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December 22, 2011 • Edition 27

Perth Courier

Th e

The Perth and District Community Newspaper since 1834

INSIDE

Gemmell is Lanark County’s new warden ROSANNE LAKE rosanne.lake@perthcourier.com

John Gemmell, deputy mayor of the Town of Perth, is the new warden of Lanark County. Gemmell was voted into the year-long post after a landmark vote on Tuesday morning during the county’s inaugural meeting. He was one of four candidates running for the spot at the helm of the county horseshoe, and

ARCHIVED James Bartleman says he’s honoured to have the Ottawa archives named after him.

the vote went to three separate ballots, something which chief administrative officer, Peter Wagland, said he had never seen in his 10-year tenure in Lanark County. Running against Gemmell was Ed Sonnenburg, deputy mayor of the Town of Carleton Place; incumbent Sharon Mousseau, deputy reeve of Beckwith Township; and Keith Kerr, reeve of Tay Valley Township. Sonnenburg was first off

the ballot after the initial vote, then Mousseau in the second vote, leaving Kerr and Gemmell standing for the third and final vote. “The warden position is very demanding and I’m dedicated to making time,” Gemmell said, noting that he’s asked for a leave of absence from his current employment for 2012. “I am prepared to lead this council through interesting times.” Gemmell noted in an inter-

view after the proceedings that the upcoming year will be a time for fiscal responsibility, especially with major infrastructure projects on the horizon. He said being a part of such a precedent-setting voting process made his winning the warden’s seat even more of an honour. Gemmell was nominated by Perth Mayor John Fenik, as well at Val Wilkinson, a councillor with Mississippi Mills. See ‘NEW WARDEN’, page 3

New accessibility standard comes into play Jan. 1

2

LAURIE WEIR

ljweir@perthcourier.com

PIKE LAKE VOICES 4

DERBY GIRL Hanna Murphy is celebrating international silver after a roller derby rumble.

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IN BRIEF

Council ices neighbourhood skating rink plans

MacPherson resigns as 1st vice chair ROSANNE LAKE

KASSINA RYDER

rosanne.lake@perthcourier.com

Bill MacPherson, local Upper Canada District School Board trustee, recently resigned from his 1st vice-chair post on the school board. He is still planning to serve as the elected trustee for Ward 2, which covers the geographic area of Drummond North Elmsley, Lanark Highlands, Montague, Tay Valley and the Town of Perth. MacPherson relinquished his position as 1st vice-chair on the board at last Thursday’s formal meeting, saying he needs to spend more time with his family. “Family trumps board every time,” said MacPherson. “This was not an easy decision.” He was voted into the 1st vicechair seat in December of 2010. The 60-year-old, who has made a career in agriculture and also drives bus, is a veteran trustee, having been in that position with the school board for more than a decade. He was first elected in 2000.

kassina.ryder@perthcourier.com

Perth town council decided it could not support a proposed outdoor neighbourhood skating rink on Taggart Crescent because of liability concerns, councilors said during the continuation of the Dec. 6 committee of the whole meeting last week. Dean Fournier and his neighbours had been building an outdoor skating rink on a townowned piece of land in front of their neighbourhood when he received a letter from the Town of Perth telling him to stop. The letter stated that a neighbour had complained and the town needed to look into any possible liability issues surrounding a neighbourhood rink on town property. Fournier approached council during the committee-of-thewhole meeting on Dec. 6 with a petition signed by 11 house-

holds in the neighbourhood and was told he would have an answer the following week. Staff then consulted with the town’s insurance company and was advised not to support the rink because the town would be liable if any injuries or incidents took place. “This is one of those things that drives me insane,” said Fenik, who said he remembers playing hockey on an outdoor rink while growing up in London, Ont. Coun. Judy Brown agreed. “Like the rest of us, I was torn on this one,” she said. She said she finally decided she couldn’t support the rink after learning about the City of Ottawa’s mandatory helmet rules for all skaters under the age of 10. Head injuries after falling on the ice are a major reason kids end up in hospitals, Brown said. See ‘TOWN’, page 3

Photo by Rosanne Lake

WARMS HANDS Susan Van Andel (left), in customer service at Barnabe’s Your Independent Grocer, helps OPP Const. Paige Whiting, pack up the mittens donated by the community to the Mitten Tree stationed at Barnabe’s. R0011187871

Voices of Pike Lake author talks about the first settlers in Perth.

Roger Bernicky says he used to be “one of them.” As he sits in a patient lounge at the Great War Memorial Hospital after having his right leg amputated just below the knee, Bernicky says he used to view those in wheelchairs differently. “I used to be one of them… a person who would look down on someone in a wheelchair,” he said. “Now I’m in one and I want people to be aware that there aren’t a lot of places around town where I can get in to eat.” He says he’s luckier than some people, though. “I’m not in this thing forever. I am getting a new leg and I have started to live my life again, because I know what it feels like to be almost dead.” Bernicky says he wants people to be aware that he is a person who wants to spend money in town, but it’s hard for him to get into many places due to lack of accessibility. “Some of my favourite restaurants, I can’t get into them,” he said. “I think people need to help fix that.” The Town of Perth adopted the accessibility plan last September, according to documents located on their website prepared for council by Jim Connell, the town’s chief building inspector. The document states in part that Perth is committed to enhancing accessibility and “to help people with disabilities live full and independent lives and contribute to the community.” The Province of Ontario is helping businesses succeed in becoming more accessible to Ontarians with disabilities, John Milloy, minister of Community and Social Services said in a phone interview with The Perth Courier last week. “In the next 20 years an aging population and people with disabilities will represent 40 per cent of total income in the province – or $536 billion. Making sure all Ontarians have accessible customer service is the right thing to do and it makes good business sense.” That is why Ontario will see the Accessibility Standard for CusPhoto by Laurie Weir tomer Service come into play on Jan. 1. “This customer service standard will help businesses better deal Roger Bernicky says he would appreciate more restaurants being accessible to his wheelchair. Starting Jan. 1 every business has to have an with the public and how they handle people with disabilities,” Milloy accessibility plan in place that outlines how they are helping people said. with disabilities. See ‘ACCESSIBILITY’, page 3

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