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Wood Fair keeps growing in popularity
Reflecting our times
based on sustainable forestr y and the cre- ation, m arketing and utilization of forest- related products in Eastern Ontario. The wood auction, with 100 lots of lu m - ber and burls, will provide a link between woodlot owners and wood bu y ers. De m onstrations that include wood turn- ing, wood carving, portable saw m ill etc. will allow woodlot owners to discover tradition- al woodworking techniques, existing crafts and innovative business or recreational op- portunities based on forest resources. Over 30 forest-related artisans will be on- site featuring their products. Co mm ercial retailers and wholesalers will de m onstrate and exhibit forestr y equip- m ent. Exhibitors representing a range of forest-related products and services (e.g. furniture, ho m e builders, forest m anage- m ent) will be in attendance. Advice and infor m ation will be offered on sustainable forest m anage m ent and certifi- cation under the Forest Stewardship Coun- cil (FSC). Children will be introduced to the m agic of working with wood through various ac- tivities. The m useu m will displa y its collection of heritage woodworking tools and wood- fra m e buildings. The activit y is organized b y the SD&G Certified Forest Owners, Boisés Est and the Glengarr y Pioneer Museu m .
“This is driving m e nuts! “ There are m an y m atters that m a y have pro m pted that re m ark fro m Cha m plain Township Ma y or Gar y Barton at a recent m eeting. Like m ost politicians, Barton m ust deal with a m ixed bag of proble m s, ever y thing fro m the lack of m one y for essential services, to the brightness of soccer field lights to an appeal for help fro m a taxpa y er besieged b y skunks. (This su mm er has been a real stinker, literall y .) An y wa y , this ti m e, the veteran representative’s frustration was directed at y et another regulation, or m ore specificall y , the need for another statute. In this da y and age, ever y one, particularl y public bodies, m ust exercise due diligence and have a risk m anage m ent plan in place, because it see m s that at an y m o m ent, so m ebod y m ight sue for so m e real or i m agined act or o m ission. Thus, m unicipalities m ust, a m ong other things, ensure that their road signs are eas y to see at night. Honest. This regulation is based on the assu m ption that m an y drivers feel that the y should not be forced to assu m e responsibilit y for their actions. Car enters the ditch? It’s not y our fault. The warning sign was too drab. Call a law y er. Fortunatel y , m ost of Cha m plain’s regulator y and warning signs received glowing reviews when their retroreflectivit y was tested. As township public works superintendent Ja m es McMahon relates, a fir m was hired to inventor y 876 road signs. Of this total, onl y 19 require i mm ediate replace m ent. At the sa m e ti m e, the testers affixed a unique bar code nu m ber to each sign in the m u- nicipalit y . The co m pan y provided a spreadsheet with data on the GPS location of each and the retroreflectivit y m easure m ents. The beaut y of this technolog y is that a m ap can be created to pin-point the location of defective signs in the future. OK, so nobod y is thrilled with this rapid progression towards a full-blown “Nann y state,” where ever y thing is regulated, for the co mm on good. But with an aging population, the retroreflectivit y test m akes sense. A check with the Ontario Good Roads Association shed so m e light on the situation. On its web page, OGRA explores facts, my ths, questions and concerns concerning the Mini m u m Maintenance Standards Sign Retroreflectivit y rule. The MMS were i m ple m ented b y the province to assist m unicipalities with m anaging the risk associated with the m aintenance of roads and as a defence fro m clai m s citing negli- gence. Co m pliance is voluntar y . However, MMS with proof of co m pliance through docu- m entation has now beco m e an industr y nor m recognized b y the courts. Should there be a clai m regarding a sign, whether its condition is in question or worse, that it is m issing, the m unicipalit y needs to de m onstrate due diligence regarding routine and retroreflectivit y inspections. A m end m ents to the Mini m u m Maintenance Standards regulation, which ca m e into ef- fect Februar y 18, 2010, require m unicipalities to inspect their regulator y and warning traf- fic signs annuall y for retroreflectivit y . Sign retroreflectivit y inspections m ust be conducted using a reflecto m eter. Inspection of signs for retroreflectivit y is undertaken as part of the m unicipalit y ’s risk m anage m ent progra m to ensure that all signs within its jurisdiction m eet or exceed the m ini m u m require m ents for reflectivit y . An inventor y of m unicipal signs is part of the m unicipalit y ’s risk m anage m ent progra m . Are y ou wondering wh y should the person conducting the visual inspections for sign retroreflectivit y ideall y be 50 y ears old or older? “It is a recognized fact that e y esight degenerates with age. As people age, the y need m ore light to see at night. In a report prepared for the Canadian Auto m obile Association (CAA), Dr. Alison S m ile y , Universit y of Toronto and Hu m an Factors North Inc. shows that a 60 y ear old needs 8 ti m es m ore light as a 20- y ear-old to read road signs at night,” reports OGRA. Are y ou also wondering wh y not replace all signs when the y reach the m anufacturer’s reco mm ended life expectanc y instead of undertaking retroreflectivit y inspections? “This m a y not be a practical solution fro m a resources perspective based on the nu m ber of regulator y and warning signs within a m unicipalit y . Further, signs are often da m aged or m issing and m ust be replaced on an as required basis with the result that not all signs within a m unicipalit y will be the sa m e age. “ The association also notes: “There is an ele m ent of risk in all m unicipal activities.” Or, as a wise person once said, co mm on sense is not all that co mm on. Because of this sad fact, m unicipalities have rules on the books that govern ever y pos- sible activit y , habit or particular interest. Most are no-brainers. But still, our govern m ents have entire depart m ents whose sole function is to ensure that people do not do stupid things. For exa m ple, during the drought, people had to be re m inded not to set fires out- side. A bonfire can get m uch bigger, ver y quickl y , if fla m es spread to a nearb y house or barn. We need propert y standards b y -laws because certain propert y owners are unke m pt. Pet owners m ust be re m inded about the poop-and-scoop rule, for their dogs. People m ust be told not to litter, or use ditches as illegal du m ping grounds. The Mini m u m Maintenance Standards rules began as a m eans of helping m unicipalities counter clai m s that were related to bridge and road m aintenance. Each m unicipalit y m ust adhere to these guidelines, which cover m aintenance schedules, and regular inspection of infrastructure. For exa m ple, there are oodles of regulations covering rough walking areas, or “sidewalk surface discontinuit y .” It is obvious that our govern m ents m ust prepare for an y contingenc y and possible litiga- tion. Retroreflectivit y rules m a y drive us nuts, but the y m erel y reflect our ti m es.
DUNVEGAN | The Glengarr y Wood Fair and Auction has rapidl y grown into a pop- ular event. The 2011 edition of the bilingual pro- gra m attracted over 1,200 people, includ- ing visitors fro m Ottawa, Gatineau, Mon- tréal and further afield. Another large crowd is expected for the fourth edition, which will be held Satur- da y , August 25 fro m 10 a. m . to 5 p. m . at the Glengarr y Pioneer Museu m in Dun- vegan. For m ore infor m ation, visit www.wood- fair.ca. You m a y also contact Doroth y Ha m ilton (SD&G Certified Forest Owners) at 613-933-7671 – sdgcfoinc@bellnet.ca or Jean-Claude Havard (Boisés Est) at 613- 673-3089 – info@boisesest.ca. The Wood Fair welco m es all those inter- ested in forests, trees and wood. It ai m s to raise public awareness on the current state of our regional forests and how the y continue to pla y a significant role in our econo m ic, social and environ m ental well- being. The event allows woodlot owners, woodworkers, wood artisans, forestr y consultants, m aple s y rup producers, loggers, saw m ill operators and forestr y equip m ent suppliers to de m onstrate eco- no m ic and e m plo ym ent opportunities
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About 1,200 people attended the 2011 edition.
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