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THE VOICE of Pelham Wednesday, July 20, 2011 Page 5
municipal
atters
FONTHILL PHARMACY LTD.
Hwy 20 (next to Log Cabin) 905-892-4994 www.pharmasave.com
Attendees will celebrate Summerfest in a revitalized downtown Fonthill BY DAVE AUGUSTYN Mayor of Pelham
As the construction nears completion, the celebration is about to begin. Last week saw not only the installation of a crosswalk at Churc Hill, but also the planting of many of the trees in downtown Fonthill. This week, the top layer of asphalt and most of the benches, gardens, and trees are to be finished south of Regional Road #20. And, the clock – donated by Communities In Bloom – will be installed. You will recall that the pre-construction work – burying of the hydro lines and other utilities – began last spring. Construction began in earnest last July as the street from College to Regional Road #20 was dug up for new water and sewer lines. That work took until December, when the contractor poured curbs and added layer of asphalt. Major work on the Northern side of Regional Road #20 to Broad Street began this spring. The contrac-
tor completed the underground work and is finishing the curbs, sidewalks, pavers, and other “streetscaping” features. The major final, but much-needed piece to be completed is the traffic signal at #20 and Pelham Street. The Region will now upgrade the traffic signals and the contractor will rework the corner to be safer and better for pedestrians. You will recall that the Federal and Provincial government contributed two-thirds of the construction costs. The Town is also using “Investing in Ontario” funding from the Provincial Government to pay for most of the costs for burying the utilities. Admittedly, this construction has been very difficult for many downtown Fonthill businesses. That’s why I am so pleased that many business owners, the Town, members of service clubs and other residents have teamed up to host Summerfest this Saturday. Summerfest – to be held from noon to midnight on July 23 – will celebrate the end of construction and the
Field trip leads to a quandry of quarries BY BRIAN BATY Regional Councillor As a Commissioner on the Niagara Escarpment Commission, I review with my colleagues a wide range of reports and papers dealing with proposed or existing modifications to the Niagara Escarpment. Some of the most complex reports deal with the establishment or expansion of quarries on the escarpment. Ontario requires aggregate in large quantity for the various roadworks and building projects underway or anticipated in the future. While quarries are necessary for development, the question arises as to whether or not the Niagara Escarpment needs to be the best source of that material. To better understand this issue I undertook a field trip last week to the Collingwood area to visit our NEC Thornbury office and to attend a public open house at Walker Aggregates Inc. Duntroon Quarry. The Niagara Escarpment Commission has a main office in Georgetown where monthly meetings of the NEC take place and a field office in Thornbury to serve the Dufferin, Grey and Bruce Counties. The office is staffed by a senior planner, three additional planners and an administrative assistant. Housed in a former apple juice facility, the offices are spartan but provide sufficient space for the large volumes of records and maps. The staff are finalizing reports with respect to a proposed expansion of the Duntroon Quarry with a final hearing decision expected within the next few months. I am told that the Niagara Escarpment Plan allows for quarries but staff sometimes have concerns that arise because existing quarries present potential negative
impacts to the environment and proposed expansions can accelerate those concerns. This latest quarry expansion proposal has gone on for months and the legal and staffing resources have been considerable. The next day I attended an open house at the Duntroon Quarry itself. Three busloads of visitors took a tour through the quarry and watched a blast demonstration on the last section of limestone in the quarry. The quarry is about 100 acres in size, has operated since 1968 and has been owned by Walkers since 1995. The Amabel formation is being extracted to provide concrete stone and high quality manufactured sands. Limestone products range from large armour stone (5+ tones) to limestone fines. When quarry extraction ends next year, the site will be allowed to fill with water to provide recreational and natural activities on the site. As the GPS guided me to the site I passed numerous signs and billboards calling for “Save our Prime Farmlands”, “Save our Water”, “Stop the Quarry” and “Stop the Mega-quarry” (referring to a proposed 2,000 acre quarry near Orangeville.) The field trip was valuable and provided some insights to assist in the further deliberations on quarry expansions in Ontario. This experience may prove to be of value should there be future proposals for quarry expansions in the Fonthill Kame area for the sand and gravel resources that exist in our area. Brian Baty is a Niagara Regional Councillor for the Town of Pelham and a Commisioner on the Niagara Escarpment Commission. brian.baty@niagararegion.ca.
beginning of a newly revitalized downtown Fonthill! The festival’s events will include: Street Party Zone will include great music on a main stage, a beer garden, a zumba challenge, and vendors; Active Lifestyle Zone will include a swim meet, a fun walk / run, a bike rodeo, and Nordic walking demos; X Zone will include an AMPfest youth band competition, a skate park and climbing wall, and an art contest; Kid’s Zone will include a bouncy gym jungle slide, Disney charactors, great games. For complete information, please see www.pelhamsummerfest.ca. I deeply appreciate the many, committed volunteers who have organized Summerfest and the hundreds of sponsors! And, I invite you to come celebrate our newly revitalized downtown Fonthill this Saturday! You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham. ca or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave. blogspot.com.
TOWN OF PELHAM INFORMATION COLUMN THE WEEK AHEAD •PELHAM ARENA “ZUMBA FITNESS” Wednesday, July 20, 2011 9:30 – 10:30 am Thursday, July 21, 2011 9:3010:30 am and 7:00 – 8:00 pm Tuesday July 26, 2011 9:30-10:30 am and 7:30 – 8:30 pm “ZUMBA GOLD” Thursday July, 21, 2011 9:30 – 10:30 am •PELHAM TOWN SQUARE Pelham Farmers’ Market –Every Thursday May to October - 4:30pm in Pelham Town Square for fresh produce and lots of goodies! Winner of the Market Bucks for July 14th was Paul Delogu •TOWN OF PELHAM POOL Public Swimming – Weekends 2 pm to 5 pm, 6 pm to 8 pm Weekdays: 1-4 pm, 6-8 pm Lane swim: Weekdays 12-1 pm Aqua Zumba Monday and Wednesday 12-1 pm •COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM Communities in bloom Trillium Nomination forms now available at the Town hall and online at www.pelham.ca •Pelham’s SUMMERfest JULY 23rd 2011 Noon-Midnight Pelham Street, Fonthill The Town of Pelham, Pelham Active Transportation Committee, the Downtown Beautification Committee and the Pelham Business Association would like to invite you to Pelham’s SUMMERfest. It’s time to shut off the engines, open the street, come together as a community and celebrate! www.pelhamsummerfest.ca A.M.P.Fest Are you a youth from Pelham interested in Music? Art? Photography? Paint? Sculpture? The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee will be hosting their 3rd Annual A.M.P.Fest (Art and Music in Pelham) at Summerfest July 23rd Come out to watch or participate at the bandshell in Peace Park 12-5pm! If you are interested in participating as a youth band or artist please pick up a application from Town Hall or you can print one off online at www.pelhamsummerfest.ca. For more information contact the Town of Pelham at 905-892-2607, Ext.341. All are encouraged to participate in this fantastic youth driven event!
•PELHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY Free TD Summer Reading Club @ Pelham Public Library Make your own reading log, enter our contests, and show off your stickers on our Wall of Fame. Sign up has begun. Programs for ages 6-12 and for Wee Readers under 5. Plotluck: Summer Adult Reading Program The Pelham Library challenges you to broaden your reading selections through the Plotluck Summer Adult Reading Challenge. Five books and one short story is the goal. Sign up in person. Rent-a-Geek: One-on-one Computer Help Dan Wallace, Computer Systems Specialist, is available to help with your questions every other Friday between 1 - 4. $10.00 per half hour. Half hour minimum. Includes use of a laptop. Payment reserves your place, since space is limited. Please register in person. Begins Fri., July 8. $10.00 for 1/2 hour. Pelham Public Library. Meditation Morning Marcia leads you through a number of different types of meditations for stress relief and focus. Great for beginners and those who have meditated before. Please bring a pen and notebook. $3.00. Register Ahead. Sat., July 23. 9:30-11:30 am Pelham Public Library. Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera Award-winning photographer Peter Ferguson gives an information session on getting the most from your digital camera whether it is a point and shoot or DSLR. Learn how camera settings affect your pictures and how simple editing using free software can improve the final image. Mon., Aug. 8th - 6:30 p.m. $5.00. Please register ahead. Pelham Public Library. GENERAL INFORMATION Interested in Joining the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee?? Are you a Pelham youth who would like to be heard and contribute to your community? Join the 2011-2012 Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee. Meetings take place once a month starting in October for the entire school year. Make a difference TODAY! An application form is available on the Town’s website at www.pelham.ca or at Town Hall. ONTARIO ONE CALL 1-800-400-2255 All requests for waterline and sewer locates must be directed to Ontario One Call. Town of Pelham e-mail address: clerks@pelham.ca Visit our Web site at www.pelham.ca