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By Margaret Brand The Review-Miror Small communities were the focus of an eco- nomic development sum- mit which brought togeth- er 135 people from across Eastern Ontario to the Seeley's Bay Community Hall on March 30. Attendees included members of local councils, chambers of commerce and local community groups in Westport, Rideau Lakes and Leeds and the Thousand Islands as well as people from across Eastern Ontario. The event was a part- nership of Ontario Min- istry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and the hosts, The Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands. The keynote speaker for the event was author of This Saturday and Sun- day, April 16 and 17 Delta will be presenting the community's 49th annual Maple Syrup Festival with activities for children and adults. Organizations across the village bring their efforts to the event orga- nized by the Delta Agri- cultural Society which on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 to 3:00 hosts a meal of pancakes, maple syrup and sausages. Maple producers will be selling this year's syrup and the fire station muse- um will be open both days. New at the fairgrounds is a magic show for chil- dren at noon on Saturday as well as the Hydro One discovery centre and heli- copter rides starting at 10 a.m. The Old Stone Mill will be hosting tours on both days, a blacksmith demon- stration and will be having a bake sale and a book sale at the mill on both days. On Saturday there is a ball hockey tournament at the DARS rink. A silent auction and craft vendors will be in the agricultural hall both days Wagon rides will be avail- able from the hall for a tour around Lower Bever- ley Lake Park-weather permitting. For more information about the festival consult the Delta Agricultural Society website at www.deltafair.com. Maberly is also hosting a maple syrup festival Sat- urday. See page 3 for more. In Question Period last Wednesday, Leeds- Grenville MPP Steve Clark called on the Minis- ter of Tourism, Culture and Sport to immediately reinstate the Ontario Trilli- um Foundation's capital grants program. "Hard-working volun- teer groups are shocked by this government's sudden decision to suspend the Ontario Trillium Founda- tion (OTF) capital pro- gram," said Clark. "This funding is vital to Legions, community centres and other facilities operated by organizations in Leeds- Grenville and across the province. It is literally keeping a roof over their heads." Clark said the Wynne government made the decision to suspend the $25 million program with- out any consultation. "If this is such great news, why was it announced at 4:53 p.m. on the Thursday before Easter weekend? It was to bury the fact they've dealt a devastating blow to com- munity groups for whom OTF capital funding is a lifeline," said Clark. The timing, just two weeks before the April 6 deadline for intakes, means any applications completed or in process are now worthless. "The government has just dumped those applica- tions and the 1000s of vol- unteer hours to complete them right into the shred- der," said Clark. The ministry's Expen- diture Estimates for 2016/17 indicate Trilli- um's $25 million budget for capital funding is being funneled into a new "Ontario 150" program, apparently in connection 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. Mirror The Review Thursday, April 14, 2016 Serving North Leeds and area since 1893 Vol. 125, No. 15 $1 incl. tax •Continued on page 3 Delta Maple festival this weekend MP protests suspension of Trillium program Right after last week's story on Westport wildlife photographer Jenny Stevens, she found out one of her bear pho- tographs will be minted in a coin created by Canadian Geographic and the Royal Canadian Mint. 'Let Me Think About That' is an image from a June 2015 trip to the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary in British Columbia. Stevens took the photo from a Zodiac boat about three metres away from the napping bear. •Continued on page 16 Canada Post Contract No. 40021501 Lemcke Real Estate Services Inc. 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