Another Saturday, another protest in Barry’s Bay
A demonstration of an estimated 20 to 30 people at the three-way stop in Barry’s Bay took place on Saturday, April 24 between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. according to reports on social media and from a number of readers who contacted The Current. (Above, photo supplied) In view of the fact that outdoor gatherings are not allowed by current provincial stay-at-home orders*, and also because the protesters did not wear masks or appear to observe social distancing requirements, it is understood that four local businesses reported the gathering to the OPP Killaloe Detachment, and that a text was sent to the Madawaska Valley Bylaw Enforcement Officer. Sources said the protesters carried signs expressing anti-mask, anti-vaccination, and anti-lockdown themes, including some placards that resembled the anti-lockdown signage used at rallies by supporters of Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston.
*Outdoor events/gatherings are now prohibited unless all parties are from the same household or one other person from outside that household who lives alone or is a caregiver for any member of the household.
COVID-19 updates
COVID-19 tests: Reminder that you must book an appointment via Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre. Click HERE to see The Current’s Classified/Notices page for details.
Vaccinations: If you are one of the 26,134 residents in Renfrew County & District (RCD) who have received a first vaccine dose as of Apr.18, please remember that you do not need to call Renfrew County & District Health Unit (RCDHU) to schedule an appointment for your second dose. RCDHU will call you. All vaccination appointments are dependent on vaccine availability, and at this time RCD advises that your second dose may be administered up to 16 weeks after the first jab. Residents 40 years of age and older in 2021 are eligible to book an appointment for the AstraZeneca vaccine at RCD’s public clinics in addition to participating pharmacies. The Current’s Classified page provides a list of participating pharmacies (as of Apr.22). Also on that page is RCDHU’s handy Vaccination Checklist to consult before your appointment.
Hospital capacity: As of Apr.24 the Province has announced it will support transfers to long term care facilities in an effort to increase hospital capacity. Click HERE on our COVID-19 Official Statements section for details.
Damage to Seat of Wisdom minibus
On Monday, Apr. 19 there were reports of apparent vandalism to Seat of Wisdom College’s minibus as damage was noted on the windshield and a passenger window was broken. (Above, photos supplied) When Acting President Dr. Christine Schintgen was contacted about the damage and asked whether it was caused by vandalism, she said, “We can speculate but we really have no evidence one way or another so basically we don’t know.”
Madawaska Valley Gardening Club
If you’re one of the many Valley residents itching to knock their yards and gardens into shape, MV Gardening Club offers some diary dates for you. These are outdoor events and further details will be provided later.
- Annual plant sale: Saturday, May 22 at Combermere Craft Cabin (time TBA). Please start some extra seedlings to donate!
- Garden Tour: Sun. July 11, Killaloe area
- Annual Flower & Vegetable Show: Saturday, Aug. 21 (rain date Sunday, Aug. 22), behind Opeongo Seniors’ Centre, 19 Stafford Street, Barry’s Bay
- Fall Plant Sale: (if there is no Plant Auction) Saturday, Sept.18, Zurakowski Park, Barry’s Bay
If you forgot to renew your MV Gardening Club membership by Mar. 31, you can still do so. As a new service to members, the Club has just held its April meeting via Zoom during shutdown and will notify members when the audio of the presentation is available on the Club’s website.
Madawaska Valley Food Bank session on Tuesday, April 27
The next Food Bank is Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at 8 Martin Street, Barry’s Bay. ALL CLIENTS MUST WEAR MASKS. Upon arrival, NO EARLIER THAN 8:30 a.m., clients will be asked to form a line with their vehicles in the parking lot opposite the food bank. Please enter the parking lot (between Afelskie’s and the Ear Depot) from Dunn Street, not Martin Street. As usual, volunteers will direct traffic. Clients are asked to stay in their vehicles. Each client will be asked, from a safe distance, for their name and household number (verified by a paper list) and then a prepackaged box and bags of perishable food will be placed in the back of their vehicles. NEW CLIENTS ARE WELCOME and will be registered on-site. People walking will be accommodated as they arrive. Please consider staggering your arrivals to avoid congestion. There is no advantage to arriving early.
Portrait of a pandemic — community online art project
Ottawa Valley Community Arts (OV-CAOS) announced a new online community art project on Facebook on April 19. You are invited to share a photograph that you have either recently taken, or previously shared to social media, that shows the pandemic through your lens. Share a line or two of commentary, or even a hashtag. You can share your images in the comment section on the OV-CAOS Facebook page, or send them to OV-CAOS in a message. This project aims to show how the pandemic has looked (and continues to look) like through our collective community lens. Click HERE to visit Ottawa Valley Community Arts Facebook Page. While you’re there look at some of the other community art projects you can participate in.