Vol. 6, Issue 26
Free of Charge
Dead in the water
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Class Act
Rising Great Lake
levels threatening downriver boat docks
W
TARA JEFFREY THE JOURNAL
hen Pat Burns drives along the St. Clair Parkway these days he almost can’t believe his eyes. “This is the worst I’ve seen it,” said the 82-year-old Courtright resident and longtime operator of Pat Burns Marine. His heart aches a little as he passes the river docks, the lowest of which are, one by one, literally being washed out by record high water levels, and with no end in sight. It hits home because Burns built many of them with his own hands. “A lot of docks are under water… and there’s nothing anyone can do. They’re helpless,” he said. “They won’t be able to use them at all. They’re going to lose all the boards, especially with the ship traffic and yachts starting up — with all that wave action.” Many boatlifts are built with their motors beneath the dock, and they’re also submerged. “If you can get the motors out, you can put them above the water. But a lot of people can’t even get to them,” he said. Normally, the river is high in spring and recedes in May and June. “But it’s not going down this year. It’s coming up. It’s gone up six inches in the last week or so,” he added. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which tracks daily water levels in the Great Lakes, points
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THE GRADUATING CLASS of 20 Grade 8 students at Bridgeview Public School were treated to rides in a convoy of nine classic cars last week. The vehicles, owned by family, friends and volunteers, whisked the students off to the Blue Water Bridge for photos and a tour of Canatara Park. A dinner followed at the Point Edward Optimist Club community hall. Here, from left, Gabrielle Jones, Pacience Babcock and Peyton Burgess pose for photos with Pam Raaymakers and grandmother Judy Burgess. GLENN OGILVIE The Journal
Teams under pressure to change names
T
CATHY DOBSON THE JOURNAL
wo longstanding local sports teams are under pressure to change their names because they could be considered racially insensitive, local officials say. The mayors of Sarnia and Point Edward have received letters from the Ontario Human Rights Commission asking all provincial munici-
palities for a policy review of Indigenous team names and logos displayed in municipal facilities. That includes the Sarnia Braves baseball team and Point Edward Blackhawks hockey teams. Someone who is not offended by either example is Aamjiwnaang First Nation Chief Chris Plain. “I come from a sports family and we’ve never given the names much thought,” said
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Plain. “My son has played for the Sarnia Braves, he’s worn the uniform and had a great experience. “No one is intending to offend anyone and no one is offended,” the chief said. But Plain stressed it’s not up to him to decide whether the two teams keep their names. And while he doesn’t consider it a pressing issue, he said he would consult band council, elders and the wider Aamjiwnaang community to see if
they agree. The commission request follows a human rights complaint filed against Mississauga over city sponsorship of five minor league hockey clubs, including the Mississauga Chiefs and Mississauga Braves. Before the Human Rights Tribunal ruled on the case, several of the teams voluntarily changed their names, and the municipality agreed
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