Casselman, ON

The tourism season in Prescott-Russell will start much earlier this year thanks to an infusion of funds from the United Counties of Prescott-Russell into a number of local tourism information centres.

As part of the 2011 budget, regional mayors voted in favour of providing $115,000 to the centres this year, compared to the $37,500 it spent in 2010.

As a result of the increase, tourism information centres in Hawkesbury, Limoges and Casselman will each receive $20,000, while Vankleek Hill will receive $10,000.

The phase-in of full-day kindergarten, already under way, and the proposed establishment of Best Start Child and Family Centres in communities across the province were the top priorities for Laurel Broten, minister of child and youth services, when she visited Casselman recently.

The province is seeking input on the best way to provide more timely, effective and convenient supports to children and their families. The input will help the province develop Best Start Child and Family Centres in communities across the province.

In an effort to stop a deadly disease from laying waste to the red pine population in Larose Forest, the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) recently gave the go-ahead to cut five acres of forest to save the remaining trees.

The counties decided to embark on the "salvage operation," which is the first of its kind in the Larose Forest, after it became evident that numerous red pine trees in the forest were being attacked by Armillaria root rot.

There was a time when condominium developments were associated mainly with more urbanized areas like Ottawa and Montreal.

That isn't the case in the west of Prescott-Russell, where condominiums have been popping up in municipalities like Clarence-Rockland, Embrun, Casselman and Limoges.

Mayors in the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) have long discussed the needs for more housing options as more and more Ottawa residents flock to smaller communities in pursuit of a better quality of life for their families.

According to statistics presented by the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR), tourism information centres (TIC) across the region, along with the UCPR's tourism website, received quite a bit more traffic this summer.

A report presented by Sylvain Charlebois, economic development and tourism coordinator for the counties, indicated traffic was up at most of the counties' four TICs this summer.

Firefighters with The Nation fire department and officers of the Russell County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were alerted to a structure fire at 1562 Route 500 early Wednesday morning, September 29.

The barn on the property was fully engulfed when crews arrived on the scene at around 5:35 a.m. Wednesday morning, and both the barn and a utility shed have been deemed a total loss.

An Ottawa-based solar energy developer held a press conference alongside the municipalities of Casselman and The Nation last Thursday, August 26, to announce a series of solar energy projects in the region.

A total of seven rooftop-based projects, deployed and managed by SolPowered Energy Corporation, were recently approved in both municipalities by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) for its feed-in tariff program.

Although he wasn't quite sure he would seek re-election, Casselman Mayor and United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) Warden Conrad Lamadeleine says he has "too many projects" to finish before he retires from the political scene.

The veteran politician, who has more than 20 years of municipal politics under his belt, recently announced he will seek at least one more term as mayor of Casselman.

"I always said I would stop when I accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish," he said. "I still have work to do. I still have projects I want to see through to the end."

Calypso water park-bound visitors from Montreal and its suburbs are likely welcoming a couple of VIA Rail service announcements this week, alongside Casselman Mayor Conrad Lamadeleine.

The national rail passenger service company informed Lamadeleine this spring that his request for a new Saturday morning stop in Casselman, along the Montreal-Ottawa line, would be temporarily approved as a pilot project this summer.

The move comes in light of the opening of the new Calypso water park in Limoges on Monday, June 7, located about 15 minutes from the Casselman train station.