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07 | 26 | 2018 VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 29

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ELECTION / WOOLWICH

ELECTION / REGIONAL CHAIR

Newcomers seemed poised to take seat at the table

Three candidates are vying to be regional chair Retirement of longtime incumbent Ken Seiling, opens the door for the first real race in decades

FAISAL ALI THOUGH A RACE ON paper, it appears there’ll again be just one candidate running in Woolwich’s Ward 2 as the nomination winds down this week.

Eric Schwindt, who lives in Ward 2 just north of Elmira, put in his papers Monday. Elmira resident Kevin Betts, who had filed earlier in the nomination period, said this week he intends to withdraw his name. The seat will be vacant at the end of the current council term, as longtime incumbent Mark Bauman plans to retire.

While there is still one more day for township residents to submit their applications to run for office, at press time it appears the seat will be uncontested when Woolwich residents go to the polls October 22.

As a longtime Woolwich resident and small business owner, Schwindt notes that council decisions affect people like him in a very direct way.

He says that he wants to approach municipal politics with an eye to supporting other local ventures.

“I like to ask the question: ‘how can we make life easier for business in Woolwich?’ To attract business, to make them want to grow, to make life easier, more competitive?” he said.

Schwindt is the second newcomer to enter the race for Woolwich council, and is running for the single ELECTION | 4

FAISAL ALI

Two Woolwich residents are hoping to become election officials when voters go to the polls in October. Karen Meissner (top) is running to join the Waterloo public school board as the trustee for the Woolwich and Wellesley townships. Eric Schmidt (left) is seeking to become the Ward 2 councillor for Woolwich.

[FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER]

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NO MATTER THE OUTCOME of this October’s municipal election, Waterloo Region will have a new figure in charge. After 33 years in the region’s highest public office, Ken Seiling’s decision not to run for re-election marked the end of one era and the start of another.

There is still one more day left before the nomination period for the election closes, but as of yesterday morning, three candidates have entered their names to take over the reins at the region.

The candidates so far in the running for regional chair are the Robert Deutschmann, previous mayor of North Dumfries Township, Karen Redman, a former MP and current Kitchener representative on regional council, and Jan d’Ailly, a former City of Waterloo councillor.

For the prospective chairs, the election is a chance to build on the positives of Seiling’s legacy, while steering Waterloo into the future.

“I sort of call it Waterloo Region 2.0,” said Deutschmann, of his campaign. “It’s like, ‘what do we need now in terms of moving forward?’”

A lawyer by trade, Deutschmann served as mayor of North Dumfries between 2010 to 2014. The position gave him a seat at regional council as the township’s representative.

With his rural roots and political background, Deutschmann says he is keen to remain advocate for the concerns of the region’s rural communities, citing the slower emergency response times and lower police presence in those areas as key issues he would like tackle.

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NEWS | 3

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

INDUSTRY / EXPANSION

Jones Feed building new plant in Linwood Company to spend $27 million on state-of-the-art facility, noting growth and strong demand

FAISAL ALI

VERONICA REINER A $27-million expansion at its Linwood location is the latest growth spurt for Jones Feed Mills Ltd. Construction got underway earlier this month on a new state-of-the-art plant capable of producing some 200,000 tonnes of feed each year.

It’s the latest growth spurt for a company that traces its roots back three generations to 1930. Jones Feed has been particularly busy in the last couple of decades, acquiring mills in Heidelberg, Wroxeter and Mitchell and, now, expanding in Linwood, where it all began.

“We’re very excited to be able to expand this way,” said Peter Draper, sales manager at Jones Feed Mill Ltd. “It’s because of the loyalty of our customers. And we never forget where we came from, and who got us to where we are.

We’re doing this to be able to continue to bring quality products to our customers.

Part of the thinking behind this project is we wanted to lessen some of the activity in the mill that’s at the front of the property. So we’d like to move away from a night shift there, just to be a better neighbour.”

The new facility will be modernized and unique to the industry in certain ways.

stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math, all of the topics they aim to teach to children.

For example, there was a Tinker Truck event at the Elmira library on July 24, which focused on the science, technology and engineering categories of the acronym.

“So it’s just taking kids through the design process,” explained Holly Smith, library coordinator.

“So he brought in corks, and popsicle sticks and elastics. And a small animal, which children get to keep, as well. And so they design a boat. Some of them have started off as just very, very simple designs, tried it out, and realize that it flips, or doesn’t float the way they thought it would. Then they build it stronger or differently,

The Conrad Grebel University College is once again holding its annual Peace Camp next week with the goal of teaching kids, in an activity-filled setting, all about peace.

That is, through games, sports arts and crafts and field trips, the day-campers learn and practice skills they need to make peace, resolve conflict and come to a mutual understanding with their fellow creatures.

This year, the Peace Camp is teaming up with the people at Silver Lake Mennonite Camp, who will be helping run the activities.

“This summer our theme is finding our peace superpowers,” said Katie Gingrich, director of The Ripple Effect Education (TREE), which runs the camp. “So recognizing how we as individuals can build ourselves up to be excellent peace-makers, in our relationships, with our friends our families and in our communities.”

Far from being an abstract state or some larger than life notion, peace, notes Gingrich, and especially the ability to make peace, is a skill that can actually be taught and learned. It’s why the camp was created, to give children the instruction and practice they need to learn those skills in a fun way and apply them to their real lives.

“So Peace Camp has been running here at Grebel since 2011, so we’re in our eighth summer,” said Gingrich. “And in that time we have seen a lot of impact on our junior youth in our community. We’ve seen them grow and change and become more aware of what’s going on in their communities. But also equipping them with tools that they need to be 21st century citizens.”

Gingrich will be on hand to lead the camp, but she won’t be alone. Several guests have been invited to come and meet the campers as well to teach the kids through fun activities.

Groups like the Christian Peacemakers Teams, local community justice groups, the Urban Youth Leadership Alliance and Waterloo Global Science Initiative, who will be leading kids on

YOUNG READERS | 24

PEACE CAMP | 5

Jones Feed Mils Ltd.l is building a new $27-million state-of-the-art facility in Linwood. Taking in the work that started last week are Peter Draper (sales manager), Frank Karley (maintenance manager) and Brent McDermott (controller).

[VERONICA REINER / THE OBSERVER] “There’s a few things actually: the process is computerized right from receiving to output,” said Draper.

“So that’ll be semi-unique to the industry at this point in time. The mixers and pelleters are very modern and they’re completely automated and computerized. That’s very unique in itself. It won’t require a lot of people per tonne. So the capacity and efficiency is extraordinary. And the process will create a very highquality product.”

President Jeff Jones announced that the new mill will be named the George Roberts Jones Production

Plant, in memory of his father, who was the second generation of Joneses to own and manage the business. Jones Feed Mill began in 1930 when Earnest Jones and his wife Alice bought a mill in Linwood. The business was taken over by the couple’s son George and his wife Jean in 1949.

The industry and business itself has expanded significantly over the years, which prompted the latest move, Draper explained.

“The industry and the business has grown pretty rapidly,” he said. “There’s significant growth in population, people are living

longer, and there’s a lot of demand for diversified food. It’s competitive.”

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility was held July 11, allowing Jeff Jones to acknowledge the customers that help bring about the company’s growth.

“The investment in this mill will better position Jones Feed Mills within the industry, while it continues to demonstrate our commitment to our customers by bringing them quality feed at a fair price,” said Jones during his address.

There were comments of congratulations from

Wellesley Township Mayor Joe Nowak, Kitchener-Conestoga MP Harold Albrecht and Rick Weber, president of Camar Systems Ltd. “The ceremony was terrific,” said Draper. “We had a beautiful day. We had all of the contractors and financiers and staff. And press, it was terrific. I think there were around 65 people. It was intended to be small and private. We’ll do an open house when we’re underway. “ The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2019. Anyone interested in more information can go to www.jfm.ca.

Encouraging kids to pick up a book this summer VERONICA REINER Keeping kids active extends beyond the physical. That’s certainly the case with the TD Summer Reading Club, which aims to keep their brains in gear through the extended break from school. That helps avoid the ‘summer slide,’ a phenomenon which results in the loss of some academic skills and knowledge over the course of the three-month holiday.

“We encourage kids to read whatever they choose during the summer,” said Kim Krueger-Kischak, community connector and a coordinator of the program. “For some, that’s picture books, for others it’s novels, for others it’s nonfiction. Sometimes it’s magazines; sometimes it’s online reading. Our goal is to keep kids’ brains active throughout the summer

Give Peace (Camp) a chance

and show that they can learn in different ways.”

The Elmira Branch Library is just one of the 2,000 public libraries that deliver this program. Anyone can participate; however, the age of participants generally ranges from 2-13 years old. There is a tracking system used to record the amount of reading a participant has done. There are also prizes given out to dedicated readers, such as Chapters gift cards. The prizes rewarded are all connected to learning.

“In the past, sometimes we counted the number of books that kids read,” explained Krueger-Kischak.

“And that was fine, but we know that some kids read faster, and other kids read slower. And so we thought to count the amount of time read is a bit more reflective of being respectful to everyone’s reading style.

Participants in the TD Summer Reading Club race boats that they constructed themselves at Elmira Branch Library on Tuesday.

[VERONICA REINER / THE OBSERVER] So now we’re tracking it by time. So for every hour that kids read, they get a little ballot to put in the draw.

It’s not ‘oh you have to read for an hour.’ It’s just ‘when you do that, that’s what happens.’ But it’s more

‘great you’re reading!’ And that’s really important.”

In addition to reading, there are special events hosted periodically to encourage learning. The events are connected to the acronym STEAM, which

4 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

REGION: All three candidates each have some experience with municipal governance FROM | COVER

“We are always near the bottom of municipalities spent per capita [for emergency services]. We’re a rich and prosperous community, and yet with EMS and police services, we are very low in terms of what we spend per capita,” said Deutschmann.

Also in the running is veteran politician and lifelong Kitchener resident Karen Redman. Currently a representative on council, Redman was previously a Liberal MP for Kitchener Centre from 1997 to 2008.

She is also the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region, and previously acted as trustee on the Waterloo school board.

Redman says that she hopes to leverage her extensive political experience to as the Region of Waterloo’s new chair.

“I think it’s a really exciting time in regional politics,” said Redman.

“We have a newly minted provincial government, and I think we come at a lot of challenges from a position of strength because of a good stewardship of past regional councils. So

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I’m looking to moving us forward with vision using the skills that I have honed over the years that I’ve been in public life.”

Redman notes the prosperity of the region, but says that that prosperity needs to be felt across all the board.

“I really think that prosperity in its fullest meaning is very important so that nobody is left behind.

And that’s a fine balance.

It’s interesting, people often talk about the manufacturing sector ... but the food industry is huge,” she says.

“And the fact that we have a high-tech sector is really blossoming, that’s not the only driver of the economy.”

Jan d’Ailly, too, has put in his papers to run for regional chair. A councillor with the City of Waterloo from 2003 to 2010, d’Ailly notes his key role in navigating the RIM Park financ-

ing scandal of the previous decade. It’s that crucial experience in politics and finance, coupled with his professional experience in business development, that d’Ailly says he would like to bring to the table.

“With Ken Seiling stepping down, the cities ... and the townships are continuing to grow. We really want to make sure that we continue with the spirit of who we are. Our Mennonite tradition, our food our cultural traditions, and retake the spirit of who we are as a region, and really make sure that we can carry that forward.”

If elected, d’Ailly says that he would like to train fresh eyes on the region’s extensive bureaucracy, and be sure it’s making the best use of the taxpayers’ dollars.

“I think it’s time for a business-like review of the operations of the region,” he said. “[To] be sure, we

have to have operational excellence in the bureaucracy. Is the bureaucracy running as efficiently as it can be? Is the money being spent on the right areas? Do we have the right checks and balances?

“It’s always good when you have a leadership change that you ask all of the questions, and take a business-like approach to the execution of the operations of a bureaucracy.”

Previously a potential candidate for the chair’s job, former Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Michael Harris announced this week he’ll be seeking a seat as one of four Kitchener representatives on council.

In an interview Tuesday, Harris said he had considered running for regional chair, receiving considerable support from the community to do so. However, he said he had decided he would run for council instead, a position less time

ELECTION: Retirement opens a seat in Woolwich’s Ward 2

21 Arthur St. S., Elmira | 519-669-1641 | whglaw.ca

LEAN

Jan d’Ailly

consuming then serving as chair.

“Clearly I’m humbled by folks’ encouragement for me to seek that particular position ... [but] that’s not the role for me and my family at this stage. But I still have the ability to contribute and want to do so.

And I think in this capacity, I’ll be able to do just that,” said Harris.

With the departure of Ken Seiling from municipal politics, this election marks a turning point for the Region of Waterloo, its three cities and four townships. The new chair will be taking over the reins from a long-time incumbent, potentially shifting the course of the region considerably in the years to come.

“Ken has done such an amazing job in the sense of bringing seven municipalities together under one umbrella, which is the Region of Waterloo,” said Deutschmann. “And there’s been growing pains, there’s been interactions between various people, strong characters, but I think over time the general realization has been that we are stronger together, working together and moving forward.”

The municipal election is to be held on October 22. The opportunity to apply to run in the election, meanwhile, ends at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday).

HOURS: Tuesday - Friday 8am - 6pm Saturday 9am - NOON Sunday CLOSED

FROM | COVER

seat that represents the northern half of the township, including Floradale, Heidelberg and St. Jacobs, but excluding the populous town of Elmira.

He joins fellow newcomer Scott McMillan, who is running for the Elmira ward. However, unlike McMillan, who was elected in 2014 as the Woolwich and Wellesley township’s representative on the Waterloo public school board, Schwindt does not have any experience in elected office.

Instead, Schwindt hopes to make use of the business acumen he’s gleaned as the owner of Genex Ontario, which sells swine breeding stock to farmers across Ontario. He also points to his lifelong roots in the township.

“In the past I’ve seen a few instances where I think that maybe we haven’t opened our arms as well as we could have.

And in today’s economy, my belief is that funding

from the province and the feds is going to decrease over time, and maybe quickly. So as a township we’ve got to be creative and open our arms a little bit to business.”

Schwindt points to the experience of Earlidale Meats in Floradale, which faced some red tape from the township a few months prior when it tried to expand its business. Eventually, the restrictions were overturned by Woolwich council in January, but Schwindt questioned the process.

“They got push back from staff on the size of the building. And I look at it as, if we want businesses to grow and prosper, we don’t want to tie their hands behind their back.

We want to give them the tools to succeed,” he said.

Schwindt also points to the challenges his daughter faced trying to obtaining a license to run her chip wagon, the Loose Caboose in Elmira.

“I think the premise in the back of my mind

always has to be, if we’re thinking about a regulation or a change, think to yourselves why do we need it? What’s the benefit? Is it necessary?”

Just as Schwindt is currently running unopposed for the council seat, aspiring first-time trustee Karen Meissner is likewise going unchallenged in the race for a spot on the Waterloo Region District School Board.

Meissner may be new to the politics, but she has more than a little experience when it comes to promoting and supporting the education of children in the township. An Elmira resident of 11 years, Meissner has been actively involved at Riverside Public School on the volunteer parent council.

“I just feel like, for me, I can do something. You know what I mean? I feel like I have the energy and the enthusiasm and the passion and all of that to want to just help, whatever that means,” said Meissner.

When Riverside PS moved to its new location in Elmira two years ago, Meissner was surprised to learn that the school board did not provide funding for the inclusion of a park and playground at the facility. But being a big proponent of for getting children outdoors and active, she organized with the other parents and played a key role in raising the funds to get a playground.

Meissner has also volunteered with Kate’s Kause, the organization behind Elmira landmarks like the accessible playground in Gibson Park. Her niece, in fact, is the eponymous Kate who inspired the projects.

Meissner is now looking to apply her experience and her abilities across the region as the townships of Woolwich and Wellesley’s trustee on the school board.

Both Schwindt and Meissner will appear on the ballots in the upcoming municipal election on October 22.

NEWS | 5

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

Keep slottin’ in those profits The Township of Centre Wellington is $594,777 this week thanks to firstquarter (April to June) 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 $29.6 million to fill its coffers since the facility first opened.

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.

Housing starts trend up in June The national trend in housing starts was 222,041 units in June 2018, compared to 216,701 units in May 2018, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The trend measure is a six-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) of housing starts.

“The national trend in housing starts increased in June, reflecting a jump

in the SAAR of multi-unit dwellings in urban centres in June to a historical high,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC’s chief economist, in a release. “ Notably, the national inventory of newly completed and unabsorbed multi-unit dwellings has remained below its 10-year historical average so far in 2018, indicating that demand for this type of unit has absorbed increased supply.”

Total housing starts trended upwards in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo CMA for the first time in the past five months. While row starts continued trending downwards, marginal increase in single-detached starts was able to pull total starts higher. The

slight pickup in full-time employment and tightening resale market conditions during late 2017 supported spill-over demand for single-detached units from the resale market to the new construction market, the agency reports.

CMHC uses the trend measure as a complement to the monthly SAAR of housing starts to account for considerable swings in monthly estimates and obtain a more complete picture of Canada’s housing market. In some situations analyzing only SAAR data can be misleading, as they are largely driven by the multi-unit segment of the market which can vary significantly

from one month to the next.

The standalone monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada was 248,138 units in June, up from 193,902 units in May. Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 19,294 units.

Clarification While the Elmira MCC Thrift & Gift store celebrated its 40th anniversary Wednesday, the 40 per cent off sale is a separate event, scheduled for July 31.

Unclear information appeared in last week’s edition.

POLICE BLOTTER

Charges laid, trucks pulled from the road in safety blitz During Operation Safe Trucking last week, the police stopped 4,254 commercial motor vehicles (CMV), laid 2,479 charges and took 120 unsafe CMVs out of service, the OPP reported this week.

During the blitz, the OPP covertly conducted highway patrol resulting in 114 distracted driving charges against CMV drivers.

OPP aircraft and the use of OPP non-traditional patrol vehicles were also used for enforcement, providing an enhanced view of aggressive CMV drivers.

Speeding accounted for 576 of the charges, 75 were the result of Follow Too Close and an additional 269 charges were laid for other

moving violations.

A number of CMVs were found to have defective equipment, making up 214 of the charges. Improper documentation saw the highest number of CMV charges (794).

There were no CMVrelated fatalities reported during this period.

When CMV drivers were not drawing the OPP’s attention, officers spotted a number of passenger vehicles whose drivers were charged with various violations such as distracted driving and speeding.

Police remind other drivers they should provide adequate space to CMVs to ensure the highways are safe for everyone.

J U LY 1 7

further testing. the 40-year-old Erin woman was charged with ‘driving while impaired,’ ‘driving with over 80 mgs of alcohol in 100mL of blood’ and for ‘failing to remain at the scene of a collision.

A 90-day Administrative Driver’s Licence Suspension (A.D.L.S.) and seven-day Vehicle Impoundment was initiated as per statute. She is scheduled to appear in Guelph Criminal Court on August 17.

11:30 PM | Wellington County OPP received a report of a possible drunk driver on Wellington Road 7, Elora. Police located the driver of a silver sedan and, while speaking with the male driver, officers formed the opinion that he was under the influence of alcohol. A roadside screening test was conducted which resulted in a fail. He was arrested and brought to a local OPP operations centre for further testing. The 27-year-old Elora man was charged with ‘driving with over 80 mgs of alcohol in 100mL of blood.’ His licence was seized for 90 days and his car impounded for a week. He is scheduled to appear in Guelph Criminal Court on August 17.

1:30 PM | Wellington County OPP responded to a two vehicle

collision on Wellington Road 7, between Salem and Alma. Initial reports indicated that a southbound tractor trailer had collided with a southbound passenger vehicle. The passenger vehicle was stopped and awaiting clearance to pass through a single lane stretch of highway that was under construction. OPP. Centre Wellington Fire Rescue and Guelph-Wellington Paramedics Service attended. The lone occupant of the passenger vehicle, a 48-year-old Town of Minto woman, was transported to local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Traffic was delayed as a result of the collision. Upon investigation, a 29-year-old St. Thomas man was charged with ‘careless driving.’ He is scheduled to appear in Guelph Court on September 5.

J U LY 2 1

2:00 PM | Waterloo Regional Police have charged a 60-year-old St. Thomas man in connection to a robbery at the TD Canada Trust bank in Elmira. A male entered the bank and handed a note to the teller, demanding money. No weapon was used or seen. The male received an undisclosed amount of money and fled the bank, possibly in a black Lincoln MKS vehicle. The suspect was described as male, white, between 5’7” and 5’8” and about 65 years old. He was wearing a grey sweat shirt, blue jeans, baseball cap and sunglasses.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 519-570-9777.

Emergency crews responded July 20 to a fire in a 30-acre hay field on Ament Line near St. Clements. The fire began in a trailer when hay was being harvested. No one was injured. [VERONICA REINER / THE OBSERVER]

DRIVER INJURED IN ELMIRA HIT-AND-RUN

A collision Tuesday at the intersection of Arthur Street and Listowel Road in Elmira became a hit-and-run when one of the vehicles involved failed to stop at the scene. The fleeing driver was described as a white male, approximately 25 years of age, with short, dirty blonde hair.

He was driving a red transport truck with a silver trailer. The driver that remained at the scene was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

[FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER]

PEACE CAMP: Popular day camp upgraded

J U LY 1 9

12:00 AM | Wellington County OPP received a report of a fail to remain collision on Wellington Road 21, Inverhaugh.

It was reported that a vehicle had struck a guardrail, driven across a lawn and hit a light pole before driving away from the scene.

Police located the driver of a grey sedan and while speaking with the female driver, formed the opinion that she was impaired by alcohol.

She was arrested and brought to a local OPP operations centre for

DRY BEFORE THE RAIN CAME

FROM | COVER

Police released a photo of the suspect in a July 21 robbery at the TD bank in Elmira, subsequently arresting a 60-year-old St. Thomas man.

a scavenger hunt to teach them about the U.N. Social Development Goals.

“So together all of those folks are going to share a little bit more about peace work that they are doing in the community. And they will be sharing strategic and practical tools for our youth to be able to take what they’re learning and to put it into practice in their own lives,” said Gingrich.

New this year, the Peace Camp is starting up a partnership with the Silver Lake Mennonite Camp, based in Hepworth, along Lake Huron.

“It just seemed like Peace Camp was a good fit between the values of Silver Lake Mennonite Camp and obviously they had developed a program in keeping with their values as well,” said Karen Cornies, executive director of Silver Lake Camp.

“So we decided to col-

laborate. And Silver Lake has been able to provide the staffing for it this summer.”

The Peace Camp is being held next week, starting on Monday and running until Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The camp is aimed at kids aged 11 to 14, and open to first-comers.

Those interested in learning more or signing up can head to www.grebel.ca/ peacecamp for more information.

6 | COMMENT

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

JOE MERLIHAN PUBLISHER STEVE KANNON EDITOR

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OUR VIEW / EDITORIAL

THE VIEW FROM HERE

Reading early and often pays big dividends in life SUMMERTIME, AND THE READIN’ is easy.

Well, that’s the theory, at any rate. We have more books to read than ever before, and more ways to read them thanks to computers, tablets, e-readers and even cell phones.

But fewer of us are actually pick one up, paper version or otherwise. That’s especially true of young people.

Beyond the risk to writers and publishers, there are longer-term implications for literacy skills, job prospects and even our very democracy given we live in an information age.

Research indicates that there are positive effects when young children read and explore books for pleasure, as such activities help build the skills and knowledge that are critical to schooling. Reading for pleasure is facilitated when children have greater access to books. Early exposure, good access and adult support are positive motivators of children’s success with literacy skills.

Conversely, limited exposure and experience with books decreases literacy success for students. Studies show the more exposure to print materials, the higher the success rate.

We may know this, but with so many electronic distractions available to kids, it’s hardly surprising that books have fallen by the wayside in some cases. If that’s the case, encouraging kids to take up any kind of reading is a plus – best not to get too fussy about the content. Some parents object to the likes of comic books, graphic novels and pulp fiction on the grounds that there are better books out there. Perhaps, but a great work of literature gathering dust on a shelf does a child no good. Better he or she discovers the joys of reading from any source than not at all.

The simplest way to make sure that we raise literate children is to teach them to read, and to show them that reading is a pleasurable activity. And that means, at its simplest, finding books that they enjoy, giving them access to those books, and letting them read them.

Dragons, wizards, elves and trolls are part and parcel of fantasy literature, something in high demand at local libraries this summer as kids are encouraged to relax with a good book, as noted by the summer reading club discussed in this week’s issue.

Reading – exploring new ideas, concepts and even new worlds – is the pre-eminent way to foster literacy, not only in words but in understanding the world around us.

Any kind of book or other written material that sends us down that road is a good thing.

Literacy is a strong determinant of future success. Given the changing job market and the increasing demands on employees in an information age, we need better skills. Still a shocking 42 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 16 and 65 have low literacy skills. Fewer than 20 per cent of people with the lowest literacy skills are employed, but impoverished adults often do not have the literacy skills required to get into job training programs.

They may need literacy skills upgrading before they can succeed in training programs, but only about five to 10 per cent of eligible adults enroll in programs.

Clearly, the best time to instill reading and comprehension skills is at a young age. That’s where programs that encourage reading come into play.

It’s nothing but deficiencies, repairs, maintenance, a pile of studies -- and spending of tax money -- as the region tinkers at the edges.

WORLD VIEW / GWYNNE DYER

Election takes aim at Pakistan’s corrupt, all-powerful military WORLD AFFAIRS “Look, we have no other choice,” Pakistan’s former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, said last May. “These games have gone on too long. Something has to change.” Then he left to be with his wife Kulsoom, who is on life support while receiving treatment for cancer in England. But last week he and his daughter Maryam returned to Pakistan to begin serving the jail sentences imposed on them by a Pakistani court.

Why did he do that? He may never see Kulsoom again, and the Pakistani military would not have tried to get him back if he stayed in exile. The family has plenty of money (including four luxury apartments on Park Lane, one of London’s grandest streets), and he could have enjoyed a comfortable retirement far from Pakistan’s brutal politics.

He went home, and Maryam went with him, to serve jail sentences of ten and seven years respectively, because his party, the

Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), could still win the national election on Wednesday. Or at least it could win enough seats to form a coalition government with the other antimilitary party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The PPP is led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 29-year-old son and grandson of former prime ministers. His mother, Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a terrorist attack that may have been orchestrated by elements in Pakistan’s all-powerful military, and his grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was hanged by one of Pakistan’s military dictators. He does not love the army.

The PPP will come third in the election, behind both Nawaz Sharif’s party and the pro-military party led by former star international cricket player Imran Khan, because its support is largely confined to the province of Sindh and the rural poor. But if the PMLN and the PPP together win more seats in parliament than Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), they might be able to form a coalition government that

could face down the army.

Nawaz Sharif cannot run for parliament from jail, but his brother Shahbaz Sharif, currently leading the PML-N, certainly would become prime minister– and Nawaz Sharif’s conviction would probably then be overturned on appeal.

To lodge an appeal, however, he must first show up and go to jail, so there he sits (at least for the moment).

He would stand a good chance of winning an appeal if the military didn’t intervene, because the case against him is weak. It is preposterous and shameful that around a thousand rich Pakistani families, most of them in effect semi-feudal land-owners, dominate the politics of a country of nearly 200 million people at both national and local levels, but it is not illegal.

Most of those families keep much of their wealth abroad, and as many as half own an expensive house or apartment in London. Nawaz Sharif’s family used a company in Panama to manage their overseas properties, and all the details were disclosed

with the publication of the Panama Papers.

The case against Nawaz Sharif and his children, probably constructed by the military, charged him with owning assets beyond his income. An anticorruption court that was probably under heavy military pressure removed him from the prime-ministership last year and another court then sentenced him to prison. But it’s not a safe conviction.

When a reporter from Pakistan’s biggest TV news channel, Geo, dug up information in March that suggested the grounds on which Nawaz had been removed as prime minister were “extremely weak,” its cable distributors cut it off, almost certainly under military pressure.

In May, the country’s oldest and most influential newspaper, Dawn, published an interview with Nawaz in which he questioned the army’s wisdom in “allowing” Pakistani militants to go to India and kill 150 people in Mumbai in 2008. Dawn’s distribution was immediately susDYER | 8

COMMENT | 7

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

THEIR VIEW / QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Are you following politics at all, or taking a break for the summer?

»»Brittany Albrecht

»»Jeremy Anderson

»»Omer Duqeh

“I’d say taking a permanent break.”

“Yes, I’m excited to see what the Green Party brings to Guelph, and Ontario with their first MPP in Parliament.”

“Only reason I’d tune into politics is when I feel “I voted and then that was it.” there’s a potential for my pension to be affected.”

»»Stephanie Bauman

»»Jocelyn Raben “I’ll be taking a break this summer.”

“Nothing less is at stake in this election than peace in the Indian subcontinent ...” Gwynne Dyer | 6 HIS VIEW / STEVE KANNON

Oligarchies controlling polical systems a problem well beyond Russia EDITOR'S NOTES Russian. Oligarchs.

Long before the election of Donald Trump and the resultant Russia-gate brouhaha and last week’s fiasco in Helsinki, the rape-andpillage approach to wealth generation was the defining feature of post-Soviet Russia.

A handful of people became billionaires by essentially stealing formerly public assets – taken from the pages of the privatization handbook espoused by some in the West – and currying favour with the Kremlin, particularly one wily ex-KGB agent. That’s why sanctions for the likes of the occupation of Crimea, election tampering and poisoning of critics on foreign soil are often applied to the oligarchs seen as close to Putin. There are seven prime oligarchs, with a worth of about $30 billion, who have business ties to state-controlled sectors, notably oil and gas, natural resources and

banking.

The group wields enormous power, political and financial, that extends beyond the borders of Russia ... and well beyond vanity projects/money laundering of buying up sports teams and prime real estate. That extends to meddling in the U.S. election – and in other countries – despite what the U.S. president has to say about the matter, when not reading from a script.

In that way, the Kremlin and Russian oligarchs are no different than the U.S., though the latter has a much longer history and a much larger net in often illegally interfering in the elections and affairs of other countries. History is full of American election tampering, including in Russia itself, most notably in financing the goings-on of the Yeltsin years. When the tampering hasn’t provided the required outcome, the U.S. has not been above assassination and coups, as can be seen in cases from Chile to Guatemala, Cuba to Nicaragua, the Philippines to Vietnam.

Moreover, the U.S. is much more oligarchic,

HOW TO REACH US

tus quo bias built into the US political system, even when fairly large majorities of Americans favour policy change, they generally do not get it.”

Democracy in the U.S. really started to die in earnest with a spate of deregulation and, particularly, with court decisions that made corporations “persons” and then later conflated money with speech, opening the floodgates for corporate dollars to buy politicians outright, regardless of political stripe. Led by Trump, the Republicans provide little in the way of credibility, especially on the economic front – the Tea Party contingent continues the fantasyland created by Ronald Reagan and embraced ever since. The Democrats offer a smidge more sanity, but both parties have long been bought by a handful of oligarchs and corporate interests.

It’s this very corporatism that has eroded the middle class, subverted democracy, fostered inequality, stolen billions of dollars and led to an unproductive economy where money and

power is increasingly held by a small minority.

“Americans do enjoy many features central to democratic governance, such as regular elections, freedom of speech and association and a widespread (if still contested) franchise. But we believe that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organisations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America’s claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened,” note Gilens and Page.

The burgeoning middle class, equitable society and philosophy of the common good that developed in the postwar years were a testament to the values of those who came through war, financial excess, Depression and another great war: they were eager to do away with the scourges of the past and to create a better society for themselves and, more pressingly for their children. The next three decades saw that happen.

The last three have seen that steadily eroded by the rise of corporatism, including its wholesale purchase

of the political system, particularly in the U.S., an undemocratic trend that is being reflected here as well.

That richest 10 per cent of Canadian families are getting richer. They enjoyed a 30-per-cent earnings increase compared to a generation ago, the only group to experience such gains. This is creating a new phenomenon in income distribution in Canada: the rich are breaking away from the rest of society, in a way not seen since such information began to be collected four decades ago.

Essentially, we’re spending more time at work, but 80 per cent of us are getting a smaller share of Canada’s economy, in good times and in bad. Only the richest 20 per cent are experiencing gains, and most of those gains are concentrated in the top 10 per cent. For many of the rest of us, personal debt grows as we try to maintain our standard of living.

The corporatist situation isn’t as pronounced here, KANNON | 8

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though much less visibly so – it doesn’t hurt to own much of the media that refrains from using “American oligarchs” even while freely doing so for the Russian counterparts.

That the U.S. is dominated by a rich, powerful elite comes as no surprise to anyone paying attention. The reality of that was quantified in a 2014 study

by Princeton University Prof. Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof. Benjamin Page, who set out by the numbers how government dances to the tune of a small minority of wealthy people and corporations.

“Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while average citizens and massbased interest groups have little or no independent influence,” they write.

“When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites and/or with organised interests, they generally lose. Moreover, because of the strong sta-

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8 | COMMENT

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

THE MONITOR

VERBATIM

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

Canadians should aim to consume 1,500 mg of sodium per day; if they go over that amount, to limit their consumption to no more than 2,300 mg per day. Some 58% of all Canadians, and 72% of children between the ages of 4 and 13 are consuming more than the recommended limits of sodium. Males have much higher intakes of sodium than females; almost all males between the ages of 14 and 30 consume more than 2300 mg of sodium daily.

“Privatization of Hydro One is a waste. It was a bad Liberal plan that’s now a bad Ford plan. It’s a deal that helps backroom insiders and big banks, and hurts people. It’s not a plan for the people. It’s a plan for the rich. How can the premier justify Hydro One privatization that adds billions to the deficit?”

The vacant former Winterbourne Public School will hear the familiar sounds of school children again this fall. The building was purchased for $550,000 by Foundation Christian School of Waterloo Region (FCSWR) from the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) July 24 for the purpose of opening a nondenominational Christian school.

»»Health Canada

»»NDP Finance critic John Vanthof demands to know why Ford is supporting the

»»From the July 29, 2006 edition of The Observer

privatization of Hydro One after a report from the Financial Accountability Officer showed the plan will add billions more to hydro bills and the deficit

DYER: Military determined

NATIONAL VIEW

to hang on to its privileges

FROM | 6

pended across large parts of urban Pakistan that are controlled by the army’s real estate giant, the Defence Housing Authority.

The rest of Pakistan’s media, once lively, are now thoroughly cowed: they did not even report on these events. Some 17,000 activists of the PML-N are facing criminal cases for breaking unspecified election rules.

But unless the army directly interferes with the votecounting – which would certainly trigger mass protests – Nawaz Sharif may still end up back in power.

As Nawaz remarked, “There was a time when we used to say (the army is) a state within a state. Now it’s a state above the state.”

This election is really about whether the army keeps that power over civilian politicians, and also holds on to the vast business

empire that guarantees its senior officers a prosperous retirement.

To justify its privileged position the army needs a big military threat, so it supports various militant groups to maintain a guerrilla war in Afghanistan and a permanent military confrontation with India.

Whereas every civilian politician who has gained a firm hold on power has tried to normalise Pakistan’s relationship with India – and several (including Nawaz himself in 1999) have been overthrown by the army for daring to try.

Nothing less is at stake in this election than peace in the Indian subcontinent and Pakistan’s release from the burden of an over-powerful military (which might at last allow it to match India’s high economic growth rate). And it is even possible that the anti-military parties could win.

KANNON: Corporate influence a problem long before Trump FROM | 7

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equitable than is the case today. Deregulation killed that. New regulations controlling the excesses of the financial sector are needed to put us back on track.

The same goes for removing corporate influence in the political system, which extends much deeper than the cybermeddling of Russia-gate.

That’s the real story that needs telling, even if there are many partisan ears unwilling to hear the truth, let alone acknowledge it.

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nor are the politics as divisive, but we’re on the same path. We need both the economic and democratic reform critics of the status quo advocate.

Those who argue that regulation only hinders capitalism – often the same people who wrongly equate capitalism with democracy – miss the point of a so-called free market.

The idea of a free-market economy is to let the mar-

ket decide what will be made and in what quantity, rather than the central planning of the communist system, for instance.

It doesn’t, however, mean free from regulation. How many people would argue that business should be “free” to use slaves or child labour? That was once the case in the West, but has been regulated out of the mix.

Once we’ve established that the market is an artificial construct that we’ve

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THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

SPORTS NOT SO GREAT OUTDOORSMAN / STEVE GALEA

CYCLING / CLOSED CIRCUIT

A weekend all about speed in pair of Cycle Waterloo races Hawkesville’s Scott Brubacher part of an international field taking part in events Friday, Saturday VERONICA REINER

The Cycle Waterloo race in Victoria Park drew some 4,000 people last year. The event runs again Friday. mated 4,000 spectators and cyclists participating.

“I would say that if you’re sending a message out, that these types of races are very fun to watch,” said Brubacher. “Because it’s a criterium race (multiple laps around a closed circuit), it’s a completely different style of racing on a short circuit loop. It’s in the one city block in Victoria Park on Friday night. So you can stand in one spot, and there are cyclists going past you almost all the time. It’s very exciting to watch. It’s absolutely thrilling.”

The second event is at the 2nd annual Fieldstone Criterium of Cambridge, with the first race beginning at 12

p.m. This is the second year in a row for the Cambridge event, which brought in approximately 2,000 attendees in 2017. Both events are nationally sanctioned.

It is the only so-called crit race in Ontario that is on the national calendar.

“It’s like Formula One racing,” said Ellis. “So they come around every minute and twenty seconds. So you see the riders all the time.

They come by the startfinish line, and so that’s how you get good crowds; you see a lot of people coming through the start-finish line all the time. And it’s fast – they’ll go 70 kilometres an hour.”

Cyclists will be a mix of

[SUBMITTED]

professional and amateur, with the layout of the day increasing in intensity.

“The amateur races kind of lead up to the two pro events,” explained Ellis.

“The pro women’s race goes off at 5:40 in both locations and 7:15 for the men’s pro race in both locations. So that’s why we try to have it inclusive from amateurs and pros. And we have great support from both cities.”

Racers must be somewhat experienced in cycling to participate in these events, according to Ellis.

“Even though they’re amateur riders racing in the event, those guys are still licensed riders, and they’ve been riding other

OPEN COUNTRY THE OTHER DAY I got a call from a young angler who wanted to know if I knew a good taxidermist. It was a joke, of course.

Typically, my social circles do not include taxidermists – not because my fish are too small, but rather because their standards are too high.

For instance, the 20inch pike that this young fellow sent a photo of, weighed about two pounds.

And, while it was a trophy to him, he would have probably been talked out of a mount had he visited any respectable taxidermy shop in the province.

That’s understandable since taxidermists, if my understanding is correct, often charge by the inch.

And, in fairness to them too, a 20-inch pike is fairly common.

This got me thinking that there is real money to be made in what I call microtaxidermy. This is, as far as I know, an unexplored part of the taxidermy trade – in which a taxidermist would mount things that your regular taxidermist might laugh at and turn away.

The fish I typically catch being a prime example.

If the anglers I fish with GALEA | 10

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A PAIR OF CYCLE Waterloo races Friday and Saturday will see riders from around the world take closed-circuit courses in Kitchener and Cambridge, part of the organization’s “Speed Weekend.”

“These cyclists competing in the event are from all over the world,” said Waterloo Cycle’s Blake Ellis. “Last year we had Australia, UK, all over the U.S. The lady that won last year in Kitchener was from Vancouver.

And the guy that won on Saturday was from Vancouver. We have people from all over the place – we just had a gentleman register from Austin, Texas.”

Cyclists will race in a 1.3-kilometre loop in both events. They are aiming to win the $1,500 prize for first place. This year, Cycle Waterloo is giving out a total of $26,000 in prize money and rewards.

One rider who won’t be making a long trek is Hawkesville’s Scott Brubacher, who’s looking forward to the races.

“In comparison to the Hawkesville cycling event in mid-June, you race at a much higher intensity and speed,” said Brubacher, who will be participating at both locations this year.

The first event will take place at Kitchener’s Victoria Park on July 27 at 1 p.m. This particular event has been a tradition for the past five years, with an esti-

events throughout Ontario or wherever they are from,” said Ellis. “So it can’t be someone that just rides down the street, just show up and register. Last year in the pro race we had 70 cyclists. If it was just some guy off the street, it could be pretty dangerous. It’s not only the pro guys, but you also look at some of the other guys, and they’re extremely strong cyclists. So that’s why we try to keep it just to the licensed riders.”

While not just anybody can compete, Cycle Waterloo invites everyone to observe.

“We encourage everybody just to come down and watch,” said Ellis. “Especially the kids. Because that’s how we get kids on a bike. When they come and watch an event like that, they get so excited about it. The first year we did it in downtown Kitchener on King Street, and we were tearing it down. And kids were riding around the big waterfront, ice pad kind of thing outside of city hall. They were sprinting around it as a group of kids.

And it was just so fun to watch these kids that were probably about 10 do that after the races. It’s just fun to have kids down there watching. We have music going; we have announcers going all the time announcing what’s going on with all the riders. It’s a great family atmosphere.”

More details are online at www.cyclewaterloo.ca.

Taking taxidermy to new frontiers

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10 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

GALEA: Making even smaller fish the stuff of lasting memories would widen the taxidermy market FROM | 9

are any indication, this would serve a huge market.

Suddenly, you are opening up taxidermy options to the casual fisherman.

Additionally, it would most likely revitalize taxidermy as a decorating tool.

With micro-taxidermy, for instance, you could finally find a place for mounted fish and game in a small studio apartment, in your car or even on the lid of your ball cap.

There are other reasons why I think this might take off too – juxtaposition being one of them.

Imagine you got a 10-inch pike mounted. Clearly, this in itself doesn’t look impressive. Maybe not, but suddenly the 10-inch smallmouth bass you put beside it would look like a giant – with the right photographic angle and nothing in the photo to provide scale, I mean.

I know, taxidermists

make their money charging by the inch and this might not be lucrative.

I don’t know anything about their business but I’d suggest, in this case they might do very well relying on volume instead.

It works for dollars stores and bakeries.

Think of it this way, the average person might never catch a 24-inch smallmouth bass, but I guarantee, they’ll catch three 8-inchers almost

every fishing trip. And, if those were affordable, I could surprise Jenn with the new kitchen cupboard handles I’ve always dreamt of giving her.

My point, I suppose, is that this is uncharted territory as far as taxidermy goes. The whole idea so far has been to mount huge, gaudy, ostentatious specimens of fish and game – but, as you might have surmised by the lack of taxidermy in most resi-

dences, high-end restaurants, doctor’s offices, government buildings, subway platforms, hospitals and churches, this is not working out too well.

As I have proved, time and time again, there are far more little fish than big ones. And those poor fish have to wait years before they are immortalized on our walls – which is not exactly fair to them either.

Yet, all that can change if just one taxidermist de-

cides to buy a magnifying lamp and start specializing in small fish. This could revitalize the whole profession and allow guys like me to place a whole lot more taxidermy in the basement in that special room that Jenn says is off limits to polite company.

Whether this is or isn’t done is up to the taxidermists. I’m just putting it out there, and they can agree or tell me to get stuffed.

Wolfpack U13 girls to play at Ontario Cup quarter-finals From SWORSA league, Woolwich girls’ soccer team is now vying for province-wide title FAISAL ALI It’s been the summer of soccer here in the townships, and not just because of the World Cup. While France and Croatia were battling it on the international arena, closer to home, the Woolwich Wolfpack U13 girls were barreling through the leagues and tournaments and rising to the top.

And after a stellar season on the playing field, the girls team are now heading to the Ontario Cup quarter finals two weeks from now.

From a pool of over 30 teams from across the province, the Wolfpack have persevered to the top eight.

“They’re a great group of girls that play hard, play strong, and they get along really well,” said Sudo Kraja, the team manager.

“They not very selfish... they’re not worried about scoring. They obviously want to win and they’re very competitive. But some of them would rather just give a great assist than actually put the ball in the net,” he added with a laugh.

“It’s actually really, really interesting to watch.”

There was some initial disappointments, says Kraja, as the highly competitive team was placed in a league below their skill level – at the less competitive L5 level instead of the L3 league.

“It’s disheartening a little bit, because there’s a little more competition in the L3 than in the L5. So it’s a little disheartening, but we just keep playing,” he says.

They made sure to play fairly and with good sportsmanship, he adds, but over the regular season, the Wolfpack still won every game they played and placed first in their league by a wide margin.

“But then what we do to keep these girls competitive and on the edge, we sign up for big tournaments,” explained Kraja, like the 2018 Canton Cup in Michigan.

The team even tied for first in Buffalo.

The U13 girls even qualified to play at the Ottawa Champions Showcase next weekend, despite the tournament only being open to L3 teams and higher. Kraja explains that the Wolfpack team was actually given an exemption to enter the Showcase, even though

they were only technically a L5 team, because their track record.

“I showed [the showcase president] our résumé of what we’ve done, where we’ve played and our accomplishments. And the president, he allowed us.

He said, ‘Fine guys, I’m good with that. I know these tournaments, I know them very well.’ He knew about Canton, he knew about Buffalo, he knew about all the tournaments that we did in the past year

and how well we’ve done, so they allowed us.”

The showcase is reportedly considered one of the most competitive tournaments in Canada, and even invites the attention of university and college teams from all over.

“So we have the showcase coming up. A lot of scouts from the States are going to be there,” said Kraja. “We’re not looking for scouts.

We just want to play well.

We want the girls to have that competition, have the

confidence, and just build some character within these girls.”

So despite the setback of being placed in a lower league, the U13 Wolfpack have more than been able to prove themselves and stay strong over the season.

And that experience will surely come in handy as the team heads into the Ontario Cup quarter-finals. The Cup is open to teams of all leagues, meaning the Woolpack will have to rely only on skill and grit to reach

the top.

“Right now we have upcoming the Ontario Cup, which we’ve gone through, and we’re playing Barrie Blue. And we hear they’re a very competitive team and a very strong team, so we’re looking forward to that,” said Kraja.

The Ottawa Showcase is being held next long weekend, from August 4 to 6.

The week after, the girls will be heading to the Ontario Cup quarter-final game on August 11.

The Woolwich Wolfpack U13 girls were playing visitors from neighbouring Fergus at the Lions Park in Elmira Tuesday. The game was only a warm-up, however, for the coming Ottawa Showcase next weekend, and the Ontario Cup quarter-finals the week after that. [FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER]

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VENTURE | 11

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

VENTURE FOOD FOR THOUGHT/ OWEN ROBERTS

AGRICULTURE / ADVICE FOR STARTUPS

Group publishes guide for prospective new farmers

Countries take new measures to counter food imports FIELD NOTES

The Young Agrarians Ontario Land Access Guide aims to help new farmers find creative ways to succeed. Farmland is now priced at more than $10,000 an acre in Ontario. [VERONICA REINER / THE OBSERVER]

National Farmers Union of Ontario look to help young people get into an increasingly difficult industry VERONICA REINER The National Farmers Union of Ontario has published the Young Agrarians Ontario Land Access Guide to help new farmers find creative ways to succeed in the increasingly difficult industry. It was based on the original land access guide out in British Columbia, and adapted for accuracy and context in the province of Ontario.

“Land prices have risen exponentially in Ontario,” explained Ayla Fenton, an NFU-O board member.

“Especially in southern Ontario, has some of the highest farmland prices in Canada. I think the average for Ontario is now over $10,000 an acre. In some other parts of Ontario, like Middlesex, London area, it’s like $16,000 an acre right now. When you look at the prices of commodity crops, or even higher value crops like vegetables, it’s extraordinarily difficult to pay a mortgage on those type of land prices by just

growing food.”

The price of farmland has skyrocketed for a variety of reasons. Expanding cities and developments, limited supply, as well as foreign interest in farmlands have dramatically increased the prices over time. This guide will be particularly useful for those who come from an urban background looking to succeed in the industry.

“Economics of farming in general – we’ve been having a deepening farm crisis over the past 50 years that makes it very difficult for farmers to earn a living,” said Fenton.

“For people who have not been able to access land through their families, like one thing we’ve been finding is that more and more farmers are coming from non-farm backgrounds and trying to get into it.

For those people, it’s very difficult to purchase land.

Especially given that to learn to farm, most of these people are working on farms earning mini-

mum wage on a seasonal basis for many years, and it’s very difficult for them to get a mortgage, let alone save the capital required for say, a half-milliondollar farm.”

The inspiration for this guide came from the costly prices of the land, as well as the success of the Young Agrarians BC Land Access Guide.

“So we wanted to have a guide that would have some creative ideas and be a tool that young farmers could use,” added Sarah Bakker, regional office administrator at NFUO. “So a lot of farmers are leasing land or working with a partner or having other creative means for accessing this land. But they don’t necessarily have a lawyer that they use on a regular basis. So we have these templates that they can use for their circumstances. We

always do recommend professional advice. It gives new farmers a leg up when they’re looking to access land.”

The document is very detailed, being 103 pages in length. It encourages readers to think critically about their approach to farming: whether they are going to

try a new product, or direct marketing. It touches briefly on the pros

and cons of different farm business structures. It provides tips for assessing land for farming, as well as negotiating tips for a landowner.

Fenton predicts that the price of farmland will only continue to increase, although this is debatable.

“I’m sure it will continue to increase, and that’s what the projections are from everyone I’ve heard from,” said Fenton.

“Academics and groups like Farm Credit Canada do an annual farmland values report. So that’s what the $10,000 average is based on. The Farm Credit Canada’s farmland values report. They do an annual report, and every year from the past, as long as I’ve ever looked at it, it’s always been increasing. In recent years, the rate of increase has been accelerating.”

Lawyers Burgandy Dunn and Rizwan Khan have legally reviewed the guide.

Anyone interested in accessing it can visit www.nfuontario.ca.

The Netherlands, with its moderate climate, may seem like an odd place to grow heatloving soybeans.

But just a few decades ago, that’s what people said about Ontario, too – and soybeans have become the province’s major field crop, expected to top three million acres this year.

That’s thanks mainly to research, from our very region. Back in the 1960s, budding farmer Peter Hannam of Guelph was a student in the Ontario Agricultural College, where his plant science professor told him soybeans would never be grown as far north as Ontario.

Never say never!

Hannam took that as a personal challenge.

Through the 1970s and 1980s, he went on to lead research efforts in shortseason, high-yielding soybeans, started his own company with a group of other farmers called First Line Seeds, and basically revolutionized crop production in Ontario in a very brief time.

Some people will point to climate change as a driving factor in soybeans’ popularity. But Hannam and his group were active in the industry developing new varieties for Ontario well in advance of the current talk about climate change.

Ontario’s level of soybean acreage is not in the cards for The Netherlands.

But a group of about 90 producers who think soybeans have potential in rotation with potatoes are growing 475 hectares of ROBERTS | 12

12 | VENTURE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

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ROBERTS: Adapting soybeans to Holland FROM | 11

conventional, non-GMO varieties this season.

On a recent media tour, agricultural journalists (including me) visited a soybean field that – despite a significant drought in Europe – appeared healthy, productive and enjoying the unusually high temperatures there.

Behind it all is the co-op Royal Agrifirm. The company started promoting soybeans back in 2013, with just nine growers and 30 hectares of land. Now it offers four different varieties to farmers, expanding its catalogue from soybeans that were early maturing to those now that are high yielding, up to 4,400 kg. per hectare. Farmers in three more regions are planning to grow soybeans next year.

“Farmers say the crop is stronger than summer wheat or other crops,” says soybean project manager

Henk Vermeer of Agrifirm.

“They’re very curious about it. Most of them have never seen it, so we teach them about it. I believe soy has the potential to be of solid value in Dutch cultivation plans.”

More than three-quarters of the production is going to a company called Alpro for soy-based beverages and plant-based food.

The rest goes for livestock feed.

Dutch soybeans are lucrative, selling for about 500 Euros per ton. But to no one’s surprise, the crop is experiencing some growing pains.

For example, a fungal disease called sclerotinia, in areas where potato production is intense, affects soybeans in the Netherlands. Some growers there experienced lodging (marked by plant stalks collapsing in the field) from rain, following a drought there. Even within

fields, there were large differences in the colour and condition of the beans.

But producers are being patient. Soybeans fix their own nitrogen, which is a huge plus for farmers in any country – but particularly in a European country like the Netherlands, where the ecological footprint of any crop is closely watched and where nitrogen use is a sensitive topic.

Plus, the fact the Dutch soybeans are non-GMO strikes a chord with consumers. And getting homegrown soy lessens their dependence on imports.

As U.S. President Donald Trump strikes up global trade wars with everyone within swinging distance, it’s understandable why countries want to move towards food sovereignty and develop their homegrown sector.

Watch for more imaginative ways that research will trump politics.

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Chung Oh’s School of Tae Kwon Do offers up classes at the Wellesley Community Centre on Mondays and Thursdays. The junior session (6-12) takes place 6-7 p.m. and the teens and adults session takes place 6:45-8 p.m. [VERONICA REINER / THE OBSERVER]

RURAL CONNECTIONS | 13

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

RURAL CONNECTIONS RESEARCH / IN THE GARDEN

Producing local flowers to meet floral flavours food trend FLOWERS DON’T USUALLY SPRING to mind when Ontarians think of locally grown food, but that could soon be changing.

Professional chefs have been using them for years and now researchers at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) have teamed up with Freeman Herbs of Beamsville to look into what consumers prefer when it comes to edible flowers.

“Edible flowers are used primarily as a garnish, mostly commonly in salads, but also in ravioli, sushi or baked goods,” says Dr. Alexandra Grygorczyk, consumer insights research scientist at Vineland.

“There are different flowereating traditions in different cultures, but it is becoming more mainstream as the foodie culture becomes more popular.”

Grygorczyk led consumer preference research into edible garden plants like strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries several years ago that also included options for edible flowers. More than a third of respondents indicated they would prefer buying edible flowers for their garden over more traditional plants like strawberries and raspberries.

This led to the partner-

An edible version of pansies are part of the research being done at the Vineland facility into a growing part of foodie culture. ship with Freeman Herbs and production trials of some 25 types of edible flowers to screen out those that don’t have right growing criteria, such as taking too long to flower, not producing enough blossoms, or not having a compact enough shape. The ideal edible flower varieties are compact, easy to grow and consistent, according to Grygorczyk.

Ten plants were selected for further evaluation by Vineland’s trained sensory panel and more than 200

consumers from the Greater Toronto Area.

“Consumers fall into two groups when it comes to edible flowers: bold flavour fans that like strong aromas and spicy tastes and smooth texture lovers that like more subtly flavoured flowers,” explains Grygorczyk.

Nasturtium and candy pop mint are examples of strongly flavoured flowers, whereas impatiens and dianthus are milder, with smooth texture. Other edible varieties include some marigold varieties,

[SUBMITTED]

pansies and petunias. Not all flowers are edible, and consumers are encouraged not to eat plants that are grown for ornamental and not food uses.

“Sometimes consumers aren’t familiar with edible flowers so they expect them to taste fruity and floral but they are actually more like cucumbers or herbs, which is what makes them great in salads,” she adds.

Freeman Herbs is conducting more trials this year and will be releasing

several varieties in fourinch pots into the U.S. market next year, where Grygorczyk says consumers are more familiar with edible flowers, before launching in Canada.

The edible flower work is supported by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs – University of Guelph partnership, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, and Freeman Herbs.

By Lilian Schaer for AgInnovation Ontario, a project of the Agri-Technology Commercialization Centre (ATCC).

Degradable clips curb greenhouse plastic use ONTARIO’S GREENHOUSE SECTOR HAS made significant advances in water, nutrient and energy technology to manage the year-round, high-efficiency production of crops like tomatoes, peppers, herbs, berries and a wide variety of green vegetables.

Yet, despite its positive environmental track record, the sector remains a high user of plastic, especially in the form of small clips that support tomato plants in the greenhouse.

Those clips are an integral part of greenhouse tomato production, but often end up in landfill because they can contain tomato vine residues.

Now, new research at the University of Guelph aims to substitute plastic clips with bio-based biodegradable ones – enabling easier composting of tomato vines and other crops at the end of their life span, reducing land-filling and lowering the greenhouse sector’s carbon footprint.

“Currently, polypropylene is the main plastic used to produce these support structures, but this is a petroleum-derived plastic that is non-renewable and non-biodegradable,” says Prof. Manjusri Misra of CLIPS | 14

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14 | RURAL CONNECTIONS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

CLIPS: Another step to reduce the waste stream coming from the agricultural industry FROM | 13

Misra’s team is addressing the problem by developing comparable supports made from plastic components that can be composted along with the plant, using bio-based, renewable materials, beginning with tomato clips.

“Our clips are made with a new biocomposite resin that combines biodegradable plastics with agricultural residues, such as soy hulls or oat hulls,” says Misra. “The resin must provide the same form and function as traditional plastic, with a competitive price.”

To date, Misra’s team has developed fully compostable resins through careful process engineering and

the University of Guelph’s biological engineering and plant agriculture departments.

“At the end of a growing season, when greenhouse crops are harvested and the plants are removed to allow for replanting for the next season, the polypropylene plastics contaminate the organic waste that is collected for composting,” she says.

Greenhouse workers separate the small plastic parts from plant waste, but according to Misra, that process is tedious and impractical, and is both physically and financially difficult for greenhouse operators to manage.

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Greenhouse tomatoes making use of the new biodegradable clips. have successfully produced tomato clip prototypes in partnership with Competitive Green Technologies in Leamington.

According to Statistics Canada, Canada produced

[SUBMITTED]

more than 276,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse tomatoes in 2016, and Ontario is the largest grower of greenhouse tomatoes in the country.

“Tomato clips seemed

like a logical place to start,” says project coinvestigator Prof. Amar Mohanty, director of the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre at the University of

Guelph and a professor in plant agriculture and engineering.

Next, Misra’s team will focus on optimizing the formulation to achieve the best balance of cost and performance in order to have a competitive and commercially successful product.

The project is supported by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs - University of Guelph Gryphon’s LAAIR program, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Competitive Green Technologies.

By Lisa McLean for AgInnovation Ontario, a project of the Agri-Technology Commercialization Centre (ATCC).

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CLASSIFIED | 15

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

CLASSIFIED HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

MULTIPLE FULL TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Dispatchers and Customer Service Reps We are currently seeking dispatchers and Customer Service Reps to join our team. These posi�ons requires someone who is energe�c, self-mo�vated, honest, and willing to learn.

• The applicant should have excellent customer service skills, problem solving and posi�ve communica�on skills are essen�al.

• Ability to mul�-task, and detail oriented • Posi�ve a�tude with the ability to handle changing deadlines • Basic computer experience is an asset • Experience in the transporta�on industry an asset

CLASSIFIED DEADLINE:

WEDNESDAYS BY 10AM HOME IMPROVEMENT

Part-time Bus Operator for Elmira Community Bus Kiwanis Transit will be operating the new community bus in Elmira for a six month pilot project starting Sept 4th, 2018. We have part-time contract positions that require a minimum F licence. Position involves travelling a fixed route in the town of Elmira only. Competitive wage.

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HELP WANTED PETRO CANADA ELMIRA Looking for part time and full time help. Apply in person to 110 Earl Martin Dr.

HELP WANTED

Full Time

FRAMING & TRIM CARPENTERS

Customer Service Representative Part Time Position At Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd. we believe in helping our customers succeed, and we pride ourselves on being the leader in customer service for the livestock feed industry.

The successful candidate will have strong communication and computer skills and excellent attention to detail. The position will be guaranteed 25+ hours per week. The candidate must be available to work a flexible schedule with a combination of days, evenings and weekends.

required for a growing construction company based in Hawkesville.

Country Lane Builders is committed to being a leader in the construction industry, always looking for continual improvement, safety, quality products & service. Experience preferred but not required.

If interested please send your resume to

We are committed to diversity and inclusion, and thank all applicants in advance.

Accommodations are available during all stages of the recruitment process.

sales@clbuilders.ca Country Lane Builders will provide accommodation during the hiring process. We would like to thank all applicants, however, only those under consideration will be contacted.

If you are interested in a rewarding work life please submit your resume via email to recruiting@wfs.ca by August 10, 2018.

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HELP WANTED NURSERY WORKERS NEEDED seasonal fulltime. Pay rate $14.00/hour. Working hours 7 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 days per week. Work includes field potting, weeding in field and containers, truck loading, digging etc. Must be willing to work in all weather conditions and weekends. No education , no experience required. Own transportation required.

Police clearance needed.

Please send resume to: West Montrose Farms Ltd., 1614 Halm Road, West Montrose, ON. N0B 2V0.

POTTER’S ASSISTANT, PART time - shop organization, sales, pottery assembly and handling.

No pottery experience necessary. Stable long-term opportunity. 519-664-2630 between 10 am - 6 pm.

FOR SALE LAWN FERTILIZER AND LAWN SEED - Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

FOR SALE MATTRESS AND BOX Spring, new, never used, still in sealed bag. Sacrifice $195.

Delivery available $35.

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CLOSING SALE AT Quilt Essentials.

Month of August. 30% off all fabrics and sewing notions. 40% off if you empty a bolt more than 2 metres. 1340 King St. N., St. Jacobs. 519-664-2060.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

HELP WANTED

is currently accep�ng resumes for: Casual AZ Truck Driver Compe��ve wages based on experience Send resumes to: HRadmin@rigarus.com or Fax # (519)669-2440 Only qualified individuals will be contacted www.rigarus.com

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IS HIRING FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITION:

IS HIRING FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS:

LONG HAUL TRUCK DRIVER

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ANNUAL EARNINGS = $70,000 TO $80,000 HOME ON WEEKENDS

For more information, you can visit our website www.horstsystems.com/careers or give us a call at 519.669.1300

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BRIDGELAND TERMINALS LIMITED

Protrans is actively seeking career minded professional AZ drivers for local tank truck carrier Bridgeland Terminals Limited. Local and long distance trips. Preference will be given to applicants with strong work ethic, who are team players and have good communication skills. The company has a great wage, benefit, bonuses and profit sharing programs. For further details;

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PHONE 519.669.5790 | TOLL FREE 1.888.966.5942 | FAX 519.669.5753 | ONLINE WWW.OBSERVERXTRA.COM

ADDRESS 20-B ARTHUR ST. N., ELMIRA, ON N3B 1Z9

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PLACING A CLASSIFIED WORD AD In person, email, phone or fax submissions are accepted during regular business hours. Deadline for Thursday publication is Wednesday by 10 a.m. All Classified ads are prepaid by cash, debit, Visa or MasterCard. Ask about Observer policies in regard to Display, Service Directory and Family Album advertising.

16 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

HELP WANTED

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

ASSEMBLY TECHNICIAN Regular responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: • Assemble all mechanical, hydraulic and electrical components of products • Test and run all product to ensure it is free of any faults or leaks • Ensure all aspects of the order are complete and meet AMI Attachments’ high standard of quality • Package all product safely and securely for shipping to the customer.

Required skills: • Detail oriented and well organized • Capable of meeting deadlines and working under pressure • Experience working with hand and power tools and calipers • A good mechanical and/or hydraulic knowledge About you: • Driven and take pride in your work • Able to work both individually and as a team • Willing to grow with an amazing company Wanting all of their employees to feel valued and respected, AMI offers a benefits program, pension plan opportunities, company uniforms and competitive wages.

If you are interested in this position, please send your resume and cover letter to becky@amiattachments.com

THE OBSERVER SPECIALIZES IN GETTING THE WORD OUT!

AMI Attachments Inc, is looking to fill the position of:

BROKERAGE

R.W. THUR REAL ESTATE LTD.

519-669-2772 45 Arthur St. S., Elmira www.thurrealestate.com

WANTED HAY & STRAW SMALL BALES OF straw in 21 bale bundles. Call now for off the field pricing. 519-501-0359.

SMALL SQUARE STRAW Bales - delivered. Also round bales.

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FARM SERVICES 5 MIL B&W Bunker Plastic, Silostop Oxygen Barrier and Gravel Bags.

Free delivery within 30 Km of Millbank if ordered before Aug 15 2018.

Call Murray Bauman 519-501-2258.

BAGGED PINE SHAVINGS Agricultural Spray Lime, 22.5kg. bag; feed grade lime, 25kg. Delivered.

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.

OAT & PEAS FOR FORAGE COVER CROPS - Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

BUYING BROKEN GOLD rings, chains, gold teeth, diamond rings, estate jewellery, Rolex, Omega Bretling wrist watches etc. Old pocket watches, rock & roll, jazz records, toys, sterling silver items, coins, paper money. gallamore@golden.net Terry at 519-242-6900, Elmira.

LUKE

Thinking of Buying or Selling call or email today!

78 GERBER MEADOW DR. WELLESLEY You won’t be disappointed with this custom built home that is tastefully decorated! Hdwd. & ceramics on main level. Main floor den/office w/walkout. Covered rear porch & concrete patio.

Some infloor heating (2 heat zones – great for utility costs!)Lovely kitchen w/walkin pantry & spacious dining area. Huge master bdrm. & 5 pc. ensuite. Partially fin. bsmt). MLS Reduced.

$629,900

11 PURPLE MARTIN COURT, ELMIRA Location! Lovely wooded lot on a quiet crescent. Spacious 4 level sidesplit offers lots of space for the growing family! Spacious master bdrm w/ensuite bath. Main flr. laundry , family room addition w/gas heatstove as well as a large liv. room. Fin. rec. room w/fireplace, bdrm/office w/lge window and 2 pc. washroom. Lots of storage!

Walkup bsmt. Enjoy the morning sun on the large front porch. Dble garage, long driveway. MLS

REDUCED

$659,900

$459,900 ELMIRA – This centrally located 3 bedroom, 2 bath

bungalow on 60x130 pool sized lot shows AAA. Situated in a mature neighbourhood, this nicely maintained, all brick home is within walking distance of all Elmira schools, Gibson Park and the Woolwich Rec. Centre.

Many updates! MLS 30650863 Call or email Wendy Taylor to view.

“You dream...We’ll work.”

Free, no obligation, opinions of value

REAL ESTATE

63 GOLF COURSE RD. CHESLEY LAKE

Bert Be Martin Re/max Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., R

TWO cottages on one lot! Custom log home ( 4 season) built in 2005. 4 bdrms. Cathedral ceiling w/exposed beams. Garage & insul shop.

Well & septic. Metal roof.Bonus open concept cottage for family or guests. L.R. kitchen, 3pc.

Bath& 2 bdrms. Steps from Chesley Lake Camp.

MLS. New Price

BROKER

Brokerage

Independently Owned and Operated

DIRECT: 519-572-2669 3 Arthur St. S. Elmira DIREC OFFICE: 519-669-5426

www.remaxsolidgold.biz

EMAIL: bert@remaxsolidgold.biz

6569 YATTON SIDEROAD 18

$839,900

YATTON – A rare find! Country setting with a 48’x30.5’ hobby barn.2,557 sq.ft.sidesplit with large rooms. Woodstove in liv.rm. Large dining room w/walkout. Main floor family room w/sliders to deck overlooking acres of wooded area (behind the property).Main flr. office & laundry.

Deep double garage + mudroom. 12’ height in unfin. bsmt. FOUR bdrms. MLS

37 BRISTOW CREEK DR. ELMIRA

HORSES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

JULIE

SHANTZ Broker of Record, HECKENDORN Broker Broker MVA Residential Res: 519.669.1068 Cell: 519.588.7562 Cell: 519.584.4400

www.peakrealestate.com

LET OUR 65+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORK FOR YOU!

Call: 519-669-5790 or Visit: www.observerxtra.com

SORREL 10 YEAR old molly mule broke to drive or ride, part draft. $2500. Please call Richard 519-222-9999.

BROKER

24hrs 519-747-0231 24hrs

BRAD MARTIN

Wendy Taylor

$499,845

SOLD

You’ll love the open concept in this 4 level backsplit with lovely Chervin kitchen w/large island.

Spacious dining area. Open concept to lower level family room w/gas fireplace and walkup to back yard with concrete patio & pergola and backing to greenspace. Two bathrooms, 4th bedroom & office/playroom. Shingles (2012) Furnace (2018) MLS

CALL FOR YOUR

FREE MARKET EVALUATION

FREE Market Evaluation $485,000.

!

EW G N TIN S LI

PLACE AN AD IN OUR CLASSIFIED SECTION TODAY!

wendy@wendytaylor1.com

Office:

$499,900

We thank everyone who applies, but only those applicants who receive an interview will be contacted.

No phone calls please.

Independently Owned and Operated

ELMIRA

ELMIRA BUNGALOW! Located close to schools, parks, Rec Centre, this home offers three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a very large covered patio, two fireplaces, large single garage, double driveway and a 71' x 150' lot. This is a one owner property. MLS. Call Bert to view.

$139,900

ELMIRA Business Opportunity! Here's a chance to be your own boss. Pizza shop in Elmira operated for 11 years by current owner. Includes chattels, fixtures and inventory. MLS. Call Bert to view.

Serving the community for 25 years!

Your referrals are appreciated!

TRADES & SERVICES

RENTALS 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT in Elmira. Quiet building, newly renovated, close to downtown. Call 519-669-5798.

RON’S DRYWALL AND Renovations. Over 35 years experience. Please call 519-496-7539 or email ron.spncr@gmail.com

REAL ESTATE

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

RESTAURANT - BAR BANQUET HALL SALE EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE, KITCHEN SALE.

Beautiful booth seating and banquettes.

High top tables. Large quantity of dishes, chafing dishes. Walk-in fridge and freezer.

True bar fridges, bar sinks, ice freezer.

Garland gas convection ovens, Garland charbroiler. Stainless prep tables. Garland 36” electric salamander, hot boxes, mobile ovens. Coin operated lockers. Storage racking. Office equipment. Mirrors. Triple sinks. Black washroom partitions. Sinks, dispensers. Beautiful bars and service counters. Maintenance equipment. Martin Pro Audio and lighting. 4'x6' staging and storage rack. Decorative lighting and more.

Open to the Public Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment 519-654-2554.

341 Marsland Dr., Waterloo

FOR SALE WALK IN COOLER 19.3" x 11' Inside 230 volt -single phase 8.5 Running Amps

WALK IN FREEZER 13'3" x 15' Inside 208 Volt - 3 phase Max amp 22.17 Compressor 16.8 amp

REFRIGERATION FOR SALE ONLY $2995 • Boxes FREE Refrigeration Value $7000 Located in Waterloo

CALL 519-654-2554

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

Milverton – Bring your family home to Milverton! This brand new two storey 1848 sq ft house will come with 9’ ceilings, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, including a master ensuite.

Constructed with high quality workmanship, located on a quiet street and backing onto woodlands, this is the perfect place to raise your active family.

Milverton offers many amenities including a beautiful rec centre with an arena, outdoor pool, sports fields and playground plus a weekly Farmers Market from June-October. This vibrant community is just waiting for you to come and be a part of it.

$449,000

ADDRESS: 3 Arthur St. S., ELMIRA DIRECT: 519-503-2753 EMAIL: leonmartin@remax.net

CLASSIFIED | 17

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

REAL ESTATE

WE ARE HERE TO HELP. GIVE US A CALL! OPEN HOUSE

Saturday July 28th, 1 - 3 pm 28 Main St W, Drayton

$560,000

Glen Allan - Step into the expansive living space and be wowed by this one of a kind residential property on a huge lot! Enjoy all the benefits that small-town living has to offer right here in Glen Allan. This fully renovated church was built in 1887 and the character has been maintained in the 12’ ceilings and deep window wells with a bright and airy feeling throughout. Fully updated in the last 10 years including a single detached garage. Only 20-25 minutes to KW. Call us today!

$374,900

Brussels - Charm & Elegance in this updated and lovingly maintained 4 bedroom Century home. Covered front porch (24x10) with original stained glass details, 10' ceilings with crown moulding, amazing woodwork, beautiful banister, build in cabinet and much more.

Custom kitchen with 2 pantries, new stainless sink & faucet and quartz countertops. Formal dining room, breakfast nook, two separate living spaces and a walk up attic with potential. Updated bathrooms and main floor laundry. Come take a look and be impressed!

$769,900

Elmira - Completely renovated 3 bedroom 3 bath side-split on desirable Oriole Parkway treed lot. Open concept featuring a stunning, modern custom kitchen with 9’x6’ island and spacious adjoining dining room with gas fireplace.

Bright family room with large windows and wood stove, master with ensuite, deck, office, rec room and extra rooms for storage. Many updates including kitchen and bathrooms by Elmira Kitchen & Bath, flooring through-out, electrical, plumbing, most trim and doors, most windows, professionally painted, insulation topped up, new garage door and much more!

NEW LISTING

Sue From

Alli Bauman

226-750-9332

519-577-6248

SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

$269,000

SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

OPEN HOUSE

allibauman17@gmail.com

suefrom17@gmail.com

Drayton - First time buyers, this property is for you! This 3 bedroom home is close to downtown Drayton, and walking distance to the school, Dr's office, grocery store and library.

Only a 35 minute commute to Waterloo. Recently updated including the flooring and newly finished sun room, new electrical panel, fresh paint throughout. Just move right in!

Elmira - Spacious Century Home - Perfect for your growing family! Large principal rooms, eat in kitchen and 4 bedrooms including a master with private balcony. High baseboards and 9ft ceilings throughout, with modern updates such as flooring and a brand new 4pc bathroom. Partially fenced private yard with fire pit and shed. Walk up from the basement to the insulated heated garage. Close to down town and the new Riverside P.S. - Call today to make this your home!

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

THANK-YOU FOR CHOOSING RE/MAX!

Saturday July 28th, 10 am - Noon 69 Church St W, Elmira

$425,000

SOLD

SELLING? CALL US FOR A FREE MARKET EVALUATION.

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

Shanna Rozema

ÂŽ

BROKER

A portion of each sale commission is donated to The Woolwich Community Services.

Bonnie

HELPING YOU IS WHAT WE DO‌

Brubacher

INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

519.500.1865 (Direct) 519.747.0231 (Office)

BROKER

Dale R. Keller Sales Representative

410 Conestogo Road, Unit 210, Waterloo, ON N2L 4E2

www.KellerSellsRealEstate.com | dale@kellersellsrealestate.com

GREEN BELT LOCATION

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

$512,000

$479,000

ELMIRA 3 spacious bedrooms, 3.5 baths with finished basement. Open concept mainfloor includes, great room, dinnette with walkout to large deck and yard, and a wonderful kitchen that offers plenty of cabinets, island and appliancesl. Double garage and driveway. MLS

ELMIRA Prime downtown location offers this attractive commercial and residential building.

Long term commercial tenant and 3 - 1 bedroom apartments on 2nd and 3rd floors. Ideal for the entry level investor. Call today for details. MLS

SPRAWLING BUNGALOW $749,900 WELLESLEY Pride in ownership is

JUST LISTED | Drayton | $589,000 Open concept all brick 3+1 bedroom bungalow with fully finished lower level with walk out and hot tub. Oversized heated double garage. Loads of storage. Great yard. Must see. MLS Call Dale.

Dyers Bay | $417,900

MATURE WOODED LOT $699,000 ELMIRA One

evident in this 3500 SQ.FT bungalow finished top to bottom. An entertainers delight offering an open concept layout, lovely eat-in kitchen with granite counters, separate dining area, walkout to the deck & private treed yard, large main floor master suite complete with ensuite & walk-in closet. The massive finished basement boasts a wet bar, games & rec room area, 3rd bedrooms & walkout to the triple car garage. MLS

2 bedroom waterfront cottage. Large lot and rustic touches. Wood burning fireplace, extensive stonework landscaping, panoramic view of Georgian Bay. Go to sleep hearing the surf on shore. Year round access on a paved road. This is a rare opportunity. Flexible closing. MLS Call Dale direct.

of Elmira's preferred locations on a tree lined boulevard.

Welcoming foyer with an open staircase view to the 2nd level study area and 3 bedrooms. Fully finished basement with rec room, games room and office/gym area + 3 piece bath. Mainfloor laundry, kitchen, dining and great room. 2 tiered deck for entertaining and spacious 2 car garage. MLS

Building Lot | Tobermory | $36,000 Building lot on Dyers Bay Rd, South of Tobermory. MLS Call Dale.

For a free, no obligation, consultation on Buying or Selling, call Dale direct at 519-500-1865.

MODEL HOME NEARING COMPLETION. BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT TO VIEW TODAY!

BUNGALOW TOWN HOMES ELMIRA LOCATION FREEHOLD PRICED FROM $459,900 Built by Paradigm (Elmira) homes. 4 Interior units available. Fall/Winter closing available.

Stunning finishes throughout include hardwood & ceramic floors, gas fireplace, custom maple kitchen with island/breakfast, main floor master with ensuite and walk-in closet, walkout off the great room to rear yard with privacy fencing, also included is air conditioning. There are also 3 single lots remaining in the first phase. Call today for further details. EXCLUSIVE

3 SINGLE DETACHED LOTS LEFT! 90 Reynolds St, Oakville ON

ARE YOU THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING IN 2018? CALL US TODAY AND WE CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE THIS!

Prime Ariss Farm Property For Sale

949,999

$

5721 Wellington 86

ELMIRA OFFICE: 519-669-3192 | www.YourFamilyTeam.ca | 90 Earl Martin Dr., Unit 4 PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

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100% LOCAL

REALTY LTD., BROKERAGE

10.08 Acres For Sale across from Ariss Valley Golf and Country Club. 2 Storey 3 bedroom/ 2 bath brick home with beautiful wood banisters, pocket doors, open eat-in kitchen, formal dining room complete with back second staircase. Barn has been cleaned out and is a clean slate awaiting your personal touch, newer outbuilding/ garage beside the barn perfect for storing farm equipment. MLS# 30669152 For more information or to make an appointment to see this property please call 905-334-6789 jennifer@foresthilloakville.com | www.jenniferhomes.ca Mobile: 905-334-6789 Office: 905-338-0909

18 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

THOMPSON’S

Diesel & Auto Repairs Inc.

519-669-8459

20A Arthur St. N Elmira ON

“Mechanics You Can Trust”

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

Accredited Test & Repair Facility

519-669-4400 30 ORIOLE PKWY. E., ELMIRA www.thompsonsauto.ca

(Formerly The Kids Diesel Shop)

TIRE

WHERE TIRES ARE A

SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDE LINE.

RESIDENTIAL & AGRICULTURAL

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

John Schaefer Painting FREE ESTIMATES

Driveways • Sidewalks • Curbs • Patios Finished Floors • Retaining Walls • Steps Decorative/Stamped and Coloured Concrete

Interior/exterior Painting, Wallpapering & Plaster | drywall Repairs

www.marwilconcrete.ca

519-503-6033 (CELL)

35 Howard Ave., Elmira

519-577-0370

519-669-3232

519-669-2251

36 Hampton St., Elmira

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

ST. JACOBS

GLASS SYSTEMS INC. 1553 King St. N., St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0

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

“25 years in Business”

BIKE SALES & REPAIRS PROFESSIONAL BIKE MECHANIC ON STAFF SEE US FOR

Window & Screen

REPAIRS 22 Church St. W., Elmira

TEL:

519-669-5537

519-664-1202 / 519-778-6104

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

• • • •

Stamped Coloured Concrete Demolition Bin Service Machine Bases

Concrete Breaking & Removal

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

FAX: 519 664-2759 • 24 Hour Emergency Service

info@trappconstruction.ca www.trappconstruction.ca

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

AMOS

WINDOW FASHIONS

INC

R O O F I N G

- Design and build -

AGRICULTURAL | RESIDENTIAL FRAMING • ROOFING RENOVATIONS • EAVESTROUGHS

Wayne Martin | 519-504-2016 darwayconstruction@icloud.com | Alma, ON

Free in-home Consultations.

Call someone you can trust.

• 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

Brands You Can Trust

CALL JAYME FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE.

519.501.2405 | 519.698.2114

22 Church St. W., Elmira

Tel: 519-669-5537 or 1-844-866-5537 STORE HOURS: M-F: 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5

In Business since 1973 • Fully Insured

homewindowfashions.ca

• Residential • Commercial • Industrial Randy Weber

ECRA/ESA Licence # 7000605

www.rwelectricltd.com 18 Kingfisher Dr., Elmira | 519.669.1462

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

Steve Co.

Plumbing and Maintenance Inc.

Visit our website

www.biobobs.com or call today!

519-648-3004

or

800-232-6396

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL

For all your Plumbing Needs.

Save you

by Elite or Mera

In home consultations Wide selection of styles & fabrics

24 HOUR SERVICE Steve Jacobi

Blinds

The Right Window Treatment Can

1011 Industrial Crescent St. Clements | 519-699-5411 www.LetUsFloorYou.ca

ELMIRA

519-669-3652

E

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

Work with our design team to create your dream kitchen with poular brands Blanco, Maxx and Mirolan CUSTOM CABINETRY MADE IN CANADA TO FIT EVERY BUDGET CASH AND CARRY OR INSTALLED BY PROFESSIONALS 22 Church St. W., Elmira

Evenings By Appointment

GENERAL SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

HOME COMFOR LMIRA T

FREE

INSTALLATION When you buy 3 or more

NEW KITCHEN DESIGN CENTRE

519-669-5537 STORE HOURS: M-F 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 10-5

OUTDOOR SERVICES Since 1998

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

(519) 669-4600

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

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

Residential & Commercial Sales, Service & Installation FURNACES | AIR CONDITIONERS | WATER HEATERS FIREPLACES | AIR FILTRATION | HUMIDIFIERS HRVʼS | BBQ LINES | GAS PIPING

CONESTOGO

CALL 519-206-0336

BOOK APPOINTMENTS ONLINE

www.koebelhcm.com

Various sizes & rates

CLEAN • DRY • SECURE Call

519-669-4964

100 SOUTH FIELD DRIVE, ELMIRA

•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

CLASSIFIED | 19

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

FAMILY ALBUM ADVERTISE

Doggonit, everyone loves a birthday!

Surprise your loved ones with a notice in The Observer.

Book an ad online or by calling 519-669-5790

GRADUATION

Tim and Val Melitzer proudly announce their daughter Alissa (Ally) Melitzer has graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Master of Arts degree in Intercultural German Studies.

Ally is following her dreams and now resides in Germany and has accepted a position with Finance in Motion,Frankfurt, a company that focuses on investment projects promoting environmental sustainability in developing countries. Well done Ally! With love from your family.

OBITUARY

OBITUARY

Martin, J. David

Shantz, Sarah (nee Knarr)

Peacefully passed away on Thursday, July 19, 2018 at Grand River Hospital, at the age of 80 years. David, of Conestogo, was the beloved husband and best friend of Marion (Benninger) Martin for 60 years. Dear father of Cheryl Martin-Dodgson of London, David W.P. and Lucie Martin of St. Albert, Alberta, Paul-Michael Martin of Chalk River, Quinn J. Martin and Michelle Miller of Winterbourne, and Heidi and Andriy Shtovba of Monkton. Lovingly remembered by his grandchildren Victoria and Emma-Leigh Martin; Conrad and Nicole Martin; Bruce and Rachel Martin; Damian, Rama, and Alisha Shtovba, and his great-grandson Jace Martin. Brother of Ann Waugh and Bertha and Tony Plein. Predeceased by his parents William and Susannah (Kraemer) Martin, brother Odell, and sisters Esther Waugh and Lena Belbeck. At David’s request cremation has taken place. A memorial visitation for relatives and friends was held on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 from 10 a.m. until the memorial mass at 11 a.m. at St. Teresa of Avila RC Church, 19 Flamingo Dr., Elmira. In lieu of flowers, donations to The War Amps or St. Teresa’s Building Fund would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

GARAGE SALE

Elmira’s Gore Park was filled with music fans July 22 to take in the Nelson Family Bluegrass band. This weekend, the Sunday Concert Series features Lance Russwurm.

[VERONICA REINER / THE OBSERVER]

FRI. JULY 27, 3-7 p.m., Sat. July 28, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.; 83 Northside Dr., St. Jacobs.

Baby and household items and more. Weather permitting.

PRINTING SERVICES

COMING EVENTS SUMMER ACTIVITIES PROGRAM/ CAMP Sponsored by Paradise & District Lions Club, St. Clements Community Centre, July 23 through August 10, ages 4-12.

Registration & Information: infostclements.ca/Activities/ Summercamp.

Peacefully passed away on Thursday, July 19, 2018 at Derbecker’s Heritage House, St. Jacobs, at the age of 103 years. Beloved wife of the late Lorne W. Shantz (1993). Lovingly remembered by her nieces and nephews. Sarah was the last surviving member of her family having been predeceased by her parents Allan and Mary (Bauman) Knarr, sisters Elizabeth Brubacher and Lovina Martin, and brothers Norman and Noah Knarr. The family received relatives and friends on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 from 1 p.m. until the funeral service time at 2 p.m. at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira. A reception followed. Interment took place at Calvary United Cemetery, St. Jacobs. As expressions of sympathy, donations to Mennonite Central Committee would be appreciated.

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

FIND IT TODAY! IN THE OBSERVER CLASSIFIEDS

DEATH NOTICES JANTZI, SARAH (NEE Kuepfer) Passed away peacefully in her home on Monday, July 23, 2018 at the age of 91 years.

MARTIN, J. DAVID - Peacefully passed away on Thursday, July 19, 2018 at Grand River Hospital, at the age of 80 years, of Conestogo.

SCHUURMANS, BETTINA (NÉE Portena) - My loving wife, our mother, daughter, sister, and sister-in-law; passed away suddenly following a tragic accident. Born in Holland February 12, 1963 † Elmira July 9, 2018 Elmira.

SHANTZ, SARAH (NEE Knarr) - Peacefully passed away on Thursday, July 19, 2018 at Derbecker’s Heritage House, St. Jacobs, at the age of 103 years.

20 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

LIVING HERE ACCOLADES / PEER RECOGNITION

It’s official, she’s outstanding in her field Elmira’s Ellen Sparry receives the Honorary Life Award from the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association VERONICA REINER HER LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO agriculture has earned Elmira’s Ellen Sparry the Honorary Life Award from the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association.

Sparry, the general manager at C&M Seeds in Palmerston, was recognized for her contributions to the Canadian certified seed industry.

“I felt very excited and surprised, for sure,” said Sparry of the accomplishment. “One never anticipates that kind of thing.

It was a great honour.

Humbling, excited and surprised – all about in that order. I guess part of it is gratifying to know the goals that I’ve had for my life of hopefully improving the seed industry and improving varieties for growers. The award confirms hopefully that that’s what I’ve done, I suppose.”

Sparry’s interest in agriculture sparked from a very young age, being born and raised on a corn farm in Fergus. She pursued her passion in farming into adulthood by attending the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph. After graduating, Sparry worked at King Agro in Listowel as a cereal research technician. She worked other roles, including senior research technician followed by assistant breeder.

She eventually joined C&M Seeds in 1994 as a genetics manager, leading the company’s genetics

Crop development has been a lifelong passion for Elmira’s Ellen Sparry, with her efforts to make advances in the field being recognized with the Honorary Life Award from CSGA. and research program.

She was appointed general manager of the company in June 2015. She is also involved in other agricultural-related groups, including the Ontario Cereal Crop Committee, the Wheat Technical Committee and the Canadian Seed Trade Association, in addition to the CSGA. “Ellen has been working for C&M Seeds for a very long time,” said Carolina Lafontaine, managing director at CSGA. “She has been really good at pro-

moting the use of certified seed in agriculture. And so she was a really clear candidate. She’s produced videos as well with us explaining how certified seed can improve different baking products. So she’s been very gracious with her time in terms of helping us spread messages.”

Sparry was not expecting to win the award.

“You don’t really plan when you’re doing your job that you’re going to get an award,” she said. “This sort of makes me feel like I’m

doing the right thing when it comes to improving the seed industry.”

The Honorary Life Award has been a tradition of the association since 1931. It was presented in Montreal at the organization’s 114th annual meeting. This year, there were five award-winners. They can be either in the producers or industry stakeholders. In Sparry’s case, she is considered an industry stakeholder.

Recipients are chosen not only for their contribu-

We would like to welcome Justin, our newest addition to the team. We are proud to congratulate him on his second year apprenticeship. Thank you for the positive and hard working attitude you have brought to the business Justin!

-Leroy’s Auto Care Team

[VERONICA REINER / THE OBSERVER]

tion to the organization, but also to the seed industry as a whole.

“The recipients are nominated first by our provincial branches – there are branches of our association across the country,” explained Lafontaine.

“And they will first nominate to the national office, somebody they feel is deserving. They nominate both people who are producers and then industry stakeholders that have not only contributed to our organization but to the seed

industry at large. And then once that’s nominated to our national board, the national board then reviews those nominations and makes a selection based on who they feel are the best candidates.”

The CSGA is a non-profit organization that aims to advance the seed industry.

It is the only Canadian organization to monitor and certify pedigreed seeds for all agricultural crops in Canada except for potatoes. For more information, visit www.seedgrowers.ca.

Two locations in Elmira to serve you better

20 Oriole Parkway E. | 47 Industrial Drive

Tel: (519) 669-1082

www.leroysautocare.net

Accredited Test & Repair Facility

LIVING HERE | 21

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

Vacuum Sales,

“A GOOD JOB DONE EVERY TIME”

Kleensweep Carpet Care

Repairs Service Se

Rugs and Upholstery

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COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR

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Truck & Trailer Maintenance Cardlock Fuel Management

COMMERCIAL 24 CARDLOCK FUEL DEPOT HOUR

E-MAIL: ads@woolwichobserver.com

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JULY 29

AUGUST 5

AUGUST 19

ELMIRA SUNDAY CONCERT SERIES. Free at Gore Park, Elmira 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring a lawn chair. Lance Russwurm performing.

ELMIRA SUNDAY CONCERT SERIES. Free at Gore Park, Elmira 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy.

Fred Lewis & Riding High performing.

ELMIRA SUNDAY CONCERT SERIES. Free at Gore Park, Elmira 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring a lawn chair. U Turn performing.

GOSPEL ECHOES SUMMER SING at Snider Park, St. Jacobs. Starts at 2:30 p.m. Rain locations is Northside Baptist Church. Come hear Harvest Team and Cross Connections. Bring your lawn chairs.

There will be a free-will offering for Prison Ministry.

HOOTNANNY ON THE GRASS at The Manse, 55 Church St. East, Elora from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Music by: No Name Band, Hayes Family, John and Friends.

Bring your own lawn chairs! Free-will offering. Rain location at Knox Church.

AUGUST 26

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SEPTEMBER 7

21 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.2884 | martinselmira.com

SUBMIT AN EVENT The Events Calendar is reserved for non-profit local community events that are offered free to the public.

Placement is not guaranteed.

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

Education and Treatment

Your First Step to Better Hearing

observerxtra.com/event-list/

519-669-9919 charlene@bauerhearing.com 25 Industrial Drive, Elmira

P.O. BOX 247, ELMIRA

SUBMIT AN EVENT The Events Calendar is reserved for non-profit local community events that are offered free to the

www.mgmill.com

Tuesday - Friday, 9am-5:30pm

HOLD THE LINE FESTIVAL at Fertile Grounds Farm, 1560 Carmel-Koch Road, St. Agatha. Join us for cycling, music, local food, craft beverages, & camping. For more information visit www.holdthelinewr.org.

ELMIRA SUNDAY CONCERT SERIES. Free at Gore Park, Elmira 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy Gerald Davidson perform.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO EASILY SUBMIT YOUR EVENT

www.elmiravacuumelectrical.ca

FINAL PERFORMANCE OF THE Elmira Sunday Concert Series. Free at Gore Park, Elmira 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring a lawn chair. Rick Loucks & Southbound performing.

AUGUST 12

100% LOCAL

9 Church St. E., Elmira

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

24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

TOTAL

NANCY KOEBEL

HOME ENERGY SYSTEMS

Bus: 519.744.5433

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

Home: 519.747.4388

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

YOUR OIL, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS AND AIR CONDITIONING EXPERTS

RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, LIFs and Annuities.

652 Waterbury Lane, Waterloo

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One of North America’s BEST model railways

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11 HENRY ST. - UNIT 9, ST. JACOBS

SHARON GINGRICH 519.291.6763

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Hours: SAT 10AM to 5PM, SUN 12 Noon to 5PM Follow our yellow signs on King St.

psgingrich@hotmail.ca

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

PLACES OF FAITH | A DIRECTORY OF LOCAL HOUSES OF WORSHIP

9:30 am: Worship

St. James Lutheran Church

SANYO CANADIAN

MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

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

NURSERY PROVIDED

SUNDAY SCHOOL

HEARING ASSISTED

Sunday, July 29th

Pastor: Hans J.W. Borch Proclaiming Christ through Love and Service

33 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.1591

10:45 am

Transformed Speaker: Ron Seabrooke

Discovering God Together

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

Service at 10:30am Rev. Paul Snow 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)

Elmira Mennonite Church

Zion Mennonite Fellowship

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10:00am

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Sunday Worship Services

Fred Lichti preaching

47 Arthur St., S. Elmira • 519-669-3153 zionmenno.com

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

Emmanuel

REACH OUT.

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REACH OUT Spread the word, advertise your service here every week.

22 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

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

Gassing up takes on a different meaning for at least one species of mammal WEIRD NOTES

Q. Looking at the really big picture, we are all part of the lucky 1% on Earth. How so?

A. We are the 1% of species not yet extinct, answers Gemma Tarlach in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Discoverâ&#x20AC;? magazine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the last 3.5 billion or so years, about 99% of the estimated four billion species that ever evolved are no longer around.â&#x20AC;? Based on data from fossil records, researchers have identified five mass extinctions, defined as the loss of at least 75% of species during each event. Multiple

calamities, including ocean acidification and spikes in land temperatures, might be involved. However, the actual catalysts are sometimes unclear, though one usual suspect is large-scale volcanic activity spread across an entire region.

In fact, volcanic activity in Siberia was likely the catalyst for the third and mightiest of mass extinctions some 250 million years ago, when about 96% of species died off. Yet despite all the destruction, adds Tarlach, one upside is that ecological hierarchies are toppled and â&#x20AC;&#x153;in that vacuum, surviving species often thrive, exploding in diversity and territory.â&#x20AC;?

For instance, the fifth extinction some 65.5 million years ago saw the demise

of the dinosaurs, opening newly vacated ecological niches to quickly adaptive mammals.

Now, most scientists believe we are in the midst of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sixth extinctionâ&#x20AC;? brought on by human activity. As famed paleontologist Richard Leakey observed over 20 years ago, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Homo sapiens might not only be the agent of the sixth extinction but also risk being one of its victims.â&#x20AC;?

Q. Dogs, gorillas, horses, hyenas, sloths, giraffes, whales, herrings and snakes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; just one of these mammals does not fart.

Do you know which one?

A. Sloths donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it, answers Steve Mirsky in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scientific Americanâ&#x20AC;? magazine. Though their

might not expect, the researchers say. What might that be?

gut flora produce plenty of methane, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it is absorbed through the gut and into the bloodstream before being breathed out, say zoologist Dana Rabaiotti and ecologist Nick Caruso in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Does It Fart: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence.â&#x20AC;?

In fact, almost all mammals fart. A list of the noes include sea anemones, sea cucumbers, Portuguese man-of-war, goldfish, octopuses, soft-shelled clams and the 10,000 species of birds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nevertheless, parrot owners have reported what sound like loud expulsions coming from their birds.â&#x20AC;?

But, Mirsky concludes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;keep in mind that parrots are excellent mimics.â&#x20AC;?

Q. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a name, you ask? Something you

A. Respect. When they

looked at some 4,500 online reviews by college students rating their professors in five disciplines at 17 universities, they uncovered some gender disparity, reports â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scienceâ&#x20AC;? magazine.

The students were â&#x20AC;&#x153;56% more likely to refer to male professors than female professors by their last name alone, and that form of address may confer greater respect.â&#x20AC;?

Computer science showed the greatest difference, with male professors being referred to only by surnames 48% of the time, compared with 18% for female professors (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Proceedings of the National Acad-

emy of Sciencesâ&#x20AC;?).

In related studies, Cornell Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stav Atir and Melissa Ferguson found that men garnered more surname-only recognition in other contexts, such as talk-show pundits discussing politicians. It appears that people regard scientists mentioned by last name alone as more famous and eminent than those mentioned by full name. As the authors conclude, â&#x20AC;&#x153;women may be short-changed on professional benefits such as research funding based on nothing more than how people utter their names.â&#x20AC;?

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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Joy Luck Clubâ&#x20AC;? author 4. Throwaway band 11. Garbage 16. Clod chopper 17. One that arouses 18. First: Prefix 19. Friar Laurence to Romeo 21. Ward off 22. Son of Ramses I 23. Fourposter, e.g.

24. Beat it 25. Sees the invisible space 31. Serving as guardian and protector 34. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rocky ___â&#x20AC;?

35. Half eats 36. Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest air carrier 37. Victorian, for one 38. Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t smell this at all 41. Howard Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bugs 44. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fancy that!â&#x20AC;?

45. Ancient colonnade 46. Our â&#x20AC;&#x153;motherâ&#x20AC;?

48. Smoke and fog 52. Thompson of Howard the Duck fame

55. Firm decision 58. Over 62. Elephantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weight, maybe 63. Marienbad, for one 64. Compete 65. Amscrayed 66. Most shiny with greed 68. Seafood entree 72. Natural fibre with strength for noble attire 73. Made the Kessel run in 12 parsecs solo 74. Attired 78. Spread 79. Solâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s domain 83. Beside 84. Adjust the currency 85. Nod, maybe 86. As the lion _____ the antelope, says Frankenstein 87. Two long foot 88. O, rly?

DOWN 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get ___!â&#x20AC;?

2. Bang-up 3. Alt net

4. Long-jawed fish 5. ___ of a diver 6. ___ v. Wade 7. Transport child 8. Black ink item 9. Crystal-lined rock 10. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To ___ is human ...â&#x20AC;?

11. This is itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own opposite 12. Swiss capital 13. Neglected, overlooked 14. One fate 15. Eireann spade 20. Corkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s country 24. Existence 26. On the safe side, at sea 27. Dash about 28. About to explode 29. Fabrication 30. Police, Fire, Ambulance 31. Blackens 32. Condo, e.g.

33. ___ Bell 38. Murderous mermaid 39. Be-boppers 40. â&#x20AC;&#x153;___ we forgetâ&#x20AC;?

42. Garnish no more 43. Drape for choli 47. Monopoly purchase

49. ___-en-scène 50. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My bad!â&#x20AC;?

51. Buzzing pest 53. Wages 54. Banded stone 56. Brick paste 57. Annul 58. Eggs 59. Cyano 60. Greenware 61. Armenian medieval ruined city 66. Vegetarian Hindu merchant 67. Creep 69. Change, as the Constitution 70. Aviary sound 71. Artillery burst 75. Polandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Walesa 76. Jack-in-the-pulpit, e.g.

77. Adjudge 78. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This means ___!â&#x20AC;?

79. Life-threatening kidney condition 80. Aged, like cheddar 81. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So ___ me!â&#x20AC;?

82. ___ Dee River

SUDOKU CHALLENGE

ATTENTION:

WORLD TRAVELLERS Bring your Observer, snap a pic with it when on vacation, send to the Observer and get published in a future edition.

SUBMIT PHOTOS ONLINE: www.ObserverXtra.com/travel/submit-observer-abroad

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

LIVING HERE | 23

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

A chance to go under the sea and stay perfectly dry Favourite characters come to life as Drayton Entertainment stages The Little Mermaid at St. Jacobs Country Playhouse VERONICA REINER THIS AREA ISN’T ANYWHERE near the ocean, but theatregoers can go under the sea courtesy of Drayton Entertainment’s The Little Mermaid, now on stage at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse.

The show, which opened last week, saw the cast cram for three weeks to learn all things mermaid before staging the fantasy musical that will run through the rest of the summer.

Jessica Gallant takes on the lead role of Ariel. An actor for almost a decade, she’s no stranger to the stage with previous characters such as Anne in Anne of Green Gables, Marty in Grease, and Ali in Mamma Mia. This production marks her debut with Drayton Entertainment.

“It was a very, very quick process,” explained Gallant of the rehearsal period.

“Because we have to get it up on its feet, and you have to learn all the music, and all of the dances, and memorize your lines, and

It’s under the sea on dry land for the cast of The Little Mermaid, now on stage at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse. then you have to get on the stage and do the tech, the lighting, the sets, and then you have to get into your costumes and do all of that together, so it’s like a lot in three weeks. But we managed to do it, and we have a great show.”

Other actors include Al Braatz as Prince Eric, Kelly Holiff as Ursula, and Kevin Aichele as King Triton. Set under the sea, attendees can expect the play to be relatively similar to the plot of the animated 1989

Disney film, with a few new songs and plot twists.

“I thought it was decent,” said Erica Roy, a Cambridge resident who attended the play. “A great starter show for my threeyear-old daughter. The idea of the play was similar to the movie, but there were a few new songs and some twists in the plot that were totally different than what the movie portrays. The twists weren’t bad; they were just different.”

Songs featured in the

[SUBMITTED]

musical from the movie include Part of Your World, Kiss the Girl, and Oscarwinning Best Original Song, Under the Sea. “There’s a lot of songs, a lot of familiar songs that people will know, but there’s also some brand new songs that Alan Menken wrote just for the live stage musical,” added Gallant. “The end of the musical is different from the movie, just since it’s on stage, but I think people can expect the same char-

acters and things like the ‘dinglehoppers’ and ‘snarfblats’ from the movie.”

The plot is based on the Danish fairytale of the same name written by Hans Christian Andersen.

For those who may need a refresher, the story of The Little Mermaid revolves around Ariel, a young mermaid who is fascinated by life on the land. When she falls for a human, Prince Eric, her determination to be on land only grows stronger. Against the wishes of her father, King Triton, she makes a deal with a witch, Ursula, to make it happen.

She is aided by a colourful group of underwater friends, including a stern Caribbean crab, Sebastian, her faithful fish sidekick, Flounder, and a goofy seagull, Scuttle.

“What’s so wonderful about theatre is you can create a full setting of where you are,” explained Gallant, of portraying the underwater scenes. “So when we’re underwater, there’s lots of seaweed, and we have the costumes such as the fish and everything. We’re not

really doing a literal swimming type of look which is awesome because we kind of already established as under the sea.”

The show is in St. Jacobs until August 4, after which it transfers to the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend – much closer to the beach – from August 9 to September 2.

“Twenty-nine years after the original film was released, Disney’s The Little Mermaid continues to capture the hearts of children and parents alike,” said Alex Mustakas, artistic director of Drayton Entertainment. “Summer is the perfect time for families to escape the heat and enjoy this blockbuster musical together.”

The Drayton Entertainment production of The Little Mermaid runs through August 4 at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse.

Tickets are $46 for adults; $27 for youth under 20 years of age, available at the theatre, online at www.draytonentertainment.com or by calling the box office at (519) 747-7788, toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).

“PROUDLY REMEMBERING OUR PAST; CONFIDENTLY EMBRACING OUR FUTURE.”

Community Help shape happy and healthy communities Information in Waterloo Page Region!

P.O. Box 158

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

Phone:

519-669-1647 or 877-969-0094 Fax: 519-669-1820

After Hours Emergency:

519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca

Help shape happy and healthy communities in Waterloo Region!

Your voice matters! We have been inviting residents in Woolwich Township to participate in the Waterloo Region Community Wellbeing Survey. This survey is being administered by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) based at the University of Waterloo on behalf of 16 partner organizations across the Region. This survey will help us understand the current health and wellbeing of people in Waterloo Region so we can work together to focus on local actions that will improve quality of life for everyone.

If you have already completed the survey – thank you! If not, we want to ensure that as many residents as possible have the opportunity to complete this anonymous survey. Just 30 minutes of time is needed to complete the survey. The survey includes questions about your day-to-day life, health, education, employment, safety, leisure, and recreation experiences, as well as what you think about living, working, and playing in the Waterloo Region. By sharing your experiences and what matters to you, you help to shape life in Waterloo region, determine our community priorities and indicate where you think change is needed the most in the Township and across the Region.

Take the survey today at www.CIW.ca/WaterlooRegionSurvey. The survey link will be available until August 3, 2018.

24 | BACK PAGE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

YOUNG READERS: Summer club events FROM | 3

and try again. Some kids have been out here since we opened at 10, determined to get it right.”

“There are different levels of science and technology that are brought in,” added Krueger-Kischak.

“They may not even realize that they’re learning.

We’re there to prompt them and ask questions and help with some of that learning.

But it’s a pretty fun way to learn.”

Other reading club activities include a Star Wars-themed event during March Break, a face painter, a scavenger hunt, water stations, and a live singer. In addition to themed events, there are workshops available for all ages.

“We also have some special workshops,” said Krueger-Kischak. “They’re all free. Kids can come – there’s different ages, some for babies and their families, some for school-age kids as well. Where we’re trying out stuff with technology, we’re doing some activities with magnets, doing activities with art and printmaking, we also did stop-motion videos. So that kind of stuff.”

SUMMER SALES!

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Other programs include Explorers Unite, where families come in together and explore different interactive activities. They also have their summer passport contest.

“We’re encouraging anyone who’s interested to grab a passport from the library and then visit our ten branches,” explained Krueger-Kischak. “And

then we have four pop up locations as well. Just to get people out to see what the library looks like across the region. Every time they get a stamp, they’re part of the contest; they’re entered for draws and things like that.”

Anyone interested in learning more information can visit www.tdsummerreadingclub.ca.

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