Year in Review in photos – June 2018
Administrator | Jan 01, 2019 | Comments 0
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Year in Review in photos – June 2018
County Clippers slam-dunked their 9th annual year-end rep team award celebration. More than 70 basketball players, coaches and volunteers were honoured at the Wellington arena. The Clippers also honoured its founders with the newly named ‘Rob Garden Coach of the Year Award’ and the ‘Steve O’Brien Volunteer of the Year Award.’
Before peers, municipal staff, councillors, employees and members of the Prince Edward Family Health Team, doctors Elizabeth Christie and Don Koval honoured new and retiring physicians at Thursday’s event hosted by the County and the Prince Edward Family Health Team. They include (front row centre) doctors Lois Russell and Cliff Rice. New physicians within the past two years include doctors Negine Nahiddi, Sarah LeBlanc, Laura Arul and (not shown) Dane Chhatwal Sara Arul and Tarik Eldjama. – Sue Capon photo
851 Prince Edward Squadron cadets were honoured for a year of accomplishments during the final parade of the season at the Prince Edward Community Centre. Colonel C. Daniel Harris, Director of the Military Family Services Division for the Canadian Forces was the reviewing officer for the 41st annual ceremonial parade. “You were absolutely tremendous today,” he said. “Standing before you here in Picton is truly amazing, such a wonderful experience for me,” he noted, reflecting on “the best career in the world”. – Sue Capon photo
Prince Edward Collegiate Institute’s best and brightest athletes shone on the stage of the Regent Theatre receiving individual and team awards. “When I think of athletics at Prince Edward Collegiate Insitute, class and dignity always come to mind,” said principal Darren McFarlane. Senior male and female Athletes of the Year were Wyatt Gilbert and Brooke Roche. Junior winners were Sidney Davies and Nolan Dawson. – Sue Capon photo
Another spring season at the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory has been completed as colourful warblers that have delighted visitors all spring have moved north to the Boreal Forest to raise their young and feast on the plentiful caterpillars and moths. Over the spring season almost 3,800 birds of 70 species were banded and one new species was seen for the first time in the County. The Swallowtail Kite brought the total number of avian species identified in Prince Edward County to 341. The spring is a busy season for the Observatory board and volunteers. Many projects are aimed at educating the public about birds and migration and also toward raising funds to keep the Bird Observatory running.
Special Olympics competitor Luke Flynn, of Picton, was accompanied by about 300 students and staff from Queen Elizabeth Public School as carried the ‘Flame of Hope’ through town. Flynn is a multi-medal winning competitive swimmer at Special Olympics games and the annual Ontario Law Enforcement Torch Run benefits him, and 23,000 other athletes. He was also joined by members of the Prince Edward County OPP detachment as the run is the official charity of choice for the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. The run celebrates its 31st anniversary this year and has raised more than $40 million since 1987. – Sue Capon photo
Todd Smith congratulates Joanne Belanger on a fine campaign
Shortly after the polls closed, the new Bay of Quinte riding was as blue as the waters around it – sending Progressive Conservative Todd Smith back for a third term at Queen’s Park – this time in a majority government under leader Doug Ford. Smith racked up 24,256 votes of 50,483 cast. The NDP’s Joanne Belanger landed second with 16,067 votes and Liberal Robert Quaiff ended at 7,512. Though Smith had a commanding lead with 48 per cent of the vote, Joanne Belanger’s NDP camp was buyoed by her party’s showing at about 32 per cent. -Olivia Timm photo
Hundreds turned out to the Picton Fairgrounds for the 9th annual Relay for Life – a night to bring community together, share stories, not just sadness and tears, but also tales of joy and remarkable strength. The fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society is an all-volunteer event that not only celebrates survivors and remembers lost loved ones, but is also an opportunity to get together with others to be part of the bigger picture when it comes to fight to conquer the disease. The 19 teams raised $38,433. – Sharon Harrison photo
Prince Edward County Mayor Robert Quaiff has announced he will pull the plug on municipal politics when his term is finished in October. Quaiff made the announcement on his first day back to work following a lost bid as Liberal candidate in the June 7 provincial election to become the first MPP for the new Bay of Quinte riding. With his wife Susan by his side he told media gathered outside of Shire Hall that his new focus will be on family. Quaiff will be wrapping up 17 years of municipal politics – including being a participant on the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus and the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, the last year of which he served as chairman; and was a member of the board of directors for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. – Sue Capon photo
The thrills and spills of learning about firefighting were ablaze in a frenzy of excitement at the Wellington and District Community Centre. In a day put together by the Consecon and Wellington Fire Department, children aged five to 12 years were invited to participate in the PEC Junior Firefighter Challenge. “We put this event together today to get the kids out and hopefully to raise some money for local groups like the foodbank and children in the community,” said Captain Brent Insley. – Sharon Harrison photo
Benson Park in Picton is now open to the public following revitalization work. The project, which began in late 2017, included the replacement of the existing staircase, pathways, pathway lighting, site furnishings and new signage. The municipality also reconstructed the tennis court to be a multipurpose court, which now accommodates tennis, pickleball, road hockey and basketball. The Barker House in Benson Park now includes a public washroom.
The Rotary Club of Picton, in a continuing partnership with the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation, invited wine lovers to judge some of the best pourings in Canada at a premier wine tasting event. Uncork Canada, in its fourth year in Prince Edward County, is presented by The All Canadian Wine Championships (ACWC) in concert with sponsors Scotiabank Picton, Picton Elks Lodge and The Waring House. Event goers taste some of Canada’s best wines, including medal winners for 2018. Net proceeds will benefit the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation’s fundraising efforts for the new hospital project. – Peggy deWitt photo
The County Blooms Garden and Flower Show blossomed in typical fashion, flourishing with an array of displays, exhibits, plants for sale, friendly free advice and a warm welcome. Held at the Wellington Town Hall location for a second year, the Prince Edward County Horticultural Society’s annual garden show spread its roots outside to the grounds of both St. Andrew’s Anglican Church and CML Snider School with a variety of vendors, stalls and activities. -Sharon Harrison photo
Tim Johnson, of Picton, received the prestigious Anderson-Everett Award for his research and work at the Glenora Fisheries. The award honours long-term, sustained contributions to the association, or the understanding of the Great Lakes. Closer to home, Johnson is known as “The Fish Guy” by Grade 2 and 3 students at Queen Elizabeth school. For 10 years now, he’s been volunteering at the school with an Atlantic Salmon hatchery program. He explains it’s a partnership between his team, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. – Olivia Timm photo
The Friends of Sandbanks gathered for a picnic to celebrate 25 years of dedicated volunteer service to Sandbanks Provincial Park. Founded in 1993 by a group of local residents, its motto is simply “Working with the park to make it a better place to visit”. Steve Ferguson, on behalf of the mayor and County council commended the Friends’ track record, especially in providing help for tree planting and mobility access to the beaches. – John Brebner photo
The Carrera angel placed to watch over six-year-old Ruth Guest, was broken by vandals. Helma Oonk took it inside the cemetery’s vault to keep the pieces together for repair.
A Carrera marble angel with a sheaf of lillies clasped in her hands now rests in pieces in the vault at Glenwood Cemetery. It was just one of up to 200 headstones and monuments damaged and destroyed by vandals over the past few weeks – the bulk of the destruction late one afternoon, caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage, untold heartache and disgust. Cemeterian Helma Oonk, office and grounds manager, said the work won’t happen quickly because of the extent of damage, and she hopes the community might also come on board to assist Glenwood with raising funds for the costly repairs, as well as continued annual maintenance of the very old stones that no longer have family members alive to care for them. – Sue Capon photo
A special edition of the 25th annual Art in the County show and sale unfolded in a new location – a renovated portion of The Armoury in Picton – and welcomed an opening night filled with art, artists and awards. Artwork in a wide range of media included sculpture, ceramics, wood, photography, fibre, glass and more, as well as oil, acrylic, watercolour and encaustic paintings. Above, Milé Murtanovski Jurors’ Choice Award winner for his painting “Pearls of Wisdom”. – Sharon Harrison photo
Wind Concerns Ontario discovered wpd Canada was given a Notice to Proceed by the provincial Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in May. “The exact circumstances surrounding this action and its timing are being investigated,” said Steve Ferguson, councillor for South Marysburgh. Supporters of the campaign to stop the project had thought the IESO was holding up on giving the notice due to active legal challenges by APPEC (Alliance to Protect Prince Edward County), and also because of a lack of approval for the distribution line. New Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith said the action “breaches every convention or long-standing practice during the period of an election campaign… Our PC Government has not yet taken office but when it does, I will be seeking immediate action to address this issue. It is an affront to democracy. We need to stop this project from proceeding.” – Sharon Harrison photo
A business plan for affordable housing at a ‘Wellington Country Village’ was brought before council. Barry Davidson and Anthony Lemke, on behalf of the Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Network, presented a plan that requests the former arena be demolished, and land at Niles and Maple streets in Wellington be given to the network to build affordable housing. The group has approximately $850,000 in commitments from various community members, with a target of $1 million. The plan is to build 26 houses – nine subsidized and 17 market value. The profit from the market value houses is proposed to pay the $816,000 pre-development and $798,000 infrastructure costs for the development so the subsidized units would absorb none of the costs.
More than 100 Prince Edward Collegiate Institute graduates walked out of the Picton Community Centre into the light of the full moon ready to begin the next chapter of their story. John Conroy, valedictorian, said the students’ story as a senior class will not be remembered by grades, popularity, likes or re-tweets, “but by our relationships – the kind of person you were, might have been and may yet be.” -Sue Capon photo
Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith has been named Minister of Government and Consumer Services, and accepted the Great Seal of Ontario, this morning as Queen’s Park’s new Government House Leader. Smith took his oath of office after Doug Ford was sworn in as Ontario’s 26th premier at Queen’s Park. The ceremony was presided over by Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell. There are 14 men and seven women in Ford’s cabinet.
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