Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario and The Food Bank of Waterloo Region are launching a new partnership to provide high-quality protein to families experiencing food insecurity in Waterloo Region, where one in nine households access food assistance.
The first shipment of more than 1,000 cans of chicken left the distribution centre at MCC Hub, 65 Heritage Dr., New Hamburg, on Monday, March 9, and travelled to The Food Bank of Waterloo Region to be distributed to local organizations through the Community Food Assistance Network.
When flooding affects New Hamburg or other parts of Wilmot Township, several local and regional organizations coordinate the response to keep residents safe and informed.
The Nith River was up to its old tricks again over the weekend and into this
week, something that keeps several township departments hopping.
Acting Wilmot Fire Chief Andrew Mechalko said his staff acts as boots on the ground during flooding events, including his volunteer firefighters.
“We keep a pulse on the community, and I’d say it’s a bonus to have eyes throughout the community. One of our firefighters saw somebody canoeing,
so we went and tried to communicate with those people to tell them they really shouldn’t be doing that in dangerous waters.”
The people in the canoe were able to get out of the river safely, but Mechalko said “disaster tourism” can be an issue during floods, including on the recently redone boardwalk behind the fire station.
The Community Food Assistance Network consists of 61 organizations and more than 120 food assistance programs, including large entities like House of Friendship and smaller churches and community groups, all of which will benefit from the newly established connection.
These agencies offer various food assistance programs such as emergency meal programs, community food cupboards and food hampers throughout Waterloo Region.
Jaime Bickerton, director of agency and
LEE GRIFFI Gazette Reporter
AMANDA NELSON
Wilmot Township staff asking people to put safety first
“We’ve started to attract a lot of people who want to come and look at the flooding, and people were right on the edge of the armour stone, which is quite concerning to us. Even though it might not look like the water is going that fast, the dangers involved are there.”
He added the force of water is extremely dangerous and people weren’t standing far enough away from the Nith.
“We put up a bunch of caution tape to keep them further away in the parking lot area instead of the armour stone which is inches away from the floodwater. That was another role the fire department had.”
In another surprising incident of poor judgment, Mechalko said two people were spotted fishing on the edge of the river.
“They went under our caution tape on the edge of the armour stone. Some people just don’t respect the power of the water.”
He added other township staff spring into action when these types of emergencies occur.
“Whenever the water goes over any of our roadways, the road department will close them. When it starts to affect any parking lots or parks, our parks department will put up barricades and close the parks.”
A communications protocol exists when a flood hits the town, something Nicole Schnurr, the fire department’s public education officer, is in charge of implementing.
“I am the person the GRCA (Grand River Conservation Authority) contacts to give updates on what’s going on. I receive emails from them that I fan out to township staff,” said Schnurr.
There are different zones in the township, and the flooding reached Zone 1 on
Saturday and Zone 2 on Sunday morning.
“I activated Alert Waterloo to notify residents of the situation,” Schnurr said.
Alert Waterloo Region is the regional emergency notification system used across the region, including in Wilmot Township. It sends warnings to residents when there is a serious local emergency such as flooding, severe weather, chemical spills, or major power outages.
Schnurr also works closely with Wilmot’s communication staff, who alert residents through social media and news releases to area journalists.
Once the water level returns to normal, two other departments jump into action to deal with the mess left behind.
“Crews have been removing trees and debris from streets using a backhoe and road sweepers. Holland Mills Road (just outside of New Hamburg) will remain closed until the road base is repaired, as heavy water flow washed away part of one lane,” said public works manager David Kleine.
“An excavator will be used to clean up and backfill road base materials in the washed-away section. New asphalt will be placed on that section of the road in the spring,” he added.
Even though local parks technically do not open until May 1, cleanup is already underway in high-traffic areas like the Nith River Promenade and the Kirkpatrick Park parking lot.
Cleanup efforts in other parks and trails will take place when weather conditions are optimal, and grounds can be entered safely or without risk of damage,” said Cody Eby, manager of parks and facilities
for Wilmot.
Heavy rainfall was expected on Wednesday afternoon for the Gazette’s
readership area and the threat of higher water levels may return.
Optimist Club of Petersburg donates to Baden school playground project
any Tavistock Men’s
Baden Public School received a $5,000 donation from the Optimist Club of Petersburg to support the school’s playground fundraising campaign. Pictured from left are Jacob Bretz, chair of the Baden Public School council and Optimist Club member, principal Jeff Brown and Optimist Club members Warren Bechthold (president), John Gutscher, Mike Taylor and Steve Malleck.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
MCC Cannery supports local food banks
partner network relations with The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, says protein –particularly canned chicken – is a highly requested item from local agencies and families.
“Protein is one of the most requested items from participants, individuals and families who are accessing food assistance, and something that is often difficult to source consistently,” she said.
Canned chicken is highly nutritious, easy to store and beneficial for those without access to refrigeration or freezer space. Each can costs approximately $7 to produce, and the facility can produce about 1,000 cans each day using 1,500 pounds of meat. The meat is sourced from a federal processor in Toronto, ensuring it is Canadian and federally inspected.
Though MCC Ontario has been canning meat for 80 years, the system used since the First World War was flawed. Before last year, MCC New Hamburg relied on a mobile cannery that came to a halt due to border restrictions during COVID-19.
Last January, MCC New Hamburg opened the doors of its newly built, inhouse cannery and began producing canned chicken by October. Now, the
facility produces more than 28,000 cans of nutritious, shelf-stable chicken annually, and the entire operation is run by volunteers.
The warehouse in New Hamburg is the only stationary cannery for MCC in Canada and also supports local economies by prioritizing in-country purchasing.
Until now, the canned chicken has been shipped internationally to community organizations, schools and communities in need in countries such as Malawi and Chad, as well as the Sahel region of the Sahara Desert.
Jon Lebold, MCC New Hamburg material resource coordinator, says he’s excited to now be able to provide local support by offering nutritious canned protein to families in the region.
"We are typically doing a majority of international relief, but we also know that there are needs locally, so we're so excited that we're able to take on this project at the same time we're also working towards our international projects," he said.
The Lyle S. Hallman Foundation has committed $600,000 over three years, enabling MCC Ontario to supply 28,000 cans of chicken annually to support local families in need.
Kim Wilhelm, chief executive officer of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region; Michelle Rickard, manager of marketing and communications; and Nicole Marinelli, manager of food procurement and distribution services, sample the canned chicken that will now be distributed to families in need across Waterloo Region.
Dylan Yantzi, cannery manager, loads the first skid of canned chicken onto a truck from The Food Bank of Waterloo Region to be distributed to families in need across the region.
John Neufeld, chief executive officer of the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation, shows the new label that will appear on cans of chicken distributed across the region to local families.
(AMANDA NELSON PHOTOS)
Flooding hits New Hamburg during winter thaw and heavy rains
Local control over conservation authorities likely coming to an end
LEE GRIFFI Gazette Reporter
New Hamburg is no stranger to flooding, and while the last few days have been challenging, it doesn’t come close to some of the more extreme incidents over the years.
The initial flood watch for the entire Grand River watershed was issued on the afternoon of March 5. Conditions escalated with forecasts that river levels in New Hamburg would reach Flood Warning Zone 1 on March 7 and possibly Zone 2 on March 8. On March 9, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) confirmed flood warning messages for New Hamburg and other communities remained in effect.
The warning remained in effect until noon on March 11, the same time as the Gazette goes to press, unless conditions changed sooner.
“I want to thank our staff who are actively monitoring conditions and managing road closures to keep residents safe,” said Wilmot Mayor Natasha Salonen. “I also appreciate the cooperation of residents as crews continue their work during this early spring melting.”
Wilmot has seen several major flood events over the years, including in February 2018 when floodwaters from the Nith River spilled over its banks and flooded large parts of the community.
Streets and businesses were inundated with water, the New Hamburg Community Centre baseball fields and racetrack were washed out, there was severe flooding around the Huron Street bridge and nearby commercial areas, and 16 roads were closed across Wilmot.
Local studies and surveys later described 2018 as the worst recent flood experienced by many households, with repeated basement flooding and property damage reported.
A major rainfall event also struck the area in January of 2020, flooding parts of downtown New Hamburg and homes and businesses along the river. Residents reported it was the second-highest river level they had seen in 30 years.
Ward 4 Coun. Steven Martin said the flooding has been problematic this time around, thanks to a heavy snow melt.
“New Hamburg is at risk since a number of housing developments have been built in the floodplain. Different methods have been used over the years to try to mitigate the impact of flooding. I am waiting to hear if any houses have been affected.”
He added the Mike Schout Wetlands were developed to mitigate at least some flooding in downtown New Hamburg.
“I am waiting to hear if there would be a reason to believe that it has helped. On Sunday, the water level was high in the wetlands, so my assumption is that it has had some benefit. For people living in areas affected by flooding, it is a major concern, and so I am hoping that we can continue to work on mitigating the effects.
“I think that we have to be cognisant of how our conservation authorities are changing across the province since the provincial government is making some changes. I hope these changes will continue to push for the relevance of our conservation authorities in the protection of and promotion of our important waterways.”
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Fellow Ward 4 Coun. Lillianne Dunstall said without major flood-control infrastructure on the Nith River, these events will continue to occur.
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“Larger cities in the watershed benefit from flood control dams on the Grand River system, such as Shand Dam and Conestogo Dam. The Nith River does not have similar infrastructure. Building a dam today would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars and would also raise other considerations, including environmental impacts and the need to flood large areas of land upstream to create a reservoir.”
Salonen was previously a member of the GRCA board but currently does not sit on it. Wilmot does not have any official involvement, but a number of Region of Waterloo councillors are representatives.
“Board appointments to the GRCA from our area are made through the Region of
Waterloo, not area municipalities. While I’m not currently on the board, I have full confidence in my regional colleagues who represent our community at that table,” said Salonen.
She added she asked to step off the board for some time because the meeting schedule conflicted with another recurring commitment.
“I don’t recall the exact date, but once Coun. Matt Rodrigues joined council, and another member was available to serve in that role, the transition was made.”
Both Martin and Dunstall thought Salonen was still a board member.
Regardless of that, Dunstall said larger urban centres have more representatives and greater influence in GRCA voting decisions.
“At the same time, communities along the Nith River, including New Hamburg, experience flooding more frequently than many of those larger urban centres that benefit from existing flood-control infrastructure,” she said. “The needs and realities of smaller communities facing regular flooding must continue to be part of the conversation.”
Dunstall added she has heard from many residents and business owners who have been impacted.
“Flooding affects homes, livelihoods and businesses across the community, particularly those located in the downtown core near the river.”
She explained downtown New Hamburg is an important part of the community, both economically and culturally, and repeated flooding places real strain on those businesses and the people who rely on them.
“It is also important that we support the businesses affected by the flooding. Several local businesses have already been hit hard. I encourage residents, once they are back up and running, to stop by and support them.”
Dunstall said while flooding cannot be eliminated, the township must continue working with the GRCA and other partners to identify practical mitigation measures that could help reduce the impact on residents and businesses in the future.
The Ontario government confirmed this week plans to reduce the number of conservation authorities from 36 to nine regional groups. The plan comes after consultations on how conservation authorities can help get shovels in the ground faster on homes and other local infrastructure projects while strengthening their vital role in managing watersheds and protecting communities from floods and natural hazards.
The province says the regional approach will reduce administrative duplication, redirect resources to frontline conservation and modernize permitting. Pending approved amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act, the transition is expected to be completed early next year.
A Sysco truck had to be pulled out of flood waters behind the Sobey’s parking lot in New Hamburg after weekend flooding.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Wilmot committee recommends internal review of council and mayor pay
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
Wilmot councillors have recommended the township proceed with an internal administrative review of council and mayor remuneration, with the final decision to be made at a future council meeting.
At its March 2 committee of the whole meeting, councillors reviewed a previously completed compensation study by human-resources consultants Pesce & Associates before voting to recommend the internal-review option to council. If approved by council, township staff will analyze compensation levels in comparable municipalities, compare that data with the information from the Pesce report, incorporate cost-of-living adjustments and bring forward recommendations for potential pay adjustments for the mayor and councillors at a council meeting later this year, before May 1.
“Council already did have a consultant report mid-term on this, so you have had, already, the benefit of that once this term,” said township CAO Jeff Willmer, reiterating council’s options for the review. “An internal administrative review would be consistent with the approach both Wellesley and Woolwich are taking this year.”
The review is required under the township’s council remuneration review policy, which mandates a review once per council term with recommendations brought forward before May 1 – the start of the
nomination period for the Oct. 26 municipal election. Any changes approved through the process would take effect for the next term of council rather than the current one.
The policy outlines three possible approaches for conducting the review: forming a citizen review committee, hiring an independent consultant, or completing an internal administrative review. Each option requires benchmarking council compensation against comparable municipalities and considering factors such as base salary, benefits and allowances.
During the committee discussion, councillors weighed the merits of each option while reviewing the 2023 Pesce & Associates compensation study, which had previously been presented to council in closed session.
“At a time when (the property tax increase) last year was 18 per cent, this year it’s nine per cent, this discussion is tone deaf for most of our constituents,” Coun. Lillianne Dunstall said. “I think that having council vote, when probably most of council will be running again and some will be running for mayor, seems pretty self serving to be something that we decide ourselves. … I don’t believe that my constituents would support council getting an automatic COLA (cost of living adjustments) or much of an increase.”
“Council over the last three years, by declining any raises or COLA, equated to about $15,000 to $18,000 (in savings) over
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three years,” Coun. Harvir Sidhu responded. “As much as we can give ourselves a pat on the back and say, ‘We didn’t take COLA, we didn’t take a raise,’ it really didn’t move the needle much.”
Ultimately, a majority of councillors supported recommending the internal-review option, directing staff to use available comparator data and the findings of the earlier consultant report to help determine appropriate compensation levels for Wilmot’s elected officials. The administrative review approach would allow township staff to prepare recommendations in time to meet the policy’s deadline ahead of the upcoming municipal election.
“I was quite pleased with the information that was brought back forward and I know (the former clerk) had done quite a bit of work, and seeing the Pesce report again was helpful,” said Coun. Kris Wilkinson, who chaired the committee of whole meeting in Mayor Natasha Salonen’s absence. “ … We are relying on a dataset we’ve seen; we know what’s been done and we can trust our staff to come back with something that would reflect that.”
Wilkinson made it clear the remuneration review is not to consider a change in pay for the current council, but for a new council elected in October.
“We’ve lived through this for the last four years, we know what this job entails, we know what the asks are,” he continued. “So, I think its fair for us to review this, accept a report back and then make
a choice and a recommendation moving forward because ultimately, if everyone is going back out, knocking on doors, looking for re-election, we’ll have to hang our hat on this decision.”
Despite it being uncomfortable, Wilkinson defended the need for council and staff to conduct a review of council pay once per term to ensure all eligible and interested candidates have the ability, financially, to dedicate the time and effort required to serve as mayor or councillor.
Wilkinson also urged the public to provide feedback to the township during the review process by emailing clerks@wilmot.ca to ensure all perspectives are taken into consideration before council makes its final decision.
When the matter was first discussed at council’s Feb. 23 meeting, Willmer outlined the three possible review options and noted time constraints could make forming a citizen committee difficult before the policy’s May 1 deadline.
Currently, the mayor’s annual salary is $39,425, while councillors earn $21,872 per year. Those rates have remained unchanged since 2023, when council voted against proposed increases, and councillors also chose not to take cost-of-living increases in 2024 and 2025.
The committee of the whole recommendation will now go to a future council meeting, where councillors will make the final decision on how the township will conduct the remuneration review.
Perth East declares intimate partner violence an epidemic
All six municipalities in Perth County have now declared intimate partner violence an epidemic
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
Perth East council has unanimously declared intimate partner violence an epidemic in the municipality following a presentation from local advocates who urged council to recognize the growing impact of gender-based violence across Perth County.
At its March 3 meeting, council voted in favour of the declaration after hearing from Optimism Place Women’s Shelter and Support Services executive director Donna-Jean Forster and board member and Perth East resident Jen Bouwman, who outlined the local prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the need for a coordinated community response.
“Not only am I a survivor of intimate partner violence, in 2012, my sister-inlaw, Nicole Wagler, was murdered by her intimate partner,” Bouwman told council. “As an advocate for women experiencing intimate partner violence, I am hopeful that the municipality of Perth East will take a stand today and declare intimate partner violence an epidemic.”
“In December of 2012 at just 17 years
old, Nicole Wagler was killed by her intimate partner,” Forster added. “This senseless death sent shockwaves through this community. Even a month ago, in a community speech, Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma teared up when he recalled the day, as principal of Northwestern Secondary School, he had to announce to the whole school body this brutal act of intimate partner violence occurred. While Nicole’s violence was a very public experience of intimate partner violence, there are hundreds more women in Perth East alone who are currently experiencing intimate partner violence or who have experienced it in the past.”
The declaration makes Perth East the 112th municipality in Ontario to formally recognize intimate partner violence as an epidemic. Earlier the same day, Perth South became the 111th municipality to do so. With Perth East’s vote, all six municipalities within Perth County have now made the declaration.
The decision follows similar declarations made in recent months by the Town of St. Marys, North Perth, West Perth and the City of Stratford. St. Marys council declared IPV an epidemic in February after
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hearing from Forster and Optimism Place board chair Nancy Preston.
In the declaration letter presented to Perth East council, Optimism Place notes 110 municipalities in Ontario had already made the declaration before March 3 and highlights the local impact of IPV. The letter states many incidents of intimate partner violence happen behind closed doors and 44 per cent of women who have been in an intimate relationship have experienced some form of psychological, physical or sexual abuse.
Forster told council IPV continues to have a significant impact across Perth County. Statistics shared with municipalities across the county show there were 994 reports of IPV in Perth County in 2024, resulting in 227 charges laid. Every month, probation and parole services supervise an average of 115 clients on probation related to domestic-violence charges.
Optimism Place reported that in 2024, 203 women and children accessed shelter services, while an additional 200 women used IPV-related services without needing residential shelter. Since 2022, 50 Perth County women have been assessed as high risk for intimate partner homicide and have received wraparound safety supports from a collaborative group of community partners.
“Every year at Optimism Place, we see about 10-15 women, along with their children, from Perth East who are accessing our shelter for a residential stay,” Forster said. “In addition, we have about 15-25 women and their children who access our community-based services such as counselling,
support with family court, parenting and other supports associated with experiencing intimate partner violence.
“Every single day, at least one person from Perth East calls our 24-hour support line for support for themselves or someone they know experiencing intimate partner violence.”
Supporters of the declaration say formally recognizing IPV as an epidemic is an important step toward raising awareness, validating survivors and encouraging sustained action.
Forster told council the move is “not just symbolic words on a page” and pointed to the need for education, community awareness and support for those experiencing abuse. It also notes Perth East has signed on to support the Perth County Community Safety and Well-Being Plan for 20252035, which identifies gender-based violence and intimate partner violence as one of its top priority areas.
The declaration also comes with a push for residents to learn the signs of intimate partner violence and how to respond when someone may be experiencing it. The materials presented to council included links to local online training resources, support services and information about an upcoming IPV community information session at Milverton Public School on April 13 at 6:30 p.m.
For more information and to register, visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/intimate-partner-violence-101-community-information-session-milverton-tickets-1977610404957?aff=oddtdtcreator.
New Hamburg Board of Trade celebrates women in business on International Women’s Day
AMANDA NELSON Gazette Reporter
On International Women’s Day, the New Hamburg Board of Trade hosted its first Women’s Day event aimed at inspiring and connecting local business owners and entrepreneurs.
The event was held at the boutique event space, The Waterlot, owned and operated by Lynne Hall at 90 Wilmot St. in New Hamburg. Though the event was free for attendees, donations were accepted in support of Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.
Five women spoke about the successes and struggles of owning a business or working in New Hamburg and how, as women, entrepreneurship can sometimes be challenging but ultimately rewarding.
Lillianne Dunstall, board of trade president, spoke about rising to the top and becoming vice president of North American business operations for a Fortune 500 company. Dunstall spoke about her struggles with imposter syndrome, saying the only way to get through it is realizing an action is bigger than a thought.
She also discussed the realities of being a woman in business and the impact of local New Hamburg businesses being run by women.
“International Women’s Day celebrates the accomplishments of women around the world, but the afternoon also focused on the reality behind success — the dedication, detours, lessons, bruises and wins along the way,” she said. “Kathie Jordan of Kathie Jordan Design mentioned that more than 22 women own businesses in downtown New Hamburg alone, which speaks to the strength of women entrepreneurs in our community.”
Shelby Behling, founder and president of Clean & Tidy Inc., shared how she struggled in school and was often told she would never amount to much. She now runs a business with 50 employees and services hundreds of homes.
Behling said supporting and valuing her employees is her top priority. She pays a living wage, offers benefits and allows staff to work hours that fit their schedules.
“As a female entrepreneur who grew a team from just myself to hundreds of clients and dozens of staff, I hope to inspire other women who have big dreams and goals in their lives. That’s why I love to share my story at events,” she said.
Kathie Jordan Design is located at 81 Peel St. in New Hamburg. As owner, Jordan was nominated for the 2025 Waterloo Region Women of the Year Awards in the arts and culture category, and she spoke about how she once believed that struggling in school meant she could never succeed. Instead, she said her creativity led her to a fulfilling career.
Jordan encouraged others to remember traditional education is not the only path to success and creative pursuits can also lead to meaningful career growth.
Kristi Chambers, owner and operator of Evoke Fitness and Rehabilitation, spoke about her more than 15 years in the industry and building a strong team of women. Chambers shared her struggles as a woman in business, including being fired from a corporate position while trying to start a family. She said the experience pushed her to create her own path and build a welcoming and supportive fitness environment for others.
Local journalist Amanda Nelson, who writes and serves as director of community engagement for Grant Haven Media, also spoke at the event. Nelson discussed her transition from nursing to journalism and the challenges she faced growing up. She said nursing felt like the right path at the time, but she always felt drawn to something more. After discovering her passion for writing, she began working for Grant Haven Media and quickly fell in love with covering local stories and connecting with the community.
Dunstall is encouraging women from across the region to become members of
the The New Hamburg Board of Trade. Membership includes monthly meetings as well as opportunities for support and community connections.
Editor’s note: In addition to writing this article, Amanda Nelson spoke at the New Hamburg Board of Trade’s International Women’s Day event.
From left, speakers Lillianne Dunstall, Amanda Nelson, Shelby Behling, Kathie Jordan and Kristy Chambers celebrate International Women’s Day by speaking about their success and struggles, which led them to their dream careers.
(AMANDA NELSON PHOTO)
Study identifies $10.7 million in aging water and sewer infrastructure repairs in Baden and New Hamburg
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
A comprehensive review of Wilmot Township’s underground infrastructure has identified 19 aging water and sanitary sewer mains in Baden and New Hamburg that will require either relining or full replacement in the coming years at an estimated cost of about $10.7 million.
Township manager of engineering Dot Roga and infrastructure GIS analyst Adele Keyes presented the findings of the infrastructure asset condition and investment needs study to Wilmot council’s committee of the whole March 2. The report outlines priority repair projects staff plan to incorporate into the township’s long-term asset management strategy and 10-year capital forecast.
“The township recognizes that a rehabilitation and replacement program is needed to address the aging infrastructure, particularly as it relates to water and sanitary mains and servicing,” Roga said. “In Wilmot, residences and businesses receive both water and sanitary in New Hamburg, Baden and Manheim.”
The study, Roga continued, focuses on Baden and New Hamburg because most of Mannheim’s water and sanitary infrastructure was installed after 1990 and is not currently considered a major concern. Stormwater infrastructure was also excluded from the review, with a separate stormwater master plan expected later this year.
Using a combination of engineering studies, historical records and field inspections, staff identified sections of aging pipe infrastructure that are either approaching or already beyond their expected lifespan. Some sanitary mains and watermains included in the study date back to about 1950, meaning they are now more than 70
years old.
The report combines several sources of data, including CCTV inspections of sanitary mains completed in 2023 and 2024, a road needs study conducted by Thurber Engineering in 2023, and a 2024 inflow and infiltration reduction and capacity management study that analyzed sewer capacity and wet-weather flows. Historical watermain break records and the age and material composition of pipes were also factored into the evaluation.
“There are many different materials used within Wilmot’s sanitary main and watermain systems, and these all have slightly varying lifespans,” Keyes said. “ … There are just over five kilometres of active watermain that the Township of Wilmot maintains that are made of either asbestos cement or cast iron that are approaching the end of their lifespans. Similarly, when we look at the active sanitary main system, there is just over 11 kilometres of sanitary mains that are also approaching the end of their useful life, and these are made of asbestos cement, concrete and vitrified clay.”
Once that information was compiled, staff mapped the infrastructure across the township and prioritized sections where aging pipes, deteriorating road conditions and high infiltration or inflow levels were all present. Areas with multiple risk factors were flagged as candidates for full reconstruction, while others could potentially be addressed through pipe-relining programs.
Relining aging pipes is considered a less disruptive and more cost-effective method of rehabilitation that can extend the lifespan of existing infrastructure by 50-75 years, while full reconstruction is required where pipes and surrounding road infrastructure are both failing.
On average, pipe relining can cost between $275 and $675 per metre for sanitary mains depending on pipe diameter,
while relining watermains costs $1,000 per metre. For full road-reconstruction costs, sanitary main replacement can cost between $275 and $750 per metre, watermain replacement costs $1,000 per metre and road reconstruction costs $3,000 per metre minus the per-metre cost for both the sanitary and watermain replacement.
Among the problem areas identified in Baden are Brewery Street, Tannery Street, Foundry Street and Hastings Court, where aging sanitary pipes, watermain breaks and infiltration issues have been documented. On Brewery Street, for example, six sanitary main segments were identified as requiring urgent repair and two watermain breaks have occurred since 2017.
A number of streets in New Hamburg were also flagged for rehabilitation or reconstruction, including Hincks Street, Astor Crescent, Conestoga Road, Webster Street and Peel Street.
Hincks Street alone has experienced nine watermain breaks between 2003 and 2023, while Webster Street – where both water and sanitary infrastructure is about 59 years old – has seen 11 watermain breaks since 2003.
“For the watermain breaks, our number was relatively high,” Coun. Liallianne Dunstall said. “I would have thought that some of the larger urban centres would have been higher than ours’. Is that because our infrastructure is that much older?”
“I would surmise that yes, that is why,” Roga said. “The fact that we are looking at sanitary mains that are 70 years and older … and with the watermains too – 1950s watermains are going to break. They’re going to break and they’re going to continue to break. You can fix one, put pressure back to it, it will break somewhere else. That’s the problem we have to chase and solve.”
Other locations identified in the report
include George Street, Park Place, Victoria Street, Waterloo Street, Seyler Street, Mill Street and Bleams Road East and West.
In total, the proposed projects include a mix of relining and reconstruction work affecting sanitary mains, watermains and some roadway segments. Estimated costs outlined in the report include about $6.5 million for watermain repairs, roughly $2 million for sanitary sewer work and approximately $2.2 million for associated road reconstruction projects.
Staff said addressing infiltration and inflow in the sanitary sewer network is particularly important because excess groundwater entering the system must be treated by the Region of Waterloo, creating unnecessary costs for the township.
“I would suggest that we are in the range of maybe $1 million or so that we are paying to the Region (of Waterloo) to treat clean (infiltration and inflow) water … if I recall correctly,” township director of infrastructure services Ken VanderWal said in response to a question from Coun. Kris Wilkinson.
If approved as part of future capital budgets, staff estimate it could take roughly five years to address the township’s most critical sanitary infrastructure backlog and up to 10 years to resolve the most urgent watermain issues using existing reserve funding levels.
The report was received for information by the committee of the whole and will help guide future capital planning and infrastructure investments across the township. Township staff will work with consultants from KPMG to incorporate the identified projects in the township’s longterm asset management strategy and 10year capital forecast, which are currently in development.
Community foundation funding helps tackle food insecurity across Stratford, St. Marys and Perth County
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
As rising grocery prices and increasing demand for food programs place growing pressure on local organizations, the Stratford and Perth County Community Foundation is highlighting how local philanthropy is helping ensure families across the region have access to nutritious food.
During Nutrition Month in March, the foundation is drawing attention to the impact of community generosity in supporting food security initiatives throughout Stratford, St. Marys and across Perth County. In 2025 alone, the foundation directed $82,525 in grants toward food-security initiatives, supporting 30 programs delivered by 25 local organizations across the region.
Community foundation acting executive director Rachel Smith said the rising need for food supports is being felt in communities large and small.
“Food insecurity is a growing problem. It’s not just an urban poverty problem anymore,” Smith said. “Rising grocery costs, fixed incomes – it’s being felt in schools, in senior households and in families who never imagined they would need support.”
The community foundation helps address these needs through endowment funds established by local donors. These funds generate annual grants that can respond to emerging challenges in the community.
“We have endowment funds here at the foundation that generate annual grants that can respond to emerging community needs,” Smith said. “We connect donor intent with those emerging needs.”
Three of the foundation’s funds were created specifically to address food-related needs – the Chris Kurz Fund, which supports student nutrition programs; the Teahen Family Nutrition and Wellbeing Fund, which supports student nutrition and wellbeing; and the Florence Kehl
Fund, which supports the Stratford House of Blessing food bank.
However, Smith said the response to growing food insecurity has extended beyond those dedicated funds.
“When our grant applications started coming in, we actually only have three funds that go specifically to nutrition and wellbeing,” she said. “But when the fundholders saw this emerging need, that’s what became really powerful – all of those fundholders came together to respond.”
The resulting funding has supported a wide range of programs across the region, from school nutrition initiatives to community food programs.
One of the largest recipients of funding was the Ontario Student Nutrition Program, which provides breakfast and snack programs in schools throughout Perth County, including those operated by the Avon Maitland District School Board and the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board.
“They’re really boots on the ground doing that work in all of the schools across the county,” Smith said. “They do breakfast programs and respond to family needs in the schools.”
Community foundation funding has also supported programs at the St. Marys Friendship Centre, local library food pantries in Stratford, St. Marys, Tavistock and Mitchell, and youth programming at the new North Perth Access Centre.
In some cases, the foundation has supported practical needs such as appliances used to prepare food for youth programs.
To help donors better understand the impact of their contributions, the foundation has also brought fundholders into local schools to see the programs in action.
“We went and visited the classrooms and helped with the breakfast programs, really connecting everybody to that cause and seeing their work in action,” Smith said.
She said Nutrition Month offers an opportunity to highlight both the challenges many families face and the way
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Refreshments and Games of Chance
Take out: 6:00pm Dinner 6:30pm - 8:30pm
by
communities are stepping up to help.
“Food is fundamental to wellbeing,” Smith said. “The good news story here is that local generosity is stepping up in meaningful ways.”
Residents interested in supporting these efforts can learn more about creating or contributing to community foundation funds by visiting the foundation’s website, www.spccf.ca.
Stratford and Perth County Community Foundation acting executive director Rachel Smith and fund holder and donor Courtney Teahen recently visited Romeo Public School in Stratford to see how the community foundation’s funds are used to feed students through the school’s breakfast program.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF STRATFORD AND PERTH COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Police arrest man allegedly brandishing chisel while breaking into vehicles in Wilmot
WILMOT-TAVISTOCK GAZETTE STAFF
thewtgazette@gmail.com
Waterloo Regional Police have arrested a 35-year-old man after responding to a weapons-related incident allegedly involving a chisel in Wilmot.
On March 9 at approximately 10:45 p.m., police responded to reports of a male
allegedly armed with a chisel while breaking into vehicles in the area of Snyder’s Road East and Foundry Street.
Through the investigation, police say a witness driving in the area at the time of the incident saw the man breaking into a vehicle. When they approached, the suspect advanced towards them while holding a chisel, prompting the witness to drive
away.
Officers the located the suspect nearby and arrested him. There were no physical injuries reported as a result of this incident.
As a result of the investigation, the man was charged with:
• Theft under $5,000
• Assault with a weapon
• Possession of a weapon for a
dangerous purpose
• Trespass near dwelling
• Breach of probation
The accused was held for a bail hearing. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 519-570-9777 ext. 6399. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.waterloocrimestoppers.com.
Oxford municipalities hosting candidate information meeting
WILMOT-TAVISTOCK GAZETTE STAFF
thewtgazette@gmail.com
Oxford County’s eight area municipalities are partnering to host a candidate information session in preparation for the 2026 municipal and school board election.
The session will take place on Thursday, March 26, at 6 p.m., virtually and in person in the council chambers at the Oxford County administration building, 21 Reeve St., Woodstock.
New, returning or interested candidates
and members of the public are invited to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of council, who is eligible to run, the nomination process and campaign finance and advertising rules.
The session will include presentations from the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and municipal consultant Nigel Bellchamber. Attendees are encouraged to send questions in advance to their municipal clerk. Those wishing to participate in the session virtually can register by emailing election@
cityofwoodstock.ca.
“Serving on council is a significant commitment. Elected officials are responsible for making decisions that directly affect the lives of residents in our communities. This session is an opportunity for potential candidates to learn about the process, ask questions and receive guidance so that they can make an informed decision about running for office,” said Jeff Bunn, manager of legislative services, deputy city clerk and returning officer for the City of Woodstock.
Oxford County’s municipalities include the Township of Norwich, Township of Zorra, Township of South-West Oxford, Township of East Zorra-Tavistock, Township of Blandford-Blenheim, Town of Ingersoll, Town of Tillsonburg and the City of Woodstock.
The nomination period for candidates will be open from May 1 to Aug. 21. Election Day will take place on Monday, Oct. 26, and advance polling will also be available in each municipality.
council hears detailed budget presentation
East Zorra-Tavistock (EZT) councillors heard a detailed budget presentation from the township’s CAO on Tuesday during a lengthy meeting in Hickson.
CAO Karen DePrest took a deep dive into each township’s spending plan for this year, including the preparation of a new fire station in Hickson and the municipality’s five-year capital plan. The township’s 2025 budget set aside about $225,000 for engineering and site preparation for a new build and the goal this year is to move the project forward.
“This is the year we are hoping to put a shovel in the ground for the Hickson Fire Station,” said DePrest, who added several pots of money will pay for the project.
Just under $1.87 million of the total price tag is coming from township reserves. Broken down, $960,000 will come from development charges, $517,000 will come out of the tax stabilization fund reserve and potentially $400,000 will come from the property acquisitions and disposals reserve.
“We also have $360,000 coming from the fire facilities reserve and, as I mentioned in the operating budget, we increased that contribution to $110,000 to allow for this to come out. And last but not least, $500,000 will come from the asset management reserve.”
DePrest said when each funding option is considered, the construction of the station will be completed without borrowing any money. The total cost of the fire hall is budgeted at $2.275 million.
Coun. Scott Rudy questioned DePrest on the design of the project, asking if the intent was still to replicate the design of the Tavistock or Innerkip stations. She explained the goal is to utilize a design-build model.
“We want to deal with one contractor, not two. We’re hoping if we have to make modifications to the design, we’re not having to vet that through an architect and then have it translated to a construction company. We feel if we are dealing with one proponent, we can effectively make the changes we need.”
Rudy said he wants to see a straightforward design that works.
“We see elaborate fire halls in Thamesford and other places and you wonder why you would spend that much money on a huge, monumental fire hall. I agree with the design-build as a one-stop shop, and I think we want to stick with that idea.”
Deputy mayor Brad Smith said he would like the project to have the flexibility to add onto the station in future years should the township decide to hire some full-time firefighters.
“If we have to look in future years to having a hybrid station where you have some full-time and part-time firefighters, and we can accommodate that if we were to put this in the middle of the township. …That’s my concern going forward, that we have the ability to add on to a fire station in Hickson.”
The 2026 budget is still in draft form, and another meeting is scheduled for March 18 at 7 p.m. in council chambers.
“It will be a public meeting for residents to express their opinions and ideas regarding the budget process,” said Mayor Phil Schaefer.
He added there is a lot of talk in the
media about zero per-cent budgets, something he said the township came very close to achieving.
“However, with the winter we had, we needed to address the extra costs for winter control. It’s still a draft budget, but I think it is something that was done responsibly. A lot of work went into this; I can attest to that.”
Schaefer added he participated in the process from the beginning.
“The numbers were changing constantly as we went through them line by line, and I think overall, it’s a good budget to present to the public on the 18th and get their feedback on.”
DePrest said if the budget passes in its current form, EZT ratepayers will see an increase in their property taxes by 3.17 per cent. That, along with Oxford County’s 5.2 per cent hike and a flat rate for education taxes, results in a minimal increase for residents.
“The combined impact of the rate changes on a $330,000 property assessment is $153 combined … or $12 a month. For that $330,000 property, it’s $69.11 annually, so $5.17 a month.”
(GARY WEST PHOTOS)
B-W Feed and Supply continues expansion west of New Hamburg
full- and part-time workers.
One of the long-established agricultural businesses serving the New Hamburg area continues to grow as B-W Feed and Supply expands its operations at its modern mill west of the community.
The feed company, originally founded in 1966, has long supplied feed and agricultural products to livestock farmers across the region.
The business began when Earl Bender and Cecil Wagler, along with their wives, Fern and Reta, started producing and selling feed to meet the growing needs of the local agricultural community. The company name reflects the founders’ surnames.
For decades, B-W Feed operated from its downtown New Hamburg location before the company began constructing a new facility west of town in the early 2020s. Feed production at the new state-of-the-art mill began Dec. 14, 2021, with the company’s new front offices opening in 2022.
Today, the business remains firmly in the family. Dave Bender, the son of Earl Bender and nephew of Cecil Wagler, now owns and operates the company with his wife, Cindy. Their son, Chad, and daughter-in-law, Rebecca, are also part of the ownership and management team.
What started with a small labour force has grown significantly over the years. B-W Feed and Supply now employs 39
The company also operates a fleet of 10 farm delivery trucks and five heavy commodity trucks, helping deliver feed and supplies to farms throughout the region.
Owner Dave Bender said the modern mill has significantly increased the company’s production capacity.
“The new mill now can process 40 to 50 tonnes an hour, and sometimes that amount is very much required with the volume of business that keeps increasing,” Dave Bender said.
When asked about the company’s feed production by sector, Dave Bender said poultry accounts for the largest share of the business.
“About 65 per cent of our feed volume is from the feather business – laying hens, pullets, broiler and broiler breeder chickens and turkeys,” he said. “Another 30 per cent is dairy, including cows and goats, and the remaining five per cent is pigs, beef and sheep.”
Bender noted the growth of local farms has contributed to the company’s expansion.
“We’re no different than farmers in the area,” he said. “As the farms get bigger and involve more family members, so do the businesses that serve them.”
The company is currently adding new feed-storage bins at the mill. Once completed, the expansion will increase storage capacity by an additional 750 tonnes, on
Contracted workers use a zoom boom while constructing new feed-storage bins at the B-W
west of New
The expansion will add 750 tonnes of storage capacity to the 500 tonnes already in use.
top of the 500 tonnes already available. Dave Bender said the added capacity will help the business keep pace with demand.
“This increase in storage capacity will help alleviate any backups when making large quantities of feed,” he said.
Gender-Based Violence/ Intimate Partner Violence: An education awareness day
speak about the issues and the services available and how you, as a friend, can become aware and help someone in need.
Dec. 6, 1989, is a date most women in Canada recognize and many remember. Ecole Polytechnique – need I say more?
Fourteen female engineering students were shot by a hateful man who hated women. It was this act of violent misogyny in Montreal that shook our country and led Parliament to designate Dec. 6 as The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Violence against women and girls remains a pervasive problem worldwide.
In 2024, 240 women and girls were murdered, primarily by men (a 54 per-cent increase over pre-COVID rates).
That is why our Southern Ontario Support (SOS) society of the international organization the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW), in cooperation with the New Dundee Women’s Institute (WI), is holding an awareness education day on Saturday, March 28, at the New Dundee Community Centre.
The morning session will hear from four panelists from Waterloo Region: Pari Karem – director of the Family Violence Project; Jessica Almeida - outreach worker with Women’s Crisis Services; Christine Wildman of the Neighbours Friends and Families group; and Maddy Kenyon of the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Kitchener-Waterloo. They will
Our afternoon session will hear from a survivor of intimate partner violence followed by Kitchener South/Hespeler MPP Jess Dixon speaking about her role as lead on the Intimate Partner Violence Sub-committee and the report she authored and presented and tabled to the Ontario Legislature this past December.
The day includes a delicious homemade simple lunch and some wonderful door prizes.
It will be a day of learning and revelation, an opportunity to talk with others and to find resource information. Listen, pay attention, speak out, educate yourself and others.
Registration is required by Friday, March 20, and space is filling up fast:
• The cost: $35 (limited seating so register early).
• To register: email pweiland@rogers.com
• To pay: e-transfer to SOStreasurer35@gmail.com or mail a cheque to Pauline Weiland, 1101-75 York St. Kitchener N2G 1T5
We hope you will join us to learn, raise awareness and call for an end to all forms of gender-based violence. We can all do our part by uniting to end violence against women and girls.
NANCY BIRSS
New Dundee Women’s Institute
Chad Bender and his father, Dave Bender, fill feed orders Monday at B-W Feed and Supply west of New Hamburg. Not shown are their wives, Cindy and Rebecca, who also share ownership in the family-run business.
mill
Hamburg.
GARY WEST Gazette Correspondent
(GARY WEST PHOTOS)
Livestock killed in Perth East barn fire
WILMOT-TAVISTOCK GAZETTE STAFF
thewtgazette@gmail.com
Emergency services responded to a barn fire in Perth East that killed 140 livestock on March 7.
At just before 5 a.m., members of the Perth County OPP along with Perth County Paramedic Services and the Perth East Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Wilmot Easthope Road in the Town of Gads Hill.
The structure contained 140 livestock, all of which died in the fire. No people were injured as a result of the fire.
Fire crews successfully contained and extinguished the fire with the assistance of an eager Perth County OPP officer. The Office of the Fire Marshall was engaged and deemed the fire to be non-suspicious.
Wilmot Easthope Road between Perth Line 45 and Perth Line 43 was temporarily closed while emergency services responded, but has since been reopened.
Emergency crews extinguished a barn fire that killed 140 livestock on Wilmot-Easthope Road in Perth East March 7.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF PERTH COUNTY OPP)
Perth County stewardship intake oversubscribed again as council debates program’s future
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
Perth County council received the results of the spring 2026 intake for the Perth County Stewardship Program on March 5, with demand for the grant program once again exceeding available funding even as some councillors continued to question whether the county’s annual contribution could be better spent elsewhere.
According to a report from Warden Dean Trentowsky, who also serves as chair of the county’s agricultural working group, and county resiliency and stewardship coordinator Hannah Cann, the spring 2026 intake drew 33 applications across three of the program’s four grant streams. Together, those applications represent 8,084 trees and shrubs proposed for planting, 20 acres of restoration and nearly 10.3 kilometres of windbreak, with a combined project value of more than $235,000. The total grant request came to more than $119,000, roughly 19.5 per cent above the program’s 2026 budget.
This year’s intake included applications in the landowner, community and living snow fence streams, while no applications were received in the woodland stream for forest-management plans. The four available streams this year included grants for private landowners planting 50 or more trees and shrubs, forest-management plans, community-led restoration and tree-sale projects, and living snow fences planted along rural roads to reduce drifting snow. The landowner stream accounted for the bulk of applications and funding requests, with 21 applications requesting just over $65,300. The community stream received 10 applications requesting about $42,200, while the two living snow fence applications requested nearly $12,000 combined. In total, county staff said the projects would plant 6,383 trees through the landowner stream, 1,441 through the community
stream and 260 through the living snow fence stream.
The agricultural working group recommended the two living snow fence applications be funded in full because of their public-safety benefits along roadways, with the remaining landowner and community stream applications funded on a prorated basis to stay within the $100,000 envelope. That approach would reduce grant awards in those two streams by roughly 15 to 19 per cent, similar to the approach taken when the program was oversubscribed in 2024.
Staff also noted there was strong uptake across delivery methods. Of the applications received, nine used conservation-authority planting services, 12 used private contractors and 12 involved volunteers or landowners planting the projects themselves. Seventeen applications sourced trees through a conservation authority, 12 through contractors and four through nurseries.
The greatest number of applications came from West Perth, which accounted for 15 submissions, followed by North Perth with seven, Perth East with six and Perth South with five. Staff said that pattern is consistent with previous intakes and many applications continue to come from sub-watersheds identified as high-priority restoration areas.
Council discussed the intake results in closed session after a wider discussion about the value of the stewardship program itself in open session.
That broader conversation followed concerns raised earlier this budget season by Coun. Rhonda Ehgoetz and current deputy warden Sue Orr, who asked for a review of the program, budgeted at $100,000 this year, to determine whether those funds could be used more effectively elsewhere in the county budget.
Those concerns echoed questions raised
Early signs of spring in Perth County
last fall, when Ehgoetz argued the county may be duplicating services already offered through the local conservation authorities and suggested council needed to take a hard look at the program during budget deliberations. Orr similarly expressed concern at that time about opening the spring 2026 intake before council had fully debated the program’s future.
“Some external grant programs offer grants for stewardship action similar to the Perth County Stewardship Program … however important limitations become clear upon closer review,” Cann told council while delivering an overview of the program March 5. “Many programs are geographically restricted and apply only to certain or specific conservation authority boundaries or select areas of the county. Others are limited to agricultural operations, excluding non-farmers or rural landowners who are interested in tree planting and land stewardship. Minimum project sizes often two acres or more create additional barriers, particularly for small- and medium-scale projects where the community impact can be significant.”
Additionally, Cann said some funding programs require environmental farm plans, creating additional administrative burden for applicants, while many of the available programs have short or unpredictable application windows with inconsistent annual availability and often long and onerous application packages.
“The (Perth County) Stewardship Program provides stability, reliability and ease of access where these grants fall short,” Cann continued. “Stewardship projects delivered by the county benefit from the local knowledge, established relationships and an understanding of the land and community context. … Applicants to (the program) are eligible to stack external grant funds with the county grant up to 100 per cent of project costs. … Allowing landowners to stack grant funds across multiple grants enables them to do more stewardship action with less barriers.”
At the March 5 meeting, Cann presented a broader defence of the program, outlining both its origins and its results to date. Created after county council directed staff in 2022 to develop a clean-water project, the stewardship program was broadened through consultations in 2023 into a wider environmental-stewardship initiative. Tree planting emerged as the top priority during that consultation process, which included more than 270 residents and stakeholders, 160 survey responses and more than 30 structured interviews.
Staff’s comprehensive report says the program has now planted 28,429 trees, restored 51.31 acres, established 43 kilometres of windbreak and generated $724,478 in total project value in its first three years.
The report also states the county has leveraged $2 in outside or private investment for every $1 it has committed to the program, and estimates supported tree planting is offsetting about 10.45 per cent of the
county’s operational emissions.
“I think this is a remarkable report,” Coun. Todd Kasenberg said. “I’m excited by a number of the results that are being documented here and appreciative of the investments that we’ve made. “I have argued, of course, for some time that we need to make more of these investments. … How do we move from a program that largely focuses on tree and forest health … into a clean-water program … given that in our regional neighbourhood, we seem to be the ones without a named clean-water program?”
“It was always the intention of the program to start with a tree-planting offering because they were the most requested by the public,” Cann replied. “That being said, based on the funding available, there was always going to be an expansion of grant streams offered as more funds became available.”
With several new grant streams expected to come online as early as next year, Cann said the county could begin offering opportunities for funding aimed at supporting projects that address drinking-water protection, water quality and aquatic habitat, erosion control and invasive species management among others.
“I think this program needs to have adjustments to it,” Ehgoetz said during the council discussion. “I don’t mind giving money to people planting trees; I have a real problem giving my taxpayers’ money to people to dig the hole, get the ground ready and everything else. They can do that if they want. … We’re not (planting as many trees as we can) because we’re giving them all this money to do that.”
In response, Cann told council the county had removed labour as an eligible cost supported by the program for 2025, however that led to 20 applications from conservation authorities alone being rejected. While labour was restored as an eligible cost for 2026 based on public feedback, Cann said the damage was already done with some potential applicants choosing not to apply for funding this year.
Coun. Walter McKenzie agreed with the notion of adjusting the program slightly, specifically when it comes to paying for the costs associated with delivering trees to successful applicants from nurseries or other suppliers located outside the county. He noted, however, that many residents don’t have the time or expertise to plant trees themselves, and suggested labour-cost eligibility is an important part of the stewardship program.
“I feel that the (conservation authorities) do an excellent job of stewardship and they’re really serious about getting trees in the ground,” said Orr. “It’s more effective to go directly through them. Ausable Bayfield (Conservation Authority); there was an advertisement that they’ve planted a million trees – that’s 50,000 trees a year since 2006. I think there should be effort to work directly with the conservation authorities.”
Winter wheat fields in South Easthope Township are already turning green as warmer temperatures arrive in mid-March. With the first day of spring just a week away, the greening fields across Perth County are a welcome sight after months of snow, and a positive sign that winter crops such as wheat and alfalfa have survived the season well.
(GARY WEST PHOTO)
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Optimist Club Bottle Drive raises funds for youth initiatives
Members of the Optimist Club of Petersburg thank the community for supporting their bottle drive held Saturday, March 7. Pictured are Optimists Glen Bryans, Al MacIsaac, Jacob Bretz, Mike Taylor, John Gutcher and Steve Malleck, along with Maya and Danny. In addition to collecting bottles and cans, the club will also be gathering items for the local food bank at future bottle drives and community events. Proceeds from events like the bottle drive support youth programs in the community and initiatives such as the playground fundraising campaign at Baden Public School. For more information about the Optimist Club of Petersburg, call 519-465-1157 or email petersburgoptimists@outlook.com.
Rough roads in Zorra Township
Deep potholes on this gravel sideroad southwest of Tavistock, near Embro, slowed motorists to speeds of just five to 10 km/hr as drivers navigated the rough stretch following a harsh winter. Zorra Township road crews have been working to grade gravel roads and repair potholes across the township, and this road was graded just two days after residents raised concerns.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
(GARY WEST PHOTO)
Dense fog blankets area east of Shakespeare
day, reduced visibility for motorists to just a few feet at times, making travel difficult on rural roads.
A thick blanket of fog settled across parts of Perth, Oxford and Waterloo counties Saturday, creating challenging driving conditions and unusual photo opportunities across the region.
The fog, which drifted in throughout the
One local resident described the conditions as constantly changing, with clear air suddenly giving way to dense patches of fog that impaired visibility without warning.
Shakespeare resident Jonathan Marsh
captured the unusual scene from above using a drone east of the village as the sun began to set Saturday evening. While the fog covered much of the landscape below, Marsh’s photos show the air above the low-lying cloud remaining clear.
One motorist in Shakespeare, who previously lived in Eastern Canada, said the sudden shift in weather was typical of the
region.
With temperatures reaching a balmy 15 degrees Celsius Saturday – just three days after dropping to about -15 degree Celsius – the motorist said the conditions felt familiar.
“Welcome to Southern Ontario,” he said, adding the scene reminded him of “being in the fog in southern Nova Scotia.”
Shakespeare’s Jonathan Marsh captured this drone photo east of the village at sunset Saturday, showing a blanket of fog covering much of the region while the air above remained clear.
In this drone photo, the tops of 50-foot evergreen trees can be seen rising above the dense fog below, which made driving treacherous for motorists throughout the day Saturday.
GARY WEST Gazette Correspondent
(JONATHAN MARSH PHOTOS)
OBITUARY
Ross, Margaret Jane
Passed away peacefully at Stratford General Hospital after a brief illness on Thursday, March 5, 2026, in her 85th year.
Predeceased by her beloved husband, Gordon Eugene Ross, with whom she shared over 56 years of marriage. Loving mother of Bill and Louise (Prouse), Greg and Jewel (née Haight), and Terry and Lynne (née Nicklas). Cherished grandmother of Jillian Hislop (Alex), Drew Ross (Emily), Jessica Ross (Max Hall), Troy Ross (Jessica), Annette Toth (Jason), Brittany Prouse (Ryan Zwierschke), Katie Pearson, and Mitchel Pearson. Proud great-grandmother of Tory Ross, Roy Ross, Cody Toth, Colin Toth, and Nora Hislop.
Margaret is survived by her sister, Mary Wilson and by her brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Karen Towle. She was predeceased by her parents, Ed Towle and Edith Bruce (Howard); her sister Shirley Hewlett and brother-in-law Don Hewlett; her brother-in-law, Bill Wilson, and her brothers- and sisters-in-law, Bruce and Geraldine Ross, and Catherine and Alex Dickson.
Margaret spent most of her life on the family dairy farm, where she worked alongside her husband and raised their three sons. The farm was always a busy place, and she took pride in keeping the home running and making sure there was always room at the table for family and visitors.
She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and her family meant everything to her. She enjoyed having everyone together for visits and holidays and kept close track of what was happening in each of their lives.
Margaret’s creativity led her to spend many hours over the years developing her oil painting skills, selling many of her beautiful works. She also loved her gardens and took great care with the flowers around her home. Animals were always part of farm life, and she had a special fondness for her Bernese Mountain Dogs.
She will be remembered for her love of family, her strong work ethic, and the welcoming home she created over the years.
Friends are invited to meet with the family at the Francis Chapel of the Glendinning Funeral Home, Tavistock, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 2–4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. The funeral service will be held at the Francis Chapel of the Glendinning Funeral Home on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 11 a.m., with visitation at the funeral home from 10–10:45 a.m. prior to the service. A time of gathering will immediately follow at the Tavistock Memorial Hall, 3 Adam Street, Tavistock. A private family interment will take place at a later date.
Family and friends can watch the service via Live Stream from the funeral home Website and Margaret's bituary
As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice.
May the road rise up to meet you May the wind be always at your back May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand
Braemar and Lakeside Women’s Institute learns about brain health
LAURA GREEN
Contributed to the Gazette
The Braemar and Lakeside Women’s Institutes (WI) decided to learn more about our brain’s health with Rebekah Lindsay, the public education coordinator with Alzheimer Society Southwest Partners in Woodstock.
Her presentation was titled “Heads up for Healthier Brains: What everyone should know about brain health and dementia.”
Some pointers to maintain or improve brain health that were discussed were to challenge your brain by keeping your brain active every day, be socially active, choose a healthy lifestyle and protect your head.
Our meeting at the home of Anya Donaldson on March 4 accomplished three of the points in her presentation – follow directions and be on time, visit with members that you haven’t seen since Christmas meetings, and park at the end of the driveway to enjoy a walk in the spring-like day.
Lindsay also discussed the different programs offered by the Alzheimer Society for people living with dementia and for their caregivers.
The society’s next fundraising event is Walk for Alzheimer on May 30 and 31 with four locations within the Southwest Partners region.
With spring just around the corner, it means annual meetings in April and new programs to be planned. Lakeside is already planning a theatre trip to the Blyth Festival in July.
1. What is the blue birthstone for March?
2. What day is international Women's Day celebrated each year?
3. The month of March is named after Mars, the roman god of what?
4. In what year did the first official Paralympic Games take place?
5. How many degrees make up a triangle?
6. The “Ides of March” refers to what famous assassination?
What was the name of the first stealth bomber introduced for warfare?
Which film franchise features Marty McFly?
What is the birth flower for March? What's the oldest pub in Ireland?
Answers found on the classified page
Public education coordinator Rebekah Lindsay from the Alzheimer Society Southwest Partners was guest presenter at the joint meeting of the Braemar and Lakeside Women’s Institutes on March 4 at the home of Anya Donaldson. Her presentation was “Heads up for Healthier Brains: What everyone should know about brain health and dementia.” The next fundraising event is Walk for Alzheimer.
(LAURA GREEN PHOTO)
The Old Gazettes
By Sydney Grant
Slowly but surely, I’m reading through the past pages of the Tavistock Gazette (est. 1895). Within this weekly column I’d like to share with you some of my findings.
March 2-9, 2016, Edition (10 years ago)
Everyone talks about the proposed 25,000 Syrian refugees coming to Canada. Some talk about the 10,000 being welcomed through sponsorship programs outside the government norm. But how many of us have been able to sit down to dinner with a refugee, share a meal, talk about their lives and struggles? Tavistock and area residents had just that opportunity last Saturday evening when the Ecumenical Partners of Tavistock and Area (EPTA) hosted a fundraiser at Grace United Church to assist their sponsored Syrian refugee family.
The Tavistock Public School boys’ basketball team had a tremendous season this year posting a 16-1 win/loss record. They were undefeated in the regular season, winning games against teams from Hickson, Zorra, Woodstock, Harrisfield, Norwich, Tillsonburg and Stratford. On Monday, Feb. 29, they won the Thames Valley Regional Championship beating Algonquin from Woodstock. Members of the team include Luke Hyde, Carter Roth, Mason McKay, Isac Blum, Shawn Farrell, Blair Sparling, Zhao-Yu Tan, Clayton Gerber, Kyle Roth, Ryan terMaat, Brady Roth, Chad Brown and Ryan Zeigler.
Oxford and Perth Paramedics felt the heat Saturday night as the East Zorra-Tavistock Firefighters edged them 4-3. EZT Fire took home the coveted “Extinguisher Cup” in a charity hockey game that raised more than $2,000 for the respective charities, Muscular Dys-
March 1-8, 2006, Edition (20 years ago)
If you’re at all interested in crokinole or the people that make the world championships happen in Tavistock every year, there’s one flick you must see. After a year and a half in the making, the crokinole documentary movie is now complete. The result of much hard work and dedication by first-time feature filmmakers, cousins Joshua and Jonathan Steckley, the 81-minute film was shown to a selected audience this past weekend.
Grade 4 students at Sprucedale Public School in Shakespeare are supporting literacy and global education in Canadian Schools by participating in Project Love, an international project of CODE, formerly known as the Canadian Organization for Development through Education. CODE’s Project Love is a great opportunity for Canadians to act as global citizens by sending much-needed educational materials to students and teachers in developing countries. It’s also an opportunity for Canadian students and community groups to learn about the challenges faced by children and teachers in other parts of the world.
March 5-12, 1986, Edition (40 years ago)
Four junior girls and their coach won the Zone C Championship last Sunday in the 12-team bowling competition. The girls from Shakespeare Lanes won the Four Steps to Stardom finals with their total pins of 2,736, 89 points ahead of the second-place team. The team will take part in the championships for southern Ontario on March 23 in Toronto. Team members are Valerie Morris, Donna Bickle, Christine Kollman, Angie Erb and Tammy Trachsel with coach Kathy Trachsel.
Wendy Bender, president of the Tavistock Opti-Mrs., presented the trophy
TOWNSHIP OF EAST ZORRA-TAVISTOCK
GRACE UNITED CHURCH
116 Woodstock St. S., Tavistock Phone: 519-655-2151
All are welcome
Service led by Rev. Marilyn Arthur Music by Marilyne Nystrome
TRINITY LUTHERAN (ELCIC)
Sebastopol - Tavistock 2210 Perth Line 29
Pastor Steve Hoffard Worship In Person or on Zoom
Sundays at 10:00 AM (519) 655-2372 trinitylcoffice@gmail.com
www.trinitytavistock.com
TAVISTOCK MENNONITE
Pastor Julie Ellison White
131 Wettlaufer St., Tavistock 655-2581
Sunday Worship services begin at 9:45am, with coffee and fellowship to follow at 11am.
All ages Junior Sunday School will follow after the service.
All are Welcome Stream services online at www.tavistockmennonitechurch.ca
TAVISTOCK BIBLE CHAPEL
32 Oxford Street, Tavistock, Ontario
Questions or Need Help?
Text or Call: (519) 655-2413 tavistockbc.org
Family Bible Hour - 11am Each Sunday
EAST ZORRA MENNONITE
677044 16th Line Road, East Zorra Pastors Ray Martin & Mike Williamson www.ezmennonite.ca
Service audio recordings available at: https://ezmennonite.ca/worship/
WILMOT TOWNSHIP
ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
Corner of Waterloo St and Byron St, New Hamburg Weekly Sunday services at 10:15 am. All are welcome.
https://www.stgeorgesnewhamburg.com
Please join us for Holy Week:
March 29 Palm Sunday 10:15am Service of Holy Communion
April 2 Maundy Thursday 7pm Service of Holy Communion
April 3 Good Friday 10am Ecumenical Service at Trinity Lutheran, with Zion United
April 5 Easter Sunrise Service 6:30am Ecumenical Easter Service above the Nith River, parking lot behind Office Pro; with Trinity Lutheran and Zion United
April 5 Easter Service 10:15am Service of Holy Communion
St James Chapel of Ease 4339 Huron Rd Wilmot Township
All are welcome. Contact Carol Massel: 519-502-8648 carol@masselsmarine.com
1967 Erb's Road St Agatha 519-634-8212 Pastor Jim Brown
Worship service 10am followed by coffee hour and sermon discussion.
Pastor Rev. Michael Mayer
All are welcome
The Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette
Royals rebound after two losses to tie OEHL series
LEE GRIFFI Gazette Reporter
Tavistock found itself in a must-win position Sunday afternoon after dropping two straight games to Seaforth in their Ontario Elite Hockey League (OEHL) AA playoff series.
The Royals delivered with an exciting 5-4 overtime victory.
Patrick Vulgan scored the winning goal at the 8:12 mark after a loose puck in front of the Seaforth net deflected off his stick. Drew Gerth and Greg Noyes earned assists.
“They’re a great team, they compete hard and have a great structure. For us, it’s all about effort, and today we were able to come out on top,” said Vulgan.
“It was kind of a lucky bounce off the shaft of my stick and it ended up in the net. It was a good break for us, and we’re looking forward to next weekend.”
Tavistock jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Drew Gerth and Michael Capicotto before the game was three minutes in, but the Centenaires scored the next three before Tristan Hohl squared it at three early in the third period. Seaforth took a 4-3 lead before Mitch Atkins’ goal with just under five minutes remaining forced the extra period.
Seaforth took a 2-1 series lead with a 2-1 victory on home ice Saturday. Tavistock managed just 19 shots on goal, and the only one to wind up in the back of the net was off the stick of Lucas Bast at the 8:12 mark of the first period on the powerplay.
The Centenaires bounced back with a pair of goals in the second period to clinch the win.
“I was extremely pleased with our team's effort in Game 4, especially in the third period, as well as in overtime. We battled back from behind twice,” said assistant coach Derek Wagler.
“The team never let their belief slip. Our work ethic was relentless in the latter part of that game, and that’s what ultimately got it done for us.”
The Royals struggled at times to ice a full lineup during the season as players had family and work commitments, but Wagler said they have a deep bench now that they have been able to stack the roster.
“As for our depth, it’s something I’ve been raving about all year long. I’ve said many times that I believe we have the deepest team in the league. We’re able to utilize all four lines effectively, which is a huge advantage come playoff time. It allows us to keep everyone as fresh as possible and for us to get the line matchups we desire.”
Wagler added there are a few structural pieces to the Braves game, which make a big difference over 60 minutes and potentially a seven-game series.
“That will be key to our success. We’ve gone over them at length before games, during practice and gone over game film as a team. Who wants it most is always the most important. Whichever team is willing to lay it all on the line will definitely be the one to come out on top. I believe that’s going to be us.”
Public Skating
Join Oxford’s Active Transportation Advisory Committee for free public skating during March Break.
Friday, March 20 | 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Plattsville Arena
Enjoy complimentary hot chocolate and freshly-made popcorn, or take a spin on the pedal-powered smoothie bike. The first 50 participants will also get a goodie bag.
Royals goalie Andrew Masters continues to lead the league statistically in the postseason. He has a 1.33 goals-against average, a .956 save percentage and four shutouts. No other netminder has more than one.
Game 5 goes Friday night in Seaforth at 8 p.m., with Game 6 on Saturday in Tavistock at 7:30 p.m. Game 7, if necessary, is set for Tuesday, March 17, in Seaforth at 9 p.m.
U11 Titans Earn 3–1 Road Win
Royals centre Deven Kropf (17) prepares for a faceoff during Tavistock’s 2-1 loss in Seaforth on Saturday night. The Royals bounced back Sunday with a 5-4 overtime win at home to tie the semi-final series at two wins each
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Hunter Jackson of the Tavistock Titans U11 team makes a save on the way to a 3-1 win while teammate Liam Schumm looks on. The game was played at the Embro Arena last weekend.
(MARYANNE JACKSON PHOTO)
PJHL Roundup: Wild start to Doherty Division semi-finals
LEE GRIFFI Gazette Reporter
If the first week of semi-final action is any indication of the entertainment value of the two series, fans are in for one heck of a ride.
Tavistock leads Wellesley 3-0 while Woodstock and Norwich were tied at a win apiece before Wednesday night’s game after the Gazette’s deadline in Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) playoff action.
The Braves took a commanding lead after a 4-2 win on home ice Tuesday. Keegan Metcalf scored the game-winning goal with three and a half minutes remaining in the third. He also scored the game-tying marker and assisted on Yann Raskin’s second-period goal.
Metcalf, a New Hamburg native, was acquired from the Firebirds just after the midway point of the season. Tavistock captain Marc Dionne said he’d rather have the veteran forward on his team than lining up against him.
“He’s one of those guys you hate to play against because he’s so gritty and so good. That’s why I was excited to get him. I knew the exact playoff mindset he had and the way he worked. He’s the exact type of player we needed on this team.”
Dionne added Metcalf is a positive influence on and off the ice, and he has forgiven any past transgressions.
“He’s an amazing guy in the locker room and on the ice. Hating him for four years; it's definitely been a big swing, loving him as much as I do after that. He’s meshed so well in the locker room and he was very mature coming in.”
Metcalf was a big part of New Hamburg’s deep playoff run last season and picked up 12 points in 29 games. So far this postseason, he has 13 points in seven games.
Tavistock coach Zac Berg said the team brought Metcalf in for a reason.
“We were very aware of the player we were bringing in. He’s a playoff guy and does whatever it takes for us every night. I couldn’t be happier for him and he’s done wonders for our team.”
Carson Bernhardt, who had a chance to finish off in Wellesley on Wednesday night, added an empty net goal for Tavistock.
The Braves outshot the Applejacks 46-27. Wellesley took a 2-1 lead late in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Jake L’Heureux while Dimitri Eleftheriadis was serving a double minor for kneeing.
Berg said despite the potential shift in momentum after giving up a shorthanded goal, his team remained focused.
“We never quit, we are never out of a game and we know we have the offence to come back in any situation. The first game we were down three goals and scored six unanswered goals to win that one.”
Ethan Stover was in on all three Tavistock goals in Game 2 on Saturday night, scoring twice and adding an assist in a 3-1 win. Stover gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with just three seconds left in the first period and added an empty net marker late in the third to seal the victory.
Keegan Metcalf gave the Braves a 2-0 lead with his second-period goal before Riley Noble scored for the Applejacks to cut the lead in half. Wellesley was outshot 16-4 in the third period and 37-31 overall.
The two teams combined for 106 penalty minutes, the majority of which came with eight seconds remaining. Tavistock’s Evan Palubeski squared off against Wellesley’s Spencer Davidson and a total of five 10-minute misconducts were handed out. The Braves went zero for 10 on the powerplay while the Applejacks were scoreless in seven opportunities.
Game 1 was a much different affair as Tavistock rallied back from a 5-2 deficit to earn a 9-6 win.
Tyler Brezynskie scored the game-winning goal from captain Marc Dionne at the 12:30 mark of the third period. Ryan McKellar added a shorthanded insurance marker four minutes later to push the lead to 8-5 before the teams traded goals.
Keaton Bartlett and Metcalf led the Braves offence with two goals and two assists each, with Raksin, Stover,
Jacob Reid-Brant and Carter Arseneau adding two points each. Bartlett sits 10th among all playoff scorers and tied among all PJHL defencemen with 14 points.
Woodstock took Game 1 of their series with Norwich by a 3-2 score in front of over 1,000 fans at Southwood Arena. It ended in dramatic fashion as Cooper Vickerman found the back of the net with less than one second remaining in the third period on a three-way passing play involving Charley Barnes and Michael Lee.
The Navy Vets jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the 11:54 mark of the second period. The Merchants tied it up with a pair of markers in the third, setting the stage for Vickerman’s heroics.
Norwich took Game 2 with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory. Kyle Arthur scored twice as the Navy Vets had a 2-1 lead by the 2:19 mark of the third period. The Merchants tied it up 23 seconds later and scored the winner a few minutes after that.
Norwich packed 700 fans into the town’s community centre and outshot Woodstock 34-23.
Park Improvement Project Spring 2026
$200,000
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Wilmot’s proposed tax rate in context
The Editor:
Municipal councils in the Gazette’s various reading areas are getting close to final decisions about their 2026 tax bills.
Wilmot seems to be an outlier in terms of its tax rate –9.1 per cent in 2026, following on the heels of 18.2 per cent in 2025. Huge pattern!
Wilmot continues to be dependent on residential and agricultural properties and lacks the offsetting support of commercial industrial and institutional sources found in comparable, fiscally secure municipalities – those of similar size and settlement areas.
A comparable municipality is Strathroy-Caradoc. Some numbers from 2024:
Wilmot
Strathroy
Population: 21,429 23,871
Five-Year Growth: 4.3% 14.4%
# of private dwellings: 8,131 9,982
Property taxation: $10,148,974 $22,162,208
Total revenues: $24,105,143 $62,959,271
# on council: 6 9
# of CAOs: 1 + Deputy 1
CAO salary: $225,368 $171,600
Economic development officer: 0 1
Look at the huge difference in property taxation and
revenues. Strathroy has more than two times the property tax revenue, almost three times the total revenues. Strathroy has, over the years, worked hard to attract and keep a variety of businesses. Strathroy has economic stability; Wilmot not so much. Why?
There has been a lack of leadership investigating the reasons for this paucity of development and implementing solutions in Wilmot. There is a stubborn corporate culture of, “We maintain the current direction; we do things the same ways we’ve always done them.”
I suggest that entrepreneurs are hesitant to locate in or expand in Wilmot due to policies and practices that create barriers to development. It’s too expensive, too laborious with procedural obstacles and too time consuming to locate a business in Wilmot. It’s easier and cheaper to locate just across the Wilmot line.
Wilmot will continue in economic doldrums and continue to require large tax hikes which impact not just residential and agricultural taxpayers, but also those businesses existent in Wilmot – for now, unless there is a change of direction.
Strathroy-Caradoc has a director of economic development and community engagement. Wilmot still does not. Wilmot hired a deputy CAO, but not an economic development officer. The same old empire building has to stop.
Wilmot, somewhere it is rumoured, has a report for internal “corporate communication,” but never did request a report for community engagement and participation in decision making because a senior staff administrator changed council’s direction following the First Peoples Group recommendation to engage citizens. Wilmot does not have a community engagement strategy, nor an economic growth plan, nor anyone to direct it!
Suggestions:
1) Council needs to serve a notice of motion in March 2026 and then pass a motion directing staff to immediately change the 2026 budget from purchasing brand new dump and pickup trucks to a fleet leasing program. Anticipated savings – 75 per cent.
2) Instead of purchasing, at a cost of $831,000, lease. Use annual savings to hire a full-time economic development and community engagement officer.
3) Conduct a council directed review of all Wilmot policies, practices, procedures that are obstacles to development of commercial industrial institutional development.
There’s a municipal election on Oct. 26.
Respectfully submitted, Barry Wolfe, Baden
An English landscape painter living in Tavistock?
VINTAGE VIEWS
By Tim Mosher Tavistock and District Historical Society
Why would an English-born landscape painter, who lived a short train ride from London, with a population of 7.8 million in 1924, move to live and work in Tavistock with a population of about 1,000 at this time? The market for his landscape paintings was infinitely smaller here but Reginald Franklin Selfe (the “e” is silent) chose to make the village his home for the last 36 years of his life.
This is a mystery that remains to this day, which I tried to solve in 1994 when I was a student at the University of Guelph researching Selfe's life and work. I'd heard about him and had seen a few of his paintings while growing up in Tavistock, but it appeared that no in-depth research had been done on this enigmatic figure.
The final result was contacting numerous owners of Selfe's paintings and very interestingly, interviewing many of the older residents around town and beyond to discover what they remembered about Mr. Selfe and recording it all in a thick binder in prose and photos. Sadly, almost all of my interview subjects of 34 years ago are now deceased.
Reg Selfe was born in 1888 and spent his early years in Guilford, a small town southwest of London, England. He attended primary school with two children of an English family who had lived in Tavistock, Ont. (not to be confused with Tavistock, England), Fred and Ralph Hotson. (Fred was the subject of the Vintage Views article #22, Oct. 30, 2025, when at age 17 he won the Canadian National Oratorical contest in 1927).
The Hotsons had previously operated a shoe store in Tavistock and returned to Guilford for a short time and told Selfe about life in Canada.
Post World War I, England was in an economic slump and unemployment was high. The New World beckoned, so 36-year-old Selfe accompanied the Hotsons when they moved back to Tavistock in January 1924 on the steamship Pittsburg.
Hugh Hotson set up his shoe store again in the present-day location of Josslin Insurance in Tavistock and Selfe's first studio was Jack Lemp's photo studio, today a private apartment behind the for-
illustrating certificates and the like). Thirty years later, in 1960, when Reeve Robert Rudy and his wife, Helen, visited the town, they noticed the colourful certificate hanging in the council chambers in this 1,000-year-old community in Devon. A second illumination was commissioned to congratulate the aforementioned Fred Hotson for winning first prize in a Dominion-wide speech contest.
mer Lemp's Pharmacy next door to Josslin's. Selfe moved from a land of ancient cobbled, winding streets, tea and crumpets to the long, arrow-straight concessions, rich farmland and sauerkraut and kuchen of Tavistock – mid-winter!
John ‘Jack' Lemp, local pharmacist and photographer, was Selfe's first sponsor (the Lemp Studio Collection of 4,000 negatives forms the basis of this series of articles). Selfe first resided with Jack's parents in their spacious Italianate home at 218 Woodstock St. N. Over the decades, Selfe lived above the Glasgow Warehouse (presently Home Hardware) and boarded at about eight locations around the village.
The Waldies and Schipplings became close friends as did Fred Schaefer and Fred Funk, who took hand-lettering and design lessons from Selfe, which Funk used throughout his career decorating local homes. Shortly after arriving, Selfe found employment in Stratford as the Tavistock Gazette noted in the May 1, 1924 edition. He was contracted for "all poster and card painting in connection with advertising for the Classic Theatre."
Three weeks after arriving, Selfe purchased a small advertisement in the Gazette noting that "The Tavistock School of Art" was now open and ready for students to enroll. He listed services both as a fine artist (mostly with oil paints and watercolours) and as a commercial artist (primarily hand lettering and graphic design).
Over the decades, Selfe had innumerable art students of all ages, sometimes in groups but also oneto-one. The Kalbfleisch Furniture store (later Francis) in Tavistock became a pseudo-gallery for him as they allowed Selfe to hang large oils there for sale.
During Selfe's first few years after he arrived, he was actively involved in the civic life of Tavistock, judging various competitions. He also won the local chamber of commerce contest to write a slogan for the village: "Tavistock is our town. Make it yours."
Selfe was hired by the town council to hand-illuminate a special greeting addressed to the people of Tavistock, England (illumination is an ancient skill
Lemp's photo studio was an ideal location for Selfe's first atelier, where he painted mostly landscapes and gave art lessons. Here, he took advantage of the east-facing, large skylight that Mr. Lemp also used to light innumerable people, products and poultry over several decades.
Selfe found rented accommodations on the upper floor of the Glasgow Warehouse (today's Home Hardware) and over the years boarded with several families in Tavistock, the longest was for 14 years with Fred and Anna Funk on Jacob Street, where he lived, taught and received clients from as far away as Toronto. Fred Funk was a travelling salesman and so he had many business contacts around the province, which proved beneficial for Selfe.
Apart from Ontario landscapes, Selfe painted a few portraits, still life subjects, seascapes, pastoral scenes and scenes of old Britain usually using oil paints, but he was a particularly skilled watercolourist. The watercolour technique is more difficult than oil painting because, in part, it has a mind of its own as gravity pulls the water down the stiff paper surface, whereas oil paints are very thick and don't usually move on their own once applied to the traditional stretched canvas surface.
Selfe's business card notes the letters "B.W.S." following his name, as he was a member of the British Watercolour Society.
Another love of Selfe's was plein air painting (working outdoors) where, at first, friends would drop him off in the early days by horse and carriage. Later, he became a familiar sight during warm weather cycling out of town to Harmony, Punkydoodle's Corner, New Hamburg and the local pastures and forests to paint, sometimes camping overnight.
Otto Wilker recalled to me in 1994 that his father (and others) delivered food and cut tobacco to Selfe at his campsites. By the late 1940s, Selfe acquired a second-hand 1930 Ford Model A and despite the wheels being humorously out of alignment, he ventured to Haysville, Elora, Bala, Muskoka and Georgian Bay, taking his paints and a tent. Selfe was often joined by friends and his art students but oddly, he never learned to drive himself; someone
Selfe's winning slogan for the village was used in a variety of places, including this large sign on the north edge of Tavistock. The author is on the left and his sister, Lori, on the right. Note the population of Tavistock, behind, in 1967 when my mother took this photo.
else always took the wheel.
Part two: Be sure to read the end of Selfe's story in two weeks. Then, I'll reveal a very strange thing about his grave that remains so, after visiting it in Guildford, England in 2007.
The last History Mystery: was published on Jan. 22. "What rare physical ailment does one of the people posing have?" The answer
will be revealed in the next Vin
tage Views article.
This article's History Mystery: What detail is artificial in the setup of things in the main photo with this article? The first reader to answer this correctly will have their name and community or rural route number published in the next edition. Email your answer to me at tim_mosher@hotmail.com.
-
This formal posed portrait was taken in 1925 by 'Jack' Lemp in his photo studio in Tavistock, which he shared as a studio with Reginald Selfe. This oil painting has never been found.
This is a rare view of the back of Lemp's Pharmacy showing the combined photo studio/painting atelier of Selfe's. The two girls at the fountain are Mr. Lemp's daughters. Anna 'Girlie' Lemp took this painting to Texas where she lived.
(PHOTO BY 'JACK' LEMP)
(PHOTO COURTESY OF JEANNE AND RONALD WETTLAUFER)
(PHOTO BY ELEANOR MOSHER)
Daylight savings tyranny: Time to end the time change
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
By Galen Simmons
How is it that six years after we collectively agreed Daylight Savings Time should be abolished – and a private member’s bill was passed in the Ontario Legislature that would do just that if Quebec and New York followed suit – I’m still losing an hour of sleep every spring?
While British Columbians have just changed their clocks for the last time, Ontario continues to force us to abide by this outdated, wartime energy-saving measure that pushes our clocks forward by an hour in the spring and back by an hour in the fall to better align our waking hours with the sun’s.
Though this measure may have saved candle wax when Benjamin Franklin first proposed it in the 1800s, I’m pretty sure the power grid can handle my LED lights for that extra hour in the winter.
Anyone who woke up on Monday feeling they were cheated by their alarm can attest Daylight Savings Time can only do more harm than good – especially since it doesn’t actually accomplish what it was originally meant for.
After losing that hour Sunday morning and sleeping later than I had hoped (but not really because of the time change), I found myself awake until the wee hours of Monday morning. Then, when I finally fell asleep, it felt like I’d only just closed my eyes before the alarm went off and I had
to hit the snooze button 15 times before I could physically force myself out of bed.
Like many, my morning coffee simply wasn’t strong enough and everything I did that day was weighed down by fatigue and mental fog. Luckily, I spent the day at my home office, editing and writing as I normally do on a Monday, so my struggle was contained within the four walls of my house.
But there are so many others out there who don’t have that luxury – may of whom need to drive either to get to work or as part of their job. Imagine that; millions of tired eyes on the road, just two of which could close for a second to tragic effect.
This arbitrary danger is something we, as a society, have come to accept twice a year, every year, even though there’s so much research on why we shouldn’t. The time change – especially in the spring, but also in the fall – disrupts our natural circadian rhythm, reducing both the quality and quantity of our sleep.
In the days that follow, that sleep disruption has proven to lead to more risk for heart attacks and strokes, increased vehicular and workplace accidents, negative impacts on our mental health, and reduced productivity and concentration.
Is it really worth putting people’s lives at stake just because someone somewhere thinks our federal government workers in both Ottawa and Hull need to be on the same clock and the timing of both the New York and Toronto stock exchanges need to be aligned to the exact minute?
I don’t think so, which is why, starting today, I will no longer abide by Daylight Savings Time. Sure, I might be an hour early or an hour late to my meetings, and it may be next to impossible to meet deadlines or even keep my job, but it’s the principle of the matter.
If everyone follows my lead, then maybe our governments will take notice and stop messing with our clocks.
Editor’s note: The author of this article will, in fact, continue to uphold his obligations and responsibilities in accordance with the clock of the day. He was only trying to be funny.
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Fabric frequency: Are you curious or is it just cooky?
HEAPS OF HEALTHY TIPS
By Mercedes Kay Gold
Everything is energy. Positivity can change our vibration and be beneficial on a cellular level.
The key to thriving is lowering inflammation throughout the body. A nutrient-dense diet, sleep, limiting bad habits and stress are all well-documented, but what about the happy and hokey habits often scoffed on social media? Would you be open to wearing crystals and semiprecious stones? What about burning incense and diffusing essential oils?
Self-care is body-boosting wellness inside and out. What if I told you clothing can support or sabotage energy? Are you crazy enough to read clothing labels just in case?
Think of clothes in the closet
as the food in the fridge. The Standard American Diet, better known by the acronym, SAD, is over-processed, lacking literally all nutrients. Like low-quality food, fast fashion lacks value, leaving you in a low vibration. We are what we eat, wear and think about day in and out. Natural fabrics emit frequencies, and some higher than others. Consciously choosing which fabrics to wear takes on a new wholistic meaning.
In 2003, Heidi Yellen conducted a study on fabric frequencies. The frequency measurements were taken using an Ag-Environ machine. In short, we humans have a frequency ranging from 70-100 MHz, but lower in those who are sick. Dr. Yellen
concluded that cloth with higher frequencies were health helpers.
Even though the study was not accepted universally by the scientific community, it’s food for thought. Various religions mention textiles in ancient text, and after reading modern-day research, it makes sense to this holistic guru. Natural fabrics are ancestral. We are increasingly aware of the importance of what we feed the body; shouldn’t our wardrobe support mind, body and spirit as well?
In a world of recycle and renew, clothes are increasingly made from synthetic fabrics. Yes, we need to find a way to reuse all those water bottles, but look at the fabrics produced. Polyester, spandex, acrylic, viscose, rayon and nylon are all manmade. They don’t emit any frequency fabulousness. Polyester and Rayon score 15 while the rest are zero. Why? These fabrics are made from petroleum-based substances. Toxic.
Once washed, your favourite yoga pants shed micro-plastics. Keep in mind, skin is our largest organ and absorbs everything. BPA’s and PFAS’s, two scary chemicals used in manufacturing
plastics, have also been found in lots of your favourite athletic brands. Sweating is the goal of physical activity but moisture on the skin acts like a sponge. This is great when we are applying chemical-free skincare lines to lock in moisture, but dangerous regarding damp gym attire.
Which fabrics are fantastic?
Mother Nature has provided first-class fabrics, but choosing organic is a bigger win.
Linen is all-over love, measuring the highest at 5,000 MHz.
Wool, and alpaca wool, winter’s favorite warmups also top the chart at 5,000 MHz.
Hemp is the real deal inside and out of the body. Besides being a phenomenal plant-based protein and healthy fat, clothes made of hemp are scoring like linen and wool.
Cashmere is ultrachic, cozy and 100 MHz on the frequency scale.
Cotton is 70 MHz and organic cotton raises the bar, ringing in at a whopping 100 MHz. Ditching chemicals helps eliminate endocrine disruptors.
Bamboo is gaining momentum and measuring somewhere between 60-120 MHz depending
Getting ready for the spring market
REAL ESTATE ADVICE
By Isabel Livingston
We know that the spring is one of the most popular times to list your home for sale. Gone is the nasty weather, the cold days and the holiday season. So, as you prepare for the spring market and listing your home, let this help guide you to what is actually important for the sale of your home.
No matter the reasoning, letting go of a home can be an emotional experience. The same applies to buying a home. Buyers want to feel at home; they want to envision themselves living in your home. For this reason, curb appeal and first impressions are so important. You have seven seconds to get their interest and then an
additional 23 seconds to make a first impression. Think about visuals, smells and ease. These are the three areas we are going to touch on today.
First is visuals. Your home needs to present well visually for a prospective buyer to feel like it could be their home. Decluttering personal items will achieve 50 per cent of this goal. Less is more and things like family photos and bold decor and artwork can sometimes distract from the home itself.
Eliminating bright and bold paint colours is another way to allow the space to feel more neutral (no pun intended). Lighter colours create the illusion of more open and larger spaces. On that note, no one wants to buy a dark home. Changing any burnt-out light bulbs to allow for ample light in your home is a great way to boost appeal.
Creating a great-smelling environment is a sure way to invite buyers in. Everyone likes to be around things that smell nice. A nice deep clean when getting ready to list your home has many benefits. (Bonus tip, cleaning out/decluttering your closets/ cabinets is a great way to show off storage space.)
Aside from a deep clean, lighting a candle an hour before showings or having wall fresheners plugged in is a great option. I love to encourage sellers to crack a window or two on a nice sunny or warm day, prompting fresh air to enter the space.
(Side note: do not do this on a cold day;
there is nothing worse than walking into a cold home).
When it comes to ease, here is what I mean. Any tedious little repairs or touchups you have been putting off; now is the time to do them. Create a move-in ready space where buyers won't have to worry about fixing that squeaky door or those loose handles.
My last tip is to find a qualified and trusted real estate agent to help guide you towards your goals with success. Take your time and interview your agent before deciding to work with them. You are hiring
on the quality of the panda bear’s favorite snack.
Silk, the stunning shiny fabric, makes the list but comes in low at just 15 MHz.
Everything affects our health, and with so many things out of our control, this natural health expert advocates levelling up where we can.
Speaking of fabrics, one more way to boost body benefits is choosing floor coverings in the same fibres. Walking bare feet on wool rugs is earthing indoors. Think of the feel-good vibes after walking on the sand. Barefoot walking on natural surfaces reduces cortisol, the stress hormone, and in turn decreases inflammation throughout the body.
One more tip; sleep and shower with organic cotton and bamboo, an up-and-comer in fabrics. No need to throw out all the manmade fabrics. Just reuse, replace and renew your wardrobe. Look for fabulous fun finds at MCC New Hamburg Thrift Centre. Nothing beats wool sweaters knit by hand. Look to Mother Nature first –time tested and true tips and tricks for supporting overall health.
them to do a job; you want to make sure you are going to be satisfied with everything they are going to do.
After all, it’s not just putting a sign in the ground. How are they going to promote your home and get it sold.
If nothing else, I hope you have a wonderful day and a fabulous week! For any questions or article suggestions please reach out at 226-232-4236 or isabel.livingston@century21.ca.
Isabel Livingston is a sales representative with Century 21 Heritage House Ltd., Brokerage.
Ottawa offers superb options for food-lovers
OH, THE PLACES
WE'LL GO
By Paul Knowles
Let’s be honest, Ottawa is to the rest of Canada what a very spoiled child is to the rest of the family. Ottawa gets way more than its share of good stuff, from museums to art galleries to arts venues and more. It’s the nation’s capital, the centre of the country, and it shows.
Now, while that may irk taxpayers looking for cross-country fairness, it’s really good news for tourists visiting Ottawa. In truth, this is one of my favourite cities.
I love the art galleries and museums, the intriguing architecture in the federal government district, the walking areas along the river, the history and most definitely the food. Ottawa is, without question, a destination for “foodies” with a plethora of restaurants offering unique and delicious cuisine.
On our last visit to Ottawa, we were able to sample two of the best eateries in the city: Gitanes, at 361 Elgin St., and Arlo Wine & Restaurant, 340 Somerset St. W. Both have been named among Canada’s top 10 restaurants. Since we were staying at the downtown Alt Hotel, both were within easy walking distance.
The Gitanes experience is defined as “fine French dining in Ottawa’s Golden Triangle.” There are two themes here: a superb wine cellar and French cuisine that features Canadian ingredients – a marriage made in foodie heaven.
The two restaurants have one thing in common – absolutely superb service. The staff are welcoming, friendly and have somehow combined being attentive and unobtrusive at the same time – no mean feat. Our waiter started to present the wine list and then said, “Maybe you’d like to meet the sommelier.” So, we did. Sommelier Bernard Joseph was a gold mine of information and advice and eventually delivered to our table a bottle of Chateau HautSegottes Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2018. I could pretend to know how special that is, but all I really know is it was delicious.
And it paired beautifully with our meals. Between us, we enjoyed Steak Frites (a specialty of the house), a moules and sausage appetizer, a lamb saddle and focaccia bread. Dessert was a
Basque cheesecake and (unlikely as this sounds) an absolutely delicious foie gras sundae. Every bite demanded we savour. It was, in short, a beautiful meal, unique and well presented. The starters were mainly priced at $23 to $28; the mains ranged from $40 to $50. There is a $105 tasting menu.
The next evening, after we had spent much of the day strolling the inviting streets of Ottawa, we dined at Arlo. The co-owner and chef is Jamie Stunt; our host, restaurant manager Simon Hodgson, told us chef Stunt has “deep roots” in the Ottawa region. His seasonal menu has been described as “playful and refined.”
That also describes the restaurant, itself. One description of the place says, “Arlo feels like a dinner party at a stylish friend’s home.” That’s pretty accurate. When we visited, the place was full, and yet – wonder of wonders – not one person was on a cell phone. People were enjoying food, drink and conversation, not necessarily in that order.
Arlo is known for a wine list thar features rare and unique natural wines, so I was looking forward to a glass of something special. But to my surprise, Hodgson told me they also feature some special beers from time to time; he had checked my bio, and discovered that I occasionally write about breweries, and so had brought in a bottle of a “Cantillon Drogon Lambic,” a rare Belgian
sour beer. I decided to be polite and sample it – and then continued to sample until the 750-millimetre bottle was empty. Now, that is exceptional service!
For dinner, our starters were a cucumber and melon salad (which was a work of visual art), and scallop tartare, perfect with the beer. Our mains were schnitzel and Caesar, and duck frites. I had finished off the Cantillon Drogon Lambic and found that a Cotes du Rhone wine went well with duck. Or, with just about anything, for that matter. The starters at Arlo range in price from $24 to $27; the mains, from $40 to $48.
I love the motto on the bottom of the Arlo menu: “be excellent to each other.” Good advice.
Does Ottawa deserve to be listed among the top “foodie” destinations in the country? Without question. And frankly, if you compare prices with some more run-of-the-mill restaurants, you’ll find the quality and superb service at eateries like Gitanes and Arlo make for very good value. Our thanks to Sarah and Vlad of Ottawa Tourism who arranged our very tasty visit.
One quick recommendation: after dinner in Ottawa, make your way to a restaurant called the Rabbit Hole (and yes, you should eat there on another evening).
But tonight, your destination is the “secret” speakeasy called the Jackalope hidden below the main restaurant. There, the bartender will craft a unique drink matched to your tastes. You have to ask at the door of the Rabbit Hole, and you will be escorted to the speakeasy, if there is room. Tell ‘em Paul sent you.
Paul Knowles is an author and travel writer, and past president of the Travel Media Association of Canada. To contact Paul about travel, his books, or speaking engagements, email pknowles@ golden.net.
(PAUL KNOWLES PHOTO) Gitanes sommelier Bernard Joseph.
Gitanes features French cuisine using local ingredients.
At Arlo, it's all about food and conversation – no one was on their phone!
The manager at Arlo had brought in a special beer just for this writer!
Experts agree winter was colder, snowier
SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO OUTDOORS
By Jeff Helsdon
Those who believe the weather this winter was more like the winters of days gone by would be correct.
“It has been colder and snowier than normal, but many would say it’s just a classic Canadian winter. It’s the way winter used to be,” said Doug Gillham, senior meteorologist at the Weather Network.
He admitted winters like the present one are less common, but pointed out 2022 was comparable, and last winter was cold, but not for as long. The winters
of 2023 and 2024, however, were milder.
“Winters like this have become less common,” Gilham said.
January thaws are common, but this year saw the thaw in the second week of January rather than in the middle of a cold spell, followed by consistent cold from Jan. 18 until mid-February with the exception of temperatures crossing the freezing line on Feb. 10.
Two cold winters after a couple of mild ones spark debate over
Next exit: Big night out
whether climate change is occurring. Gilham explained warming global temperatures have moved the “goal posts” where warm winters will be warmer and cold winters not as cold as they once were.
“It certainly doesn’t mean you can’t have a classic Canadian winter. It just means they won’t happen as often and be as severe,” he explained.
Environment Canada meteorologist Steven Flisfeder said December was two to three degrees below seasonal medians, as was January. February was colder than normal, but warmer weather at the end of the month pushed it closer to normal.
Saying he didn’t have great data, Flisfeder noted it did show more snow this winter, with areas closer to Lake Erie getting more snowfall.
Another way to look at the data is the number of cold weather alerts issued by Southwestern
Public Health. There were six issued from January to March 2025, but 10 were issued in January and February 2026. The threshold for cold weather alerts is -15˚C without windchill, or -20˚C with wind chill.
Examining this year’s weather from a technical perspective, a weak La Nina currently in the Pacific Ocean generated a wavier jet stream pattern over North America. Gilham explained this can make southern Ontario winters either warmer or colder. This year, it disrupted the polar vortex, allowing the coldest air in the hemisphere to move over eastern Canada and farther south. Low temperature records were broken all the way down to Cuba.
The situation in western Canada was different.
“At times, the prairies were severely cold, but also had record-breaking warmth,” Gilham said. “They had a temperature roller coaster.”
The south coast of British Columbia didn’t get much of a winter at all.
After the two mild winters in 2023 and 2024, some southwestern Ontario residents may have felt a false sense of complacency, that winter isn’t as bad as it used to be, believing they don’t need snow tires anymore, and making other wrong assumptions. Or, likewise, with the last two winters being cold, they may assume cold winters are back to stay.
With two cold winters under our belts, Gilham said not to make assumptions about next year. He again emphasized not to make conclusions about climate change either.
“You can’t take one season in your particular area and say it proves or disproves climate change,” he said. “Globally, it is warmer overall. You have to look at the big picture long term when you’re talking about the state of the global climate.”
SATURDAY, MARCH 14
Optimist Club of Wilmot's St. Patrick's Day Craft and Gift Sale
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Over 35 vendor tables. Proceeds go to supporting youth in our community. Wilmot Recreation Complex, 1291 Nafziger Rd, Baden
TUESDAY, MARCH 17
Perth East council meeting
7 p.m. Council chambers 25 Mill Street East, Milverton
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
Community Care Concepts Lunch and Fellowship
12 p.m.
Please register by Mar 13 by calling 519-6641900 or Toll Free: 1-855-664-1900. Wilmot Recreation Complex, 1291 Nafziger Rd, Baden East Zorra-Tavistock Council meeting
7 p.m.
Council Chambers 89 Loveys Street East, Hickson
SATURDAY, MARCH 21
Oxford Philatelic Society OXPEX & OTEX
2026 Stamp Show
9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Free admission and parking. Framed and Judged exhibits, Stamp dealers, youth gift bags, Sales Circuit, draw prizes. Contact: dhfe@silomail.com Web: http://www.rpsc.org/chapters/oxford St. Mary's Catholic High School, 431 Juliana Drive, Woodstock Pruning Workshop with Mike Yost
1-3 p.m.
Free event. All aspects of tree pruning –equipment, safety, when & how to prune
TUESDAY, MARCH 24
"LIFE WORTH LIVING"
7 p.m.
The one-hour film was produced by Woodstock native, Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of Euthanasia Prevention Coalition and will be followed by a Q & A session with Alex. Admission is free. For more information, please email info@ oxfordcountyrighttolife.com
Please register by Mar 20 by calling 519-6641900 or Toll Free: 1-855-664-1900. Linwood Community Centre, 5279 Ament Line, Linwood Community Solar Forum
6:30 - 9 p.m.
A collaborative discussion featuring local stakeholders & experts. Free admission. Wilmot Recreation Complex, 1291 Nafziger Rd, Baden
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
The Nith Valley EcoBoosters are hosting another Repair Café
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Skilled volunteer fixers will be on hand for mechanical, woodworking, sewing, mending, knitting, crocheting, jewelry and book repairs. Contact us at: nvebrepaircafe@gmail.com or check out www.nvecoboosters.com
Zion United Church, 215 Peel St., New Hamburg
SATURDAY, MARCH 28 CON'T
Optimist Club of Wilmot's Easter Egg Hunt Registration starts at 10:30 a.m. Hunt starts at 11 a.m.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 CON'T
Tavistock Community Health(T.C.H.I.) annual meeting
7 p.m.
New board members are needed. Please Contact Frank Meconi at 519-655-2178 or email fameconi@rogers.com. Everyone welcome.
Tavistock Men’s Club Hall 78 Woodstock St N, Tavistock
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Swing into Spring - Craft Sale
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Free admission
Morningside Adult Community Off Hwy 8 at Bleams & Bergy, New Hamburg
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
Wellesley Council meeting
6:45 p.m.
Council chambers
4805 William Hastings Line, Crosshill WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
Community Care Concepts Lunch and Fellowship
12 p.m.
Please register by April 10 by calling 519-664-1900 or Toll Free: 1-855-664-1900 Wilmot Rec Complex, 1291 Nafziger Rd, Baden
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22
Community Care Concepts Lunch and Fellowship
12 p.m.
Please register by April 17 by calling 519-664-1900 or Toll Free: 1-855-664-1900 Linwood Community Centre, 5279 Ament Line, Linwood
MORNING & EVENING BIBLE READING
Read the Bible in a Year in Community Morning meeting 6:00 a.m. daily
EVERY WEDNESDAY CON'T
Wednesday Night Euchre at the New Hamburg Legion
Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
65 Boulee St., New Hamburg
3RD THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH TAVISTOCK MENS CLUB MEETINGS Dinner at 6.15
No meetings in July and August
Welcome to attend. Phone: 519-655-3573 Website: tavistockmensclub.ca
78 Woodstock St N STAMP CLUB
Oxford Philatelic Society Meetings: 2nd Tuesday (2-4 p.m.) and 4th Tuesday (7 to 9 p.m.)
September to May
If you have never belonged to a stamp club, now’s the time. Meet new friends, grow your knowledge and collection.
Contact: Don Eaton dhfe@silomail.com
Website: http://www.rpsc.org/chapters/oxford Church of the Epiphany 560 Dundas Street, Woodstock Ontario N4S 1C7
FREE SENIORS ACTIVITIES
Tavistock Seniors Activities @ Tavistock Memorial Hall, 1 Adam St. Tavistock ON, except Shuffleboard
Pickleball Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon, 12-4 p.m. Contact: Don Junker 519-535-7052
Cards Monday , Wednesday afternoon 1-4 p.m., euchre, crib (bring board), etc. Just drop in to play, good to bring someone . Contact: Bob Routly 519-301-2118
Inside walking Monday & Wednesday morning 8.30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Contact: Larry Brown 519-240-6715
Crokinole Monday , Wednesday morning 8.30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Just drop in to play, good to bring someone. Contact: John Schultz
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. MonSat 7:00am to 6:00pm Martin’s Nursery, 42661 Orangehill Rd Wroxeter, ON N0G 2X0 (1 Conc. North of Wroexter on Belmore Line)
Old radios and gramophones, Wristwatches and 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
