The Creemore
ECHO
Friday, November 20, 2020 Vol. 20 No. 47 www.creemore.com News and views in and around Creemore
INSIDE
Vicki Bell, Broker 154 Mill St. Creemore 705-446-4539
Light it Up
Creemore Christmas Stroll PAGE 12
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Creemore arena opening 'unrealistic' by Trina Berlo It is unrealistic that the Creemore Arena will open this year, said general manager of parks, culture and recreation Terry Vachon. He told council that he would be bringing forth an evaluation of arena operations in the coming weeks but said, with all staff being deployed to the Stayner Arena to meet protocols for safely allowing that ice surface to operate, hiring would be necessary
in order to open Creemore. With further restrictions expected to come down from the province, it is not known if that would be a wise move. "Clearview is fortunate that we have two arenas and that we can merge the staff into one," said Vachon. "If we only had one arena... we would have had to hire more, which would have been a burden on the taxpayer." Vachon said five maintenance staff
are needed to keep the Stayner Arena open, and that is with successful fogging of disinfectant and the full cooperation of all arena users. As it is, Vachon said the township is breaking even cost wise. Deputy Mayor Barry Burton suggested that the township facilitate the creation of outdoor skating rinks in communities that don't already do so, usually in partnership with local firefighters.
Official health advice is to avoid holiday gatherings by Trina Berlo Local health officials are recommending that people not attend indoor public gatherings with people outside of their immediate household this Christmas. Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit Medical Officer of Health Dr. Charles Gardner dished out the advice during his weekly media briefing, as he reported a large jump in cases in the region. The reproduction rate is up substantially at 30.3 per 100,000 population (32.4 when factoring out Muskoka, which has a low case count) and the virus' doubling time (44.8 days) is going down, meaning the spread is faster. He noted this is still considerably lower than the provincial rate.
This week, there have been 165 cases reported, more than in any other week. The large jump puts a strain on health care resources. "We remain challenged in our ability to follow cases and contacts," said Gardner. "We wish to reach all of them within 24 hours, or at least a minimum of 90 per cent, and we remain at 84.1 per cent of contacts and 86 per cent for our cases." "If we continue now with the higher incidence of cases and with a higher per cent positivity we would meet the criteria for the orange restrict status. I think that's an important heads-up for people about the potential for us to be moving into orange at some point in the future if we continue with that level of
activity," said Gardner. As part of Wellington-DufferinGuelph Public Health, Mulmur moved into the orange on Monday. With the "large jump in cases" Gardner is urging caution when it comes to all holiday gatherings, including staff parties and welcoming students home from university. Since September there has been a steady increase in cases amongst youth under 18. Gardner said a temporary COVID-19 testing site was set up at Nottawasaga Pines Secondary School (NPSS) to help test students relating to two outbreaks at Angus schools. There are seven cases at NPSS and four at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School. What is being described as a strong swirling wind caused damage to a commercial building in Creemore Sunday night. The wind lifted the roof at the corner of the building at 128 Mill Street (behind Victorian Values), affecting two apartments. The owner of the building, Mike Bakalov, said appraisals are underway so the extent of the damage is unknown and that the tenants were not displaced. The windstorm also downed trees and caused power outages in the area.
Staff photo: Trina Berlo
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Two arrested for assault, kidnapping Huronia West OPP Ontario Crime Unit has made two arrests as a result of an ongoing investigation in Clearview Township. At about 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 15, police responded to a man and woman in distress at a gas station in the Stayner area. Both parties said they had been assaulted and held against their will at a residence on County Road 7, in Clearview. With assistance from the Huronia West Crime Unit, OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT), Tactical Response Unit (TRU) and Aviation Services, two people were taken into custody. Police believe this to be an isolated incident. Raymond Levesque, 49, of Stayner, and Tracey Mills, 53, of Wasaga Beach were both arrested and charged with: assault causing bodily harm – choke, suffocate or strangle; assault with a weapon; kidnapping; forcible confinement; pointing a firearm; and possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes. Both parties were held for bail hearings. Police say the investigation is ongoing and further information will be released once available.
Council makes another food bank donation Clearview has approved a second $10,000 donation to the Clearview Stayner Food Bank. The money will be drawn from what is remaining of the Clearview COVID-19 Community Assistance Fund ($4,010), which was set up to help individuals and organizations meet needs specific to the pandemic. The balance will be drawn from the annual Community Assistance Grants fund. A $10,000 donation from the Community Assistance Grants fund was also approved in April.