November 11, 2021

AD SPOT - NON PRINTING

NEED WINTER TIRES?

371 Arthur St. S., ELMIRA, ON

519-669-3232

WE’VE GOT YOUR TIRES!

Ontario's #1 Weekly Community Newspaper

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

This Weekend Friday

90 Saturday

50 Sunday

Elmira, Ontario, Canada | observerxtra.com | Volume 26 | Issue 45

Living Here | 21

40

Premier Doug Ford (middle) and economic development Minister Vic Fedeli (left) visited RTS Companies in St. Clements on Tuesday afternoon.

Justine Fraser

Premier tours local businesses, announces $2.2 million in funding Justine Fraser Observer Staff

FOUR BUSINESSES IN THE REGION will share in $2.2 million of new provincial funding, with Premier Doug Ford visiting some of the recipients Tuesday. He was at RTS Companies in St. Clements, and Minister of Economic Development

Vic Fedeli announced the funding during an earlier stop at Huron Digital Pathology in St. Jacobs.

The two other recipients are Delta Elevator in Kitchener and Blendtek Ingredients of Cambridge.

The funding comes via the province’s Regional Development Program, with the province’s share

We Are Buying!

SERVING THE REGION SINCE 1991!

supporting some $20.5 million in expansion projects planned by the four businesses. The money is expected to help create 85 jobs and retain 233 others.

“Through the Regional Development Program, our government is making targeted investments in local manufacturers to help them create good,

local jobs,” said Fedeli in release. “These projects are making a significant impact in communities and economies across Waterloo Region by helping to secure private-sector investments to create conditions for long-term economic growth and build an economy that makes Ontario the best

Premier Doug Ford

place in the world to do business, work and raise a

family.”

In St. Clements, Ford got a tour of RTS Companies’ new 15,000-squarefoot facility, which will be home to locally made personal protective equipment. Through the construction of the new facility up to 12 local jobs are expected to be → FORD 2

Gold Bars & Coins Silver Bars & Coins Gold Jewellery SilverJewellery Silver Cutlery & Plates AD SPOT - NON PRINTING

Old Coins

Mint Products

Paper Money

991 Victoria Street North Kitchener, ON N2B 3C7 | www.colonialacres.com | 519-579-9302 | Mon-Fri: 9:30-4:30

Watches Free In-Store Appraisals

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

2 | COMMUNITY NEWS

New survey attempts to quantify pandemic’s impact on Ontario families Justine Fraser Observer Staff

THERE’S NO FACET OF FAMILY life that hasn’t been disrupted by the pandemic, so it’s no surprise it’s been a stressful period. Now, there are some numbers to show the extent of the issue.

Mental health issues are top of mind, with a new report showing 69 per cent of parents experienced significant depressive symptoms within the

seven days preceding the survey, 38 per cent reported moderate to severe levels of anxiety and 40 per cent reported an increase in alcohol intake.

The survey was carried out by the Offord Centre for Child Studies and McMaster University, with more than 10,000 Ontario parents taking part. Andrea Gonzalez, a professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences, was the research lead.

“We asked more specific questions about how children were doing, and we asked caregivers to randomly choose a target child if they had two or more children in the household. Almost 40 per cent of caregivers indicated that COVID-19 had a negative impact on emotional health and 16 per cent indicated it had a negative impact on their child’s physical health. They gave us some indication of how the children were actually

doing,” she said.

Parents reported significant difficulties with concentration, restless sleep, effort, and motivation. As many parents or caregivers had to work a full-time job from home while suddenly becoming a teacher to their children, it brought on many challenges.

“We had already been in the pandemic for over a year. Parents, in particular caregivers, had been through a lot. We had more

lockdowns in school and remote learning days than any other province in the country,” said Gonzalez.

“A lot of our respondents were employed and a lot of the messages that came out of the written responses when we asked about how COVID had impacted them, a lot of it was about the challenges in juggling – having to work from home and having one or more children to look after. I think people were just really,

really burnt out.”

The survey showed that isolation and time away from school and friends had the greatest negative impact on children. Close to 16 per cent indicated a decline in their child’s physical health, while 7.5 per cent reported a positive impact on their child’s physical health.

“Over 50 per cent had indicated that they had gained weight since COVID had started. We → SURVEY 4

The former Elmira pool on Ernst Street has been disappearing over the last couple of weeks, making room for a condo development on the site.

FORD: Province provides funding to help local companies expand →FROM 1

created. The sustainably made disinfectant wipes are mainly used at retail locations.

“Strengthening Waterloo Region’s economic growth by investing in business expansion and job creation is a priority for this provincial government,” said Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris.

“Today’s announcement is welcome news, especially in Woolwich and Wellesley townships, and demonstrates our commitment to both supporting our community’s urban and rural manufacturers.”

Ford later made another stop in Cambridge, where Blendtek is expecting to create 21 jobs through its

expansion project. The company creates and ships ingredients for the food, pharma and industrial sectors.

“At Blendtek, we’re driven by our mission to fuel innovation in food and have made a conscious decision to support the ‘Made in Ontario’ movement,” said Steve Zinger, president of Blendtek Fine Ingredients Inc. in a statement. “Our participation in the Regional Development Program will support the construction and expansion of our new processing facility in Cambridge leading to job creation and purposeful investment into our food product research and development initiatives.”

Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris, Premier Doug Ford, economic development Minister Vic Fedeli and Kitchener South-Hespeler MPP Amy Fee were at RTS Companies in St. Clements on Tuesday afternoon. Justine Fraser

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021 | 3

Page Three

If it matters to you.

It matters to us.

News tips are always welcome.

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com

Hospice funding boost

From the archives

The province this week announced $750,000 to help Hospice Waterloo Region and Innisfree House continue to provide compassionate end-of-life services in Waterloo Region.

The one-time funding represents a 35% increase in the province’s annual investment in both local hospices.

Woolwich will pay Kitchener $1.5 million for the sewage capacity that will allow for more development in Breslau. A new cross-border servicing agreement won tentative approval from councillors this week. The deal adds another 25% of the wastewater capacity of the Victoria Street North pumping station in Kitchener.

Online: observerxtra.com/tips

From the Nov. 12, 2015 edition of The Observer

Wellesley approves new revised kennel bylaw Steve Kannon Observer Staff

A CAP ON THE NUMBER of dogs and new standards for facilities are among the provisions of new kennel bylaw approved this week

by Wellesley council.

The goal is to improve the welfare of the animals,

says Coun. Shelley Wagner, who has spearheaded the longstanding review of the township bylaw.

The rules limit kennel operations to no more than 35 dogs, and reduces the limits for new operators. For the latter, a proposed cap of 15 was

lowered to 10 during deliberations Tuesday night via an online videoconference.

“I struggle with starting at 15. I would like to see it knocked down to 10,” said Wagner, who’s amendment passed by a 4-1 margin.

“I don’t think we’re

asking for anything outrageous,” she added of provisions in the latest draft of the bylaw.

“I think this is a really good bylaw. I think we’ve moved in the right direction,” she said. “We’ll have one of the best bylaws out there, that other municipalities will adopt,” she

said.

This week’s approval follows a protracted review that included public meetings and a range of inputs, with some people arguing the proposals were too stringent and others that they were too lenient.

The divide reflected the township’s longstanding

struggle to find a balance between farm-based operators and concerns about animal welfare.

Throughout the process, Wagner expressed concerns about the number of kennels already established in the township, including → KENNELS 4

Poppy project creators Barb Nowak, Wendy Richardson, Beth Schleuter, Dave Underwood and the Elmira Legion’s Joseph Doherty next to the finished tribute to fallen soldiers that marks the 100th anniversary of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance. Their handiwork is on display outside of the Wellesley Township administration office. Justine Fraser

Province expands list of those eligible for third does of vaccine Justine Fraser Observer Staff

WATERLOO REGION HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE ramping up for a booster-shot program in the wake of last week’s provincial announcement of expanded eligibility for a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Residents here who

meet the requirement can now make an appointment for the jab. The expanded list includes those over the age of 70, First Nations peoples, healthcare workers and designated essential caregivers, among others.

“Ontario is planning to expand eligibility for booster for all Ontarians over time. Evidence

JL’s Duke St

continues to show that a complete two-dose series provides strong protection against COVID-19 infection and severe outcomes, including against the Delta variant. Booster doses offer an additional layer of protection against the Delta variant we are seeing in our community,” said Dr. Julie Emili, associate medical officer of

health, during the region’s weekly pandemic briefing November 5.

“We as a community have made great progress to push back against the Delta variant – more than 100,000 people in our community are not yet eligible for a vaccine or have not yet been vaccinated,” she added of a list that includes those

under the age of 12. Shots will soon be available for children between the ages of 5 and 11.

“Keeping a low rate of infection in our communities and protecting our most vulnerable is how we can keep our schools, businesses and social settings as safe as possible while avoiding further lockdowns,” said provin-

4-1/2” Diamond Cutting Blades AD SPOT - NON PRINTING

building centre

1249-000

No rainchecks. No online orders. We reserve the right to limit quantities.

5 Duke St, Elmira | Call JL’s 519.669.5488 | Shop homehardware.ca

cial chief medical officer of health Kieran Moore in a statement released in conjunction with last week’s announcement of expanded third-dose eligibility. “To provide every individual the best protection while learning to live with the virus for the longterm, we are prepared to expand booster eligibility → VACCINE 4

SAVE

50%

TM

PACK OF 3

Was $19.99

9

97 Pack

and choose JL’s as your home Store.

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

4 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Region warns about increase in cases as holidays approach Justine Fraser Observer Staff

THE NUMBER OF COVID19 CASES continues to rise in Waterloo Region, raising concerns for public health officials as we head into the holiday season. Still, there are no plans to alter course at this point.

“We’ve seen some increases to cases and outbreaks, but overall trends remain stable. The increases are not unexpected with colder temperatures and more people spending time indoors,” said Dr. Julie Emili, the region’s associate medical

VACCINE: Eligible residents can sign up for a third dose →FROM 3

to all Ontarians pending clinical recommendations, with eligibility expanding this week to individuals who face a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.”

The province notes that during Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, a substantial population of eligible residents received their first and second doses at longer intervals than indicated. Longer intervals have now been shown to enhance the length of protection of the vaccine.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has since recommended an interval of eight weeks between first and second doses.

officer of health, during the weekly pandemic briefing November 5.

At midweek, the region reported 176 active cases, up from 132 a week earlier.

A total of 305 people have succumbed to the disease since the pandemic first began, one in the past week.

Officials continue to push for residents to get vaccinated, including an expanded booster-shot program. Some 91.4 per cent of residents over the age of 12 have had at least one dose of vaccine, with 88.4 per cent fully immunized. Public health officials are pushing for at least 90 per cent of residents to receive both jabs, and to continue to observe precautions.

The region has reinstated appointments for

second and third doses, with walk-ins available for first jabs. The region is also winding down its mobile vaccination bus, which made one of its last stops in Elmira on Monday. Vaccine task force lead Vickie Murray noted the number of people using the mobile clinics has been winding down with the colder weather, but redeploying the bus remains an option if needed.

“I want to encourage those eligible for a third dose to book an appointment now as we expect the clinics to get busier later in November and in December. Third doses are being offered to increase protection, prevent infection and outbreaks in vulnerable populations. It is essential to keep COVID rates low

to protect each other and also keep our schools and our community open,” said Murray.

“COVID vaccine is saving lives, we have the resources in place here in Waterloo Region to provide the vaccine to residents.”

Officials have also stepped up enforcement of public health measures, with some hefty fines levied on students in Waterloo.

“There are 10 enforcement actions to report since the last update.

Wilfrid Laurier University issued five tickets for gathering in a residence on Laurier property. City of Waterloo bylaw also issued five tickets for gathering at private residences, each of these tickets carry a fine of over $880,” said regional

KENNELS: Council seeks balance with new bylaw →FROM 3

those operated by farmers who see dog kennels as way to supplement their income. Animal welfare groups concerned about mistreatment of the dogs at such operations have long accused Wellesley of harbouring so-called puppy mills.

Wagner said the new bylaw will offer real protections for animals, dismissing social media rhetoric.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, some councillors expressed concerns that grandfathering provisions might be too restrictive.

Currently, only one breed-

ing kennel exceeds the new 35-animal limit – and on-farm operation with 63 animals – with Coun.

Carl Smit suggesting that the operator be allowed to continue given that there have been no issues to date.

Mayor Joe Nowak, however, said the operator had indicated he has no problem with the permitted five-year transition to 35 dogs.

Likewise, kennel operators will have two years to bring other aspects of their businesses, including building standards, into conformity.

Grandfathered oper-

ations that are sold or transferred would have to be brought immediately into conformity by the new owners, who would be required to go through the licensing process.

The new bylaw sets up a range of requirements, from the state of openair dog runs to a host of building code requirements and sanitary measures.

The amended bylaw ultimately passed with unanimous approval.

“We have our kennel bylaw in place, and hopefully it remains that way for quite a number of years,” said Nowak.

Join us to get vaccinated at our upcoming

R

ted

vaccina

Te a

#

Location: St. Jacobs Midwives 9 Parkside Drive Unit #3 Date: Wednesday November 17 Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Get

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic m V a c c in e W

Get

• COVID-19 infection in pregnancy increases the risk of medical complications for you and your baby.

• The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective and highly recommended for those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy.

Have questions?

Come ask our team of health care professionals

ted

No appointment needed. The Pfizer vaccine willvbe accina available for anyone born in 2009 or earlier.

Chair Karen Redman during the update.

There are currently 11 active outbreaks in the region, five in schools, four in workplaces, one in a long-term care facility and another in a post-secondary setting. The outbreak at Junior Sports Bar and Grill in Cambridge, which saw eight cases, has been declared over.

As with the region, the number of cases is spiking upward in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, with 71 active cases at midweek, up from last week’s 25. There have been 127 fatalities associated with the virus.

Public health there reports 88.5 per cent of eligible residents has received at least one dose of vaccine, with 86.1 per cent fully inoculated.

The province continues

to see growth in the total number of cases, with the tally now at 604,000, up about 3,500 in the past week.

There have been 9,903 deaths attributed to the virus – up 22 over the week before – representing a mortality rate of 1.6 per cent. The ministry reports 590,227 cases (97.7 per cent) have been resolved.

The latest numbers from Health Canada show 23,841 active cases nationwide, unchanged from a week earlier.

The cumulative total of confirmed cases now stands at 1,737,389, with 29,217 related deaths, a mortality rate of 1.7 per cent. Nationally, 88.4 per cent of eligible Canadians have received at least one dose of vaccine, with 84.3 per cent fully vaccinated.

SURVEY: Parents and children alike report mental and physical stresses →FROM 2

didn’t ask about the degree of weight gain, but still it’s more than half of our sample, which was quite large,” she added of the results.

The first-year survey done during the height of the pandemic had more than 7,000 parents or caregivers respond. This year, it was 10,778. Some 36 per cent of parents or caregivers reported that COVID-19 had a high negative impact on their child’s mental and emotional health. Only 10 per cent of parents indicated that there was a substantial positive impact on their child’s mental and emotional health.

In the survey, 60 per cent of parents indicated their children were feeling lonely and isolated from friends during the pandemic. Some positive impacts were also reported from families, with 60 per cent indicating their children were spending more time with family, 23.3 per cent had more time to relax and 15.2 per cent had more time to engage in activities they do not usually have time for, like cooking or writing.

“There were positive messages in there too, like people talking more about being in nature and people talking more about spending more time with family too. People indicated that not having to commute meant that they actually taught their children more because most of the time their kids were in before and after care, and they

had to commute, so it was just really small slices of time that they saw each other through the week.

And so, in that way, COVID was positive.”

Sixty-three per cent of parents or caregivers indicated moderate to high levels of concern about the impact COVID-19 had on their child’s education.

Some 54 per cent reported needing to multitask home and work responsibilities often to very often at the same time. Gonzalez noted that after looking over the survey and talking to parents, the most important thing caregivers can do is take care of themselves, adding that self-care fell to the wayside during the pandemic, which could also be the reason for high weight gain and alcohol consumption.

Researchers had a number of takeaways from the feedback.

“I think the biggest one we’re hearing clear again is schools should remain open. Should they close, I think there are some fundamental things that could potentially be in place, the same break time across the classes within the same school at least, having resource rooms for children who are struggling or who need extra assistance or can’t learn when there are 30 children on a screen altogether,” she said.

Plans are already in the works for a similar survey next year to help determine the full effect of the pandemic on Ontario families.

Thursday, November 11, 2021 | THE OBSERVER

COMMUNITY NEWS | 5

Unemployment rate continues to decline, some sectors experiencing hiring challenges Steve Kannon Observer Staff

THERE’S BEEN JOB GROWTH IN the region, but employers in some sectors continue to struggle with hiring, not immune from the trend.

The unemployment rate was 6.5 per cent in October, down from 7.1 per cent the month before. The number of unemployed fell by 1,800, with some 3,000 people returning to the labour market, according to the Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Region.

As well, more people are working or seeking work, with Waterloo Region hitting a 2021 participation rate high of 69.8 per cent.

Still, many employers report they’re have trouble finding workers. That’s especially true in the service sector, particularly the hospitality industry.

“We’re seeing a number of employers who are looking for workers, and there are some very big challenges that are happening at this point. I don’t think there’s an industry that isn’t hiring right now,” said Charlene Hofbauer, executive director of the Workforce Planning Board.

While employment numbers are returning to pre-pandemic levels, there are a number of differences in today’s job market, she said. Many employees are looking for more from their jobs.

“A lot of our numbers that we’re looking at,

Many employers are seeking workers in a tight labour market.

they look a lot like our pre-pandemic numbers.

We’re getting really close to where we were participation-wise, we’re getting really close to our unemployment rate. But it’s a very different labour market for job seekers and for employers because the pandemic has changed some stuff.”

Beyond an increase in wages, employees now are more concerned with working conditions and work-life balance issues, said Hofbauer.

That trend is reflected in a new survey commissioned by ADP Canada for Small Business Month that finds 46 per cent of small businesses owners and operators who say hiring in the current environment is difficult have increased wages, 27 per cent have increased benefits such as additional vacation time, and 19 per cent have introduced a shorter work week.

Any wage increases have yet to be widely reflected in the data for Canada, unlike the news coming out of the United States, where there is upward pressure on wages, large shortages in some sectors and people leaving their jobs or opting not to return, a trend known as the Great Resignation.

That’s just not the case here, says University of Waterloo economist Mikal Skuterud.

“U.S. media coverage of the U.S. economy tends to spill over to Canada, and some of those narratives are taken on by Canadians as being true for Canada. Right now, there are actually a number of developments that appear to be playing out in the U.S. that are not playing out in Canada. One of them is this evidence that we’re seeing in the U.S. of increasing wages, particularly at the lower end of the labour market

– lower-skilled jobs in the U.S. are seeing some pretty big wage gains – but there is no evidence of that in Canada,” said Skuterud.

“I have not seen yet any evidence of wage pressures anywhere in the wage distribution in Canada despite the fact that we are seeing tight labour markets, measured using the ratio of job vacancies per job seeker.”

That measure is at an historic high, though not much above the pre-pandemic level, he added, saying he prefers to refer to the issue as a tightness in the labour market rather than a labour shortage, which has a negative connotation.

In fact, that can be a good for the economy, he stressed.

“If I’m a worker seeking work in a tight labour market, I’m not a loser, I’m a big winner – that’s a good thing for me. So I would say tight labour markets can be something to celebrate, and probably should be. They do a lot of really good things: they tend to boost wages for workers, they tend to increase productivity, because employers have to find ways to use labour more efficiently.”

For workers, the market sees a boom-bust cycle, with situations such as what we’re seeing now being an opportunity to seek new jobs in other fields, do some retraining and learn new skills, for instance.

“This is all really posi-

The Region of Waterloo is winding down the mobile vaccination program, with the bus making one of its last scheduled stops Monday Justine Fraser in Elmira.

tive stuff for the economy.

In tight labour markets that are tight at the lower end for lower-skilled workers, it tends to reduce inequality,” said Skuterud.

That may mean adjustments for employers, particularly those in sectors where filling vacancies is the most difficult, including the hospitality industry.

“It will be challenging for some employers,

yes. And it will be, for some industries, a little bit more challenging,” said Hofbauer. “That’s where it’s so important to onboard people properly – once you hire them – you get them through the door – you’ve got to focus now on keeping them, and I think that where employers have the opportunity to look at how they’re doing things and do it differently.”

FEATURE ITEM: BONELESS

6.99

BEEF BLADE $ ROAST DELI-SLICED

REGULAR BOLOGNA

3.99 /lb

$

2065 Floradale Rd. Elmira, ON. Our plant is 100% Gluten Free

PHONE: 519-669-2300 TOLL FREE: 844-669-2300

/lb

Reg.$8.49/lb

Reg.$4.75 /lb

HOURS: Tuesday - Friday 8am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 3pm Sunday CLOSED

6 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Drive By Santa to make local stops again Woolwich Community Lions making plans with the big jolly man for November date Justine Fraser Observer Staff

SINCE COVID HAS MADE IT less safe for kids to visit Santa, the jolly ol’ elf is coming to them.

On November 26, Santa and his elves will once again be visiting the homes of children in Elmira, as the Drive By Santa event rolls through town. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saint Nick and his elves will be seen lighting up the town, picking up letters to Santa and handing candy out.

Created last year during the pandemic, the event gives parents and children a safe way to visit the man in red.

“We ran it last year and it was a great success.

People really loved it and wanted it again this year,” said Tanya Rempel, organizer of the event for the Woolwich Community Lions Club. “This year, we’re doing four or five routes again, and trying to hit everybody that signs up; they send me their address and how many kids, they give a small donation and then we stop by their house.”

Last year the Drive By

ↆ E L M IRA

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

Pivot Airlines begins booking flights from Breslau to Ottawa and Montreal Steve Kannon Observer Staff

Last year’s “Drive By Santa” event proved popular, and will be on again this year.

Santa event saw brought some Christmas joy to more than 400 kids in one day. After posting online about this year’s event, Rempel noted they had more than 150 signups in less than a day.

“We just posted it a couple days ago, and I’ve had at least 15 emails already. We’re prepared for 600 but it might be a bit more. What was nice last year is we even got to see elderly or people that were stuck in their house. And it’s just nice to see smiles on their faces – it’s been a rough couple years.”

B LO OD

The deadline for parents to register is November 19.

They can do so by emailing Rempel at tsrempel@ msn.com. They are asking for a $5 registration fee to help pay for the candy Santa will be giving out.

“We pretty much hit most of the town last year.

We went to the address and dropped off candy and if we see other ones along the way, we handed out candy canes. We have Santa and his elves: the elves are going to be walking behind the vehicle with protective masks on, they’re going to pick up

D ONOR

File photo

little kids’ letters to Santa.

We’re going to take the Santa letters to the post office and make sure they get off to Santa – it’s really cute,” said Rempel.

“Last year, we had the fire department help out.

They’ll be helping out again this year – that was a huge success last year with all the lights and sirens going around town. People heard the sirens and came running to the door.”

More information about the Drive By Santa event in Elmira can be found on the Woolwich Community Lions Club Facebook page.

HAVING LAST YEAR ANNOUNCED PLANS to begin service from the Region of Waterloo International Airport, Pivot Airlines is now booking flights to Ottawa and Montreal. The former will begin February 19, while the latter start March 21.

Tickets went on sale last Friday through the company’s website, with wider availability expected later this year.

“They are going to be available through the meta engines like Expedia and Travelocity and Google Flights as well – that’s probably six weeks down the road because... these things take a little bit of time,” said Brock Henderson, the airline’s vice president of operations control.

Starting in February,

Pivot will be flying twice daily to Ottawa during the workweek, adding a third flight when Montreal comes on stream as part of the loop.

“Coincident with adding Montreal, we’re going to Ottawa three times a day.

That’s for weekdays; it’s a little less for the weekend – we’re just doing a morning flight on Saturday and an evening flight on Sunday to Ottawa. We don’t really anticipate a ton of demand on the weekend,” said Henderson.

The move to begin booking flights was greeted by the region, which is currently expanding the Breslau airport to accommodate more traffic.

“We welcome Pivot Airlines to the Region of Waterloo. Many residents will benefit from this new service to Ottawa and → PIVOT 24

CL INIC

22 Church St. W Elmira

519-669-5353

Breakfast • Coffee • Soups • Sandwiches • Donuts • Muffins • Bread • Pies • Cookies Hours: Mon to Sat 6am to 5:30pm | Closed Sundays & Holidays

The Next Elmira Clinic:

at Lion’s Hall, Elmira Friday, November 19 2:30 - 7:30 pm

your supplier of feeds and pet food

1.800.265.6126 |

CLM

The Quality You Demand, the Service You Deserve.

MODULAR BUILDINGS MOVING & LEASING

Farm - Auto - Truck - Industrial and we have On-the-farm service

371 Arthur St. S. • 519-669-3232

2170 FLORADALE RD., FLORADALE • 519-669-2183

Appointments are required to ensure physical distancing.

Book online at blood.ca or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283)

Local & Long Distance Trucking Flatbeds • 53’ Stepdecks

R.R.#1 West Montrose 519-669-3388 • 1-877-711-9677

• Fabrics • Men's Wear • Ladies Coats • China • Glass Ware Mon. Closed · Tues.-Fri. 8-6 · Sat. 8-5 2192 Floradale Rd. ~ Floradale, On.

(519) 669-1381

ELECTRICAL WHOLESALE

OPEN 8am to 9pm | 7 DAYS A WEEK

ELECTRIC MOTORS | GENERATORS | AUTOMATION CONTROL

DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE Call for Details

63 Union St., Elmira • 519-669-1842

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

SANYO CANADIAN MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

33 Industrial Dr. • 519-669-1591

Bus: 519-698-9930 Res: 519-698-2213

RR #2 Wallenstein, Ontario

Thursday, November 11, 2021 | THE OBSERVER

COMMUNITY NEWS | 7

Kings split weekend games, remain in first place atop conference standings Steve Kannon Observer Staff

ELMIRA’S SIX-GAME WINNING STREAK CAME to end in Caledon last Friday night, as the Sugar Kings dropped a 4-2 decision to the Bombers. The team promptly started a new streak Sunday with a 4-1 victory over the visiting Cambridge Redhawks.

In Caledon November 5, the Kings twice lost one-goal leads on route to the loss. Elmira was on the board first, with Adam Grein’s unassisted goal the only scoring in the first period. The Bombers tied it up at 1-1 less than five minutes into the second before Luke Eurig, assisted by Grein and Aidan Yarde, regained the lead for Elmira at 10:37.

Before the period ended, however, Caledon made it 2-2. A pair of unanswered

goals 16 seconds apart in the third frame paced the Bombers to victory.

Elmira goaltender Matthew Lunghi stopped 31 of the 35 shots he faced.

The Kings put up 30 shots.

Both teams were 0-3 on the power play.

“It was one of those things where we... maybe did not have the total respect for the opponent that [we] should have,” said head coach Rob Collins of the loss to a team that’s second from the bottom in the Midwestern Conference standings.

“I think there was a little bit of ‘we’re in first place, you’re in second-last – we only need to show up.’ And it cost us the same way it cost us when we played Branford,” he added, referring to a previous loss to the last-place Bandits.

“We were much better on Sunday.”

That was certainly the case when the Cambridge Redhawks visited the Dan Snyder arena.

The Kings opening the scoring midway through the first when Jaxson Murray buried one on the power play, assisted

by Brody Leblanc and Brayden Hislop. While Cambridge got that back before the period ended, it was all Kings after the first intermission.

Luke Eurig made it 2-1 at 13:25 of the middle stanza, another power-play goal, with assists again going to Leblanc and Hislop. That’s how things stood after 40 minutes.

In the third, Liam Eveleigh, from Luke Della Croce, made it 3-1 less than three minutes in.

Murray’s second of the night, an empty-netter assisted by Eurig, sealed Cambridge’s fate.

Special teams were a

big part of Sunday’s game, with the Kings going 2-4 with the man advantage, and the penalty killers shutting down the Redhawks, who were 0-6.

Shots were 33-32 in favour of the home side, with netminder Dan Botelho picking up the win.

Collins said he was happy with the bounceback win, praising his team for getting back on track after losing some focus in Caledon.

“Win or lose, you have an opportunity to learn.

Unfortunately, we learned Friday through a loss.

The guys showed some maturity in their response Sunday with a big win against Cambridge,” said Collins.

“So I think all we take away from Friday is we burn the game tape and learn that it doesn’t matter who you play, the two points is worth the same

amounts for the wins – everyone needs to be taken with the same level of seriousness.”

Just because the Kings are in first place, that doesn’t mean any opponent can be taken lightly, he stressed.

“That’s evident in our case. We have three losses this year, and we’ve lost to the last-place team and the second last-place, so two or three losses against two of the lower teams in the standings.”

The Kings sit atop the GOJHL’s Midwestern Conference with a record of 12-3, putting up wins despite a fair bit of roster juggling due to injuries.

Call-ups were pressed into service again this weekend due to the losses of Mason Eurig, Owen O’Donnell, Jack O’Donnel, Logan Crans, Adam Grein and Jayden Lammel.

“When you have about

five or six regular guys out of your line-up, that leaves a hole. So a lot of credit has to go to the guys that have been called up for every game – we’re calling two or three guys up every single game. To have the level of team success that we’ve had with the amount of injuries and suspensions and what have you – I know we’re not the only team. I’d be hard pressed to find a team that’s missed the amount man games that we have – so for our guys to maintain that level of success with that hurdle is also a testament to them,” said Collins.

The Kings return to action this weekend, heading to Stratford Friday night to take on the second-place Warriors (11-2). They return home Sunday night for a rematch with Cambridge.

Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Trees for Woolwich online learning sessions start next week Steve Kannon Observer Staff

IT MAY BE MID-NOVEMBER, BUT Trees for Woolwich already has its sights set on the next planting season. The winter downtime provides time to plan for that.

With that in mind, and in partnership with Nature Guelph, the group launches its Zoom-based “Speaking of Trees” winter learning series November 17 with a presentation

by Kyle McLoughlin, a certified master arborist and owner of Ironwood Arboricultural Solutions.

Tree Care in the Urban Environment will focus on the common challenges of growing trees in the urban environment, including what consumers should

look for when maintaining their trees and plant health care concerns, protecting trees from construction damage, as well as touching on common soil problems, native species and pests.

Other presentations in the series include From Forester to Forensic Scientist: A Botanist’s Journey to the Dark Side with Gerard Courtin, PhD, botanist and professor emeritus at Laurentian University (January 19); Homeowner Action to Protect Water Quality with Becca Robinson, REEP healthy yards advisor (February 16); Outstanding Shrubs, with Kevin Kavanagh of South Coast Gardens (March 16); Plants of the Tall Grass Prairie presented by Graham

Buck (April 20); and The Restoration of the American Chestnut in Ontario, with Ron Casier, chair of the Canadian Chestnut Council (May 18).

It’s the second year for the series, which proved a popular online outlet for people wanting to stay engaged with the topic during winter, said Trees for Woolwich chair Inga Rinne.

“The target audience is really just anyone who’s interested in tree- and nature-related topics.

These are designed for a lay audience. Some of them will be just for information on broader topics, others will be practical tips on things that people can actually do,” she explained.

“We ran this series last

year in junction with Nature Guelph, which has had a winter speakers series for a number of years,” she added, noting the pandemic prompted a move to an online format that could reach more people. “Lots of people were at home, and to some degree are still at home – suddenly, you can reach a much greater audience on Zoom than you can in person.... So we thought we would offer these over the winter when people are stuck inside anyway, and provide people with some info from people who are experts in the field.”

Arborist Kyle McLoughlin opens the series next Wednesday. He’ll be talking about planting trees in an urban environment, with a focus

on species native to the Carolinian zone.

“I find folks get caught in trends,” he said of the choices people make when planting trees on their properties. “Oftentimes, I hear about maples – everybody wants to plant maples, maples all the time. Norway maple, sugar maples, silver maples.

What I really want to do is show people that in Ontario we have an amazing biodiversity that we can just pull from. We’ve got species that grow here that grew here long before the Europeans [came]. But when the Europeans arrived, they either removed them or just didn’t cultivate them because they were unfamiliar.”

Today, we should be making better use of hardier native species, he suggests.

“There are benefits to those trees, as far as they’re resistant to certain types of fungi, or their ability to symbiotically

interact with other fungi that are native here.”

One of his favourites is the ironwood tree, which is slow-growing and remains a manageable size.

“I feel like it’s a very Canadian tree. It’s rugged.

It’s attractive,” said McLoughlin. “It’s not the most beautiful tree in the forest, but it’s very resilient. We don’t see it a lot of yards, and I personally like it as a yard tree – as a backyard tree, as a front yard tree – because you can do a lot with an ironwood.

“I’m really big right now on sassafras as well, which is another native Carolinian tree that is really under planted. It’s edible.

It’s got edible properties to its roots, and its leaves can be eaten right off the tree – they taste like fruit loops, not an exaggeration. It’s actually what root beer used to be flavoured with. It’s a native tree, and it grows in our forests, but it’s very rarely planted.”

takeout Lunch & dinners Dinner 3:30pm-7:30pm Nov 12 & 13

Lunches 11am-4pm Nov 17-20

Turkey & Dressing or Roast Beef includes: coleslaw, rolls, mashed potatoes, vegetable & dessert

Fish or Saucy Garlic Chicken includes:

coleslaw, rolls, mashed potatoes, vegetable & dessert

Delivery available Thurs, Fri, Sat. Call for details.

CAFÉ HOURS: Tues.-Thurs. 8-4, Fri.-Sat. 8-7:30 The EDSS junior boys romped all over visiting Cameron Heights in a 36-0 win Nov. 4, while the senior boys won 19-0.

Justine Fraser

r orde pre-Quired e r

(519) 669-2142 | 2238 Floradale Rd., Floradale | www.bonnielouscafe.com

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021 | 8

Opinion

Verbatim

The Monitor

... it matters where you get your local news.

“Ending all fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks could signify that Canada is prepared to embrace the transition toward shared goals of economic, environmental, and social sustainability, justice, and fairness rather than an economy over-dependent on extraction.”

Connect: observerxtra.com/staff

Madeline Marmor, a member of a seven-farmer NFU contingent in Glasgow for the COP26 negotiations.

Some 25% of Canadians and 28% of Americans think it is too late to reverse climate change; 43% of Canadians and 34% Americans are concerned about climate change but feel things are going to get better; 50% of Canadians and 40% of Americans agree that their country has taken great strides in the fight against climate change.

When local news matters ...

Leger poll

OBSERVER EDITORIAL

Vaccine mandates make sense for healthcare workers

E

arly on in the pandemic, Premier Doug Ford said he’d follow the advice of scientists in setting policy for the province, using that rationale to support the likes of mask mandates and lockdowns.

In punting on the issue of mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers, Ford has strayed from that path, earning scorn from those very same healthcare organizations. The likes of the Canadian Medical Association and the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) have criticized Ford for his decision.

The province says a mandatory solution would end up causing some workers to quit, be suspended or fired, depleting the workforce in the field at a time when it’s already under stress.

Ford maintains that the potential loss of “tens of thousands” of workers outweighs the small number of outbreaks at Ontario’s hospitals.

“Having looked at the evidence, our government has decided to maintain its flexible approach by leaving human resourcing decisions up to individual hospitals.”

Organizations such as the region’s hospitals already have mandates in place, and won’t be reversing course, stressing the importance for maximizing patient safety. The vast majority of healthcare workers in fact support vaccine mandates.

RNAO head Doris Grinspun said she was disappointed with the government stance.

“This decision by Premier Ford is a disgrace and shows a lack of courage to do what's right for Ontario's patients and workers. To not implement a province-wide vaccination policy for all health-care workers puts the burden unfairly on employers and imposes a risk of infection on Ontarians receiving health services,” she said in a release.

A mandatory vaccination policy makes sense, as we expect such people to take all precautions when treating patients. The same goes for other frontline workers such as those in long-term care facilities.

Likewise, even those in the hospitality industry face elevated expectations as people decide if they feel safe enough returning to restaurants, bars and theatres. In that vein, we already have vaccination certification requirements that make it mandatory to be fully inoculated before we can return to a number of normal activities.

It would not have been a stretch for Ford to have gone along with mandatory vaccinations in the healthcare sector.

With public expectations admittedly low, Ford earned kudos for his actions early on in the pandemic. For the most part, he let the experts do the talking, acting in accordance with the scientific advice he was given.

Rather than make himself the center of attention, unlike some politicians in other jurisdictions, he surprised many Ontarians by being demure.

That positive image has taken a beating of late in recent months, and last week’s decision doesn’t help. It’s already being seen in some quarters as giving in to anti-vaxxers and other opponents to government mandates related to the pandemic.

That reaction’s not surprising given the very small but vocal minority.

With vaccinations on the horizon for children between the ages of 5 and 11, the province would be wise to quash any inkling of anti-vaxxer sentiment. There’s already a longstanding problem, based on lies and misinformation, of some people refusing to have their children inoculated for common childhood maladies. That’s led to a resurgence in the likes of measles, pertussis (whooping cough) and meningitis.

Being opposed to vaccinations is one thing, but many of those in the existing movement are putting their children’s health at risk by making the decisions for them. And it's not just the unvaccinated at risk. The growing number of unvaccinated people threatens what’s known as herd immunity, Given that the pandemic has dragged on for so long, most Ontarians are in no mood to humour those who would see it continue.

ANALYSIS ON CURRENT WORLD EVENTS

Winter is coming to Afghanistan

T

he first snow of the winter will reach Kabul any day now, and the death rate will start to climb: mostly children, at first, but it will not really be the cold that kills them.

The cold will only finish the work that malnutrition began months or years ago – but the other cause of their deaths will be a different kind of freeze.

Most famines are really a direct and sometimes deliberate result of war, like the current blockade of landlocked Tigray by the Ethiopian and Eritrean regimes and the blockade of Yemen by Saudi Arabia and its regional and Western allies. But it’s the end of a war that is causing acute hunger in Afghanistan.

There was a drought in Afghanistan in the last couple of years of the American occupation, so many poor Afghans were already vulnerable before the events of last summer. (It’s always the poor who go hungry or starve when food is scarce and the prices go up.) But the proximate cause of the impending famine was the chaos of the U.S. evacuation in August.

As the panic played out on American screens and the sense of humiliation mounted, the Biden administration made one thing clear. “Any Central Bank assets the Afghan government have in the United States

GWYNNE DYER

Global Outlook on World Affairs

will not be made available to the Taliban,” said an administration official on August 15 – and with that famine became inevitable.

It’s understandable that the U.S. government and U.S.-dominated institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund stopped pouring aid into Afghanistan after the Taliban took power.

That posed a big problem for the new regime, because foreign aid covered three-quarters of public spending in the country, but it was hardly a surprise.

It’s a whole different thing to freeze all Afghanistan’s own money that is deposited with American and other Western banks ($9.5 billion for the U.S. alone). It’s mostly unspent aid money that the previous regime hadn’t spent or stolen yet, but it’s still Afghan money and it now belongs to the new government of Afghanistan: the Taliban.

That’s the freeze that really matters. Afghanistan’s domestic economy has virtually collapsed, but there’s enough money in those frozen accounts to pay for imported food that

would see 40 million Afghans through the coming winter without many deaths from starvation. So why won’t the U.S. government release it?

Cynics would suggest that it’s because the United States never forgives governments and countries that successfully defy it, and point to Cuba as Exhibit Number One: a 60-year trade embargo. But cynicism is wicked. We should accept Western countries’ explanation for holding onto Afghanistan’s money at face value.

Joe Biden avoids addressing this issue himself, but State Department Ned Price said last month that these funds are among the “carrots and sticks” that the U.S. has to influence the Taliban’s conduct.

Another administration official said that “releasing the reserves is no guarantee that the Taliban will actually use it effectively to solve problems.”

And UK prime minister Boris Johnson explained that “we can’t... write a completely blank cheque to the Taliban authorities, we need to ensure that that country does not slip back into being a haven for terrorism and a narco-state.”

Who do these people think they are? It’s Afghanistan’s money, and some Afghans are already starving. What right →DYER 10

Thursday, November 11, 2021 | THE OBSERVER

OPINION | 9

What would those who fought against facism think of our democracy?

O

n Remembrance Day, we think about the sacrifices made by those who fought in the world wars that enveloped the globe in horrors unthinkable to those of us who came afterward. We remember, and we hope that we’ll never go through that again.

This year’s ceremonies also mark the 100th anniversary of the poppy as a symbol of that remembrance. The fact that the world went through a second mass war after the War to End all Wars, the adoption of peace efforts and the recognition of a symbol of the sacrifices of war tells us that we don’t always learn our lesson. On the upside, we’ve not seen something on the scale of the Second World War since that time.

That said, what would those who died in that last big conflagration, and indeed those who served in general, make of the world they’re credited with saving in the name of democracy and freedom?

I’m thinking specifically of the 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? Sound harsh? Not when you think that wars were fought to stamp out fascism, but today we’re getting more of just that.

How’s that, you say?

“Fascism should rightly be called Corporatism, as it is the merger of corporate and government power.”

Not the words of some take-it-to-the-streets activist or the myriad groups that aim to counter undue corporate

STEVE KANNON Editor's Point of View

influence in politics, but of one Benito Mussolini, written in 1935’s The Doctrine of Fascism. He’s someone who knew a thing or two about such things – as veterans of the Second World War could tell you.

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

Publisher 519-669-5790 x107

STEVE KANNON

Editor 519-669-5790 x103

JUSTINE FRASER

Reporter 519-669-5790 x101

PATRICK MERLIHAN

Print/Web Manager 519-669-5790 x105

CASSANDRA MERLIHAN

Graphic Designer 519-669-5790 x109

attempted insurrection in Washington.

“We understand the direct link between austerity, racist violence and the erosion of democratic processes.

The U.S. is bearing the fruit of decades of cruelty – breaking up unions, cutting public services and siphoning public resources and wealth into the hands of the very elite. These policies, also present in Canada, inevitably deepen racial divisions because our systems already marginalize Black, Indigenous and people of colour.

Combined with explicit scapegoating, this creates fertile ground to justify political power for white leaders while targeting state and communal violence toward racialized peoples,” writes the Council of Canadians’ Christina Warner in an analysis of the threats to

democracy in the aftermath of the attempted coup in Washington last January.

That view encapsulates the ground we’re on today after decades of rolling back the gains of the great prosperity that followed the Second World War – the economic boom that came as production shifted from wartime needs to consumer goods, jobs were plentiful and suburban homeownership blossomed.

Some of that prosperity was a natural result of an expanded economy, one that grew in part due to the expansion of the workforce to include underrepresented groups, particularly women. And some of it was due to the corporate types attempting to counter the growing support for socialism in the immediate postwar era: plenty of jobs, good

As the years pass, it becomes more important for those of us who weren't there to take up the task of remembrance.

Founded in 1996.

JOE MERLIHAN

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 has become increasingly prevalent.

Canada has been spared some of the economic impacts seen south of the border and elsewhere, but that’s nothing the current government can take credit for. We’ve been sheltered by the fact previous governments refused to go along with the kind of deregulation we see in the States.

Canada is also a more tolerant society with social values more akin to Europe than our southern neighbours. It’s a divide that grew clear under the previous U.S. administration and the fallout of incidents from the killing of George Floyd to the

DONNA RUDY

Sales Manager 519-669-5790 x104

Find Us: 20-B Arthur St. N., Elmira, Ontario, N3B 1Z9 Contact Us: Phone: 519-669-5790 Toll Free: 1-888-966-5942 Fax: 519-669-5753 Email: info@woolwichobserver.com newsroom@woolwichobserver.com Web: https://observerxtra.com Social Media: Facebook: observerxtra Twitter: woolwichnews Instagram: observerxtra Professional Associations: • Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA) • News Media Canada • The Greater KW Chamber of Commerce

About Us: Independent, locally-owned and the only weekly community newspaper serving the residents of Woolwich and Wellesley Townships. Real news, real reporting concentrating on the close-tohome issues in our communities. When it comes to reaching our residents, The Observer is unsurpassed.

Press Oversight: The Observer is a member of the National Newsmedia Council - an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practises and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, contact: 519-669-5790 ext 103 or editor@woolwichobserver.com.

If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a complaint, visit mediacouncil.ca or call 1-844-877-1163 for more information.

wages and an increasing standard of living went a long way to bolstering the capitalist status quo.

By the mid-1970s, however, there was a concerted effort to undo all of the gains, with attacks on everything from market regulations to labour unions.

What’s clear – or should be – is that democracy and liberalism in the West are under threat from without and within, the latter being the greater threat, particularly in places as diverse as Hungary, Poland and the United States.

Just as the great prosperity that followed the Second World War came under attack a generation later, with the eventual rolling back of many of the gains, the freedoms won in the intervening years are also under attack, often by the same elements of corporatism and fascism that look to drive down wages, pollute the environment and strip away civil rights.

Likewise, the social contract we’ve forged over time is being wilfully eroded, attacked by those who see fomenting strife – along racial, cultural and economic lines – as a way to divide and conquer. It’s working.

In the course of a couple of generations, we’ve undone centuries of efforts to create a society based on the common good. Much of the we’reall-in-this-together ideals that came out of the Great Depression and the Second World War, for instance, has been replaced by relentless individualism.

The deregulation that fuelled the corporatism of the last few decades – think of the rise of globalization, monopolies and oligarchies and the resul→KANNON 10

Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions to The Observer mailed within Canada/U.S. are available by contacting the office or visiting online: observerxtra.com/subscribe Delivery Concerns: Issues with local delivery can be made online: observerxtra.com/delivery.

Immediate issues can be directed to The Record by calling 519-894-3000.

Letters to the Editor: Letters must be exclusive to this publication on a topic of relevance to the community. It must contain the author's name, address, contact info and be no more than 300 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. The Observer declines announcements, poetry, thank-you and unsigned letters.

Deliver to: editor@woolwichobserver. com or online: observerxtra.com/letters

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

10 | O P I N I O N

Lessons where the rubber meets the boot

T One of many awards over the years, in 2004 The Observer was voted by newspaper publishers across Canada with “The Best Idea,” following a live presentation to industry publishers in Hull, Quebec.

A local storm chaser outfit deployed custom tracking orbs into a tornado plume in order to study how to devise an early warning system.

Mailbox vandals were finally nabbed by local police after a 3-week spree destroying up to 21 mailboxes in the countryside. Restorative justice was applied to the youths involved. ↆ LAST WEEK: Online players this week had trouble detecting the lie with a majority choosing a real event. TRUE: Former W-S Feeds donated over 20,000 lbs of beef to the House of Friendship. TRUE: The Elmira Kiwanis Club did host a Dragonboat festival fundraiser for several years. Most players this week thought this was the lie. LIE: A foodbank fundraiser that cleans your pantry and takes half your food — sounds like a good idea, but completely made up.

You can play online by reading any online post at www.observerxtra. com. Vote for the lie and be notified if you are correct immediately.

Family life is a cause for celebration in the local newspaper.

The Observer has been delivering your good news for twenty-five years. Order, upload and pay online — easy peasy!  Birthdays  Anniversaries  Birth Notices  Graduations  Weddings  Engagements  In Memoriams  Obituaries  Thank you notices Share some good news of your own today!

observerxtra.com/family-album

he other day I was in a big box outdoors store when I happened to be going through the hightopped rubber boot aisle, as a man is wont to do.

After a few steps, I noticed a couple of fellows looking at the price of a quality pair of rubber boots and shaking their heads.

“Who on earth would pay $350 for a pair of rubber boots?” one asked.

It was obvious that they had little understanding of the value of a good pair of high-topped rubber boots, or they would not have even asked.

It seems to me that the average uninformed person simply believes that the high-topped rubber boot’s sole purpose is to keep a person’s feet warm and dry. That’s because they live in some sort of utopian world.

Little kids and seasoned outdoorsmen know better, however. For we fully appreciate that the primary purpose of a high-topped rubber boot

STEVE GALEA

Not-So-Great Outdoorsman

is to tell you how deep the water you just stepped in is. Nothing more. Nothing less.

We also know the boots in question are not instruments of precise measurement. Rather, they are meant to provide the child or outdoorsman with quick, meaningful information: essentially, is the water lower or higher than the top of my boot.

This critical information is key to the decision-making process when attempting to cross anything from puddles to oceans.

If the water is lower than the top of the boot, we know we can take another step. If it is higher, we then realize that we should have not taken the step we just took. For the outdoorsman or child, this is valuable information. And it is probably you rarely see a person in high-topped

rubber boots swimming.

I’m not suggesting that high-topped rubber boots don’t serve other valuable purposes too. No, sir. You get so much more for your money.

For instance, if a certain hunter insists on continuing to wear socks that exceed a hunt camp’s liberal sanitary standards, rubber boots can remedy this unfortunate situation.

This is because other savvy members of the camp will, once their eyes stop watering, secretly pour a liberal amount of laundry detergent in each rubber boot and then send the hunter in question to a stand that requires him or her to cross a creek or two whose water levels are definitely higher than the boot is tall. By the end of the day, those socks will be the cleanest thing in camp.

(FYI: This can also be done with underwear, providing you can get the person to wear chest waders.)

Rubber boots are also

designed to give good indication of how much suction the mud on any trail has. And this is helpful to everyone who lags behind the person wearing the rubber boots. Basically, if that person walks into the muddy stretch with rubber boots on and walks out of it in stocking feet, you should probably walk on the high and dry ground around the mud.

A lot of people don’t know this, but they can even be used to measure speed, reflexes and fitness.

Fitness can be gauged by placing a rubber rattlesnake in one and then watching how close the person putting them on gets to or past the rafters after noticing it. And you can get a sense of how good a person’s speed and reflexes are if you make a rattling sound the next time they pass by.

That’s important to know, especially after they find out it was you who placed that rubber snake in their boots.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Elmira needs affordable housing for seniors To the Editor, It’s a bittersweet time for Elmira as a piece of history in the form of the old pool gets torn down to make way for new condos.

As a resident in town

until 2017, I truly hope and cross my fingers and toes that whoever has bought this property takes into great consideration the lack of affordable housing and or housing for seniors in our beautiful town.

Elmira needs more of these two options desperately.

Unfortunately, we had to move into Kitchener when my husband sold his

home as 1) there was either nothing available for us in town or 2) I wasn’t allowed in the apartment buildings in which he was accepted because I’m not a senior.

Most seniors I know are on a fixed income and can’t afford $1,900 a month plus utilities for a one- or two-bedroom place. I understand that landlords do have expenses that need to

be covered but there’s decent pricing then there’s outright greed (this is a huge issue everywhere currently, not just here in town).

I look forward to the day these condos are ready for occupancy and to see the what the rental rates are.

Jocelyn Schaefer

KITCHENER

DYER: How long will the U.S. continue its freeze of Afghanistan’s money? →FROM 8

do they have to hold onto the money until Afghanistan proves that it won’t be ‘a haven for terrorism.’

How could the Taliban prove it won’t become one, and how long would that take? Until the first million starve? The second million?

Besides, there are probably people in the State Department, and there certainly are in the Amer-

ican intelligence services, who suspect that the Taliban have never been involved in any attacks on the U.S. homeland.

Washington has claimed for 20 years that the Taliban were aware of Osama bin Laden’s plans for the 9/11 attacks beforehand, but there has never been any proof and it just doesn’t make sense.

Bin Laden didn’t use Afghan territory for the

attack, and it would have been a profound breach of security to let the Taliban know about it ahead of time.

This narrative has served America’s purposes in the past and it continues to serve them now, but the current purpose is simply to punish the Taliban for winning. It’s a shabby way to behave, but great powers often behave like spiteful children when

there’s no great penalty for doing so.

“The money belongs to the Afghan nation. Just give us our own money,” said Finance Ministry spokesperson Ahmad Wali Haqmal last week.

“Freezing this money is unethical and is against all international laws and values.” But the money will stay frozen, and soon winter will come to Afghanistan.

KANNON: Long attack on economic front now includes democracy itself →FROM 9

tant decline in our quality of life – followed a postwar boom that was shaped by a market system that was devised with the broad public in mind. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but far more equitable than is the case today.

Increasingly, however, we’re seeing direct threats to democracy, albeit more

pronounced in other countries than in Canada.

Our neighbours to the south provide a notable example.

“The last decade has witnessed a growing debate over the prospects of democracy around the world. Most scholars agree that a regressive turn has occurred in many regions, a phenom-

enon increasingly called ‘democratic backsliding.’

Indeed, this is even true in the older representative democracies of the North Atlantic world, shocked by the rise of Donald Trump, advent of Brexit and resurgence of populism in general.

Major surveys have indicated decreasing popular confidence in democratic

government to provide effective governance, a greater willingness to elect strong executive leaders, and the rise of parties that represent ‘the people’ at the expense of liberal values and minority rights,” writes Ryerson University political scientist Sanjay Ruparelia in recent piece for Policy Options.

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021 | 11

Business

Leading the way.

Shining a light on local enterprise, stoking the economic engines.

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com New Business: observerxtra.com/enterprise

The upside of acquisition

Towering over St. Jacobs

Entrepreneurs who choose to grow through acquisition are twice as likely to experience sales growth above their industry average as those who grow organically, says a new BDC study released this week. In the next five years, 25% of Canadian entrepreneurs want to sell or close their business, the survey found.

Woolwich council this week gave its blessing to a plan to erect a communication tower on a piece of township-owned land at 29 Parkside Dr. in St. Jacobs. Signum Wireless proposes to build a 30-metre tower at that location, subject to approval from the federal government, which regulates telecommunications.

Aviation company looks to expand at Breslau airport Chartright Air Group sees opportunities for growth in Waterloo Region, investing in new building to widen client base Justine Fraser Observer Staff

ALONG WITH AN EXPANSION THAT’S doubling the capacity of the facility, Waterloo Region International Airport will see new construction as Chartright Air Group boosts its operations at YKF. Chartright will double the size of its existing aircraft hangar at the airport, and provide a wide range of services for private jets, passengers and flight crew. The business-jet transportation company’s new fixed base operation (FBO) will offer a passenger lounge, private jet management and charter services, aircraft maintenance and repair facilities and expanded jet fuel capacity.

The company, established in 1987, is betting the growing tech hub companies in the region will take advantage of their new services.

Constantine Tsokas, vice-president of mainte-

nance, said there are many businesses in the area that could benefit from Chartright’s expanded offerings.

“We’re doubling our footprint there just because we actually strongly believe that we can fill the hangar. As we build our FBO out there, we better cater to the needs of our clients.

I think it’s an airport that’s demonstrated great growth recently, and we strongly believe it’ll show continuous future growth.”

Chartright has been in the region for more than six years and has seen a demand increase over that period.

“The facility will offer increased capacity and a wide range of enhanced services for private jets and will provide cargo handling and air ambulance support services,” said company president Adam Keller in a release announcing the expansion. “As the premier provider of aircraft

Chartright plans to expand its current FBO (fixed based operation) at the Region of Waterloo International Airport.

management service in the Region of Waterloo, and Canada’s numberone provider of private jet charter service, we are thrilled to participate in the growth of the region.”

Along with the expansion, Chartright is looking forward to an easing of travel and border-crossing restrictions. The federal government this week announced the Breslau facility would be among

those permitted to resume international flights by month’s end.

“Once we are able to receive international travellers – the majority of that comes from the United States who do business in the Kitchener-Waterloo area – I welcome the fact that with November 30 coming up soon, we’ll be able to start catering to those clients once again,” said Tsokas.

Other growth at the airport, including flights by ultra-low cost carrier Flair Airlines, provides new leads for Chartright, he added.

“There’ve been some great opportunities in the region for supporting airline type aircraft and or charter airline opportunities. We put our focus into where we can better serve clients and, of course, our niche, the business

Submitted

jets, but there are other opportunities to serve other types of clients,” said Tsokas. “As an example, you have airlines such as Flair who’ve entered Waterloo, and it’s been a great growth development in their airport strategy there. Chartright is supporting Flair’s business by providing them with facility to do maintenance for their aircraft. → CHARTRIGHT 13

All hands on deck to promote agriculture, old and new

C

ompared to the kinds of conventional farming associated with large-scale food production, urban agriculture is sometimes treated like a distant cousin – like a curiosity, detached but relevant to the family, and seldom invited to the table for big decisions.

Things, though, are changing.

Urban agriculture is small-scale commercial farming (not gardening) between city blocks. By

definition, urban agriculture is carried out closer to consumers than most conventional farms.

That means urban agriculture could serve an important role introducing people to farming overall, and the huge numbers of unfilled jobs in the sector. With the agriculture sector battling misinformation, along with the never-ending challenge of making its voice heard, help is welcome.

The key is harmony and

OWEN ROBERTS Food For Thought

cooperation. The sector doesn’t need any divisive efforts that pit modern farming against its smaller counterparts – in other words, urban farming versus rural farming.

Instead, it needs united, cohesive approaches that appeal to consumers’ desire to make measured, balanced, informed deci-

sions that are not driven by hysteria or hyperbole about how one system is better than another. A bad light is thrown on all food production when even one system is viewed with suspicion.

Durham College in Whitby has a chance to contribute in a positive way to the overall understanding of agriculture, and to Ontario’s position as an agri-food powerhouse. Last week it ceremoniously accepted a $5-million donation from

the Barrett Foundation, founded by packaging entrepreneur Jim Barrett and his family, to create the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture.

“The knowledge and experience gained from turning unused fields into a vibrant crop-bearing farm serves as a solid foundation for what The Barrett Centre will accomplish,” says college president Don Lovisa.

Durham College already offers some field-

to-fork education, with a focus on food: microbiology and chemistry labs, an apple orchard, a 1,700-square-foot greenhouse, two acres for production and applied research, a walk-in growth chamber, a growth chamber and a craft beer brew line. Its faculty members research plant pathology and integrated pest management, primarily with horticulture crops, along with robotics and information technology. →ROBERTS 12

 Employer portal to post, edit and pay for listings • Submissions by link or email • Featured listings • More

Local job recruiting just received a serious upgrade.

Post a Job, Find a Job online today!

AD SPOT - NON PRINTING

The forces of Local Print + Digital + Social = your next hire.

jobs.observerxtra.com

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

12 | B U S I N E S S

ROBERTS: Cooperation is key in bridging the urban-rural farming divide →FROM 11

With the centre, the college wants to kick that up a notch, to become what it calls an internationally recognized hub of excellence in urban agriculture practices, research, education and

training.

Hopefully its education mandate will have a broad reach and help consumers more deeply understand the entire food system.

The new centre could benefit by strategic partnerships, particu-

larly with the University of Guelph main campus and Ridgetown campus, Canada’s leading agrifood research institution.

Reinventing the wheel is inefficient and Guelph already has globally recognized expertise

and amazing facilities in some of the areas the new centre is eyeing.

The bottom line is that agriculture needs all hands on deck to help people understand it and its many aspects – rural and urban.

Lest We Forget

TIM LOUIS

Member of Parliament, Kitchener-Conestoga

Tim.Louis@parl.gc.ca TimLouisMP.ca

519-578-3777 @TimLouisKitCon

The Elmira West water tower on Floradale Road remains under wraps until completion, which is slated for this month, ahead of winter conditions. The recent stretch of weather has been kind to both outdoor workers and farmers alike, with agricultural equipment still regularly passing by the Floradale Road site.

Justine Fraser

SUBSTANCE USE AND FALL PREVENTION WEBINAR Join us for a FREE Zoom Webinar hosted by the Waterloo Wellington Older Adult Strategy, Substance Use Working Group.

November 16, 2021 | 1:00 - 2:00 pm Targeted Audience Older Adults Service Providers Topics Finding a Way Out of Alcoholism - Routes to Recovery (A Personal Story) Preventing Falls in Later Life Presenters Barbara Gray - Older Adult Julie Kerkhof, RN - Outreach Nurse Dr. Nicole Didyk, MD - Geriatrician Liz MacLennan - Facilitator

Register now at https://bit.ly/NOV16webinar

Community Care Concepts of Woolwich, Wellesley and Wilmot

Helping Seniors and Adults with Disabilities to Live Independently in Their Own Home Meals on Wheels • Transportation Day Programs • Homemakers • Maintenance Friendly Visitors • Community Meals • Social Programs Transportation from Hospital to Home FREE Community Exercise and Falls Prevention Classes FREE Short Term Home Support For information, services or support contact Community Care Concepts

519-664-1900

|

1-855-664-1900

Thursday, November 11, 2021 | THE OBSERVER

B U S I N E S S | 13

CHARTRIGHT: Company sees opportunity in expansion at regional airport, which itself is undergoing some growth →FROM 11

This new hangar that we’re developing will allow us to move our business jets into the new hangar. And with our existing hangar, which is a very airlinesized type of infrastructure, we can better support the growth of other airlines as Flair continues to develop. We can actually cater and support airline aircraft through hangar facility, fuel, those type of services.

“The original hanger was not intended to be an FBO. We’ll be able to provide direct access to the ramp, we’ll have the ability to provide better amenities for flight crew – we understand what their requirements are, what their needs are. They have a wish list that they’ve expressed to us and we’ll be able to build those facilities, like a crew snooze room, a meeting room, which was something that our business travellers will enjoy as an amenity. We’ll be able to have luxury services with rental cars on site, catering options available for prior to departure – just give them the selection of something that makes them comfortable and provides a great

experience with respect to the passenger side of the scheduled airline charter,” he added of the expansion plans.

The new FBO will bring two dozen new skilled jobs to the region, and Tsokas expects more will be created in the future.

“I would say it’s not unrealistic over the next several years to see 50 jobs created from this.”

That’s just what the region, which owns the airport, is looking to see.

“Chartright Air Group’s expansion is a welcome addition to YKF. Since landing at the airport in 2015, Chartright has grown significantly, adding many highly skilled jobs to the Region of Waterloo’s workforce,” said regional Chair Karen Redman in the announcement. “The services provided by partners like Chartright and the other 25 companies at the airport support our growing aviation sector and enable our community to continue to attract air service. We are excited by the opportunity this expansion represents.”

The region is expecting to continue to grow to a population of 742,000 by 2031. Pearson airport in

Toronto is expecting to see passenger movements increase to 70 million annually, testing the capacity of the facility and providing opportunities to airports such as YFK. Besides creating jobs for the local economy, the new FBO from Chartright is expected to help the businesses in the area to connect to areas outside the region.

“It also should help the economy outside of the airport, for talent, attraction and retention, just as businesses are being attracted to Waterloo Region, connectivity is always important. We do have a number of businesses that are international and also national and North American, and they see they need links to other places so they can provide that kind of support to the broader economy,” said Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz.

“There are over 150 companies that support the aviation sector in Waterloo Region, and that’s a significant piece of our economy.”

Chartright air group’s new FBO state-of-the-art facility will open its doors to clients next summer.

The Breslau airport has been busy with a number of announcements about expansion at the facility.

Justine Fraser

n�g ents ! i m o c l e W ew��pati ! �� �n !

Come be part of our wonderful family at

Dr. Mira Nusaputra & Associates 10 Parkside Drive, PO Box 240 St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0

TAKE THIS TEST: Do you have…

Bad Breath

Yellow Teeth

Bleeding Gums

T: 519-664-2434 F: 519-664-3824

Sensitive Teeth

Missing Teeth

info@stjacobsdentalcare.ca www.stjacobsdentalcare.ca

Crooked Teeth

Fear of Dentistry

|

LEST WE FORGET

Honouring those who gave so much for our freedom

STATE OF THE ART INDOOR GOLF

EAT, DRINK,

GOLF Play one of hundreds of golf courses from around the world including Pebble Beach, Kiawah Island and Torrey Pines!

Constituency Office Visit www.MerryHillGolf.com for details.

Open daily from 9 AM to 9 PM

| 2321 Shantz Station Rd, Breslau | 519-648-2831

519-669-2090 mike.harrisco@pc.ola.org mikeharrismpp.ca

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021 | 14

Arts

Read a local best seller every week.

Local stories that inspire.

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com Tips: observerxtra.com/tips

Memorial for Henry

Back to it at CITS

The Stratford Festival will hold a memorial for Martha Henry Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Festival Theatre. Seats must be reserved in advance, but they are complimentary. Henry died Oct. 21 of cancer at the age of 83. She was with the festival for 47 seasons between 1962 and 2021.

The Centre In The Square kicks off its upcoming concert season Nov. 18 with JUNO Award winner Julian Taylor & Friends. Alan Doyle takes to the stage Nov. 19, while it's Dan Mangan on Nov. 23. Buffy Sainte-Marie performs Nov. 24 to round out the month. www.centreinthesquare.com

www.stratfordfestival.ca

Empty for the past 20 months, Drayton Entertainment theatres are starting to go live again. David Rogers headlines ‘Back Home for the Holidays’ in Cambridge, while Rebecca Poff is Patsy Cline in a production set for the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse. Submitted

The theatres are alive with the sound of music Drayton Entertainment eases back onto stage with a pair of holiday shows, including Patsy Cline tribute in St. Jacobs Justine Fraser Observer Staff

ITS STAGES DARK SINCE THE pandemic lockdowns started, Drayton Entertainment is primed for the return of live theatre next month.

Theatres and the wider arts sector were among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with performers unable to work, prevented from doing what they love. After a long hiatus from the stage, they’ll hit the stage with high emotions, ready to perform for the first time in 20 months.

Drayton is easing back into things, with two holiday shows in the offing. At Hamilton Family Theatre in Cambridge, they’ll be

getting into the Christmas spirit with ‘Back Home for the Holidays’ with a cast that includes the acclaimed David Rogers, joined by Jayme Armstrong and Alyssa Curto. At the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, a revival of the pandemic-cancelled ‘A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline’ will feature 21 of the singers greatest hits in a show starring Rebecca Poff and Wade Lynch.

“In 2020, we had scheduled 18 productions over seven theatres around the province. We may not be jumping into that many and that scope of shows for a little bit, but we’ll know for sure once we hit the boards, as they say, with these two holiday shows,”

said artistic director Alex Mustakas, noting the performers are eager to get back to it.

“It’s a kind of a tribute musical on the life of Patsy Cline. Playing Patsy is Rebecca Poff and then there’s another character, a DJ called Little Big Man played by Wade Lynch, who many of our audiences will remember from our production of ‘Sheer Madness’ that played at the Schoolhouse a couple of times. One of the funniest guys on stage, so we’re excited about it - it’s a great tribute show to one of the greats of country music,” he said of the St. Jacobs show.

Both shows run from December 1-26. Drayton is offering patrons a 2021

holiday season worryfree guarantee that gives flexibility to patrons booking tickets for the December shows. If a health concern arises or a show is cancelled, patrons will have many refund or exchange options.

“It’s been such a tough time that I think it’s going to be very emotional for everyone. People are working the box office lines already and it’s just a nice change [after] being dark for so long.

I know our artists and musicians are going to be emotional the first time they are together to start the creative process. I’m sure it’ll be emotional on opening night, not only for our artists in our company, but for the audience as

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR HOUSE IS AD SPOT - NON PRINTING

Support the local businesses that keep your community and its newspapers thriving.

well, because they’ve really been craving that live communal experience that only live theatre can provide,” said Mustakas, noting Drayton’s productions were hit hard by the lockdowns.

“We were the first to close back in March and one of the last to reopen.”

Masks will be mandatory at all times in the theatre and during performances. Introducing what Mustakas calls a hybrid model, the shows will offer the option of different capacities for patrons to choose from, either 50 or 100 per cent capacity for the show, depending on which the audience prefers. The province lifted all capacity restrictions for live venues to

allow for full occupancy.

“They just surveyed our audience and a majority said, ‘Yes, we’re ready to come back as long as people are double vaccinated and we wear masks.’

And then there’s some that still want a little bit of physical distancing.

We know that people have varying comfort levels, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve. On top of that, there are new protocols, our advanced cleaning protocols, and then [we’re] trying to restrict lobby assembly,” he added.

Drayton Entertainment’s 2022 schedule will be available in January.

For tickets or more information go online to www. draytonentertainment.com.

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021 | 15

Classifieds

Advertising

Placing a classified ad

Seven days.

One paper.

Please call or email for display advertising quote for Help Wanted, Auctions, Real Estate, Public Notices and Obituaries.

A bestseller every week.

Please talk to our ad dept for pricing and to order a Pro Services Directory.

All classified advertising is prepaid. Ads will be accepted in person, email, or phone during regular office hours. Deadline is Wednesdays by 10am. Order online at: observerxtra.com/classifieds.

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 104

Family Album Announcements pricing and info can be ordered online at: observerxtra.com/order-family-album.

Email: ads@woolwichobserver.com Job Listings: jobs.observerxtra.com

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Work Wanted RIDE WITH ME. MEDICAL,SOCIAL,UPCOUNtry, Toronto, Hamilton, London. Call text Gary 519-577-1750.

Come join our wonderful team at: Chartwell Elmira Retirement and Long Term Care.

For Sale

For more information, please call 519-669-2921. Extension 302.

BRAND NEW IN A BOX EMC INDUSTRIAL metal garage shed 11' x 20'. List price $2,500. asking $2,300.

519-501-9790 bathcrest@rogers.com

Please submit resume to: psilva@chartwell.com

Help Wanted

We are looking for PSWs, Housekeepers, Dietary Aides and Resident Service Aides.

We will provide you with training on site.

Residential:

$9 per 20 words (20¢ per extra word)

Commercial:

$15 per 20 words (30¢ per extra word)

For Sale MATTRESS AND BOX SPRING, NEW, NEVER used, still in sealed bag. Sacrifice $195.

Delivery available $35.

519-635-8737.

Farm Services 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.

Help Wanted LAYER FARM WEST OF ARTHUR LOOKING FOR

FULL-TIME YEAR ROUND INDIVIDUAL TO GATHER EGGS AND GENERAL BARN WORK.

Day time hours, Monday - Friday with occasional weekends. Willing to train, starting wage $15-18 depending on qualifications.

LAYER FARM SOUTH OF ELORA LOOKING FOR

PART-TIME YEAR ROUND INDIVIDUAL TO GATHER EGGS AND GENERAL BARN WORK.

Day time hours, Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Willing to train, starting wage $20-25 depending on qualifications Send resume to: corey.anneke@stickneyfarm.ca

Help Wanted

or call: 519-830-1230

100% LOCAL Help Wanted Elmira Auto Supplies is seeking an automotive customer service representative. We are a busy, growing store that serves automotive, industrial, and agricultural markets.

This full-time position is Monday to Friday, with alternative Saturdays.

URGENT

Why work with us?

• Competitive Salary based on experience.

• Comprehensive Benefits Program including medical, dental, and vision care • Employee Pension Program, with employer contributions • Employee pricing on automotive parts & products If you are interested in a challenging and rewarding career, we would love to hear from you!

Resumes can be dropped off in store or emailed to rweber@elmiraauto.ca.

We thank everyone who applies but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Elmira Auto Supplies 9 Mill St., Elmira Fax: 519-669-1011

Elmira 519-669-5161

Elora Auto Supplies 23 York St. W., Elora Fax: 519-546-8481

•

Elora 519-846-5361

MORE DETAILS AVAILABLE:

http://mcccurrentopenings.force.com/recruit/ fRecruit__ApplyJob?vacancyNo=VN2746 https://mcccanada.ca/get-involved/serve/openings/ receiving-coordinator-4

Help Wanted

ICE SALT & ICE MELT - ICE SALT COMES IN 20kg, Ice melt comes in 20kg bags. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

KILN DRIED CORN & CORN SCREENING Delivered by Einwechter. Minimum 15 ton lots.

Call George Haffner Trucking 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

Wanted LOOKING TO BUY OLDER WATCHES, black & white photographs, vintage jewelry, postcards, coins, books. Call Steven 519-831-3011.

AUCTIONS CONTINUE ON PAGE 16 WORD ADS CONTINUE ON PAGE 18

21 Church St. W., ELMIRA 519-669-5475 www.farmersplus.ca elmira@farmersplus.ca

———— HELP WANTED ———— We are looking for an energetic self-starter to fill a position in our retail store in Elmira. The position is full time and would be primarily in the warehouse. Forklift experience is an asset but willing to train the right candidate.

Other Duties will include but are not limited to: - Cash/checkout customers - Stocking and pricing product - Some ordering

What will you need?

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced work environment • Excellent Communication Skills, both written and verbal • Ability to learn quickly, and comfortable with various computer programs.

RECEIVING COORDINATOR

• Proven leadership in high volume or warehouse environment • Ability to create positive environment working with volunteers • Provide supervision and leadership • Ability to lift 50 lbs and possible 6 hours of intermittent standing • Shift work includes evenings and Saturdays

Farm Services

The Township of Woolwich Needs a

School Crossing Guard for Breslau, afternoon shift

The Township of Woolwich is looking for a crossing guard for Breslau Public School, as well as spares for all other crossings. The ideal candidate is at least 18 years old and able to work 30 minutes after school in all types of weather. All training and equipment is provided and we have a support system in place to cover absences.

This is a paid community service position.

Crossing guards are covered under The Township of Woolwich insurance program.

We will also consider building a multi-person team to cover the school crossing and we’d love to hear from you if you are interested in helping occasionally or a few days per week.

For more information, please contact Kathy Fahey at kfahey@woolwich.ca or 519-669-6009 or send a resume to The Township of Woolwich Human Resources at hr@woolwich.ca

Please email or drop-in resume to above address.

Auction

NOVEMBER EQUIPMENT TIMED ONLINE AUCTION

NOS Diesel Generators & NOS UTV Accessories

November 16th to 23rd

(Closing starts November 23rd - 2pm)

NOVEMBER VEHICLE AUCTION - WEBCAST ONLINE Cargo Vans, SUV’s and Police Cars

Saturday, November 20th at 9:30am Go to: mrjutzi.hibid.com/auctions

M. R. JUTZI & Co.

5100 Fountain St. N., Breslau 519.648.2111

www.mrjutzi.ca

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

16 | C L A S S I F I E D S

ↆ SPOR TS S CO R E S WOOLWICH WILDCATS

■ PeeWee U13A

Nov/05/2021 vs Woolwich Wildcats HOME: 3 VISITOR: 3 GOALS: Mason Gear, Emmett Colwill, Colton Sinclair ASSISTS: William Krubally, Reese

Martin, Cruz Balog, Jaxon McGuire

■ PeeWee U13A

Nov/05/2021 vs Oakville Rangers (Red) HOME: 4 VISITOR: 2 GOALS: Jaxon McGuire, Colton Sinclair, Austin Dietrich, Reese Martin

AUCTIONS CONTINUED FROM PG 15

Auction

ASSISTS: Evan Hall

(2), Emmett Colwill, Cruz Balog

■ PeeWee U13A

Nov/06/2021 vs St. Thomas Stars HOME: 4 VISITOR: 1 GOALS: Colton Brito, Nolan Martin, Austin Dietrich, Reese Martin ASSISTS: Reese Martin, Mason Gear, Matthew Kochut (2), Colton Sinclair

■ PeeWee U13A

Live Clearing Clearing Auction Sale Sale Of JD Tractors, Steiner 440 Tractor, Machinery, 45ft. Storage Truckbox, Good Shop Equip., Lumber, Misc. etc.

For Eastep Farms Limited 519-846-5874 Located: in Centre Wellington twp. Midway between Elora & Alma on Wellington Cty. Rd.7 FIRE#6805

On Sat Nov 20th at 10am

COVID. 19 Notes: If you’ve been experiencing cough, fever, cold symptoms or been out of Canada last 14 days, we please ask you don’t attend in person. Call to leave a bid or send a friend “6ft.SOCIAL DISTANCING RULE WILL BE IN EFFECT!” HAND SANITIZER provided & MASKS RECOMMENDED! THANK YOU!

TRACTORS: JD. 4230 diesel tractor w/ SG. cab,2wd., airwheel weights, Goodyear rear tires 18-4 R38, (non-corrosive liq.in tires), studded chains sold seperate, good clean sharp cond.; JD.2130 diesel tractor, PS., 2wd., O.S., chains, w/Frey Ldr., & studded chains, 6ft bucket, bale fork, 54” pallet fork,HeavyD.,7ft. Fluney bucket, (attachs.& 15.5x38 chains, sell separate); Steiner 440 diesel tractor w/ Kubota diesel engine, 4wd,HS., approx.1925 hrs.

Bought new, clean cond.; Steiner Attachs. (Sell separate) -5ft. mower deck, 5ft. frontmount blade, 60” frontmount sweeper, squeegee 78”blade.

MACHINERY, STORAGE BOX, ETC.: Unverferth 7250 Grain Buggy & tarp,750 bus., lights, Firestone 30.5L32 tires, Sharp cond.; 285 Horst 14ton running gear w/ Parker 2600 Gravity wagon w/truck tires, rollup tarp,lights,like new cond.; White 6100, 6 row Corn planter, 30”row Yetterplates, lights, presswheels, Sharp cond. (Yetter HeavyD. notill coulters,separate); CIH 600, forageblower (clean); Huskey K31,12ft. manure pump & cyl.; Ariens RT 8020 reartang, gardentiller, 8hp., good cond.; 6ft. scraperblade; 45ft.

Storage Trailer box, on wheels, w/9ft. alum. covered rebuilt doors (5yrs.ago), good cond.; 3pth. Bauman Salter/Sander (rebuilt); HLA frontm., 4ft.att.; trail 42” lawnroller & lawn sprayer; JD.4ft., steel gardentrailer.

SHOP EQUIP.,TOOLS,MISC.; 4 sections of scaffold, braces & wheels; 2 sm.sections scaffold; 7½ft. welding screen; alum.ext.ladders, 24 &32ft.& steps.; set of steel steps; good 8ft. heavy workbench; 2 good metal 72 comp. boltbins; “New” natural gasheater; 1½ hp.motor; hyd.cylinders; 7” cult.sweeps; 275 gal.plast.watertank; 2 New farrowingcrates; misc. pig.equip.; Airco parts washer;sm. metal deadstock removal cart w/winch; misc. tractor weights & tires; misc.colored steelroofing; num.of sm.grainaugers 4 to 6”; 2 good Fuel tanks elect.& handpump 1345L to1360L (all refr.last yr.); 1500 lbs. M-M. scissorlift,top cond.; Hd., 9ft. workbench w/grinder; 225amp Linc.older Welder; Brico SL-M5S,1344 Drillpress; Schmacher 300amp Battery Charger (like new), good; Hd.adj. Engine hoist, good; steel shopcart; num.jacks; 10ft.set of factory ¾”shelving, racking; odd lumber-2x4, 6, posts,etc.; pile of 1 ¾”dry spruce rough-cut lumber; skids of décor.brick, stone, cementblocks; 3 cement benches & tables; steel; pipe; motors; etc.;good wheelbarrow; wrenches; hand & garden tools;etc.few household items-office desk; 2 good wagons of useful items.

NOTES: A good clean useful offering of items, Sale Order-10:00am wagons, misc., tools, machinery approx.1:30pm. Preview on Nov.18, 1pm to 4pm or by Appointment ONLY! TERMS. Cash sale day, cheques with ID only. FARM SOLD. Lunchbooth. Owners or Auctioneers not responsible for accidents, injury, deletions or loss of property sale day. All verbal announcements take precedence over written material.

AUCTIONEERS:

JOHN D. & DAVID MCPHEE Mount Forest • (519) 323-4058

Please check www.theauctionadvertiser.com/DMcPhee for photos

Nov/06/2021 vs Woolwich Wildcats HOME: 0 VISITOR: 8 GOALS: Emmett Colwill (2), Mason Gear (2), Nolan Martin, Reese Martin, Cruz Balog, Colton Sinclair ASSISTS: Jaxon McGuire (3), Reese Martin, Austin Dietrich (2), Colton Brito (2), Cruz Balog, Colton Sinclair Shutouts: Cohen Hamburger

■ PeeWee U13A

Nov/07/2021 vs Dundas Blues HOME: 2 VISITOR: 0 GOALS: Austin Dietrich, Matthew Kochut ASSISTS: Evan Hall, Colton Sinclair,

Mason Gear Shutouts: Cohen Patterson

■ PeeWee U13A

Nov/07/2021 vs Waterloo Wolves HOME: 2 VISITOR: 1 GOALS: Emmett Colwill (2) ASSISTS: Reese Martin, Nolan Martin (2) WOOLWICH WILD

■ Atom U11LL #1

Nov/06/2021 vs Woodstock Wildcats HOME: 4 VISITOR: 5 GOALS: Lexi Gaudet (3), Charlie Wilson ASSISTS: Isla Dunn, Brooke Wilson

■ Atom U11LL#2

Nov/07/2021 vs Waterloo Ravens HOME: 9 VISITOR: 1 GOALS: Callie Wagner (3), Maddy Matthews (3), Willa Nelson, Kirsten Dueck, Amanda Carter ASSISTS: Maddy Matthews, Willa Nelson (2), Kirsten Dueck

Woolwich Wild U11 A took the silver medal at the Waterloo Fall Challenge Cup 2021 Tournament held Submitted Nov. 5-7.

■ Bantam U15 BB

Nov/05/2021 vs Guelph Gryphons HOME: 5 VISITOR: 3 GOALS: Lexie De Jeu (2) Emma Maric, Peyton Gaudet, Kaeley Parker ASSISTS: Lexie De Jeu

Auction

159 ACRE FARM FOR SALE BY TENDER

It was another silver for the Woolwich Wild after playing in the Waterloo Fall Challenge Cup last Submitted weekend.

for The Estate of the Late Bertha Kieswetter 3790 Weimar Line, 1 km east of Bamberg, 5 minutes west of Waterloo, Offers taken via our unique tender process.

Initial offer deadline

TUESDAY, DEC. 7TH 6:00 P.M.

159 ACRES, more or less, of sandy and

clay loam soil, approx. 40 acres workable, 6 acres hardwood bush, approx. 30 acres pine & cedar trees, walking trails, wasteland and more. An overflowing spring and spring creek cross the farm.

BARN – Older bank barn in poor condition

located in the mixed bush area. The area surrounding the barn has lots of potential.

HOUSE – Consisting of a 7 room, frame (vinyl sided) house built in 1995, attached single car garage, asphalt roof, large kitchen with oak cabinetry, sitting room, bathroom, washroom, 3 bedrooms, laundry room. Approx. 1750 sq. ft. The basement is unfinished. Heat - forced air oil furnace.

Upgraded water softener system. Drilled well. Septic system. A huge, scenic country property providing loads of privacy, acres & acres to adventure on. A rare opportunity to purchase such an interesting property with so much potential!

The Woolwich U13A team went undefeated in Woolwich Memorial Tournament to capture the gold Submitted and the hats.

2021 TAXES - $5,273.46.

VIEW BY APPOINTMENT, call Greg

Gerber at 519-699-4451.

FOR INFO on the tender process & an information package, call Greg Gerber.

INITIAL OFFERS ACCEPTED UNTIL Tuesday, Dec. 7th @ 6:00 p.m.

ALSO SEE www.gerberauctions.net AUCTIONEERS:

Gerber Auctions Ltd. 519-699-4451

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

The Woolwich Wild U9 rep team at the Waterloo tournament last weekend. Front row: Abby Wood, Zoe Martin, Myla Castle. Back row (players): Rowan Gelata, Georgia Roes, Kandis Heckendorn, Jesse Weber, Harper Trimble, Charlotte Rank, Nola Doherty, Delilah Woolner, Every McCoubrey, Charlie MaCarthur, Samantha Maric, Avery O'Rourke. Coaches: Kyle Rank, Tony Roes, Brad Martin, Joe Gelata. Submitted

Thursday, November 11, 2021 | THE OBSERVER

ↆ L O C A L

C L A S S I F I E D S | 17

PR OF E SS I ONAL

SERVICES

ↆ GENERAL SERVICES

CALL TO BOOK! TODAY.

IN-STORE SERVICES

VAN, MINIBUS & WHEELCHAIR LIFT BUS TRANSPORTATION “Specializing in small group charters”

519-669-5557 Visit our website! countrymilebl.com Elmira, ON

• Window & Screen Repairs • Glass & Plexi Cutting • Key Cutting • Knife & Scissor Sharpening • Lawnmower Blade Sharpening • Paint Colour Matching • Interior Design Consultation • Bike Repair

RK COUNTRY BUS LINES

MarCrest Backhoe Septic Installations · Tile Repairs Small Footings · Silo Footings

Maynard Martin

519-502-8262

2512 Kressler Road RR1 St. Clements, ON N0B 2M0

Elmira, ON

Tel. 519-699-0507

ↆ GENERAL SERVICES Thorncreek Farms

Poultry Barn Pest Solutions

Visit us online to see our entire rental lineup.

Poultry Pest Management Pest control with residual built in

Various sizes & rates

CLEAN • DRY • SECURE Call

519-669-4964

519-504-2698

Serving KW and surrounding area

100 SOUTH FIELD DRIVE, ELMIRA

ↆ HOME IMPROVEMENT

ↆ AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

TIRE

WHERE TIRES ARE A

SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDE LINE.

Farm • Auto • Truck Industrial On-The-Farm Service 35 Howard Ave., Elmira

519-669-3232

519-669-0524 www.woolwichrentals.ca 100 Union St, Elmira, Ontario

THOMPSON’S

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

519-669-4400

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

519-503-6033 (CELL) 519-669-2251

30 ORIOLE PKWY. E., ELMIRA

36 Hampton St., Elmira

- Design and build -

AGRICULTURAL | RESIDENTIAL FRAMING • ROOFING RENOVATIONS • EAVESTROUGHS

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

Wayne Martin | 519-504-2016

519-577-0370

darwayconstruction@icloud.com | Alma, ON

ↆ HOME IMPROVEMENT COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

ST. JACOBS

GLASS SYSTEMS INC.

INC

• Residential • Commercial • Industrial

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

Randy Weber

ECRA/ESA Licence # 7000605

www.rwelectricltd.com TEL:

18 Kingfisher Dr., Elmira | 519.669.1462

AMOS R O O F I N G

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

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

WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED

CALL JAYME FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE.

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

519.501.2405 | 519.698.2114 In Business since 1973 • Fully Insured

ↆ HOME IMPROVEMENT Since 1998

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

Murray & Daniel Shantz

ALMA, ONTARIO | PHONE: 519.846.5427

DESIGN CENTRE

• FLOORING • Custom KITCHENS • BATHROOM VANITIES • SICO Paint • Custom WINDOW BLINDS

KITCHEN, BATH & WINDOW FASHIONS

Blinds, shades, drapery & more • Custom cabinetry made in Canada Free In-home consultations • Our experienced designer will help you work within your personal taste and budget

Call someone you can trust - your local Home Hardware Popular Brands Available

BLANCO, MAAX, MIROLAN, STEEL QUEEN

www.LetUsFloorYou.ca

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

Evenings By Appointment

1011 Industrial Cres. Unit #2 | TEL: 519.699.5411

Tel:

22 Church St. W., Elmira 519-669-5537 or 1-844-866-5537

STORE HOURS: MON-SAT 8-6, SUN Closed Find and follow us on FB and Instagram

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

18 | C L A S S I F I E D S

ↆ R E A L

ES TATE

BROKERAGE

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

$650,000

Alli Bauman

226-750-9332

519-669-5426

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

suefrom17@gmail.com

OPEN HOUSE NEW LISTING

Sue From

R.W. THUR REAL ESTATE LTD.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Office: 519-669-2772 | Cell: 519-741-6231 45 Arthur St. S., Elmira | www.thurrealestate.com

Saturday Nov 13 1-3pm 86 Brookmead St., Elmira

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

Broker of Record, MVA Residential

35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE YOU CAN RELY ON!

ELMIRA - Lovingly cared for and modern home with many

recent updates in family-friendly Elmira! Walk into this bright and airy home featuring natural light from large main floor windows and a fresh white kitchen that flows into the dining room and living room. The upstairs has a spacious master bedroom including walk-in closet, 2 more bedrooms, a 4 piece bathroom, and a bonus landing perfect for an office. Patio doors off the dining room lead to a concrete patio in your fully fenced back yard, where you can relax and let the kids and/or pets play. Basement professionally finished in 2018 with a rec room and 2-piece bathroom. RECENT UPDATES: Most Windows (2021), Furnace (2021), A/C Unit (2021), Main Floor Flooring plus upstairs hallway (2021), Newer Kitchen Appliances, Concrete Driveway and Backyard Patio (2020), Fully Finished Basement (2018), Freshly Painted throughout, Roof Shingles (2018), Shed (2020)!!! What’s left but to move in and enjoy!

NEW LISTING 7 Burlwood Dr., Elmira Custom built in 1999 for the owner.

A rare find – backing to woodland!

1595 sq. ft. w/2 bdrms on the main floor. Ensuite privilege. Great room w/gas F.P. & walkout to a cedar deck.

Open concept great rm/dining area & oak kitchen. Main flr laundry & 2 pc w/separate staircase to a finished bsmt. Huge rec/games rm, 3rdbdrm, 4 pc. & workshop. Lots like this are seldom found. New MLS $849,900.00

SELLING? CALL US FOR A FREE MARKET EVALUATION.

$655,000 50 Anna Street, Elmira

Welcome to 50 Anna Street, located in the beau�ful town of Elmira... This 1 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom 1220 square foot Bungalow townhouse is sure to please. Perfect for the first-�me buyer or anyone wishing to downsize. Enjoy ample cupboard space in the eat in kitchen, Large master with ensuite and walk in closet, one bathroom has a walk in tub. The finished basement is complete with a rec-room and 3 piece bathroom. Close to lovely walking trails, Golf courses and downtown shopping. Don’t miss out on this one!

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

112 Oriole Pkwy, Birdland Plaza

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

Community Information Page

BRAD MARTIN

$11.00/per sq. ft. plus C.A.M. fees space for lease. 2 units available immediately. 1310 sq. ft. & 1821 sq. ft. Front & rear access. Newly renovated. Lots of parking. MLS

P.O. Box 158

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

CALL FOR YOUR

FREE MARKET EVALUATION

Township of Woolwich 2022 Annual Grant Applications Now Available

Phone: 519-669-1647 or 877-969-0094 Fax: 519-669-1820 After Hours Emergency:

Continued from page 15

519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca

Application forms for the Township of Woolwich’s 2022 Annual Grants are now available online.

Non-profit organizations may apply for a capital or operating grant for the delivery of programs and services within Woolwich Township.

Applications must be received by Friday, November 19, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. Please find additional details regarding the Township’s annual grants and special assistance programs on the Township’s website, www.woolwich.ca/grants.

Completed applications and questions may be directed to Alex Smyth at asmyth@woolwich.ca or 519-669-6004.

Rentals ELMIRA - LARGE, ONE BEDROOM, NEWLY RENOvated. Very quiet building.

Looking for single, mature or retired individual. Available on or before Jan/22. $1000/ mth plus utilities. Contact 519-669-2212.

Trades & Services RON'S DRYWALL AND RENOVATIONS. OVER 35 YEARS experience. Please call 519-496-7539 or email ron. spncr@gmail.com

WE DO SIGNS OF ALL KINDS!

line

MY NAME

job title address

Phone: 555-555 -5555 Fax: 555-555-5555 my@email.com www.mydomai n.com

2999

$

plus tax

Specializing in Posters, Banners & Trade Show Booths

Our Everyday Low Price!

500 FULL COLOUR BUSINESS CARDS Make a Great First Impression at a Great Price!

• With or without UV gloss (1 side) • Single sided • Full Colour • 12 pt C1S stock • Print ready file

Car Wraps Also Available!

All classified advertising is prepaid. Ads will be accepted in person, email, or phone during regular office hours. Deadline is Wednesdays by 10am. Order online at: observerxtra.com/classifieds.

Residential: $9 per 20 words

(20¢ per extra word) Commercial: $15 per 20 words

(30¢ per extra word) Please call or email Donna Rudy:

519-669-5790 ext 104 donna@woolwichobserver.com

Indoor & Outdoor Signage Huge assortment of materials to print on Laminating, sewing, wind slits, grometting available Hardware included • Installation available

NEWSLETTERS

Retractable Banners

Raptor, Magnum, Frontier, Extreme Frontier

Get Your Message Out And Keep People Informed!

AS LOW AS

$

12995

• We have an In-house Graphics team to help with the perfect design, or supply your own print-ready file

Call today

for more information!

Our consultants are always available to price your project!

• These banners are excellent for trade shows and presentations • They are affordable, lightweight, durable and easy to setup or take down • Includes padded carry bag • Full colour, single sided

Call Today to Get Started!

ARTWORK EXTRA

Have You Written A Book?

Call for a copy of our Idea Guide for a full listing of available products • • • •

Sell it in the Observer

KARATE! IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL CLASSES AVAILABLE SCHWEITZER'S MARTIAL ARTS. Self-defense, Self-discipline, Self-confidence.

GROUP CLASSES FOR AGES 4 TO ADULT. Taught by Renshi Becky Schweitzer, 4th Degree Black Belt and 5X World Karate Champion. Location Heidelberg Community Centre - 2915 Lobsinger Line, Heidelberg.

Our Winter 10 week session $120+HST Begins Nov. 22.

Call 519-580-1418 or e-mail becky_schweitzer@hotmail.com

WINDOW TREATMENTS; BLINDS MANUAL AND MOTORized, shutters, window film. Call for an estimate. 519-577-1750.

MY COMPANY

my company tag

Coming Events

We can help you get your book into print!

Lawn Bag Signs

• Family History Books • Cookbooks Inquire about our • Manuals • Catalogues Publishing Packages • Children’s Books and free Author’s Guide

M&T Printing Group is Ready to Serve You

675 DAVENPORT RD., WATERLOO • 519-804-0017 www.mtprint.com

DOOR HANGERS

Catch the attention of your prospects and drive traffic to your business!

Large enough to include plenty of information, but small enough to provide budget friendly pricing and easily distributed.

Thursday, November 11, 2021 | THE OBSERVER

C L A S S I F I E D S | 19

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

Community Information Page ONLINE PUBLIC CONSULTATION CENTRE DUKE STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

The Township of Woolwich has retained IBI Group to design the reconstruction of Duke Street from First Street East to Church Street East in Elmira.

This reconstruction includes the replacement of existing underground storm, sanitary, watermain, the installation of curb and new sidewalks.

Subject to Council approval, construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2023 with completion expected in the fall of 2023.

Due to COVID-19, a formal in person Public Consultation Centre (PCC) will not be held. In absence of the formal in person PCC, the Township has prepared an information package detailing general project information and frequently asked questions.

In addition to the material contained in the information package, you are invited to an Online Public Consultation Centre (PCC).

To view on the proposed reconstruction design and to provide your feedback please visit the Online PCC, available from November 15th to December 3rd, 2021 at https://dukestreetreconstructionwoolwich.com Documents posted on the Online PCC include: 1. Plan view drawings of Duke Street showing proposed road and sidewalk layouts 2. Description of the proposed works and changes 3. Plan and profile drawings showing underground works 4. General construction information 5. Comment Sheet – to be returned by December 10th, 2021 If you need assistance with the Online PCC or require an alternative format of the materials presented, please contact a member of the Project Team below: Mr. Ian Vaughan Mr. Arend Lootsma, P.Eng. Engineering Project Supervisor Project Manager Township of Woolwich IBI Group Phone: 519-669-6031 Phone: 519-585-2255 E-mail: ivaughan@woolwich.ca E-mail: arend.lootsma@ibigroup.com

TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH

Peel Street Bridge Pedestrian Conversion Structure 270148 NOTICE OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION CENTRE The Township of Woolwich is hosting a Public Consultation Centre (PCC) to review potential design alternatives for Structure 270148 (Peel Street Bridge / Winterbourne Bridge), a two-span steel truss bridge located on Peel Street, approximately 600 metres west of Katherine Street, in the settlement of Winterbourne. The steel truss structure has been closed since 2017 due to significant structural deterioration observed during an enhanced bridge inspection. Woolwich Council has made the decision to rehabilitate the bridge for pedestrian and cyclist use.

An integral component of this project is consultation with directly affected stakeholders, agencies and the general public.

An Online Public Consultation Centre has been arranged to provide an overview of the intent of the project, a review of the structural deficiencies and repairs required, as well as various design options including the configuration of the new pathway over the bridge, the material of the bridge deck and styles of the new railings. Modifications to the roadway at each approach of the bridge will also be discussed.

The PCC presentation slides, and a video walkthrough of their content will be available for review starting on November 9th, 2021 on the Township’s Engineering Notice page, under the Peel Street Bridge Pedestrian Conversion tab: https://www.woolwich.ca/en/township-services/engineering-public-notices.aspx Please contact a member of the project team if you unable to review the online material and a hard copy of the materials will be provided for your review. In an effort to move forward with design and

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

construction in 2022, the project team requests that all comments are submitted no later than November 30th, 2021, to the project team members listed below: Matt Scott, P. Eng. Ryan Tucker, P.Eng. Consultant Project Manager Engineering Project Supervisor GM BluePlan Engineering Limited Township of Woolwich 650 Woodlawn Road West, Block C, Unit 2 24 Church Street West, P.O. Box 158, Guelph, ON N1K 1B8 Elmira, ON N3B 2Z6 Tel: 519-824-8150 Tel: 519-669-1647 ext. 6048 Email: matt.scott@gmblueplan.ca E-mail: rtucker@woolwich.ca Information will be collected in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, please note all comments will become part of the public record.

This Notice first issued November 4th, 2021. https://www.woolwich.ca/en/township-services/engineering-public-notices.aspx

COVID-19 Woolwich Township Update Township Office – Open for select services The Township office is open to walk-in public traffic, with staff working a mix of in office and from home. It is recommended that you use our services offered online or phone to book an appointment before visiting the office to ensure we are available to assist you. The following services can be accessed through our website: • Tax & Water Bills can now be paid online: www.woolwich.ca/taxes • Building Permits can be applied for and paid online: www.woolwich.ca/buildingpermits • Parking Tickets can now be paid online: www.woolwich.ca/parkingtickets • Report Issues or Service Requests (By-law Enforcement, Potholes, Signs, Streetlights, Trees, Winter Maintenance, etc..) online: www.woolwich.ca/reportit For current information on facilities and services, please visit www.woolwich.ca or call 519-669-1647. For health information, call the Region of Waterloo Public Health 519-575-4400.

Council Meetings – Remote For registration, help or alternative participation options, call 519-669-6004.

Recreation Programs and Facilities As per Ontario Regulation 645/21, beginning September 22, 2021, all individuals who are entering indoor municipal recreation facilities will be required to provide proof of vaccination along with ID. Exemptions include: • Individuals under 18 years old who are entering the facility to participate in • Children under 12 years old • Individuals with a medical exemption.

Visitors to our facilities must continue to Covid pre-screen prior to entering. QR codes will be provided at the door. Please display the green checkmark upon entry. We ask for your patience & understanding as our Recreation staff work to implement these new procedures to keep our patrons, volunteers & staff safe.

For more information on Recreation Programs and Facilities, please check the Township website or call 519-514-7000.

Local Business Resources FREE masks: order your free supply of masks online at: https://forms.woolwich.ca/Small-Business-PPE-Mask-Request.

FREE COVID-19 screening kits: Visit www.chambercheck.ca to learn more and to schedule your pick-up.

COVID-19 Small Business Ambassador Program: Free program for small and medium sized businesses in the Region to minimize COVID-19 risks and boost staff and customer confidence. Get a window decal to show you completed the program.

Sign up at www.regionofwaterloo.ca/ambassador Businesses grants: https://reliefwithinreach.ca/waterloo-region/ For more information about government programs and other business supports call Jenna Morris at 519-669-6020 or email: EconomicDevelopment@woolwich.ca

Public Health Information Getting fully vaccinated protects you against hospitalization and serious outcomes caused by COVID-19. Every single person who gets vaccinated helps to build up our wall of protection against COVID-19 in Waterloo Region. Get vaccinated today: www.regionofwaterloo.ca/GetVaccinated

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

20 | C L A S S I F I E D S

ↆ F A M I L Y

A LB UM

Birth Notice

NEILSON MARTINEZ Born to Matt Neilson and Blanca Martínez Mercado, of Elmira ON, on Monday Oct. 25, 2021, a daughter, Anna Sofía, weighing 4.16 kg, at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener.

Proud grandparents are Mike and Joanne Neilson of Willowbrook, SK, and Salvador Martínez Miralda and Blanca Mercado Garcia of Puebla, PUE, MX.

Birthday

Obituary

Obituary

Martin, Willis B.

Martin, Esther

Passed away peacefully at St. Mary’s General Hospital and went to be with the Lord on Saturday, October 30, 2021 in his 86th year. Loving husband of Elsie Martin for 62 years. Dear father of Lorraine (Dennis) Freeman of Elmira, Karen (Ray) Martin of Elmira, Curvin (Brenda) Martin of Ariss, Nevin (April) Martin of Elmira, Joyce (Marlin) Gingrich of Conn. Lovingly remembered by 18 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. Will be missed by siblings Marie and Melvin Brubacher, Walter and Florence Martin, Wayne and Doreen Martin, and his in-laws Oscar and Dorothy Martin, Mary Bauman, Clayton and Alice Metzger. Predeceased by his parents Ivan and Alice Martin, son Marvin Martin (1988), and brother-inlaw Mervin Bauman (2021). Visitation was held from 2-5 and 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, November 7, 2021 at DM Horst Shop, 4921 Arthur St. N., RR 1, Elmira.

A private family service took place at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 8, 2021 at the Dreisinger Funeral Home then North Woolwich Mennonite Meeting House for burial and service by invitation.

Peacefully on Sunday, November 7, 2021 at Grand River Hospital, Esther (Bowman) Martin of RR 2, West Montrose, at the age of 79. Wife of the late Daniel Martin for five years.

Mother of Rebecca and Edwin Martin of St. Jacobs, Aden and Lydia Martin of Matheson, Alvin and Irene Martin of Matheson, Isaiah and Anna Martin of Englehart, Henry and Maryann Martin of Val Gagne, Oscar and Ruth Martin of West Montrose. Also survived by 23 grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Sister-in-law of Paul and Adeline Martin of Matheson.

Sister of Anson Bowman of Kitchener, Aden and Elsie Bowman of Listowel, Elmeda and Harvey Martin of Mount Forest, Erla (Mrs. Amsey) Martin of Mount Forest, Herman and Lovina Brubacher of West Montrose, Melinda and Onias Martin of West Montrose.

Predeceased by her husband Daniel Martin (October 24, 2021), her parents Elam and Velina (Wideman) Bowman, her sisters Elizabeth (Mrs. Paul) Martin, Seleda (Mrs. Herman) Brubacher, brother-in-law Amsey Martin, daughter Hannah Martin, one granddaughter, one greatgranddaughter and Daniel’s first wife Lydia (Brubacher) Martin (2015).

Viewing took place at the family home, 1230 Jigs Hollow Road, West Montrose, on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 4 - 7 p.m. A family service was held on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at the home, followed by burial and public service in Winterbourne Mennonite Cemetery.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Ken Brohman is 80!

Obituary

100% LOCAL

Thur, Ronald “Ron”

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Death Notices BAKER, JOHN ALEXANDER - 1939 - 2021

John had a short battle with cancer which ended on October 31, 2021. Formerly of Elmria.

KOCH, MARGARET - Margaret Lorraine

Koch, 89, of Tavistock and formerly of Wellesley passed away peacefully at Woodstock General Hospital on Sunday, November 7, 2021.

Sell it in the Observer All classified advertising is prepaid. Ads will be accepted in person, email, or phone during regular office hours. Deadline is Wednesdays by 10am. Order online at: observerxtra.com/classifieds.

ↆ P U Z Z L E

After saying his goodbyes and surrounded by his family Ron passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at the age of 87 years. He is survived by his loving wife Elizabeth Anne (Forwell) of 67 years.

Beloved father of Susan Thur, Steven (Lois) Thur, Kathy Lynn (Joe) Martin and Laurie (Barry) Guild. He will be missed by his ten grandchildren Becky, Kyle, Chris, Holly, Ashley, Carla, Sarah, Adam, Mitchell and Matthew; nine great-grandchildren Alexander, Makenzie, Jaxson, Malia, Jamie, Ava, Imogen, Paisley, and Connor. Survived by his sister Grace Moyer, brother Walter (Dianne) and sister Phyllis Gorman; and many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his parents Emma (Klinck) and Wilfred Thur, sister Margaret Floto, brothers-in-law Jack Moyer and James Gorman. Ron spent 14 years trucking with W. Thur and Sons before joining Elmira Real Estate which he managed for 38 years. Ron was a member of the Elmira Lions Club for 50 years. He was given the Melvin Jones Award.

He was a member of the Real Estate Board and Elmira Businessmen’s Association. One of his favourite spots was Gooselake Hunt Club being an active member for 65 years.

Fishing, another passion, took him far and wide. Ron spent 30 years with Birdland Homes and took great pride in the development. Ron enjoyed curling and golf in Elmira, clearing the fields of rocks for fairways in it’s early stages of the golf course. After retiring, he was able to really enjoy time with family and friends at their cottage on Lake Huron. The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to the nurses, caregivers and friends who helped and supported the family in allowing Ron to fulfill his wish to live out his days at his residence.

He has requested cremation and no visitation. A private family gathering will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations to St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation for equipment or Grand River Hospital Foundation - Regional Cancer Centre would be appreciated and can be made through the Dreisinger Funeral Home. ❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

S OL U T ION S

Solutions for this week's puzzles. * 5 ( % (

/ ( 9 $ 1 7

$ * ( 1 ' $

1 $ 5 .

0 ( ( 9 $ 6 % , & $ % ( 7 6

Game action from the Nov. 4 EDSS home game that saw the junior boys' squad defeat Cameron Justine Fraser Heights 36-0, while the senior boys beat the visitors 19-0.

' , 6 7 $ /

, & ( $ ; (

/ 2 5 ' / <

' , 6 5 ( 3 $ , 5

6 $ 3 1 , , 1 6 ( 6

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

$ & $ ,

6 ( : 1

$ / . $ 1 ( 7

& 2 $ 7

$ . , 1

( 1 1 8 , 6

+ $ $ 1 1 < 7 * & + & 2 8 $ 0 6 0 ( ( 2 ) 2 8 5 7 ( ' $ , & . ' ( 6 / 2 / 8 6 7

0 $ 7 5 2 1

( * 2 , 6 7

, 6 / ( 7

0 $ 0 2 ' $ $ ' <

7 8 1 $

2 5 , 1 * 6

7 ( ( 3 ( (

3 2 1 * ( (

$ ' ' ( 1 '

' ( ( ' 6

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021 | 21

Living Here

It's about all of us.

Leading the way reporting about the people and places of home.

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com Report it: observerxtra.com/tips

St. Mary's wins award

KWAR raises funds

St. Mary’s General Hospital last week received the Provincial Conversation Rate Award for outstanding efforts integrating organ and tissue donation into end-of-life care. Recognized by Ontario Health (Trillium Gift of Life Network), St. Mary’s assisted five donors who gave the gift of life.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors raised more than $15,000 for four local shelter-based charities – A Better Tent City, House of Friendship, Indwell, and Lutherwood – through its second annual KW Realtors Run. The anytime, anywhere walk or run took place over the week of Sept. 24 to Oct. 1 with the support of 73 participants.

It’s hot apple pie writ large Elmira’s Gale Presbyterian bakes up 1,400 pies for annual fundraising campaign that’s been going for 16 years Justine Fraser Observer Staff

THE SWEET SMELL OF CINNAMON and apples filled the building as volunteers placed homemade pies into white boxes, piling them high towards the ceiling.

Members of Gale Presbyterian Church in Elmira got together last week for their annual apple pie fundraiser.

Since 2005 the freshly made pies are part of annual fall tradition for the church to help offset costs such as the building’s mortgage, with the organization donating a portion back into the community when it can.

“We’ve raised over $199,000 in this fundraiser over the years. People wanted to work together,

they wanted to accomplish something. You’ll notice we have a progress board over here we keep track of number of shells, number of boxes made – it’s kind of a competition between the two and people enjoy it,” said Lee Coulman, a volunteer with the church.

Melanie Dow, coordinator of the fundraiser, said the group made a total of 1,440 pies in three days. She saw volunteers as young as 3 years of age picking apples.

“Last year was our biggest, we did 1,512 pies.

It ranges based on what our orders are, and the number of volunteers we have. We have people asking us for pies from all over the place; we have people delivering them to Cambridge, Wingham gets → APPLE PIE 23

Volunteers at Gale Presbyterian roll out the dough used for making more than 1,400 apple pies over a three-day period.

Justine Fraser

How lung restoration improves organ availability DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was reading about lung restoration and innovation in the field of lung transplantation. Can you share more about this?

ANSWER: Over the past several years, devices outside the body have been used to evaluate human lungs donated for organ transplant before the lungs are transplanted. In the future, lung restoration may increasingly be used to treat donated lungs to make them healthier, so they could be viable for a transplant. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a device known as the Xvivo Perfusion System with

▢ Mayo Clinic

Professional Clinical Health Advice

Steen Solution Perfusate, which is being used at Mayo Clinic in Florida, in a model constructed to make organs available regionally. Other systems are being investigated.

A lung transplant can be a lifesaving procedure for people with serious lung diseases, such as pulmonary hypertension, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis. But the number of lungs available for transplant consistently falls far short of the number of people waiting for a lung transplant.

In addition to a shortage of donors, in many cases, the lungs of those who have volunteered to be organ donors are not suitable for transplant. Statistics show that about 80% of all the lungs available for transplant are deemed not suitable for transplantation. That means only about 20% of donated lungs are transplanted.

To combat this problem, researchers have been investigating the potential of lung restoration over the past decade. In research studies, this approach appears to show promise in helping health care providers better assess the health of donated lungs and possibly improve the function of some donated

lungs to the point that they could be suitable for a transplant.

Better assessment of donated lungs is crucial because in some cases, it is difficult to tell if the lungs may be healthy enough for a transplant. In these borderline situations, the lungs may not be used for transplant.

Through lung restoration, however, donated lungs can be removed from a deceased donor, preserved and attached to a ventilator outside the body. Blood or a blood substitute is circulated through the lungs, and the lungs are tested for circulation and airway pressure to see if they can be transplanted. In addi-

tion, samples can be taken from those lungs, and bronchoscopies and X-rays can be performed on them to assess their function further.

In the future, researchers are looking to take this process a step further and treat donated lungs to make them healthier. For example, in some cases, the lungs may become flooded with fluid after a person dies – a condition called pulmonary edema.

It is possible the excess fluid could be drawn out of the lung tissue after the lungs have been removed from the donor. Doing so could improve their function and make the lungs suitable for a transplant. It is also possible

that marginal donor lungs could be treated to reverse lung injury, making them clinically viable for transplant.

As the technology for lung restoration advances, the hope is that it will considerably increase the number of lungs available for transplant. The need for organ donors always will be great, though, so if you haven't done so already, consider becoming an organ donor. Being an organ donor is a generous and worthwhile decision that can save lives. ↆ Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.

Thank you to all those past and present who have fought for our country. We so often take our freedom for granted and must remember the AD SPOT - NON PRINTING sacrifices so many have made.

LEST WE FORGET – Leroy's Auto Care

Two locations in Elmira to serve you better

20 Oriole Parkway E. | 47 Industrial Drive

Tel: (519) 669-1082

www.leroysautocare.net

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

22 | L I V I N G H E R E

ↆ C O M M U N I T Y

E V E NTS

Chocolate and cheese for a change

CAL ENDAR

N “A GOOD JOB DONE EVERY TIME”

Kleensweep Carpet Care

Rugs and Upholstery

•Mattress Cleaning •Residential •Commercial •Personalized Service •Free Estimates West Montrose, ON

T. 519.669.2033

COLLEEN

Cell: 519.581.7868

Truck & Trailer Maintenance Cardlock Fuel Management

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

MATERIAL HANDLING & PROCESSING SYSTEMS

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

www.mgmill.com

NANCY KOEBEL

Bus: 519.744.5433

Freedom 55 Financial is a division of The Canada Life Assurance Company

Email: nancy.koebel@f55f.com Individual life insurance, mortgage insurance, business insurance, employee benefits programs, critical illness insurance, disability coverage,

RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, LIFs and Annuities.

652 Waterbury Lane, Waterloo 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

TOTAL HOME ENERGY SYSTEMS

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

YOUR OIL, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS AND AIR CONDITIONING EXPERTS VERMONT Castings

11 HENRY ST. - UNIT 9, ST. JACOBS

519.664.2008

Woolwich

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16 ▢ Tuesday Take-out Luncheon at Gale Presbyte-

rian. Drive-thru pick up between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. $12 per meal. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, vegetable, salad, bread and dessert. RSVP to Marilyn by Saturday, November 13 (519-669-5734 or atcoupal@rogers.com)

Vacuum Sales, Repairs Se Service All Makes & Models

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18 ▢ It's the Thought that Counts. Many of us have

more negative thoughts than positive thoughts daily. Negative thoughts, overly high expectations, & worry tend to worsen our moods. Jannah Tudiver, Social Worker at Woolwich Community Health Centre will discuss how to become familiar with your patterns of negative & anxious thinking and practice ways to respond effectively. This event is virtual will be held at noon. Email gberihun@wchc. on.ca to receive your Zoom link.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19

9 Church St. E., Elmira

519-669-8362 Email: elmiravacuum@gmail.com

Quality & Service you can trust.

obody likes change.

Even good change can be stressful. Although loose change is always a great thing to find!

Two things that also start with a “Ch” sound are chocolate and cheese, which of course makes you think, “how could I eat chocolate and cheese at the same time?”

The answer of course is chocolate-cheesecake squares!

To melt chocolate I’m not a big fan of doing it in the microwave, as it tends to get scorched and requires a lot of nuking in small increments, and stirring in between.

What’s more efficient is

CHEF DUFF

Recipes from the chef's table

to place in a stainless bowl cut up pieces and put on top of a pot of simmering but not boiling water and allow to melt gently, stirring occasionally with a spatula.

When this comes out of the oven and cools completely you can cut into squares and pick up with your fingers like a brownie! How exciting is that?

It’s far less cumbersome than a typical sticky cheesecake, which can be problematic to serve.

▢ Knights of Columbus Take-Out Fish Fry. $20 per

adult, $10 12 years and under. Orders will be available for pick up at the Parish Hall entrance, St. Teresa of Avila Church from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Pre-purchased tickets available November 6 – 17 at the parish office from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or by calling 519-669-3387. Please indicate the time you wish to pick up your order.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23

21 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.2884 | martinselmira.com

▢ Bone Health and Osteoporosis. Woolwich

Community Health Centre will host Dr. Lora Giagregorio, Dept. of Kinesiology U of W to help us learn how bones change throughout the lifespan & about osteoporosis. How to manage osteoporosis & how to be proactive about bone health. This is a virtual event held at 6:30 p.m. To receive your Zoom link email gberihun@wchc.on.ca

Education and Treatment

Your First Step to Better Hearing

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 ▢ Managing Grief. All of us experience losses in

our lifetime but sometimes we struggle with what we can do to support others experiencing grief.

Join Julie Schelter, Hospice Coordinator at Woolwich Community Health Centre for this presentation about grief at 6:30 p.m. We will explore together what people may be experiencing, ways to reach out to someone who has been impacted by a loss and how to support them through their healing. For your Zoom link to this virtual event email gberihun@wchc.on.ca

WOOLWICH RESIDENTS SUPPORT FUND The WRSF will initially address the anticipated unprecedented needs that many Woolwich residents will experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the WRSF will continue to address ongoing needs experienced by Woolwich residents long after the pandemic has ended.

• Volunteer Opportunities • Projects & News • Sub-Committee updates

SANYO CANADIAN

33 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.1591

ↆ The Community Events Calendar is reserved for non-profit local events that are offered free to the public. Placement is not guaranteed. Registrations, corporate events, open houses and similar events do not qualify for free advertising. See complete policy online. All submissions are to be made online at observerxtra.com/event-listing/.

Healthy Communities

charlene@bauerhearing.com 25 Industrial Drive, Elmira

MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

Access to the Fund is available by contacting: Community Care Concepts of Woolwich, Wellesley and Wilmot Woolwich Community Services Woolwich Counseling Centre Woolwich Community Health Centre Fund Administrator: Woolwich Community Services

The place to get involved.

519-669-9919

Woolwich Township Ward 1 Councillor

Chocolate-Cheesecake Squares ▢ 4-1/2 cups chocolate graham crack crumbs

▢ 1/3 cup cornstarch

▢ 2/3 cup melted butter

▢ 1 cup sour cream

▢ 2 pkg. cream cheese

(room temp)

▢ 3/4 cup brown sugar 1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 2. In a bowl, combine crumbs and butter until blended: press into greased 9 x 9 cake pan. Bake for about 10 min and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth; beat in cornstarch until blended. Beat eggs,

519.514.6051

pmerlihan@woolwich.ca

www.merlihan.com

healthywoolwich.org

▢ 2 tsp. vanilla ▢ 8 oz. dark chocolate, melted

one at a time. Beat in sour cream then vanilla until blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate.

4. Pour into baked crust and spread evenly.

5. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until edges are puffed and centre is slightly jiggly.

Let cool completely in pan on rack. Will keep refrigerated up to two days.

ↆ Chef Bruce Duff is the operator of “Chef Duff at RiverSong” Banquet hall, Café and Culinary Centre just outside of St. Jacobs, which hosts private events, banquets, team building and cooking classes and also run breakfast and lunch in the café from Wed. – Sat; info@chefduff.ca.

ↆ S U D O K U

How can I help you?

▢ 2 eggs

Thursday, November 11, 2021 | THE OBSERVER

L I V I N G H E R E | 23

ↆ X - W O R D The Observer Crossword looks to challenge you and get your brain firing on all synapes. This crossword is only published in The Observer handcrafted exclusively for our audience. Happy word-smithing!

66. 16 1/2 feet 68. Small finch 69. Done secretively 73. Boys 74. Japanese verse 75. Bar 76. Bridge toll unit 77. Computer acronym 78. Having lungs 79. Arable land put to sod 80. Worshipped in

Tai folklore 81. State of inactivity

DOWN 1. Cousin of a loon 2. Region in Asia 3. "To do" list 4. Informant 5. Ruin 6. Be a busybody 7. Common allergen 8. Wonder berry 9. Iced, with "up" 10. Put up, as a picture 11. "___ calls?"

12. ______ of honour 13. Altruist's opposite 14. Crow's home 15. Number next to

a plus sign

23. You can spend

it in Romania 24. As a result 27. ___ ____ of the closet

Erv Wiens Preaching www.elmiramennonite.ca 58 Church St. W., Elmira • 519-669-5123

WOODSIDE

▢ 1 cup (8 ounces) heavy cream

unflavored gelatin

29. Tablelands 31. Alkanna tinctoria, 32. Checked item 33. Small part 35. Characteristics

of a robot

37. "Chicago" lyricist 38. Compete 39. Deed 40. Bedouin 42. Key 43. Bygone bird 44. Build (on) 45. ___ Day 47. Half human and

half cobra 48. Gets mad 52. English 54. Away from the center of the body 55. Climbing tool 56. Noble 57. Liqueur flavorers 58. French for trouble 59. "___ not!"

61. Rubber gaskets 62. Chinese plainwoven fabric 65. Building blocks of life 67. Accomplishments 69. Alternative to plastic 70. Vermin 71. Blood-related 72. Charlie, for one 74. Pillbox, e.g.

9:30 am

Exodus and Our Faith Journey:

pie-dough (homemade or storebought)

▢ 1 tablespoon

D IR ECTOR Y

Nineteen Comes Before Twenty

Elmira Mennonite Church

▢ 1 single-crust

ↆ F A I T H

▢ America's Test Kitchen Rigorously tested recipes that work.

chill it. (Well, we still bake the crust by blind-baking the crust by itself; then we chill the baked crust and its nonbaked filling.)

How does that work, you ask? We use gelatin in the filling. Gelatin is a kind of protein. It's made up of long, thin molecules. When gelatin is mixed with a hot liquid, its molecules are loose and flexible, and they move

around a lot -- the liquid stays liquid. But when the temperature gets colder, the gelatin molecules slow down and start to get tangled, kind of like earbuds when they're in your pocket. Eventually, they get so tangled that they trap the liquid inside.

The liquid can't move around or flow: it becomes a solid -- in this case, a smooth, sliceable, solid pumpkin pie filling.

A quick tip: You could also use a store-bought pie crust so there is truly no baking involved.

Easy No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

Mammary, etc 7. Ottoman title 12. ____ physics 16. Get back 17. Indian ___ 18. Ancient 19. Extremely 20. Made of fine linen 21. Struck with the outer end of the head of a golf club 22. Financing 24. Balderdash 25. Bankrupt 26. Duel tool 27. Elect 28. Pack (down) 30. Not included 34. Canal locale 36. Friable soil 37. Escape 41. Moundlike hill of poorly sorted drift 42. Mosque V.I.P. 46. Baking Sodad 49. "All ___ are off!"

50. Arab League member 51. Mother Mary 52. Period 53. Athletic supporter?

54. Run down 60. At the peak of 63. Representative 64. Cutlet?

ACROSS 1. Salivary, Sweat,

ost pumpkin pies – like the ones on your Thanksgiving table every year -- have fillings that contain pumpkin puree, cream, sugar, spices and eggs. Because of the eggs, which make the filling nice and thick, these pies need to be baked, often for a long time. In our pumpkin pie, however, we don't use eggs. Instead, we use gelatin – the same ingredient that is in Jell-O! And instead of baking our pie, after heating up the gelatin and the pumpkin in the microwave, we

M

Pumpkin pie is a fall staple

Join Us Online Each Sunday

woodsidechurch.ca/live

▢ 1 (15-ounce) can

unsweetened pumpkin puree, opened

▢ 3/4 cup (5 1/4

ounces) sugar

▢ 1/4 cup maple syrup ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

1. 1. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, whisk cream and gelatin until all the gelatin looks wet (mixture will be slightly lumpy). Let mixture sit for 5 minutes.

pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger until combined. Heat the pumpkin mixture in the microwave until steaming, about 2 minutes.

2. Heat the gelatin mixture in the microwave for 1 minute.

Whisk until smooth and syrupy. Set aside.

4. Add the gelatin mixture to the pumpkin mixture and carefully whisk until well combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the filling into the pre-baked,

3. In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk

▢ 1/2 teaspoon

ground cinnamon

▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

▢ Vegetable oil spray

cooled pie crust. Gently shake the pie so the filling spreads evenly to the edges. Let the pie cool for 10 minutes.

5. Lightly spray a sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable oil spray.

Gently press the greased plastic onto the filling.

Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours or up to two days. Slice pie into wedges and serve.

ↆ For 25 years, confident cooks in the know have relied on America's Test Kitchen for rigourously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. See more online at www. amercastestkitchen.com

APPLE PIE: Process altered due to the pandemic → FROM 21

a bunch – they go everywhere these pies. People are asking for them.”

A woman who used to attend a church in Paisley brought the unique apple pie recipe to the congregation 16 years ago. It uses simple ingredients and a hardy pastry. It was popular, leading to the idea to use the recipe as a fundraiser when the Gale community was looking to build a new church on Barnswallow Drive to replace the Cross Street building.

“That’s how it started and that was our original fundraiser when we were looking at moving – so the first year they raised something like $4,000, and it kept going up from there,” said Coulman.

“I don’t think anybody thought it would be this big of a fundraiser and it would go this long – not just for the pies, but to be able to work together.”

Dow noted the large space at Gale’s current

location has made it easier to do fundraisers like this during the pandemic, maintaining public health guidelines along the way.

“Before at the old church we were in just a small little basement so we could only make so much in the space, but I think now that we’re a large size, we have the capacity to do it. I think people feel more comfortable coming in a large space, as well, especially with everything going on right now.”

As with last year, pandemic protocols see the pies being given out at the front entrance of the church instead of in the back where the pie production was happening. Dow said she misses seeing people’s faces as they watched the volunteers’ streamlined process of making pies and breathed in the smell of the apples being peeled. “’Here’s a fresh pie that literally was made five minutes ago that you’re taking home now’ – I think

they were just in awe of that stuff,” said Dow. A variety of apples go into baking the pies, with Dow suggesting the hardier apples were better.

“If you want to get sticky, you’re doing the apple peeling and you’re doing the mixing. If you like the dough stuff and keeping a little drier, then you’re doing that stuff.

It’s a neat production, how it works. Boxes and shells for day one, two and three. Next will be apple peeling and then it goes to mixing the apples with our mix inside, we’re making more pastry tops still, and then we fill the shell bottoms, put the tops on, crimp them, bag them, box them, then out the door,” she explained of the process.

Everything is made fresh from scratch in advance of last weekend’s pickup. More details can be found at the Gale Presbyterian website, www. galepresbyterian.com.

24 | T H E B A C K PA G E

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, November 11, 2021

VINYL

VINYL

M-F

9-6 SAT

9-6 SUN

10-5

IN STOCK!

CLICK VINYL PLANKS

1

IN STOCK! SPC CLICK VINYL PLANKS

$ 00

$ 55

3X1 2 MFAT T E O R G LO SY ROM

$

3

LAMINATE

Premier Doug Ford (middle) visited the Wellesley Township poppy display at the Nov 9. He was joined by Joe Doherty of the ELmira Legion, Barb Nowak, Beth Schleuter, Wendy Richardson, Mayor Submitted Joe Nowak and MPP Mike Harris.

PIVOT: Looking ahead, company eyes U.S. destinations →FROM 6

Montreal,” said regional Chair Karen Redman in a statement. “We believe this service will encourage investment and create jobs in our community. Every seat bought out of YKF strengthens our local economy.

Construction is currently underway on a terminal expansion that will accommodate further growth and investment in the region.”

Pivot’s timing reflects a growing confidence in a return to air travel, Henderson noted.

“We certainly feel that

the market is there. We’ve been watching the trends and the strengthening in the market. We had a few bellwether events that we were watching, like the opening of the border to United States and the ability to fly into the Maritimes ; we see all these bellwether events passing and we’re fairly confident that people will be comfortable flying,” he said, noting the industry has a host of measures in place to increase public health.

“It’s nice to know the person sitting beside you is going to be double

vaccinated, and Transport Canada has put in a lot of processes to ensure that it’s safe to fly. We have a very detailed sanitization process for the aircraft that we brought in many months ago for the charter work we’ve been doing. So I think people will be comfortable flying. I think we have a good product.”

Down the road, Pivot is eyeing flights to U.S. destinations from Breslau. Under consideration are Boston and Philadelphia, with Nashville topping the priority list, said Henderson.

FROM

49 PER SQ FT

REG 6.99

IN STOCK!

12MM THICK LAMINATE

1 $ 99

$ 57 L U X U RY

FROM

TILE

FROM

C LPER I CSQ KFT VIN Y L REG 3.99

1

PER SQ FT

REG 2.99

IN STOCK!

CARRARA TILE

$ 199

$ 99

1

HARDWOOD FROM

PER SQ FT

3

67 PER SQ FT

REG 6.99

HIGH GLOSS LAMINATE

199

$ 97

5 ” T H I C K W I R E B RU S H E D

ENGINEERED

FROM PER OA K HA R DWO OSQ D FT

$

3

REG 3.99

BACKSPLASH FROM

PER SQ FT

REG 6.99

IN STOCK!

12X24 POLISHED

FROM

Gary Van Ankum – Member of Recognized Consultants

$

LAMINATE FROM

8” X 8”

H E X AG N. 9 9 R EO G 3 TILES

IN STOCK!

H I G H - G LO S S L A M I N AT E

Nutrient Management Plans & Strategies

FROM

PER SQ FT

HAND PRESS R EE GD 2.99 WA L L T I L E S

1

4MM THICK

PER SQ FT

REG 3.99

PER SQ FT

REG 3.99

IN STOCK!

GLASS & STONE BACKSPLASH

1 2

$ 99 8” X 8”

PRINTED T IPER L ESQ S FT FROM

$ 99 HARDWOOD FROM

REG 6.99

PER SQ FT

REG 6.99

IN STOCK!

100’S OF NEW

CLICK ENGINEERED

HANDSCRAPED HARDWOOD 12” X 24”

$

2 99 1

99

P O RC E L A I N TILES

519-820-3799

7668 8th Line

$

FROM

garyva@cleanfield.biz

Drayton

FROM

Rent soft water starting at

$9.95

mth

*for first three months

PER SQ FT

REG 5.99

PER SQ FT

REG 2.99

IN STOCK!

MDF PRIMEDNWHITE EW

P RO D U C T !

BASEBOARDS

MORE STYLES AND 47 ” W I D E V I N Y L SIZES TO CHOOSE

67 65

STA I R T R E A D S

¢ 99

ST E P & R I S E R I N C L U D E D

$

FROM

.com 519.744.2248

427 Gage Ave • Kitchener

FROM

WWW.

E A/LIN CH

FT

3/4” THICK AREA NATURAL RUGS HARD MAPLE

2 99

$

69

5’ X 7’

STA RT I N G F RO M

$ FROM

N O T E X A C T LY AS SHOWN

RUGS

PER SQ FT

REG 4.99

BASEBOARDS

$ FROM

0 79 PER LIN FT

REG 3.29

3/7” WIDE C O LO N I A L

4’ X 6’ $ RUGS 99 AREA CLEARANCE 5.5” WIDE

9

FROM

$

1

PER LIN FT

REG 3.29

99 2 29

C O N T E M P O RA RY

FROM

$ FROM

PER LIN FT EACH REG 3.99

REG 59.99 6” W IDE

S Q UA R E

.COM

1362 N. SKITCHENER 9AM-6PM 1 3VICTORIA 6 2 V I C TOST RIA T R E E T N O RT •H MON-SAT K I TC H E N E R | 5SUN 1 9 . 710AM-5PM 42.9188