Out and About

By Diane Hunter

With the weather report looking a bit like a roller-coaster these days, you're never quite sure what you are going to get. However, that doesn't dampen the spirits of those involved in the Dalkeith Winter Carnival.

Every year the Dalkeith Recreation Association puts on a winter carnival involving a number of activities including a well-loved parade.

Most parents with newborns are busy dealing with sleep deprivation, adjusting to life with a new baby and enjoying all the precious moments a new life brings with it.

That is not the case for Grenville resident Bianca Rollin and her family.

Instead of late night feedings and hourly diaper changes, Rollin spends her days and nights sitting next to a hospital bed at Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal praying her 28-day-old daughter, Kamille, doesn't die.

Debbie Charbonneau isn't nuts about nuts.

The owner of Bourget's newest business, the Nut-Free Cakery, was having trouble finding nut-free treats for her son, who has a nut allergy.

Tired of searching and scouring ingredient lists to ensure the products she wanted to purchase didn't contain any nuts, Charbonneau decided to turn her love of baking into a business.

By Ilish Redmond

It's that time of year again! A time when the community of Vankleek Hill comes together to "cherish country" and "celebrate community" for four days.

The 168th Vankleek Hill Fair begins this Thursday, August 16 and will continue until Sunday, August 19.

The child actors ranged in age from four-year-olds to teenagers and they featured such budding talents as William Lépine, who played the iconic role of Peter Pan, opposite Joannie Lacroix as Wendy and Johanne Desr

On May 9, local youth will be Racing Against Drugs.

After facing near-financial ruin that resulted in a lengthy hiatus, it is possible L'Echo d'un peuple will return to the stage sometime this year.

L'Echo de la Nation, the organization now in charge of the mega-production, is set to host its annual general meeting on Saturday, March 31 at 10 a.m. at L'Ecole secondaire catholique de Casselman.

The organization is promising that some "good news" regarding the return of the popular show will be announced during the meeting.

While the Knights of Columbus organization in L'Orignal continues to push for Champlain Township to consider ownership of the village's community hall, council members would only confirm last week that negotiations are ongoing and decisions have yet to be made.

"We have a discussion ongoing right now but we haven't committed to anything yet," said Councillor Paul-Emile Duval, who chaired last week's meeting in the absence of Mayor Gary Barton.

Instead of sitting around wishing for spring to come, why not get out and enjoy the winter weather during the annual Champlain Winter Carnival?

This year's event is set to take place from Friday, February 3 to Sunday, February 12 and promises plenty of fun and excitement for the whole family.

The carnival will kick off Friday with the Pond Rocket Classic Tournament beginning at 6 p.m. at the community centre. The chili cook off and judging will take place in the upstairs hall of the community centre at 6:45 p.m.