Review-Mirror

Changes to the costing formula for OPP policing has made seeking costing for counties-wide OPP ser- vice an option which does- n't need to be pursued. The Counties began pursuing a Counties-wide police costing since 2012 but didn't receive informa- tion on those costs before a moratorium in 2013 on OPP costing requests. The current formula is based on around 60 per cent of the cost on the number of households and 40 per cent on the calls for service. Estimated costs for 2015 policing across the Counties increased by $585,857 under the new formula. Under the new formula Athens saw a $63,865 increase this year, Augusta a $126,680 increase, Edwardsburg Cardinal $98,259, Front of Yonge $52,899, Leeds and the Thousand Islands $251,513, Rideau Lakes $311,614 and Westport $17,998. The only municipali- ties which benefitted from the new formula were Elizabethtown-Kitley with a $74,658 reduction, Mer- rickfville-Wolford with $42,783 reduction and North Grenville with a $201,532 reduction. By Margaret Brand The Review-Mirror Rideau Lakes council- lors have eliminated a policing contract with the OPP after learning there could be no specific and accountable level of ser- vice for the additional $79,000 cost. This year the township has been paying an addi- tional $79,000 per year to staff a civilian administra- tive position at the Rideau Lakes detachment under a Section 10 contract. Retaining the position virtually guaranteed con- tinued operations out of the municipal complex at South Elmsley where the detachment is housed. Municipal staff and politicians have discov- ered that the position does not guarantee any level of service to residents for CPICs and other routine contact with the OPP. Discussions with the OPP have yielded no guar- antee of accessibility of the office which according to current regulations can only be open when a uni- formed officer is present. By Margaret Brand The Review-Mirror Water levels along the Rideau Canal this week are enabling navigation to begin at all the lock sta- tions along the waterway for the opening of the 2015 navigation season. "Lower water levels get boaters out early," said Parks Canada's Ontario Waterways Director Jewel Cunningham. It's among the signs that this year's boating activity on the canal should be on the increase. "We are looking at this navigation system fairly optimistically. The gas prices are down. We are hoping that is going to encourage boaters to get out. Because we don't have high water levels this spring people are able to get their boats out earlier so we are hoping that will continue to get people out earlier," said Cunningham. Marketing of the Rideau Canal and Trent Severn has been more intense this winter with booths at more boating and outdoors shows in Ontario and Quebec as well as in New York State. "I think that we have the information out there to start off with clarity around what boaters can expect in terms of level of service," she said. Last year 112 hours of service were restored to the canal but were not announced until the sea- son had already begun. A new brochure pro- duced this year has out- lined this year's opera- tions. "We want to have no misunderstandings about what our hours are or how we are going to operate. We are ensuring that peo- ple have accurate informa- tion," she said. Visitors and boaters on the Rideau can expect some improvements in service including new washrooms at the Narrows Lock and at Beveridges. The new washrooms at Beveridges also include shower facilities, an amenity added to accom- modate new overnight use of the site with the addi- tion of four Otentiks at the Justin Martin President 613-530-0773 RR 2 Westport, ON K0G 1X0 jtmartin@kingston.net 4 Septic Systems 4 Excavating 4 Landscaping 4 Road Work 4 Rock Excavating 4 Trucking 4 Residential & Commercial Snow Plowing & Sanding 4 Damp Proofing LTD. 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We will re- open Tuesday at 8 a.m. Deadline for the May 21 issue is Tuesday at noon. Expect to see some of Sand Lake in Kyle Parish's latest film project Origins IV: Rev- elations. He and his nine-member cast began work on the film last week. See page 6 for the story.

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