Catégorie : Reflet-News (Russell-Embrun-Casselman)

As of Friday, the Ontario government relaxed of outdoor gathering numbers to 10 people outdoors, and reintroduced outdoor dining with up to four people per table, and the non-essential in-person retail shopping at 15 percent capacity. Religious services, outdoor exercise classes, day camps and overnight camping are also be permitted to resume, though at reduced capacity. 

Residents took advantage of the new restrictions to visit their favourite restaurants, pubs and stores. The easing of restrictions also permitted organizers to hold the first Russell Community Market at the village’s fairground. 

The market, which will be held on the second Sunday of every month until October, had a range of vendors selling farm produce, snacks, arts and crafts between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Planning for the event started in October, when new resident Natalie Hewitt asked the Russell Agricultural Society whether there would be interest in a local market. 

“I moved to Russell in March of last year with my husband. We were walking around the fairgrounds and had just been to other markets in the area and thought, ‘Russell’s the perfect place to have a farmers’ market’, and we wanted to know if there was one or there were plans to have one,” she said. 

Hewitt’s fellow residents appeared to agree: a line had formed before the market opened on Sunday morning. The eight members of the market committee worked with the Eastern Ontario Health Unit and Township of Russell to ensure the event could be held safely and adhere to COVID-19 regulations. The agricultural society, Melanie Construction, and Barry’s Home Hardware also provided sponsorship support. 

Hewitt said the all-clear to host the event had only been granted late last week, giving the organizers little time to prepare. “We had a few safety plans in place, anticipating we would be able to open,” she said. “Our vendors were great, they really flexible about being tentatively accepted to the market.”  

Special events and expansions of the market were planned in the coming months. 

Plus de 600 foyers de Crysler et de St-Albert bénéficieront de l’aide financière du gouvernement fédéral pour le projet d’amélioration de l’Internet haute vitesse de Bell Canada dans les deux villages. L’entreprise investira 867 000 $ dans le projet et obtiendra une aide de plus de 289 000 $ du volet d’intervention rapide du Fonds universel à large bande du gouvernement fédéral. 

 » Avoir accès à une connexion Internet fiable est important pour les familles de Glengarry-Prescott-Russell « , a déclaré le député Francis Drouin.  » Pendant la pandémie, la demande de vitesses plus élevées a augmenté avec les enfants et les parents qui apprennent et travaillent à la maison. « Je travaille sur ce projet depuis un certain temps », a déclaré M. Kirby lors d’une entrevue téléphonique jeudi. « C’est très satisfaisant. J’aimerais remercier le gouvernement provincial d’avoir reconnu notre besoin. » 

Le projet de mise à niveau d’Internet de Crysler/St-Albert fait partie d’un plan global de deux ans de Bell Canada pour l’amélioration d’Internet dans ses zones de service partout au Canada. 

Colliers Project Leaders showed councillors two floor plans for the 15,200 square metre building at a special meeting last Tuesday. Each plan included space for an arena with three ice surfaces, a gym hall, library, indoor pools, walking track, fitness centre, and café or canteen. Both plans also included change rooms, multi-purpose rooms, storage space, and a reception area. 

The ice surfaces, two of which would be NHL size and the other international, included seating for 1900 people; 1500 people could be seated in the main arena, with another 200 each in the smaller spaces. In both designs, the library would be spread over two floors of the building, next door to administration offices. 

The major design difference between the two plans was the placement of the arenas. In the first plan, the arenas would be built in a row on the northern side of the building, with the main entrance off an interior roadway near the accessible playground. The second design proposed the arenas be placed at the southern end of the building, with a main entrance off Notre-Dame Street. 

The design is part of the second phase of the recreation complex project, which will be built near the existing sports dome off Notre-Dame Street in Embrun. Plans for the exterior aspects of the complex, including an accessible playground and basketball courts, were presented to council earlier this year. 

Councillors had the option to endorse one of the two designs at the Tuesday night meeting. But the council opted instead to and use the meeting as a feedback session. Councillor André Brisson moved a motion that the council receive the report next hold a discussion about the project’s finances at another dedicated meeting in August. 

Mayor Pierre Leroux said he would like to see pricing that reflected not only the cost of the individual components, but also different price points for levels of service within those amenities. “It might be that we want everything, but realistically, financially, it’ll be very difficult to do so,” he said. “It’s not only about the construction costs. I want to see the existing operational costs to compare with, as well as what the anticipated operational costs would be. I would rather that we spend a little bit more money upfront to make sure we do it right the first time and be informed.” 

Councillor Cindy Saucier said she preferred the design that provided more exterior wall space to the library, and suggested a separate entrance for the facility that did not require entry to the rest of the complex. “You’d be allowed to have much more light in the library [with the second option], which is a comment that a lot of users specify,” she said. 

Councillor Jamie Laurin asked for more information about which groups and sports the individual ice surfaces could cater to. He also asked whether the walking track would affect patronage of the track at the existing sports dome next door. 

“People are paying to walk around the track, there were a lot of memberships for that, a lot of people utilized it before the pandemic,” he said. “Yet they would be able to go next door to this facility and walk at no cost… it would make sense if we didn’t have the dome, but I don’t know if it makes sense because we have it and we’re charging people to walk next door.” 

In response to a question from councillor Mike Ternowski about the overall size of the complex, Colliers senior project manager Scott O’Hearn any reductions or expansions of specific components of the complex could be decided by council. He said moving the components of the complex around in the design without changing the overall size of the complex would not drastically affect the cost of the project. “As we decide the pieces of the facility that’s going to be implemented, the overall look of the complex can change,” he said. “Those comments won’t affect the overall pricing to be brought [later this year].” 

Details of the plan so far, as well as an invitation for businesses to submit expressions of interest for leasing space in the complex, are available at https://www.russell.ca/en/recreation-and-culture/recreation-complex.aspx. 

«Nous essayons de donner aux gens une raison de sortir dehors», a déclaré Michel Dupuis, en riant, lors d’une interview téléphonique. 

La 10e course annuelle DICE est maintenant sur la route, le lancement officiel de la collecte de fonds annuelle ayant lieu le 4 juin à l’extérieur de l’édifice de 92,1 FM à Casselman, en présence de représentants de la municipalité, du corps de cadets 2804 de Casselman, du Club VTT de l’Est de l’Ontario et de sociétés commanditaires locales. L’événement annuel est une importante collecte de fonds pour aider à soutenir le corps de cadets de Casselman et les opportunités de développement récréatif, social et personnel que le groupe offre aux jeunes de la région. 

La course DICE a été conçue comme une sorte de «chasse au trésor» motorisée, les participants devant suivre des indices et des indications pour atteindre divers points d’arrêt. À l’origine, l’événement était destiné aux motards et aux passionnés de moto, mais au fil des ans, il a évolué et s’est adapté dans le but d’encourager davantage de participants à se joindre à la fête. 

M. Dupuis a fait remarquer que, par le passé, des centaines de personnes prenaient part à la course DICE, suivant le parcours dans la région de Prescott-Russell. L’an dernier, les organisateurs ont dû mettre au point une version virtuelle de l’événement en raison de la pandémie. Une centaine de participants ont fait des sorties en solo le long du parcours et ont enregistré leurs efforts de collecte de fonds. 

Le 10e anniversaire de la course DICE est également un événement virtuel, mais avec une différence. Cette année, la course DICE se déroule pendant toute la saison estivale, de juin à août, et est consacrée à la fois à la collecte de fonds pour le programme des cadets et à la tentative de remonter le moral des résidents locaux qui ont été confinés chez eux la plupart du temps à cause de la pandémie. 

«La santé mentale compte», a déclaré M. Dupuis, citant le thème de la course DICE de cette année. 

Les organisateurs ont également ouvert l’événement à tous les types de véhicules, des voitures, camions et fourgonnettes familiales, aux motos avec side-car, aux motos à trois roues, également appelées «araignées», et aux vélos. 

«Nous voulons que les gens viennent et s’amusent, a déclaré M. Dupuis. Mettez les enfants dans la camionnette et allez faire un tour quand ça vous arrange.» 

Il y a trois itinéraires possibles à suivre pour les participants conduisant des véhicules motorisés. Il y a également un parcours séparé à travers Casselman pour les participants qui sont à vélo ou à pied. 

Les détails de tous les parcours, ainsi que les informations relatives à l’inscription, sont disponibles sur le site www.2804ccDiceRun.com. Tous les frais d’inscription sont destinés à la collecte de fonds pour le corps des cadets.