The Voice, December 4 2019

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Vol.23 No.47

December 4, 2019

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Ombudsman: Regional CAO hire "inside job"

Above, Niagara Regional Council meets on July 5, 2018. Far right, former Region of Niagara CAO Carmen D'Angelo; centre right, former Regional Council Chair Alan Caslin; right, Jason Tamming, former Region Communications Director, and previous to that Caslin's Communication Director.

YOUTUBE IMAGES

BY JOHN CHICK

Special to the VOICE

After an investigation that lasted well over a year, the Ontario Ombudsman concluded last Friday that the hiring of former Niagara Region CAO Carmen D’Angelo was rigged from the start.

To drive home his point, Ombudsman Paul Dubé titled his report, “Inside Job.” D’Angelo was hired by the Region in 2016, and the following

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year had his contract secretly extended in a unilateral move by former Regional Chair Alan Caslin. D’Angelo left Niagara following Caslin’s electoral defeat last year, and sued the Region for more than $1 million. The Ombudsman’s office opened its investigation in August 2018 after receiving almost 200 complaints about D’Angelo’s hiring process.

Ombudsman investigators conducted 46 interviews and reviewed thousands of digital doc-

uments. The Ombudsman also engaged an auditing firm with expertise in computer forensics to review the digital evidence and address allegations that the leaked documents might have been tampered with or “planted.”

No evidence was found to support such allegations.

Digital files retrieved from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), where D’Angelo worked before he was hired

by Niagara Region in the fall of

2016, showed that he envisioned the replacement of the Regional’s previous CAO as far back as December 2015, when he authored a spreadsheet called “CAO Critical Path.” The spreadsheet accurately predicted the day that Regional Council tried to fire the then-CAO a month later, and set out a timeline for the recruitment of the new CAO. Prior to and throughout the recruitment process, Angelo downloaded eight documents contain-

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ing confidential information or help from Regional insiders to his NPCA computer.

“Mr. D’Angelo was provided with confidential documents before and throughout the hiring process,” Dubé wrote in his report. “These included a report on the makeup of the recruitment committee, the names and biographies of potential candidates, and questions and suggested anSee RIGGED back page

Page 2

The Voice, December 4, 2019

Suspect sought in Pelham thefts NRPS impaired

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

by Dave Burket

Corrections at the top: In a news brief relating to Pelham Town Council’s Nov. 18 meeting, we erroneously reported that Mountainview Homes had been granted variances relating to certain properties under development in East Fonthill. In fact, as the ever-alert reader and community volunteer Bill McInerney points out, council gave Mountainview permission to take their request to the Committee of Adjustment, where they could make their case for the proposed changes. Council did not grant the requested variances. What the committee may recommend, and whether council agrees or disagrees with said recommendation, is yet in the future...

My kingdom for a flashlight: From the looks of the Hydro One outage map, a huge chunk of Pelham, and parts of Lincoln, were without power for several hours on Sunday. That’s prime page-layout time for the Voice. After scrambling to find a working flashlight, then a camp lantern, we got back to work, though this week’s issue is four pages shorter than it might have been otherwise. Our power came back around 5 PM, but we heard that much of Fonthill was still in the dark until midnight. Is this really the winter we have ahead? Oy… Shiny balls: The Pelham Historical Society’s Carolyn Botari advises that the group has mounted a new display, at the Fonthill library, of antique glass Christmas balls and other vintage tree decorations, and extends the Society’s wishes for a merry Christmas to all...While we’re in the building: Happening this Wednesday in the Fonthill branch, our very own Jane Bedard reads from her new book, There’s No Place Like Home, from 7 to 9 PM (ad, p. 10). We’re reliably informed that wine will be served, and does anything lubricate a book reading better?...A night of appreciation: It was genuinely heartwarming to see so much joy in the room last Tuesday evening at the community centre (story, p. 3). Community volunteers were recognized for their service throughout the year. Marc MacDonald, Pelham’s Communications and Public Relations Specialist, on hand to document the event, made an astute observation, one borne out by the evidence in this issue: “If you look at the photos, many of the people speaking with the Mayor have genuine, visible smiles, laughs, you name it. Whatever connection he has with these people is true and organic. I think I noticed this more than anything else that evening.”...Holiday events ramping up: As I type, it’s Cyber Monday, although I admit to jumping the gun and doing some online ordering last Friday. Try as I might, I had been unable to find a small, but not tiny, cast iron frying pan locally—there were about six on Amazon. Button clicked. For local bargains, see the many ads throughout this issue. On that score, there are only two more editions before Christmas, so if you have a message to get out there, get it to us now!...The internet won’t help you: Everything you need to solve the Puzzler is in these pages...look carefully! ♦

driving charges

Detectives look to identify female targeting retirement homes

BY VOICE STAFF In October, according to a police statement released Monday, detectives with 3 District (Welland) Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB) began investigating allegations of theft at retirement homes in Pelham and Welland.

The investigation revealed that over the span of approximately a month, from late October to late November, a female is believed to have committed numerous thefts from residents rooms within the retirement homes. Detectives are asking for assistance in identifying the female suspect in the accompanying photos.

She is described as a white female, between the ages of 25 and 40, with a heavier build.

Detectives have reason to believe this female has committed numerous thefts at retirement homes throughout the Niagara Region and are asking other area homes to review their surveillance video for the female, and to report incidents involving her to police for further investigation.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact detectives at (905) 6884111, dial option 3, badge # 9588 or via email at david. sinclair@niagarapolice.ca.

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The solution is before your eyes Search and ye shall find Deadline: 6 PM, Sat., Dec. 7 / Good luck!

$30 Peter Piper’s Gift Certificate

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Read full Puzzler rules and conditions at: http://www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/the-pelham-puzzler/

Ahoy! Hope Henderson, Tania Malaschenko, Edie Kouros, and Kim Wiley on their Mediterranean Holland America Cruise!

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office@thevoiceofpelham.ca

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The Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like RIDE. Impaired driving is still the leading cause of criminal deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.

The

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puzzler@thevoiceofpelham.ca

In an effort to bring further attention and deterrence to driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, the Niagara Regional Police Service reports the names of those people who are charged with an alleged criminal impaired driving offence in the Region. None of the following charges have been proved in court.

In addition to being charged, these individuals are also bound by a Ministry of Transportation 90-Day Administrative Driver’s License Suspension and are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle on a roadway. The public is encouraged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service Traffic Safety Hotline or Crime Stoppers to report those who are driving in contravention of the suspension.

The following individuals have been charged criminally with impaired driving by alcohol or drugs, driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 80 mgs of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, or refusing to provide a breath / blood sample.

Jason KOONS, 44, Jamestown NY Helen A. MORNEAULT, 56, Niagara Falls Karl R. COCKBURN, 32, Niagara Falls Barbara J. KNAPP, 75, Fort Erie Julie A. MACRAE, 39, Niagara Falls James R. CAMPBELL, 61, St. Catharines Joshua D. STRAUSS, 28, Fort Erie Carly DELORME, 26, Niagara-on-the-Lake Shane G. STEFANAC, 43, Niagara Falls Simone R. GREENWOOD, 45, Welland Dylan L. PARE, 28, Welland Jacqueline E. READ, 27, Niagara-on-the-Lake Scott E. PROCTER, 31, Guelph Luke R. MERCIER, 27, No Fixed Abode Cristian ORELLANA CHACON, 21, Thorold Iain J. BUCKINGHAM, 53, North Chesterfield VA Kolton M. HEATHERWICK, 21, Grimsby Kevin M. PIERCE, 27, Welland Rebecca H. ALVERSON-SANDERSON, 24, Niagara Falls Zhe CAO, 27, St. Catharines Cody P. KARABANIK, 20, Port Colborne Carrie A. SMITH, 38, Lancaster NY Wade K. SIMMONDS, 32, Fort Erie John S. JARRAMILLO ORREGO, 28, Hamilton Ryan M. LABELLE, 20, Port Colborne Calvin E. CAGE, 35, Bowie MD Cole W. IRVINE, 27, Baysville Trevor J. LUTZ, 39, Welland

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The Voice, December 4, 2019

Page 3

Pelham’s Volunteer Appreciation Awards Annual event recognizes those who serve community

BY VOICE STAFF Throughout the year, an army of volunteers give their time, effort, and expertise to help various groups in Pelham provide services to the public.

Last Tuesday at the community centre, the Town gave them some recognition—and food and drink—in return.

Some 150 invited guests were invited to hear Mayor Marvin Junkin and Ward 1 Councillor Mike Ciolfi speak about some award-winning efforts by Pelham volunteers. CAO David Cribbs was on hand, as were all Pelham Town councillors—with the exception of Ward 2 Councillor Ron Kore, who does not routinely attend either public or Town staff social functions.

After proceedings were briefly delayed while waiting for a late-arriving MPP Sam Oosterhoff, delayed by GTA traffic, Junkin began by praising those in the room.

“When I took this job, someone asked me what’s the best thing about [it],” said Junkin. “It’s meeting the great people of this town, and it blows me away how many people we have in town who are so committed.”

Oosterhoff and MP Dean Allison echoed these sentiments, noting how volun-

teering can help make a town a community and a community a home.

It blows me away how many people we have in town who are so committed

In total, 22 recipients were acknowledged—both peer and corporate— spanning community clubs to town committees and groups in between. Winners were not informed beforehand, their selection having been made by their nominating organizations. This led to a few no-shows, with awards being accepted instead on their behalf. Only two or three winners were game for making an acceptance speech, most notably Gordon Marasco, who threatened at one point to pull out a list “that would take a half-hour to

Above, from left, Mayor Marv Junkin, award winner Frank Adamson, and Councillor Mike Ciolfi share a laugh. Below, some 150 guests enjoyed snacks and live tunes at the event.

MARC MACDONALD PHOTOS

See AWARDS Page 11

Niagara Region Transit is now available in Pelham Route 70A/75A picks up residents at the Meridian Community Centre and connects them to Welland and St. Catharines

Plan your trip by downloading the Transit App from the app store or by visiting niagararegion.ca/transit

Page 4

The Voice, December 4, 2019

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 Colin Brezicki The X Factor

T

O FIND OUT WHO you are these days you need to start with a dictionary.

Mine tells me I’m now “cisgender.”

That means I’m not a woman. Neither in body nor mind.

And I’m not an X. Though if I want to be one I just have to say so. I can have an X on my birth certificate, my driver’s license and anything else to identify me as non-binary.

Should I one day discover that deep inside I’m a woman after all, then I’d automatically have a woman’s rights. Bill C-16 now makes it unlawful for anyone to discriminate against me because of my “gender expression and identity.”

Whatever the rest of me might look like, it’s mind over matter. I’m a woman, and that’s all she wrote.

I support any law that aims to protect transgendered people. They have a tough life, often being “othered” by family, friends, employers, colleagues and the public at large. Twenty percent suffer physical and sexual assault, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association.

So, what about the ones who some persist in calling real women. Meaning biological women.

Whatever the rest of me might look like, it's mind over matter

Not surprisingly, some women feel that the rights and freedoms they’ve struggled to achieve over the past century are now compromised, that the definition of “woman” itself is under siege.

While one’s sex remains pretty well straightforward in terms of our reproductive kit, gender is a social “construct.” It’s determined less by your chromosomes than by your nurturing, culturing and interacting with other humans. You don’t need a

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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

1428 Pelham Street, P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 Office open: Monday - Thursday 8 AM - 2 PM

(905) 892-8690

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca PUBLISHER & EDITOR Dave Burket publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca ADMINISTRATION Lori Gretsinger office@thevoiceofpelham.ca CONTRIBUTORS Mike Balsom, Jane Bedard, Carolyn Botari, Colin Brezicki, Rosemary Chambers, John Chick, Larry Coté, Gloria J. Katch, Megan Metler, John Piccolo, Bill Potrecz, Bernie Puchalski, John Swart, Mike Tucker, Rob Weatherby NEWS INQUIRIES & TIPS editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca

note from your doctor to say you’re transgender because there’s no scientific evidence of it. You don’t need a note at all. Your gender is what you feel and it’s fluid.

Except when it’s not.

Recently, someone who felt they were more a woman than a man was refused admission to the Body Blitz Spa in Toronto because it’s a woman-only establishment. Women bathe in the healing waters, have saunas and massages, while wearing little or nothing and feeling comfortable doing so. Seeing a male appendage up close or even at a distance isn’t quite what they’re there to experience.

For many, it’s what they’ve come to escape.

In Canada, a woman is killed by her intimate partner every six days, one in three women has experienced sexual assault, and the MeToo movement itself is about raising awareness of harassment and assault against biological women.

It’s not surprising that a perceived male presence in a women’s spa might trigger unpleasant memories and emotions.

See FACTOR Page 6

Letters Appreciates Glynn A. Green staff Moving to a new community can be stressful for any family. This summer, our family decided to make the transition from Hamilton to Fonthill.

We had always admired the beauty of this small town. Along with the friendly citizens and community feel, we also experienced another pleasant surprise…Glynn A. Green school.

When starting the school year, our children were incredibly nervous. However, the staff at Glynn A. Green have been fantastic and welcoming. From positive phone calls home to greeting the children upon arrival, we know that our children are being sup-

ported by caring adults. When our children come home excited about school and talking warm-heartedly about their teachers, we know that something right is happening.

No school is perfect. Sometimes it is easy to criticize and find fault.

However, we must support our schools and education system. We must be positive partners in the development of our children.

Thank you for the great start, Glynn A. Green.

Greg Frail Fonthill

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS 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

Ward 1 Councillor Mike Ciolfi mciolfi@pelham.ca 905-892-0077

Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755

Councillor Marianne Stewart mstewart@pelham.ca 289-821-0840

Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 289-929-2681 Councillor Diana Huson diana.huson@niagararegion.ca 905-324-3094 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607

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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, December 4, 2019

Page 5

OPINION Where is the real justice?

COMMENTARY / OP-ED

The Ontario Ombudsman’s office report is now complete on the tainted hiring of the Regional CAO Carmen D'Angelo, and the public can now see the degree of truth and cover-up on this monumental scandal. Mr. Dubé, who led this investigation, made 16 recommendations to prevent this from happening in the future, but admits they are not the police force. I say until the day comes where all politicians are held accountable for their actions in a court of law, scandals of this nature will never stop, and the poor taxpayer will always be on the hook for the cleanup.

Robert Milenkoff Welland

In Pelham, law hasn't changed In response to your interview with CAO David Cribbs [The Conversation: There oughta be a law, Nov. 27, p. 7], the CAO states that after one inspection of a home that had a permit, and staff at the Town (Bylaw Department) saw there was more renovation than the original permit allowed, that staff would request the owners to seek an amendment for zoning or another permit.

This contradicts the CAO’s argument in the paper for several reasons, as follows: 1. When a complaint was made by many neighbours on Emmett Street about the fact that a single-family dwelling was renovated into a duplex— which is illegal unless ultimately approved by this Council through a zoning amendment process—staff failed to do anything about it.

2. The CAO and the Director of Planning and Economic Development met with neighbours and said that they inspected the home in question four times (staff that inspected are Bylaw and the Building Department) and it would be

harassment if they required any more inspections. The question is, if the one inspection identified by the CAO in the Voice would suggest that staff would know that things in the home are different from what was on the original building permit, how is it possible that the home was inspected four times and staff did not realize two separate units in the house existed. Neighbours even provided original pictures of the house to the Town to show how the house was before the purchase by the new owners in approximately December of 2018.

3. The CAO said that the laws have changed about zoning within our municipality, citing a new Provincial Policy Statement (PPS).

In fact, the new provincial legislation is not in effect as of 2019. It is a proposed Policy Statement about growth that will be implemented by the provincial government in early 2020. This policy, according to the province, when implemented in early See ZONING next page

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Long road to rebuilding trust in Niagara Region

I

H AV E NO T R E A D THE Ombudsman’s report on the hiring of Carmen D’Angelo, only summaries of it, but I have a colleague who has shared input on some details. It appears that the Ombudsman has shared the views of the prior reports on the matter made by the Toronto lawyer and Western University professor. I sense from social media that many are seeking action or penalty for individuals and are frustrated that none are recommended. While some matters appear to be in litigation, I think that a large segment of the public will not be satisfied with the report itself.

I would like to comment on my part in this with some history of my relationship with Mr. D'Angelo. I served on the NPCA Board with Mr. D'Angelo for a number of years. When I heard that some members of that board might seek appointment on staff, I emailed the Chair to request that a third-party HR firm be contracted should that be the case, as there would be a perceived impropriety should a former board member be appointed. That direction was not taken and David Barrick was appointed to a staff position.

However, the CAO position was conducted through an HR firm. Mr.

D'Angelo was one of those candidates brought to the board for consideration.

I voted against his appointment in favour of Ms. Woods, the then-Acting CAO. Despite this, Mr. D'Angelo requested me to be a reference when he applied for the CAO position at the Region of Niagara. I agreed.

I think that a large segment of the public will not be satisfied with the report itself

Despite the impression that I offered a personal reference in support of Mr. D'Angelo, there was no personal letter of recommendation. I simply responded to questions related to my knowledge of him and comments on his performance. I shared the good, the bad and the warts. I indicated that I did not support him as NPCA CAO due to his lack of conservation background and experience (although he was an experienced paramedic leader and held

a Masters in Public Administration.) I also expressed that these shortcomings would be magnified at the regional level. I also noted the staff tensions following his appointment as NPCA CAO and the resultant unionization of staff as well as resultant protests and negative press. According to a colleague who has read the Ombudsman's report, paragraph 121 indicates that negative comments from references were removed prior to submission to the hiring committee. I was unaware of this.

As a former Regional councillor, I am disturbed by the deceptions around the hiring of this CAO, but even more concerned about the longer term deception of council about the true costs of water and wastewater as well as the suppressed costs of capital projects.

Also, despite being told repeatedly that incentive programs yielded a five to nine times return on investments, a recent Regional report indicated that this is false. Such longer-term deceptions, undertaken under the guide of “taxpayer affordability,” predated Mr. D’Angelo’s tenure The Ombudsman's report is a step towards accountability but there is a long road to travel to reestablish public trust. ♦

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Page 6

Letters

The Voice, December 4, 2019

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

continued

ZONING

Cannabis in Pelham: Just say no

"Helicopter parents" need something better to do

2020, will have a transitional period.

Given that we are a lower-tier municipality it could take approximately a year for any part of the PPS to be implemented. If any resident of the Town of Pelham wants to confirm this information, please call 1-416-585-6014. This will provide proof that all zoning currently is under the current bylaw which needs to be enforced.

4. Mr Cribbs would you please provide reference where you state you need furniture and people to make it a duplex. All my research I have found a duplex is a building with two separate entrances. If one duplex is not rented, it still is a duplex.

5. Residents of Pelham, if the PPS is adapted and becomes law in Pelham your neighbour could demolish and/or renovate their house into duplex, fourplex or even an eightplex. We would not have single family zoning R-2. Call your councillors, CAO Cribbs, or voice your opinion to the Voice, that we are not Toronto and we do not want multi-family dwellings or our zoning changed.

Carol Jones Fonthill

How many residents in Pelham enjoy the smell of marijuana being grown? I think there should be no weed production at all in the town. I’m sure a fair number of you would agree.

First, the smell of this drug is too much to bear when you walk outside. The odour is still present even several blocks away from these facilities. I hope the Town will listen to people’s opinions more than earning revenue from this once-illegal drug.

This all started when the federal Liberal government decided that cannabis should be legal. I was against weed being legalized in this country, and I feel that possession, cultivation, and usage should still be a minor criminal offense. But now that this Canadian law has been passed, we can still ask the Town of Pelham to shut down operations of any cannabis growers.

Finally, I have many reasons to state why this drug should stay out of our small town. The main reason I would like to voice my thoughts on this subject is the health effects associated with exposure to marijuana. Not just the foul odours are a problem with this drug. It causes cancer and other health concerns with prolonged exposure.

In conclusion, I hope the Town of Pelham will listen to its residents’ concerns about this controversial issue.

Brendan Young Fonthill

I’m so dismayed with the reports carried in the Voice about Glynn A. Green school.

I think it’s high time that this school is supported by the public and those whose children attend and have attended there.

My daughters attended Glynn A. Green and graduated from the school. It was a wonderful school. I can’t express how great a school it was. Staff were supportive and looked out for the best interests of everyone.

Did I like every one of the staff, no, but I didn’t see any need to go public with that.

The staff (whether or not I liked them) achieved the common goal of having my daughters graduate… without any locked doors in the school for the entire time they attended at the school. I never worried about unlocked doors. The only security needed were signs posted that said all visitors must report to the office. For all intents and purposes, everyone seemed to follow that procedure.

I know many children who have attended at the school since my daughter’s graduated. I have never heard a bad word uttered about the school and the staff. I live in very close proximity to the school and I can tell you the spirit is still there.

Every morning, every afternoon, parents

continued from previous page

FACTOR

continued from Page 4 As feminist Meghan Murphy has said, considering the extent to which male violence and fear of male violence shapes women’s lives, it should not be unreasonable to keep certain spaces free from male bodies—

even if the people in those bodies identify as women.

She, like activist Sheila Jeffreys (both call themselves “gender critical”) believe that the idea of “gender identity” disappears biology and all the experiences that those with female biology have of being reared in a caste system based on sex.

Murphy has been a con-

troversial figure recently in Vancouver and Toronto, where angry rallies have protested her appearance at the cities’ public libraries, and demanded to have her de-platformed for spreading transphobic hate speech.

Murphy, for her part, speaks against the decision in April by Vancouver City Council to withdraw fund-

ing from the city’s Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter because it excludes transgender women.

Pride Vancouver and Pride Toronto have since severed relations with the libraries for allowing Murphy to speak, and Toronto Mayor John Tory has criticized the library for not “disappearing” her speaking engagement.

So have Fay and Fluffy.

They are two transgender women belonging to Drag Queen Story Hour that performs for children in libraries across North America. An organization that’s been criticized for indoctrinating children is duly accorded a right to perform.

It’s what libraries do.

“Why would Murphy encourage targeting people like ourselves who are already marginalized by society?” asks Fay. Good question, except Murphy doesn’t. Or at least says she doesn’t. Trans people absolutely deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. But as many feminist and women’s groups have argued, Bill C-16 has

support the school and when an event is held at the school, I can’t get in or out of my driveway with the support shown by the parents.

Reading the recent article [More friction at Fonthill school, Nov. 20, p. 9], I have many things I could say about this parent, but my perception of this parent is irrelevant.

All I will say is there are a few helicopter parents in every school.

The front-line staff at the school, every school, are human, as is at the principal and also the staff at the DSBN offices including the Superintendent and so on.

Humans make mistakes, it’s in our nature.

While the picture of this child should not have been on social media, it was reportedly removed quickly when the mistake was realized. I have trouble believing it was done maliciously. I have to ask why is this mother lurking around the school staff’s social media accounts? Who appointed her to monitor social media accounts? Sounds like she needs something to do, like maybe a job.

The article goes on about a “temporary” staff person making a mistake and reporting this girl as not being present. The key

the capacity to actually undermine women’s rights.

Some feminists deny Murphy’s credentials as a feminist at all, saying she only “self-describes” or “self-identifies” to be one, when really she’s not.

That’s a bit rich, says commentator Rex Murphy (no relation to Meghan), and not the ideal tactic “for a movement itself built on self-identification and self-description.”

Once again, what we have here is a failure to communicate. To “have these conversations,” as some like to say, though they say it in a manner which makes me think the conversations have already been had because if the real ones were to take place at all someone might be offended.

We already have way too many people telling us what their God thinks about transgender people.

Bringing morality into an issue only intensifies the shouting match.

So what’s the solution?

It’s not Bill C-16. Any law just tells us what we can’t legally do anymore,

Annual Municipal Drain Open House December 18, 2019 5-6 p.m.

Fire Station #2 766 Welland Road, Fenwick Your chance to receive and provide information on municipal drains and their maintenance.

Questions can be directed to Mike Zimmer, Drainage Superintendent, at mzimmer@pelham.ca or 905-892-2607 x323

www.pelham.ca

See HELICOPTER Page 12

it doesn’t solve the traffic jam that results whenever two sets of opposing rights and freedoms collide head-on. That’s for us, not government, to figure out.

It’s up to reasonable parties to examine the problem, listen to the feelings of those concerned, explore the possible alternatives without shouting at each other, and apply the one that causes least harm to everyone.

If, as a member of one vulnerable group, I discover that my presence in certain circumstances would unnerve a much larger and perhaps more vulnerable group, do I not have the option of forming my own group of like-minded people? Wouldn’t it be reasonable for me to consider doing that?

Inclusiveness always sounds like a great idea, but in practice it can create all kinds of problems. In any case, is inclusiveness in our DNA or is it just another social construct?

Like rights and freedoms?

The Israeli writer and history professor Yuval Harari observes that while some questions are impossible to answer, they’re always better than answers that can never be questioned. ♦

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Letters

The Voice, December 4, 2019

Page 7

Quiet scene at deer hunt

continued

BY BRIAN GREEN

Proving the point about good and bad fences Regarding the comments made by CAO Cribbs in his interview [There oughta be a law, Nov. 27, p. 7], this is a photo of our neighbor’s fence, and it does make an impact on our quality of life—as for our quiet enjoyment of our property, forget that.

The neighbor grinds and welds even on a Sunday, so between the noise and the smell of whatever products he uses plus the fence/wall, it is not enjoyable to use our backyard. We are in our 80s and feel it is time for our R&R. We have built our home here 55 years ago and have never had a problem with a neighbor. Our children played with their children, grandchildren played with their grandchildren, their dog protected us as it did them...there was no need of a fence! To put it to you plainly, Mr. Cribbs, bylaw enforcement is a necessity for one and all for our town to entice others to live amongst us.

I read that council is thinking of hiring another bylaw officer. What for?

The two we have aren't too eager to enforce a bylaw. Mr. Cribbs mentioned the number of hours spent on enforcement...by whom, I might ask.

Also, please someone tell me this isn't what he was saying, that I am misunderstanding Mr. Cribbs’ plan for someone wanting to put a two- family dwelling in R2 zoning, they will have to wait until the Town changes the bylaw to suit that one person with no consideration for the folks that have lived there, and followed the bylaw for single dwellings, or those on Peachtree where those properties will be swamped right out.

I put a question to the Mayor, council, CAO, Fire Chief, and Bylaw Officer: "What does a family do when they want to sell their home and find that the Town of Pelham have caused their

Special to the VOICE

property value to go down drastically, or, even worse, not to be able to sell at all due to lack of Town of Pelham bylaws not being enforced?"

Would any of them want to buy a property that has problems attached to it? I think not!

Back to our fence issue. We are not saying that the fence was built on the line, we are simply saying it has been erected by someone who knew the bylaw was 6 ft. from the ground because we told him and he stated it would be built to bylaw rules. It is not!

I read that Mr. Cribbs is possessed by reams of public policy knowledge. Then why did he send us on two wild goose chases which led us right back to Pelham Town Hall. We first were sent to the courthouse in Welland to speak to the Justice of the Peace. Alas, there is no Justice of the Peace there. They sent us to East Main St. in Welland, which is only for traffic violations. We returned home .I sent an email to our Mayor. We were then sent to 59 Church St. St. Cath-

arines. They didn't know what we were talking about, as it is not something the Justice of the Peace deals with. We were then sent to 71 King St., St. Catharines, who were very informative and told us we needed to go right back to Pelham Town Hall, as it is their ordinance and to reconfirm it go St. Catharines City Hall, who told us the same thing—go to your Pelham Town Hall.

By this point we were pretty teed-off (not exactly the phrase I'd like to use).

All we want is the bylaw to be enforced, without hiring a lawyer. We then said we will do it our way, so we certainly hope the bylaw officer will not tell us we are breaking the bylaw.

We are told that we, the penny-pinching taxpayers, should welcome Mr. Cribbs to our town. To steal a phrase from Greta, "How dare you!" I doubt calling the very people who pay his wages names is going to leave us feeling endeared to him.

Merelle and Marlene Stirtzinger Fenwick

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in a closed environment, without the pressure of other non-native hunters around.

Expressing sympathy with both sides of the deer hunt debate, he said he understood the protesters’ point of view and their concern for animal wellbeing, but felt the hunters were justified in wanting to preserve their traditions in hunting for white tailed deer with bow and arrows.

Other wardens, drawn from as far away as Sudbury, expressed carefully worded frustration with both sides of the protests, since they were forced to prevent entry and keep the peace at each of the park entrances when they should be doing what they asserted was more important annual maintenance at their own parks.

When pressed, they recalled the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry areal studies, which claim that some 500 deer inhabit the park, whose area is sufficient for a healthy population of about 80. The Indigenous hunters’ annual kill is normally fewer than 40 deer.

The hunt will continue on two more days—December 5 and January 16— closing the park to other visitors from before sunrise to after sunset.

Friday night at 9 PM

55INCH

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After seven years, the once-controversial Indigenous deer hunt in Short Hills Provincial Park has become an annual routine.

In the past, the OPP had to keep pro- and anti-hunt protesters apart, but this year seven or eight anti-hunt demonstrators made their presence felt on the first day of the hunt on October 22, and since then the protests have been muted and mostly confined to nasty social media postings.

On the third day of the hunt, last Thursday, November 28, a survey of the four main trail entrances to Short Hills Park revealed only Parks Ontario wardens parked in their idling white pickups, trying to stay warm as the hunt continued out of sight.

Exercising treaty rights guaranteed in the Constitution Act of 1982, the Haudenosaunee are given access to the park on five days, closing the trails to the hikers and dog walkers who frequent the scenic hills and valleys formed

by Twelve Mile Creek and its tributaries.

On Thursday, one of the wardens who admitted to being “bored out his tree” as he sat in his pickup, mused that the Indigenous hunters want to continue their cultural traditions

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Page 8

The Voice, December 4, 2019

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Pedestrian killed on E∞ngham Street

BY VOICE STAFF According to a statement by Niagara Regional Police, a 66-year-old Ridgeville resident was struck and killed Saturday morning, Nov. 30, by a motorist on Effingham Street.

The female pedestrian, whom police have not identified, was struck by

Nothing to see here. By 11 AM, the doors were repaired.

a 2006 VW Jetta, being driven by a 51-year-old Fonthill resident, also unnamed, at around 11 AM. Police say that the Jetta was travelling southbound on Effingham, north of Foss Road. The woman suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver did not suffer physical in-

jury.

The collision remains under investigation by the Coroner's Office and detectives of the Niagara Regional Police Services Collision Reconstruction Unit.

Any witnesses with information are asked to contact investigators at (905) 688-4111, extension 5500.

VOICE PHOTO

Attempted ATM heist at Legion

BY DAVE BURKET

The VOICE

Would-be burglars were thwarted in their attempt, early last Friday morning, to steal an ATM machine from the Fonthill Legion branch, on Highway 20.

An unknown number of suspects smashed through two sets of glass doors just after 5 AM, and were apparently in the process of looping a chain around the ATM machine in the Legion’s lobby, when they were inconveniently interrupted by the arrival of a janitor a few minutes later.

Meanwhile, in response to the shattered doors, the Legion’s alarm was activated, and the alarm company alerted police, who arrived on scene at 5:30, according to a police statement.

Leaving their chain behind, the suspects fled in a dark coloured pickup truck of unknown make or model.

By the time the Voice arrived shortly after 11 AM, the glass shards were gone and new panes installed, leaving the impression that

no mayhem had transpired, and might possibly have been just a tall tale told round the bar after a beer or five.

Legion President Toni McKelvie, who arrived herself at 5:30 to find two police cruisers and a crime scene, credited Peninsula Glass for their rapid response and repair of the damage.

“The police took a copy,” McKelvie said, of the building's video security recording.

She said that the ATM machine, which the Legion does not own, had been in place for five or six years without incident. She added that it was so securely anchored to the floor that removing it would be next to impossible. An attempt by the Voice to budge it went nowhere, to the bemusement of onlookers.

Bartender Darlene noted that the Legion crest on one of the destroyed door windows had seen better days, so, silver lining, a new one was coming.

No other damage was apparent, said McKelvie, who then dashed off to answer a timer in the kitchen.

The police took the chain as evidence.

Christmas at

Pelham Community Church DECEMBER 7

“Straight Outta Bethlehem” Children’s Musical at 3:00 pm

DECEMBER 8

Worship Service at 9:30 am PLUS Children’s Musical at 11:00 am

DECEMBER 15

Family Worship Service at 9:30 am followed by Family Crafts & Pizza lunch!

Please bring a nut-free dessert to share

DECEMBER 22

Worship Service at 9:30 am PLUS Kids Program: PJ & Pancake Party

DECEMBER 24

Christmas Eve Family Service at 4:00 pm Christmas Eve Scripture & Song Service at 7:00 pm

DECEMBER 29

Worship Service at 9:30 am PELHAM COMMUNITY CHURCH 461 Canboro Road, Fenwick www.pelham.cc

NEW HOMEOWNER The Friends of Maple Acre Library held a seasonal fundraiser on Nov 22 -23, featuring crafters, a cafe, and a visit from Santa himself. Donna Neal, of Fonthill, found herself the lucky winner of a doll house donated by L. B. Angle and family. Right, Madison Smith, Library Board member and Friend of Maple Acre, congratulates Neal on her prize.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

www.clarescycle.com

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice, December 4, 2019

Page 9

Only the cop who was shot to be charged Officer who allegedly fired on Nathan Parker almost exactly a year ago sees his charges dropped

BY JOHN CHICK

Special to the VOICE

The Niagara Regional Police constable who was allegedly shot multiple times in by a fellow cop in North Pelham is still facing charges — even as the man accused of shooting him has seen the charges against him dropped.

Const. Nathan Parker is awaiting legal proceedings for assaulting a police officer, assault with intent to resist arrest and assault with a weapon, more than a week after attempted murder and aggravated assault charges against Sgt. Shane Donovan were dropped.

“The wrong man — the victim —is going to trial,” Parker’s lawyer Joseph Markson reportedly told the St. Catharines Standard last week.

The two on-duty officers allegedly became engaged in a fight near Effingham Street and Roland Road on November 29, 2018. When it was over, Parker had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. It’s believed his bulletproof vest was the only thing that saved his life.

The charges against Donovan were brought last March following an investigation by the province’s Special Investigations Unit. However, Crown attorney Ian Bulmer announced in court November 22 that the prosecution saw no reasonable chance of convicting Donovan.

Parker, meanwhile, was charged in May. Asked for comment on the latest developments, NRPS spokesperson Stephanie Sabourin provided the Voice and other media outlets with essentially same statement released when

DRIVE FOR TOYS The annual Fonthill Volunteer Fire Association Toy & Pet Drive gets underway this Saturday, December 7, and runs through December 15. Donations may be made at the Fonthill Fire Hall during regular daytime hours, as well as Monday to Friday, 6 PM to 8 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 12 noon to 4 PM. Hampers will also be located in local banks, the Meridian Credit Union, and Pelham Town Hall. Above, Cindy Ripley, of the Fonthill and District Kinettes, kicks things off with a donation, presented to Yvon Audette. Below, ready for action, Owen and Lily Glaves, dog Smudge, and Audette.

SUPPLIED PHOTOS

A Pelham firefighter prepares to hose away bloody snow left in the wake of last year's shooting in North Pelham.

VOICE FILE PHOTO the charges against Parker were announced.

“At this time, we must respect the judicial process and allow this matter to continue to unfold before the courts,” the news release, credited to Chief Bryan MacCulloch, said. “This isolated incident has had, and continues to have, a profound impact on our community. Our members, sworn and civilian are dedicated to serving and

protecting their community.”

The statement added that both Donovan and Parker remain suspended with pay.

Parker, 29-year veteran of the NRP, reportedly had a history of disciplinary issues, something not confirmed by the force. Parker’s own brother Phillip told CBC last year that his sibling is a “monster” who “has the emotional stability of sweating explosives.”

Outdoor Christmas Market Friday, December 6, 2019 4-10 p.m.

Join us for the Outdoor Christmas Market in front of Town Hall for an outdoor holiday celebration!

Gather with friends and family to celebrate the holiday enjoying local vendors, food, and entertainment!

FREE TRANSIT! Pelham Transit will extend its hours from 7-9:15 p.m. for a modified route from Fenwick and Fonthill to the Outdoor Market.

www.pelham.ca/christmas

Pedlar Funeral Home Invites you to our

Candlelight Service of Remembrance Tuesday, December 10, 2019 7:00 pm at the funeral home 1292 Pelham St. All are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to (905) 892-5762 by Friday, December 6, 2019

Kindest Regards, Tina and the staff of Pedlar Funeral Home

Page 10

The Voice, December 4, 2019

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Cascade of willow branches returns for Fonthill resident Mayor lends a hand in clean-up, but no Town plan to remove trees

BY JOHN CHICK

Special to the VOICE

While most would agree that mature trees give a property charm and contribute to Pelham’s character, there’s a severe downside to being near certain species of them. Just ask Liz Souter, who has been living next to several willows on Town of Pelham property for two decades. And just as has happened in the past, this fall has brought a serious mess and damage to her home.

“I’ve been fighting with [the Town] for 19 years over these trees,” Souter said. “I don’t know what to do anymore, I’m just so fed up with it.”

Souter lives on Quaker Road, directly adjacent to the municipal-owned Steve Bauer Trail segment that links Quaker with Harold Black Park. The pathway is lined with willow trees. A few weeks back, a windstorm brought down more sizable branches, breaking her fence. Between that damage and the cost of hiring somebody to get up on her roof and clean up that debris, she says she is again on the hook financially because of the Town’s inaction.

“Insurance is now involved over the fence,” she said. “Why should I have to pay a $500 deductible?

Now I have to hire someone to go up on top of my roof to get the branches off. Why should I be pay-

ing for this stuff?”

It happens every fall. Almost exactly a year ago, the Voice visited Souter after falling branches damaged her eavestroughs. Beyond the cost of repairs and cleanup however, is the fact that Souter, 75, is left to address the mess on the ground herself.

“It’s a good thing I keep my car in the garage, or it would have been damaged by branches too,” she said.

A few days back she got a hand in that regard from Mayor Marvin Junkin, who showed up at Souter’s house with his wife to give her a hand gathering some of the debris.

“We picked up the branches and twigs and put them on the walking trail,” said Junkin, “which was already blocked by a big branch, knowing that Public Works was coming to clear trail the next day.”

When asked what the Town has planned as a solution to the annual problem, Junkin said that the trees will likely be trimmed —cut back, but not cut down— in the spring.

While Souter appreciates Junkin’s help, she says that trimming the trees only kicks the can down the road.

“The trouble is cutting them back, a couple of years is going to go by and it will be the same problem,” she said. Souter has asked

Branches and debris drop each year onto Souter's property from nearby willow trees.

SUPPLIED PHOTOS

Town employees in the past about removing the trees outright, but has been told this won’t happen.

“They say, ‘They’re not dead, we can’t remove them.’”

To add insult to injury, two years ago Souter met with the Town’s arborist, who she said basically dismissed her.

“He should have just stayed in the office, he seemed very disinterested when I explained my concerns to him,” she told the Voice last year. “He commented to me that he wished he had these willow trees in his backyard. I was in

ANNOUNCING 2 LAUNCHES IN NIAGARA

disbelief.”

While the autumnal debris and damage have come to be expected, Souter also said that the shade the willow trees create in the summer has also negatively affected the house. When she had her roof re-

placed in 2017, roofers found moss on the old shingles. With no sunlight getting through, the roof on that side of the house is constantly damp. As a result, she’s concerned the new roof won’t last as long as it should.

You are cordially invited to our

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

EXTRAVAGANZA Come join us on December 5, 2019 from 3pm to 7pm at your local Shoppers Drug Mart at 20 Highway 20, Fonthill Author Jane Bedard

PELHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY

December 4th. 7-9 pm

WHITE OAKS RESORT

November 28th 7-8:30 pm Christmas is coming so lighten up, will ya? Put off Christmas shopping and join local author Jane Bedard as she launches her new book, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Jane has written hilarious articles for The Voice of Pelham, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Living, Reader's Digest, and more. $5 Entry. Refreshments will be served. Register at the library or online or just drop by either location for some fun.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME celebrates that most domestic and exotic of all professions: The Stay-at-Home-Mom, yet embraces women from all vocations with poignant and hilarious commentary on motherhood and childhood, sisterhood and daughterhood, wifehood and friendshiphood... all from within Toronto's and Fonthill's hoods and beyond.

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Lise Watier, Korres and Reversa representatives will be joining us, for this Fabulous Holiday Event!

Numerous Prizes to be Drawn!

We look forward to helping you, with your holiday shopping needs.

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice, December 4, 2019

Page 11

From left, MP Dean Allison; Director of Recreation, Culture and Wellness, Vickie vanRavenswaay; MPP Sam Oosterhoff.

AWARDS

continued from Page 3 read” of others he wanted to ensure were also recognized for their efforts related to Pelham’s Utility Sustainability Committee. In the end, he asked two such individuals, present in the room, to stand for applause, and the awards moved on.

The most touching remarks came not from a recipient, in fact, but from Director of Recreation, Culture, and Wellness, Vickie vanRavenswaay, whose emotional expression of appreciation for the efforts of volunteers— many of whom, she noted, she encountered on a daily basis—left barely a dry eye in the house.

The following descriptions were provided to the Town by each nominee’s respective organization, and were read by Councillor Ciolfi.

Peer Award Winners Gregory Charles Dyson - 613 Lincoln and Welland Regiment Army Cadets Greg has been a dedicated volunteer and officer with 613 for the last eight years. Greg finds himself volunteering three nights a week with the cadets, coaching our Biathlon team, Drill team and assisting cadets preparing to try out for the Canadian Forces Parachute course in the summer. This past year Greg's coaching efforts succeeded with two cadets winning at the area Biathlon Competition before moving on to the regional competition. As well, his efforts assisted in one cadet being accepted to the Parachute course and completing it successfully. His commitment to the cadets in Fonthill has gone a long way. From the 613 Lincoln and Welland Regiment Army Cadets, congratulations Gregory Charles Dyson!

Fred Arbour - Canada Day Planning Group Fred has been a great supporter of the Town's annual Canada Day celebrations for over 20 years. His input and guidance, particularly with respect to the provision of food at the event, is much appreciated. His humour and calm demeanor in the face of challenges is always wonderful. We are pleased to honour Fred with this Peer award in recognition of his contributions to our community's annual celebration of our nation's birthday. From the Canada Day Planning Group, congratulations Fred Arbour!

Paul Slattery - Fabulous Fenwick Lions Club Paul has been a member of the Fabulous Fenwick Lions for three years but has another nine years’ experience with another Lions Club. Paul has been a very active member since joining the Club, volunteering to help with many of our committees. One of his first undertakings was organizing and running a draw for a “Smoker/BBQ” which was quite successful. Paul has co-chaired or chaired our bi-weekly Fish Fry that runs from Good Friday till late October. Paul also assists with the Food Booth when it is open for Pelham Minor Ball and Soccer events as well as during our Carnival and Car Show. Paul has recently become Chairperson of our Building Committee seeking ways to fund a renovation or new building. The Fabulous Fenwick

Lions Club is honoured to nominate Lion Paul for the Clubs 2019 Peer Award.

From the Fabulous Fenwick Lions Club, congratulations Paul Slattery!

Jessie Paterson - Fonthill Lioness Lioness Jessie has been a very active member of the Fonthill Lioness for 26 years. She was the creator of our Teddy Bears Picnic that we hold every February and it has turned out to be one of our major fundraisers. She is very creative and has had many great projects over the years. In the days before we had a dishwasher at the Lions Hall, Jessie was our chief dishwasher. That seemed to be her job when we served a meal. She and her sidekick Margie made many good batches of baked beans for the Lions Agriculture Night. She spent many hours in the kitchen making sandwiches when we used to feed the seniors once month. Lioness Jessie is now one of our chief ticket sellers. She is always at the door selling 1/2 and 1/2 tickets.

Jessie it has been a pleasure working with you for 26 years, you never liked the limelight and preferred to be in the background quietly doing your job (but we do remember the days when you could be mischievous). Lioness Jessie it is an honour to nominate you for this year’s Peer Award. From the Fonthill Lioness, congratulations Jessie Paterson!

Ric Gretsinger - Fonthill Lions Lion Ric has been a member of the Fonthill Lions Club since 2013. Uncle

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Ric, as he likes to be called, is an energetic Lion always ready to help out where needed, such as the canteen, Suppermarket, Canada Day, Summerfest and Sliderfest. He is a great Lion and we look forward to many more years of volunteering from Ric. He also volunteers for numerous other organizations in Pelham as you will always find him working at McDonalds on McHappy Day. The Fonthill Lions Club is proud to nominate you for this year’s Peer Award.

From the Fonthill Lions, congratulations Ric Gretsinger!

Dave Kuckyt - Kinsmen Club of Fonthill and District The Fonthill and District Kinsmen have nominated Dave Kuckyt for the 2019 Pelham Volunteer Recognition Peer Award. Dave has been a member of our club for 14 years. During this time, he has actively participated in many of our club projects. He has held various positions on our club Executive and was elected President for 2008/2009. In the spring of 2010, we learned that Women's Place of South Niagara was willing to relinquish the operation of their annual Craft Show in Welland. Dave played a significant role in arranging for our club to take over the reins of this event and in getting permission to use Centennial High School as its venue. Our Craft Show celebrated its 10th year in 2019 with Dave at its helm throughout the entire time span. We congratulate Dave on all of his accomplishments in Kinsmen.

From the Kinsmen Club of Fonthill and District, congratulations Dave Kuckyt!

Emily Bonisteel - Mayors Youth Advisory Committee Emily has always been a main contributor to the change and initiatives the Mayors Youth Advisory Council has achieved over her five years on Council.

She was always actively involved in all MYAC run events and acted as a positive role model for youth in the community to look up to. She was always willing to help in every way she could, offering advice or support on how MYAC could make the largest impact within Pelham.

Her community involvement exceeded her commitment to MYAC as she also sat on the Summerfest Committee providing insight on how to ensure the event appealed to all ages and was youth friendly. We thank Emily for all of her work on MYAC over the years! From the Mayors Youth Advisory Committee, congratulations Emily Bonisteel!

Brian Baty - Pelham Active Transportation Committee Brian is an active, contributing member of the Pelham Active Transportation Committee. In addition to participating in PATC meetings and events in the community, Brian has been instrumental in developing the "Cycling in Pelham" map which was published last year. By working with other committee members, Town staff and local cycling clubs, Brian developed a useful map for all levels and

MARC MACDONALD PHOTOS

types of cyclists. Brian is taking a lead role in assessing the progress made in implementing the Town's Active Transportation Master Plan and establishing well marked cycling routes in Pelham.

From the Pelham Active Transportation Committee, congratulations Brian Baty!

Sonja Kovacev - Pelham Art Festival We are so pleased to have the competent assistance of Sonja Kovacev as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Pelham Art Festival. This annual event hosts about 75 to 80 juried fine artists from all over Ontario. This very large art show and sale, now in its 34th year, is also a fundraising event for the Pelham Library system, and funds art scholarships and community art projects and as such attracts between 2000 and 2500 people to attend the three-day event which takes place annually on Mother’s Day weekend. As a volunteer and as part of the Pelham Art Festival Committee for the past year, Sonya participated in planning for the upcoming show and brought forward her ideas. In her role as Volunteer Coordinator, she took on the busy task of contacting the many volunteers who were needed to host the 2019 Pelham Art Festival, over 70 in total. She worked to find volunteers for every job and time slot and made sure that every volunteer knew what was expected of them. She added her own ideas to make See AWARDS Page 14

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Letters

The Voice, December 4, 2019

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

continued

HELICOPTER

continued from Page 6 word here is “temporary.”

I’m guessing the description “massive panic” by the parent is a bit overblown. What is a massive panic and who panicked massively? What is a temporary employee supposed to say to a parent if she can’t find a child, whom she may not know?

This parent had no trouble running down the temp staff but offered no alternative wording that could have been said to her when the “temporary” staff believed the child was absent. If a temporary employee doesn’t know the child, then they would have no way of knowing whether the child came to school and they would report them as absent, if the child didn’t acknowledge the “temporary” employee,

when their name is called during attendance. I’m presuming an attendance check is still done first thing in the morning, especially by temporary employees.

Then at some point this parent goes skulking around the outside of the school looking for an open door instead of following the proper protocol of going to the front door (there’s a picture of it with the article in case anyone is unsure what the front door looks like) and getting buzzed in.

What this parent did is gain illegal entry to the school, which is also trespassing. She put the 400 or so kids at risk by walking in without permission. She could have triggered a lockdown. An unlocked door does not give you the right to enter, especially when there are signs stating “all visitors must report to the

office.”

From the article I surmise that this parent is a “regular” at the school, which to me would explain why no one questioned her presence. How are staff supposed to greet her? “Hello, how did you get in?”

I’m sure this parent would complain about a greeting like that if she got it from every staff person with whom she crossed paths every time she went to the school. I have unlocked doors at my house but that doesn’t give anyone the right to enter unquestioned. There are any number of possible reasons why this door may have been unlocked, and I question how long was it unlocked for? The school is shared by a daycare, there are deliveries and DSBN maintenance people who go there. I see it every day. The key issue

is the school is owned and operated by the DSBN, not the parents whose children attend there. The DSBN has protocols in place for parents and visitors should they wish to enter the school.

No one should be skulking around the school looking for open doors.

Then the parent deliberately keeps her kids home the next day to test the staff.

How childish!

When I went to school in the 1960s, when my kids went to school and I believe it is the same today, the onus for reporting that your chid will not be at school is on the parent. The 10:30 phone call seems about right for timeline...it’s the same time I used to be called if we neglected to call in about our kids not being there. There is a school-full of kids to account for and I’m presuming there is a protocol

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directly to report your child will be absent. It used to be clearly stated in the documentation handed out at the beginning of the year and I presume it may still be the same.

Then the parent makes a claim that the “Superintendent” gave her all kinds of information about a staffing change made last year.

To this parent, I say, “I was born at night but not last night.” I do not nor will I ever believe that a “Superintendent” would share information about school staff with a parent, regardless of who the parent might think they are. If the Superintendent declined to talk to the paper, they certainly would not divulge any information to a parent who is not bound by any privacy laws. I think there is some misrepresentation of the truth there by the parent. My vote for credibility goes to the Superintendent.

While the bathroom fight last year was unfortunate and should not have happened, the kids’ washroom is the one place in the school that school staff do not go, during school hours, for their own protection. They didn’t enter in the 1960s when I was in elementary, they didn’t enter when my kids went to G.A.G., they still don’t today and most likely never will in the future.

The kids know it and it’s the perfect place to commit the horrendous act they did. It was a one-off. Remember it, but time to let it go. It does not define the school.

In terms of bullying, I don’t know any child who has been bullied more than me when I was in elementary. Having been born in Germany, I came to school in Welland speaking very poor English. I was called “Nazi,” “Square head,”and “Kraut,” among other names. I had never heard these things and I had no clue what they meant. I was not around during the World Wars yet I was paying a price for being German. I was constantly taunted, abused and involved in many schoolyard fights with the bullies because of my nationality. Back in those days, our fists were used to settle things. The bullying finally ended when I got bigger than the bullies, in high school. It was a long time. I lived through it. As I said I will never forget but I’ve moved on. Today bullies have so many more resources then back when I was a kid and it’s tough to get rid of them, especially when you don’t understand why they come after you.

Bullying has always existed, still exists and will continue to exist. I don’t believe it will ever be solved. We find it occurring in all parts of our society. Witness the mother in the article—what she is doing is a form of bullying.

She is not above reproach. If she is that worried then she should keep her kids at home and home-school them behind locked doors. I’m fairly sure the protocols in place at schools across the DSBN and the NCDSB are all the same.

Guido Mueller Fonthill

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

FOREST

continued from Page 17 communicate with each other and get along really well,” he said. “Everybody on the team is a team player. Nobody wants to take a point for themselves. Guys sacrifice a highlight they might have for another person.

“We’re a team who wants to keep giving for each other.”

Kropac and Gibson don’t even want to think about moving forward without Turpel, who is considering playing volleyball at either Niagara College, Mohawk or Conestoga.

“He’s just awesome. He’s amazing,” Kropac said. “He performs at such a high level but it totally selfless about it. He wants nothing more than to make everyone else around him better, and will gladly give up the game point even if it can make another player look great, which is what he did in the semifinals. He gave another player the game point.”

Gibson added: “He has the ability to stay positive, stay focused and keep the team up. He leads by example and it’s never about him. It’s about the team as a whole. We had several parents at OFSSA and other coaches and OFSAA president come over and comment about him how outstanding of a team player and captain he was on the floor.”

Turpel was quick to reply when asked how much Kropac and Gibson have meant to him in his time at Crossley.

“Infinity. You can’t get anything better,” he said with a smile.

Other members of the Cyclone are: Billy Belchior, Aiden Belding, Ryan Belovari, Riley Bleich, Jake Butler, Owen Dobbie, Jack Hilts, Sam Nawrocki, HyeJun Song, Hayden Stewart and Carter Teal.

The Voice, December 4, 2019

Page 13

Irish dumped in Metro Bowl Bad luck and injuries hurt Notre Dame

BY BERNIE PUCHALSKI

BPSPORTSNIAGARA.COM

Alex Golbourne’s high school football career ended Wednesday in the same way as thousands of players before him.

The 12B Notre Dame Fighting Irish player was fighting back tears at the conclusion of his team’s 47-6 loss to the impressive Chaminade College Gryphons in the 36th Annual Metro Bowl played at McMaster University.

“Notre Dame football is my family and they will always be my family forever,” the 18-year-old said. “I will be friends with these guys for the rest of my life and these are the guys I would want to go into battle with.”

The 5-foot-11, 235-pound defensive lineman barely played his first three years of high school football, but hit the weight room and this season was named to the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association allstar team.

At the start of his Grade 11 year, Goulbourne began working out four to six times a week with his teammates.

“I just wanted to make sure our team would make it to the finals and win a championship,” he said.

“It just takes one person and when everybody sees that person pushing they are going to push themselves harder and harder to get that championship.”

Goulbourne is planning to play Niagara Spears football next summer and would love to continue playing after that. He is interested in playing football with the Hamiiton Hurricanes of the Canadian Junior Football League. Away from the field, he is hoping to attend either McMaster University or Niagara College.

“He played well all season long and he’s a kid who a couple of years ago wasn’t even in the plans,” Notre Dame head coach Tim Bisci said.

“He wasn’t playing but he went into the weightroom, worked out like crazy and this year he was an allstar.”

Chaminade made sure Goulbourne

wouldn’t have a happy ending to his high school career by grabbing a 13-0 lead after one quarter and then adding another 34 points in the second quarter to go into the half ahead 47-0.

“They got up on us early and it was hard to come back, but we tried to rally the boys at halftime and we gave it our all,” Goulbourne said.

“We put up a battle the last two quarters.”

The Irish were done in by strong team. Chaminade was unbeaten in Toronto District Christian Athletic Association play (6-0) and its only loss came to St. Joseph’s Buffalo in exhibition play. A nasty dose of Murphy’s Law didn’t help.

“Everything that possibly could go wrong did,” Bisci said. “If you would have said at the beginning of the game that we would miss that many tackles, not block guys and have five or six of our stars leave the game with injuries, I would have said you were crazy.”

Chaminade’s first two majors in the first quarter each featured a multitude of missed tackles.

“And it’s guys who you expect to make tackles,” Bisci said. “Our guys who should have made tackles didn’t and that’s just the way it is. All year long, those plays were made.”

And then there was the injury bug. League offensive MVP Jacob Succar didn’t make it out of the first quarter and all-star lineman Gerrid Holton was gone before halftime in what was a steady parade of players to the trainers’ table.

“You have to have a little bit of luck to win this and we had none,” Bisci said.

Chaminade played a lot fewer games than Notre Dame did this season and Bisci felt it was hard to get a read on what they would do in the Metro Bowl.

“They haven’t played since Oct. 18 or something like that, and we’ve played 10 games,” he said. “We are banged up and nicked up and [our players] get hit by one good shot and they go down. It’s tough when you

Slick field conditions didn't help as Irish go down, 47-6. WILLIAM VANDERLAND PHOTO play teams like that who are fresh and they come in and beat you up like that.”

Notre Dame can take solace in the fact that it won 10 games and captured its second Niagara championship in the past three years.

Its lineup will also be bolstered by graduates from a championship junior squad.

“At moments like this, you don’t think about that, but come January we will look at it and see who is coming back and who still wants to play,” Bisci said.

STATS PACK Gryphons 47 Irish 6 Player of the Game: Chaminade’s Johari Hastings with six rushes for 161 yards and one TD. For the Chaminade College Gryphons:

Hastings, 81-yard TD run; Kenneth Williams, 57 and 36-yard TD passes from Jonathan Dimarino; Sebastien Parasalidis, eight-yard TD run; Ryan Belo, sixyard TD run; Dimarino, one-yard TD run; Leo Gallo, 20-yard TD pass from Dimarino.

For the Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 21yard TD pass to Bryce Livingston from Hunter Cropper; Jared Tessier, 12 carries for 57 yards and two catches for 29 yards; Zack Melnyk, three carries for 18 yards, 6.5 tackles and strip and fumble recovery; Owen Tofano, two catches for 39 yards; Cropper, 5-13 passing for 88 yards; Livingston, interception; Gerrid Holton, sack.

Game stats: First downs: Chaminade 15, Notre Dame 8. Net offence: Chaminade 175, Notre Dame 345. Turnovers: Chaminade 2, Notre Dame 4. Penalties: Chaminade 7 for 70 yards, Notre Dame 6 for 85 yards.

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The Voice, December 4, 2019

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this process run smoothly and stepped in with hands on assistance as needed.

Her calm, pleasant and efficient manner in working with volunteers, committee members, artists and the public were much appreciated. She is now helping to plan for the 2020 event which will take place on Mother’s Day weekend from May 12 to 14, 2020. We are so pleased to have Sonja’s assistance and you may hear from her when she is looking for weekend volunteers! From the Pelham Art Festival, congratulations Sonja Kovacev!

Marty Kicul - Pelham Cares Marty has been a dedicated volunteer with Pelham Cares since 2011. From grocery pickups and shopping, assisting at our annual food drive, assisting at our fundraising events, and recently signing on as a volunteer driver, Marty is an important contributor to the work of Pelham Cares. He is known for his quiet demeanor, greeting everyone with a smile, and helping out whenever needed. Pelham Cares is just one of the organizations that Marty assists, he is truly a community-minded individual. We greatly value his contribution and are proud to have him on our volunteer team! Congratulations Marty, and thank you! From Pelham Cares, congratulations Marty Kicul!

Bev Yungblut - Pelham Farmer’s Market Bev has been a part of the Pelham Farmer's Market Committee for the last eight years. She is the Market Treasurer and this year she has once again been the primary organizer for all Market events.

She has overseen the creation of all flyers, advertising and promotional items for the Market. She has been instrumental in organizing this year's “Kids Can Grow” and responsible for bringing the “Bad Seed Gang" to this year’s Market where a collection of handmade market-themed characters were randomly hidden in vendor’s booths. Kids had to find and report their whereabouts to collect a reward!

She has shown us all once again a commitment to keeping the Pelham Farmer's Market an important part of our community. From the Pelham Farmer’s Market, congratulations Bev Yungblut!

Sandra Cruzo - Pelham Garden Club From the time Sandra joined the Pelham Garden Club, she has been an involved and enthusiastic member. Sandra has contributed her time, ideas and skills to ensure that our club is a welcoming and enjoyable environment in which to volunteer. Over the years, she has served on our Board as Vice President and also as a Director. Her most outstanding achievements have included opening her home and gardens for the Garden Walk after party for the last eight years, raising the bar by incorporating a fund-raising element. In addition, for the last three years she has helped to spearhead the

annual Flower and Vegetable Show. As a Pelham Garden Club member, Sandra is recognized, not only for her volunteer work, but for the creativity, energy and generosity she brings to the club. We are happy to honour her with this award. From the Pelham Garden Club, congratulations Sandra Cruzo!

Sandra Gibson - Pelham Minor Baseball Association Sandy has worked tirelessly as a volunteer for Pelham Minor Baseball in the roles of coach (from T-ball through Mosquito Rep), Vice President, President, uniform director and tournament convener. She started the annual Peewee Rep Showcase tournament that brings in teams from throughout Southern Ontario. Sandy would go above and beyond to make sure that our youngsters have a positive outlet for athletic and personal development. She would even go so far as to go to the fields two hours early to pull weeds and make sure the diamonds were in top shape for play. From the Pelham Minor Baseball Association, congratulations Sandra Gibson!

Sharon Cook - Pelham Seniors Advisory Committee Sharon’s work with and for the Town of Pelham spans many years. As the current Chair of the Seniors Advisory Committee, she works tirelessly and devotes many hours advocating for our seniors in areas such as suitable housing, transportation and accessibility. Her work includes increasing communication of seniors programs and services through our Seniors Fairs and forums, promotion of the newly formed 55+ Active Living Lounge and the Seniors Volunteer in Pelham program.

Sharon was instrumental in securing a top notch keynote speaker for our recent fair (William Thomas) and even went so far as to offer accommodation in her home to our upcoming speaker (Brock Godfrey) who will be travelling in from out of town. Sharon is truly deserving of this award and a respected member of this committee. Congratulations Sharon and thank you for your continued outstanding contributions! From the Pelham Seniors Advisory Committee, congratulations Sharon Cook!

Bill Sheldon - Pelham Summerfest Committee Bill Sheldon has been a long time resident of Pelham and a consistent and active volunteer within the community. He joined the Pelham Summerfest Committee two years ago and brought with him a robust sense of humour and his life skills that he amassed over 40 years as a public sector planner, property developer and in construction co-ordination. Bill is always providing concepts to the committee to improve the committees business processes - reduce costs - improve revenue - and most importantly - contribute to a positive environment that attends to the festival experience. The reason that the festival committee is awarding Bill our Peer Award is - including the aforementioned - this year Bill - completely on his own - took over the

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca planning, organizing, seeking sponsorship support and delivery of the Sunday morning breakfast in the park - forging new partnerships with local business, creating efficiencies and "the best pancakes we've had yet" - it was a huge success!

Congratulations Bill - we wish you the very best and greatly appreciate your sense of humour, friendship and personal contributions to the success of Summerfest. From the Pelham Summerfest Committee, congratulations Bill Sheldon!

Frank Adamson - Rotary Club of Fonthill Frank has been with the Rotary Club of Fonthill for seven years now and has been a significantly instrumental part of our fundraising initiatives development. He was the original champion of the Fonthill Mudfest. He has also has been an integral community champion fostering outstanding collaborative initiatives including the annual Tour De Lac bicycle fundraiser in support of Wellspring Niagara, the community garden project supporting Pelham Cares in partnership with Youth Resources Niagara and most recently spear-heading the “Raise the Arches” campaign seeking to replace the wind-damaged arches in downtown Fonthill. Frank works tirelessly for the benefit of the citizens of Pelham and his community and has established a significant track record of successful initiatives benefitting our community! From the Rotary Club of Fonthill, congratulations Frank Adamson!

Patricia Shannon - Town of Pelham’s MCC Hospitality Advisory Committee Patricia exemplifies dedication and commitment as the Chair of the newly established MCC Hospitality Advisory Committee. Her leadership is undeniable as she steers the Committee to attain their agreed upon goals. She is articulate and shares her expertise in the hospitality industry freely. She works with Town of Pelham staff to understand current procedures and suggests new ones. She is resourceful and has incredible drive and passion for hospitality in the Meridian Community Centre.

Her contributions have not gone unnoticed.

From the MCC Hospitality Advisory Committee, congratulations Patricia Shannon!

Colleen Kenyon - Town of Pelham’s Community Volunteer Group – Arts and Culture Division Colleen is the leader, creator, and active volunteer for the SAY IT! On Stage Program. She initially contacted the recreation department with an idea and a plan.

Together with Town staff, she received a Niagara Community Foundation Grant of $5000 and Colleen was able to bring this project to life. She has worked with Town staff, the community foundation and passionate local residents to make this project an outstanding success. She has cultivated relationships between seniors and youth from E. L. Crossley drama class using a creative process. The production which is called “The Homecoming” will be showcased here at the Meridian Community Centre on Friday and Saturday, December 13 and 14. Make sure to get your

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Tim Toffolo - Town of Pelham’s MCC User Group Committee Tim has shown exceptional leadership in his role as Chair of the Meridian Community Centre User Group Roundtable Committee over the past year. He has shown commitment and dedication in leading the Committee to attain their agreed upon goals. He has encouraged the Committee to think and act in a pro-active manner and always has the best intentions of the Community and the MCC at heart. He strives to be fair in all circumstances. His contributions are appreciated and recognized.

From the MCC User Group Committee, congratulations Tim Toffolo!

Ron Hall - Town of Pelham’s Community Volunteer Group – Recreation and Wellness Division Ron is a dedicated volunteer at the Meridian Community Centre's pickleball program. Since the program started in Fall 2018, Ron has been at the MCC six days a week, rain or shine, to provide guidance and instruction to beginner players. He's always willing to step in as a fourth player to make a group of four when they are a player short. He is always pleasant, and works well with Town of Pelham staff. Ron's skills, knowledge and commitment are very valuable. From the Town of Pelham’s Community Volunteer Group – Recreation and Wellness Division, congratulations Ron Hall!

Gordon Marasco - Utility Sustainability Committee Gord graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1964 in Electrical Engineering. His professional engineering career started at Dofasco, where he quickly became Manager of Electrical Engineering.

He has served as Engineering Manager, Vice President, President, and Chairman of the Board of Directors, for these companies respectively: Atlas Steels, Mixus Technologies, ES Fox, Phillips Barrel Kaiser, Niagara Economic and Tourism, and Niagara Regional Broadband. His vast experience together with enthusiasm and hours of hard work as Chair of the Utility Sustainability Committee has translated into the savings the Committee has achieved. He is confident that this is just the start of the good news at Pelham from this committee. Gord has demonstrated what can be achieved by being a servant leader. From the Utility Sustainability Committee, congratulations Gordon Marasco!

Giant FM, The Corporate Recognition Award All of the volunteer groups and organizations here nominated businesses that have helped to support their efforts throughout the year. This year, the winner with the most nominations and recipient of the Corporate Recognition Award goes to Giant FM. Congratulations!

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tickets before they run out, you won’t want to miss this performance From the Town of Pelham’s Community Volunteer Group – Arts and Culture Division, congratulations Colleen Kenyon!

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The Comfort Maple myth

Request made of community still peeved at name change

See DSBN Page 9

Food 111Health Hwy. 20 E., Unit Store 5, Fonthill

Mon-Wed 9:30-6:00pm • Thur-Fri 9:30-7:00pm • Sat 9:30-5:00pm

BY JULIE MANNELL

Special to the VOICE

W

BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3.

NATE SMELLE PHOTO

Public meeting tonight on school issues

BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick.

Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-

Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation.

DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be

“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime.

Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting.

“We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page

HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin.

My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries.

Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town.

This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation.

On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque.

“This tree looks dead,” I said to my father.

“It sure is getting there, Julie.”

The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14

The Voice PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY IN PELHAM

Vol.20 No.39

NIAGARA’S BEST-READ WEEKLY SINCE 1997

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

FREE

Oops: No fire trucks for you

Column Six

BY VOICE STAFF The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick.

Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues.

Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students.

“The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated.

The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the

Get

Pined -Sol Pelham’sPelham’s Health Food Store

Haist Street traffic-calming measure a little too effective

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www.healthycupboard.ca New Location Coming Soon!

Column Six Growing up British

BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER

Special to the VOICE

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-

VOICE PHOTO

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

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

See CHICANE Page 5

to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the first night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016.

"We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said.

“It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going.

We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses adSee CHANGES Page 5

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Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation

BY VOICE STAFF A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calming chicane on Haist Street north of Hwy 20 last Monday that prevented large vehicles from passing through.

One resident living in the neighbourhood said he contacted the Town after seeing a small schoolbus get stuck as it tried to get through the new traffic calming measure. Later that day while driving behind a cement truck, he said that he became concerned for the public’s safety when the truck had to turn around because it couldn’t get through.

“If a small school bus and a cement truck can’t make it through what about a fire

Get

Pined -Sol Pelham’sPelham’s Health Food Store

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

The Voice PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY IN PELHAM

Vol.20 No.32

NIAGARA’S BEST-READ WEEKLY SINCE 1997

Wednesday October 12, 2016

FREE

Apple Day comes to Fonthill

BY VOICE STAFF

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

www.pennylanesold.com

H EATHER AND P ENNY L ANE S ALES R EPRESENTATIVES

BY JOHN SWART

VOICE Correspondent

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

The VOICE

Cell 905.933.3049

Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn

Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932 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-

Office 905.892.1702

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.

“I start work at 2:30 PM and school lets out at 2:15 PM so I can’t take any other route,” Williams explained.

“I have had friends, family, teachers and other community members reach out to me in the past about how this is unsafe and how there should be another alternative for us.”

Looking ahead to winter, when she will need to walk this path three or four times See SIDEWALK Page 2

HERE IS NO BETTER time to cycle than Fall. It matters not whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned recreational cyclist, racer, touring rider or mountain biker; we all have reason to look forward to autumn.

Summer’s heat has faded, and the streams of sweat that ran from soggy helmets into our eyes are now just slight perspiration. Fitness is peaking from lots of saddle time, making those tough climbs of Spring a breeze in Autumn.

It’s hard to beat the feeling of beginning a crisp, cool Fall ride with a slight shiver, knowing your efforts will soon warm you perfectly.

The hues of Autumn are outstanding.

A Pelham route as simple as following our southern boundary is one that would make most Toronto cyclists jealous, especially when our forests and fields are ablaze with colour.

Begin from Harold Black Park, and zig-zag south along Effingham Rd toward the Welland River.

If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know south is the direction away from any hills.

If you avoid the morning and evening weekday rush hours caused by those travelling through Pelham between Wainfleet See AUTUMN Page 3

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice, December 4, 2019

Page 15

COMMUNITY EVENTS & CLASSIFIEDS

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The Town of Pelham’s redesigned website, launched September 30, has been named a MarCom Awards Gold winner in the Digital Media, Government Website category for 2019.

The international creative competition recognizes and honours outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals, “recognizing their creativity, hard work, and generosity,” according to a Town statement.

The Gold award is presented to entries judged to be among the most outstanding in the competition. Pelham was one of two Canadian municipalities to have their website awarded in 2019. Morinville, AB, was the other.

“Judging your own work is accompanied by a very strong bias,” said Marc MacDonald, Town of Pelham Communications and

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At about 10 AM last Wednesday, the Pelham Fire Department was notified of a gas leak at a residential property on Haist Street between Pancake Lane and Bigelow Crescent.

The gas was shut off and contained within the home, however, out of an abundance of caution, some homes in the areas of Haist south to Berkwood Place, north to Damude Drive, east to Shoalts Drive, and west to Blackwood Crescent were evacuated and hydro disconnected.

By 2 PM, Enbridge had undertaken repairs and those evacuated were permitted to return home.

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Public Relations Specialist. “To have an industry of professionals deem your work worthy of these acknowledgements is very humbling and rewarding.”

The MarCom Awards are administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, an industry trade group.

In addition, the Town of Pelham’s Life in Pelham Guide, the community’s biannual magazine feature, received a MarCom honourable mention.

“This is another example of the Town of Pelham punching above its weight,” said Mayor Marvin Junkin. “The professionals we have within the municipality, in all areas of the corporation, are remarkable. You can spend a lot of money on something that is really flashy, but residents come to our website for information, and it’s easier to find now than ever before.”

Region updates disclosure program

Niagara Region Public ​ Health is making it easier for residents and visitors to make “informed decisions on where to eat, swim, and receive aesthetic services in Niagara” through updates to its disclosure website and new public premise inspection signs, according

Services

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helping residents and visiare provided. At time of registration, please enquire about tools needed. tors find inspection results • pre-finished hardwood SEEKING KEYBOARD Tues., 16 10 Please register ahead. TEACHER Visit www.pelhamonline sinceSept.

2007,” said– 12:30. $10. flooring solid, engineered Anthony Habjan, manager, library.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more details.

Seeking keyboard teacher for a beginner in my home in from $2/ft2 Environmental Health, NiFonthill. Phone 289-897-8405.

• laminate flooring from agara Region Public Health.

“But FABULOUS previously each type $.89/ft2 FENWICK LIONS FISH FRY FOUND of business was organized WANTED TO RENT • carpet and vinyl flooring treatssearch with funds heading straight back into the community. into Tasty a separate on FOUNDHaddock, from $4.95/yd2 WANTED TO RENT our website.

Now, Public Ladies french fries and much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m.Time Silver watch on • fibre flooring from $1/ft2 Health Inspects incorpoHurricane Road, Fonthill.

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Chimney repairs. that are available & visit our a ‘Near Me’ option, which Wet and damaged showroom. will load inspection results long-term tenant, with own basement repairs. for all inspected businessPELHAM MUDFEST appliances, own utilities.

Phone Tom Deamude at Phone: 905-892-7898 es in the users immediate 289-241-4767.

Fax: 905-892-4811 Men and women will be back in the mud as the second run on the year is area.”

References. 289-257-1962, 35 years of construction No Sunday Calls, Please TF Public Health Inspects Network Classified Ads experience. held at Bissil’s Hideaway. OCNA 905-643-9341. signs will begin to ap(AD CENTRAL) pear in businesses and will continue to REGIONAL be rolled NIAGARA EXHIBITION Week of out through the end of the Rodeo, games and live entertainment year.

December 2headline this years exciting event. It Theruns signs inform fromwill Sept.

11-14 at the Welland Fairgrounds. residents which local busiPosted nesses have been inspected and visitors to BIGdirect MOVE CANCER RIDENovember 28 niagararegion.ca/inspects, Move Cancer RideCentral isThis a non-competitive ridefortaking place onreporter Sept. with the ability to cover full-time position calls a well-rounded whereThe theyBig will be provided with inspectionfor results 7. Proceeds the Big Move stay in Niagara and support the Walker FamRegion a wideAds rangeincluded of community issues, from Town Council to interviews and longer and additional information ily Cancer Centre. allowing them to make an profile pieces. Previous writing experience preferred. informed decision. It also This ad is to be printed by all participating Ontario papers provides an opportunity for WALKING CLUB businesses to promote that walking in Pelham? Join them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena they Interested operate in ainsanitary manner. from 9-10 am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There Signage will be posted at is the no main fee for thisenprogram. For more information, please contact jcook@ or near public trance, in a location clearly pelham.ca or call 905 892-2607, ext 329. visible to customers.

Public Health inspects approximately HAMPER DAY4,790 FOR PELHAM CARES premises including placPurchase fresh fruit es that provide food, tat- and vegetables at the Market or bring a non-perishable toos, food piercings, andhampers at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sept. 4. item tohair fill the aesthetic services, as well as pools and spas, with all inspection results posted to the website.

The Voice is hiring!

News and Features Writer www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/writers

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The Voice, December 4, 2019

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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

Pelham Evangelical Friends Church 940 Haist St., Fonthill

Concordia Lutheran Church 105 Welland Rd., Fonthill

Fonthill Baptist Church 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill

Holy Trinity Anglican Church 1557 Pelham Street, Fonthill

Ridgeville Bible Chapel 418 Canboro Rd., Ridgeville

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

St. Alexander’s Roman Catholic Church 50 Pelham Town Sq., Fonthill

Fenwick United Church 1050 Church St., Fenwick

Fonthill United Church 42 Church Hill, Fonthill

Pelham Community Church (United Church of Canada) 461 Canboro Rd., Fenwick

St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church 834 Canboro Rd., Fenwick

FAITH LIFT

continued from Page 19 job. But something very strange happened as the day progressed. Something was different about the criminal on the middle cross. Perhaps he too had heard about Jesus or had even heard him in person while doing crowd control at the Temple.

At the foot of the cross, he witnessed firsthand what Jesus said to his fellow-victims, to his grief-struck mother and followers, and to his Father in heaven. Finally, Jesus uttered one last cry, surrendered his spirit, and died.

We then read how the centurion reacted. Looking up at the dead body of Jesus hanging from the cross he muttered, “Surely this man is the Son of God!” This is a remarkable statement coming from a man who had previously believed in multiple Roman gods, including the current emperor, Caesar Tiberius.

What about you? Read the Gospels for yourself with an open heart and ask yourself this question, “Who is this man?” Like the Roman governor and centurion, you too will be face to face with Truth. What will your answer be? ♦ Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor and member of Fonthill Baptist Church.

RWTO charity event Dec. 4

BY MAEVE KEATING

Special to the VOICE

While the rest of us continue to recover from Black Friday, the local chapter of the Retired Women Teachers of Ontario (RWTO) will be gathering together for their annual “Christmas Make and Take” event held at Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop on December 4. To go along with this tradition, the organization also hosts an internal charity drive to collect children’s books and pajamas which are then donated to the Niagara Region.

Although the RWTO is a relatively quiet organization, their Niagara South chapter currently boasts approximately 70 members.

Participants of the “Christmas Make and Take” pay a small fee for materials, then craft festive ornaments, and arrangements to take home for the holidays.

Although this quiet campaign never fails to draw plenty local members of the RWTO, it has never been publicized. Lynn Millar, President of the RWTO’s Niagara South chapter, is thrilled to be taking on this annual tradition and thought to promote this year’s event for her first term.

“Caring and sharing is our motto,” Millar says. “It’s a fun group, not just a work group. But we always have that charity part to it.”

Millar first began her career as an elementary school teacher in Brant county be-

fore moving to Welland and teaching full time in Fort Erie. When Millar finally arrived at her retirement in 2015, she suddenly felt at a loss when considering life beyond her career in education.

“I thought, I’m going to miss all these people I’ve been in contact with all these years.”

When a colleague mentioned the RWTO, Millar connected with the organization immediately and quickly made her mark.

“It’s just a great little community,” Millar says.

She now lives in Port Colborne and meets quarterly with her fellow members at various locations throughout Niagara, including Port Colborne’s Friends Over 55 Recreation Centre.

The RWTO stretches across Ontario, with the leaders of

each chapter meeting for an annual conference in June.

The aim of the organization is to support retired teachers, provide social spaces, and advocate for community outreach, especially for women’s shelters.

The RWTO does not limit their membership to those who spent the majority of their teaching career in Ontario. In fact, the organization is happy to welcome members regardless of home province, country, or education sector (public, private, or college).

“We’re always looking for new members,” Millar says. “If there are any retired teachers from any of the boards who would like to join our group, they’re more than welcome.”

To learn more about the Retired Women Teachers of Ontario and their role in our community, visit rwto.org or find them on Facebook.

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

Michael Jordan

The Voice, December 4, 2019

Sporting Green The Niagara

Page 17

Irish dumped in Metro Bowl

13

The Voice and TheVoiceofPelham.ca | December 4, 2019

Afor Forest win

Cyclone rally to bring home OFSAA consolation championship

BY BILL POTRECZ

BPSPORTSNIAGARA.COM

Forest Turpel.

N

O ONE APPRECIATED winning the boys volleyball consolation championship at OFSAA more than Forest Turpel.

The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student captained the E. L. Crossley Cyclone to the title at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships in Stratford to wrap up his high school career.

“If you look back in the video, you’ll see me crying,” he said.

“It’s one of those moments that you’ll never forget knowing that everybody did something for you and all came together. I’ve been playing since I was 12 and it was my last game of my career. Just being with such a good

group of guys. We were like a second family for the last four years.”

The consolation title was a fulfilling way to end the tournament for Crossley after a tough start that saw them drop three straight in pool play to Monsignor Percy, Adam Scott and Franco Cite.

At that point coaches Jessica Kropac and Michelle Gibson brought the team together and gave them a pep talk.

“I pulled a couple of the boys — a lot of our other players are basketball players or track athletes — Forest just has volleyball, that’s it,” Kropac said. “I told them it means a lot to him and could we get it together for

Everybody worked their asses off that last game

him and I really think that’s what turned it around. They really wanted to give him the win, which was amazing.”

Gibson agreed that talk was the turning point.

“It was really neat to see them become selfless and want this

for him,” she said.

The Cyclone were a team on a mission from that point on defeating Westgate and then St. Michael (3-1) in the quarterfinals and North Albion (3-1) in the semifinals, which set up an epic match with Lasalle in the final, which saw the Cyclone prevail 25-20, 25-21, 18-25, 1725, 15-11.

“We were hugging afterward and we said in our coaching career it was one of our most meaningful. Just to see the way the boys handled themselves and their sportsmanship throughout the entire event,” Kropac said. “As a team, you could see them really want to support Forest and want to do it

BILL POTRECZ PHOTO

for him.”

Turpel certainly appreciated the sentiment and effort put forth by his teammates.

“It really made me emotional in the change room. Everybody worked their asses off that last game. They left everything on the court.

“It was the second-best thing other than gold. Only three teams win their last game so it meant a lot.”

Turpel loves the team aspect of volleyball.

“Other sports you don’t really need to be all that connected to play or win, but volleyball you have to be more of a family and See FOREST Page 13

Page 18

The Voice, December 4, 2019

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

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AN EVEN TWENTY At a recent Fabulous Fenwick Lions dinner meeting, the club presented a donation of $6,000 to Kelly Russell, of the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. This represents the club’s 20th sponsored Guide Dog, comprised of 14 canine vision dogs, four special needs dogs, and two autism assistance dogs. Funds comes from the community and surrounding areas through sales related to the club’s annual car raffle and Classic Car Show. From left, Lion President Ron Ancaster, Kelly Russell, Lion Jeff Pickup. SUPPLIED PHOTO

Voice

HOROSCOPE

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

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CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Take your foot off the gas pedal this week, Capricorn. You have a funny way of always being on the move.

Sometimes you need to scale back and do nothing.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Sometimes the most exciting things happen when you allow them to develop organically, Aquarius. Let things unfold without too much oversight in the days ahead.

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This combination could prove rewarding.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, take some time this week to do something that makes you feel good. Don’t just focus on the physical; concentrate on your emotional well-being as well.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, you do not need a reason to be self-indulgent this week. Just step out there and go get what you desire. You’re a hard worker and have earned the privilege.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, you may be compelled to drop by a friend’s or family member’s house unannounced this week.

Better to pick up the phone and talk things out first.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, it is time to spread your wings and try something new this week. You’ll get restless tied behind a desk. Take some time off to indulge your wanderlust.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, loosen up the purse strings a little bit this week, as you

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice, December 4, 2019

Voice

FAITH LIFT

by Pastor Rob Weatherby

CROSSWORD

W

did he realize that at that very moment he was looking “Truth” in the face. Jesus had declared previously to his followers, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

(John 14:6).

In spite of a conflicted conscience and warnings from his wife (see Matthew 27:19), Pilate compromised his moral convictions, walked away from the Truth, and condemned Jesus to an excruciating (literally “out of the cross”) death on a nearby hill called Golgotha.

A Roman governor

Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea from 26 to 36 AD. He had a reputation for being ruthlessly efficient. Once when a group of Galileans angered him, he “mingled their blood with their sacrifices” (Luke 13:1).

Poetic, but cruel.

At the very end of Jesus’ earthly life, Pilate and Jesus met face- to-face for the first time. Undoubtedly, the governor had heard reports of this “miracle-worker” who was attracting great throngs of people to his open-air meetings. The Jewish religious authorities had brought Jesus to Pilate.

They needed the governor’s permission to execute capital punishment on this Galilean “troublemaker” who was threatening their position and authority.

You can read about Pilate’s interview with Jesus in the closing chapters of all four Gospels. At one point, Jesus remained silent and refused to defend himself, which amazed the governor. Criminals would usually plead for their lives at this point. This man was different.

At another point, Pilate uttered his famous question: “What is truth?”

I’ve often wondered how he said those words. Did he say them flippantly, with a wave of his hand, or did he say them seriously, looking deep into Jesus’ face? Little

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Face to face with truth I N S T O N Churchill once said, “Men occasionally stumble over truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.”

But what if you came face to face with truth? Two people did just that on the same day many years ago. They reacted in two very different ways.

Page 19

don’t know his name but we know his job: a military leader called a “centurion,” since he commanded a squadron of 100 men.

His job that day (along with his team) was to execute criminals by hanging them on crosses until they gradually died of blood loss, heart trauma or suffocation.

From the Gospel accounts, it appears that at least some of these Roman soldiers were so battle-hardened that they actually enjoyed (in a sadistic way) seeing their victims suffer.

When the day began, this centurion knew there would be some executions to perform and set out to do his

A Roman centurion

Another Roman came face-to-face with Jesus that day. He also was a man of some authority although much less than Pilate. We

See FAITH LIFT Page 16

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box.

You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

Weekly Word Search S H O R T H I L L S Y D W C P N Q T A V

J U W H T U O M R A Y E K O H W H E P L

D W M C I M I U T U C W J O W T W R Z S

P M T M C B Y H X X L I O F N I T X M U

E K V W E E O Z R B S M T I F E B K M J

D C T E R R E S T R I A L U E I F C R Z

R S D L O S S K I I Z H A L A T S K M T

N E L L U T L I D D H G F F F N R Q H W

W A D S M O H O D G L N F R T U U X Q S

W L C P F N C L L E I I O U K O Z X Z E

K B U R Y E L G Y A S F H E R M R F Q W

D I O I A H P T W D H F A E P T A P X X

B N I N C R E D I B L E F I G K E A Q W

G O I G H C L C N M L L Q N A K Z V M O

N C O O E E I T K O B A V A U W N V U P

W P S P R U C E S I D E K P S N C V L H

R X O R C E Z H X U U D R N W A H M F D

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Z H J N N K Y V Q Z N A A X J L L R P X

Find the words hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and backwards.

WELLSPRING HUMBERSTONE ALBINO TICE INCREDIBLE SHORTHILLS

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ANSWERS ON PAGE 20

Page 20

The Voice, December 4, 2019

RIGGED

continued from Page 1 swers for his interviews. Several of the documents originated in the office of the then-Regional Chair, whose staff also helped Mr. D’Angelo with his application and played a central role in the hiring process, despite not being part of the official recruitment committee.”

The CAO salary at the time was approximately $250,000 annually.

“Mr. D’Angelo was provided with substantive content to be used in his application materials by insiders who had access to information not available to the general public or to other candidates,” Dubé said. “The lack of fairness and transparency in the hiring process created controversy and distrust within the Region and served to undermine public confidence in local government.”

“The Ombudsman’s report brings shame to all Regional politicians of that time,” said Mayor Junkin, also currently one of Pelham’s two Regional councillors. “It brings home the need for complete transparency, at all lev-

els of government, at all times.”

Pelham’s other Regional councillor, Diana Huson, echoed these sentiments.

“Quite frankly, the report is damning,” said Huson. “It succinctly concludes what many had suspected about our Regional government over the last term— there was a concerted effort to manipulate the hiring process of our most senior public official by a select few. It’s quite shocking to see the extent at which this was mapped out and how it unfolded.

This council is now tasked with putting the necessary mechanisms in place to protect the integrity of our public institution.

We will be discussing the issue further on Thursday to assess what further steps can be taken, and how we can ensure this can’t happen again.”

Former Regional Chair Alan Caslin, defeated in his bid for re-election in October 2018, told the Voice that throughout his tenure his focus was on the broader picture.

“As Regional Chair, I always acted with the best of intentions for the betterment of Niagara,” said Caslin. “I was proud to lead a

council that put in place a robust internal controls and audit division to enhance accountability and begin to address ongoing practices like contract-splitting that violate the Region’s procurement policies.

I am glad that Niagara’s Municipal Ombudsman and now the Ontario Ombudsman have found that no corporate policies were broken through the recruitment process.

I thank the Ombudsman for his opinions on the situation and his recommendations to improve procedures at the Region.”

Caslin’s reference to the Municipal Ombudsman relates to an initial investigation undertaken by Regional Council at the time, whose conclusions were heralded by some on council as exonerating D’Angelo.

Dubé criticizes this first investigation as effectively incompetent, due in equal parts to Regional

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca Council not clearly setting terms of reference, as well as the Municipal Ombudsman’s relatively

limited digging into available evidence and witnesses.

Dubé made 16 recommendations to the Region to avert similar irregularities in the future.

Regional Council has unanimously accepted all of them. The Region has also agreed to report publicly and to the Ombudsman’s Office every six months on its progress in implementing them.

“I am hopeful that by implementing my recommendations, the Regional municipality will regain some of the public trust that was lost during this CAO hiring process, and that in future its practices and policies will result in greater accountability, transparency, integrity and fairness in local governance,” Dubé writes in the report.

Regional Chair Jim Bradley has called a special council meeting for this Thursday, Dec. 5, starting at 3 PM., to discuss the contents of the Ombudsman’s report publicly.

A link to the entire document may be found on the Voice website.

(One of Pelham’s two former Regional councillors, Brian Baty, offers his thoughts on page 4.

The other, David Augustyn, did not respond to a request for comment. The paper was unable to obtain contact details for Carmen D’Angelo.)

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