Les éditions André Paquette

Catégorie : Vision (Clarence-Rockland)

  • La femme qui adore Noël

    La femme qui adore Noël

    «Je vivais à Cheney, raconte Cécile Charbonneau, assise dans le salon de sa maison à Rockland. Pendant quatre ans, j’ai remporté le premier prix de la décoration (intérieure).»   

    Elle a souri en se rappelant comment elle et Théodore, son mari bien-aimé, avaient l’habitude d’installer une variété d’étalages sur le thème de Noël et de l’hiver à l’intérieur de leur maison lorsque les deux vivaient à Cheney. Puis il y avait les lumières à accrocher à l’extérieur de la maison. À un moment donné, se souvient-elle, ils avaient au moins 9000 lumières de Noël pour illuminer l’extérieur de leur maison et de leur cour.  

    Certaines décorations intérieures étaient si élaborées et si grandes que Théodore installait une petite «barrière» pour empêcher les visiteurs de trébucher sur la seule décoration du salon. Sa femme, Cécile, qui était petite et sûre d’elle, était la seule à pouvoir franchir la barrière et marcher parmi la foule de figurines, de bâtiments miniatures et de petits arbres. Tous les autres devaient se contenter de regarder l’exposition depuis la porte de la cuisine.  

    Aujourd’hui, Cécile Charbonneau, 82 ans, vit dans une plus petite maison à Rockland. Son Théodore bien-aimé n’est plus là, mais elle décore l’intérieur de la maison chaque année à Noël, avec l’aide de sa fille, Mimi, qui installe également une version plus petite des décorations extérieures par rapport à ce que les Charbonneau avaient à Cheney.  

    Depuis 20 ans, Cécile Charbonneau fait ses expositions de Noël. Elles sont peut-être un peu plus petites maintenant, étant donné l’espace restreint, mais cela signifie simplement qu’elle peut changer un peu les choses chaque année. Elle a un garage rempli d’ornements et de figurines parmi lesquels elle peut choisir pour ses expositions. Il y a cependant un article qui fait toujours partie de l’exposition : une paire de figurines du Père et de la Mère Noël, de la taille d’une poupée. Elle les a achetées il y a 60 ans, à la naissance de sa fille, Mimi.  

    Cette année, elle admet que c’est peut-être la dernière fois qu’elle fait une exposition de Noël de la taille d’une pièce dans sa maison. Ce n’est plus aussi facile maintenant, mais elle n’abandonnera pas complètement sa passion pour les décorations des fêtes.  

    «J’ai trois enfants et beaucoup de petits-enfants, dit-elle en souriant. Je le fais pour les enfants.»   

  • UCDSB board elects new chair, vice-chair

    UCDSB board elects new chair, vice-chair

    The Board of Trustees for the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) held their annual organizational meeting on December 1. Trustee John McAllister was elected to chair of the board for the 2021-22 school year, and Trustee Donald Cram was made vice-chair. 

    Both men have served on the board for many years. McAllister, a retired teacher and former municipal councillor, is serving his third consecutive term after being elected as a trustee in 2010. Cram is trustee for Ward 1, which represents Mississippi Mills, Beckwith Township, and Carleton Place, and is serving his second term after being elected in 2014. This is his first time as vice-chair.  

    McAllister thanked the other trustees for their support and is looking forward to leading the board into the next municipal election, which also elects the next slate of board trustees. The election will take place in October 2022.   

    “This is not about me but rather, the main focus is about the students, their well-being and their achievement,” said McAllister. “We are doing this in an open, transparent and collaborative manner, and we will demonstrate that the UCDSB community is a champion of these goals.” 

  • CDSBEO trustees elect new chair, vice-chair

    CDSBEO trustees elect new chair, vice-chair

    November 30 saw Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) Board of Trustees hold their Annual Board Meeting. With the municipal election looming next year, Trustee Todd Lalonde was elected to chair of the board for the 2021-22 school year, and Trustee Sue Wilson as vice-chair. 

    This is the sixth term as board chair for Lalonde, who is the trustee for the City of Cornwall and Glengarry County and has served on the board for sixteen years as of 2022. Wilson is the trustee for Prescott-Russell Counties and has been a trustee since 1999 and served as the board’s Chair of the Special Education Advisory Committee since 2001. This will be her second year as CDSBEO vice-chair.  

    “First and foremost, I would like to thank my fellow trustees for the continued confidence and support. I appreciate the opportunity to serve as chair,” stated Lalonde. “It is truly a privilege to serve with such good people. In my 16 years as a trustee, I have appreciated the guidance given to me by trustees and administration. We are all very fortunate to be part of such an amazing team working toward a common goal and making decisions in the best interest of our students.”  

    “I would like to thank my fellow trustees for entrusting me once again with this opportunity, and I would like to thank my family who is always very supportive,” Wilson stated. “Our system has gone through challenging times, and we have all had to learn new ways to accomplish the board’s learning goals. With the help of our support staff, teaching staff, principals, and under the leadership of our director and administrative team, we have continued to meet the needs of our students and provide them with the necessary tools so that they can continue to succeed. I look forward to continuing in the role of vice-chair.”  

  • EOHU briefs on Omicron situation

    EOHU briefs on Omicron situation

    During the media brief on December 15, Dr Paul Roumeliotis of the Eastern Ontario Health unit (EOHU) appraised the public on the situation surrounding the new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus and how it may affect public health orders going forward. There were 1,808 new cases across Ontario since the day before, with the majority occurring in unvaccinated people, and six cases in the EOHU are confirmed to be Omicron. 

    The Omicron variant spreads very quickly, almost three to four times as fast as the Delta variant which itself spread much faster than original strain. All six Omicron cases in the EOHU have been very mild, with no need for hospitalization, but the long-term effects are unknown, so caution is recommended. Current vaccines are only 30 to 50 per cent effective against infection by the Omicron variant, but 70 to 80 per cent effective against hospitalization; this means that while fully vaccinated people may get infected, it is unlikely to progress to the point of hospitalization. 

    Notably, the vaccine booster shot is at least 75 to 80 per cent effective against infection by Omicron. Thus, the current advice from the EOHU is to prioritize getting the third dose, especially for people over 50. Meanwhile, double-vaccinating those who don’t yet qualify for the third dose is strongly encouraged, as is adhering to all public health measures. Limit social gathering and non-essential travel, wear a properly fitting three-layered mask, and maintain six feet of physical distancing. 

    Enhanced health measures have already been implemented in retirement and long-term care homes, and if cases continue to rise, other public health measures may be implemented. Roumeliotis cited further proof of vaccination requirements and reinstating capacity limits, as well as making the third dose available for people under 50 and shortening the interval between doses. 

  • Christmas displays of cheer, hope and magic

    Christmas displays of cheer, hope and magic

    The return of local Christmas parades in many communities of Prescott-Russell serves as a sign both that the pandemic conditions of this winter are not the same as those last year. Now people are no longer confined every day within their homes, they are able to get out and about, for normal business like grocery shopping, and also visit family and friends who are part of their social bubble. 

    Vaccinations also mean people have more freedom to move around, so long as they also continue to observe precautions to help reduce the risk of either the original COVID-19 or one of the nariants from spreading. 

    This winter, even in the shadow of a fourth wave of COVID-19 thanks to Omicron variant, there is growing hope and optimism that things will be better as the rainbow symbol and the phrase “Ça va bien être” promises. 

    Around Prescott-Russell, homeowners, businessowners, and municipalities all are making extra efforts to help create hope with displays of Christmas magic. During the remaining days until the start of the new year, it is worthwhile going for a drive or a walk to view some of these displays and to remember that bad times are not forever and things can always be better in the future. 

  • La politique provinciale selon Amanda Simard

    La politique provinciale selon Amanda Simard

    Débuts difficiles pour la représentante de Glengarry-Prescott-Russell à Queen’s Park, il va sans dire. D’abord élue députée sous la bannière du Parti progressiste-conservateur de Doug Ford en 2018, Amanda Simard a quitté le caucus conservateur le 29 novembre 2018 pour protester contre les décisions qui ont provoqué une crise linguistique en Ontario. On se souviendra que le Premier ministre conservateur venait d’abolir la fonction de commissaire aux services en français, ainsi que la création de l’Université de l’Ontario Français. Elle siégea comme indépendante jusqu’au 16 janvier 2020 lorsqu’elle a rejoint les rangs du Parti libéral de l’Ontario. 

    Et sur le terrain ici dans le comté, plusieurs élus locaux lui ont alors reproché d’être invisible, notamment durant les inondations de 2019. S’il y a quelque chose que regrette Amanda Simard, c’est d’avoir refusé de participer à des photos opps pour éviter d’être perçue comme une député-vedette qui profite des malheurs des victimes des inondations. «Moi je ne suis pas une personne qui aime me vendre. Je regrette de ne pas avoir communiqué ça de façon visuelle. Je ne me suis pas vendue comme j’aurais du. Mais j’étais là! Pas de photo opps mais j’étais là!». 

    Le moins que l’on puisse dire c’est que sa désignation de députée et candidate libérale par son nouveau chef Steven Del Duca, était loin de faire l’unanimité au sein de l’association libérale de Glengarry-Prescott-Russell. La constitution du parti reconnait au chef libéral le pouvoir d’imposer un ou une candidate sans passer par le processus habituel d’une assemblée d’investiture. Amanda Simard affirme que la grogne des militants libéraux de GPR tient du fait qu’ils s’étaient déjà fait imposer la candidature d’un conservateur comme Pierre Leroux à l’élection de 2018. «Ce même Pierre Leroux qui venait de perdre son investiture conservatrice contre moi. Les libéraux n’étaient pas contents. Ce n’est pas parce que c’était moi mais, parce que c’était la deuxième fois qu’on leur imposait un candidat. Mais comme on dit, le temps peu bien faire les choses, alors on a travaillé très fort pour reconstruire l’association libérale et je suis maintenant fière de dire qu’on a une belle équipe». 

    Prochain défi pour Amanda Simard, la prochaine campagne en vue des élections générales prévues pour le 2 juin 2022. Elle sait qu’elle devra entre autre affronter un candidat progressiste-conservateur en la personne du réputé Stéphane Sarrazin, maire du canton d’Alfred-Plantagenet. D’ailleurs ce dernier n’a pas perdu de temps avant de critiquer celle qui tentera de se faire réélire pour un second mandat. Dans une récente entrevue Stéphane Sarrazin déclarait : «Il faut bien que quelqu’un aille à Toronto pour tirer la couverte pour notre monde. Puis on l’a bien vu durant les 3 dernières années, ça n’a pas été un succès avec une députée de l’Opposition. Y a pas grand chose qui a été réalisé. Il y en a eu des députés de l’Opposition qui ont bien fait dans le passé, comme le libéral Jean-Marc Lalonde, mais ce n’est pas le cas avec la députée qui est là maintenant». 

    La réaction d’Amanda Simard est sans équivoque: «C’est complètement faux. Monsieur Sarrazin vit sous une roche! Parce qu’on vient juste d’annoncer 2,8 millions pour une école à Limoges, plus de 4,5 millions dans Hawkesbury-est pour le gaz naturel et y a de l’argent qui coule à flot dans le comté et ça c’est le résultat d’un travail dans les coulisses. C’est argent-là ne tombe pas du ciel. Moi j’ai travaillé avec tous les partis. C’est quelque chose que monsieur Sarrazin ne comprend pas. Et c’est normal parce qu’il n’a jamais fait de politique provinciale ni fédérale». La députée libérale en rajoute: «Moi je suis en contact avec tous les ministres, j’ai une bonne relation avec eux et elles et avec tous les partis. On travaille ensemble pour faire avancer les dossiers. Mais ce n’est pas un travail qui n’est pas nécessairement visible dans le public. Et moi on m’a bien averti que monsieur Sarrazin allait faire une campagne de salissage. Je suis prête pour ça, mais moi je me garde toujours les mains propres et c’est ce que je continue de faire». 

  • Le BSEO fait le point sur la situation d’Omicron

    Le BSEO fait le point sur la situation d’Omicron

    Lors du point de presse du 15 décembre, le Dr Paul Roumeliotis du Bureau de santé de l’est de l’Ontario (BSEO) a informé le public de la situation entourant la nouvelle variante Omicron du virus COVID-19 et de la façon dont elle pourrait affecter les ordres de santé publique à l’avenir. Depuis la veille, 1 808 nouveaux cas ont été recensés en Ontario, dont la majorité chez des personnes non vaccinées, et six cas par le BSEO sont confirmés comme étant la variante Omicron. 

    La variante Omicron se propage très rapidement, probablement de trois à quatre fois plus vite que la variante Delta, qui s’est elle-même propagée beaucoup plus rapidement que la souche originale. Les six cas Omicron recensés par le BSEO ont été très légers et n’ont pas nécessité d’hospitalisation, mais les effets à long terme sont inconnus et la prudence est recommandée. Les vaccins actuels ne sont efficaces qu’à 30-50 % contre l’infection par la variante Omicron, mais à 70-80% contre l’hospitalisation; cela signifie que même si des personnes entièrement vaccinées peuvent être infectées, il est peu probable que l’infection progresse au point de nécessiter une hospitalisation. 

    Notamment, l’injection de rappel du vaccin est efficace à au moins 75-80% contre l’infection par Omicron. Ainsi, le BSEO conseille actuellement de donner la priorité à la troisième dose, en particulier pour les personnes de plus de 50 ans. En attendant, la double vaccination des personnes qui ne remplissent pas encore les conditions pour recevoir la troisième dose est fortement encouragée, tout comme l’adhésion à toutes les mesures de santé publique. Limitez les rencontres sociales et les déplacements non essentiels, portez un masque à trois couches correctement ajusté et maintenez une distance physique de six pieds avec toute personne que vous ne connaissez pas. 

    Des mesures sanitaires renforcées ont déjà été mises en œuvre dans les maisons de retraite et de soins de longue durée, et si les cas continuent d’augmenter, d’autres mesures de santé publique pourraient être mises en œuvre. M. Roumeliotis a notamment cité l’obligation de prouver davantage la vaccination et le rétablissement des limites de capacité, ainsi que la possibilité d’administrer la troisième dose aux personnes de moins de 50 ans et de raccourcir l’intervalle entre les doses. 

  • OPP warns of cryptocurrency scams

    OPP warns of cryptocurrency scams

    The OPP warns against a steady increase of scams related to cryptocurrency. Fake cryptocurrency investment companies are set up with convincing websites, social media accounts, and reviews from « satisfied customers ». Once lured in through social media or even dating sites, high-pressure sales tactics convince victims to keep investing larger and larger amounts of money with no chance of a return. invest ever-increasing amounts of money. 

    Research is key to avoid being scammed. Make sure the company is a registered business, search online for complaints related to the company, and remember that complaints may be registered in other countries as well. If they claim to be associated with a legitimate company, contact the company to see if that’s true. 

    Never give out any password, cryptocurrency keys, or recovery phrases to anyone. Store them physically, or in a password-protected file if on a device. Remain suspicious of any investment opportunity that promises high returns in a short amount of time, and don’t keep funds in an exchange wallet any longer than is necessary. 

    Anyone who thinks they have been scammed should contact local police and their bank immediately. Save any information that may help with the investigation, like bank account numbers, bitcoin addresses, copies of any correspondence with the fraudsters, and the date of every interaction. Change the passwords on all personal bank, credit card, and other financial accounts, as data-stealing malware could have been hidden in any emails or online transactions. Remember that many advertisements to recover money lost through cryptocurrency investment fraud are also scams and should not be trusted. 

    For more information on cryptocurrency fraud visit The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website: antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/ 

  • OPP warns of the 12 Scams of Christmas

    OPP warns of the 12 Scams of Christmas

    The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are warning residents that as the holidays approach, scams will become more prevalent. The holidays are a time of giving and charity for most, but scammers see it as a time of taking, moreso than any other time of year. The CAFC would like to highlight the 12 most popular holiday scams for people to watch out for. 

    Online shopping is one of the easiest ways for scammers to catch someone out. Fake ads for items that don’t exist are the most prevalent and frustrating scams to fall for, because not only have you paid money for something you won’t be getting, but the item is usually something you were really looking forward to, especially around the holidays. Event tickets, vehicles, and pets are the usual culprits, so double check that everything is legitimate and be suspicious if the price seems too good to be true. 

    Counterfeit merchandise is abundant even outside the holidays, so be wary of huge discounts that seem too good to be true. When the item arrives, it will look like the real deal, but it will be inferior in quality and may even carry significant health risks. Again, be skeptical of super low prices and receive the item in person if possible. 

    On the other side of things, people who sell goods or services online themselves should be wary of people trying to scam them through their own stores. Payment offers for more than the asking price are usually followed by a chargeback, a bounced cheque, or a notification that the payment never even arrived. 

    Secret Santa scams are more insidious, because they use your own friends and family against you. Fraudsters will organize a Secret Santa exchange on social media, pulling in multiple victims who are excited to be part of such a nice holiday activity and thus don’t look too close at the details. Unfortunately, the organizers will rig everything so they receive multiple gifts and the participants receive one; even if they don’t, your personal information can be sold for a tidy sum. 

    Gift cards are popular around the holidays for those who don’t know what to get someone as a present, but like cash, they’re untraceable. Fraudsters will pose as companies or businesses and ask for payment in gift cards, and once the information is given over the phone, they vanish. It is extremely unlikely that the victim of a gift card scam will ever get their money back. 

    Prize scams are popular around the holidays because there are so many more sweepstakes and contests to enter. Victims receive a letter or call about a huge prize they’ve won, but they must give their personal information and a processing fee first. Fees from an actual contest would never be collected from the winner, they’d simply be removed from the winnings, and you can’t enter a lottery without buying a ticket yourself from within that country. 

    Emergency scams are more effective around the holidays because family is already on the brain. If a loved on reaches out to you asking for money, and they need you to keep it a secret, make sure they’re actually related to you by asking questions only a family member would know the answer to. 

    Email and text scams can be hard to spot. It looks like a message from a reputable source, like a financial institution or telecom company, but it’s actually a scammer collecting your personal information or sending you a virus link to click on. A reputable company will always call you to confirm information, and if you’re unsure, you can always call them with their usual number. 

    Romance scams are particularly insidious because they prey on the depression and loneliness that people feel around the holidays if they don’t have anyone to be with or around. An attractive fake identity will use loving messages and sweet promises to lure victims into sending money, which they may say will be used on transportation to visit, but will instead be deposited straight into their wallet. 

    More generally, investing is also a popular online scam, especially with cryptocurrency. Any legitimate company asking for investments will have a national registry, which can be verified at www.aretheyregistered.ca, and the investment should make sense to you. Research every aspect of the investment, including the team behind the offer, before sending any sort of money or signature. 

    Finally, identity theft and fraud are especially dangerous during the holiday rush because it’s so much harder to notice. Always keep your wallet on your person and cover the PIN for your bank cards. Never share passwords or personal information, even with people you trust, and keep an eye on your bank statements for any purchases that fraudsters will slip in-between holiday buys. Keep an eye out for credit applications you didn’t authorize, rerouted mail, bills from services you don’t use, and database breaches that affect your information. 

    Anyone suspecting they’re a fraud victim should report it to their local police, as well as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre through their online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. 

  • Clarence-Rockland adopts 2022 budget

    Clarence-Rockland adopts 2022 budget

    During its regular meeting on December 6, Clarence-Rockland council voted to approve the 2022 operating and capital budgets with a total amount of $53,243,607. The draft operating budget called for a 4.09-per-cent tax increase, but after further consideration, this was lowered to a 2.95-per-cent increase. 

    Originally, the tax rate was supposed to increase by 4.09 per cent, but after some discussion during last month’s committee of the whole council session, this was revised down to a 2.95-per-cent increase. This was done by cancelling planned increases to several reserve funds: the economic development reserve, the equipment reserve, the fleet reserve, and the building reserve.  

    This 2.95-per-cent increase represents an additional $62 in property taxes for a home valued at the average of $310,000. 

    The operations budget estimates a total of $45,660,059 in revenue for 2022, with an estimated $46,311,776 in expenses to be offset by $651,717 in taxes. This means that the revenue and expenses will match up exactly, assuming everything goes according to the estimates for revenue and expenses. 

    The capital budget estimates a total of $6,931,831 in expenses for a variety of services, including $20,000 for the library, $270,000 for various municipal building and park expenses, $435,000 for public works, $882,500 combined for sewer and water, and $4,406,846 to be invested into the township’s roads.