St. Marys Independent - March 13

Fans of the Amazing Race Canada may recognize Tyler Smith as being the winner of season nine with Kat Kastner, his girlfriend at the time and now fiancé.

The game takes strength, dedication and resilience as teams complete challenges and make their way across the country to different pit stops ending up with one winning team. What fans may not know about Smith is his strength and resilience was acquired long before being on the race, and stems from the worst day of his life.

Smith was one of the 13 survivors of the Humboldt Bronco bus crash on April 6, 2018, near Armley, Sask. when a semi-trailer truck ran a stop sign and hit the bus. Thanks to the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Mental Health Strategy Support and the OPP’s Crime-School Safety Grants, Smith visited with students at St. Marys DCVI March 5 to share his story.

Since the accident, Smith has spoken at more than 200 schools about mental health, grief, trauma and PTSD. He is the founding member of Not Alone Co., providing positive messages to help those most vulnerable and in need of support with how to deal with their emotions.

“It’s quite a process,” library CEO Sarah Andrews told the St. Marys library board at GALEN SIMMONS

Following a months-long process that began last fall and involved countless hours of work by staff and auditors, the St. Marys Public Library has officially achieved reaccreditation from the Ontario Public Library Guidelines Monitoring and Accreditation Council with a near-perfect score of 98.75 per cent. Staff worked to fulfill the 176 Ontar-

io Public Library Guidelines to achieve this reaccreditation. Library systems must achieve an overall score of 90 per cent in the five topics areas of governance and administration, planning documents and process, policy, personnel and human resources, and general, as well as meet site-observation requirements in the categories of collections and services, and physical and facilities.

Smith shared with the students that after the accident, he suffered in silence when it came to his mental health. He does not remember that day and is not sure if one day his brain will wake up and bring it all back. He has come a long way since then, learning how to deal with his grief and the importance of leaning on friends and family. He never saw himself as a public speaker, but by sharing his story, the 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team and staff who died that day are

Tyler Smith visited St. Marys DCVI to share his story and talk about the importance of grief, mental health and asking for help.

(WENDY LAMOND PHOTO)

COMMUNITY

Humboldt bus-crash survivor and winner of Amazing Race Canada shares his story at DCVI

never forgotten. He also believes if he can help at least one person with their mental health and help them to view things in a different light, then his traumatic experience is worth it.

The three things that have changed most for Smith in the last seven years are connection, conversation and perspective.

“If you have good connections, you will have deep, meaningful conversations that will shift your perspective,” Smith said. I want you to embrace the good in your life, but I also want you to embrace the bad. I want you to embrace that change.”.

From the accident, Smith suffered many injuries including a stroke, a

punctured lung, two broken ribs, a broken shoulder blade and a broken collarbone that led to severe nerve damage in his left arm. He also had six inches of his small intestine removed. Even with all of that happening, he still knows to this day it could have been worse.

When he woke up in his hospital room, big names in hockey like Connor McDavid, Don Cherry and Don MacLean were in his room and, as confusion set in, he had no idea what was going on.

One lesson Smith shared with the group was the importance of memorizing at least one phone number and to know it by heart. One never knows when they are going to need it and have to relay it to someone in the medical field.

In the days that followed his accident, Smith had to watch the funerals of his friends on the television from his hospital room. As time went on, the only way he could deal with his grief was by deflecting. He was constantly on his phone and did anything possible not to think about it. It was when he was at the 2018 NHL awards in front of his mentors when he broke down during an award presentation to his late coach’s wife. This happened again when he returned to Humboldt for a banner presentation in honour of all the lives lost. The crying was helpful to Smith, and he let the students know it is okay to feel their emotions. It was staggering the amount of support the survivors and Humboldt community received from across the

country. Many signed up as organ donors, gave blood, left hockey sticks on their porch, left flowers, plaques and signed books of condolences.

Smith said 40 per cent of kids feel like they don’t belong. This is staggering and he hopes by sharing his courageous story about grief and mental health that it will encourage some bravery amongst the younger generation, and help them understand they are not alone.

In the Amazing Race, when things got hard and he wanted to give up, Smith said the encouragement of Kastner and the strong belief that his fellow teammates were watching down from above, urging him on, was what he needed to continue and was what led them to win.

St. Marys Public Library achieves near-perfect score

its March 6 regular meeting. “ … We did very well in terms of our ranking. There was nothing that prevented us from being reaccredited; there were just a couple of points made that we might want to follow up on. … A couple of them are operational, so we’re handling them among staff, but there were two recommendations that we wanted to get input from the board on.”

While many of the recommendations from the auditors involved operational changes including the need for a “go bag” for emergencies, improving collection signage and improving visibility of accessible features on public computers, one recommendation Andrews brought to the board for discussion was a suggestion to lower the shelving in both the children and adult sections to make those collections more accessible.

“We have passed accreditation, so it came down to literally counting and measuring the (existing) shelves to make sure 75 per cent was below a certain height – one measurement was adult and one was for children’s – so we do meet accreditation. We’re not in a situation where we need to immediately make a change to meet accreditation, but they did make a strong rec -

ommendation to us that we consider repositioning some of that collection to bring down the 25 per cent that exceeds the height because they felt it would make for a more accessible library, and it would also probably help our circulation numbers amongst browsers because they wouldn’t feel like things were too high.”

To improve accessibility with respect to shelving height, board members discussed a number of options including the purchase of new, moveable shelving to replace the current built-in shelving at the library and looking at the space across the street at the newly renovated Mercury Theatre building, owned by the town, to determine if public-use spaces in the current library could be moved to that building to make room for additional shelving at the existing library.

Ultimately, the board voted to have staff bring a report on shelving options to its next meeting for further discussion.

The second recommendation, Andrews continued, was to have the library board adopt its own set of human-resources policies. Currently, the library board uses the policies set out by the town’s human-resources department, which also handles hir-

ing, onboarding, staff departures and payroll on behalf of the library board. Andrews, as the library CEO, told the board she handles annual performance reviews for library staff.

Since the library board is technically the employer of library staff, Andrews said the auditors recommended the library adopt the town’s relevant human-resources policies as their own as soon as possible. In doing this, An -

drews said the library board can adjust the wording of the policies or add clauses to bring them more in line with library operations.

Andrews said she would work with the town’s director of human resources to determine a process for this adoption and report back to the library board at its meeting in May, a suggestion board members ultimately approved.

Save the date for the 2025 Stonetown Heritage Festival

St. Marys’ favourite summer festival returns on July 11, 12 and 13

ST. MARYS

The event will feature many traditional favourites including street performers, food and market vendors, heritage tours, and children’s activities. Attendees can anticipate an emphasis on arts, culture and heritage in St. Marys.

Most of the festival’s highlights will happen on Saturday when the town’s vibrant arts scene will be on full display as local musicians, actors, writers and craftspeople showcase their talents.

“There will be something for everyone to enjoy at this year’s festival,” said town events coordinator Morgan Easton in a press release. “We look forward to celebrating the rich heritage and vibrant culture of St. Marys.”

The musical headliner for the Saturday evening dance will be announced soon, but attendees can anticipate a rocking time.

Look for more exciting announcements on this summertime staple as the festival approaches. Be sure to visit www.discoverstmarys.ca/festival for the festival schedule and application forms for food trucks, vendors, community groups and artists to participate in the event.

Sponsorship and event volunteers are crucial to the success of this event. Interested individuals and businesses can contact Easton at 519-284-2340 ext. 249 or measton@town.stmarys.on.ca for more information on how to contribute.

EDITORIAL

When to call it quits for social media and the news?

WENDY LAMOND Independent Reporter

I am sure this is a question on many peoples’ minds right now with the overload of information that is coming at us, and truth be told, none of it is really that great.

We talk about mental health a lot and one day things are good, then the next day it is hard to wake up to the thunderstorm that is the world right now.

The trouble with this, if you are like me, is you still want to know what is going on especially when some of our newspaper’s stories come to our attention through social media.

Finding the right balance between being unplugged and engaged is a tough one. What it comes down to is we must do what is best for us. If life gets overwhelming and too much to handle, then power down and take

a walk, visit with friends or pick up a hobby. For me, I do jigsaw puzzles. It keeps my mind focused and helps with anxieties.

“Agree to disagree” is also a good mantra to remember when it comes to world events. Not everyone is going to have the same opinion and that is ok. Engaging in anything other than productive conversation and being on attack mode is not good for anyone, especially for mental health. It has been amazing to see the patriotism that is arising in Canada and other countries right now and if you look, there is still so much good taking place. However, in the short term, and quite possibly the long term, things are not going to get better, so we have to remember that we can still help each other where needed, be nice to each other and understand that we are all in this together.

Overheard at the Co�ee Shop

us at info@stmarysindependent.com with the title "Overheard at The Coffee Shop", call 519-284-0041 or drop by the office to let us know! How do you control a circus? Get a Carney to run it.

Bravo Boo

We have 1 Bravo this week.

1) I was at the car wash and was having trouble with my card. A gentleman that was there tried to help me but we couldn’t get it out of the machine. He then paid for my car wash. I truly appreciate his kindness. The owner of the car wash was called and he came right away and retrieved my card for me.

We have 1 Boo this week.

1) That St. Marys town council is prepared to spend thousands of tax dollars to revitalize the Old Quarry when they refused to spend a nickel to enhance Cadzow Pool in its beautiful park setting. There remains no outdoor pool for little children or people who cannot swim. And the PRC pool is closed more than it’s open.

Quote of the Week

“America is not Canada. And Canada will never, ever be part of America in any way, shape or form. We didn’t ask for this fight but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.”

- New Prime Minister Mark Carney in his acceptance speech after winning 85.9 per cent of the votes cast by Liberal Party members.

Restoring small-town journalism, one community at a time!

St. Marys Independent

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Tyler Carruthers • info@stmarysindependent.com

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Wendy Lamond • wendylamond74@gmail.com

Contributors

June Grant, Nancy Bickell, Mary Smith, Nancy Abra, Lauren Eedy, Spencer Seymour, Sarah Cairns, Paul Knowles, Jake Grant, Julia Paul, Emily Stewart, McGinny Photography

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The St. Marys Independent THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK Trust starts with truth and ends with truth. Don’t believe everything you think.

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Scrapbooking enthusiasts participate in fundraiser for seniors’ programs

Scrapbooking Garage Sale set for April 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

ST. MARYS INDEPENDENT

Staff Contribution

A group of volunteers from the St. Marys Friendship Centre is organizing a Scrapbooking Garage Sale on Saturday, April 5.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pyramid Recreation Centre (317 James St. S., Entrance C). A variety of gently used or new crafting supplies will be available for purchase, tax-free. Admission is free to the public; however, please note that this is a cash-only event.

“We are incredibly grateful to our volunteers and community for supporting this cause,” said St. Marys senior services program coordinator Sarah Jones in a press release. “The dedication and effort of our volunteers, along with the

community’s generosity, ensure that the funds raised will directly benefit our seniors’ programs, making a positive impact on their lives.”

The event will feature a variety of items including paper, handmade greeting cards for all occasions, stamps, cartridges, embellishments and more.

Once stocked up on the latest supplies, attendees may be interested in attending the Friendship Centre’s monthly Scrapbooking Crops and upcoming classes.

STONETOWN STONETOWN CCRIER RIER

Those with gently used or new scrapbooking and cardmaking supplies they no longer need are encouraged to consider donating to the Scrapbooking Garage Sale.

For details about the sale, classes, or to donate supplies, contact 519-284-2340 ext. 621 or email sjones@town.stmarys. on.ca.

up on scrapbooking supplies with the St Marys Friendship Centre at the Scrapbooking Garage Sale! Shop tax-free for new and

SUMMER CAMP PRC

Our team is eagerly preparing for the sunny days ahead and we don’t want you to miss out on the fun! Registration for Summer Camp PRC and Specialty Summer Camps at the Lind Sportsplex (St Marys Quarry) is now open

LICENCE CONTEST

Register your pet as part of a “purr-fectly paw-some” contest before March 31 for a chance to win a $50 gift card from Pet Valu! Registering your dog or cat with the Town ensures that they are returned to you if they ever stray from home

and

Senior of the Week

Our Senior of the Week is Gail McCauley who celebrated her 79th birthday on March 7. Gail spent her career in health care but for the last 10 years has been the most cheerful crossing guard at the corner of James Street South. and Maxwell Street. She plans to continue doing this until she is 85. Gail and husband Kevin have three children, six grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. Happy Birthday, Gail!

If you would like to nominate someone for Senior of the Week, contact us at 519-284-0041 or info@stmarysindependent.com.

Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe thrilled

Wine and Cheese Night with Cornerfield Wine Co.

The inaugural Wine and Cheese Night hosted by a local cheese shop will provide a taste of Huron and Perth counties.

Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe is partnering with Bayfield’s Cornerfield Wine Co. to host the deli’s first-ever Wine and Cheese Night on April 17. The evening will feature a variety of appetizers as well as a guided wine-and-cheese tasting.

Jenn Stacey, owner of Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe, said she always wanted to do a wine-andcheese night. Cornerfield Wine Co., which has lots of fans in St. Marys, will be operating with their travelling liquor license and provide wine produced with grapes from the winery’s own vineyard.

“We’re providing the cheese. It’s going to be an exciting, fun night. I’m really, really excited about it,” Stacey said.

The guided wine-and-cheese tasting will feature four different wines for guests to try. After sampling each one, every guest will receive a free six-ounce glass of their favourite.

“It gives people time to stand there and chat and learn about what they’re eating and drinking,” Stacey said. Stacey hopes there is enough interest for two sessions of the Wine and Cheese Night. The store will close early to prepare for the first round from 6-7:30 p.m. and will have a 30-minute cleanup before the second session. She said the event will be a chance for people to nibble on some cheese they haven’t tried before.

“Sometimes, people are very afraid to think outside the box and to try different cheeses, so this is an opportunity for us to showcase some of the amazing cheeses that we have that aren’t just your basic marble from the grocery store or old cheddar from the grocery store,”

she said.

The wine-and-cheese event also showcases Canadian products, something many consumers are looking to purchase more of amid tariff threats from the United States government. Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe’s inventory is roughly 95 per-cent Canadian, with most of the cheeses coming from Ontario, including from New Hamburg, and some are from the Quebec border. There are also imports from England, Ireland, Scotland and Holland in stock.

“We really don’t carry a lot of U.S. cheese – I think we’ve got about three kinds – so this will just give us the opportunity to showcase and promote, number one, Canada, and then some of the English cheddars as well,” Stacey said.

The first 30 people who purchase tickets will be entered in a giveaway. There will also be a draw for a wine-and-cheese basket.

Visit the Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe’s Facebook and Instagram pages online for more information and updates on the event.

1. What movie won Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars?

What is the birthstone for March? 3. Earth’s Inner core is composed of what two substances?

4. Why were taxes introduced in Canada in 1917?

5. What year did Australia become a nation?

6. What is the main ingredient in traditional Italian pesto sauce?

7. In basketball, how many points is a standard shot worth within the arc? 8. What is a baby kangaroo called? 9. What was the shortest war in history?

is

By Jake Grant

EMILY STEWART Independent Reporter

We’re thrilled to announce that St. Marys Optometry is relocating to a brighter, more efficient space to better serve our patients. Our new office features an additional exam room and enhanced patient experience—while maintaining the same expert care you trust.

New Address: 766 Queen Street East, St. Marys

Opening Date: April 1, 2025

Phone Number: 519.284.4144

Website: www.stmarysoptometry.ca

(NANCY BICKELL PHOTO)

Perth County council continues whittling away at draft 2025 budget

Council asks staff to bring back $284,000 in proposed cuts to reduce tax rate to 10 per cent

GALEN SIMMONS

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Though they couldn’t come up with much in the way of cuts to the draft 2025 budget on their own, several Perth County councillors have asked staff to bring back at least $284,000 in potential line-item cuts to bring the proposed tax increase down from just over 11 per cent to 10 per cent.

At the March 6 Perth County council meeting, staff presented a report with answers to questions about the draft budget councillors asked at the last county council meeting or submitted to staff since then. The intent of the report was to identify further cuts to the budget to make the overall impact on county ratepayers more affordable.

“I feel that there are some areas that can be lowered; I’m not looking to kick things down the road,” Coun. Rhonda Ehgoetz said. “I’m looking to have our budget a little closer to some of the actuals. One of them I’ll pick on … it’s in planning. Our technical services doubled (from last year); it went from $22,000 to $44,000. Why? Does it have to be that high? Another one is in the clerk’s (budget); professional development went from $8,000 to $13,000. Why? Do we all have to go to the conferences? Do we have to have 10 of us there standing in front of the minister? I don’t think we do.

“Those are the kinds of things I’m more looking for to be closer to our actual (costs in 2023). … There’s nothing to say we are going to kick it down the road. If we are going to take it out of the budget, it doesn’t mean it’s going to automatically come back the following year. … As a business owner … I don’t have someone to hand off that I need an extra $10,000 next year. … I have to figure out how do that myself

… to make that money. I find it far too easy here to come up with the figures and just hand it off to the taxpayer. Not everybody can afford this. There are an awful lot of people who cannot afford this repeat adding on and adding on and adding on.”

At the beginning of the budget discussion March 6, the draft budget had a proposed levy increase of 13.11 per cent which, inclusive of 1.77 per cent growth to the county taxbase last year, meant the proposed tax rate was 11.34 per cent.

For the owner of an average MPAC-assessed home in the county with a 2016 value of $282,000, that would mean an increase by $103.32 to the county portion of their annual property tax bill.

Ehgoetz, who is also mayor of Perth East, argued the county tax-rate increase on top of lower-tier tax-rate increases is making life harder for property owners in the county. In Perth East, for example, where the average assessed home is valued at $321,000, the owner would see an increase in their lower-tier tax rate by 4.85 per cent or just over $69 for the year, while their county taxes would go up by nearly $118. With an education tax rate of about 16 per cent in Perth East, that property owner would see their tax bill increase by a total of just over $187.

In an effort to try and reduce the county’s part of that increase, Ehgoetz recommended several cuts of line items in the 2025 CAO budget including a new administrative assistant to the CAO at a cost of just over $52,000, a process review and efficiency projects at a cost of $20,000, the development of a communications strategy at a cost of $30,000 and another $30,000 for corporate communications.

Of her four suggestions, only the removal of the corporate-communications line item received support from the ma -

jority of council, resulting in a decrease to the proposed tax rate by 0.07 per cent, from 11.34 per cent to 11.27 per cent. Coun. Bob Wilhelm also recommended the removal of $75,000 in facility audits from the 2025 capital budget, which council did support. However, because capital projects are funded through reserves, grants and funding sources outside of the tax levy, it did not impact the overall tax rate for 2025.

While Ehgoetz’s motion to have staff bring back a report outlining potential further cuts to the draft budget with the goal of getting the tax rat down to 10 per cent was ultimately successful, several councillors expressed frustration with the notion of whittling down that percentage to what might be perceived as a more-palatable number for residents.

“I think we have a habit of getting fixated on percentages all the time,” Coun. Walter McKenzie said. “Percentage is peanuts; look at the dollar value. … You’ve got to compare apples to apples, I think. We can certainly look at neighbouring municipalities, (one of which) has an increase of 3.63 per cent, which works out to $130.48 per household (this year). Another municipality was a 6.03 per-cent increase. It works out to $309 per household. At 11.3 per cent, it’s $103, so you’ve got to compare numbers. I think percentages is very misleading. You look at the dollar value and then make your decision from there.”

While Coun. Hugh McDermid said he’d like to see the tax rate reduced to 10 per cent for the sake of the taxpayers, he cautioned council around the dangers of kicking budget items down the road, and said council doesn’t want to become the next Wilmot Township, which began budget deliberations for this year at a whopping 51 per-cent levy increase to tackle an out-of-control, long-term infrastructure deficit.

“I believe in, fundamentally, an organization that fulfills its responsibilities and is effective and efficient,” Coun. Todd Kasenberg added. “Sometimes, those two ‘E’ words kind of conflict with each other because we can imagine a larger spend and a bigger scope of services. I think, fundamentally here, we have to remind ourselves that we’re a commissioned government that has responsibilities, many of which are set out by provincial regulation and statute. For us to be saying, ‘Oh, I want it to be 10 per cent,’ or, ‘I want it to be two per cent,’ this is … not a particularly valuable exercise. … Would it make a big difference just for the sake of finding a round number?

“To me, that’s not the point. The point is we must deliver a certain package of services, and some of them we don’t have to deliver. When you talk about $284,000 … you could easily take that out of economic development because it’s not a statutory service, but none of us have a strong desire to do that. We can look at little bits and pieces here and there, some of which are not relevant to even the levy impact because it’s from the capital side of the ledger. We can continue to lean and, in some cases, starve the statutory services, but I’m not in favour of that. … Setting some kind of target that is sort of picked out of the air because somebody likes 10 instead of 11 or 12 doesn’t make any sense to me.”

County CAO Lori Wolfe said staff will bring a report with potential cuts to the draft budget at county council’s next meeting on March 20. Wolfe also specified the report will include dollar values for each potential cut in addition to the percentage impact on the levy, and staff will indicate whether each potential cut would be permanent or if that line item would reappear in a future budget.

The late Doug Kennedy recognized with King Charles III Coronation Medal

(CONTRIBUTED

was presented by Grey-Bruce MP Ben Lobb.

The King Charles III Coronation medal is presented to those who make a big contribution to their communities and donate countless hours of volunteer time to make the world a better place.

The values that are recognized by the medal are service, environment, inclusivity and youth empowerment. Following these guidelines, the late Doug Kennedy was a very deserving recipient.

On March 5 in Wingham, Kennedy was recognized with this award. On hand to accept the medal was Cathy Alcombrack, Kennedy’s wife. The medal

Kennedy was born and raised in St. Marys and then moved to Kincardine. He had spent many years of his life giving back to the communities he was a part of through community service, and coaching kids in hockey and minor ball. He also served on committees in both St. Marys and then Kincardine such as the Kincardine town council and the hospital board. He was a big part of the Rock with your Doc fundraiser to raise money for the Davidson Centre in Kincardine and was involved in starting the Bulldog’s Beach Volleyball tournament which has been going for approximately

25 years.

Kennedy was no stranger to receiving awards as he was previously honoured with an Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) Gold Stick award for 50 years in the OHA as a coach, manager or convenor. He also received two Gold Puck awards from the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) and Citizen of the Year in Kincardine.

A few family and friends travelled to Wingham for the medal presentation.

“Doug is very deserving of this honour,” said longtime friend Pat Payton of St. Marys. “Doug lived 35 years in Kincardine and touched a lot of lives in that community. You could tell that at the

celebration of life they had for him last September in Kincardine.

“Just a few examples; Kennedy got the Junior C hockey team started up again in Kincardine, was the team’s general manager for 25 years, he sat on town council for six years, organized numerous fundraising events for many organizations in that community, and was twice named Citizen of the Year. There isn’t a day goes by that I don’t think of the big guy.”

Kennedy was nominated for the prestigious award by Keith Davidson, a fellow hockey and baseball coach, and a big contributor to his community.

Doug Kennedy’s King Charles III Coronation Medal and certificate for outstanding contribution to the community.

(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

On hand at the King Charles III Coronation Medal ceremony to honour the late Doug Kennedy was Brian Dundas, Owen Hearn, Kennedy’s wife, Cathy Alcombrack, son Jeff Kennedy, Pat Payton, Perry Wilson and his brother, Richard Kennedy in front.

PHOTO)

WENDY LAMOND Independent Reporter

Perth County Paramedic Service meets all response-time targets in 2024

GALEN SIMMONS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For the first time since 2020, the Perth County Paramedic Service met all of its ambulance response-time targets in 2024.

At the March 6 Perth County council meeting, paramedic services chief Mike Adair presented the paramedic service’s annual update, which included statistics on ambulance response times in the county across all six categories of calls for assistance, which include vital signs absent (VSA) and all five levels of the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS): resuscitation (CTAS1), emergent (CTAS2), urgent (CTAS3), less urgent (CTAS4) and non-urgent (CTAS5).

“The response-time performance plan is a provincial mandate that all municipalities have,” Adair said. “Since I’ve been here, we haven’t changed any of our targets in the last five years. This year, we met all of our targets with our new deployment plan with, also, one of our busiest years we’ve had. Now, having said that, there’s always a caveat. You’ll see in the VSA category and CTAS1, there’s higher fluctuations, and we would expect that because the sample size is so low, it depends on where those calls are.

“We do our best but we have a rural system, so it’s going to take longer to get ambulances to rural calls than sometimes to the urban calls.”

According to last year’s statistics, Perth County Paramedic Service’s 2024 response-time targets are as follows:

• paramedics responded to 54 per cent of VSA calls within six minutes (the target is to respond to 51 per cent of VSA calls within six minutes);

• they responded to 71 per cent of resuscitation calls within eight minutes (the target is 70 per cent);

• they responded to 83 per cent of emergent calls within 10 minutes (the target is 75 per cent);

• they responded to 93 per cent of urgent calls within 14 minutes (the target is 75 per cent); and

• they responded 98 per cent of both less-urgent and non-urgent calls within 20 minutes (the target for both is 75 per cent).

In 2023, the paramedic service only responded to 46 per cent of VSA calls within six minutes; in 2022, they responded to 49 per cent of VSA calls within six minutes; and in 2021, they responded to 47 per cent of VSA calls within that time, missing the target in each of the previous three years. In 2021, the paramedic service also missed its

target for resuscitation calls, responding to just 62 per cent of those calls within eight minutes.

According to Adair’s report to council, Perth County Paramedic Service does not yet have access to local fire-department data. As firefighters are often first on scene for calls involving sudden cardiac arrest or VSA, Adair indicated the paramedic service is working with local fire services on a data-sharing agreement to better reflect true VSA response times.

Thanks in part to a program launched late last year in partnership with the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance aimed at reducing offload delay, the average time between a patient’s arrival at hospital and when paramedics fully transfer patient care to hospital staff went down in 2024 after it increased steadily in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

“Offload delay is something that we continue to focus on, as council is aware,” Adair said. “We have implemented an offload-delay program that’s funded through the provincial government and we’ve reapplied for further funding for the next year because we feel that it’s working. … It was implemented in December (2024).

“… We have noticed that throughout last year, collectively, our hospitals have

provided a quicker turnaround for ambulances than in the past, and at our rural hospitals, like in St. Marys and Listowel, we saw a slight increase in terms of how long our ambulances were at those facilities, and we will continue to work on that and make sure we are as quick as possible.”

The Perth County Paramedic Service’s target for transferring a patient to a hospital’s care after arrival at an emergency department is 30 minutes. On average in 2024, Perth County paramedics spent 25 minutes per 12-hour shift in offload delay beyond that 30-minute target at the hospitals in St. Marys and Listowel – up from an average of nearly 15 minutes per 12-hour shift in 2023 – and they spent an average of just over 59 minutes per 12-hour shift in offload delay beyond the target at the Stratford General Hospital, which is down from roughly 77 minutes in 2023.

In total last year, the paramedic service responded to 11,555 calls for service. Over the past two years, Perth County Paramedic Service has experienced a 6.8 per cent increase in call volume. Recent changes made to the service’s deployment plan resulted in a decrease by 32 per cent in standby vehicle movement – approximately 44,800 kilometres – while maintaining response times.

International Women’s Day celebrated at the PRC

On Friday, March 7, International Women’s Day was celebrated at the Pyramid Recreation Centre with many women in attendance. The keynote speakers,

and

were

Sawchuk, an international speaker, best-selling author and founder of Sawchuk Accessibility Solutions, is committed to helping simplify accessibility. Fisk, a retired nurse practitioner, is local chapter M president of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO). She spoke about helping women to achieve success.

a retired school teacher, talked about her involvement with an international study focused on women and aging involving Western University and the American universities of

Michigan, Wisconsin and Emory.

pictured above right,

Julie Sawchuk, Myrna Fisk

Aileen Burgin.

Burgin,

Chicago,

(NANCY BICKELL PHOTOS)

Rethinking No Mow May

LESLYE GLOVER Tri-County Master Gardener

No Mow May is an initiative that was first popularized in the U.K. and is now widely participated in throughout North America. It urges people to let their lawns grow freely for a month, supposedly to feed early emerging insects, particularly bees. It also serves as an excuse for lazy folks not to bother mowing and is a “band-aid” action, allowing people to rationalize that they are doing something to help the environment.

Possibly in the U.K., where bees evolved in tandem with plants that grow in turf grass, there is a benefit to insects. In North America, particularly in lawns maintained with chemicals,

no insect-supporting plants grow. The typical lawn is a monoculture of grasses which does not support insect life at all. It provides little pollen or nectar and no habitat. Many lawns are filled with invasive species such as creeping charlie, quack grass, garlic mustard and our old friends, the dandelions. If any of these plants have pollen, it is of poor quality for early emerging insects. There is no benefit to letting such plants grow unabated for any length of time.

Bees will forage among dandelions if nothing else is available, but dandelions lack proteins essential to bee health.

No Mow May is not a solution to the worldwide loss and degradation of pollinator habitats.

Let’s look at some better ideas, which will assist pollinators in May and beyond. Replace part (or all) of our lawns with a mixture of plants native to our region. Include early flowering shrubs such as red maple (Acer rubrum), willows (Salix spp.), serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.), cherries (Prunus spp.) – especially choke cherry (Prunus virginiana) – and fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica).

We can add native perennials such as goldenrods, asters and coneflowers to the beds we already have, remove invasive species (which do not support native insects), and learn to love the mess of decaying leaves, dead plant stalks and tree stumps. The latter provide pollinator habitat. The David Suzuki Foundation has more suggestions.

Here is a link to the ecoregional planting guides from Pollinator Partnerships which detail the plants native to all the areas of Canada: pollinatorpartnership.ca/en/ecoregional-planting-guides.

Together, we can nurture the natural communities upon which we all depend.

The Tri-County Master Gardeners will be providing an opportunity for the public to purchase native shrubs and perennial plants on June 14. The sale will be held from 9 a.m. until noon at Avondale United Church in Stratford, in the back parking lot on Huntington Avenue. Watch our Facebook page and our website, tricountymastergardeners. ca, for species and prices. We hope to see you there!

FARM FOR SALE BY TENDER296461 Line 29, Lakeside, ON, approx. 95 workable acres, farmhouse, close to pavement, close to Lakeside. Tender closes April 10, 2025. For more information or tender forms, contact Waghorn, Stephens, Sipos and Poulton, 519-284-3640, or ben.waghorn@waglaw.net

St. Marys Independent SPORTS

www.lindsaypickering.ca

lindsaypickering22@gmail.com

U13 LL Boys Blue earn gold at thrilling Georgian Shores tournament

SPENCER SEYMOUR

Independent Sports Reporter

Drama wasn’t in short supply when the Easy Lift Doors U13 LL Boys Blue St. Marys Rock captured the gold medals at the Mike Hammond Memorial Tournament Feb. 28 to March 2 in Georgian Shores.

After a strong round-robin that included two shutout victories, the Rock finished first in their pool with a perfect three-for-three record, setting them up for a semi-final clash with the Stoney Creek Warriors. The Rock found themselves down 2-0 at the end of the second period, but according to head coach Andy Agar, he was thrilled with his team’s ability to bend but not break.

“It was super special the way the boys battled back after we were down by two going into the third,” said Agar. “We were getting frustrated and started running around a little bit, but we as a coaching staff kept telling the boys to leave it all on the ice. We finally cut the lead to one with Adam (Agar) scoring with 4:22 left, and that seemed to light a fire and the boys were buzzing after that.”

With around 90 seconds to go, St. Marys pulled their goaltender in favour of the extra attacker and, in the heat of a netfront scramble, Ryan Zwambag jammed home the game-tying goal to make it 2-2.

An exciting five-minute, three-onthree overtime solved nothing, sending the game into a shootout. With St. Marys’ first two shooters being stopped and the Rock’s goaltender, Luke Sampson, making some fantastic stops, Adam Agar took the ice with a chance to win the game. His father, the bench boss, described a heartfelt moment in the moments leading up to the third St. Marys shot in the shootout.

“I asked Adam (Agar), ‘(Do) you know what you’re doing?’ ” Andy Agar said. “He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘(Are you doing) the deke you always practice?’ And he again said, ‘Yes.’ He went out and pulled off the amazing deke he has practiced repeatedly and scored with it. It was a real proud dad moment for me (and) brought some tears to my eyes.”

In the gold-medal game, the Rock met the Tillsonburg Tornadoes Two who, like St. Marys did in Pool B, finished in the top spot of Pool A and entered the cham -

pionship contest having not lost in the tournament up to that point.

The high-octane final was once again tied at the end of regulation with both teams going scoreless through three periods. In the extra frame, Zwambag came up with another massive goal when he banged home the game-winner in another battle in front of the Tornadoes’ net to give the Rock the tournament’s top prize. Sampson earned the team’s third shutout of the weekend to help secure the tournament’s top prize.

Andy Agar raved about his team’s performance in the gold-medal game.

“Tillsonburg was a big, strong, fast team that was also undefeated going into the finals. Both teams were so hardworking. I was so proud of our boys as we don’t have the longest bench, but our guys came ready to play incredibly hard. Luke (Sampson) played extremely well in the finals. Ryan (Zwambag) scored another clutch goal for us. After the game, we got the best compliment we could ask for when the Tillsonburg coaches commented on how hardworking our team was.”

Reflecting on the weekend as a whole, Andy Agar explained what made the Rock successful throughout the tournament.

“The way all the boys were battling every game for every puck. Our players were just relentless. Aiden (Deboer) really stood out all tournament. He had two two-goal games and a hat-trick in the first three games. Our captain, Derek (Vernooy), is such a great leader. He plays hard, scored a couple of big goals and really urged on the boys to play their hardest and stay in check all tournament. And our goalies, Dalton (McKenzie) and Luke (Sampson), both played really well all weekend with both getting shutouts.

“Lately, we have had a couple of poor games,” Andy Agar continued. “Once we went down on the scoreboard, we would fall into a lull and have trouble keeping our energy where it should be. Our play was super successful over the weekend because they never gave up and our work ethic and backchecking were excellent. Everyone’s efforts were left fully on the ice and we just wanted it every game. The consistency was there every game and we are super proud of them. They really deserved this.”

Lincs honour graduating players Friday night

The Easy Lift Doors U13 LL Boys Blue St. Marys Rock won the gold medal at the Mike Hammond Memorial Tournament in Georgian Shores Feb. 28 to March 1. Pictured in the first row, from left to right, are Ben Massellis, Ryan Zwambag, Adam Agar, Lucas Richardson, Lucas Sampson, Liam McSherry, Shea Ross and Dalton McKenzie. In the second row, from left, are Lynkin Mykicz, Derek Vernooy, Aiden Deboer, Jack Rietmeyer and Chase Hinrichs. In the back row, from left, are Chris Richardson, Andy Agar, Mark Ross and Gibson Agar. Not pictured were Vanessa Vernooy and Jeff Masselis.

(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Before their game on March 7, the St. Marys Lincolns honoured their graduating players, Ethan Coups, Jaden Lee, Ryder Livermore, Jacob McLellan and Luca Spagnolo. General manager Pat Powers presented each player and their families with a framed jersey.

(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

U16B Snipers find a way to win against St. Thomas

SPENCER SEYMOUR Independent Sports Reporter

The U16B St. Marys Snipers did on March 6 what great teams do when they aren’t absolutely perfect – they found a way to get the job done.

In a home game against the St. Thomas Thunder, the Snipers scored four unanswered goals to take a 7-4 victory. According to head coach Kelly Frayne, the team fought through exhaustion and an imperfect start to the game to overcome the challenge in front of them.

“It wasn’t their best, but they found a way through it,” Frayne told the Independent. “We’ve played a lot of ringette over the last couple of weeks, so I think they were a bit tired. What was great to see was that they didn’t give up, even when they were behind or nothing was working. It’s easy to give up in those situations, but they kept working and found a way to get a win.”

The Snipers moved into the stronger of two divisions after the league reseeded heading into the new year, which has pushed the U16B squad to dig deeper.

“Ringette reseeds after Christmas and we were going to go to the lower pool, but I asked for our team to go to the higher pool,” Frayne said. “You get better ringette by playing better teams. We haven’t won quite a lot recently, but we’ve only been losing by one or two goals for the most part. With how hard these girls have had to work lately, it

Lily Hollestelle-Black fires a shot during the U16B St. Marys Snipers’ 7-4 win on March 6. Hollestelle-Black scored the Snipers’ first goal of the game, which tied the game at 1-1, and later assisted on Aryn Sheldon’s second goal of the night which evened the score at four apiece.

was great to see the girls get this win.”

An early, first-period powerplay goal gave St. Thomas a 1-0 lead, but Lily Hollestelle-Black came back just 25 seconds later for the Snipers to tie the game at one apiece. Aryn Sheldon and Marci

in the second period to retake a one-goal lead. However, just like in the first period, the Thunder’s advantage didn’t last long with the Snipers tying the game at 4-4 just 34 seconds later thanks to the second of the game for Sheldon, once again a shorthanded marker.

The game-tying goal was the first of an offensive eruption by the Snipers, who scored four goals in as many minutes. Deanna Muir potted the eventual game-winning goal before Carlie Muir and Alexis Schellenberger rounded out the quartet of unanswered goals to propel St. Marys to a 7-4 victory.

Frayne said the team’s finish was by far their best segment of the game and praised the team’s junior coaches, Adrianna Hollestelle-Black and Regan Frayne, for getting the team on track in the latter half of the second period.

“With about six minutes left in the game, they buckled down and started playing the type of ringette we want them to. They were moving the ring well in front of the net, passing it more and working together going up the ice.

Linton scored shorthanded tallies midway through the opening frame to give St. Marys a 3-1 lead, but the Thunder cut the lead to a single goal with 59 seconds left before the intermission.

St. Thomas scored two straight goals

“I’m going to give the credit to our young coaches, Adrianna (Hollestelle-Black) and Regan (Frayne). They are really good at motivating the girls. They are a little more relatable, but they can also lay down the law. Those girls have worked so hard and the young girls love them, and it was great to see them be able to pull so much out of our players.”

(SPENCER SEYMOUR PHOTO)

Lincs equal franchise record for most wins in single season

SPENCER SEYMOUR

Independent Sports Reporter

In the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 seasons, the St. Marys Lincolns won 42 games. More than three decades later, this year’s Lincolns’ team now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the highly successful teams from back-to-back seasons, having hit 42 victories on the year by winning their last two games of the regular season.

The Lincolns first travelled to London on March 5 for a rematch of a heated clash against the Nationals on March 1. Head coach Jeff Bradley said the middle period left something to be desired, but the team’s showing in the other 40 minutes was solid.

“We’ve been trying to concentrate on being in the right spots defensively and doing the right things with the puck, and I thought we did that in the first period,” Bradley told the Independent. “In the second period, I felt we lacked a bit of compete, but in the third, we showed that when we want to take over a game, we can.”

The Lincolns took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission on the backs of a goal by Chase MacQueen-Spence five-anda-half minutes into the game, which came after a steal by Kyle Morey who set up the Lincolns’ assistant captain all alone in front of the London goal.

MacQueen-Spence received praise from the bench boss for continuing to elevate his performance when it matters most.

“It’s what we’ve come to expect with Chase (MacQueen-Spence), but he really seems to be getting to a different gear for the playoffs. He is playing like a leader and like a guy who is ready to

Owen Voortman rips the puck past Chatham Maroons’ goaltender Brock Lane during the Lincolns’ 8-5 win on March 7. Jaden Lee assisted on the goal, which gave Lee his 48th helper of the season, the most assists in a single season by a Lincolns since the formation of the GOJHL in 2007. The win over the Maroons also tied the all-time franchise record for wins in a season, with the Lincs winning their 42nd game of the year, the same mark hit in the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 seasons.

do what he did last year and step up in the big games.”

The lacklustre second frame by the Lincolns saw Joshua Lepain tie the game at one apiece just a minute and 43 seconds into the period. The game stayed deadlocked until midway through the third when a point shot by Jacob Montesi sailed by Nationals’ netminder Finn Wilson, the fourth of the season by the 19-year-old defenceman.

Chase McDougall pounced on another great setup pass from Morey, one-timing home his third of the campaign to end a 19-game goal drought to put the Lincolns up by a pair of goals. London made it interesting with a goal during

the final minute of regulation to make it 3-2, but an empty net goal by Jaden Lee in the dying moments of the contest sealed the Lincolns’ 4-2 victory.

In goal, Colby Booth-Housego turned in another stellar game, making 31 saves to backstop the Lincolns to the win. With Booth-Housego resting in the Lincs’ final game 48 hours later, the Lincolns’ two goaltenders, BoothHousego and Nico Armellin, finished the year with a goals-against average of 1.77 or lower, and a save percentage of 0.937 or higher.

Bradley acknowledged the game didn’t carry a ton of significance in the long-term view of the season, but was

an opportunity to continue rounding into post-season form.

“In terms of the standings, it’s a bit of a meaningless game for us, so it’s harder than normal to find motivation to be at your best with the playoffs coming up. You’re just trying to get through it and take some kind of positive out of it, which I think we did and now, it’s time to ramp things up.”

An unfortunate blemish on the game came in the second period when Ethan Coups was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for head contact, for which he was subsequently suspended for two games.

Coups will be eligible to step back into the Lincolns’ lineup in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

Lincs win high-scoring season finale against Maroons

The Lincolns returned home for their final tune-up before the playoffs and, despite both St. Marys and the Chatham Maroons having nowhere to move in the standings, it ended up being a fiercely physical battle with both teams combining for 96 penalty minutes.

Despite the theatrics of 13 goals and 28 infractions by both teams, Bradley once again felt there wasn’t much weight to the end result. But, the head coach still saw several highlights.

“A lot like the London game, it’s difficult to really evaluate and put a ton of stock in a game like that given the circumstances of the standings and where we’re at in the season. We had a bit of a piecemeal lineup. It was nice to see Ben (Kraft) get his first win in the league. Ben (Randall) got to play in a bit bigger role. And Jaden (Lee) getting rewarded for his great season with the excitement

(SCOTT STROUD PHOTO)

Lincs equal franchise record for most wins in single season

from the rest of his teammates was great to see.”

The excitement surrounding Lee came after the Lincolns’ leading point-getter recorded his 48th assist of the season on a powerplay goal by Owen Voortman with just a minute and 20 seconds left in the third. Lee’s 48 helpers are the most assists in a single season by a Lincoln since the formation of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) in 2007.

Lee finished the season with 29 goals and 77 points, and his linemates, Luca Spagnolo and Owen Voortman, finished second and third in points on the Lincolns respectively, with Spagnolo ending the season with 35 goals and 66 points, while Voortman registered 27 goals and 57 points.

The Lincs scored the game’s first goal against the Maroons just two minutes and 19 seconds into the game when Ryan Hodkinson put St. Marys up 1-0.

Just over nine-and-a-half minutes later, an offensive eruption began with both teams scoring a combined seven goals in seven minutes and 37 seconds. McDougall scored once again, while Morey, Lincoln Moore and Blake Elzinga also found the back of the net.

Lee and Quinn Gavin-White added goals to the Lincolns’ tally in the second period.

The Maroons have made a pattern of coming to the Pyramid Recreation Centre (PRC) and doing things that previously hadn’t been accomplished against the Lincolns. Back on Oct. 25, when Chatham downed St. Marys 4-3, not only had the Lincolns not yet lost a game, but the Maroons also became the first team to lead the Lincolns by two goals.

This time, despite losing 8-5, the Maroons became the first team to pot more than four goals on the Lincolns this season. Though the team is not used to giving up five goals in a single game, Bradley stayed even-keel when discussing the unfamiliar number of pucks hitting the back of the St. Marys net.

“As an organization, we’ve always prided ourselves on our defensive structure,” said Bradley. “We’re really proud of our goals against. Giving up five was certainly not what we wanted, but when you look at the big picture, it didn’t really hurt us. We still finished the year with under 100 (goals against).”

The Lincolns end the campaign with just 91 goals against in their 50 games and an outstanding goal differential of plus-140. The next-best goal differential was Chatham, which finished the season with plus-95.

Even through the high-scoring final game before the playoffs, one of the Lincs’ blueliners left a very positive impression on the head coach.

“Evan (Roach) was outstanding. I thought it was by far his best game, and it came against a top team in this league, so it really allowed us to see what he has to offer in the playoffs. He was simple, he defended hard and he made really good plays.

“He’s in an environment here with good players and I think the direction he’s received combined with his work ethic has allowed him to show what he can do,” Bradley continued. “He’s a smart kid who loves taking in more information. Mike (Herman) is full of knowledge and he just wants to take it all in.”

Bradley was candid in discussing the one negative weighing on him and the coaching staff as the start of the post-season approaches – who doesn’t suit up for Game 1 of the playoffs.

“We have tough decisions to make. We’ve got 14 good forwards, seven good defencemen and two good goaltenders. But ultimately, we have to make decisions about who will and won’t play in Game 1. A lot of guys have been playing really well so the decisions are even harder, which is better than the alternative because it means you have amazing depth, but sitting guys is definitely the worst part of coaching, especially when you have so many guys playing as well as our guys are.”

What makes the decision-making process even more difficult is that many of the team’s depth forwards who have found themselves rotating in and out of the lineup have all heated up. McDougall ended the season on a four-game point streak. Elzinga recorded at least a point in eight of his last nine games. Noah VandenBrink has goals in four of his last five and played arguably his best game in two years on March 1. Ryan Cornfield had points in eight of his previous 10 going into the game on March 5, which Cornfield had to exit after one shift due to an upper-body injury. And Quinn Gavin-White has put up points in five of his last six.

After the Strathroy Rockets lost 6-3 to the Listowel Cyclones on March 10, the Lincolns will meet the Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins in the opening round of the playoffs. As of press time, the GOJHL hadn’t granted permission for teams to announce their firstround schedule, but the series is likely to begin on March 14.

“It’s time to get to work. Every practice means something. Every meeting is important. We have a lot we want to do to get ready for Game 1. We’ll do a lot of special-teams preparation on Tuesday (March 11) and then we’ll focus on five-on-five on Thursday (March 13). Everything we do means a ton now.”

In the other first-round matchups, the second-placed Chatham Maroons will face the seventh-ranked Elmira Sugar Kings. The third-versus-sixth series will pit the Stratford Warriors, who have home-ice advantage, against the LaSalle Vipers. Lastly, the fourth-seeded Listowel Cyclones will meet the fifth-placed London Nationals.

U18 A Boys advance in playoffs with hard-fought 1-0 win

SPENCER SEYMOUR

Independent Sports Reporter

The St. Marys Cement U18 A Boys St. Marys Rock defeated the South Oxford Storm 1-0 on March 6, securing their spot in the next round of the playoffs.

Head coach Gord Cookson told the Independent the win didn’t just propel the U18 A Boys forward in the post-season, but also gave the team a measure of payback after a bitter-tasting loss to South Oxford in a round-robin playoff game.

“The boys played hard and they got rewarded for it,” said Cookson. “Last time we played (South Oxford), it seemed like we took the game for granted a little bit and we lost 2-0 because of it. A loss like that helps them learn and gives them a feeling in their gut that helps them reinvigorate their drive to win again. I think their performance in this game showed they remembered that feeling and wanted to avenge that loss.”

Colton Henderson scored the first and only goal of the game early, potting the eventual game-winner in the first period.

Cookson credited his squad’s swarming offensive-zone pressure.

quickly. The boys stuck to the gameplan really well and even though it was a onegoal game, I thought we outplayed South Oxford for a lot of the game.”

In goal, the Rock got a stellar performance out of Lucas Binning.

“Lucas (Binning) had a really good game and bailed the boys out a couple of times when we needed a big save,” Cookson said. “He’s a quick, agile goalie and all throughout the year, we’ve been able to rely on him and Trevor (Aarts). We’ve had the luxury of having two really good goalies, and it has allowed the boys in front of them to play better.”

When reflecting on the season up to this point, Cookson explained the team’s trust and familiarity have been the biggest areas of growth.

“The forecheck was really good. South Oxford doesn’t necessarily have the strongest defence, so it was really

important for us to establish that forecheck, be aggressive on it and have the high guy in position to force turnovers

“Some of these guys haven’t played together and many of the ones who have played together before haven’t done so in a while,” said Cookson. “It has been a bit of a process getting the boys to come together and find the chemistry, but they’re very supportive of each other on and off the ice. It’s a good environment to be in, and it’s helped them grow together.”

Lucas Binning makes one of his many saves during his shutout bid on March 6 for the St. Marys Cement U18 A Boys St. Marys Rock. The Rock won the game 1-0 against the South Oxford Storm, clinching their spot in the next round of the playoffs in the process.

(SPENCER SEYMOUR PHOTO)

Marcus Horenberg backhands a shot on target during the Stonetown Electric U9 LL Boys White St. Marys Rock game last Saturday.

Lucy McFarlane releases a shot that finds the back of the net during last Saturday’s Cascades U13 B Girls St. Marys Rock game.

Maeve Wheeler launches a shot from the blueline during last Saturday’s Sam Home Hardware U15 B Girls St. Marys Rock game.

Mila Vanderpol flings a shot on net from between the faceoff circles during last Saturday’s FUN3 St. Marys Snipers game.

Olivia Hendriks makes a save on a net-front chance during the U14 B St. Marys Snipers (Graham) game this past Sunday.

Madi McCutcheon rips the ring by the opposition’s goalie during last Saturday’s U14 B St. Marys Snipers (Habermehl) game.

(SPENCER SEYMOUR PHOTOS)

DCVI grades 7/8 boys finish second in regional tourney

(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Dylan Kittmer shoots a free throw during one of the St. Marys DCVI grades 7/8 boys games at the South Region Tournament held in Stratford on March 4, which helped St. Marys earn a 22-10 win over South Huron. The intermediate boys won four of their five games to earn a strong second-place finish. Kittmer and Will Richardson contributed strong shooting from the free throw line all tournament, including Richardson making a free throw at the end of the game against Stratford to take the 15-14 win. DCVI also picked up a 16-10 victory over Mitchell One and an 8-7 semi-final nail-biting win over Mitchell Two.

Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are Jack Brockman, Bryce Blight, Dylan Kittmer, Jude Schlotzhauer, Nate Hern, and Fin McCutcheon. In the back row, from left, are coach Dandawa Zulu, Jack Wilkinson, Quinn Porter, Will Richardson, Luke Showers, Jake Carpenter, Nathan Luddington, coach Peyton Lobb, and coach Ryan Clark. According to Kristin DeBrabandere, the whole team stood out for their consistent team play, tough defense, passing, and sportsmanship. On the offensive side of the ball, DCVI’s point leaders on the day were Richardson, Showers, and Wolfkamp.

(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Thorndale Lions Club Presents Social Gaming Night & Elimination Draw

Saturday, March 22nd from 8 pm - 1 am at Thorndale Lions Community Centre

Games - Bar - Music - Late Buffet - $20 per ticket

To purchase tickets, go to www.thorndalelionsclub.ca

FRIDAY MARCH 14 2025 FROM 6 PM - 9:30 PM Thorndale United Church | 245 King Street, Thorndale, ON A slice of pie and bottomless coffee/ tea/juice for $5.00 on Pi Day. Local vendors will be there too!

Thames Centre council announces community grants for 2025

At a recent Thames Centre council meeting, community grants totalling more than $40,000 were announced for non-profit organizations and groups in the municipality for special projects that provide a benefit to the community.

“The Municipality’s Community Grant program is designed to empower local groups to deliver on key community initiatives,” said Mayor Sharron McMillan. “I’m also glad council was able to find a way to increase the funds available for community grants at no extra cost to taxpayers.”

Thorndale Optimist Club donates sports equipment to local school

A significant list of various groups and organizations in the Municipality of Thames Centre were awarded funds including the Thorndale Agriculture Society, Thorndale Horticultural Society, Thorndale Lions Club and the West Nissouri Seniors Complex.

“Community grants provide vital

funding to local organizations for projects that make a positive impact on our community,” noted Thames Centre CAO David Barrick. “They allow council to support local, community-led initiatives and ensure that municipal government is engaged with the community that we serve.”

St. George’s Anglican Church Shrove Tuesday tradition continues

St. George’s Anglican Church pancake suppers on Shrove Tuesday are a cherished tradition for over 60 years.

Held the day before Lent starts, these suppers feature pancakes made from rich ingredients topped with sugary maple syrup, which is typically avoided during Lent.

Scott Ivins, one of the grillers of over 700 pancakes with other church members, helped assemble the 177 pancake-and-sausage suppers sold, which were then hand-delivered to the waiting lineup of cars in the church driveway.

The Thorndale Optimist Club gifted the West Nissouri Public School in Thorndale a truckload of sports equipment.

This sports equipment, gathered from other Optimist Clubs at the Midwestern District Optimist meeting on Feb. 8 was the Thorndale’s club special community project. The equipment included a wide range of sport balls from baseballs to volleyballs, along with tennis rackets,

volleyball nets, badminton equipment, pickleball paddles and balls, and floor curling sets, totalling more than 60 items.

At the Midwestern District Optimist meeting last month, the Thorndale Optimists were recognized for their 55 years of continued contribution and service to this community’s youth.

“We are always happy to help and support the youth of our community,” Thorndale Optimist Melanie Sorensen said.

This Shrove Tuesday event held on March 4 connects the church with the community and fosters fellowship as they prepare for the Easter season ahead.

NANCY ABRA Independent Reporter

More than 60 pieces of sports equipment collected from clubs at the Midwestern District Optimist meeting Feb. 8 were recently donated by the Thorndale Optimist Club to West Nissouri Public School in Thorndale.

(MELANIE SORENSEN PHOTO)

Scott Ivins helped grill up more than 700 pancakes at the St. George’s Anglican Church pancake supper March 4.

(REV. QUENTIN LITTLE PHOTO)

NANCY ABRA Independent Reporter

NANCY ABRA Independent Reporter

COLUMNS

UKRAINIAN CORNER: Walking the streets of Poltava

TETIANA DIDKOVSKA Independent Columnist

When traveling across Ukraine, be sure to set aside at least two days to experience the wonderfully green, history-rich city of Poltava. Located along the scenic Vorskla River, Poltava captures the essence of Ukrainian heritage, blending fascinating legends with vibrant, modern culture. From sampling mouthwatering local delicacies and exploring quaint pottery towns to discovering museums dedicated to literary giants, this remarkable destination offers something for every curious traveler.

Archaeological discoveries reveal people have lived in the Poltava region for over 15,000 years. Over the centuries, diverse groups settled here including the Scythians during the fifth and fourth century BC and the Slavic Severian tribes in the eighth and seventh centuries. The city is first mentioned as Ltava in the Ipatiev Chronicle of 1173, which recounts how Prince Igor Svyatoslavovich defeated Polovtsian khans before moving to the Vorskla River.

If you wander through Poltava’s winding streets, you’ll likely start at Cathedral Square, the city’s spiritual and architectural heart. Here, the magnificent Holy Assumption Cathedral rises above the landscape, showcasing intricate domes and magnificent frescoes that echo centuries of faith. A short walk away lies the museum-estate of Ivan Kotlyarevsky, the renowned writer behind the classic Ukrainian poem, “Aeneid.” Touring this estate offers an immersive glimpse into his life.

Be sure to also visit Ivanova Gora, the location of a lighthearted monument to Poltava’s famous dumpling stands erected on April 1, 2006. This whimsical tribute quickly became a city icon, symbolizing the culinary traditions that Poltava cherishes. Locals proudly serve their dumplings, or galushky, with hearty fillings, accompanying them with tales of regional folklore and warm hospitality.

(CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS)

Not far from there, you’ll discover the White Gazebo. Built in 1909 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava, this elegant pavilion sits on the for-

mer site of the Podilsky bastion. Offering sweeping views of the city, the gazebo has become a favourite among couples seeking a romantic vantage point and photographers hoping to capture Poltava’s timeless charm.

The city’s profound influence on European history is best exemplified by the Battle of Poltava, which took place in 1709 near Yakivtsi. This pivotal confrontation of the Great Northern War saw the defeat of the Swedish army by Russian forces, reshaping political dynamics across the continent for decades. Today, the National Reserve “Field of the Battle of Poltava” preserves this legacy, allowing visitors to explore museums and memorials.

Yet Poltava’s allure extends beyond monuments. Its streets hum with the energy of friendly locals who gladly share stories, help and encourage visitors to indulge in the city’s signature treats. Over the centuries, Poltava has produced many distinguished individuals whose achievements resonate in Ukrainian literature, politics, science and the arts. This cultural tapestry fuels a palpable sense of pride among residents and underscores the city’s commitment to preserving its heritage.

Whether you’re drawn by Poltava’s storied history, tranquil panoramas, or authentic cuisine, you’ll find no shortage of reasons to linger. Take time to wander among centuries-old churches, sample dumplings in cozy cafes and chat with artisans in neighboring pottery towns. You might even visit the Gogol Museum-Reserve to learn about one of Ukraine’s greatest literary talents and discover his enduring legacy.

Plan your trip with ample curiosity and you’ll discover Poltava is more than just a provincial capital; it’s a gateway to Ukraine’s soul. Embrace the city’s welcoming spirit, allow its layered history to captivate you and savour every moment of your journey. By the time you depart, you’ll carry with you the warmth of Poltava’s people, a deeper appreciation for its cultural significance and the lingering memory of a delicious dumpling or two.

To be continued …

FROM THE GARDEN: The Language of Flowers

Flowers mean different things to different people. Certain blooms may evoke memories of specific holidays or events. For instance, poinsettias are often associated with Christmas, while gladiolus or lilies might remind some people of funerals. The colors and scents of particular flowers can also trigger memories of special people or activities. For example, lavender reminds me of my dear grandmother and takes me back to my childhood days spent helping her in her English cottage garden.

Florigraphy or the language of flowers is a type of communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. All flowers hold different meanings, often based on the type of flower, the colour or both. Some forms of floriography has been practiced in traditional cultures throughout Europe, Asia and Africa for hundreds of years.

During the early Victoria Era, the language of flowers became increasingly popular. Women carried and exchanged small bouquets of flowers called tussie-mussies. These nosegays were wrapped with a lace doily, tied with a satin ribbon and became a very popular gift of the times. The flowers used in these tussie-mussies allowed them to silently communicate feelings and meanings that the strict propriety of the times would not allow. For instance, strands of ivy signified fidelity and friendship, while gardenias conveyed a secret love and hyacinths said, ‘I am sorry, please forgive me.’ Even to this day, we use flow-

ers to express our feelings or thoughts to someone we care about. When a loved one is ill or just feeling sad, we send or take them a bouquet of brightly coloured flowers to cheer them up. When we are not sure what to say, flowers will speak for us; we are thinking of them. Without a doubt, this should put a smile on their face.

Over time, the act of giving flowers have developed into its own unique language, with every flower assigned its own special meaning. An arrangement of certain types of flowers and their colours can speak volumes. A simple bouquet of red carnations conveys love and fascination to the receiver. Roses also express a declaration of love. That is why they are very popular to send or give on Valentine’s Day. Red roses are the classic way of saying ‘I love you’, while white roses are a symbol of reverence and eternal love and yellow, a symbol of friendship. When you are giving someone a special bouquet you can make

your message more personal without stating the words. Red tulips are an outright ‘declaration of love’. Sweet peas convey the meaning of gratitude, the perfect way to ‘thank you’. White lilies are the popular choice for weddings and funerals as they symbolize ‘rejuvenation of the soul’ and ‘purity’. The language of flowers goes beyond just the vibrant blooms.

You can add some parsley for ‘festivity’, sage for ‘wisdom’, or basil for ‘best wishes’. And my personal favorite, rosemary, is for ‘remembrance’. The popular florist slogan, ‘say it with flowers’, rings true because flowers can convey profound messages.” Source: https://www.almanac.com/flower-meanings-language-flowers

1: The Holy Assumption Cathedral. 2: The museum-estate of poet Ivan Kotlyarevsky. 3: The White Gazebo. 4: The Battle of Poltava

NANCY ABRA Independent Columnist

HISTORIC ST. MARYS:

MARY SMITH Independent Columnist

On Thursday evening, March 20, the St. Marys Museum will host a presentation about the photography partners, Carter & Isaac. This husband-and-wife team operated in the St. Marys area for several years in the early 1900s and their surviving photographs form a remarkable archival collection. This first presentation in 2025 of the Museum’s popular speaker series promises to be an entertaining evening as the lives of these photographers and the content of their pictures is explored.

William Webster Carter and Alberta Mabel Isaac were married in Brantford in January 1902. He was 32 years old, a professional photographer living in Glencoe, and Alberta, age 21, had also been working as a photographer in Brantford, her hometown. They met through their mutual work and decided that they would also make good business partners. In 1903, they came to St. Marys where they established Carter & Isaac, a photography business that specialized in outdoor photography rather than the standard studio work that most small-town photographers offered at that time.

Alberta continued working after she was married as, in fact, many women did, even then. Many merchants’ wives worked full-time in retail and many farmers’ wives were partners with their husbands, looking after poultry and dairy, even helping with field work during the busy seeding and harvesting seasons. But frequently, their contributions were not officially recognized. Census returns recorded them under the column “Profession/Trade” as “homemaker,” “wife,” or even “none!” It is a misconception that teaching or domestic service were the only occupations open to women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Women, both married and single, worked as shop and business owners, clerks, stenographers, dressmakers, tailors, milliners, nurses, bookkeepers, artists, writers, and, as in Alberta Isaac’s case, photographers. What is unusual is that W. W. Carter was willing to recognize his wife’s contribution to their business. Her maiden name, Isaac, was always included in their logo and their advertising.

William Webster Carter was born in 1869 in Windham Township, Norfolk County. His father, William Henry Pentland Carter, was a schoolteacher who also had a small farm. His mother, Mary Esther (Ettie) Webster, born in Cobourg, was the daughter of the Reverend Thomas Webster, a well-known Episcopalian Methodist minister. She died in 1888, age 42, when her son, William, was 19 years old. Although

The importance of Carter & Isaac, photographers

William had worked on the farm when he was growing up, as a young man, he set out on his own. He may have learned photography in Brantford, a larger community just 40 miles from his home, where he and Alberta probably first crossed paths.

Alberta’s father, James Isaac, had been born in Scotland, coming to Canada as a young child with his parents and living first in Wellington County. In 1889, he moved to Brantford where he was employed at a carriage works. Her mother, Rachel Mary Farrow, was also from Wellington County. They had seven children – four daughters, including Alberta, and three sons. When they were old enough, James and Rachel’s children all worked to help support their family. In the 1901 census, Alberta’s older brother worked as a carriage painter and her 19-year-old sister was a milliner. Alberta, age 20, was a photographer.

On January 30, 1902, this notice appeared in the Brantford Expositor: “A pretty wedding took place last week when Miss Alberta Isaac, daughter of James Isaac, 110 Terrace Hill Street, was united in marriage with Mr. W. W. Carter of Glencoe. The young couple will reside in Glencoe.” Although William and Alberta made their first home in Glencoe, the nature of their photography business meant that they had to change locations every few years. Using a town in southern Ontario as a home base, W. W. Carter travelled by horse and buggy with his photography

equipment up and down rural roads, stopping at every farmhouse, inviting families to pose for a portrait of themselves outside their home. He may have been commissioned to visit some places to photograph a special event, like the completion of a new house. But more frequently, he just took the photographs and then returned with proofs, expecting orders for prints. When he had photographed all the farmsteads within driving range of his home, he took the train to a community a few miles away, rented a horse and buggy and worked that area.

Meanwhile, back at home, Alberta was responsible for developing and printing the pictures that William took during each day’s work. She also finished and mounted prints as they were ordered. William worked with glass plate negatives and scratched a control number into the emulsion on the bottom corner of each plate. Alberta transferred this number onto a label on the back of the mounting card so that customers could order additional prints when desired. If he spent several days away from home, photographing in a nearby town, William may have shipped the negatives to Alberta by train so that she could keep up with the developing. The railway offered a very efficient, small-parcel service at that time.

When W. W. Carter felt that he had done all the business he could in the area around Glencoe, he and Alberta moved on, choosing St. Marys as their next base of operation. Assessment

records show the family living on ten acres of rented property on Carroll Street in the west ward. They owned a cow and two horses. Although both the Carter and Isaac families were Methodists, for some reason when

William and Alberta lived in St. Marys, they attended Knox Presbyterian Church where William was Sunday School superintendent for several years. Alberta must have been extremely busy during her time in St. Marys. She and William had the first three of their five children: Harold Webster, was born in February 1904, Lawrence Chester in May 1905, and a daughter, Mary Alberta, in June 1907.

The Carters left St. Marys for Galt in 1908 but while they were here, William took some remarkable photographs of farmsteads in this area. By great good fortune, the St. Marys Museum has more than 100 Carter & Isaac prints in its historic image collection, although only a fraction of the people and places shown have been identified. Still, each photograph tells the viewer something about the various lives of people living in rural Ontario 125 years ago. Some families were still living in log houses while others had prospered and had built two-storey brick houses and large bank barns. The children in some photographs are barefoot; in others, they have been dressed in frilly dresses and suits to look their very best.

W. W. Carter carefully arranged each of his photographs to show the families, their homes, and, sometimes, the barns and outbuildings behind them. In this week’s photograph, from the Museum’s collection, the family may have all been working outside on a warm day when W. W. Carter arrived with his camera. Five broadbrim straw hats have been set on the ground. All the family – even the dog – are carefully holding their pose for the camera. The little girl on the left is barefoot although her older sister on the right is wearing buttoned boots and long stockings. The father and his son have remained in their working clothes. The wood-sided house has a kitchen wing at the back and is shaded by a grove of sumac. Work has been done to keep the home tidy and attractive –there are curtains in the windows and the grass has been trimmed along the fence.

The presentation at the Museum on March 20 will show more examples of these pictures. There are only a few spaces left to attend this event. But anyone interested in Carter & Isaac photographs is welcome to visit the reference room of the Museum and look through binders containing prints of their photographs. For information, email museum@town.stmarys.on.ca or call 519284-3556.

(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Photographer W. W. Carter took the photograph of this unidentified family and their home near St. Marys in the early 1900s. His wife, Alberta Isaac, was responsible for developing and preparing the prints.

OH, THE PLACES WE’LL GO: Bunnies, stallions and a sweet, secret recipe

When I thought about Vienna, Austria, the first things that came to mind were Mozart, waltzing, heavy baroque architecture and a strange obsession with coffee and pastries.

What I didn’t think about were bunnies and horses. Bunnies were the first residents of Austria’s capital city we encountered after disembarking from our river-cruise home away from home, the Viking Var.

There is a berm between the Danube docks and the city streets, and that berm is highly populated with extremely cute, small rabbits. To be honest, I think we smiled more as we strolled the paths along the berm than at any other time in the city – although we did, indeed, enjoy our visit to Vienna.

And horses? You may remember Vienna is home to the Spanish Riding School and its white, Lipizanner stallions. A walking tour through the heart of Vienna included a visit to the stables, but before that, we were delighted when several of the majestic horses with uniformed riders cantered by within an

arm’s length of us on a busy Vienna street.

So, between the bunnies and the stallions, we’d already had a pretty good day before we even started to soak in the majesty, the music and the obsession with cake that is Vienna.

Many visitors come to Vienna just for the music. After all, this city was home to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn, and was also a frequent host to Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss and many more classical composers.

The city’s claim to musical fame is never subtle; as you walk around Vienna, you will inevitably encounter dozens – literally – of Mozart lookalikes, all selling tickets to one of the innumerable concerts performed on a daily basis. Some are great, some perhaps not so much. It’s helpful to get some local guidance on this. If you happen to be on a river cruise, like our great Viking experience, an excellent concert will be one of the special excursions offered to its guests.

A side note: you may not even have to leave the ship. On our cruise, one of the onboard evening features was an excellent performance of classical and operatic music by a talented quartet of local musicians. That became a unique experience when I was recruited to act as the love interest of one of the female singers. I was required to be silent but react appropriately to her declarations of love and eventual abandonment of me. I am not sure I have yet recovered from the emotional trauma.

While great musicians definitely made their mark on Vi-

enna, there is no doubt the city, today, owes almost everything to a European dynasty – the Hapsburgs. The Hapsburgs ruled over a central and eastern European empire for 650 years, from the 13th century to the end of World War I.

A fun fact: Danube expert Isis-Sybille Frisch told us the family carried the aristocratic designation “Von Hapsburg” but was forced to drop it when bearing an aristocratic name was made illegal at the conclusion of World War I. Hapsburg descendants continue to have influence throughout Europe, including in the United Kingdom, where King Charles is a direct descendant.

Frisch underlined the importance of the Hapsburg legacy when she said, “In Vienna, there’s no escaping them!”

That’s especially evident when it comes to the architecture of the city – the imposing baroque buildings come from an era in the Hapsburgs’ history beginning around 1699, when the Hapsburgs defeated the Ottoman empire. Frisch told us the end of that war freed up financial resources, which were immediately put to use creating landmarks like the Hofburg palace in Vienna’s inner city and the sprawling Schönbrunn Palace, enlarged to its present enormity by the famed Empress Maria Theresa in 1750.

The building didn’t stop with baroque; there are remarkable examples of neo-Renaissance and Gothic-Romanesque creations as well – none of them small or delicate. This is a city whose masters intended to make a statement and make it big.

But there is a more relaxed side to Vienna and that brings us back to the coffee and cakes. Vienna’s café society has flourished for more than 300 years.

The cafés serve a selection of coffees that even Starbucks might envy, but the real stars of the show are the pastries – apfelstrudel, Linzer Torte and especially that amazing Viennese culinary creation, Sachertorte, invented by Franz Sacher in 1832.

The Sachertorte recipe is still a carefully guarded secret. If you search for the recipe online, the official Sacher website will only supply an “approximate recipe,” which includes chocolate, vanilla, eggs, butter, sug-

ar and apricot jam. You might produce something approximating Sachertorte, but it won’t be the real thing – Franz Sacher’s heirs make sure of that.

For the real deal, you’ll just have to go to Vienna and relax in a café where locals read newspapers, sip coffee and perhaps enjoy a string quartet before heading out to walk the imposing streets of one of Europe’s architectural masterpieces.

Paul Knowles is an author and travel writer, and President of the Travel Media Association of Canada. To contact Paul about travel, his books, or speaking engagements, email pknowles@golden.net.

PAUL KNOWLES Independent Columnist

An impromptu encounter with Lipizanner stallions as they cantered down busy Vienna streets.

(PHOTOS BY PAUL KNOWLES)

Viennese architecture was clearly designed to be imposing, and it is.

The Hofburg Palace in the city centre.

Fighting Trump’s tariffs in St. Marys

BRUCE ANDREWS Independent Columnist

As expected, Donald Trump’s tariffs are causing confusion and chaos in Canada. His policies are erasing alliances and deifying despots. Canadians are feeling angry, betrayed and, as one journalist said, “We are experiencing the end of a relationship with a toxic boyfriend.”

This change in international relationships will create economic pain that will last for years. Many Canadians will soon be out of jobs or impoverished by inflation and the rising cost of living. You are aware of the national and provincial responses to this Trumpian “Beggar Thy Neighbour” tariff strategy.

Here in St. Marys, how can we help? Very soon, some of our friends and neighbours will need our help. They will need food banks and fresh clothes they cannot afford.

First, we will need to take stock. Those of us who have good, bulletproof jobs and those who are retired or have a good nest egg need to thank God for our situations. We live abundant lives. Rev. Derek Prince, the famous theologian and pastor, defined abundance as “having enough for ourselves and some left over to share with others.” We have no excuse not to share. Let us support our friends and neighbours who are down on their luck.

We could extend no-interest loans to them. We could support the local food banks with donations to The Local Community Food Centre for the Nourish Market, to the Salvation Army for the weekly food bags they prepare and to our local library that maintains their Pantry for those in need. Each of these organizations is registered to give tax receipts for your kindness. We can support

and donate to the businesses, clubs and agencies that provide nutritious meals biweekly at the United Church’s Community Dinners. There is no restriction and there should be no stigma in utilizing these services. All are welcome.

We could go through our closets and cull the clothes that we no longer need. They should be donated to the Salvation Army Store and the Community Closet at the Anglican Church.

We could donate to the local churches so they would have more money in their benevolent funds to respond to the increased requests that will undoubtedly come from those in need.

Anyone age 60 and over could start shopping at the local Independent grocery store on Tuesday’s Senior Days where you can save 10 per cent on almost everything. Keep track of the receipts and you will find your savings will amount to hundreds of dollars over the year. Then you can donate the savings to the charity of your choice and receive tax relief.

We could go through our

Straight from the Shelves

LAURA MCASH

St. Marys Public Library

Back by very popular demand, David Chapman returns to the St. Marys Public Library on Saturday, March 29 at 11 a.m. to present the follow-up to his previous presentation. In “Exploring Birds of Ontario 2”, Chapman will showcase different photos and videos of previously discussed species as well as content relating to warblers, winter finches, and herons. This humorous and insightful presentation will also cover the nesting process of owls and feature a particu -

lar, popular songbird that most people have had the pleasure to observe in their own backyards. A fun presentation for all ages, “Exploring Birds of Ontario 2” is free to attend. We advise pre-registration as seating is limited. Save your spot here: https://www.townofstmarys. com/library/davidchapman/ This Week’s Recommendation

Many people associate internment camps with the Japanese Canadians imprisoned there during the Second World War. While this unjust detainment was indeed used at this time, interment camps were also prevalent

RED PLAID PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

Mudmen in Concert

Friday April 4 2025

St. Marys Town Hall

Tickets $25 advance $28 @ door

Doors @ 7:30 pm • Show @ 8:00 pm

Tickets available at The St. Marys Rec Centre 519 284-2160, www.ticketscene.ca & the door

This is a LLBO all-ages Mudmen Inc event

bookshelves and donate unneeded books to the local library to increase their inventory of cost-free books or, at the very least, to provide extra material for their semi-annual sale of low-cost surplus books for those who can’t buy new reading material.

We could create an inventory of our tools and useful devices so a central agency can catalogue them and make them available to people who wish to borrow them. Money would be saved and it could foster community.

It is no shame to be poor or to suddenly be forced into poverty. The sin and shame are ours when we recognize our neighbour’s need and fail to make a critical difference.

We are in a battle, perhaps the biggest challenge for Canada since World War Two. Remember though, this battle is the Lord’s. Let us seek His guidance on how to proceed. We know that we are loved.

The following is a 250-yearold prophecy of hope regarding Canada’s destiny that you will find on the internet and from

during the First World War with a purpose to house newcomers deemed “enemy aliens”. Glen Huser’s “Firebird” follows a Ukrainian teenager who seeks to free his older brother from one of these camps in an eye-opening fictional look at this dark time in history. Rise from the ashes with Alex in “Firebird”, available on Libby as an eBook and an eAudiobook.

Up This Week

Fri., Mar. 14: Friday Fun Day (drop-in, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Sat., Mar. 15: Family Trivia (10:30 a.m.)

LENTEN DEVOTIONS AND DESSERTS

HELD ON MARCH 12, 19, 26, APRIL 2ND AND 9TH

Wednesday Evenings at 7 PM

Location: St. Marys United Church Theme: Living in Exile Today

Freewill offering

Devotions and singing followed by Dessert Proceeds from the offering are being sent to UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) For more information please contact Gail Kavelman gkavelman@gmail.com or 519 709 0282 No registration

“The Light and Glory” by Peter Marshall:

“Around 1776 this prophecy was given by the Puritan Reformers, when the British Empire Loyalists turned north to settle in Canada in order to remain under British rule. When zealous Americans sought to persecute them because of this decision, The Spirit of The Lord spoke through their prophets saying, ‘Do not hinder these people. Let them move to Canada. Do not seek to incorporate the land of Canada into America. I am in the independence of America from Britain and will use this country. But Canada has been reserved by Me for the Last Days for a special work.’ ” Don’t let anyone steal your inner peace. Canada is still sovereign and wonderfully more important, God knows Canada, God loves Canada and Canada has been set aside for God’s purposes.

Bruce Andrews is a retired optometrist and current member of the Worship and Membership Committee of St. Marys United Church

Mon., Mar. 17: Learn to Play…Euchre!* (10:30 a.m.)

Tues., Mar. 18: Make and Take: Spring Wreath* (7-9 p.m.)

Wed., Mar. 19: EarlyON Play and Read (9:30-10:30 a.m.), Mahjong! (1-4 p.m.), Scrabble (6-8 p.m.), Books & Brews*~ (7 p.m.)

Thurs., Mar. 20: Open 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

*Registration Required ~Held at Broken Rail Brewery (480 Glass St., St. Marys)

Community Liaison Committee

The next Community Liaison Committee Meeting will be held on Friday March 14 at 10am at the St Marys Municipal Operations Center. Members of the public who wish to observe are welcome to attend.

Residents who wish to speak in front of the Committee may submit a detailed request in writing at least 3 days prior to the meeting in writing to the Committee. The request will be considered by the Committee and approved prior to the meeting.

Please submit all requests, questions, and concerns for the meeting to kara.terpstra@vcimentos.com by March 12th, 2024.

Riddles

What do you call a fake Irish stone? A sham-rock

Why do leprechauns enjoy recycling? Because they like to go green

What happens when you do an Irish dance at McDonald’s?

You become a Shamrock Shake

Why do most people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day?

Because you can’t wear real rocks…they are too heavy

Why is St. Patrick’s Day a frog’s favorite holiday? Because they wear green all the time

Where will you always find gold? In the dictionary

What does Ireland have more of than anywhere else? Irish people

Why do you never want to iron a four-leaf-clover? Because you don’t want to press your luck

What is Irish and sits on the back porch? Paddy O’Furniture

What kind of coin did the leprechaun put in the vending machine? A lepre-coin!

Riddle Kid

- Word Search -

SPONSORED BY:

Adult Learning Programs of Perth, 26 Wellington St. S. St. Marys | Phone: 519-284-4408 | Cell: 226-374-8231 alearning@town.stmarys.on.ca | www.adultlearningperth.ca | Facebook: @AdultLearningProgramsofPerth

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

St. Marys Veterinary Clinic is pleased to be the sponsor of the

PET OF THE WEEK

MARCH IS PET POISON AWARENESS MONTH. Veterinarians are urging pet owners to become aware of the pet poisons that are circulating around the house and yard. According to the Pet Poison Helpline, the most common calls about poisons pets have ingested include the following for dogs: Chocolate, Mouse and Rat Poisons, Anti-inflammatory Medications, Xylitol, Grapes and Raisins, Antidepressant Medications, Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol), Vitamin D Overdose, Stimulant Medications, Fertilizers.

If you feel that your pet has eaten something poisonous, please contact your veterinarian or a pet poison helpline immediately.

WINNIE

Our pet of the week is Winnie. She is a 10-year-old purebred golden retriever that loves playing with kids. She could play for hours with a ball and some snow. Winnie is owned by Laurie and Mark O’Keefe of St. Marys.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Planned destruction of six pillars adjoining West Quarry

In reading your article, “St. Marys council backs committee recommendation to remove concrete structures as part of west quarry revitalization,” I agree that broken fences are hazards and that piles of broken concrete, iron rods and cables constitute industrial waste. Even though I appreciate the extent to which Mayor Al over the years has supported both our built and natural environment, I disagree with his calling the six concrete pillars standing on the west side of the west quarry “garbage.”

In the 1980s when I joined Heritage St. Marys (then LACAC), it was the view of many that the term “heritage” centred on Victorian mansions and pretty stone cottages. Soon after, however, its definition changed to include older industrial buildings and remains and what they can tell us about the pioneer industries which formed us.

During the 30 years I have given walking tours throughout St. Mary, many

Dear Editor,

Regarding the derelict stone structures at west quarry.

“Junk, garbage ...” Unfortunate quotes by our Mayor Al on these icons of our cement manufacturing history from over 100 years ago. I encourage citizens to speak up to the mayor on what seems to be his duplicitous approach.

For example, “junk” might have been my description of our so-called heritage home (described as that from town correspondence) here on Robinson which the town pushed and pushed to “encourage a restoration.” A massive financial, time and emotional effort was spent over

have been down the Riverway Walkway. There, one of the highlights was the six pillars standing at the northwest corner of the west quarry. In order to answer continually recurring questions about them, in 2002, Heritage St. Marys researched, wrote and installed a text on a bronze plaque nearby. It says:

“By the beginning of the 20th century, this quiet recreational area was a noisy, dusty centre of industry. The quarries rang with the pounding of heavy hammers as quarrymen drove wedges into shelves of rock loosening layers of limestone to extract blocks of building stone. Machinery crushed lower-grade stone for such purposes as roadbed construction. A tunnel under Water Street joined the two quarries and narrow-gauge tracks carried carts of stone to the crushing machinery on the west bank. Pumps ran constantly to keep the quarries dry enough to work.

“The ruins along the west side of the

16 months to complete the job.

The “junk” issue at the old quarry seems more important and less expensive (proper fence) to fix than a town restoration of the icons, and far, far less than my private-home restoration.

Worse, the town continues to be addicted to the opinion of BM Ross engineering firm, which has a horrible history with heritage in St. Marys. First generation of Ross recommended the removal of both Church Street and Queen Street bridges which became a dog fight to preserve.

Second generation Ross, in a study on heavy truck traffic for the town, found

quarry including the six tall concrete pillars are all that remain of the structures that housed this machinery and supported bins of crushed stone. When a spur of the Canadian Pacific Railway came to St. Marys in 1908, its track ran between the quarry and the Thames River. The crushed stone was top loaded from the bins into CPR cars for shipping to construction projects across Ontario.

“The quarries were closed by 1930, the pumps and machinery removed and the quarries allowed to fill with water. Today, the east quarry is a popular fresh-water swimming pool. When the CPR abandoned the rail line in 1988, the town acquired the railway right-of-way and converted it to the Riverview Walkway in 1992.

“Placed by Heritage St. Marys (LACAC) in 2002.”

These six pillars, then, stand as a silent reminder of both our quarrying and railroad history – both of which put St.

Marys on the map. They also remind us of the (often nameless) stonecutters, quarrymen and masons whose backbreaking, dangerous, poorly paid labour produced all those buildings which has given us the name, “Stonetown.”

These pillars have been called “Our own Stonehenge,” itself a ruin and a reminder of another ancient activity. I know that I’m not alone in admiring their mystery and beauty. In 2017, the Station Gallery produced a book entitled STONE, which contains photographs and poetry from the Poetry Circle and Photography Club of St. Marys. The cover has a fine photograph of the standing pillars; it is accompanied by Paul Steven’s poem entitled “Keepers of the Past.”

I hope that these six standing pillars can be restored so they will outlive us all.

Larry Pfaff, St. Marys

no damage which contradicts any scientific study on the wear and tear from the issue. Now, Ross’ garbage-junk opinion is parroted by the mayor.

Is this a derelict-structure problem or a town-fence problem?

Cutting the fence? A WiFi security camera is a better solution.

Fencing is a town problem.

Background history on town logic I wondered where the town’s strategic-committee recommendations were when a small group of citizens reduced the heavy truck traffic by thousands of truckloads per month ... with almost zero help from the town. The town encour-

aged the false-facts groups who imagined the loss of delivery service in town.

I love their quotes:

“St. Marys will be a ghost town.”

“How will the downtown get deliveries?”

Just junk opinions; all false.

Fact: Heavy truck traffic was about shortcutting through town period and had nothing to do with delivery services, but the town let this stinking thinking thrive.

Lorne Eedy, St. Marys Past chair, Heritage St. Marys Past chair, Opera House Foundation

I was concerned to read in last week’s Independent that “St. Marys council backs committee recommendation to remove concrete structures as part of west quarry revitalization.”

These six concrete pillars are very visible reminders of the industrial history of St. Marys. We all appreciate our town’s wealth of residential, commercial and church buildings, but unlike Stratford and other places in Ontario, we have lost almost all of the early industrial sites that were responsible for so much of St. Marys’ growth and prosperity. Only the building known as the Creamery and a few other structures, if you include the old railway viaducts, remain.

We love our two wonderful quarries, but we forget that they are not just scenic and recreational assets. Before they filled up with water, they were working quarries — sites of a busy industry that helped give Stonetown its name. As recognized by the town’s excellent interpretive plaque on the quarries, the surviving concrete structures beside the west quarry testify palpably to this early history. Before action is taken to destroy these rare remnants, the Stratford/Perth County Branch of Architectural Conservancy Ontario urges the town to fully do its homework. The heritage value of the pil-

lars and associated ruins should be fully evaluated and understood. Their condition needs more assessment than a “visual review.”

A professional assessment should also be done of the impact of the plans for the west-quarry revitalization on the remnants, including the identification of potential mitigation options. While restoration of the pillars may or may not be feasible, it may be possible to undertake limited repairs to stabilize the structures and screen the site, which has a relatively small footprint, from close public access. Creative solutions should be examined, drawing on the many examples

from other places in preserving remnant structures. In Stratford, an old brick chimney is the centrepiece of the Shakespearean Gardens; and plans for redevelopment of the former Krug Furniture factory also call for the retention of the prominent chimney. Near Paris, the old stone piers in the Grand River evoke a long-vanished railway viaduct.

The west quarry is a historic landscape with many elements — the whole is more than the sum of the parts and all the parts deserve careful attention.

Dan Schneider, St. Marys President, ACO Stratford/Perth County

OBITUARY

Aitcheson

Kenneth George Aitcheson, age 85, of Stratford passed away peacefully with family by his side on March 5, 2025. Born in St. Marys, February 22, 1940, son of the late W. Roy and Helen (Laing) Aitcheson.

Beloved and truly patient husband for 57 years of Jean (Allen). Loving father and grandpa of Evan and Christine (Hughes) and their daughters Sophia and Sayde, Brian and Marloes (Nyenhuis) and their sons Nathan, Reid and Declan. Brother to D. Roy (Pat), Anne Gotts, and Terry. Brother-in-law to George Galbraith (Erika), Nora Fulcher (Dan), Joan Morrison (Jim). Lovingly remembered by many nieces, nephews, cousins and their families.

Predeceased by daughter Erin Nadine in infancy, brother Robert and Sheila, sister-in-law Gwen Galbraith, brothers-in-law Ron Butson, and Murray Macpherson, Jean’s parents Lyall and Beulah (Hyndman) Allen.

Ken was the fourth generation working the land on the Aitcheson Homestead Farm since 1883 (William, Robert “Little Bob”, W. Roy). Brian proudly farms it now. Ken was active in 4-H and Junior Farmers as President, and member of multiple provincial square dance champion sets. Ken added his beautiful bass voice to Church and German Teutonia choirs. Ken served as Secretary for the Perth County Pork Producers for many years and on all committees of Avonton Church. Ken supported those near and dear to him with his gentle ways, encouraging words, and contagious smile. In 2020, Ken received the Paul Harris Fellowship award from the Rotary Foundation in recognition of substantial and exemplary community service in support of Rotary ideals, he additionally accompanied Jean on humanitarian missions to Central America. Ken’s kind and gentle spirit will be missed by his community of neighbours, close friends, church congregation, Friendship Force, his Corcoran Street coffee klatch, and many others with whom he connected over his 85 years.

Visitation for friends and family will be held at the W.G. Young Funeral Home, 430 Huron Street, Stratford on Friday, March 14, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. A celebration of Ken’s life will take place at Avonton Presbyterian Church, 3401 Road 130, Perth South on Saturday, March 15, at 2 p.m, with a reception to follow. Memorial donations in Ken’s memory may be made to Stratford Perth Community Foundation – Jean Aitcheson Nursing Scholarship Fund or to the charity of one’s choice. www.wgyoungfuneralhome.com

OBITUARY Ott

Irene Ott passed away peacefully at the Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth on February 27, 2025, a few days from her 77th birthday.

Beloved wife of Peter Ott, married on August 18, 1967. Loving mother and grandmother of Peter and his wife Cindy and their son Benjamin (fiancé Hannah); Steve and his wife Karen and their children Noah, Maxwell (Jacoby), and Sam; Tanya Ott and her husband Kevin Miller and their children James, Eden and Hadley; Tracy Whiston (deceased, 2010) and her husband Paul and their children Saskia (Lachlan), Alexandria, and Blake. Irene was a cherished great-grandmother to Haven Belle. Dear sister of Hinke Quartel (Jack), Greta Amsinga, Cecil Bruinsma, Fred Bruinsma (Marilyn), Charlie Bruinsma (friend Donna) and Sid Bruinsma (Mona). Also remembered by brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Margie Ridder, Mary Van Dorp, Bill and Atie Ott, Hans Vanderveen, Jane and Henry Rietvelt, Cathy Huisinga, and Shirley Ott. Predeceased by brother Ted Bruinsma (Jane), brothers-in-law Henry Amsinga, Evert Ridder, Tony Van Dorp, James Ott, Henry Huisinga and sisters-inlaw Diane Bruinsma, Linda Bruinsma, Helen Bruinsma, and Ann Vanderveen.

Irene was loved by all who knew her. She was a trusted support to anyone in need and valued compassion, friendship and family. She was an excellent hostess and loved to entertain. She was passionate about her relationship with Christ and lived every moment following His principles. Irene was gifted musically and enjoyed playing piano and organ in church, directing choirs and musical dramas - especially playing with her band “Joyful Noise”. She was an avid gardener, cook and quilter. Cremation has taken place.

A Memorial Service will be conducted at BETHAL PENTECOSTAL CHURCH, 2988 Ontario St, Stratford, on March 15, 2025 at 11:00am with a luncheon afterwards. Memorial donations may be made to the London Health Sciences Foundation for Leukemia Research or the Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth. Arrangements with the Andrew L. Hodges Funeral Home, St. Marys (519-284-2820) with online tributes at www. hodgesfuneralhome.ca

Donna L. Hinz

THANK YOU Johnson

The family of Judy Johnson would like to express our deepest appreciation for everyone’s sympathy as we mourn Judy’s loss. The shared memories from all of you, at her funeral, along with the flowers, donations, cards, phone calls, gifts of food, and words of condolence meant a great deal to us all.

We would especially like to thank Andrew Hodges Funeral Home for their professional and caring arrangements and Rev. Dr. Pirie Mitchell for performing a beautiful service to honor Judy’s life. Thank you also to Lyrics Flowers, and The United Church for providing a very delicious lunch following the service. For all of you who played a special part that day, it will always be remembered.

Special thank you to Stratford Rotary Hospice, your care for Judy in her final days was exceptional, and the thoughtfulness, and compassion shown to all of us will never be forgotten. Thank you to The Bain Cancer Care Clinic, London, St. Marys Memorial Hospital, & The Happy Valley Healthcare Team for the great care given to Judy. A special thank you to Care Partners for your support during this journey.

To everyone who reached out to us during our time of mourning, we are grateful for your continued support and love during our time of need.

Judy will be missed dearly by us all.

“Quiet and blue, like the sky, I’m hung over you”. Bob, Kerri & Marvin, Chris & Lori, & family

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Don’t waste taxpayer money on restoring west quarry pillars

Editor’s note: This letter has been edited for clarity and brevity. What is printed here is an excerpt of Dave Winchester’s original letter pertaining to St. Marys council’s recent decision to have the concrete pillars in the west quarry removed.

Dear Editor,

I agree with council that the six concrete pillars are of little historical value and should be removed along with other concrete rubble along the west side of the west quarry.

Let’s just push the pillars and rubble into the quarry, making more structure for the fish and salvage whatever metal you can and send it to the scrap yard. This should cost a whole lot less than $68,000. What did they pay B. M. Ross & Associates for the estimate? Repair the fence to keep people out of any unsafe area, post “No Trespassing” signs with a minimum $1,000 fine for tampering with the fence or entering the restricted zone.

As far as the concrete rubble posing a pollution problem; this rubble I imagine would amount to less than one-tenth of one per cent of this quarry and is virtually inert. They crush old concrete to use as fill or aggregate and new concrete! I wonder what else is at the bottom in the way of abandoned equipment when they stopped the mining operation. Perhaps ask divers that have been down there. Not too far from the quarry and at much higher elevation is a landfill site. I hope they lined it with enough clay in the proper configuration to contain all the leachate so it could not escape and find

its way down to the underground source of water called the Detroit Aquifer!

The big question is, what is town council really planning in regards to the quarry. They should publish a point-by-point statement of exactly what they propose with the exact cost breakdown. They should have to show three quotes on all construction and projects proposed by the town, start to finish without overlooking anything, and then have a townwide vote by the taxpayer to decide on the project. Remember that this is not a dictatorship and that they work for us, the taxpayers.

With the proposed tariffs looming by that jackass south of the border, we could all be on the verge of a recession with even greater inflation or worse, a worldwide depression with major military conflicts. Don’t spend money that doesn’t help the average taxpayer. Set the example here in small town St. Marys; don’t follow the lemmings in Toronto (multi billion-dollar tunnel) and Ottawa (multi billion-dollar high speed rail) to the brink of economic disaster with their proposed reckless spending. What about the people who live on the streets or with no doctors? Maybe to soothe their conscience, they will vote themselves a big raise with an even better pension!

Regards,

Dave Winchester, St. Marys

LOOKING BACK Beer and gas tax

25 years ago (2000)

By Amy Cubberley

The 6th annual St. Marys Home Show will be held March 18-19 at the St. Marys Community Centre. Don’t miss this special event, sponsored by the St. Marys Builders and Trades Association.

Police are still investigating an incident early Sunday morning when vandals stole a trampoline from a Meighen Court backyard, carried it to the high school property, and set it ablaze. The $500 trampoline was destroyed.

Maggie Sproat, Laura Layland, and Thierry Middleton, all of St. Marys, swim competitively for the SKYAC aquatic club in Stratford. To compete, all three travel four times a week to the Stratford YMCA pool and swim six hours a week. All three swimmers have set goals of qualifying for the Provincial, National, and Commonwealth, or even one day the Olympics.

50 years ago (1975)

The St. Marys Meals on Wheels is hoping to be delivering meals by mid-April. The meals are to be prepared at the hospital and delivered to shut-ins, many of whom have already been interviewed.

John Calcutt, Bunny Bundle Canoe Race promoter, has set the race date for Sunday, April 6. This will be the 8th annual canoe run from St. Marys to Fanshawe Park, a 22.7-mile distance.

Ten dozen eggs were consumed by 30 hungry St. Marys Lincolns, their coach, and club members on Sunday morning. The Lincolns were given a copious breakfast thanks to the Men’s Club of St. James Church.

75 years ago (1950)

Two modern conveniences vanished from the Gordon Hutton home at Uniondale during the ice storm and have not reappeared since. Not only did the ice dismantle the rural phone service, but it was too much for the television aerial which has not yet been put back on.

The youngsters have not changed very much. Everyone was quite thrilled on Monday when the Public School Kindergarten class was taken to the C.N.R. station to see the morning train come in.

One local gasoline truck found itself in an unenviable position one day this week. It was almost another case of “water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink”. The gas truck ran out of gas.

100 years ago (1925)

Gordon McCarthy of Stratford has opened up a bicycle shop in the Crozier block, where Brown’s flour and feed store was formerly situated. He will be open for business on Monday and each evening afterwards. Mr. McCarthy is a brother of W.E. McCarthy, bicycle and motorcycle agent of Stratford and has been connected with the trade since 1913.

Night Constable Elliott is being shadowed these days, right on main street by one of the most blood thirsty looking creatures that this old town ever saw. But gentle reader to not be alarmed, the limb of the law is not in danger, the skulking follower of the “Night Cop” is just his pet Russian wolf-hound which he acquired to keep him company on his long night shifts.

Between the 4.4 cent beer and the new 3 cent gas tax, the Ferguson Government has caused an exciting time.

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Wanted

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Wanted to buy

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Wanted

I will pay cash for antiques and collectibles. Coca Cola, Pepsi or any pop company. Brewery items - Kuntz, Huether Labatts, etc. Old radios and gramophones, wristwatches, pocket watches, old fruit jars - Beaver Star, Bee Hive etc. Any old oil cans and signs - Red Indian, Supertest etc. Any small furniture. If you are moving or cleaning out stuff please contact me519-570-6920.

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For Sale

Hundreds of shade trees, fruit trees, apples, pears, peaches, plums, sweet and sour cherries, apricots, nectarines, blueberries, haskapp grapes, raspberries, elderberries etc. Lots of spruce, pine, cedars for windbreak and privacy hedges. Sizes 1-8 ft. in containers ready to go. Flowering shrubs and much more. Mon-Sat 7:00am to 6:00pm. Martin's Nursery, 42661 Orangehill Rd Wroxeter, ON N0G 2X0 (1 Conc. North of Wroexter on Belmore Line)

Local Lawn Cutting

Prefer larger lawns. Insured, reliable service, fair prices. Call 519-933-8636

Sun. March 09 - Brian Leyser, Embro $50.00 Mon. March 10 - Marrianne Coddington, St. Marys $50.00

Tues. March 11 - Dan Klinard, Pain Court $50.00 Wed. March 12 - Doug & Jessie Scheuermann, St. Pauls $50.00

Thur. March 13 - Phil Roth, Allenford $50.00 Fri. March 14 - Anne Van Niekerk, New Hamburg $50.00 Sat. March 15 - Genevieve DeWys, Kingston $200.00

CORRECTION:

An error was published on page 23 of the Feb. 27 edition of the St. Marys Independent. For the photos published with the story, “Thorndale Lions host Effective Speaking competition,” credit was given to Nancy Abra when, in fact, the photos were taken by Norm Jary of Thorndale. We regret any confusion this may have caused and extend our thanks to Norm for capturing those photos for the newspaper.

THE WEEK AHEAD

- St. Marys Lincolns playoff game #1 vs the KW Siskins at the PRC –7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 15

- McCully’s Maple Festival & pancake brunch – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

- Soulstice collective market at St. Marys Golf Club –

- Royal Canadian Legion meat draw – 5 p.m.

Sunday, March 16

to

- McCully’s Maple Festival & pancake brunch – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Monday, March 17

- Friends of the St. Marys Museum annual general meeting at the Museum – 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 18

- Royal Canadian Legion Buddy Check coffee at the Legion – 10 am to Noon

Wednesday, March 19

- Lenton devotions and desserts at St. Marys United Church – 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 20

- St. Marys Museum speaker series on photography team Carter and Isaac – 7 p.m.