for Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln /Pg 5 > GBF to host recycling seminar July 6 Pg 34 > Grants come through for McNally Page 8 > EllisDon delivers for WLMH program Pg 15
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Vol. 12
Issue 9
www.wn3.ca
100% Niagara West owned & operated
Circ: 29,006
By Mike Williscraft NewsNow
Vineland Growers was ripe for a new location, and now, they have it.
The 110,000 sq ft warehouse was officially opened last
Thursday which drew hundreds from the agriculture industry. The state-of-the-art facility now sets the longest running cooperative in Ontario for the next 150 years, says its executive di-
“We’ve now consolidated our operation in two locations, Jordan Station and Virgil. This gives our members convenient locations on each side of the canal to deliv-
er their produce in a timely manner,” said Ecker.
At one time, VG operated locations in Virgil, St. Davids, Fonthill, Vineland, Jordan and Beamsville.
“We simply outgrew our old facilities,” noted Ecker.
In 2016 an expansion plan began in earnest and the new 22-acre site was a key component in any new formula.
“We didn’t want to build on any good farmland. This spot has only dense clay beneath it. Nothing would grow, so it was perfect for us,” said Ecker.
See GROW, Page 3
rector Mike Ecker. Vineland Growers officialy unveiled its new 110,000 sq ft warehouse in Jordan last Thursday with hundreds in attendance, including: (L to R) MPP Sam Oosterhoff, Vineland Growers president Mike Ecker, Lincoln Mayor Sandar Easton, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Ontario Lisa Thompson, and MP Dean Allison. Williscraft - Photo
From Page 1
And it all started to come online just in the nick of time.
“Last year we had the biggest crop of apples in recent years and we had no place to put them,” Ecker recalled.”
“We were semicomplete and were able to apply to the Town to get a temporary occupancy for the back half where the coolers are. As each cooler came online, we had trucks already backed up to unload.”
Overall, Ecker noted the facility is now state of the art.
“When we get peaches dropped off here, they are packaged and ready to ship
same day. We drop them at WalMart, for example, and they’re in Thunder Bay that day. It used to be Thunder Bay could not get peaches, now they sell the most
peaches per capita of any store,” said Ecker.
While there were some bumps in the road, he noted that the entire process went smoothly.
“It was done during
COVID, but we came in very close to budget and in good time. We thank our builders for that. Now, I’m hoping we won’t need to leave this property for the next 100 years.”
The busiest event weekend in Niagara West is kicked off this Saturday, July 1, with Grimsby’s Canada Day event starting at 11 a.m.
“We’ll have live music, a Lion’s Club barbecue, kids’ activities, a photobooth, art exhibition, you name it,” said museum curator Janet Oakes.
The day’s events run until 4 p.m. on the museum grounds, located at 6 Murray St.
“It is always a very well-attended event with lots of things to see and do,” said Oakes.
One of the day’s highlights will be an educational and inter-
active prehistoric show by Club Rex, which includes tons of dinosaur details.
LINCOLN
Town of LIncoln’s party keeps things going with a 1:30 p.m. start at Charles Daley Park. With lots of free parking and a steady stream of entertainment, the Lincoln program always draws big crowds.
The day’s program includes button making, face-painting, inflatable axe-throwing, Lincoln Fire Rescue, Lincoln Museum & Cultural Centre and much more.
Sandy Vine & The Midnights take to the
stage at 7 p.m. to close out the live shows and set things up for the ever-popular 10 p.m. fireworks show.
WEST LINCOLN
“Epic Eagles” will highlight West Lincoln’s Canada Day festivities at the Leisureplex, 2543 Grimsby Road 6.
That event runs from 3-7 p.m. with the headliner taking to the stage at 8 p.m. for a 10 p.m. fireworks show.
With very limited parking, buses will run from the Smithville arena, 177 West St., Greek Hall, 6659 West St., and Village Square Plaza, 249 St. Catharines St.
By Mike Williscraft NewsNow
Threatening skies were no deterrent for hundreds of attendees at Grimsby Town Youth Soccer Club’s 50 anniversary celebration at Southward Park on Saturday.
Combined with team photo day, GTYSC planned games, a magic show, bouncy rides, and a host of other features to highlight the milestone.
“The event was a great success, everyone enjoyed themselves both young and old. We were all very grateful the rain held off so that we could enjoy the day without any issues,” said GTYSC president Kim Heersink. “The turnout was amazing for the day as everyone came out to celebrate 50 years as a club.”
The organization is just one of a number of features in Grimsby which still exhibit the finger prints of long-time recreation director Jim Wright.
“GTYSC was a true community founded organization that began in 1973 as a result of a newspaper article from then town recreation director, Jim Wright, which brought 12 volunteers from the community to a board meeting. Out of that board meeting Phil Richmond became interim president for the first half-year, Tom Davies vice-president, Howard Jeffries treasurer, June Godak secretary and Martin Poos was the convener,” said Heersink
in her address at the event.
“I will take this moment to particularly acknowledge the Poos family who have been involved since the inception of GTYSC and their contribution continues to this day. Indeed, the late Martin Poos’ contribution over decades was acknowledged in 2016 when he
was honoured with the 2016 Paul Harris Fellowship Award presented by the Grimsby Rotary Club. That is an award given for Service above Self and is Rotary’s highest honour. We have also acknowledged Martin by having one of the fields here at this Southward facility named after him.”
At times it seems that we are being ruled by “the news”. And so we should be. These are important issues, and we need to know about them. Going news-free is just a copout from life. While we need to learn all we can about national and international news, local news is even more vital to our daily existence.
The weekly newspaper is our lifeline to what’s going on in Grimsby. Otherwise, how would we know what’s happening at Town Hall, the Peach King Centre, the schools and churches in our town? How else would Grimsby show pride for its athletes or discover what is new on Main Street?
Local daily newspa-
pers don’t cover communities like Grimsby, unless we have a massive fire or some other calamity such as head lice in the schools. Radio and television stations don’t give us a look, either. So we have to resort to social media, and to my favourite, the local newspaper.
I love to think back to 1885 when James and Isabelle Livingston came to Grimsby with cash to buy a farm. James stopped in at the newly opened newspaper office to ask for directions, and came out again to find himself a partner in this new venture. I
have often wondered what Isabelle had to say about that! But for the people of Grimsby, what a boon that new newspaper must have been!
At last, a forum for all the news of the surrounding area, plus recipes and health tips, and advertisements from surrounding villages.
Before long, that newspaper was an eagerly anticipated part of community life, and the newspaper office itself became a hub for information and socializing. For 135 years, news has been important to the folks of Niagara West, and it still is! It seems that some big media companies would like to get rid of weeklies. I hope they don’t.
Two anticipated provincial grants have come through for McNally House Hospice. Both grants come under the Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care program, which helps hospice care expansion.
The two grants include: up to $1 million under the Hospice Capital Program (HCP) to support a capital expansion of care from six to ten residential hospice beds, as well as additional operating funding of $420,600 for 2023-2024 at McNally House Hospice to address growing pressures and increase access to high-quality
On hand for the Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care funding announcement for McNally House were (L to R) Grimsby Mayor Jeff Jordan, West Lincoln Mayor Cheryl Ganann, Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton, Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, McNally House executive director Pamela Blackwood, McNally board chair Murray Bain and board member Debbie Zimmerman.
palliative care.
“The capital expansion of care from six to 10 beds at McNally House Hospice, as well as the additional operational funding, reaffirms our govern-
ment’s commitment to high-quality palliative care in our region and the extraordinary work of the leadership and frontline team at McNally House,” said MPP Sam Oosterhoff.
The capital funding from the province will support the Life in Every Moment campaign of McNally House to construct four additional residential hospice beds in Grimsby.
Niagara Region has initiated a study to provide a north-south transportation crossing of the Niagara Escarpment, between the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) and potential Smithville Bypass of Regional Road 20, that is able to accommodate commercial vehicles and other transportation modes in order to provide greater safety for local communities, efficient commercial vehicle operations, and potential additional transportation system capacity, redundancy and resiliency, while ensuring Niagara remains open for business with the effective movement of goods and people. The preliminary study area for the proposed north-south transportation crossing includes portions of the Town of Grimsby, Town of Lincoln, and Township of West Lincoln in Niagara region.
The study will be carried out in accordance with the Environmental Assessment Act as an Individual Environmental Assessment. An Individual Environmental Assessment represents a twostep approval process with the first step being the preparation of a Terms of Reference. The Terms of Reference is a document that will set out the framework or work plan for the planning and decision-making process to be followed during preparation of the Environmental Assessment and includes such aspects as the alternatives that will be considered and the consultation activities that will be carried out.
A Terms of Reference is submitted to the Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (Minister) for approval. If approved by the Minister, then the preparation of the Environmental Assessment follows as the second step of the process and must be done in accordance with the Terms of Reference.
The public, agencies, Indigenous communities, and other interested persons are encouraged to actively participate in the study process by reviewing information, providing comments, asking questions, and/or attending consultation opportunities. A Public Information Centre is planned for later this year to present the draft Terms of Reference including such requirements as the existing study area conditions, proposed alternatives, and the next steps in the study. Details regarding the Public Information Centre will be advertised as the study progresses. Study information is available for review on the Region’s website at: niagararegion.ca/projects/ niagara-escarpment-crossing
Please contact either one of the following study team members if you wish to be added to the study contact list to receive future notifications directly or have any questions or comments on the study:
Maged Elmadhoon, M.Eng., P.Eng. Manager, Transportation Planning
Transportation Services Division Public Works, Niagara Region 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON 905-980-6000 ext. 3583
escarpmentcrossingIEA@niagararegion.ca
Gillian Thompson, B.Sc., MCIP, RPP Senior Planner / Senior Project Manager
Transportation Planning CIMA+ Canada Inc.
400–3027 Harvester Road, Burlington, ON 289-288-0287 ext. 6852
escarpmentcrossingIEA@niagararegion.ca
Personal information collected or submitted in writing at public meetings will be collected, used, and disclosed by members of Regional Council and Regional staff in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Questions should be referred to the Privacy Office at 905-980-6000, ext. 3779 or FOI@niagararegion.ca.
If you require any accommodations in order to participate in this study, please contact the Accessibility Advisory Coordinator at 905-980-6000 ext. 3252 or accessibility@niagararegion.ca.
Notice first issued in the newspaper on June 29, 2023.
The Nelles families were prominent in the building of Upper Canada and the eventual development of Canada as a nation. Their combination of political, community and military service are almost without equal.
Robert Nelles served four times in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada in some of the first legislative sessions of this country. He and his family served as military officers, Magistrates, Town wardens, Justice of the Peace and clerks in the early community offices. Robert Nelles was a Colonel in the 4th Lincoln Militia during the War of 1812.
While The Manor is certainly tighly linked to Canada’s military origins, the Nelles Family was also a power of commerce and trade
The Family fought with the British and their Indigenous allies in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the 1865 insurrection and the Fenian Raids. Their properties were occupied several times by both British and American troops during the War of 1812. The Family fought and lived alongside the Indigenous people in Upper Canada maintaining long-term relationships with them.
As an independent Museum whose annual operations are not funded by government, your support is important to ensure this valuable historic site remains as a part of our heritage.
Aging cars may require a little more TLC than vehicles that are right off the dealership lot. But the following are three simple tips that can help drivers keep their cars running longer.
1. Become a more careful driver. A careful approach when behind the wheel is safer than aggressive driving and beneficial for your vehicle. When starting, avoid revving the engine, which needlessly wears it down. Even excessive idling can adversely affect the engine.
2. Know when and how to fill up. Drivers
who trust their local station owners can likely fill up when the tankers are present without worry, but if a tanker is at the station that can stir up sediment. In addition, avoid topping off once the nozzle clicks when filling up. When you top off, the extra gas may damage the vapor collection system and cause the vehicle to run less efficiently.
3. Change oil more frequently as the vehicle ages. It’s true that modern vehicles no longer require oil changes for every 3,000 miles driven. However, as vehicles
age, drivers and their vehicles’ engines may
benefit from more frequent oil changes.
Since 1969 5529 Reg.
1. Do I Have the Right to Select the Shop That Will Repair My Vehicle?
Yes. By law, as the owner of the vehicle damaged in an accident, you have the right to choose the shop to repair your vehicle.
2. Do I Need More Than One Estimate?
No. Select your repair facility that you feel comfortable with, and then notify your agent or insurance company to make arrangements to inspect the damage.
3. Is the Work Guaranteed?
Most collision and repair shops
guarantee their collision repairs. Come in and ask us about ours.
4. Qualified Collision and Refinish Centres.
Look for signs that indicate repair technician training and certification. Membership in professional trade and Better Business Bureau indicate that the shop is keeping up with the latest repair procedures.
5. Notify Your Insurance Company.
Before authorizing any repairs notify your insurance company or agent, and inform them where your vehicle has been inspected.
Please call to place your Classified Ad 289-235-9500
It is with great pride that we announce the graduation of our daughter from Queen’s University at Kingston. Cassandra has received her Bachelor of Science with honours with a specialization in Life Sciences (Cardiology). We are very proud of your achievements and wish you continued success with your postgraduate studies and much happiness in your life’s journeys.
Love Mom, Dad and Arianna XO
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After a life filled with faith, family and friends, we are saddened to announce the sudden passing of our dear mother, nana and wife, Gerri Ras, who went home to her Lord and Saviour in her 71st year.
Gerri had a mercifully short illness that took her life suddenly on June 19th. At the end, she was surrounded by her family who held vigil until her last moments in commemoration of a life devoted to that family.
Gerri, born in 1951 to Irene and Gysbert in Nieuwerkerk, Netherlands, immigrated with her parents and siblings to Canada when she was just two years old and was raised in the town of Beamsville, where she lived most of her life.
It was in Beamsville, in 1969 that she met Evert and they were married in 1971. Fifty-two years of love and marriage produced two children – Michael (1971) and Elaine (1976), and five grandchildren who all adored their nana. Nothing made her happier than showering her four granddaughters (Delaney, Allyson, Danica, Abigail) and one grandson (Matthew) with treats from nana’s secret stash of candy, chocolate and homemade cookies.
Evert is left heartbroken, but is uplifted by his strong faith and the friendship of so many who have reached out in recent days with offers of assistance and fellowship.
The family wishes to thank the dedicated staff of St. Catharines General Hospital who made Gerri’s final hours comfortable.
Visitation took place at Tallman Funeral Homes, 3277 King St. Vineland, on Sunday, June 25.
A funeral service took place on Monday, June 26, at St. Ann’s Community Church, 5425 Twenty Mile Road, St. Ann’s, Ontario, and was followed by an interment ceremony at St. John’s Public Cemetery in Jordan.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Gerri’s name to Assist Canada – a charity that Gerri dedicated countless hours to over the past number of years.
Online condolences at tallmanfuneralhomes.ca.
SPeCIAlIzed IN CARPeNtRy - Painting, Small renovations, Fence & Decks. Hardwood & Vinyl Flooring. Senior discounts. Serving all West Niagara. Call Angelo 289439-1485
RuBBISH & JuNk ReMOVAl. Call Ken 905973-3235
ROOFING Over 25 years of experience. Shingles and Flat Roof warranty. Call Ken 905-973-3235.
CARS, tRuCkS, old farm machinery for scrap or repair. We pay cash. Flatbed service. 905-386-6181 or 289-686-5059.
“What a newspaper needs in its news, in its headlines, and on its editorial page is terseness, humour, descriptive power, satire, originality, good literary style, clever condensation, and accuracy, accuracy, accuracy!
Joseph PulitzerHere we are, against all odds, in our 11th year of publishing. Our little paper that started in the basement of our house has flourished into what you are reading today. We’ve had ups and downs, two printing plant closures, sale of our distribution company, a world-wide pandemic and... we are still here. Because of you, good reader - as well as our loyal and dedicated advertising base - through ensuring great response via your intense readership as well as your generous subscriptions. We truly appreciate your support!
Is NewsNow’s independent, accurate voice in the community of value to you? Would you like to support NewsNow in its efforts? This is your opportunity.
Simply, this means, rain (or snow) or shine, you will always – each and every week – receive your copy of NewsNow. Whether you live in a single-detached home, apartment, condo or at a business, NewsNow is now everywhere –29,000-plus circulation strong. That will NOT change!!!!
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Sho’arishon Park. As a fan of history, I know that will mean a lot to the Neutral Nation. According to Town officials, the name is taken from a Neutral Chief from the 1620s.
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Nixon and Lexi Zych hopped into the St. John’s ambulance on hand at Grimsby Town Youth Soccer Club’s 50th anniversary celebration as an educatinal display. Nim Nepal of St. John’s gave quick tour. Williscraft - Photo
For anyone who came from or has experienced farm life from the 70s and beyond, it can be pretty amazing to see what technology has done to make an ancient food chain system modern, efficient and quite impressive.
The new Vineland Growers set up in Jordan is just that. It’s 110,000 sq ft of fruit and vegetable processing and packaging space built for maximum speed. When one thinks, as Vineland Growers president Mike Ecker described, that a peach can be picked in Jordan and end up on a shelf in Thunder Bay in two days, that’s incredible. Farming is constantly underappreciated. It’s been noted on this page before: every Grade 8 student should spend a day on a working farm: pigs, chicken, cash crop, the whole gamut. It would open their eyes to what keeps the world fed. MW.
Make no mistake: Canada is a great place to live, but isn’t it exhausting. Maybe it’s a COVID hangover talking? Could be, but so much of what I see and hear just makes me want to put on some headphones and chill with classical music to block out the plethora of background noise which now drowns out nearly all rational, progressive thought.
As we roll into Canada Day, I have been thinking back on several months’ angst Canadians have been balling themselves up in.
You’ve got the ongoing “reparations” situation, induced by Canadians’ to-a-fault habit of needing to not only apologize, but grovel over and over, begging for forgiveness.
Canada has already, and will still go much further, to throw money at the country’s Indigenous people, somehow hoping to hit a mental target where society feels better about themselves.
I’ve noted in this space and acknowledged bad things happened. Horrible things. By today’s standards, it is hard to believe some of those atrocities could happen. By standards of their day, some acts were nothing more than common practice.
Yet, more logs get thrown on a fire by taking personalities - a Sir John A. MacDonald, for example - and taking that person’s acts and judg-
ing them in a 2023 court. If you read it in black and white, it seems ludicrous. In another couple of years, likely the singular most impactful politician - in a positive way - will be banished from public recognition and much of history teachings over residential school horrors presided over and shepherded by countless other politicians and bureaucrats in a system where those institutions were standard policy at the time.
Town of Lincoln rode the bandwagon a little further down the road by renaming Jordan Hollow Park this month. The hollow, an iconic location and a gem for all of Niagara is one of the very few instantly recognizable by its name.
Not unlike Niagara Falls, most people in the Region would know where Jordan is and there is only one hollow, so the park hasor had - the unique characteristic of geographical familiarity without explanation.
Now, the park is called
As a single act, no problem. I get the connection, but my issue is where does it stop? Does it stop?
One of my favourite political pundits, David Frum, noted last week federal authorities are considering criminalizing historical investigations in Canada. Why not? Let’s bust Sir John A. with some war crimes as a topper.
As well, Frum noted Canada is spending almost as much on cash transfers to 1.8 million Indigenous people as our nation spends on national defence. That’s just this year.
I just don’t understand how any of that computes in a rational mind.
Yes, Canada has warts - some long-since dissolved, some stubbornly hang around and other new ones will surface, as they do in all nations.
Make no mistake. I would not trade this one for any other on the planet.
We just need to do a better job of moving the country, our province and our communities forward and not take our collective eye off the ball, especially when it comes to the scrubbing of our country’s history books.
Have a great Canada Day everyone!
EllisDon is rebuilding West Lincoln Memorial Hospital and helping build the facility’s Maternal and Newborn Care Program as well.
On June 1, at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club, EllisDon hosted a fundraising golf tournament generating $62,000 for the program.
“Thank you to the dedicated leadership of EllisDon for supporting our West Lincoln Memorial Hospital through the golf tournament. It was a day to celebrate as many of the participants in the tournament are directly involved in bringing our community’s dream into reality by building our new hospital ,” said Kevin Antonides, Chair, WLMH
Foundation.
“As a company founded in Southwestern Ontario more than 70-years ago, the communities in which we build are also home.
As such, we are very dedicated to supporting West Lincoln Memorial Hospital and its community through our inaugural golf tournament in which all
proceeds will go directly to the hospital’s Foundation.” Randy Reymer, vice-president and area manager–Southwestern Ontario, EllisDon Corporation.
On hand for the presentation were: (L to R) Darlene Humphrey, EllisDon volunteer; Paul Green, superintendent EllisDon; Kevin Antonides, Chair WLMH Foundation; Max Murray, senior project manager EllisDon, and; Randy Reymer, vice-president and area manager – Southwestern Ontario, EllisDon.
