October 8, 2020

AD SPOT - NON PRINTING

WHERE TIRES ARE A SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDELINE. Farm - Auto - Truck - Industrial - Lawn & Garden - On The Farm Service

371 Arthur St. S., ELMIRA, ON | 519-669-3232 Ontario's #1 Weekly Community Newspaper

OCTOBER 8, 2020

This Weekend Friday

170 Saturday

220 Sunday

Living Here | 21

130

Elmira, Ontario, Canada | observerxtra.com | Volume 25 | Issue 41

Residents' group takes aim at Maryhill pit

First step taken in Woolwich to consider allowing backyard chickens

TREES FOR WOOLWICH

Letter-writing campaign to oppose Shantz Station gravel pit application underway Steve Kannon Observer Staff

HEARTENED BY ONTARIO PREMIER DOUG Ford’s commitment to stand with residents opposed to an aggregate-extraction operation proposed for Campbellville, a Woolwich group is asking local officials to follow suit.

The Hopewell Creek Residents Association (HCRA) this week delivered 262 letters to Woolwich council and Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris’ office.

The letter-writing campaign began in mid-August following Ford’s pledge to a group called ActionMilton that he would block the project.

“I am not in favour of (the Campbellville quarry). I believe in governing for the people. And when the people don’t want something you don’t do it. It’s very simple. I know the Mayor doesn’t want it, no one wants it.

I don’t want it. We are going to make sure it doesn’t happen one way or another,” Ford said in an August visit to Milton.

Those words were quickly transmitted to groups across the province with their own battles over gravel pits, including HCRA. Ford’s comments imply that overwhelming local opposition should win the day, that “you

don’t have to have it,” said association member Bonnie Bryant.

Now, residents are looking for township and regional council to vote against the proposal, solidifying the opposition, calling on Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz and regional Chair Karen Redman to support the public stance.

“In this Campbellville case the municipality stood up for the community. The mayor was against the proposal. Obviously, the strong opposition of the community, supported by elected officials made a difference to the Premier. Please, Chair Redman and Mayor Shantz, lead your councils to the right decision for the Region of Waterloo, the Township of Woolwich and the Village of Maryhill,” the group writes in the letter delivered this week.

“Please stand with the community in going to the Premier to say ‘we don’t want the gravel pit… no one wants it…’”

“We have 262 letters saying ‘stop this pit,’” Bryant said in an interview.

“They need to stand up with their residents, not the applicant,” she added of local politicians.

The campaign takes aim at Capital Paving’s bid to develop an extraction operation on a

FALL BACK INTO

Steve Kannon Observer Staff

A Trees for Woolwich event in Bloomingdale Oct. 3 found Matt Cowan and Coun.

Larry Shantz (top) and Mike Ditty and Nicole Ingram out to lend a hand with the SEAN HEEGER late-season greening initiative.

→ BACKYARD CHICKENS 2

→ GRAVEL PIT 2

ADVENTURE ENT

A SURVEY OF WOOLWICH RESIDENTS found most (70 per cent) support the idea of allowing people to raise a few chickens in residential areas.

The informal poll was carried out by the township as it looks at changing its bylaws to allow backyard coops.

To do that, the township will have to change its current comprehensive zoning and animal control bylaws. The first step in that process came at a public meeting held Tuesday night by video conference.

Current plans call for allowing up to four chickens, all of which must be hens, to be housed in a backyard structure that must be fenced to keep the animals contained to a defined space.

Manager of planning Jeremy Vink presented preliminary findings of an online survey – the township is taking input until November 1 – filled out by 149 residents thus far. Seventy per cent of respondents support the idea, though most (88 per cent) favoured restricting approvals to single-family homes; there was less support for semi-detached homes (40 per cent) and townhouses (24 per cent).

Maintaining space between

2020 OUTBACK

2020 FORESTER

WELL-EQUIPPED FROM $29,569*

Hurry in for great rates.

WELL-EQUIPPED FROM $31,894*

• Symmetrical Full-Time All-Wheel Drive

MODELS BUILT AFTER OCTOBER 2019

EV

• Amazing fuel efficiency • Award-winning safety features

AD SPOT - NON PRINTING

LEASE WEEKLY FOR

88 0.5

$

AT

%**

For 24 months with $2,022 down. 104 payments required.

APR

LEASE WEEKLY FOR

98 0.5

$

AT

%**

For 24 months with $2,331 down. 104 payments required.

APR

Limited-time offers. MSRP of ($28,695/$30,695) on the 2020 Forester CVT (LJ225)/ 2020 Outback Convenience Package CVT (LD2CP). *Advertised pricing consists of MSRP plus ($1,725/$1,800) freight and PDI, $249 Admin, $100 Tire Tax, $10 OMVIC, $20 Tire Levy, $20 PPSA Service fee charge, includes a full tank of gas.

Taxes, license, registration and insurance are extra. $0 security deposit. $1,250 Stackable Dollars may be used towards eligible purchases on select new 2020 Forester models/ $1,000 Stackable Dollars may be used towards eligible purchases on select new 2020 Outback models and can be combined with Subaru Canada supported lease and nance rates through participating Subaru Canada Dealers. **Lease rate of (0.5%/0.5%) for 24 months. Lease payments of ($88/$98) weekly with ($2,022/$2,331) down payment. Lease end value($18,626/$19,617) with ($2,509/$2,828) due on delivery. Lease based on a maximum of 20,000 km per year for 24 months, or 40,000 km total, with excess charged at $0.10/km. Subject to credit approval by Subaru Financial Services by TCCI. Leasing and nancing programs available through Subaru Financial Services by TCCI. Other lease and nance rates and terms available; down payment or equivalent trade-in may be required. Contact your Subaru dealer for details. Models shown: 2020 Forester Limited (LJ2LP) with an MSRP of $38,195/2020 Outback Convenience (LD2CP) with an MSRP of $30,695. Dealers may sell or lease for less or may have to order or trade. Vehicle(s) shown solely for purposes of illustration and may not be equipped exactly as shown. EyeSight® is a driver-assist system, which may not operate optimally under all driving conditions. The driver is always responsible for safe and attentive driving. System effectiveness depends on many factors such as vehicle maintenance, and weather and road conditions. See Owner’s Manual for complete details on system operation and limitations. Forester, Outback and Subaru are registered trademarks. Offers end October 31, 2020. Offers subject to change or cancellation without notice. See your local Subaru dealer or visit www.ontario.subarudealer.ca for complete program details.

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020

2 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Region compels self-isolation measures as it steps up attempts to stem COVID-19 DAMON MACLEAN Observer Staff

CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF a second wave of COVID-19, Waterloo Region health officials have enacted provincial legislation that compels residents to follow public health regulations.

Medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang invoked what’s known as a Section 22 order effective Tuesday morning.

While the 129 active cases at midweek is down from a week earlier (156), the numbers still remain

higher than they’d been since early on in the pandemic.

This week’s order makes it mandatory for those with a confirmed case of COVID-19, those who have symptoms and those who’ve been in close contact with some afflicted by the virus to isolate themselves without delay.

Stricter rules are needed to combat the spike in cases, Wang told regional councillors meeting Tuesday.

“We’ve heard a lot about COVID infections

75 Arthur St. South, Elmira, ON N3B 2M8

Visit our Pharmacy today!

We offer many services that may benefit you

• Medication management • Free blood pressure monitoring (Blister pack) • Free Prescription delivery • Free blood sugar monitor training (Elmira and local area) • Ostomy Supply • Compression Stockings • Seasonal flu vaccine • Travel Vaccine administration service

• Medication review Meds-Check • Incontinence products • Prescription Transfer to our pharmacy just like 1-2-3

Monday - Friday Saturday

9:00am - 6:00pm 10:00am - 3:00pm

Sunday

Closed

Tel: (519) 669-5655 Fax: (519) 669-5595 Raj Patel Pharmacist / Owner

rising predominantly in younger age groups, such as those under 40. That is true. As can be seen in our own trends in Waterloo Region … in the younger age groups, we are seeing much less severe illness and hospitalizations.

In Waterloo Region we currently have two persons hospitalized and no additional deaths, but there is an important thing to remember: infections do not stay isolated to certain age groups. We are already seeing this movement into other age groups in Ontario,” she said.

“Initially, Ontario’s second wave of COVID-19 was primarily impacting the 20- to 39-year-old age groups, but case growth is now occurring in all other age groups. Society overall has opened up much more [that people] will interact with others in various age groups, through school, through work through family or social gatherings.”

Steps are being taken to reduce transmission rates, said Wang.

“An analogy that I like to use is that of a hockey goalie. You can be a good goalie and defend against a lot of shots – that is a lot of cases coming into various settings – but if the shots come at you much quicker and at much greater frequency, it will become harder and harder to prevent a puck from getting through,” she explained.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving

112 Oriole Pkwy, Elmira www.guysanddolls.ca

519-669-8234

in the positivity rate of testing – now about seven per cent – helped convince Wang to reverse her stance on Section 22 orders, which she had previously avoided because of the onus it puts on individuals and business orders to ensure all regulations are being followed.

“We are in a very precarious time,” said Wang. “We know Toronto, Ottawa and Peel currently have the highest rates. Other midsize health unit areas like ours have also started to see increasing rates.”

In neighbouring Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, which also invoked Section 22, the numbers remain lower.

At midweek, the health unit reported 48 active cases of the coronavirus – none of them requiring

ↆ G E T T I N G

B AC K

ON

hospitalization – bringing the cumulative total to 686, of which 601 (87.6 per cent) have been deemed resolved.

The province is still dealing with a spike but a slightly lower numbers than seen last week, though the total number jumped more than 4,000 to 55,362 in the past seven days. There have been 2,987 deaths attributed to the virus – 140 additional fatalities in a week – representing a mortality rate of 5.4 per cent. The ministry reports 46,906 cases (84.7 per cent) have been resolved.

The latest numbers from Health Canada show 171,323 confirmed cases of COVID-19 nationwide, a spike of some 15,000 in the past week, with 9,530 related deaths, a mortality rate of 5.6 per cent.

T H E

IC E

The U9 minor novice LL team was on the ice Monday afternoon at the St. Jacobs arena as the Woolwich DAMON MACLEAN Minor Hockey Association resumes play.

GRAVEL PIT: Residents hope to parlay premier's words into local action →FROM 1

A big thank you to our clients for your continued support.

“So, increased community spread is like more shots on goal; it leads to more cases and more outbreaks in various settings.”

Currently sitting at 131 active cases, the region has seen 1,828 people infected since the virus was first identified here. Of those, 1,577 cases have been resolved (86 per cent).

The number of fatalities remains unchanged at 120.

Outbreaks have been declared at five locations in the region: two longterm care and retirement homes, a childcare centre and two at schools. In Woolwich Township, an outbreak was declared at St. Jacobs Day Care Inc., where one individual tested positive for the virus The higher numbers of new cases and an increase

230-acre site centered on 1195 Foerster Rd., south of Maryhill.

The Guelph-based company has applied to Woolwich for the zoning and official plan amendments needed to mine what is currently farmland. Capital Paving is leasing the site, proposing to extract gravel in five phases, with the owner

continuing to farm the land before and after each phase. The plan is to rehabilitate the entire site back to prime farmland when the project is completed.

The firm estimates the site contains three million tonnes of aggregate materials. While the pit application looks to extract 500,000 tonnes per year, Capital predicts it would remove about half that

much annually, meaning the pit would be in operation for 12 to 15 years.

Planners at the township and region are still reviewing the documents submitted by Capital Paving.

At the township, manager of planning Jeremy Vink said the work is in progress, but there’s no timeline for bringing a report to council.

Until that review is

complete and council deliberates on whatever staff recommends, councillors can’t weigh in on the proposal, said Shantz.

“As council, we have to wait for the staff report,” she said, noting expressing opinions ahead of time would fetter council’s decision.

Shantz said she expects the matter to come before council this fall.

BACKYARD CHICKENS: Township still seeking input from public →FROM 1

neighbours was a concern, with 43 per cent of respondents saying the setback requirements should be as large as possible, and just 16 per cent suggesting there should be no setbacks, said Vink.

Picking up that issue, Coun. Patrick Merlihan said the township has already heard concerns about the proximity of chicken coops to neighbours’ homes, suggesting any new bylaw could

perhaps set out that the structures should be closer to the owners’ homes rather than to neighbouring houses.

Other concerns likely to be addressed in any changes to the bylaws would be prohibiting the sale of eggs and manure, as well as the slaughter of animals on the premises, an issue raised by the Region of Waterloo Public Health department, Vink noted.

Tuesday’s public input

session featured just one delegation, Elmira couple Voicu Goga and Victoria Steadman, who spoke in favour of allowing chickens to be kept in residential areas.

Addressing concerns raised about potential odour issues, Steadman noted Elmira has a history of such problems. She suggested people raising chickens would tend to the animals like pets, avoiding any problems with smell.

Complaints and prob-

lems related to chicken coops prompted the City of Waterloo to reverse its approval for the practice, Vink noted, though the practice continues in Kitchener and Guelph, for instance.

This week’s meeting was strictly an input session.

Councillors won’t be making any decisions until planning staff reviews all feedback and drafts a recommendation report for council’s consideration.

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 3

Page Three

If it matters to you.

It matters to us.

News tips are always welcome.

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 103 Online: observerxtra.com/tips

Home sales, prices up

From the archives

There were 758 residential homes sold through the MLS system of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors in September, the most ever recorded for the month. Sales were up 41.6% compared to the same month last year, and an increase of 8% over August. The median price of all residential properties sold in September increased 13.7% to $580,250.

The north end of the region sent a solid ‘no’ back to the region, as the upper tier government looks to introduce a pesticide-use bylaw. A day after Wellesley council passed on the notion, its Woolwich counterpart also gave the idea a thumbs down.

From the Oct. 8, 2005 edition of The Observer

WCS faces increased demand for Thanksgiving food drive

VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION

Elmira Lions Club to hold bottle drive

Damon Maclean

Service club event Oct. 17 to support Woolwich Community Services Sean Heeger Observer Staff

THANKSGIVING, ALMOST UPON US, WILL give way to Halloween.

From there, it’s an all-tooquick dash to Christmas.

Food will play a big part in all of that – even if the All Hallows’ Eve variety is of the less-healthy kind – and most of us will take it for granted.

That’s not the case for many, with the holiday season bringing increased demand for the services of food banks and other charity groups. It’s no coincidence that now is the time such organizations step up food drives and similar fundraising efforts.

You can count the Elmira Lions Club among those stepping up to help.

The organization is right now gearing up for a bottle drive fundraiser in support of the Woolwich Community Services (WCS) Christmas hamper program.

The event is scheduled for October 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Lions Hall in Elmira (40 South St. W.), the club is hoping residents will come out and support the cause in a year when they have had to cancel so many of their usual fundraisers.

“Because of COVID, we’ve had some major fundraisers that we

couldn’t go ahead with, and one is our weekly bingo… we used to raise about $30,000 every year in the bingo. And things such as the syrup festival of course [was cancelled] – our booth was cancelled there, and that’s about $6,000. We [also] have a golf tournament in May and we couldn’t run that [along with] a few other events, so we decided we had to come up with something good to help people in the community,” said club member Bert Martin. “We always supported the Christmas hamper program for the Woolwich Community Services, and this is one way we thought we could help raise some cash for it so that they could go and do some shopping – whatever they need to do to support that particular program.”

The annual program run

by WCS sees a collection of items such as toiletries, toys, hats, mittens and gift cards collected and then given out to families in need of a hand at the holidays.

Martin says he has no expectations for the drive but hopes to collect as many bottles as possible to help WCS, calling on community members to support each other, whether it is by donating to fundraisers or any other means.

JL’s Duke St building centre

Observer Staff

Joan and Krystal Degen came up with a modified Halloween idea to ensure kids in Waterloo Region could SEAN HEEGER have a reason to smile.

Area family looks to deliver Halloween to region's kids

No trick-or-treating, but candy would still arrive at the door Sean Heeger Observer Staff

AS WORRIES CONTINUE TO MOUNT over whether or not holiday events can take place this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, one area family has come up with an idea to keep the Halloween spirit alive.

There are already many ideas that have popped up in Woolwich, Wellesley and the Waterloo Region at large – note the Wellesley & District Lions Club’s trick-or-treat alternative or the Wellesley Spirit Walk – but this one is aimed at bringing safe Halloween fun to your doorstep.

Krystal Degen, organizer

of the event, came up with the idea after talking with her aunt, daughter, and sister. She wanted to be able to put a smile on the face of kids in the region because they have experienced so much loss this year thanks to COVID-19.

“We have a big family, so a lot of the kids are old enough to go trick or treating, and their faces basically inspired us to do something as a family.

The kids are devastated, they’ve had so much lost in the last year due to COVID between birthdays, maybe sweet-16s, maybe drivers’ licenses, family events, [or even] picnics.

It’s time that the commu-

nity pulls together to help bring back smiles to these kids and let them know that COVID is not the end of everything happening, it’s a pause. So why can’t we bring this back in different ways,” said Degen.

The modified Halloween event sees kids register to have candy delivered to their homes in lieu of the usual trick-or-treat process. Degen says so far more than 600 kids have been signed up and she expects many more before the closure of registration on October 25.

Some 50 volunteers have registered from

Night Hawk

TM

Carbon Monoxide Alarm

AD SPOT - NON PRINTING

5 Duke St, Elmira | Call JL’s 519.669.5488 • Text JL’s 226.979.1850

→ HALLOWEEN 24

TYPICALLY BUSY IN THE RUN-UP to Thanksgiving, Woolwich Community Services faces even larger demands due to the coronavirus situation.

More than ever, the organization is relying on the generosity of residents to restock the shelves of its food bank. The annual Thanksgiving food drive is now underway, running until the end of the month.

“The top-10 items this year are canned fruit, apple juice, sidekicks/ meal helpers, canned pasta, mayonnaise/ ketchup, chicken noodle soup/cream of mushroom soup, hot cereal, crackers, Kleenex and laundry detergent,” said WCS’s Lisa Martin.

This year there are four drop-off locations: Foodland in Elmira, Food Basics Elmira, Woolwich Community Services and the Woolwich Community Thrift Shop. In addition to food, WCS is also accepting cash donations and offering tax receipts for sums $10 and up.

The drive’s goal is to benefit low-income families, says Martin.

“We are offering more variety of our programs.

Since March, or since COVID started, we have significantly increased (usage) and have more consistency with the usage of our programs, so numbers are definitely up.” → FOOD DRIVE 4

SAVE

47% 97

Was $33.99

17

3610-551

Shop homehardware.ca and choose JL’s as your home Store.

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020

4 | COMMUNITY NEWS

FOOD DRIVE: A busy time ahead →FROM 3

and it’s just an hour of fun Wii bowling,” said Quinn.

Another event WCS The second option is to is hosting this month is participate in the ‘virtual their annual bowl-a-thon. photo/video of a fall fun Traditionally, the event activity.’ takes place at Elmira Bowl, “Send us a photo or a which has now closed. video of you Finding another Canned fruit, apple juice, connecting with your location sidekicks/meal helpers, family, wasn’t on the canned pasta, mayonfriends or agenda due naise/ketchup, chicken coworkers… to COVIDnoodle soup/cream of some ideas 19, forcing mushroom soup, hot the group cereal, crackers, Kleenex include eating to change and laundry detergent. a meal the format Top Ten items together, altogether. doing an “The activity together, or just fall family FUNdraiser is simply capturing being in support of our family together.” Submissions are violence and prevention to be sent leighanne_wcs@ program,” said Leighyahoo.ca by Oct. 16 to be Anne Quinn, “Normally, shared through social each fall we hold a bowlmedia. a-thon in support of the The final way people family violence prevention can participate is by program, but due to the simply pledging financial COVID-19 pandemic we support. have alternatives to try to “For those who don’t provide several different want to do either of those options for people.” options but still want This year there are to raise money for the three ways people can program, they can raise participate. The first pledges only, and everyway is people can gather one who raises pledges two to eight members of will get a ballot for a grand their social bubble and prize,” she explained. book a time slot at WCS More information can to play Wii Bowling in the be found online at www. community room. woolwichcommunityser“People still raise vices.org. pledges for the program

Spirit Walk scares up some fun

Wellesley Township kids to be treated to an alternative Halloween option Sean Heeger Observer Staff

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS ALTERED every facet of our lives. Now, that’s extended to that childhood favourite of putting on a costume and gathering up as much candy as possible.

While just how Halloween will play out this year remains up in the air, we do know it won’t be business as usual.

We may not see the outright cancellation other North American municipalities have opted for, but worries about the virus may prompt people to keep their kids at home and others to forego offering up treats to any tricksters who do venture out.

Just in case the worst should happen, some Wellesley Township residents have banded together to help push through a modified form of All Hallows’ Eve. Melissa Krall, organizer of the Wellesley Township Community Spirit Walk, says she and some moms bounced a few

Wellesley Township homes are adorned with spooky decorations for the Spirit Walk. SUBMITTED

ideas around in the event Halloween was cancelled.

Because of the pandemic and the restriction in place with regards to gatherings, the event proposed by Krall will put a fun spin on the time-honoured event.

“Homes within the area will be decorated for the entire month of October.

They (the participants in the walk) may choose to dress up or not and take

a stroll through the town and admire the wonderful decorations,” said Krall.

“Although we have been faced with many obstacles through our current situation with COVID, it also has awarded us the opportunity to come together as a community and come up with positive [and] creative ways to move forward and continue to enjoy celebrations. It is my

hope that we can all enjoy October’s festivities while maintaining a safe and respectful environment.”

The spirit walk got underway on Monday for those houses already decorated for Halloween, and more can sign up and be added to the list as they're ready. All homeowners and businesses are welcome to participate.

Krall says those who wish to participate can go online and send a message to her so they can be added to a map of the participating locations.

Some parents have indicated that they will be bringing candy for their children in lieu of the traditional trick-or-treat process, she added. No candy will be given out, however, she is hoping to encourage businesses to participate and offer specialty items for the month and duration of the event.

The map with the list of streets participating is now available online. The community is encouraged to come out and take part, while enjoying all that October and Halloween has to offer, said Krall.

ELMIRA BLOOD DONOR CLINIC

Your donation matters.

It matters to every patient across Canada.

Because it’s something we can do today to help others wake up healthier tomorrow.

22 Church St. W Elmira

519-669-5353

Breakfast • Coffee • Soups • Sandwiches • Donuts • Muffins • Bread • Pies • Cookies

your supplier of feeds and pet food

Hours: Mon to Sat 6am to 5:30pm | Closed Sundays & Holidays

• 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

1.800.265.6126 |

Various sizes & rates

CLEAN • DRY • SECURE 100 South Field Dr. • 519-669-4964

The Next Elmira Clinic:

at Lion’s Hall, Elmira Friday, October 16th 2:30 - 7:30 pm

Serving you for over 100 Years

OPEN 8am to 9pm | 7 DAYS A WEEK DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE Call for Details

1145 Printery Rd., St. Jacobs | TEL: 519.664.2263

SANYO CANADIAN MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

33 Industrial Dr. • 519-669-1591

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

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

RR #2 Wallenstein, Ontario

Thursday, October 8, 2020 | THE OBSERVER

COMMUNITY NEWS | 5

Mental health expert advice for coping with the second wave Sean Heeger Observer Staff

ANXIETY BY DEFINITION IS THE body’s response to stress, a feeling of fear over what is to come. In normal times, people may have felt anxiety over a big game, a job interview, or even the first day of school. All of these things were completely normal to feel a little bit of apprehension over, however, with the COVID19 pandemic currently in its second wave there are more and more things which are causing and increasing number of people to feel anxiety.

Whether the anxiety stems from the potential for losing a job, contracting the virus or struggling to figure out how to make ends meet, Laura McShane says the pandemic crisis is not something anyone planned for, a situation that causes yet more anxiety.

“A global pandemic has created a lot of stress and anxiety for people. It’s certainly not what any of

ↆ P O L I C E

us had planned when we were sitting around on New Year’s Eve, thinking about the year ahead. It’s a global pandemic, so it’s impacted every single one of us in some way.

It can cause feelings of powerlessness and maybe hopelessness. Because it’s really interfered with the regular patterns of our lives and it’s changed how we live, to a degree, and caused most of us probably to worry about what does this mean for the future of our families, our friends, our kids ourselves,” said McShane, coordinator for mental health promotion and education services with the Canadian Mental Health Association of Waterloo-Wellington.

She says normally one in five people are living with a mental health illness, but because of the pandemic she now estimates that five in five people are now struggling in one way or another.

“We’re all struggling to some degree because of the uncertainty, but we

do know that more people are struggling with their mental health and relying on maybe unhelpful or unhealthy coping mechanisms. Use of substances, drinking alcohol more, maybe engaging in risk taking behaviours, isolating themselves more, [or even] not having the capacity to reach out. It’s those unhelpful coping mechanisms [that are leading to more anxiety].

Speaking during a webinar with the Woolwich Community Health Centre, McShane suggested some tools people could use to help manage that anxiety they are feeling, one of which was to manage the things that we have control over in our lives.

“If we’re engaged in a board game or we’re reading a book, or we’re cooking and baking, or creating something doing something crafty or artistic, our minds are otherwise engaged. Worrying and worrying and worrying 24 hours a day is not healthy for anybody. So, if you have specific fears related

to COVID-19, it’s about focusing on those things that you can do, not about the things that you don’t have any control of,” she said. “Watching the news and social media [consider] how are you being judicious about what you’re watching. Are you watching the news 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or reading every story that pops up on Twitter or Facebook? That’s a lot of input of potentially traumatic information for people, scary information because these are unprecedented times. So, if that’s all that we’re putting into our brain, of course we’re going to feel more anxious.”

She says reaching out to other people whether by phone, letter or video chat can help as well as connecting with those who are unable to get out or contact people can help tremendously.

She also suggests using mindfulness as a way to escape the anxiety by living in the moment and focusing on whatever task it is you may be working on.

R E PO R T S

and received their police badges.

“This is such an exciting time for our new officers as they embark on the next phase of their policing career. Even though friends and family members couldn’t join us today due to COVID19 restrictions, we know

SEPTEMBER 30

1-800-222-8477.

5:11 AM : Personal prop-

OCTOBER 1

erty was stolen from a vehicle parked at a Wilby Road address in Wilmot Township. The investigation by Waterloo Regional Police is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 519-5709777 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Police remind the public to lock and secure their vehicles, do not leave valuables in plain sight and report any suspicious activity as soon as possible.

8:25 AM : Waterloo

Regional Police received a report of stolen property from a residence on Riverside Drive West in Elmira.

Sometime overnight, a generator was stolen from the area. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 519-5709777 or Crime Stoppers at

11:00 AM : Licence plates were stolen off of a vehicle parked at a residence on Arthur Street in Woolwich Township.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 519-570-9777 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477.

OCTOBER 3 12:45 PM : Wellington

County OPP received reports of an orange sedan that was travelling at a high rate of speed and passing other vehicles unsafely on Highway 6 south of Fergus. An officer spotted the suspect vehicle southbound at a speed that appeared to be well above the posted 80 km/h speed limit. The vehicle was locked on

FEATURE ITEM:

3.99

BONELESS

Waterloo Regional Police welcome 14 new officers to their ranks The Waterloo Regional Police Service last week welcomed members of recruit class #103. The new officers were sworn in on October 2.

Fourteen new constables who recently completed their basic training at the Ontario Police College were officially sworn in

Laura McShane of CMHA says more people are experiencing anxSEAN HEEGER iety as the pandemic enters a second wave.

they are proud of each and every one of you,” said Chief Bryan Larkin in a release.

Prior to joining the police, the new members studied in a variety of fields, including criminology, advanced police studies, justice studies, and police foundations.

The new officers also bring experience from former careers such as a youth worker, carpentry, Canadian Armed Forces, special constable, youth care worker, conservation officer, paramedic, loss prevention officer, sales associate and park warden.

radar in excess of 180 km/h. Police stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver for ‘dangerous driving.’ Further investigation revealed that the driver and a passenger were in possession of drug paraphernalia, a large quantity of cash, and a quantity of drugs including methamphetamine and fentanyl. A 55-year-old Owen Sound man was charged with ‘dangerous driving’ and ‘possession of methamphetamine.’ A 20-year-old Owen Sound woman was charged with ‘possession of fentanyl.’ The accused are scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice - Guelph on November 6.

Wellington Road 29 east of Fergus. It was reported that a suspect was observed stealing scrap metal while on the property. Upon police arrival, a suspect was arrested without incident and the stolen property was recovered. A 32-yearold Township of Centre Wellington man was charged with ‘theft under $5,000’ and ‘possession of property obtained.’ He is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of JusticeGuelph on November 3.

Any person with information regarding this incident should contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477 (TIPS) or submit a tip on-line at www.csgw. tips. You may be eligible for a reward from Crime Stoppers of up to $2,000.

OCTOBER 5 3:00 AM : Wellington County OPP responded to a report of a theft in progress at an address on

$

PORK LOIN ROAST

/lb

PLAIN OR SEASONED

DELI SLICED

BLACK FOREST STYLE HAM

5.49 /lb

$

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

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

Reg.$4.89 /lb

Reg.$6.49 /lb

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

Waters, Hastings & Grainger Professional Corporation

BE READY FOR THE FALL

REAL ESTATE MARKET! Call us for a

FREE quotation and legal review of your transactions!

Cynthia L. Hastings BA (Hons) LLB

Scott A. Grainger LLB

Friendly, Experienced & Passionate legal representation with high integrity from your local, full service law firm Former Assistant Crown Attorney

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

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 6

Opinion

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

Online: observerxtra.com/about

Verbatim

The Monitor

“Now, more than ever, Canadians are turning to newspapers as a trusted source of information, because they know they can count on them for credible, fact-based news reporting. An active and healthy democracy relies on an active and healthy news media.”

Given the current pandemic, 48% of Canadians and 54% of Americans whose children went trick-or-treating last year say they will let their children go trick-or-treating this year; 52% of Canadians and 43% of Americans think governments should step in and cancel Halloween this year.

Bob Cox, chair of News Media Canada, comments on National Newspapers Week.

Leger poll

OBSERVER EDITORIAL

National Newspaper Week and the importance of vigilance In the midst of the 80th National Newspaper Week – it’s that time of year, even if you haven’t marked your calendar – publications across the country are highlighting their role as champions of the truth.

National Newspaper Week recognizes the role that newspapers and their sites play in providing Canadians with credible, factual news and spotlight why news media continues to be a trusted source of information that is critical to our democracy.

Some 88 per cent of Canadians read newspapers each week, underscoring the essential service newspapers provide with diverse, local, original content that cannot be found anywhere else.

The role of news in our lives is today more relevant than ever given the political climate and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have generated plenty of discussion about what’s news – in particular, what is fake news.

The coronavirus crisis has made stark the contrast between credible reporting and the rampant falsehoods that abound, particularly online.

Fake news about the virus and efforts to contain it are international in scope. Even the United Nations notes that the health crisis extends to what’s been called the ‘disinfodemic’ of false, misleading information in circulation, much of it the propaganda effort of various governments. At a time when many seek reliable information, the role of professional journalists is vital in breaking the confusion about life-saving personal and policy choices.

During the pandemic, Canadians have been spending more time with a range of media to stay informed and entertained.

Social media plays a prominent role, but Canadians don’t necessarily trust in the information they get there. A Mindshare survey earlier this year, for instance, found that while 35 per cent of Canadians say they are consulting social media for information on the pandemic, only five per cent say they trust that information.

Trust in traditional media is higher, with an Angus Reid poll conducted earlier this year showing 55 per cent of adults in Canada had a “fair or great deal of trust” in the news media for outbreak information.

Study after study has shown trust remains an issue even as we’re inundated with ever-increasing volumes of information.

Clearly, access to the truth is at risk. For the legitimate press, the biggest threat comes from digital sources such as aggregators, which “appropriate” news generated by actual journalists, promulgates fake stories and debate, and draws away revenues despite studies that show such advertisements to be ineffective.

We’re catching on that online sources such as social media aren’t the reliable go-to options where facts matter.

Besieged by new technologies, fragmentation in the market and what seems to be an increasingly detached citizenry, newspapers do have much to worry about, and much work to be done to regain their standing.

While more people go online to get their news, few people are aware that most of the material provided by news aggregators such as Google or endlessly rehashed by bloggers comes from newspapers, the organizations with trained journalists on the ground, attending meetings and poring through documents.

It’s that heavy lifting that separates traditional media from new forms, and why most Canadians still consider mainstream media as the most trustworthy source.

Today, such sources are threatened by technological change, demographic shifts and damaging corporate ownership. All contribute to newspapers closing down, eliminating essential witnesses to the deeds and misdeeds of governments, businesses and other organizations. With fewer checks on corruption and incompetence, corruption and incompetence will increase.

That’s why we celebrate the contribution of newspapers: someone has to remain vigilant.

ANALYSIS ON CURRENT WORLD EVENTS

The mysterious allure of being French On Sunday, New Caledonia voted to remain French by a majority of 53.3 to 46 per cent.

That’s hardly an overwhelming majority, but it was the second referendum in two years to reject independence in the South Pacific archipelago, so we may take it as a done deal.

The odd thing about that outcome is that almost three-quarters of the islands’ 270,000 people are not of European descent. They are ‘Kanaks’ (descended from the original Melanesian inhabitants), other Pacific islanders, or Asians, but a substantial proportion of them want to remain citizens of a European country more than 16,000 km away.

Yet it’s not unique. While the other powers of Western Europe gave all their colonies independence more than a generation ago, France stays on not only in the South Pacific (New Caledonia and French Polynesia) but in Africa (Mayotte and Réunion), in the Caribbean (Martinique and Guadeloupe) and in South America (French Guiana).

Moreover, it does so with the approval of the local inhabitants, although nowhere are ethnic French people a majority. What is the mysterious allure of being French that persuades so many non-Euro-

GWYNNE DYER

Global Outlook on World Affairs

pean people to vote in favour of living in ‘overseas departments’ of France itself?

A large part of the allure is spelled M-O-N-E-Y. If you live in an overseas department of France, then you get a good, free education and a French level of public and social services. Per capita income in New Caledonia is 10 times that in other nearby island nations like Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands.

Mauritius and Réunion are almost identical large islands off the east coast of Madagascar. They even both speak French, but Mauritius fell into British hands in 1810 and got its independence in 1968, whereas Réunion stayed under French rule and is now an overseas department of France.

Per capita GDP in Mauritius is $11,203 a year, in Réunion $25,900.

It’s the same in the Caribbean. Guadeloupe and Martinique, each with around 400,000 people, have GDPs per capita of $25-27,000; the two nearest ex-British islands, Dominica and St. Lucia, are in the $7-10,000 range. And French Guiana has the high-

est per capita income in all of South America (though that is largely due to the fact that it hosts the European Union’s main spaceport).

Most startling of all is the Comoro Islands, north of Madagascar. Three of the four main islands voted for independence in a 1974 referendum. The fourth island, Mayotte, voted to stay with France then, and chose full ‘overseas department’ status by a 95.5 per cent majority in another referendum in 2009.

The proudly independent ‘Union of the Comoros,’ one million people strong, has a GDP per capita of $1,400.

Mayotte’s is 10 times as high, and half of its quarter-million people are illegal immigrants from the other islands.

The African Union still insists that Mayotte’s status is illegal, because it didn’t decolonize with the other islands, but the Mahorais aren’t interested, especially since the Union of the Comoros is also the world capital of military coups. They also don’t seem to mind that traditional Islamic law is now being replaced by the French civil code (or at least the female half of the population doesn’t).

None of these places is an earthly paradise, and none enjoys as high a living standard →DYER | 08

Thursday, October 8, 2020 | THE OBSERVER

OPINION | 7

Ford's word aside, gravel pit process has gone against public's will

P

remier Doug Ford’s pledge to block an unpopular aggregate mine proposed for the Cambellville area was not only heartening for opponents of that project but has become a rallying point for other Ontarians fighting to keep gravel pits out of their communities.

A group called ActionMilton (Association of Citizens Together in Our Nassagaweya) pressed for the applicant to withdraw its bid after Ford assured residents the project would be quashed.

“I am not in favour of (the Campbellville quarry). I believe in governing for the people.

And when the people don’t want something you don’t do it. It’s very simple. I know the Mayor doesn’t want it, no one wants it. I don’t want it. We are going to make sure it doesn’t happen one way or another,” Ford said in an August visit to Milton.

Figuring that the same logic applies equally to Woolwich, residents opposed to a plan for a pit near Maryhill argue there’s no public support here, meaning the application should be dead in the water.

It’s unlikely to be that simple, but the reasoning makes sense. Where township council stands on the matter has yet to be decided. The same is true whether or not the Ministry of Natural Resources will run roughshod over local opposition, which is the historical norm.

The provincial process for reviewing gravel pits – under the auspices of the Aggregate Resources Act – has long been a mess, a process that bypasses the public interest.

The province has set up a system whereby it can distance itself from unpopular decisions, essentially creating a

STEVE KANNON Editor's Point of View

third party that can force through poor policies.

Of course, this is done to allow the few to benefit at the expense of the many, the overriding reason for our political and economic system.

In the case of gravel pits and other unpopular developments, the argument is made that the process is necessary to prevent NIMBYism: if every decision sided with the public, nothing would ever get done, including some things that are necessary. This attitude says the need for gravel overrides the health, safety and quality of life considerations of those who live near pits.

Ford’s statement is in direct opposition to his own governments previ-

JOE MERLIHAN

STEVE KANNON

DAMON MACLEAN

SEAN HEEGER

Reporter 519-669-5790 x101

PATRICK MERLIHAN

Print/Web Manager 519-669-5790 x105

CASSANDRA MERLIHAN

Graphic Designer 519-669-5790 x109

and the Ministry of Natural Resources seen as a defender of operators, not Ontarians.

Of course, we do need gravel, and it does have to come from somewhere.

Because of its geography, this stretch of the province is rife with aggregate, as witnessed by the numerous pits already in operation. If every application for an extraction licence was turned down, we’d have to find alternative sources for an essential material. Right now and for the foreseeable future, that’s not an issue.

Smith notes that the province’s own studies show that already licensed pits have enough gravel for a hundred years, negating arguments that we need more pits.

Likewise, the industry’s claims for the need to open new operations close to where the demand is also don’t hold water, he says.

All things being equal, siting aggregate extraction as close to market as feasible is good policy; however, all other things are often not equal.

More often, the closer an extraction site is to the high-demand, the closer they also are to densely populated communities, Gravel Watch argues.

What’s more, the industry has no problem trucking in from long distances materials to be used in its asphalt- and concrete-crushing operations, nor to exporting materials.

The standard arguments just don’t hold up to scrutiny.

There’s also a very practical reason for the township to turn down gravel pit applications: the costs are higher than the revenues Woolwich receives. Municipal share of aggregate profits are miniscule, not enough to

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Neither until the bureaucratic paperwork is done.

Founded in 1996.

Publisher 519-669-5790 x107

ous attempts to loosen restrictions on the aggregate industry. How that plays out will be worth watching, suggests Bryan Smith, president of Gravel Watch Ontario.

“The premier has been a bit of a loose cannon here,” he says of Ford’s comments about the Campellville pit and the public opposition being reason to block it.

“Multiple groups have seized on this statement.

If that applies there, does that also apply in their cases?”

The process has long been tilted against the public, says Smith, who got involved in the issue over plans to convert an old pit near Ingersoll into a landfill site.

The poor provincial record of respecting local wishes is magnified in the case of gravel pits, where the Aggregate Resources Act is practically a cudgel,

Editor 519-669-5790 x103

Reporter 519-669-5790 x102

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 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.

cover the direct costs associated with road repairs and safety measures, let alone the health and well-being of residents.

There are plenty of downsides to aggregate mining, Gravel Watch and other opponents point it. Such operations bring with them noise and vibration; increased traffic; dust and air quality impacts; destruction of farmland; threats to groundwater, surface water, wells and the natural environment; intrusion into cultural heritage resources; and many other negative impacts.

Currently, provincial policies favour developers, putting far too much power in the hands of quasi-judicial tribunals. Opponents such as Gravel Watch Ontario say the same is true of the aggregate policies. They also lament the actions of the MNR in enforcing what feeble rules do exist.

Fixing those inadequacies would go a long way in reducing the disputes over gravel pit applications.

High on the priority list is the enacting of sunset clauses on gravel licences: hard and intractable timelines for the decommissioning of pits. As it stands today, operators can continue to work and “active” site for years, a favourite tactic for avoiding the remediation now required of pit owners.

Such a move would assure nearby residents that the health and safety risks would exist for a fixed time only, an important step.

Today, however, even where municipalities have tried to impose sunset clauses, the MNR has simply stepped in and voided them.

Equally pressing are rules to assure quick and full rehabilitation of pits, returning them to the →KANNON | 08

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, October 8, 2020

8 | OPINION

Making the most of missed opportunities

A

s someone who has been hunting ducks, geese, grouse, and other birds for more than 40 years, I believe I have some expertise to offer. In fact, I would go so far as to say no one knows more about missing game birds than I do.

Over the decades, I have missed birds in the air, in the water, while they sat in trees and as they sauntered away on solid ground. I have missed them at close and far range and, most spectacularly, at

STEVE GALEA

Not-So-Great Outdoorsman

optimum range.

Oh, sure, I have hit a bunch too. Accidents happen.

What I have also learned, however, is that there are several ways to reduce the misses you make.

The first and perhaps most effective one is to hunt alone. If you do this, I can guarantee that you

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Fund people, not pipelines To the Editor, THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS THAT, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Justin Trudeau is saying his government won’t be able to end boil-water advisories. How is it that this government can find billions of dollars for the Trans Mountain pipeline, but we can’t find the money to ensure that every single person in Canada has access to clean water?

The cost of this pipeline has only risen during this pandemic, and I for one would rather see my public dollars helping people, not pipelines.

We need to defund Trans Mountain and put that money where it’s really needed, helping communities get what they need, like access to clean water.

As for power, there is no doubt that nature has a bigger war chest than any government or corporation can match. And major environmental catastrophes will not only cost vast amounts of money for restoration, but might not even be able to be mended.

“Because there is no Planet B” is not just a clever pun. It is the truth that Earth is now facing dangers that will affect all of its population. It is time to wake up and smell the permafrost.

Pipelines were of another era, and we must accept the fact that our biosphere is now our only home, and anything that harms it will be harming every living thing in it.

Greenhouse gases must not increase. They must be drawn down and sequestered. We have little time left to say goodbye to fossil fuels.

Shannon Purves-Smith ELMIRA

FLU CLINICS ATTENTION ELMIRA MEDICAL PATIENTS ONLY We are running Saturday flu shot clinics, beginning October 31st, for our patients UNDER THE AGE OF 65.

will reduce your misses on that hunt by no less than 100 per cent – if you can keep your mouth shut.

Unfortunately, most of us hunt with witnesses – I mean hunting buddies – and this makes reducing the misses attributed to you even more difficult.

Yet, it is not wholly impossible.

One of the most effective ways to reduce your misses is to time your shots to coincide with those of other hunters. Then, when a bird folds, you quickly say, “I got it.”

The quick part is critical.

This is not as easy as it sounds, especially when you hunt with my hunting buddies. Some of those

guys are so expert at this that they yell out, “I got it!” before even shooting. Yet, if you get some tutoring, preferably from a competent auctioneer, you will be the first to claim a downed bird, whether you hit it or not.

You can also reduce your misses by always aiming at the first bird leading a flock. With any luck at all, you’ll hit one of the followers. The key here is to tell everyone, “I was actually aiming at that bird because I noticed that it looked a little more edible than the whole flock in front of it.”

Which bring me to another strategy – always aim at the largest, closest

and slowest bird in range – after all, that is the one everyone else is aiming at too. If it falls, quickly yell “Got it!” If you and everyone else misses that one, it will never be spoken of again.

Another less reliable way of denying a miss is to say you never shot at all after you shot. Yes, this sounds like an impossible thing to do when you are standing shoulder to shoulder with someone in a duck blind, but not if you quickly open a jar of rotten eggs and suggest that the chili you ate last night was “kind of spicy.”

You can also fall back on the claim that you didn’t miss at all. Naturally, the

hunters with you will point out that the bird you shot at kept flying and is now in the next county. To that, you should immediately reply that the bird in question is “clinically dead” but being carried by “a combination of freak thermals and momentum.” Then, assure them that you’ll retrieve it later.

The point here is that, if you live right, there are many ways that you can prevent other hunters from spreading rumours that will have local farmers inviting you to shoot at the broad sides of their barns just to see for themselves.

In which case, tell them you were aiming at the knothole.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Don’t encourage yet more hunting in Ontario To the Editor, STEVE GALEA’S ARTICLE (NOT SO Great Outdoorsman) in the September 24 edition of the Observer serves only one purpose: to inform those people who simply

enjoy killing animals about another harmless, vulnerable, unsuspecting creature.

You even told these questionable characters that they can kill (or maim as a lot do because they have no real hunting skills) these little guys all bloody year with no consequence to themselves. Only the animals suffer, as always.

I’m sure it will bring out

the BB gun squads also.

Perhaps even the crossbow crowd (silent killers).

Beware when walking the trails and woods.

I have witnessed so many creatures disappear in my area over the past 13 years and it just makes me so sad and angry at the same time.

You suggest this could be a boon for tourism. If there are tourists or any

folks attracted to Ontario for this activity, I would fear them.

Who will the hunters hunt when the creatures are all gone? The hunters will just be getting warmed up.

Shame on you for your article, Steve Galea.

Bonnie Laderoute BRESLAU

KANNON: Who actually puts the public interest first in making policies? →FROM PAGE 7

identical state seen before excavation began. Here, too, the record has been abysmal. Changes haven’t been forthcoming.

In that environment,

residents are right to be skeptical about assurances that any violations at a newly-approved pit – excessive noise or dust, pollution of the groundwater, unacceptable visual

impacts – will be dealt with in a timely manner.

That’s usually not the case.

Rarer still are orders to cease operation. Permanent closures are beyond the pale.

We’ll have to see those kind of measures, moves that protect citizens, before anyone believes that the parties, the township included, are working in the public interest.

DYER: When it comes to national priorities, finances tend to top the list →FROM PAGE 6

as France itself. There were violent independence movements in several of them in the 1970s, before France hit on the strategy of showering them with economic benefits.

It makes perfectly good sense for a New Caledonian or a Réunionnais to trade in the doubtful blessings of impoverished small-state nationhood for the citizenship of a First-World country and

access to all its benefits, without even having to leave home.

And if you do want to leave home, you can move to France (as many do) or anywhere else in the European Union, for that matter. The real puzzle is: what’s in it for the French?

It’s certainly not economic gain: the subsidies France pays far outweigh any profits it might get from privileged access to the limited resources of these small

territories. The benefits for France are almost all psychological.

Most other European empires were run as pragmatic business ventures.

If the colonies are not turning a profit any more, perhaps because they are getting too expensive to control, then walk away and leave them to their own devices.

France had a bigger emotional investment in empire, perhaps because it was in steady decline

from being the greatest European power in the 18th century to a much humbler status today.

It could be pragmatic if necessary (as when it gave all its mainland African colonies independence in 1960), but it’s willing to pay for the privilege of having small bits of France in other continents.

Who could criticize the residents of those places for taking advantage of this foible?

Please call to book an appointment.

NO WALK-INS Due to the COVID 19 Pandemic, this year flu shots will be given by APPOINTMENT ONLY

Elmira Medical Centre 2 Park Ave. W., Elmira | 519-669-5493

Join us for

General Contracting Agricultural Residential New Buildings Commercial Renovations www.stirtonconstruction.ca 8012 8th Line.RR #2 Drayton, ON | 519-638-5462

turkey or Roast beef dinner! with

pumpkin or apple pie!

& Saturday Oct 2-3 & Oct 9-10 Friday 3:30 - 7:30 pm reservations recommended

CAFÉ HOURS: Tues.-Thurs. 8-4, Fri.-Sat. 8-7:30

out Takeilable a v a -order pre uired reQ

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

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 9

Arts

Read a local best seller every week.

Local stories that inspire.

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 103

Dino drive-thru

Secret Path Week

THEMUSEUM, Bingemans and Indian River Reptile & Dinosaur Park have partnered for a drive-thru experience at Bingemans in Kitchener that places visitors into the Mesozoic Era exploring the wondrous dinosaurs that once roamed the Earth.

The Dinosaur Drive-Thru runs Oct. 10-25.

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) was created out of two families coming together to make change, uphold Chanie and Gord's legacies, and create a pathway on the journey toward Reconciliation. Each year, DWF hosts its annual event "Secret Path Week." This year, virtual events will be held online from Oct. 17-22.

www.dinodrivethru.ca

Report it: observerxtra.com/tips

www.downiewenjack.ca

An unlikely story that she just had to tell Nancy Silcox’s latest book chronicles Paul Frey’s journey from Heidelberg farm boy to world-class opera singer DAMON MACLEAN Observer Staff

PAUL FREY DROPPED OUT OF school at 14 and eventually took over his father’s trucking business, not an unusual path for someone born almost 80 years ago into a Mennonite family in Heidelberg.

What was unusual was that he would become an internationally celebrated opera singer.

More unusual still was the fact he didn’t start singing opera until the age of 29, taking the plunge two years later when he sold the trucking business to attend the University of Toronto Opera School.

His life’s story is full of such twists, which is exactly what captivated New Hamburg writer Nancy Silcox, whose latest work is Paul Frey: A Story Never Predicted, from Trucking to the World Opera Stage.

It was while penning a book in 2017 about Elmira District Secondary School alumni called Legendary Lancers – featuring the likes of Malcolm Gladwell, Roger Martin and Ken Seiling – that Silcox came across Frey’s story, though she never imagined that it would spawn a project that would take up the better part of the next two years. But she dove right in.

“I did my research before I went to interview him, and I read his CV – it just astounded me,” said Silcox, who is known for her biographies of local people.

For the Legendary Lancers project, Frey shared

tales of his Mennonite upbringing, dropping out of high school in the 9th Grade, taking over his father’s trucking business and then selling it to head over to opera stardom after attending the opera school. Then there was the move to Switzerland in 1978 to advance his career.

Listening to that underdog tale, Silcox knew she needed to go deeper than a few pages in an EDSS anniversary publication.

In addition to interviewing Frey, Silcox caught up with some notable figures along the way, adding more sources for the bio.

“Perhaps the most famous in Canada would be the former Governor General, Adrienne Clarkson,” she said.

Also on the list was world-renowned film director Werner Herzog, who had directed an opera Frey starred in back in 1987. Silcox reflects on the conversation and phoning Herzog in Los Angeles.

“My heart was pounding; this is when I heard some really nice guy, very funny guy. And I can remember talking to him and he was in no rush – he had Paul Frey stories coming out of his ears. He had been hired to direct a Richard Wagner opera called Lohengrin that Paul was starring in. He heard about this Canadian guy, kind of this ‘farm boy’ who was taking the lead role, and he said, ‘Oh my gosh, you know, what have I inherited?’ And so he wanted to sit down and get to know this Paul Frey guy. And he said he got the feeling that anybody

FREE Email your ads to:

ads@woolwichobserver.com

Paul Frey is the subject of author Nancy Silcox's latest book, Paul Frey: A Story Never Predicted.

Torontopubliclibrary.ca

that could drive pigs to market and could run a farm was OK with him and they were going to get along just fine. And that’s exactly what happened.”

The eventual title of the book came early on as Silcox was contemplating the project and reached out to a friend at Wilfrid Laurier University.

“I was getting ready to make a decision: am I going to write this guy’s biography or not, because

I knew it was going to be a big-time commitment? A friend of mine at Laurier, Professor Daniel Lichti, knew Paul very well. And I called Dan, and I said, ‘I’m thinking of writing Paul’s biography. Do you think it’s a good idea?’ “’Well, Nancy’, he said, ‘it’s a story that could never have been predicted.’”

After getting permission from Frey, Silcox, would enjoy the drive from New

Classifieds for

KIDS

Hamburg to St. Clements every week for two years.

Silcox estimates that there were at least 200 hours of interviews that took place before she edited down the material. She took much away from the conversations she and Frey had and, most importantly, she learned about the true nature of the beast that is the entertainment world.

“What a tough, tough world, entertainment,” she said. “Paul worked all the

time, never turned things down unless there were conflicts. And to make it in that world, you have to be so determined and dedicated and tough. I learned about those disappointments and the competition [of] a world that I wasn’t aware of before.”

Upon retiring from the opera world in 2005, the star tenor, now 79, returned home to St. Clements. He has let his vocal cords rest for the past 15 years and is focusing on simpler things in life such as tending to his property and spending his days with family.

“I’ve always told people stories – that’s what my writing is, a biography, telling people’s story – and this was at the top,” said Silcox of the experience of writing the book, noting she feels honoured to share Frey’s tale.

The book now published, Silcox is preparing for a launch event October 18.

Due to the COVID-19 situation, it won’t be conventional launch; instead, small groups of people will be invited to her home over the course of the afternoon. She encourages those interested in attending the book launch to contact her by email at silcox@cwisp.ca. She says no one will be turned away for the event, but it is possible that copies will be gone quickly, seeing as the first print has already sold out.

Copies of Paul Frey: A Story Never Predicted are also available at inSeason Home & Garden in St. Clements and Living Waters in Elmira.

• Babysitting • Tutoring • Lawn Mowing • Dog Walking • Yard Work • Events

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 10

Business

Leading the way.

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

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 103 New Business: observerxtra.com/enterprise

WSIB freezes rates

COVID supports

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced Oct. 1 that premium rates for Ontario businesses will be held for another year at the same levels paid in 2020, offering stability as employers grapple with the economic impact of the global pandemic. The announcement comes after four years of significant decreases that cut the average premium rate almost in half.

The federal government has introduced three new coronavirus-related benefits, delivered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB). The programs come with shorter eligibility periods.

Food is the only constant this Thanksgiving

C

ompared to other years, this Thanksgiving the only thing the same at our house is the food.

As usual, we bought a turkey and all the trimmings, all products of Ontario or Canada. We thought about how lucky we are to have access to such amazing food, and looked forward to sharing it with family and friends… again, like we always do.

But over the last week, our plans – like yours, I suspect – have changed radically. Our family, comprising mostly teachers and students, won’t come together in the same way. We’ll still cook a meal and give thanks, but thanks for family immediately follows thanks for the food at our table’s grace.

And if we follow experts’ advice like we should and celebrate only with family members that live in our house, our table is going to have empty chairs. We’re told we can have up to 10 people in our bubble for a gathering inside, as long as we practice social distancing, but our house just isn’t big enough to meet those standards.

That’s a tough pill to swallow. In a lifetime, there are only so many Thanksgivings. And I know a lot of people, me included, who consider this their favourite holiday. It’s totally focused on family and food, the season is spectacular and commercialism is at a minimum.

But despite the drawbacks, we all have many blessings to count this Thanksgiving.

OWEN ROBERTS Food For Thought

Heading into the second wave of the global COVID19 pandemic, we know so much more than we did last winter when the first wave hit.

First, we know there’s no need for panic buying. We know our grocery stores will keep us supplied with what we need. You may encounter some shortages – and indeed, a recent consumer poll indicated many of us did during the first wave.

But we also know it doesn’t take forever for those shortages are addressed, especially if we all buy just what we need.

And here’s more good news: grain production worldwide in 2020-21 will be at near-record levels.

A week ago the London, UK-based International Grains Council predicted wheat, corn and soybean crop production globally will rise to almost 2.23 billion tonnes.

Home bakers will be glad to hear that. The council says risks to supply – an earlier concern, with flour in particular being snapped up and suppliers struggling to find enough packaging – are diminishing. Grain stocks around the world are up seven million tonnes to 629 million tonnes.

So, it appears most of us have enough food… at least on paper.

In reality though, that’s not the case. The economic hammer → ROBERTS 13

Rob Brown, Derek Weber and Carrie Brsico with the domes The Village Biergarten will use to extend its patio season.

DAMON MACLEAN

Outdoor spaces prove a boon for restaurants in pandemic Hospitality industry looking to extend patio season that’s been a big help Damon MacLean Observer Staff

WITH THANKSGIVING ON THE HORIZON, the patio season would normally be winding down for restaurants and bars in the region. Normally doesn’t apply this year, however.

The City of Waterloo, for instance, this week cleared the way for patios to remain open until the snow flies, a recognition that outdoor spaces have been the only bright spot in what has been a tough year for the hospitality industry.

Inclement weather is expected to slow the revenue stream patios

provided, but some operations will try to make adjustments.

In Elmira, the township closed off a portion of Mill Street downtown to allow for patio space, some of it used by the Sip ‘N Bite Restaurant. That location joined the closed alleyway adjacent to the Kitchen Kuttings Café. Both those area’s are slated to be reopened to traffic by month’s end.

In St. Jacobs, The Village Biergarten was quick to make use of patio space when Region of Waterloo health officials gave approval to that option.

“I think it was announced on Tuesday, and we opened on

Thursday or Friday. It was a very quick process to kind of try to get things up and running as fast as we could,” said co-founder/owner Derek Lebert of the outdoor-dining option.

Its large patio made the location a prime spot as the province moved ahead with the reopening of the economy.

“We have one of the larger patios in Waterloo Region, and the ability to space-out seats,” said Lebert of the option to reopen within public health guidelines.

The reopening was met with a strong turnout, which he attributes to people’s desire to social-

ize again following the COVID-19 lockdown.

With the weather changing, the business has invested in a new way to keep the patio season alive.

“A few months ago, we were kind of doing some research because the inside portion of our restaurant would only be able to hold about 10 to 15 people if we follow all the space requirements for COVID. So, we’re looking at ways where we could extend our patio season,” he explained.

Domes that look like mini-greenhouses came as viable options to meet the heating and → PATIO SEASON 11

ksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving Despite current events ....there is so much to be thankful for. ksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving ksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving AD SPOT NON PRINTING ksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • -Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving ksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving While Thanksgiving may look a little different this ksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving year, please be safe while you abide by public • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving health protocols! Have a nice weekend! ksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Thursday, October 8, 2020 | THE OBSERVER

B U S I N E S S | 11

St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market ask customers to avoid crowding Sean Heeger Observer Staff

Cozy inside, they’ll drink to that.

DAMON MACLEAN

PATIO SEASON: Restaurants look for options to stay safe and profitable → FROM 10

spacing capacities that health regulations and the weather require.

Heaters are an option for short stays outside, but some kind of enclosure is needed to retain heat and allow people to remain comfortable as they dine, Lebert added.

The domes are common in European countries, as well as in parts of the U.S. with colder climates. It took some planning and preparation, but now there are four domes set up at The Village Biergarten.

Space can be booked by reservations only as of this week.

“I had one set up in my backyard for all of the summer, just trying

to play around with how we wanted to light it, get the seating right in there and make sure the size was appropriate for the number of people.”

Reservations are time slotted for an hour and 45 minutes, with 15 minutes being used for sanitation of the dome. Reception to the new patio option has been overwhelming, said Lebert, with the team now booking three weeks in advance and having their social media flooded with its highest number of interactions.

Four more domes are coming to the property within the next week or two, and six more domes that have been placed on reserve.

LOOKING TO REDUCE CROWDS AS the region grapples with an increase in COVID-19 cases, the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market is further restricting access and asking visitors not to dally.

“We want to encourage people to come and shop, but it’s not a place to linger.

It’s not really a place to socialize like it was before.

That’s been our message all along, that we want people to come buy your fresh produce, buy your gift items that are not necessarily available at the mall from entrepreneurs, but then we want people to go home and shop responsibly,” said market manager Leanne McGray.

It’s almost impossible to enforce the rule of people not lingering around the market, she added, noting because there is limited seating and no activities, it encourages people to do their shopping and then go home.

As of last weekend, the

Apply for a FREE Educa�on to become a CERTIFIED PSW! Register today as space is limited Join the PSW Paramed\Conestoga College Program Deadline is November 20th

What’s in it for you?

•

Cer�fied Conestoga College PSW graduate, Guaranteed job as a PSW with Paramed

• •

Become a PSW in 20 weeks instead of 1 year!

Fast full �me 20-week hybrid (Virtual/in class) delivery

What do you need?

•

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent, or 19 years of age or older with mature student status

•

Grade 12 compulsory English, C or U or equivalent

•

Previous post-secondary program (A degree, diploma or cer�ficate from an accredited college or university) OR experience in health care in the last two years (Proof of current/recent employment in the health care field is required)

CLASSES BEGIN November 30th, 2020!

For more informa�on and to register for the virtual informa�on event, contact:

Jennifer Lyon-ParaMed Home Care jennifer.lyon@paramed.com 226.868.7143

*Must be eligible to work in Canada **Must have a reliable, personal vehicle

→MARKET RULES 13

WE WISH 2020 WAS FAKE NEWS, TOO. Happy National Newspaper Week to the readers who need it most.

OCTOBER 4-10TH, 2020

In Partnership with:

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020

12 | B U S I N E S S

LAPTOPS • IPADS • MACBOOKS

We Repair All Makes & Models

October Specials Acer c720 Chromebook

Blowout!

$

11.6” Screen, Google Chrome OS, WebCam, HDMI

FROM

12999

Special

$

FROM

44999

Have a happy and safe celebration.

HP EliteDesk 800 G4 PC Lenovo APPLE APPLE APPLE T460 NEW MacBookPro

iPad Air

14.1”TOUCHSCREENTouch 16GB 2 Year Manufacturer32GB Warranty From From Intel i5 6th Gen 2.4GHz Intel i5 8th Gen 3.GHz

119

99 8GB RAM, 256GB$SSD

599

Happy Thanksgiving

APPLE MacBook Air

iPod 5G

$

From my family to yours

1920x1080, Windows 10

299

Special

13”

Intel i5, 4GB, 320GB HD

FROM

549

998GB Ram,$500GB HDD $99 699$99 reg.

99 $

159

Windows 10

reg.

99 $

339

Lenovo HPProBook Dell Gaming 99 15” Laptop Desktop PC $279 Laptop 32GB 9.7” Screen iPad 5

FROM

Intel i3, 4GB, 250GB HD

$

Intel i5-6300HQ 8GB 1TB HD 4GB Geforce GTX-960 Video

99 $ 99 $ 149 299 749 UNLOCKED $ iPad Air-1

$ FROM

Intel i5, 4GB, 250GB HD

16999

reg.

99 $

199

16GB iPhone

- 6’s

reg.

39999FROM

$

16900

Constituency Office

OPEN FOR WALK INS BESIDE THE OBSERVER

20 B Arthur St N. ELMIRA, ON 519-669-5551

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

www.realitybytescomputers.com Second 920 St. David St.519N. 519-669-5551 Location

FERGUS, ON 519-787-0006

WE ARE MOVING

We will be closed October 9 - 12, reopening for regular business hours on October 13 at our new location at 371 Arthur St. S. Elmira

WHERE TIRES ARE A SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDELINE. Farm - Auto - Truck - Industrial - Lawn & Garden - On The Farm Service

371 Arthur St. S., ELMIRA, ON | 519-669-3232 | oktire.com

Thursday, October 8, 2020 | THE OBSERVER

B U S I N E S S | 13

MARKET RULES: Looking to make the experience safer → FROM 11

number of people allowed within the three-acre outdoor market was 1,300 people at any one time.

McGray says that number has now been reduced to 1,150, and they will continue to evaluate that and listen to the advice of public health officials as things move forward.

The indoor building numbers stand at 325 for the two storey market building and the peddler’s village and market tent will both have a capacity of 200 each.

The farmers’ market was one of the first to reopen, with strict rules implemented to protect the health and safety of everyone at the market, said McGray, adding that despite the relatively large number of people

things have been working well thus far.

“I think wherever you go, people don’t always follow the rules. We encourage people to do so. There’s markers on the ground, there’s arrows, there’s lineups that are spaced six feet apart so people know where they should be standing. This isn’t new information to people. There’s marks in front of most of our fast-food outlets, so that people know where they’re supposed to be lining up,” said McGray.

“I think people just need to continue to be careful.

People need to continue to manage themselves. And I think we all need to try and continue to support our local businesses as much as

we can, in as safe a way as we can all manage.Everybody needs to take some responsibility for their own safety, as well.”

Other safety precautions include controlled entrances, masks being required for everyone who is able to wear one – within all indoor buildings and outdoors if physical distancing cannot be maintained – plexiglass barriers are also on every booth and contactless payment is an option for many vendors.

McGray asks visitors to remember the rules, adding those who are feeling unwell should remain at home. The market is also requesting patrons to have no more than two family members with them and not bring pets.

ROBERTS: A different take on Thanksgiving this year → FROM 10

that accompanied the pandemic continues to pound on employment.

Right now, the United Nations World Food Programme estimates the pandemic has doubled the number of people in the world who are considered acutely food insecure.

At the Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum

Monday, a UN representative said 270 million people are in need of food or cash to buy food. It estimates 500 million jobs have been lost worldwide.

We know this situation is not confined to people in other countries. Food banks here are straining.

We need to be diligent about making sure as much support as possible is going

not only to those who consume food, but to those who produce it, as well.

Through the pandemic, we’ve learned more about the many players in food production, from farmers and suppliers to processors and grocers.

It’s a chain that almost always works, one that we can be particularly thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Similar to Lysol or Clorox

kills 99.9 % Bacteria

JUMBO 400 SHEET TUB

DISPOSABLE MASKS

CASHMERE TP

DISINFECTING WIPES

Reg. $ 17.99 Sale $ 9.99*

Reg. $ 14.99 Sale $ 4.99*

Reg. $ 39.99 Sale $ 29.99*

RUC883336 RUCIA Box of 50

12 DBL ROLL = 24 ROLLS

CSH 34242

VEG433817

Made in Canada 70% ALCOHOL

HAND SANITIZER

DAS 549690 1L Jumbo w. pump

Reg. $ 17.49 Sale $ 14.99*

*Limit 3 per customer, supplies limited

1 Union St., Elmira 519-669-2201 www.schelters.ca Office & School Supplies • Print Copy Courier • Computer IT Supplies

Somewhere down the road you are going to have to think about it.

We all face it, but most of us avoid it:

Our final preparations.

But if you plan now, you can save money, reduce taxes, preserve your estate and ease the emoitional burden on your family.

.

Prepay your Funeral Services during the month of October and SAVE 13% HST. Many payment options available.

Call Chris at 519-656-2880 for your appointment

1172 Henry Street, Wellesley, ON N0B2T0 | www.futher-franklinfuneralhome.com

Book your FREE hearing test and wax removal today.

!

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

29A Church St. W. Elmira, ON

519-210-3030

www.perfectpitchhearing.com

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 14

Classifieds

Seven days.

One paper.

Placing a classified ad

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

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.

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

A bestseller every week.

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 104 Email: ads@woolwichobserver.com

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

Help Wanted

♥ Packing material

Newspaper is a great substitute for bubble wrap.

To pack a box with fragile contents, first wrap the items individually.

Place them in the box, separated by crumpled paper.

Then fill any remaining space with crumpled paper. If you have a lot of old paper, use a paper shredder to make piles of great packaging material.

Whoever receives your gift can avoid adding to the world's waste and put your papery packaging straight in their home recycling bin.

Advertising

Residential:

$9 per 20 words (20¢ per extra word)

Commercial:

$15 per 20 words (30¢ per extra word)

Help Wanted

Now Hiring in Linwood

Small Town Grocery Store Taylor Gerber & Associates is a Bookkeeping and Accounting firm based in Elmira. We work with businesses throughout southwestern Ontario, supplying bookkeeping and back office support. TGA provides service through onsite, cloud, online and in office solutions for full cycle bookkeeping, reporting, outsourced CFO and tax needs.

TGA has openings for 2 Junior Bookkeepers to join our team.

Must be able to work independently, code transactions confidently in various accounting software programs and a range of industries and have a good understanding of the requirements of Corporate and Small business YE processes.

We are looking for a responsible individual with a strong work ethic and friendly, positive attitude to join our busy workplace. A part time continuing position of 3 to 4 full days per week is available at our grocery store.

We are closed Sundays.

high quality custom cabinetry and solid wood stairs. Our We are looking to add a motivated and shop and showroom are located in the town of Drayton. At professional individual to our Woodland, one of our core values is Respect. Respect for our team members and respect for our customers.

Contact us at 519-897-2600

We are looking for a full time, permanent

Help Wanted

The successful candidate will have 2 years’ experience in a public accounting setting and will be able to switch fluently between client files.

If you would like to work for a company that is using cutting edge technology, provides education and professional updates, has a friendly professional atmosphere, looks after our clients first, provides a flexible schedule and plenty of opportunity, with benefits and competitive pay, this position might be for you.

Please submit your resume to: applicant@taylorgerber.ca We thank all candidates for applying, we will contact only those being considered for the position.

Apprentice 309A Electrician Required Should have WHMIS, Fall Arrest Training, Skyjack/ Lift training certification.

Some travel to job sites involved.

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

Community Information Page

P.O. Box 158

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

LEAF DISPOSAL Please do not rake your leaves onto the road. This practice has been prohibited by bylaw in the Township of Woolwich since 1994. There is a fine of $125 for depositing any debris or refuse, which includes leaves, on Township Roads. These piles of leaves are a safety hazard as they encourage children to play on the road. They can also result in flooding issues when the leaves block storm drains.

LEAF DISPOSAL ALTERNATIVES NATURAL CHOICES

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

519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca Mulching and composting are the most economical and environmentally beneficial ways to deal with your leaves.

• Instead of disposing of your leaves, save them, mulch them with your lawnmower and gradually add them to your home composter. They will break down into a useful organic material that can be added to flower and vegetable gardens.

• Rather than raking your leaves, why not mulch them on your lawn or into your garden? When the leaves are dry, mow your lawn more frequently. The mulched leaves will soon disappear into your lawn or garden as fertilizer.

CURBSIDE LEAF COLLECTION PROGRAM Bagged Leaf Collection • Bag leaves using only paper yard waste bags or returnable containers marked with a Region of Waterloo Yard Waste sticker.

• Place out with yard waste materials on yard waste collection days separately from your garbage containers.

• For more information call the Region of Waterloo at 519-575-4400.

Tip: Mulching your leaves with a lawn mower or other mulching device prior to bagging can reduce leaf volumes. (10 bags of loose leaves = 1 bag of mulched leaves)

Benefit plan and sponsored RRSP after 3 months.

Please direct resumés to: Tim Ropp Operations Manager Ziegler Electric Ltd. 101 Bonnie Cres.

Elmira, ON N3B 2Z5 FAX: 519-669-1343

Help Wanted EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

SERVICE MANAGER ESM Farm Equipment Ltd. is seeking a dynamic individual for the position of service manager.

A strong technical background, knowledge of agricultural equipment, administrative and customer relations skills are essential.

Experience with agricultural equipment is preferred, however all qualified applicants will be considered. This is an excellent opportunity to overlap with an experienced manager who is nearing retirement.

Please send your resume to the attention of Scott Ruppert at the address below or email to scott@esmfarmequipment.com Only applicants to receive interviews will be contacted.

The successful candidate will be remunerated with a competitive wage and benefits package.

If you have too many leaves for your composter to handle, you may bring your leaves to the Regional Landfill Site located at: Gate 2, 925 Erb Street West, Waterloo Monday to Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/living-here/landfill-and-recycling-centre.aspx

Woodland Horizon Ltd a manufacturer of Join a young, dynamic team thatis keeps growing! Woodland high quality kitchen cabinetry in Drayton.

P.O. Box 43, 7293 Line 86, Wallenstein N0B 2S0 Phone: 519-669-5176 | Fax: 519-669-1997

Kitchen Cabinet Sales & Design CNC Router Operator

team. The successful applicant will have experience in sales, strong people skills, and In this positionalso you will be responsible to operate one preferably experience with Cabinet of our CNC routers that primarily solid wood Vision software.

Ifmachines you enjoy working in a stair parts as well as cabinet doors. The other part of strong team environment and want the your responsibility will be to work in the CAM side of opportunity to grow along with the company, StairCon software, to create CNC code and shop Data for then please submit resumé production.

To be successful in your this position, you to: will need a strong understanding of CNC machining, as well a laverne@woodlandhorizon.com or as call strong computer and software and the desire to 519-638-5961 to setknowledge up an interview.

and Programmer

create systems to improve the StairCon CAM software.

Only those receiving an interview will be contacted.

Required skills Thank you for your interest.

• Respectful • Ability to read blueprints • Capable of lifting 50 to 75 pounds • Motivated and enthusiastic • Courteous and friendly • Dependable • CNC Router Experience • CAM Software Experience • No post secondary education required • Previous wood working experience will be an asset Experience • CAM Software: 1 year (Preferred) • CNC Router: 1 year (Preferred) after probationary period.

If you are interested in joining a vibrant and growing company, please send your resume to laverne@woodlandhorizon.com or call 519.638.5961 ext 104 Only those receiving an interview will be contacted.

Help Wanted ELMIRA - CLEANING LADY WANTED, 4 hours per week. Please text 519-577-0987.

For Sale

Auctions ANTIQUE SHOP CLOSING - HUGE ON-LINE Auction. Antiques, collectibles, furniture and miscellaneous items, to be held at 1843 Sawmill Rd. In Conestogo, for Bill McAllister. Closing starts Wednesday, Oct 14th at 6:00 p.m.

Gerber Auctions Ltd. 519-699-4451

COUNTRY LANE FABRICS FALL SALE Oct 5 - 24, 10% discount on all fabrics, quilt batts, tableflex, boxed cards, hosiery, gloves, rubber stampers. Clearouts at 1/2 LIVE AUCTION SALE price. 519-664-0701.

OF JD 425 RIDING mower, woodworking HILLCREST HOME tools, hand tools, JD BAKING FALL SALE. farm toys, antiques, Oct. 13 - 24, 2020. collectibles, furniture 519-669-1381. 10% & Miscellaneous items, off all fabrics; 50% off to be held at the K.W. selected fabrics; 10% Khaki Club, 2939 off tablecloth & hosiery. Nafziger Rd. Wilmot Selected panels $5.00 Twp. 2 miles south of ea., selected glassware Wellesley, For Darcy 1/2 price. Check out Zinn, New Dundee and the new style dishes. additions, on Saturday, New style black hats. October, 10th @ 9:30 Ice-Cream sales are a.m. Gerber Auctions back!! Original - 2L Ltd. 519-699-4451. $2.99; Premium - 2L - $4.49. →WORD ADS CONTINUE PG 17

Thursday, October 8, 2020 | THE OBSERVER

C L A S S I F I E D S | 15

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK 2020

Fire Safety Tips brought to you by the Woolwich Fire Department

October 4th – 10th, 2020 Cooking and Alcohol Don’t Mix! You must be alert to prevent cooking fires. You will not be alert if you have consumed alcohol or drugs. Cook Responsibly!

Clear the Clutter! Keep anything that burns – plastic utensils, dishcloths, paper towels – a safe distance from the stove.

Stand By your pan! Unattended cooking is the leading cost of home fires.

Never Throw Water on a Grease Fire! If a pot of oil catches fire, put a lid on it. Slide a lid over the pot and turn off the stove. Do not move the pot.

Leaving a pot on the stove can burn more than dinner. Stay in the kitchen while cooking.

Cool a burn by running cool water over the wound for 3 to 5 minutes.

Customer Driven Quality

519-664-3796 www.c-max.ca

3040 Sawmill Road, St Jacobs, ON., N0B 2N0

SANYO CANADIAN MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

Keep combustible items away from the stove. Make sure electrical cords are not dangling from countertops, where they could be pulled over by small children.

TOWN COUNTRY READ’S FENCING DECORATING RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL

SINCE 1961

(519)

882-8929 CAMBRIDGE: FAX: (519) 822-7481

(519)

654-7068

PROFESSIONAL WORK • AFFORDABLE PRICES

Bonnie’s Chick Hatchery Ltd. Day-old Egg Layers Day-old Meat Varieties Turkeys - Ducks Ready-to-lay-pullets

GENERAL DELIVERY, ARISS ONTARIO N0B 1B0 GUELPH:

33 Industrial Dr. • 519-669-1591

Specializing in Paint & Wall coverings

27 Arthur St. S. • 519-669-3658

18 Arthur St. N. • 519-669-2561

DUB-L-E Serving you for over 100 Years

• GAS • DIESEL • PROPANE • TOUCH-FREE CAR WASH

• Quality Drainage Systems • Backhoe Service A family tradition since 1921

1145 Printery Rd., St. Jacobs | TEL: 519.664.2263

Arthur, ON • 519-848-3113 • 877-669-1440 www.martindrainage.com

WE DO SIGNS OF ALL KINDS!

MY COMPANY

my company tag

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

390 ARTHUR ST. S., ELMIRA (Hwy 86 & Road 21)

Car Wraps Also Available!

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

49 Industrial Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1631

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 • • • •

519-669-2015

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.

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020

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

ↆ L O C A L

PR OF E SS I ONAL

SERVICES

ↆ GENERAL SERVICES

CALL TO BOOK! TODAY.

www.biobobs.com

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

Maynard Martin

or call today!

519-648-3004

or

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

Septic Installations · Tile Repairs Small Footings · Silo Footings

Visit our website

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

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

800-232-6396

22 Church St. W., Elmira

519-669-5537

Tel. 519-699-0507

ↆ GENERAL SERVICES

STORE HOURS: MON - SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5

ↆ AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

Various sizes & rates

CLEAN • DRY • SECURE Call

IN-STORE SERVICES

MarCrest Backhoe

519-669-4964

100 SOUTH FIELD DRIVE, ELMIRA

Reach local people at the right time every week.

WHERE TIRES ARE A

SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDE LINE.

15,000 Observers are delivered to homes in Woolwich, Wellesley and Waterloo.

Call Donna Rudy at 519-669-5790 ext104 to find out how your business can book this space.

Reach local people at the right time every week.

THOMPSON’S

TIRE

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

519-669-3232

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

Advertise your professional services to Woolwich, Wellesley and beyond.

519-669-4400 30 ORIOLE PKWY. E., ELMIRA

ↆ HOME IMPROVEMENT

AMOS INC

R O O F I N G

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

WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED

CALL JAYME FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE.

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

519.501.2405 | 519.698.2114

519-503-6033 (CELL)

In Business since 1973 • Fully Insured

36 Hampton St., Elmira

519-669-2251

We support our Community.

- Design and build -

AGRICULTURAL | RESIDENTIAL Call us at: or visit us at:

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 darwayconstruction@icloud.com | Alma, ON

519-577-0370

COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

“25 years in Business”

ↆ HOME IMPROVEMENT

ST. JACOBS

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

• Residential • Commercial • Industrial

CONSTRUCTION INC.

• 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

info@trappconstruction.ca www.trappconstruction.ca

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

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

• • • •

Stamped Coloured Concrete Demolition Bin Service Machine Bases

Concrete Breaking & Removal

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 12-5

Thursday, October 8, 2020 | THE OBSERVER

ↆ R E A L

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

ES TATE Sue From

Alli Bauman

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

226-750-9332

®

519-669-5426

suefrom17@gmail.com

REALTY LTD., BROKERAGE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

NEW LISTING

$699,900

RARE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN ONE ACRE OF PROPERTY, WITH 212 FEET OF WATERFONT, ON THE GRAND RIVER! Enjoy this well treed lot, including apricot and pear trees with picturesque views down the river.

This home offers a large open living area with main floor laundry and 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The basement includes a workshop and rec room with wood stove and a walkout to the back yard and veggie garden. The lower basement offers additional space that could be finished or used for extra storage. The orientation and slope of the roof were designed for the installation of solar panels.

Close to the historic Kissing bridge and trail - 45kms of recreational trails through Southern Ontario. No more than 15 minutes from Guelph or Waterloo. A renovator and innovator's dream. Imagine the possibilities! This is a rare find. Call today to arrange your private showings.

This beautiful, 3 Bedroom, 4 bathroom custom built, solid brick bungalow, has been lovingly maintained by it’s one and only owner. Nestled on a .4 acre lot with no back neighbours, this 2720 sq. ft. home features hardwood floors, main floor laundry/mud room, and a master bedroom with gas fireplace, ensuite bathroom, and walk-in closet. The sprawling kitchen has granite countertops with loads of cooking space and is open to the formal dining room as well as the dinette. Patio doors from the dinette lead to your backyard oasis!!

Two concrete patios, deck and guest house with a wet bar, all backing onto the Kissing Bridge Trail. The basement offers a rec room with a gas fireplace and wet bar, and 2nd rec room as well as a 2 piece bathroom and games room. This could easily be converted into an in-law suite. Double car garage and concrete driveway allowing parking for 6+ vehicles. This home would be an ideal spot for a large family, a multi-generational family, or anyone who enjoys entertaining. Situated close to Bolender park with its newer playground and splash pad as well as creek and green space…never a loss for things to do. Book your appointment today and start planning your post covid party!!!!

NEW LISTING

$849,900

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

SELLING? CALL US FOR A FREE MARKET EVALUATION.

519.500.1865 (Direct) 519.747.0231 (Office)

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

Dale R. Keller Sales Representative

www.KellerSellsRealEstate.com | dale@kellersellsrealestate.com

Elmira | $489,000 All brick 3 bedroom steps to the downtown. Parking at the side and at the rear.

Commerical/ Residential zoning. Great opportunity. MLS Call Dale

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

→WORD ADS CONTINUED FROM PG 14

Auctions LIVE AUCTION SALE OF TOOLS, HOUSEHOLD GOODS, antiques, trees, & miscellaneous items, to be held at 5750 Schummer Line, Wellesley Twp. (2 miles southwest of Linwood \endash west off Manser Rd.) for Melvin & Fern Weber, on Wednesday Oct. 14th @ 10:00 a.m. Gerber Auctions Ltd. 619-699-4451 or 698-0138

Luke Shantz

REAL ESTATE BROKER

luke.shantz@outlook.com

Have a blessed weekend

Are you wondering if you should

Farm Services KILN DRIED CORN & CORN SCREENING DELIVERED BY Einwechter. Minimum 15 ton lots. Call George Haffner Trucking 519-574-4141 or 519-6692045.

SEED WHEAT AND FERTILIZER COMPETITIVE PRICING. Rye seed, winter barley. Hard red wheat, Gallus. Soft red wheats Branson, Measure, Marker, Emperor and more.

Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-6692045.

Wanted WANTED- 50 TO 100 ACRES OF LAND TO RENT TO GROW edible beans. Call Peter at 519-648-3564.

Coming Saturday | 7 Eagle Dr., Elmira

Buy, Sell, Downsize, Renovate or Stay? Deciding on the right move can be overwhelming but I'm here to help.

Farm Services BAGGED PINE SHAVINGS AGRICULTURAL SPRAY LIME, 22.5kg. bag; feed grade lime, 25kg. Delivered. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-5744141 or 519-669-2045.

3 Arthur St. S., Elmira | 519.669.5426 | Direct 519.584.4400

$424,900

Call Me to discuss your options today!

Melanie Beisel

Sales Representative

$549,900

*Not intended to solicit properties already listed or buyers under contract

ↆ P U Z Z L E $ 5 $ % 5 2 6 ( & 2 , 1 ) $ & & + 2 / ' ' ( ( 3 ( 6 6 $ 6 , 5 5 ( 9 ( 9 ( 1 7 ( 6 7 2 5 + 6 + ( 7 , ( 6 + 2 / ( ( 1 ' 6

6 6 ( ( 6 < &

5 / 8 * ' $ ' 7 $ $ 1 & ' ( 2 5

8 1 ( $ 6 <

6 & $ 5

7 + 5 ( :

6 / 8 5 , 6 ( 3 ( ' '

SOL U TIONS

< * ( 6 6 : & $ $ 5 6 ' $ 7 0 % ( , 6 5 + ( 6 (

, 5 2 1

) $ 0 2 8 ( 6 5 5 $ 2 5 5 7

7 5 ( ( 6

6 ( 1 6 ( 6

5 , / 6 ( ( '

ELMIRA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Beautiful 3+1 bed, 2 bath raised bungalow on a quiet desirable street. Walk in from the garage to the spacious main floor entryway. Updated kitchen (2018) w/ white cabinets, stone counters and S.S appliances. Sliding door from the dinette to the raised deck overlooking your private yard. Formal dining room and living room at the front of the home. Updated 5pce bathroom. In-law potential downstairs with 4th bedroom, 3 pce bath and large rec room with gas stove. Book your viewing before it's gone! MLS

BROKERAGE

R.W. THUR REAL ESTATE LTD. Office: 519-669-2772 | Cell: 519-741-6231 45 Arthur St. S., Elmira | www.thurrealestate.com

BRAD MARTIN Broker of Record, MVA Residential

30+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE YOU CAN RELY ON!

Happy Thanksgiving 2-441 Elizabeth St. E., Listowel

Trades & Services

Ideal first time buyer or investment opportunity! This one bedroom condo has been recently renovated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; new carpet & vinyl flooring throughout, kitchen backsplash & freshly painted. Clean, well kept building with secure entrance & on-site laundry. Enjoy a peaceful walk by the river and walking distance to downtown. Condo fees - $290/mth incl water. MLS $199,900.00

CUSTOM APPLE PRESSING & JUICE SALES BY APPOINTment. Order early for best availability. Cedar Ridge Pressing, 3175 Northfield Dr., 519-669-3541, Elmira.

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

CALL FOR YOUR

FREE MARKET EVALUATION

100% Local Greg Wilson enjoyed some time flying a kite Tuesday afternoon in Elmira.

DAMON MACLEAN

â&#x2122;¥ Car wheel traction Keep a stack of newspapers in the boot of your car during the winter months to prevent getting stuck on a patch of ice or slush. Placing a wad under each rear wheel will help get your car back on the road.

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020

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

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

Community Information Page

P.O. Box 158

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

Phone:

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

After Hours Emergency:

519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca

COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT - NOTICE OF HEARING COVID-19 Woolwich Township Update As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve; the status of facilities and services may change. For current information, please see Woolwich.ca or call 519-669-1647. For health information, please contact: • Region of Waterloo Public Health: 519-575-4400 • Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000

Township Office The Township Office is open for select services. Residents are encouraged to continue to use online or phone where possible or to book appointments with staff in advance.

Woolwich Memorial Centre Aquatics – The pool is now open for aquafit, lane & family swim – preregistration is required. For more information, visit: Woolwich.ca/swim Fitness – for information visit: Woolwich.ca/fitness Woolwich Stay Home, Stay Active Webpage – visit: Woolwich.ca/StayActive

Burn Permits A burn permit is required for all backyard fires, including campfires within the Township. You can apply for a permit at Woolwich.ca or by calling 519-669-6022.

Council Meetings While Council Chambers is closed, Council will meet remotely following their regular schedule. You can still participate in meetings: • Watch on YouTube.com (search “Woolwich Township”) – no registration required • Submit written comments • Register to speak before Council, attend a public meeting or listen online or by toll-free phone For registration, help or alternative participation options, call 519-669-6004.

Regional Face Mask By-law Face coverings are required in Waterloo Region on transit, in enclosed public places, taxis, ride sharing vehicles, and common areas in apartments and condominiums. Children under five and people with certain medical conditions or disabilities are exempt. Please be kind to those who are unable to wear a face covering. To make a complaint, call 519-575-4400 or find out more at regionofwaterloo.ca/MaskBylaw.

Local Business Resources Local businesses are hiring. Check out findyourjob.ca to find local jobs in Woolwich Township. See who’s hiring on-line today!

Thank you for participating in #TastetheCountryside! Winners announced Friday, Oct. 9!

As we enter the second wave of COVID-19, please continue to follow social distancing guidelines. We are all in this together. Get the #SAFETRAVELS stamp via www.tiaontario.ca/cpages/safetravelsstamp to let your customers know you follow worldwide industry protocols to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

For business assistance, contact Jenna Morris, Economic Development and Tourism Officer, at 519-669-6020 or email EconomicDevelopment@woolwich.ca.

Pursuant to the Planning Act and Ontario Regulations 197/96 and 200/96 TAKE NOTICE THAT the Committee of Adjustment for the Township of Woolwich will meet on:

MONDAY, October 26, 2020 at 4:30 P.M. for the purpose of hearing all persons interested in support of or opposition to any of the following applications as described below.

Please note this will be a virtual meeting only and public attendance at the Township offices will not be permitted. Below is information on how you can submit comments, view or participate in the meeting. You may also contact the Committee Secretary by sending an email to planning@woolwich.ca or by phone at 519-669-6040 if you have any questions.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE As in-person meetings are not an option at this time, you can view or participate in the meeting as follows: • view the Committee of Adjustment livestream on the Woolwich Township Youtube channel at the following link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOnLlF3Srk2gLEBjkq8pIMQ OR • participate by REGISTERING with the Committee Secretary on or before 12 noon on Friday October 23rd. To register please email planning@woolwich.ca or phone 519-669-6040. When registering you must provide your name, phone number, email and the application number you would like to comment on. Once you are registered the Committee Secretary will forward information on how to connect to the Zoom meeting (i.e. zoom Wi-Fi login or conference call number).

If you are unsure whether or not you would like to speak at the meeting but want to listen and have the option to comment on a particular application, please register with the Committee Secretary (see above information). You will not be required to speak if you do not want to.

WHY REGISTER By registering staff can ensure that you are permitted access to the virtual meeting, we know which application you are commenting on and, can call on you at the appropriate time to comment if you wish to do so. As it is virtual, registering will provide a level of security that is necessary to prevent unwanted guests from disrupting the meeting. Applicants and their consultants will be automatically registered and contacted accordingly by the Committee Secretary ahead of the meeting.

SUBMITTING COMMENTS If you would like to comment on a particular application, staff always recommend that you do so by: • submitting a letter by mail or delivering it to the Township office at 24 Church Street West, Elmira and placing it in the drop box on the Maple Street side of the building; or • submit an email to planning@woolwich.ca You can also contact the Township Planner at 519-669-6038 to discuss any comments / concerns however, this is not considered a formal comment.

The Committee will consider submissions for or against the applications. All submissions must be made no later than 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20th (Note that this date is before the meeting). Any submissions received will be included in a comment package and presented at the meeting. This information is collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public at the Committee of Adjustment hearing. Please note that while the Committee may redact some personal information such as email addresses and phone numbers, your submissions will otherwise be made public in their entirety.

This notice has been sent to commenting agencies, and to owners of property located within 60 metres (200 feet) of the subject properties. If you wish to be notified of any last minute changes to the agenda (i.e. withdrawal of an application) you must contact the Committee Secretary at 519-669-6040 or 1-877-969-0094 (Ext. 6040) or by email to planning@woolwich.ca.

APPLICATIONS MINOR VARIANCE APPLICATION A 23/2020- 2188640 Ontario Inc. (Leroy’s Auto Care), 20 Oriole Parkway East, Elmira

• 550 King Street North, Major 4A, Waterloo

ZONE / USE: General Industrial – Urban (M-2) / automotive repair shop PROPOSAL: The applicant is requesting relief from Section 21.3.4 to reduce the required rear yard setback from 7.5 metres to approximately 3.0 metres in order to permit the construction of an addition to the rear of the existing industrial building.

CONSENT APPLICATION B 18/2020 – Calvin Jutzi, 5100 Fountain Street North, Breslau ZONE / USE: General Industrial – Dry (M-1) with site specific provisions 26.1.297 / auction business with associated parking and outdoor storage PROPOSAL: The applicant is requesting permission to create an irregular shaped easement, ranging in width from 4 to 6.5 metres, running along the length of the westerly property line of 5100 Fountain Street, in favour of the adjacent lands to the rear, 5080 Fountain St N, for the purpose of providing hydro service.

CONSENT APPLICATION B 19/2020 – 2205299 Ontario Limited, Northeast corner of Arthur Street South and Earl Martin Drive, Elmira ZONE / USE: Service Industrial (M-5) and Service Commercia (C-7) / vacant land PROPOSAL: The applicant is requesting permission to sever an irregular shaped portion of land with approximately 42 metres frontage on Earl Martin Drive and approximately 0.9 hectares in area to create a vacant industrial lot (zoned M-5). The proposed retained lands located at the north east corner of Arthur Street South and Earl Martin Drive are approximately 1.0 hectare in area with approximately 130 metres frontage on Arthur Street South. The proposed retained land is zoned C-7 and M-5.

NOTICE OF DECISION: Within 10 days of the meeting, a copy of each decision will be sent to owners, agents, those who submit written comments, and people who register for the meeting. If you wish to be notified of the decision of the Committee of Adjustment in respect to this application, you must submit a written request to the Committee Secretary or register ahead of the meeting. This will also entitle you to be advised of a possible Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

APPEAL OF MINOR VARIANCE AND CONSENT APPLICATIONS: Anyone in opposition to a decision may appeal the decision to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. The Tribunal may dismiss an appeal without holding a hearing if the appellant did not make oral or written submissions to the Committee of Adjustment before a decision was given or does not provide a reasonable explanation for having failed to make a submission to the Committee.

• Appointments required: 519-886-6130

QUESTIONS / FURTHER INFORMATION

• Open Monday to Sunday from 8:00am-8:00pm

Please feel free to reach out to Township Staff by phone or email to assist you should you have any questions. Contact the Committee Secretary at 519-669-6040 or 1-877-969-0094 (Ext. 6040) or by email to planning@woolwich.ca

Public Health Updates All Ontario assessment centres are moving to COVID tests by appointment. Please be kind and patient with each other and only seek testing if you: • have symptoms of COVID-19 • have been exposed to a confirmed case, as informed by your Public Health unit or the COVID Alert app • are a resident, or work in a setting, that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by your local public health unit • are eligible for testing as part of a targeted Provincial testing initiative Local Pharmacies offering COVID-19 Testing for people without symptoms: Shoppers Drug Mart • 1500 King Street East, Cambridge • Appointments required: call 519-653-9700 • Open Monday to Sunday from 8:00am-10:00pm Shoppers Drug Mart • 235 Ira Needles Boulevard, Kitchener • Appointments required: call 519-744-4001 • Open Monday to Sunday from 8:00am-10:00pm Shoppers Drug Mart – Conestoga Mall

Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 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

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

APPEAL RIGHTS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.

Regarding Zone Change Application 8/2020 Conestogo Mill Inc. - 1795 and 1805 Sawmill Road, Conestogo Please note this will be a virtual meeting only and public attendance at the Township offices will not be permitted. Below is information on how you can submit comments, view or participate in the meeting. You may also contact Development Services staff by sending an email to planning@woolwich.ca or by phone at 519-669-6040 if you have any questions.

Take Notice that in accordance with the Planning Act, R.S.O., 1990, c.P.13, as amended, the Township of Woolwich has received a complete application for a proposed Zone Change for lands owned by Conestogo Mill Inc. and located at 1795 and 1805 Sawmill Road, Conestogo, more specifically described below. This notice will also summarize the details of this application and will include a location map and site plan of the subject lands. Please be advised that Notice of a Complete Application does not indicate whether the municipality is in support of, or in opposition to the proposal. That determination will be made at a later date.

The Township of Woolwich will hold a Public Meeting, under Section 34 of the Planning Act, to consider the following Zone Change application. No decisions will be made at this meeting; its purpose is to provide additional information to the public and agencies and to receive comments and information from them.

K. Smart Associates Limited on behalf of Conestogo Mill Inc. has submitted the above-noted application proposing to redevelop the lands described as GCT Part Lot 31 58R8008 Part 1 and located at 1795 and 1805 Sawmill Road, Conestogo (see Location Map) for a mixed commercial development. The 928 square metre property at 1795 Sawmill Road and the 1.4 ha property at 1805 Sawmill Road are within the Settlement Boundary of Conestogo, designated Urban Area and Restricted Land Use Area in the Township’s Official Plan and are zoned Agricultural (A) with an (f) suffix for floodplain regulations and site specific provisions (Section 26.1. 238) permitting the operation of a feed mill and accessory uses.

The applicant is proposing to amend the site specific zoning for the properties which will eliminate the use of a feed mill and permit a range of mixed commercial permitted uses as follows:

Part 1 – Eastern Portion of former mill building (3 storey) - 1805 Sawmill Rd • • • • • • • • •

Art gallery; Assembly hall; Banquet hall / facilities; Commercial entertainment Facility; Establishment for dispensing refreshments to the public (restaurant); Indoor storage or Warehousing; Showroom or Wholesale Outlet; Studio Private Club; and

• Accessory uses including offices, parking , loading, warehousing and retail / showroom

Part 2 – Western Portion of former mill building (2 storey) - 1805 Sawmill Rd • All uses included in Part 1 except Assembly hall and Banquet hall / facilities; • Small form distillery; and • Accessory uses to any of the uses listed in Parts 1 and 2

Part 3 – 1795 Sawmill Rd • Residential Building – One unit (which may include a home occupation); • Uses accessory to the foregoing residence; and • An office

Part 4 – Remainder of the lands Accessory uses to any of the uses listed in Parts 1, 2 and 3

TAKE NOTICE that if a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the Township of Woolwich to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of Woolwich before the by-law is passed, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

AND TAKE NOTICE that if a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, or make written submissions to the Township of Woolwich before the by-law is passed, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE As in-person meetings are not an option at this time, you can view or participate in the Public Meeting as follows: VIEW the Public Meeting / Council meeting livestream on the Woolwich Township Youtube channel at the following link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOnLlF3Srk2gLEBjkq8pIMQ ; PARTICIPATE in the Public Meeting by REGISTERING with Council/Committee Facilitator on or before 4:30 pm on Thursday October 29, 2020.

To register please: • email asmyth@woolwich.ca or phone 519-669-6004; or • visit www.woolwich.ca/delegations for more information on speaking before Council and to register through the online delegation request form.

When registering you must provide your name, phone number, email and the application number you would like to comment on. Once you are registered staff will forward information on how to connect to the Zoom meeting (i.e. zoom Wi-Fi login or conference call number).

If you are concerned that you do not have access to phone or internet or are otherwise concerned about the reliability of your signal please ensure that you submit written comments. Written comments do not negate your opportunity to also speak at the Public Meeting but do ensure your voice is heard should your electronic connection to the meeting not work.

If you are unsure whether or not you would like to speak at the meeting but want to listen and have the option to comment on a particular application, please register with the Deputy Clerk. You will not be required to speak if you do not want to.

WHY REGISTER By registering staff can ensure that you are permitted access to the virtual meeting, we know which application you are commenting on and, can call on you at the appropriate time to comment if you wish to do so. As it is virtual, registering will provide a level of security that is necessary to prevent meeting disruptions.

SUBMITTING COMMENTS AND REQUESTING NOTIFICATION You can express your concerns/ comments about the proposed changes in writing to the Township of Woolwich.

Any comments received on or before Tuesday, October 27, 2020 (Note that this date is before the public meeting) will be included in a report prepared by Development Services and presented at the Public Meeting.

Any comments received after the Public Meeting, but prior to Council making a decision on the applications, will be considered.

The personal information accompanying your submission is being collected under the authority of the Planning Act and may form part of the public record which may be released to the public. This information is collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public at the Committee of the Whole and Council meetings. Please note that while the Committee of the Whole and Council may redact some personal information such as email addresses and phone numbers, your submissions will otherwise be made public in their entirety. Questions about this collection should be directed to the Records and Freedom of Information Officer at 519-669-1647 or 1-877-969-0094 ext. 6005.

Should you wish to be notified of future meetings and reports regarding the Zone Change application please: • submit a written request, noting that you wish to be kept informed, to the Township of Woolwich, Development Services, 24 Church Street West, Box 158, Elmira, Ontario N3B 2Z6, or • email your request noting that you wish to be kept informed to planning@woolwich.ca If Council approves the change, a notice will be mailed to you explaining the By-law.

MORE INFORMATION Additional information related to these applications can be viewed or obtained as follows: View / print the information from the Township webpage at www.woolwich.ca - Select Ongoing Planning Items on the home page / select the Zone Change and/or Official Plan Amendments folder / select Conestogo Mill Inc. – 1795 and 1805 Sawmill Road, Conestogo folder to view the information.

Schedule an appointment to view the documents at the Township Administration building located at 24 Church Street West, Elmira weekdays between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. To schedule an appointment please call 519-669-6040 or email planning@woolwich.ca Dated at the Township of Woolwich this 8th day of October 2020.

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020

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

In Memoriam

Birthday

Happy Birthday

Obituary

In memory of Mel “Milford” Reger: Missing you You are in my thoughts every day.

We had many great years together.

You were a wonderful husband.

You are a great caring father. We loved you very much. When I pass, our ashes will be put together as one.

Bunny, Robin, Karen

Obituary

Jennifer’s Pennifer’s you still have your million dollar smile.

Love Dad

In Memoriam

Jan Weppler September 12, 1946 - October 10, 2019

Gone but not forgotten.

Loved and remembered, Bob and family

Obituary

SEIM, Noel Joseph Christopher We are saddened to announce Noel’s passing after several years of failing health, on Thursday, September 10, 2020 at the age of 53.

Noel was the middle and beloved son of Cay and Bob Seim.

Dear brother of Jill (Mike) Clermont and uncle of Mikayla and Marc.

Predeceased by older brother Garth, who passed in an accident in 1994.

Soehner, Shirley After a very sudden illness, on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 Shirley Soehner of Elmira, at the age of 84.

Beloved wife of Bob (Robert) Soehner for 62 years. Loving and devoted mother of Cindi and Dave Conlon of Guelph, Tami Repath of Kingston, Todd and Val Soehner of Elmira. Fondly remembered by grandchildren Jeffrey, Ian, Andrew, Emily; Linay, Allan, Logan; Jordan and Becky; her in-law grandchildren Angeline, Lauryn, Devin, Dom, Steve; and three great-grandchildren. Sister of Marlyn Goodwin. Predeceased by her parents, Jack and Elvera Johnston of Elmira.

Vitality and a passionate love of family distinguished Shirley’s energetic approach to life. She always kept herself busy even during quiet times – knitting endless sweaters and afghans for family, or recently playing bridge online. Her grandchildren describe “Nan” as a classy lady and invincible, yet she was always able to laugh at herself and the world around her. Music defined her early years, learning and then teaching piano and playing the organ. She was not intimidated by the new online world and learned to email, Google, and most recently enjoyed Facetime chats with family. A lifelong resident of Elmira, she greeted many new families to Elmira as the Welcome Wagon Lady, sharing her love and passion of her home town with new residents.

Being social was second nature to Shirley and a smile and an open heart greeted friends at regular coffee klatches, and many hours were spent with friends playing cards. She loved travel and adventure, and granddaughter Emily remembers Nan hopping down from a bunk bed at a co-ed hostel in the middle of the night, so the young men would not see this spry, elderly lady in her nightie. Nan was one-of-a-kind like the art she created, collected and displayed in her home. Her family and friends will truly miss her electric and exceptional approach to life and love.

Memorial contributions to the The Salvation Army Maxwell Meighen Centre in Toronto would be appreciated.

The family is overwhelmed by the love and concern shown by the Ernst Street neighbourhood and appreciates the compassionate care from Hospice Wellington. Due to current COVID restrictions, a private family service was held at Gale Presbyterian Church, Elmira on Monday, October 5, 2020 with Rev. Scott Sinclair and Rev. Kees Vandermey officiating. Interment in Elmira Union Cemetery followed. In her memory, donations to Hospice Wellington or Gale Presbyterian Church Building Fund would be appreciated by the family as expressions of sympathy.

www.wallcustance.com

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Cremation has taken place and a private family service will occur in the near future.

Arrangements entrusted to the WALLCUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 519-822-0051 or wallcustance.com – Condolences can be sent to the family via the funeral home website below Noel’s notice.

Obituary

Carole Ann Woods

Bauman, Douglas Larry 1961 - 2020

November 28, 1942 – September 29, 2020

From Glory to Glory He is changing Me.

With profound sadness; yet wonderful memories we announce the death of Carole Woods after a variety of health issues spanning a period of seven years. From major pneumonia, kidney problems requiring dialysis, minor heart attacks, aorta repair and hernia surgery, she cheated death on numerous occasions. Her strong heart and determination allowed her to live on and enjoy six more years. It was only recently with a stroke and looming cancer issues that ended her life.

Douglas Larry Bauman (Bao Boon Teck 包 文 德 ) went into GLORY in his 59th year, after a 6 month journey with cancer.

Wife and best friend of Art for 58 years. Dear mother of Steve (Wendy) Woods. Beloved nana of granddaughter Zoe and special granddog Dime. Also survived by sister-inlaw Brenda Woods. Predeceased by her parents James and Grace Gray, sisters in-law Lorna and husband James Miller and Verna Woods and brotherin-law Evan Woods.

For many years her passion has been playing bridge. She played in numerous clubs and other groups and was always ready and more than willing to “play a game” anytime, anywhere. We know she is now sitting at a table somewhere where her opposition lives in fear when she makes her famous “3 no trump” bid. Over the years she also enjoyed bowling, curling, and golfing.

Carole was loved by all who knew her.

Her family, her wide circle of friends and our extended Lions family. Her infectious smile and her great ability to make people laugh and be happy served her well.

For over 30 years she faithfully and totally supported Art as they travelled extensively throughout North America and other parts of the world to hundreds of Lions meetings, conventions and forums.

She, without complaint, sat at the head table where she listened with feigned interest to his speeches and politely endured his oft repeated and purportedly humourous stories, always politely laughing at the appropriate time.

For many years, Carole enjoyed hosting our annual Lions Governors reunions and our group of nine travel companions at the family cottage near Parry Sound.

As per Carole’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a private family service was held. There will be no public visitation or service. Donations can be made in Carole’s memory to Dog Guides – Dimer Fund and may be obtained by calling the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira, 519-669-2207.

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Death Notices ERB, ORAN EDWARD - Peacefully at his home at Pond View in Wellesley on Sunday, October 4, 2020 in his 70th year.

MARTIN, MERLE L. - Passed away unexpectedly but peacefully into the presence of his Lord on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at home, age 65 years.

Douglas was the beloved husband of Ruth Loh Bauman (Loh Nguan Buay 卢 源 梅 ) for 29 years, and loving father of Joshua Wei-Ming Bauman (Bao Wei Ming 包 伟 明).

He was predeceased by his parents Earl S. Bauman and Ruby (Gies) Bauman. He is survived by brothers Robert Bauman (Steve Coulson), Richard (Donna) Bauman, Keith (Lynne) Bauman, and sister Ruth (Terry) Seiling.

Douglas grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Floradale, Ontario. He attended Emmanuel Bible College in Kitchener.

Following this, Douglas served as a missionary with Youth With A Mission where he met his wife Ruth in Scotland.

He was also a Youth Pastor at Elmira Pentecostal Assembly. For the last 26 years he worked at Elmira Pet Food, finishing leading the HR team as a HR Generalist.

Cremation has taken place. A private Celebration of Life for Douglas will take place at WMB Church at a later date.

Condolences for the family and donations to WMB Church, Innisfree House and Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada may be arranged by contacting the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.

www.erbgood.com

Sanders, Lorelee Passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, October 2, 2020 at Grand River Hospital, Kitchener in her 59th year. Beloved wife of Robert “Kernel” Sanders of Elmira. Wonderful and caring mother of Mitchell, Mackenzie, Keaton and her dog Zoey. Dear daughter of Barbara and the late Douglas MacMillan of Elmira. Dear sister of Darrell MacMillan, Darren (Peggyann) MacMillan, GerriLynn MacMillan (Rob Meyer), Daynard (Jenn) MacMillan, all of Elmira and sister-in-law of Darryl (Tracey) Sanders of Kitchener, and Janine (Bill) Wendland of Elmira. Daughter-in-law of Millie and the late John Sanders of Elmira. Will be missed by many nieces and nephews.

Lorelee worked at Don Volls Custom Flooring for over 31 years.

At Lorelee’s request, cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre would be appreciated. Arrangements entrusted to the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira.

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 21

Living Here

It's about all of us.

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

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 103 Report it: observerxtra.com/tips

Up for auction, part II

Charitable supports

The New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale is back for a second round on Oct. 17, starting at 9 a.m. It follows the online spring auction May 30 that raised more than $85,000 in support of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) for relief, development and peace initiatives in Canada and worldwide.

The Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) and the Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Foundation (CNDCF) this week announced they will be providing $400,000 to support local charities responding to COVID-19, as part of an ongoing partnership with Community Foundations of Canada, United Way Centraide Canada and the Canadian Red Cross.

www.nhmrs.hid.com

Deb Cserhalmi and Cheryl Bauman are currently caring for Oz, a two-year old poodle, Vindi, a 12-month-old black Lab and Venti, a two-year-old black Lab.

DAMON MACLEAN

Going above and beyond puppy love Group of local women form new organization in support of the Lions Club’s Dog Guides program DAMON MACLEAN Observer Staff

BEFORE SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY such as blindness or autism receives a service dog, there’s plenty of work that gets done to prepare the animal for its eventual owner. Count Deb Cserhalmi and Cheryl Bauman among those involved in the process of helping prepare puppies for the lives that await them.

The pair are part of a group of five women who’ve come together as Floradale Friends of Dog Guides Lions Branch Club to support the longstand-

ing Lions Club program.

Launched in July, the team has already made their mark in the dog guide community.

“We just finished our first major fundraiser, which was an online auction. It was incredibly successful,” said Bauman, who does marketing in the non-profit sector.

“And we’ve already done a service project, which was providing 76 of our masks to all of the staff and trainers at dog guides.”

The online auction raised an estimated $2,000, which was a nice start but covers just a small part of the cost of raising a

dog guide.

“It costs $25,000 to raise and train dogs. There’s no government assistance – it’s 100 per cent... based on donations,” explained Bauman, who has been raising foster pups since 2013.

The COVID-19 crisis has put a damper on the world of dog guides and trainers, with the temporary closure of Lions Club’s Breslau training facility. Some 400 puppies are waiting to begin or continue their process of becoming service dogs.

Cserhalmi, the team’s president, says a significant misconception

people hold is dog guides are more like workers than pets.

“We get the odd thing like ‘how can you possibly use a dog? It’s almost like being a slave.’ And then I ask them “where’s your dog?” And they say ‘at home,’ and I say ‘Where would it rather be?’ ‘Probably with me,’” she said of the typical back-and-forth conversation.

Of course, the dogs do get times to simply enjoy being pups, but when the vest goes on, it is work time.

“I call it the magic vest,” said Bauman. “They know that they’re supposed to

pay attention and probably they know that they just get lots of cookies.”

Bauman and Cserhalmi both admit it’s easy to get attached to the young dogs they foster, noting it can be challenging to hand over a dog to the next stage in the training process, but realize it is an invaluable opportunity.

“You look at the volunteer description – it’s raise a seven-week-old puppy. So, go through all the teething, the training, all this kind of stuff, take them out everywhere.

And then when you’ve got that well-behaved, welltrained, good mannered

puppy, we’re going to take the puppy back. And you can start all over again with a little ankle-biter,” said Bauman of the cycle.

To this point, Bauman has fostered nine dogs, and Cserhalmi has babysat a large amount. Cserhalmi typically dog sits for long term periods, having had her current charge, Oz, for the past six months.

The dogs in the program are trained for a variety of purposes, including helping those who experience seizures, diabetic shock and for autism support.

The waiting list is long, and Cserhalmi recom→DOG GUIDES 23

Now is a great time to start thinking about getting your winter tires on!

As temperatures slowly begin to drop, it is beneficial for you to plan early

NON PRINTING and beat the rush. There AD is noSPOT harm in- getting tires on a little early!

If you do not have winter tires yet, no worries! We are more than happy to get you into a winter tire that suits your driving needs and budget!

Contact us to get your winter tires on soon.

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, October 8, 2020

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

ↆ C O M M U N I T Y

“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

E V E NTS

Woolwich Residents Support Fund: Responding to financial needs On April 4, 2020, Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz launched the Woolwich Residents Support Fund (WRSF) on behalf of Woolwich Township Council.

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.

In general, the fund will provide one-time financial support to an applicant. However, we realize that no two cases are the same.

Unique situations may require further support that otherwise would not be accessible for the ongoing needs of the individual.

Prior to an applicant drawing from the WRSF, the Fund Review Committee will access other community services and funds that may be able to support and/or provide for the individual.

While eligibility practices and an application process are in place, it should be noted that in unique, complex, crisis and acute circumstances funds may be provided at the discretion of the Fund Review Committee, assuming the core criteria of the fund are met.

“What a great example of the barn-raising spirit that has always existed in Woolwich,” said Mayor Shantz about the Fund during her video announcement on what would have been the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival day.

P.O. BOX 247, ELMIRA

www.mgmill.com

NANCY KOEBEL

Bus: 519.744.5433 Home: 519.747.4388

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

Additional information:

Fund Administrator: Woolwich Community Services

RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, LIFs and Annuities.

Fund Review Committee: Kelly Christie – Executive Director, Woolwich Community Services Cathy Harrington – Executive Director, Community Care Concepts

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

Vacuum Sales, Repairs Se Service All Makes & Models

9 Church St. E., Elmira

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

Quality & Service you can trust.

21 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.2884 | martinselmira.com

Education and Treatment

Your First Step to Better Hearing

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

SANYO CANADIAN

33 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.1591

Woolwich Township Ward 1 Councillor

How can I help you?

519.514.6051

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

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

pmerlihan@woolwich.ca

www.merlihan.com

healthywoolwich.org

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

of sweet Italian sausage out of their casings and browning the crumbles in a Dutch oven with sliced cremini mushrooms. We then deglazed the pot with dry white wine and added the pasta and water. Once the pasta was al dente, we turned off the heat and stirred in frozen peas (no need to thaw), basil, Parmesan, and some lemon zest for brightness.

One final step remained: stirring it all vigorously for a minute. Agitating the components this way knocked starch from the pasta into the small amount of cooking liquid, transforming it into a sauce that lightly cloaked each shell.

In just about an hour, we had a substantial, tasty meal that would please the whole family after a busy day.

One-Pot Pasta with Sausage, Mushrooms and Peas ▢ 1 pound cremini

mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin

▢ 12 ounces (4 1/2 cups) medium pasta shells

▢ 1 pound sweet

▢ 4 cups water

Italian sausage, casings removed

▢ 2 shallots, chopped ▢ 1 1/4 teaspoons table

▢ 2 cups frozen peas ▢ 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

▢ 1 ounce Parmesan

▢ 1 teaspoon pepper

cheese, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

▢ 1/4 teaspoon red

▢ 2 teaspoon grated

pepper flakes

MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

Donations to the WRSF may be mailed to Woolwich Community Services, 5 Memorial Ave., Elmira, ON N3B 2P6 or through the website on the WCS Donate page.

The place to get involved.

WITH KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL (in some form or another) and many parents still working from home, it's a perfect time to add a great-tasting, quick-cooking meal to your recipe rotation.

In this one-pot recipe, lively lemon zest, bright peas and summery basil combine with pasta, meat and vegetables for a satisfying, light and lively fall dish.

In the Test Kitchen, we've found that the best way to pull off a one-pot pasta dinner is to forgo the standard approach of boiling, draining and saucing the pasta. Instead, we cook the pasta in a carefully controlled amount of liquid that reduces into a flavorful sauce. (Not only does it make for a more cohesive dish, it also dirties fewer dishes.) For this recipe, that optimal amount of liquid was 4 cups for 12 ounces of pasta.

Before we cooked the pasta, we made a flavorful base by taking a few links

salt

Access to the Fund is available by contacting: 1. Community Care Concepts of Woolwich, Wellesley and Wilmot 2. Woolwich Community Services 3. Woolwich Counseling Centre 4. Woolwich Community Health Centre

Individual life insurance, mortgage insurance, business insurance, employee benefits programs, critical illness insurance, disability coverage, 652 Waterbury Lane, Waterloo

A one-hour, one-pot recipe to welcome fall

CAL ENDAR

▢ 1/2 cup dry white wine 1. In a large Dutch oven set over high heat, cook the mushrooms, sausage, shallots, salt, pepper and pepper flakes, stirring mixture frequently and breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until liquid has evaporated and browned bits have formed on bottom of pot, about 15 minutes.

2. Add wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.

3. Stir in pasta and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes (some liquid will remain in the bottom of the pot).

4. Off heat, add the peas, basil, Parme-

lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving

san and lemon zest.

Stir vigorously for 1 minute, until sauce has thickened. Serve, passing lemon wedges and extra Parmesan separately.

Recipe notes: You can substitute white mushrooms for the cremini mushrooms and 12 ounces (3 1/3 cups) of orecchiette for the medium pasta shells, if desired. The pasta will not absorb all the cooking liquid in Step 2; stirring vigorously in Step 3 helps thicken the sauce so it will coat the pasta.

For a nonalcoholic version, substitute 1/2 cup of water for the wine in Step 2 and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with the lemon zest in Step 3. There is no need to thaw the peas.

Thursday, October 8, 2020 | THE OBSERVER

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

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Dietary supplements useful in some situations Rozalina McCoy

Community Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Why does my doctor want to know what supplements I'm taking, even if I don't have any health problems and don't take more than the recommended amounts?

ANSWER: It's important to tell your health care provider about any dietary supplements you take. Although you don't need a prescription for most supplements, that doesn't mean they can't significantly affect your

â&#x2013;˘ Mayo Clinic

can ensure that they are a good fit for you.

There are two general categories of dietary supplements: nutritional and herbal. Nutritional supplements are designed to provide vitamins and minerals your body needs that you may not get enough of in your diet. Calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron and fiber are common nutritional supplements many people take. Herbal supplements, sometime called botanicals, are supplements derived from plants that are touted as having health benefits. Popular herbal supplements include echinacea, ginkgo and flaxseed.

People take dietary supplements to improve their health or prevent illness. One concern about supplements, though, is lack of oversight in their production and claims manufacturers make about their benefits.

Prescription and over-thecounter medications are

Professional Clinical Health Advice

health. Dietary supplements are useful in some situations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example, calcium and vitamin D for bone health, and iron for iron-deficiency anemia.

But they also can be harmful, especially if taken in certain combinations, with certain prescription medications, or before surgery or other medical procedures. By knowing the supplements you take, your health care provider

â&#x2020;&#x2020; S U D O K U

closely regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA doesn't regulate or oversee supplement content or claims to the same degree as it does for medications.

So just because a supplement is approved for sale doesn't necessarily mean it's safe or effective.

Although supplements aren't regulated in the same way medications are, they have active ingredients that can affect your body and your health.

And keep in mind that anything strong enough to produce a positive effect, such as lowering cholesterol or improving mood, also is strong enough to carry potential health risks. That's one of the key reasons it's important to talk with your health care provider about your supplements. He or she can review the potential benefits and side effects, and evaluate if the supplement is safe for you.

When you take your supplements can be a

factor you need to discuss with your health care provider, as well. For example, the absorption of some supplements can be influenced by whether you take them with food or on an empty stomach. Some supplements also can prevent the absorption or action of medications, so it may be important to take them separately.

It is particularly important for you to review your supplements with your health care provider if you take more than one supplement, or if you take any prescription or nonprescription medication. In some cases, taking a combination of supplements or using supplements while taking certain medications could lead to harmful or life-threatening results.

You mention that you don't take more than the recommended amount of your supplement, and that is wise. Taking more than the recommended daily

values can increase the risk of side effects. But be aware that vitamins and minerals are being added to a growing number of foods, including breakfast cereals and beverages. If you're also taking supplements, you may be getting more of some nutrients than you realize. Your health care provider can help you evaluate your diet and decide if you need the supplements that you're taking.

The bottom line is that although nutritional and herbal supplements may be useful, they aren't riskfree. By talking with your health care provider about the supplements you take, and discussing their potential benefits and risks, you'll gain a better understanding of the value those supplements have for your health overall. â&#x2020;&#x2020; Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@ mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.

DOG GUIDES: Floradale group accepting donations to help with training â&#x2020;&#x2019;FROM 21

mends those who may be eligible to file as soon as possible, as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a time-consuming process that is further restricted now because of COVID-19.

Floradale Friends of Dog Guides Lions Branch

HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. Numbers are preplaced to get you started.

Club project has been well received, they say, noting business owners in and around Woolwich have been supportive. The Lions Club connections also pay dividends. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really believe in collaborating and coop-

erating with other Lions Clubs or other individuals within the community.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really about working together â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that whole COVID-19 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all in this together.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all working together,â&#x20AC;? said Bauman.

Currently, the group

has a 2021 dog calendar and masks for sale. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also accepting donations on their website to help support their operations. â&#x2020;&#x2020; More information about the Lions dog guides program can be found online at www. dogguides.com.

â&#x2020;&#x2020; 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!

OPEN 8am - 9pm | 7 DAYS A WEEK

37. Takes out 39. Abstruse 41. Not a particular one

42. Wood 45. English exam

day meals 17. Pink, as a steak 18. Nickels and dimes 20. Transmits or receives motion 21. Word on a door 22. Confronted 24. "___ we having fun yet?"

25. Type of boat 27. Flip response?

29. "Star ___" 31. Apply 32. Antiquated 35. Collar inserts

finale, often

46. Kind of center 48. Commuter line 51. "Dear" one 52. Farther down 53. Trigger, for one 55. Take note of 56. Left behind 57. 20-20, e.g.

59. Makeup, e.g.

60. Together, they could be a bore

61. "___ Loves You" 63. Associations 64. Burrow 65. Aims

â&#x2020;&#x2020; P L A C E S

ACROSS 1. Ishmael's people 5. Out of practice 10. Talents 15. Gift on "The Bachelor"

16. Middle of the

OF

DOWN 1. Parenthesis,

essentially 2. Good vantage point 3. ___ Minor 4. CATCHER 5. Persian, e.g.

6. Apprehensive 7. Identifying mark 8. Cast 9. "Absolutely!"

11. "Pumping ___" 12. Highly popular 13. Ashes, e.g.

14. Has a hunch 19. Attends 21. Fritter away 23. Computer info 25. Grouches 26. The "C" in U.P.C.

28. Word with belly or toe 30. Look up to 33. Discounted 34. Covets 36. Berth place 38. Overthrow, e.g.

40. Bracket 43. Brought into play 44. Acclivity 47. Bloodshot 49. "A jealous mistress": Emerson 50. ___ Zeppelin 52. Half a gone-by bird 53. __ said, s__ said 54. Kill, in a way 58. Different perspective 62. Believed 63. Not just "a"

FAIT H

DELIV SER ERY AVAILVICE Call fo ABLE rD etails

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

WOODSIDE

Join Us Online Each Sunday

woodsidechurch.ca/live

Elmira Mennonite Church

Worship: 9:30am On Whose Authority?

Erv Wiens preaching

See www.elmiramennonite.ca.

58 Church St. W., Elmira â&#x20AC;˘ 519-669-5123

THE OBSERVER | Thursday, October 8, 2020

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

WAREHOUSE OPEN WAREHOUSE OPEN MON-FRI 9-6 | SATM9-6 O N -| F RSUN I 9 - 610-5 | S AT 9 - 6 | S U N 1 0 - 5

VINYL

VINYL

VINYL

Emma Behrendt and Rachel Collins help pack bags of candy that will be delivered to the doors of kids SEAN HEEGER who are registered before Oct. 25.

HALLOWEEN: It's still all about the candy â&#x2020;&#x2019;FROM 03

municipalities across the region, and businesses such as grocery stores have provided supported by donating to the cause, she said.

Degen says the volunteers are the ones helping her to drive this event forward to success, and it would not be possible to work in an area such as Waterloo Region without their support. Because there is so much area to cover, Degen is asking the community to sign up and help deliver from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on October 31.

Currently volunteers are needed in the Wellesley and Ayr regions.

For those who are concered about safety,

Degen already has a health plan in place as they prepare the candy to go out at the end of the month. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[There are] four volunteers that will be packing the bags. They wear gloves and safety masks, the whole area is sanitized. We have the volunteers, that will be knocking on doorsteps for the safety of them as well [they will be] knocking on the doors, leaving the treat from a doorstep and removing themselves to the sidewalk,â&#x20AC;? she added.

She says all candy will be purchased by them to reduce the risk to the public, noting donations are welcome.

Registration can take place until October 25 by emailing bringbackhal-

$

CLICK VINYL PLANKS

1

00

loween2020@gmail.com â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Volunteering and donations can also be done through the same email.

F ROM PER SQ FT Degen said sheRwants EG 2.99 people living in apartments to know that because of COVID-19 restrictions, they are unable to enter the buildings and deliver the candy.

They will not be left out, however, because if they register with the12MM address of THICK a friend or family member, LAMINA TE the candy will be dropped off to that location instead.

For those who want to donate an Amazon FROM PE SQ FT wish list is online orRan EG 3.99 etransfer can be R made to the event email. For more information visit the event Facebook page Halloween 2020 Kitchener Waterloo.

LAMINATE

$

TILE

1

57

Rent soft water

12X24 POLISHED

CARRARA TILE

starting at

$9.95 1

$ mth 99 FROM

*for first three months

PER SQ FT

REG 3.99

HARDWOOD

.com 519.744.2248

CLICK ENGINEERED

HANDSCRAPED 427 Gage Ave â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchener HARDWOOD

$ FROM

FALL MAINTENANCE â&#x20AC;ş Aerators â&#x20AC;ş Aeraseeder â&#x20AC;ş Blowers â&#x20AC;ş Hedge Clippers â&#x20AC;ş Lawn Edgers

â&#x20AC;ş Mowers â&#x20AC;ş Lawn Rollers â&#x20AC;ş Wheelbarrows â&#x20AC;ş Sod Cutters

100 Union St. Elmira, ON 519-669-0524

PER SQ FT

REG 5.99

BASEBOARDS

MORE STYLES AND SIZES TO CHOOSE

67

¢

/LIN FT

WWW.

For a complete list of tools available visit woolwichrentals.ca or email info@woolwichrentals.ca

$ FR RO OM M F

1

00 55 PER SQ FT

2.99 REG 3

LAMINATE

11

$ 57 $ 59 97 FROM F FR RO OM M

P PE ER R S SQ Q F FT T

R 3 REG RE EG G 2.99 3 .. 9 99 9

TILE BACKSPLASH

GLASS 13â&#x20AC;? X 1 & 3â&#x20AC;?

CARRARA STONE CARRARA TILE TILE BACKSPLASH

11

$ $ 99 00 $ 99

HARDWOOD HARDWOOD

VINYL 4MM TILES THICK

PP EE R RS Q S QF T FT PER SQ FT

RREG EG 3.99 R E G 3.99 6.99

2 2

99 69 R SSQ QF FT T PPEER P Q. 9 F9 T REERGS5.99 5 REG

REG 4.99

MDF PRIMED WHITE

BASEBOARDS G RAY M4â&#x20AC;&#x2122; O DE RN X 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122; MORE STYLES AND AREA RUGS L E DTO GESTO NE SIZES CHOOSE CLEARANCE

67 4 9

$ $

F R O MF R O M

FROM

WWW.

REG 3 .99 REG 4.99

GLOSS LAMINATE LAMINA TE

1

$ 97 $ 99 F R FROM OM

PE ER S Q F T P

R E G 3.99 3.99 REG

GLASS 1 2 â&#x20AC;? X 2& 4â&#x20AC;?

STONE WAVY WALL TILE BACKSPLASH

2 1

$ $

¢ 99 99 PER SQ FT E/A H FT L ICN REG 8.99

REG 59.99

.COM

69 99

FROM FROM

PER SQ FT

REG 6 .99 REG 3.99

HARDWOOD

3/4â&#x20AC;? THICK EUROPEAN

CLICK ENGINEERED 3/4â&#x20AC;? THICK

WH I T E OAK HANDSCRAPED NATURAL 6 .5â&#x20AC;? W IDE HARDWOOD HARD MAPLE FF RRO OM M FROM

PE P ER R S SQ Q F FT T

12 MM THICK HIGH +3MM PAD ATTAC HED

WIRE BRUSHED E N G IN E E RED CLIC K

$ $

11

$ $ 55 99

FM ROM FRO

BACKSPLASH

12X24 POLISHED

F R FROM OM FROM

12 â&#x20AC;? X 2 4â&#x20AC;?

SPC CLICK C LIC K VINYL PLANKS

LAMINATE

12MM 12MM THIGH HIC K THICK GLOSS LAM INAT E LAMINA LAMINATE TE

RUGS

MDF PRIMED WHITE

FROM

Prepare now for a lush lawn next year.

2

99

SPC CLICK VINYL VINYL PLANKS PLANKS 4MM THICK

3/4â&#x20AC;? THICK

WHITE OAK NATURAL

6 STAINS â&#x20AC;˘ 6.5â&#x20AC;? W IDE HARD MAPLE

4 2

$ $ FR OOM FR M

RUGS

69 PE ER R S SQ Q F FT P

R E G 8.99 4.99 REG

NEW FALL 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122; X 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122; AREA RUGS CLEARANCE

AREA RUGS $ 99

9

IN STOCK! FROM

EACH

REG 59.99

.COM

1 3 6 2 V I C TO R I A S T R E E T N O RT H K I TC H E N E R | 5 1 9 . 7 4 2 . 9 1 8 8 1 3 6 2 V I C TO R I A S T R E E T N O RT H K I TC H E N E R | 5 1 9 . 7 4 2 . 9 1 8 8