Review-Mirror

Sappers and Miners who died in the building of the Rideau Canal will be recognized this summer with a monument at the Sappers and Miners Cemetery east of New- boro. The stone will record the names of 13 of the men who died while working on the project at the Isth- mus to create a channel between Upper Rideau Lake and Newboro Lake. The men were elite troops of the British army, skilled tradesmen who were called on to succeed where civilians had failed to cut through the Precam- brian granite rock using hammer, iron rod, and black powder. A ceremony on Wednesday, July 19 will bring together descen- dents, volunteers, military and representatives of the Last Post Fund which will be paying for the monu- ment. The stone is just one of many projects small and large which have been undertaken by volunteers to restore the cemetery which is believed to have had its last burial in 1948. The names of the men to be honored were pro- vided by a researcher in England who examined military pay records to discover who was buried there. Their graves would have been marked by sim- ple wooden markers which disappeared long ago. The Royal Sappers and Miners Cemetery Restora- tion Committee have restored the abandoned burial site which when it was created was adjacent to the original work camp for the canal's construc- tion laborers. The committee of about a dozen volunteers have cleaned up and removed brush, had roadside sig- nage improved and have undertaken work to restore gravestones and family plots. Many of the mark- ers have been carefully cleaned and straighten with meticulous attention to their preservation. Volunteers have found clues that the cemetery's limits may have been broader when traces of an old foundation and loose rocks were discovered at the site's northeast corner. The cemetery is owned by the Township of Rideau Lakes which took over responsibility for the site at amalgamation in 1998 when Newboro became part of the new township. By Margaret Brand The Review-Mirror Fair Vote Canada vol- unteer Ron Weigand is drawing some attention to the importance of pro- portional representation for Canada's democracy with a walk between Kingston and Ottawa. On Sunday night Weigand and his support team, his wife Lorna and friend Joyce Hall got some Westport hospitali- ty before the next leg of the walk to Perth Mon- day morning. The three Torontoni- ans, 'Walk 4 PR' will be in Ottawa for a Monday May 29 rally at Parlia- ment Hill after making their way with stops at a number of communities following the Rideau Canal including Perth, Smiths Falls, Mer- rickville, Kemptville and Manotick. Proportional represen- tation is any voting sys- tem designed to produce a representative body which the number of sets is proportional to the share of votes obtained by each representative or party. With a first past the post system like we have in Canada the votes of millions of Canadians are not represented in parlia- ment or provincial assembly when the pop- ular vote for a party is not represented in the num- ber of representatives in the legislature. Weigand, 75, a veteran of the Camino, a long distance pilgrimage walk in Spain isn't deterred by the 20 km plus treks per day and arrived refreshed in Perth on Tuesday after his 30km day up Cty Rd 10. He was pleased with the rally his group had at MP Mark Gerretson's office on Saturday and is looking forward to a rally on Parliament Hill which will precede a vote in Parliament to accept the recommendation of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. "I'm doing this because there is a serious democratic problem in this country and the House of Commons does not really represent what, the way people want our representation in the House of Commons," said Weigand who believes policy decisions are getting centralized at the top and don't reflect a public discussion. The campaign ends with a rally on Parlia- ment Hill where mem- bers of the Canada's electoral reform commit- tee will speak including Elizabeth May and Nathan Cullen who trav- elled across Canada seeking the public's views. A vote in parliament to accept recommendations of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform could keep the issue on the table after Prime Minister Trudeau stated his preference to take it off. Next week Westport becomes the back drop for a pilot of Gentle Bend, a twelve-episode series about a 30 something man who returns to his home town. The series was written over 10 years by Norm Berketa and Allison Gra- ham who documented their writing process in a series, Writers Block. Their lead character, Ben left his home town as soon as he possible could but when his life is turned upside down he returns after his parents have died and starts again from scratch. "The characters are weirder than he remem- bers. He's come back to fix himself and ends up having to fix everyone else himself," said Berketa. The Village of Westport has served them as a back- ground for the series while they were writing and will serve as a background when they are filming, beginning next week. Shooting began in Ottawa this week on the interior shots and next week you may see the lead character Ben putting up posters around town to market his carpentry skills. The team sees their pro- duction serving as online content instead of on a tra- ditional broadcasting net- work. "Now people watch what they want when they want. You can tell your story at the pace you want to. It's becoming very, very big. Netflix is look- ing for Canadian content," he said. Berketa is impressed with the reception and cooperation he's been receiving around the vil- lage. "Everybody has been extremely helpful. It was the right choice to choose Westport," he said. Volunteers prepare for July ceremony to recognize 13 Sappers and Miners The Review-Mirror May 25, 2017 – 3 Alan Fleming and Dana Menger were had at work at the Sappers and Miners Ceme- tery east of Newboro last Wednesday resetting a post marking a grave site. On July 19 the site will be on display with the unveiling of a stone commemorating the 13 Sappers from the British Army which were buried there in unmarked graves. Fair Vote Canada walkers make their case with trek to Ottawa A & B FORD COLLISION CENTRE Telephone 613-267-5749 Fax: 613-264-1099 collision2@abford.com A&B Ford Sales Ltd. 37 Lanark Rd., Perth Upper Rideau Branch 542 10099 Cty. Rd. 10, Westport 613-273-3615 1952 2017 UPPER RIDEAU #542 Toonie Pot $350 • Bonanza $500 • Jackpot $650 All in 55#s or less • Doors open @ 6 pm • Play starts @ 7 pm Hamburger Fridays, 12-2pm weekly Sausage, Hot Dogs & Fries every week. Take-out available. Call 613-273-3615. Lounge hours Tues. 4-7•Wed 4-7•Thurs 4-7•Fri 3-7•Sat 2-6 Booking for the 2017/ 2018 season Please do not delay, make sure you get your date... We will make every effort to help you make your special occasion just what you dreamed it would be... catering can be arranged. Call for a tour 613-985-3436. Monday FULL-DAY EXCURSION INTO HISTORY Famous Legion adventure Thursday, June 15 Departing Branch #542 at 8am sharp. National War Memorial, Ottawa for Wreathy Laying Service, Lunch at the Ottawa Army Officer's Mess, trip to the Diefenbunker in Carp, stop at Perth Legion Museum and enjoy a roast beef dinner, then homeward bound. We are the Guardians of REMEMBRANCE Follow us on Facebook for the latest on Legion 542 events The Walk for PR ( Proportional Representation) team was in Westport on Monday making their way to Ottawa for next Monday's rally on Parliament Hill. Ron Wea- gand, 75, who is walking the full 200 or so kilometers, has the support team of his wife Lorna (right) and friend Joyce Hall. Film crew in Westport next week to shoot part of 12-episode series

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