Review-Mirror

Masons from across the province came to Seeley's Bay on Saturday to help members of the Rideau Minden Lodge No. 253 celebrate the completion of their lodge building. The building, which was built in the 19th cen- tury was condemned in 2005 after an examination of the structure by a civil engineer. After five years of ren- ovation and meetings across the street at the United Church members began to use the building for meetings again in 2010. Further renovations and finishings were cause for celebrations in 2014 when the building was rededi- cated in November 2014. That same year also marked a name change for the lodge which had an amalgamation with the Minden Lodge 253 in Kingston to become the Rideau Minden Lodge 253. The original Rideau 460 Lodge was founded in 1903 in the same building and was rented from the Select Knights of Canada, a fraternal and insurance organization which sold the masons their building the following year. The meeting night was the 'Thursday on or before the full moon of each month', a night which was abandoned in 1949 for the first Thursday, a meeting night which remains to this day. Those were heady days for the lodge which had prospered and grown through the two World Wars and the Depression when hardship was the order of the day. A lot of the lodge activ- ity was centered on relief for members, charity for others and trying to pay the bills to keep the lodge alive. Membership varied over the years but grew to almost 120 in the 1950's. The building's demise in 2005 followed some lean years of membership when there was the ques- tion that the lodge would continue. In that year a vote of 30 out of 31 for rebuilding the lodge got the project start- ed and the lodge literally off the ground and onto a foundation. The building now includes a finished base- ment with a small kitchen area and a meeting room upstairs. Saturday's ceremony followed a long Masonic tradition of using the mason's tools as symbols of moral teachings in the ritual of the lodge. By Margaret Brand The Review-Mirror Meeting new friends, sharing a tasty nutritious meal and learning more about cooking and nutri- tion keep volunteers and participants coming back to Country Roads' 'What's Cooking' community kitchen. The program takes place on the first Tuesday of each month from 10:00 to 1:00 in the basement of the Free Methodist Church in Westport and on the first Wednesday of the month in Elgin from 9:30- 12:30 at the Elgin United Church. "Participants bring in suggestions. Participants bring in recipes they've tried before. It's a wide variety," said Kate Earl the registered dietitian who has led the program for over six years. The long-running pro- gram attracts ten to fifteen people a week including mothers and children who can have a break from their routine with free childcare for their chil- dren. Lucy Gee and Cathy Baldwin are volunteers with the program which has also taught them a few tricks. "I came from a cooking background. My parents owned a Chinese restau- rant in New Brunswick said Gee who on Tuesday was preparing a hearty spicy curry of chickpeas, butternut squash and chard which was made richer by a dollop of peanut butter. "I had a background in food so I thought I'd help," said Gee. Baldwin said the pro- gram, as well as good food preparation, teaches good food safety as well as tips to increase fiber, reduce fat and to replace bad fats with good fats. "We can find all our ingredients in our commu- nity," she said, emphasiz- ing the practicality of learning new dishes. Baldwin says learning to cook from scratch is a useful tool to save money and food when there's an extra something to use up. "People who don't cook from scratch throw things away," she said. Jenny Gregory, who was new to the area when she joined, described the program as a lifesaver. "There wasn't anything else being offered in See- ley's Bay. I love cooking and I love the idea of cooking together," said Gregory who's now pro- viding leadership for another community kitchen venture in Lans- downe where the ROLL food bank has recently begun a community kitchen. To find out more infor- mation about a community kitchen or to register con- tact Kate at Country Roads Community Health Centre at 613 272-3302 or 1-888-998-9927 ext 237. 2 – April 7, 2016 The Review-Mirror Monthly cooking program provides fun and learning Masons formally celebrate completion of Seeley's Bay Lodge French Toast Breakfast Freewill donations will go toward operation of the Westport Lions Mobility Van All food products have been donated. The event is compliments of Garter and Delbert's Sugar Shack and The Cove THE COVE COUNTRY INN Corner of Bedford and Main Streets, Westport 273-3636 Support your local Lions' Club Mobility Van by joining us at THE COVE SUN., APRIL 10 th from 9 a.m.-12:30 for a Poster courtesy of The Review-Mirror SENIORS TUESDAYS 25% off food all day for Ages 55+ Every Wednesday 6-9 pm WINGS 'NTUNES with Shawn McCullough SOUP 'n SANDWICH THURSDAYS Sandwich and cup of soup, $6 Saturday, April 9, 6-9 pm HEAD OVER HEELS Guitar/Vocal Duo (Gananoque) Sunday, April 10, 9-12:30pm LIONS CLUB MOBILITY VAN BREAKFAST Freewill Donations. Thursday, April 14, 6-9 pm PERTH BREWERY BEER DINNER by Perth Brewery. 4-course meal. $60 Friday, April 15, 6-11 pm JAZZ NIGHT Perth Stingrays Fundraiser with the Spencer Evans Trio THE COVE COUNTRY INN Corner of Bedford & Main St., Westport (613) 273-3636 •  1-888-cove-inn www.coveinn.com • info@coveinn.com Township to examine ward system •Continued from page 1 Rideau Lakes council and Leeds and the Thou- sand Islands will both be examining their ward structures in the coming year. The passing of the bud- get on Monday marks an opportunity for staff at Rideau Lakes to begin the process of an RFP for the hiring of consultants to conduct public consulta- tion this summer for changes to representation within the township. Leeds and the Thou- sand Islands has already scheduled dates in Lans- downe on June 1 and in Seeley's Bay on August 8. The Rideau Minden 253 Masonic Lodge celebrated the completion of their lodge last Saturday with a cornerstone ceremony which drew masons from across the province.

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