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02 | 14 | 2015 VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 07
Preserving Wellesley’s yesteryears LIVING HERE PAGE 24
COMMENT PAGE 8
Woolwich council needs to press for real cuts
Tweaks made, Woolwich approves 2015 budget steve kannon At times visibly frustrated by the process, council this week approved Woolwich’s 2015 budget, which maintains an operating budget tax increase of zero and a 1.6 per cent levy for infrastructure projects. Overall, spending for the township’s operations rises to $14.7 million, up 6.3 per cent over the $13.8 million budgeted in 2014, well beyond the inflationary two per cent tax hike originally sought in staff’s first draft of the budget. Having opted for a target of zero, councillors expecting a two per cent cut in spending found instead staff offering up a combination of minor cuts, spending deferrals, and optimism that some revenues would be higher than originally forecasted. Taken together with the poaching of assessment growth money, the measures provide room for the freeze on tax hikes council demanded. The convoluted shuffling wasn’t lost on some councillors, who expressed frustration that the budget process fails to properly service the public. Budget | 6
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Neighbours unhappy with school planned for Breslau parkland Woolwich sees chance to upgrade the park with money from school board deal, but not everyone is onboard Scott Barber With 182 signatures and counting, a petition condemning plans by the Township of Woolwich and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board to build an elementary school in Breslau Memorial Park is gaining steam. The petition was launched online by Matthew VanderMeer, a Norwich Road resident with property backing onto the parkland. “For the homeowners that back onto the space, we were under the impression that this was finished, that this green space was here to stay,” VanderMeer said, noting the $5,000 premium he paid the developer for his home’s location. “We have the community gym and the community centre there and we thought over time they might add tennis courts and a splash pad. And so we were really taken by surprise when we saw these plans to put a building there.”
Along with a JK-to-Grade 8 school that will replace St. Boniface Catholic Elementary School in Maryhill, the plans call for improvements to existing township facilities, which will be shared with their new neighbour. The Region of Waterloo Library is also involved, as plans call for a 5,000-square-foot shared-use library. Plans, including preliminary designs, will be unveiled to the public at a meeting February 26. Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz called the proposal “an excellent opportunity to upgrade the park and to bring a good, decent-sized library to Breslau.” She added, “We don’t have the funds to do the upgrades that we would see as a result of this partnership. The school board will pay us for the land and then School | 4
Matthew VanderMeer launched an online petition opposing a plan hatched by the township and WCDSB to build a school in Breslau Memorial Park. [scott barber / the observer]
2 | NEWS
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
Kings trade arena for the library CLOSED Mon, Feb 16th for Family Day
Next Senior’s Day: Thursday, February 26 !
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NEWS | 3
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
A homecoming for Butch Martin
all bundled up for the trek to school
Author Del Gingrich and the man whose story is the topic of his latest book will be at Floradale café next Friday for a book-signing event Scott Barber Local hockey legend Floyd “Butch” Martin is returning home to Floradale next week for a book signing at Bonnie Lou’s Café. Martin will join author Del Gingrich at the quaint eatery on the corner of Floradale and Ruggles roads, just a couple doors down from Martin’s childhood home, on February 20 from 2-4 p.m. The event is a celebration of Gingrich’s book, Butch Martin: From the Dam to the World Stage, which chronicles the unlikely story of “how a Mennonite boy who grew up playing shinny on the Floradale dam returned decades later carrying multiple Olympic medals.” And Bonnie Lou’s Café is the perfect setting, Gingrich said. “Bonnie Lou’s is located in the building formerly owned and operated by four generations of the Ruggle family who ran a general store and post office. Butch was a regular customer at Ruggles from his early childhood to adulthood. His family home was just two doors along Ruggles Road. After his marriage, he and his wife lived in a second-floor apartment just next door to the general store. Butch is looking forward to reconnecting with people in the area, some of whom he hasn’t seen for many years.” Martin had a prolific hockey career, starting in Junior with the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters before winning back-to-back Olympic medals at the 1956 (bronze at Squaw Valley) and 1960 (silver at Cortina) winter games as a member
of the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen. After choosing family life with wife “PeeWee” over a NHL contract with the New York Rangers, Martin went on to further his amateur hockey credentials in the ’60s with the Galt Terriers, the Johnstown Jets and the Kitchener Rangers. Martin, who now resides in New Hamburg, is excited to visit his hometown. “There have been a lot of people who have commented on the book saying they would love to see Butch again,” Gingrich said. “This will give Butch the chance to have a reunion of sorts with friends from the area.” And there’s been significant interest in the community for this event, Gingrich added. “Bonnie Lou had been approached by a number of people who thought this would be a great idea and so we decided to make it happen.” In the book, Gingrich leads the chapter “I’ve only just begun” with a section on Bonnie Lou’s Café. “In 2014, Bonnie Lou Martin is the most celebrated person in the tiny village of Floradale. She is the always smiling and welcoming owner of Bonnie Lou’s Lunch at the corner of Ruggles Road and Floradale Road. In 2009 she bought the place from the Ruggle family. They’d been owners of Ruggle’s General Store since the late 1800s. Bonnie Lou left some major features of the former store pretty well untouched. That enhanced its unique ambience and kept memories of the village’s past alive.” Next Friday those memories are sure to be in abundance.
HOW TO REACH US
This group of kiddos make the trek to school each morning in Elmira, even on Winter Walk to School Day, which was Feb.11. From left, Aliyah, Cooper, Miley, Addison, Kaia, Ty, and Ella. [whitney neilson / the observer]
Relief sale a major fundraiser for MCC and its many overseas projects Whitney Neilson Local farmers and other generous donors are busy gathering their best products and services for the annual Mennonite Central Committee heifer relief sale. The event has raised more than $4.6 million for MCC programs around the globe since its 1981 inception. MCC executive director Rick Cober Bauman says the success of the sale is largely due to the “generous visionary spirit of the organizers and the donors.” “They’ve got their sights on making a significant six-figure contribution every year and they’ve come though some really hard times. The dairy industry was hit hard with mad cow disease and they pushed through that.” He said they need that level of inspired commitment at the core of the event in order to have all the other things fall into
place as well. There will be a variety of products, services, and of course heifers, on sale. “It often starts with some dairy-related equipment,” Cober Bauman said. “Somebody might have some dairy related antiques or the Holstein Journal, which is a magazine that many dairy farmers read, somebody might have their collection that they’re donating that isn’t missing any editions and is in mint condition. There will also be a Holstein cow woodcarving from Harold Erb up for sale, along with other products like straw, semen, and feed. Cober Bauman noted the late Eli Martin used to donate hand-carved wooden sleds that fetched hundreds of dollars alone. “It brings people from across the wide range,” Cober Bauman said. “There are many of those Mennonite and Amish groups represented, but also many other neighbours. It’s a
broad community even that’s not limited to the Mennonite community.” The event was inspired by the New Hamburg relief sale, which was largely food and handicrafts. He said this sale continues to be a remarkable gathering of all the talents the dairy community has to share. “It’s a very unique and genius way of their gifts being applied to a fundraising effort that benefits MCC’s work,” Cober Bauman said. The funds raised are used on a where-neededmost basis. These types of fundraisers are crucial for MCC because sometimes it
can be hard to raise money for specific types of work, like peace building. “This gives us the ability to work on difficult issues in forgotten places,” Cober Bauman said. “That could be an emergency or a peace building response in Nigeria, a country that has experienced horrific violence in the past year and a half. We have some strong peace building work happening in Nigeria. We’re also responding in Ukraine, which is in the news but when people are hurting each other we’re less likely to give to that response than if a natural disaster hurt people.” The Mennonite Savings and Credit Union will be donating a prestige heifer, which they’ve done for a number of years. More than 100 dairy heifers have already been registered to be sold at the relief sale. The sale is February 20 at Carson Auction Facilities in Listowel at 11 a.m.
Phone 519.669.5790 | toll free 1.888.966.5942 | fax 519.669.5753 | online www.observerxtra.com
4 | NEWS
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
PRACTICE HOME FIRE ESCAPE PLANNING ON FAMILY DAY
Township of Woolwich - Chief Rick Pedersen is urging families in Woolwich to practice their home fire escape plan as part of Family Day on February 16, 2015. “Most fatal fires occur at night when everyone is asleep, so that is why it is so important for everyone to know what to do when the smoke alarms sound”, said Fire Chief Rick Pedersen. “Everyone should know what to do and where to go to get out safely.”
INSTALL SMOKE ALARMS
CHILDREN/SENIORS
MEETING PLACE
Install smoke alarms on every storey and outside sleeping areas. It’s the law. For best protection, install smoke alarms in every bedroom.
Determine who will be responsible for helping young children, older adults or anyone else that may need assistance.
Choose a meeting place outside, such as a tree or a lamp post, where everyone can be accounted for.
UNDER SMOKE
CALL FIRE DEPT.
FIRE ESCAPE PLAN
If caught in smoke, get low and go under the smoke to the nearest safe exit.
outside the home, from a cell phone or neighbor’s home.
and discuss it with the entire family.
CHECK ALL EXITS Check that all exits are unobstructed and easy to use. Once out, stay out. Never re-enter a burning building.
INSTALL CO ALARMS Install carbon monoxide detectors outside of sleeping areas.
TWO WAYS OUT
Show everyone two ways out of each room, if possible.
make sure everyone can get out quickly. For more information contact: Fire Prevention 519-664-2887 Dennis Aldous
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 fees for transit fares, museum admissions, airport passenger and tenant fees, planning applications, Sunnyside Home programs and amenities, child care fees, and waste disposal site charges. The by-law will be considered at the Regional Council Meeting scheduled for: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Regional Municipality of Waterloo Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, Administration Building 150 Frederick Street, Kitchener A copy of the proposed fees and charges will be available for review after Friday, February 6, 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. 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 by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 2, 2015. 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.
A sketch of a possible site plan for Breslau parkland, including a new Catholic school and improvements to the township facilities.
SCHOOL: Park improvements are unlikely to go
ahead in absence of deal with board, says twp.
from | COVER
we will use that money for the upgrades to the park. Could we do some minor upgrades (without selling land to the WCDSB), maybe some minor upgrades, but the extent of the upgrades would be nowhere near what we will be able to so as a result of this partnership. We could say that this isn’t going to work and the school would have to find another site, and that will be that. But you won’t see major upgrades to the park then, we just don’t have the funds for that.” The park upgrades include the relocation of the lower baseball diamond to provide a buffer between the home run fence and neighbouring homes; new lighting for the ball diamond; the addition of a “comfort station” with change rooms, a concession and picnic area; resurfacing of the tennis courts along with fresh painting and additional fencing; expanding the soccer pitch to regulation size; stone dust trails; new sound sys-
tem, basketball nets and storage for the gymnasium; an equipment storage building; an accessible playground in conjunction with the parents council; and a splash pad in cooperation with the Breslau Lions Club. While VanderMeer supports the need for a new school and library in Breslau, he questions why it needs to come at the expense of the community’s already-limited parkland. “Why does it need to be in that spot?” he wondered. “If Breslau was completely built out and all the land was used up and the planners were considering putting the school way out in the middle of nowhere or in the park right in the centre of Breslau, I would be less upset about it. But there is undeveloped land 100 feet down that road. And when I say undeveloped I mean it has already been leveled and excavated so it’s not like a nice green space with trees or anything, it is just piles of rocks, dirt and weeds. Why can’t they go just a little
deeper in there and put the school where there is nothing else currently?” Shantz countered those concerns, emphasizing the relatively small footprint the school facilities will make on the parkland. “The parkland is 19.6 acres and only a very, very small portion of that will be taken up by the school,” she said. “There will be minimal green space disappearing. I think it’s in the neighbourhood of 15 acres of green space that will remain, so it’s not like we’re plunking the school in the middle of the park.” The province has provided the WCDSB with $5.3 million for the new project. The school will be built for 250 students, with a target of opening in 2018. The development is contingent on final approval from the board, Woolwich council and the Region of Waterloo. A public consultation and information night is scheduled for February 26, 7 p.m. at the Breslau Community Centre on Andover Drive.
Wellesley fills vacant chief administrative position from within township ranks Scott Barber After paying a consulting firm nearly $16,000 to find a new chief administrative officer it turns out the Township of Wellesley didn’t have to look far for their man. Rik Louwagie, the township’s chief building official since 2008, took over the role of top bureaucrat Monday. Louwagie will work double duty, maintaining his position as CBO during the ninemonth probation period. “After a rigorous interview process, which started with 44 applications, Mr.
Louwagie stood head and shoulders above the rest,” Mayor Joe Nowak said. “From my perspective Rik Louwagie was the only candidate that understood the challenges facing Wellesley Township and more importantly, had a reasonable plan to address those challenges. Rik Louwagie has what I believe to be the most essential quality for a successful CAO, he has the ability to be both firm and fair when dealing with staff and council.” Louwagie takes over from interim CAO Kevin Beggs, the township’s general manager of commu-
nity services, who stepped in after Willis McLaughlin retired in December. The recruitment process began last summer, when the previous iteration of council decided to hire Ward & Uptigrove Consulting and Human Resources to seek applicants for the position. The decision was controversial, with former Mayor Ross Kelterborn and Ward 4 Coun. Paul Hergott arguing in favour of conducting the search in-house. Councillors Shelley Wagner, Herb Neher and Jim Olender voted in favour of paying an outside firm for assistance.
NEWS | 5
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
Tender OK’d for Breslau project Reconstruction work on Woolwich and Dolman streets in Breslau is expected to start in April, as township council this week awarded a contractor $2.3 million to carry out the project. Regional Sewer and Watermain Ltd. was the winning bidder. Another $130,000 will be paid out to the firm of WalterFedy for contract administration, inspection and postconstruction services. The project will see 25 properties in old Breslau connected to municipal
water and sewer services. The benefitting property owners will be billed $11,200 apiece, their share of the overall project cost. Each is also responsible for any laterals and connection fees to hook up to the services. The work is slated to get underway April 20 and wrap up by September 15.
Fees stopped for Crime Stoppers
Following up on the success of a thank-you event for the community’s response following the 2014 vandalism of the Woolwich Memorial Centre, Crime Stoppers of Waterloo Region is planning
another awareness event at the venue. Meeting this week, Woolwich council agreed to waive rental fees for April 12. Instead of paying some $1,500 for the use of the two ice pads, swimming pool and community and meeting rooms, organizers will be able to put more resources into the day’s activities. On tap are hockey skills sessions for minor hockey players, a free public skate and swim, seniors centre activities including presentations on fraud, a barbecue, raffles and draws, among a list of other options. Councillors meeting Tuesday night quickly backed a request to forego the fees.
Using some salty legal language Woolwich will lease a salt dome from the Region of Waterloo for a buck a year. The catch? The township has dropped $11,600 into repairs, with another $72,000 slated for this year. The facility on Howard Avenue in Elmira had been used by both municipalities since it was built in the 1980s, but the region stopped storing its winter-control materials there in 2011, allowing the township to carry on. The region is going through a surplus property disposal process for
the site, and in the meantime the formal lease provides some assurances for the township as it spends money on the dome.
Event raises $7K for fire victims
A fundraiser for two women who lost their homes in a fire raised some $7,000 on February 3. The fire at St. Jacobs’ Martin Grove Village on January 16 destroyed the homes at 105 and 107 Jessie Lee Ln. The open house event was organized by the Martin Grove residents’ association.
Home sales down 9.9% in January There were a total of 290 residential properties sold last month, a 9.9% decrease compared to the same month last year, the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors reports. January’s residential sales included 188 detached homes (down 9.6% compared to January 2014) 57 condos (down 24%), 18 semis (up 5.9%), and 25 freehold townhouses (up 31.6%). The average sale price of all homes sold in January was $318,075, a decrease of 1.6%.
POLICE BLOTTER FE B RUARY 3
Police seeking info on suspect in St. Clements bank robbery Waterloo Regional Police have released surveillance camera images from Monday afternoon’s robbery at the CIBC branch in St. Clements. The unknown male entered the bank located at 3575 Lobsinger Line about 3 p.m. His face was covered as he brandished what is believed to be a firearm and demanded money. The male is described as 5’6” to 5’7” in height and was wearing dark clothing. The suspect received an undisclosed amount of
8:00 AM | In the early morning hours, a rural officer located a car at the dam on Three Bridges Road near St. Jacobs. As the officer tried to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle sped off towards Lobsinger Line at a high rate of speed. The vehicle drove through the stop sign at Lobsinger Line and continued toward King Street, where it slid on the ice approaching the intersection before sliding into the field hitting a checkerboard sign. A female passenger was apprehended at the scene and the male driver was tracked by canine and apprehended a short distance away. Due to the extreme cold the man was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, where he was treated for minor hypothermia. The 33-year-old
cash and was seen leaving the branch on foot. Anyone with information is asked to call North Division detectives at 519-6508500, ext. 6340 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Kitchener man was subsequently charged with ‘dangerous driving,’ ‘breach of probation,’ and ‘fail to stop for police.’ He was held for bail hearing. FE B RUARY 6
11:00 AM | A member of the Wellington County OPP observed a male riding his bicycle in the westbound lane of Main Street in Palmerston, Town of Minto. The officer stopped the bicycle and expressed his concerns to the rider for his safety considering the road and weather conditions at that time and asked him to identify himself. The man refused to provide his full name to the officer despite being asked numerous times. The repercussions of not identifying
1:22 PM | A 32-year-old Alma man lost control of his Chevrolet van in icy road conditions on Arthur Street North in Woolwich Township. Damage was estimated at $450. There were no injuries, and no charges were laid.
himself were explained and the male continued to refuse and shout profanities at the officer. The officer placed the man under arrest, at which time he assaulted the officer with his bicycle. A second officer arrived on scene and a search was conducted of the male and a small amount of marijuana was located. When asked about the marijuana he spat in the officers face. A 52-year-old Palmerston man now faces assault and drug charges.
2:49 PM | Police received a report of a theft of an iPad and some cash from a vendor at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. 11:19 PM | A 19-year-old Elora woman driving a 2003 Toyota lost control in a curve during icy conditions at Northfield Drive and Scotch Line Road in Woolwich Township. No one was injured, but damage was estimated at $1,000. There were no charges.
FE B RUARY 8
10:42 AM | A 2006 Toyota being driven by a 27-year-old Elmira man slid off of Hutchison Road in Wellesley Township, ending up in a ditch. Police report that the weather led to poor road conditions at the time.
Cowan charged with fraud, breach of trust for expense claims STEVE KANNON Former Woolwich mayor Todd Cowan has been charged with fraud under $5,000 and breach of trust in relation to his expense claims. The charges announced February 6 followed an investigation conducted by members of the Ontario Provincial Police Anti-Rackets Branch. Initially investigated by Waterloo Regional Police, the case was turned over to the provincial force in October.
Cowan, 50, came under scrutiny last year after a review found he submitted expense claims resulting in a double reimbursement of more than $2,700. Expenses related to conferences, mileage and meals charged on the mayor’s township credit card were also filed with the Region of Waterloo. As mayor, Cowan served as Woolwich’s representative on regional council. A review began last July when a citizen got Cowan’s expense records from the region at the end of June,
submitted a request under freedom of information legislation for the mayor’s township expenses and then supplied the township with the region’s records. An internal review by both municipalities was followed by an external investigation led by municipal law expert John Mascarin of the firm of Aird & Berlis LLP. Cowan paid back a total of $2,770.68 in August, calling the issue a mistake based on his own poor accounting. The review found six
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incidents of double reimbursement between January 2012 and February 2014, the two largest amounting to more than $1,000 for an Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa in August 2013 and a Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto last February. The investigation grew a little wider in September with the referral to police of mileage claims related to the Cowan’s attendance of Grand River Conservation Authority meetings.
Former Woolwich mayor Todd Cowan is scheduled to appear in court Mar. 3 to answer to the charges. [file photo]
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The GRCA expenses having been sent to the township, a staff review found $465 in mileage claims that may have been double-billed, as was the case with some $2,700 in expenses paid by Woolwich but also reimbursed to Cowan by the Region of Waterloo. The review looked at mileage claims submitted to the township that coincided with GRCA meetings. Cowan is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Kitchener on March 3.
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6 | NEWS
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
Budget: Councillors express frustration with lack of information from intentionally convoluted process from | cover
“I was expecting to see some real cutting, and I’m not really seeing that here,” said Coun. Patrick Merlihan, who argued surplus money should be used for infrastructure projects, not simply funnelled into the operating budget. “That’s not a cut in my books.” That sentiment was echoed by Coun. Larry Shantz, who was also expecting a two per cent cut in spending – “I don’t see that here.” Instead, the revised budget presented by staff sees a one per cent cut, though not really cutbacks, and a one per cent reworking of revenue forecasts, what he called “found money.” Shantz reacted with
scepticism, pointing to the disingenuous nature of the figures. “I was surprised to see that we just found money,” added Coun. Scott Hahn. A discussion about sending the budget back for real cuts to spending ultimately led nowhere, however. Staff immediately countered with suggestions cuts would have to come from frontline services, including capital spending and maintenance projects. Asked if the cost-saving measures considered by managers had included a look at high staffing numbers and costs, chief administrative officer David Brenneman said the idea was dismissed pending another push for a service level review and
subsequent organizational evaluation. That idea was rejected by Merlihan, however, who stressed that staffing costs amount to half the operating budget, yet councillors were not provided with any information, even details they’d requested. “It is a large area of the budget that this council hasn’t had an opportunity to look at,” he said. “We’re blind during this budget process.” Raising Coun. Murray Martin’s earlier suggestion about a hiring freeze as part of the budget tradeoff, Merlihan found only some waffling on both sides of the table. Mayor Sandy Shantz was quick to dismiss any talk of more cuts or discussion of staffing costs.
Merlihan noted that the budget process has to change. When looking to set a budget that serves the public, “that discussion needs to take place at some point,” he said of staff costs. The township can’t count on “magic money” being found every year, he added. “Magic money is fantastic, but they’re not cuts. I am disappointed with how this all broke down, with magic money coming to save the day. “This process has to change next year.” Coun. Shantz also voiced his frustrations with the process, arguing that councillors need more information to do their job of
keeping an eye on the everincreasing spending in the budget. He also called on staff to do a better job of justifying increases. In future discussions, he said, council needs better numbers showing the upward trend in spending, which increases far more each year than inflation and the inflationary tax increases recommended by staff as a starting point. All of the manoeuvring, including loading up surplus dollars into the mix, allowed for the repaving of Benjamin Road to remain in the works for 2015. Staff had suggested doing the project over two years in order to avoid having to borrow to pay for the proj-
ect, but the “magic money” came into play there, too. Director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley noted that the tender for repairing the Floradale Road bridge came in $175,000 less than budgeted, so that money could be applied to Benjamin Road. That work is expected to cost $725,000 (plus $117,000 for wider cycling lanes), with staff recommending the full amount be borrowed. Councillors kyboshed that idea early on in the debate. At least some of the money to be raised by this year’s 1.6 per cent tax surcharge for infrastructure will be channelled towards the project.
Cold out, much too warm inside
proudly presents the
2015 Heritage Showcase Saturday, February 21, 2015 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Conestoga Mall 550 King Street North Waterloo, Ontario Visit the displays of over 30 community organizations that preserve and celebrate the history of Waterloo Region. ❦
All are welcome ❦
For more information on this event, please call the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation at 519-575-4732.
Woolwich firefighters battled a blaze and bitter cold temperatures (minus-30 degrees Celcius with the wind chill) at the Elmira Pet Products plant, 43 Arthur St. N., just after noon on Feb. 12. [scott barber / the observer]
Joseph Schneider Haus, Kitchener
For more detailed information about the Foundation and its programs, visit www.wrhf.org or call the Region of Waterloo offices at 519-575-4732.
Water Supply Notice Annual Water Quality Report on the Region’s Drinking Water The Regional Municipality of Waterloo is pleased to announce that the annual report on its drinking water quality has been published. The report summarizes the results of bacteriological, physical and chemical tests conducted during the period January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014 as required by Regulation 170/03 of the Safe Drinking Water Act. This report is available on the internet at http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/aboutTheEnvironment/QualityTreatment2.asp. If you would like to receive a copy of this report, or have any questions about drinking water quality, please call (519) 575-4400.
NEWS | 7
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
MP Albrecht opposes SCC decision clearing way for doctor-assisted suicide
driver airlifted from bamberg collision
Scott Barber Two cars collided head-on before crashing into a snow bank on Notre Dame Road in Bamberg on Feb. 12. One of the drivers, from Cambridge, was airlifted to a London hospital, while the other driver from Wellesley was not seriously injured. [whitney neilson / the observer]
collision forces car into building
A three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Herrgott Road and Lobsinger Line sent a car barreling into the porch of In Season Home and Garden in St. Clements on Wednesday morning. Police report that a 24-year-old Kitchener woman driving a Mazda northbound on Herrgott Road ran through the stop sign before smashing into a pair of vehicles travelling on Lobsinger Line. The Mazda was sent careening into the building, where the driver was temporarily trapped. The woman was taken to hospital with leg injuries. The other drivers were also taken to hospital. The driver of the Mazda was charged with ‘careless driving.’ [Scott barber / the observer]
suv rolls over on northfield drive
A 19-year-old Elora woman lost control of her Toyota Tacoma, rolling the SUV into a ditch near 1510 Northfield Rd. E. on Feb. 8. Police report that the vehicle sustained approximately $1,000 in damages, no one was injured and no charges were laid. [scott barber / the observer]
Kitchener-Conestoga MP Harold Albrecht is disappointed by the Supreme Court decision to strike down Canada’s law banning physician-assisted death. “I have worked diligently during my years as an MP to protect life with the belief that all human life is sacred,” said Albrecht. “My private member’s motion M-388 called on our government to clarify that assisting suicide is a criminal offence, even if done via the internet. Furthermore, my private member’s bill C-300, which mandated the development of a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention, reinforces my ongoing commitment to stand with vulnerable Canadians. Both of these measures received near unanimous support with all sides of the House solidly behind the legislation.” A former pastor first elected to parliament in 2006, Albrecht has been a vocal opponent of both physician-assisted suicide and abortion since taking office. “I have been clear with my constituents through three campaigns: I will do all that I can to stand up for and promote a culture of life,” he said. The Supreme Court last
week unanimously decided to quash a ban on doctors providing death for mentally competent, terminally ill patients. Now, parliament has a year to draft legislation that recognizes the right of Canadians suffering from irremediable illness to seek medical assistance to end their pain. The groundbreaking decision has been applauded by civil liberties groups and numerous individuals across the country who have spoken out about seeing their loved ones experience horrific hardships at the end of their lives. For Judy Nairns, executive director for the Hospice of Waterloo Region, the decision by the nation’s top court magnifies the need for Canadians to have conversations with their families regarding their values and wants for their end-of-life journeys. “There isn’t enough knowledge in the community when it comes to the kind of supports that are available,” she said. “I think it comes down to the fact that people don’t like to talk about the potential for a death in the family, or their own death, for sure. And because they don’t talk about it they don’t really have a sense of what supports are available to them and so they don’t have a lot to go on when
they are starting to make considerations around what might be an end of life journey for them.” People need to start talking about their values and needs early and get informed on what is available in their communities, she said. In that vein, the Hospice of Waterloo Region recently launched a threeyear program, funded by the Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network aimed at encouraging and facilitating those conversations. Physician-assisted suicide has been a part of the conversation for some time, Nairn said, and now healthcare providers are going to have to look at the issue very closely in order to make sure vulnerable people are protected and individuals have all the information they need to make educated decisions for themselves. “Every single journey and circumstance is different,” she said. “Within the hospice and palliative care movement, we very much believe that it is possible to have a quality of life until a natural death and so accelerating that natural death would not be necessarily within the scope of what we have supported for the past 25 years as an organization.”
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8 | COMMENT
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
JOE MERLIHAN PUBLISHER STEVE KANNON EDITOR
COMMENT
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Our view / editorial
The VIEW from here
Real, proper cuts still needed in Woolwich budget Headed in the right direction, Woolwich councillors still have much to learn. That was in evidence this week as they let themselves be bamboozled by staff who turned a request to cut spending by two per cent into a combination of meaningless reductions, deferrals and hope for higher revenues. It was much the same with the previous council’s first budget, where expected spending cuts morphed into higher fees and taxes. Those councillors went along with the sham, too, essentially endorsing entrenched bureaucracy and lack of accountability at the expense of actually serving the public. At least some of this new group continues to question staff’s tactics, seeing through the disingenuous and conveniently vague responses. Moreover, this week’s finagling should serve as an eyeopening experience about both the long history of weak justifications for spending choices and the fact that the goto move is to recommend cuts that hurt the public, not the ever-bloating bureaucracy. Ideally, the tactical loss will stiffen the resolve of the responsible councillors to press for further cuts. Spelled out clearly: management positions over the side of the boat. Not cuts to frontline services. Not reductions in infrastructure work. Woolwich Township is a small organization. If the senior management can’t easily identify the unneeded, unwanted and unworthy, council has a pretty good idea where to start with changes. In that light, Mayor Sandy Shantz’s continued push for delays to actual changes in the public good and calls to hire consultants for the debunked service-level review and organizational assessment, also floated by Coun. Mark Bauman, were disconcerting. No, decisions can’t be made willy-nilly, but the township’s business just isn’t that complicated. Certainly not as complicated as the budget process tries to make it, both for councillors and the public. The convoluted process is intentional, with the goal of forcing councillors to simply trust that what staff has prepared is both suitable and efficient. It seems those new to the scene weren’t all the way hoodwinked, though Tuesday night’s vote to approve the 2015 budget seemed to be born of a desire to be done with the onerous task. Chalk one up for the bureaucracy’s war of attrition. Councillors Patrick Merlihan and Larry Shantz were the most vocal throughout the process, questioning much and at times refusing to accept the non-answers and partial explanations that are the hallmark of all budgets prepared by bureaucrats. It’s a tried-and-true formula learned by every high school student with a report to write: if you can’t dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your ... droppings from the rear of beef cattle. Still, both capitulated too early. That said, they and councillors Scott Hahn and Murray Martin seem prepared to play the long game, perhaps realizing that it’s more important to win the war rather than each and every battle. Fighting on the side of what’s right – i.e. the public interest and the long-term health of the township – they now know what they’re up against and where changes have to be made in order to make local government more responsive to those who really matter. The situation in Woolwich is a microcosm of what’s happening with every government everywhere. Those inside the bubble conflate their own interests with those of the citizens they purportedly serve. Most of us know that’s a sorry piece of fiction. With this week’s escapades, you can add a few councillors to those in the know.
Although some progress was made on the budget process, clearly there’s still a long way to go before it’s the public interest being served, not the Kool-Aid. WORLD view / GWYNNE DYER
Gender inequalities play a role in inflating levels of faith WORLD AFFAIRS Did you hear about the agnostic dyslexic insomniac? She lay awake all night wondering if there was a Dog. But she’s a pretty rare bird. According to a large survey carried out in the United Kingdom by Professor David Voas of the University of Essex, more than half of British men who are now in their early forties (54 per cent) are agnostics or atheists, but only one-third of women of the same age (34 per cent) hold similar views. The gender difference was even more striking when the 9,000 respondents were asked about their belief in a life after death. Only 35 per cent of the men said they believed that there was some kind of individual survival beyond the grave; 60 per cent of women said they did. That’s a difference of almost two-to-one in the level of belief, among people who otherwise have similar backgrounds. Hmm.
Now, this is obviously a topic on which a wise commentator would be very wary of offering an opinion. Much safer to keep your mouth shut and write about something else. Which may explain why this whole question about gender differences in belief in god came as a surprise to me, because when I looked into the literature it turns out that the social scientists have known about it for ages. There is a thriving academic industry dedicated to proposing reasons for this huge belief gap. One theory holds that men are just more likely to be risk-takers (except Blaise Pascal, the 17th-century French philosopher whose famous “wager” stated that we should live our live as if god exists in order to escape an eternity of torture in Hell. If He turns out not to exist, we haven’t really lost all that much. It was a breakthrough in probability theory). Another theory is that men who score relatively high on the autism scale are also more likely to be atheists or agnostics. But that doesn’t really get us
very far, since the great majority of men are not autistic, and yet a majority of British men don’t believe in god. You will note that I am only quoting speculations on male character traits here. Some of the abovementioned social scientists also speculate on aspects of “female” socialisation and character in their search for reasons for the great disparity in belief, but that is a minefield I do not plan to enter today. Let us instead go beyond Professor Voas’s statistics for Britain and see whether the same difference persists across cultures and continents. Belief in god is much higher in the United States, although it is dropping rapidly. A Harris poll in 2009 found that 82 per cent of Americans had never doubted the existence of god; the same poll in 2014 found that the number had fallen to 74 per cent. This is due almost entirely to a fall in belief among younger Americans: a Pew poll of “millennials” in 2007 found that 83 per cent were believers; the same poll in 2012 found only 68 per cent.
But the gender gap in belief also exists in the U.S., although it is less dramatic: 77 per cent of American women say they have an absolutely certain belief in a god or universal spirit, but only 65 per cent of American men say the same. Indeed, the gap exists in every country of the developed world, although there are intriguing national differences in how wide it is. In former West Germany, where 48 per cent of the population believe in god, the gap between men and women is eight per cent. In former East Germany, the cradle of the Protestant Reformation, where four decades of Communist rule eroded the hold of Christianity on the population, only 16 per cent believe in god – but the gap between men and women is less than three per cent. 58 per cent of Russians believe in god, but the gender gap is as big as it is in Britain: 25 per cent. Whereas in Turkey, a relatively developed Muslim country where almost 95 per cent of the population believe in DYER | 10
COMMENT | 9
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
Their view / question OF THE WEEK
What’s the best or worst Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received?
»»Tawnya Long
»»Robin Holmes
»»Dan Dudack
“One of my preschoolers brought in some “The worst was a fake rose from a Little Short “I got dumped on Valentine’s Day once.” homemade cookies for being a great librarian. Stop. The best is a spa day.” That’s the best.”
»»Karen Lamarche
»»Tami Landry
“A spa day. I got a spa day last year.”
“Homemade valentines from my kids – I love you forever and ever but I love your cookies.”
“However, I wasn’t aware that the trails extended to the public sidewalks in town. When did that happen?” Tom Kehn | 10 HIS view / STEVE KANNON
The powers that be spy on us not for the public’s protections, but for their own EDITOR'S NOTES Ever joined in a community cleanup effort? Planted some trees? Donated some time or money to a group like Greenpeace or the Sierra Club? There’s an elevated chance you’re being spied on by a government and corporate allies convinced you’re a terrorist. That’s all in a day’s work for agencies inflating the terrorist threat in order to spy on everyone, the better to label enemies and support industrial espionage. The Harper government’s penchant for spying on environmentalists, peace activists and other community-minded people has been well documented, as has its efforts to curtail oversight of polluters. A 2013 investigation by journalists, for instance, found that the National Energy Board, a purportedly independent agency, had an ongoing arrangement with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS),
other police organizations and the oil industry to share information about pipeline opponents. The implications of that was spelled out clearly by Green Party leader Elizabeth May. “It’s the death of democracy if you’ve got nonviolent, law-abiding First Nations, environmentalists and Canadian groups of all kinds being subjected to surveillance then handed over to industry groups. Frankly, it’s scary. What Stephen Harper has essentially done is to take the spy agencies of the federal government of Canada and put them at the service of private companies like Enbridge.” Pipelines and the tar sands have been a prime focus in Ottawa – so much so, that many critics can easily say “I told you so” given the current drop in oil prices and resultant hit on the Canadian economy. Protecting the oil industry rather than, well, anything else was the impetus behind sweeping changes to environmental regulations, loosening controls and oversight of projects with
HOW TO REACH US
Communications Security Establishment (CSE), the project sees the spy agency sift through millions of files downloaded daily from sites around the world. “Every single thing that you do – in this case uploading/downloading files to these sites – that act is being archived, collected and analyzed,” Ron Deibert, director of the University of Toronto-based Internet security think-tank Citizen Lab, who reviewed the document, told the CBC. As one of the so-called Five Eyes (Canada, U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand), we share all manner of information with our allies. Many of the policies are in keeping with those south of the border, where revelations have been most, well, revealing. There, we get a clear picture of a security establishment very much interested in monitoring dissent and preparing to use military and police force against the domestic population in the event of any environmental crisis (e.g. climate change), natural disaster or econom-
ic upheaval. That dystopic eventuality was mapped out in another Snowden revelation in to the Guardian newspaper in the U.K. The report showed the relation between the spy agencies of the Five Eyes, shared databases and widespread snooping using backdoor access to sites and data related to Facebook, Apple, Google, Microsoft and the like. “But why have Western security agencies developed such an unprecedented capacity to spy on their own domestic populations? Since the 2008 economic crash, security agencies have increasingly spied on political activists, especially environmental groups, on behalf of corporate interests. This activity is linked to the last decade of U.S. defence planning, which has been increasingly concerned by the risk of civil unrest at home triggered by catastrophic events linked to climate change, energy shocks or economic crisis – or all three,” says the report. It’s fear of the public backlash that has those
in power enshrining measures to track us all, enabling a forceful response and, most importantly, taking steps to ensure they stay in control, no matter what. That’s the agenda of those who trot out the “if you’ve got nothing to hide” argument in support of the ever-growing number of invasive measures being carried out by governments, ours included. That line of thought leads to an awfully slippery slope, one George Orwell would recognize: why not video monitoring inside your home, if you’ve got nothing to hide? There are plenty of practical reasons to protest what the government is doing in this regard, as doing away with all surveillance, from cameras in public places to all spy agencies, would make us all much safer from the real threat to our liberties – here’s a hint, it’s not terrorists. Along with our civil liberties, they’ll also take our money. Of course, money’s no object to those who’ll line their pockets with your Kannon | 10
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potentially huge ecological downsides. The government claims it’s simply streamlining the environmental process, rather than stifling public input. It was just a coincidence that the reduction in environmental regulations came as the Harper government pushed for extremely controversial pipelines to send bitumen south (Keystone XL) or to China via the British Columbia coast (Northern Gateway). Spying on environmentalists is just part of the larger threat, namely the widespread surveillance of all citizens and the lumping in with terrorists of anyone deemed to be a dissenter, from tar sands critics to anti-poverty workers. Ostensibly on the hunt for extremists, the government is allowing ever-growing amounts of intrusion in our lives. Last month, for example, the latest round of documents from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, released to the CBC, revealed a project called “Levitation.” Carried out by the federal
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10 | COMMENT
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
The MONITOR
VERBATIM
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
The defining features of the Canadian economy during the NAFTA era have been slower GDP growth, a surge in corporate concentration, and heightened income inequality. Between 1963 and 1988, the rate of growth of business investment in fixed assets averaged 4.8%. Private sector employment grew at a rate of 2.4% and GDP per capita at 2.8%. All three rates were halved in the quarter-century since 1988, falling to 2.4%, 1.3% and 1.2% respectively.
“At any given point in time, the economy has four big drivers, consumers, businesses, foreigners through our exports, and government. Those are the four major engines of the economy and right now none of them are really in gear.”
A longstanding battle between Elmira’s embattled chemical operation Crompton Co. (now Chemtura) and residents of Duke Street came to end on Feb. 12 after the company approved an out-of-court settlement. Crompton agreed to purchase the homes of four families living on Duke Street who had sued the company for $7.4 million in October 2001. The 16 plaintiffs complained that emissions from the plant were making them sick.
»»Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
»»Economist Jim Stanford says that years of government austerity plus the hoarding
»»From the Feb. 15, 2003 edition of The Observer
of money by large corporations, in spite of low corporate taxes, has made the economy stagnate
Dyer: Women have reasons
National view
to believe in a higher power
FROM | 8
god, there is no difference at all between the beliefs of men and of women. What are we to make of all this? Start with the fact that decisions of this sort are rarely made on an entirely rational basis. Just as the great majority of believers everywhere never chose their original religious beliefs – they were just born into them – so any later changes in their beliefs are probably driven more by their personal circumstances than by conscious choice. Consider the difference between the two Germanies, for example.
So what are the differences between the personal circumstances of men and women that might lead to different outcomes in terms of belief? That will obviously vary from one country to another, but women still suffer from greater social and economic disadvantages than men almost everywhere. If you have less control over the course of your own life, then belief in an allpowerful god who is just, and will ultimately put all the injustices right, is a very attractive proposition. In that case, the gender gap in belief is neither intellectual nor emotional. It’s simply pragmatic.
kannon: Domestic population
the real reason for extra security
FROM | 9
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dollars while curtailing your freedoms. Oh, this is all couched in the language of increased safety, drawing heavily on terrorism rhetoric. This government is not the first to take authoritarian steps – that’s been going on for decades – but it certainly has been eager to take advantage of the post-9/11 frenzy, joining the U.S., UK and other nominal democracies in clawing back hard-won rights. Many governments in the West have been quick to foster a culture of fear, allowing them to impose
laws that would have been unthinkable before 9/11 and to spend vast sums of money on military, police and security programs that have enriched the coffers of a few at everyone else’s expense. With each new measure that increases video, phone and Internet surveillance, overrides the judicial process and creates new enemies through wars, we edge a little closer to the kind of dystopian state Orwell, Huxley and countless others have warned us about. Something to keep in mind the next time you’re out birdwatching.
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To the Editor, We finally have enough snow so the snowmobile trails can open in the Elmira area. I’m sure all the enthusiasts are happy. However, I wasn’t aware that the trails extended to the public sidewalks in town. When did that happen?
Tom Kehn | Elmira
Send your letters to editor@woolwichobserver.com
SPORTS | 11
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
SPORTS not so great outdoorsman / STEVE GALEA
Hockey / Junior b
Three games, three OTs, two wins and a loss
When the fishing requires icy nerves
Tight games give Kings a taste of playoff hockey, including emotional home-and-home versus Siskins
OPEN COUNTRY
Ethan Skinner celebrates after scoring a hat trick on Waterloo Siskins goalie Evgeny Kiselev in less than four minutes, which led the team to a 4-3 overtime victory on Feb. 7. Whitney Neilson A fierce rivalry between the Elmira Sugar Kings and the Waterloo Siskins saw each team come away with an overtime win in a home-and-home series where both sides spent serious time in the penalty box. Elmira captain Mitch Klie clinched the crucial overtime goal at home on Saturday night to bring the Kings to a 4-3 victory. The first 20 minutes were largely uneventful, neither team being able to score. But they upped the intensity in the second registering three
goals and a plethora of penalties for both sides. Head coach Jeff Flanagan said they continued their trend of not playing their best in the first period. “We were lucky to get out of the first nothingnothing,” Flanagan said. “And then we came back in the second and they scored first but we responded back quite quickly – Ethan Skinner went on to get a hat trick, which was pretty awesome.” Waterloo’s Gary Mantz drew first blood on a power play marker, assisted by Kyle Betts and Michael Ro-
mund. But less than a minute later Sugar King Skinner found his groove, knocking back three goals in just four minutes to give himself a hat trick and his team a comfortable lead. Assists for Skinner came from Eric Palazzolo, Sam Harris, Mitch Wright (2), Adam Brubacher, and Brodie Whitehead. Unwilling to be outdone, the Siskins made a comeback with two of their own from Romund (Luke Gazzola, Connor Bodnar) and Nick Hirst (Eric Cimino, Chase Campbell). The Kings found them-
[Whitney Neilson / The Observer]
selves in big-time penalty trouble, especially in the second frame, with a total 27 minutes in the box, to Waterloo’s 19. Elmira’s Alex Mutton and Waterloo’s Romund got into a scuffle with both of them lying on the ice, which led to major fighting penalties for both and Mutton ejected from the game. Those penalties add up fast, especially when your team’s leading scorer, Zac Coulter, is out on suspension, along with Connor Hall. “I think there seems to be a pretty good rivalry
between us and Waterloo so that probably had something to do with it,” Flanagan said. “We had some fights. I think that’s a natural thing as we get closer to the end of the season, and teams are battling for spots trying to knock off teams. It’ll happen and it’s part of the sport.” The final period was a fruitless back and forth with both goalies – Elmira’s Jonathan Reinhart and Waterloo’s Evgeny Kiselev – stopping everything that came their way.
The other day I went ice fishing to a lodge far north of here for a magazine assignment. Yes, I lead a tough life. I was excited to get there but when we arrived and asked about where the huts were and how to get to them the lodge owner pointed to an ice road he had ploughed and gave directions how to drive my truck there. I’m not sure, but I think he must have noticed the startled look I gave and the involuntarily jump backwards as I clutched my heart. “There’s three feet of ice,” he said. “That’s more than enough to support a truck. Of course, if you are uncomfortable driving your vehicle out there, we can provide transportation.” Before we go further, perhaps I should outline my considered opinion on the matter. A) I am not uncomfortable with this. B) I am terrified of driving my vehicle on frozen lakes. Heck, I can’t even watch the TV show Ice Road Truckers. My reason is simple. Ice is essentially stubborn water. And water is for things that float.
Kings | 14
Galea | 14
Lady Lancers headed to WCSSAA hockey finals SCOTT BARBER With a pair of victories in the quarter- and semifinals last week, the Elmira District Secondary School girls’ hockey team is headed back to the Waterloo County Secondary School Athletic Association finals. The squad, which took top spot in the regular season standings with a 10-0-
4 record, won the WCSSAA title last year before falling in the Central Western Ontario Secondary Association championship game. Head coach John Swatridge likes his team’s chances for another deep playoff run. “They are a very hardworking team,” he said. “They’re all about hard work and hustle. They
work really well down low. They play well on the boards; they don’t do anything too fancy, they just work really hard.” On Monday, the Lancers knocked off Waterloo-Oxford District High School 2-1 at the WMC, despite not playing at their best. “They hadn’t been on the ice together for three weeks,” Swatridge said,
pointing to the exam break that followed the end of the regular season. “The first half of the game they played well, but the back half was tough.” Rachel Weber opened the scoring for the Lancers mid way through the first period, assisted by Megan Chapman. Chapman made it a twogoal lead just a minute into
the second, but WODSS pulled back within one with just seconds remaining in the frame on a goal by Erin Near. That gave way to a tense third that saw back and forth action and a number of close calls for the home side. But Lancer netminder Dana Columbo shut the door. Two days later the
Lancers played host to St. David Catholic Secondary School. After a scoreless first, Emily Schuurmans broke the deadlock with a wicked wrist shot from the slot early in the second. SDCSS got one back just minutes later, scored by Meghan Anton. WCSSAA | 14
12 | SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
THE SCORE
WOOLWICH WILDCATS
Tyke Select Feb. 7 vs Dundas Home: 4 Visitor: 3 Goals: Owen Weppler (2), Josh Carson, Ethan Burkholder Assists: Bryson Rozema, Mitchell Roemer, Danny Schaefer, Jacob Noot, Hayden Weber, Connor Goebel, Keaton Kidd Player of the Game: Owen Weppler
Tyke Select Feb. 8 vs Erin Hillsburgh Home: 2 Visitor: 6 Goals: Mitchell Roemer, Ethan Burkholder Assists: Hayden Weber, Matthew Darrigan, Bryson Rozema, Owen Weppler Player of the Game: Cameron Beisel
Novice: Major A Feb. 7 vs Burlington Home: 5 Visitor: 0 Goals: Nathan Martin (2), Brady Martin, Ian Leech, Stuart Sinclair Assists: Eric Kane (2), Ian Leech, Pacey Camm, Sam Ratcliffe
Novice: AE Feb. 3 vs Hespeler Home: 5 Visitor: 1 Goals: Kane Kruschat, Preston Hackert, Daniel Kochut (3) Assists: Owen Weber, Josh Gibson, Seth Shantz (2), Preston Hackert, Hunter Brown
Novice: LL #1 Feb. 7 vs St. George LL #1 Home: 5 Visitor: 5 Goals: Josh Uhrig (2), Ethan Adams, Owen Tettman, Brienne Brezynskie Assists: Connor Huber (2), Owen Tettman (2), Dawson Brubacher, Josh Uhrig, Caelan Haley, Patrick McCarthy, Andrew Snyder, Brandon Fishman
Novice: LL #2 Jan. 30 vs Tavistock Home: 5 Visitor: 2
Goals: Evan Yorke, Tyson Roth (3), Tanner Armstrong Assists: Braydon Schaefer (2), Tyler Gingrich, Graydon Martin, Evan Hori
Novice: LL #2 Feb. 7 vs Paris Home: 4 Visitor: 2 Goals: Jamie Ferretti, Tyson Roth (3) Assists: Ben Lowther, Evan Yorke, Wesley Aitken (2), Austin Roth
Novice: LL #3 Feb. 7 vs Twin Centre Home: 2 Visitor: 3 Goals: Tyson Bauman (2) Assists: Carson Staken, Carson Duldhardt
Novice: LL #3 Feb. 8 vs Woolwich #4 Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Carson Staken, Riley Dettweiler (2) Assists: Riley Dettweiler Atom: Minor A Feb. 5 vs Guelph Home: 4 Visitor: 0 Goals: Joey Martin (3), Will Lavigne Assists: Isaiah Reitzel, Cade Beacom, Sam Hacock, Denver Martin, Parker Collingwood Shutout: Nathan Whittom Atom: Minor A Feb. 7 vs Milton Home: 5 Visitor: 4 Goals: Isaiah Reitzel, Eric Hutton (2), Joey Martin (2) Assists: Joey Martin, Isaiah Reitzel (2)
Atom: Minor A Feb. 9 vs Burlington Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals: Joey Martin Assists: Keenan Martin, Evan Lucier
Atom A Jan. 25 vs Owen Sound Home: 0 Visitor: 3
Atom A
Bantam: Major A
Midget AE
Jan. 27 vs Brampton Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Lucas Carson, Corbin Schmidt, Carter Rollins Assists: AJ Shaw-McMahon, Shelby Rempel, Nolan Bridge, Carter Cousineau
Feb. 3 vs Oakville Home: 2 Visitor: 4 Goals: Cole Altman, Jesse Sterling Assists: Evan Gowing, John Wang, Brad Hale, Riley Runstedler
Jan. 24 vs Caledon Home: 4 Visitor: 3 Goals: Alex Taylor, Jake Lewis, Adam Jokic (2) Assists: Connor Goss, Connor Bauman, Jacob Bruder, Eddie Huber, Jordan Shantz
Atom A
Midget: LL #1
Feb. 4 vs Burlington Home: 1 Visitor: 0 Goals: Adam Pauls Assists: Lucas Carson, Sam Goebel Shutout: Dominic Roth
Feb. 5 vs Oakville Home: 3 Visitor: 6 Goals: Cade Schaus, Evan Gowing, Jesse Sterling Assists: Jesse Sterling, Riley Runstedler (2), Nolan Hislop, Cole Altman, Austin Flaherty
Atom A
Bantam: Minor AA
Jan. 31 vs Woolwich LL#1 Home: 2 Visitor: 3 Goals: Mitchell Rempel, Max Bender Assists: Nick Kieswetter, Luke Charter, Luke Decorte
Bantam: Major A
Feb. 7 vs Milton Home: 1 Visitor: 5 Goals: Reid Burkholder Assists: Brett Moser
Jan. 27 vs Centre Wellington Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals: Bart Sherrer Assists: Griffin Hergott
PeeWee: Major A
Bantam: Minor AA
Feb. 4 vs Oakville Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Matt Fleischmann (2), Jarrett Anderson Assists: Jarrett Anderson, Brett Allen, Eric Martin, Blake Roemer
Jan. 30 vs Ancaster Home: 3 Visitor: 3 Goals: Zac Pickard, Griffin Hergott (2) Assists: Bart Sherrer(2), Kieffer Beard, Kurtis Hoover
PeeWee: Major A
Bantam: Minor AA
Feb. 6 vs Oakville Home: 3 Visitor: 1 Goals: Cole Chipman, Trevor Ferretti, Jarrett Anderson Assists: Jesse Martin, Keaton McLaughlin, Jake Clemmer
Bantam: Minor AA
PeeWee: AE Blue Feb. 8 vs Flamborough Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals:Jordan Dickieson
Bantam: Major A Feb. 1 vs Burlington Home: 3 Visitor: 4 Goals: Jesse Sterling (2), Evan Gowing Assists: Riley Runstedler (2), Cole Altman, Matthew MacDonald
Feb. 2 vs Centre Wellington Home: 0 Visitor: 3 Feb. 4 vs Milton Home: 6 Visitor: 1 Goals: Lukas Shantz (3), Austin Cousineau (2), Griffen Rollins Assists: Lukas Shantz, Nolan Hislop (2), Bart Sherrer (2), Austin Cousineau, Griffen Rollins, Kyle Rintoul
Midget AE Jan. 18 vs Caledon Home: 5 Visitor: 4 Goals: Jake Lewis (2), Jacob Bruder, Jordan Shantz, Connor Bauman Assists: Jake Lewis (2), Adam Jokic, Jacob Bruder, Connor Bauman
Feb. 8 vs Beverly #2 Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Troy Nechanicky Assists: Austin Horst, Trent Brunkard
Midget: LL #3
HOCKEY TOURNAMENTS
Novice LL #2
Woolwich Cup Challenge Woolwich Jan. | 17-18 Game 1 vs Woolwich #3 Home: 7 Visitor: 5 Goals: Tyson Roth (3), Tyler Gingrich (2), Ben Lowther, Austin Roth Assists: Ben Lowther, Evan Hori, Tanner Armstrong (2), Tyson Roth (3), Braydon Schaefer, Brody Schaefer Jan. 17 vs Lambton Shores Home: 1 Visitor: 5 Goals: Tyson Roth Jan. 17 vs Point Edward Home: 3 Visitor: 3 Goals: Tyson Roth (2), Tanner Armstrong Assists: Ben Lowther, Brody Schaefer
WOOLWICH WILD
PeeWee: BB
Home: 5 Visitor: 0 Goals: Erin Bauer, Alanna Bauman (2), Hailey Clemmer, Cassidy Moser Assists: Cassidy Moser, Abigail Burkholder, Maggie Sargent, Ali Harnock Shutout: Cailyn Wilkie
HOCKEY TOURNAMENTS
Atom: C
Saugeen Shores Silverstick Paisley Feb. | 6-8 Game 1 vs Bruce Peninsula Home: 4 Visitor: 2 Goals: Makenna McLaughlin (2),Taya Diefenbacher, Eadyn Meier Assists: Eadyn Meier Feb. 6 vs Kemptville Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Kaitlyn Hyatt (2), Makenna McLaughlin Assists: Madison Snyder Feb. 7 vs Saugeen Shores Home: 2 Visitor: 1 Goals: Makenna McLaughlin, Taylor Schmitt Assists: Eadyn Meier, Madison Martin, Emma Wiseman Feb. 7 vs South Huron Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals: Emily Sargent Assists: Tia Zettel
TWIN CENTRE
PeeWee: C Jan. 8 vs Orangeville Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals: Kyla Hartung
PeeWee: C Feb. 7 vs Orangeville Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Valerie Wolf, Blythe Bender Assists: Blythe Bender, Abby Wolf (2), Kyla Hartung
Feb. 7 vs Cambridge
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Wellesley’s Jefferies named Junior C league’s most sportsmanlike player Whitney Neilson Wellesley Applejacks alternate captain Cal Jefferies was named most sportsmanlike player in the Ontario Midwestern Junior C Hockey League. General manager Bill Grebinski said he’s impressed, but also not completely surprised due to Jefferies’ winning attitude. “I told Cal that’s one of the awards it’s an honour to win,” Grebinski said. “It’s great to win the most valuable player, that’s kind of what you aim for. But I think the most respected award, and the one that I won, was most sportsmanlike – I tell you, it’s pride, everybody looks to you differently.” Jefferies led the team this year with 16 goals and 20 assists. He also had two goals and one assist in the playoffs. The 5’7’’ forward didn’t miss a game all year, one of only two Applejacks to do so. He’s never out to start a fight on the ice and is always eager to play. “He deserves it, he really does,” Grebinski said. “He’s at a faceoff, he’s battling against the boards, he’s smiling. He’s there to play. I wish I had 12 of him. It’s an honour for the organization. It’s an honour for Cal. He was pretty happy about it.” While the award seems fitting for those who’ve seen him play, it still came as a surprise for Jefferies. “I was shocked, especially because it’s from across the whole league,” Jefferies said. “It’s nice to get that sort of recognition and it’s nice to know that your peers respect you that much to give you an honour like that.” He says he’ll be returning to the Jacks next year and plans to play a bigger role, with the team hopefully playing more of a rebound year after rebuilding this season. “I thought we had a lot of potential but we couldn’t quite click,” Jefferies said. “We had all the right pieces, they just weren’t really meshing. Hopefully, we get a lot of the core guys back next year and get some better results.”
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SPORTS | 13
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
Jacks swept in opening round of playoffs Facing the first-overall powerhouse Centennials, young Wellesley squad found itself outmatched each outing Whitney Neilson The Wellesley Applejacks’ season came to a disappointing but expected end on Wednesday as they fell 8-4 to the Ayr Centennials, who completed a four-game sweep of the first-round playoff series. The score was in keeping with the first three matches, 5-1, 8-1 and 11-2 blowouts. There was hope for the Jacks on Wednesday when Sean McEwan (Alex Uttley, Chris Beauchesne) scored less than two minutes into the game. They held off the Centennials until the 14:04 mark when Jordan Pettitt (Tyler Mellish, Jake Whibbs) scored. General manager Bill Grebinski said they knew it was going to be a tough series against Ayr because they’re a bigger, stronger and older team. “They put up a heck of a game,” Grebinski said. “We knew coming in it was going to be a bit of a battle but these guys played on heart.” Ayr increased their lead to 6-1 by the end of the second with goals from Jackson White, Brendan Schaefer, Austin Kovrig, Andrew Richard, and Carver Ormiston. Wellesley staged a comeback in the third with three goals in less than four minutes. First, Matt Schieck scored unassisted, followed by Blake Hetherington (Justin Plant, Hayden Stewart) and Brady
Captain Reid Denstedt carries the puck in Wednesday’s game, which saw the Jacks’ highest output with four goals. It wasn’t enough, however, as they were swept by the Ayr Centennials in the first round of the playoffs. [Whitney Neilson / The Observer] Gerber (Tyler Seguin, Reid Denstedt). But Ayr sealed the deal with two more goals from Richard and Kovrig to end the Jacks’ 2014-15 season. They end the season with 13 wins and 27 losses in regular play, plus the four playoff losses. “We got banged up against Norwich in our last game, so when we came into the series we were really short on players,” Grebinski explained. “This game we had eight players that were out, so we had four associate players come up and help us with this game. So we were playing with young guys that filled in throughout the year, but just didn’t have that experience or playoff experience.” The Jacks hosted the
Centennials on Saturday (8-1) and trekked down to Ayr on Sunday (11-2). It was a brutal weekend to say the least. On home ice the Jacks were unable to score until 17:01 in the final period when team points leader Cal Jefferies buried it unassisted. Before that, seven goals were scored by Quinn Diamond, Anthony Pullia (2), Colin Schuringa, Logan Breechy, Carver Ormiston, Whibbs, and Sean Mitchell. You can’t blame the high scoring on Applejack goalie Tim Bester though, who stopped 42 shots. Wellesley only managed to put 24 shots to Ayr’s goalie, Andre Keire. Penalties were also an issue for the Jacks as they spent 42 minutes in the box, to Ayr’s 18.
The beating continued the next night in Ayr as the Centennials finished the first frame with a 4-0 lead. Tyler Seguin and Jefferies were both able to use power play opportunities to score, bringing the game to within two goals. But Ayr responded with four more of their own in the second, and an additional three in the third. Wellesley assists came from Jefferies, Chris Beauchesne, Schieck and Sean McEwan. The Jacks spent more time in the box than the Centennials again (28-16). Former Applejack who was traded to Ayr this season, Felix Lantaigne was ejected from the game. Wellesley’s Seguin was also ejected. Grebinski said while he’s disappointed the season
ended how it did, he’s excited for the next chapter. “We built a foundation this year,” Grebinski said. “We knew we were going to have a young team this year. We had lost 12 players last year because they had aged out. We put all our eggs in the basket to win last year but when we didn’t get that we had to rebuild this year.” They end the season in seventh place, just ahead of the winless Delhi Travellers. The Jacks allowed 166 goals against and scored just 117, a factor in the team’s .325 win percentage. Head coach Tim Robb took a leave from the team as of Wednesday and wasn’t at the Jacks’ final game. He also wasn’t listed on the game sheet as
the coach for the Sunday game. Robb took over the coaching position from Paul Wilkinson who left for personal reasons earlier in the season. Grebinksi said it’s still to be determined if he will be coaching next year. He said they will be speaking with him, and other candidates, in the offseason. Grebinski said the organization focused on finding young, talented players this year to develop. The veterans were fundamental in mentoring them on the ins and outs of Junior C hockey. With the season barely over, Grebinski’s already got a glint in his eye about next season. “The team is going to be relatively still young, but a bit more experienced. It’s going to be a much better team going forward, no doubt about it,” Grebinski said. “Our plan has been a two year plan, develop this year and next year. We’re a couple years away from really going for it and saying this is going to be the team that we’ll develop for the championship.” Jefferies had the most goals of the season for the team at 16, and also the most assists at 20. Along with captain Reid Denstedt, they’re the only two players who played all 40 regular season games. “We have some great prospects coming next year. The team’s going to be a lot different next year as far as size and age and what we need,” Grebinski said.
It was a character-building season for EDSS boys’ basketball squads Whitney Neilson The Elmira District Secondary School boys’ basketball teams may not have had a season of glory, but if you didn’t look at the scoreboard you might not know it. Both junior and senior teams went without a single win this year, as they finished up their last games Tuesday at home. Neither team showed signs of frustration at their imminent loss. Rather, they were cheering and enthusiastic the whole way through. Coach Brian Carter noted their perseverance despite facing tough city teams. “They just don’t have a lot of basketball experience and they’re playing against a lot of teams with a whole bunch of basketball experience, so it makes it tough
to compete,” Carter said. “But the one thing that I’m proud of them for is they have come out and they have competed and they do work hard every game.” Both teams had 12 losses and no wins. It appears their closest competition was Jacob Hespeler Secondary School, as the junior team only lost by seven points and the senior team by 14. “The scoreboard is usually not very flattering but their attitude and their desire to keep coming back: we didn’t have a single kid quit and it was a tough year as far as wins and losses,” Carter said. “But not one kid quit. They all came out from the first to the last practice last night. They all showed up.” It’s clear from just watching their home games how
much they improved from the first game in December to this week. The junior team fell 71-9 to Forest Heights Collegiate Institute at their first game on December 2, while the seniors’ worst game was versus Grand River Collegiate Institute 66-16 on January 6. “[The juniors] did a little bit better last year. They were a little more competitive last year than they are this year,” Carter said. Carter said the junior team was all rookies, except for two guys back from last year’s team. This didn’t help the team any because the new players didn’t even have guys to learn off of. Instead they all learned off of each other. “The senior team is a tougher thing because it’s the first time there was a senior team in three years,”
Ryan Bauman goes for the shot in the EDSS senior boys’ final basketball game of the season. [Whitney Neilson / The Observer] hadn’t played any basketCarter said. “Even the guys ball at all for two or three who had played basketball years.” when they were juniors
The boys basketball teams typically struggle at EDSS, partially because athletes have to choose between basketball and hockey since the seasons intersect. He added even though there were a few returning guys to the senior squad, they weren’t really returning because it had been so long since they played on a team. He expects about half of the team to be back next year. “They’re still enthusiastic and they don’t see it but they have gotten a lot better from the beginning of the year,” Carter said. “They’re starting from such a disadvantage as far as their competition they’re playing against that they don’t notice how much they’ve gotten better, but they have improved.”
14 | SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
galea: The ice can never be too thick when you’re cajoled into driving your truck on it from | 11
invented fly fishing. OK, he doesn’t exactly think I’m macho. That is why I realized some act of incredible bravery to reverse that perception was in order. So when he asked me if I was going to drive down, I stuck my tongue out at him. But not while he was looking, mind you. When he turned around, he and the lodge owner
My SUV does not float. I have tried this experiment in several puddles. Nevertheless, I found myself in a predicament. You see I was with a buddy. And I’m pretty sure he thinks there is no outdoors challenge I wouldn’t tackle – with the exception of picking leeches and hellgrammites out of a bait bucket, of course. That’s why god
were still awaiting an answer. “Drive down to the hut? Over the ice? With this really heavy truck?” I said. “You’re not nervous about that are you?” they asked. “Nnnnnnn…ervous? Me?” I giggled. “Heck no.” “Well then?” I then explained how I needed to go to the washroom and how it might take an hour and a half or so.
Then I handed my buddy the keys and said, “You drive down. I’ll meet you there.” “It’s a two-mile walk,” they said. “Really?” I said, as I started unloading my valuables. “A nice brisk walk sounds great.” A brief discussion ensued and minutes later I was driving, actually white knuckling it, out on the ice,
thinking that this must be what the captain of the Titanic felt like. We got there just fine and I got out of the truck in record time, too. The fact that we then drilled through three feet of ice didn’t help either. Actually, for the first time ever, I was wishing that there was another three feet of the stuff. The rest of the day was a bit uneasy because all I kept
trying to remember was what I knew about global warming and exactly how fast it was happening. The fact that the fishing sucked didn’t help, either. In the end we got back on shore safely, so things turned out fine. We’re even going back next week to give the place another chance. But, my truck will be getting an oil change that day.
Kings: A weekend with a real playoff feel was just the thing with the season winding down from | 11
Palazzolo went off in the last period assisted by trainer Becky Brubacher after a high stick from Siskin Evan Kearns slashed him in the face, leaving a trail of blood on the ice. Klie’s power play goal (Mac Clutsam, Wright) at 3:11 into overtime sealed the deal for the Kings in a game that could have gone either way, given the excess of power plays they gave up. “For the rest of the game it was fairly even we thought,” Flanagan said. “We were lucky to get a power play and the shot just missed the net and bounced right onto Mitch Klie’s stick and he made a nice shot to put it in the corner. We came back from not a great
ST. CLEMENTS
Sugar King Brodie Whitehead fires one toward the Siskins net in an exciting victory at the WMC last weekend. start and we were pretty happy with it.” The Kings headed down to Waterloo the following afternoon for another tight
game, with the Siskins taking away the 4-3 win in a shootout. The Siskins once again started off the scoring with a
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[Whitney Neilson / The Observer]
1:04 marker from Kyle Betts (Danny Hanlon, Christian Mroczkowski). Elmira’s Brendan Schneider evened the score with help from Klie and Seraphim. Neither team was able to pull ahead in the second frame. Waterloo’s Mantz, assisted by Kearns and Cimino, brought the score to 2-1, quickly followed by a shorthanded goal from Hanlon (Kearns, Cimino). The Kings weren’t about to go out without a fight, as Brubacher fired one into the net from the top of the circle, helped by Seraphim and Klie. In the last minute of play they pulled Reinhart from the net to add a much
needed extra attacker, and with just seconds to spare Wright (Clutsam, Klie) secured the third goal to tie it up. “We were scored on and we responded very quickly,” Flanagan said. “We were able to put it into overtime and then a shootout. Once you get in a shootout, you never know what’s going to happen. We think we have skilled players and sometimes they score, sometimes they don’t.” In the shootout Mantz and Campbell scored on Reinhart, while only Harris put it past Kiselev, ending the game in the Siskins’ favour. On Tuesday the Sugar Kings faced the Kitchener Dutchmen, vying to keep their first place position with playoffs looming around the corner. The first goal of the night didn’t happen until 15 minutes into the second frame when Kitchener’s Wyatt Trainer used a power play to lead his team 1-0, assisted by Mitchell Smith and Jordan Delaurier. Sugar King Clutsam (Coulter, Skinner) slipped one past Dutchmen netminder Jackson McIntosh in the third to take the game into overtime. Overtime, once again, wasn’t enough to finish the
deal. In the shootout Harris and Brendan both scored for Elmira, while only Dutchmen Alex Demrovsky could get one past powerhouse Reinhart, leaving the Kings with the 2-1 win. They now sit with a threepoint lead at the top of the Midwestern Conference. Keeping this lead is essential to capture home ice going into the playoffs. “Everybody wants home ice,” Flanagan said. “It helps in your game seven from a player perspective. It helps from a team perspective, from a financial perspective. If the series goes seven games, it really helps. There are a lot of different angles where it’s very important.” He added, for the players, the pressure to play their best game is definitely ramped up with just four games left in regular season play. They headed to Brampton to play the Bombers on Friday the 13th for a 7:30 p.m. tilt, and will return on Sunday for a rematch against the Dutchmen. The puck drops at the WMC at 7 p.m. They’ll also be hosting the Listowel Cyclones the following afternoon, on Family Day, at 2 p.m. The Kings will be signing autographs from 11-11:45 a.m. prior to the game.
WCSSAA: Team looking to a deep playoff run
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Jamie MacDonald controls the puck behind the EDSS goal during the tense final minutes of the Lancers’ 2-1 victory over Waterloo Oxford District Secondary School Feb. 9 at the WMC. [Scott Barber / The Observer] from | 11
But the Lancers quickly responded with a pair of goals of their own, by Kacie Martin (Cassandra Tuffnail) and Megan Martin (Weber, Jaimie MacDonald). Martin added another to
start the third (Weber, Emily Wilms), capping off an impressive performance by the team. “I’d say our goalie stood out today,” Swatridge said after the victory. “Kacie Martin was also very good; defensively, she was out
there just about every second shift. The whole team played hard, I thought.” The Lancers will skate for the WCSSAA championship this week against Preston High School. The date, time and location are still to be determined.
VENTURE | 15
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
Venture Food for thought/ Owen Roberts
Agriculture / canadian conundrum
Banking on supply management System remains divisive, especially at trade talks; local expert likes what it does for small farms Scott Barber The supply management system in Canadian agriculture continues to be a contentious issue, most notably between dairy farmers and opponents who advance free-market ideals. Against this backdrop of continuing calls for deregulation from right-wing pundits and consumer groups, the Dairy Farmers of Canada met last week in Ottawa for their annual policy conference. Supply management was top of mind, DFC president Wally Smith said. “In Canada the stability of our system is something we are very proud of and it is something that farmers are defending strongly. It is something that even though it is in play in trade talks (internationally), what we have been advised by the government is that it is something they plan to really stand up for. All countries have sensitive sectors and Canada is no different in that respect and we shouldn’t be treated any different as a result.” Supply management was implemented in the 1960s in Canada to even out the booms and busts of volatile agricultural markets. The system, which sees government agencies – for dairy, it’s the Canadian Dairy Commission – implement a quota system to ensure domestic supply stays roughly equal with domestic demand. The regime also enforces stiff tariffs on dairy imports, sometimes
Christian farmers plead for calm and unity FIELD NOTES
The Schuurmans family own and operate Milky Wave in Floradale, a dairy farm with 210 cows, which produce some 2.8 million litres of milk each year. Back row: Tom, Emily, Lize, Jim and Eric. Front row: Bettina and Henk. [Submitted] There are a lot of factors ing paid to Ontario producthat also includes Quebec as high as 200 per cent in that play into the business ers. Each producer receives and the Maritimes. A simiorder to protect Canadian a blended price that reflects which could wreak havoc if lar regional pool exists in producers. left unchecked. Take feed fluid and industrial sales.” western Canada, called the In Ontario, the system prices, for example. It’s been a good setup Western Milk Pool, with falls under the umbrella “We had a couple of for dairy farmers like the membership of British Coof the Ministry of Agricultough years getting the Schuurmans family of lumbia, Alberta, Saskatchture, Food and Rural Afcrops (for feed) on the marMilky Wave Inc. in Floraewan and Manitoba. fairs, which provides some ket,” Henk Schuurmans dale. “The Dairy Farmers of background information said. “The weather didn’t Owner/operator Henk Ontario (DFO) has pricewebsite. cooperate very well and Schuurmans is a ninth setting authority. Prices “Since the inception of caused the feed prices to vary with the end use of the generation dairy farmer supply management, overoriginally from Holland. He get very high. They have milk. DFO sets most prices sight and control of the come down nicely since, started working at the farm fluid milk market (milk and based on those established which is reflected in the – then Coopon Flora – in by the national processes. cream consumers drink) cost of producing milk.” the mid 1980s after immi“DFO purchases all raw has been a provincial juBut critics argue the grating to Canada. milk produced in the provrisdiction. This includes system leads to artificially He took over the farm in ince, sells this milk to proproduction controls at the 2009 and now has 210 dairy inflated prices. They’d cessors, and pays producfarm level. Since the midrather let the free-market cows that are milked three ers. The regulated prices 1990s, regional pooling determine prices, allowing times daily, producing 2.8 vary with the end use of agreements govern many farmers to negotiate with million litres each year. the milk. Under national aspects of production and, retailers on their own while For the Schuurmans, and regional agreements, to a lesser extent, policies also competing with intersupply management has Ontario milk revenues are related to the allocation of pooled with the revenues in afforded security in an othmilk to processors.” dairy | 16 erwise fickle market. other provinces before beOntario is part of a pool
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Major commodity groups in Ontario have joined forces to make highprofile public pronouncements against the swelling tide of sentiment over their use of pesticides, especially those that affect bees. But at least one organization is not in lock step with the rest. Members of some of the largest farm organizations in the province, such as Grain Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and Ontario Agri-Business Association, have gone together to buy full-page “open letter to Ontarians” ads in several daily newspapers. They’re trying to counter claims from anti-technology groups, some farmers and beekeepers and some scientists that farmers’ use of neonicotinoids is wreaking havoc on bees. In their plea for support, these farmers cite sources of their own; particularly, Statistics Canada data that shows bee colonies are actually growing, not shrinking. In Ontario, they say, field research does not support claims that neonicotinoid Roberts | 16
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519-504-2016 | darwayconstruction@icloud.com | Alma, ON
16 | VENTURE
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
Dairy: A much different picture if system changes from | 15
national producers. Former deputy prime minister John Manley, currently the president and CEO of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, articulated this line of reasoning in the National Post last month. “Provincial dairy marketing boards are perhaps the most egregious barriers to internal trade in Canada,” he wrote. “They have monopoly powers to control and restrict the sale of dairy products. They set quotas that tell farmers how much they are allowed to produce, and they impose strict limits on interprovincial shipments – the combined effects of which force consumers to pay higher prices. Even more unfortunate is the way supply management hurts low-income families. What better way to stand up for hardworking Canadians than to make reform of supply management the centerpiece of the government’s push to create one national economy? Supply management doesn’t just affect consumers. The existing system harms Canada’s international reputation as a champion of open markets.” Proponents point to the stability the supply management system has brought to the prices consumers pay and the wages
farmers receive. “There are a lot of benefits of supply management that run right through to the consumer,” Smith said. “One very strong positive for dairy farmers with supply management is the stability that it brings to the whole food chain, whether that be fair returns for producers or fair prices for high quality products for consumers. The stability of the market allows for good planning for farmers as well as stability for rural economies. When we hear in Canada are facing a recession when you look at the oil market, where disciplined production is out the window and they just keep producing; you here about oil rigs being shut down and about layoffs and that doesn’t happen in the dairy industry domestically. It happens internationally because of the wild price swings.” Elmira resident and University of Waterloo professor Bruce Muirhead is a leading scholar on Canadian agricultural politics and history. He supports the supply management system. “I actually think supply management, if you were going to describe it to a person on the street, it is a system that benefits society as opposed to the individual,” he said. “So you’re not trying to drive your neighbour
out of business, because it wouldn’t necessarily benefit you.” He points to trends in the United States that see dairy farming becoming increasingly concentrated in California where massive operations have become the norm. Where the average dairy farm in Ontario has roughly 75 cows, mega farms in America can have tens of thousands. These operations are not good for the animals, and they are changing the character of rural communities. “Supply management benefits the community because everybody works together,” Muirhead said. “In a sense, that creates a kind of ambience in the community which is really useful for community existence. Like Elmira, I really like living here, but I don’t think if we didn’t have supply management we would be living in a community like this; it would be quite different than the way it is now. “There probably wouldn’t be as many people and it would be much more of a bedroom community than it is now. There would be a different sort of atmosphere around the place, I think, if you have a farm on the outside of town that’s milking 30,000 cows with not too much else between us and them.”
ROBERTS: Decisions should be based on research from | 15
pesticides cause bee colony health issues. Parasites, disease, nutrition, poor weather and poor hive management are really the top issues, they claim, and they want proposed legislation stopped that would limit their use of neonicotinoids. They believe Ontarians are not hearing their side of the story. So, they’re putting pen to paper to try to build support for their efforts. “It’s not every day that we, the 28,000 farm families in Ontario, ask for support from our fellow Ontarians,” they write. “Then again, having newly proposed agricultural regulations threaten our ability to provide you with madein-Ontario food, fibre and fuel isn’t an everyday occurrence.” The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, the main alternative general farm group in the province (to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture) did not add its name to the open letter to Ontarians. But their perspective on
where this battle is headed became clear when it released a weekly commentary last week from board member Peter Peeters, with the eye-popping headline “Government doesn’t need farmers anymore.” That was a shocker. From my perch, the government needs farmers more than ever. So do all Ontarians. But it turns out that’s not really what the Christian farmers meant. Reading on, what they were trying to say is that for the first time in a long time, rural Ontario does not have an elected member inside the provincial legislature. There’s no rural person looking out for farmers’ interests, says the federation. And to them that changes things. First, it says, farmers need to approach government with an extended hand, rather than a clenched fist. Engage in dialogue. Adapt strategies and policies to capture the interest of the decision makers. Take what Peeters calls a
“gentler and more cooperative approach” and support issues with “scientific facts and figures,” which is what the mainstream farm groups think they’re doing, and one reason they are so frustrated in the first place. Anyway, he says, protests are not likely to work in this political climate. “If we are adversarial to the government we will lose. They are Goliath and we are David without a slingshot … getting angry because you’re not getting your way isn’t helping the cause.” While not naming the open-letter approach by the others, they certainly throw water on such inflammatory tactics. Most farmers agree with Peeters on one thing: research-based decisions must be the order of the day. A key here is to be able to explain them clearly, without hysteria, and that responsibility falls on everyone. Reaching out to the public through the media in a responsible manner is a tactic that can help information get to those who want it and need it.
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THE ARTS | 17
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
THE ARTS On stage / Live music
A fruitful run for fans of folk From Saturday’s concert by Mustard’s Retreat through Stanfest fundraiser and jam-packed Roots Weekend in mid-March, the Registry Theatre will be hopping steve kannon It’s going to be a busy month for Jack Cole of the Old Chestnuts Song Circle, who’ll be finding himself on stage for three Stan Rogers tribute shows in the midst of preparing to host three other concerts and a pair of workshops. It all adds up to a good stretch for local fans of folk music. As part of the Folk Night at the Registry series Cole organizes, Mustard’s Retreat performs Saturday night. Next weekend he’ll be playing three consecutive concerts, including February 21 at the Registry Theatre, as a fundraiser for the Stan Rogers Folk Festival. Those show are followed by the Roots Weekend March 13 and 14, with The Kruger Brothers performing the first night and Trent Severn the next. Both bands will also be taking part in workshops on the Saturday. “It is a mad dash right now,” says Cole of the string of performances. Things get rolling Saturday with Mustard’s Retreat. David Tamulevich and Michael Hough met in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1974 while working as short order cooks, both on hiatus from their studies at the University of Michigan. Discovering a mutual interest in music, songwriting and performing, they put together three songs one day after work, and took them to the legendary Ark Coffeehouse’s open mic night. They were a hit, and were invited back to do a 45-minute
set. Within a year and a half they were doing music full time. Forty years later, they have a dozen highly acclaimed recordings of their own, plus three more CDs with their songwriting collective, The Yellow Room Gang. “They really came out of that ’60s folk scene,” said Cole, pointing to the likes of Peter, Paul and Mary. “They’ve certainly got that ’60s folky vibe.” That’s reflected in their choice of instruments, which remains eclectic: guitars, electric bass, dulcimer, mandolin, harmonica and penny whistle among them. Their first recordings remind him of the early stuff from Gordon Lightfoot – “Their voices have stayed true to that.” And, being folkies, there are always plenty of tales to be related. “They tell great stories. And after 40 years, there are plenty of stories.” The following Saturday, Cole takes to the same stage, joined by four other musicians including Rogers’ friend, guitarist and record producer, Paul Mills. The group is rounded out by Brad Nelson, a Cambridge singer/songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist; Anne Lederman, a Toronto multi-instrumentalist (fiddle, accordion, piano) and singer; and Dan Patterson of Kitchener, who provides bass, keyboard, and backing vocals. The concerts (the other stops are in Hamilton and London) are a follow-up on
two previous tribute shows in 2008 and again in June 2013, the 30th anniversary of Rogers’ passing at age 33. The band is remounting the show in support of the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, which had to be cancelled just two days before last year’s event due to Hurricane Arthur, a huge financial blow to the organization, Cole explained. Known as Stanfest, it brings together some 50 artists and 12,000 fans in Canso, Nova Scotia every year, with an economic impact worth millions to the region. For this outing, the group has dug deeper into Rogers’ playbook, planning to perform half a dozen or so more obscure pieces – lighthearted, up-tempo pieces from the canon, said Cole, adding there will be all of the big favourites such as ‘Northwest Passage’ and ‘Barrett’s Privateers.’ “There’s going to be more of a sing-a-long component, too. We’re going to the audience participation angle this time.” All proceeds from the shows will go to the festival in Canso. The organization there has sent Stanfest merchandise to sell, plus some full-weekend passes for the 2015 event in July, to be auctioned off. That should certainly bring out the faithful, but Cole notes it’s a fine time for those unfamiliar with the Canadian folk icon’s music to experience Rogers’ music. “I hope the diehards bring out some first-timers
THE
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Mustard’s Retreat performs Saturday night as part of the Folk Night at the Registry series. Next week, the venue is home to a tribute show to the late Stan Rogers (inset), with proceeds going to support the folk festival that bears his name. ... who’ll get to love Stan’s music as much as we do,” he said. More than 30 years after his death, his music continues to be among the most popular in Canadian folk circles, garnering air play, record sales and many artists performing his
songs. Mustard’s Retreat performs February 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17, or $20 at the door. Rise Again: Remembering Stan Rogers is set for February 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18, or $20 at the door. All shows take place at the Registry
Theatre, 122 Frederick St., Kitchener. Tickets are available at the Centre in the Square box office by calling 578-1570 or toll free 1-800-265-8977 or online at www.centre-square.com. For more information, check out www.folknight. ca.
THE
MEN OF STEEL
5 of Canada's Finest Pedal Steel Guitar players get together to make an afternoon of great Country Music. Featuring: Doug Dietrich, Pee Wee Charles, Doug Johnson, Dale Rivard, and Mike Weber Also, along for the ride is drummer Grant Heywood, Fiddler Dan Howlett and Paul & Sue Weber singin' up a storm
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18 | CLASSIFIED
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
CLASSIFIED
classified deadline:
thursdays by 10am HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
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Full time and part time positions available
E•••••••• •••••••
Floradale Feed Mill Limited is an independent, family owned and operated feed company serving livestock and poultry producers in Ontario. We currently have an opening for:
TRUCK DRIVER (DZ) PART TIME This part time position will involve safe operation of a bag unit or bulk hopper bottom unit on Saturdays and holidays. The successful applicant will have • A valid commercial driver’s license • Strong oral and written communication skills • Ability to develop effective work relationships with co-workers, and • Ability to represent the Company positively with customers. At Floradale Feed Mill Limited we take pride in providing the finest in quality feeds and service to our customers in the livestock and poultry industries. Therefore, a background in agriculture is considered an asset.
OFFICE ASSISTANT SOS Physiotherapy is a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary clinic opening in Elmira in April 2015. We’re looking for an office assistant with excellent communication skills, a pleasant personality and the ability to work independently (~30-35 hrs/week). Main duties: welcome clients, manage front desk for phone calls and walk-ins, book appointments and process payments. Daily tasks will also include basic upkeep and providing general assistance throughout the clinic. Additional responsibilities will involve assisting with basic marketing initiatives and newsletter editing. Proficiency in Word/Excel/PP and at least two years office assistant experience required. Salary to be discussed on interview. Please email your resume by February 27,2015 to careers@sosphysiotherapy.ca.
To apply, forward your resume to: Brian Chamberlain, Operations Manager Floradale Feed Mill Limited 2131 Floradale Road, Floradale, ON N0B 1V0
HELP WANTED
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Woodland Horizon Ltd is a custom furniture and kitchen cabinet manufacturing company located in Drayton. Due to continued growth we are looking to hire for the following positions
Or e-mail: brianc@ffmltd.com We appreciate all those who apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
HELP WANTED
We’re hiring in Elmira. Your career with BrokerLink will give you the opportunity to work with an entirely new kind of insurance broker. As one of Canada’s largest property and casualty insurance brokers you’ll have plenty of room to develop your career and grow professionally.
Kraemer Woodcraft Ltd.
Cabinet Builder Cabinet Installer
Experience is an asset but we are also willing to train the right individual. Please send your resume to laverne@woodlandhorizon.com or call 519-638-5961 to set up an interview.
Rosendale Farms and Waterloo Crop Service operate a local, independent agribusiness serving grain and livestock producers throughout parts of Waterloo, Wellington and Perth counties. Currently, we have a full-time position open for the Operations Manager position. Main duties include: • Helping to maintain a clean and safe workplace; • Shipping and receiving of grain; • Co-ordinating/dispatching trucks for grain and fertilizer; • Communicating with customers to provide timely delivery of products and services • Other tasks associated with the warehouse as well as health and safety training Skills and assets required: • Previous farm background or experience in feed, fertilizer or grain handling; • Experience in shipping/receiving • Good attitude and customer service focused • Good communication skills Please email resumes to info@rosendalefarms.com, fax to 519-578-5168 or deliver in person to 544 Sawmill Rd, RR1 Waterloo. Deadline for applications is March 12, 2015. There are also several part-time/seasonal positions needed as well: DZ truck driver, general labour, field equipment operator. Please email resumes to info@rosendalefarms.com, fax to 519-578-5168 or deliver in person to 544 Sawmill Rd, RR1 Waterloo. Deadline for applications is March 12, 2015.
JOB OPENING:
11 Henry Street West, St. Jacobs, Ontario N0B 2N0
519-664-2221
Personal Insurance Advisor If you meet the qualifications below, we should talk:
CABINET MAKER/INSTALLER
Required for a local established custom millwork company. Full-time positions available. Experience with custom millwork and installations required. We offer a very competitive wage and benefit package.
• High School Diploma and/or Post Secondary Degree • 2+ years customer service experience • RIBO license • Exposure to Agency Manager is an asset • Strong analytical and organizational skills • Excellent verbal and written communication skills Send your resume to: recruitment@brokerlink.ca
BrokerLink.ca/careers
Email Resume to terry@kraemerwoodcraft.com Services available in Ontario through Canada Brokerlink (Ontario) Inc. ™BrokerLink & Design is a trademark of Canada Brokerlink Inc. used under license. © Copyright 2015 Canada Brokerlink Inc. All rights reserved.
HOW TO REACH US
•• • •• •• •• • ••
WOODWORKING CRAFTSMAN Chervin Custom Woodworks Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high quality hotel furniture and custom kitchen cabinets located on the edge of Waterloo in the town of Hawkesville. They are in need of qualified woodworking machinist, assemblers and finishers. We are looking for individuals that have a keen interest in woodworking and craftsmanship skill and a strong desire to increase this skill.The successful candidate will also need to exhibit excellent interpersonal and team-building skills.
HELP WANTED
Full-time/part-time positions are available at a livestock brokerage firm. Duties will include office responsibilities as well as working with livestock. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated. Livestock handling experience is preferred.
To apply for this position please respond with your resume and references to humanresources@chervin.ca or call 519-699-5661
Please contact B&M Stockers & Feeders Brian 519-741-6205 Fax 519-884-0509 Email mmoser@olex.on.ca
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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
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Placing a classified WORD ad In person, email, phone or fax submissions are accepted during regular business hours. Deadline for Saturday publication is Wednesday by 5 p.m. All Classified ads are prepaid by cash, debit, Visa or MasterCard. Ask about Observer policies in regard to Display, Service Directory and Family Album advertising.
CLASSIFIED | 19
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Comm/ Industrial For Rent
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!
PROFESSIONAL OFFICE 625 sq ft @ $11.00 per sq ft. available immediately. Unit has separate utility meters. Located on main street Elmira beside library. Has 3 phase hydro require for x-ray equipment. Call Mildred Frey to view direct 519-741-6970 MLS1511458.
Family Album anniversary
stag & doe
Stag & doe
Happy Anniversary Don & Jayne
Stag & Doe for Brad Frey & Shannon Koebel
Stag & Doe for
Christine Soehner & Mike Partridge
For Sale Hilltop Fabrics is having their Spring Sale. Feb. 23 - Feb. 28th. 10% off storewide, open every day that week. 519-595-4344.
Storage Storage Space Available. 25ft x 20ft. Dry, no power. $85/month. Call Dave 519664-3331.
February 21, 2015
Wanted Baseball Pool. Managers needed. Run by CBS Sports. Auction type. Weekly stats. Cost involved. Phone John 519-669-2251.
40 years of loving, caring and sharing You are a wonderful example to us all Thank you for the wonderful celebration in Florida!
SMALL ADS, BIG IMPACT.
Love Kevin & Jacqui, Lori, Ryan & Isaac
THE OBSERVER
in memoriam
FRENCH, Debra Lee | Passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at St. Mary’s General Hospital, Kitchener on Monday, February 2, 2015. Debra resided in Baden and was born 62 years ago in Kitchener. Local relative is her brother Wayne Henrich of Elmira.
CHRISTIAENS, Frans A. S. “Frank� | Crossed over
of Conestogo
Acrylic Tub Liner Installer
Experience an asset but will train. Must be detail oriented, tidy and able to work independently. Must have clean drivers abstract and be bondable. Please send resume to bathcrest@rogers.com
to the open arms of our Lord on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at Freeport Health Centre, Kitchener, at the age of 77 years. Local relatives are his son  Marc (Dorothy) Christiaens of Elmira.
HELP WANTED
KENNEDY, Amy Helen | November 11, 1929 February 8, 2015 After a prolonged illness, Helen passed away peacefully at Freeport Health Centre, Kitchener, at the age of 85 years, of Waterloo formerly of Elmira.
Our St. Jacobs Distribution Centre currently has the following opportunity...
Temporary Material Handlers
MARTIN, Earl M. | Passed
away peacefully on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at Grand River Hospital, at the age of 84 years , of Floradale.
Term Position - March 2015 to October 2015 Afternoon and Night Shift Positions Responsible to the Shift Foreman for helping to maintain service levels to Home Hardware Dealers, you will contribute to the smooth flow of merchandise through the Distribution Centre by picking, packing, shipping, and receiving. You will also operate material handling equipment, comply with all health and safety regulations, and perform other duties as assigned by the Supervisor.
We offer a competitive salary and great working conditions. If you are interested in becoming part of Home Hardware, please forward your resume, by Friday February 27, 2015 quoting Temp Material Handler (#967) to: Beth White, Recruitment, Human Resources, Home Hardware Stores Limited, 34 Henry St. W., St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0 E-mail: hr@homehardware.ca Fax: 519-664-4711 (Microsoft Products Only)
MARTIN, Enos B. |Passed away peacefully at his residence on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at the age of 91 years, of Elmira.
hr@homehardware.ca
Able to perform strenuous physical activities including: walking, standing, bending, and lifting, you demonstrate high-quality accuracy and attention to detail, and have excellent reading, writing, and number skills. A reliable team player with a great attitude, you are willing to be trained on powered lift equipment. Good attendance and punctuality are important. A high school diploma or equivalent is preferred.
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Door Prizes, Raffle Draws, Games, Food & More Contact Stephanie Koebel 519-573-3602 or Jake Frey 519-503-5253 for tickets.
death notices
HELP WANTED
8pm - 1am Elmira Lions’ Hall, 40 South St. West, Elmira Tickets $10
February 28, 2015 8:00 pm - 1:00 am Elmira Lions Hall Tickets $10 available at the door Food, Fun, Games & Prizes
obituary
In Loving Memory of Walter Kieffer February 11, 2008
It has been 7 long years without you For my Father, I would give up every possession I have just to hug you one more time. I remember the last time I held your hand and how you looked at me in the eyes. If only I could turn back the time. I would have never let you go. I felt the world stop 7 years ago when they told me you’re gone. How I wish I was only dreaming. Just like rain, tears fell down from my eyes. I couldn’t speak for a while. Thank you Dad, for always understanding, listening, caring and loving me all your life. The greatest gift God fave me was you my Dad. It’s difficult to let you go but I must. I must return the gift God gave me. Till then, see you in Heaven. All our love your daughter Sharon, Son in Law Peter, your granddaughter Angie, Natalie and Great Grandsons
obituary Kennedy, Amy Helen November 11, 1929 – February 8, 2015 After a prolonged illness, Helen passed away peacefully at Freeport Health Centre, Kitchener, at the age of 85 years. Helen, of Waterloo formerly of Elmira, was the beloved wife for 61 years of Dr. Keith Kennedy and proud mother of John (Jo-Anne) of Collingwood and Gail (James) Zippel of Elmira. Loving grandmother of Courtney (Drew) Turner, Alexis and JAK Kennedy, Erika (Michael) McGarr, Lisa (Phil) Brown, and Jeffrey Zippel. Dear great-grandmother of Harlow and Oliver Turner, and Theodore “Teddy� Brown. Sister of the late Laura Marshall of Winnipeg and Glen (Eleanor) Beattie of Owen Sound. Helen was a graduate of Dental Nursing U of T and Stratford Normal School. She taught in Brantford, Lethbridge, Alberta, Guelph, and Kitchener-Waterloo. She was a keen golfer, gardener, and bridge player. At Helen’s request cremation has taken place. There will be no funeral home visitation or funeral service. Donations to St. Mary’s Cardiac Care or Grand River Regional Cancer Centre would be appreciated and may be obtained by calling the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira (519-669-2207). Special thanks to Dr. Yew and nurses on Team 7 Palliative Care Partners. They have been an amazing support group. Helen dearly loved sharing her life with family and friends. Her thanks to each and every one of you.
www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com
Weber, Franklin (Frank) Passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Monday, February 9, 2015 at Hospice Wellington, at the age of 79. Cherished husband and best friend for 53 years of Reta (Weaver) Weber. Dearly loved father of Ronald of Vancouver, Bradley (Susan Matthews) of Holland Centre, and Brent (Tammy) of Caledon. Beloved Papa of Calaghan (Carolyn) Dell’Anno of Bowmanville and Caitlin Cheney (Chris Cranfield) of Shelbourne. Proud GG of Kurtis Cheney and Audrey Dell’Anno. Frank was the last surviving member of his family having been predeceased by his parents Ion and Geneva (Kinsie) Weber, his siblings Helen (Urias) Frey, Emerson (Edna), Lawrence, Beatrice, George, Donald (Naomi), and Walter and Isabel both in infancy. Survived by sisters-in-law Helen Weber, Lena Weber, Ruth Burkhart, and Stella Weaver. Sadly missed by many nieces and nephews. Next to family, Frank’s greatest joy was fishing. He was an avid Maple Leaf and Blue Jays fan. He was a member of Bethel Mennonite Church (Elora). Cremation has taken place. The family will receive relatives and friends at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira, on Friday, February 13, 2015 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A memorial service and reception will be held at the Floradale Mennonite Church, 22 Florapine Rd., Floradale, on Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 11 a.m. The family wish to thank Pastor Dave Tiessen, Dr. Dawn Yew, Hospice Wellington, PSW Tammy, CCAC Care Partners, our Bethel Church family, and all who supported us with your prayers, overnight care, food, flowers, cards, and phone calls. If you wish, donations in Frank’s memory can be made to Mennonite Central Committee or Hospice Wellington and can be arranged through the funeral home.
www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com
FAMILY ALBUM DEADLINE IS: WEDNESDAYS BY 5PM
20 | CLASSIFIED
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
TIRE
THOMPSON’S
Complete Collision Service
WHERE TIRES
general SERVICES
AUTO CLINIC
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
SHELLY & SCOTT TAYLOR 28 Pintail Drive, Elmira, ON, N3B 3G9
519-669-0003
taylortax@rogers.com
Accredited Test & Repair Facility
519-669-4400
519-669-7652
30 ORIOLE PKWY. E., ELMIRA www.thompsonsauto.ca
519.669.8917
519-669-3232
21 Industrial Dr. Elmira
...& SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING
gENERAL SERVICES
MUSIC-LOVER GIFT ALERT!
Various sizes & rates
’s 60’s / 70
HIGH SCHOOSL BAND
GOSPEL
ROCK
MUSIC TRANSFERS FROM LPs, 45s, 78s, CASSETTES TO CD
CLEAN • DRY • SECURE Call
COUNTR Y
•Ratches, Hooks, Straps, Webbing etc. •Canvas, Vinyl, Polyester, Acrylic Fabrics
Your favourite albums get a whole new life on CD after we clean up the clicks, pops and surface noise.
519-669-4964
Boat Covers | Air Conditioner Covers | Small Tarps Storage Covers | BBQ Covers | Awnings & Canopies Replacement Gazebo Tops | Golf Cart Enclosures & Covers
WOOD GAS PELLET
519.595.4830
MORE INFO | 519.669.0541
100 SOUTH FIELD DRIVE, ELMIRA
General Repairs
6376 Perth Rd. 121 Poole, ON
EMAIL: vinylp2cd@gmail.com
CONESTOGO
FERGUS
1871 Sawmill Road
180 St. Andrew St. W.
519-664-3800
519-843-4845
877-664-3802
888-871-4592
www.fergusfireplace.com
general SERVICES “25 years in Business”
While you wait! Sharpening M
$275.00/
$4.99 per pair
519-648-3004
22 Church St. W., Elmira
general SERVICES
WE FIX SLIPPERY WHEN WET
Propellant 49 The best ice and snow melter on the Planet. Safe for trees and plants, will not rust, corrode or stain. No residue. Continues past -50°C and keeps melting 36 hours after being applied.
Craftsman Member O.G.P.T. Inc
519-880-9165
800-232-6396
CONSTRUCTION INC. (519) 569-0772 • Commercial & Industrial General Contracting • Specializing in Concrete Work & Excavation • Retaining Walls
info@trappconstruction.ca www.trappconstruction.ca
• • • •
Stamped Coloured Concrete Demolition Bin Service Machine Bases
Concrete Breaking & Removal
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
HOME IMPROVEMENTS SERVICES
BATHTUBS, CERAMIC AND PORCELAIN TILE BRICK, TERRAZZO AND OTHER SURFACES GUARANTEED, INVISIBLE, AND COST EFFECTIVE
JAMES BAUMAN NEW PHONE NUMBER
or
www.biobobs.com
STORE HOURS: M-F: 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5
TUNING & REPAIRS
+H.S.T.
Not valid with any other special offers or coupons.
Tel: 519-669-5537
SERVICES
OUT
(1800 Gallon Residential)
5th pair FREE.
BAUMAN PIANO
pump
For more info email noslipperyfloors@gmail.com or call 519-588-7413 | theredwolfcompany.com
WEICKERT& MEIROWSKI Concrete Foundations Limited
YES... WE DO RESIDENTIAL WORK!
6982 Millbank Main St., Millbank 519-595-2053 • 519-664-2914
space for rent
State of the acAhinrte
RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING EFFORT!
Ltd.
RESIDENTIAL & AGRICULTURAL
Driveways • Sidewalks • Curbs • Barn Renovations Finished Floors • Retaining Walls • Short Walls Decorative/Stamped and coloured concrete www.marwilconcrete.ca
519-577-0370
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 INSTALL
ATION When you buy 3 or more
Hours: M-F 8:30 - 5:30 Sat 9:00 - 3:00
Evenings By Appointment
at your service. We specialize in getting the word out! Advertise your business services in our directory. Weekly exposure with fantastic results! Call Donna at 519.669.5790 Ext 104.
CLASSIFIED | 21
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY Home improvement SERVICES COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL
ST. JACOBS
GLASS SYSTEMS INC.
APPLIANCES – FURNACES – FIREPLACES AIR CONDITIONERS – WATER HEATERS SPRING SPECIAL ON AIR CONDITIONING TUNE UP $99, INSTALLED FROM $1999 FURNACES INSTALLED FROM $2499 FRIDGES $499, STOVES $399, WASHERS $399, DRYERS $369, FREEZERS $199 Come visit our show room FREE QUOTES
1553 King St. N., St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0
• Store Fronts • Thermopanes • Mirrors • Screen Repair • Replacement Windows • Shower Enclosures • Sash Repair
1 Union Street, Elmira
TEL:
ehc@hotmail.ca (519)-669-4600
519-664-1202 / 519-778-6104 FAX: 519 664-2759 • 24 Hour Emergency Service
Steve Co.
Plumbing and Maintenance Inc.
John Schaefer Painting Interior/exterior Painting, Wallpapering & Plaster | drywall Repairs
For all your Plumbing Needs. 24 HOUR SERVICE Steve Jacobi
ELMIRA
519-669-3652
R O O F I N G
FREE ESTIMATES
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL
AMOS INC
IRA HOME COMFORT M L E (519) 669-4600
• 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
NOW ACCEPTING VISA OR MASTERCARD
CALL JAYME FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE.
519-669-2251
519.501.2405 | 519.698.2114
36 Hampton St., Elmira
In Business since 1973 • Fully Insured
Home improvement SERVICES
Sew Special
100% SUPERIOR QUALITY CUSTOM WOODWORKING
KENJI ORITA • Custom Kitchens • Custom Furniture • Domestic & Exotic Woods
226-868-8131 oritakenji@gmail.com 20B ARTHUR ST. N., ELMIRA
• Residential • Commercial • Industrial
Randy Weber ECRA/ESA Licence # 7000605
519.669.1462 Fax: 519.669.9970 Tel:
18 Kingfisher Dr., Elmira
WINDOW FASHIONS
Custom Window Coverings
Free in-home Consultations. Call someone you can trust. Call Cindy.
Latest Styles of Window Blinds and Custom Drapery At competitive pricing
A Brand You Can Trust
Lois Weber 519-669-3985
22 Church St. W., Elmira
Tel: 519-669-5537
Elmira
STORE HOURS: M-F: 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5
Serving the community for 25 years
Outdoor services
COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL SERVICES
YOUR SOURCE FOR YEAR-ROUND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE • Lawn Mowing Packages • Lawn Maintenance & Landscaping • Top Dressing/Overseeding • Mulch Delivery & Installation • Commercial & Residential Full Flower Bed Maintenance • Snow Plowing & Ice Control • Tractor Snowblowing
Call Jeff Basler, Owner/Operator, today 519.669.9081 mobile: 519.505.0985 | fax: 519.669.9819 | ever-green@sympatico.ca
Outdoor
Services
> Commercial & Residential > Fully Insured > WSIB Clearance > Senior Discount
INTRODUCING OUR PIC BUCKET
Lawn Maintenance Programs | Spring Clean-up Flower Bed Maintenance Programs Leaf Clean-up and Removal | Soil & Mulch Delivery & Installation | Snow Clearing & Removal | Ice Control 27 Brookemead, St, Elmira P: 519-669-1188 | F: 519-669-9369
kdetweiler@rogers.com
For digging through frozen ground!
• • • •
KEVIN DETWEILER
Trenching Excavating Back fill compaction plate Laneway sanding available
Murray & Daniel Shantz
ALMA, ONTARIO | PHONE: 519.846.5427
OWNER-OPERATOR
PRINTING | MAILING | SIGNAGE SERVICES
is an authorized
CANADA POST EXPERT! Contact us for your
Mail House
• Mail preparation • Sorting • Product Fulfillment • List Cleansing • Inserting • Stamping • Tracking M&T Printing Group will:
4”x6”
POSTCARDS PRINTED
FREE
*
YOUR POSTCA RD PRINTER
Because we’re excited with our role as a CANADA POST EXPERT, we are offering you an AMAZING DEAL!
16
**
¢ each
4”x6” full colour 2 sided postcard Unaddressed Admail Minimum order of 1,000 pieces **Plus 1¢ extra for transportation to designated RVU *All you need to do is pay M&T’s Unaddressed Admail rate of 16¢ per piece. PRINTING IS FREE!
www.mtprint.com 907 Frederick St. KITCHENER T 519-571-0101 265 Weber St. N. WATERLOO T 519-886-6800 21 Malcolm Rd.
GUELPH
125 Sheldon Dr.
CAMBRIDGE T 519-621-6611
T 519-836-4441
Offices also in London and Brantford
22 | CLASSIFIED
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
REAL ESTATE LISTINGS
FEATURED LISTINGS
A DONATION will be made with every home bought or sold by Alli, Paul or Sue.
NEW LISTING
$475,000 OPEN CONCEPT BUNGALOW
SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT
519-577-6248 allibauman@rogers.com
SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT
519-503-9533 paul@remaxsolidgold.biz
SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT
226-750-9332
suewidemanhomes@gmail.com
$269,900 CENTURY HOME CHARM
Elmira - Make yourself at home in this 2 + 1 bedroom bungalow. The master bedroom boasts 2 closets in the dressing area into the ensuite bath. With wet bar, games area, and a projector included, this rec room was made for entertaining or simply relaxing. MLS 1514312.
Elmira - Charming Victorian style older home. Large fenced treed lot in central location. Natural original wood trim throughout. Pine & Oak floors. Maple floor in country kitchen. Finished attic with skylights for natural light. You won't want to miss this! MLS 1514389.
$289,000 IN THE HEART OF TOWN
$519,000 HOBBYISTS DREAM
St. Jacobs - This 2 bedroom home is right in the heart of town, close to down town shopping. Large kitchen featuring pine ceiling, oak cupboards & walk out to patio, perfect for entertaining. Beautiful main bath is equipped w/skylight & water jet tub. Call today to book a viewing. MLS 1437697.
SO LD
Alli Bauman Paul Martin Sue Wideman
NEW LISTING
Enjoy the space of this large lot including gardens, chicken coop, 12 x 8 shed and 1200 sq. foot insulated heated shop with 600 volt 3 phase. Shop is equipped with a dust collector and crane. Get cozy next to the 2 wood pellet fireplaces in this 4 bedroom home with a large eat in kitchen. MLS 1441860.
$474,500 READY TO RENT
Elmira - This very well maintained triplex has been freshly painted and is ready for new renters. All 3 units are equipped with separate hydro and water meters and come with fridge, stove, washer and dryer. Unit #1: 2 bedrooms with baseboard electrical heat. Unit #2: 1 bedroom with separate gas meter. Unit #3: 3 bedrooms with a 26 x 16 garage, separate gas meter and dishwasher. This is a must see for investors and home owners alike. MLS 1441079 & 1441072.
$309,900 BUNGALOW, GREAT YARD
Elmira - This 3 bedroom bungalow is situated on a quiet street close to the park and public school. Cozy up to the wood burning fireplace in the rec room or BBQ with friends on the patio in the large back yard. This home includes an updated kitchen, central air, central vac, fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer. Ready for you to move in and relax. MLS 1444078.
Thinking About Selling? Call today and book a
FREE
HOME EVALUATION.
Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage Independently Owned and Operated
$459,000 QUIET CRESCENT
$649,000 PRIVATE HAVEN!
Drayton - Located on 6 acres this extraordinary home is nestled in picturesque scenery. Featuring: Private lane, 1500 sqft, (30ft x 50ft) workshop with 60amp service, and 1600sqft home. Finished top to bottom with an open layout this rare find is extremely well kept. MLS 1442024.
Elmira - This well maintained 2 + 1 bedroom bungalow has main floor laundry, a walk in closet and ensuite in the master bedroom. Walk out from the dinette to a fully fenced yard with an in-ground pool which has a new liner in 2011, as well as a new pump, filter and blanket in 2014. Appliances included. Call for a viewing today! MLS 1512120.
$549,000 STORE FRONT IN ELMIRA
Elmira - With a 2000 sq foot office space, a 1 bedroom unit, and 2 bedroom unit, this downtown property could be your ideal investment! MLS 1442236.
3 Arthur St. S., Elmira | 519-669-5426
FIND YOUR DREAM HOME IN CANADA’S BEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER Bert Martin BROKER
FROM PAPER
Remax Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage Independently Owned and Operated
DIRECT: 519-572-2669 OFFICE: 519-669-5426
TO PRINT QUALITY COLOUR PHOTO REPRINTS That photograph in The Observer can be yours. Visit our website and order any photo in paper or online. Order your print today! 519-669-5790 | www.observerxtra.com/forms/order-a-photo-reprint
3 Arthur St. S. Elmira www.remaxsolidgold.biz
EMAIL: bert@remaxsolidgold.biz 2-4pm 20 Centre Street, Elmira OPEN HOUSE Sunday
4x6 $9
(2nd Print only $4.50)
5x7 $11
(2nd Print only $5.50)
8x10 $15
(2nd Print only $7.50)
ELMIRA CENTURY HOME! Many beautiful features in this 1888 home including 10' ceilings main floor and 11' ceilings on the second floor, original front door, pine flooring, nice foyer and staircase, two bathrooms, hot water heating. and stainless steel appliances. Unique detached double carport and beautiful exterior trim. MLS $469,900. Call Bert to view.
CLASSIFIED | 23
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
REAL ESTATE LISTINGS
HAPPY FAMILY DAY FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS FAMILY DAY FREE SKATE
Elmira Real Estate Services
INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED, BROKERAGE
90 Earl Martin Dr., Unit 4, Elmira N3B 3L4
Bus: 519-669-3192 Fax: 519-669-3322
MONDAY FEBRUARY 16TH 11:30AM - 12:30PM
Bonnie
DAN SNYDER MEMORIAL ARENA (ELMIRA REC CENTRE)
Brubacher
Hot Chocolate, Coffee & Treats
BROKER OF RECORD
Shanna
DRAYTON RIDGE
BROKERAGE
519-579-4110 OFFICE
Warren McNeil - Sales Rep. | Melanie McNeil - Sales Rep.
BROKER
NEW LISTING!
OPEN HOUSE | 168 Ridgeview Dr., Drayton Saturday, Feb. 14th & Sunday, Feb. 15th, 1-3pm
4 BEDROOM HOME $379,900 DRAYTON 2121 SQ.FT
UPSCALE BUNGALOW TOWNHOMES Priced From $322,900 − This 2nd phase is well underway, 3 bungalows and 2 bungalow lofts available, beautifully appointed, double car garage, hardwood/ceramic, gas FP, main floor master & laundry. EXCLUSIVE
BONUS $10,000 in FREE UPGRADES!
TWIN CITY REALTY INC.
sold@clickthathouse.com
Rozema
www.YourFamilyTeam.ca
TEAM
$4
4
5 4,
Better than new! Immaculate, 3 b/r, 3 bath, Elmira Home. Open concept layout, great room w/gas firplace, gleaming hardwood floors & vaulted ceiling. Spacious kitchen w/ceramic tile, black appliances (included), abundance of cabinets, blanco sink and dinette with walkout to incredible, new deck and fenced yard. Upstairs features new flooring, 3 good sized bedrooms, huge master suite w/ walk-in closet and updated ensuite with glass shower and corner tub. Shows A+++!
00
two storey on a 62’ lot, open concept main flr, oak kitchen w/granite counter tops, walkout to deck & fenced yard, main floor laundry, master ensuite + cheater ensuite on upper level, c/air, dbl garage. NEW MLS
until February 28th, 2015
STUNNING FIELDSTONE HOME $899,000 DRAYTON Stunning
BUNGALOW & SHOP $304,900 DRAYTON Detached
26’x22’ shop with hydro, double car garage & driveway. Solid home, freshly painted, bright sunroom addition with gas fireplace, eat-in kitchen, appliances included, main floor laundry, 3 bdrms, 2 baths. MLS
one of a kind 3800 SQ.FT two storey. Private 2 ACRES, 20’x16’ barn & spring fed pond, wraparound porch, large flagstone patio. Interior 9’ ceilings, pine kitchen, granite counters, 5 bdrms, 4 baths, fireplace. MLS
® REALTY LTD., BROKERAGE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED
519.500.1865 (Direct)
1985 SQ.FT HOME $354,900 ELMIRA
6-PLEX $1,095,000 ELMIRA Completely
Eye catching entrance w/two storey vaulted ceiling to upper level, hardwood & ceramic flrs, gas fireplace, walkout to deck, fenced yard & shed, master ensuite, upper floor laundry, central air. ACROSS FROM PARK. MLS
renovated, ALL UNITS RENTED, insuite laundry, separate metres, intercom system, ample parkings, locker/extra storage space, situated steps to downtown & bus route on mature tree lined street. MLS
Dale R. Keller
17 Church St. W., Elmira • 519.669.1544 (Business)
Sales Representative
www.KellerSellsRealEstate.com | dale@kellersellsrealestate.com
Opportunity Elmira | $350,000 Commercial building, great exposure from 2 main streets, Arthur and Church, retail on main floor and large 2 bdrm upstairs. Upgraded and renovated 2011. Both up and down currently rented. MLS Call Dale.
Take A Look Drayton | $319,000
CALL FOR YOUR FREE MARKET EVALUATION
Spacious open concept raised bungalow with cathedral ceiling, bright newer windows, a bright wide open rec. room, and many recent updates. Steps to school, medical centre, library, groceries, fitness gym. Fully fenced yard and walkout to deck. MLS. Call Dale.
R.W. ThuR Real esTaTe lTd. BRad MaRTIN
Brokerage Let our 50+ yearS oF eXperience worK For you!
JulIe
TRaCeY
WIllIaMs Broker of record, heCKeNdORN Broker Sales rep. MVa residential res: 519.669.1068 res: 519.669.8629 Cell: 519.505.0627
Country | NEW PRICE | $419,000
45 Arthur St. S., Elmira
Almost 3 acres with a bush and fully fenced pond. On a paved road central to Harriston, Mount Forest, Kenilworth, Drayton. Custom built bungalow with impressive front entrance, high ceilings, fireplace, loads of windows, 2 walk outs to huge back deck, walk up from basement and more. A great place to raise a family. MLS Call Dale.
www.thurrealestate.com
Compare | $419,000
519-669-2772
Custom built bungalow on a large lot. Covered deck, 3 gas fireplaces, vaulted and coffered ceilings, wired for sound, hard wood and ceramic flooring, granite counters, arches, pillars, and much more. MLS Call Dale.
Worth a Look | Drayton | $489,000
D L SO
$399,000
$289,900
SPOTLESS 4 level backsplit offers an eat-in kitchen open to spacious lower level family room w/large windows, gas fireplace & bar. Formal LR/DR. 3 bdrms. 2 baths. Mature trees in deep back yard. Well maintained. Concrete driveway. MLS REDUCED.
UPDATED home on a large lot, close to schools and downtown. Large master bdrm. w/walkin closet. Newer kitchen, flooring, central air, TWO bathrooms and most windows. Main floor laundry. DBLE. detached garage (HEATED) and lots of parking! Move-in ready! MLS.
For her - large 1/2 acre in town property with renovated 4 bdrm, 3 bth home, large front porch and rear deck, attached dble garage. For him - a detached dream workshop 2400 sq ft, chain hoist, hydraulic lift, air compressor and lines, insulated and heated, room for ALL your toys. MLS Call Dale.
Drayton Ridge | $364,900 The Brighton lll model, by Verdone Homes is one of many exciting models to be built. This two storey home boasts 1730 sq ft of open concept with main floor great room and 3 generous bedrooms upstairs with custom features. Various prices and options available. MLS Call Dale, to have the best selection.
New Price | Milverton | $245,000
Spring iS juSt around the corner … we have buyerS waiting! CALL FOR YOUR FREE MARKET EVALUATION
SOLD
Great location for this spacious and bright bungalow with walkout on lower level, upper deck, attached garage. MLS Call Dale.
Building in Drayton where homes are affordable
CUSTOM QUALITY Single Family
Visit our Model Home at:
Starting from
$350,900
42 Bedell Drive, Drayton Mon & Tues. 1-7pm | Sat. & Sun. 1-4:30pm | or by appointment
226-818-5311 | verdonehomes.com
SELLING YOUR HOME? ADVERTISE IT IN CANADA’S BEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Drayton | $359,000 A lot of house for the money. Large 4+1 bedroom, with walk-out finished basement, huge master and ensuite, separate detached insulated and wired workshop, above ground pool, large fenced yard and more. MLS Call Dale.
For info on these or any other real estate enquiries, Call Dale
1 IN THE REGION
#
NEWS SOURCE
24 | LIVING HERE
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
LIVING HERE heritage matters / Past meets present
Preserving an important piece of Wellesley’s early history Historical society looks to digitize copies of the long-defunct Wellesley Maple Leaf Whitney Neilson Township news from the early 1900s is making its way online to curious readers thanks to the digitalization of the Wellesley Maple Leaf by the Wellesley Township Heritage and Historical Society. The newspaper ran from 1900 to 1927, until it dissolved. The problem now is that when the paper switched ownership in 1908 to Herbert Kaufman the papers for the following 19 years were never uncovered. Nancy Maitland, curator of the WTHHS historical room, hopes descendants of the former editor will be able to help her locate the missing papers, so they too can be digitalized and put online. “I’m trying to reach out to the descendants of Mr. Kaufman,” Maitland said. “I don’t know any of them. I think there may be some in Wellesley.” The project is a joint venture between the historical society and the Kitchener Public Library. Maitland has been using their digital microfilm reader to turn the old papers into documents, which she’s been posting regularly on the historical society’s website. “The hardest part is not stopping to read every single page that comes up on that screen. It is absolutely fascinating,” Maitland said. The paper was owned, edited and published by James W. Green from Oc-
Chef’s table/ dierre Acheson
Something your taste buds will just love RECIPE NOTES
The long-ago dissolved Wellesley Maple Leaf newspaper is gradually being posted online through the work of the Wellesley Heritage and Historical Society’s Nancy Maitland and the Kitchener Public Library. [Whitney Neilson / The OBserver] schedule.” “Newspapers are a wonnourishment, the support tober 1900 to September As a member of an archiderful way to learn about of the people, it goes into 1908. He owned a printing the area and do a lot of fam- vist group in Waterloo and oblivion.” business to publish it himwith an extensive career ily history,” Maitland said. James’ daughter, Norma self. Kaufman bought the in archives, Maitland said “I didn’t know how long it Green Strong, donated the entire business from him. two and two came together would take but I went on a eight years of the paper In his last issue of the when she learned the liregular basis and captured from when her father was paper he published this brary had a new digital the images during January. the owner to the Waterloo farewell, “Once more and microfilm reader. After she On the screen I had to do Historical Society, where for the last time the Maple two screenshots. When I get stitches the pages together it was stored and microLeaf bids farewell to its to line up the words, she home then I have to stitch filmed. readers. After a struggle crops it and tweaks the As a retired archivist with them and then I have to lasting for twenty-seven brightness and contrast crop them, so there’s much Sunlife Financial, Maitland years this Home Paper levels. From there, she conmore work to do in the decided this would be a finally gives up the ghost. verts the jpeg files into a editing, then in the actual good project for her to work Twice before it ceased to single document so the four digitization. Everything’s on that would interest a breathe but managed to lift been digitized but now I’m up its head after a brief rest. lot of people in the comDigital | 27 trying to keep to a regular munity. But now, lacking its proper
Can you feel the love? We can. This Valentine’s Day, we are cooking up a storm – food is certainly a big part of cupid’s big day. Katherine and Louis have been busy making truffles and decorating lots of sugar cookies. I do enjoy the sharing of Valentines and the chance to do something a little more special than the norm. One gentleman is taking our menu to the LCBO to match the dinner entrée with the wine. I was so impressed – that’s so thoughtful, like ordering dinner wasn’t enough. Sometimes it is the tiniest things that go the extra distance for someone. Since Valentine’s is on a Saturday, you may find yourself with some extra time to do something special for that special someone. A sweet ending to a lovely meal would be a treat. Crème Brûlée is always a smooth, delectable choice, one not available to you all the time. Enjoy. And happy Valentine’s Day! chef’s table | 27
Tip of the Week When you turn your vehicle’s heat on, do you smell an unpleasant odour? It might be time to change your cabin air filter! We recommend replacing this filter every 25,000kms. Filters that aren’t changed regularly can result in decreased heating and air conditioning performance. Talk to one of our service advisors about getting your cabin air filter changed today! – Merlin
Tel: (519) 669-1082 Fax: (519) 669-3084
20 Oriole Parkway E., Elmira, ON
info@leroysautocare.net
www.leroysautocare.net
LIVING HERE | 25
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015 “A GOOD JOB DONE EVERY TIME”
Skilled craftsmanship. Quality materials. CONSTRUCTION STARTS HERE.
Kleensweep Carpet Care
3435 Broadway St. Hawkesville 519-699-4641
Rugs and Upholstery
•Mattress Cleaning •Residential •Commercial •Personalized Service •Free Estimates
COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR
West Montrose, ON
T. 519.669.2033
COLLEEN
Cell: 519.581.7868
Truck & Trailer Maintenance Cardlock Fuel Management
COMMERCIAL 24 CARDLOCK FUEL DEPOT HOUR M&G MILLWRIGHTS LTD. • Design • Installation • Custom Fabrication
MATERIAL HANDLING & PROCESSING SYSTEMS
519.669.5105 1540 FLORDALE ROAD
FEBRUARY 14 Maryhill Knights of Columbus & CWL Valentine Supper. Come out and join us at the Maryhill Community Centre. Doors open at 4:30, Two sittings 5 & 7 pm. Rolled ribs, mashed potatoes & all the fixings followed by coffee, tea & dessert. Tickets $15 per adult, $8 for children 6-11, 5 and younger free. If you call for tickets note the time you would like to attend - advance tickets only. Contact Mike Runstedler 519-648-3394; Doug Zinger 519-648-2939; Mary Campagnaro 519-822-9287.
FEBRUARY 16 Come celebrate Heritage Day/Family Day at WTHHS Historical Room in the Old School, 1137 Henry St., Wellesley between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Free admission. Free Skate sponsored by the Optimist Club of St. Jacobs, 2 p.m., St. Jacobs arena, 29 Parkside Dr., St. Jacobs. A great way to spend some time together on Family Day. Children 16 and under must wear a CSA approved helmet. Elmira & District Horticultural Society meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Trinity United Church, 21 Arthur St. N., Elmira. Guest speaker: Kim Delaney “Heritage seeds.” Please use the back entrance and bring shoes to wear.
FEBRUARY 17 Bingo, Every Tuesday, upstairs at the St. Clements Community Centre, 7 p.m. Sponsored by the Paradise & District Lions Club. All Welcome. For more information, contact Joe Brick at 519-699-4022.
E-MAIL: ads@woolwichobserver.com
Pancake and Sausage Supper, sponsored by West Montrose United Church Women,. West Montrose United Church, 42 Covered Bridge Dr., West Montrose; 5-7 p.m. Free-will offering. All welcome. Tuesday Luncheon, Gale Presbyterian Church, 10 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira; 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Menu: ham & scalloped potatoes, Asian cabbage salad, roll, cherry cheesecake, beverage; $12.
Ariss and District Lions Club monthly Fish Fry. 4-8 p.m., Maryhill Heritage Park Community Centre, 58 St. Charles St. E., Maryhill. Haddock, $15 pp, Takeout available - call 519-648-9865 after 3 p.m. day of. Proceeds to Lions Projects.
FEBRUARY 18
Getting Enough Sleep and the Role of Medications, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Jen Bruce, pharmacist, Martin’s Pharmacy at Woolwich Community Health Centre, 10 Parkside Dr., St. Jacobs. Everyone welcome. No cost and no need to register.
Seniors Lunch Club, 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 1-855-6641900 for more information.
Elmira Legion, Jimmy G’s Hypnotic Comedy Show & Dinner. Dinner 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.; $30/person. After Feb. 14 it is $35/person.
FEBRUARY 19
FEBRUARY 23
The Lions Club of Elmira Bingo – 7 p.m. at Elmira Lions Hall, 40 South St., Elmira. All proceeds go to support the many projects of the Lions Club of Elmira. For more information call 519-572-2669.
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 info.
FEBRUARY 20 Hey Kids in grades 5-8, looking for a place to hang out? Get a bunch of your friends together and come join the dance party; 7 p.m., Breslau Community Centre, 100 Andover Dr., Breslau. Parents, looking for a few hours of free time while your kids enjoy three hours of fun in a supervised, safe place? Our kids’ dance is the event you are looking for! The Breslau Lions Club believes that kinds in this age group need and deserve a fun, safe, secure, co-ed, social environment and it is our desire to provide such an opportunity.
P.O. BOX 247, ELMIRA
www.mgmill.com
KIN KORNER
www.freybc.com
Check Us Out Online! woolwichkin.com
FEBRUARY 21
21 INDUSTRIAL DR. ELMIRA
519-669-2884
Among Friends is a new group developed by Woolwich Community Health Centre for women who have experienced the death of a partner. Supports and friendships will be developed over coffee, tea and dessert at Schmidtsville Restaurant, 3685 Nafziger Rd., Wellesley at 2 p.m. Call group facilitator Lorraine Weber, hospice coordinator at WCHC at 519-664-3794, ext. 229 for more info. This group plans to meet monthly on the first Wednesday of every month, September to June at Schmidtsville Restaurant.
CORPORATE WEAR PROMOTIONAL APPAREL WORK & SAFETY WEAR | BAGS T-SHIRTS | JACKETS | HATS
245 Labrador Drive | Waterloo
519.886.2102 www.UniTwin.com
Submit an event The Events Calendar is reserved for Non-profit local community events that are offered free to the
public. Placement is not guaranteed. Registrations, corporate events, open houses and the like do not qualify in this section. 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE
TOTAL
NANCY KOEBEL
Bus: 519.744.5433 Home: 519.747.4388
Individual life insurance, mortgage insurance, business insurance, employee benefits programs, critical illness insurance, disability coverage,
HOME ENERGY SYSTEMS
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YOUR OIL, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS AND AIR CONDITIONING EXPERTS
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New to the Community? Do you have a new Baby? It’s time to call your Welcome Wagon Hostess. Elmira & Surrounding Area
519.664.2008
SUNDAYS - 9:00 & 11:00AM WEDNESDAYS - 7:00PM
St. James Lutheran Church
MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED
SHARON GINGRICH 519.291.6763 psgingrich@hotmail.ca
226-266-2432 pmerlihan@woolwich.ca @PatMerlihan www.merlihan.com 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
11 HENRY ST. - UNIT 9, ST. JACOBS
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
Sunday School
Zion Mennonite Fellowship -The JunctionSunday School 9:30am Worship Service 10:45am Finding The Way Together 47 Arthur St., S. Elmira • 519-669-3153 www.thejunctionelmira.com
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
Service at 10:30am Rev. Paul Snow
Hearing Assisted
Sun., Feb. 15th 11:00 am
A Holy Temple Richard Haverkamp
Discovering God Together
4522 Herrgott Rd., Wallenstein www.wbconline.ca • 519-669-2319
REACH OUT. KEEP FAITH ALIVE, ADVERTISE HERE.
REACH WITH LOVE. TEACH THE TRUTH. SEND IN POWER.
www.kcf.org/academy
Elmira Mennonite Church
290 Arthur St. South, Elmira • 519-669-3973 www.ElmiraAssembly.com (Across from Tim Horton’s)
Emmanuel
Worship: 9:30am
“People of the Kingdom”
EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH
with Jason Martin, Mennonite Church Canada
Sunday, February 15, 2015 9:15 & 11:00 AM
58 Church St. W., Elmira • 519-669-5123
Series:
Trending
REACH OUT. KEEP FAITH ALIVE, ADVERTISE HERE.
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
SUNDAYS @ 10:30AM @ Park Manor School 18 Mockingbird Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1459 www.elmiracommunity.org
Challenging questions. Honest conversations.
#Bible
200 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1296 www.woodsidechurch.ca
Worship Service
Sundays 10:45am
makingfaithlive.com
519.669.5030
Sunday School 9:45am Worship Service 11:00am Hopping Thursdays 7-8:30pm 22 Florapine Rd., Floradale • 519-669-2861 www.floramc.org
26 | LIVING HERE
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
Strange but true / BILL & RICH SONES Ph.D.
Sometimes mapping out a new discovery means turning off all our devices WEIRD NOTES
Q. Consider the number 0.99999.... Does it equal a number very close to one, or does it go on forever and therefore actually equal one? Many people are not convinced that it equals one. How might you prove that it does? A. Start by supposing that x = .99999..., says Ian Stewart in “Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers.� Next, multiply both sides of the equation by 10, which yields 10x = 9.9999.... This means that 10x = 9 + x. Now, subtracting x from both sides of the equation gives you 9x = 9, and further dividing both
sides by 9 yields x = 1. Thus, infinity aside, .99999... = 1. Incredible indeed, Professor Stewart! Q. How smart can a smartphone get when you take it into the loo?
A. When you’re wearing a device like Google Glass, that’s fine for you, but not in a public loo when the Glass catches strangers on camera in private moments they’d rather keep private, reports “New Scientist� magazine. Enter a team from the University of North Carolina that taught smartphones to detect automatically when the user had entered a restroom. “The phone’s microphone searches for sounds that are similar to other bathrooms, like echoes from tiled floors, and shuts down the device’s picture or video
apps.� This research was presented at the International Symposium on Wearable Computers in Seattle in October 2014. Now isn’t that a “loo-loo� of a smartphone! Q. For you wise old linguistic owls, would you rather be “resuscitated� or “exsuscitated,� “omniscient� or “nescient�?
A. The commonly used “resuscitate� means to “bring someone back from death,� while its less dramatic relative “exsuscitate� means only to “wake from sleep�– at least it used to mean this before falling into disuse, reports “Mental Floss� magazine. “Omniscient� means “all-knowing,� which of course is what you want instead of “nescient,� or “not knowing.� For yet
another set of flip-side words, consider “exhaust, which means to “draw out of�; and “inhaust,� meaning “draw into,� which “exhausted its usefulness and became obsolete.� Utterly lost in translation are the following English words, which must be used wisely when going abroad: “’He’ means ‘she’ in Hebrew, ‘barn’ means ‘children’ in Swedish, ‘pee’ means ‘blood’ in Korean, ‘gift’ means ‘poison’ in German and ‘killing’ means ‘kitten’ in Danish.� Q. Who are the world’s “mapheads�? Hey, you may actually be one of them.
Paul McFedries in “IEEE Spectrum� magazine. For example, “citizen cartography� involves mapmaking by nonprofessionals. As one “cartophiliac� (maplover) put it, “It’s never enough just to be at a place – anyone can do that. The trick is to know where you are.� Hobbyist “geonerds� combine their passion for maps with their love of landscapes into the popular new “geocaching,� a kind of scavenger hunt where participants are given the geographical coordinates of a cache of items and use their GPS gadgetry to find it. In the same vein are “megacachers,� “power cachers,� “extreme cachers� (who take only the most dangerous geotrails) and “puzzle cachers� (who must solve a riddle to find a
A. These are people
passionate about maps or cartography (from “carto� for “maps�), says
desired location). Why all this newfound “geojoy�? “Perhaps it’s because maps are a built-in feature of our brains,� used to construct mental representations of the real world. For some, letting GPS devices do all the work weakens our cognitive map-making ability and our sense of truly experiencing a place. As McFedries concludes: “My own belief is that these devices can, if used in the right spirit, make us more likely to get lost and to experience where we are. We just have to remember to put our phones away and wander.�
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. Quilt part 6. Twitter marker 13. Handle clumsily 16. Accustom 17. Guts 18. Mozart’s “L’___ del Cairo� 19. Robocop 21. Mezzo Berganza 22. ___-relief 23. Small salmon 24. Bygone polit. cause 25. Blue books 26. Therapist who treats injury 29. Universal remedy of Paracelsus 31. Departure 32. Darjeeling or oolong 33. Numenius borealis 35. Away from the bow 37. Not straight 39. “Fantasy Island� prop 40. Burn up 41. Auction offering 44. Beaver’s work 46. “___ lost!� 47. After expenses 48. “I see!� 49. Promote 52. Electric motor
54. Car accessory 55. Egg cells 56. Roswell sighting 57. Delay 58. Clinton, e.g.: Abbr. 59. Future fish 60. Big galoot 62. Comparative word 65. Knight’s title 66. Short, difficult instrumental pieces 69. “I� problem 70. Expert 73. Bumpkin 75. Text 77. Jack-in-the-pulpit, e.g. 78. Biddy 79. Blows it 80. J. Edgar Hoover’s org. 81. Union 84. Toadies 88. Buff 89. Dasyprocta 91. Pleasant Island 92. Lt.’s inferior, in the Navy 93. “Bravo!� 94. Ant, in dialect Down 1. Photo 2. “___ luck?�
3. Butter holder 4. Foam clogs 5. Brave 6. Used as a greeting 7. Amazon, e.g. 8. Allergic reaction 9. Plough 10. Milk-Bone biscuit, e.g. 11. Pop-ups, e.g. 12. Fed. construction overseer 13. Address abbr. 14. Genus Acarus 15. “It ___ All Velvetâ€? (Mel TormĂŠ autobiography) 20. Evil spirit 25. Darling 26. Bake sale org. 27. Cabinet acronym, once 28. Railroad man 29. Roswell crash victim, supposedly 30. Sheik’s bevy 34. Popular music developed from Ska and rocksteady in the 1960s 36. Kind of position 38. Mouth, slangily 40. Bit of progress 41. Chuckled 42. Blade
43. CafĂŠ alternative 45. Native New Zealander 49. “60 Minutesâ€? network 50. “___ we having fun yet?â€? 51. Key material 52. In conflict with, with “ofâ€? 53. Part of an exchange 61. Boat 63. Gray, in a way 64. ___’easter 65. Bottom line 66. Barely make 67. “to holdâ€? 68. Calm 70. Blooper 71. Concentrated, in a way 72. Archaeological site 74. “Goody!â€? 76. Indian state 81. Police, with “theâ€? 82. ___ Khan 83. Fix, in a way 85. Ornamental flower, for short 86. “... ___ he drove out of sightâ€? 87. Crank 90. With the result that
OBSERVER TRAVELS
Sudoku challenge Location
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
CAPTION Matt Horst, David Paisley, Adam Bauman and Dylan Horst decided to take a 5 day Christmas road-trip to the southern U.S. to catch some much needed rays of sun. With their Observer in hand they stopped for a hike at Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and arrived in Tampa for a day and a half on the beach. “The best part of our little adventure is we did it all for under $200 a head, thus making the whole thing justifiable in our ever budget conscience Elmiranite minds. Good times.�
HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. We have got you started with a few numbers already placed in the boxes.
LIVING HERE | 27
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, february 14, 2015
Plenty of the white stuff makes for a very snowy fest in Linwood
There was plenty of fun to be had inside and out at the Linwood Snofest on Feb. 7. Clockwise, Princess Elsa gives Della Rose a Frozen inspired face, Bill Nuvo entertains the crowd with plunger ring toss, sno-pitch teams compete in a daylong tournament on snow-covered baseball diamonds, and Brennan Jackson (or the Joker) and his dad enjoy the show. [Whitney Neilson / The OBserver]
Digital: Making the resource available to all from | 24
page paper can be read in one file. She’s uploading the files as she finishes them. “Pretty much the first year has been stitched,” Maitland said. “I’ve been experimenting with OCR software, optical character recognition, and so if you have a jpeg you can put it through this software and it will recognize words. And so then when people or Google are looking for Linwood or Crosshill or Wellesley or St. Clements that will come up in Google.” The OCR part is a work in process. Right now she’s focusing on getting the issues digitalized and on the website. Each of the issues had eight pages, four of local news and four of news they bought. To save time for people loading the file she’s not including the purchased news, but they’ll always be available on the computer in the historical room for those who are interested.
She said the paper will interest not just those in the township but those outside of Wellesley too because it included news from a larger area. “It was more of a district paper because it has Philipsburg, which is not in our township, and North Easthope and there are places I’ve never heard of, like Deering’s Corner,” Maitland said. “It’s a little bit different issue because that news was coming from people who lived in those places.” She notes it’s also neat to see the old-fashioned advertisements, which not only told what they were selling, but whose business used to be there. She said this helps determine who owned stores and when. While she’s asked around town to try to retrieve the rest of the newspaper’s issues, she’s had no luck yet. She hasn’t given up hope just yet though. “In archives you never say never,” Maitland said.
CURB THE
SALT We all have a role to play.
An ad from the pages of the Wellesley Maple Leaf. “Something could just walk in the door tomorrow. That’s part of the fun.” The historical room will be open on Family Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to mark the start of Heritage Week. The digital copies of the newspaper can be viewed at www.wellesleyhistory.org.
Chef’s table: Sweets for your sweety From | 24
Raspberry Crème Brûlée 2 cups 35% cream 2 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean 5 egg yolks 1/4 cup sugar 24 raspberries (keep extras for garnish) 6 ramekins or shallow tea cups
Scald cream in small pot with vanilla bean and seeds inside, do not boil. Allow the vanilla paste to steep for 7 minutes.
Whisk egg yolks and sugar for about 2 minutes – it should be light yellow and fluffy. Temper the egg mixture by adding the scalded cream in small increments, whisking all the time. Pour into ramekins or cups, leaving a quarter of an inch from the top; add raspberries. Place in a pan with hot water running 2/3 up the dishes, which is a bain-marie. Place in oven at 300 F, covered until middle is jiggly and the outside is firm. Allow to finish setting in the hot water uncovered.
Salt impacts our water.
Place in fridge to cool. Once ready to serve, evenly spread about a teaspoon of sugar over the top. Grab a torch, light it and caramelize the sugar evenly. It will help to rotate the cup around and start on a lower setting until you are comfortable. Garnish with more raspberries. Enjoy!
about the author Never Enough Thyme Catering Inc. was created with one thought in mind ... to create more thyme! Enjoy our food shop, specialty cakes and catering. 83A Arthur St. S., Elmira. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
The Region of Waterloo is committed to protecting our water. We are working to reduce salt use on roads and on properties through innovative solutions and partnerships.
Here’s what YOU can do... Shovel sooner than later. Clear the white stuff as soon as you can so a snowy sidewalk doesn’t become an icy one. Instead of salt, let the sun do the melting for you.
Use salt wisely. Only use salt on icy areas and give it time to work. A little goes a long way and salt doesn’t work when it’s colder than -10°C.
Use salt alternatives. Use alternatives like sand or non-clumping kitty litter to create traction instead of salt.
Wear winter boots. Wear a pair of winter boots with good tread to keep you safe and warm. We can’t always expect bare pavement.
For more ideas contact: Region of Waterloo, Water Services Telephone: 519-575-4400 TTY: 519-575-4608 Email: curbthesalt@regionofwaterloo.ca Website: www.regionofwaterloo.ca/curbthesalt
T:10.25”
28 | BACK PAGE
THE OBSERVER | february 14, 2015
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