Carla Baxter on her run for mayor page 3 Airbnb ire not going away page 5 Baty on "Monster Homes" page 6 EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
The Voice
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gan-Neff log cabin, and the Dean Sawmill that also housed the Palsco Blacksmith shop. This year was to mark the opening of the Minor House, moved to the site 14 years ago, but last Thursday a fire de-
NE A F TER NOON in July, I was lying on a stone bench in Rome. I had begun the day in Naples, first walking across the city to get to the train station, then making the journey to the capital and settling in, and then setting off again to explore. And it had been hot—the relentless heat that overwhelms Italy daily in the summer, broken only by night or the rare building that is air-conditioned. But as I lay on the bench there was some suggestion that, after three weeks without rain, the sky was finally going to release some of its weight. My eyes were closed, my head resting on my bunched up backpack, and I felt a handful of drops come down. Not enough to keep me awake. It was the distant clomping that did wake me—not because of the volume of the sound but the incongruity of it. The motors and yells were surely louder, but they all belonged, whereas the clip of horseshoes on cobblestone did not. The sound grew stronger as I sat up, and became more full, the clops became distinct and it was clear that we were dealing
See FESTIVAL Page 7
See COLUMN SIX Page 17
ORANGE YOU THIRSTY? The goodhearted Goedharts—Fleur, Emma, Seb, and Ben—did a brisk business in OJ and water sales on a hot afternoon last week along Welland Road. VOICE PHOTO
Heritage Festival celebrates 30 years But fire destroys landmark home on eve of opening Wainfleet Township is rich in history and tradition. Founded in 1988, the Marshville Heritage Festival runs every year on Labour Day weekend. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the annual event. The Festival celebrates a bygone era amidst a group of 15 restored buildings,
BY REBECCA LOTT
Special to the VOICE
some moved and reassembled boardby-board. It is a town recreated, depicting the town of Marshville as it was during the 1800s. In its inception, the festival had two buildings—the Mor-
DEBBIE PINE SALES REPRESENTATIVE 905.892.0222
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905-563-3330 • 905-641-1110
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Special to the VOICE
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Since 1989, “BILKO” has been working overtime assisting clients with all of their Real Estate needs. Call today and put “BILKO” to work for you!
Upon a rock
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See TREES Page 8
Your Local Sales Rep.
LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL?
Column Six
One trail entrance is closed, but concerns remain In the next storm you may want to avoid going near the Nemy Trail. Last week a section of the trail was off limits at Marlene Stewart Streit Park in Fonthill. In a Town news release, residents were advised that the trail entrance was closed due to a fallen tree until further notice. Rewind to June 26 when a local resident who does not wish to be named, complained to the Town about trees hanging on other trees and branches over the trail. She said there was danger of falling trees across the trail, and tripping hazards. On June 26, the resident filed a report with Town staff. Three days later the request was closed with no apparent action being taken, apart from note being made of the resident’s concern. Although the Town has an arborist on staff, they also contract out for larger jobs, and there is a budget for tree maintenance, according to Town Clerk
Larry “BILKO” Bilkszto
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Page 2
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
THE VOICE POLL: How important is a candidate's age?
PUBLISHER’S CORNER
RESULTS
by Dave Burket
Last week we asked whether a candidate's age was relevant to his or her suitability for holding elective office. Overall, about half of respondents considered age at least moderately or very important, although nearly three-quarters also said they wouldn't use it to make a final decision. Nonetheless, two-thirds said that a candidate could be too young rather than be too old, to serve effectively. By the poll's close on Sunday evening, 61 total votes were registered for each question. Although safeguards are in place to eliminate multiple votes, this is a self-selected poll, meaning it has no scientific validity compared to formal random surveys undertaken by established polling firms.
Very important 8%
When considering a candidate's suitability for office, his or her age is:
Too old 34% Too young 66%
Use a different way to choose 72%
If two candidates were equally qualified in every way, but differed in age, I would:
Generally speaking, when it comes to performing well in elected office, I think someone can be:
WIth a bit less than eight weeks to go before October's municipal election, the Voice will now run a weekly tracking poll of the Mayoral and Regional Councillor races.
If the election were held today, who would you choose? For Pelham Mayor: Gary ACCURSI, Carla BAXTER, Marvin JUNKIN, or Undecided
For Pelham's Regional Councillor:
Dave AUGUSTYN, Brian BATY, Jim HAGAR, Diana HUSON, or Undecided
Answer by going to: www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/8weeks Or by visiting our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/voiceofpelham
Louth Townline Rd
Spring Creek Rd
Ward
N
k l
Metler Road
Pt. Robinson Road
Ward Centre Street
Victoria Avenu
e
1
Hwy 20
Not to scale
2
Pancake Lane
Ward
3
Line Avenue
FIND YOUR WARD All Pelham residents live in one of three electoral wards. Use this map to find yours. VOICE GRAPHIC
Send us your picture holding The Voice, whether across town or abroad and we’ll share it with our readers! Email your photo with a brief description to
office@thevoiceofpelham.ca
RIVER CRUISE 2019 EARLY SAVINGS EXTENDED Free or reduced airfare Rhine/Danube, Moselle, Duoro, Nile, Mekong Small groups, tours, wine and beer included Call for an appointment before they are gone!
Remember you are TICO protected when booking with us.
Call the River Experts: Pam and Jim
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Congratulations
CARRIER
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Pool upgrades
The
Voice 905-892-8690
Pelham Street
Foss Road
River Road
Ed Landry and Fay MacPhail pay a visit to The Blarney Castle in Ireland.
A small house on a blue carpet now sits near the north entrance of the Meridian Community Centre. A collaboration between the Pelham Library and the Fonthill Rotary Club, the Rotary Reading house offers activities and reading materials meant to engage children. “Working on the library board has been great for me,” said Councillor Gary Accursi. “Rotary has been in the community for a long time and has delivered some wonderful services to the community, and this is another one.” With a commitment to improving literacy, President of the Fonthill Rotary club, Mel Groom, says that sometimes the right fit comes along at the right time. “We were very excited to be on board with it,” said Groom. “We’re all about partnerships, and we’re so happy to partner with the library to make this happen.” The Fonthill Rotary Club also announced a donation $25,000 to further increase the active and healthy lifestyle promoted by the community centre. The donation allows for the installation of exercise equipment on the trails that run in, around, and through the area.
See IN THE NEWS Page 6
South Pelham Street
Voice on vacation!
Rotary Reading House
As the Voice went to press on Monday, Mayor Augustyn and Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, Vance Badawey, were to have held a photo-op at the Pelham public pool at Marlene Stuart Streit Park. The event was in reference to $69,600 obtained through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure
ELECTION 2018: WHAT'S MY WARD
Murdoch Street
News and Features Writer
Vote for the younger one 8%
THE VOICE MUNICIPAL ELECTION TRACKING POLL 8 weeks to Election Day
The Voice is hiring! This full-time position calls for a well-rounded reporter with the ability to cover a wide range of community issues, from Town Council to interviews and longer profile pieces. Previous news writing experience preferred but not required. More information: www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/writers Kindly send resume and writing samples to publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca
Moderately important 43%
Irrelevant 49%
Vote for the older one 20%
Effingham Street
Corrections at the top—You're not the boss of me! In last week's interview with Ward 3 council candidate Lisa Haun, we managed to give her an unintended promotion. Rather than manager of the Ministry of Transportation's Emergency Management and Planning Office, Haun's job title is in fact, "Emergency Management Advisor—Preparedness and Response," and Haun reports to said manager...No tally on the pitchforks: Resident Bernie Law says that we undercounted the number of residents who turned out at the last Town Council meeting to express their concerns about Airbnbs in Pelham. He has a point. We said there were 80, Bernie says 140. According to Town Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald, council chambers' capacity is 80, including council and staff. As there was clearly spillage into the hallway, let's split the difference and call it 110. Next time we're taking one of those clicky hand-tally things!...Ask them anything: A reader has suggested that we solicit the public's questions of candidates running for Town and Regional Councils. So have at it. Aim your queries at editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca...Riddle me this: Jim Pitt's back with another Follow the Money column. He laments the increasing party-identification in theoretically non-partisan municipal politics, and wonders why some candidates aren't happy to acknowledge who's backing them...In for the duration: With eight weeks to go, we'll now survey your preferences weekly for the mayor and Regional Council races. See the poll address at right...You probably would have noticed: It's big and looks expensively memorable. Fonthill Sobeys owner Ron Kore says someone lost a diamond ring at the store. Call 905-892-2570 to inquire.
IN THE NEWS
Hwy 20, Fonthill
Open 6 to 11 daily
(905) 892-2570
Bakery, Deli, Hot meals
Find the Voice at these locations: Indulgence Bakery Mossimo’s Pelham Street Grille Sobeys Fonthill Peter Piper’s Pubhouse DeVries Fruit Farm Beamer’s Hardware & TV Fonthill Library Bob’s Boys Antiques Family Health Pharmacy Fonthill Fitness Fenwick Pie Company McDonald’s Queen's Nails Fonthill Legion Semenuk’s Gas Bar Shoppers Drug Mart Tim Horton’s Giant Tiger Fonthill LCBO Zee Lube Express Care Food Basics Minor Bros Stores Avondale Stores A-1 Market Pharmasave Sobeys South Pelham Grill on Canboro Maple Acre Library Ridge Berry Farm Circle-K
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The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
Page 3
The Conversation
Newcomer ready to go Carla Baxter says Canada Revenue career and local business ownership give her valuable mayoral skills BY DAVE BURKET
The VOICE
W
HEN CARLA BAXTER, A RETIRED border customs agent and tax auditor for the Canada Revenue Agency, filed to run in Pelham’s mayoral race earlier this summer, a common reaction heard around town was, “Carla who?” Baxter’s name recognition still lags behind the other two candidates in the race, sitting councillor Gary Accursi and former councillor Marvin Junkin. But once people learn that she and her husband, Bob, started the paint store next to Sobeys in Fonthill—the “cute little house” at the corner of Highway 20 and Station Street—recognition starts to dawn. It seems many of us have visited the store over the years, encountering one or more Baxters without necessarily knowing it. Bob and Carla have retired from the business, and the store is now owned by their son Chris. Having retired twice, the 65-year-old mother of two and grandmother of two hopes to begin a third career as Pelham’s next mayor. While this is Baxter’s first try for political office, she previously lobbied to preserve Pelham’s heritage buildings. We spoke earlier this month at the Voice office. BURKET: You grew up in St. Catharines? BAXTER: I grew up in St. Catharines. My husband and I, we had our two children here and we moved out to British Columbia. We lived in British Columbia for eight years, and I started in the interior as the very first female custom inspector. That was quite a job. It was very interesting. I met some really different people. And at the same time, they had the very first RCMP female officers there at the time. I used to go out with them and patrol the lakes and things. It was an interesting time. I lived on the island as well as in the interior. Vancouver Island? On Vancouver Island, yes. I lived in Nanaimo and then we moved to Osoyoos, which is where I got hired by Canada Revenue Agency. I was a commercial clerk there. And then I applied
and won the competition to become a custom inspector in Grand Forks, which covered Midway and Trail, and then I transferred here to the bridges. So I worked all three bridges doing commercial operations as well as immigration and customs. At the same time, I was doing courses in getting my accounting degrees. So then I applied and won the competition to become an auditor for Revenue Canada. Then there I did various jobs. I did income tax audits. I did GST audits, and then I wound up doing my last with excise duty audits. But in the meantime, I started the business with my husband here. I was just a background person, of course. Fonthill Paint. At that time it was Fonthill Paint and Paper, but now it's Fonthill Paint and Decor. We started that in '91 and '92. So I've done both spectrums. I've been in private industry as well as government. That's why I believe that background gives me the experience and the knowledge to hold the position of being mayor. I certainly know how to read financial statements. I mean, I've done small businesses. I've done large corporations. So it was an interesting time for sure. Met some wonderful people. You'll often hear candidates say that a municipality or a government should be run like a business. Would you agree with that? Not really, because you're not in it for profit. But you are in it though as making it responsible, fiscal responsibility, but you have to meet the community needs. So the bottom line is you don't try to get into debt, but you're not there to make a
Pelham mayoral candidate Carla Baxter. profit. It's there to accommodate the people that are paying. They are your employers, the taxpayers. What changes have you seen since—let's go back to 2000. Have you seen many changes in town? Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'm like with a lot of the residents in the sense that I feel that we've gone too fast too quickly. I've heard a lot of people say that what they moved here for is no longer here, and they're very disappointed with what's been going on. And some people have actually said they're moving because of what's been going on, and I thought that's really sad. You come here because these were the things that you thought were here, and you count on your council to represent you. And then it just seemed a lot of people feel that the development has become priority to the council and the residents are just kind of "Okay. Yeah, let's—" kind of forgotten. That's how some people feel. And this is the kind of consensus that I've been getting from people. And myself personally, yeah, I feel we could have done things so much differently. For example? Well, like the community center. I do believe we needed a community center. I spent many a times at that old arena. It was cold. I was like, "Oh, we needed
that." I would have never done it the way they did it. Never. I wouldn't. I would have suggested it to be done in a totally different fashion. I think a community center is for the community, not for a certain segregation. We needed to have looked at everything. Could we have housed our administration and our library all under one roof? If you go up to Markham, they put the library, the pool, and the arena all under one. And I thought, "Well, you know, that's not a bad idea because your costs and everything are all under one factor." If they'd done that, they could have sold the downtown buildings, sold the library, and then the people could have gone to the library and would've had a one-stop type of thing, right? It would have been an idea that I would have brought forward. So things like making it a little more appealing when you're coming down Highway 20. You've got the highway and then you've got the plaza almost sitting right on the highway by the sidewalk. The new Food Basics plaza? Yes. You don't think it fairly oozes “small-town charm”? No. I don't know why anybody thinks that bringing in four- or five-story buildings and putting pla-
zas almost on the highway is going to keep the smalltown feeling. We needed to have set that back a little further, brought some more greenery. So what's your prime motivation for running? I think my prime motivation was bringing the town back to the people. I tried to save the Timmsdale House, and there were many people on board. And I think the sad fact is a lot of people didn't realize what was happening until after. Even though it was in the paper, and I tried to contact as many people as possible. It wasn't until after it was torn down that all of a sudden people realized, "Wait a minute. What's happening to this town?" And then I went to the council meeting and I thought what had transpired— really I thought, "This is wrong." What happened? I put my statement forward, but I couldn't rebuttal anything that the agent representing the owners could say. I felt that the Mayor and the representative were on the same wavelength. There was no consideration. This was brought forward prior to it. I didn't feel that the Mayor and the council looked into the matter and thought, “What can we do here to kind of sit back and say, okay, this is really a milestone." How many people used to say, "Oh, Fonthill, that's where that big
VOICE PHOTO
stone house is." There was a piece of legislation that allowed them to kind of sit back and think things out and find there were some other ways that they could have done this without encroaching on the owner's rights, right? It came out to be just one big joke. It was like no one even considered really what was happening. I think after that, and then just talking to people and seeing what's going around, I thought if I can make a small bit of difference, I really want to. The week that it was demolished last year, we did a brief story and put up some photos. I think it got just over 10,000 hits online. And yet I presented and I did a lot of research. I knew my stuff. A lot of the comments were, "Oh, my God. I didn't know this was happening." "How could this happen?" People weren't aware. You ran the original story on it because I brought it to you guys. And I went doorto-door. I had people send letters to the Mayor, anybody I could. But I was only one person, right? I did what I could. But that brings up an interesting point. You hear a lot of complaints, particularly the last couple of years, about this council, and about Town staff, and See BAXTER Page 12
Page 4
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
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
COMMENTARY / OP-ED Donald MacRae Some advice for candidates—and for voters
P
ELHAM IS ON THE verge of an election: you know that and I so do I. But what do you really know about the slate of candidates who will have an enormous say in what Pelham will look like over the next four years? Will our town change and evolve in a positive way? Or will it continue to be mired in the same controversies and accusations which have swirled about our present council? The choice is up to you, but the process you follow before you cast your ballot is of ultimate importance. Some time ago in the Voice, I advocated term limits for members of council. Fresh blood has to be infused into that moribund Council—or any Council for that matter— even if that must be done by decree. My reasons, which, I know, some will disagree with, are based on the observation that, as time passes, we all become far too comfortable in our ways. Perhaps we no longer rise to a challenge as we once did when a situation called for action. Or we become complacent. Or we simply run out of fresh ideas.
While this may be attributed at least in part to the routine of everyday affairs, the fact is we tend
Present members of council have been occupying their positions for anywhere from seven to 15 years to lose our enthusiasm as time passes. I dare say we might even get bored! This is equally true in a political context. Sitting on Council is a good gig and, as incumbents, we know that they will probably be re-elected if they wish to stand. But is that the way it should be? Statistics show that incumbents have a far greater chance of being re-elected than their relatively unknown challengers. A case in point: according to the Toronto Star (August 23)
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Alcoholics Anonymous Find a Niagara meeting. 905-682-2140 Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) www.niagaratips.com Text 274637(CRIMES), keyword Niagara, then your tip
The Voice
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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca PUBLISHER & EDITOR Dave Burket publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca NEWS WRITER Rebecca Lott ADMINISTRATION Lori Gretsinger office@thevoiceofpelham.ca CONTRIBUTORS Jane Bedard, Carolyn Botari, Colin Brezicki, Larry Coté, Gloria J. Katch, Samuel Piccolo, Bill Potrecz, Bernie Puchalski, John Swart, Kirk Weaver NEWS INQUIRIES & TIPS editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca
more than 25% of the Toronto City Council have been ensconced in their positions for more than 20 years! These are professional politicians. Only a handful of the vacancies on council are filled by new members at election time and when that happens the status quo continues and the fresh ideas and enthusiasm of new members are ultimately lost. Pelham is no different. Present members of council have been occupying their positions for anywhere from seven to 15 years, excepting Councillor Lane. Here is a breakdown of their years of service: Councillors Durley and Papp have been incumbents since 2003 (15 years); Mayor Augustyn since 2006 (12 years); Councillors King and Accursi since 2010 (8 years); Councillor Rybiak since 2011 (7 years); Councillor Lane was appointed in 2017, not elected. In Ward 1, both Lane and Rybiak are seeking re-election. Ward 2 has been spared any repeat candidates, but Accursi is running for the mayoral seat. Ward 3 sees both incumbents looking for
Further to my recent Column Six contribution [67 seasons of speed in Pelham, Aug 15, p. 1], I felt it prudent to include one more significant resident of Pelham who has contributed to the 67year history of Merrittville Speedway. On August 18, a special race event was held to honour the memory of one of our local pioneers, Bill Willard Sr.. Bill and his fami-
See ADVICE Page 8
See WILLARD Page 6
Letters Remembering another Merrittville great
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Find your ward: See the map on page 2 Member of Federal Parliament
Electoral District: Niagara West
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 James Lane jlane@pelham.ca 905-892-8974
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
Part of the dynasty, Tammy Willard, left.
ELECTION 2018: CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS As the Voice speaks with each candidate, find our archive of their interviews here:
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/2018-municipal-election-candidate-interviews
• FOR MAYOR
• FOR WARD 3 COUNCILLORS (2)
Gary ACCURSI, Carla BAXTER, Marvin JUNKIN • FOR WARD 1 COUNCILLORS (2) Mark BAY, Sidney BEAMER, Mike CIOLFI, James LANE, Richard RYBIAK, Marianne STEWART • FOR WARD 2 COUNCILLORS (2) Wally BRAUN, Cheryl CROZIER, Amber CUTHERBERTSON, Chris FLETCHER, Alexandra FORSYTH-SELLS, Ron KORE, Barbara RYBIAK, John WINK
Uwe BRAND, Vince DELLA-MARCA, John DURLEY, Lisa HAUN, Robert HILDEBRANDT, Peter PAPP, Mary SPEHAR • FOR REGIONAL COUNCIL (1) Dave AUGUSYTN, Brian BATY, Jim HAGAR, Diana HUSON • FOR VARIOUS SCHOOL BOARDS Lawrence ALEXANDER, Nancy BEAMER, Mike BROUSSEAU, Peter DIEF, Leanne PRINCE, Dale ROBINSON, Robert RUGGIERI
Ward 2 Councillor Catherine King cking@pelham.ca 905-658-8599
Gilberts Flowers
Councillor Gary Accursi gaccursi@pelham.ca 905-892-5528
FLOWERS FOR ANY OCCASION
Ward 3 Councillor John Durley jdurley@pelham.ca 905-892-5388 Councillor Peter Papp ppapp@pelham.ca 905-328-6008
SUPPLIED PHOTO
We offer a large variety of fresh flowers and gifts. Enjoy the convenience of safe and secure ordering online 24 hours a day. 754 Welland Rd, Fenwick www.gilbertsflowers.ca 905-892-2433
Jill C. Anthony Law Office
Have an Opinion?
BARRISTER, SOLICITOR & NOTARY LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome. Letter submissions should contain the writer’s full name, address and telephone number. Names only will be published. Names may be withheld if compelling reasons are provided. The newspaper reserves the right to change, condense or reject any contribution for brevity, clarity or legal considerations. All material in this publication is protected by copyright. Reproduction is prohibited without express, written permission of the publisher. ADVERTISING: The Voice of Pelham regrets any errors or omissions that appear in advertisements in this newspaper, however, we will not be held responsible for more than one absent or incorrect insertion or for any damages beyond the cost of space containing the error. The Voice is an independent, locally owned and operated publication. The Voice is a member of the National NewsMedia Council, a voluntary self-regulatory organization that deals with journalistic practices and ethics. If you have an unresolved complaint about news stories, opinion columns or photos, please visit their web site at mediacouncil.ca or call 1-844-877-1163. If you have a complaint about delivery or membership problems, please contact our office at 905-892-8690. For a summary of Voice ethical guidelines, see www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/ethics
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The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
Page 5
OPINION Letters
FOLLOW THE MONEY Commentary by Jim Pitt
continued
Shares concerns about tree dangers We are forwarding photos of the dangerous day we hiked the John Nemy Trail behind the Marlene Stewart Streit Park in Fonthill. We approached the Town with letters and photos to show how dangerous the trails are that go off toward the right hand area of the park when you enter at the parking lot near the swimming pool. The trails are so dangerous that we exited the trails onto a back yard near Highway 20 and Haist Street, as we did not want to go back through under fallen trees and broken steps. At Town Hall that day they told us an arborist checks the trails monthly. I told them he is missing large areas off to the right hand side of the trails. They also told me they have no money this year to do any maintenance on parks. They also said that they are not responsible for some of the sections back there in the woods. Please review the maintenance service request I sent in. They show acknowledgment, and it is dated with the time of approximately 2 PM. Then seven minutes after that he writes a statement saying: Closed. I assume that this means absolutely nothing will be done and he just did the paperwork. Please help the children who play on those trails. I sincerely approached the Town in fear that a tree might fall on a kid. Maybe you can do better than I. Name withheld by request Fonthill
On Airbnb issue, Mayor still doesn't get it What is the difference between a bed and breakfast and a vacation rental? A bowl of fruit offered upon arrival? Sunny-sideup eggs or a stale muffin? Does the length of stay, two nights vs. a week define it? What about if the owner is present or not? Is an owner- occupied home going to make the difference? What is the definition of owner- occupied? Does the owner have to be on the title? What if the individuals on title are relatives of the individual running the
vacation rental/bed and breakfast, as is the case with most Airbnbs in the Lookout subdivision? As a resident of Lookout, I don’t want to be living among bed and breakfast establishments or vacation rentals, regardless of how the Town ends up defining them—and whether the home is owner-occupied or not. If it is permitted, the Town cannot legally limit how many there are on any given street.
Here's what would really make a Better Niagara—admitting affiliations
I
N UNI V ERSIT Y I WA S A communist-socialist and my attitude was: tax the rich. I was but a poor student and I could have used the money. After I graduated and started paying taxes, I picked up a copy of Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand, and became a capitalist-libertarian. I wanted to keep all of the money I made. Throughout this turbulent period, I chose the political party that was most likely to achieve my version of utopia. I have always voted in every important election since I could vote. To me an important election was, at a minimum, provincial and federal. I left municipal politics to the locals. I didn’t feel much like a local because back then I moved around more. Now I guess I am a local and I have been voting in municipal elections for several cycles. Local politics is, mercifully, not meant to be political party politics. Apparently the province thinks it a very bad idea and, as we have recently seen, municipal governance is at the pleasure of the province. Political parties have a philosophy or ideology they wish to impose on the electorate. Political parties want to engineer society in one direction or the other. Political parties want to liberalize certain aspects of our lives or return society to some mythological past. Political parties do not belong in municipal politics. I say this for a couple of reasons. Municipal politics is about the day-
to-day issues in life. Are the roads passable. Are the trees being properly cared for. Can you speak to someone at Town Hall about something or another. Is the garbage being picked up. Municipal politics is not about social engineering, or at least it shouldn’t be. Lately local politics has been taking on the mantle of political party politics and the social engineering that comes with it. If a mayor, or the like, decides that automobiles must go, or at least be discouraged, a town could end up with road obstacles like chicanes or punishing speed bumps or painfully narrow single lane roads that lead to something called a woonerf, all in an effort to get people to walk, cycle or take a little white empty bus. This at the expense of proper open roads. Now we hear that a cabal is running the Region. This clique controls some Authority, Committee or Board. We are even being told, through letters to the paper in some indecipherable code, to be careful who we vote for because the candidate might be one of “them" or some such warning. Vote for this group of candidates to stop the other group of candidates. It’s all very wrong. In the important elections, mentioned above, we do indeed vote for an ideology or philosophy. We hope that the party we choose wins and implements their policies so utopia will be here. In municipal elections we choose a person to look after the place
We, as voters, have the right to know which ideology we will be getting if we vote for whoever we vote for
Are they a member of one of these cabals or cliques? If they are and we don’t know that, are we voting for the right person? If this change in the political dynamic of municipal politics is the new normal, and I feel it is, then it must be properly exposed and we, as voters, have the right to know which ideology we will be getting if we vote for whoever we vote for. See ADMIT IT next page
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and keep our taxes low. This person’s name is all we see on the ballot. There is no mention of party and, by extension, a philosophy. We are being left in the dark as to what this person may or may not secretly represent.
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Column Six presents tales of personal triumph, www.thevoiceofpelham.ca adventure, strange-but-true stories, life-changing events, and looks-back at our past. Did you conquer Everest or kick a bad habit? Did you meet your spouse-to-be in jail or on an African safari? Do you know where Hoffa’s buried? Write it down, send it in: publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca
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Page 6
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
2018 Bandshell Series
COMMENTARY / OP-ED Regional Councillor Brian Baty About those Niagara Escarpment "Monster Homes"
T
HE TOPIC OF L ARGE homes has been an item of concern at the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) for many years. A 19-page report was produced in 2012 to review the number of development permits related to oversized or “monster homes.” At that time most examples were found in
the Burlington and Hamilton areas. There were only three examples in Niagara and not all proceeded as planned. There were indications that steps would be undertaken in the 2015 provincial review of the Niagara Escarpment Plan to propose development criteria with regard to monster homes.
WILLARD
continued from Page 4
Brad Battle Special to the VOICE
Brad Battle is no stranger to the Niagara Music Scene. He has performed continuously over the past several years at local establishments, festivals and events, building momentum along the way. With an ever-growing fan following and two 2017 Niagara Music Awards under his belt (Country Artist Of The Year and Songwriter Of The Year) Battle shows no signs of stopping.
ly lived on the border of Pelham and Lincoln Townships in the small hamlet of Rockway, where they established a towing and wrecking yard and garage. From that garage, he raised a family, built stock cars, and pursued his love of country music, forming a family band called the Rockway Serenaders, who in the day played at many local functions
ADMIT IT
BY JIM CASSON
continued from previous page
Sponsored by the TD Bank Group, the show starts this Thursday at the Fonthill Bandshell at 7 PM and goes until 9 PM. There is no cover charge but donations are greatly appreciated to allow the the committee to continue to bring you great concerts each week. For more information visit www.fonthillbandshell.com
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
To all of the candidates running for whatever office, you have been officially been challenged. If you represent something more than yourself and a desire to keep the place running efficiently and at a reasonable cost—if you are a secret Liberal, NDP or Conservative but calling yourself “A Better Niagara” or whatever the “opposition" is calling it-
While more than 20 policy papers were prepared for that review, I do not recall one specifically addressing this issue. Research is currently underway by myself as the Niagara Commissioner on the NEC to review former development permits that relate to the issue of size and visual impact of de-
at places like Lipa Park in Pelham and others in the area. Bill would take his small Willard & Son towing business and develop it into what you know today as CAA. Bill senior.instilled a passion for stock-car racing throughout his family, and while his Grandson Bill Willard Jr. still heads up the automotive/towing services for CAA Niagara, he was also a two-time Champion in 1993 and 1995, and his sister Tammy Willard is probably the most respect-
self—then when I, or any one else asks you what you represent when you come a knockin’, you must tell us. If you refuse or start hemming and hawing, then you will not get my vote. If this move towards party politics persists, then it is time that your political affiliation be placed on the ballot with your name. So don’t be shy or sly but be up front. Put your logo and team colours on your lawn signs and websites. We voters have enough
velopment. These include a planned expansion at Agape Valley in Pelham, a large home in the Wentworth area, and a large sign on a church in Lowville. This information plus the 2012 report will be shared with concerned landowners who may pursue an appeal of the See MONSTERS Page 18
ed and accomplished female driver in a predominantly male sport. She was also a champion in 1998. This brother and sister team, while now retired from active competition, are members of our Alumni Wall of Fame at Merrittville Speedway. The connection to Pelham? Tammy resides in Fonthill. Rick Kavanagh Chairman Merrittville Speedway Alumni Reunion Committee
Put your logo and team colours on your lawns signs and websites
on our plates, what with paying higher taxes and trying to navigate around this congested little town,
without all ond-guessing subterfuge. ◆
this and
secpetty
Car show revs-up at the airport Looking up at the wild blue yonder, Pelham residents often see small planes criss-cross the sky, flying low to meet the runway at the Niagara Central Dorothy Rungeling Airport, an important part of Niagara Region’s aviation history. R.J. Rolling’s Smokehouse, who provides food and beverages from their food truck for hungry pilots, decided it was time to amp up the popularity of the airport by hosting a car show Wednesday evenings. “We’re a catering business
BY GLORIA J. KATCH
Special to the VOICE
that bought a food truck, not a food truck with a catering business” said Brenda Sawyers, who owns this food business on wheels, along with her husband John. Bob Cullen, supervisor of the airport, said pilots are a little bit like truckers, who will drive a long way to find that roadside diner or greasy spoon that sells good food. The airports in Brantford and St. Thomas all have restaurants that are well
Invites Applications for:
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known for their food, which is why he arranged for R.J.’s Rolling Smokehouse to park in Welland. “If the gates are locked, it’s to keep the food truck in, and not anyone out,” he joked. It’s Brenda Sawyers’ passion for vintage cars and motorcycles that got her to start a car show at the airport about a month ago. The event began with a few cars rolling in, but has grown to about 30-40 vehicles due to word -of-mouth advertising. Now cars, trucks and motorcycles line up by the main building in front of several small airplanes parked along the airport grounds. Sawyers is a former motorcycle instructor at Niagara College, and has some eight motorcycles and several Studebakers. As people sit around talking shop about cars, members of The British Car Club and the Flat4Cruisers of Niagara, which specializes in Volkswagen engines,
Brenda Sawyers and her Studebaker. wander in. Cars and motorcycles of all kinds are welcome, said Sawyers, who enjoys meeting the drivers and hearing about their vehicles, road trips, and other experiences. There is no entrance fee or prizes. “This is not a competition or money grab,” she said.
IN THE NEWS
continued from Page 2 Program, which “supported repairs and enhancements to extend the life of the pool, improved safety, and increased accessibility,” according to a Town news release. The pool, home to the Pelham Penguins swim team, aqua Zumba classes, public and private swimming lessons, and family swims, is open from early June to the end of August.
Everyone is there for the comraderie. Sawyers extends an open invitation to other non-profit organizations or vendors that would like to attend, and contribute to making the event better. If someone wants to incorporate a 50-50 draw to raise
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GLORIA J. KATCH PHOTO
money, Sawyers is in favour. “I want someone who serves ice cream,” she added. Otherwise, she aims to keep her husband in the truck cooking, where he can’t spend money, a feat she does well all by herself, she said.
we provide is based on understanding each client's financial needs and goals and where they are in life." The study measures overall client satisfaction with full-service investment firms based on a number of performance factors. With a score of 799, Edward Jones is more than 10 points above the industry average of 785. See IN THE NEWS Page 15
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
Page 7
Portrait of an extraordinary working man
FESTIVAL
continued from Page 1 stroyed the building just one week before the festival was to open. The hourse had just been wallpapered to reflect the era, and new hardwood floors were installed. The Minor House was built in 1844 and was once situated behind the Minor Brothers’ feed mill. Carpenter Bob Shoalts, along with many other dedicated volunteers, had put countless hours into the restoration. The Marshville heritage village now features homes, a school, a steam saw mill, a blacksmith shop, log cabin, church and many other buildings. It offers a glimpse into the past and an opportunity for people to see what life was like in Wainfleet along the Feeder Canal during the 19th century. It attracts some 5000 people each year. Former teacher and past festival Chair Margaret Robertson has been involved with the Festival for all of its 30 years. She is part of a committee of 14 who meet monthly year-round to plan the event. Robertson has worked at it every summer and as a teacher never had a summer off. “I believe in it,” Robertson said. “It gets in your blood. People need to know their heritage and their roots. They don’t realize there was a time with no TV and internet. There was hard work and family, and that’s what you had.” Marshville was constructed when William Hamilton
Allen McKee took on Hayes Dana and won BY REBECCA LOTT
Special to the VOICE
Margaret Robinson.
Merritt came up with the idea to build a waterway that would allow shipping to go between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The feeder canal was dug between the Welland Canal and Dunnville in 1829, according to the Chronicles of Wainfleet Township by the Wainfleet Historical Society. Many of the workers had come from Ireland and started to settle in hamlets. Merritt is said to have established his engineering office for the digging of the canal in Marshville. The festival and restoration runs by festival revenue and 400 volunteers bring it all together. Robertson says the committee is grateful to many individuals and businesses for their support.
REBECCA LOTT PHOTO
“We think of those individuals who were faithful volunteers and have now passed away,” she said, adding that more volunteers are welcome. “Their spirit of community will always be remembered.” This year’s festival runs September 1, 2 and 3 from 10 AM-5 PM. General admission is $6. Children under 10 are free and Saturday is Seniors’ Day for $5. Parking is free and handicap parking is available in the Wainfleet arena parking lot. Pets are not allowed on the premises. “It certainly puts Wainfleet on the map,” said Robertson. “I think it’s nice to have this bit of treasure. It’s just different than anywhere.”
Allen Robert McKee raised four children on a farm in Fenwick. That farm is now Floral Dimensions. McKee passed away on July 23 in St. Catharines of a stroke at the age of 90. In his 65th year he was the first man in Canada to win an age discrimination case. McKee was raised in Merriton, he lived in Fenwick for some 20 years and worked for Hayes Dana for 32. He had many friends, farmers and work buddies that lived in the Pelham area. His kids, Brenda, Brant, Sandra and Douglas, attended Pelham High and E. L. Crossley. At age 57, McKee was threatened with dismissal by Hayes Dana if he didn’t willingly retire. He fought the case through the Human Rights Commission. This came at a time when the company was trying to downsize by letting go of older employees. McKee was a union steward and a leader in bettering work place safety at the factory. “My dad fought for showers so the guys could go home clean,” said Al’s daughter, Brenda Horton, from Cape Breton, N.S.. “He fought for safety measures…and probably saved many accidents from happening.” After dedicating his life to the factory, he felt he was
treated unfairly by management. McKee was determined to make it right. He worked with Geri Sanson, one of Canada’s most notable human rights lawyers. On April 22, 1992, Al won a long-fought battle following a board inquiry. McKee received $246,362 plus $1,500 for damages as part of his settlement. At the time it was thought to be unprecedented in Canada. The board wrote, "It was evident that he was a devoted and valued employee who had performed without any complaint.” McKee received his award at the age of 65. “Not easy to fight a battle against a huge company, but his determination kept him seeking justice,” said Horton. “It still took five long years to pull the evidence together. There were days when things were rough, lost sleep and tears, but dad persevered.” Al was from a poor Quebec farm family of seven kids. He quit school after Grade 9. He was a farmer, a logger, and a factory worker. He did side jobs to make ends meet for his family. After losing his job at the factory, they bought a fishing camp near Bancroft. He also travelled North America with an A-frame trailer. In 1999, he moved back to Niagara. "My dad was fair, kind, honest and loved people," said Horton. “He believed in treating people fairly and obviously he felt he deserved
to be treated fairly. He was a hard worker, went to work early and left late. He took
My dad was fair, kind, honest, and loved people
his job seriously and prided himself in the performance of his shift and their production. All the men that worked under my dad liked him and many times he hosted corn roasts at our farm. He was always looking out for others. Horton said that her father always stood up for himself and his family. “All of us kids worked on the farm alongside my father and those are some of the happiest days of my life. I am very proud that my father stood up for himself and know that he would expect nothing less from any of us. He was a humble ordinary man who did extraordinary things. There will be a Celebration of Life for McKee on Sept. 12 at 11 AM at Pleasantview Gardens. His obituary appears on page 9.
Celebrating our 10th Anniversary Caregiver Education Series In conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Society of Niagara
Fashion Show
All proceeds to benefit
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The Caregiver Education Series is a FREE 4-part series, but attendees must sign up in advance through Lookout Ridge or the Alzheimer’s Society. The dates are: Sept. 11, 1:30-3:30 / Sept. 18, 1:30-3:30 Sept 25, 1:30-3:30 / Oct 2, 1:30-3:30 in the Chapel.
The Niagara Peninsula’s premier retirement facility 1505 Lookout Street, Fonthill, ON www.lookoutridge.ca (905) 892-9218
Doors open at 1:30pm, show starts at 2pm. Fall clothing line by Alia N Tanjay, and Nygard. Tickets are $10 and are on sale at Lookout Ridge, Boggio’s Fonthill and the Alia N Tanjay store at the Seaway Mall. Food, drinks & great penny sale items!
Sunday, September 9 Don’t forget! Dance-a-Thon tomorrow, Thursday! Fundraiser for A. K. Wigg. 2-3 PM, FREE!
Page 8
Letters
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
continued
Animal rights over human rights? Most of us unconsciously rate humans individually as superior or inferior than others. Without consciously thinking about it, I think the vast majority of humanity would rate an earthworm or a flea or even a mosquito as a lesser form of animal life, but still being animals. Where are the protests against cruelty to fleas and worms and, yes, unborn humans being violently treated?
I have always loved animals so much so that even when I see a squirrel or a raccoon dead on the road, I have often shed a tear. But who sheds tears for unborn humans? Another problem with animal rights groups is that I venture to say that not a member of them has consulted with the animal in question. If one had, surely we would hear different opinions from protesters.
From my perspective many animals seem to enjoy working with humans. Dogs spring to mind immediately but wouldn't many if not all horses enjoy getting some light exercise rather than spending a whole boring day looking at four walls? Don't say it! I read your thoughts! Some of you think that all horses should be released immediately on the streets of Niagara-on-the-Lake to
do whatever they want! Isn't it a pity that countless unborn humans will never get that chance due to the great god of our society, the sex god? If you protest for ideas you have about un-consulted animals’ desires, why not for un-consulted unborn humans? Which represents the greater good? Charles Pedley Pelham
ADVICE
ning rod for far too much controversy, and his departure is probably at least a term too late. On his watch there has been too much strife and innuendo, too many allegations of pettiness and accusations of misdeeds at meetings of council. It is not my purpose here to judge the validity of these allegations. I am concerned with good government for the Town of Pelham. Whether they are true or not concerns me less than the fact that they have caused too much friction to allow the present members of council to govern effectively. Marvin Junkin has shown himself to be a man of integrity and deserves a chance to lead council. He has the necessary experience, but is not one of the “permanent” governing clique.
position on in camera meetings and on access to information requests. Tell them you want a concrete plan of action and then hold them to it. Don’t let them weasel out of it.
we have are of concern to some of the candidates, but this is not an issue I believe they can deal with. Or do they have a plan? That’s the crux of the matter. I am afraid that short of building a tunnel under the centre of the town, we are stuck with the decisions of a shortsighted council from years gone by. Concern for the issue is one thing; to use it as a plank in an effective platform is useless. To profess “love” for Pelham is nothing but a platitude, and it should not be a plank in an election platform. Specifically, what are you going to do to enhance our pride and our enjoyment of Pelham? I agree there are positive attributes to life in Pelham, but exactly what are these candidates going to do to enhance that experience? I could go on, but I think you get the drift of my argument. Look carefully at the excellent vignettes this newspaper has prepared for us. Read between the lines and carefully examine the answers the candidates have offered in their interviews. There will be candidates’ meetings in the coming weeks. I hope there will be more than one and that the participants will state their plan of action for Pelham and be prepared to stand behind it. Such meetings need not deteriorate into a shouting match. Respect for all concerned is of the utmost importance, but residents of Pelham deserve to ask the candidates specific questions and demand reasonable and specific responses to their queries. I do not wish to preach or to force my views on anyone, but it behooves all of us to exercise our franchise and to do so wisely.
continued from Page 4 re-election. If all of the candidates who are presently on council were to be re-elected and Accursi were to win the mayor’s job, we could conceivably have five of the seven members of the present Council back again! Do we really want to extend their incumbency to 11 and 19 years by re-electing these candidates? However, things are looking up, since we now have a sufficient number of candidates running for office who could to wipe the slate clean and bring in the fresh, new ideas Pelham so desperately needs. And by the way, don’t try to sell me on the idea that too many newcomers won’t be able to govern effectively. I am convinced that they could handle the job. For fear of damning them with faint praise, I am sure they could easily do the job as well as the present council has done. Let us review the situation. I shall concern myself here with the Mayor and council only. Brian Baty has done an excellent job representing us at the Regional level and I would certainly endorse his continued presence in that role, even if he has occupied the position for some time. An added advantage to Baty’s re-election would be that “Mayor Dave” would not become “Regional Councillor Dave.” Mayor Since he is challenging Councillor Baty, there is no chance our present mayor will occupy the chair in the coming four years. That, in my view, is a huge step forward. Mayor Dave, as he bills himself, has been a light-
Council So, the opportunity presents itself: we can make a difference, but it will take a concerted effort on the part of the residents of Pelham to effect change. Of course it goes without saying that we must vote—and vote intelligently. We must carefully consider what each and every candidate is professing to do. I have no doubt that the candidates are all well-meaning and sincere, but that doesn’t quite cut it. We want people with ideas who are willing to explain their thoughts clearly and concisely and defend them with solid arguments. A case in point: candidates will tell you they are all for transparency. Sure, we all are. But how are they going to bring this about? What are the precise steps they will put forward to see that transparency becomes the norm in our Council deliberations? Press them for a definite answer; ask what is their
SPECIALIZING IN SELLING YOUR HOME!!!
Are we prepared to ask hard questions of our candidates, to put them on the spot and demand clear and concise answers from them? I know politicians have difficulty answering a question with a simple “Yes” or “No,” but press them. Demand that they give you a response. I, for one, am certainly not prepared to buy a pig in a poke. Don’t let candidates tell you what previous council should have done; ask them what concrete measures they, in particular, will do to ameliorate the situation. This is your only chance for four more years. Some candidates have mentioned the traffic problems in Fonthill, but what are they going to do about them? The real issue is what CAN they do? This problem has haunted us for three or four decades. It was decided years ago that a proposed bypass around the Town of Fonthill to the south was not desirable. There were (unnamed) developers who had plans for the lands a bypass would have taken. So that issue was closed and we are still left with 30-wheelers rolling through town. It’s nice to know the traffic problems
Donald MacRae is retired from Brock University, where he taught for 30 years. He and his wife, Helga, have lived in Ridgeville since 1966.
Goodman’s Florist
RURAL, AGRICULTURAL OR RESIDENTIAL OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE (IT MATTERS)
I, for one, am certainly not prepared to buy a pig in a poke
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Richard Brown SALES REPRESENTATIVE
Direct: 905-651-5143
EMAIL: rbrown@royallepage.ca OFFICE: 905-734-4545 or 905-892-0222
Your Extra Touch Florist 644 South Pelham Rd, Welland, ON 905-732-2481
Top, tree debris across a path on the Nemy Trail. Above, a service request is closed minutes after being opened. SUPPLIED IMAGES
TREES
continued from Page 1 Nancy Bozzato, speaking on behalf of Town Public Relations and Communications Specialist Marc MacDonald, who was away. Andrea Clemencio, former town Public Works Director, emailed the resident following her complaint. “Thank you for your photos and feedback,” wrote Clemencio. “Unfortunately, we have very little resources for trail maintenance, as Council is aware. We perform trail inspections and respond as we can to high risk issues, but are not able to do routine trail maintenance as we would like. High risk areas would include such items as overhanging dead branches and sinkholes, but trip hazards and mapping, especially on a nature trail, are not issues we have resources to respond to at this time. Our arborist takes his work very seriously, responding to tree challenges regularly, and managing a contractor to perform some of the work involving equipment or people that we don’t have here. I hope that this can change in the future, and please know staff are very aware of the trail challenges. Your concerns have been forwarded accordingly.” Clemencio could not be reached for comment as she no longer works for the Town. Another Fonthill resident, Krista Peterson, wrote a letter to the Voice last week [In Pelham, ounce of prevention apparently too costly, Aug. 22, p.5] expressing her concern about the tree situation. Her home is on Elm Street and the property backs onto Marlene Stewart Streit Park and the Lathrop Nature Preserve. Peterson had an arborist come in to take a look at the trees and he recommended that she contact the Town immediately. She did so, and, according to Peterson, the worker who was sent
commented, “What are the odds a person would be walking the path when the tree fell down?” Peterson is troubled with how the Town responded to her call given that there is a public pool and skate park for kids nearby. “It leaves a poor taste in my mouth,” she said. “It’s a family oriented area. I don’t think anything’s going to happen.” The park has a large number of dying ash trees, and neighbours are growing more concerned after a tree fell in the park last week. In Peterson’s view, the Town is being more reactionary than proactive. “We’re doing our due diligence to take care of our property as homeowners,” she said. “I don’t understand why the Town of Pelham can’t do the same for their community. It’s irritating to me that they don’t want to deal with it.” Regarding the tree that fell last week, Nancy Bozzato says that Town staff met with a contractor last Thursday to a develop a plan for its removal. “This removal, being in an area not accessible by vehicles, requires specialized equipment and manpower. The earliest the cleanup for this issue is the week of September 10. The tree is about 80’ tall, 40” diameter, and broke off 15’ from the ground, and will require piece-by-piece removal.” The trail entrance was closed and taped off. Other portions of the trail, including the entrance from Elm Avenue, remained open. “The Town routinely inspects trees that are dead and pose risks, planning and prioritizing removals based on degree of hazard,” said Bozzato. “When complaints regarding trees come to the Town, staff will address the concern through site visits and consultations. An action plan is determined based on the expertise and assessment of Town staff.”
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
Page 9
OBITUARY
ON THE GRILL Fonthill was the place to eat on Saturday evening. The rain let up just in time. The Fonthill Lions Club, along with Pen Financial Credit Union, held their outdoor fundraiser, Sliderfest, at G. L. Klager Park. Five local restaurant chefs were featured as The Rhythm Hounds entertained. Guests enjoyed sliders and craft beer. Pictured, Steve Pellerin, Janie Carr, Doug Gaylor, MaryLou Hilliard and Al Crowe were some of the volunteers on deck for the event.
McKEE, Allen Robert
Passed away at 90 on July 23, 2018 at Pioneer Elder Care, St. Catharines, Ontario. He was born on July 11, 1928 in Inverness, Quebec, to Everade and Edith (Currie). Allen began his career as a lumberjack in Northern Ontario and gained his love for agriculture working on his grandfather’s farm in Saskatchewan. While working in the automotive sector where he championed safety first for the workforce, he farmed, growing apples, pears, corn and blueberries which kept the children busy particularly during harvest. On retirement after more than 35 years in the automotive sector, he purchased, and for 13 years until 2001, operated a fishing/hunting business on the York River near Bancroft. On his second retirement, he relocated to Port Colborne and later to Breslau. Known for his extreme sense of fairness, later in his career, working with Gerri Sanson, a young lawyer with the Ontario Human Rights Commission, they established legal and financial human rights precedents in the workplace with respect to age discrimination as highlighted in a recent article in the Waterloo Region Record. The article may be found at https://www. therecord.com/whatsonstory/8847305-lifetimesfired-for-being-57-caseset-precedent-in-canada/.
Allen married Donna Burtch of St. Catharines on March 3, 1951 in Saint John’s Anglican Church in Port Dalhousie. They were married for 48 years. On October 8, 2005, Allen married Eleanor Snyder of Breslau and remained married until his passing. Allen was preceded in death by his parents Everade and Edith, his wife, Donna, his siblings Donald, Andrew, Clayton, Ronald, and Jean Honsberger. Allen will sadly missed by his wife, Eleanor; his children, Brenda (David Horton) of North Pelham, Brant (Susan) of Fenwick, Sandra (Jeff Patterson) of Palgrave, and Doug (Wendy) of Edmonton, Alberta; his sister, Reta Grady of Niagara Falls; his grandchildren, Luke, Jesse, Kate, Jordan, Taylor, Kelly, Levi and Patrick; his great-grandchildren, Carson, Logan, Chloe, Michael and Ivy Reta (born June 14, 2018); and his nieces and nephews, other relatives and many friends. A celebration of Allen’s life will be held at Pleasantview Funeral Home, 2250 Hwy 20, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E6, on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 11AM. Visitation will take place 10AM – 11AM. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to ARID Recovery Homes of St. Catharines. Donations may be made by visiting their website at www.aridhomes.ca.
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The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
AIRBNBS
continued from Page 5 At all of the Lookout meetings with the Town, the residents never once asked for a total ban across Pelham We asked for the Town to “not permit” these establishments in our subdivision, as per their own R1 zoning regulations. The Town did not communicate what is permitted in R1 to us, but rather a group of individuals from our subdivision researched the Town’s bylaws and one gentleman presented this information for us. Under the “permissive” clause, a bed and breakfast is not listed in a R1 zone, only by exemption. Even the petition that was circling for our subdivision clearly states we do not want them in our residential neighbourhood. Yet for some reason I continue to read correspondence and hear statements from Town officials who actively choose to interpret this as a total ban across Pelham. Even the Mayor’s recent letter suggests “hysteria” created by “one individual.” Our whole subdivision knows who the Mayor is referencing. Attempting to discredit someone who has spoken up for a larger group of residents is
shameful. I take this as an attempt to discredit not only this gentleman, but as an attack on myself as well as the over 150 others in my subdivision who signed the petition as I did. After all this political posturing, what I personally find so completely disingenuous is that in all of the Mayor’s correspondence there was not one line demonstrating any degree of empathy to our situation. I was left feeling that my genuine concerns based on real fears and experiences have been quickly discarded in an effort to discredit one individual and control the narrative. A Ward 2 candidate recently commented in the Voice that bed and breakfasts could help our citizens “understand this world” by offering accommodation to individuals attending various events such as the upcoming Canada Games. Did I read this correctly? How does this make my community safer? It doesn’t! This is not a call to billet athletes! A stranger is a stranger regardless of their purpose in town, and they have no vested interest within the subdivision. With the double arena now open, just wait until these houses and rooms are filled up with an adult hockey tournament…but that’s okay, right?
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A large number of Lookout Residents have stood together to say NO to these establishments in our community. There are areas where these establishments are permitted and should continue to be so, however they have not been permitted in our subdivision and they are not wanted. If you feel you would be okay with this in your subdivision, just sit back and relax, if not, I suggest you make your own voice heard too. What you are seeing in the Lookout subdivision is only the tip of the iceberg as it’s a new subdivision. Look at all the homes for rent in the East Fonthill subdivision, with a few of them already advertised on Airbnb. A large number of these properties are for rent and if people are unable to afford the $2000-and-up per month rent, how are the investors going to increase profits or pay off their mortgage? One individual I spoke to stated he was even thinking about buying a property in the Cherry Ridge subdivision and managing it as an Airbnb to make some “easy money.” This same Ward 2 candidate also commented in her interview, “I’ve seen nothing suspicious or nothing that looks unkept,” “parking is the only issue.” She said she heard a few dubious complaints, one being that a group of people were standing at the end of a person’s property smoking pot… Again, what? This candidate was at the meetings with the Town and Lookout Residents. She heard firsthand from the residents their concerns. She goes on to state, “If something suspicious were going on at the end of my property, I would go out and say something...communication and a lack of
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A Fonthill Airbnb listing. common sense comes into play here.” I don’t even know where to start with such naive comments. This candidate should provide her telephone number to the residents of Lookout, so the next time a car club comes and takes over a home with their engines revving, or when strangers are knocking at residents’ doors and trying to enter, we will call her so she can be more informed rather than simply count lock boxes. For over six months neighbours have tried repeatedly to speak to the people who manage these properties, as well as the one boarder who works at the local pot farm, and nothing changes because they simple don’t care. Does owner-occupied solve this problem? No. Nor does it solve the problem that there are still strangers coming and going every night and day. Do you want your small children playing in your yard exposed to someone sitting on the curb or front porch smoking a bong or watching their supplier dropping off fresh bud? The decent thing would be to relocate your smoking habits to maybe the backyard when children are out front playing…but oh wait… the owners, I mean property managers, are aware and advise he is just a 19-yearold kid, so all is okay as long as he doesn’t smoke pot in the house. As for parking issues at the one Airbnb which is believed to be owner-occupied, one of the residents (you know, the
VOICE GRAPHIC
hysteria-creating one) introduced himself to the owners, explained the concern about parking near the intersection, emailed them a copy of the parking bylaws and invited them to attend the Town’s problem-solving meeting. No one from the Town approached them with the bylaw information regardless of the number of formal complaints made over a year. If the Mayor had attended even one of the meetings or taken a moment to discuss with the residents their concerns, he would have realized this is a subdivision that was looking to the Town for help by enforcing a bylaw, and is now begging the Town not to legitimize vacation rentals/bed and breakfasts or anything similar in our subdivision. Everyone whom I have spoken with in my subdivision agrees that bed and breakfasts and short-term vacation rentals have their place in town, just not in our subdivision. I have worked so hard to be able to afford a lifelong home for my family. Why should I have to live with the disruptions I have experienced as a result of these properties or live with fear and unease in my own home? Why should I have to continue to tell strangers who try to enter my home, with luggage in tow, that they are at the wrong house, only to have to settle my children who have been woken up by the disruption and noise. I believe that many individuals including members of the Town and the community, even some candi-
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dates, feel that Lookout’s problems are a result of absentee landlords and that a simple bylaw requiring homes to be owner-occupied would be the solution. They are wrong. Let’s look at what the immediate future holds for the Lookout subdivision. Firstly, the one candidate for council stated in the Voice that there are seven lock boxes on houses in the Lookout Subdivision. I haven’t gone around door to door to count exactly the number of lock boxes, but I know there are five homes in the subdivision that are run as Airbnbs. The owner of one Airbnb is purported to live in the basement and therefore is “owner-occupied.” Of the other four, only two are advertised on the Airbnb website with one of them currently rented out long term. The individuals who manage this establishment, “M” and “A,” live in one of the non-advertised homes, which fills up with strangers on a weekly basis. Based on a title search, the home A lives in belongs to two different individuals (believed to be his parents) and he shares title with another individual of the home rented out long-term behind him. His relatives are on title for the third house and the fourth house has two unknown individuals on title. So, define “owner-occupied.” All A has to do is relocate the long-term renters to the fourth house, and in essence live in the home he shares title on. If you create a loophole, they will find it, and this type of establishment will continue to exist. There are a large number of houses that have been built, occupancy granted and remain empty with lock boxes on them. Whether these homes will be rented out long- term to a family, or sold, or become shortterm rentals, is still to be seen. Lastly, thank you to everyone who showed up at the council meeting to demonstrate our community’s passion and willingness to stand up for what we believe in. Council did pass a motion to develop a bylaw for both zoning and bed and breakfasts/short term vacation rentals and to have broadbased community consultation. Please continue to stand up and make your voices heard as to where you want these establishments to exist. You cannot say it won’t happen here until it does, because then you are too late. J. R. Alexander Fonthill
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The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
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continued from Page 3 gripes of all sorts, yet voter turnout and actual involvement maybe isn't as high as you would like. Yes. What's to be done there? How do you get people more engaged in civics and municipally aware? It's a hard question because everybody is so busy with their lives. I know of myself for one, when I talk to people in the store or wherever, I always say, "Regardless of who you vote for, make sure you go and vote. Make sure because you're not going to make changes if you're not out there." I don't know. We advertise. It's on TV. There's municipal elections going all over, right? It's just not here. So the only way to do is word of mouth, talk to people. If you are interested, like I say to someone, make sure you tell someone else that you're talking to. You can't get changes if you're not out there to vote. If you don't like what's going on here, then you've got to get out there and put your voice to be heard. Many Town employees, when they leave the Town's employment are routinely asked to sign nondisclosure agreements, known as NDAs. Would you favor, if you were elected, rescinding the prohibition against speaking to the press among these former employees so that they can speak to their experience
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018 working for the Town of Pelham? Are you talking about going forward or you talking specifically to the ones that you were in the past? The past. So specifically in the past, there's so much unanswered questions regarding the past, and I think for the people they need to know. However, we have to take a look at how their contract is written so that we are not liable for anything because we don't want to have to start having court costs and lawyer fees and things like that. So in answer to that, if we can do it without incorporating any legal fees or privacy contracts, yes, I think the people, they really should be knowing what has happened and what's going on. In order to go forward, we have to learn from the past as well. Given the expense of the new community center, there's been what some see as a rush to sell other Town assets in order to pay for it, including the old arena on Haist Street. There's been a movement to postpone that sale until a new council comes in and can take another look at it and decide what may or may not be the best course. Would you favor postponing the sale or letting it go ahead now? Definitely postponing it. One of the things that we need to do is protect our environment. And we seem to be paving everything over. So we need to reevaluate and take a look at that and say, "Okay. What's best for
us? Do we need the green space?” Certainly, I feel we do. You can see all around you that we're just becoming one big development. So I'm definitely in favor of postponing it and getting a better idea of what the residents want. What sort of use would you see for the old arena building, or would you favor tearing it down and turning the whole place into a park? It has a footprint already there of a building. With the new arena and the way it is and all the land around it is being used and developed for other purposes, I would like to see probably that— maybe going into more centralizing, maybe putting in tennis courts or pickleball courts where the old arena sits, paving that over and then make around it more of a park-like setting. We already have where the kids go and play soccer, and we have the old paddle tennis court. So we can't do things like that at the new arena because there's not enough land set aside for that. So that would be ideal, I think, to develop it more into a recreational center. Some proponents of selling the arena and developing it say, "Well, you know, just down the street you've got Harold Black Park." What's wrong with having a park that's a couple blocks away? Isn't that enough? That Harold Black Park is—yeah, it's there. But the town is growing and there's nothing there for seniors, and seniors don't just sit and watch television. We
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are an active group as well, and I think we need to have some things for them as well. A lot of them do lawn bowling. A lot of them do pickleball. It's a great activity for people because it's not as hard on you as, say, tennis, and it's a lot of fun. So it would be great for the Town to have something like that because where the new arenas are there's no land set aside for anything to do other than the walking track. Harold Black Park is great because they have all the soccer things there and they have the baseball thing there and some equipment for kids, but nothing for the older generation. So that would be one suggestion I could see, going and doing something like that. Just a few weeks back we had Summerfest once again on Pelham Street. A number of merchants have remarked over the years that it's a disruption to their businesses, and they would prefer to see it occur somewhere else. Some were hoping that it might be moved, say, to the new community center site. I can see their point, and I don't think that's a bad idea. You've got this new facility. Why not make use out of it? And then it's not that far away from the downtown area. So the people that are visiting the Summerfest, it's easy for them to spill over and wander through the downtown area, and it would be a boost for them for sure. Yeah, I can certainly see that. The Town has come out with some pretty startling figures over the years as to how much revenue Summerfest allegedly brings in to local businesses. Over the course of the past four or five years, have you seen any uptick in business at the paint store as a result of Summerfest? No, it actually decreases, right, because a lot of people say, "I'm out of here. I'm not going to be a part. I can't find parking. I can't do this." No, it hasn't affected the paint store business at all other than it's not as busy. It's actually decreased as far as we're concerned. And among other business people you've talked to locally, do they have any impressions as to the effect on their business? I haven't really talked to anybody else in regards to that. No, I can't answer that question because I haven't talked to anybody about it. But I know for ourselves that, yeah, it's dropped in business. For about a year and a half, two years now, there's been increasing concern about the Town's finances. Would you favor a third-party, genuinely independent audit of Town books? I think to give the residents a peace of mind, yes. I think people still question. They still feel very unsettled about everything that transpired. I, myself, have gone over the pages of the financials, our budget, and everything, and I have a lot of questions about it. Of course, that's what my background is. And just looking at how they recorded the expenses, I have a lot of questions. They just labeled it as general expens-
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It's not a question of, "I'm a leader, so what I say goes." It's just a question of we have to work together for the better of the community
es, transportation expenses, health and wellness— there was $6 million for recreational health and wellness. And I'm going, "Okay. What's that all about?" That's a lot of money for a town of 17,000 people. It could be justified, but it kind of makes you think are things being buried in there that we don't know about. The other thing I looked at was the library costs. The revenue of $900-odd thousand dollars and yet the salaries were $750,000. You're saying that the salary figures seemed too high? Because obviously, not every Town service is expected to make a profit. That's not the way municipalities work. You provide services for residents. But what stands out about the library for you? Well, we have two libraries. $750,000 for salaries between the two libraries seemed an awful lot to me. One of the things I would say definitely do is do a program review of our administration. That is definitely something to look at. I mean, for a town of less than 20,000 people, we have a staff of 60, including the council and the mayor. So we need to take a look at what they're doing and what is needed. And as I just mentioned, the library. How is it that we have $750,000 in salaries for the two libraries? Well, I have to say, if anyone's going to be on the Sunshine List, I don't have a problem with it being a CEO of a library, because at least he's bringing knowledge and education and information to people, versus someone else in the administration that’s basically a bureaucrat. Well, that'd be true, but like I said before, when it comes to the salaries of that, I'd have to see who gets what and how they're being paid. And I mean the staffing there is limited. I don't know what the CEO makes in the library. And I'm not saying that he doesn't— I think he's just over the Sunshine threshold of $100,000. And I'm not saying that he doesn't deserve what he's getting. I'm just saying those could be areas—when I try to take a look at the administrative staff on the financial statements, as I was saying, if you look at the expenses, they're only categorized according to transportation, general expenses. So you have to go and break down and see. Where is all this money going? I know that transportation would be care of roads. Then why aren't some of these roads being fixed? And of course, we have to be very vigilant with the new community center. Now, the
old community center, I'm sure must have cost a lot of money to heat and cool that place because it was very outdated. So hopefully this new center is far more economical when it comes to electricity and things like that. Just in the last couple of weeks the issue of Airbnbs and home-hotels has come up. Council will meet on Monday. We're speaking on Saturday, so we don't know what's going to happen, but the meeting agenda has already come out. It includes a staff report that offers a range of examples of what other towns are doing to regulate or not to regulate Airbnb-type operations and what are called home-hotels. What's your take on all of this? If you look under 20.1 of the General Commercial Bylaw, it states "tourist homes," and Airbnbs are tourist homes. They're short-term. They're meant for tourists to come in and stay in. So the bylaw is very specific. And if you look at the R1, R2, and R3 zoning definitions, those are residential. They say, "home accommodation." The people are not living in these [Airbnbs]. So it doesn't qualify as residential. Once it's under a corporation, it becomes a business. So that definitely takes it out of the just long-term rental or under a typical rental situation. So I'm definitely against it. It's right in the bylaws. Now, they may be looking to license it like a bed and breakfast so they say they can control it. That's not what the people want. They don't want transients. They don't want people coming in and out. I wouldn't want it, and I'm sure the CAO and the existing council members don't want it there beside them. We have these bylaws, and if the residents are happy with the bylaws, why do we need to change it? Why can't we enforce it? We should. You've got the Municipal Act and the Provincial Act, which allows us to impose fines when bylaws are not being adhered to. It's there. It's in black and white. The Town has limited bylaw enforcement capability. Could you see adding a couple of enforcement officers to enforce this? My motto is fiscal responsibility, meeting the community needs. So can we look at areas where our tax dollars are not needed so much and reallocating them to areas that are needed? If we can do that, definitely, we would need to have a bylaw officer. But what is there to do? All you need to do is look up who owns the homes, where those peoSee BAXTER next page
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continued from previous page ple live. They're not home accommodations. They're under a corporation name. Establish that the people aren't there and then we have the Provincial Acts to enforce it. You mentioned town staff. What level of confidence do you have in the current CAO? Do you see him staying on after October? Well, from I can hear from the public so far, no one seems to have much confidence in him. So I can't answer that question because I would like to know what he did in his job. I'm just one voice in the council, and I think the new council coming in, we will all take a good look at the situation and decide whether or not he's the right person for this town. Interesting that you say that you're just one person on council because I think the current mayor sees his position—or at least many perceive that he sees his position—as much more of a leader of council. Councillor Accursi, when we spoke to him a couple weeks ago, sort of dialed that back a little bit and said that no, the mayor is really only one-sixth or one-seventh of any given council. It's only a tie-breaking vote. How do you perceive the mayor's role? We're a team. And the people have elected their representatives from the
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018 area that they're at. A mayor is there not to lead but to ensure that we are all able to voice our opinion and to look at it and work together. The mayor is out there representing the whole town. It's not a question of,"I'm a leader, so what I say goes." It's just a question of we have to work together for the better of the community. Something else that has come up recently is the issue of public transportation. We have the Pelham bus—it's hard to tell how well-used it is because of the tinted windows. But it does run on a regular schedule. Is that sufficient? Probably at this particular point, again, we need to find out how often it's being used and what times it's being used. That being said, we need to go forward here. And my husband and I and my daughter we actually went— I've been touring the new center. What struck me was how many seniors are coming up and about. So they would be probably the biggest user of this transportation. If we're encouraging seniors to come to this area, we need to be able to provide for them. At the community center? Yes. And then there's condos going in at the corner of Merritt, I believe, and Rice. So these people going forward would probably use the transportation system more so than the families or the people that still would have cars. So I would not discontinue it because we are encouraging these seniors to move to this area.
We need to provide for them. No, the community center is not geared for the seniors, I'll tell you that because my husband walked in and he just said, "What's here for me?" I said, "Well, they have a walking track." How old is your husband? He’s going to be 70. So he was like, "Okay." And my daughter, she just came in here and she said, "Okay. Is this what's—?" I said, “Yeah, this is it." I said we need to go forward on this, but that was my husband's first reaction. So for seniors, if we want to attract them to this area, which is what we seem to be gearing towards—and I think even the Mayor had made a comment about how many seniors had moved into this area—then we need to make sure that we've got facilities to help them, to give them the quality of life that they need. Is there enough affordable housing here for seniors? We've heard from a fair number of older folks that as they consider either downsizing or going into assisted living they're not sure they can afford to stay here. I don't know if there's really a solution because it's like this in every town, every municipality. I've seen it in Niagara Falls. I've seen it in St. Catharines. We as a government have no control over the builders and who owns these buildings and makes them apartments. Somebody was telling me that across the road here, they're paying three to four
Page 13
thousand dollars a month to live in one of those apartments. Well, do we have a control over that or any of these retirement homes? The government can't tell them how much to charge. So unless we take over the job of having government-subsidized housing is the only way we can ensure that they can afford to live there. Since you mention it, the Town was involved in the creation of the Pelham Seniors Apartments on Pelham Town Square several years ago. The Town has no involvement there now, but the building itself does continue to receive upper-tier subsidies for a third or so of its tenants. Is that something that you're okay with? Government subsidies to help seniors pay rent? For sure. For sure. Because these are the people that have contributed their lives and their earnings to our economy and to where we are today. They deserve to be able to have a quality of life as they get older. If this is something we can do, I would definitely look into it. I would definitely support it for sure. There's been an increase in traffic along Highway 20, and pretty much everywhere in town. How do we cope with that? There are safety issues. You've got kids walking, you've got people on bicycles. When the Ministry of Transportation had their meeting before they widened the highway, it was up at the fire hall, and I had
gone to it, and I had spoken my concern to the person representing the Ministry of Transportation, and his words were, "Well, this is the way we're going to do it. There's nothing you can do about it." And I said to him, "Why are you making four lanes into a three-lane and two lanes going up a hill? We have trucks flying down here, and most of them shouldn't even be in this area. They're bypassing the QE weigh scales.” And he says, "Well, it's part of our projection, and this is what we're doing." He wouldn't answer me. He wouldn't do anything. Yet the Ministry of Transportation is responsible for our highways, and the Region is only responsible for the side roads, right? I mean, we do have traffic bylaws. Highway 20 is a Regional road. But it was the Ministry of Transportation who widened it to the four lanes, right? And they should be the ones to kind of ensure—I've seen the police officers up there, and they're there on a Sunday afternoon or a Sunday morning. They sit at corner of Timmsdale and Highway 20. And I'm thinking, "Okay. You catch the odd speeder. Why aren't you here Friday afternoon when the truckers are all barreling through trying to get home, going through stoplights?" I don't see them at that time. So this is something that we need to address with the Ministry of Transportation. How? That's something that you have to kind of talk with
them. You have to research what we can do about it. We have schools along here. We have a retirement home. I've seen people up at Lookout trying to cross Highway 20. They're seniors, right? And these trucks are just booming right through, and they just totally disregard. Ninety percent of them can use the 406. And I guess one of the things that they could do is put a traffic circle in. Would you call on the Niagara Police to assign an extra officer or a dedicated traffic unit to Pelham? You can't stop people from driving through the town, but you can enforce the traffic laws that exist. So how do you fund that? How do you approach that enforcement question? I think it's back to looking at our finances, talking to the Niagara Regional Police or the Welland Detachment and seeing what we can do because it is a big concern. It is a very big concern the way the traffic is. And yes, we do have traffic bylaws and they should be adhered to. They are better-equipped as to how we can enforce it and what we can do to enforce it. And then we as a town council can then take a look at it and see what is needed in order to bring it through because I've almost been killed twice crossing Highway 20 right at the stoplight, right? I've got the walkway. And one thing is people off of Lookout, they'll turn left and they're not even looking —and I'm yelling at them. See BAXTER Page 17
Fonthill Platform Tennis Fonthill’s Best Kept Secret!
OPEN HOUSE and Registration
Wednesday Sept. 12, 6:30-8:30pm Thursday Sept. 13, 6:30-8:30pm Find us behind the old Pelham Arena parking lot 1120 Haist Street
Members will enjoy exercise, fresh air, and great winter fun. A sport for all ages, social events.
Men’s, Ladies, Mixed and Junior Play Recreational and Competitve Leagues Free clinics for new members New members to our club get 1/2 price membership for the first year.
Page 14
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
Page 15
SERVICE DIRECTORY Electrical Electrical
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Motorcycles, ATVs, Power Equipment, Snowblowers, Sales, Service, Parts & Accessories, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, KTM ● www.clarescycle.com
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Electrical
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ECRA/ESA licence #7011142
Places of Worship and Events Bethany Christian Reformed Church 1040 Balfour St., Fenwick
First Presbyterian Church 602 Metler Rd., North Pelham
Glad Tidings Church of God 1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill
Concordia Lutheran Church 105 Welland Rd., Fonthill
Fonthill Baptist Church 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill
Holy Trinity Anglican Church 1557 Pelham Street, Fonthill
Fenwick Church of Christ 765 Welland Rd., Fenwick
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1369 Rice Rd., Fonthill
Kirk on the Hill Presbyterian Church 1344 Haist St., Fonthill
Fenwick United Church 1050 Church St., Fenwick
Fonthill United Church 42 Church Hill, Fonthill
Pelham Community Church 461 Canboro Rd., Fenwick
continued from Page 6
New Wainfleet Fire Chief
Wainfleet Council has appointed Morgan Alcock as the Township’s new Fire Chief. “Chief Alcock is a progressive fire-service leader who understands and values the commitment that volunteer firefighters make to the com-
munity,” said Wainfleet CAO William Kolasa. “He strongly believes in the need to continuously support our volunteer firefighters and has worked in communities with demographics similar to Wainfleet.” Alcock has experience in fire-department management, training and operations, fire-service leadership, and emergency management. “I’m
Advertiser Fonthill Rlectric Ltd
Tarja Barton
Contact Name Taryn Wilton
graphics@thevoiceofpelham.ca
Contact Phone 905.401.5748
Ridgeville Bible Chapel 418 Canboro Rd.,email Ridgeville
St. Alexander’s Roman Catholic Church 50 Pelham Town Marketing Sq., Fonthill Director
THE
VOICE
Dave Burket St. Ann’s Roman Catholic email Church 834 Canboro Rd., Fenwick advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca
905.892.8690
IN THE NEWS
THE VOICE OF PELHAM
Pelham Evangelical Friends Church 940 Haist St.,Creative Fonthill Director
very pleased to have the confidence of Council and staff and I look forward to working to build on the hard work being done to position the Wainfleet Volunteer Fire Department for the future,” said Alcock.
New Mobile Adoption Unit
On September 8 and 9, the Lincoln County Humane Society (LCHS) will be at the Canadian
Approved By:
Pet Expo in Mississauga for a Microchip Clinic and Adoption Event. Some 17,000 people are expected to attend and view the agency’s adoption animals. On September 14, 15 and 16, the LCHS will work with other organizations to collaborate on the PetSmart Adopt-a-thon. The LCHS See IN THE NEWS next page
Contact email info@fonthillelectric.ca
Date:
The lame duck is a red herring. That's not on the menu, folks, I just like saying it.
Page 16
The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
COMMUNITY EVENTS & CLASSIFIEDS
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905-892-8690 FOUND Lady's religions medal. Please contact Fonthill Post Office at 905-892-6951.
KITCHEN STAFF NEEDED
Full time and part time cooks needed. One year experience is an asset but willing to train the right candidate. Send resume to pelhamstgrille@gmail.com or in person at 1507 Pelham St, Fonthill
CUSTOM MILL
Portable sawmill service. I will come to your home or farm and custom mill your logs. Firewood & lumber also available. Call Rob Patterson, 905-401-4948, riverwood@primus.ca
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trailer will be on site, and animals will also be available inside the store. On September 29, the LCHS will participate in the
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Volunteering with Girl Guides is a rewarding way to help girls and young women develop the best in themselves. No matter how much time you have to give, there’s a place for you in Guiding.
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Grande Parade of the Niagara Wine Festival, walking adoption dogs in the parade. Call 905-682-0767 for more information or to make a donation.
Ga
30, 8AM
Yard SALE, Bricklaying, tuckpointing, of Chr decorat step repair, granite coatings, brick slices items, S 1PM 6 P18-28 905-682-7061. FLOORING NORTH
Burke’s Masonry
guitar, bouzouki and a number of other instruments, our three virtuosos blend boundless energy with the unmistakable joie de vivre found only in HOUSE CLEANING traditional Quebec music. Show runs from 7-9 p.m. FRUIT FARM/GENERAL
House Cleaning available, weekly or bi-weekly. Call 905-892-4906.
FARM LABOURER
PELHAM LIBRARY CARD for seasonal/ APARTMENT FORMAKING RENT WORKSHOP Looking full time help. Make six cards with fall themes, learning a variety of techniques. Materials Applicant must be able One-bedroom basement apartment in Fonthill, $1,350, newly work min. 40-60 are provided. time wi-fi, of registration, please enquiretoabout tools needed. renovated, October 1,At includes sports channels, parking, hours/week in any side entrance. Call 905-892-7616. Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30. $10. Please register ahead. Visitconditions www.pelhamweather and weekends.Lifting 50 lbs library.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more details. comfortably is required. YOUR AD HERE Jobs included pruning, Planting trees, thinning FABULOUS FENWICK FRY Reach thousands of LIONS readersFISH weekly and harvesting fruit, and sorting Voice heading classified! Tasty treatswith witha funds straight back into the packing community. Haddock, fruit. No Experience Upand to 30 words for only: required. No Education french fries much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m.
$10
required, Must have own transportation. Min $14.00/hour. PELHAM MINOR HOCKEY EQUIPMENT SALE wage Please drop resume off at 825 Canboro Rd, Buy, sell or trade used equipment at the Pelham Arena. Aimed to provide Fenwick Ontario L0S cheaper options for playersOCNA in thisNetwork upcoming season. Runs Sept. 6 from Classified Ads 1C0
3 Paper Routes 9-12 in the morning. Available in Fonthill
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Week of Route 1–Beckett Cres, PELHAM MUDFEST Phone: 905-892-7898 August 27 Darby Ln, Milner Pl, WelFax: 905-892-4811 Men and women will be back in the mud as the second run on the year is lington Crt - 96 homes No Sunday Calls, Please TF held at32 Bissil’s Hideaway. Posted Route – Rolling August 23 Meadows Blvd, Meadowvale Dr, Rhodes Crt NIAGARA REGIONAL EXHIBITION – 106 homes Central Rodeo, games and live entertainment Route 42 – Woodside Region Ads headline included this years exciting event. It Sq, Meadowbrook Ln – runs from Sept. 11-14 at the Welland Fairgrounds. 92 homes This full-time position calls for a well-rounded reporter with all ability participating papers to cover aOntario wide range of community issues, from BIG MOVE CANCER RIDEThis ad is to be printed by the Town Council to interviews and longer profile pieces. PreviThe Big Move Cancer Ride is a non-competitive rideous taking place on Sept. news writing experience preferred but not required. More 7. Proceeds for the Big Move stay in Niagara and support the www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/writers Walker Faminformation: ilyCall Cancer Centre. Kindly send resume and writing samples to: (905) 892-8690 publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca for further information.
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WALKING CLUB Interested Pelham?Crimes Join them at investigation, the Pelham Arena Unit Tuesdays and of the GregSt. Kittsin walking innological the Cybercrime Unit exeory James McAdorey, 49, of child porn arrest from 9-10 am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There St. Catharines was arrested As as result of an investi- cuted a search warrant at is no fee for this program. For more information,and please contact jcook@ charged with one count gation that police say start- the St. Catharines home. A number of ext computer or call 905 892-2607, 329. sys- of Possession of Child Pored inpelham.ca April, last Wednesday, the OPP CSEU, along with members assigned to the FOR NRPSHAMPER I.C.E. unit,DAY the Tech-
tems and storage media were seized and forensically examined. As a result PELHAM CARES
nography and one count of Make Available Child Pornography.
Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the Market or bring a non-perishable food item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sept. 4.
Members of the public can report suspicious internet activities relating to child exploitation to the Niagara Regional Police Service, or online at www.cybertip.ca. Internet safety tips users are also available.
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The Voice of Pelham, August 29 2018
BAXTER
continued from Page 13 I'm thinking what about the little old lady in her wheelchair? She's trying to cross the street, right? I thought why don't they put a sign up there that says, "Look for pedestrians before you turn left." You know, Church Street [in downtown Fonthill] is another one here where a couple of times people are turning left because they see the green light and they think it's for them. Let's talk about that stoplight. About a year ago, council had what some folks thought was a not-very-bright idea to make that a right-turn-only intersection. At the bottom of Church Hill you'd only be able to turn right. Coming
COLUMN SIX
continued from Page 1 with not a single horse but a whole fleet. When the fleet indeed appeared from down the road behind a building they did not disappoint. Glossy, groomed, glowing white, they were all truly impressive specimens. Riding upon each horse was a policeman in ceremonial dress, each clasping a brass instrument in one hand, and the reins to their mount. When the whole lot of them had passed me by, there was no other option but to follow. I followed them down the block to another square, an opening the size of a basketball court in front of a church. I was not the only one who had been attracted to these pied trumpeters, and the square was quickly filling up. The horses swept through the square and arranged themselves into the outline of a half-moon, one policeman—the conductor, I presumed—remaining in front. And then they waited a long while. The square attracted even more passers-by as the moments accumulated, and soon the horses grew as restless as the spectators, pawing at the stone, shaking their coffin-like heads from left to right. I had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, or perhaps not so suddenly, since a quiet roar could be heard to grow inside, the doors to the
out of the arches, you would only be able to turn right onto Pelham Street. In a way, that would solve traffic flow. However, at the considerable expense of convenience. I don't think the light at the bottom of Church Hill really is helping anybody, to tell you the truth, and I've gone twice to the Town to complain about that because I almost got hit. I get very nervous. My grandchildren walk to the school there, and I said, "Don't take that way.” I don't like them walking on Highway 20 either, but of course the mother and father have instructed them you only cross where there's crossing guards. Everybody's in a hurry. They're wanting to get to where they're going and they turn left, right? So how can we do it? I don't
church were flung open, and a parade of people poured out, young and old, but mostly old, cheering, clapping, the sounds of singing behind them. Three or four habited nuns stood beside me, speaking Spanish, admiring the horses. After so long of struggling with Italian, I was pleased to hear a language I understood, and eavesdropped on them as they girlishly picked their favourite. “What is going on?” I asked of one. “Why are so many people here? Why are there horses, and the band?” She replied that it was a festival, the festival of Solennità Maria Santissima del Carmine, and that all of this was in honour of her. As I was told this, the back of the church finally emptied out, even more people in robes and cassocks, and the Santissima herself, on a litter. A dark-skinned plastic mannequin, life-sized, wearing a long white veil, she was carried by the crowd out into the open and held up
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know. Do you put stoplights where the arches are? But then if you do that, that'll back up traffic on people turning on to Highway 20. Unless they're programmed to be very quick so you can only quickly turn so that it keeps the traffic flowing. But now, a lot of people can bypass this and go straight down Port Robinson Road and come up Station Street to connect. So they can really bypass the town, right. That was part of the proposal. Route traffic down College to Station, left on Station up to 20, left on 20, back to downtown. So you're going around Robin Hood's barn basically to come back to Pelham Street. I don't think there's enough people that cross there at the corner of Church Hill and Pelham
high. Once she was in position the conductor raised his arms, and the band, at last, came to life, blasting out a song. I listened closely, and it seemed to be the Colonel Bogey March, a British tune based on the whistles of a golfing military man. When this bout of bogey was over, they immediately launched into another perplexing bit: New York, New York. I asked my sister friend, “Why are they playing this music to her? This is not Italian music. What does it have to do with this celebration.” “Nothing,” she said. “It’s just a party!” and went back to clapping her hands and swaying with the music. Seemingly the whole street was doing the same, one hand holding their phones and recording the events, the other waving in the air. When the Sinatra song was over, the place gave a rousing cheer. The Santissma was hoisted even higher in the air and carried back
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Page 17 Street to warrant that kind of inconvenience. I mean, I do walk into town. I walk all over the place. Maybe we need to take a stat on that—a lot of times I push it and there isn't even a car in sight. So, yeah, it's something that definitely would look into; but I think you need a little bit more stats. I don't think I would make people have to turn right and not left. We've covered this a little bit already, but if you were to name your top three priorities, what would they be for the next four years? Fiscal responsibility, meeting the community needs. The other one is definitely I think a traffic flow issue is here as well. But the other major one is the development. We need to have sustainable
into the church, being applauded all the way. It was the strangest thing I saw in my entire time in the country.
(
This month I began grad school at a Catholic university. I went to a mass for the first time, heard the tradition, fumbled along with the words while the others recited from a lifetime of memories, sat in the pew quietly during communion. That afternoon, a grand jury in Pennsylvania released a report detailing the abuse of some 1000 children by 300 priests over many decades. I heard talk of it in the hallway of my department, with faculty wondering what the university would do about the “crimes against humanity” in Pennsylvania. The next day, at orienta-
development with meeting the town's needs. We live in a beautiful area, and it's imperative that we maintain it for future generations. So how do we go about doing it? We have to work together. That's the bottom line. Just not one person can do it. So I'm hoping with the new council that's going to be coming in, that they all have the same vision of maintaining what we have but building on it. When you refer to development, do you mean less of it? I mean sustainable development. I mean development that enhances what we have, not just go ahead and pave over everything. What would be an example of sustainable development?
tion for international students, I was part of a group of 25 or so new arrivals to the US, including among them a priest from Uganda beginning a doctorate in theology. In making the rounds of the group, we introduced ourselves to everyone else, and when I spoke to this man, Father Linus, who looked to be about 40, I asked how long it had been since he entered the seminary. He said that he had been a priest for six years. I told him that I had just finished reading a novel narrated by a priest in Ireland, a man suited to the clergy but who nonetheless detailed the enormous sacrifice and commitment involved in the vocation, and I offered that it seemed to me to be one of the more difficult things that one could choose to do. I thought of
See BAXTER next page
how, in the story, when the priest begins his career he is revered, given seats on the train, goes weeks without needing to cook for himself, and how when he ends it he is a pariah, spat on in public, punched and arrested when trying only to return a lost boy to his mother. And I remembered how, in the litany of names named in reports in Ireland, the priest reads of his own friends charged, tried, guilty. And how he ends the book lying face down in the dirt, thinking to himself that, in his silence, he was “just as guilty as the rest of them.” Father Linus smiled, a bit sadly it seemed to me, and agreed that it was not an easy thing. “We need your prayers,” he said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “More than you can know.” ◆
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BAXTER
continued from previous page First of all, I don't think we need to build any more subdivisions out there. I think we need to control what we do have. We can't change the past. But we need to look at each individual and say, "Okay. Look at the architecture. Look at what's being put up. Who's building it?" Just things like that, and incorporating green space with development. Like I was saying about that plaza, we needed to put that back ten feet, put more trees in front that would absorb the gas and help the environment. We have to take a look at our infrastructure too. If you keep building and building and building, it's going to create more—we need more services. Look what's happening in Toronto when you have those flash floods. Our environment is changing. We have to think ahead. I mean, you can't stop growth, and you don't want to stop growth, but you can do it in a positive way. We've heard from some people who are familiar with the public works department that we have a
MONSTERS
continued from Page 6 decision. As reported in the Voice last week, the NEC has approved a 2,200 square foot
very aging vehicle fleet. There are bridges that are in fairly desperate need of repair and maintenance. It sounds like there's a long list of delayed and deferred expenses and basically zero cash to pay for them. How do you dig yourself out of that hole? We have to find areas that don't need the cash flow as much and reallocate it to the necessities. Infrastructure is a necessity. And if we don't prepare ourselves for that, then we're going to be in trouble down the road. So if it means that we have to cut back in some areas at this time, then that's what we need to do. Could you see raising property taxes? I would like not to. I think we need to look at what we have first. I don't know about you, but my property taxes aren't low. That to me is always a last, last option. Let's take a look and see if we can make other areas work first. So you're not saying, "Read my lips, no new taxes"? No one can project anything, and I'm not going to make a comment that I can't fulfill.
home located on property at the corner of Effingham and 16 Road. That decision was approved at the NEC meeting last Thursday with three votes against. Mine was one of the dissenting
Right. So maybe it's more,"Read my lips, there could be higher taxes"? I would say I wouldn't do that only— if it's a question of we have to raise the taxes by $25 in order to build and make sure the infrastructure is in place, yeah. If it's reasonable, if it's acceptable, and needs to be done, yeah. I'm not going to say no, definitely no new taxes, because there's needs. Is there anything about your personal style that distinguishes you, gives you an advantage over the other two candidates?
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Each of the candidates have their strengths and their own ways. Gary Accursi has been on the municipal board. So he has the advantage of being in municipal politics. But I've been in politics for 32 years, maybe not at the municipal level but definitely in the federal level. You're saying your work was political to some degree? Certainly. In order to do my job, I had to act in a lot of ways, and I'm acting as an agent for the federal government. So when I'm out there, I'm representing them. I have to ensure their integrity. And when you go for competitions, there's a lot of politics involved. I've seen all of that, what you need to do in order to get here and to get there. I mean, every time I went out the door, it was politics because many people— if you're out there to audit their books, they're not happy to see you. But I would say the majority of the time I always had a very good rapport with the public. So as far as understanding myself, I think just who I am. I think just what I've done in my past and that I stand for the
You don't want to stop growth, but you can do it in a positive way
votes. I provided three reasons for voting against the construction of this residence. The first was that it would permanently remove 20 acres of prime farmland
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from agricultural use. The second is that the edifice would create traffic issues as gawkers come to see the site and take pictures. (I referenced the “Castle” on House Road off Highway 3 in Stevensville, where there exists a modern-day castle surrounded by a moat which serves as the landing pad for a seaplane. Gawkers have been parked there taking pictures when I have visited the site.) Lastly, the pressure to expand the use into a commercial enterprise would be substantial whenever
town, the municipality. I think that makes me who I am. What was your reaction when Councillor Junkin resigned last year? I had respect for the fact that he stood up in what he believed in. If he felt quitting was the only way that he could bring that matter to the front, then I respect him for that. But once he quits, he's no longer there as a representative for his constituents. So you got elected to do a job, but I mean he certainly brought the matter to the forefront about that. Could he have done it in another way without quitting? So again, I'm not too sure about that, but I do respect him for standing up for what he believed in. Anything we haven't hit on? Anything you want to add? I think we pretty well covered everything. I'm going to have some brochures. My daughter is working with me on that. I just feel that this whole area is a beautiful place to live. And I just feel that, like I said before, it's sad to hear people saying they're leaving because of what's been going on. ◆
all the fine criteria in the NEP. Vertical visual impact is commonly a factor in reviewing a development permit and we prepare artists’ renditions of building height. The approval of this development was based on the fact that it did not conflict with any of the detailed development criteria; but, in my opinion, the big picture was not considered. I would hope that the 2012 position paper and related cases would become a topic of a future policy meeting. ◆
I provided three reasons for voting against the construction of this residence the current owner leaves the site. To be clear, the members who voted for this matter were correct in that the structure conforms to
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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
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Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation 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 ad-
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Haist Street traffic-calming measure a little too effective 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
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Request made of community still peeved at name change 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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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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Apple Day comes to Fonthill Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932 BY VOICE STAFF 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.”
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
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T 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.
“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
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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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn
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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“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
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
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MEATING THE VOTERS Hungry for questions at Supper Market last week were municipal candidates Marianne Stewart (Ward 1), Marvin Junkin (mayor), Mary Spehar (Ward 3) and Chris Fletcher (Ward 2). SUPPLIED PHOTO
LEGIONS OF CHANCES The Fonthill Legion’s Catch the Ace Game is well under way every Thursday night at Branch 613 on Highway 20 in Fonthill. The progressive jackpot has now surpassed the $1000 mark. Participants can purchase lottery tickets for a chance to “Catch the Ace” of Spades. The lucky ticket holder will win a percentage of the weekly proceeds and an opportunity to choose a card from the game board, in hopes of Catching the Ace of Spades to also win the progressive jackpot. The remaining proceeds from the lottery are donated to local charities. Pictured, 50/50 Draw winner Nathan Rozan and Catch the Ace Committee president, Scott Kenyon. SUPPLIED PHOTO
Page 19
IT'S UP TO SCRATCH Christening the ice recently at the new Meridian Community Centre were, from left, Brian Clement, Don Davis and Barry Ray. SUPPLIED PHOTO
HERE’S MY BOOK (SIGNING) Local author Michael Jacques, left, meets with Pat Rocca, Niagara Catholic District School Board Superintendent of Education, at Jacques’ recent book signing at the Fonthill Legion. The Fonthill branch of Pelham Library will host another signing on September 22, from 2 to 4 PM. Jacques’ book about growing up with autism, Can’t Read, Can’t Write, Here’s My Book, is for sale at Fonthill Sobeys. SUPPLIED PHOTO
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Voting made easy in Wainfleet BY REBECCA LOTT
Special to the VOICE
Voting comes right to your mailbox in Wainfleet. This will be the second municipal election in Wainfleet using the vote-by-mail system. It allows property owners and cottagers to vote, even if they aren’t in Wainfleet on election day. In 2014, before the last municipal election, Wainfleet Township Council approved a bylaw allowing for voting by mail. Before the last election in 2014, optical scanning vote tabulators and vote recorders were also approved for use. Prior to the vote by mail, Wainfleet had a 49% voter turnout in the 2010 election. In the 2014 election, with the new system, that number rose to 53%. “It was good to see the results increase,” said William Kolasa, Wainfleet CAO. “2014 was successful and we are hoping to build on that success.” The vote-by-mail method was adopted because it would simplify and centralize the whole process.
“The participation rate is definitely high in Wainfleet,” said Margaret Corbett, Wainfleet Deputy Clerk and Election Coordinator. “They are very engaged.” Grimsby and Lincoln have already adopted an internet voting system, but Wainfleet is the only municipality in Niagara to take the vote-by-mail approach for reasons of accessibility and reception. The vote-by-mail system is less expensive and it gets the vote out to everyone. There are costs for postage but the Township saves on not having to rent polling station space, set up and hire election staff. With regard to the possibility of fraud or tampering, Kolasa said, “There are protections in place to ensure the person casting the ballot is the person eligible to vote.” Staff is currently working on a plan in the case of a mail service disruption. “We’re worried about that, as is everyone,” said Kolasa. “We’re obviously hopeful and have some contingencies in place.”
The participation rate is definitely high in Wainfleet
The vote tabulator.
REBECCA LOTT PHOTO
Leading up to the October election, the Township will mail eligible voters a voter kit starting September 24, which includes instructions, a ballot, and a voter declaration form. The voter mails back the completed ballot and declaration form, in a prepaid postage envelope. Ballots will be kept in a ballot holding box and at 8 PM on voting day, they will be counted by a tabulator. In the event of a re-
count, ballots would be put back through the tabulator. To ensure that ballots are returned in time to be counted on election day, electors are asked to place completed voter kits in the return mail by October 11, 2018. They can also be returned personally to the Township offices. On voting day (Monday, October 22) only, ballots may also be returned to the Moore Room in the
Wainfleet Arena, 31917 Park Street, until 8:00 PM. If you are a resident, owner or tenant of property in the township, a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years of age, you may vote in Wainfleet’s municipal and school board elections. If you own property in Wainfleet and are not a Canadian citizen, you cannot vote in this election. In the event of a disruption to mail services, please visit www. wainfleet.ca for additional information. To obtain a voter kit at the Township office, electors should present two pieces of identification. To check if you are on the voters’ list go to www.voterlookup.ca
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