What’s always an added bonus is that Foster puts these everyday ordinary people in new and unexpected situations that are both hilarious and thought-provoking. It’s this unique combination of humour and heart that makes his plays so popular.

        In his new play, Moving In, the audience is introduced to a middle-aged couple who, after much weighing of the pros and cons, decide to take the plunge and move in together. Mark is a retired bank manager turned artist, and Gretchen, a real estate agent. It’s moving day and a very special day for the couple. What could possibly go wrong?

        Well just about everything in this laughter-filled comedy. Their grown-up children have other ideas. It’s a witty spin on the role reversals that can happen when older couples are starting relationships and adult children need to adjust their points-of-view.

        Mark's son Brett is a wannabe rock star who says he'll lend a hand with the move but never quite gets around to it. And Gretchen's daughter Rachel is a cop who flies across the country to arrest her mom’s romantic aspirations. Sparks fly and jokes crackle in this must-see summer season opener.

        Foster has frequently chosen Upper Canada Playhouse to premiere his new shows, which means their audience is the first audience to experience his plays. It’s also an exciting time for the Playhouse team and Foster himself as the director, actors, designers and technicians have the first opportunity to rehearse his new play and incorporate tweaks and rewrites from the playwright himself.

        Jesse Collins directs this Foster premiere and has directed many other first productions of the playwright’s new shows for The Playhouse, including The Ladies Foursome and Doris and Ivy in the Home. Playhouse audiences have also enjoyed Collins’ hit concerts Dean and Jerry, What Might Have Been, and The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, What Might Have Been. Collins has enjoyed an impressive TV and film career including an Emmy nomination for directing.

        The cast of Moving In also sport impressive credentials.  In the role of Mark is Dan Lett, one of the busiest actors in the country, including work at the Shaw Festival as well as TV and Film credits for The Shape Of Water, Made in Canada, X- Men Apocalypse and The Kennedys. 

        Returning Playhouse favourite Viviana Zarrillo, who also graced the Shaw Festival stage, plays Gretchen and was last seen in Same Time Next Year and Last of the Red Hot Lovers. In the role of Rachel, The Playhouse welcomes new-comer Molly Kidder, who can be seen in Murdoch Series and Jake Goldsbie best known over eight seasons on Degrassi.

        Moving In is a rollicking comedy that is sure to leave you laughing at the challenges of 'moving in'. 

This presentation, opening Monday, June 8th and running through Thursday, June 25th,

also marks a terrific start to The Playhouse’s 40th Anniversary as a professional theatre company

providing a significant cultural and economic impact on the community it serves.

Moving In runs 2:00 pm shows, Tue/Wed/Thu/Sat/Sun

and 7:30pm shows Thu/Fri/Sat. 

Contact the Box Office at: 613-543-3713; 877-550-3650 or uppercanadaplayhouse.com

Friday, May 26th -  The Municipality of South Dundas will lay out the welcome matt for new Chief Administrative Officer this coming week. Tim Mills will begin his new role as CAO in South Dundas on Monday, May 29th, 2023. 

        Mills resigned from his position with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne earlier this week.  As CAO, he brings several years of senior level experience to the role, including serving as superintendent of schools with the UCDSB, CAO for the Township of South Glengarry between 2019 and 2023, and briefly working as Executive Director of the MCA. 

        “I am looking forward to working with Council and Staff to assist with the exciting progress and development happening across the Municipality,” said Mills.

        The municipality's newest appointment said he is eager to collaborate with department Directors to help  meet their goals, with a focus on Strategic Planning, Infrastructure, Emergency Management, and furthering Economic Development. He is looking forward to seeing South Dundas continue to be a great place to live and flourish. 

        “The Council Team is thrilled with the hiring of Tim Mills as our next CAO. He is a great fit with us as we continue to build a strong staff for our residents,” said Mayor Jason Broad. 

        “The CAO position is extremely important in any Municipality and we believe in Tim Mills we have assigned a seasoned leader with ample public service skills to our top position. Tim will be very visible and active in South Dundas as his plans to compliment our attitude and culture shift in becoming a part of the community.”

Friday, May 26th – Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board and approved the 2023-2024 budget presented by Executive Superintendent of Business Services Jeremy Hobbs. Mr. Hobbs presented the proposed budget for the 2023-2024 school year following regular budget-related reports over the last several months.  

        Hobbs noted that the total proposed budget sits at $424.2 million, a figure  compliant with the Ministry of Education requirements. 

Highlights of the proposed budget include: 

        •  $53.7 million for Special Education, a 7.4 per cent increase, includes a full-year implementation of Power Up 2 (P2)  

            program expansion. The Special Education budget represents 12.8 per cent of the board’s expense budget; 

        •  $4.1 million for Indigenous Education supports, which includes $1.3 million in one-time mitigation funding to offset the

            Ministry of Education’s funding model change; 

        •  $1.6 million in continued investment in student technology and IT infrastructure; 

        •  $1.5 million in math recovery support for students from the Ministry of Education; 

        •  $1.2 million investment in literacy support from the Ministry of Education for reading activities,

            screening tools, and software licenses; and 

        •  $1.2 million for mental health and well-being support. 

        The proposed budget adequately addresses foreseeable financial risks for 2023-2024 in estimating Special Incidence Portion, transportation, and the application of Indigenous education and math funding.  Also noted in the proposed budget is $58 million for planned investments in school and child care capital construction, additions, improvements, and retrofits.    

        Additionally, $2.1 million has been allocated for Experiential/Real-World Learning, Specialist High Skills Major, and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program opportunities for students, which is directly tied to the priorities outlined in the Director's Work Plan. Trustees voted in favour of accepting the budget which is now forwarded to the Ministry of Education for final approval. 

Director's Work Plan Update . . .

        Executive Superintendent of Student Success and Innovation Eric Hardie provided an update on the Director’s Work Plan Student Success goal of a 90 per cent graduation rate and the Authentic Student Learning Experience Tool. Hardie explained that when the district has lost students, the district can’t re-engage them by offering them more of the same. ASLE is a responsive, individualized strategy, capturing new learning and is an umbrella tool that takes pieces from a variety of Ministry of Education documents and centres them in a process to engage or re-engage students.

        Hardie explained the ministry provides a general direction on what to do, but it’s the district’s job to figure out the how. 

        ASLE is a responsive, individualized strategy, that captures new learning to turns students into graduates, prevents at-risk students from dropping out, validates a student’s learning outside of school, makes them feel heard, and provides these students with a structure to achieve their pathway.  

Trustee Vacancy Update  . . .

        Chair of the Upper Canada District School Board John McAllister provided an update on the Ward 7 Trustee vacancy and the steps the Board will take to solve the vacancy. Earlier this month, Larry Berry announced he would be stepping down from his trustee position due to personal reasons.  

        Chair McAllister advised the vacancy will be shared with each school council and parent involvement committee, posted on the UCDSB website and social media accounts and municipalities. The timeline for applications is Thursday, May 25th thru  Tuesday, June 6th.  

Thursday, May 25th - There are many clinical trials taking place at Winchester District Memorial Hospital – and they are having an impact. Clinical trials can support patients, offering benefits such as new treatments or better drug options.

         In addition to supporting future care, the clinical trials are also making a name for WDMH on the research stage. In fact, over the past few months, WDMH has been the top recruiting site in Canada for three separate Health Canada-approved international clinical trials, having recruited more patients for each trial than any other site in Canada. 

        Plus, the hospital is ranked number three worldwide for one of the trials!

        William Leclair is one of those patients. When his doctor asked him if he’d like to be involved in a heart study, he immediately said yes.

        “I thought it was very worthwhile. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain from knowing more. And if it didn’t help me, it might help someone else. In fact, I think I have a better understanding of my health issues now which is great.”

        Chief Research Officer, Dr. Mohamed Gazarin, explains the benefits of these trials: “Patients enrolled in clinical trials at WDMH receive regular and careful medical attention from our research team. Every day, I see how enrollment in clinical trials makes patients feel better. They tell me they are taking an active part in their care and are excited to be part of something that will generate evidence to guide medical care in the future.” 

        The three trials include the Janssen E-Coli trial, which is examining the safety and efficacy of a vaccine to prevent complications associated with urinary tract infections caused by E-Coli bacteria. The Pfizer Covid trial is aiming to determine the most effective treatment length of Paxlovid to treat immunocompromised patients with COVID-19. Lastly, the Pfizer Heart Failure trial is looking to assess how common Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) is among patients with heart failure, to estimate the global prevalence of this disease.

        WDMH is currently involved in 10 Health Canada-approved international clinical trials.

        “I’m really proud that Winchester Hospital is doing this and is a leader in these clinical trials,” adds William Leclair. “It’s great for our rural hospital to be involved in research.”

       Anyone wishing to provide comments or suggestions concerning hospital services, please contact Cholly Boland, President and CEO, at Winchester District Memorial Hospital (613.774.1049) or by email at cboland@wdmh.on.ca.

New volunteers in the Emergency Department are making a difference  . . .

Friday, May 26th - Waiting for care in a hospital emergency department can be hard. But at Winchester District Memorial Hospital a new pilot program is helping to make that wait more palatable. Retired healthcare professionals are spending time in the waiting room, supporting patients with a helping hand and a listening ear. 

         “We're excited to have these new volunteers in our Emergency Department, helping to support a safe and respectful environment,” notes Shannon Horsburgh, Clinical Manager. “Patients are pleased to have someone to talk to, ask questions, and advocate on their behalf. Often, it’s the little things that make a big difference in helping to relieve anxiety and make the wait a little more comfortable.”

        Debra McLean helped to launch the program and is the first person to volunteer in this new role. She is a retired Nurse and co-chair of WDMH’s Patient and Family Engagement Committee: “I think this a very worthwhile project and we are already seeing the benefits.  I’m excited to put my background and training to use. We bring our expertise right to the patients and their support persons.”

       Debra is also able to bring her therapy dogs, Ceilidh and Annie,  with her.

        “The dogs are a part of every visit made to the Emergency Department." says Debra, "They are part of thea team!”

        Volunteers must be retired healthcare professionals such as Registered Nurses or Social Workers and must complete the hospital’s volunteer orientation and screening process, as well as specialized training for the role. For more information, please email dmclean@wdmh.on.ca.

May 25, 2023 - Due to the recent resignation of the incumbent Trustee the Upper Canada District School Board has announced there is a vacancy for the position of Trustee for Ward 7 – North Dundas and South Dundas.

        In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, the Board of Trustees will receive applications from eligible individuals for this position until 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6th, 2023.  

       Anyone interested in serving as a member of the Upper Canada District School Board, apply to Ron Ferguson, Director of Education and Secretary to the Board at ron.ferguson@ucdsb.on.ca.  

        Interested applicants are requested to provide a resumé or summary, including past accomplishments and community involvement and related experience; a letter of intent outlining the reasons why you wish to serve on the Board and how you feel you can contribute to its overall effectiveness.

        The applications will be available for review by the public, if requested; and three references from the community.  

Applicants will be screened, to create a short-list of candidates. Finalists will be interviewed in public session during the Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, June 21st, 2023.  

        The successful applicant will be sworn in at the Wednesday, June 21 Board Meeting and will serve until the end of the current term, which is Nov. 14, 2026. For further information please contact the Upper Canada District School Board at 613-342-0371 or 1-800-267-7131. 

Thursday, May. 4th - Vicky Byers says the WDMH Foundation’s 1920s Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre on Saturday, June 3rd is the perfect combo for her. Vicky loves the theatre and the Murder Mystery the Funny Side Productions theatre troupe are bringing to the event. She loves auctions and there will be both silent and live ones taking place. And most importantly, Vicky loves giving back and supporting health care close to home!

        “When I was asked to be the honourary chair for this year’s gala, I immediately said yes,” says Vicky Byers, a long-time South Mountain resident and funeral director at Byer’s Funeral Home. “I started volunteering at Winchester District Memorial Hospital in high school and worked there too. I said yes because I love the hospital and the Foundation!”

        In fact, Vicky went from being a candystriper helping patients at mealtime to being hired to coordinate all the teen volunteers.

        “I remember that Olive Cass hired me, and you didn’t say no to Olive! I also received a volunteer bursary that helped to pay for some of my books at school in Toronto. It gave me such confidence knowing that people were behind me. That was a good feeling, and it was a given that I would give back in the future.”

        Vicky has served on the gala committee for many years, leading the silent auction team and lending a hand wherever she could. “I thrive on last minute craziness,” she laughs. “It takes a wonderful team and a great group of volunteers to organize a special evening and that is what we have planned.”

        The event is set for Saturday, June 3rd, at Matilda Community Hall in Dixon’s Corners. Featured will be an upscale 1920s theme for the evening, starting with a cocktail hour followed by a sit-down meal by Traiteur La Bonne Bouffe Catering. Throughout there is a live auction with local auctioneer Brandon Scheepers, a silent auction, raffles and games, and a free photo booth on the floor. Six local actors will play 10 characters in Laurie McRae-Bingley’s original play. Music will include Ice – No Slice.

        “The best part of the evening is that proceeds will support the WDMH Foundation’s Family Care Fund,” adds Vicky Byers. “We all know how important it is to have WDMH close to home and we want to support it. This is the last WDMH gala being planned for some time, so this is your chance. We can’t wait to welcome you!”

        Tickets are $105 each. Purchase online at https://wdmhfoundation1920smurdermystery.eventbrite.ca