Celebrating 50 Years

Rural Frontenac Community Services enables our residents to live rural life to its fullest. We are a registered charitable organization that is governed by a Board of Directors and has served the community for 50 years. Rural Frontenac Community Services is located in Central Frontenac Township in the Country of Frontenac, north of Kingston. We are a community hub delivering a wide range of social services to both adults and children throughout the county.

Our Children’s Services, includes EarlyON as well as a licensed daycare for 26 children, and youth services with after school activities, leadership training, and a youth Hub. Our Adult Services includes Family Counseling and a range of community supports for seniors including Meals on Wheels, home supports, respite programs and home care. Our Transportation Services include county wide volunteer transportation network. Other agencies in the county rent space from Rural Frontenac Community Services to provide their services including income support (OW, ODSP), legal services, mental health services, employment services, Probation and Parole Child protection and Violence against Women support services.

Thank You to Our Sponsors of Our 50th

Austin Fox Plumbing and Heating Inc.

Nesda Technologies Ltd.

Seeds Chartered Professional Accountants

Petro Canada

Sharbot Lake Pharmacy Ltd.

J. Quattrocchi’s &Co. Ltd.

Pictures from our 50th Reunion

Dedication For Keith Conboy

Keith Conboy joined the Board of North Frontenac Community Services in 1977. In those early stages, the board was very active and involved directly in the services.

Keith was a hardworking and successful businessperson in the community. Wayne Robinson noted the board was excited about his willingness to join the Board considering his demanding and busy schedule.

Keith brought solid and well thought out ideas to the organization and was very supportive of a collaborative approach to decision making and planning. Over the ensuing 43 years Keith continued his commitment to the organization and its commitment to “being good and doing good” in the community.

When new people joined the board he was often a friendly face and mentor. As Steve Magee recalled when he joined the board, “we found a common interest in making maple syrup, old cars, tractors and strangely, the amazing people and work done by Rural Frontenac Community Services.”

Keith was always interested in the people and how important they were to the organization. His commitment, caring and longevity was exceptional. Even as a senior citizen Keith remained modern in his thinking and outlook.

Board members have reflected how Keith would sit back and listen to everyone talk about an issue. Then, when there was a pause he would have everyone stop and think as he stridently voiced his opinion and forced the ensuing discussion. Keith always wanted the best for the organization and I believe we are better off for his opinions and insights.

This tree is dedicated to Keith. A Sugar Maple tree was chosen as a legacy to Keith’s maple syrup business. This tree will remind us of Keith’s service to the community, his commitment, his tenacity and insight, and his role as a Dad to Chris and Andrew and more recently as a grandfather.

Dedication to Audrey Tarasick

In the 1980s the need for services to support families with young children in the community was identified. A nursery school had been established in Oso Hall in the 1970s. North Frontenac Community Services had started a Big Pals program under Peggy Sweet. But there were no programs for parents to come together with their children.

So a group of local parents came together to advocate for local services to enhance the lives of children and their parents. They wanted a program for parents when they could play together with their children and have a van to take the program out to the local villages.

Susan Leslie, Margaret Bell, Pam Woods and Judy Dow came together which eventually became a formal subcommittee of North Frontenac Community Services. Over time the group received funding for local playgroups, a toy library and outreach van and later the building of the Child Centre where we are today.

Audrey Tarasick was the first staff to oversee the Children’s Services. Between 1987 to 1998 she had several titles from Coordinator, Supervisor and Director.

Audrey’s knowledge of child development, and passion for family supports, led to the to the truly amazing array of services for our rural area. A core of these programs is the outstanding daycare with a number of excellent long-time staff such as current Supervisor Susan Wilby, who has been thee since the beginning and Lisa Hamilton, originally in the Nursery school. She also oversaw the playgroups which have expanded over the years throughout north, central and south Frontenac.

Children and families were Audrey’s passion. She was a calm, caring empathetic person who was committed to giving children opportunity to learn. She made wooden toys for the programs and started the school readiness program that continues today.

It is an honour to dedicate this bench in our playgroup as a tribute and reminder of Audrey’s vision of this space, what she gave to our community and her passion for children and families.