Churchill Road bid lower than town estimates
PRESCOTT The tenders are in, and the low bid to reconstruct
much of Churchill Road is slightly lower than initial estimates.
Town council discussed the matter Monday night at a committee-of-the-whole
meeting. Council was advised Cornwall Gravel Company Limited
had the lowest of three bids submitted.
Town Engineer Clyde Solomon noted the original estimate to
rebuild Churchill from Edward Street to Boundary Street was $759,000.
The Cornwall Gravel bid works out to about $747,000. Solomon
said the lowest bid was about $115,000 less than the second lowest
submission.
The project would include road reconstruction and some sidewalk
replacement work. The bid also provided separate amounts should
the project be split into two sections: Edward Street to Massie
Drive, and Massie Drive to Boundary Street.
Although council decided Churchill was a top municipal priority
as part of the 2001 budget process, a commitment to award a contract
has yet to be made.
Solomon told council the contractor is "more than happy"
to do half the work this year and do the rest next year at the
bid price. The engineer and other town officials indicated it
may not be possible to complete the entire project this fall.
Municipal officials will review the options as well as long-term
financing options. The subject will return to the council table
next Tuesday, although a final decision may not come until council's
second meeting in September.
"I am prepared to do as much as we can afford,"
Councillor Garry Dewar said.
Suspicious device prompts
evacuation
PRESCOTT There were some tense moments in the vicinity
of the police and fire station Saturday morning as an Ontario
Provincial Police bomb disposal unit was called in to deal with
what appeared to be an explosive device.
The device had been acquired by town police when they responded
to a noise complaint in the west end of Prescott just after 3:45
am. The device was made safe and transported to the station at
Centre and Henry streets, where it was to be stored as evidence.
However, the situation changed later that morning.
"The suspect device was made safe, but on closer examination
the exact nature of the device could not be confirmed and the
assistance of the OPP bomb disposal unit was requested,"
the release stated.
The Belleville-based bomb squad was called at about 9 am,
according to Police Chief Rick Bowie. The police and fire building
was evacuated, as was the area in the immediate vicinity of the
building.
The bomb disposal unit arrived and destroyed the device downstairs
in the evidence locker. The incident was over by about 11:30
am, the police chief said. Television crews from Ottawa were
among the media and press outlets at the scene to cover the bomb
scare.
An examination determined the item was a tear gas canister.
Operations at the police station and fire hall returned to
normal Saturday, except for the clean-up of the area in which
the device was destroyed. Clean-up was expected to wrap up yesterday.
Chief Bowie said there was no damage to the building, but powder
from the device had to be removed from nearby objects.
When police had arrived at the residence earlier that morning,
they found in front of the building two men armed with what appeared
to be an explosive device, according to the release. The men
had reportedly been in the home and threatened a victim who is
a witness in an upcoming trial. Police did not release the name
of the victim.
David MacDonald, 30, of Prescott, and Philip MacDonald, 32,
of Ottawa, were charged with unlawfully being in a dwelling,
uttering threats and obstructing justice. David MacDonald was
also charged with one count of possession of a weapon dangerous
to the public peace and one count of possession of a prohibited
weapon. Philip MacDonald faces one count of assault.
Both men were arraigned Saturday and remained in custody for
a bail hearing Tuesday afternoon in Brockville.
Work will enable library
to be ready for winter
PRESCOTT Work to ensure the public library can remain
open this winter will proceed, town council has decided.
Council agreed Monday to have the work done. The rest of the
Dibble Street municipal building was vacated earlier this year
in anticipation of proposed renovations to the facility. Those
renovations were put on hold; municipal offices were relocated
to a temporary home in the former bank building near the intersection
of Edward Street and Churchill Road.
Concerns have been expressed about the condition of the library
and how it affects staff and library users. Although the town
has applied for government funding to renovate the library, the
municipality has not committed itself to such a project.
A report submitted by Town Engineer Clyde Solomon noted several
measures which should be taken to address deficiencies in or
near the library. Council has approved plans to place a partition
around an existing furnace and remove an old oil tank. The work
is expected to cost less than $3,000.
"There's no alternative," Councillor Garry Dewar
said.
Council must also decide to what extent will other unused
portions of town hall be heated this winter. Renovating the existing
building is one of several options being considered by council;
other options include building a new facility and relocating
municipal offices and the library to other locations in town.
THIS WEEK
Labour Day holiday prompts early deadline
PRESCOTT The offices of The Prescott Journal
and St. Lawrence Printing will be closed Monday, Sept. 3 to observe
Labour Day.
The deadline for display and classified advertising for the
Sept. 5 edition of The Journal is Friday, Aug. 31 at noon.
An early deadline also applies to editorial submissions for the
Sept. 5 edition.
Forwarders Museum to host tea
PRESCOTT The Forwarders' Museum will host a tea party
Saturday, Sept. 1 from noon until 4 pm.
Tea, iced tea, coffee and lemonade will be served. A variety
of baked goods will also be served. Indoor and outdoor tables
will be available, weather permitting. The event will take place
rain or shine.
The museum is located at the corner of Water and Centre streets
in downtown Prescott.
For more information or for reservations, call the museum
at 925-5788. There is an admission fee for the tea party. The
museum will also be open for tours. Admission is free; however,
donations are accepted.
Outdoor appliances are not permitted
PRESCOTT Outdoor wood-burning appliances are not permitted
in town, council was advised Monday.
Based on complaints about existing appliances, town officials
reviewed the bylaws of nearby municipalities. Clerk/CAO Andrew
Brown told council the existing fire code prohibits outdoor burning
appliances unless exemptions are granted by fire officials. Councillor
Terry McConnell said some people who own the units may not be
aware of the restriction.
It was also noted at Monday's meeting outdoor furnaces are
not covered by fire codes. Council is looking into a bylaw banning
those appliances.
Ducks Unlimited to host annual banquet
PRESCOTT The Prescott and district chapter of Ducks
Unlimited will host its fifth annual banquet and auction Friday,
Sept. 28 at St. Mark's Parish Centre. Doors will open at 6 pm;
dinner will be served at 7:30 pm.
For more information, call Jim Holmes at 925-5186, Doug Hayes
at 925-5872 or Paul Van Luit at 925-3312. Call 925-4800 to become
a volunteer.
New principal named
PRESCOTT St. Joseph Catholic School in Prescott has
a new principal for the coming year.
Alex Bujacz will be the principal beginning the first day
of classes, Tuesday, Sept. 4. The former principal, Margaret
Wicklum, has been appointed principal of St. Mary's Elementary
School in Morrisburg.
Augusta fire
department asks Prescott council for Nevada ticket outlety
PRESCOTT The Augusta Fire Department will be granted
a licence to sell Nevada tickets in town, council has decided.
Most council members indicated at a committee-of-the-whole
meeting Monday they would approve a request by township firefighters
to acquire a licence to sell tickets at a Mac's Milk outlet in
downtown Prescott.
Augusta fire department representatives Lorne Dougherty and
Sylvain Lefebvre attended the meeting and made a presentation
to council. Dougherty explained the department is trying to raise
$174,000 to purchase a new rescue van. Firefighters are hoping
to acquire two sets of the jaws-of-life used to extricate people
from damaged vehicles.
Under the current system, the Prescott Fire Department is
one of the units dispatched by 9-1-1 to respond to accident calls
on Highway 401 in the township. In many cases, town firefighters
are ordered to stand down because their presence and jaws-of-life
equipment are not required.
If town crews responded, however, the township would still
receive money through the department of highways.
Councillor Garry Dewar indicated the town should get at least
some of the money now going to Augusta for those 401 calls. Dewar
also reiterated his view that it may be better to award a lottery
licence to a group which operates in town, even though he did
acknowledge the Augusta fire department's cause is "worthy."
"A lot of charities in Prescott are in desperate need
of money," said Dewar, who resides in Augusta township.
"I'd just prefer to keep it in town."
Councillor Terry McConnell agreed it may be time to revise
the town's arrangement with the township in terms of fire coverage.
But that is an argument for councils and not the firefighters,
he added. McConnell also said he understands charities in Prescott
need help, but the two municipalities benefit from each other's
fire protection service.
Lefebvre noted upgrading the service provided by Augusta would
have a positive effect on the Prescott fire department. It would
keep town firefighters off the road and reduce wear and tear
on equipment, he said.
Most members of council indicated they would support the Augusta
department's request for the lottery licence. A licence for Kingston
and District Crime Stoppers to sell tickets at the downtown location
is expected to expire soon.
When asked by Dewar if the fire department would support a
Prescott request to split revenue with the township for those
Highway 401 response calls, Dougherty indicated the township
should be giving money back to the town.
Firefighters put rescue
skills to the test
CARDINAL All firefighters knew was they were responding
to a multi-vehicle accident with multiple injuries.
Twenty members of the Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Fire Department
were put to the test Aug. 20 as part of vehicle extrication and
medical aid training. Leeds-Grenville EMS and department officials
were on hand at the Scott Road training site to observe the men
in action as part of "Operation Rescue."
Firefighters arrived at the scene to find a van and car in
bad shape, as well as several volunteers portraying accident
victims with varying degrees of injury.
Firefighters got a chance to demonstrate teamwork and the
skills required to deal with and treat injured persons before
paramedics arrive. Some of the injured were trapped in a vehicle,
a challenge that firefighters may face during the course of their
duties.
Lt. Jeff Baldwin, the department's chief training officer,
said his initial assessment of the exercise was positive. Firefighters
were successful in their efforts to treat the injured and free
those trapped inside vehicles.
Participants gathered at the Cardinal fire station after the
exercise to hear the critiques made by EMS and fire officials.
This marked the first time an exercise of this nature involved
members of both fire stations in the amalgamated municipality.
Alzheimer society seeks
coffee break hosts
LEEDS AND GRENVILLE Take a coffee break in September
and support the local Alzheimer Society in the process.
The society is asking companies, groups and individuals to
host an Alzheimer Coffee Break. Donations collected at the break
would be given to the Alzheimer Society of Leeds-Grenville.
Alzheimer disease is a degenerative brain disorder that affects
more than 350,000 Canadians and their families. The disease has
no known cause or cure, although there is medication to treat
some symptoms.
The Leeds-Grenville society will host a coffee break Saturday,
Sept. 1 from 7 am to 1 pm at the Brockville Farmers market.
For more information about hosting a coffee break, contact
the Alzheimer Society at (613) 345-7392.
PSAC wants government
to be responsive
PRESCOTT The Public Service Alliance of Canada wants
a fair deal from the federal government, according to the president
of a union local in Prescott.
Tens of thousands of public servants who belong to the alliance
took part in one-day walkouts Aug. 15 and Aug. 22 to back demands
for better collective agreements with Treasury Board, the federal
government agency which negotiates and oversees the contracts.
Among those who took part in last Wednesday's legal walkout
were members of Local 00054 of the Union of Canadian Transport
Employees. More than 50 workers at the Prescott Coast Guard Base
belong to the local.
"We want a fair deal," said Geoff Fortier, president
of the local.
In light of double-digit pay raises received by members of
parliament and large increases received by senior bureaucrats,
PSAC are seeking what they believe is a reasonable pay increase.
Offers of two per cent per year have been greeted with a negative
response by the union, which has been without a new contract
for a year.
"Just about every other group is receiving offers a lot
larger than two per cent," Fortier said. "It's frustrating
for our employees here," he added.
Picket lines returned to the base Monday morning as members
of some of the units of the local, including ships' crews, walked
off the job in response to what the union says is Treasury Board's
reluctance to change contract wording. There were no picket lines
in front of the base late Tuesday morning; additional details
were unavailable as of press time.
PSAC is planning a third one-day walkout today. Fortier said
last week it is too early to say how the public is responding
to PSAC's efforts.
He noted the support by management at the base has been excellent;
the union's concerns rest with the federal government.
As for the future of the ongoing labour dispute, Fortier predicted
the situation would be resolved by mid-autumn.
Drivers reminded to be more cautious when
schools reopen next week
SOUTH GRENVILLE Motorists are being reminded to use
extra caution when schools reopen next Tuesday.
The return of classes also means the return of school buses.
Although the Ontario Safety League (OSL) notes the school bus
is one of the safest forms of transportation in the province,
most injuries to bus kids occur outside the school bus.
"Children sometimes forget safety rules and don't always
pay attention to traffic when leaving the school bus or walking
home, so motorists must," stated OSL President and GM Bert
Killian.
Students waiting for school buses are reminded to stand back
from the roadside and pay attention to traffic. When exiting
a bus, children should look both ways before crossing a street.
They should also walk far enough in front of the bus so the driver
can see them.
Motorists approaching from either direction must stop when
the red lights on a bus are flashing, or when the stop sign arm
is extended. Children have less peripheral vision than adults
and may have difficulty detecting vehicle movement or judging
distance or a vehicle's speed.
School buses must stop at all railway crossings; motorists
following a bus should be prepared to stop.
Motorists who pass a school bus with its warning lights activated
could be fined and receive demerit points, and their actions
could also put youngsters at risk. Police services throughout
the region are prepared to charge offenders.
For more information, visit the OSL Web site at www.osl.org.
OPP NEWS
Generator stolen from shed
AUGUSTA OPP officers were called to investigate a break,
enter and theft that occurred sometime between Aug. 17 and Aug.
25 at a Dixon Road residence. A Honda 2500 generator, model EN
3500 SX, serial number 120675, was removed from a shed. Anyone
with information on this theft is asked to contact Constable
Tyler Boutilier at the Grenville County OPP detachment in Prescott
(925-4221). Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Police lay charge of careless driving
EDWARDSBURGH The driver of a car involved in an accident
Aug. 26 on Highway 401 has been charged with careless driving.
OPP officers were called at about 3:50 pm to investigate a single-vehicle
mishap on the westbound section of the highway about one kilometre
east of Highway 16. The vehicle had entered the south ditch and
then proceeded to cross both lanes of traffic before entering
the north ditch and coming to rest, according to a police report.
Constable Jason Butcher is the investigating officer.
Town clears the
way for new Zamboni
PRESCOTT It's out with the old and in with the new.
The Fort Town received the deliver of a Zamboni 520 last month,
replacing the 25-year-old Zamboni 520.
The $68,356 Zamboni arrived here July 24 from Branford, Ont.
The base price of the Zamboni 520 is $61,230. An additional $2,220
was added to the price for such items as a plastic ice making
water tank, a plastic conditioner runner and chrome wheels. The
trade-in value of the 1976 Zamboni was $5,000.
Parks and Recreation Department employee Mike Longtin said
it was time to replace the older 520 model, which cost $18,000
in 1976. "Parts for it were starting to get scarce,"
he said.
Longtin said getting replacement parts could take upwards
of three days, adding people get upset when the activities are
put on ice for that period of time.
An April 30, 2001 department report to Prescott council stated
the 1976 Zamboni has a "Volkswagon engine and finding new
parts is quite difficult... .Most Zambonis of this vintage have
long since been retired and or scraped."
The report said the 1976 Zamboni needed constant repair, and
while it had "performed exceedingly well over its long history,"
breakdowns would not only continue to occur but also increase.
"Should the machine fail completely during our ice making
season we could be forced to close the community centre for as
long as two to four weeks with a loss of revenue of approximately
$5,500 per week." the report stated.
The 1976 Zamboni had its engine rebuilt twice, in September
1984 with the meter at 2740 hours and in June 1996 with the meter
at 7269 hours. In March 26, 2001, there were 9100 hours on the
meter, which when converted is 728,000 kilometres.
The new ice making machine has a Ford 2.5-litre, four-cylinder,
overhead-valve, liquid cooled engine. Another improvement over
the old 520 model, Longtin said, is the plastic water tank, instead
of steel, so it will never corode.
The spreader pipe on the old model was also made of steel.
The spreader pipe would have to be replaced about every five
or six years because of rust, Longtin said. He said with a stainless
pipe on the new Zamboni, this shouldn't happen. Longtin said
the new Zamboni has improved ice-making capabilities too, which
incorporates a washer/vacuum system. Longtin said because of
this, water usage is decreased, resulting in quicker freezing
times.
The ice-making process was started this week and should be
completed by Sept. 3 just in time for the Prescott Figure Skating
Club members to use the ice.
Seven injured when van leaves highway and rolls several times
EDWARDSBURGH Seven people from Gatineau, Quebec were
injured early Sunday morning when the van they were in went out
of control and rolled on Highway 416 south of Spencerville.
Grenville County OPP reported the van was northbound after
5:30 am when the driver lost control of the vehicle, which veered
onto the passing lane and off the highway. The van rolled a number
of times before coming to rest in trees in the median of the
highway.
Two people sustained serious injuries in the accident and
had to be extricated from the vehicle by firefighters. A ten-year-old
was transported by Ministry of Health air ambulance to CHEO in
Ottawa; the other was taken by ambulance to hospital in Kemptville
and later transported to Ottawa General Hospital.
The other five occupants of the vehicle were also treated
by Leeds-Grenville EMS and transported to hospital with less
serious injuries.
The accident occurred approximately eight kilometres north
of Highway 401. Northbound traffic was rerouted. A technical
traffic collision investigator from Rideau Lakes OPP assisted
local officers with the investigation. Alcohol is not believed
to be a factor in the accident.
The accident remains under investigation. Police are asking
anyone who witnessed the accident to call the OPP detachment
in Prescott at 925-4221 during regular business hours or the
OPP Communications Centre at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can
be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Prescott history book unveiled
The long-awaited official launch of Morrises' History of
Prescott 1800-2000, written and published by Prescott
Journal publisher John Morris, took place Saturday afternoon.
Considered to be the social event of the year, the book-signing
and initial sale was held at a garden party and lawn social at
the historic riverfront home of Jean Wadds.
The event was a fundraiser sponsored by the Grenville County
Historical Society and the Forwarders' Museum Board.
This book is the most comprehensive book on the history of
Prescott ever published, and updates the highlights of the book
published in the town's first official history book by the late
Jack Morris in 1968, Morris said. The new 536-page book includes
many historical facts and anecdotes brought to light through
several years of research.
The book is currently available at the Prescott Journal
office and The Gift Lane.
Author John Morris, above left, looks over a copy of his
book with Jean Wadds, who hosted the official book launch Saturday.
Mrs. Wadds was the federal MP for Grenville-Dundas from 1958
to 1968, and Canada's High Commissioner to Britain from 1979
to 1983. She is featured in the book.
Photos by Monica Whitney
Prescott History Quiz Answers:
1. Mrs. Ruby Carmen and Mrs. Margaret Brouse.
2. The Prescott Messenger, a Tory paper run in opposition
to the Prescott Journal, a Reform paper. Both were owned by George
'Dud' Mason and printed on the same press. The Messenger was
located on Water Street and The Journal was on the second floor
of the building it has occupied since 1890.
3. Construction started in 1898 by the Imperial Starch Company,
a competitor of the Edwardsburgh Starch Company in Cardinal.
4. Loyal Orange Lounge No. 150, formed in 1893.
5. It was established in 1923 and operated for 31 years, and
by 1925 boasted membership of 120.
6. John McCarthy, owner of McCarthy's Brewery was defeated
by Tory candidate Macneil Clarke, a former mayor of Prescott.
7. Organized in 1907 with Capt. W.A. Kerfoot, the PHS principal,
as commander and instructor.
8. Father Alexander Macdonell of Glengarry, later to become
the first Bishop in this part of Ontario.
9. Gilkison claimed compensation for 691/2 gallons of whiskey
consumed by the militiamen on this three-month project.
10. None. Work had not yet started on the construction of
the fort at this time. The troops were garrisoned in buildings
and makeshift cabins and sheds scattered throughout Prescott.
About 100 were garrisoned right here in the Stockade Barracks.
11. The schooner Angelus was from France and as it was making
its way to Sydney, NS with a crew from the Prescott aboard, she
was torpedoed by the Germans. The crew was rescued from the Atlantic
after 17 days on life rafts.
12. The two doctors were Dr. Wm. James Scott and Dr. Hamilton
Dibble Jessup, and the hospital was in a derelict shed on the
waterfront at the bottom of East Street, about 100 yards south
of here.
13. The Town Board ordered them to break stones and to pile
the stone in heaps on the streets.
14. The farm was on the Campbell Road, west of Prescott, and
when a 25 acred field was converted to a golf course in 1932
it was owned by Isaac Bradley. Today it is owned by his son Ike
Bradley.
15. The hotel owner was Dennis Higgins, who changed the family
name to O'Higgins. The Colonel's Inn, just north of here, was
the family home.
16. He traded his waterfront property, approximately were
the Sandra Lawn Marina is located today, for the old town hall
property on Henry St. where the Prescott Legion Hall is now located.
17. This was the ice storm that hit Prescott Dec. 31, 1942
and lasted until Jan. 7, 1943.
18. The Grenville Pioneer Society, organized in 1891.
19. The first ferry boat between the two towns was owned by
Isaac Plumb. The first ferry went into operation in 1815 and
was powered by a horse on a treadmill.
20. It was formed in 1895 and Mayor Joseph Steele was the
first chairman.
21. The race, the oldest continuing race in North America,
was run here July 2-3, 1877 at the South Grenville Fair Grounds,
which was located on part of the property now occupied by South
Grenville DHS.
22. It was awarded in 1812 to Barnabus Dickinson. One of his
daughters married Prescott postmaster Alpheus Jones.
23. His Royal Highness, Price Arthur William Patrick Albert.
24. World War I, and the last South Grenville Agricultural
Society annual fair (started in 1858).
25. Bell service came to Prescott in 1884 with 10 subscribers.
The exchange was located in the east half of the Prescott Journal
Building.
26. A strong temperance movement started in Prescott, 1851,
and the town's main industries were Wiser's Distillery, Labatt's
and McCarthy's breweries.
27. It was the Cadets of Temperance, formed in 1852 for young
men between ages 17 and 18 whose cause was to "refine and
elevate the state of society".
28. It was closed in 1918 after Counties Council negotiated
a buyout of $9,000.
29. The contract was awarded to Jeremiah O'Sullivan in 1851
for 357 pounds.
30. Sandra Lawn served 15 consecutive years from 1977 to 1991.
31. Wm. B. Wells, publisher of the Prescott Vanguard, but
because of the anti-Reform feelings in Upper Canada at the time,
did not take his seat and instead fled the country for a short
time.
32. They were Louis and Benjamin Daniels, sons of Louis H.
Daniels, a former mayor of Prescott and owner of the Daniels
Hotel.
|
