Taxis to receive reserved parking
PRESCOTT Taxi companies operating on King Street
will each receive one on-street parking space as part of proposed
changes to downtown parking regulations.
The municipality is planning to remove parking meters for
a six-month trial period. Two-hour parking would go into effect
in areas in which meters are now in place.
As a result of the proposed changes and input from Prescott's
Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA), town officials asked
cab companies for their input. The various parties got together
last Wednesday to discuss the matter.
Under the proposed bylaw, drivers would not be permitted to
park for two hours and then move to another space down the street.
Town officials noted this could affect taxi companies that use
King Street to park their vehicles.
Ray and Linda Sipes, who own Prescott and Fort Town Taxi,
indicated cabs do not usually stay parked for long periods of
time. Ed and Laura Morris of A.J.'s Taxi also noted cabs come
and go and could use designated spaces on a rotating basis.
One option being considered by the town was to move taxi parking
from King Street to Centre Street. BIA Chairman Ken Durand said
the BIA would prefer taxi stands to be on Centre to provide as
much parking as possible on King Street.
But Ray Sipes said people go to the company's office expecting
to get a cab there. Relocating parked cabs would force people
to walk around the corner; some elderly customers would find
that difficult especially in winter, it was argued.
Prescott Police Sergeant Gary Sluytman said he does not see
a problem with allowing two parking spaces for each cab company.
Taxis provide an important service such as taking people to and
from bars.
Councillor Garry Dewar said he does not think providing two
spaces is an option. Neighbouring businesses could be adversely
affected because there are not enough parking spaces on main
street, he noted.
When asked if they could accept having one reserved parking
space on King Street for each company, cab owners indicated they
could live with such an arrangement. The reserved spaces would
be in place 24 hours a day; signs to that effect would be erected.
Proposed changes to downtown parking regulations are expected
to be put to a final vote next Monday at a special council meeting.
Cab companies were also asked about lubricants leaking from
taxis parked on King Street, a concern noted by the BIA. Sipes
said his vehicles have been equipped with new oil pans and there
is no leakage problem.
The sergeant also noted he had done a parking survey years
ago and found BIA members were "the worst offenders"
when it came to on-street parking. He added the BIA should police
itself when the new parking measures take effect.
Americans and Canadians
mark cenotaph relocation
By Monica Whitney - Journal Staff Writer
PRESCOTT The rededication of Prescott's war memorial
was marked Saturday by a solemn and touching ceremony, honouring
those who gave their lives in the name of freedom, and those
who worked relentlessly to bring about the cenotaph's new home.
The memorial service marked a year-long project to move the
cenotaph from its 40-year-home at the Dibble Street municipal
building to the more prominent Fort Wellington National Historic
Site.
Saturday afternoon's activities coincided with the 42nd get-together
of the Canadian and American Veterans Reunion Association (CAVRA),
presented jointly this year by branches of the Prescott and Spencerville
Royal Canadian Legion.
The fort service was preceded by a parade from Centennial
Park, involving American and Canadian veteran associations, pipe
and drum bands, Legion colour parties, the Prescott air cadets
and Cardinal sea cadets.
Ed Greene, whom it was noted worked relentlessly and tirelessly
on the relocation project and without whom it could not have
come to fruition, said "We realize veterans made a significant
contribution so you and I can stand freely here today on both
sides of the border."
Greene also commented the ceremony concludes the first phase
of the project. The second phase - a pathway and landscaping
- will be finished for November 11 Remembrance Day ceremonies.
"We are rededicating here today in a beautiful, serene
environment, a symbol of community pride and respect for those
who served their country," noted Parks Canada representative
Pam Buell.
Parks Canada, the owner of the fort property, assisted in
the relocation project and the creation of the Veterans' Memorial
Garden along with a committee of Prescott Legion members and
other local partners. The service was the realization of a dream
to create a fitting, permanent and highly visible location for
the symbolic monument, Buell said.
She commented the Fort Wellington site is more than a local
treasure, but one of almost 900 national historic sites in Canada
which together commemorate the richness of Canadian heritage.
"Constructed hastily for the War of 1812, a time when relationships
with our American neighbours to the south were less than amicable,
and reinforced again a generation later in the 1830s when the
threat of rebellion again caused the young colony to fortify
and prepare for invasion, the fort now stands as a testament
to those early days of Canadian nationhood," Buell said.
As an example of the friendship between the United States
and Canada, the memorial service included a flag exchange and
flag raising between representatives of the two countries and
the singing of both national anthems.
Dignitaries at the service included MP Joe Jordan, who noted
Canada has a proud military history, but a short memory. "Freedom
isn't free. It comes at a tremendous cost," he said. It
is therefore fitting environments for remembrance such as the
Prescott Veterans' Memorial Garden are created, Jordan said.
He also noted the naming of Highway 416 the Veterans' Memorial
Highway and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa are also
significant remembrances.
Among the other dignitaries present were Prescott Mayor Robert
Lawn, Father John Appelman of St. Mark's RC Church, Rev. Gerry
Ring of St. John's Anglican Church, Augusta Reeve George Vail
and Deputy Zone Commander and Kemptville Legion representative
Sandra Murray.
Leeds-Grenville Alliance President Brian DesRochers represented
the province of Ontario and MPP Bob Runciman in his absence.
Canada Day starts with a bang
PRESCOTT Canada Day started with a bang at 12:01 Sunday
morning in Prescott.
More than 300 people gathered at the southern end of the field
at Fort Wellington to take in a fireworks display presented by
the town and the CAVRA reunion of Canadian and American veterans.
Spectators were treated to a brief but lively display to mark
the beginning of Canada's 134th birthday.
The town will receive Heritage Canada funding to offset the
cost of the fireworks.
Forwarders' Museum opens for season
PRESCOTT The Forwarders' Museum is open for another
season.
The museum, which is located downtown at the corner of Water
and Centre streets, also serves as the town's tourist information
centre.
The museum is open weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm, Fridays and
Saturdays from 10 am to 6 pm and Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm.
Admission is free.
The museum will be open daily until early September.
Appointments to be made by council
PRESCOTT Town council is expected to deal with a longstanding
oversight this month.
Following last year's demise of the South Grenville Economic
Development Commission, some commission members have continued
to conduct meetings as part of a Prescott-based committee. However,
committee members were left off a list of municipal appointees
council approved several months ago shortly after it took office.
Concerns about the oversight were expressed to town officials
this spring at chamber of commerce directors' meetings. Town
officials maintain the omission was an oversight.
Councillor Garry Dewar told the committee last Wednesday council
would address the matter at its regular meeting July 16. The
appointments might be made at a special council meeting July
9, at which time council is expected to approve the town's 2001
budget and vote to have parking meters removed from downtown.
Council will also be appointing members to a property standards
committee and minor variance committee.
Singers to be featured at Sunday concert
PRESCOTT The Riverside Singers are scheduled to perform
this Sunday, July 8 on the waterfront at the Kinsmen outdoor
theatre.
The concert begins at 7 pm. In the event of rain, the concert
will take place at the Leo Boivin Community Centre.
This is the second in a series of Sunday concerts being staged
at the amphitheatre in July and August. Admission is free, but
donations will be accepted.
Crew looks forward to Prescott visits
PRESCOTT The Queen of the North Atlantic spent the night
in Prescott last week, much to the delight of hundreds of people
who caught a glimpse of the special visitor.
Bluenose II, a replica of the famed Canadian schooner,
docked in the fort town last Tuesday as it made its way to the
tall ships festival which took place during the Canada Day long
weekend in Kingston. Although the schooner has visited Prescott
on several occasions in the past, long-time members of the crew
looked forward to the greeting they knew they would receive here.
"People are genuinely happy to see us and are always
interested," said Captain Philip Watson. "They go out
of their way to make us feel welcome."
Launched in 1963, Bluenose II is owned by the Province
of Nova Scotia and operated by a preservation trust. The Lunenburg-based
schooner was built from the same plans as the Bluenose,
Canada's most famous sailing vessel which in the 1920s and 1930s
won many races against American fishing schooners.
Watson said people continue to be intrigued by the style of
the Bluenose. It is something rarely seen in this day and age,
he added.
The crew of the schooner consists of five officers, a chief
cook and 12 deckhands. Young Nova Scotians are selected for six-month
stints as deckhands. Watson said serving on Bluenose II
instills a sense of pride and responsibility, as well as the
traditional skills of seamanship. Crew members represent their
province in smaller communities like Prescott and larger centres
like New York.
Prescott remains a highlight on any voyage through the Great
Lakes system, according to Watson. The sincere welcome received
during each visit is something Bluenose II crew members
do not always receive in big cities, the captain said.
"I don't know how to put that into words," the captain
said.
Crew members were treated to a reception involving Tourism
Prescott and municipal officials. Mayor Robert Lawn said he was
impressed by the visiting schooner and its crew.
Following its appearance in Kingston, Bluenose II sailed
for other Great Lakes destinations. The schooner will be back
in Prescott later this season on its return trip to the Maritimes.
The Prescott stop enables the crew to raise or lower its mast
depending on the direction in which the schooner is heading.
Elementary teachers and board agree to terms
BROCKVILLE Elementary school teachers will get a 2.5
per pent pay raise after a deal was signed with the Upper Canada
District School Board.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario and the public
board stated in a joint press release the two sides had ratified
a renewal collective agreement, which will apply for the period
from Sept. 1, 2001 to August 31, 2002.
Caroll Carkner, president of the local district union, stated
"the agreement responds to the needs of my membership to
see a salary improvement. This places us in a comparable position
relative to other elementary panel settlements with our neighbouring
boards and boards throughout Ontario."
The agreement affects 1,300 teachers across a board that covers
12,000 square kilometres and includes the counties of Lanark,
Leeds, Grenville, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott and Russell.
Board chairperson Joan Hodge stated "the balance of the
new agreement reflects the status quo under the prior agreement.
It also provides a measure of relief from the uncertainty related
to the recently enacted provincial legislation which would have
required agreements entered into after June 30 to be three years
in duration without identifying specifically how such agreements
would be funded."
Effective Sept. 1, teachers will get a salary grid increase
of 1.5 per cent, with another one per cent kicking in May 31.
By the end of the increases, a beginner teacher who possesses
a master's degree in addition to basic teacher qualifications
will receive an annual salary of $40,824.
Meanwhile, a similarly qualified teacher with 12 or more years
of experience will earn an annual salary of $70,125.
Accident investigation
continues
AUGUSTA Police are continuing their investigation of
a fatal accident involving a pedestrian and a train at the Merwin
Lane crossing.
A Prescott-area man was struck and killed by an eastbound
freight train shortly before 3 pm June 26.
A positive identification of the victim was made last week,
Senior Constable Cindy MacDonald of Grenville County OPP reported.
However, police are not releasing additional information at the
request of the victim's family.
The railway crossing was closed for more than five hours after
the incident. Accident reconstruction specialists were brought
in to assist local police and CN officials with the investigation.
Trauma support personnel also attended the scene a short time
after the incident occurred, MacDonald noted. Augusta firefighters
provided traffic control and other services, she added.
New publications at historical society
PRESCOTT The Grenville County Historical Society has
added a number of new publications to its resource library.
Located at 439 Edward St., Prescott, archives provides genealogical
and historical information for a nominal fee. It is open Monday
to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. The society can be reached at 925-0489.
The centre's new books are:
* The New Loyalist Index, by Paul J. Bunnell
* Loyalist Lists 1775-1783, by E. Keith Fitzgerald
* Name and Age Listing from the 1871 Census of Wolford Township,
by Chester Hare
* Births, Deaths and Marriages listed in the Kemptville Advance
1900, 1899, 1895 and 1893, by Osgoode Township Historical Society
* The Marriage Registers of Upper Canada/Canada West Johnstown
District Part 1 1799-1851 and Part 1 1847-1863, by Dan Walker
and Fawne Stratford-Devai
Fort Wellington offers heritage day camp
PRESCOTT Fort Wellington is offering a special Heritage
Summer Day Camp. Children enlist to travel back in time to 1846
when the fort was occupied by the Royal Canadian Rifle Regiment
members and their families.
The children will learn about the history of Canada and the
Prescott area, while participating in period games and activities.
Crafts, cooking and period sports are all part of the experience.
Each session runs for five days from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Session
dates are July 24 to 28, and from August 7 to 11. Children age
seven to 13 are eligible. Each child is responsible for providing
his or her own period costume; patterns are available at the
fort office. For more information, contact 925-2896.
Story of Windmill Point battle told in new
book
PRESCOTT The story of an American invasion of Canada
near Prescott is the subject of a new book now on sale.
Guns Across the River: The Battle of the Windmill, 1838,
was written by Donald E. Graves of Almonte and published by the
Friends of Windmill Point in collaboration with Robin Brass Studio
Inc. of Toronto.
A public book launch will be held this Friday at 7 pm at Fort
Wellington.
Rene Schoemaker, one of seven members of the non-profit friends
group that has operated the Windmill site in conjunction with
Parks Canada since 1996, noted the arrival of the book marks
the end of an 18-month process.
"The whole group worked very hard," he said in an
interview. "We are thoroughly delighted" with the result,
Schoemaker added.
The 264-page book chronicles the November 1838 invasion of
the stone windmill east of Prescott by 250 Americans belonging
to the Patriot Hunters group. Five days of fighting concluded
when British troops and Canadian militia regained control of
the site and captured the invaders.
More than 2,100 copies of the book have been printed. Schoemaker
noted 250 were pre-sold to historical and military societies
in England. An additional 500 copies have been sold to parties
in the United States.
More than 150 copies were sold locally the first two days
they were available, he added. Schoemaker is hoping descendants
of those who fought in the battle will appear at the book launch.
Anyone who makes a donation of $50 or more to the friends
group will have a book donated to the person or group of his
or her choice, Schoemaker noted.
Guns Across the River is available at the fort, the
Windmill Point site, Gift Lane and the Grenville County Historical
Society, or from Schoemaker at 925-4826.
Attacker gets 13-month sentence
BROCKVILLE A Cardinal man has received a 13-month jail
sentence after being found guilty of assaulting a parking meter
attendant.
Cecil Herbert Millar, 68, was convicted of aggravated assault
and assaulting a peace officer. Justice Charles Anderson sentenced
Millar June 25 in Brockville court.
Millar was charged following the May 1999 assault of 74-year-old
Owen Brown. The victim was in the process of writing a parking
ticket on King Street in Prescott when he was confronted by Millar,
who went on to push him to the ground and strike him twice in
the head with a sewing machine.
Millar was also ordered to pay compensation to the victim
and obtain anger management counselling. A two-year probation
order was also issued by Anderson.
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