NewsNow E-Edition September 29 2022

Kids ‘n’ corn

Anti-vax all-call spurs committee to record meetings

By Mike Williscraft For NewsNow

A Grimsby Ward 3 council candi date who is a stated anti-vaccina tion proponent caused waves last week by issuing a region-wide invite on a Facebook page request ing like-minded people to “come early to secure your seat.”

“It’s unfortunate in that we’ve or

ganized these all-candidates ses sions to allow Grimsby voters to hear what our candidates have to say on local issues,” said event coorganizer Phil Besseling.

“The irony is, by people show ing up from out of town, this stunt could cost him (Duncan Storey) votes as people who may want to vote for him may not be able to get

into the meeting and, of course, you have to be a resident or prop erty owner to be an eligible voter.”

The first meeting in the series of four for Grimsby’s wards was to be held Wednesday night, Sept. 28 at the Casablanca Inn.

Besseling said his committee is scrambling to arrange a possible recording or live stream supplier

who could help with the meeting to ensure they can get at least an au dio version of the meeting posted so constituents can hear the candi dates’ discussion.

“We don’t expect any issue with the meeting itself. Questions will be vetted by a panel to make sure we cover the wide variety of issues

Obstetrics

MEETING

From Page 1 which are on the ta ble for Grimsby vot ers,” said Besseling.

“We’re just looking for an exchange of ideas and to find out who these candidates are. Vaccination poli cies and mask man dates are federal and provincial matters, not that every person isn’t affected by them, but in the big picture mu nicipalities follow gov ernment mandates for those things.”

Storey is not the only anti-vaccination, anti-mask mandate candidate on ward slates for the Oct. 24 election.

Coun. Dave Sharpe, who was found in mul

tiple breaches of the Town’s code of con duct due to exploits as part of the Ottawa protests last winter, and Jacob Baradziej have also stated simi lar positions.

Storey and Sharpe did not respond to email inquiries prior to press deadline.

Baradziej said meet ings should be Grims by residents only.

The main concern of residents who called, emailed and dropped into News Now’s office focused on the ability for resi dents to meet their candidates.

“I just want to have a chance to speak and hear from the candidates we have.

That other stuff has no standing in a town setting,” said Adele Garvin, a Ward 3 voter.

“I get they have their views. I get they want support, but how much sense does it make to pack a meeting with peo ple who could not vote for you in the first place? I think that says something about the candidate right there.”

The remainder of the Grimsby schedule is:

Oct. 4 - Ward 4Casablanca Inn

Oct. 5 - Ward 1Woolverton Hall, 19 Elm Street.

Oct. 17 - Ward 2 Woolverton Hall.

Doors open 6:30, meeting starts at 7 p.m.

Knights BBQ for kids

St. Helen of the Cross Knights of Columbus fired up the grill for students last Wednesday at St. John School including Theodora Bassous, 5, and Sewerios Bassous, 8, with (L-R) Ray Francoeur, Grand Knight of Council 15999, Lincoln firefighter Ryan Milloy and St. John principal Dave Forte. McDonald - Photo

Mortgage ABCs for homeowner pensioners:

Last week, we introduced a few mortgage solutions that are available to homeowners who are still working full-time, and approaching retirement.

But what if you are already retired and you’ve been declined by your bank for a mortgage or other credit? You’ve been told that your pension earnings are not sufficient to qualify for such solutions? Here are some alternative solutions for homeowners with limited pension earnings:

• Set up a Reverse Mortgage for up to 55% of your home’s appraised value. Absolutely no repayment is required, and you will never be forced to move or sell your home.

• Consider adding an adult child or grandchild to title, as that (younger) relative may have sufficient employment income to enable him/her to act as a co-signor or guarantor for you.

• Consider selling your home to a family member or other third party, with the proviso that you can continue to live in the home for a defined period of time, in exchange for the payment of rent, or some other consideration.

These are just a few recommendations. For more information, or for answers to any other mortgage-related questions, please contact me. I welcome the opportunity to help you make your home-ownership more affordable. Talk to us, you’ll be impressed!

Margo Wynhofen, B.A.Econ., Principal Broker

Verico

Beware of election phishing

A spate of seemingly odd election-relat ed calls have been recieved at homes across Niagara West in the last week.

In West LIncoln, calls made suggested they were placed by the Township.

“The Township has been made aware of calls being placed to West Lincoln resi dents from someone falsely claiming they

are from the Town ship and asking about who the person has voted for or will vote for in the 2022 Mu nicipal Election,” said Beth Audet, West Lincoln’s communica tions specialist.

“Be advised that this call is not coming from the Township. Township staff have never and will never ask for this informa tion, either over the phone, via email, or in person. As you know, this information is

private and residents are never required to reveal who they have or will vote for in any election.

In Grimsby, calls were received claim ing to be from “Na tional Research” ask ing if the recipient agreed or disagreed with COVID policies and other related topics. The same call also asked who the recipient was supporting for Grimsby mayor and regional councillor.

Niagara Regional Po lice have launched an investigation after an altercation last Wednesday, Sept. 21.

“We are actively investigating the mat ter,” said Cst. Phil Gavin, NRP media officer.

“It has been assigned to our 8 District detec tives.”

Police were called to the area of Willow Way and Hemlock Way west of Grimsby Secondary School at about Noon.

“We were called to a report of a group of youths fighting,” said Gavin.

“There was 50-plus youths on scene with more having scattered on arrival.”

One parent of a Grimsby Secondary School student, who contacted NewsNow’s office, noted there is a “graphic” video of GSS students fighting that is circulating online.

“The violence was horrendous,” the par ent said.

Gavin confirmed there is a video and “we are aware of circu lating videos.”

He noted that the in vestigation could take some time.

“We hope to be able to issue a more ful some media release in the next week or two,” said Gavin.

“We are asking who may have been on scene to contact de tectives by calling 905688-4111, ext 1025400.”

PERSONAL

TONY

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Albright Manor - Board Member

McNally House Hospice Volunteer

Meals on Wheels Volunteer Driver

Deputy Chair “Our Town, Our Time”

Fleming Centre (2013-15)

Jordan Lions Club Member (1981-1989)

COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT

2 Term Councillor (2014-current)

Chair of Planning & Economic

Chair of Infrastructure

Community Services (2019)

Chair of Peninsula West Hydro

West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Advisory Committee

Vice Chair of Lincoln Housing

Town of Lincoln Heritage

of the Year Winner

BEAMSVILLE MEDICAL PHARMACY

Grimsby celebrates 100 years in style

(Above) At the Creative Bug booth on Main Street, budding artists, (L to R) Preston Whitfield, sisters Norie and Sophie Mous with their mom, Andrea watching, focus on their newest masterpieces.

(Left) Silver Elvis, aka Peter Jarvis, made a guest star appearance on Main Street.

(Above) Toddler Harvey Hendriks of St. Anns was ecstatic after receiving his balloon creation at a stop on Grimsby’s Main Street.

(Right) Terry Allan gives her grandson Jack Salsbury a boost so he can rap on a drum in Coronation Park’s Kidz Zone.

(Right) Elise Mielko with her granddaughters Meggy and Aimee took part in Grimsby Museum’s postcard painting activity which was part of the first annual Grimsby Arts Walk. The Arts Walk ran simultaneously to the Grimsby 100 Celebration - with five different locations participating.

Main Street was rockin’ with The Figure Four and tribute artist Shania Twin closed out the night.

Kristy Berry of Grimsby provided some help for magician Nick Wallace as he was about to eat something odd for lunch.

Nick swallows a handful of sewing needles.

Kristy gives an up-close inspection.

Nick wows the crowd by pulling a string of needles threaded together from his mouth.

(Above) Mike Potter inspects some of the art displayed at Nelles Manor Museum.

(Right) While Manuela Welch of Beamsville and Cindy McMillan of Grimsby peruse prints, while artist Cathy Rodic creates a new piece.

Together again

The St. Helen Church congregation was happy to share breakfast and some social time Sunday at the Beamsville church. (LR) are Danica Muhic, Deanna Fotivec, Joanna Muhic, Zara Fotivec, Mateja Fotivec, Lukas Muhic, Andrej Fotivec, Mike Fotivec and Joey Fotivec. McDonald - Photo

Opening Teachings

Big crowd packs King for Saturday Fling

Students at Niagara Dance & Fitness Studio (L to R) Cam eron Olinski, Arianna Edmunds, Morgan Twardawa, Victoria Witt and Chelsea Lupton performed for a big crowd Saturday.

Party Perfect artist Kate Balint paints a colourful design for three-year-old Meera Patel.

Evie Dudley, 5, dips into a bucket of slime at the sensory table.

A stilt performer from Chicks on Sticks says hello to four-year-old Kendra Vorstenbosch.

Dan MacLean keeps a watchful eye as furry friends Roo and Lily meet at the Fling on King.

Food, drinks, entertainment and just getting out of the house were all great reasons for local residents to head out to Saturday’s Fling on King in downtown Beamsville.

Photos By Joanne McDonald

The people of the town of Grimsby have al ways been interested in learning and The Arts.

Therefore, it is not surprising that we have one of the best small town libraries in the province. Our very first library was a Mechanics Institute Library, a small institution housed in a private home on Main Street West. The col lection of 1,000 books was rescued when the house burned down, and was transferred to available space in the firehall which at that time was on Main Street opposite Elm Street.

This space offered a reading room and stor age. Patrons were not able to browse through the book collection, but referred to a list provid ed so that they could

A Small Drop of Ink

By Dorothy Turcotte

make their selection and ask the librarian for it. Unfortunately, all early records were lost in the fire.

In February 1900, among the earliest re cords available, the Li brary Board approved a motion to turn the Mechanics Library into a free library operated by the Village.

Two years later three members of the Board were appointed to ask Andrew Carnegie for a grant of $10,000.

Nothing much hap pened until 1910 when James Atkinson, Sec retary of the Board, de cided to take matters into his own hands. Ev ery week for almost two

years, he sent a picture postcard of Grimsby to Mr. Carnegie’s office.

This finally got Mr. Carnegie’s attention, and his secretary wrote to the Village Council to request information about population and assessment. A cheque for $8,000 was finally sent, with the under standing that the li brary would be free to all, and that the Carn egie Foundation would provide $800 a year for upkeep. The existing Carnegie building was proudly opened in 1912, and served until 2004 when the new library replaced it.

Grimsby Public Li brary has kept up with times and technology.

We can be proud of CEO Kathryn Drury and her fine staff.

Silverdale soirée

Fall is

Glenn’sServicesPainting

Members of the Beamsville Stingers U12 baseball squad, which won their third Ontario Baseball Association title Sept. 5 in Chatham: Front (LR) Carter Thompson, Aiden Spencer, Maddox Gerow. Middle: Koren Fife, Brayden Walker, Cole Kirchner, Chase Schilstra, Jake Lamb, Robert Cormer, Lucas Whitnell, Cash Wiley. Back: ass’t coach Tim Bonehill, ass’t coach Greg Walker, head coach Dustin Wiley, ass’t coach Kurt Whitnell. Missing: ass’t coach Harley Thomspon.

Stingers earn OBA title

The Beamsville Stingers U12 base ball club went 5-1 in the championship tournament over La bour Day weekend to earn their third OBA title.

After giving up four runs in the last inning, the Stingers battled back get ting two runners on base before a single to left plated the championship walkoff win.

Meet your candidates

Varying questions are published this week. In July 2019, council voted to initiate an $18 million civil lawsuit to make those (responsible) for biodigester losses accountable. Should this case be pursued?

Yes or No? Please explain your thinking. Answers were capped at 100 words and are printed verbatim.

Grimsby Candidates ~ Mayor

John Dunstall: Grimsby Mayor

I have and will continue to give this issue my utmost attention. As this mat ter is currently the subject of pending litiga tion, it would be

imprudent and inappro priate for me to comment further at this time.

Jeff Jordan: Grimsby Mayor

Absolutely pur sued. No taxpayer is comfortable with $18 million of public money being sunk into a $3.5 million project.

Residents deserve accountability from the former Mayor and the

affiliated par ties. We need to learn their mistakes and ensure controls are in place to avoid future egregious spending of public funds.

Grimsby Ward 1

The last term of council was considerably volatile throughout. If you are an incumbent, please outline the impact of your role and what you may, or may not, do differently in the future. If you are a new candidate, how would your conduct affect change on the new council?

Delight Davoli: Grimsby Coun. Ward 1

Good leaders often possess a combination of leadership quali ties. However the most successful leaders are able to adapt to dif ferent situations, using their diverse set of skills to achieve their goals. My style is democratic. I believe that a leadership style

that engages people in the process can boost morale, satisfaction and engage ment. My background and experi ence are truly diverse, focused on problemsolving in a highly technical environment.

Always professional.

Reg Freake: Grimsby Coun. Ward 1

If re-elected, I will continue to work diligently, transparently, and inclusively to promote com munity involve ment. Most of our residents are disappointed with the poor governance and collaboration over the past term. I will work to achieve stron ger partnerships with Council, Town Staff and the Community to build a more vibrant and sustainable town.

Volatility over the past term was undoubt ably the BIGGEST nega tive impact to progress. It was coun terproduc tive and exasperated by the COVID pandemic. We should all learn les sons from the last 4 years. We need a much higher voter turnout to achieve better results in this upcoming elec tion.

Missing candidate comments

Grimsby Ward 1 candidates Brian Drost, Kevin Ritchie and Lincoln Ward 3’s Herbert Blum were the only candidates not to submit comments from all those registered in Grimsby, Lincoln & West Lincoln.

Grimsby Ward 2

Dylan Brethour: Grimsby Coun. Ward 2

I always conduct myself in a pro fessional manner within a working environment, and can put my emotions and personal beliefs aside when nec essary. With the last council it seemed that this was not always the case, leading to the real issues being over shadowed by personal quarrels at times. Further, I have plenty

of experience mediating discussions to keep conver sations rel evant, which will ensure that council can make de cisions efficiently and pragmatically. Being able to handle issues in such a manner will allow more time for other concerns of the community to be prop erly investigated.

Don Howe: Grimsby Coun. Ward 2

I would bring a knowledge of the working of council that has not been evident in the last four years. I would bring a respect for the important work of council and how that is arrived at. I would not be a distrac tion but a contributor. My vote would always

be my vote and not part of a group but as mem ber of council. I feel we need to return to a commit tee-based governance model to improve flow of information with staff, administration and taxpayers.

Carol Ricciuto: Grimsby Coun. Ward 2

I have dealt with people from all walks of life in the past 27 years through my work

as a wildlife reha bilitator. People react to respect given to them and, for the most part, are inherently good.

I would use this experi ence within the council but would not back down to intimidation nor to lies.

The previous council – at least the G5 –were only out for themselves.

I firmly believe and would fully endorse the following quote: “A council person is a representative of all of the people, not a champion of a special interest group or a nar row perspective.”

Dave Sharpe: Grimsby Coun. Ward 2

This term of council was certainly more challenging than it needed to be. While I recognize that personal ity clashes on council were less than ideal, I am proud of the many positive outcomes we achieved together as a council. Moving forward, we need to focus on es tablishing a more posi tive working culture.

I’ve person ally learned a lot in my four years as a council lor and I will always strive to be better. What will not change is my commit ment to fulfilling the promises I made to the residents I represent, such as responsible growth and adequate parking.

Lianne Vardy: Grimsby Coun. Ward 2

Debate should al ways be about is sues and opinions and should never

be personal. I have always chal lenged behaviour that I found to be disrespectful or hurtful - its in my DNA. I will continue to support the mayor and fellow council lors to foster a more

civil dynamic and dialogue at Councilone that is productive and residentfocused - and I remain committed to working positively with my colleagues. Grims by residents deserve nothing less.

Grimsby Ward 3

Veronica Charrois: Grimsby Coun. Ward 3

This is where my mediation training comes in handy. A new council will need to establish a ba sic level of trust and understand ing that we are all working in the best interest of the Town. It would benefit the newly elected Council to come together to discuss their goals and

vision for the Town. If we have cohesive ness and clear end-goals, then the path to get there doesn’t matter as much, as long as we get there in the end. We can disagree without it becoming a personal attack.

Ryan Day: Grimsby Coun. Ward 3

Someone’s Con duct can affect good and bad change in any office. I would Foster good change and that comes from be ing respectful and listening to one anoth er. No self-agendas. Understanding the task at hand and the con

cerns brought forward. We work as a team, not as an individual, using differ ent skills and knowledge from various backgrounds so Coun cil can collectively make it better for all of us.

Joanne Johnston: Grimsby Coun. Ward 3 Teamwork!

Let’s stop the bullying and treat each other with respect.

I didn’t always agree with my colleagues when I was on Council and that’s okay.

But I always acted civ illy and treated those I disagreed with with respect.

I’ll work with all Coun cil for a common end...

improving our Community. There were many new members to this Council, I, no doubt that was part of the problem. Civility needs to be restored on Grimsby Council, I have the experience that will bring that stability on Council.. moving forward.

Jennifer Korstanje: Grimsby Coun. Ward 3

Holding public of fice is a privilege that is bestowed on just a handful of people en trusted to act in the public’s inter est. I believe it is a sacred trust not to be broken. My be haviour inside and out of council will be one where common ground is sought, official codes

of conduct are adhered to rig orously, where personal in terests are set aside for public interest and where integrity, accountability and responsible gov ernment are the prec edent set at Grimsby Town Council.

Duncan Storey: Grimsby Coun. Ward 3

I will lead by example and refrain from filing Integrity Com missioner investi gations for minor code of conduct violations. The IC billables are in the neighbourhood of ~$350/h and the reports end up cost ing ~$5,000-$25,000+ per. In 2021 IC reports cost taxpayers over $72,000, a direct result of the negative feed

back loop of vindictive ness toward one another on council. 100% of the complainants chose to ne glect filing an inexpensive informal complaint. In short, I won’t par take in a costly tattletale culture that we witnessed over the last 4 years.

Nick DiFlavio: Grimsby Coun. Ward 4

Since my ap pointment to Council a few months ago, I have done my best to rolemodel civility and thoughtfulness during Council meetings.

As a member of Town Council I realize that we aren’t always go ing to be unanimous in our decisions, but the discussions should always be relevant to

the question at hand and at the end of the day, we should respect each individual.

Whether in Council meet ings or on social media, Grimsby’s “Friendly by Nature” slogan seems to have disappeared the last few years. I hope that we can re unite Council and start to heal the community.

Baraa Fattal: Grimsby Coun. Ward 4

With over 6 years of experience in negotiating inter national contracts of 1million$+, I have grown to work extremely well in teams and achieve goals through cooperation!

The shortcomings of the current council are centred around the lack of accountability and the lack of integ rity. I will make sure to hold my fellow council

lors account able for their actions while also being held account able by the wonderful residents of my ward (4).

I moved to Grimsby from Mississauga to ensure I could build a prosperous future for my daughters and I will not let our beautiful town turn into another “Mississauga”.

Jim Howden: Grimsby Coun. Ward 4

Jacob Baradziej: Grimsby Coun. Ward 4

The current council’s theatrics needs to be re placed with pro fessionalism and maturity. They are wasting our resources arguing minor indiffer ences with the integ rity commissioner, and fighting losing battles with the Ontario Land

Tribunal. If elected, I will work with council to resolve issues and foster a positive work ing environ ment. I will utilize negotiation over expensive legal battles when possible.

Voters can trust me to have the qualities and competence to only engage in conduct that reflects positively on Council, the Mayor and the Town. My character traits include toler ance and self-control. Certainly, there will be no angry outbursts.

I will stress to my fellow council mem bers that reputation is

important to the imple mentation of good policy and bad behaviour by any member of Council re flects poorly on everyone. Em ployees have a choice where they can work and the importance of a properly function ing council cannot be overstated.

Grimsby Regional Councillor

What are you hearing is the top concern of residents and how would you deal with it?

Wayne Fertich: Grimsby Reg. Coun.

Grimsby Ward 4 Cont’d

Len Stack: Grimsby Coun. Ward 4

I am a positive minded indi vidual and I was raised to always conduct myself in a courteous and professional manner. I believe in open dialogue and inclusive decision making. We all bring our own thoughts to the table but we must learn to always remain respectful of differenc es of opinion. We need to work together to

discover com monalities that will assist us in fostering “good will” among us as leaders and as citizens. As leaders we have the re sponsibility to demon strate positive lead ership skills that will serve as role models to our community. These skills lead to affecting necessary changes.

Frank Trivieri: Grimsby Coun. Ward 4

I have no agenda!

I intend to bring a level of pro fessionalism and curiosity to the position of councillor. I will impart and de mand respectful

discourse in and out of the council cham ber. This is the very least we can do for Grimsby and it’s citizens.

Nameer Rahman: Grimsby Coun. Ward 4

What I hope to bring to council is a principle-based approach revolv ing around professionalism and maturity that focuses on the issues and their potential impacts on our community. In addition, as some one who frequently works in environments with strongly con flicting stakeholders, I hope to bring my ability to craft com

promises as means of bringing stability to council. That being said, ultimate ly for there to be stability on council, all the elected members need to make their individual commitment to ensur ing council works as smoothly as possible and in the interest of the community.

Grimsby has to do its best to maintain and en hance its ability to be a liveable community. we have our new Regional Official Plan which will define growth in our community. As Vice Chair of the Niagara Region Transit Com mission, I am working to deliver a seamless transportation system within our Region, and

with links to Go Transit to insure easier movement. I will continue to press for the Bartlett exten sion up the es carpment. We three Regional Council lors from West Niagara have convinced the Region to put aside one million dollars to begin the Environmen tal Assessment for the project.

Michelle Seaborn: Grimsby Reg. Coun.

Two issues come to mind. Taxes need to be kept to mini mal increases, justifiable costs. Lately residents, especially those along Mountain Street are concerned about unsafe traffic conditions leading to serious accidents due to excessive speed and heavy truck traffic. We need to revisit an

alternative route which should not be the Bartlett Ave which not only de stroys a huge amount of ecologically important land but runs right through an area where our seniors live. Re-routing truck traffic to Victoria may still be the best alter native for the area.

Town of Lincoln ~ Ward 1

What are you hearing is the top concern of residents and how would you deal with it?

Dianne Rintjema: Lincoln Coun. Ward 1

There was al ready a steadily increasing interest in liv ing in Lincoln pre-pandemic but because of pandemic related requirements and changes like social distancing and a shift in some industries to remote working, liv ing in areas like Lincoln that have a strong rural component has become even more at tractive.

The Niagara area

Brian Romagnoli: Lincoln Coun. Ward 1

A Bloated Bu reaucracy. There are now 21 public employees at the Town Hall bask ing on the Sun shine List. Public servants are now “Public Masters”, accountable to no one. The transforma tion that has allowed staff to dictate down to elected represen tatives has evolved over the past four terms of Council, and must not be allowed

to continue. Wages are grossly more generous than those in the private sector, and should be subject to an outside audit. The fact that the Town has hired a Speech Writer and a Climate Change Coordinator speaks volumes of the incompetence of some elected officials.

Adam Russell: Lincoln Coun. Ward 1

I think Lincoln has made some great strides in plan ning for where we want to take our brand and en hance our com munity. However, we need to keep pushing the upper levels of government to bring expertise and funding to our essen tial projects. We need the region to focus on traffic issues in town,

and work with staff to find long term solutions. We need the province and region to step up and start working on the Grimsby Bartlett cut up the escarpment to manage the flow of truck traffic. We need an underpass at the Ontario St rail crossing.

Joanne Serkeyn: Lincoln Coun. Ward 1

generally is experiencing rapid growth. It’s going to continue to be crucial to focus intently on growing sustainably by planning properly for infra structure investments (and seeking funding sources) and finding ways to meet servicing demands (eg. shared service opportunities) while preserving our quality of life.

Development is the most impor tant matter fac ing our commu nity. The Town of Lincoln must drive the agenda when approving any development project. We do not want Lincoln to look like Stoney Creek north of the QEW or Grimsby’s waterfront. We need smart development that includes clear action plans for traf

fic pattern changes, adding turn lanes, speed corridors, and certainly a much more robust Active Transporta tion Plan. Change is coming whether we like it or not. We have the capa bility and opportunity to direct the change so it benefits Lincoln, not the developer com munity.

Town of Lincoln

Town of Lincoln ~ Ward 2

Tony Brunet: Lincoln Coun. Ward 2

I think it would be wrong to say one is most im portant. I believe we need to bal ance a number of important matters. Development and growth are in our future. I am neither pro or anti develop ment.

I have voted yes and no on applications. We need to ensure our in frastructure supports growth and it fits into

our existing neighbor hoods and that we preserve and enhance our parks and green spaces. We need to provide attainable and varied housing and make sure our streets are safe. We need to continue to balance taxes and the services we pro vide to our residents.

Alain Mukama: Lincoln Coun. Ward 2

I believe the most important matter facing Lincoln, Ontario is the increasingly con nected world we live in whereby the internet and mass me dia continue to have negative effects on the local community. As an example, the globe and mail published an article titled “U.S student math, reading scores plummet during pandemic.” The article

went on to indicate that there was a fall in reading scores rela tive to 2020 for nine-yearolds that is the the larg est since 1990. I argue that these statistics apply to Canadian students as well since they were also im pacted by the pan demic through remote learning.

John Pachereva: Lincoln Coun. Ward 2

The need for con tinuous improve ment. Due to the pandemic the Town modern ized its technol ogy systems, to make it easier for residents to ac cess services remotely and be more efficient. Through our economic development office, we reached out to lo cal businesses to ask what help they needed to recover. We made strategic investments in roads, downtown

improvement projects; tran sitioned our public transit service –uLink – to an on-demand service that saw ridership increase; opened Ro tary Park, Konkle Creek trail, and upgraded Ashby Park. We are adding items residents request to our parks and community facili ties to meet the needs of the community.

Town of Lincoln ~Ward 3

Anna Murre: Lincoln Coun. Ward 3

An important issue facing Lincoln’s future is increased development and the result ing population growth - with its impact on traffic, infrastructure, and our vision of who we are as a town. We need to proactively work to connect new and ex isting neighbourhoods to build a cohesive, active, and engaged

community. In Vineland & Jordan, we should incorporate more bike and walk ing friendly paths, ex pand programming and resources at the library’s Vineland branch, and focus on parks and sports facili ties to better serve the east end of Lincoln.

Dave Thompson: Lincoln Coun. Ward 3

Critical matters:

• Plan for ex pected growth that the province is mandating by ensuring infra structure is up to standards and built and that growth fits our neigh bourhoods.

• Continue to strength en overall financial health and prosperity of Lincoln and all its residents, through bet ter, more secure jobs, housing availability and affordability, and ac

cess to public services. • Transporta tion/Road safety - Sup port safe, effective movement on streetsfinding alternate truck routes (build Bartlett truck route); Also, en sure traffic calming for safer roads and pro vide affordable transit for seniors and youth. • Incorporate side walks, bike-lanes, and trails.

Mike Mikolic: Lincoln Coun. Ward 3

Lincoln is becom ing an extremely popular place for people from all over to both live and visit. Not only are we convenient to Toronto, Niagara Falls, and Buffalo, our community is located within an amazing world biosphere, blessed with an array of natural resources and beautiful land features that can’t be replaced. A cautious approach to managing

these re sources along with our unique en vironmental features will be important when accom modating new population growth or tourism. There will be many services and infrastructure needs to accommodate every one and ensuring mini mal negative impacts to our environment or landscape will be ex tremely important.

Terry Teather: Lincoln Coun. Ward 3

The security of our agrarianbased economy and secondary industries such as tourism and wine produc tion, is key to maintaining and growing our future. Lincoln’s history is tightly bound to these industries which are major sources of employment. We must respond to the growing threat of urbanization and the serious effects of cli

mate change by ensuring that mitiga tion efforts are reason able, rapid, and ongo ing. Agricul tural land and natural spaces are a finite and non-renew able resource that once paved, are not recoverable and are crucial to the ecologi cal balance of Niagara and the future health and wellbeing of our children.

Town of Lincoln Ward 4

David Brown: Lincoln Coun. Ward 4

The most impor tant issue is fu ture urban sprawl and the very high density buildings which undermine our long and rich small town heritage of excel lent tender fruit and grape agriculture. This farming backdrop and

all the corre sponding val ue added hospitality & winery enter prises should be leveraged to create op portunities and attract reason able commercial and residential growth.

Greg Reimer: Lincoln Coun. Ward 4

Housing – Lin coln’s future needs to be made up of a variety of people repre senting different cultures, lifestyles and life stages to facilitate a com plete community. As a Council we need to provide various types

of housing and places to call home, as Lincoln continues to grow. The decisions we make as Council should reflect that, as it has a large genera tional impact.

Lynn Timmers: Lincoln Coun. Ward 4

Housing and de velopment are issues facing us.

Over the years, I have been on both sides vot ing to support development and voting against it. Provincial policy is pushing development and adding growth pressures, and we know saying no is not the way to attack the issue. We need to plan for our future. Smart

development that meets our needs, in appro priate locations and that fits our community and neighbour hoods. We also need to invest in infrastructure and continue to enhance green spaces, plus preserve our heritage. Climate change, eco nomic growth and job retention will also be critical.

Twp. of West Lincoln Mayoral Candidates

The most recent term of council had some rocky moments. What would you do differently in the coming term to calm divisions and move West Lincoln Twp. to a bright future?

Dave Bylsma: Mayor West Lincoln

I think West Lin coln council has had vigorous de bate and obvious differences, but at the same time we have complet ed a very detailed and extensive strategic plan and have done so with the collaborative effort of all members of council and abundant input from our community. The urban boundary

expansion and infrastructure maintenance plans are ex amples of how to move a com munity forward for the benefit of all residents. I have no intention of stifling any debate nor discouraging any opinions, and when the vote is taken, we have our plan to move forward.

Cheryl Ganann: Mayor West Lincoln

Education is key to understanding local government.

As outlined in Provincial legisla tion, a municipal ity has five main purposes: to provide good government, to foster environmental well-being, to provide services, facilities and appropriate infrastruc ture, to develop and maintain safe, viable communities and to collaborate with neigh bouring municipalities regarding intermunici pal services.

Good government

Greg Stephens: Mayor West Lincoln

First I would focus on the main reasons why our council is splintered and work towards finding common ground together. As I stated in my press release, I owe no favors, am not beholding to any one person or group and will not allow any discrimination towards

any person or group for any reason. I will address all issues I can that will not allow a small group’s ideals to make oth ers feel not included, as I am aware that this is a key issue people have been expressing when you talk with them.

Twp. of West Lincoln Ward 1

The most recent term of council had some rocky moments. What would you do differently in the coming term to calm divisions and move West Lincoln Twp. to a bright future?

Jason Trombetta: West Lincoln Coun.Ward 1

I believe in all voices should be heard, especially from people that want only the best for their community. As an elected represen tative it’s my duty to bring issues forward to address all the people in my riding. I take all the concerns of all my constituents, by meeting with them at

their property and discuss ing the issue on a one to one basis and also getting the answer that they need. I be lieve that is always the best way. I will contin ue to respond and hear all my constituents and resolve it in a timely fashion.

Henry Vis: West Lincoln Coun. Ward 1

refers to the development of: thought ful poli cies, fiscally responsible, transpar ent budgets, commu nity goals and priorities, council and staff-endorsed strate gic plans and neigh bouring-community consultation. Moving ahead, I plan to en gage with residents, in cluding re-engagement of our youth, to discuss concerns, explain pro cesses and procedures and to listen to ideas!

Paul Griffin: West Lincoln Coun. Ward 1

I have been dis heartened by the way that council and staff, has treated mem bers of their own team and com munity, simply because they hold differing views. A difference of opinion is what spurs us on toward better resolu tions for all commu nity members, rather than just pushing our

own agenda. Civil disagree ments allow us to step outside of ourselves and see solutions that we strug gle to see on our own. As a member of council I would do my best to ensure that the voice of everyone is heard and respected whether I agree with them or not.

Mike Rehner: West Lincoln Coun. Ward 1

I believe it is important for every elected official to be able to state their case logically. Let’s get the facts out there as they usually speak for themselves. Allowing everyone to state their case diffuses tensions and we are then able

to come to a consen sus. Having said that it is important to know that it is still majority rules. Wheth er we like it or not, the majority rules as in all democratic countries.

This is a ques tion that is not easy to answer without sitting down with all sides and coming to a consensus. I am well aware of the media’s side, which can be biased at times. Without the media having a full inter view with the parties

involved and having that interview published, it quickly be comes a onesided story. I think it is more impor tant that after Oct 24 all the elected council members look forward to building a stronger community.

Twp. of West Lincoln Ward 2

Shelley Ann Bradaric: WL Coun.Ward 2

I focus on rela tionship build ing and look for opportunities for common ground. West Lincoln is filled with great people that at the end of the day, want what is best not only for them, but their neigh bours. Political grand standing does not have a place in Municipal

government as it takes away the fo cus on the im portant work that occurs at this level. It is my intent to use my experience to bring back the order to the council and do the work we have been elected to do.

Twp. of West Lincoln

Twp of West Lincoln Ward 2 Continued

Joann Chechalk: West Lincoln Coun. Ward 2

The next council needs to focus on the work we have before us and make decisions for the benefit of the community. We need to put aside our individuality and deal with matters before us with a mind to how the outcome will impact the munici pality. Our focus must be on matters within

our jurisdic tion and not on issues that belong to other orders of govern ment. We are elect ed to do a job and there are rules and obligations we must agree to when we decide to run. Those must be our focus.

Harold Jonker: West Lincoln Coun. Ward 2

If I am reelected I will continue to respect every one no matter who they are or what they believe or what their background is. I will continue to speak and stand for the truth and treat everyone with respect and love as I would like to be treated. We must listen to and address the concerns of all our residents.

Differences of opinion will, always be part of our com munity, but that doesn’t mean West Lincoln can not continue to grow and work to a bright future for the coming generations! Diversity, differences of opinion, open dialogue and truth bring strength to a community.

Eric Ravensbergen: WL Coun. Ward 2

I would refrain from engaging in personal attacks for political gain.

Twp. of West Lincoln Ward 3

The most recent term of council had some rocky moments. What would you do differently in the coming term to calm divisions and move West Lincoln Twp. to a bright future?

Terry Bell: West Lincoln Coun. Ward 3

It is my belief that the divisions in the present council was due to the Head of council and the poor leadership or lack of that was given to council.

I would listen to and appreciate the differ ences of others, treat

everyone with respect. Should issues arise the council would be reminded as an elected official of the oath they took to represent all of the community with out bias or prejudice.

William Reilly: West Lincoln Coun. Ward 3

Looking to the future, we need to find a way to reunite our community, and put an end to the hate and division caused by the pandemic that is currently still plaguing our community. We need strong lead ership, real leadership, that will put personal issues and opinions aside, and put our community first.

Our commu nity is very resilient, and we have over come many obstacles and challenges over the last few years. It’s time for our town ship Council to rise to the occasion and work together as a cohesive team to steer our com munity through the next four years.

Clarence Vanderhout: West Lincoln Coun. Ward 3

My goal is to bring fresh leadership, a new voice for the resi dents of Ward 3 our town Council. I will represent every resident, deal with ev ery issue, in a timely, responsible, respect ful and transparent manner

As a councillor in West Lincoln I will strife to repair damages that have been done thru

this last year. These have been un precedented times with many chal lenges. The first thing we need to do is work closely together to build relationships and be able to do the work our constituents voted us to do. Back to in house meetings where we can see our residents face to face.

Mark Wanders: West Lincoln Coun. Ward 3

The last 2.5 years have been rocky for all of Canada, not just our local politics. So first off, I am getting involved. Second, I will ascertain if there are incon

sistencies in policy or pro cedure, and then work to refine or re move them.

Twp. of West Lincoln Regional Councillor

Are you in favour of expanding urban boundaries in Niagara to accommodate development?

Peggy Cook: West Lincoln Reg. Councillor

It is not a mat ter of if one is in favor or not. The need for housing is real. The avail ability of housing is limited creat ing a need more housing. West Lincoln/Niagara West has been ear marked for significant growth over the next number of years. Inev itably we will need to

extend them slowly as the need for homes, rental units, and affordable housing for all continues to increase. Continuing evaluation of the needs will be integral to the need to expand the boundar ies and should only be done as necessary.

Albert Witteveen: West Lincoln Reg. Councilllor

Yes I am in favour of expanding boundaries to accommodate growth within Niagara. The Provincial gov ernment directed growth targets for the next 30 years for Niagara. This was accomplished through the work of the Niagara Regional Official plan review. Balanced growth

was needed to achieve affordable housing and also protec tion of natural features, eg ( Niagara Escarpment, Greenbelt and Natu ral Heritage features) Niagara Region exceeded provincial in tensification to respect the land required for growth.

West Lincoln Fire hosts open house

West Lincoln Fire Department hosted its annual open house Saturday at Station 1 in Smithville. Fire safety lessons, interactive displays and a chance to meet some of the firefighters was all part of the fun.

(Left) Firefighter Ryan Stirtzinger gives with Axl VanderWier, right, 6, and Aaron Hoogendoorn, 6, gives a lesson in helping to move someone.

(Below) Spencer Van Lochem, 7, tests his strength on one of the kids’ activities.

West Lincoln Lt. David McClausand with son Jon Lucas.

West Lincoln firefighter Capt. Zoli Rakonjac helps Tessa Long, 6, with a turn on the fire hose while waiting for a turn are Natalie Vandenberg, 6, Lucas McCausland, 5, and Alissa Robertson, 5.

Photos By Joanne McDonald

CONNOR (nee Addison)

Judith Teresa

Judy died peacefully at home on August 25, 2022 and passed into the nearer presence of the God she loved and served. Beloved wife and soul mate of husband, Bill, dearest mother of John Mark, Sarah Kathleen and William Ryan. A loving nana to Allison, Sadie, Chandler and Owen and a much-loved mother-in-law to Benson, Phoebe and Justine. Beloved sister of her brother, John, and sister, Elizabeth.

She loved God and family all her days Found joy and wonder in the world around her Reached out and touched the lives of many

Memorial Service at St. Andrews Anglican Church, Grimsby, on Saturday, October 22 at 11:00 a.m. followed by a reception.

Donations in Judy’s memory may be made to The Alzheimer Society of Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society and The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund.

CARD OF THANKS

Thank you to

evening,

and

well wishes,

OBITUARIES

DAVISON, GEORGE WILLIAM

Passed away peacefully at West Lincoln Memorial Hospital on September 23, 2022, in his 77th year. He will be forever missed by his wife of 54 years Effie Davison (nee. DeJong). He was a loving father of Bill (Rebecca) and Kim (Heinz). He was Papa to his grandchildren Austin, Connor, Natalie, Kylie, and Keegan. George is survived by his siblings Carrie, Florence, Sheila, Rose, Nancy, Patricia, and Cecil. He will be remembered fondly by his nephew Barry. He was predeceased by siblings Nelson and Elizabeth. He will be missed by many other extended family and friends. Visitation was held on Sunday, September 25, from 2-4 p.m. at Merritt Funeral Home, 287 Station Street, Smithville. The funeral service was held on Monday, September 26, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Smithville United Church, 116 West Street, Smithville. Burial took place following the service at Bismarck United Church Cemetery, 5523 Regional Road #65, Bismarck, Ontario. Donations to West Lincoln Memorial Hospital would be appreciated and if desired can be made through the funeral home, merritt-fh.com (905) 957-7031

HELP WANTED

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SUPPORT GROUP

Struggling with life? “Celebrate Recovery (CR)”, a 12 step Christian recovery program for any Hurts, Habits and Hang-ups. Wednesdays at 7 pm at Forestview Commu nity Church, 132 Lake St, Grimsby, On. All are welcome! Please call for info. or help905-945-9529

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Stan Macievich

Dear Editor,

On thinking about the Covid virus, vaccina tions, masks, and con trol mandates, I won der if we are confusing “Freedom” and “Self ishness”?

This pandemic has killed nearly as many Canadians as the num ber of soldiers we lost In World War II and in one half the time. Does that not make the pandemic a major problem?

These soldiers gave the ultimate sacrifice so we could have the freedom to do what we want.

Almost everyone at home here in Canada also made sacrifices: women going to work

in the factories and farms to replace the soldiers; rationing of gasoline, foods, etc. was necessary; and the moms and dads and wives and girlfriends hoping beyond hope for years that they would never receive that dreaded telegram “Killed in Action”.

Is it too much to ask everyone now to make a small sacrifice to help prevent more deaths from this virus?

Getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, and following mandates is not a major sacrifice except for those self ish “I am the only one

important” folks.

Illogic of anti-mask/vaccine lost on reader who recalls sacrifices made in the past Letter

Yes, the health offi cials and governments have made mistakes, but they have tried to control this difficult vi rus following science not some social media “guru”.

The USA had less vaccinations, less mandates, etc. but they also have had 3 times per capita deaths as we had in Canada. What does that tell you?

The attitude of “I

don’t want to get vac cinated, I don’t want to wear a mask, I don’t want to have a man date to control my ac tivities” seems almost childish in the face of this killer disease. Please consider oth ers. I tend to blame for the repeated waves of the virus. Or are you too SELF IMPOR TANT to make minor sacrifices?

William A. Hughes, DVM Grimsby

Garden City Realty Inc., Brokerage

Garden City Realty Inc., Brokerage

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Just scratch the surface, please

I know you folks in West Lincoln and Lincoln are pretty sick and tired of hearing about Grimsby and all the shenanigans.

being recorded to post online? I really don’t want to go if that’s the case.”

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Municipal shout outs required

Community events such as the weekend’s Grimsby 100 Celebration don’t happen overnight.

They take many months of planning, calls, meetings and attention to detail.

So, too, does an event like Lincoln’s Fling on King.

Both were huge successes, despite overlapping the same day, so that is evidence of great planning and execution by the teams at both municipalities.

Having been a part of the Grimsby 100 and Grimsby Arts Walk organizing committee, I know first-hand what went into it, some of the mini-crises which cause committee members to drop whatever they were do ing and focus on a given task for days at a time.

That type of time investment is what makes these events go and, to the attendees, they really have no idea what went on to get a particular act booked or a group committed to be part of the day.

People show up and will decide if they think it was good event or bad. Committee work is often a thank less job and one rarely hears when something is good as negativity tends to get the most attention.

So I want to make a special point to thank those who helped with Grimsby 100 and the Arts Walk. Being a one-time event in the 100 and an inaugural event for Arts Walk, both required 100 per cent effort because there was no template to follow on any aspect of ei ther event.

There was a lot of free-form, “sure, let’s try that” and why not. That was a good thing about not having a “book” to follow. But, it all went great. Weather coop erated and turnouts were great across the board.

Congratulations to both Town staff on both events. M.W.

I also know some of you love sitting back, knowing you don’t live in town and watching council burn it to the ground over the last four years. My sole hope for the Oct. 24 electionwhich I have been counting down in these pages for nearly two years - is that we get a “normal” crew in there who will actually listen to one another, agree or disagree, and be able to come to a positive consen sus on issues which move the town ahead.

Sounds simple, right?

Not so much.

The cast of characters which have put their names forward for council in cludes some real all-stars. If voters even scratch a little below the surface they will soon figure out how to separate the wheat from the chaff.

But let’s get one thing straight, the whole antivaccine/anti-mask bull pucky has no place in a municipal election arena.

Sure, it’s an issue, and to some degree I understand the points made by the anti-mandate crowd. I think the way they choose to make their point - on many occasions sucks, for lack of a more polished term (and sorry if that language offends).

I just have precious little patience anymore where

MIKE WILLISCRAFT

Grimsby politics is con cerned. Grimsby has been embarrassed so many times and for so long, the whole town just needs to heal. If I only do council stories out of Grimsby for the next four that deal with budget, public works projects, new ventures in recreation, what kind of flowers they are using in Town monitored gardens and the most Pablum top ics imaginable it would be a great, great thing.

There are many stressed residents in town. That became abundantly clear as I made my way through the crowds at Saturday’s Grimsby 100 Celebration. I could not go 10 feet with out someone asking me about the election.

“No way Dunstall will get in, right?”

“Sharpe is telling people at the door he is not part of the G5, it’s five other members of council.”

“The anti-vax guys are planning to stack the allcandidates meetings with their supporters. Are they

With Coun. John Dun stall, who is running for mayor, I will let a lady who came in the office answer that question.

She said last week, “I was just over at Food Basics. Mr. Dunstall was over there. He is a very good talker. You would think he would make the greatest mayor on earth. The only prob lem is I have been follow ing the paper and I have done as you suggested and watched the council meet ings online. I would never vote for him.”

Now, that is one lady who did her homework and drew her own conclusion. As I say, scratch the surface people.

Question 2 - I have had this discussion with Sharpe in my office when he came in to say he was not part of the G5 mainly based at that time having never instigated an Integrity Commissioner complaint. My point on that, that may be, but he supported every one and repeatedly voted to waste 10s of thousands of dollars chasing an an swer they wanted from the IC because they just didn’t like his findings. Make no mistake, good reader, Mr. Sharpe is a card carrying member of the G5.

The anti-vax stuff, as Tony Soprano would say, fuggedaboutit. It has no place in the municipal elec tion process.

Dear Editor,

As a long-time read er, I appreciate what you do for the community and last week’s update on the financial disaster known as Grimsby’s biodigester is the latest example.

Leaving the issue aside, I would like to congratulate Miller Waste for their efforts and investment in cleaning up a huge mess. They appear to be stellar coporate cit izens and I wish them continued success.

It also showed the regime that was run

ning it would never have figured it out and the Town would have continued to lose money hand over fist.

It was also telling that those who some how remained pro ponents of the bio money burner main tained falsehoods like money was left on the table by sell ing too soon without investigating revenue diversifying with that fertilizer option.

It was clear from

don’t

Dear Editor,

That was some paper last week.

I’ve been reading you since the early days of your first pa per, but last week’s edition may have been the best ever.

The coverage of community events, the great story on the biodigester, the ton of election informa tion; there was a ton of information. My little group is worried about some of the

what the Miller staff said, that would nev er have worked.

That was just one reason why we were so lucky to get out from under what would have been even more losses.

That was an im portant reminder of that issue and yet an other reason to make someone like John Dunstall, who thinks he he should be mayor, accountable for his support of that project and other egregious actions.

Stephen Owen, Grimsby

candidates we see running in Grimsby. It makes no sense to us for someone to run at the municipal level on a platform based on anti-vax. I hope people vote right.

Allison Fisher, Grimsby