The 20-unit low-cost housing project in Perth kicked off last week on the 17th of February, and Perth Mayor John Fenik couldn’t be happier at how the partners that made the development possible came together to work for the betterment of the community. He went as far as to say that the partners are the best of everything.

Appearing during the project’s groundbreaking ceremony last week, Fenik said that he’s excited with what the future holds for the Town of Perth, especially after how everybody in the community seemed to look after one another with the planning of the project.

Indeed, the day was an exciting one for those in Perth.

Located along Rogers Road, the 20-unit project will cost $1.69 million to construct. But the best part is that 15 out of the 20 units will be specially designed for individuals and family members with special needs.

The project was made possible by the efforts of the federal and Ontario government, the Town of Perth, the Lanark County, and investors from the private sector. Designed by Perth architect Geoff Hodgins to be a structure that uses energy efficiently, the 2-story building is slated to be fully operational and ready for occupancy by mid-summer.

Volleyball season is upon us once more here in the Province of Ontario and the eastern towns of Carleton Place and Perth are all set to host the All Ontario Senior Girls’ AA Volleyball Championships, an event that’s expected draw in over 280 students and coaches from the high school departments of schools scattered across Ontario. Recognized by the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations, this annual sporting event will primarily be hosted by Perth’s St. John Catholic High School.

The event will highlight intense volleyball play between 20 of Ontario’s best all girl volleyball teams, which include a number of regional competition winners and two teams from the Eastern Region. The games are set to take place on the 9^th and 10^th of March, and will be divided into four venues in both Perth and Carleton Place.

Shawn Retty, head coach for St. John’s ladies’ volleyball team and one of the event’s organizers commented that the school is proud to be chosen as one of the hosts for this prestigious event. She added that this opportunity not only presents the school’s students a chance to get a close look at the performance of other teams in the region, but will also allow local residents to watch the games and cheer for the home team.

The Lanark County Food Bank is ridiculously busy these days and volunteers working with the charitable institution wonder if the need for help will ever subside.

From January 2009, the number of people in need of assistance has steadily increased as the months passed by, this according to the food bank’s executive director, Natine Kennedy. She also noted that more people have come to the food bank for help, with 519 in January this year, a significant increase to last January’s 402 people.

Kennedy is worried that the trend won’t stop any time soon. If the recession is indeed over, she says her team of volunteers certainly haven’t felt it yet. “It’s a battle here every month”, she adds.

Since December of 2009, more and more people have begun to flock in asking for food and a place to turn in for the night. She said that it’s heartbreaking to see these people, most of whom are embarrassed to be asking for help but are left with not choice.

The food bank is presently tending to 241 adults and over a 100 kids in Carleton Place, while the rest of the clients are from the Almonte, Perth, and Smith’s Falls area.