The Paris Independent for Saturday June 4th, 2022

AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEWS IN PARIS. Page 18 PLANTING SEEDS OF HOPE IN MALAWI. Story on pages 23-24

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The Paris Independent Saturday, June 4, 2022

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THIS WEEK

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RELAY FOR LIFE

In Community

WHAT3WORDS Could save your life Pages 4-6

In Sports

JUNIOR DISC GOLF On her way to the top! Pages 12-13 In Community

RIDE WITH FIRE! Pages 21-22

Students at Paris District High School hosted a Relay for Life fundraiser on Thursday. They raised $5,300 that will go to the Canadian Cancer Society – Brant-Norfolk chapter.

Pictured right is PDHS resource teacher Jaqueline Guz, a cancer survivor who participated in the survivor’s lap. See full story on pages 16-17.

Photos by Michelle Malvaso

Are you ready to make a Move ? Contact me, Your Experienced Local Realtor!

County Offices Closed

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June 4, 2022

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR YARD SALE, BAKE TABLE & BOOKS TODAY! -Saturday, June 4, 2022 at St. Paul’s United Church, 48 Broadway St. W., Paris from 8:00 a.m. – Noon. Coffee & Muffins available.

Donations accepted call 519-442-4223 PARIS COMMUNITY SAFETY GROUP BIKE RODEO - Formally known as the Paris Community Policing Committee, will be holding their annual Bike Rodeo on Saturday June 11, 2022 10 am.- 12 pm. At the Brant Sports Complex Upper parking lot. Free event, prizes available.

Ages 4-13 (Story on page 15)

JUNE IS PRIDE AWARENESS MONTH. FLAG RAISING – Thursday, June 9 at 11 a.m. behind council chambers at 66 Grand River St N. Stop by the County of Brant Library Burford branch June 9 from 6-8 pm to celebrate with your family. Button making, crafts, storybook walk and more!

FOOD TRUCK NIGHTS- At Sojourn Church (112 Scott Avenue) from 4:45 pm to 7:30 pm on June 21, July 19th and August 16th.

BLOOD DONOR CLINIC- Monday, June 6 at the Paris Fairgrounds. Help someone in need remember to make your appointment at blood.ca.

NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY- The County of Brant library is honouring National Indigenous History month with a couple of events for the family to take part in – you must pre-register! The celebration started on June 1st with a course ‘Indigenous 101’ with Elder Carolyn King. But it’s not too late to register for ‘The Moccasin Identified Project’ taking place on June 15th. For more information visit brantlibrary.ca/calendar to register

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR DON’T BE SCAMMED, PROTECT .

YOURSELF! The Paris Community Safety Group is hosting a guest speaker from RBC on June 13th, 7 pm at the Brant OPP detachment community room. Discussions held around protecting your personal banking from being compromised (such as identity theft, senior’s scams, etc).

PARIS CRAFT CRAWL- Saturday, June 25&26th at the Paris Fairgrounds, rain or shine. Get ready to explore the absolute best creatives, the talented handmade and incredible solo musicians. Come for the amazing shopping, stay for the food, and cheer on our talented musicians. Tickets are $10 and are only sold at the gate.

PARIS SENIORS CLUB–St. James Anglican Church - OPEN ALL YEAREuchre and tile rummy start at 1:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Bridge club starts at 1 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays. General admission is $1.00 and includes light refreshments. Everyone aged 55 and older welcome. For information contact Brenda 519442-2032.

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COMMUNITY NEWS Be smart on the river this summer and plan ahead What3Words app might help save your life. Do you have the app on your phone?

By Casandra Turnbull Summer is quickly approaching and with the warmer temperatures comes an influx of adventurers down the Grand & Nith Rivers.

Since both rivers run alongside Paris, eventually converging in downtown, it’s not hard to imagine how busy the waterways can be in the next couple of months. While a venture down the river can seem calm and relaxing, people tend to forget it can also be dangerous. The County of Brant Fire Department is reminding residents to exercise caution on the rivers this summer.

Check the GRCA website for river flows before you plan your trip; wear a properly fitted life jacket; never boat alone and always tell someone your planned route;

County of Brant firefighters were on the Grand River Monday evening fine-tuning river rescue skills. The Paris and Onondaga Stations typically respond to 2-3 river rescue calls a year.

Photos by Casandra Turnbull

if you see lightning, get off the river; never mix boating with alcohol and drugs and when in doubt, stop and check it out – if you’re still in doubt, get off and portage.

When there is an emergency on the water, volunteer firefighters are among the first responders who will arrive on the scene. This week, firefighters spent a couple hours on the Grand River in Paris completing river rescue training to

sharpen their response skills. The department schedules 2-3 water rescue training sessions per year, as well as one ice water rescue exercise in the winter. Only the Paris and Onondaga Stations are equipped with special equipment and boats used during water rescues, explained John Barrett, District Deputy Chief of the Paris Station.

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COMMUNITY NEWS When the department receives a call for a water rescue, volunteer firefighters are dispatched and even the simplest rescue can take up to an hour, by the time they arrive on site and deploy to appropriate equipment to rescue the person. More difficult rescues can take a few hours and in the event of a search and recovery call, it can take days.

What3Words is geocode style app that breaks the world into 3 metre squares, giving each square a unique three word location. This precise location helps first responders locate callers quickly during an emergency.

On average, the firefighters respond to 2-3 water rescue calls a year between the two stations, said Barrett. While most calls have a happy outcome, that’s not always the case. In the past 10 years, there have been two fatalities along the County’s stretch of rivers.

Monday’s rescue training focused on fine-tuning boating skills as responders used a motor-powered boat to approach a ‘victim’ (comprised of pool noodles weighted down by cinderblocks) in calm water just before the dam, where boaters portage. Below the dam they practiced maneuvering a RDC inflatable boat, paddling against the flow of water, right up to the dam.

“It’s really important to have

these fine boating skills,” said Barrett, adding that every minute counts so the quicker firefighters can deploy the equipment and get to the victim, the more likely they will be to rescue them.

“Approaching someone in the water and maneuvering the boat for the rescue is 90% of the battle,” he said. It was important to focus training near the dam due to the danger it imposes. Water that flows through grates and valves, as well as over the dam, create strong undertows and currents. Those currents can drag people underwater quickly.

Boaters, kayakers and canoers should never attempt to go over the dam. There are warning signs that clearly indicate where you need to portage.

While firefighters do their part to cut the response time down, adventurers can also help ensure a timely rescue by downloading an app to their mobile devices.

What3Words is a really quick and simple way to find, share and save exact locations. The system divides the world into 3 metre squares and gives each square a unique threeword combination.

First responders across Canada have started using this app to rescue people from waterways, hiking and cycling trails and to even help locate kidnap victims.

Brining What3Words to the County of Brant started as a simple conversation between Deputy Chief Watson and Fire Communications Supervisor Ashley Gaukel.

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COMMUNITY NEWS “I started to look into the app and do a little research and quickly realized this program would be beneficial for us to start using specially with the Grand River and rail trail going through the county,” said Gaukel. “This app is extremely important for people to be familiar with and to have on their devices,” she added, because time is always a key variable in most emergency situations and this app efficiently directs responders to an exact location in a very timely fashion.

“Before using this app, we would, and sometimes still do, rely on the person calling in to know where they are and to have an idea of the area in order to find their exact location. Many times, these callers have found themselves in a stressful situation and may not be able to articulate their whereabouts.”

Gaukel has visited the various stations throughout the county demonstrating the app and discussing how it will be used to respond to rescue calls. The next step is educating the public and encouraging everyone to download it to their phones. Fire Prevention officers will also approach local canoe/kayak outfitters and snowmobile clubs to encourage them to promote and use the app.

“I’ve been working to get the word out as quickly as possible, especially with the summer weather approaching and having people out discovering the trails, waterways and unfamiliar areas of our county.”

If you’d like to learn more about What3Words and how to use it, visit https://what3words.com/how-to-use-the-what3words-app

Publisher Managing Editor Advertising Sales Photographer News Reporter Columnist News Reporter

Optimist volunteers thank residents for donations The Paris Optimist Club is very grateful to everyone who dropped off bottles and cans for our successful bottle drive on May 28th. It is very much appreciated. Proceeds went towards Optimist youth based endeavours The last two years have been very difficult for all service clubs. Hopefully we are all going to move forward and get back on track.

If you would like to join the Paris Optimist Club and meet new people, please check out our website and Facebook page, or ask a member of the club!

Optimist Marilyn McCulloch

Chris Whelan Casandra Turnbull Chris Whelan Michelle Malvaso Carolina Saenz Karon Sinning Bailey Zimmer

STATEMENT We are a non profit organization made up of like minded volunteers from our community with the main purpose of providing our community of Paris and area with a trustworthy and reliable source of community 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:

Published Weekly on Saturday

PO BOX 99900 LA 012 395 STN MAIN PARIS, ON, CANADA N3L 0C3 Email: theparisindependent@gmail.com

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RIVER RESCUES IN PARIS OVER 100 YEARS AGO Photos Courtesy: The Paris Museum & Historical Society

Paris Past By Chris Whelan Robert “Bobby” West According to “The Forks of the Grand Vol. 1” Bobby West lived most of his life in his father’s dream world. As a young man, he worked for a few years in John Penman’s mill as a mechanic; but unable to endure the routine of an ordinary occupation, he left the world of humdrum toil and dedicated his life to enjoying the bonny Nith. He helped his father to build and rent boats, he rowed and fished, and he filled the minds of small boys with river lore. He is known to have rescued at least fifty people from drowning, and to have received medals for his most sensational rescues. And he is also said to have snatched from the water-kelpies another two hundred or more intended victims, and to have received a medal for each heroic feat. Some of these latter medals, since they commemorated fantastic deeds of courage, were of fantastic design and bore fantastic inscriptions. And some performed a dual function (for example) the Chicago Exposition or the Burford Fair. One of Bobby’s authentic and most famous rescues was performed on May 2, 1895. Four young boys had rented a small boat from the West’s Nith River Navigation Company and had cruised about the river. Just before returning to the dock, they crowded two other boys aboard. When the boat had almost reached the shore, one of the boys began to rock it. Water poured over the side. The boat slowly sank. Only one boy could swim. He reached the bank. The other five shrieked for help and struggled above and below the surface of the water. Bobby heard the cries and he leaped into another boat, rowed to the spot, and dived to the rescue. Four of the boys seized him and clung so tenaciously they nearly drowned him too! He had to sink below the surface to escape their entangling arms and legs. Then, one by one, he dragged the four to the side of the boat and finally pulled them into it. A few minutes later it was noticed that the sixth boy, Harold Jones (a grandson of Hiram Capron) was missing. Bobby dived into the river to find him but after an hour he sadly found a lifeless body. Jones had a bruise on his head, and it was thought that he must have struck his head on the boat as he plunged under the water. The Star Transcript wrote of “the heroic conduct of young West” and said that he deserved a medal. West died in 1937 at the age of 80.

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COMMUNITY NEWS Brant re-elects Will Bouma for another term Will Bouma is heading back to Queen’s Park for another four year term following a landslide win in BrantfordBrant County Thursday.

Bouma received 20,738 votes, far ahead of NDP candidate Harvey Bischof who received 13, 283 votes.

Liberal Candidate Ruby Toor collected 6,083 votes and Green Party candidate Karleigh Csordas received 3,174 votes.

Tad Brudzinkski of the New Blue Party received 2,089 votes. Bouma said “I thank my family for the support, my team for all your hard work, and the people of #BrantfordBrant for choosing me to represent you in Queens Park.

I want to thank my opponents for running a clean campaign.”

Photo Credit: Will Bouma Social Media

Celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee today in Mt. Pleasant The County of Brant formally invites you to join them as they celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee at the Mt. Pleasant Nature Park TODAY! The community is welcome to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen who is the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service The event will take place on June 4, 2022 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and consist of:

A new garden will be created and a bench and plaque will mark the celebration.

The County of Brant would like to thank the Mt. Pleasant Optimist Club for partnering with the County to offer this event.

The Mt. Pleasant Nature Park is located at 755 Mount Pleasant Road.

On February 6 this year Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a • The Town Crier Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to • A bag piper the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms, • Speeches and the Commonwealth. England is marking the • A storywalk hosted by the Brant County Public occasion with a four-day holiday weekend June 2Library 5 with a culmination of events for this • Nature scavenger hunt and unprecedented anniversary.

• Rock painting

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COMMUNITY NEWS Horticultural club honours first president

Photo provided by Paris Horticultural Society The Paris Historical Society planted a tree in Kings Ward Park in honour of the club’s first President Harold Hallett.

May 28th. Doug Hanna, also a founding member of the reformed club, shared a few words at the ceremony:

Harold is credited with reintroducing the Garden Club to Paris after it was disbanded for 40 years and led the charge as the first President in 1986.

Harold passed away on September 22, 2021.

“He pressed us all, in a kind way, to be very active and he always gave us positive feedback.

He was a leader preparing us for the future without us realizing it. He had a great sense of humour and an infectious laugh. Harold was exactly what the first President should be, and I know he is proud of what the club has become and what we have achieved.”

Harold’s wife, Sirje, several members of his family and members of the Paris Horticultural Society were on hand for the tree dedication on

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H E A LT H Y L I F E S T Y L E

From the couch to 5k – you can do it!

Just for the Health of It! with Coach Shell Have you ever tried to become a runner? Did you envision yourself running through the streets with your hair flowing behind you, music blasting in your ears and feeling on top of the world? So, you tied up your shoes, put on your sunglasses and then hit the pavement ready to feel that runner's high. And then....thud. You very quickly realize that running is way harder than it looks? How does everyone else make it look so easy? 30 seconds in you are out of breath and ready to give up. You start walking thinking that this was the worst decision you have ever made. Maybe you need different shoes? A new outfit? You keep walking thinking you must be at the magic 5K by now, look at your newly downloaded Strava app and you see 1K. Does this sound like you? The reason why so many people try and fail at running is that they are overconfident, don't realize

Do you have a secret desire to start running, but just don’t think you can do it? Let Coach Shell take you from the couch to 5k – no running experience required!

how hard it is and do too much Four weeks ago at GFS we started our first ever Couch to too soon.

5K program. Runners did not They soon give up, saying they need any experience whatsoever aren't a runner & hang up those to join. We started off really shoes. Or, they start feeling it in slow and easy, allowing each their knees or hips because of person to go at their own going too fast too soon and their pace. Instead of completing a body forces them to quit before route with experienced runners they start. Would you walk into way ahead of the new ones, we the gym for the first time and walked to specific areas around pick up the heaviest weights you the Cobblestone School area, and see and start trying to squat with did intervals. That way when the them. Would you load up a interval began everyone could jog/brisk walk/high knee at their barbell full tilt and then attempt own pace without feeling like to bench press the bar? No of they were lagging behind. course not. But for some reason we think we can go full tilt with Continued on page 11 running.

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H E A LT H Y L I F E S T Y L E The intervals between jogging and walking changed each week, with a little more jogging and a little less walking. As a group we can all now complete 5km with this combination in around 45 min. Not a time to brag about but a time we can be proud of and know that each week we can shave off a little more.

There is no giving up in this program. If you fall behind the weekly protocol, you can go at your own pace, and instead of it taking you 10 weeks to complete a 5K it may take you 12 or even 16. Who cares? There is no finish line (pun intended). Progress is progress

and as long as you get there in the end you will be a winner.

If you are interested in joining in on the Couch to 5K program, send me a message. If you are a beginner there will be a new program starting in September, but if you are a little more advanced (can run/walk a 5K) you may be able to join the program in progress.

That runner's high is real and is definitely worth it in the end. So don't give up. One running shoe step at a time and you will get there.

Have a question for Coach Shell? gaudetfitnesssolutions@gmail.com

Coach Shell is the proud owner of Gaudet Fitness Solutions (aka GFS) and runs her studio out of her renovated garage on Misener Road W in Paris. She runs classes in person and online, offers video recordings of classes daily, and has coached hundreds of women to better health and wellness with her B-Lean Nutrition program. She also runs 3-4 large weight loss challenges each year that women in Paris and surrounding areas love to join.

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S P O RT S Young disc golfer picking up tournament wins

By Casandra Turnbull When eleven-year-old Brooklyn O’Krafka picked up a new hobby during the pandemic, no one imagined it would lead to a trip to the Ontario Junior Provincial Championships later this fall.

It started as a family affair - a day at the local disc golf course at Green Lane Sports Complex during the pandemic.

The O’Krafka’s figured a new sport they could do as a family would be a nice way to pass the time. It turns out, Brooklyn had a real knack for the sport.

“It was something active that we could do socially distanced and outside. We had a lot of fun and it continued from there,” said Brooklyn’s dad, Trevor. “When we were out playing at the beginning, we heard a lot of comments from other players about how well she threw for her age. We didn’t really know before that because we were all new to it,” he explained.

Before long Brooklyn was joining a doubles league at the Brant Disc Golf Club with her dad as her partner. She also received some instruction from one of the club’s founders, Jennifer Snow, as well as lessons from Zac Jolliffe who plays professionally.

“She was really encouraged by Jenn Snow, who helped her work on her basic skills. She has been improving and excited about it ever since,” said Brooklyn’s mom, Jaimie. Fast forward a couple of years, and now both her parents admit, she’s outplaying them on the course!

Continued on page 13

Brooklyn O’Krafka, 11, of Paris, will compete at Ontario Junior Provincial Disc Golf Championships this October Photos provided by the O’Krafka family

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S P O RT S “Disc golf is fun. It’s a challenge but I get to see myself improve,” said Brooklyn, who is a Grade 5 student at Paris Central School.

Asked how she felt winning her latest tournament, which granted her free entry into the provincial championships, she replied, “I felt excited and proud of myself that I did well enough to win a spot.”

As the Provincials approach, Brooklyn will continue practicing 1-2 times week, while perfecting her putt in the family’s backyard basket. “I want to be able to putt from further distances and to throw my drivers further too,” said Brooklyn, who happens to be a well-rounded athlete off the disc golf course. She also enjoys playing volleyball,

soccer, basketball and dance.

As for her future plans in this sport, she said “I want to continue with lessons so I can improve and keep playing in the league with my dad.”

And as it turns out, Brooklyn’s not the only one with a good game. Her younger brother Parker also plays and picked up a tournament win last summer.

The Junior Provincial Championships take place in Peterborough this October. The O’Krafkas may just spend a lot of time on the disc golf course this summer, after all, practice makes perfect. “We are super proud of her and excited to see her continue to improve,” said both Trevor and Jaimie.

Brooklyn picked up another tournament win last weekend.

Batter Up! Softball back in full swing The U9 Team#4, sponsored by the Paris Home Building Centre, played against Team#3 last weekend at the Pete Lavoie Baseball diamonds at Lions Park. Both teams made some great plays and played hard in a game that ended in a 0-0 tie. Pictured to the left is Lahara Lockett pitching on behalf of Team#4.

Photo credit Dan Lockett

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S P O RT S Paris clubs on full display at Rec Expo Left: The County of Brant hosted the 5th annual Rec Expo at the Burford arena last weekend. The free event showcased sports and recreation clubs from across Brant County and gave attendees the chance to learn about what this community has to offer.

Mayor David Bailey stopped into the Paris Performer’s Theatre booth to check out what shows are planned for later this year. Pictured left to right is Dennis Nason, Mayor Bailey, Terri Graham and Rich Dallaway.

Photo by Martin Smith Bottom Left: 20-month-old Alice Easton demonstrates that it’s never too soon to learn a new sport. Pictured here with her dad, Shawn, young Alice’s natural curiosity gets the better of her as she tries her hand at sweeping. The Paris Curling Club was another local organization that attended the Rec Expo on May 28th.

Photo by Cassandra Easton Bottom Right: Kevin Noseworthy operated the Paris Soccer Club booth, encouraging new players to check out the local club! Paris Soccer Club Photo

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COMMUNITY NEWS Children’s bike rodeo returns next weekend

By Carolina Saenz The Annual Bike Rodeo, a Parisian tradition for over 30 years, is back this summer.

After a two-year Covid-induced break, The Paris Community Safety Group (TPCSG) is happy to host this it once again. On Saturday June 11th, from 10 am till noon, this free event for ages 4- 13 will take place at the Brant Sports Complex, upper parking lot.

It was originally organized by the Paris Optimist Club at the Syl Apps Community Centre.

TPCSG took over the rodeo over 10 years ago and for one year, it was even part of the Springtime in Paris festival.

This year’s rodeo is supported by the Brantford Safety Village, the Paris Optimist Club, the Brant County OPP, and Robin McNaughton from the Cooperators.

“The goal of the event is to develop bicycle riding skills, safe bike handling and provide a bicycle safety check, in an offroad environment. The rider will follow the course outline and the bicycle rodeo will comprise of several stations that must be completed,” shared Edith Stone, the current chair of the TPCSG.

And with the increased traffic everywhere in the county, learning to be a safe cyclist is very important. As Stone explains, “We feel that with the increased population and traffic it is necessary more than ever that our children learn to ride their bicycle safely. Our region is a hub for bike trails and it is important to start bicycle safety at an early age so that it is an enjoyable lifelong passion.”

There will be prizes for participants and a grand prize bicycle, donated by the CoOperators.

So, who is the group behind this family fun event? The Paris Community Safety Group, formerly known as the Paris Community Policing Group, was founded over 25 years ago by a local group of citizens concerned about the safety and well being of the community.

They work as a liaison for their friends, neighbours, and colleagues to bring safety concerns forward to the proper departments and channels such as the OPP and council.

“I became involved when my children were attending North Ward School, and as Home and School Chair we were trying to

secure crossing guards to help the school children crossing very busy streets in the school vicinity. The then called ‘Community Policing’ gave us a letter of support to address County Council with, which proved successful,” said Stone of her involvement.

The group’s initiatives range from senior safety seminars to the school Safety Patroller Program, the Lock it or Lose it program, the Christmas Hamper program, the production and distribution of ‘911- when to call’ fridge magnets, and the crosswalks downtown and at Mile Hill, amongst others. The group holds monthly meetings on the second Monday of each month at 7 pm at the Brant County OPP detachment, located at corner of Rest Acres and Bethel Road.

“We have informative speakers quarterly with the next one being Monday, June 13th and our topic is ‘Protecting your personal banking from scams, fraud and identity theft’. Our speaker is Annabel Trinidad from RBC. Everyone is welcome,” shares Stone.

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COMMUNITY NEWS PDHS students surpass Relay for Life fundraising goal

Members of the Relay for Life organizing committee at PDHS proudly display a cheque for $5,300 fundraised at their school event on Thursday.

Photos by Michelle Malvaso

By Casandra Turnbull

wigs and breast prostheses and the early Career Scientist fund. The organizing committee, Paris High students, staff and community members comprised of nine students and a few staff shared a strong message on Thursday, one of members, set a $5,000 goal for the event, which solidarity and support for cancer patients and was open to anyone to attend. They exceeded that survivors. goal, bringing in $5,300.

For the first time in two years, the Relay for Life Guests enjoyed water games, fun minute to win it event returned to an in-person celebration raising challenges and participated in themed laps around awareness, hope and funds for the Canadian Cancer the track, while sharing stories of inspiration and Society of Brant-Norfolk, specifically towards consoling one another in moments of reflection.

Access to Care (lodges/transportation), Children and Adolescent programming (including camps), Continued on page 17

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COMMUNITY NEWS Six cancer survivors participated in the survivor’s lap, and others walked in the luminary lap in memory of a loved one who passed away from cancer. The committee put a call out to the community in the weeks leading up to the event asking for participation from any residents who’ve been touched by cancer.

“We have students and staff at PDHS who have had first-hand experience with cancer and they now how hard they had to fight to beat it,” said Sara Xin Jie Paterson, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student who’s also the lead organizer of the event. “We also know that there are so many people in our community whose lives have ben touched by cancer and who need that extra bit of support. As part of the community, Paris High school wants to share their love and support and we want everyone to know that they aren’t alone,” she added.

Students at the local high school witnessed a cancer journey first-hand when the school’s learning resource teacher Jackie Guz was diagnosed with breast cancer during the lock down. She created an Instagram page,

@jackies_cancer_journey2020, to document her journey. “She fought so hard and we are all so proud of her,” said Paterson.

Noelle Austin, a previous Relay for Life lead organizer and a PDHS graduate, also faced a tremendous challenge when she was diagnosed with cancer. She stated, “Caner may be a part of my past, but I won’t let it define my future. I want to continue sharing my story and relaying to bring awareness to cancer, in hopes that one day we as a

society can find a cure to this horrible disease.”

Relay for Life has united a collective of Canadians since its inception in 1999. The event is a symbolism of perseverance and action needed to change the future of cancer.

“Relay for life has given me great leadership experience as well as a better understanding of a great cause,” said Paterson.

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COMMUNITY NEWS Development set to begin on Trillium Way affordable housing build MEDIA RELEASE – The County of Brant and City of Brantford are a step closer to putting a shovel in the ground on a new affordable housing project located at 170 Trillium Way in Paris.

Through a request for proposals (RFP) process, Verly Construction Group has been selected to build the new affordable apartment complex, which will provide 49 one and two-bedroom units for a mixture of income levels and households. The development process has begun with the first phase being the design of the building to be followed by the construction phase later this year. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

“Housing need presents itself in every community including the County of Brant. Citizens can find it challenging to secure affordable quality housing in their community and many people take a second job or choose which bill to pay. I am very pleased with the County and City’s response to partner and take action to construct new affordable homes in Paris to address this ever growing and concerning trend,” said County of Brant Mayor David Bailey.

In March 2022, both the City of Brantford and the County of Brant approved the creation of a new affordable housing build on Trillium Way in Paris, Brant – one of the collaborative projects being implemented to achieve the deliverables set out in the Mayors’ Housing Partnerships Task Force Affordable Housing Action Plan.

Consistent with the plan to build 506 new housing units from 2020 – 2030, and a new cost sharing agreement approved by both municipalities, capital costs for each new affordable housing development in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant will be proportionately shared by each municipality. The County’s contribution to the Trillium Way development is estimated at

$12.5 million, up to $15 million. The City’s proportionate total contribution to the total 506 units build is estimated at up to $40 million.

The need for more affordable housing in our community has never been greater. At present, there are over 1,450 households on the community housing waitlist, whereby over 65 per cent of applicants are waiting for one- and two-bedroom units including seniors, people with no dependents and small families.

Community members can review affordable housing eligibility requirements and apply for the centralized housing waitlist at www.Brantford.ca/FindAffordableHousing or by calling 519-759-4150.

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to have access to the security, wellbeing, and improved quality of life that comes with housing stability. Recognizing we still have a great deal of work to do to achieve our mutual goals, tackling the affordable housing crisis in our region together with our neighbours in the County of Brant through cost sharing initiatives such as the Trillium Way development is a very positive step forward,” said Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis

Conceptual drawing of new affordable housing project at 170 Trillium Way in Paris.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Sweet day at the Fairgrounds Hundreds gather for the two-day Butter Tart Fest

Olivia, 8, and Ben, 6, both of Paris, waited at the front of the line for the opening of the Great Canadian Butter Tart Festival last Sunday morning.

Organizers couldn’t have asked for better weather as hundreds flocked to the event.

All photos by Casandra Turnbull

Ten-year-old Caitlyn Deakin takes care of the sales for Gluten Free Girl Butter Tarts & Pies, located out of St. Catharines Ontario. The new business is owned by her grandmother, Lynn Deakin and this was their first trip to the Paris Butter Tart Fest.

Pictured to the left: Broedan Marner and Lucius Gaio representing the Baker’s Rack in Waterloo, Ontario, were just one of dozens of vendors offering up some homemade goodies, sweet treats and savoury bites.

Doug the Great, and his friend ‘Shimp’ (the Chimp), entertained festival goers of all ages on Sunday.

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Above: Amanda and Glenn Pedwell, owners of the Bijou Box. The husband and wife artists customize gifts from a variety of material. They were one of many craft vendors set up inside the fairgrounds at last week’s Butter Tart Fest.

To the Right: Musician Brandon Dean provided live entertainment as he sang songs and played his acoustic guitar, set up just outside of a picnic tent, appealing to festival goers who took a short break to enjoy the treats and snacks offered by several food trucks.

Photos by Casandra Turnbull

Construction underway on Grandville stormwater pond Construction started on May 16 on the Grandville Park Stormwater pond. Work will include underground servicing and landscaping.

Construction traffic will be limited to Grandville Circle and Arlington Parkway. Access to all existing roadways and driveways will be maintained at all times. There is NO pedestrian access to the pond area and walking path during this time.

Residents are asked to please take caution and avoid this area.

Construction will continue for approximately 1 month.

Photo by Casandra Turnbull

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Ride-with-Fire on Canada Day Volunteer firefighter designs unique course that takes riders from one fire station to another

By Casandra Turnbull What started out as a new Covid hobby, has metamorphosed into a new passion that’s about to raise money and awareness for a very good cause. County resident and volunteer fire fighter Mark Stouffer is the brainchild behind Ridewith-Fire, a cycling fundraiser coming to a firehall near you on July 1st.

The idea developed after he took up cycling as a hobby in 2020. As he began to push himself to ride greater distances, he started to think about destinations. “As a County of Brant firefighter, I started to simply ride from one station to another and back again. Then it hit me, what is the distance, if I ride past all eight stations?”

Stouffer said. With the wheels in motion, figuratively and literally, he began mapping out the routes, with distance and safety in mind. As it turns out, the distance between all eight County stations is 100 kilometres. With that, an idea was born.

Mark Stouffer, above, during a trip to Italy. He took up cycling during the pandemic and it has since grown into a new passion that’s result in the creation of a new fundraiser: Ride-with-Fire.

Photo provided by Mark Stouffer

“So, one could say that I combined my most recent passion with my oldest and came up with Ride-withFire,” said Stouffer.

With the routes in place, Stouffer then decided on a charity: Boots on the Ground, an anonymous helpline that provides confidential peer support to First Responders across Ontario, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The charitable organization is completely run and staffed by volunteers. It supports police officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, corrections officers and

emergency dispatch operators.

Even though the Ride-with-Fire has an underlining firefighting theme, additional first responders, like the OPP and EMS, will be on hand to display their vehicles and answer questions. All eight fire stations in the County will be open to the public throughout the event. In fact, participants start at one station and actually ride right through the stations.

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COMMUNITY NEWS “When arriving at their next destination, they will enter the rear of the wagon floor and be greeted by volunteers that will offer water, power bars and scan the riders’ wristbands. It is at this moment the riders choose to finish, or to carry on to the next station,” explained Stouffer.

Riders will select their starting point when they register. There will be a shotgun start at your selected station at 7 am sharp. Stouffer hopes by starting early, riders will be out of the heat by lunch.

Stouffer will be riding the full loop, along with seven fellow firefighters, each departing from different stations. They will be wearing the same t-shirts provided to each registrant (who register before June 17th), however their shirts will be red to identify themselves as first responders, should anyone require help.

The routes will be clearly marked with over 100 direction signs along the way.

So far, more than 200 people registered and that pleases Stouffer who hopes to turn this into an annual event, highlighting a new charity each year. Proceeds from 2023’s ride will go to the Sunshine Foundation, he said.

Also dubbed the County of Brant 2022 Century Ride, registration is open now online: www.ridewithfire.ca. It costs $30 per registrant and riders are not required to collect pledges leading up to the event.

Proceeds from the registration fees go to Boots on the Ground. Any additional donations are always welcome. Registration will remain open until June 28th.

Here is a breakdown of each route’s distance, target participants and degree of difficulty:

Airport to Paris – 13.2 km / family friendly/ moderate Paris to St. George – 14.1 km / adult / moderate St. George to Cainsville – 19.5 km / adult / high Cainsville to Onondaga – 8.4 km / family friendly / easy Onondaga to Mt. Pleasant- 18.2 km / adult / high Mt. Pleasant to Scotland – 9.4 km / family friendly / easy Scotland to Burford – 9.4 km / family friendly / easy Burford to Airport – 8.8 km / adult / easy

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Planting Seeds of Hope in Malawi Paris Presbyterian Pastor brings hope and inspiration to inmates through ‘Friends of Prisons’ program

Paris Presbyterian Church Pastor Joel Sherbino delivers words of optimist and encouragement to prisoners in Malawi. The Presbyterian Church of Canada’s ‘Friends of Prisons’ ministry aims to inspire prisoners and provides them the basic necessities.

Photos provided by Joel Sherbino

By Casandra Turnbull Joel Sherbino’s story is one of hope and optimism; the kind that changes one’s life and opens new doors to a brighter future. By planting seeds of hope together, Sherbino is making a difference in another continent where opportunity is scarce, and hope is hard to hold onto.

He is the lead pastor at Paris Presbyterian Church but also

spends 25% of his time in Southeast Africa sharing his words of wisdom through the Prison Ministry. Sherbino just returned home from a trip to Malawi where he was able to resume his prison ministry partnership for the first time since Covid hit. His 10-day stay was a sign of things returning to normalcy and he was eager to return to his work and make a difference in the lives of many

who live in poverty and despair.

Sherbino is part of the Prison Ministry that brings bible study, prayer and counselling to inmates serving time in one of the poorest countries in the world. In addition to hope, encouragement and inspiration, the ministry also provides necessities such as medicine, soap, clothing and basic hygiene products.

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COMMUNITY NEWS Sherbino’s ties to the Prison Ministry started in 2004 when he and his wife Rebecca were sent by the Presbyterian Church of Canada (PCC) to Malawi under the auspices of International Ministries. Rebecca served in the Synod Development Ministry and Sherbino was the minister at the St. Columba Church, where he was introduced to ministry in the Chichiri Prison in Blantyre. Both returned to Canada in 2007 and settled in Paris, although Malawi was never far from their thoughts, Sherbino shared.

In 2015 he was invited back to Malawi to continue the ministry, which originated in one prison and has since expanded to 17 detention centres, reaching more than 2,800 prisoners. Sherbino is one of a couple dozen PCC volunteers from 10 churches country-wide who make the prison ministry the success it is today. All costs associated with Sherbino’s trip are covered by the PCC and that money is fundraised through several PCC initiatives and donations.

“I believe we are having a significant impact (in Malawi),” said Sherbino. “By providing hope to many that are in very difficult circumstances. For many inmates, the only outside contact they receive is from our ministry. We have a good relationship with the prison authorities and our ministry extends to include the prison guards as well, hence why we call it ‘Friends of Prisons,” he shared.

Friends of Prisons’ primary goal is to provide a glimmer of hope in the most difficult times and ensuring the inmates know that they are not forgotten, said Sherbino. “’Please don’t forget us.’

These words spoken by prisoners in Malawi continually resonate in my mind and heart and has become one of the key motivating factors in this ministry.”

Even though Sherbino has visited Malawi prisons many times over the last 15 or so years, he’s still blown away by the welcome they receive each and every visit. “It is as if we are celebrities. Lots of cheering and clapping as they should ‘abwenze,’ which means ‘friend’ in Chichewa (the local

language). This past trip at one prison, the prisoners wrote and sang a song about Lyca, one of our team members,” said Sherbino.

And while the visits are rewarding enough, one highlight that resonates with Sherbino is the true impact the ministry is having on the lives of some prisoners. “We are seeing those that are released from prison begin to join the ministry. One individual, Hastings, is a released inmate that is now going back into the prisons to share his story and provide hope and encouragement for others.”

Building on that success, The Prison Ministry Partnership is launching pilot project this month to provide Theological Education to specific inmates with the hope that this training will instil leadership so once the inmate is released, they can carry on the good work within local prisons and churches.

Sherbino is hoping to return to Malawi again in 2023. To learn more about Friends of Prisons, following them on social media or email Joel at joel@parispresb.ca

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T R AV E L Welcome to England: Full of royalty, history and loads of greenery!

By Paris resident Karon Sinning, as she documents her travels through Europe I’ve arrived in England and the green everywhere seems to swallow you up! Typical to England, we drove through pouring rain to Herne Bay and the home of our cousin Ian. Saturday, we set off early to Dover Castle to arrive at the opening time of 10 am. We had our cousin for a guide and he chose a more scenic route than the Main (M) road and it was very pretty. You have to know first off, roads in England are not laid out on a grid pattern. As Roy describes them, “it’s like someone threw down a bowl of spaghetti and then put roads over”. Roads are narrow here, but I absolutely love driving through “green tunnels”. This is where the trees completely cover the road and have been trimmed to give the effect of driving through a tunnel of nature.

These “tunnels” are everywhere on the secondary roads.

Arriving at the castle, the first impression is of a massive structure. Set way up on a hill, it towers over the surrounding countryside and the white cliffs of Dover. Just getting to the car park is up winding roads.

William the Conqueror had the original defences put in place at Dover Castle in 1066. Amazingly from then on (over 800 years) Dover Castle was

Trees cover the roads in England, giving the effect of driving through a tunnel of nature.

occupied up until 1958. The castle is first and foremost the strongest medieval fortress in England, updated by King Henry II and his Plantagenet successors in the 12th and 13th centuries. At the centre is the mighty keep or Great Tower. Built between 1180 and 1185, this was a palace designed for royal ceremony.

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T R AV E L After travelling through the wartime tunnels and walking around, we were all ready for some tea and lunch. There was a lovely cafe for our break. Following that, we were off to the castle and the view from the top.

The lighthouse or the Dover pharos (meaning light) is the most complete standing Roman building in England.

Just next to the lighthouse is the Church of St Mary-inCastro built during the late 10th & early 11th century

We started our visit with a tour of the Wartime Tunnels.

During World War 2, these tunnels were used as a stronghold for planning and rescue. There are 4 miles of tunnels under here and we were advised to stay close to the guide. Divided into sections, they offered audio visual presentations at each stop and for me these were a great explanation of their use.

I’m not a wartime story enthusiast, but I was aware that Dunkirk was a significant battle of World War 2. One room offers an audio visual graphic of how Germany pushed back the English forces to Dunkirk and trapped them there. This was very chilling to watch and you can appreciate how terrifying it must have been. That the shore at Dunkirk was too shallow for war ships to rescue these men was heartbreaking.

The story unfolds as to how in May 1940, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey led the evacuation of French and British soldiers from Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo. Thinking outside the box, smaller fishing boats were then employed to get to the trapped men. It was hoped they’d be able to save 40,000 plus men and they actually saved over 300,000.

The castle grounds are very extensive and it is a hilly walk around. Rooms here are occupied by themed characters in full dress, chatting with guests about Medieval times, their lives, children and historic events. In the main hall, we had an audience with the “queen”. She plays her part flawlessly while chatting with visitors. Asking where I was from, she commented on the many lands they had yet to explore including North America.

Rooms are decorated in medieval items, with guides present to explain each area. As you stroll around the inside you’ll wander through colourful bedrooms, the dining hall, where there is even a wood burning fire lit.

We travelled through the castle…up, up and up! The view from the top is breathtaking.

Seeing the extensive grounds of the castle is a great perspective on the true size of it.

What an undertaking it was to build this beautiful place.

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T R AV E L Another part of this massive castle and grounds to explore are the Medieval tunnels. These are darker (and colder) than the wartime tunnels. At times, we even needed our phone flashlights.

These were burrowed out under the castle during the Siege of 1216, and were created to protect the most vulnerable side of the castle from attack.

Channel. Dover Castle is on the top. But standing on them isn’t the best perspective! I had almost given up hope of seeing them, when we found another lookout on our way to the car. And there they were! Gorgeous.

It has been a wonderful day!

Built on a hill by the Romans, the lighthouse or the Dover pharos (meaning light) is the most complete standing Roman building in England.

It's also one of only three lighthouses to survive from the whole of the former Roman empire.

Just next to the lighthouse is the Church of St Mary-in-Castro built during the late 10th & early 11th century. Over the years the church fell into disrepair but was restored in the 19th century and used during World War 2 for services again.

One thing I’d always wanted to see in England were the white cliffs of Dover. These are the majestic chalk cliffs overlooking the English

The view from atop a castle was simply breathtaking.

Photos by Karon Sinning

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Showtimes for Galaxy Cinemas Brantford For Saturday June 4th, 2022 Top Gun: Maverick Standard 12:00p.m. 12:30p.m. 3:10p.m. 3:40p.m. 6:20p.m. 6:50p.m. 9:30p.m.

10:00p.m.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Standard 12:10p.m. 3:30p.m. 6:40p.m.

3D 9:50p.m.

The Bob's Burgers Movie Standard 1:30p.m. 4:20p.m. 7:15p.m. 9:55p.m.

Downton Abbey: A New Era Standard 11:40a.m. 3:00p.m. 6:30p.m. 9:20p.m.

The Bad Guys Standard 1:00p.m. 3:50p.m.

3D 6:25p.m.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Standard 11:50a.m. 2:50p.m. 6:00p.m.

The Lost City Standard 9:00p.m.

Morbius Standard 1:10p.m. 4:10p.m. 7:05p.m. 9:45p.m.

Firestarter Standard 9:40p.m.

The Croods: A New Age Standard 11:00a.m.