Thanks go to Allan Walker from Dunvegan East for drawing my attention to a small, but ominous, item in last week’s Glengarry News. Fifteen years ago, Allan and I, along with many other concerned Dunveganites, opposed Cornwall Gravel’s application to license Lot 18, Kenyon Concession 9 as a below-water table quarry that would include an asphalt and concrete plant. Our group was dubbed Quarries Are The Pits and we took our fight to the Ontario Municipality Board (OMB). We knew our chances of winning were slim. The OMB rarely listens to the concerns of citizens or municipalities, for that matter. Their shameful record shows that the overwhelming majority of their decisions favour the aggregate industry and property developers. In the end, we lost our appeal and Cornwall Gravel promptly celebrated their victory by erecting a big “Dunvegan Quarry” sign (which I suspect they ordered before the OMB even met) at the entrance to their property. For those who fought this fight, the sign is like salt in a wound every time we drive by it.
For the past decade and half, Cornwall Gravel’s Dunvegan neighbours have been lulled into a false sense of security. This calm before the storm, though, may soon be coming to an end. As last week’s brief news item reported: “North Glengarry Township has told Cornwall Gravel Limited that it will not grant permission to remove trees from a patch of land – identified as Part Lot 18, Concession 9, Kenyon Township – near the Dunvegan quarry.“ The bush in question is a stand of timber at the very north end of the future quarry site, cheek-by-jowl with Highway 417. I asked Kenyon councilor Jeff Manley if he had any further details and he replied that it was his understanding similar requests were made for each of the properties Cornwall Gravel owns across SD&G. “I don’t think there is a plan for quarry operations in the near future,” Manley wrote in his email to me, “but rather the company is trying to get deforestation approval in the Township’s official plan.”
In her Staff Report To Council (No: BP-2019-43), North Glengarry’s planner, Kasia Olszewska, recommended that the request be denied in order to “…protect the limited forested areas within the Township.” However, she also wrote, “Removal of any such woodland layers should be subjected to a peer-reviewed environmental study to demonstrate the woodlands are not significant.” The implication here is that the holy sword of environmentalism will protect us. However, as the tattered remnants of Dunvegan’s Quarries Are The Pits movement know all too well — regardless of the conclusions of the environmental study — the Dunvegan quarry owners can depend on their pals at the OMB to give them a green light to fire up their chainsaws. They may claim that the request is not a further step in the process of bringing the quarry online, but I very much doubt that Cornwall Gravel’s owners are just short of firewood.
Breakfast gaffe spotted
While I’ll never come anywhere near the ‘apology score’ racked up by the present occupant of 24 Sussex Drive, I would like to express my regrets for leading you astray with regards to the pricing of the DRA’s Winter Carnival Breakfast on Saturday, February 1st. The amounts I quoted a week ago were out of date. The actual cost of the country-style breakfast for individuals over the age of 12 is $8.00 per head. For those from 5 to 12 years old, the price is $5.00. And children under the age of 5 are free.
I’m happy to report that Daniel Lacombe has agreed to return to Dunvegan again this year with his wonderful horse-drawn sleigh. Presumably, he will also bring his team of horses. Now all we need is a serious cold spell and whole lot more snow… in that order. I was just back at the pond, and Saturday’s rain and Sunday morning’s ice pellets have resulted in a far better ice surface than I had ever expected. Nevertheless, we could use a chilly Arctic blast to fully incorporate Mother Nature’s latest contribution into the 8” thick ice layer below. So, if you have any pull with the weather gods, now’s the time to call in a few favours.
Friday’s old-fashioned ‘potluck’
Don’t forget that the DRA 2020 Annual General Meeting will be held this coming Friday, January 17th. The event will begin at 6:00 pm with an old-fashioned potluck supper. So please bring a main dish, salad or dessert. (If gluten or meat is an issue, I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll find something on the buffet table to meet your wants.) Once everyone has reached the dessert stage, the group will review the past year, elect a new Executive Committee and discuss what lies ahead for 2020. It’s an informal evening marked by great food and good fellowship. And the two hours or so you will spend shows the dedicated DRA volunteers that they enjoy the support of the community. Active for over 40 years, the Dunvegan Recreation Association delivers a wide range of programs from soccer for all ages to recreational events like their annual Winter Carnival, monthly euchre lunch for seniors, and Halloween and Santa-themed activities for the kids.
Saturday’s cinematic offering
If you’re looking to shake off the mid-winter blues, without too big a strain on your Christmas-bruised wallet, why not join us for the return of Saturday Night at the Movies at the Dunvegan community hall on January 18th? Event organizers Laurie Maus and Bob Garner have chosen The English Patient as this weekend’s flick. I’ve never seen the movie, but Wikipedia describes it as an “American romantic war drama based on the novel of the same name by Michael Ondaatje.” The film tells the story of four people in northern Italy during the last months of World War II — one of whom is burned beyond recognition. The film received twelve Academy Award nominations and took home nine of the golden statuettes.
One interesting behind-the-scenes footnote from this $27,000,000 movie is that the Germans who shoot at the protagonist’s plane were volunteers. They were actually tourists who agreed to help because the production company couldn’t afford to hire any more extras. One reason why they ran out of money might have been that the actor playing the ‘English patient’ insisted that full body make-up be applied, even for scenes where only his head would be filmed. This burn make-up took five hours to apply each time.
The moving picture show gets under way around 7:00 pm. And we’d love it if you joined us, even if you don’t reside in or around Dunvegan. Friendly DRA volunteers will supply popcorn and cookies, but I suggest you bring a comfy cushion or folding chair, together with your favourite beverage. There’s no entry charge, but donations to the Dunvegan Recreation Association are always welcome.
Get well note
Last week’s outbreak of a gastrointestinal virus at the Glengarry Memorial Hospital and the resulting closure of the facility to visitors had an impact on at least one Dunvegan resident. René Trottier was unable to visit his wife Sherrill who had been admitted the previous weekend for observation. So, in place of face-to-face contact, the couple had to make do with a telephonic connection. Happily, the two were reunited last Friday, when Sherrill was released on a weekend pass. Sherrill is a born and bred Dunveganite. Her parents owned the former Ferguson General Store in Dunvegan from 1937 to the mid 1960s. While the store is but a memory, the Ferguson residence beside it was long home to Tootsie McRae and, in more recent years, Monica Ahrens. Here’s wishing Sherrill a speedy recovery.
Trump’s fault?
Has anyone else noticed a steep decline this winter in the number of feathered patrons flocking to their bird feeders? We have. Perhaps this is because neighbours are offering a better quality of feed. Or it might be due to more natural food being available, it having been a relatively mild winter. It might also be the result of a cyclical decline in avian populations. Or even something Trump tweeted. Nevertheless, we’ve missed the busyness of a typical day at our feeding station. To conclude on a positive note, we were delighted when a male cardinal finally appeared this past Sunday. We have been without our usual daily dose of avian scarlet for many months. Hopefully, Cardinalis cardinalis is here to stay for a while.
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