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

Connie Johnston, 72, was awarded Russell Township’s Community Builder Award for nearly two decades of Trivia Night fundraisers. 

“I’m quite excited to get it,” said Johnston. “I feel that there’s a lot of other people who would be deserving as well, but I’m only human. So, I do appreciate it whenever people thank me for the work that I do in the community.” 

For almost 20 years, Johnston has raised funds for resident groups and causes serving the community with the municipality’s famed Trivia Nights, raising nearly $1.5 million over the years. 

“It’s so successful, that we can’t sell tickets in advance,” said Johnston.  

On top of Trivia Night, Johnsotn is a member of the board of directors for the Russell Historical Society, a charter member of the Kin Club of Russell, and helped with projects such as the Fort Mack We’ve Got Your Back, Jonathan Pitre Butterfly Mile and more. 

Johnston is also dedicated to preserving Russell’s history – she is currently writing a book on the townships history 

« I always thought that it was such a shame whenever people’s stories would go with them when they passed away,” said Johnston.  

With the help of the community and her position on the board of the Russell Historical Society, she was able to access files from the museum dating back to the 1800s.  

Johnston, alongside her co-author Jennifer Pershick, will be publishing the book in spring 2024. 

Une plainte a donné lieu à une enquête sur la conseillère de Casselman, Francyn Leblanc, qui s’est avérée ne pas avoir d’intérêt pécuniaire dans la réunion du 9 janvier 2024. 

Une enquête sur les actions de la conseillère municipale de Casselman, Mme Leblanc, a révélé que la conseillère municipale de longue date n’a pas enfreint le code d’éthique municipal lorsqu’elle a voté sur la façon de gérer l’utilisation excessive de ses dépenses pour 2023.  

En 2023, Mme Leblanc a dépassé le montant alloué pour les dépenses liées aux conférences et autres formations. Chaque conseiller reçoit 5 000 $, mais Mme Leblanc a dépassé ce montant de 799,68 $ et a quand même été remboursée par la municipalité.  

La plainte, déposée le 15 janvier, affirme que Mme Leblanc a enfreint le code d’éthique municipal lorsqu’elle a pris part à un vote visant à déterminer comment traiter les dépenses excédentaires au cours de la réunion ordinaire du conseil du 9 janvier. Trois options ont été présentées au conseil : déduire le montant excédentaire des dépenses de Mme Leblanc pour 2024, approuver le montant excédentaire ou exiger un remboursement de la part de Mme Leblanc.   

Le conseil s’est divisé en deux votes pour la première et la deuxième option, et Mme Leblanc a voté pour exiger qu’elle rembourse elle-même le montant excédentaire. Après délibération, Mme Leblanc a finalement voté en faveur de l’autorisation des dépenses excédentaires pour départager les deux parties.  

La plainte indiquait que Mme Leblanc avait un intérêt pécuniaire – bénéficiait financièrement – dans la décision et n’avait pas déclaré de conflit d’intérêts, et qu’elle n’aurait donc pas dû être autorisée à voter, ni à assister à la réunion en question.  

L’enquête a finalement conclu que Mme Leblanc n’avait rien à gagner financièrement du vote et qu’elle n’était pas en situation de conflit d’intérêts. Citant une jurisprudence antérieure concernant feu le maire de Toronto Rob Ford, le rapport indique que la perte financière potentielle que représenterait pour Mme Leblanc la troisième option consistant à l’obliger à rembourser les dépenses – pour lesquelles elle a voté – était juridiquement inapplicable et ne présentait donc aucun intérêt pécuniaire pour Mme Leblanc.  

« C’est ça que c’est, puis finalement ça s’est résolu par un vote, a dit la conseillère. C’est démocratique puis je n’étais pas en conflit d’intérêts. La dame qui a fait la plainte a décidé de le faire malgré qu’elle avait quand même posé une question publiquement à la table du conseil que j’avais répondu que non, je n’étais pas en conflits d’intérêt et que j’avais eu une réponse du commissaire à l’intégrité pour pouvoir assister à la réunion. » 

The Nation Municipality is launching a $500,000 fundraising campaign to renovate the St-Isidore Arena’s rink surface, boards and glass, asking residents and businesses to chip in beyond the municipal taxes they already pay. 

Mayor Francis Brière said the plan is to renovate a new cement floor, a new tubing refrigeration system, replace the solid wood boards with aluminum and add new acrylic glass. 

The total cost of the project is approximately $1.4 million. The Nation will be covering a portion of it through reserves, grants, fundraising and sponsorships. 

Over the years and after multiple renovations, the arena has an ice rink with stands and a heated viewing area, a sports bar, six dressing rooms, and a community centre which offers a banquet hall, a kitchen, a conference room, an activities centre for older adults, and a bowling alley. 

The St-Isidore arena is host to the Eagles hockey team. Mayor Francis Brière of The Nation Municipality reassures that the project plans to be completed before the 2025-2026 hockey season. 

“The St-Isidore Arena holds a special place in our community,” said Mayor Brière, during his presentation at the arena on . “It’s where dreams that flight on the ice, and where lifelong bonds are forged. But with any cherished structures, it requires our care and attention to remain a vibrant hub for our community.” 

The municipality aims to reach the fundraising goal by early 2025 and begin the start date for March of 2025. 

An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer tasered, shot and killed a « dangerous and aggressive dog » in Embrun after the dog’s owner was arrested.

Around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 7, police were called to Notre Dame Street near Lapointe Boulevard, where the owner of the dog was reportedly walking around with a large knife, according to the OPP.

The man was arrested without incident, however, the dog was attacking other dogs and people, including a police officer.

Police attempted to subdue the dog with the use of a conducted energy weapon, commonly referred to as a taser, but « out of concern for public and officer safety, » an officer ultimately used their firearm to put the dog down.

« The OPP makes every effort to find an alternative, but if an animal must be dispatched the officer will act quickly and cause a minimum of pain and trauma to the affected animal, » read the OPP release.

No serious injuries were reported by individuals in the area, according to police.

The incident remains under investigation.

Ce dimanche le 3 février, les Casselman-Embrun Icedogs M11 remporte la première place dans la Ligue de hockey Ottawa B contre 14 autre équipes. Le match final du championnat a été contre leurs rivaux, les Castor River Canucks. Ils ont remporté le match 6-1 pour obtenir la première place. “Quelle équipe! Quelle saison! Quelle fin! Félicitations à nos joueurs!” dit Chantal Richer, le gérant de l’équipe.

Mayor Pierre Leroux is asking for $30,000 for the nine remaining months of 2024 and $40,000 for 2025 as well as 2026 to eliminate paid membership for the Russell Township Sports Dome Walking/Running Track. 

On the last council meeting of the UCPR on February 28, Mayor Leroux brought forward a demand for the Township of Russell to partner with the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) to receive funds to get rid of paid membership. This opportunity for collaborative enhancement of community ressources “aligns with our shared goals of fostering active lifestyles, promoting inclusivity and enhancing community well-being ». 

The Application Form for the Regional Community Investment Fund by Leroux states that removing the financial barrier of a paid membership “ensures equitable access for all residents, irrespective of socioeconomic status, fostering a more inclusive and cohesive community fabric.” 

Over the past five years, the township has generated approximately $40,000 in revenues annually from memberships for the Walking/Running Track. With the elimination of the paid membership, it counterbalances the revenue stream, broadening access to the track for Russell residents. 

The partnership of the township with the UCPR demonstrates a strategy to enhance community services while maintaining financial viability. The hope is that it will increase community engagement, widespread access and promote the benefits of physical activity and wellness.

Adelynn, six ans, à relever le défi de lire 1,000 livres avant la maternelle. 

Le défi de lire 1000 livres avant la maternelle est un programme organiser par la bibliothèque publique du canton de Russell a comme objectif de développer l’amour de la lecture chez les enfants dès son plus jeune âge. 

Pour encourager toute types de lecture, les livres de la maison, de la bibliothèque, les livres lus pendant l’heure du conte, les livres électroniques et les livres audio sont accepter. 

« J’aime lire parce que j’aime voir les pages, » explique Adelynn. « Je sais épeler beaucoup de mots maintenant. C’est aussi comme jouer dans ma tête et j’aime ça. Cela prend beaucoup de temps, mais j’aime les livres. Mon livre préféré de la bibliothèque est Les pirates en pyjama. » 

Casselman is preparing to start repairs and manganese removal on the municipality’s water system following “close to a historical high” manganese levels back in July 2023. 

“I’m feeling incredibly hopeful,” said the mayor of Casselman, Geneviève Lajoie. “Right now, a lot of municipalities are faced with a lot of infrastructure challenges and this type of innovative project being successful would be a huge win for us. And hopefully it’ll be able to help other municipalities facing the same situation that we are in.” 

On July 5, 2023, the municipality of Casselman released a statement to the public indicating the levels of manganese in the town’s drinking water are close to a historical high. A day later, the municipality published a press release assuring residents that, despite the colour and the smell, drinking the water was safe. 

Dr. Bill Dallala, chemical engineer specializing in water quality, presented to council back in September 2023 suggesting potential modifications to the municipality’s water system to ensure residents have access to consistently clear water. 

Dr. Dallala’s findings indicated that the current water treatment infrastructure and equipment can withstand mondernization changes, most notably switching to chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant, and performing a complete automation of testing and adjusting for the oxidation of manganese and iron found in the water. 

Since Dr. Dallala’s presentation to council, he has been working with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) conducting tests, analysis and research on the process and equipment requirements. 

One of the necessary steps for the changes to the water treatment system are the approval from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) which has proven to be a challenge. As this is a novel method of treating drinking water in Ontario, the MECP does not have the expertise to provide feedback. 

The second challenge facing the municipality is the requirement for detailed drawings of the new treatment system from certified engineers. That process, which is time consuming, will be in collaboration with JL Richards Engineering and OCWA engineers.  

Further testing of the raw water poses difficulties as well since manganese levels are low during the winter and even spring months. 

Next steps include pilot testing, laboratory sampling and testing, onsite testing, data collection and evaluation, as well as final assessment for the next design phase which will begin in April. Manual treatment of the water will take place in June 2024. 

The estimated cost of the project is expected to be around $1 million. As of the last municipal council meeting on Feb.  20, the running cost of the project is up to $80,895.30. 

The municipal contribution for this project is $266,700. The rest of the expenses will be covered by a 2021 federal Green Infrastructure Stream grant which requires the project to be completed by December 31, 2026. 

Over the coming weeks, the municipality is working on getting the required approvals from the Ministry, the engineering drawings and preparing for the pilot testing in April. 

“Constant monitoring will be done, and Council and our residents will be informed of our progress throughout this endeavour,” stated the administrative report published on Feb. 20.