January 28, 2016

3

5

February 5 to 20, 2016

By Award winning play wright

Suburban STANDOFF y e a rs

Michael Grant

Written & Directed by Michael Grant

Produced by Rosemarie Ens

Permission by Playwrights Guild of Canada, www.playwrightsguild.ca

One Night Only! Valentine’s Dinner theatre Saturday February 13th For Tickets Call Centre in the Square 519-578-1570 · 1-800-265-8977

Thursday – Saturday show starts 8:00pm Sunday matinees start 2:30 pm

Join us for another PREMIERE from Elmira’s very own award winning playwright.

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01 | 28 | 2016 VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 04

LONGTIME GOAL TO WRITE PLAY BEARS FRUIT LIVING HERE PAGE 25

COMMENT PAGE 6

TIME FOR AN OPEN DIALOGUE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

Rec. spending continues to skew Woolwich budget in 2016

Woolwich ponders better use of growth revenue

TIGHT PLAY AGAINST LEAGUE LEADERS

STEVE KANNON LARGE INCREASES IN RECREATION costs in effect swallow up Woolwich’s proposed 2.1 per cent tax hike for 2016, part of a “disturbing” trend in the department’s spending, argues Coun. Mark Bauman. Net costs – expenses after revenues – for 2016 are currently forecasted at $2,447,665, up nine per cent from the 2015 budget of $2,238,837. “Essentially, recreation is eating up more than our budget increase of 2.1 per cent. So the trend is disturbing to me,” said Bauman as councillors met for a special budget session Jan. 21. The Ward 2 councillor suggested a line-by-line analysis to find out where the increases are coming from in order to get a handle on spending. “We can’t have another nine per cent increase next year in rec., or some other departments are going to suffer.” Overall rec. department expenditures have been on a higher-than-inflation arc for years, with cost overruns and missed revenue targets. Budget documents councillors are looking at right now show overall expenditures are up 12.1 per cent since 2013 alone, to

www.OBSERVERXTRA.com

STEVE KANNON EXPECTING ANOTHER BUILDING BOOM over the next few years, Woolwich will also see a large increase in revenue due to assessment growth. In the midst of budget deliberations and talk of a growing infrastructure deficit, councillors have to focus on where that extra money will go. The township is expecting new assessment growth – primarily through residential development – of about two per cent this year. That amounts to about $180,000 in additional funds – as with tax increases, each percentage point in such growth represents approximately $89,000. That’s much lower than in previous boom years, where growth was double and triple that rate. Money from the former financial windfalls was channelled into Woolwich’s building blitz of new facilities, including the Woolwich Memorial Centre. Much of it was rolled into an-

Sugar Kings skated well in a hard-fought battle against the Kitchener Dutchmen Tuesday Sugar King Zac Coulter and Dutchman Ryan George battle for the puck in Tuesday night’s close 3-2 win for Kitchener over Elmira at the Kinsmen Arena. [WHITNEY NEILSON / THE OBSERVER]

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2 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

GROWTH: Council looks like it might start

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FROM | COVER

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nual budgets, supporting large increase in staff numbers, salaries and benefits. With another slate of building on the horizon – two large subdivisions in Breslau, and big projects in Elmira, for instance – councillors have an eye on the township’s infrastructure needs, which amount to more than $60 million. “We’re on the cusp of what could be unprecedented growth in Woolwich,” director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley told councillors gathered at a special budget meeting on Jan. 21. Referencing past building booms, he said the township saw a peak of some 200 new units per year. That number could be exceeded with the next growth spurt. While the building section of his department is expected to see lower revenues this year, things should start to pick up in the following years, Kennaley said. Where 2016 will see it draw on a reserve fund designed to balance out the ups and downs in revenue, surpluses should be forthcoming.

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given the infrastructure deficit. “As much as I’d like to give everybody a tax holiday ...” In looking for ways to control the budget and have money for needed infrastructure, staffing costs are the go-to place for finding real savings, he argued, as those amount to “yearover-year costs.” A change of course is necessary. “I really want our budget to focus on being a real benefit to our residents as a priority. I’m not seeing that.” Director of finance Richard Petherick noted that, with the special levy in place, the township can expect to put about $552,000 into its infrastructure reserve fund. As well, he told council the township can expect another $38,000 in dividends from its stake in Waterloo North Hydro this year, the equivalent of 0.43 tax increase. Councillors meet again Thursday night for the last of three special budget meetings, looking at more figures in Kennaley’s department budget and the capital spending plans for 2016.

That discussion turned to assessment growth and past practices of setting little aside during good times for future infrastructure needs. Noting he has spent 15 years on council, Coun. Mark Bauman took some of the blame for past failures to address infrastructure needs. “Our infrastructure is crumbling,” he pointed out. “At some point, we won’t be able to afford the roads we drive on.” In that light, Coun. Larry Shantz’s suggestion the township look at skipping a special 1.5 per cent infrastructure levy found no takers among his colleagues. “We’re really increasing 4.1 per cent this year,” he said of tax increases this year, factoring in assessment growth of two per cent and a proposed rate increase of 2.1 per cent. The special levy would be on top of that. Shantz argued in favour of controlling tax increases – “I don’t want to go over the 2.1, for sure.” Coun. Patrick Merlihan, however, suggested it would be premature to abandon the special levy

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NEWS | 3

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

Trivia night has become a popular fundraising event for Woolwich Community Lions LIZ BEVAN THE WOOLWICH COMMUNITY LIONS want to know, well, anything and everything. The lady Lions are gearing up for their annual trivia night on Feb. 6 and are looking for know-it-alls and trivia buffs to answer questions and raise money for charity. The fun begins at 7 p.m. at the Lions Hall in Elmira and event organizer, Nancy Chiasson, says the evening will be a blast and invites everyone to join in. “If you are interested in something a little different, it is a fun, social, entertaining way to spend a winter evening,” she said, adding that this is the third year the event has been held. “This will be our third year and this event has been very successful for us. Last year we were able to double our attendance numbers from the first year. People have a very good time and we get many people coming back the next year. The players really get into the games and the atmosphere is one of friendly competition.” The categories of questions cover a broad range of topics – nothing is off limits. “The categories change every year and we try to cover a wide variety of interests. In the past we have had categories such as TV theme songs, music, Olympic sports, animals, medicine, words and phrases,” said Chiasson, adding that this year’s questions are kept under wraps until everyone arrives. “Of course this year’s categories are a secret until the night of the event, but as usual they are diverse, interesting and challenging.” Trivia can be a serious business, and those who

want to prepare for the event can do a few different things to increase their trivia smarts, as well as bring along their own personal knowledge – it could give your team the leg up it needs. “The best way for people to practice is to play other trivia games or watch Jeopardy, or work on recruiting friends for their team who are already trivia enthusiasts. You would also be surprised at the random things you already know that may come in handy.” The event has steadily grown over the last three years, with 19 teams of eight people at last year’s trivia night. Chiasson says they are hoping for a sold out event this year, filling all of the spots on 25 teams and raising cash for a variety of community projects. “The Woolwich Community Lions actively contributes to a number of organizations located in Woolwich Township and beyond,” said Chiasson. “Currently the majority of our fundraising is going towards two main projects. The first is the purchase of an accessible van for the Elmira District Community Living and the second major contribution, in conjunction with the Lions Club of Elmira, is the Lions Resource Centre, which is the home of Woolwich Community Services.” Winning teams will be receiving cash prizes, donated by local businesses and sponsors. All it costs is $20 per person for 10 rounds of trivia and snacks. There will be a cash bar. Chiasson says most of the teams from last year are vying to take the top spot at this year’s event and spaces are filling up fast. All registration is in advance, and can be done by emailing wlcltrivia@ gmail.com.

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Woolwich trails group hosts first night hike, presents badges

Suzanne Morrison, Christine Webb and Luane Hanes received their 100-km badges on Monday night prior to the night hike in Elmira. Absent, Kyle Gysemans, who received his 100- and 200-km badges. [WHITNEY NEILSON / THE OBSERVER] that we had to change it to [Monday], but I’ve always love being outside on solstice,” Stayzer said. She thinks this is the first night hike in Woolwich in terms of the trails group, since she’s never heard of them doing it in her 20 years as part of the trails group. “I have a couple of groups that hike regularly. There’s a group of retired teachers and of that group I think four of the five of us will be out [for the night hike],” Stayzer said on Monday, prior to the hike. “I think also there is an appeal to the venue. Sandy Hills is a beautiful place to hike and in the winter it’s just heightened. The tall trees, the longstanding conifers and the trail winds through the bush. And doing something different too, I think.” The trails group’s theme last year was healthy hikes, encouraging people to get out and explore the township’s more than 100 kilometres of trail. People were able to log their distance walked in Woolwich

WHITNEY NEILSON WOOLWICH’S 100-KM TRAIL SYSTEM has been put to good use by the Woolwich Trails Group – even through the winter. Eager hikers set out on Monday night for the group’s first-ever night hike. They also presented badges to members who’ve logged 100 and 200-kilometres on the trails since the group launched their Woolwich Healthy Hikes program last May. Nancy Stayzer from the Woolwich Trails Group says the idea for the night hike came while she and another member of the group were doing their Certified Hike Leader course through Hike Ontario. “One of the presentations that they made during the day we did our hike qualifications was about how fun it was to take a group of people on a night hike. We talked about it and then we brought it to our group and we decided to give it a try. We had planned it for winter solstice, but the weather was so horrible that night

and send it in to the group to get a badge once they reached the 100-km mark. Three members received their 100-km badges on Monday. “There’s actually a man from Breslau who will receive his 200-km hike badge, which is pretty cool,” Stayzer added. He had earned his badge by June, just a month after the healthy hikes initiative was launched. The three ladies completed their 100km by the end of the summer. The badge incentive was borrowed from other local trail groups who give out badges for completing different sections of their trails, which Stayzer enjoys. “I’ve hiked the entire Bruce Trail, the Grand Valley Trail, the Avon Trail and recognition of all of these hike clubs is a badge. And I really like them, I collect them. I have to admit I show them to people, so we just thought this would be something local that might inspire people from Woolwich to do a longer trail somewhere else and get a

badge,” Stayzer said. They host hikes at least once a month throughout the spring and the summer and into the fall and now the winter. She says it’s nice to come and meet people who are hiking because you might find someone that lives in your area who you could hike on your own with, rather than joining a group. There will be a new series of hikes coming out in April. “A lot of the work that the trails group does is volunteer. All of us love to be outdoors and on the trails and it’s just something that it’s a personal passion for everybody involved. To be able to share this with other people, maybe somebody who’s never been out after dark or somebody who’s never been on the Sandy Hills trail, it just means that we’re able to share our passion and hopefully inspire other people to take it up,” Stayzer said. The trail map and the log for tracking your distance are available at www. healthywoolwich.org.

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4 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

New website for those seeking local agencies, programs LIZ BEVAN THE REGION OF WATERLOO wants to make searching for agencies and programs a bit easier for residents and townships. Launched earlier this month, isearchmycommunity is a central database for contact and program information for agencies and groups across the region, all in one place. “I know that in our call centre we frequently get questions from people who are just looking for information, not knowing where to look or where to start,” said Deb Bergey, manager of client experience and service improvement with the region, adding that it was discovered there was a lot of overlapping data collection already happening in the service sector. “What we discovered is that there were a number of local organizations that were involved in data collection and involved in funding data collection and a group of organizations came together and we realized that we had duplication going on across the region, both with funding and data collection. They got together and decided to streamline the process.” The result is isearchmycommunity.ca. The region put out a request for proposal last spring, looking for a group to host and manage the site, and ultimately decided on the Social Planning Council of Cambridge and North Dumfries.

Bergey says the hope for the future of the site is to provide a one-stop shop for residents, government offices and social programs and all associated information. “We do look at making the data available through open data, so that every organization can use it. That is one of the hopes. That was a strong desire from our regional council, that we collect the data here once, and that it is made available to everyone from multiple collecting programs,” she said. Along with the creation of the online database, the region has put together a community advisory group to assess the value and efficacy of the new site. “We have about 20 to 30 agencies that are meeting and we tried to represent all categories of service. We have reps from the health industry, food, security, housing and shelter – their role is to help us reach out to their networks and to make sure agencies are aware of the database,” said Bergey. “The other part is to give us feedback on whether the data is useful in serving their clients or in planning needs.” Any organization who wants to add their information, or update a current listing can contact the Social Planning Council of Cambridge and North Dumfries at 519-623-1713. The group can also be found online at www.spccnd.org.

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WHITNEY NEILSON SOME 11 SYRIAN REFUGEE families have agreed to move to Elmira and St. Jacobs, but now there’s the challenge of finding housing for them. Reception House executive director Albert Lobe says they’re working hard to get a few families into the rural communities. They have a hunch if they can get two or three families, it would start to grow to 11 or 12, and that would be their goal. “We certainly want it to happen. We know that

Elmira has great schools, it’s a great community, it wraps its arms around strangers and newcomers. So we’d love to see a small group of Syrians, new Canadians, in Elmira,” Lobe said. Approximately 300 refugees are with Reception House now and every two or three days they pitch the idea of relocating to smaller towns outside of the cities. “That’s a big challenge and they don’t quite understand the opportunities they would have there for friendships, for neigh-

bours, for welcome, for employment, schools, ESL, all those things,” Lobe said. They’ve been looking for apartments for the smaller families. Recently they took two families to see them and one family in particular decided against going. Reception House staff go out to the apartments and houses to make sure they’re clean and situated well and within the financial means, which the government provides for them for a year, and they were approved, but still the families weren’t inter-

ested in the two bedroom apartments. “I just spoke with them again yesterday and I said ‘man what an opportunity you missed,’ through a translator. ‘That’s a small community that would have really welcomed you.’ There was an upholstery man considering moving to Elmira and I said ‘you can start a small business there just like that,’” Lobe said. He says the majority of them want to be close to the other refugees, to REFUGEES | 22

Chemtura, environmental group at odds over extent of contamination leaching off property STEVE KANNON AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP CALLING for quick action on dealing with contaminants from the Chemtura chemical plant in Elmira is in no way mollified by a recent report from the company. The Citizens Public Advisory Committee (CPAC) – members of what was the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee before it was disbanded by Woolwich Township – take issue with a recent report from the chemical company showing few concerns about contaminants on the south and east boundaries of the property. That Chemtura report, prepared by consultants GHD (formerly ConestogaRovers and Associates), found elevated levels of DDT, dioxins and furans,

Chemtura plans to do more monitoring along the south and east boundaries of its Elmira property. but didn’t look at offsite migration. The study looked at surficial soil and groundwater on the boundary lines of the property. In a report released this week, CPAC’s Graham Chevreau said Chemtura’s press release about its study was at odds with some of the GHD findings. “Contrary to the compa-

ny’s press release assurance that ‘the 2015 groundwater samples from the southern site boundary confirm that very few site-related contaminants are present, and none are at concentrations that exceed their respective groundwater criteria,’ the GHD report actually confirms the fact that the site is an uncontained

[FILE PHOTO]

hazardous waste site and has contaminated adjacent residential and agricultural properties.” In the former CPAC’s final report to council last summer before it was disbanded in favour of a new public advisory format, Chevreau presented a long CONTAMINATION | 22

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$4,971,317 in the 2016 budget from actual spending of $4,435,852. Coun. Patrick Merlihan noted the cost increases reflect council’s failure to get a handle on staffing costs. “We can’t forget that council approved more staffing positions, so that cost was already pre-approved. We made that decision already, so we shouldn’t be too surprised,” he said, arguing in favour of reining in unchecked spending. On the staffing front, the department is looking to add hours at the Breslau Community Centre, where a full-time programming position was added last

year. Currently, a part-time staff person works the desk during weekday evenings and part of the weekends – coverage is 4-9 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, though the facility is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. This year’s budget calls for an additional 25 hours a week of coverage at $18 per hour, with another 25 envisioned for 2017, director of recreation and facilities Karen Makela told councillors. There are also plans to increase programming at the centre, with resultant cost increases and potentially higher revenues to offset them. The department’s single-

largest expenditure is the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira, home to 89 full- and part-time staff members. The facility has a history of budget overruns after opening in 2009. The financial concerns continue in 2016, with Bauman pointing out the much larger operating deficit, to $977,361 budgeted for 2016 versus $795,179 in 2015, a $182,000 jump in one year. Makela said a number of issues, including a forecasted 10 per cent increase in hydro costs, are to blame. “It’s a massive draw on energy,” she explained. When Merlihan raised the issue of a budget line

showing the township planned to lose money at its concession stand at the WMC, Makela noted the figures in the budget were wrong. The operation does, however, have some problems with staffing due to young workers not always being reliable – “we are working with teenagers” – so sometimes the WMC concession booth isn’t open because there’s no one to staff it, she added. While the department’s budget was discussed, councillors have yet to make a decision on the proposed figures. The public budget meetings continue Thursday night in council chambers.

NEWS | 5

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

The slots keep payin’ out The Township of Centre Wellington is $545,935 richer last week thanks to third-quarter (October to December) non-tax gaming revenue payment from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation for hosting OLG Slots at Grand River Raceway. Centre Wellington has received more than $24.1 million to fill its coffers since the facility first opened in 2003. These payments are made under a formula in the Municipality Contribution Agreement that determines the

fee municipalities receive for hosting an OLG gaming facility and are based on an escalating scale of slot machine revenue that is consistent across all sites in Ontario. Under the agreement, municipalities receive: 5.25% on the first $65 million of slot revenue; 3% on the next $135 million of slot revenue; 2.5% on the next $300 million of slot revenue; 0.5% on slot revenue above $500 million; and, the new element, 4% on table game revenue. At approximately $2 billion annually, OLG provides the Ontario government with its largest source of non-tax revenue. Some $115 million has been allocated this year for distribution

through the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Regional groups get Trillium funds Seven local non-profits are starting the year with new grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), when combined total $1,935,700. The groups are among the first to receive funds under OTF’s new granting strategy, awarding funds for capital initiatives (Capital), helping to pilot and test new ideas (Seed), and to expand and grow proven strategies (Grow). The recipients are: Community Justice

Initiatives of Waterloo Region ($75,000 over 12 months), K-W Working Centre for the Unemployed ($750,000 over 35 months), Parents for Community Living ($66,100), Planned Parenthood Waterloo Region ($186,500 over 36 months), Project READ Literacy Network ($205,900 over 24 months), Sustainability CoLab ($482,800 over 24 months), and the YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo ($169,400 over 24 months). Under OTF’s new Seed grant program, a collaborative project with the Community Justice Initiatives of Waterloo Region as the lead, has received $75,000 over 12 months to support men who were incarcerated, with a community in-

tegration program known as Stride. The other groups involved are Stonehenge Therapeutic Community, the Salvation Army, Western Ontario Parole, John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington and Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council. Funds will be used to help with salaries, volunteer training workshops and the cost to rent space for the workshops.

JANUARY 20

ship. Centre Wellington firefighters extinguished the blaze, and a 65-year-old woman was located in the home and transported to a local hospital in serious condition. Police and the Ontario Fire Marshal are investigating this incident. Any person with information regarding this incident should contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip on-line at www. csgw.tips. You may be eligible for a reward from Crime Stoppers of up to $2,000.

Zoning OK’d for subdivision in St. Jacobs The latest phase of the Valley View

Heights development got official clearance last week, paving the way for the addition of another 148 homes into the mix at the south end of St. Jacobs – 88 single-family homes, 26 semis and 24 townhouses. The proposed subdivision is on a 39-acre piece of vacant property located at the northwest corner of Old Scout Place and Arthur Street South. The township and developer having worked out issues involving parkland and upgrades to Old Scout Place, the deal was formalized last week as councillors approved the necessary changes to zoning on the land.

POLICE BLOTTER

Child pornography investigation leads to arrest of Fergus man A TWO-MONTH INVESTIGATION INTO child pornography resulted in the arrest this week of a 71-year-old Fergus man. In November 2015, the Guelph Police Internet Child Exploitation Unit conducted an online child pornography investigation. At that time, they identified a male making available child sexual abuse images via the Internet. Upon further investigation, the male was believed to be residing

in Fergus Ontario. The matter was turned over to the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit for investigation. On Jan. 25, as a result of this investigation, police officers from the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, OPP Technological Crime Unit and the Central Wellington OPP Detachment executed a search warrant at a Fergus residence. One computer device and other items pertinent to the investigation were seized

containing child sexual abuse images. These items are pending forensic analysis. Paul Douglas Curry is charged with two counts of ‘possession of child pornography,’ one count of ‘accessing child pornography’ and one count of ‘making child pornography available.’ The accused was held in custody and is scheduled to attend a bail hearing Feb. 2 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Guelph Ontario. The investigation is continuing.

8:20 PM | Members of the Wellington County OPP and Mapleton Fire Rescue responded to a residential fire located on the Fourth Line of Mapleton Township. No one was home when the fire started. The fire destroyed the house and the cause is being investigated by the fire department. JANUARY 25

4:07 PM | Wellington County OPP responded to a report of a residential structure fire at a home located on Union Street in Fergus, Centre Wellington Town-

6:34 PM | A plane on its descent to the Region of Waterloo International Airport in Breslau reported two instances of lasers being pointed at the aircraft while on approach of the runway. Police checked the area for the suspects, but none were found. The aircraft was able to land safely. The lasers can compromise a pilot’s vision while they are trying to land a plane. Anyone found to have pointed a laser at an airplane could face criminal charges as a result.

Rash of barn fires prompts officials to issue warning to take precautions WHITNEY NEILSON GIVEN THE NUMBER OF animals who’ve died in barn fires in Ontario this month, the provincial government and local fire officials are emphasizing the need for farmers to be more mindful of barn safety. Some of the recent barn fire deaths include 2,100 pigs in Middlesex county, 500 goats and 30 cattle outside London, 13 horses in Mount Forest, and more than 40 racehorses in Puslinch Township. Woolwich has been spared from such disaster in recent years, but township fire prevention officer Dennis Aldous says farmers should make sure they’re taking all necessary precautions. “Having your hydro panel checked and cleaned and having fire extinguishers and knowing how to use them can actually help early detection, early recognition, getting us there quicker. And it even actually eliminates an event from happening,” Aldous said. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs sent out a list of best practices for farm owners this week, noting Ontario barn fires cost an average of more than $25-million annually between 2012 and 2014.

Aldous encourages farmers to not smoke inside of the barn, keep the yard clean so there’s no chance of anything igniting, and ensure heaters are well maintained and all electrical work is safe. “A chewed wire by a mouse or a cat can create a lot of havoc in a barn,” he said. He recalls a barn fire a couple years ago in Floradale due to deteriorated wiring in the barn wall that was covered up. There was minimal damage because it was caught quickly and extinguished by the property owners. “We don’t seem to see a lot of them. We’ll have three or four and then we won’t have any for awhile. I think the last barn fire where we had a loss was where that young lad perished out here in St. Jacobs, but that was like four years ago,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of small ones, but nothing major like that.” Keeping a fire extinguisher on hand is only one of the suggestions made by OMAFRA. Farmers should have a reliable source of water easily accessible by the fire department, keep flammable liquids out of the barn, get their electrical equipment inspected by a licensed electrician annually, and clean up all

The provincial government and local fire departments are reminding farm owners to keep up with barn safety procedures, in light of recent animal deaths in barn fires across Ontario this month. [FILE PHOTO] clutter to avoid the risk of fire spreading should it break out. The fire department does rural pre-planning, which is their own way of fire prevention. They go out and determine how they

would look at a fire on a particular farm, where they would set up, and what the hazards are. But an actual inspection, they haven’t really done that. He adds a few years ago they sent out a check list that came from

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the fire marshal’s office, showing farmers what they should be looking at to keep their barn safe. “East Perth, they started a farm safety program and late last year we had talked about implementing it but

we’ve never really had a formal time to be able to do that. But we are looking at implementing a process like that where they can call us and we can go out and do an inspection, look at the farm and tell them what they need to do,” Aldous said. He says they have farmers in their volunteers stations which help spread the safety message through word of mouth. The department also attends local farm shows and open houses at things like farm equipment dealers to promote farm safety and also provide some fire extinguisher training. “If they have a question and they want to, don’t hesitate to get a hold of us at the fire department and we can come out and help them.”

Woolwich Healthy Communities Is Recruiting Volunteers Work with a fun group of people to generate ideas, plan activities for Healthy Communities Month and advocate for a healthy community. Make your great ideas happen! WHC Coordinating Committee meets monthly with a break in the summer. For more information call Inga at 519-742-8750 by March 31, 2016. www.healthywoolwich.org

6 | COMMENT

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

JOE MERLIHAN PUBLISHER STEVE KANNON EDITOR

COMMENT

DONNA RUDY SALES MANAGER

WHITNEY NEILSON REPORTER

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OUR VIEW / EDITORIAL

THE VIEW FROM HERE

Mental health issues should be out in the open WHILE MANY OF US move beyond the postholiday letdown and the winter blues, depression and other mental health problems are real issues for many of us. Thus the needs for the Let’s Talk campaign and other programs such as the one discussed this week by columnist Owen Roberts. New research released this week shows depression is now tied with high blood pressure as the number-one reason Canadians see a doctor. Depression was the top-ranked condition by 24 per cent of physician respondents, equal to high blood pressure, which was the top-ranked condition by a different 24 per cent of physician respondents, according to a national survey that polled physicians, employees and employers across Canada. By comparison, musculoskeletal disorders were the topranked condition by 11 per cent of physicians who responded to the survey. Furthermore, 63 per cent of physicians reported that depression, anxiety disorders or stress-related issues had the fastest increase in cases they had seen over the last two to three years. A large majority (82 per cent) of employees who reported struggling with mental health issues and two thirds (67 per cent) of employees who reported struggling with stress symptoms said it impacts their work. Comparatively, only half (53 per cent) of employees who reported struggling with physical health issues said it impacts their work. That’s bad news primarily for those suffering with mental illness, but also, collectively, for productivity. Moreover, many people dealing with such issues never seek help. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, for instance, reports that more than half of workers who reported symptoms of depression did not perceive a need for treatment. In a recent study, CAMH investigated barriers to mental health care experienced by workers and the resulting impact on productivity. As many as 40 per cent of participants were experiencing significant depressive symptoms and, of that group, 52.8 per cent did not recognize a need to seek help. Given the amount of time we spend at work, the environment is a key factor. The survey published this week shows 67 per cent of highly engaged employees reported excellent or very good mental health, compared to 35 per cent who are not engaged. Additionally, workplace stress has been found to have a higher impact on engagement than personal stress. Delving deeper into the issue reveals employees report sources of workplace stress are due primarily to emotional or interpersonal issues (e.g., office culture, communication, conflict), as indicated by 60 per cent of employees. Comparatively, nearly half (43 per cent) of employees reported that job-related issues (e.g., deadlines) are the source of workplace stress and only 14 per cent of employees reported that physical work-related (e.g., lifting heavy objects) issues are the source of workplace stress. Though conversations around mental health are continuing to evolve and become more commonplace, employees are not completely comfortable acknowledging the problems at work. Two thirds of employees who took time off work for a mental health issue did not report it. Given both the prevalence of mental health problems and the impact, personally and collectively, removing the stigma is a huge first step on the more difficult role of dealing with the issues.

Not every Woolwich councillor is mindful that the public is the only thing that matters when it comes to discussing tax impacts during budget deliberations. WORLD VIEW / GWYNNE DYER

U.S. election sees Trump vs. Sanders – vs. Bloomberg? WORLD AFFAIRS THE OUTCOME OF THE U.S. presidential primaries was supposed to be Hillary Clinton, the wife of an expresident, vs. Jeb Bush, the son and brother of other ex-presidents: both worthy but somewhat boring candidates, and both definitely members of the “establishment.” Less than a week before the first primary, the Iowa caucuses, Bush is dead in the water and even Clinton is looking vulnerable. In Bush’s place as the Republican front-runner is Donald Trump, billionaire property developer, TV reality star and demagogue, who told a campaign rally last Saturday “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.” His arrogance is not misplaced: to the despair of the Republican Party’s hierarchy, he probably has the party’s presidential nomination locked up. Three months ago, Democrats thought this

would virtually guarantee Hillary Clinton’s election, as a majority of Americans would refuse to vote for such a crude clown. That was probably correct, but it’s irrelevant if Clinton doesn’t get the Democratic nomination. Ominously, her “socialist” rival, Bernie Sanders, is neck-and-neck with her in Iowa and clearly ahead in the next primary, in New Hampshire. Sanders is also raising as much money from small voluntary donations as Clinton has raised from her rich friends and corporate donors. He can stay in the race right down to the finish, and the belief that he will fade when the more populous states vote in the later primaries is based on the shaky assumption that Americans will never vote for universal governmentprovided health care, free college tuition and soakthe-rich taxes. Sanders is not really a socialist – 50 years ago he would have been an unremarkable figure on the left wing of the Democratic Party – but in any case “socialist” is no longer a curse-word in the United States. When pollster Frank

Luntz asked “Would you be willing to vote for a socialist?” last June, nearly 60 per cent of the Democrats surveyed said yes – and an astonishing 29 per cent of the Republicans. Both the major parties are facing a mutiny among their traditional supporters this year. A presidential race between Donald Trump and Bernie Saunders (the Tea Party vs. Occupy Wall Street) is entirely possible. But both Trump and Saunders are too radical for at least a third of American voters. That would leave the middle ground of American politics unoccupied. Enter Michael Bloomberg, another billionaire, who started out as a Democrat, became a Republican to run for mayor of New York City in 2001, and now calls himself an independent. He won’t run if Hillary Clinton still seems likely to win the Democratic nomination – but if Sanders is pulling ahead, he probably will. In a three-way race featuring Trump, Sanders and himself, Bloomberg would be the one “moderate” candidate, and he might even

win. The probability that all this will come to pass is still well below 50-50, but the fact that it exists at all shows just how far American politics has departed from the usual track. Why? The rise of Trump is mainly due to the fact that gerrymandering has turned 90 per cent of the seats in the House of Representatives into safe seats for one party or the other: win the nomination, and the seat is guaranteed. So wouldbe Republican candidates have to appeal to the party’s strongest supporters, white working-class people without a college education, not to voters in general. A lot of these Republican stalwarts are very, VERY angry. Their incomes are stagnant or falling, and as demography change gradually turns the United States into a country where the minorities are a majority, they feel that they are being marginalized and forgotten. They want their candidate to be angry too, and Donald Trump intuitively understands this and plays to it. Paradoxically, Sanders DYER | 8

COMMENT | 7

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

THEIR VIEW / QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Do you think the new rules for the NHL All-Star game is a good change?

» Jim Hill

» Jody Dowdall

» Dave Weber

“I really don’t know, but why not try something different? It could be interesting.”

“Anything to improve the All-Star game is a good idea.”

“I don’t even watch hockey. I will be prepping “I think they should stick to five-on-five.” for the Super Bowl.”

» Tim Brunkard

» John Hayes “Yes, it is.”

“Sanders is also raising as much money from small voluntary donations as Clinton has raised from her rich friends and corporate donors.” Gwynne Dyer | 6 HIS VIEW / STEVE KANNON

There’s more than Alberta’s economy, and hurt feelings, at stake in pipeline debate EDITOR'S NOTES PIPELINES ARE THE LATEST national saga. While Alberta felt the rest of Canada wasn’t doing enough to support the Keystone XL and Northern Gateway pipelines, its nose is very much out of joint over the Energy East pipeline. There are stirrings of Alberta separatism, fanned by comments by a group of Montreal-area mayors who are rejecting the project even before the review process really gets underway. Energy East would carry tar sands bitumen from Alberta across the country to terminals in New Brunswick, providing Alberta with an outlet for export markets. To the west of Alberta, British Columbia is taking issue with Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion plans, along with a liquefied natural gas export terminal. That Ottawa is raising the bar for environmental assessment of energy

projects only adds to the angst of a province where the economy has plunged. While the previous federal government was intent on promoting the tar sands at any and all costs, there’s a new direction now. Most Canadians are clearly unsure about these large pipeline projects. Keystone has been slammed. Northern Gateway, which would see bitumen flow to a West Coast port, has been panned by almost everyone. Now, a plan to run a pipeline east is meeting increased resistance. Our hesitancy is understandable. Spills, commonplace already, are inevitable. The industry claims pipelines are still the safest way of transporting oil. That’s true. It would take millions of trucks or railcars to move the oil, each providing numerous opportunities for spillage. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement, as problems occur far more frequently that we hear about. In Alberta alone there have been thousands of

HOW TO REACH US

weaken controls, remove oversight provisions and stifle public input. Critics of pipeline projects maintain the industry and government use measures and terminology that attempts to make the problems appear less troubling. Even information about spills is made as convoluted as possible to confuse the issue. Rather than frequency, how many spill in a year for instance, they talk about the ration of incidents to the total length of Alberta’s pipeline network. Hardly useful information to the public. Such tactics reek of people with something to hide. Clearly, the oil industry is in a negative light. That goes double for the tar sands. Perhaps they fear an informed public would be even more hostile to oil. Perhaps, but it’s not as though we’re going to wean ourselves off the stuff tomorrow. Nobody likes bad news. Reports of a plane crash worry the airlines, but we keep flying. Graphic images of traffic collisions don’t take us off the roads. There’s a risk in every case, just as there is with our use

of pipelines to aid our dependence on oil (including to fuel our planes, trains and automobiles). Oil offers us many advantages, which we may or may not choose to enjoy over the many negatives. While we use the stuff, we’re all complicit in the pollution, habitat destruction and increased cancer rates and other health problems that come with that arrangement. That’s no reason, however, to cut off debate about how we might start changing the situation. A debate is certainly on the agenda of public advocacy groups such as the Council of Canadians. The group opposes the Energy East project, voicing many of the same environmental concerns expressed by the Montreal-area mayors. It’s especially critical of TransCanada Corp., the company behind the $15.7-billion proposal. In marking this week’s second anniversary of a pipeline rupture and explosion in Otterburne, Manitoba, the group notes the company had more than 50 years to find the faulty

weld deemed responsible for the leak – the pipeline was built in 1960 – but its inspection process never found it. Hardly a ringing endorsement for its safety claims. TransCanada’s terrible record requires serious consideration by the various elected officials that support the building of the Energy East project. TransCanada is currently seeking approval to convert their forty year old Mainline natural gas pipeline to carry tar sands crude from Alberta through Ontario and then (in a newly built section of pipeline) across Quebec to an export terminal in New Brunswick. The Energy East pipeline would be the largest in Canada and pump 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day. It would also increase CO2 emissions by about 32 million tonnes per year- the same as putting seven million more cars on the road, reports Mark Calzavara, the Council of Canadians’ Ontario-Quebec regional organizer. “The proposed capacity KANNON | 8

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pipeline ruptures in the past decade, spilling the equivalent of some 28 million litres of oil. In 2010, for instance, the province’s pipelines had some kind of failure every 1.4 days, releasing about 3.4 million litres of oil. Pipeline problems aren’t rare, industry claims notwithstanding. They’re fairly common. That said, the infrastructure still delivers far more oil and gas on a daily basis than is inevitably released at intervals. Supporters essentially tell us that the spills are the price of doing business, the business of feeding our oil addiction. As long as we’re so reliant on oil, we’ll be taking it out of the ground and moving it around in large volumes. That doesn’t mean, however, that we shouldn’t be more careful about how we do that while we go about finding alternatives. Unfortunately, even with a change of governments in Edmonton and Ottawa, there is still a reluctance to put more controls on the oil industry and its ilk. The previous Harper government moved quickly to

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8 | COMMENT

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

THE MONITOR

VERBATIM

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

On average, each Canadian uses 330 litres of water daily, much of it available due to the country’s abundance of wetlands. Home to 25% of the planet’s wetlands, Canada should know the value in that wetlands provide ecological services such as flood control, carbon storage and food production.

“Businesses have made it clear time and time again that rising electricity prices are dramatically hurting them. The fact that business confidence in the Ontario economy is at a five-year low is not surprising to anyone who has opened a hydro bill lately. They can’t afford to hire more people. They can’t afford to invest in their own future, or the future of this province. The Liberal government needs to stop the fire sale of Hydro One.”

Call it a sign of the times: fed up with roadside clutter, Woolwich council this week enacted a policy to reduce the number of temporary signs lining township streets. The move also restricts the number of directional signs, specifically along Elmira’s Industrial Drive. In November, council placed a moratorium on new installations there – under the policy adopted this week, new signs will not be permitted.

» Nature Conservancy of Canada, which marks World Wetlands Day Feb. 2

» Ontario NDP economic development critic Taras Natyshak reacts to an Ontario

» From the Jan. 29, 2005 edition of The Observer

Chamber of Commerce report that nearly 40% of businesses say that the cost of electricity is causing them to delay or cancel investments in Ontario

DYER: A Clinton win would

NATIONAL VIEW

mean nothing will change

FROM | 6

appeals to some of the same people, because he also represents a radical break with business as usual. Anecdotal evidence suggests that for many people whose first choice is Trump, their second choice is Sanders. But most of Sanders’s support comes from people who are not so much angry as despairing. In the new documentary “Dream On,” comedian John Fugelsang sums up what has driven them farther left than they ever imagined they would go. “America has become a reality show,” he said. “Food, Medicine, Rent: Pick two.”

Median U.S. household income in constant dollars is still $4,000 a year lower than it was in 2000, and the ‘American Dream’ is dying if not dead. So it’s a horse-race that anybody could win, unless Hillary Clinton gets the Democratic nomination, in which case she would be the odds-on favourite to win. She even promised last Sunday to “relieve” Bloomberg of the obligation to run by winning the nomination herself. But if she does win, of course, nothing will really change, including an unreformed financial system that is setting us all up for a rerun of the 2008 crash.

KANNON: Know the risks

to make an informed choice

FROM | 7

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of Energy East is so great that even a leak of just 1.5% per day (which is under the detection limit of TransCanada’s control system) would produce a massive spill – up to 2.6 million litres for every day that the leak goes undetected. Given how remote much of the Energy East route is, an undetected leak could easily go on for weeks before it is noticed, potentially creating the worst oil spill in Canadian history,” he suggests. “According to our recent report based on TransCan-

ada’s safety record, Energy East pipeline would have a 15 per cent chance per year of rupturing.” Given that the pipeline would cut across many environmentally sensitive areas, including rivers that provide drinking water to various communities, the project is a gamble. We’re addicted to oil and the benefits it brings, but have largely ignored the costs, which extend beyond greenhouse gases and climate change. The current debate looks to bring the risks and the downside into the equation.

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SPORTS | 9

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

SPORTS NOT SO GREAT OUTDOORSMAN / STEVE GALEA

HOCKEY / GIVING BACK

Off ice, team generates warmth

Using the feline mind to set up a cougar trap

Local hockey team looks to lend a helping hand by taking part in the Coldest Night of the Year WHITNEY NEILSON

OPEN COUNTRY

The Woolwich Wild Midget B team is raising money for Ray of Hope and will be participating in Coldest Night of the Year on Feb. 20. Back row: Steve Hanley, Rodney Weber, Greg Kaufman, Jen Hea. Third row: Jen Mitchell, Steph Benninger, Taylor Duench, Morgan Douglas, Jessica Bitton, Abby Hanley, Abigayle Ziegler, Abigael Martin. Second row: Gracie Durrer, Jaycee Kaufman, Ciara Hea, Briana Kuchma, Leah Bauman, Tori Weber. Front row: Autumn Campbell, Hannah Bettke. [SUBMITTED] So far they’ve raised $565 of their $1,500 goal. Ray of Hope’s ultimate goal is $140,000 and some 65 groups have gathered $31,618 of that so far, with the Woolwich Wild Midget B team in 15th place. “We’re doing things over social media, so things like Facebook and emailing and then Brooks Campbell, the manager of our team, has put something on the hockey webpage. A few ways we can fundraise through that is there’s actually a website that Coldest Night of the Year runs. Through our emails and things like that we post a link and it takes you to our hockey team’s webpage and people can donate through that,” she said. Martin says a big part of

the roles of the captain and assistant captains this year has been to put together activities for the squad to do to bond and to get to know each other better, especially since there are a few new people on the team this year. “I think there’s so much that we can do for ourselves as a team, but to be able to do something as a team for others and to be able not only to build a relationship with each other based off of hockey, but to build it off of things we can do for others has been really cool to see. Also it’s kind of cool to see a group of kids my age and older and younger get together and see a need and be able to put our hand forward

and try to fulfill it.” And coming together as a group outside of hockey will help their on-ice play, she notes, saying even your passes can get on point more and you get a better sense of where each other will be. “Getting to know each other off the ice gives you a better connection and a better familiarity with one another and almost creates a more positive vibe as you play and an encouraging environment and a greater trust with one another on the ice,” Martin said. She encourages people to look into Ray of Hope and the services they provide to Waterloo Region. People who are homeless or living in poverty can go to Ray of

Hope for meals, food hampers, warm showers, and the list goes on. “That’s one of the big things we’re trying to do too is not just to raise money as a team but to raise awareness. A big part of doing the walk and posting pictures on Facebook that night will get people and perk their interest and see we’re not just a hockey team. Life’s more than what we can do on the ice. It’s more than just our relationships on the ice, but what we can off the ice and what we can do as a community,” Martin said. To donate, visit www. coldestnightoftheyear.org and search “Woolwich,” or you can find the link at www.woolwichwild.com.

IT’S BEEN A WHILE since I’ve heard any serious discussion about the cougars that have supposedly made their homes where I live in cottage country. The truth of the matter is I have never been sold on the idea anyhow. My thinking is, if cougars had moved into the area permanently, they would have cottaged here for 10 or 20 years first, just like everyone else. Then they would mention this every time someone suggested that they were not truly local. Having said this, I try to be open minded. That’s why I came up with yet another ingenious plan this morning. Like all great ideas, this one came after observing a natural phenomenon before finishing my first cup of coffee. You see, there was a boot box by our front door and, before taking it out to the shed for the next dump run, I opened it to ensure it was empty. (I have learned I lose fewer boots that way.) It turned out it was empty – but only for a second. You see, upon spying this open, unoccupied box, both of our cats rushed over to it and the one that got there first, stepped inGALEA | 11

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A LOCAL HOCKEY TEAM is showing they’re interested in more than putting pucks in the net. The Woolwich Wild Midget B team is raising money for the Ray of Hope Community Centre by participating in Coldest Night of the Year on Feb. 20. “Usually we do a Secret Santa where we exchange gifts and have a big dinner as a team. This year we got talking and we thought it would be a cool idea instead of investing money in that, to raise money and give it to a cause,” said team captain Abigael Martin. Martin has a family friend involved with Ray of Hope and her family’s participated in the Coldest Night of the Year in the past few years, so she brought the idea forward to the team, along with some other organizations. She said the team chose Coldest Night of the Year because they’ll not only be able to raise money for a great cause, but have the opportunity to get involved with the organization by walking at the event. On the night of the event teams will walk either 2-, 5-, or 10-km routes. “It’s a cool opportunity to see what it’s really like and not just put the money into a fundraiser, but really get out there and experience it and just be a part of it. It puts a lot of things into perspective and you see the opportunity to really know what you’re putting money towards and to know what you’re really involved in,” Martin said.

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10 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

Kings show good form in hammering visiting 99ers Jonathan Reinhart backstops a 6-0 shutout as Elmira squad sees dividend by sticking with the system LIZ BEVAN THE ELMIRA SUGAR KINGS pulled off a blowout win last weekend against Brantford, scoring six unanswered goals and earning a shutout for returning goalie Jonathan Reinhart. Head coach Ty Canal says the boys showed up Sunday night on home ice, and the score reflects their hard work. “They were able to keep momentum and keep the system. The guys were able to run off one another whether it was a good shift, or whether we got run in a little bit, the next line was able to turn that around for us and not give them a lot of sustained pressure,” he said. “I thought we kept them to the outside pretty well, so overall, I think it was a good game.” Elmira’s Kalob Witzell opened up the scoring in the first, just under four minutes in, with help from Ryley Cribbin and Beau Goehrum. Team captain Rob Kohli, doubled up with a power play goal, assisted by Ethan Skinner and Kevin Fitzpatrick,

while Brantford’s Jonathan Pace was in the box for interference. Jeff Jordan upped the lead to three in the second period, with assists to Fitzpatrick and Ryan Maksymyk. The third period, Brantford fought hard, but not hard enough. Elmira scored three more goals and consistently shutdown any 99ers attempt at putting a goal on the board. The first marker of the third period came from Mackenzie MacSorley, with assists from Skinner and Cribbin. The Sugar Kings forward followed up with his second goal of the game and 14th with the team, just three minutes later, helped along by Zac Coulter and Skinner. Just over half way through the third, Coulter put Elmira six ahead of Brantford with a little help from MacSorley and Skinner. The final score was 6-0 for Elmira against the eighth place 99ers. There were a couple of close calls with Brantford trying to get the puck past Reinhart, but he didn’t let

Elmira Sugar Kings captain Rob Kohli keeps the puck away from the Brantford 99ers on Sunday night at Dan Snyder Arena. The Kings skated to a convincing 6-0 victory. a single puck squeeze by. Canal was pleased to see the returning netminder keeping the other team on their toes. “I thought he played well. He played really steady and he was able to

guide any shots to spots where Brantford wasn’t, and keep the rebound scoring chances away,” said Canal. “When we had a couple of breakdowns, he was definitely there making some big stops and I

think his confidence kept improving though the game. You could see it in the way he was playing and the way he was handling himself.” Sunday night’s game also marked the first time Klay-

[LIZ BEVAN / THE OBSERVER]

ton Hoelscher has been in the lineup since breaking his ankle back in October. Canal says he was happy, and pleasantly surprised to see how the returning playKINGS | 11

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SPORTS | 11

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

GALEA: If it thinks like a cat, and acts like a cat, these ideas just might do the trick ... or not FROM | 9

side of it and sat down. As I write this, Maggie is still sitting in the box, observing the world, just happy to be there. She is thinking, I suppose, whatever deep thoughts cats think when they sit in boxes. “I’m in the box and you’re not,” is my best guess. Our other cat, Mumbles, is watching her with great envy. I strongly suspect when she leaves, he’ll take

her place. Cats are like that. They live to do two things to boxes, and one of them is not pretty. There and then, it occurred to me that cougars are just big cats, which means they probably just have little cat tendencies only on a larger scale. So, if we want to truly confirm that cougars live in the area, all we need to do is place several refrigerator boxes in the woods. If there is a big cat with-

in 50 kilometres of such a box when we set it out, the cougar will soon rush over to sit contentedly inside of it while another cougar watches enviously. If we really wanted to make the perfect cougar trap we should also place a brand new couch nearby with a store-bought scratching post right beside it. Then, if the cougar has any of the feline instincts most house cats have, it will ignore the scratching post and claw

that couch to ribbons before moving into the box. You could also hang expensive curtains in nearby trees for the same reason. I know this might seem like a ridiculous idea but it is certainly much safer than my original idea of walking through the woods waving a laser pointer. And it is much less messy than leaving a knitting bag or two out in the wilderness. Sure, we could also just decorate a spruce tree with

Christmas ornaments and come back the next day to see if it was knocked over, but that’s far too a seasonal a thing. Or I could walk into the woods and sit on a log while wearing my best suit. If there are big cats around, they’ll insist on sitting in my lap and shedding hair all over me. Lastly, if none of these things drew them out, I would just set up a workstation and computer in the forest and commence

to writing a column that has a rapidly approaching deadline. If cougars have a shred of feline-like tendencies they would bother me and then jump atop the table and lie down across my forearms or on the keyboard. The only problem with this is that it might bring in cougars from out of province. In any case, those are a few of my ideas, which just goes to show sometimes thinking outside of the box is highly overrated.

Three wins put Applejacks in their sweet spot It was a great weekend as team post consecutive victories to take a firm hold on desired playoff position LIZ BEVAN AFTER A BUSY WEEKEND on the road, the Wellesley Applejacks have put themselves in an ideal playoff position, winning all three games. The team faced off against Woodstock, Burford and Paris – three games in three days – and head coach Brad Gerber says it couldn’t have gone better for the guys. “We are right where we want to be, just about .500 and in fourth place,” he said. “We were more than pleased as a coaching staff. Obviously when you win three games in a row on the road in one weekend, there is not too much to complain about.” The Jacks had a goal of placing fourth heading into playoffs to ensure a home ice start when the regular season comes to a close this coming weekend. The way things are looking right now, they will get their wish. “It is first and eighth against each other in the playoffs, then second and seventh, and so on. That is why finishing fourth is so important to us, giving us home ice in the first round,” said Gerber. “Obviously, right now it is hard to say who we will play, but it is looking like Tavistock or Woodstock. It is hard to

say, with other games going on in the league this week. Again, I think we have put ourselves in a pretty good position and it is up to us to determine where we are going to finish.” The team’s winning weekend started with a game against the Woodstock Navy Vets on Friday night with a final score of 3-2 at the Woodstock Community Centre and Gerber says although the Jacks came out on top, it was a hard-fought game. “It was a tight game for us. Woodstock is usually a tough team, especially on their home ice. We knew it was going to be a different game, for sure, but the boys played a good solid game,” he said. “We had to weather the storm for the first ten minutes of the first period.” Woodstock’s Tyler Arsenault started the scoring just one minute into the first with help from Justin Elms and Dylan Wettlaufer. Cal Jefferies tied it up just a few minutes later with assists from Alex Uttley and Shaun Pickering. Gerber says it was in the second period everything started coming together. “We had to get to our game plan, and they did,” he said. “It all worked out pretty well, but it was a tight game all the way through. It was a well-

deserved win.” Nick Breault gave the Applejacks the lead four minutes into the second, assisted by Jefferies. The second period was also plagued with penalties – four for Wellesley and five for Woodstock, but both teams worked well on the penalty kill, not allowing any power play goals – unlike the third period. Woodstock’s Ethan Hager opened up scoring in the third with assists from Dan Haig and Jake Schneider on the power play while Applejacks defenseman Nathan Schlupp was in the box for hooking. The Jacks didn’t let that get to them, however, with a power play goal of their own, another from Jefferies, with just two minutes left in the third and clinching the win. Next up, the Jacks traveled to Burford to take on the Bulldogs. Gerber says that Burford’s low position in league standings gave Wellesley players the impression they didn’t have to go as hard, but that attitude didn’t last long. The Jacks won by a score of 5-3. “They are a big physical team and we started slow. We weren’t as sharp as we wanted to be,” he said. “I think sometimes the guys just play to their competition, but I don’t like to say that. We just had a really slow start to the game. We

had to come back in the second to take back the lead. Nothing has ever come easy against Burford.” That slow start was evident with the only goal from the first period belonging to Burford’s Tyson Lafrance, assisted by Hayden Hellyer and David Denardi, scored with just ten seconds left in the period. The second period came together for Wellesley, with the first goal coming just over two minutes in off Nick Palmer’s stick, assisted by Nick Mercier and Jake Wilkinson. The Jacks scored a second time just two minutes later, taking the lead with a goal from Braidon Kerbs, helped along by Joe Heath and Pickering. Burford was quick to answer, with a goal from Denardi to tie it, assisted by Mitch Randell and Jesse Brooks. Randell racked up another point 15 minutes into the second with help from Tyler Hinde and Owen Hinch. The Applejacks took over the third period of the game with a goal from Jefferies, and two more from Breault. The third period was also rife with penalties from both teams. Wellesley spent 20 minutes in the box to Burford’s 12 minutes. The boys continued their

winning weekend against Paris on Sunday night, putting a damper on the Mounties’ four game winning streak. The game went into double overtime with the Jacks coming out on top with a score of 4-3. Gerber says he was impressed with the game play, especially considering it was the team’s third game in three days. “We were very pleased. It was our third game in three days and I thought the boys were much more prepared for them than last weekend,” he said, referencing last weekend’s double overtime loss to New Hamburg. “Last Sunday, we played our third game in three days and we were pretty flat for the whole game, but Sunday, I think the boys learned their lesson from last week and got their sleep and probably ate a little bit better.” Wellesley’s Uttley started off Sunday night’s scoring with an assist from Jackson Keller at 4:39 into the first. Paris quickly shot back with two goals in three minutes from Brady Wheelans (Brodie Smith and Tysen Willemsen) and Cole Corriveau (Austin Sine and Richard Brooks), respectively. The second period started with Paris in the lead, and Mounties’ Ryan Stephenson widening that lead to two. Jefferies took

advantage of the power play with Paris’ Stephenson in the box for interference, and scored with help from Uttley. It looked like Paris was going to be victorious, with a one-goal lead heading into the third, but Uttley put a stop to that with a penalty shot. The goal tied up the game, and after an uneventful first overtime, Mercier won the game for the Applejacks just 23 seconds into the second overtime period. Throughout the team’s busy weekend, Gerber says one of the main factors for the team’s success was effective goaltending from both Ryan Porter and Ryan Hergott. “I thought we got the goaltending we needed on the weekend. Both guys played well. They worked hard, but weren’t overly worked,” he said. “They made the saves they had to and that is what you need. We were very pleased with both of the goalies and the way they played this weekend.” The Applejacks travel to Norwich Friday night and then host Tavistock on Saturday night. The matchups are the last two of the regular season for Wellesley, and barring any upsets in the rest of the league this week, the team will be finishing fourth of nine.

KINGS: After falling Tuesday night in Kitchener, team moves on to face Guelph and Waterloo FROM | 10

er fit back into his place on the ice. “I thought he did a lot better than most, and maybe even himself, expected. It has been a while, so you definitely don’t know what to expect, and I don’t think he did either. He worked really hard, and we knew

he was going to do that. He is that type of kid,” said Canal. “It was good that he felt comfortable, and the more he played, I thought, things started to slide in a bit for him. He was using his stick really well, getting into areas that when you have been off that long, sometimes you avoid. He was going into the corners

hard and he was standing in front of the net like he usually does. It was great to see, and very good strides for him. Being that long out, the guys like seeing him in the lineup, which is a good thing.” Rather than a midweek practice, the Kings were in Kitchener Tuesday night for a game against the first-

place Dutchmen, where they fell 3-2. “We usually skate Tuesdays, it is not a really big change for us, and getting on the road is going to be good for us. We didn’t have a practice, so it is just about trying to keep the momentum going from Sunday’s game,” said Canal. “It is about keeping the confi-

dence going and making sure the guys are all on the same page. Just really make sure they are ready to work. I think our guys are ready for that and that they are looking forward to the game. They are in the standings where they are for a reason, but we have been really happy with the way we have been skating,

working and the way we have been practicing, so I think it will be a good test for us.” On Saturday night, the team will be travelling to Guelph to play the fourthplace Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. before returning home for a matchup against Waterloo on Sunday night at 7 p.m.

12 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

THE SCORE

WOOLWICH WILDCATS

Tyke Select Jan. 23 vs Garden City Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Mitchell Kravosec Assists: Carter Weir

Novice: MAJOR Jan. 21 vs Burlington Home: 8 Visitor: 3 Goals: Sam Ratcliffe (2), Danny Schaeffer (2), Ethan Burkeholder (2), Owen Weppler, Connor Goebel Assists: Mitchell Roemer (3), Connor Goebel (2), Josh Carson, Riley Dettweiler, Josh Frey, Danny Schaefer, Keaton Kidd

Novice: MAJOR Jan. 24 vs Owen Sound Home: 4 Visitor: 1 Goals: Sam Ratcliffe (2), Josh Frey, Connor Goebel Assists: Danny Schaefer, Owen Weppler, Cameron Beisel, Josh Carson, Sam Ratcliffe

Novice: LL #3 Jan. 22 vs Tavistock Home: 5 Visitor: 3 Goals: Carson Staken (2), Adam Lavigne(2), Owen McAdam Assists: Gavin Sager, Adam Lavigne, Carson Staken

Novice: LL #3 Jan. 23 vs Twin Centre #2 Home: 2 Visitor: 1 Goals: Carson Staken, Adam Lavigne Assists: Owen McAdam

Atom: MINOR AE Jan. 23 vs Stoney Creek Home: 4 Visitor: 3 Goals: Preston Hackert, Tyson Roth (2), Cale Waechter Assists: Owen Weber, Tyson Bauman, Seth Shantz

Atom: MAJOR A Jan. 16 vs Ancaster Home: 7 Visitor: 2 Goals: Joe Martin (4), Ethan Bickerton, Isaiah Reitzel, Eric Hutton Assists: Jordan Chang (3), Ethan Martin, Parker Alles, Keenan Martin, Cade Beacom

Atom: MAJOR A Jan. 17 vs Ancaster Home: 2 Visitor: 1 Goals: Parker Alles, Joe Martin Assists: Jordan Chang

Atom: MAJOR A Jan. 19 vs New Hamburg Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Jordan Chang, Parker Alles, Denver Martin Assists: Ryan Brubacher (2), Drew Birmingham, Joe Martin

Atom: MAJOR A Jan. 23 vs Ancaster Home: 4 Visitor: 3 Goals: Parker Alles, Jordan Chang, Joe Martin (2) Assists: Eric Hutton, Jordan Chang (2), Denver Martin

Atom: MAJOR A Jan. 24 vs New Hamburg Home: 2 Visitor: 1 Goals: Joe Martin (2) Assists: Jordan Chang

Atom: LL #1 Jan. 17 vs Lucan Home: 8 Visitor: 3 Goals: Dawson Brubacher (2),

Jack Rozema, Jamie Ferretti, Tucker Armstrong, Evan McDowell (2), Myles Hunter Assists: Adam Short, Tucker Armstrong, Evan McDowell, Jett Renon, Tanner Armstrong (2), Jamie Ferretti, Dawson Brubacher (2), Carter Harrow

Atom: LL #1 Jan. 24 vs St. George Home: 1 Visitor: 5 Goals: Carter Harrow Assists: Hunter Brown, Myles Hunter

PeeWee: MINOR A Jan. 3 vs Halton Hills Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Andrew Gear, Zack Bender Assists: Lucas Carson, Adam Shapcott, Haylee Clemmer, Brett Moser

PeeWee: MINOR A Jan. 8 vs Milton Home: 4 Visitor: 1 Goals: Lucas Carson (2), Carter Cousineau, Reid Burkholder Assists: Carter Rollins, Carter Cousineau, Adam Shapcott, AJ Shaw-McMahon

PeeWee: MINOR A Jan. 9 vs Oakville Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Nolan Karger

PeeWee: MINOR A Jan. 16 vs Halton Hills Home: 5 Visitor: 4 Goals: Carter Cousineau, Brett Moser, Lucas Carson (2), Haylee Clemmer Assists: Nolan Karger (2), Carter Cousineau (2), Lucas Carson, Carter Rollins, Haylee Clemmer

PeeWee: MINOR A Jan. 23 vs Milton White Home: 6 Visitor: 0 Goals: Haylee Clemmer, Lucas Carson (2), AJ Shaw-McMahon, Reid Burkholder, Corbin Schmidt Assists: Zack Bender, Reid Burkholder (2), Adam Shapcott, Carter Rollins, AJ ShawMcMahon Shutout: Jordan Wang

PeeWee: MINOR A Jan. 24 vs Oakville White Home: 4 Visitor: 0 Goals: Andrew Gear, AJ ShawMcMahon (2), Lucas Carson Assists: Nolan Bridge Shutout: Josh Peters

PeeWee: MINOR AE Jan. 21 vs Orangeville Home: 2 Visitor: 5 Goals: Sam Siopiolosz, Shelby Rempel Assists: Aiden von Kannen, Adam Pauls, Griffin Boerner, Josh Moore

PeeWee: MINOR AE Jan. 23 vs Guelph Home: 5 Visitor: 3 Goals: Sam Siopiolosz (2), Mitchell Hartman, Sebastian Garrett, Griffin Boerner Assists: Mitchell Hartman, Aiden von Kannen, Sam Siopiolosz, Adam Pauls, Sam Goebel, Tristan Kraemer, Josh Moore, Shelby Rempel, Lucas Radler

PeeWee: MAJOR AA Jan. 20 vs Centre Wellington Home: 4 Visitor: 2

Goals: Evan Roth, Spencer Young, Michael Hayes, Owen Lee Assists: Owen Troyer, Colton Schmitt, Cameron Leonard, Gavin Roemer, Nate Snyder, Owen Lee

A GOLD FOR THE GIRLS!

PeeWee: MAJOR AA Jan. 23 vs Oakville #1 Home: 1 Visitor: 0 Goals: Owen Lee Assists: Spencer Young, Colton Schmitt Shutout: Kody Lewis

PeeWee: MAJOR AA Jan. 24 vs Guelph Home: 2 Visitor: 3 Goals: Gavin Roemer, Owen Lee Assists: Kyler Austin, Nate Snyder

PeeWee: LL #3 Jan. 16 vs St. George Home: 6 Visitor: 2 Goals: Coleton Benham (3), Josh Sager, Matthew Yorke (2) Assists: Oscar Fitch, Owen Hackert (3), Jonathan Horst (2), Josh Sager, Malcolm Sager, Tanis Uhrig

The Woolwich Peewee B squad earned a gold medal at a Cambridge tournament last weekend. Front row: Bethany Hebbourn, MacKenzie Koenig. Second row: Sydney Dettweiler, Charlise Roth, Jocelyn Pickard. Third Row: Carly Bauman, Jane Hinsperger, Delaney Keen, Ella Campbell, Julia Doerbecker, Maddy Goss, Payton Ravelle, Delaney Jacklin, Karissa Schouppe. Backrow: Sharon Keen, Rod Bauman, Steve Hebbourn, Matt Roth. [SUBMITTED]

PeeWee: LL #3 Jan. 23 vs Ayr #2 Home: 2 Visitor: 1 Goals: Matthew Yorke (2) Assists: Gavin Wright (2)

PeeWee: LL #3 Jan. 24 vs Embro Home: 3 Visitor: 3 Goals: Coleton Benham, Gavin Wright, Matthew Yorke Assists: Oscar Fitch, Tanis Uhrig, Matthew Yorke

Midget: MINOR A Jan. 21 vs Oakville Home: 6 Visitor: 4 Goals: Cade Schaus, Devin Williams, Brent Mulder, Chase Mooder, Jordan Lee, Brad Hale Assists: John Wang, Daniel Carr (2), Austin Flaherty, Jordan Lee, Brad Hale, Matthew McDonald

HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

WOOLWICH WILD

Novice: LL 7121 Jan. 24 vs Guelph Home: 0 Visitor: 5

Novice: B Jan. 21 vs Grand River Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Sara Forwell (2) Assists: Olivia Straus, Claire Catton

Bantam: MINOR A

Atom: LL #1

Jan. 23 vs Brampton Home: 3 Visitor: 1 Goals: Brett Allen, Jarrett Lavigne, Keaton McLaughlin Assists: Matt Fleischmann, Cameron Leonard (AP), Jesse Martin, Trevor Ferretti, Nathan Curtis, Cameron Martin

Woolwich Challenge Cup Elmira Jan. 16-17 Game 1 vs Dunville #2 Home: 2 Visitor: 1 Goals: Jamie Ferretti, Dawson Brubacher Assists: Tanner Armstrong, Evan McDowell, Zac Snider

Atom: LL

Midget: MINOR A

Jan. 24 vs Ayr #1 Home: 3 Visitor: 0 Goals: Claire Jacklin (2), Alison Martin

Bantam: MINOR A Jan. 24 vs New Hamburg Home: 6 Visitor: 1 Goals: Jarrett Anderson (2), Matt Fleischmann (2), Jarrett Lavigne (2) Assists: Brett Allen (2), Payton McIsaac (2), Nathan Curtis, Hunter Weigel, Jesse Martin, Jarrett Anderson

Bantam: LL #1 Jan. 23 vs Beverly Home: 2 Visitor: 3 Goals: Nick Lunz, Nathan Taylor Assists: Nick Lunz, Nathan Taylor, Turner Willoughby (2)

Bantam: LL #1 Jan. 24 vs Plattsville Home: 4 Visitor: 3 Goals: Adam Anstett, Adam Schill (3) Assists: Adam Anstett (2), Turner Willoughby, Sullivan Keen (3), Sam Nitsche, Nathan Taylor

Bantam: LL #2 Jan. 25 vs Paris #1 Home: 5 Visitor: 1 Goals: Brendan Gilles (2), Zack Downs, Conner Kroetsch, Blake Richardson Assists: Andrew Kieswetter (3), Brendan Gilles, Zach Downs, William Carter, Tyson Mifflin

Newmarket International Silver Stick Finals Newmarket Jan. 15-17 Game 1 vs Collingwood Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Isaiah Thornback Assists: Cole Altman Jan. 15 vs Bradford Home: 2 Visitor: 3 Goals: Nolan McLaughlin, Jordan Lee Assists: Riley Runstedler, John Wang, Isaiah Thornback, Cole Altman Jan. 16 vs Vacavelle Home: 5 Visitor: 0 Goals: Isaiah Thornback, Riley Runstedler (2), Nolan McLaughlin (2) Assists: Chase Mooder (2), Devin Williams, Bart Sherrer, Cade Schaus, Brent Mulder Shutout: Matthew Turkalj Jan. 16 vs Woodstock Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Nolan McLaughlin, Riley Runstedler, Cole Altman Assists: Matthew McDonald, Nolan McLaughlin, Isaiah Thornback, Daniel Carr, Devin Williams (2) Jan. 16 vs New Hamburg Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals: Riley Runstedler

Jan. 23 vs Kitchener Blue Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Claire Jacklin, Alison Martin Assists: Tiana Bender Shutout: Makenna Kroetsch

Atom: LL

Assists: Bella Roth, Kyla Bloch Shutout: Makenna Kroetsch

PeeWee: LL 7130 Jan. 23 vs Kitchener Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Annie Sargent Assists: Sarah Button

PeeWee: LL 7130 Jan. 24 vs Ayr Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Sarah Button (2) Shutout: Brianna Bettridge Bantam: LL 7135 Jan. 21 vs Waterloo #2 Home: 1 Visitor: 4 Goals: Maddy Cruickshank Assists: Katherine Carter

HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

PeeWee: B Cambridge Roadrunners New Years Challenge Cambridge Jan. 22-24

Game 1 vs Sudbury Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Jane Hinsperger, Julia Doerbecker Assists: Ella Campbell, Delaney Keen Shutout: MacKenzie Koenig Jan. 22 vs Haldimand Home: 1 Visitor: 1 Goals: Delaney Keen Assists: Charlise Roth, Jocelyn Pickard Jan. 23 vs Brantford Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Delaney Jacklin, Julia Doerbecker Assists: Maddy Goss, Jane Hinsperger Shutout: MacKenzie Koenig Jan. 23 vs Guelph Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Carly Bauman, Delaney Jacklin Assists: Maddy Goss (2), Ella Campbell Shutout: Bethany Hebbourn

PUTTING THEM UP ... TO GREEN

Jan. 24 vs Sudbury Home: 4 Visitor: 1 Goals: Ella Campbell, Delaney Jacklin, Jane Hinsperger, Delaney Keen Assists: Charlise Roth (2), Jocelyn Pickard (2), Delaney Jacklin

WATERLOO WOLVES

Atom: MAJOR AA Jan. 16 vs Burlington Home: 5 Visitor: 0 Goals: Caleb Hunter, Nolan Romhild, Ty O’Hearn, Nolan Reesor, Jackson Heron Assists: Damon Radley, Galin Moir, Ty O’Hearn, Carson Bernhardt, Brandon Kong, Jackson Heron, Dimitri Eleftheriadis Shutout: Mitch Simmons

Atom: MAJOR AA Jan. 23 vs London Green Home: 3 Visitor: 0 Goals: Nolan Reesor, Jackson Heron, Brandon Kong Assists: Dimitri Eleftheriadis, Caleb Hunter, Nolan Romhild, Damon Radley Shutout: Kyle Pereira

Atom: MAJOR AA Jan. 24 vs London White Home: 2 Visitor: 3 Goals: Jackson Heron, Aaron Jain

MARTIAL ARTS White Heron Martial Arts Karate Belt Grading Jan. 22 Students earning Red Belt: Abe Schaafsma, Andrew Buehler, Austin Balmer, Elijah Weiss, Erik Heimpel, Lauren Thomas, Liam Hanley, Nathan Chinnick, Sean Heimpel Students earning Orange Belt: Daniel Budicky-McCandless Students earning Stripe Belt: Kaden Snyder Students earning Yellow Belt: Gavin Atkinson, Kayla Rintoul Brothers Declan, 8, and Cameron Johnson, 10, just received their green Pratchia in Muay Thai, a form of mixed martial arts (MMA). Pratchia is a grading system similar to belts in karate. They train at Darkside Muay Thai in Kitchener. [SUBMITTED]

RURAL CONNECTIONS | 13

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

RURAL CONNECTIONS RESEARCH / THEORY INTO ACTION

New nano sensor detects dairy cattle diseases quickly, easily Development is the work of researchers in the University of Guelph’s BioNano Laboratory A NEW HANDHELD INSTRUMENT can quickly and easily detect two significant diseases in dairy cattle before the animals become sick. Invented at the University of Guelph by engineering professor Suresh Neethirajan and researchers in the BioNano Laboratory, the nano biosensor uses small test strips to indicate whether a cow has ketosis or metabolic disease by analyzing a small volume of blood or milk. Nanosensing diagnostic platforms for biomarkers of ketosis and metabolic disease have been developed, which help to rapidly identify elevated levels that can indicate the presence of either of the diseases in animals that appear healthy. Currently, blood samples must be taken and sent to a lab for analysis, a process that is costly and can take five to seven days to return a diagnosis. “There is no on-farm test available that lets you test for both diseases at the same time,” says Neethirajan. “This device is like a diabetic test – with only one drop of blood you can get a precise measurement of whether a disease could be present or not.” “This device will help us shift from diagnosing to predicting disease,” he adds. “For example, detecting these biomarkers during the subclinical

University of Guelph engineering professor Suresh Neethirajan and his team have developed a handheld instrument to help with the early detection of disease in dairy cattle. [SUBMITTED] stage can identify a cow with a 90 per cent likelihood of developing a certain disease.” The instrument will show a green check mark if an animal’s levels are normal and a red x means the presence of elevated lev-

els – the result is given in about two minutes. Early detection allows farmers to change or supplement feed, for example, to avoid the ailments, side effects and costs of the full-blown diseases. Neethirajan says devices

to monitor novel infectious agents can also be developed for other dairy cattle diseases, such as clinical mastitis and Johne’s Disease, as well as immunodeficiency in calves, and even Lyme Disease and Blue Tongue in beef cattle

down the road. The university is now seeking an industry partner to further product development and take the device to market. “We’ve done the hard part in detecting the biomarker to give the information for decisionmaking, now the next step is taking it to the users,” says Neethirajan. Although the cost of the test at the farm level will be driven by the company leading the commercialization, the goal would be to keep it below $2 per cow, per test, adds David Hobson of the University of Guelph’s Catalyst Centre, whose mandate is to help take research to market. “If you can monitor daily and monitor cheaply enough, you can nip problems in the bud. Cows are most vulnerable before and after calving so if we can collect good, clean data, we can act before there is a problem,” he explains, adding the technology could become a regular screening tool in predictive disease management. A future vision sees the handheld technology integrated into a robotic milking system, for example, which could automatically measure biomarkers in milk and trigger attention. Hobson says a company already involved in collecting data on farms would SENSOR | 14

WORK FORCE / MEETING NEEDS

Study measures impact of seasonal farm labour program A PROGRAM THAT SUPPLIES Ontario farmers experiencing domestic labour shortages with seasonal workers from Mexico and the Caribbean is the “lynchpin” of the province’s multi-billion-dollar horticultural sector, says a new study. The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) is a key reason Ontario’s horticulture industry is able to generate $5.4 billion in economic activity and approximately 34,280 jobs, according to research recently released by Guelphbased Agri-food Economic Systems. “We’ve understood for years from speaking with growers how important this labour program is to the bottom line of individual farm operations,” said Ken Forth, president of Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (F.A.R.M.S.), which administers the program. “This report helps us to get an accurate picture of just how important SAWP is to the horticultural sector and to our economy as a whole.” Established in 1966 to respond to a critical shortage of available domestic agricultural workers, SAWP continues to serve the same role today, connectWORKERS | 14

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THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

WORKERS: SAWP supports $5.4 billion in eco-

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nomic activity, 34,280 jobs in horticultural sector FROM | 13

ing Ontario farmers with supplementary seasonal labour from Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad/ Tobago and the Eastern Caribbean States. Because SAWP is a “Canadians first” program, supplementary seasonal farm labour is hired from participating countries only if agricultural operators cannot find domestic workers to fill vacancies. Approximately 1,450 farms benefitted from the program this year, hiring nearly 17,000 seasonal workers. While some of these workers will continue their placements for several more weeks during the fall harvest, many are beginning to return home on a daily basis as they complete their work terms. The report by Agri-food Economic Systems found that chronic labour shortages continue to challenge the agricultural sector due to aging demographics, competition with other sectors and fewer numbers of young people pursuing careers in farming. As a result, demand for workers under SAWP is projected to

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remain steady. “Without the steady source of reliable seasonal workers provided through SAWP, many farmers in Ontario’s agri-food industry would have to shut down,” Forth said. “The economic benefits of this program are huge, particularly in rural parts of the province where it’s so sorely needed.”

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SENSOR: Early warning? There’s an app for that FROM | 13

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is a single platform with ‘apps’ as part of surveillance and early warning systems for disease prediction for dairy, beef, poultry, swine etc., to make smart decisions on-farm,” Neethirajan says. The development of the technology was supported by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. This article by Lilian Schaer is provided by AgInnovation Ontario, a project of the AgriTechnology Commercialization Centre (ATCC). There’s a tool for that.

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VENTURE | 15

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

VENTURE FOOD FOR THOUGHT/ OWEN ROBERTS

AGRICULTURE / BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE

There’s a good business case to be made for local food U of G expert Sylvain Charlebois to give keynote address at idea-sharing event next month in Guelph WHITNEY NEILSON LOCAL FOOD ADVOCATES AND farming industry folks will descend on Guelph next month for the annual Source It Here event. Source It Here is a joint effort between Foodlink Waterloo Region and Wellington County to join farms and food related businesses together for networking and idea sharing, in an attempt to improve the local food sector in Waterloo and Wellington. The University of Guelph’s Sylvain Charlebois, a professor in the College of Business and Economics will be the keynote speaker for the event. He was asked to speak last year, but was away in Austria as a visiting professor. His speech topic is “The Business Case for Local Food: From the Margins to the Mainstream.” “Essentially I’m a big advocate of global trades. But there’s always been some tensions between the protrade folks versus the locally grown folks and I would say that tension is slowly dissipating. That’s the case I’m going to try to make is that coexistence can happen and in fact, local foods are going to become more and more important as we move forward because of globalization. But we also need to recognize the potential for the agricultural

University of Guelph professor Sylvain Charlebois will give the keynote speech at Source It Here, a networking event for food industry folks in Guelph on Feb. 8. [FILE PHOTO] interested in or especially ty is very good at produccommunity to capitalize people working in the food ing certain commodities, on international markets,” industry. why not actually promote Charlebois said. “It’s really about getWellington County across He references the idea ting together and figuring the country and promote of “terroir,” which is how things out. It’s never easy the area? To me local environmental conditions to do that, particularly doesn’t have geographical of a particular region, like when it comes to Canada. limits. .... It’s really about climate, terrain, and soil, We live in a vast counhow you differentiate what affect the taste of certain try, we’re only 35 million goes on in that region and products. He was involved people. Local means somepromote it elsewhere and with a few projects around thing different to different how you promote it,” Charterroir valuing and compeople. I spoke to an Itallebois said. modities based on their ian group a few years ago He says his talk will belocal regions, which is one and for them in Toronto, gin with a global perspecway to think about local in Little Italy, local food is tive on trades, turning to food. actually food grown in Italy where consumer trends “You can certainly feed that they imported here. are going, and finishing your own in the area, but We have to be careful beyou can also sell the virtues with making a case for lofore we generalize on what cal products. Charlebois of a region through the terlocal actually means. Local says the Source it Here roir concept. Let’s say for is about culture. Local is event has merit for people example Wellington Coun-

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about geography. It’s a mix of both,” Charlebois said. There are of course economical benefits to supporting local products, farmers, and producers. He notes the sustainability and environmental footprint aspect are equally important to consider. “I’m going to challenge the group because I know it’s not inherent for them to think about trades, to think about to sell a region through value chains. That’s something that I’ve done in the past with mustard greens in Saskatchewan for example and peaches in Ontario. It’s nice to produce peaches and feed Ontarians, but we’re only 16 million people, why not think about making this commodity a better known one across the world? Selling Ontario through agricultural commodities, it’s a very powerful thing,” Charlebois said. He says that’s what New Zealand is doing with its lambs and kiwis and Canadians don’t think like that, but they should. And as anyone who’s tried to buy all their food locally can attest to, it’s not always the cheapest option. As a food bank volunteer in Guelph, Charlebois sees the families and even students at the University of Guelph struggling. “It breaks my heart. So

THE FINAL PUSH HAS been on to reach 1,000 farmers across Canada by the end of this month, for the first-ever national mental wellness survey of those who produce our food. Somewhat ironically, the survey was destined to wrap up the same week as Bell’s “Let’s Talk” Day, Jan. 27, which is dedicated to launching discussions around mental health issues. When the survey started in the fall, coordinator Prof. Andria JonesBitton of the University of Guelph said she hoped to reach the 1,000-farmer milestone by the end of the year. It was revised to the end of January, as its intake grew. Jones-Bitton, an associate professor of epidemiology in the Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, passionately reached out to producer groups and the media – most lately, the national media, who’ve come to the table, sometimes more than once, to draw attention to mental health issues and her study. The Twitter universe, in which agriculture is highly active, also joined the sprint

FOOD | 16

ROBERTS | 16

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16 | VENTURE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

FOOD: The key to food sovereignty is doing both production and processing, says U of G prof. FROM | 15

it’s nice to think about local food and it’s great to think about the reduced environmental footprint, but at the same time I’m always concerned about price points. If we can make sure this actually

means we can provide affordable food to everyone, that’s great.” With imports for example being off season right now, we’re seeing some detrimental effects in grocery stores with higher prices in vegetables, he

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adds. And if we’re at the mercy of monetary fluctuations that’s not good either. He believes the key to food sovereignty is coupling production with processing. He’ll make a case in his speech for thinking harder about processing, too, when it comes to local foods. Julia Gilmore from the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance will also speak at the event on “Leveraging Food Tourism to Grow Your Business.” There will be a panel discussion with Ben Sachse (Elora Brewing Co.), and Leslie Zinger (Top Market Meats), Mark and Cindy Gerber (Oakridge Acres), and Dr. Susan Durant (Naturopath), Keirra Reid (Little Mushroom Catering) and Julie Clarke (Mountain Oak Cheese), Joshua Whitehead (Green Table Foods) and Jackie Fraser (Fraberts Fresh Foods). Anna Contini, manager of Foodlink Waterloo Region, says these panel pairings have been done to show the different types of relationships within the local food industry. “Even perusing the registration list we really have quite a cross section of people, not only from

The event is a collaborative effort between Foodlink Waterloo Region and Wellington County to join farms and food-related businesses in discussing opportunities for local food producers. [SUBMITTED] Waterloo and Wellington, but even outside this neck of the woods, just because I think we’re offering something a little bit different that justifies people driving in a ways,” Contini said. This is the second year Foodlink partnered with Wellington County to expand the event, which ran for a number of years on its own. “We’ve certainly achieved that objective. We’ve had a lot of interest from our local food part-

ners throughout Waterloo Region,” Contini said. As for last year’s event, they surveyed participants and the majority enjoyed the format it’s being done in, so there were minimal changes this year. There will be a lunch provided and a networking opportunity with participants setting up booths for a marketplace of sorts to show off their business or product. “There’s a very rich and diverse local food commu-

nity in Waterloo and Wellington. It’s a perfect opportunity to come out and learn more not only from our speakers but from one another and get their own information out there, particularly if they’re a local food producer. It’s a chance to market themselves a little bit,” Contini said. Source It Here will be Feb. 8 at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. To register visit www.tastereal.ca or www.foodlink.ca.

ROBERTS: A different set of challenges on-farm FROM | 15

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to the finish line. “Please take time to do the survey on mental health in ag,” tweeted @ JanineLunn last Wednesday. “There’s a lot at stake here and it affects us all.” By March, Jones-Bitton expects to be able to speak in concrete terms about the prevalence of, among other things, farmer depression, anxiety and resilience. And based on her early impressions, the results will be eye opening. For example, among the many producers she’s spoken to since the study began, she’s detected what she describes as a “palpable sense of relief” about the issue of mental health in agriculture being raised in an open forum. “It’s kind of a big exhale, and a feeling of “oh, finally, we are going to start talking about it!” she says. She wonders: is that because mental health issues are something so many people have been dealing with, or at least know about, but no one’s been talking about? With an estimated prevalence of one in five people in the general population alone, farmers and non-farmers alike are probably affected

or know someone who has been affected by mental illness. She also wonders if the study is now “opening the box,” as she says, so the agricultural sector can accept the problem, own it and do something about it. And that could very well be. In a very brief period of time, this study has mushroomed. It was born from an investigation of mental health issues facing livestock veterinarians, based on problems Jones-Bitton and her colleagues had observed... and in some cases, personally experienced. In its infancy, Jones-Bitton envisioned her study would focus on only livestock producers in Ontario. But before long, when word got out, she was urged and inspired to broaden it to include crop farmers too. And finally, given interest from across the country, she and her team decided to open it up to all Canadian farmers. Jones-Bitton hasn’t yet taken an in-depth look at responses. But from an early glimpse at the opened-ended questions – the ones that ask how you feel, rather than yes-no-maybe – she’s see-

ing evidence that farmers are feeling pressure from many avenues. “One respondent’s comment stuck with me… ‘It feels like my entire way of life is under attack,’” she says. “Perhaps to farmers, the survey and news stories about it are helping to legitimize their feelings.” This study has certainly caught the public’s imagination. People don’t typically associate farmers with mental health struggles. Rather, they’re seen as stoic, strong, able bodied and able minded. But inside the farm community, the reality is different. Often, mental health challenges are attributed to isolation, constant uncertainty and pressure from weather, markets and politics. Whatever the reason, when Jones-Bitton’s study wraps up, the entire story will be clearer and evidence based. Then the real work of addressing the problem begins. But you can’t address it until you understand it. Thanks to Jones-Bitton, we’re closer to understanding it than ever. You can find the study at www.producerwellness. ca.

VENTURE | 17

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

22 Church St. W., Elmira

519-669-5537

For the handyman Elmira Home Hardware has been renowned for featuring nationally recognized brands as well as many Homebrand private label products created by leading manufacturers, such as Benchmark tools. Newer items with a big tool display up front include products by Milwaukee and DeWildt. Their paint selection also includes Beautitone paints, plus paints by Tremclad, and Rustoleum. This store showcases home improvement supplies, hardware and fasteners (including bulk bins of nails), plumbing and electrical products, cleaning supplies, small appliances, lawn and garden equipment and supplies, auto accessories, housewares, giftware, toys, K-Cup coffee pods, and Kuraidori premium kitchen products. Other offerings include sporting goods, hunting-camping-fishing supplies, work wear, bottled water, V-belts, pulleys, Drolet wood stoves, and a 2,000 square foot Farm Supply Department. They also offer audio-video products, telephones, computer accessories and electronic gadgets. Customer support at Elmira Home Hardware includes: key cutting; rope, cable, electrical wire and chain cut to size; and paint mixing and colour matching. With a history as a hardware store dating to 1879, Elmira Home Hardware has been serving the area for over 135 YEARS. At the present site since 1974, the business has been under current management since March 2004. The store is one of over 1,060 stores under the Home Hardware umbrella and is 100% dealerowned by Krista McBay. The Elmira store Lighting Gallery with 26-foot long display features table and floor lamps, hanging pendant lighting, and gorgeous wall sconces. You can also find at the front window coverings including custom draperies, blinds, verticals, venetians, roll shades and California shutters. As you can tell Elmira Home Hardware has it all.

Spa, Beauty & Personal Care 83-C Arthur St. S., Elmira

519-669-8360

The stylists at Expressions Salon are renowned for combining a balance of creative hair design with precision cutting and styling techniques. Personal consultations are provided to ascertain the style best suited to you. They deliver the latest in everyday hair trends along with an indispensable colour palette for today’s hair creatives. They also give expert advice on your hair’s texture, colour and condition. You can expect experienced people who remain current with the industry, and who are committed to meeting the needs of your lifestyle and changing image. They also provide updos, highlights, and facial waxing. Choosing someone new to cut, style or colour your hair can often be an intimidating and somewhat anxious experience. To help you make the right choice, we refer you to Expressions Salon, one of Elmira’s leading image improvement centres for years, operating since October 2006. The goal of owner Sarah Edmond and staff members Colleen Ekins, and Jasmine McWade, is for every client to leave the salon feeling more attractive, refreshed, and rejuvenated. Expressions Salon showcases a selection of results oriented hair care, conditioning and styling products with such names as Moroccanoil, and Schwarzkopf. They also sell blow driers and curling wands, GHD flat irons, Vinylux nail polish, and styling tools. Gift certificates are available. Call Expressions Salon soon to book your appointment but appointments are not always necessary. They are open Tuesday & Thursday 9-8, Wednesday & Friday 9-6, and Saturdays 9-3. Like them on Facebook.

Over 30 Years of Poultry in Motion 1010 Three Bridges Rd.,

(just north of Lobsinger Line, east of Township Rd. 36)

St. Jacobs 519-664-3090 www.thepoultryplace.com Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world, it is prepared as a food in a wide variety of ways, varying by region and culture. They don’t have to be mundane in taste, or in presentation. The Poultry Place as a destination of choice for their poultry products. This retail/wholesale business is renowned for their free range, drug-free fresh and frozen poultry from local farmers-processed and prepared locally right on the premises. The selection of over 90 variations of fresh and frozen products plus personal service from the Den Boer Family and their staff at the retail outlet store has made The Poultry Place popular since 1985. They are always most progressive renovating their store in 2009, and in 2014 an addition made to the rear of the building. They are also most creative in finding new ways to present chicken and turkey meat products. The store showcases a wide variety of specialty chicken items such as schnitzel, numerous creative varieties of sausages, vegetable pie, burgers, wings, fingers, roasts, ground meatballs, various breaded stuffed chicken breasts, cordon bleu, and chicken balls. Turkey offerings include bacon, sausage, kielbassa, burgers, stuffed roasts, boneless breast, and more. The store also provides sauces, rubs, and cooking accessories such as cast iron griddles. Their ready-for-the-oven prepared foods from The Poultry Place are ideal for busy people who want delicious, wholesome meals without devoting hours to food preparation. The “heat and serve” frozen foods, finger foods and appetizers are ideal for get-togethers over the Winter Season.

Home Exterior Specialists For 30 Years 18 Park Ave E., Elmira (at Union St.)

Ten Years of Extraordinary Automotive Service 20 Oriole Pkwy. E., Elmira

519-669-1082

www.leroysautocare.net Leroy’s Auto Care Inc. in Elmira is impressive with its huge 8,500 square foot shop that holds 9 vehicles with 18-foot tall ceilings in the main shop. It houses 8 hoists including a heavy duty one for larger vehicles. What is more impressive is the fact that Leroy’s Auto Care Inc. is a local complete automotive maintenance and repair shop that goes the extra mile to serve its customers better. They offer seasonal and ongoing specials including the endless offer; buy 4 oil changes and get the 5th one for free! They are also open until midnight from Monday to Thursday to conveniently fit your schedule! Leroy’s has loaner vehicles available for a $20 fee annually and is more than happy to shuttle you to your home or work upon request. Leroy’s is an Accredited Test & Repair Facility for Ontario’s “Drive Clean” vehicle emission program designed to keep your car well tuned and maintained. Whether it’s a lube-oil-filter service, new tires, maintenance, alignments, complete inspections, safety inspections, expert troubleshooting, diagnostics, or expert repairs on brakes, exhaust, steering, suspension and air conditioning, Leroy’s and its highly qualified team of technicians can do it! They service all makes and models of vehicles, including fleets, and install high quality auto parts which meet the specifications of the manufacturer and always consider price and availability. Leroy’s will perform all required maintenance in order to stay current with factory warranties. Leroy’s Auto Care is also a member of the TECH-NET Professional Auto Service association, offering a North American warranty on most labour and parts for 24 months or 40,000 kilometers and roadside assistance for any customer spending $25 or more on services at Leroy’s annually. Experience the trust and reliable workmanship that has kept customers coming back to Leroy’s Auto Care.

“We are the Country Store with the City Stock” 1011 Industrial Cres., (East off Hergott Rd., South of Lobsinger Line) St. Clements 519-699-5411

St. Clements Heart and Home is a local business that has proven you can be independent, and offer a large stock selection plus be most competitive in prices. St. Clements Heart and Home has served the region for over 20 years. Owner Paul Wagler moved the business to its present St. Clements site on October 31, 2006 and enlarged the store in April 2014. There’s over 60,000 square feet of inventory, displayed in their in-stock area. If carpeting or area rugs are what you need, the people at St. Clements Heart and Home an assist in choosing from the latest brand name carpets and stain resistant fibres, including Peerless, Kraus and Richmond Carpet. A wide selection of carpet tiles are featured as well. Carpet tiles are popular in commercial application, as well as being easy installed product if you wish to do your own installation. Luxury vinyl tile & plank flooring from St. Clements Heart and Home has become extremely popular and has joined resilient vinyl flooring or ceramic, natural stone and porcelain tile as the flooring of choice in high traffic/high spill areas of the home. Hardwood flooring from St. Clements Heart and Home has a traditional warmth and feel that never goes out of style. Bamboo flooring and soft-underfoot cork flooring are also available. They carry top brands such as Mannington, Laurentian, Armstrong, Wicanders, San Marco, Casa Roma and others. The store also retails Sico paint, Elite and Mera blinds, Cabinetsmith kitchen cabinets, laminate countertops, Doorsmith entrance doors, Garaga and Steelcraft garage doors. An interior decorating service is also available.

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RMW Exteriors Inc. is a local business renowned for selling and installing vinyl siding, soffit, fascia, eavestroughing, Leafguard brand gutters, architectural mouldings, replacement windows & doors, railings, and columns. Founded as aluminum & vinyl siding specialists in 1986 under the name of RMW aluminum by Robert Weber, the business was taken over & rebranded as RMW Exteriors by son Jeremy Weber in 2011. Siding from RMW Exteriors Inc. represents a solid investment in long-term good looks, easy care and economical remodeling. Adding new siding or re-siding is the perfect time to upgrade your wall insulation for a higher R-value; almost 35% of heat loss in the average home is through the walls! They carry quality made brands of siding such as Gentek, Royal Building Products, and Kaycan. RMW Exteriors specializes in wood siding featuring low– maintenance pre-finished wood siding which is guaranteed for 30 years. Vinyl is flexible and will not dent or warp, nor will it blister, peel or flake. The colour pigment is throughout the material, so scratches won’t marr the appearance, and it is also highly impact resistant. It’s about as close to maintenance-free as a building can be. The products installed by the people at RMW Exteriors Inc. are made of tough, impact-resistant materials, and available in a large variety of colours to enhance your home’s appearance and resale potential. The business handles new construction or remodeling covering all applications whether residential, commercial, institutional, workshops, and agricultural.

A Full Service Electrical Contracting Company With Over 40 Years Experience 18 Kingfisher Dr., Elmira www.r-welectric.ca

519-669-1462

For the last hundred years or so electricity in the home or business is always there and taken for granted whenever you flip a switch or plug in a cord. With the need of today’s modern buildings sometimes rewiring or additional lines are necessary due to the use of more appliances, safety oriented detectors, computers or entertainment electronics. Having a professional electrical contractor like R-W Electric Ltd. do the job will assure peace of mind, get the job done right the first time. Originally founded August 26, 1975 by Ron Beupre and his brother-in-law Wayne Forwell, R-W Electric Ltd. has built a reputation for using quality materials and working within established industry guidelines, code books and safety standards. The business is today owned & operated by a husband and wife team of Randy and Karen Weber who took over the business June 1, 2010. Randy has been a licensed electrician since 1998, and Karen handles the finances and schedules appointments. Some examples of the services they provide include new electrical circuits, wiring for lighting, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. They also provide wiring for home computer and phone networks, surge protection to deal with destructive power spikes, plus new electrical service and upgrades in 100-200-400 amp service, electrical heating, backup power systems wiring, automated controls, hot tub wiring, and more. Whether it’s new installations, repairs or remodeling, Call R-W Electric Ltd. for an estimate of your electrical needs. They are a member of the BBB with an A+ rating.

COUNTRY PANTRY

Your Local Store for Foods and More

3048 Lobsinger Line, Heidelberg

519-699-0111

Country Pantry is a relatively new store in the region that opened in January 2015. This store is independently owned & operated by Isaac & Vera Weber. It is unique in that is sells bulk food, fresh vegetables, grocery store items, kitchenware items, and Pfaff sewing machines. Many everyday staples can be found at this store, some of which can be purchased in bulk including flour, dried fruit, nuts, chips, coconut, sugar, cocoa, chocolate, and more. There are bottled & canned goods, crackers galore, locally made jams, jellies and preserves. Country Pantry also carries snacks, maple syrup, bottled molasses, Dr. Oetker brand jelly powder packages, coffee, cereal, locally made summer sausage, and drink crystals. Refrigerated goods to be found include farm fresh eggs right from the Weber’s own farm, Neilson milk, Schneider’s meat, while frozen goods include Chapman’s ice cream, McCain pizza, chicken burgers, Minute Maid drinks, and bread. Country Pantry is the perfect place to purchase household kitchen products including pots, bowls, lids, rolling pins, roasting pans, and cookie sheets. Country Pantry also sells the Pfaff line of German made sewing machines, overlocks, and embroidery machines. Pfaff has been a manufacturer of sewing machines since 1862, and are renowned for introducing the first electronic home sewing machine in 1968. The products are known for their power and durability. Country Pantry is open from Monday to Thursday 8am-6pm, Fridays 8am-8pm, and Saturdays 8am-5pm.

18 | THE ARTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

THE ARTS ON STAGE / LIVE MUSIC

Larry Larson set to jazz it up Popular trumpet player for the K-W Symphony gathers some of his favourite players for a Friday night show LIZ BEVAN THE REGISTRY THEATRE IN Kitchener is getting ready to open their doors Friday night to music lovers and jazz aficionados alike. Larry Larson’s Jazz Guys will be taking the stage, sharing their love for the style of music rooted in improvisation and passion for the tunes. Larson is a professional trumpet player whose day job keeps him busy as a member of the KitchenerWaterloo Symphony, but this show will be a bit different. For the 10th year, Larson has gathered some of his closest friends and musicians to take the stage. While his background is in orchestral music, Larson says there is a certain quality about jazz music that keeps him coming back for more. “With orchestral music everything you play is written note for note, and how loud, how softly you play it, how short and all of that. With anything in jazz, you start with an outline of what the song is and the chords, which you’ll play once so every recognizes it, and after that, every time you repeat, it is up to your own discretion to create a new song within that song,” he said, adding that he has a few heroes he likes to emulate on stage with his quintet. “My favourite jazz trumpet player is Chet Baker, who was just incredibly lyrical and there is that side of trumpet playing and jazz music, but there is also the hard bebop playing, like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. For me, hearing the

way that Chet truly tried to recreate music and songs, that is what I like to go after.” He says the show is for everyone that likes any kind of music and he hopes that he can open the audience’s eyes to new songs and styles. “The thing that I always like to do at our shows is to mix up a really good dose of standards and some newer tunes by some artists that you may not know about,” he said. “They are never going to make you go screaming from the room. It is always really interesting enjoyable stuff that maybe you haven’t heard before and hopefully will open your ears to a new artist or another vein of jazz styles. That is what this is all about. It is going to be great.” Playing a smaller venue like The Registry Theatre also adds to the fun of the show for Larson, getting up close and personal with his audience – something that doesn’t happen when he plays for the KitchenerWaterloo Symphony. “It is fun because most of the people that wind up coming to my jazz concerts are people that see me at the symphony. They are used to that side of my playing and they have a great time seeing me relax and let my hair down, so to speak, in the jazz idiom,” he said. “Often when you go to concerts, like at The Registry, the stage lights are on, but the house lights, where the audience is sitting, are all off, so it is hard to tell who your audience is. I always request that they keep

Larry Larson will be joined by his Jazz Guys Friday night for a show at Kitchener’s Registry Theatre. The ensemble has become a popular part of the local musical scene, always drawing a crowd. [SUBMITTED]

THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Concerts, theatre productions, art tours and more … Showcase your creative events here! Advertise it with a banner in the Observer Arts section.

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the house lights up a bit, because I like to communicate and see the people in the audience and their reactions. It’s really fun in such a small setting.” Larson will be joined on stage by music industry veterans percussionist Dave Campion, pianist Paul Shilton, bassist Matt Lima, guitarist Dave Thompson, sax player David Wiffen and jazz vocalist Barb Fulton – some of whom he’s been playing with for years. “These are guys that I have played with since starting the group. Paul Shilton and Dave Campion, they are both very dear friends of mine from Stratford. Dave has played at the Stratford Festival for at least 30 years. Paul, in addition to being a pianist, is also a composer. He has composed the music for several plays at Stratford. He is brilliant,” said Larson, also mentioning a late addition to the lineup. “Barb is Paul’s wife and Barb has been on the stages of Stratford for at least 25 years in both musicals and plays. I have known her forever and I had a last minute change of lineup and we got Barb, thankfully. She is a wonderful singer and coincidentally, she has a new CD coming out soon, so it is perfect timing. We are going to do three or four tunes from that new CD.” The show runs on Jan. 29, starting at 8 p.m. at The Registry Theatre in Kitchener. Tickets are available online at www.theregistrytheatre.com, by calling 519-578-1570 or at the door before the show gets underway.

Great Options Starting at:

185

$

+ tax

CLASSIFIED | 19

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

CLASSIFIED HELP WANTED

WEDNESDAYS BY 10AM

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED TRUCK-DRIVER - DELIVERY Person required to make deliveries to our local construction projects. Heavy lifting required. Standard G Licence with good driving record. Forward resume to gerry@decortile.com

Our St. Jacobs Delivery Support Department currently has the following opportunity...

Part time / Seasonal positions available 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 part time / seasonal positions available. Positions include: 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.

Part-time Relief Truck Driver

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!

Responsible to the Dispatcher for delivering merchandise to stores in the region and picking up merchandise from Suppliers for the Distribution Centre, you will comply with all Government regulations pertaining to driving position Highway Traffic Act, Labour Canada, National Safety Code and all regulations described in the professional Drivers Manual. You will treat Dealers in a courteous and helpful manner, acting as an ambassador for Home Hardware Stores Limited. Duties include; unload orders to back of the truck; load Dealer returns for transport to the Distribution Centre; complete and deliver all necessary paper work to the dispatch and receiving offices; inspect vehicle and trailer to ensure that they are in safe operating condition; fuel and wash truck. You have a Class A Driver’s Licence with Z Endorsement, a clean Driver’s Abstract and CVOR, and a minimum two years’ experience.

As a valued member of the team, the Dietary Aide will help us champion our collective commitment to deliver quality care and fulfill our mission to help residents live fully every day. The Part-Time Dietary Aide must have completed or be enrolled in a Food Service Worker program and maintain a current Food Handler’s Certificate. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply directly to: Stacey Maher Director of Dietary Services 120 Barnswallow Drive Elmira, ON N3B 2Y9 stacey.maher@siennaliving.ca HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED Willow Brae Pallets

Shop Foreman/Shipping Receiving Coordinator

FOR SALE hr@homehardware.ca

HELP WANTED

We offer a competitive salary and great working conditions. If you are interested in becoming part of Home Hardware, please forward your resume, quoting Truck Driver (#901DI), by Monday, February 1, 2016 to: Human Resources Department, Home Hardware Stores Limited, 34 Henry St. W., St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0 E-mail: hr@homehardware.ca (Microsoft Products Only)

HELP WANTED AZ - DRIVERS Wanted @ CAT Inc! Steady year-round miles! Sign-On bonus! Long haul Canada/US. Monthly/ Annual bonuses! Great pay & benefits. 877-758-3905.

HELP WANTED AZ DRIVER WANTED. Local flatbed/float company looking for 5 years trucking experience including 2 years flatbed experience. 40-60 hrs. per week mainly days with some nights/ weekends. Call Jeremy 519580-0400.

HELP WANTED LOCAL MANUFACTURER HIRING windows and doors technician for full time position. Call 519-669-3872.

MOVING. TABLE SAW, trim saw, recliner, wall unit, old records, old school desk, computer desk, queen box spring, chesterfield, coffee table. Call 519-910-2221. SOFTNER SALT - 20kg bags, minimum 25 bags, skid lots of 56. Delivered in St. Jacobs, St. Clements, Elmira & Linwood areas. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-6692045. WANTED - ELDERBERRIES. Call Hillcrest Home Baking, 519-669-1381.

AUCTIONS

AUCTIONS

AUCTION SALE OF 2015 Toyota Venza AWD, antiques, household effects, and miscellaneous items, to be held at the K.W. Khaki Club, 2939 Nafziger Rd. 2 miles south of Wellesley, for Bertha & the Late Norwood Cress, Collingwood & additions, on Saturday, February 6th @ 10:00 a.m. Gerber Auctions Ltd. 519-699-4451.

WED. FEB 10 at 10:00 AM - Clearing auction sale of furniture; antiques; collectables; household effects; and miscellaneous items to be held at the St. Jacob’s Community Centre in St. Jacobs exclusively for Malinda Gingrich. Jantzi Auctions Ltd. 519-656-3555. www.jantziauctions.com WED. FEB 24 at 10:00 AM clearing auction sale of furniture; antiques; collectibles; hand, power, and garden tools and miscellaneous items to be held at the St. Jacob’s Community Centre in St. Jacob’s for an area estate with additions. Jantzi Auctions Ltd. 519-656-3555. www.jantziauctions.com

AUCTION SALE OF 200 plus farm & other toys, farm literature & memorabilia, antiques, household goods & miscellaneous items, to be held at the K.W. Khaki Club, 2939 Nafziger Rd. 2 miles south of Wellesley, for Bert & Naomi Frey, Hawkesville, Ron & Pauline Weber, Palmerston, and additions, on Saturday, February 13th @ 9:30 am. Gerber Auctions Ltd. 519-699-4451.

FARM EQUIPMENT

SAT. FEB 13 at 10:00 AM Clearing auction sale of household effects; antiques; collectables; utility trailer; riding lawn mower; lawn and garden and shop tools and miscellaneous items to be held at 5 Ferland Dr. in Conestogo for Rick and Marg Martin. Jantzi Auctions Ltd. 519-656-3555. www.jantziauctions.com

DAIRY EQUIPMENT FOR sale. 700 gal. milk cooler, almost new plate cooler, pipeline & milkers, TMR power feed cart, calf hutches, 4’ fans, mow system, feed bins, blue harvester silo. Call Randy at 519-589-6800.

MON FEB 15 at 4:00 PM - Toy Auction sale of farm toys; precision; tractor trailers; literature; banks; and Nascar to be held at the St. Jacob’s Community Centre in St. Jacob’s for area collectors. Jantzi Auctions Ltd. 519-6563555. www.jantziauctions.com

CLASSIFIED LISTINGS CONTINUED ON PG. 20

FROM PAPER TO PRINT QUALITY COLOUR PHOTO REPRINTS

The successful candidate will be a dependable individual with a strong work ethic, organizational and supervisory skills, and able to manage our company’s shipping, receiving and production functions. Please send resume to cheryl@willowbraepallets.com or call 519-664-3688.

#1

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IN THE REGION HOW TO REACH US

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20 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

CLASSIFIED ADS CONTINUED | AUCTIONS | PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

FARM SERVICES “PROUDLY REMEMBERING OUR PAS T; CONFIDENTLY EMBRACING OUR FUTURE.”

Community Information Page

P.O. Box 158

24 Church St. W. Elmira, Ontario N3B 2Z6

Township of Woolwich Environmental Enhancement Committee (TWEEC) Volunteer Community Representative Required The Township of Woolwich is looking for 1 community representative to serve as a member of the Township of Woolwich Environmental Enhancement Committee. The purpose of the committee is to improve the quality the natural environment in Woolwich. Phone: 519-669-1647 or of 877-969-0094 Fax: 519-669-1820 After Hours Emergency: 519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca Total membership of the Committee includes 11 members representing Woolwich Council, Staff, Woolwich Healthy Communities and members of the community. A community representative that was previously appointed to this committee has resigned and therefore TWEEC requires an additional member to fill the vacancy. Evening meetings of the Committee are typically held monthly at the Woolwich Memorial Centre. The term of the Committee will be concurrent with the term of Council and members will serve on the Committee until November 30, 2018. If you are interested in applying for this volunteer opportunity and would like more information, please contact Kiera Schlueter at 519-669-1647 ext. 6115 or kschlueter@woolwich.ca. If you wish to apply, the Terms of Reference and an application form are available on the Township’s website at www.woolwich.ca under Careers/ Volunteer Opportunities and can be filled out and submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Friday February 12th, 2016, to Ms. Schlueter at: Township of Woolwich Council and Information Services Department 24 Church Street West, P.O. Box 158, Elmira, ON N3B 2Z6 Fax: (519) 669-1820; Email: kschlueter@woolwich.ca

BAGGED PINE SHAVINGS Agricultural Spray Lime, 22.5kg. bag; feed grade lime, 25kg. Delivered. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-6692045. FERTILIZER AND SEED GRAIN - at competitive pricing. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141. ICE SALT & ICE MELT - Ice salt comes in 20 & 40kg’s, Ice melt comes in 20kg bags. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045. KILN DRIED CORN & CORN SCREENING Delivered by Einwechter. Minimum 15 ton lots. Call George Haffner Trucking 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

FIREWOOD GERBER’S FIREWOOD YOUR source of quality slabwood and seasoned bodywood. All prices include delivery. No Sunday calls please. 519656-2057.

3 BEDROOM, BACKSPLIT semi for rent in Elmira. Available March 1st. $1200 + utilities. No smoking, no pets. 519-669-9059. ONE BEDROOM APT. on main floor. Rent $800.00/month plus hydro & heating. Close to Guelph & K.W. area. Call for viewing. Call 519-745-0188.

REAL ESTATE 100 ACRE FARM for sale in Southgate, 1/2 mile north of Hwy 89 on Rd. 15. 91 acres workable all tiled. Call 519589-6800.

COMM/IND FOR RENT ELMIRA DOWNTOWN APRIL 1st. Commercial Office space, $725 includes heat. 725 sq ft plus finished basement room. Full kitchen and bathroom. Utilities average $95 per month. Call or text 519-589-5431.

COMING EVENTS THE SHAREHOLDERS OF the Elmira Farmer’s Shed will hold their annual meeting in the Farmer’s Plus board room on Fri. Jan. 29, at 1:30 p.m.

AUCTIONS

We thank all applicants and advise that only candidates to be interviewed will be contacted. Personal information submitted is collected under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will only be used for the purposes of determining eligibility for this competition.

First General Meeting of the St. Jacobs Business Improvement Area24 Church St. W. Community

“PROUDLY REMEMBERING OUR PAS T; CONFIDENTLY EMBRACING OUR FUTURE.” P.O. Box 158

Elmira,for Ontario A meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers all N3B 2Z6 general members of the St. Jacobs Business Improvement Area to elect the BIA Board of Management. Please see the Township’s website or contact Julie Forth at 519-669-6010 for more details.

Information Page

The Township of Woolwich is seeking to fill summer student positions for the summer months from approximately May - August 2016. Positions are available in:

Recreation Facility Services - Maintenance Operations Summer Camp Lifeguards, Fitness & Recreational Program Instructors Please visit www.woolwich.ca for more details Phone: 519-669-1647 or 877-969-0094 Fax: 519-669-1820 After Hours Emergency:

RENTALS

519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca

AUCTION SALE OF CONSUMER GOODS,

AT GRAY’S AUCTION & LIQUIDATION CENTRE, 5737 HWY 23, 1 MI. W. OF HARRISTON

MONDAY FEB. 1, 2016, AT 5:30 P.M. SALE CONSISTS OF: Furniture Pcs; T. V. Stands; Dishwasher; Skid Lots of Misc, Household Items; Bikes; T.V.’s & Ass’t. Electronics; Ass’t Vaccumes; Watches; Pcs of Swar; Kid’s & Adult Clothing; Bedding; Books; Consumer Goods; Plus a Very Large Selection of Other Misc. Items. Note: This is a very large offering. LUNCH BOOTH TERMS; Cash, Interac, Visa, M.C. NOTE: Clothes will be sold in large lots, list subject to additions & deletions. Viewing from 4:00 P.M. day of sale. Owner or auctioneer not responsible for accidents day of sale. AUCTIONEERS:

GRAY’S AUCTION SERVICE INC., HARRISTON BARRY | (519) 338-3722 | LICENSED & BONDED

AUCTIONS

AUCTION SALE Of 2015 Toyota Venza AWD, antiques, household effects, and miscellaneous items, to be held at the K.W. Khaki Club, 2939 Nafziger Rd. 2 miles south of Wellesley, for Bertha & the Late Norwood Cress, Collingwood & additions, on

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6TH @ 10:00 A.M.

HOUSEHOLD: LG Multi-Air Flow fridge (freezer on bottom). LG matching front load washer & dryer. Frigidaire upright freezer. Note – All appliances in excellent condition. 2 - 5pc. queen bedroom suites (1 – oak with swing mirrors). King brass bed (including good box spring & mattress). Bedroom furniture. 9pc. dining room suite with nice carving. La-Z-Boy brown leather reclining sofa – good. Sofa (fainting couch style) – like new. Desk & side chair. Coffee & end tables. Upholstered furniture. Matching sofa & chair. Black leather loveseat & chair. Display cabinet. 2 Sony Bravia LCD TV’s (1 - 1 yr. old). Newer style TV stand with electronics. Cedar chest. Sofa table. Sewing machine in cabinet. Rattan furniture. Pro Form power tread mill. Community silverware in chest. China, glass, cookware & kitchen utensil. ANTIQUES/COLLECIBLES: FLAT wall

cupboard, 6 light, 2 door, 2 drawer. 11ft. harvest table. 8 matching dining room chairs. Refinished pine store counter. Later 2 door wardrobe. 3pc. bedroom suite (dresser, washstand, nicely carved wooden bed). China cabinets. Ornate parlour tables. Matching “his & hers” balloon back chairs. Victorian armchair. Early dough box on legs c/w lap drawer. “Swan” table. Marble top hall table. Wooden music stand. Tea wagon. 3 large tapestries. Signed Chandler. Other paintings and prints (including R. Muir & Phil Cook). Guitar & mandolin. Numerous ornate lamps & candle holders. Desk sets including ink wells and pens. Statues. 12 candle mold. Fancy linen. Old books. Rooster collection. Royal Doultons. Selection of china & glass including 3 cranberry pickle cruets, cranberry vases, Royal Nippon, Green Hoosier pieces, cruet set, compotes, cheese dishes, coloured glass, John Bros. set of china, etc.

MISC. ITEMS: Assorted hand, power

& garden tools. Barbeque. Callaway Big Bertha left hand clubs c/w driver & fairway woods). King Snake right hand set of clubs – c/w driver & fairway woods. Bicycle. Plastic totes. Portable air compressor, etc.

NOTE – A clean offering with many

interesting items. See www.auctionsfind. com/gerber for photos. Terms – Cash, debit or cheque with I.D. 10% buyer’s premium (excluding vehicle). Lunch booth.

AUCTIONEERS:

Gerber Auctions Ltd. 519-699-4451

2827 Hutchison Rd., RR#1 Millbank (Crosshill)

PUBLIC NOTICES

Tender 2016-01 2016 DUST SUPPRESSION CONTRACT OF THE TOWNSHIPS OF WILMOT / WELLESLEY / WOOLWICH & NORTH DUMFRIES The Township of Wellesley currently has information available at http://www.wellesley.ca/misc/tenders with respect to the following: Tender 2016-01 2016 DUST SUPPRESSION CONTRACT Closing Date: February 12, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. For further information contact Kevin Beggs, Director of Public Works at kbeggs@wellesley.ca

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS NO OTHER ADVERTISING OPTION AS EFFECTIVE OR INEXPENSIVE TO REACH THE LOCAL MARKET. PERIOD. We’re Delivered to 18,500 homes in Woolwich, Wellesley & Waterloo every week. observerxtra.com/ads/

CLASSIFIED | 21

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

REAL ESTATE LISTINGS

REMAX, YOUR BEST CHOICE BREATHTAKING BIRDLAND!

Donating back to the community we call home.

WELCOME HOME

Elmira - Gorgeous, treed private estate-like setting with meandering creek. This great ‘country in the city’ 1 acre property invites all of nature’s senses to play. This one-of-a-kind English Tudor style home is loaded with character & is truly a home for all seasons. Detached triple garage. Gourmet granite & maple centre island kitchen. Newly renovated basement includes rec room, music room/office & more. In-ground pool offers summer fun & maple syrup flows in the spring. MLS- 30506335

$729,900

BUNGALOFT

SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

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paul@remaxsolidgold.biz

519-577-6248 519-503-9533

Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage

SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

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$422,500

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

Independently Owned and Operated

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STUNNING CENTURY CHARM

Drayton - This beautiful bungalow with loft is currently being built, located in the town of Drayton just a scenic drive from KW, quality at every turn, 1800 sq ft with hardwood and ceramic, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. large master bedroom ensuite and walkin closet. MLS 1537660.

Alli Bauman Paul Martin Sue Wideman

Elmira - This beautiful 1450 square foot bungalow on a wide lot backing onto a field has it all. Sit and relax on the front porch. Both the stunning maple kitchen and breakfast bar to the dining area with hardwood and ceramic floors enhance the beauty. A gas fireplace warms the great room making you feel right at home. Composite deck with glass railing and power awning provides shade making comfortable surroundings to enjoy the beautiful sunsets. Master bedroom is equipped with 4 pc ensuite and a walk in closet. The basements boasts a large 3rd bedroom, 3 pc bath and a recreation room with oversized windows increasing your overall living space MLS- 30506542

$464,000

Elmira - Character and charm are evident throughout this Century home! This spacious 2 storey is elegantly decorated throughout with large principal rooms Including a study on the main floor. Beautifully landscaped with a detached double garage. Located in the friendly town of Elmira 10 mins from Waterloo. Zoned for a home based business. MLS 30500671.

FREE HOME EVALUATION

FAMILY ALBUM BIRTHDAY

OBITUARY

OBITUARY

EBY, JEANNE A. (NEE REBSTOCK) | Passed away

Happy Birthday

peacefully on Sunday, January 17, 2016 at Barnswallow Place in Elmira at the age of 92.

Henry S. Martin Widely known as Greenhouse Henry, and a school bus driver in the 50’s and 60’s will be celebrating his 90th Birthday on Feb. 3. Calls and cards would be welcome at 130 Killdeer Rd. Elmira, On. N3B 3M9 Te. 519-669-5205. Many thanks

NEW DEADLINE FOR FAMILY ALBUM IS TUESDAYS BY NOON FOR THURSDAY PUBLICATION

DEATH NOTICES

ERB, ALLAN | Peacefully

Fogal, Jean (neé Geiger) Peacefully passed away on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at Heritage House, St. Jacobs, at the age of 89 years. Beloved wife of the late F. Emerson Fogal (1996). Dear mother of Lynn Fogal and Sherree Mahood of London, Barb Brubacher, and Kris and Barry Briere, all of Elmira. Lovingly remembered by her grandchildren Josh and Kate Brubacher, Amanda Brubacher and Ian Ward, Kyle and Coryn Briere; and great-grandchildren Hunter, Mackenzie, Carter, Stephen, and Liam. At Jean’s request cremation has taken place. There will be no funeral home visitation or funeral service. A family graveside service will take place in Elmira Union Cemetery in the spring. In her memory, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Arrangements entrusted to the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira.

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

PLACE A FAMILY ALBUM NOTICE! Call: 519-669-5790

Hergott, William (Bill) 1936 - 2016 Bill passed away peacefully at home with his wife Marie at his side, on Thursday January 21, 2016. Together they lived a life dedicated to farming and raising their family. Bill served 35 years as a Volunteer Firefighter including 18 years as Chief of St. Clements Station and Wellesley Township Chief. He was born October 15, 1936 in St. Clements to the late Wilfred and Emily (Lorentz) Hergott. He is survived by his most beloved wife of 59 years Marie (Rank) and their children Wayne (friend Holly), Kathy Stemmler (Charlie), Murray, Darlene Snyder (Tom), Karen Flanagan (Dennis), Roger (Laurie), Wilf (Vicki), Claude (Melanie), and Rosemary. Bill is now reunited with his predeceased son Mark and grandson Joshua (son of Wayne and Louann). Adored and cherished grandpa to 21 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. Bill is survived by his brothers: Tony (Madeline), Len (Frances), and his sister Delores Sienna (Francis). Predeceased by sisters: Rita, Betty, and Rosemarie, and brothers: Edwin, George, Jake, and Pat and their spouses. Family also includes the Rank family. Grace Pautler (Ken), Bob [predeceased] (Diane), Howard, Stewart (Carol), Betty Cole (John), Bruce (Susan), Richard [predeceased] (Deby), and David. Visitation and Funeral Service have taken place.

at Stratford General Hospital, with family by his side, on Friday, January 22, 2016 in his 95th. GABEL, GLEN | Passed

away on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at Riverside Glen, Guelph with his family by his side. Glen, at the age of 85 years. HARDER, DOROTHY EVANGELINE | Passed

away peacefully after a brief illness at Freeport Campus of Grand River Hospital on Monday, January 18, 2016, in her 90th year. MARTIN, CLARE | Passed

away suddenly as the result of a farm accident on Thursday, January 21, 2016, at his home, RR 1, Elmira, at the age of 3 years.

MAKE YOUR OWN HEADLINES

IN THE COMMUNITY.

THE OBSERVER FAMILY ALBUM IS HERE TO SHARE YOUR FAMILY NEWS.

22 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

CONTAMINATION: More

REAL ESTATE LISTINGS

testing, debates in the offing FROM | 4

list of concerns about contaminants migrating off the site. At the time, the group called on council to press for more action from the Ministry of the Environment, arguing its study shows pollutants are leaching from the site into the Canagagigue Creek. A CPAC-commissioned study that found elevated levels of DDT in the creek downstream of the chemical plant – 20 to 2,900 times higher than the applicable Ontario Maximum Allowable Concentration standards – is an indication pollutants are migrating offsite, the group argued at the time. At that time, the company said it planned to push ahead with a soil and groundwater study of its own to look at contaminants along the boundary. Released earlier this month, that report found fewer problems than CPAC reported. “Based on the results of the groundwater investigation, GHD confirmed that there is little evidence of impact from past waste disposal practices. The 2015 groundwater samples from the southern site boundary confirm very few site-related contaminants are present and none are at concentrations that exceed their respective groundwater criteria,” the report found. Chemtura’s manager of environmental remediation, Jeff Merriman, notes the two studies, CPAC’s

and its own, aren’t directly comparable. “We weren’t looking at exactly the same thing,” he said in an interview last week. “Our study was focused right on the fence line.” CPAC’s study, however, looked downstream and at a neighbouring property. Still, said Merriman, the CPAC report of DDT in creek sediment was “not a surprise,” as the company has known for years about the old contaminants. Monitoring shows the contaminants are “localized and in the first foot of soil.” Chemtura will be doing additional modeling and testing, added Dwight Este, the plant’s environment, health and safety manager. “We’re committed to working with the parties to address these concerns.” The GHD report also recommended the installation of a silt fence along the eastern site boundary to mitigate any potential overland flow of contaminants. Chevreau notes the report doesn’t deal with the issues raised in CPAC’s study, carried out by Peter Gray of MTE Consulting. “No surficial soil samples, no subsurface samples, and no groundwater samples were collected along an extensive low lying portion of the east side property boundary – a distance of approximately 160 metres in length. This is the precise location of the east side drainage ditch which was specifically identified as requiring investigation by Peter Gray.”

some challenges with housing for the larger family units FROM | 4

the mosque, and to halal shopping, but there is only so much room in the cities, and more importantly there’s only so much affordable housing available. “I think we have to start to look at the needs of some of our people and the kinds of jobs they’re looking for because I’m pretty confident the Elmira community and larger area around it would have employment for quite a number of these folks,” Lobe notes. The families with six or seven children will pose a larger challenge. He says despite this they will continue looking. Theoretically refugees stay with Reception House

for two weeks and during that time they do the six modules of training about being in Canada, with information on subjects like dentists, doctors, ESL, schools, and what it’s like to be a Canadian. During that time they look for housing. Refugees have been staying at DH Lodging since the end of December, but it’s uncertain if they’ll end up locating there permanently. “Most of them are with us for more than two weeks now because we can’t find housing. Will they live in St. Jacobs? Certainly they would if they have friends there. They stay for two or three weeks and then they move out and new people

Shanna

Brubacher

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D L SO

$469,900 Enjoy the 3,400 s/f of finished living space in this 1,900

s/f beautifully detailed bungalow offering dream kitchen w/granite, cherry cabinets and quality appliances, main floor great room w/fireplace, superb master w/ensuite plus 4 spacious bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, large rec/games room, walkup to large double garage. Mature trees in fenced yard surrounding salt water pool and large deck. Great in-law suite in basement. MLS. Call Bert to view.

! EW E N RIC P

REFUGEES: Group expects

Bonnie

$269,900 “CHARACTER” GALORE in this quaint home backing to Mill Race in Hawkesville. 3+ bedrooms. Formal LR/DR and eat-in kitchen. Main floor family room with walkout to a deck. Office in lower level with separate entry. Zoning will allow for some commercial uses. Immediate possession. MLS.

LISTINGS NEEDED! We have buyers looking for various properties. CALL TODAY! CALL FOR YOUR FREE MARKET EVALUATION move in. It’s also hard to find affordable housing there,” Lobe said. He says local residents can help by writing a letter to Reception House saying they would welcome the refugees in their community. He’d then take that to the refugees in their three locations because that might be the kind of welcome some would respond well to. “What we need from

a place like Elmira or St. Jacobs is a small group of people to surround them. These are not privately sponsored refugees that have come to a group that hangs in there with them for a year and pays their bills. These are government assisted. We need those people in small communities like Elmira to surround them and encourage them and welcome them,” Lobe said.

$264,900

Elmira starter home with recent updates offers 3 bedrooms, renovated bathroom, rec room with fireplace and walk-up to side yard, kitchen/dinette with bay window, nice front porch, new garden shed and driveway. MLS. Call Bert to view.

Your referrals are appreciated!

FIND YOUR DREAM HOME IN THE #1 COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN ONTARIO

CLASSIFIED | 23

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

THOMPSON’S

TIRE

WHERE TIRES

Complete Collision Service

Auto Tech Inc.

ARE A

SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDE LINE.

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

101 Bonnie Crescent, Elmira, ON N3B 3G2

519.669.8330

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

FAX: 519.669.3210

35 Howard Ave., Elmira

AFTER HOURS

519-669-3232

GENERAL SERVICES

RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING EFFORT!

AUTO CLINIC 21 Industrial Dr. Elmira

Accredited Test & Repair Facility

519-669-4400

519-669-7652

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

519.669.8917

TROPHIES | CUPS | PLAQUES | MEDALLIONS RIBBONS | NAME TAGS | NAME PLATES DOOR PLATES | CUSTOM ENGRAVING

QUICK LOCAL SERVICE | 245 Labrador Dr., Waterloo

www.UniTwin.com | 519.886.2102

GENERAL SERVICES

While you wait! State of the acAhinrte Sharpening M

Various sizes & rates

$4.99 per pair

CLEAN • DRY • SECURE Call

www.biobobs.com

...& SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING

SHELLY & SCOTT TAYLOR 28 Pintail Drive, Elmira, ON, N3B 3G9

519-669-0003

or call today!

22 Church St. W., Elmira

519-648-3004

Tel: 519-669-5537

100 SOUTH FIELD DRIVE, ELMIRA

STORE HOURS:

or

800-232-6396

M-W: 8-6, T-F 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5

GENERAL SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENTS SERVICES

MUSIC-LOVER GIFT ALERT! COUNTR Y

’s 60’s / 70

HIGH SCHOOSL BAND

GOSPEL

Boat Covers | Air Conditioner Covers | Small Tarps Storage Covers | BBQ Covers | Awnings & Canopies Replacement Gazebo Tops | Golf Cart Enclosures & Covers •Ratches, Hooks, Straps, Webbing etc. •Canvas, Vinyl, Polyester, Acrylic Fabrics

www.biobob.com

taylortax@rogers.com

5th pair FREE.

519-669-4964

Visit our website

ROCK

Steve Co.

BAUMAN PIANO

SERVICES

Plumbing and Maintenance Inc.

TUNING & REPAIRS

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL

MUSIC TRANSFERS FROM LPs, 45s, 78s, CASSETTES TO CD

General Repairs

Your favourite albums get a whole new life on CD after we clean up the clicks, pops and surface noise.

519.595.4830

MORE INFO | 519.669.0541

6376 Perth Rd. 121 Poole, ON

EMAIL: vinylp2cd@gmail.com

For all your Plumbing Needs. 24 HOUR SERVICE

JAMES BAUMAN

Steve Jacobi

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

ELMIRA

519-669-3652

519-880-9165

HOME IMPROVEMENTS SERVICES

The Right Window Treatment Can

Save you

Blinds by Elite or Mera

In home consultations Wide selection of styles & fabrics 1011 Industrial Crescent St. Clements | 519-699-5411 www.LetUsFloorYou.ca

FREE

INSTALLATION When you buy 3 or more

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

WINDOW FASHIONS • Residential • Commercial • Industrial

Randy Weber ECRA/ESA Licence # 7000605

519.669.1462 Fax: 519.669.9970 Tel:

Evenings By Appointment

Free in-home Consultations. Call someone you can trust. Call Cindy.

18 Kingfisher Dr., Elmira

A Brand You Can Trust 22 Church St. W., Elmira

Tel: 519-669-5537

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

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

WEICKERT& MEIROWSKI Concrete Foundations Limited

YES... WE DO RESIDENTIAL WORK!

6982 Millbank Main St., Millbank 519-595-2053 • 519-664-2914

24 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY HOME IMPROVEMENTS SERVICES

IRA HOME COMFORT M L E (519) 669-4600

COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

ST. JACOBS

GLASS SYSTEMS INC.

APPLIANCES – FURNACES – FIREPLACES AIR CONDITIONERS – WATER HEATERS SPRING SPECIAL ON AIR CONDITIONING TUNE UP $99, INSTALLED FROM $1999 FURNACES INSTALLED FROM $2499 FRIDGES $499, STOVES $399, WASHERS $399, DRYERS $369, FREEZERS $199 Come visit our show room FREE QUOTES 1 Union Street, Elmira

1553 King St. N., St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0

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

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

RESIDENTIAL & AGRICULTURAL - Design and build -

FRAMING • ROOFING RENOVATIONS • EAVESTROUGHS

(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

OUTDOOR SERVICES

AMOS INC

R O O F I N G

• Specializing in residential re-roofs • Repairs • Churches A Family owned and operated business serving KW, Elmira and surrounding area for over 35 years.

WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED

CALL JAYME FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE.

519.501.2405 | 519.698.2114 In Business since 1973 • Fully Insured

John Schaefer Painting Interior/exterior Painting, Wallpapering & Plaster | drywall Repairs

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

Lawn Maint Maintenance Main tenance Programs | Spring Clean-up Flower Bed Maintenance Programs Leaf Clean-up and Removal | Soil & Mulch Delivery & Installation | Snow Clearing & Removal | Ice Control

NOW ACCEPTING VISA OR MASTERCARD

27 Brookemead, St, Elmira

519-669-2251

KEVIN DETWEILER

P: 519-669-1188 | F: 519-669-9369

kdetweiler@rogers.com

36 Hampton St., Elmira

OWNER-OPERATOR

OBSERVER PUZZLE SOLUTIONS Since 1998

•Final grading •Lawn repair & complete seeding well equipped for large stoney areas •Spike Aerator/Overseeding •Natural & Interlocking Stone •Retaining Walls, Walks & Patios •Help for Top Water & Drainage issue

Murray & Daniel Shantz

ALMA, ONTARIO | PHONE: 519.846.5427

3 2 0 3

( 5 , (

$ 3 6 (

/ , % 5 $

, 0 $ 0

0 ( 1 8

' ( 6 $ / 7 6

( < ( 6 2 5 (

3 $ * 7 5 6 , 0 % ( 6 ( 7 6 ( : ( $ 9 ; (

( ' 1 ( ( * 2 5 8 & $ & $ ' + 5 ( & $ & $ / $ 1 , 6 2 0 3 $ 2 , 7 * $ , & 5 $ ( / 6

% , 7 7 , ( 5

/ 2 7 + $ 5 , 2

6 2 & $ / 5 $ , 0 / $ , 1 ( 7

2 & : $ ( 1 $ $ , 1 0 , 3 7 6 ( 6 , 1 2 * 1 ( ( 6 6 7 6

PRINTING | MAILING | SIGNAGE SERVICES

5 $ 7 / ( , 5 * 1 * , 2 1 7 2 5 : , $ 2 5 7 $ & & 2 7 2

( 0 ( 5 * (

' , 6 7 8 5 %

, 1 7 ( 1 6 (

' ( $ ' 6 ( 7

1 , 1 ( / 3 , 1 ( $ 1 ' $ ( 6 3 ( $ 1 1 $ 7 , 2 1 2 / , 7 1 ( 5 6

SUDOKU CHALLENGE

Advertise your business services in our service directory. Weekly exposure with fantastic results! Call Donna at 519.669.5790 Ext 104.

Services

CROSSWORD PUZZLER

Your Business Here!

Outdoor

FREE ESTIMATES

OUTDOOR SERVICES

SPACE FOR RENT

519-577-0370

darwayconstruction@icloud.com | Alma, ON

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION INC.

www.marwilconcrete.ca

Wayne Martin | 519-504-2016

519-664-1202 / 519-778-6104 FAX: 519 664-2759 â&#x20AC;˘ 24 Hour Emergency Service

â&#x20AC;&#x153;25 years in Businessâ&#x20AC;?

Driveways â&#x20AC;˘ Sidewalks â&#x20AC;˘ Curbs â&#x20AC;˘ Patios Finished Floors â&#x20AC;˘ Retaining Walls â&#x20AC;˘ Steps Decorative/Stamped and Coloured Concrete

AGRICULTURAL | RESIDENTIAL

LIVING HERE | 25

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

LIVING HERE CHEF’S TABLE/ DIERRE ACHESON

IN WORDS / A PASSION FOR THE MUSIC

Reorganize the kitchen to kick off a new year in in clutterfree style

And The Band play’s on

RECIPE NOTES

Since he started it he’s begun working on a couple others, but this will be the first to come to fruition. “To be honest every challenge has been something that I look forward to because music is a passion of mine and telling the story of one of our most beloved musicians who came from Canada and came from our own backyard, grew up in Stratford,” Grainger said. Grainger wasn’t always such a big fan of The Band. He was more interested in classic rock in his teens, but once he got into The Band he couldn’t get enough. “I knew the family and I was friends with Krista, Al’s daughter, and that moment when I was 12 when we heard the news about Richard passing away, it’s one of those moments

OUR NEW YEAR IS well under way. This time of fresh starts usually means some more reorganizing and restructuring our lives, habits and homes. Spending more time indoors we think about our daily needs and how we can improve or simplify. For me that usually means cleaning out what is old and bringing in more efficient ways of doing odd jobs. Thankfully I have a very patient and helpful husband to put these ideas into reality. We usually spend a few weekends in the kitchen going through drawers and shelves to clear out old product or items that sit too long. This year we decided to redo our pantry, de-cluttering and finding more space for my ever-growing cookbook collection. As a chef, my kitchens are set into stations. All the baking items are in one spot with all the equipment and measuring devices needed to bake or assemble batters. On the other side of the kitchen is where all the cold preparation and hot cooking takes place.

MANUEL | 28

CHEF’S TABLE | 28

Former Elmira man’s longtime desire to write a play about Richard Manuel bears fruit, with production slated for April Manuel premieres at the Pacheco Theatre in London this spring, written by former Elmira resident Glenn Grainger based on stories he heard about former The Band member, Richard Manuel, from his brother Al. Stephen Ingram (middle) plays Richard Manuel in the production. [SUBMITTED]

WHITNEY NEILSON THE MUSIC GENIUS AND defining struggles of one of The Band’s most prominent members will be brought to life on stage this spring as Manuel premieres at the Pacheco Theatre in London, Ont. Richard Manuel, who sang, played piano, and composed music for The Band, was an original member from 1967 to 1976, and then again when the band reformed in 1983 until he died in 1986. Playwright Glenn Grainger, formerly of Elmira, began writing the musical back in 2009 based on stories told to him by Manuel’s brother Al. Al used to teach at Elmira’s Park Manor Public School and Grainger had became friends with his daughter, Krista, and then later Al himself.

The story follows his musical career and his untimely death, when he took his own life after struggling with his mental health for years. The play’s been a long time coming, with numerous concerts held to raise funds and also promote the project, but Grainger wanted to make sure he did it right. “It has been a very up and down journey, but mostly very positive. The idea behind it was we always wanted to try to produce the play ourselves at a local, grassroots level and a community level here in London. We did these concerts to promote the project, but also we were looking for musicians who could actually play the music for the play. The Band were known as the musician’s musicians. To find the right mix of musicians

and to find the right musicians with enough talent to pull it off was a process. We took a patient approach to it,” Grainger said. They created a scholarship at Western University in Richard Manuel’s name about a year and a half ago. That opened the door for them to get interest from musicians who are either graduates of the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western or they’re currently enrolled in programs there. “We have a graduate of the program, we have a master’s student who’s at Don Wright right now and we have an undergraduate who studies performance at the Don Wright. We’ve got two other great musicians who can certainly hold their own and have a deep passion for the project and are wanting to help tell the story,” Grainger said.

Actor John Garlicki will play Al. The undergrad student at the Don Wright Faculty of Music, Stephen Ingram, will play Richard. He says the cast is mostly local, helped by their partnership with Pacheco Theatre’s community theatre group. John Pacheco is directing the play. The production draws heavily on The Band’s songs, naturally. “There’s a lot of songs by Richard that he sang with The Band or songs that he wrote with The Band featured in the play. The Shape I’m In is one that people will know. Across the Great Divide is another one by The Band that people will know, and some of maybe his lesser known stuff. So it’s exciting to be able to shine a light on his talent,” Grainger said. This marks the first play Grainger’s ever written.

Did you know? Leroy’s Auto Care is qualified to be your New Vehicle Warranty Manager. As your Warranty Manager, we will check for recalls and inspect for required work on your vehicle. We will even book it into the dealership on your behalf and take it there to have the recall or warranty work completed. This allows you to continue to deal with your local service team at Leroy’s Auto Care. – Kendrick

Tel: (519) 669-1082 Fax: (519) 669-3084 info@leroysautocare.net 20 Oriole Parkway E., Elmira, ON

www.leroysautocare.net

Accredited Test & Repair Facility

26 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

“A GOOD JOB DONE EVERY TIME”

Kleensweep Carpet Care

Everything Vacuum

COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR

T. 519.669.2033

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

E-MAIL: ads@woolwichobserver.com

JANUARY 29

FEBRUARY 2

COFFEE TIME AND MORE! Join Woolwich Community Health Centre counsellor Marinela and Low German health worker Anna for some coffee, tea and cookies. This group will discuss everyday struggles that everyone faces. Share your stories, learn from each other’s successes and learn new ways to cope with today’s challenges; 9:45-11:30 a.m., Gale Presbyterian Church, 10 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira. For more information for this free group call Marinela 519-664-3534, ext. 235. Free childcare provided for participants.

DIABETES CONNECTION! DROP IN the second Tuesday of every month, 6-7 p.m., at Woolwich Community Health Centre, 10 Parkside Dr., St. Jacobs. Diabetes connection is a support group for individuals diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes and their support people. Have your diabetes health questions answered by a healthcare professional, increase your knowledge and learn ways to maintain or improve your health. For more information call Tiffany at 519664-3794, ext. 241.

JANUARY 30 SPAGHETTI DINNER & SALAD Bar. Royal Canadian Legion, 11 First St. E., Elmira. Two sittings, 5 & 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Legion at 519669-2932. Adults $10; children (5-10 yrs) $4; under 5 years $2. VISIT THE WTHHS HISTORICAL Room at the Old School, 1137 Henry St., Wellesley between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Free admission. SENIORS INFORMATION & ACTIVE Living Fair. Join us for this free event taking place on Tuesday, March 1st, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Breslau Community Centre. The fair will feature presentations and displays geared towards providing local seniors with important and supportive information. The session will include speakers, lunch and snacks as well as door prizes. To register for this event please call Community Care Concepts toll free at 1-855-664-1900 by Feb. 16.

P.O. BOX 247, ELMIRA

www.mgmill.com

All Makes & Models

www.freybc.com

West Montrose, ON

Cell: 519.581.7868

Repairs Service Se

3435 Broadway St. Hawkesville 519-699-4641

Rugs and Upholstery

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

COLLEEN

Vacuum Sales,

Skilled craftsmanship. Quality materials. CONSTRUCTION STARTS HERE.

FEBRUARY 4 RURAL WOMEN’S MINI CONFERENCE Day. Jenn Christie John Deere dealer dev. manager, Advocating for Women in Ag. Christie was named one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women. Topic: “Trike to tractor seat: my journey so far.” Sharon Grose of Alma, international award-winning photographer, sharing photos of New Zealand & Australia. Cost $20 includes lunch. For information 519-576-1933 or 519-669-8066. Held at Steinman Mennonite Church.

FEBRUARY 5 ST. PETERS CHURCH HEIDELBERG Outreach Committee is hosting a “Food and Finance Chat” at 7 p.m. in the parish hall at St. Peters, 2925 Lobsinger Line in Heidelberg. Financial advisor David Izlaker will speak about Financial & Retirement Planning. Please join us for an informative evening and enjoy food and refreshments. Everyone is welcome to attend. KID2KIDS DANCE, 7 P.M. St. Jacobs Lions Hall, 31 Parkside Dr., St. Jacobs. A safe and fun DJ’ed event

for kids Grades 5-8; 7-10 p.m., tickets $5 at the door (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) Snacks and drinks are available for purchase. All money raised goes back into our community. For information: k2k@ stjacobslions.org.

519-669-8362

9 C h u r ch S t . E . , E l m i ra

w w w.elmiravacuumelectrical.ca Tuesday - Friday, 9am-5:30pm

•

Saturday, 9am-3pm

HEARING AID INFORMATION SESSION, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. at Woolwich Community Health Centre, 10 Parkside Dr., St. Jacobs. This session will provide information on hearing aids, purchasing hearing aids and more. For more information on this free event call 519-6643794. Space is limited. Presented by the Canadian Hearing Society.

FEBRUARY 6 WOOLWICH COMMUNITY LIONS ANNUAL Trivia Challenge at Lions Hall. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., fun starts at 7 p.m. A fun evening of trivia and competition where teams of eight compete against other teams of eight for the title of Trivia Master and prizes. Snacks, beverages, fun challenging trivia and some surprises. For more information wclctrivia@ gmail.com or call Marnie @ 519-210-0252. SENIORS INFORMATION & ACTIVE Living Fair. Join us for this free event taking place on Tuesday, March 1st, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Breslau Community Centre. The fair will feature presentations and displays geared towards providing local seniors with important and supportive information. The session will include speakers, lunch and snacks as well as door prizes. To register for this event please call Community Care Concepts toll free at 1-855-664-1900 by Feb. 16.

21 INDUSTRIAL DR. ELMIRA

519-669-2884

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 pub-

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

HOW CAN I HELP?

24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

TOTAL

NANCY KOEBEL

HOME ENERGY SYSTEMS

Bus: 519.744.5433 Home: 519.747.4388

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

New to the Community? Do you have a new Baby?

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, LIFs and Annuities.

Elmira & Surrounding Area

11 HENRY ST. - UNIT 9, ST. JACOBS

SHARON GINGRICH 519.291.6763

519.664.2008

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

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

St. James Lutheran Church

MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

COUNCILLOR | WARD 1 WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP

VERMONT Castings

652 Waterbury Lane, Waterloo

SANYO CANADIAN

PATRICK MERLIHAN

It’s time to call your Welcome Wagon Hostess.

YOUR OIL, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS AND AIR CONDITIONING EXPERTS

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

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

11:00 am Responding to Grace: My Kingdom or His?

Elmira Worship: 9:30am Mennonite Season of Epiphany Church

Learn to... sew/piece/quilt

February 4 | 7pm -- Register @ elmiramennonitechurch@golden.net

CALVARY CHAPEL

“God Wants You Happy”

Worship Service

Guest Speaker: Dr. Harold Paisley

Sunday, January 31st 9:15 AM & 11:00 AM

18 Mockingbird Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1459 www.elmiracommunity.org

Sundays 10:30am

elmiraemmanuel.com

“Single-Mindedness”

meets at All Saints Anglican Church 500 Northfield Dr. West, Waterloo • 226-234-8384

EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH

Sunday, January 31st

Sunday Service 6:00 pm

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

Emmanuel

The Book of Revelation verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter

Speaker: Ron Seabrooke

Discovering God Together

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

REACH WITH LOVE. TEACH THE TRUTH. SEND IN POWER. 290 Arthur St. South, Elmira • 519-669-3973 www.ElmiraAssembly.com (Across from Tim Horton’s)

HEARING ASSISTED

Sunday, January 31st

10:45am Worship Service

Service at 10:30am Rev. Paul Snow

www.kcf.org/academy

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Zion Mennonite Fellowship 9:30am Sunday School

Sunday School at 9:30am

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

33 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.1591

200 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1296 www.woodsidechurch.ca

519.669.5030

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

LIVING HERE | 27

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

STRANGE BUT TRUE / BILL & RICH SONES PH.D.

Wool has many useful properties beyond keeping you nice and toasty warm WEIRD NOTES

Q. Wool, as you probably know, comes not just from sheep but from alpacas, camels and goats. As â&#x20AC;&#x153;Discoverâ&#x20AC;? magazine points out, clothing and other wool items have been found in much of the ancient world, including 3,400-year-old Egyptian yarn. Wool is biodegradable and can absorb and repel water at the same time. Yet one of its more unusual features relates to â&#x20AC;&#x153;explosions.â&#x20AC;? Can you explain.

A. Wool actually has a high natural ignition point of 1,382 degrees F, making

it fire-resistant, says the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Margaret Shakespeare. And it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drip or melt when it does catch fire, features that have attracted the interest of the U.S. Army in its search for â&#x20AC;&#x153;clothing designed to protect combat troops from explosive blasts.â&#x20AC;? Another kind of explosion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;one we actually wantâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is found in baseballs used in the Major Leagues. Inside each ball are some 370 yards of tightly wound wool yarn, providing â&#x20AC;&#x153;resilience to withstand the crushing impact of a batterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hit off high-velocity pitches.â&#x20AC;? Q. You can forget Superman and Wonder Woman on this one. ... Who have been the real super-doers among us?

A. X-ray vision, no, but you

can count the super-sight of German dentist Veronica Seider, measured at 20/2 vision (20 times better than average), who reportedly could identify people from a mile away, reports â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mental Flossâ&#x20AC;? magazine.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;She once wrote a 20-verse poem on a thumb-nail-size piece of paper -- sans magnifying glass.â&#x20AC;? Then there was FrenchCanadian Louis Cyr, said to be able to hold back four pulling horses and to lift onto his back a platform with 18 men on it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 1896, he lifted 552 pounds with a finger.â&#x20AC;? Can you imagine identifying records by reading their grooves? When a friend challenged classical

Babel.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

music devotee Arthur Lintgen to do just that, Lintgen read the grooves of 20 albums before a live audience and correctly identified all 20 of them. Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hear it for the children of the Tarahumara tribe of northwest Mexico, whose low resting heart rates allow them to regularly run 200 miles--in two days. Invited to run a marathon in Kansas in the 1920s, they reportedly sent three kids â&#x20AC;&#x153;to run the mere 26.2 miles.â&#x20AC;? Finally, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;furious fluency of Francis Sommerâ&#x20AC;? is superlative indeed:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Able to speak 94 languages, the Cleveland librarian said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I am afraid to cram any more words into my head. Either the top will come off, or I will wake up speaking

Q. Maybe a big burp

doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sound like much, but when might it be a lot more significant than it sounds?

A. When itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a â&#x20AC;&#x153;wet burpâ&#x20AC;? and the burper is an astronaut in zero or near-zero gravity, says Christian Millman in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Discoverâ&#x20AC;? magazine. William Pogue, who piloted the final manned mission to the Skylab space station in 1973, had just such an experience.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;An environment of nearweightlessness doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow the contents of your stomach to settle out by weight as they would on Earth. Gas, liquids and solids bump against the esophageal sphincter... that separates the esophagus from the stomach.â&#x20AC;?  And

since the gravity-assisted sphincter doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide a total closure, belching in the confines of a space vehicle could cause some messy backflow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unless the astronaut can keep the mouth closed and reswallow that backflow ... any liquids or solids ejected during a wet burp could conceivably float off and lodge in sensitive instruments.â&#x20AC;? Â This may not be a huge concern, Millman says, but back on Skylab, Pogue was worried enough that he limited his belches to just a couple during his 84-day mission.

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

OBSERVER CROSSWORD PUZZLER ACROSS 1. Rang out 7. Alliance 11. Made over 16. Plant called â&#x20AC;&#x153;liveforeverâ&#x20AC;? 17. Corn Belt state 18. Nitrogen compound 19. Ill-conceived 21. Seed coat 22. Equal 23. Baby ___ 24. Sent signals to 26. Flowering tree 28. BB gun 29. Sprite 32. Sticking to 34. Gaelic 35. Minimal 37. Assonating 39. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wanna ___?â&#x20AC;? 40. Bone cavities 42. Alternative 44. Broadway fare 47. Guard 51. Cassava

53. Express a thought 54. Cotillion girl 57. Breed of cat 59. African nation 60. Baby blues 62. Irrational fear 64. Clairvoyance, e.g. 65. Make sure 67. Slight, in a way 69. Spear 70. Convene 71. Actress Paquin 75. Decrease 76. Lawsuit 79. Crossbeam 80. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wrong? 81. Calm down 82. Battle of the ___ 83. â&#x20AC;&#x153;___ go!â&#x20AC;? 84. Lotions DOWN 1. Splendor 2. Great lake 3. Church area 4. Fall guy?

5. Away from WSW 6. Devalue 7. Teensier 8. Ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; man 9. Be behind 10. Ancient Semitic people 11. Critic 12. Arise 13. Displace 14. Passionate 15. Fixed 20. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That hurt!â&#x20AC;? 25. Woody polymer 27. SimĂłn BolĂ­varâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthplace 29. Mosque V.I.P. 30. List 31. Taps 33. Little devils 36. Dreary 38. Take up arms 41. Relating to a climate 43. Thatching palm 45. Sightlessness 46. Fly high 48. Opening time, maybe

49. Aims 50. Ballet move 52. Applicant 54. Desalinizes 55. Blight 56. Hive product 58. Eats 59. Reprimand 61. Stow cargo 63. Addition column 66. Baddies 68. Use, as a dish 72. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blueâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whiteâ&#x20AC;? river 73. Black, as la nuit 74. Aardvark fare 77. Deception 78. Bill and ___

SUDOKU CHALLENGE

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.

28 | BACK PAGE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

MANUEL: A story he just had to put on paper FROM | 25

where you realize something’s going on, the adults are kind of muted about everything, but you can just kind of pick up from the vibe that something big has happened. And then as I got older I started to love the music and learn more about the story. That stayed with me for a lot of years,” Grainger said. Aside from a love of The Band and being privy to stories about its members, he was inspired to write about Richard after working with local playwright and program manager for the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Kathleen Clealand Moyer in Kitchener. He says she got him thinking about how stories are all around us and you just have to be aware of your surroundings and what can be turned into good stories.

Richard Manuel, 1974

“I think it’s an important story because it hearkens back to a time when folks kind of kept things under the carpet a little bit, with

mental health. And I think we’re coming to a time now where we’re realizing it’s good to talk, it’s good to tell these stories and hopefully it’ll resonate with people. And men especially tend to keep emotional issues to themselves because of stigma and maybe this play helps with that,” Grainger said. He says it’s not a play necessarily about mental health, but there is definitely a message in there. There are also funny parts, stories Al’s told him about when he and Richard were children. Part of the proceeds from the play will go toward the Richard G Manuel Music Award scholarship at West-

ern University. The London theatre community who’ve sat in on read-throughs of the play have been overwhelmingly positive and he’s excited to see how audiences react when it takes to the stage in April. “First and foremost I want them to have a sense of how great an artist Richard Manuel was, as a songwriter, as a musician, as someone who was deeply committed to creating great music and somebody who really cared deeply about music and wanted to ensure that other people could hear his music and enjoy it. But also I’d like them to take away with them a sense that it’s okay to talk about mental issues that might be ailing you,” Grainger said. Terry Danko, brother of The Band’s Rick Danko and who played with Ronnie Hawkins for many years and spent time with The Band is the special music consultant on the project. Audience members are encouraged to come to the show early as there will be special selections of songs by The Band played by the play’s band that are not included in the play itself. Manuel premieres at the Paul Davenport Theatre in London from Apr. 27-May 1, with a preview show on Apr. 26. Tickets are $35 and available at www.grandtheatre.com.

CHEF’S TABLE: Who doesn’t like pancakes? FROM | 25

For organization of ingredients a few considerations are necessary. What quantity of ingredients do you need in your pantry? If you don’t bake often, don’t feel you need a large canister of flour. You can go and buy matching canisters and spice kits but my favourite is still upcycling jars. A good cook doesn’t need 35 herbs and spices in their cupboard going stale – keep to what works for you and your family. If you are trying a new recipe try buying a small amount to start. If you really like the spice, go ahead and buy more. Even I don’t go through a large container of peppercorns at home. The best part of de-cluttering and reorganizing is finding out how much food

you already have – create a recipe from the ingredients you already have purchased. So take a moment and think of how you play in your kitchen. Make a plan and go for a new appreciation of your space. Happy cooking!

Sunday Morning Pancakes 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups buttermilk 1 tsp. of vanilla 1/4 cup melted butter 1 tsp. of lemon zest 1/2 cup of blueberries

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt together. In another bowl add the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and mix together. Combine into the dry flour mix. Add the lemon zest and mix in the melted butter. Heat a pan or griddle on medium and grease the pan with vegetable oil. Add about 4 oz of batter for a pancake then place the blueberries in the pancake. Once the batter has bubbled on top and the pancake looks half cooked, finish by flipping the pancake. Serve with our local maple syrup.

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.

JANUARY

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 TO SUNDAY JANUARY 31

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