See story on pages 6-7
If you’ve watched the Little Mermaid, you’ll know Ariel and Flounder explore a sunken ship and find a Dinglehopper, a.k.a, a fork along their deep-sea adventures Check out what other prizes Ariel finds from the human world as Playful Fox Productions presents The Little Mermaid in Paris on July 5 & 6 on stage at the #forParisCentre. Catch all the play details, along with showtimes and a preview of this special summer tour on pages 20-21.
Photo submitted by MW Fox
Emergency: 9-1-1
Police Department: 888-310-1122
Fire Department: 519-442-4500
Willet Hospital: 519-442-2251
County of Brant Office: 519-442-6324
Paris Public Library: 519-442-2433
Paris Councillors & Mayor :
Mayor - David Bailey 226-387-2490
Ward 2 - Steve Howes 519-442-4955
Ward 2 - Lukas Oakley 226-216-3037
Ward 3 - John Bell 519-209-2277
Ward 3 - John Peirce 519-442-7134
Administration & Bylaw: 519-442-7268
Paris Customer Service Office 66 Grand River St. N. 519-442-7268
Open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Main Services include:
-Accounts Receivable invoice payments
- Blue Boxes and Composters (pre-arrange pick up of composter)
- Brant Transit punch cards purchase and pick up
- Building Permits may be submitted and Building staff consulted
- Calendar pick up (free)
- Commissioner of Oath is by appointment only
- Dog license and tag
- Dog Park membership and key
- Parking ticket payment
- Property Tax payments and inquiries
- Public Works permits may be submitted
- Use the computer to meet with a virtual Planner to ask questions.
- Water testing sample bottles may be picked up. Drop off water testing samples on the last Wednesday of the month before 2 pm at the Burford Customer Service Office
Brant Sports Complex & Other Facility Booking 519-442-1944- Open Monday - Sunday, 8:30 am - 8:00 pm.
Main services include:
- Dog Park membership and key
- Dog license and tag
- Tennis Court membership and key
- Camp registration and recreation program registration
Articles, Events & Story ideas, please submit by email to: stories@theparisindependent.com
STATEMENT
Food & Beverage Columnist
Healthy Lifestyle Columnist
Chris Whelan
Casandra Turnbull
Michelle Malvaso
George Le Gresley
Rubyyy Jones
Stephen L.
Jacob Gaudet
Taren White
Heidi Pfleger
Tiffany Martin
Shelley Gaudet
We are an independently owned organization made up of likeminded volunteers from within our community with the main purpose of providing Paris and area with a trustworthy and reliable source of local news. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of everything we publish, we regret any errors that may occur. We limit our liability to that of printing a retraction upon notification of such errors in the next available publication. Our mail and Email addresses are listed below: Publisher / Sales
Monday, July 1st , 11 am to 10 pm at Steve Brown Sports Complex (Lion’s Park). Join us for Brantford's Canada Day event on Monday, July 1, 2024 at Lions Park Steve Brown Sports Complex in Brantford. You won't want to miss live music on the OLG Main Stage presented by the Bulldogs Foundation and Thrive Group with performances by:
-Nosey Neighbour at 12:15 pm & Jack Sith at 1:15 pm
-Tyler Wilson Band at 2:15 pm
-Jace Martian and the Pace at 3:20 pm -Queens Court at 4:30 pm
OLG presents music by Canadian legends: -Spoons at 6:30 pm
-David Wilcox at 8:30 pm
Families can explore the Young Canadians area from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm featuring exciting interactive displays, activities, and entertainment such as the Fun at the Fair Dance Party with Poppy from Trolls, story time with Brantford’s Deputy Fire Chief Scott Pipe and PAW Patrol’s Marshall, character meet and greets with PAW Patrol’s Marshall and Poppy, captivating performances by Rumple and friends, and the Debra Brown and Circus friends show. In addition, pony rides will be available for $10 per person, per ride. Albion Amusements presents the KidZone Carnival and midway that will operate from 11:00 am to 11:00pm providing plenty of fun and excitement for
Experience the Canada Cup wrestling action with Independent Pro Wrestling (IPW) shows taking place at 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm offering actionpacked entertainment for wrestling fans of all ages. Guests can also enjoy a spectacular firework display to close out the day’s festivities at 10:00 pm. Park your vehicle for $10 in support of Sunrise Rotary Club of Brantford. Free shuttles and Brantford Lift will also be available.
TODAY – ONCE UPON A DREAM – A MUSICAL EXPERIENCE – Saturday, Jun 29th at St. Paul’s United Church. This event features EIGHT fairytale friends, singing some of your favourite songs along the way You'll enjoy the show, have the opportunity to purchase small trinkets for this magical day, and meet all the characters after the show! Tickets are $15/person and available by emailing xtheglassslippercompany@gmail com
ARTIST MARKET – July 3rd from 1 pm to 3:30 pm at Sensity Deafblind and Sensory Network of Canada, 50 Main St in Paris. Come view and purchase art made by talented artists.
BRANTFORD UNBIRTHDAY PARTY –Saturday, July 6th from 1 pm to 4 pm at Mohawk Park. Friends 4 Kindness is hosting our annual UNBIRTHDAY PARTY in the park and you're ALL invited! Free event with entertainers, characters, loot bags, bouncy castles are MORE to be announced as the date gets closer! SAVE THE DATE!!
CHURCH IN THE PARK – Join the Paris Community Church (Presbyterian Church) for a free community event – church and BBQ at Lion’s Park in Paris on Sunday, July 7th at 10:30 am. Everyone welcome.
MUSIC IN THE PARK - Tuesday, July 9– Paris Lion’s Park, Walter Williams Amphitheatre. The performer is Calm Canopy (Alternative pop/rock) Everyone invited.
MOVIE IN THE PARK – Wednesday, July 10th at Onondaga Community Hall at dusk. Hosted by County of Brant. Free event, everyone is invited.
BRANT PRIDE SEASON 2024 – Spirituality of Pride on July 21st , 2 pm at Glen Morris Church. To learn more reach out via email to brantpride@gmail.com
By Casandra Turnbull
The West River Street water, stormwater and roads project is set to begin in the next few weeks; this week council endorsed a staff recommendation to award BEECH Infrastructure Group Ltd the job. Council’s approval didn’t come without some debate Councillors heard that BEECH Infrastructure was the lowest of eight bids that were submitted at $2 678,573 90 (excluding HST). The second lowest bid came from Sierra Infrastructure Inc at $2,821,071.35. The highest bid was $3,236,307 25 Network Sewer and Watermain Ltd. Before the mayor called for a vote to support the county’s recommendation to hire BEECH Infrastructure, there was some discussion on the current process of selecting winning tenders with several councillors admitting the process should not focus solely on the lowest bid but should take into consideration other factors like the company’s job performance history and quality of work
BEECH Infrastructure is the company at the forefront of another large project underway in the Race Street and Hillside Ave (south end) area of Paris. That project’s predicted timeline has more than doubled and many area residents have filed complaints with the county over how BEECH has
West River Street watermain and road reconstruction work is set to begin in a few weeks and won’t wrap up until December. Councillors debated on who to award the contract, noting the lowest bid isn’t always the best bid. The project will span the entire street from the Broadway/West River fork in the road all the way to Mechanic Street.
conducted business in their neighbourhood Paris Ward 3 Councillors John Pierce and John Bell said they’ve fielded numerous complaints over the state of that project and for that reason they could not support the recommendation to award BEECH another project in town
“I think we need to maybe revisit the matrix as to how we reward these contracts I have spoken to Mr. Walton about this,” said Councillor Peirce, who reiterated the importance of this project staying on target since it’s phase one of the big dig that will follow in downtown Paris in the next couple of years He looked at the
modest $142,000 price difference between the first and second bid, noting that Sierra Infrastructure did a good job on the Chapel, Dundas and Main Street project Councillor Bell echoed his thoughts. “I do not have the confidence in this particular contractor when I compare this to the one next on the list (Sierra),” said Bell. “The number of complaints I and Councillor Peirce have received on Race Street compared to those of Chapel and Dundas – clearly there is a massive level of dissatisfaction (from constituents), so I cannot support giving them additional work.”
Continued on page 6
Rob Walton, General Manager of Operations, was quick to sooth Councillor Peirce and Bell’s concerns, stating it’s far too late in the tender process to discuss the merits of one company over another. He did confirm that staff have dealt with several ‘pitfalls’ on the Race Street project to date but has since toured the neighbourhood and he said he thinks the project will look ‘very good’ when it’s done.
“We understand there’s been a couple of personnel changes in that company (BEECH) which should put us in a better position for the next project moving forward, which is this one,” said Walton While other councillors supported the idea of revisiting how they award tenders and revamp that tender process for future bids, in the end, in a recorded vote, council awarded the contract to BEECH 6-5. All four Paris Councillors and the Mayor voted not to award the project to BEECH
The West River Street project will see one of Paris’ main arteries, connecting the north end to downtown, closed for months. According to a staff report, there will be impacts during construction, but the contractor will be required to implement traffic control plans and construction phasing plans to reduce the impacts. The contractor is also required to maintain access for pedestrians, homeowners and emergency services. If the project remains on target, the completion date is set for December 6, 2024
The project is driven by growing water demand in the south Paris Area. The watermain component of this project is substantially funded by development charges. A portion of the sanitary trunk sewer on West River Street is being upsized to accommodate the future flows from the north end of the community Work on other infrastructure components of this project was identified through inspections during the design phase. The current condition of stormwater components of the project warrant replacement due to their state of deterioration. Funding for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure replacements are through user fees and the capital levy, respectively, according to the staff report.
To facilitate the replacement of underground infrastructure the road surface will need to be fully replaced The timing of this project has been coordinated with road work, which is near end of life Walkability and parking were reviewed as part of the design of West River Street, but only minor improvements could be
made due to the narrow road allowance and grading challenges The road component of this project is funded from the capital levy. This project is the first of several streets to be reconstructed in downtown Paris in the coming years.
The project also includes safety improvements to the scenic lookout from the remnants of the Penman’s Dam structure, which is regularly explored by trail users. To improve safety, this project includes excavation and grading, the addition of a safety railing and construction of an improved pathway to the area.
The report background also revealed that there are insufficient funds in the approved 2024 Capital Budget to award this project. Several items contributed to the bid price exceeding the approved budget including the condition of the storm sewer, which was unknown at time of budgeting, the addition of the lookout at Penman’s Pass and challenges with the grading along the street requiring replacement of retaining walls and stairways. Additional funding to complete the project shall be transferred from the related Broadway Street West Project, which will not proceed until the Grand River Street North, Downtown Dig project is complete
Walkability and parking were reviewed as part of the design of West River Street, but only minor improvements could be made due to the narrow road allowance and grading challenges of some homes, like the one pictured above.
The Jumpstart Fundraising and Awareness event at Canadian Tire in Paris was a success and organizers are already looking to make it an annual occurrence. The June 22nd free family event helped to create awareness within the community about what sports programs Paris has to offer to help kids stay active. At the same time, families had the chance to learn about Jumpstart and how to access the national program that provides financial support to ensure no youth is left on the sidelines and every youth has equal opportunity to access sports and remain active.
Despite the intense heat, everyone enjoyed an afternoon of music and lively entertainment from Core Dance Studio - special thanks to Nicole. The heat didn’t stop the littlest guests from enjoying the bouncy castle and Nicole kept them happy with free face painting. The Paris Volunteer Firefighters showed up to cool down the crowd. This event raised just over $1,000 bringing the Paris Canadian Tire store’s fundraising total, to date, at just over $3,000.
“We still have a few more days to capture funds and we are doing that by continuing our Bradley Smoker Raffle (value of $420), to the end of the month and we will be drawing the winner on Sunday, June 30th,” said Megan MacDonald, Store Manager
Tickets for the raffle can be purchased at Canadian Tire Paris and all funds raised will go directly to Jumpstart!
MacDonald sent a big thank-you to all the sports teams and groups that helped to make this event a success as well as the ladies who worked Heaton up the Grill for providing some delicious food!
Based on Ministry of Education funding model Grand Erie District School Board will be underfunded by over $1 million for the next schoolyear
JUNE 21 - There is a critical need for more one-on-one supports in the Grand Erie District School Board, say teachers and education workers, who issued a joint press release last week. This is why education workers with the school board shared their stories with school board trustees through a Tell the Trustee Postcard Campaign to ensure that 2024-2025 budget stakeholders heard their voices must be heard. Representing over 2,800 elementary education workers, CUPE 5100, the ETFO Occasional Teacher Local, the ETFO DECE Local, and the ETFO Teacher Local are standing together in solidarity in an urgent call for essential student supports in Grand Erie schools
We urgently need more educational assistants, psychologists, behavioural consultants, counsellors, child and youth workers, communicative disorder assistants and speech language pathologists. We must also ensure there is at minimum one fulltime special education learning resource teacher in every school to meet the promise of an inclusive education system, the press release stated. It went on to read, inclusion without supports is abandonment. We support an integrated model for
education, which means that students, whenever possible, should be learning together with their sameage peers regardless of their needs. This, however, requires full funding and full support. For students to succeed, there must be adequate funding for staffing, training, and resources Front-line supports are often not available or underresourced for educators and students Consequently, classroom evacuations are happening all too often as a result of school violence, caused by students' needs going unmet.
President Carolyn Proulx-Wootton of the Grand Erie Elementary Teachers' Federation says, "Learning for all cannot happen when there is chaos We are calling on the Trustees to put students and their families first by amending this draft budget and investing in our children. Students deserve nothing less."
President Amanda Baxter of the Grand Erie District School Board Occasional Teacher Local is concerned about the impact that these learning and working conditions are having on students and education workers She says, "Many educators are finding they cannot meet all the needs of the students and they are running to stand still."
As part of a newly released Ministry of Education funding model, the Grand Erie District School Board has shared that they will be underfunded by over $1 million for next year. In spite of our call to create a student needs-based budget, like the Greater Essex District School did last week, The Grand Erie District school board's draft budget maintains an $11.1 million surplus from the current year The draft budget was presented at the June 24th Board meeting.
The Ontario Public School Boards' Association recently sounded the alarm on school board funding, stating that 2024-2025 provincial funding "falls short of what is needed to ensure all students are set up to succeed " Once inflation and enrolment are considered, Ontario's public education budget for 20242025 will be more than $3 billion below where it was six years ago. Per-pupil funding will be $1,500 lower this coming school year than in 2018-2019, when the Ford government first came to power.
You can view the entire Grand Erie District School Board draft budget online here. Minutes from that meeting are not yet available.
Brant Municipal Enterprises, in collaboration with the County of Brant, is thrilled to illuminate the historic Penman’s Pass Bridge over the Nith River in Paris. Thanks to local manufacturer Stern Power Solar Systems, we’ve installed solarpowered poles to light up the bridge, enhancing its beauty and ensuring safety for our community. These poles feature solar panels, battery storage, and remote control for sustainable, off-grid power. By partnering with local businesses like Stern Power, we’re not only promoting sustainability but also supporting our local economy. Come visit and see this blend of technology and nature in the County of Brant!
County of Brant Photos
Brantford, ONT. – The Brant County Health Unit (BCHU), in collaboration with SOAR Community Services (formerly St. Leonard's Community Services) and REACH Nexus, a research group housed at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, is proud to announce the launch of Our Healthbox, a harm reduction vending machine now located at 133 Elgin St in Brantford
The ‘smart’ machine, called Our Healthbox, works like a vending machine, and also provides health information and a service directory for people to find much-needed health care and supports in their community. The initiative launched at SOAR Community Services on June 13, 2024.
This innovative project aims to provide harm reduction supplies to community members 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, significantly reducing barriers and expanding access to vital resources by giving clients a place to obtain harm reduction supplies outside of SOAR’s regular business hours.
Our Healthbox will greatly benefit the BrantfordBrant community which continues to face a higherthan-average rate of overdoses and overdose-related deaths when compared to the rest of the province The machine will be operation outside regular business hours when SOAR is closed: between 5 pm and 9 am, Monday to Friday, 24 hours a day on weekends and statutory holidays.
Our Healthbox is another step towards ensuring the safety and well-being of at-risk community members. It will provide low barrier access to essential items such as naloxone kits, safer sex supplies, HIV selftesting kits, and other harm-reduction supplies, contributing to a safer and healthier environment for all.
This initiative aligns with broader harm reduction strategies aimed at minimizing the negative consequences of drug use while promoting dignity,
respect, and compassion for all individuals.
"We are proud to be part of this collaborative effort, that we hope will have a positive impact on overdose rates in Brantford," said Kim Baker, Executive Director of Services at SOAR. "By making harm reduction supplies more accessible, we hope to save lives and improve outcomes of those in need ”
The initiative launches as new HIV cases in Canada rise and the country’s opioid crisis claims the lives of 21 Canadians each day Providing access to harm reduction and health care supplies for free to people in spaces they frequent is a strategy experts consider as key to reaching people who are underserved and who have barriers to accessing testing, harm reduction materials, treatment, care and prevention due to racism, homophobia, stigma and discrimination.
“Everyone in Canada deserves to have what they need, when they need it, to take care of their health. But we know that this is not the case, and so we are doing everything we can to bridge that gap in ways that work for each person in their community,” said Dr Sean B Rourke, a scientist at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, a worldleading research centre housed at St Michael’s Hospital As Director of REACH Nexus at MAP, he leads a national research and public health group working on how to make sure everyone who needs access to testing (especially those who are undiagnosed), treatment and care for HIV, Hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (e.g., syphilis) can get what they need to stay healthy and thrive.
For more information on the Our Healthbox, go to the BCHU website at: www.bchu.org/where-to-gethelp#1
School’s out for the summer, so that paves the way for the return of a popular library-run program that brings children and literacy together for the summer. The TD Summer Reading Club is Canada’s biggest summer reading program for kids, tweens and teens This free program is designed to inspire youth to explore the fund of reading their way – the key to building a lifelong love of reading.
Studies show that school-age children lose some of their reading ability over the summer months if they do not continue to read while they are out of school. Summer reading programs help
maintain academic achievement and are a proven tool to help bridge this gap. The TDSRC inspires kids to explore the fun of reading their way. The benefits of the Club are clear: recent surveys indicate that 87% of kids read more often or the same amount over the summer, and 96% of parents/caregivers agreed that their child maintained or improved their reading skills over the summer!
Registration for the club opened on Friday, June 28. Head over to www.brantlibrary.ca/Beanstack to register. You or your children can keep track of program
through your online account; if you prefer paper records, reading trackers are available at all County of Brant library branches. There are a variety of reading challenges the come with rewards as children meet various milestones throughout the summer They earn tickets and enter those tickets into draws held periodically in July and August. Kids and tweens will get a swim pass after five hours of reading, a Dairee Delite coupon after fifteen hours of reading and a Paris Fair admission pass and ribbon after 24 hours of reading.
Who said reading can’t be fun? Judging by the excitement level of County of Brant Library staff members, it’s safe to say the most exciting reading club of the year is back! Sign up for the TD Summer Reading Club online at www.brantlibrary.ca/Beanst ack to start earning your rewards!
It’s not by chance that Paris’ roads are beautifully kept, free of garbage. It’s because of volunteers like Paris Horticultural Society members who participate in the Adopt a Road program. Last Saturday morning, despite the intense heat, members were seen walking along Keg Lane, weaving in and out of the ditches to pick up litter. Many hands made for light work and the job was done quickly. They collected about 10 bags of garbage. A special thanks to Brenda Simpson, Marlene Harrison, Pat Moore, Edith Stone, Tricia Cressman, Denise Hamill. And Nancy Burkholder (who is absent from the photo).
by Nancy Chipman, Adopt a Road Co-ordinator
Tier 1 Basic Subscriber $4.00/ month: Laura, Nancy Chipman, Barbara Plumstead, Heidi Wright, VMM, Elaine Tully, Don, Dan,ABK, Harry Nixon, Ian Robertson, Donna Smith, John Gillies, Madeline, Sarah Louch,Ann Hannah, Jack MacPherson, Sue, Linda M Jones, Marlene, Christa Potter, Jill Palmer, Dianne and another Dianne
Tier 2 Basic Subscriber Plus $7.50/month: Brave Waves Swim School, Carolann Urquhart, Tim Risebrough, and Shawna Sharp,
Tier 3 Bronze Sponsor $14.50/month: Patrick Bernard Brooker
All letters must be signed by the writer and are subject to editing for length and clarity. The opinions expressed in the letter are those of the writer, and not necessarily those of the Paris Independent. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, or completeness of this information. If you have an opinion to share, email your
The County welcomes your photos on their Engage Brant website, and you could be featured in their Brant in Bloom Community Profile for the judges, but we want to showcase your works of art too! Gardeners, residents and anyone participating, send us your photos and we will feature them in upcoming editions of The Paris Independent! stories@theparisindependent.com
This beautiful garden on MacPherson Street, is in full bloom, displaying some vibrant bursts of orange. Are you participating in Brant’s Bloom Community challenge? We want to show off your hard work!
Photo submitted by Shirley Simons
When I was fourteen and we first moved to Paris from Burford, I immediately realized that Paris was the place to be for Canada Day weekend. It was the summer of 1984, and the town was buzzing with excitement On that Sunday evening, July 1st, balloons, bands, and thousands of spectators filled the streets of Paris, making it one of the most memorable Canada Week parades ever.
The local newspaper described it as the biggest parade the town had ever seen. Charles Mart, chairman of Paris' Canada Week celebrations, remarked, "We almost didn't have the parade, so I think it was a reaction to almost losing the event through complacency."
Starting at Paris High School and marching along a downtown loop to the Paris Arena, the parade boasted the participation of six bands and over 60 floats and vehicles The event drew crowds from out of town, and the atmosphere was electric Mr Mart mentioned, "I have never seen such a happy parade marshal in my life as Dale Maidens."
Gwen Maidens, long-time activist in the Paris Canada Week celebrations Hands out balloons and Canadian flags to children along the route of the town’s Canada Day parade Sunday evening.
Published in the Expositor July 3, 1984
The parade stretched out over four blocks, showcasing various attractions, including a 1928 Model T Ford, numerous horses and horse draw surreys, and the air and sea cadets. Mr. Maidens expressed his satisfaction, saying, "The number of entries and the quality of the floats was great. We were very pleased with the parade and very pleased with the weather too "
Following the parade, a breathtaking fireworks display illuminated the night sky, captivating everyone's hearts. The celebrations happened throughout Canada Week in Paris, featuring a soapbox derby with eight cars, a lawn bowling tournament, and the Paris Agricultural Society's annual barbecue, where approximately 650 beef dinners were served.
The weekend also hosted the completion of the five-pin bowling tournament, the Great Canadian Bicycle Rally, and the highly anticipated Canada Day Golf Tournament in Paris. These festivities had become a cherished tradition, eagerly anticipated by the community year after year.
When I had children of my own, they too reveled in the Canada Day parades and fireworks Over time, my kids had the opportunity to participate in the parade, riding on a float as members of various groups or sports teams My wife and I even dedicated our time to building floats for one of the groups we were involved in
One unforgettable memory was when my band, "The Shananigans," provided the main entertainment before the millennium's Canada Day fireworks at the Paris Fairgrounds in the year 2000 Art McKenzie, the chairperson that year, was both a fan and a supporter of my band
Christine Ashton, a longtime parade organizer, extended a special invitation to my kids to be on the float for the Sunshine for Kids Foundation. It was heartwarming to see my children creating their own cherished
memories during this beloved celebration.
Looking back, I am filled with nostalgia for those incredible moments It's difficult to comprehend that today, the vibrant Canada Day celebrations that defined Paris for so many years have disappeared. The absence of festivities leaves a void in our hearts, with only memories to hold onto. But as I reflect on the joy and camaraderie shared during those Canada Day weekends, I am grateful for the immense happiness they brought to our community.
The Paris FC U13 girls travelled to the Graham Bunting Classic in Stratford on June 16th and returned as champions with gold medals to prove it! They finished their round robin with two wins and a tie (2-0 over Caboto Lightning Gold, 4-0 over Sarnia Soccer, and 1-1 tie with Stratford Strikers). They won the semi-final over Kitchener TFC 3-0 and finished the tournament strong with a 1-0 win over Red Academy! See additional photos on page 17.
Photo by Melissa Ostrowercha, Paris FC
Semi-final game against Kitchener (above) and game 3 against Stratford Strikers (below).
Finals versus Red Academy (above). Game 1 versus Caboto Lightning (left).
All photos by Michelle Ostrowercha
Date for Paris Induction Ceremony Committee discussed dates for the Paris Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and selected the date of Thursday, September 19, 2024
Inductee Plaque Information Update from Members Lisa Campbell, Facility Booking Administrator provided an update on plaque information submitted by members as follows:
• 1994-1995 Paris District High School Senior Basketball Team - Member Leask to submit information to L Campbell
• Steve Fergus - Member McCulloch to submit information to L Campbell
• Richard Ward - Councillor Peirce to submit information to L Campbell
• Ronald Hampson - Member Adedayo to submit information to L Campbell
• Don Henderson - Member Greenwood to submit information to L Campbell L Campbell noted that a Master of Ceremonies (MC's) will be needed for each ceremony and committee can begin to brainstorm potential MC's.
The Paris FC U11 girls and U10 Boys Red team competed in the Sports Venture Cup last weekend. The U11 girls were not scored on in their round robin play, with three shutouts against some very competitive teams. Unfortunately, they fell 2-0 in the final to Kitchener TFC for a well-earned silver medal! The U10 Boys Red were also undefeated in round robin play, and then lost in the final also bringing home a silver medal. Overall, it was a very good day in West Lincoln for both teams.
Paris FC Photos
The Burford Optimist Club partnered with the County of Brant to give Burford and area residents a chance to cheer on local hockey hero Adam Henrique. The former Burford Minor Hockey Association player, turned NHLer and member of the Edmonton Oilers, was on the ice for game 7 of the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers on June 24th. Despite Edmonton’s 2-1 loss, Henrique fans showed an abundance of love and support for #19, garnering a lot of local excitement! While Henrique didn’t get the opportunity to hoist the cup, there is still a local connection to celebrate as former
Ohsweken resident Brandon Montour celebrated the Cup win with his Florida Panthers teammates.
The cast of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, presented by Playful Fox Productions, rehearsing ahead of the July 5&6 performances scheduled in Paris at the #forParisCentre (formerly known as the Paris Presbyterian Church).
Written & Submitted by MW Fox
After last year’s highly successful production in Fergus and Kitchener, the decision was made to plan for a multi-city tour the following Summer.
With the first day of summer just a few days ago, the cast and crew of Playful Fox Productions Disney’s The Little Mermaid are readying their fins, flippers, claws, tentacles and what’s that word again… oh feet for Opening Night!
Travelling to five different cities this July and August, this magical story of Ariel’s journey of self-discovery is being performed by volunteers from all over Southwestern Ontario including cast members from right here in Brant County and Brantford.
“Given how loved our Disney musicals have been here in Paris and Brantford, especially after our soldout production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Sanderson Centre last December, it was a no-brainer
when putting this tour together to include our wonderful home base of the ForParis Centre (Paris Community Church) here in the beautiful town of Paris,” said Marissa Wilson-Fox, Producer and Music Director. “We are also pleased to let the public know that our venue does have air conditioning and concessions, including bottled water, will be available at the show.”
This is not the first time Playful Fox Productions has put on Disney’s The Little Mermaid in Paris The show was previously staged in 2019 and again in 2022. Even if you’ve seen the show in the past, there have been a bunch of exciting new surprises added specifically for this tour.
“Playful Fox is known for our audience engagement and Little Mermaid is no different! We guarantee that there will be times you’ll want to laugh, cry, and to get up and dance!” said Wilson-Fox.
Continued on page 21
Pictured to the right, during The Little Mermaid rehearsal is Carson Lamb as Prince Eric and Stephanie Bensette as Ariel, surrounded by the cast. You can catch this Disney classic in town on July 5 & 6 only.
submitted by MW Fox
The cast includes returning PFP veterans and newcomers alike. Sharing the role of Ursula in Paris are fan favourites Karyn Monk (July 5) and Meghan Chambers (July 6), last seen in Anastasia: The Musical as the Dowager Empress Marie and Countess Lily respectively Desmond Nanassy, last seen as Matthew Cuthbert, is inheriting the crown as King Triton. Newcomers to Playful Fox but not the stage, Carson Lamb and Stephanie Bensette, are stepping into the roles of Prince Eric and the titular mermaid princess,Ariel Kids and “kids at heart” will also have the opportunity to meet and greet certain characters after the show All general admission tickets are available for only $25 (plus taxes and fees) with the codes: bubbles1 for $10 off an adult ticket and bubbles2 for $5 a student/senior ticket! Tickets are available through Event Brite or Playful Fox Productions – where additional dates are provided for all shows outside Paris (in case you’re busy that weekend) in Guelph, Milton, Woodstock, and Hamilton.
Brant OPP Officers were helping local youth beat the heat recently. Ditching the cruiser for a pair of running shoes, Provincial Constable Bueckert and Sergeant Vandertuin made some young friends this week and handed out cool treats (Froster gift certificates), Keeping the community cool, one Froster at a time! Photo credit to OPP West Region
Aries: March 21 - April 19 (Fire) –You will be more sensitive to the needs of others Your words heal from a non-threatening, caring, and soft influence Enlightening information comes through your heightened intuition as well as through nonverbal communication. This can be of great benefit to friendships and intimate relationships
Taurus: April 20 - May 20 (Earth)
- A new romance could be with someone from a different age group and likely be a long-lasting, soul-mate union. Existing relationships enjoy closer bonding and stability. If a relationship has been stressful lately, mutual respect and an eye for practical outcomes help you work through the problem and find a solution
Gemini: May 21 - June 20 (Air)You can share your ideas or theories with many people in an easily understandable and appealing way. Your imaginative, intuitive, and creative skills are enhanced, which makes this a good time for spiritual practices, dreaming, artwork, creative writing, poetry, singing, and dancing
Cancer: June 21 – July 22 22 (Water) - A significant new relationship may begin Whether a new or existing relationship, there will be no illusions, and you will have realistic expectations of each other. This is also a good time for business and professional relationships because of mutual trust and understanding
Leo: July 23 - August 22 (Fire) –Your senses become acute, enabling you to pick up much extra information through intuition. You may receive spiritual information through dreams, meditation, or spirit guides. Relationships will benefit from your more compassionate and spiritual nature.
Virgo: August 23 - September 22 (Earth) – A heavy work or study load may be causing stress while also limiting your time with loved ones A lack of intimacy and emotional support can cause sadness. The best way to handle this emotionally demanding time is with self-control, patience, dedication, trust, loyalty, and forgiveness
Libra: September 23 - October 22 (Air) - Your intuitive abilities and psychic impressions are assets to your communications and relationships Others should like hanging around you because you will know when they are feeling down, so you can be sympathetic when others are not. This is a good time for artistic and creative work, from singing to writing
Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 (Water) – You must avoid threats, intimidation, and abuse The truth may be hidden by secrecy or propaganda, so this is a good time for research and investigation. If you can avoid extremism, a positive transformation in your thinking and a more profound understanding are possible
Sagittarius: November 22December 21 (Fire) – A smooth and non-threatening communication style makes this is a good time to ask for favours You can also communicate effectively at the nonverbal level. Increased sensitivity to vibrational energy makes this an excellent time for working on anything involving harmonies, like poetry, music, and dance
Capricorn: December 22 - January 19 (Earth) – Loyalty and devotion may be rewarded with greater respect and commitment, but displays of affection may take a back seat to serious issues and practicalities. Creatively, you can be very productive and give form to beauty and harmony
Aquarius: January 20 –February 18 (Air) – Your thoughts and communications turn to spiritual topics, mysteries, the occult, and secrets Valuable insights can be gained through meditation, dreaming, and psychic perception You can share these insights through compassionate, supportive, and selfless words This is a good time to watch movies, listen to music, and relax
Pisces: February 19 - March 20 (Water) – Romance and affection will seem less important than stability and security. You are willing to sacrifice short-term gratification for the long-term good of a relationship. Your selfdiscipline extends to your finances, so this is a good time to save money, pay down debt, and make sensible investments in real estate, bonds, art, or jewelry. You can draw on tremendous drive and endurance to achieve your long-term goals.
Showtimes for Galaxy Cinemas Brantford For Saturday, June 29, 2024
Inside Out 2
Standard 11:30a.m. 12:00p.m. 2:10p.m.
2:30p.m. 4:50p.m. 5:00p.m. 7:30p.m.
10:00p.m.
3D 7:30p.m. 10:00p.m.
A Quiet Place: Day One
Standard 1:10p.m. 4:00p.m. 6:50p.m.
9:40p.m.
The Bikeriders
Standard 12:20p.m. 3:20p.m. 6:30p.m.
9:45p.m.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Standard 12:40p.m. 3:40p.m. 6:40p.m.
9:55p.m.
Horizon: An American Saga
Standard 2:00p.m. 6:00p.m.
10:00p.m.
Kalki 2898 AD
Standard 2:10p.m. 6:10p.m. 9:50p.m.
The Exorcism
Standard 1:40p.m. 4:20p.m.
7:10p.m. 9:50p.m.
Kung Fu Panda 4
Standard 11:00a.m.
THE OXFORD DRIVE-IN - GATES OPEN AT 8pm MOVIES START AT DUSK
Now Open 4 Nights a Week
Friday – Sunday & CAR LOAD
Thursday $20
