countylive.ca year in review – photos February 2017

Countylive thanks our readers and advertisers for continued support of community news and we look forward to an interesting and informative new year! Please enjoy exploring the site, and the year-in-review series of photographs from 2017.

County residents want more time to consider drastic changes to the community’s schools. About 200 people gathered inside Prince Edward Collegiate Institute’s auditorium Wednesday night for the County’s first public meeting for the school accommodation review. Six of the County’s eight schools are affected in proposals for closures and changes.

Fans of food and hockey hit the mark in the Wellington arena for the The Drake Barn Burner’s Canada 150 celebrations. All-star chefs from Montreal and Toronto faced off for an exhibition game coached by some hockey greats including six-time Stanley Cup and NHL Hall of Famer Ken Dryden behind the bench for the Montreal Mashers and four-time Stanley Cup winner Mike Krushelnyski who commanded the Toronto Grinders. Special guests included Jayna Hefford, 12-time world champion and five-time Olympic champion; Jamie Lee Rattray, 2014 Canadian Women’s National Ice Hockey Team an the County’s own Jess Jones, Canadian Women’s Hockey League (Brampton Thunder) and her sister Cailey Jones (PECI Panther OFSAA team captain). Emcee was Steve Anthony.

The weather was perfect for anglers of all ages to drop their lines in the 8th annual Merland Park Ice Fishing Derby. Hosted by Jennifer and Kevin Lavers, the event is known for its many ice games, which kick off with the Shirt Off – Fish On competition where participants fish shirtless for five minutes. Andrew Fitches pulled in the event’s first fish – a tiny perch that won him first pick in a huge selection of prizes.

People and organizations who provide public transportation in Prince Edward County will be putting their heads together to formulate a business case to move forward. Bay of Quinte MP Neil Ellis visited Mayor Robert Quaiff and the Community Foundation’s Joan Pennefather to deliver $22,896 in funding to initiate the study. The County worked with the foundation to apply for the funding.

The Prince Edward County Public Library led children in crafts and activities at the Sophiasburgh Town Hall during Family Day weekend celebrations. Outdoor fun was curtailed due to warmer than usual temperatures.

Local craft brewers and cider makers from all over the region are serving themselves up collectively as Bay of Quinte Craft. Calling itself the largest rural craft beer and cider region in the nation, the new association includes about two dozen operations from Prince Edward County, Quinte West, Brighton, Napanee, Tyendinaga, Cambellford and Bath. Bay of Quinte Craft members Nicolle Bailey, Barley Days, 401 Cider, and Clafeld Cider House, Kori Cembal, Mackinnon Brothers Brewery, Devin and Amelia Huffman, Barn Owl Malt, Vicki Samaras, County Road Brewery, John Graham, Church Key Brewery, Zack Card, Wild Card Brewery, Richard Courneyea, Signal Brewery.

Upgrades to the County’s Millennium Trail will be under way through new community partnerships. The 53km Millennium Trail is a re-purposed abandoned rail line acquired from Canadian National Railway in 1997, running through Carrying Place, Consecon, Wellington and Bloomfield, to Picton. It has since been converted for multi-use recreation. With the exception of 11kms improved in recent years by the Rotary Club of Wellington, the majority of the trail’s surface remains gravel or uneven dirt, and offers little to no directional signage. With the goal of making the trail more user-friendly, the municipality has partnered with the PEC Trails Committee to raise funds to re-surface the trail and add signage and other features.

Members of the County’s seven WI branches made a presentation of $15,500 to community organizations from funds raised at their annual art and craft sale.
“Celebrating 120 years is quite an achievement,” said Mary Ellen Closson, district president. “We are still working for the same things the first womens’ institutes did – for our homes, our families and our country.” Recipients of the donations are: Quinte Access, Prince Edward County 4H, Prince Edward County Splash Pad, Reaching for Rainbows, Recreation Outreach Centre, Prince Edward County Minor Hockey Association, Prince Edward County Museums Jake deVries Collection, Quinte Dolphins Swim Team, Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, Prince Edward County Libraries and 851 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron.

PECI’s Junior Boys Basketball team ended the season at the very top of the game, winning the AA COSSA Championship – for the first time in 21 years. It was an especially thrilling win for Coach Rob Garden, as he was a member of the PECI team 21 years ago that accomplished the feat at the Central Ontario Secondary School Association (COSSA) Championship under the direction of coaches Bill Latchford and Mick Chalmers. PECI’s Junior Boys Basketball team 2017 – back, from left: Logan Stark, Devon Wilton, Noah MacDonald, Brodie Byford, Jack MacCool, Alex Arsenault, Ian Forsyth, Ghaffar Mehmood, Joe Burley, Gabe Goad, Ernie MacMillan, assistant coach and Rob Garden, coach. Front, from left: Dylan Morrow, Cooper Rogers, Thomas Davies and Ben Wells.

Youngsters having a tough time visiting scary hospital emergency departments will receive comfort bags from Prince Edward District Women’s Institute members which containing a stuffed toy, a small blanket, an activity and colouring book, a story book and some pencils and crayons. The bags were delivered to the emergency departments at Picton and Belleville. Shown are WI member Nancy Wood with PECMH’s Lisa Mowbray and Cheryl Minaker, and WI members Sue Donly, Wilma de Wolde and Kim de Bruin.