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.

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.

For the holiday season, the picturesque town of Gananoque Ontario will hold the Gananoque Santa Clause Parade with the theme, “Christmas around the World”. The parade is set to take place in Downtown Gananoque Ontario on the 28^th of November, 2009.

Spectators are in for a blast as the parade brings entertainment and magical fun with lively music, colorful and artful floats, a special international flare for this year’s parade and lots of surprises for families and other spectators, both young and old. Don’t forget that the festivities are for a cause, so please bring along a non-perishable food item to add to our local Food Bank!

For first time visitors, the quaint little town, which has a long history, is situated in Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario. With a stable population of around 5000 townsfolk, the town contains some beautiful sights that draw in plenty of visitors each year.

Locals and tourists alike, the Gananoque Santa Clause Parade is a yearly event of lights and festivities that is assured to bring nothing but pure Christmas delight to the young ones, and even the young at heart. With the presence of Saint Nick – a character that needs no introduction wherever you may be on the planet – on these yearly visits, families get closer and nights get warmer guaranteed!

For the holidays, drop by the beautiful town of Gananoque Ontario. You’re guaranteed to have a memorable experience with the fun kicking off at 6:00 pm so bring along your winter gear and a smile because the event will cost you nothing but time.

As of November 17, 2009, 13183 confirmed cases of H1N1 have been reported in Canada, with 198 individuals falling to the disease. Although our little town of Gananoque Ontario has had confirmed cases, no deaths have been reported. In spite of this, our officials remain wary and vigilant against the spread of the virus. Authorities have recently announced that the H1N1 vaccine is now available to everyone living in Gananoque Ontario. A clinic will be set up at the Kinsmen Club on November 24, with vaccines to be given out to everyone.

Dr. Anne Carter, medical officer of health in the area, issued a statement saying, “Any person, regardless of age or medical condition, can get an H1N1 vaccination.”

Our students and school staff are particularly affected by the spread of the influenza virus, as more and more safeguards and precautions are being put up to prevent contraction of the disease. School staffs are directed to ensure that soap and water are available for regular hand washing, with hand sanitizers placed in the areas where hand washing cannot be done. Frequent cleaning of often used surfaces and items is also regularly done in Gananoque Ontario schools and public places.

Our region’s health unit also requests that parents refrain from sending their children with fevers to school, until it subsides for a full 24 hours.  This has caused a panic among our town’s residents for awhile, but health authorities are quick to thwart the spread of disinformation.

Fellow residents of Gananoque Ontario greeted vaccine for everyone with mixed reactions. There are some skeptics who question the safety and effectively of the vaccines. Global health officials understand this fear – as with all vaccines, some can have reactions ranging from allergies, to more complicated issues. However, they stress that allowing the virus to continue its spread can prove dangerous, citing the Spanish Flu of 1918.

The Thousands Islands Family Health Network is gearing up for the provision of clinics in the Gananoque Ontario area for H1N1 vaccinations among the locals. The vaccine just arrived last week and Phase 1 vaccinations for high risk individuals will start early November.

“We were contacted by the (Leeds, Grenville and Lanark) health unit and asked to participate in the first phase,” Dr. Brian Hart said. “Everyone in this area is working together in terms of vaccinations.”

H1N1 Vaccine for Gananoque Ontario

High risk individuals in Gananoque Ontario include people with pre-existing disease conditions like heart diseases, chronic lung diseases, diabetes, cancer, HIV patients, kidney diseases and those with other conditions that may result to difficulty in breathing. Other high risk individuals are children below 5 years old and more than 6 months, health care workers, household contacts and health care providers of those who can’t be immunized, pregnant women up to 4 weeks postpartum and those living in rural areas remote from hospital care.

If you are one of the individuals mentioned above, you should visit your local health provider and ask about Phase 1 vaccinations. Although most people affected with H1N1 will get better without complications, Gananoque Ontario locals are still recommended to acquire the vaccine as some individuals may react poorly to swine flu.

It is also important to visit or call the local health provider once flu-like symptoms are felt like cough, fever of 38 C or greater, fatigue and significant muscle pain.

Dr Brian Hart said that exact dates and locations are still being confirmed but November 5 and 6 are the most likely dates for the high risk vaccinations. We can watch the next week’s Reporter or ask local health providers for the exact dates, times and locations. Phase 2 is scheduled after the provision of vaccines for high risk individuals so keep posted.