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Revelations prompt special Council session
Column Six On the Berkhout Trail
Mayor to take aim at Junkin’s decision to go public BY DAVE BURKET
The VOICE
After days of silence— apart from a Tuesday social media post—Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn responded late last Friday to allegations made by former Ward 1 councillor Marv Junkin published last week by the Voice. Augustyn announced that Pelham Town Council would hold a special public meeting tonight at Town Hall, beginning at 6:30. The meeting, however, does not seem set to address the substance of Junkin’s allegations, but rather the manner in which they were revealed. (The entirety of the Mayor’s email to the Voice, and evidently to other media outlets, appears nearly identically in a Town advertisement on page 17.) Junkin resigned his Council seat on November 6, citing his concerns over Town actions that he called “unethical and dishonest.” Junkin said that on September 5, Council was privately presented the results of a forensic audit, commissioned without Council’s knowledge, which concluded that $17 million dollars in debt had gone unaccounted for in the Town’s books, bringing Pelham’s total debt to nearly $60 million dollars. Junkin alleged that inSee MEETING back page
BY JOHN SWART
A
See AUDIT back page
See TRAIL Page 11
Regional Audit Committee holds emergency meeting Calls on Town to release results of previously undisclosed KPMG audit said to push total Pelham debt to nearly $60 million On the heels of former Councillor Marvin Junkin’s allegations last week of financial uncertainty in Pelham, the Niagara Region’s Audit Committee hastily called an emergency meeting to be held yesterday morning, after the Voice went to press. Committee Chair Tony Quirk said Monday that after reading Junkin’s allegations, including that Pelham’s
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tember 5 with respect to their finances? Two, if the Town of Pelham defaults, what liability, if any, does the Region have? And three, what, if any, obligation does the Region have to inform lenders of material misstatements?” Quirk said that it is the Region’s responsibility to ensure that it is not culpable or liable for any misstatements of the Town of Pelham. He added that
DA MP, DRIZZLY Sunday morning accentuates the Fall beauty of Pelham’s Gerry Berkhout Trail, a recreational gem in southern Pelham. Sneakers, hiking boots and mountain bike tires have all left their tracks in the cluster of red, yellow and gold leaves scattered across the smooth gravel trail. Vibrant orange leaves still cling to maples, oaks are draped in rusty brown, while birch and aspen glow yellow. Sumacs have turned to the richest reds, and berries of royal purple and translucent crimson brighten the trailside where sun sneaks through the forest cover. The trail follows the upgraded rail bed of the former Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway from Church Street in Fenwick approximately six kilometres east to Murdoch Streer, one country block from Welland. Access with designated parking is available at the east lot of Centennial Park in Fenwick, and off Foss Rd where Cream Street intersects the trail between Foss Road and Sumbler Road. For those willing to park on the shoulder of our quiet country roads, trail access is available at Bal-
SHORT HILLS HUNT BEGINS President of the Niagara Regional Native Centre Karl Dockstader speaks to a group of deer harvest supporters on Saturday afternoon. Story on page 3. VOICE PHOTO
BY VOICE STAFF
total debt has actually ballooned to nearly $60 million dollars, he was concerned about the potential impact they could have on the Region’s finances should they prove true. Quirk said he contacted the Region’s CAO, Carmen D’Angelo, and found little reassurance. “Specifically, I asked the CAO three questions,” said Quirk. “One, has the Region received any correspondence from the Town of Pelham since Sep-
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The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket
The week after: The history of Pelham’s new community centre arena will forever be split between Before the Resignation, and After the Resignation. Many residents still appear shell-shocked going on a week since Councillor Marv Junkin blew the whistle on the Town’s previously undisclosed debt, and worse, what very much appeared to be an attempt to keep this news from reaching the public. One would do well to recall that rapid apologies and sincere mea culpas tend to inspire forgiveness. Cover-ups tend to inspire indictment and impeachment. We seem now to be witnessing not a forthright desire by the Town to explain how we’re $17 million further in debt than we thought, but rather a concerted effort to penalize the only member of Council who has thus far done the right thing: blown the whistle, then resigned...What’s in a name: Ridgeville’s Duncan McNaughton wrote in to praise Sam Piccolo’s community centre timeline centrespread in last week’s edition. “This excellent article puts the entire evolution of the project into perspective. At times one is only able to reflect on the more recent discrepancies, forgetting some earlier manoeuvring of “the end justifies the means” -type.” McNaughton wonders whether current council has a further legacy agenda, “where the community centre can be converted to the Pelham Poorhouse, once citizens begin defaulting on their taxes”… Deserved praise: That centrespread was a monumental effort, one executed with diligence and alarming competence by Mr. Piccolo, who distilled 20 years of history into what read nearly like a whodunnit. Time will tell whether actual detective work is needed inside Town Hall… Looking at Lookout? Due to access issues, we’ve temporarily suspended paper delivery (except to voluntary subscribers) at Lookout Ridge Condominiums. Once we’re given the allclear by your condo board, folks, we’ll resume… Remembrance on display: Rosemary Chambers and Carolyn Botari wish to remind us that their historical Remembrance Day displays are on for just another week or so at both Pelham Library branches… Nothing to see here: In answer to a rumour circulating last week about a potential Peeping Tom, possibly with a camera, a police spokesperson tells us that no such reports have come in, though in early November police did respond to a call about a man taking photos of a house. They say that he was an architecture buff, who was not in the buff... Goodbyegram: It was finicky, annoying, and served no identifiably useful purpose in reaching anyone with a demonstrable ability to read complex sentences. Goodbye Instagram. We felt better immediately… Penny the cat: As you may remember from last week’s letter carrying the news, the long-lost Penny was found, but not alive. RIP Penny. A reminder that no matter how many lives we may have, they are all short.
More troubles for Dr. Pelser
IN THE NEWS
Dr. Duane Pelser, the family physician whose office on Highway 20 has been closed since September, has learned that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) has opened an investigation. Pelser failed to renew his medical license in June of this year, a failure he attributed to administrative error, leading to the suspension of his license on August 10. According to Pelser, he was unaware that such a suspension had occurred, and continued to treat patients until September 5. On September 5, Pelser learned that his license had been suspended, and immediately moved to renew it, but was told that he was required to apply again as a new doctor. Pelser has been unable to work since. Recently, he was informed by his lawyer that the CPSO intends to open an investigation into the period of time in August and September during which he continued to treat patients, while his license was no longer valid. Pelser, who is currently visiting family in his native South Africa, says that he is upset by this latest move and feels as though “they have their knives out for me.”
Winter maintenance
The Town of Pelham’s public works department is preparing for the upcoming winter season and wants to
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Biggar Road west of Montrose Road in Niagara Falls. Police say that initial investigation revealed that a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier was being driven westbound on Biggar Road by 22-year-old Jake Pirson of Welland, with three passengers. Pirson lost control of his vehicle, left the roadway, and struck a number of smaller trees before the vehicle came to final rest on its roof in the ditch on the north side of Biggar Road. Pirson suffered minor injuries while a 20-year-old female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The name of the deceased female is not being released at this time out of respect for the family. Pirson and two other passengers suffered minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital. Pirson has been charged with the Criminal Code offence of Impaired Driving Cause Death. This collision remains under investigation by the Coroner’s Office and Detectives of the Niagara Regional Police Services Collision Reconstruction Unit. Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact investigators at (905) 688-4111, extension 5500.
remind residents what to expect, and what to keep in mind, when the snow starts falling. According to a media release, the Town is responsible for approximately 572 km of roadway, 64 km of sidewalk, and 2.1 km of paved walking trails, and is also responsible for snow removal from three commercial areas. Throughout the winter of 2017-18 the Town says it will provide sidewalk snow clearing services using a local contractor. Sidewalk clearing will start once a snowstorm has passed and snow accumulation is 5 cm or greater. The contractor will make every effort to clear sidewalks within 24 hours following the end of the snowfall, says the Town, though heavy snowfalls and successive storm events will sometimes extend this period.
Fatal collision in Niagara Falls
Art show
On Sunday, at approximately 2:15 AM, the Niagara Regional Police Service, the Niagara Emergency Medical Services and the Niagara Falls Fire Services responded to a report of a single motor vehicle collision on
On display through November at the Pelham Library’s Festival Room in Fonthill, paintings by local artist Mary Powley. The show is open during regular library hours.
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In an effort to bring further attention and deterrence to driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, the Niagara Regional Police Service reports the names of those people who are charged with an alleged criminal impaired driving offence in the Region. None of the following charges have been proved in court. In addition to being charged, these individuals are also bound by a Ministry of Transportation 90-Day Administrative Driver’s License Suspension and are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle on a roadway. The public is encouraged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service Traffic Safety Hotline or Crime Stoppers to report those who are driving in contravention of the suspension. The following individuals have been charged criminally with impaired driving by alcohol or drugs, driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 80 mgs of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, or refusing to provide a breath / blood sample. Darren A. WILSON, 49, Grimsby Louise M. AMPAM, 33, Welland Kenneth P. KALYNUIK, 56, Port Colborne The Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like RIDE. Impaired driving is still the leading cause of criminal deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.
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Vol.20 No.48
CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR
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Column Six
Growing up British
Vol.20 No.32
Wednesday October 12, 2016
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Apple Day comes to Fonthill
BY JULIE MANNELL
Special to the VOICE
W
BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3. NATE SMELLE PHOTO
Public meeting tonight on school issues BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick. Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-
Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation. DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be
“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime. Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. “We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page
HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin. My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries. Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town. This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation. On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque. “This tree looks dead,” I said to my father. “It sure is getting there, Julie.” The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14
Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation
BY VOICE STAFF
A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calming chicane on Haist Street north of Hwy 20 last Monday that prevented large vehicles from passing through. One resident living in the neighbourhood said he contacted the Town after seeing a small schoolbus get stuck as it tried to get through the new traffic calming measure. Later that day while driving behind a cement truck, he said that he became concerned for the public’s safety when the truck had to turn around because it couldn’t get through. “If a small school bus and a cement truck can’t make it through what about a fire
BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER
Special to the VOICE
A
Repair measures underway last week to correct a construction error in the chicane. truck or an ambulance?” he said. While waiting for the contractor to return to fix
the mistake, the Town has taken measures to temporarily allow passage for vehicles through the neigh-
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bourhood in the short-term. Manager of Public Works Ryan Cook said that after discovering the issue with
the chicane the morning it first opened, the Town See CHICANE Page 5
Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Representatives from the Pelham Summerfest committee Candy Ashbee and Bill Gibson presented council with a final report on the 2016 Summerfest at the Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21. Prompted by a story in the Voice in August about a merchant petition to move Summerfest from Pelham Street, in September Town staff met with various stakeholders to hear their complaints, promising at the time that changes in the way Summerfest was mounted would be con-
sidered. The main concerns identified during the community engagement process were security, parking, ensuring customer can access all businesses in town, and liability for damages. How to get all Pelham Street businesses to participate and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to set up a booth were also determined to be of high priority for the committee as they plan for next year’s event. Gibson told Council that the committee is addressing these concerns in a variety of ways. To improve parking, they intend to create bet-
ter signage for out-of-town visitors to designated parking areas and shuttle services. To make participation in Summerfest more enticing to local businesses, they plan to implement a tiered-charge for booths. Under the new system, Pelham Street business owners will be charged the least, other local businesses will pay a slightly higher fee, and vendors from outside Pelham will pay the most. In response to more specific issues for individual businesses, they will also slightly alter the footprint of the event and make adjustments to security. Another way the committee plans
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to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the first night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016. "We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said. “It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going. We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses adSee CHANGES Page 5
FTER LUNCH ON Saturday, Mum and Dad had my afternoon cut out for me. Mum had more brass than anyone I knew, and it had to be cleaned. In addition there was the set of silver fish-knives and forks which were never used, but which had to be cleaned and put back in their velvetlined box. Next was a walk to the newsagents to pay for the daily delivery of the Daily Mirror. As I said, Dad was a printer, but when he was 37 he had been rejected for a job, as being too old, by the printers of the Beano. For that reason, my favourite comic was not allowed in the house, but while I was paying the papers, the newsagent let me have a 'shoofty' at the Beano. I'd explained my predicament and he understood completely. Sundays were different again. Dad would play golf on summer mornings and billiards in winter. Then he'd stop for a 'refresher' at the local and would pick up the prawns, cockles, winkles or whelks we'd be having for tea later. Meanwhile, Mum was roasting the 'joint' and potatoes. I got to make the Yorkshire pud, and mint
See COLUMN SIX Page 14
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While shopping in Fonthill between Friday and Sunday, keep an eye out for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in front of local stores with bushels of apples. As part of the annual Apple Day campaign, Scouting youth of all ages will be trading apples for donations. The yearly fundraising drive is an important way for young Scouts to connect with the communities they are serving, says Leah Marie of Scouts Canada. “The Apple Day campaign holds a great tradition of being able to have youth interacting within the communities they live in,” she says. “All of the Apple Day donations stay directly within the group that re-
The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and well-rounded individuals
ceives them, enabling youth to have experiences that build character, challenge them, and allow them to try new things. The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and wellrounded individuals, better prepared for success. Apple Day helps to achieve that.”
“Any money raised during Apple Day goes towards improving the Scouting program by providing more outdoor adventures for youth, camping equipment, canoes and paddles, training and many other endeavours that the youth want to experience,” says Marie. Scouts Canada has some 100,000 members across Canada, and carries out programs for boys, girls
Joining their principal, Karen Simpson, at the Sept. 19 Council meeting as part of a delegation from EL Crossley Secondary School, students Abby Loewen and Neenah Williams presented Council with a list of reasons that they should immediately approve the construction of the new sidewalk proposed along Hwy. 20. The asphalt side-
walk/trail is slated to be built between the south side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to the high school. Because of the large volume of motor vehicle traffic travelling at high speeds through this area, and because of the necessity for students to tread this path on a daily basis, many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later. After delivering to Council a petition containing
Many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later the names of 450 students calling for a safer walk to school, Simpson handed the
podium over to Loewen and Williams to plead their case. Loewen told Council that because there are a lot of students who have work placements and coop placements during the school year, this is the only route for many of them to travel. As one of the students facing this predicament, Williams said she has had no other option but to walk along the dangerous highway.
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and youth ages 5-25. This year the 3rd Fonthill Group, which includes Beavers to Ventures (youth ages 5- 25) will be hitting the streets to drum-up support. Over the weekend, Scouts will be set up in Fonthill outside Sobeys, Tim Hortons, Target Gas station, Fonthill Shopping Plaza and the Pioneer Gas station at the corner of Hwys 20 and 24.
Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley BY NATE SMELLE
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Second year Beaver with the 3rd Fonthill Group, Russell Letford offers a fresh apple to shoppers in Pelham during the 2015 Apple Day campaign. SUPPLIED PHOTO A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people offered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.
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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn
Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932
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Column Six
BY VOICE STAFF The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick. Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues. Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students. “The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated. The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the
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“I start work at 2:30 PM and school lets out at 2:15 PM so I can’t take any other route,” Williams explained. “I have had friends, family, teachers and other community members reach out to me in the past about how this is unsafe and how there should be another alternative for us.” Looking ahead to winter, when she will need to walk this path three or four times See SIDEWALK Page 2
HERE IS NO BETTER time to cycle than Fall. It matters not whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned recreational cyclist, racer, touring rider or mountain biker; we all have reason to look forward to autumn. Summer’s heat has faded, and the streams of sweat that ran from soggy helmets into our eyes are now just slight perspiration. Fitness is peaking from lots of saddle time, making those tough climbs of Spring a breeze in Autumn. It’s hard to beat the feeling of beginning a crisp, cool Fall ride with a slight shiver, knowing your efforts will soon warm you perfectly. The hues of Autumn are outstanding. A Pelham route as simple as following our southern boundary is one that would make most Toronto cyclists jealous, especially when our forests and fields are ablaze with colour. Begin from Harold Black Park, and zig-zag south along Effingham Rd toward the Welland River. If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know south is the direction away from any hills. If you avoid the morning and evening weekday rush hours caused by those travelling through Pelham between Wainfleet See AUTUMN Page 3
Indulgence Bakery Mossimo’s Pelham Street Grille Sobeys Fonthill Peter Piper’s Pubhouse DeVries Fruit Farm Beamer’s Hardware & TV Fonthill Library Black Pearl Fish & Chips Bob’s Boys Antiques Moku’s Family Health Pharmacy Fonthill Fitness Fenwick Pie Company McDonald’s Fonthill Legion Semenuk’s Gas Bar Target Store Tim Horton’s Giant Tiger Pelham Town Hall Pub on the Hill Zee Lube Express Care Lazy Loon Minor Bros Stores Avondale Stores A-1 Market Sobeys South Pelham Grill on Canboro Renewed Thrift & Vintage Ridge Berry Farm Circle-K
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Short Hills deer harvest begins Hunt to run November 11, 12, 25 and 26; December 4 and 5 BY VOICE STAFF The Haudenosaunee Short Hills Deer Harvest began last Saturday morning at the park’s Pelham Road entrance, with the hunt bringing with it the customary demonstrations and counter-demonstrations. Just before dawn, a convoy of hunters armed with bows entered the park, while a group of demonstrators was there to protest the hunt’s fifth year. Members of the Haudenosaunee First Nation have special access to hunt in the park over four days in the fall, a right that is provided to them under the Nanfan Treaty of 1701. “It’s tricky to make treaties real in dense urban areas,” said Karl Dockstader, President of the Niagara Regional Native Centre. “And this is a really good opportunity to make a treaty real.” Dockstader points toward Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, which affirms the treaty rights of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, including the Nanfan. In the week before this week’s hunt began, accusations and counter-accusations were traded. The Niagara Anti-Racism Coalition released a statement saying that “opposition to the
Haudenosaunee Deer Hunt in Short Hills Park cannot be separated from racism.” Opponents to the hunt bristled at the charge of racism, and asserted that their opposition to the hunt has nothing to do those doing the hunting. Faye Suthons, a resident of Wainfleet who opposes the hunt, said that she would be against the hunt even if “they were green men from Mars.” Suthons was not among the group of protesters on Saturday, and said that she prefers to oppose the hunt by writing letters rather than engaging in confrontation. “I don’t go to the protest because I know how badly it affects me,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to handle seeing a deer pulled out.” Suthons maintains that her discomfort with the hunt was a result mostly of her concern for the deer, and says that she has trouble understanding how anyone could shoot and kill the animals. Of Indigenous peoples, she says that she respects “a lot of the culture, because of their respect for Mother Earth. They can teach us a lot. I went down to the ceremony when the [First Nations’] monument was dedicated at Decew. It was
beautiful.” But, Suthons says, “I just can’t imagine what the deer are going through. They’re being hit for a few days, and then they settle down, and then they’re hit again— there’s so much confusion.” According to Suthons, she has written letters opposing all other hunting in the past, and she and her neighbours have been vociferous in their opposition to hunting near their homes, too. While Dockstader was a signatory to the Anti-Racism Coalition’s statement, he said last week that he’s hesitant to speak too concretely about the motives of the protesters, but said that “it’s primarily white people protesting the hunters, and this is not a good look.” Dockstader said that he was further concerned by such protest because many of the hunters are fathers with sons, who are swarmed by the group as they seek to enter or leave the park. Nevertheless, Dockstader pushed back against the dominant narrative of conflict between those who support the hunt and those who oppose it. “I think that we can find a lot of common ground,” he said, “especially on matters of the environment and food
Open Letter to Mayor David Augustyn, Pelham Town Council, and Senior Town Staff The residents of Pelham and the taxpayers of the Region of Niagara DEMAND to see the September 5, 2017 KPMG audit and the minutes of the closed-door Council meeting in which Council was allegedly informed of a previously undisclosed $17 million dollar debt, as referred to by Pelham’s trusted former Ward 1 Councilor, Marvin Junkin, in last week’s Voice. This audit must be released complete and un-redacted. Councilor Junkin resigned over what he referred to as an “Unethical and dishonest path” being taken by Council. http://www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/pelham-town-councillorexplains-why-he-resigned/ Look at how Pelham Council fought, during the summer, against calls for a different audit and how they tried to bully Regional Councilor Brian Baty on July 24, 2017— yet according to the account provided by Mr. Junkin, the Town of Pelham had already secretly conducted an audit while Councilor Baty was being villified for even bringing the topic forward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyqDlyeDJ9A We urge all residents to write to Regional Council and request an inquiry.
D.E.B.T Debt.pelham.@gmail.com
As the end of the day approached, a group of protesters returned to the Pelham Road entrance of Short Hills. VOICE PHOTO security.” On Saturday afternoon, Dockstader reiterated his point about common ground while educating a group on traditional Indigenous ideas. In mid-afternoon, as hunters were still inside the park and protesters had not yet returned, a group of 40 or so supporters of the hunt assembled along the park boundary. The group was gathered near a fire that was far too small to keep the crowd warm. At the park’s gate, an old man with a cane stood complaining about trespassers and hunters to an Ontario Parks employee. The employee nodded from time to
time, seemingly engaging just enough to keep the old man talking. “I’m going to begin with a giving of thanks in Oneida,” said Dockstader. “I’d just like to ask that no one record me or take pictures during this. It’s supposed to be just between us and our maker.” Dockstader began to speak in a quiet, rolling tongue, his voice at times dropping so low that it was inaudible above the cars that speeded by on Pelham Road. He punctuated his words with gestures towards the trees, and ground, and sky, and at one point reached inside his black hoodie and pulled out a small pouch. A subgroup
of the assembled, who evidently understood what he was saying, murmured intermittent encouragements and emphases. Once he had finished, Dockstader moved to explain, in English, what he had just said. “I started off with an expression that means, ‘Make your ears good,’” he said. He continued by describing the collectivist mentalist that permeated his words. “We’re never really alone,” he said. “Some people ask me for the translation in the words from ‘we’ to ‘I,’ but there isn’t really one. It’s always a See HUNT Page 14
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The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
OPINION
The opinions expressed in submitted commentary and letters to the editor are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Voice of Pelham.
The Voice of Pelham is a 1211858 Ontario Limited publication David Burket, Publisher 2-1428 Pelham St., P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S1E0
As We See It Don’t let Council persecute an honourable man
A
NOTHER WEEK, another round of allegations against the Town of Pelham, and another round of stonewalling from the Mayor and Council. This time the call came from inside the house. Former Ward 1 Councillor Marvin Junkin’s assertion that $17 million dollars in debt had gone missing, and that Council acted to conceal this fact from residents, is by far the most damning of the allegations made against this administration to date. Mayor David Augustyn wasted little time in calling Junkin’s allegations an “obvious political action.” It’s a sadly predictable reaction by our Mayor. To him, Regional Councillors are motivated by politics, real estate developers are motivated by politics, and 63-year-old retired dairy farmers like Marvin Junkin are motivated by politics. (Never mind that Junkin’s act was to remove himself from political office.) We are to believe that everyone around us is politically motivated—except our Mayor. With his perception of human behaviour apparently thus limited, it is not surprising that Mayor Au-
gustyn brushed off Junkin’s stated reason for his resignation. Junkin told the Voice, “I just don’t think the people of Ward One voted for me to lie to them, to keep things, especially Town finances, hidden from them like this.” (Junkin has also told the Voice that on Monday night, the night he resigned, he slept better than he had for two months. The remaining five members of Council—and the Mayor— seemingly have access to stronger sleep aids.) Neither the Mayor nor any member of Council have directly denied Junkin’s specific allegations. Instead, the Town’s approach has been to claim an inability to comment, based on dubious legal grounds, all the while focusing on Junkin himself. This is the Town’s standard operating proecedure when faced with troubling news. Regional Councillor David Barrick’s questions this spring about Pelham’s finances were dismissed as political gameplay. Real estate developer Rainer Hummel’s allegations were downplayed as the product of self-interest. Rather than act on the message, the Town acts on the messenger. Each time it
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The Voice
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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca PUBLISHER & EDITOR Dave Burket publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca NEWS WRITER Samuel Piccolo ADMINISTRATION Lori Gretsinger office@thevoiceofpelham.ca CONTRIBUTORS Larry Coté, Nick Saltarelli, Carolyn Botari, John Swart, Kirk Weaver
does so, residents lose a little bit more trust in Council. The Mayor and Council kick the can of responsibility just a little further down the boulevard each time, apparently hoping that this one last kick will be enough to regain the public’s trust. In truth, each kick is weaker than the last. The Mayor has called a special meeting of Council tonight to “consider the breach of confidentiality of the resigned and former member of Council.” Despite repeated requests to do so over the weekend, the Town was unable, or unwilling, to clarify specifically why it believes Junkin broke the law. By all signs, the Mayor and his remaining councillors will focus on a nebulous “breach of confidentiality” and not on the damning allegations themselves. The residents of Pelham deserve better. The residents of Pelham deserve to know what KPMG told Council on September 5. Find the missing $17 million. Determine whether fraud was involved in its disappearance within Town ledgers. And leave Marvin Junkin, the only one to act honourably in this mess, alone.
Speak no fraud
SEE no fraud
Letters Council, you act at your peril One has to hope that the posturing and histrionics that have become the standard fare from our Council at any hint of disagreement with their position on anything will be left at the door of Council Chambers on Wednesday. If there is going to be a meeting, make it constructive. Since our Mayor has felt it necessary to call an emergency Council meeting to discuss Councillor Junkin’s resignation and his statements regarding the state of our finances in Pelham, I certainly hope that he also feels moved to actually ascertain the legalities and the protocols of the topics under discussion.
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It is more than tiresome to hear him spouting repeatedly about criminal charges for disclosing anything discussed at an in camera meeting. If our Mayor actually believes what he’s saying, he should get a bit of education before he continues. If he doesn’t believe it but keeps repeating it, then I guess that tells you all you need to know. The legality of the original September 5 meeting itself is, of course, in question, but it seems that, as in so many things, our Mayor is either completely ignorant of the facts about in camera meetings or he asSee PERIL next page
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament
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Dean Allison, MP 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 Dean.Allison@parl.gc.ca 877-563-7900
Mayor of Pelham David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Members of Pelham Town Council
Member of Provincial Parliament
Ward 1 Councillor Richard Rybiak rrybiak@pelham.ca 905-892-2105
Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755
Councillor Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-684-4870
Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook
Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Councillor Brian Baty brian.baty@niagararegion.ca 905-892-5317 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607
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The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
Page 5
OPINION Letters
continued
Start delivering on the transparency claim
Dizzy from revelations near and far, but mostly near
Why it is necessary to continuously ask for honesty and transparency from Mayor Augustyn and the elected councillors? It appears Pelham officials have something to hide...hence the residents are required to play this guessing game of who gets fired next? Who quits be-
My head is still reeling after reading Marv Junkin’s account of what was said and decided in a closed Town of Pelham Council meeting on September 5. If what Mr. Junkin reported to the Voice is true, it is obvious this whole mess needs to be handed over to a policing service like the OPP or the RCMP for a thorough investigation. The Town of Pelham owes it to their taxpayers to cooperate with an independent investigation to get to the bottom of these most serious, if not criminal allegations. Believe me, the headlines are being discussed around town. Heads are shaking at warp speed as citizens of Pelham digest Marvin’s revelations. But, disturbing to me, I’m also hearing, and it has been said in almost flippant tones, “Well, that’s politicians for you. Can’t trust any of them.” What? Are you telling me this is what it all comes down to? We expect our politicians to be dishonest? We expect our politicians to handle taxpayer money incompetently?
cause of guilty conscience? Who knew what and when? What were former staffers paid to stay quiet? Has money been misappropriated? If so by whom? Who will take ownership for this financial debacle in Pelham? Niagara Region, who approved the loans to Pelham,
wants the truth and Pelham residents want the numbers. There is no humour in your sarcasm Mr Rybiak Mr. Ottaway, ignorance is not bliss. And Mayor Augustyn, smile all the while, but the truth will set you free L. Morgan Pelham
Counting on Baty more than ever Councillor Baty, it appears that with Councillor Junkin’s resignation it is you alone that has the backs of the people of Pelham. Please keep fighting the good fight, and
know you have the will of the citizens. Demand the full and open disclosure of the September 5 KPMG audit report. Mike Cardiff Pelham
PERIL
Their ability to make profoundly absurd or outrageous pronouncements on any number of topics, without any sign of self-consciousness, is Trumpian. Fortunately former Councillor Junkin has no reason to be personally embarrassed by the circus at Pelham Town Hall, and he has shown his teeth to the ringmaster. Crack the whip at this lion at your peril—you may be surprised at the support that he has. Mark Shoalts Fenwick
continued from previous page sumes that everyone else is. As the often-outspoken mayor of Sarnia Mike Bradley said in a letter to the premier pleading for actual consequences (posted on the provincial ombudsman’s website), the only penalty for defying the Municipal Act with respect to closed meetings is embarrassment, but even that is beyond this council.
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litical scandals at the federal level and at the provincial level spill across the pages of our newspapers and fill the screens of our television sets. Every day the media serves up a cornucopia of scandals in fine form—kick-back schemes, the gas plant scan-
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dal, expense claim frauds, robotic voter fraud, sex scandals, etc. New catchphrases are invented out of these scandals and public suspicions, and ultimately end up in Webster’s Dictionary as legitimate words and phrases. “There’s no there there.” “It’s a nothing burger.” “It’s fake news.” These scandals are just a few plucked from a long list of Canadian scandal shame, and are mostly a product of the federal and provincial governments, though lest we forget Walkerton. So, it is natural we mistrust these levels of government, and it is not unusual for the public to refer to these institutions as being a bunch of crooks, corrupt, unscrupulous, shady, underhanded snakes in the grass. But our local municipalities, shh…shut your mouth! On the whole, we don’t use such unflattering words to describe our local politicians. Why?
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Page 6
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
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The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
Page 7
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TRUST continued from previous page Okay, I think once I called our municipal councillors horses arses (I was really mad), but my point is, if we are extremely attentive to what our elected officials are doing federally and provincially, then why are we so inattentive to our elected officials who run our municipal government. The municipal government is right out our back door. Maybe it is because they are family, friends, and neighbours who represent us in the local council chambers, and not some guy, or gal miles and miles away in Toronto or Ottawa who we feel we have no control over. Maybe it is because our local politians are the folks we see every day, once a week, or a couple of times a month
to say hey to in the grocery store, say hey to in the bank. We sit beside them in church, or see them at a funeral. In our fair town of Pelham, this unconditional trust we have bestowed upon our elected officials has come back to bite us in the bum. It’s a heads-up for sure. It is a heads-up for us all to start paying attention to what’s
going on in our backyards, front yards, in the neighbourhood, and downtown in the Town of Pelham Council Chambers. Last week’s criminal-looking shenanigans, if proved factual, may turn out to be a $17 million dollar kick in the pants for Pelham taxpayers. Pamela Robb Pelham
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Page 8
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
Letters
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
continued
Speeding an endemic problem
Request to Council
Junkin’s moral compass
I empathize with this family on Clare Avenue / Line Avenue [Speeding on Clare Avenue called out, Oct. 25, p. 1]. Our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren live on Line Avenue near Councillor Durley (north end) and it’s totally irresponsible the way people drive there. They fear no consequences. We live on Nursery Lane and we certainly know hockey season has returned with the high speed of everyone going to or from the arena. (including Town vehicles) I did chase down a speeder last winter, caught him at the arena and asked him to slow down.
Mayor and Councillors, Please tell me who authorized the KPMG audit that was conducted this past summer? What was the cost to taxpayers for this audit? Also, please forward to me a complete, unredacted copy of the KPMG forensic audit that was presented to council at the in camera meeting of September 5, 2017. I trust the Town of Pelham has nothing to hide and this audit is a public document. Carolyn Botari Fenwick
Thank you so much, Councillor Junkin, for being a trusted and true elected representative for my family, my friends and me—a leader with a moral compass as your guide, willing to stand up for what he believes in. You set an excellent example for our children and grandchildren to live up to. I read and heard about the many struggles you faced when you tried to guide the remaining Gang of Six to follow their elected mandate. I demand to see the results of the KPMG audit presented on September 5, and that it be complete, unredacted, and presented to the taxpayers of Pelham in a practible time frame. P. Bryant Fenwick
Maybe his behaviour changed—there are a lot of people who need theirs changed! People live on Nursery Lane—it isn’t just a raceway shortcut to the arena or a way to circumvent the Haist Street speed bumps. Do you exceed the speed limit (50 kp/h) by this much on your own street, or do you respect your own neighbourhood like ours should be respected? Perhaps the only reason we look forward to the new sports complex is that the fast vehicles will mostly go elsewhere. Jim Stokes Fonthill
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ignation. So therefore, just more hot air, smoke and mirrors from Town Hall. Linda Shaw A difficult decision, but a principled and honourable one. Thank you for standing up for our town. Marianna Kreppi Mr. Junkin’s resignation is the only option given what he knew. To stay and fight would have made him culpable to what may turn out to be a fraudulent act. When you borrow money, you are obligated to disclose all your liabilities. You are also obligated to report any material change in your circumstances. Anything less can be seen See FACEBOOK Page 12
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As part of the transaction, dealer may request documentation and contact General Motors of Canada Company (GM Canada) to verify eligibility. $500 Black Friday Bonus is applied against eligible 2017 & 2018MY vehicles purchased during the program period. 2017 & 2018MY vehicles not eligible for this offer are: exclusions outlined under GM Card Bonuses above, Spark, BOLT EV. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. Certain limitations or conditions apply. Void where prohibited. See your GM Canada dealer for details. GM Canada reserves the right to amend or terminate offers for any reason in whole or in part at any time without prior notice. Void where prohibited. See dealer for details. (0/84+$8,100 Total Value Finance Offer) Eligible 2017 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab: Offer available to qualified retail customers in Canada for vehicles financed and from between November 1 to November 30, 2017. 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See dealer for details. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. $9,945 Total Value, Limited time offer available to qualified retail customers in Canada. $8,100 Total Value is a combined total credit for finance purchases on select 2017 trucks; includes: $3,600 manufacturer to dealer cash credit (tax exclusive), $500 manufacturer-to-dealer Black Friday Bonus (tax exclusive), $1000 GM card application bonus (this offer applies to individuals who have applied for the Scotiabank® GM® Visa* Card [GM card] and to current Scotiabank® GM® Visa* Cardholders) (taxes included). $3,000 manufacturer-to-dealer Finance Cash (tax exclusive) towards the finance of an eligible new 2017 Silverado Double Cab at participating dealers. (0/84+$9,670 Total Value Finance Offer) Eligible 2017 Silverado 1500 Double Cab: Offer available to qualified retail customers in Canada for vehicles financed and from between November 1 to November 30, 2017. Financing provided, on approved credit, by TD Auto Finance Services, Scotiabank® or RBC Royal Bank. Participating lenders are subject to change. Rates from other lenders will vary. Representative finance example based on a new 2017 Silverado Double Cab (Excludes eAssist). Eg. Suggested retail price is $34,635 including $1,700 freight and PDI, $100 air conditioning charge (where applicable). $0 down payment or equivalent trade-in required. $34,635 financed at 0% nominal rate equals $552.86 per month for 84 months. Cost of borrowing is $0 for a total obligation of $34,635 Taxes, PPSA, license, insurance, registration and applicable fees, levies and duties (all of which may vary by region and dealer) are extra. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Limited time financing offer which may not be combined with certain other offers. GM Canada may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice Conditions and limitations apply. See dealer for details. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada.$9,670 Total Value, Limited time offer available to qualified retail customers in Canada. $9,670 Total Value is a combined total credit for finance purchases on select 2017 trucks; includes: $5,420 manufacturer to dealer cash credit (tax exclusive), $500 manufacturer-to-dealer Black Friday Bonus (tax exclusive), $1000 GM card application bonus (this offer applies to individuals who have applied for the Scotiabank® GM® Visa* Card [GM card] and to current Scotiabank® GM® Visa* Cardholders) (taxes included). $2,750 manufacturer-to-dealer Finance Cash (tax exclusive) towards the finance of an eligible new 2017 Silverado Double Cab at participating dealers. (Finance) Eligible 2017 Colorado: Offer available to qualified retail customers in Canada for vehicles financed and from between November 1 to November 30, 2017. Financing provided, on approved credit, by TD Auto Finance Services, Scotiabank® or RBC Royal Bank. Participating lenders are subject to change. Rates from other lenders will vary. Representative finance example based on a new 2017 Colorado (excludes 2SA). Suggested retail price is $25,135 including $1,700 freight and PDI, $100 air conditioning charge (where applicable). $0 down payment or equivalent trade-in required. $25,135 financed at 0% nominal rate equals $546.00 per month for 60 months. Cost of borrowing is $0 for a total obligation of $25,135. Taxes, PPSA, license, insurance, registration and applicable fees, levies and duties (all of which may vary by region and dealer) are extra. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Limited time financing offer which may not be combined with certain other offers. GM Canada may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice Conditions and limitations apply. See dealer for details. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. 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The weight of passengers, cargo and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can tow. 5Vehicle user interface is a product of Apple and its terms and privacy statements apply. Requires compatible iPhone and data plan rates apply. 6 Vehicle user interface is a product of Google and their terms and privacy statements apply. Requires compatible smartphone and data plan rates apply. 7Visit onstar.ca for coverage maps, details and system limitations. Service plan required. Available 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot requires WPA2 compatible mobile device and data plan.Data plans provided by AT&T. Services vary by model, service plan, conditions as well as geographical and technical restrictions. OnStar with 4G LTE connectivity is available on select vehicle models and in select markets. Vehicle must be started or in accessory mode to access Wi-Fi. 8U.S. Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov). 9Based on WardsAuto.com 2016 Large Pickup segment and latest competitive information available at time of printing. Excludes other GM vehicles. 102017 Silverado 1500 2WD equipped with available 5.3L V8 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. Fuel consumption based on GM testing in accordance with Government of Canada approved test methods. Refer to vehicles.nrcan.gc.ca for details. Your actual fuel consumption may vary. **The 2-Year Scheduled Lube-Oil-Filter Maintenance Program provides eligible customers in Canada, who have purchased or leased a new eligible 2016 or 2017 MY Chevrolet (excluding Spark EV), with an ACDelco® oil and filter change, in accordance with the oil life monitoring system and the Owner’s Manual, for 2 years or 48,000 km, whichever occurs first, with a limit of four (4) Lube-Oil-Filter services in total, performed at participating GM dealers. Fluid top offs, inspections, tire rotations, wheel alignments and balancing, etc. are not covered. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives available on GM vehicles. General Motors of Canada Company reserves the right to amend or terminate this offer, in whole or in part, at any time without prior notice. Additional conditions and limitations apply. See dealer for details. ▲ Whichever comes first. See dealer for details.
Page 10
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Town Council, Regional Council reaction Last week, the Voice requested reaction from Mayor Augustyn, Town Treasurer Teresa Quinlin, all remaining members of Pelham Town Council, and all members of Niagara Regional Council, to the news of Councillor Marv Junkin’s resignation and his stated reasons for leaving. No Pelham councillor, nor the Treasurer responded. Mayor Augustyn responded on late Friday with an email message that the Town subsequently turned into an advertisement, carrying nearly the identical text, which appears on page 17 of this week’s issue. The only substantive responses came from Regional councillors. They appear below.
If the allegations of Councillor Junkin’s are true (and I have no reason to question his integrity), then it appears that there are two massive misrepresentations from the Town of Pelham to the Region. First, before September 5, the Town misrepresented its financial situation and obtained funding through the Region. If you or I did that, we would be charged with fraud. Someone at the Town signed off on official documents to the province stating that their finances were healthier than they were. That person should be charged with breach of trust. Second, after September 5, again, taking Councillor Junkin at his word, there appears to be have been a conspiracy among Town of Pelham Council, staff and legal representatives to deliberately withhold material information from the public and the Region with respect to their financial position until they could make the books look better. The Region will need to have a chance to review the lending documents and agreements entered into by the Region on behalf of the Town of Pelham going back to 2008 to determine any liability, culpability or responsibility that could impact taxpayers of the Region. The Minister of Municipal Affairs should suspend this Council and appoint a supervisor until the accuracy of these claims can be determined. Councillor Tony Quirk
I strongly believe that no agency or organization which is the recipient of public funds should be removed from the scrutiny of the Auditor General’s office. Local MPP’s have called for the Auditor General’s involvement in the NPCA and we’ve welcomed that scrutiny, have invited her into our organization and look forward to her involvement. But, embarrassingly, those same MPP’s have stayed silent on alleged Pelham secret meetings, sweetheart land deals, creative accounting, numerous staff
firings, and now a $17 million dollar debt kept hidden from the taxpayers of Pelham. The Town of Pelham was very vocal in insisting the Auditor General conduct a value for money Audit at the NPCA. At the risk of incredible hypocrisy, perhaps Mayor Augustyn will display the same kind of leadership we at the NPCA believe in and demand the involvement of the Auditor General of Ontario to investigate the financial affairs of the Town of Pelham. But I would take it a step further and request the OPP subject Pelham to a level of criminal scrutiny in order to clear the air in light of the damning allegations made by former Councillor Junkin. It seems the right think to do on behalf of the good residents of Pelham. Councillor Sandy Annunziata
Like many Regional Councillors and Niagara residents, I am deeply concerned around the recent allegations made by Councillor Junkin. I expect Mayor Augustyn to fully disclose the KPMG audit and financial information referenced by Councillor Junkin in light of the Mayor’s assurances to Regional Council that these allegations are unfounded. Regional Chair Alan Caslin
This is exactly why I made my motion at the Region back in March. Pelham’s true debt levels have not been clear, hence my concerns as Regional Budget Chair over the potential impacts to everyone else in Niagara due to Pelham Council’s mess. The response from the Town has just been to mislead, misdirect, distract, make personal attacks, and eventually get their lawyer to tell us it’s none of our business. It’s clear now why they responded that way but what’s more concerning is the potential for fraud. The Town of Pelham may now be far beyond its legislated cred-
it limit. I will ensure the Region continues its diligence to honour our fiduciary responsibility as the borrower of funds on Pelham’s behalf. I’m sure the local Mayor will continue his tack of misdirection and go on a personal attack against former Councillor Junkin rather than admit or deal with the reality of Town finances. I applaud former Councillor Junkin for his courageous and ethical step to put Pelham residents first, not political ambition and personal ego. Councillor David Barrick
Based on what I have read in the Voice, I am proud of the Councillor standing by his morals and coming forward to expose this. It reminds me of being alone against the Niagara Parks and then watching the true facts unfold. Sometimes it is lonely fighting for what’s right. I wish Councillor Junkin and Councillor Baty well, as should all the people of Pelham for their fight for fair process. I am so proud of Councillor Dave Barrick for bringing this to our Council as well. Councillor Bob Gale
I was both saddened and angered by the information that came forward with regard to Councillor Junkin’s sudden resignation. The sadness arose from the fact that the Mayor and Council had an alternative presented to them months ago to clear the air through an independent third-party audit. They chose not to do that and reprimanded me for making that recommendation. I am angered by the fact that those same councillors were unaware that such an audit was undertaken by KPMG and reported at their September 5, 2017 meeting. How does such an audit get undertaken without Council approval? And who put restrictions on the audit firm to not speak to potential fraudulent events related to the $17 million
“new” debt? The current stance by the Mayor and Council seem to be directed to retaliative measures against Councillor Junkin for speaking out. That direction may win the battle but will not end the war. To that end I am going to champion a campaign to fundraise for a legal defence fund for Councillor Junkin should that be the direction taken by the Mayor and Council. I will commence that campaign with a $1,000 donation to come to Councillor Junkin’s defence. Not that I support any breach of integrity with respect to the confidentiality of closed session items, but I believe that all the financial information in that closed session meeting could and should have been separated from the identification of individuals. To that end, I call on the Mayor and Council to cease and desist from punitive reactions to Councillor Junkin’s resignation and revelation. I also call on them to release the full minutes of the September 5, 2017 meeting, redacting any references to identified individuals. I also ask that the Mayor and Council redirect the current KPMG audit to continue with inclusion of the information from the September 5, 2017 meeting and by removing any and all restrictions or limits placed upon the original audit as directed to KPMG. Truth, openness and transparency are needed by the taxpayers of Pelham. We also need to know of the impact of these financial matters on the future tax bills of residents and the ability or inability of future mayors and councillors to lead, given these financial restrictions. There is much to celebrate in the evolution of our community over the last decade: a new community centre, an expanded Town Hall, a skate park, an expanded library in Fenwick, two new fire halls and refurbished village centres in Fonthill, Ridgeville and Fenwick…but at what cost? Councillor Brian Baty
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
Page 11
TRAIL continued from Page 1 four Street, Centre Street, Poth Road, Effingham Road and Pihach Street. This morning joggers, hikers, mountain bikers, cyclists and dog-walkers were all enjoying the tranquil multi-use trail. In a few short weeks, when the trail transforms itself into its winter guise, bikes and hiking boots will yield to snowshoes and cross country skis, offering another reason to add this wonderful trail to your outdoor activities in Pelham.
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Page 12
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Nurdles combine projects, save bees Group collects used gift cards again, plan next steps in empire building BY VOICE STAFF The Fonthill Nurdles, a local group of teenage scientist/entrepreneurs, are collecting used gift cards again. The Nurdles formed as a group two years ago at a First Lego League science and technology challenge, where the objective was to design a project to reduce trash. At the time, the group’s members had been learning in school about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a massive collection of debris in the ocean extending from the west coast of North America to Japan. During their research, they also discovered that 75 million pounds of gift cards go to landfills each year. The size of gift cards means that they easily jam in the regular recycling process, and there are very few facilities in North America that recycle them. The Nurdles’ idea, for which they won first prize in the Niagara competition, was to place collection boxes for gift cards at
FACEBOOK continued from Page 8 as fraudulent. I’m not suggesting Pelham has committed fraud, but if Mr. Junkin had concerns in that regard, he had to step down or inform the lender the following day of what he learned. It appears he has done
various locations, and then collect the cards and ship them off to be properly recycled. In just a few months in 2015, the Nurdles collected over one hundred pounds at Tim Horton’s, Sobeys, and the Seaway Mall. “Then we spoke to the Pen Centre, and convinced the mall’s parent company to put gift card collection boxes in all of its malls across Canada,” says Crystal Coyne, a ninth grader and one of the group’s members. The Nurdles were named after nurdles, the small bits of plastic that are used in the production of plastic products. “We also just like the way the word sounds,” says Vanessa Bilsborough, another member. “It sort of sounds like a combination of ‘nerd’ and ‘turtle.’” With this in mind, the Nurdles adopted a turtle as their logo. The shirts they wear in competitions are neon green emblazoned with
the honourable and correct thing here. As sad as I am for Mr. Junkin’s plight and the attack he is sure to receive, I am equally sad for the residents of Pelham. To wake up and find out you may be insolvent and your debt has skyrocketed with no clear explanation must be heartbreaking. One simple question: How can anyone claim they
Ziggy the rabbit makes a break for it as Crystal Coyne, Mason DeFazio, Jacob Cheung, and Vanessa Bilsborough look on. Their prototype bee hydration flower is at far right. VOICE PHOTO a turtle carrying a globe on its back. The turtle logo is also on the fake glasses they wear—3D ones from the movies, with the lens-
had no idea that $17 million in debt was missing off the books when a new Treasurer comes on board and finds this out in the first two weeks? Also, how did the Town’s reserve accounts allegedly get emptied without anyone writing or authorising the cheques? Niagara Regional Police headquarters: 905-688-
sip, eat, chat, repeat!
es popped out—during competitions, too. Last year, the First Lego League’s competition theme was
“Animal Allies,” in which teams were required to investigate hu-
4111. Non-disclosure agreements are void in an official investigation. Rainer Hummel
the Mayor just couldn’t rub shoulders with the community and give the straight facts and tell it like it is. Rod Scapillati
I had written the Voice several years ago predicting huge property tax increases on the way based on former Treasurer Cari Pupo’s comments. However, for such a small town, I never saw so many people fired at Town Hall in such a short period of time. Keep your eyes open. Mayor Augustyn will be doing his fancy footstep with the taxpayers, Regional Council and other councillors throughout Niagara. More bad political news will be directed to the Pelham Community than it deserves and it’s all because
Congratulations, Marv Junkin. You have certainly shown everyone what an outstanding member of Council you were. Please run again. Jo-Anne Merritt The only councillor with the people at heart. Be proud when you look in that mirror Marv, because we are proud of you for doing the right thing. Tim Weide Marv is a stand-up guy and always has been, and I for one just want to say thank you to an honest
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See NURDLES Page 18 man...there still are some around here. Greg Campbell If the info in this article proves to be correct, once again the taxpayer is at the mercy of the politicians. The people who created this deception with regards to the state of the town’s finances should be held accountable, even to the point of the police being involved. If factual, the town has a nice community center as nothing more than a “trophy to look at,” and a very expensive one, built on the basis of deception. Shameful if this is true. Pearl Grewal Marv was my son’s hockey coach 16 years ago. He was a good man then and he’s a good man now. If the Mayor goes through with his ridiculous charges, we’ll contribute to a Gofundme page to cover any legal costs and if Marv ever decides to return to municipal politics he has my vote. Valerie Jean Coffey
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The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
“ColourBook” launches, moves to new digs Local duo develops “Facebook for addresses” BY VOICE STAFF The basement of the old Bertie Clinton building at the corner of Merrittville Highway and Highway 20 will be getting a new tenant shortly. Fonthill Benjamin Moore’s Chris Baxter and his business partner, Kevin Bolibruck, have a new project and will be moving their headquarters from Benjamin Moore’s basement to Merrittville. (Benjamin Moore’s will remain in the same spot.) This month, Baxter and Bolibruck will launch ColorBook, a mobile application and internet service that works as a network for addresses. Baxter, who first conceived of the idea six years ago, says, “I wanted to take the idea of Facebook, and use it for addresses. ColorBook is all about the address—we don’t focus on the individual at all. This is an idea that’s never been tackled before in this world.” On ColorBook, users can create a profile for an address and add information on characteristics of the residence to the profile. Presently, information is limited to paint used in various rooms in the house, which can be added to a profile by scanning the barcode on a paint can with a mobile phone. “When you buy a new house and want to touch up the paint in certain rooms, it’s always hard to find exactly the paint that was used,” says Baxter. If the paint used was added to ColorBook, a new homeowner would be able
to simply open the app and see precisely which paint was used. To begin, Baxter and Bolibruck are launching the service solely for paint colour—and only with Benjamin Moore paint—but hope to eventually expand ColorBook to include other elements of a residence. “A home is a living entity,” says Baxter. “The furnace is its heart, the windows are the eyes, and the door is the mouth.” In their vision, ColorBook will one day be used at all stages of a home’s construction and renovation. Before siding is affixed, the contractor would be able to scan the package barcode into the application; when a new dishwasher is installed, that too can be added to a home’s ColorBook profile. When a bathroom is redone, the contractor’s work will be noted. Baxter agrees that the best description for such a future ColorBook is “a CarFax for a house.” “How often are people driving down the street and they see a front door that they like? My wife does it all the time,” says Baxter. “With ColorBook, you won’t have to bother the homeowner—you’ll be able to just punch in the address on your phone and look.” Baxter acknowledges that there may be some individuals uncomfortable with such information about their home being made public. “There’s no personal information involved with
ColorBook, but it is possible to flag certain information and request that it be removed,” he says. Baxter and Bolibruck have been working with a marketing firm in Rochester on the launch of their app. “Our goal is to have 10,000 addresses,” says Bolibruck. (On ColorBook’s website, ColorBook already appears to have 19,580 addresses in its database. Baxter clarified that this figure is not accurate, and that it was put there by their web designer.) “This is a very disruptive idea,” says Baxter, emphasizing that it would be even more so if and when ColorBook expands into entire profiles of a home. “The construction industry is one of the most disorganized industries,” he says, and suggests that detailed profiles of residences will help counteract this disorganization. ColorBook is a free service and Baxter and Bolibruck envision one day being able to sell the information collected to corporations. “It’s all targeted marketing,” Baxter says. “We’d be able to tell Benjamin Moore exactly where all of their product has been going.” ColorBook may one day have advertising too, but for now Baxter says that he’s not too worried about that. “I don’t really care if we make money off this,” he says. “I just want people to be able to use the service.”
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HUNT continued from Page 3 ‘we.’” At several points, Dockstader circled back to speaking generously about those protesting the hunt. “I think that people’s hearts are in a good place. And we never want to kill needlessly. But we have a responsibility to live traditionally,” he said. Dockstader also spoke of the material importance of the hunt to local communities, and how such harvests
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017 can contribute to food security. He concluded with a territorial acknowledgment. “I know these are all the rage now,” he said, “but here, different groups claim the land for different reasons. This is really nobody’s territory—we’re all just placeholders.” Dockstader did acknowledge the various Indigenous groups who have made claims to the Short Hills land, but finished by saying, “It’s the land of anyone who takes the responsibility for
it.” He smiled at the group when he had finished, and thanked them for listening to his long explanation. Those in attendance—even the small children—had stayed near silent the entire time. For a while after he had spoken, the group milled about, eating food from tables labelled “Omnivore,” and “Vegan.” Some left, and some gathered again around the fireside for a discussion with Stephanie Piovesan, an animal rights activist who supports the deer harvest.
Piovesan told the group that she would prefer a world in which no animals had to die, but that she believes that the deer harvest is a cause that she can support. “We have to think of how animals are also treated as colonial beings in our society,” she said. By four o’clock, several police and Ontario Parks vehicles had returned to the park gate, where they were allowed to pull in to the parking lot. Just after four, the protesters returned en masse, holding up signs that read, “Ministry of No Responsibility,” and “Park, Not a Slaughter Field.” Liz White, of the Animal Alliance of Canada, drove from Toronto to protest, as she has in years past. White maintained that the object of the group’s protest was the Ministry of Natural Resources. “The MNR says that there’s a need to cull the deer, but the method they use for counting is very flawed—it’s said that the deer do all of this damage to the park, but we never see any evidence of it. But we document the park before and after the hunt, and we see how much damage
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca the trucks and ATVs do in there,” White said. Reached last week, the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Melanie Milczynski, who is manager of the South West Zone, said that, “The reason for the hunt is a respect for treaty rights, not deer population levels.” Milczynski said further that the MNR has “worked together with the Haudenosaunee in conducting safe deer hunts in Short Hills Provincial Park,” and maintained that public safety would not be endangered. White disagreed. “There are signs around on many of the entrances,” she said, “but not everywhere, and the boundaries are so porous that it is impossible to keep people out.” There have been no reported accidents in the hunt’s history. The Wetaskawin Scout Camp, which borders the park and has been referenced by opponents of the hunt as reason for safety concerns, declined to comment. Comment from the Scouts’ national office wasn’t received before press time. As a pickup truck of departing hunters approached the gate from inside the park, the protesters, which
numbered 20 or so, swarmed in front of the gate. After speaking with those inside of the truck, a constable waved his arms and called for the protesters to move aside, which they did without complaint, though they did brandish their signs high in the air as the truck passed. One man, his face covered in a ski mask with skull on it, held a spray-painted sign that read, “End Human Privilege,” and professed his opposition to the “speciesism” inherent to the hunt. As the protesters gathered on one side of the driveway, those still present from the afternoon’s ceremony assembled on the other. A handful of women thumped on drums and chanted, “Humble in the eyes of our creator.” Another truck left the park. After it speeded away, a different vehicle pulled up on the shoulder and rolled down its passenger-door window. “No hiking allowed?” a man inside called out. “No,” said one of the police. “The park is closed.” The man in the car shrugged. “Okay,” he said, and he rolled up his window and drove off.
Karl Dockstader speaks to a group of deer harvest supporters on Saturday.
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TOWN COUNCIL NEWS Before many Town Council meetings, there is an in camera session closed to the public, and at 6:15 last Monday, the doors to the Chambers were still shut on this meeting. A large group of residents gathered in the hall waiting to get inside, many of them kids wearing lacrosse jerseys. Such a crowd was evidently expected, since when the doors finally were opened an extra row of seats had been added to the gallery. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re just finishing up an in camera meeting,” said Mayor Dave Augustyn. “But please come in and take a seat.” Once the anthem had been sung, Augustyn asked if Council had any amendments to the agenda. Councillor Marvin Junkin stood, made a short statement, and handed his resignation letter to the Town Clerk. “Thank you Councillor,” said Augustyn. “You’re welcome,” said Junkin as he passed the cable television camera operator present for most regular Council meetings. He walked straight down the hallway and out into the parking lot. “What was that all about?” asked a woman in the audience. Augustyn again took control of the meeting and soon invited representatives from Parkhill Properties Corporation to the podium to speak. Parkhill is a developer that
plans to build a seniors’ apartment complex in East Fonthill, adjacent to the new community centre arena. “We’ve been around for forty years,” said Oriana Mantello, who works for the firm, which is based in Vaughan. “Among other local projects, we built a ten storey apartment building in St. Catharines.” Mantello explained that Parkhill is looking at building an eight storey complex in East Fonthill, with 80 to 90 units. “We don’t want it to look like a seniors’ home, or something that only seniors would like,” she said. “We want to make it look beautiful.” Mantello called upon her colleague, Raj Lamichhane, to provide background on the complex. “The increasing percentage of over fifty-fives is alarming—I mean appealing,” said Lamicchane, catching his error before he continued to explain why senior housing is needed in Pelham. Once he had finished, members of Council spoke. “This is more good news,” said Councillor Gary Accursi. “We look forward to working with you further.” “We’re asked all the time about affordable housing for seniors,” said Councillor Richard Rybiak, adding that it was nice to see progress on this front.
BY VOICE STAFF The next major item on the agenda was a report from the chair of the community centre oversight committee. Chair Bill Gibson said that the third tender package had begun in late September and that the committee anticipates a substantial completion date of June 1, 2018. “Our community is truly blessed to have Bill Gibson, and Bill Sheldon, on the committee—without them, I don’t know what would’ve happened. Ball Construction is also a blessing to this community,” said Councillor Gary Accursi. “The thought that came to me at the Remembrance Day services yesterday,” continued Accursi. “Someone came up to me and said, ‘How can we get the message across that this thing ain’t just two rinks.’” Councillor John Durley was next. “To Bill, and the committee, congratulations. I hear nothing but positive things. We want to have you at the ribbon cutting.” Durley was less positive about the next item that he addressed. Included in Council’s agenda was a letter from another municipality in Ontario, one which chastised the provincial government for changes to the Employment Standards Act. Under the new law, municipalities could be forced to provide on-call pay for volunteer firefighters and the wing operators of snowplows.
Durley said that this cost would be substantial, and that municipalities needed to send strong word to the province that this matter be looked at further. Just before the evening’s intermission, Durley was the first to address Junkin’s resignation. “Regarding the event at the beginning of the meeting—what’s the process for appointing someone to the position?” he asked. Town Clerk Nancy Bozzato replied that she would bring a report to the November 20 meeting of council, which will include a resolution to declare the seat vacant. The options would include appointment or by-election. The Mayor spoke briefly to Junkin’s resignation. “It’s disheartening that Mr. Junkin resigned his important duties, and regrettable that businesses and residents in Ward One won’t have the same representation. It’s unfortunate that Mr. Junkin never brought his concerns to council, obviously he acted for his own reasons,” he said. (Junkin did in fact take his concerns to council, both privately, he says, and very publicly, when he offered a motion that would expand the scope of a KPMG audit that council approved on October 2. No one seconded the motion.) During the meeting, Councillor Peter Papp was noticeably quieter than usual. At the intermission, he
said Junkin’s resignation caught him “completely by surprise.” “I’m sorry to see him go,” said Councillor Durley. “I enjoyed working with him.” “I regret that he did that,” said Councillor Rybiak. As the intermission came to a close, the cable TV camera operator sat behind his tripod, speaking to Town Director of Human Resources Paula Gilbert. “I’ve been doing this for a long time,” he said. “And I’ve never seen anything like that. A councillor just quit and walk out like that.” Gilbert shook her head. Director of Planning Barb Wiens turned to speak to the other two. “I’ve seen it once before,” she said. “Fifteen years ago in Niagara-on-the-Lake.” The second part of the meeting passed quickly and without event. Toward the end, Augustyn noted that Maple Acre Library had seen a consistent increase in the number of people at its newly-renovated and expanded branch, and asked Accursi, council’s representative on the library board, if he wanted to speak to the matter. “This is a good example of built it and they shall come,” Accursi said. “As my colleagues know, I was not in favour of going forward on this project. But, ‘Hush my mouth, brotha.’ That was a good decision colleagues. I’m always willing to admit when I’m wrong.”
Page 16
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
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Pelham Cares prepares Annual food drive coming on December 2 BY VOICE STAFF Last Friday morning Pelham Cares’ Highway 20 headquarters had its garage door open and a whole group of people were shuffling in and out, carrying boxes of food. Inside, one of the centre’s two employees, Lori Grande, was bustling around, too. “Friday is our busiest day of the week,” said Grande. “It’s pick-up day for the hampers, so all of the families stop by this morning.” Grande returned to her office, where she was busy preparing for Pelham Cares’ upcoming food drive on December 2. “This is really the biggest event of the year,” she said. “It’s the time when we get enough supplies to last for a long time.” On the day of the drive, 200 volunteers will go door-to-door in the developed areas of Pelham, collecting boxes and bags of non-perishable foods. (Residents of rural areas may drop off donations at Century 21, Clare’s Cycles, Meridian Credit Union, North Pelham Avondale, Star Tile, Pelham Cares, Rice Road Greenhouses, or either Lions’ Hall on December 2 only.) “We have another eighty volunteers who sort the food on the day of,” said Grande. “They put all similar food together to be boxed, and then try to have it arranged by expiration date, too. We don’t have the ability to weigh how much food comes in, but it’s thousands and thousands of pounds,” she said. In the days after the drive, the food will be brought to Pelham Cares’ office, where it will be stored in the basement and further organized. Grande spoke of how Pelham Cares’ current location—which was formerly The Wine Garden—makes this process substantially easier. “Before, we were in the old Donut Diner, which wasn’t built to be a food bank. Neither was this place, but it has a garage where we can unload the food, and it has this elevator lift that was used for wine that we can bring food up and down with.” Grande rose from her desk and walked out into the main floor storeroom, where volunteers were busy packing hampers that were being collected. She gestured to the food on the shelves that lined the walls. “We’re running a little low up here right now—we’ll be bringing more food up from downstairs, where we’re
trying to make space because we know how much will be coming in soon.” At Christmas time, Pelham Cares puts together a special hamper for its families with all of the ingredients for a Christmas dinner, and has included cranberry sauce on its list of most needed items. “We’re hoping to receive a lot of jam, canned fruit, and salmon. Not tuna though,” said Grande. “We’ve got a lot of that. And pasta too. We have so much pasta that we’ve been giving some away to Welland Hope.” Grande went into the office’s small entrance hall and turned down a set of steep steps. Once in the basement, she pointed to the ceiling. “This is the apartment above us,” she said. “We own the entire building, and renting out part of it helps with the mortgage.” The basement under the apartment is made up of a series of small rooms, and each one was filled to a varying degree with donations. Grande poked her head in one small room of toys, saying that Pelham Cares’ families can come in and pick out a toy when children have birthdays. “This is the cereal room,” she said, walking past a shelf stacked with Cheerios. “After December 2, there’ll be so much cereal in here that you won’t be able to move.” Grande continued walking along until she reached a large, cavernous storage area where a woman was sorting through cans of soup. “This is Jacintha Langlais here,” said Grande. “She has a bit of a wrist injury, so she hasn’t been in as much. But she used to volunteer nearly every day.” “For four months after the food drive, I’ll be in pretty much every day,” said Langlais. She went back to bustling about, and Grande walked along a row of pasta before reaching the peanut butter at the end. There were several boxes full of jars of various colours. Grande turned her attention to the side of one of the boxes, where there were four jars of jam. “Look at all the peanut butter we have,” she said. “We can always use more of it, but it would be nice to have some jam now, too.” Langlais passed by and put a can on a nearby shelf. “What sorts of things are we running low on?” Grande asked her. “Instant coffee,” said Langlais. “Tea, too—Orange Pekoe black tea goes quickly. Juice for kids’ lunches,
Page 17
Poth Street repairs remain unresolved $1.2 million price tag for a culvert may make it a bridge too far BY VOICE STAFF
Volunteer Jacintha Langlais examines the expiration date on a box before determining where it should go in Pelham Cares’ vast storeroom. VOICE PHOTO we don’t have much of that left. And canned fruit.” Grande nodded. “Yes, fresh fruit becomes very expensive in the winter, so we like to have a lot of canned fruit available.” “We definitely don’t need pasta,” Langlais said. “We have enough pasta and pasta sauce to last the next two or three years.” “And there’ll be more coming in, I’m sure,” added Grande, laughing. Once Langlais had taken on another box of food, Grande left the room and went back up the stairs. By then, the rush was over and the garage door had been closed. But volunteers still moved around the floor, checking off lists and carrying food. “We’re hoping for a big year,” said Grande. “And we want to make sure that people put out food early, too. Eleven o’clock is too late!” As ever, Pelham Cares is welcoming new volunteers to assist in the effort. For every preference there is a task to be done, as the organization invites residents to help with doorto-door collection of food, sorting, or the boxing and transporting of food. Those interested may contact Pelham Cares by phone at 905-892-5300, or via email at info@pelhamcares.org. A list of most needed items can be found at pelhamcares.org.
The saga of the Poth Street culvert, the collapse of which earlier this year has led to an eight-month closure of the road, continued during the last Council meeting. In August, Council voted to commission further drilling beneath the culvert, drilling which attempted to find solid ground that could support footings. Last Monday, Town Director of Public Works Andrea Clemencio provided Council with a report that recommended the consideration of $1.2 million in the 2018 budget to cover the cost of replacing the structure. The cheapest proposed solution is a steel bridge, plate-box culvert on footings and piles. Engineers who consulted on the project were in attendance, and they moved to the podium to answer questions. Councillor Richard Rybiak was the first to speak. “I’m not one to second-guess professionals,” he said. “So I’m reluctant to demonstrate my lack of expertise. I understand that there is fear that in replacing existing culverts with the same ones there is a danger that they’d sink two hundred and fifty millimetres, bringing worries about maintenance. But the culvert did not sink before—it needs to be replaced not because it sunk, but because the material had rusted and rotted away.” One of the engineers, Jack Turner, responded. “The design life of those pipe arch culverts is fifty years, and these ones prematurely failed after forty years. New ones wouldn’t sink automatically. It would happen over time.” Turner added that the existing culverts “likely failed
from a combination of factors,” and that he didn’t recommend putting back the same type of support.
We couldn’t recommend putting something back in the same as before
When the issue was discussed in August, former Councillor Marvin Junkin had expressed incredulity that such extensive geotechnical study was necessary. On Monday night, two hours after Junkin’s resignation, Rybiak echoed Junkin’s concerns, saying that it was unlikely that geotechnical surveys were done when the old culverts were installed 40 years ago. After being prompted by Mayor Augustyn, Clemencio told Rybiak that replacing the culverts with the same style would cost in the neighbourhood of $618,000, leading Rybiak to suggest that for a shorter lifespan this was not really an economic alternative. “The bigger element is the risk factor,” said Clemencio. “We couldn’t recommend putting something back the same as before. It wouldn’t meet federal requirements.” Councillor Gary Accursi was the next to take a swing at the $1.2 million proposed cost. See POTH Page 19
A message from Mayor Dave Augustyn
P
elham is vibrant, innovative, and caring. We are a Town that wins awards for our festivals, playgrounds, and plans. We’re bike-friendly, walkable, and seniors-friendly. We have vibrant downtowns and dedicated volunteers. We’re the new home for the Wellspring Niagara Cancer Centre and are now building a new Community Centre on time and on budget. With characteristics like these, it’s no surprise that more people want to live here and more businesses want to open here. Our Town is flourishing. Yet, managing growth and all that goes with it can be challenging, and change can be difficult for some people.
As a result, neither I, nor Councillors, nor Staff can legally respond to the allegations or questions. Doing so could risk a lawsuit against the Town, result in criminal charges, and impact our finances. That’s why I have called a special Council meeting on Wednesday, November 15 to consider confidentiality breach of the resigned member of council. We also recognize it is important for residents to have accurate information about Pelham’s finances and Staff work hard on that. It has always been slated to be part of the Town’s 2018 Budget deliberations.
Recently, a former Councillor very publicly discussed subjects from a closed session of Council. Some residents are now asking questions about that.
In order to ease any concerns, therefore, I have called a special meeting of Council on Wednesday, November 29, 2017 to receive KPMG’s external audit, and to hear from the Town’s new Treasurer about the financial plan.
Part of the oath we take when elected into office actually prohibits us from disclosing any information about those “in camera” meetings. The closed session rules and the oath allow Council to discuss land, legal and labour issues. Ultimately these rules are intended to protect residents and taxpayers.
As Pelham continues to grow and flourish, Councillors and I are more committed than ever to respect our responsibilities, keep working hard to manage growth and the Town’s finances, and work together with you to improve our community. -Mayor Dave Augustyn
Page 18
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
Harvest Festival starts Connecting tradition, farming, and crafting in Pelham BY SARAH WHITAKER
Special to the VOICE
Benjamin Beamer bought his Pelham farm in 1847, at a time when farming included growing all the food you ate, preserving what you couldn’t eat in a harvest, and crafting almost everything else you needed to live your daily life. It’s a connection between agriculture and crafting the current generation of Beamers living on the same piece of land want to preserve and promote. “Agriculture and crafting have gone hand-in-hand forever,” says Sidney Beamer, whose husband Stuart is a direct descendant of Benjamin. “Some people think crafting is a new thing.”
NURDLES continued from Page 12 man-animal interactions and find one to improve. “We started to look at bees,” says Mason DeFazio.
Beamer points to the tradition of fall fairs where jams, jellies and other preserves are judged, where arts and crafts are awarded blue ribbons and prized vegetables triumph for their size, noting there is a reason that these fall events, which celebrate the harvest, also include what we now consider to be crafts. The connection between agriculture, crafting and culture is one of tradition. She notes that even UNESCO, an agency of the United Nations, recognizes the idea that crafts and artisanal products are expressions of culture and rooted in community traditions and that crafts help bridge the gap between the traditions that connect us to the land our
ancestors farmed. Beamer explains the knitting of a sweater or blanket for warmth, the creation of a leather bag or the canning of fruits and vegetables were necessary skills when Beamers first farmed the property in 1847, but the connection to those skills and modern crafting is still very strong. In the midst of organizing pieces of art, canned goods and handmade jewellery in her barn, Beamer gestures
to the hand-knit blankets and sweaters on display — “There are modern styles, colours and textures, but the basic function is still there,” she says, before pointing to a collection of art that doubles as working light fixtures. “From a basic light bulb it’s been jazzed up but it still serves the same function.” They are skills, says Beamer, that her generation knows but that younger generations haven’t learned, and that are at risk of being
“Bees are very important to all plant life, and they’ve been dying at a very high rate.” A typical mortality rate for bee populations is five to ten percent, but in On-
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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca lost to history. Preserving those skills, and that connection, is why she is so passionate about the Creative Fall Harvest Festival held at her farm each year. The festival combines a myriad of crafts with the harvest of the land to create a unique community event that celebrates the connection between agriculture and crafting. Some 70 vendors take part in the festival each year with items that include all types of handmade goods, from holiday wreaths and decorations to clothing and jewellery. “We run the gamut,” says Sidney, “from baby bibs to high-end purses.” Also available at the festival are six different types of soups, all made from this fall’s harvest, apple crisp made from the farm’s apples, fresh pears and apples, canned peaches and pears, and 14 different types of scones. Sidney and her husband
retired from farming about seven years ago but the land still produces a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables each year, grown by the Devries family farm, which rents the land. “We feature and promote the fall harvest in the Lunch Room,” says Beamer, explaining almost all of what is served during the festival is grown locally by Devries, enhancing the connection between farming, crafting and the traditions of the community. The Creative Fall Harvest Festival runs to December 17, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 5 PM at the Beamer farm, 1794 Centre Street (off Tice Road). The festival is open daily from December 18 to December 22. Beamer suggests reserving a spot in the Lunch Room, for those interested in enjoying the fall harvest, noting there are already two large groups with reserved tables.
of great importance, since stagnant water could lead to mosquito larvae or black mould. The Nurdles made a series of prototype flowers using a three-dimensional printer, trying to find a perfect medium. “The flower has to be big enough to hold water, but if the water gets to be too deep, then the bees can drown,” says Jacob Cheung, who is in Grade 10. After finally building a functional model, the Nurdles realized that using a 3-D printer to build them would be impractical. After speaking to a number of experts, they decided that it would be easier to cast the flowers with silicon molds made from the original. “And then it just clicked,” says Bilsborough. “We realized that we could combine our two projects and use the gift cards to help make the flowers.” Recently, the Nurdles have again begun collecting gift cards, and in just a month gathered another hundred pounds’ worth. After collecting them, the Nurdles grind up the gift cards in a paper shredder and add them to a plastic mix. 40 percent of the molded flowers are made up of gift cards. “We have two patents for the process,” says Coyne. “One for Canada and one for the US.” The flowers are for sale locally at various garden centres, including Bloomin’ Crazy on Highway 20. “They’re for sale at a
place in Michigan too,” says Coyne, “And my grandma is trying to find a place in Florida.” The flowers retail for $40, and Bilsborough says that the current goal to
Seventy percent of dead bees test positive for agricultural pesticides
recoup the start-up costs, which were between three and four thousand dollars. “We’re working on a business plan now,” she says. “That’s mostly what we spend our weekly meetings doing.” Now that the bees have gone into their winter hibernation, the Nurdles say that their big concern is the number of gift cards still being thrown out. With help from Fonthill Sobeys and four local Tim Horton’s locations (three on Hwy 20 and one by the Seaway Mall) the Nurdles are collecting gift cards through the end of January. The Nurdles ask that you bring your used gift cards to these locations, where collection boxes are located and emptied weekly.
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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
Page 19
Remembrance Day services Several hundred people gathered for Remembrance Day services at the Royal Canadian Legion in Fonthill on Saturday morning. While it had been overcast and rainy during the events on the Sunday prior, the air was clear, if frigid, on November 11. A half hour or so before eleven o’clock, the Avro Lancaster flew overheard, and by a quarter to eleven the crowd was ringed five deep around the fence. A small number of veterans walked in when the hour came, marching side by side, followed from behind by a legion of cadets. As the Last Post was played, two monoplanes buzzed overhead, making several passes and giving everyone a chance to get a good look. The speaker system functioned irregularly or not at all during the ceremony, and the multitude of people and the traffic whizzing past made what the speakers were saying difficult to comprehend for most in attendance. But very few left early. The rest stood still, listening—or at least trying to—and departed only when the wreaths had been laid and those in uniform had gathered together again and marched back from where they had come. Story and photos by Samuel Piccolo
Town holds Municipal Drain Open House BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
At four o’clock last Wednesday afternoon, there were four people in Pelham’s Council Chambers for the Municipal Drain Open House. Town Director of Planning Barb Wiens, one of the two staff present, looked at the two residents and said, “We had one of these last year, and no one showed up. Just Councillor Durley. So we already have twice the attendance this time.” Gary Chambers, a Fenwick resident and one of the two, laughed, and continued to ask about the Swayze Drain. Soon enough, two more people entered and introduced themselves as Howard and Denise Carpenter. “Are you here about the Swayze Drain too?” asked Mike Zimmer, the Town’s Drainage Superintendent, the other staff member present. “No,” said Denise. “We’re here about the Singer Drain.” She explained that part of the Singer Drain crosses their property, and that they have two main concerns: appraisal criteria and flooding. The Carpenters first detailed the issue with appraisal, which is the amount it was suggested they would be paid for accessing their land in the drain system. “There’s a huge discrepancy between us and the neighbours,” said Denise. “It should be all done the same way, with the same criteria.” “We’d like to be kept posted,” said Howard. “We were told that we’d have the appraisal in March.” Wiens promised that the matter hadn’t fallen off the list of things to do. “These are issues that I need to clarify with the individual who did
POTH continued from Page 17 “Did this soil change from the time of the original culverts?” he asked the engineers. Geotechnical engineer Michael Patterson stepped forward to answer. “The soil definitely is not changed,” said Patterson.
the original appraisal,” she said. Denise moved on to the flooding. “We weren’t flooding before, and we’re flooding now,” she said. “The ditch used to be dry in the summer, and now there’s water all year round. The ditch has overflowed, and I have to walk horses over there, and I can’t when it’s wet like that. They sink and they get scared. I don’t have use of that property when it happens.” “This is since the retention pond was put in?” said Zimmer. The Carpenters nodded. “It goes from a big spout, to a small spout,” said Howard. The Carpenters’ home is close to the boundary between Pelham and Thorold, and Zimmer said that Thorold was initially contacted but was not interested in participating. Chambers piped up. “The watershed of the Singer Drain is two thousand acres, so I don’t know how Thorold can say that they’re not concerned about the drain. Forgive my naiveté, but where in the structure of development is this supposed to be done? How wasn’t it in place before?” “The NPCA will be looking at that,” said Wiens, “with respect to the larger watershed. You’re asking really good questions, and I’d have to go back to the NPCA to know. Presumably that should’ve been done for the secondary plan for East Fonthill.” “This Singer Drain dumps water into the canal. Is there a concern on the Seaway’s part? Do they say, ‘You can’t dump any more water on us?” asked Chambers. “There’d be no more water— the area for the drain is the same size,” said Zimmer. Chambers shook his head. “But
“That process takes thousands and thousands of years. I am not aware of any geotechnical investigation being done back in the Seventies.” Patterson explained that the soil underneath the Poth Street culvert is very soft, and that drilling went 100 feet down in order to find solid ground.
Gary Chambers speaks to Howard and Denise Carpenter about the Singer Drain. VOICE PHOTO the percolation area has all been paved over. There’s a lot of wetland there—even East Fonthill was all wetland and percolation area.” The room was silent for a moment, until Denise Carpenter spoke again. “Thorold’s position is a large concern,” she said. “Our property was all planted with natural stuff that is now being flooded.” “There’s no purpose to cleaning out just your part [in Pelham]” said Chambers to her. “It’s a bottleneck,” said Denise. “It’ll back up,” said Wiens. “In the spring, I could’ve put a canoe in and paddled all the way to Port Robinson,” offered Howard. “What the retention pond can’t handle, we can’t handle,” said Denise. “So the investigation is still going on?” Zimmer said yes, and promised to keep them up to date. The Carpenters thanked Zimmer and Wiens and left. Another man came in with his son in tow, and spoke to Zimmer about a drainage issue on his property. “I’ve been zoned agriculture,” he said. “So all I can do is farm it. And if I can’t drain the water out, it’s useless to me.” After looking at the maps that
There were several residents on Poth in the audience, and at this point, one of them raised his hand. “Can I ask a question?” he said. Augustyn, who was chairing the meeting, hesitated before he spoke. “I…don’t think so,” he said. “Unless Council would like to allow it?” he looked
the man produced, Zimmer speculated that the issue actually was a road matter, but promised to have someone from that department go out to speak to him. After he left, Chambers turned to Wiens again. “Is it too early to ask where we’re at for runoff from East Fenwick? All I saw planned was a pathetic little crease that goes between houses to take runoff. I used to bale that field when I was a kid, and in August the baler would be sunk in the ground. Water from that development is going to go through, and the capacity is not there. If you back up the water into the wetland, you’re going to kill the wetland.” He waited as Wiens and Zimmer pulled up a map on a laptop, and moved on to talking about another culvert, this one by the railroad tracks on Foss Road. “In 1981, one was put there as an afterthought to the railroad when the water was backing up. Every time we have a deluge, the water’s up to the lawn level on the front of my property,” said Chambers. In trying to figure out where the responsibility lies, Chambers said that he’d called both the Town and the railroad. “The Town says it’s the railroad, and the railroad says that it’s the Town,” he said, adding that he believed that it was the railroad’s re-
around the table, and Councillors shook their heads negatively. “But we can makes sure that the engineers are accessible afterwards.” Augustyn then questioned the engineers, asking if all other options had been considered. “Is it possible to float concrete there? I know
sponsibility but that it was difficult to nail the railroad down. He shook his head, evidently irritated at having been railroaded. “I haven’t really brought it up, because it’s not festering right now.” Wiens looked at the map that was then up on the laptop and took some notes. Chambers rose to leave. “Thanks for coming out,” said Zimmer. “Thanks for tolerating my annoyance,” said Chambers. As he moved towards the door, another man walked in. “Hey, neighbour,” Chambers said to the man, who introduced himself to Zimmer and Wiens as Mike Angus. Chambers sat down again, and with Angus present, the conversation turned back to the railroad drain. After a while, Chambers mentioned the sheep that Angus has. “I used to have a whole big flock,” said Angus, “and now I’ve got a lot of pasture and a box of bells.” “Speaking of the sheep and bells,” said Chambers,“I saw a great big coyote the other day. I think that he’s been shopping at your fence.” Angus laughed. “Do you have a donkey in with the sheep?” asked Zimmer. “No, I’ve got a llama. It’s supposed to do the same thing. It’s not in great health, but it’s four hundred pounds and looks intimidating. The horses are there, too, and they look big,” said Angus. The group speculated that the big coyotes around are a coy-wolf cross-breed coming in from Algonquin. After Angus left, Chambers spent a long while talking with Wiens and Zimmer about water and planning in Pelham. At 5:45, he again got up to leave. “What time is this thing supposed to go until?” he asked Wiens. “Six-thirty,” said Wiens. “Mike and I will wait around for a little while longer to see if anyone else comes. Chambers buttoned up his coat and started out the door. “It’s dark outside,” he said. “I’m going to go.”
that Chicago, for example, is built on floats.” Patterson replied that such floats were typically only suitable for unmoving constructions, as opposed to a bridge over which traffic flows. Rybiak who had opened discussion, was the last to speak. “If it’s $1.2 million
and there’s no alternative, then I guess it’s the only option. I always say that decisions are easy if there are no options. We’ll have to decide whether we’ll do it at all.” Council voted to accept Clemencio’s recommendation to consider the matter for the 2018 budget.
Page 20
The Voice of Pelham, November 15, 2017
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AUDIT continued from Page 1 the Audit Committee intended to review the terms of the lending agreement between the Region, the Town, and Infrastructure Ontario. Quirk said that he has been in contact with Mayor Augustyn, but that Augustyn did not address whether Junkin’s allegations were accurate. The Audit Committee invited Junkin to attend on Tuesday. Pelham’s Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald responded on Monday afternoon that, “The Region is the wrong venue to be having the discussion about a former Town Councillor’s resignation and alleged reasons for doing so.” MacDonald said that Pelham Council’s planned Wednesday meeting was, “a step Council has taken to address the matter.” The agenda for the meeting, released Monday morning, showed that cor-
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca respondence from Junkin, as well as the financing agreement between the province, the Region, and the Town were to be discussed. At the Audit Committee’s September meeting, much time was devoted to debate on other allegations related to Pelham. At the meeting, Town solicitor Callum Shedden told the committee that Pelham would no longer participate in the Region’s questioning. Later in the meeting, the Committee voted to call on Pelham to commission an audit into its finances. Yet Regional Council learned last week, through Junkin’s assertions, that Pelham had already commissioned—and received the results of—an audit into its finances even as Shedden spoke before the Audit Committee in September. “I think that the Town has no choice but to release the KPMG Debt Audit results,” said Quirk. Since 2008, the Region has provided the Town with access to substantial de-
bentures (loans), and Quirk says that this access was given with the understanding that the Town’s financial statements were an accurate representation of its finances. The largest loan that the Region has facilitated is for the new community centre arena being built on Rice Road. Regional Council must approve the release of the third portion of this debenture to the Town. Quirk says that he believes a “full inquiry into Town finances” is needed prior the approval of additional debt issuance. In the long term, Quirk says that the Region will need to be comfortable that the Town’s presented financial statements are correct. “At this point,” Quirk says, “no one can be sure if they are or are not. As Region Audit Committee Chair, I think it is absolutely imperative that the finances of the Region be open, transparent and easy to understand. I expect that of our local area municipalities as well.”
MEETING continued from Page 1 stead of making this discovery public, Council chose to cover up the findings until the appearance of the Town’s financial state could be improved. In his only prior statement to the media last week, Augustyn contacted a PostMedia reporter halfway through the Council meeting on Monday night, shortly after Junkin resigned. The Mayor was quoted as asserting that Junkin had not brought his concerns to Council. This is false. During Council’s October 2 meeting, when Augustyn moved for Council to commission a KPMG audit into 3.3 acres of land purchased by the Town in East Fonthill, Junkin tabled an amendment that would have expanded the audit’s scope. “One just has to read the letters to the editor in the local paper or walk the streets of the Town to realize that a disquieting number of residents have lost trust in this Council,” he said. Junkin’s amendment called for a “full review of the so-called questionable land deal, including full and complete access to the Town’s financial records of the past three years.” The amendment received no seconder from the rest of Council. As Junkin presented his amendment, the Mayor stared at him and shook his head slowly. There was no response to repeated follow-up requests for comment last week of the remaining councillors, CAO Darren Ottaway, Treasurer Teresa Quinlin, and Town solicitor Callum Shedden. In his emailed statement on Friday the Mayor announced that Council will hold a special meeting this evening in Town Hall, “to consider the breach of confidentiality of the resigned and former member of Council.” Repeated requests of the Mayor and of the Town’s legal counsel failed to re-
On advice of legal counsel, the Town is not able to answer your question[s]
sult in a clear explanation of what breach of confidentiality was being claimed. On Saturday, Sarah Draper, of Daniel & Partners LLP, asserted that “potential legal sanctions include [those] under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which makes it an offence to willfully disclose information in contravention of the Act.” Draper neglected to add that MFIPPA actually makes it an offence to “willfully disclose personal information in contravention of this Act.” (Italics ours.) Draper also asserted that “leaking confidential information is a breach of trust,” and that this is an indictable offence under the Criminal Code. The Voice has been informed by legal counsel that there is no provision under Ontario law that prohibits the disclosure, per se, of information learned during closed-door, or “in camera” council sessions. On Friday afternoon, the Voice filed a Freedom of Information request with the Town, seeking the KPMG audit results that Junkin says were presented to Council in that closed-door session on September 5. The paper is also seeking the text of a resolution allegedly passed by Council during this meeting, authorizing the Town to seek an $8 million dollar bank loan. Finally the paper requests a complete list of Town bank and investment accounts, and their balances, as of September 1, 2017. Under FOI provisions, the
Town may take up to 30 days to respond. Regional Council chair Alan Caslin said Friday, “Like many Regional Councillors and Niagara residents, I am deeply concerned around the recent allegations made by Councillor Junkin. I expect Mayor Augustyn to fully disclose the KPMG audit and financial information referenced by Councillor Junkin in light of the Mayor’s assurances to Regional Council that these allegations are unfounded.” The Region’s Audit Committee was to have held its own emergency meeting yesterday morning, after the Voice went to press, to address Junkin’s revelations. For Junkin, his coming forward was a matter of conscience, saying that staying silent went “against everything I know….I just don’t think the people of Ward One voted for me to lie to them, to keep things, especially Town finances, hidden from them like this.” Mayor Augustyn has steadfastly declined to confirm whether an audit even took place, much less who authorized it or what it uncovered. “On advice of legal counsel, the Town is not able to answer your question[s] as doing so would be contrary to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Municipal Act, 2001,” wrote the Mayor in an email. “Thanks very much for your understanding.” With additional reporting by Samuel Piccolo.