> Grimsby, Beamsville poppy campaigns need support /Pg 8 > Grimsby ‘reverse’ parade taking shape Pg 4 > History alive at Grimsby Museum gift shop Pg 9 > Lincoln hosts tree lighting Nov. 28 Pg 13 Thursday, November 26, 2020 Vol. 9 Issue 32
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Region suffers communication breakdown By Mike Williscraft NewsNow At a time when all government officials know communications efforts must be maximized, Niagara Region continues to suffer a major disconnect between elected officials and the Department of Health. This became apparent during a lengthy debate at a special meeting of regional council on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The meeting was called to review acting medical officer of health, Dr. Mustafa Hirji’s implementation of heightened CO-
VID-19 restrictions for the restaurant and bar sector under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act. Uniformly, the accommodation and food service industries rose up, led by Mark Wood of 40 Public House in Grimsby, to voice its serious concern that the measures, while wellmeaning, were off-base and potentially lethal to some of the 33,000 jobs in the industry. Aside from the two sides of that debate, it was clear through repeated comment from See HEALTH, Page 3
Great night for a drive
Saturday, Dec. 5 will mark a new version of an old tradition - Grimsby’s first “Reverse” Santa Claus Parade. Grimsby firefighters will continue their tradition of a food drive for Grimsby Benevolent Fund. Back (L to R) Jim Bergshoeff and Steve Allingham: Front - GBF executive director Stacy Elia and Jeff Dancer show the bags which will come with this week’s edition of NewsNow. See Page 7 for details. Williscraft - Photo
GBF expands with new wellness centre By Tristan Marks NewsNow Wellness services are on their way to Grimsby. The Grimsby Benevolent Fund (GBF) unveiled its new ‘Wellness Hub’ located in the old Woolverton Church Building on 19 Elm St. with a press release event on Monday. The new site will allow GBF to expand its services by piloting a number of ‘wellness initiatives’. This location will act as an “incubator” over the next three to four years to trial community-focused wellness promotion ideas.
GBF president Irene Podolak explained that the Wellness Hub will be a sort of “lab” for her organization and its community partners to test out ideas for wellness programs. “These are ideas we’ve had, but never had the space to test out,” she explained. Themes for ideas the Wellness Hub will explore include: • Six steps to Common Sense Spending; • Home Comfort; • Community Connections; • Youth Engagement; • Healthy Eating for Wellness;
• Fit for Life; • Healthy Minds, and; • Brain Food. Podolak said a “wellness board of volunteers and community liaisons will decide what programs to test out at the hub. Additionally, this year’s Christmas Hamper sorting will take place at the new site. Wellness will be a “major theme” for GBF over the next few years, explained Podolak. Indeed, GBF announced that its new vision moving to 2021 and beyond will be: “To enable our clients and our community
to be well.” “Wellness to us is not only physical wellness, but mental, social and environmental wellness as well,” Podolak said. None of this would be possible without cooperation and partnership with the Elm St. property’s owner, Harley Valentine. Valentine first came into contact with GBF on Oct. 6 of this year, and worked with the organization to renovate and convert the old church building into the Wellness Centre in just 48 days. Valentine, a Grimsby-born sculptor See WELLNESS, Page 2