Santa Claus pulled into Grimsby to find adoring fans lining Main Street for Grimsby’s annual parade named in his honour. For full coverage of the festivities, please turn to Pages 12-13. Loree - Photos
By Jessica Barton For NewsNow
As the Christmas season approaches, the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation is accepting donations for its annual Trees of Healthy Wishes program.
Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated, said Pamela Ellens, executive director of the WLMH Foundation.
“The campaign runs from November 15, 2025 to January 15, 2026” said Ellens.
All proceeds received throughout the campaign will be used to help with any and all equipment needs of West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.
When it comes to raising money for hospital equipment, Ellens said there is a monetary goal for the campaign for this year.
“The annual campaign goal
is $100,000.” said Ellens.
The new hospital, updated and fully functional, still requires community support for many equipment needs, so anything that can be donated is greatly appreciated.
You can even light an angel for this holiday season with larger donations.
A 24-inch angel is lit by donations between $1,000 to $1,999, and a 48-inch angel is lit by donations over $2,000.
Donations can be made by paying monthly or on a onepayment basis. The amount is up to the discretion of the donor.
Ellens expressed her gratitude to the community and wished for those who donate to know that their money is going to do wonderful things to help the community and the hospital.
“When you give to the Trees of Healthy Wishes, every dollar becomes a wish for healing, comfort, and exceptional care close to home.” said Ellens.
Whether you have someone or something in mind, your healthy wish will go a long way to support the new WLMH and the patients who will benefit from your generosity.
Donations made by the cut off date of Noon on Wednesday, Dec. 17 will be included in the NewsNows “Wishes” edition which comes out on Dec. 25th.
Contributions can be mailed to the Foundation’s office, 174 Main St. E. Grimsby, ON, L3M 1P4, dropped in at that address. or made online: wlmhfoundation. ca/ways-to-give/trees-ofhealthy-wishes/
By appointment or by chance –your home deserves the touch of experience.
ON • 905-988-3340 croftsinteriors@me.com
If you have a favourite Christmas memory, you could win a $100 gift certificate for Giant Tiger Grimsby.
If you submit your memory to NewsNow before Saturday, Dec. 20 at 4 pm., you may win a draw for one of three Giant Tiger gift certificates. Winners
will be notified that evening so prizes can be given out before Christmas.
“We like to do something fun over Christmas and some of the submissions will be published over the holidays,” said NewsNow publisher Mike Williscraft.
Submission can be 100-125 words and describe your favourite memory, whether that be of a relative, a gift or a special location.
Email entries to: mike@wn3.ca or drop them at NewsNow office, 45 Main St. West, office.
There is a mailslot
in the door for afterhours drops.
If readers happen to have a photo to go with their story, those can be submitted as well.
A selection of the entries will be published over the holiday in the Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 editions of NewsNow.
By Mike Williscraft NewsNow
Niagara, not just Grimsby, lost a true pioneer with the passing of Dorothy Hart - the Region’s first femaie police officeron Saturday, Dec. 6.
Timing was everything for Dorothy, as she outlined for a ClubWest Magazine interview in 2017 when she was being honoured by Niagara Regional Police with the naming of a training room in her honour at headquarters.
And in 1964 Dorothy Hart had that going for her when she walked into the Grimsby Police Department and applied for a job after seeing a notice in The Grimsby Independent.
“There was another person, Ray Wagner, who was also there for an interview. He asked me if I thought I would get the job. I
said, ‘There are four other girls ahead of me. No way’,” recalled Hart, while seated at her kitchen table, filled to overflowing with career memories of her life as Niagara’s first female police officer.
“The next day I got a call and the man said, ‘Officer, can you come down here and try on your uniform?”
She recollected her first call.
“It was a drunk and disorderly call. It was a really big guy and... the language!” she said.
“I came up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder. I said, “You can walk out of here with me now or you will never be allowed back in this establishment again. When he turned around, all he could talk about was that I was wearing a skirt.
He could not get over that. He just got up and we walked out, not a word, no fight. You’ve never seen such a proud officer.”
The skirt was not the only peculiar part of her uniform and
the expectation of maintaining regulations was taken very seriously.
“I got written up one time for having a run in my nylons. It was time for one of my assessments and right before that
appointment I went out on a call and there was a big fight. After I realized he put that in his report I went back in and explained. He took it out,” she said.
Another example of timing was a call that ended up playing a part in Dorothy being chosen YWCA’s Woman of The Year.
“I was on a Sunday morning radio show and a runaway called. She was pregnant and on drugs. The Niagara Falls Rotary was a sponsor and I called one of the men there,” Hart remembered.
“He did not hesitate. We put her up in an apartment and I went over regularly to check on her and work with her on getting her life in order.”
“The chief then was Don Harris and he was excellent. He allowed me take time off any time I needed to go over and take care of her.”
After 31 years as a police woman, spanning seven police chiefs, Hart retired.
Things had changed a great deal for female police officers from the time she was issued a purse in which to carry her gun and badge. Yes, a purse.
“I guess they really didn’t know what to do with me. I had used that purse for quite a while until I had had enough. I went in and demanded the same holster as the other officers. I got it,” said Hart with a smile.
Never a limelight seeker as a true pioneer in policing - Hart lived by the George Jones quote, “She stood in shadows, so others could shine”. She had a moment in the sun in the fall of 2016 at the grand opening of the new police headquarters in Niagara Falls.
A training room at the facility is named in her honour.
“That was a great surprise and something for which I am truly grateful,” she said.
Dorothy Hart was 90 years old.
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By Mike Williscraft NewsNow
Grimsby Council voted to terminate the shared fire service program with Town of Lincoln at a special meeting Dec. 3.
Consultant Rick Monkman provided a report identical to one Lincoln council received the same night which recommended the end of the program due to many shortcomings in the process.
A major difference in the conversations at the two council tables was a detailed and succinct summation of the issues dealt with and what needs to happen with any future consideration as Grimsby Deputy Fire Chief Jim Kay sees it.
The shared fire service program was to be a two-phase process which included administrative merging in Phase I, essentially with Phase II being the merger of the firefighters themselves.
Kay laid out the shortcomings which were evident from the start and, while he was not working in Grimsby for the planning stages he still took responsibility for some of the program’s failures.
“It was quite clear at the time (the start) we did not have a clear project plan and defined scope with timelines and milestones developed,” Kay told council.
“Even the oversight committee – the joint fire services committee - I believe was not set up and structured to provide the governance that would be required for both fire services to be able to initiate this joint venture.
As one example, Kay said the structure contravened the legislation.
“The Act is quite clear in our legislative requirements that there has to be a governing body. Our structure was set up so we had two governing bodies, so we were functioning independently from the get-go,” said Kay.
“The joint committee, for lack of a better word, was somewhat neutered. That led to a lack of communication. I heard that, quite frankly, a lot since I have been here.”
Kay outlined what needed to be done should a second run at a shared fire service be considered:
• Establish proper governance and reporting structure before the pilot begins “That would be that joint fire services committee, and empower them to have the hiring/firing, budgeting; none of those concepts were incorporated with the (past) joint committee.”;
• Set clear, measurable KPIs;
• Collect baseline data and track the success or the failures;
• Engage all stakeholders early, including the firefighters;
• Define an equitable model for sharing resources, responsibilities and benefits;
• Develop a detailed operational plan. “This would be tracked by the shared fire service, the governing body. Without those kinds of details, there really was no regular reporting going back.”;
• Communicate regularly with council, staff and the public;
• We would monitor and evaluate
Grimsby Fire recently promoted five of its long-serving firefighters to the rank of lieutenant. Taking part in the ceremony were: (L to R) District Chief Don Sherren, Lt. Ryan Newton, Lt. John Appelman, Lt. Andy Medwid, Lt. Mike Ostaszewicz, District Chief Jim Taylor, Lt. Aaron Crawford.
progress quarterly and with some flexibility to adjust along the way;
• Establish and exit strategy.
“The process we’re going through today is a little clunky because there was no exit strategy developed,” said Kay.
“Really, it is a tale of two towns. We both have fire services but Lincoln is a cluster of four former municipalities with a large rural setting – 169 sq kms. Grimsby is 69 sq kms and we’re somewhat of a suburban area. The call volume and population density are totally different. So, the service model we were hoping to develop would have to take those differences into consideration. It was a generic plan that was set up to fail from the beginning.”
While Coun. Veronica Charrois pointed to Grimsby’s CAO at the time, Harry Schlange, and some members of the previous council, Kay said he takes some of the
blame, as well.
“Any lack of leadership certainly happened on my watch, but the responsibility lies in the governance and execution or the executive leadership structures, so those who were in charge and those who were driving the project, but how it was set up to begin with played a very important role,” he said.
Mayor Jeff Jordan said, in the prior term, little feedback came to council.
“The members on the board (last term) really never gave council any update. They stuck with the former CAO and ran it as their own little endeavour and, really, the full of council was never informed how it was moving forward. We were basically kept in the dark,” said Jordan.
Council voted 8-1, Coun. Jacob Baradziej dissented, to shut down the program and go back to individual fire services.
By Mike Williscraft NewsNow
While Lincoln Council voted to terminate its shared fire service agreement with Grimsby at a special meeting Dec. 3, it did not see the endeavour as a total loss.
CAO Mike Kirkopoulous told council some important lessons were learned and, as consultant Lyle Quan noted in his recommendations, another run at a shared fire service could be successful - if better planned.
“The pilot has provided us with some valuable insights on how municipalities can collaborate. We remain deeply committed to shared priorities with our partners and I think I would go so far as to say that the whole notion of shared fire services can work, but it does require an appropriate partner and it requires a willingness to do so,” said Kirkopoulos.
“Taking a step back and evaluating and, potentially, looking at something in the future is something Mr. Quan and his team also recommended. Right now, it may not work, but moving forward it is something we could explore and look at in the future.”
Lincoln Fire Chief Greg Hudson agreed with Kirkopoulos’ sentiments.
“I wouldn’t necessarily categorize our experience as unsuccessful, but perhaps the outcome was not what we expected at the outset. I do want to emphasize that there have been a number of positive things that have been derived
from this experience,” said Hudson.
Quan outlined some of the issues faced by the shared service program’s structure, but an underlying factor in virtually all facets of the plan was the lack of key performance indicators (KPIs).
Simply, no measurables were put in place to help assess the progress of the program.
Because of that hindrance, Phase I of the two-phase plan was hampered considerably, communication was weak to non-existent and Phase II was never achieved.
“In Phase 1, the organizational chart really only consisted of the consolidation of the administration, fire prevention, and the training organizations of both departments,” said Quan.
“However, the organizational phase – the fire suppression and firefighter phase – did not come to fruition. It was not implemented. The result; two departments operated with one chief overseeing two deputy chiefs who, in turn, oversaw operations, training & prevention.”
A survey of both Grimsby and Lincoln officials as well as both department’s firefighters confirmed what many believed.
“The overwhelming information really came through the surveys and interviews that confirmed... that the shared fire services programs, both the shared service and shared fire chief were not as successful as anticipated,” said Quan.
“We found no key performance
indicators were set up at the start which provided a baseline and showed where the project should go.”
In his report, which was submitted to both councils the same evening at separate meetings, Quan recommended to disband the shared service committee and halt the program or council could move on to investigating a regional fire service.
“Take the lessons learned from these two ventures. Identify the weaknesses and strengths of the programs and set some goals and objectives looking at where the departments are at this point, where the councils would like to see the service go in the future if you do reimplement the shared fire service program,” said Quan.
“Give it a set timeline and implement it fully and say at the end of that timeline, ‘has it worked?’.”
Coun. Tony Brunet asked Quan how things worked out in other communities which used his consulting for shared fire services.
Quan noted work in several other communities, some of which never worked out and one which moved ahead but eventually failed and all went back to maintaining their own departments.
“So we’re not the first,” Brunet confirmed.
Coun. Adam Russell asked if there were any differences between how Lincoln and Grimsby officials perceived the project.
Quan noted the firefighters were on the same page in terms of their
opinion.
“I would say the internal results from the firefighters were relatively identical in nature. The majority felt that the shared fire program and shared fire chief did not work,” said Quan.
“From a council point of view, we found that Grimsby leaned more towards it being unsuccessful whereas the Lincoln councillors were a little more mid-line.”
Mayor Sandra Easton noted that while there was a lack of KPIs in the initial plan, there were measurables which were part of the conversation over the last four years.
“I don’t want the councillors to leave with the idea that there weren’t measurements because there were significant measurements but clearly a differentiation between what is being termed key performance indicators,” said Easton.
Hudson confirmed a series of data is always collected and provided to the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office.
“We wanted to get a handle on what we should be measuring in terms of determining success,” said Hudson, but added those were non-existent.
“We just literally didn’t have the ones being measured to determine what would happen if we merged the services.”
Council voted unanimously to dissolve the shared fire service program and focus on operation of its independent fire department by preparing a transition plan.
The Committee of the Whole will be considering a staff recommendation report regarding the new Shape Lincoln 2051 - Official Plan.
The Official Plan is an overarching land use planning document for the entire Town. It implements the community’s overall vision for growth and development. The Official Plan addresses such issues as housing, the natural environment, heritage preservation, employment needs, agriculture, commercial services, tourism, parkland/recreation, servicing and transportation.
The Town’s current Official Plan was approved in November 2016 and since then, the Province has made significant updates to the Planning Act, amendments to the Clean Water Act, and released a new Growth Plan, Provincial Planning Statement, Greenbelt Plan, and Niagara Escarpment Plan. In addition, earlier this year Bill 23 removed Niagara Regional planning responsibilities and so the Regional Official Plan is now required to be incorporated into local municipal Official Plans.
The Town of Lincoln has undertaken a review of our Official Plan to bring it in conformity with the latest provincial policies, as required by Sections 26 and 27 of the Planning Act. The Official Plan Review has also been undertaken to ensure that the new Official Plan addresses significant locally-identified issues, reflective of community goals and objectives.
If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Town before the proposed Official Plan is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision of the Town to the Ontario Land Tribunal, and may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal, unless in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party. If you wish to be notified of the adoption of the proposed Official Plan, you must make a written request to the Town Clerk and such request must include the name and address to which such notice should be sent.
6:00 p.m.
Council Chambers | Town Hall 4800 South Service Rd., Beamsville
Public engagement opportunities for the Official Plan have been provided at multiple stages throughout the process. All public comments received to date will be addressed within in the recommendation report and at the meeting on January 21, 2026. It is important to note that this meeting is not a Statutory Public Meeting, as the required Public Meeting has already been held, along with additional public open houses and information sessions. Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting. However, those wishing to appear as a delegation must follow the steps outlined below. Individuals who do not register as a delegation will not be permitted to make an oral submission at the meeting.
• A full copy of the proposed Official Plan, mapping and additional information about the project is available on our website for review: SpeakUpLincoln.ca /ShapeLincoln and search the project page.
• If you wish to appear as a delegation (in-person or electronically) in regard to the above noted report, you must submit a delegation request online at lincoln.ca/delegations or by contacting the Clerk’s department by emailing: clerks@lincoln.ca or by telephone: 905-563-2799
Ext. 513. Delegation requests are accepted until 9 a.m. on the Thursday prior to the meeting. Delegations may speak for a maximum of five (5) minutes.
3. Attend the Meeting or Watch Live
• At tend the meeting on January 21, 2026. Town staff will provide a presentation on the proposed Official Plan and feedback received to date. Alternatively, you may watch the meeting live on the Town of Lincoln’s YouTube Channel
For further information, contact: Matt Bruder | Director of Planning & Development mbruder@lincoln.ca | 905-563-2799 ext. 231
Perfect conditions greeted about 12,000 parade attendees at Saturday’s Grimsby Santa Claus Parade. With the parade starting out at Town Hall and running east to Ontario Street, streets were lined end-toed to greet the man in red and welcome the Christmas season.
Photos By Evan Loree
Jim Thomson and his Grimsby Pipe Band mates serenade the parade crowd.
(Left) 1st North Grimsby Scouts, Greyson Carey, 11, Alivia Bartley, 13, and Tatum Bonner, 8, get ready for the procession.
(Bottom Left) Brit Cruise, left, with nephew Augy Clark, 11, and son Booker, 12, taking in the Grimsby Santa
(Right) Out of candy,
in support of Dog Guides & Head/Brain Injury Research A booth will be set up inside the store
Friday, Dec. 12 - 12 Noon - 8 p.m. & Saturday, Dec 13 - 12 Noon - 5 p.m.
Over the two days, $5 Draw Tickets will be sold* on a Coleman Revolution™ II 3-Burner
Propane BBQ with Weatherpro Ignition
*Draw will be done Dec. 13 before close
Dear Editor, I couldn’t help but respond to one of the letters in last week’s edition...
Sorry, Mr. DeVries, but HHS made the right call in firing personnel who refused the COVID-19 vaccine as there should be no room for antivax ideology in health care.
It’s too easy to forget that there were over seven million COVID-induced deaths worldwide during the pandemic, with over 60,000 deaths
in Canada including nearly 19,000 in Ontario (likely more as the last date reported was Oct ‘24), and that global estimates of deaths averted between 2020-24 because of the COVID-19 vaccination were more than 2.5 million.
But one of the other terrible consequences of the spread of mis-
information about COVID-19 and its vaccine is that overall vaccine hesitancy has never been higher, leading to a drop in childhood vaccination rates and the comeback of preventable diseases such as measles (with Canada even losing its official ‘measles-free’ status for Pete’s sake) and THAT is the real injustice, so forgive me for not having much sympathy for those holding or sharing anti-vaccine views.
ESPECIALLY when they work in the field of medicine and should know better.
PS I’m in complete agreement with Alison Tuzi’s letter – give credit to Oosterhoff and Ford for what they’ve done right when it comes to WLMH, but don’t gloss over their continuing contribution to the ongoing problems in our health care system.
Christa Bervoets, Grimsby
Christmas means a great deal to manyfor many different reasons. A unique location, that special relative, a memorable circumstance, the smell of Christmas dinner filling the house, just to name a few.
In 100-125 words in length, tell us your favourite memory. If you have a photo, too, please include.
Email mike@wn3.ca or drop your submission off at our 45 Main St. W. office in Grimsby before Saturday, Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. to be entered in a free draw for one of three $100 gift certificates courtesy of Giant Tiger Grimsby
Your entry may be published in a holiday edition. Good Luck!
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Join
TriniT y UniTed ChUrCh and
ST. John’ S PreSby Terian ChUrCh on Christmas Eve 5:00 pm
Family Candlelight Service with music by the Resurrection Band hosted by Trinity in the main Sanctuary 7:00 pm
Christmas celebration with beloved Carols and retelling the Christmas Story hosted by St. John’s in Memory Hall All are Welcome
Head Injury Research,
Canadian Tire will have a booth set up with some special memorabilia for sale.
A Blue Jays jersey signed by legend Joe Carter, a plaque of the 1992 World Series Jays team and commemorative baseballs cover
the baseball side of things.
Blank Leafs heritage jerseys and some sticks signed by Hall of Famer Eric Lindros round out the sales items. Quantities are limited, so get there early.
Grimsby Square Plaza
Also, $5 tickets on a BBQ are up for grabs. The booth is only open Friday, Dec. 12, Noon8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 13, Noon-5 p.m. The BBQ draw will be done by close on Saturday.
Main
36 Main St. West, Grimsby
Week 6 (Standing as of Dec. 7th, 2025)
Be sure to look online at: wn3.ca to see the full standings, but here are some of the leaders and lucky random draw winners:
• $15 Gift Card, courtesy of Tim Hortons, Grimsby: Dan Gilchrist
• $15 gift certificate courtesy of Jordan Flowers,Grimsby: Ken Daniels
• $15 Gift Card courtesy of Judge & Jester, Grimsby: Iris Reile
• $15 Gift Card courtesy of Canadian Tire, Grimsby: Chuck Cino
• Large, 3-Item Pizza, Pick-Up Only, courtesy of Gino’s Pizza Grimsby: Paul Karkkainen
• $15 Gift Card courtesy of Memphis BBQ., Winona: Jonathan Mackle
• 2 Tickets to a Grimsby Peach Kings game, Grimsby: Mike Allison Winners can stop by the NewsNow office to pick up their winnings
© NHLPA. Officially Licensed Product of the NHLPA. NHLPA, National Hockey League Players’ Association and the NHLPA logo are trademarks of the NHLPA
Top Standings
1. Kraan, Alisha....... 579
2. Couch, Jesse .......571
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4. Dunda, Riley ...... 569
5. Klages, Robert .. 569
6. Redding, Jeff ..... 568
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8. Zdriluk, Jacob ... 564
9. Klages, Lilian ..... 563
10. Fozard, Draj ..... 563
11. Stuive, Cindy 562
12. Chesla, Karen 561
13. Van Roon, Cory 561
14. Van Roon, Jim 561
15. Heinen, Eric 560
16. DeVries, Mark 559
17. Halliday, Colin 558
18. Fuchs, Travis 558
19. Crowder, Tom 557
20. Fiorantis, Philip .. 557
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We are grateful for the opportunity to work with you in the past and we look forward to serving you in the future.
Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful 2026
William & Christina
After a brief battle with cancer, Dorothy Hart passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 6, 2025, in her 91st year. Predeceased by her son Clarence (1986), husband Murray (2015), partner Clarence (2024), and beloved fur baby Angel (2024). Dorothy is survived by her children Carolyn (Alfie), Calvin (Jill), Charles, Cathy (Mike), and Chris; ten grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; three siblings; and many nieces and nephews. Dorothy was the first policewoman in the Niagara Region and received numerous honors, including the Order of Canada, Woman of the Year, and other awards for her police service. She devoted her life to helping others through fostering and volunteering with McNally House Hospice, West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, and the Grimsby Benevolent Fund. Known for her angels and crafting, she supported her favorite charities and was fondly called “the angel lady”. Dorothy loved playing cards and bingo, enjoyed outings with friends, and treasured time with her dear friend Louanne and many cherished friends who brought joy to her life. She brought kindness and comfort wherever she went. The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff at McNally House Hospice, the second-floor team at The Jacob Senior Living, and a special thank-you to Amanda and Judy for their exceptional care. At Dorothy’s request, cremation has taken place, and a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to McNally House Hospice. Arrangements entrusted to STONEHOUSE-WHITCOMB FUNERAL HOME, GRIMSBY, 905-945-2755. . www.smithsfh.com
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Struggling with hurtS, hang-upS or habitS? “Celebrate Recovery (CR)” 12 step Christian Recovery for Healing, Help and Hope. ALL WELCOME! Wednesdays at 7 pm. Forestview Community Church, 132 Lake St, Grimsby. For info. or help, CR@forestviewcommunitychurch.ca 905-945-9529
“Let ‘em know it ain’t goodbye. Cause every door and every dawn, you know I’m only ever on the other side.
Just as the sun will rise and the sun will set. I will love you the same from somewhere different”
On December 5, 2025, John passed peacefully with his wife Gwen of 40 years by his side. John also leaves behind his daughter Amber/Rob. His granddaughter’s Taylor and Alyssa/Haydn. His brothers, Ron (Sue), Doug/Julie and his sister MaryAnn. Nieces and nephews, Nathan/Lucie, Natausha, Mackenzie/Chelsea, Rob, Cyndi, David/Samantha, and James.
John owned and operated “Auto Interiors by John”. John brought the upholstery-interior to life of many a hot rod, truck, van, car, boat, plane, dune buggy, go kart and motorcycle seat. He will surely be missed by the car community.
Until we see you again
As per John’s request there will be no service. Cremation has already taken place. If desired donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or Juravinski Cancer Centre.
Howard Clark February 19, 1940 - December 13, 2024
In loving memory of a husband, father and grandfather
Life goes on without you, but it will never be the same.
May the winds of love blow softly and whisper so you’ll hear. We’ll always love and miss you,and wish that you were here.
Until we meet again.
rocK
chimney & porch repairs, interlock restorations, parging call: 905-512-9565 info@greyrockmasonry.com
It is with profound sadness that our family announces the passing of Suzanne Pottie (nee DuBois), dear wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great grandmother at the age of 90, on December 8, 2025.
She is survived by her husband of 68 years Lloyd, daughters Brenda (Annette), Dawn (Steve) and Krista (Kevin), son Kevin (Tammy), sister Jocelyn (Denis), brothers Gilbert (Lise) and Robert (Mimi), along with nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Predeceased by her parents Marguerite and Jean Paul, and brother John (Iris).
Born in Prescott, Ontario, Suzanne moved to Quebec where she met and married Lloyd and raised four children, moving back to Ontario in the 1970s. Suzanne dedicated her life to caring for her family and was an amazing seamstress, musician and artist. She used her talents to create knitted and sewn items for charities. She also taught yoga, participated in Scottish Country dancing and the Dofasco choir. She had a profound love for animals and cared for many cats, dogs and birds throughout her long life. Our family wishes to thank the incredible staff at West Lincoln Memorial Hospital and St. Peter’s Hospital, palliative care unit.
Wife Irene, son Larry, daughter Terry (Sean) Orsborn and two grandchildren, Lauren and Liam.
ExpEriEncE with childrEn/SEniorS, handicap and frail in home care. Companionship, foot care (nails). Local drives with assistance. Housekeeping, organizing, laundry, odd jobs. Call Heather after 5:30 pm. 25 years of experience with references. 289-235-9926
Visitation to take place at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, 135 Livingston Ave., Grimsby on Tuesday December 16th, 7-9 pm. A mass in her honour will be held on Wednesday, December 17th at 11 am, followed by a reception at the church.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church or St. Peter’s Hospital, palliative care in her name.
1944 - 2005
Twenty Years Could Never Erase Such A Special Friend You Were Truly One Of A Kind We Think Of You Often Ken Always With A
Call Ken 905-973-3235 OFFERInG
& JunK
RIENDEAU, Yolande Emila (nee Desrochers)
Passed away at Shalom Manor, Grimsby on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at the age of 91. Beloved wife of the late Ernest Riendeau. Loved Mom of Roger (Diane), Leo (Claudia), Raymond and Suzanne. Cherished Mémère of Dylan (May), Yvan (Meaghan), Jean Paul, Bradley (Corie), Brittney (Chris), Sofie “Wes”, Remy, Nicole (Zak) and Marc. Great grandmother of Phineas, Grayson, Lincoln, Ruby, Archer, Fletcher, Hunter, Austin and Pearl. Survived by her sisters Alice Duguay, Ernestine Kenyon, brothers Oscar Desrochers, Andre Desrochers and her many nieces, nephews and their families. Predeceased by her 4 sisters and 3 brothers. Special thanks to the staff of the Sunrise Floor of Shalom Manor for their loving care given to Yolande over the last seven years. Visitation at SMITH’S FUNERAL HOME, 454 Highway #8 (east of Millen Road) STONEY CREEK (905-664-4222) on Friday December 12, 2025 from 10:30 until time of Funeral Prayers at 12 noon. Interment Grimsby Mountain Cemetery. Reception to follow at St. Joseph’s Church Parish Hall, Grimsby. If desired, memorial contributions to Shalom Manor would be sincerely appreciated by the family. www.smithsfh.com
On a stormy Halloween,
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No excuses, look to future and do it
Grimsby Deputy Fire Chief Jim Kay gave a Belichickian outline of how things need to go if another run at a shared fire service is considered in the future.
For those who aren’t football literate, Bill Belichick is widely regarded as the best defensive tactician - if not the best head coach - in National Football League history.
and its recommendation to disband.
Lincoln had the consultant roll through a detailed summation. Then tactical questions were offered about to nail down some grey areas.
At a special meeting of council - planned the same night as Lincoln council was considering its future position in the shared fire service program - Grimsby voted to end the four-year experiment - as did Lincoln.
At Grimsby’s meeting, Kay was very clear when outlining the program and how it was doomed to fail from the outset.
He didn’t miss a thing.
As an aside, it sure would be nice to see him be part of a reboot with new councils in 2027.
complete - right down to noting the new make up of the Grimsby and Lincoln councils after the 2022 municipal election.
As he stated, Lincoln’s had continuity - meaning experience and that group had voted to implement the shared service program.
Grimsby was a total overhaul with the G5 being terminated for their conduct and track record - with the CAO rightfully getting the boot soon after.
Grimsby had a consultant from the same company - a different fellow thoughgive a more brief overview, gave a couple of questions, but then mainly focused on fault, and where it should lie. To a very small degree, I get that. Nobody on this group wants to be tainted by anything driven by the previous CAO or his running buddies. So asking who is to blame or noting “well, I wasn’t here when it got started” is wholly the wrong way to look at it.
Look ahead. What did you learn? Look at Kay’s outline. Plan for that.
Smiles for Santa
1st North Grimsby Scout Ian Borger grins ear-to-ear as he rides route at Saturday’s Grimsby Santa Claus Parade. Thousands packed Main Street to get a glimpse at the man in red. Loree - Photo
These days it is hard to find a trailblazer in anything but the digital world.
When Dorothy Hart happened along in 1964, Grimsby Police Department was never the same, nor Niagara for that matter.
The first female police officer in Niagara was a force to be reckoned with....and she could tell a story!
Sitting at her kitchen table, with dozens of mementos in front of us in 2017, Dorothy recounted many, happy and tragic. The life of a police officer is anything but easy; hard to imagine her groundbreaking task. I would submit council should consider naming a road in her honour. She was that kind of special. M.W.
I say that for several reasons, but the main one is the spectre of a full-time, paid fire department and massive cost that would come with it.
When taxpayers, very often rightly so, complain about a tax hike of $25 or $30 per year on their municipal bill they would be blown away by the impact of a full-time crew.
So let’s set aside the politicking and rhetoric and focus on what needs to be done. For a full outline, go to Page 8 to review Kay’s outline to Grimsby council. He covered it all. It was unfiltered, accurate and
I do believe this group - with their own series of warts - were willing to give the program support but the absence of base methodology could not have been overcome no matter who was at the wheel.
A car with three wheels is not going very far - I think that should be on a fortune cookie.
The other thing I was looking forward to - and this is likely just me because I have covered these two councils for so many years - was to see how the groups dealt with the exact same issuethe share fire service report
Mayors for both municipalities after the next election, whether incumbents or new, should arrive at their town hall office with an “advice” document for a possible plan forward. This fire service plan is THAT important to Grimsby and Lincoln from a crucial service standpoint and fiscal control viewpoint.
Another key thing mentioned by Kay was to get the firefighters’ buy in. That should have been the starting point. The job these men and women do is second to none. They should be the first number, collectively, on speed dial.
Councils will change next year, let’s hope the new ones can chart a course for success on this important file.
