December 13, 2014

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12 | 13 | 2014 VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 50

Big dinner a holiday tradition Living Here PAGE 42

COMMENT PAGE 16

Ontarians not getting good value for money

www.OBSERVERXTRA.com

Waste woes go beyond the transfer stations

Townships just one voice in the discussion as the region looks at ways to reduce costs, extend life of landfill site Scott Barber In their continued bid to slash waste management costs, Waterloo Region officials launched a public survey earlier this month. In it, the public is asked to share opinions on three potential policy measures aimed at decreasing “the amount of garbage ending up in our landfill.” The measures are: 1. Standardizing the collection of waste across all seven municipalities of Waterloo Region (i.e. bringing bag limits common in the townships to city residents); 2. Bag limits and/or every other week garbage collection, with unlimited weekly blue box and green bin collection; 3. User-pay options such

as bag tags to allow residents the flexibility to have more waste collected at the curb, if needed. The Erb Street landfill site will be full in 15 to 20 years, Waterloo Region project manager Cari Rastas Howard explained, and steps need to be taken to prolong its life. “We have been working on a waste management master plan,” Rastas Howard explained. “We began the project in 2012 and the final waste management master plan went to (regional) council at the end of November last year. And through the master plan process we looked at getting direction on the future of all of our waste management programs, so what Waste | 14

St. Nick waved and bellowed “Ho, Ho Ho!” as the jolly man-in-red made his way down Arthur Street in his sleigh during the Elmira Santa Claus Parade on Dec. 6.

[Scott Barber / The Observer]

2 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

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HOW TO WEATHER SEVERE STORMS THIS WINTER As the holiday season fast approaches, please remember these important electrical safety tips to keep you and your family safe this winter: • Trees: Heavy snow and ice can bring tree branches down onto powerlines. If you see downed powerlines, remember to stay back at least 11 metres and call 9-1-1 immediately to report it. • Generators: be careful to only operate generators in dry, wellventilated areas to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

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• Flooding and Water: Melting ice and snow can cause flooding in your home. Do not plug in any electrical appliances that have been in contact with water and stay away from your electrical systems until a licensed electrical contractor can check and repair them. • Emergency Kit: Ontario’s Emergency Measures Office recommends every family have an emergency survival kit with enough supplies to remain comfortable for at least 72 hours immediately after or during an emergency. Visit www.emergencymanagementontario.ca for more details.

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NEWS | 3

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Floradale PS welcomes region’s latest police recruits One of the eight new members a graduate of the school that played host to the badging ceremony SCOTT BARBER Addressing a packed auditorium at Floradale Public School where the latest crop of cops was sworn into the Waterloo Regional Police, chief Bryan Larkin raved about his new recruits. “What an incredible, joyous day,” he said with his trademark enthusiasm and wide smile. “I want to thank you for being here today as we acknowledge the accomplishments of our eight newest members of the Waterloo Regional Police Service. I am very proud today because this is my first official swearing in ceremony as the chief. I got to meet class 86 as I was coming into the organization, and I spent a lot of time talking to them and sharing stories with them – they are simply incredible human beings. They are lovely people and I am so excited to see their careers flourish.” In front of friends,

family, politicians and members of the police force, Mathieu Deschatelets, Andrew Jackson, Shane Cowell, Christopher McPherson, Alexander David, Jeremy Bowman, Heather Burgess and Andrew Farwell stood proudly in their crisp ceremonial uniforms. Each will head off to various detachments throughout the region in the coming weeks. After a rendition of O Canada by the school’s intermediate and senior choir, principal Vlad Kovak shared a few words. “We are very proud to be able to host this ceremony and especially proud of one of our graduates, Jeremy Bowman who has received his badge today. He is a former student of Floradale Public School, so that is a fantastic celebration of learning and the partnership between our two organizations.” recruits | 7

Above, the eight new WRPS recruits stand at attention in anticipation of chief Bryan Larkin’s official inspection during a badging ceremony Dec. 5 at Floradale PS. Below left, Shane Cowell shakes Larkin’s hand. Right, Alexander David signs the oath of office with justice Stacy Neill. [Scott Barber / The Observer]

Covered bridge ready to greet large group of carolers SCOTT BARBER Looking to get into the festive spirit? The annual carol sing at the West Montrose covered bridge goes Monday at 7 p.m. and promises to truly kick off the holiday season. “It really is a magical night, to get a choir in the covered bridge in a histor-

ic village like that,” organizer Tony Dowling said. “I can’t imagine there is anything like that around in southern Ontario.” This year, the Bridge Keepers organization has taken over the reins from the Elmira Kiwanis Club, which has been kept busy with the Elmira Santa Claus Parade and a num-

HOW TO REACH US

ber of community events this month. But those familiar with the event from years past can expect a similar gathering, from the always lovely Grand Harmony Chorus through seasonal refreshments like hot apple cider and cookies. “There is lots of Christmas caroling in halls and

churches, but there is only one event in the covered bridge and it gives people an excuse to get outside,” Dowling said. As for the music, rest assured you’ll get all the classics. “Usually it’s the audience calling out what they’d like to hear, though the Grand Harmony Choir

certainly will have a number of songs at the ready. It really is a participatory event.” Joining in with the singing is really what makes it fun, Dowling added. “You don’t have to have a great voice,” he laughed. “You get 150 voices into a wooden bridge and it sounds pretty darn good.

There’s a reason why so many musical instruments are made out of wood; it provides a real nice resonance.” While a big crowd and the shelter of the bridge will provide warmth, attendees should make sure they dress appropriately, Carolers | 7

Phone 519.669.5790 | toll free 1.888.966.5942 | fax 519.669.5753 | online www.observerxtra.com

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THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Elmira’s Garret Rank to ref first NHL game January match in Buffalo will mark a big step, but not the only one next year, as he’s also headed for PGA Tour debut Scott Barber

2015 is going to be a big year for Garrett Rank. Already set to make his PGA Tour debut at the RBC Canadian Open in July, the Elmira native will referee his first NHL game next month. “It is a huge honour and something that I have been working towards for quite a while now,” Rank said during a recent stop-off in

his hometown. “With my father passing away (last January) and everything that has happened over the past couple of years, it is definitely a nice light at the end of the tunnel and something to keep me motivated.” A member of the 2008 Cherrey Cup champion Elmira Sugar Kings, Rank excels on the ice and the links. Last summer, the Univer-

With his debut as both an NHL ref. and golfer on the PGA Tour, 2015 will be a busy year for Garret Rank. [File Photo]

From my family...

Woolwich Township Councillor, Ward 1

sity of Waterloo graduate enjoyed a breakout golf season, winning the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and earning his spot at the 2015 PGA Canadian open after advancing to the round-of-sixteen at the prestigious United States Amateur Championship in August. “I was really pleased with my golf last summer,” Rank said. “I had some really good finishes and was

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2014

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fortunate to earn an exemption into the Canadian Open next summer and I am really looking forward to that.” The summer-winter divide between the two sports has worked out well for Rank, who has steadily risen up the officiating ranks over the past several years. Last summer, he made the jump from Major Junior to the big leagues with an NHL contract. “I got hired by the National Hockey League in the summer and knew I would be starting in the American Hockey League,” Rank explained. “They assign us to the minor leagues to allow us to develop and work on our craft down there and eventually when they feel we’re ready they try to work us in (to NHL games) a bit more.” Now, Rank is required to travel across North America, officiating games for crowds in the thousands with players fighting for their livelihoods. It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also very exciting, he said. “In terms of the hockey, the guys are bigger and faster,” Rank said of the difference between the OHL and the AHL. “You’re dealing with men now and they’re playing for their lives; that’s their job and that’s what they do, so there is a little more expected out of you and you have to be very professional.” As an elite athlete himself, with experience playing in the Junior B and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) ranks, Rank knows how the players think. It’s a big advantage when wearing the stripes. “I played for the Sugar Kings and when I graduated from there I went and played CIS hockey at the University of Waterloo and that sort of just gives you a feel for the game,” he said. “You kind of understand what the players are trying to do. When I played, I tried to break as many rules as possible, so from a hockey player’s point of view, I know what the guys are doing and sometimes I realize why the guys are doing some of the things that they are doing on the ice. So it’s definitely an advantage to have that hockey player background to have a feel for the game and to Rank | 15

NEWS | 5

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Home Hardware nets award for culture St. Jacobs-based Home Hardware Stores Limited has been recognized as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures for having a culture that has impacted its performance. Now in its 10th year, the award was created by executive search firm Waterstone Human Capital to distinguish great workplaces where culture impacts performance. The winning organizations are selected by a panel of experts based on six measurement criteria: vision and leadership; recruitment and hiring for fit; cultural alignment and measurement; retention, rewards and recognition;

organizational performance; and corporate social responsibility. Ten organizations were recognized as national winners in each of the following four categories for 2014: enterprise (revenues above $500 million, Home Hardware’s category), mid-market (revenues over $100 million to $500 million), growth & small cap (revenues under $100 million), and broader public sector. “We are all greatly honoured that Home Hardware has been recognized as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures. This award is especially meaningful as our company celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The traditional values on which we were founded – value, service and dependability--remain unchanged as we continue to provide service and support to our close to 1,100 Home Hardware stores across

Canada,” Home Hardware CEO Terry Davis said in a release. The company will receive the award February 2 at a gala taking place at the Fairmount Royal York in Toronto.

MPP piles on auditor’s report

Joining in Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s criticism of Kathleen Wynne’s government, Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Michael Harris says the 2014 annual report reflects the high cost to taxpayers of fiscal mismanagement. The Auditor General report is only the latest to raise serious red flags over out-of-control spending by the Wynne Liberals following on the heels of condemnations from the Conference Board of Canada, and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, he notes.

“The price-tag grows daily as the Wynne Liberals find more money pits to sink our tax dollars into,” Harris pointed out. “In fact, by 2017-2018, the Auditor General tells us Ontario will owe a crippling $325 billion nearly $23,000 for every Ontarian!” The Auditor General’s report highlighted a long list of concerns, including $2 billion squandered on smart meters that fail to meet government power consumption reduction objectives, adding costs to ratepayers’ bills; $300 million and counting for the MaRS Phase 2 bailout; A failure to inspect nearly half of all residences for Ontarians with developmental disabilities since at least 2010; the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care having no idea where nearly one million flu vaccines purchased per year end up.

Last chance for online health survey Friday is the last day for residents to take part in an online home and community care survey via the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN) website. The Ministry of Health and LongTerm Care has appointed a Home and Community Care Review Expert Group to develop recommendations to address three fundamental areas of focus across the home and community care sector: opportunities to make service delivery more consistent across the province in order to promote equal access to quality home and community care and services across all communities;

opportunities to make provincial funding for services and investments in home and community care services more consistent across the province in order to improve transparency, and maximize the funding available for patient/client care and services; opportunities for innovations and new approaches to care in order to improve the patient/client experience, quality, choice and value for money. As one component of its public consultations, the group has asked each of the LHINs to reach out to individuals and families in their region to ask an important question: What is the single most important thing that the ministry could do to improve home and community care for you? The survey can be found at www. wwlhin.on.ca/survey.

POLICE BLOTTER

Wellesley man dies in three-vehicle collision near Tavistock Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a collision near Tavistock that claimed the life of a Wellesley man. Scott Draper, 40, died December 5 in a three-vehicle collision in East Zorra-Tavistock Township He was driving a Honda Civic northbound on Highway 59 between Maplewood Sideroad and Oxford Road 34 at around 5:50 p.m. when his vehicle collided with the rear of grain bin being towed by a farm tractor, OPP report. His car then spun out of con-

van slides of road before colliding with pole

trol and collided head-on with a southbound Dodge pickup truck. Draper was pronounced dead at the scene. A fiveyear-old boy who was a passenger in the car was treated for non life-threatening injuries. The woman driving the pickup truck was also treated for non life-threatening injuries. The tractor driver was not hurt. Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact Oxford County OPP at (519) 485-6554 or 1-888310-1122.

DECE M B ER 5

DECE M B ER 6

3:15 PM | A transport truck travelling westbound on Lobsinger Line from King Street North lost both axles off its trailer. The tractor and trailer continued for about another 100 metres and stopped on the right shoulder of Lobsinger south of Heidelberg. Traffic had to be diverted around the axles left on the roadway for more than two hours while tow trucks arrived and removed the debris/parts along with the truck and trailer. The truck and driver were from a Toronto-based company. Police seized the vehicle. A subsequent mechanical inspection of the truck and trailer determined that charges would be pending.

2:30 AM | Wellington County OPP conducting a RIDE program at the Guelph-Eramosa/Woolwich Town Line stopped the driver of a 2007 Kia. Upon speaking with her, police determined that she had been consuming alcohol. A roadside screening device test was conducted, resulting in a fail. A 21-year-old Innisfil woman was charged with ‘over 80 mgs.’ She is to appear in Guelph Criminal Court on January 9 to answer to the charge. 2:38 AM | At the same location, officers investigated the driver of a 2013 Honda that entered into the checkpoint. Upon

Ontario Provincial Police and Linwood firefighters responded to an accident on Road 116 between Buehler Line and Line 83 where a minivan slid off the road into a hydro line around 1 p.m. Dec. 4. [scott barber / the observer]

speaking with him, police determined that he had been drinking alcohol. A roadside test was conducted, which resulted in a fail. A 31-year-old Guelph-Eramosa Township man was charged with ‘over 80 mgs.’ He will appear in Guelph Criminal Court on January 13 to answer to the charge. 3:20 AM | The same checkpoint saw police investigate the driver of a 2014 Lexus that failed to stop for the RIDE program,

stopping just west of where the officers were set up. Police determined that she had been drinking alcohol and administered a roadside test, which the driver failed. A 25-year-old Kitchener woman was charged with ‘over 80mgs.’ She is scheduled to appear in Guelph Criminal Court on January 2. 7:00 AM | Sometime between 11 p.m. the previous evening and the time of the

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report, suspect(s) unknown broke into a storage area at the TSC store near the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. A bottle cage compound on the outside of the building was entered and nine or ten bottles of oxygen and other gasses were stolen. DECE M B ER 7

4:09 PM | Members of the Wellington County OPP were conducting RIDE spot checks on Speedvale Avenue West at the

Guelph-Eramosa/Woolwich Town Line. Officers investigated the male driver of a 2014 Volkswagen that entered into the checkpoint. While speaking with the driver, police determined that he had consumed alcohol. A roadside screening device test was administered, which resulted in a fail. A 55-year-old Guelph man was charged with ‘over 80 mgs.’ He is scheduled to appear in Guelph Criminal Court on January 6 to answer to the charge.

Prince of Peace At this time of year, let us remember the true meaning of Christmas — the miracle of a babe, born in a manager. May his love ring out to the world. Peace on Earth, good will towards men. 35 Howard Avenue, Elmira

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6 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

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NEWS | 7

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

recruits: Floradale grad one of the new recruits from | 3

He continued, “To you folks becoming police officers today, on behalf of our school and our community and our board, you are going to be a visible presence, you’ll be a mentor and a role model. We will come to know that we can depend on you when you’re needed and that you will do the very best to honour your service and you will keep our community safe. I wish you a long, successful career.” Speaking on behalf of class 86, Farwell outlined some of the key qualities of the WRPS. “One of the integral components of the service is to focus on promoting community policing and working with youth and the public to promote collaboration. It also emphasizes its core values including diversity, excellence, respect for the quality of life, education, youth, teamwork, justice, partnerships and integrity, which all members demonstrate by words and actions to the public on a daily basis.” Police work is driven by

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the same with us,” he said. “I think that is the enthusiasm, the energy and the passion for what we do because as the justice said, it is not a job, it is a vocation. It is a craft and over the next 30-plus years, you will perfect that craft.”

takes the chill off the night. The ideal is when its right around the freezing mark with no wind and you get a little flurry in the

air to set the atmosphere.” The event is free, but donations to the Woolwich Community Services food bank are encouraged.

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As with past years, plenty of residents are expected at the bridge for Monday night’s festivities. [File Photo] Dowling said. “It can be chilly, I’d say refreshing, but the bridge provides some cover and

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a desire to serve the community, he added. Larkin echoed that sentiment. “As many of your coach officers and staff sergeants have joined with you to celebrate, there is one thing that always remains

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Recently new to the job himself, chief Bryan Larkin got to welcome his first new group of recruits at last week’s ceremony. [Scott Barber / The Observer]

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8 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

A festive time marks Santa’s arrival in Elmira

Arthur Street was lined with families watching some 40 floats and nine bands during the Elmira Santa Claus Parade presented by the Elmira Kiwanis Club on Dec. 6. [Scott Barber / The Observer]

the elmira santa claus parade sponsored by the elmira kiwanis club

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THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

A range of participants, from the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival mascot Flap Jack to Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz took part in the festivities.

A wave from a little one, a beat from a drummer and some candy canes from some of Santa’s little helpers were all on offer.

The Waterloo Region Police Service band led the parade, stopping at Wyatt Street to perform O Canada.

[Scott Barber / The Observer]

[Scott Barber / The Observer]

[Scott Barber / The Observer]

10 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

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Fish Friday

Mrs. Booth’s Grade 2 class at Breslau Public School had their letters for Santa ready in plenty of time. Back row: Riley, Vaughan, Jannie, Jaycen, Ariela, Tori, Mayhi, Ethan, Carson, Jakob, Xunteh, Lucas, Parker. Front row: Carter, Gemma, Nikolina, Eunice, Evan, Kimora, John. [Whitney Neilson / The Observer]

Making sure Santa gets his mail Canada Post has already handled thousands of letters bound for the North Pole, with a huge surge expected as Christmas Day approaches Whitney Neilson Sharpen your Number 2 pencils and grab your finest piece of paper because with Christmas less than two weeks away, it’s time to get your letters in to Santa Claus. You have until December 23 to get your letter to the Elmira post office, where they’ll mail it to the North Pole. You can either put it in the bin out front or mail

it inside. Francine Guenther said they’ve had 80 children come in to mail their letters so far. That doesn’t count the ones put in the mailbox. “I think it keeps the magic of Christmas alive,” Guenther said of the post office’s role as Santa’s little helper. Craig Scott said a family that came in this week was the perfect example of why it’s so important to con-

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Canada Post’s national Santa Letter-writing Program officially began 33 years ago. The program has averaged one million letters or more each year for the past 13 years. Students in Mrs. Booth’s Grade 2 class at Breslau Public School were keeners with their letters all ready to go this week. Robotic pets and craft supplies were Letters | 13

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tinue the tradition. “The father brought in his five children and they lined up to put their letters in the box we had for Santa and the look on their face will tell you exactly the reason why it’s worthwhile,” Scott said. More than 10,000 letters have already come in worldwide and it’s expected that 1.5 million could make its way to Saint Nicholas by December 25.

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NEWS | 11

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Wishing all of our clients & friends a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

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12 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Happy Holidays Wishing You a Safe and Happy Holiday Season

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NEWS | 13

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

With the warmest of wishes to all our customers & friends.

Breslau PS gets into the spirit of the season

Merry Christmas! from

519-884-2082

Breslau Public School’s Grade 1-8 students put on their annual Christmas Concert on Dec. 10. A full gymnasium of friends and families heard holiday tunes from the glee club, the bell choir, multiple xylophone choirs, and the school’s orchestra, among others. [Scott Barber / The Observer]

Letters: Santa gets a hand from a bevy of postal elves from | 10

common gifts on their wish list. “I want a Zoomer pet,” John M. exclaimed. “It’s like a robot dog.” “I want an art kit. My sister has a big one,” Eunice G. said. “A Zoomer puppy and a marker maker,” Nikolina W.

chimed in. “A Nintendo 3DS with Pokemon XY,” Ethan L. said. Postage is not required but all children should address their letters to Santa at this address: Santa Claus, North Pole, Canada HOH OHO. About a 10 per cent in-

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to Santa soon,” says Holly T. Elf, who started working at the North Pole post office more than 30 years ago. “And don’t forget to include your return address. While Santa knows where your house is, the postal elf team needs your address to ensure your letter will be delivered on time.”

crease in letters is expected this year. Santa will receive letters in more than 30 languages, including Braille. The big man and his 6,000 postal elves will ensure that each and every letter will get a response in time for Christmas. “I encourage all the girls and boys to send their letter

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14 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Waste: Transfer stations, other services likely to fall victim to increasing costs, future diversions from | Cover

we might do with garbage when the landfill is full and the future of our waste collection and diversion program.” As part of that process, the region surveyed the public in the fall of 2012 on possible strategies to reduce waste. This new survey reflects the results they received, Rastas Howard said. Meanwhile, concerns remain over the future of the rural transfer stations, where hours of operation have already been drastically reduced. The region plans to close them by the end of next March. Last month, Woolwich council passed a motion calling on the region to facilitate the sale of the Elmira transfer station to a private operator and to keep the facility open beyond its 2015 scheduled closure. The region has not yet responded to the motion, in part due to the transition in membership following the October election. But the region’s director of waste management, Jon Arsenault, made his position on the transfer stations quite clear to Woolwich council during a meeting

Transfer stations in the rural townships are slated to close at the end of March, one of many changes proposed by the region as it reviews its waste master plan. back in June: they simply cost too much and provide too little. Since 2009, when garbage collection was enhanced in the townships, the number of transactions at the four rural depots fell 37 per cent, with the tonnage of waste down 29 per cent (for Woolwich, those numbers are 37 and 31 per cent respectively). Usage is continuing to drop, he said. The stations represent 10 per cent of costs, but just one per cent of the volume of waste and three per cent of revenues. In that light,

the decision was made to save what amounts to $411,000 a year based on previous levels of service, or about $225,000 based on the every-other-Saturday schedule now in place. Even still, some residents are displeased with the decision. “I know the people up in Linwood are quite concerned that there could be some illegal dumping in the bush and that sort of thing (if the facility is closed),” Wellesley Mayor Joe Nowak said. “There is definitely concern there, I

have no doubt about it, as I heard it when I was knocking on doors up there in that area (during the election campaign).” So far, there has been just one official complaint to Woolwich Township staff, while Nowak wasn’t aware of any such complaints in Wellesley. But as the Waterloo Region heads towards its next collections contract in 2017, they are intent on standardizing garbage collection service levels across the region while looking at ways to curb the amount

[Scott Barber / The Observer]

of waste heading to the landfill. “The rural transfer stations came up as a budget issue last year, and so the reason they were proposed for closing is because in order to keep them open, there is the cost not just to keep them open but all of the sites are getting old and we were due for some expensive upgrades in the next little bit if we were going to keep them open,” Rastas Howard said. “Those site are all historic, they go back to a time when the townships did not have

the curbside pickup and the same level of service as some of the other areas in the region. And since then pretty much everyone has blue box collection and there is yard waste collection in the townships.” There is no room to expand the Erb Street landfill, she added, so when it’s full, the region will have to look for another site. That could be tricky, since the province “hasn’t opened a new landfill site in a long, long time,” she noted. And hence the robust policy initiatives being put on the table, including closing the rural transfer stations, placing limits on bags and even the possibility of a thermal-waste treatment facility, similar to the plant recently build in the Durham Region. “This survey is part of an ongoing process that we have been working towards with our master plan and the timing is right because if council makes a decision in terms of the [actions] they would to see this spring, that will give us time to get them into the next contract. It’s a longterm horizon for all of our planning.”

n e M e s i W m i H k e e Still S Our heartfelt thanks to all our friends, whether far or near... May He bring you peace, comfort, joy, and hope throughout the season and in the new year. God Bless Your Holidays 1657 Cox Creek Road, West Montrose

Tel: 519-884-7070

...we wish you a Merry Christmas, and a wonderful New Year! 61 Arthur St. S., Elmira 519-669-5419

NEWS | 15

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

The Soil Food Web Educational Seminar January 21, 2015 10:00am to 3:00pm ~ Registration starts at 9am Perth East Recreational Complex, 40 Temperance Street, Milverton, ON

Soil biologist and researcher Dr. Elaine Ingham will give you a fundamental understanding of the way soil biology drives plant nutrition, and how soil health impacts and contributes to healthy animal and human food. A delicious, hot GMO-free lunch and doorprizes are included with your ticket purchase. Be sure to register by December 23rd for your early bird bonus! ● Cost is $50+HST/person ● Registration Deadline is January 2nd ● Student Rate is Available; Limited space. Please call for details.

To register or for more information call: 1-800-363-5278 or 519-656-2460

General : Xmas - New Year General : Xmas - New Year General : Xmas - New Year

4 1/2”W x 5”H 4 1/2”W x 5”H 4 1/2”W x 5”H

Woolwich’s new council was sworn-in for the 2014-2018 term at a ceremony Tuesday night at Lions Hall in Elmira. From left, Mark Bauman (Ward 2), Larry Shantz (Ward 3), Murray Martin (Ward 3), Patrick Merlihan (Ward 1), Sandy Shantz (mayor) and Scott Hahn (Ward 1). [Steve Kannon / The Observer]

Ceremonial evening pipes Warmest wishes Greetings Warmest wishes for aSeasons wonderful holiday. Warmest wishes in Woolwich’s new council for a wonderful holiday.

and best wishes for the New Year. for wonderful holiday. for aasights, wonderful holiday. Cheeriest sounds, merriest holiday joys, brightest delights...

I would like to thank you for your business over the past year and

We would like to wish everyone a joys, safebrightest and happy may they be yours this Cheeriest sounds, holiday wish you season. and yourmerriest family a sights, safe and happy holiday. Cheeriest sounds, merriest sights, holiday joys, brightest delights... delights...

STEVE KANNON Befitting the honeymoon period that follows an election, there was nothing but smiles and goodwill at the first meeting of Woolwich’s new council Tuesday night. Basking in the glow of a Lions Hall decked out for Christmas, councillors were sworn in before a gathering of family and friends. While there may be some rocky patches over the next four years, there was nothing but optimism throughout an evening that began with the new councillors – Mayor Sandy Shantz, Ward 1’s Scott Hahn and Patrick Merlihan, Ward 2’s Mark Bauman, Ward 3’s Murray Martin and Larry Shantz – being led in by piper Doug Davidson. Val Hummel, the township’s long-time deputy clerk and newlyminted clerk, presided over the evening. In her inaugural address, Mayor Sandy Shantz pledged to lead a council representative of township values, one based on cooperation – “When we

disagree, we’ll do it with all due respect.” Woolwich, with its smalltown spirit, sense of place and access to the cities, is well positioned to thrive even as changes come to the region, she noted. “We are so very blessed here. We have the proximity to the city and all the amenities that that offers, But we also have much to offer the cities. Let’s continue to be creative in how we share our resources with others, while also protecting those same resources,” she said. Pointing to the urban area’s loss of connection to the land, Shantz said the township’s agricultural heritage is a resource. “Let’s look for ways to continue to encourage and grow our agricultural and entrepreneurial enterprises.” Shantz noted that Woolwich is a collection of communities of various sizes, each with its own history but often with a shared sense of community. “Community is what brings us together. It’s

about helping a neighbour. It’s about working together. It’s about greeting the same person at the arena, the grocery store, gas station, church and school. Our spheres overlap a lot here in the township. We want to continue to create ways in which we can come together, work together and play together.” Looking to the business ahead, she said a good council will have frank and open discussion about the issues, soliciting input from a variety of sources and weighing it appropriately. The overarching concern is serving the public. “Council represents the will of the people, and we will need to put our best wisdom to bear on the decisions that we will have to make,” she said. “We hope that four years from now we can say that we have been a good council.” Good governance was on the minds of her fellow council members, with Coun. Scott Hahn noting that reflecting the public’s issues will be a top priority.

holiday thank of our clients for their business. may they and be yours this all season. “I promise to listen to your concerns.” Ward 3 Coun. Larry Shantz, like Hahn, a first Largest 100% Canadian multi-product insurer. time councillor, said the Largest 100% Canadian multi-product insurer. Largest 100% multi-product Home Auto Canadian Life Investments Group Business Farm Travel Largest multi-product insurer. insurer. position comes with re- 100% Canadian Home Auto Life Investments Group Business Farm Travel sponsibility. Home Auto Life Investments Group Business Farm Travel Home Auto Life Investments Group Business Farm Your Agency Name Travel “Woolwich Township, Photo Agent Name, 123 Street Address, City/Town Your Agency Name Your Agency Name Photo Here comprised of larger and Agent Name, 123 Street Address, City/Town (000) 456-7890 Photo Allen & Suzanne Morrison, Agent Name, 123 Street Address, City/Town Here Your Agency Name (000) 456-7890 smaller communities, is Here (000) 456-7890 Photo Agent Name, Street Address, City/Town Karen,123 Linda, Allison, Natalie & Steve. truly a unique place with Here (000) 456-7890 both a rich heritage and a 25 Industrial Dr., Elmira | Tel: 519-669-2632 bright future. Representallen_morrison_insurance@cooperators.ca ing Ward 3, I want to bring focus and equality to the smaller communities. Beyond Ward 3, I want to ensure Woolwich Township does not spend beyond our means, while maintaining current service levels.” Looking at council’s makeup, Ward 3 Coun. Murray Martin said he sees a good balance of experience and newcomers. That’s something he knows about, returning to council after a four-year absence. He previously spent 16 years as a councillor. This week’s inaugural celebrations out of the way, the new council will get “For unto you is born this day in the city of David down to business, starting a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2: 11 with the 2015 budget deliberations, in the new year. We wish to thank each and every one of may they be yours this season.

Rank: His first NHL outing set for Jan. 15 as Buffalo hosts Wild from | 4

understand when there needs to be a penalty and when there doesn’t need to be a penalty with all of the different emotions that come through.” Despite the exceptional

athletic achievement and impressive career development, it hasn’t been an easy road for the 27-year-old. In 2011, Rank was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had to undergo surgery.

And this year, on January 3, his father Richard, a longstanding volunteer with the Woolwich Minor Hockey Association, passed away at 57-years of age. But Rank continues to

work hard in pursuit of his dual passions. Rank will make his NHL debut on January 15 at Buffalo’s First Niagara Centre in a game between the Sabres and the Minnesota Wild.

our customers for their support this year. May you have a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Elo & Florence, Darrell & Dianne, Walter, Jason, & Jordan

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16 | COMMENT

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

JOE MERLIHAN PUBLISHER STEVE KANNON EDITOR

COMMENT

DONNA RUDY SALES MANAGER

SCOTT BARBER REPORTER

WHITNEY NEILSON

PATRICK MERLIHAN PRODUCTION MANAGER

JAKE STALLARD GRAPHIC DESIGN

REPORTER PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NUMBER 1004840 | ISSN 12039578

Our view / editorial

The VIEW from here

We’re ill served by Ontario’s poor financial record The Ontario government is spending more money than it has. Spending more than the economy can keep up with. Spending more than even the inflation argument can attempt to justify. Spending more than we can afford to pay. Such profligacy is hardly a surprise to anyone paying attention – a whole lot of people, if the last election is any indication – and par for the course with many governments, from right here all the way to Ottawa. This week’s report from provincial Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk puts the spotlight firmly on the questionable leadership of Kathleen Wynne and her group. Ontario’s debt continues to grow faster than the province’s economy, says Lysyk, with negative implications for the province’s finances. The government has failed to provide the public with a plan to deal with its ongoing annual deficits, yet alone the accumulated – and accumulating – debt, the financing charges of which outstrip what the province pays for postsecondary education, for instance. “No matter which measure you use – total debt, net debt or accumulated deficit – this is a concern for the province for several reasons, including how much money will be available for providing services to Ontarians in future years after interest on debt is paid,” said Lysyk in releasing her 2014 report. She recommends that the government work towards developing a long-term total debt reduction plan that is linked to meeting its target of reducing its net debt-to-GDP ratio to its pre-recession level of 27 per cent. It currently stands at about 40 per cent. Although the government projects that it will not have a deficit in 2017/18, until then, it will still need to borrow to finance annual deficits, fund infrastructure investments and re-finance existing debt, pushing today’s liability of $267 billion to a projected $325 billion by 2018 – “That’s about $23,000 for every single resident of Ontario.” To date, the government has offered no evidence it will meet that timeline for balancing its budget. Lysyk was also critical of the government’s failure to provide that kind of information to the public. Public debate is crucial, as debt-servicing costs crowd out other spending options. More specifically, the Auditor General took issue with the government’s handling of so-called private-public partnerships for building infrastructure projects such as hospitals, determining that Ontarians are out an additional $8 billion due to the practice. She also painted an unflattering portrait of failures to protect residents from escalating energy prices, from massive increases in payouts to providers even as the market rate for electricity dropped to a lack of oversight by the Ontario Energy Board when it comes to monitoring the rates set for natural gas. For example, although nearly $2 billion was spent to install new “smart” electricity meters across the province, the government’s objectives of reducing power demand at peak times and eliminating the need for new sources of power are not being met. In essence, all we have to show for buying new meters and time-of-day billing is unjustified higher rates. The examples on display in this week’s report, and the many others that have come to light – along with the majority yet to be discovered – are what we’ve come to expect from the entitlement blight in the public service, and the incompetence of those who are elected to oversee the system.

Just as all roads lead to Rome, with government all options lead to the same conclusion: getting less for more. WORLD view / GWYNNE DYER

U.S. officials who approved torture unlikely to face justice WORLD AFFAIRS When somebody says it is time to move on, it means there is something deeply embarrassing that they don’t want to discuss in public. U.S. President Barack Obama said that about the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report, published on Tuesday, about the Central Intelligence Agency’s use of torture in the years after 9/11. He put the best face on it after Senator Dianne Feinstein’s committee released the 528-page report anyway, talking about how “part of what sets us (Americans) apart is that when we do something wrong, we acknowledge it.” But as recently as Friday U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Feinstein not to release the report now on the grounds that the “timing” was wrong. When would it be right, then? Feinstein ignored him because she knew (as did he) that if the report was not put out now, it never would be. Next month a

new Congress will take office, and the majority on the new Senate Intelligence Committee will be Republicans. They would certainly make sure that it never sees the light of day. But there is one Republican Senator, at least, who thinks differently. John McCain, who ran against Obama in the 2008 presidential election, said bluntly that torture “rarely yields credible information. ...What might come as a surprise, not just to our enemies, but to many Americans, is how little these practices did to aid our efforts to bring 9/11 culprits to justice and to find and prevent terrorist attacks today and tomorrow.” McCain was severely tortured himself while a prisoner-of-war in North Vietnam in 1968, and eventually made an anti-American propaganda “confession.” As he later said: “I had learned what we all learned over there: Every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine.” But then, he knows more about this subject than any other American politician, and probably more than any CIA torturer. They were

never at the receiving end. Even McCain, however, confined himself to saying that torture was not a useful instrument of American policy. He avoided talking about the more important fact that it is also a grave crime under international law, because that would mean admitting that senior officials in former president George W Bush’s Republican administrations who authorized the torture in 2002-06 – possibly even including Bush himself – should face prosecution. Almost every senior American politician will avoid talking about that. The debate in the United States will be between those who insist that the waterboarding, regular beatings, “stress positions,” ice baths, sleep deprivation, “rectal feeding,” and other torture techniques used on captives in the CIA’s “black sites” yielded useful information and saved American lives, and those who say that it was all pointless and useless. The Senate committee’s report provides fuel for this debate, examining 20 cases of counterterrorism “successes” achieved by

torture that the CIA has used to justify its actions. Even now, CIA director John Brennan defends the torture, claiming that “the intelligence gained from the program was critical to our understanding of al-Qaeda.” But the committee concludes that not one case produced unique or otherwise unavailable intelligence. But this is all beside the point. The law doesn’t say that torture is a crime unless it produces useful intelligence, any more than it says that murder is a crime unless it is profitable. It simply says that torture is a crime, always and in any circumstances. As it should. The American Civil Liberties Union, to its credit, says that the attorney general should appoint a special prosecutor to conduct “an independent and complete investigation of Bush administration officials who created, approved, carried out and covered up the torture program. ... In our system, no one should be above the law, yet only a handful of mainly low-level DYER | 19

COMMENT | 17

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Their view / question OF THE WEEK

Why did you choose a career in law enforcement?

»»Mathieu Deschatelets

»»Christopher McPherson

“To help people in my community.”

“Coming from a background of service to those “Having volunteered as an auxiliary officer, I in poverty, this new role will allow me to make realized this position is a great way to serve an even greater impact.” my community.”

»»Alexander David

»»Shane Cowel

»»Andrew Jackson

“I’ve known that I wanted to be a police officer “I decided to change careers from the military since I was three-years-old.” to the police force to provide more stability for my family.”

"The debate will therefore have to take place in the media and in the international organizations." Gwynne Dyer | 16 HIS view / STEVE KANNON

Brewing up a corrupt agreement that sees Ontario drinkers get soaked EDITOR'S NOTES Like many people, you’ll probably be shopping for a few festive beverages this holiday season. Like everyone who does so here in Ontario, you’ll be getting ripped off. Oh, not just the exorbitant and soon-to-be-wasted taxes or insufferable nanny-state pricing, but due to outright corruption and collusion. Martin Regg Cohn, who frequently writes about the absurdities in the province’s alcohol policies in the Toronto Star, reveals this week a secret non-compete agreement between the governmentowned LCBO and privately operated Beer Store. The deal’s main goal? Gouging consumers while continuing to funnel corporate donations into political party coffers. It’s a tale of corporate manipulation, of politicians on the take. In other words, business as usual. “Thanks to a whistle-

blower, we now have the secret details of how Ontarians are being hosed by The Beer Store with the wilful involvement of elected officials,” Cohn writes. “A still-confidential operating agreement lays bare the foundations of an inglorious cash grab that the big foreign-owned brewers who run The Beer Store don’t want you to know about. And what the government-owned LCBO is too embarrassed to show you.” “Dated June 1, 2000, the document confirms the folly of our Crown-owned LCBO acting on the orders of the Progressive Conservative government of the day (and the Liberal government of today, which is no less guilty). “The 10-page document, authenticated by an LCBO source, details an arrangement that constrains growth in the LCBO’s beer sales to protect the effective retail monopoly of the ever unpopular – but forever profitable – Beer Store.” The deal involves restricting beer sales at the LCBO to six-packs rather than the cases of 12 and 24

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all but shut out by The Beer Store, are also poorly served in the mix, as the LCBO scheme puts them at a disadvantage. While Canada’s National Brewers, the industry lobby group, was quick to attempt a deflection of Cohn’s story and, later, the Restaurants Canada claims, the government was silent in the early goings, perhaps working on some disingenuous defense of the indefensible. For its part, the brewers’ group talked of modernization and investments, the sums involved – about $150 million since the 2000 deal – are as nothing in comparison to the billions of dollars consumers have been soaked for in higher prices and foregone revenues. In pointing out at the Beer Store’s 451 retail stores and 7,000 employees are paid for by the brewers, not the public, unlike the LCBO, the organization makes a compelling case for the best solution: stripping The Beer Store of its quasi-monopoly on beer sales. First, the LCBO should carry beer in all quantities. Secondly, beer and wine should be sold in

grocery and convenience stores. The first puts more revenue in government coffers, the second spreads out the revenues to a wider base, including many small businesses. The Beer Store, being owned by the three largest brewers – all foreignowned: InBevSA of Belgium, U.S.-based Molson Coors Brewing and Japan’s Sapporo – has few incentives to make way for small, local brewers. If beer was sold in grocery and convenience stores, it would benefit smaller breweries, which are now dependent on a retail channel owned and controlled by their much larger competitors. Unlike the LCBO, which is owned by the province and looks after so-called hard liquor, The Beer Store is a near-monopoly in private hands. And, due to mergers and buyouts, control is now offshore. Allowing craft breweries and wineries direct access to a new retail channel that excludes the big players who control Brewers Retail Inc (BRI). “Why would the government agree to act as an

enabler and enricher of the private profiteers who run The Beer Store — perpetuating its oppressively Stalinist architecture, Soviet-style service, and ossified corporate design? What’s keeping today’s Liberal government from undoing the bad deal cooked up by the Tories in 2000?” asks Cohn. “Sadly, it’s simple. Both political parties profit shamelessly from generous campaign donations, and both are easily seduced by powerful lobbyists. The brewers have snapped up virtually every big name influencer in town, many of them former Liberal party operatives.” There, in a nutshell, is what it all boils down to. As with the cable and telephone companies, and other industries which have bought governments, The Beer Store is a moneyspinning privately-run monopoly enabled by our corrupt, donation-taking government. For those of you who say, “But, I don’t drink,” this is not about beer. It’s kannon | 19

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that are more popular ... and cheaper. In essence, LCBO agrees to hand over a lucrative business to a private, foreign-owned enterprise, driving up prices and foregoing more than half a billion dollars in revenue. Commercial customers – restaurants and bars – also continue to pay even higher prices, gouged by the same arrangement. Stripping the brewers of that monopoly could provide another $500 million opportunity. Restaurants Canada, an association representing some 30,000 businesses in the foodservice industry, was quick to denounce the arrangement revealed in the story. On Wednesday, it asked the Competition Bureau to launch an official investigation into a noncompete deal between the LCBO and The Beer Store. “We have known of the existence of an agreement for years, but we did not know the depth of the complicity. This agreement fixes prices, territories and products,” says James Rilett, the organization’s Ontario vice-president. Small craft breweries,

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18 | COMMENT

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Warmest thoughts & best wishes for a great Holiday

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COMMENT | 19

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

The MONITOR

VERBATIM

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

Median after-tax income of Canadian families of two or more people was $71,700 in 2012. Four provinces, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, saw families of two or more people with higher median after-tax income than for Canada as a whole. Families in Alberta had the highest median ($92,300), followed by Saskatchewan ($77,300), Ontario ($73,700) and British Columbia ($72,200).

“The Auditor General is an independent officer. It’s her job to give Ontarians straight facts, without politics. If the premier won’t fire her minister for his arrogance, will she at least fire him over his incompetence?”

His private-member’s bill having made it all the way to a third reading, Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott was disappointed to see his legislation to protect “double hatter” firefighters defeated in the legislature this week. The Volunteer Firefighters Protection Act, Bill 30, was defeated in its final reading by a vote of 52 to 37 on Dec. 11. It’s an issue that persists today.

»»Statistics Canada

»»NDP leader Andrea Horwath calls for the resignation of the Minister of Energy Bob

»»From the Dec. 14, 2002 edition of The Observer

Chiarelli following a damning report by the Auditor General and his dismissive comments about the concerns raised

Dyer: The law demands action,

National view

but that’s not going to happen

FROM | 16

personnel have been criminally prosecuted for abuse. That is a scandal.” But the discussion about punishing the people who committed these crimes will mostly be conducted outside the United States, and it won’t be conducted by governments. The several dozen American allies that were accomplices in the CIA’s “Rendition, Detention and Interrogation” program have all exercised their right to have information about their collaboration removed from the report. The debate will therefore have to take place in the media and in the international organizations. United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terror-

ism Ben Emmerson, for example, said in Geneva that senior officials from the Bush administration who planned and sanctioned these crimes must be prosecuted, as well as CIA and U.S. government officials responsible for torture such as waterboarding. “As a matter of international law,” Emmerson said, “the U.S. is legally obliged to bring those responsible to justice.” Well, yes, but you would be wise not to hold your breath while waiting for this to happen. So far, only one former CIA official, John Kyriakou, has been jailed in connection with the torture program – and he was prosecuted for confirming to reporters that the CIA was waterboarding prisoners.

kannon: Yet again, the public

interest is swept out of the way FROM | 17

about corruption, incompetence, graft. Throw in cowtowing to corrupt unions and nanny state tendencies and you’ve got a recipe for being taken to the cleaners in the short term and a perfect exam-

Your view / letter

Christmas just fine without contact from our MP To the Editor, The postman brought me a card from MP Harold Albrecht in an envelope with no postage stamp on it. Years ago I sent a letter with a stamp on it asking to be deleted from Harold’s mailing list. His useless mail kept coming. I now repeat that request: From Harold, I need no more mail, ever. The front of the card has a glossy photograph of

ple in microcosm of the corporate state in action. The Beer Store deal shows us just one of the many self-serving policies that see politicians, bureaucrats and corporations putting their own, often criminal interests ahead of the public’s. Harold and an attractive woman named Darlene. Harold is flashing his trademark grin. At election time his slouch and grin must be worth a hundred votes. The inside of the card has a photo of 12 persons with a text from Isaiah 9.6 NLT under a heading “From our Family to yours: Christmas Blessings.” Well, no thanks, Harold. Any channeling of Christmas blessings through you would render such blessings meaningless at best. I may find more meaning in the narratives of Jesus of Nazareth and his parents Mary and Joseph than do the people to whom Harold

may preach. In his religious sermons, I wonder whether Harold has ever justified his role as MP to serve as a puppet to be controlled by a prime minister who is dismantling our democracy with dirty tricks, blatant falsehoods, malicious machinations, harmful policies, mindless denials and so on. Didn’t Harold have one of the PM-type of apparatchiks performing dirty tricks in Harold’s own riding office during a past election? At Christmastime, the last thing I need is to be reminded of Harold Albrecht. Incidentally, I have voted Conservative occasionally. For example, when Premier Bill Davis stopped the Spadina Expressway. David Crombie has been a friend and professional colleague.

Henry Regier | Elmira

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20 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

SPORTS hockey / junior b

not so great outdoorsman / STEVE GALEA

Important to mentally prepare for ice fishing OPEN COUNTRY

Sugar King forward Alex Mutton scores during the second period of an 8-4 loss to the Waterloo Siskins Dec. 7

at the WMC.

[scott barber / the observer]

Kings settle for a split weekend

After bouncing back from streak-ending loss with win over Brampton, Elmira drops one to Waterloo Scott Barber After seeing their season-high 12-game winning streak come to an end on Dec. 2, the Elmira Sugar Kings looked to start a new one with back-to-back home games last weekend. But it wasn’t to be. Last Saturday, the Kings doubled up on the Brampton Bombers 6-3, while the Waterloo Siskins returned the favour in a matinee on Sunday with a decisive 8-4 victory. The Kings and Bombers split their two previous match-ups leading into Saturday night’s game. And while the two teams sit at

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opposite ends of the GOJHL Midwestern Conference standings (the Kings in first with 43 points, the Bombers in eighth with 16 points), Elmira head coach Jeff Flanagan says he doesn’t take any team lightly. “Brampton works really hard so you’ve got to be able to capitalize where you can, be ready for hard forechecks and for the most part, we did that,” he said. “We let in a couple goals early that we would’ve liked to have back. So we didn’t play very well in the first, but it got better in the second period. We were even better in the

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third.” Kings defenceman Adam Brubacher opened the scoring at 3:37, with assists from Sam Harris and Cash Seraphim, but the Bombers notched the next two. In the second, the Kings scored two power play goals, the first by Alex Mutton (Harris, Mitch Wright), and the second by Seraphim from Eric Palazzolo and Klayton Hoelscher to regain the lead. Veteran Brodie Whitehead added an insurance marker at 13:48 in the final frame (Harris, Wright), and Seraphim (Mitch Klie) and Jamie Huber (Ethan Skin-

Kings defencemen Sam Harris pinches into the Siskin zone during last Sunday’s game at the Dan Snyder Arena.

Christmas is a time when we all remember what it was like to be a child: the fresh-baked cookies, the fresh scent of the tree, the twinkling lights... ... may you and yours create warm memories this holiday season.

ner, Mutton) both added goals of their own during the last minute of play. Less than 24 hours later the Kings were in tough against the Waterloo Siskins. “I thought we were really good in the first period, while the second period was kind of up and down,” Flanagan said. “Then we started to have penalty troubles and that certainly turned the tide.” First period goals by Mutton (Zac Coulter, Skinner) and Seraphim (Palazzolo, Jonathan Reinhart)

We have now officially entered that period when deer hunting is almost out of the system of most hunters. That means it’s time to transition to ice fishing mode, which can be a difficult thing to do if you still have a deer tag in your pocket. This period, by the way, is when you separate the wheat from the chaff. And after you are finished with that and other projects you have been putting off for the duration of hunting season, it’s time to get mentally prepared for ice fishing. Again, this is no small task. I have found the best way to do this is to meditate on the couch with eyes closed, after dinner, while dishes are being done by someone else. Sometimes this takes weeks of meditation. During that meditation I am consciously letting the inhibitors to ice fishing go. First out the brain is logic. With that gone, I am able to actually tell myself that ice fishing is both important and a productive way to while at least three months of my year away. The loss of logic also allows me to rationalize impor-

kings | 22

Galea | 29

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SPORTS | 21

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Robotics team advances to provincials

The White Heron Robo Club won the ‘Inspiration Award’ at the FLL Robotics Halton Regional Competition Dec. 6. From a field of 40 teams, the club is one of seven to advance to the provincial competition in February at the University of Waterloo. Team members: Matthew Dunn, Corinne Hoover, CJ Sider, Carola Bromberg, Kurtis Hoover, Joseph Boehm, and support from Matthew Radler. [submitted]

Salt impacts our water.

CURB THE

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The Region of Waterloo is committed to protecting our water. We are working to reduce salt use on roads and on properties through innovative solutions and partnerships.

Here’s what YOU can do... Shovel sooner than later. Clear the white stuff as soon as you can so a snowy sidewalk doesn’t become an icy one. Instead of salt, let the sun do the melting for you.

Use salt wisely. Only use salt on icy areas and give it time to work. A little goes a long way and salt doesn’t work when it’s colder than -10°C.

Use salt alternatives. Use alternatives like sand or non-clumping kitty litter to create traction instead of salt.

Wear winter boots. Wear a pair of winter boots with good tread to keep you safe and warm. We can’t always expect bare pavement.

For more ideas contact: Region of Waterloo, Water Services Telephone: 519-575-4400 TTY: 519-575-4608 Email: curbthesalt@regionofwaterloo.ca Website: www.regionofwaterloo.ca/curbthesalt

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22 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

EDSS girls golden at Rockway tournament Win in Kitchener part of this season’s good showing by the senior squad that has high hopes Whitney Neilson EDSS’ senior girls’ volleyball team started off the season on a high note, bringing home gold last weekend from a tournament at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener. The girls worked to earn the top spot in a seventeam tournament. Coach Melanie Austin said they had anywhere between six and nine players throughout the day because of different work schedules. “They realized their potential,” Austin said. “I think it was a great confidence booster and everyone had equal playing time.” They played a total of 15 games at the December 6 tournament, defeating Valley Heights Secondary School in the championship game. The lady Lancers have three rookies coming up from junior, one brand new player and the rest have played with each other. Austin said there’s a core group that has played with each other before, which will likely work to their benefit. Last year they ended the season in the middle of the pack. “We have a lot of the key players back this year, so we’re hoping to do even better than that this year,” Austin said. She noted the league they’re in is going to be a challenge. Some of the

kings: Next

home game sees team take on Guelph from | 20

The EDSS senior girls’ volleyball team lost to Waterloo-Oxford on home court Dec. 9, after returning home with gold from a tournament at Rockway over the weekend. [whitney neilson / the observer]

teams are built exclusively of club players who play volleyball nearly year round. “If we could be anywhere in the top half that would be fantastic,” Austin said. “We have our sights set on somewhere hopefully near the top in the end. It’s definitely possible.” They were defeated by Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School on Tuesday, winning two out of five

sets. The final scores were 26-24, 25-25, 20-25, 15-25, and 15-4. They previously beat Eastwood Collegiate Institute 3-0 on December 4. The set scores were 25-15, 25-9, and 25-18. Their first game of the year against Forest heights Collegiate Institute ended in a 3-0 loss for EDSS. The first two sets were close, with final scores being 24-

26, 24-26, 12-25. “They mesh really well as a team,” Austin said. “They’re positive, supportive kids on and off the court. They’re hardworking.” They’ve won one game and lost two so far, in regular league play. Their next home game is December 16 at 3:15 p.m against Galt Collegiate Institute. In junior girls’ volleyball

action, EDSS defeated Waterloo-Oxford on December 9, 3-1. Set scores were 23-25, 25-16, 25-17, and 25-11. They also won against ECI on December 4, 3-0 (25-10, 25-23, 25-18). Their game against FHCI ended in a loss 3-1 (21-25, 23-25, 2512, 27-19). This brings them to two wins and one loss so far. The next home game is also next Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. versus GCI.

gave the home side a 2-1 advantage after twenty. Mutton extended the lead at 7:27 into the second (Brubacher, Coulter), but the visitors would score the next six goals to build a 6-3 cushion with just over ten minutes remaining in the third period. Wright scored on the power play at 17:27 (Coulter, Mac Clutsam), but that was as close as they would get, as the Siskins sealed the deal with an empty netter less than a minute later. The three power play goals the Kings surrendered were a big factor in the loss, Flanagan said. “We took some retaliatory penalties and hard work penalties and they have a good power play and they capitalized. I would say our penalty kill has been pretty good up until today. (Waterloo) has some really good shooters. Two of their goals were five-onfive where their guy rolled off the wall and just picked the top corner; you just can’t give a good shooter that opportunity.” He added, “In the defensive zone, we had a couple bad switches, but it’s an easy fix with some repetition.” On Friday, the Kings travelled to Brampton’s barn for a rematch. The boys return home for a Sunday afternoon tilt (2 p.m.) against the Guelph Hurricanes at the WMC.

Christmas Blessings! Rejoice as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour. Wishing the happiest of holidays to all our friends and neighbours.

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SPORTS | 23

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

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SPORTS | 25

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

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SPORTS | 27

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Jacks keep it close, but drop a pair of games Coach looks to build on one-goal losses to Tavistock and Norwich as Wellesley embarks on a busy stretch of games scott barber After dropping a pair of close games last weekend, the Wellesley Applejacks losing streak ran to five. Despite falling back to second last in the MWJCHL standings, (eighth place with 18 points, ahead of only the winless Delhi Travellers), head coach Tim Robb remains optimistic. “We’ve just got to stay healthy and keep working hard and our bounces will come,” he said. “Hopefully they come in abundance for us, and that’s all we can keep hoping for. We’ve been just on the outside, these last two

weekends; we are really competing and playing hard and that’s what it takes to win.” On December 5, the Jacks fell 2-1 in Tavistock. “I thought we competed well, but it was a very broken up game with a lot of infractions called so it never really got any flow to it,” Robb said. “We had chances to score; on one shift we had two breakaways, the first went off the post and the second, at the very end of the shift, we put it right into his breadbasket. That happens. Then in the third period we had another breakaway where the player wasn’t quite able to fin-

Clockwise, Cal Jefferies takes a slap shot, Reid Denstedt scores, the guys celebrate a goal and Tyler Seguin takes a hit in the Wellesley Applejacks’ 4-3 loss to the Norwich Merchants Dec. 7 on home ice. [scott barber / the observer]

ish. So obviously the score didn’t end quite the way we wanted.” Jake Wilkinson opened the scoring for the Jacks at 8:54 of the first period on the power play (Alex Uttley, Chris Beauchesne). That’s all the Jacks could muster though, in a game that featured 66 penalty minutes on 29 infractions (31 minutes on 16 infractions by Wellesley). Two nights later the Jacks lost 4-3 at home to the Norwich Merchants. “Again, I thought we competed very well in terms of

working hard and skating hard,” Robb said. “We really took it to them in the first period. But they started to bring it on in the second and by the third it was a tight hockey game. We just couldn’t seem to find the back of the net again after the first.” Norwich got the first goal of the game, but Wellesley notched the next three, all in the first period. Captain Reid Denstedt scored twice, the first assisted by Alex Uttley and Tyler Seguin, the second by Uttley. Blake Hetherington

scored in the third (Uttley, Denstedt). The Merchants got the next two goals to tie things up. It remained deadlocked until 18:09, when the visitors found the back of the net on the power play. Off the ice, the Jacks made a number of moves last week, trading goalie Brayden Bruce and defenseman Coleton Madge to Ayr, picking up goalie Keaton Weiss from Mitchell, along with the additions of forwards Hayden Stewart and Jack Battaglia from Burford. They also named forward

Matt Schieck player of the month for November. “I put a lot of confidence in Matt, as a guy coming in having played Junior B the year before and as a guy I knew quite well having been a billet for the (Waterloo) Siskins,” Robb said. “I saw a lot of his games last year so I had a good idea of what I felt Matt could be to the team. I consider Matt like a sponge, you tell him something and he wants to learn and it is showing in his game. He is a gamer and he has a ton of talent.” On the road to take on

Delhi Friday night, the Jacks return home Saturday to host Ayr (7:30 p.m.). On Wednesday they welcome Burford (7:30 p.m.). It’s a busy stretch for the squad, as they are set to play seven games in two weeks. It’s an important stretch that will go a long way in determining playoff positioning. Robb is determined to get his guys ready. “A lot of this week is going to be focused on our compete level, pushing the guys to work as hard as they can and to take pride in their game.”

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28 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

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SPORTS | 29

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

the score

WOOLWICH WILDCATS

Novice: LL #1 Dec. 6 vs Woolwich LL #3 Home: 2 Visitor: 9 Goals: Joshua Uhrig, Owen Tettman Assists: Connor Huber, Connor Haley, Dawson Brubacher, Joshua Uhrig

Novice: LL #1

Atom: AE Red Dec. 4 vs Woolwich Blue Home: 3 Visitor: 1 Goals: Seb Garrett (2), Mitch Hartman Assists: Seb Garrett

Atom: AE Red Dec. 7 vs Ancaster Home: 1 Visitor: 1 Goals: Mitch Hartman Assists: Oscar Fitch

Dec. 7 vs Twin Center LL #2 Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Connor Huber Assists: Joshua Uhrig, Owen Tettman

Atom: AE Blue

Novice: LL #2

Atom: AE Blue

Dec. 6 vs St. George Home: 7 Visitor: 1 Goals: Tyler Gingrich, Graydon Martin, Tanner Armstrong, Tyson Roth (4) Assists: Braydon Schaeer

Dec. 6 vs Erin Hillsburgh Home: 4 Visitor: 2 Goals: Sam Siopiolosz (2), Mason Spark, Ryan Brubacher Assists: Ryan Curtis, Parker Alles, Owen Brown(2), Mitchell Brubacher, Jackson Smith

Dec. 4 vs Woolwich Red Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Josh Moore Assists: Owen Brown

Novice: LL #2 Dec. 7 vs Twin Centre Home: 4 Visitor: 1 Goals: Jamie Ferretti (2), Tanner Armstrong (2)

Novice: LL #3 Dec. 6 vs Woolwich LL #1 Home: 9 Visitor: 2 Goals: Tyson Bauman (4), Declan Johnson (3), Riley Dettweiler, Carson Staken

Novice: AE Dec. 7 vs Hespeler Home: 6 Visitor: 2 Goals: Hunter Brown, Jack Rosema, Seth Shantz (2), Cale Waechter, Josh Gibson Assists: Kane Kruschat (2), Hunter Brown, Cale Waechter (2), Jake Patterson, Josh Gibson, Daniel Kochut, Seth Shantz (2), Andrew Chumley

Novice: AE

Atom: LL #1 Dec. 6 vs Woolwich LL #2 Home: 4 Visitor: 4 Goals: Griffin Boerner (2), Owen Hackert, Thomas Hill-Ring Assists: David Taylor

PeeWee: Major A Dec. 8 vs Hespeler Home: 2 Visitor: 4 Goals: Matt Fleischmann, Easton Gowing (AP) Assists: Cameron Martin, Blake Roemer

PeeWee: Minor AA Dec. 5 vs Guelph Home: 5 Visitor: 2 Goals: Kyler Austin (2), Tyler Martin (2), Cole Slade Assists: Nate Snyder, Owen

Troyer, Owen Lee, Cole Slade, Gavin Roemer (2)

Novices take gold at silver stick tourney

Silver Stick Tournament Whitby Nov. 28 Game 1 vs Ottawa Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Kyler Austin, Gavin Roemer Assists: Nate Snyder, Tyler Martin, Owen Lee, Cameron Leonard Nov. 29 vs Pickering Home: 0 Visitor: 0

PeeWee: AE Blue Nov. 29 vs Hespler Home: 3 Visitor: 1 Goals: Danny Soehner (2), Tyler Brubacher Assists: Adam Schill, Simon Shantz, Matthew Brubacher, Ethan Birmingham

PeeWee: AE Blue Nov. 30 vs Erin Home: 6 Visitor: 2 Goals: Adam Schill (2), Matthew Brubacher (2), Jonathon Dingelstand, Andrew Weber Assists: Jordan Dickieson, Matthew Brubacher, Andrew Weber, Ethan Birmingham (2)

Midget: Minor A

PeeWee: AE Blue Dec. 6 vs Erin Home: 7 Visitor: 0 Goals: Matthew Brubacher, Danny Soehner (2), Kieran Oberholzer, Adam Schill (3) Assists: Danny Soehner, Adam Schill, Jonathon Dingelstand, Tyler Brubacher (3), Andrew Weber, Matthew Brubacher, Logan Frey Shutout : Ryan Martin

PeeWee: AE Blue Dec. 7 vs Flamborough Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals: Simon Shantz Assists: Matthew Brubacher

PeeWee: LL #1 Dec. 7 vs New Hamburg Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Samuel Nitsche Assists: Zackery Downs

Woolwich Major Novice A win championship at the Bob Merkley Memorial Silver Stick Tournament in Midland on Dec. 7. Front row: Justin Strohoff, Tyler Fisher. Second row: Nathan Martin, Evan Passmore, Stuart Sinclair, Sam Ratcliffe, Pacey Camm, Brady Martin, Elijah Weiss. Third row: Mitchell Walker, Eric Kane, Ian Leech, Isaac Lopers, Michael Gear, Liam Wood. Back row: John Gorrie, Pete Weiss, Mark Leech, Jason Camm. [submitted] Assists: Lukas Shantz, Kurtis Hoover

Bantam: Minor AA Nov. 29 vs Flamborough Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Griffen Rollins Assists: Lukas Shantz, Austin Cousineau

Bantam: Minor AA Dec. 5 vs Brampton Home: 5 Visitor: 5 Goals: Griffin Hergott (2), Bart Sherrer (2), Austin Cousineau Assists: Bart Sherrer (2), Nolan Hislop (2), Griffin Hergott (2), Kieffer Beard, Lukas Shantz

Bantam: Minor AA

Bantam: Minor AA

Nov. 28 vs Ancaster Home: 1 Visitor: 1 Goals: Griffen Rollins

Dec.6 vs Stoney Creek Home: 2 Visitor: 2

peewees golden in peterborough

Dec. 9 vs Orangeville Home: 4 Visitor: 2 Goals: Josh Gibson (2), Seth Shantz, Cale Waechter Assists: Hunter Brown, Cale Waechter (2), Daniel Kochut

Goals: Nolan Hislop, Eli Baldin Assists: Bart Sherrer, Griffen Rollins (2), Austin Cousineau

Nick Campagonolo (2), Luke Charter, Jordon Luis, Max Bender

Bantam: Minor AE

Dec. 6 vs Woolwich LL #2 Home: 4 Visitor: 2 Goals: Liam Dickson, Nick Kiesweitter

Dec. 6 vs Ancaster Home: 5 Visitor: 7 Goals: Ryan Parrott (3), Jake Good, Ryan Belanger Assists: Jackson Hale, Tyler Horst, Jake Good, Hunter Schmitt

Bantam: Minor AE Dec. 7 vs Halton Hills Home: 4 Visitor: 3 Goals: Ryan Parrott, Jackson Hale, Hunter Schmitt, CJ Sider Assists: CJ Sider(2), Jake Good, Corbin Kaufman, Jackson Hale, Blake Richardson

Atom: AE Blue Dec. 2 vs Caledon Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Josh Moore, Sam Siopiolospz Assists: Parker Alles

Atom: AE Blue Dec. 9 vs New Hamburg Home: 5 Visitor: 2 Goals: Sam Siopiolosz (2), Mason Spark (2), Ryan Brubacher Assists: Parker Alles (2), Ryan Curtis, Sam Siopiolosz, Ryan Brubacher

Atom: Major A Dec. 6 vs Brampton Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Lucas Carson (2) Assists: Zack Bender, Brett Moser

Atom: AE Red Nov. 29 vs Caledon Home: 4 Visitor: 7 Goals: Lucas Radler, Ethan Murr, Seb Garrett, Will McDougall Assists: Seb Garrett (2)

PeeWee: Minor AA

Midget: LL #3 The Woolwich Wild PeeWee BB girls brought home their second gold medal this weekend in Peterborough. They defeated Kanata in the final game 1-0, with a shutout for goaltender Cailyn Wilkie. Front: Cailyn Wilkie. Second row: Maddie Goss, Delaney Douglas, Sydney Detweiller, Abigail Burkholder, Haylee Clemmer. Third row: Maggie Sargent, Ella Campbell, Erin Bauer, Ali Harnock, Cassidy Moser, Alana Bauman, Hannah Carr. Coaches: Gerard Douglas, Bobby Clemmer, Rod Bauman and trainer Rhonda Burkholder. [submitted]

Dec. 5 vs Ayr Home: 5 Visitor: 1 Goals: Blake Doerbecker, Nick Kiesweitter (2), Luke DeCorte, Keenan Dowdall Assists: Blake Doerbecker (2), Vincent Dally, Nick Kiesweitter,

Midget: LL #3

Midget: LL #1 Dec. 5 vs Embro Home: 5 Visitor: 1 Goals: Austin Horst, Nick Berlet (2), Isaac Fishbein (2) Assists: Alex Bean, Chris Taylor, Brodie Keen (3), Alex Berry

Midget: LL #1 Dec. 6 vs Beverly #2 Home: 4 Visitor: 3 Goals: Troy Nechanicky (2), Dylan Arndt, Isaac Fishbein Assists: Isaac Fishbein, Dylan Arndt, Troy Nechanicky (2), Austin Horst, Trent Brunkard

HOCKEY TOURNAMENTS

Tyke Select Bob Giroux Tournament Brampton Dec. 6 Game 1 vs Center Wellington Home: 4 Visitor: 1 Goals: Ethan Burkholder (2), Josh Carson (2) Assists: Owen Weppler, Bryson Rozema, Connor Goebel, Cameron Beisel, Matthew Darrigan Player of the Game: Owen Weppler Dec. 6 vs Cooksville Home: 3 Visitor: 6

Goals: Josh Carson (2), Ethan Burkholder Assists: Matthew Darrigan (2) Player of Game: Mitchell Roemer

Novice: Major A Bob Merkley Memorial Silver Stick Tournament Midland Dec. 5-7 Game 1 vs Innisfil Home: 5 Visitor: 3 Goals: Nathan Martin, Stuart Sinclair (2), Brady Martin, Mitchell Walker Assists: Pacey Camm, Eric Kane, Isaac Lopers (2), Mitchell Walker, Ian Leech, Michael Gear,Evan Passmore Dec. 6 vs Collingwood Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Brady Martin, Eric Kane Assists: Pacey Camm Shutout: Justin Strohoff Dec. 6 vs Orillia Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Pacey Camm, Sam Ratcliffe Assists: Nathan Martin, Eric Kane, Stuart Sinclair, Ian Leech Dec. 7 vs Uxbridge Home: 4 Visitor: 3 Goals: Michael Gear, Eric Kane (2), Pacey Camm Assists: Eric Kane, Nathan Martin, Pacey Camm Dec. 7 vs Midland Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Nathan Martin (2), Sam Ratcliffe Assists: Pacey Camm (2), Eric Kane, Ian Leech

Kingston Canadians Tournament Kingston Dec. 5-7 Game 1 vs Leitrim Home: 1 Visitor: 1 Goals: Noah Zeller Assists: Mitch Newson Dec. 6 vs Toronto Home: 2 Visitor: 1 Goals: Mitch Newson, Noah Zeller Assists: Aaron Fuller Dec. 6 vs Oshawa Home: 5 Visitor: 1 Goals: Mitch Newson (2), Noah Zeller, Jordan Gamble, Mitch Waters Assists: Jordan Gamble (2), Mitch Waters, Cameron Brown Dec. 5 vs Woodstock Home: 3 Visitor: 3 Goals: Mitch Waters, Ryan Shantz, Noah Zeller Assists: Mitch Newson (2), Noah Zeller Dec. 7 vs Halton Hills Home: 2 Visitor: 3 Goals: Keegan Saunders, Noah Zeller Assists: Aaron Fuller

WOOLWICH WILD

Atom: BB Dec. 8 vs Twin Centre Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals: Carly Bauman Assists: Brooke Rempel

Bantam: LL Nov. 29 vs Kitchener Home: 2 Visitor: 3 Goals: Mary MacKenzie, Abby Hanley Assists: Morgan Hanley

Bantam: LL Dec. 5 vs Woodstock Home: 4 Visitor: 1 Goals: Mary MacKenzie (3), Claire Robertson Assists: Brigitte Dyksterhuis, Mary MacKenzie, Olivia Martin, Alenna Martin, Madison Waters

Bantam: LL

SUBMIT SCORES: www.observerxtra.com/forms/submit-your-scores/

Dec. 7 vs Cambridge Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals: Madison Waters Assists: Mary MacKenzie

galea: Throw away logic and IQ points to arrive at a state where sitting out on the ice is a good idea from | 20

tant purchases like a case of power grubs or a set of used electric socks. Once logic is gone, the stage is set for the second inhibitor to be set free. That being IQ points. Fortunately, neither I nor any of my ice fishing buddies have a great deal to release before we can convince ourselves that

it makes perfect sense to drill holes in the middle of a frozen lake and fish in the open air while the wind causes the stuff leaking from your nostrils to freeze like green walrus tusks. The loss of a couple of IQ points is all that’s required. You, however, might be different. This ejection of a suitable amount of IQ points is

what allows us to say, even while we are shivering, “This is a whole lot better than sitting inside drinking hot chocolate by the woodstove, huh?” And it is also what makes us long to go back to the same spot on the same lake after being skunked three outings in a row. With logic and IQ gone, all that’s left to do is to lose

our sense of feel. The lucky thing is for a lot of us, we did that at deer camp and very often that feeling still hasn’t returned. So, this one is not difficult to do at all. You can’t truly consider yourself a serious ice angler if you have any of these things. For if you had a sense of feel, it would tell you that it doesn’t feel right to walk or drive on a rela-

tively thin layer of ice just to get to a spot on a lake where you can then step into a crowded ice hut with three gassy friends. And logic and IQ would prevent you from lighting that match, thereby robbing you of your only good ice fishing story of the winter. With these inhibitions conquered, however, all that’s left is to go out to

the shed, gather up your gear and wait for the ice to freeze thick enough so that you can ice fish safely to your heart’s content. Then, as you stand there looking like a walrus and chattering, you can honestly look at your friend and say,“This is a whole lot better than sitting inside drinking hot chocolate by the woodstove, huh?”

30 | VENTURE

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Venture Food for thought/ Owen Roberts

transportation / fueling the economy

Don’t dismiss $31 billion food waste problem

Falling gas prices something to get pumped about While local station operators haven’t noticed a spike in demand, perhaps there’s more than the Christmas season behind the cheerfulness whitney neilson Anyone planning on driving to their Christmas destination of choice in a couple weeks has plenty to smile about as gas prices have dropped as low as 99.9 cents per litre in some parts of the region. The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) says Canadian average retail gas prices have hit a fouryear low and the trend will likely continue through the holiday season. And while you might think this would mean more people are filling up, gas station workers in Elmira are still seeing much of the same. Erin Zach at Petro-Canada said their current price of $1.019 is the lowest she’s seen it since the station opened. She said there was a morning rush of drivers pulling in to fill up, but

aside from that it had been pretty normal, no increase in traffic. “I haven’t really noticed. I haven’t heard a thing,” Zach said. It was much of the same at Esso, just up the street. When asked if he’d seen more drivers getting gas, Trent Robertson thought for a moment and then shook his head. “Actually, no,” Robertson said. He said people are coming in smiling, but they’re not driving more just because the price is down. “People are in a much better mood,” he added. Robertson said in May of 2003 he was selling gas for 52 cents a litre. The cheapest he’s ever seen it was 22 cents. The CAA’s gas price monitor notes the avergasoline | 33

ith you W e B e c a e P y Ma olidays. H e h t g n i r u d

FIELD NOTES Everyone shuddered when the Oakville-based Value Chain Management International (VCMI) announced a few years ago that Canada was wasting about $27 billion worth of food every year. Really – $27 billion? How could that be? Mere grocery-buying mortals like me find it impossible to fathom that amount of money, let alone the sixmillion-kilogram scrap heap of food this sum represents. It’s equivalent to about 40 per cent of all our food. But unfortunately, it’s now worse. This week the organization released a

Dropping gas prices are a welcome change for drivers across the region, but it doesn’t mean they plan to do any additional driving.

Roberts | 33

[whitney neilson / the observer]

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VENTURE | 31

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings

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32 | VENTURE

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings

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VENTURE | 33

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

ROBERTS: Reducing food waste a big step in getting agriculture to help boost the economy from | 30

study based on what it says is an improved food waste scan. It now includes figures from the seafood sector and the travel industry, particularly airline caterers and cruise ships (think buffets). Those sources, plus the fact that VCMI is getting better at garnering knowledge and insight, has helped it inch closer to what it says is the true food-waste figure ... which is more than $31 billion. That’s 15 per cent higher than researchers originally thought. And if you accept the United Nations’ contention

(as VCMI does) that generally, the value of food waste is only about 30 per cent of its true cost, then we’re actually wasting more than $100 billion a year. How staggering, and how glum, especially as the holidays approach and we succumb more than ever to our consumer culture, even for food. We’ll over-buy so much, using food to reward ourselves and others for another good year, or to try burying one that wasn’t so good. Martin Gooch, CEO of the organization and coauthor of the study, calls it a “myopic” view of value

versus volume. VCMI says a couple of problems exist. First, we buy too much. Retailers offer tempting loss leaders to get us in the door, and we overstock. If these items are perishable, they may run their course before they get consumed. And if they don’t get purchased, the store ends up throwing them out. The organization estimates that through all the wasted labour, energy, water and transportation that goes into producing food that turns into garbage even before the point of sale, food waste costs consumers

gasoline: Making for happier motorists FROM | 30

age national retail price in Canada was $1.11 per litre on December 1, the lowest price since December 2010. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said this week it will continue to put out 30 million barrels of oil a day, despite the demand falling to 28.9 million barrels next year. This year’s demand for oil was 29.4 million barrels per day. OPEC manages a third of the world’s oil production. Shyann Peters, who also works at Esso, said they had a rush on Tuesday in the afternoon, but it didn’t last long. “It’s hard too because people are at work all day,” Peters said. “Some guy came in and said it should be 70 cents. He was a true Albertan.”

On December 8, a barrel of crude oil was listed at US$69, a $6 decrease since last week. The declining cost of crude oil is linked to the global oil glut, a higher U.S. dollar, and less demand. Gas prices have dropped as much as 40 per cent since mid-summer. “For many Canadians this week, the gas pump will be putting the smallest dent in their wallets in the last four years,” said Jeff Walker, CAA vice president of public affairs. “The sharp drop in prices of crude oil over the past couple of months is finally being reflected in Canadian retail prices.” Just two weeks ago, these were the average prices across the country: Vancouver: 124.9, Edmonton: 91.9, Calgary: 98.9, Regina: 102.9, Winnipeg: 99.4, Toronto: 113.9, Ottawa: 102.9,

Montreal: 116.4, Fredericton: 109.9, Halifax: 115.9, Charlottetown: 116.9, and St. John’s: 115.4. In places like Alberta and Newfoundland, the lower prices are not so welcome. Both Alberta Premier Jim Prentice and Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Paul Davis have said they’ll have to watch their budgets closely. Regardless, drivers in Ontario and elsewhere are relieved to have a little extra change for Christmas. Manjit Kaur at UPI Energy in Elmira said she’s heard some seniors complaining because regardless of the price, gas is still an expense on a fixed income. Otherwise, customers seem to be enjoying the break from rising petrol costs. “Yes, everyone’s happy,” Kaur said. “There’s a big difference.”

about 10 per cent more for food. That’s a frustrating figure for everyone living on a budget, even though Canadians pay comparatively little for food. Here’s my concern: we’ve heard some of this before. As a result, we may tend to dismiss it. Seemingly not much happened in society after the $27-billion problem was revealed in 2010. And inevitably, a problem of this magnitude doesn’t fix itself. Gooch says knowledge is a key to taking action. He believes that for most businesses – including farms, where about 10 per

cent of the problem occurs with waste from storage and what he calls “the inefficiencies that stem from the distrusting relationship that typify the food industry” – opportunities abound for reducing food waste costs. And, he adds, these opportunities can often be achieved more quickly and are more sustainable than seeking to increase revenue by selling more, more, more. It does, however, require a new perspective. Farmers and others must think and act from a value chain perspective, and determine

where they fit into the big picture, as food providers. When they’ve accurately identified where opportunities occur – and realize that they could profit from treating the person next to them in the value chain as an ally rather than an adversary – they can act positively. Ontario has challenged the farm sector to create jobs and improve exports to bolster the economy. Reducing food waste is part of the picture – it can improve the economy by giving consumers more value for their food dollar. Why are we throwing $31 billion away?

skate park ready to roll

Construction continued on the Elmira skate park on First Street Dec. 9, just before another blast of winter weather returned to the region. Having lined up the facility’s new signage and dealt with insurance issues, the township cleared the facility for use, though work remains to be done on the site. The finishing touches will have to wait until next spring. [scott barber / the observer]

Blessings At Christmas During the holiday season more then ever our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. And in this spirit we say, simply but sincerely thank you and best wishes for the holiday season and a happy new year.

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Homemade Soups & Pies | Lunch & Dinner Specials Breakfast Served All Day 3685 NAFZIGER RD., WELLESLEY | 519-656-2430 HOURS: Mon.-Wed. 6:30am-4:30pm • Thurs. & Fri. 6:30am-8pm • Sat. 7am-4pm

34 | THE ARTS

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

THE ARTS On Stage / Live theatre

Reading a story that’s become synonymous with the season Lost & Found Theatre’s adaptation of Charles Dickens Writes: A Christmas Carol throws in a few extras to the tale of Scrooge start writing A Christmas Carol,” explains Kathleen Sheehy, the theatre group’s A staged reading of A artistic director. Christmas Carol will “It’s essentially let your imagination A Christmas Carol, transport you back plus a bonus,” she to Victorian Engadds of Quesnel’s land just in time to script. appreciate just how Dickens did, in much we have to apAlan K. Sapp fact, write the nopreciate during this vella in very short holiday season. order, requiring less Along with the than six weeks to timeless tale itself, complete it prior to the Charles Dickens its first publication Writes: A Christmas on Dec. 19, 1843. Carol, written by Christy Ziss The horrid condiRichard Quesnel, tions of Scrooge’s adds to the experiLondon were no ence. Presented by fiction: Dickens had Lost & Found Thebut to look around atre, it runs at the to see the misery Registry Theatre in of the workhouses, Kitchener Decemdebtors’ prisons, ber 20 and 21. Darren Keay and the impact of This adaptaignorance and want. tion expands on His own father had the story, starting been sent to prison in Dickens’ home for his debts at one on Christmas Eve. point, forcing a then There, his publisher, 12-year-old Dickens Mr. Hall, is demandGary Sharpe out of school and ing the author come into the 10-hour up with something days of working in new instead of a factory. disappointing curAlready estabrent series – and lished as a journalist he wants it by the and author by the following day, Kathleen Sheehy time he wrote A threatening to cut Christmas Carol, he the writer’s salary. was known for his Drawing on the pubsupport of the poor lisher’s crotchety and the need for demeanor, Dickens reforms. All of his creates Scrooge and concerns, and prodihis overnight transgious writing talent, formation, writing Ted Follows were brought to bear in a flurry. “That inspires Dickens to in the story. It was an im-

steve kannon

It’s the happiest time of the year, and it’s customers like you who make our work worthwhile.

mediate hit, selling 6,000 copies in a week, and going through several printings in short order. A morality tale, the warm Christmas message was credited with much of what we think of as the traditional Christmas spirit and trappings following a long period of puritanical sentiments in England. The spirit soon spread to this side of the Atlantic, where Dickens would later appear to give readings of the book. Dickens’ readings proved very popular, initially benefitting charities such as schools and hospitals. The tradition continues worldwide today. The presentation at the Registry Theatre will help benefit the Books For Kids program and Lost & Found Theatre, an artistrun, not-for-profit group. For this reading, a cast of 10 local actors will be taking part, including Alan Sapp as Scrooge. Ted Follows is playing Mr. Fezziwig and Marley, Darren Keay is playing Dickens/ Bob Cratchit, and Christy Ziss is Mrs. Dickens and a few other characters. Sheehy takes on the part of Mrs. Fezziwig. “We’ve pretty much found that it seems to have a pretty broad appeal. It’s very well received,” said Sheehy of the group’s reading of the story. “It’s a lot of fun and gives a slightly different twist.” Following the readings,

Lost & Found Theatre’s staged reading of A Christmas Carol draws a bit from the life of its author, Charles Dickens. the group always hears from audience members who say they could picture the whole story in their minds as the actors go through the text, she added. “People are surprised at the power of their imaginations,” she notes, adding such storytelling is always appreciated. “People love to be read to – it doesn’t matter what age you are.”

Along with the readings, which feature some costumes appropriate to the era, there are carolers on stage, at points taking part in the story, such as Scrooge’s encounter with people in the street. For the first time, there will be a brass quartet joining in this production. The Lost & Found Theatre presentation of Charles Dickens Writes: A

Rejoice!

Wishing you a Beautiful Holiday and a New Year of Peace and Happiness

Thanks so much for your support. “A Good Job Done Every Time”

Colleen | t. 519-669-2033 | c. 519-581-7868 RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • PERSONALIZED SERVICE • FREE ESTIMATES

8 Snyder Ave. N., Elmira

Call 519-669-4111 Making the cars of the world more comfortable

Christmas Carol takes place December 20 (7:30 p.m.) and December 21 (3 p.m.) at the Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick St., Kitchener. Tickets are $15, available at the Centre in the Square box office by calling 519578-1570 or toll free 1-800265-8977 or online at www. centre-square.com. More information can be found at www.lostandfoundtheatre.com.

www.chartwellreit.ca

THE ARTS | 35

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings

Thank You for your patronage. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at:

1070 Industrial Cres., St. Clements TEL: 519.699-9496

Yuletide Greetings We’re hoping your holidays are light and carefree this year. Thank you for your kindness throughout the season.

www.martinmills.com 4 Arthur Street N, Elmira | 519.669.5171

Happy

Holidays Warm Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday Season!

519-669-8511

toll free: 1-888-669-8511 www.freysflowers.com

CJ

Brubacher Ltd. 519.669.3362

19 First Street East, Elmira

HAPPY HOLIDAYS | HAPPY HOLIDAYS | HAPPY HOLIDAYS | HAPPY HOLIDAYS | HAPPY HOLIDAYS

The

Spirit Christmas! of

irits May your sp e th be lifted by is th f beauty o n. so a se s u wondro stmas Merry Chri p and Ha py New Year!

from

Waters & Hastings Professional Corporation Have A Great Holiday!

21 Arthur St. S., Elmira | 519.669.1641 chastings@waters-hastings.on.ca

Your total home improvement contractor! Renovations | Additions | Windows Doors | Siding | Decks | Railings

3585 Ament Line. RR #3 Wallenstein | 519.699.4236 Web: www.waymar.ca | Email: admin@waymar.ca

Linwood | 519-698-2000

36 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

CLASSIFIED

classified deadline:

thursdays by 10am HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

A DVANCE MILLWRIGHTS INC. Floradale Feed Mill Limited is an independent, family owned and operated feed company serving livestock and poultry producers in Ontario. We currently have an opening for:

MAINTENANCE / MILLWRIGHT WORKER We are currently recruiting for a highly motivated and professional individual for the role of Maintenance Millwright. This is a fulltime day position with responsibility for after hours on call and some weekends. Responsibilities will include General maintenance and repairs throughout the plant The successful applicant will have • • • •

1-3 years millwrighting / maintenance experience Strong oral and written communication skills Experience in feed manufacturing facility is an asset Ability to develop effective work relationships with co-workers, and • Ability to represent the Company positively with customers. • Live within 35 kms of Floradale At Floradale Feed Mill Limited we take pride in providing the finest in quality feeds and service to our customers in the livestock and poultry industries. Therefore, a background in agriculture is considered an asset.

Do you take a logical & systematic approach to problem solving? Are you self motivated self starter who takes pride in their work? Advance Millwrights Inc. has been serving the aggregate, feed mills, fertilizer, food & foundry industries since 1992. We are looking to add the following to our team of skilled employees

Industrial & Construction Millwrights • • • • • • • • • • •

To apply, forward your resume to: Brian Chamberlain, Operations Manager Floradale Feed Mill Limited 2131 Floradale Road, Floradale, ON N0B 1V0

Minimum 2-5 years experience License CFQ ticket or qualified experience 2nd & 3rd year apprentice excepted Stick welding experience & CWB Tickets an asset Ability to read & follow blue prints & field sketches Must be mechanically inclined Ability to work with minimal supervision Trade experience with heavy duty equipment Trade experience in Agricultural, Industrial & Food plants Innovative & problem solver Forklift & elevated platform tickets an asset

We offer competitive wages, benefits & RRSP package. Please fax resumes to 519-669-4659 or email to jeffb@advancemillwrights.com

Or e-mail: brianc@ffmltd.com

Teviotdale Plant - Langs 6590 Wellington Rd #123 Palmerston, Ontario

HELP WANTED

PRODUCTION OPERATOR

Please E-mail or Fax Resume to: 519-343-5842 Or jason@langsdehy.com No phone calls please. Only Applicants to be interviewed will be contacted.

JOB OPENING:

WOODWORKING CRAFTSMAN Chervin Custom Woodworks Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high quality hotel furniture and custom kitchen cabinets located on the edge of Waterloo in the town of Hawkesville. They are in need of qualified woodworking machinist, assemblers and finishers. We are looking for individuals that have a keen interest in woodworking and craftsmanship skill and a strong desire to increase this skill.The successful candidate will also need to exhibit excellent interpersonal and team-building skills. To apply for this position please respond with your resume and references to humanresources@chervin.ca or call 519-699-5661

Help Wanted Ayr Coach Lines, Waterloo seeks part-time weekend motor coach cleaner/detailer. This position requires a detail oriented person who enjoys physical labour. Call 519747-1230 or email brent@ ayrcoach.com

Training & Lessons Craft Classes after school for kids grades 2-6. Register now for Jan/Feb session. Tuesdays in St. Jacobs, Wednesdays in Elmira. Theme is “Treasures”. 226791-4067 or email carol@ seeingsquared.com

Health Care

Wallenstein Plant - Baumans 7214 LIne #86 Wallenstein, Ontario

Required for a manufacture of recycled bakery products in Wallenstein, ON. Duties include equipment operation, monitoring, and clean-up. Preference to candidates with a farming/ industry background. Flexibility with work schedule, and shift work required. Afternoon shift currently being offered. Industry conditions apply. Machine operation and maintenance experience an asset. Competitive wages and benefit plan.

HELP WANTED

COME JOIN OUR TEAM General Labour Help Needed

Fast-paced collision shop looking to hire autobody techs, able to work on all aspects of vehicle repair. Candidates must be able to work with others, problem-solve and have attention to detail. Excellent benefit package. Licensed autobody techs preferred but registered apprentices and general labourers will be considered. Fulltime, daytime hours. Please fax resume to 519-896-7644 or email to dmorgan@chiefscollision.com

BOWEN THERAPY Your choice for effective treatment of specific health conditions or wellness maintenance. KEVIN BARTLEY, Professional Bowenwork Practitioner, Clock Tower Wellness Centre, 69 Arthur St. S., Elmira. 519-669-0112. Every Body is Better with Bowen!

#1

For Sale Sap Pans 4’ x 16’ pans with steam hood and pre heater. $2500 o.b.o. Call Norman Horst at 519-669-0795.

Rentals Elmira - 3 bedroom semi for rent. New carpets, C/A, upgraded bathroom, parking, back yard with deck. No basement access. Move in ready. $1000/mth plus utilities. No pets. References required. Call 519-669-4002. Semi Detached House for rent in Elmira. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, garage, balcony, finished rec room. Close to schools. Fenced yard. $1250.00 plus utilities. Available Jan. 1, 2015. Phone 519591-8571. Real Estate House For Sale by owner. 34 Aspen Crescent Elmira, 3 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom (2009), eat in kitchen with oak floors, new breaker panel (2013), roof (2007), includes 4 appliances. Call 226-972-4555. Possession immediately. $277,900.

NEWS

SOURCE

IN THE REGION

give the gift of local news from home. send your out-of-thearea family the gift of home for the holidays? Only $35/year within canada order at 519.669.5790 ext 104

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Placing a classified WORD ad In person, email, phone or fax submissions are accepted during regular business hours. Deadline for Saturday publication is Wednesday by 5 p.m. All Classified ads are prepaid by cash, debit, Visa or MasterCard. Ask about Observer policies in regard to Display, Service Directory and Family Album advertising.

CLASSIFIED | 37

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

REAL ESTATE LISTINGS

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS A DONATION will be made with every home bought or sold by Alli, Paul or Sue. $309,900 BUNGALOW, GREAT YARD

$389,900 BUNGALOW ON LARGE LOT

Elmira - This 3 bedroom bungalow is situated on a quiet street close to the park and public school. Cozy up to the wood burning fireplace in the rec room or BBQ with friends on the patio in the large back yard. This home includes an updated kitchen, central air, central vac, fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer. Ready for you to move in and relax. MLS 1444078.

St. Clements - “Gaze out over your large back yard to the park beyond from the sunroom with cement pad for a hot tub. the large eat in kitchen is open to the living room with bay window. Enjoy family time in the huge open basement rec room with a gas fireplace.” If it doesn’t all fit, you can take something out. MLS 1444614

$519,000 HOBBYISTS DREAM

$289,000 IN THE HEART OF TOWN

$268,900

READY TO BUY?

Alli Bauman Paul Martin Sue Wideman SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

519-577-6248 allibauman@rogers.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

519-503-9533 paul@remaxsolidgold.biz

SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

Elmira - Walk into this spacious foyer which opens up to the living room and has a 2 piece powder room. The dinette has a walk out to the back deck and fully fenced yard. Upper floor has 3 generous sized bedrooms and a 4 piece bathroom. Purchase price includes 5 appliances and water softener. Loads of parking in the double wide driveway and single car garage with inside entry. MLS 1444836.

Enjoy the space of this large lot including gardens, chicken coop, 12 x 8 shed and 1200 sq. foot insulated heated shop with 600 volt 3 phase. Shop is equipped with a dust collector and crane. Get cozy next to the 2 wood pellet fireplaces in this 4 bedroom home with a large eat in kitchen. MLS 1441860.

St. Jacobs - This 2 bedroom home is right in the heart of town, close to down town shopping. Large kitchen featuring pine ceiling, oak cupboards & walk out to patio, perfect for entertaining. Beautiful main bath is equipped w/skylight & water jet tub. Call today to book a viewing. MLS 1437697.

226-750-9332

suewidemanhomes@gmail.com

Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage Independently Owned and Operated

3 Arthur St. S., Elmira 519-669-5426

$499,900 THREE SEPARATE UNITS

Elmira - Live in and/or rent out this very well maintained triplex. All 3 units are equipped with separate hydro and water meters and come with fridge, stove, washer and dryer. Unit #1: 2 bedrooms with baseboard electrical heat. Unit #2: 1 bedroom with separate gas meter. Unit #3: 3 bedrooms with a 26 x 16 garage, separate gas meter and dishwasher. This is a must see for investors and home owners alike. MLS 1441079 & 1441072.

Thinking About Selling?

Call today and book a

Babies of the

YEAR!

2014

EMAIL PHOTOS & CAPTION INFORMATION TO: ADS@WOOLWICHOBSERVER.COM

$649,000 PRIVATE HAVEN!

Drayton - Located on 6 acres this extraordinary home is nestled in picturesque scenery. Featuring: Private lane, 1500 sqft, (30ft x 50ft) workshop with 60amp service, and 1600sqft home. Finished top to bottom with an open layout this rare find is extremely well kept. Wall paper to be removed and painted a neutral colour. MLS 1442024.

$549,000 STORE FRONT IN ELMIRA

Elmira - With a 2000 sq foot office space, a 1 bedroom unit, and 2 bedroom unit, this downtown property could be your ideal investment! MLS 1442236.

FREE HOME EVALUATION. Full colour photo of your little one published on January 10, 2015.

$40 +hst

me, a N t s a L me First Na own te | T Birth Da s Names Parent

BOOK EARLY!

Deadline for submission

January 6, 2015

38 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

REAL ESTATE LISTINGS

YOUR “LOCAL” COMMUNITY CONNECTION

100 YEARS

SINCE 1913

Elmira Real Estate Services Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage

We support Woolwich Community Services through

90 Earl Martin Dr., Unit 4, Elmira N3B 3L4

100 acres farm property including Roll #420818000806601 (50 acres). Approx.65 acres workable, 15 acres maple bush, balance cedar and rough pasture. Outbuildings consist of a barn, drive/implement shed, pole barn, and 2 silos. 3-bedrooms brick bungalow with double $850,000 garage with stairs to lower finished lower level, open kitchen/dining area with woodstove, covered front porch overlooking the countryside. Farm is suitable for cash crop or any kind of livestock. This is a great opportunity for local farmers or a family trying to escape the big city. 90 minutes North/East of Guelph. Beautiful private setting on 2.29 acres. 3-bedrooms all brick bungalow. 32x16 barn with 3 horse stalls, 12x6 addition plus 14x6 storage shed. Property is fenced for horses. Nicely landscaped. Great starter or retirement home. Great location close to Hanover, Durham, Markdale. If you desire privacy look no further. A must view.

$219,000

519-669-3192

2014

Elmira@royallepage.ca

www.elmirahomes.ca

Bonnie Brubacher Broker of Record

Monique Roes Sales Representative

Shanna Rozema Broker

Marilyn Curry Admin.

www.YourFamilyTeam.ca

From Everyone At Elmira Real Estate Services Through these doors...

Pass the Nicest People in the World! At this holiday season there is no more appropirate time to say “Thank You” and express to you and yours every happiness for this beautiful season and throughout the coming year.

Drayton Ridge | PHASE 2 UNDER CONSTRUCTION PRE-SELLING 5 UNIT TOWNHOME - PRICED FROM $322,900 STARTING AT 1424 SQ.FT THREE BUNGALOW PLANS & TWO BUNGALOW LOFT PLANS AVAILABLE

ADDRESS: 3 Arthur St. S., ELMIRA DIRECT: 519-503-2753

www.observerxtra.com Building in Drayton where homes are affordable

ALL OFFER: Double car garage and driveway, main floor master with ensuite, ceramic & hardwood floor, gas fireplace, gourmet kitchen with island, walkout to rear yard, main floor laundry + much more. EXCLUSIVE

B FR ON E U un E U S $ til P 1 Jan G 0 ua R ,0 ry A 00 31, D i 20 E n 15 S !

EMAIL: leonmartin@remax.net

SOLID BRICK BUNGALOW $314,900 DRAYTON What a great opportunity to own a large

lot - 108’ frontage, detached shop with hydro & woodworking tools, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom bungalow, all season sunroom addition with gas fireplace, bright kitchen w/appliances, roof/2013, main floor laundry, dbl garage & driveway. MLS

CUSTOM QUALITY Single Family

Visit our Model Home at:

Starting from

$350,900

42 Bedell Drive, Drayton Mon & Tues. 1-7pm | Sat. & Sun. 1-4:30pm | or by appointment

226-818-5311 | verdonehomes.com

ONE OF A KIND 100 ACRE SETTING BUNGALOW ON 1 ACRE $604,900 LINWOOD Absolutely beautiful setting, custom $899,000 MOOREFIELD Perfect for the hobbyist or nature $759,900 HARRISTON/PALMSERTON 15 year old replica bungalow with finished basement, 2+2 bedrooms, custom cherry kitchen, open concept layout with 9’ ceilings, main floor master & laundry, large rec room, bedrooms & spa bath plus walk-up to the TRIPLE car garage. MLS

lover. Private 2 acre setting with Spring fed pond & 20’x16’ barn. 3812 SQ.FT Fieldstone home, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, Pine kitchen with granite counters, Fieldston F/P, wrap around porch, oversized dbl car garage w/walk-down. MLS

farmhouse with attractive wrap around porch, 2 storey fieldstone F/P, hardwood, main floor master w/ensuite, upper loft, walk-up basement. 32’x28’ detached shop with infloor heat, 60 acres mature mixed bush, 40 acres workable. MLS

Voices of the season ring out at chateau gardens

Bert Martin From

Broker

Re/max Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage Independently Owned and Operated

519-572-2669 • bert@remaxsolidgold.biz • 3 Arthur St. S. Elmira

FREE Market Evaluation

LEASE SPACE in local plaza. Units from 120 s/f to 2,400 s/f. Lots of parking. MLS. Please call Bert to view.

Your referrals are appreciated!

Carolers from EDSS were at Elmira’s Chateau Gardens (Chartwell Seniors Housing) during lunch on Dec. 10 to spread some Christmas cheer.

[whitney Neilson / the observer]

CLASSIFIED | 39

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

REAL ESTATE LISTINGS

Family Album Birthday/Retirement

R.W. THUR REAL ESTATE LTD.

BROKERAGE

Happy Birthday & Retirement

ÂŽ

45 Arthur St. S., Elmira

INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

Office:

519.500.1865 (Direct)

Kathy Girling

REALTY LTD., BROKERAGE

519-669-2772

Dale R. Keller

17 Church St. W., Elmira â&#x20AC;˘ 519.669.1544 (Business)

www.thurrealestate.com

Sales Representative

www.KellerSellsRealEstate.com | dale@kellersellsrealestate.com

For your business and your friendship we are deeply grateful and wish you all a

Very Merry Christmas Season! NEW LISTING! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ranch bungalow in LINWOOD w/spacious rooms. Finished walkout basement w/expansive windows overlooking park-like yard, 95â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 230â&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Oversized dble. garage + another single garage. Good potential for in-law suite. MLS.

$419,900

JUST LISTED | $432,000 Just what you've always wanted. 2.95 acres with bush at front and a swimming pond at rear. On a paved road central to Harriston, Mount Forest, Kenilworth, Drayton. Custom built bungalow with impressive front entrance, high ceilings, fireplace, loads of windows, 2 walk outs to huge back deck, walk up from basement and more. A great place to raise a family. MLS Call Dale.

JUST LISTED | $355,000 Beautiful park like 1 Acre property on a paved road just 2 minutes to Drayton and serviced with natural gas. New windows and front door, new electrical panel and wired for generator, new bath, some new flooring, new light fixtures, freshly painted, spotlessly clean. Don't miss out on this one. A great place to raise a family. MLS Call Dale.

Compare | $424,000 Custom built bungalow on a large lot. Covered deck, 3 gas fireplaces, vaulted and coffered ceilings, wired for sound, hard wood and ceramic flooring, granite counters,  arches, pillars, and much more. MLS Call Dale.

UPDATED HOME on a large lot, close to schools and downtown. Large master bdrm. w/walkin closet. Newer kitchen, flooring, central air, TWO bathrooms and most windows. Main floor laundry. DBLE. detached garage (HEATED) and lots of parking! Movein ready! MLS. SPOTLESS 4 level backsplit offers an eat-in kitchen open to spacious lower level family room w/large windows, gas fireplace & bar. Formal LR/DR. 3 bdrms. 2 baths. Mature trees in deep back yard. Well maintained. Concrete driveway. Spring possession. MLS.

$409,900

CALL FOR YOUR FREE MARKET EVALUATION LET OUR 50+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORK FOR YOU!

The Brighton lll model, by Verdone Homes is one of many exciting models to be built. This two storey home boasts 1730 sq ft of open concept with main floor great room and 3 generous bedrooms upstairs with custom features. Various prices and options available. MLS Call Dale, to have the best selection.

New Price | Milverton | $245,000 Great location for this spacious and bright bungalow with walkout on lower level, upper deck, attached garage. MLS Call Dale.

Drayton | $369,000 A lot of house for the money. Large 4+1 bedroom, with walk-out finished basement, huge master and ensuite, separate detached insulated and wired workshop, above ground pool, large fenced yard and more. MLS Call Dale.

For info on these or any other real estate enquiries, Call Dale

/ $ 0 * < 3 7 ( 1 ( $ 1 5 6 5 2 ) : ( * ( $ ' 8 / * 2 ( 7

6 5 $ $ < 7 * 2 $ 2 1 & ( ' ( 6 < ( 6 $ 5 $ . 0 < 0 $ ( ; 7

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Proud parents Lee and Linnea and big brother Tristan (T got his little sister!) are excited to announce the safe arrival of Harlow Hollibeth Snelling. Born October 19th 7 lbs. 9 oz. A special thanks to the staff at GRH ~ especially Carla, Marlene, and Drs. Tsandelis and McCuaig

Thank You

Thank You To everyone who attended my birthday celebration. Thanks for the cards, gifts and donations to the food bank.

' $ ' 2 6

Sincerely, Moe Phillips

* ( 0 6

DEATH NoticeS BAUMAN, James (Jim) | Passed away peacefully into the presence of the Lord on December 6, 2014, at Freeport Hospital, Kitchener, at the age of 78 years. DRAPER, Arthur Scott | Of Wellesley, Ontario, passed away

suddenly on Friday, December 5, 2014, at the age of 40 years.Â

SODOKU CHALLENGE

Harlow Hollibeth

Drayton Ridge | $364,900

CROSSWORD PUZZLER

5 2 8 + ( 0 ( 3 $ ( * ( / / ( 6 7

Birth Notice

For her - large 1/2 acre in town property with renovated 4 bdrm, 3 bth home, large front porch and rear deck, attached dble garage. For him - a detached dream workshop 2400 sq ft, chain hoist, hydraulic lift, air compressor and lines, insulated and heated, room for ALL your toys. MLS Call Dale.

OBSERVER PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

7 2 8 & $ 1

Best wishes only please

Worth a Look | Drayton | $489,000

$289,900

$ 1 ' , 5 2 1

Join us for an Open House Sun. Dec. 14, 1:30 - 4 p.m. at 1733 Floradale Rd. Elmira.

When grief is fresh, the celebration of any holiday is difficult. This is a special invitation to you and your family to share with others who sorrow. Together we put this loss into the context of the Christmas season.

A SERVICE OF HEALING Sunday, December 14, 2014 7:30 p.m. held at Floradale Mennonite Church 22 Florapine Rd., Floradale

Sponsored by the Elmira District Ministerial Association and Dreisinger Funeral Home Ltd.

HORST, Selina | Peacefully, at the home of her daughter Lena and Melvin Martin, of Chesley, on Tuesday, December 9, 2014, in her 95th year. Local realtives are her daughter Hannah (Levi) Martin of Elmira. SHANTZ, Orvie M. | Peacefully passed away on Thursday,

December 4, 2014 at his residence in Elmira at the age of 76 years. Beloved husband and best friend of Edith â&#x20AC;&#x153;Edieâ&#x20AC;? (Fitz) Shantz for 53 years. STEFANIUK, Verna Alma (nee Stahlbaum) |Passed away on

Friday, December 5, 2014 at her residence in Thedford, at the age of 84 years. Verna was formerly of Elmira. WALKER, Jean |Passed away on Friday, December 5, 2014 at Twin Oaks, Maryhill, at the age of 98.Â

40 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

THOMPSON’S

TIRE

WHERE TIRES

Complete Collision Service

SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDE LINE.

Providing the latest technology to repair your vehicle with accuracy and confidence.

101 Bonnie Crescent, Elmira, ON N3B 3G2

519.669.8330

Farm • Auto • Truck Industrial On-The-Farm Service

FAX: 519.669.3210

35 Howard Ave., Elmira

AFTER HOURS

519-669-7652

For more info email noslipperyfloors@gmail.com or call 519-588-7413 | theredwolfcompany.com

gENERAL SERVICES

MUSIC-LOVER GIFT ALERT! COUNTR Y

’s 60’s / 70

HIGH SCHOOSL BAND

GOSPEL

.

M

Accredited Test & Repair Facility

30 ORIOLE PKWY. E., ELMIRA www.thompsonsauto.ca

BATHTUBS, CERAMIC AND PORCELAIN TILE BRICK, TERRAZZO AND OTHER SURFACES GUARANTEED, INVISIBLE, AND COST EFFECTIVE Propellant 49 The best ice and snow melter on the Planet. Safe for trees and plants, will not rust, corrode or stain. No residue. Continues past -50°C and keeps melting 36 hours after being applied.

21 Industrial Dr. Elmira

519-669-4400

519.669.8917

WE FIX SLIPPERY WHEN WET

AUTO CLINIC

Auto Tech Inc.

ARE A

519-669-3232

general SERVICES

Various sizes & rates

Boat Covers | Air Conditioner Covers | Small Tarps Storage Covers | BBQ Covers | Awnings & Canopies Replacement Gazebo Tops | Golf Cart Enclosures & Covers

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General Repairs

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EMAIL: vinylp2cd@gmail.com

FERGUS

1871 Sawmill Road

180 St. Andrew St. W.

519-664-3800

519-843-4845

877-664-3802

888-871-4592

www.fergusfireplace.com

general SERVICES

While you wait! State of the acAhinrte Sharpening M

$275.00/

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STORE HOURS: M-F: 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5

or

JAMES BAUMAN Craftsman Member O.G.P.T. Inc NEW PHONE NUMBER

519-880-9165

800-232-6396

CONSTRUCTION INC. (519) 569-0772 • Commercial & Industrial General Contracting • Specializing in Concrete Work & Excavation • Retaining Walls

info@trappconstruction.ca www.trappconstruction.ca

• • • •

Stamped Coloured Concrete Demolition Bin Service Machine Bases

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www.UniTwin.com | 519.886.2102

Concrete Breaking & Removal

www.biobobs.com

general

TUNING & REPAIRS

OUT

+H.S.T.

Not valid with any other special offers or coupons.

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SERVICES

pump

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BAUMAN PIANO

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HOME IMPROVEMENTS SERVICES

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The Right Window Treatment Can

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www.marwilconcrete.ca

519-577-0370

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AT YOUR SERVICE. We specialize in getting the word out. Advertise your business services in our directory. Weekly exposure with fantastic results! Promote your service today! Call Donna at 519-669-5790 ext. 104

Blinds FREE

INSTALLATION When you buy 3 or more

Hours: M-F 8:30 - 5:30 Sat 9:00 - 3:00

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CLASSIFIED | 41

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY Home improvement SERVICES COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

ST. JACOBS

GLASS SYSTEMS INC.

APPLIANCES – FURNACES – FIREPLACES AIR CONDITIONERS – WATER HEATERS SPRING SPECIAL ON AIR CONDITIONING TUNE UP $99, INSTALLED FROM $1999 FURNACES INSTALLED FROM $2499 FRIDGES $499, STOVES $399, WASHERS $399, DRYERS $369, FREEZERS $199 Come visit our show room FREE QUOTES

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• Store Fronts • Thermopanes • Mirrors • Screen Repair • Replacement Windows • Shower Enclosures • Sash Repair

1 Union Street, Elmira

TEL:

ehc@hotmail.ca (519)-669-4600

519-664-1202 / 519-778-6104 FAX: 519 664-2759 • 24 Hour Emergency Service

Steve Co.

Plumbing and Maintenance Inc.

John Schaefer Painting

For all your Plumbing Needs. 24 HOUR SERVICE Steve Jacobi

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519-669-3652

R O O F I N G

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AMOS INC

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• Specializing in residential re-roofs • Repairs • Churches

NOW ACCEPTING VISA OR MASTERCARD

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A Family owned and operated business serving KW, Elmira and surrounding area for over 35 years.

WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED

519-669-2251

519.501.2405 | 519.698.2114

36 Hampton St., Elmira

In Business since 1973 • Fully Insured

Home improvement SERVICES

Sew Special

100% SUPERIOR QUALITY CUSTOM WOODWORKING

KENJI ORITA • Custom Kitchens • Custom Furniture • Domestic & Exotic Woods

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• Residential • Commercial • Industrial

Randy Weber ECRA/ESA Licence # 7000605

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WINDOW FASHIONS

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22 Church St. W., Elmira

Tel: 519-669-5537

Elmira

STORE HOURS: M-F: 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5

Serving the community for 25 years

Outdoor services

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

YOUR SOURCE FOR YEAR-ROUND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE • Lawn Mowing Packages • Lawn Maintenance & Landscaping • Top Dressing/Overseeding • Mulch Delivery & Installation • Commercial & Residential Full Flower Bed Maintenance • Snow Plowing & Ice Control • Tractor Snowblowing

Call Jeff Basler, Owner/Operator, today 519.669.9081 mobile: 519.505.0985 | fax: 519.669.9819 | ever-green@sympatico.ca

Outdoor

Services

> Commercial & Residential > Fully Insured > WSIB Clearance > Senior Discount

Since

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Lawn Maintenance Programs | Spring Clean-up Flower Bed Maintenance Programs Leaf Clean-up and Removal | Soil & Mulch Delivery & Installation | Snow Clearing & Removal | Ice Control 27 Brookemead, St, Elmira P: 519-669-1188 | F: 519-669-9369

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KEVIN DETWEILER

Murray & Daniel Shantz

ALMA, ONTARIO | PHONE: 519.846.5427

OWNER-OPERATOR

PRINTING | MAILING | SIGNAGE SERVICES

is an authorized

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GUELPH

125 Sheldon Dr.

CAMBRIDGE T 519-621-6611

T 519-836-4441

Offices also in London and Brantford

42 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

LIVING HERE christmas spirit / Seasonal goodwill

Serving up the true meaning of Christmas each and every year Heidelberg woman has made a tradition of opening her home and cooking dinner for a growing group Whitney Neilson Charlotte Cromarty knows firsthand how giving is more rewarding than receiving. She hosted her annual Christmas dinner on Sunday, where nearly 80 friends, family, and church members gathered in her Heidelberg home for a full turkey dinner. The guests have helped raise more than $15,000 for KidsAbility, an organization centered around providing rehabilitation programs for children with varying needs. And while Cromarty is grateful for the generosity that’s come out of her dinners, the event holds a more important place in her heart. “We lost a son when he was 23 and that was very devastating for me because Christmas is family time,” Cromarty said. “I just didn’t want to have anything to do with it. I was more or less running from it.” She started cooking the Christmas dinner for her church, which helped get her back into the holiday spirit. From there, church members suggested they move the dinner to a home rather than the hall, and Cromarty volunteered hers. “It really brought me out and the meaning of Christmas is much more meaningful now,” Cromarty said. When they started doing the dinner, there were about 30 people. She said it

Chef’s table/ Donna Gingrich

A flexible casserole is just the thing for holiday brunch RECIPE NOTES

the members of her church that donate every year. It’s quite a feat for one woman to do,” Talbot said. She said about $2,245 was raised from her dinner party this year, which Cromarty notes will likely climb to $3,000 after more cheques come in from the church and friends. “We’re able to provide more opportunities to our kids to participate fully along with their peers,” Talbot said. “We also have

Brunch is a great way to host an informal meal for friends this holiday season ... and gives you the freedom of planning a menu that is not breakfast or lunch. Start with an egg casserole that is made a day ahead of your brunch, then pop it into the oven before your guests arrive so your house smells wonderful. Today I will share my favourite brunch casserole recipe, which you can make your own by using ingredients you love. Try Monterey Jack or Muenster cheese or substitute sliced sausage for the ham. Any kind of bread can be used – stale bread or buns that are lurking in your freezer can be put to good use here. If you are using odd bits of bread you will be estimating the amount so be prepared to make that decision. To complete your brunch menu, add oven-baked potato wedges and a green salad; an array of fresh fruit and cinnamon buns or fancy muffins. Oh, and lots and lots of hot coffee!

generosity | 47

chef’s table | 47

Charlotte Cromarty’s annual Christmas dinner helps remind her what helped get her back in the Christmas spirit after losing a son, while also raising funds for KidsAbility. [Whitney Neilson / The Observer]

snowballed from there and she decided she was going to invite other people. She was inspired to raise funds for KidsAbility after seeing a boy named Josh on television as their spokesperson. She also had a neighbour who worked for the organization as a therapist. Lisa Talbot, executive director of KidsAbility, said Josh lost his ability to walk and talk after having cancer when he was young. “She was so moved by this that she ended up phoning me and said I have

two hands and I can use my hands,” Talbot said. “There are a lot of kids at KidsAbility that maybe can’t do the physical things we can and she wanted to give back.” Talbot attended the first dinner nine years ago and continues to attend, collecting the donations because Cromarty would rather not know who donated what. “It was just unbelievable to see this woman who went to all of this effort to make sure everyone had an amazing evening,” Talbot

said. “She didn’t sit down the entire evening. She was filling up people’s water, and just ran on her feet the whole evening. She took such joy in doing that and in helping to raise money for local charities.” The money has gone towards purchasing therapeutic equipment and supporting programs that aren’t funded except by donations. “So she’s really helped a lot of little lives here at KidsAbility with her fundraising and also with all

Tip of the week: “Make sure you have at least a quarter tank of fuel in your vehicle. Doing this cuts down on the amount of condensation that forms in your fuel tank. This condensation adds water to your tank and can actually freeze in cold temperatures.” – Ken Neary

Tel: (519) 669-1082 Fax: (519) 669-3084

20 Oriole Parkway E., Elmira, ON

info@leroysautocare.net

www.leroysautocare.net

LIVING HERE | 43

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014 “A GOOD JOB DONE EVERY TIME”

Skilled craftsmanship. Quality materials. CONSTRUCTION STARTS HERE.

Kleensweep Carpet Care

3435 Broadway St. Hawkesville 519-699-4641

Rugs and Upholstery

•Mattress Cleaning •Residential •Commercial •Personalized Service •Free Estimates

COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR

West Montrose, ON

T. 519.669.2033

COLLEEN

Cell: 519.581.7868

Truck & Trailer Maintenance Cardlock Fuel Management

COMMERCIAL 24 CARDLOCK FUEL DEPOT HOUR M&G MILLWRIGHTS LTD. • Design • Installation • Custom Fabrication

MATERIAL HANDLING & PROCESSING SYSTEMS

519.669.5105 1540 FLORDALE ROAD P.O. BOX 247, ELMIRA

www.mgmill.com

E-MAIL: ads@woolwichobserver.com

DECEMBER 13

DECEMBER 18

Optimist Club of St. Jacobs 10th annual Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Includes a full breakfast, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, face painting by Cleo the Clown, carol singing by the Chord Spinners, a penny auction for kids and a raffle for the parents. 9 a.m. 12 p.m. at Calvary United Church, Hawkesville Rd., St. Jacobs. Cost $5 per person. ** Note the venue change.

ELECTRONIC BINGO, Elmira Lions Hall presented by Lions Club of Elmira. Call Rod for details 519-500-1434.

DECEMBER 16 Bingo upstairs at the S​ t. Clements Arena, 7 p.m. Sponsored by the Paradise & District Lions Club. Gold Winner for Best Bingo Hall, 2014 Readers Select Awards. ​For more information, contact Joe Brick at 519-699-4022. Exercise and Fall Prevention: Stand Up To Falls. Topic: Medication Use. St. James Lutheran Church, 60 Arthur St. S., Elmira. Exercises 3-4 p.m. Stand Up to Falls starts right afterwards. More information at 519-664-1900. Seniors Community Dining at noon (doors open at 11:30 a.m.). Linwood Community Centre, 5279 Ament Line, Linwood. Cost: $11. Community Care Concepts invites you to join us for a hot noonday meal, fellowship and entertainment. Call 519-664-1900 or toll free: 1-855-664-1900 for more information. Gale Presbyterian Church Christmas Luncheon. Tickets are at the church office. $12 each for either the 12:30 p.m. sitting or takeouts. Carved turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, roll, gravy, hot vegetable, cranberry salad, mince meat pie, ice cream, beverage.

Exercise and Fall Prevention: Stand Up To Falls. Topic: Home & Environment Issues. St. James Lutheran Church, 60 Arthur St. S., Elmira. Exercises 3-4 p.m. Stand Up to Falls starts right afterwards. More information at 519-664-1900.

DECEMBER 19 Hey kids in grades 5-8, looking for a place to hang out? Get a bunch of your friends together and come join the dance party! Parents looking for a few hours of free time while your kids enjoy three hours of fun in a supervised, safe place? Our Kids Dance is the event you are looking for! The Breslau Lions Club believes that kids in this age group need and deserve a fun, safe, secure, co-ed, social environment and it is our desire to provide such an opportunity. Breslau Community Centre, 100 Andover Dr., Breslau.

DECEMBER 21 Longest Night Service - A Service of Comfort and Hope, 7 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1123 Henry St., Wellesley. Christmas can be a painful time for some. Come out and join with us in sharing and hearing prayers, scripture and music that acknowledge that God’s presence is for those who mourn, for those who struggle, and that God’s word comes to shine light into our darkness.

Sunday Evening “The Longest Night” service 7 p.m. Christmas can be a sad time of year. If someone has died, your partner walked out, if your job has been downsized, if that doctor has bad news. We invite you to join us for this meaningful experience of worship and music. Bloomingdale United Church, 860 Sawmill Rd., Bloomingdale; 519-745-0535.

woolwichkin.com

DECEMBER 22 Seniors Lunch Club at noon (doors open at 11:30 a.m.). Woolwich Memorial Centre, 24 Snyder Ave. S., Elmira (community room). Cost $6. Join us for a noonday light lunch and fellowship. Call Community Care Concepts at 519-664-1900 for more information.

DECEMBER 23 Bingo upstairs at the ​St. Clements Arena, 7 p.m. Sponsored by the Paradise & District Lions Club. Gold Winner for Best Bingo Hall, 2014 Readers Select Awards. ​ For more information, contact Joe Brick at 519-699-4022.

21 INDUSTRIAL DR. ELMIRA

519-669-2884

DECEMBER 30 Bingo upstairs at the ​St. Clements Arena, 7 p.m. Sponsored by the Paradise & District Lions Club. G​ old Winner for Best Bingo Hall, 2014 Readers Select Awards. ​ For more information, contact Joe Brick at 519-699-4022.

CORPORATE WEAR PROMOTIONAL APPAREL WORK & SAFETY WEAR | BAGS T-SHIRTS | JACKETS | HATS

JANUARY 6 Exercise and Fall Prevention: Stand Up To Falls. Topic: Mobility Aids & Assistive Devices. St. James Lutheran Church, 60 Arthur St. S., Elmira. Exercises 3-4. p.m. Stand Up to Falls starts right afterwards. More information by calling 519-664-1900.

245 Labrador Drive | Waterloo

519.886.2102 www.UniTwin.com

public. Placement is not guaranteed. Registrations, corporate events, open houses and the like do not qualify in this section.

TOTAL

NANCY KOEBEL

Bus: 519.744.5433 Home: 519.747.4388

Individual life insurance, mortgage insurance, business insurance, employee benefits programs, critical illness insurance, disability coverage,

HOME ENERGY SYSTEMS

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

YOUR OIL, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS AND AIR CONDITIONING EXPERTS

RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, LIFs and Annuities. 652 Waterbury Lane, Waterloo

Joy! Health Naturally! New to the Community? Do you have a new Baby? It’s time to call your Welcome Wagon Hostess.

Weekly Plan for Healthy Living Nutrition / Weight Loss

building relationships with God, one another and the world

SUNDAYS - 9:00 & 11:00AM WEDNESDAYS - 7:00PM

SANYO CANADIAN

Lose weight the healthy, safe way. Easy to do 8 week plan.

MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

Ion Cleanse Footbath

Elmira & Surrounding Area

A special footbath that is a painless and efficient way to dissolve toxins in the body.

VERMONT Castings

11 HENRY ST. - UNIT 9, ST. JACOBS

519.664.2008

519-698-0300

SHARON GINGRICH 519.291.6763 psgingrich@hotmail.ca

Darlene Vandermey RNPA, CLWC

St. James Lutheran Church

9:00 am: Christian Education 10:15 am: Worship Pastor: Hans J.W. Borch Proclaiming Christ through Love and Service

60 Arthur St. S., Elmira 519-669-5591

Wheelchair Accessible

Finding The Way Together 47 Arthur St., S. Elmira • 519-669-3153 www.thejunctionelmira.com

Service at 10:30am Rev. Paul Snow REACH WITH LOVE. TEACH THE TRUTH. SEND IN POWER.

www.kcf.org/academy

Nursery Provided

Sunday School

Zion Mennonite Fellowship -The JunctionSunday School 9:30am Worship Service 10:45am

Sunday School at 9:30am

850 Sawmill Rd, Bloomingdale, ON N0B 1K0 (519) 744-7447 | kcf@kcf.org | www.kcf.org

33 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.1591

www.myaimstore.com/joyhealthnaturally

places of faith | a directory of local houses of worship

290 Arthur St. South, Elmira • 519-669-3973 www.ElmiraAssembly.com (Across from Tim Horton’s)

Hearing Assisted

Sun., Dec. 14th 11:00 am

God’s King Ron Seabrooke

Discovering God Together

4522 Herrgott Rd., Wallenstein www.wbconline.ca • 519-669-2319

9:15am Bible Study St. Paul’s 10:30am Sunday School Lutheran 10:30am Worship Church

Pastor: Richard A. Frey Sharing the Message of Christ and His Love 27 Mill St., Elmira • 519-669-2593 www.stpaulselmira.ca

Emmanuel

Elmira Worship: 9:30am Mennonite Advent 3 Church Oh, that You would

EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH

reveal Your JOY

Sunday, December 14, 2014 9:15 & 11:00 AM

58 Church St. W., Elmira • 519-669-5123

Series:

Something to Sing About

REACH OUT. www.OBSERVERXTRA.com

Check Us Out Online!

Submit an event The Events Calendar is reserved for Non-profit local community events that are offered free to the 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

KEEP FAITH ALIVE, ADVERTISE HERE.

KIN KORNER

www.freybc.com

“Zechariah’s Song”

SUNDAYS @ 10:30AM Services at Park Manor School 18 Mockingbird Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1459 www.elmiracommunity.org

Speaker: Stefan Konig 200 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1296 www.woodsidechurch.ca

Worship Service

Sundays 10:45am

makingfaithlive.com

519.669.5030

Sunday School 9:45am Worship Service 11:00am Hopping Thursdays 7-8:30pm 22 Florapine Rd., Floradale • 519-669-2861 www.floramc.org

44 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Strange but true / BILL & RICH SONES Ph.D.

Stand up and say no to the evils of chairs, as we really do need to be active WEIRD NOTES

Q. We live amid a sea of

them: adjustable, swivel, recliner, wing, club, lounge, arm, dining, bar, four-legged, threelegged, those in cars, planes, trains. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re chairs, of course, but why are they said to be such bad news?

A. As Mayo Clinic endocrinologist James Levine puts it in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scientific Americanâ&#x20AC;? magazine, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also â&#x20AC;&#x153;killer chairs.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We sit in them, work in them, shop in them, eat in them and date in them. We Americans sit for most of our waking hours, 13 hours

every day on average.â&#x20AC;? Yet some 18 studies in recent years covering 800,000 people have confirmed the deadly nature of chairs: Those of us who sit for four or more hours per day watching TV have shown a death rate from all causes 46% higher than for those viewing less than two hours per day. To sit is to perish! The human body was not designed to be idle, and lack of movement fosters obesity and its host of ills, Levine says. By comparison, agricultural work burns 2,000 calories more a day than many office jobs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A decade ago, I came up with the idea of a treadmill desk as a way to allow office workers to do their jobs while moving ... A person

can stroll while typing, answering e-mails and taking phone calls.â&#x20AC;? As reported in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Health Services Management Research,â&#x20AC;? such desk-users are slimmer, less stressed and have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Schools, too, can become more active players and entire cities can be reimagined to encourage movement. So now, get up out of that chair youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sitting in -- and get moving! Q. Try to pick out the false statements among the following: 1. Jesus was born December 25. 2. There were three Wise Men. 3. Napoleon was short. 4. The Great Wall of China is visible from space. 5. Bats are blind. 6. Bananas grow on trees. 7. Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s false teeth

were made of wood. 8. Humans get warts from toads. 9. Sharks donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get cancer. 10. Bulls hate red. 11. You shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t touch baby birds. 12. Humans co-existed with dinosaurs. 13. Most body heat is lost through the head. 14. Humans have five senses. 15. Nails grow after death.

average or above average for a Frenchman of the time. 4. The Great Wall is not visible by the unaided eye from space. 5. All bat species can see but they generally rely more on echolocation than vision. 6. Bananas actually grow on massive herbs that resemble trees. 7. Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teeth were not made of wood but of â&#x20AC;&#x153;a much more hygienic mix of gold, ivory and lead, plus horse and donkey teeth.â&#x20AC;? 8. Warts are a uniquely human phenomenon; toads donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have them and canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give them, â&#x20AC;&#x153;even if you kiss them.â&#x20AC;? 9. Sharks do get cancer, particularly skin cancer. 10. Bulls are color-blind and are probably reacting to motions of the bull fighterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cloth as a per-

A. All of them are commonly held â&#x20AC;&#x153;mythconceptions,â&#x20AC;? says David McCandless in his book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Knowledge Is Beautiful.â&#x20AC;? 1. Christmas Day was officially designated Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birth day in 350 C.E., perhaps based on the winter solstice or â&#x20AC;&#x153;just made up.â&#x20AC;? 2. Nowhere in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Testamentâ&#x20AC;? does it say there were Three Wise Men. 3. At about 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;7â&#x20AC;?, Napoleon was actually

ceived threat. 11. Birds have a limited sense of smell so they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t abandon babies who smell of humans. 12. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Despite 59% of US adults thinking that humans and dinosaurs coexisted, we actually missed each other by some 63 million years.â&#x20AC;? 13. Only in infants is most body heat lost through the head, or if the head is the only uncovered part. 14. Humans actually have close to 20 senses, including balance, pain, movement, hunger, thirst. 15. At death, the skin dries and shrinks away, giving the appearance of growth.

about the authors Bill is a journalist, Rich holds a doctorate in physics. Together the brothers bring you â&#x20AC;&#x153;Strange But True.â&#x20AC;? Send your questions to strangetrue@compuserve.com.

OBSERVER CROSSWORD PUZZLER

Across 1. Book of maps 5. Browningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ben Ezra, e.g. 10. Brandish 15. Not in any degree or manner 16. ___ Day 18. Mountain pool 19. Courtyards 20. Grooved on 22. ___ few rounds 24. Used as a greeting 25. To the same degree 26. Cabernet, e.g. 27. Aloof 28. Enough, for some 30. Antediluvian 32. Birdbrain 33. Absorbed 35. Secretary, e.g. 37. Smell 39. Upon 40. #13

42. Open 44. Warm, so to speak 45. As if; as though 46. Promotion 47. Criminal 50. Captain, e.g. 51. Of me or myself 52. Fastener 53. Bolted down 54. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of ___â&#x20AC;? (Willa Cather novel) 55. Slang for mother 56. Toot 57. Water sport 58. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And I Love ___â&#x20AC;? 59. Lengthen 60. Gags 61. A reason or cause 63. Dolly, for one 64. Summon 65. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Goodness gracious!â&#x20AC;? 66. Twelfth month of the Jewish civil year 67. Big name in construction

68. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let it standâ&#x20AC;? Down 1. Dog-iron 2. Colorful bird 3. Before noon 4. Kind of palm 6. Expressing a point in time 7. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Humph!â&#x20AC;? 8. Get-up-and-go 9. Inch 10. Functioned as 11. Information technology 12. Overthrow, e.g. 13. Emulated Pinocchio 14. Carpentry grooves 17. Over there 21. Cheat 23. Adept 25. Totalled 29. English exam finale, often 31. Found

32. The Everly Brothers, e.g. 34. Parenting challenges 36. Connections 38. Operating room 41. Talk, talk, talk 43. Adorable one 44. Type of railroad track 48. Peddle 49. Beauties 50. Morgue, for one 51. Nth degree 52. Clinton, e.g.: Abbr. 54. Electrical unit 55. Objective form of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;? 56. To exist 57. With the result that 62. Place where cattle are fattened for market 63. Young raptor 64. Strips

OBSERVER TRAVELS

OPEN 24 HOURS | 7 DAYS A WEEK

DELIV SER ERY AVAILVICE Call fo ABLE rD

etails

315 Arthur St. S., Elmira | 519-669-5403

Sudoku challenge Location

Rochester, NY

CAPTION The Adams (Tim, Emily, Jude & Levi) and Heldmann (Jeff, Lisa, Kaitlyn & Madison) familiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; went to The National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY in November 2014. A wonderful time filled with play, exploration and time with friends! While at the museum, they got to visit a Sesame Street set.

HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. We have got you started with a few numbers already placed in the boxes.

LIVING HERE | 45

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Wishing everyone

Peace & Joy this Christmas Season.

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Thank you for your patronage. ELMIRA TRUCK SERVICE

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Merry

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For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ISAIAH 9:6 NLT

Harold

ALBRECHT Member of Parliament, Kitchener-Conestoga

www.HaroldAlbrechtMP.ca

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46 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings | Season’s Greetings

Happy Holidays!

Season’s Greetings From our Family to Yours

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LIVING HERE | 47

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, December 13, 2014

generosity: Dinner too enjoyable for her to cut back on time

Chef’s table: Hearty brunch

from | 42

From | 42

a very long waiting list at KidsAbility and donations allow us to see more kids, so that they can have that life-changing therapy so they can achieve their full potential.” Cromarty starts preparing for the dinner early, we’re talking October early. She starts looking through her vast library of cookbooks before November hits, because that’s when it’s time to get baking. Between baking up a storm every night in November and running a decorating business, the 79-year-old keeps herself more than busy. But she notes it’s only once a year. “A lot of them say ‘don’t you think you should cut back or maybe you should

do this,’ and I don’t want to because I’m afraid maybe I’m going to be falling back into that same hole that I climbed out of,” Cromarty said. “I enjoy what I’m doing.” And after dinner, the guests are always good about cleaning up, even using the sink in the laundry room to get the dishes done. Dinner was done by 9 p.m. and by 10:30 everything was cleaned up. She says the day of the dinner is the busiest because she has to plan everything accordingly, making sure the food on the stove, in the oven, and in the six crock pots is ready at the right time. But despite people suggesting she slow down, she has no plans as of yet.

“My philosophy always is if you don’t try how would you know that you could do it or cannot do it?” Cromarty commends KidsAbility for its transparency, letting her see what equipment and programs they need and choosing where the funds go. Every year she tells the dinner guests what their money went towards the previous year. “It’s a wonderful organization to work with,” Cromarty said. “They’re so appreciative with what you do and that just makes the dinner so much more appreciated.” She also says if some of the guests can’t donate, that’s okay too. Her intention was never to force people to pay.

And you’d think a day full of cooking and running around would be sure to make you hungry, but not Cromarty. She waits until everyone has eaten and gone home before she has her own supper. “Everyone says ‘sit down and eat’” Cromarty said. “I’d be getting up and down and up and down looking at this and that. Everybody thinks it’s funny me not eating. There’s always plenty left over. I’m funny like that. Even when I’m baking or cooking, I’ll never test anything.” This Christmas, Cromarty will be spending it with one of her daughters and her family. While she might bring some squares she’ll be doing none of the cooking, a welcome break.

Ham and Cheese Brunch Casserole (Makes 2 – 13”x9” pans) 2 loaves (1 lb. ea.) Italian bread cut into 1” cubes 6 cups fully cooked ham, cubed 1-1/2 lbs. old cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded 1 large onion, chopped 1 large green or red pepper, chopped 1/4 cup butter 16 eggs 7 cups milk 1/2 cup prepared mustard 1 tbsp. chicken soup base 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Combine bread, ham and cheese in a large bowl. Sauté onion, peppers and butter until tender. Cool, then add to bread mixture. Beat eggs, add remaining ingredients. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture and mix well. Divide between two greased 13”x9” baking pans. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake covered at 350º for 55-65 minutes or until centre is set. If you want a crispy top, uncover for the last 10 minutes of baking. Serves 20-24 people. Leftovers are good reheated!

about the author Donna is the author of A Taste of Nostalgia Cookbook, which is available by calling 519-638-5791.

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T:10.25”

48 | BACK PAGE

HOLIDAY CLEAROUT

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THE OBSERVER | December 13, 2014

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