The Town of Smiths Falls is looking at its settlement area boundaries and the Official Plan. Photo credit: Laurie Weir.
LAURIE WEIR
Smiths Falls council has approved the settlement area boundary expansion framework and the preliminary land use planning strategy for four key opportunity areas, marking a significant step in the development of the town’s new Official Plan.
Karl Grenke, the town’s manager of development services, brought two reports to council on March 17 for support and direction.
At a meeting held March 17, council voted to move forward with the proposed expansion and planning framework, as recommended. This decision aligns with the town’s growth strategy and responds to provincial interests, with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing actively engaged in the process to ensure timely approval when necessary.
The approved frameworks will guide land use decisions in key areas identified for future development. These decisions are also closely tied to the objectives outlined in the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes sustainable growth and community development.
The next step will involve sharing the staff reports and technical brief with ministry representatives for further feedback, continuing the collaborative approach with the province. The project is set to play a crucial role in shaping the town’s future development while maintaining alignment with both local and provincial goals.
Official Plan goals
Council also supported Grenke’s report for the vision and strategic directions for the new Official Plan.
The endorsement sets the stage for the development of the new Official Plan, which will replace the 2014 version and guide the town’s growth over the next 25 years. The new plan is designed to accommodate 1,400 new residential units and employment lands, as outlined in the 2023 Land Needs Study.
The plan will focus on five key themes: downtown revitalization, housing, sustainability, transportation, and community spaces. These strategic directions are the result of extensive public consultation and collaboration with staff and consultants.
The draft vision for Smiths Falls, to be included in the Official Plan, envisions the town as a dynamic, inclusive, and thriving community with diverse housing, strong social supports, and vibrant neighborhoods. The vision also emphasizes sustainability and well-connectedness, with an attractive downtown and improved mobility options for all residents.
The plan will be refined in the coming months, with a draft set for public feedback in May 2025.
Lower Reach Park in Smiths Falls may undergo some extensive revitalization if the town’s director of community services is successful with a grant application. Council endorsed the application at a recent meeting which, if successful, could provide $1 million to help with the work. Photo credit: Laurie Weir.
LAURIE WEIR
Smiths Falls council, during a committee of the whole meeting on Nov. 18, endorsed a $1-million funding application to the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF) for major upgrades to Lower Reach Park.
Stephanie Clark, the town’s community services director, said if successful, the bulk of the planning for the park will happen next year.
The proposed enhancements include accessible washrooms, improved trails, a swimming area, and shoreline revitalization. These upgrades aim to boost recreational opportunities while promoting sustainability and aligning with the town’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, she noted in her report.
If successful, the grant would cover 70 per cent of the project’s $1.3-million cost, with the remaining $300,000 funded through municipal budgets and fundraising between 2025 and 2027.
Council’s endorsement does not commit funds at this time.
The upgrades are part of a broader re-visioning of Lower Reach Park, based on public consultation that was recently held, and strategic goals for accessibility, wellness, and environmental stewardship.
Clark said the recent consultation aligns with what they envision for the park over the next few years.
The Mississippi River Health Alliance (“MRHA”) is pleased to announce the appointment of James Hildebrand as Vice President of Capital Development and Support Services. Hildebrand, a seasoned leader with 30 years of expertise in healthcare capital planning, facilities management, and support services, succeeds Randy Shaw, who retires following a distinguished career marked by transformative contributions to healthcare across the region.
Hildebrand’s career spans both national and international leadership in complex healthcare projects. His expertise includes major hospital redevelopment, sustainability initiatives, and optimizing support services—all aligning with MRHA’s commitment to delivering exceptional patient care and advancing community health.
“James’ extensive experience and leadership in healthcare development make him an invaluable addition to MRHA as we expand our facilities and services,” said Brad Harrington, MRHA President and CEO. “His commitment to patient-centered care and collaborative approach are a perfect fit with our organization’s mission and values.”
Prior to joining MRHA, Hildebrand served as Director of Redevelopment, Facilities, and Support Services at Quinte Health, where he led the creation of the innovative 100,000-square-foot Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital—the first North American hospital constructed entirely from mass timber, utilizing a hybrid geothermal and solar power system. His other achievements include leading major capital projects at the University of Ottawa and Cambridge Memorial Hospital, as well as a $1.2 billion healthcare expansion at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar.
“I am honoured to join the Mississippi River Health Alliance and to work alongside talented teams to enhance facilities and services that make a real difference in our patients’ lives,” said Hildebrand. “My goal is to build on MRHA’s strong foundation and advance projects that support sustainable growth and high-quality care for our communities.”
In his role with MRHA, Hildebrand will oversee capital development and support services, guiding critical infrastructure projects that enhance healthcare delivery and improve patient experiences across Almonte General Hospital, Carleton Place District Memorial Hospital, Fairview Manor, and Lanark County Paramedic Service.
In welcoming James Hildebrand, MRHA also celebrates the remarkable career of Randy Shaw, whose nearly 25 years of dedication and leadership have made a lasting impact on healthcare in the region. Randy’s tenure is distinguished by his pivotal role in uniting Almonte General Hospital (AGH) and Fairview Manor (FVM) into a single healthcare campus—a transformation that preserved FVM and expanded essential services for the community. He also led the redevelopment of the Carleton Place Emergency Department and fostered partnerships that broadened access to vital healthcare resources. Known for his collaborative spirit and commitment to patient-centered care, Randy has been instrumental in strengthening MRHA’s healthcare services. MRHA and the entire community extend heartfelt gratitude to Randy for his exceptional service and dedication, and wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement and future endeavors.
Identifying a gap and responding to a growing need, an innovative company in Mississippi Mills launched a compost service in Almonte two years ago and is now expanding that service to Carleton Place.
“It took off completely accidentally,” says, William Affleck, who with his wife Kelly Scott and son Atticus (age 5) started the company.
Affleck, a doctor of psychiatry and a university professor is currently on leave to administer the runaway business.
Since starting the operation, Just Good Compost has signed on 325 households, five restaurants and three schools in Almonte onto the program.
“That’s with no subsidy, but in Carleton Place the town is offering households a a huge incentive,” adds Affleck.
Carleton Place residents can get a $75 discount off the annual service, paid for by the town. Earlier this year town council set aside $25,000 and combined it with an $11,000 Lanark County Climate Action grant for a total of 36,000 to subsidize Carleton Place residents interested in signing up for the service.
“This is a pilot project for Carleton Place. At this point, Council has only committed to the $25,000 for 2024” explains Trisa McConkey, town treasurer.
Council heard about the service through the town’s Environmental Advisory Committee a year ago, and during 2024 budget deliberations decided to support the initiative.
That means that up to 486 Carleton Place residents can sign up for the Good Compost Service for an annual fee of $199 rather than the $274 that Almonte residents pay.
“I’m glad we’re able to get that through and offer this service to some of our residents,” said Mayor Toby Randell, as the by-law authorizing the subsidy was passed.
The town does not have a landfill site or the facilities to create a composting program of its own. Although McConkey explains that the town does compost grass clippings within the public works department, but cannot scale that up to service the whole town.
So, Just Good Compost provides households with a refurbished plastic bucket to collect household compostable food scraps, then picks up the containers on a weekly basis, leaving behind a clean container. The company then gets the scraps composted and in the spring hosts a Compost Day celebration where customer can collect finished compost for their gardens.
“The compost is included in the price of the service, but if people don’t want it, they can donate their share to local charities such as the youth centre or community gardens,” explains Affleck.
The program was initially designed as a mental health intervention for those suffering from serious mental illness.
“One of the things that happens with people with mental illnesses is they become isolated — in most cases it’s not the symptoms of mental health that cause the most distress, rather it’s the social isolation that’s the biggest challenge,” says Affleck.
While living in Montreal, Affleck observed a local gentleman operating a small scale compost service off the back of his bicycle for residents in his neighbourhood.
“I realized it was a great way to get people out of the basement, give them a purpose, physical exercise, friendship, and an income, all the things that are essential to recovery ,” said Affleck.
After completing his studies, Affleck, originally from Almonte, returned to his hometown and figured that a similar service might take off in the town’s urban core urban core and employ vulnerable individuals.
“We approached Lanark County Support Services (LCSS) , in Almonte, Perth and Carleton Place as well as Connect Well (CW) in Carleton Place. They work with the developmentally delayed. We are now employing 21 people from those organizations,” says Affleck.
The program he’s created is so popular with the individuals LCSS and CW serve that they’re lining up to get hired.
“They love it because, the work is low stress, they don’t have to work full time, and we pay them all minimum wage,” explains Affleck.
The program is just now launching in Carleton Place and residents can sign up for the weekly service on the Just Good Compost website directly at www.justgoodcompost.com. Once they sign up, Just Good Compost will be in touch. The arrangement with the town means residents don’t have to worry about submitting forms or receipts, they’ll simply get the discount directly at Just Good Compost.
Here are the highlights from the Lanark County Council meeting held Sept. 25, 2024.
Council Updated on Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Program: Lanark County Council has accepted revised child care expansion plan targets and directed staff to enter into revised agreements with the Municipality of Mississippi Mills and Calvary Christian Academy for expansion of their child care centres.
Director of Social Services Emily Hollington updated the community services committee last week about the expansion of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) in the county. CWELCC is being implemented across the country, with the goal of bringing participating licensed child care costs to an average of $10 per day by 2025-26. The Ministry of Education has announced new cost-based funding guidelines that come into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
Hollington explained cost-based funding provides support for costs for licensees participating in CWELCC for the delivery of child care to children aged 0 to 5 years. The formula includes benchmark-based allocations with adjustment factors for geographic variances, growth top-ups for new spaces or top-ups for existing licensees whose structures exceed the benchmarks, and amounts in lieu of profit and surplus.
She added the county will be required to reconcile the allocations against actual eligible costs at the end of the year, complete compliance reports and conduct cost reviews. “Some of these tasks are new responsibilities for the county,” she said.
Effective Jan. 1, 2025, CWELCC-enrolled spaces will see fees capped at $22 per day. Some providers may already have fees lower than this and will remain at the lower rate. Hollington explained licensees not participating in CWELCC may continue to operate under existing provincial licensing and regulations but will no longer be eligible for routine funding programs they may have previously accessed for the 0 to 5 age group.
“The county will stop providing operational funding, the wage enhancement grant and/or fee subsidy funding to four providers that were not operating under the CWELCC system,” Hollington said. “Children currently attending those centres who receive fee subsidy may continue to benefit from the funding until the child ages out, no longer qualifies or leaves the licensee.”
Hollington further outlined the plan for expanding the number of child care spaces, which was originally approved in May 2023. “Due to the many challenges in delivering child care, such as a lack of early childhood educators, rising costs, etc., it is difficult for some providers to even consider expanding.”
An expression of interest outlining child care expansion opportunities was released by the county earlier this year and received five responses, two of which met all the necessary criteria: Mississippi Mills for 75 spaces and Calvary Christian Academy for 16 spaces. A further 24 spaces are anticipated as part of a future expansion in Perth. For more information, contact Emily Hollington, Director of Social Services, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 2101.
Status Quo for Medical Tiered Response Program Continues for Now: Lanark County Council has deferred discussion on the medical tiered response program until later next year in order to assess the effects of the implementation of the new Medical Priority Dispatch System in Ontario. Until then, the current medical tiered response agreement will remain in place.
At the corporate services committee meeting last week, Clerk Jasmin Ralph explained the county and local municipalities have participated in the program since 2008 and have been working to ratify an updated agreement since 2019/2020. “The Medical Assist Response agreement provides the Kingston Central Ambulance Communication Centre (KCACC) the criteria to ask respective local fire departments to be used as an additional resource in a medical situation.” Municipalities are not required to participate in the agreement.
The request for assistance can only happen in four specific emergency situations when the Lanark County Paramedic Service (LCPS) resources are more than 20 minutes away:
Vital signs absent
Unconscious patient
Airway is compromised
Chest pains
In February, council created a working group consisting of the LCPS chief, representatives of local fire departments, a county councillor and staff support. The group was tasked with reviewing statistics and data related to the program in Lanark County and other jurisdictions, as well as potential agreement and training parameters, and to make recommendations to council.
Ralph indicated the group found a clear delineation between rural and urban response times for medical calls, with very rural areas having more medical tiered response calls. She said privacy and medical information regulations prevent analysis of patient outcomes.
She added issues affecting decisions about the program include:
The implementation of the Medical Priority Dispatch System in 2025
Challenges of effective and clear statistical analysis
Consideration of other models of care, such as placing paramedic first response vehicles in rural areas or the Neighbours Saving Neighbours program.
The new Medical Priority Dispatch System in Ontario prioritizes and triages emergency medical calls to 9-1-1. Dispatchers ask callers key questions in order to increase understanding of the nature of the call and improve the assignment of paramedics to the highest priority calls. The new system has been rolled out to five dispatch centres so far, with the Kingston site, which covers Lanark County, planned for next year. For more information, contact Jasmin Ralph, Clerk, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502.
Lanark County to Host Free Tree Seedling Giveaway: Lanark County will be giving away tree seedlings on Saturday, Oct. 19 in partnership with Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. The annual Fall giveaway will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. (or until supplies last) at two locations: the Almonte Depot, 4752 County Road 29 North, Almonte and the Public Works Garage, 99 Christie Lake Road, Perth.
To take part in the giveaway, participants must be a Lanark County resident and bring a bag or box in order to transport the seedlings. There is a maximum of 10 trees per household. Seedlings available include red maple, bur oak, red oak, white oak, hackberry, white birch, yellow birch and tamarack.
At the Perth location, explore the Learning Centre for information on wildflower seed, tree identification/planting tips, local programs and more. Attendees are also encouraged to use a provided map and enjoy a walk on the property. For more information, contact climate@lanarkcounty.ca.
Upcoming Meetings: County Council, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 5 p.m.; Community Services, Oct. 9 (following County Council); Corporate Services, Oct. 9 (following Community Services). County Council, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 5 p.m.; Public Works, Oct. 23 (following County Council); Economic Development, Oct. 23 (following Public Works). Watch for details about public access to meetings on agendas and through online notifications.
MP Scott Reid, Federal Liberal candidate Michelle Foxton, and Perth’s Calvin Neufeld, the founder of Evolve Our Prison Farms, debate the issue of reopening the Joyceville Penitentiary abattoir. Photo credit: Submitted.
MP Scott Reid, Michelle Foxton and Calvin Neufeld share their insights
LAURIE WEIR
The issue of reopening the former abattoir facility at the Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Joyceville Institution, has ignited a debate locally, with concerns centred on feasibility, costs, safety, ethical implications, and the broader impact on local food production and sustainability.
The facility, which was the last in Canada to be run with prison labour, ceased operations on Sept. 30, 2022, after the facility’s operator, Wallace Beef, had its lease extended by a year in 2021, and the company’s owner subsequently retired.
The CSC posted an invitation on its website for an “Expression of Interest” on Aug. 22, 2024, with a deadline of Oct. 15, 2024. They’re looking for a five-year term of lease, to start Jan. 1, 2025. “The commercial operation must employ offenders,” the website states. “Those offenders employed must be paid for their labour in accordance with wage standards for the province of Ontario.”
People are weighing in, including Federal Liberal candidate Michelle Foxton, who has been vocal in her support for reopening the Joyceville abattoir, and Perth’s Calvin Neufeld, the founder of Evolve Our Prison Farms, which on July 31 released a report titled, “Prison Farms Exposed: Revelations from Access to Information.” Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MP Scott Reid wants to have a cautious look at options.
After a fire at Quinn’s Meats, an abattoir in Yarker earlier this year, Foxton said this situation serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with relying on a single facility. The abattoir opened in 1976. (Licensed meat plants in Ontario can be found here.)
“This incident has led to a significant production crisis, underscoring the necessity of having multiple operational abattoirs to ensure resilience in our agricultural infrastructure,” Foxton said in an emailed statement to Hometown News.
“By supporting all available options, including Joyceville, we can assist our local farming community and provide a stable supply of affordable, quality meat to consumers. The goal should be to create a robust and diversified network of abattoirs that can withstand unforeseen challenges, ensuring the long-term sustainability of local food production,” she said.
Reid said rebuilding the Joyceville facility would be just as challenging and costly as reopening Quinn’s Meats. This abattoir is located in Yarker, which is in the western part of Reid’s jurisdiction.
“We must be careful not to throw good money after bad. The recent fire at Quinn’s Meats highlights the risks of relying on a single facility, but that doesn’t mean we should rush into reopening Joyceville without fully considering the costs and challenges,” Reid explained in a story covered by the Frontenac News recently.
Neufeld has been a critic of reopening the Joyceville abattoir and has raised concerns about the financial implications. “The costs of maintenance and repairs to reopen the Joyceville abattoir are in the range of $5 million,” he told this publication. “This significantly exceeds the value of the building itself ($1.5 million) and the cost of building a new abattoir off prison grounds,” Neufeld questioned the wisdom of reopening a prison abattoir with such a high price tag for taxpayers.
Foxton countered: “It’s not about prioritizing one facility over the other,” she said. There is a “need to increase production capacity, which should include considering Joyceville in addition to a rebuild of Quinn’s, if feasible.”
The inside of the Joyceville Institution’s abattoir facility as photographed by Calvin Neufeld November 2023. Photo credit: Calvin Neufeld.
Neufeld has also expressed concerns about the structural issues and health hazards at Joyceville, including the mould and maintenance problems identified by CSC staff during Neufeld’s visit to the abattoir last November. Photos taken by Neufeld “speak for themselves as to why no food should be produced for human consumption in that facility ever again,” he said.
Foxton toured the facility in March. “During my visit, the building had been cleaned, sterilized, and appeared structurally sound,” she wrote. “While I did not have access to engineering reports, my observations do not align with Mr. Neufeld’s anecdotal claims.” She said the responsibility for assessing the building’s condition lies with CSC, which she believes is taking the necessary steps to prepare the facility for potential reopening.
Neufeld provided Hometown News with the engineering report assessing the building’s condition, which cost taxpayers over $700,000 to produce. The report identifies millions of dollars worth of structural repairs that would be required to reopen.
Reid, meanwhile, highlighted past cost overruns and delays in similar federal projects as a cautionary tale. “We must be vigilant in ensuring that any efforts to reopen the abattoir do not fall into the same traps as previous projects,” he said.
In response to Reid’s concerns about past cost overruns and delays in similar federal projects, Foxton said she would advocate for considering all viable options. “This approach is not a request for Corrections Canada or any other government entity to manage the abattoir,” she stated. “Instead, it involves leasing or renting out the government asset to a private company, ensuring that the facility is operated efficiently and effectively.”
Another issue is the use of prison labour at the abattoir, which Neufeld has criticized as “exploitative” and a violation of human rights.
“The use of underpaid prison labour for market-related slaughter work raises serious ethical questions,” he urged. He pointed to United Nations standards for prison labour, as well as the research linking slaughter work with increased rates of crime and unemployment, making it ill-suited as a prison labour enterprise.
The International Labour Organization guidelines stress that prison labour should not unfairly compete with free labour, should be voluntary, and should respect the dignity and rights of the workers. CSC records obtained by Neufeld show that inmates were paid $3 per hour to work in the abattoir.
Foxton argued that involving inmates in the abattoir’s operations is beneficial to them. “Providing inmates with opportunities to learn transferable skills can reduce recidivism and help them reintegrate into society,” she argued. Foxton emphasized that ethical considerations are paramount and that any operation would need to adhere to all relevant laws and regulations.
“During my role as a per-diem Crown attorney, I have witnessed the consequences of unemployment for individuals released into our communities. The best chance we can give those attempting to reintegrate into society is to provide them with transferable skills and job opportunities,” Foxton said.
The debate also extends to licensing and regulatory issues, with Reid criticizing the federal government’s failure to make more federal licenses available. “The lack of federal licenses is a significant barrier to reopening local abattoirs. We need more support from the federal government to address this issue,” Reid stated.
Foxton said the primary concern for local farmers is provincial licensing. After consulting with the farming community, it is clear that provincial licensing is what matters most in this area, she indicated. To preserve the ability of small abattoirs to compete in local markets, it is crucial to facilitate a collaborative process that reviews regulations with affected (partners) and addresses barriers to economic success while ensuring food quality and safety are not compromised. We need more than one operational abattoir in our region to ensure resilience in our agricultural infrastructure. The recent challenges in the agricultural sector highlight the importance of addressing the shortage of abattoirs and meat processing plants.”
Foxton noted that farmers rely on nearby processing facilities, unlike large corporations that can source from a broad network.
“By engaging with (partners), exploring all viable options, and prioritizing the needs of our local agricultural community, we can build a resilient and sustainable food processing infrastructure that supports local farmers, ensures access to affordable, quality meat, and promotes the long-term viability of our local food production,” Foxton said.
Neufeld continues to call for caution. “We must carefully consider all the implications of reopening a prison’s abattoir for the sale of meat to the public, including the costs, safety, and ethical concerns,” he said. “If the agricultural industry has a problem, it is not the Correctional Service of Canada’s problem to solve.”
Could growing more food within the town of Smiths Falls help alleviate some of the food inflation and food insecurity experienced by a third of people in Smiths Falls? Would another community garden provide opportunities for community building and connection? Are there community members interested in gardening together or having their own community garden plot? Are there experienced gardeners in the community interested in giving a hand and sharing their skills and knowledge with others? These are the questions that the Falls Food Hub and St. John’s Anglican Church are asking as they explore whether a new community garden at the church property is desired, feasible, and practical.
The 442 m2 front lawn of the Parish Hall is currently a lawn with great sunlight that has the potential to grow a significant amount of food for the community. The idea is not new and a small raised bed is already in place on the lawn. The current exploration got started by a comment made by Ramsey Hart, Executive Director of The Table Community Food Centre to Reverend Dr. Thomas Brauer, the Incumbent at St. John’s. “It was a beautiful sunny spring day and as I came up the walkway to the hall it just seemed so obvious to me, as a gardener, that this could be a great place to grow food for the community” commented Hart. “In a half joking way, I mentioned this thought to Thomas and about a week later I had a message asking for a meeting with two members of the Church Council to discuss creating a community garden!”
The Anglican Church congregation is interested in the garden as a means of supporting and connecting with the community. Participants would not have to have any affiliation with the church and the community garden would be offered as an expression of love for the community.
Anyone interested in the idea of a new community garden is invited to a community discussion at the Parish Hall, located at 2 George St. S, on Tuesday June 4th at 7pm. There is also an online survey people are encouraged to complete. A link to the survey can be found at the Falls Food Hub page of The Table’s website. https://www.thetablecfc.org/the-falls-food-hub
The Falls Food Hub is a project of The Table Community Food Centre. It is being developed with a number of community partners and with the support of the Town of Smiths Falls, local business and individual donors. The Hub aspires to be a welcoming place where community members can enjoy good food, conversation and friendship, while accessing other much-needed resources. Programs are being modeled after those run successfully at The Table for the past ten years including community meals, food skills training, community navigation services, social justice education and action, and community gardening. The Table is actively fundraising to support the creation of a permanent home for the Hub at 41 Chambers St.
More than two dozen people rallied in front of the Perth branch of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) on Saturday April 6 to stop RBC from financing the climate crisis and violating Indigenous rights. Climate Network Lanark activists were joined by members of the Lanark County Drum Circle. The rally was part of a national day of action in the lead up to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Royal Bank of Canada held in Toronto on April 11th.
Demonstrators called on RBC CEO, David McKay, to rapidly phase out fossil fuel funding, respect Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of Indigenous Peoples and Nations, and ramp up investments in climate-safe solutions.
Photo credit: Submitted.
A recent report from a coalition of environmental groups shows that the Royal Bank of Canada was the biggest fossil fuel financier in the world in 2022 providing over $42 billion US in funding. Since Canada signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, RBC has invested $262 billion dollars in fossil fuels, and increased their fossil fuel investments last year by $19 billion.
RBC is also a key investor in Coastal Gas Link — funding not only environmental destruction, but also violent assaults on Wet’suwet’en people who are defending their land and waters. “It is obvious that RBC executives put shareholder profit before human rights and the climate crisis”, stated event co-organizer, Linda Kulkarni. “The choice is clear: RBC can listen to the science and help lead the way to a sustainable economy, or destroy our ecosystem chasing short-term profits and create stranded assets.”
Good news! Through a nation-wide groundswell of support, sustained pressure over the past two years and negotiations at the table, on April 11, RBC agreed to the following:
Indigenous Rights:RBC has expanded its Environmental and Social Risk process, examining the impacts of its clients’ activities on Indigenous lands and communities (I-ESR), amended its human rights statement to invoke internationally recognized standards for Indigenous rights and agreed to include a review of its new I-ESR policies in its racial equity audit to be completed in 2025.
Climate Change:RBC will regularly disclose its ratio of clean energy supply financing to fossil fuel extraction financing (Energy Supply Ratio) and its underlying methodology. This agreement is a critical step to better assess the role banks play in the climate transition, and whether or not they are on track to meet their emissions reduction commitments.
Perth event co-organizer Anita Payne commented “Local action can lead to national results!”
Partners across Leeds-Grenville and Lanark are collaborating to host the Good Food in Schools Forum at Kemptville Campus on April 11th. This one-day event will bring together stakeholders working on school food education and programs across Eastern Ontario, to share efforts to create healthy and positive school food environments.
Organizers are excited to foster these conversations between educators, students, parents, food producers, community health and community food organizations. “Food security, food education and affordability are front of mind these days, and schools have a major role to play in implementing solutions,” says Ramsey Hart, Executive Director of The Table Community Food Centre in Perth. “Schools today are actively engaging kids in food literacy: building a healthy relationship with food, understanding where and how food is produced, and building their own skills in growing, preparing and serving food.”
The event is being organized by members of Foodcore Leeds Grenville Lanark (LGL), co-led by working group members: The Table Community Food Centre; Leeds Grenville Lanark District Health Unit; and Kemptville Campus. Foodcore is a multi-stakeholder working group committed to building healthy, sustainable and inclusive local food systems. Foodcore LGL has created a Food Charter and related toolkits, maintains a local Food Inventory, and supports food events and programming in our region.
The Forum’s keynote speaker, Sarah Keyes from Sustain Ontario, will present the work of Canada’s largest school food network, the Coalition for Healthy School Food. Other presenters will share their work and experiences in school food programs locally, from school gardens to greenhouses to cafeterias.
The Good Food in Schools Forum is open to all, including educators, students, school board trustees and staff, parents, volunteers, food producers and community food organizations. The event takes place on Thursday, April 11th, from 9am to 4pm at the Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre in Kemptville.
Dave and Joni Thornley stand at the perimeter of the proposed tiny forest at Corbett Park. Photo credit: Sally Smith.
SALLY SMITH
Let’s think about forests — leaves underfoot, tree canopy overhead, birds, bugs and bees. It’s wonderful to get out, to breathe, to listen.
In town that’s hard to do…but soon people in Smiths Falls will be able to see a tiny ‘forest’ growing in Corbett Park.
It all starts in April.
Dave Thornley and a crew of volunteers are building it; it’s based on a Japanese concept — the Miyawaki Method — developed, initially, to counter deforestation in that country after the War.
But first, after planting the seed at a REAL board meeting, he had to find land. Not much of a problem…there’s lots around. The issue was timing…and then getting permission. “I was under the gun,” Thornley remembers.
The deadline to apply to Trees Canada for $9000 of funding for the project was rapidly approaching — he had five days to get it submitted. He went to the Town, suggested four spots for the tiny forest, and the final decision was made for Corbett Park.
Mini (tiny) forests provide a variety of ecosystem services that offer both environmental and social benefits. From reducing air pollution to increasing biodiversity, and providing necessary habitat for wildlife, these small plots can have a big impact on their local environments. They provide much-needed green spaces for people to enjoy, offering mental health benefits and improving air quality. Mini forests also help reduce runoff, prevent flooding and mitigate the urban heat island effect. • Green Communities Canada
SIDEBAR
He grins when he remembers this… ”within less than a week we got the land. Amazing! It can happen…!”
They hope to hear about the funding this March but if it doesn’t come through, REAL has agreed to go ahead with it anyway; a Go Fund Me site has also been suggested.
The tiny forest will grow between Chambers and Sussex, the northwest corner of Corbett park. Presently it’s a small park, bare except for children’s playground equipment. The planting will go at one end lending coolness on hot summer days.
There are other tiny forests around, Thornley says. Kingston has planted “six or nine of them over the last three years.”
He describes the work. “We’re doing the minimum size — 100 square metres. That’s about half a tennis court, not very big for 300 trees. Each square metre has three trees.” And because Kingston has done this before, the city is lending spreadsheets with methodology and what needs to be done.
There are two aspects, Thornley says — the first is planting the forest floor and the second is planting the trees. “You plant the floor first…which emulates the forest floor, and then the trees, three trees in one square metre.
”The idea is to plant close together. The undergrowth fights against each other, grows faster, and turns into a forest in 10 years.
“That’s the whole idea of a tiny forest.”
But you need a proper forest floor to do this. This is the layering to be done: cardboard, leaves, compost, and wood chips. All of this is coming from the landfill site in Smiths Falls “except for the cardboard,” Thornley explains. On April 13, when the initial work starts, he asks everyone to bring cardboard, the bigger the better. “We’re looking for b-i-g boxes.”
Cardboard keeps the weeds from growing and when the layering is complete, and the forest floor is down, the trees go in.
“The recommendation is to let it sit for six months and then, in October, plant the trees.”
How is all this going to happen?
“Volunteers,” Thornley says. “We need people,” men and women with trucks, teens who need volunteer hours, moms and dads and grandparents, and then wheelbarrows, rakes, hoes, gloves, sun screen. His hope is to make it a community event.
He suggests people give an hour or two and says it could be done in “four to six hours.”
Why trucks? Not for compost, he quickly says, knowing how guys and gals feel about their trucks, but to get leaf bags and cardboard to the site. There are 120 bags at the landfill — “they fill them, we just put them in cars or trucks and take them.”
And then, in October, the trees go in — three trees per square metre. Thornley says they have a list of 300 trees — “all sorts, canopy, mid-canopy, normal, bush, a mixture…not mature trees with the largest being small and easy to plant, saplings…”
He foresees only one problem — water.
The planting will have to be watered initially and then “once in a while, two or three times a summer.” He’s looked at the site and knows there are two fire hydrants fairly near. “Maybe the fire chief could give us an old hose to hook up,” he says, putting the thought out there, or maybe nearby houses could co-ordinate.
“We only need it a few times a year, not a lot.”
The new plants will be colour co-ordinated with tiny flags to identify location and type. “We care for it up to three years [this is where volunteers for watering and weeding come in], and then it should look after itself.”
In 10 years it will be a good looking forest.
So put this on your calendar:
What: Planting a tiny forest Where: Corbett Park between Chambers and Sussex When: April 13, 9 a.m. Why: Environmentally sound planning for Town; attracts birds Who: Grandparents, parents, kids, teens who need volunteer hours What to bring: Trucks, wheelbarrows, hoes, rakes, gloves, trowels, large pieces of cardboard.
And one last thought, Thornley grins. This is going to happen sun, sleet or snow…To contact Dave, email him at thornley.j.d@gmail.com.
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