Essex Free Press - October 22, 2020

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Vol. 140

A LOOK INSIDE

Kingsville’s Migration Festival exemplifies community spirit of resiliency

Great Migration Paint PAGE 2 ______________ Essex Council meeting notes - October 19 PAGE 3 _______________ Essex Council Strategy Meeting highlights Current State Assessment Report PAGE 6 ______________ Fall Home Improvement PAGES 7 - 10 _______________ Accessible benches unveiled at Co-An Park PAGE 19 _______________ Recognition for a commitment to preserving history PAGE 20 _______________

by Adam Gault In a year like no other, it was a Migration Festival like no other, as residents of Kingsville and Essex County came together to take part in the 51st iteration of the annual event this past weekend.

For the past several months, members of the 2020 Migration Fest Committee worked with representatives from the Town of Kingsville to host a version of the festival that would satisfy the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s health and safety protocol, due to the pandemic, while delivering a memorable experience.

“The [Migration Fest] Committee has been very creative, we’ve looked at all of our events and changed many of them, there’s nothing that looks the same,” Kingsville Parks and Recreation Program Manager, Looking For A Good Maggie Durocher, said, noting Home that many of the traditional events had gone virtual or completely outdoors to comply with health orders.

The biggest omission from the event was the lack of the traditional parade, which would “WIGGLE” normally kick off the event as See Page 5 for adoption info. it would make its way down the spectator-lined Main Street, showcasing numerous floats, horseback riders, and marching bands from across the county.

In lieu of that annual spectacle, residents and businesses were encouraged to decorate their homes or businesses with their

best fall-themed decor and submit their photos online for the chance at several local prize packs.

PJs and Pancakes also took on a different feel this year, with the Migration Committee preparing 200 free breakfast kits for attendees to prepare at home, which included pancake mix from Toasted Meringue Bakery, as well as fresh strawberries, generously donated from Del Fresco and Mucci Farms.

While picking up their breakfast kits, community members were also encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item in support of the Kingsville Food Bank, bringing to the forefront the community spirit that made an event like the 2020 Migration Continued on Page 2

Issue No. 41

Pictured top - L t R - Migration Fest Committee members Alison Araujo and Matt Kraus are joined by Mayor Santos in distributing breakfast kits.

Pictured above: The Whitfield family; dad Steve, mom, Natasha, and daughters, Katia and Zara, enjoy the outdoor Migration Market.

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2 I Community Essex Free Press

I Thursday, October 22, 2020

Migration Festival... Great Migration Paint-Out continued from Front Page

have under the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to be safe, still being able to celebrate your community, the culture, and certainly heritage, that’s what Migration Festival really represents for our municipality,” Kingsville Mayor, Nelson Santos, said. “It’s a tradition that’s been here for generation after generation. Being able to have our volunteers continue to dedicate their time over the past year, to shape and reshape what this festival looks like this year is so critical, and we’re very thankful for those efforts.”

While there were initially plans to hold a few events indoors, new restrictions forced the entirety of the Migration Festival to be held outdoors. One outdoor event included the first

Great Migration PaintOut, where artists from across Essex County painted scenery “en plein air” across Kingsville.

In addition, the market, which is normally held in the Kingsville Arena, was moved to a controlled outdoor area beside the Carnegie Arts and Visitors Centre.

From that market, Kingsville Lions Club member, Joe Gibson, summed up how many are feeling about the pandemic, with signs of normality like the Migration Festive continuing to inspire and bring the community together as a unified front.

“It’s a tough thing, but we are managing,” Gibson said. “We will overcome, and it’s all going to be good.”

showcases local arts community

by Adam Gault the natural beauty and structures that This year’s Kingsville make up “Canada’s most southern Migration Festival town.” included the first ever “It’s to feel like we did something Great Migration Paintthis year, that you actually participated Out which was a perfect in something bigger,” Jennifer Merritt way to showcase talent of Belle River’s Purple Art Studio from across Essex County said, while painting near the water at in a safe and physically Lakeside Park. “As soon as I saw [the distanced manner.

Great Migration Paint-Out], I thought Brought forward to I wanted to give this a try and be part the Migration Festival of it. Say that we did it for 2020.” committee in early 2019 For the exhibition, works were by local artists, and the judged by Bruce Bezaire, a Windsor husband and wife team of native and an accomplished professor Layne and Elaine Van Loo, of art, in several key categories, the event featured 17 artists Great Migration Paint-Out first prize winner, including formal excellence, such as from across the region who Denise Antaya of Kingsville, poses with her winning mastery of colour, shape, and texture, took part in an “en plein work, “Morning Hope.” technical expertise, a fresh and unique air” painting exercise. For vision of the subject, and a work that the event, the artists spread out across Kingsville to paint conveys an idea and evokes emotion. different landscapes and outdoor scenery, beginning on With that criteria in mind, first prize was awarded to Thursday, October 15. An exhibition and judging later Denise Antaya, a Kingsville resident, for her work titled took place at the Grovedale House and Community Hall on “Morning Hope,” which captured the sunrise from her Sunday afternoon. residential street.

“Artists in this competition were sent outside to paint, “I’m shocked, it’s fabulous, but I’m shocked,” Antaya and that was the only real restriction,” Arts Society of said upon being awarded first prize, adding that the event Kingsville member, Layne Van Loo, explained. “The artists was an incredible way to highlight a number of exceptional were able to go out, and spread themselves out in the town, local artists. there’s quite a variety of different subjects and it makes for “This is fantastic, because this area has a lot of talent, a nice show.” and they need to recognize that. I’m thrilled that we’re And spread themselves out they did, as artists could doing this.” be found across every corner of the town over the course The pieces were available for sale at the exhibition, with of the weekend, from downtown corners, docks, parks, a 20 percent commission going towards funding next year’s country side roads, and everywhere in between. Each of the Migration Paint-Out, which is sure to become a staple at artists captured a different part of Kingsville, highlighting Migration Fest for many years to come.

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Thursday, October 22, 2020

I

News I 3

Essex Free Press

by Sylene Argent and Adam Gault Update provided on Regional Energy Plan Council received a presentation from Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) Climate Change Specialist, Claire Sanders, regarding the ongoing planning of the Essex County Regional Energy Plan (ECREP), and the steps being taken towards a successful implementation.

The plan, which was put in motion following Windsor and Essex County’s declaration of a “climate emergency” last year, is tasked with the development of a sustainable regional energy plan, to potentially be put into action at some point next year.

This plan would make Windsor-Essex a leader in sustainable energy initiatives by the mid-point of the 21st century.

Goals of the plan include the regional reduction of greenhouse gases by 60 percent by 2041, with a goal of net zero emissions by 2050, the creation of at least 1,000 jobs by 2025, and 50 percent energy efficiency improvement by 2041.

“Right now, we’re really seeing two global crises coming together. We’re seeing coronavirus recovery, which requires employment and sustained economic development, and a climate crisis that requires urgent restructuring of energy efficiency in order to be carbon free by 2050,” Sanders said of the federal climate targets. “I think the Canadian government is recognizing the value in tying these two imperatives together.”

Through several studies with third-party consultants, experts, and public feedback, it has been determined Essex County’s household energy usage accounts for around 15 percent of the region’s greenhouse emissions, higher than the national average, with combined regional transportation and the regional greenhouse industry accounting for nearly 70 percent of area emissions.

To address these concerns at the local level, the plan is suggesting the further implementation of more energyefficient homes, greenhouses, and construction projects, along with stronger reliance on solar and biofuels to bring the region inline with these climate goals.

A final plan is expected to be voted on by Essex County Council as early as March 2021.

September development overview Essex Council received the development overview for the Month of September from the Economic Development Department.

The report notes the total construction value for September 2020 was $6,926,300. This includes all new and expanding commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential developments requiring building permits.

This figure is down 60 percent when compared to September 2019.

Councillor Joe Garon wondered about the 60 percent drop.

Lori Chadwick, Director of Development, said staff looked into it and it seemed there was a boom this time last year. She said she could dig into it a little more, but it could just be a record month.

As far as real estate goes, the average sale price for September 2020 in Wards 1 and 2 was $391,009, which was higher than the $291,873 average in September 2019.

In September 2020, in Wards 3 and 4, the average sale price was $341,619, which was lower than the $430,622 average in September 2019.

There were 35 Single-Family Dwellings sold in September 2020; with 19 in Ward 1 and 2, and 16 in Ward 3 and 4. This is five more than September 2019.

Total homes sold in 2020 to date is 292.

Councillor Chris Vander Doelen said he received a complaint from a constituent, who claimed he or she has been trying to get a permit for a shed. He said it has been held up at ERCA for various reasons. That made him think, because he was told there were backups at ERCA for permit approval, and this was a minor project, about how many other projects are in the pipeline that are backed up.

Chadwick said she does not have those stats on hand,

- Monday, October 19, 2020 but the Town’s building division is quite on top of receiving and processing permits. There is a mandate, that once a permit application is received and handed to the CAO or Building Inspector for plan review, the clock starts. And, that is no more than ten-days for a residential permit, and longer times for more complex permits, which is mandated through the Province.

There are instances that are beyond the Town of Essex’s control, so there may be a delay. She urged Council to get residents, builders, and contractors to contact the Building Division if there are any concerns. She said the Town is caught up on its permit applications.

She will look in to see if there are any issues she is aware of in relation to ERCA backups.

Councillor Sherry Bondy said she has not hearing much on ERCA delays, but does know of one resident who has been waiting for an answer on his or her project for a month from the Town of Essex. She said she got complaints all summer, some being from residents who took time off work to follow through on projects, but they were unable to do so.

She thought of a tracking number that can be issued to residents for simple permits, so Council can follow up, if needed.

CAO Chris Nepszy said everyone knows this summer was extraordinary with homeowners completing renovations and because of COVID. EssexWorks can be used to track such instances, as Bondy suggested. If any resident had any issue, he suggests they contact the EssexWork system. Some of the kinks are being worked out with that system, he said.

More accessibility sought at John R. Park Homestead Council has supported a recommendation from the Essex Accessibility Advisory Committee, to send correspondence to the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) pertaining to accessibility issues surrounding the construction of the new Visitors Centre at the John R. Park Homestead.

This issue stems from discussion at a September 25 Accessibility Advisory meeting, where members of the committee expressed concern surrounding the construction of the new Visitor Centre, noting the pathways as planned are constructed entirely of stone, making navigation in an accessibility device a challenge.

The letter from Council will request that either paved or packed stone walkways be installed throughout the homestead grounds, as well as an additional handicap parking spot.

Drainage works approved • Council appointed Rood Engineering Incorporated as the Engineer, under Section 78 of the Drainage Act, to replace a bridge on the 10-11 Sideroad Drain.

The mandatory onsite Meeting is planed for November 2020, the preparation and submission of the report and notification period is planned for March 2021, the consideration of the report by the Drainage Board is planned for March 2021, the preparation of Provisional By-law and Adoption by Council is planned for April 2021, and Construction is planned for Summer 2021.

• Council approved the abandonment of the most northerly 15-metres of the Hamelin Drain, under Section 84 of the Drainage Act, and gave the final reading to Bylaw 1958, providing for the abandonment of the north 15-meters of the Hamelin Drain.

The Report to Council noted the Hamelin Drain runs along the east-side of Walker Sideroad, south of the ERCA Greenway to the north side of North Malden Road, where it outlets into the North Rear Road Drain. The Report adds the landowner has requested this to avoid having to appoint an engineer. Once the abandonment process is complete, the landowner will be able to install the culvert by applying for an Entrance Permit with the Operations Department.

• Council awarded the Request for Tender for the 5th Concession road bank repairs on the Richmond Continued on Page 5

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4 I Opinion Essex Free Press

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I Thursday, October 22, 2020

Howling at the Moon ••• Comment by Sylene Argent ••• Keeping the community connected

In many ways, even though this pandemic has threatened to – and in some cases has been successful in – isolating people, cancelling events, and making it difficult to connect with not only friends and family members, but community resources, it never ceases to amaze me just how clever and dedicated some of our local individuals have been in countering that threat.

In this paper, we can read about how the Historical Research Partners recognized the efforts of three local individuals for their dedication to preserving and promoting local history, in last week’s edition, we learned how a group of individuals got together to create the Harrow Community Pantry to benefit everyone, and local service clubs have finally been able to host dinner fundraisers, with special pandemic protocols in place, after months of

hiatus.

In addition, organizers and volunteers figured out a unique way to safety host Migration Festival last weekend, and the Essex and Amherstburg accessibility advisory committees continued to follow their mandates, by working together to install accessible picnic benches at Co-An Park.

Last week we learned about Amherstburg’s plan to move forward with a River Lights Winter Festival, and a modified version of Leamington’s Santa Claus Parade will take place in a drive through at Point Pelee National Park. I am excited to see what other innovative ideas come from our communities.

The pandemic has challenged us in many ways, and continues to do so, as it remains a factor in how we run our every day lives. But, it sure is refreshing to see some normalcy,

and even some out-of-the-box thinking from local residents, who have gone above and beyond to promote our area and lend out a hand to those who need it.

Though, I personally cannot wait for things to get back to normal, the way they were pre-COVID, I just try to remind myself that, like it or not, we are living through an era that history will record. And, while we share stories of difficulty, or perhaps tales like the great toilet paper shortage of 2020, we will be able to also speak about the great things our community members have done to ensure everyone stays connected and cared for during a time of uncertainty.

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WECHU: Let’s celebrate Halloween safely submitted to EFP With Thanksgiving behind us, and the cooler weather upon us, attentions are turning to Halloween. This year we all need to plan beyond our costume and prioritize health and safety to continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is important that everyone, especially children understand that Halloween will look differently this year.

The key to a fun and safe Halloween during the COVID-19 pandemic is to limit the number of contacts, stay small and stay local.

With health and safety as top priority, you can still create special childhood memories and have fun.

We encourage parents, families and individuals to decorate their homes as they usually would to get into the spooky spirit of Halloween. To celebrate Halloween this year consider the following: Low Risk Activities: Recommended: The WindsorEssex County Health Unit (WECHU) recommends the following or similar types of activities for Halloween this year. Sticking to low risk activities will reduce your risk of exposure to COVID-19 and limit any potential transmission to others. Individuals who are at high-risk for COVID-19, such as seniors (70-years and older), individuals that are immune compromised or have a chronic health condition should only engage in low-risk

activities this Halloween.

Ideas for Celebrating Halloween at Home: • Create an at home trick-or-treat hunt – Whether it’s an outdoor backyard or indoor hunt, hide your child’s favourite treats or toys and create your very own at home trick-or-treat hunt! This way children can still celebrate and wear their costumes. Instead of treats, you can also gift your child with something else they will enjoy and that can benefit their health (i.e., healthy snacks, outdoor toys, a Halloween book, etc.).

• Host a virtual costume party – We have all relied on technology to connect with our family and friends this year, so why not do the same to celebrate Halloween? Get dressed up and video-call with family or friends to have a costume contest and make spooky crafts.

• Enjoy a family Halloween night – Spend your Halloween night enjoying time as a family, with those in your household, by watching a classic Halloween movie, carving pumpkins, decorating spooky treats, and more!

• Attend a virtual haunted house – Attending a virtual haunted house can provide your family with the scary activity they may be missing this year.

This is a sure way to have a scary and spooky Halloween experience while safe at home.

• Deliver treats to family and friends – Spread cheer by delivering

a Halloween goodie bag or pumpkin on the doorsteps of friends and loved ones as a contact-free way to celebrate. Ensure that you wash hands when handling any materials and stand back from the doorway.

High-Risk Activities: Not Recommended: Individuals that are at high-risk for COVID-19, such as seniors (70-years and older), individuals who are immune compromised or have a chronic health condition should only engage in low-risk activities this Halloween. Do not participate in any activities if you are ill.

Parties and traditional trick or treating increases the number of contacts and potential for exposure to COVID-19 making them high-risk activities. The WECHU recommends that everyone avoid activities that put them at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19. If you are considering high-risk activities, follow these recommendations for a safer Halloween.

Halloween Party: Remember that the idea is to limit the number of close contacts. Parties should be avoided and are not recommended. Keep your celebration to your household.

Trick-or-Treating: • Trick-or-treat from a distance – Although trick-or-treating is an outdoor activity, there are still no zerorisk situations, therefore following the rules of physical distancing will be extremely important. Always stay at

Continued on Page 5

Thursday, October 22, 2020

I

Opinion / News I 5

Essex Free Press

• Give treats from a distance – Use tongs to hand out will be critical in preventing the spread of COVCelebrate Halloween safely... tacts ID-19 this Halloween. It is recommended families trick- candy, a table to spread out treats or other creative ways Continued from Page 4

least 2 metres (6 feet) away from people outside of your household. This includes waiting for the trick-or-treaters in front of you to collect their treats before proceeding.

• Wear a mask or face covering – Everyone who is participating in trick-or-treating must wear a mask or face covering. Make sure your child’s costume allows them to wear a mask or face covering comfortably. Costume masks are not a substitute for a proper non-medical or medical face covering.

• Practice frequent hand washing and use of alcoholbased hand sanitizer – Make sure your child’s costume allows them to easily wash their hands or use alcoholbased hand sanitizer. We strongly recommend families thoroughly wash their hands before and after trick-ortreating and apply alcohol-based hand sanitizer often throughout the night.

• Limit the number of houses you visit – Reduce the number of houses you visit to limit contacts and exposure to COVID-19. Stay in your neighbourhood and limit the number of houses you visit.

• Avoid large groups – Reducing the number of con-

or-treat only with their household members to avoid large groups.

• Avoid touching surfaces – When out trick-or-treating, avoid touching high touch surfaces, such as doorbells, railings etc., and make sure to wash or sanitize your hands before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

• Wash your hands, clean treats – Before dumping your treats and sorting out your favourites at the end of the night, make sure to clean all treats and toys collected.

Ensure you wash your hands before eating any treat you collected.

• Do not trick or treat if you are ill – the most important part of preventing COVID-19 is staying home if you feel ill. If you or anyone in your family is ill stay home this Halloween.

Handing Out Treats: • Practice frequent hand washing or use of alcoholbased hand sanitizer – Before putting out treats and throughout the night, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands. If hand washing is not available, we recommend the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Consider providing alcohol-based hand sanitizer for children to use between houses as some parents may forget to bring theirs.

Essex Council notes...

Drain to Sterling Ridge Infrastructure Inc., in the amount of $249,902.21.

This amount is within the approved 2020 Capital Budget for the project, which is to stabilize the bank on the 5th Concession Road, along the Richmond Drain as per the design of Rood Engineering Inc., which Council adopted on July 6, the Report to Council notes.

There were four bids on the tender, with Sterling submitting the lowest.

There is no specific start or end time scheduled for the project at this time.

EssexWorks update Essex Council received Communications’ report, which provided an update on EssexWorks report a problem system.

The Report was provided to Council to summarize the use of EssexWorks virtual system for residents, which was launched in March. The system integrates citizen service requests directly into the current work order software.

Alex Denonville, Manager of Communications, said the setup of the system

was part of the Provincial Modernization grant, which called for municipalities to adapt their operations and use technology to become more efficient. It also tied into goals set in the Town’s Strategic Plan.

Since its implementation, residents have made 72 EssexWorks submissions, the Report to Council notes.

Through the Report, it notes Town staff completed work related to submissions in an average of sevendays, with 55 percent of submissions being addressed within three-days or less.

It is estimated the COVID-19 pandemic likely had an impact on the overall number of submissions, as well as the types of submissions made.

There were some technical issues, since the launch, associated with one of the online forms not properly connecting to the internal work order system.

This issue has since been rectified and all EssexWorks users whose submissions were not addressed because of this were informed of the problem and followed up

to share, while keeping distance, should be a priority.

Also, consider sitting outside to avoid the need to open the door or ring the doorbell. Handing out treats at the end of the driveway will make it easy to avoid lineups and potential crowds.

• Provide individual treats and avoid handmade treats – Providing individual and prepackaged treats or individual treat bags will prevent multiple children from dipping their hands into the same bowl, creating a contact-free Halloween!

• Wear a mask or face covering – The most enjoyable part of Halloween is seeing all of the creative costumes and hearing kids say “Trick-or-Treat!” When outside, you must wear a non-medical or medical mask or face covering so you can enjoy the night as safely as possible.

• Place physical distancing markers – Decorating your house for Halloween this year may look slightly different. To promote physical distancing on your driveway, mark out 2 metre (6 feet) spaces using tape for trick-ortreaters to stand while waiting their turn.

• No screaming – if you are decorating your home, avoid anything that may cause kids to scream or cough as this can increase the spread of respiratory droplets. No smoke machines or scary props this Halloween.

Continued from Page 3

on.

The next update on the EssexWorks system is slated for December.

Councillor Joe Garon said he thinks residents will like the quarterly reports on this service.

NOM: New Diversity Training in the works for Council A Notice of Motion, first put forward by Councillor Sherry Bondy at the October 5 regular meeting, asked Council to consider having administration come back to Council with an updated diversity training program.

The motion was approved by Council on Monday evening.

Stating she would like to see a program include all updates pertaining to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Councillor Bondy hopes the training will ensure Council is up-to-date with current legislation and the human rights code.

“It goes along with our shared service and recommendations for training for Council,” Bondy explained. “It would be something as elected

officials we should have.”

While the motion did pass with unanimous decision, Councillor Chris Vander Doelen stated many people had gone through such training in the private sector decades ago, and that it would be a redundant exercise, at the expense of the taxpayer.

Administration noted the cost would be minimal, with Bondy adding this initiative would be beneficial to all the residents Essex Council represents.

Residents urged to participate in #essexfallphoto Councillor Sherry Bondy noted the #essexfallphoto contest is going over quite well to date, and that quite a big pot of gift cards to local businesses has been collected as prizes for this fun contest.

Residents are urged to take a picture at the gazebo, located outside the Essex Municipal Building, which was recently decorated with a fall them. They are then asked to post the photo online with the hashtag: #essexfallphoto.

Pet Of The Week: Wiggle Wiggle is a small, adult, domestic shorthair/ mix male. He is a very sweet and lovable boy, who loves to have his neck scratched. He loves to lounge around and relax most of the time, and will likely be best suited for a calm home with no children.

Only a limited number of animals will be made available at a time. They will be posted on the adoptable animal pages at www.windsorhumane. org. To apply to adopt an available animal, please click the “Interested in this Animal? Click here” link. All applications will be reviewed. For more info, contact us today.

This pet comes with 6 weeks of pre-paid pet health insurance. For more information, visit www.ospcainsurance.ca or call 1-866-600-2445.

The Windsor-Essex County Humane Society shelter is at 1375 Provincial Rd., Windsor. Ph: 519-966-5751.

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6 I News Essex Free Press

I Thursday, October 22, 2020

Essex Council Strategy Meeting highlights Current State Assessment Report

by Sylene Argent On Tuesday, October 13, Essex Council hosted a special meeting online that highlighted the Current State Assessment Report in regards to a recent review of the Town’s service delivery.

Council ultimately received the report, and held a second meeting, on Monday, October 19, to provide more feedback.

Chris Nepszy, CAO, said the meeting with StrategyCorp was the first phase of the Town’s service delivery review. He said the review was conducted as part of the Province’s Municipal Modernization Program.

At the Monday, March 16 regular meeting, Council appointed StrategyCorp to provide consulting services to create an Internal and Shared Service Delivery Review for the Town of Essex.

StrategyCorp’s proposal of fees for consulting services for the Essex Internal and Shared Delivery Review was $140,786.75, which was within the successful Provincial grant awarded of $200,000.

“The review they have taken on over the past several months, really focuses on identifying opportunities to modernize and share delivery processes and procedure; not just internally, but externally,” Nepszy said, adding the project falls inline with the Town’s commitment to improve services for residents.

The first phase of the review focused on the development of the Current State Assessment Report, Nepszy said. As part of the review, StrategyCorp looked at the Town’s population stats, financing, debt levels, staffing levels, and looked at possible opportunities, weakness, strengths, and threats.

“From that, they look to build a thorough understanding of the Town’s municipal services and delivery model,” Nepszy said. The initial report, he added, was completed with interviews with Councillors and Town staff members at all levels.

He said, as part of the review, Essex was also compared to its neighbours and municipalities beyond the region with similar features, characteristics, and level of service to Essex. “From that, they have identified some potential improvement opportunities, including a greater regional collaboration, which is a real high-stress point for the Province. And, those are things they are going to further explore in the next phase of the engagement.”

Chris Loreto, Principal at StrategyCorp, said the first phase of the review included some opportunities for improvement in the overall administration.

The review included around 30 improvement recommendations, some of which include the entire corporation, some are department specific, and others look at shared service opportunities NORTH RIDGE with neighbouring municipalities.

Essex was compared to similar municipalities, such as Amherstburg, Kingsville Leamington, StrathroyCaradoc, and Tilsonburg, as part of the review.

CLOSING: Eight of those SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 recommendations, Loreto said, StrategyCorp identified as key areas that Arlene, Jeff, Julie, Jenna, Jim, Ally, Annie, Brooke, Bryanna, Dawsyn, Emily, Emma, Gabriella, Hailey, Halle, Hannah, Jessica, Jocolynn, they want to focus on in the Joel, Julia, Kara, Katrin, Kylie, Louise, Madison, Mary, Maya, Megan, next phase of the review Natalie, Natasha, Nikki, Paige, Payton, Shawn, SIerra, Steph, Steve, to look at potential costTherese, Tysa & Vanessa savings or efficiency gains.

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The goal, he said, is to build continuous improvement culture in the organization.

Through the review, StrategyCorp, Loreto said, Essex has achieved strong financial health and sustainability, by building up reserves and out-performing recommended targets for operating surplus.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing benchmarks municipalities against five main areas of performance, and Essex exceeds the minimum benchmarks in all categories, Loreto said, adding the local municipality also outperformed peer comparators as well.

Loreto added Essex has made investments in its “human capital,” and should continue to focus on enhancing training, professional development, and performance management to achieve maximum organizational capacity, and explore the potential of work-from-home

arrangements.

He also noted there are opportunities for regional collaboration and sharing of services. The initial channel for this type of activity may be through a shared services initiative of the County’s south shore municipalities to help build momentum and show proof of concept for further expansion.

Councillor Chris Vander Doelen asked why there is mention of sharing on the south shore, but not on the northern half of the community. He also wondered why there was no mention of where there is infrastructure sharing (the sewage system in McGregor) and where it is not working.

Loreto said there was geographic logic to it. What he does believe is that more shared services are probably in the long-term interest as Essex is not a large organization.

Continued on Page 13

Thursday, October 22, 2020

I

2020 Fall Home Improvement I 7

Essex Free Press

How to recognize when you can stop mowing

Each weekend in spring, summer and fall, millions of homeowners fire up their mowers and cut the grass in their yards.

A few hours spent mowing the lawn can be a great time to get some sun and some exercise in the great outdoors.

As fall gradually transitions to winter, homeowners may wonder when to stop mowing their lawns. Each lawn is different, and when to stop mowing may depend on a host of factors, including local climate and the type of turf. In addition to climate and turf, homeowners can keep an eye on these conditions to determine when the time is right to put their mowers away for the winter.

• Frost: Warm-season grasses

typically go dormant after a couple of significant frosts. Homeowners can jot down each frost during fall.

Frosts are most noticeable in the early morning hours, so be sure to check lawn conditions each morning as the weather begins to grow cold. Frost may be noticeable without even going outside, but homeowners may need to go outside to check on chilly mornings or on days when the previous night was especially cold. If you must go outside, stay off the grass to protect it. Two or three frosts might be enough to make warm-season grasses go dormant for the winter. Coolseason grasses may keep growing and require moving even after a few frosts,

Laundry room renovations you’ll love Does it seem like your hamper is always full and the washing machine is running constantly? You may not be imagining it.

Laundry Butler for You, a wash, dry and fold service, says the average household washes 50 pounds of laundry a week and 6,000 articles of clothing every year.

Families with children at home are doing laundry most often, and those with pets may find there is ample laundry to wash as well.

With so much laundry being generated, homeowners may want to consider paying extra attention to the space in the house where

their clothing is being cleansed. Laundry room renovations may not top homeowners’ priority lists, but it may be time to give these rooms another look.

Assess your equipment If your appliances are

aging, a laundry room renovation can start with an investment in new appliances. New models have large capacity loads, tend to be energy-efficient and could have innovative features that help fit with your laundry lifestyle.

Continued on Page 8

so it’s imperative that homeowners determine which type of grass is in their yards.

• Soil temperature: If it’s hard to determine if frosts have occurred, homeowners can try checking the temperature of their soil to decide if they need to keep mowing. The lawn care experts at Pennington recommend homeowners continue mowing warmseason grasses so long as they keep growing. Lawns may not grow as quickly in fall as they do in spring or summer, and growth may not be as visible to the naked eye during this time of year as it is in other times. Homeowners can routinely check soil temperature to determine if their grasses have stopped growing. Warm-season grasses tend to stop growing once the soil temperature is consistently at 55 F or below, while

cool-season grasses tend to stop when temperatures are 45 F or lower.

Falling leaves have long been a barometer used by homeowners to determine if they need to keep mowing their lawns. That’s not necessarily a reliable metric, as grass can still keep growing even if leaves have been falling for weeks. In addition, using a mulching mower when leaves begin falling is a great way to provide the lawn with nutrients it can use throughout the winter. Some trees shed their leaves more quickly than others, but it’s a good rule of thumb that lawns will need to keep being mowed if trees are still retaining more than half their leaves.

A host of factors can help homeowners determine when it’s safe to put their mowers away for the winter.

metrocreativeconnection.com

8 I 2020 Fall Home Improvement Essex Free Press

Laundry room renovations you’ll love...

Purchasing front-loading models also can free up design space, as you can install a counter directly above the units, saving room for other items like drying racks.

Figure out your room needs A laundry room need not be limited to laundry only. Many homeowners make large laundry rooms catch-all spaces that can serve as utility or mud rooms, pantry overflows, or off-season storage areas. Consider the functions you want the room to serve and include those ideas in your designs.

Add some natural light If possible, include a window in your laundry room.

Natural light can help make the room more enjoyable.

It also can help you identify stains on clothes that need to be addressed and make it easier to fold matching items like socks.

I Thursday, October 22, 2020

Continued from Page 7

Think about a utility sink

Many washing machines drain out directly to waste pipes in the floor or wall, but you also can opt to have them empty into a utility sink. This sink also provides a convenient place to handwash items, clean tools or paintbrushes, or store items that perhaps you do not want to bring into a bathroom or kitchen sink.

Include some flair

This utilitarian space need not be boring or bereft of design elements. Mirror your home’s style in the laundry room, and include wall hangings, plants, accent items, and even task lighting. Play up certain features with a bold floor tile or brightly coloured walls.

Updating laundry rooms can be a great way to make doing laundry more enjoyable and efficient.

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Moving? Protect your new home from these hidden threats (NC) Moving into a new home can be an overwhelming process, but taking the proper safety measures can help you and your family rest easy in your new space.

Here’s how to help ensure your home is protected from the following safety threats.

Mould: Mould can grow behind walls and under floors, above ceiling tiles or behind shower

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walls, creating toxins that cause health issues such as chronic sinus problems, respiratory infections and asthma. In fact, studies link mould to the tripling of the asthma rate over the past 20 years. To find out if your home has some, there are several user-friendly DIY test kits available. If mould is identified, professional remediation is highly recommended.

Carbon monoxide: Known as the “silent killer,” carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless gas that is the number one cause of accidental poisoning in Canada each year. The only way to detect this poisonous gas is with an alarm, such as the First Alert 10-year CO Alarm, a stylish tabletop device that displays detected CO levels and temperature

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and requires no installation. Ensure there is an alarm on every level of the home, including the basement, and near every sleeping area.

Radon: Similarly, you can’t see, smell or taste radon, but it’s commonly found in homes – in some cases at levels harmful enough to cause serious illness and even death.

After smoking, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, accounting for 3,200 deaths in Canada every year, according to Statistics Canada. With

easy-to-use, affordable radon test kits available at many local and national retailers, you can test for

it yourself. Simply set the kit out for 24 hours and then mail it to the specified address for results.

I

Thursday, October 22, 2020

2020 Fall Home Improvement I 9

Essex Free Press

Top home renovations to invest in this fall

((NC) Today, many families are focused on improving their homes instead of spending money on vacations and entertainment outside. With

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autumn as your last major chance to renovate before the winter, here are some of the best projects to tackle now for maximum enjoyment of your

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Upgrade your kitchen The kitchen is the heart of your home, and where you’ll be spending lots of time

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cooking for the holidays and entertaining your small social circle. So, give it a facelift to make sure it’s a bright and welcoming environment. A great DIY project is painting the cabinets in a bold or warm shade and updating the hardware in a metallic neutral.

You can also invest in sleek, energy-efficient appliances for a clean, modern aesthetic and get fresh seasonal linens for your tablescape.

Finish your basement A finished basement extends your living space and has an excellent return on investment.

It’s also the perfect place to turn into a spacious dedicated home office, so you can finally stop working on your dining table or couch and boost your productivity and comfort. But whether you want to turn your basement into that, a rec room or in-law suite, the first step is installing a high-performance subfloor. The best option for this is Dricore subfloor panels, which are designed with air gap technology to

help protect against mould and moisture and keep floors dry, comfortable and cozy all year.

It’s an easy DIY project, as the panels are easy to install and a room only takes half a day to do.

Elevate your exteriors Not only does the exterior of your home make the first impression, it can also extend your living space – which is crucial when we’re working, living and playing at home.

Make the most of it with areas you can spend time in even when the temperature drops.

For example, you can create a sitting area to relax in or host smaller outdoor get-togethers for your social bubble by screening in your porch or installing an awning over your backyard patio. Laying down Dricore panels can work here too, as they will make cold surface feel warmer, softer and cozier for your feet. Complete the space with a heating lamp and you’ll be able to enjoy your exteriors almost all yearround.

10 I 2020 Fall Home Improvement Essex Free Press

I Thursday, October 22, 2020

How to create extra coziness and warmth at home this winter

Decorate your interiors Never underestimate the impact of a few strategically placed textiles and decorative elements. For example, drape a plaid or Sherpa throw on the back of your couch or the edge of your bed, and sprinkle some fuzzy pillows on

armchairs. An area rug can instantly make any room feel warmer and adds style and personality – you can even try one in your kitchen or bathroom.

Experiment with fun textures, like a rich velvet or woolly cable knit.

Reinvent your basement This underused space

(NC) Many of us are feeling anxious and stressed lately as the pandemic continues to take a toll. To combat this, take refuge in the safety and comfort of home.

With colder weather approaching, now is the perfect time to make sure it’s a cozy, inviting space to enjoy.

can become anything you want, but consider transforming it into a “you” space – somewhere you can cocoon, unwind and enjoy your favourite activities. Whether a mini library and reading nook or crafting and sewing room is what you dream of, the first step in your basement makeover is a performance subfloor like Dricore. The easyto-install panels help protect against moisture and provide warmth and comfort, so you can feel cozy even in your bare feet. Once you have this solid foundation, infuse the room with items that inspire joy and relaxation, like your favourite scented candles, meaningful mementoes, fresh flowers or greenery, and soothing warm neutral colours.

Update your artwork Bare walls feel cold

and isolating, so make sure you hang plenty of interesting pieces. Largescale, bold art works well in a contemporary home, while a more rustic or vintage aesthetic would benefit from a quirky gallery wall. Another great idea is to frame photos of your favourite memories, especially of

activities that are on hold right now, like big family gatherings for special occasions or faraway vacations.

Consider using natural materials like wood to bring extra warmth to your artwork and photography.

Find more information at dricore.com.

Thursday, October 22, 2020

I

Community / News I 11

Essex Free Press

Family Respite Services breaks ground on new home

FRS employees, volunteers, and benefactors break ground on the new Howard Avenue respite home.

by Adam Gault Ground was broken on a new Family Respite Services Windsor-Essex (FRS) home at 4400 Howard Avenue in Windsor on Tuesday, October 13, beginning the process of providing a new and larger facility for children with disabilities to meet with others and develop meaningful friendships.

When completed, the Solcz Family Foundation Respite Home will replace the current aging respite home at a neighbouring property, providing parents who care for children with mental and physical disabilities an opportunity for a short break from caregiving, while their children take part in important programs with other youth and trained support workers.

“We’ve always known, but have seen more than ever in the last several months, how important it is to have the right support at the right time for people, FRS Executive Director, Catherine Shanahan, said. “We’ve seen the impact on families and caregivers with worry about their loved one’s health, and the impact of isolation.”

FRS currently works with around 1200 families across Windsor-Essex, with FRS officials noting the pandemic and shutdown situation has reinforced the need for their agency, as more families are feeling the stress of the current health and

economic crisis.

“We knew we needed to build a new home, for functional space, for safety features, so we could support more kids,” FRS Community Relations, Alexandria Fischer, said, adding families were at a breaking point before the resumption of programs after the initial pandemic-related shutdowns. “There were tears of joy [after reopening] from families saying, ‘we really need this break. My child has been socially isolated. We need the programs, so that my child can engage in meaningful activity.’”

Receiving no financial support from any level of government, the construction of the new, fully accessible facility is being made possible through the generous support of local construction and financial benefactors, who have already raised $1 million in support of the project.

Seeking a completion date of late 2021, the FRS is still seeking an additional $500,000 for the completion of the project, which has been further complicated by the 2020 lumber shortage, brought on in part by an influx of home projects over the course of the pandemic.

To learn more about FRS services and supports, or to buy a fundraising raffle ticket, for a chance to win a $5000 backyard makeover, in support of their new respite home, visit familyrespite.org

Snively appears before court for the first time in proxy vote case

by Sylene Argent On Monday, Essex Mayor Larry Snively appeared for the first time before the Ontario Court of Justice via teleconference in regards to the charges the OPP laid against him earlier this year.

On February 26, the OPP announced its Essex County Major Crime Unit completed its investigation into the 2018 Essex Municipal Election, which related to the reported misuse of proxy voters.

The OPP commenced an investigation after receiving a complaint in October of 2018 of the alleged improprieties under

the Municipal Elections Act of Ontario.

As a result of the investigation, the OPP charged Snively with the offence of Procuring Persons to Vote in a Municipal Election, when those persons were not entitled to do so, contrary to Section 89(d) of the Municipal Elections Act. In response to the charges, Snively stepped down as Chairperson of the Essex Police Services Board, but remained in the lead position at the Essex municipal decision-making table.

Shortly after the charge was Continued on Page 19

12 I Classifieds Essex Free Press

Classifieds

PLACING A CLASSIFIED AD: Classified ads can be submitted in person, by phone or fax or email from Mon. to Thurs. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. All classified and personal ads require payment, prior to print. We accept Visa | MasterCard | Debit | Cash | Cheque.

CLASSIFIED DEADLINE IS TUESDAY BY 10:00 AM

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EVENTS

FARMING _____________________ WANTED Farm Land to Rent Cash or Share Crop Call Jeff Siefker (cell) 519-796-1240 or (home) 519-776-9501. _____________________1-t

SERVICES _____________________

HELP WANTED _____________________ HELP WANTED: Aphria Inc. is looking for Greenhouse Production Associates to join their team. Duties include daily crop maintenance, harvesting, crop rotation, inventory counts, and cleaning of greenhouse. No public transportation available. Located in Leamington, ON. Compensation starts at $14.00/hour.

Full time hours Monday through Friday.

Please apply at careers@aphria.com or mail resume to P.O. Box 20009 269 Erie St. S. Leamington, ON N8H 3C4.

9-t _____________________ HIRING! LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE and LANDSCAPE LABOURERS, $18/hour, Experience necessary. Fax your resume to (519) 723-2336.

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_____________________ BUYING ALL JEWELRY - Gold, Sterling, Costume + Windup watches. All Coins - Paper Money BUYING MILITARY + Coins - Oct 29, 30 Essex Railway Station 87 Station St., Essex, 9am-4pm, Coins , Paper Money, Militaria - Free Estimates.

Buying All Coins, especially GOLD & SILVER COINS, Mint sets. All COINSCANADA, USA, WORLD. 53-Years of Experience. House calls available. Dan W. Jones B.A.Ed. 519-818-1805 40-3t*

FOR SALE: Ford 3 furrow plow, 3pt hitch, Class 3 - $475. John Deere 9’ Class 3 scraper blade. Has fittings for hydraulic cyliinders - $1,175. Lucknow 6 1/2’ snowerblower, 3 pt hitch w/PTO shaft.

Fits Class 2 and 3 - $1,175. Call Jerry 519-776-8328.

41 - 1t

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HELP WANTED

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Phone 519.776.4268

Fax: 519.776.4014

MARTY’S SMALL ENGINE REPAIRS  Tune-ups, repairs, & service on snowblowers, riding lawn mowers, chainsaws, & more! 519-733-0986, (c) 519-965-5918.

4-tf _____________________ KENNETH YARDWORKS  Fall Clean Up. Sod, mulch, eavestrough cleaning and repairs, power washing. Trees & bushes trimmed or removed. Loads to the dump. Fully licensed & insured. Free estimates. Call Kenneth: 519-982-0362.

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HELP WANTED _____________________ HELP WANTED - Part Time Maintenance Person needed for Southgate Village Retirement Home. Three days/week.

Experience required. Email resume to rebecca_broughton@srgroup.ca. 41 - 2t _____________________ HELP WANTED: Greenhouse and Packing line Labour. General greenhouse labour, duties include pruning, picking, planting and cleaning of greenhouse. Packing line labour, duties include inspecting, weighing and packing produce on assembly line. Lifting, bending and standing is required. Must be able to work all shifts. Rural area. No public transportation available. No specific education required. Experience is an asset. Rate of pay- $14.20. To apply please email: Lindsay@policellafarms. com Or Mail to Domric International, PO Box 218, Ruthven ON N0P 2G0.

24/tf _____________________

www.essexfreepress.com

REAL ESTATE

_____________________ Buying or selling a farm? Do you know the right questions and answers? Farm Experienced Realtor Carl Idzinski, Keller Williams Lifestyles Realty - Brokerage.

519-817-8891.

22-tt ______________________

FOR RENT _____________________ FOR RENT: SECURE OUTDOOR STORAGE in Essex available any time. Ideal for boats, cars, trailers. Call 519-776-4875 for details.

36-tfn _____________________ FOR RENT: Briarwood Apts, 26 Alice St., Essex, 1 Bdrm, available November 1. $1,070.00/mo.+hydro; 519-253-4431.

36-tfn

I Thursday, October 22, 2020

CLASSIFIED RATES Word Ads - 25 words or less ........................ $6.00 + HST Extra words .................................................... 20¢/word Display Classifieds ....................................... Call for rates

Email: contact@essexfreepress.com

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WANTED

_____________________ CASH PAID for antiques, costume jewellery, furniture, gold, sterling, coins, tools, complete estates. We take it all!

Free appraisals. Call 519-727-8894. 1-tfn _____________________ CASH PAID for scrap cars and trucks. Free removal. Please phone: 519-776-1361 or 519-791-5046.

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_____________________ S & R ANTIQUES: WE BUY & SELL ANTIQUES - 161 Arthur St., Essex. Sarah: 519-300-0466, Ray: 519-965-1962.

Email: benoit.ray1@gmail.com.

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FOR SALE

_____________________ FOR SALE: RO HO high profile wheelchair cushion with pump. 18.25” x 18.25” x 4.25” - Excellent condition. $25.00.

2 Invacare Wheelchairs from Maximlightweight $75.00 & $25.00. Call: 519990-5325 39-6t _____________________ MOVING SALE - EVERYTHING MUST GO! Cheap! Washers, dryers, gas stove, living room set, jewelry, 4’ Cherrywood jewelry box, lots of craft stuff, records, too much to list. Call 519-727-3268 anytime, for more information. _____________________ FOR SALE: 4pc solid oak bedroom set.

Includes: headboard, 5 chest drawer, mirror and chest. Also includes bed frame. $150. 5’ Acorn chairlift, excellent condition. Includes battery pack $200.00 firm. Call: 519-990-5325.

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Thursday, October 22, 2020

I

News I 13

Essex Free Press

Essex Council Strategy Meeting... Continued from Page 6 The Municipal Modernization Funding from the Province is not free, Loreto said, adding the money is provided to help municipalities become more efficient and to look for collaborations with neighbouring communities to stretch taxpayer dollars. A report will ultimately be sent to the Ministry, who, Loreta said, will expect municipalities to do things to become more efficient. It will be up to Essex to agree or disagree with what StrategyCorp notes are opportunities and prioritization.

“Those municipalities that are able to show they made the most of the Modernization Funding will be those that if there ever is another round of amalgamation, let’s say, they may be lower on the list of targets than others who decide not to take advantage of the opportunity,” Loreto commented.

Councillor Morley Bowman had concerns with the town becoming heavier in managing people with some of the suggestions made, but was sure there would be savings in buying in bulk and sharing technical services.

Improvement areas in governance and strategy, Loreto said, include enterprise risk management and asset management. Maintaining a handle on risk, is important. He said Essex has a high level of tangible assets compared to its peers and a high OMPF allocation, “Both of which could put the Town at risk if not managed properly,” the report states.

The Town does have an asset management assessment, which is critical to long-term financial planning.

Councillor Sherry Bondy wanted to talk about asset management with Council and administration as she believes a fantastic job is being done in regards to that in Essex. “I think it is one of our strengths, so I am looking to see where we are going.”

Loreto also suggested implementation planning to help deliver on commitments, and the need for additional training to ensure Council is setting strategic priorities and giving direction to administration, and that administration is appropriately accountable to Council in the delivery of the priorities. The Council-staff relationship is not unique to Essex, it is something that always needs work, he said.

As someone who has been on Council for over a decade, Bondy really doesn’t want to spend time, as a Councillor, getting lectured to leave operations to staff. If she is talking about certain operations, it is because there is an assumption they are not working.

Loreto responded staff-Council relationships are always tricky. When he advises on this, it is to identify who does what.

Other suggestions included strengthening crossdepartment coordination, which could increase collaboration and information sharing, and developing a communications toolkit to help departments to better communicate.

Lauren Wyman, Project Manager for the Review, spoke of improvements that could be made under the

people and culture category, that includes developing a comprehensive HR strategy with updated and standardized workforce policies. This could include staff retention, succession, and engagement, as concerns were heard around these areas.

She added they heard there is a fairly strong dissatisfaction with the current physical work environment. Certain teams are also separated.

Councillor Sherry Bondy, through the report, was hearing the need for the centralization of services.

She said there is also resident frustration that Harrow residents have an hour-long round trip to utilize services at Town Hall in Essex Centre.

Recommendations were also suggested under processes and technology, and service delivery, which included concerns of the lack of proper space as Town Hall is over capacity.

Wyma also spoke of shared opportunities. The report noted that by sharing certain assets and resources with neighbouring municipalities, Essex can lower costs through economies of scale and scope. She also noted municipalities have realized savings through collaborative purchasing The eight priority service delivery improvements StrategyCorp recommended for further exploration include provide training for Town’s CRM software and establish customer service policies; assess opportunities for new and upgraded facilities (new town hall) and develop an accommodation policy; review the current compliment of the clerks and consider increased centralization and generalization of the clerk function; hire and executive assistant to support the Mayor and CAO; update the asset management plan; further explore cost recovery improvements and potential impacts on key development services; explore the development of south shore share services initiative or corporation; explore sharing fire services with other municipalities in the south shore region.

Bondy does not want to add a new hire, as a part time assistant for the CAO was just recruited, the Town also has a senior staff member who doubles as the Deputy CAO. She believes if better record management and organization is completed, then there will be a clearer road map and the Town would be more efficient.

Loreto said improving processes can redeploy work requirements in the organization.

As the report was 110 pages, and that was a lot to digest, Council met

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again on Monday evening, virtually, to provide more feedback. Council feedback will be taken so members of StrategyCorp could further refine their thinking about high potential opportunities that will be delved more deeply into in stage two of the review.

Discussion on the matter continued on Monday evening, so Council could forward comments. Loreto noted Councillor Bondy and Joe Garon also forwarded email correspondence since the last meeting.

Loreto said Council seemed generally supportive of the findings StrategyCorp provided, some of which will be taken into the next phase to be worked into a more cost-benefit business case analysis.

Vander Doelen said he was generally not in support of the report or its findings. He said he was disappointed in the report, as it was sold to Council as an exercise

Continued on Page 18

Hardwood, Carpet, Tile & More

14 I Personals / Community Essex Free Press

FromThe Heart

To place a personal notice, email your photo and content to contact@essexfreepress.com or drop by our office at 16 Centre St., Essex. Personal notices must be received by Monday at 12:00 noon to appear in the Thursday edition.

_________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________

OBITUARIES

IN LOVING MEMORY _______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

MARCHAND, Brenda - passed away suddenly at home in Essex on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at 70 years of age. Beloved wife of Charles for 53 years. Loving Mom of Lisa Aylesworth and Steve Marchand (Cindy). Adored Nana of Logan Aylesworth, Austin Aylesworth, Dalton Marchand, the late Huntre Allard (August 2019) and Mitchell Marchand. Dearest sister of Beverley Doan (Gordon), Sharon Upham (Bert), Alan Buhler, the late Nancy Market (Doug), the late Jacqueline Copeland (Don), Greg Buhler (MaryJane), Kevin (late Patty) and Mark Buhler (Joanne). Dear sister-in-law of Rose Marchand (late Jim). Brenda will also be remembered by her many nieces and nephews. In following Brenda’s wishes, cremation has taken place.

Visitation took place at Reid Funeral Home & Reception Centre, 87 Maidstone Ave. E., Essex (519-776-4233) on Friday, October 9, 2020. There will be no formal funeral service. If desired, memorial donations made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation or the Southwestern Ronald McDonald House would be appreciated. Family and friends are invited to share their memories online at www.reidfunerahome.ca.

KATHY (HUDAK) WINTER

11th Anniversary October 24, 2020

Since you left, life has never been the same!

Love your mom Leah Hudak, children Riley, Katana, Jonah Winter, your sisters, brother and Gignac, Hudak and Winter families.

_________________________________________________________

URE, Nancy Jane (nee Gurbin) - wife of David Ure for 52 years, of Essex passed away peacefully at Erie Shores Healthcare, Wednesday, October 14, 2020, after a valiant battle with cancer. She is also survived by her siblings, Shirley Doey, Carole Bratter (Ben), Jo-Anne Vanstone (late Robert), Gary Gurbin (Diane Barker), Richard Gurbin (Kathleen) and many loving nieces, nephews, God children and close friends. Predeceased by her parents, Kathleen and Florian Gurbin, and sister Betty McVittie. Visitation took place at the Reid Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 87 Maidstone Ave. E., Essex (519776-4233). A Celebration of Nancy’s Life was held from the funeral home on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. Interment to follow at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. If desired, memorial donations made to your local hospice would be appreciated. Family and friends are invited to share their memories online at www.reidfuneralhome.ca ________________________________________________________

WOLTERS, Peter John - May 5, 1954 October 10, 2020. It is with saddened hearts we announce the passing of Peter John Wolters. Beloved son of Anne Wolters and the late Hank Wolters (2003). Predeceased by his brothers John Wolters (2017) and Harry Wolters (2018). Lovingly missed and survived by his sisters; Maryann Barnier (Todd) and Debbie Wolters (Larry), and his brother PJ Wolters (Kelly). Peter will also be missed by his many nieces and nephews, Richard, Danny, Lacey, Susie, Jessica, Jennifer, Dylan and Hailey, great nephew Gage and great niece Gemma as well as his extended family. Peter was very fortunate to have many great friends that will miss him as well, especially his dear friend Ashley Aston who had a special place in Peter’s heart. Peter was an animal lover; he was a jokester who loved to make people laugh and a great guy with a big heart. He will be missed by all for his jokes, his laugh and his smile. The family wishes to thank everyone for the visits which Peter enjoyed, the food that was brought, the help they received and all of the kind words and support received over the last months of Peter’s life. A private family service will take place at a later date to celebrate Peter’s life. Arrangements entrusted to SIMPLE CHOICE (Kingsville) 519-254-2585.

Online condolences and cherished memories may be shared with the family at www.simplechoicecremation.ca.

I Thursday, October 22, 2020

Kingsville appoints new Deputy Fire Chief

submitted to EFP Last Friday, the Town of Kingsville announced John Quennell as a Deputy Fire Chief, effective immediately.

Quennell’s temporary appointment includes leadership and oversight for the Kingsville Fire Department, while the current Fire Chief and Deputy Chief are on indefinite leaves of absence at this time.

Quennell’s most recent tenure was at the Town of Lakeshore as Deputy Fire Chief. Previously, he was a firefighter with the City of Windsor from 1978 until 2010, where he retired with the rank of Assistant Chief.

“We’re pleased to have Chief Quennell join our municipality and provide leadership during this time,” said Kingsville Mayor, Nelson Santos.

“The residents and businesses of Kingsville can rest assured that the Fire Department continues to provide high quality fire and rescue services and will continue to do so as they are called upon in the time of need.”

In this role, John Quennell will report to the town’s Chief Administrative Officer and participate as a member of the Municipal Senior Management Team. All volunteer firefighters, including the station chiefs and full-time staff, will report to Quennell immediately.

Voice Of Inspiration _________________________________________________________

OBITUARIES

_________________________________________________________

GLOWA, Nicholas - It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Nicholas Glowa, at Banwell Gardens, on October 15, 2020, at the age of 92. Survived by his loving wife, Rita with whom he shared 50 years of marriage. Nicholas better known as Uncle Nick, is survived by many nieces and nephews, and predeceased by siblings Sophie Idzinski, William (Bill) Glowa, and Olga Cudmore. Nick worked most of his life on the family farm and took pride in continuing his parents labours in crop and cattle farming. Later Nick was employed by Chrysler Canada for over 20 years, until his retirement. Nick was best known for his kindness, humility, and generously devoted much of his free time in helping others through various organizations, such as the Knight’s of Columbus and Alhambra. At the age of 60, he enjoyed the challenge of learning computer technology where he taught himself to dabble in the world of investments. Nick was a devoted, long-time member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Woodslee and Holy Name Catholic Church in Essex. Although Nick spent most of his time working the farm, in his leisure time, Nick loved to play card games with his lovely wife, friends and family, playing Euchre, Bridge and Pepper. We would like to acknowledge and thank the incredible staff at Banwell Gardens for their loving treatment and care during his years there as a resident. The visitation was held at the Kennedy Funeral Home Limited (519-776-7378) 128 Talbot St. N, Essex. The funeral mass was celebrated at St. John the Evangelist Parish. Cremation followed. Donations may be made to the Downtown Mission. You may send your condolences online at www. kennedyfh.com _________________________________________________________

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”

“Tolerance and patience should not be read as signs of weakness, they are signs of strength.” ~ Anonymous

What’s Going On...

OCT. 24  VILLAGE MURDER MYSTERY  MUST pre-register. NO walk-ins. At the CTMHV, 6155 Arner Towline. For info or to register: 519-776-6909 or info@ctmhv.com NOV. 14JAN. 4  AMHERSTBURG RIVER LIGHTS WINTER FESTIVAL  Hundreds of lights downtime and through King’s Navy Yard and Toddy Jones Park.

NOV 18  KINGSVILLE BLOOD DONOR CLINIC - at Grovedale Arts & Culture Centre - 103 Park St.. From 1-7pm Call: 1-888-236-6283 to pre-register. www.blood.ca NOV. 28 LEAMINGTON DRIVE-THRU SANTA CLAUS PARADE in Point Pelee National Park, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. No fee, but foodbank / Toys For Tots donations accepted.

HIATUS HOUSE: offers counselling services in Essex County. Women’s Fresh Start group therapy is once a week. For info or to schedule an intake appointment, call the 24-hour Hiatus House helpline at 519-252-7781.

SUN COUNTY LYME AWARENESS SUPPORT GROUP offers monthly support for Lyme disease patients, family, & friends. Look us up on social media for updates.

Memorial verses available

Thursday, October 22, 2020

I

Community Hub I 15

Essex Free Press

Harrow or 519-819-3674 for pick up in Leamington.

Please keep in your prayers the many who are ill or those isolated in nursing homes. sponsorship by:

Fresh food. Friendly neighbours 191 Talbot St. S., Essex

519-776-4255 Salvation Army Essex Church submitted by Carolyn Barnett

The Salvation Army Food Bank is operated by appointment only. Please call Vicki at 519-776-4628 to make arrangements.

Please continue to pray for all those affected by COVID-19.

Essex Christian Reformed Church submitted by Beverley Van Huizen

Welcome to Essex CRC, either in-person or online. During this time, we need to make changes to our services and ask everyone who would like to attend, call the church office to reserve their spot.

Unfortunately, we cannot offer nursery supervision or Sunday school. Our GEMS & Cadets, Youth programs and Monthly Movie Night are still postponed.

Visit us online at www.essexcrc.ca or watch us online at the Essex CRC Facebook page beginning at 10:00 am.

St. Stephen’s - Church of the Redemer submitted by Reverend Kimberly Myer

Both St. Stephen’s and Church of the Redeemer have returned to Sunday morning services. Church of the Redeemer at 9am, and St. Stephen’s at 10:30am. Please wear a mask. Health Unit precautions have been put in place to keep everyone as safe as humanly possible. All are welcome to worship our Lord and Saviour with us.

Community Support Centre of Essex County SNOW ANGELS AT THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTRE We are looking for volunteers for our Snow Angel Program, to help out with snow removal service. This includes the sidewalk, the porch, and a path down the driveway only, for our clients. Our Volunteers should: live in Lakeshore, Essex, or Harrow, be 13-years of age or older, and be in good physical health. Call us to volunteer! 519-728-1435 Ext. 204. Students can earn volunteer hours! Reach out today!

St. Paul’s Anglican Church We are so glad to be back in our building and offering Sunday worship! Join us for our 11am service on Sunday.

Safety protocols are in place. Please bring a mask if you are planning to attend a service.

On Friday, Nov. 6th, we will host another takeout only Pasta Dinner from 5- 6:30pm at the church, please bring your own containers if possible and a mask of course.

As we continue to navigate through this difficult time, know that we are still hard at work to provide you with the spiritual resources you need.

Visit our website (www.stpaulstrinity.org) and our Facebook page (facebook.com/stpaulsessex) for updates and worship resources. Messages are checked regularly at the church office, you can reach us there at 519-776-7711.

Bethel-Maidstone United We look forward to gathering in the sanctuary to worship God this Sunday! We are following protocols to keep everyone safe. Screening questions will be posted - we ask that you consider them carefully. Mask, sanitation methods, and govenment guidelines, will be put in place. See us for info. Congregating inside the church will be discouraged.

Email Rev. Catherine with questions: bmuc@xplornet.ca Can’t join us for in-person worship? Listen to Sunday’s sermon: anchor.fm/bethel-maidstone.

We regret to announce that we will not be holding our Fall Roast Beef Dinner or Christmas Craft Bazaar due to Covid.

Thanks for your past support, we’ll see you next year. Our hall and building remain closed to meetings and rentals.

The secretary can be reached in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9am - 1pm. For more info: bethelmaidstone.com.

building has brought about some changes for us here at Trinity, including the need for registration each week. Please register either online or by calling the office at 519-776-7711 by the preceeding Friday. After Fridays, please contact Pat. For more information about joining us at the little white church in the cemetery in Cottam at 9:15 on Sundays, please call the office at 519-776-7711.

Have a great week

Essex United Church

Happy 164th Anniversary to Essex United Church. Join us for worship on Sunday, October 25th at 10:30 am. Check out our beautiful Thanksgiving Display in front of Essex United!

The Essex Area Food Bank is available to anyone who needs assistance at this time in the gym, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hours open are: 8:30 - 11:45am.

Maidstone Cross submitted by Wendy Cunningham

Thank you to everyone who donated PPE for Second Chance Ministry.

For all the latest news for St. Mary Church, visit our new Family of Parishes website at www.centralessexcatholic.dol.com. Mass is on Thursdays at 8:30a.m. and weekend Mass is on Sundays at 8:30a.m.

Reservations are needed for weekend Mass. Contact: 519-776-8483.

Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers , who help keep our beautiful parish running smoothly. Please keep in your prayers and all the people who are sick, shut-in, and in Hospice.

Holy Name of Jesus Parish Church submitted by Wendy Cunningham

Congratulations to our very own Gerry Belanger who was voted Essex’s Citizen of the Year!

For all the latest news on Holy Name of Jesus, please visit our new Family of Parish’s website at centralessexcatholic. dol.ca New weekend Mass times are Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. on a first come first serve basis. Weekday Mass times are Friday and Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

We are in need of extra collection counters, ushers, and cleaners. If you can spare an hour, please contact our office secretary at ext. 6.

Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers who help to keep our parish running smoothly.

Woodslee United Church submitted by Sue Holman

Welcome back! Sunday Service at 11:15 am.

You will have to wear a mask and respect social distancing.

Anything you bring in you will have to bring it home. Rev. Carl will still be doing his video message on our website: woodsleepastoralcharge.ca.

Sunday School will not be held. Hall rentals and special events have been cancelled until further notice.

Brooker News submitted by Ruth Newman

Worship Service with Rob Cornies, on October 25, is at 10 am. Social distancing and a mask are required. The weather will determine if we will be outdoors or indoors.

Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes are here. Please pick up your box and have it returned by November 15.

There is a drive-thru fundraiser for the BCM After School Club Program, on Nov. 6, in Harrow and Nov. 7 in Leamington.

Place you order now by calling 519-736-6163 for pick up in

Harrow United Church submitted by Larry Anderson

We warmly welcome you to Harrow United Church and invite you to join us for worship in our sanctuary this Sunday at 10:30am. We will observe social distancing protocols and ask everyone to wear a face-mask. We truly appreciate the patience and understanding of everyone as we adapt our ways to ensure the health and safety of all.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our Minister, Rev. Darrow Woods, who would be pleased to speak with you: 519-738-4223.

Please find information about Harrow United Church on our website at www.harrowunited.org.

Hearing tests, hearing aids, wax removal, and speech therapy

Trinity Church We have been very blessed at Trinity, an anonomous family has donated money to have the kitchen updated. New cupboards and counter, new flooring, and a dishwasher have all been installed in the newly painted kitchen. We pray that it won’t be long before we can once again go back to coffee hour as well as other events.

Thank you to our donors for their wonderful gift.

Delicious Meat pies!

Contact Brenda or call the church at 519-839-5303 to place your order.

Returning to the church

Book an appointment online at www.YouHear.ca or call

519-730-1030 Essex .................... 519-961-9285 LaSalle ................. 519-970-9587 Amherstburg ........

16 I Business Directory Essex Free Press

I Thursday, October 22, 2020

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Thursday, October 22, 2020

I

Community / Business Directory I 17

Essex Free Press

Community Safety Plan presented to Council

by Adam Gault A City of Windsor official hosted a special presentation to Essex Council on Monday evening, which laid out plans for the Windsor-Essex Regional Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.

This comes after the Province has legislated that all municipalities, under the Police Services Act, must prepare and adopt a Community Safety and Well-Being Plan that will be used to identify and address priorities related to crime and local social issues.

The plan comes from changes in policing and attitudes in Ontario since the early part of the 21st century, when new approaches in policing that focused on community mobilization and crime prevention were starting to be emphasized over more traditional reactive policing measures.

“These new approaches were born out of provincial data that indicated, while crime was trending downwards, social disorder calls were trending upwards,” City of Windsor Social Policy Planner and

Project Manager, Leonardo Gil, explained. “Police and first responders were now responding to calls that involved symptoms of larger, complex social issues, like homelessness, mental wellness, substance use, and event poverty.”

This new approach will recognize overall community safety and health goes beyond the specific incident of crime, and that a multi-tiered approach acknowledging complex social issues cannot be solved in isolation. It also recognizes all members in a community have a role to play in this approach.

“In other words, there are factors that influence one’s perception of whether a community is safe, regardless of whether a crime has occurred,” Gil said. “This can be stigma, blighted buildings, even a poverty of opportunities in a community.”

This plan will consist of a four-tiered planning framework to attempt to mitigate anti-social behaviour before criminal instances occur.

These include: social development, prevention, risk

intervention, and finally, actual incident response when all other avenues have been exhausted.

At its core, the plan will seek to address complex social issues like mental health and homelessness, using a multi-sectoral approach, ensure access to social services throughout the community, collaboration with acute care facilities, and building upon community partnerships toward shared goals and strategies.

Also included in the plan is the current mapping of more than 900 social assets throughout Windsor-Essex, including health, education, employment, and housing services into a singular database, which can be used to determine how to best support each regional community with the development of the Well-Being plan.

The tentative plan is scheduled to be put forward for public consultation, beginning sometime early in 2021, with a final plan scheduled to be presented to Essex County Council closer to the end of next year.

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18 I Opinion / News Essex Free Press

I Thursday, October 22, 2020

Essex Council Strategy Meeting...

Continued from Page 13

1947 Mercury in Hurricane Hazel

Photo from Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library.

With all the news of hurricanes in the southern United States, we now look back at Hurricane Hazel, which struck the City of Toronto with fury in October 1954. When it was over, eighty-one people had died and basements were flooded like never before. Stalled cars sat all over streets where they had conked out, and large trees were overturned.

The Don and Humber rivers overflowed their banks with the fast-moving water. The photo we see here shows a 1946-48 Mercury 114 4-door sedan by the swollen bank of the Humber River in Toronto’s west end.

Several features of this car are noteworthy. The swan-like hood ornament was a popular Canadian Tire accessory in the ‘40s and ‘50s. So too were the curb guides mounted on each front fender to help the driver when parking to not scuff the tires on the curb, especially if your car had whitewalls.

Also very popular was the big sun visor over the windshield. These were nice to have on a hot day with the sun beating down through the windshield. When air conditioning became popular, the big sun visors disappeared.

The visor on this car is not the same colour as the car itself. Perhaps the owner of this car bought it off another car and hasn’t bothered to match the colour to this car. The same might be said of the fender skirt with a colour that doesn’t match the car.

The radio aerial strongly suggests this car had a radio, but one fellow years ago not able to afford a car radio installed an aerial, so everyone would think he did have a radio!

The 1954 Ontario license plate is white with blue numbers and a letter: 376E6.

The letter ‘E’ is smaller than the numbers, a style employed on Ontario plates as far back as 1940. This practice ended in 1955 when plates had all numbers and no letters. Today we have both again.

The Mercury 114 sedan shown here was built only in Canada as the shorter version of the Mercury with a 114-inch Ford chassis.

I’m always looking for stories. Email billtsherk@sympatico. ca.

to find efficiencies and improvements to service delivery. Though the report seemed to look for improvements for service delivery, it seems that rather than looking for efficiencies, it instead outlined a wish list of staff wants and overlooked what residents are looking for.

He thinks this is a missed opportunity, and thinks the report was more about expanding facilities and staff, than finding efficiencies.

Loreto said the first phase is a Current State Assessment Report, where a number of improvement opportunities were identified. The next phase will look at creating a detailed business case for more efficiency improvements.

Bondy has concerns with further amalgamation. If Council complies with the recommendations in the report, it is hoped Essex will be on the “Province’s good list.” And, perhaps, if the Province ever does want to pursue further amalgamation, Essex could bypass that.

The residents down here, she said, want to know what any amalgamation may mean, if there are any plans in the future.

“What is going to become of us in the future?” she asked.

Loreto said he is not saying further amalgamation will happen, “But, you wouldn’t have to strain yourself to say ‘they could happen in the next few years.’” He added that to do things to show the Modernization money the Ministry provided was put to good use

and better efficiencies were developed, he believes those municipalities will be in a better spot if those pressures come.

Councillor Kim Verbeek agreed with Vander Doelen that there is a lot from administration in the report, and some Councillors felt their remarks did not filter through. She asked if Council could feel confident the items they voiced will filter through.

Loreto responded that, yes, they will.

That was why the additional meeting with Council was held. In the next round, the items will be discussed and explored to see if they make sense.

Deputy Mayor Richard Meloche commented he thought there was more opportunity to centralized items to County-level services. He wondered if there was potential for that.

Loreto said in doing reports in Essex, Kingsville, Amherstburg, and Leamington, there seems to be some appetite at the local level to do more with each other, there didn’t seem to be a sense there is a political will at the County to take on more than it has. He said StrategyCorp will look into it, though.

Following steps with the report includes refining priority improvements, developing of recommendations specific to high-impact opportunities; prepare and present recommendations and implementation report, and finalizing the report for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Thursday, October 22, 2020

I

Community I 19

Essex Free Press

Accessible benches unveiled at Co-An Park Snively appears before court for the first time in proxy vote case... Continued from Page 11

by Adam Gault McGregor’s Co-An Park is now even more accessible, after five new accessible picnic benches were installed through a partnership of both Essex’s and Amherstburg’s municipal accessibility committees.

Each of these tables feature a higher than standard table height, in addition to recessed support beams, which allow users of wheelchairs and other mobility devices the opportunity to more comfortably position themselves at each end of the table.

“Put yourself in a wheelchair for awhile, try to go to a picnic table, and when you find out you get your knees knocked, and you have no room, then you understand why that is necessary,” Chairperson of the Amherstburg Accessibility Committee, Bill Whittall, said of the importance of the new benches. “If you look at the population that we are now having, more and

Pictured left to right: Kim Verbeek, Essex Councillor, Tina McAgy, Co-An Park Board Chairperson, Marc Renaud, Amherstburg Councillor, Bill Whittall, Chairperson of the Amherstburg Accessibility Committee, and Richard Kokovai, Chairperson of the Essex Accessibility Committee, unveiled new accessible picnic tables at Co-An Park last Thursday.

more accessibility will be necessary.”

The total cost of the tables was $5,000, with the funds of the project shared through a joint effort of Essex’s and Amherstburg’s accessibility committees.

While this year has been quieter than usual for public events at Co-

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An Park, the tables will be enjoyed by many when fundraisers, fairs, and musical events return to the park in the future, according to Co-An Park Board Chairperson, Tina McAgy. “It’s not just for wheelchair accessibility, but for older people to put a lawn chair [at the table],” McAgy said. “We want to make people with walkers as comfortable as possible.”

Chairperson of the Essex Accessibility Committee, Richard Kokovai, explained that although he believes changes towards a more accessible society has been a slow process, it is the small steps like these that instill confidence towards the goal of a completely accessible world.

“It’s never fast enough, but we’re heading in the right direction,” Kokovai said. “We’re not spending this money simply to make facilities accessible for a small group of people. When we make our facilities accessible to them, we make them more accessible to everyone.”

announced, Snively said he “…was charged with one count of encouraging someone to vote that was not entitled to vote. One. I repeat, one count. I want to ensure the public that I did not do this, and I am not guilty of knowingly doing anything wrong during the election.”

Snively’s Lawyer, Patrick Ducharme, said he believes Monday’s Court Appearance went fine. “I believe that the Crown and I can narrow the issues,” he said, adding there are some legal issues he thinks are in his client’s favour. “I was not going to take them by surprise, I was going to let them know in advance,” he said.

Ducharme said he has not had the chance to speak to the Prosecutor, as he said the position has been switched a couple of times.

During the court session, Ducharme said Snively reaffirmed him plea, of not guilty. “[We were] just telling the judge we are going to trial and his plea is going

to be not guilty, and it has remained that throughout,” he said.

Snively, who served as a Councillor during the previous Term of Council, was elected as the new Mayor as a result of the 2018 election. The unofficial election result notes Snively earned 2,261 votes. Candidate Ron Rogers, also a Ward 3 Councillor at the time, followed closely behind with 2,144 votes. Rob Shepley earned support from 1,122, and Katie McGuire-Blais earned 1,358 votes.

The proxy vote issue was raised shortly after the election, with Councillor Sherry Bondy bringing forward concerns she heard from residents.

Snively was originally scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Windsor, on March 30, 2020, but the Coronavirus pandemic pushed the date back.

20 I Community Essex Free Press

I Thursday, October 22, 2020

Recognition for a commitment to preserving history

by Sylene Argent When Tim McGuire, Lakeshore Councillor Kirk Walstedt, and Ed Byrne formed the Historical Research Partners (HRP) group a couple of years ago, these historically-minded individuals made it their mission to not only do what they could to research local history, but to recognize the efforts of others preserving the stories of the past as well.

Last Thursday afternoon, the HRP trio surprised Laurie Kowtiuk, and Doug and Donna Gammon, as they were working hard on historically-minded projects at the Essex & Community Historical Research Society (ECHRS) building on Gordon Avenue, with a special recognition award for their dedication to local history.

Walstedt handcrafted an organizer for the honourees, which were made out of 150-year-old Essex County barn wood and a 1939 railway spike. The awards were also equipped with a plaque, outlining the appreciation for their dedication.

Kowtiuk has been the President for ECHRS’s Board of Directors for the past several years, and has taken a special interest in not only preserving local history, such as digitizing area land deeds with the help of volunteers, but also in helping new members research their own family lineage.

The Gammons have been large contributors to the Canada’s Gen Web Cemetery Project for Ontario, where,

“You have been doing a hell of a job.”

- Ed Byrne of the Historical Research Partners (HRP), commenting on the dedication of the three honourees.

Members of the Historical Research Partners (HRP) Tim McGuire, Lakeshore Councillor Kirk Walstedt, and Ed Byrne (pictured in the back row) presented Essex & Community Historical Research Society (ECHRS) members Laurie Kowtiuk, and Doug and Donna Gammon, with handmade awards last Thursday afternoon for their commitment to preserving local history.

for the past several years, the couple has taken and uploaded photos of tombs from the local area all the way to Niagara Falls. The project is mapping Ontario’s cemeteries.

“You have been doing a hell of a job,” Byrne said to the three honourees.

McGuire said this recognition is a

sort-of people’s choice award, from one small group to a few individuals who have completed incredible projects to help promote and preserve local history.

“We want you to continue on in your journey,” he said.

“This is life-lasting,” Kowtiuk said, holding her award, still in awe of the

surprise.

Currently, Kowtiuk noted ECHRS is working with a digital professional to create what will become a collection of local letters from WWII put to music.

This project is being created to recognize Remembrance Day. A link to this historical piece will be uploaded onto the local historical organization’s website, https://echrs.ca/, in the near future.

ECHRS, she added, recently received a $5000 government COVID-related grant. The funds will come in handy in helping to maintain the local facility that houses ECHRS and in helping volunteers to continue to preserve and digitize local historical deeds and documents, especially since many of its fundraisers had to be cancelled, due to the pandemic.

As part of the HRP group, Walstedt, Byrne, and McGuire – who are long-time friends with a shared interest in learning about the past – work together to preserve local history, including organizing and categorizing the around 21,000 Maidstone Land Deed documents that ECHRS obtained last year.