In a Gananoque Police Services meeting that took place only recently, it was announced that Constable Rhonda Grant has received the honor of being nominated for the prestigious Bud Knight Award. The award is in recognition of her exemplary record of youth service.

The Bud Knight Award was created almost 2 decades ago in 1990. The award was named in honor of the late Herbert R. (Bud) Knight, one of the Ontario Police College’s past instructors. He was responsible for creating the OPC’s youth officer course, aimed at providing training designed for young officers throughout the province of Ontario.

Each year, the Bud Knight Award is given to one of Ontario’s finest, a police officer who embodies Bud Knight’s desire and commitment to help and protect the youth of today.

In a letter addressed to Rob MacNeil of the Community Safety and Correctional Services, Gananoque’s Chief of Police Kai Liu stated that since Rhonda Grant joined the force a decade ago, she has found a connection with local youths, serving as their mentor and above all, friend. Liu further noted that local youths in Gananoque stay out of trouble because they know they would end up disappointing Grant.

Her positive approach to handling young troublemakers has also influenced the way other officers enforce the law on young individuals.

After years of successful performances, making music, and going through members both new and old, the Gananoque Choral Society currently finds itself in a bind, and is in desperate need of new members to join their ranks. If they fail to recruit new singers, then the popular choral group might have to end their run.

In its early days over two decades ago, the Gananoque Choral Society had an impressive roster of around 50 members. For years, they’ve performed Dickens’ Christmas Carol for various charities. One of their most notable performances was in St. John’s Catholic Church in 2008, where they sang The Messiah along with Orchestra Kingston, together with two choirs from Kingston.

Fast forward to today, the society only has 12 members who practice regularly. Their last performance also attracted very few people. According to 19-year old member Bruce McLeod, it’s hard to find new members to replace those who had to concentrate on their families, work, and school.

The Gananoque Choral Society is the only group in Gananoque that’s open to anyone with a love for singing. And even if you’re not exactly the greatest singer on Earth, McLeod says their more than happy to have you onboard.

A momentous event took place at Gananoque’s Firehall Theatre, as Frontenac Arch Biosphere (FAB) chairman Gary Clarke officially signed Geotourism Charter of the the National Geographic Society – making it the 9th charter of its kind in the world today.

Jonathan Tourtellot, head of the Centre for Sustainable Destinations National Geographic Society, acted as witness to this momentous event, putting pen to paper, and affixing his signature next to Clarke’s.

Only Montreal and the Waterton Lakes/Glacier National Parks have been awarded with charters in all of Canada. FAB is a 167 square mile expanse of land that includes Gananoque’s 1000 Islands, the southern region of the Rideau Canal, as well as the eastern portion of the Land ‘O Lakes. In 2002, the entire region was declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world biosphere reservation.

FAB is also one of 15 world biosphere reservations in Canada, all of which make a worldwide network of 553 reserves scattered in 107 coutnries.

Indeed, this new development is another feather on Gananoque’s cap. All the more reason for tourists and visitors to check out this picturesque town nestled in one of the most stunning areas in the country.

St. Joseph’s School in Gananoque recently had a presentation night for parents that featured Dr. Maggie Mamen, a psychologist and author of a number of books aimed at helping mothers and fathers go through parenthood, “in one piece”, as some would joke.

According to Rhonda Peterson, who works as a student supporter or counselor at St. Joseph, the school tries to hold yearly presentation nights to help parents know more about the ins and outs of raising their children, as well as the things they should know about what students go through in school.

Peterson was also to thank for, for inviting Dr. Maggie Mamen to St. Joseph. She said that she had heard the doctor speak once before and was impressed by her know-how and advice to parents. She then recommended Dr. Mamen to the school’s vice president Paul Cox, who also heard of the doctor’s good reputation among parenting-advice circles.

During the parent presentation, Dr. Mamen spoke of how today’s kids are too pampered, largely an effect of parents being too pre-occupied at work and their other responsibilities. This makes them lose their authority, leaving some children with the power to make decisions normally done with the guidance and help of parents.

Gananoque residents had something fun to do before the winter season officially comes to and end in a few weeks time.

Taking place yesterday, January 16, 2010, was the yearly Winter Warm-Up, an event produced by the Gananoque & District Humane Society. The event started at 10 in the morning, and ended at around 2 in the afternoon. The TLTI Community Centre, which is located at Jessie Street, Landsdowne, played host to the annual festivities.

Participants were in for a lot of treats and surprises, as organizers put together a special library for bookworms, as well as treasure tables that were popular in previous years.

Furthermore, those who took part in the event had for themselves a sumptuous array of food that included coleslaw, chili, and a simple yet delicious selection of buns – coupled with tea, coffee, or dessert. In addition, Sigg’s baking took center stage, providing a wide range of pastries and breads.

Staff from the Gananoque & District Humane Society commented that the event was a big success thanks to community members who set aside money to donate.

Indeed, it’s a great way to make the most of the winter season that’s coming to a close.

Residents in Gananoque have a new entertainment complex they can check out, as a favorite movie-viewing destination in town moves to over to a newer, and more importantly, bigger facility.

Due to the town’s decision to demolish the building he’s been leasing space from for 10 years, Paul Peterson is closing Boulevard Cinema, which is located at the Gananoque waterfront, and will be moving to a new location at 345 Herbert Street.

However, it won’t be same the same movie house everyone remembers.

Boulevard Cinema will have a new name – HMG, which stands for hoagies, movies and games. They even have a new slogan, “We deliver fun.”

According to Peterson, his lease was running out anyway, so he didn’t really mind moving to a new spot. In fact, he says, it’s about time he and his son—who co-owns HGH—tried out something new.

Renovations are currently underway, and feedback from the theater’s loyal customers has been fantastic, Peterson said. The new facility is set to feature a big stage well suited for big events, stadium seats, and a new party room with a top-of-the-line sound system.

Indeed, the new facility looks like it’s guaranteed to “deliver fun”.

While the holidays usually translate to a strong season for shopping districts and retailers, things in Gananoque were a bit unstable – largely due to November & December’s erratic weather.

Some stores that operated in town during these months reported an increase in sales, while some apparently had a lackluster run for the holidays.

For Canadian Tire for example, sales were flat this year, which owner Dan Gostlin certainly understands. Sales during the end of the year are important for his business, and according to him, his weather related items like wiper blades, winter tires, windshield wash, ice salt, and others that are dependant on the weather season sold pretty well.

He adds that the good weather experienced by residents in the region during the weekends before Christmas encouraged them to head to Kingston, while the cold felt by many during the last days of the year helped local business. He further notes that despite having a-not-so-go year in 2009, sales of his other wares cushioned his losses.

For Brenda Charboneau, manager for Shoppers Drug Mart, the weather during Boxing Day on the 26th kept locals from heading to Kingston. Almost all of the shoppers during that day were locals, she said.

Both of them agree that Gananoque’s officials need to work on giving more attention to local businesses to encourage growth.

2009 was undeniably a tough year for Gananoque. One of those affected by last year’s economic crisis was the town’s police force. The Gananoque Police Service was forced to make concessions and work with a significantly reduced operating budget. In spite of this, they still managed to come up with new initiatives like a new official web site, which has drastically improved communication between the force and the town’s residents.

And while times were hard, Gananoque’s police officers remained steadfast and worked hard to patrol the town’s many streets and corners by foot, bicycle, and vehicle. Police presence was noticeable and undoubtedly helped in preventing crime and mischief in areas like schools, parking lots, and more.

Furthermore, police officers in Gananoque made efforts to help the community by holding lectures in the town’s many schools and educational facilities. Topics discussed ranged from road safety, crime prevention, drug awareness, and more. Last year’s National Reading week also saw officers in elementary schools reading to children.

And as the year came to an end, Gananoque’s police force stepped up to the plate once more, this time lending a hand to raise funds for the Special Olympics, as well as the region’s Salvation Army Christmas Food Basket program.

Indeed, 2009 was a tough year for our police force, but that certainly didn’t stop them from trying to make our community a better place to live in.