The Voice
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bilko@rgcmail.com Vol.21 No.3
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
FREE
Blazing a trail The VOICE
As the only woman serving as a volunteer firefighter in Pelham, Pam Wilson is honoured to do her part in making the community a safer place to live. Despite the disproportionate maleto-female ratio, Wilson said joining the department was not intimidating for her because she was use to taking on roles that were traditionally dominated by men. For instance, when Wilson was younger, she competed as a member of the women’s national wrestling team. “When you see a woman doing a role that they are not expected to be doing, something changes or adjusts in your mind and it opens up a door,” said Wilson. “Before they see it, they may not think it would be something available to
From victim to suspect
them. Just seeing a woman in a firefighter’s uniform
Robbed of cash, then respect
It’s challenging, but it is super exciting and rewarding
BY JESSICA ANDERSEN
Special to the VOICE
I Pam Wilson has been serving as a volunteer firefighter with the Pelham Fire Department for the past three years. NATE SMELLE PHOTO
can inspire young women to realize they can do anything they choose.” To help raise awareness of fire safety and prevention, a cardboard cutout of Wilson in her full firefighting gear is currently on display at the
Pelham Public Library. Wilson said the department currently has about 40 active volunteers. The diversity of this group is a strong asset, she explained, because each member brings a unique skill-set to the ta-
ble. Working as a chiropractor in St. Catharines, Wilson’s knowledge and skill in health care complement her abilities as a firefighter. “I encourage women who might be interested in being a firefighter to think about
joining,” she said. “It’s challenging, but it is super exciting and rewarding. It’s also very humbling because you need to learn how to do a lot of different See WILSON back page
Region gathers input for new code of conduct BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Regional Councillors met with members of the public on Tuesday a week ago to collect input to create a new code of conduct. Interim integrity commissioner, John Mascarin, was also present to offer his suggestions. On Dec. 8, 2016, Regional Council appointed Mascarin to the position to investigate complaints related to the code. At the moment, he said there are 444 municipalities in Ontario and only 80 Integrity Commissioners appointed throughout the province.
Cremation/Burial
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Column Six
Pelham's only female firefighter encourages more women to join BY NATE SMELLE
www.bilko.ca
Provincial Bill 68 would require municipalities to add integrity commissioners During his presentation, Mascarin drew attention to a piece of legislation proposed by the provincial government named the Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act, Bill 68. If approved, the Bill -— which has already passed its second reading at Queen’s Park — will require municipalities to have a code of conduct and an integrity commissioner to help enforce it. Bill 68
also proposes an application of conflict of interest legislation that will give more authority to the Integrity Commissioner. “If Bill 68 goes ahead as proposed, the Integrity Commissioner can under his or her own volition decide to undertake an investigation to look at any potential ethical breaches,” Mascarin said. Though the legislation enables
integrity commissioners to conduct investigations, it does not grant them the power to penalize councillors who have committed offences. Instead, this task would be the responsibility of council. Another of the changes would permit council to suspend the pay of an offending councillor for a maximum of 90 days. “It’s the council that imposes penalties, all I do is provide recommendations to council,” said Mascarin. See INTEGRITY Page 14
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REMEMBER THE EVENT like it was yesterday, even though it happened almost 10 years ago now, because it was the scariest thing I had ever been through. I had worked at the Avondale for quite some time when the terrible event occurred on one of my regular 3-to-11 afternoon shifts. Afternoon shifts aren’t particularly steady. There are busy times here and there but not the whole night, so I believe that I was either stocking the cigarettes or doing something else that I had my back turned away from the register when it happened. I distinctly remember hearing the bell to the door ring, signaling a customer had entered the store (or so I thought at the time). The thing that sticks out for me the most was that as the person, who turned out to be a robber, approached the counter, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, something I now think was my body signaling to me that something was off. I slowly turned around and was suddenly faced See COLUMN SIX back page