Catégorie : Vision (Clarence-Rockland)

Families took advantage of the opportunity to get out and celebrate Canada’s birthday with a series of events and attractions planned for the big day. There were bouncy castles, games, music, movies, animal and car shows and even a dinosaur.

In the end the greatest attraction was the opportunity to get out and be with the community. For the first time since the pandemic began residents gathered in person to take part in the national holiday, meeting with family, friends and neighbours to kick off the summer.

“It’s so nice to be outside after spending so much time indoors,” said Morgana Foster-Kampman-Gona, who was there with her sister and a friend. “We didn’t really get to celebrate last year.”

Canada Day was celebrated in traditional fashion, culminating in fireworks on July 1, but the festivities started in earnest on June 29 with movies in the park and ended with live bands and a comedy show on Sunday, July 3.

“Celebrating the graduates’ achievements in person was a memorable event for students, their families, and faculty,” said Angela McNamee, principal of Saint Francis Xavier Catholic High School. “We were honoured to have Prescott-Russell Trustee Sue Wilson, Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario director of education Laurie Corrigan, and Mayor Mario Zanth address the Class of 2022.”

The class of 59 graduates were ushered into the next chapter of their lives by valedictorian Madison Wardle, remarking on the challenges they faced through the pandemic and the strength and resilience they gained. Wardle was also awarded the Saint Francis Xavier Principal’s Award for her academic, extracurricular and personal achievements throughout high school.

Taylor Kinnin was awarded the Governor General’s Academic Medal for achieving an average of 97 per cent in her grade 11 and 12 classes. The achievements of Ryan Oldford also stood out, having logged nearly 500 hours of community service earning him the Ontario Lieutenant-Governor Community Volunteer Award.

In total, 57 graduates crossed the stage to collect their honours and move their mortarboard tassels from right to left. Thirteen members of the Class of 2022 are now Ontario Scholars, which is a distinction awarded to students with an average of 80 per cent or higher in six grade 12 classes. Almost half of these students made it on to the honour roll.

Throughout the night, more than 25 awards and bursaries were handed out to the newly-graduated students. The most distinguished of which went to Sean McLeod who earned the Governor General’s Academic Medal with a graduating average over 90 per cent.

Principal Stacy McCready remarked on the many challenges the students faced through the COVID-19 pandemic, but “[their] resilience, courage and engagement brought [them] to the many joys and possibilities that away [them] in future years.”

« Everybody was happy, » said Dominic Côté, one of the organizers of the event.

The Alfred and Plantagenet Kayak/Canoe Race was a welcome addition to Canada Day events when the fire department launched the project several years ago. The pandemic put the event into dry dock for the past two years. The relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions on social gatherings has allowed the event to cast off again.

Last Friday morning on Canada Day 40 canoes and kayaks, both single- and two-person vessels, set out in groups of four every two minutes from the Treadwell Boat Launch. Participants paddled 11 kilometres down the Ottawa River to dock at the Lefaivre Marina.

Average time for the journey was about an hour and a half, but Côté noted that a few of more expert paddlers made the trip in less than an hour.

This year’s event featured both professional and recreation divisions for participants. Some entrants from Québec travelled down from the Gatineau region to take part or came up from the Vaudreuil area.

« It was a good success, » said Côté, who also took part in the race. « It was good weather. Everybody had fun. »

Né et élevé à Hammond, Stewart travaille actuellement comme adjoint exécutif de Francis Drouin, député de Glengary-Prescot-Russell, et auparavant comme stagiaire au Cabinet du Premier ministre.  

Selon Stewart, ses ambitions politiques ont débuté à l’âge de 16 ans. Son premier engagement important, et le moment qui a initié son désir de se présenter au conseil, a été une campagne pour paver le chemin Gagné à Hammond en 2019. Il s’est adressé au conseil à plusieurs reprises et a réussi à convaincre la ville d’évaluer le réasphaltage de la route.  

L’accent mis sur les routes et les infrastructures est un élément majeur de la vision de M. Stewart pour les villages de Hammond et de Cheney. Il note que, compte tenu du montant des impôts que les résidents du quartier 7 paient, ils devraient recevoir leur juste part de la ville.  

«Nous voyons que beaucoup de fonds vont directement à Rockland, a dit M. Stewart. Je veux juste m’assurer que nous recevons les services que nous méritons, et que ces services sont égaux au montant des impôts que nous payons.» 

Stewart est également très investi dans le soutien de la communauté francophone et veut s’assurer que la culture et la langue françaises sont protégées. En 2018, il a fondé Le Front culturel franco-ontarien, un groupe de défense des droits des Franco-Ontariens aujourd’hui disparu.  

«Je veux faire de notre communauté un exemple de communauté franco-ontarienne réussie, a dit Stewart.» 

Bien qu’il n’ait que 23 ans, M. Stewart n’a pas eu à faire face à des réactions de la communauté remettant en question ses qualifications. Il pense plutôt que les habitants du quartier 7 ont accepté l’idée d’une voix plus jeune au conseil.   

«J’ai frappé aux portes et obtenu des signatures et mon âge n’a jamais été évoqué, a dit M. Stewart. Je pense que les gens sont enthousiastes et voient les jeunes comme un moyen de sortir de la toxicité de la politique d’aujourd’hui.» 

Le quartier 7 compte actuellement deux candidats inscrits pour les élections municipales d’octobre. M. Stewart sera opposé au conseiller actuel Michel Levert, qui vise un troisième mandat au conseil municipal.  

Originally constructed in 1975, the old fire station on 2163 Laval Street in Bourget went up for sale earlier this year with an asking price of $259,900. The old station was replaced by the new combined fire and paramedic station that opened down the street in late 2019. 

Funds from the sale were originally destined for the city’s general reserve fund, but a change to the Sale and Disposition of Land policy will redirect revenue to the Building Reserve Fund. 

The intention of the policy change is two-fold. On is to ensure the city has a better accounting of the money coming in and out of the general reserve fund. Second is that city council agreed revenues from the sale of real property should go towards maintenance, upkeep and improvement of city property. 

City councilor André J. Lalonde proposed the policy during the June 6 committee of the whole meeting. The change was adopted on June 20 during the council regular session, with all eight members present voting in favour of the change. 

Catherina Rouse, CEO of the Clarence-Rockland Public Library, presented a multi-year funding agreement to the city council to provide the library with 3.6 per cent of the city’s previous year’s tax levy for a three-year term. Currently, the library must request its budget from council every year, similar to the municipal departments, but the library is not an agency of the city and the library board is responsible for how it spends the budget. 

For Rouse, entering into a multi-year agreement provides the library with financial stability allowing the staff to plan future programming and get ahead of the community’s growth. Having to advocate for the support money each year puts the library at risk of surprises come budget time. 

“It would give the library consistency and we don’t have to worry about finances from one year to the next,” said Rouse. “We know exactly what we are getting.” 

That consistency benefits the city as well. A multi-year agreement based on the previous year’s tax-levy means the city knows exactly how much the library’s budget will be and will not have to assess requests for more funding each year. 

The 3.6 per cent requested is less than the library has requested in the past. Over the last five years the average budget represented 3.628 per cent of the city’s previous year’s tax levy. In 2022, the budget was $838,793, representing 3.604 per cent of the city’s $ 23,273,705 levy from 2021. 

“I want to move away from this transactional relationship where it’s all about the money and focus on what we can do for the community,” said Rouse. 

Ward 4 Councillor Don Bouchard supports the library’s proposal, noting programming from the library for families and seniors will be increasingly critical as Clarence-Rockland grows. He noted the stability offered by this funding model ensures programming can grow with the community. 

“Not everyone can afford to play hockey or a gym membership and the library is one of the last places to go with free programming,” said Bouchard. ”Families are looking for activities to do with their kids without spending a lot of money.” 

Over the last two years, Clarence-Rockland Library’s programming participation grew despite the pandemic. Since reopening, book loans are the highest the library has seen and more than 280 new members signed so far this year. In 2019, 8900 people participated in in-person programming. Up until the end of May this year, 4300 people have already taken part, and historically the summer months are the library’s busiest. 

Though the love of reading goes a long way, Rouse believes the role of a library goes far beyond the books on the shelves. 

Ève GC Lalonde obtient le prix de la directrice accompagné d’une bourse de 400$ pour avoir obtenu la meilleure moyenne de l’école dans les cours de 11e et 12e année voie préuniversitaire pour sa moyenne de 99,5%. Elle se voit aussi accorder la médaille de la Gouverneure générale et la bourse de mérite du CSDCEO d’une valeur de 1500$.  

Le trophée de la Caisse populaire d’Alfred filière est discerné à Chad Martin pour son rendement exceptionnel en 12e année en filière précollégiale.  

Le trophée des optimistes est discerné à Isabelle Brennan pour son rendement exceptionnel en 12e année en filière préemploi.  

Le prix du lieutenant-gouverneur de l’Ontario discerné à l’élève qui s’est distingué par son engagement communautaire accompagné d’une bourse de Bissonnette Value-Mart d’une valeur de 500$ est remis à Mikaël Viau pour ses 584 heures de bénévolat.