Canoe lending library beached for now in Rideau Lakes Township

LAURIE WEIR

The canoe lending library was a good idea on paper, but it doesn’t hold water with Parks Canada in Rideau Lakes Township.

In April, council wanted to move forward with a canoe lending library at the Newboro Harbour but Parks Canada said no thanks.

In her report to the municipal services committee on Aug. 12, interim recreation and volunteer coordinator Christy Melvin said, Parks Canada issued an email stating that the canoes and any other township belongings were to be removed from their community canoe rack due to liability issues.

“Parks Canada is not interested in issuing the township a permit to keep the canoe lending library on the community use canoe racks or on their property,” Melvin wrote.

Melvin said the canoe rack would not fit in any location on township land at the Newboro Harbour without obstructing traffic/walkways or making the users walk through the parking lot with the canoes. Her report noted that staff will also have to build a canoe rack to house the canoes for the lending library. This would cost about $80 for material and $100 for staff hours to build.

Councillors floated other ideas for a canoe lending library but there are seasonal businesses in other places like Portland and Chaffey’s Lock. Lower Beverley Lake Park also rents our canoes and kayaks, so that location was off the table. Coun. Debbie Hutchings suggested the Narrows.

Coun. Sue Dunfield said they should hold onto the canoes in case they offered day programs again at Sand Lake in Elgin. “They’d be lent out and gone, then children wouldn’t have any access to them if we started the program again,” she said.

Mayor Arie Hoogenboom said there are some options to think about.

Staff will look for a new location for the lending library.

RECREATION UPDATES

DARS Summer Program is having difficulty finding volunteers to help facilitate programs. There are 11 kids signed up for the week of (Aug. 12 to 16), and 11 kids signed up for the last week of camp (August 19 to 23).
The GROW FOR IT! The Garden Contest has closed with 40 contestants. A picnic for all the nominees will be held at Lower Beverley Park in Delta, on Aug. 22, where the winners from the three categories (Best Commercial Garden, Best Flower Residential Garden, and Best Vegetable Garden) will be announced.
Teddy Bear Picnic: Staff are organizing a Teddy Bear Picnic in North Crosby at Shillington Park on Sept. 7 from 12 to 2 p.m. This event is for grandparents and grandkids and is to help celebrate Grandparents’ Day. Cost per person is $10. The meal includes a sandwich, a drink, a cookie, and a bag of chips. There will be games and prizes for both generations.
Grant applications have been sent out to HelpAge Canada Grant valued at $10,000 for a Seniors Expo Extravaganza; and to the Intersectoral Action Fund through the Public Health Agency of Canada. Staff pre-applied for a value of $152,000.00 over two years. This grant would allow the township to launch a new food program called Feed the Village campaign. This food program would also help fund the afterschool program snacks and food expenses for free seniors’ suppers in each of the seven villages every month.
Staff is looking to apply to the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) Grant of $25,000 for a Senior’s Bus Trip Program.
Staff will also apply for a Seniors Active Living Centres (SALC) Programs Grant of $50,000 with the township contributing $10,000 in-kind.
Staff did not receive the grant from the Seniors Community Grant Program this year listed at $12,000. They also did not receive an Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant for a comfort station at Lower Beverley Lake Park. Staff are investigating why the application did not meet eligibility requirements.