends of the school. About 100 people sat down to atraditional turkey

{Page 2}

supper, prepared and served mainly by students andstaff. Well, since last month when I mentioned that therewere 7 swans at the foot, their numbers had grown to17 during December. But I haven’t seen any the lastweek or so. I hope everyone has had a happy and safe holiday

with family and friends. Best wishes for a Happy andProsperous New Year!*****

Council Gleanings- Ian Murray Ameriks Scholarship Fund in Memory of A.I.Reeve Frank Fleming: An amount of $444.70 has beenawarded to the following post-secondary students:Jill Caughey, University of GuelphStephanie Fleming, St. Lawrence CollegeJessica Gavlas, Brock UniversityBonnie Marshall, York UniversityScott Marshall, St. Lawrence CollegeSara Pollock, University of Ottawa.

Budget 2000, Outstanding Items: South Shore Road - New Alignment: Of the$30,000 budgeted, only a small amount of surveyingwas completed during the 2001 year. This project wasdeferred mainly due to workload issues. Stella Dock Improvement: Some initial detailedinspections were undertaken in late 2001. The actualdesign work was not completed in 2001 and will be re-budgeted for 2002. Costs to date are $5000.

Budget 2001: If anyone is interested in following Council’sprogress through the budgeting process on Islandrelated matters, the job is definitely open.

Cemetery Committee: During 2001: there were 8 burials and 2 graves soldin Glenwood Cemetery; there was one burial inPentland Cemetery; the new computer program willallow for information on those interred to be availablewhen required. Bruce Caughey reported that the Work FareProgram has improved Glenwood and PentlandCemeteries by cutting down trees. He is extremelyhappy about the purchase of the computer program.Information will be added for Glenwood, Union andPentland Cemeteries.

Miscellaneous The Weasel & Easel lease has been extended. Councillor Ashley noted that there was a bonfireheld last Saturday at the Amherst bland Fire Hall tocelebrate having the Frontenac II as a permanent ferry. Councillor Ashley advised that a certificate ofappreciation was presented by the Ontario FieldOrnithologists (aka Birdwatchers) to LoyalistTownship Council in recognition for the maintenanceof the habitat for wintering owls at the Owl Woods and

allowing visitors access to see the owls. He noted thata certificate of appreciation was also presented to theFerry Crew for assisting birdwatchers to see the IvoryGull during January 2001. Certificates were alsopresented to Rod Barr and Paul and Gwen Lauret,neighbouring property owners to the Owl Woods.

Neilson Store Fundraiser Council is putting $2000 into the Neilson Storeaccount to be used as start-up funds for the 2001 NewYear*s Eve Dance.

Frontenac II Backup Vessel- from a Jim Guestmemo “MTO has dedicated the Quinte/Loyalist as ourbackup boat and has designed and started constructionof modifications to this boat in order to adapt it for theAmherst Island route. The Quinte/Loyalist is currently at dry dock inHamilton for work including the addition of a side-loading ramp, installation of new, more powerfulengines, aqua masters {the toggles that steer the ferry},some hull work, and a wheelhouse modification. The Quinte/Loyalist is approximately the same sizeas the Amherst Islander. At present, there are noadequate crew quarters on this boat and there is verylittle passenger shelter. The use of this replacementferry will require the Township to place certainrestrictions on large vehicles, including tandem trucksand full sized school buses.”*****

Emergency Plan 2002 Each year the Township’s Emergency Plan isreviewed and revised as necessary. This appears to bea very comprehensive document and includes a newsection Terrorism Overview. Most of the Plan lays outwho is responsible for what in an emergency. Annex“C” is a Vital Services Directory which is a verycomprehensive listing of all those who could help in anemergency within Loyalist Township. Reflecting ourcomplex society there is an astonishing range ofservices available should an emergency develop.Among the services are: Canadian Forces; ambulance;chemical spills information; OPP diving; Mutual Aidfrom neighbouring fire departments; heavy equipmentsuppliers; Canadian Coast Guard; news media; buscompanies; and so on.*****

AIPS- Lyn Fleming The students and staff served a turkey dinner to ourfamily and friends at the school in December. There

were about 100 people. The students baked cookies,made the decorations and helped serve. Following themeal, the students entertained their guests with someChristmas songs that they had been rehearsing forweeks. The senior class also played their recorders. We would like to thank and recognize thecommunity groups and businesses that helped in manyways to make our dinner a success. Thanks toErnestown Secondary School, A.I. Women’s Institute,St. Alban’s ACW, Bath Food Town, A.I. RecAssociation, and Napanee A&P; Congratulations to the following students whoreceived December Recognition Awards.Intermediate Academic- David AlbertanJunior Academic- Brittany SneepPrimary Academic- Chelsea SneepKindergarten Academic- Brandon ReidCitizenship Awards went to: Senior Class- William Reed, Justin Hutchings Primary Class- Fae MacArthur Kindergarten- Shelby NevilleCongratulations all. The students and staff at A.I.P.S.would like to take this opportunity to wish everyoneHappy Holidays.*****

Cook’s Corner- Dianne Marshall I recently came across a wonderful web site namedwww.epicurious.com. This site contains thousands ofrecipes from a variety or places such as Gourmetmagazine. There are also comments and of courseways in which the recipe was varied by those who triedit. The recipes are also rated as to whether the cookswould make the recipe again. The following recipe for Mincemeat Muffins wouldhave been made again by 100% of the cooks who triedit. I would have to agree.Mincemeat Muffins1/2 cup pecans1 apple1 large egg3/4 cup apple juice1/3 cup vegetable oil1 1/3 cups bottled mincemeat2 cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon baking powder1 teaspoon cinnamon1/3 cup granulated sugarFor glaze:3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar1/4 teaspoon cinnamon3 to 4 teaspoons apple juice

{Page 4}

Preheat oven to 400F and grease twelve 1/2 cupmuffin cups. Finely chop pecans. Peel apple and cut into 1/4 inchdice. In a bowl whisk together egg, juice, and oil andstir in mincemeat and apple. Into a large bowl sifttogether flour, baking powder, and cinnamon andwhisk in sugar. Add mincemeat mixture and pecansand stir batter until just combined. Divide batteramong muffin cups and bake in middle of oven 20minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Turnmuffins out onto a rack and cool 5 minutes. While muffins are cooling, make glaze: In a smallbowl whisk together confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon,and 3 teaspoons juice until smooth, adding enough ofremaining teaspoon if necessary to make a spreadableglaze. Spread glaze over tops of warm muffins. Servemuffins warm or at room temperature. Muffins may bemade 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container atroom temperature. Makes 12 muffins.***

The second recipe is from the Canadian LivingMagazine. It is an excellent make ahead dish which canbe popped in the oven for about 50 minutes in order toheat through and crisp the topping.Sweet Potato and Carrot Crisp This recipe can be made ahead (up to 2 days) orfrozen for two weeks. Add topping just before baking. 5 large sweet potatoes (about 2 ½ lb) 12 carrots (about 2 lb) 3/4 cup orange juice 2 TBSP each liquid honey and butter 1 teasp cinnamon 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp saltTopping: 1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs ½ cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup melted butter Peel and cut potatoes and carrots into large chunks.In large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes and carrotsfor 20 minutes or until tender, drain. I then whippedthem with my electric mixer. Add orange juice, honey, butter, cinnamon, garlicand salt; blend well. Spoon into greased 13 X 9 glassbaking dish. Topping - Mix bread crumbs, pecans, andbutter; sprinkle over potato mixture. Cover with foil;bake in 350F oven for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake for30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 8 to 10servings.*****

A Venue for Socialization- Zander of Dunn Inn At a recent meeting of the Amherst Island Men’sSociety a phrase from Brian Grace’s proposal for aFarmers’ Market struck me. He said one of thepurposes of the Farmers’ Market would be “to providea venue for socialization (in addition to Church, theferry and the Island dump).” In ordinary terms that means the proposed Farmers’Market in the Township Park in Stella would be a goodplace for people to meet and mingle. That is a goodidea. The more opportunities we have to get to knowone another, the better we will be. I may be accused ofspecial pleading when I contend the best place tosocialize (of the three Brian Grace cited) is the Church.All three places have much in common, of course.Each has a “chief” or “head” or “leader” or“moderator” who oversees things. On the ferry ifs thecaptain - Warren Kilpatrick, Lloyd Wolfreys, EarleWillard or Doug Shurtliffe; at the recycling plant it’sKeith Miller; at the church it’s Andy Chisholm, JohnGrainger or Zander Dunn. At each place several other people are involved -people traveling, people dumping, people worshipping.In each place those people have a chance to visit, chat,share. On the ferry a couple of people guide us intoposition and then two or three people (sometimes more)gather to sit and ride together. At the Recycling Centreeach one of us gets words of advice or admonition, ajoke or a bit of news from Keith who greets us and tellsus where to go with our contributions. At the churchthere are people who welcome us and get us seatedbefore the minister or priest tells us something aboutGod and where he thinks we’ll be going. At all threeplaces there is socialization. But the church has oneextra advantage. Food. Some churches serve food and drink in thefellowship hall following worship. Most figure that’sthe best part of going to church because they sit downwith others at a table and break bread together. Butwhether St. Paul’s, St. Alban’s or St. Bartholemew’sserves food following services or not, they all servefood during the service. The sacrament of HolyCommunion brings together at God’s table all people.There are no divisions at the Lord’s table. All arewelcome. You don’t have to be baptized or even aChristian. You’re welcome because the Christ who ateand drank with tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners,invites you to join him at his table. Talk about a venuefor socialization! The Church is surely it. If theproposed Farmers’ Market can be another place to getto know one another that would be great too. Yours for more venues for socialization!

*****

{Page 5}

DeathsGraeme Donald McDonald- from the Whig Standard, December 11 Graeme Donald McDonald, a pioneering academicwho changed the way history is taught at RMC, hasdied. Mr. McDonald passed away Saturday after along struggle with leukemia. While at RMC in the1970s, Mr. McDonald introduced the study of Chinese,Japanese and Asian history to the institution. Mr.McDonald also had a stellar career in business, the artsand as a diplomat. From 1975 to 1977 he served assinologist and first secretary of cultural and scientificaffairs at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing. A formermanaging director of Nortel, Mr. McDonald was mostrecently the president of the Banif Center of the Arts.In November 2000, Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarksonpresented him with the Order of Canada. [Graeme McDonald, former Island resident andhusband of Tracey Filson. His daughter SaraMcDonald attended A.I.P.S. Mr. McDonald’s sonsGraeme and Perry have both worked at Topsy Farms.]*****

John Llewellyn MacArthurOctober 8 1937 - December 12, 2001- from the Whig Standard, December 15 Llew is survived by his loving partner CarolineYull, his two children, John and Fae, grandson Dylan,stepchildren Jake, Jesse and Helen, siblings Kay,Donnie, Millie, Billie, Lloyd and Faye. Many brothers-and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. Courageousand strong LIew fought a hard battle and kept his senseof humour to the end. He will be sadly missed.Cremation to be followed by a memorial service onJanuary 6, 2002 at 1:30 p.m. in the Millhaven LegionBranch 623. Those wishing may donate to the VON orthe Kingston Regional Cancer Clinic in Llew’s name,or go out to the south shore and pour out a little blackrum into the water.*****

Letter to the Beacon- Keith Miller Disappointed! I was surprised and disappointed to learn thatsomeone had made off with Harold and Erna’s gate. Ionly hope whoever had this temporary lack of goodjudgement will return the gate and restore my faith inthis community.***

Letter to the Beacon,December 5, 2001- Grant Filson A few weeks ago on televison; I watched theCanadian ships, leaving Halifax for duty in theArabian Sea. The send-off by Haligonians wastremendous. My mind went back to July 19, 1941, atmy own departure, on the Empress of Canada. Thesend-off then, as now, was emotional and very heart-warming. Flags and bunting were waving, car hornsblowing, and people waving and shouting words ofencouragement. “God speed and safe journey,” theyshouted. I can speak only for myself, although I amsure many of the men and women on that ship thoughtthat we might never see this wonderful country again. As far as I can recall, the late Fred Hitchins, wasthe only other person from Amherst Island on theEmpress of Canada, on our voyage overseas. As wonderful as that send-off was in 1941, thehome-coming was even better. There were largebuildings filled with tables of delicious food and bandsplaying cheerful music. There were also lots ofcharming ladies with hand shakes and hugs, as wedisembarked from the Nieuw Amsterdam. God blessHaligonians and Nova Scotians. This is a differentkind of war but I am confident that the brave men andwomen of our armed forces will return triumphantlywith their heads held high, knowing that they did theirbest for the land they love. I wish to end by paraphrasethe last two lines of the hymn, “O Valiant Hearts”.“All they hope for, all they have, they’ll give, to savemankind, themselves they’ll spurn to save.”*****

The Empress of Canada, as mentioned above, wasbuilt in Glasgow and launched in August 1921 for TheCanadian Pacific Line. It was converted to trooptransport in November 1939. On 14 March 1943,bound from Durban to England, it was torpedoed andsunk by the Italian submarine Leonardo Da Vinci, atlat 01 13 S, lon 09 57E, approximately 400 milessouth of Cape Palmas, West Africa; 392 lives werelost.*****

{Page 6}

Letter Home- Christopher Kennedy So we did get a white Christmas after all. Up untilChristmas Eve it had been mild and wet, but in the fourdays since then we have had about two feet of snow.This is apparently all “lake effect” squalls, as most ofOntario, except in the lea of the Great Lakes, has very

little. The snow-ploughs have been very busy, and wehad to hook up the snow blower to the old loadertoday. We walked back from a dinner party last nightwhen the moon was up and the light was lovely, withall the trees laden with fresh snow. This morning,however, we had to fight through the snow to feed thesheep. The ground had not frozen before it snowed, sothere is mud and slop to contend with as well. Thesheep seem quite happy, but we didn’t get choresfinished until after 3:00 pm. Such a contrast to lastyear, when we never had more than a few inches allwinter. The Road crew have the roads all tidied upnow, but there is more forecast for tomorrow. It has been so mild that the lake is still a long wayfrom freezing. Environment Canada recorded the watertemperature as still being 6 degrees, so we may have avery late freeze-up. Nobody can remember a year,though, when the lake never did freeze. The mildweather should help with the winter heating bills. The Island this year seems to have had aparticularly fine display of Christmas lights. Cominghome on the Front Road after dark there has been onedazzling display after another, and the village hasexcelled itself this year as well. The star on the top ofJimmy Neilson’s old silo is there again to guide theferry home. We are looking forward to the New Year’sEve Gala at the school, which is raising funds for therestoration of Neilson’s Store. The meal is sure to begood, and, if the band is not too loud, it’s a greatchance to visit as well as take a turn or two around thedance floor. We wish everyone best wishes for a happyand prosperous New Year.*****

...Excerpted from Born on the Island:The Turn of the Century Generation, Amherst Island,1878-1896Jennifer Bunting, Editor [Available from L&AMuseum]

Introduction: The children who were born between 1878 and1896 formed the core of the generation which sawwhat they called, “The Turn of The Century” (January1, 1900). Those born in 1878 had just attained theirmajority - the age of 21. Those born in 1896 were justbecoming aware enough to remember. The last two decades of the 19th century were awonderful time to be young. These were prosperousyears for Ontario. Probably no period was asprosperous until the postwar period of the 1950's.Ontario agriculture had discovered new markets forproduce, in particular, cheese, which was sold to theUnited Kingdom and elsewhere. Lands in the Canadian

West, first Manitoba, and then Alberta andSaskatchewan, were beginning to draw immigrationand immigration needed provisioning. In addition, theAmerican West offered infinite possibilities andAmerican cities on the edge of the Great Lakes neededworkers, and could be easily reached via the lakesteamers. It was a time of great optimism andexcitement. Young Amherst Islanders experienced theexcitement of the completion of the C.P.R., the RielRebellion (1885), the news of the gold strikes in theKlondike, and the lure of the Trails of ‘98. The centuryclosed with thefar away and exotic Boer War in South Africa (1899).Young men could join the army and serve in SouthAfrica, or go down the St. Lawrence and work theirway to California or the Orient on the ocean freighters.Or they could go up the lakes and ride the railwayswest. It was a time of high adventure. Although they did not yet have the freedom theywould enjoy later, young women shared in theexcitement. More than ever before they could read andwrite, and were able to share the news via newspapersand letters. Moreover, some women did have workoutside the home, at least up until marriage. To the 21st century reader, it would seem that lifewas shorter and more hazardous in the 1890's, but itdid not seem so to the turn-of-the-century generation.They felt that medicine had made great advances andthat their chances were better than those of previousgenerations, and they had no premonitions then ofWorld War One, which

{Page 7}

would end so many hopeful young lives.

1891 Census, Amherst Island, Lennox & AddingtonCounty - Residents of the Island, April, 1891 (Takenfrom the census) We tend to think of “old timers” when we think ofthe waning years of the 19th century, but in fact,Amherst Island then was a very hopeful, youngcommunity. In 1891, 62% of the population of theIsland was under 30 years of age. 318 of the 938 residents were children under theage of 16 (33.9% of the population). Children became “adults” and left school to findwork at age 16 then, unless sent to model schools (tobecome teachers) or to college. So, most Islanders aged16-18 were working. 267 residents were energetic“young adults”, aged 16-29 years (28.5%). These“young adults” formed the core of the support for themany social functions enjoyed by residents. They were

also very likely to leave the Island for visits to friends,or to try their luck elsewhere. 303 of the Island residents were adults aged 30-65(32.3%). These people would have married and settleddown, and no doubt expected to end their life on theIsland. Only 50 residents of the Island in 1891 had attainedan age over 65 (5.3%). Religion: In 1891, the Island population was 87%Protestant. The 120 Roman Catholics accounted foronly 12.8% of the people. The most significantdenomination was Presbyterian, 429 of 938 people, or45.7% Church of England (Anglican) accounted for306 or 32.6%. Few persons said that they wereMethodist, only 83 of 938 or 8.9%, despite the activepresence of a Methodist pastor on the Island. Social Structure: 21 of the 180 households reportedthat they had a domestic servant actually living withthem. In addition, 15 persons said that they wereemployed as servants, but did not live with theiremployer. Thus, there were a total of 36 persons on theIsland employed as domestic servants. This is probablylow, compared to other areas, but probably seemsnatural given that the Island was a farming/fishingcommunity with plenty of help available from familymembers. In addition, however, there were 19 personsdescribed variously as “domestics, labourers, servants”who are quite obviously young emigrants from theBritish Isles, or “home children”. If they are included,the number of persons employed as domestic help risesto 55, about 6% of the population. Work: The main occupation on Amherst Island wasfarming. 110 out of 180 “heads of households” wereprimarily engaged in farming. The secondaryoccupation was either fisherman or sailor. 14 out of180 “heads of households” were fishermen and 8 weresailors. The remaining 48 “heads of households”included white collar workers (such as clergy,shopkeepers), specialized trades (such as blacksmiths,shoemakers), wage labourers, and retired folk whogave no occupation. It is likely that the opportunity towork as a fisherman or sailor provided a way for someyoung Islanders to stay close to home, whereas, hadthey lived away from the lake; they would have left thehomestead to make a living in an urban centre.Comparisons would have to be made with thebehaviour of young adults in nearby land-locked areas,to see if this hypothesis proves true. As could be expected in the late 19th century, veryfew of the Island women had occupations, although nodoubt most of them worked very hard, the demands ofdomestic management being what they were. The fewworking women included domestic servants, teachers, amusic teacher and a cook. Noteworthy, however, are

the widows. Widows were usually listed as “heads ofthe household” while their sons were young. MostAmherst Island widows, however, describedthemselves as “head of the household” even after theirsons were grown, and, while some said that they hadno occupation, many described themselves as“farmers”. Without a doubt, these women felt that theywere making a significant contribution to the familyeconomy. Invisible on the Amherst Island census of 1891, ofcourse, are the many family members who had left theIsland for work or adventure in other parts. Theirstories will be found elsewhere.*****

...Excerpted from The Napanee Beaver,January 24, 1896“Stella” The council elect for this year took their seats onMonday and amongst other business elected thetownship officers to the satisfaction of everyone. W.H. Moutray, who has been absent in Ireland onbusiness during the past three months, is expectedhome about 1st Feb. Rev. J. Cumberland has returned, after a month’sabsence in the east. The extended telephone connection, which we havemade lately, is much appreciated.

{Page 8}

Our enterprising carriage dealer, Mr. Pringle, hashad a very successful season. He has placed morecutters this year than ever before. Some of them arevery handsome. No weddings to report, but it is hoped that leap yearwill not pass without having some effect. The young people are enjoying themselves withsocial gatherings. The bachelor’s ball at Stella on New Years eve wasvery successful, as was also the quadrille party ofEmerald on the 15th inst. Quite a number from Stellaattended. It is expected that the Chosen Friends willgive a social dance in the near future. The young ladies of the Island intend giving a “leapyear party” in Stella at an early date. Dancing will bethe order of the evening. Prof. Beaubien’s string bandis furnishing the music for all the entertainment thisseason.*****

Speers Family- Paul Speers

I have read the May Issue of the Amherst Beacon.A very good production. In that issue you spoke of theMorrow family. That is the surname of my cousin JoyInkster’s Mother. My father, Isaac Nelson Speers, was born onAmherst Island Sept. 23, 1881. A son of Samuel andMargaret Hannah Speers. Their farm was on Lot 7 onthe North Shore Concession. I believe the presentaddress is 4180 Front Road. (I have note of address4750, on my map, I do not remember which house itconnects to.) Alex Speers also had alarm on Lot 85,Third Concession. The family moved onto the mainland (Kingston) in1884. My cousin Joy (Mrs Inkster), was born in theold stone house, 4583 Bath Road (Highway 33)Kingston. Daughter of Alexander W. Speers and EllenJosephine Morrow. The Morrows lived on Lot 1 FirstConcession on the Island. The old stone house , as Joy calls it, was the Speersfarm, until the deaths of the last two Speers men. Thearea is now a subdivision. There is a street on BathRoad, called Speers Blvd, out near Amherstview. Joynow lives in Scarborough, Toronto. My cousin and Iwere out to the Island in June 2001, and I took apicture of the Speers farmhouse. Two young men wereplastering and working inside the house at the time. Itook a picture of the farmhouse and the silo. The one ofthe silo did not turn out. At the above noted time, we visited with RalphWoods. He lives at 3710 South Shore. He said hisfarm joined the Speers farm. Back to back I suppose.Several years ago, Joy (Mrs Inkster) and I visitedBruce Caughey at his farm house. I took my taperecorder and I recorded an hour or so of his memory ofthe Speers and Morrow families, and the activities onthe Island. I recently sent Bruce’s daughter a copy ofthat tape. All of the above may be of interest to you or to thehistorians of Amherst Island. Although I have onlybeen there a few times with my cousin, I hold theIsland in greatest respect. I can almost sense the timesmy father had there and in Kingston, while he grew up.If it is possible, I would like to obtain a current map ofAmherst, indicating the house numbers as they arenow, and the party living there. Any verification of the above will be greatlyappreciated— [Paul Speers’ address is 2652 E. BarbeyDr., Salt Lake City, Utah 84109]*****

- Notices -

News from the General Store We would like to thank everyone for the wonderful

goodies and beautiful cards for Christmas. Wethoroughly enjoyed everything. Now that all the hustle and bustle of the holidayseason is over, why not take some time for yourselfand relax with a good movie. Here’s what we haveavailable as of Dec. 21:Rush Hour 2 - Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker The Princess Diaries - Julie AndrewsJurassic Park 3Beethoven*s 4th - Judge Reinhold Chocolate - Johnny DeppPearl Harbor - Ben Affleck Planet of the ApesThe Score - Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton and manymore to choose from.*****

Thank You Notes I will be forever grateful to the First ResponseTeam for saving my life by getting me to hospitalsafely when I had a burst aneurysm in my brain onOctober 31. I am also so very grateful for the prayersand well wishes from so many Islanders, which I know,joined those of my off-Island friends and family tocreate the powerful healing force which pulled methrough the early dark days and continues to sustainme on this path to recovery. After one month at KGH Ican now walk again and I am looking forward to a fullrecovery following further rehabilitation at St. Mary’sof the Lake. Lynn A’Court*****

...from the First Edition of BeaconThursday, April 16, 1970Municipal Affairs / Council Corner: Council meets in the school through the kindpermission of the Board of Education of Lennox &Addington. A new building by-law is in effect for AmherstIsland. This by-law is to regulate the erection ofbuildings, and the installation of plumbing; forcharging fees for the inspection and approval of plansof buildings and plumbing; for fixing the amount ofsuch fees; and for the issuing of building and plumbingpermits certifying to such approval, and forauthorizing the refusal of a permit for any building orstructure that if constructed would be contrary to theprovisions of any by-law of the municipality. KeithMiller is chairman of the Twp. Building Committeeand Bruce Robinson is building inspector. With someof the island properties now under subdivision, thisfirm by-law of building regulations will be of muchhelp to all property

Plans for some adequate fire protection for thetownship are going ahead under the leadership ofGlenn Sheil. A tank truck has been bid on and this bidhopefully will be accepted, and money set aside toremodel the township hall to house it and otherequipment. Glenn will also be forming a volunteer firedepartment Your co-operation in this effort will beexpected. Clinton Kilpatrick is chairman of the RoadCommittee. The crew, under Stuart Miller’s direction,are making progress with repairing the damage to theroads that the long winter made. It is hoped to have the40-foot road ready for paving this year. Ralph Wemp,chairman of township parks and the maintenance of thedump and opening township roads that have beenclosed in the past years, reports work on theseassignments progressing. When the dump is pushedback, your co-operation in keeping it reasonablyorderly would be appreciated. Council was sorry to accept the resignations of twowho have served the Island well- Tina Filson, who keptthe road books and Albert Mulders, who is leaving theferry captain’s job to farm. Both are wished well in thefuture. Reeve Vince Aitken has contacted the BellTelephone, re: the poor service, many times throughthe winter, with disappointing results. Council recentlysent them a letter requesting that they send eachsubscriber on the island, a newsletter, re: their plansfor correcting the complaints and re: their future planshere for better service, It is hoped this letter willreceive their immediate attention....Marj. Aitken.***

[Issue #4 May 28th, 1970]Bruce Caughey Represents County Bruce Caughey was among the ninetyrepresentatives from Ontario attending the CanadianSchool Trustee’s Association Annual Convention onMay 31, June 1st and June 2nd, held in Winnipeg.Manitoba, celebrating its centennial, was host to theapproximately five hundred delegates: Among thehighlights was an address by Saul Miller, Minister ofEducation for Manitoba, at a banquet held at theMarlborough Hotel. After the Canadian conference, Bruce’s busyschedule as Chairman of the Lennox and AddingtonBoard of Education saw him attending the ProvincialConference at Queen’s University June 7, June 8 andJune 9th. Guest speaker at the closing banquet wasOntario Education Minister William Davis. Bruce reports that both conferences were veryinteresting and that, with the exception of a taxi

accident, en route from the Winnipeg airport, all wentwell.*****

Baby Sitter Available- After school and weekends- Responsible- Red Cross Babysitting CertificateCall Whitney Fleming at 389-9869***


Sheep Products From Topsy FarmsLamb, Blankets, Wraps, Yarn, Sheepskins, Hats &Insoles389-3444 phone (call for an appointment)www.topsyfarms.com is our web page***



Phone Book UpdatePlease contact Jackie Sylvester at 389-1320 to add newnames & / or numbers to the AI Phone Book*****

Amherst Islander- Genevieve Fleming. There was a good skimming of ice on the bay when1970 dawned cold and cloudy, a typical winter day,and we were quite sure that no tug service was beingprovided for us so we hoped for the kind of weatherthat makes good ice. When the secondary schoolstudents were ready for school on January 5th the icewasn’t safe yet for travel so they took along their bagsand stayed in Napanee. The weather stayed cold and asthe ice thickened, ski-doos began crossing and the ferrytrips became fewer and slower. January 13th was

really cold and the road supervisor took his men out tomeasure the depth of ice and they decided it was safeenough for ski-doos so they put in the familiar cedartrees marking a road across to Ellismere and wiselyplacing a sign on the first tree out from Stella, statingthe road was for ski-doos only and those who traveledotherwise did so at their own risk, a similar sign wasplaced on the shore of the mainland. The weather was ideal for making ice, temperaturesstayed below zero and in a day or two a few folk begancrossing with old cars. On January 15 the ferry madeonly three trips and on the 16th she tied up at Stella.Cold weather continued for nine weeks and we had aperfect highway. But around the third week in Marchthe temperature began to rise and we began to scan thehorizon for the “Simcoe”, but it didn’t appear much toour dislike. But on the 26th of March the Monarch wasseen coming up along the shore of the mainland as faras the C.I.L. plant and then turned back to Kingston.Another attempt was made on March 30 but she wascalled back to clear a path for the Wolfe Islander. On the morning of March 31 she returned around10:30 and slowly but surely broke her way through theice to the ferry lock, reaching here around 7:00 p.m.,thence to Millhaven to break out the old ferry track. At9:30 p.m. the Amherst Islander loosed her mooringsand set out on her first trip of the new season, but illfortune awaited her for she had only sailed a fewhundred yards when a gasket blew on the water pump.She returned to port and in the morning, took the earlymorning commuters and remained at Millhaven untilrepairs were completed by the repair men from Dept.of Highways. Regular trips resumed by mid-afternoon.The next few days were really busy. Feed trucks, oiltrucks, gas trucks, cream trucks, cheese, repair men,soft-drink trucks, hydro trucks, real estate agents,income tax consultants, students, teachers, drovers,preachers, all hurrying to come and go, and weIslanders are happy to once more be able to come andgo in safety. Large fields of ice are still drifting aroundbut a few warm days and a good breeze will take itdownstream.***[Issue #6] June 25, 1970First Fire Drill On Wednesday evening, June 17th, the AmherstFire Truck had its initial trial run prior to the setting-up of the volunteer fire department. Allan Glenn, LloydStrain, Clinton Kilpatrick and Glenn Sheil put thetruck through its paces. All were optimistic of thecapabilities of the truck. The thousand gallon capacity of the truck wastested during a 15 minute pumping operation. Thetruck was then refilled from the bay. A number of

interested spectators were on hand to shout words ofencouragement and banter. It should be noted that thiswas not a full scale drill but a preliminary tofamiliarize at least a few with the operation of thetruck, so as to be prepared for emergencies.*****

The Online Amherst Island Beacon is readable withAdobe Acrobat 5.0 Reader, which is available Free ofCharge at the website:http://www.adobe.com If you have an earlier version of the free Acrobatreader (such as 2.1, 3.0 or 4.0), you will not be able toread the newer PDF file type that the Beacon has beenformatted in. So join the twenty-first century and getyour free 5.0 reader now!*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: February 2002 - Volume 4 Issue 288}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island Beaconwww.amherstisland.on caIssue 288 February 2002



SubscriptionsLeslie GavlasGeneral Delivery Stella, Ont KOH 2S0(613) 384-2807

Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail: [email protected]&Tom Richmond [email protected]


CreditsPhotos by Shirley Miller (marked as SM)Photos by Don Tubb (marked as DT)Word PerfectOffice 2000ArcSoft ImagingAdobe PageMaker 6.5Adobe PhotoShop 6.0Adobe Acrobat 5.0Adobe Distiller 5.0Family Tree Maker 9.0

ProductionFor February: 275 Copies*****

This IssueIan Murray Frustrated by malfunctions, I got a new computerand a new Family Tree Maker program so as to makethe genealogy information more readable. The Beacon,Topsy Farms, and myself will share the cost of the

computer. Who did what for this Beacon: Don scanned in lotsof historical material that can be used whenever wehave space; Kyle typed in some articles; Chris and Diproofed as well as contributing articles; Don keeps thesubscription list up to date; Tom did all the heavylifting on the production end as well as collectingphotos; Leslie handled the mailing to subscribers andlooked after the finances; Lori et al kept the Beaconholder filled at the store; Ian collected and arrangedarticles. Don, Tom and Jan also supplied practical, aswell as moral support, during the computer changeover. The folks at KwikKopy will, I assume, run us offanother good looking newsletter. And, of course, thereare the folks who contributed articles both long andshort. Thanks to Don we should always have enougharticles to fill 12 pages each issue. He sure keeps thatscanner humming. Garnet McDonald gave us a copy of a sketch ofEmerald as he remembered it from his youth. We hopeto have that in the next Beacon: technology and timepermitting.*****

Captain Eldon Willard Eldon Willard was born on Amherst Island May5th, 1930, and he lived with his parents and sisterVerna in the little house just west of Reta Brown’s(featured on the cover of last month’s Beacon). Heattended grade school in the South Shore schoolhousethat is now the home of the Shaws. In 1946, when hewas 16, his family moved to the mainland. Eldonstayed to work on the ferry but this was no surprise, asthe family had produced captains, mates andcommercial fishermen for generations. He boarded inthe village home that is now owned by HelenMcCormick until 1958. At that time, he married ElsieReid, and his children Janice (McGinn) and Douglaswere born in the years that followed. Eldon attendedmarine college when the bay froze over and the boattied up for the winter. There were some lean timesalong the way: He briefly considered a career in laketransport ships, but didn’t want to be away from hisfamily for so much of the year. Eldon worked on all three boats named AmherstIslander: The old wooden one built before the war; the“landing craft” (purchased after the war and refitted, itstill had bullet holes in it); and the 1955 AmherstIslander that was just taken out of service. In addition,there was The Charlevoix (refitted as the Frontenac II),The Sorelos, The Wolfe Islander (on loan),

Continued on page 2

{Page 2}

The Upper Canada, and other ships that came andwent in a pinch. The stories of those days are legion...Captain Warren Kilpatrick was nearly born on the boatduring an emergency run while Eldon was on duty (atale that involves a new shotgun and a freshly paintedengine room floor). After forty-three years of service, Eldon retired in1989, the longest service for any employee of AmherstIsland Township. He had used only one sick day in allthat time, and took that because of an injury sustainedwhile fighting a fire at Elsie Densem’s home at theHead of the island. During at least half of those yearsof service, there was only one small ferry crew, andthey worked seven days a week during the season...Many of the 20 current employees in four crewsworked under Eldon at one time or another. Inretirement he continued to watch over aging relatives,and he joined the Board of the Amherst Island MutualInsurance Company. As “the mayor of Stella Point,”he watched cottages year-round all over the island, andhis garage was always a source of anything to fixeverything. Eldon was a simple man and didn’t like a fuss beingmade, but he enjoyed a good time. He was a regular atthe New Years Eve celebrations, the communitydinners and events, and anywhere an extra hand mightbe needed, such as the annual ACW chicken barbecue.He liked to listen, and to laugh, and he liked hisraspberry pie and homemade maple hickory-nut icecream. Elsie and Eldon’s fortieth anniversarycelebration, held at the Community Centre in February1998, was packed with relatives and friends of manyyears. Eldon loved gardening. The spot he worked with hisbride, her sister Marion and brother-in-law MarshallGlenn had been a garden for as long as anyone couldremember. He loved to plant and hoe, rub the dirt offthe potatoes and snack on an occasional berry. OneSunday late last summer, while under the weather fromhis illness and the treatments to combat it, he spent onelast hour in the garden while Elsie and Janice thoughthe was at home in a lawn chair. Amazingly, he wasback in that chair by the time they returned. He lovedmowing, blowing snow, fix-it work of all types, garagesales, and by genetics, anything nautical. But he lovedhis family most of all - Elsie relates that “Good KingWenceslaus” was read to the grandkids thousands oftimes from his armchair. Eldon passed away on January 9, 2002 after a

battle with cancer. He was interred in Glenwoodcemetery at the top of the hill under a huge maple treewith a beautiful view of the lake to the south. Everyislander has an Eldon story: The Beacon could be filledfor years if we tried to tell them all. And then wewouldn’t know half of them.(Beacon Stall)*****{Page 3}

Neighbourhood- Lynn Fleming Our sympathy this month, to Elsie Willard, JaniceMcGinn and Doug Willard and families, on the passingof their husband, father and grandfather, EldonWillard. Eldon was a life long resident of AmherstIsland. Congratulations to Gary Filson and Susan Sedore,who were married on Christmas Eve in a privateceremony at home. Rev. Zander Dunn performed theceremony. Congratulations to Bonnie Azulay and Jan Sneep,who became 2nd time grandparents this month. Jocelynwas born in early January to daughter Jessica andMike Irwin. A sister for Ethan. Best wishes also to“uncle” Aaron and “aunties” Chelsea and Brittany. Congratulations to Bruce and Gloria-Jane Barretteon the birth of their daughter, Tatum Jane Barrette.Proud big brother is Cole, and a granddaughter forGloria French. Congratulations to Helen Bulch (and great aunt Ida)on the birth of another great grandchild. Helen’s grand-daughter Kim and her husband Mike Boelke becamethe proud parents of Brooke’s little brother, Richard inDecember. Over the holidays, I wasn’t aware that severalpeople had been in hospital before Christmas, sobelated get well wishes and my apologies to: HelenCaughey; Bonnie Baker; Hazel deHaan; and KirstenBennick. Get well wishes also to Phyllis Henderson andBrooke Reid. Also to Greg Hudson, who is currently inhospital, and may be for some time. Get well toStephan McGinn who recently spent a week inhospital. Milestone birthdays celebrated recently are: Happy40th to Brent Wolfreys; Happy 50th to Tom Sylvesterand Happy 60th to Bob Horth. The New Year’s Eve dinner and dance wassuccessful and well attended again this year. Winter has been pretty tame this year, as I writethis, the bay has not frozen nor has the ground! Bits ofgreen grass are still “poking through”. The weatherchannel is predicting temperatures in the mid teens by

month end. Spring shouldn’t be too far away now. Many Islanders are familiar with Justin Hutchingsand his pet rooster, Thunder. Whether it is from one ofthe articles in the Whig Standard or the Heritage, fromthe Canada Day Parades or just seeing the two of themriding in the Village on Justin’s bike. Unfortunately,Thunder passed away on December 21, apparentlyfrom old age. It seems that 2 years is a good age for arooster, and Thunder lived to be 3. Justin says thatThunder was always friendly to him and his mom, butnot his dad, brothers and the family dogs! Justin sayshe’s going to miss him. So will those of us whoenjoyed seeing Thunder balanced on the handlebars ofJustin’s bike as they rode through the Village.*****

{Page 4}

Amherst Island Women’s Institute- Freda Youell. Our P.R.O. is away so I am writing the Beaconarticle this month. The January 14th meeting was heldat the Ferry office at 1 p.m. with 13 members and twoguests present. Our guest speaker was Yolanda Belisle,a volunteer for the Hospice Kingston and she gave avery informative presentation regarding the servicesavailable for anyone with a life threatening illness,their relatives and friends. These services areregardless of any other support groups such as RedCross or Home Care, and Hospice Kingston worksvery closely with physicians, nursing agencies,hospitals, long term facilities and other communityorganizations forming an integrated palliative careteam. For more information call 613-542-5013. We had our lunch before our business meeting sothat our guest speaker could join us, then after the Ode,Collect and O*Canada we started our roll call at whichmembers were asked to name a Special Volunteer. There was no meeting in December as we had ourChristmas Party which, as always, was very enjoyable.Before I get to the items at this meeting we wish tothank the folk that gave donations at the Seniors’dinner and for the many compliments received. It was asuper meal and the “Seasoned Spirits” gave a hilariousChristmas show. This is always a very special eventfor our members. Items discussed once the Committee reports hadbeen made were the addition to the telephone book -these are coming to you very soon and at the rate ofadditional numbers will probably need to be updatedagain by the end of the year. The 4-H no longer supply the plaques to displayprojects completed so the W.I. has obtained some forthe members that have not received one. Joyce Haines

spent many hours and did a terrific job on this projectand the plaques will be presented at the Achievementand Sign-up lunch on January 20th. Regarding the proposed Farmers’ Market, we arenot making any changes to our Bake Sale on theFridays before each long weekend at this time but willbe looking into ways to support this worthwhileproject. Want to keep (or get!) fit? Everyone (unisex) isbeing invited to gym classes at the Victoria Hall onMondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. For moreinformation call 389-5389. Why not make a belatedNew Year’s resolution and attend for a fun time. The WI. is once again funding an Island mailing forthe Heart and Stroke Foundation and would ask that,even if you receive requests from another source, youuse the envelope we provide. It is coded and will let usknow how much has been generously donated byAmherst Island residents. By the end of the meeting we numbered 14members - welcome Beth. As our Canada Day floatsaid “We Are Growing” This puts our membership attwenty-two so we must be doing something right!! Our next meeting will be on March 20th at theFerry office at 7 p.m. with two members, Mary KaySteel and Kirsten Bennick, giving a presentation“Approach to Active Aging”. At the risk of never beingallowed to report again, I have to say that, being twovery active ladies and full of surprises, this promises tobe a real hoot so don’t miss it! That’s March 20th -Ferry office - 7 p.m. Hope to see you there.*****

Amherst Island Directory- Jackie Sylvester Directory Update! The Amherst Island Women’sInstitute wishes everyone a healthy and productive2002. We have recently put together an insert for yourAmherst Island Directory. We particularly want toextend a warm welcome to all the new Islanders. If youdon’t receive the householder mailing, or if you requiremore copies of the directory (and insert), please visitthe Amherst Island General Store. The directory isboth a handy tool and a “collectible” as it wasproduced for the 100th Anniversary celebrations of ourInstitute. Our Women’s Institute meetings are held the thirdWednesday of the month. Visitors and new membersare always welcome. For information please callNancy Henshaw, 384-0799, or Joyce Haines [Beaconnote: we use the Island directory to check spellings ofpeople’s names. We have made several corrections andwould appreciate knowing of any errors you havenoticed: e-mail, snail mail or phone.]

*****

Owl Woods- Janet Scott The owl population in the Owl Woods has beendecimated by a resident Goshawk but one or two Saw-whets can still be found there as well as Long-earedOwls if you’re exceptionally quiet in the bush. Theyusually just take off as you spot them. No Boreals orGreat Grays have been reported but there are at least 8Snowy Owls on the Island. Once in awhile a Short-eared makes an appearance in the South Shore areaand the Great Horned Owls are calling on territory.*****

{Page 5}

Council Gleanings- Ian Murray Committees: Jackie Sylvester has been re-appointedto the Committee of Adjustment; Lynn Fleming andRick Bedford are once again on the Recreation &Property Committee; Doris Wemp, Dorothy McGinnand W. Bruce Caughey are still on the CemeteryCommittee; Councillor Duncan Ashley was appointedas alternate to County Council (to serve when ReeveMcEwen is unable to attend). Duncan is also, exofficio, a member of Council’s Committee of theWhole. There is a vacancy on the Loyalist TownshipMuseum Committee, if anyone reading this isinterested, please apply.***

Emergency Services Report for 2001 {for LoyalistTownship}: Type and number of calls: fire, 62; pot on stove, 3; alarm malfunction, 23; alarm malicious, 2; human accident, 1; gas leak, 2; power lines, 2; vehicle extrication, 8; medical emergencies, 96; carbon monoxide detector, 5; water rescue, 2; unauthorized control burning, 15; alarm accidental, 11; human perceived emergency, 9;gas or other fuel spill, 1; vehicle accident, 31; heart attack CPR, 19; call cancelled on route, 10;

assist to other fire dept. or police, 3; and, other, 22. Calls per month varied from a low of 17 in Novemberto a high of 33 in August. The Amherst Island station responded to 21 callouts in 2001. Training Officer, Fred Stephenson: “Over the lastfew years, Loyalist Township Emergency services hasfelt there was a lack of available training materialdirectly related to Emergency First Response Teams.What was available was either basic first aid related oradvanced beyond our level of training. ... “With theassistance of Firefighter/Paramedic Randy Fowler andDr. Wendy McCullough a training manual wasdeveloped, reviewed and printed in July of 2001.Thisproject was the first of its kind in Ontario and has beenreceived as such.” Other fire departments haveexpressed interest in the manual and it is hoped thatsales will help offset the costs of developing themanual.***

Emerald Culvert: a report by Township Engineer,David Thompson: Based on his own observations andon investigation done by a consulting firm, Mr.Thompson made the following recommendations toCouncil: that the abutments be monitored to see if thereis any significant movement; and, that the eastfoundation be repaired where the flowing creek waterhas caused some undermining.***

Occurrence-Amherst Island Millhaven Ferry Dock:[Milhaven] Moved by Councillor Ibey and seconded byCouncillor Bresee that the C.A.O.’s report, November28, 2001 ... be received and the following be adopted:1. That ferry crews be instructed to look for laterpedestrians arriving at the dock and only start thecasting off procedure once satisfied that the dock isclear.2. That a letter be sent to Ms. {Jill} Caughey (with acopy to J.R. Barr) explaining the ramp loweringpolicy. 3. That a message be placed on the messageboards reminding ferry users to arrive at the dock inadvance of the departure time to ensure passage.Motion carried. I did not request a copy of the C.A.O.’s report. Itwas not included in the Council documents provided tothe Beacon. This is not surprising as it could beconsidered a personnel matter and, understandably,would not be a public document. The policy referred to is as follows:“Name: Lowering of ramp.

Date of Adoption: Council April 10, 2000. Council Minute No. 2000.11.18.Purpose: Consistent policy applied by all crew.Policy: Do not lower the ferry ramp after it has startedto raise for departure.” The policy is pretty clear; it’s there in black andwhite. No deviation is permitted: not for an ambulance;not for the OPP; nor, for a young woman standing onthe dock by herself on a cold rainy night. Perhaps thecaptains and crews should be permitted a bit ofdiscretion.***

Staffing Changes: Council has decided to reduce the Road Crew onAmherst Island by one position. This will be done byeither retirement or promotion.*****

Dave Brady- Bill Harris (with David’s cooperation) On Amherst Island David is know by most peopleas the producer of Counter Force, a documentary thathas won three awards in the US this year after beingshown on TLC, The Learning Channel. David has beenproducing film and television series for over twenty-five years, where his acquaintance with Peter Truemanis one of the threads that

{Page 6}

brought him to the Island. During the 1990s David also taught at both YorkUniversity and Ryerson Polytechnic in the fields ofScreen Writing, Film Production and Business. Hereceived the CESAR award for his teaching atRyerson. His father was from The Valley,- the OttawaValley, so coming to the Island could be coming backcloser to his roots after a lifetime in business, academiaand the media throughout Europe and the NorthAmerican continent. David was born in Timmins,raised in Toronto and began a Masters degree inCommunications at Simon Fraser and finished hisMaster of Fine Arts at York University many yearsago. Like most of us, life lead him through a broadrange of career activities that has left him with a finelytuned critical sense. Deborah Kimmett, Dave’s wife, has family inNapanee, which is another thread which Davidfollowed to our island. Just prior to moving to AmherstIsland last year David and Deborah, with their twochildren Brendan and Laurel were living in Torontoand spending a great deal of time first on Hay Bay,

then renting two different houses on Amherst Island.Finally purchasing their own home, they now live at10650 Front Road. David is active in the Amherst Island community,having appeared in two presentations of the TalkingPeace group. He is active in AIMS, in charge ofapplications for government grants.[Staff: David is also a member of the fire dept.]*****

excepted from Small Is Beautiful- Paul Blais of L&A County 2001 was a good year for development in Lennoxand Addington. Construction values were the fourthhighest since 1990. A number of significant projectswere completed and more groundwork was laid forfuture development. Below is a sample of some of2001's significant projects: Strathcona Paper Company is nearing completionof a $25 million investment that adds more state-of-the-art technology to its manufacturing, distributionand supply chain capabilities. Canadian Playgrounds Inc., a custom designer andmanufacturer of steel and recycled plastic playgroundequipment, expanded into larger premises at 108 DairyAvenue, Napanee. Bath’s championship-calibre golf course, LoyalistEstates, was purchased by a Toronto-area developer(Country Club Communities) who plans to build morethan 500 homes in the next several years. Construction has begun on the new $790,000Lennox & Addington County Library - NapaneeBranch. Manco Recycling Centre purchased land in theNapanee Development Park and built a new 10,000sq.ft. building to process recyclable materials. Loyalist Township constructed a new $1.025million fire station in Bath. Bombardier Transportation and Lafarge Canadaboth completed renovations to their corporate offices. CAT Logistics Inc., a division of Canadian-Ameri12.24 0 Td( $sc 0.06 Tw -196.op0 Td(1T)Tjse of)Tj Tc -0.06 Trtah $sc 0.0nanr pred Tj0.1872 0 Td(ur 884 Td of)Tj Tc -0.06 T Td fTj16.56 0 Td(et -224.88-13.2 Td(Es)Tjj28j33.36 0 Tdl(s 025)Tj-0.18 Tc Inc.)Tjof Ca12pursa

More than $350,000 in renovations were made atthe Petro-Canada / McDonald’s Service Centre onHighway #401 near Odessa. Napanee Home Hardware Building Centre doubledits floor area and tripled its inventory selection. Fando Holdings purchased a 36,000 sq. ft. buildingto warehouse PET, polypropylene, and nylon fibre.Fando is extracting this materials from area landfillsand baling it for shipment for reprocessing. The Prince Edward / Lennox and AddingtonCommunity Futures Development Corporation (PELACFDC) opened a local office in 2001. The organizationprovides business counseling services as well asrepayable financing of up to $125,000. Many new residential developments were approvedin 2001 including Parkside Subdivision (109 units),Winchester Drive Subdivision (17 lots), NibourgCondominiums (57 units), Smith Subdivision (650units), and Adolphustown Subdivision (75 units). The Ontario Provincial Police has identifiedgreenfield sites in Napanee and Odessa forconstruction of two new

{Page 7}

detachments. Loyalist Plaza in Amherstview underwentrenovations in 2001 including the construction of anew 8-doctor medical building and after hours clinic. Bon Echo Provincial Park invested $800,000 for anew water distribution system and winterized comfortstation. The Wesleyan Church of Canada startedconstruction on their new 16,000 sq.ft. church whichwill include a 300 seat sanctuary, classrooms, officesand a gymnasium.*****

Lake Ontario Water Levels- Don TubbFrom the Department of Fisheries & Oceans Canada’sweb site.Average water height for January 2002: 74.55m.Average water heights for January 1918-1998:74.55m.Average water height for January 2001: 74.49m.Average water height for December 2001: 74.52m.Max. average water height (Jan. 1946): 75.16m.Mm. average water height (Jan. 1935): 73.81m. Lake Ontario is obviously not experiencing the lowwater levels found in the other Great Lakes.*****

4-H News

- Susie Caughey On January 20, the 4-H awards program for 2001and registration for 2002 was held at the communitycentre. Peter Trueman was on hand to congratulate allphotography club members for their efforts and tomake a presentation to Talia Fleming for her first placephotograph. We thank Peter for Judging the entries. Joyce Haines spoke to the group and gave the newermembers wooden plaques provided by the W.I. ofAmherst Island. Both Alison McDonald and SamPollock expressed appreciation on behalf of all 4-Hmembers present. The W.I. support is continual andgenerous. We’re pretty excited that the Island 4-Herswere featured in the winter issue of “4-H Ontario”, aprovincial magazine. (On newsstands now!) The Jr. club will start in late Feb. “Healthy eatingaround the clock” led by Freda Youell.***

More 4-H News- Sam Pollock The high school 4-H club on the Island will bedoing two projects this winter & spring- “Soups-On”and “Event Planning”. First meeting is at Caugheys’ onSunday, Feb. 3rd at 6:30 pm. Members enrolled so farare:Helen Bell-Smith, Shawna Phillips, Alison McDonald,Andrew McDonald, Brennan Kilpatrick, Sam Pollock,Jamie Black, Shannon Youell, Geoffrey McDonald andMindy Fleming. Anyone else are to join the fun? PhoneSusie (389-9977) immediately.*****

Old Beacons & the Missing Years- Ian Murray This is what we at World Beacon Headquartershave:Island Beacon: First Edition, April 16, 1970 through39th Edition, November 18, 1971.The Grindstone: Vol. 18, No. 22, November 18th,1971; Vol.18, No. 23, December 9th, 1971; and,Vol.19, No.1, January, 6th, 1972. Are there more Grindstone Issues? From the last Grindstone to the start up of theBeacon again on December 1, 1978, there is a lot ofIsland history missing: births, deaths, and all the otherchanges that this community underwent during whenwe lacked a newsletter. I have kept a journal continually since Jan. 1, 1972,but until I re-started the Beacon, I paid little attentionto the Amherst Island community. I hope that thosewho have been saving clippings from the WhigStandard and the Napanee Beaver will allow theBeacon to make copies. Perhaps there are others who

keep journals or diaries who could share the events thathappened during the non-Beacon years.*****

Remembering Winters Past...- Nancy Dunn Though some may be glad to have an exceptionallymild winter, the snows of Christmas week were myidea of what winter should be. They reminded me to asmall extent of January 1964 when, during our firststint on Amherst Island, Zander and I were living in St.Paul’s manse with our 18-month-old son Scott andexpecting our second child at the end of the month. I don’t recall when the snow started to accumulatebut by mid-Jan. the Stella 40-foot was almost a narrowtunnel between two mountains of

{Page 8}

snow. Since those were the days before the bubblesystem we were all expecting the lake to freeze at anytime, putting a halt to ferry traffic and many familieskept an old car on the island leaving the “good” car onthe mainland. Our old vehicle was a ‘52 Ford which wegot for $50. Thanks to Clinton’s [Kilpatrick] care itran well but one of the reasons for the cheap price wasthe driver’s door handle was broken so the door waswired closed requiring the driver to enter across thebench seat from the passenger side. It must have been quite close to my due date (and Idon’t recollect where Zander was) but one blusteryafternoon his aunt, who had come to help during myforthcoming hospital stay, and I took the Ford to thevillage on an errand with Scott standing in the back.No car seats or seat belts back then. As we returnedhome, somewhere between the 2nd concession and themanse, we hit a slippery spot and skidded at a good(?)speed into the snow bank on the west side of the road.We were well stuck. The left front door is wired shuton the outside, the right front door is deep insnow...Now Aunt Jean is from B.C.; she does not seesnow often; she does not like snow; she does not drive;she has never had a baby. As I prepared to heave myextra-heavy self over the front seat in order to get outof the car and got help she let me know in no uncertainterms that she would not be happy if I gave birth therein that old green jalopy. Nevertheless over I went, gotout the left rear door without difficulty and shortlyflagged down the passing school bus with BillKilpatrick (Capt. Warren’s father) at the wheel. Heand some of the older school boys soon dug and pushedus back onto the straight and narrow. I was grateful,Jean was relieved (an understatement) and Scottthought it was a great adventure.

Ah those were the winters! Oh yes, #2 son, Kirk,arrived safely at KGH. on Feb. 4th, the day the ferrygot stuck in the ice - but that’s another story.*****

Dog? Fox? Or?- Ian Murray A few weeks ago I was returning on the tractor tothe home farm after feeding the sheep when I saw asmall black animal on the road ahead of me by thepond that Harvey Eves dug on Lot 2, Con. 1. I thoughtas first that it was a large tom cat but as I got closer itlooked more like a dog - a very black dog with a whitetip on its tail. As I got closer it moved over onto therocks by the lake and sat down. I stopped the tractorand got down to look closer at this strange dog. Fromabout 40 or 50 feet. I could see that it had a blackwavy coat, a fairly blocky body about the size andshape of a spaniel. The nose was sharp like a fox and ithad an intelligent aspect. It was unwilling to let me getcloser and I got back on the tractor assuming it gonefor a walk and was now heading back towards Stellaand its doting owner - the animal looked very well fed. I asked Chris and Don if either of them had seen it.They hadn’t. Nor had they ever heard of a dog (or foxor whatever) that looked like that: black with a white-tipped tail. Last Sunday when Jim Reid took my ticket on theferry, he ask if I’d seen the black fox up our way. Hesaid that he’d seen it by Street’s -Lot 10, Con. 1- whiledelivering the Whig one morning. Has anyone else seen this dog or fox or whatever?*****

Eldon Willard Remembered- Rosemary Richmond When Tom and I purchased Marshall and MarionGlenn’s farm on the Third Concession in July of 1997,we just thought we were buying a place to live. We hadno idea that we were about to be adopted into theextended family of Eldon and Elsie Willard. Eldon justseemed to come with the farm - he kept his tractor inthe equipment shed at our place, and he and Elsiegardened up at the top of the bill. He was a wealth ofinformation about the property: he knew where in thebarnyard the water lines were buried, how deep the dugwell was, etc. In addition, if you ever needed an oddsized screw or an obscure part for a pump, Eldon wassure to have at least one of each in his seeminglybottomless garage! Eldon and Elsie invited us along to every Islanddinner and event, introducing us to our new neighboursand generally making us feel right at home. We spentmany happy hours in their kitchen and ours, listening

to Eldon tell stories of his youth on the Island and hisyears on the boat. Eldon and Elsie quickly became dearfriends, and within a year and a half of our arrival,they also became Grandpa Eldon and Grandma Elsie toCiara (and more recently, to Barry as well). Whilemany people on the Island have known Eldon muchlonger and better than we did, I feel privileged to haveknown him and called him my friend.*****

Canadian Planes Proving Their Worth- from The Canadian Press[submitted by Leslie Gavlas who mentions that her sonJohn is air crew and Don Laidlaw, related to theWayne Bailey family of Bath, is on maintenance.]Canadian Maritime Patrol Planes Are Flying Missionsof Eight to Ten Hours over the Persian Gulf and theArabian Sea in Support of the War on Terrorism. So far the operations have gone without a hitch,Lt.-Col. John Mitchell said yesterday in a telephoneinterview from the region. “We’ve had a 100-per-centsuccess rate so far,” he said. Two Aurora aircraft from Greenwood, N.S., begantheir daily long range patrols last week. The four-engine Auroras can fly up to 9,000 kilometres withoutrefueling. scanning vast areas on their missions. Forsecurity reasons, Mitchell won’t say where his planesand their 200 member support team are based. “Wehave an area of responsibility that includes both theArabian sea and the Persian Golf and depending on theneeds of the coalition then we go and fly in the areasthat they

{Page 9}

ask us to, said Mitchell, commander of 405 Maritimepatrol squadron.Sensors The Auroras are equipped with an array of sensorsfor scanning the ocean surface and underwater. Theycan operate day or night, using radar and infra-redscanning. Their missions include watching for vessels thatmight be carrying contraband or escaping Taliban or alQaida fighters. They can also be asked to bolstersecurity for coalition fleets in the region. Mitchell’sgroup is basically self supporting with air crews aswell as mechanics, technicians and a logistics group ofcommunicators, drivers, medics and firefighters. Although the Auroras are equipped to carry avariety of weapons, including anti-submarine torpedoesand air-to-surface missiles, they aren’t armed for thesemissions. “We’re doing unarmed patrols and as matter of

fact, for a secondary mission we’re carrying search-and-rescue gear in our bomb bay in case of any sort ofrequirements for rescue at sea”.*****

AIMSJanuary 12 meeting- Peter Trueman The Amherst Island Men’s Society plans for settingup the old Neilson Store building as a combinationmuseum and gallery are proceeding on schedule andAIMS has procured the services of a highly-regardedKingston historical consultant, Andre Scheinman, tohelp in the securing of a federal grant. Mr. Scheinmanis enthusiastic about the project and believes that thebuilding itself is valuable historically and is well worthpreserving. He believes that the flashing on the roofshould be redone immediately, and also recommendsthat the foundation should be repointed as soon aspossible to prevent rapid deterioration. David Bradyand Don Pepper, who reported to the AIMSmembership at the last meeting on Saturday. January12 also noted that during a preliminary examination,Mr. Scheinman discovered the old store had beenerected on the foundation of some previous structure. Dave Hieatt offered to do a title search of theNeilson Store site to try to determine the ownership,age and purpose of the structure that preceded thestore. My Beacon readers who might have informationon the site are asked to contact Dave at 389-9294.John Kuti, who has experience in this field, offered todo some historical drawings of the Neilson building asit must have looked originally. It is anticipated that afeasibility study for the museum/gallery project and theapplication for a grant from the federal HeritageMinistry’s “Cultural Spaces” program will becompleted by May. The committee which staged the New Year’s Evedance reported that more than $2,000 had been raisedfor the restoration project, and that this had been addedto some $3,000 already held in trust by the township,the building’s owner. The AIMS membership itselfundertook to organize and stage the 2003 New Year’sDance as a fund-raising event. The Treasure, Paul Henshaw, reported a total of$795.60 in AIMS’s coffers, and began collecting thenew annual membership fee of $20. The charge forbreakfast at the monthly meetings remains at $5, andall male Islanders are welcome to join. Meetings areheld the second Saturday of the month at 8 a.m. in St.Paul’s Church Hall. Gian Frontini reported that the township wasreluctant to support a roadside tree-planting programlike the one AIMS had proposed on the grounds that it

could interfere with road maintenance. It was agreedthat the idea needed further exploration. Ross Haines announced that the owner of VictoriaHall, Bernice Gould, seemed amenable to the idea ofsetting up a fitness class in the hall. Several membersoffered exercise equipment, including a rowingmachine and stationary bikes. Anyone interested couldcall Ross for further information. Jan Sneep suggested another AIMS project,sponsorship a regular lecture and audio-visual serieslike the two Talking Peace evenings which arose fromthe terrorist attacks on New York on September 11.The first was held at St. Alban’s Church, and featureda wide-ranging discussion about terrorism and the needto understand Islam, hosted by Stanley Burke, DaveBrady and others. The second evening featured one ofDavid’s films on terrorism, and a wide-rangingdiscussion afterwards with the audience. Bill Harris, who was involved in the Talking Peaceinitiative, and several others, are interested inestablishing a series of similar evenings, on othercurrent affairs and general interest subjects, perhapsfour or five times during the late fall, winter and earlyspring. There would be a modest charge per lecture tohelp defray the cost of the audio-visual equipment.

{Page 10}

Once again, two AIMS members shared stories oftheir lives and how they came to be on Amherst Island.Peter Moes (he says Moos rhymes with the “oose” incaboose) was born in Holland in 1928. He attendedsecondary school there during the German occupation,and came to Canada on a student visa in 1947. He tooka degree in Honours French and German, then an MAin French, and finally a bachelor’s degree in LibraryScience. He got his doctorate in French in 1963, andspent most of his life teaching in Canadian universities.He married Joan Densem, the daughter of the lateCharles Densem, and his wife Elsie. Peter’s dry wit kept AIMS members chuckling andguffawing through much of his presentation. In 1957,the Densems bought the old Murrow property (the finestone house now owned by the Finlays) at the head ofthe island. Peter visited the island once or twice a year until hemoved here full time to keep an eye on his mother-in-law after his retirement about eight years ago. Hiswife Joan, an ardent student of film, lives at Bay &Bloor in Toronto, “her idea of heaven”. “I am acountry boy”, he says, “that you can take out of thecountry, but you can’t take the country out of him.” Hesays his wife believes that he and Elsie deserve eachother, and that makes him “the surrogate daughter”.

Peter lives in a cottage near Elsie’s house east ofTopsy Farms on the Front Road. Doug Lamb, the second speaker, was born inToronto in 1929, one of a pair of twins. He passedaround an old photograph of himself and his brotherand challenged the members to say which one was him.No one got it right, and he says we would still assumeit was Doug if we met his brother on the street. He methis wife Helen in a church youth group in Toronto andthey will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary thisyear.They have two Sons and five grandchildren. Doug tooktwo years of honour chemistry on scholarships at theUniversity of Toronto, and when he ran out of money,went to work in a British pharmaceutical company. Heworked for various other drug firms, writingprocedures for quality control. For many years, withHelen, they sang in the church choir. They still do. When they were getting ready to retire, Helen sawan article about Amherst Island in the Toronto Star.They paid the island visit, fell in love with itimmediately, and decided to retire here, to that neatlypainted Victorian house on the east side of the Stella40 Foot, just south of the store. “If Helen hadn’t beenreading that particular paper, on that particular page,on that particular night”, Doug said, “we wouldn’t behere.” Allen Caughey and Brian Grace will tell theirstories at the next breakfast meeting, Saturday, Feb. 9at 8 a.m. in the St. Paul’s Church Hall. Again, allisland men are welcome.*****

A Letter Home- Christopher Kennedy This really is a strange winter. Late starting, then adump of snow to give us a white Christmas, and nowweather like late March. The temperature is forecast toreach 8C In the next few days. There is a little bit offrost in the ground, but that won’t last long at this rate.It can’t make an easy job for the road crew with thesquishy gravel roads going to potholes every time theythaw. It should help with the Township snowploughing budget and our home heating bills. There is no build-up of ice along the shore, andonly on a couple of mornings have I seen the lakesteaming. Perhaps we should not get too complacentthough, there is still the whole of February to go. Sofar it has been an easy winter for the sheep, with nobad storms or cold temperatures to contend with. Withthe dry weather last summer the hay came off early andin good condition, so the ewes are looking well on thegood quality groceries. We hope they are all safelybred, so they have a couple of quiet months until

shearing at the end of March. This should leave us timeto cut some wood for next winter. Ian reckoned wemay have two thousand dead elms to cut on the farm,and most of them are just waiting to fall on our fences.When the weather is bad it is time to retreat to theworkshop and get some maintenance done on themachinery. The winter is also the time for farm meetings. Thegovernment seems to be very busy with newregulations on Food Safety, Manure Management,Endangered Species, and so on, all of which can affectthe farming community I am sure that these are allwell-meaning ideas but nobody, and least of allfarmers, like to be told by bureaucrats what they canor cannot do. So some of us go off to meetings to try toensure that the new regulations make at least somesense to the farmers who have to work with them. Perhaps by next month the winter will have arrived.I must confess I haven’t missed it too much so far. [Asvice-chair of the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency,Christopher has been

{Page 11}

representing the sheep farmers of Ontario at variousmeetings with other commodity groups, provincialbureaucrats and their political masters. He has alsobeen on the municipal committee concerned with farmpollution. It is suspected that he misses the quiet of thefarm work shop.]*****

Thank You Notes We would like to take this opportunity to say ahuge “Thank You” to all those in our community whosupported the 2001 New Year’s Eve Gala. Thecommittee would also like to thank the followingvolunteers for their efforts: Rick Bedford, BarbBowman, Reta Brown, Bruce Burnett, BonnieCaughey,Andrew Chisolm, Andrea Cross, Allan Glenn, BerniceGould, Brian Grace, Carmen Hewitt, Hugh Jenney,Neil Johnston, Paul Lauret, Karen Miller, Keith Miller,Barb Roberts, John Schutzbach, Ardis Shurtliffe,Wilbert Willard, Pam Willougby, Ralph Woods, andTagget and Kevin. A profit of $2374.01 was realisedthis past year and has been deposited with theTownship to be used towards the restoration of theNeilson store. The 2001 New Year’s Eve Galacommittee: Bruce and Susie Caughey, Janet Grace,Joyce and Ross Haines, Dorothy McCinn, DickShurtliffe.***

The family of Llew MacArthur would like to thankeveryone who brought goodies, visited, phoned, andsent cards, flowers and memorial donations when Llewdied. It really does help to feel that we are not alone.And especially, we want to thank Andy Chisholm,Royal Canadian Legion Branch 623, piper Ian Leslie,and all who attended from far and near, for makingLlew’s memorial service so wonderful, and a trulyfitting Llew send-off. Caroline, John, Jesse, Helen, Fae and Jake, faraway in Vancouver*****

from Born on the Island-L&A County Museum and Archives (Excerpts From Napanee Beaver, April 1895-April1897)February 21, 1896 Stella Another of our young ladles, Miss SarahMcCormick, was married on Wednesday 12th inst. bythe Rev. James Cumberland, to James McKee, a veryfine young man, both belonging to this place. Thehappy couple have many friends and well-wishers. D.H. Preston and wife are both on the sick list. Mr. Neilson is quite poorly. The infant daughter of Tom and Nellie McCormickdied quite suddenly last week. Mr. Pringle is attending the grand lodge, A.O.U.W.,this week, in Toronto. Mr. Pringles horse ran away lastweek, dumping Miss Scott and Miss Fleming into asnow bank. The only thing injured was the cutter. Mr. Cousins paid a visit here last week. The people were unable to attend the Presbyterianchurch last Sunday, owing to so much snow, so theyattended the Methodist church.***

February 28, 1896The Late Robert Filson Mrs. Robert Filson of Amherst Island has receivedthe following: To Mrs. Robert Filson, Amherst Island: We theofficers of the 47th Frontenac Battalion of Infantry atour annual meeting desire to express our sinceresympathy and condolence with you for the bereavementyou have sustained in the loss of your late husband -our comrade, Quartermaster Robert Filson. Our longacquaintance with him in the different positions he soworthily filled, enabled us to estimate his true worth.We always found in him every good quality that makesa man worthy of esteem and regard. And while, dearmadam, we recognize your greater loss, we can assureyou of the grief we feel, and that every man in theBattalion feels at the removal by death of our late

Quartermaster. (Signed), Geo. Hunter, Lieut-Col., and officers ofthe Battalion*****

Stella Cheese Factory(Milk Producers Troubled)from the Beacon Archives The last weeks of March held a dim prospect formilk producers on Amherst Island. With the ferryservice not operating, and winter transportation soquestionable for next winter it appeared that the StellaCheese Factory would cease to operate, leaving theproducers without a market for their milk. Since that time, the situation has been alleviatedtemporarily and a decision on the problems should bearrived at soon. At this writing a meeting is in sessionin an attempt to resolve a solution.“Newsflash”: A sigh of relief swept over many milkproducers this evening when it was learned that Mr.Tugwell would continue operations at the cheesefactory. He plans to purchase the milk from the MilkMarketing Board.*****

{Page 12}

Notes from the General StoreJust a reminder to everyone that postal rates haveincreased effective Jan.14Within Canada - $0.48U.S.A. - $0.65International - $1.25.Pay As You Toss (PAYT) tags for the Al Landfill arenow available at the store. You can purchase them indenominations of 5 for $7.50 or 10 for $15.00.Here is a list of the most recent new releases we havein at the store now.Scary Movie 2 Bamboozled American Outlaws Jeepers Creepers Moulin Rouge- Nicole KidmanWhat’s the Worst That Could Happen - Danny Devitoand Martin Lawrence.For those of you that enjoy British humor, we havesome old videos of the BBC sitcom that use to air inthe 70*s and 80*s “Some Mothers do ‘ave ‘em”. If youhaven’t seen them before they really are worthchecking out.That’s all for this month, so until next month,Happy Valentines Day everyone!***

Dumbbells Would anyone on the island have any dumbbells thatthey wouldn’t mind loaning to our Amherst IslandExercise Club? Preferably from 2 lbs. on up to about15 or 20 lbs. If you do, please call Ross Haines at 634-7894.***

Women*s Recreational VolleyballMonday Nights, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the CommunityCentre, starting Monday, January 28, 2002. Come outand join the for fun and fitness. Encourage a friend tocome along. Teams change each week, so you are notobligated to attend every week. For more information,call Susie @ 389-2012.Sponsored by Amherst Island Recreation Association(AIRA).***

Painting LessonsPay as you paint lessons.Phone Shirley Miller at 389-2588.***

EuchreFriday night Euchres will be starting soon. Watch forthe household mailer announcing the dates and times.A.I.R.A.***

Emerald Social & Athletic Club Info wantedI’m interested in learning about this club for a futureBeacon article. Sally Bowen at 634-3841.***

For Sale: Hydropool Spawith seating for five people, ‘tealmarble’ colour. Thisunit is in excellent condition and comes with:- Underwater light- Ozonator- Floating and hard cover plus many other extras. The spa is currently installed and comes complete withcedar side panels and steps for easy entry into the pool.Asking $2,500.00 To arrange a viewing, please call:Peter Large or Margaret Maloney, Amherst Island613-384-7925***

Pathfinder Pancake BreakfastSunday, February 17th., 20029:00 am to 12:00 noonAt the Community CentrePlease plan to attend and help our ongoing fund raising

campaign.***



Sheep ProductsFrom Topsy FarmsBlankets, Wraps, Yarn, Sheepskins, Hats & Insoles389-3444 phone (call for an appointment)www.topsyfarms.com is our web page***



Phone Book UpdatePlease contact Jackie Sylvester at 389-1320 to add newnames & / or numbers to the Al Phone Book*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: March 2002 - Volume 4 Issue 289}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island Beaconwww.amherstisland.on.caIssue 289 March 2002


Subscription RatesCanada $19/yr

USA $21/yrOverseas $24/yr


Production

Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail: [email protected]&Tom Richmond [email protected]


CreditsPhotos by Shirley Miller (marked as SM) Photos by Don Tubb (marked as DT) Word PerfectOffice 2000 ArcSoft Imaging Adobe PageMaker 6.5 Adobe PhotoShop 6.0 Adobe Acrobat 5.0 Adobe Distiller 5.0 Family Tree Maker 9.0

Production for March:275 Copies*****

This Issue- Ian Murray So far no one has responded regarding Grindstones:were there more than 3 Grindstones with AmherstIsland Beacons included therein? Some Willard family genealogy is included in thisissue. As always, there is lots of information missingand some of the information may be wrong. I amalways willing - farm work permitting - to makeadditions and corrections to this or any other familytree.*****

Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Our sympathy this month to Earl and Jean Tugwell,following the passing of Earl’s brother Chester “Tony”Tugwell. Also good health wishes for Earl. Get wellwishes this month to Allen Caughey, Audrey Miller,Helen Caughey, Greg Hudson, and Phil Silver.Congratulations to Rick and Laura Welbanks on thebirth of their second son, Jacob Richard, born onJanuary 16. A little brother for Alex. Another grandsonfor Dave and Betty Wemp and Ted Welbanks. Zander and Nancy Dunn recently took a CentralAmerican cruise, then went on to British Columbia to

visit Zander’s mom. Don and Pauline Pepper travelledto New Orleans to “experience” Mardi Gras.Apparently it was a good experience and they had agreat time! Bruce and Susie Caughey spent some timein Scotland visiting their daughter Amy. Jim Whittonvisited family and played a little golf on his trip toPhoenix. Women’s Volleyball has been a great success onMonday evenings. The Friday night Euchres havebegun again, and are off to a great start. The IslandPathfinders (Guides) and some fellow Pathfinders fromacross the Bay, held a Sunday morning PancakeBreakfast recently. The event was a wonderful breakfor many according to the turn-out. The Pathfindersare raising money for a planned trip to England nextyear with other Guiders. Swan Count - On a recent sunny afternoon at thefoot, 80 tundra swans were counted! Congratulationsto the Senior Class at Amherst Island Public Schoolfor winning the first prize with their Heritage Fairproject, “A History of Our Community”.*****

ObituariesSamuel Chester Tugwell- from Whig Feb 5/02Veteran WWII RCAF Wing Commander LancasterBomber Squadron. Peacefully on Monday, February 4, 2002 at theKingston General Hospital. Chester Tugwell in his86th year. Dear son of the late Irvine Tugwell &Mabel McGinn. Former husband of the late HubertinaClaessen and father of the late Anthony. Dear brotherof Earl Tugwell (Jean)

{Page 2}

and the late Gladys Martin and Edna Finnegan. Fondlyremembered by his nieces and nephew Norma Wing,Betty Windsor and Roy Martin and great nieces andnephews. Interment Glenwood Cemetery AmherstIsland. [Staff: There will be a eulogy for Chester in thenext Beacon.]*****

Descendants of Charles B. Willard[Also note below some of Eldon Willard’s relatives: 1stcousin, Harvey Eves; 2nd cousins, Marshall Glenn,Earle Willard, John McGinn and Ralph Morrow; 2ndcousin once removed, Alan Glenn]

1 Charles B. Willard 1834 -..+Elizabeth Barry 1839 -1892...2 Jane Willard 1859 -

...2 Eunice Willard 1861 -

.....+ John Walmsley

...2 Charles Herman Willard 1863-1939

.....+ Elizabeth A. Bray 1864 -1932

......3 Joseph O. Wilbert Willard 1901 -

........+ Florence Gertrude Corke 1911 -

..........4 Wilbert George Willard 1930-

..........4 Gayel Victoria Peters 1935 -

.............5 David Richard Willard 1955 -

.............5 Diane Gayel Willard 1958 -

.............5 Sandra Nannet Willard 1959 -

..........4 Elmer Garnet Willard 1934 -

............+ Wilda Ellen Sayeau

.............5 Barbara Ellen Willard 1960 -

.............5 Garnet Reginald Willard 1961 -

.............5 Dale Lawrence Willard 1962 -

.............5 Margaret Anne Willard 1965 -

.............5 Charlene Thelma Willard 1966-

..........4 David Earl Willard

............+ Donna Ellenor Strain 1943 -

.............5 Christopher David Willard 1960-

.............5 Laurie Dawn Willard 1964 -

.............5 Steven Willard

..........4 Charles Reg. Willard 1932 -1956

..........4 Dorothy Anne Willard 1942 -

............+ Edward “Kaye” McGinn 1936 -

.............5 Karen Anne McGinn 1960 -

...............+ Robert Seeley

.............2nd husband of Karen An 0 19.9+ 9G8e6ldc16 0 Td( Wil)Tj18.96 0 Td(lard 1960-)TjTj5.76 9.12 0 Tde20.16 0.5 Christoph.......

and great granddad of Kamryn. Bob will be sadlymissed by his sister Marty Sedgwick and her husbandArt.***

Mr. Harding owned R. E. Harding Roofing whichemployed many Islanders. His sons Peter & Mark ownAmherst Roofing which continues to employ manyIslanders. Keith McGinn, who worked with Mr.Harding and his family for 48 years, says that they are“the finest people in the world. I never had a crossword with any of them. Bob was a very good man. Hewas at work every day at 7am and he was an excellentestimator.” Mr. Harding worked until 4pm on the dayhe suffered a stroke. He left work early for a doctor’sappointment. The doctor told him that he should take iteasy as he was a prime candidate for a stroke. He hada stroke that night and never recovered. Keith went onto say that: “Bob is greatly missed by his family andall who worked with him.”*****

Women’s Institute- Nancy DunnThe Women’s Institute did not meet in February butwe would heartily welcome guests to our Marchmeeting on the 20th of the month at 7 p.m. in the backroom at the ferry office. In January we welcomed anew member and if there are any other prospectivemembers lurking out there this session on “ActiveAging” sounds like a good time to start....*****

NEWS From A.I.P.S.- Lyn Fleming The Senior class recently completed their Heritageproject and entered it in the South FredricksburghHeritage Fair. The project, called “A History of OurCommunity”, won first prize. Students attended theawards presentation and received a $50.00 chequetowards books for the school library from the S.Fredricksburgh Heritage Committee. The Senior classis busy fund raising for their planned “end of the year”school trip to Montreal. The 2 day trip will includevisits to historical sites in Old Montreal, the OlympicStadium, the Bio Dome and Mount Royal. They willhave a traditional French Canadian meal andentertainment at the “Sucrerie”. One of the upcomingfund raising events is the sale of Easter Chocolates,made locally. Please watch for the donation can at theGeneral Store. David Albertan recently attended a 3day Robotics program at Queens. The “Seeds”program is open to selected students at LimestoneSchools. The Primary Class recently visited the

Lennox and Addington County Museum to participatein two workshops on Pioneer activities. The annualPolar Bear Olympics took place on February 27th.*****

Christmas Bird Count- Janet Scott On January 5th. the annual Christmas Bird Countwas held on Amherst Island. For over a 100 yearsbirds have been counted in North America over the twoweek Christmas period in order to establishapproximate resident species and numbers . TheAmherst Island Count has only been included over thelast ten years but it is well attended and usually comesup with one or two specialities. This year the weatherwas kinder than last and our volunteer counters arrivedon the 6:30 and 7:30 am ferries to begin the count .Twenty people

{Page 4}

covered the Island on assigned routes or watched theirfeeders and reported the variety of species (71) andapproximate numbers of each . We met back at myplace for lunch and compared notes. Thank-you to our Amherst Island folk who helpedthem on the ferry, patiently avoided them on the roads,and phoned in local sightings to help with the count. Following is a list of species and numbers. I thinkyou’ll be amazed at the variety that even a winterday will produce on Amherst Island. Common Loon, 1;Double-crested Cormorant, 1; Canada Goose, 886; Snow Goose, 1; Tundra Swan, 7; Gadwall, 206; American Black Duck, 267; Mallard Duck, 688; Northern Pintail, 3; Common Merganser, 45; Red-breasted Merganser, 32; Hooded Merganser, 4; Barrow’s Goldeneye, 1; Common Goldeneye, 522; Bufflehead, 147; Long-tailed Duck, 39; Golden Eagle, 1; Northern Harrier, 2; Red-tailed Hawk, 67; Rough-legged Hawk, 31; Cooper’s Hawk, 1; American Kestral, 14;Northern Goshawk, 1;

Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1;Herring Gull, 61; Greater Black-backed Gull, 23;Ring-billed Gull, 19;Glaucous Gull, 1; Ring-necked Pheasant, 8;Mourning Dove, 121; Rock Dove, 48; Snowy Owl, 11;Great Horned Owl, 4; Long-eared Owl, 3; Short-eared Owl, 1; Saw-whet Owl, 2;Downy Woodpecker, 14;Hairy Woodpecker, 11;Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1;Belted Kingfisher, 1; Blue Jay, 73; American Crow, 45;Horned Lark, 3; Snow Bunting, 115; Black-capped Chickadees, 178; White Breasted Nuthatch, 15; Northern Shrike, 3; Red-winged Blackbird, 2; European Starling, 391; Hermit Thrush, 1;American Tree Sparrow, 125; Fox Sparrow, 1; Song Sparrow, 3; House Finch, 45; House Sparrow, 206; Redpoll, 76; Hoary Redpoll, 1; Purple Finch, 1; Cardinal, 13; Dark-eyed Junco, 4; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1; Goldfinch, 4; Eastern Meadowlark, 2; Lapland Longspur, 4; Cedar Waxwings, 6;American Wigeon, 2; Redhead, 3; Greater Scaup, 6; Black Scoter, 2; American Coot, 1; Bonapartes Gull, 1. It was a varied and mixed group of birds this year,probably due to our unsettled weather. Good Birding!!*****

Council Gleanings

- Ian Murray “The Transportation & Solid Waste Manager, MrGuest, requested that letters be sent to Messrs. C.Wemp (Sr. Ferry Engineer) and Ralph Turscott (RoadsDept.) on their recent retirements.” Garry Hitchins hasbeen appointed senior ferry engineer.***

Patrick Beyer, Recreation Director, reported thatthe profit of $2374.01 from the New Year’s Eve Dancehas increased the Neilson Store fund to $6035.09.***

Report from Murray Beckel, Township Planner, toDiane Pearce, CAO, and David Thompson, TownshipEngineer: “To ensure that new lot creation does not outstripferry capacity, it is the writer’s opinion that a ferryassessment be considered in the near future (within oneyear). The Engineering Department could assesscurrent capacity conditions. Based on a vacant lotinventory and potential lot creation, the PlanningDepartment could then predict growth over a 10-yearand 20-year scenario, utilizing low, medium and highgrowth projections taking into account differentdemographic profiles. Your department could then usethese figures to ascertain future capacity. “Depending on the results of such a capacity study,recommendations could then be drawn ranging fromtaking no action, i.e. continue to allow lot creation, toplacing a full moratorium on new lot creation. “Whileit is understood this exercise is controversial, the writerbelieves it is necessary to protect the future prosperityof the Island.” Comments from David Thompson:“Observations made during the last years of operationof the M.V Amherst Islander indicate that ferry traffichas the ability to adapt somewhat to capacityconstraints. By completing a ferry assessment asoutlined above by the Township Planner, Council willbe in a better position to 1) impose planning guidelinesfor development on Amherst Island, and 2) have theinformation available to support the need for endloading docks.” This recommendation was approved byCouncil.***

David Thompson recommends that design work becompleted on ferry dock maintenance requirements.The design work will cost about $6000 and, at present,the construction costs are estimated to be $60,000. Themoney would come out of the $225,000 fund that wasset up when Loyalist took over the docks from thefederal government. Council approved thisrecommendation.

***

Council remuneration for 2001: reeve, $22,200; deputy reeve, $13,700;

{Page 5}

councillors, $12,000 each. Committee of Adjustment remuneration, $2520. There is no remuneration for the Recreation, Heritage,or Cemeteries Committees. There is no remunerationfor the Conservation Authority***

“Councillor Ashley requested that Reeve McEwen, theGAO and the Director of Engineering Services attemptto rescue some artifacts from the M. V AmherstIslander as it is up for sale. He suggested specific items(the ship*s wheel and the brass speaking tube) might behistorical items for placement in a museum.***

Materials banned from disposal at the Amherst IslandLandfill Site:1) “New and used construction materials”. [The ratefor clean dimensional lumber is $35 per pick-up load.Or you can bring it to Topsy Farms for free.] 2) “Drywall and other gypsum products”. 3) “Vinyl siding and vinyl products”. 4) “Asphalt and asphalt type products”. 5) “Bricks, concrete blocks” and so on. 6) “Manufactured wood products (chipboard, etc.)”. 7) “Logs & stumps”. 8) “Hazardous waste as defined by the Township’sHousehold Hazardous Waste service provider and toinclude:” virtually every manufactured product one canthink of that isn’t covered in the other 13 categories. 9) “Medical and dental clinic waste”.10) “Lawn and garden waste”. [The rate for yardwaste is $5 per half ton or trailer.]11) “Dead animals”. 12) “Septic tank wastes”. 13) “Earth and/or rock fill, except when authorized bythe Director of Engineering Services”. The township’scurrent recycling service provider is the City ofKingston Recycling Centre.*****

AIMS- Peter Trueman The Amherst Island Men’s Society broadened thescope of its Farmer’s Market proposal at the AIMS

monthly meeting on February 9 by agreeing that a fleamarket would be included. Brian Grace’s originalproposal was for Island vendors to sell plants of allkinds including small bushes and trees, vegetables,fruit, baked goods, jams, jellies and pickles etc, honey,and maple syrup. Orders could also be taken forchicken, lamb, and beef. At the February meeting,Brian reported supportive feedback, but very littlecommunication from people who actually want to growand sell produce. He reported that a great deal ofinterest had been expressed, however, in having a fleamarket. Some members were afraid that a flea marketwould cut into the Weasel and Easel’s business, butwhen it was suggested that there would be no directcompetition and that a thrivingflea market in the area might actually increase W& Esales, a consensus was reached. It was agreed thatAIMS’ Farmer’s Market / Flea Market should beopened on the May 24 weekend, that is Saturday, May25. There was little to report on the Roadside Tree-Planting proposal beyond a decision to approachcouncillors directly; and the Neilson Store project isawaiting the consultant’s recovery from a bout ofpneumonia. It was decided, however, for purposes ofincorporation, that its official name would be the“Neilson Store Museum and Cultural Centre”. Bill Harris reported on the two “Talking Peace”sessions which followed the tragedy of Sept. 11. Heoutlined the steps to be considered if similarlecture/video presentations on a broader range ofsubjects were to be set up as a regular Island seriesunder the AIMS umbrella. Bill suggested we could joinexisting organizations, such as the Canadian Club, orProbus, or go it alone. It was generally agreed that thesuccess of an independent island series would to somedegree be dependent on having an appropriate videoelement. The purchase of video projection equipmentcould be expensive, and a Lecture Committee wasstruck to come up with specific suggestions. The Fitness Class is now up and running at VictoriaHall (one door east of the ferry office and the library)Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. Classmembers contribute $1 each towards the cost ofheating and participate at their own risk and their ownpace. A cross country ski machine, treadmill and threestationary bikes are available. The class would beinterested in borrowing small dumb bells, from 2 to 15lbs. An organizing committee was set up for the NewYear’s Dance, 2003, to be a regular AIMS fund-raising event. Neil Johnston, Hugh Jenney, BruceBurnett, Allan Glenn, Bruce Caughey and RalphWoods agreed to serve and to recruit women members.

Since the Senior Class at the school needs moneyfor a trip to Montreal and the Girl Guides are raisingfunds for a trip to England it was decided that the twogroups would be invited to cook breakfast for twoAIMS meetings in the spring. AIMS members wouldturn the usual $5 fee over to the two groups and wouldbe invited to contribute whatever additional funds theycould spare for these worthy causes. Jim Whitton reported that there is no prize foracademic excellence at the Amherst Island PublicSchool, and recommended that AIMS fill the void. Itwas agreed that AIMS would purchase a plaque for thesenior class, to be inscribed annually with the winner’sname. The plaque, to be accompanied by a $50 cashaward, is to be awarded for “notable academicachievements”, at the discretion of the teachers, andnot necessarily for the highest marks. Keith Millersuggested that the members take up a collection forJohn Munro’s recent Walk for Kids visitor and $78was raised. Ralph Woods reported that the TransportationCommittee, whose function is to drive those withoutcars, particularly the

{Page 6}

elderly, to medical appointments etc, had no request toreport this month. Allan Glenn, who heads the ManualLabour Committee, reported two requests for treetrimming and other house and yard improvements.Peter Trueman reported that the Care/Companycommittee, which relieves caregivers and visits thehousebound, had had one request. There is no chargefor any of these community services. The highlight of the monthly meeting is when twoAIMS members tell those assembled something of theirlives and what brought them to, or kept them on,Amherst Island. The first speaker on February 9 was Allen Caugheywho lives in the village with his wife Bonnie across theroad from the ferry office. Allen borrowed a retortfrom an Island character named Eric Morris, whowhen asked by some city visitor whether he’d lived allhis life on the island replied: “Nope, not yet”. He toldthe group something of the Island history of theCaughey family and what it was like to grow up here.Allen started out in School # 5, on the 3rd concessionwhere Paul Glenn’s house is now. His seat-mate wasthe late Lloyd Strain, who became a captain of theAmherst Islander, and they moved to the newconsolidated school in the village when it opened justafter World War II. Allen had always been interestedin cattle and horses, and he got a license to drive racehorses in 1965. He must have known his business

because the Ontario Racing Commission eventuallyhired him as a judge and he held the job for 20 years.Today he raises Limousin cattle here on the Island. Herecalled what the seasons meant to an Islander when hewas growing up. In the spring, the Caugheys movedback from their village home to the home farm on the3rd concession. Horse-racing and cheese-making beganon the 24th of May, and when it was time for haying,Allen ran a dump rake, making windrows across thefield. He remembers the monstrous meals the men wereserved at thrashing time, and the parties the youngpeople had on the then public beach on Amherst Bay.The last fall Fair took place in 1944, he recalled, andthe annual Christmas concert by the school childrenwas a major event. They played hockey all day long onthe harbour ice behind the cheese factory, and thefarmers came into town in horse-drawn sleds, so there was no shortage of “pucks” forroad hockey. Life on the Island sounded pretty good. The second speaker was Brian Grace, who grew upin wartime Scotland where he had one egg every sixweeks. He wasn’t introduced to bananas until the warwas over. After six years of medical school in theU.K., he interned at Glasgow Infirmary. The onlyalternative to two years of national service in theBritish Army, was a three-year short servicecommission in one of the commonwealth countries, soBrian joined the RCAF. When his three year term wasup, they offered him a promotion and a pay increase tostay in. Brian was posted to France, where he bought aJaguar and developed a taste for French red wine. Thenext time he decided to leave the service, he wasoffered a 4 or 5 year surgery course at McGill. Postedto Germany after graduating, he found life “a little thinon girls”. There had been no winners in a local beautycontest for five years running, he claimed, so whenJanet Apps, a sometime resident of Amherst Island,showed up, touring Europe, Brian fell hard. They hadtheir first son in Germany. Brian was posted back toCanada, and after a stint in Kingston, was made chiefof surgery at the military hospital in Ottawa, where hehad a variety of prominent patients. Once he operatedon Aline Chretien, the current prime minister’s wife,and on another occasion had to operate on the thenGovernor-General for an unspecified malady whichrequired the removal of various “bits and pieces” torelieve a pain in His Excellency’s belly. After he leftthe air force, he spent six years as a chief surgeon inSaudi Arabia, and another four years in a similar postacross the world in Saipan. How did he come to be atFarnham? His late father-in-law, Syl Apps, boughtFamham as a birthday surprise for his wife Molly, andwhen she died, Brian’s wife Janet inherited the place.“They say that a boat is a hole in the water into which

you pour money”, Brian concluded, “and an old houseis just the same.” Both speakers left lasting impressions. The nextmeeting will be held in St Paul’s Church Hall at 8a.m., March 9. All Island men are welcome. Breakfastis $5.00. The annual membership fee is $20.00.*****

from Farmers Leaving the Field- Geoff Bowlby of Statistics Canada Farm employment as a main job declined to313,000 in 2001. [This is a decline of 26% from the1998 figure of 425,000.] While farm employment hasfallen, output has not. In fact, the number of hectaresplanted with major crops has never been higher.Poultry, beef and milk production has increased inrecent years. Only cattle and pig inventories havedecreased since 1998. Farmers, in general, have notseen an increase in profits since 1996. Operatingexpenses have risen to all-time highs, offsetting themodest gains in cash receipts. As a result, net farmincome was $2.6 billion in 2000 ... only a fraction ofthe $11.1 billion high set in 1975 (factored forinflation). As a group, farmers are relatively old, witha large proportion approaching retirement.*****

{Page 7}

50 Year Awards- Ian Murray Grace Eves and Keith Miller have been registeredmilk producers for 50 years. They recently receivedcongratulatory plaques from MP Larry McCormick,MPP Leona Dombroski, and the Dairy Farmers ofOntario. Grace and her husband James milked by hand untilmoving near Stella in 1956. Until 1950, when theybought a milking machine, the Millers also milked their12 cows by hand. They shipped to the Stella cheesefactory when it was open: April 1 to the start of deerhunting. Milk produced when the cheese factory wasclosed was shipped to the Kingston Creamery. EdgarMcCaugherty, who was born where Carmen Hewittnow lives, drove around the Island once a week pickingup cans of cream. Keith remembers that they sent theircream in orange cans and the payment came in littlebrown envelopes - $3 or $3.50 for a can. In the 1960sthe cheese factory stayed open longer and after 1967 or‘68, it was open all winter. It was in the early 1970sthat farmers had to decide whether to upgrade theirdairy operations to meet increased standards - bulktanks, silos, manure handling systems, and so on - orstop milking. Eves and Millers and a few other farmers

decided to make the investment and keep milking;many of their neighbours either got into beef cattle orquit farming. There were, Keith says, 96 milkproducers on Amherst Island in 1948. Today there are4. Keith said, with some pride, that Ontario has thehighest milk quality standards in the world.*****

A Phone Call, a Ferry Trip, a Car Ride-Zander of Dunn Inn In last months issue of The Beacon, Nance referredto Feb 4, 1964, the day our second son, Kirk was born.Let me share with you that story - an important part ofour family history. During the last two weeks of herpregnancy Nance used to stay overnight in Kingston atthe home of our friends, the Rev. Garry and AnneMorton, because the ferry stopped running at 6 p.m. inthose days. Every morning about 8:30 a.m. shereturned to the island to look after us. On the morning of February 4, about 6:30 a.m., myaunt, Jean Robinson, (there to look after one and a halfyear old Scott), and I were awakened by a loudknocking. I like to say, when I tell this story, that Iused to be like Marilyn Monroe - the only thing I hadon when I went to bed was the radio. I couldn’t find myhousecoat so I wrapped a blanket around myself andran to throw open the door. There stood Gen Fleming.She had heard our ring on the old party line. Whennobody had answered she had picked up the phone,figuring it was probably Nance trying to reach me.Nance told her she could not awaken me to tell me herlabour had begun. Garry Morton was about to driveher to the hospital. (Poor Garry was invited toaccompany Nance into the labour room and shockedthe nurses when he declined, protesting he was neitherher husband nor the father of the expected baby.)Nance feared she would give birth to the baby withoutme. Gen urged me to hurry to the ferry. I quicklydressed and caught the 8 a.m. ferry. That was the lastcrossing the ferry made that season. It got stuck in theice on the return trip. I got to the hospital in time for Kirk’s birth and thenannounced the blessed event at St. Andrew’sPresbyterian Church in Kingston where the Presbyteryof Kingston was meeting that day. A generous ladyfrom Gananoque was there and left the meeting topurchase a gift for the baby for me to present toNance. Nance was thrilled and we always rememberthat kindness as worthy of an Islander. Four days laterNance and the baby were ready to come home to theSt. Paul’s Presbyterian Church manse.

Especially for us Les Glenn got his ice car allrigged up and made the first crossing of 1964 to the

mainland. When we got to the ferry dock, there wasLes and his topless, doorless car waiting for us. Nancegot into the front seat with the baby on her lap and Isat beside her. I calmed Nance by telling her we hadnothing to fear because if the car went through the icewe could simply jump out the door. Les drove fast tobeat any cracks in the ice and carefully followed thefresh Christmas tree road. We arrived home in recordtime. That’s how Kirk became the youngest personever to make a crossing by car on the first trip of thefirst day of the ice driving season. He says he doesn’tremember any of that excitement. His mother and I willnever forget it.*****

{Page 8}

Dog? Fox? - Yes it’s a Silver Fox! - Bonnie Livingstone It was with great interest that I read Ian Murray’sstory in the February edition of the Amherst IslandBeacon about his encounter with - a dog or a fox orwhatever? I, too, had seen this animal on the southshore early one morning in mid-January. It was about7:30 am, on a bright sunny day and, as I was waitingfor the coffee to finish brewing, I looked out thewindow to see something special. I wondered (as Iandid) was it a dog? But I, too, hesitated and was led tothe conclusion that it was something quite different. Ithad the look of a fox, especially with the black bushytail with the white tip and the sharp, triangular ears. Italso had the gait of a fox as I watched it trot across thefield towards Mrs. Blenkinsop’s place. After climbingup the stairs to the loft to watch it trot away (why did Inot think of getting my camera out for a photo?), Iwent to our shelf of reference books about nature. The following information comes from Mammals ofthe Canadian Wild, a book researched and written byAdrian Forsyth, who lives in the Rideau Lakes District(published by Camden House Publishing Ltd., 1985).Here’s what I found out: “Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)Description: long silky fur; 3 distinct colour phases -red fox: face, top of head and nape are yellow to rustyred; back is yellowish red or fulvous; lips, chest,abdomen, inside of ears and top of tail are creamywhite; back of ears and anterior portions of legs areblack; - cross fox: grayish brown, long black guardhairs form a cross from shoulder to shoulder; -SILVER FOX: totally black except for white tip on tailand a variable amount of frosting; also a black phase,which is black all over.” The fox’s habitat ranges from tundra and borealforest all the way to prairie. However, they are rarelyfound deep in mature forests, preferring to roam the

open country and to live at the edge of forests. Exceptduring the reproductive season, foxes are solitary andhunt alone. They stay very definitely in one homerange, marking the boundaries with scent and urine.The diet of the fox is limited only by what it can findor catch. Scientists, prodded by hunters’ suspicions offox depredations on game birds and small animals,have learned a great deal about the fox’s diet. Theyhave discovered, for instance, that most foxes areomnivorous: when wild grapes, blueberries, cherriesand other small fruits are in season, they may eatnothing but fruit; at other times, they feed primarily onsmall mammals up to the size of cottontails andgroundhogs. At all times, the diet is supplemented withinsects, frogs, snakes, birds and bird eggs. They alsoscavenge the carcasses of large animals that theywould be unable to kill themselves. I have not beenable to discover how often the silver fox colour phasecan be found in nature, in comparison to the well-known red fox colour phase. But for me, it was anexciting discovery and I hope that fellow Islanders getthe opportunity to see this interesting animal.***

I saw the black fox last winter at the corner of the2nd concession and the Stella 40 foot. It was “eatingbreakfast” along the fence line and we stopped (in thebus) to look at him. He barely gave us a glance andkept on eating, then trotted off across the helipad. Ibelieve it was also seen along the shore by the ferrydock about the same time. Would love to see him/heragain! - Lyn***

Eleanor mentioned that you were asking aboutsightings of a dark animal with white-tipped tail. I hadtwo such sightings about a month and a half ago, of ananimal which was definitely a fox, a very healthy foxat that. After the first sighting, I assumed that what Ihad seen was one of the strain of escaped (or turnedloose) silver foxes which have been in the wilds sincethe bottom fell out of the market for pelts. But Ichecked a wild life book and discovered that it musthave been a red fox. No other fox in North Americahas a white-tipped tail. What I had seen, the bookindicated, was a black phase red fox. I say it washealthy because its pelt practically glowed. It was allblack except for some frosting or grizzling along itsflanks, and it was very close to our house (between thehouse and the lake) apparently hunting for rabbitswhich have been plentiful here post ice storm. I foundsigns of recent kills not far from the house, and therabbit population appears to have nose-dived. So Iimagine this creature is hunting somewhere else. Peter

*****

Walk of Hope- John Munro On January 12th, 59 year old Canadian grandfatherNorman Ball brought his Walk of Hope to the AmherstIsland Community Centre. Mr. Ball is walking 14,000kilometres around North America to raise awarenessand funds for children at extreme risk in Canada, theUnited States and around the world. Ball who hadwalked 8,125 km when he arrived on the Island,addressed a small group of Islanders and shared withthem the reason he has undertaken this

{Page 9}

epic journey. Through the Walk of Hope he is fightingfor the lives of children who are living and dying on thestreets, in the sewers and in garbage dumps in manycities around the globe. Mr. Ball is confident that hecan rescue 10-15,000 children through his efforts. It isthe goal of the Walk of Hope Canada Foundation toraise 15 million dollars for the world’s most desperatechildren. For more information please refer to the Walkof Hope Web Site at www.walkofhope.org. Donationscan be made payable to Walk of Hope CanadaFoundation and mailed care of John Munro RR #1Stella K0H 2S0.*****

Why English Is Such a Joy to Learn- from Ontario Farmer, January 29, 20021) The bandage was wound around the wound. 2) The farm was used to produce produce. 3) The dump was so full that it had refuse more refuse.4) We must polish the Polish furniture. 5) He could lead if he could get the lead out. 6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in thedesert.7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought itwas time to present the present. 8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum. 9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. 10) I did not object to the object. 11) They were too close to the door to close it. 12) The buck does funny things when the does arepresent. 13) To help with the planting, the farmer taught hissow to sow.*****

Olympic Note- Ian Murray & Tom Richmond Jayna Hefford who scored the winning goal for the

Canadian Women’s Hockey team has an AmherstIsland connection. Her father Larry is a nephew ofEmily Corke Wemp Tugwell. He grew up on theformer Vince Aitken farm and went to school on theIsland. Jayna is a great niece of Emily’s, a first cousinonce removed of Ted and Ray Wemp, and a 2nd cousinof Dave Willard. Emily said that as the final period ofthe gold medal game progressed she rocked faster andfaster. A Kingston niece of Janet (nee Apps) Grace wasalso on the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team thisyear, but unfortunately was the last one cut before theywent to Salt Lake. Fortunately she is only 19, so shewill have a long career in Hockey ahead of her - maybewe’ll see an Apps in the next Olympics!*****

Pet Peeve #6- Ian Murray The first office boss I had pointed out that writingdates, 11/12/68, is ambiguous. He said that theAmericans tend to put the month first and then the dayand the English do it the other way - or perhaps it wasthe other way around - and Canadians do it both ways.It is frustrating when one is trying to sort out VISAbills and there are 11/12/99 and 12/11/99 from 2different Kingston gas stations. Its not a big annoyancebut its at least a peeve. From an invoice that just camein:invoice date, 03/02/02; payment due 02/03/09. I’mpretty sure that the payment is due March 9, 2002, butI had to think about it a bit. It is now possible, thanksto the new century, to write the dates in 3 differentways. My boss advised/ordered that dates should notbe ambiguous. Writing Mr 9/02 is quickly done andnot ambiguous. (The layout guy advises that themilitary method of writing it as 09MAR02 is alsogood, as the year is always last anyway... unless youare filling out forms from the Ministry of Health, thatis!)

*****

Letter Home- Christopher Kennedy Here we are at the end of February and the lake isstill open. A couple of weeks ago it did skim over on acold night, but warmer weather and a wind the nextday took out the ice. I was starling to relax, until an oldtimer told me he could remember one year when itdidn’t freeze until March 4th, and still made a lot ofice. I was hoping that our local coyote populationmight not get rejuvenated this winter. The weather hasmade for an easy winter for the sheep, with mud being

more of a problem than cold and snow. Although sheepcan withstand bitter cold I’m sure they appreciatemilder weather. Some of these mornings have been somild I have been expecting to see the Kildeer arrivesoon. Yesterday morning we did see RedwingedBlackbirds at the feeder, along with the usual BlueJays and the two Cardinals that have been around allwinter. The deer must have had an easy time of it thiswinter as well. There seem to be no shortage out in thefields grazing. I haven’t seen too many voles aroundrecently. With any luck the winter will have cut themback a bit, after the swarms we had last summer.There is no shortage of geese around, and they areback in the pasture in front of the house, keeping itmowed to about one millimetre. At the end of Marchwe start to get ready for the busy season. The shearersare due here, to clip the mature ewes, so that will betwo busy days. The ewes will be back in the barnyardby then, and the barns empty of hay, so if we get aspell of bad weather they have plenty of

{Page 10}

shelter. The yearlings don’t get done until the end ofApril, when the weather should be warmer. Meanwhileit has decided to snow today, just to remind us winterisn’t over yet.*****

Thank You Notes The family of Eldon Willard wishes to express outheartfelt thanks to relatives, neighbours and friends forthe many expressions of sympathy shown to us duringthe loss of a dear husband, father, and grandfather. Forthe many acts of kindness, phone calls, visits, messagesof sympathy, food, floral arrangements, cards anddonations. Special thanks to Rev. Andrew Chisholmfor his many visits both at home and in hospital, andfor the beautiful funeral service conducted by Andrewand Dr. Harley Smythe with so much thought anddignity; to Harold Redekopp for his reading from 2ndCorinthians, and to Beth Forester and Choir for thebeautiful music and anthem. To the ladies of St.Alban’s A.C.W. for the wonderful lunch served afterthe funeral and to St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church forthe use of their facilities, our deepest appreciation. Oursincere thanks to Paul Payne Funeral Home for thewarmth and professional care; also to the pallbearers,Everette Kerr, Michael Reid, Jim Reid, Carry Hitchinsand grandsons Ryan and Brent McGinn. Theoverwhelming love and kindness shown to us by such acaring community we sincerely appreciated. Elsie; Janice & Eric, Ryan, Brent and Ashley;Doug and Gail.

***

Thank you to everybody who supplied meals, otherfood, spring flowers, shared experiences, support andprayers after my operation. What a wonderfulcommunity. Thanks. Joyce Haines*****

Notice I write this notice with a heavy heart, since it arisesout a number of thefts from Llew’s property on theSouth Shore and from my barn here on the Front Road.I have been forced to inform the police of these thefts,and to install a video monitoring system to deter thefts.These thefts are serious in nature, and represent adepletion of the value of Llew’s estate. This is a directoffence against me, John and Fae. Please be on noticethat that property is private property, and that is not tobe trespassed upon by anyone unaccompanied by eitherme or John. Anyone found on the property withoutpermission, or taking or in possession of stolen goodswill be charged. Caroline Yull*****

...from Born on the Island- L&A County Museum and Archives (Excerpts fromthe Napanee Beaver, April 1895-April 1897) March 20, 1896 The ice and roads are in the best condition theyhave been this winter and farmers are taking advantageof it in doing their milking and marketing. John Taylorhas given up farming. His sale will be held on the 19thinst. Horse races passed off successfully. A largecrowd attended them, S. Strawbridge, of Cressy, isvisiting friends here. Mrs. Robt. Patterson and familyare moving into our village. We are pleased to havethem as neighbours. Mrs. Preston and Mrs. Pattersonare improving. Win. McDonald got a bad fall on theice at the races. He is still confined to the house. Mrs.Reid had a large party last week. A wedding in Stellanext month.*****

Jan 02 Beacon First EditionThursday, April 16, 1970Sports: Amherst Island Athletic Club: Well, it’s that time again! Time when the “sports”turn to ball - whether it’s baseball, fastball, or justgood old-fashioned softball. A general meeting washeld on April 5, 1970 at the school and a new slate ofofficers was elected by the attending group. The newexecutive is as follows; Pres. Bruce Robinson; Sec.-

Treas. Allan Glenn; members at large; Earle Tugwell,Dave Kerr, and Paul McCormick. It is expected, andthe group at the meeting agreed, that we should invitetwo members from the ladies’ softball teams to becomepart of the club’s executive. This will give us a total ofseven members on the executive. On Sunday, May 11the girls held a short meeting with Valerie Filson andAnne McCormick being designated as representatives.By the way, it was a little disappointing to have a smallrepresentation such as we had at the meeting -so comeon gang! At the next meeting let’s see a real good turn-out. You will be notified of the date of the meeting ingood time. Some of the main topics of discussion at theannual meeting were I. that steps should be taken toimprove the infield of the diamond. Your executiveshould have the answer to this at their next meeting. II.also the question of the back-stop was brought to light.Glenn Shell will have the answer to this one veryshortly. III. The subject of a home-run fence wasdiscussed and developments are promising. IV. Auniform sized ball will be used this year. The executive will meet at the school at 1:00 p.m.on Sunday April 19. At this meeting they will makearrangements to call all the players of last season todetermine if they are going to play this season again.The executive will set a date for an open meeting of allmembers, to be held as soon as convenient after April19. It seems that a meeting would be in order sometimeafter the schedule has begun. This would give theplayers an opportunity to air any problems ordifficulties. When problems are brought out and asolution arrived at, it makes for good relations allaround and better game results. It appears that we are off to a good season. We hada lot of

{Page 11}

fun last season and this speaks well for last year’scommittee. If everyone gets out and does their share,we feel sure that we will have another good season. Socome on out, all you ball fans. Pick your favouriteteams and support them. It all helps to give the teamsthe “lift” to make good competition and we know youwill enjoy the games! ...Bruce Robinson.

Stella Hockey Team: The Island hockey teamstarted off the season on October 31. (with a loss) Theteam progressed through the season, gainingconfidence and ability, and towards the end of theseason they were strong contenders, even though theyonly won three games. The rewarding part about thewhole season for me, in my position as a coach, was

the whole-hearted co-operation from the boys, theirwillingness to learn and try and their dauntless effort.It was gratifying to have so many of our local peopleturn out to support the games against the followingteams: Holly, Jackson’s Plumbing, Selby, Reserve andPringle’s. ...James Neilson.

Many acquaintances of Syl Apps Jr. were pleasedto hear Emile Francis, coach of the New York Rangersspeak well of him in a television interview. Syl hasacquitted himself well as a centre for Omaha of theCHL and many hope to see him find a berth on anNHL club soon. Good luck, Syl!***

Out Our Way: Our sympathy and good wishes go out to Mrs. A.Gibson Jr. who is very ill in K.G.H. in Kingston. Thewelcome mat is out to Mr. & Mrs. Ian Murray. Theyrecently moved into the Presbyterian manse, and I amsure Randi will find it more enjoyable teaching withless commuting time involved. [Ian: The first time Imet Keith Miller was when he came over to make surethe furnace was working in the manse. He said that hetoo had worked in Toronto for awhile. He said the mostamazing thing: “There’s nothing to do in Toronto.”And I, a farm boy unhappy in the city, knew just whathe meant. On a farm there is always lots of meaningfulthings to do; in the city what there is to do is costlyand/or not worth doing.]*****

Someone recently asked New York City MayorRudy Giuliani whether the events of September 11thmeant that we are living in a changed world. Heanswered, “We’re not in a different world. It’s thesame world as before, except now we understand itbetter.”*****

{Page 12}

Women’s Recreational Volleyball Monday Nights, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the CommunityCentre starting Monday, January 28, 2002. Come outand join the for fun and fitness. Encourage a friend tocome along. Teams change each week, so you are notobligated to attend ever week. For more information,call Susie @ 389-2012. Sponsored by Amherst IslandRecreation Association (AIRA)***

Painting Lessons

Pay as you paint lessons.Phone Shirley Miller at 389-2588.***

EuchreFriday night Euchres will be starting soon. Watch forthe household mailer announcing the dates and times.A.I.R.A***

Emerald Social & Athletic Club Info Wanted I’m interested in learning about this club for a futureBeacon article. Sally Bowen at 634-3841.***

For Sale: Hydropool Spawith seating for five people, ‘tealmarble’ colour. Thisunit is in excellent condition and comes with:- Underwater light- Ozonator- Floating and hard cover plus many other extras. The spa is currently installed and comes complete withcedar side panels and steps for easy entry into the pool.Asking $2,500.00 To arrange a viewing, please call:Peter Large or Margaret Maloney, Amherst Island613-384-7925***

The Online Amherst Island Beacon is readable withAdobe Acrobat 5.0 Reader, which is available Free OfCharge at the website: http://www.adobe.comIf you have an earlier version of the free Acrobatreader (such as 2.1, 3.0 or 4.0), you will not be able toread the newer PDF file type that the Beacon has beenformatted in. So join the twenty-first century and getyour free 5.0 reader now!***

Cottage for Rent 3 bedrooms on North Shore Good swimming, very private. Call 634-1212.***

Picnic Tables & Weather Vanes for SaleKeith Miller 389-2588***

Baby Sitter Available-After school and weekends- Responsible- Red Cross Babysitting CertificateCall Whitney Fleming at 389-9869***

BabysittingTorri PhillipsRed Cross Certified BabysitterAvailable early evenings and weekends389-0512***


Sheep Products from Topsy FarmsBlankets, Wraps, Yarn, Skins, Hats, Slippers &Insoles. Lambskins, $70-$80 Sheepskins, $100.Phone 389-3444 for an appointment or visit theBath Village Gallery www.topsyfarrns.com***



Phone Book UpdatePlease contact Jackie Sylvester at 389-1320 to add newnames & / or numbers to the Al Phone Book*****

{Amherst Island Beacon: April 2002 - Volume 4 Issue 290}

{Page 1}

Amherst Island BeaconIssue 290www.amherstisland.on.ca April 2002



SubscriptionsLeslie GavlasGeneral DeliveryStella, Ont K0H 2S0(613) 384-2807

Production Headlands Co-op 14775 Front Rd Stella, Ont K0H 2S0 Voice (613) 389-3802 fax (613) 389-3802 e-mail: [email protected] Tom Richmond [email protected]


CreditsWord Perfect Office 2000ArcSoft ImagingAdobe PageMaker 6.52Adobe PhotoShop 6.0Adobe Acrobat 5.0Family Tree Maker 9.0


This Issue- Ian Murray After proofing, the Beacon is e-mailed to TomRichmond who uses the desk-top publishing technologyto get the Beacon in shape to send to the printer. Hethen sends it back to me for a final look at beforeprinting. I got sloppy last month and didn’t catch some

scanning errors on the Willard family tree data. Ifanyone wants a copy of the original material, send mea self-addressed stamped envelope; or if you live on theIsland, I am willing to leave a copy for you at the store.And, as always, anyone wishing to add to or correctany of the family information is encouraged to contactme. Elsie Willard lent us 2 missing Grindstone issuesand we are still hoping to fill in the missing gaps. I hope that readers enjoy the older material that weare including in each issue. We are running about6500-8000 words plus photos and ads... One of ourgoals is to keep to a 12 page format whenever possible.(Note: to ease any confusion, new Beacon items are innormal type, and Historical items are in this simplerstyletype) Christopher’s letter home column is missing thismonth. Rather than writing home, he decided to gohome and visit his Mother and family in England.*****

Neighbourhood- Lyn Fleming Get Well wishes this month to the following people,who have been sick at home or in hospital: LillianMiller, Joyce Haines, Elaine Wolfreys and StanleyBurke. Continued good health wishes to Sally Bowen,Earl Tugwell, Greg Hudson, and Phil Silver. Alan and Cathy Glenn, Ralph and Beula Woodsand Chris Craig recently returned from a Carribeancruise; Amy Caughey was home from Scotland thispast month; Syke, Stephanie and I made a quick trip toFlorida over Spring Break, to visit family. BonnieMarshall, Sarah Pollock and Jessica Gavlas were allhome from assorted Universities for reading week.John Gavlas stopped on the Island for a couple of daysto visit family.

{Page 2}

Congratulations to Janet Scott on the arrival of herlatest grandchild. Bryce William weighed in at 8 lbs 3ozs. Proud first time parents are Janet’s daughterCathy and her husband Drew. The ACW held their annual Beef Dinner in Marchand if they didn’t set a record for attendance, it musthave been close! Word is out and there were manyfrom across the Bay as well as a good number ofIslanders attending. You know we live in a small community when.... aletter comes from B.C., addressed to Grandma and

13,300 cubic metres; average annual waste volume,280 cubic metres; anticipated life span, 29 years;estimated cost of closure, $90,000; and, estimated costof post closure monitoring, $4000 per year. It may bepossible that licencing can be obtained for another4800 cubic metres of waste; a further 7 years at thecurrent rate of disposal. Waste diversion programshave diverted a significant volume of waste andthereby extended the life of the site. There is noevidence that leachate has entered the groundwater.* From a memo from the Loyalist Planning Dept. tothe CAO regarding 2001 census data for the period1996-2001: population of Loyalist Twp increased by39 people, from 14,551 to 14,590; the number ofprivate dwellings increased from 4825 to 5394; and,the number of people per household dropped from 3.0to 2.7. The Township’s population grew by 0.3% from1996 to 2001. The population of Canada increasedfrom 28,846,761 in 1996 to 30,007,094 in 2001 -4.0%. Ontario’s population increased from 10,753,573to 11,410,046 - 6.1%. Kingston increased 1.6% whileBelleville lost 0.5%. [I am confident that the numbersare reasonably accurate but does anyone actuallybelieve that there were exactly 30,007,097 people inCanada at a certain hour of a certain day. If the countcame within several thousand, it would be remarkablewhen one considers those without a permanent home,illegal immigrants, and just plain forgetfulness.]*****

AIMS- Peter Trueman The Amherst Island Men’s Society (AIMS) held itsmonthly breakfast meeting March 9 at St. Paul’s

{Page 4}

United Church Hall. For the first time, breakfast wascatered by the senior class at Amherst Island PublicSchool as part of a fund-raising effort for a class tripto Montreal. At the conclusion of the meal, membersgave the visiting kitchen staff heartfelt applause. Brian Grace reported that the Amherst Island FleaMarket will open May 25. There hasn’t been verymuch feedback from prospective produce producers,but Brian is still hopeful that people with beddingplants, baking, maple syrup, pickles, baking etc., andlater fresh vegetables, will set up tables. Brian wouldappreciate hearing from anyone interested inparticipating. His number is 384-0912. Hugh Jenney reported that the Loyalist Council hasapproved the expenditure of $1,500 from the moneyraised for the Neilson Store restoration to pay theconsultant AIMS has hired, Andre Scheinman. The

consultant is drafting an application for a grant fromthe federal government’s Cultural spaces program toassist in renovating and setting up the Neilson StoreMuseum and Cultural Centre. Hugh also reported that AIMS is hoping theWomen’s Institute will see fit to stage a House andGarden tour of seven Island homes as a fund-raisingproject for the museum. Anna Hitchins, a member ofthe museum committee, is proposing the tour as a WIproject. An existing Cobourg tour charges $25 perticket, and it has been suggested that the Island versionmight end with a strawberry social at Farnham, thevillage home of Brian and Janet Grace. AIMSmembers agreed by consensus that Hugh Jenney wouldbe the President of the incorporated Neilson StoreMuseum and Cultural Centre being set up in order tobe eligible for government and other grants. PaulHenshaw is Treasurer, and Paul Lauret will serve asSecretary. Peter Trueman recommended the purchase of abook called “Where to Turn”, as a tool for the AIMSCare giver/Companion committee. The book, compiledby the Kingston District Community InformationCentre, contains contacts and telephone numbers for avariety of organizations specializing in everything fromAdoption, Adult Education, Alzhelmer Disease,Animal Welfare and Assaulted Women to Diabetes,Deafness and Impaired Hearing, Health Services,Home Support, Literacy, Physical Disabilities,Volunteerism and Workers Compensation. (Peter nowhas a copy of the book. If you have a question anddon’t know “Where to Turn”, feel free to call him at389-3548.) Islanders are reminded that AIMS hasthree committees designed to help the elderly andothers who need assistance, free of charge. There is amanual labour committee headed by Allan Glennwhich specializes in small repair jobs around thehouse, and yard work; a transportation committee,chaired by Ralph Woods, which transports thosewithout cars to doctors appointments and the like; anda care giver/companion committee, designed to relievecare-givers. The contact for that committee is PeterTrueman. Call one of the above or any other AIMSmember for more information. At each monthly meeting, two members of AIMSare asked to speak briefly about their lives and whatbrought them to, or kept them on, Amherst Island. Thismonth’s speakers were Ken Albertan and JohnSchutzbach. Ken began by noting that he is often asked aboutthe name of his family, which he suggested with asmile lent its name to a western Canadian province. Hesaid his father came to Canada from the Ukraine as aboy of 10 or 11. Ken grew up in a little town just

outside New Westminister, B.C. He decided he wantedto be a policeman and applied to the RCMP. Accepted,he trained at Regina and Penhold (near Red Deer),Alberta. His first posting was to Morris, Manitoba, and hewas later sent to Portage-la-Prairie. While there, Kenwas chosen to take a course on drug enforcement, andspent 9 months undercover. When the drug unit wasdisbanded, he applied for a riding course and laterbecame part of the Mounties’ famous Musical Ride,and toured Europe. He met his wife-to-be, Ann, at anOttawa embassy party. She was doing post graduatework in Saskatchewan at the time, and after they’dknown each other 10 days, they got married. That wasa Saturday. On Tuesday the RCMP posted him toBrandon, Manitoba. Ken had begun to realize fairlysoon after joining the force, that he wasn’t suited to bea career cop, so eventually he put the red coat inmothballs. Ken kept a sailboat on Big Rideau Lake,and during 1978 or 1979, after coming down throughthe Rideau system, stopped off at the Amherst Islanddock. He remembers thinking then that the Islandwould be a nice place to live. After a southern cruise in1980, Ken and Ann found themselves back at AmherstIsland. They spent a week or so wandering around thevillage, and on the way to Ottawa decided thatKingston would be a better place to live. They stayedin Kingston during the winter, and bought a cottage onDoug Martin’s property, in which they spent twosummers. Then they bought their current property onthe Front Road, and now they’ve had 13 winters here.Both children were born and raised in this area, and thefellowship and friendship the Albertans have found onthe Island have made it home. The second speaker, John Schutzbach, said he’drealized that he must be one of the luckiest

{Page 5}

persons in the world -- lucky to live on an Island, luckyto have “

my skates - repaired by the engineer, Stirling Glenn,(Les Glenn’s brother) who stayed on the ferry duringthe winter. I skated back, but this time against thewind. I cursed the same wind I had blessed on the wayover. It took me much longer to get to Stella than it hadtaken me to get to Millhaven! I often walked across the ice too - sometimesbecause I wanted to; sometimes because I had to. Onenight I left Millhaven in our old ‘52 Ford only to runinto rough ice which caused the motor to go off itsmounts and ram into the rad. Steam and watereverywhere told me the old car would go no more thatnight. I was so steamed up I figured I’d let the car godown when the ice broke up. But Art Drumgoole (themail carrier) knew better. The next day he hitched upthat old car to his horse and sled and dragged it home.Somehow we got it up to Clinton Kilpatrick whoperformed auto surgery and restored the car to workingorder. One Sunday in the Spring, I walked over the iceearly to take the 9:30 a.m. service in Amherstview. By11 a.m. I was ready to walk home. But the ice wasthree feet from the shore! I ran and jumped onto theice. I was almost half way across to the Island when Isaw the ice had cracked leaving about fifteen feet ofopen water between where I was standing and the otherside. I didn’t want to walk back so I looked for anarrower separation. I didn’t find one but I did find a“raft” of ice floating between the two sides. I threw mybriefcase over to the other side, ran onto the raft, andjumped off safely onto the other side. Buoyed up bythat success I plodded toward the Island. I got todaydreaming. When I was almost at the Stella dock Iwent under water! I had forgotten the farmers cut ahole in the ice for the cattle. When I came up I wascovered in cattle dung and must have weighed 400pounds dripping wet. It was the longest and heaviest walk of my life fromthe dock to St. Paul’s manse. I didn’t catch a cold butthe dry cleaning bill for my overcoat, suit and gownwas astronomical! At the time I couldn’t tell anybodyabout my adventure. My wife was away and anyIslander I told would have considered me crazy fordoing such a foolish thing - and would have probablyscolded me, too.*****

Farming, Fishing & Roofing- Ian Murray Raymond Wemp told me that the nets went in thewater for the first time this year on March 27. Theyare fishing for yellow perch. Most of the Island beef farmers have cows calving

at this time of year. Many of the Island sheep havebeen shorn - by the end of April they should all bedone. Its perhaps a bit early, but the Island farmers arealready concerned about lack of moisture in theground. When one gets below the surface mud wherethe frost is coming out, the ground is fairly dry.Perhaps we’ll get some nice warm rains in the next fewweeks to give the plants some moisture to grow on, aswell as warming up the soil. The roofers are looking forward to less windyweather this spring. Eric McGinn says that AmherstRoofing has had a very good winter with lots of workwhen weather permitted. Projects included the Casinoin Gananoque and construction at Queen’s. RegHitchins of Covertite reported that things were a bitslow for them over the winter but they will be busyenough when the weather improves. The OntarioSuperBuild program is encouraging a lot of newconstruction projects so the Island roofers should bebusy for quite a while to come.*****

April Is Cancer Month There will be no door to door canvas but there hasbeen a mailing to all households. The W.I. encouragesyou to respond to that mailing as there is anidentification mark on the envelopes to indicate thearea of the donor and we will receive some credit.*****

{Page 7}

Readin*, Ritin*, and Rockin* Amherst Island Public School would like to inviteyou to this year’s Spring musical. On April 18th at7:00 p.m. at the school. Join us for this spoof of schoollife and enjoy the musical and acting talents of thestudents at A.I.P.S. There is no admission cost, but agift basket will be raffled off to raise funds for theSenior Class “end of year” trip to Montreal. So markApril 18th on your calendar and we hope to see youthere.*****

Thank You Notes Earle and Jean Tugwell wish to thank relatives,friends, and neighbours for their expressions ofsympathy in the loss of Earle’s brother Chester. Youhave all shared your strengths with us through manyacts of kindness, prayers, phone calls, visits, beautifulcards, floral arrangements, food, and donations to thecancer fund. Our thanks to Rev. Andrew Chisholm fordelivering a comforting and meaningful address. We

appreciate his visits to Rideaucrest. Chester enjoyedthese visits immensely and often prepared Biblicalquestions to discuss with Rev. Chisholm. A specialthanks to St. Alban’s A.C.W. for preparing, setting up,and unfortunately having to take down, their beautifullunch. Thanks to all who brought in the lovely food wefound when we finally reached home - it was reallyappreciated. We also thank Chester’s nieces, Betty Windsor andNorma Wing for ably and quietly carrying outChester’s requests and wishes, and being with himwhenever needed through the years. To all our niecesand nephews who, as always, gave us their attentions -doing what we now can’t do and taking us where weshould be. Thank you to the pallbearers, Donald Miller,George Windsor, Perry Windsor, and Robert Windsor. Earle and I have experienced the support andkindnesses of Amherst Island for many years. Thankyou and God bless, Earle and Jean Tugwell.*****

Old Time Gospel Musicby John Reid & the Eagle Band at St. Alban’s ChurchSunday April 28 at 7:30 pm*****

Ferry Service To those who haven’t already heard: the M. V.Frontenac II will be out of service between April15 & May 15. It will be replaced by the renovatedM. V. Quinte-Loyalist for this period. If you havequestions please direct them to Jim Guest, LoyalistTownship staff, at 389-7351 ext 117 or email“[email protected]”*****

From the Napanee ExpressMarch 2, 1937Amherst Island- The ice harvest has been completedand all the ice houses have been filled to capacity. TheYoung People’s Society of Trinity United Churchpresented their play “The Girl From Out Yonder” inVictoria Hall to a capacity audience. The parts wereexceptionally well taken. The cast and members of theY.P.S. were entertained at luncheon. Those taking partwere: Lulu Glenn, Edith Scott, Mary Scott, Ida Brown,Stuart Brown, William Glenn, Doug Glenn, HarrisFilson, Tom Cochrane, Norman Eves. During the briefintermission between the acts Rev. J. Whytecontributed several vocal numbers accompanied by hisguitar. Word was received here a few days ago of the

passing at Waldrous, Sask. of a former well-knownresident of Amherst island in the person of Mrs.Badgar formerly Annie Reid, after a lengthy illness.Mrs. George Brown of the Island and Mrs.

{Page 8}

Brown of Richmond, sister of the deceased, left sometime ago to be with her during her illness.... Royal Wemp suffered a painful accident a few daysago. While unloading hay in his barn the trip ropebroke, throwing him to the floor, injuring his neck andgiving him a severe shaking up. Dr. Burleigh attendedthe injured man. Clifford Reid, assistant teacher in theContinuation School is confined to his home at Odessawith mumps. During his absence Mrs. C. R.Hogeboom is teaching. Mrs. David Caughey hasreturned from Montreal, where she spent three weekswith her mother, who suffered a painful accident sometime ago.*****

from Born on the Island- L&A County Museum and ArchivesExcerpts from the Napanee Beaver... April 26, 1895

EMERALD. The measles have again broken out on theIsland, people in whole sections being sick with them.Many farmers of this locality have commencedspring’s work. They report the land very hard. The new Emerald dairy is about to be introduced tothe public in the form of a ball, which takes place in iton Wednesday evening next. The football practice iswell attended by the young men of the Head, and it isludicrous to watch the maneuvers of some of them asthey try to kick that “bouncy thing”. The discussion, etc., at the Emerald MutualImprovement Society rooms on Friday evening stillcontinue to be of great interest to both young and old,and the membership is steadily increasing.

STELLA. Mr. Editor, again my pencil finds a fewnotes for your columns or your waste basket, from ourpretty little town of the prettier name. We are in this particular locality, and in fact allover the Island, to a greater or less degree sufferingmuch affliction from sickness. The measles have beenpropagated to such an extent among the children thatschool No. 1 has been closed for a week. Mrs.Gormley is very ill and is under the doctor’s care. Mrs.Moutray is slowly recovering, while two of herchildren are confined with the measles. Mr. HughFilson is around again after his late illness. We have novery favorable reports from Mr. R. Filson, who is still

in the hospital at Kingston. Amherst Island is generallya healthy place, and it has been long since it wasvisited by so much sickness. The bay is clear of ice, the last of it disappeared onSaturday. The land is drying out fast and the roads arein very good condition. As navigation has opened onthe lakes, the sailors are leaving to resume theirsummer work. A scow from Kingston loaded oats fromNeilson’s storehouse on Saturday. The Hero wasexpected up on Saturday also, but she was detained.She will likely begin the regular trips this week. A party took a drive out in the country on Fridayevening last in a lumber wagon. They carried twoviolins along, but they left the dance at home. A veryenjoyable evening was spent at Mr. Wm. Fleming’s. The cheese factory at Stella will open on Tuesday,with Mr. Spowart as maker. The new factory atEmerald will be ready on Monday, April 29th, to beginoperations. The football team is practicing on the ridge at theHead. We hope the boys may win some trophies duringthe season. It was with deep regret we learned on Monday, the1st. inst., of the death of Miss Ann McCormick, ofOshawa, formerly of this place. She was 25 years ofage. Her death was caused by consumption. Thebereaved family have the sympathy of the entirecommunity. Mr. F. J. Tighe, of Trinity College, Port Hope,spent his holidays with parents here. Miss M.A. Gorman is ill with inflammatoryrheumatism. Miss Meta Moutray, Messrs. G. Chown and W.Neilson, of the Kingston Collegiate Institute, spenttheir holidays with their parents here. Captain H. Saunders left last week for Detroit toprepare his boat for the opening of navigation. Mr. Ed. Patterson, attending the Deseronto Highschool, is home for a few days. W.H. Moutray, Esq., will sail shortly for Ireland,where he intends spending a few months.

[Beacon Editor’s Note: It appears that there is a Stellareporter and an Emerald reporter. I have heard fromolder Islanders that in previous generations thatEmerald and Stella were separate communities. Iwonder what kind of football was being played then;likely a blend of rugger, soccer, and North Americanfootball. In the days before TV and radio, there wasclearly a lot more social interactions within acommunity. And, on the Island, a lot more people tointeract with.]*****

{Page 9}

from the first Issue of the Beacon,Thursday, April 16, 1970

Births: The Islanders welcome two new members to thecommunity. Steven Richard, infant son born recently toCapt. and Mrs. Earl Willard and Teressa, infantdaughter of Mr. & Mrs. John Burt. A new arrival atthe Vance home, George Peter, is interesting news tous as Mrs. Vance was a former teacher on the Island. Wedding Bells:Mr. Garry Hitchins was recently married at Stratford,Ontario to Miss Anne-Marie Rickarby, in St. JohnAnglican Church. Mr. Robert Gibson and Miss DebbieDaney, of Napanee will be married in Napanee, Sat.April 18. The Amherst Islander has started bringing tothe Island the usual large crowds of visitors on itsSunday trips. Now that the mainlanders know that thedanger of heavy ice interference is practically overmore and more of them will be coming to enjoy aSunday with friends and families....Marion S. Fleming.

Highschool Happenings: I am sure I speak for all thehighschool students when I say, we are glad to betraveling once again on the ferry. No more luggingsuitcases or being late for classes! I feel we owe a greatdeal of thanks to our principal, Mr. Froud for theinterest he has taken in our “case” and the kind mannerhe has shown in dealing with us. There is going to be a lot of new changes atN.D.S.S. next year. One, as most of you know, is thatMr. Froud is leaving and our new principal will be Mr.Thompson. The second change will be in the schoolsystem itself. Starting next fall there will be nofailures, and no names, just numbers. For the first fewweeks I expect there will be a lot of confusion. On April 4, one of our Island girls, Judy Bierma,placed 2nd on the uneven parallel bars in the Bay ofQuinte Gymnastics meet held at our school. LastSaturday she went to compete at COSSA, the CentralOntario division. The annual Variety Night is coming on May 1stand 2nd and the theme this year is “Space”. Be sure tobe there for good entertainment and to see the blast-offof “Starship N.D.S.S.”... Laurie Kilpatrick.***

Chalk Talk: (Public School Report) Hello Fellow Islanders: The staff of the PublicSchool would like to contribute this section to informyou of school happenings. We hope this will encourageyou to take an active interest in the education andevents concerning the students.

We (Miss Abrams and Mrs. Murray) are happy tohave joined the staff and to have made the island ourhome since we have found both a great boss andwonderful children to work with.

Where The Action Is: The Dew Drop Inn. Thiscombination library, study and display room was thebrainchild of Mr. Sheil. The following comment sumsup the way we all feel about the Dew Drop Inn: “TheDew Drop Inn is a beautiful room set off for specialpurposes only. It has new metal bookshelves, worktables that are hand-made, a science cupboard and lotsof other useful furniture. There are special projects andall in all it is a very extraordinary place. The childrenof the school are responsible for the room.” (DebbieGibson) Part of the school program is devoted to Red Cross.Red Cross has been progressing very well this year.David Fleming is the Senior room president. Theschool sent a large donation to the Red Cross. To raisemoney for it, we have had rummage sales, candy salesand others. In the near future we hope to have a carwash. (Kathy Wemp)[The Junior and Primary rooms have also contributedto the donations made.]

{Page 10}

Sports: The staff encourages active participation bystudents in competitive and skill sports in free time.Last fall, the House League was created for thispurpose. It is composed of the following teams:Team Name Team CaptainJaguars Peter McCormickTigers Larry McGinnPipers Darcy TimmsPirates David FlemingPhantoms Danny EmersonBombers Vincent EvesLions Andy McGinnSome of the captains comments:-Vincent Eves: “My team is very co-operative andworks hard for wins”.Larry McGinn: “My team is obedient and co-operativeand give me little trouble.”Darcy Timms: “Some of my team members are quitesmall but they all try.” David Fleming: “Even though they are sometimesunorderly they make a good team.” Keep up the good work, teams! The teachers andstudents anxiously await the installation of the newbackstop purchased by the board.

Coming Soon: On Monday, May 4, the staff will be

engaged in a Professional Development Day to discussthe education of your children. It will be a holiday forthe pupils.

Spring Time:Spring time is a very nice time. Flowers come out. Thesun comes out too. It does not snow like winter. Andthe leaves are nice and green. Then you can play gamesand sit in the sun too. In the spring the grass is verygreen. It is too nice a day to go in the house. (DebbieFleming)

Please note: Any suggestions for the use of this spaceby the students or parents would be readily consideredby us. Questions: What would you like to learnconcerning school activities?... Mrs. Murray & MissAbrams.***

Down The Lane This column will take us down the lane to the past,as a nostalgic reminder that we are making progress inour culture on the Island, though we sometimes getdiscouraged at our seeming out-of-date means ofwinter travel, and other commodities. Through the kindassistance of Mrs. Ernest Filson’s diaries, this columnwill continue to keep us in touch with yesterday. Mid-April, 1933: Mild, rainy day. Billy Cochranemoved into his own house today. The mail came byEmerald. Ice is still in at Stella. The ferry made its firstrun April 18. The Press Bros. launched R. Smith’s bigboat. Mid-April, 1939: Born to Mr. & Mrs. JimmyTaylor on the 19th, twin girls. The next day, Mrs.Secker and Margaret McKee came home from thehospital with new babies. Dr. Burleigh is sending themmedicine. Men are seeding on the Saunders’ place.Snow fell later in the day but didn’t stay on the ground.Potatoes planted at Mrs. Filson’s. The ferry has juststarted to run and ice is still in the bay. Men aredrawing hay to Moutrey Wemp’s. Mid-April, 1944: Mrs. Joseph Beaubien came homefrom kingston Hospital by boat to the head of theIsland. Mid-April, 1949: Ice still at village of Stella. Aparty was held in the hall on Easter Saturday night forthe Piet Witteveen family. Art Drumgoole is takingcream and passengers over by boat from Epstein’s, asice is moving. Men working in the fields.... Marj. Aitken.***

A (historical) Editorial The Island Beacon, in its initial edition, has

attempted to bring to the people of Amherst Island amedium of communication of which they can be proud.Current plans are set up so that the newspaper will bepublished every second Thursday and we haveendeavored to ensure that as many as possible willreceive a copy. It is our ambition that the “Beacon”will, in large measure, become an integral factor toAmherst Islanders and to this end, we have directed ourefforts. With this in mind, the “Beacon” will attempt tocommunicate to the people of Amherst Island the news,information, and developments which are pertinent toour municipality. Your suggestions, involvement, andencouragement are invited and welcomed for thesuccess of the “Island Beacon” G. F. Sheil.***

Your Questions Answered:1. How can I get a copy of the Beacon? A. Each of theretail outlets has been supplied with copies, and thefamilies sending students to the public school may havetheir copies picked up at the school. People on themainland might have a copy mailed to them by friendsor relatives.2. Who is writing the articles and how are they edited?A. In most cases the author’s name is shown and everyeffort has been made to ensure the reliability ofinformation through editing by Glenn Sheil and otherpersons to be named in future issues.3. Will articles appear which are covered in othernewspapers? A. No. However, there may be comments or interviewson the broader news

{Page 11}

fronts, but The Beacon will report that news which isimportant to us as Amherst Islanders, but wouldreceive little or no space in other papers.4. How do I put an article or announcement in thepaper? A. To do this you should contact the person reportingthat news or information. A list has been published foryour convenience and in any event you could contactMr. Sheil.5. Will space be available for advertisements?A. If no objections to such a column arise, I anticipatea demand for advertisements and would hope to makethis accommodation in the Beacon. 6. Do you find it necessary to schedule meetings for theorganization of the paper? A. As yet, no, and hopefullynot.7. How are you financing the operation? A. The Beacon is currently being published on a

voluntary basis and it is hoped this will remain so.However, a minimal price may be necessary to helpdefray operating expenditures that may arise.8. How do I lodge a complaint? A. Gently, very gently.9. What are your plans, as far as future issues areconcerned? A. We have long range plans. Also we do not wish tomake news but only to report it, to the best of ourabilities.10. Can people write to your paper with suggestions,stories, news, advertisements, etc?A. Yes. Please address your mail to The Beacon,Stella, Ontario....The Staff.

Burning Questions: (To be discussed in future issues)1. How do we stand with amalgamation as mentionedin the Whig-Standard?2. Is a pipeline for milk transportation a joke or is sucha thing possible?3. How seriously has pollution affected fishing in LakeOntario?***

Over The Line Fence:

Can you imagine what would have happened if aman and wife team of astronauts had gone to themoon? They’d have returned to earth, and as they wereclimbing out of their space capsule he’d have said,“Okay honey, let’s have those moon rocks youpacked”, and she’d have answered, “The Rocks? Ithought you packed them.”

Son.. “Dad, will you buy me an encyclopedia?”Dad.. “No, by George. I walked to school as a boy andit’s good enough for you.”

Dead Joke.. What has thirty-six legs and lives in the cellar?Answer.. The Boston Bruins.

Judge .“That will be $30.00 or thirty days!”Defendant.. (holding out hand) “I*ll take the $30.00.”

One Sunday morning a sign in front of a large churchproclaimed the service was entitled, “Liquor, TheEnemy of Man.” Across the street another church borea similar sign announcing the minister’s message“Love Thine Enemies.”*****

Amherst Island Girl Guides

On-The-Air... February 16, 2002 An international event that puts Guides, Pathfindersand other girl groups in contact around the world viaHam Radio. Here the Guides of Janet Scott and ValWolfrey’s group on the island, plus others from themainland, congregate to chat it up through the ether.They got to talk with other Guides in England andQuebec. All this while using a radio the size of a cigarbox and a 75 metre length of electric fence wire strungabout 5 metres off the ground (At the microphone inthis picture is host operator Tom Richmond, VE3IEY).Following this event on Saturday, the girls went on anovernight winter campout on the South Shore (cookinga turkey in a trash can), and then served a pancakebreakfast the next morning at the school for a fund-raiser. A very busy weekend to be sure!*****

{Page 12}

News from the General StoreWe’ve got some great movies in right now.Jay & Silent Bob Strike BackTraining Day - Denzel Washington & Ethan HawkeRat Race - Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, WhoopiGoldbergHeist - Gene Hackman, Danny DevitoHardball - Keanu ReevesCurse of the Jade Scorpion - Dan Akroyd, Helen HuntDon’t Say a Word - Michael DouglasThe Hunchback of Norte Dame 2Disney Cinderella 2Disney Balto 2.And for those of you with DVD players, we havestarted getting in some DVDs also.***

Women*s Recreational VolleyballMonday Nights, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the CommunityCentre, starting Monday, January 28, 2002. Come outand join for fun and fitness. Encourage a friend tocome along. Teams change each week, so you are notobligated to attend every week. For more information,call Susie @ 389-2012 Sponsored by Amherst IslandRecreation Association (AIRA).***

Painting LessonsPay as you paint lessons.Phone Shirley Miller at 389-2588.***

Euchre

Friday night Euchres will be starting soon. Watch forthe household mailer announcing the dates andtimes. A.I.R.A.***

Emerald Social & Athletic ClubInfo wanted... I’m interested in learning about this clubfor a future Beacon article. Sally Bowen at 634-3841.***

Cottage for Rent3 bedrooms on North Shore Good swimming, veryprivate. Call 634-1212.***

Two Cottages for RentNorth Shore July & August by the week Off season rentals can be by the week-end or shortstay.Phone Susie, 389-2012***

Picnic Tables & Weather Vanes for SaleKeith Miller 389-2588***


BabysittingTorri PhillipsRed Cross Certified BabysitterAvailable early evenings and weekends389-0512***

I am collecting used stamps - any kind for the guidedogs, clean used clothing and books for the “CatsMeow”. Used towels - cleaning products - A& P tapesand 12”x 12” knitted squares for the Napanee Animalshelter. Donations may be left in my front porch or callfor a pick-up. Freda Youell - 384-4135 . The animalsreally need our help.***

Sheep Products from Topsy FarmsBlankets, Wraps, Yarn, Skins, Hats, Slippers &Insoles. Lambskins, $60-$70 Sheepskins, $100.Phone 389-3444 for an appointment or visit the BathVillage Gallery www.topsyfarms.com

***

Summit International CanadaCarpet Manufacturer and DistributorGord Forbes, Sales Agent ...389-8516***

Thomas A. Richmond, Certified ElectricianHome, Farm & Commercial wiring and repairs, righthere on the island. 634-1855***

Phone Book UpdatePlease contact Jackie Sylvester at 389-1320 to add newnames & or numbers to the Al Phone Book***

The Online Amherst Island Beaconis readable with Adobe Acrobat 5.0 Reader, which isavailable Free of Charge at the website:http://www.adobe.com If you have an earlier version ofthe free Acrobat reader (such as 2.1, 3.0 or 4.0), youwill not be able to read the newer PDF file type that theBeacon has been formatted in. So join the twenty-firstcentury and get your free 5.0 reader now!*****

Documents

In Bath call Marg Franklin 352-7277 Sponsored by St. Alban ... · In Bath call Marg Franklin 352-7277 Sponsored by St. Alban’s ... {Amherst Island Beacon: January 15, 2000 - Volume