CJRO News June 12 to June 18, 2023
Hello, bonjour, and welcome to CJRO News on CJRO Radio. I’m Candice Vetter, reporting from Embrun.
I’ll start with the latest scam to hit the area. An email is sent from a person you know with the word favor, spelled the American way, in the subject line. The message then says “Sorry for bothering you, do you order on Amazon?” If you respond, thinking it’s for a friend, the scammers will then ask you to buy an electronic gift card for a sick friend (in this case liver cancer) on their behalf because they can’t—saying their card won’t work and they’re in the hospital. If you agree they will give you an email address for the so-called friend. This is all a scam. Any time you get an email asking for help which appears to be from a friend do not respond. If you think it may be genuine, phone that friend!
The City of Ottawa is hoping to increase paramedic hiring, wanting to add 40 new full-time positions each year for three years, for a total of 120 new paramedics. For at least a decade Ottawa has been taking ambulances from surrounding municipalities, including Prescott-Russell, sometimes leaving those large rural areas with no ambulance coverage at all. Recently the problem has gotten much worse and is exacerbated by the lack of staff in hospitals. Paramedics must wait at hospital until a patient is seen by hospital staff. These offload delays may take hours sometimes even resulting in zero ambulance availability. The situation in Ottawa has become dramatically worse with the Covid health emergency and the population increase. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has asked the province for more help, as health is a provincial responsibility, but previous requests for help have been ignored or denied. Sutcliffe said in a statement, “…offload delays and the resulting number of level-zero events have not improved.… We will continue to hire more paramedics to serve the community. But until we resolve the offload delays in hospitals, the problem won’t be solved. We need the province’s help on dramatically reducing offload delays.” The situation is bad enough in the city, but the city’s refusal to compensate surrounding rural municipalities for their ambulance time further burdens the entire area.
On Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to noon a Pride flag raising ceremony will take place at the Russell Township office on Notre Dame Street in Embrun.
Photo Getty Images
Wade Road from Route 400 to McLaren Road will be closed this Wednesday, June 14th all day until the morning of Thursday June 15th, for a culvert replacement.
The Russell Kin Club’s Catch the Ace lottery is down to three remaining cards and the Ace of Spades has still not been drawn. This week the jackpot is estimated at $1.3 million and the weekly prize at $80,000. Purchases can be made at 26 retail locations or online at kinclubofrussell.ca.
Don’t forget that the bridge across the South Nation River on Highway 43, at the western edge of Chesterville, is now closed for major rehabilitation and will remain closed into October. The nearest detour route is through the centre of the village of Chesterville.
If you have News you want included on this weekly report, please email newscjro@gmail.com by Monday mornings. Stay tuned now for the CJRO Events Roundup.
We have additional content and Local First podcasts at CJROradio.com. Hear us at 107.7 or 107.9, follow us on Facebook, listen to our podcasts on cjroradio.com or on the Tune-In and Radio Player Canada apps. I’m Candice Vetter for CJRO News. CJRO, last on the dial, first for local news.
CJRO Events Roundup
Russell Foodland is hosting a food drive for the Good Neighbours Food Bank. Drop off donations of non-perishable goods or cash at the store, this Saturday June 17th between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Summer is a time the food bank really needs help.
The Sound of Music red carpet gala dinner is June 17th at 8 Blais Street, at the Camille Piche Community Centre. The event is not the play, it is instead a celebration of different music including Burundian drummers, Columbian dancers, Russell Rocks and DJ Biko. Proceeds will benefit the Good Neighbours Food Bank. Get tickets at Eventbrite.ca. For more about the event listen to my interview with organizer DJ Biko on Local First.
The next Royal Astronomical Society of Canada public star party is this Friday, June 16th (rain date June 17th) in the parking lot of the Carp Branch of the Ottawa Public Library. Members set up their telescopes to let the public experience astronomy. Events start at sunset. Future dates are July 21st (22nd as backup), August 18th (19th as backup) and September 15th (16th as backup). For more information see our astronomy contributor Gary Boyle’s website at www.wondersofastronomy.com.
Local Author Phil Gurski is launching his newest book, From Village to Vimy to Victory, at the Russell Branch of the library Thursday, June 22nd at 7 p.m. In it he recounts the stories of the 150 men of Russell who went to the First World War, 19 of whom did not return, and the impactt of the war locally.
Russell Township is holding a Recreation Centre information session on Wednesday June 28th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Township Hall at 717 Notre-Dame Street, Embrun. Residents can view plans of the approved 30% schematic design and ask questions of staff and consultants. For more information on this project, including the schematic plans, see www.russell.ca/recreationcomplex.
The Wendover Country Music Festival starts Thursday, July 13th and runs until Sunday, July 16th featuring over 20 musical acts. For information and tickets email info@festivalwesternwendover.ca.
Also on July 13th is Russell’s first Meet Me on Main Street. Parts of Concession Street in the village will be closed to traffic and open to pedestrians, with tables, food, entertainment and the chance to reconnect with old friends and neighbours. Meet Me on Main Street was started in North Dundas several years ago and last year included Marionville, which sits astride three municipalities, North Dundas, Russell Township and Ottawa. Its success prompted an expansion to Russell this year.
To get your event listed send it three weeks before to newscjro@gmail.com or bill@cjronews.ca.