NEED WINTER TIRES?
35 Howard Avenue, ELMIRA, ON
519-669-3232
WE’VE GOT YOUR TIRES!
12 | 24 | 2015 VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 52
KINGS WIN FINAL GAME GOING INTO CHRISTMAS BREAK SPORTS PAGE 9
COMMENT PAGE 6
WHATEVER YOUR TAKE, HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
Santa’s little helpers break into song Chemtura quickly contains small chemical spill Release of BLE 25 was on a much different scale than 2010 incident that saw product spray out over Elmira STEVE KANNON
Students at St. Boniface Catholic School in Maryhill got into the holiday spirit on Dec. 16 with their annual Christmas concert, which included plenty of Christmas carols, plays, and groovy dancing requiring some serious shades. [WHITNEY NEILSON / THE OBSERVER]
E V I S S MA F OF .. L L E S INUES. CONT
Open Boxing Day 9-5pm
MONDAY’S SPILL AT THE Chemtura plant was much smaller in scope and scale than the 2010 release of the same chemical. In that incident, some 4,200 kilograms of BLE 25, a mixture of diphenylamine and acetone used as an antioxidant in the making of some rubber products, was sprayed over a swath of Elmira. This time, less than 50 kg escaped, most of it caught up in a containment tank. A small amount made its way into the Canagagigue, but it was collected before leaving the site. Dwight Este, the plant’s environment, health and safety manager, said Tuesday the cause was still under investigation, but the circumstances were different from the incident on Sept. 27, 2010. Production on BLE 25 has been halted pending discovery of what happened and the implementation of processes to
avoid a repeat, he added. The containment system was largely effective – “the designs were successful” – and none of the material made it off the property, said Este. “Anything that we saw, we were able to catch and vacuum up.” Booms were placed in the Canagagigue Creek, containing the material that had formed a sheen on the surface of the water. Vacuum trucks collected the material, as was the case on the roadway leading to the creek, he explained. Unlike the 2010 incident, the company immediately notified Woolwich officials. Given the size of the release, there was nothing for firefighters to deal with, however, said township deputy fire chief Dale Martin. “Nobody was in any danger at any point,” said Martin, who is the community SPILL | 4
ONLY 6 SETS LEFT
Ext Table, 4 chairs & Free Bench - 2 Finishes
Any Purchase
OPEN 7 DAYS | 30 Benjamin Rd., Waterloo (across from St. Jacobs Outlet Mall) 519-746-0060 | FLYER SPECIALS www.funiturehouse.ca
2 | NEWS
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
NEWS | 3
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
Mark the holidays in your own way It’s up to the church and individual members, not society, to celebrate Christmas as they see it, say pastors WHITNEY NEILSON AS MORE PEOPLE KEEP it safe with greetings of Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, and rush through the mall to find the perfect gift, local pastors reflect on how we can get back to the real meaning of the season as Christmas becomes increasingly secular and focused on what’s under the tree instead of who’s around it. “That idea of what I think the secular Christmas is all about is about how much can I get and how do I keep everybody happy. It’s all about consumption, basically. We’ve been trying to help people realize that there’s more to it than that and it actually may be about how much can you give,” says Dave Jagger, pastor at Trinity United Church in Elmira. He says they do a variety of activities to help the congregation connect to the community around them and see beyond themselves, at Christmas and throughout the year. They make dinner for the community every month for their Community Can Dine event, and at Christmas it’s the full tur-
key dinner. Attendees pay what they can. “That’s one way we’re helping them realize it’s about providing for others, not just about what you’re going to get or how much you spend,” Jagger said. In conjunction with Woolwich Community Services in October they put together a winter wear drive. Some 70 to 80 people were provided with winter clothing, boots, mittens, hats, and snow pants, as requested. He says this helps them spread out the Christmas season so it’s not all focused on one day. “It’s a season, it’s not a day. If it’s a day then everything builds up to that one event and it has to be perfect and if it’s not it’s awash, it seems like,” Jagger said. They incorporate that sentiment of Christmas being a season instead of a day by having their Christmas pageant the weekend right before the kids go back to school, which is in January. As part of their church service they’ve been working on four-week long skills and markers of Christian faith, with November’s unit CHRISTMAS | 5
Cheryl Wagler from the Food Bank at the Wilmot Family Resource Centre shows off a Christmas hamper put together with some of the toys collected by St. Clements firefighters during the Santa Claus Parade last Saturday. [SUBMITTED]
St. Clements firefighters’s drive put plenty of toys in Santa’s bag LIZ BEVAN FIREFIGHTERS FROM THE ST. Clements station helped Santa Claus with his shopping and wrapping this year with a toy drive during the Wellesley community’s annual Santa Claus parade. The fire department’s Tabitha Siegfried says the group couldn’t be happier with the number of toys donated to the drive – four big tubs filled to the brim, with overflow toys carried in bags.
“As a department, we would like to send a huge ‘thank you’ to St. Clements and the people who donated,” she said. “We are so lucky to be part of a community that is so eager to help and donate, especially on such short notice.” She didn’t have a chance to count the number of new, unwrapped toys that were collected while walking in last Saturday’s Santa Claus parade down Herrgott Road, but all of them are going to
the Wilmot Family Resource Centre to become part of their Christmas hampers, distributed to local families. Siegfried says it was just a small thing the department wanted to do for such a supportive community. “The community does so much for us throughout the year and supports us in so many ways, we wanted the opportunity to do something to give back to them,” she said. “It was also an opportunity for us to bring the
community together.” Staff at the Wilmot Family Resource Centre Food Bank in New Hamburg are busy in the days leading up to Christmas wrapping and distributing the collected toys for families to put under their trees this holiday season. The center provides services to Wilmot Township and the south end of Wellesley Township. For more information, visit www.wilmotfamilyresourcecentre.ca.
Taking stock of just how charitable we are depends on just how you measure giving LIZ BEVAN IN THE SEASON OF giving, can it be true that Canadians are becoming less generous? The Fraser Institute says yes, while others would beg to differ. A new report from the right-leaning think tank, titled Generosity in Canada and the United States: The 2015 Generosity Index, suggests fewer of us are donating to registered charities, and that the amounts
given are smaller. In Ontario, the report states that 22.9 per cent of tax filers made a charitable donation, with donation amounts averaging at 0.64 per cent of the giver’s income. This is down from the 2003 number published in the study, which show that 25.4 per cent of Ontarians donated 0.85 per cent of their annual incomes. Justin Smith, an economics professor at Wilfrid
HOW TO REACH US
Laurier University, has a different take. He says some of the numbers published in the study may be misleading, noting the Fraser Institute uses only one of two sets of available data in reaching its conclusions. “There are two key sources of information on donations. One, tax record, which reports total taxreceipted donations each year, and two, the Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating, which is
more infrequent, but measures all giving,” he said. “The Fraser Institute uses number one. Depending on which data sets you use, you will get a very different number on the fraction of individuals that donate. For 2013, the tax data says that about 22 per cent of tax filers donate, but the survey says that 82 per cent of people age 15-plus donate.” Even when just looking at the data published in
the 2015 Generosity Index, Smith says he isn’t convinced that Canadians are giving less. “If you look closer at the same data used by the Fraser Institute, it is not clear that people are actually giving less, in my opinion. The [report shows] giving as a fraction of income to calculate the change over time in giving. If total giving actually rises, but incomes rise faster, the fraction will fall,” he said,
adding that when looking deeper into the data used for the report, giving seems to have evened out over the last few years. “My own observations is that giving is roughly unchanged over the past few years, and if anything, those who donate give more. It is worth noting that the average donation per tax filer was $340 in 2011 and $337 in 2013 and the average donaGENEROSITY | 4
PHONE 519.669.5790 | TOLL FREE 1.888.966.5942 | FAX 519.669.5753 | ONLINE WWW.OBSERVERXTRA.COM
Community Family Skate!
Tuesday, December 29th, 2015 2:30 - 4:30 Woolwich Memorial Centre, Elmira
Waterl oo Reg ion Suic ide P rev ention C ounc il
!
TE EECOLA FTRCHO
Skate with players from the Elmira Sugar Kings!
O H
FREE
BUILDING A CONNECTED, CARING COMM COMMUNITY NITY
4 | NEWS
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
BRIEF TOUCH OF WINTER GREETS SANTA’S ARRIVAL IN ST. CLEMENTS
The St. Clements Santa Claus Parade made its way down Herrgott Road on Saturday afternoon. Participants were handing out candy to spectators, collecting toys for Christmas hampers and waving to the people who lined the streets. Wellesley officials had their own float, greeting the community and paving the way for Mr. and Mrs. Claus. [LIZ BEVAN / THE OBSERVER]
GENEROSITY: Canadians generally in a giving mood, and that really picks up at Christmastime FROM | 3
tion per donor was $1,482 in 2011, but $1,543 in 2013. This is drawn from the same data as the Fraser Institute report.” On a local scale, donations are more than meeting the community’s needs. Kelly Christie at Woolwich Community Services says donators in the area have not left any gaps in services for the programs run by the agency. “Not to discourage
people from giving to us, but yes, charitable giving to our agency is on target. This is just an amazing community and they always step up to the plate,” she said, adding that WCS was able to fulfill their Christmas commitments, and still have a bit left over for other programs. “We did the Christmas Goodwill program, and we were able to provide 165 families with gifts, their turkeys and grocery gift cards so
they can have a full fledged Christmas. From that, we do the birthday present cupboard all year round and this year, we implemented our Grandparents Day. Grandparents can come in and get a gift for their grandchildren.” Christie also has a message for those that donate to WCS and similar programs around the region. “A great big huge thank you. Our agency does so many different programs
Pre-Owned CLEAROUT
and supports so many different people and in a variety of ways, whether it is family violence prevention or our community garden,” she said. “We just couldn’t be doing it without the community and please, keep up the good work. Just know that we are truly paying it forward and that people are truly grateful. The recipients are very grateful.” With donations on par in Elmira, and questionably,
across the province, there does seem to be more of a push to make donations during the holiday season. Smith says that is caused by a few different factors. “I can see three reasons why this happens. First, knowing that it’s the giving season, charities probably ramp up fundraising efforts to attract more donations. Second, economists think that individuals donate for two key reasons: because they are altruistic,
and because they derive satisfaction from their own donations – sometimes called the ‘warm glow,’” he said. “With an increase in the giving spirit this time of year, people might experience more of a warm glow effect, which leads them to give more. Finally, the holidays coincide with the end of the tax year, and people may now be in a better position to know how much they are able to donate.”
SPILL: Small in scale and quickly contained
Many Quality Used Cars to Choose From Financing available on all models OAC
SALE PRICED
SALE PRICED
$7,995
$12,795
Stock # D15330-218
Stock # V15321-203
Exterior - Black Interior - Charcoal 120,734km
Exterior - Tempest Blue Interior - Titan Black Cloth 47,479km
2013 Volkswagen Jetta Trendline Plus
2012 Nissan Versa S
AC | Sunroof | Accident Free. S trim level with a power sunroof, power windows, power locks, Air Conditioning, and a fuel efficient 1.8L Engine and manual transmission. Financing available OAC. SALE PRICED
AC | Heated Seats | Accident Free. Trendline Plus Trim with power windows, heated seats, and 5 speed manual transmission. Lots of room for passengers and cargo. Financing available OAC. SALE PRICED
$14,800
$16,595
Stock # D15306-214
Stock # V15317-227
Exterior - Titanium Grey Interior - Black 41,794km
Exterior - Tornado Red Interior - Titan Black Cloth 15,991km
2015 Hyundai Elantra SE
2015 Volkswagen Jetta Trendline Plus
Bluetooth | Sunroof | Cruise Control SE Sport trim with heated front seats, Bluetooth | Rear View Camera | Heated Seats. Former Volkswagen Canada AC, Power Locks, Power Windows, 16” Alloy Wheels, and economical 2.0L vehicle in Trendline Plus trim with Touchscreen Satellite Radio, Power Locks, AC, an 6 Speed automatic transmission. Financing Available OAC. Engine and automatic Transmission. Financing available OAC. SALE PRICED
SALE PRICED
$21,495
$26,990
Stock # V15322-204
Stock # V15283-232
Exterior - Deep Black Pearl Interior - Titan Black Vienna Leather
Exterior - Night Blue Interior - Titan Black Cloth 35,765km
55,012km
2015 Hyundai Tucson GL
2013 Volkswagen Tiguan Highline
4Motion | Bluetooth | Heated Seats. Trendline trim level with AC, Power windows, electronic stability control, and 6 speed automatic transmission. Great all season vehicle. Financing available OAC.
4Motion | New Tires and Brakes | Bluetooth. Highline Trim with power windows, alloy wheels, AC, and 6 Speed Automatic Transmission. Lots of room for passengers and cargo. Financing Available OAC.
Contact us for a FREE CARPROOF HISTORY REPORT. Trade-ins accepted. Prices include all applicable dealer fees, options and basic license transfer fee. Just add HST.
Unlike the 2010 spill, the BLE 25 that escaped was contained to the Chemtura property. FROM | COVER
emergency management coordinator. “They put booms out in the creek right away. Nothing got off the property. And the wind was in our favour,” he said. That wasn’t the case in 2010, when the chemical was carried out over Elmira and Chemtura ended up spending some $1.7 million to clean cars, houses and other personal property of nearly 300 affected neighbours in the immediate area, as well as its own property. In 2010, the material was in an aerosol format, spraying out over the town. This time most of it was in a liquid form that was captured, with a small amount of aerosol that made it into
the Canagagigue Creek, said Martin. Este noted the containment processes were largely successful Monday morning. The company is now inspecting the equipment, with production on hold pending a review of what happened. There’s no timeline for restarting the manufacturing process, he said. “The process is shut down until we understand the cause.” Inspectors from the Ministry of the Environment and the Region of Waterloo were on site following the spill. They are pursuing their own reviews. Chemtura was assessed a $150,000 fine following the 2010 spill. The company also added new layers
[FILE PHOTO]
of protection, including interlocks, changes to the process alert/alarm system to include visual and audio triggers to allow for earlier detection and new staff training. Leading up to the incident in 2010, there were no operators present to heed visual and audible alerts – that practice has been halted. The company also changed its communications procedures so that there are no delays in alerting the public in the event of a problem at the chemical plant. The company was criticized for the slow process following the BLE releases, taking more than four hours to notify Woolwich Township officials. “They did the right things this time,” said Martin.
NEWS | 5
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
Woolwich floats 3.6% tax hike Planning to continue the upward trend on spending and tax hikes, Woolwich wants your input on its proposed 2016 budget. Three special meetings – Jan. 14, 21 and 28 – will be open to the public. Typically sparsely attended, the meetings are a good chance for residents to identify their priorities, usually not in line with the budget document itself. For 2016, township staff is floating an operating budget of $15.3 million
and another $12 million in capital spending. To cover that, Woolwich will hit up residents for another $9.4 million in taxes, proposing a tax hike of 3.6 per cent – 2.1 plus 1.5 in a special infrastructure levy. That adds another $25.02 a year to the bill applied to a home assessed at $302,000. The township portion accounts for about a quarter of the tax bill, with the region taking half and the school boards reaching in for the rest. A presentation on the 2016 draft budget – perhaps best read with a knowing eye – can be found on the township’s website, www.woolwich.ca.
Region revives rain barrel project Still hearing about its decision to drop the popular rain barrel program, the region is bringing it back next spring. The program allows residents to buy rain barrels at a subsidized rate of $40. In a recent survey of residents 87 per cent of residents indicated the region should resume its one-day rain barrel distribution program, the upper-tier local government reports. Between 2001 and 2012, the Region successfully distributed 46,000 of
the 200-litre rain barrels in Waterloo Region, saving an estimated 55,000 cubic metres of water each year. That’s enough to supply the needs of 250 average households.
Elmira woman wins $100,000 Elmira’s Donna Penfold is likely to have a merrier Christmas, having won a $100,000 top prize with OLG’s Instant Crossword Tripler. The $5 scratch ticket has 15 top prizes of $100,000. Odds of winning a prize are 1 in 3.70. The winning ticket was purchased at Lazer Video in Elmira.
Wynne must own up to wrongs: MPP “The Liberals can only run so far … after proroguing government, choosing a new leader, and short-circuiting our committee work into the gas plant decisions and deleted emails to sweep this under the rug – it looks like the law may now finally be catching up to them,” said KitchenerConestoga MPP Michael Harris. David Livingston, Dalton McGuinty’s chief of staff, and Laura Miller, the deputy chief are each charged with breach of trust, mischief in relation to data and misuse of a computer system to commit
the offence of mischief. “Last year, the Premier shut down our legislative committee hearings before Ms. Miller could be called to face questions about the wiping of the hard drives – it looks like she’ll be facing questions in legal hearings now,” Harris noted. “After charges also being laid in the Sudbury by-election scandal, the OPP has now confirmed that the actions of prominent Liberal operative Gerry Lougheed Jr., as well as premier McGuinty’s chief of staff and deputy chief of staff warrant criminal charges – how many key decision-makers in the Liberal Party need to be charged before the Premier will take responsibility?”
POLICE BLOTTER
Police launch holiday jingles to promote road safety TAKING A FESTIVE APPROACH to spreading a message of safety this holiday season, the Waterloo Regional Police have recorded a pair of holiday jingles, posting them to their website (www.wrps. on.ca). The two holiday jingles – one about texting and driving and the other highlighting the decision to not drink
and drive – have been set to the tune of popular Christmas carols with the hope of attracting the audience’s attention in an entertaining way, police report. The Waterloo Regional Police Service launched the annual Festive RIDE campaign earlier this month and checked more than 2,100 vehicles, conducted six roadside tests and
charged five drivers with impaired driving offences. Texting and driving is fast becoming the number one collision-causing factor and it is very close to impaired driving for collisions causing death. Police also remind the community that the fine for distracted driving will put a dent in your holiday shopping budget at $490.
CHRISTMAS: As secular as each of us chooses FROM | 3
on serving and December’s on generosity. At the end of the month members of the congregation share how their experiences. “This past Sunday one of the stories that one of the members of the congregation talked about was how their attitude shifted especially at Christmas. She had gone home and looked at her closet, and she pulled 10 per cent of her clothes out and went and donated them to an organization that’s working with refugees. It’s counter cultural. But for her that was a new idea to do that,” Jagger said. He says Christmas celebrations have been shifting toward a more secular holiday for decades, but what’s been accelerating recently is how people don’t feel the need to be connected to the church during the Christmas season. “Elmira has the reputation of being more Christian and traditional, however the more houses they build and the more people who move into Elmira the less that’s really the case,” Jagger said. Whereas the church used to be packed for the Christmas Eve services, now it’s not. He said it’s up to the church to remind people they’re there and what Christmas is about. They do a 6 o’clock and
a 8 o’clock service, with the band at the first one and the choir at the second one to try to adapt times that work best for families. “We have a nativity scene out on the lawn here. There’s one other church in town who does that. None of the rest do that,” Jagger says of the shift to a more secular society. Fred Redekop, pastor at Floradale Mennonite Church, says there’s often too much pressure on people for everything to be perfect. “Families have told me there’s more pressure with the gift-giving and the pressure to be happy during this time. Many people find that difficult. There’s just too much pressure to be happy that it just isn’t going to happen. ... There’s still that pressure amongst our people that’s difficult to bypass during the season,” Redekop said. As the church’s pastor for nearly 25 years, he says he’s seen the holiday become more secular, but it’s been happening since the ‘50s. In terms of church life, they’ve focused mainly on worship to keep the attention on the meaning of Christ. But with the pressure of gift giving, they’ve tried to have a project each year to allow people to give beyond themselves. “So this year we’re invit-
ing people to buy things for a relief kit, towels and toothbrushes, all that, so that gives them a sense that all the gifts that they buy are not just for their family, but for beyond that.” The Christmas celebration has become more about family and the giving of gifts, but for Redekop it’s not the meaning of Christmas. He says the church is trying to continue to proclaim the message of the birth. “But it’s a real challenge. We try not to be negative toward the society, but try to say well we can also celebrate in this way, by focusing on worship and giving beyond ourselves. The shift I think to more secular values around Christmas has been here for a couple generations already,” he said. As for companies and individuals switching from Christmas cards to holiday cards or saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, Redekop that’s of no concern to him. “It’s not society’s role to help us celebrate Christmas. They can celebrate however they want – I try not to lambaste the consumerism, but I try to have them focus on the biblical story,” he said. “Also, instead of buying all the things for ourselves, we invite people to give beyond themselves to others in
DECEMBER 15
9:40 PM | Waterloo Regional Police responded to an address on Arthur Street North in Elmira. When officers arrived, they located a male operating a motor vehicle pulling a trailer containing a stolen motorcycle from Grey County. The motorcycle had been reported stolen from a barn break-in on Dec. 12. As a result of the investigation, a 45-year-old man was arrested for possession of stolen property. During the arrest the male subject was found to be in possession of a large quantity of illegal drugs that included crystal meth, heroin and marijuana. The man was charged
and held for a bail hearing. He is facing allegations of ‘possession of stolen property,’ two counts of ‘possession for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled substance’ and ‘possession of a controlled substance under 30 grams.’ The estimated street value for the drugs was $5,000. DECEMBER 18
7:00 PM | Police responded to the area of Line 86 and Katherine Street North in Woolwich Township for a report of a single-vehicle collision. A 38-year-old Guelph man was travelling on Line 86 when he lost control of his pickup truck, striking a
cable guide rail. No one was injured, and there were no charges. DECEMBER 21
2:00 AM | A 42-year-old man was stopped for operating his vehicle at a rate of speed of 186 km/h in a posted 80km/h zone on Arthur Street South near the Sawmill Road intersection. The driver was immediately arrested at the scene without incident for the offence of ‘dangerous operation of a motor vehicle’ and ‘stunting’ (speeding in excess of 50 km/h above the posted limit). The driver was subsequently arrested for ‘operation of a motor vehicle over 80’ and later released.
GETTING FESTIVE WITH THE FARMHOUSE DOOR
Waterloo Rural Women hosted their annual Christmas craft night earlier this month at the Floradale Mennonite Church. By evening’s end, each participant – including Karen Metzger and Sharon Grose – went home with a decorated evergreen wreath to hang on their farmhouse. [SUBMITTED] need in the world in order for other people to experience a better life.” On a lighter note, he mentions the recent controversy over Starbucks having a Krista Sandelli Jessica Julie Wemp Caitlin Clemmer simple red cup this year for OWNER/RMT Zantinge RMT RMT RMT · 8 Therapists Available the holiday season instead · Evening Appointments of ones in the past which · Deep Tissue, Relaxation, had snowflakes or reindeer. Sports Injury, Prenatal Massage “It’s not Starbucks’ role · Reflexology to tell the Christmas story. · Hot Stone Massage It’s the church’s role to tell Julie-Maria Krista Bauman Lindsay Plantz Steph Gaudet · Gift Certificates Available Schroth RMT RMT RMT RMT that story. I like coffee too, 69 Arthur St. S., Elmira though,” Redekop said with In the old Clock Tower Building 519-669-3494 a laugh.
6 | COMMENT
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
JOE MERLIHAN PUBLISHER STEVE KANNON EDITOR
COMMENT
DONNA RUDY SALES MANAGER
WHITNEY NEILSON REPORTER
LIZ BEVAN
PATRICK MERLIHAN PRODUCTION MANAGER
JAKE STALLARD GRAPHIC DESIGN
REPORTER PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NUMBER 1004840 | ISSN 12039578
OUR VIEW / EDITORIAL
THE VIEW FROM HERE
Making rather merry at Christmastime DON’T LET THE UNSEASONABLY mild weather fool you: Christmas is upon us. Some of us, like Bing Crosby, may be dreaming of that white Christmas, but that picture-postcard moment is likely to elude us this year. Nonetheless, it’s still the season to be jolly. If it’s any consolation, snow is a rarity, if it ever shows up at all, in a good chunk of the world that celebrates the significance of Dec. 25 – a white Christmas is only the stuff of movies and songs. There remain plenty of reminders that the yuletide season is here, from the festive lighting right through to the gift catalogues oh-so-subtly strewn about the house. Of course, the picture wouldn’t be complete without some controversy over the appropriateness of Christmas in our pluralistic society. You can always count on someone making a stink about the placement of Christmas trees in public places followed by a backlash from the public. Sensitivities are running particularly high now in a climate of terrorist threats – real or otherwise. From saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” to opting for “Frosty the Snowman” over “Silent Night” – if any tune at all – efforts at political correctness are here to stay. Filled with sentiment, Christmas for many of us is linked to very strong memories. Celebrating the yuletide season meant time spent with family and friends, some of whom we hadn’t seen all year. There were family recipes, rituals – skating parties, midnight strolls or maybe a must-watch movie – and favourite carols. And then there were the presents: childhood memories are full of special items plucked out from under the tree where Santa had been busy the night before. Ironically, that typical list often omits the Christ in Christmas. In fact, it’s commercialization that in many ways makes Christmas what it is. Without all the hype, which seems to begin while the Halloween pumpkins are still warm on the sill, the buildup we’ve come to love might not be so grand. From a theological standpoint, Christmas has far less significance than Easter, yet Christian culture places far more weight on the former. Even Easter, with the rabbit and his chocolate, has fallen prey to commercial interests, albeit on a much smaller scale. The religious component is a relatively small part of the public image of both holidays, but that doesn’t preclude those of faith from keeping it as they wish, as a story in this week’s issue notes. All the secular trappings serve to make the holidays – holy days – more festive. One could also argue the hoopla keeps them front and center in our society, making them a time of great happiness and expectation for children, who will come to understand the greater significance. That, of course, brings us to a very important word in the debate over making Christmas more politically correct: tradition. An attack on those traditions is an attack on our deepest sentiments and happiest memories. Secular or religious, any attempt to alter Christmas hits at the one thing many of us equate with blissful feelings of goodwill. It’s no wonder we get upset. Today, those of us who partake of Christmas do so in our own way, often with traditions of our own – no one can take that away. Go out and have a Merry Christmas.
Making our way through the elements to bring you the Observer each week ... and an extra-special greeting for the holidays. Merry Christmas to all! WORLD VIEW / GWYNNE DYER
No peace in Syria, but maybe a ceasefire for the time being WORLD AFFAIRS Abu Muhammad alGolani is an Islamist fanatic, a head-chopper (although only in moderation), and the leader of the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate that is classified by the United States as “terrorist.” He spent almost a decade killing American occupation troops and Shia civilians in Iraq as a loyal member of the Sunni extremist organisation that is now called Islamic State before going home to Syria in 2011. He was sent home to create a Syrian clone of what was then called ‘Islamic State in Iraq,’ on the orders of Abu Baqr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State and now the self-proclaimed “Caliph” of all the Muslims. Golani named the Syrian branch the Nusra Front, and it did so well that he broke with Islamic State and went out on his own in 2013. There was a three-month turf war between Islamic State and the Nusra Front
in Syria in early 2014 that killed an estimated 3,000 jihadis. Islamic State won it and now controls most of eastern Syria (and all of western Iraq). Golani managed to hang on to northwestern Syria, where the Nusra Front and another extreme Islamist organization, Ahrar al-Sham, now completely dominate a rebel alliance that also includes several smaller “moderate” outfits. So you would not expect Golani to favour a peace deal that left the brutal Assad regime, secular in form but Shia-dominated, in power in Damascus. And indeed he does not: in a rare interview recently, he condemned the peace deal being cooked up by the U.S. and Russia as “unacceptable.” It was, he said, a plot to merge more moderate rebel fighters with Assad’s forces in order to fight extremist groups like his own and Islamic State. Golani was right to be suspicious, and yet he may go along with the deal in the end, because it isn’t really a permanent peace settlement that is being discussed. It’s actually just a ceasefire that will leave
all the players in Syria in control of the territory they now hold – except for Islamic State, which they can then all concentrate on destroying. This is the sort of Machiavellian thinking that caused Russian President Vladimir Putin to accuse Washington recently of “dividing terrorists into good and bad ones,” but it’s just as much a part of Russian thinking. When Moscow started bombing the rebels in Syria in September to save the Assad regime from collapse, it bombed them all indiscriminately: the Nusra Front, Islamic State, even the “moderates,” if it could find them. But it quickly became clear that what Russia had in mind, after stabilizing the battlefronts, was precisely what Golani was condemning: a ceasefire that would effectively partition Syria between the Assad regime and the various rebel groups, and enable them all to turn on Islamic State. You can’t admit that that’s what you are doing, of course, so you talk in terms of a peace settlement. That’s what Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov and U.S. Foreign Secretary John Kerry were doing in Moscow last week. The current round of “peace talks” began in Vienna on Oct. 23, with no Syrians present, just Russia, the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. It subsequently expanded to include about twenty countries, and the organisers are now deciding which Syrians can attend the next round of talks, probably early in the new year. On one side, obviously, will be the representatives of the Assad regime. On the other side will be some of the leaders of the armed opposition, but not all of them. Islamic State won’t be there, of course, and at the moment the Nusra Front says it won’t be either. Since those are the two most powerful groups fighting the Assad regime, what’s the point of talks? But the Nusra Front’s close ally, Ahrar al-Sham, did show up at last week’s meeting in Riyadh where decisions were being made on which groups could attend the peace talks. At one point it walked out – and DYER | 8
COMMENT | 7
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
THEIR VIEW / QUESTION OF THE WEEK
What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?
» Jackson Kellough
» Dexter Mannhardt
» Megan Forbes
» Elise Feenstra
» Eliot Walker
“An iPod.”
“A snowmobile.”
“Figure skates and a crib board.”
“My Little Ponys and Beanie Babies.”
“A new iPod.”
“The Islamists of the Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham are clearly in two minds about a ceasefire (disguised as a peace agreement)” Gwynne Dyer | 6 HIS VIEW / STEVE KANNON
Can we conjure up as much Christmas goodwill as people did in generations past? EDITOR'S NOTES NOSTALGIA IS A POWERFUL force, never more so than at Christmas. This season is a time of traditions, a link to our past – some personal, like grandma’s recipe for stuffing, and others shared with many others, like watching A Charlie Brown Christmas (celebrating 50 years this yuletide season). For me, it’s just not Christmas without Bing Crosby, along with fellow crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Andy Williams and Perry Como. The movies, TV specials and, of course, the music, most of which predate my time but are indelibly linked to my Christmas. Many of the classics – Holiday Inn is on my annual must-watch list – go back to the Second World War. Holiday Inn brought us “White Christmas,” and the era gave us such stapes as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Let It Snow,” “Baby, It’s Cold Out-
side,” and, perhaps most poignantly, “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” Seventy years ago, soldiers were spending their final Christmas overseas, the war having ended earlier that year. On the home front, families eagerly awaiting the return of loved ones were still coping with shortages demanded by the war effort. Rationing had been a part of life for much of the war. Meat, butter and sugar were in short supply, along with gasoline. Even paper and other wood products were controlled – the artificial Christmas tree became more popular thanks to the need for lumber. While we typically have an abundance of pretty much everything today – not everyone does, of course, as evidenced by the likes of Woolwich Community Service’s Christmas Goodwill program – that certainly wasn’t the case during the war years. Food production, in particular, was tremendously important. Not only did Canada have to feed its troops overseas, it was part of the lifeline for Britain and other
HOW TO REACH US
tations on the number of tin can sizes that could be used from 116 to only nine standard sizes, as well as the removal of foods like carrots, beets, apples, pork and beans, and spaghetti from the list of foods that could be sold in cans. One effect was that Canadians were faced with an increasing number of novel food products. The artificial sweetener saccharin became far more common in a range of packaged foods and soybeans entered the Canadian diet in a number of different forms, whether as a substitute for salted peanuts and peanut butter or as a main ingredient in ‘chocolate’ bars.” Canadian food production and exports grew in leaps and bounds to meet the demand, but there were still shortfalls domestically. During that time, Canadians did without many things, even at Christmastime. The table was considerably lighter, and the tree more barren. Everybody made do. It’s hard to imagine the same kind of thing happening today, however – a sense of entitlement doesn’t mix well with selflessness.
It’s hard to imagine many people today putting up with the kind of deprivation that was commonplace during the Second World War. Of course, many of those same people had just come through the Great Depression, so they knew a thing or two about going without. Still, it wasn’t just the lack of food and other goods, but plenty of willingness to chip in. “Canadians also enthusiastically rallied behind a range of officially sanctioned food-related wartime causes. Thousands of school children, young adult girls, and adult women devoted their summers to low-paid agricultural labour on farms in Ontario and British Columbia as members of the Farm Cadet, Farmerette, or Women’s Land Brigades. Created in response to shortages in agricultural labour, these components of the Farm Labour Service represented an impressive mobilization of patriotic enthusiasm to feed Canada’s soldiers and allies,” reports Wartime Canada. How willing would we be to give up today’s comforts and conveniences to help
others? Not very, I would wager, but most have us have never known real adversity. It’s possible we’d rise to the occasion. Better still if we never find ourselves in a situation that puts us to the test. With days of yore in mind – and Christmas traditions harkening back to the Victorian era and old carols aplenty do in fact take us back – it would do us good to reflect on our good fortune. I’m no ray of sunshine at the best of times, as anyone who reads this space can deduce, but this is the one time of year where looking back with wonder is possible. The goal, then, is to recapture some of that zest, that anticipation and wonder that came with the Christmases of youth. At the same time, there is the need for an adult appreciation of what a timeout from the “real world” can mean for the soul. It’s easy to get caught up in the shopping, the dinner preparations, the running around, and a host of other complications, but if there KANNON | 8
PHONE 519.669.5790 | TOLL FREE 1.888.966.5942 | FAX 519.669.5753 | ONLINE WWW.OBSERVERXTRA.COM
ADDRESS 20-B ARTHUR ST. N., ELMIRA, ON N3B 1Z9 LETTERS
Allied countries as war created shortages and hardships in Europe. By the end of the war, it was estimated that Canadian exports accounted for 57 per cent of British wheat and flour consumption – down from its 1941 peak of 77 per cent – as well as 39 per cent of bacon, 15 per cent of eggs, 24 per cent of cheese, and 11 per cent of evaporated milk consumed in Britain, according to the heritage group Wartime Canada. Research by the organization shows that the Wartime Prices and Trade Board, the federal agency responsible for overseeing and regulating Canada’s wartime command economy, established thousands of controls on the production and distribution of food in the country. “These ranged from prohibitions on sliced bread and iced cake in bakeries to the establishment of meatless Tuesdays in restaurants and, between 1945 and 1947, meatless Fridays, as well. Other restrictions included reductions in the production of non-essential goods like chocolate bars and soft drinks, limi-
Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Observer. Include name, address and daytime phone number. Unsigned letters must contact Editor for publishing consideration. Keep letters under 350 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. This newspaper declines announcements, poetry and thank-you letters.
EDITORIAL
ADVERTISING
PRODUCTION
PUBLISHER
519.669.5790 EXT 103
519.669.5790 EXT 104
519.669.5790 EXT 105
519.669.5790 EXT 107
editor@woolwichobserver.com
ads@woolwichobserver.com
production@woolwichobserver.com
publisher@woolwichobserver.com
COPYRIGHT The entire contents of The Observer and online edition are protected by copyright. No portion thereof is to be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the specific permission of the publisher. Reproduction rights can be obtained from ACCESS COPYRIGHT located at 1 Young St., 1900, Toronto, ON M5E 1E5 | 416.868.1621
PRESS COMPLAINTS & ASSOCIATIONS The Observer is a member of the Ontario Press Council which considers complaints against member newspapers. For more information contact www.ontpress.com. The Observer is a member of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association [CCNA], Canadian Community Newspaper Association and The Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.
8 | COMMENT
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
THE MONITOR
VERBATIM
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
Just days before Christmas, nearly 70% of Canadians still had shopping to do, with a fairly even split of them being men and women. Canadians had spent an average of $600 on gifts, which is down from $678 last year.
“At least the Grinch didn’t live in five-star hotels and charge it to the Whos. Prévost wants to help ensure there’s nothing under the tree in hundreds of households but has no qualms at stuffing her own stocking. I recommend she have a change of heart - before this children’s aid society changes its CEO.”
New safety measures are coming to the intersection of Herrgott Road and Ament Line, but they’re not in line with what Wellesley council was looking for. Instead of rumble strips, the crossing will see the installation of new signage. Following a fatal collision there last month, councillors asked Waterloo Region to review the safety measures in place, with specific consideration given to rumble strips.
» CIBC
» OPSEU president Warren Thomas expresses outrage over Collette Prévost, CEO of
» From the Dec. 24, 2005 edition of The Observer
York Region Children’s Aid Society (CAS), cancelling a program that benefits youth and families in need while she has racked up thousands of dollars in questionable expenses
DYER: No great ideas, only ones
NATIONAL VIEW
that might give peace a chance
FROM | 6
then, after some further thought, it added its signature to the joint declaration. The Islamists of the Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham are clearly in two minds about a ceasefire (disguised as a peace agreement). On one hand, it would leave the Assad regime in power. On the other, it would give them time to consolidate their control over the territory they now hold, and maybe to eliminate their
most dangerous rival, Islamic State. So in the end, they may go along with the idea. It wouldn’t be perfect, and it wouldn’t necessarily be permanent either. But it would stop most of the killing, it would at least contain if not eliminate Islamic State, and it might even let some of the refugees go home. It’s basically a Russian initiative, but Moscow is wisely letting the U.S. take the lead now. If anybody has a better idea, please let us all know.
KANNON: A peek at history
tells us things aren’t so bad FROM | 6
was ever a time for simplifying things and seeing the world through less-jaded eyes, it is now. With the approaching offer of renewal that is the New Year, Christmas is, after all, the one time of the year where we can actually
believe that peace on Earth and goodwill toward others might actually be viable options – just like the message in all those carols we hear. You can bet the refrain of better days ahead was heard regularly during those war years, when the hardships make ours pale in comparison.
OFFICE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Dec. 24 (NOON) - Jan. 4
WEEKLY SPECIALS
Specials from December 28 – January 2 th
Store Made 24pc Bulk Pack
Reg. or Hot Pepperettes
7.99
$
Store Made
Stuffed Rolled Ribs
4.49
$
REG. PRICE
$8.99
Store Made
Breakfast Sausage
3.49
$
REG. PRICE
$3.99 /lb.
nd
REG. PRICE
$4.99 /lb.
Fresh Jumbo
Chicken Wings
5.49
$
Full colour photo of your little one published in the January 14, 2016 edition.
$5.79 /lb.
7.99
$
REG. PRICE
With New Year’s here, let us help you make your home party a success!
$8.99 /lb.
3031 Lobsinger Line, Heidelberg 519-699-4590 Mon. - Wed. 8-6; Thurs. - Fri. 8-8; Saturday 7:30-5 Visit us online at www.stemmlermeats.ca
YEAR! 5 $40
REG. PRICE
Cut Your Way Fresh
Sirloin Steaks
Babies of the +hst
e, Last Nam e m First Na wn te | To Birth Da Names ts n Pare
201
Deadline for submission Monday, January 11, 2016
BOOK EARLY!
Email photos & caption to: ads@woolwichobserver.com
SPORTS | 9
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
SPORTS HOCKEY / JUNIOR B
Kings take lead early, never relinquish it to beat Cambridge Sunday’s game was the last before break, with the team back in action following New Year’s Day
NOT SO GREAT OUTDOORSMAN / STEVE GALEA
Rudolph and company are just fine
LIZ BEVAN THE SUGAR KINGS HELD the lead for the full 60 minutes against the Cambridge Winter Hawks at Sunday’s game, their last before the Christmas break. It was a close one, ending with a score of 3-2, and head coach Ty Canal had praise for his charges, who outshot Cambridge 46-23. “I definitely think we played well, he said. “We got off to a good start and we were able to score early, which is always a nice thing. We were putting the puck to the net. A couple more rebounds would have been nice, but the guys were looking to shoot, they were looking to score and I thought we were hitting the net a little bit better, which is always positive.” Zac Coulter put the Kings on the board just 30 seconds into the first, with help from Ethan Skinner and Mackenzie MacSorley. He quickly doubled up, less than a minute later with a power play goal from MacSorley and Rob Kohli, while Cambridge’s Alex Mutton was in the box for two minutes on an unsportsmanlike conduct call. Canal says with a couple of goals to fall back on, the boys got a bit complacent, but managed to bring back the energy. “The hard part, when you score early, is to try to
OPEN COUNTRY
Sugar Kings forward Jake Moggy tries to get the puck past the Winter Hawks at Sunday’s game at the Woolwich Memorial Centre. The Kings won 3-2 in their last game before the Christmas break. They won’t be back on the ice until the new year. [LIZ BEVAN / THE OBSERVER] make sure the guys keep competing for the rest of the game,” he said. “There was a little bit there, where Cambridge took back some momentum and [put] pressure early in the first, but overall our guys were able to limit the scoring chances.” The Kings held off the Winter Hawks until almost 16 minutes in, when Sean Ross, assisted by Owen Savory, put the puck to the back of the net on a power play. At the end of the first, the Kings were up by one. The second period
started off with a goal from Mitch Montgomery, helped in by Jeff Jordan, giving the Kings a two-goal lead. The rest of the second frame was packed with whistles. Kings defenseman Ryan Walsh got into it with Cambridge’s Matt Harding. Gloves and helmets were thrown off, and plenty of punches were thrown, getting both players sent off the ice for the remainder of game play. Elmira picked up two more penalties when MacSorley and Coulter were sent to the box for cross checking
and hooking, respectively. Canal says the guys need to be more aware of unnecessary penalties, and limit their opposition’s power play opportunities. “The discipline part of the game is definitely something that we have been talking about,” he said. “Special teams is key. It is definitely something that can win you or lose you a game. The goals they scored on the power play ended up getting them back in the game, so it is definitely something we have got to watch and
make sure our guys are aware of. [We need to] try and keep our five-on-five play a lot higher than special teams.” Cambridge’s second power play goal came in the third, with Elmira dman Kyle Soper in the box for tripping, scored by Rob Grant, from Robert Proner and Kyle Heitzner. The game ended in the Kings’ favour, with Coulter standing out from the crowd, scoring two goals in the first two minutes.
BY NOW, CHRISTMAS IS nearly over and our thoughts once again turn to the safety of Rudolph and all of the other reindeer. Right about now, I begin to receive the usual phone calls from non-hunting friends. They almost always ask, “Did Rudolph and the gang make it or did some hunter bag one?” This is clearly not funny. Worse still, it might be disturbing to young ones. Or used by those who do not approve of hunting. With that in mind, I’d like to tell you unequivocally that they are safe from hunters this year and every year. Here’s why. First off, let’s begin with the obvious. Rudolph is a reindeer. Ungulate licences here in Ontario do not allow for anything but elk, moose and white-tailed deer. Therefore to hunt Rudolph and his friends would be to risk a heavy fine and perhaps even a suspension of hunting privileges. No one wants that. OK, you might say, what about if some hunter mis-
KINGS | 12
GALEA | 10
Special teams power Jacks to victory over Tavistock Capitalizing on six power plays, Wellesley makes the visitors pay for their sins en route to a 7-3 final score LIZ BEVAN THE WELLESLEY APPLEJACKS SCORED six power play goals in a big win against Tavistock on Sunday night at the Wellesley arena. In their second-last game before the Christmas break, the Jacks beat the Braves 7-3. Jake Wilkinson and Nicholas Breault led
the charge with two goals apiece, all on the power play. Head coach Brad Gerber says Tavistock is a physical team, and Wellesley capitalized on that. “[Tavistock] likes to play that way and we knew that going in,” he said. “We got six power play goals, which is a really good thing for us. I thought we did a great job
on the power play and it is what we work on in practice. It was a five-man unit out there, and they were all doing the same thing. The biggest thing is that we were getting pucks to the net.” Tavistock players spent a total of 40 minutes in the box, however the Jacks had their fair share of penalties as well. The ref had an
eagle eye and was calling it as he saw it. “I think some of the penalties were iffy. [The ref] called a close game,” he said, adding that taking unnecessary penalties was something the boys will need to work on. “One thing we need to learn to do is respect the referee and know that when he is calling it like that, we have
to be very disciplined. We tell the boys to keep a cool head, stay focused and if we stay out of the box, we’ll be okay. It is tough to do and it is frustrating for the boys. Every time we play Tavistock, they are a physical team.” Breault started the tally on the score board, with a goal for the Jacks off Sean McEwan and Jackson
Keller while Braves’ Ryan Cadwell sat pretty on a hooking call, starting the forward momentum for the game. Try as they might, Tavistock couldn’t catch up. The second period started with two more power play goals for Wellesley, the first from Keller, from Nick JACKS | 10
10 | SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
GALEA: The sleigh team is safe, as no hunter wants to risk ending up on Santa’s naughty list FROM | 9
identified Rudolph? Well, as we all know, his glowing red nose is a telltale sign that is literally impossible to ignore. As for the other reindeer, they are tethered to Rudolph and wearing jingle bells. Then there is the fact that Santa is in a red coat yelling, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” You hear them coming for miles away. All this means there’s no chance of mistaken iden-
tity. Then there is the fact that Christmas always takes place during the archery season, so hunters who might have a shot are so close that misidentification is next to impossible. Plus, Santa and his reindeers always visit long after legal hunting has closed for the day. But what if some mean, old Grinch-like poacher is out in the dark looking for venison? Heck, even the
worst poacher knows those reindeer are off limits. No one, not even poachers, want to be on the naughty list any more than they already are. Even if a deranged lawbreaker had a shot, good luck. Those reindeer move magically fast and very few archers and crossbowmen are skilled at hitting moving or flying targets. There are practical reasons, too, for not wanting to bag those animals. First,
they are incredibly old and muscular so their meat is sure to taste awful. Every hunter knows that. I’ll concede each of them does have a nice set of antlers but there isn’t a taxidermist in the world who would work on a head mount of one. Again, you can thank the naughty or nice list for that one. Home taxidermy is also unlikely. You see, no one would be impressed if you showed them that
you hunted one of Santa’s reindeer illegally. In fact, I’m pretty sure they would report you, as they should, and you’d soon be visited by our fine conservation officers and perhaps their elfin counterparts from the North Pole. Lastly, there is the fact that these animals are domesticated and harnessed. And there might even be an argument that this particular subspecies of reindeer, the Rangifer Santaclausius,
is rare and even more protected than others. So to take one would be against everything ethical hunters stand for. Mostly, however, we hunters love them, too. After all, they are the ones who carry all those new hunting presents we receive from Santa every year. So don’t worry about Rudolph and the gang. Heck, we can’t even get good trail camera photos of them.
JACKS: Christmas break will allow team to get ready for the season’s final push ahead of playoffs FROM | 9
Mercier and Spencer Brick and the second, nine minutes in from Breault from Cal Jefferies and McEwan. Tavistock replied with a power play goal of their own, but it didn’t go unanswered – Mercier scored off Brady Gerber just seconds later for the Jacks’ fourth goal of the game and the only full-strength tally on the home side of the scoreboard. The braves started the scoring in the third, with Jared Yantzi getting one past Jacks goalie Ryan Porter eight minutes in. Wellesley responded with
three consecutive power play goals while Tavistock players kept the penalty bench warm. First up, Wilkinson from McEwan and Shaun Pickering at 9:10 into the third. Just over two minutes later, Brenden Goran scored his only point of the game with a power play goal from Alex Uttley and Mercier. Jake Wilkinson scored his second of the game five minutes later, with help from Mercier and Breault. In a final push, Tavistock tried to get a bit farther ahead with a goal with just a minute and half left. The Jacks held them off until the final buzzer, ending
the game with a final score of 7-3. Gerber says Wilkinson and Breault showed up for the team on Sunday night, putting the puck to the back of the Braves’ net four times between the two of them. “Breault, he is a first year player, and it is a long season for a lot of these guys coming out of Midget AAA. He had a good start, and kind of mellowed out a bit, but he is really starting to pick it back up now. He is a natural goal scorer, and he really knows how to put the puck to the back of the net,” he said. “Jake Wilkinson as well. He has been
Applejacks forward Jake Wilkinson gets the puck past the Tavistock goalie at Sunday night’s blowout win against the Braves. The boys hosted Paris in Wellesley last night, before heading into the Christmas break. [LIZ BEVAN / THE OBSERVER]
Notice of Intention to Pass a Fees and Charges By-Law The Region of Waterloo intends to pass a By-law to Establish Fees and Charges which includes new fees and charges, as well as amendments and/or removal of existing fees and charges. Some of the changes included in the by-law are for transit fares, transportation services, airport passengers and tenants, cultural sites, Sunnyside Home programs and amenities, child care, and paramedic services. The by-law will be considered at the Special Regional Council Meeting scheduled for: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Regional Municipality of Waterloo Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, Administration Building 150 Frederick Street, Kitchener
a really solid player for us ever since he got back. We are more than pleased with his play.” The team played one more game last night against third place Paris, and after that, the boys get a break. “Those are the teams that you want to beat, the teams that are ahead of us,” said Gerber. “We don’t have to play again until Jan. 3. We have some practice nights in between, but the pressure is off a little bit. There is nothing better than getting a couple of wins before Christmas and
really relax and come back ready in the new year.” Gerber says that when January comes, the team’s focus is going to be on playoffs, which are coming up fast. The end of the regular season is on Jan. 30 for the Jacks. “It is just about moving up in the standings. The playoffs are right around the corner – they are really coming fast. I think home ice would be really nice in the first round of playoffs, so that’s obviously a goal of ours,” he said. “Just to stay healthy. Right now, we have a full lineup and that
makes a huge difference. That’s rare. I’m knocking on wood. We don’t want to peak too soon, but we want to keep getting better at all the little things on the ice on both ends of the rink. Just think positive, stay healthy and keep the momentum going.” After Sunday’s game, the Jacks are sitting fifth of nine teams, with a record of 13-13-1. After Wednesday night’s game, the boys have just 12 remaining on the schedule. Their first game of the new year is at home against Woodstock Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
A copy of the proposed fees and charges will be available for review after Tuesday, December 29, 2015 in the Council and Administrative Services Office, Region of Waterloo, 2nd Floor, 150 Frederick Street, Kitchener. If you have questions concerning the amendments, please contact Christopher Wilson at 519-575-4757 ext. 3544 or at chwilson@regionofwaterloo.ca. If you wish to speak at the Council meeting, please register as a delegation with the Region’s Council and Administrative Services Division at 519-575-4400 or at regionalclerk@regionofwaterloo.ca by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, January 11, 2016. If you require accessible services to participate, please contact the Council and Administrative Services Division at least five days in advance of the meeting. This notice is in accordance with the “Municipal Act, 2001”, as amended. Kris Fletcher, Director, Council and Administrative Services/Regional Clerk All comments and information received from individuals, stakeholder groups and agencies regarding this by-law are being collected to assist the Region of Waterloo in making a decision. Under the “Municipal Act”, personal information such as name, address, telephone number, and property location that may be included in a submission becomes part of the public record. Questions regarding the collection of this information should be referred to Council and Administrative Services.
25 Industrial Dr, Elmira
Milverton - Stratford - Drayton - Listowel
800 250 8750 www.mornington.ca
SPORTS | 11
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
THE SCORE
WOOLWICH WILDCATS
Tyke: SELECT Dec. 19 vs Milton Home: 2 Visitor: 4 Goals: Mitchell Krasovec (2)
Novice: LL#3 Dec. 19 vs Platsville Home: 5 Visitor: 2 Goals: Adam Lavigne (2), Luke Forbes, Reed Snyder, Owen McAdam Assists: Luke Forbes (2), Taylor Weber, Owen McAdam, Adam Lavigne
Novice: MAJOR Dec. 19 vs Milton Home: 1 Visitor: 0 Goals: Josh Carson Assists: Riley Dettweiler, Sam Ratcliffe
Atom: MINOR A Dec. 18 vs Ancaster Home: 5 Visitor: 0 Goals: Brady Martin, Ian Leech, Eric Kane, Nathan Martin, Pacey Camm Assists: Michael Gear (2), Stuart Sinclair, Pacey Camm (2), Eric Kane
Atom: MINOR A Dec. 19 vs Hespeler Home: 7 Visitor: 0 Goals: Pacey Camm, Brady Martin, Eric Kane, Michael Gear, Mitchell Walker, Evan Passmore, Ian Leech Assists: Liam Wood (2), Nathan Martin (2), Pacey Camm, Mitchell Walker, Brady Martin, Michael Gear Shutout: Tyler Fisher
Atom: MINOR AE
Dec. 20 vs Guelph Home: 3 Visitor: 3 Goals: Connor Goebel, Danny Schaefer, Sam Ratcliffe Assists: Ethan Burkholder, Matthew Darrigan, Connor Goebel
Dec. 19 vs Stoney Creek Home: 6 Visitor: 0 Goals: Daniel Kochut (2), Tyson Roth, Seth Shantz (2), Josh Uhrig Assists: Seth Shantz, Kane Kruschat Shutout: Ethan Gilbert
Atom: LL#2
Atom: MAJOR A
Novice: MAJOR
Dec. 12 vs Ayr Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Jonathon Enns (2) Assists: Ethan Adams (2), Evan Yorke Shutout: Luke Mann, Conner Hubber
Dec. 19 vs Caledon Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Jordan Chang (2), Isaiah Reitzel Assists: Joe Martin, Cade Beacom, Parker Alles, Isaiah Reitzel, Ryan Burbacher
Atom: MAJOR A Dec. 20 vs Oakville
Home: 6 Visitor: 2 Goals: Joe Martin (2), Jordan Chang (2), Isaiah Reitzel (2) Assists: Drew Birmingham, Joe Martin (2), Jordan Chang, Keene Martin, Eric Hutton
Peewee: LL#2 Dec. 18 vs Twin Centre Home: 3 Visitor: 0 Goals: Ashton Weber, Michael Wang, Jon Staken Assists: Jon Staken, Emmet Weissenboeck, Jamie Reichard Shutout: Simon Bauman
Peewee: LL#2 Dec. 19 vs Ayr Home: 6 Visitor: 0 Goals: Jamie Reichard, Thomas Hill-Ring 92), Jon Staken, Ryan Shantz, Patrick Perry Assists: Thomas Hill-Ring, Michael Wang (2), Matt Henry Shutout: Simon Bauman
Peewee: LL#3 Dec. 19 vs Hespeler Home: 9 Visitor: 1 Goals: Coleton Benham (3), Tanis Uhrig, Gavin Wright, Matthew Yorke (4) Assists: Oscar Fitch (3), Nolan Williamson
Peewee: MINOR A Dec. 18 vs Milton Home: 3 Visitor: 3 Goals: Zack Bender (2), Nolan Karger Assists: Carter Rollins
Peewee: MINOR A Dec. 19 vs Guelph
Home: 1 Visitor: 1 Goals: Shelby Rempel Assists: Mitchell Brubacher
Peewee: MINOR A Dec. 20 vs Hespeler Home: 3 Visitor: 0 Goals: Brett Moser, Reid Burkholder (2) Assists: Carter Cousineau, AJ Shaw-McMahon, Brett Moser, Corbin Schmidt Shutout: Josh Peters
Peewee: MINOR AE Dec. 20 vs Centre Wellington Home: 2 Visitor: 4 Goals: Lucas Radler, Griffin Boerner Assists: Mitchell Hartman, Aiden von Kannen
Peewee: MAJOR AE Dec. 16 vs Erin Hillsburgh Home: 5 Visitor: 1 Goals: Danny Soehner (2), Mac Benham, Cody Kroetsch, Simon Shantz Assists: Kieren Oberholzerm, Andrew Weber (2), Gavin Wilson, Tyler Bribacher, Kolin Weigel
Peewee: MAJOR AE Dec. 18 vs New Hamburg Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Ben Fretz (2) Assists: Simon Shantz
Peewee: MAJOR AE Dec. 20 vs Centre Wellington Home: 4 Visitor: 3 Goals: Ben Fretz (3), Mac Benham Assists: Tyler Brubacher,
Goals: Aaron Crawford Assists: Connor Goss, Keean Dowdall
Conner Waters
Peewee: MAJOR AA Dec. 16 vs Guelph Home: 4 Visitor: 6 Goals: Spencer Young, Cameron Leonard, Owen Troyer, Kyler Austin Assists: Michael Hayes, Nate Snyder, Cameron Leonard
Midget: LL#2 Dec. 11 vs Beverly Home: 1 Visitor: 1 Goals: Luke Decorte Assists: Luke Charter, Vince Dally
Bantam: LL#2
Midget: LL#2
Dec. 18 vs St. George Home: 3 Visitor: 1 Goals: Tyson Mifflin, Zack Downs, Andrew Kieswetter Assists: Andrew Kieswetter (2), Zack Downs (2), Tyson Mifflin (2)
Dec. 13 vs Tavistock Home: 10 Visitor: 2 Goals: Luke Decorte (2), Blake Doerbecker (2), Luke Charter (3), Jordan Luis, Nick Keiswetter (2) Assists: Luke Decorte (6), Hayden Fretz (2), Bruce Martin, Jordan Luis, Ben Lenaers (2), Blake Doerbecker, Kyle Gingrich (3), Matt Greene
Bantam: MINOR A Dec. 17 vs New Hamburg Home: 5 Visitor: 3 Goals: Brett Allen (3), Cameron Leonard, Jarrett Anderson Assists: Jarrett Anderson, Keaton McLaughlin, Payton McIsaac, Trevor Ferretti, Owen Lee, Brett Allen
Midget: LL#2 Dec. 19 vs LL#1 Home: 4 Visitor: 2 Goals: Joe Hanley, Luke Charter, Nick Kieswetter, Luke Decorte Assists: Luke Charter (2), Kyle Gingrich, Luke Decorte, Jow Hanley (2), Dawson Inglis, Hayden Fretz
Bantam: MINOR A Dec. 19 vs Brampton Home: 0 Visitor: 5
Bantam: MINOR A Dec. 20 vs Oakville Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Jesse Martin, Cameron Leonard Assists: Keaton McLaughlin, Owen Lee, Payton McIsaac
Midget: MINOR A Dec. 11 vs Guelph Home: 5 Visitor: 0 Goals: Cade Schaus, Riley Runstedler (2), Evan Gowing, Isaiah Thornback Assists: Devin Williams, Jordan Lee (2), Grad Hale, Daniel Carr, Isaiah Thornback, Cole Altman (2), Evan Gowing, Austin Flaherty
Midget: LL#1 Dec. 14 vs Paris Home: 1 Visitor: 1
Dec. 12 vs Oakville Home: 9 Visitor: 2 Goals: Brent Mulder, Evan Gowing (2), Isaiah Thornback, (2), Devin Williams (2), Riley Runstedler, Cade Schaus Assists: Nolan McLaughlin (2), Isaiah Thornback (2), Devin Williams, Cole Altman (3), Cade Schaud (2), Brent Mulder, Brad Hale (2), Riley Runstedler, Evan Gowing, Chase Mooder, Daniel Carr
Peewee: LL#7520 Dec. 12 vs Grand River Home: 7 Visitor: 4 Goals: Lauren Skanes, Reece Looser (2), Hannah Kieswetter (2), Kayla Foy, Emma Sommer Assists: Reece Looser (2), Paige Tucker (2), Emily Roth, Brooklyn Reid, Hannah Kieswetter
WOOLWICH WILD
Midget: MAJOR A
Novice: LL#7121
Dec. 16 vs Halton Hills Home: 6 Visitor: 1 Goals: Tyler Moser, Keegan Saunders, Noah Zeller, Jordan Gamble, Mathieu Fife Assists: Jake Lewis, Tyler Townsend (2), Mitch Waters, Mathieu Fife, Keegan Saunders, Jordan Gamble, Aaron Weigel
Dec. 13 vs Waterloo Ravens Home: 2 Visitor: 5 Goals: Olivia Weiss (2) Assists: Emily Metzger, Addison Bettke
Peewee: B Dec. 19 vs Ayr Home: 0 Visitor: 0 Shutout: Bethany Hebbourn
Midget: MAJOR A Dec. 17 vs Caledon Home: 1 Visitor: 4 Goals: Mathieu Fife Assists: Ryan Shantz, Keegan Saunders
MARTIAL ARTS
Karate Belt Grading Dec. 18 Green Belt: Kim Snyder, Tracey Haase Red Belt: Lucas Heimpel, Tyler Fisher Orange Belt: Troy Dunn, Cale Waechter, Eden Bagg, Xander Straus Stripe Belt: Jacob Balmer Yellow Belt: Melissa Chinnick, Cameron Fisher
WATERLOO WOLVES
Atom: MAJOR AA Dec. 19 vs St. Thomas Home: 5 Visitor: 5 Goals: Brandon Kong (3), Nolan Reesor, Liam Witmer Assists: Tyler O’Hearn, Damon Radley, Carson Berhardt, Galin
Paderno Belle Fleur fry pans feature a completely PFOA free, non-stick coating (interior & exterior) that is safe on all cooktops including induction. 22cm/8.6” Belle Fleur non-stick fry pan. List: $99.99. Now $24.99! 26cm/10.5” Belle Fleur non-stick fry pan. List: $109.99. Now $29.99!
60% OFF!
Cavendish flatware set, 4x5pc place setting. List: $99.99.
ITED WARR A LIM NT
AN
ER AI
SON NA
BL
E
R
ITED WARR A LIM NT
TI
ER AI
DE
AN
$3999
25
G AR
ANS
25 Y
Y
EA
TI
DE
25
G AR
ANS
25 Y
Y
EA
TWIN CENTRE HERICANES
ELMIRA JUNIOR SUGAR KINGS
UP TO 75% OFF!
R
Moir, Dimitri Eleftheriadis, Jackson Heron
Midget: MINOR A
SON NA
BL
E
SPECIAL! 71% OFF! Our 10pc Professional cookware set features stainless steel, TryPly construction for fast even heating. Etched interior
R
ITED WARR A LIM NT
$19999
AN
TI
ER AI
DE
25
G AR
ANS
25 Y
Y
EA
measurements and durable riveted, ergonomic handles. Suitable for all cooktops, including induction. Set includes: 1.5L, 2L & 3L saucepans, 5L Dutch oven, 2L steamer insert, 24cm/9.5” non-stick ceramic coated fry pan (PFOA/PTFE free), and 4 tempered glass covers. List: $699.99.
Paderno vegetable spiral slicer - makes spiral cuts for many of your favourite vegetables and fruit. Comes with three interchangeable stainless steel blades, no-slip suction bottom, and makes perfect cuts in just seconds. List: $41.99.
SON NA
BL
E
$2699 ON NOW THRU DECEMBER 31ST ONLY AT:
COOKSTOWN
Paderno Kitchen Store Tanger Outlet Mall 3311 Hwy 89
FERGUS
Dixon Home Hardware Building Centre 745 StDavid Street
HARRISTON
Harriston Home Hardware 18 Elora Street
KITCHENER
Paderno Kitchen Store Sportsworld Crossing 50 Sportsworld Crossing Pioneer Park Home Hardware 123 Pioneer Dr Williamsburg Home Hardware 1187 Fischer Hallman Road
WATERLOO
Goodness Me 668 Erb Street West Paderno Kitchen Store St. Jacobs Factory Outlet 25 Benjamin Rd
Information & dealers: 1-800-A NEW-POT or www.paderno.com. Not all locations open Sunday. Quantities limited, please be early. Sale items may not be exactly as shown.
12 | SPORTS
50%
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
ED REGULAR PRIC EMS IT
Merry
STMAS OFF CHRI
s a m t s i r h C
& Happy New Year
US AT FROM ALL OF UTLET
ELMIRA GIFT O
Sugar Kings’ goalie Liam Conway falls on the puck after a breakaway attempt from the Cambridge Winter Hawks’ forward Sean Ross. The Kings took the game with a score of 3-2 before heading into the winter break. [LIZ BEVAN / THE OBSERVER]
HOLIDAY HOURS
FROM | 9
Dec. 24 9:30 – 3:00 Closed Dec. 25-27 Dec. 28-30 9:30 – 5:30 9:30 – 3:00 Dec. 31 Closed Jan. 1/16 9:30 – 5:30 Jan. 2 Closed for inventory Jan. 4 Jan. 5 Back to regular hours
1 Union St., Elmira 519.669.3072 www.elmiragiftoutlet.com
HOURS: Mon.-Wed. 9:30-5:30 Thur.-Fri. 9:30-7:00 Saturday 9:30-5:30
“Coulter likes to score goals,” said Canal. “He puts pressure on himself to score as well. Anytime he is scoring, that is a good thing. He was able to get us on the board early, which was a bonus.” The team is now on a 10-day break before getting back on the ice later this month, and Canal says they are all looking forward to some downtime. “It is a heavy schedule. There is a lot of hockey,” he said. “The guys are away from home, and it
is definitely a good time to kick back, rejuvenate, spend time with family and friends and clear your head before the rest of the way.” They will have their next practice on Dec. 30, and they will be working on fixing small problems and moving forward as a team before facing Brantford at Gretzky Arena on Jan. 2. “It is just making sure that we are getting ourselves into a position where we can compete and play consistent hockey. That is when we play well, when we can get that pressure and be able to sustain it.
We are inching towards that,” said Canal. “It is just improving on what we have worked on this last little while – taking steps to getting 60 minutes of hockey and we’re working on the parts of our game that we want to improve. We have played well, it is just about taking it one step further now – improving on all aspects individually and as a team, pushing towards the playoffs.” Puck drop against Brantford is at 7:30 p.m. The boys will be back on home ice against Guelph on Jan. 3 for a matinee game at 2 p.m.
ELMIRA BLOOD DONOR CLINIC
Give Blood … to save lives. Bus: 519-698-9930 Res: 519-698-2213
RR #2 Wallenstein, Ontario • Fabrics • Men's Wear • Ladies Coats • China • Glass Ware Mon. Closed · Tues.-Fri. 8-6 · Sat. 8-5 2192 Floradale Rd. ~ Floradale, On.
(519) 669-1381
The Next Elmira Clinic: Thursday, Dec. 31st 2015 from 9am - 1pm SPECIAL TIME at Lion's Hall, Elmira
Sophia: Blood Transfusion Sunday 6:30am
SANYO CANADIAN MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED
33 Industrial Dr. • 519-669-1591
This Elmira Blood Donor Clinic announcement is brought to you by these community-minded businesses
FLORADALE FEED MILL LIMITED FLORADALE FEED MILL LIMITED Finest in feeds and service for over 50 years!
Finest in feeds and service for over 50 years!
Bus 519.669.5478 • Toll Free 1.800.265.6126 www.ffmltd.com
CLM
STORE HOURS: OPEN 24 HOURS, 7 DAYS A WEEK
MODULAR BUILDINGS MOVING & LEASING
315 Arthur St. S., Elmira • 519-669-5403
2170 FLORADALE RD., FLORADALE • 519-669-2183
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL • POLE LINE CONSTRUCTION
22 Church St. W Elmira
519-669-5353
Breakfast • Coffee • Soups • Sandwiches • Donuts • Muffins • Bread • Pies • Cookies Hours: Mon to Sat 6am to 5:30pm | Closed Sundays & Holidays
Farm - Auto - Truck - Industrial and we have On-the-farm service
25+ Years of Service in the Area
REPAIRS • MACHINING CUSTOM FABRICATIONS MANUFACTURING
35 Howard Ave. • 519-669-3232
www.erbelectric.ca • 519-698-2472
100 Union St. • 519-669-1501
The Quality You Demand, the Service You Deserve.
ESA Licence # 7000438
VENTURE | 13
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
VENTURE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK / REAL ESTATE
FOOD FOR THOUGHT/ OWEN ROBERTS
Housing market to see growth in 2016, chamber predicts
What will it take to get kids to drink milk?
Waterloo Region among the hottest areas in the province, with growing population and more jobs
FIELD NOTES
LIZ BEVAN THE HOUSING MARKET IN the Waterloo Region is poised for a boost, bringing more money and new families to the area, says a recent report. According to the Ontario Economic Update 2016, released by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Credit Unions of Ontario, Waterloo is set to have one of the “hottest” real estate markets in the province. The region is predicted to have a 6.7 per cent increase in residential home sales in 2016 to 9,600, followed by a projected 5.2 per cent increase in 2017, bringing the number of homes sold in the region to 10,100. In 2013, just 8,386 homes made it from listing to sale. It isn’t just the number of homes sold that will go up, but also the price of the homes. The report suggests that the average price of a house will rise to $375,000 by 2017, up from $314,654 in 2013. Ian McLean, president and CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, says that the projected increases in the real estate market
The Waterloo Region housing market is projected to rise with new families moving into the area over the next couple of years. housing prices and employment rates are also expected to go up, according to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
shows that the economy itself is moving forwards. “Our region’s highly diverse and innovative economy has positioned us for sustained economic and population growth. The strong housing market indicates people are moving
here for jobs and emerging opportunities,” he said. The increase in home sales is expected to mirror the predicted increase in employment. The unemployment rate in Waterloo region currently sits at 5.9 per cent, already a one per
cent drop from 2013. It is expected to fall even further in the next two years, to a low of 5.3 per cent – well below the provincial average. Across Ontario this year, 6.9 per cent of the population is unemployed. All of these numbers
come along with an increase in population, adding more than 15,000 residents to the area between 2013 and 2017. The predicted rise in home sales and prices is HOUSING | 15
DAIRY – MILK, IN particular – is facing huge challenges from the likes of pop companies and juice manufacturers. They’ve marketed their way into the lunch buckets of Canadian children, and taken hold. A study underway by University of Guelph researchers has found milk is not considered cool by adolescents, one of the groups that need it most. Efforts are underway to buck that trend. Ottawa is looking at legislation to restrict all marketing targeted to children (under the age of 13) foods and beverages high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars or sodium. In the interim, it wants the food industry to immediately cease marketing such food to children. And at the University of Guelph, with support from the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and the partnership between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the university, researchers are developing interactive, online ROBERTS | 15
14 | VENTURE
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
MORE DEALS IN STORE DURING
BOXING WEEK
BOXING WEEK SALE!
FROM THESE LOCAL BUSINESSES
In the heart of Mennonite Country Just minutes from the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market Holiday Hours:
Fri. Dec. 25th Christmas Day Sat. Dec. 26th Boxing Day Mon. Dec. 28th Tue. Dec. 29th
Closed 10-5 Closed 10-6
Wed. Dec. 30th 10-6 Thur. Dec. 31st New Years Eve 10-2 Fri. Jan. 1st New Years Day Closed Sat. Jan. 2nd 10-5
% 40OFF Christmas Décor Regular Priced, in-stock items
Some exceptions may apply
Sale effective Saturday, December 19 th - Thursday, December 24 th
Regular Hours Resume Tuesday, January 5th, 2016
Gifts · Candles · Cards · Home+Garden Decor · Canadian Made 3585 Lobsinger Line, St. Clements
BOXING
WEEK
www.in-season.ca 519-218-2188
SHO P ON
W. C . B R O W N A N
M E N ’ S C L O T H I E R | 18 - 24 A R T H U R S T R E E T S . ,
SALE
YEAR-E ND INVENTORY SPECIALS
Carpet pad With All IN STOCK Carpet Purchases
FREE
IN STOCK HARDWOOD FROM
29
2
/ sq. ft.
ALL IN STOCK VANITIES AND KITCHENETTES
Laminate pad With All IN STOCK Laminate Purchases
SICO EVOLUTION
PAINT
NO $ OFF HST 7 / 3.78 L
SALE CARRIED OVER TO JANUARY 15, 2016
Tel: 519-699-5411
www.LetUsFloorYou.ca
1011 Industrial Crescent St. Clements, ON
Pickup your complementary wall calendar for 2016
WE ARE OFFERING A EQUIVALENT TO TH ALL REGULAR PRICED MERCHANDISE FROM
ENJOY YOUR T BRUBACHER SHOES Ltd.
STORE HOURS: Mon.-Wed. Wed. 9W
VENTURE | 15
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
BRESLAU PS STUDENTS GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF GIVING
EK Mr. and Mrs. Claus stopped by Breslau Public School to congratulate them for gathering 2,751 items for the Woolwich Food Bank through their 15 Days of Giving initiative. The Grade 8 class, pictured here, raised the most. [WHITNEY NEILSON / THE OBSERVER]
HOUSING: Market to grow as province comes out of downturn FROM | 13
based on the low Canadian dollar, low mortgage rates and mild income growth in the region, according to the Ontario Economic Update 2016. Building permits are also forecast to increase through 2017 after a lull in 2015, which the Ontario Chamber credits to large amounts of multi-unit per-
Open Boxing Day 9am-4pm L INE @
Open Sun. Dec 27 12-4pm
B r o w n s M e n s we a r. c o m
ND SONS
, E L M I R A | 519 - 6 6 9 -115 2
STORE HOURS:
MON - WED 9-6 T H U R S - F R I 9 -7 S AT U R D AY 9 - 5
A DISCOUNT HE TAXES ON D, IN-STOCK M DEC. 28-31!
TAX HOLIDAY! 519-669-3349 7 Arthur St. S., ELMIRA
-6, Thurs & Fri. 9-8, Sat. 9-5:00
mits issued in 2014. None of these numbers are guaranteed, however. According to Allen O’Dette, the president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber, the projected increases all depend on government and business making the right moves. “Ontario businesses are helping Ontario emerge stronger from the down-
turn,” he said. “However, our economy still faces significant challenges. In order to generate sustained economic growth, government must invest in infrastructure, close the skills gap and ensure that input costs do not stifle investments or job creation.” Some of the job creation he referred to was cited in the report, and specifically
named Toyota Boshoku Canada in Elmira when discussing investment in business. The company was used as an example of a business contributing to the growth through investment in “production capacity” and adding jobs through partnerships with government – part of the reason for a boost in real estate sales.
College, at the helm. Kelton and a 20-person team spent the spring soliciting responses mostly online from dairy farmers across Canada, to a comprehensive 40-page survey designed to offer a clear snapshot of producers’ activities and attitudes, and how to reach them. The team had responses from 1,300 dairy farmers of all kinds – conventional, organic, those using robotic milkers and those with traditional tie-stall operations, among them – in all 10 provinces. They’re analyzing the results now, but Kelton says a couple of points have already made heads turn. The first is the number of cattle moving on and off farms. For many years, starting back in the late 1960s, dairy farms were trying to stamp out some persistent animal diseases, such as brucellosis and tuberculosis. These diseases are known to travel, so producers closed their farms to new animals, and didn’t take members of their herd to competitions and shows. Now, that’s changed. The survey showed 47 per cent of dairy farmers brought new animals onto their farms last year. And a quarter of all farmers had cows or calves that left the farm, then came back. Kelton’s not sure why the attitude
towards closed herds has changed, but if a disease outbreak occurs, it’s important to know how much it might get around. The researchers were also surprised at how many dairy farmers were active on social media, and the number willing to share their Twitter handles. “Knowing this, we can use
social media for discussion and exchanging information with them,” says Kelton. More information from the survey will be released into 2016. But big questions remain about consumption. If the dairy sector can’t figure out how to attract kids, where will it get future consumers?
ROBERTS: Making an effort to change the perception of milk FROM | 13
learning tools about nutrition, designed to appeal to grade-school students and teach them why the likes of milk and alternatives are good for them. Simultaneously, efforts to protect the integrity of Canada’s dairy system are being instituted on the farm, too. For the first time ever in Canada, researchers have taken the pulse of the sector by conducting what they call The National Dairy Study 2015, a cross-country initiative looking at matters such as dairy health and herd management. It’s tied in with new voluntary codes of practice, being led by the Dairy Farmers of Canada. These codes are focused on all areas of animal production. Like all food producers, dairy farmers need a benchmark, some way to measure progress. And the food animal health sector, which includes veterinarians, needs to know the status of the nation’s herds, to help it predict what it might expect on the horizon in areas such as health, nutrition, and disease prevention. The national study addresses both needs. The study is being coordinated at the University of Guelph, with Prof. David Kelton, Ontario Veterinary
Holiday Hours December 24
Closing at 6 p.m. Boxing Day December 26, 10-5pm Re-opening December 27 at 7 a.m.
December 31
Closing at 6 p.m. Re-opening January 2 at 7 a.m.
We Deliver! 315 Arthur St. S. PHONE: 519-669-5403
16 | RURAL CONNECTIONS
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
RURAL CONNECTIONS RESEARCH / EXPANDED USES
Small particles of sugar open new markets for Ontario sweet corn TINY SUGAR PARTICLES FOUND in sweet corn could be Ontario agriculture’s latest hidden gem. The miniscule “nanoparticles” were recently discovered by researchers at the University of Guelph and may offer many innovative applications. The nanoparticles consist of a large number of sugar molecules tightly bonded together with remarkable properties such as extraordinarily high water retention, and low viscosity and exceptional stability in water – unlike any other natural particle ever discovered. These nanoparticles have been around for centuries, since sweet corn varieties were developed in the 1700s, but have only recently been isolated and characterized by the University of Guelph team led by physics professor and Canada Research Chair Dr. John Dutcher. Each of these naturally occurring sugar particles is just one thousandth of the diameter of a human hair, and research in Dutcher’s lab has shown that the special structure of the particles enables them to hold onto water, or moisture, better than any other natural or synthetic particle. This property as well as other unique properties of the particles could lead to new applications in the cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, and nutraceuticals industries. “Even though these
unique source of energy in sports drinks, just to name a few,” says Dutcher. “And there are so many more opportunities to use these natural particles to improve on and develop new products.” With a proven product and countless applications already identified, Dutcher and his team have started their own company, Mirexus, to focus on market applications and commercialization of the nanoparticles. Mirexus has trademarked the sweet corn particles as Phytospherix and have been marketing the particles as high-value ingredients to enhance
existing products and create new ones in cosmetics, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. “Phytospherix will give companies a competitive edge in the marketplace,
CALL US for all your FARM REPAIR NEEDS!
SPECIALIZING IN:
• FERTILIZER (Agricultural & Commercial) • SEED GRAINS & GRASS SEED • SOYBEANS • BAGGED PINE SHAVINGS • SOIL TESTING • LOCAL FREIGHT
Cell: 519-574-4141 | Office: 519-669-2045 | Fax: 519-669-3845
MACHINE & REPAIR INC. SPLINE CUTTING | LARGE TURNING | KEYING (INTERNAL & EXTERNAL)
CNC Turning | Same Day Service RYAN WEBER | 519.669.2198 63 Union St., Elmira | www.rytechmachine.ca
Faster and cheaper mycotoxin detection tool being developed
offering enhanced properties and new product development opportunities,” says Dutcher, explaining that Mirexus is working collaboratively with companies on product development. Mirexus is also continuing research, modifying the nanoparticles and exploring other applications. Funding from the OMAFRA-University of Guelph’s Gryphon’s LAAIR (Leading to Accelerated Adoption of Innovative Research) program has enabled Dutcher to develop sales and marketing resources to support the commercialization of
RESEARCH UNDERWAY AT OTTAWA’S Carleton University may make it easier and cheaper to detect toxins created by mold. Called mycotoxins, they’re found in everything from grains to fruit and can cause illness and even death in both humans and animals. A mold called fusarium that can occur in wheat and corn is a particular problem for farmers as it impacts the quality of their crop and the price they can receive for that crop - contaminated grain or corn isn’t suitable for animal feed or human consumption, so it is rejected by buyers. “Mycotoxins are produced by fungi found in crops and food. They’re very robust and can survive processing, so we need a cheap and reliable test to detect them,” explains Dr. Maria DeRosa, a professor of chemistry at Carleton who is leading the research. She has been working with Dr. Art Schaafsma of the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus and Dr. David Miller at Carleton to develop a small test strip that will glow in the presence of mycotoxins when illuminated with a handheld UV light.
NANOPARTICLES | 17
MYCOTOXINS | 17
University of Guelph physics professor and Canada Research Chair Dr. John Dutcher leads a team researching nanoparticles in sweet corn. particles are naturally present in sweet corn, we have only recently been able to isolate and characterize them because of new advances in, technology,” says Dutcher. “Despite our recent discovery, people have been eating these nanoparticles in sweet corn for centuries, which means they’re definitely safe to consume.” Dutcher’s research team has been testing the properties of the particles and their endless applications. “We’ve found the particles can be utilized as moisturizing agents in cosmetics creams, incorporated into natural sunscreens to extend SPF and used as a
RESEARCH / IN THE CHEMISTRY
Advertise in this NEW MONTHLY FEATURE Call Donna Today! 519-669-5790 ext. 104
RURAL CONNECTIONS | 17
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
There’s a tool for that.
WISHING EVERYONE A AND A
NEW YEAR At Woolwich Rentals, we provide you with QUALITY, RELIABLE equipment to start and finish your projects.
VISIT US TODAY! 100 Union St. Elmira 519-669-0524 www.woolwichrentals.ca Carleton University researchers headed by Dr. Maria DeRosa are looking into easier and cheaper ways to detect toxins created by mold.
MYCOTOXINS: Lowering the cost of testing FROM | 16
The device uses aptamers that DeRosa and her team have identified, which are small, single-stranded nucleic acids that can bind to large or small target molecules – in this case, mycotoxins. “It’s a simple spot of nanoparticles on paper, a test that can be done on the spot at the grain elevator,” says DeRosa, adding the device can currently detect quantities as minute as 40 parts per billion. Farmers are doing their part to prevent fusarium, such as monitoring temperature and moisture levels in their fields to predict when their crops might be at risk for developing the mold and deciding when to apply fungicides, but the mold continues to pose a
challenge. Current mycotoxin testing methods at Canada’s network of grain elevators – where farmers take their crops to market – involve both a visual inspection and taking and analysing a random sample from a load of grain or corn. Not only is this time consuming and expensive (each test can cost between $50-80), but it is also far from accurate: taking samples from different parts of a single load of grain can yield very different results. Aptamers can be made in a lab very uniformly and at a low cost compared to the mouse antibodies used in current available tests, which means they’ll provide accurate and consistent test results without great expense. “The needle-in-the-hay-
stack nature of the current sampling process is the problem that we’re trying to address,” says DeRosa, adding that the sheer volume of grain and corn produced in Canada means a testing method also has to be quick and cheap. After early successes in the lab, her team’s next step is to now move testing of the new technology to a larger scale beyond the lab and into a commercial setting. The research is being supported by Western Grains Research Foundation and the Canadian National Millers Association. This article is provided by AgInnovation Ontario, a project of the Agri-Technology Commercialization Centre (ATCC). The ATCC is funded by Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
NANOPARTICLES: Exploring the possibilities FROM | 16
Phytospherix. The Gryphon’s LAAIR is supported through Growing Forward 2, a federalprovincial-territorial initiative. “The Gryphon’s LAAIR funding has been absolutely critical in accelerat-
ing the commercialization of this technology and in securing a recent $4.5 M investment for Mirexus. With this boost, it is just the beginning for these tiny sugar particles,” says Dutcher. “Ontario sweet corn is no longer just a commodity. It will become the basis for new high tech products
that will take agriculture to the next level.” This article is provided by AgInnovation Ontario, a project of the Agri-Technology Commercialization Centre (ATCC). The ATCC is funded by Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincialterritorial initiative.
CEREAL genes that fit your farm. ®
OATS
Stop by Our Retail Store & Browse Through Our Selection of: New & used equipment: feeders, drinkers, cages, nests 6880 Line 86, RR#4 Elmira, ON N3B 2Z3
Hours: Mon. – Fri. 8-5, Sat.8-3, Closed Sun. & Statutory Holidays
Egg supplies: cartons, flats, crates, candler, scale
519-669-2225
WHERE TIRES ARE
A SPECIALTY
NOT A SIDELINE! We Stock Farm, Industrial, Truck, Passenger, and Even ATV and Lawn & Garden Tires.
Call Us for Tires!
BARLEY
• AAC Bullet • Dignity • AAC Roskens • Conestogo • AC® Bradley • OAC Belwood
FARM • TRUCK • INDUSTRIAL • ON THE FARM SERVICE
35 Howard Ave. Elmira, ON Monday - Friday Saturdays Genes that fit your farm® is a registered trademark of SeCan. ‘AC’ is an official mark used under license from Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada.
Contact us today seeds@cribit.com
519-664-3701 West Montrose
8am - 5pm 8am - 12 noon
519-669-3232
www.oktireelmira.com
18 | CLASSIFIED
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
CLASSIFIED
CLASSIFIED DEADLINE:
WEDNESDAYS BY 10AM HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED CEDAR VALLEY DESIGN is looking for full time help in our wood trim and moulding shop. Work involves operating rip saw, moulder, fork lift and or machine set up and sharpening equipment. Call 519-669-0122, West Montrose.
Heidelberg Foods Ltd. JOB DESCRIPTION AND SPECIFICATIONS JOB TITLE: Sausage Stuffer/Hanger REPORTS TO: Raw Supervisor COMPANY OVERVIEW: Heidelberg Foods Ltd. requires a Sausage Stuffer / Hanger to work in its’ RAW production area at its’ St. Jacobs location. RESPONSIBILITIES: • Understand and adhere to all relevant and appropriate requirements of the Heidelberg Foods Ltd. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s), Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), HACPP, FSEP, Safety Policy and all relevant legislation • Safely, effectively and efficiently stuff and hang sausages in accordance with product specifications • Complete all required production, GFSI and HACCP documentation. • Understand the standard operating and safe operating procedures of the Stuffer COMPETENCIES: • Compliance with all appropriate policies, procedures and legislation • Time management • Communication • Attention to detail • Effective team player / willing to cross-train • Technical skill • Must be able to maintain a clean and organized work area. ROLE OVERVIEW: • The successful candidate will be responsible for inspecting equipment prior to use on the shift and ensuring that all parts are inspected prior to being assembled. Any issues identified must be raised immediately to the department Supervisor. • Ensure all set up is properly completed. • Must be able to work effectively with department equipment. • Must be able to effectively execute change over in product routine. • Accuracy of data recording is critical to the role. • Other duties as assigned by the department Supervisor.
Position is hourly – 44 hours per week at an hourly rate of $15.00 to $18.50 depending on experience.
Resumes can be sent to info@heidelbergfoods.com. REAL ESTATE
Bert Martin Re/max Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., BROKER
Brokerage
Independently Owned and Operated
DIRECT: 519-572-2669 DIRE OFFICE: 519-669-5426
3 Arthur St. S. Elmira
www.remaxsolidgold.biz EMAIL: bert@remaxsolidgold.biz
FREE Market Evaluation LI N ST EW IN G !
$269,900 Elmira starter home with recent updates offers 3 bedrooms, renovated bathroom, rec room with fireplace and walk-up to side yard, kitchen/dinette with bay window, nice front porch, new garden shed and driveway. MLS. Call Bert to view.
ELMIRA DONUTS AND Deli is looking for full time and part time customer service people. Apply now for January start. Call 519-669-5353.
WORK WANTED CLEANING LADY AVAILABLE. Experience in residential and New home construction. Call Cynthia 519-498-9207.
HEALTH CARE 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!
FOR SALE COUNTRY SIDE CYCLE Annual Year End Bicycle Sale. Dec. 28 31st. Sale hours 9 - 5:30p.m. Up to 50% off 26” wheel comfort bicycles and smaller frame road bicycles. Other new and used bicycles and accessories 10 - 30% off. We also do skate sharpening. Regular cut $5.00, flat bottom V cut $10.00. Cross grinding $5.00 extra. Regular hour January & February Tues, Wed., Thurs., 1-6 , Fri 8 - 6, Sat. 8 - 12. After March 1 - summer hours, Tues. 1-6, Wed., Thurs., Fri 8-6, Sat. 8 - 12. Fall Hours: Oct to year end Fri. 8-6, Sat. 8 - 12. Questions for more information call 519-669-2091. SOFTNER SALT - 20kg bags, minimum 25 bags, skid lots of 56. Delivered in St. Jacobs, St. Clements, Elmira & Linwood areas. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-6692045. TIRED OF PAYING the high cost of cable or satelliet TV? If you have an internet connection you can get FREE TV. Call or text 226-336-2010. www.cutthecordtoday.ca
Your referrals are appreciated! HOW TO REACH US
FOR SALE WANTED - SOMEONE to tear old house and barn down for materials. In Petersburg/Kitchener area. Call 519-745-2270.
AUCTIONS BOXING DAY AUCTION, Sat. Dec. 26, 2:00 p.m. St. Jacobs Community Centre, St. Jacobs. ANTIQUE FURNITURE, OIL lamps, glass goblets, Primitives, toys. Over 400 lots. Harley Davidson bike - mint condition. Al Jones and Brian Hill, Auctioneers ANTIQUE AUCTION SALE Of Primitives, pottery, furniture, textiles, folk art, stamp collection & other interesting items, to be held at the K.W. Khaki Club, 2939 Nafziger Rd. 2 miles south of Wellesley, for The Susan Williams Estate and additions, on Saturday, January 2nd @ 10:00 a.m. Gerber Auctions Ltd. 519-699-4451. TOY AUCTION OF Farm, tractors, industrial, tractor trailers, coin banks, older toys, and related items, to be held at the K.W. Khaki Club, 2939 Nafziger Rd. 2 miles south of Wellesley, for the Donald MacDonald Estate, Hickson & additions, on Saturday, January 9th @ 10:00 a.m. Gerber Auctions Ltd. 519-699-4451.
FARM SERVICES BAGGED PINE SHAVINGS Agricultural Spray Lime, 22.5kg. bag; feed grade lime, 25kg. Delivered. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-5744141 or 519-669-2045. FERTILIZER AND SEED GRAIN - at competitive pricing. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141. ICE SALT & ICE MELT - Ice salt comes in 20 & 40kg’s, Ice melt comes in 20kg bags. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045. KILN DRIED CORN & CORN SCREENING Delivered by Einwechter. Minimum 15 ton lots. Call George Haffner Trucking 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045. WANTED - SOMEONE to tear old house and barn down for materials. In Petersburg/Kitchener area. Call 519-745-2270.
WANTED LOOKING FOR BACHELOR apartment with parking, senior male, preferably in Elmira. Call 519-577-9713.
RENTALS 3 BEDROOM, BACKSPLIT semi for rent in Elmira. Available Feb. 1st. $1200 + utilities. No smoking. 519669-9059.
COMM/ INDUSTRIAL FOR RENT SPACE FOR LEASE. 854 sq. ft available in Downtown Elmira. Park Street East. Former dental office - ideal for medial related business or office space. Some parking & basement storage available. $725 Per Month. Call Brad, R. W. Thur Real Estate Ltd at 519-669-2772 for more information. MLS.
COMING EVENTS ELMIRA THEATRE CO. AUDITIONS - Jan. 4, 6 @7:00 p.m. Sleepy Hollow the Musical, Ages 10 to adult. 76 Howard Ave. Elmira. Details http:// www.elmiratheatre.com/
100% LOCAL
AUCTION
AUCTION SALE
Of Primitives, pottery, furniture, textiles, folk art, stamp collection & other interesting items, to be held at the K.W. Khaki Club, 2939 Nafziger Rd. 2 miles south of Wellesley, for The Susan Williams Estate and additions, on
SATURDAY, JANUARY, 2ND @ 10:00 A.M.
CONSISTING OF: Pine corner cupboard, 2 arched multi-paned doors,
2 drawers, columns, nice. High back sideboard with nice carving. Folk art painted bonnet chest, scalloped sides, dated PTL 1915. Maple single beds (1 – Bird’s eye). Single bed with raised panels (original red stain). Queen brass bed. Early side & captain’s chairs. chairs. Windsor rocker (original finish). Hanging cupboard made of thread spools. Dove tailed blanket box. Wood box. Pail stand. Primitive green side table. Twig table. Folky clock shelf. 10 samplers (signed and dated). 2 drawer “Spool” holder (store display). Brantford & other signed crocks & jugs. Redware bowl with slip decorations. Large floor candle stand. Wicker doll buggy. Also dolls, doll clothes & furniture, cradles etc. Handmade doll house. Old games & toys. Spinning wheel. Wool winder. Brass dinner bell with cradle & striker (10in. high). Wooden duck decoy. 12 candle mold. Graniteware. Kitchen collectibles. Large copper downspouts by Ed Reis. Cast iron pieces. Coffee grinders. Wash boards. Numerous pictures. 9 signed Chandlers. Signed Hobbs pastel. Chamber pieces. Various oil lamps (some coloured). Cast iron ship lamp. Skater’s lamp. Early candle holders. Wick trimmer. Mission table lamp. Candy jars. Silver tea service. Bennington. Standing whirligig soldier. Rare 1940’s chalk Herford bull bank. Folky rooster & wooden pig. Miniature wooden cutouts. Shell work. Textiles including hooked rugs, braided mats, large early needlepoint chicken rug, quilts, coverlets & fancy linen. Cutlery boxes. Butter presses. Early painted tray with peacocks. 3 Indian arrowheads. Ink wells. Pequegnat Colonial clock. Electric clock in heavy marble case. Wall & other clocks. Brass boat prop. 4 Ginger Beer bottles (O’Keefe’s, Port Perry, etc.). Advertising from Waterloo Manufacturing, Robert Bell Seaforth, Jack & Jill peanut butter, Tin Pepsi truck, Air Ways washing Machine Oil, plus other bottles, signs & cigar boxes. Vintage light up Coke clock. Gas can signed E.T. Wright. Apple green Beaver jar. Clarinet in original wooden case. Old Mandolin. Stenciled child’s sleigh – nice. Nazi trivet. Miniature irons & trivets. Oak wall phone. Northern Electric candlestick phone. Early birdcage with stand & milk glass feeders. Wooden bird cage. “Paintings in the Louvre” by Gowing, Martyrs’ Mirror & other books. 3 -19th century German gothic script “Berlin” books. “The Peoples Physician” with pull-out illustrations. Inuit sculptures. WW2 ammo box. Other boxes. Posters (Star Wars, Uncle Sam Recruiting). Brownie camera. Early baskets. Early Wade Staffordshire hen egg holder. French Ivory. China & glass (handless cup & saucer, Early goblets, flow-blue, compotes, Rosewood vases, Royal Bayreuth pieces, coloured glass, Maple Leaf plate, Wheat patterns.etc.).
STAMPS: CANADA Year Books (70’s to 90’s). Books, binders & albums
of Canada, U.S. Mexico, Dom. Republic, Brazil, Nepal, Pakistan & world. Canada & other first day covers. Canada Centennial Stamp case. U.S. precancelled & perforated stamps. World specialty stamp sets. Binders of U.S. mint. Other mint U.S. stamps. Souvenir sheets from Mexico. Lots of loose album pages, etc. Note – Stamps to sell 12:00 noon.
NOTE – Another early season highlight! Plan to attend. See
www.auctionsfind.com/gerber for photos. Terms – Cash, debit or cheque with I.D. 10% buyer’s premium.
AUCTIONEERS: Gerber Auctions Ltd.
519-699-4451 or 698-0138
2827 Hutchison Rd., RR#1 Millbank (Crosshill)
PHONE 519.669.5790 | TOLL FREE 1.888.966.5942 | FAX 519.669.5753 | ONLINE WWW.OBSERVERXTRA.COM
ADDRESS 20-B ARTHUR ST. N., ELMIRA, ON N3B 1Z9 PLACING A CLASSIFIED WORD AD
CLASSIFIED ADS
DISPLAY ADS
519.669.5790 EXT 0
519.669.5790 EXT 104
ads@woolwichobserver.com
sales@woolwichobserver.com
RESIDENTIAL COST $7.50 /20 WORDS EXTRA WORDS 20¢ PER WORD
COMMERCIAL COST $12.00 /20 WORDS EXTRA WORDS 30¢ PER WORD
In person, email, phone or fax submissions are accepted during regular business hours. Deadline for Thursday publication is Wednesday by 10 a.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 | 19
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
REAL ESTATE LISTINGS
Merry Christmas! STUNNING CENTURY CHARM
Drayton - This beautiful bungalow with loft is currently being built, located in the town of Drayton just a scenic drive from KW, quality at every turn, 1800 sq ft with hardwood and ceramic, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. large master bedroom ensuite and walkin closet. MLS 1537660.
Elmira - Character and charm are evident throughout this Century home! This spacious 2 storey is elegantly decorated throughout with large principal rooms Including a study on the main floor. Beautifully landscaped with a detached double garage. Located in the friendly town of Elmira 10 mins from Waterloo. Zoned for a home based business. MLS 30500671.
$464,000
BUNGALOFT
Donating back to the community we call home.
$422,500
FAMILY HOME GREAT PRICE
Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage Independently Owned and Operated
3 Arthur St. S., Elmira 519-669-5426
Elmira - This 4 bedroom home is perfect for a growing family as well as a retired couple due to the convenience of the main floor master bedroom with ensuite and walk in closet. Enjoy a morning coffee in the East facing sun room, and family time in the large living room. Walking distance to downtown and Rec Centre. Much larger than it looks! MLS 30500120.
Alli Bauman Paul Martin Sue Wideman SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT
SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT
allibauman@rogers.com
paul@remaxsolidgold.biz
519-577-6248 519-503-9533
SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT
226-750-9332
suewidemanhomes@gmail.com
$219,900
Call today Thinking About Selling? and book a FREE HOME EVALUATION
PUBLIC NOTICE
“PROUDLY REMEMBERING OUR PAST; CONFIDENTLY EMBRACING OUR FUTURE.”
Community Information Page
P.O. Box 158
24 Church St. W. Elmira, Ontario N3B 2Z6
Phone:
519-669-1647 or 877-969-0094 Fax: 519-669-1820
After Hours Emergency:
519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca
Notice of Change of Meeting Location
Recyclables and Garbage Collection
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO RESIDENTS
The Township of Woolwich’s regularly scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday January 12, 2016 will be held at the:
Tips for a windy day from the Region of Waterloo
AN UPDATE CONCERNING ENFORCEMENT OF THE WINTER OVERNIGHT PARKING BAN
Breslau Community Centre 100 Andover Drive, Breslau at 6:00 P.M Agendas will be posted at www.woolwich.ca on Friday January 8, 2016. Further questions or concerns can be directed to: Kiera Schlueter at (519) 669-1647 ext. 6115 (toll free877-969-0094, Ext. 6115) or by email at kschlueter@woolwich.ca
NEW – TOLL FREE NUMBER!
You can now reach the Township of Woolwich TOLL FREE at
1-877-969-0094
If not properly prepared, recyclables, garbage and even the containers they are in can blow around and litter our community. Here are some tips from the Region of Waterloo to help ensure what you set out is collected: • Place paper (newspaper, flyers, magazines, etc.) in a plastic grocery bag and tie the handles of the bag. Place on top of containers to weigh them down. Or if you have lots of bagged paper, place in a separate blue box and place that box on top of your container-filled blue box. • Don’t overfill your blue box or garbage can. • Save lightweight items for the following week’s collection. • Write your address on your blue box and garbage can in permanent marker. This makes it easier for them to be returned. • Crush bottles and cans, and flatten and bundle corrugated cardboard (maximum 75 cm by 75 cm by 20 cm or 30 in. by 30 in. by 8 in.) to make it harder for the wind to pick them up. • Make sure garbage can lids are securely closed. • Don’t set items to the curb the night before collection if a storm or high winds are expected. Place your items at the curb by 7 a.m. on the day of collection. • Reminder that Styrofoam is not collected in the Blue Box program. Thanks for your help!
The Township of Woolwich has a Traffic and Parking By-law that prohibits overnight parking on Township roads from December 1st to April 1st, 2:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. every year. This ban helps get vehicles off the street so that our snowplow operators can keep your streets clear of snow and ice. In light of the unseasonable warm weather trend we have experienced this month, and with weather forecasts predicting negligible snowfall, Enforcement Services have not actively enforced the overnight parking ban and will not until winter weather is forecasted to return. Staff will monitor weather conditions daily. Ticketing of vehicles parked overnight on Township streets will resume without further warning if weather conditions are predicted to deteriorate and snowfall accumulation are forecasted or roads could turn icy. Thank you to all of our residents for not parking vehicles on the street overnight. Your efforts help considerably because it means snowplow operators can clear every street and clear streets helps emergency responders as well. Your co-operation is appreciated. Inquiries about the decision to temporarily suspend active enforcement of the overnight parking ban may be directed to Val Hummel, Director of Council and Information Services at vhummel@woolwich.ca or direct line 519-669-6005.
20 | CLASSIFIED
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
REAL ESTATE LISTINGS
Bonnie
R.W. THUR REAL ESTATE LTD.
519-669-2772
Brubacher
45 Arthur St. S., Elmira www.thurrealestate.com
BROKERAGE
BROKER OF RECORD
Elmira Real Estate Services
INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED, BROKERAGE
Rozema
BROKER
90 Earl Martin Dr., Unit 4, Elmira N3B 3L4
LET OUR 50+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORK FOR YOU!
Shanna
519-669-3192 www.YourFamilyTeam.ca
“HELPING YOU IS WHAT WE DO.”
BRAD MARTIN
JULIE HECKENDORN
WE WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
TRACEY WILLIAMS
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR… …“Thank you for letting us help you in 2015”
LUKE SHANTZ
Broker of Record, Broker Sales Rep. MVA Residential Sales Rep. Res: 519.669.1068 Res: 519.669.8629 Cell: 519.505.0627 Cell: 519.584.4400
GEDDES ST., HAWKESVILLE
PARADIGM (ELMIRA) HOMES presents:
DRAYTON RIDGE EXECUTIVE TOWNS MODEL HOME at: 162 RIDGEVIEW DR., DRAYTON *
$279,900 “CHARACTER” GALORE in this quaint home backing to Mill Race in Hawkesville. 3+ bdrms. Formal LR/DR and eat-in kitchen. Main flr. family room w/walkout to a deck. Office in lower level w/separate entry. Zoning will allow for some commercial uses. MLS.
Priced from $322,900 . Beautiful 1424 sq ft Bungalows with 9' ceilings, open concept, hardwood & ceramic flooring. Seeing is believing. $356,900*. End unit loft offers 1977 sq ft, vaulted ceilings, generous open concept plan with lovely standard features to please. Builder bonus for upgrades, call for details. Exclusive.
*
SPACE FOR LEASE
$725/month 854 SQ. FT. AVAILABLE IN DOWNTOWN ELMIRA – Park Street East. Former dental office. Ideal for medical related business or office space. Some parking & basement storage available. MLS.
CALL FOR YOUR FREE MARKET EVALUATION
MUCH TO OFFER $539,000 ELMIRA Many
AMAZING OPPORTUNITY $254,900 ELMIRA Own this great
M-5 ZONING - ELMIRA VACANT LAND - $568,000 2.43 acre prime
RURAL BUILDING LOT - DRAYTON - $98,500 1.06 acre parcel, single
beautiful upgrades throughout, attractive professional landscaped property, covered back porch, shed, interlock walkways, inviting foyer, maple hardwood, wrought iron railing, fin basement, ensuite. MLS.
location in South end business park! MLS.
starter semi, 150' deep fenced yard! Good condition, neutral decor, 3 bdrms, finished recreation room, gas insert, updated furnace/05, a/c/12, vinyl windows. MLS.
family dwelling permitted. MLS.
CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE FALL MARKET ANALYSIS!
CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE THURSDAYS BY 10AM Call: 519-669-5790 or Visit: www.observerxtra.com/advertise/classified-ad/
CLASSIFIED | 21
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
THOMPSON’S
TIRE
WHERE TIRES
Complete Collision Service
Auto Tech Inc.
ARE A
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
519-669-3232
GENERAL SERVICES
RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING EFFORT!
AUTO CLINIC 21 Industrial Dr. Elmira
Accredited Test & Repair Facility
519-669-4400
519-669-7652
30 ORIOLE PKWY. E., ELMIRA www.thompsonsauto.ca
519.669.8917
TROPHIES | CUPS | PLAQUES | MEDALLIONS RIBBONS | NAME TAGS | NAME PLATES DOOR PLATES | CUSTOM ENGRAVING
QUICK LOCAL SERVICE | 245 Labrador Dr., Waterloo
www.UniTwin.com | 519.886.2102
GENERAL SERVICES
www.biobobs.com
While you wait! State of the acAhinrte Sharpening M
Various sizes & rates
$4.99 per pair
CLEAN • DRY • SECURE Call
www.biobob.com or call today!
5th pair FREE.
519-669-4964
22 Church St. W., Elmira
Tel: 519-669-5537
100 SOUTH FIELD DRIVE, ELMIRA
Visit our website
STORE HOURS:
519-648-3004
or
800-232-6396
M-W: 8-6, T-F 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5
GENERAL SERVICES
Boat Covers | Air Conditioner Covers | Small Tarps Storage Covers | BBQ Covers | Awnings & Canopies Replacement Gazebo Tops | Golf Cart Enclosures & Covers
COUNTR Y
’s 60’s / 70
HIGH SCHOOSL BAND
GOSPEL
ROCK
BAUMAN PIANO
SERVICES TUNING & REPAIRS
Your favourite albums get a whole new life on CD after we clean up the clicks, pops and surface noise.
519.595.4830
MORE INFO | 519.669.0541
6376 Perth Rd. 121 Poole, ON
967 St. David Street, North
877-664-3802
888-871-4592
519-664-3800
519-843-4845
www.fergusfireplace.com
Steve Co.
Plumbing and Maintenance Inc.
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL
MUSIC TRANSFERS FROM LPs, 45s, 78s, CASSETTES TO CD
General Repairs
FERGUS
1871 Sawmill Road
HOME IMPROVEMENTS SERVICES
MUSIC-LOVER GIFT ALERT!
•Ratches, Hooks, Straps, Webbing etc. •Canvas, Vinyl, Polyester, Acrylic Fabrics
WOOD GAS PELLET
CONESTOGO
EMAIL: vinylp2cd@gmail.com
For all your Plumbing Needs. JAMES BAUMAN
24 HOUR SERVICE Steve Jacobi
Craftsman Member O.G.P.T. Inc NEW PHONE NUMBER
519-880-9165
ELMIRA
519-669-3652
HOME IMPROVEMENTS SERVICES
The Right Window Treatment Can
Save you
Blinds by Elite or Mera
In home consultations Wide selection of styles & fabrics 1011 Industrial Crescent St. Clements | 519-699-5411 www.LetUsFloorYou.ca
FREE
INSTALLATION When you buy 3 or more
Hours: M-F 8:30 - 5:30 Sat 9:00 - 3:00
WINDOW FASHIONS • Residential • Commercial • Industrial
Randy Weber ECRA/ESA Licence # 7000605
519.669.1462 Fax: 519.669.9970 Tel:
Evenings By Appointment
Free in-home Consultations. Call someone you can trust. Call Cindy. A Brand You Can Trust 22 Church St. W., Elmira
Tel: 519-669-5537
18 Kingfisher Dr., Elmira
STORE HOURS: M-F: 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5
WEICKERT& MEIROWSKI Concrete Foundations Limited
YES... WE DO RESIDENTIAL WORK!
6982 Millbank Main St., Millbank 519-595-2053 • 519-664-2914
HOME IMPROVEMENTS SERVICES
IRA HOME COMFORT M L E (519) 669-4600
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 1 Union Street, Elmira
ehc@hotmail.ca (519)-669-4600
1553 King St. N., St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0
• Store Fronts • Thermopanes • Mirrors • Screen Repair • Replacement Windows • Shower Enclosures • Sash Repair TEL:
519-664-1202 / 519-778-6104 FAX: 519 664-2759 • 24 Hour Emergency Service
RESIDENTIAL & AGRICULTURAL - Design and build -
AGRICULTURAL | RESIDENTIAL FRAMING • ROOFING RENOVATIONS • EAVESTROUGHS
Wayne Martin | 519-504-2016 darwayconstruction@icloud.com | Alma, ON
Driveways • Sidewalks • Curbs • Patios Finished Floors • Retaining Walls • Steps Decorative/Stamped and Coloured Concrete www.marwilconcrete.ca
519-577-0370
22 | CLASSIFIED
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES
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
Concrete Breaking & Removal
AMOS R O O F I N G
INC
“25 years in Business”
OUTDOOR SERVICES
• Specializing in residential re-roofs • Repairs • Churches A Family owned and operated business serving KW, Elmira and surrounding area for over 35 years.
WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED
CALL JAYME FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE.
Your Business Here!
Advertise your business services in our service directory. Weekly exposure with fantastic results! Call Donna at 519.669.5790 Ext 104.
Interior/exterior Painting, Wallpapering & Plaster | drywall Repairs
NOW ACCEPTING VISA OR MASTERCARD
519.501.2405 | 519.698.2114 In Business since 1973 • Fully Insured
36 Hampton St., Elmira
Outdoor
Services
Lawn Maint Maintenance Main tenance 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
kdetweiler@rogers.com
KEVIN DETWEILER
OWNER-OPERATOR
PUBLIC NOTICE Since 1998
•Final grading •Lawn repair & complete seeding well equipped for large stoney areas •Spike Aerator/Overseeding •Natural & Interlocking Stone •Retaining Walls, Walks & Patios •Help for Top Water & Drainage issue
Murray & Daniel Shantz
ALMA, ONTARIO | PHONE: 519.846.5427
FAMILY ALBUM BIRTH NOTICE
BIRTHDAY
Steph and Ben Gunn welcomed their little boy
Happy 1st Birthday Harlow!
Oden Alexander
FREE ESTIMATES
519-669-2251
OUTDOOR SERVICES
SPACE FOR RENT
John Schaefer Painting
> Commercial & Residential > Fully Insured > WSIB Clearance > Senior Discount
NOTICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF WELLESLEY Budget Consultation Notice
TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Township of Wellesley will be reviewing the DRAFT municipal budget for the year 2016, with the intent to pass a By-law to adopt a budget pursuant to Section 290 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended. The public consultation meetings for the 2016 budget will be held at The Township of Wellesley Municipal Office, 4639 Lobsinger Line, Crosshill on January 11th and January 13th, 2016 starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m. An additional consultation meeting (if required) will be held on January 14th, 2016. Should you wish to attend the January 11th or 13th meeting or if you require further details or information, please contact Theresa Bisch, Township of Wellesley at (519) 699-3954 or email: tbisch@wellesley.ca
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF WELLESLEY into the world on December 7, 2015. Proud big sisters are Addison and Kenzie and brother Brady.
We love you little happy girl! Love mommy, daddy and your best buddy Tristan! Hugs & Kisses from Grandma & Grandpa Snelling & Nana & Papa Merz
BIRTHDAY
DEATH NOTICES
Happy 18th Birthday Cassandra!
OGRAM, SHIRLEY A. (NEE GRIFFIN) | Passed away peacefully
on Monday, December 21, 2015 at Chartwell Retirement Residence, Elmira. SCHEERER, MERVIN | Passed away at Freeport Health Centre, Grand River Hospital on Monday, December 21, 2015, of New Hamburg. Local relatives are his brother Roy and Esther Sheerer of Wellesley, sister, Gladys Knechtel of Winterbourne, and sister Loraine Bauman and her husband Roy of Elmira. WEBER, ELIZABETH ELIZABETH (FREY) WEBER | of RR#1
Wroxeter went home to be with her Lord on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at her residence in her 95th year. Local relatives are her son Noah Weber and his wife Pauline of Elmira.
Congratulations on your acceptance to University of Waterloo. Love Mom, Dad, Nicole & Colin
Animal Control It’s time again to purchase your dog tag(s). Tags are available starting January 4th, 2016 Tags can be purchased in two methods: 1) In Person at the Township Administration Office between 8:30am and 4:30pm (Mon. thru Fri.) 2) Mail to Township of Wellesley, 4639 Lobsinger Line R.R.#1 St. Clements, Ontario N0B 2M0 Annual License Fee $25.00 Senior Resident Fee $15.00
By-Law Enforcement Winter Reminders
Please take time to review the Township of Wellesley’s winter related By-Laws and keep them in mind during this winter season; Snow and Ice Removal from Sidewalks and Roofs By-Law 12/2011 Traffic and Parking By-Law 23/2010 Take note: By-Law 23/2010 has been amended to prohibit overnight parking on highways between November 1st and April 30th. Motorized Snow Vehicles By-Law 32/1996 For Dog Tag Application and complete By-Laws please visit www.Wellesley.ca
LIVING HERE | 23
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
LIVING HERE CHEF’S TABLE/ DONNA GINGRICH
CHARITY / EXTENDING SOME HOSPITALITY
a Looking to provide newcomers Taking delicious dip into with the comforts of home the holiday
MCC using former Elmira IGA location as temporary home to furniture depot for Syrian refugees WHITNEY NEILSON THE FORMER LIQUIDATION KING store in Elmira is filled with furniture once more. Mennonite Central Committee is using the Arthur Street location, once the IGA grocery store, as a furniture depot for Syrian refugees. The new arrivals will be able to come pick out the furnishings for their home, or their sponsors can do it for them, says MCC volunteer Steve Hiller. “As far as I know this is the only [such] depot where they can actually come. There are a lot of churches, but I’ve got a family member they’re not really involved with a church, but they got a group together. That’s happening and they’re more than welcome to use it as well,” Hiller said. The depot will be open at least until the end of February, and potentially longer depending if the owner finds someone to lease the space, which has been vacant since Liquidation King left earlier this year. In the back of the building piles of mattresses are stacked, which were donated from Western University in London. Volunteers have been busy wiping the dust off them from the transport truck they were brought in, while also accepting all sorts of furniture through the front entrance.
festivities and beyond RECIPE NOTES
Most recently home to a furniture store, the Elmira space continues in that same vein, but aimed at collecting and distributing donations for a wave of Syrian refugees. It will be in operation at least through February, says Mennonite Central Committee volunteer Steve Hiller. [WHITNEY NEILSON / THE OBSERVER] “It’s been pretty good. The word’s getting out,” Hiller said. They’ve already got a few table and chair sets, couches, dressers, and coffee tables. He says they’re looking for more of those, plus desks, buffets, and any other furniture people think will be usable. They’re not collecting electronics or appliances, he notes. “I’m kind of hoping with Christmas with some people buy this or that furniture, [they’ll say] okay it’s coming, what are we going to do with our old stuff?
I’m kind of hoping that will happen in the New Year. We’ll see,” Hiller said. The depot is being run by a steering committee, which Hiller sits on, and they’re always looking for more volunteers. Volunteers can assist in bringing in the donated furniture when people drop it off, doing minor repairs, and wiping down the mattresses. “MCC, they were flooded with calls with people wanting to donate furniture for the refugees. That’s where it started. Then MCC obviously didn’t
have a facility like this and they contacted Mennonite Disaster Service. So Mennonite Disaster Services has kind of taken on this project to take in this furniture.” He expects to see refugees and sponsors coming through the depot in January to get their furnishings in order. Hiller says some sponsors already have the furniture taken care of for when the refugees arrive, but as more people jump on board with sponsoring efforts the need will increase. Hiller says donated fur-
As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we wish all of our customers, suppliers and friends a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Leroy & Donna
niture should be something you’d give to your brother or sister. “We don’t want stuff that’s worn out. In good working condition, and something that you feel you’d give to somebody that you like,” Hiller said. “The main goal is to ease the cost for people that are bringing the refugees and also to help out the refugees. We’re trying to keep it as low cost as possible for them,” Hiller said. The depot is open Monday to Friday from 12-8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON, there are many get-togethers, some planned ahead and others spontaneous, that will require food. This is a great time to try some new party food recipes lest we get bored with the old. Of course, sometimes traditional is a necessity ... such as hot chocolate and homemade cinnamon buns after caroling or skating. Hot and cold dips are very popular these days. You can dip crackers, raw vegetables, tortilla chips, fresh bread cubes or pretzels. The dip recipe I’m sharing today called Broccoli Bacon Dip even looks festive in red and green. If you want to make it lower fat, use light miracle whip and low-fat sour cream. This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated, then heated at serving time. If you are making this for a party, you better double the recipe and bake it longer until heated through. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year. CHEF’S TABLE | 26
Tel: (519) 669-1082 Fax: (519) 669-3084 info@leroysautocare.net 20 Oriole Parkway E., Elmira, ON
www.leroysautocare.net
Accredited Test & Repair Facility
24 | LIVING HERE
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
“A GOOD JOB DONE EVERY TIME”
Kleensweep Carpet Care
Everything Vacuum
COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR
Cardlock Fuel Management
COMMERCIAL 24 CARDLOCK FUEL DEPOT HOUR
E-MAIL: ads@woolwichobserver.com 519-669-8362
9 C h u r ch S t . E . , E l m i ra
T. 519.669.2033
Truck & Trailer Maintenance
All Makes & Models
www.freybc.com
West Montrose, ON
Cell: 519.581.7868
Repairs Service Se
3435 Broadway St. Hawkesville 519-699-4641
Rugs and Upholstery
•Mattress Cleaning •Residential •Commercial •Personalized Service •Free Estimates
COLLEEN
Vacuum Sales,
Skilled craftsmanship. Quality materials. CONSTRUCTION STARTS HERE.
DECEMBER 29 FREE COMMUNITY SKATE - 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the Woolwich Memorial Complex. Skate with players from the Elmira Sugar Kings, free hot chocolate. For more information: Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council www.wrspc.ca.
JANUARY 10 HUNGRYMAN’S BREAKFAST HOSTED BY the Elmira Sugar Kings. Elmira Legion, 11 First St. E., Elmira. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Adults $6; 6-10 yrs $3; 5 & under free. All you can eat.
JANUARY 13 SENIORS COMMUNITY DINING AT noon (doors open at 11:30 a.m.). Calvary United Church, 48 Hawkesville Rd. St. Jacobs. Cost: $11. Community Care Concepts invites
you to join us for a hot noonday meal, fellowship and entertainment. Call 519-664-1900 for more information.
JANUARY 14 SENIORS LUNCH CLUB AT noon. Breslau Community Centre, 100 Andover Dr., Breslau. Cost: $6. Join us for a noon day light lunch and fellowship. Call Community Care Concepts at 519-664-1900 or toll free: 1-855-6641900 for more information.
JANUARY 20 SENIORS LUNCH CLUB AT noon (doors open at 11:30 a.m.). Wellesley Community Centre, 1000 Maple Leaf St. Wellesley. Cost $6. Join us for a noonday light lunch and fellowship. Call Community Care Concepts at 519-664-1900 or toll free: 1-855-664-1900 for more information.
w w w.elmiravacuumelectrical.ca
JANUARY 25 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.
Tuesday - Friday, 9am-5:30pm
•
Saturday, 9am-3pm
JANUARY 27 SENIORS LUNCH CLUB (DOORS open at 11:30 a.m.). Wellesley Community Centre, 1000 Maple Leaf St., Wellesley. Cost $6. Join us for a noonday light lunch and fellowship. Call Community Care Concepts at 519-664-1900 or toll free: 1-855-664-1900 for more information.
21 INDUSTRIAL DR. ELMIRA
519-669-2884
SUBMIT AN EVENT
M&G MILLWRIGHTS LTD.
The Events Calendar is reserved for non-profit local community events that are offered free to the public. Placement is not guaranteed.
• Design • Installation • Custom Fabrication
CORPORATE WEAR PROMOTIONAL APPAREL WORK & SAFETY WEAR | BAGS T-SHIRTS | JACKETS | HATS
MATERIAL HANDLING & PROCESSING SYSTEMS
Registrations, corporate events, open houses and the like do not qualify in this section.
519.669.5105
VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE TO EASILY SUBMIT YOUR EVENT:
245 Labrador Drive | Waterloo
1540 FLORDALE ROAD
observerxtra.com/events-calendar/submit-calendar-in-print/
519.886.2102
P.O. BOX 247, ELMIRA
www.UniTwin.com
www.mgmill.com 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE
TOTAL
NANCY KOEBEL
HOME ENERGY SYSTEMS
Bus: 519.744.5433 Home: 519.747.4388
Individual life insurance, mortgage insurance, business insurance, employee benefits programs, critical illness insurance, disability coverage,
New to the Community? Do you have a new Baby?
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
It’s time to call your Welcome Wagon Hostess.
YOUR OIL, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS AND AIR CONDITIONING EXPERTS
RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, LIFs and Annuities.
Elmira & Surrounding Area
11 HENRY ST. - UNIT 9, ST. JACOBS
SHARON GINGRICH 519.291.6763
519.664.2008
SUNDAYS - 9:00 & 11:00AM WEDNESDAYS - 7:00PM
St. James Lutheran Church
MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED
226-266-2432 pmerlihan@woolwich.ca @PatMerlihan www.merlihan.com
psgingrich@hotmail.ca
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE
PLACES OF FAITH | A DIRECTORY OF LOCAL HOUSES OF WORSHIP
building relationships with God, one another and the world
SANYO CANADIAN
PATRICK MERLIHAN COUNCILLOR | WARD 1 WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP
VERMONT Castings
652 Waterbury Lane, Waterloo
HOW CAN I HELP?
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
NURSERY PROVIDED
10:45am Worship Service
The Forgotten Gift
Finding The Way Together 47 Arthur St., S. Elmira • 519-669-3153 www.thejunctionelmira.com
11:00 am
Elmira Mennonite Church
REACH WITH LOVE. TEACH THE TRUTH. SEND IN POWER.
verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter
CALVARY CHAPEL
Christmas Eve
5 pm at Park Manor School
Reflections on “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” Sunday, December 27th
meets at All Saints Anglican Church 500 Northfield Dr. West, Waterloo • 226-234-8384
Christmas AT THE Movies Speaker: Stefan Konig
Sunday Service 6:00 pm
11:00 AM ONLY 18 Mockingbird Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1459 www.elmiracommunity.org
Speaker: Adam Hockley
Discovering God Together
4522 Herrgott Rd., Wallenstein www.wbconline.ca • 519-669-2319
290 Arthur St. South, Elmira • 519-669-3973 www.ElmiraAssembly.com (Across from Tim Horton’s)
The Book of Revelation
HEARING ASSISTED
Sun., December 27th
Service at 10:30am Rev. Paul Snow
www.kcf.org/academy
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Zion Mennonite Fellowship 9:30am Sunday School
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
200 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1296 www.woodsidechurch.ca
Worship: 9:30am
First Sunday of Christmas
58 Church St. W., Elmira • 519-669-5123
Emmanuel EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH
Worship Service
Sundays 10:30am
elmiraemmanuel.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
LIVING HERE | 25
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
STRANGE BUT TRUE / BILL & RICH SONES PH.D.
The laws of physics provide Santa with plenty of challenges on Christmas Eve WEIRD NOTES
Q. How might the Christ-
mas season be different if Santa and his reindeer tried traveling at the speed of light, or even beyond?
A. You’d think Santa really
could do the job of reaching every house in one night, since travel time from the North Pole to even Key West would only be 1/40th of a second, says astronomer Bob Berman, author of “Zoom: How Everything Moves.� Unfortunately, going at even just under light speed would increase Santa’s mass, something he already worries about. In fact, he’d outweigh the entire galaxy, and so
would each of the reindeer. As for beyond light speed, physics says that’s impossible. But if it were possible, causality would be reversed, and effect would precede cause. Thus, Santa would know if kids were “naughty or nice� even before they’d written their Christmas letters. That might give him an edge, when it came to prep time. Or as Fermilab analyzed it, Santa has to move 1/1000 the speed of light (c) to make his rounds, says Harvard astrophysicist Douglas Finkbeiner. Yet problems start at much lower speeds. Above Mach 1 (1125 feet per second, or fps), sonic booms wake up the children. By Mach 3 (3376 fps), the reindeer get cooked. (Remember that light travels
at 186,000 miles per second!) Even ignoring the atmosphere, Santa’s suit becomes green due to Doppler shift, but not until 0.17c. Even closer to c, blueshift of the cosmic microwave background and any other ambient radiation becomes brighter than the sun and cooks the reindeer. Poor reindeer. So there is no way for Santa to do this. You need roughly 1,000 Santas to keep them subsonic. :-) Q. Astronomically speaking, is there anything boldly new in store for the New Year?
A. It’s quite possible, but far
from certain, that 2016 will be the year when the first direct detection of gravitational waves is made by the “Advanced LIGO� telescopes (ALIGO) in Louisiana and
in astronomy thus far has come from detection of electromagnetic waves, from radio to optical to X-rays to Gamma rays. Findings from ALIGO may well open a new window of gravitational wave astrophysics and on the Universe of extreme phenomena, such as neutron stars or black holes spiralling into each other. Stay tuned. Q. Athletes, how ready are you to face your next sporting opponent? How might “Readiband� help give you a clue?
Washington State running together, says astronomer Jonathan Grindlay of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, which he published exactly a century ago, predicted gravitational waves, or “ripples� in space and time. We in the physics community have full confidence these waves exist, and the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics went to two astronomers who made the first indirect detection by measuring the rate at which two neutron stars in close orbit around each other were spiraling together, finding it could be explained accurately by the emission of gravitational waves. But this was not direct detection of the waves themselves. Everything measured
A. “This electronic
wristband measures sleep quality and quantity, which can help predict a player’s reaction time for the next day,� says Emily Waltz in “The Quantified Olympian.� An associated online tool helps coaches monitor
athletes’ sleep patterns and fatigue levels. Readiband works this way: An accelerometer senses tiny movement of the wrist to tell whether the wearer is asleep or awake. To predict fatigue, the information is then sent through the SAFTE model (Sleep, Activity, Fatigue, Task and Effectiveness) developed by the U.S. Army and an “effectiveness score� rates the quality of the slumber, helping forecast reaction time. Already, the Dallas Mavericks (basketball), Seattle Sounders (soccer) and Vancouver Canucks (ice hockey) are using Readiband.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS Bill is a journalist, Rich holds a doctorate in physics. Together the brothers bring you “Strange But True.� Send your questions to strangetrue@compuserve.com.
OBSERVER CROSSWORD PUZZLER ACROSS 1. Chart 4. Collapsed 8. Ed.’s request 11. Cal. col. 14. “___ fallen ...� 15. Mosque V.I.P. 16. Can. neighbor 17. Istanbul native 19. French historian 21. Sheen 23. Gulf port 24. Waste away 26. Capt.’s guess 27. Trekkies’ field 28. Fish hawk 29. Dick Tracy’s wear 31. Conceal 32. “Comprende?� 33. Grassy area 34. Designer Jacobs 36. Caribbean, e.g. 38. Chester White’s home 40. Boys 44. Wet nurses 46. Authority 48. Inane
50. U.S.S.R. successor 51. Kind of triangle 54. Chinese “way� 55. Like some elephants 57. Explosive 58. Destined 60. “Back in the ___� 61. Even if, briefly 63. “___ will be done� 65. Wood sorrels 66. African antelope 68. When it’s broken, that’s good 70. A head 72. Method of treating disease 76. Some suits 79. African antelope 80. Deception 81. Bride-to-be 82. Fluff 83. Fainter 85. Pillage 86. French novelist Pierre 87. Alias 88. Cheap trinket 90. Fa follower 91. Cul-de-___
92. Do goo 93. Swindles: Slang. 94. “Star Trek� rank: Abbr. DOWN 1. Botch 2. Admits 3. Repetition 4. Golden 5. PM preceder 6. Caesar’s farewell 7. Australian runner 8. Suicidal Hindu widows 9. Southeast Asia association 10. Canal site 11. Detached 12. Part of a TV feed 13. Nonkosher 18. Jersey, e.g. 20. Improve, in a way 22. Arid 25. Cleaning cabinet supplies 27. “___ Cried� (1962 hit) 29. Autocrats 30. Glasgow’s river 34. Former Portuguese province 35. Awry
37. Age 39. Arable land 41. Paper holder 42. 1957 #1 song 43. Highlanders, e.g. 45. Be in session 47. Columbus Day mo. 49. Belief 52. Ab strengthener 53. Admittance 56. Silver 59. Tertiary period 62. Best 64. Abominable Snowman 67. Doze (off) 69. Attention-getter 71. Prizes 72. Hot spot 73. Hodgepodges 74. Kind of ray 75. Similar 77. English cattle breed 78. Blinds, in falconry 81. Donnybrook 83. “___ nabbit!� 84. ___ roll 89. Astir
SUDOKU CHALLENGE
NOTICE:
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE DECEMBER 31st EDITION.
In November Amy McDougall of Elmira rounded up the girls for a get-away birthday celebration. Jenny Benham, Tiffany Lemoine, Anne Carreon, Amy McDougall and Jasmine Roth had a blast, and they brought their Observer too!
Varadero, Cuba
CAPTION
LOCATION
OBSERVER TRAVELS
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.
26 | LIVING HERE
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
Give Your Loved One
The GIFT of HEARING
CHEF’S TABLE: Go ahead, take a dip into tasty
Juliane Shantz, Doctor of Audiology at Ear and Hearing Clinic, is thrilled to announce the winner of their Free gift of hearing giveaway!
78% of hearing aid users enjoy shared activities with friends more since they have been using a hearing aid.
Congratulations to
LUCAS HARRISON Juliane Shantz presents Lucas Harrison a cheque for $4,500 for a pair of hearing aids.
Call us today for a comprehensive evalutation. “Hear the sounds of life”
Kitchener • 519-743-7000 | Elmira • 519-669-4425 Palmerston • 1-888-745-5550 | www.earandhearingclinic.com
Broccoli Bacon Dip
1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup miracle whip 1/8 tsp. pepper For dipping; assorted crackers, fresh bread cubes, tortilla chips
1 cup chopped broccoli 2 Tbsp. chopped onion 3 Tbsp. chopped red pepper 8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled 3 Tbsp. parmesan cheese 1 garlic clove, minced 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Chop broccoli, onion, red pepper and bacon finely. Toss vegetables and bacon into a bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Spread into an ovenproof dish. Cover.
FROM | 23
Bake at 375º F for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with crackers, bread cubes or tortilla chips.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Donna is the author of A Taste of Nostalgia Cookbook, which is available by calling 519-638-5791 or email donna.atasteofnostalgia@ gmail.com.
Wishing you and your family a Magical Christmas and a Wonderful New Year. We thank you for a successful 2015. We are privileged to be entrusted with your dental care.
See you in 2016!
77 ARTHUR ST. S., ELMIRA | PH. 519-669-1577
DR. ANH LE | DR. LINDA VO | DR. GREGORY MASON w w w. a r t h u r s t r e e t d e n t a l . c a
LIVING HERE | 27
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
WE WISH YOU A
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! As we wind down from the hustle and bustle of another year we take pleasure in reconnecting with friends, focusing on family and experiencing all the joys of the holiday season. We look forward to a busy and productive schedule in 2016. For now, however, it’s time to enjoy the Christmas festivities and bask in the possibilities of the New Year.
All the best of the season from all of us at the Observer! Joe Merlihan, Donna Rudy, Steve Kannon, Whitney Neilson, Liz Bevan, Pat Merlihan and Jake Stallard
HOLIDAY HOURS: OFFICE CLOSED
December 24th (noon) RE-OPENS January 4th
28 | BACK PAGE
THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
B OX I N G D AY
B L OWO U T OUR ONCE A YEAR SALE!
NO TAX S-T-O-R-E-W-I-D-E 1ST COME 1ST SERVED!
DOORS OPEN
7AM SHARP! S HARP!
DECEMBER 26
TH
1 DAY ONLY! WWW. 1362 VICTORIA ST N. KITCHENER 519.742.9188 | BOXING
.COM DAY 7AM-6PM