As background, in 2007, the Heart and Stroke Foundation began a program that offered funds to upper tier municipalities for the purpose of placing automatic external defibrillators (AED) in arenas and community centres.  There would be 3 more rounds of funding in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  A total of 70 units were purchased over the 4 yr period.

The expected operating life span of an AED is 10 yrs which means the first units will soon need to be replaced.  Replacement cost is $2,500.  Battery and defibrillation pads are replaced every 3 yrs at a cost of $200.

The County is facing three options.  1)To continue to fund the current program over 8 years for the replacement of the expired AEDs at a cost of $17,500 for 2017 alone.  2) only continue to maintain AEDs that meet the heart and stroke funding model which would eliminate 16 defibrillators.  These units would be given to marinas and sports fields.  This would reduce the County's replacement costs by 40K.  3) To divest the AED's to the lower tiers and private owners where the AEDs are placed.  This option would see the County no longer having a Public Access Defibrillator program.

The decision has been deferred to give the 8 affected townships the opportunity to comment.  

Anstruther Marina is one of the locations where an AED was installed.  

The loss of the defibrillator is concerning especially since hospitals are so far away and most of the cottages on Anstruther are water access only.  

We have written to Council to express concern.  We have also notified the President of the Anstruther Lake Cottager's Association (ALCA) who has also sent a letter of concern to Council.  

We feel it is not a matter of whether the AED's should stay but more a matter of where the funding comes from.  We are fortunate to have this technology and it would be a shame to advance to the point that it is here on the lake - only to go two steps backward and have it taken away.

Councillor for Anstruther is Carolyn Amyotte and we thank her for taking the initiative to bring this to our attention.  She is concerned and encourages feedback be sent to the Township.

It is March 1st and we are expecting more rain today.  It rained all through the night.  We still have snow in North Kawartha and ice on Anstruther but it appears that it might be the beginning of the end for the winter season.  

The trails have not opened so far and won't likely due to unsafe water bodies.  

All this is not great for snowmobile enthusiasts but maybe a sign that we might get an earlier start to the summer season.  

The former boathouse A is currently being dismantled and we have the docking replacement for another boathouse patiently waiting on shore for it's new home.  We are waiting to see which boathouse takes the biggest hit from the ice as it thaws before determining which boathouse it will replace.

While the restaurant will be open on sat and sun this weekend on Mar 4&5, that may be the last weekend so please call ahead before coming to avoid disappointment.

The webcam has been our weakness and we apologize that it is still 'down'.  Technology in the city was always much more reliable.  We had a series of powerfailures one day last fall - you know the kind - the lights shut off then come back on within seconds but in this case the pattern repeated pattern over and over.  It was so disruptive that it fried the receiver in our home and we had to replace it.  When our tech friend came to help us check it out - he initially suspected that the webcam was also damaged but said it was not.  Then we lost power and he was unable to continue so it has to wait until his next visit.