The Paris Independent for Saturday May 21st, 2022

LITTLE FREE PANTRY EXPANDS. Page 12 LOOKING TO COOL OFF THIS SUMMER? See pages 16-17

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The Paris Independent Saturday, May 21, 2022

THIS WEEK In Community

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Red Carpet Experience!

HORTICULTURAL MAGIC! Page 7

In Sports

SOCCER SEASON UNDERWAY! Page 10 In Community

PDHS 50 YEAR REUNION Pages 20 -21

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Justin & Kristen Visser, of Paris, attended the 51st Annual Juno Awards at Budweiser Stage in Toronto on May 15th. Kristen won the CHFI 98.1 radio contest to be a Juno correspondent. In addition to walking the red carpet, the duo had front row seats to the show, which featured some of Canada’s best musical talent. See more about Kristen’s experience – and how a group of Paris women helped her get ‘redcarpet ready,’ on pages 4-6.

Photo Credit: CARAS/Alvin Shen

County Offices Closed

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May 21, 2022

COMMUNITY CALENDAR SPRING FLING - Hosted by St. Paul’s United Church on May 27th at 11:30 am. Tickets are $15, includes lunch (ham, potato salad, Caesar salad, veggies and dessert). Call the church office for more information 519-442-4223.

REC EXPO– Hosted by The County of Brant on Saturday, May 28 from 10 am to 1 pm at the Burford Community Centre. The FREE event is your one-stop-shop for information on sports and recreation groups, organizations and clubs in the County of Brant and neighbouring municipalities.

For more information visit brant.ca/RecExpo 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. More details to follow.

IN PERSON KNITTERS GROUP- Paris Library Branch on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm or ScotlandOakland Branch on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. *Participants must wear masks while attending inperson programs.

Knitting Clubs are free drop-in clubs; registration is not required to attend; participants must bring their own supplies.

PRINCETON FIREWORKS- Saturday, May 21 at 7 pm at the Princeton Ball Park. Also catch Jungle Jamz Reptile Show, a BBQ and other fun activities. Rain date: May 22.

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May 21,2022

COMMUNITY CALENDAR GREAT CANADIAN BUTTER TART .

FEST – Saturday, May 28 at 11 am at the Paris Fairgrounds.

Learn more at www.allcanadianevents.com

YARD SALE, BAKE TABLE & BOOKS -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 LAWN BOWLING OPEN HOUSETuesday, June 14 from 5-8 pm at the Club, 169 Grand River St N Paris. Come out to learn a new sport!

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 519-442-2032.

CORRECTION In last week’s edition we featured a story on the Crafty Gals & Friends Vendor Shows (advert below). It mentioned that proceeds from the shows would benefit two charities. We would like to clarify that proceeds from the May, June and July shows will benefit the Friends 4 Kindness charity and proceeds from the August and September shows will benefit Hope Jennions and her cystic fibrosis treatments. We apologize for the confusion.

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COMMUNITY NEWS Paris woman wins radio station contest to be correspondent at the Junos

By Casandra Turnbull When Kristen Visser’s friend sent her a link to enter a contest to win an exclusive trip to the Junos, the Paris woman decided to apply. After all, there was no better way to restart her career than a trip down the red carpet and a rare opportunity to see what takes place behind the scenes of Canada’s biggest music awards celebration.

CHFI 98.1, Toronto’s perfect music mix, held an open contest looking for a correspondent to attend the Junos, take in the experience and share it on air the following day with Pooja & Gurdeep on the morning show. Kristen put together a quick video ‘just being me,’ she said, and her charisma caught the eye of the radio station hosts who reached out to her with the good news. She was the official 98.1 CHFI Juno correspondent.

The Arkells (above) rocked the Budweiser Stage for the 51st Annual Juno Awards on May 15th.

Photo by Kristen Visser

“When I got the news, I was instantly excited and pumped.

I first called my husband, followed by my mom,” Kristen explained.

She received the news just days before the Junos so once she digested it, there was little time to put together a RedCarpet worthy outfit and accessories. So naturally, she turned to a group of Paris

Publisher Managing Editor Advertising Sales Photographer News Reporter Columnist

moms for support encouragement.

“Without hesitation I turned to the Paris Mommas Facebook group as they have always been such a great support system to mamas in our community. As well, I wanted to support local,” she shared.

Continued on page 5

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

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

and

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

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COMMUNITY NEWS Essentially Kristen brought a little Juno magic to Paris, even if it was by association only. “A huge shoutout to Marina Nickless from Hair by Marina for doing my hair the morning of and to Emma Tansley for altering my jumpsuit and to Sheena Ryckman for coming to my house to do my nails.”

She also acknowledged all the lovely ladies who commented on the post offering various outfits, services and words of encouragement.

Decked out and floating on cloud nine, Kristen and her husband Justin set out for the star-studded Juno Awards held on the Budweiser Stage in Toronto last Sunday, May 15th. The experience gave them the chance to walk the red carpet, see how the Junos are organized behind the scenes, catch a glimpse of a few celebrities and watch the show from front row seats.

“It was absolutely phenomenal. Although I was not able to ask any interview questions to celebrities or take any selfies with them as I was hoping to do, I was still able to experience walking the red carpet and was on the floor in between both the performing stage and the presenting stage. It was quite the experience to see how everything works and how these award shows unfold off and on live TV.” As a CHFI correspondent her primary job was to work social media, snap and post pictures and videos and soak up the experience. The most memorable moment, she said, was watching Deborah Cox as she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Her favourite performance of the evening was Avril Lavigne who sang a five-song medley of her biggest hits.

Kristen and Justin had front row seats “so close to the performers she could see them sweat.” They took in performances by some of Canada’s top musical talent and watched as Shawn Mendes was awarded the International Achievement Award.

Marvel actor and Scarborough native Simu Lu Continued on page 6

Paris’ Kristen Visser (left) was an official 98.1 CHFI Juno correspondent last weekend. Her favourite performance of the evening was Avril Lavigne (below) who sang five songs spanning from her first album to her newest release.

Photos by Kristen Visser

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COMMUNITY NEWS hosted the 51st Annual Junos.

If the whole experience wasn’t surreal enough, Kristen was beaming following that Monday morning interview with the radio station. “They told me I have a terrific voice for it (radio) and suggested my agent work on getting me to be a CHFI correspondent for everything!”

Kristen is no stranger to the camera. She pursued a post secondary education for acting and film 17 years ago. After graduation she had an agent that helped her land various projects from film festivals to documentaries, one of which was featured on Global TV. “I then

stepped back from the industry to broadcasting. “You just never work fulltime and have a family,” know what tomorrow will bring!” she explained. Kristen and Justin welcomed three daughters, Ella, Sofia and Leah. Now that her youngest is preparing to go to school this fall, Kristen is ready to step back into the limelight and pursue the career she always dreamed about. “I’m stepping back into the industry and have landed a print job, online ad and recently a standby for a commercial. I felt the time was right to focus on myself and pursue my dreams.” Ultimately, she hopes to land on the big Marvel actor and Scarborough native screen doing TV shows and Simu Lu (above) hosted the Junos. movies, or maybe even a career in Kristen and Justin had front row seats to the show. Kristen Visser Photo

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May 21, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS Horticultural society begins public plantings

The Paris Horticultural Society continues to maintain the hillside at the Paris Fairgrounds. Part of this ongoing project includes a public planting. Members were out on Wednesday, May 18th planting and sprucing up the hillside with two dozen shrubs.

Pictured above is Doug Hanna, Dave Collins and Bob Hasler.

Photo credit Paris Horticultural Society Pictured above are Lise Moule (left) and Pat Moore (right) planting a shrub on the hill. To the left is Pat Hasler-Watts planting a shrub. Plantings like this one are made possible through grants and horticultural society fundraisers such as the Annual Garden Tour. See pages 14 & 15 for the complete Garden Tour story.

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May 21, 2022

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

Flexibility not a requirement for Yoga Yoga

with

Heidi Pfleger

“I’d love to do yoga but I’m just not flexible.”

Sound familiar? If this applies to you, you may find comfort in learning that you are not alone.

Images of yogis doing unbelievably bendy poses gives the impression that one needs to be flexible or have some sort of ‘yoga body’ to do yoga. This simply isn’t the case. Yoga is highly suitable for inflexible folk.

In fact, being less bendy can be a benefit.

Overly flexible people are prone to over-stretching and sustaining injuries that can be severe. They are also far more likely to reach a wall in their practice that is more difficult to overcome than obstacles encountered by the ‘less bendy’. This certainly was my experience.

I was introduced to yoga at the age of five. I was flexible and found the poses fun and easy to do. I advanced in practice during my teens and completed my first teaching training in my early 20s.

The more therapeutic benefits of any yoga pose are achieved when poses are held for more than 3 minutes.

And then I arrived in India. It was 1991 and I was ready to immerse myself in the study of yoga on all levels. I did a deep dive into the philosophy of yoga but hit a wall in my ability to advance in the poses. My flexibility had maxed. This was a first for me!

for more than 3 minutes.

Apparently, my quick demonstrations of the gumby poses I could do weren’t serving me as well as I thought! I also hadn’t been practicing with much moderation. Most ancient yoga teachings focus on moderation in all things and I was rather intense on achieving I learned that I had taken my the most bendy of poses. flexibility for granted and I had not focused enough on building Continued on page 10 my strength. Without strength, I was not able to stay in poses very long. The more therapeutic benefits of any yoga pose are achieved when poses are held

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COMMUNITY NEWS And so, I shifted my practice to focus on moderation and meditation as well as on building strength. In some cases, I had to re-learn poses that I had been doing for years. Taking time to build the foundation for each pose created more strength and an entirely new kind of flexibility was created. Of even more value was the reminder that the most valuable part of a yoga practice is connecting with your body and your mind. That makes the practice of yoga suitable for every body!

easier the poses I struggled with became. Strong legs created the confidence and physical strength I needed to finally be able to easily do headstands and handstands (neither have much to do with arm strength). The stronger I became in certain poses, the more flexible I became in others poses and this experience started to show up in other areas of my life. The stronger I became within my self, the more flexible I became within my life. I started to focus more on the journey rather than the destination and that has made Interestingly enough, the more I all the difference. worked on inner strength, the

“Yoga is not about touching your toes, it’s about what you learn on the way down.”

- Jigar Gore When taught and practiced properly, a simple weekly practice of just a few poses will improve your range of flexibility.

Heidi has a proven ability to make even the most inflexible bodies strong and bendy and to enjoy the journey along the way.

You can find out more about Heidi at yogabyheidi.ca.

Outdoor sketchers target Paris Plains Church The Paris Outdoor Sketchers group held its second meeting last Saturday at the Paris Plains Church. Artists gathered to tackle the project of recreating the historic cobblestone building through a variety of mediums. The urban sketching group was formed last month as a way of giving like-minded artists the opportunity to share a passion while capitalizing on the natural beauty of this community. The group’s founders, Christa Potter and Steve Howes, are pleased to report the number of participants doubled between the first and second meeting and they hope to see continued growth in future sessions.

The group meets again Saturday, June 18 at 1 pm. The subject for this meeting will be capturing the historic homes in the Banfield Street neighbourhood. Everyone is welcome to attend. The meeting location will be the Jury Street park. Follow the group on social media https://www.facebook.com/groups/4616102395 166500 Photo credit Christa Potter

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May 21, 2022

S P O RT S Soccer players hit the field for first practice

Members of the Paris FC soccer club were back in action this week. On Tuesdays kids in all age categories gathered for a meet and greet and player evaluation to determine teams. Pictured above is the U 7/8 girls division and Brennan Deane practices his dribbling skills during the U 7/8 boys practice. Paris FC is a non-profit, player centred soccer club that encourages the development and confidence in young players. The league operates throughout the week at Green Lane Sports Complex. League play officially starts on Tuesday, May 24.

Photos by Casandra Turnbull

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May 21, 2022

S P O RT S

PARIS GIRLS PLAY HARD AT CWOSSA

Paris lost a tough match to BCI in the Brant finals last week. Paris ranked first in ‘AA’ schools, while BCI was among the top ‘AAA’ schools. BCI also advanced to CWOSSA and captured the plaque after defeating Owen Sound District Secondary School in the final on Friday at Bisons Alumni North Park Sports Complex Photo by Michelle Malvaso

The Paris Panthers girls rugby team advanced to CWOSSA yesterday after a stellar 5-3-1 regular season record. Paris faced The Dufferin Royals in game one of CWOSSA play and lost a tough match 25-15.

Later on in the afternoon, the team fought hard and played hard to overcome Walkerton 30-5. One of the team's coaches, Dave McLean commented on their season effort: "The strength of this team is their support of each other, and willingness to work and try.

Everyone is new to the game, most of our starters are Grade 9 and 10, but they have been willing to work and commit to the team goals. They tackle low and hard - and give it their all each and every game."

Congratulations to everyone on the team for a great season.

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May 21, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS Little Free Pantry doubles in size!

The Little Free Pantry, located beside the Optimist Club on Elm Street, is growing! Pantry organizers were happy to announce this week the arrival of a new pantry, designed to hold double the amount of food to better service community members in need. A big thank-you goes out to the County of Brant for their support and good work, The Paris Optimist Club for their enthusiasm with this renovation project and finally to every person who volunteers to stock and tidying up the pantry. The Little Free Pantry is a community-driven project that provides food and other supplies to anyone at anytime. It’s not intended to replace the food bank or other agencies but is another option that is open to residents in need 24/7.

Photos posted by Susan Bailey

Advance polls open, you can cast your vote The provincial election is fast approaching June 2.

You can apply to vote by mail before May 27.

Apply online at votebymail.elections.on.ca.

Advance polls are also open from May 19 to May 28 from 10 am to 8 pm at 61 Dundas St E in Paris (fire station) or on May 29 from 12 pm to 5pm at

GrandBridge Energy, 150 Savannah Oaks Dr. Brant/Brantford candidates include MPP Will Bouma (PC) Ruby Toor (Liberal), Harvey Bischof (NDP), Karleigh Csordas (Green), Tad Brudzinski (New Blue Party) and Rob Ferguson (Libertarian).

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May 21, 2022

OPP BRIEFS OPP encourage parents to talk to their children about safety and report suspicious behaviours The Brant County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding all residents about the importance of reporting suspicious or concerning behaviour to the police.

Brant OPP members responded to a suspicious person Saturday May 14 at approximately 6:29 p.m. when an 11-year-old child playing in their front yard was approached by an unknown person. Thanks to the parents of the child, police were able to locate the person and determine the interaction was not criminal in nature.

Parents are reminded that it is important to have regular conversations with your kids about personal safety.

Personal safety should not be a one-time talk but ongoing, regular, calm discussions. Topics should include personal safety, online stranger safety, tricky people or specific ways people who are not good may try to fool your child, personal space and being the "boss" of their body and talking about how to handle situations where children feel uncomfortable, unsafe or scared.

For help with talking to your children or other parenting issues contact local or online resources such as www.triplep-parenting.ca for ideas and supports.

TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED AFTER ALERT CITIZEN REPORTS VEHICLE ENTRIES IN PARIS

On Saturday May 14, 2022, at approximately 11 p.m., members with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Brant County Detachment received a report of two persons attempting to enter vehicles in the Curtis Avenue area of Paris. Multiple police officers attended the area and located the suspects on Willow Street. Both suspects were arrested after a short foot chase.

A 21 year-old from Brant County man and a 15-year-old youth were charged with Trespassing at Night.

The accused are scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice located in Brantford at a later date.

April Trends & Actions Integrated Court Offences Network (ICON) data reports a 21% increase in total charges for the month of February 2022 compared to February 2021. Overall year-to-date, Speeding charges are up over 100% compared to the 2021, and all charges combined are increased 56%.

-Violent Crime is down 61% in April 2022 compared to April 2021 and down slightly yearto-date -Property Crime is down by 7.1% in April and remains slightly increased year to date compared to 2021 at 14.8%.

-Drug Crime shows a marked decreased in both April and year-to-date 2022 as a result of 1 less trafficking charge in April.

-In relation to motor vehicle collisions, there were no roadway fatalities in April and our Personal Injury Collisions decreased by 37%. We are still seeing an increase in Property damage collisions and overall a 27% increase for all motor vehicle collisions year to date compared to 2021.

-Vehicle related property is showing an increase for April 2022 of 45.8% as a result in another spike of Theft from Motor Vehicles occurrences and an overall increase of Stolen Vehicles year-todate compared to 2021. Overall statistics for vehicle related property crime year to date for 2022 is increased considerably.

-Mental Health calls (Level 1) decreased by 3 incidents this month however overall calls involving a mental health component are increased year-to-date by 5% in 2022 compared to 2021.

-9-1-1 calls were down again for the month of April (60.1%) and continue to trend down for the year to date compared to 2021.

-Alarm calls were significantly higher again in April 2022 and year to date (67.3%) compared to 2021.

-Domestic Disturbance calls increased in the month of March by 43.3% from last March and are down slightly by 8.1% year to date compared to 2021. *Information provided in OPP Police Services Board Detachment Commander’s Report for April*

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May 21, 2022

COMMUNITY EVENT

20TH Annual Garden Tour returns in June

By Casandra Turnbull If you have a green thumb, or inspire to have one, or simply enjoy the beauty of a well-maintained landscape, you’ll want to take note of the upcoming Garden Tour June 4 & 5 in Paris.

Hosted annually by the Paris Horticultural Society (PHS), this event directs you on a self-guided tour that stops at six local homes with astonishing terrains that are carefully crafted and maintained by the homeowners. It’s a labour of love and this tour gives them a chance to share the beauty with the community.

This popular Paris event is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and of course it wouldn’t be possible without the gardeners who open their homes but also all the extra set of hands that work behind the scenes to organize and promote the tour. This week we talk with Margaret Collins, a 22-year PHS member who combines her love for gardening with her passion for photography to help promote the society and its members.

“I will be doing the photos of the gardens with help this year from Sara Jean Green, another member,” said Collins. She said the beauty of the landscapes inspire her to get a very detailed look at the gardens from all angles when she takes photographs. She’s always loved photography so incorporating that into the tour is a bonus.

Collins joined the PHS in 2005 with encouragement from her friend Anne Saunders.

She recalls, “Anne is an avid gardener. I don’t consider myself a great gardener, but the members are all so nice I kept going back.”

Above is just one garden that will be featured on this year’s Garden Tour, taking place June 4 & 5 Photo credit: Margaret Collins

Her membership started over 20 years ago but her interest in gardening piqued when she was a child, even if she didn’t realize it at the time. “My mother kept a very pretty garden, but I never helped her with it,” Collins shared. “She had beautiful clematis vines (I have several of those now) and they bring back pleasant memories of her in her garden.”

Continued on page 15

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COMMUNITY EVENT 20th anniversary, this year live music and local artists will be playing in the participating gardens. The tour takes you on six stops at: -727606 Township Road #3 Brant

Margaret Collins is one of two photographers who help promote the Garden Tour. She prepares the Horticultural Society’s Newsletter, takes the club’s photos, and prepares a photo package of each garden featured on the tour.

-23 Ball St Paris -235 Grand River St N (parking available at PDHS) -155 Paris Links Rd -36 MacPherson Dr -655 Watts Pond Road.

Green Heron Books, Sobeys, Antlers, Mary Maxim, Walter’s Greenhouses and Dragonfly Landscaping.

Funds raised go towards horticultural programs in the community, including education and public plantings throughout the Paris area. If you’d like to learn more about the society, you can pop into one of their monthly meetings the first Wednesday of each month from September to June. The final meeting before the summer break takes place June 8th at 7:30 pm at the Paris Fairgrounds. The theme for this meeting is “A Bookshelf of Gardens.”

The tour runs two days, June 4 & 5 from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets are available the day of the event at any of the garden locations but can also be Some of Collins favourite plants purchased in advance at businesses: also include Rudbeckias and participating Sunflowers. And her love for horticulture has flourished over the years. “I just enjoy all types of gardens. I learned from my many mistakes as to what to grow where and that continues even now,” she admitted. While she used to consider gardening very therapeutic, her back no longer agrees so she just enjoys viewing other people’s gardens, preferably through the lens of a camera. She is also a 10-year member of the Brant Camera Club, a hobby she pursued when she retired.

Have you picked up your Garden Tour tickets yet? Don’t miss out on As part of the Garden Tour’s

the chance to view stunning properties like this one, scheduled to open their gardens and yards to guests next month.

Photo credit: Margaret Collins

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May 21, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS

Paris splash pad undergoing a retrofit The $150,000 facelift should be completed early June

By Casandra Turnbull The Paris splashpad is undergoing a retrofit and County officials expect it to be open sometime next month.

The 17-year-old pad needed to be modernized so the county allocated $150,000 in this year’s budget for upgrades. The square footage will remain the same, but users will notice some new features and enhancements designed to accommodate children of all ages.

Stacey Ellins, Director of Recreation Services for the County of Brant says the retrofit was necessary “to offer more variety to accommodate families that may have multiple children that are different ages. The new features will offer attractions for

both toddler, youth.”

children

and Ballantyne, Director of Parks and Facilities.

She also confirmed that there The splash pad’s makeover is are no plans to install a splash already underway. The new pad in the north end at Dawdy features will be installed the Park on Hartley Ave. That park week of May 30th, Ellins is still under construction but confirmed by email. The county should be open next month. hopes to re-open the water park Brant’s other two splash pads in in early June, but that is Burford and St. George, are set dependent on a smooth to open for the season on June reconstruction process. Opening th 4 . announcements will be shared through the county website and For more information on on social media. aquatics in Brant, visit their The splash pad, located beside online guide: the Paris pool at 80 Laurel Street https://en.calameo.com/county(Lions Park) is Paris’ only park. ofThere is a new splash pad in the brant/read/0006229649f9a8c8aa works for southwest Paris in the bcb?page=1 Arlington Meadows subdivision, but construction will not begin until 2024, said Kathy

*Conceptual drawing only* Pictured left are examples of new features you will notice at the new and improved Paris Splash Pad. Retrofit work begins the week of May 30th and should wrap up early June.

Photo provided by the County of Brant

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May 21, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS Cool off at the Paris pool, opening soon It seems someone flipped the switch from winter to summer. It was time to put the snow blowers away and get that swimming pool in working order. But what if you don’t have a pool to cool off in this summer?

The Paris Community pool is opening in a few short weeks. Starting the first week in June, take advantage of public swims Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 7 pm to 8:30 pm, Saturdays 11:45 am to 3:15 pm and Sundays 12:30 pm to 4 pm. Special time between 10:15 am to 11:45 am on Saturdays is dedicated to family swims.

Monday to Fridays from 2:30 to 3:30 is seniors’ swim hour.

New this year, you can purchase a 10 visit aquatics membership! To learn more about swim lessons, public swims, lane swims and pool rentals visit the aquatics guide online https://en.calameo.com/county-ofbrant/read/0006229649f9a8c8aabcb?page=3

RIVER SAFETY AWARENESS The Grand & Nith Rivers provide excellent relief from the heat, but they can also be very dangerous.

Educate yourself on water safety before you make the trip down the river this summer.

The Paris Independent is spending an evening with the County of Brant Fire Department as they practice river rescue training this month. Look for a full feature story in our June 4th edition.

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HOW PARIS SPENT THE MAY LONG WEEKEND 48 YEARS AGO! Photos Courtesy: The Paris Museum & Historical Society

Paris Past By Chris Whelan REMEBERING THE FLOOD OF ‘74 On a beautiful sunny Friday May 17, 1974, residents of Paris were gearing up for a relaxing long weekend when news broke that 50 mm of rain was going to The three men in the photo of downtown Paris above: Fireman Bill cause massive flooding along the Grand Taylor, Bob Burns and Bill Burns. Photo Paris Star May 23, 1974 River watershed. Murray Barker rushed home from his cottage on lake Erie just in time to move the washer and dryer out of his basement to the upstairs landing. The Barkers lived on Mechanic Street. A few yards to the right out their front door was the rising Nith River. Two blocks the other way was the raging Grand River. Along the Grand, hundreds of volunteers piled sandbags to protect downtown Paris. When the rain came, there was little that could be done because the GRCA’s reservoirs were already full. By 7 p.m. on May 17, the Grand was rushing toward downtown Paris at a rate of 1,650 cubic metres per second (m3/s), nearly 100 times the normal summer flow. Murray walked over for a quick look. By the time he got back he was sloshing through ankle deep water outside his home. He moved his car to higher ground.

Soon after, the Nith overflowed its banks and flooded the neighbourhood. Murray estimated there was five feet of water in his basement and next door at his wife Priscilla’s parents’, too – a house once owned

by Paris founder Hiram Capron. In homes closer to the river, the water reached the first floor.

“It looked like a lake,” Murray said. “The kid that lived down the street, he got his boat out and came ripping up the street in this boat, a powerboat, and he created a wall of water that was going to knock all the windows out. So, somebody went out and yelled at him, and he took his boat and put it away.”

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May 21, 2022

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SNAPSHOTS OF PARIS FLOOD MAY 1974 Photos Courtesy: The Paris Museum & Historical Society

Left: This photograph depicts the "M & A" Store during the flood of 1974 that took place in Paris, Ont. The original photo was provided

by Barbara Sparks.

Right: This photograph depicts the flood in Paris, Ont., in 1974. The original photo was provided by Barbara Sparks.

Left: Hundreds of residents busy sandbagging along the banks of the Grand River in hopes of preventing the rising waters from flooding their homes.

May 1974 was the highest flow on record to the Town of Paris (1,650m3 /s). It flooded the downtown area on both banks of the rivers resulting in public and private property damage but no loss of life.

Royal Commission Inquiry in 1975 found that the reservoir system in place at that time was not capable of sufficiently reducing the extent of flooding and flood damages.

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May 21, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS PDHS alumni reconnect at 50th anniversary Former students gathered for two-day reunion; sharing memories & making new ones Over a hundred PDHS alumni and spouses gathered for a 50+1 year reunion May 6 & 7.

The official 50-year anniversary fell during the pandemic so organizers pushed the event back a year so it could be held safely, and in person.

Former Paris High students who attended the school between 1966-1971 assembled for the twoday reunion held at the Paris Fairgrounds. There were three main events: a Meet and Greet Friday evening, a BBQ Saturday noon, and a Dinner and Dance Saturday evening.

The graduates had lots of opportunity to reminisce as they looked through the huge display of memorabilia. There were slide shows of past reunions and high school events. Music from the 60’s and 70’s played in the background.

Many took advantage of the Photo Booth to “dress up” and capture photo memories with their friends. The Beer Tasting Trivia Contest was a predictably popular event and no one went away hungry with all of the delicious food that was offered!

Continued on page 21

Organizing the reunion for alumni who started Grade 9 in 1966 are (front) Norma Lewis Roper, Penny Walker Stager, Linda Pottruff David (back) Margaret Walker Fleury, Bob Neat, Kim Etherington, Rick Mitchell.

All photos submitted by Margaret Walker Fleury

Pictured above are ‘champions’ for starting Grade 9 in 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1968, left to right, Lynda Osborne Stewart, Nancy Wise Always, Karen Kempthorne Seiling. Absent: Dawn Lewis McClelland, Cathy Murphy, Karthryne Kerr McIntyre, Margaret Murray and Debbie Perley Pegg

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May 21, 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS At the dinner on Saturday, two speakers talked about high school teachers who had impacted their lives the most. Debbie Whiting Bolton spoke about Ms. Mildred MacMillan Barrie and Norma Lewis Roper shared memories of Mr. Duncan Addison.

Each speaker described how these teachers influenced their experiences in high school as well as their life decisions.

A lively jazz band, “Panther Tracks,” brought the Reunion to a rousing finish. The newly formed band included PDHS graduates, Walter Tose on electric guitar and Bruce Smith on drums, plus Shane Myke on acoustic guitar and Davey Lonsbury on bass guitar. Many folks got up to boogie and dance the night away.

The Reunion Committee is extremely pleased that another successful reunion is in the books.

(It’s the third for those starting Grade 9 in 1966.) Organizers have received countless messages from happy grads who felt reconnected with high school friends. As one graduate stated, “People just wanted to talk and reconnect. They laughed, shared stories, and laughed some more.”

It was a wonderful way for people to escape the pandemic world for a few hours.

Submitted by Margaret Fleury Chair, Reunion Committee Started Grade 9 in 1966 and graduated in 1971

The Panther Tracks, pictured from left to right, Davey Lonsbury, Shane Myke, Bruce Smith, and Walter Tose.

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May 21, 2022

T R AV E L Settling into daily life in Malta After being somewhat housebound for a few days due to off and on rain, Wednesday dawned bright and sunny with a cloudless sky. Temperatures are on their way up and there is no rain in the next 10-day forecast.

Sarah had mentioned the Ta’Qali craft market to me while we were on Gozo, so I determined that would be my first solo outing. With the trusty Journey Planner for the bus system, I discovered there were optional routes to take…but all involved multiple buses and over an hour travel time.

But what the heck…I have nothing but time here, so off I went.

I asked the driver of the No. 16 bus where to get the No. 202 bus to the Ta’Qali craft market and he told me where to get off and that I would have to cross the road to the other stop. Each bus stop usually has an accurate list of the buses that stop at that particular spot and the direction they are heading to. I couldn’t see the 202 on the list.

There were 3 other young women at the stop, so I asked if they knew where I might catch the 202.

Karon did some They were all very helpful and one young day-tripping in woman in particular said I should get on the Malta this past bus with her and she would tell me where to week and stopped get off. We got on the No. 212 but she for lunch at the assured me this would get me to my Ta’Qali market. destination. Accents can be tricky here as She also toured there are many different languages. This the Valletta Glass Factory young lady was from India, as she compared All photos the Maltese climate to her home country, and provided by Karon had a bit of a Maltese accent mingled in.

Sinning

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May 21, 2022

T R AV E L The accent, combined with street and bus noises made conversation a bit difficult but she managed to make me understand that she was taking me to the Buggiba (Bu-jiba) bus terminal so I could ask there for the correct bus. Smart! She came with me to the booth and sure enough I had just made the No. 186 bus to Ta’Qali! We parted ways here with smiles all around!

I told the driver where I was going, he nodded and I asked if he would tell me when we reached the spot I needed to get off. Another nod and off we went. This was the longest part of the trip and we ended up very close to Mdina, where we had gone for dinner.

When I visualize a market, I’m thinking of stalls, multiple vendors and crowds. What I found was a lot of construction of multiple buildings. Happily, there were no crowds when I arrived, but things certainly change when a tour bus arrives. The first and largest of the open stores, right across the road from the bus stop, was the Valletta Glass factory. The store is big and also offers access to the glass blowing furnace and factory part. It was very interesting to watch the artisan creating a piece of beautiful glass.

From here I headed out onto the side streets, amid multiple construction sites, with fences keeping tourists out of the way.

There were a few stores open here: ceramics, jewelry, wood and a stone store. The one ceramic store had a teapot, which was on my list of items needed for the apartment and also offered a small lunch room where I had a drink and bite to eat.

another bus.

This area is called the Buggiba Water Park and is lovely. There is also a very nice sandy beach at this spot, which I’d been scoping out for visitors. Malta really is a big rock and doesn’t have many sandy beaches, so this was definitely a good find After that I decided to head worthy of a stop. back. As I was trying to find I walked down to the sea for a the return bus on my phone, little look at the Mediterranean the No. 186 bus showed up and then decided on an ice going the other way, and I cream at the small seaside cafe. thought, what the heck it got Luckily I spotted a Tourist me here. So I hopped on.

Information sign and headed Return buses often take there after for directions to the different routes because of onenext bus I had to take. I really way streets here, so I wasn’t am hopeless with directions concerned about not here and once I decide on the recognizing everything. direction I’m taking, my best However, when it drove by the course would be to simply turn beautiful beach area we had the other way! passed on the way going to Ta’Qali, I decided to hop off, Continued on page 24 figuring there would always be

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May 21, 2022

T R AV E L So, after going in the wrong direction, I turned around and eventually found the bus station and just like that I was on the TD13 back to Swieqi (Swee-Hee).

comes the workout. The dough had to be kneaded for about 10 minutes. This is done on a smooth surface, not adding any more flour and using wet hands as necessary.

Friday was my cooking class. I had signed up for a course on making Maltese Rajvul or ravioli. Not wanting to be late, I decided on an ecab instead of the bus. Good job too! I was looking for number 73 Triq (street) l-Oratorju, and on this street it was beside number 5. My clue should have been the name of the Mediterranean Culinary Academy, on the window but the mystery was solved; I was half an hour early.

David explained this was to break down the gluten strands in the dough, to work out the elasticity. He kept both of us on track and made sure our dough was correct. Once the dough has the right consistency, it’s sealed in cling wrap and left to sit for half an hour or so.

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The classroom portion of the facility was very spacious, with a long table set for about 12 participants. After me, a young lady arrived. She was from Austria and just visiting Malta for an extended long weekend. She loves to cook as well, so she chose this experience to start her trip here. There was to be a third person but they didn’t show up, so we proceeded with just the two of us. It felt almost like a private lesson.

David was our chef/instructor and was very personable and outgoing, as well as knowledgeable on what he was teaching. The cooking area was already prepared with all we needed: from the induction cooking surface to all utensils and ingredients.

Our first task was to make the dough. This had only a few simple ingredients: bread flour, a pinch of fine salt, egg white and a small mixture of olive oil, vinegar and water. This dough requires the right consistency of moisture so you start by adding the egg white and then small amounts at a time of the other liquid. When it was close to the right texture, wetting our hands added just enough moisture to finish it. Now

Karon participated in a cooking class in Malta – the end result was home made ravioli

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May 21, 2022

T R AV E L During this time we sampled some Maltese cheeses, olives and sausage along with a traditional Maltese coffee, spiced with cloves, fennel and cardamom. (And a little sugar in my case). Also on view was a bit of an educational video about traditional plants and farming practices here.

and chilies (optional) in olive oil, the tomatoes and fresh basil are added and left to simmer.

Two cheeses are combined with fresh chopped parsley and spring green onions and swung into a piping bag, knotted at the end so the cheese can only go in one direction. Literally you tie the end of the piping bag closed and give it a good swing around to After our break, it was time to move all the cheese to the point make the sauce. I could see before opening the bag! plenty of fresh herbs, but also a small pile of whole tomatoes. I Then comes the fun part, putting couldn’t imagine starting the the dough through the pasta sauce from tomatoes with the press. Run twice through each skins still on and blanching them increment, from 0 - 6, the now would be hot, tedious work. long thin strip is ready to cut Nope! Truly ingenious idea, cut into raviolis. Each roughly 2the tomatoes in half and grate inch circle is topped with the them. Right down to the skins, cheese mixture and then folded being careful not to include your and sealed with a wet fingers! finger. Each one is tossed in flour to absorb any extra After simmering garlic, bay leaf

moisture.

These are tossed into a pot of boiling water and when they rise to the surface, they are done…about 3 minutes. They are then scooped out and tossed in the simmering sauce along with a handful of fresh peas. The sauce can be thinned with the starchy water from the boiling pot to create the consistency you like.

The result was a delicious late lunch for all of us, which we enjoyed with a glass or two of a lovely local white wine, and some great conversation.

Written & Submitted by Paris resident Karon Sinning as she travels across Europe.

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Showtimes for Galaxy Cinemas Brantford For Saturday May 21st, 2022 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Standard 11:40a.m. 2:50p.m. 6:10p.m. 9:20p.m.

3D 12:30p.m. 3:30p.m. 6:40p.m.9:55p.m.

Downton Abbey: A New Era Standard 1:00p.m. 4:00p.m. 7:00p.m. 10:00p.m.

The Bad Guys Standard 12:50p.m. 3:40p.m.

3D 6:20p.m.

Firestarter Standard 1:40p.m. 4:30p.m. 7:10p.m. 9:45p.m.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Standard 12:40p.m. 3:50p.m. 6:50p.m. 9:50p.m.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Standard 9:10p.m.

The Lost City Standard 12:10p.m. 3:00p.m. 6:00p.m. 9:00p.m.

Everything Everywhere All at Once Standard 11:50a.m. 3:10p.m. 6:30p.m. 9:40p.m.

Sing 2 Standard 11:00a.m.

May 21, 2022