June 2016 Archive

Between hard water and a rocky place

LAST YEAR, I referred to Bancroft’s growing sewer deficit as “the elephant in the room”, calling to mind the LCBO commercials. However, over the year, the deficit has continued to stagger deeper and deeper into the red. According to treasurer Craig Davidson’s figures prepared for last week’s budget meeting, the deficit will pass the $2 million mark this year.

Structure fire on Peterson Road

On May 29 at approximately 8:25 a.m., Bancroft Ontario Provincial Police officers responded to a report of a structure fire at a residential property on Peterson Road, Hastings Highlands. North Hastings Fire Department attended the scene and extinguished the fire. No injuries resulted.

Wollaston council strongly supports firefighters

It is sometimes said that no good deed goes unpunished. Recently volunteer firefighters in Wollaston Township have come in for social media criticism about their efficiency and effectiveness. However, the town council does not share these negative views. Last week, they put their support for their fire department front and centre in a remarkably blunt resolution. To quote:

Bancroft passes budget, learns ‘drop-dead’ date

Last week, after a number of meetings discussing various items (particularly grants to organizations), Bancroft passed its 2016 budget.

Board to look at possible school closures

Hastings-Prince Edward District School Board has started a process which may lead to the eventual closure of three local elementary schools – in Maynooth, Coe Hill, and Hermon.

Four Lands a metaphor of inclusion at South of 60

The experience of a land can be as much social and cultural as it is geographical. This theme, as it is woven through time and memory, is the focus of a new installation on the second level of the South of 60 Art Gallery at the railway station in Barry’s Bay.

Elementary students take to the woods

Forestry Day brought close to 200 local elementary students to Joy Bible Camp last week to learn about a wide variety to ways to cultivate forests and work with the resulting wood. The students came from York River, Whitney, and Madawaka public schools, and even from the Sagonaska Demonstration School in Belleville. They learned about tree variety and tree planting, and visited with talented local artisans who produce everything from canoes and paddles to violins to pepper mills. They even watched John Foreman shape a tree trunk with a broadaxe.       

NERDs catch and stock fish

The past two weeks in NERDs have been very busy! First, we had to get everything prepared for the upcoming NERDs golf tournament. Then we started SLIN netting (Spring Littoral Index netting) for Lake Trout, on Cashel Lake near Gunter. We did this for five days. Each day a different group of NERDs put out six sets of nets in three mesh sizes: 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 inches. Each 300 foot gang of nets would be set out twice for 90 minutes. We caught a lot of perch as well as a few other different species. On Thursday the group caught a huge 22 pound lake trout, the only lake trout we caught over the five days. That catch was better than all the perch other groups would catch. By the way, do perch ever make a mess of our nets!

Dutch memorial tulips bloom in Bancroft

A lot of people have visited the annual Tulip Festival in Ottawa. Now the festival has developed a Bancroft extension – and with the same source: a donation from Holland as a token of thanks for Canada’s contribution to the liberation of the Netherlands in the Second World War.

Forest industry job fair added to Sawtech Expo

A forest industry job fair could be the highlight for some at the SawTech Log Expo in Bancroft June 10 to 12. That aspect of the event will be part of a larger presentation in the local Curling Club that showcases lots of exhibitors displaying ways of adding value to wood along with various education components. The forestry career and education job fair is being run by the Bancroft Area Forest Industry Association (BAFIA) and Co-ordinator Virginia deCarle says “With the forest industry being the main economic driver in this area and supporting over 180,000 jobs across Ontario, it’s important to educate young people along with the general public about the opportunities there are working in forestry.”

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