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VOL. 01 | March 30, 2022
LaSalle resident of the month
Council approves three fire station model
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C OV ERING LASALLE , ESSE X, B E L L E R IVER , C OM B E R , E M E RY V I L L E , P U C E , R U S C O M, ST. J OAC H I M, ST. P O INT E , COT TA M, T ECU MS E H, WO O DS LE E A ND T ILBU RY
Sandwich Sabres win the Mayor’s Cup By Hailey Renaldo The annual Mayor’s Cup was welcomed back by a rink full of hockey fans after being cancelled the last two years due to Covid-19. The Sandwich Sabres boys hockey team squared off against the Villanova Wildcats on March 24. "Being out here for the first time in two years is great," said Mayor Marc Bondy. "There is nothing better than kids getting to play a sport they love with their peers. When I heard the Championship was back on I said, 'I'll absolutely be there to drop the puck.' It's nice to have the players back on the ice and I know the kids were pumped to be able to play too." After Breana Lee’s rendition of the National Anthem, Mayor Marc Bondy dropped the ceremonial puck with Captains Ryan Dufour for the Wildcats and Tyler MAYOR'S CUT, PAGE 6
From the Editor's Desk Hello LaSalle!
Sandwich Secondary Sabres win against the Villanova Wildcats 3-2 in the Mayor’s Cup Championship game and accept the trophy from LaSalle Town Counsilor, Mike Akpata on March 24
Villanova students fundraise for Ukraine Staff Report St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic high school students have come together to show support for Ukraine. Villanova teacher Mike Baran organized a fundraising effort asking students to put yellow and blue ribbons together for everyone in the school to wear in an effort to raise awareness about the crisis in Ukraine. “Raising awareness of the current struggles occurring throughout the Ukraine community is extremely important,” said Villanova student Sarah Foreman. “Blue and yellow pins made of ribbon were worn in order to acknowledge this saddening FUNDRAISER, PAGE 6
Back from the left: Mikaela Airess, Alyssa Little, Mason Bolce, Nicholas Dube, Ava Varsava, Olivia Culver, Sullivan Culhane, Kolton MacArthur, Brandon Leblanc, Ethan Konklowicz, Sarah Foreman, Nathan Yau Front from the left: Cynthia Francis, Eva Parent, Traya Mulder, Miriam Leardi, Noah Bastien, Eva Barron, Amelia Deschamps, Alexia Macri, Hannah Zayouna
We aren't back, we're new and improved. The goal of the LaSalle Post Reporter is to fill the hole that has been left in the community. We aren't focused mainly on the pains and changes of the world as a whole, we want to focus on LaSalle's part of the world. Bringing light to the stories happening next door; in the soccer fields and baseball diamonds, in the halls of the schools, the churches, nursing homes, and municipal buildings. Let's talk about the lemonade stands raising money for a cause, the Vipers game last night, the car meets, the on-the-ground view of the Strawberry Festival and you can't forget the biggest catch at the annual Walleye Tournament. The LaSalle Post Reporter is here to cover the stories of residents and notify all of the upcoming events hosted in LaSalle. Independently owned and operated, the Reporter is ready to bring the community together, with new columns such as the nominated Resident of the Month and the Art Column with more ideas coming in the future. We invite you to check out our digital and Facebook sites here: Lasallepost.ca Fb.com/LaSallePost
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Hailey Renaldo Editor, LaSalle Post Reporter
06 | March 30, 2022
Mayor’s Cup Championship MAYOR'S CUT, FROM PAGE 1
Trealout for the Sabres. The action on the ice matched the ruckus crowd. Villanova scored the first goal leading the teams in a back-and-forth battle until the Sabres were able to muscle in a goal to tie the game. Villanova, however, had other plans and scored shortly thereafter to make it 2-1. Third period action saw several scoring chances both ways but the Sabres were able to tie it up sending the game into overtime. Only 23 seconds into overtime, the Sabres scored on an odd angled shot from Adriano Tonin sending the Sabres to a meeting with LaSalle Councilor Mike Akpata who handed the Sabres the 2022 Mayor’s Cup Championship trophy.
Photo courtesy of Andromeda Dean Sabres Captain Tyler Trealout accepts the Mayor’s Cup from LaSalle Town Counsilor, Mike Akpata
Council approves three fire station model Staff Report At the Regular Council meeting on March 22, Council approved the Three Fire Station Operating Model and Financial Plan as presented by Ed Thiessen, Director of Fire Services/Fire Chief and Dale Langlois, Director of Finance/Treasurer. This model includes the existing headquarters station on Normandy St., a west substation at 2160 Front Road (Substation 1), and an east substa-
tion on Laurier Parkway in the area of Disputed Road (Substation 2). “Our Town is growing, and as we continue to do so it is our duty to continue to meet standards by responding to the growing needs of our
community. With this plan, Council is committed to building a safer LaSalle,” said Mayor Marc Bondy. More information about the three fire station model can be found on our web page at lasalle.ca/firestations
Community Comes Together for Children of Amanda Ioannidis Lyons By Hailey Renaldo The children of Amanda Ioannidis Lyons have been receiving an outpouring of support from residents in LaSalle and surrounding areas. On March 20, LaSalle Police released a report stating The LaSalle Police Service Criminal Investigation and Forensic Units, and the Ontario Provincial Police Forensic Unit were investigating a homicide in the 1400 block in Sugarwood Crescent after Amanda, 34, was found deceased in the home. In the days following Amanda’s death, friends and family created a GoFundMe to help raise funds for the care of her three young children, ages 5, 4, and 8 months. The GoFundMe states her children were the lights of her life, that she loved them fiercely, and
everything she did was for them. With the goal to raise $30,000, the fundraiser exploded with donations – raising over $387,000 within the first five days of being launched. “Amanda was the life of the party, and always wanted to bring everyone together. She took charge in planning, hosting, and making sure everybody felt welcomed.” In the obituary, Amanda’s family said she ‘was a strong, fierce and independent woman who took everyone in without expecting anything back. Her family also asked those who knew her or heard her story to ‘please always hold your family close and take time every day to show how much you love them. You never take anything for granted and cherish every moment, because you never
LaSalle resident of the month Meet the LaSalle Resident of the Month for March, Joan Carrick. Life-long LaSalle resident, Joan Carrick owns and works at Carrick Farms on Malden Rd. She has been there for over 40 years. She tries to keep her prices down because she wants everyone to be able to get the flowers, fruits and vegetables they want/need. She never went into the price hikes that others did to take advantage of the Covid situation, she’s not about that. She has donated things when asked and is all about helping the community whenever she can. Sometimes fruit and vegetables don’t look perfect and people won’t buy them, so if it isn’t badly marked or bruised, she will put them aside and give them to the customers that come in who she knows are struggling. She is very honest, kind, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Ask her what type of apple you should make a pie with, what flowers need sun or shade and she’ll help you. At Christmas time she makes every wreath, blanket, swag and basket by hand. She will even
Joan Carrick
put extra time in to create madeto-order items for those who need something made special. I don’t know anywhere else that does that. She takes a lot of pride in what she does. People don’t know but she starts the planting of her flowers, vegetables, and herbs beginning of March and she starts getting everything ready in February. She is an extremely hard worker, which is why I want her recognized as Resident of the Month.
Students fundraise for Ukraine FUNDRAISER, FROM PAGE 1
situation. Many generous donations were given and matched by the Red Cross then sent directly to Ukraine. Taking part in this fundraiser was truly important to me. This left me with a sense of hopefulness and accomplishment. Even though we are
located on the other side of the world, a difference is still being made.” Villanova Principal, Laura Beltran said the message of unity and peace was spread across the building, giving the school a new topic of conversation among the students. For more info visit: lasallepost.ca
Villanova students wear yellow and blue to show support for Ukraine
know when it could be your last.’ Still Missing The investigator’s main suspect has been identified as Blair Lyons. He is described as a 34-year-old white male with short dark brown hair,
short dark brown facial hair, brown eyes and a tattoo on his left shoulder. Police said his vehicle was located early on March 19, abandoned on the Ambassador Bridge with evidence he jumped from the bridge into the Detroit River. LaSalle Fire Service, Windsor Police Service and RCC Trenton Search and Rescue were immediately dispatched to search
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the Detroit River. However, as of March 27, there have been no reports of Lyons being found. Anyone with information is asked to contact the LaSalle Police Service at 519-969-5210, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at www.catchcrooks.com. Police have publicly assured residents there is no risk to public safety.
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March 30, 2022 | 07
Sandwich Secondary Students Donate Canned Goods By Hailey Renaldo A friendly competition among peers has brought great results to a worthy cause at Sandwich Secondary School this week. Covid-19 has kept high school students from the ‘true high school experience’ but thanks to a no-contact initiative, they’ve had a chance to feel a sense of community – not just within their school, but through the Town of LaSalle as well. Every year, Sandwich’s Student Parliament runs a can drive for the St. Andrew’s Anglican Church – LaSalle Community Food Bank in LaSalle. This year Sarah Moore, the Leadership class teacher at Sandwich Secondar y decided to include her students in the contactless can drive alongside
Student Parliament as an activity to teach the importance of helping others. Inspired by the June 27 Miracle the students printed hundreds of neon orange information sheets asking for non-perishable items, and handed them out around the Town. “Their homework was to hand out at least 100 letters to each of the houses,” said Moore. “We went back to those houses the following week to collect the cans and the response was overwhelming, we have an entire classroom full of donated food. Between what we collected and what other students brought in, we’re close to around 10,000 cans” Other classrooms and students participated outside the programs and courses as well, creating their own competition amongst friends.
Sandwich Secondary students stand with donations collected for the school can drive
LaSalle author publishes locally based memoir
Will Telasco is a Grade 12 student at Sandwich Secondary. He said he decided to get involved in the can drive with his friend Tyler Declerk and Business teacher Rob Jasey, by starting with 100 cans each. As numbers increased between the ‘competitors’ Telasco and Declerk decided to do one last feat to collect to most food. The duo ended up raising close to 3,500 – enough food to fill a trailer, themselves towards the cause. Debbie Wilkinson is the Manager of the LaSalle Community Food Bank, located at St Andrew’s Anglican church. She said the food bank feeds around 70 families regularly – and counting and this time of year is when the food bank is most in need of donations – and with Covid-19, the food bank struggled significantly with local schools being a big supporter of their cause. FreshCo is also coming on board to become a regular supporter of fresh foods for the food bank. Wilkinson said their partnership with FreshCo isn’t a corporate movement, it’s purely a community support initiative, giving back to the people who need help the most. Wilkinson urges LaSalle residents to remember the food bank is there year-round, and donations are always needed.
Celebrating Nature’s Beauty
See more images at lasallepost.ca Madison Trealout with her piece "Nature's Beauty"
My name is Madison Trealout, I am a 15-year-old self-taught artist from LaSalle. I mainly do art as a hobby, but I would like to start selling art in the near future. This painting is called ‘Nature’s Beauty,’ it is a nine-day project that I finished recently. The painting is meant to represent the natural beauty of living
beings and is meant to show that being different is good. The woman in the painting has Vitiligo, I added this to represent the beauty of difference. Vitiligo is a condition that causes the skin to lose its color, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. I used acrylic paint and fake flowers to make Nature’s Beauty painting .
The LaSalle Strawberry Festival Returns
Aviation Program to Launch at Sandwich Secondary Staff Report
Staff Report Two LaSalle residents have put a dent in the world of literature just two weeks since their book launched. Matthew St. Amand and Todd Ternovan joined forces to create the memoir piece on Ternovan’s four-decade career with the Ontario Provincial Police called, ‘Gas of Tank: A Canadian Law Enforcement Odyssey 1979-2019.‘ Since its introduction to the public, the book has taken the number 1 bestseller spot in Law Enforcement Biographies and Memoirs, an impressive feat for a partnership that started
as friendly neighbours casually talking to one another. For more information or to order a copy of Gas of Tank, please visit gasoftank.com
LaSalle student selected for Ontario Legislative Assembly Page Program Staff Report Over 200 young Ontarians applied, but only 13 students were accepted to be part of the Ontario Legislative Assembly Page Program. One of those students was Sandwich West Public School student, Ben Selmi. In 2019, Selmi went on a family trip through Ontario. During their trip, they stopped for a tour of
the Ontario Legislative Building, where they heard of an opportunity for Selmi to apply for once he was old enough. This year, the time finally came, and Selmi sent in his application to
Students will be soaring towards new opportunities with Sandwich Secondary School’s up-and-coming aviation program. With the intent to develop a sustainable program that shows students the potential opportunities in an aviation career path, this program is the first of its kind in our area. Sandwich teacher and private pilot, Rob Jasey has been working on the curriculum for the program, which will include aviation history, space, available careers, and more – including hopes of partnering up with more organizations for cooperative education opportunities. The classroom will feature two flight simulators – with hopes of more on the way. Jasey said he’s been getting full support from the Greater Essex County District School Board and funding from the Ministry of Education.
The LaSalle Strawberry Festival is back! After two years of virtual Strawberry Festival activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our in-person festival will take place June 9-12, at the Vollmer Culture and Recreation Complex. “I am thrilled that the Strawberry Festival is returning to the event we all know and love. It is one of our signature events in LaSalle, and we look forward to welcoming our residents and visitors back to the festival,” said Mayor Marc Bondy. The Town of LaSalle is now accepting online applications to take part in the festival. Vendor, entertainment and parade applications can be found on the Town
of LaSalle website at .lasalle.ca/ strawberryfestival. All applications must be submitted online and are subject to approval and acceptance by the LaSalle Strawberry Festival. “We are in the early planning stages of the festival. Visitors will recognize most of the event, and there will be some new additions too,” said Scott Bisson, Manager of Culture and Recreation. Each year, the festival features family entertainment, a parade and carnival, and of course fresh, local strawberries. Watch for upcoming announcements about entertainment and events taking place at this year’s LaSalle Strawberry Festival.
become a Legislative Page. When he was notified of his acceptance, Selmi said he was overjoyed. “I’m hoping to one day be in politics, so getting a good idea of how legislature functions and how things are generally run was a really cool experience,” said Selmi. “Young people can impact politics as well, maybe not as much as adults,
but we can still make a difference,” said Selmi. Selmi’s parents, Barbara Link and Patrick Selmi agreed with Selmi. Link said having youth as a part of programs like this helps bring a new understanding to the political process. Sandwich West Public School Principal Kathleen Fioret said she
thinks the Page Program is a great way to help youth find more ways to get involved in their communities. Selmi’s Grade 8 teacher, Madame Filomena Yamashita said her class is presenting on the career paths they plan on pursuing, and this experience will be part of Selmi’s career presentation. She hopes Selmi’s experience will help inspire others.
12 | March 30, 2022
Sports MacPherson twins commit to University of New Hampshire hockey scholarships By John Humphrey A pair of Essex County's young and highly-skilled junior hockey players have taken the next step in their promising careers. Connor and Ryan MacPherson of Tecumseh have been lighting it up for the Leamington Flyers of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League since the start of the 2021-2022 seasons The 17 year-old young men committed last month to attend the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and play for the Wildcats. The UNH Wildcats are the National Collegiate Athle tic Association (NCAA) Division One hockey team that are a member of Hockey East and play their home games at the Whittlemore Center in Dunham, New Hampshire.
The MacPhersons, who are not only brothers, but are fraternal twins (they do not look alike) joined the Flyers last fall after playing AAA hockey for the Sun County Panthers. The pair were both taken in the 2021 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection by the Ottawa 67s. Ryan , a 5'11”, 161 lb centre who shoots left-handed,was drafted in the 9th round, 171st overall, while 5'11”, 154 lb Connor, who is right-handed and plays right-wing, was selected in the 10th round, 188th overall, by Ottawa. The brothers attended the 67s mini-camp last August, but returned home to play junior b hockey and continue their development. It wasn't long before the pair attended the August mini-camp of the Flyers, turning the heads of coaching and management staff so often and vigorously that they nearly
caused the Leamington staff to suffer whiplash. In 42 games with the Flyers, who lead the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League's Western Conference with a 32-10-0-0 record in the 20212022 season, Connor MacPherson has 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points and currently leads the Flyers in scoring, while Ryan MacPherson has 12 goals and 35 assists for 48 points. Connor also sits in 13th place overall among the GOJHL's top scorers, while Ryan is in 20th place overall. The MacPhersons play alongside left-winger Gavin Grudner, a draft pick of the OHL's Guelph Storm. Leamington head coach, Dale Mitchell, who is in his first season as a head bench boss (anywhere) has been instrumental in developing the MacPhersons both on and
Courtesy of Leamington Flyers Hockey Club
off the ice and that has not been lost on the boys. “Coach Mitchell is great to play for. While it is only his first season coaching, you would think that he has been doing it for seasons,” said Connor. “He had a lot of experience playing junior hockey (winning backto-back Memorial Cups with the Windsor Spitfires in 2009-2010) and he played pro hockey for seasons too. “He knows a lot about the game and he is a great guy to learn from.” Mitchell's confidence in his rookies not only during the regular season, but in training camp and in the pre-season helped showcase the
17 year-old Connor and Ryan MacPherson have committed to attend the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and play hockey for the Wildcats – while getting an education.
MacPhersons' considerable talents and the brothers quickly caught the attention of the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. “New Hampshire's coaching staff contacted us in November and told us that they had watched a few of our games on video,” recalls Ryan. “A couple of weeks later, one of the coaches came down to see us play in Leamington and a few weeks later another coach came to see us too.” The dialogue between UNH and the MacPherson family (father Matt, mother Jodi and younger brother Evan, 14 in addition to the twins) HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIPS, PAGE 11